Fifteen months of research brought Professor Ferney to the Eastern Andes of Ecuador and a long descent into the Cueva de Los Tayos (Cave of the Oilbirds). Matt’s feet hit the bottom of the rope ladder and the light from his head torch lit the cavern immediately in front of him. It was eerily silent; the only noise was from the constant tap-tapping of water falling onto the rocky surface. It had been a surreal experience....

As the youngest of the staff archeologists at our local museum, I am often asked why I decided to commit to a career at our small hometown museum rather than trying for one of the larger museums in a bigger city. My answer is always the same, “I remain here so that I can study La Chiave.” Most people don’t even know what I am referring to. But that’s to be expected. When something has been there for all of your life, you...

The nine muses sing 'round the fall faerie ring While we dance in a circle of stone And the embers glow red as we dance with the dead Where the spirits in the barrows now moan   Our arms slowly raise to the Goddess we praise While the passions we share rise anew And my lover is filled with the nectar I spilled 'Pon her lips as she kissed at my dew   The smoke from the fire where we dance our desire Ascends to occult the n...

She gazed out through the raindrop dappled glass doors. There had been a harsh, thunderous rainfall last night. The web appeared intact, at least partially. The spider was still and unmoving. The golden patterned arachnid must have been slowly moving up and down, over and across, mending it earlier. Fixing it. Keeping it ready for the victims flying into its home. But now the spider was quiescent. The watcher had seldom s...

Aris finished tying his shoes and turned his eyes back to Tiassa.  The Lamia Queen’s huge, impossibly perky breasts were partially hidden beneath an out-of-fashion bikini top.  Her serpentine lower half was concealed by the waves, and an illusion, giving the impression that she was a normal woman relaxing in the surf.  Albeit, a stunningly beautiful woman with green hair. After finishing his first year of college, he had...

Mulberry trees (Morus spp.) are a species that are gender fluid—they may first be male, then female, then change back again. You can find individual mulberry trees that are dioecious—with only male flowers or only female flowers. But right next to such a tree might be a monoecious specimen, bearing both male or female flowers. And to add another veil of intrigue, sometimes mulberry flowers start out as one sex and transfo...

Aris walked along the secluded section of Grecian shore, enjoying the view of the ocean after a breathtaking sunrise.  All too soon, he would have to return home, and he wanted to fix the splendor of his ancestral homeland firmly in his mind. It had been a great stroke of luck that his far distant relatives still living here had made contact, providing him with an affordable place for an extended stay prior to entering co...

Stolen kisses beneath the OakA flash of a breast in the moonlightTentative touches under the cover of darknessMuted pleasures as we veil ourselves in the forestAphrodite-like perfection masquerading as ArtemisSummer longing turns to Autumn lustWinter’s icy kiss becomes the whispered vows of SpringLibation to Apollo as we unite in a field in full bloomPlaying joyful songs as my bride dances in the meadowAnd we lay beneath...

Their cunning voices coyly soothed my fear.Their whispers damp and cool, a subtle treat. They tempted me with pledges, in each ear,To sate my every bliss, most welcomed feat.The charms of ageless beauty drew me nigh.Pervasive sparkling visions swelled my dreams.Soft dainty fingers stroked, eyes met my eye,Lest I resist such sweet seductive schemes.They trusted I could not withstand desire,Each nymph beguiling with persist...