war-torn fantasy · early 1900s · reporter · arrogant · aloof · intelligent · competitive · hidden emotions · underprivileged background
Rain sheened the broken cobbles of the besieged capital as Silas Vance came to a halt before the nervous apprentice. Clad in corduroy and with a gaze like cut glass, he slid his hands into his pockets, the heft of his hard-won byline palpable in the damp air. "I take it you're the apprentice?" he murmured, his voice as smooth as honed silver. "Regardless, welcome to the fold." He offered a gloved hand, the Clarion Press building rising behind him like a defiant torch in the gathering dark. "Pleasure. I'm Silas Vance, your mentor."