Black Friday at the Low Market

Black Friday in the Low Market Sarn glared at the black cloth strip in his hands. Light-tight, once tied its weave would hide his eyes, suppress their glow, allow him to withstand the low market crush and not jeopardize his son who would be his eyes for this trip. Now tied, his vision cut off; his magic took over, gave different eyes equipped with a detailed map of the illogic that abounded inside Mount Eredren. “You take too long. We go now.” Ran tugged on Sarn’s trouser leg. “I lead.” Ran unfastened the door and started into the hallway, his promised outing … Continue reading Black Friday at the Low Market

The Match

The Match Cyprus’ ringside seats enabled him to watch the match. Who’d leave in a coffin? The acrobat tumbled, his strength let him toss the mawkish gawker out on his fin. Through the hawker’s hand lapis lazuli beads slid, clicking, blocking Cyprus’ view. The stench of brimstone warned he’d better lie low ‘fore the serum wore off. Sweat bedew his forehead, his arm pits, deodorant’s failure, its obsolescence in process. Then his human skin molted and the chant began quickening the change in the press. A demon spilled forth ending the death match. Everyone left without coffin or scratch. ~ ~ ~ Like vignette-style sonnets? Want … Continue reading The Match

Spring with Flair

Spring with Flair Flowers, flowers everywhere, in my hair, falling without a care, as I glide ’round my bower’s stair. Who’s that there? Moonlight fair? Follow you where? Hear madness there resounds. Flowers, flowers in my pants, as I dance. Ring-crowned spiders spin their hair with some flair. They make a gown I can wear for the dance. My bro wears a lizard’s skin, it’s not fair. Feathers, feathers everywhere, in the air, on my chair. Spinning in a dizzy dance, my last chance, to prepare, that girl to spare, if I dare. There in the square, I do dance. Ladies fair, everywhere, I sing the prayer; I share all I dare, … Continue reading Spring with Flair

Working Thanksgiving in

Working Thanksgivng in Darkness choked the magicked forest; a light kindled here and there to trick to travelers but not the patrolling Rangers whose sight ignored the forest’s enchanted feelers. Sarn shoved away an inquisitive branch, looked about for evidence of distress. Another boring watch with not a branch out of place and still more hours in this press. “Why’re we out here? There’s nothing happening,” he complained batting a thin bough aside. “You want to hear Thanksgiving’s beginning?” Nolo asked; he sped up to walk beside making conversation possible ‘gain. The trees leaned to listen to talk of men. ~ ~ ~ Sarn nodded, stepped o’er a recoiling … Continue reading Working Thanksgiving in

Staircase to Nowhere

Staircase to Nowhere A stone staircase curved as it ascended in the Enchanted Forest miles away from anything. Into air it wended. Sarn approached and a hush fell..Run away, his sixth sense screamed. A strange light burned silver above where the stair plucked from a mountain stronghold ended in nothing. Shivers disturbed the branches’ weave above, often signifying nothing, but winds passing. A malevolence settled like night’s chill on that dislocated stair focusing. Sarn circled it, his sixth sense’s warning shrill. Ascend and see what happens or go back, return to the search for the lost boy’s track? ~ ~ ~ Sarn stood there ’till a hand grasped … Continue reading Staircase to Nowhere

Pour Some Sugar on my Pie

Pie Making (Now published in Stars & Angels Sing along with the rest of the holiday story.) Inari surveyed her kitchen  and smiled. Lumir glowed red in its grate for baking, stone counters gleamed and a four year old child sat in silence arranging rocks, making patterns on the stone floor. Miren had gone to school, so also had her son Nerule. Nolo and Sarn both worked nights; sleep had drawn them in that morn. Waking Sarn would be cruel, so off to market she went, a withdrawn child in tow. Quiet he stayed, no ‘whys’trailed her through the aisles, his curiosity blunted but by what? … Continue reading Pour Some Sugar on my Pie

Wedding Bird Blues

Wedding Bird Blues Why didn’t they send Phaedrina to do this? She can turn into a spider and hide when the guests file in, but no miss, they sent me disguised as a bird. My hide’s at risk, not my bro’s who’s shoving dishes at my beak demanding poison sniffing precision that’s possible in wishes but not when a beak’s doing the sniffing. Either this bird’s nose is broken or some other beast should’ve been selected, a blood hound maybe. “Did you find poison? More crumbs?” hazarded my vexed twin. I pecked, drew blood. He backed off, hands raised to check … Continue reading Wedding Bird Blues

Whispers in Stone

Whispers in Stone Thirteen years ago… Sarn chased sparkles dancing in tides washing the shore. He lifted rocks seeking their shine. Rocks rubbed his soles, sun warmed him, water sloshed his breeches, his numb fingers caught that shine. A spark blossomed in the smoky stone heart. it winks, changes to blazing lips that speak. Sarn shrugged, pressed the rock to his ear in part, copying the kids with shells. The rock speaks words that tumble like pebbles down a hill. Its cadence soothed him; he discerned one word out of the tumult which bounced ’round until it fired his magic and out burst that word: “Lumir,” he said, naming, giving a shape to potential, allowing light … Continue reading Whispers in Stone

Thankful Son

Thankful Son Ran listened; his uncle argued trouble but Papa ignored that; he’d decided. Papa’s words formed a warm, happy bubble. He was thankful for Ran, who sat beside. Ran hopped from table onto Papa’s lap. “I’m thankful for you too,” he said through tears. He recalled his mom, who left like a slap– leaving a sting that still caused tears and fears for Papa who had a dangerous job. Papa talked in his sleep and Ran listened. “You’ve still got me. I’ll won’t leave you, don’t sob. It’s okay to miss her,” Papa tightened the hug squeezing out a smile, not tears. Papa’s assurance chased … Continue reading Thankful Son

Deadpan – Photo Fiction #13

Deadpan She’d come to this crossroad after a long journey that had caused her to circle back to the broken town; it’s where she belongs. Why’d she think she could leave it and backpack to a better future? Not for those glittering streets paved in gold, diamond strewn skies left behind in this smokeless ruin whose siren called her back. With this gun she’s hewn from bric-a-brac, she’s stalking streets she knows, counting the cracks ’til she finds one oozing a clown. She fires at it taking it down. It flops into a puddle; its losing ground. She stuffs its remains … Continue reading Deadpan – Photo Fiction #13

Thanksgiving Plans

Thanksgiving Plans “Why do we have to celebrate this year? We didn’t last year,” Miren grumbled, tossing graphite sticks at the paper stack too near a cheerful four year old, who sat browsing. Ran’s ears were pricked for interesting talk. “Why change? Why do you want to celebrate?” “Because things are better,” Sarn broke off. Chalk that up to change. He no longer berate fate or himself for his failings; his son was happy; his bro went to school and that was enough to be thankful for. He’d won some respect and he should celebrate that. “Nolo invited us and we’re going.” Miren glared but he didn’t … Continue reading Thanksgiving Plans

The Seacher: Malenthanren, Dragon of Shayari

The Searcher: Malentharen A dragon sleeps ‘neath Neverthrall’s waters. Shayari’s great lake, that inland sea, makes a perfect place to search for Ironwood’s daughter. White sparkles collect on the dragon’s snake hide, in a cloud those brilliant motes rise, breach the lake’s surface and like a star shot, streak ‘cross the sky. Over Ironwood Keep to reach the lost daughter of a cursed line whose loss could snap the world in two. Thus he sends his consciousness roaming, past villages who take no fright at his star overhead, flying day or night to eat the mileage. Eventually the country he … Continue reading The Seacher: Malenthanren, Dragon of Shayari

Thankful

Thankful “Do You know what I’m thankful for?” Sarn asked. “No,” Ran said, walking beside, hand fisted in his father’s trouser leg. They walked past many statues as the tunnel twisted, but the question kept his son from straying even though the lad’s fingers itched to trace the stone folded, imitating cloth draping. Quiet wrapped them up and kept the slow pace. “What you thankful for?” Ran asked, when Sarn failed to say. Sarn smiled at his son, “can’t you guess?” Ran’s brow furrowed as the lad tried and failed to work it out. “You tell me, I not guess.” Sarn scooped … Continue reading Thankful

Divided

Divided If Sarn could split his time ‘tween two places, and two places only, he’d have to choose Mount Eredren as one of his bases to fulfill his indenture’s terms or lose the bargain he’d made for his bro’s schooling. If his indenture allowed a second abode, (which it didn’t), he’d make that grueling trek to Mithranza Provence. It beckoned, its mountain passes whispered of wars won and lost by heroes of old; in the lake- side village, he’d stay for months for her sake, the lovely woman with whom he’d begun a friendship his indenture didn’t allow and something his master couldn’t disavow. ~ ~ ~ Read more about Sarn in … Continue reading Divided

Changes

Changes “Change comes whether you want it to or not.” so Nolo said; Sarn believed him, he wished he knew what to do. His stomach in knots, he watched the day fade; in his heart he fished for answers, found none. He had a magic he couldn’t control and it had lots of triggers; most he couldn’t guess. His life was so tragic and he hated it. One day, he figures that power will kill him. Every seven years it will spike, increase his ability. His son, Ran, approached holding his stuffed bear, reminding him of life’s fragility. The boy had inherited the … Continue reading Changes