Equester

"Fascinating...and there I was believing that only creatures from the Other Place could shapeshift..." Equesters eyes rested measuringly upon the wolf infront of him for a moment, then he turned and sat down in a nearby chair. Facing Tanuchan again he carefully sorted through his mind, deciding which parts of his story he should and shouldn't reveal. While he did so the raven on hs shoulder flew over to the mantlepiece, keeping a close eye on the wolf and an ear for the sound of anyone approaching. "At one time I belonged to an order of knights known as the Knights Templar. It was our task to protect items of great power and history, to guard them from the greedy hands of those who would seek to use them for thier own ends. We were the soldiers of God, warriors of peace. People came to us when they needed aid and, if we judged thier claim to be just, we provided support. But then it all changed. "The libary in the monastary where we dwealt held many ancient tomes of power, written centuries before even our holy Order was created. These books were forbidden to us for they held knowledge of demons and spirits, djinn and afrits, as well as a multitude of other creatures that dwell in the Other Place. But I disregarded the orders of my betters, much to my disgrace. I believed that if I could summon such creatures and manage to control them, then our monastery and its charges would be even better protected. Unfortunatly, despite many years of successful research and study of these forbidden tomes, I was eventually found out and banished from the Order, never to return. "Some of my former brothers felt this penalty was not enough. They wanted me dead, seeing me as nothing more than another sorcerer who had decided to steal the monasteries knowledge. I could have destroyed tem, perhaps. I can still summon djinn, although the higher class of entities need pentacles and such in order to control them. But they were my brothers still, and I couldn't do it. Instead I fled from them for many weeks, until finally I arrived here. I felt the power of this place, the mixture of good and evil that this vast Keep holds, and it intriged me. Here was a place where good and evil worked together, side by side. Here also was a place I could rest and recover my strength." Equester's voice, having become slightly dreamy as he was reciting his tale, suddenly hardened, his eyes beneath the hood of his cassock blazing sharply into Tanuchans. "How do you do it? How do so many people with such different ideals and moralities manage to function?!"

Thankyou all for your comments, and my thanks to Peredhil for his forgiveness

For I know, it starts again, The burning itch below the surface, Just underneath the vein, begging to be free Addicted to this madness that cannot be stopped Step by step, the same thing every time First, shaking that cannot be stilled, Sweet friction against the skin, Uncontrollable shivering, wracking the frail limbs Second, burning within, spreading, Cold save for the areas of unnatural heat, Itching to tear the skin, shredding it off Third, the desire to destroy the life, Everything pitted against me, the voices telling the truth A truth I cannot deny, like the subliminal messages Fourth, the messages gain argument, To burry a blade deep within the pale skin, Mar the imperfect surface, tear everything that could restrain Fifth, light starts to dance along the metal, Not even knowing when I opened the blade, Mesmerizing me with the beauty of it, eliminating any responses Sixth, gently across the skin, cooling the burning, The layers break away beneath, revealing what I desire Slowly spreading along my arm, gaining in depth Seventh, my control snaps, my hand starts to shake, I want more; no I need more, begging to bury the blade deeper Longing to feel the pulse against the open air Eighth, I give in, nothing is here to stop me, Pulling the veins into the air, brutally snapping them, Watching sweet crimson spread across the floor Ninth, white glistens wetly in the light, A red sheen overlays everything I touch, The blood is so intoxicating, I can’t get enough Tenth, possibly the end, I don’t know, So much that I want and don’t have the strength to take, The knife slips though my fingers, my grip on it gone, Shivering so hard I can barely breathe Thoughts in my head, silenced as always, Peace, short lived and undeniably sweet, The crimson of my life gently spreading across the floor.

Fascinating...I especially liked the way in which the title led me to believe that I was going to read something about autumn, the first 6 lines led me to blieve it was about jumping and commiting suicide and it ended up being about life spinning out of control A great write, Equester.

Ode to Unused Words It would be betise, chicane, and outright effrontery to see truth as bedizen. On the other hand: To nictate pugnaciously At feral prevarication is not nocent when one osculates with condign gelidity, that the conflagrant truth is That evil presides in the abyss. Scrabble: The preeminent game of my youth...

ARGH! WRONG FORUM! ***SOUND OF HEAD HITTING DESK*** Erm...can someone please move this to the recruiters office forum?

The keep rose up before him, its immense walls casting a long shadow across the crisp green grass. From the edge of the forest Equester studied the structure carefully while the creature upon his shoulder (a Djinn) whispered quickly into his ear. "Can you feel it? Such power! Makes my essence curl even at this distance." "I feel it. There's great darkness within these walls, I sense the prescence of powerful dark entities inside." Equesters voice, while hardly the most attractive in the world, seemed so next to the harsh mutterings of the djinn. "Great good too. I don't like it. We should go, find some place else. Must be lots of places a fallen knight can stay without resorting to this!" Accoustomed to the djinns self-protective nature and unwilling for a battle of wills that was all to common between them, Equester resisted the urge to strike the creature. "There's no where else nearby Stropha and you know it. Besides, I need to rest. three weeks running from my brothers is beggining to wear on me. "Former brothers. If you'd only let me kill a few of them I could easily persaude them to leave us alone." "No! They will not be harmed except in self defence." With these words Equester began walking down the long road, his plain brown cassok billowing slightly with the length of his strides. *** A short while later Equester and Stropha reached the entrance to the keep. The metal gates stood open, the courtyard beyond bustling with people engaged in various activities. "Lax security, maybe they're unwilling to fight. Maybe they'll let the Templars stroll in and take you. Then where will we be?" "Hush, Stropha. And change your form, as becoming as your imp disguise is it may well be off putting for these people." Muttering slightly under his breath Stropha transformed into a dark black raven, its feathers smooth and glossy. Anyone able to see onto the spiritual plane would be able to see what he truly was, but despite the power stored in the castle it seemed unlikely that any here would be able to do this. Stopping the first person to cross his path Equester asked where he should go to see about accomadations. The person he asked gestured vaguley in the direction of a tower before hurrying away on some errand of their own. As Equester moved on the directions became more specific, 'till at last he stood before a large wooden door with "Recruitment Office" scrawled on it. "Anything?" Stropha flicked his eyes through the Planes he had access to and shook his head. "No traps, guardians or wards. Hardly what you'd expect when it leads to the office of someone important." "Maybe these people don't rely on your kind for power." Ignoring Stropha's snort of disbelief Equester pushed open the door and strolled into the room.

Death's Ruse Death knocking at my door Close the window and the shutter "Gone to Lunch," hung with care Hear the reaper curse and mutter Bolt the lock and close the drapes "I'll get you yet!" I hear him say Slowly look beneath the door To see if he has gone away Worn down sandals on my mat Protruding yellow toenails curled A field of corn upon each foot Decrepit creaking could be heard "I know you're in there, stupid boy!" I jump as he begins to shout "I come to all, there's no escape. Even you can't keep me out!" ""No one's here, oh can't you see, Which means I must be somewhere else." I smile in pride at my sharp wit "I have gone to find myself." I hear him growl in frustration A string of curses soon to follow Then all is silent- he's devising something My throat is dry; it's hard to swallow He speaks softly, all too kindly "I understand. I'll bother no more I'll take this chocolate to someone else..." In an instant, I'm out the door.

Cherry blossoms fall And the world keeps on turning Mankind means nothing Vibrant life leaps high Through the blue skies of summer; Beauty is eternal The geese return here Warm rain falls from cloudy skies Now's the time to live Water droplets fall Yet still the sun shines brightly Life is filled with joy Snow drifts, the sun sets, No-one can live for ever, Go to meet your fate.

Though I am only an Honoured Guest and have no idea who you are, I would also congratulate you. May it be born both healthily and easily. Amen.

In the shadows rests a broken soul of a man, a mere shell of his former self. A ghost in the presence of angels. Crying, weeping, and longing to be loved. He holds himself together only by the thought of hope. Hope that someday his love will come. The hope fades each and every passing day that goes by. Gradually he wonders if there is light at the end of this long dark tunnel, for all he sees is emptiness and darkness. Silent chaos amidst the echoing sounds of a haunting voice from his past, calling his name in the wind. Sounds of what was once love, only now memories. Yet it was not always like this, back in those simple days… It was much different when he walked the hallowed corridors of his college. He remembers waking up early, even when he didn't have class, just so he could walk her to hers. He remembers waiting outside of the room, in the rain, just so he could get a glimpse of her before he started his day. He was so in love that he brought her presents almost everyday for months. Yet she never complained. Though later, she kindly told him to stop because she said that it was not the presents that made her happy, but the gesture that accompanied them. So instead he wrote her poems from his heart. It was the purest way he knew to express his feelings for her. It came so naturally. There was so much inspiration given to him by her. She helped him become stronger inside and out. She was so different then. She was much kinder. So much more gentle. She knew everything about him, and he about her. They were inseparable. They were so happy then. Then one day it all changed. She wasn't the person he had met a few years before. The issues of her past life and prior relationships began to arise and conflict with the life she had now. Her fears and insecurities became stronger and more apparent. They cut into him like blades. Deep were the cuts that were brought upon him. The harshness of her words bruised his spirit as thrown stones would bruise his body. He didn't understand what he had ever done wrong. He didn't understand why she had changed. How could he? His life was so much more sheltered then hers. But it didn't protect him anymore then as if he had lived her life for himself. He experienced her pain through her eyes and by the pain she brought upon him. There was no where to run. There was no escape for him. For how can one run away from the person they love? As time slowly melted away, she slowly began to heal. Sadly, not without any expense. His soul drifted in an opposite direction for safety. The shelter that he once called his heaven was now his hell. Yet he continued to bare the brunt of her onslaught for a few more years to come. However, as she began to heal, his spirit slowly began to break. Until, at last, he was merely a shell of who he once was. His soul was tattered and broken. His scars were deep and his wounds could not be healed. And yet after all this, deep down inside his heart, he still loved her. He always had and always would. Even after the arguments and disputes, he just couldn't let her go. The final break was at hand. She requested for her space, so he obliged. Only a short time later, the final blow was dealt. She told him she was in love with someone else. Not just anyone else, but his brother, his rival. She said that she had realized that she was always in love with the man before, and never truly was in love with the broken soul who stood in front of her. She was only afraid to return to the man earlier for she was afraid of that man's rejection. There had never benn love between that lost spirit and her. There was no bond, no joy, no happiness. It was all a lie. A lie, at his expense. He had no one he could count on, no one who he could spend the rest of his life with. He had never truly had her. She wasn't the person he would be waiting for while he was heaven while she was on earth. Nor the one he would look forward to seeing again when it was his time to cross to the other side. It had all been a dream. A false hope. And he lived it all alone. It was all in his own mind. A play with his dreams as the cast. With his spirit crushed, bruised and battered, he drifted away into his own world. Her spirit still haunts him now in his sleep. Her voice still calls his name on the breeze. Her scent still lingers as if she has been there a few moments before. Whether it was a dream or a nightmare, he doesn't know. She was real to him at the time. That is the past he will cling to. The long talks on the phone into the late hours of the night. The good times that he had with her. The walks they shared in the moonlight. Was it all a dream, you ask? He doesn't know, but if so then they are his dreams. Dreams that he will carry with him for the rest of his life until the day he dies. And maybe one day, one day… his love will arrive. His real dream will come, and she will love him like no other. On that day, his dreams will stop being dreams and become a reality. Until then, he wanders in search of the past that he dreams and the future yet to be. He wanders alone in the darkness, in silence, with the ever vigilant hope that someday his love will arrive and carry him beyond his dreams, into reality…

Sitting on the sand beside my own shadow. All alone and placid Serenity springs from the tips of peaking waves rolling t’ward the shore The salty scent of deep ocean air surrounds me with poised existence Elegant harmony gently flowed, across my lips Pure tranquility