Sworded Tales

Not that Kurn expected anything would surprise Erellia, he looked to the Elven woman for her reaction to the arrival of the man that had just added his mount to the others and now approached the quick camp.  No weapons, simple ornamentation, robes and small fineries.  A mage then, or a priest of an order Kurn could not place by token.  The half-smile was genuine enough to prompt a nod of greeting from Kurn.  Words would certainly be exchanged soon enough.

The lizardman took up a patient vigil at the periphery of the tent, albeit safely clear of the deluge, as the tea brewed and the late arrivals filtered in.  He joined some of the rest in drying off through minor magic, invoked by little more than a couple of whispered syllables and a few quick pats of one hand across his scaled person. Continue reading

Pride.  Pompousness.  Self-importance.  Arrogance.  Machismo.  Smugness.  Asshattery.  Call it what you will.  I have no fucking time for it.  None.  If it were legal to punch smug people in the throat, I’d be known as the Larynx Crusher.  Few things push my buttons equally well.  Though willful ignorance is close.  The moment you choose to stop learning should be the moment they put pennies on your eyelids.  Never before.  But I digress.

We were talking about conceit, and the only thing worse than one arrogant jackass is a host of them.  Understanding your place, as an individual, and our place, as a species, in the universe is a defining element for your identity and consequently your belief structure and peace of mind.  Such true perspective comes from appreciation of scope.

We are small.  So very small.  That does not mean insignificant, that our stardust selves don’t matter, only that petty notions, like conceit and greed and power, need to be kept in perspective.  There is so much more than our tiny flecks of existence.  How could anyone believe that they are the pinnacle of anything?

Give this ancient, boundless universe the respect it deserves.  Then open your minds, and maybe, just maybe, the universe will give something back.

Lies

Left to right and right to left
Fear by stolen, truth of theft  (Theft of truth, stolen by fear)
Lies about truth and truth about lies
Wrong come words the when surprise  (Surprise when the words come wrong)
Quick to judge and judge too quick
Reflections of power, mirrors of trick  (Trick of mirrors, power of reflections)
Eyes blind open & open blind eyes
See not will that those awaits demise  (Demise awaits those that will not see)
Choose friends carefully and carefully friends choose
Change and shift they as threaten and confuse  (Confuse and threaten as they shift and change)
Fun is foreboding and foreboding is fun
Done is that all undo can mistake the simple one  (One simple mistake can undo all that is done)
Sidhe to Satyr and Satyr to Sidhe
Lies into truth turn will Cyndi.  (Cyndi will turn truth into lies) Continue reading

Money in the bank.  That’s the way you see it.  When your boss, Hollis Sawthorne, organized this little project, he knew only the best man for the job would do.  That would be yours truly.  There isn’t anyone sharper, keener or saltier this side of Carson City.

So when word came down that Mr. Sawthorne was offerin’ thirty percent of the take from his new mine up near Damrea for recoverin’ some stolen property of his, you naturally jumped at the chance.  You’ve had your eye on a piece of land up Damrea way for some time now, and heaven knows you’ve parted more than your share of me from their most trusted companion.  What’s one more?  With what you’ve got stashed added to the take of that mine, you could finally get away from dodgin’ bullets and find yourself some young filly to settle down with, maybe even raise some young ‘uns of your own.

But to business first. Continue reading

“Your time is up, Merinde,” the voice knifed through the chattering din, carrying enough smug malignance to fill a keg.

“We’ll see about that you ignorant basilisk,” Merinde replied from the edge of her seat, fingers steepled on the table on either side of her considerable frame.  Matters were grim, that much was certain, but she had seen worse.  Hadn’t she?  One calloused hand rose and descended in practiced rhythms over a small crock, transporting the singeing liquid within to her lips.  She wiped the spittle from her mouth and slid the vessel away.  A bottle tipped to refill it before its momentum subsided. Continue reading

How does a lovely young lady like yourself always manage to get into so much trouble?  Easy enough, I suppose, when you go looking for it.

For once your stupid oaf of a brother, Glenn, had made some pretty good sense.  The two of you had been running a smooth con game up and down the Mississippi ever since your momma passed on from the yellow fever twelve years ago.  When you started landing some big scores by bilking well-mannered, upstanding citizens out of some of their inheritance, you also gained some notoriety.  The sheriff who recognized you in Memphis was none too pleased when you took Glenn up on his suggestion to pack up your things and head out west to get a fresh start.

Everything seemed to blow over quite nicely until you crossed into Nevada. Continue reading

As the odd group assembled and then began preparing their makeshift shelter, an unassuming figure on horseback watched from a distance.  The times were perilous and a sure notion of the places one walked into was a precaution that was not a luxury.  Still, the hooded rider knew when to just let what may be run its course without excess planning and undue wariness.  He urged his riding steed to begin their descent down the rolling series of knolls, mindful of the slick grass and lifeless muddy patches which riddled the area. Continue reading

“If the dice don’t get you, then the cards certainly will.”

Those were the last words your pappy spoke to you as you left behind the Arkansas farmhouse where you had grown for sixteen summers.  For years after that, you scoffed at the stupidity of such a statement, the utter impossibility of your luck ever going that bad.  After all, you had the gift.  Everywhere you looked, opportunity stared back, and lady luck was always on your side.

Well, gift or not, the years that kept on rolling by had a way of making you wonder about the truth of the matter.  Was the magic of your youth truly a blessing or more like a curse in sheep’s clothing?  There were always ups and downs in the game, good times and bad, but the lucky lady never failed to come through when it really mattered.  Never!  So how in God’s name did you wind up sixteen grand in the hole to that bloodthirsty wretch, Hollis Sawthorne? Continue reading

Throne

Seat of power, regal throne
How many have claimed you as their own?
Many have come, more have gone
Claiming to be kings, when in fact just pawns.

Can you show me the present fool
That treats you as little more than a tool
Not granting the honor you rightly deserve
Nor the legacy of heritage you preserve?

Show me where to find him, that I may plan
On how to provide you a true king of a man
To lead you to glory as in days of past
To relight the balefire and rebuild your kingdom at last. Continue reading

The Company has reprogrammed your mind so many times that you don’t even remember your real name anymore, only your codename:  Rupture.

So what the hell is going on?  One minute you’re running an op for Colonel Lincoln, despite what a bastard he is.  The next thing you know, there’s a flash of bright green light and then a whole lot of nothing.  You’re used to a few memory gaps with each new assignment, but come on, this is ridiculous!

You take a moment to assess what you now. Continue reading