{"id":11403,"date":"2017-09-08T10:00:00","date_gmt":"2017-09-08T15:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.onelowerlight.com\/writing\/?p=11403"},"modified":"2017-08-26T16:42:11","modified_gmt":"2017-08-26T21:42:11","slug":"the-sword-keeper-excerpt-4","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onelowerlight.com\/writing\/the-sword-keeper-excerpt-4\/","title":{"rendered":"The Sword Keeper \u2014 excerpt 4"},"content":{"rendered":"<p lang=\"zxx\" align=\"justify\"><em><span lang=\"en-US\">Tamuna,<\/span><\/em><span lang=\"en-US\"> a voice spoke in her mind. She froze, her blood turning to ice. Was someone behind her? She glanced over her shoulder, but saw only shadows. Perhaps the wind was playing tricks with\u2014<\/span><\/p>\n<p lang=\"zxx\" align=\"justify\"><em><span lang=\"en-US\">Tamuna,<\/span><\/em><span lang=\"en-US\"> the voice spoke again, this time as clear as if she had heard it with her ears. She spun around, but again, she was alone.<\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\">As she turned back to the apse, the air immediately in front of her began to ripple like a mirage on a hot day. The sword seemed to morph and change, until she saw two images before her: the sword in the slab of marble, exactly as before, and a tall young man with golden hair and a carefully trimmed beard, wearing a silver coat of mail and the tunic of a warrior.<\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\">\u201cWh-who are you?\u201d she asked, taking a step back. Something about his gaze held her, telling her there was no need to be afraid.<\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\">\u201cTamuna Leladze,\u201d he said softly, looking at her with the barest hint of a smile. \u201cOver a thousand years have passed since mortal eyes have seen this place, now in ruins in the world of men. Many have desired to wield me, but I have refused them all. I am Imeris, the twelfth and final sword, and this is my sanctuary.\u201d<\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\">Tamuna frowned. \u201cThe twelfth sword?\u201d<\/p>\n<p lang=\"zxx\" align=\"justify\">\u201c<span lang=\"en-US\">Yes,\u201d said the young man. His image faded until he was almost invisible, so that Tamuna found herself staring at the hilt of the sword in the marble slab. It called out to her the way it had in the tavern, and she realized that the man and the sword were one and the same.<\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\">\u201cHow did you know my name?\u201d<\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\">\u201cI know a lot about you, Tamuna,\u201d said Imeris, coming back into view. \u201cOur minds made contact the moment you laid eyes on me. I know how your heart longs for adventure, how you dream of faraway lands. And yet, your unshakeable loyalty to the few close and lasting friends in your life keeps you rooted to your home.\u201d<\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\">\u201cYou can read my mind, then?\u201d<\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\">\u201cOnly because you are too innocent to know how to shut me out. What I read in your mind, others can easily read in your countenance.\u201d<\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\">Tamuna gazed into Imeris\u2019s eyes and felt as if she were staring into a mirror back through centuries of time. And yet, he looked like a man only a few years older than her.<\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\">\u201cWhy have you brought me here?\u201d she asked.<\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\">\u201cDo you see the inscription written on the floor beneath your feet?\u201d<\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\">Tamuna looked down and saw an inscription, written in old, faded letters in the marble floor. She squinted and tried to make them out, but the writing was too ancient for her to read.<\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\">\u201cWhat is it?\u201d<\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\">\u201cIt is an ancient prophecy, pronounced on the day when I was forged.\u201d<\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\">\u201cWhat does it say?\u201d<\/p>\n<p lang=\"zxx\" align=\"justify\">\u201c<span lang=\"en-US\">It says: This sword IMERIS, though last to be forged, certainly shall not be the least. For in the days when the Order is broken and darkness sweeps across the face of the land, it shall await the one who will wield it in truth and wisdom to free the world of men.\u201d He paused, looking her in the eye. \u201cYou are the one of whom the prophecy speaks, Tamuna. You are the one whom I have chosen.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<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>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Tamuna, a voice spoke in her mind. She froze, her blood turning to ice. Was someone behind her? She glanced over her shoulder, but saw only shadows. Perhaps the wind was playing tricks with\u2014 Tamuna, the voice spoke again, this time as clear as if she had heard it with her ears. She spun around,&hellip; <a class=\"more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.onelowerlight.com\/writing\/the-sword-keeper-excerpt-4\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">The Sword Keeper \u2014 excerpt 4<\/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-11403","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-2XV","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onelowerlight.com\/writing\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11403","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=11403"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.onelowerlight.com\/writing\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11403\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11423,"href":"https:\/\/www.onelowerlight.com\/writing\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11403\/revisions\/11423"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onelowerlight.com\/writing\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11403"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onelowerlight.com\/writing\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11403"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onelowerlight.com\/writing\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11403"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}