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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.

14990+ 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 741 of 1000

The spice of life

Submitted to Contest #71

When I was hired to look into the bakery break in, I was extremely surprised. For one thing, I am not a detective so I wondered why I got this job. I am a wizard, mundane things like bakeries is not what I usually work for. The woman who ran the bakery, insisted I do this. She paid more than I would expect, too. Just for idle curiosity of why a baker would want me to take this job, I did. OK, maybe it was the money too. I hadn't gone on an adventure in quite some time, being close to retirement age. I went in the bakery, smelling the temptin...

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Hope and Memory

Submitted to Contest #71

The door of the bakery hung open, the broken steel lock twisted and gaping, like the maw of some felled beast. It was the back door, used mainly for deliveries for bulk ingredients, and it opened on to the inky dark of an alley way. The light over the door had been smashed too, and the starlight from the smog covered city sky didn't help much with illumination. She heard the footsteps approaching before she saw the dim beam of a flashlight, followed by the man in the rumpled sport coat, shirt and jeans. His shaggy brown hair was only a bit...

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Midnight Tea Time

Submitted to Contest #71

10 YEARS FROM NOW 5 YEAR ONGOING WAR WITH NO END IN SIGHT LOOSING TO THE OTHER SIDE Abe walks into the small dim lit Irish Pub, pausing to stand at the entrance, as he scans the area for any hostiles. Droplets of water run slowly down the long leather coat from the never ending rain outside. The patrons briefly pause and glance at the tall dark rugged leather clad figure standing in the establishment doorway before continuing with their lives. Eyeing a small single table in a far corner of the pub, Abe walks slowly past the usual patro...

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Fool’s Tears (A Touch of Cinnamon Part 2)

Submitted to Contest #71

*Nainika’s note* It is OK to hate Morgan. (like more than ok to hate him) He's an arse. But I haven’t ever written a story from a…villain? I’m gonna call him a villain because he deserves it…but I’ve never written a short story from a nasty person’s perspective, so I hope it’s turned out good!! Also, I included A TON of background information about the setting, so this story is a teensy bit wordier than what I normally write! (Sorry about that. Head’s up, I think it’s about 2,900ish words:) Yes, there will be a part 3 - it’s inevit...

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Sugar and spice, makes children taste nice

Submitted to Contest #71

It had happened quickly, the silent purple fog curling around the eastern forest, seeping through with every breath of the trees and sigh of winds. First, the messengers went missing, important declarations and letters getting gobbled up by the mists. Then, the entire eastern kingdom of Sweetland went quiet, no guards, no movements, no trade. The merchants started vanishing too, then the soldiers, the alchemists, anybody who got too close to the purple clouds disappeared and never returned. It had been at this point that serious concerns...

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Zombies by:Natalie Miller-Turesky

Submitted to Contest #71

It was the final weeks of summer and Olivia and I were making the most of it then suddenly Jason showed up screaming telling us to run. All I did was stand there and tilt my head sideways “why do we need to run Jason” I said not sure of what was going on. He looked at me as if I had just spoken gibberish then said, “the zombies are coming haven’t you heard?” my head was spinning at that point I couldn’t begin to comprehend what he just said to me. “what do you mean” Olivia said with a terrified look on her face. Jason turned to me and said “...

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It's in the Stardust

Submitted to Contest #71

Winters in New Amsterdam were never easy to deal with. Ever since the Emergence two centuries back, they’d grown harder – at least that was the talk among the inhabitants. In truth, cold winters came and went. Were some of the fluctuations due to variations in the magic field? Yes. That much could be proven. However, climate was always a result of nature and people meddling, be they regular humans, Cailleach or Cruthanna. It was unfortunate that many people chose not to see it that way. To them, it was always a specific group’s fault. Even w...

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purple cookies

Submitted to Contest #71

Aliez was walking outside of town. She had just gone in to show off what she was able to do with baking. She held an apple in her hand with many bites. She threw it over to a nearby deer that stared at it for a short bit, then ate the tiny apple core. She was lost in her thoughts, trying to figure out how she could improve herself. then she brought her mind back to reality and began to look around her forest. she looked around for the bioluminescent mushrooms that grew in that part of her forest. the green shrooms glowed, guiding her towar...

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The Mystery of the Golden Seed

Submitted to Contest #71

Rowan’s father was a wizard, his mother was a mundane, so he felt his knowledge of both worlds made him effective in his chosen vocation to investigate what crimes occurred in the county. He looked like a wizard-the archetypal copper red hair and emerald green eyes of one blessed with magic-and had an old wizarding name, which made him trustworthy to the Arcanes, but he was able to understand the mundane point of view, as well.However, work and solving crime was the last thing on Rowan’s mind as he made his way to his favorite bakery in Hall...

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Rivals

Submitted to Contest #71

Hello, my name is Haven Rose. Something you should know about me is that, I am 18 years old and my parents recently died in a plane crash. Instead of money I got their most prized possession. The bakery. The Bakery is located in a small town. BakersVille. The town is secret like, and not like a huge city. There are shops and grocery shops and cute homes. But the thing that changed recently, 2 bakeries. You see, our Bakery, has been in Business for 40 years. The one across the street has been here for a year. I don’t know the owner, just that...

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The Pinched Piquancy

Shortlisted for Contest #71 ⭐️

The cobblestone streets of the town of Glastonbury bustled with market activity in the late morning Wales sun. Peddlers of every sort sold their wares for coppers, shillings, and quid, or bartered to make fair and equitable trades. The smell of home-fires burning was in the air, mixed with the scents of perfumes, leather, fish, meat pies, and other freshly baked goods. The sheriff’s protuberant nose caught another less appealing odor too, and he stumbled to avoid a mountain of horse manure. He steadied himself and continued striding towards ...

43 likes 9 comments 9
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The Good Old Days

Submitted to Contest #71

You are invited! Willa, Daughter of Rane, is hosting a cookie exchange! No potato cookies allowed. Minimum: 1 dozen. Maximum: 3 rabbit sets December 10th Year of the Primrose. RSVP Bunsy stared at the little green card. RSVP. He hadn't responded. But he was here anyway. He put the invitation back in his pocket. Maybe it was a mistake. Maybe she was sorry. Maybe she forgot who he was. Maybe she just liked his cookies. He didn't know. The stool in the corner was soft and squishy. How come he never remembered to water his? Everyone watered th...

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Missing Cane

Submitted to Contest #71

  The blustery winds of Jordero north pound with fifty to sixty mile per hour winds and pelt the landscape with freezing rain. An Inuk male dwarf with an ice brown beard and hair and wearing a polar bear fur jacket escorts Merrill Brillcrek, the Judiciary Provost Marshal of the Jordero Fort Kapaka into the local bakery. Merrill a white man with shaggy brown hair and a Five o clock shade beard and wearing a similar dress as the Inunk dwarf is taken to the local grocer and baker of Fort Kapaka. “Beatrice always panics when she is missing ...

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Bedtime stories: A tale of Hansel and Gretel: The curse of the witch print

Submitted to Contest #71

Come close my Loves and sit by the fire. I will tell you, tell you a story about my grandmother and how she came to be the story you tell your children at night to lure their eyes to slumber. Once upon a time a young girl was cursed by the witch of the forest. This witch upon her dying breath, grabbed the woman by her leg and said the curse that passed on her terrible power, and then the witch died, turned to dust and blew into the wind. Her wretched life was now in a new body, a younger body. Possessed, my Grandmother walked bac...

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Pride, Justice, and Revenge

Submitted to Contest #70

It was just as she thought. As soon as she became a “prisoner of war”, she knew that her enemy, hiding behind a misplaced sense of “honor” (or perhaps just out of a heavy conscience that he’d never admit), would treat her well and fairly – and so it was. The place she now found herself in wasn’t exactly a luxury inn, but it wasn’t a stereotypical prison cell either, where her best company would surely be common rats. Plus, it wasn’t all that bad being alone – it was remarkably easy for her to just lose herself in her own thoughts, and he...

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RBE | Illustrated Short Stories | 2024-06

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