🍂 Beyond The Iron Door

Tooth & Nail: Prologue

Step into a world of chaos, magic, monsters, and bones. Welcome to TOOTH & NAIL—A dark fantasy novella. The first season will be released bi-weekly refer to Episode Schedule for a fuller account. Thank you for taking the time to read!

The frigid morning air was dusted with ash as the haggard woman trailed through the wreckage of colored glass and splintered wood. Even with the familiar weight of her cherrywood pipe in her hand, it was difficult to ignore the evil of the place. She inhaled the coiled smoke into her belly, soothing her nerves as it burned her insides.

Burned—mere hours ago that is what the cottage had done. Signs of the fire’s greed were evident still. Marred forms of broken aspen branches were twisted at the edge of the clearing, while underneath a marker of stone, fresh earth rested atop new bones.

A small cough sounded. Yarrow tapped the contents of her pipe against her skirt and tucked it away—they had overstayed their welcome. She had meant to give her godchild a moment to grieve, but Saskia was huddled against the lone iron door. She was like a ghost. A thin nightdress billowed around her lightweight frame; her bright eyes encircled with deep shadow.

Yarrow traced her weathered fingers over the girl’s forehead. It had been years since she had called upon the Gods for aid. For all she knew, the old deities were deep in sleep between the threads of the world, but to protect Saskia, she would wake them all.

She extended her hand to the child. “It’s time to move along.” Saskia turned her head toward the ring of blood-marked trees beyond the door. Yarrow shrugged off her shawl and placed it around her thin shoulders.

“Do not fear the woods, only the monsters within it.”

Yarrow lifted the child into her arms, wincing as the faded threads chafed against her stinging forearm. The blood loss was taking its toll, the trees required more blood to create the prison than she had anticipated.

Beyond the iron door, within the ring of blood-marked trees, an ivory skull rested. The dark hair had long melted away, but no matter how long she had burned the creature’s carcass, the bones remained. The monster’s Aura lingered around its skull, a soundless writhing mass of shadows threading through the eyeless pits.

Yarrow left the darkness and walked into the light.