The Vertical Marathon
by Lundy Burge
The boy had to keep running, had to find a way out of the nightmarish building that had entrapped him for years now, but then he found someone, someone who could use his help in the fight for her life, and maybe, just maybe, help him in the fight for his freedom.In the midst of an invasion, Don Mourning is abducted from Amaranthine, the keep of Augusta. His abductor, the introverted assassin Sorana, takes him to her mother’s remote tower. There, Don negotiates a deal with Sorana’s mother, Mercy. In return for assistance in the rescue of his bound siren, Don agrees to track down a mass murderer and return its telepathic weapon to Mercy. Don and Sorana rescue his siren, Natalia. They join with other companions to form the Blade of Mercy. They struggle to evade the invading forces and bounty hunters, all the while searching for the mass murderer. The Blade discovers the invaders’ ultimate target is Xandria, home of the beautiful and revered race of sirens. Their path takes them through Raykez, a human city with a culture profoundly impacted by the presence of the musically inclined sirens. It is also impacted by the legend of the vilified race of banshee. In the depths of secrecy and deceit, an ancient and terrible injustice is uncovered—the legend of the Mortal Banshee.Allies are found and lost. The mission becomes ever more intricate, and ever more insidious. The stakes are raised: Augusta, Xandria, Raykez, justice, the life of Don’s sister… For the Blade of Mercy to complete its mission, they will have to challenge the most malevolent and feared creature of lore and nightmares. To do so, Don must call upon the blind faith of his closest friends in a final, multi-dimensional confrontation.