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Up and Under

A gripping tale from recognized writer of fiction, Ian H. McKinley, and award-winning artist, Meunier, in which elves, orcs, humans, dwarves, rodentiens and exotherms play football. Explore Guayamartí, the great city of the Hierarchs and home to the famous Eztadio Sanger, a stadium that has seen the greatest exploits in the history of sport. Follow the fortunes of an owner, a coach, and a player as they navigate the perilous world of “footy”.

Cassandra Thordwall, a pirate who wishes to leave her old life behind her and start a footy team, tracks down the infamous former coach Karsgaard Neuvil and proposes forming a new team, the Mytilan Militantes. What happens next will leave you longing for the next episode of Up and Under.

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44: Is this a letter of resignation?

Ian H. McKinley
Umberto nodded. “That’s right. Grimmy Grimejacket told me the right words to say and put on that letter. ‘I   have   enjoyed   my   time   serving   as   your   bodyguard   and   I   thank   you   for   having   given   me   employment.   I   have   decided   I   need   to   head   in   a   new  …
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43: I don’t coach motivation

Ian H. McKinley
Jacyntha glanced at her sisters; it was clear they didn’t know what to make of Umberto’s declaration either. She breathed a sigh of relief; she had been worried she’d missed some special instruction he had given over the past fortnight when she had been forced to train in private at the grounds of…
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42: Where’s my daughter!?

Ian H. McKinley
Cassandra Thordwall noted that Queen Beatriz, upon entering the Militantes’ dressing room, hadn’t directed the question at her, but instead, at the team physician, Huaco-chic’ya. That made sense; the doctor was a court physician on loan to the Militantes and thus Beatriz would have no doubts about…
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41: The Uber-vermin’s got the ball!

Ian H. McKinley
Hansi would have burst Nykal’s eardrums had he yelled any louder. Alas, it was all-too true. For some unknown reason, after the Militantes received the kick-off after going down 1-0, they had gone and kicked it right back to the Skitteringi! But not before flooding the right flank. Instead of their…
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40: The armband’s yours

Ian H. McKinley
Karolyse stood holding her hand out, offering up the captain’s armband, but Jacyntha shook her head. “Come on, ’Cyntha,” she said to her cousin. “Just because you couldn’t play last game doesn’t mean you’re not our leader.” “We need lots of leaders.” Jacyntha shook her head and put on one of those…
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39: Many were the martyrs

Ian H. McKinley
The vast majority of the congregation did not know the rite, so only Xonyxa voices sounded in the temple. Even so, Karolyse marvelled at how loud she and her compatriots sounded. There were more than just the Mytilan Militantes’ players; evidently much of the expatriate Xonyxa community in…
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38: I’m no one’s property!

Ian H. McKinley
Jacyntha whispered the words to herself, she realized, to give herself the courage she needed as she studied the darkened wharf in Halos’ Foreigners’ Quarter. She had never imagined the turn of events that would occur after she had tied the slave galley up to that same wharf just three days prior.…
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37: No one’s even rioting!

Ian H. McKinley
Nykal would have said his cousin Hansi sounded disappointed were it not for the general gloom that hung over the Eztadio de Sanger. Works like a dog on the wharves loading and unloading ships six days a week; he deserves better fun than this. But the crier shouting out the team lists triggered…
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36: Now you die!

Ian H. McKinley
Nytmir Curseweaver’s screech filled Umberto’s ears as he bounded up the stone staircase that curved around the outside of the cylindrical granary in the El Bosque Quarter. He hoped the Xonyxas were following him because he’d need help … if he made it on time. His heart was pounding in his chest, he…