The House of Yeel - By Michael McCloskey Page 0,1

of the rocky bluff. The Crescent Knight took a moment to rest, and then tackled the incline. His armor was massive and the going was rough. The only small blessing was the cool ocean wind that swept over the bluff.

After over an hour of steady trudging, bordering on staggering, the knight approached the summit. Just a few more steps remained. The grass here began to thin out. It clung to the rocks tenaciously. The Crescent Knight stared at it as he tramped the last few feet, his head lowered in exertion. Then he arrived and looked up.

Before him floated the House of Yeel.

Amazing was an understatement. He saw a multisided object the size of a small keep, white as bone. The top smoothed out into a rounded dome. The entire structure floated in the air as if anchored in the sky. The Crescent Knight stood staring at it in awe, breathing in ragged gasps. He saw no means of moving from the bluff to the house or vice versa.

A tremendous blow fell upon the knight’s helm from nowhere. He crashed to the earth, and started to slide off the bluff toward the rocks below. His scabbard caught on a protruding rock. He took a handhold on the stony ground and pried himself up.

A savage scream erupted above him. The knight looked up into the eyes of a gargantuan bird of prey. He gazed at it through his visor, trying to recover. Somehow he found the strength to draw his sword from its long scabbard.

The creature reared up, calling out in anger. The knight saw that it wasn’t exactly a bird. Its back half resembled the body of a great cat. A long green serpent slid out from inside the giant hooked beak. The knight realized that the snake was its tongue.

The harapin blinked slowly, examining him with a huge yellow avian eye. Then it hopped forward aided by its wings, seeking his arms with its two great taloned forefeet.

The knight yelled back in anger and fear. He lowered his head and thrust his blade into the feathers and fur of its powerful chest, aiming for its heart.

The wickedly sharp beak struck, clamping onto his helmet. The serpent hissed and spat as it angrily sought an opening in the metal. The knight clung to his sword with all this strength, trying to drive it further into the attacking beast.

Then the monster twisted savagely. A spike of pain erupted in the knight’s spine, then a numbness that left his body limp. He watched in horror as his hands released the sword impaling the monster. He started to slide away in the loose gravel, toward the edge of the bluff. The creature flapped its huge wings spasmodically in its death throes, pushing him further away.

The knight struggled for breath that would not come. He slid over the edge and fell into the mist below, unable to scream.

Chapter 1: The House of Yeel

Eight months into her journey, Jymoor finally looked upon the House of Yeel.

“It’s real!” she cried. “I made it!”

She stared at the huge floating dwelling for long seconds, drinking in its grandeur. The house looked perfectly formed, colored an even shade of white across all its sides. The arched roof seemed no different than any other part of it, and Jymoor could not tell how it had been built. As she stood watching, she realized it slowly revolved in the mist. She took another step forward to get a better view.

Jymoor’s foot landed on something with a snap. She looked down at the rocks of the bluff. The bones of some awful thing were strewn about. Jymoor stared at the refuse, wondering what kind of huge beast had died here at the peak of the bluff.

Her eyes caught a glint of metal. A sword lay among the rocks, almost consumed by rust. The precious metal decoration of the hilt was practically the only thing left of it. Jymoor stared at the gold symbol and gasped. The Crescent Knight had met his fate here, at the very foot of the House of Yeel!

Jymoor looked about nervously. She hoped that whatever the thing had been, there were no more. Still, she had to attempt contact with Yeel. She had known it would be dangerous to travel to the Far Coast, but had accepted the mission as her duty.

“Is anyone there? Great Yeel, are you there? I beg for audience with the Great Yeel!” Jymoor called out. Her own voice sounded scared and lonely, she