Colt Hawkridge thought he was content with his life on the frontier, wrangling drakes and working the ranch. Good, honest work, even if a body risks getting mauled. But when he tracks down a runaway drake calf to the edge of the Hawkridge Mountains, he discovers a danger that threatens everyone he knows, and makes an ally who seems intent on throwing him into dangerous situations for the fun of it. With the help of a half-goblin slave girl and a sickly mage, and armed with an orewood sword housing the spirit of a dryad, Colt must escape an underground labyrinth, rescue a bunch of slaves, and save Drake Iron ranch from a horde of goblin raiders.

“You should wear a helmet,” I told her as we examined the broken one that now lay helplessly on the floor. Neither of us had a clue how or why it was broken. Had been fine yesterday. “I don’t need it,” Sara told me sounding incredibly annoyed, “I trust you. Nothing’s going to happen.” I hated people riding on motorbikes without helmets, it had always been one of those things that Just bugged me. It wasn’t safe. But I had to take her home and as I lived out in the country my motorbike was our only means of transportation. It was only this once, I told myself, Just this once. And she was right, what could happen?

Jeremy Blake is too old for the monster under his bed...but that won't stop it from killing him. Originally published by The Story Station, November 2009 Cover illustration: "The Nightmare" by Henry Fuseli, used under creative commons from www.athenaeum.org

A newspaper writer sets the record straight on a famous trial in this Old West tale...

All beginnings have endings and all endings have beginnings. This is just the way of life. This is the story of the beauty of both, and the wonderfulness inbetween. What begins as a few becomes many, and what ends is the outcome of their struggle against a greater power. This is the story of neither endings or beginnings, but ultimately the story itself. That is what is most important, is it not? Memento homo, quia pulvis es, et in pulverem reverteris (Remember man, that you are dust, and unto dust you shall return) To My Friends: Morgan, Sean, Tylah. ★Enjoy★