Tears started to well in his eyes and as he blinked them away his eyes came to focus on a single tuft of grass that had somehow survived the fireball untouched. It made him think of Poppin. He missed her melodious voice and her enduring free spirit. He wondered what she would have made of all this death and destruction.
His mind suddenly snapped back with a moment of clarity and he focused on the tuft of grass again. He tried to reach out and touch it, but it was still inches from his twisted fingers.
His eyesight started to become blurry and he felt himself fading in and out of consciousness as his breathing became more rapid and shallow. He could sense death coming as the magical energy inside him started to pull free of his physical body.
In one last desperate attempt he pushed his body forwards towards the tuft of grass. He reached out as far as he could, but as his hand dropped down upon the grass he drew his final breath and with it he whispered the words of one last spell.
A moment passed before the grass began to glow. The blades of grass then started to snake forwards until they first covered his hand. Then they slowly moved along his arm and over his body until, after several minutes, he was wrapped in a glowing cocoon of plains grass.
All across the plain beyond the blackened earth vegetation began to wither and die until an area hundreds of yards in diameter lay desolate and dead.
END
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About the Author
Shane Griffin lives in Australia near the Blue Mountains west of Sydney. He is a part time author and full time scientist. He has been writing science fiction and fantasy since age 19. He has published over 20 short stories in magazines and ezines such as Potato Monkey, Antipodean Science Fiction, Ripples, Eclecticism and Masque Noir. Shane also now runs his own publishing label Poupichou Press.
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Other Titles in this series by This Author
Visions of Magic - The Duel
Visions of Magic - The Kidnap of Gabrielle Ulan
Other Titles by This Author
Accident Man
Antipodean Collection
Antipodean Collection 2
Apocalyptica - Rogue Memories
Barkley's Body Swap and Pawn Shop
Border Patrol
Blue Pelagic
Cancer Stick Addiction
Cure Overdose
Deathday
Drifter
Generation Next The Real Thing
Heir Neekay
Long Odds
Manjac and the Nosebleed Section
Necrofairies
Necrofairies 2
Prominence - Jump Master
Prominence - Retribution
Prominence - Redemption
Prominence - Veteran
Shady Hazy and the Subliminal Criminal
The Mercenary
World War H
The Umijia Challenge
Hello avid reader. I am assuming that if you have made it this far you are finding the world of Umijia an interesting and wonderful place. As the author I challenge you as the reader to read all of the stories in this series (yes there will be more) and try to piece together what Farrel's mysterious quest is all about as well as link together the little things that join all the stories in this series together. Read everything very carefully as we choose our words wisely in each story. You will find clues to past stories and future as you go. I wonder what the next story will be and where in the timeline of Umijia it will land.
Acknowledgments
Many thanks to our proof readers - Jennie Haines and Gary Martinic
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