Alia woke in the dark room as she did every other morning. She got dressed and made tea. The kettle heated the water for precisely three minutes and thirty-seven seconds before clicking off. While it was simmering, she put the tea infuser in her cup and scooped exactly two teaspoons of looseleaf, ceylon tea into… Continue reading 8. Creature

This is how the paladin fell. “…and lead us not into temptation…” Javid didn’t know much, but he knew the Dawnfather brought the light, brought good, brought hope. Most of all, he knew the Dawnfather saved his mother when she was near-death after eating destroying angel mushrooms when he was too young to know the… Continue reading 7. Temptation

“This last card, Death, represents your future. But don’t worry, it’s not talking about your actual death. Death represents an ending and, possibly, a new beginning. However, when it’s reversed, as it is now, it’s the lack of that end. This card is saying that you are stuck, or there’s a danger that you might… Continue reading 6. Oath

The smell of coffee and ramen intermingled with Cheetos, a 12-pack worth of empty cans of Mountain Lightning and a hint of male body odor. The fluorescent lights overhead buzzed somewhat, joining a chorus of crickets outside the open window. The mood was tense. The group sat around a small table, notebooks, clipboards, binders or… Continue reading 5. Challenge

Snelgorb liked wind. He liked the feel of it on his scaly skin. He liked the way it tickled behind his horns and along the ridges on the back of his head. He liked things that made wind, too. As a youngling, he loved to just spin his sling around and around in front of… Continue reading 4. Sky