The Valleys: Winter Fire Circle
This short story takes place during a winter fire circle gathering, under the full moon.
Tonight the fire was not right.
It was burning — but only just.
Continue readingSS3.1: Grandpa Snow — Winter Fire
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SS3.0: Grandpa Snow — Fire Circle Tales
This short story takes place on the same night, directly at the end of: Episode 50 – Full Circle
The Valleys: The Last Fire Circle Gathering of Summer
The fire had burned lower now.
The great stacks of wood laid earlier in the evening had settled into a deep bed of glowing coals. Smaller flames licked quietly between the larger logs.
The heat was now soft, steady, and even. Marshmallows had begun to appear on the ends of sharpened sticks and sweet campfire tea from an ancient blackened cauldron had been ladled into mugs.
Continue readingBattle Short
There’s a clean, almost intoxicating sharpness to battle short.
In naval parlance, battle short is the practice of overriding protective fuses during combat so critical systems keep running, even if that increases the risk of damage. It’s a calculated compromise — the risk to a single component weighed against the risk to the entire ship.
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Screw Pile Developments 