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At first, the laden cart rumbling through the northern city gates attracted little attention. This late in the day, the traffic going in and out had thinned, but there was nothing odd about two passengers sitting on the back of the cart while a Drake farmer brought his merchandise into market. The expression on the […]

When they removed the bandage from Ryoka’s leg, the other adventurers flinched back. All except for Ceria and Calruz, that was. Ryoka stared down into the bloody, ripped mess of skin and once again was profoundly grateful for the numbing magic they’d put on her leg. Gerial looked pale as he gathered up the bandages. […]

Once, she’d broken her arm. When it had happened, Ryoka hadn’t even felt the pain of it. It was just the shock of it that hurt. Only when she’d dragged herself from underneath the motorcycle and waited for the ambulance did she feel the pain. It hurt. But oddly, the worst part hadn’t been the […]

As soon as she slammed the door shut, Ryoka collapsed against her bed. Static seemed to crawl over her eyes and roaring filled her ears. Pain. It was coming back. She would have lain there forever, but the pain made her move. There was only one relief. Ryoka staggered over to a chest at the […]

Erin sat on a grassy hilltop and played a game of chess. It made life easier. When she was playing, she could forget about life. She could forget about suffering. She moved her pieces on the chess board, pausing, considering, moving, retreating, taking. It was a dance of strategy and perception and she had learned […]

Silence. Erin walked in it. It was the numbing static in her head. It was the sound of tears falling in her heart. It was everything. She walked in the darkness. Short, narrow walls of dirt enclosed her. She followed a massive shape as it led her through the tunnels. Noise. Erin still heard it […]

Some days were odd days. Some days you ran, and some days you found yourself in another world with nothing but an iPhone and the clothes on your back. Some days you made ice cream. But it was a rare day that Ryoka found herself making ice cream in a noble woman’s house, surrounded by […]

The darkness hides many imperfections. The nether shade conceals those who find the sun taxing and bright light an anathema. The faint light that is not truest blackness but dark shade, where only faint outlines are visible conjures nightmares for humans and those related to their kind. But some call the shadows home. Two individuals […]

A boy and a girl stood in a throne room, talking. When one fell silent, the other spoke in their place. They were twins, and they were similar enough that one could pick up exactly where the other left off. Occasionally, they would be asked a question and one would falter until the other came […]

“Baking soda.” Krshia shook her head. “I know not what that is. I have many things which can be baked, but none of this ‘soda’.” Erin groaned. She felt she shouldn’t be surprised, but she still hated being surprised. “How about baking powder? Everyone has baking powder!” Again, Krshia shook her head. “What is this […]

The inn. A place for questing adventurers, drinking, solace, and even temporary, messy love. Or just lust. In any good tavern you can find at least one mysterious figure in the shadows ready to spout off cryptic messages of doom. No pub worthy of the name wouldn’t have the potential for indiscriminate violence simmering in […]

The wind blows through my hair. It’s a great feeling. People often underestimate how a good breeze can change your day. And on this day, when the sky is blue and clear without a cloud in the sky, who wouldn’t want to be outside? The air is cool, and the breeze is better than air […]

Erin woke up slowly. She woke up to the sight of a bag full of money on her table. For a moment she thought the Goblin had left it. It wasn’t the Goblin. In fact, the mysterious bag full of silver coins was courtesy of Klbkch. Erin peered down at the note he’d written and […]

Erin sat in a chair and stared outside. It was a lovely day. A warm breeze floated through the window, warming all it touched. Except for her. She felt cold. Cold and empty. Shadows passed before her. They had names. Klbkch, Relc, even Pisces. But they weren’t important. The dead were far worse. Erin held […]

His name was Klbkch. It was what the members of other species called him, at least. Among his kind he had no name that could be expressed in words. So he thought of himself as Klbkch or sometimes ‘Klb’. It was important to have a name. At the moment Klbkch was off-duty. He had signed […]

It was a beautiful morning. The sky was deep blue and the sun shone down pleasantly. The door splinted inwards and the Goblin Chieftain charged into the inn. Erin stood up and grabbed a chair. The Chieftain grinned as he spotted her. He glanced at the chair Erin was holding and then dismissed it. His […]

Erin woke up tired and bleary-eyed. She mechanically got up, and remembered that she’d forgotten to gather any blue fruits. She looked at the bag full of food she’d dragged all the way to the inn. It was too much work to make pasta or bread. So she ate one of the sausages instead. It […]