Tag: Free Fantasy

Absurdist Fantasy Short Fiction

Drunk and Disorderly

“Grand Master! Grand Master! Calyan is drunk again!” I had been reading a rather interesting book one of my protégés found in the depths of the library. It certainly ought to have been burned centuries ago to avoid exciting the novices, soI didn’t appreciate the interruption. “Grand Master?” The voice was babbling on about something I couldn’t muster an interest in, but as it did certain elements of the original sentence wormed their way into the higher centers of my brain. In particular the words ‘Calyan’ and ‘Drunk’. I stood with a sigh and opened the door. On the other…

Serial Fiction Sword and Sorcery

A Valley of Shadow — Part Three

IV DARK SUN Vision returned to Izrak as he stood upon the altar. Lebi was gone, taking with her whatever warmth had remained to a day growing cold under the weary eye of the late afternoon sun. The dead man fell to his knees. Trembling fingers raked over the stone where she had stood mere moments before—and yet so long ago. His roar reverberated through the chamber, his eyes flaring with hellfire. Stone fractured under the force of his fists crashing against the floor. Then silence, and Izrak shrank into himself. Light spilled into the narthex as the iron doors…

Poetry

The Poetry of DJ Tyrer

More of DJ Tyrer’s Poetry can be found in our Winter 2025 issue and one of his short stories will be featured in our Summer 2025 issue. Old Heroes The last great hero Legend overtaking life Naught but a shadow Yet can wield his magic sword Embraces one final quest Adventuring Party Down in the dungeon, in the deep and dark Adventurers are resting, recovering from the fight The bard begins playing, of terrors making light Down in the dungeon, they’ll surely have a lark Things are really swinging, the bard is in full song The fighters are up and…

Serial Fiction Sword and Sorcery

A Valley of Shadow — Part Two

II ONLY ONCE Faith is patience. Resilient in its timeless endurance, faith remains a steadfast sanctuary for lost and weary wanderers of epochs burdened with strife and discontent. Yet faith is not without tribulation. All must pass through the valley of shadow, where hope is naught but a dim light, a distant memory of halcyon days, long since forgotten. And as the afternoon sun drifted towards uncertain horizons, golden light fading behind a veil of grief laden clouds , Izrak Laav came upon a church in the outskirts of the Old City. It was a stout building, despite its age.…

Absurdist Fantasy Short Fiction

Old Sorcery

In the days of yore, when the old, strong sorcery was more than myth, spells required blood, their potency strengthened by the lives put into them, their power amplified by the offering of souls. Magic made heroes of men, and many men, heroic or otherwise, met their deaths at the wrong end of magic. There were those born with the gift of wizardry, natural enchanters blessed with inherent talents. There were those, too, who passively benefited from trinkets imbued by the sorcery of others. It cannot be overlooked: there is a great divide between the man who launches fire from…

Serial Fiction Sword and Sorcery

A Valley of Shadow — Part One

Prologue No one expects a dead man to walk through the front door. This time was no different. The dozen patrons of the Soul’s Lament went silent as the cobbled door whined on its hinges, and Izrak Laav crossed over the threshold, ducking his head as he passed inside. A trio of men, grim faces flushed, eyes glazed in a half-drunken stupor, sat at a table near the door. Shifting in their chairs as the dead man approached, they whispered as quivering hands hovered over unseen knives. Izrak glanced at the vagrants, the iron studs of his jerkin and mail…

Dark Fantasy Serial Fiction

The Weight of a Torch — Part One

The sun had already set as Kaia approached a squat wooden inn, nestled right off the side of the Celias Way. It was the only structure for miles around, its battered, iron door opening directly to the road. When she approached the threshold, the door swung open, carving a path for the scents of spiced meat and hearty stew to meander into the night air. She lingered at the threshold, staring into an empty dining room, dimly lit with tallow candles. She took a deep breath. “I am but a traveler, seeking rest, that we might hold together the fraying…

Serial Fiction Sword and Sorcery

Even the Dead Suffer

A Prelude to A Valley of Shadow. Skip to Part One. Lord Yemor slumped onto a log the villains had conceived to use as a bench. Peasants. How is it that these sorts never consider stealing decent furniture? The lord wondered what price he would now pay for anything bearing a cushion. A grimace parted Yemor’s lips as he looked at the dead man sitting across from him. He had not even considered what price the corpse would demand. This undead churl will undoubtedly try to ransom me himself. “They were waiting for us.” Yemor drank from a half-empty wineskin,…

Cozy Fantasy Short Fiction

The Wizard’s Wife

It was the best smell in the world: fresh coffee perched on a tray hovering towards her from the open bedroom door, an earthy aroma drifting in its wake. Sitting up in her bed with a stretch, the tray sat itself down on her side-table. Silvana Shadewillow graciously accepted the cup, delighted by her husband’s thoughtfulness. Drawing in a tentative sip, her eyes fluttered shut when she tasted it — extra cream, a dash of sugar — it was her perfect cup of coffee. When she opened her eyes again, she finally noticed the accompanying little breakfast her sweet Markous…

Free Fantasy Poetry

Parnassus Pub

Almost last call and the place is packed. Conversations blur to barbar. A string of satyrs makes eyes at the mirror. Some Artemis staggers her way to the loo. Apollo of the hour sips wine with the nymphs. Tender’s the nightcap: a chaser of Ouzo— I’m primed to ride Pegasus all the way home. More of Frank William Finney’s poetry is available in The Literary Fantasy Magazine: Winter 2025 Frank William Finney is a poet from Massachusetts who taught literature in Thailand for 25 years. A Joint winner of The Letter Review Prize for Poetry, his poems have appeared in…