M B

Author on Reedsy Prompts since Apr, 2022

Stories (42)

42 Stories

926 karma pts

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“Caligula ” by M B

It was still dark when Red’s alarm went off. The jackal-like alien’s long, velvety ear twitched at the sound as she raised her head from the soft and comforting pillow, her fur matted to her face. Baring her teeth she quickly slammed a fist down on her alarm. It wheezed out one last beep before Red threw the covers back and got to her feet, still in the one nightgown she owned. Grumbling, ...

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“Rage Against The Mirror ” by M B

Velope adjusted the sari, skirt, and blouse she wore - the traditional feminine garb of Daedalia, a golden bellychain encircled her waist. It was a fine garment fit for the vixen princess: She looked radiant and pure... She was getting married to the love of her life: The jackal prince Larkin of Daedalia. Long had she wished for this day to come. Velope smiled into the full length mirror she stood before...

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“Wine, Coffee, and Fire” by M B

He was in some sort of prison cell, though something in the air told him it was not originally meant to be a prison cell. The scent made him think of grapes or alcohol... perhaps both. The drugged food and beverages they fed him kept him from using his full strength, at least between bouts in the arena - but it did not take away his keen senses. The prisoner growled as h...

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“A Secret Within A Secret” by M B

Lightning lit up the sky above Vulane as the constant rain was had now increased in volume coming down in sheets, a squall from the sea had made landfall and was releasing nature’s fury upon the strange city. Upon a hill a stately chateau house stood tall, no light burned within as the lightning flashed and illuminated the house its visage foreboding in the darkness, like an aged and rotted skull. Throug...

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“Venom-dipped Memories” by M B

I still remember that day: as crystal clear as the first time I saw it happen. I was a lad of but fourteen, slowly growing into manhood. I lived alone in a cabin with my father on the edge of the wilds. He taught me all I knew: how to live in the wilds, cook for myself, forage for food, what berries were toxic and which were not. He also taught me to read, how to shoot, and how to throw ...

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“Not A Simple Case” by M B

Skreet Snickertooth - rat private eye - almost stepped on the envelope left under his door as he began his workday. Looking to the left and right and seeing nothing but his neighbors - an accountant’s and lawyer’s office respectively - he bent down and closed his door behind him. Skreet walked over to his desk and hung up his wet raincoat, careful to not get the envelope wet. It felt very light as he flun...

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“Behind A Hurricane ” by M B

The RAF commander was yelling over the propellers of Captain Sphinx’s Hawker Hurricane. “You’re a what?! Turn that blasted thing off!” Sphinx leaned over into the cockpit and the propeller sputtered to a stop. Captain Sphinx was definitely not the average-looking pilot. “A captain,” the American said with a confident smile. “Surely not!” The old British RAF ...

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“The lab, within the lab” by M B

"You're only showing me what I want to see!" Amber said, rolling her eyes as she looked around the lab. "You haven't even put away the mops and buckets!" The young meerkat pointed at the janitor rat desperately pulling the mop and bucket away. The bear general addressed the tiny female with disdain while her boss elbowed her in the ribs. "Do you even know what strings we ha...

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“The Paradox of Fog and Smoke ” by M B

Night had fallen on the Fog District of Vulane... not that there was much difference between night and day there. The rain pattered against the uneven cobblestones as the sickly sweet “fog” wound its way around the uneven buildings and filled the air. In the back alleys, deranged beasts gibbered and spoke to things only they could see, their minds long gone. The wind howled through the streets carrying the noxious fumes with them.Through the enchanted streets two figures walked, their bodies bundle...

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“Hoofprints in the Dust” by M B

(Warning: Contains a brief use of a racial slur used by a badguy) Alec was in pain. His side throbbed from where he’d been slashed and his thigh was on fire from his fresh gunshot wound. He groaned and strained against the ropes binding his wrists to the post. He was sitting with his legs straight out in front of him. “You think you’re in pain now?” One of the men guarding...

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“A Clock, A Thief, and a Dragon” by M B

Farah the ferret thief scampered down the alleyway, the shouts of her pursuers echoing behind her. Even the best have to run for it on occasion, she thought, consoling herself. The rain was falling in sheets as she ran, soaking through her cloak, leathers, and down into her fur. “She went this way!” a coyote shouted. “Ugh, t...

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“The Rat and the Reptiloid ” by M B

Skreet threw open the door of his ramshackle room above a rarely-visited fruit and vegetable shop on the edge of Vulane. The rent for the place was ridiculous, but it gave him more privacy than he had had staying in the inns and taverns, and privacy was a premium: An especially useful feature for a room to have when sneaking in large reptiles. “Mind your head, and - uh - horns,” the rat said as he led the reptile in.Draknor looked around and grunted. “Hurr, you live here?”

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“Disjointed Melody ” by M B

The large reptiloid pulled the cloak he had found around himself. It was a bit of providence that he had found a cloak big enough to wrap himself up in among all these mammals. The rain was coming down in sheets, as it usually did in Vulane, and if he didn’t stay warm he would die very quickly. It was providence that he had escaped from the fighting pits too: he and the black bear he had been fighting cr...

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“Dark Lash ” by M B

“I’m afraid there’s nothing I can do,” Principle Rania declared serenely.The elf woman gazed at Yvette from behind her desk. Like most elves she hardly looked her age, with long, dark, pinned-back hair and luscious pale skin. ...Not bad for someone over six hundred.Yvette looked crestfallen. “But Ms. Rania, I never meant to displace the school champion! I don’t even want to be the magic champion.”Rania sighed. “It’s far too late for that now Yvette. You fought him and defeated him, thu...

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“Breach ” by M B

Location: G.E.A.R. (General Enhancements and Advanced Research) in Reach City. Date: Present Day. Jordan Davies, the only hyena beastial at GEAR, typed the commands into the computer console and twitched his ears as he made some adjustments. He was all alone in the quiet laboratory, which was usually brimming with activity. “That should do it,” Jordan said...

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Author bio

I'm M B on Reedsy most my other sites I go by some form of MercenaryBlade. I'm a writer who has had a handful of published shorts. My genres are varied but I like scifi/fantasy and historical settings. I dabble at horror and other genres. I also really enjoy writing about nonhuman and human characters. In the real world my name is Derek Cottrell, and I've been many things in life and done a lot of traveling. Mostly when I was in the service. I hope you can find something to your liking here and I welcome your thoughts.