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Luminescence
by A.F. Stewart

Before the scream of war and the roar of hubris, before the bitter touch of swords, and the colder hearts of men, the world existed in the shadow of the fallen stars. A time of endless night, the time of demons, when the skies went dark and evil ruled the earth. The time when the gods turned away from the world.

Save us. Do not forsake us.

We are your faithful children.

Yet, the night still screamed, the blood still flowed deep into the earth.

Spare us. Spare the children

What have we done to offend you?

Pleas of mercy rose to an empty sky, and the silence descended like burning rain. 

Mother, give me strength to fight.

One cry, against the scouring wind. One voice reaching higher. One voice answered by a careless goddess. A searing celestial radiance burning the earth in ash and charred bone. Yet, a few rose from the ash, faces etched in starlight patterns, the warrior women reborn to save the world.

We are the stars

We are the vanguard

We will fight and protect.

They stood the ground against the night, shone burning bright and salvaged hope from despair, life from death and torment. Demon blood ran black into the dirt from their swords, and they restored the light to the heavens, driving the demons back to the shadows. The sun rose on their victory. Yet, the night lingered.

Shadows remain.

Our tears will flow forever.

We know the price.

A curse of claw and bile spewed against their existence, their blood. Demon tainted into eternity, deeds tainted with forgetfulness, with ignorance and being pushed aside, the warriors faded into distant memory. Yet, a spark of star survived. A spark of warrior in women’s eyes.

We are the stars

We are the vanguard

We will fight and protect.

That is their legacy…

Fiction © Copyright A.F. Stewart
Image courtesy of Pixabay.com

 

More from A.F. Stewart:

Visions and Nightmares

Tragedy spares no one… and takes no prisoners.
In the twilight shadows, secrets are revealed past the whispers of madness.

Wander into the realm of the old gods with Elenora, where humanity and marriage are a prison.
Step through a looking glass of dark horrors with an Alice you never knew.
Join with Zenna to seek the truth as her death by magic grows closer.
Journey with Olivia as she crosses paths with a monster of the forest and runs for her life.
Watch Isobel summon the faerie to solve her problem of an unwanted husband.
Shiver as Doctor Killbride experiments with corpses to create life from death.
All that and more await within the pages.

Ten stories. Ten women.
Who will survive? Who will fall? And who will succumb to their inner evil?
Find out in Visions and Nightmares.

Warning: This book contains disturbing scenes that may be upsetting to some readers.

Available on Amazon!