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| Topic: No idea what the title is. | |
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Edited by
JustAGuy2112
on
Sun 08/16/09 07:23 PM
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Chapter 16 As they walked back toward the front of the cottage, leaving Philip back in the barn, Brian took a few minutes to think about the situation he found himself in. ( have we realized just how bizarre all of this really is? ) [ sort of. ] ( yeah. I mean, we have a sorcerer, although we haven’t actually seen him do any magic ) [ he did turn Philip into a horse ] ( so he says ) [ Philip says so too ] ( whatever. We didn’t actually see it ) [ true ] “ Hey, Krager…” “ Yes? “ “ Do you think you could do something for me? “ “ Let me guess “ Krager said, looking at Brian “ you still aren’t sure that what you are seeing and hearing is real. “ ( man. He’s good ) “ Yeah. Pretty much. “ Brian said with a slight shrug. “ What would you like me to do? “ Krager said, knowing already but still wanting Brian to ask. “ Could you do something…magic…for me? I mean, you have said that you area sorcerer, and you and Philip both say that you turned him into a horse, but the only magic I have actually seen with my own eyes is the rope. “ With a chuckle, Krager looked Brian in the eye and said “ What is it that you would like me to do? I’m guessing that a cheap parlor trick wouldn’t quite cut it? “ “ No. I suppose it wouldn’t “ Brian admitted. “ But then again, I am not really looking for anything major either. “ Krager looked at the ground and scratched his chin, thinking. Suddenly, he looked back up at Brian and said “ Very well. I’ll show you some magic, if you’ll do something for me. “ “ Well…ok “ Brian said warily. Krager pointed a crooked finger toward a small bush about ten feet away. “ You see that bush over there? Walk over to it. “ ( he’s not gonna make it eat us or something is he? ) [ will you stop it? Quit being so paranoid ] Brian, still wary, slowly walked over to the bush and said “ Ok. What now? “ Chuckling again, Krager said “ Reach into it and make sure it’s just a bush. I promise it won’t bite. “ “ It won’t bite? Would that be before or after I stick my hand in there? “ “ It won’t bite at all “ Krager said, now openly laughing. Brian, now starting to laugh in spite of himself, said “ Ya know, I might be a little more willing to do as you ask if you weren’t about to fall over from laughing. “ “ Oh, come on! You’ve been pulled into another world, you’ve seen a talking horse and a rope that makes itself into any length you need, and now you are going to be reluctant to reach into a simple bush? “ “ Alright. Alright. Point taken “ Brian said with a snicker. “ When you put your hand in there, just grab hold of one of the thicker branches and give the bush a good shake. “ Brian tried to peer inside the bush but found he couldn’t see anything because the foliage was too thick. Turning to keep one eye on Krager, just in case the old man decided to conjure a snake or some equally creepy creature while his hand was in there, ( would you actually know if he was casting a spell? ) [ no. but I’m not taking the chance and turning my back on him ] and grabbed a branch. He gave it a good shake, then pulled his hand back out. With great relief he said “ Ok. Now what? “ “ Now come back over here and stand next to me. “ “ Um. Alright. “ Brian said as he started walking over. When Brian reached him, Krager said “ Watch carefully. “ As Brian watched the bush, Krager started muttering under his breath and making some small gestures with his fingers. Suddenly, the bush started to tremble as if a tiny earthquake were occurring directly beneath it. ( dude! What the…? ) [ I know ] The trembling increased until the bush was shaking so hard that it started to shed some of it’s leaves. Then, seemingly in slow motion, it grew taller, and kept growing until it was about the same height as Brian. ( oooo…that’s kinda cool ) [ I agree ] When it stopped growing, the trembling subsided a bit. Suddenly, the lower half of the bush separated. ( are those LEGS? ) [ I’m not sure ] The bush ( can it still be considered a bush now? ) [ kinda. I guess ] stood there, still rooted to the ground, until with a seemingly great effort, it pulled one of the ‘ legs ‘ from the ground. It bent forward slightly in the middle and, after a few moments, pulled the other ‘ leg ‘ from the ground. Now standing upright, it shook itself like a dog coming out of water, then stood still. “ Wow. ‘ Brian said reverently. “ It’s not done just yet “ Krager replied. “ Keep watching. “ The slight tremble resumed, and what looked to be arms appeared from the sides of the bush. ( ok. It’s official. He’s definitely a sorcerer ) [ ya got that right ] ( I am totally impressed ) [ me too ] The shaking stopped, the bush raised an arm, turned around and started walking away. “ Where’s he going? “ Brian asked. “ Who knows? “ Krager said with a shrug. “ He’s basically harmless so him causing any havoc isn’t going to be an issue. “ “ What if someone sees him? “ “ What if they do? “ Krager said “ Believe me. If he doesn’t want to be seen, he won’t be. If he senses danger, he can plant himself back into the ground and become just another bush until it passes. “ “ I take it you’ve done that before? “ “ A few times. When I needed some assistance here in my home, I would create one to lend a branch. So. Does that convince you that I truly am a sorcerer? “ “ Um. Yeah. That pretty well takes care of it “ Brian said. “ But you really didn’t have to do something that drastic to get me to believe you. “ “ Maybe not. But the look on your face was simply priceless. Besides, it’s really not that difficult. “ “ If you say so. “ “ Trust me. Anything less may have left you unconvinced. This, however, definitely got the point across. Wouldn’t you say? “ “ That it most certainly did. “ Brian said, grinning. “ Good then! “ Krager clapped a hand on Brian’s shoulder, and turned him toward the cottage. “ You’ve had a rough day. What do you say to getting some food and a good night’s sleep? “ Brian, at that moment, was pretty sure he had never heard a better idea. After Krager had shown him to a small room at the back of the cottage, Brian sat down on a somewhat lumpy bed and heaved a huge sigh. After removing his shoes ( those boots weren’t made for walking ) [ oh very funny ] ( they aren’t even boots ) [ thank you Captain Obvious ] ( perhaps we should see if he has an extra pair of boots lying around ) [ or maybe we could just ask him to transform these shoes ] ( oh good one. Hadn’t thought of that ) he lay back and tried to get comfortable. He thought it would be a long time before sleep came. He was wrong. Had to add this part to chapter 16. Found a better way to end that chapter. |
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Chapter 17
Waking to bright sunlight coming through a small window, Brian sat up, stretched, and began the process of coming completely awake. ( I see we are still here ) [ looks that way] ( so yesterday wasn’t a dream then ) [ not unless it’s a really long dream that included me falling asleep ] ( fantastic ) [ dude. It’s way too early for sarcasm ] ( sorry ) [ s’ok ] Standing up, he stretched again and started walking toward the front room where he heard Krager moving around. Realizing that he had forgotten his shoes, he turned around to pick them up and found that they weren’t beside the bed where he had left them. ( guess they were made for walking after all ) [ oh will you stop it? I am not nearly awake enough to deal with you right now ] ( Ok. Sheesh. You are so touchy in the morning ) Curious now, Brian turned around and headed back toward the front room. When he arrived, he saw Krager striding back and forth across the room, grabbing an item here, an item there and putting them into what looked like a rucksack. Brian watched him moving around for a few moments, then cleared his throat softly to let Krager know he was there, but trying not to startle him. The old man jumped, ( well that certainly worked ) Startled, saw that it was Brian, and said “ Oh! Good! You are awake. “ “ Not quite “ Brian replied “ But I am at least up and out of bed at this point. Awake may take me a bit yet. “ Krager chuckled a bit and said “ Fair enough. Wake up as quickly as you can, though. You have far to go and little time.” Stifling a yawn and rubbing his eyes with both hands, Brian said “ There’s a time limit? “ “ Nothing set in stone. But we have been under the impression that time is of the essence since we started trying to find out what is happening. “ “ So have you gotten a general idea of which direction I should start off in? “ Brian asked with more alertness. “ The consensus among we sorcerers is that you should probably head North. There is a mountain range there called the Dragon’s Teeth. “ ( Dragon’s Teeth? ) [ that’s what he said ] ( Sounds treacherous ) [ yep ] ( Probably really high and filled with nasty old trolls who will be mad because we are trespassing ) [ most likely ] ( are we up for this? ) [ only one way to find out ] ( good point ) “ Mountains, eh? “ Brian asked. “ Indeed. Quite tall and jagged ones. Not easy to pass through in the best of times. “ ( what a shock ) [ hush ] “ So you consulted with the other sorcerers and they all agreed that I should head North? “ “ For the most part, yes. A couple of them think that West is a better option, but they were outnumbered. “ “ Even though they were outnumbered, did they seem to have a valid reason as to why I should go West? “ “ Not anything specific. More like a feeling like the rest of us had. Only theirs told them you should take a different path. “ “ I see. “ Brian thought about this for a moment. “ Why did the final decision come down to North? Nothing more than a vote?? “ “ Well. Yes. “ Krager said cautiously “ why? “ “ Well. The way I see it, the worst thing I can do right now is to do what’s expected. I think it just might actually be better if I headed West like they said. “ |
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Chapter 18
Krager gaped at Brian. Opened his mouth as if to say something, snapped it closed again so hard his teeth clacked together, scratched his chin vigorously, sighed heavily, and said “ I suppose I can’t really demand that you go in any particular direction. But I must impress upon you that, even though there was a difference in opinion about which way you should go, there is no difference in attitude about the fact that time is short. “ “ I truly do understand that. “ Brian said . “ But, think about this for a minute. “ He held up a finger. “ For one thing, I am still trying to process all of this. I mean, I am pretty much ready to go. But I also need a little bit of time to thoroughly absorb all of it. “ “ For another “ he held up a second finger “ neither of us know exactly how the power you say I have is going to manifest itself. That means that I am not really ready to deal with whatever it is I am going to have to face. “ “ Third “ holding up yet another finger “ we, meaning you, can’t really tell me what it is that we are up against. We don’t know the limits of it’s power. Or even if it has limits. “ “ On my former world, the best way to win a battle was to catch the enemy unaware or to outnumber them. Now we don’t actually know how aware whatever we are up against is of us. I am also pretty sure we can’t outnumber whatever it is because, by all accounts, it’s just me versus it. But for some reason unknown to me, my gut tells me that I should do what the minority thinks in this case. “ Krager nodded in understanding. “ What you say makes a lot of sense. “ ( I agree. Very well said ) [ thank you ] ( no problem ) “ The fact remains that there is an overwhelming feeling about time being of the essence.” “ Like I said “ Brian said “ I completely understand that. But the point is this. If I go up against this when I am not fully prepared, then the chances of me being able to do anything with it are very slim. Wouldn’t you agree? “ “ I suppose I would have to agree. “ Krager said resignedly. “ Good deal “ Brain said. “ Shall we go collect Philip so I can be on my way? “ He started toward the door, then suddenly stopped, turned around to look at Krager and said “ By the way. Where are my shoes? “ |
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Chapter 19
“ Oh! “ Krager said, surprised “ Sorry about that. I noticed them yesterday and realized that there was no way you would be able to walk for any length of time in them. “ “ I realized the same thing when I took them off last night. I was going to ask you if you had a pair of boots or other footwear I could get from you. “ “ No need for that “ Krager said with a laugh. ( he turned your shoes into a pair of boots. How much ya wanna bet? ) [ if I lost, how would you collect? ] ( oh hah. Very droll. You know what I mean ) [ just saying ] “ I simply took them from your room this morning and found something much better. “ “ Found? “ ( transformed ) “ Well…in a manner of speaking “ Krager said evasively. ( I’m telling you. He transformed them ) [ yes, I realize that ] ( but he’s being so shady about it ) [ yeah. I wonder why ] “ Krager “ Brian said “ Why don’t you just tell me that you changed my shoes into something else? “ “ You wouldn’t be upset? “ ( See? Told you ) [ yes, I know you did ] “ No. Why would I be? “ “ Well…I don’t know. They belonged to you. I know some people can get very attached to a pair of shoes once they have worn them enough for them to be completely comfortable. “ ( Well…those shoes really were comfortable ) [ that is totally beside the point ] ( how do you figure? ) [ they may have been comfortable going between home and work, but how comfy do you think they would have been if we had to walk a whole lot of miles? ) ( hmm. Maybe you are right ) [ just trust me ] “ Look “ Brian said plainly “ they really were comfortable. But, I am aware that they would not have been very well suited for what I have ahead of me. So, no. I wouldn’t be upset if you did something with them. ‘ Krager looked very relieved. “ I would have simply told you what had happened to them, but I was wary of your reaction. I’m glad you understand. “ “ No problem. “ “ Good then. They are right over there in the corner by the door. “ Brian looked toward the corner and spotted a pair of leather boots standing there. He walked over and picked them up. Surprised by their light weight, he looked at Krager quizzically. As if reading his mind, or just his expression, Krager laughed and said “ You certainly didn’t expect me to not do a little something special to them since I basically stole your shoes now did you? “ Brian couldn’t help but laugh in return “ No. I suppose not. “ Still laughing a bit, Brian grabbed a chair that was standing nearby, and sat down to put them on. ( ohhh, they still feel like your shoes ) [ wow. I am impressed ] ( are you going to tell HIM that? ) [ not yet. Let him sweat it a little ] ( Good call ) “ Not bad “ Brian said, standing up. “ These feel pretty good. “ “ Glad you approve “ Krager said with a smile. “ Let’s not get carried away “ Brian said, smiling back “ I have yet to walk very far in them. I won’t know if I approve just yet. “ Krager, catching on quickly, said “ Of course! Of course! We can’t get too happy about them until they’ve been properly tested, can we? “ “ Absolutely not. “ Brian said, trying to keep from laughing and almost succeeding. “ I trust you will let me know how they were when you return? “ “ But of course, I will. “ Both men were openly laughing now. Anyone who may have looked in at that particular time would have thought they were just two old friends sharing a moment of humor. After a bit, the laughter subsided and Krager looked at Brian with a serious expression. “ All joking aside, are you ready to go? “ Brian took a deep breath, exhaled heavily, and said “ Yeah. I believe I am. “ “ Alright then. I left the pack out in the barn. Shall we go collect Philip and get you on your way? “ “ Sounds like a plan to me. Let’s get to it. “ |
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Edited by
Jess642
on
Mon 08/17/09 05:55 PM
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Rabbit hole rabbit hole, I've fallen down again...
Click my heels and send me home... Perfect journey....with a twist....removing the 'way' home..(ie; dead back in the other world), creates a shrugged shoulder acceptance to get on with this world...a raised eyebrow of skeptical resignation. T....this works....it all works...it flows, it's 'light' enough to bewitch...the spell has been woven, let's get on with it...(impatient monologue within my own head)..   Already there is light and shade within your character's predicament....there's an ominous feeling building, subtext is so important...evoking emotion in the reader...weaving the subplot,engaging the reader's imagination, having them become the second author... this is a gift, you are sharing, thank you.  |
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Rabbit hole rabbit hole, I've fallen down again... Click my heels and send me home... Perfect journey....with a twist....removing the 'way' home..(ie; dead back in the other world), creates a shrugged shoulder acceptance to get on with this world...a raised eyebrow of skeptical resignation. T....this works....it all works...it flows, it's 'light' enough to bewitch...the spell has been woven, let's get on with it...(impatient monologue within my own head).. Already there is light and shade within your character's predicament....there's an ominous feeling building, subtext is so important...evoking emotion in the reader...weaving the subplot, having them become the second author... this is a gift, you are sharing, thank you. Wow. That's the best review I have ever gotten.  ( No offense to anyone else who has posted here, of course..lol ) Thanks, Jess. |
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Chapter 20
Walking through the door to the bright morning sunshine, Brian paused to just take in the feel of the sun on his face ( feels good, eh? ) [ no kidding ] and the smell of the air ( never was this clean smelling in Manhattan ) [ or anywhere else in New York ] ( maybe upstate ) [ maybe ] along with the brightness of the colors in the unfiltered sunlight. ( think we could get used to this place? ) [ is there a choice? ] ( I guess not. But at least it’s nice here ) [ yeah. that’s true ] “ Krager? “ “ Yes? “ “ Is it always like this here? The weather, I mean? “ Krager looked around for a moment, turned to Brian and said “ Well. We have seasons the same as there were on your world. We are currently in early Summer. Our seasons, however, are milder than the ones you are used to dealing with. “ “ Milder? “ “ Yes. There were times in your world when your city got up to over one hundred degrees, correct? “ “ Yeah. A few times. “ “ It doesn’t get nearly that hot here. In mid Summer, the temperature stays around eighty to eighty five degrees. “ ( ya know what I just noticed? ) [ what’s that? ] ( we are in a completely different world, but yet, they measure things the same way we did on our world ) [ hey yeah. I hadn’t noticed that ] “ Hey. I have another question. “ Brian said. “ Certainly. I expect you to still have many. “ “ How is it that this is a different world than mine, but yet the units of measure are all the same as the ones used on my world? “ “ Oh, that. “ Krager “ That’s a little complicated, yet simple at the same time. “ ( huh? ) [ I’m not sure. Let’s give him a minute to explain ] ( yeah ok. Sometimes the dude is just…odd ) [ I know. But what can you expect? ] ( True. After all. We are stuck in a cheesy fantasy novel ) [ oh will you just stop with that. You are beginning to be repetitive ] ( hey. I just call it as I see it ) [ well just stop looking for a bit, will you? ] ( okay okay. Sheesh. You are so touchy ) “ Simple, yet complicated “ Brian said “ Why doesn’t that surprise me all that much? “ Krager grinned “ I have no idea. “ “ Wise guy, eh? “ Brian said, grinning back. “ Something like that “ Krager said with a snicker. “ Basically, there are lots of things here that are…shall we say, borrowed, from other worlds. You may or may not run into some of them on your journey. Most are things like your measurement system. We tried to use the Metric system, but thought it was absolutely horrid. All those meters and kilometers, deciliters and decaliters. Ack! “ he threw up his hands in exasperation “ It was absolutely terrible! So we scrapped it and went with your standard system. Life is much easier that way. “ “ I see “ Brian said. “ So anyway, measurements, some of the creatures, even some plants have been brought here from other worlds because, in some way, they were of benefit to us. “ ´How long have the people here been ‘ borrowing ‘ things from other worlds? “ “ Almost since the beginning of our time. Originally, this world was relatively barren. We have basically built it over the centuries. “ Brian nodded in understanding. He took another look around trying to find other things that he recognized from his world. ( You grew up in Manhattan ) [ I know ] ( so what are you looking for? A cab, perhaps? ) [ very funny. I was just wondering if I would be able to recognize anything else from our world ] ( like what? It’s not like you took much time to observe nature ) [ I suppose you’re right ] ‘ Ok. Now that you have satisfied my curiosity, shall we get back to the task at hand and get me started on this trip? “ “ I’m happy to answer your questions, Brian. Let’s go get Philip, shall we? “ He clapped Brian on the shoulder and they started toward the barn once again. |
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I can't wait for more! You are doing an awesome job on this!
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Chapter 21
( I wonder if Philip will be in a better mood today ) [ no idea. Could his mood be much worse than it was yesterday? ] ( do you really want to find out? ) [ probably not ] ( but we’re stuck with him, eh? ) [ so it would seem ] Philip was standing near the fence, watching them approach. “ Well it’s about time you decided to get going “ he said pointedly, looking at Brian. ( nope. His mood isn’t any better ) “ Good morning to you, too, Philip “ Brian replied lightly. “ Morning? “ Philip snorted. “ You’ve wasted half the day already! If there is such an all fired hurry to get where we are going, we should have left at sunup! “ ( for not wanting to go with us, he is sure in a hurry to leave ) [ yeah. no kidding ] “ Hold on to your hooves for a few more minutes and we’ll be on our way “ Brian said. Philip gaped at Brian for a moment, ( who knew a horse could gape ) then burst into a distinctly horse like laugh. “ Hold onto my hooves?? That’s pretty good. “ “ Oh no. “ Krager said shaking his head. Brian looked at him “ What?? What’s the matter? “ “ Oh, nothing major. “ Krager replied. “ It’s just that Philip, despite his cranky disposition, rather likes a good joke. Unfortunately, he really doesn’t know good ones from bad ones. “ “ Speak for yourself! “ Philip exclaimed. “ I know a good joke when I hear one! “ Krager sighed “ If you say so. “ “ I do “ Philip says emphatically. Turning to Brian, he said “ So? Have you figured out where we are going? “ “ Kind of. We have a direction anyway. “ “ Well? Are you going to make me guess? “ “ Maybe “ Brian said with a snicker. “ Unfair!!! “ Philip began to trot around the pen while continuing to yell. “Horse abuse!!! I am going to contact the Equine Equal Treatment Society!!! Brian, in spite of himself, burst out laughing. “ Oh, be quiet Philip. “ Krager said, although he was chuckling as he spoke. “ You know very well there is no such group. “ Bringing his trot to a sudden halt, Philip turned to Krager and said “ There isn’t? “ “ You know there isn’t. “ “ Well there should be!!!! “ Philip said adamantly. “ Goodness knows you people have absolutely no idea about the care horses need. “ “ Ok. We get it “ Krager said impatiently. “ We really need to get you and Brian on your way. “ “ Fine. Be that way “ Philip said, sulking. “ Have we decided where we are going? “ “ Yes “ Brian said. “ I have decided that we are going to start out by heading West. “ “ West? “ Philip said with interest. He looked at Krager and said “ I thought the problems were all in the North? “ Krager nodded. “ That’s right. “ “ So he’s going to head West? “ “ Yes. “ “ Any particular reason? “ Brian stepped forward a bit. “ Let’s just call it a gut feeling. “ “ Oh great. A gut feeling “ Philip said with derision. “ All kinds of things happening that shouldn’t be happening, and HE has a gut feeling. Just fantastic. “ “ You are still free to stay here and not go with me. At this point, I’m pretty sure I would prefer that you didn’t. “ Brian said heatedly. Krager stepped in between the two of them and said “ ENOUGH!! “ He looked at Brian “ You are going “ looked at Philip “ You are going! You can argue along the way if you choose to. But it will be done on…..the…WAY! “ |
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I can't wait for more! You are doing an awesome job on this! Thank you. :-) |
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I can't wait for more! You are doing an awesome job on this! Thank you. :-)  can u write faster?!? I want more! jk! I know it takes time, do keep it coming though! |
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I can't wait for more! You are doing an awesome job on this! Thank you. :-) can u write faster?!? I want more! jk! I know it takes time, do keep it coming though! Hah!! One of my writer friends already hates me because I get a lot more words per sitting than she does. Normally ( last night being an exception ) I usually get around 1000 words whenever I sit down to write. Monday I got 2500+. Last night only about 650. Fortunately, since I have started back at it, I haven't run into a time when I got absolutely nothing, or had a case where what did come out sounded ' forced '. I am still just keeping my fingers crossed that it keeps going at all. |
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Chapter 22
( Ummmm…I think he’s angry ) [ whatever gave you that idea? ] ( Oh I don’t know. Maybe the vein standing out on his forehead? ) [ you noticed that too? ] ( kinda hard not to ) Brian looked at Philip and said “ Look. I really don’t want to constantly find myself arguing with you. I understand that you really don’t want to go with me, but it would seem that Krager thinks it’s important that you do. I think it would be a whole lot better for both of us ( all three of us ) [ you don’t count as another person ] ( sure I do ) [ how do you figure? ] ( well. Would you prefer to be talking to yourself? ) [ hmmm…good point ] if we just try to make the best of the situation. We are going to have to work together in spite of us not particularly liking each other at this point. “ Philip stared at Brian for a moment, sighed and said “ I suppose you’re right. It really isn’t going to do us any good to stand here and have at each other. There are more important things at hand right now. “ Krager, relieved, looked at each of them in turn and said “ Thank you. Both of you. “ Philip, in an attempt to smooth things a bit, looked at Krager and said “ If we are headed West, I assume that means we’ll be going to Prizaria? “ Krager nodded in agreement. “ It would seem that is the case. “ “ Prizaria? “ Brian asked. “ What’s that? “ Krager turned toward him, “ Prizaria is called the City of Light. It’s actually quite something to see. “ “ Why do you say that? “ “ Let’s just say, you’ll find out when you get there. Believe me. You’ll be impressed. “ Philip nodded his head in agreement “ Quite impressed, I think. “ “ I take it you have both been there? “ Brian said. Philip nodded “ I was there once a few years ago. Shortly before the shriveled up old coot turned me into a horse. “ “ Shriveled up..??? “ Krager fumed. Before they could get started again, Brian stepped between the old man and the horse and said “ Now let’s not get started with the arguing again. We don’t have time for that nonsense. “ ( very smooth ) [ thank you. I just hope it works ] “ Nonsense, he says “ Krager grumbled. “ Having to deal with his attitude is what is nonsense. “ “ I wouldn’t have such a bad attitude if you hadn’t forgotten how to turn me back into a human “ Philip retorted. ( oh boy. Here we go again ) [ is it just me, or are these two like a couple of pre school kids? ] ( not just you ) [ ok good ] “ GENTLEMEN!!! “ Brian shouted. ( can a horse be called a gentleman? He’s not a man. He’s a horse. ) [ stop being technical ] ( sorry. I was just wondering ) Startled, Philip and Krager looked at Brian, immediately realizing their mistake. “ Sorry “ Philip said “ I apologize too “ Krager mumbled. “ Thank you. Both of you “ Brian said. “ Krager. We really do need to get on the road if we expect to travel a decent distance today. “ “ Yes, of course. We seem to keep getting distracted “ Krager said quickly. “ Let me just go into the barn and get the pack for you. “ With that, he hurried off to the barn and disappeared through the doorway. Brian looked at Philip and said “ You are really angry with him for what he did, aren’t you? “ Philip looked off into the distance for a few moments, seeming to contemplate his answer. “ In many ways, you are correct “ he said finally. “ I am angry with him. Mainly for forgetting the spell to transform me back into my human form. “ “ I can completely understand that. It must have been quite traumatic when he first transformed you. “ ( I know it would be for me ) “ It was “ Philip said nodding his head. “ But, truth be told, I am not nearly as angry as I used to be about it. I have pretty much gotten used to it and, with a minor exception here and there, I actually quite enjoy being a horse. “ Philip grinned wickedly “ But that doesn’t mean that I am going to let him know that. “ ( I REALLY like this horse sometimes ) [ I’m beginning to see why ] Brian burst out laughing. “ Fair enough. We’ll keep that just between us. “ “ I would appreciate that “ Philip said with a chuckle. Just then, Krager came bustling back out through the door he had gone through. “ I have the backpack “ he held it up as if it were a trophy. “ Let’s get it put on you. Then you can be on your way. “ |
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Edited by
earthytaurus76
on
Fri 08/21/09 05:36 PM
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An engaging, and emerging reperitoire of VALIANT, and RIVETING adventure, which throws your psyche into a WHIRLLLINGG termoil, spiritually BEGGING for more, as you SAVOR the last drop of every enticing, and SUCCULENT chapter, you do nothing but THIRST,
body, mind and spirit SCREAMMING "O GOD WHATS NEXT,???" "O GOD WHATS NEXT."?? I couldnt eat, breathe, or sleep, until I finally got to the next juicy tidbit to find WHAT WOULD BE OF THAT MAIN CHARACTER???? Please bestow apon me, that which is the greatness of JAG, a grand talent in which, I only dream of posessing, and WHY GOD WHY? Must I continue in this foul, dwindling, pitiful existance? If only the light had shone apon my very birth, that even one would sayy i am worthy of such blessing to have just a small portion of the kind of enchantment which is seen, and felt, in just one, small, minut crumb, of what graces ones pallet, when THIS kind of beautiful work is brought to ones table! Until the next moment I will have in this... sniff.. what is called life.. I will suffer.. yesss suffer, I will only try to relish the only happiness I have ever felt, the one happiness of being able to covet this read of far lands, and fantasy story telling to keep the will within me to go on, and to function. I will only bask in the gloww, and the joy, of your greatness.. the greatness, and awesomeness.. which is you. BRAVOO!!!! snifff BRAAAAAAVOOOOOOOO!!! hee.
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  Thanks. :-) |
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Chapter 23
After struggling with it a for a few moments, Brian finally shrugged his way into the backpack and got it adjusted to his liking. ( better hope you don’t have to grab something out of it in a hurry ) [ what? ] ( if we ran into a problem that required something from the pack, it would take us half an hour to get it off so we could get into it ) [ good point. That could be bad ] He looked at Krager and said “ How far away is this Prizaria, anyway? “ “ About three or four days walking distance “ Krager replied. “ Three or four? “ “ Yes. It depends on how fast you walk. “ “ I see. “ “ Of course, it’s much faster on horseback “ Krager said as he glanced sideways at Philip. “ Don’t even think about it “ Philip said testily. “ It’s bad enough that you are forcing me to go with him in the first place. “ “ Yes. Yes. Of course. “ Krager said quickly “ My apologies for thinking you might be willing to make his journey a little faster. “ “ Yes. Well. Just because I look like a horse, that doesn’t mean that I am going to carry him around like one. “ Before they could get going yet again, Brian held up a hand in a placating gesture. “ It’s fine. I can walk. It’s not like I couldn’t use the exercise. “ ( ya got that right. Getting a bit paunchy lately ) [ oh shut up ] Krager sighed, frustrated. “ Very well. Have it your way. I can’t reasonably demand how things should be since I won’t be traveling with you. “ “ Even if you were going, you still wouldn’t be making any demands “ Philip said pointedly. “ After all, Brian is the one being sent to parts unknown to take care of a problem that remains, at best, a vague idea. “ ( yeah. what he said ) “ Very true “ Krager admitted. “ We, the sorcerers, are going to continue our efforts to gather more information while you are traveling. Hopefully, I will have more information for you before you actually get where you are going. “ Brian looked at Krager and said “ Even if you do get more knowledge of what’s going on and how to stop it, how would you get the information to me if you don’t know where I am at any particular time? “ Krager laughed. “ Have no fear, my boy. I am a sorcerer, after all. I have my ways. “ Brian thought about this for a moment and decided there really wasn’t much he could say since he didn’t know the true extent of the old man’s power. “ Well “ he said with a combination of determination and resignation “ Shall we get going? “ “ Yes “ Philip said “ We probably should be getting ourselves going down the road. “ “ Brian “ Krager said seriously “ I know that you aren’t really ready for this. Less than 24 hours ago, you were in your own world and going along in your usual manner. Now, things have gotten all twisted around for you. I do apologize for that. I would have never done that to you if we weren’t in such dire straits. All I can really say is this. Thank you for your understanding and willingness to help out in our time of need. “ “ Look “ Brian said “ I still don’t know exactly what is going on or how I can help. While it’s true that just a short time ago, things were very different for me, I am here now. You say that I can help. I have yet to find out how that could be, other than who my great grandfather was. But, it’s not like I have anything else going on. I’m also not one to stand by and watch things happen if there is something I can do to help. “ He put out his hand and Krager shook it firmly. “ Please be careful, Brian. Until you know where your power lies, the road could be very dangerous for you. “ “ I understand. I will be careful, and I’ll be using that scroll to practice some spells. Hopefully, it won’t take log to determine the level of ability I have. “ “ Philip? Are you ready? “ Brian asked. “ Absolutely. Let’s get this show on the road. “ “ Alright then. Off we go. “ Brian looked at Krager “ Old man, we’ll be seeing you “ he said with a wink and a grin. “ I’ll be holding you to that, my friend “ Krager said with a small smile. “ Farewell. “ With that, Brian began his journey into an unknown of a scope he had yet to fully grasp. Krager watched them go until they reached the horizon. Once they passed from sight, he stood there for a little longer. Finally, he turned as if to walk away. Instead, he walked over to a nearby tree and whistled softly. As the creature he called made it’s way to a low hanging branch near his head, Krager looked up and said “ I have a job for you, my little friend. I want you to follow him and make sure that he doesn’t get into too much trouble. “ |
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and ditto! |
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Edited by
JustAGuy2112
on
Tue 08/25/09 11:59 PM
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Chapter 24
Brian walked next to Philip for quite a while in silence, lost in his thoughts. ( you still have no idea what we’re in for ) [ neither do you ] ( true. But you are the one who’s supposed to figure this stuff out ) [ then what do I need you for? ] ( to keep you from doing something stupid ) [ nice job so far ] ( what’s THAT supposed to mean? ) [ well, you sure weren’t very helpful as far as not letting us get killed on our world ] ( oh right. That was totally MY fault ) [ totally ] ( whatever ) ( anyway…do you really think we have some kind of power like Krager says we do? ) [ I don’t know. I’m not sure what to think about any of this right now ] ( but yet, you agreed to go ahead and try to stop whatever it is ) [ what else could I do? It’s not like I could have demanded he send us home again. ] ( true. We really weren’t left with a whole lot of choices ) [ exactly. ] ( but we don’t even have any idea what it is that’s happening ) [ yeah. with everything that was going on, I completely forgot to ask Krager about that ] ( don’t feel bad. I forgot to remind you to ask ) [ think Philip might know? ] ( no idea. He’s been in the barn for a while. ) [ yeah. no way to really know how much information he’s been able to gather ] ( ya think, maybe, Krager talked to him about it? ) [ I suppose it’s possible ] ( well…let’s ask him ) [ ok. But if he bites me I am going to figure out a way to hurt you ] ( I don’t think he will ) [ like I said… ] ( you couldn’t hurt me without hurting yourself anyway. Your threats mean nothing ) [ ya know. You are quite irritating at times ] ( but without me, you would be bored ) [ true enough, I suppose ] ( so are you gonna ask him, or what? ) [ yes. Get off my back ] ( not gonna happen. Someone has to keep you in line ) Brian turned his head to look at Philip and said “ Do you mind if I ask you a question? “ “ I was wondering when you were going to get around to asking me “ Philip said with a wry grin. “ Huh? What do you mean? “ Brian asked, truly puzzled. “ Ever since we left, you have been walking along mumbling to yourself. I was wondering how long it was going to take you to work through whatever it was you were thinking about. “ “ Oh “ Brian said with a sheepish grin. “ Sorry about that. I wasn’t aware that I was actually speaking. “ ( way to go. Now he’s gonna think you are nuts ) [ oh shut up ] “ No big deal. I understand. Believe me, when Krager first transformed me, I talked to myself quite a bit for a while. “ “ I see “ Brian said. “ I can definitely relate. I mean, I’m not a horse now, but things are definitely not what I am used to. “ “ That would be putting it very mildly, I would think “ Philip said. “ Anyway. What is your question? “ “ Well, “ Brian began, “ I know there is something going on, some kind of presence or something, in the North. But what I failed to ask Krager is what kinds of things are happening. “ “ Ah. I see. So you are wondering if Krager has spoken to me about the events so that I may have some idea as to what has happened that prompted you being brought here. “ “ Yeah. Something like that. “ “ Well “ Philip said gravely “ I really don’t have a whole lot of information, but I do know a few things. “ “ I guess anything would be helpful at this point. I am running almost completely blind at this point. It’d be nice to have at least some kind of idea. “ “ Completely understandable. I will tell you what I know. “ “ Thank you. “ “ No problem. Ok. Here goes. Take from it what you will. “ As they walked slowly down the road, Philip started to relay the information he had garnered from his talks with Krager. “ About 2 years ago, something strange began to happen in the North country of Mesatania. There were stories that floated around that most people just couldn’t or wouldn’t believe. The most disturbing of these stories were the ones about entire villages disappearing. “ “ You mean all the people just disappeared? “ “ No. If it was that kind of thing, most people may have been more willing to accept it. “ ( huh? ) [ no idea. But this can’t be good ] ( no kidding ) “ It was such a bizarre occurrence that it was nearly incomprehensible. “ ( ok. Now I KNOW this can’t be good ) “ Well, if it wasn’t just a matter of the people pulling a Houdini, then what was it? “ “ Pulling a what? “ Philip asked. Brian looked at Philip and said “ Sorry. I keep forgetting that I am no longer on my own world. Houdini was a famous escape artist. He amazed his audiences by escaping from places no one thought he could “ he explained. “ Basically, on my world, when someone isn’t where everyone expects them to be, we say he or she pulled a Houdini. “ “ Ah. I see “ Philip said. Although it was clear to Brian that he really didn’t. “ Anyway, as I said, it wasn’t just the people that disappeared. “ “ Then what was it? “ “ Something much more odd. Entire villages disappeared. “ |
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Chapter 25
( WHAT? ) [ my sentiments exactly ] ( dude. This is just flat out messed up ) Brian held up his hand to stop Philip. “ Wait a second. What do you mean ‘ entire villages ‘ ? “ “ Precisely what I said. Entire villages. Every animal. Every building. Every person. Even the roads to the village disappeared! “ ( the roads? What the…? ) [ he wasn’t kidding when he said it was bizarre ] “ The roads? “ Brian said disbelievingly. “ Yes. Even the roads “ Philip said gravely. “ At first, the stories were brushed off as nothing more than tall tales by weary or drunken travelers who just missed a turn somewhere. But then, there were more and more of those tales. Finally, a party was sent up there to go to the villages and prove that the people telling the stories were mistaken. “ “ Let me guess “ Brian said pointedly “ They didn’t find anything. “ “ Quite right. Nothing at all “ Philip said with a nod. “ The worst of it was that the party that was sent out was made up of hunters, trappers and merchants who had been to the North lands many times and knew their way around. But even they couldn’t find the villages. It was as if they had just disappeared from the face of the world. “ ( well. I guess that would definitely qualify as a problem ) [ gee. Ya think? ] ( how is that even possible? ) [ you are asking the wrong person on that one. I have absolutely no idea ] “ No ideas as to where they went or what happened? “ “ None “ Philip said with a serious look. “ No trace has been found of the villages or the inhabitants. “ ( maybe they were abducted by aliens ) [ oh stop it ] ( well. It seems as likely as any other explanation ) [ true. But I think the alien thing was strictly on our world ] ( how do you know? ) [ just hush ] ( SEE! You don’t know ) [ you aren’t helping again ] “ Wow “ Brian said, running his fingers through his hair. “ Yes “ Philip said. “ I told you it was odd. “ “ So. It would seem that there has to be some kind of magic involved. “ “ So it would seem. But the sorcerers haven’t been able to determine what magic, if any, is involved. “ “ Entire villages disappear. All the people and animals just go off into the ether somehow, and all of the sorcerers in this world can’t figure out what kind of magic could do something like that? “ Brian asked with a look of disbelief. “ Brian “ Philip said looking him straight in the eye “ you have more power than you know. But, even knowing you have this power, doesn’t help you understand it at this point. Am I wrong? “ Brian considered this for a moment, then said “ I suppose you’re right. Krager told me I have a lot of power, but I don’t know the first thing about it or how it works. “ “ Well, there you go, then “ Philip said. “ The sorcerers know that there was magic involved. It’s the only logical explanation for what went on. But that doesn’t mean they understand the magic involved. “ “ So. This would have to be something beyond their combined powers then? “ “ Indeed “ Philip said seriously. “ The magic involved is such that this world has never seen or even heard of. “ |
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