Through The Castle Garden

 

Through The Castle Garden is an installment for A Call to Arms, a series of stories inspired by Dungeons & Dragons. Taking place late in the canon of the series, a middle-aged Anry Muse chooses to fulfill an old promise by visiting Huaisheng Temple within Minwa Dynasty. Upon his arrival, however, he discovers that his old friend Taizong Muhtar has been deceased for some time, though his spirits are lifted upon learning that his younger sister, Zetian Muhtar, is still alive, albeit out in town at the time. After exploring the temple grounds and meeting both one of the Muhtars' mutual friends, Laleh Gulyar, and their impersonal and distant father, Shimin Muhtar, Anry ends up meeting a ranger like himself from the northern forests of Mwalakore, named Migizi; almost instantly, however, the two discover that their personalities are completely incompatible despite their shared goal of ridding the world of otherworldly beings and threats to their plane. Outside of Huaisheng's grounds, however, the two are given a joint task that forces them to cooperate for at least a few moments.

Through The Castle Garden can be read here.

The above photograph is that of an entryway to the real-life Huaisheng Mosque in Guangzhou, China. As mentioned before, Huaisheng Mosque is China's single oldest mosque and one of the world's oldest mosques, estimated to have been built in about 627 CE. A unique blend of Chinese and Muslim architecture, it acts as a perfect stand-in for the fictitious Huaisheng Temple.

Strange Pursuit

Strange Pursuit is yet another side story to the series of works inspired by Dungeons & Dragons, as part of A Call to Arms. Taking place many years prior to Land of Confusion (and indeed, Strange Pursuit is the earliest title in the canon, preceding Holidays In The Sun), a younger Anry Muse is in the midst of his own path to glory within the borders of Minwa Dynasty. Having already attained some notoriety from a bar fight, Anry finds himself pressured by a youth named Taizong Muhtar and his studious and firm mother, Cixi Song, to help find Taizong's younger sister in the city. Upon locating her in a hidden underground arena, however, Taizong finds himself thrown into a fight his studies only barely prepared him for. 

Strange Pursuit can be read here.

The above image was drawn by Uminonew, whose online portfolio can be found here.

Land of Confusion

Land of Confusion is another small companion piece for A Better Place, akin to Bones before it, as part of a new series of side stories now entitled A Call To Arms. Taking place only a few weeks after the events of No Regrets, an experienced, but aging explorer of the land, Anry Muse, arrives to the small city of Dalry with three goals in mind: examining reported occult activity in the area, honing his craft as a swordsman, and enjoying the local spirits and hospitality available to him. Easily able to accomplish the latter two goals in one ill-fated bar encounter, Anry finds himself hounded by a new traveling bard who wishes to thank him for his services; almost immediately thereafter, however, Anry finally gets to pursue his first goal in Dalry.

Land of Confusion can be read here.

The above image was drawn by Anry, whose online portfolio can be found here. He also served as the inspiration for Anry's name.

The Barren Fields

The Barren Fields is a short story that acts a third installment for Circle of Magie, a series of stories centered on various sorcerers who live in the fantastical land of Oliviani. I started writing it in late 2021, but I ended up putting the project on hold for A Better Place and its numerous installments. The Barren Fields takes place only one day after the events of The Bleak Oasis, with Marcel and Tanneke showing up at Agnés and Felicity's flat in Stavelot's early morning after an unfortunate encounter with bedbugs. Following some brief talk about their respective paths, the group choose to visit Stavelot's magic library for typical studies befitting sorcerers in Oliviani, but some talk with the library's master, Piret, reveals unusual occurrences in Stavelot's countryside; these occurrences, however, prove surprisingly personal to Tanneke, who ventures out on her own to try and tackle the issue herself, only for further problems to result from her act of defiance.

The Barren Fields can be downloaded as a PDF in the following formats:

Complete
    Part 1
    Part 2
    Part 3

The above photograph is that of the real-life Mont-sur-Marchienne, a small town found in southern Wallonia, where French is the primary language. I felt the image meshed well with the small city feeling that I was aiming for with Stavelot, with its smaller buildings, fewer pedestrians, children playing in the nearby river, and large clearings of nature's beauty, something that went well with the group choosing to venture to the countryside. The composition of the photograph also helped, with a standard eye-level point of view instead of a high, birds-eye view to get us closer to the subjects. Stavelot itself is an actual city in Belgium as well, again located within French-speaking Wallonia.

Photos From Europa

 

Photos From Europa is a short story I wrote in March 2023, as a standalone story that takes place in the far future. Nolan Gates is a young translator working for the Martian Bureau of Interplanetary Affairs, as the sole employee in its Translation Division. Talented and knowledgeable about his own work, but also rarely ever given any assignments, he spends most of his days idly reading and studying in his office, only infrequently being given the chance to use his skills. One day, however, he finally gets an assignment to translate some information brought in by one refugee from the distant moon of Europa, about something neither he nor his client can fully understand.

Photos From Europa can be read here.

The above image was drawn by Torigoe Takumi, whose online portfolio can be found here, though some of its contents may not be safe for work.

Bones

Bones is an extra story created for A Better Place, as part of a suggestion by a friend. Canonically, it takes place towards the middle of series, many years after we last heard from the cast in Many Moons. Bones centers on Nico Cekala, an intelligent, but reclusive gentleman who puts on the airs of being an esteemed artificer, even with his perhaps surprisingly ramshackle living quarters. Returning to his house after a day's work of selling and trading artifacts, Nico plans to spend the rest of the day tinkering with his newest wares take an unexpected turn when a halfling named Maribelle Helder comes by asking for some alms; his meagre donation, however, ends up causing him to reveal more about his life and his goals than he ever intended.

Bones can be read here.

The above image was drawn by WANKE, whose work I've previously used to represent Katalia Rhoeas in Late Night People, alongside being considered for use for Serra Anhera in In Love This Way.

Many Moons

Many Moons is the twelfth and final installment for A Better Place, taking place long before the events of the previous story, Lost For Words. Canonically, it is also the second-earliest story in this series, its events taking place some time after Holidays In The Sun. Having only recently started journeying after breaking free from her reclusive and oppressive society, Txori Orzola finds herself in the unforgiving streets of the war-torn Sirota, her wallet stolen by a street urchin and herself having to hide from the night patrol. Initially willing to consider returning home in frustration, Txori instead finds herself in an ill-fated encounter with a halfling named Maribelle Helder, herself returning to the area to check on her family's orphanage, but unwilling to say much more. At Helder Orphanage, however, two make a discovery that changes not only their own lives, but also that of a young waif in the middle of the night.

Many Moons can be read here.

The above image was drawn by pepparmint310, whose online portfolio can be found here.