Smoke curled from the vendor stalls, thick with the of charred meat and burned spices. The market pulsed with activity—flickering hands, quick bargains, laughter too sharp and sudden. Beneath it all, beat a different rhythm. It was the beat of watching eyes. Of footsteps that didn’t belong. Kael crouched behind a stack of dried reeds, … Continue reading Don’t Look Now
The dagger was all too real. Talya’s fingers hovered a breath above the obsidian blade resting on the velvet-lined pedestal; its edge shimmered beneath the flickering lamplight like oil on water. Magic hummed through the room like the buzz of insects—low, invisible, suffocating. She never nicked nothing like this before. Now, she wasn’t sure she … Continue reading Ashes and Echoes
Dense, tropical heat hung in the air, heavy with the scent of saltwater and damp earth. The sun hung low in the sky, casting its golden rays across the town nestled at the edge of the sea. Waves crashed against the shore. The slow susurrations against the sand, a reminder of nature’s unwavering pulse. Inside … Continue reading The Taste of Denial
Biscuit arrived at the door first, sitting patiently on the stoop, tail tapping the ground. Lyryk caught up to him, catching her breath as she raised her hand to knock. Before she had the chance, the door swung open. An old woman with silver hair and kind eyes stood before them. “You look like you … Continue reading Lyryk’s Song, Part Two
Mu’Yan Fleetfoot contemplated the swirl of violet energy hovering before her. Master Treesinger told her that her people knew these masses as shortcuts through the Otherworld—realm of the fey folk. She felt emanations of living forces radiate from the glow. Taking a moment to meditate on her lessons, she decided and stepped into the whirling … Continue reading Mu’Yan: Otherworld
At dawn, Master Henrick bellowed orders to the drovers and guards as the camp stirred. As men, dwarves, and elves moved around the wagons, a short, squat figure approached the area where the group had laid their heads the previous night. “Top o’ th’ morn’, to ye,” a gravelly voice hailed with a slight bow … Continue reading Chapter 8: Blessings
Five weary travelers slipped onto the main trade road between caravans. They walked the well-trodden trade road toward the city of Blackmoor. By sunset, they had caught up with the procession they’d followed. They gnawed the few strips of the leftover darnni meat as they found a suitable spot near the wagons. Sam and Chase … Continue reading Chapter 7: Alliances
Long before false dawn, Sam had the group up and making the tiny clearing look as unused as possible. He knew it would be impossible considering that it had been occupied by five people, four of whom did not know how to walk softly. The girls came close, but Sam thought Chase was a lost … Continue reading Chapter 6: Pursuit
Taliesin could tell that Sam was not human, but wasn’t sure what he was. Sam had an energy, an aura, about him that Taliesin could almost see and could certainly feel. The day wore on as the tiny being taught them the basics of surviving in the wildlands of Adaran. Tal finally relaxed around him … Continue reading Chapter 5: Questions
Sam left the lean-to at dawn. “Stay here,” he said. “I’m gonna check me snares and see what I can find fer yer feet. By th’ look of ’em, they ain’t seen dirt for a while. I’ll try ta be back a’fore high sun.” Katra blushed. She knew he was right. The only times she … Continue reading Chapter 4: Reunion
Tavern Tales
Poetry BLOG By Edge of Humanity Magazine
New Writing Engaging with the Sacred
50,000 Monkeys at 50,000 Typewriters Can't Be Wrong
J.J. Shaun 