Sons of Lur: A beginningThe nights had been getting colder as the land turned towards autumn. Frost gave the trees a ghostly edge, cladding the stark branches in their hoary winter finery. Breath plumed from the mouths of men and horses and fetching water from the streams and rivers which crossed the plains meant hacking through the thickening ice at the edges. It was yet to snow, but the smell of it was the in air and there was a presence, a weight, to the grey clouds overhead. None travelled now without provisions and gear for long nights and days under snow, accompanied by a guide who knew the way of the grim Northlands out of Rhegan.The turning season had elev
A Fiddler's Apocalypse"Jeremy! Jeremy, aagh, don't lead them toward me!""Sorry, sorry!" Jeremy yelled back, panting as he tried to focus on playing his fiddle and running backwards, away from the zombies who had begun to notice his music, at the same time."Ha! If you can't handle them, comrade, send them over here!" Alik cackled happily, aiming a tiny gun at a group of zombies who had begun to stagger towards Roy and blowing them all sky high with a single shot."Alik, stop being such a creep when we're trying to concentrate on not dying!" A new voice, this one feminine, shouted from behind Jeremy. A gunshot cracked from where the voice had originated from, a
It's the Women's Heart"You surely are hard to find, aren't you, Windrider?"Putting the glass back on the tavern bar, Sywyn glanced at the young man who sat on the wooden stool beside him. Brown curls flickered in the firelight, and clear green eyes returned his gaze, inspecting him and looking for a reaction. "I see you do recognize me. I must admit I really wasn't expecting so much," he said smiling, "it saves me the embarrassment of introducing myself again, at least."The scarred elf looked away without a word, while his new companion kept staring at him with genuine curiosity."It's not like I thought you were going to be happy seeing me eithe
Dance"Close your eyes and don't let go." Ikedo whispered softly, resting his chin on Maserai's shoulder. Glancing at her, he was pleased to see she did and he gripped her hand, moving his other hand to her lower back to keep her closer to him. That was when he started to move his wings and lift the two of them into the air, still dancing to the rhythm of the wedding band. He wanted this to be a day she would never forget.When she started to notice the lack of ground beneath her feet, she started to open her eyes. Confusion must have set in by then."Not yet." he warned, pulling her closer as they rose higher. Just a little more, and she would b
Marry MeTo be wrapped in his arms was all she had wanted for a long time. Since they met, in fact. And now, for the first time, Maserai Nicord was lovingly wrapped in his arms. Her lost, blind little angel. Nothing in the world could describe how full her heart felt of love for him, and how happy she was to be buried sweetly in his embrace. To be one with him, even for just a moment."My Lady," he whispered, brushing his thumb across her cheek. Maserai knew she was crying, she knew she couldn't stop it. "Why are you crying? Ah! Have I done something wrong?""No," she laughed, planting a loving kiss on his lips. "Not at all, Ikedo. I'm happy. Oh, Go
The WarriorI watched him go, unable to ask him to stay.It was for me and our homehe was going away.How could I ask?He wouldn't have been swayed.Not from this task.So behind him I stayed.He cast one look back at me, one glance telling me his love.That was all there was to see, as I prayed to those above.Return him to me, safe and sound.My love, the warrior.
Goneima, Part 1 SulRian stumbled into his personal study, his face drawn in agony. The stabbing pain in his leg had returned, so bad that he could barley focus. He needed the potion. He kept it high on a shelf beside his desk, and he clambered around stacks of parchment and odd things he hadn't had time to organize. A cold sweat beaded his forehead, and the elven General clenched his jaw. He hated his newer life, the life of a cripple. He tried to hide it as best he could, but every now and again, his leg would pain him and he'd feel as helpless as a newborn babe. This was not the reputation he'd set for himself. As luck would have it, no one was present
Perilous Choice- Part 1The Melolin officials met the next morning, at the scene of the murder. Tanoko Diischan, Zaake Tuloh, and Hanaken Zelot. They all worked for the Melolin Guard, the center of security, but unlike the daily patrol soldiers, they had…. Different talents. Tanoko was a quiet but intelligent woman, her brow always hardened as if burdened by some great thought. She had long, straight black hair, kept plain and without jewelry, and her eye's were a depthless brown. Zaake was a man of about thirty-two summers, serious about his occupation, but trying to keep things in lighter perspective. He had an average face, intently-focused black eyes, and h
Sentence Structure for FICTIONOn Basic Sentence Structure for Fiction (Grammar Nazis BEWARE!) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Everything I ever learned about writing Fiction DIDN'T come from school; not even college. In fact, the way one writes fiction is almost the complete opposite of everything I learned in school about writing.In order to make my stories crystal clear in my readers' imaginations, I write in precise Chronological Order, in the order events actually happen, PLUS in the order that the eye sees it.Case in point, when describing a character, I describe them from top to bottom, in the order that the eye notices them. Face, hair, upper body, arms, hands, then lower
Roses III: Blood RedA word. Face turned away to the silent distance, A mirror of pain within eyes too young for this dance.Terraced landscape down her graceful teenage spine, Chin to knees, arms arched in a perfect synchrony of limbs.She closed her stinging eyes and wished, as she inhaled the starchy air of the studio, that it was that easy to forget the ruins she had just postponed from her mind. With the abandon of despair, she chased one joint with another, her body a perfect arch of visual melody. Hers was the ballet of discordant precision, as she ravaged onto her body the same cacophony that her emotions drummed out onto her heart.Within the dark
Character MotivationEveryone's heard that characters should have goals, something they want and must strive for, overcoming obstacles and antagonists in order to obtain. Because, well, a story is the record of your character's journey toward achieving a goal.While all of this is true, I think a lot of writers lose sight of an even more important aspect of character. That is, motivation. Sure, you know what your character wants.Why?That's the gist of motivation. What is the psychology and reasoning behind your character's goal? If your character is driven to make money, is his motivation greed? To pay off a debt? To support his family?Motivation is your c
Tokis- part 1Tokis hastily pulled the door to his room shut, fumbling with his uniform. The buttons, brass, not silver as they should have been, were too big for the holes and he found it quite impossible to do up his coat in a hurry. Late again, Tokis thought, General Aptekk would have his head. He ran down the hall of the soldiers' barracks to the main doors, stopping briefly to make sure he looked presentable and hadn't forgotten anything. He was a wreck; he should have been resting in bed due to a cold that had slowed him down for four days. He was not even supposed to be up, but he was long restless from being cooped up all day and night. Aptekk had
TravellerOnce upon a timewhen voices were voicesand weapons were weaponsI wished for something better;come, look where it got me.Once upon a timewhen kissing meant kissingand killing meant killingI'd have given it all for you;look where it got me.Across the seven seasand through a universe of starsI'll wait for my September breezeto take me back to Mars.I've searched eternity in vain.From the kitchen to the bedroom;from the cellar to the rooftopevery step I take is prayerfor a ship that takes me far,far too far away; to you.And in cryogenic stasis, I awaitthe seven minutes left of what they call my lifeI fee
Pasturized DeerThe day and warmed considerably by the time Gelgullael Lasaeryl and Sho’drael Lylith had reached the edge of the forest and came upon open land…and a wooden fence right in front of them. Beyond the fence were a few buildings, piles of hay, and…large, strange looking creatures grazing in the fields. “Farmland?” Sho said, frowning in puzzlement. “Out here?” “Farmland?” Bat said, cocking his head in question. Growing up in a tribe in a forest, Gelgullael hadn’t had any glimpses of farms. Sho’drael had seen a few farms in his time on the surface, and there had been stables in the elven
Heaven's Gates - To C______To C______Panic swells thy heartTwo minds alike apartAnd in this tempest's breezeBronze hearts begin to freezeHow quickly troubles fade!How quickly they are made!When Heaven shines uponA bitter hope begunHow quickly calmness fleesHow quickly the heart seesThough mind is at a lossAre Heaven's eyes the cause?I thought that Eden's gatesWere sealed by man's own hateHark! In your eyes afarThe doors were left ajarWhat gift, or curse, is this?My soul is at a blissAnd mind is still at doubtToo many risks to countCan I win a losing game?Can I make you feel the same?O God! Can you not seeThe cruel reality
Astral Arcana - PrologueThe brilliant sun had set over Boston two hours ago, cloaking the night sky with a dark purple that reflected the light of the aetherial space beyond the Terran sphere. The royal palace at the center of the city, surrounded by gardens, had lit its lamps and cast a yellow glow on the plaza that had centuries before been home to a great and monstrous resonating chamber of a city hall; down the hill to the east, overlooking the waterfront, the thaumaturgically-calibrated clock of the ancient Custom House Tower struck eight. Across the mouth of the Charles River to the north, the Ainsley family of Charlestown was sitting down for after-dinner tea
The Moon's DaughterThe Moon shone bright that night, casting a silvery glow over the field. It had just rained, and raindrops glittered on each blade of grass. The night was cool and crisp, and the air smelled fresh, as though the rain had just washed it clean.It was a beautiful sight, the dark landscape dotted with the silvery moonlight reflected at the heart of each raindrop. The blades of grass bent as a breeze blew past, and a ladybird alighted on one of them, tucking itself up for the night.Amidst the stark contrast of silver light and black shadows, a figure in white and the silhouette of another rose out from the middle of the field. A quavering voic
Carry Me With You The Na'vi had only eight fingers. Humans called the lacking digit the 'little finger'; it assisted with griping and subtle movement, along with rounding the count of fingers to an even ten. The aliens found little use for the extra two and dismissed them as 'useless'. Three months in, Jake could understand their view with that, among other things. His pinkie got in the way when trying to notch the Omitacaya arrows into their thick, stubborn bows, often caught in his ikrans harness when he attempted to situate it. The only task made easier by the cumbersome flesh-and-bone came to them by surprise; Neytiri had
MysteryBelieve,That is the key,To a world of beauty,Where your imagination reigns,Mystery.Open,Your heart today,To a world of support,Of love, of faith, of happiness,Open.Breathe,Expel all hate,Inhale with conviction,Fill your lungs and your mind with peace,Breathe.Reach out,With all you have,There are many people,Who toil, starve and fight to survive,Reach out.Mystery,It's what we fear,And forever pursue,When it stands before our faces,Believe.
Kayden's LullabyHush-a-by darlingClose your sweet eyesSlumber is callingMoon's in the skiesDreams come to claim youHush-a-byDon't you crySleep baby of mine
WordsShe'd been in an accident. That's what her painfully opal eyes told to him when they met gazes. It would never tell him what it was, the twisted wreckage of a car crash, the slip of a scalpel during a procedure, or even the shattering of a heart in the fingers of a careless boy.The hair that cascaded down her neck and back was listless and translucent. Barely there pigments caught the light just right whenever she wandered along the rays of the sun. She always stretched her arms out and took in a deep sigh of sweet air, sometimes she would spin around, and other times she just stood and stared at him. Her fingers were long and thin, pale fr
Sta.sh
. These are all lovely reads. 
Tis a pleasure
