Irene Duchess

Author on Reedsy Prompts since Dec, 2022

Stories (31)

31 Stories

291 karma pts

?

“Dragon Airlines” by Irene Duchess

Nim watched the dark blue dragon coast down gently onto the Docking Field. He was large, his back taller than five horses atop each other. His head alone was much bigger than Nim. Along his back, he wore a long saddle made to hold fifteen people at maximum, designed for the passengers' comfort as they soared through the skies. Stairs on wheels were rolled up to the dragon's side so the passengers could easily dismount. Slowly, the passengers began disembarking, hauling their belongings off with them. Nim bounced eagerly. This would be her f...

2 comments 2
Read story

“The Wyrm of Caltenburg” by Irene Duchess

Morcant strode briskly down the streets of Caltenburg, ignoring the shouts. Merchants' stalls crowded the streets and town square. They showcased their wares and filled the air with a din that Morcant found insufferable. He was used to the peaceful forests of pine and jagged cliffs of bare rock that formed the mountain range.He wore a warm gray traveling cloak that hung from his shoulders to his feet, concealing the longsword he carried. People in these parts didn't trust strangers—especially ones with a sword, although Morcant was loath to ...

2 comments 2
Read story

“The Hidden Passage” by Irene Duchess

(prequels: The Southern Library, A Bargain for Freedom, and Ambushed)“Here it is,” Hethrial murmured, his words a whisper. The sun was sinking and the forest was already growing dark.Kyranduíl, lord of the elven kingdom Kryduith, stepped forward. He grabbed Hethrial's arm in a vice-like grip.“Do not lie to us,” he said coldly. “Should you betray me I vow I will have my revenge. Are there guards in the passageway? Would there be anyone down there now?”Hethrial shook his head. “Not that I know of. I know of only four people who know of the tun...

4 comments 4
Read story

“Ambushed” by Irene Duchess

(prequels: The Southern Library and A Bargain for Freedom)Kyranduíl stepped softly forward, each footfall the embodiment of precision. He kept his movements to the minimum, for he knew that the more movement he made the more likely he was to be spotted. Eleven elven guards did the same slightly behind him, spread out like a fan to avoid bunching up in one area.It had been nearly a week since Raedynth, the lord of the Southern Kingdom of Rynvalia, had escaped. Kyranduíl was furious upon having discovered the elf lord had vanished from Mithvär...

6 comments 6
Read story

“A Bargain for Freedom” by Irene Duchess

(prequel: The Southern Library)Kyranduíl paced back and forth in the small room, his hands clasped tightly behind his back. He had been imprisoned in Lord Raedynth's palace at Brathvynâ for two days, ever since he had discovered a secret library within the woods, which, apparently, Raedynth had wanted to be kept secret.At least the prison wasn't terrible. It was dry and comfortable, with a soft bed and warm blankets. There was a small table and chair in one corner. Another corner was sectioned off by a curtain as a privy.The food wasn't very...

4 comments 4
Read story

“The Southern Library” by Irene Duchess

The elven lord KyranduĂ­l rode on his white stallion at a brisk trot up the winding forest trail. The trees that encroached on the dirt path were huge, soaring pines that set an air of ancient grandeur and magnificence. Their prickly branches cast broken, dancing filaments of light and shadows on the ground below. Away from the path one could see for only a short distance, for the massive, monolithic pines grew closer together, while thorns and other thick green foliage thrived in the open areas. But the path was clear and KyranduĂ­l swept onw...

8 comments 8
Read story

“The Black Wolf” by Irene Duchess

 Bjorn hunched under his sodden brown wool cloak, wishing the rain was anywhere but there. It pelted down unceasingly and unmercifully, finding its way under Bjorn's heavy cowl to drip slowly down his back. The lightning scuttled brilliantly through the foreboding gray skies, followed almost immediately by crashing, rolling booms of thunder. Bjorn, for the millionth time, blessed the fact that his mare didn't react to storms, even bad ones such as this. He twitched the reins as his mare, Dvarna, slowed momentarily as she sludged throug...

4 comments 4
Read story

“Paradise Lost - Or Not?” by Irene Duchess

Was Paradise actually lost? Or is that just saying it figuratively? And what does it mean “Paradise”? Like, is that just meaning Heaven or like, our imagined paradise?Yes, it was lost to mankind. And yes, it is just meaning Heaven. Is it still lost, then?No.How come it was lost—and isn't anymore? It was lost when Adam and Eve fell, a long, long time ago, when the devil tempted Eve to eat the fruit of the Forbidden Tree, and she, in turn, gave it to Adam.The Forbidden Tree? Sounds interesting—sounds like something in a fantasy novel or movie ...

6 comments 6
Read story

“No Place Like Home” by Irene Duchess

Day 193It is hot in this new country. We made port yesterday after our ship was blown far off course in a terrible, terrible storm. We do not know where we are, only that it does not exist on the maps of man. Our water supplies are frightfully low, and our ship is badly damaged.Our “harbor" is as a long, sandy strip that turned into grasslands with rolling hills. In the distance, we could see a forest. Now, looking for trees to fell for ship repairs, we approached the forest. Upon closer inspection, we realized that it was not a forest such ...

2 comments 2
Read story

“Eclipse on Deck” by Irene Duchess

***(Please note, I am no expert sailor, and most of the sailing terms used below are due to research. My apologies if anything is incorrectly used or worded, and forgive my ignorance if there is something wrong)There was peace.Amirah heaved in a deep breath, savoring the cold, salty ocean air. The prow of the ship dipped and fell in an irregular pattern as the rollers pushed their way under the hull of the Black Cormorant. The sheets and shrouds creaked slowly in the chilly, nighttime air. The wind was blowing from the south-southwest, keepi...

4 comments 4
Read story

“The Battle of the Squirrel and the Dog” by Irene Duchess

The young squirrel skittered up the large, budding tree, then paused. He sniffed the air and brushed his delicate white whiskers with his paws, his fluffy tail twitching from side to side. He scampered forward a few paces along the branch to where the bird feeder hung from a short length of string. The bird feeder swung back and forth gently in the faint wind, and there was a vibrant red cardinal pecking cheerfully at the seeds. A few days ago, the young squirrel had discovered how to access the seeds within, mainly the sunflower seeds with...

4 comments 4
Read story

“A Museum Punch” by Irene Duchess

 Laurel entered the museum, her thumbs hooked in the straps of her black backpack. She took in the marble floors and the detailed architecture in general, nodding slightly to herself, impressed. She paused in front of the giant elephant statue on display in the entrance rotunda. Laurel raised an eyebrow as she ran her eyes over its slouched, out-of-proportion figure. Of course, Laurel had never seen a real elephant before, besides in zoos, but she was pretty sure the hindquarters weren't supposed to sag so much. The Smithsonian Natural...

3 comments 3
Read story

“Lost in Refuge - Part 6” by Irene Duchess

My feet hit the hard gravel floor beneath me. I look up. The five faces of my friends, Ria, Jacob, Elena, Ramona, and Alex peer down at me through a small square of daylight. I shine the dim beam of the penlight up at them.“Is there any more room down there?” Jacob calls. “For anyone else?”“Not really,” I shout back. “Just room for one—maybe two, at very most—people.”“Oh well,” Jacob says, and I can hear a distinct tone of relief in his voice, even though he tries to hide it.I turn and study my surroundings. The space I’m in is no bigger tha...

11 comments 11
Read story

“Lost in Refuge - Part 5” by Irene Duchess

“We can’t just sit around and do nothing,” Elena says, pacing with her hands behind her back. Heh, I think with an inward chuckle. Same old Elena. Never could sit still and do nothing. Always busy, always going. Action, action, action.“Well, what are you proposing we do?” Jacob demands hotly.“We need to get out,” Elena emphasizes each word carefully.“It would be suicide!” Jacob argues. We just got here! Why is everyone fighting already? I groan inwardly. I try to push away my annoyance, but it keeps coming back unbidden a...

2 comments 2
Read story

“Home Again - Welcome to the New Age - Part 2” by Irene Duchess

 “Why’d we even agree to coming out here?” Leila Greenrow complained, swinging her legs off the side of the white pickup truck.“It was to prove people can time travel!” Ben Schmidt said defiantly. “I don’t regret coming out here!”“Well good for you!” Leila snapped irritably. “We’re stuck FIVE-HUNDRED YEARS IN THE FUTURE. Iris was shot and we have no idea how to get home.”Iris winced. She hated seeing her team fight among themselves, but getting stuck five-hundred years ahead of their time and everything else was irritating everyone...

4 comments 4
Read story

Author bio

You can always edit a bad page. You can never edit a blank page. -Jodi Piccoult 4 KyranduĂ­l stories: 1. The Southern Library 2. A Bargain for Freedom 3. Ambushed 4. The Hidden Passage