I was sitting in my favorite tavern in the small town of Chicken Butt Flats, minding my own business enjoying a good pint of cold beer (I used wizardry to chill the beer, I can't stand it warm) when in walked three ogres.Now we get all sorts of beings in town so three ogres wasn't all that unusual. We have humans, elves, orcs, dwarves, halflings, goblins, trolls, ogres and even a few fairies. The two fairies that live in...

That evening I drank two glasses of ouzo. Usually I drink only one but that evening I drank two. For once. And maybe that’s why I had a strange dream. Or maybe the cause was rooted in the green salad I stuffed myself with. If so, then the nitrates definitely can do miracles. I was sleeping meekly and soundly when I saw a lovely girl. She had long copper-blond hair, pale blue eyes and body of a model. I continued sleeping...

In a world so small I’m not sure that it really exists, a butterfly was floating along and a bird swept down and ate it. The body went in first, then the wings and the legs. The bird flew away, not seeing Jewel fluttering in the sky, barely a wing span away. Jewel fluttered in a confused evasive manner. Then she tired, and landed, and remained still. Occasionally she flexed her wings slowly. “It could just as easily have...

When he was in the land of Indus, Alfadur lived inside a banyan tree in the form of a small butterfly. He never went searching for flowers and never wandered the land and glided on the breeze like ordinary butterflies. His only companion was the tree, the wide, vast and ancient banyan tree. The banyan tree was near the holy river of the Hindus, where the river met the sea of the Arabs. The wooded area surrounding the tree...

True Illumination There was once a lush and beautiful forest teeming with life, and any who passed through it felt refreshed and cheerful. Its borders stretched all the way from the village of Terrapacia, on the west, to the great waters of Undalar, on the East, and every time the people of the village held a wedding, or a feast, or a celebration of any kind, they held it in the forest. Now to the North, in the craggy wil...

All wars have a beginning and all wars have an end, except for one. The war between the light that illuminates the world with all that is good and the darkness which fills our hearts, blinding us with pride. The fireplace glowed brightly as the logs of wood crumbled to ash and dust. The gray ash and dust was caught by the iron bucket under the fire place. Both halves of the room were decorated differently. The fireplace,...

Alone. My naked feet curled away from the biting gravel. I hugged my knees on the beheaded mountaintop as the wind ripped shawls of warmth from my back again and again. I cupped my hands over my chest, around the flickering light protected by my sternum: my heart. It’s weary pulses threaded underneath my skin, shivering like a candle in the wind. Leave me be. Let me die. I couldn’t remember how long I’d been trapped there...

Lightning burned through the heavens above, a furious display of power punctuated at random moments by deafening cracks of thunder. The cold fire set the night sky alight. A storm in Heaven.  As flash after flash ripped across the electrified skyline Alenna stared on in silent awe. It was a lightning storm without rain or wind, only those terrifying bolts of pure energy searing across the landscape of Heaven; testimony to...

I was created for the dark, yet I often wonder what else this universe has to offer. I’m not allowed into the light. My grandmother tells me stories of what it feels like to break the night with golden rays. She taught the light how to whispers to the dark until even the shadows have nowhere to hide. She speaks of Oceans turning from black ink to bright inviting blues and greens. Does she know how lucky she is? She is the...

“Sweet dreams, sweetie.”  “Sweet dreams, daddy.” After kissing my daughter good night, I walked to the master bedroom, laid down beside my wife and fell asleep. … I opened my eyes and I saw the flames and then I smelled the scent of blood and smoke. I heard the battle cry and clash of metal. I sat up and looked around. The sky was red and the ground was black, covered with rock and sand. Far away from where I was standing...

(1/7/13) His name was Billy Sky Eyes and he had taken a military hop from Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas, to Ellsworth AFB, 10 miles from Rapid City, South Dakota. There he rented a car to drive home to see his family after being away for four years in the Marine Corps, and also serving two tours of duty in Vietnam with his two friends who went in under the "buddy-buddy" system. He was a Native American fro...

A Fairy Tale Chapter 7 Why certainly, Colonel Beryl, what is your question.?” I just wondered if you knew why Sir Art never answers my questions?” He didn't get an answer to that either because the King said, “That reminds me, I almost forgot to ask you where you found those spells at the last minute, Steve. If you had them why didn't you tell me sooner?” “I didn't know that they were spells, Sire. That professor that Tom...

“Where else should I be, my hero? I have power too, and it's my world that's in danger here, not yours. You have no right to say I must leave. I will do what I can the same as you and the King. Now put your arms around me, I'm chilled.” They stood there with their arms around each other, waiting for whatever comes. It wasn't long before, in the far distance, they saw a black line appear. After some time they could see it...

This is an ongoing story... you may not understand it unless you start at the first chapter “ Get your troops ready to move into position, General. The next time we meet will be on the battle field.” The King and his entourage departed shortly after he and the now Prime General had gone over the many details for the upcoming campaign. General Gavers had asked for topographical maps and was told there were none. “ Well tha...

This is the fourth chapter of an ongoing story You may not understand it unless you start at the first chapter Art and Steve bellied up to the bar and had a tankard of ale. “It looks like things are going good, Steve.” “ So far, yes, but tomorrow is going to be a humdinger. Tomorrow the real work starts. “ Colonel, I think I might have missed a trick, let me know what you think. Do you think bows and arrows would help? It...