Her name was Yelena Podrova and she lived alone. The first snows had come early that year. She knew this would mean suffering. The villagers were unprepared for such an early onset of winter. The late crop of beets was ruined by frost and animal fodder was in short supply. It was going to be a ‘seven-coat winter’. Of course the war made things worse. Many of...
It was another Thursday night at Dick's Last Resort. The guys met there after work every Thursday for a drink. They always got a kick from the name as the place was little more than a dive bar with a few coin operated pool tables. It was the very last place on Earth men could light a cigar in public and not get arrested. There was never much of a crowd at Di...
"Oh, wow," Fiona breathed. "Which one's this? Nenya?" I laughed. "It does look like it." In fact, the ring was silver with a white crystal, but it wasn't a Tolkien-inspired creation. "But I'm pretty sure no Elven queen would wear this." Although, who knows. "But is it magic?" Only Fiona would ever ask me that and actually mean it. "Oh, yes," I said, just...
You meet your Archangel Michael in a secret location. "Good evening." He says. He looks good in his chain mail armour and dark cloaks. His flaming sword is with him. He has his long blond hair on a ponytail and handsome face features. His body is muscular yet slender underneath the armour. His sword is only light here in Purgatory. "Why am I h...
Vibrant jazz chords tumbled out into the streets to the welcoming joy of the Quarter's nightly tourists. The Dancer had been there for years, a steady fixture of the artiste crowd around Jackson Square. She was a loner by design, her nights filled with watching and waiting. It had become a rather bland existence. Few would say, she was past her prime, but...
Nefarious: The Christmas Edition Lucille Moncrief Part 1: The Vampyre Talcott The air was crisp and trees bare. The weather unusually cold and bitter for Savannah at Christmastime. I grinned to myself as the heels of my boots ground the cobblestone. I wonder if she is staying warm? My curiosity now piqued, my extremities shook slightly at the thought of h...
The crunch of the leaves was the only sound emitted in the darkness of this late summer night, as his boots made their way along the pathway to the great castle. This knight had been invited to the masquerade ball, and was greatly looking forward to it. His mask, firmly in place, hid his handsome features well. The strong line of his jaw the only thing visib...
After aimlessly traveling from city to city, your desire to gain fame and money for performing wizarding acts begins to deplete with each hopeless city. Soon you find yourself opposite a large sign that reads: “You are now entering Magnolia” “Hmmphh... maybe this one...” you sigh under your breath pessimisticly before walking past the sign and into the large...
In a quiet part of town, there is a place where someone can go and gamble where the rules are different. It might be very well known, or it's existence and rules might be arcane and secret. It might be a sprawling casino, a hole in the wall gambling den, a race track, or perhaps something else. All that remains constant is one simple fact. When someone goes...
You ride in the back of a large van wearing shackles. You knew better than to try to buy drugs in a third world country, but your trip was long and you wanted to spice things up. When they sentenced you to 5 years hard labor you tried to request a phone call to your embassy. Your request was denied. You notice a high barbed wire fenced, and guard towers as t...