I stand bare, clean from the river’s water. Her body twines over mine, a shiver of delight piercing me as she caresses me. I lift a hand, and she moves her head up to rest in my palm. I move her face close to mine, feeling her tongue tickle my cheek and lips. I whisper, telling her what must be done, and that she is the one who now holds my heart. ( Read more... )

I burn. My mind running like a thousand armies clashing, the pain makes me want to howl. I stay silent. My eyes see those around me through a haze, but still I must stay silent.

“I see the crows. The one made to watch to guard the flock lets a threat within the territory,” Sheshafi said. “Crows devour and destroy the failed guardian.”( Read more... )

Dry, hot and hard is how the land is, and the ones who live here. Far up above the city, on the cliffs stained red as blood she waits for me. I smile, and her name I speak. “Sheshafi.”

She turns to look at me, her smile lifting my heart, strengthening my limbs. She rests her hands on her stomach, where our son waits, and grows. Soon he will be ready ( Read more... )

“Light-damned … not again!” Lothanor held the bag at arms’ length, sighing in frustration as he looked at the red streak along his thigh. He scrubbed briefly at it with his hand, and then pulled the hand away as the blood smeared.

The soft light of the forest filtered strangely through the pale red leaves, the Farstrider’s dappled armor blending in ( Read more... )

There were always quiet, abandoned places. Shujaa had years of practice being where nobody was. Red blood mixed with red dust behind him as he walked slowly, carefully out of the canyon. Eyes steady, mind watching, steps measured, careful, muscles relaxed, ready to tense. Weakness will betray me, he thought to himself, but I will be strong. For her ( Read more... )

Soft, moss-covered skin covering hard muscle, the scars’ patterns weaving through. Shujaa ran his hand over the troll female’s skin, her robes torn in the massive blast that elf let loose. The dark rusty blood of her wound stained both of them, his blue fur clumped from the mess, her mossy skin stained and crusted. Her eyes were now closed in sleep ( Read more... )

A pitch-black world surrounded Tarreya, binding her arms and legs. The sickly smell of decay was her only companion. Fear and anger coursed side-by-side through her, powerful muscles flexing, mind straining to call the elements to her. For hours the muffled noises outside were oblivious to her cries. She knew where she was and what would happen ( Read more... )

"This is not your test, little Ko," the old woman's voice rasped.  Her yellowed tusks and wrinkled face sometimes frightened the children in the village, but to him she would always be his grandmother.

His eyes were nearly closed when she spoke, and her voice drew him back from the border of the spirit lands where he was ready to follow the woman ( Read more... )