RECOMPENSE, by Gerri Leen, art by Karolína Wellartová     Golden mare No rope shall hold you Now that you have Run your last battle I will take your killer’s horse— A lacking replacement But willing with the right touch— As our enemy bleeds out From a hundred small wounds A lingering death As compensation For […]

AMONG THE SCYTHIANS, by Deborah L. Davitt, art by Simon Walpole, audio by Deborah L. Davitt         Copper, so expensive, so rare— did you know that the sunbright ore only comes from a distant island in a sunbathed sea we’ll never see, where it’s so common the people there walk on streets […]

WIGHT, LONELY WEEP THOU, by Oliver Smith Old Grim blew in on a black winter gale, crows at his shoulder, the wolves at his heel. Beasts of the snow followed over the fields; they left trees like bones and rivers of tears, the land hidden between fog and dead years. The white wolf of winter […]

LESSONS IN SPELLCASTING, by Colleen Anderson   Vortex formed, sucked into the Abyss Exited into a blizzard, ice biting like millions of insects Created orb of all-seeing light Reached a new understanding of Spellcasting Tripped on stone before the Temple Hand landed on hidden release Door ground open, decay’s breath touched me Stumbled down stairs into […]

THIRTY-NINTH WAR BETWEEN INNIS AND MEQING: COMMENCEMENT, by Mary Soon Lee, artwork by Simon Walpole   Not a battle, but a raid, not on impulse, but under orders– Prince Connol would have risked his brother’s anger and questioned those orders had he judged it would do any good, but King Donal was set on war, […]