Author's Note: The characters are somewhat real, as this is based on a sort of... Private Role-Playing Game that I and my friends have been members of for a long time. All characters are actually people I know, they all look the same and have the same names, excluding Matishti, Mimjee, Levanai, and Terma, though different backgrounds and abilities and certain features like fangs or goat horns. Some of these stories are scary, or romantic, or funny, or sad, and so most people will no doubt find something pleasant within.

Summary: A collection of short stories based in the parallel universe of Doramantho, a fantastical world of fairies and demons and sorceresses.

Doramanthan terms used in the following:

'The Teenagers': The trouble-makers of the Thieves, a group of three teenagers, as implied, who cause trouble, start rumors, and know more about people's private lives than anyone would like.

'Milas'': Term for a married woman, equivalent of the American 'Mrs.'.

'Milar'': Term for an unmarried woman, equivalent of the American 'Ms.'.

'Demons': General term for demi-god creatures such as vampires, Drachs, and other dark creatures who tend to eat one part or another of humans for lunch.

'Nip a bung': Thieven slang for 'steal a purse'.

'Prince of Shadows': Vampire Emperor, not seen since the fall of the vampire Empire several centuries prior. (Or was he? *mysterious smile* Read and find out!)

Doramanthan Adventures #1: The Chicken-duck-thing

(funny)

“Watch out!” Came a cry.

A strange creature that resembled a duck with scaly legs like a lizard flew in through the kitchen window of the Thieven camp, making a loud wumphing noise as it flapped madly around, startling the kitchen staff.

The staff shrieked for the most part, ducking and some running outside in hysterics. Several people tried to catch it, but the creature sqwacked and proved quite difficult to catch.

“Ah!” Apple shrieked as the thing flew straight in her face. “Help!”

The pastry-girl tried to fight the thing off, but it was attempting with relish to bite her nose off.

“Mad duck! Get away!” She shrieked, covering her head with her arms.

“Apple, duck!” A girl's voice yelled.

“I know it's a duck!” Apple yelled.

“No, dolt, I mean duck!” Came the annoyed reply.

Apple did, and a frying pan swung through the air, narrowly missing the creature. The pan swung again, this time smacking the creature quite senseless. With a last 'wumph', it fell to the ground, stunned.

Apple stood back up, glaring down at the creature on the floor. Then she looked up and smiled shakily at the dark-skinned girl before her.

“Thanks Matishti.” She said, turning back to her pastries.

“You're welcome.” The other girl replied.

“Hey Matishti, will you please take that thing outside?” Mazanita, the head cook, called.

Matishti made a face at having to handle the thing which she couldn't identify, but the young salad-girl nodded and picked the thing gingerly up by its slippery warm legs.

“Idiot bird... er, chicken-duck-thing. You caused a nice, calm morning to go off.” She scolded the creature, who wouldn't have understood her even if it was conscious. “You're lucky I don't know how you taste, or I might cook you up for meat pastries.”

As she emerged, she saw a group of teenagers nearby laughing so hard they were doubled over. Knowing perfectly well who had caused the trouble in the first place, the fifteen-year-old stalked over to the group, chicken-thing in hand.

“I believe this is yours.” She said, looking quite ruffled as she stuck the thing in a red-headed girl's stomach roughly.

If Matishti were a cat, her fur would have been sticking up. The girl tried to look innocent, but it wasn't fooling Matishti.

“Take your creature, Levanai.” She snapped.

“It's not mine, it's Floresko's.” She replied, pointing at her boyfriend.

Matishti flapped the half-conscious creature at the boy.

“Here Trumpeting Flower, take your... thing.”

Floresko did.

“What did you do to it, Matishti?” He asked, sounding surprised.

But Matishti stalked off.

Just before entering the kitchen, she noticed a pair of misplaced orange eyes seemingly floating in the air. She walked over and hit the empty air right above the eyes with the palm of her hand, not in a good mood, though the smack was gently affectionate, and wouldn't have hurt the eyes' owner even if she had hit as hard as she could.

“Ow!” Said a male voice, a tall young man with black hair and very pale skin appearing and rubbing his head.

“No need to hit.” He said, sounding a bit curter than usual.

Matishti grinned and put her arms around his neck, giving him a swift kiss on the lips.

“That was an interesting show, I must say.” He commented after Matishti had released him.

Matishti smiled lovingly.

“I'll have to do the same to you if Mazanita catches you skulking around the kitchen. Or I could just leave it to Apple.” Matishti said, though she was quite serious.

The young man shrugged.

“I've had worse.”

“Oh I'm sure. Certain candlestick incidents...”

“Oh yes.” He said, smiling.

“Stop that. You look sexy when you do that.” Matishti commented with a grin.

“Oh, thank you...” He said, smiling again in the dark way of his.

“You're welcome. Do you have any idea what that thing was?”

“No. I'll ask Master. Maybe she knows.”

“Since when do you go to Milas' Mimjee for advice?”

“I don't.” He said a bit defensively.

“I would think you'd be the expert on odd creatures, being one yourself.”

“Odd creature? Me?”

“Who else appears half the time as a pair of floating orange eyes?”

No reply for a moment.

“But you share a bed with this 'odd creature'.”

Matishti laughed and kissed him again.

“I know that idiot! And I love every minute of it!”

The young man grinned, revealing the silvery glint of rather sharp teeth.

“I'd better get back to work before they send someone out to get me.”

“Ah yes, and I am not welcome in the kitchen.”

“Of course.”

With a lingering parting kiss, Matishti slipped back inside the kitchen to cook, wishing sadly that she didn't have to leave her lover. Of course, she didn't notice the orange eyes shining in the corner of the kitchen.

Author's Note: There's the first snippet. Tell me how you like it, please.

Special thanks to: Mimjee *hugs Mimjee*, Terma *hugs Terma too*, Zilla, Kole (*blows kiss to Brat Prince*), Matishti *pats on head*, Yanyei, Mazanita, Floresko, Levenai, Amir, Jade, San, Cobra (blagh!), Jomas, Eli, Mieto, and all you other Doramanthans whom I adore (and some I don't), this obviously would not be possible without you all!