A renewed gust whirled; stiff and bitter, prompting Brynhildr to pull her scarf up higher as she walked along the forest path toward the main building of the compound. The adjustment made minimal difference to combat the harshness of winter. Nonetheless, the movement helped to calm her nerves.

Why am I nervous? She pondered the question…

Calm and concentrated, Amirah sat motionless.  The smell of burning incense swirled into her spot at the center of the circle and it stirred a memory within her.  A cold breeze followed, running down her exposed back.  She knew what failure this time would mean.  The air tingled with a concentrated electricity that fueled an unnatural energy into her body; not wholly unlike a rush of adrenaline…

The hellhound retraced its steps. Its nose slowly alternated between the damp ground and cold air as it searched, desiring a certain familiar scent. The slightest whiff would be enough. A single scent and the hound would be off for the races. Legs tensing up at each unique odor, the air was unfortunately rife with too many smells, overloading its senses with data. Spinning this way and that, only one faint scent stood out.

Desiring to run, it lept into action…

A lone warrior stalks through a forest of trees much taller than giants. A low hanging mist obscures the canopy, creating an illusion that the surrounding trees lacked a tangible end to their upward growth. Each footstep forward was placed with the practiced precision of an experienced hunter, marred only by the sheer number of seasons under his belt. The color of his beard likely granted him enough sensibility to know…

A storm threatened to burst overhead as I pedaled faster, my bike’s frame rattling with every pebble and branch swallowed underneath. Excitement grew within me as I neared the pavilion that sat at the center of the park’s clearing.

To my surprise as I ducked under the overhang…

“I’m sorry, it’s just… There is no precedent for a living Arbiter in modern times. It’s just been used as a posthumous award, not meant for anyone to actually use any of the real power that is still tied to the position. So, I can’t possibly support that.” The man laughed nervously, gesturing to those around to illustrate that he wasn’t the only one who felt that way. “Hah, ha-ha. Amusing, but complete foolishness.” None of them signaled that he was incorrect in his dismissive assessment.

As the current group of dignitaries surrounding her dissolved, Samara was left alone to flounder in the harsh, open waters of the city hall’s expansive ballroom while her motivation to approach another group quickly drained away…

Ever since she was a child, Jade always knew she wanted to create music. Though, the word wanted doesn’t quite illustrate just how deeply rooted her passion ran. Even saying something such as she had a ravenous desire, only paints a somewhat clearer picture, but in actuality… It was more than that. You see, for her it was more than just a life goal. Striving to improve in every waking moment of her conscious existence was everything…

I awake in darkness. Panic grips me with rough, calloused hands. Choking, I blindly feel around for a way out or something to reveal my location, only finding harsh resistance in every direction. Where? What? How? My desperation intensifies, fists lashing out at my confinement until I grow fatigued. As feeling slowly returns…

My stomach rumbled, exacerbating my current situation. Disastrous times these were. Oh, what serious woes had befallen this poor, hard working member of society. Missing multiple meals just to pursue a task that had, yet again, ended fruitlessly. Not to mention…