First published in New Realm Magazine, Volume 4, Issue 8, comes The Shadow Ward! Ludwig is a shadow ward, a summoned magical being born of shadow and lightning. He serves Master Hayward, a callous plantation owner, slave trader, and black magician who lives in the lowcountry of the South Carolina colony. When one of Master Hayward's ceremonial flutes is stolen, Ludwig is sent on a mission to retrieve the instrument. What follows in this story is an adventure filled with peril and action, as Ludwig struggles to fulfill his duty in the name of his master. "I was born of shadow and lightning," Ludwig explained, "as all shadow wards are. Any other stupid questions before I blast your melon of a head to cinders?"