By Sword, Stave or Stylus

A gladiator painting with manticore blood.A demon detective policing Hell.A ninja who can turn into shadow.Prepare to be swept away to worlds beyond our own in these thirteen short fantasy stories. This collection includes:Live By the Sword - art and magic combine in a fantasy version of the Roman arena.Leprosaria - a knight and his chronicler uncover strange goings on in a leper hospital.Long Nights in Languedoc - something monstrous pursues an English army through medieval France.The Essence of a Man - the magical power of art is tested under siege.Shadows, Stones and Hungry Ghosts - a prisoner faces a haunting interrogation.The Wizard's Stairs - a young man, an angry wizard and a test of love.Striking Black Silence - a ninja becomes the shadows on a deadly mission.The Edge of the World - a lowly gutter dweller carries a vital message across a strange rooftop world.The Hunter in the Stacks - a scholar takes up his spear and goes hunting knowledge.The Suspicions of Shadowvalt - a demonic whodunnit.The Faces of the Fallen - Detective Shadowvalt returns to investigate a murder in Hell.The Magpie Dance - a group of morris dancers are more than they seem.One Minute of Beauty - art, revolution, absinthe and a visionary moment.