The Error
The wolf felt the sting of cold air on his nose, accompanied by a warm smell marked by crisp notes of rosin and smoke. He knew- somehow- that it was the smell of a fire burning in a hearth. It was a good smell, his memories said. One that told...
The Far Side of Immortal
Nick Dietrich kicked restlessly at the exoskeletons that littered the floor of his cave. The wolf's fur had gone ragged, and his skin clung to his body like a taut canvas over his aching bones. Food was scarce in these times, after all. How...
Rite of the Full Moon
Teteu sniffed the smoky air nervously. Clad only in a loincloth, with two red streaks of face paint under each of his eyes and a long braid ending in a feather dangling from his headfur, he...
A Weekend By The Lake
_ **Friday** _ "Nnngh! Almost... there!" Pepper grunted as he strained to bend the stiff carbon-fiber tent pole just enough to fit into the small ring at the base of the tent. The end of the pole finally met with the brass...
The Surprise
Pepper busied himself with the last few details. Candles? Check. Carry-out dinner? Check. Romantic movie? Check. Chilled champagne? Check. There was only one last detail to sort before Chrys arrived. He went to the bedroom, his tail...
Blue Bolt Adventure #1: Medianoche
"How long have I been on this cliff?" the fox said to himself. Clad only in his signature blue long-sleeved leotard and matching knee-length spats on his footpaws, The Blue Bolt was beginning to feel the chill of the night as the wind whipped...
The Lutenist (In Memory of Randomonlooker)
Ah, joyous lute within the square, The player hidden from our sight, Sends serenades of music fair And plays unto his heart's delight. Re-mi-re-mi-sol, re-mi-re-mi-sol. Ah, loving lute, with roses trimm'd, With passion for a lady...
In Seven
In the untamed wilds of old, as the solstice chilled the days, Each living thing knew hardship and adapted in their ways. The boar would forage foremost, and the snow faced unafraid; But man had thought himself better, and a glutton he was...
The Tale of Mortibe from the Song of Hannari
Now it came to pass, when the generations since the Time of the Shears when life became mortal were fourteen thousand, four hundred and sixty-three, that the Gods of Old became as mortals, indolent and corrupt in their ways. Dai Yel, He of the Highest...
Creation Story from The Song of Hannari
In long-past time, amid the eternal darkness of chaos that lies beyond the beyond, there was the Great Truth. And the Great Truth chose to be, and it was. And the Great Truth grew vast and fecund, and its fecundity abounded that it would be as good...
Torchlight International Part 2: The Initiation
I arrived at the Regent's Suites hotel downtown just a few minutes before 6:30. After checking into the hotel (which, fortunately, was covered in the price of the workshop), I was directed to a row of tables where smartly-dressed volunteers sat...
Torchlight International Part 1: The Grand Road
I was never management material. They could see it in my eyes. I was always on time for work, it's true. I always enforced the dress code, trained new employees, stayed for opening and closing, and kept a sharp eye on the computer and...