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!

SFFS 28/11/15 Impcatcher

  This is my snippet this week for SFFSat. SFFSat is a place where a number of authors post snippets from their written works, and give the opportunity for comments, support and encouragement. Please also explore the other blogs that are part of this set - you can find the information here.

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 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.

   Next week we find out what is going to happen.

As always, comments welcomed!

SFFS 21/11/2015 Impcatcher

 This is my snippet this week for SFFSat. SFFSat is a place where a number of authors post snippets from their written works, and give the opportunity for comments, support and encouragement. Please also explore the other blogs that are part of this set - you can find the information here.

 

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, 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?”

As always, comments welcomed!

SFFS 14/11/2015 Impcatcher

  This is my snippet this week for SFFSat. SFFSat is a place where a number of authors post snippets from their written works, and give the opportunity for comments, support and encouragement. Please also explore the other blogs that are part of this set - you can find the information here.
 

 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!

SFFS 7/11/2015 Impcatcher

 This is my snippet this week for SFFSat. SFFSat is a place where a number of authors post snippets from their written works, and give the opportunity for comments, support and encouragement. Please also explore the other blogs that are part of this set - you can find the information here.
 

 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.

Next week I'll reveal what Tal is summoning.
As always, comments welcomed!

SFFS 31-10-2015 Impcatcher

This is my snippet this week for SFFSat. SFFSat is a place where a number of authors post snippets from their written works, and give the opportunity for comments, support and encouragement. Please also explore the other blogs that are part of this set - you can find the information here.


 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 episode. Tal is being attacked in his shop by a pair of professional killers - he managed to fling a hooked net over his male assailant (the one with the demon-blade), but the female is equally deadly - and she too has a knife. Fortunately it is not enchanted, but...

Something flickered through the air and slammed into my upper arm. There was no pain for a moment, and I looked at the dagger as the blade shivered in the muscles of my bicep. There was blood welling around the edge of the blade. I wondered for a moment what it was and how it was holding my arm against the shelves.

And then I screamed as the pain hit me. The woman grinned sadistically. Beardy had managed to get the net off him. His face and arms were peppered with small red wounds, like an extreme case of measles. The woman ignored her friend and moved in for the kill, yet another blade in her grip. She had to be weighed down with all the ironmongery she had produced.

The bell over the shop door clanged loudly. A squat, heavily-built figure was in the doorway, looking into the murky depths of the shop, a face I recognised expressing puzzlement through a dark beard. In his large, ham-sized hand a short, solid hammer swung upwards in clear and obvious threat.

The woman looked at me, looked back at the dwarf, and then made her last attempt to puncture my self-esteem. She flung her latest dagger at me. 

As always, comments welcomed!

 

SFFS 24-10-2015 Impcatcher Launched!

 This is my snippet this week for SFFSat. SFFSat is a place where a number of authors post snippets from their written works, and give the opportunity for comments, support and encouragement. Please also explore the other blogs that are part of this set - you can find the information here.


 Today's snippet is from Impcatcher, which is now on sale on Amazon for the Kindle, and DriveThru in pdf format. A more general epub version is on its way, as is a paperback.

This snippet carries on from last week's episode. Tal is being attacked in his shop by a pair of professional killers.


 

The man had a bushy beard and a fixed expression, his pale blue eyes like flint chips. Psychotic. Deadly. He lunged – I twisted to evade the shimmering blue of the blade and shoved a large crate into his path. The blade caught the cheap wood, and it charred. I shivered and flung myself back further, knowing the wooden shelves on the side wall were within feet of me, and that I had nowhere further to run. Beardy grinned icily, moving forward with professional caution. I risked a glance at the shelves behind me. He lunged immediately, not entirely to my surprise. I swung sideways and grabbed at the object I had spotted on the shelf, flinging it round and into his face. He cried out in pain, blood welling from each of the spikes digging into his face. Barbed nets are vicious things, like a blanket full of fish-hooks. I use them sparingly, only on really savage prey. Beardy qualified.

Comments welcomed!