The Inkwell presents: A Literary Mixtape

By The Inkwell

Before man learned to write, music safeguarded the legacies of generations. Able to elicit emotions of all kinds, it speaks to all souls. For us, it inspired our imaginations to conjure tales both great and small. Join us and discover the 10 worlds formed by the music of our minds in our literary mixtape.

We Were Not Born To Follow - A constellation is stirred to action by a kelpie unwilling to bow to pressure.
Passionfruit - A young man reflects on a relationship that may not be all it's cracked up to be.
Crazy As Hell - Do not stare into the mirrors, especially when what stares back is not your reflection.
Hallelujah - A musician reflects on just how much his lady's action may parallel a tale once heard.
Crystal Palaces - Trapped within a gilded cage, one woman seeks something beautiful to say.
You Showed Me Paradise When All I Saw Was Sin - When failure drags at one's soul, indulging in what is wrong for you can be cathartic.
Only A Matter Of Time - Duty may be all-important, but that doesn't prevent the person keeping Time on track from asking "What if?"
The Bridge - When the horde is knocking at the door, sometimes the one most capable is the one most reviled.
Breach of Contract - There are some people you don't want to leave off the guest list. You never know what they'll do when they find out.
The Escape Within - When the pain becomes too much to bear, a cop must find distraction in unlikely circumstances.

• Language: English
• Publisher: The Inkwell
• Release date: Jul 1, 2021
• ISBN: 9781005969561

The Inkwell

We are a writing collective founded on Discord that currently includes 20+ writers all helping each other on the climb to completed works.

Book preview

We Were Not Born to Follow

By Kuma Harley

Orion, whom they called the Hunter. So named for the powers bestowed on him by Betelgeuse in his right shoulder, Bellatrix in his left, and the belt at his waist. Granting him the use of a weapon, a shield born of unnamed stars, and the massive power within, respectively. All for the protection of those loaning them their strength. He was a protector first, friend second. 

Or such were the beliefs of his mentors.

Taurus, Gemini, and Canis Major, all three wielded tremendous power in their own right. His neighbors upon Darkness’ skin, and his mentors under Sol’s light. Only three centuries had passed since his own reincarnation when he left his mortal name behind in exchange for that of the starry collection he now wielded. He was a Constellation now, and their work never ended. 

The Light Guardians, slumbering as stars in a half-conscious state, gave guidance to any who needed it. Weakened by this, it fell to the Constellations to protect them in turn, whether by day or whilst they worked at night. Ever vigilant, ever on guard. 

Orion learned these lessons with the same determination he showed while befriending his stars, earning their trust and becoming a Successor worthy of the name bestowed on him. Each night, he took his place within the skies, cheerfully greeting his mentors, and watching the world, both mortal and immortal, pass by rapidly beneath. While his stars did their work, he gazed upon oceans and mountains alike, observing them with a curiosity that had yet to wane, even after so much time.

One night, unlike so many before, the Hunter found his curiosity drawn to storm clouds collecting over the Northern Hemisphere, stationed above the oceans bordering the far north. With but a glance he noted the Ursa Constellations nearly over top the messy system, the minor of the two appearing to guide sailors caught in the maelstrom to safer waters. As effective as it could be, the sailor’s sight of the smaller bear would be blocked by those clouds. 

All night, as he roamed the skies, his gaze constantly returned to the storm. When Sol finally allowed them reprieve, he found himself descending from the darkness toward the tempest. On foot it was just as dangerous to him as any mortal human, so Orion found shelter on an island in the midst of the churning seas. From within the safety of a seaside cave, the Hunter watched monstrous waves crash upon themselves, weakening with each collision, until they splintered on the shores. 

In all his time, Orion could not remember witnessing such wild waves, nor the fervor with which they threw themselves against the solid land. It was as frightening as Taurus sparring with Sagittarius, and as mesmerizing as Pegasus in full flight. With nothing to do until night, when he would need to ferry his stars to the skies, Orion remained within the cave, watching the feral waves as they delivered their wrath upon unforgiving shores.

Under night-black clouds, time slipped through his hands like grains of sand. Before long, the stars in his shoulders warned of the approaching sunset. While not as strong as others, they were dedicated to their duties, and did not look kindly on tardiness, something he agreed with wholeheartedly.

But, it was with a heavy heart that he strapped on his shield, and fastened his sword to his side once more. Over the course of his stay, he’d found a certain beauty within the feral waves, a wild recklessness calling to his warrior blood, and urging him forward into the maelstrom. Though not understanding it, the Hunter recognized and appreciated the haunting lure it held. So, he left the cave, preparing to call upon the path so he could once more take his place amidst the others of his kind. 

Stepping out into the darkening day, a haunting melody returned his attention to the ocean. That was when he witnessed the creatures behind the storm. An equine herd, some thirty strong, thundering across wild waters with the ease born of millennia of practice. They were Kelpie, one of the sea-faring species who called the wilder seas that danced the northern reaches of the earth ‘home’. Orion knew of them due to Gemini’s stories, but he’d never seen them himself until this day. 

Taken aback at the sight of the powerful creatures, Orion ignored the urging of his named stars, preferring to watch the Kelpie as they raced and battled. Amongst them, there was one who truly drew his interest. At the edge of the herd, closest to the shore, roamed a mare tossing a mane of azure streaked with violet. Her dark blue coat, while thick to protect against the colder waters, rippled with muscle as she reared, bringing heavy hooves to bear on an incoming wave. They met at the shore line, the wave shattering under the impact, and Orion’s breath was stolen from him.

The way she moved, dancing about the waves as if they were hers to command, frolicking in stormy seas and marching to the beat of the thunderous Gods themselves. There was no structure, no rigidity, no rules to follow or lessons to remember. She was free to do what she wanted when she desired it. Something in his chest rattled at the thought, a hope he could escape the binds placed on him by duty and be the friend to his stars he wanted to be. Was there something beyond training every day to protect his Lights? Something out there beyond the life he knew? He had a feeling this Kelpie, wild and fierce like the waves she raced, would know the answer.

Betelguese and Bellatrix made themselves known once more, dragging the Hunter from his watch. With some reluctance, Orion called forth his icy path. This wouldn’t be the last he saw of the Kelpie. Not when she wielded the power to break such bonds. 

*    *    *

Languishing in the warm rays of morning, crimson locks tumbled down the Kelpie’s back in a tumultuous torrent. Pieces of seaweed twined through the mass, remnants from her earlier swim. As much as she enjoyed swimming in her true form, she was built for the deep currents, escaping from the beasts found there, and racing the feral waves accompanying oceanic storms. Content to be, she dozed, one ear on guard should any approach. 

The mortals were ignorant of this silent beach, preferring to remain close to their villages and the lower shores, where fishermen could bring in their haul. While they could be pests, they were nothing compared to the other immortals calling the surrounding islands their home. Each was as feisty as the next, a natural inclination of those born of the water, and a learned instinct for those born of land, honed by the scent of war that arose every century or so. Blood had a