The Write Way

The Life of a Child of Nature

2011-09-01T07:19:00.000-07:00

When I was a child, I spent many hours alone in the woods stalking deer, pheasants, squirrels, quail, and other animals with a camera, sometimes with only my memory to enjoy the sights. On these journeys I would find wild fruits, nuts, berries, roots, mushrooms and other edible plants. Occasionally I would stalk frogs with a 22, a friend of ours made great frog leg fritters. Sometimes my older brothers and I would go fishing and bring back bass, pike, salmon and perch for our consumption. These experiences were the most cherished of my childhood, being one with nature, in the outdoors. As I grew older, the passion for the outdoors did not wane, but blossomed into the wonder of life, the appreciation for habitats and wildlife. I took endless hikes with cameras, or guns, hunting, stalking for the perfect picture, or the fresh meat from an animal that has lived wild and free. It was a spiritual and wholesome experience to hunt animals without taint of chemical hormones or abuse of body or spirit. Always the hunt was with respect and a quick nearly instant kill, unlike the slow deaths most animals experience in nature.

It is a kindness for an animal in the wild to have a quick death, for those who don't believe this, they know nothing of death in nature. Wheather by disease, accidents, age or predators, death in the wild is never quick or easy. It was an honor and a priviledge to be a part of the natural cycle, to be a kinder link in the natural order. An honor I still revere to this day. This has always been what it means to hunt for me.

Not everyone who hunts is out for trophies! It so angers me to have all hunters classified as wanton killers without care for the animals they hunt or the land that they hunt on! If it was that simple, it wouldn't be called "hunting" it would be called "killing". Hunting is as much about learning everything about the animal you hunt as it is about finding the appropriate animal for your hunting purpose. In order to find the right animal, each hunter examines the reason they hunt. Especially trophy hunters need to pay attention to tracks, scat, scrapes, trails, and spend endless hours watching each animal to determine the one they want moreso than those who hunt for food. They must learn the habitat of their intended prey, where they feed, where they drink, their migration patterns, what their flight patterns are when startled. Each hunter learns these things, spends hours a day studying them, tracking them, enjoying being outdoors and one with nature. It is the natural order of things, and a spiritual awakening to the love of nature and the laws of survival. It is a confirmation of humanity's place in the world, and I encourage everyone to at least make the attempt whether you prefer to hunt with a gun or a camera. The experience and knowledge gained is invaluable. Those who criticize are least likely to have been face to face with a noble stag, admiring its beauty and grace, almost brought to tears by its magnificence. They have never felt the spirit of the animal, the wildness within, the respect and love of nature, the gratitude that such a magnificient animal lived at all. I pity them as they sit in their artificial world, eating food gathered at their grocery store without ever having soiled their hands, unknowing what life really means.

Some do not know that hunters are the number one source of money used for wildlife and habitat conservation! The monies spent on license fees, tags and registries even after the cut the government takes far outweigh any contributions from any organization, and are put to direct use by the US Fish and Wildlife and the Department of Natural Resources! You know where your money is being spent when you buy a hunting or fishing license. When you donate to a wildlife charity, you would be surprised how little of your money actually goes towards conservation of wildlife or habitat! Not only do the monies spent on license fees help preserve natural habitats and species, many hunters and fishermen buy and preserve lands, donate money and time to conservation efforts, and donate to help feed the hungry with the fruit of their labor.

No one I know of that hunts legally hunts simply for trophies. The meat is always used whether it goes to feed the hungry (hunters for the hungry programs), or is put on their own dinner table. Most hunters revere their prey as much as they revere nature and the outdoors.

The Death of Magic Prologue

2010-09-17T12:21:00.000-07:00

“I looked away for only a second!” The tremor in a voice that had been firm throughout the millennia sent chills down his spine. “Just as quickly, they vanished. Our children were not the only ones.”

“Yes, Astaria. My own kind has suffered such losses. It preys upon the young and the weak; those whose existence has not been long in this world.” He felt the ages weighing down on him heavily and for a fraction of a second his claws became transparent. “We are losing what little magic is left here. Soon even the eldest will be but a memory and we will all merely exist in the realm of spirits.”

“But why? What is happening? What can we do to stop it?”

“It would be desperate times that would bring the eldest of the unicorns to me.” For a moment he savored the thought of drinking her blood and rending her flesh. A shiver told him she knew full well what he longed for, but she hoped her plea would take precedence over his hunger.

“I do have a hunch, but need to discover the truth of it. Think, Astaria, what has changed over the last two hundred years?” He needed her, needed all the Old Ones that were left if his hunch was right.

“Humans have multiplied and cut down many forests!” Her thinking was slightly flawed.

“We have lost forests to fiery mountains, to winters that lasted an age, to flooding and yet never have our powers waned or our existence been threatened.” The unicorn’s eyes narrowed and she shook her mane as she listened to him.

“But it does have something to do with humanity, does it not?” A golden hoof pawed the ground.

“It does, but not in the way you think. In fact, humans strengthen us when they believe, but it is deeper than that. Humans have captured magic, they hold it hostage.” It was a concept he was having a hard time believing, but it was the only explanation.

“How? And why? Why would they do that?”

“I am not sure yet, and I do not believe they are aware of what they do.”

The Adventures of Princess Squeaker Part 5

2010-07-27T05:44:00.000-07:00

The Others

Some odd sounds woke me after Mom guardian finished cleaning our home. It was the rattle of metal, and I jumped up to see her fencing off half our space. Then she brought in another white fluffy bed and placed it in the fenced off area! Full of curiosity, I just had to know what was going on. A glistening brass fence surrounded the area by the stove. This shifted our potty space towards the back door, and my siblings began to complain. Sensing something important was happening, I kept silent and observed.

Mom guardian than began bringing in ‘the others’ two at a time. They were smaller than us, and smelled different, but they looked kind of like my siblings. Aunt Freya anxiously watched as our guardian placed them carefully on the other fluffy bed. When they cried out, she seemed almost frantic to get to them, but waited until there were six. Two of them were black and white, almost like Xena, and two of them were gray like me, Christmas and Elvis. One of them was red and white like Ace and Mitu, but one was a very light tannish-red color. They whined and yelped when they were alone, but quieted immediately when Aunt Freya curled up with them.

Mom guardian explained they were our cousins, as our father’s brother was their father. The gray girl she called Silver, and the boy she called Face because of his wide white face markings. One black and white pup she called Cat because his neck mark looked like a kitten, the other she called Flakes since his mark looked like a big fat snowflake. The dark red boy she called Brownie, and the other one she called Buck, for his buckskin color. They looked very different, almost more like toys than real puppies, like they were painted. That meant that we had more of us to play with, and I did a little happy dance by their gate and howled hello. Silver came to the gate, but instead of greeting me back, she ran straight for my squeaky! She grabbed it and ran back for the gate and I intercepted. How dare she!?

She was so much smaller that I bowled her over and she howled as if I wounded her. Mom guardian was mad and yelled at me! It hurt, and I went and hid under the counter. Did that mean I had to share my toys with them too? Outrageous!

So we decided to set up patrol around their perimeter to ensure it did not happen again. For a while we kept them out of our space and were able to make forays into their territory to take their toys because we were big enough to jump over the gate and they weren’t.

A few days later, Mom guardian put my siblings and I in the livingroom, and I guarded our food from ‘the others’ even though she put them in a different room. The house smelled of pine and bleach as she scrubbed and disinfected the floor, but when she was done, there was no more gate!

We had to mingle with the others! But as Silver approached me and pawed at me playfully, I thought perhaps this wasn’t such a bad thing after all. I used to be the smallest, but not any more!

2010-07-26T07:17:00.000-07:00

Our Home

In the kitchen, Mom guardian put our wonderful fluffy warm bed in a place where our mother felt comfortable to nurse us. She placed nice blankets on one side and the papers and ‘potty pads’ on the other side. Moon loved to sleep in the white circle, and sometimes she was hard to see so white on white. What was great about where it was placed left a neat little cave along the backside and under the ledge of the counters where we could hide and be safe from… well, anything that may have swooped on us in the dark. The only problem was that I wasn’t the only one that thought it a great place to sleep. It got downright crowded at times.
Mom guardian brought me this great toy. It was blue, and the texture tickled my tongue as I chewed on it. It looked sort of like a soft stick with a dog head on one end and nubs on the other that resembled legs and tail. If I bit it hard enough on the head or tail, it would squeal! It did not sound like my siblings, this sounded like prey! Oh was it fun! I chewed and chewed and each time it squealed I would try harder! After a long time though, I got sleepy and that rat Xena took my toy! Philistine!
Xena would not give my toy back when I asked her for it. Mom guardian merely smiled when I told her that I was the Princess and that I should get all the toys. I don’t think she understood my protests. Their language is so different from ours. So I took matters into my own paws and launched an offensive to reclaim my lost property. It didn’t end well.
Xena could have it, I wanted the pink ball squeaky anyway.

The Adventures of Princess Squeaker Part 3

2010-07-13T06:08:00.000-07:00

Dog Pile

The world was bigger outside the kitchen, my guardian used to carry me to den and let me play there. Every once in a while she’d take me to the open place that was oh-so-cold. It was bigger than anything imaginable, with no roof and white stuff covered the ground. She called it ‘outside’, and my guardian would praise and pet me if I went ‘potty’ out there. It made her very happy, so I went potty outside as often as I could. After going potty outside, she would bring me back ‘inside’ and give me a treat. But sometimes I couldn’t wait to go outside and went on the papers she put on the floor. She also praised me for going on the papers, but didn’t pet me or give me a treat. If I missed the paper, she would look disappointed and didn’t say a thing. It made me feel terrible and I tried very hard to get on the papers when I couldn’t go outside.

Every morning our Mom guardian would make a bowl of food mixed with water, and call us over to eat. Once we ate she would take us outside two at a time. After all of us had been outside, she would give us a treat of a milk mixed with powder she called ‘puppy milk’ that was oh so good. Pushing my siblings aside, I would try to drink as much as I could. But they were all bigger than me, and a lot of time I would get pushed out of the bowl. Mom guardian would pick me up, kiss my forehead, and make me a private bowl outside the ‘enclosure’ of the kitchen. To show my appreciation, I would lick up every drop, and then cuddle into her lap with a big sigh of contentment. Most times I would fall asleep as she pet me and made me feel good all over.

At the edge of our enclosure big dogs would gather, and sometimes they scared me, other times I wanted to play with them. The hairy one with the gentle face I learned was my father. He would often come and touch noses with me, and sniff me over the gate.

Sometimes he would lick my face and it made me feel happy. I would run around, and call out to him to play. But he would look at me with sad eyes. He wanted to play, but he was afraid of hurting us. So I would jump and scrabble with my hind legs, trying to get over the barrier, and finally I did!

Christmas was watching me, and imitated exactly what I did, and she escaped too! We ran around the big area like mad, sniffing out every corner! We were so happy, we played and played, and found neat things to chew on although we argue-played over who got to chew on what. Mom guardian found us though, and after a good laugh, she picked us up and put us back in the enclosure. She sat with us for a time, petting and playing with us before she gathered up some things and left. It was hours she was gone, but Dad guardian and James guardian came and spent time with us. It just wasn’t the same, but we were happy to be with them.

What seemed a lifetime later, and the window to outside was dark when she came home. We were all so happy! We couldn’t wait to see her! We howled and jumped at the gate, and Christmas and I whined until we were able to climb out then ran to greet her! She smiled and picked us up, hugging us as we licked her face. She sat with us and I sat in her lap defending it from my siblings that wanted to steal her attention. Moon grabbed my ear, and Elvis grabbed my tail, and we tumbled onto the floor. Mom guardian laughed in delight as I struggled to get them off from me. As soon as I was free, I ran and grabbed that stinker Christmas that crawled in to her lap in my absence. Rotten siblings! Raawrrrr!

The Adventures of Princess Squeaker Part 2

2010-07-12T07:43:00.000-07:00

Pretty Little Runt

There were three guardians in our house. Like benevolent gods, they watched over us, but none as much as the one who helped my mom give me my first breaths in life. She was like a second mother that brought us toys! Unlike mom, she walked on two legs, and used her front paws to pick us up, scratch our ears and rub our tummies.

She gave each of us names. My light gray sister she called ‘Misadventure’, but was later renamed ‘Moon’ since she was the one who almost always climbed out of the tub. My dark grey brother had a single white dot on his back, so she called him ‘Dot’, but later began calling him ‘Elvis’. My dark grey sister with the funny white mark on her back she called ‘Christmas’. My red and white sister with no marks on her back she called ‘Squeaky’, very close to my name ‘Squeaker’, and sometimes I thought she was calling me when she was really calling to my sister. ‘Squeaky’ soon became ‘Mitu’. My other red sister she named ‘Ace’. My black and white sister she called ‘Xena’. They were the first names we learned meant that we were to come to our guardian for feeding, playing or that wonderful sensation of petting. My name was changed to ‘Princess’, and my guardian said it was because I was so beautiful, regal, and a dainty little runt. She said it was because I was the smallest with the biggest attitude. Whatever that meant must have been good because she always hugged me to her when she said it, and it made me feel so happy inside.

The guardians’ names were ‘Mom Aleeha’, ‘Dad Jim’, and ‘James’. They were enormous creatures, two and three times the size of mom, but gentle. They never stole my toys like Moon did, and never chewed on my ears like Ace. When my teeth finally began to break through my gums, they brought me mushy round bits soaked in milk that tasted so intriguing. I ate as much as my belly could hold, since mom seemed reluctant to feed us. The stuff felt so good in my tummy, I slept for hours!

Each time the guardians left me, I let them know I wanted to be with them. It felt as if they were tearing out my heart when they left me behind with my siblings. I tried so hard to follow them, but they kept putting barriers in my way. Every once in a while, my guardian would take me with her, carry me around way up high and out of the reach of my siblings. She would bring me special toys and tidbits of food that made my taste buds dance and my mouth water. It wasn’t long before she became more important to me than my own mother.

“How’s my little Squeaker today?” Those words would shiver through me all the way to my tail and I would run as fast as my unsteady legs could carry me.

The salt of her nose tickled my tongue, but tasted oh so good and she would breathe deeply of my scent as she lifted me on high. The warmth of her love flowed in to me and mine flowed back as I mouthed her fingers.

“No, no, little Princess, this is what you need to chew on.” She would say as she put a toy in my mouth.

Disappointed but still happy to be with my guardian, I would chew on the toy instead. She would sit with me for a time, stroking my fur before she would make us a big round bowl of food.

Work in Progress

2010-07-08T09:03:00.000-07:00

This is a chronicle of my darling little Princess Squeaker.

November eleventh two thousand and nine, in the middle of the night I arrived third in my litter. Immediately after mom bit the umbilical cord, a fluffy cloth enveloped me, picked me up and rubbed me all over to help me breathe. A bit of thick fluid shot out my nostrils as air finally rushed in my lungs. A voice hummed and cooed as I was dried and lowered back to the warm side of my mom and siblings, and she finished cleaning me. The smell of my first meal drove me on searching in the dark against her warm side and comforting smell for a teat to satisfy my hunger. Plaintive cries issued from my throat, high and shrill as the cooing voice reacted, and gently a hand guided me to my goal. The smell was not the same as my mother’s, but still comforting, and the sound of the voice was oddly soothing as it spoke my first name.

“Easy my little Squeaker, I’ll give you some help pretty girl.” Though the words meant nothing to me, the sound was of warmth and safety, the gentle love of a guardian and provider.

Food was my first priority, but I could not get enough and my protests filled the circle of my new world. Soon the gentle voice made a sound I later learned was laughter as I was helped to another nipple. Finally able to still the hunger inside, peaceful bliss came over me and I slept.

The next few days were filled with sleeping, searching for food, then searching for a comfortable place to sleep. I learned the smell of my mother, siblings, our bed, and the ever-present guardian that watched over us, comforted us when we were distressed and helped us find both food and sleeping space. This mysterious creature lifted us from wherever we had managed to get stuck, held us gently, murmured comfortingly until we fell asleep, or set us next to our mother so that we could eat.

Light began to filter through the coverings over my eyes and blurry shapes began to manifest in my first views of the world. It was much bigger than I imagined, and we were in a tub, a relatively small section of the room around us. My sister managed to climb out of our tub a couple of times, but the guardian creature always returned her to the safety of our home. My legs were able to hold my weight once in a while, and I tottered around, trying to see all I could see. My brother and sisters mouthed me, and I mouthed them back, with the nubs of my teeth that itched in my gums. It was a great game of ‘chews’ that we sometimes played with mom and our guardian.

Our mother was a stoic lady though, and rarely played back, but our guardian made a sound we learned was laughter, and would tickle our bellies. Oh what a wonderful feeling!

When our eyes were fully open, our guardian moved us from the tub to a much larger area with slick flooring that was covered in a layer of shredable stuff that was fun to chew on. Twice a day the guardian would change the stuff we eliminated on, and once a day would put us back in the tub to wash the floor, then lay down more stuff for us to chew on. There were cool toys that tickled our gums and squeaked if we bit them hard enough! I never got tired of those! There were others that just felt good to gnaw on, and once, when I grabbed a hold of one, my sister Moon grabbed a hold of another end, and boy was it fun to try to get it back! This began a whole new game for us! But my favorite game was trying to follow our guardian out of the area we were confined to.

She was so fascinating, loving and fun, it made me so sad every time she left us, and I cried at the gate until I figured out how to get out. She would laugh, pick me up and carry me around for a while. Her hand on my head sent waves of warmth through my entire body, and when she rubbed my belly, all was right with the world! The love was mutual, and even at my young age, I recognized that I was the favored one.

Supernatural Thriller (as yet untitled)

2010-03-30T09:05:00.000-07:00

The autopsy revealed nothing, no chemicals, no trauma to any vital organ, the coroner was as confused as he was. She simply died with no explanation. How does a healthy twenty-eight year old woman just die? He opened the background file, shivers crawling down his spine, and suddenly being in a darkened office building alone at two in the morning didn’t seem like a good idea. Outside, sirens blared then faded to the sounds of cars passing below. The city was alive and thriving despite the death that stalked its streets.

She was the third victim. The only two links were their inexplicable deaths, and the fact that each of them belonged to an obscure cult, albeit different ones. Three healthy victims, each were found in their beds, as if they had died in their sleep, but the twisted features, the clawing hands, wide eyes and screaming mouth were testament that something had happened. What could have scared them to ‘death’?

He ran his hand through tawny hair, ending in rubbing his eyes and picking up a well-stained cup. The smell of half-burned coffee lead him to the breakroom.

Rise of the Fomir (Beyond the Veil Part 1)

2010-03-16T07:19:00.000-07:00

Here is a glimpse of one of the novels I'm putting in to first draft, bear in mind this is a far cry from the final edit. ;-)

Beyond the veil is a world in turmoil, a place where the forces of good are in constant battle over the fate of the universe against the forces of evil and destruction. There are few who can see beyond the veil that separates our world from this battleground, and even fewer who can enter that world and change it forever for good, or evil.

The classroom was the same, dull books, boring teachers and the same mishmash of students stuck on mundane interests. Susan wondered if her hair looked right, and Billy voiced his concerns about who he was going to ask to the prom. Their whispered conversations were not enough to turn his attention from the thought of his latest mental creation. Someday he would change the world, his spherical wheeled cars raced along pristine highways in his mind, unfettered by the needs of human intervention. The droning of the teacher continued in the background, and he almost missed the dark, the sensation of cold ‘wrongness’ that passed outside his classroom.

Preternatural instincts awoke and a velvety nose twitched in urgent attention. The veil parted around him and he sensed the ‘other’, the predator of souls. It was dark beyond the veil, a darkness that was not night, but an absence of light. The creature stopped. Its head, akin to a three-eyed dog, moved from side to side, but its body, the shape of a rotting bear carcass, stood still. Jowls unable to close yawned in unnatural rigor displaying a complete row of sharp rending fangs, teeth that were designed to tear through flesh and bone, but never chew. Absolute cold surrounded the death-dog, the vegetation of that spirit world melted around it, shriveling and falling to ice crystals beneath its heavy tread. Unseeing putrid yellow orbs stared out of the three sockets on its head that cast first to the left then the right, then settled exactly on him in a knowing awareness. His hackles rose as the fear raced through his veins. That was no ordinary hunter!

“Baylor!”

Without knowing why or how his mind screamed the name through the dark as the earth sprang away from his feet. Wind rushed beneath his wings, carrying his body just out of reach of those fangs that leapt towards him with surprising agility. He could smell its stench, feel its hunger, and its whisper called him by name.

“Feralthar…Feralthar.” The hideous breath washed over him almost gagging him with the odor of all the corpses that ever decayed beneath a sweltering sun.

In the distance he heard the roar and raced faster towards it through the swirling sky. Behind him the creature followed as if the air were solid ground. Above, the black sky moved in familiar patterns, glimmering lights fell into regular patterns as if a million sable diamonds were set in regular rows all reflecting the pale rays of the sliver of a moon. He could just make out the massive triangular head as it swung his way, the beat of its wings a hurricane that swirled back towards his pursuer. The sky opened in two orange-red orbs spilling fiery light into the darkness and lancing out to rest on his form. A rumble of thunder echoed through the universe as jet lips pulled back from massive ivory fangs and jaws that have crushed worlds. A flash like lightning slid past him, so precise, so close, that it brushed his fur as the reptilian scales covered him with a scent of brimstone. Behind him the air rushed out, momentarily upsetting his balance and lift as the crushing explosion of forced air contained the unmistakable sound of snapping bones. A yelping bark echoed through the darkness and was gone.

A disgusted rumble and long moments later something hit the vegetation far below, and he heard the dragon swear under its breath and spit several times. “Nasty tasting creatures…. Bleh! Couldn’t you bring me something more palatable?”

A relieved nervous laugh bubbled from his throat, and he was sure he did not like the way the massive creature sniffed at him with half-lidded eyes. He shuddered as the dragon yawned, fully aware that two of him could have easily fit inside its mouth.

“What was it?” The gaze illuminated him against the sky, bathing him in blood red light.

“A death-dog, hunters of the gray lords. They know you now. You have been foolish.” The light vanished for a moment as the dragon closed its eyes. “Fortunately they do not consider you a threat, yet… We will discuss this later. Your attention needs to be back at school.”

“But-“ A flash of ivory teeth convinced him that arguing was out of the question.

“I will ensure nothing else happens you need to be concerned about, and you need to stop allowing them to sense you when you can not concentrate on fighting. Now go.” It was not a request, but he knew better than to voice his frustrations.

How could he think about school after that!? The veil parted below showing him in his seat, a human boy bored out of his wits and staring off into nothing.

“I never get to have any fun.” He whispered to himself as he settled back in to that form, the veil closing behind him.

Valkrys and the Big Snow

2010-01-28T08:09:00.000-08:00

Valkrys and the Big Snow by AR Travis

Of all the mischief she might have caused, one thing Valkrys loved to do more than play was work. Yeah I know that is a tough concept for us humans, but she really, really, really loved to pull! She would get very excited when I would get out her harness from the closet and put it on her.

Living in North Carolina, needless to say there had never really been much snow, but that year we had three feet! That was more snow than many folks from NC had ever seen all piled together in one year. Everything was shut down for two weeks! Valkrys and G’kar were overjoyed! As soon as I got them outside in their harnesses, they rolled in the snow, yipping and howling it up, impatient for me to get the toboggan. James was more excited than ever to get on the toboggan. Where we lived, the only really big hill was in the woods and not a sufficient place to go sledding, but no matter. Two dogs and a toboggan beats a full snow any day.

With me in front, Valkrys and G’kar next, pulling James on the toboggan, off we went to get the mail. We lived on a long private country dirt road, and our mailbox was all the way to the end of the road, and more snow was falling as we happily made our way there. It was quiet with the lazy flakes drifting through the trees like lacy faeries to rest on the white-covered ground. The main road was still covered in ice and snow, and the mailman alas, had not made the trip. So we returned empty handed, but all smiles back to the house, around the house, out making snowmen, and finally for a snowfight. Valkrys and G’kar kept trying to bite the snowballs or pieces as they dropped back into the snow.

Wet, cold and hungry, but all very happy, we bundled back in to the house. James and I had hot cocoa and cookies and Valkrys and G’kar got a nice biscuit. Every day for the next week, Valkrys would go to the closet where I kept her harness and whine until I hooked her and G’kar up, and off we would go, down to the mailbox and back.

The third week it warmed up to fifty, and all the snow melted away. Valkrys would come back in from doing her business with a sad face, and would mope by the closet where her harness was, dreaming of more snow.

Valkrys Stories, The Ninja Pizza Thief

2009-12-10T11:46:00.000-08:00

The Ninja Pizza Thief

Valkrys is the queen of the stealth food thieves, but she doesn’t openly table surf, snatch things off counters or other blatantly obvious means of eating your food. Oh no, not the ninja queen! She takes pride in her ability to sneak up on you, and when you are least expecting it, to share your food without you ever knowing she was there.

The pinnacle of her prowess was demonstrated one day by our friend and neighbor “Boo”. Boo spent a lot of time at our house, as his house was rather crowded with siblings, and James and Boo loved to play video games together. On this particular day, Boo had brought over his own food, namely a box of pepperoni pizza. Some adult friends were over, so Jim and I were in the other room entertaining our guests, Valkrys happily by my side as she nearly always was while I was home.

In his need for sustenance while frantically thumbing game controls, Boo thought he would be able to get more eating time if he put his pizza box on the floor next to him. Between games, he would grab a couple of bites and shove the box closed to play.

Somehow in this distraction, Valkrys managed to creep quietly out of the room Jim and I were in, to the livingroom where Boo and James were playing, open the pizza box, and abscond with half a pizza with no one the wiser. It was only noticed between games when Boo went to get another slice of pizza. A loud and outraged “Hey! Who took my pizza!?” resounded through the house and Valkrys skirted around and hid behind me. It was only then I noticed the last piece of pizza being slurped in to her mouth as she tried to hide the evidence. I felt bad for Boo, but couldn’t help laughing out of my chair. The pizza box was in front of him by his left knee and he never saw her. For consolation I bought him another pizza which he wisely kept towards the rear of the counter in the kitchen while eating from it.

Abernyth 2

2009-12-10T10:05:00.000-08:00

Upon the deck of the Thunderfire Cruiser Tethra, icy winds stole the warmth from his robes and filled Zhorvan’s bones with the chill of the northern winters, a misery his people had long forgotten in the deserts of Zukul. The messenger trembled on bent knees before him, expecting full well to face torture or death for his report. Behind him rows of missile launchers threatened the darkening skies as if to ward off the lazily falling white flakes. Lined up along the hulls were the thunderbolt cannons, massive war engines whose shells buried into the earth before exploding in an eruption of magma energy. Technology and magic fused in the darkest experiments produced such weapons as only dreamt in nightmares upon the continent they approached.

“Lord Zhorvan, the Gorgoth! All of its crew were captured and hung, its captain impaled! The humans! They killed them all!” For several moments the words seemed unreal to him. A scout ship and its entire crew slaughtered?

“What happened?” The words ground out between his clenched teeth.

“We were foraging as you commanded and brought back a bountiful store of meat of white-coated animals that seemed unafraid of our approach. We took the herd, almost 40 of the animals, and we spotted a settlement in the distance. Hoping to secure grain in trade, we were ambushed on the road and five ships waylaid our longboat. The Gorgoth saw them and fired upon them, sinking two of the ships, but many more came, too many to shoot out of the water before they keeled to the sides of the Gorgoth. Since most of our warriors were out on the land, they overwhelmed the defenses with their numbers. We were taken to the city like common criminals, but none of them could speak our tongue. We were imprisoned, beaten, starved for many days and then the executions began.” The young soldier paused, a grimace of grief and horror on his face. “Your son, Rhaikk, he was flayed alive. They asked him questions in their tongue, but we did not understand. They killed him slowly.” A red haze settled over his vision as he heard the words. More obsidian drops sizzled on the iron deck from where his black talons pierced his palms.

“Haavrakh!” A space cleared between the sailors as the massive creature approached. Claws and hooves rang along the deck like chimes of death. “We will fly over this city and make them pay for my son’s death.” The cold of his voice could have frozen the world were it not already in the icy grip of winter.

The black fleet converged on the other side of the island. The ships had been easy to destroy with four of his warships firing rockets and shells. Their primitive ballistae rang off their armored hulls, their flight far beyond lethal range. The human’s had a fleet of a hundred ships, but they were no match for the awesome barrage of the Thunderfire Cruisers. But they did come very near to expending his precious supply of ammunition. His first priority would be to secure the ingredients to make more once they established a base of operations.

Two of his Cruisers, the Manticore and the Firedrake were sent to hunt down and destroy the remaining warships of the humans while he protected the rag-tag fleet that was left of the refugees. His agonized frown passed across the pitiful remains of his people. Almost a thousand ships, boats and barges had set out from Zukul, but storms and monstrous creatures had claimed over half. Many of the vessels were leaking and he had to find shelter for them fast or lose more. Why was his luck so bad? Did he not care for his people? As if the ancestors answered his silent plea, the dark plume of a volcanic eruption burst into the sky from one of the largest islands on the horizon. Casting his sorcerous senses forth, he explored the stability of the mountain and its fiery core.

“Direct the fleet to that island, Marduk has given us a sign of his favor at last!” For the first time in months his crew brightened and commenced obedience with a new will.

It was warm in the cavern; the walls had been built of recent lava flows from the active volcano at its center. The ice seeped slowly from his bones and Zhorvan sighed in relief as he sampled the steaming water from the spring before climbing in and reflecting on the day’s events. The smaller island to the north still smoldered in flames from the barrage of weapon fire and the elemental forces of flame he had unleashed from the skies. The few survivors he had interrogated spoke of the city on the mainland he could see twenty miles to the south. His spells allowed him to understand their words, and he learned that it sat along the bay sheltered from the worst of the northern storms by two stretches of land. Fortifications bristled along the seawall, ballistae, trebuchets, catapults and other primitive weaponry poked out above the crenellations. A major deterrent to invasion by sea, the city of Abernyth was well defended, or so they claimed.

The lips of the sorcerer-priest twitched in amusement. Human technology was so far behind theirs! His ships would be in range long before their instruments of war could be brought to bear. A few rockets, maybe a devastating magma blast and they would surrender in fear. There would be no loss of life for his people, and plenty of slaves to replenish his workforce. Once Abernyth was under their control, the humans would be needed to disassemble the ships and create iron walled defenses to defend the city against counter-attack. Then the slaves could be used to replenish his stores of ammunition. With defenses and ammunition, he hoped they would buy time to find the gateway to Dolomakduum.

His agents had done their work well, and the subterfuge was going as planned. The dwarves and humans were very close to open war. He had heard of some minor boarder skirmishes, but he needed assurance, something to deter counter-actions against his people.

“Khazzikhar, I have foreseen the arrival of several diplomats in the city of Abernyth. Take what you need and bring them to me. I can send you there and bring you back with the power of this mountain of fire. Our spies in Abernyth can guide you to their locations and aid you in procuring these hostages.” Vrakkaia’s son nodded.

“It will be done, Father.” There were no excuses from his most promising student.

The boy had been his pride, unlike his legitimate heirs; Khazzikhar would be a powerful and ambitious Priest Lord when he matured. The one good thing that had come of the destruction of the City of Fire was that his wife Khazka was nowhere to be found, and Zhorvan offered a prayer of thanks to the ancestors for delivering him from her. Vrakkaia moved along his right side as he relaxed in the steamy vapors of the hot spring. Her taloned fingers continued to wind his long locks around tubes of baalsarm, a light and porous wood. Scented oils gave a bluish sheen to his pitch black hair as it reflected the light of the guttering torches. Golden skull talismans clasped the ringlets in place before Vrakkaia was done.

When she was finished, her fingers dug in to the tense muscles of his neck and shoulders, rubbing away the anxiety he had felt since the moment he crested the mountains and seen the destruction of his home. The hot water helped to banish the searing cold that had settled in to his bones and for the first time since leaving Zukul, he felt almost content. He pulled her to him and her slightly swollen belly pressed against his side.

“With luck, our next child will be born in the city of the gods, Vrakkaia.” Across from him, his eldest military son allowed two younger kana servants to fuss over him.

The gray of Khazzik’s hair startled Zhorvan now that he had time to consider it. When had his son aged past him? But it was not the first time he had witnessed such dichotomy. Deep lines crossed the warrior’s face, and his ringlets were peppered with silver strands. The dark black rings of his own beard drew Zhorvan’s gaze. The invigoration of the souls he kept hummed through his veins. His eldest sons had perished long ago and even Khazzik would die long before he ever saw gray, or yet the curse of the dark powers that turned his contemporaries to crystal. Their shimmering features once graced the obsidian council chambers wherein the most powerful sorcerer-priests of the Doradzhor Empire convened and plotted the conquest of Zukul and then had turned their eyes to Dunloring. The blasted remains of the Great Tower still smoked in his mind’s eye. What had they done!? A low giggle from the other side of the springs drew his attention back to his eldest surviving son.

Despite Khazzik’s four hundred years, he was still a vigorous warrior, and the kana knew it. They fawned over him as they would not his sorcerous sons. The fear of magic had never been entirely eliminated from their race, a fear the priesthood had encouraged to keep the populous and slaves in line.

“Perhaps when we have reached Dolamakduum, we will be bonded and your sons become my heirs.” Vrakkaia’s dark eyes dared to look into his.

“My Lord?” At his narrowed lids, she quickly looked down as was proper, but she knew it was too late.

The discipline did not come, and she stole a sidelong glance at Zhorvan’s features. “Khazka’s children were less than perfect.” A snarl from his eldest living son by her informed him that he had heard, but Khazzik knew better than to gainsay his father. “Khazzikhar, your eldest, is my most promising son. Ghazrokk is a fool, but he is the only one capable of channeling the etheric powers that Khazka ever produced. Each child you have born me, Vrakkaia, has been gifted with such powers; each one, even the kana. Such a great gift to our people should not be overlooked.”

“You honor me.” Her voice was barely above a whisper.

His taloned fingers drew her chin so that her gaze was level with his. “It is honor well overdue. I hereby release you from servitude from my clan, Vrakkaia. You are now a citizen, and can do as you please. But, I would that you stayed with me.” Her eyes were full of confused thoughts, but he waited until she sorted them out.

“My Lord, how could I do otherwise? You have been more than kind to my offspring and me. You have always defended us from those that would do us harm. We owe you more than mere allegiance, we owe you our lives.” Her lips met his as he drew them to him.

For long moments, he savored her taste. “I prize loyalty more than anything. You have proven to me that my gift of freedom is well placed.” She smiled as he pulled her to him. All thought of tomorrow was long forgotten in the sensation of the day.

Khazzikhar brought the captives to him for inspection, and he questioned each one on their origins and military capabilities. But, as he expected, none of them were forthcoming. Once he replaced them with a conjured daemon assassin, the real interrogation would begin, but he would not wait that long with the betrayer. The dwarves were owed a debt of great pain. One by one the other diplomats stood before him, but when he caught sight of the tall elf, it was as if he could see nothing else. Never before had he seen one of their kind, though he had heard much about them.

The long blonde hair was like strands of gold waiting to be mined in deep caverns sacred to the gods. Her lips were like rubies, her eyes like sapphires. The tales did not do justice to the creature that mocked his race’s appearance to others. The harmony of her being was the song of the universe, an agony to their souls long forsaken by the gods of creation. Her presence angered and filled him with desire both to harm and to be with. Yet, he had ordered her there, ordered her presence to fulfill his plans to overrun this continent of Dunloring. So, how had he so underestimated the way the elf affected him?

The need to harm, to destroy the perfection of her features filled him. “Take her to my chambers!”

The guards chuckled in low lascivious tones, but they could not sense the oneness she held with nature, with the universe. It was maddening that a creature could mock them so! It was a need to destroy, to show power over perfection, to maim and to defile the nature of the elf that drove him. The warded shackles she had been placed in pleased him to no end. An unnatural restraint from what she was. But her blue eyes followed him as he entered the chamber. Such deep blue eyes framed by the purest golden hair! Yet she was there, chained to the palette he used for a bed, a sight both compelling and maddening at once.

“Why do you imprison me?” The harmonics of her voice echoed through his bones in its perfection the vibrations of pain and anger, but how could he answer?

His black talons ran alongside her alabaster face, touching for a moment her pointed ears and then her pale, thin neck. “Zis day you vill know vaht it means to fearr. You vill know vaht pain ahnd torrment arre!” The need to cause her pain filled him, yet he wanted to also know that he was equal. But it was an impossibility, one he knew from the difference of their births.

“If you release me, I will share your bed.” What!? How could she mock him!?

“Vhaht sorrt of fool do you take me forr!?” Yet the deep pools of blue drew him like nothing he had known. What sort of spell did she have over him? But there was no sense of the arcane, no tremor in the ethers.

Her long slender hands brushed the coiled sable locks as they trailed alongside his head, her fingers teasing his own pointed ears, another difference from the betrayers that set them aside. The shackles prevented her hands from traveling further, but her fingers remained on his neck, her eyes drawing his tortured gaze.

“I can see you are no fool, great lord, and I mean what I say. Long have I searched for a power as great as or greater than mine, and I sense that within you. It intrigues me like nothing else, and I desire to know more of you and the power you possess.” Her lips were like nectar, though his race had long lost the want of such things. But her kiss fanned the fire within him.

“Vy vould you vahnt such a zing?” Was that the question of a young lad to the first kana he had ever known?

“There is knowledge and wisdom we can learn from one another. And, I must admit the attentions of the elven court bore me. They are all the same, all alike, but you. You are something new, bold, an adventure to be savored.”

“You do not fearr vaht I vill do to you? Ourr ahpearrahnce does not rrevile you?” The questions were out of his mouth before discretion reasserted its control. “You vill sharre my bed rregahrrdless you hahve no choice in zie mahtter.”

An odd smile crossed her lips as she feigned fear, but it was obviously an act. “Oooh, you terrible, evil creature! I’m at your mercy!” Anger raged through his veins as she ‘fainted’. He would teach her to mock him!

Fist curled and ready to strike, he knelt beside her on the palette. Without warning she sat up, seized his neck and kissed him passionately. Dumbfounded that she had no fear, Zhorvan was at a loss for what to do next. Her left hand slid up the sleeve of his robe, resting on the bare shoulder beneath as her right found the opening below his collar and settled in the thick hair of his chest. Her form pressed against him tore all thoughts of anything but the growing fire in his loins from his mind. His senses were still reeling when she released him.

“Vaht sorrt of creaturre ahrr you?” Was this really a daemon temptress in disguise?

With a smile she laid back, closed her eyes and opened her legs. “Aren’t you going to ravish me now?” Was she attempting to seduce him to ensure her survival? The explanation seemed reasonable enough, and with a shrug he supposed he would allow it for the time being.

The stretch eased her cramped muscles, a by-product of being in chains. The slow breathing of the dwarf lord ensured her he was still sleeping, and she studied his features. His passion had been everything she had expected and more. She smiled in satisfaction. Her own people had long since ceased to amuse her, and a curious emptiness tore at her soul. How long had it been since she had known fulfillment? The danger, the thrill of the unknown had possessed her, but there was nothing in Dunloring Thiar’Islaine did not already know. Humans had entertained her for a while, but their petty ambitions and boorish games quickly lost their appeal. But this ‘Doradzharr’ Lord was something new, something exciting, and something that even inspired the smallest amount of fear in her, a delicious sensation. It had been centuries since she had encountered anything that sparked an emotional response, and the emptiness had grown.

The power possessed by the dwarf wizard astounded her and blazed in her sorcerous senses like a beacon in the darkness. How could the non-magical dwarves possess such powers? It was a puzzle as intriguing as it was indecipherable, a challenge, a lure, a strong attraction that sparked the long dormant emotions within her. It made her feel alive again! A slight frown crossed her lips as she questioned how long the excitement would last, but shrugged it off. Who cared as long as it was there? The world was fresh and new again to her ancient eyes, and sensation shivered through her reminding Thiar’Islaine what it was like to live. Perhaps he was evil, but that only added to the growing excitement. The diminutive creature asleep at her side was about to change the entire world, something she could feel like an impending storm, and that was what she desired, change, newness, life!

Her spirit would be broken! Yet the bruises he had left on her were already fading, proof that there had been little impetus behind his need to subjugate her. That she took his demeaning treatment willingly was beyond his experience, and Zhorvan got the uncanny feeling she actually enjoyed it! How did you break the spirit of someone who wanted to be abused? Did he even want to? There were enough slaves and servants in his household already that were cowed to his will, what would be the benefit of breaking this exquisite creature? Surprised at his assessment, he examined his motivations once more.

The plan to ensure the cooperation of the races of Dunloring did not require that he broke the will of the emissaries he kidnapped, simply that they remain in his custody while the summoned creatures eventually took their places. After that, they could be killed or used as he saw fit. But if the elf willingly followed his direction, was such subterfuge really necessary? Could he take the risk that it was all just an act? No, his people’s survival depended on the success of his mission! The replacements would proceed as planned, and the human boy Zhorvan came to understand was the High Prince would be first. The elf would remain in his chambers, the warded chains ensuring her cooperation and separation from the arcane powers that would normally be at her command. She might prove to be a worthwhile distraction from his troubles from time to time as she was at that moment.

Despite his clenched teeth, the scream tore from his lips as the forsaken beast thrust the needle in to the ventral nerve cluster, stimulating the sensation of icy fire that raged through his chest and shoulders. “Where are Vergadain’s main units stationed!? How many of his troops are on standing orders!? How soon will they attack the humans?” The rapid fire questions repeated over and over in his skull, reverberating and mixing freely with the echoes of pure agony.

“Go… back to… hell, you… son of a… warthog!” The snarl of rage preceded the cut of the knife.

Cold, was that cold? The agony exploded in his head as the sensation reached his shocked brain. Iron hooks tore at his intestines, bruised and pulled them in patterns designed to invoke the most horrific pain! His throat was soon hoarse from the screams he could not help as each new movement of the ruthless cold instruments worked at his innards. Day and night blended into agony after pain as the forsaken priest traded places with several of his acolytes, and each of them was as distressingly well versed in torture as their master.

The questions continued becoming a welcome break from the torment until he sobbed in relief each time they paused in their ministrations to repeat them. Exhaustion overlaid his senses with the surreal, aching in his bones as much as the torture they applied to his body. How many days? Forever passed in the haze of agonized overstressed nerves until he was barely aware of the questions, only of the pauses between pains.

Was he gibbering or was it his imagination? The aching shook him in its fury, but it wasn’t fresh anymore. Exhaustion stole his awareness.

“On... the north ridge… of Sorkarak, they’ll… march... in six… weeks… over… ten thousand …strong!” The words echoed through the dream as he woke with a start.

Had he betrayed his people? It had been so real, the dream, the agony, the exhausted desperation. Someone was messing with his shackles that bit in to his wrists. Had the torturers returned? Cold chilled through him, the instinctive desperate need to never experience such pain again surged through him and he struggled, weak mewlings of fear and agony ululating from his hoarse throat in broken cries.

“Be quiet!” The voice whispered urgently. “I’m here to help you.” A sigh of relief passed his lips as he lapsed back into unconsciousness.

The conversation droned on in the background, but she heard every word. Their language had been difficult to learn at first, but once she derived the cultural difference between it and the language spoken by the dwarves, she was able to converse fluently. The Priest Lord had been mildly surprised, and questioned how much she knew of the conversations that took place in her presence. The set of his jaw told her that he fully expected her to lie instead of the truth she told him. Since then, he had been very careful about what conversations he had in her presence, but she had learned a good deal about the doradzharr already.

Their saga amused her with its irony. In their lust for conquest, they had caused their own downfall, a destruction that threatened not only them, but their entire world. And their contact with Abernyth was only to be expected. Those who poached or stole livestock were usually harshly treated by the laws of Dunloring as such animals were the mainstay of commerce and sustenance. Zhorvan’s reaction to the treatment of his people seemed a bit over-done, but it had obviously been a mere excuse to subjugate the humans. It was a political tool he now employed with some ‘envoys’ from the High King in Dunvaar. The evil sorcerer-priest was an adept politician as well as a skilled manipulator. The addition of his super-natural powers made him a virtually unstoppable force to reckon with. The spells he cast upon those who came to negotiate were even hard for her to discern, but her centuries of experience lent her the power to see through them.

His arrogance was also amusing, a casual superiority which radiated from him like the heat of his skin in the cold winter air. That very heat made her uncomfortably warm in the volcanic chamber beneath the cover of a blanket. His sigh of satisfaction told her he was barely warm enough as he slid into the bedding next to her. The touch of her cold hands set his teeth on edge for a moment until he got used to it.

“You know, my people can help you search.” The snort of amusement told her of his lack of trust in anyone that was not of his race. Her fingers traced the lines of scars under the thick hair of his chest. “Really. Why is such a concept so far beyond your belief?”

“Why would you help us?” He knew she understood his language, but it was still harsh and gutteral to her ears.

His glittering sable eyes were ringed with circles of exhaustion, the time he spent in conference with his generals, messengers and his acolytes took up all but six hours of the day.

“Well, for one thing, it would dissuade your people from aggression against ours. That is motivation enough, is it not?” A thick black brow rose in response.

“That does hold a certain amount of sense.” She slid her hand beneath the thick black ringlets of his beard.

“Besides, if this world is doomed, and we help you, we too might be saved.” Her lips traced the line of his neck opposite her hand as he sighed in appreciation.

“Self preservation is indeed a strong motivation. Very well, I will make this bargain with you Thiar’Islaine. Your people help us search and when we find the gateway and open it, we will allow your passage. I may be able to hold off the daemons long enough for your people to pass as well.”

Her warm breath stirred the hair by his ear. “You won’t have to do that alone, you know. I can help you.” Though he was much shorter in stature, his attributes made up for the difference and then some.

“You would… have to learn much… about the daemons… of the Abyss… and how to conjure… or banish them. But you could be of use… with a little training.” His reply was barely discernable from his reactions to her ministrations.

She had her pleasure from him twice before he fell asleep. The watchful eyes of his monstrous companion, Haavrakh, kept a careful gaze on her while he slept. The beast refused to trust her despite her best efforts to win over his confidence. There was little doubt that the creature would kill her should she attempt to harm his master. Large orange-gold eyes regarded her from across the cavern with no little amount of intelligence. His tusked jaws resembled the doradzharr so completely, she wondered if he had at one time been a member of their race. His sleek black fur was rich but the individual hairs were thin, like a creature she would expect to find in a warm nocturnal climate, but his features were an amalgamation of several different monstrosities. His forepaws resembled those of a lion, and his face was a mixture of lion and doradzharr while his rear-quarters were those of an enormous bull. Large black membranes stretched from the boney supports of his wings that would have filled the entire room should they be unfurled. But oddest of all was his color, pitch black fading to blood red on paws and shanks with a blood red mane and beard-like growth all curled in the fashion of the doradzharr lord sleeping beside her.

“What are you?” Dark lips pulled back from sharp rending teeth as a low growl trembled through the air just above what was audible. “I won’t harm you or him. I am merely seeking knowledge.”

“I am your death.” The speech of the monster confirmed both his animosity and intelligence.

All attempts to gather more information were met with low snarls until she gave up and laid back down. After all, Zhorvan was easily manipulated in the throes of passion as long as it was not pertinent to his ‘alternate’ mission. It wouldn’t take long for her to learn what she wished to know about Haavrakh, but she still wondered what this ‘alternate’ mission entailed. One thing she was sure of, that it was not going to be good for Dunloring. The more she learned of the doradzharr the more she realized their ruthless disregard for anything but themselves and their lust for power. The sheer malevolence added to the thrill of emotions that stirred in her psyche, but how could she conscience cooperation with such fiendish creatures? But, the sensations Zhorvan awoke in her were so compelling. She was alive, renewed, wasn’t that all that mattered?

What if the sorcerer-priest did take her people with him? Her mind raced through the possibilities, and each of them ended with the same conclusion. If she did not change him, they would eventually be enslaved or worse. But, could she change him? Was there any way to find what miniscule goodliness that was left in the souls of the doradzharr? Hatred had twisted them so completely; it had even changed their appearance drastically from their cousins living in Dunloring. Generations of cruelty had left deep scars upon their race, ones she was sure could never be healed, but maybe nursed back to health. His black eyes betrayed it, the spark of honor, loyalty and valor that betrayed a people who had once followed the axioms of goodness. Could she appeal to that spark and fan it back into a flame?

The spies provided the perfect location to stage his invasion, and four ships full of greenskin warrior-slaves were assembled before him upon the volcanic isle in preparation.

“Long have your people worn the shackles of slavery. Long have your ancestors served ours. This I promise you is the last. No longer will the lash of pain tenderize your flesh. No longer will the chains of servitude drag at your necks. Freedom is within your reach if you have but the will to grasp it! This is the price of your freedom. For each ten human slaves you bring to me, I will free two of your brethren! To the pod that finds the pathway to Dolomakduum, I will free every member of your tribe! For every outpost you secure, I will free ten of your pod! As citizens of the Doradzharr Empire, you will be allowed to keep what you have pillaged as long as you tithe to your lord your proper due!” The shocked creatures stared at him dumbfounded for a few moments before his words slowly crept in to their primitive minds. Sporadic cheers became the roar of approval before he silenced them with a dark thunderbolt from the skies.

“These lands are ripe for your conquest my future brothers! These humans are weak, and have no will to fight! They are barely worthy to be your slaves! Go and conquer to win your freedom!” A great roar rose to a fever pitch as they howled their battle-cries to the blood-red moon before moving out to load upon the ships.

“Father, are you sure that is wise?” Khazzikhar’s whisper was barely audible to his sensitive hearing.

“My son, you will soon learn that orcs are very forgetful creatures, but some things are bred in to them by design. Their stupidity and servitude is enduring.”

The messenger woke him way too soon, and Zhorvan began to regret the amount of time he had dallied with the elf instead of sleeping. Groggily he listened to the words, but their meaning escaped him for a few moments as he sorted himself from her long limbs.

“The Mayor wishes to discuss surrender, Lord Zhorvan, and the High King has agreed to an audience.” He ran taloned fingers through the few stray black locks that had escaped their bindings.

“Very well, have Khazzikhar meet with the Mayor of Abernyth, and I will ready myself to meet with the High King.” His eyes traced the outline of the elf hungrily, but he sighed instead. “Put her with the others until I return.”

“As you command, Supreme Lord.” The guards bowed before carrying out his orders and he turned to the messenger as he dressed.

“Take a letter of announcement. The Supreme High Priest Lord of the Doradzharr Empire, Lord Zhorvan Blackheart, will comply with the wishes of the High King of Dunvaar, and meet to discuss terms of a cease of hostilities in a seven-day’s time. I wish to ensure safe passage for myself and my retinue through your lands and the full status of a diplomat of my station. In return, I will be held personally accountable for the actions of my retinue while in Dunvaar and guarantee their behavior with my life and freedom. Should treachery arise from this visitation, know that my people will take terrible retribution with weapons you could barely imagine, and woe be to those who survive. Thus sworn by Priest Lord Zhorvan Blackheart, Supreme High Lord of the Doradzharr Empire.” The sorcerer’s gaze followed the elf as she was led from his chamber, and Vrakkaia came to help prepare him for his journey.

“She is beautiful, Lord Zhorvan. I never imagined such creatures existed.” His raised brows met her gaze and she quickly looked away as the heat rose in her cheeks.

“Neither did I, Vrakkaia, neither did I. And yet her presence both fills me with longing and loathing at once.” He rested a hand upon her swollen belly. “But though she may be a distraction, she is a slave and you will soon be my wife.” As if hearing his voice, the child within reached out making an almost discernable handprint on his.

“My Lord, I do not presume to know your mind, but I cannot help but see the way she affects you. And, an alliance with her people would do much towards our acceptance among the inhabitants of this land should such an alliance prove necessary.” Did she no longer wish to marry him?

“A political marriage? Such a thing might be a worthy consideration, had I not already given you my word.” An adequate test of her wishes, her reply would be telling.

“The honor that you offer me is a great privilege my Lord, and it would please me to be a part of your family. But the needs of our people come before mine. I am happy to remain your servant, and to warm your bed when you feel the need.” She would release him from his vow, yet remain by his side? Perhaps she did truly believe what she had said?

He could almost feel her wish for him to keep his promise, and he would keep a part of it to be sure. “Then this is what I will do, Vrakkaia. As Supreme Lord, I will establish Khazzikhar as my heir and you as my consort. But I will reserve my bonding for the elf, should there be enough of a tie between us to arrange a political marriage. In this way, I will keep my word to you, and allow for this alliance to take place.” Her eyes met his for a long moment as she considered what he had proposed.

“You honor me, Lord Zhorvan, far more than I deserve.” She whispered hoarsely as he took her in his arms.

“Your enduring loyalty is more than deserving. Of all those who serve me, you and Haavrakh are the only ones I trust completely. To have you at my side is a comfort in all things, a place from which I need never fear of ambitious attack.” It was all too true, even his sons lusted after his position; he could see it in their eyes.

There had been more than one occasion in the past to purge his bloodlines. He only hoped that Khazzikhar had the same loyalty he had come to know from his mother. There was imminent danger in declaring an heir, especially since as long as he carried the soul of the daemon dragon, he would never age. As long as he fed the daemon’s hunger, the curse of a crystal tomb would not touch him, nor age or disease, but, for all of that, he was still mortal. Poison and violence would still slay him as easily as any other, and for that reason alone, he kept very careful check on all of his potential rivals, especially his own flesh and blood.

I blame my Husband

2009-11-19T07:13:00.000-08:00

Not getting much writing done these days. Work has been hectic, and I admit, I have this weakness for a good fantasy RPG. So, my husband went and got me the Dragon Age computer version RPG and well... it is simply fantastic! Can't say as though I agree with their Dwarf culture. Why would a race concerned with honor and warrior prowess play politics so viciously? Especially if their race is in decline and oppressed by enemies with little hope of allies? Doesn't make sense and annoys me, but other than that, the storyline and interaction is well done. The game has a bit of problem with my audio and widescreen video, but for its flaws, I still like it. If you liked neverwinter or baldur's gate, this game is very much like them, but better.

So I blame Jim for getting me hooked on this game instead of finishing up the rewrite of Valkardain (Sorrow's Bane).

Abernyth Revisited

2009-11-10T05:25:00.000-08:00

A while back, I worked on a storyline and campaign for some gaming friends. Two nights ago, I had a dream that sort of brought it all back to me with inspiration for more and a great novel plot line to follow. So I've started character writing, and setting the framework for the novel.

The premise is as follows:

Invasion of Abernyth Campaign Background

From the Mountains of Eternal Sorrow he could see it, the massive explosion that devastated the tower where he spent most of the year in the Supreme Council. Cold shakes chilled through every nerve he possessed as the magical shockwave washed over him from the backlash. Power was torn from him with the force of a hurricane, tearing his soul to pieces! What had they done!? Ten thousand years of history, of their civilization wiped out in a matter of seconds! But it was worse than that, he could feel the malevolence from where he knelt in agony still a hundred miles from what was his destination. Unadulterated chaos seeped from the weeping wound in the fabric of the universe. Demons raged with delight as they were unleashed and unfettered among his people, and he knew that he was the only Member of the Supreme Council left, the only one with the knowledge to control the forces of the Abyss. But one was not nearly enough to seal the rift he felt beating at his magical senses with the force of a mighty hammer, nor to vanquish the guardian he could feel formed of the souls of his fellow sorcerers, especially when he had been all but drained of power!

The demons came on him while he slept; screams in the night woke him like a bolt of thunder. The arcane phrases flowed from his lips, phrases once meant to conjure hellish creatures to serve his whims, now used to keep them from consuming the life-force of his people and feeding their souls to the Guardian of the Rift. The bodies of the weak willed littered the ground as he strode like an avenging angel of destruction, banishing the creatures that slew indiscriminately. Thousands of slaves had already perished; his tribute from a year's worth of warfare by his Clan, Blackheart. So much potential wealth destroyed! The anger was short lived as Zhorvan realized what it meant.

A rift had been opened to the Abyss, a rift that allowed all the minions of hell to run rampant and there was no one left that could stop them! Return to the City of Fire was impossible, and so he turned his eye to the coast. Wealth and power became meaningless in the current task of survival. He was the last of his kind, the last of the Dorakannan Priest Lords that had been chosen to sit on the Supreme Council of Sorcerers, and the whole of his people were in danger of extinction!
"Send messengers throughout our Empire! Gather all the survivors to the City of Skulls! Muster every ship in our Black Fleet, every vessel worthy of sea travel! This world is doomed and we must find the ancient gateway of Dolamakduum or we will all perish!" To the skies lit his acolytes aboard their bonded lammasu mounts as they went to spread the word.

The Doradzhor Empire was no more and those that were able marched with all haste to the City of Skulls. Black talons bit in to coppery palms, and drops of dark ichors made sable stains upon the iron deck of the ship as the priest scryed out the events that lead to the destruction of their home. The Supreme Lord had ordered it, the summoning of their God, the Dark Father Marduk. Ten thousand slaves were sacrificed upon his altar, the power beyond the measure of the entire council. It was no surprise the arrogant Supreme Lord had been unable to contain it all. It burst through him, consuming the other eight members of the Chosen in the resultant magical explosion. What had been meant to bring forth the champion of the Father of Darkness became a random rift to all the Abyss, and collapsed the pseudo plane The Black Forge.

Tusked jaw set in a scowl, Zhorvan turned the images in the obsidian globe to the future, his taloned fingers manipulating arcane forces beyond the comprehension of his remaining acolytes. A gesture to a nearby slave brought the towering orc closer.
"More blood ale, slave." He mumbled as he focused on events yet to occur.
The demons covered the world, all life perishing beneath their ministrations. They fed off the living essence of all in their path, leaving a drained husk of dusty nothingness behind them as tormented souls wailed in the aftermath. Even the fish of the sea died in droves, and within the space of a few short years, nothing lived. An entire thriving world completely drained of life became another hell chained to the Abyssmal Plane.

"Lord Zhorvan, what does it mean?" The black eyes of his eldest living sorcerous son pleaded for some sort of hope.

"It means that we had better find the path to Dolamakduum, and very soon. Our supplies will last hopefully until we reach the continent of Dunloring, but we will have to restock as we search. At least we have enough slaves to sustain us until then." Khazzikhar's nose wrinkled in disgust at the thought of eating the meat of the slaves, but he refrained from comment. "The past will return to haunt us, and now we must face our betrayers."

"Do you think they will muster against us?"

"Not if they are already distracted. I have given this much thought. Our spies in Dunloring report that humans have taken over most of the northeastern portion of the continent, the more fertile of the lands. They have displaced many of the Betrayers' holds, and they might already be hostile towards each other. I have ordered one of their High King's sons killed in the human lands, and by the time we reach them, we can arrange to seize and kill the other. Humans are hasty and the betrayers are suspicious creatures. It will not take much to incite war between them. We can also seize some of their lands in order to restock ammunition and supplies as well as gather more slaves. If the humans prove to be a greater force than we anticipate, we can always play upon their sympathy for our plight, and reveal the nature of the betrayers to them. With such primitive minds, they should be easily manipulated and/or controlled."

"What if the betrayers make an alliance with the humans?"

"We will simply have to ensure that does not happen. Revealing the fullness of our history to the humans once it seems apparent that they may side with the betrayers will ensure that the humans will never trust them. Their shame will become our benefit, and perhaps in this, we can find vengeance before we leave them to their deaths."

"What of the elves?" His patience near its limit, Zhorvan's scowl silenced the youth.

"The elves are of no concern to us. We will leave them be as long as they remain consumed within their self-admiration. They will perish from the daemons soon enough." A knock on the door interrupted his revere and a breathless messenger entered, informing him of a lone survivor from one of the scouting parties.

The Dog Who Beat the Radio Fence

2009-11-05T11:54:00.000-08:00

The Dog Who Beat the Radio Fence

When Valkrys was almost two years old and feeling spunky, she would hop the fence and peruse the neighborhood. She was pretty friendly to one and all, but not too far away was a four lane thoroughfare as well as an interstate highway. Being a responsible owner, I wanted to prevent her #1 getting hit by a car, and #2 scaring anyone who didn’t know her, after all, she was a big girl weighing in at 55 pounds.

Back then, the newest and greatest thing since bagged kibble was the radio fence. One weekend, I spent many long hours digging a trench around our house and laying down wire for the radio fence, inserting dozens of little white flags, wiring in the power supply, and fussing about actually having a collar shock my dog. I was not too keen on the idea, but neither was I fond of putting her on a chain. The next several days were spent teaching Valkrys about the little white flags, the beeping sound, and the need not to ignore the beeping sound. Valkrys learned all this very quickly, and was happily perusing the yard within three days, patently avoiding the beeping sounds when I was watching her.

The next test was to let her out for an hour on her own to see if she would attempt to cross the fence. She didn’t try it, but unfortunately I didn’t have many more days left to simply test her ability to stay within the boundary. With high hopes, I left for work with her happily playing with Thor (our other dog) in the back yard.

My hopes were dashed, though, when she greeted me in the driveway when I came home. My husband didn’t know how long she had been out of the back yard (it was not attached to his computer). I checked the batteries in the collar, and sure enough, they were dead. I went to the store and picked up a brand new set of batteries and installed them. Fairly confident, I headed off to work the next day, expecting to see Valkrys in the back yard when I came home.

Not so! Again she greeted me on the driveway, and mysteriously, the batteries in her collar were again dead! Now I know I have a tendency to drain the odd watch battery, but I had never heard of such a thing from a dog. But, radio fences and shock collars were quite new to the dog training world. I was still rather suspicious of the notion, though, so asked my husband to watch her carefully the next day when he put her out.

This is what he saw. Valkrys had learned very well about the warning beep. So well in fact that she sat exactly five feet away from the buried wire until the collar stopped beeping. She would then, very casually stroll across the buried wire and jump the fence.

Valkrys beat the radio fence hands down.

Valkrys a Heroine with Fur (True Story)

2009-11-05T11:47:00.000-08:00

It was a dark and stormy night back in April of 1992 when I woke at 3am to the cries of fear from a young puppy who had been lost. He was curled into a tiny white-yellow ball outside my window, yowling for his lost mother and siblings each time lightning flashed overhead and the thunder roared. It was pouring down rain and the poor little guy was soaked through and through. I picked him up and he shivered as I placed him inside my raincoat and I searched up and down the street for close to thirty minutes in the torrential downpour for the mother to no avail. I brought the little guy inside, and he snuggled up close to me with a sigh of contentment, and we fell asleep.

When I woke the next morning, I fed him some of our old dog's food and gave him some water. It was bright and sunny, a big contrast to the night's storm. The air was crisp and clean, and the ground was wet and steaming. The little white-yellow shepherd followed my every move and footstep, making sure I was not going to leave him, and happily licked my chin when I picked him up and took him outside. He was very cute, but I knew someone would be missing him.

I asked my neighbor if they knew who owned him, and I was told there was a white shepherd adult male around the corner and they might know. With the little boy trotting behind me faithfully, I headed in that direction, only to see some folks heading my way down the street calling out at least six different names I assumed were more puppies. With a large smile they saw my young visitor and called out to him. Oddly enough, he sat behind me, cocked his head and wagged his tail. I asked them if he was for sale, and they said no, that he had already been spoken for. I liked the little boy so much I asked if any of the other puppies were for sale, and they said yes, they had two girls left.

They told me the mother got out of the fence with five of the six pups last night, and they had been trying to find them. They were happy to find that the bundle of white fur had been well cared for, but I was sad to give him back. I followed them back, though, to view to the two girls. Valkrys was beautiful, a spunky little twelve week old black and tan pup who took one look at me and yapped happily before trotting over to paw at my leg. It was love at first sight.

Seeing her brother and her other sister, I asked what all she was mixed with and got a funny look before being told they didn't know, not that it really mattered to me. Almost immediately Valkrys took to my son, and they became best buddies.

She was a happy puppy, played fetch and tug-o-war, and had the cutest move ever. When you tugged lightly on her tail, she would hop backwards three times and yip, then run forward. We laughingly called it puppy-reverse.

As she grew older, it was apparent that Valkrys was no ordinary dog. At around nine months of age, she was still a bit clumsy, growing in to her large paws, but she was a very smart girl.

One night in the fall of the year, my husband and I were watching TV in the den which was on the bottom floor of our split level. It was a large carpeted area with bookshelves and a door that opened out to the fenced in back yard. Ordinarily, when Valkrys wanted out, she would go to the door and whine. On this night, though, she ran up the stairs, whining, then ran back down, yipping and whining urgently. Puzzled, I asked her if she wanted out, which she barked at me, but instead of going to the door, she ran back up the stairs.

Knowing better than to ignore her plea, I immediately followed, and she ran to our son’s door. She frantically started digging at the carpet underneath it, and realization dawned on me there was something seriously wrong in our son’s room! In the next fraction of a second, I could smell the smoke, and cleared the last couple of stairs and the intervening distance in one leap. The handle was cool as I yanked open the door in rising fear. To my horror, flames were leaping up the wall not more than one foot from my son’s head where he was sound asleep! One more leap had me at the bedside, picking him up and handing him to Jim as he ran up behind me.

“Get him out!” I ordered as I turned to deal with the fire.

Grabbing a blanket from the bed, I smothered the flames, and pulled the cord of the transformer that had started it. The plastic was so melted the wires pulled free easily, but left the rest of the transformer in the wall! Grabbing a dustpan, I levered the rest of it out of the socket and wrapped it up in the now half-melted blanket, took it all outside and doused it with the hose.

Only then did it occur to me what would have happened if Valkrys had not warned us, and I sat down shuddering, as I praised and petted our heroine.

Valkrys went on to do many wonderful and amazing things, such stories as “The Dog Who Beat the Radio Fence”, and “The Ninja Pizza Thief”. She has always been close and dear to our hearts, well loved and well looked after.