The Last Garrison (Dungeons & Dragons Novel) (32 page)

The magic that hung over Haven was no longer managed by an arcanist, watched and cared for, but it sufficed. The trees could become a disorienting maze, and the fog so thick, a roamer would find themselves returning to the same tree three times
without noticing a change in direction. The magic did its job mostly. And when it did not, when a small party of thieves or a ravenous or rabid creature found its way to the southern road, invariably there would be Imony, waiting silently, standing by the gate pulling the petals from a flower or staring at the clouds. A little round woman, alone in the road, kicking a stone, seemingly easy pickings for the tip of a bandit’s blade. It never ended well for those who dared to raid Haven. Never once.

To some
Matthew Beard
is thought of as a recluse, but those people haven’t been a part of his Tuesday night game. Between Michigan and Washington, the author’s time is spent in pursuit of writing, gaming, and general Epicurean pleasures. As a side gig, Matthew Beard likes to take pictures of dice and monsters.
The Last Garrison
is his first published novel.