"Now please take the lady for a chat at a table that isn't mine so I can eat my breakfast in peace." I exhaled. "Thank you." Still seated, Zvonko stared up at me. "Mesa," he said in a low voice, "what are you doing?" I lowered my voice, too. "Something stupid out of blind panic." … Continue reading Skill, Luck, and Terrible Ideas (pt. 15)
I sleep well anywhere. My cot below deck aboard The Constellation was no exception. I woke instantly when a steward made rounds for wake up calls at first light. I dressed and ducked out into the narrow passageway. Lally stepped out of his own compartment and we saw each other as we secured our respective … Continue reading Skill, Luck, and Terrible Ideas (pt. 14)
Mario was glad to have a moment alone even if it was in a dimly lit shower stall. According to Nathan, the dormicile for the human slaves commanded by the king was actually outside the main castle or palace or wherever they were---not inside, like he originally thought. A few of the passageways leading there … Continue reading The Dragon King’s Medic (pt. 9)
Lally made three attempts with his fork to spear a tender sea scallop in buttery white wine sauce without tearing his eyes away from the distant table just in case the rare event (aka Mesa's smile) should recur. He feared missing it a second time. "I've never seen him smile," Lally lamented. Attention arrested as … Continue reading Skill, Luck, and Terrible Ideas (pt. 11)
Seated beside Nathan, Mario looked up from his hot tea when the door creaked open and the jailer's bright green bulk ducked in through the small doorway. Mario liked the big green guy and was happy he returned. "You're back." Cayn pulled up the only large chair, the one he had tried to use before, … Continue reading The Dragon King’s Medic (pt. 8)
The sleek luxury schooner The Constellation sliced through the open seas with full sails, as close to flight as the ocean-going vessel could ever be. From the moment the anchors were weighed until the sun plunged into the western horizon, Captain Gisela Koning maintained a grueling pace with the help of her first mate Mr. … Continue reading Skill, Luck, and Terrible Ideas (pt. 10)
“Mesa! Always on time!” a woman crowed down at me from the deck of a twin-masted luxury schooner emblazoned with the words ‘The Constellation’ visible clearly in the first warm rays of morning. On deck, a half dozen deck hands were prepping the shop for launch. “Good morning, Captain,” I said. Lally and the others pause … Continue reading Skill, Luck, and Terrible Ideas (pt. 9)
Captain Helias dragged Cayn by the arm until he walked on his own, however once his arm was free, he began to hang back immediately. “I’m supposed to remain with the humans,” Cayn insisted, “until the King sends Celia for me. ” “We’re not going far." Helias stopped midway down the corridor in a spot … Continue reading The Dragon King’s Medic (pt. 7)
Panic flash-froze Lally’s heart. They were at a serious disadvantage. Miss Hunt stood less than a pace away from where the three men sat on the ground with their backs to the building. None of the men were armed. Lally and Zvonko were hobbled by injuries, and Mesa was sandwiched between them. On a good … Continue reading Skill, Luck, and Terrible Ideas (pt. 8)
Josh forgot his stage fright as he became immersed in the exchanges between the sorcerer and his frying pan. Absorbed in the rules and tension, he listened closely along with the four unyielding referees who governed the game. Four minutes elapsed without either side scoring. The current topic was "companions". King: "I like the word … Continue reading The Frying Pan (pt. 8)
Duri Rolvsson 