Free At Least He's Not On Fire: A Tour of the Things That Escape My Head by Chris Philbrook Page A

return from. Others not as much, their faces shaking, their hands trembling, words of regret held in their mouths behind shut teeth. It didn't matter now. All they needed was the will to fight against the forces of Hell.
    And fire. They needed lots and lots of fire.

Tesser: A Dragon Among Us
    A Reemergence Novel

    Quite the mouthful that title is, eh? But it deserves it, I feel. Tesser was the third major literary undertaking I embarked on. It's a departure from the darkness that's occupied so much of the two projects that predate it, and it is a big step in a new direction for me.
    It was a good idea. It IS a good idea.
    It was a pleasure to write, and I really feel like it's the best thing I've written. As I write this Tesser is about to be released into the world, so we'll see if this hope turns into sales reality. I'd like to believe it'll catch fire, and sell madly well (or at least as well as AUD does) so I can keep doing this whole 'career as a writer' thing.
    But we'll see. Hopefully this taste of his world will entice you to pick up the entire book and discover just what is happening in the world Tesser now calls home.
    The book's idea came from my time growing up, similarly to the AUD storyline. One of my besties, Alan MacRaffen, was a fellow dungeon master, and he ran a game for me where I was able to play a dragon that woke up in modern day New York City. We were only able to play a few times, and the campaign was lost to growing up. This book was my opportunity to write the ending to the story he and I started together. Alan if you read this, I hope I did you proud. I know some (read: most) of the details of our campaign have been changed to suit my plan, but I hope you find this story entertaining.
    Tesser is the story of an ancient and benevolent dragon that wakes up deep beneath Boston. He's been asleep for millennia, and has no recollection as to why when he opens his eyes. Very quickly he uses his magic to shift forms to observe on humanity, and what he sees disturbs and angers him. Technology is everywhere, magic is fading faster than the sun at sunset, and perhaps worst of all... he realizes that one of the other dragons is missing.
    That wouldn't be that big of a deal, except…
    Well, you should just read the story. Here's a taste of the beginning of Tesser: A Dragon Among Us.
    Enjoy.

Prologue:
    The Dream

    I am flying.
    I have done this before, many times, and it is joyous.
    I feel the gusts buffet my body left and right, up and down. Though the wind is reckless, it isn’t violent. I feel the energy of the air lift me higher and higher, through the cool mist of a thick cloud that clings to my face and invigorates me. It is much like the first inhalation of the ocean's air after a long journey to the coast.
    Far below me, I see green grass, lush treetops, and grey pebbles poking through the skin of the world. There is a single brown line of disturbed earth winding forward that I know to be a human road. I have flown over it many times before, and I have walked it as well. It is familiar to me, but I cannot quite place where it has come from or where it is leading.
    It doesn't matter. I have eyes that see, ears that hear, and a nose that smells. In time, I will discover everything. When I flex my wings and dip below the clouds like a descending sparrow, I can see that miles ahead the road rises on a hillock and ends at a tall wooden gate. Fortified wooden walls spread in both directions. At the center, a majestic castle made of stone and timber sits in stark contrast with the surrounding hovels of mud.
    I think it is my castle, but I don't live there. It is mine in the same way that a King owns a dog. Or a Queen owns a King.
    My dream is almost over.   I feel it like a blue dawn rising on the edge of a long night. It has been a good dream for the most part, though in life, no matter how much the sun shines, storms always appear now and again. It is natural, unstoppable; it is the way of the world. It