Edward Ryan

Fleeing their former employer, mercenaries Tyris and Stilthius Menion find shelter in a tiny town that seems doomed to fall under the swords of the battling factions in the area. When their warnings to the pair of strange children who seem to be the only inhabitants fall on deaf ears, the brothers learn that there are forces in the world stronger than flesh, blood and steel.

Afton Leer is a career mercenary with more years - and battles - behind him than most. Today, however, he has chosen the wrong side in a very one-sided fight. With the enemy closing in, the old warrior spends what time he has reflecting on a life lived by the sword.

A lost soul. A forgotten past. Magic worth killing for. Jantalus Kathias remembers his mother's murder with perfect clarity. Unfortunately, it's the only thing he remembers. Found unconscious in the company of a dying man, his rescuers learn only his name. Jantalus cannot explain who he is, why a strange, uncontrollable magic courses through his veins or how he came to bear the black-eyed mark of the dead. With fragments of memories he cannot be...

Armed with the knowledge of who he is and where he comes from, Jantalus Kathias sets out to confront the people who tried to destroy him and steal his magic.His search leads him to family and old friends, but he quickly learns not all of them can be trusted. As he struggles to make sense of the world without, his magic continues to rage inside of him. Jantalus must learn to master the power before it consumes him.Struggling to control his increasingly...

Slate Run Publishing presents it's second annual collection of unique and diverse voices drawn exclusively from New York's Capital Region.Featuring a wide range of genres from women's literature to science fiction and fantasy, Slate Run Annual Vol. 2 is sure to contain something for everyone.