As always, comments welcomed!
Sunday, 6 December 2015
Imp of the week - Grusgaks
I've created a number of strange creatures for the Impcatcher novels. This is another page from Garkosio's
Guide to Imps, which is the most widely used reference book in Tal's
world. This is Tal's copy, with his annotations in blue.
Friday, 4 December 2015
SFFS 5/12/15 Impcatcher
This snippet carries on from last week. Tal returned home to find a welcoming committee outside his door. He sensibly hid.
I
was ducked back around the edge of the bakery already, looking
cautiously round the corner in the hope that Gustav wouldn't spot me. The bakery was closed
for the night, much to my relief – I didn't want anyone coming out
of the doorway I was lurking in. I wouldn't buy any of this
establishment's wares – I knew just how lacking in cleanliness was
the kitchen. Eating from here needed trollish digestion or a desire
for slow, painful suicide.
Best bet was for me to
retreat quietly, find somewhere else to kip down for the night.
I was running through my
list of friends and acquaintances when the air around me began to
feel warm, as though the sun had come out. A neat trick after dark. I
turned, realising that the street was growing bright. A red glow was
spreading across the pavement, a ball of scarlet fire forming in
mid-air like a slow sunburst.
I heard Gustav call out in surprise as
he saw the radiance shedding sudden black shadows across the street.
There was a shape in the glow. A brilliant red figure, larger than a
man, face tawny and muzzled, short pale horns sprouting from the
forehead, longer spikes from the shoulder blades and kidneys. Claws
on the outstretched hands, a cruel smile showing off sharp, pointed
teeth, and a raw, rough skin like fractured stone over impressive
muscles. The demon stood in the midst of the street, its attention
purely upon me.
As always, comments welcomed!
Sunday, 29 November 2015
Imp of the week - Hobs
I've created a number of strange creatures for the Impcatcher novels. For the next few weeks I'm going to post a few pages from Garkosio's Guide to Imps, which is the most widely used reference book in Tal's world. This is Tal's copy, with his annotations in blue!
As always, comments welcomed!
As always, comments welcomed!
Friday, 27 November 2015
SFFS 28/11/15 Impcatcher
A new section this week. Tal is returning home...
I had turned into Trollmarsh Street without really thinking
what I was doing. It was virtually dark, now. I would really appreciate it when
the new street lights were turned on. Some areas were black as Rorsdack's
heart.
I stopped short outside the cheap bakery on the corner. The
single illuminated light inside my shop shone through the cheap glass panes in
black lead that made up my window, and gave just enough light to reveal a
welcoming committee. Three men were standing outside the shop. Lurking, to use
the technical term. Lying in wait. Iron bars and a vicious looking piece of
wood with a long nail in it.
No, not three men. Two men and an orc. Gustav.
As always, comments welcomed!
Friday, 20 November 2015
SFFS 21/11/2015 Impcatcher
This snippet carries on from last week's extract. Tal has just summoned an imp of his own, and has offered the imp his immortal soul...
Hulberlok
looked at me with unmitigated contempt. “Come off it,
mage. You don't really think any demon's interested in that sort of
gibberish. Your soul isn't going to fill my belly or give me any kind
of currency.”
I laughed. “All right. How about my eternal
gratitude... and as much of my blood as you can find on the floor.”
“Not even from a vein? You cheapskate.”
I shrugged slightly. “That's the deal.”
“I thought you were an honourable man, mage.”
I laughed aloud. “What gave you that idea, imp?”
Friday, 13 November 2015
SFFS 14/11/2015 Impcatcher
Today's snippet is from Impcatcher, which is now on sale on Amazon for the Kindle and in paperback, and DriveThru in pdf format. The general epub version is at Lulu.This snippet carries on from last week's extract. Tal has just summoned an imp of his own.
The shape that stepped through the portal was
eighteen inches high, glowing a pallid blue. Two tall, thin crystal
horns, a hooked nose, cloven hooves, long, thin arms, and a pair of
golden eyes. A naked male demon with smooth, rippling metallic skin.
Not a pretty sight.
“Not you again” it said in a disgusted tone of
voice.
“Hello, Hulberlok” I said quietly. “Nice to
see you, too.”
It turned, looking back at the way home. I
murmured two more syllables, and the gateway closed with an audible
snick. The room was dark again, the hell-glare gone. The small demon
sighed, and then stalked to the edge of the circle.
“Price?” the imp asked simply.
I looked at him levelly, trying to keep a straight
face. “I can offer you my immortal soul...”
Hulberlok looked at me with unmitigated contempt.
As always, comments welcomed!
Friday, 6 November 2015
SFFS 7/11/2015 Impcatcher
Today's snippet is from Impcatcher, which is now on sale on Amazon for the Kindle and in paperback, and DriveThru in pdf format. The general epub version is at Lulu.A new section, today. Tal is summoning an imp of his own.
The words flowed off my tongue smoothly and
crisply, each syllable precise and word-perfect. Getting this sort of
thing wrong is not conducive to your health. I won't write the words
down – such things have power, and you don't want to mess with that
sort of energy.
The glare was bright enough to illuminate every
corner of the shop, shadows black and red and shimmering with the
sudden flare of heat. Anyone looking at the windows who had a modicum
of knowledge would know what I was doing. I just had to hope there
was no one around.
The portal, a half-disc on its side facing me in
the midst of the binding circle, showed a vision of hell. One
particular hell, anyway. A realm of blue steel and jagged edges, the
ground a patchwork of blades and spines, as though a cart-load of
daggers had been tipped out across a newly-ploughed field. The sky
was red, roiling fire, and there was nothing that looked remotely
like the plants or growths of our own world. The creatures of this
realm are born of far harder matter. This is Varuch. Not a nice place
to visit.
I spoke one more word. A name.
As always, comments welcomed!
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