Chapter 3

“If that gives me direct access to the computers and records, sir, I’m in!”

The Superintendent then called for a break, and I helped the WPC make some tea. She had found some biscuits and we handed them around as the others conferred between themselves. That done, we both sat down with our own cups as the others came to a decision.

Then Strachan tapped on the table, and we all waited.

Our newly acquired vessel was currently being filled with essential provisions and ammunition, allowing Mir'tan and I the opportunity to indulge in some personal weapons shopping. As we strolled into the arms boutique, we marveled at the diverse assortment of weaponry - from tiny laser daggers to gargantuan shuttle-sized anti-personnel gear. Affectionately, I turned to Mir'tan with a tender voice and said, "Darling, you never cease to amaze me with your impeccable taste in destinations." We shared a heartfelt chuckle as I flirtatiously batted my eyelashes at her.

The Belle of Vicksburg
-3-
I Think My New Name Will Be Ashley Christina Hull!

Looking out the window at the howling blizzard, Von sipped his tea, contemplating his rather open schedule for the day. Since Mage Aleksandar had taken over all Council business, he had found himself largely at loose ends. Scratching his stump, he realized he should have expected that to happen. While he hadn't been declared a traitor, he couldn't expect much more than that.

Here’s the thing just like all the stories and cliches say that I found someone when I wasn’t looking and had stopped looking.

I’m not going to sugar coat things but I’m a single guy and a long term bachelor and I have dated and I had never really wanted to settle down and do all that family stuff mostly because my family ranged from self destructive to petty so none of that really was an investment.

I moved out as soon as I could and went into the army and got a trade under me as an engineer and spent time basically fixing things on bases.

Chapter 1. Lawyer by day.

Hanging by my skirt, looking down at the mock hydra who was almost close enough to touch, with only a small tree keeping me from falling on top of the monster, I silently sent prayer to every single god and demon I knew of, including my history teacher. It didn't seem to help as the tree cracked again and I got another inch closer to the reptile.

Princess Gracia leaves the city with her people heading for Winterbrook and times with the thieves and maybe their ruler and then headed into Dwarven lands to see and meet up with her sisters at Angeline's wedding in Braithehold.

Mica wasn't like most people his age. At 18 years old he was only 4’ 8” tall and very slender, only weighing about 90lbs. It was always joked about in his family that he was the runt and the baby of his family. Little did they know how true that was…Mica had been planning a little adventure for himself for a while doing just that.

Lane Carter was a cargo bay drone pilot scraping by and spending all his...rather her time in the Virtual Reality game created by the Zenith Company. He was a playtester on their first serious fantasy setting on the neural link head set and now steps into playtesting their new full body pods and Vala their account became something more and more.

Command track, private bunks for each of us and it’s literally us walking in through this archway and we see not cots but like these crafted cubicles that are open with no roof to them but like a four foot privacy wall and there are other cadets there hanging out.
Well hanging out or waiting.
There’s more people watching, even coming over to watch as we’re getting assigned and taking our bunks by the numbers.
I hear them say hushedly. “The Apollo.”
And I can feel eyes on me.
Not just us but on me.
And people whispering. “It’s her.”
Oh dammit.
People know who I am?

Misplaced anger, miscommunication. Bad combination.

Autumn’s story had started a chain reaction. Pretty soon everyone in the room was taking turns talking about what had led them into becoming the women they now were. Not everyone spoke about it, so far two women had declined, but most of them did. And as they did, Natalie’s suspicions were slowly but surely confirmed. They had all been men in a past life, and each had varying levels of remembrance of it.

When they returned, Jada was a cyclopean llama-taur and Steph was an octopus-taur. She was riding on Jada’s back, having apparently gotten tuckered out on the way back — she was surprisingly fast on her tentacles, but they’d tired after walking a third of the way across campus.

Chapter 1

It was lunchtime Friday, and I was having a ploughman’s lunch at the Fountains Coffee Shop and Restaurant. It was my favourite eating place, just a few steps along Wormgate from my office. It hadn’t been a busy week, something I didn’t mind. I really didn’t have to work too hard to earn enough to live on, my police pension helping a lot.

Slave to Beauty
A vignette from some images found
By Maryanne Peters

I was brought up in a beautiful home. My mother called herself “A Slave to Beauty” as if that could explain everything that she did to me – or perhaps excuse it. It was like saying that she had no choice, but surely that was mine.

When Matt said That's the protocol, it reminded me of something my grandfather told me
about his time in the Army: "The most important thing you can learn in the Army
is that there's a right way, a wrong way, and the Army way."

"How do you know which way is the Army way?" I asked him.

"It's in the manual," he replied.

The Show Place Arena, Prince George's County, Maryland:
“This song is for all you cowgirls out there.” Angela gives Cassady a head nod.

Her daddy gave her first pony
Then told her to ride
She climbed high in that saddle
Feel I don't know how many times
He taught her a lesson that she learned
Maybe a little too well
Cowgirls don't cry