A Sorceress on Earth: Compilation

By Jordan Alex Green

The first three stories of a Sorceress on Earth are now collected in one full volume!. Join Dara as she tries to stop a theft of a priceless magical artifact, fails, falls through a gateway to Earth, gets hit by a car, and ends up trying to fit in Sunny California, while also trying to get home in one piece.
And keep from dying. That’s also important. But the dangers of Earth aren't just mundane, because Dara wasn't the only thing to come through the gate from her magical home--and some magic can be dangerous, very, very dangerous.
From a world of magic to a world of cell phones and jets, Dara has her work cut out for her!

Cover and Interior illustration and layout by Edward Garcia

• Language: English
• Publisher: Jordan Alex Green
• Release date: Sep 13, 2023
• ISBN: 9798215332481

Book preview

To My Family,

Born and Chosen

A SORCERESS ON EARTH: COMPILATION

By

Jordan Alex Green

Covers and Interior Illustrations

Ed Garcia

Distributed by Smashwords.

If you want to know more about what I’m doing, check out my author’s page or my patreon! I also have an account on Royal Road!

This is a work of fiction. All characters appearing in this work are fictitious. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

All rights are ©2023 Jordan Alex Green

Arrival

BOOK ONE:

ARRIVAL

****

Covers TEST1

Chapter I

You are aware of your duties, yes, Lady Stonemender? The library director looked down at Dara. As usual, he was frowning. Dara wondered if he ever actually smiled.

Yes, Savant Tomas, Dara said, leaning on her staff. I’m aware of the need to protect the library during the lunar eclipse.

Your teachers speak very highly of you, but this will be your first actual solo job, the director said. An eclipse is a dangerous time when malevolent spirits seek entrance into our world. More commonly, it’s a time when various thugs seek to take advantage of the dark to commit crimes. You’re more likely to deal with vandals than you are a spirit of murder, but there are things here that might attract both mortal and immortal threats. I wish that you were not here alone, but the tradition is that one guardian remains during the night of a lunar eclipse.

I understand, sir, Dara said. Because Morrow went into the underworld alone to bring the Moon’s Princess out of bondage and set her up over the world again. The Sun’s Champion and the love he could never touch was an old, old story that Dara had listened to at her mother’s knee. As he’d gone alone, so was anything that needed to be done during a lunar eclipse done with only one person. Any more, and you’d insult the gods.

Dara didn’t know if she believed it. She didn’t know if anyone really believed it. If there was a fire during an eclipse, nobody would say only one firefighter needed to show up. On the other hand, places like Eventide College practically ran on tradition, so half the faculty would probably explode if they didn’t follow the old ways.

Or it’s just a setup for a practical joke on the new girl. Dara’s first year at the college had been full of those, ranging from being sent out to get a left-handed potion to having her bed animated to walk her out into the quad. Mages, it was said, had a weird sense of humor.

Or they were just jerks.

I will keep the library safe.

See that you do. Tomas turned and swept out of the great chamber, sealing the doors behind him. Dara felt the power of the wards rise around her, protecting the library from any unwanted intruders.

Well, most unwanted intruders. If anyone managed to bypass the wards, they’d have to deal with her.

With that, Dara sat down and started her watch. Anyone who wanted to get through the library would have to get through her!

****

"Gods, this is so boring!" Dara moaned as she lay back on the reading table, her cloak forming a makeshift pillow. Yes, the librarian would murder her if she caught her.

But she’s not here, Dara said to the empty air. She conjured a little glowing orb and threw it into the air, catching it as it came down.

Throw.

Catch.

Throw.

Catch.

Throw.

Catch.

I bet everyone is eating. Because you couldn’t work, the lunar eclipse was a time when people ate the food that they’d made earlier that day. So nobody was working, and the rule about not working together didn’t apply to partying and eating.

Responsible, my ass. I bet everyone is laughing at me while they eat the steak, wait for the soup, and take out the chilled lemon…

Her stomach growled.

No! Bad thoughts. Don’t think about all the tasty food! She looked up through the crystal dome that covered the central reading room of the library. Above, the moon was entering full eclipse, half of the orb already dark. And after that, eight more hours.

Eight more miserable hours.

Throw.

Catch.

Throw.

Catch.

Throw—the orb vanished as Dara felt a shiver in the air. Something had come through the wards.

She blinked and sat up. Something had come through the wards?

But the doors… Dara looked around. The front doors were closed and warded, so she’d have felt the alarm if someone had come through them. Or, if they were good enough to bypass the door wards, she wouldn’t have felt anything.

Dara licked her lips and held out her hand.

But if I send a messenger and it’s nothing at all… No, she would check out what it was first. Dara hopped off of the table and started walking towards the back of the library. The front was full of textbooks and modern writings, including the fiction stacks. Nothing there was worth breaking into the library for, since you could get it any time you wanted.

So in the back. I hope this isn’t a practical joke. Because if it was, Dara was going to force someone to eat her staff. Unless the faculty was in on the joke. With that, she fastened her cloak around her neck and left the table.

Walking into the back, the light from the stars shining through the dome swiftly faded. There were only a few mage fires burning, the heatless fire twisting up and sending flicking shadows across the tall shelves full of books. But none of those books were worth stealing, so Dara pressed on, her every sense alert. But the wards had calmed down, and there were no other sounds.

Maybe I misread it? Dara wondered if she’d imagined the shift in the wards but then shook her head. It had been there, and the disturbance had been severe enough that even a novice could feel it. One sweep through the exhibits, and then I’ll head back. The secure chambers were places Dara couldn’t go, and if anything was in here that could open those doors, she’d be best off running as fast as she could and screaming for help.

But when Dara poked her head around the corner, looking back to the secure rooms, their doors were all shut, the gleaming sigils showing that the wards were still intact. None of the guardian statues had animated either.

Okay, not the secure rooms. Maybe some of the restricted books? But that didn’t make much sense. Sure, they were restricted, but that was due to the danger of letting someone who didn’t know what they were doing access those magical tomes. But if someone really did want to get their face eaten by a pissed-off spirit, they could buy them from the market. The tomes weren’t illegal, just dangerous.

And breaking into the college library was illegal.

So a prank?

Dara paused as the sound of… chipping echoed through the building.

Someone was chipping something? Dara moved quickly. If someone was damaging the library on her watch, she’d turn over their twitching body to the Dean. The sound was coming from the sculpture gallery.

Better hurry. Dara moved as quietly as she could, her cloak flowing out behind her. As she got closer to the gallery, the sounds grew louder. Finally, Dara paused at the edge of the portal that led to the library gallery. Then she bit her lip and peeked around the corner.

The gallery was full of artwork, mostly from students. There was the animated statue of the body builder, which would flex for anyone who asked. A sculpture of flowing water morphed from mermaid to ice maiden to a pillar of water before repeating the cycle, each iteration a little different from the one before.

It was set far away from the fire sculptures. The spells didn’t get along very well.

But that wasn’t where the chipping was coming from. It was coming from the far end of the gallery, where some of the statues that had been taken from the temple outside of town were on exhibit.

The statue of King Zeras had been vandalized, shards of stone on the floor around the statue. Standing in front of the statue was a cloaked figure, one hand holding… something. Why is he doing that? It wasn’t even blasphemy. Nobody had worshiped Zeras’ pantheon for centuries. The temple was a tourist attraction, and why—

Dara shook her head and stood out from the side of the wall, holding her staff in front of her. Intruder! Surrender and prepare to be taken to the college proctors!

The figure paused, then turned, and Dara saw that he was holding…

A gem? A gem taken from where it had been buried in the statue’s chest?

I think not, he said. And then things got very busy indeed.

****

Even as he was speaking, the thief pulled out a rod and thrust it out at Dara, shouting a single, sharp word.

Dara was picked up and flung back, striking one of the shelves with bone-jarring force. A book landed on her head, and she saw stars for a moment before she shook her head and tossed the book (A History of Canal Building During the Third Dynasty) to the side. She gestured, and her staff flared with energy as she got up, preparing to—

To see her quarry run down another aisle.

Oh no, you don’t! Dara shouted. She skidded around the corner and charged after him, but he was faster than she was, outpacing her as he fled. Dara gripped her staff and cast the first thing that came to mind, the working speeding her legs. The books on the shelves blurred as she ran past them.

And I thought this was only good for making it to class on time!

Oh my, the man said as he paused. However will I stop you? He made a gesture, and Dara laughed as nothing happened… and then the ground went slick under her feet, and she fell and went skidding over the ground. He stepped aside as she sped past him until she hit one of the study tables.

Dara groaned and staggered to her feet.

You know, there’s a reason why few war mages use that particular working. Easier to fly and less likely to… well, you know. He smirked down at her. Now, I must be off.

Really? Dara asked. Run off? You can’t leave yet! She gestured with her staff, and golden glowing tendrils exploded from the end of her staff.

The man jumped back, a counterspell emerging from his rod. Dara’s sorcery paused, then exploded, the wind whipping around her as the sound of alarms started up, the wailing sound loud enough to be painful.

Now, everyone will be coming after you, so you’d better just surrender! Dara shouted.

But he’s good. He’s not a student, not even an advanced student. What is…

Then he was leaping up, propelled by his magic, a bolt of energy blowing a hole in the dome.

Oh no, you don’t! Dara wasn’t great at flight sorcery, but she didn’t have to be. Another gesture and another tendril lashed out, grabbing one of the support beams and pulling Dara after her quarry. As she emerged from the library, Dara looked down and saw people emerging from the buildings where the feasting had been going on, staring at the library in shock as the howls of the alarm echoed over the campus.

Dara didn’t care. She was going to chase down the person who had ruined her first day at work, and she was going to present his beaten body to the dean so that everyone would know that this wasn’t her fault!

Chapter II

The air was cool, and the moon was coming out from its eclipse, covering the campus in silver light. Dara followed the thief, augmenting her jumps with magic, and occasionally pulling herself up and over a building. He was flying, which indicated he’d either cast a ritual or was a lot more experienced than Dara was.

Dara had a bad feeling that he hadn’t cast a ritual.

Still chasing me, young lady? He called back. Well, I don’t want anyone else to interrupt us. He gestured, sending a bolt of fire into a cart on the side of the road, reddish-gold flames blooming in the night. Another bolt struck the front of a shop.

What are you doing? Dara shouted. She cast a stun bolt at him. If I can knock him out, I can keep him from burning the city down!

The bolt of energy splattered harmlessly against his shield.

Dammit! Dara hadn’t expected to hit him, but she’d never actually attacked anyone with a lethal working before. She hoped that her stun bolt would have done it.

He’s doing this to keep everyone else busy. The guard would focus on the fires, giving him time to escape. But that wouldn’t help. Dara bet that by tomorrow there would be notices about this sent all over the continent, and there were spells that could track people. Too difficult for anything but the highest-profile crimes, but this… well, this was a pretty big deal.

I need to—EEP! Dara dodged a bolt of fire.

He had shot a fire bolt at her!

Okay, no more stun bolts! Dara landed on a rooftop and gestured. Some bricks rose up from the roof and flew at her enemy. Elemental magic was the first form of magic students learned, and Dara had an affinity for it.

But the infuriating thief merely chuckled and blocked the stones with a shield of…

Hardened air. Dara barely got her own shield up before he sent the stones back at her, born on the wings of a blast of air. Dara was driven back to the roof’s edge, barely avoiding falling into the street. Lights were coming on in the neighborhood, and people were shouting, joined by barking dogs.

And Dara saw that her quarry had descended to where the…

Old temple is? What is he… It didn’t matter. Now that he was on the ground, Dara could catch up to him. She took another jump and landed just outside of the ruined wall that defined the outer edge of the temple.

Oh, you’re here, he said. He glanced over at Dara, his face hidden behind a hood, a pair of bright green eyes staring out at her. I thought I had left you behind.

Fat chance, Dara said. She held out her staff, taking the proper combat position. And no matter what you do, there will be people here before you can run off or knock me out.

Oh, but I’m not going to be here. He held up the gem, and Dara noticed that it was starting to flicker with an internal fire. Do you know what this is?

A gem from one of the old statues. Dara frowned. Something that you should have told us about, instead of stealing it. You could have been well compensated.

Well compensated with a pat on the back when I can have a world? I think not. He gestured at the ruined temple. Do you know what this was?

One of the old temples. Dara shrugged. Zeras the Wanderer.

Who walked between the worlds. He nodded, acting like a teacher giving a pop quiz. Dara tried to get a read on how old he was, but she couldn’t tell. Not old, not young. Just anything in between.

Behind her, Dara heard the growing commotion. People had seen them. There would be help soon, so all she had to do was keep him talking.

So, that’s the old story. She took a step to the, her staff slippery under her sweaty palms. This would be the first time she fought a real opponent, not someone paired up with her in combat class. Not that anyone believes it.

Yes, but what happened to the cult? He walked to the center of the temple. One day, the temples were found empty as the priests followed Zeras.

Killed themselves, made a bad deal with a spirit, took the temple treasury and vanished… Dara shrugged. It could have been a lot of things.

Yes. Everyone has their own opinion on what happened. Save for the one thing that the priests said they would do: Go between worlds.

Dara snorted. That’s as insane as teleportation. Nobody’s been able to make a portal to another world or in this one. Not even to the spirit realms.

Not until today, he told her. And now, I must be off to a place where I think I will become wealthier than you can imagine. Farewell, young lady—

No! Dara started to charge him, even as he threw the gem into the air, where it flared with light. Light of a thousand different colors, most of them indescribable. Lines of fire suddenly appeared under them both, the temple floor flashing once as a complex pattern, more advanced than any circle Dara had seen before, came to life.

Yes! he shouted. It is too late!

Dara stared at the edge of the circle. The first thing every student learned was that you did not casually break a circle. At best, it would derange the ritual.

At worst, especially if the sorcery incorporated defenses, you’d be explaining your misdeeds to the gods. And yet…

That’s powerful. He’s crazy, but that gem is very powerful… and Dara didn’t know what the ritual was intended to do. But it might not be good for everyone else. A crazy wizard and a lost ritual didn’t usually portend a good ending.

After all, if the followers of Zeras had actually gone to another world instead of killing themselves, you’d think that some of them would have come back.

Dara nodded. She held out her staff, concentrating her power on it. Sorry, you’re not going anywhere.

"Wait—what are you—are you insane!?"

No, I just don’t want to be blamed for this, Dara thought. And with that, she thrust her staff into the ritual circle.

And suddenly, there was light. Nothing but light and thunder, even though Dara closed her eyes. And over the noise, she heard the thief shout at her.

"…know what you’ve done!?"

Oh, good, at least he doesn’t sound so self-assured anymore. But when Dara forced her eyes open, the light had dimmed to where she could see the… swirling hole in the world. And then she fell through it, as the circle seemed to twist and shiver, the gem flaring up one last time and then shattering.

****

Dara fell, turning and twisting through what seemed to be an endless tunnel. She caught glimpses on each side of her. Worlds, landscapes, less describable things.

Her eyes widened as she saw a great beast standing among shattered, burning buildings, lightning playing along its spine. It looked at her, roared—and was gone, other images replacing it.

A vast city of bronze and crystal, an even vaster desert surrounding it.

Darkness, a single moon floating in front of her, strange ships of iron and crystal floating around it.

How big are they? If that moon was the same size as her moon, those ships had to be immense, as big as cities.

What looked like a world of floating bubbles.

A single burning eye, staring out at her from some reddish void.

The images kept changing, faster and faster, until it was impossible to really see what they were as they flickered past her.

Are these other worlds? There must be hundreds, thousands! They were right! The priests were right! And…Where am I going?

And then, with a final flash of light, Dara found herself falling. Falling far above a vast expanse of brightly lit buildings that seemed to stretch to the horizon, divided by what looked like rivers of endless lights moving back and forth.

I’m falling—I’m FALLING! Shit, shit, shit… Trying to grab something wouldn’t save her. Stopping like that would break every bone in her body. There were rituals, but she normally did them in a classroom, not falling to her death!

I should have let him have the dammed gem, Dara thought, but then she closed her eyes, trying to come up with the right ritual. Normally, you’d scribe a ritual down, but right now, she didn’t exactly have time to get her writing materials out! Dara held on to her staff and, with her free hand, started drawing symbols in the air. They blazed with energy as she desperately tried to come up with the right combination.

Make the air thicker. It was a variant of some workings she used at the school, an easy way to cushion something or sleep outdoors without ending up with a sore back. She’d also used it to shield against the thief’s attack, but that was hard air. This needed to be soft air, to cushion her fall without killing her.

She’d never done something like this before!

Dara shouted out the words and then slowly felt the air below her thicken. She was slowing up. Not fast enough, though. She poured more energy into the sorcery, feeling her body slowing a little more. Below her, there was a gap between the buildings. A wide street, one without all the moving lights of the other streets. Dara tried to blink the dazzle out of her eyes, but the effects of her passage through… whatever the Dark that was, still left blobs of light floating in front of her.

But