The Underworld Queen - Chapter 1

Craksia’s feet bled as she ran through the city, past all the houses and shops, through the outskirts and into the tunnels, finally reaching Beyond. She ran directly into the darkness, her mind only thinking of the many feet that ran behind her, relentlessly pursuing. Being caught at this point meant punishment, perhaps even death. And their feet wouldn’t bleed.

Her short legs churned hard as she surged forward, her bright eyes seeing everything in the near blackness. Everything around her seemed to glow as she raced through the caves and tunnels, taking her turns and shortcuts without even thinking. She had grown up in these corridors and felt more at home here than she ever had at the Queens court in the city. Her large ears picked up sounds that most couldn’t, her nose sniffing continuously to direct her even closer to her destination. As she ran her thoughts flooded her head, her fear and elation becoming one new emotion she had never felt before. What had she done? It was the end of her career for sure. And if the Delvers ever caught her it would definitely be the end of her life. And her families. And most of her friends.

She tried not to think on it as she ran, listening intently behind her for the tell-tale stamp and ring of the metal boots on stone. She felt confident she was far enough ahead of them and knew these caves better than they to be safe but the Sniffers would be out in droves and they could pick up her scent a mile through the thickest of stone walls. So she kept on running, her only hope to beat them there.

Finally, she came upon the house. It was nothing to look at from the outside. Sitting in the middle of the giant cavern it looked small, barely reaching two stories. The stone around it had been plowed and cut out, leaving large swaths where wet dirt and moss had been thrown. The lichen and mushrooms that grew everywhere cast their ghostly light up and around and the glow worms wriggled everywhere. Craksia felt the squelch of many of them on the path as her bare feet stamped a rhythm straight up to the door of the house. The lamp out front was lit and uncovered, inviting any visitors in. She barreled her way inside, shutting the door behind her with a bang.

“Fralson?! Are you here?”

The house was deadly silent. The entry hall was lined with tubs filled to the brim with dirt, the glow worms that lived and bred in them squirming all about. If she listened carefully she could hear them digging their holes but she had not the time for such things. She moved through the house quickly, calling the mans name over and over as she searched.

“Fralson, if you’re here answer me! We don’t have time for this!”

“Craksia, is that you?”

The gaunt man emerged from a side room and she almost ran into him. She pulled up short and breathed heavily. Fralson smiled at her, his head cocked to the side in a curious look. He held a bundle of stoneweed in each hand, the moisture dripping onto the floor.

“Hells bells girl, you look to be in a right mess. What’s going on? Where are your shoes?”

“Must have lost them in the chase. Doesn’t matter. They’ll be here any moment. You have to help me.”

“Help? From who? What’s going on?”

“I need your Key.”

Fralsons smile disappeared faster than a young suiters courage whose intended’s father has just shown up. He breathed heavily, slowly setting the stoneweed down on a table nearby, not giving a thought to the precious wood.

“Tell me.”

“I haven’t time.”

“You make the time.”

Craksia could tell by his tone that he wasn’t going to budge on this. She sighed and paused, finally reaching into her pocket and producing a small amulet. Fralsons eyes went wide and he marveled at the piece. The gold and silver plated amulet shone brightly in the dim lit house. Eight gemstones sat around the center, each a different color. They were attached by lines of light, binding each to the other in a strange magic, forming a star of sorts. They sat hovered in midair, set into the amulet yet not a part of it. Fralsons hand raised slowly of its own accord and stretched out to touch the piece. Craksia pulled back before he could make the mistake.

“Don’t touch it.”

He nodded but the gleam in his eyes said he would ignore all reason if he could have the chance to hold it. His eyes never left the priceless jewelry.

“How did you come by this?”

“How do you think? Is the Queen going to be angry?”

“Murderous.”

His senses kicked back into gear and his eyes snapped to meet hers.

“She’s going to send everything she has after you, her entire army. The Delvers, Kickers, Sniffers, Breakers.”

Craksia nodded.

“I think I saw a few Maulers as well.”

Fralson backed away from her quickly, shaking his head and shoving her back toward the doorway.

“No. I cannot be a part of this. You have to leave, now.”

“Fralson, I need your Key. It’s the only way.”

He shook his head vehemently.

“They will rip this house down to the foundation just because you came here. If they even suspected I helped you in this...”

“But you must!”

“I must do no such thing! Now leave! I am not beholden to you!”

He shoved her out the doorway and went to slam the door behind her.

“And what of your promise?!”

That stopped him. The door sat open a crack as he trembled in the doorway, his hand set against the wood. His voice came in a soft squeak.

“That was so many years ago. He told you of that?”

Craksia nodded.

“My father promised me when this day came that you would uphold your end of the bargain, that you would help when destiny called your name. I am calling to you now, uncle, that you would remember the old days. The way things used to be. We can regain that time. But I need your help.”

He sighed on the other side of the door, refusing to open it again.

“This will not come without costs. You must think of what you are giving up. What you are asking me to sacrifice.”

“Think of what will be lost if we do nothing.”

Fralson closed his eyes and a few tears fell into his face. Finally, he slowly drew the door back open.

“You ask much of me, dear niece. I hope you have thought this through.”

He looked again to the necklace she held in her hand.

“Though it seems you already have.”

He reached with his right hand to his left and grasped a ring, whose gemstone matched one of the ones in the necklace. He gently pulled it free and spat in his hand, polishing it of the dirt and grime. He stared at it wistfully for a moment, before finally handing it to Craksia. She bowed her head in thanks and set it on one of her own fingers, next to its brother. She slung the necklace over her head and the medallion hung in between her breasts. She looked up into Fralsons eyes.

“Thank you. The fate of the land is one step closer to freedom.”

He nodded sadly. He took one last breath and steeled himself, raising his eyes to look out across his property.

“You must go. I can feel their footsteps even now. They will be here soon.”

Craksia stepped forward and put her arms around the frail man, hugging him tightly. He stood still for a moment before finally returning the embrace.

“Leave now. I can assure your escape for the moment but not for long. Hide quickly and surely. Perhaps they will not find you for many days.”

“I won’t be found. They can’t follow where I’m going.”

His eyes grew wide and his face was full of fear.

“You’re going to the Surface?!”

“It’s the only way uncle. Did you think I stole the necklace out of spite alone?”

He shook his head and went to shut the door again.

“Your journey is even more dangerous than I imagined. Go, now, before it’s too late. You’ve already killed me with your presence.”

“A sin I will pay for in the next life.”

The door shut with a bang and a finality that sent tremors all throughout her body but she hadn’t a moment to lose. Craksia ran out into the yard and stood in the middle of the gardens, taking hold of the necklace with both hands. The rings on her hand glowed fiercely as she channeled the magic that rose up from the ground. At the last instant, before she disappeared fully, she saw the Queens solders race into the gardens from all side, trampling with their metal boots without a thought. It grieved her so to leave him to his fate but Fralson knew this day would come. He would leave honorably.

Craksia vanished in a cloud of smoke that spun up into the air and twisted like a cyclone before dissipating into nothing.

———————————————————

The room was dark as Craksia stole across the soft surface, her bare feet making not a sound. The blood had dried and she ignored the trails of flecks as they peppered the floor. The strange room was full of all sorts of alien items, toys and books, machines and inventions that made no sense to her. But her mission lay before her, lying in the bed, breathing steadily in the deep slumber. The boy had no idea she was there. The sky outside was dark, yet even in the pitch of night the light streaming in from the moon and stars was as lamplight to her, streaming across the room brightly. She squinted as she made her way ever closer, hand going to her chest to grab the necklace.

She held it out slowly as the gems activated and began to glow, casting even more light around the room. She began to chant softly in the language of the Elders, the words her father taught her from birth etched into her memory. She drew from her incantation, giving it life and power as the light grew steadily stronger. There was a cry from the other room. She was not alone.

The boys eyes opened sleepily as the light grew bright as day and her voice rose to the climax of the chant. His face wakened suddenly, sitting up in shock and fear. She finished her words and silently apologized to him in her heart as the light wrapped around the both of them and they disappeared in the blink of an eye, stealing the Prince from his bed.

Riverstone - Chapter 2

           I was sitting in my usual spot four weeks ago waiting for the new pastor to get here. Everyone was excited. It showed, because there was such a big crowd that day. Riverstone normally doesn’t have this many people except on Christmas, Easter, and I guess a wedding or funeral, which I never get invited to. 

 

          Roseanne Scott sat on the far left, very unusual, as jittery as she ever did. The week before, while I was at the water fountain, I heard her ask someone if they thought Brother Ron was going to be a hit, or bomb out within a year like many pastor’s did. I don’t think she really cares one way or the other, I think she just likes the excitement. Then she said, ‘yep, in sixty-eight years I think I have paid my dues for a lifetime membership here at Riverstone. I’ve seen them come and I have seen them go, and Ron Anderson won’t be the last.’

 

          Then Mrs. Scott waved at her very best friend, Emmy Davidson, as she entered the far front corner and rounded a rickety white rail and sat down at her upright Baldwin piano. Emmy was dressed out in an all white dress with black polka-dots. Sort of looked like her piano keys to me. Emmy…Oh, by the way, I would never call these adults by their first names face to face. My momma might not ever come to church, but she taught me to never disrespect an adult by calling them be their first name. Well, Emmy sat up straight and proper, and placed her music down ‘neat and proper’. Mrs. Rogers, the lady that plays the organ, never plays the early songs. She waits until the service starts and people sing to start playing her organ. She doesn’t do much else here. Plays the organ and goes home. Emmy started with ‘Amazing Grace’ and then a few more I didn’t know. 

 

          Margie, Roseanne Scott’s sister-in-law…well, I told you about her, she came in the front right after Emmy came in and she came straight to me and hugged me and slipped two suckers into my pocket. “Save these for later. One for you and one for your mom, but…if her’s gets eaten before you get home, I won’t be too upset.” She smiled at me and then wandered around talking to a whole lot of people, hugging them all. 

 

          Then Inez walked in. She never did just walk in. She made an entrance. She came in the left hand side door, went two feet, and let the swinging wooden door close behind her. Then she looked to the left, then to the right, and then slowly walked to her usual second-row seat. Like always, nobody had had the guts to sit in her seat. It was cold and lonely like it is every Sunday. She reached up with her bony little fingers and straightened out that ugly hat. It looked like a dead beaten-up chicken. Nobody but Inez wore a hat. Not anybody in town. Not even the few ladies I think are older than her. She is old, too. I’ve heard people call her a ‘charter member” of Riverstone, whatever that means. They only call old people that.          

 

          The door suddenly opened behind the organ and I expected it to be Mrs. Rogers to play the organ. In walked a pretty lady and two small children and sat on the very first row on the far left. That must be the preacher’s family. “Cool,” I thought. They have a boy about my age. I wonder if this new pastor will think his kid is too good to play with ‘trailer trash’? I don’t know why, but the lady happened to look back at me and gave me a big smile. She looked like she meant it.

 

I heard something just to my right and looked just as Alice Holman tapped her husband Hubert on the shoulder and handed him her best white handkerchief. “Wipe off those filthy hands, dear. I can almost smell those cows from here. Why didn’t you clean up before we left?” Hubert looked over at her funny. “It’s not my fault the milker broke down three cows before the ‘Mexican’ finished milking. I had to fix it. I’m sorry. I knew you didn’t want to be late, so… well…they are dirty. Sorry.” 

 

          When her husband seemed to be finished, she quickly grabbed her handkerchief and stuffed it back in the very bottom of her purse that was painted like a Holstein milk cow. Everything the Holmans owned had something to do with dairy cows. Even their Ford truck’s license plate says, ‘HAVE MILK’. 

 

          I saw Alice sort of look my way for a moment or two. I got a funny feeling for a second. I didn’t look up, but I thought she was staring at me. 

 

          “Hubert,” she said. He had already gone to sleep. “Look, they said the new pastor’s wife was pretty,” she said as she pointed across the room. “Almost too pretty.” When Hubert was still looking at the new pastor’s wife a minute later, she gave his large belly a painful pinch. “She’s not that pretty, Hubert!” She suddenly looked around, wondering who had heard her, realizing she has spoken way too loud. Obviously several had. I had. 

 

 

          I felt a hand on my shoulder and looked around. Chad and Winnie are sitting behind me. They are alone, so I guess Jimmy is in the nursery today. 

 

          “Hi, Randy,” they said together. Chad then asked about my mom. I lied and said she was fine. I knew he didn’t believe me. He knows she’s a drunk. I look down at my hands and they turn around and start to talk to Brad Winston who is sitting behind them. I listened for a minute. 

 

          “Hey Brad, I didn’t know Wendy was your niece. I had her in my British Lit. class the first summer semester. I knew she wasn’t from here, so I made no connection. She’s a bright young girl, a…well…a little different…but I guess you already knew that.” He stopped talking but I knew he hadn’t turned around yet. I shifted slightly so I could see both men. “I’m sorry Brad. I…I should have kept my mouth shut.”     Brad waved him off. “ah…she’s my sister’s step-child, really. Sort of not family.” I saw Brad shrug his shoulders as if it didn’t bother him. I think it did though. I know why. I saw Brad and his whole big family eating together at Dairy Queen and I remembered a Wendy. She is kinda’ weird. Wore all black and had chains. She even had most of her head shaved and one of them ‘spiky’ Mohawk kind of things. 

 

          Emmy never plays more than three songs before the pastor stands up and gives announcements and gets things going. I noticed that she started her fifth song and looked a little nervous. When she finished, she had to move some paper around because I think she wasn’t planning on this many songs. 

 

          All of a sudden, Inez booms out. “Did this new pastor quit before he even got started? We surely won’t beat the Methodists to lunch today!” All the kids around started giggling, even some of the big folks. I looked over at the preacher’s wife and she looked down. I thought she was going to cry. 

 

The music guy, Raymond Wilcocks, finally came to the podium and without any announcements started the church singing. Pastor Anderson was still not here. At least I didn’t think so. I had never seen him. But looking around, I didn’t see anybody that was new to town. We were singing the second song, “What have I to dread, what have I to fear…” When all at once I heard almost the whole church gasp at once. I looked to my right and everyone seemed to be looking my way to the left of the church. 

 

I heard, “Oh my,” “What in the world,” and a few, “Well, I never.” Some ladies had their hands over their mouths while others looked down. Most of the men were still staring to the left. Many of them grinning real big. A few got jabbed in the belly by their wives. I looked over and saw a man and lady walking up the left-middle aisle. The man was big and bald and had a great big smile. He also had tattoos on just about every bit of skin except his scalp. All over his huge arms and his neck. It looked like even on his right ear. He was wearing jeans and a plain white t-shirt with Dr Pepper on the back. The lady with him was tall and very pretty. She had on a black skirt and a glittery red shirt, blouse,… whatever ladies call their clothes. I guess it really wasn’t either. It started about five inches above her belt and didn’t go very far. It had little straps on top. I guess that is what all the ladies were gawking about. She didn’t look as happy as he did. 

 

He looked like he was about forty or forty-five years old. She was maybe my mom’s age. About thirty. I couldn’t tell if they were husband and wife, father and daughter, or what. They kind of stopped half-way up the aisle and looked around for a bit. I kind of flinched when I realized they continued forward and were headed straight for Inez. “No, guy! Don’t. If you know what is good for you, don’t sit by ‘old crab face’”, is what I wanted to yell out to the nice looking man. But that is where they headed. 

 

They stopped to the left of Inez and just stood there. I think he was waiting for her to turn his way. Finally, he tapped her on the shoulder and asked, “May we please, ma’am?” he pointed to the empty seats next to her. Inez looked up at the man and then noticed the lady and then spoke loud enough for anyone in the building to hear. 

 

“No one ever sits up there, fella. Have at it.” Inez then slapped the pew in front of her and turned away from them. The man and lady went ahead and sat on the very front row, right in front of her. I’m not sure who said it, but I then heard a lady behind me say, “Honey, I swear. I pray that the lord would save that lady, or take her on out of this world. She’s such a …” I didn’t hear the rest. She was talking about Inez.

 

I felt sorry for the man and lady, so when I heard the next few comments close to me, I didn’t look around like I usually do to see who said things. “I bet this is the first time for either of them to ever darken a church doorway.” “He looks sort of like that guy over in Marsdale who killed his two children.” And the last thing I heard before the new pastor walked in was, “…well, whatever you call her honey, she looks like a tramp.”

 

Then the whole building went quiet as I heard the front left door behind the organ open and in walked a skinny, tall man with a very nice face. He walked in and kissed his wife, right on the lips, and then walked straight to the chair Mr. Wilcocks usually sits in, but he was still leading the singing. As soon as the song ended, Mr. Wilcocks turned toward his usual chair, shook the hand of the new pastor, smiled, and then sat down in the other chair. That’s when the whole church gasped when Inez spoke up again. 

 

“The other chair, preacher. That one belongs to Raymond. Yours is over there on the right.” 

 

“Shush, Inez,” Alice said, almost as loud as Inez. 

 

I don’t remember a whole lot about Ron’s sermon. To be honest, if you quizzed me every Sunday night what the morning sermon was, I probably couldn’t tell. I guess I listen too much what is going on around me instead of the sermon. I probably should listen more. One thing I did hear a few weeks ago made me really mad. I skipped coming that next week because I was so mad, but then I thought about it and I started thinking that if I didn’t come back, the old man would be right and he would win. And I can’t stand losing, so I came back. What the old man said was, “I don’t think God can do anything to help those nasty ‘bus kids’. They are hopeless.” When I did come back, I made sure I tried to sit as close to him as possible. It drives him crazy. 

 

Well, just after Alice ‘shushed’ Inez, Ron stood up and quietly prayed before he started preaching. As soon as he said ‘amen’, Ron looked straight ahead and looked at the tattooed man in front of Inez and nodded and said, “Hi, Jake. I’m so glad you were able to make it today.” He went right into his sermon and there was little talking around me that day. Like on most Sundays, nobody came down during what they call the ‘invitation’. Mr. Wilcocks started one more song and we were dismissed. ‘Old man Jackson’ always takes a long time doing something in the church office, counting money I think, that I have about twenty minutes to just stand by the door on the inside right before people say goodbye to whoever preached, and just listen to all the gossip.

 

“Did you see that ‘floozie’ sitting on the front row with that ‘Hell’s Angel’ guy?” was the first comment I heard. Also, “she was wearing less than I did on my honeymoon.” One of the deacons, I really never can remember his name, it’s German or Austrian or something, said, “You better believe he’ll hear from me this week. Greeting some biker hippie right there from the pulpit. I’ve never seen that in Riverstone before. And if I ever have anything to say about it…” He didn’t finish his statement. 

 

Then ‘old man Jackson’ walked up and I usually try to beat him out and stand close to his truck so he won’t be mad at me for making him wait. The other two or three ‘bus kids’ always have to be found and that makes him mad, so I just go quickly and quietly. But when Pastor Ron heard ‘old man Jackson’s’ name, he said, “Oh great. You are in charge of the bus ministry, right?” 

 

Jackson’s chest kind of popped out and said, “Well, yes. But I have only one little kid, today.”

 

Ron asked, “If you’re not too busy, a few people have already mentioned going over to the Dairy Queen and everybody getting aquainted. I was wanting to treat your bus kids, but so what if it’s only one, bring him on anyway.”

 

“Well, pastor, this little boy kind of lives…his home is at…”

 

“What ever it is doesn’t matter, Mr. Jackson. If he lives a little too far out and you need to get somewhere this afternoon, I’ll make sure he gets home fine. My treat for both of you, OK?”

 

 

‘Old man Jackson’, really didn’t want to go, I could tell. I was one of the burdens in life that he had to bear and he said he guessed he would pick us kids up till he died, but he really didn’t like any of us I don’t think.

The Urge - Part 2

The man looked into Dorn’s eyes for a long moment. He chuckled lightly as if it were all a joke. 

But Dorn didn’t chuckle. 

After a moment the man seemed to be convinced of the fear and trepidation in the tavern owners eyes. His grin faded away, and he placed another silver coin on the counter. 

Dorn refilled the mug and slid it towards him. 

The man took another long drink and looked at Dorn. 

“What is this evil? Does it have a name” 

Dorn hesitated. He wasn’t a religious man, nor was he particularly superstitious. But Dorn was no fool either. He knew what the village was afraid of; he knew what speaking to this man about it might do to his business. 

“It’s nothing more than rumor”

At that, both men turned as a chair was over turned. 

“Rumor?” A young man exclaimed angrily. “Rumor? Tell that to my father! Tell that to my brother! Tell that to Ellen, Dorn! What happened to her, Dorn? Do you know?”

The stranger’s smile returned. He was finding delight in the argument.

Dorn could feel himself growing angry with the young man. His cheeks began to grow red. “No, Andrew. I do not.”

Andrew took one last look at the stranger and walked quickly out of the tavern. 

Dorn turned away, grabbing another glass to clean. 

“Ellen, eh? A relative? No. A lover?”

Dorn’s hand stopped as he stood there facing the shelf. His mind flooding with memories. 

“Yes. A lover, she was” The stranger answered his own question. 

Without his realization, the glass slipped from Dorn’s hand and shattered on the floor. 

“Yes” His voice was trembling slightly. “She was.”

“What about this terror?”

Dorn stood there for several moment’s wondering how much he could tell this stranger. How much he could reveal. 

The town needed help, but could this stranger be of any help? Would the risk be worth it?

Dorn struggled with the words. His mind was willing, but his lips seemed to hinder him. As if his mouth knew the consequences. 

Dorn turned once more to the dinning room. Everyone in the room was looking at him. A dozen eyes all begging him not to speak. A dozen hearts who knew the pain and loss all had experienced within the previous month. 

Dorn looked the stranger in the eyes. 

“They call it…” Dorn drew his breath for one last burst of courage “The Urge”

Jason Alexander is not Deaf

 An Excellent Mind

written, researched and dictated by

Dr. Yohann Kirkegard Whistlegrub,

M.D., P.H.D., D.D.S, A.D.D

Jason Alexander is not Deaf

The following is a transcript taken from an actual conversation with the screen actor and wine maker Jason Alexander. No animals were harmed during the conducting of this interview.

Dr. Yohann Kirkegard Whistlegrub:   So you are not deaf?

Jason Alexander:   No.

Dr. YKW:   I see. And how long have you not been deaf?

JA:   Since I was born.

Dr. YKW:   That's interesting, that's very interesting. When did you first discover that you were not deaf?

JA:   I don't understand the question.

Dr. YKW:   I'll put it another way. When did you first discover that you were not deaf?

JA:   Oh, it wasn't until I reached my third birthday. It was Autumn. A Thursday. Thor's Day. I remember it was blue outside. And I was sitting on a bench, just a small little bench, and I looked over out the window, and there was this bird, sitting on a branch. And I got up, walked over to the window. And I said, "Hello little bird". And the bird said, "Hello". And that was when it occurred to me that I could hear.

Dr. YKW:   Because you could hear your own voice.

JA:   Precisely.

Dr. YKW:   Now, a question I'm obliged to ask, and it's merely because I know my readers are going to want to know. Are your other four senses in tact? I mean, do you see and and smell and taste and touch in addition to hearing?

JA:   Yes, all of my senses are perfectly in tune. Except perhaps my sense of balance may be a bit off. And my common sense comes and goes. And my sense of direction is absolutely horrendous.

Dr. YKW:   What about when you sense that someone is about to say the word 'Belligerent'?

JA:   That sense works perfectly.

Dr. YKW:   Good, good. Now tell me about how you've lived with this sense for all these years. How have you coped? Do you find it easier or harder in your life, in your career, hearing everything?

JA:   Yes, well it does make it quite difficult. Uh, there are some days when the sounds are simply overwhelming and I feel like stuffing marshmallows in my ears. However, certain sounds I simply could not live without. Uh, the sound of glass falling and shattering on a tile floor. That little pause that an ATM makes before it spits out your money. When my pet gerbil farts. It's the simple things, the sounds that most people take for granted. Um, when you happen upon a WWII tank sitting in the middle of a wooded glen and you tap on it with a wooden pog seventeen times. The click-clack-click-clack of a horse staring at a solar eclipse.

Dr. YKW:   Do you think that being as aware of your non-deafness as you are, that has helped you to, how shall I say it, helped you to read better when you're driving down the road?

JA:   Absolutely. I'm sure you're well aware of this, but there's a strange phenomenon that happens when one is driving down the road, and that is known as Hypersensaticmelonia. There is such…

Dr. YKW:   I'm sorry, can I just interrupt you for a second?

JW:   That's fine.

Dr. YKW:   Thanks.

JW: No problem. Um, there's an overload of senses that the body will begin to categorize the importance of each incoming stimuli and weed out that which is not needed at the moment. Thus, the hearing is one of the first to go, as most do not use that sense often anyways.

Dr. YKW:   You studied law at Cambridge, did you not?

JA:   For six years, yes.

Dr. YKW:   I see. Let's talk about your acting career for a moment. I've noticed that when a performer gets to your position, there's certain, how shall I say, pressure? Can you talk about that at all?

JA:   It's actually not that big of a deal. When a performer becomes as I am at the moment, yet, there is pressure. But it's not terribly great, easily manageable. The real problems I encounter, Yohann, are much more personal. I can often times see what needs to be done, but I do not act.

Dr. YKW:   Well, you do 'act'!

JA:   Uh, yes, I act! That's my job! (laughs)

Dr. YKW:   Yes, well, that's all the time we have today. If I could just bother you with one more question?

JA:   No.

Dr. YKW:   Thank you for your time, Jason.

JA:   It was my pleasure.

Horoscope for today: If you stand facing due East and drink one gallon of cheap apple cider while standing on one toe, the hillside you are standing on will explode. Please do not do so. Unless your name is Larry. I don't like people named Larry.

Yspaddaden Introduction

 The most exciting thing in the world to me is a blank page.

Yet as I look down on this fresh new paper, white as the clouds in the sky, I cannot help but be a bit frightened. You see, I haven't written anything of this magnitude in years, and I'm nervous to start something fresh and new. The story of Yspaddaden, arguably one of the greatest warriors this planet has ever seen, is a fascinating one, and spans many more years than I have the room for on these papers. And I do not want to fail in this endeavor. I want these writings to be good, I want them to echo the mystery and intrigue the story itself speaks of. I am excited. But I am also afraid.

My name is Taisha. I was born in Ifield and now reside in Uisnech. I am one hundred and thirty three years old, still thought by most of my race to be a young woman. But I have done many things in my time. I have seen many places, met strange people, and I have crafted many stories. But I hope these to be my best.

When I first learned of the Writings of Yspaddaden, I knew I had to be the one to tell his story. There were plenty of people who wanted the same honour, but I'm proud to say that I finally got the job, after much hard work. The world is changing, the number of literate people rising every day. Our world is slowly morphing into one that relies on books and writings. Knowledge is the new commodity. And it's people like me that control the export.

I chose the story of Yspaddaden to write first, not because he was the first Sword Lord, but because he was the most widely known. He has become famous for his mythical writings, a legend to this country and most others. I chose this specific story to tell because it is arguably his most famous of adventures. Not much is known about Yspaddaden, Warrior of Ynwfn, but everyone has been told the story of how he found the Aszkastone, hidden in the unknown. I want to now make that story true to those who think they know it.

I look around the room I sit in now, wondering what sort of people have holed themselves away within these very walls to attack a task such as mine. What sort of creatures have hidden away from the world as I do now, writing out what they believe to be the next great manuscript? Countless, I'm sure. And I am here, attempting to copy them in their endeavors. The fire flickers in the place, the stars and moon shine outside, and I will not leave this room until I am finished, or until my hand grows so weary that my letters become unreadable. I hope that you will follow me on this journey willingly.

I write this for you. If you will only trust me, if you will only open up your mind to come along on this quest with me, I promise that your work will not be for naught. I certainly hope mine not to be. This is a journey that we must take together, writer and reader. Without the one of us, there is not the other. Either we both exist, or neither one of us do. Trust me. And we will both be fulfilled.

Sword Lords:

Yspaddaden the Mercenary

adapted from the journalings of

Yspaddaden

written by

Taisha

translated by

J.A. Dudley

property of

Uisnech University United Press

Y. 5958

There is a legend. A legend so old it can only be called myth. A legend that, before now, seemed too impossible to be true. Many have heard the name of Yspaddaden, the greatest Sword Lord of Ynwfn. His name is whispered in dim rooms, lit only by firelight. Mothers tell the tale to their youngsters as they rock them into slumber. Children carve sticks into make-up swords and playact their favourite characters. Elders watch all with wise eyes, never agreeing with, nor at the same time denying the stories that are told. Before now, when myth was but legend, bedside stories were all we had. No one knew the truth behind them, no one really believed that there was truth. Back then, when such stories were born, half the world was still illiterate, forcing the populace to relate their stories verbally. Memories last a long time, but creativity is a much stronger beast. Time begat time, and the mutation that arose grew into its own. If descendant could gaze at the face of ancestor, it would not know it. Too much has happened in-between then and now for the legend to be recognised. Legend has become something that Time did not attempt to create, nor did it anticipate. Myth. Seemingly long dead. No more. Hear this. Recently buried, now brought back to life. The legend of the myth. The story of Yspaddaden. Second Sword Lord of Ynwfn.

Christ Will Return

Christ will return
Revealing his power
Coming for his people...
We await the hour

What majesty displayed
What holiness beheld
What glory exposed
His promises upheld

Those he made to his disciples
Those proclaimed by all the saints
Those that hold his authority
That will one day break all restraints

He promises redemption 
As Boaz did to Ruth
Redemption from our sins
Leading us to his truth

He promises a new earth
A place for us to dwell
Freed from the threat of death
Freed from the threat of hell

He promises communion 
With all the saints of earth
With all the saints of time
With those who have had rebirth

He promises life eternal
But not for our own pleasure
To see him enthroned above
To worship him forever

Zachary - Chapter 1

Zachary took off his sunglasses and sighed as he stepped into the big building. Zeb was approaching him, and he didn’t look happy. 

            Zeb pointed at him. “You, briefing room, now.” He then turned and walked further into the building. 

            Zachary jogged a bit and caught up to him. “What do we got this time Zeb?”

            Zeb just shook his head. “Briefing room.”

            Zachary put up his hands. “Alright fine, I’m just gonna learn about in a minute or two anyways.” He smiled.

            Zeb was not amused and kept walking at his brisk pace. Shrugging Zachary followed at a slow walk and ran his hand through his red hair. They walked down a long hallway, passing various people along the way. Zachary remembered when he had first started working here when he was twenty-five years old. He had gotten lost every day for a week before he had memorized the layout. The building wasn’t really much to look at with its gray interior but the drive to get there was breath taking. One of the perks to having your workplace in the Colorado Mountains was the beautiful views you could see. 

            Zeb opened a door on his left and went inside as Zachary hurried to follow. He entered the briefing room and sat down at one of the chairs surrounding the big round table in the middle of the room. Several other people were already there waiting. Amanda Perks was there sitting a couple of chairs away from him, as well as Jack Forman, Gabe Lyon, and Elise Stanford.

            Amanda (or Perky as they called her) was the electronic expert among them, though they all had their basic understanding of electronics as was required. Jack (or J-Four) was their supplies guy, he made sure they had everything they needed. Gabe (Lion) was the man that got things done, and Elise (Lizzy) was Zachary’s partner in planning. Her job was to analyze his plans and tell them where they wouldn’t work and come up with a solution to the problem. They all worked well together as a team and had done so for three years now. So far, they had never failed a mission. 

            Jack leaned back in his chair and put his arms behind his head. “Alright Zeb, why did you call disrupting all our vacations. It’s only been a couple of days since our last mission. We need some down time.”

            Zeb sighed. “I know you all do but this is important. We needed the best we have on this.”

            “I’m sure we’re all very flattered.” Jack smirked. “What’s going on?”

            “We’ve intercepted some concerning chatter overseas. We don’t know if it’s true or not and we’re sending you to find out.”

            “A simple reconnaissance mission?” Scoffed Gabe, “Surely another team can do so.”

            “Oh, hush Lion.” Amanda said rolling her eyes. “Let him finish before you pass judgement.”

            “Thank you, Amanda.” Zeb glared at Gabe. “To answer your question, no. This is not just a simple reconnaissance mission. The chatter that we intercepted has made us come to believe that China has been building nuclear defense system and that they will be ready to launch it by the end of the month. The chatter we picked up did not specifically mention a nuclear defense system, however China has been launching unusual satellites in strange patterns.”

            Zachary sucked in a breath. “That’s not good.”

            “No, it’s not.” Zeb eyed him. “This situation is not to be considered lightly. I don’t think I need to say this, but I’ll say it anyways. Everything that has been and will be said in this room is considered classified. There are several folders on the table, please take the one with your name on it and read through it. Then I will begin going over what you all need to do.”

            He gave them a minute until they all looked back up at him. “Liu Wang is our informant in China. Tomorrow morning you will all fly to a remote part of China and meet her. Your covers have already been created and you already have your codenames for each other. When you meet Liu she will provide you with the materials necessary to finish your mission. You will need to break into Admiral Chang Hushang’s office to confirm that this missile defense system is actually being built and where. If the building of the defense system is confirmed, from there you will need to steal it, and if that objective cannot be acquired you will need to destroy it at its base of operations.” Zeb paused. “There are many unknowns in this mission and many things that could go wrong.” He sighed. “As always if you are caught, we will deny all knowledge of you and your ties to the United States Government… Questions?”

            Elise spoke. “How much can we trust Liu Wang?”

            Zeb smiled. “I worked with Liu for seven years when I was an agent and not your boss, you can trust me that she can be trusted.”

            Elise nodded.

            Zachary frowned. “If there is no confirmation of the defense system being built, what then is our objective afterwards?”

            “If you can reach no confirmation of its construction, to be sure, you will seek to acquire information from someone higher up. I doubt there will be need for that, the construction of the defense system is fairly assured but there can be no action against it without proof.”

            “Who was responsible for intercepting the chatter?” Jack questioned.

            “Our very own transmission agency was able to intercept and decode the message. To where they were trying to send it is not clear. However, the message was sent from Admiral Chang Hushang’s office in the CMC General Office in Zhengzhou China.”

            Gabe whistled. “Zhengzhou huh, this is going to be difficult.”

            Zeb nodded. “Yes, it is, but we are willing to give you all the help we can to see this through to the end. If China is building a nuclear defense system… We need to know, and they need to be stopped.”

            The five of them nodded.

            “The General Office of the CMC is going to be difficult to hack without detection but I’m sure that I will be able to find a way in.” Amanda said. 

            Zachary nodded. “The hard part will be getting into the building, not even to mention Chang Hushang’s office. We’ll need to search his whole office without moving anything out of place as well as searching his computer files.” He looked over at Elise. “We’re going to need to do some serious planning on this one.”

            “I agree.”

            Gabe smirked. “Well, all of you can have fun doing that, just let me know when we go after the system itself.”

            “Nuh uh.” Jack shook his head. “We’ll need you on the first part as much as the second Lion, maybe even more. If we don’t get the confirmation, there won’t be any system to steal or sabotage.”

            Zeb cleared his throat. “I’ll leave you all to make plans. Be here by four o’clock tomorrow morning.” He opened the door to the hallway and paused. “Be careful out there, we can’t afford to lose any of you.”

            It hit Zachary then. Zeb was genuinely concerned that they wouldn’t make it back this time. It had never even occurred to him that they might not come back. Sure, there had been some rough spots on a couple of their different missions but they had always made it. Zachary looked over at Elise to see that she’d had the same thought. 

            “We need to be extra careful on this one Zack.” She whispered. 

            “I know.”

            Amanda looked back and forth between them. “What’s with all the doom and gloom in your voices? Everything is going to be fine, there’s nothing that we can’t handle.”

            Jack smiled at her. “Sure Perky. But this is just a little more stressful than our other missions. This building is in the middle of a big city, with all sorts of security measures that we probably haven’t even seen before.”

            She waved her hand. “Let me deal with the electronic security systems, by tonight I’ll know all the details of how they work and how to shut ‘em down.”

            “I’ll start working on how we pass the non-electronic security systems,” Elise mused.  “If anything, they’re probably going to be more difficult to sneak past.”

            “I’ll work with you on that Lizzy,” Jack said. “That way I know what gadgets we’ll need.”

            Gabe sighed in exasperation and stood up from his chair. “You all let me know what you need me to, and I’ll do it, but I’m not good at the planning part. So just give me a call if you need me.”

            “You got it Lion.” Zachary called as he left the room. “I’m gonna find a quiet place to think.” He said to the rest of them. Looking at Elise he said, “I’ll let you know if I need you to go over something with me.”

            She nodded and began conversing with Jack.

            Zachary left the room and stood in the hallway for a moment pondering where to go. After a moment he came to a decision and headed towards the entrance. He would go to his usual thinking spot about half a mile away from the building that looked out over the mountains. Zachary smiled. They could do this.