Ruins of Smoke

<p><span style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(30 25 21 1)>Speculative Fiction Indie Novella Championship (SFINCS 1) FINALIST.</span></p><p><br></p><p><span style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(30 25 21 1)>The Usharian Empire rules the Known World with an iron fist. Imperials protect their world from the tainted hand of the Deceiver but he is back with an avatar capable of breaking the Empire and grounding humanity into ash.</span></p><p><br></p><p><span style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(30 25 21 1)>JEHA is a sentinel of the Empire willing to fight and die for kinship and duty.</span></p><p><br></p><p><span style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(30 25 21 1)>AGOR is an imperial general. Disgruntled by the darkness he sees seeping into everything he loves he makes his move.</span></p><p><br></p><p><span style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(30 25 21 1)>MATALA is a young smokesmith who sees his courage tested as Ushar burns.</span></p><p><br></p><p><span style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(30 25 21 1)>ALAMAKAR is the world's most powerful man but even strong blood ties can hold him down and tear him apart.</span></p><p><br></p><p><span style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(30 25 21 1)>As the Deceiver threatens the Usharian Empire's heart fiends walk the streets of the capital. Men and monsters clash in a battle fit for gods. And the smoke follows them.</span></p>