Writing Sample 1

Unaffected by the pallid sun above, the water was dark as a starless night, like quicksilver it gathered itself into small spherical droplets in his cupped hand and left behind a black trail like ink as it dripped between his fingers.

Then from the pitch black lake suddenly came forth a face, squalid and sunken like a skull but of alarming size, with bulging bulbous eyes each as big as his head shining upon him with an inner light like a sickly blue spotlight. Valmar stumbled up the ornate stone steps as the monster unhinged its jaws and opened wide a cavernous maw filled with teeth like daggers, big enough to swallow him whole with ease.

The monster held perfectly still as if it somehow expected him to climb into its mouth, willingly.

An old woman was nearby watching with a compassionate smile as if his perfectly reasonable reaction was but the silliest misunderstanding.

“The Fathomking’s children!” She explained as easily as if it was the most mundane thing. “It asks if you wish to see its father.”

“I… do not. Um, pardon me, mister fish.” Valmar said and the Silent Light slowly melted into the blackness of the Western Lake with a certain air of disappointment. Valmar retreated all the way up to the top of the stairs after that, rubbing his hands together in a vain attempt to get rid of the black stains. That thing had been so close to the surface he had nearly touched it when he had bent down to examine the magical nature of the water and yet there was no clue or hint it had been there at all.