Short Stories
-
The Geography of Love
The evening light filtered through the workshop’s western window, painting Gareth Stonecarver’s hands in shades of amber and rose as he worked the chisel across marble that would become a fountain for the merchant guild’s courtyard. But his attention kept drifting toward the door—not with impatience exactly, but with the particular anticipation that had characterized Continue reading
-
Iron and Stone
What is your favorite form of physical exercise? The training platform carved into Grandfather Ironheart’s western flank caught the first rays of dawn like a bronze mirror, and it was here that Korin Earthborn faced his first true test—not of courage or skill with weapons, but of the fundamental strength that separated Peak-rider defenders from Continue reading
-
The Price of Silver Dreams
How much would you pay to go to the moon? The observation deck of Skyholm’s eastern platform jutted into open air like a defiant finger pointing at the impossible, and it was here that Finn Windcaller found his cousin Tomas already positioned with his back against the crystalline railing, arms crossed, jaw set in the Continue reading
-
Paths not yet taken
What alternative career paths have you considered or are interested in? The warehouse district’s morning air hung thick with river mist and the accumulated scent of goods passing through Lumen Vale’s commercial heart—spices from southern ports, timber from northern forests, the metallic tang of ore from mountain territories. Daren Quickstride moved through the familiar chaos Continue reading
-
The Art of Smoke and Time
The predawn air hung thick with possibility as Silas Emberhand surveyed his domain—a brick smokehouse tucked into the eastern corner of Lumen Vale’s Artisan Quarter, where the scent of burning hickory and apple wood had woven itself into the neighborhood’s identity over two decades. His hands, stained permanent amber from years of handling seasoned meat Continue reading
Chadwick Rye 