Dragon sleuth a fantasy.., p.1
Dragon Sleuth: A Fantasy Action Adventure (The ForeSender Chronicles), page 1
Dragon Sleuth
A ForeSender Prequel Novella
Adrian Murphy
Copyright © 2023 by Adrian Murphy
All rights reserved
Ebook ISBN: 978-1-998086-00-9
Paperback ISBN: 978-1-998086-01-6
This edition May 2023
No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including scanning, photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the copyright owner, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Website: adrianmurphybooks.com
Foreword
Set in the ForeSender Chronicles universe, Dragon Sleuth is a standalone prequel novella (can be read with or without reading the main series) featuring team Galindra’s exciting first mission.
Fresh out of training and tasked with escorting a visiting princess back to her homeland, it seems a straightforward assignment, until conspiracy, dark forces, and unexpected enemies intervene.
Adrian Murphy
April 2023
Series Description
The ForeSender Chronicles
A dragon-shifter sleuth with a mystery to solve. Invaders from the stars. Billions of lives on the line...
Galindra still mourns her mother’s mysterious disappearance and yearns to discover the truth. She leads a team of interstellar investigators tasked with probing into the brutal kidnapping of a king’s brother. It seems like a straightforward case until sinister forces conspire to stop her... permanently.
After a chance encounter with travelers from an unknown planet called Earth wielding advanced weapons and strange technology, Galindra wonders if they are friend or foe. As dangers multiply, she resolves to find her missing mom, rescue the prince, solve a murder, defeat an invasion from space, and save entire worlds from doom.
All while watching her back for a homicidal witch bent on blood—hers.
The ForeSender Chronicles is a clean (no sex or heavy swearing) futuristic fantasy adventure series with galaxy-spanning action, ferocious mythical creatures, devious plots, betrayals, and a mother and daughter’s struggle to reunite despite desperate odds. For readers who enjoy their fantasy laced with hi-tech.
Author Adrian Murphy invites you to enter the spellbinding world of Galindra, the dragon-shifter intergalactic sleuth, today.
Series available at Amazon
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Adrian Murphy, Author
Free Prequel Short Story
Galindra and the Troll
A celebration turned to sorrow. A troll with an appetite for flesh. Can a young dragon-shifter avoid being a meal for her mortal enemy?
Long before becoming a top-notch interstellar sleuth, Galindra takes her first flight in dragon form using her magical powers. It’s almost her last.
Lost and surrounded by enemies in a remote mountain fortress, Galindra finds an unlikely ally. But can she evade the cook pot and escape from her fearsome captors?
Will she master her abilities before her vengeful dragon father incinerates the entire castle and triggers total war?
Galindra and the Troll is a standalone prequel to Adrian Murphy’s clean (no sex or heavy swearing) futuristic fantasy action-adventure series, The ForeSender Chronicles. If you enjoy emerging special powers, a desperate struggle for survival, ruthless foes, and friendship forged in the fires of adversity, then this clean, fast-paced short story is for you. Just right for fantasy fans everywhere.
Read it for free to learn how Galindra comes close to ending up as a main course.
Join Adrian’s newsletter tribe today and receive this bonus prequel short story at: adrianmurphybooks.com
Contents
1. Into the moorland
2. Three trolls spell trouble
3. Death embrace
4. Ergalax
5. Teammates
6. A delicate assignment
7. Preparations
8. Assassins in the murk
9. Hilltop ruins
10. Glimmering maw
11. Crone
12. Crypt
13. Labyrinth
14. Blood monks
15. Death stalks the pit
16. Chance encounter
17. Reversal of fortune
18. Parting of the ways
19. Scent trail
20. A new mystery
21. Suspicions
22. Intruder
23. Taking a chance
24. Conflagration
25. Refreshments
26. Journey’s end
Book 1 Excerpt
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Free Prequel Short Story
Titles by Adrian Murphy
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1
Into the moorland
The broad-winged dragon soared above the vast moorland, vibrant noonday sun glinting off its copper-hued scales. Its form shimmered as it swooped close to the ground, then morphed into a young, dark-haired woman, her countenance one of sheer joy.
The smile died as she slammed into the peaty soil, tumbling head over heels with a soft grunt.
Galindra sat up, a scowl wreathing her features, cursed, and spat out a mouthful of grass. Clumps of mud clung to her smooth forehead. She’d landed in a shallow, murky pool of water, the cold moisture seeping into her pants, the black fabric untorn but bearing brown and green smudges from her abrupt landing.
Paws thudded over the moor and she turned as a massive wolf bounded toward her. Galindra let out an exaggerated sigh and pushed to her feet, ignoring the approaching beast. A tan leather knapsack lay nearby, and she bent to open it, retrieving a cloth which she swiped across her brow before smoothing her long black locks as the animal slewed to a halt.
The creature’s form wavered, glimmering for a heartbeat, and in its place a slim, athletic-looking warrior stood before her. He brushed his fingers through his hair, the same dusky hue as that of his sibling except for thin streaks of silver that almost seemed to gleam in the sun.
“Impressive arrival, sister-mine,” Salith said, his lips curving into a toothy grin. “It’s a shame I was the only one to witness it. Our friends back at the academy would have found it most entertaining.”
Galindra crossed her arms. “The sun was in my eyes.”
Salith cupped his hand over his brow, bent his head back, and squinted. “It is a bright, invigorating day, I’ll grant you that.” He stroked his clean-shaven chin and tapped the hilt of the sword at his hip. “Still, I understood dragon shifters had unparalleled eyesight, no matter what conditions they encountered.”
“And I suppose wolf shifters have perfect vision?” Before he could answer, she continued. “What about that time you went for an unplanned plunge into the fountain outside the Hall of Magic?”
“I lost my footing on a cracked flagstone.”
Galindra arched an eyebrow. “More like you were distracted by a pretty face and weren’t observing where you were going!”
“You don’t believe our fellow student was impressed by my unintended soaking? I felt I looked impressive when I emerged with water dripping from my manly torso.”
“You looked bedraggled, not manly,” Galindra snorted. “Though I can’t speak for what went through her mind.”
“I can,” Salith said, grinning even wider than before.
Galindra put her hands on her hips. “Go investigate that ruined tower over there. I need to check my bag.”
Salith groaned. “This is the fifth abandoned fortress we’ve surveyed in the past few days. What is our uncle, the esteemed Arch Mage Mirchelius, expecting us to find?”
“Hopefully, nothing,” Galindra replied as she rummaged in her knapsack. “Remember what he told us? Explore our surroundings and report back on anything unusual.”
Salith pulled a face. “The sooner we finish with these training exercises, the better. At least this time we were ordered to portal to our home continent, Amanthrea, and travel to the northern reaches. I like it up here.” He licked his lips. “Wonderful country for wolves. Lots of gentle, nonthreatening, delicious sheep. Not many people.”
“Go,” Galindra said, flicking her fingers. “I’ll join you momentarily.”
She watched as her brother stalked toward a slight rise in the landscape, where the ruins of a square stone tower and surrounding outbuildings stood. A crow squawked at his approach, rising from the top of a lichen-covered wall with a whirr of wings.
She gazed at the imposing mountain range in the distance, its stately, jagged peaks sparkling with snow even though it was full summer. The Knife Ridge Mountains. She suppressed a shiver at a memory from her childhood and pushed the thoughts away. “Now is not the time,” she murmured.
Trolls lived beyond those mountains, she recalled. After their defeat in the recent war with the dragons, Galindra knew the trolls had surrendered many of their fortresses and settlements, retreating even farther north. According to Mirchelius, this training foray was meant to catalog the citadels they had abandoned.
“ForeSenders are not just responsible for investigating extraordinary crimes and dispensing justice, my dear niece and nephew,” he’d told them as they prepared to depart. “We are also the eyes and ears of the Continuum, watching over and protecting its people. Hence, we also perform mundane duties, like helping to patrol the border between warring peoples, such as where you are now going.”
A desolate bird call drew her attention back to her immediate surroundings. She let her gaze wander across the flat, almost featureless moor that stretched in all directions, the grass-covered ground sprinkled with yellow and white wildflowers. Bees droned as they flitted among the stalks, while the sun beat down from an azure sky dappled with the occasional fleecy cloud.
“A delightful day,” she mumbled as her jaw cracked in a yawn. She was tempted to find a rock or boulder sizeable enough to sit on so she could rest, eat, and renew her energy after her time in dragon form. But she reminded herself they had to be back on Centristra within a few days, and she intended their last training expedition to go off without a hitch.
“Almost time to graduate,” she declared, cinching her rucksack closed. “We must complete this task as ordered and return home without delay. I don’t want to disappoint Uncle.”
Her senses pricked, and she shuddered, glancing over her shoulder. Her fingers strayed to the small, amethyst-flecked foresense gem embedded in the skin at the base of her throat. Was someone out there? Were they being watched?
She surveyed the empty upland. Nothing moved in the mostly flat landscape, and anyway, there were few places to hide. The tops of large, gray, weathered rocks were visible among the wildflowers and sturdy grasses. Galindra scrutinized the largest boulders, yet could discover no indication of anyone hiding nearby.
She sent out her senses, but grimaced, her hand rubbing her temple. My knees and shins are throbbing so much after that damnable landing, she mused, that there could be an army of enemies crouched below the horizon, and I wouldn’t detect them.
“Maybe I hit my head harder than I imagined when I touched down,” she said to herself with a shrug. “Who would be out this far? It’s not as if anyone knew where we were going, and there are no dwellings hereabouts for many a league.”
Galindra slipped her arms through the leather straps of her knapsack and turned to follow Salith’s footsteps to the abandoned watchtower. Her boots sank into the spongy ground as she strode toward the standing ruins, careful to avoid the muddy, water-filled pools and puddles. Salith was nowhere to be seen.
Where are you? she sent.
Exploring, he replied, the thought flowing inside her mind with ease. These ruins are ancient. No sign of life. However, there is a remarkably realistic mural on the wall of the former feasting hall.
There was a muted grating sound, as if someone were grinding corn on a quern-stone. Galindra frowned. Are you certain the tower is uninhabited?
Yes, why?
I thought I heard…
Galindra glimpsed movement from the corner of her eye and turned her head. The same vista met her gaze: desolate moorland strewn with rocks and wildflowers. A sheep, perhaps; or a wild goat? But if so, where was it? It couldn’t have scampered out of sight that fast.
She pursed her lips, shrugged, and started to turn back toward the tower. “I definitely need to rest.”
Galindra had taken another few steps when realization dawned. Earlier, she’d noticed a sizeable boulder nearby and had even contemplated sitting on it to catch her breath after her rough landing.
She whipped around. The rock was gone.
“Am I losing my mind?” she muttered.
Salith, she sent, something odd is…
Galindra never completed the thought. A massive, gray, lichen-draped figure pounded toward her. It clutched an enormous war club—the rounded surface festooned with sharp spikes—and uttered a rumbling bellow.
Troll!
2
Three trolls spell trouble
“We’re under attack,” Galindra yelled to Salith.
Wide-eyed, she yelped and dove to the side as the troll lunged at her with his spiky club. Unable to reach the relative safety of the abandoned watchtower, she rolled to her feet and scampered toward a boulder. Then skidded to a stop, almost slipping into a broad, muddy puddle.
With a deep grinding noise that vibrated across Galindra’s teeth, the boulder began to move, accompanied by a deep-throated groan. A rounded lump of rock rotated to face her, and a pair of large, black-orbed eyes appeared on the craggy surface. They didn’t look friendly.
Two trolls, Galindra sent. And I don’t think they’re here to act as our tour guides.
Make that three, came Salith’s reply, sounding rushed even inside her head. The mural sprouted a troll. I thought it looked exceptionally lifelike.
Save the art critique for later, Galindra responded, when we’re not in danger of having our brains mashed into the moorland.
She dodged another swipe of the club, the weapon’s close passage like the hint of a breeze on her brow. Her fingers reached for the foresense gem at her throat as she scuttled away.
She glanced over her shoulder and gaped. The second troll unfolded in a series of jerky, but swift, movements. Gray, with moss and lichen clinging to most of his body, he stood at least eight feet tall and, like his companion, hefted a gigantic war club festooned with iron spikes.
The creature threw his head back and roared. A flock of crows spiraled into the air, venting their resentment with raucous, high-pitched caws.
The troll lowered his bulky head, glowered at Galindra, and flared his nostrils. “I smell human.” He narrowed his dark eyes. “An’ somethin’ more. Alt-form. She’s a dragon shifter!”
“Don’t let her transform,” rumbled the first troll. He charged again, lifting his heavy club above his shoulder, preparing to strike. The second troll lumbered toward her, his movements sluggish. Perhaps he was still waking up? If so, Galindra didn’t want to give him time to shake off his slumber.
She made a swift decision. It would take too long to morph into her dragon form—the trolls might be on her before she completed her transition. Even a dragon’s head, as thick as the skull is, would be vulnerable to a battering from rock hard, spiky war clubs wielded by two enraged trolls. And they could catch her in mid-transformation, when she would be at her most exposed.
A fiery staff materialized in her hands, the flames wrapping around her fingers while leaving them unscathed. And not a moment too soon.
The first troll gave a shout as his deadly club descended. “Watch out, she’s usin’ elemental energy. Kill her quick.”
Desperate to evade the lethal spikes that glinted in the early afternoon sunlight, Galindra tripped over a small rock protruding from the spongy ground,
She righted herself, one eye on the club, and stumbled through a muddy puddle. The chilly water splashed her pants, soaking through the already damp material, some of it overtopping her boots and spilling down to her ankles.
