He clutched the gun in his pocket, felt his sweat run down the little channels of the grip. He breathed deeply, and stood in line. The old woman in front was paying with coins, and the woman at the counter seemed almost catatonic. Harsh white light with a blue tinge highlighted the purple streak in [...]
One
The earth was a fertile, ruddy brown. It was pungent with fertility and pregnant promise. A smile cracked his mouth. This was good land on which he could grow many crops and raise all the pigs he needed.
He strode out from the copse and looked at the vast numbers of caravans stretching across the plains [...]
Cities rose and fell over the course of its life, whole civilizations climbed to the lofty heights of power and then succumbed to inefficiency and pride. They crumbled to barbarism, and new cities rose in their places, finally consolidated as massive empires which fell again.
It found it amusing to watch them rise and fall, as [...]
Frozen methane hail struck the ship as it descended through the purple atmosphere of the world known as Rynn. Korin swore as he wrestled for control. The settlers – or Rynndarin as they called themselves – had long since disabled their auto-landers, for they were an isolationistic people now.
The descent raised a few hairs on [...]
Putrid light still hangs in rivulets in the air, stretching its horrific fingers down at me. Even with the setting sun the light is painfully blinding, and so I retreat back down into my burrow, into the darkness. I hate this insomnia. I thought of starting work on my next paper, but a little idle [...]
Great oak-barrel cannons were lowered into position. They would be destroyed as soon as they were fired, the knights had no doubt about that, but there was no choice. The cannon were all cracked or broken and supplies had been cut off. Lord Azakil had even offered his ceremonial sword to be melted down if [...]
On the bridge of the confederate ironclad Nagoshan, helm commander Ximoran clicked his mandibles in irritaiton. They had barely scored a mark upon the Neridian cruiser’s outer surface.
Lazer blasts, ziridium-fortified shafts of crimson light clearly visible to the naked eye, burst forth from the Nagoshan’s forward cannon, scoring deep into the hull of the cruiser. [...]
Dappled lights played across its armoured hide as it lumbered slowly through the thick forest. It did not know where it came from or how it got here, all it knew was it was sad.
It had all it needed to eat, it had all of the light and air it needed for its hide to [...]
Marek clenched his fists. The jungle around was alive with voices of a thousand tiny insects and animals, further accentuating the stillness of the two men. Marek’s bag was heavy across his right shoulder.
“What do you say?”
The man in front of him was tall with white hair that had streaks of blue through it. He [...]
Elvish dancing is a common sight across the five worlds, from Iceholm to Breathestole to Canyongaad, wherever the creatures are found.
They are shorter than humans, slighter of build, more adept for crawling through crevices in mines or cleaning mills. As such, it was not long before the human kingdoms captured them and took them as [...]