This is part of Nyx’s debut in Legends of Windemere: Prodigy of Rainbow Tower available on Amazon Kindle for 99 cents.

Cover Art by Jason Pedersen

“We’re already here. I’m just going to knock,” Luke says, easily freeing his arm.

“You don’t knock on a caster tower,” Fritz hisses in a hushed voice. “That’s like shooting spitballs at a werewolf. The results tend to be fatal.”

“Calm down. It’s a simple knock,” Luke whispers with a friendly smile.

Fritz cringes as Luke lifts his fist to deliver the ominous knock. It never connects as Luke suddenly grabs Fritz by the shirt and leaps away from the tower. The gnome can feel a surge of intense heat narrowly miss them. Luke lands in a crouch putting himself between Fritz and the tower. A patch of fire is still smoldering where they were standing and a small trail of flickering flame continues for a few yards.

“What kind of idiot tries to break into a caster tower while the masters are home?” asks a loud female voice from the direction of the tower. They turn to see the half-elven girl has returned and spurts of flame are dancing along her fingers. Being closer to the girl, Luke notices that her skin appears to have been marked by constant exposure to fire. It is a fire-licked tan that looks out of place on the half-elf.

“You said she wasn’t an apprentice,” Luke says through the side of his mouth.

“She must not be traditional,” Fritz replies, putting a little distance between himself and Luke. “I’ve never seen an apprentice of Rainbow Tower dressed like that in public”

A sword of fire grows around the girl’s left hand. “Stop your banter! It is my job to protect my home and my masters. Do either of you have anything to say before I kill you?”

“I think you’re being overly dramatic. We are invited guests. If will you let me explain, we-” starts Luke. A slash of fire passes between him and Fritz before it explodes against a sapling. The young tree crumbles to ash in seconds.

“Bullshit!” the girl screams.

“I sense her etiquette lessons never stuck,” Fritz whispers, watching the smoke float off the tree ashes. He turns toward the girl and flashes a charming smile. “You got detention a lot for violent and hot-tempered behavior, right?”

“Shut up!” the girl angrily yells. “Do either of you have anything to say that won’t make me hurt you? I can stand here with a prepared spell all night.”

Fritz clears his throat to say, “Uh . . . nice legs?”

The caster roars in anger as she sends a wave of fire along the ground. It fades away as Luke scoops Fritz up and sprints out of the spell’s range. The girl chases them across the garden, but she is quickly left behind by the faster warrior. Luke wastes no time in hurling Fritz over the wall where the gnome is safe and no longer a concern. The girl catches up to them in time to hear a crash followed by some muttered gnomish that she assumes to be curses.

“It was my idea to jump the wall and approach the tower. Your problem is with me alone,” Luke states, turning to bravely face the angry caster. “Now, are you going to listen or are we going to fight until I beat you?”

“I choose fight,” she growls. She launches a flurry of fire lances out of her hands, the heated projectiles leaving a trail of haze behind them.

CONTINUED IN PRODIGY OF RAINBOW TOWER