K. L. Van der Veer

Tales of Fantasy

A New Beginning 1997 with S. L. P. Van der Veer

The morning sun slid over the rim of the dale, brightening the heavy mist that enshrouded the valley floor below, and glinted coldly off the armour of the elven outrider that scouted along the western ridge on her white charger. Light brown hair flowed out from under the hood of a blue cloak that was pushed back to reveal a finely wrought breastplate emblazoned with a flaming sword through a crown. Her left hand rested on the hilt of a slim longsword with a casual familiarity that comes only with the confidence and discipline of a blademaster.

For her part, Falana Raesaenen, first lieutenant of the Elven Home Guard, felt anything but confident. In just a few short days, the elven army would meet in battle with a horde of demon-spawn pouring down out of the north. Fighting beside the Elves would be the knights of the church of Lyfaye, which, until recently, had declared all non-human races as infidels and heretics. And it was here, in the quiet valley below her, that these three powers were to meet. For this quiet valley was the gateway to the south, and if the dark army were not stopped here, all the lands beyond could fall prey to the Shadow stirring in the North.... read more

The Dogs of War Autumn 2000

I despise war.

For the first time, I was to stand upon the battlefield as a paladin of Lyfaye. I had thought it would be a proud moment. Instead, I discovered that I had little heart for what lay before me. I would face my former kinsmen, and no glory or justice could come through the slaying of kin. How was the Light served by my taking up arms against them... by their deaths? The slaying of brothers does not ever benefit a people, no matter the reason or how we justify it to ourselves so we can sleep with a clear conscience. And yet, Ghostdancer and his elves were as much my kinsmen as anyone from my homeland - perhaps even more so. How could I walk away and let them face this ordeal alone? Choose either side and I betrayed kin. Choose none and I betrayed kin.... and something more. The Lyfeians could not be allowed to continue unchecked in their campaign to exterminate non-humans. Had I chosen to walk away from that battle, I would have betrayed my friends, myself and my beliefs. In war, people die. I do not have the power to stop war, and I can not restore life, but I can follow my faith and trust that the Lady finds a way to use me for the good of all. And so, I chose to aid Ghostdancer and Borandur.... read more

Into the Shadow Spring 2002

Galatyne Knightwyng strode across King’s Isle behind Theta Tarn and a squad of six Illyrian Knights walking two abreast. Their breath steamed in the chill night air, and a full moon lit their way. Theta Tarn and the knights wore chainmail hauberks augmented with plate on the arms and legs. Over all, they wore black and gold Lyfeian surcoats and the white mantles and fan-tailed helmets of the Lit Salles - Wards of Light - knights in direct service to the archprelate. Each carried a longsword. Three also bore crossbows. Galatyne wore only a short-shirt of mail and a dagger under the hooded mantle and white robes of a Lyfeian priest. He felt woefully underdressed to be strolling into one of the most heavily fortified places in Westermarck.... read more

In Search of Lost Souls Spring 2003

“This is not right,” Khallil said, stopping just past the bend in the passage and holding up his staff, which burned with a magical flame. The flickering light made the stylized leaves of his leather armour appear to rustle as though from a breeze.

Ahead of him, Indigo turned around. The torchlight glinted off the edges of mail that hung out from the bottom of his bright red coat. “Sure it is,” he said. “This passage will connect with the one that leads to where my half-sister said our father fell. I saw the map.”

Khallil shook his head. “No. That’s not what I mean. I don’t doubt this is the right way, but something is wrong about the rock. Look…” he pointed with his staff to the numerous fractures running through the walls, ceiling, and floor ahead of them, “here…” then to the smooth stone of the passage behind them, “and here… Up till now the outer city has been in-tact. From this point on, everything is broken – some of the stone doesn’t even have any support – but nothing has fallen....” read more

Behind the Walls Spring 2004

“Name?” asked one of the guards as he stepped away from the glowing brazier where he warmed his hands.

The bent figure stopped in the snow before the gatehouse and leaned heavily on his walking stick. He peered up at the guard from beneath the hood of a thick, woolen cowl. He was clean shaven, but the layers of dirt made it difficult to determine his age. His eyes, however, were bright and sharp. “Almaric,” he said without hesitation. His voice was well weathered. “Almaric Ver’kashe.”

“It’ll be dark soon,” the guard said. “I suggest you find your destination before then. Of late, the streets of South Gate are not safe for such as you.”

The stooped man nodded and shuffled through the gate. His staff clicked sharply upon the stones, and with each step he paused as if to gather his strength for the next.

Such as him… Almaric knew what that meant, had learned it on his journey here as people passed him without so much as a nod of greeting or sideways glance to acknowledge his presence unless it was accompanied by a pitying look and perhaps a tossed coin. The first time, he’d almost left the coin laying in the snow, but then thought better of it; he had little enough and would welcome the chance to sleep by a hearth when the opportunity arose. Still, it stung to be presumed a beggar because he didn’t stand straight and walked only slowly with the aid of a stick.

As for safe, nowhere seemed safe of late… for anyone. A darkness lurked in the villages surrounding Maidenstone Lake.... read more

Soul Intent Autumn 2004

Clianna ducked down beside Kyara as another black, winged horror dove, jaws snapping in the air where she had stood a moment before. Silver flashed over her head, and Fiona’s axe cracked into its skull, eliciting a screech of pain that was answered with a dwarven curse. Clianna wasn’t sure which drove it off. As twenty feet of black reptilian muscle banked away, Kyara rose and loosed two shafts into its back before it vanished into the darkness with a twitch of its barbed tail. The trio gathered themselves and ran to catch up to the blue flares ahead. Clianna was tired of the running.... read more

Aria in Fire Summer 2006

Falana staggered. The world around her spun. Carved stone gateways…. A circle of blue sky…. People… running…. She fell against a stone wall. Fire… fire everywhere…. She pressed her face against the cool stone of the gatehouse and focused on clearing the images that assaulted her mind. Using the exercises Galatyne and Ellam had taught her, she first slowed and then halted her own tumultuous flow of thoughts and emotions. That done, she found the calm center of her Self. Then she let her mind rest and allowed the images sent at her to flow over and around her as if she were a stone in a river. The key, she had been told, was not in trying to erect and maintain barriers as many powerful mages might do, but in letting go entirely and reestablishing her Self unattached to what went on around her. After a few moments, the rush of images faded into the background.... read more

Harmony of Souls Spring 2008

Kittarina slipped out the front of the chapel and into the dark night ahead of a thickening plume of black smoke. Up ahead, a thin line of trees stood out in stark relief against the flickering orange glow of the village that burned just beyond. The continuous crackle of flames was punctuated by the occasional shriek of terror and incongruous bird calls. Kitta paused at the small font of water outside the chapel door and hurriedly scrubbed the blood from her hands, forearms, and dagger. She grimaced as the water darkened. That had been too messy. She flicked droplets of clean water from her arms and darted through the trees toward the fire.... read more

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