Captain of the Silver Feather

Flames outlined their shape on the armor as they stepped out of the darkness. "This is the ninth village, Captain. The Ashgadis have outsmarted us again, ”Nanur said plainly, turning to the Captain behind the line of horsemen. "It was as if their horses had been given wings and rushed to burn the legacy of Kord …

Collision (story and critique)

Dead of night, Lily woke up coughing and got up. She went to the bathroom hissing about the headache. Her vision resembled a light moving too fast, like an inferno rising around her. Pain in her head must have been a side effect of the treatments. The bathroom switch clicked, but Lily only saw darkness. …

Zero-day (story and critique) FREE

Zero-day By Shawn   Cashier typed in a cup of coffee the third time in a row, shook his head, scoffed, and gave me an apologetic look. “Sorry. It is the system. This is the fifth time this afternoon. We must be under serious attack“ he proclaimed and gave it another shot until he gave …

Memoirs of MBT Arthur (story and critique) (FREE)

I counted 18 425 days since my activation. Time flies when you are seeking the next mission. My front deck crackled above the cooling heart of 1 500 horsepower, while the core status flashed red. Rustling dry grass rippled in the vast dark-yellow field touched by the wind. My filters registered pollution in the smooth …

Georgians (story and critique)

Georgians By Shawn Servant dismounted before a guard who extended his spear and stopped him. He saw the urgency in the servant’s eyes and let him in. Dead of night, the servant passed the bogged ground and climbed the stairs. A squeal of hinges announced him before three knights at the table. Warriors listened to …

Stygian

A boy carried a shovel. The backyard was decorated with the long white fence grown in vines and a swing set in the corner. He looked back at the house, pulled his arm above the eyes because of the Sun that shone at the angle. Standing over the grass, he glanced at the blades individually. …

Time travel paradox (story and critique)

Time travel paradox Story by Shawn   „Protective gloves, check. Vortex proximity drive holding at 3.45 degrees dilation, check. Mars bar, check, and check.“, Jib counted his essentials. „Seriously? You are wearing a plastic wrap for clothing, about to travel million years after the dinosaur got extinct, set up a command post for the incoming …

Phantom generation (full + finale)

The night was the time when a back-alley part of the city came to life. Neon lights, dim music, and black-clad men on the streets, all of it belonged to a subculture of Sectoria. Bums near the trash cans, they only look nonthreatening, but they play a role. They observe what was left of the …

The Captain’s curse (story and critique)

The Captain's iron locks of beard swung loosely tracing the movements of the rudder. The ship sailed through the endless void of uncharted space. The Captain’s steely gaze focused on the monitor portraying the route outlined by the thin blue curves. They just got out of a tough place, so the image shivered in a …

Summer-like child (poem and critique)

1. Hours at the party, we met in the company of friends. We spoke in length, I mistook the signals she sent. There were small gestures, a wink, a touch, a grand smile. Woosey and numb, I held off there for a while. 2. Our glasses clanked, her iris glow, crimson lips pout, Gave me …