Eloquent Tales & Blues

Colonization: Nick of Time

Tarian rushed to the center of the crumbling defenses and seized a rifle from one of the fallen. A tear welled, but he blinked it away. The dead deserved better, but mourning would have to wait. Among the fallen, he recognized Soren, one of the youngest members of this expedition. He had hoped to start a family here. Tarian's chest tightened as he kneeled beside him, fingers brushing the man's cooling skin...

The Guardian of Bridges

Once upon a time, two neighborhood friends, a boy and a girl, spent every free moment playing in the woods behind their homes, even when snow-covered. The forest felt far more familiar than home, thanks to their countless hours spent there. Its silent beauty always hid a faint, mysterious edge beneath the snow. Their parents only had one rule regarding this favored playground. They had to stay close to their homes.

Unfortunately, today, both children pushed the boundaries of their...

Colonization: Crumbling Walls

As he paced about the wall, Tarian stopped when he came to a devastated section. He ran his fingers along the shorn stone and glanced at the boulder, now entrenched in the ground just behind the wall. Thankfully, the defenders stationed there evaded the massive rock hurtling past them, saved only by a defender's shout. Tarian shook his head and turned back to the swelling ranks of monsters...

Path of the WIllow

Once upon a time, a young girl woke on Christmas morning, a broad grin stretching across her face as she bolted from her bed. She flew down the stairs, stopping before the glittering Christmas tree. The little girl ignored the presents under the tree, locking her gaze on the hanging stockings packed with goodies. She picked up her stocking and found a thread trailing from its edge into a nearby closet.

She eased the door open and followed the thread...

Colonization: Elven Aid

Keldon froze beneath a ring of arrows. When he shifted his gaze to study the deadly points, every bow pulled tighter, as if daring him to move again. Keldon raised his hands, gesturing his surrender to their silent command. "I'm not looking for a fight."

"Why are you here?" asked one creature, preparing to release his arrow...

 

Doll of Friendship

Walking down the corridors of the Gemini, Samantha held her mother’s hand with her right and clutched her most precious possession, the doll she had gotten for her birthday, to her chest with the other. As the two journeyed towards the ship’s hospice ward, Samantha spotted a lot of the people wearing a black armband with a series of red dots running along the center of it. The child shifted her gaze from the metallic corridors of her home to her mother’s left arm...

Colonization: Dwarven Aid

Caleb stopped at the closest tree to check his weapons. Once done, he reoriented and scanned for the faint trail left by his team's last hunt. The landscape offered no guidance. Everything looked the same. He sighed, holstered his sidearm, and lifted his rifle before continuing. A fine mist hung heavy with the scent of moss and earth, obscuring his view.

Even the birds had stopped calling...

The Pursuit

Jemma and Charles weaved through the heart of Comic-Con, their senses alive with the buzz of neon lights, distant cheers, and the scent of fried food hanging in the air. Cosplayers brushed past them in elaborate armor and silk capes, laughter echoed from panel rooms, and the murmur of thousands of fans filled the space like a living machine.

For the twins, the event held significance beyond simple escapism...