Boaz

As I walk along the hallowed halls, I look upon the names who's friendship calls. I see their portraits faded grey, of friend's who's memories have begun to fray. But as a approach and touch the name etched in the stone, the painting above radiates the light it once shone. I swear I can hear my name still spoken, and my eyes grow moist at this token. Memories and names may sometimes fade, but still they are strong inside the man they made.

My brain turned to mush.. ignore this.

I am glad to see the Pen is still chugging along. It has been YEARS since I have posted, but I do admit that I sometimes come by and peak in just to see who is still around. I am chasing two kids around right now or I would give a more in depth report. I hope all is well for my friends here. Boaz

Two loves- Moonlight bathed the white marble balcony of the tower in soft radiance as Rathlin waited for Starlight to join him. He turned as he heard her footfalls behind him and his heart jumped in his chest, just as it had every time he had ever looked upon her. Even after 8 years of marriage her beauty stole his breath away. “"Love, your garden is more beautiful every year."” She said as she slipped an arm around him and enjoyed the smell of jasmine on the soft breeze. “"Are you fishing for complements again? You know I use you as my inspiration. Now tell me about how your day went, did your visit with the King go well? “Come inside and try my newest creation. I do think it will be my greatest masterpiece,"” Rathlin said after a few minutes of talking with Starlight. “Now you must drink all of it to enjoy the full effect of the infusions."” He stated as he walked to the side table and poured some wine into a crystal glass. “"Ah this really is exquisite my love. Even better than the white you created last year. Do I detect a trace of honey? Strange, I am starting to feel …. rather…er.. woozy.. yet very happy"…” Rathlin leaped forward and slowly laid his love upon the soft Jarthyll carpet. “"Ah my love. I am so very sorry. I wish this could be any other way. You know that I love you, love you more than anything, but this I must do."” “"Must do… do what….what is happening" Rathlin leans down as his wife’s voice gets softer and softer and takes her into his arms.. holding her close. “"It has been ordered, tonight is the night. You are the first, the very first, I demanded that honor. I wish it could be any other way.. You don’t know how many times I wished you were not a mage. How many nights I spent in the garden tending the flowers while crying over what I knew must come. Yes they knew I would do what I must, but he also understood he couldn't make me not love you."” “"I… do… do not under.. st… and.."” “"It is best if you don't fully understand my love, it is best. I will stay here with you till the end. I have loved you from the moment I saw you, and always will. It should be gentle, the full affect of the draught is to create joy and happiness even as your body succumbs. It should be over in just a moment my love."…” The last thing Starlight feels as the darkness encloses her is Rathlin’s tears upon her face, and an unreasonable joy in her heart. If any of Xon’s city guards had looked closely the next morning they might have noticed the strained look on Rathlin's face as he left the city. But ones such as they try to stay out of way of people like the King's personal vintager, especially when he is married to one of the King's magic council. If they had looked maybe one would have noticed the bag of holding situated to look like a coin purse.. and maybe even what looked like the outline of a figurine within the bag. A helping hand- BOOM! BOOM! “"I'm coming, I'm coming. And when I get down there be warned that there will be one more frog in this world".” BOOM! BOOM! “"I said I am coming please quit beating on my door."” The front door to the tower flew open and a small wizened man look up at Thad with death in his eyes. “"It is 3am. Your reasons for bothering me at this time better be good and profitable."” “"I am sorry sir, I am. It is my daughter, sir. She is deathly ill, she went into the woods mushroom hunting, I think she ate something that is gonna kill her."” Thad said as he stood in the night wringing his hands. “"Well then, I suggest you go to Mother Lesha and ask for her help."” Thad barely got his foot between the door and the frame as it was slammed shut, “"Please! Sir the mother is gone to one of the farms..a birth I hear..and well you being in the herb business, you probably know as much as she does.."” “"As much? Hah! More than she does.. but a butcher can't afford my fee in the daylight, let alone after dark. Leave before I report you to the guards!"” “"Please sir. She is my only child, she is going to die. I can afford to pay! Anything you demand can be paid if you just give me time."” Thad pulled his foot from the door and looked with pleading in his eyes at the mage. The old man fully intended to slam the door into the fool's face, when an image of the daughter flashed before his eyes. Sixteen with a doe's eyes and hair like ripe wheat. Always too good for an old man, turning down his advances these last four years. “"Anything? Well your daughter is old enough now to pay her own way in this world. Do you agree that she will pay as only she can? Do you?"” the old man said with a leer that left no doubt what was being bargained for. “"Sir? Ye..Yes sir. If that will save her life. You leave me no choice." The old man noticed that Thad couldn't even look into his eyes, probably filled with shame, simpleton. “"Good, Good. Then go home and make sure your daughter understands her part of the bargain. I will collect my things and be there shortly."” The door slammed almost before the last words were said. “"Let me look at her. Ah yes. A fever followed by chills, shallowness of breath, and a blue tinge to the lips. I do believe I know what she ate and have the cure right here."” These people, always so simple thinking they know what they are doing and eating something that kills them. The Mage thought to himself. “"Oh, sir! I just knew you could cure her.” Thad couldn't help but notice how the old mages eyes were plastered closer to his daughter's body than her sweat soaked nightshirt. Or how his touch was more like a lover's than a care givers. It took every ounce of his strength not to hit the old man right there." “"Now don't forget our agreement of payment. I think I will take a small advance right now."” The old man said as he leaned over for a kiss. As he rose back up he noticed that the butcher was very near, but then again he had been hovering like a mother hen during the whole visit. The blow to the back of his head knocked him back down over the daughter. As he tried to rise and figure out what happened, the daughter's hands snaked out and grabbed his long hair. As he began to flail, a second blow landed and he slumped unconscious. “"Thank you. He was much tougher than he looks. Now get some sleep, it looks like he knew what he was doing, so no need for you to take the antidote. I need to start getting rid of the body. Sleep well darling."” Thad leaned down and placed a kiss on his daughter's forehead and thought about how lucky a man would be one day to have her as a wife. Smart, pretty, and plenty of sand. “"Now my friend, time for the payment you got coming to ya."” Everyone that knows Thad knows how he loves to whistle while he works. Tonight was no exception and a merry little tune could be heard coming from the butchering room, punctuated by the sounds of a heavy cleaver. The next day at the town watch.- “"Well it all checks out, sergeant. Thad's daughter shows signs of food poisoning and Mother Lesha confirms that she was sick and then treated. Thad swears that Mage Roderick left his house around 4am."” “"Well, Investigator, do we have any confirmation on his story?"” “"The tanner across the street. He swears he saw the old mage walking down the street at about the time Thad claims he left."” “"Do you believe him?"” “"Sir, the tanner hates Thad more than anything in this world. If he had known what was going on I am sure he would have lied and said he heard screams coming from the house. I believe that he really did see, or thinks he saw Roderick leaving this morning. Plus Thad has been living here since before his daughter was born. And not once has there been any problems, except for that tanner fighting"” “"So Roderick isn't at home, he didn't show up at the council meeting and no one in town has seen him. What do you think?"” “"Well sir. He has been known to bug out for a week or so at a time. Remember we had to send a couple of men to bring him back from Stag village the summer all the boys were sent off for military training. I figure he is somewhere with lots of girls and beer and won't come back till we hear of it or he tires of it."” The sergeant ignored the added “"Dirty old pervert." “"We will keep the file open, but feel free to tell Thad it looks like he is off the hook."” “"Yes sir. I was planning on going that way anyway, he had some pretty nice meat hanging."” “"Hah! I am certain a chance to see the daughter again has nothing to do with it. Dismissed."”

wow.. well after over a year I have finally added something to the story of Seth.. depending on if it seems to actually be read I should continue to write more of the story. I would appreciate any comments... be it simple thoughts on the story, critiques, suggestions... or even a "boo! you suck! take away his keyboard!" Thanks Boaz

(Back in the present) Trusting the spell of invisibility and his years of training to remain undetected, Seth rounds the corner of the hall and moves silently to within a few feet of the guards. Kalic Adjusted his grip on the pike and thought for the hundredth time that night that maybe just maybe any other job would be more exciting that his current occupation. Of course that all changed when the cloaked figure appeared less than 10 feet away from him, and to be honest it was probably only the barrier his helm created that kept his eyes from popping right out of his head. Without even an instant of thought his body went into the procedure that had been drilled into his muscles for the last 10 years... 2 steps to the center of the hall, and a quick flick of his wrist began the spinning of his pike. This he could keep doing with the deadly flourishes and twists for hours. His mind no longer thought or felt, all that existed was the body. He barely even noticed when the bolt from the hand crossbow found the soft flesh of his companion's thigh, or the spasms that started to wrack his body. Heh, poor guy. Too bad anti-magic doesn't affect the poison of the Hyrui. Now, how to beat this guy? I can't see a place on him that isn't covered in an inch of steel. A quick trust...ah...nice reflexes..didn't even get close.. but how are you on the outside...hmm...not bad there either...ahhh.. Seth's mental dialog is broken by the sudden need to backpedal as the pike man begins an elaborate and deadly forward dance. The large pike man continues to press his advantage, and it is obvious that even thought Seth fights his hardest, slowly..very very slowly he is forced to move back... Gods..what a conservative, how many openings do I have to give? any other fighter would have me another 10 feet back..well at least there should be a foot or two between him and the antimagic feild... A sudden darkness descends over both combatants... Suddenly the pike man seems to realize the other change, maybe air pressure, premonition.... for what ever reason, he begins to turn around, but too late. Seth slams his short sword into the armpit of his enemy's upraised arm, and he reflexively hunches over on that side his dirk is slipped into the newly formed gap between the left shoulder and helm. Let's see, the antimagic field ends about 2 feet before the door..so maybe magical alarms too? Seth closes his eyes and begins to concentrate, when he reopens his eyes he is able to follow the flow of magic around the door, and notice the magic from the door flowing off in on direction and ending in one of the stones on the wall. After careful consideration of the situation, he moves to the body of the swordsman, removes the right gauntlet and presses the palm against the block. With a barely audible sound almost like a soft breath...the reinforced double doors unseal. With death on his mind and silence as his companion, Seth walks into the private rooms of the Duke of Klandish.........

Ok, this isn't a discussion on if god exists or not, so those of you that don't believe, don't take it as on.. and those of you that do believe... don't take it that way either.. The point of this is just to keep my brain going this afternoon, and to explain why I personally think that "bad things happen". to truly enjoy this post..and the discussion that I hope springs from it... put aside the concept of if God exists or not...and instead think only of why things are like they are if there is a good God watching us. Before I begin, please excuse my lacking skills of communication. I really shouldn't attempt a post such as this, but I feel the need... *shrug* my brain is getting rusty. God is benevolent, so why is there evil in the world? I believe the answer is both simple and one of the most complex concepts at the same time.. the simple answer is... so that we could have spiritual depth, the complex answer is...so that we could have spiritual depth. Don't worry I am not going to "cop out" and simply say it is "free will" though that does tie into the subject matter/reason. If you take a small baby, put it in a padded room, and give it everything it needs and wants..what will you have in 20 years? You will have someone that is still a baby in many if not most ways. The person will not learn the things that we learn in everyday life. It will not have the ability to cope with problems or disappointments. There would not be the spiritual/mental depth that even a 7 year old has after living in the "real world" This ties into why bad things happen to people, and why just because you pray more than your neighbor doesn't mean you will have a 4k square foot house. I believe that we were created to be companions, for company. If god gave us everything we wanted and there was no crime, hunger, and other problems in the world we would all be like "Chip" the preppy rich kid who had his own sailboat at 8, and doesn't understand anything that is outside of his trust fund(not saying all rich kids are like that).. how would you like to have only friends like that? Also, if you are rich and have friends..how do you know which ones truly love you? and which only love you because you lavish them with gifts? A perfect world would make it easy to say we love and believe in God. Free will is a part of the equation though, as you getting robbed by a guy in a dark ally is a consequence of his free will. If God removed crime, etc, he would have to remove free will from some...if that is the case why not from all and make us automatons that have no true spiritual depth? In short, God created us so we could grow and become more than we are, both individually and as a people. He gave us the chance to mature and have depth. We shouldn't shake our fists at God and blame him for things when they go wrong, instead we should understand that by being subtle, and letting the cards lay as they were played, he is giving us the chance to grow up, and not be spiritual 2 year olds during our whole existence. Well, that is enough rambling I guess..I am sorry for any that dislike my use of "He" for God, but that is just how I have learned to visualize him(pronoun wise at least). I welcome any and all discussion..or even comments telling me I am boring, wrong, off my rocker...etc. Boaz p.s. To be honest..now that I have finished it.I am tempted not to post it... something jus isn't good enough...but oh well...once it is written it must be posted.

ok, I really don't have the time/energy to make this a fully functional thesis so I will just put some points out there.. this is in no way a truely educated theory on the process/underpinnings of the universe but is rather just what seems to make sense to me from my few readings and my own thought process. First: some basic "accepted truths" of the universe 1. The universe started small and then the big bang 2. The universe is expanding 3. There is not only matter...but also darkmatter, which we known exists by being able to detect its gravitational affects. Next: some points of discussion/change in theory 1. it was expected that the universe's expansion would be slowing down, but recent data seems to indicated the very opposite is happening. 2. The first point tends to indicated a universal constant force(as Al "the brain" Einstien" suggested years ago) Now..I step off into the morrase that is my mental image of the universe... If the universe is expanding, then it would seem apparent to me that it isn't infinite, but rather something "outside" of it exists. If there is someting outside of it..that would mean there is an edge or a area where the universe ends and the rest begins. Albert suggested that E=MC^2. What if outside of our universe is pure energy(in some form or another) and when the Big bang happened, a "wave" of force was created, and this force can convert energy to either matter or antimatter. Now if the just stated theory is correct, it might be the cause of the continued expansion of the universe. Energy is removed from outside of the "bubble" and matter/antimatter is created inside. This should create a "vacuum/void" outside and add pressure inside. Thus the force that is accelerating the expansion of the universe, or at least ofsetting the force created by gravitational pull. Simply put think of a balloon with the ability to pull air inside...or think of the osmosis proccess in some cells. yes..boring read.and I know I have to be way off...but just felt the need to put this down somewhere and get it out of my head. Boaz Demigod of Madness(as this post proves)

I don't feel like getting into this deeply, if you want to know why, look at this thread so far. I have no urge to argue with any of you, and I haven't, but look at the posts so far. People make comments about bush's supporters, they make comments about bush. Look at the people that seem to be the bush supportors. We suggest we don't want to talk about it, that it will not do anything constructive, yet we are the ones that are suppose to be pushing our believes and thoughts down the "liberals" throats.. doesn't seem that way to me at the moment. Also, look at a couple of the comments, I know they are made in jest, but it shows a trend, I am talking about "Is it too late to move to canada." Ok this might bother some people, but let me put the cards on the table.. WHAT DID YOU EXPECT? For years now I have seen some people do stuff like go on TV and claim that when they look into a chickens eyes, they see the same soul as a baby human. Also there is the woman I saw once that I saw on one show, decrying that killing of baby calves for veal, and talking about how pregnate cows are sometimes slaughtered........ less than 2 weeks later, I saw her talking for another group she represented, talking about how women have the right for abortion. I am not claiming one is wrong or one is right, but you can't have it both ways, either unborn baby cows don't count, or unborn humans do..make a decision. There really was a really big "liberal" tint to the programming/media/proclaimed thought process of the nation, did you not expect there to be blowback? Any time there is a swing too far one way or the other, you can expect for there to be counterswing, action/reaction. Something else that bothers me, is that people claim that conservatives are close minded, and that we should accept everybody for who they are and respect their beliefs, but the second conservative says they believe "X thing, for Y reason" they are called a bigot and that they should change their minds. You can't have it both ways, you can't expect for others to respect you and what you say, if you are not willing to let them have theres..even if it is "well let them be ignorant" GOD I hate this, I have written all of this about a subject I really don't want too. And I am sure I am going to get reamed about at least one or two things, and why? Because someone here will think my believes are stupid/ignorant. You know something? I hadn't claimed any such thing about any of the things others have said here... yet I am the one that would be labeled unaccepting or some such for supporting bush. Later, Boaz P.S. when I said majority, look at this post, most have shown a dislike for Bush. why? because different people hang out in different areas, I am sure if you went to a Church in the south, liberal would be minority, if you went to a block party in New York, concervative would be minority.

There is a reason that Bush supporters do not talk about it in lots of various places... it is because of the implication in what other say and write that to support bush you must either be stupid, or I don't know... ignorant..or even worse.. "evil",etc.. Since many people don't like going into a situation where they know they will be outnumbered, and there is a good chance it might get ugly they stay away. seems like a very good policy to me. sorry for this not being that great grammatically, but is 12:30 and I have to get up for work in like 5 hours, so I didn't worry to much about the formatting.

reverie, yeah, thanks. I knew the location and everything, but I didn't want to start "throwing bible verses" around. Doing that tends to make people stop listening to you it seems... or could just be my perceptoin thanks anyway Boaz

Born of a persons idle brain, Origins written by another(Rydia/Minta/Rosemary) Always questioning the world around him, almost as much as himself. Zoinks!

Jesus, what a potentially conveluted answer I have for this question. How does one take something that has helped to define who they are ever since they where old enough to understand that they are not the center of the world, and make one post about it? I don't know, but I guess I can try. I appologize ahead of time for any and all brain cells you lose reading these next few paragraphs. I am the son of a Southern Baptist preacher, and I am Southern Baptist to the core. Now, what does that mean? Few people realize just how much variaty there is within the SBC because of our lack of a true central athority. I have read the bible at least 5 times through over my life(that is what happens when you are in church for 3 hours a week your whole life and you could preach the sermon yourself). I have some beliefs that may not be shared by all. Let me put out a few for ya, if you agree great, if you don't. *shrug* Free Will and its effect on our relationship with God: I believe God gave us freewill because he wanted/needed something other than the very emptiness around him. Think about how much satisfaction you receave from a well written story, a handmade item, etc. Now imagine you could create anything your heart desired? Wouldn't you use said power? I know I would. Now, you have this creation, but how do you continue to get satisfaction from it? What if it was ever changing, what if you could watch it "evolve"(oops! did I say that word!). That is what I think free will is about. I believe God wanted people that chose to worship/love him, and could actually make their own path in life. No one wants their best friend to be a robot. God as all knowing/powerful: I personally believe that God is a being that is outside of the very diminsion of "time". I can't remember the exact quotes, but there are several where he is meantioned as timeless, as the Begining and the End, as I AM. For instance the term I AM, I AM. Not I am I was, or I am to be. This is a term that denotes consistancy. I believe that god knows the past, the present and the future, because time holds no meaning to him. Could I be wrong? *shrug* About Spiritual Leaders and their "sheep": To be honest, I am offended by those that call me a sheep. BAAH to ya if you wish to hear that. I go to preachers for questions/opinions, not because I can't think on my own, but because for something as important as my spiritual life seeking the opinion of someone that has made it their life calling to study the subject just seems prudent. If I have a headache that I can't cure myself, I go to a Doctor. The same thing, if there is a spiritual question that I am not completely certain about, a verse I don't totally understand, I go to someone that has put much more effort into than I. Does this mean I think they will automatically be right? Do I think they are infallable? No, I don't and I take everything with a grain of salt. If I go to a doctor for a headache, and he wants to cut my hand off, I say no thank you. About spirituallity: I think that someone that truely looks into their belief system is spiritual. There is truely only a couple of things I can't abide. The first is someone tha goes with the first thing that seems least like "Christanity". Goths that claim they are wiccans, but have no idea about what that means, that claim to be white witchs. I know one, she didn't have the foggest about what her belief system was suppose to be. The other is people that blame many of the worlds problems on Christanity, do you know that I have a friend that actually had a "wiccan" tell him that war is christanity's fault? I kid you not, they apparently really believe that the world was a paradise before us. *shrug* Oh, then there is the one that claimed that Jesus was actually a buddist and that the church was hiding that fact...... That is all folks, sorry about how terrible I am at writting at all, let alone this type of thing. Also sorry for the lenght of this post. All I have to say is this: Believe what you want, but know why you believe it. Believe what you want, but never call others closed minded for their beliefs. Believe what you want, but never demonize others. Boaz

“Well you see, Troutsers™ are the rage already in Franconia, and I hear drunken party goers in Germanius can’t keep their legs out of them. So Gyrfalcon, what do you say? I want you to be the official spokesman for Troutsers™ brand underwear. You’re the first person I thought of, right off. You’re on the ground floor of a great happening in Mage History, and I will give you 10% royalties?” Gyrfalcon can barely keep his gourge down as Boaz waves a pair of smiley face Troutsers™ in his face. “Um sorry, old friend, but I already..um..already… umm HAVE AN..er.. have an exclusive deal with Joat. Yup, my image can’t be used for anything other than products dealing with the next Movie.. yeah..” “Drats!.. well. Good luck with that.” *crap.. that is the 10 mage to turn it down..can’t these fools smell gold when they are presented with it* Boaz rubs his nose with the Troutser™ and notices Wyvern being extorted… *hmm.. can’t let those trolls extort where a true professional can step in* The two trolls’ eyes go wide as Boaz steps between them, extends both hands out to his sides, and sends a few thousand volts through each of them. Wyvern makes a sound that the more discerning among the crowd would say sounded like a High C performed by one of the chipmunks(Alvin Simon or Theodore).… on crack, as his is dropped. Lucky for him, the shaking caused by the electricity means that he was dropped to the side of the platter, banging first his head on the edge of the table, then landing on his tail as he rolls off said table. Boaz steps forward to help Wyvern get up before the trolls can react. “So, Wyvern! I have been looking all over for you! Here is the money I owe you!” A small bag of gold is exchanged, Wyvern can’t help but shake it quickly.. *hmm..500gold* “I really didn’t think you could do it wyvern.. killing a Red dragon on your own, I was surprised when you took out the hydra.. but the dragon really blew my mind.” Wyvern notices the trolls go white around the eyes, and can’t help but smile as they apologize and tell him they have decided that their current pay is good enough. He turns back to Boaz as they slink off, “So, thanks for saving me. I assume you want this money back?” “No, No. Keep it. It is your first installment. Don’t look so confused, I just saved your bacon..and you just became spokesman for Troutsers™ for life.. or until you kill yourself, which ever is longer. Now, I envision your likeness, oiled down and standing on a dead dragon. You’ll be wearing nothing but a grin and of course a pair of the product. We will put it on every flat surface larger than 10ft x 10ft.. you will be the most recognized face out there. And if these sell like I expect, you also have first shot at endorsing the official Tarter sause and trout flavored mouthwash.” Noticing the sick look that crosses Wyverns face Boaz explains, “Well, waste not- want not. I had to do SOMETHING with the byproduct. Oh and your pay will be 5% of the profit and lifetime supply of Troutsers™ of course! Wyvern looks longingly over his shoulder at the trolls and fishplate.. maybe his situation wasn’t as bad as he though before?

ah a little unclear.... One, both untravelled and yet worn bare. or One [that is] both untravelled and yet worn bare. I like the sound of it this way.. but the reader kinda has to just go with the flow for the astetic value. I guess a better version gramattically would be "I stand upon the path, One untravelled and yet worn bare. A life half unravelled."