Cover Art by Jason Pedersen

Today, we have Timoran Wrath getting a well-deserved spotlight.  I admit that I had to edit a little of the teaser to remove a piece of information.  Want to know what changed?  Then check out Legends of Windemere: Charms of the Feykin for 99 cents!

“I came to rescue you,” Timoran states, unable to wrap his mind around what he is seeing. A sticky substance drips onto his arm and he notices that there is blood on every surface. “This does not only belong to the cultists. I smell your blood in the mix. Can you get yourself under control long enough for us to reach Dariana or Nyx?”

“I said run!” the victim roars, his arm lashing out with ebony claws. He stops himself a hair’s breadth away from his friend’s face and drags himself back. “Too much pain. Too far gone. Please just run away.”

“A magnificent weapon, is he not?” the cultist asks as he rises from the water on the floor. He wraps his arm around Timoran and hurls the larger man onto the stairs. “Of all the chimeras that I have forced into this world, he is the most impressive. Not only will this young man be unstoppable against the Feykin, but their leaders will never dare to attack him. Such is the curse of being a good and noble man. I have been there many times and it leaves one’s work so fragile. One small mistake and all progress is destroyed. That is why I will use him to eliminate nature’s mistakes and revive the purity of the jungle.”

“You have no idea what you are unleashing,” Timoran claims, putting his axe on his back to appear less of a threat to the chimera. Holding up his hands, he focuses on the cult leader and prays he can talk some sense into the man. “We have dealt with this before and it is not something you can control. I am not much help either, so please let me get my friend. Think of the people outside who have no idea what is brewing beneath their feet.”

The cultist nods his head in agreement and turns his arms into water-dripping blades. “I see your point, young man. All of them are here to be protected from the Feykin. So I cannot let anything happen to them. If this chimera is more powerful and volatile than I believe then I need to take precautions. The water in the well will give me the power to shield them from the beast until it departs for the battlefield. Still it is best to give it a plaything and gain some extra time to prepare my defenses. Cutting one of your hamstrings should be enough to slow you down without taking away your ability to put up a decent fight.”

Timoran reaches for his weapon and prepares to charge the cultist, but stops when the victim releases a deafening roar. The tearing of flesh and stretching of muscles echoes throughout the dungeon as he grows to the size of an adult Sword Dragon. His body is covered in patches of fur and scales, both constantly molting to reveal fresh coverings underneath. A glistening ruby is in the center of his metallic head, which scrapes against the ceiling. The chimera emits a rolling growl while straining against the tight space and hungrily eyes the two small figures that are frozen with fear. With a quick snap, the transformed man swallows his torturer and lets the intense heat of his mouth evaporate the screaming cultist. Unsatisfied with the lackluster meal, the creature turns a predatory gaze on Timoran.

The barbarian races up the stairwell, which is too narrow for the chimera to follow. A flaming orb of metal barrels into the passage and slams into the steps a few feet behind the retreating champion. The heat from the attack makes Timoran sweat and he hears the creature preparing another blast. Not bothering to see if it can be pushed open, he smashes the door with his great axe and forces his way through the incoming flood. Steam fills the stairwell as water hits the hot ore, the vapor making it difficult for the barbarian to take a breath. Sheathing his weapon, he grabs the doorframe and pulls himself into the well where he struggles to swim against the current. The sound of the chimera breaking through the ground and the ensuing screams of innocent people drives him to push himself as hard as he can. With a desperate clamber up the slick wall, Timoran catches the end of one of the vines and swiftly climbs to the top.

The citizens are running in terror as the chimera’s head emerges from the ground and spits several flaming orbs. The projectiles smash into trees and take out a few homes, the distance between buildings preventing the fires from spreading quickly. With his hunger and rage driving him insane, The chimera explodes into the air and flaps his golden wings to hover next to the large fig tree. Before he can swoop down for a meal, a spear hits the beast in the eye and he turns to growl at Timoran. The barbarian hurls a rock at his friend’s beak-like snout and sprints in the opposite direction of the locals, the wound in his leg making it difficult to move at full speed. The monster roars in frustration and slams his tail into the fig tree with enough force to partially uproot it before soaring after the fleet-footed adventurer.