Short Stories

Griffins & Gunpowder Universe  The Dragon's Prelude





 The Empire of Chesia has been united under the iron fist of the Red Dragon. Now, the self-proclaimed Emperor has called his generals together to plan war. The nations of Garton and Andivar further the Emperor's goal to control all of the trade in western Zaria. But the Emperor has smaller, and closer, targets in mind.



  Available only in The Chesian Wars



 <p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;text-indent:18px;"><span style="font-family:'TimesNewRoman';font-size:9pt;font-weight:600;color:rgb(0,0,0);"><span style="text-decoration:underline;font-family:'TimesNewRoman';font-size:9pt;line-height:21px;text-indent:18px;font-weight:600;color:rgb(0,0,0);">The Sithean Betrayal

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<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;text-indent:18px;"><span style="font-family:'TimesNewRoman';font-size:9pt;font-weight:600;color:rgb(0,0,0);"> <span style="font-family:'TimesNewRoman';font-size:9pt;font-weight:600;color:rgb(0,0,0);">The tiny nation of Jarin has enjoyed an era of unprecedented prosperity at the expense of the weak leadership in the Empire of Chesia.

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<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;text-indent:18px;"> <p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;text-indent:18px;"><span style="font-family:'TimesNewRoman';font-size:9pt;font-weight:600;color:rgb(0,0,0);"><span style="font-family:'TimesNewRoman';font-size:9pt;font-weight:600;color:rgb(0,0,0);">But now, an Emperor has risen that has refused to submit to the Jarin taxes. Acheron Tavoularis knows that an invasion is imminent and leads his soldiers in a desperate defense against the more numerous Chesian invaders.

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<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;text-indent:18px;"> <p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;text-indent:18px;"><span style="font-family:'TimesNewRoman';font-size:9pt;font-weight:600;color:rgb(0,0,0);"><span style="font-family:'TimesNewRoman';font-size:9pt;font-weight:600;color:rgb(0,0,0);">On the other side of the field, Vladik Ortoff reluctantly leads hia Imperial soliders against an adversary that would be best ignored. When both commanders are presented an offer of aid from the notoriously neutral Sitheans, they have no choice but to accept it.

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<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;text-indent:18px;"> <p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;text-indent:18px;"><span style="font-family:'TimesNewRoman';font-size:9pt;font-weight:600;color:rgb(0,0,0);"><span style="font-family:'TimesNewRoman';font-size:9pt;font-weight:600;color:rgb(0,0,0);">But only one can receive the support of their newfound ally; the other suffers betrayal.

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<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;text-indent:18px;"> <p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;text-indent:18px;"><span style="font-family:'TimesNewRoman';font-size:9pt;font-weight:600;color:rgb(0,0,0);"><span style="font-family:'TimesNewRoman';font-size:9pt;font-weight:600;color:rgb(0,0,0);">Available on Barnes & Noble, Amazon , Kobo

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<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;text-indent:18px;"> <p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;text-indent:18px;"><span style="font-family:'TimesNewRoman';font-size:9pt;font-weight:600;color:rgb(0,0,0);"> The Red Dragon's Gold

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;text-indent:18px;"> <p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;text-indent:18px;"><span style="font-family:'TimesNewRoman';font-size:9pt;font-weight:600;color:rgb(0,0,0);"> For centuries, the nation of Malkala has bought peace with the larger, though fractured, Empire of Chesia through trade subsidies and bribes. Now, a warlord has united the Empire under his Red Dragon banner and he's not interested in buying from Malkala; he wants to own it.

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<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;text-indent:18px;"> <p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;text-indent:18px;"><span style="font-family:'TimesNewRoman';font-size:9pt;font-weight:600;color:rgb(0,0,0);"> The Army of Malkala must fight a juggernaut many times its size and face the temptation of gold and lands; a temptation not everyone can resist.

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<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;text-indent:18px;"> <p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;text-indent:18px;"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:TimesNewRoman;font-size:12.222222328186035px;font-weight:600;">Available on Barnes & Noble (Pending upload from Smashwords), Amazon, Kobo , and Smashwords

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<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;text-indent:18px;"> <p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;text-indent:18px;"><span style="font-family:'TimesNewRoman';font-size:9pt;font-weight:600;color:rgb(0,0,0);"> <span style="font-family:'TimesNewRoman';font-size:9pt;font-weight:600;color:rgb(0,0,0);">The Gathering Storm

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;text-indent:18px;"> <p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;text-indent:18px;"><span style="font-family:'TimesNewRoman';font-size:9pt;font-weight:600;color:rgb(0,0,0);"> <span style="font-family:'TimesNewRoman';font-size:9pt;font-weight:600;color:rgb(0,0,0);">Malis Acantha sees the writing on the wall. The Empire of Chesia has been united under the iron fist of a man that styles himself as the Emperor.

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<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;text-indent:18px;"> <p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;text-indent:18px;"><span style="font-family:'TimesNewRoman';font-size:9pt;font-weight:600;color:rgb(0,0,0);"><span style="font-family:'TimesNewRoman';font-size:9pt;font-weight:600;color:rgb(0,0,0);">Now the Grand Duke of Welos has traveled far and hard to gather allies to his cause: to stop Chesia before their insatiable hunger crushes the nations around them. The friend that he thought he would find, however, is not the man that he remembers.

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<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;text-indent:18px;"> <p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;text-indent:18px;"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:TimesNewRoman;font-size:12.222222328186035px;line-height:21px;">Available on Barnes & Noble, Amazon , Kobo