Genre: a Regency fantasy romance (c) Shereen Vedam
Excerpt from:
Genre: Fantasy Regency Romance
Prologue Part I (other world opening) Switzerland, Summer Equinox, June 1454
“This be truly odd, Andreas.” Johannes, a polecat, stood up to sniff the closest tall stone his friend had brought him to inspect. There were a gaggle of them, all lined up, straight as a man-made fence, across the recently empty landscape.
His nose suggested these stones may have been roasted at some point, like in a forest fire. One sniff and his throat felt dry and itchy. The sharp scent was unfamiliar. Keeping well back, he used his whiskers to sense its makeup. This stone was
“They weren’t here last night.” Andreas, a fellow polecat, scratched at the white fur that made up his neck bib. “Yet, this dawn, they’re blocking my path to the lake.”
Johannes clacked in scorn. While immensely tall, each stone was only ten steps wide, leaving a wide gap before the next stone. There was plenty of room to scoot through, though he didn’t want to be the first to try.
“Where do you suppose they came from?” Andreas asked.
“Who knows?” Johannes inched closer to inspect the line of stones that seemed to stretch forever in either direction. “They smell ashy. Have you touched one yet?”
“No! You do it. Bet you won’t.”
Johannes sighed. That’s why Andreas had asked him to come. He knew Johannes couldn’t resist a challenge. The moment anyone said, bet you can’t do this or that, Johannes felt compelled to try. The urge to lick the darn stone trembled on his tongue. He leaned forward.
The air before him erupted like a hot spring, scorching his extended tongue and flinging him backwards.
He landed painfully on his left side and Andreas landed with a thump beside him. His friend’s bushy tail filled Johannes’s sore mouth. He spat out the tail and scrambled to get his feet under him.
“Ayee!” Andreas squealed and raced for the cover of trees.
Panic battering in his chest, Johannes glanced back at the stones. His breath caught at the sight of tall humans dressed in bright coverings standing perfectly still in front of each stone. They looked as surprised to be there as Johannes was to see them.
Johannes turned and raced after his friend. He really had to break this habit of blindly responding to challenges.
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