Glimpses: an Anthology of 16 Short Fantasy Stories: An exclusive collection of fantasy fiction

by Kevin Partner

  Memory came crashing back at him from the previous night. Everything was still in such a haze as he stood and stared at the fresh grave. He still couldn’t believe that it was real, but as the memories flooded back into his mind, he knew. The previous night had started similarly to so many other nights, but he would remember it forever. Unwillingly, he found himself treading the pathways of recent memory.

  He’d stood in front of his home, letting the gentle summer breeze whisper through his thick wavy brown hair. One arm was bent, securing his helm between his ribcage and elbow. He used his free hand to scratch the itch beneath his neatly trimmed goatee. Exhaling, he shifted his weight, the faded crimson plate mail softly clinking as he wiped the sweat threatening to drip into his eyes. Rays of light from the setting sun fought to break through the tall pine forest behind him, a few seeping through and alighting themselves on the log cabin in the middle of the clearing.

  Home.

  He took a deep breath, and he smiled as he reached the top of the few steps. Searon rolled his head, stretching his neck. Inside, the kitchen flame was still lit and he exhaled, feeling the warmth spread through his chest, delighted that his wife had stayed up waiting for him. Since the day they had first met, she had never gone to sleep without him by her side. It did take some time for her to fall in love with him, but when she did, it was stronger than any bond he could imagine. He had felt the same way with her. Searon never knew he could feel such strong ties to one person.

  When he stepped inside, he could feel the warm air wrap around his body like a wool blanket. He set his helmet on his oak desk with a clang and continued to the kitchen. It was there he saw the most beautiful thing imaginable: his wife, Victoria, sat on a chair by the dining table, sound asleep. He could hear a low snore coming from her and he smiled.

  Smiling, he bent down and brushed her glistening brunette hair out of her eyes to kiss her warm forehead. The warmth spread through him and she stirred, glancing up at him. Her brown eyes sparkled in the candlelight like a whirlpool of cinnamon.

  “Searon… I’m sorry, I must have dozed off,” she said, shifting positions to better look up at him. A small smile appeared on her face. She was as much in love with him as always.

  She hurriedly went to the kitchen and started a fire with flint and steel. Finding the two pots, she hung them both over the fire. The larger black pot held soup while the smaller one had tea. The aromas traveled through the cabin and settled under Searon’s nose, taunting him. He smiled at the pleasant smell of beef and black peas as Victoria retrieved two wooden bowls and spoons to set on the counter.

  Searon watched Victoria cook for a few minutes before standing to walk into the kitchen, placing his arms around her waist. He bent down to kiss her smooth neck, causing her to blush and smile. He moved his lips to her ear and whispered, “I love you.” The words struck his heart as they always did, and he hoped they affected her the same way. Out of all the things in his life, she was the only one he had been sure of. She was the only one for him, and nobody could ever get in their way. The three words were still heartfelt for him, and he said them with every bit as much passion as he had the first time. With all of his heart and soul, he loved every last inch and detail of her. The more he learned about her, the more he loved. Nothing in the world would ever change that.

  She turned around and clasped her hands on his cheeks. “And I love you, my husband.” Her smile widened as she bit her lip and held him tight. They had been with each other for over a decade and were still deeply in love. Searon could feel in his heart that her words were true, although he had never doubted them. Every time he heard the words, his heart would skip a beat. He craved to hear those words from her as much as he craved to have her touch him.

  They kissed and time seemed to freeze around them. It felt like only minutes had passed but it turned into a lifetime of ecstasy. Her hands wrapped around Searon and clung to his back as his hands caressed her soft hair. Everything around them was a blur. In their moment, nothing else mattered. For Searon, it felt like he was floating in the air with her, gliding across the room in the most magical kiss of his life. Every kiss with her was just as exotic and every new kiss blew the last perfect kiss they had with each other into oblivion.

  After their kiss, he held her in his arms while she continued to cook. The warmth of her back against his chest sent butterflies through his body. His hands rested on her belly for a moment before they slid up her shirt to feel the warmth of her stomach. It stuck out only a little as she was still with an early stage with their second child. It brought a smile to his face to know he could have another son, or maybe even a daughter this time.

  When the meal was ready, they sat at the table to eat. The hearty soup settled his stomach and nearly burned his mouth as he took a deep slurp. It was still hot, but the indescribable taste of meat and vegetables made it impossible to set his spoon down. Not to mention the lingering smell causing his mouth to water. It wasn’t long before he finished his entire bowl. His stomach rumbled in pleasure. He drank the hot black tea, enjoying the sweet honey flavor Victoria had swirled into it. It was one of the most pleasant meals Searon experienced.

  Victoria was a talented chef.

  “How was the field, honey?” Victoria asked.

  Searon had given up his place as a captain to be with her. He had kept his promise of never killing another person in exchange for her hand, and he cherished his promise as she cherished him for it. Although, she did know it was hard for him. He often looked at his claymore, missing the freedom of the battlefield. They had moved away together shortly after their marriage, away from all the chaos of the larger cities. He didn’t want any part of the conflicts between the few surrounding cities, so they left. There wasn’t much keeping him in place anyway. The only one he had to say goodbye to was his brother.

  Together, they chose a village far from the traffic of the larger cities. It was a small trade village that harvested crops. Still, they were in need of protection if anything were to go wrong or if they were attacked. The village didn’t have an army or a barracks, but they did have a small militia who were in dire need of training. Searon had opened his mouth to ask his gracious wife if he could train them when they arrived, but she had already nodded. She was sympathetic of his craving for the blade, and since he did promise to keep his blade from striking down another, she knew allowing him to train young men would satisfy him. At least, she hoped it would keep him from getting carried away. Victoria trusted him.

  “A few new young boys came today. I spent all day teaching them how to wield a sword,” he sighed, remembering the day’s chaos. The young boys had never held a sword before and it took a lot of patience to teach them. It was one of the more difficult parts of his job, but it also made it much more rewarding once they developed skills.

  “Their fathers ought to be the ones to train them,” she huffed, glancing at Searon. She knew he loved his career, and it kept him from reminiscing about his battle days, but sometimes she wished he would spend more time at home with their son Kellen.

  “Their fathers are farmers and most likely don’t own a sword. They will probably end up being pikemen, but I wanted to see what I could do with them first,” Searon said with enthusiasm.

  “What did you and Kellen do today?” he asked.

  Searon remembered the first day he held Kellen in his arms. He had never seen anything so precious. His arms had felt so warm and complete. He knew he didn’t truly live until that day, and he had Victoria to thank for it. Searon didn’t know where his life would be if he had never pursued her. She was everything to him.

  “We went for a swim in the creek and he caught some fish with the spear you helped him make. They’re in a barrel of water out back for later. Together we picked vegetables out of the garden and I showed him how to slice them.” She paused, smiling. “I’ve been reading to him from Tales of Calthoria. I do wish you were home more as he does need to spend time with you,” she said, looking deep into h
is eyes with a curled bottom lip. Every time he saw her sympathy eyes, it made his heart melt and he felt guilty.

  Searon realized he wasn’t spending enough time with his son, and he regretted it. He had been getting distracted with training all the new warriors for their small town of Anevrea. Victoria’s forehead creased and Searon sighed. He knew he could get carried away with his duties, and understood that he pushed the strength of the militia more than the village leaders. He missed fighting, and training the young boys brought some closure to his desire for battle.

  “I know. After we get these new recruits trained up a bit, I’ll take some time off to spend with him,” he promised. Her worried expression lit up with a small smile. She knew Searon would never go against his word, not to her.

  “I know you will, darling,” she said, leaning forward to kiss his cheek. Getting up from the table, she took the bowls back to the kitchen to rinse in the sink.

  Searon stood. He tiptoed to his son’s room. Kellen was sound asleep, snoring in his bed under the white and blue quilt Victoria had made. Searon smiled as he sat on the edge of Kellen’s bed. He ran his finger through his son’s tangled brown hair.

  Kellen stirred in his sleep. Searon removed his hand, hoping not to wake his son. Kellen’s head rolled over to face his father. He was still asleep, but Searon could now see his face. Kellen favored his father, including his cleft chin, but had a few elegant facial features of his mother. Searon didn’t know he could love someone so much. Everything changed the day his son was born.

  Searon played with him every day he was home. He taught him swordplay, wood chopping, fishing, and anything else he thought a growing boy should know. Kellen was a quick learner just like his father and Searon was proud of his son. He showed him how to track and hide his own tracks in the forest, and all the woodcraft he knew. His son was still young, but Searon wanted him more prepared for life than he ever was. Searon had never known his father. His mother did her best to teach him before she died. He didn’t want his son to experience the same hardships he had.

  Searon sat, lost in thought, at the edge of his son’s bed, looking at his handsome sleeping face. He decided to stay home tomorrow and play with the boy. It was time for a day off. Eventually, he would have to return to town to continue training the new recruits, but they could wait one day, for tomorrow, his son needed him, and most importantly, he needed his son.

  He brushed his hand against the top of the boy’s head once more, feeling the soft thick locks of hair as he leaned over to kiss his forehead. Kellen stirred in his sleep again, this time waking and looking to his father. He smiled, dimples forming on his cheeks.

  “Father…” His voice was tired, yet loving.

  “Get some sleep, my son. Tomorrow is another day. I will stay home tomorrow and we may do whatever you wish.” Searon smiled at his son. He enjoyed the days where he let his son choose what to do. Sometimes they would travel the forest and Kellen would ask his father questions about their surroundings. He was a bright young man, who always wanted to learn new things.

  “Yes, Father,” Kellen said, yawning. Searon slid the quilt further up the boy’s body and smiled at him.

  Searon stood, stepping toward the door, but Kellen’s voice froze him in place before he left.

  “Father?”

  “Yes, my son?” Searon asked, turning back around.

  “I love you.” Kellen smiled. The smile was so heartfelt and warming. It lit up the dark room with love.

  Searon’s heart melted as it did every time he heard those words. It affected him in a different way than when Victoria said it, but each was unique, and he loved them both with his entire heart. He grinned as he looked at his son. “I love you too. Get some rest so we can go on an adventure tomorrow. Goodnight.”

  “Goodnight, Father,” Kellen said with another yawn. He rolled back over and closed his eyes.

  Searon gently closed the door before tiptoeing back to his wife. She sat at the table, grinning. Victoria grew in love with Searon even more as each day passed. In the beginning, she hadn’t expected him to be such a perfect husband and father. It warmed her to see how much he loved his son. She knew she and Kellen were his life. Soon there would be another in their lives. She rubbed her stomach, knowing everything would be all right because Searon would be there. No matter what happened, he would be there to take care of them.

  Searon bowed, kissing his wife on the forehead. She stood, wrapping her arms around him, feeling his warm heart pressed against her body. Gazing into his eyes, she kissed his lips softly. He returned her kiss with more intensity. Their kisses were never soft or hurried, because as soon as their lips touched, their instincts took over. She grew weak in the knees. Searon held her steady so she wouldn’t fall.

  He put his arm around her shoulder and spoke in a whisper, “Let’s go to bed.”

  Searon shivered at the memory, for it was the last fond memory he had of his wife. It was the last night he’d heard his son speak, and it haunted him. He looked back at the grave in front of him and sighed. The haunting memories of that night came crashing through his mind no matter how hard he tried to push them away.

  Searon had awoken in the middle of that night to something thrashing in the living room. He quickly sat up in his bed with wide eyes as the bedroom door crashed open and two creatures stepped inside. They had charcoal scaly skin, large bloodshot eyes, razor sharp teeth, and long fingers with claws. The creatures entered the room with axes in their hands. Searon had heard stories of such creatures before, but he didn’t believe they actually existed. In the stories they were called draeyks. Their bodies were reptilian with long snouts and tails resembling the small lizards he used to catch as a child. These were no small lizards though. They looked deadly. He’d heard stories of them attacking men in the forest. Searon had always thought the stories to be false.

  The two draeyks rushed toward him. Before he could react, one sliced its axe into Victoria’s stomach. Her eyes sprung open and she screamed. The cut penetrated deep. Searon knew his unborn child was no more. His wife—his love—his everything, was in excruciating pain. Her breath came out in gasps. The same draeyk arched its axe back for another blow, but Searon saw it and grabbed Victoria in his arms. He rolled her off the side of the bed with him. When they crashed on the floor, Searon made sure she lay on her back. He grazed his palm to her face for a second, mouthing sorry. He stood to face their attackers.

  The draeyks didn’t wear any armor. Their skin looked hard as scales. Its axe slashed toward Searon from the side. He dropped to the ground to avoid the strike. When he got back to his feet, he rolled across the bed to collide with the creature, knocking it to the ground with a thud. Searon rushed to the door. When he heard nothing outside, he closed the door, and turned around to face the two creatures. A draeyk stepped toward him and snarled, showing its crusty yellow teeth. He dropped to the ground and swept his leg against the draeyk’s legs, causing the creature to fall to the ground.

  The second creature rushed at him and tried to bring its axe down over Searon’s head. Searon stretched his right hand out to stop the axe midair, holding onto the creature’s wrist. With his free hand, he punched the draeyk in the face. The creature fell to the ground. Searon’s hand throbbed. The scales of the creature scarred his bloody hand. He admited it was foolish to think they had anything but a hard face. He glanced to the first creature as it began to rise. He sprang forward to stomp it in the jaw. His bare foot began to throb.

  Searon scanned the room in search of his claymore. He spotted it on his dresser, glowing crimson around the edges. He grasped the hilt. Power surged through him. He felt strength. Searon studied the two creatures as they rushed him. He dodged and blocked a few attacks with his claymore. After a few parries, he struck both of the creatures through the heart. Satisfaction overcame him as they crumbled to the floor.

  He rushed over the bed, sliding across it to the other side. He fell next to Victoria, holding her tightly in his arms as tea
rs streamed down his face. Dropping his weapon on their bed, he held her tighter. Cold sweat dripped from his forehead as he continued to repeat her name.

  Searon ripped off her nightgown and stared at her deep wound. It was too deep. His heart throbbed in his chest. Searon could barely breathe. He gagged when he saw her blood. Searon tried to compose himself as he searched his mind for anything useful. He had seen a lot of blood in his life, but never hers; he never thought he’d see her blood, not like this. His hand shook unsteadily and his vision blurred as he tried to think of something, anything that could help.

  Blood stained the floor where she lay. He turned his head away, not wanting to look at it. He tore off his own cloth shirt. Her blue nightgown was silk and would be useless. He ripped the shirt in half and tied it around her stomach, trying to prevent the bleeding. He hoped for enough time to get medical attention. Searon bent down to kiss her lips. He tasted blood. His kiss slowed at first. It was hard for him to know the blood on her lips, now on his, was hers. After a pause, he decided to not let it get to him. He pressed harder into the kiss. Searon was afraid, more so than ever. He believed this kiss may be their last. He would do whatever he could, but he wanted to make sure this kiss transferred all his love for her.

  She kissed him back weakly and in pain. Still, her tenderness and passion made it their perfect kiss. A single tear fell from his eye and onto her face as he released his lips from hers. Thrashing from outside the room jarred him. He glanced to the bedroom door. Victoria closed her eyes as her breathing slowed.

  “Kellen…” she whispered.