No one knows where he comes from, or how old he is. He might even be eternal, existing before God himself. Such information has been lost to time. All scholars know is that Lance exists, and he cannot be stopped. This is his on-going story, The Lance Saga, and we must explore this legend in detail, for he is the Alpha, and the Omega, he is everything pain, everything suffering, and no creature, no deity, no God can stand...

Chapter 1: The Forest That Whispered Secrets The first light of dawn had barely touched the mountains when Raj Singh stepped out of his small wooden house, breathing in the crisp air that carried the scent of pine and damp soil. For most villagers, the forest that stretched beyond the fields was a place of caution. But for Raj, it was something more—it was alive, like an old friend who spoke in silence. He adjusted the st...

The stormy evening had cast a mystical spell over the quaint Alpine village, with the rolling hills shrouded in a thick veil of mist. The streets were empty, save for the occasional passerby hurrying to find shelter from the rain. It was on one of these deserted streets that a tourist happened upon the workshop of the enigmatic clockmaker, Hans, a local craftsman. The sign above the door read "Hans' Timepieces" in elegant...

Chapter One. An underwhelming meeting. Timmo hated traveling with passion. It reminded him of his own childhood, where he had to drive his dad's tractor every day from the village to the barn. But on his 20th birthday, he left the village to start a solitary life in the woods. He built a nice wooden cabin in an open field inside the forest. Near his cabin, there was a small plot of land where he grew all kinds of plants l...

+--Introduction--+ The scent of damp earth and pine is sharp in the crisp mountain air as Zobrita makes her way towards the village's lone tavern. As she opens the heavy door, she leans against the splintered wooden doorframe. Her eyes, a startlingly clear grey against the weathered lines of her face, scan the inside with a practiced intensity, searching for the one she is to meet. She sees a lone figure sitting in the ba...

Chapter 06 – It was bound to happen, succession plan Another year passed, and as said, after three years, we were, yes, a legend, but also the most wanted couple of pirates of the Caribbean. There was even a little fleet of more lightly armed frigates roaming the seas with the specific purpose of catching us and ignoring any other pirate ship, unless to save other ships or already engaged in combat. Caterina found what sh...

Chapter 05 – First real step of direct revenge The second year of our rising fame, six months after the capture of the Carletta, we had an encounter that really made me thank God for helping my revenge. I was taking a nap in our cabin when a ship’s boy knocked at the door. “Captain Ash, Captain! Captain Blackeyes asked for you to come quickly on deck, without makeup and with a womanlier attire, but still comfortable for f...

Chapter 04 – Building fame I sometimes frequented the taverns with John or Robert or both. In the beginning, I wasn’t perfectly disguised, mostly for lack of experience, so even with my scarred face, someone would get the hunch that I was a woman. And in one of these times, a group of sailors from a merchant ship decided that since they hadn’t been getting laid for months, they would look over my scarred face and have fun...

Chapter 1 – Introduction and betrayal “Keep your guard up higher, Cyndria!” “But father, I’m tired! And why should I learn brawling or using swords and knives? I’m a woman and I don’t need it!” In the beginning, I found it fun to exercise with my father in fighting and swordsmanship, so as to have some dedicated time with him, but now it was getting boring. It’s A.D. 1780 and I’m the barely fourteen years old daughter of...

2004 “There’s a job going in Islamabad,” I remarked. “It would be on promotion if I got it.” My wife frowned. “Pakistan?” “Yes. It’d be an amazing opportunity. You know I’ve always wanted to explore that part of the world.” I paused. “And there are fantastic trekking opportunities in the north–you know, the Pamirs and Himalayas. And I could travel the Karakoram Highway, following the old silk routes across the high passes...

Every year, it's the same thing. Our long and tiring march. The best part is that I can usually catch up with long-lost friends. This year was no different. I was so happy to see Julie. I flapped my flipper and yelled, "Hey, Julie. Over here. It’s Paula." She saw me, and she and her young one waddled over to see me and my young chick. She wrapped her flippers around me and asked, "So nice to see you, Paula. Seems like for...

He had to prove that he could bring back honey. His fingers gripped the edge of the cliff as he dangled above the grasslands far below. His pack was slipping, and his best friend was only a few feet below him on the rock face. Avi hadn't wanted to bring him along, but Onath insisted. He gripped the jagged edge of the stone with his other hand and lifted himself up. His pack slipped off his back and plunged down to the sun...

I see it all from my throne atop the canyon. Once, I was just a sapling. Animals would use my limbs as a scratching post and sometimes a litter box. I chuckle at the tourists who marvel at the canyon. They should have seen it five hundred years ago, but that may be a bit of a white lie. I could not see it until I was twenty years old. Sitting here now as the tallest of my breed. I heard one author call me the grandmother...

Hi, folks.My name is Bruiser. I'm a little dachshund. I weigh in at five pounds soaking wet. I'm two years old. I'm adorable and playful.But enough about me. This story is about my human Mommy and Daddy.I was just sitting there eavesdropping under the coffee table as my humans had a conversation about my human Mommy and her doctor's appointment yesterday. Her doctor wanted her to go see an oncologist. I wondered what that...

March 1995 — Kenya A Fateful Decision I’d been in Africa for nine weeks; two very eventful months. In that relatively short time, I’d already undergone a multitude of emotions, enjoying some incredible highlights and experiencing a range of unfortunate escapades. I’d started in Kenya, flying out to Nairobi on a one-way ticket with a vague plan, a guidebook, and not much else. It wasn’t my first time backpacking in the dev...