FORGED FOR DESTINY

Raul has a destiny: claim his birthright as the last surviving heir of King Balbainus and lead his conquered people to freedom.

The signs are all therehis birthmark, in the shape of Balbainus' halfmoon and dagger sigil, the gemstone-hilted sword he found in his parents' inn, and the sudden influx of illegal books featuring the late king's lineage. Nevermind that his ma is a hidden scribe writing a play about Balbainus' return, or that his da, a hardened warrior, has been training him to fight since he could stand. Or the fact that his sword doesn't seem very old at all, he feels much more comfortable reading than fighting, and his birthmark is looking more and more like a burn scar. As Raul leaves his simple village life to start a rebellion against the tyrannical Dunholm government, he begins to wonder if his destiny is more someone else's plan for a future he doesn't want to be a part of. He'll go along with things, for now, if only to prove that change can come from kindness instead of outright destruction. After all, destiny is what you make of it. Andrew Knighton is a full-time freelance writer and has published short stories, novellas, and comics in a range of venues. His recently published fantasy novella, Ashes of the Ancestors, has received positive reviews and was described by Adrian Tchaikovsky as a "genuinely excellent, thoughtful and very different fantasy piece."