(Reader discretion advised.)
Ted opened the door with the chain on, and looked out. A pair of inquiring brown eyes met him, and moustache a good deal bushier than his own.
Continue readingfantasy
The Small Stranger – Part Two: Merowinter
There was a rumble of distant thunder; it was dreadful that such depth of sound, as of an earthquake, should be created by the sky.
Dolores pushed open the gate, with its glaring danger sign, and Otto followed her into the field towards the seated figure. It was clearly someone small, a child. Blank fear burned in his cold joints.
Continue readingThe Pasture Watch – Part Four: The Cure
By the time morning came the fairy tree was not only withered but rotten. The fallen leaves that had dried and then been wetted by the dew filled the whole place with the bay leaf smell. Otto thought it was rather inconsiderate of the fairy’s signal to make such a mess after only one brief conversation, but Kitty pointed out that it was it easier for them to get at the roots, where the signal had said the weapon was buried.
Continue readingThe Wurd Creature
An instance of the Wurd creature, a deadly significant being. These descriptions were only slightly edited from when they were written in 2011.
“She slung a small, leathern wallet onto the table, with a pad that had been between it and her shoulder. When it landed on the table Chi Luw heard the little, leather thing echo like thunder in a far away cave. The table groaned loudly. Chi Luw was amazed that Shuy Lauh could carry such a weight. Shuy Lauh went and closed the door. The only light was the light of the glowing fire. The wagoner lay back into the corner, and drew his hat down over his face, looking very black, and larger than life, in the sinister light. Chi Luw pulled at the wallet, and it fell from the pad, and rumbled again.
Continue reading…A Heart and the Spirits
Amos was twelve when it happened, and it happened because he loved his mother. His father always said he was named after his mother Amy, and only his father could call him Amos. Everyone else called him by his last name, Hamilton; that is, they called him ‘Hammy’.
His hair and eyes were dark, his movements slow, and he liked things to be clean; he liked to clean things like his mother, and inside him he was hard and cool and hidden and strong and old as the inside of a young hill.
It was dark when it happened, because it was night when it happened, and it meant so many things.
Continue readingThe Duel – Drawing by Nathaniel Lauser
The Duel – a supernatural toast – drawn in about fifteen minutes by my competent brother Nathaniel.
Folis and Ailura
This was rewritten (extensively) from an isolated scene found in my old paper notes (wow, so old).
All the serving men and women of the castle Daehrok had fled when they knew of the coming band: the fame of Ailura and his men was as potent as the fear of death itself.
Thirteenth Collection of Seven Dailies
A collection of seven dailies from the Facebook Page!
My brother Nathaniel tries his hand at pointillism.
Andrew Fearus vs. Harshade – The Fight
Here is the initial post from the Facebook Page introducing Andrew Fearus and Harshade:
Trying something: an Arena.
I introduce two characters, and you choose which of them will win a sporting contest of power.
The setting is the universe of the Portal, on the Front, more description of which will be revealed in the Arena and hopefully elsewhere as well. Next week the votes will be tallied and the battle described.
Andrew Fearus
A wide hand and wide brow, grim mouth and unexpected force of power. Few have met any of his family, but have heard much of his honor in their name of “Fearus”. His hair and clothes are dark and rather ragged when studying or fighting and not socializing.
He is shown in the image summoning a defense of tortoise shell.
– Imagined and depicted by Patrick Lauser
Harshade
A thing of night shadow, though friendly and humorous. His physical body consists of a smoke-like darkness, and he has a casual command of obscure powers. He is a first generation visitant of the Front. His preferred summoning is a claw gauntlet and helmet of hard and silent aerial crustacean shell into which he flows like the tide into a coastal cave.
He is shown shattering a sorcerer’s blade on his gauntlet.
– Imagined and depicted by Nathaniel Lauser
Third Seven Dailies Collection
Here is the third collection of seven past dailies from the Facebook Page! This includes a couple cinquains and a quote from my small book (which is really a long short story, but almost novella length).
November Night
Listen…
With faint dry sound,
Like steps of passing ghosts,
The leaves, frost-crisp’d, break from the trees
And fall.– Adelaide Crapsey
Lying Thankfulness
Inside
The doorless walls
Of false content and peace
A soul in truth is not a soul
But lies– Patrick Lauser
Bless the LORD all his works in all places of his dominion: bless the LORD, O my soul.
Psalm 103:22
“They were weeping for it everywhere, as they had been always. She who stood there screamed and stabbed for torment of hate and loss, and from marshes and cities all desire that had not learned its own futility rose and swelled in hers. The litany of anguish poured out as if it were the sound of the earth itself rushing through space, and comfortless forever the spinning globe swept on, turning upon itself, crying to itself; and space was the echo of its lament, and time was the measure of its sobs.”
– From “The Greater Trumps” by Charles Williams
Feelings are like conclusions: they can be correct or incorrect. Unlike conclusions, they do not always come from you, and so are not a part of you, unless you choose.
– Patrick Lauser
“As they went further towards the sun the trees became larger, spreading and twisting, turning the sun’s light into a self-strangling mesh of ever sharper shadows and ever fiercer light.”
– Patrick Lauser, from my book, “A Foreshadowed Way”
Teach me to do thy will; for thou art my God: thy spirit is good; lead me into the land of uprightness.
Psalm 143:10
Till next week, God be with you all!
Patrick