In this case, I was browsing on Goodreads and caught sight of an anthology call for stories. It was for Carved in Flesh, a title which drew my attention, and I checked the premise:
"People often say that the true perfection in the human form is in its imperfections. Scars are visceral reminders of a person's past, a sign of an event that can never fade. Whether it was gained in combat, a traumatic experience, or part of a ritual with a lover, scars are the ultimate labels. Carved in Flesh features short stories in which at least one character sports physical scars�visible to the naked eye, and prominent enough to spark a conversation."
I do have a preference for main characters who are complex, often damaged guys with traumatic pasts. Internal emotional scars interest me the most, but often the two go hand in hand. And even the thought of a guy with deliberate scars was interesting – what would motivate a man to intentionally scarify his own skin? I thought these might be stories I'd want to read when the collection finally came out.
I was going to put the title on my To-Be-Read list and move on, when I caught sight of a man. He was young, very blond and slight, almost feminine. He was looking fixedly down at his arm, fingering a ropey red irregular scar that began across the back of the fingers of his left hand and ran in odd meanderings up to the edge of his sleeve. "Aha," I thought. "Old injury, some kind of traumatic past." But then he looked up at me and his eyes glinted. He smiled and I saw he was older, and more confident, than I had first thought. When he brushed his fingers over the scar again, the little curve of his lips was more rueful than pained.
He wasn't acting like this mark was linked to trauma, but it seemed too uneven and random to be surgery or adornment. I waited to see if he would tell me what the hell happened. He tossed his head, flicking that fine blond hair out of his eyes, and shrugged. "Gift of the Goddess," he said. "It hurt like fuck, but it was worth it. Nyle was worth it." Then he turned, swung up on his horse, and headed back down the lane toward the forge.
And I knew I had to write the damned thing, just to find out what he was talking about.
It hurt like hell! He'd thought he was prepared for anything, but this was like a shower of molten iron on his skin. Garvin clapped his hands over his eyes, pressing hard until he saw flashes of light. He froze in that position, unwilling to move. It was as though his body was being scorched and charred, up both arms and across his chest, but there was no sound and no smell of burning flesh. He didn't dare look at himself . He'd begged for help, implored Rima for guidance, something, anything, without really expecting his prayer to be answered. Clearly, he'd gotten attention from the goddess herself. But by all the gods, it hurt!
Somehow, he forced his lips to complete the ritual blessing. "All thanks, Rima Who Made the Stars, for answering my prayer. All hail, Rima Who Made the Earth, to your power. All praise, Rima Who Bore the First Man, for your love toward your creations."
As he spoke the final word, he felt a touch like a cool hand on his burning forehead. After a moment, the sensation faded and was gone. There was only silence and the near-unbearable fire that spread across his skin...
I haven't published much fantasy. Other than werewolves, the only adult fantasy I've put out for readers has been the short story Within Reach, which is free on my website. I love fantasy, though. It demands consistent world-building, while at the same time freeing a writer from the constraints of human history. I've written a fair bit of it in my head and stashed several stories away among my first drafts. I just hadn't expected an anthology short to be my next venture into the genre.
But Garvin clearly was living in a world where the goddess could stretch out her hand and touch the lives of men. I had to go on writing and find out who Nyle was, and what made Garvin forsake the caution of a lifetime and beg for divine help.
The end of their story turns out to be happy, but it goes to a fairly dark place in the middle. This is the first story I've written that has on-page non-consensual sex. Although the episode is brief and not explicit, no doubt some readers will avoid this story for that reason alone. For those who do take a look, I hope you enjoy meeting Garvin and Nyle.
There are five other stories in the Carved in Flesh anthology. Those other authors read the same call and had very different men step out of their imaginations and show them damaged skin. I am very much looking forward to reading their stories and finding out who those men are, what they want, what they dream, what they have endured in joining the ranks of those whose pasts are written on their skin in scars.
Kaje Harper can be found at her blog or at her author page on Goodreads.
Kaje Harper can be found at her blog or at her author page on Goodreads.
thanks for sharing.
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