The Knight in the Panther Skin Trilogy
Table of Contents (Updated Weekly)
Book One: Avtandil’s Quest
Storms gather on the far reaches of the Arabian frontier. The King grows old, and the throne lacks an heir. To avert disaster, he appoints his only daughter as regent. But days after her coronation, a Black Knight appears on the edges of the Kingdom.
He wears the skin of a panther and rides a midnight steed. When the King and his foster son Avtandil challenge the stranger, the man in black butchers the their soldiers and vanishes before their eyes. Despite searching the empire, no one can find a trace of him or where he went. It’s as if the man never existed, or was a Devi.
Avtandil is given the impossible task of learning the secret of the Knight in the Panther Skin. To do this, he must undertake a perilous journey across lands no Arabian has ever seen. Alone and lost, he hunts along the edges of the world in search of his quarry. But every path leads him further into nowhere.
Success will win him the heart of his beloved, but failure will bring everything he loves to ruin. The only problem is, no one knows how to find the Black Knight or if he is even human...
Book One: Avtandil's Quest (Start Here)
Prologue - An Unexpected Meeting: There are areas of the world lost to time where a particular magic comes to life. Some say these places exist between the Renaissance of Europe and the Empire of Rome. Others claim to have found them in the ruins of far older civilizations or outlined in handprints on cave walls and carved into petroglyphs. Much like sunsets, their beauty is undeniable,…
The Story of Rostevan (CH 01)
Storms forever darkened the horizons of men, but some people did not fear the unrest these times brought. To them, the darkness was no more than angry clouds hiding skies of azure crowned with gold. They knew misfortune often lingered on the winds of Fate, and the rule of Kings ebbed and flowed across generations like the tides of an endless sea.
Book One: Avtandil's Quest (CH 02)
A King is Crowned: All courts and Kingdoms have secrets, yet few are kept. Arabia was no different. Before long, ladies and lords whispered Rostevan’s plans between themselves until even commoners were discussing the coming event. Soon the news reached a particular young knight named Avtandil.
Book One: Avtandil's Quest (CH 03)
Avtandil's Challenge: The celebrations following Tinatin’s coronation offered no seat for the sad or distraught. Yet, one of her guests sat with his head down. The mask he usually wore to hide his emotions had slipped, despite this man being surrounded by warriors and advisors he had spent a lifetime with. Now, the field of years across his forehead was plowed with fresh lin…
Book One: Avtandil's Quest (CH 04)
A Contest of Kings: The day of their challenge dawned bright and sunny, without a cloud in the sky. Avtandil arrived early to meet Rostevan and his armies, wearing crimson armor and riding a white steed. He wore a veil of gold links over his eyes, and his cheeks shone like cut ruby. He was accompanied by his most trusted advisor, Shermadin, who had been his best friend sin…
Book One: Avtandil's Quest (CH 05)
The Strange Knight: Shermadin called out to Avtandil and Rostevan, gesturing towards the young Knight weeping in the distance. The servants and soldiers turned as well, their eyes resting on the stranger. They admired him from afar, wondering where he had come from and marveling at his appearance.
Book One: Avtandil's Quest (CH 06)
A Daughter's Wisdom: When Tinatin learned of her father’s crippling sorrow, she came directly to his rooms. Outside of his door, she was greeted by his chamberlain, who stood and bowed before her. She asked the man about her father.
Book One: Avtandil's Quest (CH 07)
An Unexpected Gift: No more than a knock at the door, and the world fell from Avtandil’s feet. Like a steed galloping across an open plain, his heart raced within his chest. He had never met Tinatin alone. There were always prying eyes in the Kingdom. No one was aware of his secret, but, despite the late hour, the ache in his soul would not let him resist her summons.
Book One: Avtandil's Quest (CH 08)
Tinatin's Secret: “I know you are in love with me. There is no lie in saying this. Your heart is my captive, and you are my prisoner. Tears flow from your eyes without pause, and your soul is rent by my absence. I am certain you cannot escape this Fate because I am also slain thousands of times over. Perhaps you might ask yourself what King wants for lovers, but you woul…
Chapter 31 – Words and Their Weight
Chapter 32 – First In Last Out
Chapter 33 – The Three Hundred
Chapter 34 – The Spoils of War
Chapter 35 – Enemy Mine
Chapter 36 – One Hundred Keys
Chapter 37 – I Hold You With Me
Chapter 38 – Nestan’s Wedding
Chapter 39 – A Woman Scorned
Chapter 40 – Crossing the Line
Chapter 41 – Patience and Cowardice
Chapter 42 – The Sleeping Prince
Chapter 43 – Behind the Throne
Chapter 44 – Into the Silent Sea
Chapter 45 – A Man and His Horse
Chapter 46 – Brothers and Betrayal
Chapter 47 – The City of Mulghazanzar
Chapter 48 – The War of the Island
Chapter 49 – Moon Over the Sea
Chapter 50 – The Road to Nowhere
Chapter 51 – Death of a Knight
Chapter 52 – Oaths and Promises
An End to the Beginning – The Tale Continues
The Road to Gulansharo
Book Two of The Knight in the Panther Skin Trilogy
The Road to Gulansharo - Blurb
The days grow long, and trouble stirs on the borders of Arabia. Avtandil has been gone for almost three years. In his absence, the Kingdom’s enemies have grown bold.
A hero’s welcome awaits – if he returns. But oaths hang like stones around his neck. Every path leads away from home and the woman he pledged his heart to. She alone knows the secret he seeks, though the truth of his discovery may destroy them both.
Unsure of what awaits him in Arabia, or how he will make his way there, he must journey once more into the unknown. With nothing but his faithful steed and heart full of promises, the road will not be easy. If he survives, the fabled white gates of Gulansharo will be his reward.
There, he may find answers – if he’s willing to pay the price…
Table of Contents
Copyright and Printing
Acknowledgements
Dedication and Poem
Introduction – Rediscovering the Magic
Chapter 01 – One Night Closer To Home
Chapter 02 – The Fortress of Arabia
Chapter 03 – Days Long Darkened
Chapter 04 – The Knight’s Tale
Chapter 05 – A Ghost of the Past
Chapter 06 – The Rose of His Soul
Chapter 07 – More Than Salt
Chapter 08 – Morning Comes Too Soon
Chapter 09 – The Bard’s Tale
Chapter 10 – The Heart Which Hunts
Chapter 11 – The Truth Behind A Smile
Chapter 12 – Duty To The Kingdom
Chapter 13 – The Well of Sorrow
Chapter 14 – The Wrath of a King
Chapter 15 – The Servant’s Message
Chapter 16 – This Is the Way
Chapter 17 – Neither Apostle Nor Saint
Chapter 18 – In My Stead
Chapter 19 – Where Eagles Dare
Chapter 20 – Give Me Your Aid
Chapter 21 – The Brand of Betrayal
Chapter 22 – Lost And Alone
Chapter 23 – Where Is My Mind
Chapter 24 – How Will I Laugh Tomorrow
Chapter 25 – My Heart Will Be Fine
Chapter 26 – What Do You Believe
Chapter 27 – It Can’t Rain All The Time
Chapter 28 – Love Bites
Chapter 29 – Little Things
Chapter 30 – Every Rose Has Its Thorn
Chapter 31 – Leave No Stone Unturned
Chapter 32 – The Slayer of Man
Chapter 33 – The Feelings of a Stone
Chapter 34 – The Seven Great Lights Of Heaven
Chapter 35 – Don’t Talk To Strangers
Chapter 36 – Twin Suns
Chapter 37 – A History of Violence
Chapter 38 – The Better Part of Valor
Chapter 39 – The Arm of the Sea King
Chapter 40 – Legacy of the Twins
Chapter 41 – Mahmad’s Faithful
Chapter 42 – The Long Tongue of a Black Flag
Chapter 43 – What Lies Beneath
Chapter 44 – The City of Flowers
Chapter 45 – More Than a Merchant
Chapter 46 – The Flower of Gulansharo
Chapter 47 – The Sorcerer’s Message
Chapter 48 – When Hunter Becomes Hunted
Chapter 49 – The Way Forward
Chapter 50 – Burdens of the Past
Continuing The Journey – Difficulty At The Beginning
A Rule of Three
Book Three of The Knight in the Panther Skin Trilogy
A Rule of Three - Blurb
The throne of India is broken, and their Seven Kingdoms war for dominance. In Arabia, Tinatin sits alone. Rostevan has withdrawn to himself, and courts tragedy.
Across an ocean, the Wizard King of Castle Kadjeti has gone missing. In his absence, the Witch Queen seeks a bride for her son. Known far and wide for her deception and treachery, she plans something unspeakable, for Nestan is her prisoner.
Held captive behind the walls of an impregnable fortress known as the Graveyard of Kings, it’s only a matter of time before her hope dies in the harsh reality of her fate. When she breaks, the powers of her dark captors will consume her spirit. Like a star fallen from Heaven, her destruction will scar all the world.
The few who could have saved her are scattered to the winds. Tariel has resigned himself to death, broken-spirited and defeated in the caves of the Devi. Phridon battles the unenlightened as they seek to destroy his Kingdom, and Avtandil has long since disappeared into the sea.
Yet, a flicker of hope remains, for the lights of Heaven remain bright, and the dragon stirs among them…
Table of Contents
Copyright and Printing
Acknowledgements
Dedication and Poem
Introduction – Part One: The City of Kutaisi
Introduction – Part Two: Moonlit Dreams
Chapter 01 – Secrets of the Sea
Chapter 02 – The Pearl of Sorcery
Chapter 03 – What the Sun Cannot Equal
Chapter 04 – A Pensive Panther
Chapter 05 – The Tongue of a Fool
Chapter 06 – A Gathering of Shadows
Chapter 07 – A Celebration of Ruin
Chapter 08 – The Crown of Temptation
Chapter 09 – The Grapes of Wrath
Chapter 10 – The King’s Death
Chapter 11 – The Voice of the Moon
Chapter 12 – No Hope Hangs Here
Chapter 13 – To Kill a Kadji
Chapter 14 – The Merchant’s Deception
Chapter 15 – A Cure For Sorrow
Chapter 16 – Messages And Missives
Chapter 17 – Secrets of the Sorcerers
Chapter 18 – Phatman’s Reprieve
Chapter 19 – For the Memory of Love
Chapter 20 – All We Have Is Lost
Chapter 21 – The Prince’s Decision
Chapter 22 – A Letter Between Friends
Chapter 23 – Heartbreak And Humility
Chapter 24 – The Loss of Tariel
Chapter 25 – Angel of the Morning Sun
Chapter 26 – Into The Depths
Chapter 27 – The Jade Vault
Chapter 28 – The Last Hero Falls
Chapter 29 – Jester And Fool
Chapter 30 – The Teeth of a Lion
Chapter 31 – Planning the Impossible
Chapter 32 – The Business of War
Chapter 33 – All The Might of Kadjeti
Chapter 34 – The Weeping Woman
Chapter 35 – A Light Shines
Chapter 36 – The Invitation
Chapter 37 – The Sea King’s Reach
Chapter 38 – The Key To Freedom
Chapter 39 – The Road Home
Chapter 40 – What Is Not Mine
Chapter 41 – Honor The Dead
Chapter 42 – Phridon’s Secret
Chapter 43 – Eight Days of Joy
Chapter 44 – The Ninth Day
Chapter 45 – The Will of a King
Chapter 46 – Returning To Rostevan
Chapter 47 – The Secret Gift
Chapter 48 – What Lies Beneath
Chapter 49 – The Writings of the Devi
Chapter 50 – Two Kings And a Knight
Chapter 51 – The Might of Arabia
Chapter 52 – The Blood of Kings
Chapter 53 – To Serve and Protect
Chapter 54 – A New Moon Over Fresh Snow
Chapter 55 – Rostevan’s Wish
Chapter 56 – The Glory of Arabia
Chapter 57 – With The Blessing of God
Chapter 58 – The Foolishness of Friends
Chapter 59 – A Bittersweet Affair
Chapter 60 – Prisoner To Love
Chapter 61 – When the World Shakes
Chapter 62 – Loyalty and Devotion
Chapter 63 – The Last Day
Chapter 64 – A Dream In the Night
To Climb A Mountain – A Legend Speaks
The Forgotten Story – Shota’s Secret
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