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Discover weekly, the best short stories

Looking for a steady supply of fantasy short stories? Every week thousands of writers submit stories to our writing contest.

150+ Fantasy Short Stories to read

Submitted by writers on Reedsy Prompts to our weekly writing contest. Though fantasy is well known for its epically long sagas, fantasy short stories can deliver all the genre’s best attractions with one punch — or, shall we say, in one fiery dragon breath?

Fantasy Short Stories – Page 6 of 10

The Wooden Fist of Tor

Submitted to Contest #320

Three weary adventurers came upon a clearing in the forest, a flat, sunny piece of land just up the bank from the river they were following, and agreed it was an ideal location to rest for the night. The sun was well past its zenith, so they presently set about clearing the loose brush and collecting rocks for the fire. While rolling out her bedroll, one of the travelers noticed a small patch of loose earth. Something buried. She peeked over her shoulder at the others. They were companions of convenience, having met along the river path and ...

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TikTok and Chicken Legs

Submitted to Contest #320

"Hey there, Fam, it's your Maiden, Princess V. L., time for another tour of my little witchy hut."The Woman in the video panned her cell phone camera around her tiny cabin. The walls were painted a dark moody blue-gray the color of storm clouds, black bookshelves filled with handcrafted leather volumes lined the walls, and twinkling skull fairy lights hung from silver cup hooks."I just got this cute little guy," the Woman said. Her hand reached out for a hand-painted figurine of a chicken reading a book that was resting on a copy of Tolstoy'...

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Pip and Kip: The Best Gatherers in the Red Tree

Submitted to Contest #320

You wouldn’t be alone if you’ve never heard of the Red Tree. It rests unassumingly, towering over the others, deep in the heart of the oldest forest. Within the Red Tree, you will find a peculiar ecosystem. Not one that particularly benefits anybody - aside from us Grumps, of course. It’s a hidden wonderland, and that’s exactly how we like it. Tucked far away from maps and meddling eyes - here we live out our humble existences, with no clear goal or intention. Just to live, content to slip under the radar of any potential threats that may co...

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The Unfortunate Death of a Heroic Squirrel

Submitted to Contest #320

Hello. I am a squirrel. I’ve got a poofy tail, four fingers on my front paws and five on my rear paws. A white stripe flows from my chin to my bum. Otherwise, I’m a tannish gray. I like eating seeds and nuts and chittering. I spend my waking hours in trees or on the ground. I live under the canopy of a great forest. The trees have big leaves, reddish brown bark, and grow high into the sky. I like where I live. The big trees protect me from the a-hole birds with large wings and sharp talons. I still deal with the small a-hole birds. Mostly, I...

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Punch Drunk

Submitted to Contest #320

I spread my soft red tartan blanket on the ground and take a seat. Twigs crack beneath me, but nothing sharp punctures me and I am comfortable where I sit. I close my eyes, feel the warmth on my skin, and deeply breathe in the scent of pine. This forest is my playground, my sanctuary, my escape; in my 24 years, I have been here alone, or with a sibling for the last 21. I have an affinity with it, it is a part of me, I belong here, I become one with the trees and flowers until I lose myself, by the river I have walked the distance of and retu...

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Two Strangers

Submitted to Contest #320

The forest hums, though most do not know how to hear it. It has always been so obvious to me. The hum is a constant pulse; a thrumming of life forces intertwined with each other. The roots of the ancient oak trees, the winding vines aflush with vibrant blooms, the skittering of animals and insects, the flapping of bird wings, it is all connected. I revel in the hum, soaking it in before the forest notices me and ceases its music. The hum stops only for me. The moment my presence is sensed, the forest goes silent as death. I do no...

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Miracles and Massacres: A Fairy Godmother's Tale

Submitted to Contest #320

Creature had a name, long ago. It had been a grand name, he is sure of it. He remembers the fine, shiny things he wore when he had been dumped in the enchanted forest. There had been golden rings, fine brocade, a twisting crown with a single moonstone in the center. Certainly, all that finery would come attached to a good name.Now, Creature has no name. Typically, he is called, “AHH!” or “Please, no, I beg you!”Along with his name, he abandoned his clothes and jewelry. The shiny things were scooped up by crows and magpies. The garments shred...

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Endless Summer

Submitted to Contest #320

The forest had a heartbeat. Underneath the bark of trees, underneath the soil of dirt, and even underneath the rocks of riverbeds. It was always there. That rhythmic beating made it undeniable that the forest was alive. That It was alive.It took the form of many things: the trees, the dirt, the river. But It found its favorite form was one that mimicked a human—a woman— because it was only when its hair blew wistfully in the wind, when its body was framed by an alabaster dress, that It was considered alive. Considered as something worthy of ...

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There are Witches in these Woods

Submitted to Contest #320

CW: Mild gore “Come on, Fermin! Keep up!”The boy stood at the edge of the woods behind the schoolhouse, the only trace of his friend being the last of her voice carrying on the breeze. Tailah had made this sound fun, but staring into the dark underbrush sent shivers down Fermin's spine. His mother would be furious, and she was already angry at them for making a fort in her clean laundry earlier. Tailah's mother would be even more so though if he lost her daughter. He swallowed the lump in his throat and let his fear digest as he hopped over ...

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The Spark In the Dark

Submitted to Contest #320

Linion Square bustled with life. Merchants shouted above the clatter of carts and hooves, while the smells of roasted nuts, leather, and bread mingled in the warm air. Children darted between stalls draped with red and gold cloth, weaving through the crowd like quick fish.Topper manned his table of antiques full of candlesticks, cracked cups, and faded paintings. He was tall for his age, thin, with a neat buzz cut and warm brown eyes. A faint mustache curled on his upper lip, and he was proud of it even though most people hardly noticed. His...

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Rosebud

Submitted to Contest #320

The bud is shut, and I'm not sure how to open it. I'm not supposed to, I think. The rosebud is smooth and green, half as large as I am, with a thin line where it should open. I tap on it, but nothing happens. A crisp smell, like the first scent of spring, permeates the area around the door. I run my fingernails along the seam, trying to find an easy opening. Nothing. I hesitate. I should wait. I'll come back tomorrow to see if the bud is ready to be opened. Grasping the flower’s stem, I twirl, dance from leaf to leaf, and beckon to a passing...

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The Dreams Left Behind

Submitted to Contest #320

I woke to a canopy of trees and twinkling leaves and the memories I held most dear. I wished they could’ve been real. I shivered in the cool morning air, wearing only my Giselle costume, light and airy with the long flowing skirt, point shoes laced perfectly up my legs. The night before, I had twirled on stage, the Prima Ballerina in a production of Giselle. How I loved to be her and float like a ghost across the stage, weightlessly lifted by my partner, spinning balanced on the tips of my toes. I woke to that all crumbled away, as if ripp...

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Adventure at Our Age?

Submitted to Contest #320

Adventure at Our Age?Bill steadied himself against a pine trunk and exhaled. His knees always protested on the inclines now, though he tried not to let June see. She was a hawk for weakness, had been ever since they’d met in their twenties at a walking club.“You all right?” she called back, not even winded, her silver hair bright in the morning sun.“Fine,” he said. “Just enjoying the view.”The view was, admittedly, worth the pause. The lake below them was a mirror, so still that the mountains above looked like they were growing straight out ...

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Deja Vu Decision Time

Submitted to Contest #321

The first time I experienced the Déjà vu interruption, I spent much of my day feeling a particularly persistent restlessness. The kind of restlessness that comes with a profound, invasive sense of boredom. Something I have begun to call the Same-Old, Same-Old disease. I had spent my day like every day before it over the previous same-old, same-old year: wake up, eat, work, eat, sleep, repeat.That day — it was a late summer evening — taking the garbage cans to the street, I saw myself trundling the can just a few steps ahead of me. There I wa...

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Muse

Submitted to Contest #320

“Ahhh!” my scream echoed throughout the forest- casting the birds out of their trees in a panic. Can’t a girl dance in the forest with her friends anymore? Gods-damn. One moment I was caught up in the tune playing from my new husband’s lyre, my feet prancing softly on the moss and wild flowers sprinkled on the forest floor, and perhaps a bit drunk- if I was being honest, when bam! Bitten by a viper out of nowhere! The music stopped and my body plummeted to the forest floor with it. Everything was going a bit hazy, the pain chasing away cons...

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