After falling into the Stream of Silence, Anon found himself unable to speak. Ordinarily, this wouldn't be an issue, as the Kirin he lives with are used to the presence of the stream and are more than capable of making him a cure.

Unfortunately, said cure relies on the magical foal's-breath flower, which is currently out of season. He's going to have to wait for the next batch of it to grow before he can speak again.

Thankfully, this is a problem that his wife, Rain Shine, has plenty of experience with.

Day #1 of Hearts and Hands Week.

It wasn't Eric's fault he hit the alien with his truck. How was he supposed to see a dog-sized horse walking down the highway in the pouring rain? His life would've been simpler if he just left the animal like any other roadkill. But in his injured delirium, the horse spoke.

This accident soon ends with an intimate personal knowledge of just how dangerous magic can be. An ancient rises, tied to a mysterious tome the pegasus was protecting on the night of the accident. A malevolent force grows within those pages, whispering louder and louder about the cleansing flame. But without the spells inside that cursed tome, Eric's humanity will be gone forever.

He has no choice but to master the words of power contained within, before his life is turned to ashes around him

A commission for Muziki. Edited by Two Bit and Sparktail. Cover by Zutcha.

The various artistic works created for this story are credited to their artists within the chapter they appear.