Colo(u)r IQ Test

Wow, tried this wee tool I found. Scored 17 which looks fairly good? Hurt my eyes trying to get it right though. Hoping that means my colour theory won't hamper me in the future!
Dale

Flash Fiction But Not Quite in a Flash

"Write now, right now" fantastic phrase, have at it. This was originally for a flash fiction challenge over on litreactor.com though I went two and half times over the word count. Feedback would be 'muy apreciada'! Enjoy
ps. If someone buys me CS6 or any photoshop for that matter I will illustrate it ;)

Exhausted They Pushed On, Towards the Cornflower Horizon.

His one remaining grey brow flickered in the coastal breeze. His seared flesh twinkled in the light of the blaze. 

“They came en mass,” he mumbled, as though through a mouth of grit.

“How many?” replied a spear toting serf. The old man paused and stared, long, and hard into the flames.

“Many”

He could feel the fear gripping all of them, old and young, weak and strong. A lone rider dropped his wood-axe and bags and fled as fast as his stubby pony could manage.

The night wore on with the locals huddled round the burning debris. The crackling timbers held the remaining temple wing together. “Get away from that you fool,” rumbled the priest, waving his staff “you people know nothing”. He began shuffling along the path, his staff wobbled as he leant on it heavily. The towns folk followed. “Watch the low and dark places,” he said “they seem more at home in the dark”

“So we all make a torch and wave them into the night.” resolutely declared a minute-man and drew a tinder block from his canvas sack. “We shall need... many.” and glowered at the priest.

The rough and dusty roads were tough going, they pulled the contorted and groaning survivors on wagons, the horses had all reared and fled during the raid. Their sweat ran cold and the growing wind froze them to the yokes. Hours passed and the sun began its ascent from the triple peaked Valentine Uplands. Exhausted they pushed on, towards the cornflower horizon. The path grew thinner and steeper. It wound its way up the forested slope.

A voice from the rear of the caravan threw out an agonising howl.

“The beasts have returned, my flock, hurry!” bellowed the old man and drew from under his robes a short crossbow, barely a cubit long and could probably shoot as far. More bodies came to the aid of the wagons, to lumber them on. Less joined the fray to the rear.

“We take the next gully and hold it”.

They were in clear view below, over the last crest line, those shadows from the dark, knarled and writhing they hacked apart the rear most wagons with grunts of delight. Approaching swiftly they lowered their heads, now only a bow shot away. Facing them were the men brave enough to look, their backs against those of the wagon pushers.

“Have we killed any yet?” Shouted the minute-man to the assembled defenders.

“I seen two slain,” retorted an invalid “skewered as they charge”

“Where is this gully!”

“Just by the saddle of these mountains” panted the old man. They all stopped and stared. It seemed an age away and it may as well had been. They were just too fast. Too brutal. The fear returned. Their shoulders ached and their feet throbbed. Their spears heavy and the wagons onerous.

“These steps will be our last” said the minute-man, melancholy dripped from every word. The ground rumbled as they approached, louder and louder. The group revenantly stared, bar one. The invalid looked round, quizzically.

“These beasts are light on their feet,” he thought “they were silent through the night”

Over the ridge below burst all manor of polished metal. The Knights of Valentine hurtled towards their foe. Their destriers, clad in dawn haloed barding punched deep through the sanity stripped horde. Beaten by the charge they crumbled. Within a heartbeat no beast stood.

A lone pony followed over the ridge, stumbling from exhaustion, the rider swung his wood-axe into the air and jeered before falling to the ground.

Dale

Paintings

Finally got some painting done, including the improved page header. Chuffed.

Tried motion blur for the rain, quite a quick rendering.

Still getting used to custom brushes. Learnt a lot.

Crippled wee soul.

*update* added some captions