{"id":11402,"date":"2017-09-06T10:00:00","date_gmt":"2017-09-06T15:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.onelowerlight.com\/writing\/?p=11402"},"modified":"2017-08-26T16:38:43","modified_gmt":"2017-08-26T21:38:43","slug":"the-sword-keeper-excerpt-3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onelowerlight.com\/writing\/the-sword-keeper-excerpt-3\/","title":{"rendered":"The Sword Keeper \u2014 excerpt 3"},"content":{"rendered":"<p align=\"justify\">At first, Tamuna felt as if she were falling through an abyss. Darkness surrounded her, so thick she could almost taste it.<\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\">Before she could panic, her fall slowed until she was floating in midair. Her feet touched water, and a deep sense of peace swept over her, the peace one only feels in a dream. As the darkness cleared, she found herself swimming in a clear pool fed by a mountain spring. Rugged cliffs rose behind her, while a small stone chapel stood a short distance from the shore. An eagle cried out in the cloudless blue sky, momentarily breaking the solitary silence of the wilderness.<\/p>\n<p lang=\"zxx\" align=\"justify\"><em><span lang=\"en-US\">Where am I?<\/span><\/em><span lang=\"en-US\"> Tamuna wondered. <\/span><em><span lang=\"en-US\">How did I come to this place?<\/span><\/em><span lang=\"en-US\"> If this was a dream, it felt more real than any she\u2019d ever experienced. The water was cool and refreshing, with a bed of fine gravel under her feet. There was no danger of drowning, though the pool was deep enough that she had to swim instead of walk. She was naked, but that didn\u2019t bother her. It would be silly to swim in her clothes, of course.<\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\">She reached the edge of the pool and climbed onto a large rock. Snow-capped peaks lined the horizon in every direction, while virgin forests stretched out in the valleys below. The view was so stunning, it completely took her breath away. She\u2019d heard of places like this, where the cattle herders took their cows in the summer and the hunters roamed in the winter. However, when she scanned the mountains on the horizon, none of them were familiar.<\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\">\u201cHello?\u201d she shouted. \u201cCan anyone hear me?\u201d The echo came back a few seconds later, but only the wind answered her.<\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\">She shivered and rubbed her arms with her hands. The breeze was uncomfortably cool on her bare, wet skin, but fortunately the sun was rapidly drying her. She sat down on the rock and began to wring out her hair.<\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\">She noticed a small footpath nearby, leading to the stone chapel. A set of woolen clothes lay neatly folded at the head of the path, clearly meant for her. As soon as she was dry enough to dress herself, she climbed down from the rock and slipped the clothes over her body. They were thick and warm, perfectly suited for the mountains. The embroidery was red and gold on black, in the style of the Khevsurans, with a recurring cross-and-circle motif. She took a few moments to admire her reflection in the lake before setting off down the path.<\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\">Like most mountain churches, this one was built in the shape of a cross, with tall, narrow windows and intricate patterns carved onto the exterior. The stones were crumbling, and a long crack ran down the wall through the highest window. From the outside, it seemed empty.<\/p>\n<p lang=\"zxx\" align=\"justify\"><em><span lang=\"en-US\">I\u2019m alone,<\/span><\/em><span lang=\"en-US\"> she thought silently. And yet somehow, she knew that wasn\u2019t true. Ever since the darkness had lifted, she\u2019d felt a presence nearby, waiting for her. It felt as if she were part of a story that she was living through instead of merely hearing about.<\/span><\/p>\n<p lang=\"zxx\" align=\"justify\"><div id=\"mbt-container\"><div itemscope itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Book\" id=\"post-10586\" class=\"mbt-book mbt-book-excerpt\"><div class=\"mbt-book-images mbt-book-images-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.onelowerlight.com\/writing\/books\/the-sword-keeper\/\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"The Sword Keeper\" class=\" mbt-book-image\" src=\"https:\/\/www.onelowerlight.com\/writing\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/TSK-cover-533x800.jpg\"><\/a><\/div><div class=\"mbt-book-right\"><h2 class=\"mbt-book-title\" itemprop=\"name\">\r\n\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.onelowerlight.com\/writing\/books\/the-sword-keeper\/\">The Sword Keeper<\/a>\r\n<\/h2><div class=\"mbt-book-price\"><span><span>$12.99<\/span><\/span><span class=\"mbt-alt-price\"><span class=\"mbt-price-title\">eBook:<\/span> <span><span>$4.99<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div><div class=\"mbt-book-meta\">\r\n\t<span class=\"mbt-meta-item mbt-meta-mbt_author\"><span class=\"mbt-meta-title\">Author:<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.onelowerlight.com\/writing\/authors\/joe-vasicek\/\">Joe Vasicek<\/a><\/span><br>\t<span class=\"mbt-meta-item mbt-meta-series\"><span class=\"mbt-meta-title\">Series:<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.onelowerlight.com\/writing\/series\/the-twelfth-sword-trilogy\/\">The Twelfth Sword Trilogy<\/a>, Book 1<\/span><br>\t<span class=\"mbt-meta-item mbt-meta-mbt_genre\"><span class=\"mbt-meta-title\">Genres:<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.onelowerlight.com\/writing\/genre\/fic009020\/\">Epic<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.onelowerlight.com\/writing\/genre\/fantasy\/\">Fantasy<\/a><\/span><br>\t<span class=\"mbt-meta-item mbt-meta-mbt_tag\"><span class=\"mbt-meta-title\">Tag:<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.onelowerlight.com\/writing\/bookstag\/2017-release\/\">2017 Release<\/a><\/span><br><\/div><div itemprop=\"description\" class=\"mbt-book-blurb\">\r\n\t<p>Tamuna Leladze always dreamed of adventure, but never expected to answer its call. That changes when a wandering knight arrives at her aunt's tavern. He is the keeper of a magic sword that vanished from the pages of history more than a thousand years ago. The sword has a mind and a memory, and it has chosen Tamuna for purpose far greater than she knows.<\/p>\n <a href=\"https:\/\/www.onelowerlight.com\/writing\/books\/the-sword-keeper\/\" class=\"mbt-read-more\">More info \u2192<\/a><\/div><div class=\"mbt-book-buybuttons\"><div class=\"mbt-book-buybutton\"><a class=\"mbt-universal-buybutton\" href=\"https:\/\/www.onelowerlight.com\/writing\/product\/the-sword-keeper\/\" rel=\"nofollow\">$1 off the ebook with coupon code: BUY DIRECT<\/a><\/div><div class=\"mbt-book-buybutton\"><a class=\"mbt-universal-buybutton\" href=\"https:\/\/www.onelowerlight.com\/writing\/product\/the-sword-keeper-2\/\" rel=\"nofollow\">FREE ebook when you buy the audiobook direct!<\/a><\/div><div class=\"mbt-book-buybutton\"><a class=\"mbt-universal-buybutton\" href=\"https:\/\/www.onelowerlight.com\/writing\/product\/the-sword-keeper-3\/\" rel=\"nofollow\">FREE ebook when you buy the paperback direct!<\/a><\/div><div class=\"mbt-book-buybutton\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/dp\/1672820278?tag=1001parsec-20\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.onelowerlight.com\/writing\/wp-content\/plugins\/mybooktable\/styles\/silver\/amazon_button.png\" border=\"0\" alt=\"Buy from Amazon\" \/><\/a><\/div><div class=\"mbt-book-buybutton\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/dp\/B074XNWHKM?tag=1001parsec-20\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.onelowerlight.com\/writing\/wp-content\/plugins\/mybooktable\/styles\/silver\/kindle_button.png\" border=\"0\" alt=\"Buy from Amazon Kindle\" \/><\/a><\/div><div class=\"mbt-book-buybutton\"><a href=\"https:\/\/books.apple.com\/us\/book\/id1273520110?uo=8&amp;at=1010l3Ee\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.onelowerlight.com\/writing\/wp-content\/plugins\/mybooktable\/styles\/silver\/ibooks_button.png\" border=\"0\" alt=\"Buy from Apple Books\" \/><\/a><\/div><div class=\"mbt-book-buybutton\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.qksrv.net\/links\/7737731\/type\/am\/https:\/\/www.audible.com\/pd\/The-Sword-Keeper-Audiobook\/B0DXHKJ9ZV\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.onelowerlight.com\/writing\/wp-content\/plugins\/mybooktable\/styles\/silver\/audible_button.png\" border=\"0\" alt=\"Buy from Audible.com\" \/><\/a><\/div><div class=\"mbt-book-buybutton\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.qksrv.net\/links\/7737731\/type\/am\/https:\/\/www.barnesandnoble.com\/w\/the-sword-keeper-joe-vasicek\/1126997684?ean=2940161023563\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.onelowerlight.com\/writing\/wp-content\/plugins\/mybooktable\/styles\/silver\/nook_button.png\" border=\"0\" alt=\"Buy from Barnes and Noble Nook\" \/><\/a><\/div><div class=\"mbt-book-buybutton\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.goodreads.com\/book\/show\/36097926-the-sword-keeper\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.onelowerlight.com\/writing\/wp-content\/plugins\/mybooktable\/styles\/silver\/goodreads_button.png\" border=\"0\" alt=\"Buy from GoodReads\" \/><\/a><\/div><div class=\"mbt-book-buybutton\"><a href=\"https:\/\/play.google.com\/store\/books\/details?id=sUIjEAAAQBAJ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.onelowerlight.com\/writing\/wp-content\/plugins\/mybooktable\/styles\/silver\/googleplay_button.png\" border=\"0\" alt=\"Buy from Google Play\" \/><\/a><\/div><div class=\"mbt-book-buybutton\"><a href=\"http:\/\/click.linksynergy.com\/deeplink?id=HR3K7iI*5XQ&amp;mid=37217&amp;murl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.kobo.com%2Fus%2Fen%2Febook%2Fthe-sword-keeper\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.onelowerlight.com\/writing\/wp-content\/plugins\/mybooktable\/styles\/silver\/kobo_button.png\" border=\"0\" alt=\"Buy from Kobo\" \/><\/a><\/div><div class=\"mbt-book-buybutton\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.scribd.com\/book\/356675248\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.onelowerlight.com\/writing\/wp-content\/plugins\/mybooktable\/styles\/silver\/scribd_button.png\" border=\"0\" alt=\"Buy from Scribd\" \/><\/a><\/div><div class=\"mbt-book-buybutton\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.smashwords.com\/books\/view\/1216381\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.onelowerlight.com\/writing\/wp-content\/plugins\/mybooktable\/styles\/silver\/smashwords_button.png\" border=\"0\" alt=\"Buy from Smashwords\" \/><\/a><\/div><div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><div style=\"clear:both;\"><\/div>\r\n<\/div><\/div><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>At first, Tamuna felt as if she were falling through an abyss. Darkness surrounded her, so thick she could almost taste it. Before she could panic, her fall slowed until she was floating in midair. Her feet touched water, and a deep sense of peace swept over her, the peace one only feels in a&hellip; <a class=\"more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.onelowerlight.com\/writing\/the-sword-keeper-excerpt-3\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">The Sword Keeper \u2014 excerpt 3<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[650,932],"tags":[474],"class_list":["post-11402","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-sk","category-twelfth-sword-trilogy","tag-excerpts","entry"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7iXK-2XU","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onelowerlight.com\/writing\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11402","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onelowerlight.com\/writing\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onelowerlight.com\/writing\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onelowerlight.com\/writing\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onelowerlight.com\/writing\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11402"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.onelowerlight.com\/writing\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11402\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11422,"href":"https:\/\/www.onelowerlight.com\/writing\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11402\/revisions\/11422"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onelowerlight.com\/writing\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11402"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onelowerlight.com\/writing\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11402"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onelowerlight.com\/writing\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11402"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}