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“Every day you live is a lesson in itself.”
― T.A. Uner, The Leopard Vanguard

“Sitting at his desk Remy filled out two forms and then played a few games of Tic-Tac-Toe against himself. Playing the “X’sâ€�, he lost a seven game tournament four games to one.”
― Hank Quense, The King Who Disappeared

“The Troll Patrol was an institution unique to Dun Hythe. Long ago, the city leaders had recognized the need to control and direct the heavy wagon traffic that flowed to and from the port area. They organized a patrol of citizens for this purpose and all went well for a while. No one knows who allowed the first troll to join up, but word immediately spread throughout the troll community that one of their number had a paying job with unlimited donuts. Soon after that, every opening in the patrol attracted dozens of trolls who brazenly persuaded non-trolls to withdraw their applications. Within a few years, trolls had taken over the organization.
Trolls proved to be particularly inept at traffic control. A member of the Troll Patrol could station himself in the middle of a deserted intersection and, within minutes, he would create a traffic-snarling mess. To keep the enraged wagon drivers under control, the trolls relied upon truncheons. A whack or two in the head always knocked a driver groggy and made him a lot less noisy.”
― Hank Quense, The King Who Disappeared

“Remy took a chair across from Jerado. A chess board and pieces sat in between them.
“Are you sure you remember the moves?� Jerado looked forward to recouping his card game losses.
“Y ..es. I . . . I practiced the moves in my office. I . . . I also read a scroll on playing the game.�
“Then you won’t object to betting on the outcome of the game?�
“N . . . o. H . . . ow much?�
“Let’s bet a modest sum. Say, twenty-five silver?� Jerado pushed a stack of silver pennies into the middle.
“A . . . ll right.� Remy pushed a similar stack forward.
“I’’ll let you have the first move,� Jerado said.
Remy moved a pawn forward to start the game.
Five moves later, Remy said, “C . . . heckmate,� and scooped up the silver coins.
Jerado sat stunned for a few moments. “Rematch.�
After Remy won four more games â€� the last for seven gold pennies â€� Jerado said through clenched teeth, “That’s enough for tonight, Remy. I’m tired.”
― Hank Quense, The King Who Disappeared

“Kings and dukes tended to appoint wizards as their principal advisors, a practice that often proved catastrophically wrong.”
― Hank Quense, The King Who Disappeared

“Leticia believed in Snotism. Every morning she began the day with a prayer to the Great God, Gundar. Today was no different. While most of the heroes still slept, she recited the prayer, then took out a small vial and spilled a few grains of crushed pepper into her hand. Holding her palm under her nose, she snorted the pepper. A second later, she let go with an explosive sneeze.”
― Hank Quense, The King Who Disappeared

“I am Bishop Connors of the Snotish Church. Where is the President?â€�
“W . . . hat do you want to see him about?�
“I don’t discuss church business with minions. Are you dead?�
“I . . . ‘ve been dead for a long time.�
“The Snotist Church has vowed to destroy abominations like you.�
“Th . . . ank you for sharing that.”
― Hank Quense, The King Who Disappeared

“The anti-aging spell he used every month kept him alive for the most part. Facially, he looked like a forty-five year old; physically, he was a wreck because the spell was defective. All his teeth had fallen out years ago and he now used a set of ill-fitting wooden dentures. He was bald and wore a cheap reddish-blonde wig that often slipped if he turned his head suddenly. It also had a tendency to take flight in a breeze. His knees were creaky and often ached, and his eyesight had deteriorated.”
― Hank Quense, The King Who Disappeared

“Over time, it became apparent that no matter who ruled the country of Gundarland, the Godmother ruled the city of Dun Hythe.”
― Hank Quense, The King Who Disappeared

“Tell us, my dear,â€� Ansgar said. “What year is it?â€�
“It’s 1536.�
“That means . . . we were sealed up for 211 years,� Ansgar replied.
“No wonder I need a beer,â€� Luc said. “That’s a long time to go without a drink.”
― Hank Quense, The King Who Disappeared

“Religion played a part in many people’s lives and the largest sect was Snotism. Snotists worshiped Gundar, the god who created the universe with a might sneeze after snorting His favorite recreational drug. Spittle flew through empty space and solidified into suns, planets and comets.”
― Hank Quense, The King Who Disappeared

“One day, Remy came across a proposal from Lithgow for a budget increase to re-equip an archer company with newly invented crossbows. Remy modified the requested budget amount by adding two zeroes to it and sent the proposal into Jerado for approval.
The sounds of Jerado’s wooden dentures clattering across the desk was most satisfying to Remy. Soon after, Jerado sent Lithgow a strongly worded notice to leave the archers alone.”
― Hank Quense, The King Who Disappeared

“Jerado heard a splash followed by the roar of an explosion. Bits of equipment, glass and wood splattered against the back of the chair. A large chunk of table whizzed past his head and smashed into the cave’s wall.
Ears ringing, Jerado sighed and waited for what he knew would happen next.
“M . . . master?�
“Yes, Remy?�
“C. . . Can you sew my hand back on my wrist?�
“Remy, Remy, Remy. You know how I hate doing mundane chores.�
“B . . . but I can’t clean up the mess with only one hand.�
“That is true. All right, fetch a needle and thread and I’ll repair your hand.�
“A . . . And I need a new tunic. This one is in tatter”
― Hank Quense, The King Who Disappeared

“The bag also held an umbrella made of iron and cloth. In effect, the umbrella was a lightning rod. Whenever it rained, Remy’s job was to hold the umbrella over Jerado’s head. So far, Remy had been struck by lightning three times, while Jerado, protected by a spell, remained safe.”
― Hank Quense, The King Who Disappeared

“The Alpha Ghur was the meanest bitch that ever bit into a bone. She had never once been mounted. She ruled over the others with a rusted, double sided battle-axe, chipped along both blades. Among hyenas the females were the biggest, the strongest, and the meanest. So it was among the Ghur.”
― C.A. Tedeschi, Lion Knight saga: The Knights of the Brotherhood

“If a path ain’t got no heart, you must not follow it, not for any reason—but if it does got heart, then you’d best oblige yourself. On account of doinâ€� good ain’t got no end. Like a pebble thrown in a pond, one kind act ripples outward in all directions. It affects others—for the betterment. How far the ripple may travel—no one can rightly say.”
― C.A. Tedeschi, Fen and the Every Path