This story continues a series of short fiction exploring some of the Faerie Shepherds and Shepherdesses within my fantasy world. Read below the story for further explanation and head over to the Tales of the Faerie Shepherds if you’d like to read more!
It was a night of stillness and shimmer. The lunar corona’s glimmer surrounded the moon’s orb with its circular frame in such a way that it appeared like some giant cat’s eye hanging in the sky, keeping watch over Arabeth.
She rested the exhaustion of her head against the windowframe. Her fiery ringlets hung in disarray about her face. The night pressed against her milky skin, adding to the heaviness beneath which she drooped.
The Cait Sith, feline faeries, were active tonight, so she needn’t fear. Tonight Arabeth could rest in peace. Auntie had gifted her their protection before her birth.
During visits with her Auntie each harvest moon, Arabeth heard tales of the Realms, the Faeries, their Shepherds and all creatures seen—but mostly unseen. Auntie shared prophecies and pieces of visions as she was ready to hear them.
As her eyes shuttered closed, Arabeth glimpsed the cat shapes surrounding her and heard their purred protection. She saw their dancing shapes turning around and leaping within the corona. She felt the softness in the Cait Sith who shifted her down onto her pillow and felt the comforting peace of Fia’s presence curled into her side, as he radiated warmth and surety through his deeply rumbling purr.
Before the sound lulled her into sleep’s fullest release, Arabeth received another flash of a much brighter solar corona. It blinded her dreaming vision and sent horror coursing through her before the comfort of Auntie’s voice rose from deep within its resulting darkness.
“Fear not, Bright One. Eail and I will lead the charge of that Greatest Battle.”
“Lunar Corona” Copyright © 2019 by Joy E. Rancatore. All Rights Reserved.
What do you think about this world of mine that I’m building? If you enjoyed this story, please head over to read the entire Tales of the Faerie Shepherds series.
This month’s story flowed from the inspiration of a delightful monthly online writing prompt, #BlogBattle. As you will read on their site, “Blog Battle is a monthly writing prompt meant to inspire writers and entertain readers.” To read several outstanding stories inspired by June’s prompt, “Corona,” head on over to the BlogBattlers site!
You may just find a new favorite author to follow!
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Just caught this Joy whilst updating the entries! Added yours now too.
World building continues in fae land. Still looking and sounding fresh too. Are these actual scenes from a WIP or are you like me and develop backstory through prompts to enhance the actual works? I’ve been very slack of late so please excuse my absence here too!
So slack I had to combine last months prompt with this months! Although might have inadvertently discovered what wrote The God Strain virus lol.
Loved this as always too!
Thank you so much, Gary!! You beat me to commenting over there! I’ve been woefully behind in keeping up with my BlogBattle friends, but I promise I’m still here. I just had to get through final edits, proofs and formatting for my novel. I may be starting to see some light again! HA!
What a fun discovery to make!! I cannot wait to read it, and I’ll look for hints at that. It’s so much fun to follow everyone’s writing and to get the added joy of seeing fellow Crux Crew members developing and expanding upon their stories! Love it!
Thank you so much for your kinds words! I’m definitely being guided by the prompt words, but they’re going into what will be actual scenes. I know the bare bones outline of the entire series, but I also know that this will morph into three different realms or sets of characters as well. They’ll all be related, but they can stand on their own as well. So, through these shorts I’m “getting to know” my characters. Sometimes it’s in one realm; sometimes in another. I’ve only skimmed the surface of the one character who will pull in that third one, though. Today’s will likely be a larger part of the children’s series that will accompany my adult one. It’s all rather elaborate and probably makes no sense anywhere but in my own head, but I’m super excited about it. Plus, the prompts are really serving as outstanding guides as I continue to world build. Fingers crossed, deeper outlining and then first writing begins in 2020!!
I tried replying to this before Joy, but it doesn’t seem to have come through. I’m not receiving notifications that you replied either. Ergo if I miss any I must apologise!
Don’t worry either, you’re not alone in infrequent visiting on the BlogBattle stories. I’ve been a tad slack too! Making bigger effort though at present so hopefully I can form a habit. That said you’re busy with a novel so the priorities of writer first, blogger second must come into play. Few realise how much work goes on behind the scenes.
You are so right about all the behind-the-scenes work. Yikes! It’s overwhelming at times. I am looking forward to this month’s prompt and hope to work on that soon!
Always a pleasure Joy, really must do an author spotlight on you too!
Definitely agree short stories allow character building. I’ve learnt so much about them and their worlds through them. Last year I even dedicated the whole A to Z challenges into assorted interviews with folk from my manuscripts. That turned up an entirely new epic in waiting!
Nothing ever makes sense outside the writers mind I think. Not at the development stages lol. My next one (admin privilege of knowing them all!) has just found one of my favourite characters back in my head, two years after I wrote her book. I know that won’t make sense already!!
Great to hear you’re almost done with the revision process too. I ought to start shaping my slush pile up soon too. Yikes!
Our minds are a rather convoluted place! Of course, it’s similar to my filing cabinet or desk or external hard drive folder system. It looks like a giant mess to anyone else, but I know exactly where everything is. Most of the time, anyway. Happy writing, Gary! I would certainly be open to a spotlight any time, too!
Definitely up for that Joy. Will get in touch once schools end. One week left so call it imminent! I’ve just been wandering your site too…a book editor!! I’ve been looking for one lol
Sounds great! This site is a bit of a mess at the moment … cleaning it up has been on my list! HA!
If you’d like more info on my editing services, I’ve moved all the info over to my Press website: https://www.logosandmythospress.com/editing. Let me know if you’ve got any questions!