If you’re interested in fantasy, I invite you to check out the short story Mercury, Sulfur, & Salt by Ben Stahl, recently updated and made free. Scroll to the bottom of this post for links on how you can download your copy!
The story follows a young girl named Rhea Saturna, who lives with her alchemist father. In one night, her life changes forever.
As the daughter of a powerful alchemist, Rhea resents the fact that her father refuses to teach her anything more than rudimentary alchemy. Though she understands that he is trying to protect her after her mother died in a violent alchemical accident, she still hates the secretive nature of his work. After an argument with her father, she seeks out his assistant Aurora. Instead of receiving the comfort she sought, she is asked to violate every belief she’s ever held.
Strange cloaked figures swarm the village, reducing it to cinders while they work to contain the deathly whispers floating on the scorched air. The night is red with blood and fire, filled with the screams of the dying—and something else. She must wade through the chaos of the village to try and find her father—and some answers—before everything dear to her is reduced to ash.
Worst of all, Rhea knows that it is all her fault.
Stahl is currently writing his first full-length novel, a continuation of Rhea’s story. Be on the lookout for more information on this blog, or follow the author’s blog at A World in Words.
Download Mercury, Sulfur, & Salt for free in .pdf, .mobi, and .epub:
- Smashwords.com
- Google Drive (posted by author)
- Barnes & Noble
If you try this story out and enjoy it, please share it with anyone you think might enjoy it as well! Honest reviews are also appreciated on any platform of your choice.
Voraciously 