The First Holdfast

By Jonathan Moeller

Dark magic stirs in an unknown land.

The Guardian's duty is to defend mankind from all the powers of dark magic.

When she senses an evil power awakening in a strange land, the Guardian must travel there to fight it.

But the realm of Norvangenheim is a harsh and dangerous place, and it might kill the Guardian before she can even find the dark power...

• Language: English
• Publisher: Jonathan Moeller
• Release date: Mar 21, 2023
• ISBN: 9798215838044

Jonathan Moeller

Standing over six feet tall, Jonathan Moeller has the piercing blue eyes of a Conan of Cimmeria, the bronze-colored hair of a Visigothic warrior-king, and the stern visage of a captain of men, none of which are useful in his career as a computer repairman, alas.He has written the "Demonsouled" trilogy of sword-and-sorcery novels, and continues to write the "Ghosts" sequence about assassin and spy Caina Amalas, the "$0.99 Beginner's Guide" series of computer books, and numerous other works.Visit his website at:http://www.jonathanmoeller.comVisit his technology blog at:http://www.jonathanmoeller.com/screed

Book preview

THE FIRST HOLDFAST

Jonathan Moeller

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Description

Dark magic stirs in an unknown land.

The Guardian's duty is to defend mankind from all the powers of dark magic.

When she senses an evil power awakening in a strange land, the Guardian must travel there to fight it.

But the realm of Norvangenheim is a harsh and dangerous place, and it might kill the Guardian before she can even find the dark power...

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The First Holdfast

Copyright 2023 by Jonathan Moeller.

Published by Azure Flame Media.

Cover design by Jonathan Moeller.

Ebook edition published March 2023.

All Rights Reserved.

This novel is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination, or, if real, used fictitiously. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the express written permission of the author or publisher, except where permitted by law.

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A brief author’s note

This short story takes place shortly before the events of DRAGONSKULL: CURSE OF THE ORCS.

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The First Holdfast

The Guardian Morigna sat alone in her sanctum and meditated, letting the Sight show her past, present, and future.

Every one of the Guardians had a sanctum, a place known only to themselves where they would withdraw to rest, recover, and study. Morigna’s sanctum was on a small island north of the continent dominated by the Heptarchy, not all that far from the hidden city of Nova Europa. She did not return to her sanctum often. Morigna was the Guardian of humanity against dark magic – and this world held a great amount of humanity to protect and just as much dark magic.

Nevertheless, a shadow weighed upon her thoughts, and she had withdrawn here to meditate and let the Sight flow through her mind.

The island was