Answers

With Collecting the Prize finished, I turned my attention to the second genre for December, a Historical Fiction. Thankfully, this is one result that allows me to quickly determine who I’ll be featuring. While I could broaden my stable of characters, Samuel and those in his orbit are fun to explore. Besides, because of a snafu, there is a conflict that needs to be addressed. In Replenished Defenses, I introduced a wizard named Zachary. He’s the wizard who created the warding relic Samuel used in Onslaught. However, before resolving that thread, I introduced another wizard who could perform the same bit of sorcery in Resupply.

Despite keeping all my stories in an excellent journal, it wasn’t until after the latter’s publication that I realized the error. I’d introduced two wizards to replace the used artifact. While it’s not entirely a problem, the way I wrote it was. As a result, I needed to explain the conflicting nature of the dueling narratives. I also needed a resolution to the month’s initial story. So with these threads in mind, I turned my attention to the upcoming story. In the end, I created a period piece with a heavy dose of drama and, of course, fantasy. Unlike previous installments, Pearl doesn’t appear in this one.

So find a comfortable spot on the couch and let’s dive into the second entry in Samuel’s life.

Upon his return from California’s coast, Samuel is confronted with the plants’ poor preservation and the reason for his visit…

With a slow extension of his arms, Randal eased himself away from his cluttered workbench as his head swayed. Licking his lips, the man’s gaze bounced between his friend and the plants. After sucking in a deep breath and rubbing his hands together, he leaned forward. “Couldn’t you have preserved these specimens a little better, or at least earlier?”

“Excuse me?” Samuel asked, hopping to his feet before scurrying across the room and grasping the back of his friend’s neck. With a sharp inhalation, the rider squeezed Randal as he bent down, lowering his voice, ensuring none of Randal’s wandering staff could overhear him. “There were more pressing concerns, be it the outlaws, their dragons, or their bullets.”

“What are you talking about?” Randal asked, as his gaze drifted back to the simple flowers.

“You heard me.” Samuel squeezed Randal’s shoulder a little tighter as he leaned closer to his friend’s ear. “Had either you or Zachary informed me as to the worth of these, I might have been able to devise a better, or rather a simpler, plan to secure your precious spell component.”

“These,” Randal said, lifting one of the preserved plants as he freed himself from Samuel’s grasp, “don’t have any value to my knowledge, aside from being a useful reagent. Though if you do not appreciate my critique of your magical skills or my questions, feel free to leave and visit Zachary. I’m sure he has the supplies required to create another ward for you.”