***
The cobbler kept me complacent with a vice. Not
even locked down on my sword; it rested loosely in the metal jaws.
But it was made of cold iron, so I couldn't touch it. I
just had to keep making his stupid shoes while kicking the table, waiting for
it to fall out.
Her fear of spiders was only ever a vague
feeling. A mere sense of dread about all those legs touching her while she
slept.
Until she saw Chimerarachne yingi. Then she knew exactly
why she feared them.
"He's scary."
"Don't worry about his vehement
tone."
"Why not?"
"He's loud so you don't notice his quiet shadow.
SHE'S the one you should fear."
"I wouldn't wish this on my worst enemy," I
tell my husband, preparing to check my blood. The insulin injection hits a
nerve, causes cramps and nausea. "Nevermind. Totally would."
My master's words were always with me, especially in
moments like this. "Magic is all around us. Always has been. But the
Mundane have been taught to ignore it, to look right past it."
That must be why they would tear down the unicorn's
forest.
He was beautiful and smart, but the world had taught him
brains were not to be trusted. He raised a vapid
armor, pretending to be dumb and pretty, and no one suspected what he was truly
capable of.
"I don't understand why I have to know how to
spell," the acolyte complained. "I'm just copying the texts."
The abbot shook his head. "There will come a time
when you wish you knew the difference between 'celebrate' and 'celebate'."
The world watched in disbelief as an entire flight of dragons
appeared in the sky over Las Vegas. What where they doing? What did they want?
The world watched in horror as 24 dragons sang a volcano
into rising, creating their new home.
It's a harsh world that I've woken into. Plain, mundane.
This isn't how it's supposed to be. Where are the dryads? Why are my ears
round? How can the sky be blue? The ones in white coats tell me I'm confused,
demand I take pills. They do not help.
She pulled at the thing in her wound. The black mass was
soft, slimy, and it caused pain deep inside her hand. Gritting her teeth, she
pulled harder with the tweezers, and felt only relief when it came free.
They say there are only nine worlds, but that's because
the Aesir wanted to forget the others. NEEDED to forget. Nidhogg destroys
Yggdrassil's roots to keep the forgotten realms closed. It's for the good of
every living thing.
Whispers come to me from other realms. *The mundane is
just a shell.*
Magic doesn't exist. That's what everyone says. *Open
your heart to be free.*
Too many things can't be explained, maybe there's
something more to the world. *You're more powerful than you know.*
The wicked imp loved to sow doubt in the souls of the
weak. "Isn't interesting that children have to learn to be nice? Humans
are just animals, vicious by nature. Don't resist the urge. Punch that barrista
for messing up your order."
"Life doesn't have a test drive feature!" Her
voice cracked at the end, fists clenched on her hips while she stared down at
her lazy boyfriend.
Black smoke poured from his mouth, and his disembodied
voice came from the mass. "Well, not for your species."
"Oh...man...sorry about the bread. Total
failure."
"I was gonna say it wasn't bad, but it glued my
mouth shut."
I gulped water to wash it the rest of the way down.
"Just have to learn from this mistake, obvs."
"It's still better than I can make."
I still remember your condescending tone when you left.
"You'll go from heartbreak to healing, don't worry."
It's your new boyfriend who should be worried.
I sit in the ruins, listening to the fires burn, the
structures collapse, and the wails of the victims. A symphony of destruction
and chaos, and it fills my heart with joy.
When it becomes quiet, I'll have to start anew.
Their eyes met, and the battle became a blur around him.
The clash of sword, the scent of blood, the screams of the dying all faded to
nothing when he saw her. His mortal enemy.
The Queen of the Dawn would die tonight.
The small god of vessels woke to a world she didn't
recognize. Humans took her gifts for granted, wasted their opportunities.
"I gave you freedom when I gave you the ability to travel. Now, do without
them."
She rolled back over, wrapping the covers tightly around
her scarred form. "Now that I'm empress, I'm banning all morning
bells." The viceroy rushed to enact her decree.
"He's more than just a dog. He's a little
person." The woman snuggled her corgi.
He rolled his eyes. "Everyone says that."
The dog looked right at him and spoke. "Well,
sometimes it's true."
I shuffle my feet through the shag carpet, building up a
charge. A little shock ought to catch his attention. Finger out, approaching,
waiting for the spark. We both hear the crack, and I shout in pain.
Way larger than I expected, but still worth it.
They met for lunch, as they had once a year for the last
two centuries. She kept glaring at the women in tiny bikinis. "Remember
when having a sunburn meant you were a peasant, working outside instead of
being idle? Now it means you have all the time to bask."
Missy stared at her wall of components, three risen slaves
at her side. "Spring is a good time to reorganize, don't you think? Clear
out the body parts I haven't touched in the last couple years. Maybe get all
the skulls together." It was hard being a necromancer.
I settle in the chair, pick up my favorite pen, and pull
my notebook closer. I know why so many people struggle; they've forgotten the
glory of little rituals. Without anything to focus their thoughts, their minds
just wander away. I begin writing the story.
Another birthday has passed, a big one, and yet I'm
still surprised when I find a new silver hair. What is forty supposed to feel
like anyway?
She heard their whispers, knew they thought she was some
cloistered nun, simply because she chose to dress and behave conservatively in
public. Jaws would have dropped had they ever seen Mistress Sable in action.
The True Fae made another vlog about the silliness of
humans. "You act like 'lesser' creatures can't communicate, but you only
think that because you can't hear them. Open your heart and listen!"
"So, you just see hills and mountains?" he
asked me.
I shrugged. "Yeah. What else should they be?"
He tipped his head, frowning, clearly trying to explain
himself. "You don't see the giants laying beneath them?"
"Remember when you said true friends help you move
bodies?"
"Yeah. Wasn't that a laugh?"
"Oh...you were joking."
Morrigana stopped to smell the roses. This world grew a
different version, and she wondered if she'd be able to raise a cutting, get
them to grow behind the castle.
"Don't get distracted from the mission," El
whispered, nudging her. She'd try again later.
