YanYanGanaffi

Maybe with grenade launchers in an abandoned warehouse in Hong Kong?

Gryphon said the same thing. I might build off of it.

Sometimes you just have to throw a grenade at it. -J.K. Beasley

The gentle trickle of the stream soothed Yuki's mind. He stood on the small bridge spanning over the small stream that ran through his master's zen garden. Orange flashes disturbing the surface of the water revealed the presence of the koi darting about, searching for food. The crickets in the bamboo forest at the edge of his master's estate played their nightly concert as fireflies blinked in and out of the night air, like sparks of flame that died just to reincarnate a few seconds later. It had been a hard winter, killing off many of the annoying mosquitoes that sometimes ran rampant in this part of Japan. Yuki laid a hand on the handgrip of his sword. He smiled inwardly looking at the koi. His smile changed to a grimace as Gamo's blade slid into his kidney. The double edged dagger was ripped up a few inches, twisted, and then withdrawn with cruel effecentecy. Gamo eased the body off the end of the bridge and hid it under the low wooden structure. Gamo was dressed in the traditional black nightsuit of the ninja. Like a cat, he had scaled the outside wall and stalked along the roof's edge until he found a dark corner in the Zen garden to slip into. The knee deep stream provided a wonderful cover as he stayed low in the water, easing his way along with only the top of his head visible in the water. Moving around waterlillies and lilly pads, he went unnoticed compeletely by the samurai on the bridge. It was a simple matter of taking out a dagger and dispatching him from behind. With the evidence of his kill stashed safely away, Gamo studied the surrounding courtyard. A path laid with river pebbles led to a large house standing three floors high with steep tiled roofs. The path stopped at the base of some stairs attatched to a porch that encircled the entire house. There was a smaller building that was a servent's quarters near the main house. Torches glowed along the porch. Gamo could see the warm glow of candles and lanterns from inside the house. Methodically he slinked to the edge of the porch while in a crouched stance, hands out by his sides for balance and wieght distribution as he performed a low rolling step to avoid making any sound that may alert any guards. As he reached the edge of the porch, he heard the sound of a foot scuffing the floor nearby. For a suprised second, Gamo tensed. In the shadow of the steps, he curled into a ball, concealed by darkness and shadow. Listening, the footsteps approached, stopped, then finally began to pass. The ninja crawled up the steps and to where the guard who made the foot steps was plodding along at a bored pace. Loosening a dark colored sash, Gamo quietly matched the samurai's foot fall as he gained on him. He held both ends of the cloth; one in each hand, ready to pounce. The samurai stopped to yawn. The sound was cut off quickly as the sash wrapped around the stunned man's throat. Gamo slammed a knee into the lower back of his victim, rolling the man's fall so he landed on his stomach. Keeping his knee firmly planted into the struggling gurad's back, Gamo tightened the sash as he straightened his body for leveage. Soon, the struggle was over as the samurai slumped into eternal slumber. Donning his sash again, the made his way to the servent's door of the house. Slipping though the halls like a ghost, he found his target in bed with one of his servent girls, enjoying the 'benefits' the lord of the manor was privey to. Interrupted, the lord went to call for his guards at the sight of the ninja. Unfortunately for him, he shared his bed with a konichi; the female counterpart to the male ninja. His scream died in his throat before it could sound as the blade of a dagger the 'servent girl' carved a nice gash across his throat. Warm red rapidly oozed from the wound. Gamo nodded to the female before turning and leaving; his mission; or rather, their mission, complete.

Yeah, I was thinking about doing that. It would be a great begining to a novel. I wrote it completely on the spur of the moment, so the flow is kind of choppy. Not a bad effort for a few minutes at the keyboard being bored.

*A big thanks to Zariah for editing and spellchecking this story; even though I didn't ask her to. Thank you!!!* 1 "I was sitting in a field as I sometimes do either looking at the storm clouds approaching or watching the twinkling of the stars while bathing in the light of Mother Moon, whose nocturnal smile comforts her children of the night. As I gazed upon the night sky, I saw one star begin to flicker above me. I noticed when I tried to look at the rest of the sky that I found myself unable to tear myself from the star that was now growing in glow and changing from a soft white to a lunar blue. Frozen there under the cypress tree in the field, a beautiful shaft of light fell upon me. A holy calm flooded my entire being. Soon, all I could see was that beautiful blue hue. A shadowy form emerged from the glow. At first I could only see the silhouette, but soon, as the light softened, I could see the face of a perfectly featured woman in a dark blue cloak looking at me. In her hand was a silver bow that seemed to have a glimmer of light glinting off of it here and there. She smiled at me with lovely dark lips and ivory white teeth. Reaching to my face, she took one finger and gently shut my mouth, which was agape in awe. Seeing more of her form, I noticed she was wearing a shirt of silver chain mail, the chest covered by a midnight-colored vest with a stag's head in a circle done in silver, as well. Her eyes were those of a cat, a dark slit across her icy blue eyes. They gleamed with a huntress' spirit. I began to hear thoughts enter my mind. It took a moment before I realized those thoughts were not my own. She told me to kneel, which I immediately did. 'Child of Mother Earth,' she announced,' rise and look before you. The Lord and Lady have sent me to bring you special blessings. Know now that trying times are ahead. There is on the horizon a dark power from the East that will roll over this world like a plague that will engulf all in its path. I have come to send you word as a messenger of these things, as the God and Goddess has done time and again in matters of great woe. The waters of the deep shall begin to cool, stealing the life from within for those creatures that dwell below in the Sea. The power of the Guardians of the Oceans will weaken and slowly begin to die. This will occur when the Great Node flares to life once more deep with in the Land of Famine. A golden chest will be discovered and moved, causing its power to rise. This power, which comes from the very Heart of the Earth, will turn dark in the hands of the Mad One who sits in the House of Ivory and Pearl. Despite the magic of the Children of the Divine, the Node will protect its new 'owner'. In time, the corrupted will enslave the corruptor. Wreathed in black flame, they will stand on the Hill of the Red Ones and break the Rods of War in the name of peace, though they will take up a new weapon with which to strike down their foes. Calling sky fire to rain down upon those that will seek the Mad One harm, they will rule with fear and terror unimagined since the rise of 'Little Boots". This will last for 21 moons before the emergence of the Warriors of the Scoll arise to take there place as warriors without weapons in the service of the Lord and Lady. Seven shall be chosen by the Lord and Lady. In the Field of Heroes, the Mad One will speak to the world in celebration of their rule. Upon this field of the slain, the warriors will strike against the tyrant with the splitting of the earth. With the Great Node, the Mad One, full of dark energy, shall wave their hand over the field, causing those who sleep to climb from their beds of earth and stone. This battle, in the place called Arlington, will be but the beginning of the Dark War. Summoning fire from the sky, one of the seven shall give her life for those of her comrades. Though her spirit will depart from the mortal realm, her flesh will stay as a reminder and honored with apple blossoms in remembrance of her sacrifice. To punish her enemy, the Lady will sink a mountain and kill with a flood. The Coast of Alantis will be swallowed up by a great wave, from which many will die and many left to weep. A leader will step up from the disheartened Warriors of the Scoll, rallying them. From the South they will create a new Great Node, one pure and untouched by Darkness. It will be placed in the head of a staff made of platinum and gold. The Lord and Lady will place their energy within the Node. With this staff, one could cause the very Earth the rend and mountains to shatter. Before the staff is complete, the Mad One sends a flock of silver ravens to attack the Warriors. Using long departed spirits, the Warriors call forth a maelstrom of red clouds. The sky will bleed as this storm washes the sky clean of the silver ravens, leaving tails of flame as they fall from the sky. This victory is bitter sweet when the sky rains red, causing water to be foul and stink. The Mad One will take up residence within a mountain of steel and mortar. With the world at their fingertips, they will control their far-flung armies and hunt down the Warriors of the Scroll. For 24 moons, they hunt until they find the Warriors at the Land of the Red Sands. With a great multitude, the armies of the Mad One will send fire and hot steel at the Warriors one by one until three remain. With the Spirit of the Lord and Lady within the Second Node, they will focus their very spirits into the jewel of the staff. Making the very fiber of their souls scream, they shatter the Second Node with a force greater then any seen. Like a small sun, the explosion will be seen by a third of the world and heard by all. The Land of the Red Sands will be as polished glass. In the center will be a temple of crystal. Within it will sit the Lord and Lady with their servants no longer just spirit, but made flesh and blood. With a horde of servants from across the Vale on the other side of reality, they will march on the Mad One's mountain fortress. The Mad One will call up an army of the dead. These husks will bare arms against those from across the Vale, destroying many. The Lord and Lady will call the Great Node, using the Great Word to cause it to become unstable. Holding on to the very end, the Mad One will attempt to carve a path through the horde of the Lord and Lady. Then the Great Node will crack. The Might Stone will rupture with such force that the mountain will shatter, sending a great cloud of smoke and ash that will cover half the Earth in its haze. For six moons will this cloud linger. Finally, the dust will settle. All will be quiet and calm, and all lands will be at peace.' Then she lean over and kissed me on the forehead before she faded from view, being replaced by the night sky. I sat there for a long while taking all this in. I came home and thought about writing all I had heard. It was just so much to take in. However, my Lord and Lady gave me a task. I look back over it all as I write. I would say it was just a dream had it not been so vivid. I still feel sane and of good judgment. I know that this is a vision that the Elders of the Seven Covens will be greatly interested in. I will tell them of this tomorrow..." Leslie read the rune script that was unique to her coven. Most of those that followed the 'Old Ways' used a magical alphabet to encode information in their personal journals and grimoures; or books of magic. She marveled at the words on the 350 year old parchment in the leather bound book. There was such a sense of history here within these pages. She had known about the book's existence since she was sixteen. Being a bit of a bookworm, her heart's desire had been to help take care of the family library. Deep within the family's estate in Tennessee, just outside of Lebanon, the library was a treasure trove of old manuscripts and tomes. It was home to one of the few existing Gutenberg Bibles. Its greatest treasure, however, was a first hand account of the ancient ceremonies of the Celtic Druids scribed by Gentius the Scribe in 450 B.C.E. It was a series of lambskin scrolls that detailed the rites of passage and traditions that had been passed down through the ages orally by bards; the record keepers of the Druids. The scroll was sealed in a dark mahogany box that was enchanted to open only by the Elders of the Coven. Lightly she ran a finger over the yellowed pages. She closed her eyes, focusing her mind on the book. She felt the soft pulse of power from it. In her mind, she saw it wreathed in a greenish-blue aura. The energy was soothing her. She didn't have the gift of psychomatry; the ability to see the past energy imprints on an object, like her older sister, Jamie, had. A cool rush flowed down the back of her neck and shoulders. It was the approach of a storm. They had had many this Summer. Smiling, she carefully closed the tome and replaced it in a protective chest of ash wood, banded with 'raw' iron. Replacing the lock, she looked again at the library. It had the feeling of a large museum, with many artifacts under of behind glass. As she walked toward the door of the library, she paused at one of the treasures; a rosary that was resting on a jeweler's model. This had belonged to King John the Second of England. One the back was carved a small pentagram in a circle. King John the Second had been the one forced to sign the Magna Carta, the document that effectively handed England over to the Pope of Rome. When the Church had taken away his rule of the land, he was plunged into a dark and troubled time in his life. He had discovered a chamber maid praying one night as she looked at the full moon. Right away he knew she wasn't praying to the God of the Catholics, but a heathen deity named Diana. He called to her, startling her. He saw her shaking with fear and reassured her that he would not turn her over to the church or have her executed only if she revealed whom it was she prayed to. She responded by telling him that she prayed to an almost forgotten Goddess of the moon. She told him of the rituals and festivals they had in her honor. Intrigued, he asked to be taken to the next meeting they had. Reluctantly, she agreed. King John was overwhelmed by the love and fellowship he witnessed there. Secretly, he converted. On his deathbed, as a priest administered 'last rites', King John asked for a small knife, with which he carved the small pentagram into the back of the rosary; his last act in life before he died. The chamber maid, an ancestor of Leslie's, stole into the room after the priest left, kissing her lover's forehead and taking the rosary. Leslie finally tore away from the display and to the door.

"Excellent", Pilocanci responded," I will inform my National Astronautical Database." He then stopped for a second, observing Sweet Cherrie's demenor. He could tell by her scent that her body was releasing a fear-based hormone. Her body tempreture was elevated. Appearently, his reputation followed him too well. "Please," Pilocanci said,"Relax. I'm not going to turn you into a flea or any other such none sense." "You mean you can't turn people into fleas," Sweet Cherrie asked. "Oh, I can do that," the Dictator answered with a smile," along with controlling all incest life in a one mile radius. Unfortunately, few know the good things me and my fellow Sharpeins do for the Pen." "Really?" "Yes," Pilocanci continued," About a month ago, a magic effecting virus known as the Vorolis strain had began to effect the members of the Pen. We managed to quarenteen the virus and cure it before it spread too far. Then there was the alien invasion we halted with an atomic vibration manipulator." "A what?" Pilocanci smiled. He occasionally forgot that the Pennites weren't as technologically advanced as the Sharpeins. He explained," An atom has a set rate of vibration. Even your most dense molecular structures vibrate. What an atomic vibration manipulator, or AVM for short, does is cause the atoms in a object to vibrate at a very high rate, causing the molecular bonds to break down. We simply aimed the AVM at the alien ships, making the material they were made of break down into it's basic component atoms. The vacuum of space did the rest. Remember that meteor shower about three weeks ago? That was the alien fleet getting picked off one ship at a time. The flagship got away before we could destroy it. Let's see...Then there was the Nocturnal Dirt People that one of our Subterrianian Exploration Teams encountered. That's one of those stories you'd require two years of theropy and a never ending prescription of tranquilizers after hearing. But enough about that. Isn't there a ball we are supposed to be going to?"

Robert Hale stood on the small hill over looking the huge clay pit before him. The edge of the clay pit was encircled by scrub oaks and dark, flimsy pine trees. The evening air was cool as the stars struggled to shine against the dying light of the sunset. A half moon was visible high in the sky. Of all the places Robert had been, this was by far his favorite. For him, this muddy clearing was a place of childhood memories. It was a place of magic and wonder for him and his friends, Josh and Mandy. How many years had it been since he was last here? At least twelve now. The last time he had been here was when Josh died. Robert and Mandy said that they had gotten seperate in the woods. It was partly true, for all three of them had gotten lost together. It's funny how years can melt away when one stops to remember. They fall like the petals of a cherry blossum, peeling away from the newly forming fruit. Josh had died to save not only Mandy and himself, but countless others. Taking a deep breath, Robert closed his eyes, the begining mist of a tear forming. Over the years, he wondered if there was anything he could have done, but he knew there wasn't. It had all started back when Robert was about twelve. That's when he had met Josh and his sister Mandy. Josh was tall, lanky, and wore glass with dark, curly hair. He was two years older then Robert and about six inches taller. Mandy was Robert's age with shoulder length hair , moon pale skin, and dark, raven like eyes. They were poor, like Robert's family, but that didn't really matter to them. Josh and Mandy's older brother, Aaron, was into fantasy role playing games with some of the older guys in the neighborhood. Robert later became friends with them when he turned about fifteen. However, they were seen with contept by the older kids as being 'in the way'. This didn't stop the three from forming their own 'live' version of the games that they played in the clay hole, known as the 'Cow Hole', for it had been a former cow pasture back around the turn of the century. There was no trace of the old homestead save the rusted metal frame of an old tractor wheel half buried in the clay. Deeper in the woods, they had discovered an old abandoned farm house complete with tobacco house and well. The house had no running water or electricity, yet was in good condition dispite the many years of neglect. The old farm house, which was called the House of Whispers because of the ghostly whispers one heard when there. In order to get to the House of Whispers, one had to first cross Red Water Gulley. Red Water Gulley had a strange red muck at the bottom of the stream that flowwed lazily through the gulley; giving the place it's name. To cross, you had to step from cypress knee to cypress knee, praying the whole time that you didn't disturb a water moccassion or slip and go into the water. The last place of note in the woods was simply known as the 'Green Place'. In all of Robert's travels, which took him to all parts of the world, he had never experienced a place like that. Looking back, Robert know that the place had drawn them there. It was like any other Summer day. They were exploring yet another deer trail in hopes of finding another of the wood's many secrets. They had been the first to find the House of Whispers. It didn't remain a secret long as Aaron had over heard Josh and Mandy talk about it. He then relayed the information to his friends, who made it into their hang out. About two years later, while playing with a spirit board, they invoked a powerful and angry forest spirit. Aaron and his friends never talked about what happened, but the house looked like a bomb had went off inside it. All that was left was the foundation, some charred wood, and scraps of tin that had once been the roof. If you went to the sight now, you got a deep feeling of spent rage. Robert and his friends had pretended to fight evil spirits and dark creatures, but never realised that these beings actually crept in the shadows of the woods, always watching. Always waiting. Robert was in the lead as they walked along the narrow path of the old deer trail. Mandy complained that she should have worn jeans instead of shorts, as the sand spurs and thorny vines North Florida was notorious for plagued the pale flesh of her legs. With walking sticks that doubled as staves, wands, or swords in the imagination of the trio, they pressed on. The under growth began to give way and be slowly replaced by a carpet of thick, green moss. The deer trail widened into a foot path as the trees, their branches high and towering, had beautiful cascades of thin, leafy vines flowing down their trunks like fountains of green. The harsh light of the sun was dimmed by the twilight caused by the botanical display. A sense of peace and tranquility radiated from this place as they continued along the footpath. Mandy stumbled a little, kicking over a small clump of moss. Underneath revealed what looked like stone. "Are you okay, Mandy," Robert asked. "Yeah, I'm fine," She replied,"I tripped." Josh, glancing briefly, noticed then uncovered stone. Furrowing his brow, he pulled a little more of the moss away, revealing smooth stone blicks, slate grey in color. He pulled a little more way, uncovering more of the footpath. The stone bricks, which resembled small, square flagstones, kept going down the path before them. The path curved into a sharp bend ahead of them. Silently, their minds prodded them to continue. "What is this place," Josh asked no one in particular. Robert and Mandy looked at Josh, sharing his same lost look. "Do you guys want to continue," Robert asked. Without speaking, Mandy walked down the path. Josh strugged and followed, trailed by Robert. Rounding the bend, they saw the path straighten before them. the path sloped slightly to a small stone bridge that crossed a narrow stream barely wider then a man's forearm. Small shafts of light shot through the canopy of branches onto the floor of a small grotto. it smelled like rain here. the distant sounds of birds could be heard, echoing from somewhere deep in the woods. Like the walls of a natural cathedral, the trees, with vines rippling down their trunks, formed a thrity foot diameter circle. In the center, on the floor of the grotto, was a round, grey stone surface; rising slightly out of the sea of moss. For a moment or two, the three children looked at this place in awe. There was strong undercurrent of energy here that was almost tangible. All three looked down at the stone. It was flat, save for a small raised dome in the center. A groove came from the outer edge of the stone and formed a spiral to the dome. Looking closely, Robert saw some strange markings along the groove carved into the stone. The characters looked like something out of a Tolken book. With fine, almost elegant form, the strange letters ran along the groove almost to the central dome. Josh bent down and touched the stone, running a finger along the groove. Inhaling sharply, he pulled back his finger, a small rivit of blood slowliy welling up, not quite enough for a drop. "Ouch," he muttered,"I cut myself." "How the hell did you do that," Mandy asked. "I don't know. It must be something in the groove." Robert took a closer look, spying a tiny set of needle sharp spines lining the bottom of the groove, barely visible to the naked eye. "No wonder," Robert stated as he pointed out the spines," Look at that." Mandy took a look and gingerly traced her finger along the edge of the groove. "Who do you think made this," she asked. "I have no idea," Josh answered," It looks way to complicated to be Indian." Just then, the dome on the stone hummed slightly. A pale silvey blue luminance shined front it, bathing the whole grotto in it's light. The dome's glow began to flow down the channel, causing the glyphs to alight in the same blue glow. Soon, the light reached the edge of the stone circle, the humming soft. A coolness fell upon them, like standing in front of a half open refidgerator. As the humming grew, the huge stone disk began to slowly spin. The three children took a couple of steps back away from the rotating stone. The light pulsed like a heart beat, the humming ebbing and building with the light's flashing.

Wrenwind strolled around the grounds of the Pen, watching the amber sky as the sun set. Valentine's Day was almost over, and she had not gotten a Valentine's Day gift. Though it was disappointing, she didn't feel too put out. Maybe no one had been assigned to her? It could have happened. As she thought on this, a noise behind her broke her reverie. Behind her stood Yan Yan Ganaffi, his leather armor torn, scatches and bruises all over his body, and an exhausted look about him as he had a hand on his knee, the other carrying a dark onyx box, panting loudly. After a moment, he hands her the box before regaining his composure. Inbetween pants, Yan Yan said," Happy...*pant*..Valentine's Day. Hope you like your gift." Wrenwind opened the box, revealing a glowing, beautiful golden feather as long as her forearm. The feather seemed to radiate it's own light. She gasped, almost afraid to touch it. "What is this?" Yan Yan stretched," It's a wing feather from a Seriphem angel," Yan Yan explained," he wasn't wanting to give it up willingly. So I traded a pint in a half of blood for it. I hope you like it."

Randy Lynn fired his pump shotgun into the dark priest's stomach, watching the robed fingure tumble to the ground. Lisa Hayes had just ran the blade of her fighting knife through the throat of another alcolyte, who managed to take two steps before the blond woman pushed him to the ground. Rasheem Ali sliced open one of the dark monks with one of the spiritual relics the Druids had brought with them, the Sword of Musashi. The other relic; the Stone of Saint Paul, was in the possession of Jody Belfort, who was using it to disspell the barrier of protection placed over the dark monks' ritual area, deep inside an old mining shaft in the Arizona desert. Lonnie Dunn fired his AR-15 (a civilian version of the M-16) into a group of the monks, felling two of them. Appearently, the dark monks, known as the Order of the Holy Cabal, hadn't been informed that guns work quicker then magic in defending or assualting a ritual area. One of the high priests formed a glyph in the air with his hands, unleashing a bolt of dark energy at Lisa. Before she could reach for her protective broach, the wave of dark energy hit her. She screamed a high pitch wail as it passed over her body, leaving nothing but a blood stained skeleton in it's place. The skeleton fell to it's knees, arms limp at it's sides, head tilted at an odd angle with it's jaw open wide in an eternal scream. Randy took off a handgrenade from his tactical vest; a white phosporus grenade, pulled the pin, and lobbed it into the edge of the barrier. Jody dove to the ground away from the projectile as it hit the ground and covered her head. The blast reverberated the inside of the mine shaft. Thinking quickly, Rasheem used the energy of the node that the monks were trying to corrupt to generate a blast of air that carried the white phosphorus into the monks. As the white cloud came into contact with the monks, a chorus of howls erupted from them. However, the Druids saw that three of the ten remaining monks seemed unaffected by the chemical, one of them being the high priest that killed Lisa. "Holy handgrenade of Antioch," Lonnie exclaimed," Three of them are undead!" Jody was picking herself up off the ground as one of the monks broke the barrier and yanked her into the air. In shocked reaction, she slammed her hand containing the relic into the undead monk's head. A shaft of holy light blasted there to the other side of the monk's skull, leaving a gaping hole. Releasing his grip on Jody, she dropped safely to the ground as the monk fell. Before Jody could brace herself, a wave of dark energy rolled over her body, eating her flesh like a cloud of acid. Her body, in the same condition as Lisa's, fell to the ground with a gory crunch. Utilizing the energy of the node once more, Rasheem dashed with blinding speed at the high priest, slicing him across the chest with the blessed blade. Blood, black as pitch, sprayed from the large wound as the monster staggered a few step toward Rasheem. Lowering the blade and taking a step back, Rasheem lunged forward pulling the sword in a horizonal slice across the undead's waist. It was like cutting through tar, but Rasheem finally pulled the blade out throught the monk's back, cutting him in half. While Rasheem was finishing off one of the undead priests, the other one was weaving a sigil over the node stone, turning and corrupting it's power. The node stone began to pulse with energy. Rasheem, in his use of it's power, unintentionally weakened it's natural resistence to the dark powers of the high priest. Randy charged the alter like a batter charges the mound after being beamed with a pitch. The undead raised his arms, arcs of dark power streaking and flashing in the air about him, his total concentration on turning the node stone. He didn't even notice Randy shoving the shotgun barrel in his face until it was too late. He eyes wide, he tried to stop Randy; for if he broke his spell, the node stone might rupture, causing only God knows what to happen. It was too late, however. Randy pulled the trigger, sending the firing pin into the primer of the shotgun shell, igniting the powder that pushed the lead metal slug down the barrel at seven hundred feet per second, and finally into the face of the high priest, ripping it into a cloud of red mist and gory confettii. The undead's body pitched backwards, falling to the stone floor of the cavern. As the mist of blood began to settle, Randy felt an odd pulse from the surface of the alter. Looking down, he sees the node stone, with normally looked like a finger-sized glowing quartz crystal, shake and crack. Lonnie ran up to the alter as the node stone ruptured. A blinding flash bathed the mining shaft with light, the most light the old silver mine had ever seen. After what seemed like an eternaty, Rasheem could finally see. Randy and Lonnie were gone. The walls of the cave glowed with an almost angelic light, which seemed to ebb and grow with a stready rythem. Rasheem stood for a long moment wondering what had happened and what to do. "Nodes and vortexes. These are the means by which the natural energies of the Earth flow. Usually, this energy collects in certain geographical spots. If a node collects enough energy, it forms what is called a node stone or node crystal.The first civilization to truly understand this concept were the Egyptians. The temple priests knew that they could channel the energy to places such as towns and farms to enhance their quality of life and grow better crops. They are also the first known society to have node mages. As you know, we node mages can utilize the energies of the Earth through these nodes. These places of power, along with the energy lines that connect them (called lay lines), enhance the psychic potential in most humans. In some, they manifest unusually high rates of magnification. Most epic events in mythology and religous history are the results of a node or node relic being used to accomplish the deed. From what we understand from archiological records from anceint Egypt and two manuscritps from the Maccabbeeian Era of Palistine, one of the greatest node stones, the size of a bowling ball, was carried out of Egypt in a gold covered box. This 'travelling node', as it became known, is in what most people call the Ark of the Covenent. During the time that the Ark was being made in the Temple of Ra in Thebes, a prince named Motak began a cult that worshipped a foriegn God. The cult didn't catch on with the Egyptians, but the Hebrew slaves took to it like a duck to water. The cult's numbers grow so large that Ramses the Second feared a rebellion. Knowing he could quell it if it did strat, doing so would weaken his kingdom, leaving it open to the barbarians to the north. Instead, he offered them freedom if they left Egypt forever. Happily, they agreed and began to prepare for the journey. As the legend goes, the cultist learned of the creation of the Ark and sent word to Motak. Motak, like many Egyptian royalty, knew the power of the nodes and could channel the energy himself to a limited degree. He had his followers slay the priests and guards one night, stealing the newly compleated Ark. The next day, as Motak had planned it, the slaves left Egypt. Word reached the pharoh that the Temple of Ra had been pillaged and the Ark stolen. Ramses the Second sent his oldest son to releave the rebellious prince Motak, later changed to Moses, of the Ark. The Egyptians thundered across the desert in their chariots in hot pursuit. They caught up to Motak at the Reed Sea. Unlike the Biblical story, the Hebrews, as the race was called, didn't cross the Red Sea. Even with a node stone of that size and a powerful adept, you're not parting a huge body of water like that. The Reed Sea is located in the Nile River Delta. This place was a huge marsh filled with crocodiles, snakes, and lots of mud. It was the mud and muck that brough down the Egyptian army that day. With their chariots and horses near-useless, the Egyptians fought on foot. Without bringing a complement of archers, the Pharoh's army was easily cut down by the volleys from the Hebrew's bows. Motak, using the Ark, finished off the remaining Egyptians by displacing a large section of mud under them, creating a deep sink hole. As the Egyptians were trapped in the large pit, Motak let them sit there, letting the high tide fill the pit and drowned them. Arizona, April 5th, 1881 Lonnie woke from his dream. The lecture had been given by the High Druid Bill Duffy a few years ago when he was first initiated into the Druidic Order. He felt like he'd been through a meat grinder, twice. Looking around and getting his bearings, he noticed that he was no longer in the mine, but outside it. The mine was a bustle of activity with men in old fashioned clothing walking around with picks and shovels. Looking for Randy and Rasheem, Lonnie saw Randy talking to one of the miners who was eyeing his weapons and clothing wearily. After a few moments, Randy walked to Lonnie. "Enjoy your nap," Randy asked. Lonnie strected,'Hell no," he answered," My back is sore from sleeping on my .45s." Lonnie, armed to the teeth as the other Druids were, had a pair of ivory handled Colt .45s in a double back holster. Along with his AR-15, he had a fighting knife, two flash grenades, and a garroting wire. Randy was armed with his trusty Ithica combat shotgun, a Desert Eagle .50, a M67 fragmentation grenade, a trio of throwing knives, and a Glock 9mm in a shoulder rig. They looked very out of place in their black military fatigues and 'boonie' hats. "Where's Rasheem?" "I don't know," Randy answered," It seems that the node stone ruptured. Guess what the date is." "For some reason, I don't think I want to know," Lonnie looked forlornely at the miners," but I'm pretty sure it's not April 5th, 2005.' "Well, it is April 5th," Randy replied," But it's 1881." Lonnie got up and brushed the dirt off of his back and stretched again. He slung his weapon over his right shoulder, holding the sling of the rifle tightly in his hand. "So, what do we do know?" "Well, the man I was talking to said that there is a town about ten miles east of here. We could get there before sundown." "Excuse me," a dust wore voice called over to them. There was an older, slightly pudgy man walking over to them. Both Lonnie and Randy turned toward the man, who stopped about ten feet short of them. His shirt was ragged as were his pants. The boots he wore had been long worn down. He had a big bushy beard that surrounded a nearly toothless smile. "I came over to make sure you boys were alright," he explained," What were you doing down in that cave anyway?" Randy lied," We were attacked by a mountian lion and ran into the mine for shelter. We got lost and must have passed out down there." Lonnie could see that the man didn't buy it for a minute, but he just nodded and smiled. "Is there a town near here," Lonnie asked. "Yes sir,' the man replied," Tombstone is ten miles east of here. It's a rough place, but it's close. I have a wagon going there if you want a ride." "Much better the hoofing it," Randy said to Lonnie. Lonnie smiled and nodded.

I'm jumping on the start of the band wagon...I accuse Cryptomancer...Because it's the cool thing to do.

Brother Joseph looks upon Felipe, and shakes his head sadly. He also knew what it was like to feel as akward and clumsy as the young man. he though back to when he was part of the crew of a mechent ship that sailed from Eygpt and Arabia crrying spices for trade. he had been unused to sea life, having never been aboard a ship before then. Maybe if he hadn't fallen asleep in that Dutch bordellio he might not have gotten shanghied onto this ship. He had been a cooper (barrel maker) before he unwillingly because a sailor. All the mistakes he made were novince mistakes that anyone could have made, but the captian of the ship didn't care for excuses, just results. He drove his point home with constent floggings for even minor misdeeds. It was around the Barbary Coast when Joseph proved his worth to the crew during an attack by pirates. While the captian was engadged in retreating from combat (he was really a very cowardly man) Joseph 'accidently' bumped him off the side of the ship and into the water, where the hapless captain drowned. The crew rallied under the first mate, turning the tide of the fight. Boarding the pirate's ship, they fought them down almost to the man, Joseph killing the pirate captian with his cutlass. For his heroics and the elimination of the captian, the first mate made Joseph captian of the caputed pirate ship. For the next ten years, Joseph made a fine living at sea trading spices and delicate silks from around the known world. He eventually retired to a nice villia in Spain, enjoying his retirement and getting married. The woman who had taken his heart was the daugther of the local magistrate. She married him only for money and social position. For her, there was no love in the marriage, so, as many bored women do, she began several affairs. Joseph turned a blind eye. He knew what she was doing, but didn't have the heart to send her away. One evening in the Fall, a rider had come to the villia requesting an audiance with Joseph. The rider was actually a Spanish explorer looking for someone to fund an expedition into central Africa, where present day Congo is now. Rumors had arisen that gold and ivory were plentiful there. After some thought, Joseph agreed to finance the expedition. Two months and a small fortune later, the two ships laden with supplies for the long journey set off. They were a week into the journey when a huge storm sank both ships of the shores of the Canary Islands. That was the first of Joseph's misfortunes. The King of Spain, hungry for money and power, started to have large land owners accused of witchcraft and heresy. Joseph was one of those to be accused. He appealed to the Pope, but his plea was unheard, for the Pope was in on the King's land-grabbing scheme. With his lands taken, Joseph fled into the country side, a hunted man. He had taken two arrows into the back when the monks found him that rainy night so long ago. He never could sleep when it rained at night from then on. Brother Joseph looked on at the young man sweeping for a moment longer, then turned to go pray. OOC: Hope everyone enjoyed that. Sorry I haven't been able to turn more stuff out, but I've (as usual) been dealing with RL issues.

Sorry about taking so long... Brother Joseph, known around the order as 'the Quiet Brother" due to his vow of silence. This, coupled with an unnerving air about him, makes him a little bit of an outcast. He was found half dead on the grounds. The monks nursed him back to health. Seeing this as a second chance at life, he took to the monk's way of life like a duck to water. His vow of silence has been going on for the past decade.

*from out of the shadows, a dark figure in black leather armor appears* Okay, I'm in. How about the Rose theme? I like that one.

Well, if I can say one thing, my life has not been uneventful. Due to some things going on, I'm going to be off line for a good long while. It's not due to anything anyone here as done. I see you guys as friends, and this is one of my favorite places on the net to go. You guys have been very supportive of my writing, putting up with the plot holes and spelling errors in stride. I just have some things to sort out in my life. I'm not going to go into detail because it's really personal. I know if I want to talk about it, there are people here who will listen, but this is something I have to deal with myself. I apologise for not being able to finish the AAV mission with Gryph and Wyvern. It was fun working with you both on a story. I will miss all of you while I'm gone. Mynx and Tanuchan, I hope things go well with you both. Thank you for your help and your caring. I'm sorry I can't say goodbye personally, but such as the case, that would be next to impossible. I will say that it has been both an honor and a privilage to know you both. Good bye for a while, Jason

Congrads, Mynx. I knew you'd do good.

Training and discipline are no match for a good flintlock pistol and a sharp cutlass The only problem with this is a simple matter of tactics. Ninja RARELY performed missions alone. They were usually in teams of two or four. A flintlock has only one shot and takes a long time to reload, even if you have practiced a great deal at it. Ninja understood the use of shadow, stealth, and disguise. Pirates generally employed terror tactics and guns. While that is effective in it's own right, it wouldn't help the pirates much if the ninja planted a waterproof keg of black power on a small raft next to the waterline of the ship and set it off. If that's the case, I hope Jack Sparrow can swim. On the issue of guns, ninja groups were one of the first to utilize firearms in mediviel Japan around the 16th century. So a group of pirates with guns might be slightly suprised when a group of 'samuri' suddenly started shooting back at them. The biggest danger to a pirate, or more correctly, a pirate's ship, was fire. Pirate captian William Morgan had a rule on his ship that was one of the first anti-smoking laws ever. If you were caught smoking a pipe you were flogged. Since fire was such a problem, it would be damn near tradgic (for the pirates) for a group of ninja to use flame arrows on the sails or anywhere else on the boat. My vote is the obvious one; ninja.

The four Ganaffi siblings (Yan Yan, Boslio, Janu, and Saria) each hand Salinye a gift wrapped box. While wishing the high elf a happy birthday, the thunder of trumpets sound in the background. The whole group turns toward the noise to see the Shapein Armed Forces Color Guard and Ceremonial Band marching to where the booth is. Playing the Sharpein national anthem, which sounded a bit like the United States Marine Corps hymn, the Sharpein colorgaurd gave an impressive display of coordenation and flag twirling. The band's precision marching had everyone watching and enjoying the show. The band and color guard ended their routine in a flurish. The band parts as Presidente Pilocanci walks toward Salinye followed by his politial cabinet. Smiling, he stops in front of the high elf. "Salinye, for your effort in helping our people settle into our new home, I award you with Golden Lance, our nations highest peace time medal." Salinye bowwed as Pilocanci placed the medal, which was on woven gold ribbon, around her neck. As she stood up, Pilocanci shook her hand. "Happy birthday, friend." With that, Pilocanci and the Sharpein detactment began singing happy birthday to Salinye.

"Tights, you say," Yan Yan asked as he stood there with his iceskates tied together and sling over his shoulder. "Why the hell not?" Yan Yan took of his jacket and pants, revealing a pair of tights, along with the rest of his yellow and black figure skating uniform. as he does so, he hears a whistle from Katz. Smiling, he puts on his skates and has fun on the iceskating rink.

Both Yan Yan Ganaffi and Pilocanci the Unholy (Pillow) will sign up for it.

Nice. Thank you/

Yan Yan is sitting at a small cafe drinking a cup of tea when he hears the conga line approaching. "Oh, Gods!" he mutters," it's that soul eating conga line." Before the line gets to him, however, he has set up a powerful countermeasure. Jumping onto a small concrete platform, he snaps his fingers which triggers the command signal for the modifide Sharpein air guiter Pilconaci gave him as an early Christmas present. Testing the air guitar, Yan Yan listens as the guitar self tunes. Smiling, he watches as the conga line comes with in distance... The merry conga participates see Yan Yan with his hands in an odd position, as if he was playing guitar. Dut-dut-du- Yan Yan plays the opening riff for Black Sabbath's "Iron Man" Duh-duh-duh-dun-da, Dun-nah-nah-nahnah dun-dun-dun. The dazed conga line stops momentarily. This pause is short lived as the conga demon possessing most of them begins weaving it's sinister magic once more. Yan Yan counters with "Paint It Black" by the Rolling Stones. Feeling to pull of the Dark Side from the Conga Demon, Yan Yan uses one last, deseprate song. With all his heart and might, he silently prays to the Gods of Rock and Roll, for he needed to rock out hard to defeat this monster. Just then, a brillant shaft of light fell on Yan Yan. He felt his hands move and his voice sing, but it wasn't him doing it. It was the messiah of rock n roll. He had channelled the King. With a flourish, Evlis, using Yan Yan's body, gave the performance of his unlife. His voice was golden, and his guitar playing almost holy, as it forced the conga demon back from the platform, freeing Venefyxatu and Griffon from it's clutches. As the demon and it's vile conga line retreated, Elvis said,"Thank you very much."

I hope all goes well with you. *hugs* If you need anything, we are here, and we will help in anyway we can.

*post deleted for the better*

Well, I found out that unlike the old saying 'tragity comes in threes', mine come in randomly numbered bunches. First off, prospective g\f tells me, "I want to be friends." We all know what that means. Eh, oh well. Next, my van dies on the side of Interstate 10, blowing a freeze plug. Not good. My dad, who came to pick it up, forgot the key, so he had to break the steering column and hot wire it. This translates into 'my new van key is a flat head screwdriver.' Thankfully, we got the freeze plug replaced. Then, I get injuried at work. It isn't anything simple like a sprained ankle or jammed finger. No, that would be too easy. I got a hernia. *beep*ing lovely. So, after telling my supervisor of what happened, he gave be a form to take to the clinic that my work deals with. No problem, right? Wrong. Unforunately for me, the clinic was closed for the day. I had to wait until today to go to the emergency room at St. Vincent's. Well, apparently today was 'crackhead day' because there were at least three in the waiting room. I heard 'that's po-po' (slang for police) indicated in my direction. Any who have seen a pic of me know that, yes, I look like a cop. After sitting there for an hour and a half, I finally get called in. Yippee. So, I'm sitting there and find out I have to have an ultrasound. I'm like,"Okay." Then they inform me of where they want to do the ultrasound. That's when I start to worry. Given the fact that it was two VERY beautiful nurses who were performing the ultrasound, not embarrasing myself and them would be difficult. Thankfully, I am really good at meditating, so no problems 'arose' from the situation. That done, I have a few tests done. One was a blood suger test. I think nothing of it until I here in the hallway," His blood suger is 231!" Lovely. The doctor informed me a little while later that I have type two diabetes and that I need surgery to fix the hernia. So, now I get to miss three days of work, get a bunch of perscriptions filled, and go under the knife in a few days...Needless to say, this has been a less then steller week...