tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35810866694461762162024-03-15T18:11:09.543-07:00Cia's StoriesLove in all its forms! This blog features great stories by great authors, is a place for readers to find quality free fiction, and plenty more all focused on writing that is all-inclusive and HOT! Alicia Nordwellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01874076077603097775noreply@blogger.comBlogger1066125truetag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3581086669446176216.post-52244875521223997412024-01-24T01:00:00.000-08:002024-01-24T01:00:00.129-08:00Wednesday Briefs: Broken Path, Starless Tail Chapter 34 <p style="text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjYHJSHHrG3W8wrN5_AU9g0Xsp0u-Gx0MwfNBd9w1ri7cf72zHb1MdfuRVIyFzUAyoIFvLnrgkBXRVjjUUkQCuHEoGwJwOCZZhcpvKRMUydczg1eeSB12uSaPNQGDFIZs58yznU7WuYr8Ch5Yo48RZTYFaPvaMjJzntJHy1jE85HvkohsvXucUeiOuwm2Hu" style="background-color: white; color: #113bcc; font-family: "Josefin Sans"; font-size: 17.82px; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="254" data-original-width="512" height="159" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjYHJSHHrG3W8wrN5_AU9g0Xsp0u-Gx0MwfNBd9w1ri7cf72zHb1MdfuRVIyFzUAyoIFvLnrgkBXRVjjUUkQCuHEoGwJwOCZZhcpvKRMUydczg1eeSB12uSaPNQGDFIZs58yznU7WuYr8Ch5Yo48RZTYFaPvaMjJzntJHy1jE85HvkohsvXucUeiOuwm2Hu" style="border: none; position: relative;" width="320" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Of course not. I discovered it when I stripped almost all
of his magic. Which is why he wants Parallax’s star.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“You tortured you own brother and stripped his magic?” The
feeling in the pit of Beckett’s stomach, the almost living entity he’d been
feeling since his erupted, recoiled.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Of course not. It was council business. He’s a criminal who
lives in Eshya. It was for the safety of others.” Kastor delicately put his
bowl down, wiping the side of his mouth with his thumb and licking it. “I didn’t
torture him and removing his magic was safest for everyone. This is beside the
point. I can help you get into Eshya, find the portal, and get through it.”<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Safely? Eshya is teeming with mage-killers.” Valrinda
asked. “And can you get us through the portal together?” He pressed up against
Beckett, his tail whipping through the air. Beckett jerked his up and stared up
at him, then back at Kastor. Was that an option?<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Kastor raised an eyebrow. “I don’t think a dragon going into
the human world is what Parallax expected.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Let me worry about what he expected,” Valrinda growled. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“You can do that? You can go with me?” Beckett asked. He
turned his back to Kastor, ignoring him completely. He’d never even considered
that to be an option. Why hadn’t Valrinda said something before?<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“From the Eshya portal? Maybe. It is rumored to be powerful
enough. I don’t know if that’s true. The more magic in a being, the more power
it takes to portal them. The mage-killers are notorious for consuming all beings
with power they can absorb and use.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“The more you talk about it, the less I’m feeling this plan.
Killers? Like, individual murderers who would kill me if they catch me?” The
butterflies in his stomach were turning into killer bees. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“I would never let them catch you. I would protect you with
my dying breath.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Aww, how romantic.” Kastor’s acerbic interruption was not
appreciated. “How about neither one of you die, I send you both through the
portal like your dragon here wants, and then I get the credit for both getting
you through the Eshya portal safely and helping return Parallax’s star.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“You do have it, right?” He dropped the last question with
all the subtlety of an atomic bomb. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Would we be willing to risk life and limb otherwise?”
Dancing around giving a solid yes or no answer was old hat for Beckett. He
liked to keep his teachers and parents guessing what he really meant when they
gave him a bullshit hassle and then followed it up with a question like, “Were
you listening?” or “Are you even close to being done on blah blah blah?” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">The one time he’d answered with, “Wouldn’t you like to know?”
had lead to a week’s worth of detention, but it’d been worth it to watch his freshman
math teacher literally spit he was so mad. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">After that, though, he got better at vague replies that sounded
like answers that weren’t really answers. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Kastor’s lips were pursed so tight they turned white. “This
would go better if we trusted each other.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Trust is earned,” Valrinda said. “You admitted to stripping
nearly all of your own brother’s powers, even on behalf of the council, which
is one step above being a mage-killer. Then offered to take us to Eshya. We
would be stupid not to be suspicious.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Well, then let’s start our journey so I can go about
earning that trust.”<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">On the map Kastor showed Beckett, Eshya was a large country
to the east of them. They had to cross the desert. He summoned a mount, using
his magic. Not only did Valrinda refuse to carry him, the journey was too far
to support them both and not have to camp on the dangerous sands. In another
jarring brush with fantasy tales, Kastor summoned a gryphon. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">It’s damn talons looked almost as sharp as its beak, and
those large eyes watched and calculated everything around it. His sleek brown,
black, and white feathers ruffled as he puffed up and then shrieked upon take
off. Watching him disembowel prey each night with the small, furry body held
between taloned claws and waiting for a temple or throat strike. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Despite Valrinda being named his guide, those few days they
traveled across the desert and into the forests that covered the eastern border
into Eshya proved how much Beckett didn’t know about this land; Valrinda had
spent more time keeping him safe alive and stumbling from one disaster to the
next. Flying along in the air, they had time to talk. Very few topics were off
limits, except for the star for him and his brother for Kastor. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">That trust thing didn’t come cheap. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">The one thing that Beckett wished Kastor could teach him
most, and he couldn’t, was how to better control his magic. “That’s practice
and time, and nothing I can do for you would help. Besides, I’m not mentor
material.” Beckett snorted when Kastor said that, but nothing he’d said could
convince the other mage differently. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">The arrogant twat certainly made Beckett want to smack him a
lot. But the first time Kastor opened a sink hole under a group of… things that
he swore were coming to get them when they’d touched down for a lunch break,
Beckett forgave him the cocky attitude and other bullshit. <o:p></o:p></p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal">Alive and annoyed was better than dead. <o:p></o:p></p>Alicia Nordwellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01874076077603097775noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3581086669446176216.post-5744171651747984222024-01-17T01:00:00.000-08:002024-01-17T01:00:00.249-08:00Wednesday Briefs: Broken Path, Starless Tail Chapter 33<p style="text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjYHJSHHrG3W8wrN5_AU9g0Xsp0u-Gx0MwfNBd9w1ri7cf72zHb1MdfuRVIyFzUAyoIFvLnrgkBXRVjjUUkQCuHEoGwJwOCZZhcpvKRMUydczg1eeSB12uSaPNQGDFIZs58yznU7WuYr8Ch5Yo48RZTYFaPvaMjJzntJHy1jE85HvkohsvXucUeiOuwm2Hu" style="background-color: white; color: #113bcc; font-family: "Josefin Sans"; font-size: 17.82px; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="254" data-original-width="512" height="159" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjYHJSHHrG3W8wrN5_AU9g0Xsp0u-Gx0MwfNBd9w1ri7cf72zHb1MdfuRVIyFzUAyoIFvLnrgkBXRVjjUUkQCuHEoGwJwOCZZhcpvKRMUydczg1eeSB12uSaPNQGDFIZs58yznU7WuYr8Ch5Yo48RZTYFaPvaMjJzntJHy1jE85HvkohsvXucUeiOuwm2Hu" style="border: none; position: relative;" width="320" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Wake up!” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Valrinda’s snarl was truly impressive, and Beckett could
feel the warmth in his neck increase rapidly. As much as he’d love to let him engulf
the mage with a blast of flames, there was no telling if it would actually hurt
him or not. While he didn’t like the mage—at all—Beckett needed his help. The
star he was keeping in his pocket, and wasn’t that a trip to think about,
needed to get back to Parallax as soon as possible. For that, he needed a
portal, and for <i>that</i>, he needed this mage. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Beckett narrowed his eyes as he pushed Valrinda’s wing up so
he could glare out into the too bright morning light that blasted over the
bleak sand and rock formations. “Great. You’re here. Should we get started?” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Not quite yet. Dragon.” The mage nodded at Valrinda, who
had not moved from his protective stance over Beckett. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“His name isn’t dragon. You can call him Val.” Hey, asshole,
you never told me your name.” He’d been calling the guy the mage, but he’d been
too scared, angry, and tired to ask his name during the confrontation with the
council the day before. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Kastor Greengrass.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Seriously?” Not what he would have expected. “Whatever. Didn’t
anyone teach you any manners?” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Did anyone teach you that it’s dangerous to sleep exposed when
you have something others want?” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Valrinda rumbled again, and Beckett put his hand on his
neck. “Like you?” Valrinda asked. “Besides, he wasn’t exposed. I protect him.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“No. I don’t need Parallax’s star; I have enough power of my
own.” Kastor snapped his fingers and a flame appeared above a flat rock to
their left. He snapped it again and a pot appeared suspended above the flames. “You
also make a fair point, dragon. How about some breakfast? I am not completely
without manners, despite your accusations, and I assume hunger is a big source of
your regretful manner with me.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Waking me up by yelling is the <i>source of my manner</i>
with you,” Beckett grumbled, mimicking Kastor’s haughty tone. “Who does that?
You’re lucky I didn’t let Val burn you to a cinder. Which is what he is called,
or didn’t you hear me? His name is not dragon.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“I’m fireproof, but thank you for your consideration.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Beckett rolled his eyes. Sanctimonious bastard. “You want to
fill us both in on your plan, now that you’re here?” There hadn’t been time the
day before, plus Beckett had wanted Valrinda to hear what Kastor had to say. He
knew next to nothing about the world he’d been portaled into, the magic he was
supposed to have, or what the solution should be other than find a new portal
and get back to the real world to find Parallax and give Colby’s cat back the
magical star that would supposedly give him back his tail. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Which he needed for some vital reason that mattered to
everyone and everything. What Beckett really wanted to know was if he could use
his magic to portal himself back. He was also really tired of constantly thinking
about not having a plan, or wanting and needing a plan… he just wanted a damn
plan and to get shit done. “Val’s my partner, so he will help me decide if we’re
going to go along with your plan.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Kastor raised one dark eyebrow as he swept his cloak aside
to sit on a stone across the merrily burning fire. “I thought we had an
agreement.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“We did. For me to listen to your plan to get me to
Parallax. Not that I’d follow you without getting advice from my guide, who I
told you about before.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">The mage pressed his lips together, then nodded. “Just so.”
He waved at the pot and ladle hanging over the side. “Please, eat while we
speak so we may move on quickly once an accord has been reached.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“You first.” Maybe it was rude but… no, it was just smart.
Who ate something a mage conjured into life?<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Sighing, Kastor pulled a wooden bowl and spoon out a bag
that also magically appeared on his hip. What kind of magic did this guy have?
He ladled something that looked like oatmeal with berries out of the pot, blowing
on a steaming spoonful before he ate a bite. “Happy?” he asked. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Ecstatic.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“The pot is charmed to produce the meal you wish to eat, no
poison included, so feel free to get out whatever your… Val wishes as well.” He
paused at the sharp look Beckett gave him, but didn’t say dragon, so Beckett
let it go. Beckett was able to dish up something meaty for that came out in
nearly bucket-sized quantities and an eggy breakfast casserole with bacon and
sausage came out for him. Was it any surprise he wanted to come back here? He wondered
if he could learn to make the pot with his magic or if it was something that
Kastor had purchased. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“So,” Beckett asked, gesturing with his spoon as he chewed. “What’s
the plan?” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“We fly to Eshya and use the portal there.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Valrinda’s wings flared. “Are you insane?” he roared. He
knocked over his platter of food, and it quickly soaked into the desert sand. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Of course not,” Kastor said calmly. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Beckett set his bowl down. “What is Eshya?” He darted a look
between Valrinda and Kastor who couldn’t have been more different. Kastor was
almost abnormally calm. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Only a haven of dark mages who skin dragons to make their
cloaks and young mages to steal their magic. No one goes to Eshya.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“No one except someone who is in desperate need of a portal.
My brother lives there, so I happen to know they have an active portal.”<o:p></o:p></p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal">“The brother who wants to steal Parallax’s star?” This was
starting to sound shadier and shadier. “He just volunteered that information,
did he?” <o:p></o:p></p><p><br /></p>Alicia Nordwellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01874076077603097775noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3581086669446176216.post-44667551103020997902024-01-10T01:00:00.000-08:002024-01-10T01:00:00.160-08:00Wednesday Briefs: Broken Path, Starless Tail Chapter 32<p style="text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjYHJSHHrG3W8wrN5_AU9g0Xsp0u-Gx0MwfNBd9w1ri7cf72zHb1MdfuRVIyFzUAyoIFvLnrgkBXRVjjUUkQCuHEoGwJwOCZZhcpvKRMUydczg1eeSB12uSaPNQGDFIZs58yznU7WuYr8Ch5Yo48RZTYFaPvaMjJzntJHy1jE85HvkohsvXucUeiOuwm2Hu" style="background-color: white; color: #113bcc; font-family: "Josefin Sans"; font-size: 17.82px; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="254" data-original-width="512" height="159" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjYHJSHHrG3W8wrN5_AU9g0Xsp0u-Gx0MwfNBd9w1ri7cf72zHb1MdfuRVIyFzUAyoIFvLnrgkBXRVjjUUkQCuHEoGwJwOCZZhcpvKRMUydczg1eeSB12uSaPNQGDFIZs58yznU7WuYr8Ch5Yo48RZTYFaPvaMjJzntJHy1jE85HvkohsvXucUeiOuwm2Hu" style="border: none; position: relative;" width="320" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Jesus Fucking Christ. Pick a problem to have a hissy fit
about and stick with it will you?” He was getting whiplash trying to figure out
who was snarling at him and why. Getting met with a golem, told to make an
appointment, and having to trudge up all those stairs to meet in their exalted
tower room just so they could be all on high was pissing Beckett off. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Badmouthing his dragon, not answering his request for help,
and now freaking out about him being human—or not human—had created a furor.
Different council members were hissing or barking or whatever they did that
didn’t make sense as speech, at least to him. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">He’d met a lot of helpful beings on this journey that had
looked like ordinary animals, but these mages were fucking strange. They looked
like animals but not, and they were <i>not</i> helpful. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Coming out from hiding behind the largest being that looked
like a giant pile of rocks covered in weeping moss and waving branches—with a
few bright eyeballs rolling on top—came another human. He had on dark green pants
tucked into leather boots, a black tunic cinched with a wide gold belt that
held many different pouches dangling from it. His skin gleamed dark under the
light from the sparkling torches. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Beckett stared, non-plussed, into the mage’s golden eyes.
They were literally glowing and the tiny tendrils of his hair was moving a non-existent
breeze that Beckett would have given his left nut to feel to cool himself off. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">So not a human, even if he looked like one. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“I don’t think blasphemy is necessary, though I have been
accused of it by many in my day. Are you ready for answers yet?” His smirk was
unmistakable. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Beckett gasped in a sharp breath, the sucker punch of
realization socking him in the gut. He was speechless, which was saying
something because he always had a bitchy comment, according to Colby. It had
gotten him more than one detention. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“You!” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“I told you that you’d come to me.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“I didn’t know you were here!” Valrinda had explained that
humans only came once an age, but those who did were magi. The only humans who
could survive the trip through the portals were some form of magic user. It was
why he had known that Beckett wasn’t a human despite not showing any magic, and
why he wasn’t surprised that Parallax sent him on the quest to find his star. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">He didn’t have magic to travel through the portal, since
Parallax sent him, so many creatures had been confused until his manifested,
but now Beckett had his inner fire and he wasn’t afraid to use it. Lightning
crackled between his fingers. “What are you doing here? Did you send that thing
to attack Val? Are you trying to steal the star?” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">The man laughed. “No, of course not! That would be my
brother.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">What. The. Fuck. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Did you get the mages’ help?” Valrinda asked as Beckett
trudged out of the city. The guards didn’t pay any attention to him as he left,
but he was no threat to them as tired as he was.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Fucking stairs. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Beckett went straight to Valrinda and collapsed against his
neck, leaning his whole body against his warm scales. A thin wing came around
to cocoon him. “No. Yes, but no.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“What does that mean?” Valrinda’s voice echoed in Beckett’s
head and chest where he leaned into him. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“It means that mage asshole we saw outside the other city
who was warning or threatening or trying to help me—I haven’t decided which—was
there, and he offered to take me to an active portal.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Valrinda’s whole body heated as he hissed, the scales
turning hard as stone. Damn, he was an impressive beast. Beckett stroked his
neck, soothing him. “Did he threaten you?” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Try the other way around.” Which was probably ridiculous if
he was a mage and had been here for an age or eon or whatever. He, and his
brother who was the dangerous one, probably had magic oozing out of their pores
or something gross like that. Stupid fuckers wouldn’t get away with anything
sketch if Beckett had anything to say about it. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Valrinda certainly would shut that shit down. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“He’ll be here at first light. Can we just find somewhere I
can lay down? My legs are killing me.” Beckett was whining a bit, but he
appreciate the care Valrinda took in urging him to climb up on his neck and
flying them to a protected bunch of rocks where they could hide for the night. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">The morning was going to come soon, and he needed to make a
game plan with Valrinda. He had one mage who said his brother was after the
star they desperately needed to get to Parallax, the same mage who promised he
would lead Beckett to a portal for no more reason than to thwart said brother
and restore the magical balance that had been upset when Parallax had lost his
star. <o:p></o:p></p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal">Call him suspicious, but Beckett wasn’t buying it. No one
was that fucking altruistic. Sure, maybe the mage did want to stick it to his
brother, and maybe the magic did need to be balanced, but there had to be
something else in it for him. <o:p></o:p></p>Alicia Nordwellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01874076077603097775noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3581086669446176216.post-22528305038106579892024-01-03T01:00:00.000-08:002024-01-03T01:00:00.132-08:00Wednesday Briefs: Broken Path, Starless Tail Chapter 31<p style="text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjYHJSHHrG3W8wrN5_AU9g0Xsp0u-Gx0MwfNBd9w1ri7cf72zHb1MdfuRVIyFzUAyoIFvLnrgkBXRVjjUUkQCuHEoGwJwOCZZhcpvKRMUydczg1eeSB12uSaPNQGDFIZs58yznU7WuYr8Ch5Yo48RZTYFaPvaMjJzntJHy1jE85HvkohsvXucUeiOuwm2Hu" style="background-color: white; color: #113bcc; font-family: "Josefin Sans"; font-size: 17.82px; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="254" data-original-width="512" height="159" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjYHJSHHrG3W8wrN5_AU9g0Xsp0u-Gx0MwfNBd9w1ri7cf72zHb1MdfuRVIyFzUAyoIFvLnrgkBXRVjjUUkQCuHEoGwJwOCZZhcpvKRMUydczg1eeSB12uSaPNQGDFIZs58yznU7WuYr8Ch5Yo48RZTYFaPvaMjJzntJHy1jE85HvkohsvXucUeiOuwm2Hu" style="border: none; position: relative;" width="320" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal">“How in the hell would I have an appointment? Do I look like
I have an appointment? Or know how to get an appointment?” Everyone else he’d
met in this damn place had called him human or gawked at him. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“No one sees the Mages without an appointment,” the golem
intoned. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Make an exception. This is important. I—” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">The golem cut him off. “No exceptions.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">There should always be exceptions. People in power were
always about isolating themselves from those who had problems and actually
needed help. It pissed him off, and the power he’d just learned he had crackled
to life inside him. “Make one this time,” he bit off slowly through clenched teeth.
“Or get someone here who can.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“No—” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">The lightning crackling off Beckett’s fingers exploded
alongside his temper. It blasted against the door behind the golem and blew it
to pieces. “And I said get someone down here!” he shouted. Lightning crackled
over his skin, making all his hair stand up, but it didn’t hurt. He flexed his
hands, ready to unleash his fury again. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Not that he meant to blow up the door, but the golem would
be next if it said no exceptions again. A living being was going to speak with
him, today, if he had to blast the tower down one part at a time. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Well, he heard something or someone coming from inside so
clearly blowing up doors got him an appointment or something. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">The large frog that hopped down the steps he could see
through the open doorway was the last thing he expected. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Who are you?” it asked. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Beckett had a hard time making out the words through its odd
throat burble, the green dotted skin bulging and fluttering. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“My name is Beckett, and I came to speak to the Mage
Council.”<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Do you—” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“I don’t have a damn appointment.” The lightning zapped the
ground around him, cracking the stones of the courtyard. Beckett took a deep
breath to calm down. “I was sent here on a mission by Parallax to find the star
that was stolen from him. I need help getting back to him. Now can someone here
help me or not?”<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">The frog hopped in a small circle. “Follow me.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Fucking finally,” Beckett said under his breath. The lightning
died to a crackle that danced over his knuckles and lit his fingertips with sharp
sparkles of power. He liked the feeling, so he didn’t try to push it down.
Besides, there was no telling if he’d need to make another show of power or
not. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Maybe Mr. Frog was not who he needed to impress to get some
help. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">They climbed circular steps going up the inside of the stone
building for what felt like fifty stories. Beckett’s legs ached, and the stitch
in his side made them have to stop several times to rest. Sweat dripped down
his forehead. No matter how much lightning he had, he was not going to look
like anything but an exhausted mess, so he let it go to conserve his energy. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">By the time they stopped, all he wanted was water and to
rest. Thankfully he had his flask. He fumbled it from his belt and drank
deeply, glancing around. He almost dropped it when he realized the frog must
have taken him directly to what made up the council. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">They sat in chairs above him in a triangle. None human, and
all stared with curiosity, anger, wonder, fear, boredom, confusion and more he wasn’t
sure he could name without human facial features to pair up to them. Maybe that
scaly being’s lips always curled up like that, or that short dude’s eyebrows
were always drawn together in a unibrow hanging over tiny eyes paired with a slash
of a mouth hidden in a scraggly purple beard flowing over black robes. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Beckett spluttered, choking on his water. He coughed, wiping
his mouth on his sleeve. “Sorry. You guys should put in an elevator or
something.” Maybe that was why they had people make appointments, so they didn’t
have to wait while everyone trekked up those damn steps. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Why are you here?” squeaked a high-pitched voice. It belonged
to a thin creature whose face was buried in a cowl too dark to see inside. It sat
at the apex of the triangle to Beckett’s right. It did point a nearly skeletal hand at him
covered with gray curved claws. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“The golem or Mr. Frog didn’t magically share that with you?
I figured that’s how I got the audience.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Only fools interrupt a council session, or those with a
death wish. Which are you?” The snort following the question that came from a
being that resembled an orc from one of those classic dice game cards so
closely Beckett wanted to laugh. She even had a bone in her high ponytail. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Well, at least these elitist jocks weren’t an all-boys club.
“Neither. I told your golem and Mr. Frog that I’m on a mission for Parallax.”
His name had evoked awe and help from many creatures, but I wasn’t sure about
these council members so I left it at that. “The portal he sent me here through
is broken, but I need to get back to him in the human world. My guide told me I
needed your help.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Your… guide?” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“You are here alone. What guide?” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">A being that was either a set of twins occupying the same
chair or a being with two heads spoke at the same time, but Beckett was able to
figure out what they both said. “He stayed outside of the city. Val is a
dragon.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">The council member in the dark cowl hissed. “Dragon.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Beckett narrowed his eyes. “He has saved my life, and I have
saved his. Watch what you say.” His magic sprung to life.” <o:p></o:p></p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal">“You are not a human!” <o:p></o:p></p>Alicia Nordwellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01874076077603097775noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3581086669446176216.post-83347330039107833502023-12-20T01:00:00.000-08:002023-12-20T01:00:00.146-08:00Wednesday Briefs: Broken Path, Starless Tail Chapter 30<p style="text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjYHJSHHrG3W8wrN5_AU9g0Xsp0u-Gx0MwfNBd9w1ri7cf72zHb1MdfuRVIyFzUAyoIFvLnrgkBXRVjjUUkQCuHEoGwJwOCZZhcpvKRMUydczg1eeSB12uSaPNQGDFIZs58yznU7WuYr8Ch5Yo48RZTYFaPvaMjJzntJHy1jE85HvkohsvXucUeiOuwm2Hu" style="background-color: white; color: #113bcc; font-family: "Josefin Sans"; font-size: 17.82px; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="254" data-original-width="512" height="159" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjYHJSHHrG3W8wrN5_AU9g0Xsp0u-Gx0MwfNBd9w1ri7cf72zHb1MdfuRVIyFzUAyoIFvLnrgkBXRVjjUUkQCuHEoGwJwOCZZhcpvKRMUydczg1eeSB12uSaPNQGDFIZs58yznU7WuYr8Ch5Yo48RZTYFaPvaMjJzntJHy1jE85HvkohsvXucUeiOuwm2Hu" style="border: none; position: relative;" width="320" /></a></p><p>Thanks for your patience. I was really sick for a really long time, but I'm better now!</p><p class="MsoNormal">“To rest you need to sleep. If you want me to sleep now, you
need to wake me up so I can take a turn,” Beckett argued stubbornly. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“We are pretty far from the city. Unless they also have a
dragon, I doubt they could catch up before midday tomorrow, and we won’t sleep
past dawn.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“So, sleep here together?” Beckett wasn’t against that. It
was clear, the actual stars shining over them in a thick blanket in the dark
sky. He would probably stay awake from shivering if he wasn’t curled up under
Valrinda’s wing in a cozy pocket of body warmth. His dragon was better than a
heater, if a little lumpy. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“We might as well.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Don’t you dare try to stay awake.” Beckett wasn’t sure what
he’d do. “Don’t make me zap you.” He’d figure out how. “Sleep so you can heal.”
<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“I will,” Valrinda promised. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Satisfied, Beckett shifted onto his side. They were curled
in the sand under the shelter of a batch of rocks off the side of the road, so
he made a small divot for his hip and leaned against his warm dragon. Each long
breath Valrinda took shifted him up and down, rocking him naturally to sleep. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">The next morning, Beckett was plastered to Valrinda’s back
as they flew through the sky above stormy rain clouds. “Where are we going?” he
shouted. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“South.” Valrinda stretched out a scaly arm tipped with a
deadly claw. Most of the scratches and small chunks taken out of him had healed
overnight, but the bite taken out of his back spine was still filling back in. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Wait… weren’t we already going south? Why aren’t we headed back
to the portal?” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“No, that doesn’t work anymore. It’s broken.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Beckett leveraged himself up. “What?” he screeched. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“The portal is broken,” Valrinda said loud and slow, like he
hearing him had been the problem. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Then how in the hell am I supposed to get this star back to
Parallax?” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“I’m not sure. But I was thinking, with your magic, it would
be best to consult the Mage Council. They’ll talk to you now.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Now? Like they wouldn’t before?” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“No, they only take on petitions from their own kind.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Wow, they sounded great. Like the jock bastards who thought
they were all hot shit and only cool enough to hang out with each other, but on
magical steroids. “Do we have to talk to them?” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Do you have another idea?” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Of fucking course not.” Magical jocks it was. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">And… of course they had their very own city, with their very
own guard, and those assholes wouldn’t let Valrinda into the city. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“No, I’m not going without you.” Beckett crossed his arms
over his chest. They’d gone back down the road a good ways so the stupid guards
in their gold, purple, and black uniforms wouldn’t hear them. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“We don’t have a choice. This is what you have to do so we
can figure out how to find a portal that will take you home.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Beckett leaned against Valrinda’s chest. “You’re my home.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“I love being your guide, but you have a destiny.” Beckett
was starting to hate that word. His arms dropped to his sides. “I won’t stand
in the way of that. You need to go speak to the mages and find out if there’s a
way to portal you home.”<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Fine. But you don’t move from here. If you’re still my
guide, I need to be able to find you.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Valrinda ducked his head and leaned it over Beckett’s
shoulder, pressing them together in his version of a hug. “I will stay here.”<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Promise?” Beckett’s stomach was churning. He really didn’t
want to go into another city on his own. It didn’t go well last time, even if
he’d found Valrinda in the end.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“I swear by my scales.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Beckett took a deep breath. “Okay, then.” He turned and marched
toward the guards blocking the gate. When one tried to halt him, lightning
crackled off Beckett’s fingertips. He curled his lip in a sneer until the spear
blocking his path moved hastily. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Damn right,” he muttered. All he had to do was out elite
the elitist mages. He could do that. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Once he figured out where to go. Then again, where would the
top brass be other than at the top? He headed up hill, looking for the biggest
building on the tallest hill. The buildings on the side of the road nearest the
wall blocked his view, but as soon as he got a few streets in, they started to
thin. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">And he saw it. “Oh yeah, that’s a dick stroke.” A big
building with a huge spire topping it towered above everything. He couldn’t
walk straight to it, but even as he zigzagged through the city streets he was
able to keep it in view at all times. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">He repeated his lightning trick on the four guards
protecting the bridge to the grounds the building stood on, but he was stalled
at the door to the entrance. No guards blocked his way, but there was a large
stone golem. It was three times the size of the ones he’d blown up and felt
like it was made of something much stronger. He shivered. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“I am here to speak to the mage council,” Beckett announced in
his strongest voice. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Do you have an appointment?” <o:p></o:p></p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal">Beckett’s mouth dropped open. “Seriously?” <o:p></o:p></p>Alicia Nordwellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01874076077603097775noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3581086669446176216.post-52902058638656861262023-11-01T01:00:00.003-07:002023-11-01T01:00:00.141-07:00Wednesday Briefs: Broken Path, Starless Tail<p style="text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjYHJSHHrG3W8wrN5_AU9g0Xsp0u-Gx0MwfNBd9w1ri7cf72zHb1MdfuRVIyFzUAyoIFvLnrgkBXRVjjUUkQCuHEoGwJwOCZZhcpvKRMUydczg1eeSB12uSaPNQGDFIZs58yznU7WuYr8Ch5Yo48RZTYFaPvaMjJzntJHy1jE85HvkohsvXucUeiOuwm2Hu" style="background-color: white; color: #113bcc; font-family: "Josefin Sans"; font-size: 17.82px; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="254" data-original-width="512" height="159" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjYHJSHHrG3W8wrN5_AU9g0Xsp0u-Gx0MwfNBd9w1ri7cf72zHb1MdfuRVIyFzUAyoIFvLnrgkBXRVjjUUkQCuHEoGwJwOCZZhcpvKRMUydczg1eeSB12uSaPNQGDFIZs58yznU7WuYr8Ch5Yo48RZTYFaPvaMjJzntJHy1jE85HvkohsvXucUeiOuwm2Hu" style="border: none; position: relative;" width="320" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal">The walls warped around him as he slowed, but Beckett wasn’t
looking at them. He focused on the pile of rubble that blocked the stairs he
needed to get down to find Valrinda. The damn golems had pulled down so much of
the wall he couldn’t even get down. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Had that been their plan all along? Trap him up in the tower
and let the lightning kill him? He snorted. That wasn’t going to go their way.
Trapping him in the tower wasn’t going to go their way either. Beckett tucked
the softly glowing star into his pocket, then planted two hands on the biggest
stones. They began to vibrate. He pushed harder, not liking the muffled sounds
he could hear through the chinks in the rubble. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Valrinda needed him. His face heated, and he let loose a
primal roar, forcing the power inside him outside. The air throbbed and pulsed
with a wave of energy that rocked the world around him, removing the rock
barrier and everything in front of it. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">He wasn’t going to feel bad about the golems who were
smoldering in clumps alongside the chunks of rock. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Val!” There were three golems on top of him. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Beckett! I thought you were dead.” One of the golems opened
its wide mouth and bit down on Valrinda’s spines along his back, the sound like
stone on metal. Valrinda roared, so it must have hurt. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“No, but those golems are about to be!” Beckett flung out
his hands and the heat coalesced inside him and shot through his palms.
Crackles of white hot heat blasted through the air and smacked into each golem,
piercing their thick stone hides and ripping them off Valrinda’s backs with a resounding
boom. “Oh, shit.” He shook out his hands, flexing his fingers. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">They were still pink, totally intact. “Wow. Who knew I could
do that?” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Not me.” Valrinda looked over his back. There was a chunk
taken out of a spike, but not a singed mark on him. “Nice control.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Control my ass. I didn’t control anything. I just saw them
on you and got mad. Just like I did when I blasted that wall open.” Beckett went
over to Valrinda. “Are you okay?” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“I will heal. Let’s get out of here. Climb on, I think we
should fly.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“But you’re hurt.” Beckett didn’t want to do anything that
would make it worse. Valrinda had been out here protecting him while he’d been
getting some shiny gem thing. As soon as he’d grabbed it, the star had turned
out to be nothing more than a clear rock with pulsing colors that he’d shoved
in his pocket as he raced down the stairs. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">It had better be worth all that it had cost him and
Valrinda. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“It’s not that bad. I don’t want to risk trying to get back
through the city. Someone’s going to object to the fact that we just demolished
a building and killed a pack of golems.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Some of them might still be alive, if they ran away,”
Beckett said. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Golems don’t run away from the buildings they’re charged
with protecting.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Which meant, since they’d been hiding when they first
arrived, it had definitely been a trap. For them specifically or just whoever might
try to steal the star from whoever stole the star… he wasn’t sure. “Well, I’m
not sorry. They were the enemy and don’t deserve any mercy.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“You’re not getting any arguments from me, but we need to
go.” The urgency in Valrinda’s voice was stronger. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Fine. But we stop as soon as its safe so you can rest and
heal.” It was already getting dark with the temperature dropping, and Beckett
wasn’t looking forward to the temperatures up in the sky even if flying was one
of the best things he’d ever done. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">The wisps had done a lot to set up camp once they’d joined
up together, but as long as Beckett and Valrinda were together, he didn’t care.
All he needed was to curl up by his dragon’s side, and Beckett was happy. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“You found the star?” Valrinda asked. He curled tighter when
Beckett shivered, wrapping one wing around them both so his heat created a
pocket of warmth around them.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“I did.” It was stabbing Beckett from inside his pocket anyway,
so he pulled it out. The star was hard and pointy but not in any sort of
regular shape. Certainly not in an actual star. It didn’t look like a gem or a
rock, either. There were lights inside, dancing and glowing, and even in the
warmth of his pocket and Valrinda’s heat, the star itself held a heat of its
own that made Beckett’s hand tingle without burning. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“It was making lightning all over the room, and I wasn’t
sure how to get it. Then I heard you fighting, and I just… knew how to do it.
If I let my fire burn, I could flame just as bright as this star.” Beckett
shook his head. “That’s just insane.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Why?” Valrinda cocked his head. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Stars are insanely hot. And huge. None of this makes sense.”
<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Valrinda snorted. “You are talking about magic. Of course it
makes sense. If you believe in it hard enough.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Did that make sense? “So you’re saying because you believed
I’d find the path and the star, I did? And because I believed I could use fire
magic hot enough to match the lightning, I just <i>could</i>? No other reason
or logic?” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“What is magic but reason and logic that hasn’t been
explained yet?” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Beckett rubbed his forehead. “This is too existential for
me. I’m exhausted.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“You used a lot of magic today. You need to rest. I will
watch and listen for any pursuit.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“To heal you need to rest too. I can take a watch up on the
rocks tonight.” Valrinda had put them down near a jumbled set of jagged rocks
that rose up next to the road. <o:p></o:p></p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal">“I am resting.” <o:p></o:p></p>Alicia Nordwellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01874076077603097775noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3581086669446176216.post-89757717347125451762023-10-18T01:00:00.002-07:002023-10-18T01:00:00.145-07:00Wednesday Briefs: Broken Path, Starless Tail Chapter 28<p style="text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjYHJSHHrG3W8wrN5_AU9g0Xsp0u-Gx0MwfNBd9w1ri7cf72zHb1MdfuRVIyFzUAyoIFvLnrgkBXRVjjUUkQCuHEoGwJwOCZZhcpvKRMUydczg1eeSB12uSaPNQGDFIZs58yznU7WuYr8Ch5Yo48RZTYFaPvaMjJzntJHy1jE85HvkohsvXucUeiOuwm2Hu" style="background-color: white; color: #113bcc; font-family: "Josefin Sans"; font-size: 17.82px; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="254" data-original-width="512" height="159" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjYHJSHHrG3W8wrN5_AU9g0Xsp0u-Gx0MwfNBd9w1ri7cf72zHb1MdfuRVIyFzUAyoIFvLnrgkBXRVjjUUkQCuHEoGwJwOCZZhcpvKRMUydczg1eeSB12uSaPNQGDFIZs58yznU7WuYr8Ch5Yo48RZTYFaPvaMjJzntJHy1jE85HvkohsvXucUeiOuwm2Hu" style="border: none; position: relative;" width="320" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal">Getting in really didn’t turn out to be a problem. The gate
to the tunnel was wood, and two bashes from Valrinda’s tail decimated it. It
was a tight squeeze for him, but he made it in. His bulk hid what waited for
them at the end from Beckett, but he was glad he’d listened and let Valrinda go
first when the heat from his breath wafted back into the stone tunnel. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Sorry.” The dragon’s voice was muffled by his own butt. He
blocked most of the light, so Beckett couldn’t see much either, just a few
stray gleams bouncing off his back scales. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Want to get out of the way?” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Um, just a moment.” There was a crunch, stones crumbled,
and dust filled the tunnel. Beckett started coughing, doubling over as his body
fought to hack up both his lungs. Tears ran from his eyes, and he gasped,
trying to catch his breath. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">More light was streaming in until Valrinda stuck his head
and shoulders back into the tunnel. “You okay?” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“No,” Beckett choked out. “What did… you do that for?” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“There was a guard on top of the wall here facing inside
that I couldn’t burn, so I sort of pulled down the top of the wall.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“That you… couldn’t burn.” Beckett felt faint. “You burned
people?” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Nah. They were constructs. Golems imbued with power to
guard the star. Do you really think anyone who would still Parallax’s star
would allow other beings around it who might steal it from them?” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Oh, good point.” Beckett’s cheeks heated. He still didn’t
have an accurate picture of the who or what had stolen the star, or who’d tried
to force Valrinda. Both beings had too much magic, but he wouldn’t let that
stop him. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">There was no way they’d expected Beckett and Valrinda to
overcome the venom and come after the star for themselves. Dragon and fire mage
to the rescue!<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Of course, Beckett was also going to have to figure out what
a fire mage was. Or did. He’d chalk that up to tomorrow’s job. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“You wanna move so I can get out of the tunnel now?” He was
more than a little worried it was going to collapse, especially since he was
going to have to climb over some rather large pieces of stone to get out. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Sure, sure. I’m going to go knock down some more walls.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“I’ll stand back while you have fun then.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">So much for the serious adventurers saving the day and
getting the star. Valrinda was cackling as he tore into the walls, his claws
ripping into the mortar and pulverizing the edges of the dark stones as he
yanked them out until he created a huge hole. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“You couldn’t have just pulled the doors off their hinges?”
There were two big double doors at one end of the courtyard.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“The star is up there.” Valrinda pointed to the right with
his tail. “Why go the long way? Besides, more golems are coming. I can hear
them.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Good point.” Into the hole then. There was a long flight of
stairs, which turned twice, growing narrower each time. Valrinda had to stop or
risk getting his long body stuck. “I don’t like this,” he hissed. “I need to
protect you.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“I’ll be fine. I’m not some weak human anymore, remember?
Besides, you need to go back and protect our retreat.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“You’ve never been weak.” Valrinda pushed his nose against
the hand Beckett laid on him. “Be fast. Get the star and come right back. I’ll
be here. If I hear something that makes me think you’re in trouble, anything, I’m
tearing this place apart to get up there.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“How about you don’t tear the building down around me, hmm?
I bet I still squish good.” Plus Beckett didn’t want another dust bath. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Fine.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Alone now, Beckett climbed warily. They hadn’t found any
golems inside. Sure, the whole building ruse had been about hiding the star in
an out of the way place, but this seemed too easy. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">And he spoke too damn soon. Golems? He’d take a golem or
two. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Ten even. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Instead, he faced a pool of lightning that crackled and
roiled. He jerked out of the open doorway when a bolt? Strand? Freaking lance
of bright white crackling energy that made all the hair on his body stand on
end lashed out and struck within inches of his feet. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">And in the center of all that deadly electricity? The star.
He couldn’t really look at it, but he could sense it and knew what it was. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Was the electricity a trap protecting it or part of the star
itself? “Fuck!” Why couldn’t Parallax have given him some god damned answers
before he sent him in after this thing? Beckett tried to peek into the room
without putting his body into the doorway. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">A crackle and snap struck again, and he cursed, ducking into
a crouch. The building shook under him, and he fell against the wall. “Hey,”
Beckett shouted. “I said <i>don’t</i> pull down the walls.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“It’s not me, it’s the golems!” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Shit. Of course he’d wished for golems and this would
happen. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“They’re pulling the building down. They came out of
nowhere, and there are too many of them. I can’t fry them all. You need to get
the star and get out of there.” Valrinda grunted, then groaned. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Pain lanced through Beckett. “Oh fuck. Hell no.” They were
hurting Valrinda. Rage boiled up inside Beckett, and his whole body caught
fire. He began to glow the same color as the lightning inside the room, and it
went crazy, striking him over and over. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">It tickled, but he ignored it. Racing to the center of the
room, Beckett grabbed the star and then he was dashing down the shaking stairs.
<o:p></o:p></p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal">He had some golems to turn to ash, and then he’d find the
bastards who hurt his dragon. <o:p></o:p></p>Alicia Nordwellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01874076077603097775noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3581086669446176216.post-7492703553909185682023-10-11T01:00:00.001-07:002023-10-11T01:00:00.141-07:00Wednesday Briefs: Broken Path Starless Tail Chapter 27<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjYHJSHHrG3W8wrN5_AU9g0Xsp0u-Gx0MwfNBd9w1ri7cf72zHb1MdfuRVIyFzUAyoIFvLnrgkBXRVjjUUkQCuHEoGwJwOCZZhcpvKRMUydczg1eeSB12uSaPNQGDFIZs58yznU7WuYr8Ch5Yo48RZTYFaPvaMjJzntJHy1jE85HvkohsvXucUeiOuwm2Hu" style="background-color: white; color: #113bcc; font-family: "Josefin Sans"; font-size: 17.82px; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="254" data-original-width="512" height="159" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjYHJSHHrG3W8wrN5_AU9g0Xsp0u-Gx0MwfNBd9w1ri7cf72zHb1MdfuRVIyFzUAyoIFvLnrgkBXRVjjUUkQCuHEoGwJwOCZZhcpvKRMUydczg1eeSB12uSaPNQGDFIZs58yznU7WuYr8Ch5Yo48RZTYFaPvaMjJzntJHy1jE85HvkohsvXucUeiOuwm2Hu" style="border: none; position: relative;" width="320" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal">Their flesh met, and the venom joined them together under
the magic. It wasn’t just a neurotoxin poison that forced the victim to
surrender control of their mind and body to the owner of seprecries. That had
been what attacked Valrinda, and he’d been fighting it with all his might. He’d
managed to stay down under the city instead of going back to the surface to
find Beckett and kill him. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Then find the star. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">But that was where his strength had failed him. He couldn’t
fight forever, and he would eventually succumb to the suggestions being
overlaid on his mind. Whispering, shouting, twitching along his nerves and
clouding all he knew, thought, and did. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Until Valrinda and Beckett had touched, and those scrapes on
his chest met the wounds on Valrinda’s neck. Blood met blood, already tied by
fate, and together they turned their attention to the master of the seprecries
who thought they could own Parallax’s star for their own. Their greed would
bring about their downfall. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">First, the poison in Valrinda’s veins. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Beckett rested his head against Valrinda’s smooth scales.
They were unnaturally cold. “Let me help you,” he whispered. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Please,” Valrinda begged. Not that he had to. With his
permission freely given, Beckett unleashed something he hadn’t known lived
inside him. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">A fire that blazed within his being rose up and spread
outward, pouring into Valrinda. It rekindled his flame, and they snuffed out
the poison in a few heartbeats. Valrinda’s eyes cleared, and his wings drooped.
He folded them along his back. The rigid lock of his muscles eased, and he sank
to the stone floor of the tunnel, curling around Beckett. “Thank you,” he said.
<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“You protect me, so I protect you,” Beckett said simply. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“How did you find me?” Valrinda asked. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“The wisps. There was one… somewhere.” He didn’t bother
trying to look for it. He needed to stay with Valrinda. “You knew about this
before, didn’t you?” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“That you had magic inside you? Yes.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Why didn’t you tell me? People kept calling me human.” His
forehead wrinkled. “But I can’t just be a human. People don’t feel like this.” The
flames were banked inside him at that moment, like hot coals that were ready to
be fanned into a flaming inferno at his behest. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">He wasn’t quite sure how to do it though. He hadn’t done it
on purpose when he healed Valrinda, but it had also felt as natural as breathing.
<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“You are a fire mage. It is why we are so compatible, and
also why you rejected the ice dragon. We have always been meant to meet and do
this. It was fate because it’s been foretold.”<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Who foretold it?” Beckett looked up at him, still stroking his
scales around the pink, healing wounds. His own wounds on his chest hand
finally closed, the flesh pink but no longer raw and painful. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Valrinda snorted. “Parallax, of course.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">That damn cat. It all came back to him. What was his real
purpose in sending Beckett here? “If he foretold me meeting you, and if he knew
I had this magic… then why didn’t he just stop his star from being taken in the
first place?” Beckett was exasperated, but it was a good question. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Maybe he couldn’t.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Or he didn’t want to,” Beckett muttered. Damn cat was just
as big a pain in the ass as regular cats. More, even. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Well, he had his dragon back, and now he had magic. “We
should go.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Where?” Valrinda asked. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“After the star.” Thanks for the seprecries, they knew where
it was. The shadowy figure that had sent it to attack Valrinda was still
obscured from them, but it had given two very distinct commands. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">One, kill Beckett before he could find the star and take it
back through the portal. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Two, get the star from the squat building behind the castle
on the hill. It was very “Don’t look behind the big fancy castle at this midden
heap of a building.” Fancy stuff hiding the real gem. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“We can go up two streets over.” Valrinda craned his neck
over Beckett’s head. “That way.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“First, the star. Then we get the mage that sent the seprecries
after you.” Beckett stroked Valrinda’s scales by his wound one last time. “No
one hurts you.” The coals inside him burned a little hotter as he made that
promise. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Beckett and Valrinda emerged from the tunnels into the late
afternoon sun. How long had they spent healing their wounds? He didn’t think
they’d been down there that long. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“We need to hurry.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Despite the mix of beings in the city, the two of them couldn’t
move around without getting stared at. Apparently dragons weren’t that common, or
at least ones Valrinda’s size. Maybe the little red guy was more normal. He had
seen one or two flying things moving away from them that could have been dragons.
<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“How are we going to get in?” Beckett asked. <o:p></o:p></p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal">“I’m a big-ass dragon. We’ll get in.” <o:p></o:p></p>Alicia Nordwellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01874076077603097775noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3581086669446176216.post-38310995403965676782023-10-04T01:00:00.001-07:002023-10-04T01:00:00.152-07:00Wednesday Briefs: Broken Path, Starless Tail Chapter 26<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjYHJSHHrG3W8wrN5_AU9g0Xsp0u-Gx0MwfNBd9w1ri7cf72zHb1MdfuRVIyFzUAyoIFvLnrgkBXRVjjUUkQCuHEoGwJwOCZZhcpvKRMUydczg1eeSB12uSaPNQGDFIZs58yznU7WuYr8Ch5Yo48RZTYFaPvaMjJzntJHy1jE85HvkohsvXucUeiOuwm2Hu" style="background-color: white; color: #113bcc; font-family: "Josefin Sans"; font-size: 17.82px; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="254" data-original-width="512" height="159" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjYHJSHHrG3W8wrN5_AU9g0Xsp0u-Gx0MwfNBd9w1ri7cf72zHb1MdfuRVIyFzUAyoIFvLnrgkBXRVjjUUkQCuHEoGwJwOCZZhcpvKRMUydczg1eeSB12uSaPNQGDFIZs58yznU7WuYr8Ch5Yo48RZTYFaPvaMjJzntJHy1jE85HvkohsvXucUeiOuwm2Hu" style="border: none; position: relative;" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><p class="MsoNormal">The one-eyed-winking windbag, as Beckett dubbed him in his
mind, looked like a tube that had been unrolled, then inflated partway. Lumpy,
with no real defined shape, it still filled the entire archway that appeared to
have a set of stairs leading down into a squat stone building. Every time the
thing breathed out of holes on either side of its eye, it emitted a cloud of…
something foul into the air with a greenish tinge. The mix of cooked broccoli
and three week old gym socks made Beckett gag and then have to swallow down a
thin stream of bile that burned on its way back down. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“How do I get passed it?” he hissed. He hid around the
corner of a building a block away. That’s how far the stench went, so he
couldn’t begin to imagine how bad it was up close. He’d pass out! No locker
room had ever rivaled that smell. No way he could hold his breath that long. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The wisps must have been as stumped as he was. “Guys?”
Beckett looked behind him… and they were nowhere to be seen. “What the hell?
Damn it!”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Beckett turned back to the windbag, and his eyes widened.
The wisps hadn’t abandoned him! They were swarmed around the thing, and had
rolled it in a shiny net. He’d have preferred a bag that trapped it in its own
odors, but beggars couldn’t be choosers because in that moment, the wisps were
rolling it away from the archway. He took off running. “Thanks!” he called over
his shoulder as he sailed down the stairs and down into the depths of the
building. He didn’t look back, and he kept going, determined to find Valrinda. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">One wisp stayed by his side, not having any trouble keeping
up despite how small it was. Seriously, what were they like under those robes?
He ran down the uneven stone steps until his side ached, and then he stumbled
to a stop, leaning against the gritty stone wall. It was cold and damp. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Glowing sconces on the walls kept it from being pitch black,
and Beckett prayed they were removable. Who knew what the tunnels were like?
While he caught his breath, he examined one. It looked like something was
moving inside the globe, and he shuddered, but he still grabbed the bottom of
the post in the bracket and pulled. It came free with a loud scrape. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">He looked back and forth, but nothing was behind them and he
didn’t see anything in the murky depths of the stairs still leading down. How
far was it? “Can you still sense Val?” he asked the wisp. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“Yes, he is ahead and that way.” It pointed to one side. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“Okay.” He heaved a big breath. “Let’s go.” <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">They walked, and walked, and walked. Once they were off the
stairs, they found tunnels. Thank fuck a wisp came with him because they
branched everywhere like snakes. Some were huge, and some small, and Beckett
would never have found any sign of Valrinda on his own. There were definitely
things living down here, but he never saw anything, just heard sounds and saw
the bones. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">That was worse. Wet, sucking noises or soft scraping. Dry
clicks or raspy rattles. He would hold up the globe high or spin, but never saw
the gleam of an eye or a hint of a body. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The wisp tugged him along, and Beckett went as fast as he
could. He wanted out of here, his skin crawling constantly. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“Wait! Did you hear that?” It hadn’t been like the other
sounds. It had sounded like… “There! Chains, I think it’s the chains you guys
put on Val!” Excited, Beckett took off toward the end of the huge tunnel he was
in. “Valrinda! I’m coming! Wait for me!” Was he trying to find the way out? To
look for Beckett?<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Beckett ran into a space where three large tunnels came
together right before Valrinda left by another tunnel. “Val! Wait!” He ran up
to him and threw his body against his dragon. “I found you!” <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Val’s wing swept out and knocked him away. He turned, barely
fitting in the space, and bared his teeth, growling. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“What the hell?” Beckett wheezed on the ground, the breath
knocked out of him. “It’s me!” <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">What was wrong with him? Beckett crawled backward on his elbows
and heels, not taking his eyes off the milky orbs that were fixed on his chest.
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">His tunic had popped open with the force of the fall, and
the raw red claw marks were still visible. He’d learned to ignore them, since
they’d never gone away, but now Valrinda was staring with his nostrils flaring
and his teeth bared. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Like he was enraged. At Beckett? Himself? Maybe Valrinda
thought he hurt him. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“They’re just those scratches from before. I’m fine. You
didn’t do it. It’s okay.” He tried to soothe Valrinda, but it didn’t work. As
soon as he spoke, Valrinda snarled and the sound held nothing but hostile
menace. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Something wasn’t right, and Beckett had no idea what. He had
to get out of here. His eyes burned but he refused to let the tears fall. He’d figure
this out on his own. But he had to free Valrinda. Maybe he could lead him out….<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">No, the tunnels were too small the way he came. He’d just
have to let him find his own way out. Beckett gathered himself to jump up and
run. He’d have to make it past that deadly mouth full of fangs and those claws
and through the tunnel to his left. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">He waited for an eternity of a moment when a sound
distracted Valrinda. In the second his head turned to the side, Beckett leaped
to his feet to bolt away. Then he saw the dripping puncture marks, and the side
of Valrinda’s head caught him and swept him against his neck, right against the
wound. <o:p></o:p></p></div>Alicia Nordwellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01874076077603097775noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3581086669446176216.post-18493381258822997082023-09-06T01:00:00.003-07:002023-09-06T01:00:00.145-07:00Wednesday Briefs: Broken Path, Starless Tail Chapter 25<p style="text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjYHJSHHrG3W8wrN5_AU9g0Xsp0u-Gx0MwfNBd9w1ri7cf72zHb1MdfuRVIyFzUAyoIFvLnrgkBXRVjjUUkQCuHEoGwJwOCZZhcpvKRMUydczg1eeSB12uSaPNQGDFIZs58yznU7WuYr8Ch5Yo48RZTYFaPvaMjJzntJHy1jE85HvkohsvXucUeiOuwm2Hu" style="background-color: white; color: #113bcc; font-family: "Josefin Sans"; font-size: 17.82px; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="254" data-original-width="512" height="159" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjYHJSHHrG3W8wrN5_AU9g0Xsp0u-Gx0MwfNBd9w1ri7cf72zHb1MdfuRVIyFzUAyoIFvLnrgkBXRVjjUUkQCuHEoGwJwOCZZhcpvKRMUydczg1eeSB12uSaPNQGDFIZs58yznU7WuYr8Ch5Yo48RZTYFaPvaMjJzntJHy1jE85HvkohsvXucUeiOuwm2Hu" style="border: none; position: relative;" width="320" /></a></p><p><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">They were not staying in an inn or anywhere else Beckett
could have gotten food or something to drink. He should have known better. The
wisps seemed to be universally unpopular. Instead he was sitting on the floor
of a ramshackle building that looked like it would fall down around his head if
he moved wrong or even breathed too hard. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">The wisps had all grouped together in a giant pile and they
were glowing as they chanted. He watched with nervous anticipation and hoped
that something happened soon. This room was dark and gloomy, which was probably
great for hiding, but all he wanted to was find Valrinda, find the star, and
get home. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Smothering his gasp with one hand, hoping he didn’t distract
the wisps, Beckett struggled with the stomach punch of a sudden realization if
he found Parallax’s star and took it home to him, he’d lose Valrinda. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">The real world certainly had no room for a magical dragon
with scales and wings. Their nights snuggled together with Valrinda warming him
with his wings curled protectively around him or the days he’d been given the
gift of flying on his back would become nothing but a distant memory that would
be consumed then obliterated by a boring, grown up life. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">He grit his teeth. No! He didn’t want that to happen. Beckett
was tired, and hungry, scared out of his mind, and still happier than he’d been
in the last year since his dad had started pressuring him. He was free in a way
he’d never been before. He knuckled his eyes, taking deep breaths. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Found him!” The wisps cried, their voices merged together
in an echoing jumble. Beckett was pulled to his feet, and he stumbled as pins
and needles stung his abused legs from sitting still for too long. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Come,” the ones holding his hand repeated over and over. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“This way, we found him!” The others milled around them, and
he winced when they wacked right into the stone walls. Dust, or more
frightening, the mortar chinked between the ancient stones also crumbling, filled
the air. His nose tickled and he sneezed twice, yanking his hands away from the
wisps. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Slow down,” Beckett said, wiping his nose on the back of
his arm. “Where is he? Did that thing on the road attack him?” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Shh! Come!” They pulled at his clothes and pushed him and
generally shoved him out of the hovel and onto the street. He blinked, blinded
by the sun that had cleared the buildings and woken the city. People were
moving now, going about their business. The chill was already gone, heat
building from the blazing sun and lack of shade in the desert city. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">He tried to use his brain since the wisps were not giving
him any say in where his body was going. They’d disappeared when the huge beast
charged them with that human on his back… huge beast. It’d been way too big to
create the hole in the barn they’d been in. So it wasn’t that. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Then what had attacked them? He’d just slapped evil guy,
obvious star thief on the human’s head since he acted like a douche nozzle and
came off all high and mighty, plus he knew shit he shouldn’t know if he wasn’t
in on the whole thing. He squinted, chewing his lip, growling in frustration.
The imp on his right squeaked, squeezing his hand. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“It’s far, hurry, hurry. The great one is moving away, and
you must catch up to him!” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Great one.” Beckett rolled his eyes, but he tried to put on
some more speed. For little guys, the wisps were damn fast. Fine grit ground
across his forehead when he wiped away the sweat stinging his eyes as he panted
and strained to keep up with them for longer than he expected it would take to
even cross the entire city. “Are you leading me in circles?” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“No.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Yes!” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Maybe?” another squeaked. “We follow the chains.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“How?” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Feel them.” The wisps in front of him patted their chests,
eyes closed. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Could Val be flying?” Beckett squinted as he looked upward,
straining to catch a glimpse of his dragon on the high rising thermals despite
the lack of even a ribbon of white clouds to hide his sleek, dark form. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">The wisps shook their heads in unison. “No, too close.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“We would have seen him if he was close!” Beckett exploded. “Even
with all these damn people and buildings crammed in here like a fucking sweatbox,
we wouldn’t miss a black dragon.” People had gotten out of their way the day
before or risked being stepped on and slightly smooshed. “Where is he?” He
rubbed his forehead, trying to stave off the dizziness. His chest still ached,
his head hurt, and nothing he did could make the pain go away. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Nothing except find Valrinda. The wisps said they were
close, and he believed them, so what was he missing? The brick buildings and
brick streets couldn’t stop the desert from sending in the fine dust from
outside the walls. It piled up in corners and trickled down in holes between
the pavers…<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Holes between the stones. If Valrinda could smash through a
wall, could he or his attacker have smashed into the road, or under it? <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Fuck. Of course I have to go looking for underground
tunnels.” He swallowed hard. “Are there tunnels here?” he asked louder. He prayed
they would say no, but by their excitement as they began towing him around
again, he knew the answer was yes. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Worse, the ugliest creature he’d ever seen, emitting the
most disgusting smell, was guarding the entrance to what was clearly a tunnel into
a basement, which no one would bother guarding, or an underground labyrinth of
tunnels that his dragon was trapped in. <o:p></o:p></p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal">“Guess which one you’re about to explore?” Beckett muttered. <o:p></o:p></p><p><br /></p>Alicia Nordwellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01874076077603097775noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3581086669446176216.post-75565077435296253522023-08-30T01:00:00.001-07:002023-08-30T01:00:00.141-07:00Wednesday Briefs: Broken Path, Starless Tail Chapter 24<p style="text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjYHJSHHrG3W8wrN5_AU9g0Xsp0u-Gx0MwfNBd9w1ri7cf72zHb1MdfuRVIyFzUAyoIFvLnrgkBXRVjjUUkQCuHEoGwJwOCZZhcpvKRMUydczg1eeSB12uSaPNQGDFIZs58yznU7WuYr8Ch5Yo48RZTYFaPvaMjJzntJHy1jE85HvkohsvXucUeiOuwm2Hu" style="background-color: white; color: #113bcc; font-family: "Josefin Sans"; font-size: 17.82px; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="254" data-original-width="512" height="159" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjYHJSHHrG3W8wrN5_AU9g0Xsp0u-Gx0MwfNBd9w1ri7cf72zHb1MdfuRVIyFzUAyoIFvLnrgkBXRVjjUUkQCuHEoGwJwOCZZhcpvKRMUydczg1eeSB12uSaPNQGDFIZs58yznU7WuYr8Ch5Yo48RZTYFaPvaMjJzntJHy1jE85HvkohsvXucUeiOuwm2Hu" style="border: none; position: relative;" width="320" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Okay, it’s fine. You’re fine.” He wasn’t fine. Beckett hadn’t
realized how quickly he’d come to rely on the guides that had found him wandering
down the path after he’d been sent without a fucking clue through that weird
ass portal thing by his best friend’s cat. Or mostly all powerful galactic
being thing. Whatever he was. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">He’d gone from wilderness to a city after days, possibly
weeks of travel as everything blurred together. Beckett was exhausted and despite
everyone’s assurance that he’d somehow just know what to do when he needed to
do it, he didn’t have a fucking clue. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">And now he was alone. The idea made him want to vomit, and
Beckett cast another panicked look around the street like he’d somehow missed
his giant dragon. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">But no, everything was still silent and still and there was
no one but him. How could no one have seen or heard the attack or Valrinda
crash through the wall and come to investigate? Something fucking weird—or magical,
which was the same thing—had to be going on. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">And here he was, just standing in the street like a
sacrificial lamb. “Dumbass,” he muttered. Stretching up, he grabbed the lower
lamp off the hook on the street pole and hurried back inside the barn. At least
in here, there were signs that the animals saw and heard the shit go down. The beasts
in the stalls near them were antsy, stamping and calling out. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Beckett carefully set the lamp down so it wouldn’t tip over
and start a fire. He hurried into the rest of his clothes and thrust his arms into
his jacket, shivering once he realized how cold he’d gotten standing outside in
just his thin shirt. Stamping his feet into his boots, he wiggled his toes. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Dressed with his pack and coin pouch, he picked up the lamp
and then foundered… what was he supposed to do? He couldn’t leave to find
Valrinda because he needed to find the star. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">But he had no idea where the star was. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">The wisps. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">They’d disappeared and wouldn’t come close because Valrinda
was pissed at them, but maybe he convince them to help now. Valrinda had said
they were close. Maybe he could find them. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Beckett was cold, tired, and hungry from wandering the city
without any luck. It had been at least an hour, and he was out of ideas. And
completely lost. He’d tried to stay away from places that looked too sketchy,
with dark alleys and run down buildings with cracked windows or frayed awnings,
both for his own safety and sure that beings drawn to shiny objects wouldn’t go
there either. At least it’d gotten light enough that he could put the lamp back
on an empty hook and didn’t have to fear attack from a dark corner quite so
much.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Spying what looked like a café with benches out front, he
slumped down in front. Slipping a hand into the pouch out at his belt, he
grabbed one of the crescents. He needed to get something to eat and drink, and
he could see someone or something inside bustling around. He sighed, rubbing
his forehead, then fisted the coin. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Beckett?” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“We found you.”<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“The shiny was hidden, but then we saw.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Beckett jolted and opened his eyes, almost falling off his bench.
He was glad he’d put his back to the wall of the building next to the inn or
tavern he’d sat down at, or he would have been dumped down in the dirt with no
way to get clean. The wisps were talking over each other, finishing each other’s
sentences almost before another stopped speaking, but he’d gotten used to that
while they traveled together. He waited for them to stop, then started asking
his own questions. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Where were you?” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“The black one was angry.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“He would eat us.”<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Gobble us up!” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“He would not,” Beckett protested. At least, he was pretty
sure that Valrinda wouldn’t have done that. He’d been angry, but angry enough
to eat thinking, speaking creatures? No… he wasn’t like that. “Something
attacked us last night, and now Valrinda is missing. I need you to help me find
him.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Not the star?”<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“It is shiny. Bright!”<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“So bright it glows in the night.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Wait, had they already found the star? “You know where it
is?” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">The wisps all crowded around him, pressing together. “We
did, we did!” For once they spoke together.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Shh!” he hushed them. Beckett looked around, but while the
city was waking up and there were people starting to move around no one seemed
to be paying attention to them despite the wisps acting crazy. Maybe it wasn’t
crazy for them. “Where?” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“A keep, full of shiny things, locked up tight.” The wisps
pointed behind him. “That way.”<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Shiny magic locks up the shiny things.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Beckett groaned. “Fuck.” Of course whoever took the star had
magic. It was a star, after all. How’d someone take and keep a star without
magic? He should have anticipated that the star would be protected from being
taken back by magical means too. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“We need Val,” he said. He had no idea how to counter magic.
He’d probably need magic of his own, and he had no idea where to get it. “Can
you find those chains that you gave him?” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Hmm, perhaps.”<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Not shiny, but they were ours.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Still have traces, so we might,”<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Find him that way if we all focus.”<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Them, focus? Damn, it really would be a challenge. “Where
should we go? Do you have a place you were staying.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Yes, come, come.” <o:p></o:p></p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal">Before the innkeeper could even open the doors, Beckett was
already on his feet and off again, no chance to buy anything to eat or drink.
He sighed, but there’d be time for that later. Now that there was hope to find
Valrinda, that was his whole focus. <o:p></o:p></p>Alicia Nordwellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01874076077603097775noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3581086669446176216.post-63301653623735250652023-08-23T01:00:00.004-07:002023-08-23T01:00:00.151-07:00Wednesday Briefs: Broken Path, Starless Tail Chapter 23<p style="text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjYHJSHHrG3W8wrN5_AU9g0Xsp0u-Gx0MwfNBd9w1ri7cf72zHb1MdfuRVIyFzUAyoIFvLnrgkBXRVjjUUkQCuHEoGwJwOCZZhcpvKRMUydczg1eeSB12uSaPNQGDFIZs58yznU7WuYr8Ch5Yo48RZTYFaPvaMjJzntJHy1jE85HvkohsvXucUeiOuwm2Hu" style="background-color: white; color: #113bcc; font-family: "Josefin Sans"; font-size: 17.82px; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="254" data-original-width="512" height="159" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjYHJSHHrG3W8wrN5_AU9g0Xsp0u-Gx0MwfNBd9w1ri7cf72zHb1MdfuRVIyFzUAyoIFvLnrgkBXRVjjUUkQCuHEoGwJwOCZZhcpvKRMUydczg1eeSB12uSaPNQGDFIZs58yznU7WuYr8Ch5Yo48RZTYFaPvaMjJzntJHy1jE85HvkohsvXucUeiOuwm2Hu" style="border: none; position: relative;" width="320" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal">“I don’t know, it’s your mission.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">He was too tired and too frustrated to be indignant. Well, <i>too</i>
indignant. “What do you mean, you don’t know? Aren’t you supposed to be my
guide?” He’d taken that to mean that Parallax was sending him someone that
would know where to find the star that had been taken from him, but he was
getting more and more of an idea that Valrinda was more along for the ride. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Not that he wasn’t a wealth of knowledge about the world
that Beckett found himself in. He’d have had no idea where to go or how to find
the road, how to trade to get money, his new clothes and stuff. Not to mention
he’d probably have been killed by one beast or another. There were probably
smaller things that didn’t come near a dragon but would consider a human a
tasty snack.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“I feel like we’ve had this conversation before.” Valrinda curled
around him, tucking a wing near his feet. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Maybe. I’m just… lost.” Maybe it was what that asshole had
said. “How in the hell am I supposed to find a star? What if it isn’t here?” He’d
had that vision, or whatever it was, but what had it really shown him? <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“I believe in you.” Valrinda laid his head down, creating a
circle around him where he was nestled in the hay. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">It really was the worst bed. Loud, stiff, and a lot of
little pieces were stabbing him through the towel he’d put over it. His feet
ached, but at least he was clean, and didn’t have to worry about something
coming out the darkness to attack them. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Valrinda’s roar and the jerk of his wing from around Beckett
sent him tumbling off the pile of hay onto the hard packed dirt. “Wha—?” Beckett
jackknifed up and whipped his head around, trying to see in the dark stable.
There were no lights coming in through the thick glass windows, so sunrise was
still far off and the magic light that had been up in the corner was gone or blocked
by Valrinda. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">He could hear scuffling, the harsh sounds of something
breathing in a sharp whistle, and then metal on metal. Or… metal on scales? Was
Valrinda being attacked. “What’s happening?” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Stay there!” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">It wasn’t like Beckett had a choice. He couldn’t see what
was going on or help Valrinda if he didn’t have the ability to move without
killing himself in the pitch black. Why the fuck had he thought he didn’t have
to worry about something attacking them. Of course that jinxed them. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Slowly creeping backward in a crouch, feeling his way and
hoping he wouldn’t run into something he didn’t expect, Beckett tried to find
the corner of the big stall he’d been sharing with Valrinda. His fingers
brushed the rough wood, and he slid alongside it after he found the short wall
that bordered their area. It felt like flimsy protection, but it was all he
had. Maybe he should have gotten a room like the innkeeper had suggested so at
least he’d had a door with a lock. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Or maybe he’d be hurt, captured, or dead if he was the
target of the attack. Beckett smacked himself on the forehead and leaned into
the corner. He had to wake up and get smart. Who knew they were there? The
wisps, but he didn’t believe they would send someone to attack them. They could
have done it themselves at any point, including when Beckett had been alone
while Valrinda was flying above them. So who else? Just the innkeeper. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Val—” Wind whistled in front of him, and Beckett jerked
back and smacked his head on the wall. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“No!” The shout cut him off, then a crash echoed through the
stable. The walls shook and light from the lamps on the street shone in through
the ragged hole in the wall. Valrinda was gone, and so was whoever or whatever
was attacking him. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">All except for a pale white arm on the ground at Beckett’s
feet, the hand clutching a metal spike and elbow joint glistening white and red
as it dripped in the dirt. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Beckett’s mouth dropped open and he heaved. Bile burned up
his throat, and he turned, vomit spewing as he clung to the wall. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">That spike wasn’t clean; it looked like the attacked had
stabbed Valrinda. Was that why he shouted? Was he dying right then, out in the street
all by himself while Beckett puked his guts out like a wimp? Damn it. Beckett dragged
the back of his hand over his mouth, swallowing convulsively, and gingerly
stepped over the nasty mess in the stall. Snagging his gear, he crept toward
the hole in the wall. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">His chest rose in short, sharp bursts. He tried to listen,
but Beckett couldn’t hear anything over the blood pounding in his ears. Glancing
around, he spotted a sharp stabbing tool thing for picking up stuff out of
stalls hanging on the wall that hadn’t fallen down. “Better than nothing,” he
muttered. He grabbed it in two hands, trying to figure out how to hold it, then
approached the hole again. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Jaw clenched, knuckles white, Beckett jumped out of the hole
in the wall and into the street… “Ah!” he barked. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">At nothing. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">No attacker with matching milky white flesh missing an arm
and dripping blood. No Valrinda sprawled out dead or waiting for him to come
out so they could find a safe place to hide. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Not another being appeared on the street, despite all the
noise of the fight and the wood board scattered everywhere from a giant dragon
and something else bursting through a wall. The lights flickered white gold against
the velvet blue of the night sky, but Beckett didn’t see Valrinda flying over
the city either. <o:p></o:p></p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal">He was all alone. <o:p></o:p></p>Alicia Nordwellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01874076077603097775noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3581086669446176216.post-19731160536144270722023-08-16T01:00:00.002-07:002023-08-16T01:00:00.155-07:00Wednesday Briefs: Broken Path, Starless Tail Chapter 22<p style="text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjYHJSHHrG3W8wrN5_AU9g0Xsp0u-Gx0MwfNBd9w1ri7cf72zHb1MdfuRVIyFzUAyoIFvLnrgkBXRVjjUUkQCuHEoGwJwOCZZhcpvKRMUydczg1eeSB12uSaPNQGDFIZs58yznU7WuYr8Ch5Yo48RZTYFaPvaMjJzntJHy1jE85HvkohsvXucUeiOuwm2Hu" style="background-color: white; color: #113bcc; font-family: "Josefin Sans"; font-size: 17.82px; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="254" data-original-width="512" height="159" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjYHJSHHrG3W8wrN5_AU9g0Xsp0u-Gx0MwfNBd9w1ri7cf72zHb1MdfuRVIyFzUAyoIFvLnrgkBXRVjjUUkQCuHEoGwJwOCZZhcpvKRMUydczg1eeSB12uSaPNQGDFIZs58yznU7WuYr8Ch5Yo48RZTYFaPvaMjJzntJHy1jE85HvkohsvXucUeiOuwm2Hu" style="border: none; position: relative;" width="320" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Friend,” the beast scoffed. “There is so much you don’t
know.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“And let me guess, you’re just dying to tell me.” Like he
was just going to take a stranger’s word over what he’d experienced with Colby,
or how Mr. and Mrs. R had treated him. Sure, he’d never expected their crazy
cat to claw him up, grow ginormous, and create all this magic mumbo jumbo crap
he was living through right now, but still….<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Who in their right mind would just accept a stranger’s
vague, supposed dire warnings? Beckett had suspended a lot of disbelief, but
the one thing he would never do was believe that his best friend would ever do
anything to hurt him. That wasn’t who Colby was, even if he had a crazy cat. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">That’s where this whole thing started. Colby’s cat clawed him
up, and the next thing Beckett knew he sent him through some crazy tunnel of
light in search of some star so he could get his tail back. Not that <i>that</i>
made any sense at all, right? <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Becket was still pretty sure this was all just a fever dream
or infection coma or something like that. But hell if anyone was going to
badmouth his friends! <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“You’re trapped in a web of lies, and you don’t even know
it.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“And you’re a complete stranger that came charging at us on
the back of a monster that looks like it wants to eat me, spouting complete
bullshit without saying how you know me or why I should given a shit about what
you have to say. Do you think because you’re the only other human here I’ll
instantly trust you?” He scoffed. “Yeah, right. I’m not that dumb. So excuse
the fuck out of me if I say get the hell outta our way because I don’t care what
you think.” By the time he stopped yelling, Beckett’s throat hurt and his fists
ached from how hard he had them clenched. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Valrinda shifted slightly, but it was enough to press his forearm
against Beckett’s side. His warmth infused Beckett, the heat radiating off him.
Beckett knew he was there to help him, and damned if he was going to doubt that
again. He also knew Valrinda was ready to scoop him up and take off if that
creature attacked. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">The other human’s face wasn’t quite clear through the screen
covering most of the cage walls. “You just think you know. When you’re ready
for answers, you’ll find me.” His beast’s heads snapped then it spun and took
off across the desert. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Where is it going?” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“No idea. There’s nothing out there that I know of.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">The beast’s legs rapped an uneven thump across the hard sand
that faded faster than Beckett expected. “I thought only the road was safe?” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“It is the safest way to cross the desert, but not the only
way. I wouldn’t want to cross it on land or the sky, but that isn’t to say no
one can. The wisps sometimes manage it, and they hide their camps quite well
when they want to.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“So you’re saying they weren’t hiding on purpose when we
tried to avoid them.” It wasn’t a question. Beckett looked around, but he
couldn’t see any indication that they hadn’t been completely alone on the road.
There wasn’t even a scrap of cloth or footprint in the sand. No wonder Valrinda
had been so suspicious of them. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Still want their help to find the star?” Valrinda asked. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“I think I need all the help I can get.” He felt so out of
depth, with no idea how to solve this puzzle. Find his guide, follow the path,
yadda yadda. Well the path was about to end in a big ass fantasy city and he
had no clue where to go or what to do after that. “Do we call for them or
something” He pictured calling for them like calling for a dog, or more likely
a stubborn cat that was in hiding, and couldn’t smother the snort and chuckle at
the thought of clicking his tongue and rattling some food bag or something. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“They’ll catch up. Let’s go.” Valrinda started walking
toward the city. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“You’re not going to fly?” Surprise stuck Beckett’s feet
right where he was on the path, and with his much longer body Valrinda got
ahead of him quickly. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“I feel like I need to stay close to you.” He prowled over
the black stones like a sleek oversized lizard, his wings folded and long tail
whipping behind him in the air. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Hey, watch it! Try not to get that close.” That tail had been
too close moving that fast. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Then catch up. We’ll never reach the city and an inn with a
bathing tub and stable if you don’t hurry up.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“A bath?” He’d pay for a bath. Eyeing the pouch on his belt,
he shrugged. Hopefully he could pay. He hadn’t had a chance to really bathe
since the pool at the treehouse, and he was ripe. Days old sweat didn’t smell
good on anyway. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Darn dragon smelled like smoke, salt, stone and heat but that
smelled good to Beckett. He felt bad for Valrinda, who was forced to sniff his stink.
<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Think we’ll reach the city today?” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Valrinda looked down. “I do.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">He was right. He was also right about the wisps catching up,
but they kept their distance now, like they knew Valrinda was upset with them
and would do something if they got too close. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Fortunately, there were plenty of inns with huge stables on
the outside of town. Had they been for the beast on the road? Beckett was too
tired to ask. He paid for the stable, a huge tub of hot water to be taken to an
empty stall by where Valrinda was plus a blanket for later. <o:p></o:p></p><p>
<span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">He relished the water while it was fresh, then
used the towel to dry off and as a buffer from the scratch hay. Sinking down,
he sighed. “Well, what now?” </span></p><p>Want more flash?</p><p class="x_ydp4705cbecyiv0691339877ydp5b4bc0bMsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "times new roman", "new york", times, serif; font-size: 17.82px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><a data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="1" href="https://jraylamb.com/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" shape="rect" style="border: 0px; color: #196ad4; font-family: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank"><span color="inherit" lang="ES-MX" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">J Ray Lamb</span></a></p><p class="x_ydp4705cbecyiv0691339877ydp5b4bc0bMsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "times new roman", "new york", times, serif; font-size: 17.82px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><a data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="2" href="http://julielynnhayes.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" shape="rect" style="border: 0px; color: #196ad4; font-family: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank"><span color="inherit" lang="ES-MX" style="border: 0px; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 15.3333px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Julie Lynn Hayes</span></a></p>Alicia Nordwellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01874076077603097775noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3581086669446176216.post-24650895755115883522023-08-09T01:00:00.002-07:002023-08-09T10:14:33.299-07:00Wednesday Briefs: Broken Path, Starless Tail Chapter Twenty-one<p style="text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjYHJSHHrG3W8wrN5_AU9g0Xsp0u-Gx0MwfNBd9w1ri7cf72zHb1MdfuRVIyFzUAyoIFvLnrgkBXRVjjUUkQCuHEoGwJwOCZZhcpvKRMUydczg1eeSB12uSaPNQGDFIZs58yznU7WuYr8Ch5Yo48RZTYFaPvaMjJzntJHy1jE85HvkohsvXucUeiOuwm2Hu" style="background-color: white; color: #113bcc; font-family: "Josefin Sans"; font-size: 17.82px; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="254" data-original-width="512" height="159" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjYHJSHHrG3W8wrN5_AU9g0Xsp0u-Gx0MwfNBd9w1ri7cf72zHb1MdfuRVIyFzUAyoIFvLnrgkBXRVjjUUkQCuHEoGwJwOCZZhcpvKRMUydczg1eeSB12uSaPNQGDFIZs58yznU7WuYr8Ch5Yo48RZTYFaPvaMjJzntJHy1jE85HvkohsvXucUeiOuwm2Hu" style="border: none; position: relative;" width="320" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal">Damn, he hated being right. Around mid-morning on the next
day, when the city was still the faintest smudge on the horizon to Beckett,
Valrinda came swooping down. “There’s a large cloud of dust heading our way.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Dust?” He thought it was just the nature of the desert, not
something coming for them. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Well, obviously something is making the dust, but for that
to happen, something must be kicking up enough sand and dust on the sides of
the road to make such a thick cloud even I can’t really see what is coming.
Just… there’s a lot.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">The wisps were squeaking and talking over each other,
rushing around. Beckett couldn’t make out anything they were saying, they were
so frantic. “What? What is it?” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“I don’t know.” Valrinda lowered his head. “Quiet!” he
thundered.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">The wisps froze. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Better. Why are you so scared?” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“It is the protector.” The way they said the last word, then
chittered and clung together, proved they didn’t view the cause off the dust to
be something positive, like they viewed Valrinda with awe after he protected
them from the chacory. No, they feared it. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Protector of what?” Beckett asked.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“The city.”<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“The master.” They all squeaked in alarm and started patting
each other’s faces, like they weren’t such which one had said that and wanted
to no one to say more. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Beckett, as American as they come, didn’t like the word
master when it came to someone who thought they were in charge of other people.
He scowled, staring toward the city. “What should we do?” he asked Valrinda
darkly. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“I’m stronger than any protector,” he said proudly, posing
with his wings spread. “Especially with these runed chains protecting me. Stand
beside me, ready to leap up on my shoulders just in case.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“But what about the w—” Beckett stopped, looking around. The
wisps had melted away in just the few seconds that Valrinda’s posing distracted
him, and if he hadn’t known they’d traveled with them, he would never have
known they had been there. “Where did they go?” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Hiding. They’re wisps. It’s what they do.” Valrinda
shrugged, but then he’d never really had anything good to say about the wisps. “They’ll
come out if we win.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Win?” He didn’t like the sound of that at all. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Valrinda’s sight was definitely improved by the wisps’
chains. It felt like an eternity of waiting, Beckett’s stomach churning with
acid and heart trying to lurch out his chest with the strain of not knowing
what was coming toward them, before the cause of the cloud of dust finally came
into view. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">When it did, he wished it hadn’t. Not a dragon, or a chacory,
so at least it didn’t have wings. But the monstrous beast had three heads that
bobbed and wove as it charged forward and two wide tails that whipped behind
it, making the large cloud of dust. A much smaller being rode on its back in a
metal cage that was strapped to the thing’s green sides and along the wider,
primary neck in a thick collar. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“What is that?” Beckett shuddered, balling his hands up into
fists to hide their shaking. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“I-I don’t know. Be prepared to climb on. I don’t see wings.
We can escape.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“We can’t. We have to go to the city to find the star, and
that’s where that thing came from, the city! We can’t just leave.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“I can’t let it kill you either.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Beckett didn’t want to die, and he didn’t want Valrinda to
get hurt fighting a creature that was twice as big as he was with unknown defenses.
“What is that on his back?” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Valrinda cocked his head, “A… human? Another human is here?
Why didn’t I know that?” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“This isn’t the time to worry about that,” Beckett hissed. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Then when? Humans come here once an age. It’s very rare.
Usually only magi—” He cut himself off. “Not the time, right.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">It really wasn’t. The huge beast came to a stop when even
Beckett could see the human inside the glittering cage. Protection or
possession? He wasn’t sure until he started yelling. The beast’s two outside
heads wove and snapped at the air, baring fangs as long as his hand. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“So you finally made it here, Beckett. I wondered if you
ever would.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Do I know you?” Yelling at least made his voice shake less.
<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“No, but I know you. Know your so-called friends. Have you unraveled
all their lies yet or are you still trapped in their little game?” <o:p></o:p></p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal">None of what he was saying made sense? Knew my friends? The
only friend I had here was Valrinda. He wasn’t playing games. “I’m here to save
a friend.” Not that Beckett would necessarily call Parallax a friend, but his
family was. This whole thing was crazy but he wasn’t going call it a game. <o:p></o:p></p><p>Want more flash?</p><p class="x_ydp4705cbecyiv0691339877ydp5b4bc0bMsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "times new roman", "new york", times, serif; font-size: 17.82px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><a data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="1" href="https://jraylamb.com/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" shape="rect" style="border: 0px; color: #196ad4; font-family: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank"><span color="inherit" lang="ES-MX" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">J Ray Lamb</span></a></p><p class="x_ydp4705cbecyiv0691339877ydp5b4bc0bMsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "times new roman", "new york", times, serif; font-size: 17.82px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><a data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="2" href="http://julielynnhayes.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" shape="rect" style="border: 0px; color: #196ad4; font-family: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank"><span color="inherit" lang="ES-MX" style="border: 0px; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 15.3333px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Julie Lynn Hayes</span></a></p>Alicia Nordwellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01874076077603097775noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3581086669446176216.post-22361641299650206142023-08-02T01:00:00.002-07:002023-08-02T01:00:00.141-07:00Wednesday Briefs: Broken Path, Starless Tail Chapter Twenty<p style="text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjYHJSHHrG3W8wrN5_AU9g0Xsp0u-Gx0MwfNBd9w1ri7cf72zHb1MdfuRVIyFzUAyoIFvLnrgkBXRVjjUUkQCuHEoGwJwOCZZhcpvKRMUydczg1eeSB12uSaPNQGDFIZs58yznU7WuYr8Ch5Yo48RZTYFaPvaMjJzntJHy1jE85HvkohsvXucUeiOuwm2Hu" style="background-color: white; color: #113bcc; font-family: "Josefin Sans"; font-size: 17.82px; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="254" data-original-width="512" height="159" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjYHJSHHrG3W8wrN5_AU9g0Xsp0u-Gx0MwfNBd9w1ri7cf72zHb1MdfuRVIyFzUAyoIFvLnrgkBXRVjjUUkQCuHEoGwJwOCZZhcpvKRMUydczg1eeSB12uSaPNQGDFIZs58yznU7WuYr8Ch5Yo48RZTYFaPvaMjJzntJHy1jE85HvkohsvXucUeiOuwm2Hu" style="border: none; position: relative;" width="320" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal">Landing on the road, Valrinda was panting heavily. Beckett
scrambled to his feet. “Are you okay?” he asked. There were cuts on his chest
and face, slices marring his beautiful dark scales. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“I’ll heal. Are you hurt? Did it get acid on you?” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Acid?” Beckett spun, checking the back of his body where
he’d thought the stones were too hot. He sighed. “No, no acid. I’m fine. What
was that thing?” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“That was a chacory. We were lucky that was a young male,
probably just left it’s maternal flight. More than one is much harder to fight
off, especially if they’re smarter than that one.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“That was a young chacory? And they come in bigger fucking
groups?” No wonder Valrinda had wanted to avoid them. “Damn. I’m sorry. I never
wanted to put you in that kind of danger.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Valrinda heaved a sigh. “You didn’t. I did by flying the way
I did today. If I’d been higher up, we’d have been safer. It never would’ve
read my vibrations on the low thermals and come to investigate.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“What can I do?” Beckett hovered his hands over the wounds
he could reach. Valrinda was still breathing hard, and he’d never done that
before. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Gotta wash off the acid.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Right, I can do that.” Beckett grabbed his flask. He pulled
the top off and the began to pour the water over the slashes in Valrinda’s
scales, starting with the highest he could reach and working his way down. With
each wound he rinsed, Valrinda eased until he was nearly on his belly and his
sides had stopped heaving like bellows. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">The first chain that they threw over Valrinda’s neck took
both of them by surprise. It was thick, and dark, and tinkled as it slid between
his spikes. The wisps moved faster than Beckett could, and they laid chains across
Valrinda’s wide shoulders and back by the time he got out his shout, “What the
hell are you doing?” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Beckett couldn’t believe it. He’d thought they were safe,
that his vision had been wrong. How could trusting his gut have gone so badly?
Valrinda was a dragon, a warrior and a free being of the skies. No one should ever
chain him. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“I won’t let you chain him up and make Valrinda a slave!” He
rushed at the closest pair of wisps who backed away, spreading their hands with
fingers facing down. Valrinda reared up, roaring and flapping his wings, and
the wisps couldn’t reach him anymore. Those still holding chains cried out in dismay,
but the ones on him didn’t move an inch.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“No, no,” they chanted. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“You bet no,” Beckett said fiercely. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“We do not chain up.”<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Not enslaving.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Honoring. Chains of victory and protection.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“He saved us, so we will share runes with him.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Valrinda turned his head, studying one of the chains on his
back that he could see. “Oh.” All the fiery anger in his voice that had echoed
in his bellow of rage had dissipated, almost comical in its contrast. “They are
runes of protection, not ensorcellment.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Beckett goggled at him. “What?” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“The chains. They’re engraved with protection runes for strength,
healing, and speed. I don’t even know how they would have gathered enough metal
to create them, much less get someone to make these blessings.” Now he sounded
awed. “They’re priceless.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“You saved us! No one eaten.”<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“No one burned or dead.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“It is foretold. We bring these, but wait for the prophecy
to unfold.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“The time is now, it is truth. You will need these chains,
so we will provide you with all that you require to protect Beckett.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">The way the wisps spoke gave Beckett whiplash, speaking one
after the other, holding one conversation with many voices. It was headache-inducing.
Could they trust it? Valrinda seemed to already be convinced. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Beckett couldn’t read the runes, so how would he know? He
beckoned Valrinda down. “Are you sure?” he whispered. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Yeah. If they’d chained me, I wouldn’t have been able to
rear up or flap my wings. They’d have trapped me on land unless ordered to fly.
We can trust them.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Just a little bit ago you were sure it was a disaster
traveling with them.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“And yet now my wounds are healed.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Holy shit, they are.” There wasn’t a single sign that
Valrinda had been clawed or burned by the chacory’s acid. His scales gleamed,
all the gashes closed up recovered without even a scar to mark their place. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“So we let them put more chains on you?”<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">It was all too surreal. The wisps showed even more deference
to them both, chittering among themselves. Valrinda flew higher but checked in
frequently by swooping down and then flying back up. He said the protection
runes quieted his movements on the air currents. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Beckett thought he looked even fiercer than before, the
chains highlighting his thick muscles that flexed with every wingbeat as they lay taut over his
body. No way would any creature attack them now without thinking twice. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">They traveled two more days on the black road before the
signs of civilization started to make appearances. The first were abandoned
carts then animals wandering the desert that came to them. The wisps swarmed over
it all, and somehow it disappeared into their packs or the carts they were towing.
<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Valrinda swooped down the third afternoon and said, “The
city is up ahead. You’ll get there tomorrow.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Beckett felt his heart race. This was where his vision came
into play. Approaching the city on the black road in the company of the wisps,
Beckett flying above them decked out in chains. Was it a warning? An omen of
the place they’d find the star? <o:p></o:p></p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal">He kept his head on the swivel, trying to figure it out. <o:p></o:p></p><p>Want more flash?</p><div class="x_ydp4705cbecjb_0 x_ydp4705cbecX_6MGW x_ydp4705cbecN_6Fd5" style="border: 0px; color: inherit; font-family: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div id="x_ydp4705cbecyiv0691339877" style="border: 0px; color: inherit; font-family: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="x_ydp4705cbecyiv0691339877ydpc80d1579yahoo-style-wrap" style="border: 0px; color: inherit; font-family: "times new roman", "new york", times, serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="border: 0px; color: inherit; font-family: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><p class="x_ydp4705cbecyiv0691339877ydp5b4bc0bMsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><a data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="1" href="https://jraylamb.com/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" shape="rect" style="border: 0px; color: #196ad4; font-family: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank"><span lang="ES-MX" style="border: 0px; color: inherit; font-family: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">J Ray Lamb</span></a></p><p class="x_ydp4705cbecyiv0691339877ydp5b4bc0bMsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><a data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="2" href="http://julielynnhayes.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" shape="rect" style="border: 0px; color: #196ad4; font-family: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank"><span lang="ES-MX" style="border: 0px; color: inherit; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 15.3333px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Julie Lynn Hayes</span></a></p></div></div></div></div>Alicia Nordwellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01874076077603097775noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3581086669446176216.post-11545924467052324512023-07-26T01:00:00.001-07:002023-07-26T01:00:00.137-07:00Wednesday Briefs: Broken Path, Starless Tail Chapter 19<p style="text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjYHJSHHrG3W8wrN5_AU9g0Xsp0u-Gx0MwfNBd9w1ri7cf72zHb1MdfuRVIyFzUAyoIFvLnrgkBXRVjjUUkQCuHEoGwJwOCZZhcpvKRMUydczg1eeSB12uSaPNQGDFIZs58yznU7WuYr8Ch5Yo48RZTYFaPvaMjJzntJHy1jE85HvkohsvXucUeiOuwm2Hu" style="background-color: white; color: #113bcc; font-family: "Josefin Sans"; font-size: 17.82px; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="254" data-original-width="512" height="159" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjYHJSHHrG3W8wrN5_AU9g0Xsp0u-Gx0MwfNBd9w1ri7cf72zHb1MdfuRVIyFzUAyoIFvLnrgkBXRVjjUUkQCuHEoGwJwOCZZhcpvKRMUydczg1eeSB12uSaPNQGDFIZs58yznU7WuYr8Ch5Yo48RZTYFaPvaMjJzntJHy1jE85HvkohsvXucUeiOuwm2Hu" style="border: none; position: relative;" width="320" /></a></p><p><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Working with wisps,” Valrinda grumbled. “I’m telling you,
this will go bad for us.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">The wisps were bustling around, setting up a camp for the
night. They’d spent the morning flying, and then Beckett had spent the
afternoon passed out against Valrinda’s side. He’d nearly froze to death, and
for what? To avoid these cute little characters who were skipping around and
putting up colorful tents while chattering at each other? Everything they had
was bright, or stitched with metals and stones that reflected the dying light of
the sun. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“They don’t seem like bad people,” Beckett said. He grabbed
some food out of his pouch and snuggled back against Valrinda’s side. He didn’t
need a tent, or the fire that was too warm just an hour before but was getting
more welcome as night fell and it grew colder in the desert. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Not bad. Bad for you. Bad for me. Wisps only look out for
their troop, and outsiders are not wisps. They say they’ll help, but that doesn’t
mean their help won’t actually hurt us in the end.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Beckett shook his head, taking a drink of water to wash down
the bread that was going stale. “Are you always so cynical of others?” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Yes.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">He rolled his eyes. “We’re going to make the best of our
helpers.” Who knew dragons could become jealous so easily? If Beckett didn’t
know better, he’d worry Valrinda was gonna turn into Valery, a fucking annoying
girl from his sophomore year who’d whined constantly to go together to a dance.
<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">He didn’t dance. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“You’re my guide; they’re just helpers.” He put more effort
into soothing Valrinda than he did Valery. He’d shouted at her to leave him the
hell alone, and she’d ran off crying, so of course he’d landed in fucking
detention. Maybe he was a little more mature now. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Fine.” Valrinda was still huffy, but Beckett ignored it.
The stones of the road were hard under his ass, but he wasn’t about to sleep in
the sand. Not after Valrinda told him about burrowing eating creatures. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Their first argument about traveling the next day was when
Beckett said he’d walk with the wisps instead of riding. Maybe it was risky,
but he wanted to talk to them. Find out how they knew about him, where he was
going, what he was doing. How else was he going to figure things out? It’d come
to him, as he lay there trying and failing to sleep.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">How did every fairytale creature in this place seem to know
he was there, that he was a human, and that Parallax had lost his star? <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">He had been told not to trust everyone, but everyone he’d met
had done nothing but help him so far. Where was the great conspiracy? The danger?
So far it’d been nothing but a walk in the park, as it were. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">In the end, neither of them were happy. Beckett walked and
Valrinda flew. He flew so low he kept sweeping up fine clouds of sand so Beckett’s
eyes watered and talking was made difficult. Plus talking to the ore wisps was
like trying to understand chattering chipmunks. They spoke in fragments, talking
over each other, and half the time it didn’t make sense. He persisted anyway
and got a headache for his efforts. It wasn’t the quiet walk he’d had before or
the flights Beckett had taken with Valrinda. What he wouldn’t do for a soda and
chips, maybe a nap in a field of cold grass. Nope, all he had was a flask of
water. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Endless water. He was so hot and sweaty, his feet sore, and
Beckett was getting cranky. He was starting to think about calling Valrinda
down so he could ride instead when the sky darkened. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Not the shadow of Valrinda’s wings as he swooped down over
them again, it was bigger than that, and the scream that pierced the air sent
the air wisps scrambling to hide, collapsing flat. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“What the fuck!” Beckett fell backward, staring up and then
at the wisps burrowing into the sand at the side of the road in complete
silence, something they’d never been. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Something huge, and bone white with sickly green claws was
flapping leathery wings just above them, barely missing where they’d been
standing. “Valrinda!” Beckett screamed. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“I’m coming!” Valrinda roared. Beckett watched as Valrinda
arrowed, his wings folded tight to his body as he darted at the beast attacking
them. He opened his jaw and shot blue fire, forcing it away. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Both the beast and Valrinda beat their wings hard, rising to
crash together, clawing and screaming. The scent of burning flesh and acid,
blood and fear and the horrific sounds of their battle drowned out the sounds
of the desert. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">The beast reared its head back and stabbed its horrific beak
toward Valrinda’s neck. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“No!” Beckett screamed. Valrinda reared back, beating his
wings sharply and pushed off with his claws, so the beast’s beak glanced off
his scales instead of stabbing in deep. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Now free from Valrinda’s grasp, the beast swooped again, reaching
for them, but instead of going to Beckett, it tried to grab a wisp. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“You shall not feed here!” Valrinda roared. He sent a blast
of flame at the beast’s head, and it dropped the wisp who fell a dozen feet
back to the sand. Beckett hoped it was okay, because it wasn’t moving. He didn’t
want to move and draw that thing’s attention, but how long could he lay here?
The stones were blazing hot, and the sounds of the battle could be drawing who
knew what to them. <o:p></o:p></p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal">Valrinda pressed his advantage of being higher than the
beast and went for the back of its head, neck, and wings, blasting his fire and
racking his claws down its back. The beast screamed, and one of its wings bent
awkwardly. It was flying, but erratically and not well. It took off, warbling,
and quickly disappeared into the desert. <o:p></o:p></p>Alicia Nordwellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01874076077603097775noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3581086669446176216.post-33618953890560783972023-07-19T01:00:00.002-07:002023-07-19T01:00:00.138-07:00Wednesday Briefs: Broken Path, Starless Tail Chapter Eighteen<p style="text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjYHJSHHrG3W8wrN5_AU9g0Xsp0u-Gx0MwfNBd9w1ri7cf72zHb1MdfuRVIyFzUAyoIFvLnrgkBXRVjjUUkQCuHEoGwJwOCZZhcpvKRMUydczg1eeSB12uSaPNQGDFIZs58yznU7WuYr8Ch5Yo48RZTYFaPvaMjJzntJHy1jE85HvkohsvXucUeiOuwm2Hu" style="background-color: white; color: #113bcc; font-family: "Josefin Sans"; font-size: 17.82px; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="254" data-original-width="512" height="159" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjYHJSHHrG3W8wrN5_AU9g0Xsp0u-Gx0MwfNBd9w1ri7cf72zHb1MdfuRVIyFzUAyoIFvLnrgkBXRVjjUUkQCuHEoGwJwOCZZhcpvKRMUydczg1eeSB12uSaPNQGDFIZs58yznU7WuYr8Ch5Yo48RZTYFaPvaMjJzntJHy1jE85HvkohsvXucUeiOuwm2Hu" style="border: none; position: relative;" width="320" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Are you okay?” Valrinda asked. He craned his neck and tried
to peer at Beckett, who only looked up for a brief second before the icy wind
of their rapid flight made it too unbearable. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“F-f-fine,” was all Beckett could get out without risking
biting off his own tongue. He patted Valrinda’s neck, and his hand burned from
just the light contact. There wasn’t a choice. They had to stay higher in the
atmosphere, and he was going to tough it out. His core was warm enough, pressed
against Valrinda, and that was most important. Beckett tucked his head tighter
against Valrinda’s smooth scales, just trying to breathe through it. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">He tried to hide it, but a few minutes later, Beckett was
shaking violently and struggling to hold on. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“I’m going down,” Valrinda announced. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“N-n-nooo.” It hurt to talk, and Beckett didn’t even try to
lift up and look around. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Yes, you can’t stay up here. It’s too dangerous. What good
does it do us if you get sick or hurt from being this cold? It’s not safe,
Beckett.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“N-not s-safe d-down.” That was all he could get out. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“We don’t know that. We can’t be sure what your dream meant,
and I might have gotten us past whoever, or whatever, was camped on the road. I
promised I’d keep you safe, and keeping you up here is the opposite. So stop arguing
with me because you’re on my back, which means I’m in charge of this ride.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“F-f-fine.” He just really wanted to get warm. Or take a
nap. Beckett could go for a nap, even if they’d only been up and flying for a
short time. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“No sleeping!” Valrinda snapped.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“’M not.” Beckett forced himself to stay away, to keep that
petulant promise. Somewhere in the recesses of his mind, he recognized the
danger of falling asleep when he was that cold, even if he couldn’t consciously
think it. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Some feeling was creeping back into his limbs by the time
they landed, but Beckett wasn’t any use to Valrinda as he slid off onto the
black stones that made up the road. His brain was fuzzy, and he huddled in a
heap of exhaustion. “I don’t see anyone around,” Valrinda said. “Just rest for
now.” He nuzzled Beckett, tucking him close to his side with one wing. “Just
rest.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">The tinkle of metal startled Beckett, and Valrinda’s roar
deafened him. He stumbled to his feet, staring at the beings surrounding them. Valrinda
reared up behind him, claws at the ready, but the beings weren’t threatening them
that he could see, just surrounding them, so Beckett put a hand on his chest.
It was rumbling, and Beckett had to hope Valrinda wasn’t about to burn them all
to a crisp for startling them. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Not really the reputation he was going for. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Who are you?” Beckett demanded defensively. They were small,
barely coming up to his elbow, but their bodies were hidden in crimson robes
and hoods. Everyone knew if you were hiding your face like that you were probably
up to no good. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">One stepped forward and bowed. “Oh, great days are upon us
now that we have found you, Seeker of the Star. We have pilgrimaged far to
offer our services.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Great. Wonderful. So these beings didn’t want to capture and
enslave them, but that still didn’t answer his question. “Who are you?” Beckett
asked again, a little less aggressively. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">As one, they all lowered their hoods. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Valrinda groaned, “Great, Ore Wisps.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">They didn’t look very wispy. In fact, with their eyes spaced
wide apart, and faces strangely pushed forward at the nose and mouth almost
like a muzzle, with wide teeth they were all showing either in a threat or a smile,
they looked a lot like a human mixed with a goat. Not that goats had purple,
yellow, or orange hair, or walked around on two legs wearing cloaks and talking…
but the resemblance was there. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“What’s an Ore Wisp?” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“It is what the others call our kind, since we mostly secret
ourselves in the mountains where we can search out sparklies and other fancies—”<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“They’re obsessed with anything shiny,” Valrinda said, “And
they’re not above stealing what catches their eye either.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“We do not steal,” one said indignantly. “We trade.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Does the other person always agree to the trade?” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">The group was silent. Valrinda snorted. “That’s what I
thought,” he muttered. “Better what your stuff, Beckett. You never know what
they might take. In fact, you’ll probably not even realize it until you go to
stand up and your pants fall around your ankles and a useless rock falls into
the dirt in place of the belt they took.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“We would never take something from the Seeker. We are here
to help him.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Help him? How? I’m his guide,” Valrinda said defensively. “I’m
helping him, so buzz off, wisps.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Wait, wait. Didn’t you say they’re good at finding shiny,
sparkly things?” Beckett asked. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Yeah, so?” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“We are,” several wisps exclaimed at the same time, drowning
out Valrinda’s petulant mutter. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“So, obviously Parallax’s star will be shiny, right? They
could help me find it!” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“We could, we will!” They were so excited, their little
voices piped up in a pitch that was almost painful to hear. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“You’ll be lucky if they don’t steal it for themselves,” Valrinda
declared in a fit of doom. He stamped his foot. “Nothing good ever comes from
consorting with wisps!” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Beckett knew he was supposed to listen to his guide, but
what about his vision? He’d seen them. And how did they know to be on the road
and looking for him? They had to be something more at work here, some magic
that probably was part of the path that Parallax set him on to find his star. <o:p></o:p></p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal">“Valrinda, I think they were meant to find us, and we’re
meant to work together with them. I need their help, just like I still need
yours.” He stroked Valrinda’s side. <o:p></o:p></p><p>Want more flash?</p>Alicia Nordwellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01874076077603097775noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3581086669446176216.post-91453043268161492532023-07-12T01:00:00.002-07:002023-07-12T01:00:00.134-07:00Wednesday Briefs: Broken Path, Starless Tail<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjYHJSHHrG3W8wrN5_AU9g0Xsp0u-Gx0MwfNBd9w1ri7cf72zHb1MdfuRVIyFzUAyoIFvLnrgkBXRVjjUUkQCuHEoGwJwOCZZhcpvKRMUydczg1eeSB12uSaPNQGDFIZs58yznU7WuYr8Ch5Yo48RZTYFaPvaMjJzntJHy1jE85HvkohsvXucUeiOuwm2Hu" style="background-color: white; color: #113bcc; font-family: "Josefin Sans"; font-size: 17.82px; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="254" data-original-width="512" height="159" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjYHJSHHrG3W8wrN5_AU9g0Xsp0u-Gx0MwfNBd9w1ri7cf72zHb1MdfuRVIyFzUAyoIFvLnrgkBXRVjjUUkQCuHEoGwJwOCZZhcpvKRMUydczg1eeSB12uSaPNQGDFIZs58yznU7WuYr8Ch5Yo48RZTYFaPvaMjJzntJHy1jE85HvkohsvXucUeiOuwm2Hu" style="border: none; position: relative;" width="320" /></a> </p><p><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">Maybe he shouldn’t be so amazed by flying, considering the
modern world he came from, but flying on Valrinda’s back was really different
from the two hour flight in a jet to his aunt’s house. One big difference? His
seat was a living, breathing being who liked to crane his neck back and talk to
him whenever he got the chance to snap his wings out and glide along on a
thermal wind. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">He answered a lot of questions Beckett had about the world
they were gliding swiftly over. Watching the land rise and fall, he appreciated
not having to trudge the distance each day but made Valrinda look for places to
set down earlier in the evening so he could rest before it got dark. They
always looked for a place with shade, shelter, and water if possible. The flask
helped, but Beckett liked to bathe, and it turned out Valrinda would splash
around in shallow water if the body of water was large enough. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">One afternoon Valrinda paused, flapping his wings to hover
high above the fading foothills of a mountain range. Not even Beckett’s coat
had kept him warm as they flew over its high, white-capped peaks so they’d sped
as fast as possible. The air had been cold and oxygen thin but the view had
been spectacular so Beckett kept his eyes open despite feeling like the tears
from the frigid wind would freeze his cheeks. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">He was still chilly but looking forward to finding some warmth
curled up with Valrinda by a fire, so he wasn’t sure why they stopped. “What is
it?” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“There’s smoke on the horizon.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Smoke meant fire, usually. “A fire, like a big one, or
something like travelers’ fires?” He couldn’t see it, but there were clouds in
the distance, and Beckett had no way to tell the difference between them and
smoke. The landscape had also shifted from trees and jungle to a desert-like
landscape with feathery plants, red sand, and large stone outcroppings casting
wide shadows. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“I’m not sure. This would have to be a lot of fires to make
that much smoke.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Beckett curled against Valrinda’s neck again. He stroked it,
sensing how troubled he was. “Are you okay? You seem really worried.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“At the base of these mountains is the black road. Your
dream….” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Oh, yeah.” Beckett’s stomach churned. He didn’t have great
feelings about what he’d seen. “Do we have to follow the road or stop by those
fires?” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“We could try to avoid them by flying straight through and
overnight, but we cannot deviate from the road. There are dangers here,
creatures that avoid the road but not any who are unwary enough to land in the
desert.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Let me guess… sandworms?” Beckett said dryly. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Worms? No, they are tiny with teeth that couldn’t do more
than welt even your bare skin. The biggest danger comes from the ivory biters.
They are small creatures, but swarm in tunnels they dig with their dagger-like claws.
Their body is nothing but a mouth and stomach and waste chute, and they burrow
seeking food to go in one end and out the other. A swarm could consume me in
seconds, even my bones, if I landed on one of their tunnels and they sensed the
vibrations.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Beckett blanched, unable to get the image out of his mind
from Valrinda’s graphic description, and shuddered with more than cold though
he longed to be warm. “So we stay on the road. Why don’t we camp here tonight
and make a plan?” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Unfortunately, they couldn’t have a fire because Valrinda
smartly pointed out if he could see the smoke maybe a scout from whoever, or
whatever, had made the other fire would see theirs. Beckett piled on an extra
shirt to snuggle his arms under and cover his hands after he ate a cold dinner
of stale bread and dried fruit followed by a long drink of sweet water. At
least the flask and its spell hadn’t failed him. He poured and poured and
poured until Valdrina had also drank his fill. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Valrinda curled like a snake, creating a nest for him and tucked
a wing over top, becoming his living, breathing tent against the chill of the
night. Exhausted, Beckett stroked Valrinda’s neck. “Do you think we could fly
high enough to not be noticed by whatever caused the smoke?” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Valrinda grimaced. “I could, but I worry about your
breathing and the cold. You didn’t do well with the mountain passage, and we’d
have to be much higher in case they have a scryer or dragon with them.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“What about just flying around? If you don’t land until we
get back to the road, we’ll be safe, right? The biggest issue is the biter
things?” If they couldn’t go over, maybe they could go around.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“They’re the worst,” Valrinda agreed. “We also might run
into the territory of some flying chacories, and they have a wingspan similar
to mine. Fighting one with you on my back could be dangerous.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Beckett sighed. “So either we stay on the road and take our
chances, we try to go over and maybe get scried, or we go around and
potentially run into dangerous beasts.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“No really good options but to go up and over. And you
forgot that going over is going to be both painful and dangerous for you.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“I can handle it,” Beckett insisted. It was really their
only option. “How bad could it be?” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal">He dragged in another painful breath, each one sharp and
fast as he tried to get enough oxygen. Despite wearing every layer he had,
wrapping a shirt over his head and fast so just his eyes were exposed, and
putting every inch of his body against Valrinda’s, Beckett was in danger of turning
into a blue popsicle. Famous last words, his mother’s favorite admonishment
when his dad was too overconfident, echoed in Beckett’s mind as he shook so
hard his teeth clacked despite his clenched jaw.<o:p></o:p></p>Alicia Nordwellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01874076077603097775noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3581086669446176216.post-23401574853344809752023-07-05T11:44:00.000-07:002023-07-05T11:44:01.497-07:00Wednesday Briefs: Broken Path, Starless Tail Chapter Sixteen<p style="text-align: center;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjYHJSHHrG3W8wrN5_AU9g0Xsp0u-Gx0MwfNBd9w1ri7cf72zHb1MdfuRVIyFzUAyoIFvLnrgkBXRVjjUUkQCuHEoGwJwOCZZhcpvKRMUydczg1eeSB12uSaPNQGDFIZs58yznU7WuYr8Ch5Yo48RZTYFaPvaMjJzntJHy1jE85HvkohsvXucUeiOuwm2Hu" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="254" data-original-width="512" height="159" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjYHJSHHrG3W8wrN5_AU9g0Xsp0u-Gx0MwfNBd9w1ri7cf72zHb1MdfuRVIyFzUAyoIFvLnrgkBXRVjjUUkQCuHEoGwJwOCZZhcpvKRMUydczg1eeSB12uSaPNQGDFIZs58yznU7WuYr8Ch5Yo48RZTYFaPvaMjJzntJHy1jE85HvkohsvXucUeiOuwm2Hu" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Beckett should have waited until she had the spell and
crescents, shouldn’t he? “Will she come back out?” he asked Valrinda. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Of course. A wizardess who doesn’t keep their word doesn’t
get much business, would they?” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Oh. Good point. “Okay.” He’d just wait. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">An incredibly tall, green-skinned man with yellow eyes and three
black horns opened the door. “Here.” He thrust out two huge hands, one holding
a bag and the other a water flask like the one Beckett had seen on other’s
belts. Beckett nearly fumbled both as he took them. Dragging a miniscule paper
from his pocket. “And this.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Somehow he grabbed that too. “Um, thanks.” The door slammed
in his face again, and Beckett turned with wide eyes to Valrinda. “What was
that?” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Her familiar, probably. Or slave.”<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Slave!” Beckett’s voice rose dangerously high, and he
stared in shock at Valrinda. “You have slaves?” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Only if they enslave themselves to gain something. In his
case, probably a spell.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“He traded his body?” Indentured servitude. “We used to have
something like that, once upon a time.” That was freaking crazy. The bag he clutched
in his right hand was heavy and clinked when he shifted his grip. Beckett went
over and leaned against Valrinda. “Can you hold this?” He held out the flask. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Uh-huh.” Valrinda clasped it in his claws delicately. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“This paper is what, the spell to fill the flask?” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Yep.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">The writing on the torn section of rough paper was spidery
and faint, done in a brown ink only slightly darker than the paper. He squinted
at the words, mouthing them silently, not sure if he could figure out the
syllables. “Shouldn’t she do that?” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Do you want the flask only to fill up the first time? You
need the spell keyed to you.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“What if I say it wrong?” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“It’s magic.” Valrinda did his shrug thing. “It’ll work out
just fine since she gave you the spell.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“But she didn’t. Her familiar slash slave person did.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Valrinda sighed. “But she wrote it for you and did the spell
on the flask for you. It’ll work, so stop worrying.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“You know an awful lot about magic.” Beckett grabbed the
laces holding the other bag closed and loosened them to peek inside. Okay. So,
azure crescents were literally little shaved pieces of curved blue stones. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Wait, are these gemstones?” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“What did you think they would be?” Valrinda leaned over him
to peek inside, his hot breath gusting and blowing Beckett’s hair into his
eyes. “Oh nice. She must have really liked your human tech. She gave you
premium crescents. You’ll only need one or two to get a belt and coat.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Beckett shoved his hair back. “Personal space, remember?”
Why did none of the beings in this place respect his space? “I thought they’d
be metal coins.”<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“You’re leaning against me. And who would use metal to trade?
It’s worthless.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Beckett’s face went even hotter than it had been when Valrinda
had been breathing on him. “Oh. Yeah. Sorry.” Wow, how to explain money? Wait…
why try? Moving on. “Where do I get a belt and jacket so I don’t freeze while
we’re flying or at night. It’s cold at night in the desert, right? Back to the gnome
store?” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“No. You’ll need a special seller for this.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Traipsing through the city with Valrinda at his side,
Beckett continued to try not to look like a complete idiot staring at
everything and ignore the way everyone stared at him. They found a stall
instead of a store that sold dragon armored coats, and he even found one that
had scale colors similar to Valrinda’s. “These weren’t… skinned off a dragon,
right?” he whispered even as he stroked the smooth scales that went down the
long sleeves and all down the split sides of the coat that would hit him about
mid-thigh. It even had a hood.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Valrinda and the stall owner’s laugh echoed over the thrum
of the market noise. “No, they shed out when we go through a growth cycle, and
we sell them. Very popular for armor and for jewelry,” Valrinda said. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Armed with a flexible metal belt that belted around his hips
to attach his flask and crescents to and a lightweight jacket that promised to
keep him warm while flying, Valrinda and Beckett grabbed food at one of the victualer
stalls on their way toward the gates for another crescent that went into Beckett’s
bag. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Should we check how the coat works for you?” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Yes!” He’d loved flying, it had just been too damn cold. As
soon as they were back on the road, Valrinda crouched so Beckett could climb
on. Pulling his jacket closed, he leaned down over Valrinda’s neck and grabbed on.
“Ready.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Valrinda’s muscles bunched and he launched himself upward,
his wings beating up and down with hard thumps and taking them straight into
the sky and leaving all the stares and other creatures behind within a minute.
As soon as he leveled out, Beckett lifted his hood and covered his ears and
head, but he was able to stay sitting up without getting all wet or freezing. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“This is great!” he shouted. The ground whizzed by underneath
them, trees and bushes and streams glinting in the slowly setting sun. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Valrinda looked back, his grin wide enough to show even his
sharp back teeth. “I’m glad you like it too!” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“How far can we go tonight?” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Valrinda pointed ahead of them. “How about to the river?
There are some traveler cots built near the fords you can use tonight.” <o:p></o:p></p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal">Not sleep outside under the stars with Valrinda? He’d check
it out, but maybe he could say it was too cold or hard or something. “Sounds like
a place to check out,” he said noncommittally. In the meantime, he had a whole
new world to see from the sky. <o:p></o:p></p>Alicia Nordwellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01874076077603097775noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3581086669446176216.post-48928267196781165272023-06-28T01:00:00.003-07:002023-06-28T01:00:00.150-07:00Wednesday Briefs: Broken Path, Starless Tail Chapter Fifteen<p style="text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgizj17x_mK2E498XCsStJiSf2L_W5bJj6zozWo8x_PIVWdvDuAkNIQmHGB7oe7s-453ck59ZcFzPk5h3pb2PR_O2V8j08-FdWkdh2U15L6A0IONMnMN6HoR2863iY-X6UE2YIoS5izBiTfunjXLiENo25Px02BZcI02LebJWvCH6yjYJBbYmstTjT0sA" style="background-color: white; color: #113bcc; font-family: "Josefin Sans"; font-size: 17.82px; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="254" data-original-width="512" height="159" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgizj17x_mK2E498XCsStJiSf2L_W5bJj6zozWo8x_PIVWdvDuAkNIQmHGB7oe7s-453ck59ZcFzPk5h3pb2PR_O2V8j08-FdWkdh2U15L6A0IONMnMN6HoR2863iY-X6UE2YIoS5izBiTfunjXLiENo25Px02BZcI02LebJWvCH6yjYJBbYmstTjT0sA" style="border: none; position: relative;" width="320" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal">“What about this?” Beckett unstrapped his watch. “Do you
think I could trade this?” His jeans had been a hit. For all the word human had
been said to him with disdain, the gnome had looked pretty greedy when he’d asked
for Beckett’s jeans in trade. It wasn’t even like he could trade them to just
anyone either. How many creatures could actually wear them? <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“A human toy? It doesn’t work here, but the bits and pieces
are valuable. You could get a lot for that. Barter for azure crescents, over
there.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“It’s not a toy. It tells time. Like hours and minutes? And
it connects to my phone so I can stream music and tell who is texting or
calling me, plus do apps and weather….” Shit, he didn’t have his phone, so
really it didn’t do much of any of that. But it was colorful. At least until
the battery ran out. It was already at forty-three percent. He should sell it
now before that happened.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Who needs to tell more than morning, midday, and night?”
Valrinda asked. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Lots of people.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Why?” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Well, we work in shifts, mostly. So eight hours a day for
most people. And we have breaks for fifteen or thirty minutes. And school was
broken up into a bunch of classes.” Did any of that even make sense to Valrinda.
It didn’t look like it did. And based on how he’d been traveling since Beckett
portaled in, stopping only when he got to where he needed to go or for meals,
it made sense that Valrinda wouldn’t. “What are azure crescents? Gemstones?” Beckett
asked, deciding to change the subject.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“No, they are made of metal. Every city and town in Clarensticus
takes them in exchange for goods or services.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">So it was money, in a rudimentary sense. Beckett turned to
look at the store or stall that Valrinda indicated. But it wasn’t either of
those. “Why there?” It looked just like a house. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“See those windows?” Valrinda indicated the ones on the
right and the second floor. They were red glass and glowed dully despite the
sunlight. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Uh-huh.” Glancing around, Beckett didn’t see any other
windows in that color. Or glowing. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“A wizard lives there. Or wizardess. They would be the best
bet to barter with for your gadget, if you want azure crescents here. They are
always being hired for spells, and they could figure out how to use your human gadget
with their magic.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Human gadgets aren’t magic,” Beckett insisted, but stopped
when he realized there was no way he could explain technology anyway. “Fine. So,
what, I just go knock on a wizard’s door?” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Or wizardess.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">All right then. Beckett took off his watch, then grabbed the
strap holding the gate. It creaked when it opened and he winced, looking up.
One of those ruby windows opened a crack, but all he saw was a flash of a
bright color before it clicked shut. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Reluctant, he dragged his feet on the flagstone path up to
the door. Beckett glanced over his shoulder to make sure Valrinda stayed close
by. “Don’t leave me,” he called. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“I won’t.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Why, are you scared of me?” a small voice piped. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Beckett yelped and turned. His heart felt like it had jumped
up and was pounding in his throat, and he choked, staring down at the tiny
female… wizardess? <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">She was wearing a loose tunic in orange, puffy pants with
green stripes, and she had a shock of white hair that stood straight up before
tipping forward to just touch the purple skin of her forehead. Because she was
purple, with dark purple wings that buzzed they were beating so fast. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">The wizardess zipped out of her door and flew in a circle
around him. “Hmm, a human. Wow. I haven’t seen one of you in a long, long time.
At least a hundred years.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Gaping at her, Beckett flinched when she poked his chest. “Well,
what do you want, human?” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">He clenched his jaw. What was with all these beings who loved
to say humans in that insulting tone and invade his bubble? “My name is Beckett.”
He held up his watch, tapping the screen so it turned on before it dangled in front
of her. “Do you want to buy this?” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Her purple skin darkened, and he took a step back, not sure
what that meant. Was she angry? About to do something dangerous?<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“A human trinket?” She flew closer to look at the screen. Creepily,
something white with three tendrils on the end that buzzed swept out between
her lips as she hummed. Beckett jerked his arm back. “Wait, I want it!” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Ew. Was that her tongue? Beckett had to suppress a shudder. “How
many azure crescents?” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Five hundred.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“A thousand,” he said automatically. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Six hundred.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Nine hundred.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Seven hundred.” The wizardess’s eyes were locked on the
watch when he shook it so Beckett took a shot. It was more that she was
haggling because that was habit. He had to distract her.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Final offer. Eight fifty… and a spell that will help me on
my journey.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“A spell? For what?” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“You tell me. I’m traveling to Brozuche.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Ahh, I know what you need. A flask spell. It will
automatically refill your water container with fresh, cold water no matter how
much you drink.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Beckett widened his eyes. That would come in handy. “Can it
be a big water flask? Enough for… a dragon?” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">She shrugged. “The spell is the same, no matter the
container. But… only eight hundred crescents.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Deal.” He held out his hand.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“I don’t want your hand. I want the gadget.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Oh, um. Right.” Duh. She wouldn’t know about shaking hands.
Beckett switched hands and held out the watch. “Do I have to go buy the flask?”
<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“No, no. Just wait here.” She turned and flew back into the
house, slamming the door behind him. <o:p></o:p></p><p>
<span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“Well, shit.” Did he just give her his watch and
get screwed? </span></p><p>Want more flash?</p><p class="x_ydp5b4bc0bMsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #242424; font-family: "times new roman", "new york", times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><a data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="1" href="https://jraylamb.com/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" style="border: 0px; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank"><span lang="ES-MX" style="border: 0px; color: inherit; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">J Ray Lamb</span></a><span lang="ES-MX" style="border: 0px; color: inherit; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #242424; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 11pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: 16.8667px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="2" href="http://julielynnhayes.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" style="border: 0px; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank"><span lang="ES-MX" style="border: 0px; color: #196ad4; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 10pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 15.3333px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Julie Lynn Hayes</span></a></span></p>Alicia Nordwellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01874076077603097775noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3581086669446176216.post-15871731144570939392023-06-21T07:06:00.007-07:002023-06-21T07:06:59.022-07:00Wednesday Briefs: Broken Path, Starless Tail Chapter Fourteen<p style="text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgizj17x_mK2E498XCsStJiSf2L_W5bJj6zozWo8x_PIVWdvDuAkNIQmHGB7oe7s-453ck59ZcFzPk5h3pb2PR_O2V8j08-FdWkdh2U15L6A0IONMnMN6HoR2863iY-X6UE2YIoS5izBiTfunjXLiENo25Px02BZcI02LebJWvCH6yjYJBbYmstTjT0sA" style="background-color: white; color: #113bcc; font-family: "Josefin Sans"; font-size: 17.82px; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="254" data-original-width="512" height="159" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgizj17x_mK2E498XCsStJiSf2L_W5bJj6zozWo8x_PIVWdvDuAkNIQmHGB7oe7s-453ck59ZcFzPk5h3pb2PR_O2V8j08-FdWkdh2U15L6A0IONMnMN6HoR2863iY-X6UE2YIoS5izBiTfunjXLiENo25Px02BZcI02LebJWvCH6yjYJBbYmstTjT0sA" style="border: none; position: relative;" width="320" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal">He would have been nervous to sleep out in the open of the
meadow they were in when night fell, but Valrinda curled around Beckett like a
living wall that radiated heat to combat the chill of the air. He blended into
the darkness of the night, other than the glow of his large eyes and the gleam
of heat whenever he opened his mouth to talk. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Plus he’d started a tiny fire for Beckett to warm his dinner,
blowing a stream of fire with deadly accuracy onto the pile of sticks inside a
ring of rocks already left behind by other travelers. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">The deep purple sky overhead was dotted with stars that
twinkled. They seemed so close, like could reach out and grab one and then this
whole darn quest would be over. Beckett shifted, shivering and then stretching
his feet toward the glowing coals of his fire. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Are your feet okay?” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Beckett had pulled off his socks earlier and examined his
feet by the fire’s light. The path was growing more rocky, and he’d stepped on
one that felt like it bruised his instep. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“I need shoes.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Hmm, you do. What were you thinking, going on a quest
without shoes? Humans don’t have tough feet.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“I didn’t know I was going on a quest. It just sort of
happened.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">The rumble against his back tickled, and Beckett squirmed
against Valrinda’s smooth side. He was covered in scales, but they felt more
like a pliable leather than hardened armor. “Parallax is a tricky one.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Well, my dad did want me to keep my feet on the ground.,
and my head out of the clouds.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Your head in the clouds? That is a terrible way to fly. You
never know when a mountain might come right out of nowhere, then splat! No more
flying.” Valrinda turned and looked right at him, his eye shining in the dark. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“I didn’t mean it literally. I can’t fly.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Well of course not. You don’t have wings.” Valrinda rumbled
his laugh again. “Do you really think I wouldn’t sense a mountain through some
clouds?” He cocked his head, raising one eyebrow ridge.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Oh. Um, no?” Beckett said hesitantly. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Of course I would. I am an excellent flier with the most
amazing senses.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Humble, too.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Valrinda huffed, actually blowing a ball of flame in the
air. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Hey, watch it!” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“I was. It was nowhere near you.” If nowhere near him was
less than two feet from his face. “I have no need to be humble. I am Valrinda,
and I am your amazing guide. We will find Parallax’s missing star, and everyone
will know and revere our names.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Beckett frowned. “I thought your name was a secret.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Well, yeah… unless I’m a hero! Then everyone should know
it. And we’re going to be heroes!” Valrinda sounded so very sure of himself,
well, them. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“This hero needs shoes.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“There’s a small town you might reach in the afternoon, if
you keep walking at the pace you are.” Valrinda cocked his head. “Or we could
reach it in an hour if you rode on my back.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“If… I… rode on your back. Are you saying that was even an
option?” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Sure, if you want to. Most humans are too scared to fly.
And you said you were walking in the vision, so I didn’t think I should offer
when you didn’t ask earlier.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“I didn’t think you could carry me!” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Me, carry you? You’re tiny, and I’m Valrinda the amazing!
Of course I can carry you.”<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Beckett could not believe what he was hearing, and he wanted
to smack his dragon guide. He’d spent all day walking, exhausting himself, when
he could have ridden on his dragon’s back? “The bruise on my foot is all your
fault,” he said darkly. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“What?” Valrinda’s voice was indignant. “You stepped on the
rock.”<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“You made me walk when I could have flown with you. Oh my
god. I cannot believe you. Tomorrow you’re flying me.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Sure, I’d love to!” chirped Valrinda. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Beckett closed his eyes. He was going to kill Parallax. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Flying was cold. Beckett plastered himself to Valrinda’s
back to get as much of his warmth as possible, but the droplets of water in the
clouds they burst through clung to him, making him damp and the air up in the
sky was much colder than the air by the ground. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">It was much faster though, and Valrinda dropped them just
outside the small town. It had wide streets, and creatures of all sorts were
coming and going. Beckett tried not to stare, but he failed. “How am I going to
get shoes?” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">He didn’t have any money.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Trade something. Why not those pants you have on. Those are
strange, and I bet someone would probably pay handsomely for that fabric.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">His jeans? They weren’t anything special. “Where, though?” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Come on. I’ll help you find a general store or tailor. One
or the other will work.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">They found a general store, and it turned out Valrinda was
right. As soon as Beckett got over his shock at the tiny gnome perched on a
stool behind the counter, he was able to barter with him for his jeans. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">He came out of the deal with two pairs of leather pants, two
shirts, a pair of scaly hide new boots that came up to mid-calf, and a handful
of travel ration bars. The gnome let him change in his back room so he could
give him the jeans. Beckett even folded them up nicely before he headed outside
where Valrinda waited.<o:p></o:p></p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal">Shouldering his much fuller pack, Beckett glanced down at
himself then up at his dragon guide. “Okay, now I belong on a fantasy book
cover.”</p><p class="MsoNormal">Want more flash?</p><p class="MsoNormal"><a data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="1" href="http://julielynnhayes.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #196ad4; font-family: "times new roman", "new york", times, serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank"><span lang="ES-MX" style="border: 0px; color: inherit; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 10pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Julie Lynn Hayes</span></a><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Josefin Sans"; font-size: 17.82px;"> </span> <o:p></o:p></p>Alicia Nordwellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01874076077603097775noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3581086669446176216.post-21933518716403197542023-05-31T01:00:00.001-07:002023-05-31T01:00:00.139-07:00Wednesday Briefs: Broken Path, Starless Tail Chapter Thirteen<p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgizj17x_mK2E498XCsStJiSf2L_W5bJj6zozWo8x_PIVWdvDuAkNIQmHGB7oe7s-453ck59ZcFzPk5h3pb2PR_O2V8j08-FdWkdh2U15L6A0IONMnMN6HoR2863iY-X6UE2YIoS5izBiTfunjXLiENo25Px02BZcI02LebJWvCH6yjYJBbYmstTjT0sA" style="background-color: white; color: #113bcc; font-family: "Josefin Sans"; font-size: 17.82px; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration-line: none;"><img alt="" data-original-height="254" data-original-width="512" height="159" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgizj17x_mK2E498XCsStJiSf2L_W5bJj6zozWo8x_PIVWdvDuAkNIQmHGB7oe7s-453ck59ZcFzPk5h3pb2PR_O2V8j08-FdWkdh2U15L6A0IONMnMN6HoR2863iY-X6UE2YIoS5izBiTfunjXLiENo25Px02BZcI02LebJWvCH6yjYJBbYmstTjT0sA" style="border: none; position: relative;" width="320" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">By the time he was dry, Beckett and Valrinda had a long
talk. Valrinda had flown all sorts of places, and he knew of the city that
Beckett thought he’d seen, but he’d never been there. “I know the path at least.”
<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Of course you do,” Beckett mumbled. “Wouldn’t make sense
for you to be my guide if you didn’t.” This was all too coincidental—too
easy—for him to believe it was real. Maybe he was in a coma. He did have a
great imagination, one teacher had once said. Too bad real life, and his dad,
was trying to squash that out of him. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Beckett closed his eyes, his back moving up and down slowly
with each breath Valrinda took, and concentrated. “Wake up, wake up, wake up!” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“What’s that?” Hot, smoky air puffed against his face, and
he opened his eyes to see Valrinda’s snout an inch from his nose. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">He shouted, not squeaked, shouted in surprise and pushed
Valrinda’s snout back, then said, “How are you doing that?” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“I’m very flexible,” Valrinda said proudly. “I always win
the acrobatics in air contests too.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Sure you do,” Beckett said faintly. There was a long, quiet
pause. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“What were you saying?” Valrinda asked again. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Oh. Um, time to get up?” He carefully stood, but he was
feeling much better after soaking in the pool. “Nice.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Ass better?” Valrinda moved too fast for Beckett to stop
him. He ran a scaly paw down Beckett’s back and ass. “You’re standing looser,
and the pain smell is just here.” He puffed a breath across the still red claw
marks on Beckett’s chest. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Personal space!” Beckett shouted. This dragon was too damn
grabby and sniffy. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“What? Why?” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">That brought him up short. Valrinda hadn’t done anything
rude or inappropriate, really. He’d been showing concern and care, and… no.
“Humans just like their own bubble. And for others to ask before invading it.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Valrinda shuffled back a few steps, then shrugged. “Humans
are weird.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“They’re not the only thing,” Beckett mumbled, but he didn’t
want to argue. He found his clothes and pulled them on. “Do you think it would
be okay to go pack up some of the food in the house for the road? We should
probably get going, right?” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“It is fine; it is for you, after all. I’ll wait out front.”
Valrinda leapt into the air, flapping a few times which blew the grass sideways
and Beckett’s hair into his eyes. He couldn’t see him, but his big body
disappeared over the house and then a thump echoed over the quiet meadow. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“For me? Not going to explain that sentence are you? Nope,
just says it’s for me and leaves. Just like he didn’t explain the damn vision.”
Then again, Beckett had been too freaked out to ask. What kind of being had
visions? Not a witch, if those were bad and he wasn’t one… but something. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Inside, Beckett rummaged around the small house until he
found a sack with long handles. He piled in the food, trying to figure out what
was harder and more preservable for the bottom and placing the delicate fruit
and bread-like stuff on top. He couldn’t fit nearly all of the brightly colored
food, so he grabbed a few fruits for his pockets and stuffed an orange square
of fluffy stuff in his mouth that he started chewing on when he began packing
the bag and was still chewing when he turned to shut the door behind him. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Weady,” he said around his mouthful. “Whith way?” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“I’m going up. You go right.” Valrinda leapt into the air,
his body pointed like an arrow down the path they needed to take. At least it
was downhill. “Wooroo,” he lisped, finally swallowing the sticky mouthful and
taking off after Valrinda’s departing shadow.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">The path did not stay downhill for very long. It was warm,
the dirt soft under his feet, and Beckett only had the one shirt so he pulled
his off when he began to sweat. It stung his eyes, and he swiped an arm across
his forehead. Who knew it was so humid under the trees? He thought it’d be
breezy and cool, but it felt more stuffy and sticky than anything else. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Luckily there were enough breaks in the tropical foliage for
him to keep a close eye on Valrinda who seemed to be enjoying his flight. Didn’t
look nearly as hot up in the air. Ugh. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Okay, it could totally go back to the winter weather he’d
first encountered when he stepped through the portal. Beckett wanted nothing
more than to take a nap, but he knew he couldn’t. They didn’t have time, even
if he did have a place. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">So he plodded on, hot, sweaty, and sticky for long hours
with no one to talk to; in the end, Beckett started talking to himself. “Oh,
look at that flower. It’s that baby’s butt pink Mom likes; maybe I should pick her
one and take it home. And that flower is orange like a pumpkin, and it even has
spiraly bits like the stems. I wonder what that bug eats. Hope it’s not human.”
The damn thing was the size of his palm and had something sharp protruding out
of its head, like little horns or pincers that gleamed pale gold against the
darker umber of its shelled head and abdomen. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Not five steps later he saw two that landed on the same wide-petaled
blue flower, and one promptly stabbed the other right in the middle of the head
between the horns and then lifted and shook its opponent, a huge mouth opening
up and consuming the ooze that slid down from the wide crack. <o:p></o:p></p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal">“Ew.” Well, kinda cool, but also ew because Beckett had
enough injuries and the last thing he wanted was a bug to stab him. Those horns
had to be covered in something toxic if they used them like that. “Mom doesn’t
need any infested fantasy flowers.” <o:p></o:p></p>Alicia Nordwellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01874076077603097775noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3581086669446176216.post-78684180526764493592023-05-24T01:00:00.001-07:002023-05-24T01:00:00.131-07:00Wednesday Briefs: Broken Path, Starless Tail Chapter Twelve<p style="text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgizj17x_mK2E498XCsStJiSf2L_W5bJj6zozWo8x_PIVWdvDuAkNIQmHGB7oe7s-453ck59ZcFzPk5h3pb2PR_O2V8j08-FdWkdh2U15L6A0IONMnMN6HoR2863iY-X6UE2YIoS5izBiTfunjXLiENo25Px02BZcI02LebJWvCH6yjYJBbYmstTjT0sA" style="background-color: white; color: #113bcc; font-family: "Josefin Sans"; font-size: 17.82px; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="254" data-original-width="512" height="159" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgizj17x_mK2E498XCsStJiSf2L_W5bJj6zozWo8x_PIVWdvDuAkNIQmHGB7oe7s-453ck59ZcFzPk5h3pb2PR_O2V8j08-FdWkdh2U15L6A0IONMnMN6HoR2863iY-X6UE2YIoS5izBiTfunjXLiENo25Px02BZcI02LebJWvCH6yjYJBbYmstTjT0sA" style="border: none; position: relative;" width="320" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal">“What do you know?” Valrinda asked.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Beckett thought hard. It was only… yesterday? How could it
only be yesterday with all that had happened? He’d been in the bathroom with
Parallax in his arms, then in a freezing cold forest with that same cat, but somehow,
he’d been completely different. “Well, Parallax said he was the embodiment of
the Cosmos, not it’s guardian,” he pointed out.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“And you think that the very fabric of space and time needs
a physical being to not protect it?” One of Valrinda’s eye ridges went up. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Okay, fair point.” Beckett tried to think back to that
hurried conversation when he’d been in shock and so confused—not that he wasn’t
still confused—and frowned. “He said I wasn’t all human, and he was going to
help me help him.” He snorted. “Telling me to find his star by following the
path and that he asked someone to help me wasn’t much help if you ask me.”<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Valrinda cocked his head to one side, moving to hover over
him. “Not human?” He sniffed, his nostrils flaring wide. “You smell human, but
then to use the portal there must be something in you that isn’t human,” he muttered.
“And follow… the… path….” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">He gasped in a big breath, the air moving so fast that waves
skipped across the pool and splashed Beckett in the face. “I’ve got it!” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Got what? And could you move back, I’m getting a crick in
my neck looking up.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“We follow <i>the </i>path,” he said with excitement as he
shuffled back a few steps and curled down to the ground to look closer at
Beckett’s eye level. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Beckett groaned. “Seriously? How is that helpful? There are
all sorts of paths that go places. How will we follow the path and go the right
way? How do we find the path that the thief or thieves took if we don’t know
which one they took? He didn’t even tell me who took his star!” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Maybe he didn’t know?” Valrinda shrugged again.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“He had to know! It’s on his tail!” One time Gael Waters
went to flick Parallax’s tail from over the back of the couch and his hiss had
scared him so bad he’d nearly pissed his pants, hell they all had before they
started laughing at him. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Magic? And that’s how we’ll find the path. If Parallax said
to follow the path, then the knowledge of where to go and when is inside you.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Knowledge is learned, buddy, not just known.”<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Not when it’s part of your magic.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">He countered, “Parallax said I wasn’t a witch.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Not a witch, those are always bad magic, but he didn’t say what
wasn’t human wasn’t magical.” Damn, Valrinda had him there. And, apparently,
they didn’t have any good witches. He was glad he wasn’t one then. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Try as he might, Beckett couldn’t think of any way to discover
the path Parallax and Valrinda seemed so sure he knew how to find. Sinking into
the water, he took a big breath of air, and then dunked his head so he could at
least rinse out his hair and get rid of his bed head. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">The water wasn’t quiet like he expected. Shouting on his
left startled him, and Beckett opened his eyes. There was a city, teeming with
beings great and small, that milled all around the red sandstone buildings. A
desert surrounded the oasis seated high on a cliff top, a brilliant blue sea
just beyond, and a black stone road lead right to it. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">He was striding up that road, dressed in a robe with people
all around him and Valrinda draped in chains above their head. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">He surged to his feet, exploding out of the water. Beckett
gasped for air, clinging to Valrinda who was over the pool again. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Why did you stay down there so long?” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“It… was only a few… seconds.” He panted for air, patting
Valrinda’s snout when he pressed it to his cheek.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“No, it was for many long breaths. I got worried when you
didn’t come up.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Really?” His breath slowing, Beckett shook his head. “It
felt like only a second or two, but… I think I saw the path.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Ahh, a vision-seeker. That is what you are. Please don’t do
that in the pool again. It could be dangerous.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“I didn’t seek a vision in the pool! I just wanted to wet my
hair.” It was lying in limp strands, dripping in his eyes, so he’d gotten that
done. “Whatever. Do you want to hear what I saw?” He shuddered, still not sure
of everything he’d seen. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Yes.” Valrinda nodded. “Do you want to get out of the pool?”
<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Bathing in just his underwear, he was feeling chilled so Beckett
got out of the pool. He yanked his underwear away from his skin, flushing, but
sighed at the warmth of the sun on his skin. The grass was warm and soft against
the soles of his feet, so he sank down lay on his back. A shadow fell over him.
“Hey!” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Sorry.” Valrinda curled up on the ground near him, his
whole body also radiating heat and his slightly smoky breath blew across Beckett’s
chest and face. “Better?” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Mmhmm.” While he warmed up and tried to relax after his shock
in the pool, Beckett was feeling out the bond he felt to Valrinda. Overwhelmed,
he gave in to everything and just let his mind and body drift until he started
talking without thinking. “There was a city built out of red stones between a
desert and a sea. We were on a black stone road.” The vision seemed to be
fading in details. “We weren’t alone. I was surrounded by people of some kind,
and you were flying above me with metal chains on you.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“We were prisoners?” Alarm deepened Valrinda’s voice.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“I-I’m not sure.” Why did he feel embarrassed? He didn’t
even know if this was real! <o:p></o:p></p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal">“I won’t let anyone capture you, don’t worry.” <o:p></o:p></p>Alicia Nordwellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01874076077603097775noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3581086669446176216.post-56427917452734138432023-05-17T01:00:00.001-07:002023-05-17T01:00:00.143-07:00Wednesday Briefs: Broken Path, Starless Tail Chapter Eleven<p style="text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgizj17x_mK2E498XCsStJiSf2L_W5bJj6zozWo8x_PIVWdvDuAkNIQmHGB7oe7s-453ck59ZcFzPk5h3pb2PR_O2V8j08-FdWkdh2U15L6A0IONMnMN6HoR2863iY-X6UE2YIoS5izBiTfunjXLiENo25Px02BZcI02LebJWvCH6yjYJBbYmstTjT0sA" style="background-color: white; color: #113bcc; font-family: "Josefin Sans"; font-size: 17.82px; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="254" data-original-width="512" height="159" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgizj17x_mK2E498XCsStJiSf2L_W5bJj6zozWo8x_PIVWdvDuAkNIQmHGB7oe7s-453ck59ZcFzPk5h3pb2PR_O2V8j08-FdWkdh2U15L6A0IONMnMN6HoR2863iY-X6UE2YIoS5izBiTfunjXLiENo25Px02BZcI02LebJWvCH6yjYJBbYmstTjT0sA" style="border: none; position: relative;" width="320" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal">“How come I know your name?” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">And he wanted to smack himself in the forehead. That was not
the first question that Beckett actually wanted to ask. Or thought he should
ask. Of course it was the first one that popped out. He tried to think back BTT
or as his brain was already labeling it, Before The Touch, capitals all the
way. Beckett stepped back. “You never said it, right?” He might as well find
out. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“I’m your guide.” Valrinda shuffled his weight on those huge
clawed feet of his and then winced. “Why are you in so much pain?” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Beckett gaped at him. “What?” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Your chest burns… and your backside.” If he wasn’t so darkly
scaled, that might like a rosy hue lit him from the inside. “It’s throbbing.”
Valrinda lowered his head and turned so one of those dinner-plate sized eyes
were staring right at the marks across his chest. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“It’s nothing. I’m fine.” He wished he’d taken the time to
put on a shirt instead of just his jeans. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“That does not like fine. Did you not purify yourself?” He
lifted his head and shook it. “No, of course he did. If he didn’t, we wouldn’t
have been able to understand each other.” His voice was deep and rumbly, coming
from somewhere deep inside but clearly out of his mouth like a normal person. “But
did it work? Maybe he needs to do it again?”<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Braced to argue, Beckett rethought his position. He had
liked the water in the pool and he could use a morning wash. Why not?<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">The pool was cool, refreshing, and better than a extra
large, extra caffeine, extra syrup hot coffee on a cold winter’s day. Not that
he was cold. Nope, Beckett hadn’t felt cold at all when he slipped into the pool,
when he was floating while staring up at his watchful dragon guide, or after he
slipped out and Valrinda blew hot air on him in a surprising wave that dried
the trails of water streaming over his skin instantly.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">He felt good, sort of blissed out, like the one time he’d
tried edibles and had the whole gummy bear instead of just eating half. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Valrinda was curled around the pool and watching him. “You’re
feeling better.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">He was. The worse of the aches and pain were gone, and he
was floating on his stomach, his arms folded over a mossy rock on the edge of
the small pool. “I am. I have questions though.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“What questions?” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“So you can’t read my mind?” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“No, and you can’t read mine.” Valrinda huffed out a short
laugh. “Wow, you feel relieved. Before you ask, yes, we do have a physical
connection and we can feel each other’s emotions.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">It felt like he almost could read Valrinda’s mind, though,
like he knew who Valrinda was and stuff about him, but not really. Was that
just the emotional stuff? “But how did I know your name?” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“A dragon’s name is part of his essence, his being. You call
me Valrinda, but that name is only known to my eggmates or close-kin. Others
call me Val.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Why do I need a guide to find Parallax’s tail?” He’d turned
that question over and over in his mind since this quest started and he was told
he’d get one. “I still don’t really understand what I’m supposed to do.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Valrinda’s claws scraped on the ground as he shifted. “That
is confusing to me. You should know what to do. If he gave you this mission, he
should have given you all the information you needed to see it through. I’m
just here to keep you safe.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Safe?” His heart rate sped up. “If I need someone to keep
me safe, that means I’m going to be in danger?” The question wasn’t really a
question.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Lowering his head to stare directly into his eyes, Valrinda
said, “What makes you think you haven’t been already?” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Yep, panic attack on the horizon. Paerus had mentioned other
clans or something like that, but who would want to hurt him? Beckett didn’t
know anyone there, and he wasn’t trying to hurt anyone. It didn’t make sense. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“You have no idea of the power that Parallax wielded, nor
what others would risk to gain that power when the news went out that the star
that makes up his tail was missing. So far whispers of your arrival are all
that have spread, but once they reach the wrong ears, we will have a fight on
our hands.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“A fight for what?” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“To find his tail. That is your job, remember? Without it,
the portal between our worlds, the portal between all the worlds, will wink out
like they never existed. The cosmos is a huge place, and Parallax is the
Guardian of many secrets. Someone learned this one, and stole the power of his
portals. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Beckett blinked and stood in the pool, the water swirling
around his chest. “Was that so hard? You’re the first person—ahem, creature,
being or whatever—to tell me in plain words what was going on and why this
whole star tail thing was important.” Not that he could wrap his brain around
the fact that his friend’s cat was really some sort of mythical space being
with magic powers, but hey, this was his fantasy. He could imagine anything
apparently. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“So I have to, what, travel around and find where it went
missing? Find a thief? Look up clues?” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">In the strangest of shrugs, his wings flapping up and down
between his massive front shoulders, Valrinda spread both his front claws,
sensitive paws upward. “I’ve no idea. I gained the knowledge I just shared with
you as soon as we touched. As far as our next step, that’s still a mystery to
me.” <o:p></o:p></p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal">“Great.” He’d been expecting Valrinda to be the guide,
therefore to know what to do and where to go. If he didn’t, what were they
supposed to do next? <o:p></o:p></p>Alicia Nordwellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01874076077603097775noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3581086669446176216.post-35720038947097010412023-05-03T01:00:00.001-07:002023-05-03T01:00:00.133-07:00Wednesday Briefs: Broken Path, Starless Tail<p style="text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgizj17x_mK2E498XCsStJiSf2L_W5bJj6zozWo8x_PIVWdvDuAkNIQmHGB7oe7s-453ck59ZcFzPk5h3pb2PR_O2V8j08-FdWkdh2U15L6A0IONMnMN6HoR2863iY-X6UE2YIoS5izBiTfunjXLiENo25Px02BZcI02LebJWvCH6yjYJBbYmstTjT0sA" style="background-color: white; color: #113bcc; font-family: "Josefin Sans"; font-size: 17.82px; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="254" data-original-width="512" height="159" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgizj17x_mK2E498XCsStJiSf2L_W5bJj6zozWo8x_PIVWdvDuAkNIQmHGB7oe7s-453ck59ZcFzPk5h3pb2PR_O2V8j08-FdWkdh2U15L6A0IONMnMN6HoR2863iY-X6UE2YIoS5izBiTfunjXLiENo25Px02BZcI02LebJWvCH6yjYJBbYmstTjT0sA" style="border: none; position: relative;" width="320" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal">Twin thumps outside rattled his tree, startling Beckett
awake in his soft bed where he’d spent the best hours of sleep he’d had in
weeks. He bolted up, looking around wildly. Then he collapsed back, groaning. He
was still there. He’d slept so hard, dreamless for once, that he’d been sure
he’d wake up in his own bed. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Not that this bed wasn’t tons better. His head wasn’t throbbing
for once and his stomach wasn’t churning. He wasn’t even hungry. Other than
being stuck in this dream, he was overall feeling pretty good.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Come out, little human,” a voice boomed. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">The good mood he’d been in evaporated like spilled soda in
the summer sun. “I am not little, damn it.” He threw back the cover he must
have grabbed in the middle of the night and the muscles across his chest
pulled. He hissed, the wounds from Parallax still inflamed but knitted closed
and the redness seemed less. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Human!” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Oh!” Beckett grit his teeth and climbed out of the bed. His
jeans were on the floor and he grabbed those, pulling the stiff fabric on. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">He yanked open the front door and glared out, ignoring the
beautiful view in favor of the two large dragons that were taking up most of
the space below the steps that led up to the tree’s entrance. They were just as
annoying as Ire, but so different. He’d
been one solid color of red, smaller, with wings the same color. Ire was tiny,
the size of a dinner plate and these guys had eyes the size of dinner plates. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">These two were not just one color—or they were, but they
were all the colors of that one color that he’d ever seen. One an array of
purple, like a shiny gem, and the other black that shone like all the other
colors the same way an oil slick reflected the light. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">They were rumbling at each other, bickering. Another way
they were like Ire. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“—said his name started with a B or something.”<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“He’s a human. They have many names. What if Ire was wrong.
Besides, what do we say, “Come out, B something human?” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Some of his anger drained away, but he was still annoyed.
“My name is <i>Beckett</i>.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">The dragons whipped their heads around to face him. “Oh,
there you are,” Purple said. “We’ve been waiting.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Just for a few moments,” Black said. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Who are you, and why are you here waking me up at the crack
of dawn?” It literally was. The sun was just barely a crack over the horizon. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“We’re here as a guide,” Black said. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Well for you to pick one of us as a guide,” Purple amended.
“Didn’t Ire tell you this? He said he told you all this. Weren’t you paying
attention? This is important.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Beckett pursed his lips. “He said I’d get a guide or pick a
guide, or something like that, but never told me why or how.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Why? Parallax told you why. You need to find his tail.” His
voice dropped, like that was a secret he didn’t want anyone to hear. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">In all that happened since he saw the annoying cat, he’d
kind of forgotten that. Nothing really made sense, even that. How did someone
find a cat’s tail? If only he could make sense out of what he was doing, it
might be easier. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">So maybe start with the guide thing. “How do I pick one of
you?” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Come touch us.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Together?” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Purple snorted. “No. I’ll go first.” He puffed his chest,
the watery sun gleaming on the amethyst scales that shifted with each breath. He
stomped forward as Beckett walked down the stairs. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">The grass was warm and damp under his bare toes, and then he
had a dragon right up in his face. “Whoa, do you mind?”<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Not if you are mine, now let’s go.” Purple puffed out his
chest again. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Mine? His? What did he mean by that? Well, by the way he was
shifting and the black was anxiously swishing his tail and wings, he’d do
better to just do the touching and then ask his questions later. So he reached
out a hand that was miraculously not trembling, despite the fact he was about
to actually touch a dragon. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">He was warm, hard, and… nothing happened. “Umph.” Purple’s
chest deflated. “Good-bye.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Beckett was knocked to his ass when Purple spread his wings
and took off into the sky. “Fucking rude!” Now his ass was throbbing. He looked
up at the black dragon. “You better not do that!” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Well, of course not. If Aparin was not your guide, then I
must be.” Black leaned his head down toward Beckett and asked in his rumbly
voice, “Are you ready?” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“What’s going to happen?” It seemed like they were expecting
something to happen. Maybe for once, someone would tell him before it happened.
<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“I’ll become your guide.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">And… maybe not. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Climbing to his feet, Beckett winced at one more point of
pain in his body and then sighed. “All right.” He held out a hand and let Black
come to him. This time, his hand didn’t tremble, but when he touched those
black scales, they warmed. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">He was drawn in, until he plastered his entire front to
Black—no, Valrinda’s—chest and the warmth ran through his body and into the
ground. Flowers bloomed, their sweet scent perfuming the air, and the sun burst
over the horizon to bathe them in golden light. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Mine,” Valrinda roared. <o:p></o:p></p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal">He had no idea how or why, but Beckett agreed. “Mine.” <o:p></o:p></p><p>Want more flash?</p><p><br /></p>Alicia Nordwellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01874076077603097775noreply@blogger.com0