Alphondim

By JM Robison

(short story fantasy) When a court wizard is blamed for murdering the king, his own life narrows into dwindling seconds as he works a spell to stay alive because he's the only one who knows the truth about who actually killed the king...and why.

• Language: English
• Publisher: JM Robison
• Release date: May 3, 2024
• ISBN: 9798224958801

JM Robison

Hello book worms! Unless you prefer book dragon? I am J.M. Robison. I write fantasy books where heroes don't follow the rules. FUN FACT: I joined the U.S. Army at 17 with the sole goal in mind to learn how to write battle scenes realistically and experience different cultures to add variety to my world building and characters (to date I have visited Italy, Germany, Romania, Bulgaria, Afghanistan, Qatar, U.A.E., and Kuwait.) PERSONALITY: Introverts unite! Separately, of course. WHAT I LIKE: reading! Because you should never trust an author who does not also read. I crochet. I strive to be chemical-free so I make my own body and household products which are cheap and non-toxic (shampoo, laundry soap, toothpaste, face cleaner, face moisturizer). I love mountain biking and camping. And video games! I'm on discord: Evermore#3394. Recently I started barefoot running...and I love it! WHAT I WANT: Going to become a hermit when I retire. Like, legit live in the mountains hunting, gathering, and building lean-tos.

Book preview

Table of Contents

Alphondim

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Chapter One

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Further Reading: Paragon Forgotten, the Lost Gods Book 1

Also By JM Robison

ALPHONDIM

A FANTASY SHORT STORY

By J.M. Robison

Author Copyright 2024 J.M. Robison

Cover Art: By J.M. Robison

Editor: J.M. Robison

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the copyright owner.

This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, resold, hired out, or otherwise circulated without the publisher’s prior consent in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser. Under no circumstances may any part of this book be photocopied for resale.

This is a work of fiction. Any similarity between the characters and situations within its pages and places or persons, living or dead, is unintentional and co-incidental.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

CHAPTER ONE

The horse nibbled on the bit, restless, like Alphondim, to finally enter the arena and be done with this night swollen on wine, gossip, and too much rich food.

It was just a promotion ceremony, Com Valearth achieving the rank of captain, not king for hell’s sake, sliding proudly into the position as King Fenrik’s personal guard.

But then, Alphondim couldn’t grumble too much about the ceremony, for he had received a similar one when he was inducted into the castle staff as the court wizard eight years ago. Alphondim had begun to realize that it wasn’t that Fenrik liked parties, but that the town did. A quick way to earn someone’s favor was with a hot, full belly. Word had it that Fenrik’s approval rating was very high.

But there was the horn blaring across the arena. Alphondim shook out his poor posture, snapped his whip out to his side, and walked across the sand into the arena, the horse obediently following.

He looked up to where Captain Com Valearth sat next to King Fenrik. Com Valearth’s eyes widened — Alphondim could see it from the back of the horse — and he looked at the king who smiled and gestured to the gift of the horse Alphondim had trained. Being a wizard, everyone refused to believe Alphondim simply had a strong penchant for horses and training them which had nothing to do with magic. Sometimes the rumors he heard about himself made him giggle: he used magic to put his clothes on in the morning, he used magic to spell the dirt off him so he didn’t have to bathe. And his personal favorite? He used magic to clean under his toenails.

All very untrue. All very funny.

He waved to the assembly who cheered in anticipation for what they knew was coming. His dressage was known throughout the kingdom. The only thing his magic manifested here was to illusion the horse’s mane and tail to look like streams of fire and his legs to smolder in gray smoke, which contrasted perfectly with the animal’s glossed black fur.

Alphondim pulled on the reins to stop the horse. He looked into the stands and connected eyes with the conductor. With a nod, the conductor turned to his orchestra and raised his arms.

With the first, slow pull on the violin, Alphondim nudged the horse’s flank with his boot and the animal moved forward into a cadenced trot. He maintained the passage for a good moment, dancing the horse about the arena, and then transitioned into an extended trot to a well-timed drum beat, and then into a piaffe pirouette.

The crowd oohed out their appreciation.

A couple more passes in various dressage and Alphondim stopped and dismounted. He removed the reins. He caressed the horse’s silky nose and stepped back, tapping its hind leg with his whip. The horse thrashed its head and leaped forward with a ridiculous burst of speed, spraying sand on Alphondim’s robe. With the illusioned fire on his mane and tail, he looked like a living wildfire.

The horse reached the end of the arena, cut a sharp left, and dashed back, straight at Alphondim. The crowd gasped.

Alphondim sunk to the sand to his knees, tucking his head as the horse leaped over him. The horse landed, picking up his legs in a proud canter pirouette he kept to a tight circle. Alphondim approached him, and the horse stopped. Alphondim signaled with his whip, and the horse leaped straight into the