Category Archives: Stories

Drums of War – Part #8 – Aggressions

14 Wednesday May 2014

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Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7

Gwendolyn hustled out into the private garden of the Warden’s headquarters, her cloak hastily tossed over her shoulders. Turgis had a goofy smile plastered over his face as he waved in greeting to her.

“What the hell are you doing here?” She asked fiercely, pulling him away from the window and down a well-forested path. Turgis laughed at her discomfort, gesturing behind him to where Keita hid in the woods. “I thought you were smarter than this, you know most of the Wardens here wouldn’t think twice about turning you into fertilizer for trespassing.” Turgis rolled his eyes.

“Aye, well, I wanted to see you again.” Gwen snorted.

“Right after I caught you with a new lady? You might be dumber than I thought.”

“Bah! I’m old enough to be Keita’s father. I was just trying to keep her out of trouble.” Gwen gave him a doubtful look.

“So why are you here now, with her?” She stopped walking away and turned to stare at him. She’d led them to a small grove beneath a huge willow tree, the leaves drooped dense and green around them. “The truth this time.”

Turgis gave her a mischievous smile. “Stirring up some trouble.”

“So let me get this straight. She needs to see the Oak of Ages for this quest of hers. That doesn’t really explain where you fit in.” Gwen said, one explanation later. Turgis shrugged.

“I’m helping. She seemed a little lost.”

“Hey!” Keita exclaimed beside him. “I just got here, I would have found my way eventually. I’m not that helpless.” Turgis sighed.

“Keita, look, are you going to do this whether I’m here or not?”

“Of course I am!” She said, hands set on her hips.

“And will this be significantly easier with my help?” The girl fell silent, glowering. “Then I suggest you start accepting my help and stop worrying about the why. I have my reasons.” He turned back to Gwendolyn, who had watched the interaction. “So, can you help us out?”

Gwen arched an eyebrow at Turgis, “Well, I can certainly help bring you to the Oak of Ages, come this way.”

Keita fell into step beside the druid as she led the way through the woods. Gwen smiled at her. “The Oak is actually open to all visitors, so your elder should already be there. The Oak is the center of the power in Cetrius, that all the Wardens draw from. Without it, all the plants across the neighbouring kingdoms would wilt and die.”

Keita listened to Gwen’s speech curiously. “So, what’s to prevent someone from trying to destroy it then?” Turgis snorted from behind her.

“She is.” He said, gesturing to Gwen. Keita sized up the young girl, taking in her flowing hair filled with flowers and short stature.

“She doesn’t look that tough.” She said dismissively, “I could probably take her.” Gwen raised an eyebrow as Turgis chuckled.

“You think so?” Gwen asked, glancing around at the surroundings. Keita puffed out her chest.

“Yes, any time, Warden.” She said condescendingly. Gwen sighed, shrugging at Turgis who was still laughing.

“Is this a good place to fight, Keita?” She asked, gesturing at the clearing. Keita took in the area, a sparsely wooded clearing about 20 feet across.

“Perfect.” She said, breaking into a wide grin. “Back off, old man, I don’t need you coming to my rescue this time.” Gwen gave Turgis’s back a hard stare as he retreated further down the path. Gwen backed off several steps from Keita as Turgis signalled the start of the fight.

“Start!!” He declared from a safe distance. The barbarian lunged at the small druid fiercely, but tripped just short of reaching her, with a vine wrapped tightly about one leg. She went to rip it off, but no sooner had she torn free of that one that another had wrapped itself firmly about one arm. Soon she was buried beneath a squirming mass of vines that writhed around her. Turgis nudged her with his toe.

“Do you give up?” He asked, holding back his laughter. A low growl emerged from the greenery, and a hand quickly shot out towards his leg, jerking him off feet. He landed heavily beside the girl, a pair of grey eyes glowering out at him from beneath a thick vine crawling along her eyebrows.

“Don’t look at me like that, you’re the one who wanted to fight the Warden beside ‘Their source of power.'” He said, kicking a questing vine off his ankle as he stood up again. She growled at him, still struggling against the vines as he backed away.

“Should we keep walking?” Gwen asked from across the clearing. She held one hand tightly clenched at her side as the flowers in her hair glowed faintly, but otherwise seemed unconcerned with the blight of the barbarian girl.

“I suppose we may as well.” Turgis said, heading towards her and the path. As he reached the path, he heard Keita cry out.

“Enough!” She yelled, now having struggled her way onto her knees beneath the vines. Gwen relaxed her fist and the vines abruptly stop moving, though not retracting. As Keita tore the remaining vines off, Turgis reached out and lightly touched on of the flowers in Gwen’s hair. It broke off into his palm, the glow having faded away. He looked at Gwen curiously, but she shrugged it off.

“It’ll grow back.” She said, unconcerned. Keita came up, pulling weeds from her hair and set off down the path, with Gwen falling in step beside her. Turgis tucked the delicate blossom into his cloak as he followed after the two girls, now animately talking.

A Blind Date

12 Monday May 2014

Posted by in Stories, Will & Dia

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Will watched as the girl entered the coffee shop, mesmerized. Her short dress swished as she walked, kicking up the multitude of pastel layers like she was a fae, caught in a world of harsh lines and bold colours. She laughed with the barista at the counter, her voice echoing towards Will like the sound of a crystal wine glass being clinked. As she collected her order and headed towards the back of the shop, Will smiled to himself, admiring the way she walked, with a slight twist to her step to best set her hips swaying.

“You’re staring.” She said as she walked past his table. Will broke out of his reverie with a slight shake of his head.

“I’m sorry, I was just… Waiting for someone.” The girl beamed a smile towards him.

“Well I’m meeting someone. Perhaps it’s you?” She said with a wink. Will smiled back at her, straightening out in his seat.

“Perhaps it is. Are you Dianna?”

“Call me Dia, only my mother calls me that.” She said as she plunked herself into the spare seat. “So Mr. William Cooper, we meet at last.”

It was Will’s turn to laugh. “Please, call me Will. Only my father calls me William.”

“Will then.” Dia said, taking a sip of her whip cream and sprinkle covered drink. Will stirred his coffee, two sugars, two cream, and realized that all the conversation topics he’d prepared for this date had flown clear from his brain. He sipped at his coffee to stall, suddenly panicked at the idea of talking to this woman with hair like spun gold.

Dia put down her drink, taking in Will in his off-white dress shirt and beige pants. “So Will, what do you do for a living?” Will hastily swallowed his coffee.

“Oh, I’m a business analyst at a tech company. We work just down the road, making software that helps stores order and ship new stock…”

“Oh!” Dia said like she’d worked out a puzzle, “Did you just come from work then?” Will felt his cheeks grow warm. He self-consciously glanced at his outfit that he’d spent all morning agonizing over.

“I… Yes, I did.” He rushed his way to a new topic, “What about you, what do you do for work?” Now it was Dia who seemed self-conscious.

“I work at a used bookstore down on Main Street, but on weekdays I’m a waitress.” She replied. “The bookstore is really cool, I’d work there full time if I could, but there’s never enough hours. You know how it goes.” Will nodded along, stopping himself at her last words.

“I guess… I mean, I’ve never really had that sort of job. Unitech hired me right out of University, I’ve been working there since.” Dia pursed her lips, and Will stumbled in his words.

“Uh… Pets!” His brain latched onto a new conversation topic, vaguely recalling the list he’d looked up over his lunch hour. “Do you have any pets?”

The lights turned back on on Dia’s face, as she clasped her hands together near her face.

“Yes! I have the cutest little cockatiel at home! I named her Pearl, she’s super affectionate for a bird. She always wants to come out and cuddle with me when I’m watching TV.”

“So you’re a bird person?” Will said with a smile. “Does she sing for you?”

“All the time. I can barely get her to shut up most days, she always wants to sing along to the commercials. What about you?” Will spread his hands.

“I just have a dog. Her name’s Gabriel, she’s a bit of a handful.”

Dia laughed. “I should have guessed you’re a dog person.”

“What’s that mean?”

“It’s just a safe pet.” Dia said. “A safe pet for the guy who works a safe job.” Will pursed his lips.

“Are you saying I’m boring?” He asked.

“You’re just very… average.” Dia replied, “Not that average is bad, but it’s just not very exciting. I should have expected Becky to set me up with someone like you.”

Will looked Dia up, taking in this brilliant gem of a woman who’d walked into his life. He could see this date slipping quickly downhill, just like his last 6 dates had gone. He couldn’t let this one slip away too, not this woman who’d so captivated his eye. He looked into her twinkling eyes as he got up from his seat, pulling her towards the door with a mischievious smile.

“Come. Let’s go do something more exciting then.”

Under Sapphire Skies

10 Saturday May 2014

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As the early morning sun dyed the sands gold, Amelia Earhart paced the shores of Atlantis yet again, kicking over any mounds of sand that seemed too tall and inspecting the various bits of garbage the ocean had washed in.

“At it again?” Asked a tall, dark skinned man, walking up beside her, in a language that has long been forgotten. He was well muscled and wore nothing but a loin cloth and a string of beads about his neck. From the waist down his legs were covered in blue-green scales, that ended in large feet with long, webbed toes. He carried a slim fishing spear with him. Amelia replied in the same language he spoke.

“One day, Kay. One day soon I’ll find that last piece, and finally fix my plane.” She bent over to inspect a particularly promising mess in the sand, but found nothing but an unspooled cassette tape. She sighed in frustration, but shoved the mess into a basket woven from torn grocery bags. It wouldn’t get her plane moving, but it might be useful to trade in town. The Atlantians were mostly self sustained, but always found a creative use for the discard trash of the outside world. Magnetic ribbons were a popular decorative ornament.

“And then what?” Kazil said, the sun glinting iridescently off the scales embedded about his neck. “You’ll find this… gasoli you speak of, and fly off into the veil? Into that?” He gestured with his spear into the clouded mists that surrounded the island. It glittered like a rainbow, and empathized his gesture with a crackle of jade coloured lightning. Amelia turned to stare at the unbroken wall of mists, quietly. The silence dragged on as she stared into it, beginning to frown. Kazil drew his lip into a thin line, and walked behind her, slipping his arms about her and drawing her close to his bare chest. After a moment, Amelia looked up at him and smiled sadly.

“I can’t spend my whole life here, Kay. I’m a free spirit, I need to see the world. This feels like a cage I’ll never escape.”

“From what you’ve told me, you’ve already spent two lives here with me. Now come back to bed, you make me feel like I’m still in my first century of life.” He said, playfully nuzzling her neck.

Hours later, Kazil found her on the beach yet again, staring out at the veil as it danced and glittered.

“Still thinking of leaving me.” He said without malice, sitting beside her to watch the evening sun turn the mists red, orange and purple.

“Tell me about the veil again.” She said, “Truly, has no one ever lived to get past it?”

“None that we know of. People have tried, of course, but their bodies are normally found washed up on shores a few days later.”

“But not all of the bodies, right?” She asked, already knowing the answer. Kazil sighed.

“Not all, no, but the last person to go missing to the veil was centuries ago. Not since my grandfather’s times.”

“I wonder if they still speak English out there.” Amelia mused in her native tongue.

“My grandfather knew him, you know. Soren, the last person to try to leave Atlantis. He said he was like you. Always curious. Always infected with, how do you say it, wanderlust?” He twisted his tongue about the foreign word as Amelia looked at him curiously.

“You never told me this story, Kay.” She said, gently accusing him.

“I did some asking about for you, my little caged seagull. My Grandfather likes you. He says Soren was obsessed with the veil, like you are. That he would claim the veil had moods, that could be tracked like one tracks the weather. He thought that the veil might be calmer at times, you see. My grandfather always laughed at his theories, but Soren was convinced he could make it through the veil. Soren would often sit out here and watch the veil, much like you do. One day, as they were sitting out here debating whether the veil was calmer at a full moon or dawn, a small blue bottle washed ashore. Soren claimed it was proof that some things could pass through unharmed. He promised my grandfather that when he made it through, he would send back a letter to my grandfather in that very bottle, to prove he made it.”

Amelia stared Kazil intently. “And then what?”

“My grandfather said that a few weeks later, on the night of the full moon, Soren went missing. No one was sure when he’d left, but my grandfather knew where he was heading. He combed the beach for years afterwards, but never did find the blue bottle again, or Soren. He says all he found was this.”

Kazil placed a curved piece of blue sea glass in Amelia’s hand, no bigger than a sand dollar, and worn smooth by the ocean currents. She turned it over several times.

“But what does it mean?” She asked.

“He wasn’t sure. But the veil sure is lovely tonight.”

Mr Wiggles Adventures

08 Thursday May 2014

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Glen quickly walked into the house, with one hand behind his back, and walked over to where his wife sat.

“Where’s Amy?” He asked, struggling to sound cheerful. His wife, Ariel, looked up from her book curiously.

“Mr. Lizak is looking after her. I think she’s playing cops and robbers with his grandson in their backyard. What’s wrong?” John pulled a sad, destroyed teddy bear out from behind his back.

“I ran over Mr Wiggles with the lawnmower.” His wife gasped, staring at the massive tear in the little brown bear. “Can you fix him?” She took the tattered bear from his hands, sliding her hand through the rip.

“Maybe… But I’m going to need some more stuffing. You run out and get that, I’m going to get my sewing kit.”

Glen slipped into the neighbour’s backyard, looking for the elderly Mr Lizak, when he got tackled mid waist by a fierce hug.

“Daddy!” The girl exclaimed, “Are you here to play with us? Cause I think I forgot Mr Wiggles at home and Robbie said we would go over and get him soon and…”

“I’ll go get him, Honey.” Glen interrupted, “Do you know where you left him?” Her face scrunched up beneath her pigtails.

“I was having a tea party with him outside when you said you needed to mow the lawn, he must still be out there!” Glen nodded seriously.

“You should be more careful with him, you wouldn’t want to leave him in the lawn. Something might happen to him.” The girl’s face crumbled at the thought and her dad quickly put on a smile. “Don’t worry, Honey, go play with Robbie.”

The girls face brightened as she ran off after the boy, wielding her toy gun widely. Glen watched her as he walked over to Mr Lizak, asking him to keep her distracted for a bit.

A few hours later, Glen and his family sat on their backyard porch with Mr Lizak and Robbie, eating ice cream as they looked out onto the freshly mowed lawn. Amy happily snuggled Mr Wiggles as Glen and Ariel shared a co-conspiring smile. It was the perfect crime, except-

“Daddy? Why does Mr Wiggles have this line on his chest now?”

Drums of War – Part #7 – Suggestion

06 Tuesday May 2014

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Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6

Turgis prodded Keita’s still form where it lie on the bed.  The girl jumped up from a dead sleep, staring at the soldier as she scrambled to find a weapon.

“You’re a jumpy little thing in the mornings, aren’t ye?”  Turgis said with a laugh, standing beside the bed fully dressed.  “I wouldn’t have guessed a barbarian would sleep so late.”  Keita stared at him hatefully, her multi-coloured braid coming loose and fraying.

“The Ora wake with the sun every morning.  This is not morning.”  She said as she began to remember where she was.  Turgis nodded knowingly, as he opened the curtains over the window, letting the bright morning sun filter into the room.

“Whatever you say, darling.  I’m going to get some breakfast downstairs.”

Keita came down to the kitchen table a short time later.  Her hair was neatly braided as she stared through blurry eyes.  The only person at the big table was Turgis, though as she entered the room he pushed a plate of eggs and hash towards her.

“Not much of a morning person, I guess.”  Turgis sipped a dark tea, oblivious to Keita glaring dagger at him over the plate of food.  “I’ve been doing some thinking while you were getting your beauty sleep.  I seem to recall you mentioning some else you wanted to talk to here in Cetrius.  Seems like it might be a place to start.”  Keita swallowed a mouthful of potato.

“Don’t you have a job you’re supposed to do instead of helping me look for Elders?”  She asked suspiciously.  Turgis shrugged.

“That is my business, but I trust no one will notice my absence.”  Keita snorted.

“Really?  You’ll tell me that you think your King is insane but not that?”

“Everyone has the little truths they’d like to run away from.”  He replied casually.  Keita  lightly blushed behind her scars.

“Yes, well, it doesn’t matter much, I’m not sure where the Elder is.  This is my first time outside of the plains.  It was by luck that I found the city.”  Turgis laughed.

“Well then, perhaps it’s lucky that you found a patron as easily as you did.  So tell me, what did the Elder tell you?”  He asked.

“To find the Elder within the borders of Cetrius.  She mentioned it would be a place of great spirituality, near the Oak of Ages.”

“Hmm.”  Turgis stroked his stubbled chin.  “I’m as lost as you are.  But I know someone who would know.  Luckily, she sleeps in almost as late as you do.”

Gwendolyn  stumbled down the stairs to the common room of the Warden’s headquarters.  The small flowers in her hair had all closed their blossoms overnight, and were just beginning to reopen.  Suppressing a yawn, she grabbed a black kettle out of the hearth and poured the water over a cup of tea leaves.  She watched the tea seep out of half opened eyes quietly.  When it was cooled enough to drink, she raised it to her lips, her eyes drifting towards the window that looked out to the Warden’s Garden.

Outside the window, she saw Turgis’s smiling face, waving enthusiastically at her.

Gwen sputtered in shock, sending hot tea spraying all over the table before her.

Dawn’s Angel

01 Thursday May 2014

Posted by in Demons and Angels, Stories

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Dawn awoke to a new day with a groan.  She didn’t want to open her eyes, didn’t want to see what new terrors the day would bring.  At the third call from her mom, she threw the sheets off in one go, quickly rushing past the mirror in her room.  A familiar face peeked around the jacket covering the mirror, red eyes cackling as she hurried away.  But she couldn’t avoid the demon in the bathroom, staring out of the mirror at her puffy red eyes, her limp, frizzy hair, poking fun at the new zits that sprung out on her face.  She tried to ignore the jabs at her weight and ugly nose, but somehow the demon knew just where to stab, and just where to twist.

The words followed her as she walked to school alone.  Loser.  Ugly.  Idiot.  She stared at the ground, willing herself to stop believing the words that echoed in her head.  She’d been trying for weeks to make the demon shut up or go away.  Anything to just stop the relentless insults.  She was so intent on the ground, she almost didn’t hear the small voice behind her.

“I like your hair.”  Dawn stopped in her steps, pivoting quickly to see the source of the sound.  A small feathery winged fairy fluttered in the air behind her.  She stared at the tiny creature for a moment, unsure how to respond.  “You look really good with that hair style,” the fairy continued.

“Uh…  Thanks.”  Dawn sputtered, still in shocked.  The fairy fluttered up to eye level with the girl, then pointed at Dawn’s shoulder.

“Do you mind if I sit down for a moment?  I’ve been looking for a new client all over town and my wings are exhausted!”  Dawn quickly nodded and the fairy settled down on shoulder like she’d been there all along.

“Umm…  Mrs. Fairy…  What do you mean, a new client?”  The fairy laughed.

“Call me Lynda, Gorgeous.  I’m freshly graduated, you see, so I need to find a job.  Preferably an advisory one, since that was really my speciality, but I swear everyone seems to be too busy to listen these days.  I even saw one guy walking around with two demons, and he barely even turned around when I said hi!  I mean, everyone knows you shouldn’t listen to those guys…”

Dawn smiled as the little fairy chattered the whole way to school and through the day.  The demon following Dawn didn’t seem so bad anymore.

Drums of War – Part #6 – Discretion

29 Tuesday Apr 2014

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Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5

Sevra watched from the fireplace as Warden Gwendolyn left the World’s End tavern. Her fingers lightly played over the keys of her accordion as the other end hung limply. The other patrons had lost interest in music after the fight, and were slowly disappearing off into the night.

“Well, there she goes. You know Gwendolyn won’t do anything to the Captain even if she catches him, right?” She gave Dante a hard stare, but he just gave her his insufferably smug smile.

“All according to plan. You worry too much, Sev.” He propped his legs up on the nearby table as he tuned his guitar. She rolled her eyes.

“Lyra, you tell him.” She shrugged off the accordion, rubbing her sore shoulder as the young girl pouted, a distance look on her face.

“Sev is right, Dante, I think Gwen is actually looking forward to seeing Turgis more than anything.” She looked up at Sevra looking especially small beneath her harp. “How did you know, she’s broadcasting her emotions so faintly I could barely hear them.” Sevra smirked, ruffling the girl’s blonde hair.

“I don’t need Empathy to recognize that she cares about him, kiddo, you could see it in her smile when she figured out who Dante was describing.” She turned to address Dante again. “So, Fearless Leader, what’s the plan then?” Dante rubbed the greying stubble on his chin.

“Nothing.”

“Nothing?” Sevra stared at him slack-jawed.

“Precisely. It’s pretty obvious that Turgis has no intention of slaying our dear prince tonight. In fact, he may have saved him should a less-than-friendly Warden have been the one on scene tonight. So I’d say our directions as convert bodyguards is mission accomplished, wouldn’t you?” He smiled at her knowingly. Sevra scowled at him.

“I’d say this strategy of yours is ridiculously short-sighted. We’re talking about Turgis Balborkanon, Captain of the Iron Hawks. He’s practically King Jaximus’s right hand man, and you’re letting him wander off with the Crown Prince in the dark!” A few curious patrons glanced over, alarmed by her raising voice, but Dante’s smile didn’t falter.

“What would you suggest then?” He asked, quietly strumming his guitar. The curious patrons’ eyes looked away, their eyes glazing over as they decided nothing interesting was going on by the fire. Sevra lowered her voice to a harsh whisper.

“I would kill Turgis. Without him, Lucien would see no reason to come risk himself out here every month.” Dante’s smile widened.

“I see. And what of the Wardens?” Sevra shrugged.

“This neutral zone is only as strong as the people enforcing it. And behind their magic, that’s all the Warden are. Mere people, not omnipotent gods. They can’t be everywhere at once.” Dante nodded, turning to the young harpist and fiddler who watched Sevra with wide eyes.

“Lyra, Liam, what do you think of Sevra’s plan?” He asked the twins. Liam exchanged a look with his sister, putting down his instrument.

“I think it’s dangerous to attack him in a neutral town. If the Wardens caught us, we’d be lucky if they let us live.” Liam said cautiously. His sister nodded in agreement.

“Yeah, we’re supposed to be the good guys.” Dante nodded in approval, making both twins glow.

“There you go, Sev, no murder tonight. Liam, where are they now?” The boy closed his eyes in concentration.

“Lucien is with Curtis, they’re moving fast towards Avesta. Turgis is walking with that other girl still.”

“I see. What about Gwendolyn and Raike?” Liam screwed his eyes closed tighter.

“Raike is near Turgis and the barbarian. Gwen is approaching their location.” Dante nodded.

“Alright.  Sevra, I want you to go find Raike, send him back to me to report. No murder.” He added playfully, his fingers already striking up a new song. Sev sighed, sliding her accordion under Liam’s chair.

“Watch that for me.” She requested as he whispered an address in her ear. As she slipped out of the warm tavern into the rain she could hear the music rising up behind her.

After a brief search, she sidled up beside Raike’s dark form on the rooftop. He watched the figures below with the calm of a stone gargoyle, acknowledging her arrival with a gentle squeeze of her hand.

“Gwen let them go with a warning.” He whispered, his voice seeming to be for her ears only. Sevra held back a huff of frustration.

“I told Dante she would.” She whispered back fiercely. Raike squeezed her hand gently as she watched the two dark figures wander down the street. “Dante wants you to head back and give him a report.” She whispered softly, “I’ll watch these two a bit longer.” With a final squeeze, Raike vanished off into the night, leaving her alone. She got up to find a new vantage point.

She tailed the couple on foot, not liking the look of the rain-slicked rooftops. Luckily the pair took a straight path through the streets, confidentially not looking back more than once. It seemed cocky to Sevra, almost too trusting of the Warden’s power. Her fingers drifted towards the small brooch on her sleeve, a simple serpent cast in silver. The pin was fused with a potent poison, a simple prick would be all she needed to kill the man now. Dante’s voice echoed in her brain, warning her off, but he wasn’t here, and she was. As she watched, the pair paused outside an inn, the taller Turgis pulling open the door for the smaller girl. He paused outside the door, looking skyward as if to calm himself. She was closing the distance quickly, soon she’d be close enough to touch him. A simple pinprick was all she needed, it wouldn’t even take effect for days. Enough time to clear the scene, enough time to alleviate suspicions. She could be safely in Avesta before he knew anything was wrong. He glanced her way just as she bumped into him, muttering a quick apology as she pushed past. She thought she caught a flash of recognition on his face as their eyes met, but then she was off, hurrying down the road.

She safely pinned serpent brooch back to her cuff. Frowning slightly, she took the next corner, heading back towards the warmth of the World’s End tavern.

To be continued

Desert Messenger

27 Sunday Apr 2014

Posted by in Odds and Ends, Stories

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I rode across the arid desert that covered the planet, riding as quickly as the dappled grey horse could take us. I dared not pause as the the horses hooves rained like drumbeats on the packed sands, least the beasts catch up with us. My red and green cloak furled out behind us beneath the beating sun.

A glance behind showed me that we could not pause even a moment. The ground behind us rippled and fell, leaving nothing visible but a cloud of sand and red spice that filled the air with a rich, earthy scent. I spurred my horse faster still. She was a proud mare, I’d raised her myself since she was a young filly, but now she frothed about the mouth as she drove us further ahead.

Suddenly, the ground lurched below us, causing her to stumble. I fell beside her as the ground sank below us, rising into hundred foot cliff faces about us. I stared at the unclimbable rock wall, sand falling from the top, as the ground behind us crumbled further into the chasm. Looking down, I could see the core of the planet laid bare as the beasts swam below, plowing through rock and leaving nothing behind as if they were worms and the planet an apple. Though larger than worm, with massive teardrop shaped bodies, a mouth at one end and a flipper at the other.Whales, I thought, though I couldn’t recall where I’d heard the term. They floated through the air above the molten core, casually eating away at the ground that supported me. It was only a matter of time until one came back this way, destabilizing the ledge my horse and I clung to.

The ground below us shifted as the sand we stood on slid deeper into hollow shell of the planet’s crust. My horse and I backed as far from from the ledge as possible. I clung to her neck, whispering soothing words as the ground fell out from beneath us, sending us plunging into the pit alone.

Suddenly, a hand grasped mine, and I stopped falling. I snapped my eyes up to see my rescuer. My sister, atop a giant flying eagle, held me firmly. I looked back to watch my horse fall towards the fiery core until she was nothing more than a mere speck against the red glow.

“I’ve been looking for you.” My sister said. “You’re lucky I arrived when I did.” I wiped my eyes before I looked back up. She helped swing me onto the back of the eagle.

“I owe you. But first, I have an important message for the king, and it can’t wait.”

The Countdown

26 Saturday Apr 2014

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Justin stared down at the body on the street in shock. The body wasn’t moving. Nor was the car, that just a second was racing down the street. Everyone around him was moving, running towards the body, in panic, but he felt like he was stuck in slow motion, feet rooted to the ground even as the crowd flowed around him. Their shouts seemed to mingle into a low buzzing noise in his ear. He didn’t need to look at the body to know it was his own.

“Hey.” The simple word cut through the buzzing and beeping of the people around him and broke him out of his shock, turning to stare at the person addressing him. He half expected to see a skull staring back at him, cloaked in black, but this girl looked shocking normal. She could walk through any crowd and not stand out, but somehow Justin knew who she was all the same.

“Uh… Hey.” Justin fumbled, finally finding his voice. “Um, this might be a dumb question… But I’m dead, aren’t I?” The girl smiled sadly.

“Yep. Dead as a doornail. I’m sorry.” The words held such finality to them, but he couldn’t help but rebel against them anyway.

“But…” He gestured at the crowd surrounding his body, “What about them? What if one of them is a doctor? Maybe I still have a chance?” The girl looked down at the panicking people herself, taking a few steps towards them. The sounds of the crowd droned in the back of his mind, repetitive like the whine of malfunctioning appliances. She laid a hand on the closest head, though the woman didn’t seem to notice.

“This is Mrs Patterson. She’s a first grade teacher at the school down the street.” She pointed out another person. “That’s Jonathan Dirk. He runs the restaurant behind us.” Lastly, she pointed at the young woman near his head. “And that’s Jillian. She was driving the car too fast because she was late for her first day at an office downtown. Poor girl, she’s going to have nightmares about today for the rest of her life.” The girl looked back up. “None of them are doctors, Justin. By the time the paramedics get here, you’ll have been dead for too long for them to revive you. I’m sorry.”

Justin stared at his would-be rescuers in disbelief, as the sounds of the accident rose louder about him, drowning out his thoughts. There was an incessant beeping drilling into his brain, like the sound of the car’s blinker signal, slowly rising in volume.

“This has to be a mistake.” He said, staring at Jillian’s distraught face. She had such a lovely face, though it was twisted up in distress. He tried to touch her reassuringly, but his hand passed straight through her. “I… NO! This is wrong! I had…” His brain scrambled for a reason, grasping at one last straw. The bracelet! Everyone got one the day they were born. It was plain, but it had a number on it, a countdown for the number of days until you found your soulmate.

“My bracelet! The one that says when you’ll meet your soulmate! It had a number on it still, I know.” He grabbed his wrist, only to find it bare. He looked down at his body, realizing he’d left it at home. But it had such a large number on it, there was no way it had run out yet. The strange girl flicked her wrist, then held it up in one hand.

“You humans always invent the most clever things.” She said, turning it over. “But I wonder how many of you actually understand what you created.” She showed him the small digital display, still reading “1624.”

“You see this dot?” She asked, pointing out the small indicator. Justin nodded. He’d never really considered it much. Never really considered the watch much either, the date was always so far away he’d never given it a second thought. But now it seemed to hold his life in it’s balance. “It means that you’ll meet your soulmate in the afterlife.” Justin stared at her numbly as she picked up his wrist, strapping the bracelet back on. The beeping from the crash seemed to get louder yet as he stared hopelessly at the scene, at the strange girl, and at the lovely Jillian, crying beside her car in her new suit.

“Are you ready to go, Justin?” The girl asked. He shook his head, his brain still desperately trying to make excuses.

“No, this isn’t real… This a dream…” He shook his head, trying to clear it. “This a dream and that’s my alarm and any moment I’ll wake up in my bed and…”

“That isn’t your alarm, Justin.” The girl sadly pointed down at the scene. “That’s Jillian’s bracelet.”

Voice of the Stars

25 Friday Apr 2014

Posted by in Stories

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“Come on, Aubrey, hurry up!” The girl tugged at her brother’s hand, darting down the hallways of the temple. Her new white robes dragged on the ground, nearly tripping her as she ducked behind a pillar. The young boy that followed her wore similar robes, slightly too short about the wrists. The priestesses would notice soon enough, hauling him away to get new ones, but they could barely keep up with how quickly the pair was growing out of their clothes already. He quickly darted behind the steel pillar beside his sister, biting his lip. He put his hand gently on Zadie’s giggling lips.

“Shh.” He cautioned. “They’ll be here soon.” Zadie nodded behind his hand, biting her lip to stop giggling. He peeked around the corner to where the altar sat. The chamber was lit by the light of a thousand candles, the only sunlight filtering through a large, round hole near the back of the room. Water poured through the hole, bubbling up and over the lip through a pool behind them, and the sunlight reflected off the surface across the massive chamber. Despite the number of candles and the clear, sunny day, the chamber still felt dark, the blackened walls swallowing the light quickly. Aubrey ducked his head behind the pillar as voices echoed down the corridor.

“They’re coming.” He whispered, tucking back in behind the pillar in the corner. Zadie nodded as he removed his hand, quickly sobering up. The voices got closer until they entered the chamber, their voices echoing loudly within the curved chamber.

“Watch your step, Avery.” The High Templar’s voice echoed loudly as she stepped onto the oddly curved floor. Aubrey peeked out as his eldest sister entered the room, wearing her new red robes. She’d looked so proud when she had shown the two earlier, but now she looked nervous, looking about the room as if seeing it for the first time. Aubrey wondered if perhaps it was her first time, and she had never even peeked in before. Her gaze drifted towards the back corner and the pillar that stood there, and Aubrey ducked back quickly before she saw him.

“This is the Ampitheater. It is said that one day, the Gods will speak to us again, and when they do, it will be to the priestess within this chamber.” Avery stared at the chamber, taking it all in.

“I’ve never seen a room so large.” She said breathlessly. “How will the Gods contact us?”

“How?” Aubrey could hear the frown in the Templar’s voice. The awe in Avery’s voice faltered.

“I… well, how will we hear them? Will it just be a voice in our head? And if the priestesses only in here during the Hours of Twilight, how do we know we aren’t missing messages?”

“The priestesses did say you were a clever one.” High Templar Clara sounded mildly frustrated beneath her warm voice. “No one has heard the Gods in generations, my dear, and all the writings we have of them suggests the voices will come just as the sun is setting. But now that you are a priestess, this room is open to you should you wish to meditate here in wait. Come.” The pair of footsteps echoed throughout the Ampitheatre as the pair approached the alter at the back of the room. Zadie peeked out at the pair as Aubrey inched around to stay out of view.

“This is the holy altar. The floor here will stain your robes should you meditate here too long, but there are prayer rugs beside the door you can use.” Avery lightly brushed the altar with her fingertips.

“There are so many symbols here. What do they mean?” She asked. Clara laughed gently.

“You do ask a lot of question. Come, I will show introduce you to Master Lawerence in the library. He may be able to help you find your answers.” Aubrey pressed his back to the pillar as the footsteps left the room. As they faded to silence, he breathed a little easier.

“Come on, Zadie, now you’ve heard what the room is for, can we leave?” He asked, tugging her hand lightly. But his sister was already heading for the altar, heedless of his pleas.

“So this is where they hear the Gods.” She said in a hushed voice, running her fingers over the altar to mirror her sister’s movements. Avery whined, still tugging her hand.

“You heard Templar Clara, no one has heard the voices in forever. Now let’s go before they catch us.” But Zadie was fascinated by the ridges and raised circles upon the altar. As he watched, she ran her finger along the edge of one circle. The circle gently spun beneath her finger, and Aubrey gasped as a quiet sound slowly raised in volume, echoing through the room.

“-ar me. Repeat, planet Alpha 69274, is anyone there? Can you hear me? This is Star Voyager Delta, requesting landing. Please copy if you can hear me.”