Tag: December
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The Judgement Tree
by D. K. Latta in Issue 143, December 2023 The cobblestones beneath Kainar’s boots were damp with dew, the sun just cresting the taller buildings. The crooked avenues through which he stalked were sparsely populated, merchants and workers only just beginning to stir and go about their affairs. He was a broad-shouldered figure of middle-age,…
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Across Bloody Skies
by Jay Requard in Issue 143, December 2023 Every time she shut her eyes, the jar of the wagon’s wheels or the shake of the cabin woke her, splashing bright red violence across her mind. Too exhausted to keep her eyes fully open, the memory reformed anew. Char-vak-ya! Char-vak-ya! Char-vak-ya! Magic flashed, men screamed. Blood. …
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Plague in Arak
by D. J. Tyrer in Issue 143, December 2023 “This way.” A large and meaty hand seized the slim wrist of Mirzë and drew her out from the alleyway and into the night-darkened street. The girl, no more than fifteen, turned her gaze away from the piled detritus that had once been men and women…
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Different Drummer
by Lindsey Duncan in Issue 131, December 2022 This time, Dossian Braeth wasn’t even participating when the spell exploded. That was the problem. “Sister Sherrit’s left toe,” the instructor of constructs barked, picking himself up from behind his desk, “what a waste of material. Were none of you paying attention?” A younger boy whimpered. He…
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Within the Heart of a Sleeping Giant
by Xan van Rooyen in Issue 131, December 2022 The witch’s boots were ruined. Rättäkitti squelched through the forest, blood welling from the undergrowth to soak her toes and scab her shins. The air tasted of copper and rust, a sweet putrescence lingering at the back of her tongue as she passed beneath the drooping…