"The Blood of Coldfrost" Read it right here right now!

M. R. Mathias · 09-15-2010, 05:16 AM

[SIZE="8"]The Blood of Coldfrost[/SIZE] (A Wardstone Short)

The Blood of Coldfrost (A Wardstone Short) by M.R. Mathias

The concussive “whoomp” of an exploding oil keg brought the encampment awake. A ball of flame roiled skyward, bathing the sparkling tundra of Coldfrost in an orange-yellow glow. Men were scrambling. Large, mannish forms, more feral than not, darted about the shadows unchecked. The battle roar of a Breed beast cut through the frigid night, as it brought an ax down into the head of a Westland Captain, who was emerging from his tent. Flames danced crazily, throwing wild shadows about the chaos. The shouts of a fervent sergeant trying to generate some sort of order among the terrified men, rang out from somewhere across the crunchy snow covered terrain.

In the Royal Pavilion, Mikahl was trying desperately to get his king’s armor fastened. They had been in Coldfrost for days, hunting and corralling the wild breed beasts that had come out of the mountains to feed on Westlander flesh. Even in the heated pavilion, it was so cold, that Michael’s fingers felt like giant sausages. Mikahl hated the cold. Coldfrost was bitter, but he was the King’s Squire, and he would have rather cut off his own head than disappoint good King Balton. Determined, he ground his jaw tight with effort, fumbled the stiff leather straps through the buckles, and cinched them tight.

“You’ll be stay’n out of it, Mik.” The king stood, and twisted his frame to get the ornate plated chest piece to settle. His visage was one of savage determination. Even inside the tent, his breath came out in great clouds of steam. “Watch over the horses. If one of them fargin beasts comes at ya, remember your drills.”

Outside the tent, a man screamed out, his horrible voice cutting over the din of battle. King Balton Collum winced at the sound of the agony, and then pulled his infamous sword out of its sheath. Forgetting his helmet, he threw the scabbard to the side, and charged out into the freezing silver moonlight. The blade of his ancient weapon radiated an icy shade of blue as he went, but Ironspike’s potent length graduated swiftly to the raging color of blood as the king started putting it to use.

Mikahl came out behind King Balton, and darted around the pavilion to the canvass stall that had been erected for the animals. He turned back just in time to see Ironspike’s blade flash with a pulse of blinding energy. Screams of pain and fear erupted from man and beast alike, as the flare filled the world full of blinding white radiance.

No breed beasts came for the horses, so Mikahl watched the battle waging out beyond the gray expanse of ice between him and the main encampment. Lord Gregory, the Lion Lord of Westland, was in a tangle with one of the ten foot tall creatures. The beast was trying to sink its finger long teeth into the Lion Lord, but finding it no easy task. A pair of his men danced around the combatants frantically. Every so often, one of them would dart in, and jab his weapon into the breed beast’s side.

Not far away, the Royal Wizard blasted at the creatures with streaking lavender pulses of magical force. Pael looked insane with his wide open eyes, over clenched jaws, and his egg shaped alabaster head. His charge, Prince Glendar, was calling out orders to a troop of men that had surrounded a hand full of the breed. Mikahl wanted desperately to raise his old iron sword with them, but he wouldn’t betray the king’s order.

It ended when Duke Fairchild and his huntsmen came thundering in from the other camp on their warhorses. The Breed beasts were no match for the Duke’s competent cavalry, and with Lord Gregory’s might, and Ironspike’s angry power thrown in the skirmish, the savage beasts were soon brought to bear.

After they were corralled, Pael spelled them into a stupor. In the morning, the men who were left alive herded them across the icy shallows, out onto the glacial Island with the others of their kind. King Balton then drove Ironspike’s dragon-forged steel into the ice, and let its power surge forth. A boundary was formed. The glassine field hummed and crackled with the power that would hold it in place for all of time. The Battle of Coldfrost was over. The feral Breed could no longer ravage the mountain herds, or rape and pillage in the north.

One of the creatures stared at Mikahl from across the icy flow that separated the Island from the rest of the world. Mikahl couldn’t help but wonder what the creatures would eat. The prison they had just been confined to was nothing more than a solid slab of ice that rarely thawed. A glance around the encampment at the crimson stained tundra, and the gore strewn remains of his company, hardened him to their dismal fate. Let them starve. He had no idea that someday he would have to face them again, but he would. And when it happened, good King Balton would be long dead from Pael’s traitorous poison.

Mikahl noticed one of his favorite sparring partners lying half shredded in the snow, and had to force back a tear. He took Ironspike back from his King, and dutifully ran to the pavilion to put back in its sheath. The battlefield was so saturated with blood, that his boots left a trail of footprints across the carpeted floor of the king’s quarters.
In all of his days, throughout all of the wild adventures his grand destiny would bring him, he would never forget the Battle of Coldfrost.
He would never forget the blood.

Thus ends The Blood of Coldfrost (A Wardstone Short) by M.R. Mathias

The Battle of Coldfrost took place a few years before “The Sword and the Dragon” Begins.

“The Sword and the Dragon” by M.R. Mathias is a 235,300 word epic fantasy masterpiece and is available now at this link for $8.88 until October 1st with this code: WF78A

Smashwords link: http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/MRMathias

To see more reviews go here:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003X9775Q

M. R. Mathias · 09-17-2010, 11:26 PM

Please find my mistakes. I need someone to point them to me....

lene1949 · 09-18-2010, 02:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by M. R. Mathias

Please find my mistakes. I need someone to point them to me....

Did you do all those mistakes on purpose, just to get people to respond?

M. R. Mathias · 09-18-2010, 08:45 AM

What mistakes?

lene1949 · 09-20-2010, 03:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by M. R. Mathias

What mistakes?

I see you have put some commas in, some of them even in the right places... Well done!

queentess · 09-20-2010, 11:46 AM

M.R.Mathias: A Brief History

He asks for criticism.

Quote:

Originally Posted by M. R. Mathias

Any of you......FEEL FREE TO EDIT ANY OF MY SHORT STORIES.... lol I would greatly appreciate it!

Quote:

Originally Posted by M. R. Mathias

Please find my mistakes. I need someone to point them to me....

When people pointed out his massive amounts of grammar and editing mistakes, he came back with some excuses.

Quote:

Originally Posted by M. R. Mathias

It's not Hemingway its a one dollar short story...lol besides a few commas gives you guys something to talk about. If readers even notice then they need to be writers not readers.

Quote:

Originally Posted by M. R. Mathias

I wrote them in prison. Yup, my uneducated no spelling bad punctuating jerk self wrote a 700,000 word epic in longhand. The simple fact that I could achieve such a thing without a word processor and an education makes all of the well edited crap seem sort of pitiful.

Quote:

Originally Posted by M. R. Mathias

In literature as in life, you get what you pay for.

But that's ok, because he doesn't want or need to sell books.

Quote:

Originally Posted by M. R. Mathias

Well the posters who visited my editing rant thread chose to say things that were not nice. I DO NOT NEED OR WANT THEIR MONEY. It is ultimately they who lose here. I don't need to sell five books to these folks. I am not desperate for sales.

I know I am a bad typist and a poor editor. It's OBVIOUS. To have people come around the forum to point that out is.... Well it's sad.

Quote:

Originally Posted by M. R. Mathias

I'm glad you won't read my Novels. You're too closed minded to matter. […] And all of you are assuming I wrote my novels to sell. You people are sick. […] I don't care if you cheat yourself and never read them.

He said he doesn't care if his novels sell, and yet he got bills to pay.

Quote:

Originally Posted by M. R. Mathias

I do not have a team of editors, marketers, and distributers to help me sell 1,000 copies a month like he does, but I still got bills to pay. It I did i would sell for less.

Then he threatened to stop writing unless he was paid.

Quote:

Originally Posted by M. R. Mathias

If you're not willing to pay for it then you don't deserve the pleasure that reading it will bring. I may be Indie, but I have pride in my work and I won't sell out for a few extra readers. If you cannot respect that then go get some free books so the writers won't be able to afford to write anymore. That means no new books. Then where will you be?

When others pointed out he sounded bitter, he had more comebacks.

Quote:

Originally Posted by M. R. Mathias

The only person who sounds bitter to me is the tard who felt he had to point out that a line in my advertisement needed editing.

Quote:

Originally Posted by M. R. Mathias

Then you shouldn't have shown up insulting my banner. You started it. Plainly you did.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: These are quotes taken out of context, were edited for space, and are not in chronological order. Links to the original posts have been provided for posterity.

M. R. Mathias · 09-20-2010, 02:08 PM

Do you not understand Sarcasm?

You have made it clear to all that your life is so pathetic that all you have to do with it is badger me. Who looks like the loser here? My sales have been spectacular. Especially over the last few days. I wonder why that is? I think it's because the buying public thinks all of you smug-acting superior wannabes are tiresome at best.

As to your second to last post. Please go read my most recent post in that thread (also note how many people have visited it but not posted) I'm laughing so hard I can hardly type. Heres the direct link: https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...t=99190&page=5

ardeegee · 09-20-2010, 02:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by M. R. Mathias

Who looks like the loser here?

I can say, without hesitation and without equivocation-- you.

M. R. Mathias · 09-20-2010, 04:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ardeegee

I can say, without hesitation and without equivocation-- you.

Thaks ardeegee... go look at this! http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/24138

I just got it today.

And wow my Karma sure has gone up. It was 25 yesterday now its 80... Who did that?

M. R. Mathias · 09-20-2010, 04:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by queentess

M.R.Mathias: A Brief History

He asks for criticism.

When people pointed out his massive amounts of grammar and editing mistakes, he came back with some excuses.

But that's ok, because he doesn't want or need to sell books.

He said he doesn't care if his novels sell, and yet he got bills to pay.

Then he threatened to stop writing unless he was paid.

When others pointed out he sounded bitter, he had more comebacks.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: These are quotes taken out of context, were edited for space, and are not in chronological order. Links to the original posts have been provided for posterity.

No one pointed out any mistakes Queentess. Save for an obviously intentional one in my banner that was there because its an ad slogan not a sentance. They said there were some but they never pointed them out and you just jumped in the bandwagon like a witch hunting zealot. Now go find something to do beside stalk me. It looks really sad that you have come here to do this and nobody but you and your lynch mob can find any mistakes.

ardeegee · 09-20-2010, 05:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by M. R. Mathias

And wow my Karma sure has gone up. It was 25 yesterday now its 80... Who did that?

As I said in the thread that was closed-- I did. As I said in the thread that was closed, you can check your karma by looking at your User CP. As I said, I gave you karma because you had a sense of humor about my jab at your drug trafficking arrest. You had, IIRC, a total of 34 karma points and I added 46-- that number chosen just to make a karma of 80 that matched your post count of 80 at the time (the numbers might have been slightly different, but not much.) It was "mercy karma" because I felt a little bad about the criticisms. So around half of your karma at the moment comes from me.

And karma doesn't mean much of anything, anyway-- it is mostly a popularity contest.

M. R. Mathias · 09-20-2010, 05:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ardeegee

As I said in the thread that was closed-- I did. As I said in the thread that was closed, you can check your karma by looking at your User CP. As I said, I gave you karma because you had a sense of humor about my jab at your drug trafficking arrest. You had, IIRC, a total of 34 karma points and I added 46-- that number chosen just to make a karma of 80 that matched your post count of 80 at the time (the numbers might have been slightly different, but not much.) It was "mercy karma" because I felt a little bad about the criticisms. So around half of your karma at the moment comes from me.

And karma doesn't mean much of anything, anyway-- it is mostly a popularity contest.

But did you go read my new review? How about the new short story I posted. I'm posting another one this week too. Its called Crimzon & Clover.
Another fantasy tale, this one about a girl and her dragon. (I spelled it with a "z" so people would have a legitimate error to complain about ...lol) I was a busy boy in prison. I have 9 full length manuscripts and about 13 short stories sitting here. You should actually read one of them. You'll find that my attitude comes from the prison mentality of attack back and quickly, where my writing is a thing born of ungodly patience.

ardeegee · 09-20-2010, 05:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by M. R. Mathias

But did you go read my new review? How about the new short story I posted.

Yes, I read the very short review from the woman who self-published a book about her dildo. It proves nothing-- or are you saying that positive reviews should count, but any negative feedback is coming from loser jerks who should get a life?

Quote:

You'll find that my attitude comes from the prison mentality of attack back and quickly...

That, actually, is something that already crossed my mind, armchair psychiatrist that I am.

M. R. Mathias · 09-21-2010, 07:37 AM

Well you should actually read something before you post a comment on it. I don't care about criticism, I care about bandwagon jumping fools who don't actually read what they criticize. That said. I am not perfect, neither are my stories, but they are good. Read it and see. If you already have, then reread it. I never said an edit doesn't matter. If you knew the journey I took from owning my first computer just 16 months ago to being a self published author with seven titles available and thirteen more laying here in longhand, then you might actually have and show some respect for what was achieved instead of going directly at what wasn't.
The first several people to point out a flaw seem to me like unsuccesfull authors who are now trying to make a living editing.

Worldwalker · 09-21-2010, 04:52 PM

The thing you're missing: for most MR readers, and virtually all MR authors, there is no such thing as "good enough" which is short of perfect. Even the people who can't get their stories anywhere close to perfect (a few seriously grammatically challenged people come to mind) are trying for perfect. They think they're doing it right. "It's good enough" isn't what people expect here. It's not what they do, and it's not what they read.

Well, except for the Alternate Civil War guy, but he ran away and wasn't any fun anymore.

09-15-2010, 05:16 AM	#1
M. R. Mathias Banned Posts: 111 Karma: 80 Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: New Orleans Device: Kindle k3, PC	"The Blood of Coldfrost" Read it right here right now! [SIZE="8"]The Blood of Coldfrost[/SIZE] (A Wardstone Short) The Blood of Coldfrost (A Wardstone Short) by M.R. Mathias The concussive “whoomp” of an exploding oil keg brought the encampment awake. A ball of flame roiled skyward, bathing the sparkling tundra of Coldfrost in an orange-yellow glow. Men were scrambling. Large, mannish forms, more feral than not, darted about the shadows unchecked. The battle roar of a Breed beast cut through the frigid night, as it brought an ax down into the head of a Westland Captain, who was emerging from his tent. Flames danced crazily, throwing wild shadows about the chaos. The shouts of a fervent sergeant trying to generate some sort of order among the terrified men, rang out from somewhere across the crunchy snow covered terrain. In the Royal Pavilion, Mikahl was trying desperately to get his king’s armor fastened. They had been in Coldfrost for days, hunting and corralling the wild breed beasts that had come out of the mountains to feed on Westlander flesh. Even in the heated pavilion, it was so cold, that Michael’s fingers felt like giant sausages. Mikahl hated the cold. Coldfrost was bitter, but he was the King’s Squire, and he would have rather cut off his own head than disappoint good King Balton. Determined, he ground his jaw tight with effort, fumbled the stiff leather straps through the buckles, and cinched them tight. “You’ll be stay’n out of it, Mik.” The king stood, and twisted his frame to get the ornate plated chest piece to settle. His visage was one of savage determination. Even inside the tent, his breath came out in great clouds of steam. “Watch over the horses. If one of them fargin beasts comes at ya, remember your drills.” Outside the tent, a man screamed out, his horrible voice cutting over the din of battle. King Balton Collum winced at the sound of the agony, and then pulled his infamous sword out of its sheath. Forgetting his helmet, he threw the scabbard to the side, and charged out into the freezing silver moonlight. The blade of his ancient weapon radiated an icy shade of blue as he went, but Ironspike’s potent length graduated swiftly to the raging color of blood as the king started putting it to use. Mikahl came out behind King Balton, and darted around the pavilion to the canvass stall that had been erected for the animals. He turned back just in time to see Ironspike’s blade flash with a pulse of blinding energy. Screams of pain and fear erupted from man and beast alike, as the flare filled the world full of blinding white radiance. No breed beasts came for the horses, so Mikahl watched the battle waging out beyond the gray expanse of ice between him and the main encampment. Lord Gregory, the Lion Lord of Westland, was in a tangle with one of the ten foot tall creatures. The beast was trying to sink its finger long teeth into the Lion Lord, but finding it no easy task. A pair of his men danced around the combatants frantically. Every so often, one of them would dart in, and jab his weapon into the breed beast’s side. Not far away, the Royal Wizard blasted at the creatures with streaking lavender pulses of magical force. Pael looked insane with his wide open eyes, over clenched jaws, and his egg shaped alabaster head. His charge, Prince Glendar, was calling out orders to a troop of men that had surrounded a hand full of the breed. Mikahl wanted desperately to raise his old iron sword with them, but he wouldn’t betray the king’s order. It ended when Duke Fairchild and his huntsmen came thundering in from the other camp on their warhorses. The Breed beasts were no match for the Duke’s competent cavalry, and with Lord Gregory’s might, and Ironspike’s angry power thrown in the skirmish, the savage beasts were soon brought to bear. After they were corralled, Pael spelled them into a stupor. In the morning, the men who were left alive herded them across the icy shallows, out onto the glacial Island with the others of their kind. King Balton then drove Ironspike’s dragon-forged steel into the ice, and let its power surge forth. A boundary was formed. The glassine field hummed and crackled with the power that would hold it in place for all of time. The Battle of Coldfrost was over. The feral Breed could no longer ravage the mountain herds, or rape and pillage in the north. One of the creatures stared at Mikahl from across the icy flow that separated the Island from the rest of the world. Mikahl couldn’t help but wonder what the creatures would eat. The prison they had just been confined to was nothing more than a solid slab of ice that rarely thawed. A glance around the encampment at the crimson stained tundra, and the gore strewn remains of his company, hardened him to their dismal fate. Let them starve. He had no idea that someday he would have to face them again, but he would. And when it happened, good King Balton would be long dead from Pael’s traitorous poison. Mikahl noticed one of his favorite sparring partners lying half shredded in the snow, and had to force back a tear. He took Ironspike back from his King, and dutifully ran to the pavilion to put back in its sheath. The battlefield was so saturated with blood, that his boots left a trail of footprints across the carpeted floor of the king’s quarters. In all of his days, throughout all of the wild adventures his grand destiny would bring him, he would never forget the Battle of Coldfrost. He would never forget the blood. Thus ends The Blood of Coldfrost (A Wardstone Short) by M.R. Mathias The Battle of Coldfrost took place a few years before “The Sword and the Dragon” Begins. “The Sword and the Dragon” by M.R. Mathias is a 235,300 word epic fantasy masterpiece and is available now at this link for $8.88 until October 1st with this code: WF78A Smashwords link: http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/MRMathias To see more reviews go here: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003X9775Q Last edited by M. R. Mathias; 09-20-2010 at 04:41 PM.

09-18-2010, 08:45 AM	#4
M. R. Mathias Banned Posts: 111 Karma: 80 Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: New Orleans Device: Kindle k3, PC	What mistakes? Last edited by M. R. Mathias; 09-19-2010 at 03:51 PM.

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09-17-2010, 11:26 PM	#2
M. R. Mathias Banned Posts: 111 Karma: 80 Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: New Orleans Device: Kindle k3, PC	Please find my mistakes. I need someone to point them to me....

09-20-2010, 02:08 PM	#7
M. R. Mathias Banned Posts: 111 Karma: 80 Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: New Orleans Device: Kindle k3, PC	Do you not understand Sarcasm? You have made it clear to all that your life is so pathetic that all you have to do with it is badger me. Who looks like the loser here? My sales have been spectacular. Especially over the last few days. I wonder why that is? I think it's because the buying public thinks all of you smug-acting superior wannabes are tiresome at best. As to your second to last post. Please go read my most recent post in that thread (also note how many people have visited it but not posted) I'm laughing so hard I can hardly type. Heres the direct link: https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...t=99190&page=5

09-21-2010, 07:37 AM	#14
M. R. Mathias Banned Posts: 111 Karma: 80 Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: New Orleans Device: Kindle k3, PC	Well you should actually read something before you post a comment on it. I don't care about criticism, I care about bandwagon jumping fools who don't actually read what they criticize. That said. I am not perfect, neither are my stories, but they are good. Read it and see. If you already have, then reread it. I never said an edit doesn't matter. If you knew the journey I took from owning my first computer just 16 months ago to being a self published author with seven titles available and thirteen more laying here in longhand, then you might actually have and show some respect for what was achieved instead of going directly at what wasn't. The first several people to point out a flaw seem to me like unsuccesfull authors who are now trying to make a living editing.

09-21-2010, 04:52 PM	#15
Worldwalker Curmudgeon Posts: 3,085 Karma: 722357 Join Date: Feb 2010 Device: PRS-505	The thing you're missing: for most MR readers, and virtually all MR authors, there is no such thing as "good enough" which is short of perfect. Even the people who can't get their stories anywhere close to perfect (a few seriously grammatically challenged people come to mind) are trying for perfect. They think they're doing it right. "It's good enough" isn't what people expect here. It's not what they do, and it's not what they read. Well, except for the Alternate Civil War guy, but he ran away and wasn't any fun anymore.