Fenla hummed as she stitched the new symbol into the cloth on the table. This one was a simple order, a quick piece of magic to ward off spirits from the mashlands. Not that the owners would be aware the spirits were attracted to anything that she touched. No one was aware, they thought it … More The Daughter’s Curse (From the Archives)
“Put me down here,” Wilal said. The attendants did as he wished, laying the palanquin gently onto the ground. Wilal could smell the Northern Winds from here, the top of Lastmount Ridge. The salty smell of his home in the Northern Wilds, a place had not been to in years. Not since he had deserted. … More Northern Winds (From the Archives)
Ineg brushed her fingers across the top of the cream pot. The thick blue substance stuck to her fingers. She held it up in front of the mirror, holding back her hair with her other hand as she carefully dabbed the cream onto the top of her forehead. The makeup was a practised art by … More Cream (From the Archives)
You can smell it in the air when you wake. The vicious smell of hopelessness and hatred. You can feel it on your lungs. It aches like a weight, pushing down on every breath, forcing you to struggle. It’s like it wants you to feel the rush of air into your lungs, it wants you … More Fighting (Stories on a Theme – “Hope”)
“Final Stop” the driver called from the front. Lily shook herself from her half-slumber. The bus was empty, always was by the time they reached the last stop. She would know when it was almost time for her stop when the last people got off – the couple who always came home with the tesco … More Final Stop (Stories on a Theme – “Travel”)
Imagination is taking the world that we see and creating something different in our minds eye. It’s the comfort of daydreams, their warm embrace allowing you to slip into a world beyond reality and live out another life with another set of possibilities. It’s writing down a plan, of how to make your dreams a … More Imagination (Stories on a Theme – “Magic”)
“I like it here,” Janya said, pulling Trean’s arm around her, “it’s nice.” Trean hummed in agreement. Here, there was the only sound of the sea to lull them to sleep. Janya especially, a sea witch, needed to be near the sea to allow her magic to work. Trean’s own magic was not linked to … More Perfect for Us (Stories on a Theme – “Sea”)
“Docked, Captain!” Captain Elaya Truthwatch tipped the edge of her hat at her First Mate, Rodgers, to acknowledge the information. “We’re here for five days, Crew!” she yelled over the ship. Her voice carried easily in the still breeze, “be respectful, but more importantly, drink them dry!” The Crew cheered. Those on the first rotation … More Tiola’s Bay (Stories on a Theme – “Sea”)
The sea stretches out before you to an unbroken horizon. The sun is out, but you sit in the shade of the umbrella. It’s midday, too hot to sit outside without sitting under a cover. The shade is just right – warm enough to relax your muscles but not intense you can feel your skin … More Place of Peace (Stories on a Theme – “Sea”)
“I’ve got it,” Xanete said, pushing the box across the table. The room was silent. Xanete could feel the tension in the air from the other three gang leaders around the table. What she was proposing was unheard of – a truce to their fifty year war. A truce to allow them to focus on … More Saturn’s Waves (Stories on a Theme – “Sea”)
Alex.J.Cobalt 