(aka ‘I was really Sleepy, Bored and Brainless when I wrote this. What a combination.’)

Intro
I was thinking, hey, enough of angsty stories full of crap. I ought to actually blog about my MMO experience. Even if it will be no less crappier, who cares? No one can come up to me and tell me, Oi, this is a place to blog about your MMO experiences, not to tell long grandmother stories, so bugger off to your little corner in FF.net or something. read more

¤ Controversy

‘Yes, that is a good idea.’ King Kranz muses, a thoughtful finger trailing along the arm of his chair.

‘Thank you, your Majesty.’ Verchiel inclines his electric green head slightly. ‘I was fearful that your Majesty might find my suggestion too bizarre.’

‘You know I always welcome suggestions from my Advisors. Besides, some of my Court would agree that my own ideas of government alone are bizarre beyond fairy comprehension.’ The King smiles ironically. ‘Something that ought to be worrying, if even my own people cannot comprehend me, do you not think so?’ read more

† The Bandaging

There was a fire, and there were nice cushy chairs, only the fire was spluttering pathetically and the chairs buried under heaps of books and various knickknacks. She could spot a few sets of scorched robes, and bits of broken staffs and wands poking out from within the heaps. Dirty cutlery laid scattered on every available flat surface, and baskets of dried herbs stood amidst dusty bottles of liquids in strange shades of red, orange and white lying randomly all over the place. read more

† The Wounding

‘Murderer.’ The word rang in her ears as she pushed her way towards the dark forest through the knee-high brush that surrounded it.

‘Witch. Murderous witch!’ And again! The words her father whispered at her with horrified, accusing eyes, her mother standing behind him, tears already starting in the woman’s eyes as she looked at what lay on the floor beyond her daughter. read more

¤ Plans

The feeling of her cocoon unravelling, the dark space, the two windows, the whispers in the air that danced just out of one’s hearing… again.

She no longer wondered why she was here anymore; she knew she just was. But she also knew there was something out there, something beyond this dark space that was not merely what she saw in the windows. There was a strange pulling sensation that tugged and called at her soundlessly through the blackness. But it was weak, even weaker than the airy voices in the wind that sang to her, telling her to forget the sensation, just listen to them, who’s anywhere?, listen to us. read more

† The Salve

Her steps were slower now, as she tramped through the dark forest. There was no path for her to follow, and she was lost. A cracking sound from above her made her look up sharply, her heart pounding so hard it felt like it would simply leap out of her mouth.

It is nothing, she told herself, but even before she could finish that thought, a black shape detached itself from the shadows of the canopy and shot down the tree trunk to pounce on her. She bit back a scream, as she was bowled backwards onto the forest floor, sharp claws digging deep into her shoulders. Terrified, she only stared up helplessly at her attacker, a strange looking monkey with fur and skin of a shade made ghastly by the pale halo above its head. read more

¤ Enough Hate

‘Hmm.’ Grendel peered down at the facsimile pages, scanning through Salmer’s account quickly. ‘Fascinating.’

‘Strange, isn’t it?’ Silver asked from the comfortable armchair she was sitting in, looking up from the open pages of her journal. Right after they finished reading the pages Solomon had sent them, Silver had dragged Jaysen, to his everlasting and loudly-proclaimed despair, all the way up to Grendel’s office in yet another lift pod ride, bursting with questions for the old wizard. ‘If Wing was aiming for the Fire Sentinel, why would the spell deflect to the girl?’ read more

¤ Beginning of Before

Aurora frowned in concentration, trying to keep her mind clear of all thoughts as she stared at the Fire Sentinel that was before her on the platform. The monster was already opening its round body of animated stone, powering up its laser. Aurora knew, if she didn’t move soon, she would get shocked by a nasty red laser beam.

Hurriedly, she made the spell gesture. A blue glow surrounded the Fire Sentinel, then dissipated, leaving the stone creature stunned. The lower part of its stone body spun around with a whirling sound, as the confused Sentinel retracted its laser, forgetting what it was about to do. read more

¤ Making Peace

We were walking along the corridors of the Academy, discussing what I had saw in Verchiel’s rooms, when I saw something around a corner that made me stop in surprise…

‘Hush.’ Salmer twisted around and gestured forcefully for Aurora to keep quiet, then pointed around the corner. Aurora peered around Salmer, and what she saw in the adjacent corridor made her blink. read more

¤ Great Deeds

‘But, Wing, sir! You are the first person we’ve met so far that can speak A-,’ Jaysen stumbled over Aurora’s name, ‘I mean, the girl’s name. Maybe you want to give a reason why you don’t want to talk about her?’ He gestured to Silver with a friendly grin. ‘Else this lady will never let you off.’

‘A reason?’ Wing considered. ‘One question, Librarian.’ read more