A cool wind ripped at Tristan’s clothes. Waves crashed on the cliff below barely drowning out the beating of his heart. The abandoned house loomed high above, back lit by the stormy sky. Its mansard roof formed a brow over… Continue Reading
Aged and ageless all at once she hobbled away from the cottage. Although she could walk swiftly when it suited her, now was not one of those times. “Strix,” she cautioned the old owl perched on the low stone wall,… Continue Reading
I am in the Blue Land and it feels as if I have wandered into some tale — children touch my skin to see if the color wears off, our gods count for nothing. I am in Karei-boto, a solemn… Continue Reading
They say the maze is haunted by echoes of its dead. You stand and watch the chitinous beast which waits patiently through every moment of every day at the maze’s entrance. No one has entered the maze today, so you… Continue Reading
“My Lady,” said the Duke of Baria, his silver fork speared with venison poised in the air before his mouth, “I am informed that you attended the Aldermen’s Ball last week without me.” The Duchess did not look up from… Continue Reading
“Mages and mercenaries, gamblers and guild masters, welcome to the 83rd mayoral debate of this fine city of Aleshire!” The well-dressed and portly announcer’s voice magically reverberated to the edges of the crowd. Arms raised, the three-foot tall man stood… Continue Reading
There have always been questions. Questions they refuse to answer. All we know is that they are called the elders, and we do as they say. They tell me life in our village was hard. That the jungle took more… Continue Reading
“Bubble double, spoil and rubble.” “Have you got that right, dear?” Bjarnhilda raised her long and warty nose out of the pot she was stirring, just missing its rim. “Of course, I do.” She continued, “Fire burn and caldron bubble.”… Continue Reading
What once looked like a baby now spewed smoke, echoing a dreadful, strangled sound through the cramped alley. Radoslava walked, filthy, bruised, one hand on her swollen stomach, the other clutching the squirming, twitchy thing in her arms. The baby’s… Continue Reading
Barefoot and dressed in an earth-toned robe, Miaoshan climbed the steep hills at the break of dawn, balancing a yoke on her shoulder with two wooden pails swinging on each end. The monks had sent her to fetch water. From… Continue Reading