Fiction – Page 2 – DVS Press

Karen the Moneywasher (Dialogue Demo)

David V Stewart July 17, 2019 July 17, 2019Creative non-fiction, Fiction, Non-fiction, Uncategorized, Writing 0

The following is a short scene and a half of a story created on my livestream for the purposes of demonstrating dialogue writing. It begins with two characters who banter, revealing their character traits and also through that dialogue reveal the basic elements of a plot goal – Karen needs to launder money. The second (incomplete) scene introduces a third character, exposes his traits, and further develops the main plot goal. It was quite a bit of fun! Check out the entire stream here, then view the file below:

Sarah the Rogue

David V Stewart July 11, 2019 July 11, 2019Fantasy, Fiction, Writing 0

Sarah rushed through the narrow alleyway, brushing a stray red hair from her blushed lips as she went. The cold night wind drew moisture to her eyes, something that had grown unfamiliar to her in the days since she had offered her employment to the Order of the Black Lotus. She grumbled to herself as she stepped around a stray cat, causing the inky feline to tip over an empty bottle

Interstellar Dragonships while singing Styx; Skeleton Feet

David V Stewart June 1, 2019 June 1, 2019Creative non-fiction, Science Fiction 0

My dream: After travelling abroad, my wife and I decided to move to another planet. We packed the house (the literal house, not just our things) into a decently-sized star freighter. It was blocky, but roomy and agile in the atmosphere above earth. That star freighter was taken inside a dock near the “foot” of an immensely large star ship, with a robotic dragon head containing many ion cannons. It was a battle-ready craft, probably a kilometer long. It was colored red and green. The dragonship curled itself into a ball and attached itself to an exponentially larger ship, so…

Crown of Sight – scene 5

David V Stewart March 20, 2019 March 10, 2019Crown of Sight, Fantasy, Fiction 0

Talel threw another knife. It slid its way through the armor of the Draesen, the enchanted edge slicing through the steel mail like it was paper. It stopped halfway into the grey-skin’s neck. Dark blood erupted as he slid off of his horse, landing near the first scout Talel had killed, a human.
The elf looked over his shoulder and nodded. Mardrel padded up, his sword drawn. He was followed by the rest of the scouts, who bore bows and crossbows.
“So far, so good,” Talel said to the captain.
Mardrel peered around the boulder, taking in the steep slope up to the enemy palisade, tracing the wooden fortifica-tions with his eyes until they disappeared into the night.
“Do you think we can remain hidden?”
Talel nodded. “Well enough to get close, yes. The problem will be getting away.”

Crown of Sight – scene 4

David V Stewart March 18, 2019 March 10, 2019Crown of Sight, Fantasy, Fiction 0

Darathel stepped up to the door and held forth his hand. The darkness rippled like water, then faded, revealing a sun-lit room filled with furnishings. Darathel and Faedra stepped in. The dark curtain formed behind them. When it did, the room grew darker as well. A halo of light surrounded a bed on the far wall. As if seeing it for the first time, Darathel flinched, then walked toward it.
On the bed lay an elf, breathing slowly. His eyes were open, and he wore a grim expression, though he stared at nothing. Bedsheets covered him to his chest, but he wore no shirt. His head reclined on a pillow, and on his golden hair sat a detailed circlet of golden-white metal that glowed with its own light, illuminating the dark space.
“Can you hear me, father?” Darathel said.
The elf blinked, then looked at Darathel. His voice was clear and slow. “My son. It is good to see you. How long has it been?”
“A day.”
“So little time. It felt like years.”
“It might have been longer to you, King Pelanel,” Faedra said.

Crown of Sight – scene 3

David V Stewart March 15, 2019 March 10, 2019Crown of Sight, Fantasy, Fiction 0

“What is there to sabotage, sir?”
Mardrel took his eye away from his telescope for a moment to look at Talel, who stood leaning against a charred tree trunk, his face wrapped against the chill of the fog that billowed per-petually from the Fay Lands close at hand.
“Much to sabotage,” Mardrel replied, “but very little we have the capacity to affect.” He handed the telescope to the scout and sat down on a nearby rock.
Talel brought the brass-barreled device to his eye. His grey cloak and gambeson made him blend in well with the tumbled stone and old ash of the burned-out grove, but he made a stark silhouette against the glow of the Fay. There, the trees grew of their own light, stretching in a golden green sheet behind the city.

Crown of Sight – scene 2

David V Stewart March 13, 2019 March 10, 2019Crown of Sight, Fantasy, Fiction, Uncategorized 0

Prince Darathel leaned over the table. His sword, made for his father’s hands, banged against the ancient wood and he moved it behind him nervously. Covering the table was an immense map drawn on canvas. Ghostly glowing points and clouds hovered over the surface, indicating where the enemy was camped and where its soldiers moved. The lamp above, filled with the ethereal light of the prim, flickered out for a few moments, dimming the relief of the castle and outer walls, leaving the blue-white of the enemy army on the map as the sole source of light in the room… or nearly so.

Crown of Sight – scene 1

David V Stewart March 11, 2019 March 10, 2019Crown of Sight, Fantasy, Fiction, Uncategorized 4

Enjoy this preview of Crown of Sight – releasing on March 22, 2019. More scenes to come in the following days! 1 Katach sat brooding upon his throne, its carved surfaces gilded with the treasure of his many conquests. Its bulk was held aloft on a wooden stand by two ranks of slaves, who bore it upon two great logs that sat upon their shoulders. Images of demons and human suffering ran up and down the back and sides of the great chair, a baroque cacophony of wicked iconography, dedicated wholly to the lord that sat upon it. Despite the…

Lined Paper

David V Stewart November 21, 2018 November 22, 2018Fiction, Flash Fiction, Short Story 3

Jim checked his phone out of habit as he rushed down the hall. Before he could see just how late he was, the screen dimmed. “Buggy piece of dogshit!” he said, shaking the infernal device, suppressing the desire to throw it through the 5th story window. For moment he decided on a compromise, agreeing with his inner demon to toss it in the trash and buy a new one after work, but before he could act, he found the phone tumbling out of his hand as he fell onto the floor. “What the fuck?” he said, twisting around on the…

The Fable of the Hen and the Wild Turkey

David V Stewart September 4, 2018 September 3, 2018Creative non-fiction, Parables 0

Each day the farmwife would go out to the chicken pen, and throw out some feed. Each day, the hen would come out of her coop and eat. One day, the farmwife was in a hurry, so she threw a handful of corn hastily through the wire, and moved on to her other business. Some of the feed fell outside of the pen. The hen pushed her head against the wire, trying to get her beak to the pile of fresh feed beyond, but could not reach it. Finally, she abandoned it and went back to her nest. Later that…

Category: Fiction