Flash Fic Friday - Blog Posts

Waiting for Reinforcements

Thank you for the prompt @flashfictionfridayofficial

Walking across the dark field towards the barricade, Silus couldn't help but feel a bit melancholy despite the fact that Null had already been passed on to a more fitting vessel. He should have been pleased to rid himself of the burden, but it only felt like his shoulders had started to get even heavier them before.

Rose said it was nerves, and while he knew it wasn't helping things, this was different from the nerves that he'd grown accustomed to.

"Still brooding?" Silus jumped slightly as he noticed her waiting in the shadows with a bottle quietly extended toward him. He accepted it easily for a sip and quickly returned it before the drink could draw him in fully.

"Any word?" She shook her head with a sour expression as she finished off the last several drops of bottle before smashing the glass against the ground.

"No,if we can hold out another day though..." her voice trailed off, unconvincing even to herself it seemed, but he appreciated her attempts. Worrying wouldn't get them anywhere, especially with the mess they had to clean up tomorrow.

"I'm sure they're on their way." He tried to force a smile, but the corners of his mouth felt strangely heavy. He hoped for all of their sakes that they were on the way, because if anything happened to Nulls' new vessel... His newfound freedom would be quite short-lived.

( I'm very tired today, so I just got a rough sketch done)

Bad News 

Thanks for the prompt @flashfictionfridayofficial

Summary: Unexpected news is not well received on 2 hours of sleep.

Warnings: Implied and threatened violence

“So… I think that Charlie and I might be dating.” Veins on the side of his neck began to pulse visibly as Simon set down the document he was reviewing. He hadn’t noticed the gaggle of idiots wandering into his room, and normally he wouldn’t have caught what they were saying, but even more cups of coffee than he’d care to admit and 4 hours of overtime thanks to their antics, he wasn’t nearly tired enough to miss a comment like that. Seb was the first to notice his sudden engagement, moving from his usual perch on the edge of Simon’s desk 

“Well, I guess the cat really got out of the box this time huh?”  Simon breathed deeply through his nose, as his knuckles started to get even paler than usual. 

“Its bag though isn’t it?” Ruth interjected slamming her fist down hard enough to knock some loose papers out of their stacks, sending them strait to the damp floor. 

“No. Everyone knows that Cats love boxes, so if the cat leaves the box then things have really gotten out of hand. Common Ru, think about it. Why would a cat be in a bag?” Tapping the side of his desk with his unclenched hand, Simon began eyeing his half empty mug of cold coffee while eyeing the side of Seb’s head.

“No, I’m pretty sure it’s bag, Right Si?” Ruth turned to him with a hopeful glint in her eyes to let him know that she wasn’t ready to just drop the stupidity this time. As the sound of Simon’s teeth grinding filled the silence, Seb finally seemed to grasp a semblance of the situation, positioning himself behind the main problem in this mess. 

“I’m not ashamed of myself, She’s really changed this time and Psych already cleared her again for active combat so this is really just a win win for all of us in the end.” Jon began grinning like an idiot as he shrugged. “ You should really be thank…” Before the cup had time to leave his hands, Ruth had already jumped over the table scattering the rest of his documents. 

“He didn’t mean anything by it… You know he got hit in the head last time he was on the field!” Clarity crashed through his exhaustion for the briefest moment, and Simon considered if he truly wanted to strangle the idiot in front of him. Gingerly grabbing Ruth by the scruff of her collar, he quickly moved her to the side and drew himself up to his full height. Staring down at the crazy fool he decided that he didn’t exactly have any good reason not to. 

Ruined Safehaven

Thanks for the prompt @flashfictionfridayofficial

Some context: On the run from a group of powerful vessels (those wielding powers of nature and destruction), Silus tries to bring Luna to a small town for some sense of normalcy in the whirlwind of their journey.

Warning: implied massacre, devastated landscape

Luna rushed past Silus, hiking up the hill with renewed determination.

-Did you really think it was that easy? I didn’t take you for a coward and a fool-

Silus paused, his throat drying out instantly as he recognized the familiar smell of sulfur faintly hanging in the air. Just over that, Ridge was supposed to be safe, but they would have already guessed that wouldn’t they? 

Despite the heavy pack weighing him down Silus lurched forward with the last ounce of stamina he had been preserving, tackling the excited girl to the ground and covering her mouth before she could let out a startled squeak. Now that he was paying more attention, the smell was only getting stronger, accompanied by a sinking dread that started bubbling up in his guts. Luna’s eyes were wide with fear, but when he motioned for her to remain quiet, she nodded slowly, not even making a peep when he removed his hand. 

Luna’s small body trembled as he shifted away from her, but Silus couldn’t stop for apologies this time. Creeping slowly to the crest of the hill, the gnarled woods gave way to a sudden wasteland. Dust and ash hung thickly in the air like a wall, not creeping past some unseen boundary. Any sign of their refuge was completely blotted out, but if he listened closely, he could hear the muffled screams of those trapped inside. 

The air in his lungs began to grow thick as he watched the ash begin to twist and form itself into dancing ghosts of the past, mocking him while growing evermore realistic. One spector pressed its pale hand against the boundery, pressing forward just past where the ash had stopped. It smiled with a hollow expression dripping with satisfaction when he flinched. She couldn’t see this. Slowly withdrawing from his possition, Silus pulled himself to his knees and picked the exhausted girl up. Despite the protest of his aching bones, he held her close as he moved quietly off the path, hoping that whatever that was didn’t chance to follow them. They needed to move further inland. 

Unsent letter

Thanks for the prompt @flashfictionfridayofficial

Also, happy belated 6th anniversary and 300th prompt 🥳

Description: An unpolished letter written in anger but never sent. (I wanted to try something a bit different for the milestone)

I stand now at a crossroads of significant divide. Where need and will have chosen to once more diverge. I need from her many things, her company included, but after this, I can not just pretend that the walls are not fractured.

Don't make decisions when you are upset. Don't burn bridges that you still need to cross. Money will be given, and debts repaid in kind. I will not be forgiven by her words, and in this, I can not find reason to forgive.

Will you look at me differently once the madness has retreated? Will smiles adorn your face once the storm has passed? I am to be rational and care as always, but you have a life left to lead, and I have no place stopping that, only the desire to keep you safe. In doing what I thought best, I have hurt you, and for that, I am sorry, and by your own actions, I have seen a folly in my resolve. I can not save you if you do not wished be saved, no matter how much it pains me to watch.

I have benefited greatly from your kindness and thoughtfulness, but I have also suffered greatly under the weight of your wrath. I curse my heart for still being affected by this, but I will do my best not to let this affect our partnership. Instead, the roots shall be gradually trimmed, and I will do my best to quietly let you go.

Attack of the dead men 

Thanks for the prompt @flashfictionfridayofficial

Note: Given the prompt, it didn’t feel right spin things into a story completely of my own, so I decided instead to summarize a story that has firmly embedded itself into the back of my mind. I became aware of this story because someone showed me the song ‘Attack of the Dead Men’ by SABATON. While gruesome in nature, it presented me with pestering question of how people can drive themselves past impossible limitations while unprepared in the face of death. 

Warnings!!!: Discussion of warfare including the deployment and descriptive effects of weaponized Chlorine/Bromine Gas. 

Chlorine and bromine. While still dangerous, these chemicals have proven to be significanly useful tools for disinfection among other things. The result of their combination in a gasious form though? A toxic cloud that can devistate both humans and the environment, corroding tools and nature with almost instantanous effect.  What then of the human body? How might it react with living cells?

 For the 800 men guarding the Osowiec Fortress in 1915 without the protection of gas masks, those effects were almost completely fatal. Of the entire garrison only 100 soldiers survived due to their distance from the gas batteries. As the gas gradually dissipated and reinforcements arrived, the burned and dying survivors crawled up from their trenches like the living dead to attack the charging enemy. While coughing up their own lungs even as their organs were slowly being desolved by the resulting hydrochloric acid formed from the moister in their lungs and the chlorine gas, they stumbled towards the attackers without hesitation. The sight of their horrific forms was enough to cause bedlam in their enemies ranks, and paired with a concentrated artillery strike form the reinforcements, the soldiers were able to temporarily secure the garrison in the face of overwhelming odds. The victory was short lived however as the reinforcements were later forced to retreat from the garrison at a later date. It is a haunting story from a haunting time that can leave one to ponder the limits that the human will can force a broken body to ignore. 

Uninvited Pest

Thanks for the prompt @flashfictionfridayofficial

Description: A new father struggles with insomnia and is visited by an unwanted acquaintance. 

Warnings: Reference to violence

 “Hey Obi, you’re looking oddly cognitive today. Did the brat finally exhaust itself?”

Oberon reflexively raised a hand to protect Poppy from Solomon. 

“Quiet jester.” He hissed out the words in a hushed tone while the mischievous creature rocked his head back and forth quietly, having finally replaced those blasted bells he was so fond of. 

“Oh you don’t mean that Obi, I know you missed me.” Oberon tried to put some distance between them, but Solomon quickly closed the gap and pressed the back of his hand against Oberon’s burning throat. 

“Tsk… Tsk… I knew the misses was out of commission but how long have you been caring for her little hell spawn?” Uninterested in discussing his wife at the moment, Oberon bit back.

“Didn’t you get executed yesterday?” Solomon straitened suddenly and pulled back as though appearing to be offended. 

“And I thought you couldn’t make it to the event.” His smiling jester mask shifted to a frown and a blob of black ink ran from the corner of his eye. Oberon shook his head in disgust gently lifting Poppy from her sling and setting her down in a small crib with star drops dancing overhead. It took him a moment of effort, but before he’d even pulled away, Oberon had resigned himself to the trickster’s company, at least for the evening. 

“Next time they should dig a bit deeper.”

“They don’t have the patience for it, but by all means I commission you to persuade them.” Oberon rolled his eyes and grabbed one of Solomon’s tassels to drag him from the room. 

The Jester put up a mock struggle, pulling fruitlessly against Oberon’s light hold until they had made it to the wine cellar. 

“So what do you want Solomon? I doubt you came all this way for my company.” The frown disappeared from his face, replaced once more with his devious smile. 

“Nothing so grand as last time Obi, just the world?” Oberon almost dropped the bottle he’d pulled free of the dust covered shelf. Instead he flipped it in his hand and almost instinctively finished the executioners work. 

Thanks for the prompt @flashfictionfridayofficial

Short and not so sweet, but fun to write none the less.

Vocal Reflection

“It would be so easy Simon, just say it, and you can finally be free of them. Don’t you want to see the sun again?” The creature now only barely obscured by the murky waters spoke to him with honey coated words even as its hollowed eyes glared up at him hungrily. “Your lovely wife and precious child… Oh how lonely they will be when you don’t return. They would steal your life, but I wouldn’t take much Simon, not even a fraction of what you stand to lose here.”

“None of the others could hear me, do you know what that means Simon?” He was the only one who could know what name to call. “Yes, but you don’t have much time left without my help Simon. It’s a simple choice, we can both survive.”

“No” 

Protector

Thank you for the prompt, @flashfictionfridayofficial

Janus smoothed out her crumpled letter as he watched the sunset beyond the horizon. To say that he hadn’t longed to see his sister after she abandoned them would be a lie, but after years of contemplation and bargaining, he thought that he had at least gotten past caring so much. Chuckling to himself at the irony, Janus supposed that his role of protector wasn’t so easily forgotten, despite what his therapist had been insisting on for years.

What really struck him about all this, was just how simple the letter really was. No pleasantries or excuses, just his sister, asking to meet her brother in a neutral area, and promising to actually explain things for once. Without a doubt it was one of her ruses, so predictable, that it would make anyone who'd known her roll their eyes in disgust. Even as her brother, he’d be a fool to believe such empty words again, yet here he stood, waiting for her like always.

“Mr. Janus?”

Turning, Janus felt the muscles in his jaw tense. The boy standing before him was her spitting image. If he hadn’t known better, then he might have suspected that she ran a fowl with some spirit that compressed her into this form. It wouldn’t be that strange for her, but the boy’s eyes were distinctly inhuman. 

“You must be Clarance.”

The pre-teen nodded his head slowly, gripping the strap of his duffle bag until his knuckles began to turn white. Mother had mentioned him once or twice, but Janus had stopped himself from inquiring about the boy, convinced that it wasn’t his business. Whatever the result, now it had been made his business, and he wished that he had at least listened to the basics.  

“Well then, I suppose your mother left you with some instructions?”

The boy’s eyes widened in panic and he began rooting through his bag, eventually producing a crumpled piece of paper. Stepping hesitantly forward he shoved it towards Janus, who accepted it with a quiet thanks.

-Please keep him safe-

Letting out a heavy sigh, he crumpled the paper and stuffed it into his pocket with her letter. As always it seemed that her promises were as paper thin as the cheap scrap she wrote them on. Straightening his posture Janus smiled at the nervous child. It was pointless to dwell on the twisting mass disappointment in his chest, he could figure out her situation later. Now he had other things to focus on. 

“Are you hungry?”

A New Start

Thanks for the prompt @flashfictionfridayofficial

Coming back to a background story from one of my WIPs Bloodmage. Luis first meets Jade.

Chapter warnings: some body horror

A flurry of minute red crystals flowed from his lungs. Mixing with the frosty air, the fragile shards easily shattered, sparking an array of pinpoint explosions. Fragments ricocheted wildly, tearing up more of the ground around his still form. As he lay still as a corpse, a particularly robust fragment landed in one of his unblinking eyes, embedding itself slowly into his cornea; he hadn’t been particularly interested in the view, but it would be a shame to lose his sight before the end.

“What manner of creature are you then?”

A voice rang out to his left, pulling his focus from the cloudless expanse above him. Opening his mouth to speak, he found that his voice refused to work, his heart still too dead to manage even that. He frowned in frustration, but without the energy or will to move, he was trapped here, like he had been for many years.

“It’s rare for someone to have destroyed more humans than plants… You seem to have put most of my little ones to shame.”

What looked to be a deer skull hovered over him, finally coming into full view. Pink hair ran across the top in a messy array, reminding him of cherry blossoms in spring. He’d always enjoyed watching the delicate petals dancing through the wind.

His breath hitched suddenly as a strange surge of power coursed through his skull as one of the creature’s fingers gently rested against his cold face. Whatever this creature was, it was humming with a strange and beautiful power that was strong enough to steal his breath away.

“Don’t give up yet. There is much to this world worth living for.”

He could sense the creature’s disappointment in him and his decision. As the hand began to pull away, a piece of his fractured soul suddenly sparked at those simple words. He’d counted everything lost, felt that this world had nothing more to show him, but this feeling. He suddenly felt that he needed more of it.

“W…it”

The creature’s attention turned to him once more, filling his mind with a strange spark of excitement. He took in a deep breath and let out a choked laugh at his own pathetic efforts. The creature returned the laugh with a trill, and he could almost imagine that it was smiling at him.

“Good, warriors shouldn’t fall so easily.”

The creature’s clawed hands gently encircled him, pulling Luis free of the earth.

Greatest Honor

Thanks for the prompt @flashfictionfridayofficial

Short and sweet, no warnings.

They smile and clap, faces made of dull plaster with hollowed eyes. It was a crowd so dense that individuality was completely lost. All he could do was stand there frozen in place, a smile etched across scarred skin. This was suffocating. Why did they have to drag him out for this clown show?

*Merow?*

Gwen hopped onto his lap and butted her forehead between Van’s eyes, snapping his attention from the monitor. Her whiskers twitched impatiently, while sausers of sparkling darkness stared into his soul begging for attention.

“Pft… Don’t you know not to mess with millitary men Gwen? Your reputation could be ruined.”

Van returned her greeting with a small bump of his forehead, instantly elicited an echoing rumble from her stomach. As Van drew away, Gwen tilted her head to the side, inviting scritches that he was powerless to deny. Van’s fingers ran through her fluff, ruffling the emaculately groomed coat completely out of sorts. Fawn wouldn’t be happy about it, but Gwen enjoyed the attention.

Van placed a kiss on her forhead and let out the breath he had been holding.

“What would I do without you baby?”

Satisfied with his company, Gwen settled on Van’s lap as he leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes for the first time in days.

Thanks for the prompt, @flashfictionfridayofficial !

6936

Another random story based solely on the prompt. I hope you enjoy.

Warnings: Referenced Infidelity and Gaslighting

The flowers bloomed too early that spring, and an unexpected chill froze the golden buds even as they swelled with life.

Trudy stepped through frozen blades of grass, her bare feet blue from the cold. She didn't notice, couldn't feel her blood turning to ice with every step she took. 

The house behind her cast a looming shadow in the half light of morning. It had made her happy once, knowing that the old building cared for her. It cared for him more, though, concealing him protectively as he ripped her heart out over and over again. 

She had awakened twenty years ago, her power a simple enhancement of the senses, so trivial that she had been embarrassed to mention it to anyone. Too embarrassed to mention it to him. Trudy now wished that she had, he might not have brought so many mortals to their bed while she carefully tended to their garden if he had known. 

She'd done her best to ignore it at first, thrown all of her love on him, because she had loved him dearly, but with every self satisfied look cast towards her by departing mortals, a piece of Trudy’s love had been chipped away. 

"They are on quests, dear. I'm sharing my wisdom, allowing them a place to rest. I couldn't stand if these weak creatures were without guidance like your brother."

He always used her brother, always trying to make her feel like she was overreacting. It had worked before her awakening, but after she learned of his betrayal, it just made her bitterness grow.  

Stepping to the edge of the shadow, Trudy breathed deeply and stepped into the light. Her skin cracked under direct exposure. Even today, he had asked her to tend to the flowers, even today he had defiled their wedding bed. The finality of the action tipped the scales in her heart, emptying the last slivers of love from her soul.

Trudy bent down and picked a small bud, half opened and covered in frost. She'd watched this bud grow from a seedling, nurtured it through every stage of growth. It had been so full of life yesterday that she had already planned where in the house she would place it. Now, it would rest in her hair. 

With one last look towards behind her, the ice in Trudy’s veins turned to fire as a manic joy flooded every fiber of her being. Trudy had come to the property line six-thousand nine-hundred and thirty-five times before this one, but some sliver of affection had always held her at bay. 

Today, she skipped over the line gleefully. Disappearing from the home she had known for almost fifty years, with a long dead sense of wonder now burning in her chest. 

@flashfictionfridayofficial Thanks for the prompt!

This little thing just popped up out of nowhere, and I decided to roll with it.

Ripples on a Pond

Leaning forward, Lan gently brushed his fingertips against the surface of the water. The glassy plain distorted under his touch, sending ripples cascading over the entire pond. Lily pads shifted, disturbing the creatures that had managed to find some comfort on the green tiles that littered the water. It wasn’t enough to disrupt them much, but their small black eyes fixed him with silent accusations all the same.

“Do you have to do this every day Lan?”

The disappointing tone wasn’t lost on him even as he kept his focus on the surface, watching it with trained focus. Rue did understand what he saw in the pond, and that wasn’t about to change if he explained it to her for the hundredth time.

“Yes. It pays to practice focusing control on things now and again. Who knows, you might even improve your craft.”

He earned a slap on the back for that one, sending another set of ripples cascading into the first as his finger once more pressed into the water with more force than he liked. The returning waves crashed with the new ones creating spikes in the surface and causing the small frogs to quickly abandon their resting places with croaks of protest.

“I don’t need that from you.”

A small smile flashed across his cold features before quickly returning to the stone mask that he preferred. Ripples of various strength and size continued to clash, throwing the once gentle surface into chaos. Standing slowly to his feet, Lan watched the chaos with disappointment. No matter how calm they started out, neither of them could help themselves in the end, could they? Entropy’s pull was too strong.

“Fine, no lecture tonight. What do they want from me today?”

Looking down at his comrade, Lan couldn’t help but notice the extra care that she had taken with her makeup today, prompting him to raise an eyebrow.

“A show of course, what else would they want from you?”

He scoffed at that. Seems that a certain someone was on the way, and the collective was looking to make a better impression than last year. Classics were good when used in proper moderation, but to have him perform twice in five years was a bit much for his taste. Rue’s tense expression betrayed the nerves that she had tried to smother with bluster.

“I’ll be there then. You’d best get yourself ready dear, wouldn’t want the captain to think that you had eyes for someone else, would we?”

Her face became beat red at that, and she stormed off in a huff, her shoulders far less bunched than they had been moments ago. Lan could feel another smile creeping back onto his face, but he surpassed it this time. It wasn’t something that he was planning on pressing further. She’d already made her intentions clear, and he could respect that. Turning to his workshop, Lan ran one hand through his unruly mane of hair. Now the question was, which performance would net him the most interesting waves?

Tear in Space

@flashfictionfridayofficial thanks for the prompt.

Warnings: descriptive violence

Nihill stood at the edge of a cliff looking down into the gaping mouth with a strange fluttering feeling in his stomach daring him to jump. All of his notes led to this place. Would it be another dead end, or would he finally find the answers that he had so long been searching for?

“You know you’re crazy right?”

Nihill turned, imitating a smile at his shining faced guide. The young man had grown up in these mountains and recently had become known far and wide for his many feats. That was why Nihill hadn’t hesitated in hiring him, why he had insisted that no other guards accompanied them on this venture.

“You really should face someone when speaking such nonsense.”

The guide turned his head to face Nihill, a look of mild confusion crossing his face. Nihill bit back his irritation. It wasn’t his fault, after all.

“The matter still stands, death valley isn’t a place for mortals to walk, everyone knows that.”

His irritation drew Nihill’s attention, and he took a step closer to the edge, dropping a glow stone down into the inky blackness. It was swallowed up in moments, leaving everything to the imagination.

“An interesting choice of words from someone who frequents the valley so often don’t you think? Does that make you some type of immortal, then?”

He could hear the boy’s breath freeze at that. Bingo.

“What are you talking about? No..oone goes into D..death v-valley!”

Nihill turned his head to stare at his stammering guide with a touch of pity. The thing had intended to make a quick meal of him when they made it to the destination, as he had done with more than thirty men before, and the boy whose face he had stolen.

Loosening his robes, Nihill let them fall to the ground, leaving him in a simple pair of worn pants without any of his usual adornments. His skin glowed with ruins that he had painstakingly carved. The most beautiful adornments he had to offer and no one could see them, truly a pity. The thing’s stollen skin peeled away, exposing bloodied fur and a maw filled with razor-sharp teeth.

The creature dove for his robes, tearing through them as he stepped away unharmed.

Nihill watched the creature digging around in confusion for a moment before its jaws locked around one of the pockets, exploding a bag of powder in its face. The jerking motions stopped as the creature blinked in confusion and began sneezing uncontrollably. Nihill stepped forward slowly with a knife in hand. He marveled at the treated surface in his hand, thoughtfully before driving it into the base of its skull. The creature let out a cry of pain before it’s muscles slackened. He probably had about two hours before the creature revived, so he had to work quickly.

peeling away its outer coat, Nihil quickly draped it over his shoulders and let the blood coat his skin. Unpleasant, but there wasn’t much choice if he wanted answers. Once he was mostly obscured, Nihill knelt down near the edge of the cliff, allowing the blood to drip into the void. A set of silver stairs appeared, winding down into the void. He had been right then. This was the place he had been looking for.

The journey down was slow and, at times, rather frustrating, but it wasn’t meant for humans. When he finally reached the base of the valley, Nihill discarded the creature’s skin and pulled his own robes back on. The dark scape before him began to distort in his presence. No human could be in death valley, it was a rule of this world, and it was especially true for something like him.

The air began to fluctuate in front of him, and a tear formed in space. This was it. This is what he’d been searching so desperately for, and now it was here at his fingertips. Stepping towards the void, he breathed a deep sigh of relief. Now, maybe the chaos of this would have some real answers, not that drivel that all of the senile fools spouted. Soon, he would see, soon he would understand why he’d been born without a face and cursed to know it.

Her Special Day

@flashfictionfridayofficial

Summary: Alexia and Nihil spend an important occasion in an unplanned way, but it ends up working out.

Warnings: reference to violence, depictions of decapitation.

Alexia sat down on a slab of stone with a sigh of relief, her attention gradually drifting to the stars above. Lifting one tired arm, she rolled the strange device in her hand absently.

“Do you think that humanity will ever reach the heavens?

Nihil hummed a response, but he was still focused on his work. He always took the worst jobs since he knew how much she hated them.

Sitting in silence felt wrong, so after waiting for a further reply for some time, Alexia finally forced herself up from the floor and slowly trudged over to the irritated man.

“Oh come on, I know it wasn’t how we planned to spend the evening, but look at it this way… Someone was going to have to deal with them and at least this way you get some of the loot right?”

The hacking stopped as Nihil turned his attention towards her.

“I had everything planned, I wanted it to be a nice evening Alex. Just one nice evening, I even had chocolate… Chocolate Alex!”

Wrapping one arm around Nihil’s shoulder while raising the device to the sky, she pressed down the trigger, causing a cascade of explosions to ripple through the compound behind them.

“But this is nice too, Wouldn’t have had such a light show if we’d stayed inside anyway.”

Nihil lowered the head in his hands before leaning against her stooped form. This was nice, and honestly it was the best birthday she’d had in years, most importantly it was the first birthday that she had the chance to do what she wanted to, and that was more than she could have wished for three years ago.

The falling stars mixed with the sparks from the burning buildings creating a beautiful display of light that dazzled her eyes.

“Beautiful”

Nihau had leaned his head back and was gazing at her. Staring down at his ruffled hair, Alexia instinctively leaned over and planted a kiss on his cheek. Beautiful indeed.

The Little Things

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Um... who knows where this came from.... I'm tired and well the tired brain will make what the tired brain will make.

I hope you enjoy it!

He’d been gone for a few days, and at first, the silence had been nice. She’d enjoyed the silence in the beginning, but as the days dragged by, Lua noticed that the hearth lacked a familiar glow she’d had grown accustomed to. It surprised her how cold the house she’d lived in for so long felt with the absence of one thing. There was no food in the pantry, and the outdoor light had been left on even though the sun was shining high in the sky. Then the storm clouds had come on the fifth day, and with their arrival, Lua realized that among all of the things that were absent, she missed Aaron most of all.

The rain beat down, and lightning flashed across the night sky as Lua paced the dark halls. The dogs hadn’t returned that evening. It seemed that the light had finally died after burning for too many nights in a row. After calling for them over roaring thunder, she relented and spent a good hour trying to track them down in the rain.

Rain drenched her armor, weighing down her head and making the fir of her mask more cumbersome than usual. Following the fading traces, Lua hunted them down in irritated silence. When she finally returned with one of the dogs held firmly by the scruff of its neck, she was greeted by the cool glow of the lantern, burning just as brightly as it had almost a week ago. Without thinking, Lua released the dog and rushed to the house, flinging open the door to find Aaron standing there stunned, with two of the other dogs. He was drenched, and she could smell blood on him. It wasn’t right. Without thinking, she rushed forward and picked him up, spinning him around in unexpected excitement before pulling him close.

The tightness that had been welling up in her chest dissipated in a puff of smoke as Lua dragged the irritated human further into the house. She slowly pulled off his wet clothes as they went until finally reaching the living room where the empty hearth sat as cold as ever. It didn’t matter right now, though. Aaron was back, and soon, things would go back to the way that they should be. Wrapping them in a warm blanket, Lua held him there, soaking in the feeling of someone close once more.

“Did you have trouble while I was gone or something?”

He leaned back his head to look up at her, pressing his head against the fur of her hood.

“No trouble, it was just weird… Don’t go away for so long next time.”

He gave a small smile and lit the hearth with a flick of his wrist. The warm glow of the fire gently lulled Lua to sleep as she held Aaron close.

Wolf Hunting?

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Exerpt from Tori's story and part of my Bloodmage WIP. Fair warning, I was very tired when editing, so just know things might be a bit messy.

Warnings: Mentions of torture, violence, mutilation, and a monster drawing at the end of the story.

“Tori, I have something to tell you…”

Then the room lit up with red light, and Ma was ripped away from him just as the words were being spoken. 

Checking his gun again, Tori stepped deeper into the moonlit forest grumbling. He needed to get this blasted favor over with and find where Ma had been taken to. The old man in the village seemed to know something of what was happening, but he was too frail to force information with Tori’s preferred methods, so he’d decided to play nice for now. Just deal with a blasted wolf in the woods, and he would get what he needed, simple enough.

In the short time he'd spent listening to their excuse for not dealing with the creature, Tori had noticed at least three capable people in the town and doubted that this was going to be something simple. Much to his irritation, though, he didn’t have time to employ his usual caution, or maybe the idiots had just started wearing off on him more than he’d like to admit. The thought of Owen and Embers' satisfaction of their influence left a bitter taste in his mouth. They wouldn’t need to know. 

He wasn't a skilled or seasoned trackef but paying close attention to the paths that he’d been instructed to look out for. There were definitely tracks of something big, and in addition to paw marking, there were signs of something big being dragged through the area. Any wolf that could make tracks of that size wasn’t something he wanted to be close to, even with his gun. Frowning at the size, he contemplated turning back to try torture after all, but a growl froze him in his tracks. 

It shouldn’t have been able to get so close to him. Turning slowly, Tori scowled at the creature looming several feet away from him. Its matted fur was covered in bits of half chewed flesh and fur that dangled from the unkempt locks of blood-stained gray-brown hair. Tori didn't fail to notice that where hind legs should have been, there was a large snake tail that flicked back and forth in irritation as it held a small squirming bug in one clawed hand. 

Tori’s breath caught in his throat as he began cursing internally, how was that a blasted wolf? A vein in his forehead throbbed as the creature swallowed the bug and turned its attention towards him. By its smug expression, Tori was sure it felt that he would be a quick meal, but it was in for a rude awakening if it thought that He’d go down without a fight. 

Raising his gun level with the thing’s head, tori fired off 2 rounds in quick succession altering his fire for the second shot towards the direction that the beast seemed more likely to move. The first round grazed its ear, but as planned the second landed squarely in the things right eye as it lunged towards him. 

Jumping to the side, Tori fired off another set of rounds hitting the creature in the side, but still it didn’t even flinch, turning its trajectory to grab onto Tori’s shoulder digging its teeth through the layers of protective clothing like they were nothing. Letting out a grunt of pain, Tori quickly reached to his belt and pulled a knife free stabbing it into the creature’s throat over and over as it sank its teeth deeper, snapping his collar bone like a rotten twig. Letting out a scream of pain he felt his mind flash with white for a minute before pulling his knife free and driving it into the creature’s left eye. After a scream of confusion, the creature pulled back with a roar of pain and quickly retreated several feet, slower than the last time. 

“Do you think I’m going to let you get away with ruining the coat she gave me?”

The hatred in his voice might have surprised him if the situation didn’t tick him off beyond reason. Tori’s blood began to pump more rapidly than before as he let the gun fall from his right hand. This creature didn’t seem very affected by bullets but his knife did the trick. His right arm was useless right now, but the creature was partially blind. 

Without giving it time to recover further, Tori rushed the creature driving his blade into its throat as he let a claw graze the side of his head. That was okay, he could work with a bit more head trauma. His blade struck true, severing the creature's artery. This time as he pulled away the creature tried to bolt away from him, but the frustrated man jumped onto its back and quickly stabbed his knife into the creature’s throat again and again. 

The motion continued until the creature’s cries of pain were drowned out by his own frustrated screams. What the hells had she wanted to say to him blast it? Tori let his arms go limp as he looked down at the bloodied creature below him. With the excitement of the battle dying down he felt his stomach beginning to twist in pain as a sudden hunger overtook him. The disgusting creature, mutilated beyond recognition looked almost as appetizing as Ma’s cooking, and like a man possessed Tori leaned down devouring its corpse as the full moon shown above him, bathing the forest in red light. 

I was playing around with ink today, and other than some frustrations involving uncooperative ink, it was pretty fun.

Crumbling

@flashfictionfridayofficial

This story is a little portion of a side story for Bloodmage that I've recently started working on.

Warning: The picture at the end depicts blood and injury.

The door was already wide open when Aariv arrived. At one time he would have found that to be strange, but in this day and age who thought to close doors properly anymore? Whatever the case he didn’t have time to be picky right now, he needed to stow himself somewhere until the danger had passed. There was no way he was going to be found out after running for so long.

Stepping into the unfamiliar place, a frown creased his brow, there was no sign that this place had belonged to someone, no individuality. Crumbling walls stared back at him, almost in a reflection of whatever counted as his soul these days. The uncanny feeling sent shivers down his spine as he carefully pulled the door to. There was always the chance it was another trap so Aariv left himself an escape route open, and tried to keep his mind as sharp as his exhaustion would allow.

Room after room he was met with a growing sense of anxiety, no place should be this dilapidated and soulsess, not if there was someone living there. It wasn’t until he reached the last room along his path that Aariv felt his fear melt into oblivion. A fireplace sat in the center of the room, a half burnt log resting behind the grating.

Stepping forward, Aariv felt heat radiating from the empty hearth, a smile slowly spreading over his cold face. It seemed that his luck had for once pulled through and he’d chosen a favorable vessel. With the man’s soul absent he could easily inhabit without much worry. There was no possession quite so simple as when a creature had lost their spark.

“Dr. Field! You need to get back to work, Dr. Are you listening?”

Flexing his fingers, Aariv attempted to adjust to the situation. A nurse stood over him with poorly concealed irritation evident on her face. Smiling, Aariv stood and nodded his acknowledgment, which seemed to somewhat placate her. Once she scurried out of the unfamiliar room, Aariv took some time to assess his new body. He could handle being a Doctor, it was his specialty, after all. Still, a small frown tugged at the corner of his lips as Aariv looked into a nearby mirror, brushing back his disheveled hair while taking note of the obvious signs of exhaustion. No wonder the man’s body had been abandoned. He was falling apart inside and out.

@flashfictionfridayofficial prompt

A Bad Time to Remember the Past

I wasn't planning on putting this guys perspective up yet, but it seemed to fit for the prompt, so I hope you enjoy!

Warnings: Discriptions of medical procedures, violence, blood, burning skin, laceration, and dismemberment.

@wyked-ao3 (a bit more on the villain of my story. He now has a proper name! Albrecht)

Glossary:

(In case you are curious about any of the terms in the medical procedure)

Topical Benzocaine: a gel spread on skin to numb before injections.

Articaine: a type of numbing agent injected locally in tissue to numb an area.

Epinephrine: used in local anesthesia to increase the duration of numbness by constricting blood vessels in the area and preventing the local anesthesia from being absorbed by the blood stream as quickly.

Buccal: the gum tissue covering the outer side of teeth.

Palatal: tissue over the top of the mouth on the inner side of the teeth.

Maxila: upper jaw

Nerve block: an injection that targets higher on a nerve branch to numb more tissue at once.

Infiltrations: injections that target a specific area and numbs the nerves directly adjacent to the injection by targeting the approximate location.

Now, back to the story.

Topical benzocaine followed a minute after by 2 carpules of Articaine HCI 4% 1:100,000 epi. Infiltrations for the buccal and a nerve block for the palatal side of the right maxila. Within minutes he’d watched as the surgeon took out a scalpel and carefully cut gum tissue down to the bone and gently peeled it back as the patient lay, mouth open, not even flinching. Then the drill had come, and with a whir of mechanical power, the bone was carefully bored down to expose the gaping sinus.

Of all the things that Albrecht had been forced to observe in his mandatory job placement hours, this was the one that really stood out to him. It was fascinating what a little chemical compound could do to dull the senses. He’d even been able to hold a mundane conversation with the man about his line of work while the surgeon scurried off to attend some other matters.

Another wave of explosions rocked by him. Albrecht’s head screamed in pain as that long forgotten memory snapped back into the recesses of his mind where it belonged. With both armies cowering in the darkness, he should have been on the cusp of his victory, the whole world bathed in beautiful darkness by his machines. Yet here he stood, recalling the memories of a child, a fool who didn’t understand the meaning of his own destiny.

Looking about him in confusion Albrecht’s teeth gnashed at the husks of his elite soldiers, boiled in their own skin at the shine of an artificial sun. Ever calculating, he could already see that what remained of his force wouldn’t last long after such a devastating attack. Ten blasted years of preparation… all for something like this? The fangs under his mask ached as he fought for control of his raging mind. His careful planning should have seen him to the end, in the way that it always had.

The power coursing through his veins spiked as the pieces of his strength once gifted to his thralls all began to converge back into him in a wave of sickening pressure. The feeling blinded him, and for the first time in his long life, Major Albrecht lost his ever firm grip on reason. Head snapping towards the source of his misfortune, he narrowed his eyes and clenched his fists.

Using his powers, the Major smoothly dropped into the shadows and quickly traveled in their protection until he came upon the small vehicle, still driving away at a speed far beyond its natural means. There were four, no five of them, as far as he could tell, but it made no difference. They would all be dead soon enough.

With an enraged roar, Albrecht materialized in the shadow of the car and dug his teeth into the little warlock at greatest fault for this downfall. The man yelped in pain and raised one hand to secure the hat on his head before using another to push Albrecht away so he could stop the bleeding. He had no intention of letting him live.

A glimmer of something shiny peaked out from underneath, but he had little time to dwell on it as a stake was driven almost into his heart. Whirling around on the would-be attacker, the Major sunk his claws deep into their forearm, tearing through it with a growl of surprise at the strangely wooden texture. He grinned in satisfaction as a sharp hiss of pain rang out from whatever the thing was. It still felt pain, so even if it wasn’t human, he could still break it.

Half drunk on this strange ecstasy, he almost missed the smell of steel. His mind suddenly flared with a sense of danger, and he pulled away as a shot rang out, hitting the side of his helmet and exposing part of his face to the blasted false sun.

Like a bucket of boiling water, the pain brought him back into focus, and Albrecht immediately retreated into the shadows, taking the limb he’d managed to sever with him. With his armor damaged even this much, he wasn’t fool enough to risk an end to his plans even with his spiked blood lust.

Note: The procedure mentioned at the beginning of the chapter is for a sinus lift to increase the bone level enough to place a dental implant.

@flashfictionfridayofficial

100th Anniversary

We return to Luis and Jade to take a peek at an important milestone in their relationship.

Story Warning: Mentions of forced mutation, violence, and a bit of self-deprication.

When the Blood Crystal was first embedded in his heart, Luis had been filled with so many emotions that it had paralyzed him. At some point during his transformation, many of those feelings had withered into husks. The only one that he was able to maintain past the pain was an all-consuming anger. Without anything to hold him back, like all of the first Bloodmages around him, Luis channeled that anger into power, destroying anything that stood in his way.

His anger burned the brightest of them all. It burned through his entire being, leaving nothing but a monster driven by destruction.

Humming absently, Luis ran his hands through Jade's hair in a calming motion while glancing down at the strange little clock she had offered to him earlier. She had gotten the idea because of some silly little comment he had made after she pulled him back from an attack, and as embarrassing as that had been, he enjoyed the gifts.

As he was considering when to give her his gift, Jade suddenly pulled away from him, and Luis quickly untangled his fingers from her hair.

“I have something extra special for you dear.”

"Love, you already gave me a gift."

Taking a moment to reach out and gently grip Jade's hand, Luis smiled reassuringly at her. It was a big day for both of them, but her sudden outburst took him a bit by surprise.

"No, this gift is a special gift. You get too lonely while I am away, and I wish to hunt without worry."

As straightforward as ever, she would worry about a monster like him getting lonely. Jade produced a small box from somewhere in her hair and presented it to Luis with a beam of pride.

He could feel her energy pulsing from the object even through the box. Gently prying the box open revealed a set of green earrings that filled his mind with the forest as he touched them. A small chuckle escaped him as he felt the box in his own pocket grow heavy, to think she would have the same idea on their 100th anniversary.

“What am I to do with you Love?”

Nuzzling his chin affectionately, she picked up the stones and carefully put them into his ears with too much care for a creature of her power. Once she was sure they were in place, Jade pulled back beaming with excitement. Luis froze as he took in the energy. This was a part of her. They were connected in so many ways, but this one was different. He could feel her heart beating softly if he focused on the earrings.

A burst of emotion boiled over in his chest, and he leaned over, kissing her on the cheek. Now was as good a time as any to give his gift, so Luis stood to his feet and carefully presented his own gift with a sheepish grin. Despite being late to present his gift, Jade’s ears twitched with interest as he opened the box revealing a pair of blood red crystals he had spent months crafting so that they would be just right for her.

“Dear, you could have hurt yourself again!”

She held him close for a moment before pulling away to inspect him carefully. After inspecting him for any signs of injury, Jade seemed satisfied that he was okay and leaned down, letting him put the earrings in. Standing still for a moment, Jade suddenly began to purr with excitement as she felt his heartbeat.

“I will delay my hunt for the time being.”

Cooing affectionately, Jade settled back onto the couch, pulling Luis into her embrace.

She had given him hope, and Luis was finally looking forward to living out his extended life. The pain of his past was long gone now, just a fluttering memory that held little significance. Even if he had bad days, Luis had what none of his kind should have been granted, hope. Today was another gift that he didn’t deserve, but he couldn’t help but be greedy when it came to his Love.

POACHING TALENT

@flashfictionfridayofficial fff262 Run Far and Fast prompt

CW: horror, violence, and death

(I'm bad at tagging, so if there is anything I missed, please let me know.)

Summary: 437 was sent to guard an expedition party harvesting frozen crystals for the Cove. Things go awry when a creature attacks and kills the expedition, dragging an unconscious 437 deep into the tunnels. Once he wakes, 437 attempts to escape the maze, and whatever beast is so keen on getting ahold of him.

Slamming into one of the icy tunnel walls, 437 began forcing air into his lungs. How long had he been running? How far was this thing willing to chase him? 

He tried to calm his beating heart as memories of the earlier massacre crowded into his mind, crushing any attempts of his flickering reason to rationalize that thing. The fear festering in his bones was unnatural and unacceptable for someone of his age, but that didn't lessen its power. 

Sucking in more stale air, 437 knew that thing wouldn't let him rest long. After the first twelve hours of blind flight through the tunnels looking for anything familiar in the maze, he realized it was just toying with him like a cat chasing a bug. 

{Silus?}

His breath stopped short as the grainy voice echoed from further back in the tunnels, sweetly crooning his birth name. Panic flared in his mind again as his instinct to flee overtook his exhaustion. 

Unfortunately, his body wasn't quite in agreement with the decision to start moving again so suddenly. 437's attempt to pull himself away from the wall proved more challenging than he had expected, but the real trouble came when he felt his balance give out. 

Crashing to the floor, he lay in a sweating mess, trying to muster the strength to move his shaking limbs. He needed to get out, to feel the mountain breeze on his face again, to thaw out his freezing limbs, and to enjoy the warmth of food in his stomach.

  Precious seconds dragged on as 437 struggled with his fluttering consciousness. The longer he lay there, the more he wondered if the effort to survive was even worth it anymore when an itch at his throat reminded him of why he was so desperate to make it out of these caves. 

{It can all stop if you just do as you're told Silus. You're good at that, right?}

Too close. 437 scrambled to his feet, cursing as the little lead he had managed to gain was so effortlessly lost in a moment of weakness. 

Dropping another item behind him, 437 continued his uncoordinated dash down the tunnels, hoping  he could avoid another dead end. He was running out of distractions, and in the darkness of the tunnels, he felt his mind slipping down roads he'd long since abandoned. 

The Cove had used him for decades, and now this thing wanted him under its thumb. 279 had been right about them being pawns, but even with how poorly he had been treated in the past, he had no desire to switch his forced allegiance to whatever was so transfixed on him. So he focused on the same goal he'd clung to since he woke in the depths of the temple. He focused on running.

Tunnel after tunnel 437 ran, avoiding bodies and rubble until his eyes caught a familiar expedition uniform. It was torn and barely recognizable, but the blood was much fresher than the other bodies, and he recognized the brat's expression of horror as he passed by. 437 was getting close to the doors. If he was right at his pace, it would be just a bit further. 

Ignoring the screaming pain in his muscles, 437 followed a trail of more familiar bodies until he reached the temple doors. Slamming into them, he stared up in dismay at the solid wall before him. They had already been sealed again. 

{I told you there was no escape. Accept your fate, and become my vessel}

Cold fingers wrapped around his shoulders, pressing him to his knees as 437 breathed heavily, trying to process his wasted effort. The faint hope of food and the Mountain breeze were instantly lost as the impossible pressure on his shoulders held him firmly in place.

He still had his hunting knife. He'd seen the girl use it to the creature's frustration before, when he'd had hope that at least some of them could make it out. Clutching it in his hand, he hesitated for a moment before ultimately releasing the handle. He wouldn't do that, not even now.

Cold breath cascaded over him from above as the creature's mouth slowly began to encompass his head, obscuring his view. He knew what came next. He'd seen it do the same to some of the others before they’d been separated. Knowing didn’t exactly prepare him for the pain, but once the teeth scraped past his chin, he only felt them tear onto his skin for a brief moment before everything cut abruptly to black. 

…

The creature smiled, shimmering with hints of red as the pitiable vessel was processed. Null purred in satisfaction, it hadn't been sure using a corrupted vessel would work given its current alignment, but it seemed that its hypothesis had indeed been correct. Now, it at least stood a chance in the upcoming battle.