The change in the city was shocking. When Nash had entered the Aztec’s Bloody Crescent, the air had been full of tension. Anger. Fear. All of that had vanished in the short time that Nash had been inside. The low, throbbing drums had been replaced with smaller, higher pitched ones, which beat out a rapid and catchy tempo. Dancers spiraled and twisted through the streets, carrying streamers and torches with them, drawing lines. Night remained over the city, though it couldn’t be later than two in the afternoon. He was still in the midst of the Aztec’s world.
Month: April 2017
Chapter 10: Malinalli
The slaves were led towards a great paddock. It was little more than an enclosure of sheet metal. It wouldn’t have stopped a determined child, let alone one of the monsters or heroes among the Vemana. The chains, the walls, they were all just a reminder of the thing that was really keeping them trapped. The gaze of the gods above, three of the great gods of the Aztec, made it clear. There was to be no escape from this place. Nash looked casually around the paddock, and faded towards its back. The gods gaze would not stop him.
Chapter 9: Ocelotl
“Hmmm.” Nash nodded down towards the slums. “I’d prefer not to have to fight my way through the entire Bloody Crescent.”
Chapter 8: Tecpatl
“Cooking is one of the oldest human gifts,” murmured Heather. She smiled at him, and Nash’s heart ached. He felt the tears dripping at the corners of his eyes. “In the ages long past, men sat by fires, and lured the beasts out of the darkness with the promise of fresh-cooked meat.” He looked around. The warm summer sunshine fell through pine trees, illuminating the back lot behind the old motor lodge. Tables set up. People joining together for a feast. A deadly quest ahead of him, but that wasn’t what frightened him now. It was the look on their faces.
Chapter 7: Bone of my Bones, Flesh of my Flesh
Ji-a breathed shallowly through her nose as she and Jack hobbled through the door into their small apartment. Deep in the slums of Paradise, where no one would notice her. They were silent as they slipped through the doorframe together. Both of Jack’s arms hung limply, his shoulders dislocated. Ji-a limped, trying not to put weight on her left leg. Her right hand was held gingerly, trying not to let the broken bones twist and grind against each other. They couldn’t meet each other’s eyes. She was afraid of what she might see in Jack’s eyes. Humiliation. Shame. Rage. Defeat. The loss of hope.
Continue reading “Chapter 7: Bone of my Bones, Flesh of my Flesh”
Chapter 6: Let There Be Light
The doors swung open, to reveal an empty elevator. To their credit, the men manning the machine guns didn’t hesitate for even a second. Both barrels swung up towards the roof above the elevator, and began to fire. The heavy pounding of the machine guns filled the air with low thumps. Round after round pounded up through the roof, the dense uranium tearing terrible gouges through the stone and metal, perforating it like it was cheesecloth. It was loud enough that no one but I made out the two soft pops of a small caliber weapon.
Chapter 5: Seven Times Over
I yawned, and coughed a bit. My mouth was dry. I pulled myself out of the bed, and padded into the kitchenette. The full moon hung on the horizon, glowing like a distant eye. I gave it a knowing wink as I poured out a glass of water.
Chapter 4: Threescore and Ten
The walk back through the darkness was unpleasant. I’d been told I would die many times before, by both friend and foe. Sometimes it was a warning. Sometimes it was a threat. Sometimes it was just a hope. It had never been a prophecy. Christians were big into their prophecy, although they seldom admitted it. They thought God had everything worked out in advance, and even stranger, they thought it was all going to be okay.
Black and White
This month’s Patreon story is Black and White. A 20,000 word, 4 chapter Novella, this story focuses primarily on Alfred, sword-wielding Iron Knight of Binghamton, his background, and his nature. Set in the aftermath of Amok, and the return of Li Fang Fen to Binghamton, he finds himself charged with tracking down and stopping Jack Black by his mother. Major characters are Alfred, Jenny Nishi, and Jack Black. This one is a bit of an adventure story, diving into other worlds and so forth. If you’re interested in the whole thing after I hook you with this first chapter, you can sign up for my Patreon; Just $1 dollar a month gets you all the stories I’ll put up on there! Later this month, the first poll will be taken of said Patreon-members, to see what stories people are interested in. I’ve already decided on the stories for April, May, and June, but you’ll be in a position to vote on what July’s story will be, and vote going forward. I hope you enjoy!
Chapter 3: In His Own Image
I woke up with my arms wrapped tightly around a pillow, and grumbled. The bed was uncomfortably empty. and Horace was nowhere to be found. That irritated me until I remembered where I was, and where he was, which tufearrned irritation to depression. I crawled out of bed and found the extremely jittery looking Sergeant Major, a cup of coffee in one hand, his eyes narrowed. “I thought you said we were going to Prester John’s first thing.”
hellskitchensink 