Contract
A short story detailing the magical contracts between a patron, deity-esque figure named Winter, and her large band of assassins that enforce her interests. Areni, Winter's Champion, has decided that she must break her contract, but hesitates to fully go against Winter, knowing the fate of all the others who have tried. She seeks aid from the cheerful alchemist who inspired her to break the contract in the first place, and together they struggle against the first of many challenges.
Divergences
"Divergences" details part of the background of one of my Dungeons and Dragons characters, a sorcerer named Yurk, as he stumbles into life on the run. The setting was created by GM Lunden Williams. Attempting to gather information on and come to terms with the death of a life-long mentor and father figure, Yurk is manipulated into joining a cult. Acting as an informant for the "Broken Worlders," all Yurk manages to succeed in is turning his homeland against him.
Earth, Sea, and Sky
"Earth, Sea, and Sky" is a short story built around miscommunication and misplaced grief. It was inspired by the 3Elements Literary Review's winter 2018 prompt: Delusion, Blueprint, Fisherman. Blaming himself for his wife's death, a lonely fisherman named Byron decides to build a grand house by the sea, believing the task to be the last thing his wife requested of him. Slowly, the task consumes him, as the worried villagers look on.
