EXCERPT - BOOK ONE

 In the Land of Bleak it is always cold, the wind blows inces- santly, and it never snows even though the sky is always dark and brooding. There is little in the way of vegetation, only the occasional rolling tumbleweed, or maybe a dead and gnarled tree. Water is difficult to come by and must be used sparingly.

     Gore blended perfectly into the landscape of Bleak, with its desolate plain made up of mostly varying shades of gray. Only when he flashed his magnificent red eye did you know you were dealing with something other than a large hillock or boulder, something that was alive. So the small party of wayfarers was well served by making their camp against Gore’s bulk. The Miner of the Dark Pass would not be able to see them against the gloom of the day, even though they were quite out in the open. They were as sheltered as anyone could be in the Land of Bleak. They were safe to tell their stories, to know one another, to heal.