The Beckoning, a short story by Daniel Lewczuk
The Mandalorian meets Braveheart set in ancient Celtic Ireland
Uilliam has always relied on his own strength. It’s kept him alive through countless battles and earned him a reputation no warrior dares challenge.
But when marauders capture his wife and daughter, strength isn’t enough.
He tracks them to a forsaken island. A creature from the old stories holds not just his family, but twenty-two other stolen children. Uilliam fights with everything he has — sword, fury, pride — and loses.
Mortally wounded and broken, he must decide what he’s willing to sacrifice — and whether the ancient creed he’d almost forgotten might be his only hope.
Winner of the 2023 Word Guild Award for Best Unpublished Short Story
AVAILABLE IN EBOOK OR AUDIOBOOK.
What did you grow up dreaming of becoming?
Daniel grew up wanting to become a Jedi knight, follow John Carter to Mars, or find a portal to Middle-earth. The Jedi Order never returned his calls. Apparently, they have standards.
None of these things happened. What did happen was seventeen years as a police officer, which sounds impressive until you realize it mostly involved paperwork, bad coffee, and occasional exciting moments that made him question his life choices. But the job taught him what heroism actually looks like—continue reading