Our newest content partner is a company with quite powerful portfolio. LA-based Stranger Comics hasn't even hit the market with their flagship property The Untamed and Hollywood came knocking, with powerhouses like Lloyd Levin (Watchmen) and Andrew Sugerman (Shopgirl) signing on to adapt. With a richly developed swords and sorcery world populated by a much more diverse cast of elves, dwarves and monsters than your average fantasy fare, they're rolling out a slate of properties including blog-first short fiction called Grimoires. We're proud to present that material here … welcome to the world of Asunda.
Fichiki Siri is a Morkai, a member of a race of "silver" or dark elves who are normally recognized for their magical ability by how much of their dark skin is streaked with silver pigmentation. Siri, however, is almost completely Black, save a streak of silver hair and three horizontal stripes across his chest. Many years ago, he made a pact with Magga, goddess of the moon. His part of the deal? He has to murder everyone who ever knew him or whoever knew anyone he knew, removing every possible trace of his history from the world, sacrifices to Magga. What will he get in return? Immortality. This is one of those stories …
Zosa trudged up the stairs, pulling his keys from the front pocket of his breeches. Yawning, he thought about Zushi's heaving breasts in his face and smiled, working the long stem of the key into the locking mechanism. He pulled the door solidly behind him, latched the deadbolt and strung the chain across as well.
Don’t like ads? Become a supporter and enjoy The Good Men Project ad freeThe main room of Zosa's suite was as tightly packed and claustrophobic as the rest of the Rusty Spike, with a worn pea green couch less than two feet away from the wall's turn that led from the front door. The couch's opposite end sat beneath the tiny window, shuttered closed and barred from within. A cozy bookshelf dominated the wall behind it, making room only for the hat rack Zushi had insisted on jamming into the corner "for character." Off to the left of the entryway was the small kitchen — barely big enough for one person — and the brief hallway to the two bedrooms was opposite the hat rack.
"Tomas, is that you?" Zushi's sharp, clear voice called from the kitchen.
"Home is your conquering hero," he responded, glancing at the stack of scrolls in the basket by the door. Bending down he looked over their labels and muttered to himself, "Can't believe those bastards from Bheln think I'll pay for their so-called ‘insurance,' what a scam … oh, I do need to get that order off to Ujoa, though …"
Zushi came in, wiping her hands on a white and blue plaid patterned dishtowel. At five foot six, she was exactly Zosa's height, but her curvaceous frame wasn't as wide by any stretch of the imagination. Her sloppy ponytail had stray strands of crimson hair flopping this way and that, but her smile was a row of perfectly white teeth, welcoming her husband home.
Zosa dropped the scrolls in the basket uninterestedly and held his arms open for her to step into his embrace. "How is the most beautiful woman in Noma?"
"I'm pretty sure the Mayor's wife is happily looking down on us all," Zushi chuckled, pecking Zosa's lips, "but I am happy to see you home."
"I'll never know what you see in me, beautiful wife," Zosa said, gazing dreamily into her eyes, "but I hope it never goes missing."
She smiled and rubbed her nose against his. "You're one of the most successful men within a thousand wheels, you're kind to me and you're wonderfully giving where it really counts," she said softly, her grin implying mischief. "I can imagine no finer husband I could find. Now, are you ready for dinner?"
"Half full of ale and happy to have more," Zosa chuckled, his laced fingers at the small of her back. "Where is our illustrious son?"
"Oh, you know," Zushi sighed, rolling her eyes. "Your namesake and his Spellcast."
"We should never have paid the tinker gnome for that contraption, it cost me three months on the black market and it could cost a lot more if he ever takes it out in public," Zosa said.
"He wouldn't do that," Zushi admonished.
"No? He's absent minded enough as it is, but when his head's in that thing… Anyone sees him watching a magic box with stories in it, and it's a short rope for us. Besides, it's a little disturbing, don't you think?"
"More than a little. It's hungry magic," she admitted, leading him off towards the kitchen to help her carry things to the table. "He's off half the day with his hopper trap to find enough bugs to keep it going."
"Witchcraft," Zosa shook his head. "I've got no use for it."
"That's funny," a voice from the hallway said, "it's always been very effective for me."
Zushi's eyes grew wide as she stood holding a casserole dish with two towels. Zosa narrowed his eyes, a look he normally had when he was finding out a business deal wasn't what he anticipated, and gestured with his hand for her to put the food back. She nodded, reaching for a huge knife while he turned.
Asunda Grimoires will enjoy a limited run Mondays at 11:11 AM until Mike Sales' Southside Nefertiti returns in February. Any similarity between the last name of the character above and a software product currently used in Apple's iOS for iPhones is purely coincidental as these stories were originally published before that software was released.
[Source: Stranger Comics]