Dragonlance’sepic fantasy return , now with even more Time devices to deal with . InDragons of Fate , Destina Rosethorn journeys into the past tense but find herself stranded , removed from her own time and without the means to return . This epic sequel toDragons of Deceitdrives readers further into theDungeons & Dragonsmythos , from the writer that start it all .
Take a look at the covert for Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman ’s New Classic Dragonlance novel : Dragons of Fate . An exclusive chapter excerpt is below .
Dalamar and Justarius walked toward the audio of hammering , which was exhale from a enceinte building made of stone . cognizant that they would never be heard if they announced their arriver , they walked inside .
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A shortsighted and compact young woman with her hair wrapped in a scarf and some variety of helm over her pass glanced at them through a glass control panel in the helm and continue with her work . Dalamar presumed she was Alice Ranniker .
She was dressed in a rough calico shirt , leather breech , leather apron , punishing leather gloves , and thick boots . She stood over an anvil , using a large cock to beat a piece of red - hot metallic element into meekness . The helm evidently protect her face from the heat and the sparks fell from the pounding .
Alice plunged the metal into a tub of water connected to a barrel that was in crook connect to the sluice that brought the water in from the well . The water hissed , sending up cloud of steam . She take in the chill metal out of the water , laid it away , and take away her helm to view her two visitors with forthright curiosity .
Image: Random House Worlds
“ Hullo , ” she enjoin , smile , completely unconscious of the soot and grunge on her face . “ I ’m Alice Ranniker . Who are you ? ”
“ I am Justarius , headmaster of the tower of Wayreth , ” said Justarius with dignity . “ This is my colleague , Dalamar , master of the tower of Palanthas . ”
“ Bless my gearing and supporter ! ” Alice gasped . Pulling off the gloves , she zip forward to recognize them . “ Merciful synodic month of magic , this is such an honour ! No , no . Do n’t add up into the smithy , ” she warned hastily . “ You ’ll get your fine robes filthy . We ’ll talk in the house . Such an laurels ! ”
She took off the leather apron and , with flustered courtesy , herded them into the low cottage and lodge them in a little living room . Every patch of piece of furniture was cover with soot . Justarius and Dalamar eyeball the chairs askance and take to stand .
Alice excused herself , saying she needed to go wash up and change clothes . She retrovert a short sentence later minus the scarf joint , look white and neat in a sprigged dress , with her brown tomentum bind in a single plait wrapped around her head word .
She was built like a blacksmith , with big shoulders and well - muscle arms . Dalamar adjudicate she could have probably piece him up , heave him over her shoulder , and walked off with him . She had bright eyes and an infectious smile .
“ Have you come to invite me to take the Test ? ” she asked excitedly .
“ I am afraid not , Mistress Ranniker , ” said Justarius . “ We are here on a far more important foreign mission . ”
Alice looked vanquish at first , but her disappointment faded when Dalamar bring forth the black velvet udder and asked if there was somewhere he could display the contents .
“ My laboratory , ” state Alice proudly .
She hustle them out of the front room and into the laboratory , which patently doubled as the kitchen , for it contained a large marble table covered with magical runic letter and soup stains . muddy home and cutter jostled with bottles , trial run tubes , and sheaves of newspaper with diagram of various outlandish - look and fantastical machines . A fire combust in the fireplace , where a mechanically skillful bridge player was slowly become a chicken roasting on a mechanically skillful spit .
“ Would you like to stay for dinner ? ” Alice ask .
Justarius glanced at the test tube-shaped structure and the contaminating plate . “ Thank you , Mistress Alice , but I am on a restricted diet . ”
“ accommodate yourself , ” said Alice . “ Make yourself well-to-do . Sit on that pot . you could shore your crutch against the fireplace . ”
She net a space on the table with a chimneysweep of her arm , sending plate and tube crashing to the floor . Dalamar abandon the contents of the purse onto the table . He did not assure her what it was , for he want to see her reaction .
Alice flex to study the debris . “ I can see it ’s magical , or at least it was at one time . Are the slice immobilise or may I safely touch them ? ”
“ You may touch them , ” allege Dalamar , giving her credit for having the horse sense to ask .
Alice picked up the rod and studied it from both ends . She held the orbs in her medallion and seemed to weigh them . Rummaging about the remaining mental object on the mesa , she located a jewelry maker ’s methamphetamine hydrochloride and put it on her center to examine the jewels . She picked up one of the faceplates that formed the pendant and peered at it in the sun , then make the mountain chain and swing it back and forth . remove the jeweller ’s meth from her eye , she tell , “ condone me , ” and disappeared into another elbow room . She returned carry a large leather - bound ledger and thump it down on the table .
“ My great - bang-up - gravid - grandpa Ranniker ’s Book of Artifacts , ” she said proudly .
Opening the book , she carefully plough the pages until she find what she sought , then shifted the book so they could see and pointed to an entry : equipment of Time Journeying .
“ This is or was the famous gimmick , ” she stated . “ Forged on the Anvil of Time during the Age of Dreams by person or persons unknown , it is one of a form . There will never be another . ”
She agitate her head sadly . “ What did you bloke do to it ? incline it through a meat grinder ? ”
Justarius glowered in anger and Dalamar hastily intervened .
“ What bump to it is not relevant , Mistress . As you could see , it no longer work . We know you may not establish another one , but we were hoping you could repair this one so that it would once more be functional . ”
Alice count at the diagram in the Koran , then back at the pieces on the mesa . She picked up the gat and screwed one of the orbs onto the end , then elevate the string and attached it . She place the faceplate on the tabular array and began fit some of the smaller jewel into the options . Dalamar noted her spot was surprisingly delicate as she handled the petite object .
“ It ’s been broken before now , has n’t it ? ” she said abruptly .
Justarius acknowledge that it had .
“ Did a gnome repair it ? ” she need .
“ So I was secernate , ” said Justarius .
“ cogitate so . Some of the repairs are gnomish oeuvre . you’re able to always secernate . ”
“ Can you secure it , Mistress Ranniker ? ” Dalamar asked .
“ No , ” said Alice , straightening . “ Sorry . ”
“ Are you certain ? ” Justarius asked , appalled .
“ Too many number and composition are missing . For example , you need four modest prison guard to hold the rod in place and there ’s only one screwing here . These four sapphires go here , here , here , and here , but , as you see , that allow two empty slots . I could make replacement parts , include the jewel , but your biggest problem is that the magic ’s debilitate clean out of it . ”
Justarius sank down in a chair with a bleak sigh . Dalamar begin to gather up the part to place them back in the travelling bag .
“ Now , gentlemen , do n’t appear so glum , ” state Alice cheerfully . “ I ca n’t deposit this twist of Time Journeying , but I might be able to make a Modern one using the erstwhile parts , and I can fill again the tank , so to speak . ”
“ What does that intend ? ” Dalamar asked .
“ Add the deception , ” said Alice .
“ you’re able to make a new gimmick that will transport masses through sentence ? ” Justarius necessitate , elucidate .
“ It would n’t be much of a gimmick of Time Journeying if it did n’t enthral citizenry through time , now would it ? ” Alice need with a Bronx cheer . “ I can work up a new one and , not only that , I can make it salutary . ”
dragon of Fate will be write on August 1 . It is available for preorder now on thePenguin Random House siteorfrom Amazon .
Reprinted from Dragons of Fate : Dragonlance Destinies : bulk 2 by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman . With permission from Wizards of the Coast LLC . bring out by Random House Worlds , an imprint of Random House , a division of Penguin Random House LLC .
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