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Chapters (53)
  1. Map of Kingdom of Finfalla and Surrounding Area- Western Half
  2. Map of Kingdom of Finfalla and Surrounding Area - Eastern Half
  3. Map of Kingdom of Finfalla and Surrounding Area - Full Map
  4. Important Trigger Warning
  5. Prologue
  6. PART I
  7. One
  8. Two
  9. Three
  10. Four
  11. Five
  12. Six
  13. Seven
  14. Eight
  15. Nine
  16. Ten
  17. Eleven
  18. Twelve
  19. Interlude: The River of Life
  20. PART II
  21. Thirteen
  22. Fourteen
  23. Fifteen
  24. Sixteen
  25. Seventeen
  26. Eighteen
  27. Nineteen
  28. Interlude: Fallow Fields
  29. PART III
  30. Twenty
  31. Twenty-One
  32. Twenty-Two
  33. Twenty-Three
  34. Twenty-Four
  35. Twenty-Five
  36. Interlude: Of Man and Monster
  37. PART IV
  38. Twenty-Six
  39. Twenty-Seven
  40. Twenty-Eight
  41. Twenty-Nine
  42. Thirty
  43. Thirty-One
  44. Thirty-Two
  45. Thirty-Three
  46. Thirty-Four
  47. POSTLUDES
  48. Postlude 1: Lana Vica
  49. Postlude 2: Ludo Vica
  50. Postlude 3: Cainan
  51. Acknowledgments
  52. An excerpt from Heartsworn, Volume II in The Forsworn Oath, available for preorder now!
  53. PART I

She’d been in the bear’s mind too long already. She hammered against its insides with fists made of mental strength and will. It held, as firm and solid a thing as she’d ever felt. I’m going to die in here, she thought. Maybe Father was right to be worried. Maybe Shim was right to tell me to run away while he stayed to fight.

SORAYA, came the voice she’d only ever heard twice in her life: Once when the title Protector had been bestowed upon her; and, most recently, after she was promoted to Guardian. On both of those occasions, Narcissi’s words had felt scripted. Filled with strength and gravity, yes, but also, well, rather bored. I bestow upon you the title of…serve me for the rest of your days. Et cetera, et cetera. And yet on neither of those occasions had the goddess spoken her name. Now, it sent a chill through her.

Yes, Goddess, she replied. I am here.

HELP ME.

What? Soraya must’ve misheard Her, for though they served the goddess in whatever capacity She desired, She was still an all-powerful being that didn’t need ‘help’ in the usual sense. This time, Her voice was less magnanimous and more fearful. What did a goddess have to be afraid of? It came again:

HELP ME. PLEASE.

As quickly as it had appeared, the presence, and the voice attached to it, vanished, leaving Soraya feeling empty, a hollowed-out husk of some fruit that had become lunch for a greedy animal. She was also Soraya again—only Soraya. She didn’t hesitate a moment longer.

She screamed as she extricated herself from the bear’s memory. And though the walls surrounding its mind were softer now, more pliable, it had still required every bit of her will to break free. Her head throbbed as though she’d torn her own mind in twain, leaving one half—the bear half—scattered behind her. To her, it had felt like several frantic minutes. In reality, she knew from experience, she’d consumed the bear’s memories in a few seconds at most. Still, even a few seconds with your hand pressed against a monster’s stomach was more than enough time to be killed by said monster, so she was somewhat surprised to find the situation hadn’t changed much. She was very much alive and in mortal danger, the creature continuing to thrash its limbs about to dislodge Shim. Whether by design or pure accident, one of its hindlegs crashed into her, knocking her headlong. She twisted around so she could look her foe in the eyes before it finished her off, but then it moved.