'To the Victor, the Spoils' excerpt

This next excerpt is from the story 'To the Victor, the Spoils'

'From the time of his birth, Uruk had a heart full of treachery. Hungry for power, he was elated when news spread that the king of all the land lay dying. Cunning and resourceful, he maneuvered his way close to the king to make sure he would be considered a successor. How enraged he became when, even though dying, the king refused to choose between Uruk himself and another well known and loved noble, Leacious. With his rage as his guide, Uruk traveled north in search of her, a witch who worshiped the ancient goddess Hecate. Though she was thought of as a myth, Uruk was certain that when he found her, her powers of clairvoyance would help him achieve his goal. With a small troop of men, he made his way outside of the borders of his country and into the wild lands...'

'The Heathen Desecration' excerpt

This next excerpt comes from the story 'The Heathen Desecration'. The inspiration to write this story came from the interactions that the Vikings had with the Irish shortly after the dark ages.

'Upon the shores of Anagh, in Ireland, calmness and serenity was shared by all. On it's glorious hill the cathedral of St. Patrick, Ireland's chosen saint, stood in magnificence. Peace and prosperity had flourished throughout the countryside and there was no indication that any change would occur. To the outside view, it must have seemed like Heaven on Earth and to those fortunate enough to live there, it was. The sole inhabitants of Anagh, aside from merchants and wanderers, were the monks of the cathedral. Pious men who considered their creed and destination a true blessing from above. By principle, they would never consider lifting a hand in anger, even to defend themselves, and spent day after day in laborious duty and prayer. Never would they think about casting judgement on another human being, for everything was God's will. That perception of security and tranquility would change however, the night the Norsemen came....'

Excerpt from 'The Presence of Rage'

The next excerpt comes from a story that deals with the subject of entities that can actually harm the living. The title of this story is 'The Presence of Rage'.

'Again the mundane silence was shattered. Disrupted by unexplained chaos, the once happy and peaceful home life of a God-fearing man and his lovely wife and daughter was in turmoil. As objects flew through the air, his loved ones would feel invisible hands groping and slapping them. As he would do his utmost to protect them, he would feel the sting of unseen jaws sinking into his flesh. Being a Christian, he tried everything in his power to expel this evil spirit using the words of the bible. To no avail did his faith serve him. All the sermons seemed to do was enrage the spirit all the more. It was only a few weeks earlier that the family had no such contact at all. Life had been sublimely ordinary. With great subtlety, the entity would enter....'

Excerpt from 'One Night in Csejthe'

The next excerpt that I am going to share with you all comes from the second story I have written in honor of the 'Blood Countess' Elizabeth Bathory. I have been infatuated with her since the first time I read about her years ago. The title of the story is 'One Night in Csejthe'

'Elizabeth Bathory, the infamous Blood Countess, spent the last of her days locked in a room in Csejthe castle. A fitting punishment when one considers her crimes. For it was there, in the dark and dank dungeons of Csejthe, where she and her minions tortured and murdered countless young girls. And where she would personally bathe in their blood.
When her sentence was carried out, the authorities that placed her there were convinced that they were finally rid of her, but little did they realize the Evil such a woman was capable of. Confined in a large room, there were no disturbances from the outside world what-so-ever. She was free to practice the black arts taught to her by Anna Darvulia, a known witch.
By way of incantation, she summoned to herself all manner of vile and loathsome spirits and by bargains gave to herself not only a quick and painless passing, but that which she had sought all of her life, eternal beauty!....'

'Church of the Wicked' excerpt

The following excerpt is from a most controversial story. There have been many tales that took a skeptical look at the resurrection of Jesus. Taking a lead from several of them, I decided to make my own approach. The story is titled 'The Church of the Wicked'.

'It should be known to all that the legends regarding the charlatan savior, known as Jesus of Nazarene, have all been lies. Indeed he was betrayed, not only by his own people the Jews, but by his own disciples as well. In the hour of his greatest need, while he has impaled upon the Roman cross, he himself would also be guilty of betrayal. The God that he supposedly placed above and beyond all other things earthly and otherwise, the same God that he spent countless hours praising and casting judgement on others for, he would find himself doubting and, consequently, cursing. When his faith was needed most, his human qualities replaced any that were considered divine. With pain as his only reality, upon the cross, he turned his eyes towards the Heavens and screamed out "My God, why have you forsaken me?!" Immediately, God responded in kind. His soon to come death was forever denied. Like Cain before him, he was plagued with immortality and forced to remain upon the Earth for all eternity. A rightful sentence for any betrayer....'

Excerpt from 'The Devil's Magic'

The following excerpt is from a macabre tale properly titled 'The Devil's Magic'.
'....Using her charm and guile, in the dead of night, she called to Eve. She had sensed in Eve, from the moment of her creation, a fierce independence and resentment of all rules imposed on her, even if they were few. And knew that she would be a far easier target to tempt than Adam. Arising from her slumber, Eve could not help but follow the beautiful and majestic voice. Away from the view of Adam, Eve found the source of the voice, sitting atop the one forbidden tree in all of Eden. Approaching, yet keeping a safe distance from the tree, Eve was mesmerized. Aside from herself, Eve had never experienced a feminine beauty such as the beauty of her divine visitor. Her ability to resist temptation and seduction was non-existent. Knowing all too well of her vulnerability, The Devil climbed down the tree and moved closer to her....'

Excerpt from 'The Black Forest'

The following is an excerpt from the story 'The Black forest'.
I wrote this story in honor of the forests of Eastern Europe, which were very thick and haunting and had carried with them many happenings worthy of mention.

'To the North, Astray from majestic mountains and under a ghostly moon of chaos lay the region of the Forest of Shadows. As ancient as time itself, with its lowly valleys and thick brushes of trees, it carried within itself a timeless soul. A soul marred with misanthropic inclinations. A soul of Winter. From the time before man walked the Earth, the Forest of Shadows was itself a place of desolation...'