Finnius

1. Valdar 2. Appy 3. bouncy 4. Peredhil 5. black leather bikini briefs 6. shocking 7. the Dreamer's psychiatrist 8. dangerously 9. a leather-bound copy of Where Gods Fear (Coming to book-stores near you within my lifetime, if'f I'm lucky.) 10. shamelessly plugged 11. twinkly 12. the Keys of DOOM 13. heavy 14. blunt 15. baseball bat of DOOM 16. absent-mindedly 17. flipped out 18. ninjatic 19. Dreamer-tag 20. charred corpses *Sits back and waits for the fun.*

Loryn had been traveling downwards for hours now, the sounds of the storm overhead muted but not silenced… even here, far underneath the stones of the bedrock on which Cold Port was built, she could hear the howling and the crashes of thunder. It was quite likely that anything still aboveground was dead by now… Her eyes had long since slipped into the darksight, using the small heat which escaped from her own body to brighten the hallways for her. They were smooth, and if she hadn’t been able to see the small indentations, she would have thought this hall one long spiral. At one of these indentations, about halfway to the chamber where the access key to the Court lay dormant and waiting, she turned and pressed her hand to the stone. A small section of wall slid open, revealing a large round chamber with four oblong shapes in its center… coffins. Moving over to the one in the lower right-hand corner, Loryn sat the books gently on the floor and shoved the top off of the sarcophagus. The smell of rot and decay wafted up, and in the dimness she could make out a skeleton clutching a large leather sack. Inside would be torches, flint, and a small black stone. The torches would allow her to see more clearly, which was nice, but the stone was the real treasure… a temporary access which had been left behind for occasions such as this. Loghis had been exceedingly paranoid, and feared that someone would deny him control of his Court. He had intended to use this stone to re-open the channels of power to himself. Luckily, Loryn had read his diaries long ago. The man was far too trusting of his minions. And now, his trust would allow her to escape Cold Port. She reached into the coffin, and unwrapped the bones from the sack, pulling it out in one swift movement. Loryn unraveled the leather, lit a torch, and backed slowly out of the room, after picking up the books of Sospita and stuffing them into the sack. She held the stone in the palm of her left hand, closed her eyes, and prayed to holy Althis. Her supplication was broken by a piercing, shattering scream from deep within the Court. Loryn’s head whipped downwards, and her legs reacted with the speed of thought, carrying her to the Chamber of Balphinus in no more time than it took to draw three deep breaths. The black orb sat on its altar, a slowly swirling cloud of red mist floating before it… Loryn’s heart sank in her chest as the mist pulled itself together, coalesced into a man-sized form of hideous gore and exposed entrails. The form fell to its knees, writhing in pain as wet, new skin grew rapidly over its muscles, and soft, white hair pushed itself out of its scalp. The limp form rolled its head back and gave one last scream, staring forward at Loryn as two black orbs rolled down into its eye sockets. The woman formerly known as Dessina ka’Marca Natros startled and jumped as the leather bag she’d been carrying hit the floor, thumping harshly to her ears, filling the chamber with an echo of thunder. A soft whisper escaped her lips, and the form raised its head slowly to look at her. “Loghis…” He stared at her for a long moment, and then spun to his feet, cracking his neck and nodding at Loryn. “Yes, it’s me… I see you’re still alive, Dessina. Frankly, I’d been sure that Hryn had killed you when you didn’t return to me.” Loghis smiled and shrugged. “Actually, he nearly got the better of me… really must find out how he knew to go for the eyes…” Loryn’s mouth worked open and closed and her head swung from side to side. Loghis raised an eyebrow. “Tell me… did you at least kill your target?” Loryn nodded dumbly. The realization had just hit her… Loghis had told her to kill Hryn, but he’d only been a secondary target. The prime target was a boy in his care, whom she was supposed to kill and bring back to him for further training. Loghis must have known that the boy was an Althane… he’d set her up. Loghis grinned and winked at her. “Good, then.” He jerked his head at the orb. “Come… plans are in motion, young heir of Natros, and you’ve more than earned the right to bear witness to their outcome.” Loryn took a step forward, then halted. She had to know, had to be sure. “Wait… one thing before we go… the young man I killed… why?” Loghis closed his eyes and chuckled softly. The sound echoed off the walls, sending a chill down Loryn’s spine. “The boy you took was Gavin Althane, in whom the bloodline of holy Althis found its peak. His is the most concentrated… the purest blood, the closest to our god.” Another soft laugh, another characteristic shrug. “Actually, he’s the entire reason that Fexus and I split ways… we had different ideas of what he was to be… you see, the writings of Saevus Sospita presage many things, young Dessina, among them, the coming of the Chosen of Machia. And also of his Herald… Fexus thought that the boy was the Chosen, and I thought he was the Herald.” Loryn turned her head slightly. “You still haven’t answered the question, sir… why did I kill him?” Loghis rolled his eyes and shrugged. “Because I ordered you to… Dessina, you know better than to search for reasons. What’s brought this on?” A crash of thunder punctuated his words, rolling around the chamber. On its altar, the black orb formed a small point of blue light which expanded to fill the room with a soft glow. Loryn closed her eyes and stooped to pick up the leather sack containing the works of Sospita. “He told me… he told me he saw a core of light in me. And then…” She brushed her hair back from her left cheek, showing Loghis the black handprint which had burned itself into her face. “Loghis, this boy is capable of things that you only dream of… he razed a building to the ground with no more than a thought. I need to know why you gave him that kind of power… did you even know what he would become?” Loghis nodded and dropped his grin, his face becoming somber as stone. “I had my suspicions… trust me, Dessina; the child is everything the Council ever dreamed of. You did a good and noble thing in sending him to holy Althis. Now come with me… there is much to be done.” Behind him, the orb swirled and flashed, a low hum filling the chamber. Loryn’s voice came soft and shallow. “Where are we going?” The hum grew louder, and the sound of crashing stone echoed from the corridors. “We go to the most sacred of places… the Tomb of Holy Althis.” Loghis turned and placed both hands on the sphere of black stone. There was a soft scraping sound, and then a pop as the orb released itself from the altar. Loghis turned back to Loryn and grinned mischievously. “Give me your cloak, by the way… I’d hate to arrive at the Tomb in my bare skin.” ------------------- Gavin locked eyes with Hryn, daring his former master to try and crush his throat… Gavin was full of surprises now, and far more dangerous than Hryn at the moment. Hryn stared back, an unspoken promise in his eyes, that while he may not be able to physically kill Gavin, he could more than make him hurt. A crushed larynx was painfully crippling, even for the dead. A moment passed slowly, the air between the two charged and tense. And then Hryn let go, dropping back onto the bed, and closing his eyes. A low chuckle escaped his lips, then a full-bellied laugh. “You’ve grown brave, boy… I can respect that.” He glanced back up at Gavin, raising an eyebrow. “But seriously, what did Althis tell you… how much of the story do you know?” Gavin stared down at Hryn darkly, considering. “He told me… that you aren’t Mallon, that Mallon is dead, at least in spirit.” Hryn’s eyes narrowed. “Go on…” “Fexus did something to you, he… he… moved you into Mallon’s body, and told you that he put Mallon somewhere else. Natayu is definitely capable of such a feat, but Fexus didn’t do that… he just let Mallon die. That’s why you serve him… but there was something Althis couldn’t tell me… Hryn, who are you?” Hryn laid back and stared at the ceiling. A slow tear rolled down his cheek. When he spoke, it was softly and clearly. “You’re wrong… and right. Mallon’s soul is dead, to all rights… but Fexus didn’t let him go. He holds the heir of the Hloran line in his hands to this very day, and never lets it go.” Hryn shook his head slowly. “As for who I am… let’s just accept that I am someone who would rather die than let that soul come to harm.” Gavin nodded and lowered his eyes. “Hryn… I need your help, here… Fexus will be integrated into Natayu’s control system very soon now… this storm of his has pushed its current mind very close to the edge. What he’s done… what he does even now… he has to be stopped. Can’t you see that?” Hryn’s eyes squeezed shut, forcing the few tears out, and reopened slowly. “You don’t know what you’re asking me to do, boy. If Fexus thinks I’ve turned on him… even for a moment… the consequences would be grave. Not just to Mallon’s soul, mind you, although that’s my largest fear…” Hryn shook his head, closing his eyes again. “No. No, I can’t help you…” Gavin placed a hand on Hryn’s shoulder. “I understand, really… but think of what would happen if Fexus came to full consciousness inside a construct that can raise mountains, form oceans, and shape flesh and soul alike. And that’s what happened to you… dear gods, I’m blind…” Gavin’s mind raced, darting to the answer in a burst of inspiration. “Natayu couldn’t have moved Mallon’s soul… that’s the province of Balphinus. But it could have split it… broken a piece off and stored it somewhere, while shaping the other half to whatever ends it wanted…” Hryn opened his eyes slowly and tiredly. ------------------- Fexus stood on the cliffs of Hammer Keep, his spot above the Falls. The water stormed down, crashed onto the slabs of black granite with a thunder to rival the greatest storm in the world… surpassed only by the one which he maintained above Cold Port now. The city was almost done for, only a few buildings of stone remained. At his side, Nanten the Tailor stood and nervously glanced over at his master. Fexus had been silent for nearly an hour, ever since Nanten had found him here at the request of the Fixers Machen and Kira. Nanten turned to go, to await Fexus in his study. The Lord of Hammerfall put a hand up, turning his head. “Wait. Stay.” His voice was curt and troubled, and Nanten stopped cold. Fexus turned to face the tailor fully. “I have a job for you…” Nanten listened to Fexus’ requests… placed as requests for the first time in Nanten’s long memory. And as he did, his eyes widened and a cold chill tingled across his body, raising the hair on his arms. When Fexus was done, Nanten knelt to the stone, pressed his fist against it in his formal salute. “Your wish is my command, m’lord Fexus.” Although why the Lord of the Storm wanted all the magebane in Hammerfall, a full copy of the works of Saevus Sospita, and a talented blacksmith was beyond a simple tailor… ------------------- Four days passed before Gavin and Hryn walked casually down the streets of Hammerfall, light rain falling from the sky. They were a matched set in black cloaks loaned from Robyn and his brother Kor… the two had gladly loaned the cloaks to get Hryn out of their home, on the condition that he not come back. Hryn glanced at Gavin nervously… the man had been jittery ever since hearing Gavin’s plan. He opened his mouth to speak and Gavin put up a hand. “Yes, Hryn, I’m sure this will work… but it all hinges on you… get me into the Keep, get me to the Court, and I promise no harm will come to Mallon’s mind.” It was worse than talking to a child… the closer they got to Hammer Keep, the less confident Hryn became. The man who had been the scourge of the walking dead for two decades was shivering like a common barmaid in a room full of roughnecks. “What if he finds us…” Gavin stopped and sighed heavily. “If he finds us, we revert to the plan where you tell him you’ve brought me in… and then get to the Court yourself. All you have to do is touch Natayu’s access… should look similar to the one in Cold Port.” Gavin glanced sidelong at the man. “Tell me, Hryn… is Fexus really so intimidating?” Hryn pulled his hood back, allowing the rain to slick his hair down. “He is.” He put his head back, looking towards the sky, rain pouring into his eyes. Hryn never flinched, never blinked. “Fexus has taken more from me than you could possibly imagine. Gavin, there’s something you didn’t take into account earlier. Fexus was allied to Gerod Loghis for many years… and Loghis controls the Court at Cold Port… Balphinus. I’m not Mallon; I’m not some piece of his soul… at least not completely. It’s… complicated.” Gavin glanced over at Hryn, raising an eyebrow. “Then who are you?” Hryn lowered his head and pulled the hood up to cover his face once more, closing his eyes. “I’m Hryn, no one else. Anyone I might’ve been is long dead now.” Hryn started forward, and Gavin shook his head and followed after. Hammer Keep loomed before them, a gray monolith of pure granite, imposing in the distance. It easily dwarfed any other structure in this city, and quite possibly any other in this world. Gavin certainly hadn’t heard of anything larger. His only comfort was that most of the bulk was solid stone… the Keep proper was large, but not so large as to be unwieldy. “You know, it wouldn’t kill you to open up.” Hryn glanced back at Gavin grinning widely. “Actually, it well might. Now keep up boy, after all, this is your plan we’re about to die for.”

Black rain pattered against darkly wet leather as Gavin stood in an alleyway staring down at the limp form of his former master, Hryn. The older man looked… so helpless. He’d materialized a few moments ago, just a few feet above the ground. He’d bounced a bit as he hit the granite streets and then curled in on himself, into a fetal position. His breathing was shallow and his eyes scrunched shut, twitching occasionally. Gavin whistled sharply towards the front of the alley, where Robyn and Kor stood watch for any passers-by that might otherwise have turned down this back-street. The brothers had been shaken after learning that Gavin knew Hryn… much more so after learning that he intended to all but kidnap the man and store him in their home. He’d had a difficult time convincing them to agree to it… Robyn nodded back and winked at his twin before sauntering back to stand beside Gavin, not-quite looking down at the huddled man curled at their feet. Hryn was a myth in his own time, here… mothers used his name to scare their children into bed at night. Fexus let just enough slip to his higher-ups about the Fixers and their enigmatic top-agent that they weren’t sure whether Hryn was real or not. Gavin stooped and pulled one of Hryn’s arms around his shoulder, then motioned for Robyn to do the same. The bald man hesitated for a moment, then dropped and grabbed Hryn’s other arm. Together, they walked him out of the alley, turning down the street towards the brothers’ home. ------------------- Soft pattering echoes bounced around the stone chamber, landing in Fexus’ ears as he stood in front of his altar staring down at the flawless diamond orb to which he prayed. It sat still and dead… mere moments ago, it had shone with the light of a thousand suns as Fexus channeled its power to fuel his storm. Although, Fexus mused, storm was far too weak a word for it… And then it had sputtered and flashed erratically, and went dull. Fexus could still feel it… he could always feel the Court’s presence in his mind, a wild and untamed lion which begged to be used… and Fexus obliged it happily, most times. But now, it was quiet… pacing back and forth, like a beast in a cage, and watching him. Fexus could feel the eyes on his back, and they were not friendly… his god was troubled. And so here he stood, staring at the sphere, flanked by two Fixers. Fexus took a step forward, placing a hand on the orb gently, caressing it and sliding his palm onto the smooth stone altar. It was warm to the touch, as if it had been sitting in the sun. At first, Fexus had thought that his god was angry with him, that he had overstepped his bounds. Now he believed that it was worried about something. One minute Fexus had been pumping power and life into his storm, and then he’d felt an agonizing rip in his consciousness… there was a flash of light and a brief vision of clouds in his mind. Behind him, the two Fixers Machen and Kira shared a glance at each other. Fexus removed his hand from the altar and spun around to face them, their heads snapping back into place as he did so. “Leave me. Find Nanten… he should be at the eastern gates, or somewhere close. Bring him here.” The two bowed as one, and backed out of the room. Fexus turned back to the sphere, placing his hands on it again and staring into it… A small spark of light, the barest of glimmers, formed in the center. This, Fexus stretched out his mind to touch. It was soft and fragile… a seed, an embryo. Something had frightened his god… something had made it withdraw into itself. ------------------- Hryn’s prone form shifted fitfully on the bed. His eyelids flickered open and closed, the orbs themselves were rolled halfway back into his skull. Gavin sat on the bedside, one hand placed on the older man’s chest, feeling the frantic and erratic pace of his heart. Gavin had been halfway surprised when Hryn had started twitching mere moments after they’d laid him down. Honestly, he’d been surprised that Hryn had survived at all… traveling between worlds was hard on the body, even if you were dead to begin with. For a normal human to survive, they had to be in top shape, and have a will stronger than iron. On the one, Gavin had no doubts, but on the other… Gavin’s mind flashed back to his brief conversation with Althis. He’d shown Gavin the beginning… everything until his death, and so much more. He’d shown Gavin how the Althane and Hloran lines were connected… how Fexus fit into that. He’d shown him what Fexus had done to Hryn, and why everyone thought he was Mallon Hloran, a man who, by all rights, had died nearly twenty years ago. But in many ways, Hryn was Mallon. At least in the only way that really mattered to the identification system of Balphinus… Mallon’s blood was Hryn’s blood, and that was what Gavin was counting on. If Natayu was still set up to recognize and add any member of the Hloran line, then all Gavin had to do was get Hryn to the access key. If not… well, he’d have to convince the man to help him kill Fexus. Hryn hated his master, that much was certain… he only served the Lord of Hammerfall out of a misguided sense of duty. Gavin shook his head and sighed. Fexus had instilled that duty in Hryn himself, for just this reason… On the bed, the man bolted upright and gasped deeply. Hryn’s chest shook and spasmed, and he clutched at his heart for a moment before falling back onto the pillows and sighing heavily. “Finally awake, are you? How’s your head?” Gavin leaned over and winked at Hryn, a playful smile dancing on his face. Hryn opened his eyes a crack and raised an eyebrow. “It feels like it was torn apart and put back together by a blind, half-lame thatcher.” Gavin chuckled a bit. “Always the eloquent one, you are. Do you rem-“ Hryn’s hand shot outward, catching Gavin by the throat and pulling him down to lock eyes with him. “Do I remember the conversation? Your little message for me? Why yes, Gavin, I remember in clear detail everything you said. Now tell me… why should I not tear your throat out here and now? After all, you’ve all but said you intend to kill the man to whom I’m indentured…” Hryn relaxed his grip enough to allow Gavin the air he needed to answer. “Urk… I see that your strength has come back in full…” Hryn’s eyes narrowed dangerously. Gavin rolled his black eyes. “Fine, fine, no small talk...”

I stayed awake all night, And slept the morning through, And went to sleep drifting, Floating on thoughts of you. I wake and roll over, Throw my arm through the air, Wrapping it around you, But, darling, you're not there. My eyes open slowly, Dispelling the surreal, The smokey dream's fading, And in my mind I kneel, Before your blushing face, And tell you how I feel, To spend your life with me, My fondest dream made real.

Response to Excel Saga to be written as an abstract conversation between senior agent Excel Excel and Loooooooooorrrrd Ilpalazo: !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ...? !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ... !! !? !!!!!!!!!!!! *KABOOM* ... .....................!!! ? ... !! *sigh* *KABOOM*

I can see your point, Buddha, but try looking at it this way: A deep, rich sea of sound surrounds and envelopes me, And lets me drown my thoughts and fears in waves of love. Oh, and always thanks for the good feedback, and for constructive criticism. *blush* Glad you're all enjoying these... my sappy romantic side gets reserved generally for very few people, and specifically for one person in general. Anyway, that probably made very little sense, so I'm going to go to sleep before I confuzzle that anymore.

A deep, rich sea, Of sound surrounds, Envelopes me, And lets me drown, My thoughts and fears, In waves of love, And I can hear, From high above, Your voice is calling, A sea so blue, And I am falling, In love with you.

Well, the birthday shockwave still hasn't passed here, but... Lady of Shadows, Of darkly dancing mishief, And grinning wonder. Happy birthday, oh Yui-ness!

*looks up* Ehhh... Screw it, bet it all on 23 black! Just always be careful to watch out for big guys with folding chairs while playing back-alley craps.

A driving rain cracked into the cobblestones of Cold Port. Through this rain ran a woman who until recently had been named Dessina ka’Marca Natros, and had been an expert assassin and negotiator in the direct employ of the Dead Council… Now she thought of herself as Loryn, a name given to her by a man she hated under circumstances which were all but the direct hand of holy Althis himself. She clutched a stack of books to her chest, huddled protectively over them like a mother protecting her child. They contained the collected works of Saevus Sospita… a name which had meant very little to her until recently. Sospita had been passingly mentioned during her training for the Council, but only as a chronicler of Althis’ living days. Now she believed him to be much more… The rain pelted her back, an occasional piece of hail mingling with it and bruising the flesh of her ribs or shoulders. She ducked into an alley to catch her breath, watching as a gargantuan bolt of lightning flared through the sky. It was mid-day, but a thick covering of clouds threw the shadow of midnight over Cold Port. A deafening crash of thunder preceded a volley of hail and the sound of shattering glass. Loryn shivered and shoved the books under her already soaked shirt… it wasn’t much, but any cover was better than none, and Gavin had all but commanded her to keep them safe. Another crash of thunder, and a splintering of wood somewhere in the distance… the docks, if Loryn judged correctly. Gavin Althane… Loryn shivered again, remembering his black eyes staring into hers. If she had known sooner, she’d never have… there was no use thinking about it now. The wind picked up, bowing in the sides of the wooden buildings across the street from her… buildings which had been constructed to withstand hurricanes. The Court was close now, just a few streets away. If she could reach it, Loryn could possibly find shelter within… the Court was one of the few stone structures in Cold Port, and had extensive catacombs. Another flash of lightning lit the sky, revealing a funnel of black twisting down several streets away. Loryn stood transfixed for a moment as she watched it touch beyond the low buildings, kicking up clouds of stone and timber. And then she ducked back onto the street, heading toward the Court at a dead sprint. ------------------- Fexus sat in his study with his legs crossed and his back to the door, an unusual position for him, but necessary so that he could gaze out his window at the great river which issued from the Falls and split his city in half. The waters moved slowly today, sluggish and swirling into the Frozen Sea. His storm raged over Cold Port now, he could feel its intensity in his bones, and fueled it with his force of will. He felt every splintered building, every crushed life, every bolt of lightning which found a mark on stone or wood or flesh. Fexus sat crosslegged with small crackles of blue light playing in the folds of his robes. The hairs on the back of his arms were painfully erect, and threatened to lift out of his skin leaving small pinpoints of blood as they left… a feeling which could be quite uncomfortable. A knock at the door broke Fexus from his musings, and the Lord of Hammerfall twisted around as his study door creaked open to reveal a wide man with graying hair. “Nanten the Tailor… and to what do I owe the honor of your return, most trusted lieutenant?” Fexus pushed himself to his feet, as Nanten knelt and pressed a meaty fist to the stone floor. “It is a pleasure to be back, m’lord. Your plan went off without a hitch… last I saw him, Hryn was rushing to storm the Court at Cold Port single-handedly.” Fexus nodded absently and crossed his arms. “Of course… and Loghis was there as he’d said?” Nanten nodded briefly. “Yes, m’lord Fexus.” Fexus closed his eyes and grinned widely. “Where would you place his odds of survival, tailor?” Nanten raised his head, not quite meeting Fexus’ gaze. “Hryn? What with Gerod Loghis and the rest of his council to deal with, I’d say he’s probably as good as dead by now, sir…” Fexus’ eyes opened a crack and he chuckled under his breath. “What if Hryn only had Loghis to deal with?” Nanten’s eyes darted upwards dangerously before remembering their place and returning to Fexus’ cheeks. “Assuming that… well, I’d still put my odds of the dead man, m’lord. Hryn may be good, but we’ve tried to kill Loghis before… the man’s nigh invulnerable.” Fexus shook his head and clucked. “You of all people, Nanten, should know that nothing lasts forever. Loghis has a weakness, and you underestimate Hryn’s abilities in finding those.” Fexus spun around to stare out of his window once more. “I fully expect my Fixer to kill Gerod Loghis… which is why I’m destroying Cold Port. Hryn’s been useful, but he allowed the Althane boy to die… which wouldn’t have been a problem had he stayed that way. I have no choice but to believe he’s been subverted by the Council.” Fexus shrugged and glanced over his shoulder at Nanten, still kneeling in the doorway. “Pity, really. He had such potential, too. Now leave me, tailor. Take some time off… maybe a trip east. Somewhere warm.” Nanten stood and bowed low to Fexus’ back, giving a soft murmur of thanks as he pulled the door shut behind him. Fexus sat back down, rolling his shoulders and popping his neck. Nothing lasted forever… Cold Port was proof enough of that. ------------------- Loryn bounded up the stairs of the Court, the wind trying desperately to pull her back down. She nearly slipped on the top steps, barely catching herself against one of the stone pillars which held up the monolithic slab of the Court’s overhang. Behind her, another twisting mass of black touched down, throwing tiny shards of stone against her back… she felt one lodge in her left shoulder, and forced her way into the entrance foyer. As the door swung shut behind her, the driving rain and booming thunder were muted to a dull roar. Loryn sank to her knees and leaned against the heavy doors, panting and gasping… her body may’ve been dead, but it still required oxygen to burn for fuel. Loryn mused on just how alive she would seem to someone who didn’t know better… she still breathed, she still ate… her blood was warm, and pumped through her veins as hotly as any mortal’s. But she would never bear children; never feel the wrinkles of age. Her skin would not tan, and her sense of touch was muted to almost nothing. While she couldn’t feel much pain, she would never know the soft caress of a lover or a gentle kiss. Loryn pulled the books of Sospita from under her shirt, sighing in relief as she saw that the pages were little more than damp. The books would be fine… Loryn caught her breath and reached around to feel at the wound in her shoulder… it was bleeding heavily, and she could feel the nub of stone that had impacted with her body, likely driving into the bone itself. She winced and gritted her teeth, tugging it out in one clean jerk. Sure enough, there was a tell-tale pulling sensation as a part of her shoulder blade bowed outwards. Loryn swallowed heavily and drew a few ragged breaths as she waited for her body to begin repairing itself… one of the perks of being dead. She was a creature static, her wounds closing up within minutes. A lost limb, properly reattached would heal in hours, and even if lost, would take no more than a month to regrow… granted, it would consume large amounts of raw material, but it could be done. Her shoulder began knitting itself back together and Loryn stood, scooping up the books. She couldn’t afford to stay here much longer. The Court, sturdy though it was, wouldn’t hold out forever against this mammoth storm… Loryn staggered her way into the halls, towards the stairs downwards to the catacombs. Behind her, a peal of thunder presaged a deafening crash of stone as the overhang collapsed against the door… there would be no turning back. Loryn stood staring back for a moment, then turned and headed into the darkness.

As Finnius eyes the two morphological Pennites silently, an eyebrow raises across his little blue forehead. His ears prick up and he catches Sal's eye long enough to hold up one index finger and tap the side of his nose twice. Salinye's eyes go wide for a moment and she raises both eyebrows in questioning. The little blue man nods once, then leans back against the wall. Sal blinks for a moment before calling out like a pro. "I have one hundred geld, I repeat, the bidding is now at one hundred geld!"

*Seconds Peredhil's eloquent statement, and hugglecuddles 'Shela.* ... *Yup, still cuddling...* (That's one awful long hug...) *Mmmmm... yeah, still there.* (Think he's ever going to let go?) *Snugglenuzzlecuddle.* (Positively sickening... has the man no shame?) *One last tight squeeze and a kiss on the forehead.* Have another code flower?

I regret not letting myself be open with my emotions earlier. So many of my problems have stemmed from me trying to change the way I felt about someone/something, when I should've just accepted that and moved through it. Although, I do agree with monsieur le Peredhil, that I would then be a different person than I am today, and all things considered, I'm glad I am who I am. I have kind, and supportive friends, prospects for a change of scenery, and a Pen that I love very much. Why, oh why, must you ask such innocuous yet difficult questions? Then again, I say the same thing when someone says "Paper or plastic?"

Yawning, sighing, sleepy laughing, When I'm dead and beat and sore, And you can always cheer my day, And help me through, to face one more. Making sure to stay alive, If only just to hear your voice, Loving you, my one, my dear, Was never really any choice. And given time, and holding on, To each other through the day, I wait and hope for that sweet time, When with each other we can stay.

"Hrrmmmm... I see we've moved into the high-bidding range..." Finnius checks his pockets and chews his bottom lip for a moment before closing his eyes and sighing. "60!"

A little blue man, slumped in the corner and nearly asleep, raises a hand and nods to the auctioner. He holds up a small card with the number 20 printed on it.

Yes, yes, a thousand times yes! So glad it's not just me...

In no uncertain terms, I've told you many times, Just how I feel about you, And how you fuzz my mind, In no uncertain terms, You've told me many times, To just stop being stubborn, To let myself unwind. In these uncertain times, I won't rephrase my terms, I still want you forever, My core still wants and burns, In these uncertain times, You've never given terms, You're solid and I love you, How I grate and how I yearn. So if uncertain or if not, And in time we'll rise above, In no uncertain terms, What I feel for you is love.

Happy birthday, man, and may all your fish be slippery. Or something like that. Maybe it's may all your slips be fishy... hmmm... May all your fish slip with you? Meh, something like that. Anyway, have some cake, kiss a fish, ask your parents where babies come from, and always stay up past your bedtime eating candy that you bought from strangers with wooden nickels.

Home to me is a place that you feel safe and loved. Home is people, not places. In my life, I've only ever felt at home once, and I'm not really sure how to explain exactly how I recognized it... I just knew. I had an absolute *knowing* that this was safe, and right, and that there was love and comfort and stability and warmth. Turned out to be wrong on two of those, but it was still home, or at least it felt like it. Anyway, to sum it up: Home = People that love and care about you, and will be there when you need them. Whenever you're with those people, you're home. Ok, so actually I've been at home two times, then.

Actually, I'd tried that one already, on a recommendation. The launcher decided that it didn't like me for some reason, and wouldn't let me delete it off my computer... tried to remove the read-only and it auto-checked it as soon as I closed it, which kind of makes me paranoid. So I restarted in safe mode and ninja'ed it off. Never got to try the actual game... which sucks, as it looked kind of cool.

A whispered word in darkness, still, Catches in my ear and sticks, And beams of light from off the moon, Are on my window, playing tricks. They dance and shimmer like fine wine, Reflecting ballroom lights from eyes, Which lock and smile and hold with mine, To smother and kill all thought of lies. And sweet soft sighing in the night, And laughter, tears, and muted tones, And life that's given, hearts excited, Lets me know I'm not alone.

...written an entire notebook worth of something that seemed great at the time, only to realize later that it's crap and burned the whole thing? ...and then wished you hadn't? ...heard a song that you really loved, only to find out later that it's by a band you hate? ...been kicked in the head by a fourteen year old girl? ...slid down three flights of stairs on the railing without using your hands for support? ...and then flew straight into a door? ...wrapped Ace bandages around your hand and then squirted red food coloring over your litttle finger? ...put blue, rasperry flavored dye into the hand soap at work? ...screamed at God for fourty-five minutes straight, and only realized afterwards that you have upstairs neighbors? ...played Copycat with an actual cat? ...had a stare-down with a cat? ...lost a stare-down with a cat? ...used a dog as a pillow? ...had a dog use you as a pillow? ...done both at the same time? ...realized how absurd life is, and had that be oddly comforting?

The world exploded into white around Hryn, melting away in a blinding flash and then settling into a swirling gray mass. He felt numbly cold and his limbs tingled with goosebumps and pinpricks. There was a distinct lack of sound for the first few minutes, which disconcerted Hryn to no end… he was used to the heartbeats of the cities where he plied his trade, the soft whisper of wind on the waves or through the grass. Hryn lived in a world where sound meant life. The roiling mass of nothing split into two distinct halves, two huge and imposing waves sliding effortlessly over each other. A voice like thunder rolled through the void, the voice of Balphinus audible to Hryn’s ears for the first time, instead of projected into his mind. “Estimated time to arrival in Hammerfall is one hundred and sixty-eight hours. Would you like to remain conscious for the trip?” Hryn tried to turn his head to search for the source of the voice, only to find that he was unable to move at all. He quickly did the math in his head. “Wait… you’re telling me that it’s going to take an entire week to get to Hammerfall?” There was a soft sound of flowing water from behind Hryn, and a barely perceptible breeze. “That is correct.” “Then why did you show me Gavin already in Hammerfall?” The breeze came a bit stronger, the sound of water was now a gentle river. “Gavin Althane is in Hammerfall.” Hryn’s eyes narrowed to slits. “That doesn’t answer the question… why did you show me that he was there?” The breeze became a distinct wind, a hint of moisture coated Hryn, small stinging bits of water. “Gavin Althane instructed me to do so.” “Gavin has accessed you?” “Correct. He left instructions to add Hryn to the Hostmask list.” “Did he leave a reason why?” The wind became a gale, whipping Hryn’s clothes around him while a spray of harsh rain cut into his soft flesh, peppering small drops of red across his face. “Gavin Althane left a message recorded in the eventuality of your questioning. Would you like to view it?” Hryn’s eyes closed momentarily and then opened again. “Yes. Show it to me.” -------------------- Gavin stood suspended in midair, between two rolling clouds of gray, two monolithic spheres of nothing. He stared forward, black eyes wide drawn up at the corners, a smile with the eyes. He held his hands behind his back and faced Hryn, the wind and rain whipping him and making him bleed. This was not strictly necessary… but Gavin knew that Hryn would be hard-pressed to accept any easy form of travel. The man was stubborn. He cleared his throat and addressed his former master. “Good evening, Hryn… I trust you are still alive and bound to Fexus’ will?” Hryn stared straight forward, immobile. He’d likely been thrown off by Balphinus’ mislabeling this as some kind of recording. And it was, to an extent… but far more than that, Gavin here was just as conscious as the Gavin Althane who walked the streets of Hammerfall. “Fine, then, don’t answer.” Gavin sighed heavily. “Point is, Hryn, I expect you have a few questions by now. Why not get them off your chest so you can move on?” Hryn almost cocked his head to one side… Gavin could sense the request for physical mobility through Balphinus’ systems. He cut it off, and noted the unconscious accessing that Hryn was performing… interesting. “Tell me what this is, Gavin. What exactly are the Courts?” Gavin smiled and shook his head. “Straight to business, then? Not interested in how I’ve been doing these last few days?” Hryn rolled his eyes and remained silent. “Fine, then. The Courts, as you label them, are far more than your master Fexus believes them to be. He accessed the Court at Hammerfall through sheer luck and maintains his connection through force of will. He also misguidedly believes it is some sort of god. Trust me, Hryn… Natayu is many things, but a god it is not.” “Natayu… I’ve heard that name before, and Balphinus. Saevus Sospita wrote of Natayu as a hammer and Balphinus as a scythe. He claimed that Mephis forged these as tools to help make the world.” “Sospita was a man with extraordinary vision, and not near enough life-span. He saw more of the Twin’s Empire than any other human on this planet… Saevus was there for the start, and very nearly for the end.” Hryn thought for a moment… Gavin could see the synapses firing through Balphinus’ careful monitoring of the man’s internal functioning. “How old was Saevus Sospita when he died?” Gavin smiled widely. “That all depends on how you define death.” “So Sospita was a dead man, like the Council?” Gavin shook his head, chuckling under his breath. “No, Saevus was most definitely not like the Council. Let’s just say that he and Althis… have a few things in common.” “Can you be any less specific? I think I might’ve understood some of that.” The wind kicked up for a moment, tearing small pieces of flesh off Hryn’s arms. “Keep your tone, dog of Fexus. I’m trying to help you here.” The wind died back down to a harsh gale. “Sospita wrote his tomes in hopes that someone like you might eventually uncover the truth about the tools of Mephis.” Hryn cocked an eyebrow, and Gavin let him. “And what truth would that be?” “That Mephis did not create them. He only created the access keys.” Gavin let his hands move in front of his body, spreading them wide. A sphere of cold blue light formed in his left hand, and a swirling mass of purple crackled around his right. Gavin help up his right hand. “Natayu… Land’s Beginning. Raw and uncontrolled power, chaotic creation. Natayu governs all energy, all matter… in short, the physical world is Natayu’s province.” Gavin extended the pale orb in his left hand. “Balphinus, the Truth of Fate… at first, Balphinus controlled the factors of speed, decay, ordered destruction. As time went on, it was given domain over the chord of spiritual death as well. Balphinus has always been the most stable of the three… Natayu is closer to a caged animal than anything else, and Machia… Machia operates on a level so far beyond us it would be insane to try and understand it. Which brings us to Fexus, and you.” Hryn nodded and crossed his arms. A third ball of light, pure white tinged with every color imaginable formed halfway between the other two and stretched out thin trails of luminescence to the other two, connecting them to itself. “Machia… the Light in Darkness. Machia is the youngest of the three and by far the most powerful. Where Natayu controls the physical world and Balphinus governs the spiritual, Machia governs Balphinus and Natayu. It makes sure that their abilities are not abused and that, should the governing intelligences behind the two control systems become unstable, a new mind will take their place. So far that hasn’t happened. But under Fexus, Natayu has been under constant usage, it’s never had a chance to rest. Natayu is going insane, Hryn.” Hryn shrugged. “And? If this Machia can find another mind to take over the Court’s control, what’s the problem?” “Machia can only draw control minds from the access-list. Basically, it can only empower people who already have an amount of control over the system. Do you know what the first thing Fexus did when he accessed Natayu was?” “Let me guess… he erased the list.” “Exactly… where Natayu’s list used to include the entire Althane line, and much of the Hloran, it now contains exactly one name. Fexus, Lord of Hammerfall. So far Fexus has tapped only a portion of Natayu’s potential, due mainly to his ignorance. If he is placed in direct control of the entire system… Hryn can you imagine if Fexus could directly control the entire physical world?” Hryn gave a shiver inside and steeled his face. “Fexus is my Master, Gavin… his wish is my command.” Gavin grinned harshly and the balls faded from view. “I know, Hryn, which is why I’m telling you this. Althis told me all about you. I know why everyone thinks you’re Mallon Hloran. And believe me, I intend to take Fexus down for what he’s done. Sleep now, Fixer… we’ll talk more when you hit Hammerfall.” Gavin slipped into the mass of gray, and the clouds closed over Hryn, pulling him down into blackness.

Gyr: Eeeeeesh... yeah, bad first experiences. Actually, I agree with you on the personal information bit, but so far I've seen more good players than bad. Maybe just bad luck. Vincent: Heh... yeah, lambs are harsh at low levels. Tam: Errrr.... Hrm. Weird. Tried the same thing with Sal last night, ended up just taking a minute to go through. Stick: As for figuring out what to do and all, /help is priceless. I'm usually on later on at night, or midafternoon, depending on if I'm working. On another note, what names are you guys using? I can search for you when I get on, might making grouping up a bit easier.