Pacts of the River Gods

Wanderer Tzu Lung, sorely wounded, takes refuge with a Taoist shaman and learns that the world faces an alien conquerer from the sea who wishes to use surface dwellers for their own nightmarish agenda. <p> This 10,000 word short story is a continuation of "Cult of the River Gods", which you can download free, and part of a cycle that starts with "Sweet as Blood, Biting as a Sword" and continues with "Shadow of Heaven". As an author, I attempt to write characters caught up in worlds of mystery and horror, keeping an eye to verismilitude and psychological depth. I try to avoid most of the tedious cliches of fantasy fiction, writing for adults, mixing exoticism with gripping characterization and strong plots. My influences in fiction include H. P. Lovecraft, Robert Howard, George R. R. Martin, Roger Zelazny and Michael Moorcook.