Rin stopped, the arrow quivered in front of his eyes. He turned to face the elf and stared down the shaft of another arrow, nocked and ready. "Yes, well I suppose you have a point. I'll come with you."

The _Silent Laughter_ fell into the wormhole -- time slowed and the seconds stretched. Ben felt the lifetime his eyelids took to blink, then the moment snapped and the world righted itself. "We need our engines back on line!"

"I know," Ellington growled. His hands raced over the engineering panel as he tried to reroute core functions and power.

"We've got company!" Nguyen shouted. "Six, no, ten ships!"

Teroa gazed into the wind as the deck of the ship heaved in the waves. He finally saw the emerald sliver of land the lookout had announced. Perched as he was on the bowsprit, naked save his loincloth, his skin covered in dark swirling tattoos, the warrior could have been another figurehead for the _Summer Wind_, but the crew gave the real figurehead far more respect. Teroa welcomed setting foot on land again, even if it was a demon infested island.

Another site seed that opens a window to another world. What do you see? What lies beyond?

By: Tommi Brander

Cripples' Gate guards one of the passes through the range of mountains just south of Tirae. All the crippled, insane, and old warriors who have nowhere else to go man it. They share the walls with political enemies of the royal family and criminals faced with exile. Its a grim post, but the gate has never been attacked. Now, an army of dragonspawn stands there -- waiting.

Visit the July 07 Contest entries for more prompts from Tommi.

By: Trevis

Carefully Rafe stepped off the paces, one per each cut stone block that made up the floor, diligently keeping his feet within the area outlined by the ancient mortar. The sweat trickled coldly down his back as he mentally chanted out the numbers so painstakingly deciphered in recent months; two towards the heart, his left, then eight towards the setting sun he couldn't see here within the temple, then the holy number of nine devoted to the sinister which again meant left. He didn't dare pull out his notes now; one misstep might cost him more than just his life.

Visit the July 07 Contest entries for more prompts from Trevis.

By: Scott

Kaido bent over the hexagonal board, placing his red sun piece. Jason winced as the bug clacked the new score on its claws rhythmically. Only three turns remained, and his pieces just weren't right to capitalize on the spaces left on the board.

Visit the July 07 Contest entries for more prompts from Scott.

The drums redoubled their intensity. Brom frowned as he assessed the drum's ultimate meaning -- men affirming and broadcasting their primal territorial nature. If you can hear our drums, you're on our turf, and that means you're too close. The flight engineer couldn't agree more, and he forced himself and Callaway at his side to continue their slow and lurching progress.

The pilot snarled at the dense jungle and the exposed roots that threatened to trip them at every step. Brom couldn't blame the wounded man -- with his mangled leg and gash in his side, and he was thankful for every hop Callaway made.