seen from China
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from China
seen from China
seen from Malaysia
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from China
seen from United States
seen from China
seen from China
seen from Malaysia
seen from Ukraine
seen from Maldives
seen from China
seen from Malaysia
seen from Ukraine
seen from Singapore
TerraQuill Horizons Hits Kickstarter Friday!
Man, I've wanted to release these new TerraQuill stories for years. I get to share them all starting with TerraQuill Horizons #1 this Friday! We're at 100 followers so hop in and get notified at terraquill.com when the book launches around noon EST. It's like ten bucks so you'll get a good deal!
Chapter One
Scene 6
Coni
Coni emerged from the forest carrying an armful of firewood. His gaze fell upon Pip, who was crouched by the stream, intently observing something. A moment later, he caught sight of Dax making his way toward him. A flicker of hope crossed Coni's mind — perhaps the boys would bring something to eat — though he was extremely hungry. Skilled and reliable as he was, he followed that thought by preparing the fire.
Coni, whose full name was Conrad, was a young man in his early twenties. Tall and striking, he carried the grace of someone shaped by years of sword training, horseback riding, and friendly bouts of wrestling. His physique was lean yet strong, his presence unmistakably charming. A stubborn cowlick above his brow defied every attempt at taming his short brown hair, giving him an air of casual defiance.
He moved with the quiet confidence of a noble — poised, deliberate, and, when the moment called for it, effortlessly refined. He always seemed to know the right words to say, delivered with a calm that soothed or cut, depending on what the situation required. But make no mistake — beneath that composed surface lay a seasoned swordsman. At the first hint of danger, Coni would have his blade drawn in an instant, ready to deliver consequences both swift and enduring.
His sharp eyes missed little, and his perceptive mind rarely led him astray. To many, Coni might appear the golden boy — steady, noble, even admirable — but that trademark mischievous grin always betrayed him. Trouble, it seemed, never strayed too far from his thoughts.
Chapter One
Scene 1
Intro
Our heroes were making their way through a dense, dark forest. Exhaustion could be read on their faces. They didn’t speak much to each other. They had been sent on a weeks-long patrol through the kingdom. Increasing unrest had pushed their king to order more frequent patrols. Neither our heroes, nor the king himself, could have been prepared for what they would discover after completing their task.
Chapter One
Scene 8
Beginning 3
As they made their way back to camp through the forest, something suddenly blocked Pip and Coni’s path.
“Look... a rabbit?!” Coni whispered, eyes wide.
For a moment, time seemed to freeze. They all stood still, locked in a tense stare—until the rabbit made the first move and bolted.
“Quick! It’s getting away. Catch it!” Coni shouted.
Pip, startled and driven by adrenaline, dashed after it, yelling, “Wait!” But then it hit him—he had magic. They had just practiced a better way to stop a rabbit.
In the blink of an eye, Pip focused. A blue thread of magic shot toward the rabbit, wrapping around it in a tightening spiral. The rabbit froze, completely still.
“I did it!” Pip said proudly.
He approached, scooped the rabbit up under his arm, and swiftly broke its neck.
Coni spoke softly, almost to himself, “Dax will be pleased.”
The boys now had something for dinner.
Chapter One
Scene 8
Beginning 2
Pip and Coni had found a quiet clearing near the training camp.
"I think it’s important you try to recreate the feelings you had when you used magic," Coni said, his voice calm but firm. "What did you think back there, by the creek? Try to focus."
Pip paused, thoughtful, then positioned his body the same way he had back then.
"I was thinking how good it would be to eat something," he said. "We were right by the stream, so I figured it must be full of fish. I thought of Dax, and of you. About how hungry we all are! About the fish."
"Try now," Coni urged.
Pip focused, drawing on those same emotions. From his palms, a familiar bluish thread of magic began to emerge—the same one that had snared the fish before.
With wide eyes and a cry of delight, Pip watched the thread come to life. Coni’s voice came again, filled with cautious hope.
"That’s something … Breathe..."
As Pip’s breathing deepened, the glowing threads began to swirl, faster and faster—this time coiling around Coni.
"Wait—Pip, it’s tightening! What are you doing? Stop it!" Coni shouted, fear creeping into his voice.
But Pip couldn’t stop now. He had to understand this—how it worked, how it responded.
He took another deep breath, steadying himself, and focused with all his might. The bluish strand slowed, then twisted into a perfect spiral around Coni.
The pressure eased. Coni gasped for breath—and then broke into a grin.
"Hey, you control it!" he shouted, caught in the glowing vortex, filled with awe.
Chapter One
Scene 8
Beginning 1
As the new day dawned, Dax decided to spend it at the camp. He said to the others, “It would be good if the two of you tried to understand how Pip’s magic works today. I’ll take care of everything else.”
He stood up, walked toward the forest, and said he would find enough firewood and catch some fish for a meal.
Coni said to Pip, as if the mage wasn’t quite present at the moment, “We need to start your training. As far as we know, the key to generating even the smallest spark of your magic is focus. We can’t rely on dumb luck anymore.”
Pip listened silently, knowing Coni was right.
“Thank you for trying to help me. Truly,” Pip said.
Coni replied, “Remember, the key is focus!”
Pip looked a bit nervous. “Yeah, but that can be tricky sometimes…”
As they walked through the woods, searching for a suitable place to try consciously generating Pip’s magic, Pip said, “I’m afraid the magic might completely consume me. You can’t imagine what it feels like when it rushes through your body.”
Coni paused, his voice gently concerned. “No, I can’t imagine. But I can definitely imagine what would have happened to us if you hadn’t saved us in that forest. If things start to spiral out of control, I’m here. I’ll help. Take a moment and relax. Let that be my word of support.”
Pip was encouraged by those words. “Sounds like you know what you’re talking about.”
At that moment, an idea struck Coni. “I think I know where we can start.”
Chapter One
Scene 7
These fish
As Dax approached, he saw Pip doing something unbelievable. He had managed to catch fish using a kind of magic Dax didn’t even know existed. Pip shouted, “Hey, look what I can do!” As his attention shifted from the fish to Dax, Pip’s magic unraveled, and he cried out, “Look out!” A fish smacked Dax right in the middle of the forehead, and he ended up stunned on the ground. Pip asked worriedly, “Are you alright?”
Dax replied, “What do you think? I just got fish slapped!”
As he regained consciousness, Dax noticed one of the fish flopping back into the stream and shouted, “Quick! Catch that one!”
On their way back to the camp, Pip kept apologizing to Dax:
“Sorry, Dax. I’m really, really sorry. I thought I had it all under control. But the moment I saw you, I lost focus. I guess that’s why the fish ended up in your face.”
Dax said, “Don’t you worry! I’m a big chap. At least you caught us something to eat. Coni will definitely be glad when he sees all this fish. Where is he anyway?”
Pip replied, “He went into the forest for firewood! Even I heard him say that. Honestly, you’re useless until you wake up properly.”
When they got back to the camp, the fire was already going strong, and the boys were happy to immediately start preparing the fish for roasting. Together, they scaled and gutted the fish, doing everything needed to get them ready.
Once the fish were grilled, Coni said, “I saw you guys down by the creek. What were those bluish threads? What were you doing, Pip?”
Dax and Pip burst into laughter at the same time. Pip said, “That was a bit funny!”
While chewing on his fish, Dax added, “Yeah, but these fish ain't laughing!”
All three of them had a good laugh and a hearty meal. Along the way, Pip told Coni everything that had happened.
Coni said, “That magic you didn’t know you had. Have you figured out how you’re doing it yet? Back with the goblins, we were lucky. But things like that can’t happen again while we’re traveling. If you hadn’t slowed them down, we’d have been in serious trouble.”
Pip pulled back a little and said, “I really don’t know how I’m doing that magic. If only…”
Coni interrupted him, “Don’t be upset. I didn’t mean it badly. Before we head out again, we need to help you understand at least a little of it. If you did it once, I believe you can do it again.”
Pip’s face lit up, and Dax gave him a gentle look, as if to say the boys could count on him too.
