When one morning, Zabava finds a wounded man in her garden, there is no doubt she ought to help him. But the more she gets to know about him, the clearer it seems that destiny had delivered a gruesome strike with this stranger. For her unexpected guest is Zmey, the dragon haunting the country of Skazoviya with his endless appetite for the hearts of girls. Everyone knows how this would have to end in the tales-a powerful witch in the woods, a terrible dragon, a dashing hero. But this is no tale. Zabava is no witch. The brave bogatyr has failed to kill his enemy. And the dragon doesn't seem to be quite the kind of monster the rumors make him out to be. Soon enough, he spins Zabava a tale of woe about his innocence and traps her in a bargain to rescue him. Caught between plans to trick this beast and the chains of their pact, she slowly starts to believe Zmey's story ... but what if the tales are true and what's at stake is her very heart? _____ ONC 2026 ENTRY: PROMPTS 3, 4, 11

❝ DON'T GET LOST IN THE WOODS FOR THEY ARE HUNGRY ❞ Vesnyana died a long time ago. As a rusalka, she is now bound to haunt the waters that took her life - and drown hapless folks in their cold depths. However, the woods have become quiet over the years, and her endless hungerhas become more tormenting. That is, until the summer solstice, which drives young lovers into the trees in search of the magical fern flower. But only one of them is truly determined to find it. Which is but a game for other youths in the village of Lasow, to Yara seems like the only way to free herself from her sorrows. Little does she know what dangers await her and her best friend Levik due to her desperate pursuit. One of them, lurking in a cold river, desires the flower herself ... _______ ONC 2026 ENTRY: PROMPTS 16, 104, 114

It is the fall of 1598 when Gábor Hunyadi, the first general of Emperor Rudolph II., arrives at Čachtice castle. Not long after, he is dead and his successor Vilmos Tóth finds himself confronted with the mystery surrounding the case he now has to solve. Although he soon finds a confidant in the widow Dorottya, his key witness of all people doesn't talk - and seems to suffer from acute amnesia. And then there is the deceased general's nephew who has apparently disappeared without a trace... ─── ⋆⋅♱⋅⋆ ─── My entry to the OpenNovellaContest 2026 ©2026

Ryazan, one of the grandest cities in all Rus', lays along the war path of thousands of Tatar warriors eager to seize the spoils of a short-fought campaign: the women of the city and gold from its treasury. Having set up camp on the riverbank outside the city, they await a reply from the envoys of Grand Prince Yuriy. As the Grand Prince deliberates, his brothers both caution and counsel him. If Ryazan falls, the rest of Rus' may be next ─ an outcome his people grow ever more wary of, turning to priests and heretics alike as rumor and fear run rampant inside the city walls. Finally left untended, the Polovtsian princess Yanay, conquered once before, now belonging to one of the Grand Prince's brothers, quietly observes these developments. She prays to her old gods when she can, and aligns herself with a young Tatar captive and soon-to-be deposed priest, all the while secretly seeking her freedom and revenge. ──────── ☽ ◯ ☾ ──────── A retelling of the Siege of Ryazan complete with rageful women and warrior princes; gods both kind and cunning; and sin aplenty. Copyright © 2026 Elle Chaika Open Novella Contest 2026 | Prompt No. 45 »Kings have honor, soldiers are brave, poets have heart, and all I have is rage!«