Blood and Courage_Unlikely Companions_Conductive as Copper_Glitter
Catalog Guide:
Blood and Courage
March 1994Sweaty limbs thrashed against each other. My arm pressed into his neck as my face crushed up against his head. His hair – matted and sweaty – filled my mouth as his arms flailed around my waist, desperate for something to grab onto. Teeth gritted, I shunted forward as best I could, moving more of my weight onto my forearm to try and crush his windpipe.The roar of the spectators grew, and I tightened my legs around his waist to keep him on position, continuing my relentless assault.Eventually, I heard a gasp as his hand slapped the mat.“I’m out, I’m done! I’m finished!”Before I had ...
Unlikely Companions
It was another sweltering day in the African Savanna, as young Adisa strolled closely by his father’s side. Adisa’s father, Negus, was the leader of the pride, and ruler of all the Savanna. Adisa gazed up at his father’s magnificence as the wind blew through his thick mane. Adisa wanted to be just like him when he grew up.The long grass was almost as tall as Adisa, so to see what was ahead, he needed to leap up above the blades occasionally. His father stopped suddenly at the sound of a loud cackle. There were hyenas close by. Negus led Adisa to an opening beneath a large boulder and told him...
Conductive as Copper
My troubles began when a cleric sworn to protect me knocked on my door. Her name was Melody, and she arrived in full plate armor like a fabled knight. Over two kettles of tea, she explained that her order had sent her to protect someone known as a dragon heir. She’d heard about the dragon scales coating my back that had grown to wrap around my shoulders. It was hard to deny since I’d been showing them off for most of my life.The bluish-purple scales were tougher than most shields and had fended off everything from blades to ghoul bites over the years. Hubris got me into most of those scrapes,...
Glitter
For no apparent reason, the day sparkled from the moment I woke up. My sweetheart, Jake, and I were staying with friends who lived in the mountains. The plan that day was to go on a big bike ride that would end at a swimming hole. I, twenty-nine at the time, had yet to master the art of riding bicycles, so I made an adjusted plan. I was to drive out ahead of them and park at the trail head, then hike in to the swimming hole. It was going to be timed in such a way that they would find me when I was about halfway to the water. I swww.onedoor.ccet out from the mountain in my most prized possession, a silver pi...