Well, after way to much time has passed I've managed produce something worth showing other people. This piece is all I have written for the last couple of months. I labored over it and it isn't anywhere near finished, but I decided that there's enough here to post. So enjoy and comment if you have anything say.
In Which a Partnership is Formed
Jade felt like she was falling. It seemed to last forever. In complete darkness, she couldn’t be sure she was moving at all. The agent had said she might experience something strange. It varied from person to person. She tried to keep calm. For a time, breathing deeply seemed to beat back her rising panic. It didn’t help as much when she saw the rapidly approaching brick wall. Her calm murdered by lurking panic, Jade flailed desperately to slow or divert her fall. The wall raced to meet her; she clenched her eyes closed just before impact.
In an alley late at night, a tear in time and space opened. It was a ragged hole, like a hole in the knee of a pair of jeans. The edges quivered like a living thing and it was filled with an angry, roiling storm that howled like a daemon denied. The tear hurled a single figure from its depths, like a child would discard a broken toy.
Jade struggled to her feet and then promptly emptied the contents of her stomach on the cobblestones. Inter-dimensional travel was just as unpleasant as people said. Her head spinning, Jade leaned against the wall and tried to regain her center. She took deep, cleansing breaths and forced herself examine her situation. No broken bones or lacerations. For a few days she’d be sore, but nothing serious. With great care, she examined her gear to check for damage. Her cloak was filthy from the accumulated detritus in the alley, but hadn’t torn. Her bow was in good shape, but she had landed on her quiver. Only two arrows had survived the impact. The long hunting knife at her side was fine, but her supply of food was pulverized. The packages of dried meat and fruit were burst open and the bread was reduced to crumbs. Thankfully, her meager hoard of coppers and a couple silvers was still safely ensconced in an inner pocket of her vest.
Shakily, she exited the alley. The street was lined with two-story shops and smelled like a stable. Jade sped through the street in search of somewhere to hide. The sounds of a festival or party resounded down the street. Curious, she followed the noise. In a town square of some sort, three entertainers competed for the attentions of a sizable audience. To Jade’s left stood a human dressed in voluminous purple trousers with matching tunic and feathered cap. He strummed a lute with feverish intensity, his face set in a contrasting look of serenity. The music he played was a jaunty tune intended to draw you in and get your feet moving. To Jade’s right was a goblin dancer. Dressed in a gown that seemed to be made from glittering scales, she moved to the time of her castanets. Her whirling and stamping dance drew in the eye and mesmerized the onlookers. As interesting as those performers were, the center one seemed to dominate the audience’s attentions.
