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12/6/2010 20:50:50   
Eukara Vox
Legendary AdventureGuide!


Introduction - In the Absence of Joy
by Eukara Vox

Eukara Vox sat on her bed, facing the window that really didn't open up to anything real. Sure, the scene she saw through the frame was of a grassy field with birds swooping to and fro, but it wasn't real. It was her own magic giving the illusion of a spring day, something she had created to soothe her own mind. She sat, as she had for the last couple of weeks, on the edge of her bed, staring at the scene. She rarely left her rooms, she rarely went into the library.

She knew that the others would be able to handle it. They were wonderful and dedicated, the perfect individuals to work with her in this vast place. She just... couldn't handle seeing the destruction that was her fault. Master Samak had already berated her for her attitude, though always quickly apologised for taking such liberties. She smiled faintly, then laid back on her bed, smile gone and brow furrowed. Xor had rapped on her door several times, bringing to her issues for approval or change, issues he really didn't need to bring to her. She knew what he was doing... if she would show some interest, perhaps he could coax her out of her room.

She looked at the window again, then imagined a fierce thunderstorm. The wind bombarded the window, shaking it. The rain fell heavily, as if driven to the imaginary ground with furious disregard for anything in its way. The weather railed against everything, but eventually lost all momentum. A thick fog slowly began to roll in, making the world outside as cold and dreary as her mind. She was trapped in no man's land... the place where pain and regret suspends you over the blue sky in a cloud of grey.

She rolled over, looking at the shelves that lined the opposite wall. Wonderful tales, all her favourites, yet she lacked the motivation to pick one up. Closing her eyes, she curled up to sleep.

Diocletio...



Gianna, Fleur, and Kastio sat around one of the study tables in the center of the library, while Shreder perched on one of the lower shelves. There were a handful of people milling about the library, but no one needed their help yet. A couple of book requests blew in from the outside, landing neatly on the rack titled "Needs."

Kastio gave them a cursory glance, but didn't move. Neither did the other three. "We need to get her out of her quarters!"

Shreder nodded, ruffling his feathers. "I, dear Kastio, wholeheartedly agree,
........................................................We cannot leave her languishing in futile misery."

"But how? We've tried everything. Xor has tried enticing her out with business. All of us have tried to lure her out with tales from faraway places. Samak..." Kastio smiled slightly, remembering what it looked like to see the diminutive leprechaun scold Eukara as if she was his child, then humbly ask her forgiveness.

"Yes, Samak... it needed to be done. But, even that didn't make her budge." Gianna tapped her chin. "This Diocletio... it's all his fault."

Fleur spoke without looking up from the tabletop. "Well, think about it. She thought he was dead, only to find out he's alive and... ruined. And, she could have prevented it."

Kastio groaned and sunk into his chair. "How do we know... how does she know she could have prevented it?"

"Do you propose to understand her magic?" Fleur responded in defense.

"..." Kastio looked at the door to Eukara's quarters. "No, I don't. I still don't, um, understand what exactly she did to bring me back."

"Then, you can't make any calls on what she can and can't do." Fleur stood up and walked to the shadow of the Celebration Shelf, leaning against the familiar books. "Think about it... if she feels this horrible, then I would wager she knows she could have helped him."

"Fleur is right, Kastio," Gianna responded, looking at the destroyed section of the library.

"I think it is not just for him that she now grieves, in part," Shreder piped in,
"The loss of many precious books must weigh upon her heart."

Kastio laid his head back over the top of the chair and stared up at the ceiling. I have to fix this. It's all my fault... Had I just fought him, she wouldn't be locked in her rooms grieving... "Well, something has to be done!"

"What do you propose?" Gianna fluttered up into his view. "Start spitting out ideas and we will see if they are worth the time you spent thinking them up!"

"I would suggest cleaning up the Joy section, for starters." Xor said from the doorway. "If she has to see that mess, no wonder she is depressed."

Shreder looked at Xor, cocking his head to the side. "While we have at this tiresome task for several days now toiled,
.............................................................................Our efforts have, to be truthful, by its sheer size been foiled."

"What he said," Gianna said looking at the floor. "Those... things that ate the books left a mess that is extremely hard to clean up. It's like they are cemented to the floor in their own decomposing goo."

"Lovely description, Gianna." Xor moved slowly to the section that was damaged, running a finger down the partially eaten spine of a book called Joys of Gardening. "How very sad... these books were so lovely."

"You're not helping, Xor!" growled Fleur.

Standing up, Kastio waved his hands around, trying to shush the group before an argument broke out. "The last thing we need to be doing here is arguing. Don't you think it is dreary enough around here as it is. It doesn't need our help!"

He left his chair, approaching the heaping destruction that was now the Joy section of the library. "There has to be something to clean up this mess." He turned and looked at the others, then pulled out the smallest jar. Fleur's eyes widened slightly as he tugged at the stopper. In a blink of an eye, he disappeared.

"Now, why did he go and do a stupid thing like that?" Fleur splurted as she turned and headed for the corner section of the library where she held sway.

Gianna laid her head in her hands and Shreder flew over to the table and stood before her. He looked up at Xor expectantly. Xor shook his head. "I don't know either, Shreder."


Alex looked at the letter penned by Master Samak. Yet, another of Eukara's assistants writing to him. Something was wrong. He hadn't had a direct communication from her in a long time and it bothered him. Based on what he knew from all the previous letters, she and her assistants had had a bitter time and he wished he could help. The one before this had left him with a sour taste in his mouth and this one made his stomach churn.

"You know I want to go, Slash, but I can't." He looked down at Slash, abashed.

She twined around his legs and then sat on his knees, looking Alex in the eyes. If you won't go, then I will.

"It's not that I don't want to!"

Nevertheless, one of us needs to go there. You stay here and take care of business. I will go and help those assistants pull her from whatever depression this is and get her back into life.

"Slash..." Alex stood, allowing for the familiar to fall to the floor. "You make me sound like the villain."

She twitched her tail and left the room. Alex sighed and turned to his desk. So much work...
AQ DF MQ AQW Epic  Post #: 1
12/6/2010 20:51:41   
Eukara Vox
Legendary AdventureGuide!


Joy-full
by superjars

Just when you see
Our world is dark,
You can find a light.

Just when you think
Only you exist,
You can find a partner.

Just when you believe you can’t
Open the door,
You can find the right key.

Just when the world around you sleeps
On the blessed night when you can't,
You can find yourself at peace.

Just when you feel
Overcome by your problems,
You can experience relief.

Just when your life crumbles down
On top of your head,
You can find a savior.

Just as you have lost control
Of the reins of your life,
You can find a system to bring it back.

Just when you think you’re at the end
Of your life’s rope,
You can find there are another few feet.

Just when you learn that
Only you have failed to reach the goal,
You can find yourself somewhere new and exciting.

Just when you push a friend
Out of your life,
You can realize how much they really care.

Just when you leave to search
Out life’s greatest mysteries,
You can find the greatest of them are at home.

Just when the pain and sadness
Of your loss has reached its peak,
You can find there are those you can now comfort.

Just when you come to the conclusion
Of your life being meaningless,
You can find someone who needs you around.

Joy is a decision we make, an
Outlook we can have for our own lives,
Yet one which is contagious to all who experience it.
AQ DF MQ AQW Epic  Post #: 2
12/17/2010 13:38:13   
Eukara Vox
Legendary AdventureGuide!


No more shall I wander
by Cow Face

As I walk these salted fields, the very earth seems to call to me. The blackened crops that crunch underfoot cry out for water. Parched soil, as dry as my throat, stirs with every breeze. Yet even its balm cannot save it; any water which reaches it only sends it cascading further. The erosion bares but clay and rock: desolate reminders of past beauty.

Gradually, the brown corpses give way to yellow. Sickened, starving blades poke out of the ground, sternly refusing to give in to the temptation of sleep. How I miss it—even such necessities as sleep are forgone in these places. My weary feet blister and burst, cracking to provide some moisture for the poor ground. Every spiny blade, every broken shrub seems to me a bed; almost constantly do I feel the urge to submit to my weakness. I must not. I cannot.

After what could be days—the sun shines no longer for me—I come to blessed water at last. Is this, then, my salvation? Joyously, I rush to it. My mouth opens, dry tongue lapping like a dog's at the scant moisture cupped in my hands. Salt. Collapsing to my knees, I look out over the sea. The waves beat the shore, calmly pounding at the sand. And it whispers to me: Here lies haven. Gulls overhead lament for my loss: it is as though I am the only creature confined to earth. The fish traverse the sea and rivers, the birds soar overhead. The earth is left for the worms.

Water laps now at my ankles, moistening my dirt-caked flesh. How scant is the filth amidst the cleansing torrent; each speck is engulfed and devoured, no more than mites in a castle. Less. No more than myself in this world.

It takes force of will, but eventually, I drag my body from the scene. There can be no rest, no haven, until once more I stand at home. It lies across these hateful waves, whose purpose seems to be nothing if not to push me away from my destination. As I stand, still looking dumbly out at the waves, a plank of driftwood washes up next to me.

Some time later, I have my raft. I am hungry. Even the fish here lack sustenance. All is thin, all weak, all dust in my mouth. This cannot last. Else, I cannot last. But I must last. I have nothing else. I will exist.

Paddling takes much from me. Not a muscle does not weep as I force them to work, each stroke a whip crack. The gentle bob and swell of the waves little helps nor hinders; it is but a rhythm, a song not composed. Perhaps I shall write it someday. Not now. For now, every beat is a chant: "Home. Home. Home."

Painfully thin. Gaunt. Hungering desperately for a caring touch. Oh! What I would give for a touch. For how long have I traveled? Forgive me. If you never raise a hand in my defense, if you never speak a kind word of me again, just forgive me. I do not claim to deserve it, but by God, I will seek it. For every nick in my flesh; for every thorn in my side; for every faceless beggar who looks up at night and whispers a name, I shall seek it. I am but a beggar.

Inch by inch, I drag my broken frame over the beach. My dirtied fingernails clutch at the sand which runs through my fingers. Gradually, I force myself onto my knees, and from there, to my feet. Now is not the time for lying.

Travelers on the roads eye me with pity. Some offer me supplies; I am grateful for these, but can offer them nothing in return. Others just avoid the shambling skeleton before them. I do not blame them. I am hardly a sight for sophisticated eyes. Only the desolate, perhaps, truly see me. Those who have lost everything, and for whom not a day passes without bringing with it yearning. That implacable hunger which beats in the breast of our kind.

I can't hold on long.

It can't be long.

Home.

Falling to my face, I tear mounds from the earth, rubbing it over my tired face. My tears mix with the rich loam, soil smearing my cheeks and hands. As I roll onto my side, I contemplate how good it would feel to sleep here. But I cannot. The largest part of my journey is over; now, the few miles to sanctum will be mere steps. I miss her touch. I crave it more than water, more than sleep. No more shall I wander.

Forgive me.
AQ DF MQ AQW Epic  Post #: 3
12/17/2010 13:43:08   
Eukara Vox
Legendary AdventureGuide!


Lessons in Comfort
by Xplayer1

My dear child,
why must you weep?
Is it not troubling to shed tears
until your body runs dry and
your soul can no longer supply
sorrow for the rivers that run from your eyes?

Nothing lasts forever.
Not joy, not sadness,
not loss that seems unbearable but in fact
is transient and light, like a wisp of wind at dawn,
before the sun rises and the world is warmed.
All things are temporary as life’s cycle is performed.

Look around, child.
The earth has not ended.
Are not the clouds still lined with silver,
and the cities still filled with gold?
Look carefully, and you shall find
that there are still precious metals yet to be mined.

The earth lives.
It is not merely a barren rock.
One does not need to fight
for a slice of life’s pie,
but rather there is a buffet of food still,
where everyone can eat his fill.

Let us go outside,
for nature is our first teacher.
Even when the cold bites your skin
and the wind pierces your heart,
your core remains warm and bright.
Ice and darkness cannot win this fight.

Look inside yourself.
Cherish your inner light.
Are humans truly dark?
The cynics may cry, and the bitter weep,
but we all move towards a single star,
a point of hope that is not too far.

Come to the fire, young one.
Lean upon my shoulder, for even
in a wonderful world there are times to mourn.
Remember that there are other guardians of light,
so do not despair in darkness for long.
Against a cold world, a warm heart is strong.
AQ DF MQ AQW Epic  Post #: 4
12/23/2010 22:19:01   
Eukara Vox
Legendary AdventureGuide!


The Joy of Nomming
by ultrapowerpie

“Hello everyone!” Necro exclaimed to the general audience, which in this case would happen to be you. Yes, we do love breaking the 4th wall.

“If you remember our previous bonus adventure, you’ll remember that it was All Hallows’ Eve, where we proceeded to unleash hell upon every single mortal on Tipa as revenge for all the… stuff they make us do throughout the rest of the year because they’re too bloody incompetent to do anything themselves,” Grim added.

“You might have noticed that last time’s theme featured the infamous NecrOMNOMNOMNOMNOMNOMNOMNOMNOMNOMNOMNOMicron, which preceded to nom my good friend Loki and my wife, Jenna.”

“For those of you worried about their fates, we decided to stop the shenanigans for this bonus adventure and talk to you about something more serious,” Grim stated in a truly serious manner that in no way hinted that there would still be shenanigans despite his words.

“Loki and Jenna are both in the medical wing and are recovering nicely. There is absolutely no reason to worry about them whatsoever. Those of you who actually worried about their fate clearly do not know what the difference is between eating and nomming.”

“We are here to correct this heinous lack of knowledge. We hope to educate you, the masses, in the proper difference between eating and nomming. We thank you for your time and patience in this feat,” Grim added, again. Which he may or may not keep doing throughout the remainder of this mini-sode.

After pushing a few buttons, the black background dissolved to show an average looking human eating a chicken leg. The exact details of this human, chicken leg, table and such are unimportant as they would be nommed in a few minutes, but it is important to establish their existence.

“As you and countless other mortals know, eating is a necessity of life. After all, it is one of the basic requirements of staying alive. You would not be reading this piece unless you have at one time or another during your lifetime,” Necro explained.

“As you can vaguely tell by this minimally described hologram, this human is eating a chicken leg in order to continue his survival. Notice how he is merely eating it, not really enjoying the leg. He knows that the leg is delicious, but he is not truly enjoying the leg, merely eating it for sustenance,” Grim pointed out, using a pointing stick to make his point.

“You see, the art of eating is merely to make one full, as the objective of eating in most circumstances is to merely fulfill the body’s need for energy. It is true that one can find joy in eating, but this is merely a primitive state of enjoyment at best,” Necro nodded sagely.

“Yes indeed, my fine fellow. Eating is a necessity, but it is a base way of obtaining nourishment. The truly enlightened and happy in life know that true joy is obtained by not eating thy food, but by nomming it in such a fashion that you are truly in a higher plane of existence,” Grim nodded sagely, similarly to Necro, which clearly showed that both of these beings were enlightened more so than you ever could be.

“You see, nomming is not just about consuming, it is about taking pleasure in consuming. However, do not mistake this for gluttony whatsoever. Gluttony is one of the seven deadly sins, and is not fun whatsoever. Indeed, gluttony is what happens to those who have achieved the pure enlightenment of nomming, but do it in excess. After all, too much of a good thing is a terrible thing, and gluttony is the biggest fall off the path of pure joy,” Grim added yet again, forming what may or may not be a pattern.

“Now, you may wonder just how one can achieve enlightenment through nomming, or even differentiate between nomming and eating if one is unenlightened. This is a very good question, as I am assuming that you are one of the unenlightened. For the truly enlightened have already read this extremely important document and would not need to reread it as they have already been enlightened. Now, if they somehow overindulged themselves into gluttony, that is an entirely different situation,” Necro assured you, the reader.

“It should first be noted that the enlightened experience true joy while nomming. We are not talking about normal happiness here. Nay, we are talking about joy, JOY! Joy is a state of pure bliss, of eternal glee, total jubilation! If you cannot experience this state while nomming, you have failed and are merely eating! You will have to train many months, possibly years by going to the wilderness and living off roots and berries! Only after this intensive training will you be able to grasp the full enlightenment of nomming things! Only then will…”

“While Grim’s method is indeed correct, in order to avoid lawsuits and whatnot, we will be introducing a simpler method that will not cause hundreds or thousands of readers to abandon their material goods to live a simpler life in order to achieve enlightenment. Instead, we will be using an example for you to hopefully mimic but not completely so you too can experience the joy of nomming,” Necro interrupted.

And as if by magic, which was the case as Necro quickly preformed a summoning spell, the cutest grey wolf puppy you ever saw appeared sitting on the table that was in front of Necro and Grim this entire time but you hadn’t noticed until just now. The puppy was so cute that even cat people would've had to admit that it’s pretty darn cute and you'd just want to rub its wittle tum tums to see it wag its tail.

“GET THAT DEMON SPAWN AWAY FROM ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” Grim screamed in mortified horror.

“What, it’s just…”

“THE WORST ABOMINATION ON THE FACE OF TIPA! GET THAT THING OUT OF HERE BEFORE IT CONSUMES US ALL!!!” Grim screamed, this time like a little girl.

“But it’s just going…”

“TO EAT US ALL IN THE WORST WAY POSSIBLE! ESPECIALLY ME! I’M JUST A SACK OF BONES, A WALKING SNACK STAND! THAT THING HAS EATEN ME ONCE AND I WON’T LET IT EAT ME AGAIN!!!!” Grim continued screaming, now in a girlish panic.

“WILL YOU SHUT UP!??!” Jenna yelled, whacking Grim upside the head with a shovel that managed to completely separate Grim’s skeleton from his skull by sending said skull flying around the room like a bouncy ball.

“Thank you my lovely wife for shutting up Grim… who will now in fact be the subject of the nom by the oh so adorable Fenrir,” Necro decided, taking out a roll of duct tape and grabbing the bouncing Grim’s skull.

“KEEP THAT THING AWAY FROM ME!!!!! I WON’T…”

The rest of Grim’s outcry was muffled by the duct tape completely mummifying his head, except for his eyeholes so that he can look on in deep horror at the gaping maw of Fenrir when the time was right.

“First, it helps if the food you are about to nom is… not moving around so much that you can’t nom it. As we have done with Grim’s skull to the table.”

“Just keep it down, will you? I’m STILL trying to recover from that… incident you two caused last time…” Jenna growled venomously, obviously still a sore loser that she got eaten by one of the greatest books ever and also due to the fact that I am in fact making fun of females by making fun of Grim and using little girls as reference.

“If I didn’t have this headache…” Jenna growled at the omnipotent, awesome, stupendously handsome Author/Narrator who controls everything going on in the world of Tipa much to the annoyance of the residents of said planet.

“Now, in order to nom, you must WANT to nom. You cannot just eat because you are hungry. No, this is merely eating and will never become nomming. You may nom when you are indeed hungry, but you must WANT to do it, not that you HAVE to do it in order to survive,” Necro began, positioning Fenrir in front of the quivering Grim skull.

“It helps if you have your favorite food in front of you. Indeed, there are many a time when those who have achieved enlightenment are forced to merely eat things that they don’t like but are dubbed ‘healthy’ for them. Take Fenrir here, he LOVES bones, and Grim here is one of his favorite treats. Just look at him drool over Grim right now!”

As the ‘camera’ or whatever zoomed in on the ADORABLE Fenrir, we could see the little fella trying to get out of Necro’s grasp and make his way to Grim, who was now attempting to wiggle out of the duct tape binding him to the table, but failing miserably. Fenrir was indeed drooling and had a very very hungry look in his eyes.

“After you have achieved the state of wanting what you are about to nom, you now proceed to nomming. This can be done in several ways, but typically a ‘nom’ is defined as swallowing the entire thing whole by magically enlarging your mouth to consume whatever food you want. Or you can cut the object of your desire into bite-sized pieces, whichever comes easier to you. We will use slow motion for the next segment so that way you can witness first hand a true nom!”

And so Necro released the oh so cute and fluffy Fenrir, who proceeded to leap from Necro’s grasp and slowly and magically enlarged his mouth much like a cartoon character until it covered the entirety of Grim’s skull and proceeded to nom Grim in the most epic and adorable fashion ever witnessed by anyone ever reading this particular short story.

“Notice how there is a lack of chewing. While it is true that nomming can involve chewing, it is easier to experience nomming without chewing. This is why snakes are commonly believed to be the first creature to have mastered the joy of nomming before any other creature,” Necro nodded sagely, patpating the… oh look he’s on his back with his wittle paws in the air! You just want to give him a belly rub, don’t you?

Oh, come on, you know you want to…

That’s right, rub his adorably small tum tums…

Use little circles so that way he gets the full benefit of the tummy rub…

Isn’t this gr…

*NOM*

The editors, in no way, support the author's propensity for making fun of the female persuasion. If anything, the author is lucky he has not met a fate that Grim himself could not top.

< Message edited by Eukara Vox -- 12/23/2010 22:20:49 >
AQ DF MQ AQW Epic  Post #: 5
12/29/2010 0:57:08   
Eukara Vox
Legendary AdventureGuide!


Misconceptions
By Shreder

When I was younger I had misconceptions about many things, some harmless, some not so much. My childish belief in Santa Claus, for example, never did anyone any harm, unless you count my own dismay when I realized he was a myth…

The same cannot be said, however, for my ideas on joy. For a large period of my life--far, far too large a period now that I reflect on it--I believed that joy only came in doing what you wanted to do. If you are among those who realize how ridiculous that statement is, my congratulations to you, for you already understand something I wish I had long ago.

And, though I regret to say it, I lived under that assumption for quite some time. I did what I wanted to do, what I thought would make me happy.

Much of the time, it did, to a degree. There was, however, always something missing. Though I felt happy, I felt as if that happiness was somehow incomplete.

And that distressed me deeply.

Foolish as I was, I did not realize what I lacked. I would walk carelessly past a homeless man on the street, who shivered against the cold wind as I went my merry way to the new yoga class I was taking, not even seeing the rusty can he held out to me. I would delete those emails pleading for money to help disabled orphans in China, having eyes only for the emails I was exchanging with a travel agent, arranging my trip to the Caribbean over Christmas.

And the lack of fulfillment remained. At last, the day came when I simply could not take it anymore. I had money, and used it as I pleased, but the luxury and thrills they brought me were not true happiness. In desperation, I went to see a psychiatrist, to ask him what was wrong with me; what did I lack that made my joys all seem unfulfilling?

His response confused me. He asked, “When was the last time you did something for someone else?”

I thought for a moment, then replied, saying, “Why does it matter? Aren’t we supposed to be discussing what will make me happy, not what will make others happy?”

And his response is one that I remember word for word, “Some people only find true joy in passing it on to others.”

Not entirely trusting him, but willing to give his suggestion a shot, I walked out of his office looking at the world through new eyes.

And what a change it made. The first true flush of happiness I had felt in a long time filled me as I dropped a ten dollar bill in the can of the beggar on my way home, his smile shattering my long-held misconceptions.
AQ DF MQ AQW Epic  Post #: 6
12/29/2010 1:12:32   
Eukara Vox
Legendary AdventureGuide!


Once upon a time on a beautiful day
by Ilø¤IMPERIAL¤ølI

It all occurred to me eight years ago after a heavy rainstorm--there was definitely something wrong at that period. I was ten years of age, desperate, and all alone. But life spread across the plains of the dark abyss and changed everything. I can remember as if it was just yesterday.

As a child I always thought the raindrops were some distant tears from Heaven, and the lightning and thunder were the shouts of the angered. I used to be afraid of the weather; afraid I might die. It was unbearable, and I cried every time it rained.

The thunderstorm stationed itself above me for a long duration. It just kept pouring. The rain pounced down on the roof from shingle to shingle, downdrafts consistently occurred, and wild winds blew hard against brushes of trees. The rains poured, flooding the bottom floor. The wind howled so strong the gusts shook my home and within a second, a terrible jolt tore the roof open. The winds were like this. It went on like this for a while, then it slightly faded off.

Although today was a nightmare, I could sense that a beautiful and peaceful breakthrough occurred. Even though the landscape was in ruins, the earth was moist and fresh with a scent of greenery and water. The sun’s rays immediately began to penetrate through the dull-colored clouds, and a rainbow appeared behind them. I could taste fresh air; it felt good to breathe in and exhale.

I stood up… and came out of the box in which I had concealed myself in. I peered around: the world was destroyed. I was silent, I felt like saying something--anything--but nothing would come out. I was too dumbfounded. I just stood there, and let the remains of glory brush against my shoulders.

By the end of two weeks, I finally understood. This was not fate, but a choice that was meant to end life. What was unique was this puddle of water. Of all living life, the puddle of water did not evaporate like other ponds and lakes. It remained untouched. After everything that had happened, the puddle of water and I were safe. Awkward.

I would often spend my days playing Frisbee with my friends, but now I stood watching the pond. As life grew as a burden, plantations, rocks and minerals rotted away. But then, an opposite reaction repealed. The pond itself became larger and spread to its widest width. I couldn’t believe it.

The worst nightmare began to bring dreams of water again. Fierce and bold, a pearl, the deepest shades of black, hovered between the sun and me. A tiny raindrop among many splattered on my forehead, and it was red. The puddle of water turned red, and as I watched many more raindrops shatter the reflection of my face. I brushed the drop that had landed on me with my shirt to remove the stains, but nothing came of it. I laughed sadly. Is this really the blood of those who have cried? Terrorized, and laughing mockingly, I compared this to my death--a slow decease came upon me and I fell into the puddle of water. This is it…

When I awoke, I saw a small turtle wading its way through the puddle of water. I laughed happily: there was life! I felt happy to see moving objects within my view--it was like a dream come true. What’s even more eye-catching was that after a few days later, I saw amphibians flowing out of the puddle of water. Before I knew it, I started to cry softly. Once upon a time, a tragedy became history to me.

I enjoyed those days, but I later found out that the world needed someone to re-vamp and re-write the future. I was confused to find myself on a deathbed, and to realize that all of this happened between my strings of struggles. The puddle of water was my guidance. Everything else was to sabotage me. And so, I blew the last candle that was across from me.

I may have not noticed it back then as a child, but now that I think about it, I survived. The joy of survival was the best I could have gotten for my birthday.
AQ DF MQ AQW Epic  Post #: 7
1/4/2011 9:43:42   
Eukara Vox
Legendary AdventureGuide!


The Crashing of Frostval
by Eukara Vox (with a couple of lines from Cguy)

'Twas the Crashing of Frostval, when all through the land,
Every Moglin stood joyous, singing hand in hand.
The Moglins were merry, and all with a wish;
Most to bring happiness, and Twig to eat fish.

The snow fell deep, the grins spread wide,
As each little light was hung up with pride.
Cookies and cakes were baked, piping hot
Munching was heard, poor Twilly got caught.

When up on the hill there bellowed such a roar,
That every Moglin turned to see what it was for.
Packages were dropped, and candy-canes cracked,
And every Moglin hid behind boxes high-stacked.

The shimmer of ice floated through the air,
As the breath of her created despair.
Eyes closed in sadness, fear and worry,
Mothers pushed their children inside in a hurry.

With a prance and a leap, she beamed a smile,
The Moglins all knew who had dropped in for a while.
They scattered as fast as the feet could go,
And at the top of their lungs they cried out their woe.

"Oh Artix, please help us! Robina keep her at bay,
Yulgar do something, Galanoth, please slay!
Someone please come, before we all fall,
And this clumsy she-dragon knocks down all our walls!"

Down the dragon bound, her goal was town-center,
Enjoying the snow that came down this winter.
For, where she came from, if you hadn't heard,
No snow! Which for an ice dragon, was completely absurd.

She jumped and flipped, dashed and dove
Into the banks of high-heaped snow.
She let out a trill of joyous ululation
As Moglins scattered to avoid her jubilation.

The snow stuck to her hide like a new set of clothes,
And she strutted about, walking high on her toes.
She tried so desperately to exhibit such grace
And wound up, somehow, flat on her face!

She sat up, her eyes now twinkling with mirth
Her rosy red cheeks glowed as fire in a hearth.
Her mouth still shaped like a wondrous large grin,
Moglins peeked, wondering when disaster would begin.

It was then, oh reader, when her eyes caught sight,
Of one tiny snowflake, floating upon the air this night.
Her eyes, how they followed, my how they grew,
As that snowflake drifted closer, closer in view.

It was then the Moglins knew all was lost,
And they scrambled to save, no matter the cost,
Everything they hung with proud, careful cheer,
A few could even be seen shedding a tear.

With a shriek and a yell, she sprang from her spot
She called, "The snowflake, it's mine, it shall be caught."
Wings pumping hard, claws gripping the ground,
Talvan picked up speed, she was snowflake bound.

She leapt up at full speed, determined she was,
But sadly, she miscalculated, as she often does.
She landed awkwardly, and rolled down the way
A great big snowball she had become this day.

Houses and trees, lights and decorations
The disaster fulfilled the Moglins' expectations.
The snowball shook, snow spread out thin
With a happy dragonet sporting a grin.

Happy Frostval
AQ DF MQ AQW Epic  Post #: 8
1/4/2011 9:45:56   
Eukara Vox
Legendary AdventureGuide!


I Need to Know
by The Doctor

I've known you for a while
But I never got around to say
What was always on my mind
I missed my chances every time
But that is all about to change

In my reality I am the victor
You are my best friend
To me, like a sister
I don't know if that could ever be
Something more, like you and me
Together in some harmony

I've had my doubts and fought my fears
I'm ready to accept the tears
That might roll down my face as I'm denied
Your acceptance through the years

It might be better not to know
How this matter's going to go
I'll leave it up to you on how to
Make your final choice about me

Whatever it is that you decide
I will hear you
And I'll abide
By what you say
Regardless of how it may
Affect me

I'm in the darkness
I need you to guide me
Be like a light
And walk alongside me

Lost would I be without your friendship
Seeing you smile is like my redemption
For all the things that I've said and done
It's been fun and I'd like to know
Whether or not you'll down or accept me

I want to hear the words, you see
Else my mind is going to leave me
I need to know, yes or no
Would you love me so

< Message edited by Eukara Vox -- 1/4/2011 9:47:44 >
AQ DF MQ AQW Epic  Post #: 9
1/6/2011 11:25:05   
Eukara Vox
Legendary AdventureGuide!


Letters to Mother
by Xplayer1

June 21, 1903

Dear mother,

There are few things worth witnessing in comparison to the dawn of a summer day. Do you recall the sleeping butterflies on the grass outside our cabin? Their wings are weighed down by the morning dew, only for their burdens to be lifted by the sun’s rays, freeing them to fly as they please. As the butterflies wander the fields at dawn they often fly in pairs, like how lovers kiss each other awake, with no real pattern to their flight, no other purpose than to say, "I love you." These days I find myself on the front steps during the narrow window of time when the butterflies are plentiful and fill the fields with their dance. I’ve tried to listen to them, but butterflies are not so much teachers but creatures of play and folly. Still, lessons can be learnt from fools; in fact it is sometimes preferable to learn from fools than those who are pretentiously perfect.

I apologize for not writing more often. While I expected this "camping trip" of sorts to have many opportunities to pen my thoughts, it has involved much more work than I had anticipated. I thank God that my skills have not atrophied, but they have certainly not reached the level I find adequate, the level required to be a published author. On the other hand, I have written much. I write as I watch nature grow and die around me. I write by the water, by the fields, at the edge of the horizon and at my table by the flame of my lamp. However, when I write in such a manner my paper is my mind, and my pen my soul.

I hope that you were not offended by father’s and my sudden departure. An explanation is certainly in order. My father and I are the same, afflicted with a similar illness: city fever. It is said that those who come to the woods from the city eventually tire of it, and spend many a day longing for greater comfort and shielding from the elements. In our case, we experience inverse symptoms. Nature gives us a peace we could never find, while the city makes us restless and uncomfortable. So, mother, understand that while this was a selfish action, it was the only possible one for the sake of our health.

Since arriving, I have felt the grips of civilization leave me. The little food we brought with us was gone within the first week, and so we took to hunting and gathering. You knew my talent for the bow and arrow, so much that my tenth birthday present was an authentic hunting bow: rosewood and ironwood, no pulleys necessary. However, in school we shot at nothing but defenseless, stationary targets. There was no balance; we had a weapon, and the target’s only defense was the distance between the shooter and itself. I almost pitied the inanimate board as I pierced its center over and over. Now that we are within our natural environment, I found the practical use for the arrows, and the balance between the shooter and the target. Animals have not only distance but speed, which makes shooting them with my weapon seem fair. However, I never take life unless needed and am sure to thank God for delivering the life into my hands. Father, on the other hand, views hunting pragmatically. He uses a shotgun, which gives the animals little chance. I cannot say that I condone his actions, but I respect them as necessary for our survival. My skills with a bow have not been honed enough to support the both of us.

At first the adjustment to live targets was difficult, but just yesterday I caught my first white-tailed deer. Never before had I realized how much of a resource deer were: meat that lasts longer than a meal, skin than can be stretched and made into clothing, and bones that can be manipulated into substitutes for tools, although most of the bones were buried respectfully behind the cabin. The deer was of the earth, and therefore should return to the earth.

We partook of a feast tonight. The deer meat will last us a least another week as we’ll likely intersperse it with fish and rabbit. I wish this can last forever, living off the land, engulfed by nature’s beauty. We are but birds in the sky, lilies of the field. We do not desire, and therefore all our wishes are fulfilled. I wish you could come with us to the wood. Father misses you very much.

Your son always,
Eric




Winter 1903

Dear mother,

Apologies for not writing more often. Preparation for winter has made work much more difficult than initially anticipated. Like the squirrel, man must hoard his food or starve during the cold months. Gathering wood and food was difficult enough, but winter presented us with an even greater dilemma. We have been slowly running out of basic supplies that cannot be produced by the land: certain medicines, oil, paper, and ink for my pen to name a few. This resulted in a debate of the finality of our situation.

Our only asset is the house that we abandoned last spring, which we could sell to buy many years’ worth of supplies. But once that deed is done there is no returning to civilization, no taking back the life most humans embrace. I impulsively wanted to put this final nail in the coffin of our former lives, but father, being older and wiser, wanted to wait and consider the long term implications of such an action. What would sustain us when the money depleted? Could we really live off the land forever?

Much infantile argument ensued, resulting in an immature split between father and me. So rather than hunting together, we performed our duties separately. He hunted with his gun alone, while I stayed by the cabin and split logs for our fire. With each swing I imagined father’s head to be the wood, hating him for having such a notion as to return to civilization. After there were no more logs, I took my bow and arrows to the stump of the great oak tree and shot at it, careful not to split my arrows but trying to shoot them as close together as possible. I shot, retrieved, shot, and retrieved, wasting time until it was nearly dark.

Father had yet to return by nightfall, which worried me as he had always been punctual. Due to our dwindling supply of oil, father only brought a minimal amount of fuel for his lantern. I quickly grabbed my deerskin coat and a lantern filled to the brim with oil and set out in search of him.

The winter ground was covered with snow, but our path between the woods and our cabin by the river was well defined, as well as many of our hunting routes. As I entered the woods I called for father repeatedly, holding my light above my head in the hope that he would see it. The winds were tearing through my deerskin, making my body cold. I felt sick, not only because of the dizzying, drifting snow that blinded me from the darkness, but also because I felt that I had abandoned father when he needed me most. My thoughts were selfish and juvenile, and that is what caused him to be unable to return safely home. I scampered along all the hunting paths that I knew, calling his name, weeping, and feeling the tears freezing against my face.

Miraculously, as I ran along the last hunting path, I found my father lying in the snow with his shotgun at his side. He was already partly buried, and his body seemed to have run out of energy to shiver. A trail of blood that stained the snow continued for about 100 yards down the trail.

I turned my father on his back, and the first thing he said as he looked into my eyes was, "If only I had been younger like you, I would have made it."

The trek home was long, but it seemed to pass us by quickly, perhaps because I was just so glad to find my father safe. I carried father on my back, trudging through the snow as the world whirled around me without a care. I talked to him the whole time, saying that everything would be alright, and when that became tiresome I told him of all the pleasant memories of summer, of fried fish, of hiking in the woods in search of blueberries, and being one with the beauty around us wherever we were in the vast wilderness. Most of the time he did not reply, but I did notice a smile creep across his face every so often.

So now he lies recovering with a smile on his face as his body thaws by the fire. He does not seem to have sustained any life-threatening injuries, but his leg, which had been shattered by the bullet of his shotgun, will take some time to heal. As I write this to you, I can only hope that tomorrow will be a clear day. The nearest road is ten miles on foot, and I hope to catch a wagon to someone who can help us. But for now, I rest, and pray humbly in thanks for the life God so mercifully preserved.

Your son always,
Eric




January 1, 1964

Dear mother,

Having not written to you in sixty years, it may seem strange that I have suddenly picked up my pen again. Since taking up writing I have learned to fill page after page with words as if each were a promise that I’d eat another meal. However I have yet to learn a lesson in brevity, so I will make an effort to make this letter short.

I have returned to the wilderness to die. A doctor has diagnosed me with cancer of the liver or pancreas or some other organ that one doesn’t notice until something goes wrong. He wouldn’t admit it, but the diagnosis was a death sentence. My chances of survival, even with aggressive treatment, are almost none. So rather than suffer through treatment I took my eldest son and my grandson to the cabin to live out my days in peace, away from the rat-race in which I ran for most of my life.

Of course there were objections from friends and relatives. They are people who cannot understand. I do not have a wish for death, I have simply accepted it. I have been presented with a choice, to live out my days in sorrow or in joy.

The joy of the frozen waterfall.
The joy of the fire’s hearth.
The joy of the morning birds.
The joy of the sunset.
The joy of the chilled, frosty air.
The joy of the towering trees.
The joy of God giving me the chance to experience such things before I am called to him.

Those who have never seen these woods cannot possibly understand them. Without the understanding of these woods, my friends cannot understand me. We are one in the same, not aloof and unfathomable, but able to give our experience of happiness to those who are willing to accept us. I have tried to teach this to my children, and now my grandchildren, telling them to value that which is beyond themselves. Only then can they be truly happy.

I shall be joining you soon after I burn these pages. Please wait for me at the gate.

Your son always,
Eric
AQ DF MQ AQW Epic  Post #: 10
1/6/2011 11:28:22   
Eukara Vox
Legendary AdventureGuide!


Intermission: Reprimand and Recovery
by Eukara Vox and Alex Shiveran

Eukara looked at the stories that each of her beloved assistants had brought in. Each brought with it the potential of lifting her spirit, but the lingering thought that it was her fault Diocletio was in the condition he was... She felt the tears well up, threatening to fall.

She sighed, and looked at her false window. Instead of sunshine, it was stormy. Still stormy. She knew if her assistants saw it, they would be worried. She picked up one of the stories and tried to read it, hoping it would help her.
* * * * *

Xor paced the main area of the library. He paused and looked at Eukara’s doors and resumed. Fleur watched him pace and sighed. She would have said something, but knew that nothing they could say would make things better. Gianna sat upon the shelf that they had begun to rebuild for the Books that belonged under Joy.

Kastio watched the main doors like a hawk. It was as if he was expecting something. “Kastio?” Gianna whispered. “Just what is supposed to come through there that you are waiting for?”

“I...” Kastio turned to his fellows. “Well, I sort of, well, I sent a letter to Alex, her friend. And, well, I made it... I made it sound very, very dire.”

“You what?” Xor stopped in his tracks and stared at Kastio. “Just how dire did you make this letter sound?”

“Well, I,” Kastio glanced at Xor briefly before looking back at the door. “I may have said that she was in a depression none of us could pull her out of. I may have intimated that I thought he could help us, since what we’ve done hasn’t exactly helped.”

Shreder flapped his wings, stretching them out as far as he could.

"Though it is true she has overlong wept,
Do you not think you might have overstepped?"

“Oh come on, guys! Like none of you thought about reaching out beyond ourselves? You, Gianna, you probably thought of calling upon your communal spirits and powers. Xor, you have resources that most of us cannot see. You cannot tell me you didn’t think of it either. And Shreder, you have other poets that could have written sonnets and epics for her.” He turned and looked at Fleur. “Even as mysterious as you are, you also thought of delving into that place where you stay to pull something out for her. I did what I thought was right!”

“I rather hope that we aren’t interrupting something.” Alex stood in the doorway to the Library, one hand resting easily on the satchel hanging around his shoulder, his other hand bearing a well-worn wooden staff. There was a rustling sound, and suddenly the satchel popped open slightly, a feline head poking out from beneath the flap of the leather bag. He glanced down at his familiar, and frowned slightly. “Oh, now you’re awake, very helpful, as usual.” Slash’s reply was a mere feline yawn as she glanced around curiously. “Typical,” he glanced up, looking around as well, “yes, well, as I said, I hope this isn’t a bad time, but I’m in something of a hurry, I received a, rather urgent message recently from a Kaisto, Kayso... Something like that, could you point him out to me?”

All five of Eukara’s assistants turned and looked at the newcomer, stunned, and slightly embarrassed, wondering how much of the argument he had heard. None of them moved for several moments, until as if in a telepathic unity, four turned and looked at Kastio. He stood slowly and walked towards Alex.

“I am Kastio. You have to be...” he looked at Slash and nodded, “Alex!”

The others looked at Alex, Kastio, and Slash in silence. Eventually, Xor spoke up. “Well, it seems Kastio was successful. Perhaps, being her friend and confidante, you can get her to snap out of this depression she seems to have sunk into. Gods only know we’ve tried everything we can think of.” The others nodded, looking at Alex with expectation.

Alex was silent for a long moment before turning slowly and opening his satchel. He drew Slash out from the pouch and folded her into his arms gently, one hand stroking her head as his staff simply vanished into thin air. He ignored Eukara’s assistants for a moment, focusing on his familiar, something unspoken passing between them, until at last he knelt and set Slash down gently. Alex removed the satchel, the leather bag following the wood staff into airy nothingness as he stood and finally met Kastio’s gaze before looking at each of the others in turn. “You are placing a great deal of faith in me. I hope that I am equal to the task... Where is she?”

Kastio swallowed. “I didn’t know where else to turn, Alex. I know you are busy, but the two of you exchange letters all the time. I just thought that, well, maybe your connection would be a greater weapon.” Kastio looked down, humbled. “We need her back to her old self. We’ve tried everything in our powers. She’s in her quarters. She has gotten to where she doesn’t even care if we walk in.”

Alex nodded, glancing down at Slash. “Right, you’re in charge out here, make sure they all get to work um, doing library-type stuff. I’ll go see Miss Sour-face and see what’s to be done.” With that, he turned and headed in the direction indicated by Kastio.

Xor balked at Alex’s casual name calling of his head librarian. He opened his mouth to rebuke the man, but grumbled under his breath and looked at Kastio with a warning. Kastio turned to Slash, trying to ignore the daggers being thrown his way by Xor’s look. “You are looking well, Slash.”

Gianna lifted and hovered over the group. “I will go back to organizing the incoming stuff.” She nodded at Slash and took off.

Fleur eyed the feline familiar. “Mind if I went back to setting up the Joy shelves?”

“That would be most acceptable, Miss Fleur.” The familiar glanced up at Kastio from where she sat on the ground, wrapping her tail around her front paws primly, the tip of her tail twitching slightly. “I am well. Your friend is radiating quite the aura of displeasure.”

Fleur, surprised, merely nodded at the familiar and left for her duties. Kastio sighed, his eyes flicking to Xor. “Glad to hear that you are well. Xor... He is just worried. He doesn’t take well to such things as this.”

“Calling our mistress such names is not something to just dismiss. Where is his propriety and respect?!” Xor stomped out of the library and headed downstairs to his area of expertise.

Kastio sighed. “Xor is... one of a kind?”

“We all are, in our own respects. Tell me about what happened.”

Kastio sunk down to the floor next to Slash. “I don’t know where to begin. We were sent on this crazy chase after her. Her magic went wild, taking her from her room into a book she was reading. The portal, stupid sentient thing that it is, messed with her. But somehow, along the way, it lost its ability to be independent and another was able to wrest control of it.”

He sighed. “Slowly, we traveled through several universes, always one step behind her until we were all sent to a very, very dark place. Master Samak, who is recovering, was able to rescue us, but at a cost. The last teleportation sent us to a place of death and decay, where someone from her past confronted her. She thought he was dead, but he was worse... And she blames herself for his current condition.”

“And now she is trapped within her past. Alex will help her.”

“I hope so, Slash. You were the only people I thought could help her.” Kastio folded his hands and looked towards Eukara’s doors.
* * * * *

Alex stood before the door to Eukara’s private rooms, contemplating them in silence for a long moment. Sighing softly and shaking his head he opened the door softly and entered, looking around and noting the rain lashing sullenly against the panes of the window-that-wasn’t-a-window.

Eukara continued to stare at the window. “Is something the matter with the library?” Her voice sounded far away and quiet.

He crossed his arms over his chest, leaning against the closed door and watching Eukara in silence for a moment. Rather than answering her question, Alex glanced towards the window again, his voice light. “You know, when I was very young, I never liked the rain.”

“The rain...” She stopped, then turned, realizing this wasn’t one of her assistants. “Alex?”

“It always ruined our fun you see. My brother and I would be playing, and the sky would get dark, clouds would hide the sun, and then the rain would start. It seemed like the whole world just went gray and sad when it rained.” Alex smiled gently, nodding as he met her gaze. “Hello, Eukara.”

“Yes, grey and dark...” She closed her eyes, a tear falling. “Why are you here? I haven’t received any letters nor sent any. And you are so busy.”

“I know you haven’t sent any. I was worried, but thought you were alright. Slash disagreed and was, insistent.”

“Slash... she is such a wonderful individual. You are lucky to have her. I can’t imagine her ever hurting you, nor leaving you behind.” She wiped her face, then looked back at the rain.

Alex straightened, crossing the room slowly and moving deliberately between Eukara and the window. He knelt in front of her, his voice soft as he searched her face. “I know the basics, Kastio told Slash. Will you tell me about what happened?”

Eukara bit her lip. “He was my friend, Alex. My best friend. And when he needed me, I wasn’t there for him. I could have helped him, I could have prevented what he is now. He has lived for years thinking I abandoned him, that I left him to be half-alive, half-a-man. I...I thought he was dead! They told me he died to keep me on my assignment.

“So...he finally caught up to me and tried to punish me for leaving him to the fate he has. There was so much pain, so much heartbreak... Oh Alex...” She sobbed, burying her face in her hands.

Alex was silent for a moment, laying a tentative hand on Eukara’s knee. “Eukara, how could you have known?”

“That’s just it, Alex. I should have. There are some things I can sense. I am not empathic, nor telepathic, but I can...sense when something needs fixing, especially if it is someone I am close to. I can fix the things that cause nightmares, things that rob you of happiness. I can help bring back what is robbed from the mind.” Eukara sighed and looked at Alex. “But I didn’t feel his despair when I should have. And they knowingly kept me from it.”

“Have you heard the story of Cassandra the Prophet?”

“That sounds familiar, but right now I can’t recall it.”

“She was the daughter of the ruler of a city called Troy, and when she was born, she was cursed with the gift of prophecy.” Alex smiled faintly. “And it was a curse, because, you see, whensoever Cassandra had a vision, and told someone of it, they never believed her. As she grew older, this continued, and even though time and time again her visions turned out to be true, her predictions correct, no one believed she was a prophet.”

He shifted, sitting back and pressing his hands together before him before slowly drawing them apart. A net of glowing lines formed between them, shifting and coalescing into pictures that accompanied his words. “Now one day, Cassandra had a horrible vision, a vision of Troy in ruins, its great houses burned, its people killed. What’s more, she saw how it would be done, the Greeks, the great enemies of Troy would infiltrate the city with spies and open it to the Greek armies.”

Alex continued, phantoms of light clashing around a cityscape painted in shades of blue. “The Greeks arrived, and for many, many years the Trojans and Greeks fought. The Greeks could not breech the city, but the Trojans could not drive the invaders away. All that time, Cassandra warned of danger, of the doom she saw closing in, and all that time she was dismissed.” The city faded, replaced by the outlines of a great horse. “And then came the day when the Greek armies vanished, leaving behind them a great wooden horse, as if some trophy in honor of the might of the Trojans. And Cassandra wept, begging her father not to bring the horse into the city, to burn it where it stood, but her father would not hear of it. His daughter was no prophet. So the Trojans wheeled the great wood horse into the city, and then feasted in victory.”

The horse vanished, replaced by a multitude of ships and men. “By cover of night, the Greeks returned, and just as Cassandra had predicted, the horse was the downfall of Troy. For it was a hollow thing, and Greek spies slipped out of it that night, and slew the few sentries not weary and asleep from the feast, and opened the gates. Troy was razed to the ground.” Alex smiled gently, folding his hands together, the light-figures dispersing. “Now, I am not your Master, Eukara, but tell me, why have I told you this?”

“I... do know that story. It’s a Terran story from a long time ago. But... I don’t know why you have told me this.” She furrowed her brow and frowned.

Alex placed a gentle hand on Eukara’s knee, looking up at her with a soft smile. “What did Cassandra do wrong?”

“She didn’t do anything wrong, Alex. She had a gift, she used it even if no one believed her. She persisted, even though no one regarded her.” Eukara blinked. “Why would she be considered in the wrong?”

“Does it matter that no one believed her? Does that excuse her from sitting by and doing nothing when no one would listen?”

“But.. she did do stuff, didn’t she? She begged them to act, she tried to warn them! She got in their faces!” She wiped her face again and looked at Alex. “..Right?”

“Aye, she did.” He held up one hand, snapping his fingers and causing an image of flames to rise up in his hand. “But why did she not burn the horse herself?”

“Well, in that time period, if I recall correctly, women didn’t do such things...”

“Then why did she not try to find a way to open the horse? Surely the fate of her family, the fate of an entire city of people was worth that, or even the censure she might face for acting in a way women didn’t act by burning the horse.”

Eukara looked at Alex in consternation. “Perhaps she felt that if they were going to be that daft by not heeding her advice they deserved to die...” She shook her head, dispelling such thoughts. “She gave up...”

“True. Now, tell me, what are you doing here?”

“Mourning for Diocletio, mourning for what I couldn’t do... what I was prevented from doing, but just that.” She looked at the floor.

“What happened was a tragedy, but it was not one of your making. You are not the Elemental Lords, you cannot see everything that happens, you cannot know all that goes on everywhere. Diocletio is dead. If whatever you saw was truly your friend, would he not have understood this? Why should you be held accountable for the actions of others, when all you can change is the present?”

“Because he was my best friend, and I feel that I should have been there. Maybe I just wish I could take it all away.” She crossed her hands over her heart. “No one deserves to be half-dead and still able to feel everything. It hurts my heart, Alex.”

“Then why are you here?”

“I am afraid... Afraid that one day the people I have grown to love, the people who assist me, will need me the same way and I will fail them too.”

“Then you already have.”

Eukara looked up abruptly. “What?”

“Then you already have, and you continue to do so every second you spend in here.” He motioned to the false window behind him. “Every second you spend cursing this rain, but doing nothing about it. You are failing them.”

“I... I don’t want to fail them, Alex! But what if...” She swallowed but couldn’t continue.

“It doesn’t matter what you want Eukara Vox, it matters what is happening now, it matters what you are doing, and believe me. You. Are. Failing.”

Eukara’s eyes widened at Alex’s declaration. No one had ever spoken to her like this aside from Archanius, and even he never used that F word. “Failing?!”

“Your assistants are out there now, working. They are waiting for you to come back to them. Kastio asked me to come because they are running out of hope. You can remain here in your room and mourn the past, and let this Library crumble around you. Or you can go out there and change things.”

“I...” She looked at the door, her face ashen. “They’ve been trying so hard, so very hard to make me feel better. And I wouldn’t let them in. You are right, Alex.” Eukara turned back to Alex. “Each has made an attempt to make me smile, to make me proud, to... remind me of what I have. Each one is cherished beyond compare and I have neglected them. I won’t any longer.”

Alex smiled. “Good. You know, when I grew older, I realized something.”

“Oh, and what is that?”

“Even if the rain makes the world dark and gray, you can still dance in it.”

Eukara smiled. “Dancing is good, Alex. I need to remember that.” The rain that was pounding on the “window” began to let up, slowly lessening in force until the clouds thinned and the sun began to peek through. Reaching over to the side table next to her pillow, she picked up a stack of parchments and thumbed through them. “I... I have some reading to do. And, I need to make this up to them, Alex.”

“You will.”

“Thank you, Alex. I don’t know how I am going to repay you.”

Alex laughed lightly. “You don’t have to, it’s what friends do.”

“But, you are so busy, to take time out of all of that to come here...” She looked at her hands. “Surely, there is something I can do.”

“Actually, now that I consider the matter, there is something.”

“Of course!” Smiling, Eukara reached out and patted Alex’s hand. “What can I do for you?”

“You can keep smiling, I will feel better knowing you aren’t locked in here and brooding.”

“Is... that all?” She looked at him slightly confused. “There isn’t anything else?”

Alex smiled and shook his head. “No, that’s it. What, were you expecting me to ask you to paint a masterpiece?”

“Well, I kinda did. I was thinking that there would be something more you would need. But, if this is all you want, I am sure I can grant it.”

Alex nodded. “Good, now, before you get to work, come, your assistants are anxious, and I wouldn’t doubt Slash has at least one of them at wits' end by now.”

Eukara laughed. “I bet I can tell you exactly who she may have done that too. Poor Xor.” She stood and looked out the window again, the sun now shining brightly.
AQ DF MQ AQW Epic  Post #: 11
1/6/2011 11:32:13   
Eukara Vox
Legendary AdventureGuide!


An Occurrence of Joy
by Storm

</You and me, sitting beside a comforting fire>

The girl slept, absent-minded, her thoughts lost and derailed, her life worn almost to its bones.
From high above Lady Luck cried at the sight of the living, where the hand of Hope did not reach.

The Flower God cried as the Heavenly Demon woke; tears of sorrow fell onto earth, all over the girl.
Pity walked the path of humans, circling around the girl.

Pain entrusted the city, responsible for the colors within.
Yet, no sign of Hope.

Heavenly winds fell into chaos as the flower petals broke.
The girl lay still, cold to her bones. No Hope, no Luck.

Life held the girl from Trust and Will.
Will held the girl from Life and Trust.

The Sun God awoke, his rays shining bright.
Trust awoke, biding responsibility.

The girl opened her eyes, looking at the stranger who had helped her up.
The hand of Hope reached a little closer.

The girl was gifted food, warm clothes, and a smile.
Hope placed her hand gently on the girl's head.

Smiles embedded on Luck and Hope as the girl smiled back.
To the birth of Joy, they awoke, on December 25th.

From the depths of Will and Trust arose Luck and Hope, and formed Joy.

Joy, a disease contagious.
A disease with no cure.
A disease epidemic.
A disease found within our hearts.
A disease represented through a smile.
AQ DF MQ AQW Epic  Post #: 12
1/9/2011 15:35:09   
Eukara Vox
Legendary AdventureGuide!


The Right Path
by superjars

The path opened up before her: to the right, darkness obscured by layers of thick fog and trees grouped ominously close to each other, and to the left, a brightly lit path, surrounded on each side by fields of grass dotted with flowers. The right path smelled of death and decomposition, filled with eerie sounds of creatures which stayed at the edges of sight, barely visible against the overgrown path and clinging darkness. The left path issued forth a cloying scent of spring freshness and pollen, and the animals that frolicked through this paradise were fluffy and small, looking no more dangerous than the pillow lying on her bed at home. Both led to her destination, so it was up to her to choose which to take.

Dread gripped her tightly, freezing her in place as she looked down both paths. She could feel her body leaning to the left instinctively, wanting the safety it promised as she set out on this frightening journey: her first time away from home, away from her family, her friends, and her life. But the words of a friend were also echoing through her mind, words which prompted her to doubt her initial perceptions of these two ways laid out before her.

“You know sometimes, our perceptions of the world don’t match up with the reality of the world. We often need to look at things through a new set of eyes before we can really see them as they truly are.” As she closed her eyes, the words floated through her mind as if he was right there again, scolding her for some false notion she had got in her head about the way the world worked. In her mind’s eye, she could see him there, wide grin plastered on his face, knowing eyes sparkling as he saw the recognition dawning in her own features.

She held the moment tight to her breast, a tear coming unbidden to her eye and sliding slowly down her cheek. She reached up immediately to wipe the thing away, her lids snapping open and an apprehensive frown twisting her features as she returned to the present. She folded her arms tightly across her chest, thinking to herself, This is no time to dwell in the past. I must focus on the here and now! She screwed up her face in concentration, looking down each path which unfolded before here. She turned the pros and cons of each option over in her mind, at last making a decision she felt was the best. With a shift of her weight and a slight pivot, she took her first step upon her chosen path, committed to it wholeheartedly.

The darkness felt as if it rushed to embrace her, to pull her in to its territory, envelop her in its gentle caresses and obscure the other path from her view. The noises which at first had been far away, at the edges of her senses, were now surrounding her on every side, pushing in against her. The creatures which had stayed at the periphery of her sight now flashed back and forth, each time appearing closer and larger, near filling her entire vision with their horrid darkness. And what had been a vague drifting smell suddenly inundated her nostrils, filling them with the decay and destruction that made this path so undesirable to so many.

The fear filled her chest, making it almost impossible to breathe. She could feel her heart beating faster within, her breath coming out in quick, short bursts, and her face aflame with worry and torment. She wanted to turn and run, to change her decision and take the other path, to return to the safety of her home even—to forget that this entire journey had ever started. And yet, with faltering footsteps, she continued to move forward. She reached within for deep breaths as she put foot in front of foot, constantly fighting her body to continue on its chosen trajectory, cheering it on with each fateful step.

Every single movement was a challenge, a struggle against the elements howling around her, as well as the fear which gripped her palpably, as if it were as real as the branches clinging to her clothing. Animals pawed around her, not yet brave enough to make contact with their steadily moving prey, but sniffing and snorting at the air around her as they gathered their nerve. The wind was cold and harsh, filling her lungs with bits of decaying leaves and the dust blown from further down the path.

She stifled a cough which sprang up from within, her hand moving quickly to cover her mouth from sucking in more of the debris. She began to regret her decision, wavering increasingly about whether she had made a correct choice following the right path. And the more she doubted, thinking about turning around and heading back to the fork and making a different decision, the more ponderously she traveled, the more difficult each step became and, in turn, the more worried she became that her decision had been incorrect.

Without warning, the first of the animals circling her attacked, lashing out with vicious claws, digging into the flesh of her leg, drawing blood from a long gash at the point of contact. The smell of blood filled the space around her, whipping the rest of the creatures into frenzy, fueling their courage as one after another they followed suit. Heavy wounds opened up all over her body where teeth and claw made contact with her skin, ripping through the clothing which hung from her still form.

The more blood they drew, the more intense their attacks began, which in turn opened her wounds deeper. The scent of blood suffused the entire area, in some places suppressing their foul odors, while in others they mixed with the natural scents, creating an exponential stench. Howls of eager pleasure emanated from the jowls of the fierce creatures as they continued to circle their prey, dodging in and out to attack and retreat, as if they were playing some amusing game with the girl.

Panic set in as pain suffused her slight form, her legs buckling beneath her as she sank to the ground under the relentless assaults. She threw her hands up in front of her face to protect it from the ripping that her assailants were causing to her exposed legs and forearms, held weakly in place through pure force of will. She struggled to reorient her mind to find a way out of the predicament, but the pain riddling her body made it difficult to focus her thoughts in any concrete way. She reeled as another round of attacks drained the last of the strength from her body, her arms falling away from her face, her eyes for the first time alighting upon her attackers.

Each of them had a human face, but with mouths riddled with vicious fangs, and their bodies were sleek and black like a panther's. The combination of their features made them appear mythic, as if they hopped straight from one of the stories from her childhood and into real life. Their howls sounded similar to that of a hyena, partial laughter and growl. As they attacked her, they made sure to brush against her bloody form, the glistening life fluid sticking to their bristling fur.

She knew that such creatures shouldn’t—nay, couldn’t—exist in normal experience, yet here they were, staring back into her eyes, smiling wickedly at her fear. It seemed to her as if they fed off of her negative emotions, becoming larger and more imposing the more scared she was of them. She could tell she was fading and would soon become too weak to fight against the creatures, but the only other option she could think of wasn’t much more desirable. She had some visceral magic buried deep within her body, only to be brought out in the direst of emergencies, due to the debilitating effect it took on her. This surely counts as one of those times, she thought, her mind already made up before the thought ended. She reached deep within, letting loose the barriers which kept the wild magic within her in check.

Her eyes began to glow with a bright inner light, suffusing her body and the surrounding area with a bright glimmering aura of white. Her body rose of its own volition, her arms stretching out to the sides, fingers spread apart from each other. The light began to pour out of every pore of her form, head to toe, growing brighter and denser until it swallowed up every creature that had been attacking her and the entire forest surrounding, bathing them all in iridescence. The wounds on her body closed of their own accord, bathed in white flames that burned away infection and cauterized each gash before it disappeared.

She was ecstatic, bathed in pure flame and becoming enraptured with the power of her current form. She began to lose herself in the feeling of energy which flowed through every vein of her body, driving away every ounce of fear and sadness that had been inundating her small form. A strange madness began to consume her as her form burned away around her, a voice within which cried out for her to remain in this state for eternity, experiencing the bliss it afforded her. She was tempted by this more than she had thought; the feelings which the magic afforded her were so pleasurable and exciting that she almost couldn’t help herself. But she couldn’t sustain this for long.

Even as this thought ran through her mind, the flames were running from her body. They flowed down her flesh in rivulets, sinking from her feet and down onto the soft ground lying several feet beneath her, disappearing as they came into contact with the burnt soil. As the power completed its exodus from her outstretched form, she plummeted to the ground, crashing hard into the brush smoldering beneath her. Dark, piercing eyes appeared at the outer limits of the burnt section—more creatures, angered by the slaughter of their brethren and searching for revenge against the one who had wrought the now dissipating destruction. Low growls emanated from their gathered forms, indicative of the coming fury.

Pain wracked the girl’s body, causing unwanted tears to spring to her eyes. Her body shook lightly, exhausted from the ordeal of pulling the magic out past the barriers that had been placed to prevent its misuse. She reached a hand to her cheek, catching the tears as they streamed down her face, wiping them away with a defiant air. She knew that she wasn’t out of danger just yet, so focusing on the movements of the enemy and keeping her fear at bay were her first priorities. If she could just hold out for a couple of minutes, her salvation would be earned.

The still figures of the creatures who had been caught in her power lay scattered about her, new ones winding around them carefully as they approached her, their dark eyes measuring the girl, prepared to dart back to the edges of the burnt area if she showed any indication that she might let loose another furious assault against them. She stood in the center, eyes steeled as she stared out at the gathering darkness, frequently glancing towards the north as if looking for something specific.

The creatures became braver once again, sending one of the oldest of their kind towards the girl to test her resolve. The creature stalked closer, stopping every few seconds to watch its prey, to test the air, prepared all the while to dash back to safety. But nothing came. It edged closer and closer, until it was within reach of the girl, fur bristling over its back and teeth locked together in a wide grin. It lifted its head high, letting a furious, guttural roar emanate back to the others, summoning them to the feast, snapping at the girl as it returned his attention to her.

The girl jumped back instinctively, regardless of the preparations she had made to avoid doing so. She stopped herself quickly, focusing her effort towards appearing nonplussed by neither the creature’s advances nor the appearance of several others bravely stalking forward. She forced her body into taking deep breaths, the panic she had experienced before still forefront in her mind. He had better get here quickly. I don’t know how long I can hold these things off, she thought to herself, panic beginning to once again gnaw at the edges of her mind.

As if summoned by her very thoughts, the noise of hooves scraping over the ground sprang to her ears. The head of every creature swiveled towards the north as a figure, well-armored and sitting astride a white stallion, galloped into the clearing, heading straight for the young girl. The animals immediately scattered back out into the darkness, yelping and crying out in frustration at their lost prey. They recognized the figure immediately, knowing that it could destroy them easily if it chose to. The figure cantered closer, stopping a few feet short of the young one’s final stand, slipping easily from astride his horse to stand before her.

Feelings of safety and peace swept over her, her body slumping slightly at his arrival. She exhaled in relief, tears springing to her eyes once again, this time in appreciation of his presence as opposed to the fear which had forced them earlier. She rushed forward to wrap her arms around the man’s gleaming armor, burying her face into his chest. “I’m so glad to see you,” she said in a muffled voice, feeling a heavy hand reach down tenderly to pat her on the head.

When the man spoke, she knew that everything was now going to be just fine. His voice carried a deep resonance and a calming quality which entered through her ears and spread contagiously through the remainder of her body. “And I am glad to see you. Now you know the truth about your journey to Joy. While the path through the dark forest is difficult, it is the only true path to Joy. The easier road takes you only to Pleasure and Pain, both places which you do not care to visit.

“However, as you found out, you cannot get to Joy if you are fearful of the creatures in the forest. When they sense that someone new has entered in, they immediately come to test that person, to find if they are controlled by fear or live free of it. If you fail their test, they will tear you apart and eat you, without remorse. And they are a cunning sort, able to change their appearance to your worst nightmare. I cannot tell you how many others have fallen to those vile creations.

“But you also cannot get to Joy by following the wild ecstasy of your magic. This will only leave you drained and broken, unable to even protect yourself from the creatures who hunt this forest. It is good that I have followed close by to watch your journey unfold, so that I could help you in your time of greatest need. The journey to Joy is one which should not be attempted alone, but is one which is best taken with those who love and care about you. Now, let us be off!”

With these words, the man scooped up the girl and set her on his horse, taking hold of the reins and guiding them off into the dark forest.

A smile spread over the young girl’s face and she hummed tunelessly to the beat of the horse’s hooves. She now felt completely at peace, realizing how much she had missed her father. She was on her way to see him now, with no further obstacles to block her path. She closed her eyes, the image of her running into her father’s arms filling her vision as she happily trotted along, moving towards the place called Joy.

The doctor opened his eyes and reached up, putting his hand lightly on her fevered forehead and running it down over her sunken eyes, pulling the eyelids shut as it passed. Although he could hear the cries of grief emanating from the distraught family clustered nearby, the man could not help but smile slightly to himself, noticing the beatific look on the young one’s face, knowing that he had guided another soul safely home.
AQ DF MQ AQW Epic  Post #: 13
1/9/2011 15:39:57   
Eukara Vox
Legendary AdventureGuide!


A Tail to Tell
by Dragonknightwolf

"Greetings, little one. Come see me inside.
Do not be afraid, there’s nowhere to hide.
I’m sure you must know that I can see all.
So enter my lair, my own humble hall.

"I have a tale, a story I say:
a simple little Frostval fable today.
It starts quite simply and continues very neatly,
so sit down, relax and listen quietly.

"Don’t be alarmed, just walk on in.
I grant you entry so the journey can begin.
Come back any time that you should wish,
but should I be out just know this:

"I shall come searching for you before long,
to listen to what you'll tell me in summer’s slumber when I yawn,
and with a flutter I'll stretch out my wings,
just before the fall begins.

"Hear now, boy, the light that you see.
Follow it down and there you’ll find me.
Across the chamber, over the pot,
watch your step now and don’t slip on that knot.

"The inner sanctum as you can see
is a bit tricky and a bit slippery.
Yes, come closer, wee little one.
Fit by this fire and have some marshmallows for fun.

"Now are you cozy and comfy and snug?
Good, then I shall get on to the tale with a hum.

"Let me see now, where to begin?
I could tell almost any tale—even that of sim samba sim.
No, that won’t do, the other I think,
the one with the snow and the rabbits all pink.

"Five centuries ago and one second to this day,
there was once a town very far away.
It held lots of toys and weapons man could make,
but its baker had died without baking a cake.

"Oh no! What to do? How to survive?
Without a baker to bake their mutton or pies,
a plan was needed indeed, don’t you see?
And it started with children, kids one, two and three.

"Three brave children fended off the cold
as the winds whistled down and the snow began to blow.
These three children were headed it seems,
to find a mage who could assist them in their wildest dreams.

"They soon came across a large square of a box,
made out of wooden rectangles and hard metal locks.
With a grunt they did pull, with a uff did they tug,
but that box was secure and impossibly snug.

"'Oh what shall we do,' all three of them cried,
'It is of no use, we can’t get it pried.'
The three poor kids were surely going to freeze
if not for the kindly spirit watching from underneath.

"'Push up,' said a bear from nowhere in sight.
'Push up on the box and pull to the right.'
Doing as told, a miracle came:
the box slipped open, and in it they sprang.

It was pitch and dark and black as could be
and a tiny little voice was crying, 'Help me.'
Searching about and stumbling in the dark,
the children couldn’t find the voice from afar.

"'Help,' said the voice from far within.
'Help me get out, help please, children.'
'Now how do we open this,' asked the boy with blue eyes,
eyes like wild hills filled with fireflies.

"'Open from the left,' said the muffled voice inside.

"But a fox jumped up and shouted, 'STOP! Don't let it free,
it is evil as you shall soon well see.'
But the children all laughed and they pried up the lid
and out stepped a dragon, with a nasty looking grin.

"Its neck was long and thick with scales
and its breath was cold like ice across shells.
The fox leapt away but oh what a fate;
on that spot it took up a most frozen state.

"'Hmm, did you hear that, my wee little one?
Like the sound of a shoe off to our right, no?
I suppose I must just be hearing things then,
it happens often when old age sets in.'

"The children screamed and as one by one ran,
the dragon with mirth captured them as it hummed.
'Now for my fun,' it began with a gleam,
'to place each of you in a different setting.'

"'Then you'll have the privilege to entertain me.
How does that sound? Ha ha hee hee!'
The dragon then stuck the boy with golden hair
in a grimly, unkept, ugly looking lair.
Sounds of water heard faintly from there.

"'Here you will stay!' said the dragon with a smile,
'as I splash about and play in the waters of pure spring.'
When the dragon did leave the boy looked around:
all was so creepy, so gloomy; he felt like crying.

"The girl came next and he stole her a glance.
'Oh little sweet child, up here with the sunshine where air is fresh and sweet,
here is where I place you so you can enjoy,
the warm sand and sun while grooming me for fun.'

"He stuck her in the desert with glee
and turned to the third prize, the young boy, child number three.
'You,' said the dragon, 'shall be most fun of all,
for I will tie you upon the bear in my stall.'

"The bear could move all about, but the boy couldn’t wiggle a finger, unable to get free
Here the dragon left his prizes 1, 2 and 3 while he prepared himself for a meal by the sea.
And each devised a plan to get home, as these kids were clever, you see.

"The first plan as the dragon bathed came to the child’s head.
He moaned and he groaned about how his stomach hurt him so.
The dragon snorted and took the boy away, putting him into a golden cage.

"The girl in the sun gasped and fainted that day.
The dragon inspected her for bruises and scrapes.
'Oh mister dragon,' she said later in the shade of his wing,
'this heat is too much, so won’t you let me go free?'

"The dragon he smiled but did not let go,
he put her instead next to her golden-caged bro.
The third child itched and moaned unhappily,
'Oh please, mister dragon, come set me free!'

"The three had been placed in the golden cage to sleep,
and the dragon kept guard, but soon fell asleep.
And when he awoke, his eyes became wide.
For despite an open cage, the children lay on his side.

"Apparently they had fallen up into joy,
so they and the dragon played with marvelous toys,
all of this while their friendship grew bright,
and so it was the children grew and had a merry life.

"They became old and with a final sigh of delight
they all wished the dragon sweet dreams and bid him good night.
Then as the story goes, lad, or so I was told,
each of them went to sleep and died with ages old.

"The dragon stood over the graves for five long winter storms,
with their company gone his heart it was heavy.
Soon the dragon took a turn not so merry.
Crying long into the night, his heart shuddered, shook and threatened to die.

"But those three who loved him so much
begged him to live on, to give them that much.
Their spirits appeared to him pleading with joy,
warming his heart and his mind.

"The whispers that he heard all in his head
made the beating of his heart grow stronger instead.
He shook himself free of the pain and the grief,
all joy now abounding inside his heart so free.

"So now the story ends, my little little one,
now please excuse me while I go have some fun.

"For you see, little boy, there in the dark,
lurks an intruder, an assassin by his own mark.
Don’t make a sound and stay where you are.
Shush now, not a move, you wouldn't get far.

One

Two

Three

ROAR—SNAP!


"Ah, what a tasty morsel.
Watch him slide.

"Say good-bye to him, little one, as he disappears from sight,
down into my belly for a final good night.
No, my little one, he goes a shower most grim.
Where my digestion and my body shall truly cleanse him

"And now you are safe, and free to go home.

"Yes, that is all there is to tell.
Good night, dear boy. I wish you well.
I wish you joy as only a dragon might:
Joyful Frostval to all, and to all a good night."
AQ DF MQ AQW Epic  Post #: 14
1/9/2011 15:43:51   
Eukara Vox
Legendary AdventureGuide!


Joyous End
by The Doctor

Three days left until I die
Don't let my plans go awry
I've got so much to do
And so little time

First thing up is get a lover, get a girl
Got nothing to lose, my emotions unfurl
I'm starting to wonder how I missed out
I've got the chance to go on a different route

Unfortunately, my time is ticking down
I've had my fun and I've been around
Thankfully, my mind is still very sound
Or, at least, as much as it ever was

Two days left and I'm getting there
Got to go travel, by land and by air
See the world in what would take a lifetime
Luckily, that's all that I have left

I've been there, done that, gone around
I'll spend my last day telling my friends
I love them and they're all I'll have left
Split the rest up among themselves

My time is come to go up top
Off the very face of Earth I'll drop
I've hit my peak and I am ready to go
To stay with the Lord, live in his abode


The Falling of an Angel
by The Doctor

I've gone to bed so late at night
My head's not feeling quite all right
My thoughts are bouncing off the walls
I've got to sleep before I fall

In my bed I'm turning round and about
In my mind I harbour no shred of doubt
I'm in my world that I chose
And I am free from all my woes

So when I'm drifting off into my never never land
There's no such thing as evil or even as some contraband
And I'm free from all of the other world's demands
Until I wake, of course, and then: I'm back in Time's old sands

But I know my chance is coming
I won't always be this way
The pain is almost numbing
Yet I can drift away

I find it kind of odd that people try to crush your dreams
I'll think whatever that I choose, and so do I believe
That those that seek to harm and hurt the progress of another
But my mind's like a friend to me, and also like a brother

As I float above my house, in my own astral plane
It makes me wonder why-ever on my parade they'd rain
I guess I'll have to float down somehow
I guess I will fall back to the ground

That dream was good until the end
Distractions such a great Godsend
From all my life, but I'm aware
I guess I have to go back there
AQ DF MQ AQW Epic  Post #: 15
1/11/2011 11:13:32   
Eukara Vox
Legendary AdventureGuide!


Nemesis
by Wildroses


While all necromancers agreed privacy was an important consideration in your home, on the whole they still felt Darkstar had gone overboard. His citadel was one of the most well defended strongholds of evil around. Unluckily for Tessa-Marie, Mortimer Lament had last been seen entering it, so she had no choice but to get past the walls.

The grounds were poorly kept by necromantic standards. Carefully manicured lawn, meticulously pruned trees, strategically placed flowerbeds, all alive and thriving. Tessa-Marie ended up being grateful for the trees large enough to hide in when a human skeleton holding a watering can appeared. She took a few minutes to debate her options. I suppose it is my duty as a Paladin to send it back to the grave. But Lament is my first priority, not a random minion...

“Peregrine, you need to go back inside straight away.”

“But, Darkstar, I still have twelve more flowerbeds! Is it important?”

Tessa-Marie couldn’t see Darkstar or the owner of the new voice, and didn’t want to risk giving herself away by trying to see. It certainly was not Lament, at least.

“Yes, it’s important,” said the voice which the mysterious Peregrine had called Darkstar. “There’s a Paladin hiding in that tree.”

“Really? How’d he get in?”

“She. I don’t know. I doubt she’ll tell me if I ask. Now go before she exorcises you.”

“What about you? If something happened Marla and Caster will turn me into dog bones!”

“Don’t worry, Peregrine. I can handle her.”

At that remark Tessa-Marie leapt from the branches to the ground, summoning a spear of light. Her left shoulder was scarred from a particularly ferocious undead Mortimer Lament had created to ‘handle her’. A man dressed in black made a shoving motion which deflected Tessa-Marie’s spear before hissing: “Go now, Peregrine.”

The skeleton fled while Tessa-Marie was still looking for the mysterious Peregrine. It took several seconds for her to make the connection. “What sort of a Necromancer are you? Everyone knows Undead can’t talk!”

“A Necromancer of unsurpassed intellect and brilliance,” the man, who had to be Darkstar, answered promptly. “My outstanding talents have led to the creation of a new breed of Undead capable of reason and speech.”

“You’re lying!” Tessa-Marie broke in. “You haven’t created any new breed. There’s nothing new about that Undead.”

Tessa-Marie had been expecting Darkstar to be so infuriated he’d strike out, hopefully exposing an exploitable weakness in the process. Every villain who’d shown such blatant conceit tended to be outraged whenever Tessa-Marie expressed the slightest doubt in their abilities. Darkstar only smirked. “If you know I’m lying, you must also know Undead can talk. That means you lied first.”

Part of the reason Tessa-Marie had survived this long in her Paladin career was an instinct to identify fights she could not win, so she abandoned the verbal aspect of the battle and lunged forward. Darkstar took several magically rapid steps out of range. “I don’t want to fight. In fact, I’d rather you left. How did you get in?”

Tessa-Marie didn’t relax her guard. “With difficulty. I’m resourceful. If you don’t want to fight, why did you come hurrying out as soon as you realised I’d breached your security?”

“Because I didn’t want you exorcising any of the Undead under my protection. You heroes are like cockroaches. Squash one, three more appear.” Darkstar dodged another of Tessa-Marie’s light spears without retaliating. “If I kill you, all the Paladins might decide I am a threat and band together to take me down, which would suck.”

“Then how are you planning to get rid of me?”

“By taking advantage of the short attention spans all heroes have. I’m going to stand here staring you until you get bored and go away.” There was a lengthy pause as Darkstar did so. Tessa-Marie took the chance to stare back, trying to gain the measure of her opponent. Darkstar was younger than most necromancers, only a few years younger than herself. He had the usual pallor of those who meddled in death, life and all states between. A pale complexion looked good on him. It emphasised his dark hair and blue eyes.

“Did you decide to become a paladin because you knew you’d be beautiful in the armour?” asked Darkstar, breaking the silence.

“No! I thought it was important to put down evil and protect the innocent.”

“And using a golden armour which matches your hair and highlights your perfect proportions was a secondary consideration in that decision?”

“Yes. No! It wasn’t a consideration at all!”

“So it was serendipity then?”

Tessa-Marie ignored last remark and changed the subject out of a genuine fear of Darkstar commenting on how attractive a Paladin’s blush was. “Well, if you really don’t want to fight and would like me to leave, maybe you can give me some information. I didn’t come here in search of you...”

Darkstar seemed disappointed. “You didn’t?”

“No. I’m searching for a necromancer by the name of Mortimer Lament.”

“Oh, him. You’re ten days too late. You must be that Tessa-Marie Delany he kept complaining about. He didn’t tell me what you looked like...”

“Too late? You mean he’s gone?”

“I made sure of it. He wouldn’t stop insisting I help him crush you and the Paladin Order.”

Tessa-Marie raised an eyebrow. “Did you say no?”

“Of course I did! I don’t want you or the Paladin Order crushing me.”

“Did you tell Lament that? He wouldn’t have liked hearing it.”

“It sounds like you knew him well.”

“Extremely well.” Tessa-Marie rolled her eyes. “He’s my personal nemesis. I’ve been thwarting him for three years now. Is he really gone?” When Darkstar nodded, she added; “Then there is no point in me hanging around bothering you. Can you let me out?”

After a long pause the necromancer said reluctantly: “I suppose if you got in without my help, you’d be able to get out without my help, so I may as well. It was nice meeting you.”

*

Two days later, Darkstar summoned his chief skeletal minion, who went by the name of Caster. “I need your advice. It’s about that Paladin who got in.”

“I take personal responsibility for the oversight, my Lord,” Caster said. “We’re trying to fix the hole in our security. It’d help if we knew how she did it.”

Darkstar shrugged . “All she told me was it was difficult and she was resourceful. I don’t care about how she got in. The opposite. I want her to come back, but I’m not sure how.”

“I could form a unit to make a snatch...” offered Caster.

The necromancer shook his head. “I thought about that, but I don’t think you could. Tessa-Marie prevented that jerk Lament from rising past nuisance on the villainy scale for three years, and I know how challenging that must have been... Plus she breached our security. I don’t think it’s safe for any of us to try and force this particular Paladin to come against her will. She’s going to need a reason to come here. Now her nemesis is gone I can’t think of one.”

“I can. She’s a hero,” said Caster. “All you have to do is kidnap a child and send this Paladin a message saying unless she comes immediately you’ll kill it. She’ll come running, trust me. There’s something about children which really fires up heroes.”

*

As he was chief minion, Caster was the Undead who presented the hostage to their Necromancer. “Here you are, my Lord. One child hostage, as ordered.”

Darkstar stared doubtfully at the captured female huddling at his feet. “Are you sure that’s a child? She’s kind of large and... well developed.”

“Oh, she’s not the child, she’s curled herself around the child. It’s a baby.” As he was speaking Caster grabbed the woman’s hair and pulled, forcing her to straighten long enough for Darkstar to glimpse a bundle of cloth and little face clutched to her chest. “I’m not letting you take my baby away from me!” she screamed.

“She wouldn’t stop saying that,” said Caster. “That’s why we bought her too. It was easier than trying to separate them. Less noisy too. We sent her husband to deliver your message.”

Darkstar’s gaze on the mother changed from doubtful to thoughtful. “Husband? Was your marriage arranged?” When she shook her head, Darkstar continued. “So what made you like him enough to want to marry him? What did he do?”

The woman gave him a suspicious glance, not loosening her grip on her baby, which was starting to fret at the lack of oxygen. “Oh... you know...the usual stuff...”

“I don’t know. What is the usual stuff?”

“Um...well... Gave me flowers and chocolates. And he took me to places.”

“What sort of places?”

“Restaurants mostly...”

“My Lord!” a skeleton who had been assigned lookout cried. “The Paladin approaches!”

Darkstar leapt forward. “Wow, Caster, she is running! I thought you were exaggerating.”

Tessa-Marie was dressed and armed ready for a fight. Her blazing eyes and flushed cheeks were enough to make Darkstar give a wistful sigh, not that she noticed. “I am not going to let you kill that child, you vile necromancer!” she yelled once she’d gotten her breath back.

Darkstar smiled. “Oh, I never planned to kill it. I only said I would because I wanted you to come back.”

“You’re lying! I’ve been researching you since our last meeting. Twelve years ago you were sacrificing children to harvest the power of their blood and life.” There was a brief silence while Tessa-Marie caught her breath, and gazed uncertainly at Darkstar’s youthful face. “How old are you?”

“Nineteen.”

“Seriously? You were killing children when you were seven? What type of monster are you?”

“I’m not a child-killing monster,” Darkstar said cheerfully, unoffended. Necromancers were used to being called worse by Paladins. “The child-killer was my predecessor. Strange coincidence though, I was seven when I killed him.”

“You’re lying,” said Tessa. “How could a child defeat a fully fledged necromancer?”

“Caster and Marla helped. They were pretty fed up with the first Darkstar. Caster said I seemed more pleasant than the old Darkstar, so he’d train me to take his place, but I had to change my name because it wasn’t suitable. Marla said that seeing as I’d taken Darkstar’s Undead and fortress I may as well take his name as well. I was happy to. I hated my name.”

“Hmm.” Tessa-Marie frowned. “I guess that explains why the infamous Darkstar has done absolutely nothing except steal Undead minions from other necromancers for twelve years.”

“Actually that’s Marla’s project. She’d call it ‘offering sanctuary’ rather than stealing...”

“What is your real name?”

A wary expression flittered across Darkstar’s face. “It’s Darkstar now. If my old name was one to be proud of, would I have agreed to change it? Is Tessa-Marie your real name? Couldn’t your parents agree on what name to give you?”

“I was named after my grandmothers. Why are you asking me all these personal questions?”

“I’m just curious. How old are you?”

“I’ll tell you if you tell me your real name.”

“Ah.” Darkstar mulled Tessa-Marie’s offer. “You don’t look much older than me. I suppose I can live without knowing for sure...”

“It’s that bad, huh? Oh come on, tell me, I promise I won’t laugh..." What am I saying? What am I doing? Tessa-Marie made an admirable effort to banish her charming smile and replace it with a stern expression. Darkstar didn’t mind as he felt she was adorable either way. “You lied to me about Mortimer, Darkstar! I’ve been researching his whereabouts as well. I know he’s still in your citadel somewhere.”

“I wasn’t lying. Why do you always assume I am?”

Before this discussion could get going the baby started to wail. Darkstar turned to the hostages. “What’s the matter with it?”

“She wants to go home,” the baby’s mother muttered. “We both do.”

“Is that all? Alright, it was nice seeing you again, Tessa-Marie.” Darkstar bowed. “Have a nice walk back.”

Tessa-Marie blinked. “Really? You aren’t going to try and stop us?”

“No. I have a lot to think about.” And I can always kidnap them again next time I want to talk, Darkstar added in the privacy of his own head. Once both women were out of earshot he turned to Caster. “I want to send the Paladin flowers and chocolates.”

“Certainly, my Lord,” Caster replied. “I’ll talk to Peregrine, but I warn you, he favours beauty over toxins in his flowers. What poison did you have in mind for the chocolates?”

“Caster, we’re not trying to kill Tessa-Marie. We’re trying to make her like me.”

“I see. That will not be a problem. There’s a book on love potions in the library.”

*

Tessa-Marie rapidly spotted and disabled the potion. Caster, who with Darkstar was watching Tessa-Marie's reactions with a scrying spell, was initially worried for the sake of his master, but he had no reason for alarm. Darkstar had such a high opinion of Tessa-Marie’s power and wits it would have been a terrible disappointment to have her fall to him so easily. Anyway, when some helpful bystander tried to throw the gifts away Tessa-Marie yelled that they’d been given to her, clutched them to her chest and ran out threatening to cut the arm off anyone who laid a finger on them. That made it all worthwhile.

*

Their next meeting was again within the garden of Darkstar’s citadel. This time Tessa-Marie didn’t try to conceal herself. Darkstar met her by the rosebushes. “Hello. It’s lovely to see you again. You realise you can get in by knocking on the front gates, don’t you? Nobody minds you visiting except Caster, but only because he can’t figure out how you keep getting in...”

“Where’s Mortimer Lament? And don’t try telling me he’s gone. I’ve been trying to pick up his trail, and getting no leads beyond here. He entered this house and never left it.”

Darkstar flinched at the menacing tone Tessa-Marie had adopted. “I guess that’s...technically true.”

“Hah! I knew you were lying!”

“I wasn’t. Lament is gone. He refused take no for an answer when I said I didn’t want to ally. I had to finish him.”

“Finish?!” Tessa-Marie felt a sinking sensation. “Mortimer Lament is dead?”

“Irretrievably.”

“No. No! I don’t believe it! You’re lying, you have to be! If you aren’t allied with him why did you kidnap a baby and send me bewitched chocolates? He’s hiding inside your citadel!”

Darkstar sighed. “You aren’t going to be satisfied with anything less than a body, are you?” He turned to the nearest rosebush and gave an imperious gesture. Tessa-Marie could sense dark powers gathering around him. “Arise! But only long enough to dig yourself out.”

With an eruption of dirt and rose petals, Mortimer Lament clambered out of his grave.

“I... I don’t believe it,” Tessa-Marie stammered. “He really is gone...How can he be dead?”

“A fireball to the head,” Darkstar said, keen to be helpful. “Or possibly a knife thrust to the heart. Our battle got pretty frenzied towards the end.”

“Why did you have to kill him?”

“Self-defense. Are you sad? I thought he was your nemesis.”

Tessa-Marie unclenched her teeth. “I guess now Lament’s reign of terror is over I don’t have to spend all my time thwarting him. That’s… wonderful. My joy knows no bounds.”

Darkstar, who was watching Tessa-Marie’s face, wasn’t fooled. “Why are you angry?”

“I’m not angry,” Tessa-Marie snarled, and turned.

“Wait...” Ignoring Darkstar’s plea, Tessa-Marie stalked away.

“Darkstar!” It is impossible for skeletons to glower as they lack eyeballs and eyebrows, but Peregrine somehow managed it. “Why did my fertiliser get called out of its grave? You assured me you had no desire to raise it when I requested for my new rose...”

“Oh, not you too... Can’t I do anything right?”

“Not when it comes to gardening. You were always a black-thumbed little horror when it came to plants,” Peregrine grumbled, but Darkstar had already stormed off.

*

By the next afternoon Peregrine had fixed the damage the raising of his fertiliser had done to the flowerbed, not that Tessa-Marie noticed. Once she saw Darkstar, she no longer wanted to look anywhere else. “Good afternoon, Darkstar. Did you know your front gates are open? I just walked through. Anyone could.”

Darkstar seemed a bit taken aback. “I’d ordered them opened so you didn’t have to waste time breaching our security. Why aren’t you wearing your Paladin armour?”

“What’s the matter? Don’t you like this dress?”

“I love it. That’s not the problem. It’s a good thing you’re resourceful...”

Tessa-Marie didn’t hear. She’d noticed not all of the small group attending Darkstar were Undead. “Isn’t that the mother and child you kidnapped the other day? Did you kidnap them again?”

“Didn’t you get my message? I thought he must have, seeing as you came here.”

Tessa-Marie shook her head. “I must have missed it. I was coming to see you anyway. I wanted to apologise. Mortimer Lament is now unable to hurt anyone, thanks to you. I’m truly grateful. It was extremely childish of me to sulk because I wasn’t the one who killed him...”

“Oh, I totally understand,” Darkstar said. “I didn’t at first, so I talked to Caster. He explained how nemeses have this really close, intense relationship which eventually reaches the point in which the people involved will only feel happiness after they defeat the other. I didn’t mean to prevent your happiness, Tessa-Marie, I swear! It’s lucky I’m a necromancer, otherwise there’s no way I’d be able to fix my mistake.”

Tessa-Marie felt her smile sliding from her lips. “Fix... You said he was irretrievably dead!”

“Well, the thoughts and memories which made him Mortimer Lament are irretrievable. But bodies and powers are never irretrievable for necromancers.”

“Necromancy is about controlling the dead! Lament’s body and powers are under your control, right?” When Darkstar frowned at her Tessa-Marie gave another beseeching, desperate; “Right? You did put some restrains on him, surely…”

“Think, Tessa-Marie. How are you supposed experience the joy of defeating your nemesis if I’m restraining and controlling him? It would be my victory, not yours.”

“Are you telling me you turned Lament into a zombie and you didn’t put limits on his instics or powers or anything?” Tessa-Marie screamed. Darkstar nodded proudly. “Where is he?”

“He went that way about fifteen minutes ago,” said Darkstar, pointing.

“Seabrook village is that way! He’s got to be after brains already! ” Tessa-Marie ran.

“He wasn’t going very fast! You’ll soon catch him!” Darkstar called after her, then turned to his prisoners. “I don’t need either of you anymore. You can both leave.”

The mother glanced at the direction Tessa-Marie had sprinted. “Is it alright if we stay here until the Paladin has killed the zombie? She will, won’t she? She didn’t have a weapon...”

“I’m sure she will somehow. Tessa-Marie is resourceful. If we hurry, maybe we can watch the battle. But anybody who tries to help will be turned into dog bones.”

*

It wasn’t the first time Tessa-Marie had fought for her life while being watched by a Necromancer and Undead, but it was the first time they’d broken into cheers when her opponent fell.

“Well done, Miss!”

“Our Lord was right! You really are resourceful!”

“Using your necklace to entangle his feet and stabbing him with the high heels of your shoes, that was brilliant!”

Tessa-Marie hid her face in her bloodstained hands.

Darkstar waved them down. “That’s enough, guys, you’re embarrassing her. Seriously, though, Tessa-Marie, you were amazing. Let’s go to a restaurant to celebrate your victory over your nemesis.”

“I can’t...”

“I’ll kidnap and kill that baby if you don’t.”

“Darkstar, my hair is a mess, my shoes aren’t fit to be worn, my dress is in tatters and I’m covered in zombie flesh. If I walked into a restaurant looking like this I’d be thrown out.”

“Not if you’re with me, you won’t.”

Tessa-Marie reflected on Darkstar’s confident statement for a minute.“I guess that’s true. A necromancer who overthrew Lament is unlikely to be thwarted by a mere waiter... Alright.”

“Excellent.” Darkstar turned to his Undead minions. “Go home. I no longer need assistance.”

*

The sun had long set when Darkstar returned to his citadel. Marla and Caster were waiting.

“Do you know what time it is?” Marla yelled. “Caster nearly sent a search and rescue party! Have you forgotten you’re alive! Sleep is a necessity and not an optional extra for you.”

Marla’s reproof failed to even slightly cow Darkstar. “Sorry. I forgot to check the clock. I had such a nice time once I’d persuaded that snooty waiter to let Tessa-Marie in. She didn’t once accuse me of lying. And she said resurrecting Mortimer Lament was the act of a nemesis! I have a nemesis and it’s her…”

Caster watched him walk away. “Marla, why’s he making those noises? Is he ill or ensorcelled?”

“Neither. He’s singing. That means he’s got so much joy inside it’s leaking out.”

“If I’d realised having a nemesis would make him this happy I’d have arranged one sooner,” was all Caster could think to say.

Marla nodded. “He’s serious about that girl.”

“Yes. I’m glad he’s finally taking an interest in women.” If he had breath, Caster would have sighed with relief. “The urge to find a mate is overpowering in the living. I was beginning to wonder if the boy was quite normal, to be honest.” A few seconds reflection caused relief to give way to irritation. “You know, I gave him the ‘How to Build Your Own Bride’ manual when he turned sixteen, and do you know what he said to me? That I was obsessed with the joys of the flesh. My flesh fell off years ago. Had he failed to notice I’m all bone? I spent ages finding that book and he didn’t even open it, just make silly remarks...”

“You have my sympathy for all that wasted time, Caster. He certainly won’t open it now.”

“He could have created a companion tailored to his desires, who cared only about pleasing him, but instead he decides he wants a Paladin?” Caster wailed, too caught up in his own resentment and worry to properly listen to Marla. “The Paladin Order was created to kill necromancers! The one class of woman forbidden to him, and he sets his heart on one?”

“That may have had something to do with it,” said Marla. “The living are often drawn to what is forbidden and disdain what can be easily obtained. I’m sure he’d have lost interest if she’d drunk those love potions.”
AQ DF MQ AQW Epic  Post #: 16
1/17/2011 11:20:31   
Eukara Vox
Legendary AdventureGuide!


Reunion
By Torn


Orvis followed after Elano, not sure why he suddenly felt anxious. He turned a corner and saw a large group of Imperial Guards searching the sewers, a light beaming out of the front of their rifles. Elano didn’t slow down until it was too late. She collided with the closest soldier. The soldier grunted and shoved her off of him. The soldier looked down at her before picking her up by the strands of her hair and slammed her against the wall. Elano screamed in pain. Orvis’ blood red eyes flashed.

He roared in anger and summoned his scythe. He charged toward the squad. “GET YOUR FILTHY HANDS OFF OF HER!” he yelled.

The soldier turned his head as Orvis swung his scythe. The soldier dropped Elano and fell to the ground, dead. The squad turned their attention toward Orvis and began firing their rifles. Orvis slammed his scythe into the ground, causing a sickly green rock shield to appear in front of him. The soldiers continued firing their rifles. Orvis heard their guns click; the soldiers looked down in confusion before realizing that they were out of ammunition. Orvis grinned as the shield lowered itself back into the ground.

“My turn.” He charged forward, he swung his scythe, killing two guards on his right. The guards screamed in terror as Orvis slaughtered their forces. He couldn't help but laugh. He saw the guards press a couple of buttons on the sides of their gauntlets, causing the gauntlets to glow with a furious white light. The sudden light hurt Orvis’ eyes. He backed away from the guards and rubbed his eyes. He opened his eyes to see a guard charging forward, fists blazing. Orvis barely had time to bring his scythe up before the guard slammed his fist into Orvis’ torso. The guard backed away. Orvis’ knees shook and he coughed up blood. He collapsed to the ground and blacked out.

“Orvis, Orvis, can you hear me? Oh, please wake up.” Orvis groaned and dragged himself up from the cold, hard stone floor. He shook his head. He attempted to stand and howled in pain.

“Damn it,” he thought. He looked around the room and found Elano standing to his right. He attempted to stand again, but found the pain even more excoriating than before. Elano knelt at Orvis’ side.

“Don’t strain yourself, Orvis. I think you might have broken a rib. Or seven.” Orvis chuckled coldly.

“Where are we?” he asked. Elano shrugged.

“It looks like a prison cell to me.” Orvis looked around the room, and spotted a large blue energy at the entrance of the cell. He looked back at Elano.

“Where are Torn and Teré?” he asked. Elano shrugged in response.

“I don’t think they got captured with us. That or they are being held in another cell.” Orvis nodded.

Orvis and Elano stayed silent for a moment before they heard a door open. They looked over at the energy field, listening to the sound of approaching footsteps. Orvis forced himself to his knees, leaning against the wall for support. He was breathing heavily and gnashed his teeth in pain. He saw a small squad of Imperial Guards stop in front of their cell. The soldier closest to the entrance began punching in a code on a terminal near the entrance. The energy field dissipated and the squad entered the room. Elano was forced into a corner. The leader of the squad stood before Orvis.

“The Emperor wishes to speak with you, Necromancer,” the Guard said gruffly, dragging Orvis to his feet. Orvis sucked in a pained breath of air, but kept a stiff back. The Guards led him through the dungeons, and up to the main building of the fortress. The castle walls were dark grey and most of them had large plush curtains. Vases, busts and other knick knacks adorned the walls as well.

“A little tacky for an Emperor,” Orvis thought with a pained smile. The squad reached an elevator. The leader of the squad inserted a card into the control panel, causing the elevator to begin rising. A few moments passed as they went up before Orvis heard a ding and the elevator halted. The doors opened and Orvis caught his first sight of Emperor Malach ha Mavis; the Angel of Death. He sat upon a simple, black throne. He wore purple robes with black trim, a Dao at his waist. He was bald and had a black beard streaked with silver. His eyes glowed red. The squad shoved Orvis out of the elevator before dragging him to the base of the Emperor’s throne. The squad got to their knees in a bow before the Emperor as he stood up.

“Leave us,” he rumbled. The squad and the Emperor's personal guards left the room. “You can stand now; there is no need to bow before me,” the Emperor said, helping Orvis to his feet. Orvis smacked the Emperor's hand away. The Emperor simply grinned.

“Why did you call me here? Where are my friends? What do you plan to do with Elano?” Orvis sneered.

The Emperor stared at Orvis for a moment before answering. “If you are referring to Prince Thomas and Captain Roz, they escaped through the sewers and are living somewhere in the city. The young lady we captured with you, the one you call Elano, I plan on releasing after we finish talking, which also answers your other question.” The Emperor noticed Orvis’ struggle to stand. “Can I offer you a seat?” he asked, motioning toward his throne. Orvis looked at the Emperor in confusion for a moment before sitting down. “It feels good sitting up there, doesn’t it, Orvis?”

“How do you know my name?” Orvis asked. The Emperor smiled and turned away.

“I know much about, my young friend.”

“I AM NOT YOUR FRIEND!” Orvis roared. The Emperor did not move. “You’re a murderer! You destroyed an entire kingdom, burned down my home, killed my best friend’s girlfriend and his father, plus you sent soldiers and mutant creatures on my friends and myself not too long ago!”

The Emperor removed something from around his neck after Orvis' rant. “Were you an orphan, Orvis?”

“Was I an- what does that have to do with anything?!”

The Emperor seemed to ignore Orvis' response. “Answer the question!” the Emperor bellowed.

“Yes, I was an orphan, what does that have to do with anything?”

The Emperor turned to face Orvis, a golden locket dangling around his neck. “Why that is pivotal to this very conversation.”

Orvis stared at the locket in confusion before asking what it was.

“This? I use it to keep a picture of a fishing trip my son and I went on.” The Emperor showed Orvis the picture. It made Orvis’ blood run cold. It showed the Emperor eighteen years before, a head full of hair, clean shaven. A fishing rod in one hand, a young boy sitting on his lap, holding a small fish. The child had coal-black hair and blood-red eyes. Orvis closed his eyes.

* * *


“Do you think mommy will like the fish we caught?”

“I’m sure she will, Orvis.”

“I love you, daddy.”

“I love you too, son.”


* * *


The Emperor was staring at Orvis. “You remember now, don’t you?”

“You… You are my…” The Emperor nodded. Orvis' eyes were beginning to water, his lips curled into a snarl. He sprang away from the throne, screaming and tackling the Emperor, summoning his scythe, and placing the blade at his throat. “You abandoned me! Do you know what I had to go through, because of you?!”

“Orvis, I had no other choice.”

“LIES!” Orvis roared. “I had to take up this fowl magic to stay alive. Do you know how it feels to be hated by everyone wherever you go?! Do you know what it feels like to burn in the Fires?!”

“Orvis, I didn’t know…”

“Of course you wouldn’t. You weren’t there! You were busy killing civilians and creating monsters, weren’t you! Weren’t you!” The Emperor avoided Orvis’ eyes. “That’s what I thought.”

“You’re not the only one that had to make sacrifices, Orvis.” the Emperor said, calmly forcing Orvis off of him and standing up.

This confused Orvis. “What do you mean?” he asked.

The Emperor sighed sadly. “Twenty-five years ago, Loreắ was the weakest power on the continent especially in comparison to our neighbors: the Akroxin Kingdom and the Holy Empire of Akosnology. Much of our land had been taken by smaller countries, and we were on the brink of war with the Akroxin Kingdom. That’s when I met an old beggar, who said that he would fix all of my problems after the birth of my first son.

"Five years later, you were born and the old beggar returned. He told me that he would grant me any wish, in exchange for the death of a newborn son. I did the only sensible thing to do; I kidnapped a newborn male and killed it, and sent you and my wife to live a life of secrecy. The beggar granted my wish, allowing Loreắ to become the most technologically advanced country on the continent, if not the world. The beggar and I became… business partners, in a sense, afterwards. I wanted to show my strength and attacked the Akroxin Kingdom after regaining all the land that had been stolen from us.

"During the time after the Great War, the beggar returned and told me of a plan to help keep my borders, in exchange for the death of over a hundred of my citizens. It was a big gamble, but it paid off in the end, since it was the beginning of my Genetic Research Facilities, which would create mutated animals which are specifically designed to defend our borders, on all fronts: air, water, and land. I actually have another appointment with him after I am done talking with you, my son.”

Orvis was horrified by what he heard. And yet, he was somewhat… happy, as well, even joyful at what he had heard. His father never meant to abandon him, he was just protecting him. What he was being told made sense as to what had been happening recently as well. He nodded his head, somewhat in approval of his father.

The Emperor walked over to a balcony behind the throne and stood there, overlooking the city as the sun set, hands clasped behind back. He sighed and looked back at his son. “I am growing old, Orvis. I am going to need a successor, someone that I know and that I can trust to run my Empire and my people fairly, and to keep them safe. By birthright, this is all yours; consider it a gift, for all of the birthdays I missed.”

Orvis was dumbfounded, but simply nodded approval. He struggled over to join his father on the balcony, overlooking the city, staring at its splendor in the setting sun. The Emperor looked at his son, and draped an arm over his shoulder.

“I love you, daddy.”
AQ DF MQ AQW Epic  Post #: 17
1/17/2011 11:23:25   
Eukara Vox
Legendary AdventureGuide!


Master of Puppets
by The Doctor

I've heard of how you work and twist
The thoughts of many souls
You may affect the hopes and dreams
Of those in other roles

My trust I want to place in you
But I'm afraid as hell
Of somehow getting burned again
I've learned my lesson well

I wonder if it's worth my effort
Trying to understand
However that your mind does work
Despite a reprimand

We've worked it out by now
At least, so says the shrink
But I've still got my doubts
I don't know how you think

After all, there is the chance
Of yet another bad romance
I've been stabbed, and I've been hurt
I don't want it to get worse

For a while, just leave me be
And my heart, I'll have to see
Love or hate becoming clearer
Let me go and see, how I look to me

So now I guess that you must see
Why it is that I am me
I miss the times when we were fine
Living happy on the line

So, maybe if you'd like to try again
To think about it and recall
The greatest times we had back then
Before our friendship hit the wall

So before my time is done
I'd like to have a bit more fun
You bring me joy into my life
I cannot stand it full of strife

For me it's second nature to give out a second chance
For anyone who's tried and played their life's own subtle dance
So perhaps, for just this once, I'll let you try once more
Because I love you, sweetheart, and I think you're worth the chore


First-class Declaration.
by The Doctor

One step forward, two steps back
Fire burns with hate I lack
I can't help having fun when I'm among
My friends of whom my bells they've rung

A rival, foe, or even someone to compete against
My ways are odd but they may be the best
I've gone back to the step of one
I've had my fun and done my run

And after all, what else could matter
My reputation it would tatter
But I don't care, because I'm right
My conscience gives me all my light

So hey, I guess that you can try
Your ways of making me ask why
That I am staying with my goals
And I am going for the gold

But there you go, you've answered it yourself
I know that the reward is so much better than the shelf
Where everyone else sits until their spotlight starts to shine
If you would like some help with that then just drop me a line

I'm available to call or ping in my secluded castle
Where I'm watching my Siamese cat run rampant like a rascal
Try not to bug if not for your sudden realization
That you can't live your life as well without a declaration

Say to yourself that you will have some fun
Promise yourself that you will see the sun
Your life will be bright when you go outside
Play around, get shot at, and your time do not bide

Because it's going to be the future soon
And you won't always have the time
You can't afford the luxuries of first-class hotel rooms
Unless you'll take the lemon when you sent for the lime

So to you has it been worth it
Always being second-best
You've got to move around a bit
And life will do the rest
AQ DF MQ AQW Epic  Post #: 18
1/17/2011 11:29:35   
Eukara Vox
Legendary AdventureGuide!


Light
by Reaper0001


"Sarah," Anna called. "Time for breakfast."

Her daughter giggled as she rushed down the stairs and leapt into her mother's arms. Anna suppressed a grunt. Sarah was growing up, and was becoming much harder to carry around. She gently let her daughter down.

"Alright," Anna said. "Go and eat breakfast. I made pancakes."

Sarah ran to the kitchen. Anna couldn't help but smile. Her daughter reminded her of her husband. If Daniel were here, he'd be scarfing down pancakes before Sarah even set foot in the kitchen.

Her smile quickly disappeared. The thought of her husband brought up the painful memories. Memories of when she learned of her husband's death, of the months of depression that followed. She dispelled thoughts of Daniel as quickly as she could manage.

Anna was brought out of her thoughts by a loud ringing. She realized someone was calling.

"I'll get it, mommy," Sarah said with a bite of pancake in her mouth.

"No, honey," Anna called. "I've got it."

She grabbed the phone and read the caller I.D. She didn't recognize the name, and hesitated a moment before answering.

"Hello?" she asked.

"Anna?" the voice on the other end answered. "It's me, James."

Anna remembered James. He had been Daniel's best friend ever since high school, and went into the Marine Corps with him. Whenever Daniel went out to the town, James was with him. But she had only met him a handful of times, and hadn't heard from him in years.

"James?" Anna asked. "Why are you calling?"

"It's about Daniel," he answered. Anna's heart skipped a beat. She realized James wasn't just calling to say hello; he was calling as an officer of the United States Marine Corps.

"What…what about…Daniel?" Anna asked, trying not to let her voice tremble.

"You received a letter of condolence several months ago, I believe."

"Yes, what about it?"

"I wrote that letter. Apparently, it got into the mail going back to the U.S. and was accidentally delivered through the postal service. You were never supposed to receive it that way."

"How was I supposed to receive it?"

"I was supposed to deliver the letter to you as soon as I got back from Afghanistan. I obviously can't do that now, but I still want to express my condolences in person, and give you something of his."

The phone slipped from her hand. Anna was speechless. It had taken months to recover from the shock of Daniel's death. Now, her past was coming back to her.

Thoughts of Daniel, of the months of depression she went through after reading that letter. That stupid, horrible letter that told her that the man she had loved for more than ten years was gone forever. Everything was rushing back to her. She wanted to faint and cry at the same time. She wanted to hide from the memories of her dark past, streaming through her head like a river, to find a small corner of her mind not filling with sadness and grief. She was ready to collapse then and there, and may have done so, is not for one thing.

"Mommy?" Sarah asked. Her mother looked to see her standing in the doorway, frightened and worried. "Why are you crying?"

Anna touched her cheek and realized there were tears spilling out of her eyes. She wiped them away with her sleeve.

"It's…it's nothing, sweetie," she lied. "Mommy's going to lie down now. Just finish your breakfast."

***

Anna didn't sleep. She didn't want to. Memories of the dreams she had during her depression kept rearing their ugly heads. Dreams where she was enveloped in darkness, no light, no one to help her. She laid there, eyes closed but awake, thinking of Daniel. Before the letter, thinking of Daniel always made her smile. Now, thoughts of him always came with sadness.

Eventually, she became lost in a sea of remembrance, and drifted into slumber.

***

Anna was huddled in the corner of an empty room. She was alone, without light and without warmth. Darkness was her only companion. Darkness covered her, embraced her, enveloped her. And in the darkness, she heard whispering voices, saying comforting words. But there was no emotion behind those words, no meaning or sincerity. Only her sobs had any meaning. She was alone, with only shadows as companions.

"Anna…" a voice called to her, distant, quiet and no different from the other voices.

"Anna," the voice repeated, only louder and with more resonance. Anna looked up to see a faint glimmer of light before her, growing stronger.

"Anna," the voice said again, even clearer and louder. It was beginning to sound familiar, but she couldn't comprehend why.

"Anna!" the voice yelled. Anna's eyes widened.

"Daniel?" she asked.

The light grew stronger, banishing the shadows and the voices, until it filled the entire room.

* * *


Anna awoke with a jolt. She looked around. There was no light coming from the windows. She looked at the clock.

10:45 PM

She rubbed her eyes, thinking she was still half asleep. But the time remained the same.

I've been asleep for more than thirteen hours? she thought. Then she remembered Sarah.

She pulled herself out of bed and walked out into the hall. Sarah was probably in bed already, but she wanted to check on her.

As Anna approached her daughter’s room, she saw that it was open. She peeked inside. A man, with cropped copper hair and dressed in the uniform of the U.S. Marines, knelt by her daughter's bed.

"Daddy!" Sarah exclaimed, leaping from the covers and embracing her father. Anna couldn't believe her eyes. It was Daniel. She could only watch in shock as her daughter hugged him.

"I knew you'd be back," Sarah said. "I knew it. My wish came true."

"Mine did too.” He stopped hugging her, and faced his daughter. “I finally get to see you.”

His smile disappeared. “One last time."

Sarah stopped smiling and looked at her father, her happiness replaced by puzzlement. "Daddy, you aren't staying?"

Her father gave her a melancholy smile. He pulled back his uniform, showing a deep wound over his heart.

"No!" Sarah cried, burying her face in his uniform. "You can't be dead! You promised you'd come back. You promised!"

"I have come back," Daniel said soothingly. "But I can't stay. I wish I could with all my heart, but I have to go."

Sarah sobbed, still begging her father to stay.

"Sarah, please don't cry," he asked her, lifting her onto the bed.

"I have to go. God says I have to leave."

"You don't have to listen to God," she suggested hopefully.

Daniel chuckled.

"Sarah, I have to listen to God. I can't stay. I'm sorry. But always remember, I'll always be with you. Even if you can't see me, I'll always be watching."

He kissed his daughter on the cheek before getting to his feet. He turned and began to leave. Sarah leapt off the bed and ran after him.

"Daddy! Come back!"

Daniel walked towards the door, towards Anna.

"Daniel," Anna whispered.

***

Anna awoke. She did not move; she only thought about what she had just seen. Was it just a dream? But it seemed so real. Anna remembered what Daniel said to Sarah, just before he left.

I'll always be with you.

Anna heard voices downstairs. It was probably Sarah watching television. But she heard a man's voice, and it sounded as if someone was downstairs talking to Sarah. Anna got out of bed and hurried downstairs, worried about her daughter and wondering who was in her house. She entered the living room to see a man dressed in a dark blue uniform, and a white cap on his head.

"Anna," James greeted. "It's good to see you. Sorry for the intrusion. Sarah said you were sleeping when I came over, so I decided to wait."

"James," Anna responded. "It's good to see you too. You said you wanted to talk about Daniel?"

James nodded, and looked to Sarah. Anna understood the message.

"Sarah, can you wait in the other room?" Anna asked.

"Okay, mommy," her daughter said, leaving.

Both James and Anna took a seat. James cleared his throat.

"I truly am sorry for the intrusion," James began. "But I felt that I needed to make up for a mistake on my part. Letters of condolences are to be delivered by a U.S. Officer."

Anna nodded, and James continued.

"Daniel was a good man. We met when we were sophomores in high school. We both said we planned on going into the Marines when we finished school, and after that, learned how much we had in common. Pretty soon, he was my best friend. But when I finished high school, I went straight to the Marine Corp. Daniel said he wanted to go to college first, and our paths split. After four years, when I came back to the U.S., I visited Daniel. That was around the time you two were dating, right?"

Anna nodded again, and heard James laugh.

"Daniel wouldn't shut up about you. Kept saying he met the girl of his dreams. Beautiful, intelligent, the woman he wanted to be with forever."

"He really said that?" Anna asked, breaking her silence. James nodded.

"And more. He said he'd do anything to make you happy. If you were sad, he'd go to the ends of the world just to make you smile. Said he'd defy everything, even death, just to make you happy."

Anna gasped softly. Said he'd defy everything, even death, just to make you happy.

"Eventually," James continued, "I got so sick of it that I went to the nearest jewelry store, bought a sapphire ring, shoved it in Dan's face and said, 'Here, now just ask already!'"

Anna stared wide-eyed at him. She looked at her ring finger, on which a sapphire ring rested on. She looked back to him.

"You bought this ring?" she asked, astonished.

"Yeah," James answered. "I left for my next tour after that, but I got a letter from Dan saying he proposed, and you said yes. 'Course, just 'cause you two were married didn't mean he stopped talking about you when we served together."

James checked his watch. "Well, I have to be getting back now. But before I go, I have some things to give you."

He reached inside his service coat, and brought out a small picture of Anna and Sarah.

"This was found on the ground when the ambush was repelled. It took some months to get to me, and I thought you should have it."

Anna looked at the picture, and tenderly took it from him.

"Thank you," she said. James nodded.

"I have another thing of his to give you, too."

He reached inside his coat again, and brought out a golden star, about as big as the palm of his hand. In the center was a silver star, emanating rays of gold and surrounded by two laurel wreaths. The striped ribbon that hung on it was red, white, and blue.

"The Silver Star," James explained. "The third highest military decoration. There's an inscription on the back."

He flipped it over. On the back, in large letter, was inscribed "For Gallantry In Action." He handed it to Anna.

"I…don't know what to say," Anna stammered.

"Daniel deserved it." James stood and started for the door. Anna hesitated a moment, before calling after him.

"James." He looked back. Anna smiled. "Thank you."

< Message edited by Eukara Vox -- 1/17/2011 11:37:05 >
AQ DF MQ AQW Epic  Post #: 19
1/17/2011 11:47:27   
Eukara Vox
Legendary AdventureGuide!


Happy Happy Joy Joy
by Balu

She tiptoes so lightly, no one may hear her,
Her family to stay asleep she'd rather prefer.
Happy Day has arrived! That`s how she calls it.
To pull all this off, luck`s needed...a bit!

Down in the kitchen, a breakfast to make
Different special recipes, she works without break.
Something special for mom, dad and brother Blake,
And soon it is ready, there is even a cake.

There are also the presents, better than last year,
Puts them in place and then noise she can hear.
She gathers them all and gives them the gifts
The food is so tasty, their spirits it lifts.

Her family is happy and Ana feels joy
Stage one is completed, it`s time for that boy.
Her lab partner from school, the one who`s so shy.
The one who loves Dana, but can`t even say "Hi".

Ana`s plan is simple, to make those two meet,
She knows both like each other, it shouldn`t be a feat.
In the park at same hour, she gets them to meet her,
When they see one another, it all becomes a blur.

Ana is hiding but can see they are happy now
Stage two is complete. She is joyful...and how!
Time for the last step. Onwards to the home!
She knows where to go, will not have to roam.

The home were the old folks, she cares for, do stay,
A quiet place where Ana has arranged for a play,
Her and some good friends, suit up and perform,
The viewers watch silent and enjoy this art form.

Ana and her friends put on quite the show,
Everything goes well, people are happy and so
The "special" day is a success and it`s such a great feeling,
When she can make others happy, feels she can jumps to the ceiling. :-)
AQ DF MQ AQW Epic  Post #: 20
1/17/2011 12:11:49   
Eukara Vox
Legendary AdventureGuide!


Ghost of Joy
by Fleur Du Mal

That night, heavy snowfall wrapped the city in silence, wreathed the next day in glimmering light, and greeted the evening with frosted trees. Like all those years ago...

Down, down little Ellie rushes the stairs, the concrete a mere swish under her feet. Her fingers swipe along the metallic handrail and moist breath fumes out of her mouth into the cold blue evening air as she hurries along. Three, two, one, and with a thud she falls into the deep drifts of new snow that spread over the ground, glimmering pinkish white on the peaks and blue in the valleys the wind has crafted it to.

Flakes melting against her face tickle her into giggles until clumps of snow seek their way onto her tongue and lead her into uncontrollable fits of laughter. She pushes with her arms to get up, but the drifts offer no resistance and suck her hands into their soft chill, resulting to even more joy and laughter in her part.


Oblivious to everything around her, Ellie slowly rolled onto her back. Today, she most certainly wasn't laughing. To her, life meant nothing more than the shadows licking the corroded edges of houses in the night. Listless and dull; a mere litany of milestones she was supposed to wait eagerly for and grab onto. No, she'd rather lay in the snow and feel the one thing she could. The cold.

One by one, framed by the branches of leafless trees, stars pulsated into her vision. She imagined a canvas before her and closed her eyes, denying their existence.

”See that star, Ellie? See how it blinks? That's Daddy. He's waving at you.”

The damp snow beneath her back started to gradually seep through her clothes and made her shiver. Wind took hold of the naked trees and rattled their branches, chasing the shadows into a wild dance on her face. As beautiful as before the winter night grew and bloomed around her, yet she remained blind. Stubborn memories raked her brain like nails scratching a mosquito bite. Suddenly, her hands seemed awfully small for her, as if they had shrunk.

Shifting her eyes from her soaked-through mittens, Ellie admires the snowman she has crafted. He is a tiny fellow, standing guard only three feet tall, but makes up for the lack of height with a convincing pose of alertness. Concentrating, her forehead wrinkles in the most adorable way any six-year-old girl can manage and she draws a smile to the snowman's face: a wide grin she can respond to with her own.

A lonely streetlamp leaning against a park fence bathes the duo in a milky pool of light. She hears the traffic in the surrounding dark, even the exploding car tire, but pays no heed to it. She closes her ears and mind from the blue lights and sirens. In her world at that moment there are only she and the snowman and the tree-branch she's trying to fit for his broom but which keeps on toppling over. Finally, the branch agrees to stay upright.

Ellie beams and claps her hands together with joy. The wet mittens squish between her palms, making her laugh out loud. Overjoyed, she decides that she simply must show her snowman to Daddy.

Up, up little Ellie rushes the stairs, the concrete a mere swish under her feet. The noisy downstairs neighbours are awfully silent and the elusive upstairs neighbours are crowding the hallway to her door and all the walls are flashing in bright colours and Daddy's resting his head against the kitchen table and his four-fingered right hand is swinging over the edge and he has been painting something red and three of his work buddies have come to see him with their uniforms on and Auntie's repeating some difficult word that begins with an s and Mommy's rushing to Ellie...


How many years ago was that? The chill held her chest captive as she tried to remember it without counting. It felt odd that she had so many images chiseled into her head, crystal clear, but she always forgot the number of years between then and now.

Ellie lifts up her blue gaze, ready to wave, but she can't see the stars Mommy is pointing out for her. Her vision is clouded with rain. Her wave falters and withers away from her. The whole sky is overcast with dull grey, and the first drops hit her uplifted face, getting caught in her eyelashes. One blink and they are gone. Like the snowman she made. But not the sorrow, not the childish doubt nor the self-accusation. They stay with her.

And there she remained, lying in the damp snow, in an emotional paralysis governed by the memories she wished to escape the most. She felt utterly drained and unable, despite having weaved her way through a row of graduations. Her pride always suffocated under the wish that he were there. Sorrow had grown to her so tightly she mistook love for it.

Sensing someone standing near her, Ellie blinked. Towering above, a silhouette of an older man held out his hand. Without much thought, she grabbed it and let him pull her up. She felt certain abnormality to the touch against her palm, as if he had a deformity, as if he had no thumb in his right...

Releasing her grip and trying to muffle her scream, she jumped backwards. Streetlights behind his back hid his face, but she already knew. She didn't need the two seconds of illumination the headlights of a passing car gave her.

”I'm sorry, I did not mean to scare you,” the man apologised as the shadows fell back on his features.

Shivering with nausea, Ellie swallowed her words with tears. Her chest hurt. She felt convinced that her heart was about to burst through.

”I came for my daughter.”

No more swallowing. ”You're dead,” she finally uttered. The silhouette tilted his head and waited for her to finish. ”Dead. I can't ... It's not...sane...Daddy. ” Drops of salt ground little craters in the snow around her.

”That is true, Ellie, you cannot be talking to me, not all the time, not forever,” the shadow nodded. His hand pressed softly against her shoulder as she sobbed.

”There are other colours than grey. Open your heart and see them, Ellie.”

He said nothing more. When she pried her eyes open, he had already gone, a spot of warmth on her shoulder the only thing remaining behind.

Hesitantly, she lifted her face and looked at the sky. The stars flickered back at her. She noticed the wind as it brushed against her cheek, shuffling her hair, carrying a whisper,

My Ellie. You were always my joy.
AQ DF MQ AQW Epic  Post #: 21
1/17/2011 16:32:44   
Eukara Vox
Legendary AdventureGuide!


Joyful
by The Doctor

As you're born, the clock is ticking
Your parents raised you well
Morals, ethics, all your thinking
To Heaven not to Hell

Life is sometimes like a dream
Sometimes bad though it may seem
But you wake up and realize that
You're living in the greatest times

Treading on through every day
My times are good and so I say
You can go your own way if you like
But I've my faith and it is right

Treat you different I will not
We're all human; that's our lot
Every road has bumps; that's fine
But I am walking the straight line

Because I surely understand
It's wasting time to find the bad
I'll laugh and go across the land
Staying joyful and not sad

Glass half empty or half full
Far too much overthinking
Sleep: I go into its lull
My light has started blinking

No regrets because I know
I'm going to a better place
Embrace with warmth because it's so
Judged not by my own strength or race

Goodbye to you, my greatest friend
I'll miss the way your smile beams
It's just a roadblock, not departing
Though that would be how that it seems

A new beginning
Time resets and page is turned
A final ending
Love received that I had yearned
AQ DF MQ AQW Epic  Post #: 22
1/17/2011 16:38:01   
Eukara Vox
Legendary AdventureGuide!


And the Angels Shall Sing
by Eukara Vox

He looked nervously around. It wasn't exactly the most comfortable situation, no matter how wonderful the gesture was. He was the only male in the car, and most likely, the only male that would be at their destination. But, he knew he needed to be there. He knew it deep in his soul. No matter how uncomfortable he was, this is where he was supposed to be.

The women chatted about shopping for Christmas, and he sat back and listened. He smiled. His wife had already finished all their shopping and he was grateful she had been on top of things. From the sound of it, all three of his companions were going to be fighting the crowds for last minute shopping. Such insanity was not for him. He thought of all the things his children and wife were getting for Christmas. They didn't go crazy again this year, but the few things that were bought were very meaningful. His thoughts strayed to the stuff stashed in the trunk of the car.

Shampoo, curling irons, hair dryers, dresses, pants, make-up, dress shoes, hair clips and barrettes. Gift cards to grocery stores and retail stores. There were no frivolous items back there, just practical things most women wouldn't ask for when it comes to gifts. Well, except his wife. She was so weird. She's one of the only women he knew that asked for things like vacuum cleaners and frying pans for Christmas and her birthday. He chuckled to himself and closed his eyes.

When he opened his eyes back up, they were pulling up to the large building that was their destination. His stomach tightened as he thought about his place in all of this. Yes, the company did this service every year and he was proud of his boss for remembering that the world needs superheroes in the form of everyday men and women who took the command to serve and support those with no where to go or no one to rely on, seriously.

They got out of the car and opened the trunk, each person withdrawing the gifts. Heavy laden, they turned and looked at the building. As if by telepathic intuition, the three women stepped behind the man and nodded to him to lead the way. He sighed, though tried to cover it. He wondered if the women realised just how hard this was going to be. Him, leading the way into that building.

He swallowed and stepped forward, his feet eventually carrying him to the door. A well dressed woman stepped out and opened the door for them. He passed through the door silently, keeping his eyes focused on the gifts in his hands and the walls. Still unsure that he should be there, he kept quiet. They were directed into a small room, where further instructions were given to lay out the gifts. He and the three women spread their gifts out over several tables, making sure they were completely visible.

Suddenly, children poured into the room. The man slipped back, trying to make himself invisible. He tried to press himself against the wall, as if trying to will his body to merge with it. The kids approached the table almost reverently, looking over each item with scrutiny. They picked them up, turning the item over in their hands, some consulting with another. A child may pick up one item, only to put it down later upon discovering something more suitable. There were no fights, not arguments. All was eerily calm.

The children really didn't pay the man any attention, but that was expected. He didn't want to interrupt this time, this experience. One by one, each child made a choice and moved to the other side of the room where several tables were set up with ribbon, tape, wrapping paper and tape. The women sat with the children and proceeded to help them wrap each gift. The gifts weren't wrapped in any kind of professional crispness, but they were wrapped in love. The man smiled as he watched. The children were happy, all was well with the world.

Once all the gifts were wrapped, the moms began to enter the room. They took their seats next to their children, looking at their little ones with such love...and a hint of heartbreak. The man silently gathered the scraps of paper, bits of ribbon and began to clean up and pack away the supplies. He stole glances at the mothers as they watched their children present their gifts with smiles and giggles. He smiled, hoping that the gifts were indeed enough for these brave mothers.

Slowly, each with the speed of a turtle, the mothers opened their gifts. The children squealed in impatience, tugging on their mother's arms to make them go faster. Small smiles crept across the adults' faces, some barely discernible, but they were there. The man kept packing away decorations and picking up trash. His quiet demeanor was not lost on them, but at this moment, he was of no consequence.

Soon, the joy of gift giving was over and there were hugs aplenty going around. The mothers thanked their children for their thoughtfulness, for their ability to get them just what they needed. Nodding, the man took note of the words used. Needed. Yes, they got what they needed, but will they ever get what they wanted? he thought.

Slowly everyone shuffled out of the room. The women that had accompanied him gave out hugs and tearful goodbyes, wishing the children a Merry Christmas and wishing the mothers some degree of peace. As the man swept the floor beneath the craft tables, herding tiny glitter particles into a dustpan, he felt the presence of several people around him. He turned slowly to see what was going on.

Before him stood a mother with two daughters and a son. Both daughters shied away from him, fearful of his glance. The boy watched him carefully, as if expecting something, though, the man had no idea what. He stood there, before this family, at a loss for words. He was fearful that anything he would say would sound shallow or fake, even though he would mean anything he said. He wanted to wish them a Merry Christmas. He wanted to wish them peace and hope.

The mother nodded to her daughters, turning their faces to look up at him. He could see one was bruised and it broke his heart; the other could barely look at him. Yet, the mother was forcing them to met his eyes. The son stood almost defiant as he glared at the man.

"Children, I want you to look at this man. I want you to look at him good and hard. I want you to notice that he came here, children, to do what other men would never have done for you... that your own father would never do. I want you to see that he worked the whole time, mindful of us, knowing that his presence here was painful for many of us. And I want you to sear this vision in your minds.

"There are a lot of bad men in the world. Many that will try to hurt you and some that will succeed. Some that will ask you to do that which I have taught you not to. But, my children, I want you to see that despite what you know now, what we've been through, there are men out there that are nothing like the nightmare that put us here. And that, my children, is my joy this season. I have been able to show you what a true man is like."

She turned her daughters toward her. "I want you to remember this day. Because one day, you will be faced with the decision to fall in love. I pray, when that day comes, you remember the humbled man who brought the gifts you gave, never asked for anything in return and quietly moved about his business out of respect for us. This, my beautiful daughters... This is the kind of man that I pray you find, love and marry. This man would never hurt you."

She hugged her son, wiping her tears. "And you, my beloved son. You have seen how a man should never, ever act towards a woman. Look on this man and see how he respects us even now. He stands tall before us, but with soft eyes. He works hard, without complaint or demand, for us. Look at the ring on his finger. He is married, maybe with children. Imagine how he treats his wife, or how he loves his children. You, son, be like him. Dream of being him."

She held onto her children in a hug that would rival a mother bear. Tears flowed freely down her face and the man felt his own begin. After a minute, she stood and looked him in the eyes. "I came to this shelter because I had no choice. I never wanted this life, not for my children. They have known nothing but pain for years. But I watched you. My son watched you, whether you knew or not. I leave this room, not as a mother with gifts, for God gave me my children. They are my gifts.

"I leave this room joyful, sir, because you have shown my children that what they have known is not what there is. My joy is knowing that perhaps this day, my daughters have seen a real man and my son someone to emulate. And now, sir, I can sleep peacefully tonight. And the angels will sing of joy, for they will hear my heart sing."

He stood there dumbfounded as she turned and walked away. Tears flowed freely down his cheeks and he didn't attempt to stop them. As the family passed through the door, the daughter who had been hurt turned at the last minute and looked at him. He felt it pierce his soul. And in that moment, his heart sang.

And somewhere, in the spiritual realm, an Angel sang with Joy.
AQ DF MQ AQW Epic  Post #: 23
1/17/2011 16:46:22   
Eukara Vox
Legendary AdventureGuide!


Snapshots
by Clyde and Eukara Vox

The cold wind blows
and with it the Fall goes.
Snow covers the ground,
it falls overnight,
and makes no sound.

Schools are closed
and no one opposed.
We'll have a good time.
Forget what we learned
and say we tried.

We will remember this day,
grab your gloves and sleigh.
We'll conquer anything,
and win the snowball fights.
Leave no man standing.

And when the chill hits our bones
and all our foes surrender in groans
We'll head inside where warmth prevails
Sipping hot chocolate, smiles on faces,
And listen to the wind as it wails.

The fire roars, flickering high
And all of us lay back with a sigh
Then suddenly a tale begins to play
Across the flames, deeds are won
Dragons fight Unicorns, and heroes slay.


Time will pass our eyes
and we will say our goodbyes.
We will look back at this day,
with smiles on our faces,
and past memories in our way.

When years turn to decades,
I hope our memories don't fade
because I know we will get through.
Do you miss them?
Well, me too.

But that is what memories are for
When our days wind down, a foot out the door
We can look back on those days of fun
And smile, maybe chuckle a few times
Regarding regrets, there are none.

As our eyes close and the world dims
And feeling has left our four limbs
We can pass to the next life confident
That we lived this one as full as possible
And greet the other side, a life well spent.
AQ DF MQ AQW Epic  Post #: 24
1/18/2011 13:49:21   
Eukara Vox
Legendary AdventureGuide!


Epilogue: Joy in Companionship
by Eukara Vox

Eukara sat still reading over the stories her beloved assistants had gathered for her. Why she had allowed those dark thoughts to cloud her mind, she didn't know. Alex had been correct to admonish her. Had her assistants not possessed the propriety they did, she knew they would have done the very same thing a long time ago.

She laughed, a foreign sound of late. "Kheper en'ah, Odona!" Even the sound of her mother tongue was foreign, but delightful.

A dragonfly flew towards the "window" from the outside. It shivered right before piercing the wall, passing into the library's dimensional plane. It settled next to her, laying its head on outstretched front legs. Eukara looked down and smiled. She was always amazed at how large these creatures were on this plane.

As she rested a hand on its back between the jeweled green wings, she called paper and quill into the air. "Kheper meda'et khena ah." Eukara again smiled at the sound of her language. It had been so long since she had heard it, but then again, it had been forever since she was home. Her smile faltered slightly and she sighed. "I wish someone else spoke my language."

"Sesh en ah!" she commanded. The quill shuddered to life and posed, ready to write.

Dearest Alex,

I cannot express to you how much your visit meant to me. I know I said it, I know I verbally expressed my appreciation, but somehow it doesn't seem enough now.

I have finished the stack of writings my assistants gathered fro me in an effort to cheer me up. My love and appreciation for them has overwhelmed me. I have much to do to make up for my absence and neglect. You forced me to see what I was doing to everyone, even if I didn't want to. You are a glorious friend. How did I ever deserve such a friend in you and my assistants?

I close this short note to go shower my love upon those who serve despite what is thrown at them. They are my joy.


Plucking the pen from th air, she signed the letter herself - Henah merewet, Eukara Vox. Only the most discerning eye, which she knew Alex had, would be able to see that she signed the letter personally. The quill was supposed to mimic her handwriting perfectly and only the subtle, uneven stroke in her closing signature showed it was her and not magic that sealed the note.

Plucking the paper from the air, Eukara blew on it to hasten the drying ink. Slowly she rolled it up and tied a dark green silk ribbon around it.

"Odona, atja Alex pehn herah." The dragonfly stood up and beat its wings, creating a melodious whirring sound. Placing the scroll securely in its front legs, she rubbed the "nose" of the dragonfly before it took off. It flew back through the "window" and made its way winding between the distant trees, eventually disappearing.

She gathered up the stories and hugged them tightly to her chest. Smiling, Eukara exited her private quarters and made her way to her assistants. They were hard at work, even Samak, who she had left bed-ridden and healing from his confrontation with the darkness. She swelled with pride as she watched them, diligently restoring and cleaning, filing and shelving. She didn't deserve such faithful friends. Yet, they were there and she felt tears come to her eyes.

"My friends, my most wonderful friends." Each stopped what they were doing and looked at her. She swallowed, a lump in her throat. "My most sincere apologies. I have not been myself and I have allowed dark thoughts to overrule my sensibilities. I dwelt on pain, regret and loss, which was most unbecoming. For, I had the complete opposite here the whole time. I have you.

"You are my joy and laughter. You are the thoughts that make me smile. You are what fills my life with wonder, amazement and affection. I have neglected you, which I shall never do again. You do not deserve that. What you deserve is a friend that knows your value, through everything. I will not ever neglect to be that friend again. You have proven to me what a real friend is and I will ever press on to make sure that I do not let you down again."

Before any of then could respond, she hugged each one, holding them tightly. This was life. This was what she will keep in mind forever more.

This was Joy.
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