Tag: fantasy

Flash Fiction Fridays: Claiming Rhubhian

Ariel Paiement

In Bane of Ashkarith, readers are introduced to Dhiabhan and Rhubhian, an air captain and a slave from Aleshtain. This short piece shows how Dhiabhan met Rhubhian. Their story will be told in my upcoming novella, Traitor Prince of Aleshtain. So, if you enjoyed these two in Bane of Ashkarith and are hoping for more, keep an eye out for that. For now, I hope you enjoy this Flash Fiction Friday.

~~~

Eras tried not to toy with the hem of his tunic while he waited for the day’s events to begin. Why had he come to court today, again? Right. His father had insisted. He shot his father a hard glare from where he stood behind the throne. Didn’t even have the decency to have a chair, let alone a proper throne, erected for his heir. His scowl deepened, and his gut clenched. Worse still, he was here just so he could watch the slave masters parade their newest wares about for his father. Anything for Rabhor Thilain.

His stomach flipped. Which unlucky girl would end up in his father’s harem this afternoon? He closed his eyes, swallowing back bile. He just hoped it would be over soon. The five minutes they’d been waiting stretched out until it felt like twenty. How much longer until he could be done with this? Sweat trickled down his back, and he glanced at his father.

The doors finally swung open just as he couldn’t take any more. The page strode in and bowed stiffly. Eras eyed the man’s ballooning pants and striped shoes. The newest fashion in court? Ridiculous as usual.

“My liege, the merchants have brought their wares for your examination.” The page stepped to the side and nodded to the men waiting a few feet down the hall.

They made it sound so benign. As if they weren’t trafficking humans. They used nice, pretty words to hide the ugly, vicious truth. Typical. His attention fixed on the slaves being prodded into the room. He let his gaze wander over the row of women. His eyes snagged on the last woman in line. Two guards flanked her, holding her arms and dragging her in. The others before her had walked in placidly, their heads down and shoulders slumped.

But not this one. Each step, she took was controlled and tightly contained as if she would burst into flight at any moment. She walked between her captors with her head held high, a glower on her pretty features. It was as if she was born a goddess and was disgusted by the banality of the humans beneath her. That made him snicker. Maybe he should take up poetry.

His father glared at him, and he sobered, returning his focus to the line of slaves. He shifted from one foot to the other. Where was she from? Not from any of the mainland kingdoms. Perhaps from one of the colonies Argos had established on the Rithweald? No, not with that complexion. Her blue-black hair reminded him more of the ambassadors from Faelkish held. Strange. How had they captured her?

She met his gaze with her smoldering brown eyes. Swallowing, he glanced over at his father. The man’s gaze had also settled on the girl with defiance in her eyes. Rith curse him! He’d ruin the girl. Eras gritted his teeth and clenched his fists at his sides. Yes, his father would destroy her. But what was he to do about it? Forcing his fists to relax, he stared at the polished wooden doors behind the traders. He couldn’t intervene here.

The slave traders’ ring leader stepped forward, his head still bowed in respect. “Your Eminence, do you see anything you like?”

His father’s gaze raked over the line of slaves. “You brought me a rather dull lot this time.”

Dull? Eras raised a brow. None of them appeared dull to him. Unless, by dull his father meant they had no will. That, at least, was true.

“Surely there is something that can interest you? We have, for instance, this lovely young woman from Brithos. She was taken on a recent raid.” The trader gestured to a green-eyed slip of a girl.

Barely fifteen, he guessed.

“Or perhaps you prefer a bit more exotic option.” The slaver turned to the woman who’d been last in line. “We have this one from Faelkish. She’s a bit of a hellion, but I’m sure your Grace could tame her.”

Did he really have to be so smug? Eras clenched his fists at his side. No one should tame her at all. How dare they speak this way about human beings?

“Let the Crown Prince choose first.” His father waved a hand at him.

He froze. Let him pick? His father knew he wouldn’t take a slave. The defiant girl’s gaze fixed on his again. He swallowed and broke eye contact. Had he imagined the hope in her eyes? “I see nothing of interest.” He peeked at the girl from beneath lowered lashes.

Her shoulders slumped, and her eyes darted to his father.

“Well, I see only one that I like. I’ll take the Faelkish—”

Eras’s heart wrenched, and his chest tightened. He could stop this. He could keep at least one safe from his father. Maybe. He stepped forward, holding up a hand. “Wait!”

His father shifted on his throne and raised a brow with a huff. “What is it?”

“I—” Eras met her now-blank stare. “I’ve changed my mind. Maybe it’s time I took on a slave or two after all.”

“And?” Rubhor drummed his fingers on the arm of his chair.

“I’m heir to the throne…” He stared at the girl. She’d probably hate him for what he was about to say, but it was the only way to save her from his Rabhor’s clutches. “It’s about time I built my harem. The future God-king incarnate shouldn’t be without wives and concubines.” He hoped there was a suitable amount of contempt in his voice. Hoped his father would know that even in this, Eras was mocking him.

The answering frown told him that last comment had done its job. He bit his lip and glanced at the girl in green. Her expression went from hopeful to vacant. But a spark of anger still simmered in her empty stare. His gut clenched, and he tried not to think about how she must view him now. A necessary evil.

He offered his father a saccharine smile. “As such, I’d like the Faelkishian girl.”

His father’s frown deepened. “I—”

“You said I could pick.” Eras lowered his voice. “Do you really want to make a scene in front of everyone?”

That gained him a narrow-eyed stare. But his father finally nodded and lifted a hand toward the trader. “It seems my son has chosen.” His lips curved into a sly smirk. “I’m glad to see he isn’t as touched in the head as I thought. He still appreciates a beautiful woman.”

The traders laughed, but the atmosphere felt heavy now. Their attention remained fixed on him and his father like hawks watching prey. Waiting for the showdown to begin, no doubt. Too bad. He wasn’t planning on a fight. Not if his father would give him his way. He’d ignore the insults and jibes about his romantic inclinations if it meant saving her from his father.

“Well, you heard him, Rhubhian.” The head trader glared at the sullen girl. “Go to him.”

She didn’t budge. Instead, she just shot the man a venomous look and planted her feet on the marble floor. Eras raised a brow. Didn’t she know she’d end up getting into trouble behaving that way? He sighed. “Father, perhaps I might be dismissed? I should settle my newly acquired asset somewhere secure.”

His father huffed but nodded. “Go on, then. Take her and get out of my sight.”

Eras shot him a cold glare. Was that really any way to deal with the Crown Prince? For someone who constantly insisted Eras behave befitting his station, the man seemed awfully determined to undermine him. He stalked down the steps of the dais and stopped in front of Rhubhian. Now that he was closer, he could see how tightly the guards were holding her upper arms. They’d leave bruises that way. His jaw clenched. “Release her. Now.”

The guards eyed him, but they did as asked, backing away to leave the two of them standing face-to-face alone. Eras resisted the urge to reach out, to tell her that everything would be alright now. He couldn’t let his father see that this girl mattered at all. He could still lose her if his father changed his mind. Leaning closer, he murmured, “Go along with what I say, and you might avoid a place in my father’s harem.” He grabbed the chain attached to her collar and turned to walk off. “Well, get a move on. I don’t have all day.” He glanced over his shoulder and raised a brow.

She stared back at him with a sneer but did what she was told, falling into step a few feet behind him. He held his head high and thrust his shoulders back, hoping his father wouldn’t see the relief coursing through him. He’d done it. He’d saved her from his father.

There was just one big question hovering in his mind now. What was he to do with a slave?

~~~

That’s all for this Friday! If you enjoyed this, as mentioned before, there will be a novella dedicated to Dhiabhan’s story. I’ll be announcing more about that at a later date and will update everyone on when it starts going up on my writing profiles.

Until next Friday, everyone! Have a great weekend.

Sunday Sub-genres: Fantasy of Manners

Ariel Paiement

This week, we’re taking a look at a unique sub-genre of fantasy: fantasy of manners. This genre can be a lot of fun to write, particularly if you’re looking for a niche to write in. So let’s take a look!

Defining Fantasy of Manners

This genre is a combination of fantasy and comedy of errors. The fantasy isn’t necessarily comedic, though it can be at times. The one major thing it always contains is a witty, wry tone. This and the fact that the enemy isn’t some bigger-than-life figure or villain makes this genre significantly different than most.

This is one of the more unusual fantasy sub-genres because it downplays magic, fantastical races, and legendary creatures in favor of a focus on the intricate societal structures, wit, and intrigue of the novel. Usually, these novels also contain a strong romance storyline that all of this goes with.

Some of the influences on the genre were Jane Austen’s social novels, the drawing room comedies written by P.G. Wodehouse, and Charles Dickens. Others have also influenced the sub-genre, but these are some of the major names that had a part in influencing the sub-genre.

Writing Fantasy of Manners

Setting

The first important thing about writing fantasy of manners is the setting. These usually tend to be elaborate, intricate societal settings since the story’s antagonist often comes from internal conflict within a society or from one’s own neighbors. More on that in a moment.

Because the focus is on the tensions between people, and not on facing some enormous outside threat that may appear in other fantasy sub-genres, the setting becomes very important. Since the genre often downplays magic, fantastical beasts, and extraordinary races or even gets rid of them all together, the setting is not what you’d find in high fantasy.

Instead, it tends to be urban and strongly hierarchical. How this hierarchy works depends on the person writing the novel, but it has been said that, if not for the entirely fictional characters and settings, the fantasy of manners sub-genre might be considered historical fiction. Undeniably, authors often draw from history to create these societies rife with intrigue. The Victorian society is a popular place to start.

The last note about setting is that fantasy of manners usually doesn’t have advanced technology of any sort. That stays fairly primitive, but the society itself is extremely sophisticated, allowing for all the intrigue it contains.

The Antagonist

When it comes to an antagonist in fantasy of manners, it won’t be fantastical beasts, an evil warlock from the outside, or pillaging armies. Instead, it will be the neighbors and peers of characters that present the problem. It will be society itself that poses a problem for the character, though sometimes this takes the form of a specific character or characters within that society.

Plot Complexity

This is extremely high in fantasy of manners. The plot complexity may be the most difficult part of the genre because the writer must sustain that wry, witty tone all while creating twists and turns at every point where the reader might have become comfortable. Usually, writers employ a large cast of characters in order to accomplish this difficult task.

Characterization

Characterization in fantasy of manners isn’t necessarily the most unique. However, the characters, despite their lack of originality in some cases, have a high level of engagement to them. They’re not going to bore or tire the reader.

One key note about characterization in fantasy of manners is that the society itself becomes like a character. It is central to the novel in every way and affects the characters as tangibly as another person might.

Conclusion

While writing fantasy of manners is extremely complex and requires a person with wit and dedication, it isn’t impossible. The sub-genre may have started out being something derided by the writing community, but it has established for itself a firm platform and has taken a life of its own even in the name that was initially meant to scorn it. If you’re interested in writing this genre, do some reading from the writers in the genre and then go for it.

Be prepared for a difficult, work-filled genre, but don’t let that scare you. If you’re the kind of person who enjoys writing with a witty, wry tone and complex plot-lines, this may be just the genre of fantasy for you.

Further Reading

Same ranking system as usual

One asterisk = Not appropriate for children and teens under 17

Two asterisks = Haven’t read, unsure of level

*Neil Gaiman’s Stardust (I recommend the movie version for kids that are old enough for PG rated stuff. It’s still fantasy of manners, I feel, but it leaves out the stuff that makes the book entirely inappropriate for children.)

**E.R Eddison’s Mistress of Mistresses

**Paula Volsky’s Illusion (This one has slightly more tech involved than would normally be scene in fantasy of manners, but it is still considered in that genre. I’ve heard the theme and book can get quite dark, so I’m not sure it’s good for children. Use caution with this.)

Flash Fiction Friday – Training Bane

Ariel Paiement

For this Flash Fiction Friday, I have a piece that focuses on Banach and Rith. This one shares the first training session he had with her in magic.

~~~

Banach closed her eyes and drew in a long, slow breath. She placed her palms in Rith’s large hands and crossed her legs. “I’m ready.”

“You remember what we discussed?”

She nodded.

“Repeat it back to me. I want you to run through the steps one more time.”

His baritone voice trickled through her, left heat behind everywhere it touched. She shivered and brought her mind back to the task at hand. Repeat the steps. She reached out to his mind. He’d want her to practice every aspect of her ability, so she might as well start now. She might be too tired for it later. You want me to reach out with my mind to touch yours.

Good. I see you got a head start. His thoughts eddied through her mind, left an impression of a smile as they moved on. The next step?

Then I should try to plant a suggestion. Try to encourage you to do something that you weren’t previously thinking about.

He chuckled. Yes. That’s good enough for today. Let’s try.

She ran her thumb in circles along the pulse point of his right arm. His long fingers clasped her wrists, tightened.

Focus, Bane.

Her cheeks heated. He should’ve known his touch would cause this. But he’d insisted that she needed to start learning by grounding herself to someone she knew and loved. That left only him. If she wanted to learn, she’d learn his way.

She frowned and focused on the sensation of her forehead wrinkling to distract herself from his fingers. Rith had never been pushy with her, but on this point, he refused to budge. If she wanted to train, she’d train with him on his terms. Still, what was there to complain about? She had him all to herself during these moments, something she didn’t get often. And he was supportive.

His fingers tensed against her wrists. Had she forgotten to bar him from her mind at the beginning of the exercise? Suddenly, she couldn’t remember if she had. Fine. If he wanted her to focus, she would. She’d focus on the one thing she couldn’t seem to get out of her head. A smile turned up the corners of her lips.

She reached inside to the ashtra. Would it like the idea too?

The ball of energy tinkled with laughter. Do I like it? Of course, child. He’s earned it.

The smile widened.

“You know, I can feel the smugness just radiating off you.” Rith chuckled. “What’s going on in that pretty head of yours?”

“Telling you that would ruin the point of the exercise.”

His thumb brushed over the pulse point of her wrist again. She shivered, and he laughed. “I think I can guess. You’re supposed to be concentrating on the exercise, though.”

Oh, she was. She took hold of the ashtra, shaping the energy into a single thought and easing it into Rith’s mind. It was similar to the way she spoke to him mind-to-mind, but at the same time, it was completely different.

He sucked in a shaky breath, and she smiled. It had settled in.

She opened her eyes just as he did the same. His normally warm gaze seemed to sear into her now, and she shivered. Maybe she’d gone overboard? He looked like he wanted more than a simple kiss, which was all she’d meant to suggest. His gaze raked over her, settled back on her face.

His lips curved up into a wicked smile. “You’re playing with fire today, aren’t you?”

Her lips parted, and she shook her head.

“I think you are.”

“I—” She cleared her throat. “Of course not.”

He leaned closer until their chests brushed. “Really?”

She lowered her gaze and watched him from beneath her lashes. No, not really. She’d clearly messed something up. He wasn’t supposed to tease her like this. He was supposed to kiss her. Just one chaste kiss. But based on the fire burning in his gaze, she’d get a lot more than that.

“You want me to kiss you?” He slid his fingers under her chin and tipped her face up.

She fought for breath, closed her eyes. “Did I say that?”

“Yes.” The terse answer rumbled through his chest and vibrated into hers.

“When?”

“The minute you planted that thought in my head.” His lips brushed hers. “Like I said, you’re playing with fire.”

She was. And she hoped it would consume her. Because at this point, the slow burn his touch ignited wasn’t enough. Heat sparked through her and blossomed in her cheeks.

“Nothing to say, Bane?”

“I didn’t mean for this to happen?”

He chuckled, tugged her into his lap. His head dipped, and his lips pressed to her neck. “You expect me to believe that?”

She straddled him and pressed her hands to his chest. “Yes. You’re supposed to be training me, and I don’t know what I’m doing. Obviously, I’ll make mistakes.”

He hummed and moved his hands down to her hips. “I suppose. But when you make mistakes, it’s my job to show you the consequences. Here, in a controlled environment where you won’t be hurt if it goes wrong.”

Even now he retained control. Was that a good thing or a bad thing? Right now, his control made her heart sink and her body burn. Definitely a bad thing if he didn’t plan on relieving the ache. Banach sighed.

Rith lifted his head and smiled. “Something wrong?”

Her cheeks warmed, and she stared at the bushes hedging the clearing’s edge. Would it kill him to quench the fire he’d started? Or had she started it? Probably. She’d been the one to plant the suggestion to kiss her, after all. But she hadn’t meant for this to happen.

Rith’s rough palm cupped her cheek. “I’ll give you what you meant to ask for. No more.”

The warmth in her cheeks traveled to her ears. She met his frank stare and bit her lower lip. “No more?”

“No more.” His gaze darkened. “Otherwise, I might not be able to control myself.”

She smiled and reached out to run her fingertips over his furrowed brow. “Somehow, I doubt that. You’re the most controlled person I know.”

He dipped his head and brushed his mouth over hers. “Maybe. But I’d rather not tempt fate. Let’s just say this training session was a mixed success.”

Was it though? A success, that was. It didn’t feel like it. His quick, chaste kiss wasn’t at all what she wanted. She lowered her head to his shoulder. True, it was what she’d initially wanted. But after the looks he’d given her, his kiss disappointed. It was all she was going to get, though. So, she’d take it.

Besides, she knew there would be other times when he would go further. When he’d give her what she wanted and more. In lots of ways, he already did. The disappointment faded. He’d give more when he felt it was appropriate, when he felt she was ready. Because whatever he did, he was always trying to ensure her safety and happiness. He loved her. That was enough for now. Maybe the training session had been a success after all.

~~~

That’s it for this week, everyone! I’d love to know what you think! Feel free to leave a comment below if you have anything you’d like to say or if you have suggestions for more things you’d like to read on Flash Fiction Fridays.

Launch Celebration Wrap Up

Ariel Paiement

Well, everyone, the launch for Bane of Ashkarith has gone well! Thanks to a great team of helping hands and some really amazing authors, I had a good blog tour and a successful launch party on Facebook.

If you’re curious about the book, you can find out more about it here on the blog or on Facebook and Amazon. The book is now live on Kobo and Amazon as either a paperback or ebook. The paperback is exclusively available on Amazon for now. In the future, I may also have the book available on other sites, but for now, it’s just available through Kobo and Amazon.

Be on the lookout for reviews from those who had ARC copies or acquired copies after the launch as those will be coming out in the days to come.

To everyone who celebrated with me, thank you! You guys made this lots of fun, and I know all the others authors who joined me had a blast too. I hope that you’ll pick up your copy of Bane of Ashkarith on Amazon or Kobo. If you do, consider leaving a review! It would really help me to know what you enjoyed and what you didn’t. I’m not perfect, and there’s always something I can improve!

Have a question about the book or want to know something particular about the launch and my journey? Feel free to drop me a comment below, and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can!

Saturday Setup: Local Mapping – City Layouts

Ariel Paiement

We’re finally to the local mapping! I know this is all a lot of groundwork and information, but I promise it does help to think about these things. But there’s only one more post on mapping before we turn our attention to other aspects of world-building and setting up the story elements.

So, let’s dive right in!

This post won’t be as long, but I’ll go over locations for cities and some ways they might be arranged.

Location

Cities are usually located near a large river or port of some sort. This makes sense if you think about it because cities are hubs of commerce, and this means they need a way to transport goods. Doing so via water makes this much easier than it is for land-locked places, especially if the infrastructure of your world is more medieval or hasn’t developed tech like trains or planes.

More importantly still, cities need a water supply. They have a lot of people who need that water too, so they have to have a large source nearby. And it can’t be saltwater, so having water from a large river, mountain streams, or unpolluted ground water means the difference between survival and extinction.

Other places cities might be located are in places along established trade routes, mineral-deposit rich land, places with lots of natural resources, or mines for precious stones and commodities. Water might be the most important resource a city’s founders look for, but they’re looking for the ways they’ll make money in the future too.

A final point to consider is defendability. Particularly for cities where warfare was or still is a major threat to their livelihoods, locating on the high ground or in a place that’s difficult to attack is a must. This includes building on top of high hills, building with two rivers or large bodies of water surrounding one or more sides of the city, and building in places where mountain ranges provide a solid defense against invasion.

Layout

Besides location, the city’s layout is also important. The way a city is organized determines a lot about the city. If you have it built with narrow streets and alleys, you may have people crowded in on top of each other, meaning more people can live there, but no one will be getting carts through those streets. But if you build it with larger spaces between houses and shops, you’ll have fewer people living in the city in exchange for more room to maneuver.

Beyond that, cities usually have some sort of divide between rich and poor. Every city, particular in a fantasy setting where it’s more medieval in nature, has its slums or poor districts and its rich districts. And when they’re all packed in on top of each other, the divide is that much clearer.

Then you have the castle, assuming the city is the capital or houses a major noble. Depending on the political structure, nobility might not live in a castle, but if it’s some sort of fief or a smaller city structure, perhaps they do. The castle would be the city-dwellers’ last line of defense if invaders broke through the outer and inner walls. So it would be located at a central point in many cases so that fleeing there would be equally convenient for everyone.

Besides building structure, you also have to consider how the city gets its water and the areas that might be weak points. These provide ways to get into the city during an attack, and if you plan on having the city under siege or assaulted, knowing these points will be important. You don’t have to know every hole in the wall and missing brick, but at least consider where the weakest points of defense are if you’re laying the city out. Things shouldn’t be easy for either side in a siege, right?

Conclusion

As promised, this is a short post. There isn’t as much to think about when mapping out a city as there is when mapping out a whole world. But the details here are just as vital because they’re going to alter and impact life just as much for characters living there.

So give it some careful thought if you know you’re going to have characters spending any significant amount of time there. It may be important to know these details later on. Solidifying them now gives you a headstart when you have to use the details later in the book.

What other things do you think about if you’re building cities for your world? Share your thoughts in the comments!

Flash Fiction Fridays: Lost Soul

Ariel Paiement

For today’s Flash Fiction Friday, the focus is on Rith. Featured as the dark god or god of shadows in the Alcardian novels, he’s seen facing off with his sister in Rith’s Disciple, a short story set before the events of Pathway of the Moon. In this piece, the event leading to his parents’ and fiancee’s deaths is revealed.

~~~

The smell of smoke blasted him in the face as he approached the long gravel drive leading to his ancestral home. Rith frowned. Was father burning brush again? He glanced up at the darkening sky. Too late in the day. His heart squeezed, and his stomach ached. Something wasn’t right.

He broke into a run, trying to Step in the shadows. They didn’t answer. He tried again, reaching out with his mind. But still the shadows remained out of reach, refusing his request to portal to the house. His head ached with the effort, and he stopped in his tracks, grasping for his magic once more.

Why wasn’t it responding? Had the drinks he’d had with Sedra and Albrith addled him that much? He tried to reach out to his sisters, but only cold silence greeted him. He couldn’t touch their minds like he normally could either. Could he touch anyone’s? He reached for Raewen and his father. Nothing.

It didn’t matter. He forced himself to keep sprinting down the drive, ignoring the burn in his lungs. The smell of smoke strengthened, and his throat ached as it filled his nose and lungs. The heat in the air grew the closer he came to home.

Then he rounded the corner and saw it.

The entire mansion blazed, the fire angrily licking at the wood and anything else consumable. It raged through everything, flickering and leaping from the windows.

Rith froze for a minute and stared. How? How had this happened?

Where were his parents? And what about Raewen? His heart lurched. Raewen! She’d been planning to visit so they could announce their engagement. He’d been out celebrating the news with his sisters upon their insistence, but she should’ve arrived shortly before he did.

He broke into a run, rationality fleeing. Their motorized coach sat in the driveway where it should be, and he cursed, pushing himself to go faster. The heat seared his skin, but he ignored it, listening for any sign that anyone had survived.

He couldn’t call anyone for help. If they were in there, he was their only chance.

A scream lifted faintly from somewhere at the back of the house. Raewen. Were his parents with her? Why hadn’t they been able to get out? He sprinted around the side of the mansion, searching for any entrance point that wasn’t consumed with flame. The only part of the house untouched so far was the section without windows or outside doors. They must’ve been unable to break past the fire and had been forced to hide in the laundry room. But it wouldn’t be long before the flames reached them.

There wasn’t time to wait for help to come.

He called to the shadows again. They flickered in response but didn’t let him through. Sinking to his knees, he released a guttural scream and wrenched at the magic with all his might. Something inside snapped, and pain seared down every nerve in his body. He stiffened, screaming out of pain now instead of frustration. It shouldn’t feel like this. Why did it hurt so badly?

The screams inside the house grew louder before choking off. He stretched trembling fingers toward the house, his vision blurring. If he could just endure the pain, he could make the magic respond. He could save them all.

The shadows swirled around him, caressing his burning skin and whispering in agitated murmurs. They didn’t like what he was doing. The pain flared higher, and he dug his fingers into the cool grass beneath him. He would not lose them. He couldn’t.

With an agonized groan, he reached out to the magic again and screamed at it with his mind. Let me through! The shadows screamed alongside him, and then the world went dark as they sucked him in.

He was spit back out in the laundry room. Tumbling to a stop, he took in the situation, every nerve in his body still alight. Was this what it would feel like to have the fire rage inside of him? He sucked in a breath, the smoke and heat searing into his lungs. His gaze flew around the room before landing on three still forms in the back of the room. He’d found them.

Stumbling to his feet, he hurried to them. Each step cut into him as if he was walking barefoot across glass. His fingers trembled at his side, and the magic inside of him bucked against his restraint. Why was it acting like this? Why? He hadn’t been out of control like this since he was five.

He’d almost reached them when it happened.

The magic slammed into his walls of restraint and crashed through. Like a river blowing through a dam, it raged through him. The shadows in the room writhed in response, and his head felt like it was being split open. He dropped to his knees, clutching his head between his hands. Tears slid down his cheeks and evaporated as soon as they fell. Make it stop. Anyone, please, make it stop.

His vision blurred again, and he curled up in a ball on the floor, his own screams distant in his ears. Somewhere, he heard a muffled explosion. The ground trembled, and chunks of plaster from the ceiling hit him in the side. He couldn’t stay here. They couldn’t stare here.

He forced himself to his hands and knees, crawling toward his parents and fiancee. Maybe if he could reach them, he could portal them all away from here.

The wall behind them was webbed with cracks. He frowned, blinking. Was he hallucinating now too?

A groan vibrated through the floor and the walls. More chunks of plaster rained down on his back. Then the wall exploded backward, as though ripped out by an invisible hand. Rith collapsed, unable to hold his own weight. What was happening? His dazed mind couldn’t process any of it anymore. He stared at the ruined, jagged edges of the wall. Stared at the void beyond. The gloaming of dusk and his mother’s flower garden were no longer visible. Only blackness greeted him, deeper than any shadow he’d Stepped through.

Was this the end then? He lifted a trembling hand, wondering if the void could act as a portal. It was his last hope. He pushed himself back onto his hands and knees. Inch by inch, he crawled toward his parents and Raewen.

His head throbbed, and each movement was sheer torture. The magic rioting inside of him didn’t ease up. The darkness in the room deepened, swallowing up the forms of his loved ones. His limbs gave out again, and he slammed face first into the stone floor. A sob clawed from his sore throat, and he lay there, staring at the darkness. Then it swallowed him too, and the pain ceased as he gave in, letting it carry him away from the anguish in his soul.

~~~

That’s it for this week, everyone! I hope you enjoyed the piece. I’ll have a few more pieces on Flash Fiction Fridays showing more of Rith’s story if you liked this one. In the meantime, if you enjoyed this, you can learn more about his story in my novel Bane of Ashkarith, which releases at the end of July 2019.

Character Interview and Guest Post with C. Penticoff

Ariel Paiement

For today’s stop on the blog tour, I have two different blogs run by C. Penticoff. Out of Your Write Mind is a blog with writing advice and various writers’ services. The guest post here is about a new approach to dealing with writer’s block and the reasons it occurs. Read the guest post here.The second blog, cpenticoff is Cassandra’s personal blog. Here, she did a character interview with Kaidan. Check that out here.

Work-In-Progress Wednesdays #10

Ariel Paiement

For this week’s Work-In-Progress Wednesday, I’ve got an excerpt from On Anarchy’s Wings. In this section, Awnia has confronted Dabhan about Iradia’s refusal to help them and has asked him to help convince Iradia to stop rebelling against the King.

~~~

Awnia rose, turning to face Dabhan. He leaned against the door-frame of the mansion’s drawing room, his long legs crossed. “How good of you to visit, Nia.”

She lowered her head. How dare he behave this way after all he’d done? “I should have you arrested. But I’m going to give you one more chance to be the man you once were.”

“Are you, now?” Dabhan pushed away from the door and strode into the room. He knelt in front of her and reached out to brush a stray curl away from her face. “Fascinating. Just how do you plan on doing that?”

She smacked his hand away from her face. “Keep your hands off me.”

“Why?” Dabhan rose and ambled to the fireplace, picking up the fire poker to stoke the burning coals.

Why? Because his touch made her skin crawl. Because she wasn’t his. Because she was someone else’s. Just like she had been back when he’d first touched her. “You have no right to. That’s why.”

He stiffened. “I have as much right as—”

“No.” She straightened, her fingers clenching into fists in her lap. “You do not. I don’t belong to you. I never have. I never will.”

“Then it seems our interests do not cross, my lady.” Dabhan clenched the poker tighter and turned to her with a sly smile. “What do you want of me?”

“What I’ve wanted since I first came here to parlay. I want you to convince Iradia to join forces with Gabriel. Eclesia is facing the largest threat in her history. We have to be united.”

“No.”

“No?” Awnia rose from her chair, her nails digging into her palms. “I don’t think you understand, Dabhan. If you help, I can get you pardoned for your part in this. You can claim she made you do it.” She narrowed her eyes. Surely he wouldn’t refuse knowing his life was on the line. “But if you won’t help, then you’re going to be executed for treason. No questions asked.”

He shrugged and turned back to the fire. “How is our beloved King, anyway?”

“Fine, no thanks to you.”

Dabhan snorted. “The poison isn’t through with him yet. They’ve only burned out the plant-based portion.”

Icy fingers crept down Awnia’s back. “What did you just say?”

“They’ve only burned out the plant-based portion.” Dabhan placed the poker back in the rack beside the fireplace and turned to face her. “The magic-based portion will begin to work in a few days when he’s beginning to recover fully.”

Her chest tightened. They hadn’t saved him at all. He was still dying. They just hadn’t known it. Her fists trembled against her sides. “How do I reverse it?”

“Reverse it?” Dabhan tapped his chin with a sly grin. “You don’t. Maybe I will.”

She searched his face. What was his game? Was this another clever ploy to force them to cave to Iradia’s demands? “What do you want?”

He strode closer.

Awnia backed up, tipping her chin higher. Her heart raced in her breast, but she held her poise. He wouldn’t have the satisfaction of seeing her fear. Men like Dabhan thrived on fear and control. She’d seen it plenty of times. And she wouldn’t fall prey to his trap. “What. Do. You. Want?” Each word burst from her like a bullet from one of Earth’s machine guns. Sharp. Quick.

Dabhan took another step forward.

She took one back. Two could play at this game. She’d wait him out until he saw the game was pointless and told her his price for fixing his mess.

Her back hit the wall. When had their drawing room become so tiny? It hadn’t been this small when she’d received her late husband’s guests here. Had it?

Dabhan pressed close until she could feel every hard plane of his muscular body. He lowered his head close to her ear, his nose brushing the rim. “Simple. I want you. Marry me.”

~~~

That’s all for this week, everyone. What are you all working on? Feel free to share it in the comments below! Have feedback to share on my work or someone else’s? You can leave that in the comments too. Just remember to keep everything polite and constructive!

Until next time, everybody!