J.F. Posthumus
About Me
- J.F. Posthumus
- Virginia, United States
- A computer tech and artist that thrives on writing fantasy to escape the harshness of reality.
Powered by Blogger.
Other Writerly Sites
Writers Blogs
- Alaerien
- Amy Bai
- Branwyn
- Bruce Pollock
- Bryn Greenwood
- Chris Stevenson
- Cindy Pon
- Courtney Allison
- Debra
- Ed Wright
- Erin Richards
- Fiction Theory
- Firedrake
- Gretchen McNeil
- Hilary Wagner
- Ink Wench
- Jen Hayley
- Jennifer M. Donahue (Alias Octavia)
- Jill Myles
- Jodi
- Julianne Douglas
- Karen Duvall
- Kari Stewart
- Kasey Mackenzie
- Krista Ashe
- Lara
- Leigh Lyons
- Lisa Brackmann
- Marissa Burt
- Marissa Burt
- Rose Pressey
- Sarah Eve Kelly
- Shana Silver
- Stephanie Jenkins
- Steve Cordero
- Tartitude
- Tasha
- Timothy Power
- Wendy Cebula
Followers
Search
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Teaser Tuesday - Late Night Attack
We're about 10k-15k from being finished with Banshee's Daughter!!! YAY!!!!! Hopefully we can get it finished in the next week or so.... hopefully sooner...
Anyway... I figured I'd jump ahead some and post what happens a little later... which is also the first attack on Iliana in her own realm. And, like any true hot-tempered red-head, she goes after the one she thinks sent it, rather ticked off.
Anyway... I figured I'd jump ahead some and post what happens a little later... which is also the first attack on Iliana in her own realm. And, like any true hot-tempered red-head, she goes after the one she thinks sent it, rather ticked off.
***********************************
Peeking into the kitchen, Iliana slid around the corner, keeping her back near the wall. Not seeing anything humanoid, she glanced to the tops of the cabinets and the fridge. Nothing huddled in the shadows ready to leap down to attack her. Or at least, nothing she could see. Iliana glanced downwards at Layla who slunk into the kitchen and stared into the living room, her dark eyes glowing an eerie red.
Alighty then, whatever it was, was playing in the living room. Iliana wondered briefly if it hated the light and contemplated turning on the living room lights with a spellword, but decided against it. No need to inform the nosy neighbors about her uninvited nighttime menace.
Drawing a deep breath, Iliana reached out with her magic, sending it trailing through the wall she was leaning against and adding a barrier of magic that soon pulsed throughout the walls, ceiling and floors. With luck, that would keep the shots from the gun from waking not only the neighboring tenants, but also those in the houses near her.
The last thing she needed was to explain why she had fired her handgun in her apartment. If there was a body also, things could get a bit dicier. Especially if it were another playmate sent by Darkflower or, worse yet, one sent by Saldone.
Shoving the thoughts to the side, distractions were the last thing she needed, Iliana crept towards the doorway to the living room. Glancing around the corner, she checked the top of her entertainment center, but saw nothing. Gliding to the other side, she checked the other cabinet nestled in the corner opposite her entertainment center. Nope, nothing.
So where in the hells was the damned thing hiding? It wasn’t like she had a lot of shelves; in fact, she had none in the living room. Stepping into the room, she heard a slight rustle and she looked up at the ceiling above the window.
In the corner, perched with a foot on each side of the wall that converged together, was an ugly little creature with a triangular face with an oblong nose, wrinkled skin, a thin lipped, curving mouth and two tall pointed ears. A tuft of hair more like a small patch of burned weeds sat between his ears on his fat, otherwise bald, head.
A pair or large, yellow eyes watched her as she stared back at the otherworldly creature. Short and plump like a mutant frog; it had proportionate arms and legs that were as pudgy as his body. The face, also proportionate with his body, kept her from snickering overly much at the odd being. Had the head been bigger, she would’ve thought it resembled a child’s bobble-head monster toy. However, when it smiled, all amusement vanished as Iliana got a good look at the long, sharp teeth that reminded her of a piranha. Except a piranha didn’t have six-inch long incisors or talons that put gaping holes in her walls.
Taking aim, Iliana fired at the nasty fey. One shot landed in its leg as it leapt across the room from her and landed in the opposite corner. Taking aim again, she fired once more. The creature howled in pain and leapt towards her, blood streaming from a shoulder wound.
Stepping back, Iliana swung the gun up and fired, blasting another hole in the creature’s chest. It dropped to the floor, mouth open in a death scream. A scuttling sound followed by a snarl and a snap of bone had her swirling around, gun aimed towards the noise.
However, as a true marksman, Iliana didn’t fire until she had her quarry identified. A good thing, too, since Layla was contentedly washing her paws beside what looked to be a small rat, except the ‘rat’ had wrinkled reddish skin beneath bristles, was about two feet long with a ratty tail, and vampire-like teeth protruding from its squashed pug-like face. A pool of blood poured around its throat.
Not taking a chance, Iliana called Layla over to her and promptly shot the bogle in its head and heart.
“Right, so that was a fun time, wasn’t it?” Iliana asked, finally lowering her gun. She waited, listening, but didn’t hear anything else. Crossing to the door, she put her ear against it and listened. Nothing. She peeked through the eyehole and saw only the darkness of the hallway. “Well, at least we didn’t wake the neighbors!”
Layla purred as she wound herself through Iliana’s legs. Iliana turned once more to the bodies and gestured. The duo vanished from sight.
“Time to find out just why in the hells this pair was sent,” Iliana said, scooping Layla up and stalking towards her bedroom. “Care to come with me to visit someone, Layla?”
Layla coughed and rubbed her head against Iliana’s cheek before wrapping herself around Iliana’s neck.
Speaking a phrase in Gaelic, the mirror flared to life and Iliana cocked the gun and stepped through the mirror.
Holding the weapon directly in front of her, aimed perfectly at where the heart would be, she stated evenly, “Let’s see if the bullets you gave me work as well on you as it did those… things in my apartment.” She stalked forward, the gun never wavering. “Pray tell why in the hells you sent those two after me?”
She ignored the odd fact that the oversized t-shirt she wore for a nightgown didn’t change to something else because she was too pleased with the fact her gun hadn’t shifted either. The last thing she needed was to lose her only useful weapon against the ancient warlord sitting behind his desk starting at her with a calm, almost bored, expression.
“Your presence and overplayed threats indicate you would prefer me to claim I sent them to test you.” Xantos spoke mildly, as if he were dismissing a pesky servant. “But you will find no satisfaction in that regard. I did not send anything nor anyone after you.”
Not pausing until she stood five feet from him, she kept the gun leveled with his chest. “How do I know I can believe you? Your reputation isn’t exactly one that screams honesty, honor, and believability.”
“What is my motivation for sending anything after you that you could defeat?” Xantos countered, and he sounded bored to her. Bored! As if women stormed into his office demanding he answer for grief in their lives on a regular basis!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments
(Atom)
Great last few lines there! Your world for this story and the creatures are really intriguing.
ReplyDeletethanks!
ReplyDeleteIt's actually two worlds: Iliana's (Earth) and Xantos's (Baradwys).
Interesting! I liked the description of the thing's hair as a small patch of burned weeds. You might want to watch your simultaneous action a tiny bit: for example, the mirror (not Iliana) seems to be speaking a Gaelic phrase. Iliana's thoughts about her gun and shirt shifting (or not shifting) led me to think that this other world is like Robert Jordan's Tel'aran'rhiod - was that an inspiration?
ReplyDeleteI love stories where the ordinary and fantastical co-exist, because it skews reality and makes the fantastical more real.
ReplyDeleteHope that makes sense, it did to me, I think!
Interesting! This is a very detailed world you have here.
ReplyDeletethanks for the tip, Para! lol, that's what editing's for, right? ;)
ReplyDeleteMakes perfect sense, Sue!
Glad everyone is enjoying it! I was afraid when we first started writing it, it would suck LGDB! lol
Fantastic world! Very imaginative and detailed! :D
ReplyDeleteDamn it I had a long comment and it got deleted. YOur world building is very good. Congrats on being close to done with this. One tiny nitpick is that the why the hells/what the hells, etc. the hell being plural tripped me up a bit.
ReplyDelete