Epilogue

Snow sprawled across the forest floor in the silent blanket of winter’s embrace. Only the sounds of drifts, long caught upon the branches of the pine, dared move that day as the shadow of morning held the forest to silence. No sunlight could walk upon the earth in daple or lay as a second shadow … Continue reading Epilogue →

Aya and Carrick Part 9: Magic’s End

In the Eastern forests of the Firwood four friends were preparing to set out from the small cabin they had taken as shelter as the frigid gusts of winter had appeared in blizzard and then departed with the meekness of an embarresed wombat. ‘Hey guys, come look how great Carrick’s hat looks on this horse!’ … Continue reading Aya and Carrick Part 9: Magic’s End →

Beer in a Wine Glass

Beer in a wine glass and the warm summer sun that bakes down upon the frosted surface of an outdoor dining table. Four chairs sit casually around this table, each in turn covered by a faded pinstripe plastic--once green and now only washed by rain and sunlight; they grow tacky under the heat of the … Continue reading Beer in a Wine Glass →

Aya and Carrick Part 8: The Problem with Giants

A lazy sun rose over distant planes of Eastern Joyce and languidly dropped daylight across the seven kingdoms beyond. Despite the occasional war--often kicked off just to keep the soldiers on their toes--these merry kingdoms had coexisted in the pleasant harmony of free trade and open border crossings; seven rulers all united under the banner … Continue reading Aya and Carrick Part 8: The Problem with Giants →

The Polite Way to Fight with Knives

Tensions were high. Tenison, by definition, usually alluded to a state of elevated drama, but today this suspense seemed as though a new level of dramatic *oomf* had been tentatively poured into a glass and then hurled into oncoming traffic. ‘What if I were to place this knife so far up your arse that you … Continue reading The Polite Way to Fight with Knives →

Chess for Wizards Part II

‘Ticking you say?’ ‘Yes sir,’ Leyland replied, carefully placing a bundle of towels on the desk before him and then taking three stridesome steps backward, ‘much like a watch that is known for keeping the very wrong type of time, sir; I’ve never heard a more ominous kind of tick, if I may say so, … Continue reading Chess for Wizards Part II →

The Night of Thorns

‘I intend to make these lowly sprouts see the error of their ways through the medium of superior firepower,’ Langley the daffodil storde forward with purpose and obstinately barked at the gathered council.Tensions had been high since the attempted coup and the ever dogged garden media had since been sent aflutter with talk of a … Continue reading The Night of Thorns →

Aya and Carrick Part 7: A Message Delivered

‘You look a little dishevelled to be a postman...’ Life had been rather difficult for Carrick the adventure wrung wizard. Tired, bruised and as magically absent as a dish towel, Carrick was trying his best to keep a positive outlook but life seemed to be poking him in the eye somewhat. Many moons ago now, … Continue reading Aya and Carrick Part 7: A Message Delivered →

Come In, Sit Down, Leave Your Shoes On

Good morning darling! Did the horses behave themselves round the Arndells? Gorgeous view, you can see all the way to the back of your own collar when the weather clears, ha-ha; how was the weather though? Good? Warm enough? You might not have heard, but two summers back a ghastly wind came through and blew … Continue reading Come In, Sit Down, Leave Your Shoes On →

Chess for Wizards Part I

In a dimly lit chamber of flasks and curious magical relics, a rather flustered wizard was attempting to haggle with the postman. ‘Twenty five crowns! You think I’m an alchemist!?’ stammered the wizard, standing from his chair and only just managing to restrain himself from jumping over the desk and throttling his visitor. ‘What person … Continue reading Chess for Wizards Part I →