Duncan Wilson's Blog, page 2

Protected: The River

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The post Protected: The River first appeared on Hic Sunt Deos.

Cover Reveal – A Random Tavern

Reblogged from https://herscribbledthoughts.com/

I am a super fan of Duncan Wilson. I’ve read almost all of his books and short stories, so when he agreed to let me share his new book cover I was so excited! This book is very different from the first book I read my Wilson, Once Upon a Lane but in a good way! This book is available for pre-order now and the cover design is mesmerizing!

Read the rest over at https://herscribbledthoughts.com/2021/03/26/cover-reveal-a-random-tavern/

The post Cover Reveal – A Random Tavern first appeared on Hic Sunt Deos.

Twitter Art Micro-Stories: March 1-14, 2021

'Every morning here is an evening elsewhere. Every midday sun is midnight gloom somewhere. Every billowing breeze means somewhere else is at ease, every hot summer day is a winter at bay. No life without death and no beginning without end, so enjoy what time you have to spend.' https://t.co/pUOcjRGT84

— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) March 11, 2021

'There are times when you are alive and awake and that is more than you can take. When life is too strong and each day is too long. But be thankful you are awake and alive, as that means you might survive. Each new day is another new way for you find to stay and banish the gray.' https://t.co/dRj3MCfSDn

— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) March 11, 2021

'When first we see signs of mortality, we think this cannot be, that is not me, for I am not old. When first we groan at ache of bone, we cry and we moan this is not known, for I am young. But time knows no master and grows ever faster, and none can flee fate forever.' #poem #age https://t.co/4p3MRZnvw9

— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) March 11, 2021

'Mountain mist and wind and rain roll up the slopes again and again, but still the citadel stands ready.
Storm and snow, and hell and hail,
as endless armies each try and fail,
the walls too stout and too steady.
Neither nature nor nation can break what nought but gods did make.' https://t.co/29duNiPINy

— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) March 11, 2021

'This world was once well, this planet prosperous, this center of civilization ceaselessly teaming and thriving with the energy and essence of so many hopes and dreams. All gone now, all the souls at rest at last. These are not my stories, but it is my duty to keep them alive.' https://t.co/J5q8rJAJ9a

— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) March 11, 2021

'Such solemn stillness, such serene solitude, these snows of the south. This was a world without life, without comfort and it was here, beyond the borders of the settled and the civilized, they sought sanctuary from the searchers. It was here they sought peace from persecution.' https://t.co/s7UxerOLIT

— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) March 10, 2021

'Fear not the next mountain, the next challenge to arise before you. Tremble not at the task to come nor the troubled path you must tread to traverse from where you are to where you must be, for every step need not be a struggle and the steps will soon see you beyond the summit.' https://t.co/I0qRt168oK

— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) March 10, 2021

'The pattern is unclear, if it is a pattern at all. There is a specific substance to this soul, this system of sentience, this song of such serenity and sorrow that can not be seen or felt, both a sanguine sentiment and a somber state. There is no pattern, but that is fine.' https://t.co/IXY5iAm3FF

— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) March 10, 2021

'Such power, such awesome energy coursing through every nerve and fiber of her being, suffusing from the world around, surfacing from her very soul, calling upon all of infinity to witness her will made manifest upon reality. She did not blink, dared not breath lest she explode.' https://t.co/A5PFkhnLLF

— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) March 10, 2021

'The gods of old have gone away, the old ways hold no sway today, the old paths pose no peril, for the world is no longer feral. At least so we would think, but still from shadows we shrink, far from wild woods we tend to stay, and shy from old shrines where once we'd pray.' https://t.co/mVkI6Hkbuk

— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) March 10, 2021

'They were an unlikely duo, this dragon of the deep woods and a paladin so pure of heart. There was a trust between them none could break. Some would think them sworn enemies of incompatible lands, but they stood sentry against all who would wound this wild and wonderful world.' https://t.co/8MRbNOqVfK

— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) March 9, 2021

'When the gods forged the chains of this world they saw no need for mercy, binding the earth to the despair above and doom beneath with celestial steel, unbreakable and untouchable by mortal men. Then as a joke they left us the key to our salvation, as intangible as the chains.' https://t.co/lP3WqvguMY

— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) March 9, 2021

'Amid celestial storms there live such spectacular creatures as men can only dream, slipping amid the eddies of existence, swimming beyond the boundaries of what we think is real and what should never be. Such lovely leviathans, such majestic monsters to behold beyond the abyss.' https://t.co/mAQ6XD5MLH

— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) March 9, 2021

"Come small one, you should not be here all alone."
"I was told not to trust strangers."
"A wise lesson. But here there be monsters waiting in the shadows, and the night is long and lonely."
"Will you take me home?"
"Alas, your home is gone. But I will take you someplace safe." https://t.co/6Rptxacq67

— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) March 9, 2021

'This was not normal. No, this was anything but normal. But what does one do when confronted with a cosmic conundrum? Stand and stare, fully aware that nothing you are seeing should be real? She would scream, but none would hear, she would run, but to where? So she just watched.' https://t.co/msSUeDIt7E

— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) March 9, 2021

'Just a twist and a turn, and none will learn what we really are. Below the smile, beneath the skin, the sin within churns and burns, trapped where none can see. But you and me, we seek to be free, to dance and delight in darkness, in danger, to tempt the world to know us.' https://t.co/OKjolEv2Ed

— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) March 8, 2021

'Oh what lies beyond the skies that young minds may dream and scheme to one day venture beyond the bare walls of their world and take to the sky to fly up and away to a bright new day? What dreams may come, at least for some, who can look out and see what it means to be free.' https://t.co/QvvBZzkYpU

— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) March 8, 2021

'Would you dare go near the lonesome door in the wood? What stories must be whispered here and there of such a structure, what frightened fables the locals must murmur when one mentions the ancient aperture. Would you dare knock upon the door, or turn the knob, or pass through?' https://t.co/Wy0hp9Odvs

— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) March 8, 2021

'Such sinister shades, such spectacular signals, what vivid visuals warning all who would wander closer that nature can bite and sting and if you venture too near the vibrant you could learn terror and torment at their touch, a lesson you might not survive. Beautiful but beware.' https://t.co/PPcJQobo1C

— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) March 8, 2021

'Some days there are no battles. Some days there is no need to fight, no need to do or die, no need to rise to the challenge in the face of certain doom. Some days the world is calm and serene, and all we can do is bear the bucolic as best we can and relish what peace we have.' https://t.co/x7WvzYrKdC

— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) March 8, 2021

'What would we see if we looked within our skin? What layer beneath all the others is who we think we are? So many masks one upon the other, so many similar skins to hide beneath, but all so like the others that we hardly know which we are and which we pretend to be.'#Identity https://t.co/3wL44AUPDs

— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) March 2, 2021

'At last he had arrived. Here was the center of the wizarding world, the citadel of scholars who delved into the weld and the weft of the mystic mandala that held the world together and the heavenly bodies apart. At last he was here and could warn them of the dread unwinding.' https://t.co/zazC7ScYTr

— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) March 2, 2021

'"Do you want me to eat them?"
"No! Stop asking!"
She hated scolding her snake. The question always came from a deep love and desire to protect her, but she needed to scold. Her problems were many and vexing but the solution would never be to consume them. Well, almost never….' https://t.co/AmwmAlESap

— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) March 2, 2021

'In our darkest days, when merciless monsters menace and our minds cower and cry out for some special salvation, in these pivotal periods, we must summon what strength we can manage and square our shoulders against all attacks. We need but survive another second. Then another.' https://t.co/dKoU3GZ3VJ

— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) March 1, 2021

'In the evening of our days, when vibrant colors fade and turn to browns and greys, in the setting of the sun, when shadows grow and seep into our souls, in the end of our travels, when potential paths peter out and there is but one trail to tread, even then we must march on.' https://t.co/9uysPLFqeJ

— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) March 1, 2021

'Would you wander the wildwood, would you tread beneath the trees? Would you leave the worn path to explore where shadows and branches mingle? Would you know what creatures can be trusted, and which you must never see? Would you walk the wirdwood, to learn its witching ways?' https://t.co/gbFdeQwNYw

— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) March 1, 2021

'The mages swore they knew why the land lifted from the sea and took to the sky. They swore the secrets were theirs to guard and they could set the world aright at any moment, if only we proved we were worthy, if only we swore fealty. That was ages ago. Now, we have our doubts.' https://t.co/TTuTCVwQoh

— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) March 1, 2021

'The age of man had come and gone, and many ruins did he leave. An epic epoch of savage splendor, a mere moment in history from rise to fall, yet the works wrought, the domination, the deterioration, the devastation would last aeons. The age of man was over, yet he had not left.' https://t.co/rrFUihu49V

— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) March 1, 2021

The post Twitter Art Micro-Stories: March 1-14, 2021 first appeared on Hic Sunt Deos.

Book Tour Stop – Interview

I’ve been interviewed by Tiffany C. Lewis for the Once Upon A Lane Book Tour!

I’m very excited to feature in this Book Tour with Storytellers on Tour! I read and reviewed Once Upon a Lane by Duncan Wilson back in October 2020 and now we are excited to share this awesome Suburban Gothic novel with a wider audience.

Read the interview here!

The post Book Tour Stop – Interview first appeared on Hic Sunt Deos.

Twitter Art Micro-Stories: February 15-28, 2021

"I could listen to her until the rivers have cried their last tears and the sun looks upon this world no more. I will fly forever to be at her side. My love for her is as the fire of the sun. If one day it might burn out, there will never again be light in this world."#Romance https://t.co/SV7UDdqZYA

— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) February 28, 2021

'Tread with care, if you dare, upon the path to war. When mankind decides that peace is too much to bear, millions are martyred to the glory of failed ideals and the folly that is the glory of war, and we forge fresh furrows in the ground and plant the blood and bones of others.' https://t.co/T2OoiJGVtg

— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) February 28, 2021

'Deep in the forest where wild creatures dwell, deep in the darkness little sunlight fell. Deep in the thicket small spirits hide, deep in the woods sickly spells reside, tread lightly stranger lest you wander too far, as where you thought you were may not be where you are.' https://t.co/3KqnodpYEG

— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) February 27, 2021

'The lantern in the dark wood was a local mystery that none cared to solve. The children dared not go near, for all the stories they had heard. Their parents would not discuss it nor answer any questions. None could explain how it got there, nor how it stayed alight at night.' https://t.co/N8Uc6XaKSk

— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) February 27, 2021

'So often do those that are hunted disguise themselves, adorning themselves in colors and forms to hide amid their world from those that would devour, that we often forget to look between the leaves for the hunters as equally adept at seeming harmless just before they strike.' https://t.co/PPACHGUeZy

— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) February 27, 2021

'Such scary slopes surround us, shielding the sunset from our sight, standing sentry, serene sentinels of stone and soil. Some summit such staggering sierras, straining in struggle at each slip, seeking secure support as their strength is spent. Simply for a splendid sight.' https://t.co/q0QFnMzRoU

— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) February 27, 2021

'For some, the searing sun of summertime may be sublime, but not all. A few find favor in the chill caress of the winds of winter, in the solitude of snow, and the comforting caress of the cold. For these, there is no sweeter sight than morning mists in the dim dawn of the day.' https://t.co/zyTfoCIuEJ

— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) February 27, 2021

'As we age, as we grow, as we travel through troubles and tribulations we must survive strife and sorrows. Every encounter etches itself upon us, every battle leaves bruises and burns. Often we carry remnants of our foes, now pieces of our person. The scars we bear make us anew.' https://t.co/WLWTZstOPa

— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) February 27, 2021

'These foreboding omens were fearsome and frightening to any who dared past them into the sacred sepulcher of lost souls. Many turned back, aghast and appalled when seeing the skulls. But these were not meant to ward away wanderers, but to guard them from the spirits beyond.' https://t.co/hqgmk79Oq6

— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) February 26, 2021

'In hindsight its destruction was inevitable. Maybe the artist knew that but they had not. No, they had erected it upon the remote little world, a monument to their fallen members as testament to their toils, a reminder of the risks of their trade. Now it perished from the same.' https://t.co/OwiSEx4x7q

— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) February 26, 2021

'The pass through the misty mountains passes past their house, but none knock on their door, not even lost travelers in need of aide. None bother them, nor let their gaze linger for long on their home. It seems like such a simple house, but all consider it ill-omened somehow.' https://t.co/uCa7VUWKlE

— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) February 26, 2021

'She spoke, but no one listened. It was not her words that were wrong or unwise, they were not. It was not for lack of understanding of the matters at hand or the times in which they lived, she knew all too well such things. It is that she spoke softly in an age of loud men.' https://t.co/w5mvjeIs80

— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) February 25, 2021

'There once was a city here, though you could not tell. Ancient were the days and long were the ages it stood, a citadel against the margin of the mighty men that would spell its doom. There once was an empire here, though you would never know as time has washed away its sins.' https://t.co/LYoIE3qK3K

— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) February 25, 2021

'Trees felled long ago, now but worn wood, long abandoned, long forgot, long come to rest deep in a forest far from where its journey began. Fashioned to form and function, the long dead lumber at last could repose beneath the shade of its own, to decay and give life to another.' https://t.co/QscWlDLH0i

— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) February 25, 2021

'Many feared this colossus of the cove, this demon of the deep. Many imagined all manner of horror and violence of the creature, fearing its size and shape, sneaking silently from the surf in search of seals and sharks. They thought it evil, yet it only wanted to hunt in peace.' https://t.co/tvbvHtJnYs

— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) February 25, 2021

'Oh what cursed country, what scorched and sundered soil must this be that even the fearsome and furious ursine must tread with caution? Oh loathsome land of legend that even the most terrifying of Terra's creatures crafts shell and sheild? Best beware where bears go not bare.' https://t.co/dxAufD95Jx

— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) February 25, 2021

'The gods are not kind nor gentle, sparing neither mortal nor the mighty in their fits of fury. Beware the ire of immortals, fear the anger of angels, and tremble when titans tear at the seas and skies! When gods and monsters make war, they hold little distinction to mortals.' https://t.co/9GX7RYuJBZ

— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) February 25, 2021

'At first it was but a humble lighthouse, granting guidance to all who might otherwise shatter upon the shore. As ages advanced and dangers arose, soldiers were stationed, a castle constructed, and slowly but surely the grandest of cities took hold upon the rocks above the seas.' https://t.co/5TPYI9O2q4

— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) February 25, 2021

'What wonders we work in this world, what monumental mastery we have managed over our every environment, no longer challenged, no longer threatened, no longer held back by the perils of this planet or any other. But still, we must wonder, at what expense? Are we now the danger?' https://t.co/NqZei5Tnba

— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) February 24, 2021

'We work so diligently designing and forging our faces, those masks we make so none can know us, so that we can hide how frightening we believe our flaws to be. But the facade is fragile. Once cracked, the carefully constructed construct can crumble at the slightest stress.' https://t.co/S0IM6M7HPZ

— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) February 24, 2021

'Up on high summits, beyond the wall of the world, clouds swirl and the storms gather. The gods are angry once more, and all mortals cower and seek shelter wherever they might. Thunder and lightning herald doom and destruction from beyond the abode of heaven, and all must pray.' https://t.co/nmnlqrEBws

— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) February 24, 2021

'The world we see is but the surface. There is so much hidden beneath and beyond, so many details we cannot perceive and do not appreciate, so much effort and energy to this world around us, a world we barely know and take for granted. So many struggle to break the surface.' https://t.co/03lmK3XrPJ

— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) February 24, 2021

'Some could not see them swim above the sea, some could not hear their songs calling out over the surface to each other as they danced above the waves. Some would never see the spirits, but they could hear her music as she serenaded the souls, they could hear and mourn with her.' https://t.co/VZCkXtLoF4

— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) February 23, 2021

'Every noble knight is given a quest or calling, a sacred commission that no other can answer, a duty they will be called to answer against all odds, steadfast before any foe or danger. The young knight was no different, but never imagined he would be called to serve the crows.' https://t.co/ocwWFUJgen

— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) February 21, 2021

'We are the sum of our experiences, a crafting of our cares and caresses, our tragedies and triumphs, our traditions and traumas, of all the loves and losses that have blessed and cursed our past and all the hopes and dreams that promise a tomorrow where there is now but doubt.' https://t.co/OZXxbO2uHx

— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) February 21, 2021

'Such a simple song sings the sea, such a sibilant serenade, constantly composed of a million billion movements across myriad millennia, ending only when the sands shift and the shore subsides, not an end to the endless symphony of the surf, only a subtle change of venue.' https://t.co/L2wE0pNYGK

— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) February 21, 2021

'Their patterns were not natural. The spinners of silk and weavers of webs did not hatch with such specific designs upon their countenance. They were sacred to the region, but not for what could be found upon them, but because they were caught and drawn upon as acts of worship.' https://t.co/0Al0RHwM76

— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) February 21, 2021

'This was a quiet forest, of few inhabitants and little note. Upon occasion a strong storm would shift the trees and bring one of their number to the ground, but that was all that disturbed the wood. Indeed, his was a quiet place, but it was in such places that real magic dwelt.' https://t.co/XDCI7UzSiv

— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) February 21, 2021

'Theirs was not a romance for the ages, theirs was a love so simple, so plain, so pure that none would take note, none would remark beyond a passing smile and a nod. But to them, none of this mattered. Their love was theirs and theirs alone, and was more precious than all else.' https://t.co/rarXQpJoSC

— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) February 21, 2021

'From life to death, death to life, life to death and again to life. From before to beyond, the endless cycle from one to the other progresses, from past to present and on into perpetuity. Each generation of the moment inheriting from the one before and succeeding into the next.' https://t.co/3mb0WaYv95

— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) February 21, 2021

'The room was empty other than the mirror. Empty, if you did not count the echo from the bare walls, if you did not count the hollow sound of her voice, the hollow words repeated back to her as she stared at a reflection she did not want. It was an empty room, other than her.' https://t.co/kg2vPg0UkI

— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) February 17, 2021

'In the lands of ice and fire, where sulfur seeps from fiery fissures and winds smother with smoke and snow, in the lands where ice and ash render every step treacherous, the few you will find are the forlorn and the forgotten, freezing or fleeing fires in exile from home.' https://t.co/sNJ6BkqurX

— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) February 17, 2021

'Fairies are rare sights, for those who are not aware, for those who cannot, or will not see the magic of the meadows and the fae of the forests. But for those who know how to look beyond the banal and observe the whimsy of the world, there's a faerie princess for every flower.' https://t.co/swcI7rXlTr

— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) February 17, 2021

'We build whole worlds in our minds, entire societies around notions that we matter, that what we create in the moments we are here means something. But everything falters, everything fades, falling to dust and decay over time. None of it matters unless we make it matter now.' https://t.co/SwS1I7QFH4

— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) February 16, 2021

'There is a mood well known to man, where you do what little you can, where the best you can manage, is to get through life with no damage, at least no more than what you were born, feared and furious and forlorn. There is a mood we all attempt, to live a life without contempt.' https://t.co/zr9rCZokxS

— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) February 16, 2021

'Within the deep forest, amidst the boughs and leaves, behind the bushes and shadows, what dwells in the branches weaves? What wild, carefree creatures cavort, seemingly secure in their serene sanctuary, what mysterious monsters make their home here in the deep woods all alone?' https://t.co/fIx4KxqFe7

— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) February 16, 2021

'The heart is where the homeland is, or so they say when you move away. Absence makes the heart grow fonder no matter where you wander. All those you left behind, will still be there when you find that all your roads lead back to home, when there are no more paths to roam.' https://t.co/7ZvOV3k5Ka

— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) February 15, 2021

'The way of words can only get so far. The way of wisdom can not breach the bounds of man. The way of peace can only beget peace. But the way of wounds can break all bounds and all worlds in search of new conquests, new frontiers. The way of wounds is the way of power and pain.' https://t.co/zYhx8Ata2y

— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) February 15, 2021

The post Twitter Art Micro-Stories: February 15-28, 2021 first appeared on Hic Sunt Deos.

Twitter Art Micro-Stories: February 1-14, 2021

'So far have we come from our primitive pasts, from the crass caves where first we sought shelter from the storm and the stranger. We have worked wonders and wield wizardry unimaginable by our ancestors. Once we lay superstitions to rest, we sought the skies, and now we soar.' https://t.co/YBHqaF0yKt

— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) February 10, 2021

'There are many challenges in life that seem insurmountable, that shatter the wills of the most determined. There are many perils that none expect us to overcome, that all submit to and accept. Yet, with allies, with trusted companions by our side, even these can be conquered.' https://t.co/M3Pbs7qneT

— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) February 10, 2021

'Sir Hoppington R. Bit, C.P.E, Lord Protector of the Lillypad looked resplendent in his uniform, groomed and coifed for this life from the egg, he had swum with a different class of tadpole and trained with only the deepest croakers in his youth. Now, he was ready to rule.' https://t.co/je9pldU0v8

— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) February 9, 2021

'Life goes on, no matter the state of nature, life finds a way to see another day. At first they struggled, as any would, against the tide of time, but time marched on and their efforts were in vain. Now, mankind lives with the contagion, no longer thriving, yet still alive.' https://t.co/VKchNl29fq

— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) February 9, 2021

'The world of the dragons and their riders was one of ash and fire, a land few other creatures could endure, a land the lords of the sky had conquered long ago. Now they sought new lands. The portals were almost ready, then they would spread the ash and fire to whole new worlds.' https://t.co/IPsTToyuyV

— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) February 9, 2021

'Some are fools but rarely, lacking wisdom for mere moments in otherwise sensible lives. Others careen through this world carelessly, somehow surviving their daily follies until they try something supremely senseless that none could survive, like mistaking a bugbear for a bear.' https://t.co/aBBYfTqAep

— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) February 8, 2021

'They say the candle burns twice as bright when you have both ends alight. They say there is never enough time in the day for those who would learn all we would convey. They say many such things, but not all apply to all beings. Some can crack time, and learn all in their prime.' https://t.co/Wo8sT10nuo

— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) February 8, 2021

'With a glance I recall, with a whisper heard by all, she confidently strides about, mistress of all within and without, purveyor of joy, dealer of dreams, broker of both good and bad, whichever can be had for the price you are willing to pay the devil in the dark blue dress…' https://t.co/6SFq6P9rS9

— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) February 8, 2021

'Born of fire, born of pain, born of fury, born of strain! Borne by magma through the heart of the world, brooded by the heat of dying embers, the final ashes of a fallen shard from far above. But now, it has broken free, broken through, and sprung forth, this nascent worldtree.' https://t.co/uoBq3bJelx

— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) February 3, 2021

'What was lost can still be found, provided it was lost beneath the ground, for what the dark and deep may claim, will never see the shores again. What was once covered may still arise but all seized by the seas sinks and dies. Beneath the boundless waves lie many bygone graves.' https://t.co/AKZKYUnh0d

— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) February 2, 2021

'Stately stood upon the prow, contemplating the here and now, perched upon the stranded scow, cogitating the where and how. Mortal meanings meander so much, twisting and turning at the tiniest touch. But the specter was not here to reckon, only your mortal soul to beckon.' https://t.co/tgwERBRHEj

— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) February 2, 2021

'The moment of life and death is not only a when, but a where. Each eternal junction between the here and now is juxtaposed with a position, a point at which every instant is initiated, instigated and anchored forever to a precise place, betwixt the heretofore and the hereafter.' https://t.co/HQSgKvJiqU

— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) February 1, 2021

'Some seekers search for solitude not society. Some strive for sanctuary from the screams and squabbles of strangers and the strain of all such social snarls. Some simply search for shelter from the storm and the sanctity of self, a secluded space somewhere to survive.'#Survivor https://t.co/JZv0oYhmw2

— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) February 1, 2021

'It was a wonder the city was still here, even shattered as it was. They had listened to the legends of the mighty mountains and the celestial city that sat amid their peaks and set out in search of the ruins, little hoping there would be any after the eruption. Yet here it was.' https://t.co/i28cpWLYF5

— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) February 1, 2021

'They were the old ones, the guardians against dangers no longer remembered, called by many names, many titles, many epithets. They were known as spirits, nymphs, shamans, witches, and more, but they were none of these. They were watchers, the mother, the maiden, and the crone.' https://t.co/Sp02sxCC2l

— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) February 1, 2021

'The moss warred with the lichen for purchase upon the soaring surfaces of the ancient site of sacrifice and worship. In another era this was a sacred shrine, a place of power and prestige erected by the faithful to their glorious gods. Now, there was but one lonesome caretaker.' https://t.co/453cy7iMzg

— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) February 1, 2021

The post Twitter Art Micro-Stories: February 1-14, 2021 first appeared on Hic Sunt Deos.

Twitter Art Micro-Stories: January 22-31, 2021

'In the lands of ice and fire, where sulfur seeps from fiery fissures and winds smother with smoke and snow, in the lands where ice and ash render every step treacherous, the few you will find are the forlorn and the forgotten, freezing or fleeing fires in exile from home.' https://t.co/hbnhcwWQwE

— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) January 27, 2021

'Ages come and ages pass, and all the wonders of old fade to dust in the endless eras beyond their building. What once was worshiped, wastes away, what once was sacred slips into silence, reduced to rubble and ruin by the technology of tomorrow, remembered only by a remnant.' https://t.co/XG4OxCeNOW

— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) January 27, 2021

'We are often so obsessed with demons, with the evils all about us, with the nightmares that torment us, that we cannot rest nor rejoice in the many marvels of our lives and those around us. If only we could silence the sinister, shuddering slumber of suspicion and stress.' https://t.co/9n0mGNJbE0

— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) January 27, 2021

'Fear gripped her. She had come this far, fought so hard to survive all this time only to be confronted by these… monstrosities. They were simply impossible. There was no way could challenge, much less conquer these nightmares. Yes, she trembled, but she did not turn nor flee.' https://t.co/sGZTsoLXKp

— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) January 27, 2021

'They called it the door to eternity, and now he could see why. He had come from far away and long were the days and months of his journey from the land of his youth. Long were the trails and travails of travel, all borne with patience just for this moment, to see his future.' https://t.co/qEAioaFFvb

— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) January 27, 2021

'So many paths to plod, so many miles a day, so many steps to reach our goals that we can never stay. Always in a hurry, always in bind, always in a fluster, something on our mind. So many journeys taken, so many trails to tread, no time to awaken, before we are done and dead.' https://t.co/6XBTfdb1im

— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) January 27, 2021

'When the world adapted and the mechanical men became the modern and mundane, few noticed and fewer complained. After all, automation brought autonomy, apathy, and absolute acedia. There are no wants or needs that can not be fulfilled for a fee and the machines fulfill for free.' https://t.co/Xctg0uEJMW

— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) January 27, 2021

'No one noticed it at first, so small, so insignificant next to all the other worries and troubles of life. Alas when it grew too large to ignore, no one did anything to stop it, each assuming that someone else was minding it and would cut out the cancer before it got too large.' https://t.co/hvFGELEmeF

— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) January 25, 2021

'Oh for the silent spaces, the sanctuaries of solitude where we can reflect on our lives, the world and the very question of why anything is at all. Oh for the spots no one else wants or cares about, the sites for soul searching and serenity, where we can find or lose ourselves.' https://t.co/Yt5UPiQa8j

— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) January 22, 2021

'They came from somewhere, of course, there was a homeworld somewhere in their distant, forgotten past. But they had been plying the warp for ages, for far longer than their people had ever lived planet-side. Now they were the spacefarers, the wanderers, the nomads of the stars.' https://t.co/84INDJe64M

— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) January 22, 2021

'Millennia had passed before anyone other than shepherds settled upon the hill and another millennia passed with no heed payed to the small tribe that came to call the place their home. And yet once declared sacred, the hill was forevermore a capital to empires and a holy place.' https://t.co/bu6MJtHE1x

— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) January 22, 2021

'Upon the outskirts of the settled cities, upon the borders of the accepted and the ignored, out beyond the perception of the masses, where the well-mannered and wild collide and clash, there upon the periphery is where you will find us, the artists, the rebels, and the workers.' https://t.co/0sm50sMetO

— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) January 22, 2021

'Built to stand against the sands, and to repel all who dwell upon the dunes who would strike at civilization's cities, the walls and towers of the pass had been erected long ago, but had needed repair and restoration more than once, each time growing taller, growing stronger.' https://t.co/EuCzDAAnBe

— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) January 22, 2021

'Everyone knew of the subterranean serpents that hunt the larger creatures of the tunnels far below the surface. Everyone knew them and feared them for their size and ferocity. But just as sharks hunt not the tiny fish all about them, so too the snakes held no danger to us.' https://t.co/8jWBQm7Ksv

— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) January 22, 2021

The post Twitter Art Micro-Stories: January 22-31, 2021 first appeared on Hic Sunt Deos.

Twitter Art Micro-Stories: January 15-21, 2021

'Oh, maiden of the darker depths, why do you delve so deep, where not even dangers dwell? What long forgot fable or fossil will you find, what secret hidden away from every adventurer that ever braved these caverns do you seek as you sojourn in solitude deep within the world?' https://t.co/yg6yyUYdcd

— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) January 21, 2021

'It is true what they say, a rising tide lifts all ships, and grand were the days when they plied the waves, seeking and capturing all they came upon. But when the tide went out so few survived and many were stranded upon the shores, mourning their fortunes and wishing for more.' https://t.co/bRJReo4j87

— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) January 21, 2021

'The Libation Bearer was a long forgotten goddess, supplanted and suppressed by so many successors over the centuries. Still, some supplicants still recalled the nourisher, the bringer of sustenance and fortunes, the generous goddess, selflessly offering all the waters of life.' https://t.co/96RvNyrM2q

— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) January 21, 2021

'Yes it bled, small streams of blood splintered the lands for leagues beyond the horizon, but so too it bled the land of all life. Nought but barren rock and soil bore witness to the ever growing orb, nought but the curious, brave, and the strange flower that still stood strong.' https://t.co/pH4DThdyie

— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) January 21, 2021

'In ancient times we marked our achievements on trees and rocks, signing our surroundings with symbols of our glories. But with the passage of time and the ever advancing tides of progress such monuments become mundane. So we seek ever larger surfaces to scratch our cenotaphs.' https://t.co/BYcKYjE5A4

— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) January 21, 2021

'Those that built these towers would shudder to know their grand achievements would be abandoned by their children's children. Their decendants were driven forth by calamities not of their own making but built into the very structures the builders had erected before their birth.' https://t.co/DiAFjrLM61

— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) January 19, 2021

'There's was an ancient way of life, older than the their homes, their city, and even the kingdom in which they lived. They had been plying their trade upon the waters before there was any semblance of civilization, and they would live in this manner for as long as they could.' https://t.co/O5rmYEcNg8

— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) January 19, 2021

'It was not much, this flimsy fortress, a simple structure to shield against the sun and sands, the sear and storms that battered against the barely adequate barrier they had erected when they had landed here so long ago. It was not much but it was enough to keep them alive.' https://t.co/gH9bRMT9tp

— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) January 19, 2021

'Most men were wary of the wilds this far west. The world they knew fell away before beasts and trees unknown and altogether frightening. The flowers were too large, the trees grew too tall, and the creatures that crept upon their boughs held no fear of man nor his weapons…' https://t.co/Wa7nghVp9f

— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) January 19, 2021

'Once there was a great empire, once there was a realm that stretched around the world, master of all men who once stood opposed. Once, they were lords of creation and forgers of all mankind's fates. But that was long ago and many other empires rose and fell since those days…' https://t.co/41MvXDJC5u

— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) January 19, 2021

'Sleet and snow and the silent stillness of the spent storm serenaded the midday maiden, mistress of the winter winds, as she surveyed the serenity and the safety such sheltering snows provided for her prey. The small spirits were captive in their caves but hidden from her eyes.' https://t.co/1epXtCLpGz

— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) January 19, 2021

'The interstellar mass had passed so close to their world that they feared the end was upon them. But it did not strike their sphere, smashing instead into their moon. Many celebrated their survival, but their joy was naive. The end was nigh and their moon would be its herald.' https://t.co/5OTE4DNiJY

— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) January 19, 2021

'This world was not ideal despite the thriving vegetation. It was far too cold for comfortable life even at the equator. Yes the air was breathable, but barely and would be adverse to their health. But they were out of fuel and parsecs away from aide so this would have to do.' https://t.co/vkZgEQi1MS

— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) January 19, 2021

The post Twitter Art Micro-Stories: January 15-21, 2021 first appeared on Hic Sunt Deos.

Twitter Art Micro-Stories: January 14-21, 2021

'Oh, maiden of the darker depths, why do you delve so deep, where not even dangers dwell? What long forgot fable or fossil will you find, what secret hidden away from every adventurer that ever braved these caverns do you seek as you sojourn in solitude deep within the world?' https://t.co/yg6yyUYdcd

— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) January 21, 2021

'It is true what they say, a rising tide lifts all ships, and grand were the days when they plied the waves, seeking and capturing all they came upon. But when the tide went out so few survived and many were stranded upon the shores, mourning their fortunes and wishing for more.' https://t.co/bRJReo4j87

— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) January 21, 2021

'The Libation Bearer was a long forgotten goddess, supplanted and suppressed by so many successors over the centuries. Still, some supplicants still recalled the nourisher, the bringer of sustenance and fortunes, the generous goddess, selflessly offering all the waters of life.' https://t.co/96RvNyrM2q

— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) January 21, 2021

'Yes it bled, small streams of blood splintered the lands for leagues beyond the horizon, but so too it bled the land of all life. Nought but barren rock and soil bore witness to the ever growing orb, nought but the curious, brave, and the strange flower that still stood strong.' https://t.co/pH4DThdyie

— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) January 21, 2021

'In ancient times we marked our achievements on trees and rocks, signing our surroundings with symbols of our glories. But with the passage of time and the ever advancing tides of progress such monuments become mundane. So we seek ever larger surfaces to scratch our cenotaphs.' https://t.co/BYcKYjE5A4

— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) January 21, 2021

'Those that built these towers would shudder to know their grand achievements would be abandoned by their children's children. Their decendants were driven forth by calamities not of their own making but built into the very structures the builders had erected before their birth.' https://t.co/DiAFjrLM61

— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) January 19, 2021

'There's was an ancient way of life, older than the their homes, their city, and even the kingdom in which they lived. They had been plying their trade upon the waters before there was any semblance of civilization, and they would live in this manner for as long as they could.' https://t.co/O5rmYEcNg8

— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) January 19, 2021

'It was not much, this flimsy fortress, a simple structure to shield against the sun and sands, the sear and storms that battered against the barely adequate barrier they had erected when they had landed here so long ago. It was not much but it was enough to keep them alive.' https://t.co/gH9bRMT9tp

— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) January 19, 2021

'Most men were wary of the wilds this far west. The world they knew fell away before beasts and trees unknown and altogether frightening. The flowers were too large, the trees grew too tall, and the creatures that crept upon their boughs held no fear of man nor his weapons…' https://t.co/Wa7nghVp9f

— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) January 19, 2021

'Once there was a great empire, once there was a realm that stretched around the world, master of all men who once stood opposed. Once, they were lords of creation and forgers of all mankind's fates. But that was long ago and many other empires rose and fell since those days…' https://t.co/41MvXDJC5u

— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) January 19, 2021

'Sleet and snow and the silent stillness of the spent storm serenaded the midday maiden, mistress of the winter winds, as she surveyed the serenity and the safety such sheltering snows provided for her prey. The small spirits were captive in their caves but hidden from her eyes.' https://t.co/1epXtCLpGz

— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) January 19, 2021

'The interstellar mass had passed so close to their world that they feared the end was upon them. But it did not strike their sphere, smashing instead into their moon. Many celebrated their survival, but their joy was naive. The end was nigh and their moon would be its herald.' https://t.co/5OTE4DNiJY

— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) January 19, 2021

'This world was not ideal despite the thriving vegetation. It was far too cold for comfortable life even at the equator. Yes the air was breathable, but barely and would be adverse to their health. But they were out of fuel and parsecs away from aide so this would have to do.' https://t.co/vkZgEQi1MS

— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) January 19, 2021

The post Twitter Art Micro-Stories: January 14-21, 2021 first appeared on Hic Sunt Deos.

Twitter Art Micro-Stories: January 8-14, 2021

'What bones were these that did not rot, what horrid monsters lie upon this spot, what evil walked and then did not, what wicked worlds had come before, and would they rise and walk once more? There may be things we should not know, but we must learn how their eyes still glow.' https://t.co/CDR93mAXKW

— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) January 15, 2021

'The illusion was unnerving, not because it felt real but because it felt unreal, unnatural, impossible, and every fiber of her being knew it could not be. It put her on edge, and she never felt more self-conscious, aware of every movement, every breath. 'https://t.co/4c157H62Bf

— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) January 14, 2021

'I could not see the danger in the dark, I could not hear its breath nor the beating of its heart, but I knew it was there, waiting, watching, stalking, seeking to devour this fool who had wandered into its lair. I could not see it, but I could see the warning word on the wall.' https://t.co/Y3hATQMFXd

— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) January 12, 2021

'Her grandmother had told of the times before the sun grew dim and the world died. The older folk were all gone now, but their stories haunted humanity still as the nights grew longer and the chill grew sharper. Paradise fell and now there was only cold.'https://t.co/DQ4DXtUpXE

— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) January 12, 2021

'Tourists marveled at their cities, deep in this distant moon, far flung from home in the cold depths of the system far from the sun. They were astounded at the ingenuity, the seeming absurdity of a thriving society within a world. It was the plant life that surprised them most.' https://t.co/38nO0K6SrT

— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) January 12, 2021

'None of them wanted to be there, in the heat and the sand, sapping their sweat and their will to live, day in day out. This was not their native land, not their native world, but there was wealth to be drawn from the ground, and such demanded force to fend off other interests.' https://t.co/lDCBXKEnvu

— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) January 12, 2021

'They were guarding the ancient temple against… what they knew not. Surely the crumbling chambers carved within the rocks stood secure all these aeons without their vigilance. Yet there they stood, as ordered, against an undefined and unclear danger to this rediscovered ruin.' https://t.co/VXTimKXiCi

— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) January 11, 2021

'In the distance, the storm is building, but we are safe within this valley. Our mountains protect us from the ominous onslaught witohut, as long as we remain where we are, safe, secure, sheltered, scared…. Lo, child, do not fear the gathering gloom, stay and cower with us.' https://t.co/QrtaSjJyCm

— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) January 11, 2021

"And you say they build these cities on purpose?"
"Of course."
"To live all together, when so much of their world open and unsettled?"
"Yes."
"Doesn't it get uncomfortable, all cooped up like vermin?"
"At times…."
"But…."
"Look, are you going to help me conquer them or not?" https://t.co/epcDME3na3

— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) January 11, 2021

'The extractors were autonomous, and exuded menace. Simple creatures fled before them, ceding whole swaths of the wild to their encroachment. They were autonomous, and altogether remorseless in their exploitation, leaving the society they served to ignore the issue entirely.' https://t.co/EMPBmlYnu5

— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) January 11, 2021

'Another day dawned upon the placid planet, far from federation, their fleets and their feuds. The old outpost, once a point of power, a point of control over the common people, rusted and decayed upon the high ground, watching over a populace no longer fearful of its authority.' https://t.co/GSMPgymasP

— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) January 11, 2021

'She did not know what lay beyond, or if she should trust this strange being from another realm. Instincts were firing warnings, panic threatening to hold her back, to keep her safe from the unknown. She did not know what lay beyond her room but she was determined to find out.' https://t.co/JORZII3mmK

— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) January 11, 2021

The post Twitter Art Micro-Stories: January 8-14, 2021 first appeared on Hic Sunt Deos.