After nibbling on some hard cheese and stale bread from his pack, Darney pulled the cards out of his pocket and spread them in front of him, far enough away from the fire that no sparks would jump on them, but close enough so he could see part of the images on their faces.
Per usual, the Magus card stalked him at the center of the heap, reversed, staring up at him, accusing him of not being who he was supposed to be--labeling him a charlatan. The confidence of the mage on the card was wiped when reversed, like something had drained the vibrant colors surrounding him. Blue cat eyes glinted in the backdrop, but they looked miserable upside down.
The mage had escaped the fire, and it seemed to call the damaged cards to it, so it could protect them. What Darney should have done.
He scooped the cards up and stuffed them back in his pocket. His own guilt was enough--he didn't need it from that card too.
Darney shut his eyes, yearning for sleep, to forget what had happened. But the screams wouldn't let him.
From "The Magus" (placeholder title) in the Fate series (rough draft)
About the Fate series:
A story for every Tarot card. A connection to the world of Fate for every story. The three world-hopping cat sisters find themselves at home in the purples of Fate, yet still drawn to the greens of Earth, sticking their noses in the stories of inhabitants of both worlds.
"The Magus" follows Darney on his quest to heal his damaged deck of Tarot cards--cards that have their own heartbeats.
Please visit Science Fiction Fantasy Saturday (SFFS) to read more great snippets!
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You've got my attention. Would like to know more about these cards.
ReplyDeleteAn interesting concept, writing a short story for each card.
ReplyDeleteI agree with both T.M. Crone and Hunter. And the guilt that this character is getting from the card is palpable. Great snippet.
ReplyDeleteIt comes to something when even cards accuse you of failure. Or is it simply his own guilt shaping them?
ReplyDeleteThis is really intriguing. I definitely want to know more about these cards!
ReplyDelete(And I really like that you're writing a set of stories based on the Tarot. That's pretty cool.)
Excellent premise and I'm sure everyone is interested in the cards. Thanks for sharing and good luck for nano :)
ReplyDelete