A Throne of Blood and Ash
Azazel’s eyes flashed open. Saturated images flooded her vision. The slightest color burned inside her retinas. Where was she? Before the thought even finished, a wave of pain washed over her, like she had just been plugged back into her own body. With hearing came headache, and a splitting one at that. Before she could hear anything beyond a muffled staccato rumbling, her vision took shape. Auburn twilight filled a crumbling sky, and the sun hung its head low. Of course, it couldn’t be seen beyond the smoke. Every so often, white flashes lit up the sky. Azazel only remembered her home, many parsecs away. Azazel rolled her head to the left. Before her, her splintered arm smeared a brushstroke of her own gore on the ground. She tried to clench the fist that ought to be there, though she couldn’t quite feel it. Torn muscles moving through and against shattered bone, but she was too dazed to comprehend. It was coming back to her n...