I once followed a faerie into the woods. Her wings were bright leafs of gold. A smile teased the corners of her lips. She carried a feathered quill. She'd found me crying by the river. She asked me why my eyes were so wet, and I told her: Papa was unkind to me again. She … Continue reading Name
Category: A Song in a Storm
Service
They named me PK-962. I am a service drone on Level 647 of Structure 23 in City Designation: Epsilon. My favorite task is to clean the floors. PK-961 prefers to wash the windows. PK-963 is only stimulated by the recarge cycle after work is done for the night. PK-961 oftens stays with me to look … Continue reading Service
Squire
Chain mail is hard to polish. Its links are small, hard to reach. Most squires toss the damned thing in an oil bath and let it simmer for a night, but not Grendivall. He wrapped a fine silk cloth around a fishbone and worked at those links for a full day and night. By sunrise, … Continue reading Squire
Judgement
The Arbitrator's robe dragged along cut stone. The swish of it echoed in the vaulted chamber. He took each step slowly, carefully. There was no room for error in these proceedings. Every breath was planned, every twitch accounted for. The stone was cold beneath his bare feet, achingly so. A thousand hooded faces followed this … Continue reading Judgement
Natural One
"Joey, what's Thorn gonna do?" My character sheet stares at me. What can I do? I used up my class feats last turn. HP's down to 7. Three goblins are ganging up on Jesse's wizard. Jay's cleric is already knocked down. The one exit is on the other side of the room. "I guess I'll … Continue reading Natural One
Street Food
Thin strips of meat sizzled on iron. Tacturus took deep breaths of the sweet smoke. It was still early, the senators still locked in discussion. A pair of children, clad in dusty tunics, trotted up and tossed a few coins on his table. He speared a few slices of ham and sent them on their … Continue reading Street Food
Sparrow
I watch a mother bird in her morning flight. Wings snap open to ride updrafts and tuck in for a quick dive. She catches a bug in her sharpened beak and alights on a tin roof to feed her young. I wonder if the language of motherhood translates to birdsong. If the sparrow lends comfort … Continue reading Sparrow
Pestilence
The girl was wracked with fever. Her skin was slick with a sheen of sweat. Her limbs shuddered. She choked and gasped, desperate to force air past a knotted throat. The plague witch coached her through the suffering. She brushed her fingers along the girl's throat and down her sternum towards the belly. Eyes widened … Continue reading Pestilence
The King of Scales
“There weren't always dragons in the Valley.” My father’s voice is ancient in my memory. I had sat on my haunches in rapt attention. The whole village seemed to fall quiet. I like to imagine even the birds paused their singing for a while. “We were a peaceful folk. We’d not yet desecrated our hands. … Continue reading The King of Scales
Wings
The open window lets in a sea breeze and tendrils of cloud. I take deep breaths and try to steady my nerves. Dad tightens the last strap. The leather bands dig into my arms. The feathers tickle my back. The still-wet pitch rolls down my skin to mix with sweat. Dad tells me again that … Continue reading Wings
Corey Laisure 