Interludes
The Red Herring Flies At Dawn
Conspiratorially he tells her. The red herring flies at dawn!
“What’s a herring?” She asks eventually, vaguely curious.
It’s a beautiful clear evening, where the skies are blue black and the stars glitter in the heavens. The gods are happy in their firmament as Time, made manifest, looks forwards to a new day. Myrrhia looks up at the sky pondering nature. Knowing she could never begin to comprehend such workings of an organic god, she could only hope it was blessing her as she thinks about the decisions she must make.
But tonight, I’ll simply relax and let the morrow take care of itself. She thinks aloud.
We need to talk. Whispers a voice in her head.
Startled, Myrrhia looks behind her and sees Harbinger wearing a lop-sided grin. He is swinging from a tree upside down.
“Don’t worry your guards are safe, unharmed and are resting. I expect their dreaming of pleasant things!” He says brightly. As he jumps down from the tree his disposition changes. Theatrically looking around him, making sure no one was listening.
I’m in disguise. He whispers in her mind. No, don’t look. Don’t make it obvious.
Conspiratorially he tells her. The red herring flies at dawn!
He looks at her expectantly, as if waiting for the appropriate response. She notices his garb was the same as before. Wearing a bemused expression on her face she stares at him.
“What’s a herring?” She asks eventually, vaguely curious. Catching herself she enquires tiredly. “Harbinger, what exactly do you want?”
Unfazed with the change of communicative platform, Harbinger, repeats the last word she said as if experimenting with a new concept in his vernacular. Then as if his life depended upon it he says urgently.
“We need to talk!”
He winks at her in slow motion. Waving his arms expressively, sighing contentedly as if he had been locked in a room for years without ever having had fresh air caress his face, or even seen the light of day.
Myrrhia wonders how magical a being he is. Perhaps an overgrown mischievous imp? She toys with the idea as she watches his antics. He pulls a comical face at her as he prances on the spot. She laughs, caught in the moment with him. He is ridiculous! Also, very dangerous!! She reminds herself soberly. Just for a second, she had forgotten who he was.
We need to talk. He whispers in her head. Then, looking lasciviously at her, he adds. About us.
So, they did.
Afterwards, Myrrhia wished they hadn’t.
To its end and its beginning
I chose an extract from chapter 12: Interludes, which has one of my favourite characters in it: Harbinger. Who is always in his element and is a natural scene stealer. He plays a pivotal role in the Tzi Universe Vol 2 most noticeably in the mini saga The Brotherhood of the Moon.
The Tzi Universe Vol 2 is a collection of short stories and mini sagas divided into 5 Acts. It isn’t your typical novella but is an amalgamation of mystical, cosmic, and queer fantasy. It consists of two sets of flash fiction one collection is based upon visual prompts from The Ystradgynlais Creative Writers Group, based in Wales, UK, whose remit is to produce 500 word shorts. While the other set are tales purely devised for The Tzi Universe itself.
The music is taken from my unpublished album The Infinite Regress of Order Within Chaos called Harbinger’s Song. It is an atmospheric number that allows the listener to run riot of colour with their imagination.
While the image presented is taken of Rumour who has a cameo throughout the Tzi Universe. A celestial who is more comfortable as a sapient feline.
Harbinger’s Song
Midnight horizon theres a solar flare in me an incandescent thought wild as fire an epiphany in release. Feels like I’m waiting for something before the dawn grows cold and daylight manifests the truth with its whisper I ignore. “I stand alone waiting for him to fill that void and fulfil that void standing aside the door and like mine its a jar open ready waiting patiently for him to enter the threshold and take me.” I’ll bring his universe a new song I’ll give his heavens a new sign I’ll bring his world a new power I’ll bring his soul back to life, with love.
© Mizieya 2026
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No part of this work (lyrics, or music) may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of the author.
This work is part of the Tzi Universe | Queerscape.
Hi Miz,
this is absolutely brilliant. I’ve been thinking about this exchange between Harbinger and Myrrhia, and it’s fascinating how you balanced the absurdity with the underlying tension. I love how Myrrhia is caught between laughing at his antics and that sobering realization that he is genuinely dangerous—it makes the reader feel just as off-balance as she is.
What really struck me was the 'We need to talk' motif.
It’s so simple, yet in your hands, it becomes this unsettling psychological hook. Seeing Harbinger jump from a playful, upside-down trickster to someone who wants to talk about 'us' in such a lascivious way is a masterclass in shifting character dynamics. It’s that exact moment where the fun stops and the real weight of the situation hits. I'm really curious about where this relationship goes—or more importantly, why Myrrhia regrets it afterwards.
You’ve really nailed that 'don't trust the monster even if he's funny' vibe!