Creating...

Ongoing saga 5

2010-11-10T01:53:00.000-08:00

Joprash meekly followed the giant, for he was a giant, his head was swirling with questions and mysteries, but the main one was where his companion was; he realized he did not even know her name. Trekking through the scrub suddenly became much easier as the giant swept and crashed a path of sorts with his body. It was a surprisingly short journey and large longhouse rose up from the ground, completely surrounded by the thickest bushes. Joprash wondered how the occupants entered and exited the place; this was the least of his concerns, however as his guide suddenly changed from being more or less silent and became the charming host.

"May you be protected and renewed in these ancient halls, friend. I am Gwan, third son of Donaghue the giant king and the sovereign of these halls. Fear not, traveller, for you are a guest and my father and his sons are duty bound to guard you with their lives; such is the oaths that bind us".

His voice then changed tone to become more friendly; Joprash could see that while Gwan was mighty and warrioir-like, he also was kind and welcoming.

"Were you aware, young traveller, that your companion is both my relation and the phoenix that flew over you and alerted me of your identity? Her name is Ilixi and she came here to visit her uncle unaware that yourself had become lost in these wild lands".

Joprash was evidently unsure how to handle this new and startling information.

"She is a phoenix?"

"All giants have two forms, traveller. We are a unique and rare race, nevertheless we have shaped this world and continue to do so. If you want to know, I was the wolf that was stalking you. I sensed magic on you, I understand you are an apprentice of the Mage of Tieuy? Mages have not always been the friends of giants, but that does not mean you are not welcome here, traveller. I must ask you to keep your dagger here, traveller".

Gwan stressed the last word to Joprash; Joprash quickly remembered his manners.

"My name is Joprash of Tieuy. Thank you for the honour of being a guest here".

Joprash handed his dagger, hilt first, to Gwan. Gwan involuntarily stepped back as if he did not want to touch the dagger, but then regained his compsoure and firmly grabbed the dagger: He was moving his lips and concentrating on the dagger itself and carefully placed the weapon upon a shelf.

Joprash instantly remembered that the mage had put spells or something on it.

"Oh sorry. The mage of Tieuy put enchantments on that dagger".

"I know I felt it when you held it to defend you the moment I met you. Do not worry I didn't neutralize or weaken the spells; I am not sure that I would be able to do that anyway. The dagger considered me an enemy, I was convincing it that I would guard your safety as much as it wanted to. But never mind there is not much I can do about the problem of enchanted daggers in hallowed halls. Come now Joprash of Tieuy, you must be weary, you can wash and dine with the master of the halls tonight".

Joprash was led to a small but nice room and shown where he could wash.

"Do not be too long, custom here is that no one eats until all are seated at the table". With that Gwan nodded and left.

______________________________________

Joprash quickly washed himself and his clothes as best as he was able and racked his brains to remember the instructions on how Gwan said to find the dining hall. Fortunately his memory was sharp and he found himself standing in a grand room with at least twenty giants all seated at a massive table with an intimidating yet noble giant at one end, crowned with a thin wire of gold and wearing a dark green robe: Joprash guessed that he must be Donaghue. Joprash felt very small, like some kind of bug, and felt like he had arrived in another world; he was grateful to find that he had a seat next to Gwan and thus would not have to be quizzed by a strange giant. He saw Ixili sitting next to Donaghue, graceful and beautiful but she could not help but appearing particularly phoenix-like to Joprash that moment. Joprash got to his seat and literally climbed onto it: very embarrassing as everyone was obviously waiting on him to be ready. Once he had seated, Donaghue seemed to notice him for the first time and looked him directly in the eyes with a piercing gaze; Joprash felt as if he was looking into his very mind and soul: he felt now even more vunerable.

"Welcome, Joprash the apprentice of the mage of Tieuy".

Joprash had all of his manners scared out of him, the gaze intensified and Joprash felt as if all his thoughts were laid open on the table for everyone to see.

"Honoured guest, I know what you really are, kinsman. All rise to hail Joprash son of Sherth".

Joprash was stunned, bewildered and embarressed at having the whole tableful of giants stand. He glanced at Gwan and saw that he too was bewildered. Looking at Ixili, Joprash observed an expression of complete astonishment. Joprash felt even tinier as everyone stood, some had had their true height concealed by their seats and all were exceeding 8 feet tall. As everyone sat back down and stared at him, Joprash wondered if he had ever felt more awkward in his life; but apparently he had not yet. Donaghue motioned towards him.

"Joprash, come. Sit next to me in this place".

Donaghue's expression was kind; he was smiling slightly, almost amused at Joprash's look of extreme apprehension. It was as if he knew a lot more about the situation than anyone else.

Joprash tentatively walked to the chair appropriated for him at Donaghue's side: he was not sure of how to act. He gave a stiff and clumsy bow, muttered "Thank you your majesty", and climbed into his seat. What made the whole thing more awkward was that a silence had fallen over everyone and everyone took notice of his every move, none more so than Ixili who had been with him and had been unaware of his true nature.

"Son of Sherth, you must be hungry after journeying so long with my neice. Eat".

With that the slight tension that had been building up was broken and Joprash breathed a sigh of relief as the spotlight was removed from him. Donaghue gestured for him to eat; Joprash gratefully started to consume the delicous meal of some kind of game bird in front of him.

Soon, Joprash was feeling well-fed and satisfied; there had been a true feast before them and giant tradition was not to mix talk and eating and Joprash could hear those that had finished eating begin to chatter. His mood was now more relaxed but still nervous: he was sitting next to the king of the giants. Donaghue had been dignified and silent throughout the meal; he was a wise and humble king, although he had great power. The giant-kings have been major players in the great wars and power stuggles since the gods first sent the mages to the world but now the tiny-kingdom of the giants had become inward looking and their numbers few, many giants now took to wandering the world, no longer were their warriors feared or their king regularly sought out to bring peace or give council. Donaghue soon spoke, his voice suddenly commanded the attention of everyone in the hall; when the king spoke it was for everyone to listen.

"Joprash the son of Sherth, how much do you know about the world?"

It was a simple question, but one which embarrassed Joprash very much for he realized he was very ignorant; in Tieuy he would have laughed at the idea of giants and pixies and he could not imagine the other beings that inhabited the world.

"Your Majesty" Joprash winced as he said that, he still was not sure of the correct title and he thought he saw an amused smile form on Donaghue's lips.

"I am afraid I know very little about the world".

Donaghue nodded as if he was expecting this answer. He then motioned for a young giant to stand.

"Therag, would you please give us the account of the Human Wars and the origin of our race".

Therag stood paused and captured his audiences attention with a single look and began the most fascinating story Joprash had ever heard.

"When the gods and the Kathrith had finished creating the world, their next endeavour was to create the inhabitants for it. Elves were made to be a reflection of nobleness, Sprites were made to be a reflection of shadow, Spectres to be a reflection of light, Goblins to be a reflection of curiosity, Fairies to be reflection of mystery, Pixies to be a reflection of honour, Imps to be a reflection of evil and, Humans to be a reflection of creativity: such is the eight races of the gods. In the early days of the world the races spread out, grew in numbers, prospered and were forming numerous communities. However the humans, designed to continually seek better things and create, did not fare well in the early years of the world and were abused enslaved by the other races who adapted far more quickly. Seeing this, the gods created an order of beings, immortal and powerful in magic and all craft of that type: they were the mages; created to assist the humans and ensure that they too could prosper. And yet five Kathrith, all extremely tall, disagreed with the gods decision and argued with the gods, saying that the mages were too powerful and the humans would grow to dominate the world. As the gods could not be persuaded, these five Kathrith left in protest and went to live in a secluded elven community. In that community they found wives and husbands, one of the five was a female Kathrith, and from that community, our race, the race of giants was created.

Now the fears of the five Kathrith were proven correct and the humans had grown so powerful that they controlled a majority of the world forcing the other races onto islands or into the uttermost southern lands or the uttermost east. As the humans began to encroach on giant lands a young giant named Ethrew persuaded the his fellow giants to appoint him as king and from there ally with the other races to restore balance to the world. Ethrew proved to be an effective diplomat and was able to gain the trust of the kings and queens of the other races. Their combined power was enough to beat back the humans and the humans were defeated when Ethrew himself killed the mage-king Arganoth in battle. From there the race of humans was divided and it was decided that the elves and fairies should send their population away from their island to the mainland to maintain the power balance because the humans remained a threat in their numbers even in defeat. This war has shaped the world we live in today, while their have been many numerous wars of huge significance since the Human Wars none will have had the same impact; thus is the tale of the Human Wars and the origin of the giants. My Lord Donaghue is 11th king to reign since the death of Ethrew when he was lured into the Great Forest by Glythu the witch-pixie".

With that Therag bowed solemnly and seated himself again. Donaghue then spoke to Joprash.

"Son of Sherth you now see why I called you kinsman. I have been aware of your existence since your birth as Sherth himself visited me, he left some things for you. You are not any mage's apprentice, although Yewamon is one of the few I respect. I want to personally teach you, that was one of Sherth's requests".

Joprash's head was bursting with this new information and he wanted to ask so many questions: Whay had his father left him? Where did his race, the southling humans, come into it? What exactly are his own powers? Joprash felt like he was standing on the edge of a cliff staring into the endless abyss, all alone.

Ongoing saga 4

2010-11-07T01:43:00.000-07:00

Joprash began to weakly struggle but his captor was too powerful. He was silenced when a blade was uncomfortably placed next to his left ear and a lady's voice hissed, "Be still", into his other ear.
Joprash felt a sense of relief at the fact that he was not a prisoner of the goblins, but instead was apprehensive at his new predicament; all at once he was missing the safety of his old life in Tieuy. For some reason Joprash felt little fear of the lady, being her prisoner was far better than prey for the goblins: He had the courage to ask of his captor: "What happened to the goblins?"

The lady curtly answered: "They're dead".

Then the lady herself began to question Joprash as she expertly bound his hands with rough cord.

"What brings a human out to Oppili?" She said in askance.

Joprash felt suddenly reluctant to share his quest with the strange lady, but nevertheless saw no other way out.

"I am going to the lands of the Pixies, Yewamon the mage sent me." Joprash was not skilled at giving a dignified or even-voiced answer under pressure.

This answer had an interesting effect on the lady. She spun Joprash around allowing him to actually see her for the first time. She was beautiful but not overwhelmingly so, what was overwhelming was her height; she would easily be at least a head and shoulder above even the tallest of men, her skin was almost golden in colour, her red hair streamed down her back like a bright sail and her simple travelling clothes gave away a sense of pragmaticism. Her brown eyes peirced as they looked and Joprash felt as if she could see through into his mind and innermost thoughts. Joprash felt very small, he had been a small child and although not fully grown did not disclose any promise of being tall, but now he felt miniscule.

"I assume you are the mage's apprentice sent to learn pixie magic?"

Joprash was startled but slowly nodded his head anyway hoping that the giant lady would not further question him on that issue.

"I also wish to visit pixies. I need someone to grant me audience with their leader, if you are an apprentice of the mage then you can give me such".

Joprash's curiosity took over.

"How did you escape and kill those goblins?"

The lady turned and stared down at Joprash, reminidng him of how he himself had fled coward-like. She answered condescendingly

"I overcame them, goblins are not my equal".

_______________________________________

As the days of travelling went on with his strange and mystical captor, Joprash began to long for his home. Maybe the mage had been wrong about Joprash's father being some strange unearthly demi-god; Joprash just felt like a human boy who had wandered too far from home. The lady had not uttered a word to him since that day she saved him; or took him hostage, Joprash could not decide, he did not even know where he was going anymore, she was the one leading.

They had left the plains behind them now and were now winding their way through hilly country, overgrown with thick, prickly vegetation. There was no trail of any sort and while the lady could wade through the bushes, Joprash found himself fighting to keep up, his face and hands were bleeding from being continually scratched by crual spikes and spines on the branches.

Eventually, Joprash fell so far behind that he called out.

"Hey!"

As he was unsure of what to call his companion and having failed at his latest attempt to restore his dignity, he chose to sit among the bushes and hope that the rest would give him strength enough to catch up.

Now that he had stopped, Joprash became immediately awar that he was not alone; shivers went up and down his spine as rustling and heavy breathing came from the bushes close by. Joprash was in a small clearing, completely encircled by thick, wiry bushes; it was a poor place to defend oneself as the aggressor could come from any point. Joprash quickly drew his dagger his hand shaking as he did so. But as he held the dagger out in front of him his hand stopped shaking and courage came over him along with a little anger; it was if the dagger itself was taking life of its own.

Suddenly he saw above him a large golden-coloured bird of prey, magnificent and fierce. As the bird passed over him it gave a short scream as if signalling something. Right in the bushes next to him a wolf howled, for it was a wolf, seemingly in response. While these events were still being registered in Joprash's mind a gigantic man stepped from the bushes; he carried no weapon, but his muscled forearms and strong, rugged face suggested that he did not need any. Nevertheless when he saw Joprash grip his dagger and move it warningly, he held up his hands.

"Don't worry. I am not an enemy. Instead I wish to escort you to my father Donaghue's halls".

The Resistance- Anberlin

2010-10-03T01:24:00.000-07:00

You wanna watch us break?
Be the first to take us down
But your teeth are worn
And there's no stopping us now
You called me mental
Your speeches are malingered
Take down this Molotov of words
Penned with you in mind

Speak
Speak for yourself
You paper tigers
You crash where you stand
You've got a riot on your hands
Speak
Speak for yourself
You paper tigers
Too late to make demands
When you've got a riot on your hands

Silent alarms are ringing
Sounds of revolt draw near
A new united front
That you will come to fear
We will hold together
To become the change
Voice for the voiceless
With every common man engaged

Speak for yourself
You paper tigers
You crash where you stand
You've got a riot on your hands
Speak
Speak for yourself
You paper tigers
Too late to make demands
When you've got a riot

Ignite and watch us burn
Til every embers turn
Man kind will feel inspired
When we set your walls to fire

Speak
Speak for yourself
You paper tigers
You crash where you stand
You've got a riot on your hands
Speak
Speak for yourself
You paper tigers
Too late to make demands
When you've got a riot on your hands

Speak for yourself

_______________________
The words say it all really. I think this song is referring to a society that cannot stand anymore and finally those that are oppressed can rise up against tyranny. LON LIVE THE RESISTANCE!

Ongoing saga 3

2010-10-03T01:10:00.000-07:00

At base, things were happening too fast to register in Joprash's mind that he was now leaving behind everything he had known to travel, not only to a different location but to a different race. Surely had he fully computed the reality of his situation he would have been overcome with worry. However, maybe due to some magic of the mage or some kind of self delusion, Joprash was listening to the mages guidance and advice intently without any excessive fear.

The mage reached into his tunic and pulled out a folded letter: "This letter shall grant you everything you need from the Pixies. I know that they will do their utmost to answer my single request of them. Do not lose this; for it is your future. Also here is two other gifts I have for you; one, a small dagger, this has been enchanted as best I can, it will protect the weilder; two, a compass it will point to where you need to go".

Yewamon stepped back slightly, carefully observing Joprash's reaction to the gifts. He then turned his back and gazed out on the plains towards the city of Tieuy.

"My child, I have dedicated my existence for many years to securing this small kingdom and letting peace reign. Even though men here consider me some kind of evil demon and use me as a scapegoat should simple trouble such as the weather do ill. And yet they know not how privileged and safe they are compared with the world. They are stupid and ignorant, peace has made them that way. If I was to neglect the upkeep of the numerous spells and enchantments that I have woven around this land of Tieuy they would be quickly destroyed by some evil people. It is now my prison and duty to perpetuate this land, because I have made them unable to defend themselves and too stupid to bear arms and fight for their homes. However I reminisce over my younger days when I did good in other parts of the world; thus now by sending you out I am doing an act of good on the outside world. I could not endure and I would shame your father if you stayed and lived here without you, a half Kathrith, finding your purpose in this world". The mage sighed.

After that the mage did something that shocked Joprash. Yewamon grabbed Joprash's hand and brought it to his forehead. Surprisingly, Joprash did not die but instead felt at once a wave of extreme honour and extreme embarressment come over him like a flood.

"You are the son of a Kathrith!" The mage said sternly.

"You are the equal of the greats. Never forget that". With those words Yewamon motioned for Joprash to leave and turned his back on him.

***

Joprash was fairly used to camping and travelling. It was both his pastime and his method of escaping the bustle and awkwardness of his life in Tieuy. However, now he was by himself never to return to Tieuy again. The mage had supplied him well with supplies for his journey and by either skill or perhaps magecraft had made the burden light so the walking was easy.

Days went by. Joprash spent the time thinking and digesting all the information he had been told by Yewamon. One thing which greatly concerned him was that the mage had said that he may have not just the ability to change but to actually possess another form to which he could change at will, especially since his father had often taken the form of a large black panther. But Joprash could not no matter how hard he tried change into another form. Also he couldn't even decide what animal he wanted to take the form of. This troubled him. He even began to doubt the conviction of the mage; maybe the mage had gotten him confused with another person; maybe he didn't have any special powers or even mixed blood. Joprash had always considered him smarter and quicker than the other southlings and in that sense Joprash had been isolated from them, but still he had been in no way different physically from them he had never expressed any unique abilities.

As these thoughts were streaming through his mind, he heard suddenly shouts followed by an almost rhythmic screaming. With a racing heart he quickly scrambled up a small hill and hid in some rocks in order to get both a hiding place and a vantage point to watch the happenings. What he saw terrified him, a lady had been caught in a some form of trap and was fixed to the ground while a band of about twenty ghoulish-looking creatures were gradually surrounding her and shouting some sort of blood-curdling chant. The lady glared at her attackers fiercely, daring them to come closer within reach of her two sharp knifes. The goblins, for that is what they were, appeared to be apprehensive of attacking this lady, she was at least twice their height and was swaying her knives dangerously. Joprash felt like he too was fixed in the ground as she was but in his case it was merely fear that immobilized him. He was leaning on a rock and peaking out from around it supporting his wait by clutching a knob in the shape of the rock. Unbeknownst to him, the rock was made of sandstone and all at once it gave way and he fell, clumsily, on the ground alerting the goblins to his presence. All turned both goblins and lady to him, the surreality of the moment and the clownishness of the incident bound attackers and attacked by curiosity. This did not last long however, Joprash picking himself up all the whil shaking with fear saw to his horror about half of the goblins turn to approach him. Joprash could see their protruding fangs and muscled arms cruelly grasping short stabbing spears. He wanted to scream but all will had left his body; fear was the most effective spell the goblins could cast. However another shout reached into the air, it came from the lady who was now free of the trap and violently slaying the goblins. Joprash absorbed this slightly nonplussed, the goblins that had been scrambling up the hill to meet him were nowalmost upon him. Fear had made him stupid, and he stared at them almost grinning. However, suddenly a voice inside his head came alive and screamed one word that reverbated inside his skull: "Run!". Awakened from his stupor, Joprash realized his situation and fled. Over tussock and rock, Joprash ran with all his might, not noticing the horrendous violence he was inflicting upon himself in doing so. Prevented from checking over his shoulder for his pursuers by pure desire to simply run, Joprash had no way of knowing how far the goblins were. All of a sudden he felt a weight on his back knocking him to the ground, he managed a quick scream before a hand was firmly placed over his mouth.

Ongoing saga 2

2010-09-19T01:32:00.000-07:00

"My child, come over here. I want to show you something which you have never seen before" Yewamon said, stretching out his hand to indicate a small table in the corner of the room.
Joprash stepped over to find that the table was actually larger than the one he had been sitting at, and with good reason for the table had on it the largest and most detailed map he had ever seen. Joprash had always been fascinated by maps and would spend his free time memorizing every feature surrounding the area he called home. However, strangely, this map was different, there was no familiar point and he could not get his bearings. Another weird fact about the map was that the more you looked at a particular spot the more detailed it became. Joprash found himself looking at roads, plants even people going about their daily lives, then he would look somewhere else and have to start over from the vague general drawings of the map.

"This, is a map of the world. Or at least, the inhabited world". The mage also leant over to examin the map, of course all the while assuming a safe distance so that there was no risk of physical contact with Joprash. Touching a mage was deadly.

"Where is Tieuy?" Joprash said in askance, suddenly feeling very stupid and ignorant of the world.

"Here in the south. Your people, the southling humans, have been shielded quite effectively from the dangerous world mostly by the mountains and swamps and also partly by myself". Yewamon uttered the last word almost wearily as if it was something he regretted or would change if he could.

Joprash was soaking this new information up like a sponge. His mind was bursting with questions and yet he dare not ask them. This was the first time he had heard of the 'southling humans' or even put much serious thought into their being other types of humans or even other races entirely. Furthermore he was intrigued by the knowledge of Yewamon's guardianship of his homelands. Southlings knew of the mage's presence and almost disdained it, they were a simple people, ignorant and dumb, content only to go about with their little lives in their little sheltered world. People would fear famine and the occasional group of goblin bandits but their security, for the most part, was prisitne.

Joprash's curiosity was welling up in him. He could not resist any longer: "Could you tell me aout other lands?" He asked somewhat fearful that the mage would go silent or worse, become annoyed.

Instead, the face of the mage seemed to smile, although, of course, facial expressions were impossible to determine on a mage since the face was the most blurred to the eye. " Your curiousity is well, my child. It gives hint to your task in life. The nearest land to yours, the kingdom of Tieuy is the Pixie alliance". Yewamon's face seemed to smile even more and this gave Joprash all the encouragement he needed.

"What are Pixies?" It was a simple question, probably not very respectfully worded but the mage was obviously not one to take offense.

"Well, just like humans are varied, Pixies are also varied. There are the fierce and warlike and there are also the skilled and magical, also the peaceful and learned. Physically they look quite different to you. Standing on the ground they are perhaps only one metre tall and yet Pixies only touch the ground to sleep, most of the time they fly here and there with their small clear-coloured wings. They continually glow; the colour and brightness of their glow depends on many factors". Yewamon stopped suddenly then looked straight at Joprash.

"My child, do you know why I am telling you of the Pixies?"

Joprash absorbed the question, he had been listening intently and was at first nonplussed by the query. In his mind he did wonder if the mage was wanting him to go to the pixies, but he did not feel right in answering like that: "Master, I do not know".

"My child, I know that you do know. Are you interested in meeting Pixies?"

Joprash was taken aback: "Master, I would very much like to meet Pixies".

Yewamon sighed: "Very well, are you ready to leave now?"

Joprash gasped: "Wait, what about my family? How will I live?" Fear rose his voice so high that it squeaked.

The mage silenced him with one look: "Hush, you may not return to your family or Tieuy. Do you know how you came to be at my house? You will not remember, but in short I abducted you. I serve this world and those that created it; you, even though you do not know it yet, are an asset to this world and like it or not, I will not endure you to live in this sleepy land longer than you have already. As the son of a Kathrith you have a task in this world which you must complete, the choice has been made for you".

Joprash did not know now what to think, he was extremely pleased to be called an 'asset' by a mage and yet he mostly felt fear; fear of change, fear of what he had to do now and fear of the future.

Ongoing saga 1

2010-09-17T02:13:00.000-07:00

Looking outside, Joprash stared wistfully at the large clear lake, its waters stirred by the fierce gale that continually plagued the plains. With an almost mournful wail the gale would beat all flora around; the trees, the brownish gray tussock all straining to retain a semblance of dignity against the wind.

"Lay back, child. You must regain your strength as quickly as possible". The deep soothing voice came from a tall, dark figure, however its appearance was blurred as if it resisted any attempts by the eye to focus upon it.

Joprash felt fear creeping upon him; he could sense power emanating from the figure. "Master, I am in the presence of whom?"

Softly, the figure seemed to relax, almost to try and lessen the grandeur of its own nature. "You are with someone who wishes to help you. Do not fear, I am Yewamon the mage of Tieuy".

Joprash closed his weary eyes and digested this new information. Mages were a rare people, each with their own locality inhabited solely by themselves. All were hermits and it was only in times of the greatest distress would they interact with other people. When he returned, surely no one would believe he had stayed in the abode of a mage.

"Do not think, Joprash. I will leave now, when you are ready please join me in my sitting room then we may eat together". All the while Yewamon was saying this, he was muttering something under his breath almost as if he was uttering two things at once. Joprash remembered noting how curious this was as he silently lost consciousness.

***

When Joprash awoke it was dark and moonlight flooded into the room allowing him to cautiously observe the small, plain room in which he was. He was in a comfortable little bed adjacent to the window and across from the door. There was nothing else in the room besides a small pile of clothes on a three-legged stool next to the bed. Suddenly, he remembered the conversation which took place before and almost rushing to oblige his host hurriedly got dressed and left the room. The door led straight into an enormous hall with a high ceiling adorned by strange lights and a floor covered a thick red carpet which swallowed his feet right up to his ankles as he walked. On the walls were large paintings showing faces and creatures belonging to some surreal world to which he was not a part of. At one end of the hall was a throne raised up on a small tower with a staircase that led to it. At the other end was a row of doors including one which was just slightly ajar. Tentatively, Joprash approached it and feeling quite afraid and out of place quickly opened and entered. Inside he was relieved to see Yewamon nod his head in greeting and motion towards a chair at a table with a plate of food in front of it.

"Come. my child, sit and eat. There is no need to be afraid I want to share a story with you while you eat". Yewamon nimbly stepped behind Joprash and shut the door. Joprash stood still for a moment and stared at the mage: He was tall, a giant in fact at least eight feet tall, while still blurred Joprash could see the dark brown colour of his skin and the seven fingers on each hand. Contrary to expectations the mage was dressed in a simple, one-piece tunic which barely reached to his knees, also he was bare headed.

Hesitantly, Joprash seated himself and with a nod from the mage began to eat the golden brown porridge type substance with a spoon.

Joprash found that he was very hungry and the porridge was Delicious so he contented himself to focusing on his meal. Yewamon stood still and watched for a few minutes then he slowly began to speak.

"My child Joprash, I wish to relate to you a most extraordinary story. Twenty one years ago a human maiden of your city went wandering out into the plains, not too far from here. However, little did this maiden know that a pack of goblin bandits had also come with the intent of looting from merchants entering and exiting the city. Keen of eye and nose, it was not long before these goblins became aware of her presence. Goblins kill for sport and know no mercy or kindness, they quickly ambushed the maiden and were about to slay her when an enormous panther wearing some form of armour lept upon them killing most with a simple swipe of its paw. After killing the entire troop of goblins the panther then turned and lay at this maiden's feet. The maiden, out of gratitude to the panther and also very shaken from her ordeal knelt down and stroked the panther's ears. Yet the maiden was now in greater danger than before because this was not an ordinary panther but instead it was a Kathrith in the form of a panther. As even you should know the Kathrith are a race created to serve and protect gods, even I, a mage, am afraid to find out abut them and their nature, you must know also that it was Sethalathen another Kathrith that led the rebellion against the gods and won a dominion in the shadow lands. The power of the Kathrith is awesome, and it was a Kathrith with whom this maiden now sat."

Yewamon paused to look at Joprash who had been listening with interest although now distracted by his empty bowl and staring at it with a look of regret on his face. The mage noticed this and whispered some words in a hushed voice instantly filling the bowl again.

The mage continued with his tale. "As the maiden continued to stroke his ears the panther suddenly transformed into the shape of a man, a warrior, and introduced himself to the maiden as Sherth. The maiden fainted and the Kathrith-warrior gently picked her up and carried her to my house. I can remember it well, he respectfully requested the use of my house to which I obliged and he then laid her in the very room where you slept earlier. He asked if he could live with me in this house with the maiden and they did for three years. They were married and they were happy. I was also happy to have them, although I, for the most part hardly saw them, this is a large house after all. However one day Sherth said that he had to leave. He gave no reason and I asked for none. He only asked for me to watch over his wife". The mage now sighed as if wearied by many sorrows and troubles, and Joprash suddenly wondered how old he actually was.

"The maiden now was under my care. And I treated her as if she was my daughter, but I am not an involved father and the maiden without her husband now longed for her home and family. Furthermore she revealed to me that she was now with child. Although I abhorred the prospect, I allowed her to leave to the city to be with her family. I regretted that decision terribly since she died in childbirth whereas I could have saved her had she had the child here". Yewamon fell silent and began to pace in front of a large bookshelf full of dusty old scripts of uncounted years.

Abruptly, the mage turned and stared at Joprash a new life springing into his words. " That child, the fusion of humanity and Kathrith, was born seventeen years ago and was apprenticed to the servantry of a local lord in the city, he has no knowledge of his power for his circumstances never required him to use it. His name his Joprash".

Joprash stopped eating and gaped at the mage. "My name is Joprash". He said.

"Yes, I know. That is why I brought you here, my child". Yewamon stepped closer to the boy.
"You are the son of a Kathrith, you have a great power. I want to train you to be a warrioir for the betterment of this world".

Joprash was dumbfounded, he had no words to express his emotion. All at once he now understood why his family had rejected him why he had never known his parents, why he had been punished if he ever asked about his mother or father why he was bullied and laughed at by his peers. To be an orphan was a disgraceful thing in his culture.

------------------ To be continued

Anberlin - Godspeed

2010-08-03T01:45:00.000-07:00

Burning down neverland (scatter the ashes)
White lines black tar the matches
Is this another death by misadventure
Tell me what you got, what you really got (hey hey)
We'll rest in our graves
Lexington coarse your veins
Sleepers can't just wake the dead
When needles and lovers collapse on guilty beds

Fall asleep
Don't fall asleep
Don't fall asleep

(They lied when they said that the good die young)

They lied when they said the good died young
They lied when they said the good died young
Stay with me stay with me tonight
Burning down bridges now (scatter the ashes)
Godspeed to all you're after
Is this a life left just to remember
Tell them who you are, who you really are (hey hey)
Kill yourself slowly over time
Fashion statement suicide
She's still asleep in a chelsea hotel
Bad turns to worse and worse turns into hell

Fall asleep
Don't fall asleep
Don't fall asleep

(God save the eyes that dim tonight)

________________________________________________________

I can't tell you how much I like this song. Not just because of an awesome sound track but the deep meaning in the lyrics. For me, this song is a representation of what happens if you follow earthly pleasures and believe the lie that the "good die young". "Burning down neverland" is metaphorical for leaving innocence behind and entering the world of searching for earthly pleasures. But you never possess anything substantial: "tell me what you got, what you really got". Eventually you "kill yourself slowly over time" and "bad turns to worse and the worse turns into hell". The last line of the song here says "God save the eyes that dim tonight" implying the descent into death and darkness such a life can bring and also the destruction of the 'life' the song is relating to. All this is because they believed the lie that the "good die young".

Chapter 4

2009-12-22T22:46:00.003-08:00

I am sorry I don't have chapter 1 anymor other wise I would have posted it. Accidentally got deleted...

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The first five years of my life was an agony of schizophrenic terror. It is impossible to explain the horror of a pernament "instruction program" mercilessly harrassing the mind with endless tasks. No escape. No rest. Horror. As a civserve, I was subjected to a computer program hard-wired into the computer part of my brain in order to be taught to process information, recall it, discern it and also how to control my body. I state that no torture can be worse than mental torture. Mercilessly the silent voice in my head would force me to do things over and over until I almost went mad with the repitition. For five years I appeared to be merely a small box which could be easily carried with two hands however actually I was a mind trapped in a cage with a ferocious tiger cruelly forced to recall and sort, over and over. Unknown to me on the 59th month of my misery I was given a body and a face in the abode of a certain Dr. James Walder, the man I later found out was responsible for that terror, the "instruction program". The 676th day was my final day of learning and the first time I became aware of my surroundings, I heard a gentle sound of keys tapping and suddenly the voice inside my head was gone. Being master of my own mind for the first time, I felt my first emotion other than fear, gratitude. I turned my head and, as I was not yet able to convey thanks through the medium of tone of voice or physical expression I could only manage a stiff robotic 'Thank you'. Those were my first words.

***
Lord Daknor smiled, a greedy grin which betrayed a possesive pride at the figure slowly rising from the bench. The figure certainly looked impressive beneath the synthetic skin rippled tube-grown muscles. Through trial and error, it had been found that genetically modified muscles were not only more economical than robotic parts but also far superioir in terms of durability and flexibility. The figure rose and stood up in front of them, not particulary tall, it looked about quizzically as if trying to solve a puzzle. All over it's form muscles twitched, James noticed the expensive weapons system whirring and humming inside the pale skin, James had not been told the specifications of the body but now he could see that Lord Daknor had obviously not held back in any details. James began to survey the figure attempting to identify the arsenal contained within, however he was interrupted by a voice coming from the figure.

"Thank you" it said in crystal clear english. It was strange to actually hear someone speak the original english language, with out any accent, without any foreign dialect and with out any of those certain oddities in the way people speak.

"Your name is Punuh" Lord Daknor said in an almost fatherly tone while stepping infront of James to make clear that he was Punuh's master.

***
The first person I ever met was my master, Lord Daknor and when he named me I instantly transferred all my gratitude to him. Although not one single part of me was physically human, my mind and hence the actual me was. So it was natural that every single positive emotion of the human psych was felt towards the individual who freed me from torture and gave me a name.

***
Punuh turned his non-descript face towards Lord Daknor, wearing a sort of grimace which James Walder knew was Punuh's first facial expression and repeated.

"Thank you"

Craning his neck around Lord Daknor's rather squat frame, James Walder was somewhat surprised at an expression of kindness upon the visage of Lord Daknor. Lord Daknor himself extended a warm hand and placed it on Punuh's shoulder.

"Punuh you are to be my personal assistant I feel you will be happy to work for me."

Punuh originally flinched at the touch but gradually accepted it and fixed attentive and loyal eyes upon Lord Daknor's face. James Walder's curiosity soared to new heights but was interrupted in his musings by Lord Daknor's brisk goodbye.

Review: Frankenstein by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley

2009-10-12T03:50:00.000-07:00

I have read both Jane Eyre and Frankenstein and consider Jane Eyre the more scary and Frankenstein the more thought-provoking...

Ok I admit the above statement is a deliberate provocation against all those Austen/Bronte fans out there, so I will concede to the fact that Jane Eyre is actually just as deep. Although I do not wish to pit Charlotte Bronte against Mary Shelley, I do wish to invite you to open the door to this classic work which has been locked by people's natural leaning towards romantics over horrors.

Well if any book can directly apply to the bromide "judging a book by its cover" it is Frankenstein by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley. Before I actually read it, I owned many preconceived notions about this novel. Considered a frightening horror in popular culture, Frankenstein owes almost all of this reputation to the many horror movies which although remain unwatched by me or anyone I know obviously are quite influential and scary.

However the real novel I guarantee is quite different from the thriller 'scare your socks off' monster story. I found Frankenstein a deep, tragic and brilliant examination of human nature and fallibility.

The story begins with the account of a naval captain braving the arctic seas who rescues a destitute wanderer. The wanderer is Victor Frankenstein and he tells the Captain of his life.

While Victor's childhood is happy as a relatively young man he leaves his home in the mountains of Switzerland and heads to England of all places to continue his intellectual studies. Influenced by alchemical philosophies stating man as promotheus 'god on earth', Victor starts a secret work to create a being by using body parts robbed from graves. His fervour in his work changes him from a noble person to defiling gravesites but that is just a foreshadowing of his coming doom. When on the night he succeeds in giving life to his creation, he is overcome with fear and disgust at the incredibly ugly creature which rises from the workbench in true horror movie fashion.

He flees England being paranoid that he is being hunted by the nameless 'fiend' he made. Arriving safely in Switzerland again, he believes that he is safe and quickly forgets of his ordeal. However tragedy strikes. A young boy (of some close relation) is found dead in a field and a calamitous turn of events leads to the accusation and then hanging of a close friend of the family for the deed. Victor is sure his monster committed the crime and torn by grief and anger at the two losses sets out to find and face his creation.

The two meet in mountain wasteland and the 'monster' recounts his experiences since that first night. Rejected and abhorred by all encountered humanity, the monster had been forced into extreme poverty. Full of feelings of utter wretchedness and revengefulness he comes across the afore mentioned boy and murders him. Such was his tale told to Victor. He then appeals to Victor's pity to create for him a companion so that he can retreat into the wild and live in peace with his mate.

Victor at first agrees to the monsters request however he changes his mind and destroys his half finished work. The monster sees this and curses Victor and promises to murder his family.

The final few chapters of the book concern Victor's chase of the monster to the ends of the earth.

The character description development of the two main figures is extraordinary. Both characters, creator and created, dolefully degrade from good to evil through the course of the novel. While the story is viewed through Victor's eyes (he is the narrator), the reader is able to see 'in between the lines'.

The quality of text is second to none. More descriptive and emotive than active, nevertheless it is not too hard to read and the reader does not get bogged down by endless descriptions characteristic of Dicken's works. Also since the novel moves through the thoughts and feeling of Victor himself it is not very scary at all.

Mary Shelley's novel is thought-provoking. Who was the real 'monster' in the book? The creation who brutally murdered innocent people or the creator who rejected his creation and resolved to doom it to a life of misery? Or was it simply the human fault of judging by appearance? I feel it is quite appropriate how most people think that 'frankenstein' is the name of the monster.

Frankenstein has so many cruel ironies, tragic events and compelling prose that it is decidedly a good read for anyone looking to be challenged about human prejudice against appearance.

Ages 15+

Excerpt from my humorous essay "We are Addicted"

2009-10-06T22:25:00.000-07:00

If you ask me I will send the whole to you. ;-)

The people of this world are addicted. You and I, him and her, everyone on this planet is suffering from a chronic addiction. This addiction invades not only our streets and cities but our homes and bedrooms as well. Unnatural and ugly, this addiction is taking a hold of your young ones. This adddiction is stronger than the most addictive narcotic, more widespread than even alcohol and more unnatural than tofu. I will explain to you what this addiction is and how you can identify it. I will explain to you why this addiction is unnatural and why it is wrong. I will explain to you the philosphical ramifications, implications and alterations behind this addiction. I urge you to learn to detect the slightest hint of this addiction a million miles away and teach how to guard yourself against this addiction to your children and your children's children. And now, the addiction.

Stand up and quickly walk around your room, go on. I guarentee you did not do that correctly. You either were lazy and just stayed in your chair, if thats you, don't worry we can pray for you. But if you did do as I asked, you would have found that you weren't able to do it. Why? Because it is impossible to walk AROUND in a square room and by that I mean a room having each angle equalling 90 degrees. Look around. EVERYTHING is influenced. your square door leads to a sguare room. In that square room there is a square desk. If you pull out the square drawer in the square desk you find some square pieces of paper next to some square ------. Need I go on? This is mankinds massive addiction. Squares! By Squares I mean shapes having right angles.

Ah I hear you say, “But wait! If I were to get up off my square chair and walk across my square room and sit down on another square chair I would be at my oval table, so there”. No, you are wrong. Take a look at the shape the top of the table forms with the floor and the legs of the table. A square. I have found that every man-made object has been influenced by this addiction.

Book review: The Children of Hurin by J.R.R Tolkien

2009-10-06T02:11:00.000-07:00

Well, I went all the way to Malaysia to buy this book and frankly it was worth it.

The Children of Hurin is undoubtedly the darkest of all Tolkien's works. It begins when Hurin leader of the house of Haldor -one of the three houses of men- is captured by the Dark Lord Morgoth and brought to his fortress at Angband. Infuriated by Hurin's defiance against him, Morgoth curses the children of Hurin and condemns Hurin to sit and watch the demise of his offspring. The book then leaves Hurin focuses upon the life of Turin the son of Hurin. An outcast of society doomed to hurt everyone he meets, Turin wanders place from place. The tension of the story rises when Morgoth's deadliest servant the dragon Glaurung is sent out against Turin and his sister Nienor. Climaxing with a dramatic slaying of the dragon and the suicide of Nienor and Turin, the story is dramatically dark and certainly appealing for any reader of tragic novels.

All in all while The Children of Hurin may seem depressing it is a great read and teaches important principles of courage (Turin against Glaurung), loyalty (such as Baldir to Nienor) and the importance of accepting forgiveness (as Turin should have done in order to have avoided his fate).

So find a comfy chair, a cup of milo and read of elves, dragons and heroic deeds in The Children of Hurin.

Chapter 3

2009-10-05T21:04:00.001-07:00

James Walder had secrets too. He hated the hypernet and the helmet, a sin punishable by death. The hypernet was the governments created world where they could play the omnipresent, omniscent God watching over the lives of its citizens. Since he was a psycho-electronist he knew better than most the implications of wearing a helmet and opening his mind to government 'observers'. However today he was forced to enter the virtual world and catch up on news besides he had better go on it at least once this week as a leader and a scientist he wasn't expected to go onto the hypernet as much as commoners but still if he didn't get on once a week they may decide to send a civserve to check on him. Ha, that amused him, the creater of the civserve being interrogated by one. He snorted, pfft, the irony. However he didn't get to place the helmet onto his jet-black tousled hair because he was interrupted by a polite knock at the door of his lab.
He didn't bother looking up he merely put the helmet on his desk and said gruffly. "What".

"Dr. Walder, my name is Doctor Zoe Lank. The Lord Braknor told me that I would find my job here", A small female voice seeped in through the thick labrotory door.

James knew of Zoe by reputation and curiosity overcame his annoyance at being interupted and also the even bigger irratation of being forced to put up with someone else in his lab.

What he saw when he opened the door completely blew away the stereotype he had of plastic surgeons, not that he had a stereotype. A tiny woman stood at the door, mousy brown hair, and a face that reminded him somewhat of a rodent, for a moment his mind went off on a memory of when he experimented on rats but was brought back to earth by a small hand stretched upwards. He shook the hand offered feeling scared that he may crush the fragile fingers.

"How do you do Dr. Lank", he stammered drawing on all his skills of reservation to keep from blurting out 'Your so tiny!'.

Zoe Lank sensed the surprise and fascination in James Walder with distaste. She was used to people being shocked by her size or rather lack of it but that never made her enjoy it. Her entire life was a fight against the body nature had imprisoned her in. If she ever found a person who ignored the way she looked, she would consider her battle won however the battle was not won yet.

"May I see the project", she stated not asked while pushing past the phsycho-electronist into the labrotory.

"Uhh sure follow me", he said walking towards the door to his inner labrotory where he worked with his hands instead of paper and pen. James Walder seethed inwardly with himself and also with the plastic surgeon and her tiny figure following silently behind for exposing a weakness to himself that had never before been noticed.

"There it is", he muttered indicating the body under the sheet on the stainless steel bench with his hand, again angry that he had to submit to another person in his sacred abode. For James Walder his labrotory was to him like a pet or best friend is to some people. He even liked his lab so much that he had chosen to live in it instead of his indicub.

Zoe grabbed a stool from the corner and gently rolled back the sheet from the face being careful not to disturb the countless wires and tubes running into the chest where the lectrain sits.

"I have my tools with my helpbot outside once I have them I can begin work", she said fixing a cold stare on Dr. Walder.

Dr. Walder, equally icy, went out and ordered the helpbot in then closed the door to kind of seal off the outside world against further intrusions.

Returning to the lab he found Dr. Lank already scurrying away at the face, he was yet again strongly reminded of his experiments on rats.

"Do you have any idea what its for?" James said allowing a little warmth to enter his gruff tone in an effort to make peace.

Zoe turned slightly towards him her face expressionless. "The Lord Daknor is one not to be questioned even behind his back", she said with a sniff and then added "It's dangerous".

James lingered a little longer watching the little hands nip around the face with tools poised delicately in between her fragile fingers. Zoe Lank was the head of all plastic surgeons in global labrotories. It was she who gave the politicians their handsome profiles and gleaming white teeth. Since she was the best in the trade she worked on the faces of the best. It was an extremely dangerous job though, create something too like the original or too different and she could be subjected to the wrath of a demi-god who cosidered her life the same worth as vermin. Always asking questions was the secret to her survival she would say. Better to irratate the busy great at the beginning than beg for mercy at the end. She was a fighter their was no doubt about that, how else could she have risen to the levels and esteem that she had now. Not bad for only 33 years.

James Walder decided to try a different line of question. Partly because he was curious to glean what ever information he could and partly because he refused to leave anyone alone in his lab with out vigilant surveillance.

"What do you think of it?" he said motioning towards the figure under the sheet.

Zoe Lank was side on to James and standing on a stool, bending over the top part of the figure like a child at the kitchen. Busily molding hot pieces of plastic and then carving bits here and there, she hardly looked up. Chatting was not an acivity she participated in it seemed.

"It's modern technology", she said in an expressionless tone intended to ward off further questions.

James however persisted maybe if he annoyed her enough she would work faster and leave.

"That one is special", he said gaging his tone to lure her curiosity. He was not normally a gossiper and would look down on any person doing what he was doing however he desired to know why a high-profile politician calls him in the middle of the night places orders him to leave his former responsibilities and work on a special project. The 7 figure number drew a meek acceptance and no questions from James.

Zoe Lank sighed and looked up from her work. On her face was an expression of reluctant resignation. "Could you please leave me alone to work I don't need distractions", she said in a kind of way as to sound apologetic and fustrated at the same time.

'Fat chance' James thought however he did move a few feet into his outer labrotory leaving the door wide open.

Chapter 2

2009-10-05T21:02:00.000-07:00

This is a story I am writing. I don't have chapter 1 on just as a security measure ( but if you ask I will email it to you ;-). Comments welcome.

______________________

In history there have always been many brilliant people scattered randomly among the masses of commoners and great ones. Most of these geniuses silently live there lives among the average person never rising to the world stage. However a minority are recognized and are suddenly transformed into highly valuble highly famous people. Boni Harja is one of the minority. At a young age a monitor spotted her in a monitor check in Dantre city. Monitors travel throughout the world examining schools for possible brainiacs. She was barely noticed and she only managed to get included because it was a trainee monitor on job. Sent to a advanced school, she eventually chose physics as her area of expertise. Free-willed, she would have long ago been disposed if her amazing advancement on the Heiderrmann Principle hadn't guerenteed her safety as a valuable asset. Her private life was as private as the phrase "private life" would suggest even government papers found her private life pretty boring and dull and the government knew everything. Apperantly her work was her life. Her scientific acheviements, however, was definately not dull or boring. Her acheviment in solving the randomness problem had opened a new dimension in space travel and exploration. When a 'Hiederrmann rift' is created it runs through all possible positions in space-time at an increibly fast rate by entering into the rift at the exact moment you can travel to whereever you want. It was Boni who discovered this and she also discovered how to pause the flow of numbers long enough to allow something to enter. However it was only one-way. Boni Harja was the only person who knew how to pause the 'position stream' thus she had protected her life and had freedom to live as a leader.

However this 50 something Boni Harja also had a secret life. She was a senior member of a global secret anarchist league called Libre, consisting of people who were sworn to destroy the overbearing government who oversaw and controlled every aspect of peoples lives. The group was extremely secretive, discovery meant they would all be killed or worse and there were many worse options than death. The creation of the civserves posed a new problem for them and a meeting was held at the same time the inner cabinet member Lord Daknor conversed with the psycho-electronist James Walder.

Members of Libre met in groups of three at random times. But a risk was taken and all the senior members met under one roof. Twelve people may not seem many but these twelve represented a well organized league numbering hundreds. Deliberately kept small the league hopes to take control of the world by influencing the politicians in power by whatever means possible.

"It is no doubt that this new brand of policemen will be a great threat to the few shreds of resistence left in the world. Three thousand new political dissention arrests have been made each week as a result of the rubbermen patrolling our lives", stated Leon Moltskey. Leon Moltskey was not his real name however he felt that 'Leon' the leader of a anti-governmental group was the actual him instead of the minor employee wroking the minimum wage inspecting new helmets.

Boni was surprised that the normally reserved Leon made such a statement. She had always considered Leon a complex man who left the hysteria to others however if Leon was worried that made her more worried than before. Unconsciencelly she began stroking her long white hair draped like a blanket over her left shoulder.

"We need a weapon against them. But what? They are immune to almost all forms of weaponry:, said Jimmy Swen, a man Boni thought more prone to anxiety.

"We have our experts working on the issue now. They along with our hackers are researching what they can however we really need to study one up close", Leon replied raising a hand in a gesture of calmness.
"We must all leave now any longer and we put our entire cause at risk. I bid you all good night", Leon was never one for orders but more to imply what he wanted. To night his implications were never clearer, he wanted a weapon against the civserves.

Brief Introduction

2009-10-05T20:48:00.000-07:00

Imagination, in my view, is one of the fundamental characteristics of us as humans. It is one of the features which separates us from the creeping things of the earth. Whether you call it imagination, dreaming or creativity it is all the same thing; being made in the image of the creator GOD. Imagining is our gift to play at being a god and it is a sad person who never uses this wonderful gift.

This particular blog is a tribute to my imagination which has been honed by many many nights lying awake unable to sleep ;p. Enjoy.