Monument
by Ian Graham
Ballas is a drunk and a vagrant. In his heart there is only greed, and in his eyes only bitterness. Such a man is not suited to legend. He is fit only for an unmarked grave. And there are people who seek to hasten his journey there. When a young priest saves him from a beating in the street, Ballas does not know how to react to such an act of kindness. So instead he betrays his rescuer, by stealing from those who have offered him hope. But although what Ballas chooses to take can easily be hidden under a cloak, it is no trinket to be sold in the market for a bowl of soup. It is an artifact that will lead an army to hunt him down-and bring the world to the edge of chaos.