Old Blood

Matt opened his eyes. He was lying face down on the sidewalk. He was alive, and that thought came with a little surprise and much more relief.

It was then when he felt his ribs, cracked if not broken. And nausea from all the potions he drank before the fight. There was also something sticky on his cheek. The sidewalk smelled like sunbaked dust.

‘Alive is good’, he said, trying to clear his throat, and rolled to his back. He squinted. The sky was lit by the sun that was about to rise, but the city was still asleep. He barely heard any traffic. It was Sunday morning. The rail track was empty. Almost.

A yellow dog watching him, sitting on the tracks.

‘Would you look at that’, he reached out his hand. ‘Come here boy’, he said, but as he did, the dog looked away at the other body lying on the concrete.

With a sigh, Matt started to stand up.

The potions were still guzzling in his veins, healing the wounds. The process was far from painless, but it was something he got used to over the years.

He finally found his sword and the wizard’s rod. He picked those up and then grabbed the sorcerer by the legs and started pulling him into the bushes.

‘Sorry boy,’ he said to the dog ‘No treats for you today.’

The dog tilted his head.

Matt and the others, they usually tried to pick up fights and set traps near the old railway bridge. It was above the streets, out of sight, no random pedestrians, and there was a hatch to the sewers that could fit a body, neatly hidden in the foliage. It made avoiding police and other trouble so much easier.

He hurled the wizard down the manhole and jumped into the moist darkness. It was an hour’s sewer-walk to get to headquarters and he really needed a bath to wash the dried blood off his hair. That, and a smoke.

Lady Mileina

In a land far away, beyond the valley of river Red lived a fair lady Mileina with golden hair on her head. Though she was sweet and kind and courage coursed her blood, sadness weighed on her face like a dark rainy cloud.

'I have love of my people, the folk hardy and stout, what I miss is a lover who loves me with all his heart.'

So she went to the forest up in the mountain high to speak to the tree spirits, though she didn't know why.

'Venture forth out the valleys, alone and in disguise, be true to who you are and search for love in their eyes.'

Mileina promptly listened to spirits old and wise and hid her hair of gold under a hooded guise. She crossed the river Red over a bridge of gold and headed west to stay in a village town Krodd. The news quickly spread of her fairness and candor, though none knew she was truly the leader of highlanders. Among many men that came to glimpse at her grace all were laughable and dull, she hardly kept a straight face. When the town Krodd was attacked by mighty goblin hordes, Mileina was the one to lead, bearing her mighty sword.

'You're only strong in words, but weak when foemen strike.' And she left the town Krodd with disgust and dislike.

She ventured further north, to seek her heart's desire, and only stopped at the capital - the city of Cragmire. The town was large and great, it's towers touching the sky, and Mileina thought 'It's where love I can find.'

But after days have passed, the story was the same. The men were simple and dull, brought only words and fame.

'Enough!' Mileina said, tired of talk and play. 'I am the warrior queen, Mileina is my name. I'm looking for a swordsman that I can make my king. If you can win a fight with me, only a sword you'll bring. If you can strike me true and my blood marks the stone, I will take you away and lead you to my home.'

She cast away her hood and proudly stood her ground, and men around her fled as the blade swung around.

'It's not a challenge.' one noble quickly and loudly said. He pulled out his own longsword and uttered: 'Come and play!'

But quickly was revealed the mistake that he made, for Mileina was never a girl feeble and frail. She readily extended a parade and a blow, and in a bloody mess the nobleman was no more.

The sun was coming to set and no man came to fight for her love, but she was true to herself to get at what she behoved.

The next day at dawn the news spread wide and far, and warriors of all sorts started to gather round. Dwarves, elves and men alike, soldiers and men of crafts, poor folk and villagers, nobles, knights, dukes and graphs. Soon they all left away, either mangled or harmed, as Mileina sword's injured, bruised, cut flesh and scarred. And after the day all courage left the men, lady Mileina stood there, waiting to fight again.

Soon the third day came of her stay in Cragmire, and only few came to fight, most came just to admire. She dispatched of them all, with swift and brutal force, but then came one with a sword, who fought without remorse. And though she didn't fall, her sword blocking his blows, she could not strike him true, his blade swiftly opposed. His face was hidden under his visor very well. 'Who are you?' she thought while dodging and striking, but she couldn't tell.

The fight grew tiresome, both for the masked man and the queen. The crowd around them cheered loudly - the best fight they’ve ever seen. 'My queen!' said the masked swordsman, not stopping a powerful blow, 'You duty is to your people. Come with me and stay home!'

'Why did you follow?' Mileina blocked and rapidly stroke back. He ducked down making her just slightly miss her attack. He rolled back up and swung, she blocked, he hit once more, and all that silently, without saying a word.

'Why are you here?' she asked, angry but eager to know. The swordsman backed out of range and said with a slight bow.

'Once you were gone, I was worried what will become of you. And so I followed to see if all your dreams become true. Without you the kingdom will fall to goblins, witches and gnolls. We must come back, the price of this trip is too tall.' And with that said the swordsman pushed for another blow, and Mileina raised her hand to block, but to slow. Maybe she was so tired after the hours of fighting, or maybe she decided the soldier is to her liking. The blow stroke true cutting her arm just slightly, and a single drop of blood painted the stones red lightly.

'Let's go home.' the queen said shaking the man's hand in hers. And they left, Mileina happier than she ever was in years. When the sky lit as the sun was rising they went through Krodd, stopping a goblin uprising. They crossed the land and went through the river Red, back to the kingdom of Mileina, with golden hair on her head.

Genetic quality of life

'I can't promise I won't feel some amounts of jealousness when you're out there.' Katherine started to speak with a breaking voice, as Dora started to tear up. 'I will miss you. We're like isologues, and it will be so empty without you!'
'Oh, I hate goodbyes!' Dora said, gasping for air.
'Good luck!' Katherine was now openly crying and quickly hugged her friend. She just couldn't help it, they were together for so long after all. She closed her eyes remembering how she walked up to the quirkiest girl she ever saw on that fateful archery lesson years ago, with her mother being the spectatress of what became a long going friendship.
'I'll miss you so much!' she said through tears.
After all, it was Dora's dream to become a Sufistic eugenics theologue even if it meant moving so far away.
'We'll keep in touch you silly!' she wiped away the tears, but all the realizations and fear of distance made her tremble again.
'I hate goodbyes.' she whispered again, hugging her friend even tighter.

Orissa's pupil

She was happy that Orissa apprenticed her. The room she was given was in the slatternly workhouse did note fill her with pure disgust, and she quickly got used to the rigorous training and the wolfishness of other students. She even learned to appreciate the special mushiness of the food, or the, now abated, bullying from the other tenants of the workhouse. It was a small price to pay for becoming a sorceress some day.

Betty Hobson

Betty Hobson endured some pesky insects all day. Consumed by passion, she never hoped to be relieved by the funniest proverb she heard in years. Laughing hard she went home, happy for the day that was over.

Oblivious Lizardmen

'This is ultra basic stuff. I can't believe you don't understand!' Liam yelled loud enough to cause a high hum in Geoms' eardrum.

'It's just your overfamiliarity with lizard biology. And also - Ouch, my year!' Geom stood up from the desk and tossed the paper into the coal bin. Liam signalized the test end to the other students and started to collect their tests.

'You forgot about scale replication, tail detachability or steno-choric...'

'Nevermind.' Geom waved his hand. 'Test is over.' he said over his shoulder, turning on his heel. 'I'm outta here!'

Space Ted

The clunker was huge. Almost twice his height, and much bulkier. Patiently he stepped down the dune, becoming more menacing with each step.

Right after he crashed Ted anticipated a robot assault, but after three days of relative peace he allowed himself to hope, that maybe there’s no ground forces. He started the rescue beacon in hopes that there’s someone here that can help him. After all, he came here to check up if the human colony set up decades ago still operates. He came into orbit and straight into a fight with dozens of robotic fighter-bombers. He was hit only once, but it was not something he could fix on his own. Despite the perfect landing, there was no way the ship could get spaceborne, or airborne even, without serious repairs.

So he dwelled here for 3 days. He found a source of water and called it luck. That was all the ship needed to produce synthetic food out of sand and sunshine. It tasted like glue but prevented dying.

The robot was big, but also slow. Ted was hidden behind a stone on the opposite side of the ship, so that the ship’s thermal shielding would cover him from IR scans. Getting to the ship before the robot and using the on-board weapons was the only chance of living the day. The only problem with running in front of deadly combat robots is that they’re deadly well armed.