Short Stories

To put your face to something is to mark it not as your own, but as a part of you. You are what you make to the dwarves: creator and creation entwined together in spirit. No one is truly gone if what they made persists, but what of those who are yet to put their face to something? To establish themselves as their own, to bloom into a person recognized by their peers as a craftsman? What of those for whom the dream of creation burns bright, but before they can make something, tragedy strikes and robs them of that ability?

Yatridoe, a dwarvish child who was on the path to bloom into adulthood, is nipped in the bud when a fall robs her of the ability to wield a chisel. But while her ability to make something worthy to carve her face into has been robbed of her, the dream to create remains as brilliant as ever. As the frustration turns to melancholy, her loved ones begin to wonder how to help the young girl bloom forth as a full-fledged dwarf who turns her dreams into reality, no matter the tragedy that befalls.

All she wants to do is grow, but she remains a flower yet bloomed.

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Among the orcs, strength and capability are respected before all else. Something that has come between Iultsuch and his childhood friend. He has proven himself as a great hunter, but, in the arena of ritual combat, those are not the skills that are valued. Yet they are skills that his opponent, Stetes, possesses in spades. When the renowned warrior challenged his childhood friend, Lresuch, for her hand in marriage, Iultsuch was left with no other option but to face the warrior or miss his opportunity to do the same.

As their ritual combat approaches, where Death himself will watch over the proceedings, Iultsuch is given plenty of time to reflect on his foolhardy and potentially deadly choice. He knew he was not strong enough to move the boulder before him. But would Death be lenient and reward his bravery in some way he could not expect? In the end, would fighting Stetes leave him wounded and alone forever, or was it what he needed to show his dedication? The challenge required to demonstrate a less obvious kind of strength.

If he wants to prove his love, he is going to have to face the lion.

EBOOK AVAILABLE AT: Amazon, Barnes and Nobles, Kobo, and many other places you can purchase Ebooks! (Google Play has been dropped, but contact me if you would like to see it back on that storefront!)

PAPERBACK AVAILABLE AT: Barnes and Nobles, Amazon*, and many other places you can purchase books online!