Mastodawn

As we near year's end, a look back at BCS stories of 2025!

"A Good Brother" by Anne Wilkins, BCS #447.

"As we get closer, the land turns dark, the shadows grow longer, and the wind picks up in a ghostly howl. A thick grey fog hugs the castle’s stone, and blackened trees climb its walls trying to escape. Dead twigs poke from arrow slits, and one of the walls is starting to crumble into an oily moat. “Not long now,” I say."

https://www.beneath-ceaseless-skies.com/stories/a-good-brother/
#BCSof2025 #fantasy #sff #shortstory

Beneath Ceaseless Skies - A Good Brother by Anne Wilkins

As we get closer, the land turns dark, the shadows grow longer, and the wind picks up in a ghostly howl. A thick grey fog hugs the castle’s stone, and blackened trees climb its walls trying to escape. Dead twigs poke from arrow slits, and one of the walls is starting to crumble into an oily moat. “Not long now,” I say.

Beneath Ceaseless Skies

Beneath Ceaseless Skies Dec 31

A look back at BCS stories of 2025!

"Vanya and the Dog Witch" by Walter J. Wiese, BCS #447.

"“My father forbid me to come to you, either with mushrooms or with the dog's collar,” Vanya told the dog witch. It had been early in spring when his father killed Mishka the three-legged dog. For savaging one of their few hens, he said. Yet the hen had boiled up just fine, and Vanya had seen toothmarks on neither flesh nor bone."

https://www.beneath-ceaseless-skies.com/stories/vanya-and-the-dog-witch/
#BCSof2025 #fantasy #sff #shortstory

Beneath Ceaseless Skies - Vanya and the Dog Witch by Walter J. Wiese

“My father forbid me to come to you, either with mushrooms or with the dog's collar,” Vanya told the dog witch. It had been early in spring when his father killed Mishka the three-legged dog. For savaging one of their few hens, he said. Yet the hen had boiled up just fine, and Vanya had seen toothmarks on neither flesh nor bone.

Beneath Ceaseless Skies

Beneath Ceaseless Skies Dec 30

BCS stories of 2025!

"The Loaf in the Woods" by David Marino, BCS #445.

"Olaf likes bread fine. No, loves bread, loves a good butter loaf or a fruit tart or a lovely strawberry rhubarb pie from home. But this bread, he doesn’t understand. If the God Above, the God Below, and the God Afar are testing him, what for? He left, damn it, he left! Is he just doomed, and they sent a loaf of bread to put him out of his misery somehow?"

https://www.beneath-ceaseless-skies.com/stories/the-loaf-in-the-woods/
#BCSof2025 #fantasy #sff #shortstory

Beneath Ceaseless Skies - The Loaf in the Woods by David Marino

Olaf likes bread fine. No, loves bread, loves a good butter loaf or a fruit tart or a lovely strawberry rhubarb pie from home. Hells, earlier in the season he snacked on a nice seed bun as he was walking through these very woods! But this bread, he doesn’t understand. If the God Above, the God Below, and the God Afar are testing him, what for? He left, damn it, he left! Is he just doomed, and they sent a loaf of bread to put him out of his misery somehow?

Beneath Ceaseless Skies

Beneath Ceaseless Skies Dec 30

BCS stories of 2025!

"Little Thief and the Martyr’s Head" by J.A. Prentice, BCS #446.

"She found herself thinking of the head, of how lonely and cold and wet he must be. Why she should think of him—of it—when she herself was shivering and drenched through, she did not know. Just a quick visit, she decided. Just to see if he was all right, other than being dead and beheaded and rotten. She wouldn’t linger."

https://www.beneath-ceaseless-skies.com/stories/little-thief-and-the-martyrs-head/
#BCSof2025 #fantasy #sff #shortstory

Beneath Ceaseless Skies - Little Thief and the Martyr’s Head by J.A. Prentice

She found herself thinking of the head, of how lonely and cold and wet he must be. Why she should think of him—of it—when she herself was shivering and drenched through, she did not know. It seemed a kind of foolishness she should have buried with her mother. Kindness got people killed in a world like this. But Little Thief couldn’t get him out of her thoughts. Just a quick visit, she decided. Just to see if he was all right, other than being dead and beheaded and rotten. She wouldn’t linger.

Beneath Ceaseless Skies

Beneath Ceaseless Skies Dec 29

BCS of 2025!

"The Unmasking Of Fioha Dubhan" by Samuel Chapman, BCS #446.

"Ironically, their vigil has drawn a crowd to wait just behind the line—enough people that others are having to shove their way through. Fioha doesn't like starting with an audience. It highlights the artifice in just the way she's trying to avoid."

https://www.beneath-ceaseless-skies.com/stories/the-unmasking-of-fioha-dubhan/
#BCSof2025 #fantasy #sff #shortstory

Beneath Ceaseless Skies Dec 29

As we near year's end, a look back at BCS stories of 2025!

"The Crow's Second Tale" by @MarissaLingen , BCS #445 and podcast BCS 354.

"So Kiris knew, even at the age of five: no one should only know one story. Not even a crow, like in the song. And if she was the only one who had spotted the problem, she felt down to her five-year-old bones that she would have to be the one to fix it."

https://www.beneath-ceaseless-skies.com/stories/the-crows-second-tale/
#BCSof2025 #fantasy #sff #shortstory #podcastfiction

Beneath Ceaseless Skies - The Crow’s Second Tale by Marissa Lingen

So Kiris knew, even at the age of five: no one should only know one story. Not even a crow, like in the song. And if she was the only one who had spotted the problem, she felt down to her five-year-old bones that she would have to be the one to fix it.

Beneath Ceaseless Skies

Beneath Ceaseless Skies Dec 23

BCS stories of 2025!

"The Angel Azrael Visits the Trading Post at the End of the World a Final Time" by Peter Darbyshire, BCS #444.

"Whatever was going on here, Azrael had no choice but to walk into it. Nakir had to be still inside, after all. She never left the trading post, although it wasn’t for lack of wanting. He made sure his guns were loose in their holsters, then went through the front door."

https://www.beneath-ceaseless-skies.com/stories/the-angel-azrael-visits-the-trading-post-at-the-end-of-the-world-a-final-time/
#BCSof2025 #fantasy #sff #weirdwestern #shortstory

Beneath Ceaseless Skies - The Angel Azrael Visits the Trading Post at the End of the World a Final Time by Peter Darbyshire

Azrael went back to the dead horse and considered the trading post for a moment. Whatever was going on here, he had no choice but to walk into it. Nakir had to be still inside, after all. She never left the trading post, although it wasn’t for lack of wanting. He made sure his guns were loose in their holsters, then slung the saddlebags over his shoulder and went through the front door.

Beneath Ceaseless Skies

Beneath Ceaseless Skies Dec 23

BCS stories of 2025!

"A Librarian's Resolution In The Land Of Demons" by @oluwatomiwa , BCS #444.

"a seven-foot-tall demon emerges. It growls and looks at the wall that divides the city. Before it can take another step, one of the roots crawling through the city rises up with unnatural speed and wraps itself around the demon's waist. The root lifts it off its feet and tosses it towards the forest. In seconds, it is gone"

https://www.beneath-ceaseless-skies.com/stories/a-librarians-resolution-in-the-land-of-demons/
#BCSof2025 #fantasy #sff #shortstory

Beneath Ceaseless Skies - A Librarian’s Resolution In The Land Of Demons by Oluwatomiwa Ajeigbe

Even as I watch, a seven-foot-tall demon emerges. It growls and looks at the wall that divides the city. Before it can take another step, one of the roots crawling through the city rises up with unnatural speed and wraps itself around the demon's waist. It has no time to be surprised. The root lifts it off its feet and tosses it towards the forest. In seconds, it is gone, swallowed by the darkness and the creatures within.

Beneath Ceaseless Skies

Beneath Ceaseless Skies Dec 23

BCS stories of 2025!

"My Sincere Apologies For the Demon" by Adrian Ward, BCS #443.

"Regarding the banishing of Erimodius, you shall, I expect, be most pleased to hear that he has been returned to the Realm of Flame. With the aid of the Parthiet Warlock Gentlemen’s Circle, additional seals have been placed on the Realm in its entirety until such a time as Erimodius ceases banging on the gate."

https://www.beneath-ceaseless-skies.com/stories/my-sincere-apologies-for-the-demon/
#BCSof2025 #fantasy #sff #shortstory

Beneath Ceaseless Skies - My Sincere Apologies For the Demon by Adrian Ward

Regarding the banishing of Erimodius, you shall, I expect, be most pleased to hear that he has been returned to the Realm of Flame. With the aid of the Parthiet Warlock Gentlemen’s Circle, additional seals have been placed on the Realm in its entirety until such a time as Erimodius ceases banging on the gate. It may currently be more difficult to summon minor spirits of flame; you may rest assured that such difficulties are temporary.

Beneath Ceaseless Skies

Beneath Ceaseless Skies Dec 22

As we near year's end, a look back at BCS stories of 2025!

"A Random Walk Through the Goblin Library" by Chris Willrich, BCS #443.

https://www.beneath-ceaseless-skies.com/stories/a-random-walk-through-the-goblin-library/
#BCSof2025 #fantasy #sff #shortstory

Beneath Ceaseless Skies - A Random Walk Through the Goblin Library by Chris Willrich

“Oh, no, not at all. I have not retired, and neither have my informants. My informants are dead. I am a necromancer, grandchild. The pool of possible spies is far larger among the dead than the living. That is simple mathematics—another topic I hope you’ll pursue, if you’ll permit me to accelerate your progress in reading. I was but eleven when I apprenticed with the necromancers of Nox. You can soon be reading at the level you deserve.”

Beneath Ceaseless Skies