Good afternoon, Snippetteers! I decided to backtrack a little for this week’s snippet — the scene from which this snippet is taken is our introduction to Maelduin, the Fae main character of STONE COLD. I firmly believe in starting stories in medias res, in the middle of things, and we first encounter Maelduin as he’s fighting for his life against an unnamed opponent. I chose this snippet because my books tend to feature the Fae out of their element, in the human world — but I do enjoy writing about the Realm, too. Maybe someday I’ll set a book there — what do you think, would you be interested in a “pure” fantasy story, not an urban fantasy? No humans involved?
********
His opponent blurred into motion, leaping to the high ground, his sword raised despite his own evident exhaustion. Not to parry or defend, but to attack. And even at the limit of exhaustion, after a day and a night and a dawn of fighting for his life, Maelduin was breathless, in awe of the beauty of the other male’s lethal purpose.
His own purpose. His own face, his own form.
His opponent was a mage’s creation, a comhrac-scátha — a magickal ghost, a living mirror, with all Maelduin’s skill with a blade, all his grace, both natural and learned, as well as the wiles and unpredictability of living magick. And all the hatred in the Fae’s heart, his single-minded need to become the best scian-damhsa, blade-dancer, the Fae race had ever known, to allow him to kill the one whose death was the true focus of his life.
********
A couple of links for you:
Rainbow Snippets on Facebook, your home for all sorts of LGBTQIA+ goodies — https://www.facebook.com/groups/RainbowSnippets/
My Amazon page, which is (for now) the best central location for you to find all my work (but watch this space for a new alternative, ere long!) — http://ow.ly/uXRb3080iCr
Intriguing…that would be a difficult fight!
So he’s basically admiring himself in a mirror as that image tries to kill him? Interesting.
wow, a powerful scene!
Beautiful! Personally, I love pure fantasy. 🙂
Ooh, that’s got to be hard from an emotional point of view!
What an exciting scene? If it helps I was just in a conversation within the last week of people lamenting there not being enough pure fantasy.
Great snippet. Fight scenes are difficult enough on their own, but you’ve also woven in world-building beautifully.
I love pure fantasy. (And once I get my current SF project released I’ll go back to focusing on it.)
What wonderful concept. Deadly but beautiful. I loved it
Wow, having someone’s death as the entire focus of your life… I love fantasy, but I find fantasy names really hard. Fred the fae. That works. 😀