Sworded Tales

Katarina watched with undisguised interest when Erellia made the arrow materialize in her palm. She got a closer look, then looked at the Elven woman. “Was that Elven magic, or perhaps arcane magic put to clever use? I need to pray to Trymeya for something like that, could come in very useful.”

Erellia smiled as Katarina posed her questions. “Just a bit of Metherin’s Weave, dear, nothing more. I’m sure Trymeya will share such mysteries with you when she deems you ready.” Continue reading

Triggers that drop adrenalin.  We all have them.  Most of them are instinctual.  Some are cultivated through training.  The screech of metal as the garage door went up was one of mine.  Too many search and destroys for it not to imprint.  The snapshot taken by my mind was crystalline.

I had just set foot in the kitchen, a box in each arm.  Jill was bent over the refrigerator, the faint light washing her look of disgust in rancid contrast.  I was looking at her ass though.  It was one of the reasons I married her.  I like to think that little bit of extra blood pumping helped save Amber when the Nix attacked. Continue reading

“But I don’t want to kill anyone,” Gideon said, “I want to be a bard and play music and travel the lands.”

The seer continued to hold out the length of knife to the boy.  His copper had bought him the reading.  Her vision made her give him so much more.  “Yours will be the path of steel, child.  Take it to ease your suffering.”

But Gideon left empty-handed and losing his dog to a filthy pack of rats on the walk home did not change his mind. Continue reading

“Mind your heads,” Grom said.  The warrior had been gauging the approach of a ragged chunk of island which now drifted close.  Several menacing stalactites promised to just clear the top lines of the anchor.  Everyone repositioned to accommodate the imperious satellite.  All save Sputter.

Blades slurped from sheathes as the wiry boy took a running start and leapt toward a healthy outcropping of rock.  “Heee-yah!” Sputter embedded his two blades in the unforgiving mantle and wrapped his legs around the base of a stalactite.  Holding on with one embedded blade, he jackhammered at the rock with the other.  “Unf, unf, unf, unf, unf.” Continue reading

“Shhh.”  Merinde snapped her hand at Gerard.  “Don’t ruin this with words.”  She was dressed, from boots to high collared undershirt.  Blessed warmth crept into her limbs.  The last raiment was the cloak, the fur lined cloak.  There were tears in her eyes.  She held it before her as if the gown of a queen.  That a musty garment could elicit such emotion was not lost on her former self. Continue reading

Again Farrin triggered the release on the Jahnsenn Rod.  Nothing.

“What?  What is it?”  Horil could feel the tension in his frame.

“The mechanism isn’t working,” he said, “Let’s give it a moment, and I’ll try it again.”

A moment did nothing.  Neither did ten, or thirty.  Horil started climbing. Continue reading