Static blared out of a shattered radio as flickering silhouettes scurried about the chaotic scene. There was a fire somewhere, or maybe several fires all about, and every now and again the sound of things shifting, cracking, popping, and exploding could be heard. Edwin raised himself up just a bit to see, first, if he was okay, then to see about the others. He was badly scraped up and bruised but nothing seemed broken or too deep, he could stand. Getting his bearings he could see the smoldering remains of the wagon that had veered off and hit him on his jeed. There beside it lay his faithful friend. He was dead. The brave soul, saw danger and protected his master with his life. Edwin dropped to his knees, he wanted to cry, or do something, anything. Everything seemed so unreal.
Only minutes earlier he had been riding home from the university when a military convoy forced everyone off the road. Things got hazy after that. Something exploded, there was fire and shouting everywhere. Steel, or rather the sound of steel on steel, was definitely there. Edwin was just turning around to see what was going on when something exploded behind him. Edwin scanned the tree line to see what was going on, then suddenly his jeed bucked him off. Edwin only barley made out the flaming form of the massive supply wagon barreling down on them before things went black.
Now that things were beginning to sink in, Edwin summoned Squiggers and performed a spell of healing and heightened his senses and reflexes. He was not sure what to expect now, but he would be ready. He was actually surprised at the effectiveness of the spells. Ariel was a powerful sprite, he had been training with her to channel her power but never had to actually use their abilities like this before. The pain was greatly reduced and he wasn't bleeding from any of his scrapes anymore, plus he felt stronger and more focused than ever. Adrenalin plus the spells were having a compounding effect.
First things first, Edwin had to find out what was going on. He walked up the road, around small burnt out craters, and he passed a few corpses. He did not have to check to tell that the bodies were dead. He reached the site the caravan had been attacked and where the center of the wreckage was at. He saw something dart around behind the burning remains of a large supply wagon. Edwin picked up a board from the ground and hefted it over his shoulder like a baseball bat. He slowly crept toward the edge of the wagon. Edwin's heart was pounding, what if it was just a soldier? That's probably it, right? He could hear hushed breathing and a slight shuffling in the gravel but no other indicators of the identity of the shadow. Edwin decided to jump out and scare whatever it was. So he did.
"AAAAARH!"
"AIIIIEEEEEEEEE!!"
Edwin stopped mid swing and his jaw came unhinged, the scream that had stunned him came out of one of the prettiest and saddest things he had ever seen. There was a girl curled up and trembling before him, her huge lavender eyes were overflowing with tears. She had a simple black dress that was riped in a few places, a rather bad wound on her side. Her pale skin was tarnished with ash and dirt and her purple hair was in disarray. Edwin dropped his plank and jumped down beside her.
In a whisper he said, "sorry to have scared you miss... I didn't know who was over here... better safe than sorry, you know?" Edwin forced his best grin.
She stopped crying and gave a little nod, words were still beyond her it seemed. Edwin made a gesture to sit next to her and again she nodded. So, Edwin sat down.
"May I look at your wound? I may be able to help."
She gulped, nodded, and stared at Edwin with those big lavender eyes as he inspected the cut. Edwin blushed.
"It looks pretty bad, I can probably stop the bleeding and numb the pain with a spell... but I'm not used to using them on other people yet. Should I try?"
She nodded vigorously. So Edwin shut his eyes and extended his hands toward the wound, wrists together and hands making a cradle for the transfer of magical energy. Ariel materialized for a moment to make her own calculations, then dived into Edwin's consciousness. Edwin felt the rush of magical power as he tapped into it and then he channeled it into the girl as Ariel taught him the incantation. When he finished he fell back with a gasp. He had used more power than he intended, he hoped the girl was alright. Edwin lay on his back panting for a moment before before he felt pressure on his chest then the girl's face over his.
"Are you okay?" She said, a little worried.
Edwin smiled. "I'm fine, little winded is all. ...did it work?" He held the girl's hand as she helped him sit up.
"It did! Look!" She showed where the gash had been but now her skin was healed back up and it looked like there had never been a wound there, but now, instead of a scar, there was a faint tattoo of a rose. She looked up again and smiled, "Thank you. You're really good for a first time user, you know. You have a really powerful spirit."
"Oh, well, you're welcome... and thanks. Squiggers is pretty awesome." Ariel came out and took a bow, standing on Edwin's shoulder as he said this. The girl smirked. "Oh, my name is Edwin, Edwin Felspar."
"My name's Keely O'Connor...General O'Connor's girl." She said rather sarcastically. Must have shown his dismay at her being "someone's girl" rather plainly cause she quickly added, "his daughter!"
Edwin was embarrassed, he hadn't been fully conscious of the attraction that was forming till it was acknowledged by another. Now that he thought about it, it seemed out of place for the situation. They were still in what looked like a war zone, burning wreckage all around them.
"oh, haha... I gotcha. Well met, miss O'Connor." He replied. There was silence for a few seconds then Edwin interjected. "What the hell happened?!"
Keely studied Edwin for a moment. "I'm not really sure. I was traveling with my mother along with a significant amount of supply wagons bound for the fort my father is stationed at. We were prepared for an attack by the orcs in these parts, the uprisings have been more organized of late. But from what I could tell the attack came from the sky."
"But orcs can't fly, their religion forbids them to and there's no way they could have summoned a drake."
"Right, I have some ideas but I think it's best not to make pointless conjectures. Right now we need to round up any more survivors. Surely my mother has been found and is safe... but I'm surprised it was you and not one of my father's men who found me..." She went silent and the atmosphere grew heavy. Edwin understood.
"Come on, lets go find your mom."
Edwin grabbed a pole that was lying nearby, apparently it used to be part of a wagon, and he stood waiting for Keely to give him some direction. She knew roughly where to look and they headed through the wreckage. They found a few soldiers, heavily wounded, huddled up behind a burning wagon. After doing a little first aid they moved as a group to find more people, and Mrs O'Connor. As they moved up the column towards the front things got more chaotic. Here there were corpses burn beyond recognition lying about and tracks that led off into the woods. If they were quiet they thought they could hear the sound of steel coming from deep in the looming forest on either side of the road. Finally they found a wagon left intact and pulled off the road with a score or so of soldiers around it. From inside Edwin heard a woman give a cry.
"Keely! You're alive! My darling!" A woman in her mid forties or fifties ran out of the wagon, she was still pretty. Keely rushed to meet her and they embraced as if each thought the other had returned from the grave. The soldiers with Edwin ran over in similar fashion to see their comrades and there was much back slapping all around. Edwin remained a few good paces distant from the reunion watching Keely and the woman he assumed was Keely's mother. Between tear stained hugs and tender mutterings the woman caught Edwin's eyes and he could see her processing what she saw. It must have donned on her that the man she was staring at had some part in bringing her daughter safely to her, because she stopped and pulled Keely along as she approached Edwin.
"Young man, you appeared to lead the party that has brought my daughter safely to me, is this correct?"
"Yes ma'am" Edwin nodded and stood a little straighter.
"What is your name child?"
"Er, Edwin ma'am. Edwin Felspar."
She smiled, "well, thank you very much for returning my daughter safely to me Mr Felspar." She gave a slight military style bow. "I was very worried something had happened to my baby."
Edwin bowed respectfully and let a large smile flash across his face. "It was nothing ma'am, anyone'd do the same in my position, I was just the first to come across her I guess."
Mrs O'Connor's elbowed her daughter who had been silent. "He's a cute one, sure you weren't waiting for him to rescue you?" she said with a wink.
"MOM!" Keely and Edwin both turned a few shades of crimson. Their eyes met for a second then they both glanced away quickly.
Mrs O'Connor laughed. "Well, we need to get to a safer place than the road. It looks like we have most of the survivors with us. We are going to head down the road to the fort. Edwin, you are welcome to come with us, or if you would like to go your own way I can provide a couple soldiers to escort you to your destination."
"Well, if you'll pardon me ma'am, I have a fair way to go and my Jeed died in the incident. I'll be fine on my own I think, I'd hate to make your soldiers go way out of their way just for me."
"I insist you take an escort, if not for your own safety then for my peace of mind."
Edwin looked at Keely. She had a concerned look on her face, so Edwin decided he would take an escort. When he agreed she looked a little relieved. Edwin was starting to feel light headed as all the butterflies in his stomach began to migrate. So, he decided to quickly say farewell and head home. Edwin exchanged bows with the O'Connor women again and was joined by two guys roughly his age decked out in their military duds. The three of them began marching off south-west and the remaining group took the O'Connors east toward Fort Benning.
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
The Chronicles of Edwin, Ch. 10 "Lunch"
A sandwich, some lettuce to go on the sandwich, a bag of vegetable, some grapes, some ranch dressing, and a granola bar lay out on the table. The sandwich was turkey and provolone on whole grain bread with spicy mustard and mayo (mayo on the cheese side, mustard with the meat, the way it should be). Edwin began by opening the little clear container with the red lid containing the dip and his bag of assorted veggies.
First he takes note of how many celery sticks he has, three today, yesterday it was five but they were smaller. Then he takes a little broccoli floret and cleans out the ranch on the inside of the lid. He cannot afford to waste even a little. Then he starts on the celery. He always does. It's the most disgusting. It's bitter, stringy, noisy, and cumbersome.
CRUNCH, MUNCH MUNCH MUNCH
People are glancing his way. Edwin imagined what they must be thinking, why don't you go outside with your lunch? Edwin wondered that himself, but continued munching.
With the celery gone, it was time to move to the cauliflower. What on earth is a cauliflower? Certainly not a flower. Edwin thought it would be amusing to give a girl a "bouquet" of cauliflowers. After the cauliflower comes the broccoli. Maybe cauliflowers are albino broccoli? They look a lot alike. Edwin likes broccoli much better though. Does that make him racist against albinos? He likes albino Burmese Pythons, so probably not. Last came the baby carrots. Whose idea was that? To pick carrots before they mature and eat them? There's something barbaric about eating babies. Even if they are carrots. Well, his veggie bag is now empty, sealed and back in the lunch box.
Grapes or sandwich next? Edwin chose the sandwich. He got it out of its bag and got out the lettuce and put in in the sandwich. having prepared his sandwich n=many times before, he knew to separate the halves between slices of turkey. If one tries to pull off the bread it falls apart. It has been in that bag for quite some time by lunch and the mayo and mustard have effectively glued the bread to the cheese and meat. So inserting the lettuce between the cheese and meat or between two slices of meat is the only way to really do it well. So, that done, Edwin takes a big bite. Two more bites and the sandwich is halfway gone. That is when he holds the sandwich firmly in the middle and eats around getting all the crust. That way the final bite is all the best stuff, and usually the meat is thickest in the center of the sandwich too. It's all about that last bite. Edwin shoves it into his mouth and chews, enjoying the flavor of the turkey and the slightly more dominating taste of the spicy mustard. Edwin's mother makes a good sandwich.
Time for "dessert". Grapes are so delicious. They seem somewhat exotic, even sensual. Edwin had seen many pictures and scenes in movies where lovers lay supine, one feeding the other grapes from the vine. Sometimes Edwin wished he had a lover to feed him grapes, or to feed grapes too. Not that the common area he was sitting was particularly romantic, but Edwin's mind was usually off somewhere else anyway. He finished the grapes and opened the granola bar. It said crunchy on the package, talk about truth in advertising. It was solid. Edwin had to be careful how he bit into the granola bar because he had one tooth on his lower jaw that was out of place and stuck up above the rest. It would get agitated if he bit something too hard. Edwin had mastered the art of eating though, and was enjoying his crunchy peanunbuttery treat. Boy was it messy though.
Edwin brushed himself off and put away his trash. He took a long drink from his water bottle and put that down. He opened his backpack and pulled out his Bible. It was quiet time, then homework till class later. People walked by in the common area going about their lives and Edwin sat and gave a sigh before diving into the Word.
First he takes note of how many celery sticks he has, three today, yesterday it was five but they were smaller. Then he takes a little broccoli floret and cleans out the ranch on the inside of the lid. He cannot afford to waste even a little. Then he starts on the celery. He always does. It's the most disgusting. It's bitter, stringy, noisy, and cumbersome.
CRUNCH, MUNCH MUNCH MUNCH
People are glancing his way. Edwin imagined what they must be thinking, why don't you go outside with your lunch? Edwin wondered that himself, but continued munching.
With the celery gone, it was time to move to the cauliflower. What on earth is a cauliflower? Certainly not a flower. Edwin thought it would be amusing to give a girl a "bouquet" of cauliflowers. After the cauliflower comes the broccoli. Maybe cauliflowers are albino broccoli? They look a lot alike. Edwin likes broccoli much better though. Does that make him racist against albinos? He likes albino Burmese Pythons, so probably not. Last came the baby carrots. Whose idea was that? To pick carrots before they mature and eat them? There's something barbaric about eating babies. Even if they are carrots. Well, his veggie bag is now empty, sealed and back in the lunch box.
Grapes or sandwich next? Edwin chose the sandwich. He got it out of its bag and got out the lettuce and put in in the sandwich. having prepared his sandwich n=many times before, he knew to separate the halves between slices of turkey. If one tries to pull off the bread it falls apart. It has been in that bag for quite some time by lunch and the mayo and mustard have effectively glued the bread to the cheese and meat. So inserting the lettuce between the cheese and meat or between two slices of meat is the only way to really do it well. So, that done, Edwin takes a big bite. Two more bites and the sandwich is halfway gone. That is when he holds the sandwich firmly in the middle and eats around getting all the crust. That way the final bite is all the best stuff, and usually the meat is thickest in the center of the sandwich too. It's all about that last bite. Edwin shoves it into his mouth and chews, enjoying the flavor of the turkey and the slightly more dominating taste of the spicy mustard. Edwin's mother makes a good sandwich.
Time for "dessert". Grapes are so delicious. They seem somewhat exotic, even sensual. Edwin had seen many pictures and scenes in movies where lovers lay supine, one feeding the other grapes from the vine. Sometimes Edwin wished he had a lover to feed him grapes, or to feed grapes too. Not that the common area he was sitting was particularly romantic, but Edwin's mind was usually off somewhere else anyway. He finished the grapes and opened the granola bar. It said crunchy on the package, talk about truth in advertising. It was solid. Edwin had to be careful how he bit into the granola bar because he had one tooth on his lower jaw that was out of place and stuck up above the rest. It would get agitated if he bit something too hard. Edwin had mastered the art of eating though, and was enjoying his crunchy peanunbuttery treat. Boy was it messy though.
Edwin brushed himself off and put away his trash. He took a long drink from his water bottle and put that down. He opened his backpack and pulled out his Bible. It was quiet time, then homework till class later. People walked by in the common area going about their lives and Edwin sat and gave a sigh before diving into the Word.
Sunday, August 22, 2010
The Chronicles of Edwin, Ch. 9 "Back to the Grind Again"
Edwin woke with a start, panting heavily. What a nightmare. Edwin dreamed a lot, but seldom had nightmares, and his nightmares were not of monsters and death, they were of people. More specifically, they were about girls he was fond of at the time. Ariel was sitting there on the window sill, she had been watching Edwin sleep.
"You okay Ed?" she half whispered.
"Morn'n Squiggers, yeah... I'm alright. Just had a bit of a nightmare."
"What happened, hmm?"
"meh... okay, you know Jenna?"
"Oh yeah, the cute blond with the huge..."
"YEAH... her." Edwin shot Ariel such a look, she nearly fell over backwards laughing. She knew he hated women being described that way, so she teased him about it. Edwin continued, "well, we were hanging out at my old house, at a picnic table out back. Everything was fine till my brother came and sat with us. They hit it off on the spot..."
"I'm sorry, Ed. You know it's just a dream though right?"
"Yeah, I know..." he trailed off. Ariel popped up and gave Edwin a big hug, well, as big a hug a nine inch tall spirit could manage.
She knew Edwin well enough by now to know how complicated his relationship with his brother was. They were distant, got along well, but there was a sort of rivalry between them. Nothing explicit, sometimes Edwin wondered if maybe he was just imagining it, but there were hints. It was hard because Michael was naturally so quiet and did not talk about much beside his passion, blacksmithing. Edwin also always thought Michael was better looking, and overall just better at everything except people. He wanted to help his brother kind of open up, he kind of didn't though. It was selfish and he hated this, but thoughts like this popped up every now and then. This dream was a harsh reminder of that.
"Com'on buddy, School time." She pointed at the clock next to Edwin's bed.
"Shoot! I almost forgot!!!" Edwin practically flew downstairs. He somehow managed to throw on some clothes and put on his backpack before he hit the bottom of the stairs. He was about to grab something to chew on as he rode to class when he remembered, he had no idea what his first class was. In a flurry of zippers and gadgets, Edwin whipped out his scrivener and pulled up his class schedule then quickly wrote down his weeks schedule. Slap, zip, whump, he was headed out the door again.
Edwin was panicking, he had to get to his parking lot in time to catch the first Bhusr going to campus and his clock had said he was late. It was not till he reached the lot and was waiting did he realize his bedroom clock was twenty three minutes fast. Nothing like a good first day panic to start off the school year! Now that he had gotten his wits back about him he began to observe those around him. There were a lot more people at the bhusr stop than last semester. Some he recognized as commuters or folks who lived in the nearby apartments, but there were a lot of new faces, some had that scared and excited but slightly lost look freshmen tended to have. Finally the bhusr showed up, unfortunately all the seat were full and Edwin had to stand.
Well, the ride wasn't so bad after all. He pulled out his composition book out and looked at the class times and locations he had written down. His first class would be statistics for magitecnicians. He headed over and found the room, then checked his watch.... he was over an hour early. Edwin simply sighed and went to the lounge on the floor below to read on his scrivener. He was used to waiting for things as a commuter student. He would hear people complain about how they had to get up early for their 8:00 class and laugh. The only people on campus who got up when Edwin did were in the military and had no choice in the matter. People were spoiled and lazy and had no idea. But Edwin didn't mind so much. The sacrifice was worth it in the end, to get a quality education that would lead to an excellent job for a huge discount. The Lord really was watching over him, exacting His plan for Edwin's life each day, slowly transforming him into a powerful tool for His service.
Edwin also liked to take that time to read or catch up with friends. He had been reading a story a friend of his had written. She was a super talented writer named Jim. Edwin was really enjoying her story More Than Beautiful. It was about a teen with bad acne and her brother figure who was too good looking for his own good and how the drama that was their lives unfolded. She captured the characters so well in her writing, Edwin was heartbroken every time he had to stop reading and realize they were not real.
Finally it was drawing close to class time so he got up and found himself a seat. He found some guys he had met in his summer class and talked to them for a bit. Edwin still did not know their names, after six weeks of sitting next to them in ENG 208. But they were cool and actually interesting to talk to, so that was nice. The class itself did not seem so bad, it was Edwin's first black teacher which he thought was cool. Also, the notes were online, so Edwin could put them up on his scrivener and made note taking almost too easy. Finally, after about Edwin's seventh yawn, the class ended and he went out to his next class.
The next two classes he had with his friends Eliza and Naterasha. They looked to be interesting classes. After the one on fluid dynamics Edwin had to talk to the professor to make sure he could get into the class. Edwin finished talking and called the girls on his cellular device to find out where they were eating and see if he could join them. They had gone to one of their usual spots from the spring semester, so Edwin headed off. When he got there he was met with a surprise. The entire indoor eating area had been moved into a giant tent while the place was being renovated, they called it the bubble. Just wait till I tell this one to my friends at home, he thought to himself. Lunch in the bubble was not so bad, the artificial air crystal cooling system worked surprisingly well. Edwin's friend had to go to class, so Edwin went into the library for a while to pass the time. Then he went to his last class of the day.
The class was the history of some foreign country from some time to the present. Edwin was not thrilled at all. He had originally planed to take a philosophy course but the teacher bailed last minute and this history was the only class Edwin could find to replace it. So Edwin sat in the huge theater like lecture hall, watching it slowly fill up. There were some real pieces of eye candy bouncing up and down the aisles. He thought of how Ariel would describe them, he laughed out loud at that. Noticing people staring at the guy spontaneously laughing for no reason, he blushed and stared at his book bag. He noticed a guy he knew from Church sitting a little more than midway up the left section of seats, Edwin tried to catch his eye, but failed. Some guy seemed to think Edwin was staring at him, because he gave Edwin a weird look. Finally the teacher came in and started class. Edwin had a hard time really concentrating though because of a couple of things. All he was saying was what was in the syllabus Edwin had already read through, and the other was that the guy looked like a very large pigeon. He had this walk and way of bobbing his head as the talked that looked just like a pigeon, and Edwin swore that if pigeons could speak, his voice would come out.
The class eventually ended and Edwin went home exhausted. It had been an obnoxiously hot day, and having to stand on the bus rides did not help any. Edwin chilled at his house that evening and went to bed early, falling into a deep dreamless sleep as soon as his head hit the pillow. Ariel came in while he was snoring loudly, brushed his forehead, and whispered "sweet dreams" into his ear. She curled up next to his head, enjoying the warmth that emanated from the big guy. She hoped, for his sake, some girl would take an interest in him soon.
"You okay Ed?" she half whispered.
"Morn'n Squiggers, yeah... I'm alright. Just had a bit of a nightmare."
"What happened, hmm?"
"meh... okay, you know Jenna?"
"Oh yeah, the cute blond with the huge..."
"YEAH... her." Edwin shot Ariel such a look, she nearly fell over backwards laughing. She knew he hated women being described that way, so she teased him about it. Edwin continued, "well, we were hanging out at my old house, at a picnic table out back. Everything was fine till my brother came and sat with us. They hit it off on the spot..."
"I'm sorry, Ed. You know it's just a dream though right?"
"Yeah, I know..." he trailed off. Ariel popped up and gave Edwin a big hug, well, as big a hug a nine inch tall spirit could manage.
She knew Edwin well enough by now to know how complicated his relationship with his brother was. They were distant, got along well, but there was a sort of rivalry between them. Nothing explicit, sometimes Edwin wondered if maybe he was just imagining it, but there were hints. It was hard because Michael was naturally so quiet and did not talk about much beside his passion, blacksmithing. Edwin also always thought Michael was better looking, and overall just better at everything except people. He wanted to help his brother kind of open up, he kind of didn't though. It was selfish and he hated this, but thoughts like this popped up every now and then. This dream was a harsh reminder of that.
"Com'on buddy, School time." She pointed at the clock next to Edwin's bed.
"Shoot! I almost forgot!!!" Edwin practically flew downstairs. He somehow managed to throw on some clothes and put on his backpack before he hit the bottom of the stairs. He was about to grab something to chew on as he rode to class when he remembered, he had no idea what his first class was. In a flurry of zippers and gadgets, Edwin whipped out his scrivener and pulled up his class schedule then quickly wrote down his weeks schedule. Slap, zip, whump, he was headed out the door again.
Edwin was panicking, he had to get to his parking lot in time to catch the first Bhusr going to campus and his clock had said he was late. It was not till he reached the lot and was waiting did he realize his bedroom clock was twenty three minutes fast. Nothing like a good first day panic to start off the school year! Now that he had gotten his wits back about him he began to observe those around him. There were a lot more people at the bhusr stop than last semester. Some he recognized as commuters or folks who lived in the nearby apartments, but there were a lot of new faces, some had that scared and excited but slightly lost look freshmen tended to have. Finally the bhusr showed up, unfortunately all the seat were full and Edwin had to stand.
Well, the ride wasn't so bad after all. He pulled out his composition book out and looked at the class times and locations he had written down. His first class would be statistics for magitecnicians. He headed over and found the room, then checked his watch.... he was over an hour early. Edwin simply sighed and went to the lounge on the floor below to read on his scrivener. He was used to waiting for things as a commuter student. He would hear people complain about how they had to get up early for their 8:00 class and laugh. The only people on campus who got up when Edwin did were in the military and had no choice in the matter. People were spoiled and lazy and had no idea. But Edwin didn't mind so much. The sacrifice was worth it in the end, to get a quality education that would lead to an excellent job for a huge discount. The Lord really was watching over him, exacting His plan for Edwin's life each day, slowly transforming him into a powerful tool for His service.
Edwin also liked to take that time to read or catch up with friends. He had been reading a story a friend of his had written. She was a super talented writer named Jim. Edwin was really enjoying her story More Than Beautiful. It was about a teen with bad acne and her brother figure who was too good looking for his own good and how the drama that was their lives unfolded. She captured the characters so well in her writing, Edwin was heartbroken every time he had to stop reading and realize they were not real.
Finally it was drawing close to class time so he got up and found himself a seat. He found some guys he had met in his summer class and talked to them for a bit. Edwin still did not know their names, after six weeks of sitting next to them in ENG 208. But they were cool and actually interesting to talk to, so that was nice. The class itself did not seem so bad, it was Edwin's first black teacher which he thought was cool. Also, the notes were online, so Edwin could put them up on his scrivener and made note taking almost too easy. Finally, after about Edwin's seventh yawn, the class ended and he went out to his next class.
The next two classes he had with his friends Eliza and Naterasha. They looked to be interesting classes. After the one on fluid dynamics Edwin had to talk to the professor to make sure he could get into the class. Edwin finished talking and called the girls on his cellular device to find out where they were eating and see if he could join them. They had gone to one of their usual spots from the spring semester, so Edwin headed off. When he got there he was met with a surprise. The entire indoor eating area had been moved into a giant tent while the place was being renovated, they called it the bubble. Just wait till I tell this one to my friends at home, he thought to himself. Lunch in the bubble was not so bad, the artificial air crystal cooling system worked surprisingly well. Edwin's friend had to go to class, so Edwin went into the library for a while to pass the time. Then he went to his last class of the day.
The class was the history of some foreign country from some time to the present. Edwin was not thrilled at all. He had originally planed to take a philosophy course but the teacher bailed last minute and this history was the only class Edwin could find to replace it. So Edwin sat in the huge theater like lecture hall, watching it slowly fill up. There were some real pieces of eye candy bouncing up and down the aisles. He thought of how Ariel would describe them, he laughed out loud at that. Noticing people staring at the guy spontaneously laughing for no reason, he blushed and stared at his book bag. He noticed a guy he knew from Church sitting a little more than midway up the left section of seats, Edwin tried to catch his eye, but failed. Some guy seemed to think Edwin was staring at him, because he gave Edwin a weird look. Finally the teacher came in and started class. Edwin had a hard time really concentrating though because of a couple of things. All he was saying was what was in the syllabus Edwin had already read through, and the other was that the guy looked like a very large pigeon. He had this walk and way of bobbing his head as the talked that looked just like a pigeon, and Edwin swore that if pigeons could speak, his voice would come out.
The class eventually ended and Edwin went home exhausted. It had been an obnoxiously hot day, and having to stand on the bus rides did not help any. Edwin chilled at his house that evening and went to bed early, falling into a deep dreamless sleep as soon as his head hit the pillow. Ariel came in while he was snoring loudly, brushed his forehead, and whispered "sweet dreams" into his ear. She curled up next to his head, enjoying the warmth that emanated from the big guy. She hoped, for his sake, some girl would take an interest in him soon.
Saturday, August 21, 2010
The Chronicles of Edwin, Ch. 8 "The Bowling Brawl"
Author's Note: As with previous episodes of this chronicle, some of these events and characters are based off of events and people in my own life. However I think it pertinent to explain, now, that I have taken great liberty with certain characters. With that, I leave you to enjoy this action packed chapter.
~~~
Strike! Again, Edwin's bowling ball make the pins practically explode. Most of the others were using nine pounders, Edwin had a twelve pound ball, and he threw it with force. This was the third strike he had gotten this round, and they were only five frames in. Ty laughed and sort of whimpered at the same time. The two of them had gone to visit Ty's girlfriend Caitlyn who lived a few cities over. She had invited the two of them to join her Church's youth group for bowling, and Edwin was beating everyone.
They were having fun though, and Ty was not one to take pride in physical strength anyway (and he accordingly had none). Their team consisted of Ty, Cait, Edwin, and a girl named Liz. What it was short for she would not say, Edwin imagined things like Lizard or Lizbeth. Truth was, her given name was Sam, there was some mix up at birth, so she simply went by Liz. Edwin liked her the moment he laid eyes on her, she was cute and had a sort of awkward sincere personality that just is not found in a lot of girls her age. She was tall and did not seem used to her body entirely, she must have fallen over a dozen times while bowling that day. It was cute, and brought great peals of laughter every time. She did not seem to mind the attention.
They continued till the last frame. Edwin took first by twenty or thirty points, Cait lost to Liz by one point, and Ty trailed behind them by another twenty or so. Edwin was beaming, he loved meeting new people, especially girls, and winning like that only further built up his ego, even if it was mostly luck. Unfortunately, that was the end of his streak, the next two games he came in last, Ty even won one. Did not matter though, Edwin only stopped laughing to catch his breath. If it wasn't one thing, it was another. Liz would fall over or do her little dance thing or someone would make a joke. It was great fun.
It was fun for him to watch Ty and Cait interact. Ty is a tenth level nerd studying scriviner science up north, he is completely oblivious except when it comes to scriv-games and anime. Physically he's one of the weakest guys Edwin had met, but not overweight, just nerdy. He had always wondered if maybe he would be the exception to the rule that there is a girl for everyone, but nope. Edwin had been surprised to learn that Ty was interested in a girl and eventually asked her out and she had said yes. Since then Edwin had talked to her online, but never met in person. So today was important. He was not disappointed. She was a sweet girl, intelligent, beautiful, and for all intents and purposes, very much in love with Ty. The way they could speak nerd was astonishing, Edwin was only partially fluent in the dialect, and that only because he had to in order to get along with Ty for so long. It was nice, but it made Edwin wonder if there was a girl like that out there for him too and who?
Well, it was getting time to go back to the Church. Edwin was flirting with Liz and Ty was rambling on and on about some new game to Cait, when a group of guys came up. One could see they were no good with just a glance, something about the eyes, sinister and cold. They made themselves out to be friendly, greeted the bowlers kindly. But when the youth group leader said to excuse them, the group was just leaving, the thugs kind of smiled.
"Leaving were ya?" One particularly gruff looking man said, he glanced at Liz and the other girls. "You wouldn't bring such beauties into my house and not let us play with em a little." He gestured to the bowling ally, but the way he licked his lips showed he meant otherwise. None of these details escaped any of the males attention, not even Ty's. Everyone was thinking it now, it would be an even match, there were four thugs and four guys in the youth group, plus the girls to help or at least motivate.
"We don't want any trouble. We would like to leave now, would you please step aside and let us leave quietly?" the youth leader said. The thugs sort of smiled and stepped aside. The youth leader paused, not expecting them to step aside, and then stepped forward cautiously. Edwin saw it before anyone else, the thug closest to the youth leader had waited for him to get past before dropping into a fighting stance. "Hey!" was all Edwin had time to yell before the thug had dropped the youth leader. All hell broke loose for a second, the girls screamed and ran behind a counter picking up chairs to throw while the boys jumped into the fray.
Edwin was pissed. He did not know what those guys had in mind of Liz and Cait and the other girls, but he did not like it one bit. When he yelled he was already dropping into a sprint, he took down the first guy he ran into. The impact surprised Edwin, or rather, the lack thereof. The guy he hit was half his size and just crumpled. Then fire erupted in Edwin's skull, he reacted in time to avoid the second hammer fist coming for his head. This brought Edwin back down to earth. Edwin smashed the guys face in with an elbow and cracked a rib with a knee to finish the deal.
No sooner had he finished and stood up, then he felt something close around his neck from behind as a large weight drove him back to the ground. Nothing Edwin did could shake the guy who was at times choking Edwin, at times holding on for dear life. Finally, in desperation, Edwin muscled his way to a standing position with the man on his back, then he threw himself down backwards as hard as he could. The man was winded by the impact enough to loosen his grip. That was all Edwin needed. He spun around and elbowed the man in the face then rearing up he punched him in the throat as hard as he could. That man later died of asphyxiation due to a crushed wind pipe.
The fighting was now over. Edwin was panting heavily, cuts in his mouth and on his face were bleeding something awful. The youth leader was getting up from the ground slowly, rubbing his neck. Ty was in a tight embrace with Cait. He had apparently dropped his guy with one crescent kick to the temple. The other guy managed to get off a groin shot and knee his opponent in the face shortly followed up by a bowling ball thrown by his girlfriend. Sirens could be heard as the mounted police were coming down the road. Edwin looked at Liz. He was afraid. He could not remember if or how many expletives he may have used during that fight, and he had been pretty brutal. He was scared of himself in that moment, and scared she would be too. But to his surprise she rushed over, tears in her eyes, and hugged him tight. Edwin smiled.
The police came in and surprisingly they let the church group go after taking statements. These guys were actually wanted criminals, the Church would be receiving a check from the State with the reward for apprehending the thugs. When the one died they did not seem too worried, "he would've been executed anyway." The local magistrate was especially harsh, and apparently these guys had done some pretty perverse and violent things to a number of people. The police took them away, and medics arrived to take care of everyone's wounds.
Edwin was reluctant to let Liz go, but she seemed content to stick to his side. She sat with Edwin's arm around her all the way back to the Church. That she felt safe next to him, Edwin was pleased. They parted in the parking lot. Edwin wished he did not have to go back to his life, and she to hers, but they did. The rest of that day Edwin hung out with Ty and Cait, they laughed, they sang, they had a blast, but all the while Liz was in the back of Edwin's mind. It is true that Edwin is easily taken with women, but she seemed special, a real find. He would forget about her in a couple days he told himself though, and he did. But while the memory was fresh, he cherished it.
~~~
Strike! Again, Edwin's bowling ball make the pins practically explode. Most of the others were using nine pounders, Edwin had a twelve pound ball, and he threw it with force. This was the third strike he had gotten this round, and they were only five frames in. Ty laughed and sort of whimpered at the same time. The two of them had gone to visit Ty's girlfriend Caitlyn who lived a few cities over. She had invited the two of them to join her Church's youth group for bowling, and Edwin was beating everyone.
They were having fun though, and Ty was not one to take pride in physical strength anyway (and he accordingly had none). Their team consisted of Ty, Cait, Edwin, and a girl named Liz. What it was short for she would not say, Edwin imagined things like Lizard or Lizbeth. Truth was, her given name was Sam, there was some mix up at birth, so she simply went by Liz. Edwin liked her the moment he laid eyes on her, she was cute and had a sort of awkward sincere personality that just is not found in a lot of girls her age. She was tall and did not seem used to her body entirely, she must have fallen over a dozen times while bowling that day. It was cute, and brought great peals of laughter every time. She did not seem to mind the attention.
They continued till the last frame. Edwin took first by twenty or thirty points, Cait lost to Liz by one point, and Ty trailed behind them by another twenty or so. Edwin was beaming, he loved meeting new people, especially girls, and winning like that only further built up his ego, even if it was mostly luck. Unfortunately, that was the end of his streak, the next two games he came in last, Ty even won one. Did not matter though, Edwin only stopped laughing to catch his breath. If it wasn't one thing, it was another. Liz would fall over or do her little dance thing or someone would make a joke. It was great fun.
It was fun for him to watch Ty and Cait interact. Ty is a tenth level nerd studying scriviner science up north, he is completely oblivious except when it comes to scriv-games and anime. Physically he's one of the weakest guys Edwin had met, but not overweight, just nerdy. He had always wondered if maybe he would be the exception to the rule that there is a girl for everyone, but nope. Edwin had been surprised to learn that Ty was interested in a girl and eventually asked her out and she had said yes. Since then Edwin had talked to her online, but never met in person. So today was important. He was not disappointed. She was a sweet girl, intelligent, beautiful, and for all intents and purposes, very much in love with Ty. The way they could speak nerd was astonishing, Edwin was only partially fluent in the dialect, and that only because he had to in order to get along with Ty for so long. It was nice, but it made Edwin wonder if there was a girl like that out there for him too and who?
Well, it was getting time to go back to the Church. Edwin was flirting with Liz and Ty was rambling on and on about some new game to Cait, when a group of guys came up. One could see they were no good with just a glance, something about the eyes, sinister and cold. They made themselves out to be friendly, greeted the bowlers kindly. But when the youth group leader said to excuse them, the group was just leaving, the thugs kind of smiled.
"Leaving were ya?" One particularly gruff looking man said, he glanced at Liz and the other girls. "You wouldn't bring such beauties into my house and not let us play with em a little." He gestured to the bowling ally, but the way he licked his lips showed he meant otherwise. None of these details escaped any of the males attention, not even Ty's. Everyone was thinking it now, it would be an even match, there were four thugs and four guys in the youth group, plus the girls to help or at least motivate.
"We don't want any trouble. We would like to leave now, would you please step aside and let us leave quietly?" the youth leader said. The thugs sort of smiled and stepped aside. The youth leader paused, not expecting them to step aside, and then stepped forward cautiously. Edwin saw it before anyone else, the thug closest to the youth leader had waited for him to get past before dropping into a fighting stance. "Hey!" was all Edwin had time to yell before the thug had dropped the youth leader. All hell broke loose for a second, the girls screamed and ran behind a counter picking up chairs to throw while the boys jumped into the fray.
Edwin was pissed. He did not know what those guys had in mind of Liz and Cait and the other girls, but he did not like it one bit. When he yelled he was already dropping into a sprint, he took down the first guy he ran into. The impact surprised Edwin, or rather, the lack thereof. The guy he hit was half his size and just crumpled. Then fire erupted in Edwin's skull, he reacted in time to avoid the second hammer fist coming for his head. This brought Edwin back down to earth. Edwin smashed the guys face in with an elbow and cracked a rib with a knee to finish the deal.
No sooner had he finished and stood up, then he felt something close around his neck from behind as a large weight drove him back to the ground. Nothing Edwin did could shake the guy who was at times choking Edwin, at times holding on for dear life. Finally, in desperation, Edwin muscled his way to a standing position with the man on his back, then he threw himself down backwards as hard as he could. The man was winded by the impact enough to loosen his grip. That was all Edwin needed. He spun around and elbowed the man in the face then rearing up he punched him in the throat as hard as he could. That man later died of asphyxiation due to a crushed wind pipe.
The fighting was now over. Edwin was panting heavily, cuts in his mouth and on his face were bleeding something awful. The youth leader was getting up from the ground slowly, rubbing his neck. Ty was in a tight embrace with Cait. He had apparently dropped his guy with one crescent kick to the temple. The other guy managed to get off a groin shot and knee his opponent in the face shortly followed up by a bowling ball thrown by his girlfriend. Sirens could be heard as the mounted police were coming down the road. Edwin looked at Liz. He was afraid. He could not remember if or how many expletives he may have used during that fight, and he had been pretty brutal. He was scared of himself in that moment, and scared she would be too. But to his surprise she rushed over, tears in her eyes, and hugged him tight. Edwin smiled.
The police came in and surprisingly they let the church group go after taking statements. These guys were actually wanted criminals, the Church would be receiving a check from the State with the reward for apprehending the thugs. When the one died they did not seem too worried, "he would've been executed anyway." The local magistrate was especially harsh, and apparently these guys had done some pretty perverse and violent things to a number of people. The police took them away, and medics arrived to take care of everyone's wounds.
Edwin was reluctant to let Liz go, but she seemed content to stick to his side. She sat with Edwin's arm around her all the way back to the Church. That she felt safe next to him, Edwin was pleased. They parted in the parking lot. Edwin wished he did not have to go back to his life, and she to hers, but they did. The rest of that day Edwin hung out with Ty and Cait, they laughed, they sang, they had a blast, but all the while Liz was in the back of Edwin's mind. It is true that Edwin is easily taken with women, but she seemed special, a real find. He would forget about her in a couple days he told himself though, and he did. But while the memory was fresh, he cherished it.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
The Chronicles of Edwin, Ch. 7 "Of Flowers and Other Pretty Things"
Edwin woke up.
It was a strange, strange place but very familiar too. It was sickeningly beautiful like the mad world of a kaleidoscope. The grass was green and speckled with thousands of flowers which seemed to change color as they blew in the wind. The smell they gave was so crisp, not repugnant or oppressive as so many scents of this sort can be. There were three ancient spiraling great oaks standing guard in the middle of the field. To the east lay the virgin leaves of a vast forest, to the north lay sleeping hills, to the west a gossiping brook, and south the horizon married green and blue at infinity. The land was teeming with life. A myriad of insects clicked, buzzed, chirped without a care in the world. Meanwhile a bluebird in full bloom danced and sang in desperate strains for the mate he craved. How beautiful he was, so blue he made the sky retreat in envy. A true testament to his maker who so thoughtfully wrote his features, every hue with a purpose. Even the feel of the soft grass squealed of her maker's glory.
There he was, Edwin, sitting in the garden of Eden, or some such other primordial garden. He thought at first of how good it was to be alone in a place like this. Peacefully listening to the song of the lovesick bluebird. But he grew restless and like the little blue romantic, Edwin longed for company, for companionship. He sighed as he settled down against one of the three great sentinels. It was such a lazy morning, full of life. Edwin saw that there was a box of crayons and a pad of paper lying next to him. He picked them up and painted the landscape in a childish scribble. Then without so much thought, he added to it his longing imagination. The triangle for a dress seemed peculiarly adequate for the scene. She was green.
As Edwin put down the tools of his imagination he was surprised to see her running towards him through the flowers like a romantic. She had soft lavender skin which the wind timidly caressed. Her burning pink eyes twinkled beneath bangs of her beautiful flowing bright green hair. It fell like fine grass down to her waist and danced about her shoulders and hips enchantingly. Atop her head lay a dainty laurel of budding clover. Around her waist she wore a woven grass belt, just two shade darker than her dress which fell down about her ankles, revealing her bare feet brushing the grass sweetly as she ran. Finally she stopped a few yards away, smiled cocking her head slightly, and plopped down in the grass and shade, dress all proofed with the sudden drop.
Edwin realized that his mouth was wide open and he was staring, she was beautiful, and he was blushing brightly at this realization. After a quick mental slap in the face, he straightened up, smiled, and said hello. He would have said more, bumbling about as one does when forced to speak more than one's mind has room for, except she held one finger to her mouth and pointed up. Following her eyes Edwin observed that the bluebird had found a friend and they were dancing, haltingly as birds do. All of a sudden a warm hand takes his and he is whisked about in a flowery wonderland. Music begins, first distantly, then it grew stronger and the melody pranced about inviting all who heard to join in rapturous dance. And so they did, Edwin and this forest nymph. He knew not how or why he knew the steps, but their dance was flawless, invigorating, so full of life. After many twirls and elegant bows the fell in the grass, breathing heavily, they let the tender shoots support their fragile bodies. They lay there like that, hands clasped, her right in his left, for what seemed like an eternity.
When finally they did sit up, they just stared at each other. It seemed as though they were having a deep and penetrating conversation through their eyes. The meaning could be easily interpreted, but the words, inexpressible. Then a shadow was cast over the scene, the bluebirds fled in a flurry of feathers, then another character entered the scene. A faun strode up. He had thick brown fur from his waist to his cloven hoofed feet, a well defined athletic body, sharp beard defining his jawline, fiery brown eyes, mossy brown hair, and two crooked antlers on his head. The young buck stared Edwin up and down, sizing him up in disgust. No words were spoken, his carriage spoke for him. His furrowed brow said she was his and his crossed arms said he was ready to fight for her. Edwin hesitated at this confrontation, releasing the hand he had held to dear. As if this were the sign the faun had been waiting for, he strode forth to claim his prize.
He whisked her up into his arms and held her there. She would not return his stare, however, and looked away in disgust. Riled by this rejection he struck her across the cheek and sent her spiraling to the ground hurt and her beauty marred by dripping blood. Edwin watched at first in shock, then in anger. The giant's blood within him came rushing into his limbs setting fire to his heart. Edwin was a guardian in name, and in birth, now in life. All selfish reasons were lifted with that blow and pure violence surged forth. Edwin sprung up, and as he did so, struck his opponent with a sharp uppercut cracking his jaw. This blow did not deter the faun at all, only stunned and enraged him all the more. They fought for an eternity as she watched in horror, her screams muted by their exertions. The beast put up an admirable fight, but eventually the giant's son dealt the final blow. A right hook, filled with the tears and pent of feeling of a thousand generations long passed, shattered two ribs and ruptured the liver.
The faun fell to the ground, defeat in his eyes. He limped off glaring resentment at every wince. Edwin stood watching, panting, till the faun was lost in the distance. The scenery had changed. It was now sunset on a fine autumn day. Bright oranges, crimson, and deep burgundy. The sentinels stood balding, surrounded in their fading glory. And there amidst the leaves lay the fairy queen, faded, wilting like so many flowers starved of life. Edwin ran to her and fell beside her. He caressed her arm as he pulled her gently to him. There the sat for a moment. Then she looked up and stared deep in Edwin's walnut eyes. She understood him, or so he fancied, in that moment in time. For her expression softened and her eyes twinkled lovingly, appreciatively, pityingly, supportively. Edwin felt a well of emotion burst forth within him. As his heart quickened and his senses sharpened, she leaned in. Her eyes closed, he could feel her breath mixing with his. Then...
Edwin woke up.
It was a strange, strange place but very familiar too. It was sickeningly beautiful like the mad world of a kaleidoscope. The grass was green and speckled with thousands of flowers which seemed to change color as they blew in the wind. The smell they gave was so crisp, not repugnant or oppressive as so many scents of this sort can be. There were three ancient spiraling great oaks standing guard in the middle of the field. To the east lay the virgin leaves of a vast forest, to the north lay sleeping hills, to the west a gossiping brook, and south the horizon married green and blue at infinity. The land was teeming with life. A myriad of insects clicked, buzzed, chirped without a care in the world. Meanwhile a bluebird in full bloom danced and sang in desperate strains for the mate he craved. How beautiful he was, so blue he made the sky retreat in envy. A true testament to his maker who so thoughtfully wrote his features, every hue with a purpose. Even the feel of the soft grass squealed of her maker's glory.
There he was, Edwin, sitting in the garden of Eden, or some such other primordial garden. He thought at first of how good it was to be alone in a place like this. Peacefully listening to the song of the lovesick bluebird. But he grew restless and like the little blue romantic, Edwin longed for company, for companionship. He sighed as he settled down against one of the three great sentinels. It was such a lazy morning, full of life. Edwin saw that there was a box of crayons and a pad of paper lying next to him. He picked them up and painted the landscape in a childish scribble. Then without so much thought, he added to it his longing imagination. The triangle for a dress seemed peculiarly adequate for the scene. She was green.
As Edwin put down the tools of his imagination he was surprised to see her running towards him through the flowers like a romantic. She had soft lavender skin which the wind timidly caressed. Her burning pink eyes twinkled beneath bangs of her beautiful flowing bright green hair. It fell like fine grass down to her waist and danced about her shoulders and hips enchantingly. Atop her head lay a dainty laurel of budding clover. Around her waist she wore a woven grass belt, just two shade darker than her dress which fell down about her ankles, revealing her bare feet brushing the grass sweetly as she ran. Finally she stopped a few yards away, smiled cocking her head slightly, and plopped down in the grass and shade, dress all proofed with the sudden drop.
Edwin realized that his mouth was wide open and he was staring, she was beautiful, and he was blushing brightly at this realization. After a quick mental slap in the face, he straightened up, smiled, and said hello. He would have said more, bumbling about as one does when forced to speak more than one's mind has room for, except she held one finger to her mouth and pointed up. Following her eyes Edwin observed that the bluebird had found a friend and they were dancing, haltingly as birds do. All of a sudden a warm hand takes his and he is whisked about in a flowery wonderland. Music begins, first distantly, then it grew stronger and the melody pranced about inviting all who heard to join in rapturous dance. And so they did, Edwin and this forest nymph. He knew not how or why he knew the steps, but their dance was flawless, invigorating, so full of life. After many twirls and elegant bows the fell in the grass, breathing heavily, they let the tender shoots support their fragile bodies. They lay there like that, hands clasped, her right in his left, for what seemed like an eternity.
When finally they did sit up, they just stared at each other. It seemed as though they were having a deep and penetrating conversation through their eyes. The meaning could be easily interpreted, but the words, inexpressible. Then a shadow was cast over the scene, the bluebirds fled in a flurry of feathers, then another character entered the scene. A faun strode up. He had thick brown fur from his waist to his cloven hoofed feet, a well defined athletic body, sharp beard defining his jawline, fiery brown eyes, mossy brown hair, and two crooked antlers on his head. The young buck stared Edwin up and down, sizing him up in disgust. No words were spoken, his carriage spoke for him. His furrowed brow said she was his and his crossed arms said he was ready to fight for her. Edwin hesitated at this confrontation, releasing the hand he had held to dear. As if this were the sign the faun had been waiting for, he strode forth to claim his prize.
He whisked her up into his arms and held her there. She would not return his stare, however, and looked away in disgust. Riled by this rejection he struck her across the cheek and sent her spiraling to the ground hurt and her beauty marred by dripping blood. Edwin watched at first in shock, then in anger. The giant's blood within him came rushing into his limbs setting fire to his heart. Edwin was a guardian in name, and in birth, now in life. All selfish reasons were lifted with that blow and pure violence surged forth. Edwin sprung up, and as he did so, struck his opponent with a sharp uppercut cracking his jaw. This blow did not deter the faun at all, only stunned and enraged him all the more. They fought for an eternity as she watched in horror, her screams muted by their exertions. The beast put up an admirable fight, but eventually the giant's son dealt the final blow. A right hook, filled with the tears and pent of feeling of a thousand generations long passed, shattered two ribs and ruptured the liver.
The faun fell to the ground, defeat in his eyes. He limped off glaring resentment at every wince. Edwin stood watching, panting, till the faun was lost in the distance. The scenery had changed. It was now sunset on a fine autumn day. Bright oranges, crimson, and deep burgundy. The sentinels stood balding, surrounded in their fading glory. And there amidst the leaves lay the fairy queen, faded, wilting like so many flowers starved of life. Edwin ran to her and fell beside her. He caressed her arm as he pulled her gently to him. There the sat for a moment. Then she looked up and stared deep in Edwin's walnut eyes. She understood him, or so he fancied, in that moment in time. For her expression softened and her eyes twinkled lovingly, appreciatively, pityingly, supportively. Edwin felt a well of emotion burst forth within him. As his heart quickened and his senses sharpened, she leaned in. Her eyes closed, he could feel her breath mixing with his. Then...
Edwin woke up.
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Roadkill
Jump! Jump! The little brown amphibian plopped along the burning tar and broken stone. His soft stomach screamed at each landing on the searing black pavement. He pressed on with vigor though, for he knew sweet bliss was only a few more hops away. No mere puddle that would dry up, but a pond! He had only heard of these legendary havens in distant songs carried by nocturnal breeze. It was a place of peace and blissful solitude. Ah! He could smell it now. Only a few more hops, then to leap the concrete wall of the gutter and make it to sweet muddy ecstasy. Five more. Four more. Three more! Splat! He was in the eternal bliss, resting to never wake again, as he lay spread out on the ground.
Thursday, July 8, 2010
The Chronicles of Edwin, Ch. 6 "Teheehehehehe..."
Hi there! Name's Squiggers, pleasure to meet you I'm sure. Haha, what? You want to know what I am and why I'm here today? Well, I'm a Samr and I'm here to tell a story. Not much help, huh? All you need to know is, I'm what you might call a fairy or nymph and since the author is tired he left me in charge of telling the story of our fate bound hero, Edwin. So, without further ado, let's get started!
Well, there I was minding my own business, snacking on some flower petals, when out of no where WOOSH! Some kid rushes by running full gait and nearly flattening my poor soul. "What in the name of Alkie was that?" I exclaimed, then as if in response a huge man comes running yelling "Give that back!!!" Yeah, you guessed it, that man would turn out to be our lovable Edwin...but I'm getting ahead of myself. He thundered by panting like an old dog after a rabbit. I of course decided to follow him and see what had happened.
The scene that followed was almost pathetically comic. The speedy one seemed to be just a kid, early teens maybe? He was holding a book or journal of some sort, apparently the object of interest in this pursuit. He would slow down and let the large one catch up and nearly catch him, then put on an extra burst of speed. A couple times Edwin took flying dives at the boy but all he accomplished was to put more grass stains on his already soiled shirt.
"What on earth could be in that bit of bound parchment that makes them run so..." I wondered. Maybe it was a valuable book the kid had stolen. Oooh, or maybe it was Edwin's journal and he had many pages about a lover! Or maybe it's more dastardly and it's a spell book of some forbidden nature. Haha, I just HAD to find out!
Just my luck! The boy had managed to climb up a tree out of reach of the giant and it appeared the big guy wasn't keen on climbing up after him. The boy taunted Edwin with the book, then opened to start looking at his prize. Apparently he had the same or similar thoughts to mine. I peered over his shoulder at the pages as he flipped through them and with equal appointment we looked away. All that was in it were incomprehensible scribbles and mathematical formulae. He had pinched Edwin's magitec notes for one of the many classes he was taking.
The boy's mean streak seemed to reappear with this let down and he ripped the pages apart and threw the mess down in Edwin's face. I was shocked, but when I saw the face on the giant I was stunned. You could see in his eyes that some small part of him had just died. Briefly there flashed a rage so terrifying I could feel my soul trying to escape my body. This kid was dead for sure I thought, but as soon as it came it passed. Edwin leaned over and picked up the bits of his notes and straightened them up a bit.
I think the kid saw that same flash, for at some point he had leaped from the tree and was running off just as fast as his legs would take him.
The big guy slumped down onto the ground and leaned back against the tree, heaving a great sigh. I flew down and settled on his shoulder. He was looking through the pages putting it back together as best he could. He muttered to himself, "just great... exam next week and my notes are scrap." He sat there for a while continuing to rebuild his notebook, then he stared off into space. I'm not sure what came over me, but I wanted to know what was going through his mind. So I jumped down, scampered behind the tree, materialized, then cam back around.
The big guy looked down at me strangely... or rather, it was strange in that his expression never changed. He just gave a faint smile and turned his gaze back to the clouds. Something about his manner said, "you can sit on my shoulder if you like." So, of course I did. Then to assuage my curiosity I asked him, "what'cha thinkin 'bout, sir?"
He laughed at me, but such a cheery sort of laugh. "Oh, I don't know.... stuff." There must have been something of my disappointment on my face cause after glancing at me he continued. "Meh, I've got another exam at the university and my notes are torn.... but... well, I'm not even sure I want to be an apprenticed structural magitechnician. It's interesting, but there's nothing romantic about it. Oh to be a poet or musician, I'm actually not too bad as an artist, here..." He proceeded to rummage around in his pockets and pull out a little notebook. He flipped it open and showed me some interesting sketches. He really wasn't all that bad, bit of practice and he'd be positively amazing, he seemed to think so too for he sighed at that instant.
Daring to inquire further I asked him why he didn't change to some other venue of study. Edwin seemed hesitant to continue what must have been a familiar conversation, but continue he did. It was an intriguing tale of conflicting obligations. He never said it, but you could tell the first and main reason he chose the path he did was he wanted his parents to be proud of him. I wanted to tell him they would be proud no matter what, but I think he knew that too. There were other reasons though. He had always wanted to have a family one day, and the job of a magitechnician pays very well. He actually did like the material, the blend of natural sciences with mathematics used to create impossible feats of nature has a certain appeal to minds like Edwin's. Then there was the matter of the various patrons who were helping to pay for Edwin's education, it is hard to reject a thing when people give you money just so one can continue to study. All things considering, I was not sure why he wanted to get out anymore, seemed a good fit for him. He seemed to simply feel that something of it didn't quite click, but at the same time he had no idea what else he would or should pursue. He found it frustrating that the majority of his close friends were of the romantic mindset to some degree or another, and so many were driven passionately into a career, like they were made to do only that with no talent elsewhere.
He continued to talk for a while, I was so absorbed in learning about this gentle giant that I lost track of time. I wasn't sure what it was but I felt an unconscious bond forming and after a time, when he was getting ready to leave, I blurted out, "may I become your familiar?" I was so embarrassed! This was so improper, I wanted to die, but Edwin just sort of looked at me and asked, "are you sure you want to?" I blushed and nodded, still not quite sure what had become of me to act this way. We then proceeded with the pact and I was practically giddy when the symbol of the pact appeared on his arm. It was a large glowing flower quite unlike any I've ever seen (it looked delicious). I went briefly over how our pact worked and a few of the new powers he would have. He was, somewhat surprisingly, very familiar with contracting spirits. I might add too, I'm a powerful one if handled well, hehehe. Anyway, he took off home and I flew off to a nice patch of flowers I had spotted moments ago.
Mhmmm, that was a good story, right? I am can't wait to show up more in this story, haha! Oh, I am probably breaking so many rules talking to you, the reader... Hehehe, is there a fourth wall in prose? Well, us Samr are just special like that, muahahahahahahahahahahahahaha... EEP! Gotta run, author's back!!! BYE ALL.
~Ariel "Squiggers" Nocturn III
Well, there I was minding my own business, snacking on some flower petals, when out of no where WOOSH! Some kid rushes by running full gait and nearly flattening my poor soul. "What in the name of Alkie was that?" I exclaimed, then as if in response a huge man comes running yelling "Give that back!!!" Yeah, you guessed it, that man would turn out to be our lovable Edwin...but I'm getting ahead of myself. He thundered by panting like an old dog after a rabbit. I of course decided to follow him and see what had happened.
The scene that followed was almost pathetically comic. The speedy one seemed to be just a kid, early teens maybe? He was holding a book or journal of some sort, apparently the object of interest in this pursuit. He would slow down and let the large one catch up and nearly catch him, then put on an extra burst of speed. A couple times Edwin took flying dives at the boy but all he accomplished was to put more grass stains on his already soiled shirt.
"What on earth could be in that bit of bound parchment that makes them run so..." I wondered. Maybe it was a valuable book the kid had stolen. Oooh, or maybe it was Edwin's journal and he had many pages about a lover! Or maybe it's more dastardly and it's a spell book of some forbidden nature. Haha, I just HAD to find out!
Just my luck! The boy had managed to climb up a tree out of reach of the giant and it appeared the big guy wasn't keen on climbing up after him. The boy taunted Edwin with the book, then opened to start looking at his prize. Apparently he had the same or similar thoughts to mine. I peered over his shoulder at the pages as he flipped through them and with equal appointment we looked away. All that was in it were incomprehensible scribbles and mathematical formulae. He had pinched Edwin's magitec notes for one of the many classes he was taking.
The boy's mean streak seemed to reappear with this let down and he ripped the pages apart and threw the mess down in Edwin's face. I was shocked, but when I saw the face on the giant I was stunned. You could see in his eyes that some small part of him had just died. Briefly there flashed a rage so terrifying I could feel my soul trying to escape my body. This kid was dead for sure I thought, but as soon as it came it passed. Edwin leaned over and picked up the bits of his notes and straightened them up a bit.
I think the kid saw that same flash, for at some point he had leaped from the tree and was running off just as fast as his legs would take him.
The big guy slumped down onto the ground and leaned back against the tree, heaving a great sigh. I flew down and settled on his shoulder. He was looking through the pages putting it back together as best he could. He muttered to himself, "just great... exam next week and my notes are scrap." He sat there for a while continuing to rebuild his notebook, then he stared off into space. I'm not sure what came over me, but I wanted to know what was going through his mind. So I jumped down, scampered behind the tree, materialized, then cam back around.
The big guy looked down at me strangely... or rather, it was strange in that his expression never changed. He just gave a faint smile and turned his gaze back to the clouds. Something about his manner said, "you can sit on my shoulder if you like." So, of course I did. Then to assuage my curiosity I asked him, "what'cha thinkin 'bout, sir?"
He laughed at me, but such a cheery sort of laugh. "Oh, I don't know.... stuff." There must have been something of my disappointment on my face cause after glancing at me he continued. "Meh, I've got another exam at the university and my notes are torn.... but... well, I'm not even sure I want to be an apprenticed structural magitechnician. It's interesting, but there's nothing romantic about it. Oh to be a poet or musician, I'm actually not too bad as an artist, here..." He proceeded to rummage around in his pockets and pull out a little notebook. He flipped it open and showed me some interesting sketches. He really wasn't all that bad, bit of practice and he'd be positively amazing, he seemed to think so too for he sighed at that instant.
Daring to inquire further I asked him why he didn't change to some other venue of study. Edwin seemed hesitant to continue what must have been a familiar conversation, but continue he did. It was an intriguing tale of conflicting obligations. He never said it, but you could tell the first and main reason he chose the path he did was he wanted his parents to be proud of him. I wanted to tell him they would be proud no matter what, but I think he knew that too. There were other reasons though. He had always wanted to have a family one day, and the job of a magitechnician pays very well. He actually did like the material, the blend of natural sciences with mathematics used to create impossible feats of nature has a certain appeal to minds like Edwin's. Then there was the matter of the various patrons who were helping to pay for Edwin's education, it is hard to reject a thing when people give you money just so one can continue to study. All things considering, I was not sure why he wanted to get out anymore, seemed a good fit for him. He seemed to simply feel that something of it didn't quite click, but at the same time he had no idea what else he would or should pursue. He found it frustrating that the majority of his close friends were of the romantic mindset to some degree or another, and so many were driven passionately into a career, like they were made to do only that with no talent elsewhere.
He continued to talk for a while, I was so absorbed in learning about this gentle giant that I lost track of time. I wasn't sure what it was but I felt an unconscious bond forming and after a time, when he was getting ready to leave, I blurted out, "may I become your familiar?" I was so embarrassed! This was so improper, I wanted to die, but Edwin just sort of looked at me and asked, "are you sure you want to?" I blushed and nodded, still not quite sure what had become of me to act this way. We then proceeded with the pact and I was practically giddy when the symbol of the pact appeared on his arm. It was a large glowing flower quite unlike any I've ever seen (it looked delicious). I went briefly over how our pact worked and a few of the new powers he would have. He was, somewhat surprisingly, very familiar with contracting spirits. I might add too, I'm a powerful one if handled well, hehehe. Anyway, he took off home and I flew off to a nice patch of flowers I had spotted moments ago.
Mhmmm, that was a good story, right? I am can't wait to show up more in this story, haha! Oh, I am probably breaking so many rules talking to you, the reader... Hehehe, is there a fourth wall in prose? Well, us Samr are just special like that, muahahahahahahahahahahahahaha... EEP! Gotta run, author's back!!! BYE ALL.
~Ariel "Squiggers" Nocturn III
Friday, May 28, 2010
Guest Post! (re:Ch.5)
Suddenly, an arrow shot from the trees, bounced of Ty’s armor, and lodged itself into the ground nearby. He turned and spotted an orc patrol, hidden by the side of the road.
“Ambush!” he cried to the others, as he drew his sword from its sheath with an angry ring. Quickly, he jumped after the orcs, beheading the archer who had fired at him. He turned for the next orc, and saw a larger pack approaching. He dispatched the two remaining from the original patrol, and faced the rest.
At this moment, the others arrived. As they arrived, they saw the coming horde, and formed a defensive circle so that they would not be overwhelmed by the sheer number of enemies. Ty saw Edwin’s eyes start to mist over with bloodrage, eager for battle. Ty appreciated the raw strength and rage of his friend, which had impressed him many times during their sparring matches at the academy, but he did not fight as chaotically. Before, he had simply reacted to the threat of the orc patrol, but now he was starting to feel the adrenalin rush, his fight-or-flight instincts flaring, his mind flashing between possibilities and probabilities. He closed his eyes, and took three deep, long breaths, pushing all thoughts from his mind and re-setting the rhythm of his body. As he snapped his eyes open, all extra thought and emotion had been purged; he was nothing now but a galvanized machine of battle, perfectly aware of his surroundings and perfectly aware of his enemy.
As the first orc approached, Ty moved into action with lightning speed. His mind did not process his actions, but instead let his body, conditioned by years of training, move itself to find the orc’s weakness. Without hesitation, his finely sharpened blade flashed to a chink in his enemy’s guard, and withdrew his blood-stained blade as the orc dropped to the ground. Coldly and efficiently, he moved to the next enemy, and the next, with ruthless speed and skill. His mind, detached from his actions, watched as his smooth, flowing movements cut down his foes, his blade moving through them frictionless, effortlessly.
As the last orc’s head hit the ground, Ty’s dance of death slowed to a stop. As he returned to his normal mental state, he reviewed in his mind his actions, and the aftermath, as if seeing the past of another person. The effects of the adrenalin returned, and he felt the ecstasy of battle touch his mind. Instead of embracing these thoughts, Ty was frightened, feeling his primal nature rising inside him. With three more deep breaths, he pushed these feelings down, calming his mind.
He turned to his companions, and saw Edwin’s own battle fury dying down as he wiped his blade on the moss and yelled insults at their retreating opponents. His body was covered with the gore of those who had fallen in his path, making him look like some god of war, fearsome and terrible. The knights had also fought well; Trocvis’ swords had beheaded many opponents, and Lance’s massive sword had crushed many under its power.
~~~~~~~~~
-By, Eternal Swordsman
“Ambush!” he cried to the others, as he drew his sword from its sheath with an angry ring. Quickly, he jumped after the orcs, beheading the archer who had fired at him. He turned for the next orc, and saw a larger pack approaching. He dispatched the two remaining from the original patrol, and faced the rest.
At this moment, the others arrived. As they arrived, they saw the coming horde, and formed a defensive circle so that they would not be overwhelmed by the sheer number of enemies. Ty saw Edwin’s eyes start to mist over with bloodrage, eager for battle. Ty appreciated the raw strength and rage of his friend, which had impressed him many times during their sparring matches at the academy, but he did not fight as chaotically. Before, he had simply reacted to the threat of the orc patrol, but now he was starting to feel the adrenalin rush, his fight-or-flight instincts flaring, his mind flashing between possibilities and probabilities. He closed his eyes, and took three deep, long breaths, pushing all thoughts from his mind and re-setting the rhythm of his body. As he snapped his eyes open, all extra thought and emotion had been purged; he was nothing now but a galvanized machine of battle, perfectly aware of his surroundings and perfectly aware of his enemy.
As the first orc approached, Ty moved into action with lightning speed. His mind did not process his actions, but instead let his body, conditioned by years of training, move itself to find the orc’s weakness. Without hesitation, his finely sharpened blade flashed to a chink in his enemy’s guard, and withdrew his blood-stained blade as the orc dropped to the ground. Coldly and efficiently, he moved to the next enemy, and the next, with ruthless speed and skill. His mind, detached from his actions, watched as his smooth, flowing movements cut down his foes, his blade moving through them frictionless, effortlessly.
As the last orc’s head hit the ground, Ty’s dance of death slowed to a stop. As he returned to his normal mental state, he reviewed in his mind his actions, and the aftermath, as if seeing the past of another person. The effects of the adrenalin returned, and he felt the ecstasy of battle touch his mind. Instead of embracing these thoughts, Ty was frightened, feeling his primal nature rising inside him. With three more deep breaths, he pushed these feelings down, calming his mind.
He turned to his companions, and saw Edwin’s own battle fury dying down as he wiped his blade on the moss and yelled insults at their retreating opponents. His body was covered with the gore of those who had fallen in his path, making him look like some god of war, fearsome and terrible. The knights had also fought well; Trocvis’ swords had beheaded many opponents, and Lance’s massive sword had crushed many under its power.
~~~~~~~~~
-By, Eternal Swordsman
Thursday, May 20, 2010
The Chronicles of Edwin, Ch. 5 "War and Music"
Bluebirds darted back and forth haltingly, in the way that only small birds can. If one could hear their thoughts they might sounds something like this: SEED yum, ooh twig, look good in nest, must... SHINEY, look good in nest, must... PREDITOR, fly away! And repeat.
It was a beautiful day, and not just for the bluebirds. It was the day after a very large storm. The forest had not yet recovered from the ravages of the previous day and the signs were everywhere. But with this came new growth and a change of scene. It was natures way of pruning her forests and hills. This was the day that Edwin awoke to. He worshiped his Lord for blessing him with such beauty all around. He could hardly take it all in, he breathed in deep while driving his brother to the academy. The new air was like water to a drowning man. Edwin wanted to stop at several scenic places to bask in his Creator's glory. But he had plans that could not bear waiting.
Today he was heading over to visit his friends in an outpost on the edge of a large forest. Edwin picked up his friend Ty and they rode the jeed down the highway. Edwin was not paying attention though, as he and Ty were catching up on one another's lives. They overshot the fort by a good mile or two and had to turn around. Finally they found the missed turn and got off the main road and onto the smaller one that went straight into the forest. It was so green and lush. The storm had really done a number to the trees and the road. A large branch had fallen and was blocking the road. Edwin steered his jeed over the obstacle fine but he thought it was dangerous. This was not the safest place for travelers, even if it were so close to a military outpost.
They couple more bends and crested a hill. There was the outpost. Manned by a family of knights. The two oldest sons Trocvis and Lance were out too meet their guests. They had not yet met Ty, so Edwin introduced everyone and the kinights invited everyone inside to cool down from the journey. Apparently they had been taking inventory of their weapon supplies because hundreds of swords, knives, lances, axes, and foreign weapons were littered all over the main room and covered a massive wooden table there. That was immediately the subject of conversation. Edwin had seen this collection once before, but was still impressed to see it again. Ty's eyes lit up with spastic curiosity. The went through and looked at every single piece in the room, handling the deadly objects with so much reverence and awe. One would have thought they were holy relics blessed by the Pope. Every sword had a story, and many of the weapons had seen use in the field of battle. Quiet as these woods seemed, they were swarming with orcs and large man eating beasts.
They must have stared at cold steel for about an hour before it occurred to them to actually do something. So they went into the basement and pulled out the scryver system and played games where they battled huge monsters. After they got bored of hacking virtual monsters to pieces they went to the large stone dining room and ravenously devoured a wonderful meal provided by the women of the resident family. Once done, they figured it would be a good idea to go out and work off the meal by sparring by the lake. Welcome to the mind of the human male. Battle and food dominate their being, unless one is so unfortunate as to fall in love with some fine dame.
Edwin had brought his own gear, knowing that the knights loved to spar, and they fight not holding anything back. Ty was given his choice of the armor and weapons they had looked at before. After everyone was armed they set out toward the lake. The four of them made an impressive sight. Edwin was a giant of a man armed with a large dagger and a large machete ready to dismember foes. He had very basic leather armor on and looked every bit the berserker one reads about in the old stories. Ty took one of the foreign weapons, a katana, and had a light chain-mail suit with helm. Lance of course had his military issue armor and shield. But he added two slender swords at his and one massive sword slung over his back. Over all this he had a black cloak that added a rather intimidating aura to his person. Trocvis had two broadswords strapped across his back and a machete in his belt. He was crazy and went out shirtless, showing off many scars on a well sculpted body. He wore loose fitting pants, and when one adds the flaming red hair and piercing blue eyes he looked like some demon people scare their kids with.
On their way they passed the fallen branch that had been in Edwin's way before. So they stopped and hacked that thing to pieces and cleared the path for anyone who needed to get through. Then they got to the lake. The sky had gotten much darker, but rain looked far off still so they sat down for a moment to enjoy the view. That's when Ty began to shout. An arrow had glanced off of his mail and scared the poo out of him, almost literally. Everyone ducked for cover instinctively and not a moment too soon. Volley after volley of arrows came in from several directions. They waited till the arrows stopped. For a moment there was silence, then all hell broke loose as a score of forest orcs burst into the clearing with more following.
Ty was about twenty yards from the other three and was immediately surrounded. Fortunately he was a highly trained fighter and he beheaded the first three unlucky crud munchers to step up. The initial fear this struck gave the other three time to rush in and form a circle. They paired up and went to work.
Edwin let loose a yell that shook the trees and barreled at a group of orcs. His machete flailed like a maelstrom of death as he reaped their souls. Edwin had never been this exhilarated. People called him the gentle giant, but after this fight he would walk away with another name, demon of the red mist. For Edwin fought so rigorously that blood and gore sprayed everywhere. He was coated in the stuff, whether his or his enemies, only God could tell.
Ty came in coolly behind and balanced his friend's madness with calculated strikes and a calm demeanor. He guarded Edwin's back and finished off the maimed and dismembered orcs Edwin left in his wake. Ty was not fond of fighting, but the blood lust could be seen in his eye if you looked closely. He was fierce when provoked and deadly with a sword, not to mention his years and years of martial arts experience. He was know by the survivors of the ambush as the reaper, for any orc that met Ty's line of sight was slain moments later.
Trocvis took out several with his machete, then got it stuck in the skull of a particularly ugly orc and gave up on getting it back for the time being. He drew both broadswords and set about wrecking havoc with his deadly duel sword technique. Lance circled close to his brother. He had pulled out his massive Odachi Katana and was taking out sledgelings two or three at a time with the ridiculously massive sword. They were known as the demon brothers, Sun and Moon by the darkspawn of the woods, and they lived up to their titles.
When all was said and done the four of them had slain three score orcs and let another score escape. A truly impressive number, but considering these forest orcs where half the size of the average man and had more of a dumb mob mentality, it could hardly be called a fight. The quartet suffered no major injuries. A few scratches and the like, but other than being covered in gore, they couldn't complain. Once silence fell and all that was left was the sound of their panting Edwin yelled, "Is that all you have you yella bellied bottom feeding scum?!" There was a scampering noise a good ways off and the four of them fell down laughing.
It took a while to clean up the mess. So many dead orcs to burn. The ground of the battle was muddy with blood. It would be a long time before orcs would attack there again. But it was getting close to sundown, so they all headed back to the outpost. They cleaned up and said their goodbyes. Ty had such a great time meeting these guys, he wanted to come back soon. Edwin shared the feeling. They waved from the jeed till the building was out of sight. Then they raced home.
The next day Edwin spent most of his time recovering from the small scratches and sore muscles of the day before. His grandparents came over and Edwin had a lovely conversation with them. He helped his brother set up his Senior board for graduation the next day. Michail had put pictures of him in his custom antique armor and clothing and was going to make the centerpiece the chain-mail shirt he had made. It was a very relaxing afternoon for Edwin, and he was looking forward to that evening. His family was friends with an immigrant family whose sons were in Michail's class at the Academy. The younger son was a brilliant pianist and had invited Michail's family to a recital he was holding that evening at the sister university to the one Edwin was attending.
Before leaving Edwin dressed up in his best suit and came down. He wanted to impress his family, sort of like when he was little and would play dress up. Of course his clothes were wrinkled and over formal for the event and they all laughed at him. This dampened Edwin's mood a bit. He went up to his room and threw something more casual on and sulked out the door. He raced to pick Michail up from the Academy and rushed from there to the site of the recital. It was a beautiful brick building, very old. It had an air of prestige to it, like the presence of the many artists of all ages who had previously performed on that stage.
The young man performed above expectations, his fingers flying over the keys. How he remembered the different compositions was anyone's guess, how many hours he must have practiced for this event. When he had finished he was rewarded with a standing ovation by the audience. His parents and siblings were absolutely beaming with pride. Then everyone went out for refreshments. Edwin stayed with his family for the most part. He didn't have any close friends there, it was more his brothers time to socialize. But Ty's father came by and Edwin, Edwin's father, and his grandfather all had a nice conversation. Eventually Ty's father had to leave, his daughter had to get home to cram for an exam in the morning. So Edwin floated into a corner to enjoy a bite to eat and a little solitude. He spotted Kassia, his old crush who he had run into at the play, and hoped she might talk to him. Sure enough, she eventually made her way over. They caught up on each other's lives, it is funny how much can happen in two years. Edwin was surprised to find her so talkative. He remembered why he liked her back then, she was so amiable and sweet, and such a good listener. If he didn't watch himself he'd talk non-stop for hours.
Edwin had no idea how long they talked, it seemed like quite a long time. He was ready to stop several times but she kept asking questions. Finally she excused herself and left. Edwin was getting tired so he followed suit. He said his goodbyes, signed the guest book, and took off for home. He got there and sat in his chair and let out a huge sigh. So much had been happening lately, it was a bit much to take in at once. The rest of his family arrived at home a few minutes later and Edwin's mother commented, "I like that Kassia girl, she's really sweet." Edwin smiled and thought to himself, I do too. But that was enough of that, it was graduation tomorrow and Michail's senior assembly in the morning. So Edwin stumbled off to bed and fell soundly asleep, dreaming of epic battles and the adventures of Edwin and his brothers.
It was a beautiful day, and not just for the bluebirds. It was the day after a very large storm. The forest had not yet recovered from the ravages of the previous day and the signs were everywhere. But with this came new growth and a change of scene. It was natures way of pruning her forests and hills. This was the day that Edwin awoke to. He worshiped his Lord for blessing him with such beauty all around. He could hardly take it all in, he breathed in deep while driving his brother to the academy. The new air was like water to a drowning man. Edwin wanted to stop at several scenic places to bask in his Creator's glory. But he had plans that could not bear waiting.
Today he was heading over to visit his friends in an outpost on the edge of a large forest. Edwin picked up his friend Ty and they rode the jeed down the highway. Edwin was not paying attention though, as he and Ty were catching up on one another's lives. They overshot the fort by a good mile or two and had to turn around. Finally they found the missed turn and got off the main road and onto the smaller one that went straight into the forest. It was so green and lush. The storm had really done a number to the trees and the road. A large branch had fallen and was blocking the road. Edwin steered his jeed over the obstacle fine but he thought it was dangerous. This was not the safest place for travelers, even if it were so close to a military outpost.
They couple more bends and crested a hill. There was the outpost. Manned by a family of knights. The two oldest sons Trocvis and Lance were out too meet their guests. They had not yet met Ty, so Edwin introduced everyone and the kinights invited everyone inside to cool down from the journey. Apparently they had been taking inventory of their weapon supplies because hundreds of swords, knives, lances, axes, and foreign weapons were littered all over the main room and covered a massive wooden table there. That was immediately the subject of conversation. Edwin had seen this collection once before, but was still impressed to see it again. Ty's eyes lit up with spastic curiosity. The went through and looked at every single piece in the room, handling the deadly objects with so much reverence and awe. One would have thought they were holy relics blessed by the Pope. Every sword had a story, and many of the weapons had seen use in the field of battle. Quiet as these woods seemed, they were swarming with orcs and large man eating beasts.
They must have stared at cold steel for about an hour before it occurred to them to actually do something. So they went into the basement and pulled out the scryver system and played games where they battled huge monsters. After they got bored of hacking virtual monsters to pieces they went to the large stone dining room and ravenously devoured a wonderful meal provided by the women of the resident family. Once done, they figured it would be a good idea to go out and work off the meal by sparring by the lake. Welcome to the mind of the human male. Battle and food dominate their being, unless one is so unfortunate as to fall in love with some fine dame.
Edwin had brought his own gear, knowing that the knights loved to spar, and they fight not holding anything back. Ty was given his choice of the armor and weapons they had looked at before. After everyone was armed they set out toward the lake. The four of them made an impressive sight. Edwin was a giant of a man armed with a large dagger and a large machete ready to dismember foes. He had very basic leather armor on and looked every bit the berserker one reads about in the old stories. Ty took one of the foreign weapons, a katana, and had a light chain-mail suit with helm. Lance of course had his military issue armor and shield. But he added two slender swords at his and one massive sword slung over his back. Over all this he had a black cloak that added a rather intimidating aura to his person. Trocvis had two broadswords strapped across his back and a machete in his belt. He was crazy and went out shirtless, showing off many scars on a well sculpted body. He wore loose fitting pants, and when one adds the flaming red hair and piercing blue eyes he looked like some demon people scare their kids with.
On their way they passed the fallen branch that had been in Edwin's way before. So they stopped and hacked that thing to pieces and cleared the path for anyone who needed to get through. Then they got to the lake. The sky had gotten much darker, but rain looked far off still so they sat down for a moment to enjoy the view. That's when Ty began to shout. An arrow had glanced off of his mail and scared the poo out of him, almost literally. Everyone ducked for cover instinctively and not a moment too soon. Volley after volley of arrows came in from several directions. They waited till the arrows stopped. For a moment there was silence, then all hell broke loose as a score of forest orcs burst into the clearing with more following.
Ty was about twenty yards from the other three and was immediately surrounded. Fortunately he was a highly trained fighter and he beheaded the first three unlucky crud munchers to step up. The initial fear this struck gave the other three time to rush in and form a circle. They paired up and went to work.
Edwin let loose a yell that shook the trees and barreled at a group of orcs. His machete flailed like a maelstrom of death as he reaped their souls. Edwin had never been this exhilarated. People called him the gentle giant, but after this fight he would walk away with another name, demon of the red mist. For Edwin fought so rigorously that blood and gore sprayed everywhere. He was coated in the stuff, whether his or his enemies, only God could tell.
Ty came in coolly behind and balanced his friend's madness with calculated strikes and a calm demeanor. He guarded Edwin's back and finished off the maimed and dismembered orcs Edwin left in his wake. Ty was not fond of fighting, but the blood lust could be seen in his eye if you looked closely. He was fierce when provoked and deadly with a sword, not to mention his years and years of martial arts experience. He was know by the survivors of the ambush as the reaper, for any orc that met Ty's line of sight was slain moments later.
Trocvis took out several with his machete, then got it stuck in the skull of a particularly ugly orc and gave up on getting it back for the time being. He drew both broadswords and set about wrecking havoc with his deadly duel sword technique. Lance circled close to his brother. He had pulled out his massive Odachi Katana and was taking out sledgelings two or three at a time with the ridiculously massive sword. They were known as the demon brothers, Sun and Moon by the darkspawn of the woods, and they lived up to their titles.
When all was said and done the four of them had slain three score orcs and let another score escape. A truly impressive number, but considering these forest orcs where half the size of the average man and had more of a dumb mob mentality, it could hardly be called a fight. The quartet suffered no major injuries. A few scratches and the like, but other than being covered in gore, they couldn't complain. Once silence fell and all that was left was the sound of their panting Edwin yelled, "Is that all you have you yella bellied bottom feeding scum?!" There was a scampering noise a good ways off and the four of them fell down laughing.
It took a while to clean up the mess. So many dead orcs to burn. The ground of the battle was muddy with blood. It would be a long time before orcs would attack there again. But it was getting close to sundown, so they all headed back to the outpost. They cleaned up and said their goodbyes. Ty had such a great time meeting these guys, he wanted to come back soon. Edwin shared the feeling. They waved from the jeed till the building was out of sight. Then they raced home.
The next day Edwin spent most of his time recovering from the small scratches and sore muscles of the day before. His grandparents came over and Edwin had a lovely conversation with them. He helped his brother set up his Senior board for graduation the next day. Michail had put pictures of him in his custom antique armor and clothing and was going to make the centerpiece the chain-mail shirt he had made. It was a very relaxing afternoon for Edwin, and he was looking forward to that evening. His family was friends with an immigrant family whose sons were in Michail's class at the Academy. The younger son was a brilliant pianist and had invited Michail's family to a recital he was holding that evening at the sister university to the one Edwin was attending.
Before leaving Edwin dressed up in his best suit and came down. He wanted to impress his family, sort of like when he was little and would play dress up. Of course his clothes were wrinkled and over formal for the event and they all laughed at him. This dampened Edwin's mood a bit. He went up to his room and threw something more casual on and sulked out the door. He raced to pick Michail up from the Academy and rushed from there to the site of the recital. It was a beautiful brick building, very old. It had an air of prestige to it, like the presence of the many artists of all ages who had previously performed on that stage.
The young man performed above expectations, his fingers flying over the keys. How he remembered the different compositions was anyone's guess, how many hours he must have practiced for this event. When he had finished he was rewarded with a standing ovation by the audience. His parents and siblings were absolutely beaming with pride. Then everyone went out for refreshments. Edwin stayed with his family for the most part. He didn't have any close friends there, it was more his brothers time to socialize. But Ty's father came by and Edwin, Edwin's father, and his grandfather all had a nice conversation. Eventually Ty's father had to leave, his daughter had to get home to cram for an exam in the morning. So Edwin floated into a corner to enjoy a bite to eat and a little solitude. He spotted Kassia, his old crush who he had run into at the play, and hoped she might talk to him. Sure enough, she eventually made her way over. They caught up on each other's lives, it is funny how much can happen in two years. Edwin was surprised to find her so talkative. He remembered why he liked her back then, she was so amiable and sweet, and such a good listener. If he didn't watch himself he'd talk non-stop for hours.
Edwin had no idea how long they talked, it seemed like quite a long time. He was ready to stop several times but she kept asking questions. Finally she excused herself and left. Edwin was getting tired so he followed suit. He said his goodbyes, signed the guest book, and took off for home. He got there and sat in his chair and let out a huge sigh. So much had been happening lately, it was a bit much to take in at once. The rest of his family arrived at home a few minutes later and Edwin's mother commented, "I like that Kassia girl, she's really sweet." Edwin smiled and thought to himself, I do too. But that was enough of that, it was graduation tomorrow and Michail's senior assembly in the morning. So Edwin stumbled off to bed and fell soundly asleep, dreaming of epic battles and the adventures of Edwin and his brothers.
Saturday, May 15, 2010
The Chronicles of Edwin, Ch. 4 "The Play"
Edwin dashed down the stairs. To say he was excited would have been like calling Mt. Everest tall. There they were! His maternal grandparents had just arrived from their distant town of Pleasentville. The room was full of smiles and necks were hugged over and again. News was shared, some good, some not so much. Edwin's grandma had brought him some new clothes, for which he was grateful. He was in dire need of things to wear. Donovan had to show his grandpa his newfound skills with the old scryver Edwin's father was letting the boy use. Donovan was very adept for one of his age.
Soon though, Edwin had to rush out the door to join another party. One of his best friends from the academy was headed off to war as a foot soldier in the Army. Edwin had played football with Johan, and was accustomed to being around to protect him. Edwin was not fond of the idea of his friend going to war. But soldiers were needed, and he had to admit, Johan would make a good one. Finally Edwin made it to the party and shared stories and laughs with all present. There was a good turnout, for Johan was well loved.
But again, time came to leave. It was time to see the play at the Academy. Michail starred in a major role in a classic play by Shakestick. Edwin's family all came shortly after he did and they found their seats. The play was amazing. Afterward it was remarked that people could hear Edwin laughing from backstage in the dressing rooms. This brought Edwin great joy, many a time he had been complemented on his laugh, and he loved to share the joy he found in mirth. Edwin took photographs of all the actors and friends there. So many memories. He found his old drama buddies and they had a little impromptu comedy sketch. She was also there... His big Academy crush. He said hi, but made sure not to get caught in an interesting conversation, who know what that would have done to his nerves. She was, he had to admit, radiant that night. The picture he took would prove that to any non-believer. But Edwin distracted himself and found more friends and soon forgot about her.
He took his brother home. There they said goodbye to their grandparents for the night and congratulated Michail on his performance. Edwin had to tell a funny story about his new sandals before they left though. His grandpa had brought Edwin some new sandals that didn't fit right, but were just Edwin's size. Edwin loved them and put them on immediately. It wasn't for a little while that Edwin discovered a terrible secret. The sandals suctioned to his feet just well enough to make noises as he walked. That night at the play, he was asked by the director to pray for the performance as an Academy Alumnus and former drama student. To do so Edwin had to walk on stage. So in complete silence he walked the agonizingly long trail up to center stage. Each step, despite his efforts, made a noise. It started out as a chuckle, but the kids in the corner burst out laughing and that was when the dam burst. Edwin was embarrassed at first, but had to admit it was funny. It sounded like he had a bad case of the walking farts. After the laughter settled a bit, Edwin blessed the performance and went back to his seat. His grandparents laughed, recalling the scene. What good times had been had. They left not long after and Edwin's family settled down in the family room.
As his family talked, Edwin thought to himself. His brother had great potential to do whatever he wanted, but Michail was on a wait list to be considered for apprenticeship to a blacksmith. It was an art that had largely died out since magitech machines could manufacture their wares much faster and for less money. But Michail had his heart set on continuing these traditions on. Edwin smiled, he would one day be the brother of a blacksmith. It was too much like one of the old books he had read. Edwin was happy for him. Edwin himself was not so convicted about his own career choice.
One by one they trickled upstairs to bed. Edwin was soon alone on his throne looking through the pictures he had taken and reliving the night. It was great, so many new memories, and so many old ones that rushed forth. His brother had done such a good job coming out of his shell. One actor who was particularly good, and wore prosthetic facial hair, appeared in a great many photos. Edwin laughed at his favorite scene as he played it back in his mind. A group of characters talked loudly knowing the bearded man would eavesdrop. The bearded man, of course, did not know this and listened whilst sneaking around behind some bushes. Every now and again he would peep out from behind the bush with the most unique facial expressions, or make a noise then more animal noises to, ahem, divert attention. All it did was divert our laughter into an uproar. Edwin liked this scene especially, since he starred in one much like it while he was at the academy. Big ol' Ed, hiding behind this little potted tree. Pure comedy right there.
He went through the rest of the play and got to the pictures afterwards. There were all his old friends from his days as a thespian. That girl was there, the flash had lit up her face so no one could see it. Edwin thought it was fitting though, a face too beautiful to capture by mere film. He reminisced of his senior year at the academy. It was sad he let infatuation get in the way of a good friendship with a beautiful girl. Edwin sort of wished that maybe he could start over... but that would be such a long shot. The Lord will provide though, and Edwin took solace in this. There were many happy times in the Academy with all his friends. They would gather beneath a giant oak and talk or spar or just do whatever they wished.
Edwin missed his friends and those care free days. He had grown a lot since that time, and by looking back he could see where he had matured. His Lord was truly amazing. So, thinking of all that Edwin had done and been though and how his Lord had always been there for him, Edwin drifted off to sleep in tears. But with just a hint of a smile showing through the pain.
Soon though, Edwin had to rush out the door to join another party. One of his best friends from the academy was headed off to war as a foot soldier in the Army. Edwin had played football with Johan, and was accustomed to being around to protect him. Edwin was not fond of the idea of his friend going to war. But soldiers were needed, and he had to admit, Johan would make a good one. Finally Edwin made it to the party and shared stories and laughs with all present. There was a good turnout, for Johan was well loved.
But again, time came to leave. It was time to see the play at the Academy. Michail starred in a major role in a classic play by Shakestick. Edwin's family all came shortly after he did and they found their seats. The play was amazing. Afterward it was remarked that people could hear Edwin laughing from backstage in the dressing rooms. This brought Edwin great joy, many a time he had been complemented on his laugh, and he loved to share the joy he found in mirth. Edwin took photographs of all the actors and friends there. So many memories. He found his old drama buddies and they had a little impromptu comedy sketch. She was also there... His big Academy crush. He said hi, but made sure not to get caught in an interesting conversation, who know what that would have done to his nerves. She was, he had to admit, radiant that night. The picture he took would prove that to any non-believer. But Edwin distracted himself and found more friends and soon forgot about her.
He took his brother home. There they said goodbye to their grandparents for the night and congratulated Michail on his performance. Edwin had to tell a funny story about his new sandals before they left though. His grandpa had brought Edwin some new sandals that didn't fit right, but were just Edwin's size. Edwin loved them and put them on immediately. It wasn't for a little while that Edwin discovered a terrible secret. The sandals suctioned to his feet just well enough to make noises as he walked. That night at the play, he was asked by the director to pray for the performance as an Academy Alumnus and former drama student. To do so Edwin had to walk on stage. So in complete silence he walked the agonizingly long trail up to center stage. Each step, despite his efforts, made a noise. It started out as a chuckle, but the kids in the corner burst out laughing and that was when the dam burst. Edwin was embarrassed at first, but had to admit it was funny. It sounded like he had a bad case of the walking farts. After the laughter settled a bit, Edwin blessed the performance and went back to his seat. His grandparents laughed, recalling the scene. What good times had been had. They left not long after and Edwin's family settled down in the family room.
As his family talked, Edwin thought to himself. His brother had great potential to do whatever he wanted, but Michail was on a wait list to be considered for apprenticeship to a blacksmith. It was an art that had largely died out since magitech machines could manufacture their wares much faster and for less money. But Michail had his heart set on continuing these traditions on. Edwin smiled, he would one day be the brother of a blacksmith. It was too much like one of the old books he had read. Edwin was happy for him. Edwin himself was not so convicted about his own career choice.
One by one they trickled upstairs to bed. Edwin was soon alone on his throne looking through the pictures he had taken and reliving the night. It was great, so many new memories, and so many old ones that rushed forth. His brother had done such a good job coming out of his shell. One actor who was particularly good, and wore prosthetic facial hair, appeared in a great many photos. Edwin laughed at his favorite scene as he played it back in his mind. A group of characters talked loudly knowing the bearded man would eavesdrop. The bearded man, of course, did not know this and listened whilst sneaking around behind some bushes. Every now and again he would peep out from behind the bush with the most unique facial expressions, or make a noise then more animal noises to, ahem, divert attention. All it did was divert our laughter into an uproar. Edwin liked this scene especially, since he starred in one much like it while he was at the academy. Big ol' Ed, hiding behind this little potted tree. Pure comedy right there.
He went through the rest of the play and got to the pictures afterwards. There were all his old friends from his days as a thespian. That girl was there, the flash had lit up her face so no one could see it. Edwin thought it was fitting though, a face too beautiful to capture by mere film. He reminisced of his senior year at the academy. It was sad he let infatuation get in the way of a good friendship with a beautiful girl. Edwin sort of wished that maybe he could start over... but that would be such a long shot. The Lord will provide though, and Edwin took solace in this. There were many happy times in the Academy with all his friends. They would gather beneath a giant oak and talk or spar or just do whatever they wished.
Edwin missed his friends and those care free days. He had grown a lot since that time, and by looking back he could see where he had matured. His Lord was truly amazing. So, thinking of all that Edwin had done and been though and how his Lord had always been there for him, Edwin drifted off to sleep in tears. But with just a hint of a smile showing through the pain.
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
The Chronicles of Edwin, Ch. 3 "Humorous Happenings"
Edwin lay in his bed thinking about things he had done over the last few days.
He spent most of Friday studying and goofing off with his scryver. Then it came time to pick his brothers up from the academy. That night would be the Senior Ball for the varsity students there. Michail was part of the graduating class and had a fancy suit waiting at home with all the trimmings. Edwin had to admit, his brother had grown into one handsome fellow, whether the girls at the academy noticed or not. Edwin took his brothers home.
Donovan ran off to play as usual and Michail went straight to his room to clean up and get his fancy new duds on. Edwin joked that Michail should wear his mail and sword and the boy nearly did. Their mother quickly stopped that and helped make sure Michail was looking his finest. Then it was time for the family chauffeur to drive once more. Edwin dropped his brother off at the ball then stood around observing old schoolmates and such all looking their finest. It was quite an event.
But Edwin did not stay long, he had other plans. Soon enough he was off to his friends dormitory at the university. Apparently he arrived sooner than expected, because nobody was there. Then again, Edwin was used to this. These friends in particular were not the most punctual and were apt to act on a whim. It was not too long till he spotted them running down the road. They had apparently upset a couple of rather unpleasant witches that attended the university.
Gordon was running and trying to cover a gaping hole in his breeches. It looked like one of the witches had got him with a small fireball. Tiglits head was swollen and orange, rather like a pumpkin. Edwin was in tears about to bust a gut when he decided he'd help them. Quickly he cast a basic smokescreen spell, grabbed his palls, threw them in a dumpster and hopped in after them. The stupid witches ran by screaming hysterically.
"Are they gone?" whispered Gordon. Edwin checked and nodded. The three of them climbed out of the dumpster. Gordon was brushing trash off his shirt, "Thanks for the our Ed, but in a dumpster? Really? Not cool man."
"And what would you have had me done lunk-head? It's a wonder they didn't check the dumpster. What on this green earth did you guys do?" Edwin retorted.
Tiglits shook his head and pointed at Gordon, "Don't look at me, he's the one that can't shut his mouth."
Gordon got rather animated, "C'mon, how was I supposed to know they'd chase us? You didn't exactly try to stop me did you Tigs?"
Edwin gave a stern stare and Tiglets muttered, "...Gordon said 'you won't'" To this Edwin and Gordon burst out laughing. The number of stupid things Tiglits has done after someone said 'you won't' is quite staggering.
"What exactly did you guys do then? Or do I want to know?" Edwin said.
Gordon explained. They had been eating a late dinner at a local restaurant with one other friend, Owen, when these two witches came in. They immediately came and started flirting with them and acting crazy, as per usual. They're not exactly lookers, in fact, Gordon swears one of them is a dude. So the three of them come up with a plan of escape while the girls are distracted by a particularly good looking waiter.
Gordon just happens to have a few stink bombs which he gives to Tiglets. They dare Tigs to throw them and simultaneously pull out the seats from under the witches. So, he does. As a bonus, the waiter tripped and spilled tea all over the girls. The trio paused to admire their work, then dashed outside. The witches seemed to recover much faster than expected and came screaming out of the building. Owen was a bit too slow and got turned into a pig. Then the chase ensued from there.
Edwin had a hard time keeping a straight face through all of this. His friends were... unique. "So, is Owen going to be okay?" he asked.
"It was a temporary spell" Gordon said pointing at Tgilits head as it morphed back to normal. "Owen should be back to normal soon. Let's go inside and see who else is coming."
The plan was to meet up with whoever was still available and go see a scryver show that had just come out. Gordon made some calls but most people were asleep or busy so the group was smaller than anticipated. Not a bad thing, with only five, they all fit on Edwin's jeed. The final party consisted of Edwin, Gordon, Tiglits, Owne, and a rather attractive girl Edwin didn't know named Myra. They were a lively group, it didn't take long for everyone to settle in and open up. Had someone walked by the room they would have thought there was a nitrous oxide gas leak.
Time came to go to the movie so they headed over. Edwin wasn't familiar with this part of town and made a wrong turn, but things worked out and they got to the show way early. The ticket salesman was a hoot. Flirted with Myra and made wisecracks at everyone, he was sarcastic, but not completely overboard. The gang all laughed anyway. They then stood there outside the theater waiting for the doors to open.
The movie was late in starting, so when the lights dimmed and the scryver started up a loud cheer went up from the audience. The show was great, action packed and a joke at every turn. Gordon commented later that he would have to get a personal copy just so he could catch all the lines he missed from everyone laughing so hard.
After the show the group went to a cook out that was being held nearby. They hung out late into the night before Myra said she was getting sleepy and they decided it was time to head back. Edwin dropped everybody off and headed home. It was unfortunate Myra had a boyfriend, she was really cool and Edwin found her unfortunately attractive. That night was full of good memories.
Saturday came, Edwin took his little brother Donovan to piano practice that morning then came home and crashed. He did not realized staying up so late the previous night would take that much out of him. He had plans to attend yet another party that afternoon. But, as fate would have it, he slept till the sun was setting and completely missed the party. Edwin was devastated, but kind of glad he got the sleep.
That was pretty much it for Saturday, Edwin was only awake for maybe six hour at max. Sunday he got up early to get ready for Church. He loved going to his Church. The pastors were so smart. It was like school, but no notes or homework, so to speak. How could anyone not like that?! Edwin went and enjoyed the services and talking with his friends. Some of the things said really plucked at his heart stings. Edwin was very emotional for a guy, and several times during the service he fought back tears. God was so amazing, it is hard to describe adequately all that went through Edwin's mind then. So much love, failure, grace, and mercy.
Edwin went straight home after Church and studied in his room.
The next day Edwin took his last two final exams and felt pretty good about them. He was especially proud of the grade he got on his final project, A+. Since then Edwin had just been taking his brothers where ever they needed to be and sitting at home. The one real highlight of these boring days was when the faeries would visit. They would visit and sit on his shoulders and just talk about who knows what. It was nice not to feel alone.
Edwin continued to review the things that happened in his life as he drifted to sleep. He saw the smiling faces of his brothers when he surprised them with an ice cream treat, his mom beaming with pride as he showed her his project, and his dad passing gas in the kitchen. Things weren't all as bad as he sometimes let on, he thought as he floated away like a log in a gently flowing stream.
He spent most of Friday studying and goofing off with his scryver. Then it came time to pick his brothers up from the academy. That night would be the Senior Ball for the varsity students there. Michail was part of the graduating class and had a fancy suit waiting at home with all the trimmings. Edwin had to admit, his brother had grown into one handsome fellow, whether the girls at the academy noticed or not. Edwin took his brothers home.
Donovan ran off to play as usual and Michail went straight to his room to clean up and get his fancy new duds on. Edwin joked that Michail should wear his mail and sword and the boy nearly did. Their mother quickly stopped that and helped make sure Michail was looking his finest. Then it was time for the family chauffeur to drive once more. Edwin dropped his brother off at the ball then stood around observing old schoolmates and such all looking their finest. It was quite an event.
But Edwin did not stay long, he had other plans. Soon enough he was off to his friends dormitory at the university. Apparently he arrived sooner than expected, because nobody was there. Then again, Edwin was used to this. These friends in particular were not the most punctual and were apt to act on a whim. It was not too long till he spotted them running down the road. They had apparently upset a couple of rather unpleasant witches that attended the university.
Gordon was running and trying to cover a gaping hole in his breeches. It looked like one of the witches had got him with a small fireball. Tiglits head was swollen and orange, rather like a pumpkin. Edwin was in tears about to bust a gut when he decided he'd help them. Quickly he cast a basic smokescreen spell, grabbed his palls, threw them in a dumpster and hopped in after them. The stupid witches ran by screaming hysterically.
"Are they gone?" whispered Gordon. Edwin checked and nodded. The three of them climbed out of the dumpster. Gordon was brushing trash off his shirt, "Thanks for the our Ed, but in a dumpster? Really? Not cool man."
"And what would you have had me done lunk-head? It's a wonder they didn't check the dumpster. What on this green earth did you guys do?" Edwin retorted.
Tiglits shook his head and pointed at Gordon, "Don't look at me, he's the one that can't shut his mouth."
Gordon got rather animated, "C'mon, how was I supposed to know they'd chase us? You didn't exactly try to stop me did you Tigs?"
Edwin gave a stern stare and Tiglets muttered, "...Gordon said 'you won't'" To this Edwin and Gordon burst out laughing. The number of stupid things Tiglits has done after someone said 'you won't' is quite staggering.
"What exactly did you guys do then? Or do I want to know?" Edwin said.
Gordon explained. They had been eating a late dinner at a local restaurant with one other friend, Owen, when these two witches came in. They immediately came and started flirting with them and acting crazy, as per usual. They're not exactly lookers, in fact, Gordon swears one of them is a dude. So the three of them come up with a plan of escape while the girls are distracted by a particularly good looking waiter.
Gordon just happens to have a few stink bombs which he gives to Tiglets. They dare Tigs to throw them and simultaneously pull out the seats from under the witches. So, he does. As a bonus, the waiter tripped and spilled tea all over the girls. The trio paused to admire their work, then dashed outside. The witches seemed to recover much faster than expected and came screaming out of the building. Owen was a bit too slow and got turned into a pig. Then the chase ensued from there.
Edwin had a hard time keeping a straight face through all of this. His friends were... unique. "So, is Owen going to be okay?" he asked.
"It was a temporary spell" Gordon said pointing at Tgilits head as it morphed back to normal. "Owen should be back to normal soon. Let's go inside and see who else is coming."
The plan was to meet up with whoever was still available and go see a scryver show that had just come out. Gordon made some calls but most people were asleep or busy so the group was smaller than anticipated. Not a bad thing, with only five, they all fit on Edwin's jeed. The final party consisted of Edwin, Gordon, Tiglits, Owne, and a rather attractive girl Edwin didn't know named Myra. They were a lively group, it didn't take long for everyone to settle in and open up. Had someone walked by the room they would have thought there was a nitrous oxide gas leak.
Time came to go to the movie so they headed over. Edwin wasn't familiar with this part of town and made a wrong turn, but things worked out and they got to the show way early. The ticket salesman was a hoot. Flirted with Myra and made wisecracks at everyone, he was sarcastic, but not completely overboard. The gang all laughed anyway. They then stood there outside the theater waiting for the doors to open.
The movie was late in starting, so when the lights dimmed and the scryver started up a loud cheer went up from the audience. The show was great, action packed and a joke at every turn. Gordon commented later that he would have to get a personal copy just so he could catch all the lines he missed from everyone laughing so hard.
After the show the group went to a cook out that was being held nearby. They hung out late into the night before Myra said she was getting sleepy and they decided it was time to head back. Edwin dropped everybody off and headed home. It was unfortunate Myra had a boyfriend, she was really cool and Edwin found her unfortunately attractive. That night was full of good memories.
Saturday came, Edwin took his little brother Donovan to piano practice that morning then came home and crashed. He did not realized staying up so late the previous night would take that much out of him. He had plans to attend yet another party that afternoon. But, as fate would have it, he slept till the sun was setting and completely missed the party. Edwin was devastated, but kind of glad he got the sleep.
That was pretty much it for Saturday, Edwin was only awake for maybe six hour at max. Sunday he got up early to get ready for Church. He loved going to his Church. The pastors were so smart. It was like school, but no notes or homework, so to speak. How could anyone not like that?! Edwin went and enjoyed the services and talking with his friends. Some of the things said really plucked at his heart stings. Edwin was very emotional for a guy, and several times during the service he fought back tears. God was so amazing, it is hard to describe adequately all that went through Edwin's mind then. So much love, failure, grace, and mercy.
Edwin went straight home after Church and studied in his room.
The next day Edwin took his last two final exams and felt pretty good about them. He was especially proud of the grade he got on his final project, A+. Since then Edwin had just been taking his brothers where ever they needed to be and sitting at home. The one real highlight of these boring days was when the faeries would visit. They would visit and sit on his shoulders and just talk about who knows what. It was nice not to feel alone.
Edwin continued to review the things that happened in his life as he drifted to sleep. He saw the smiling faces of his brothers when he surprised them with an ice cream treat, his mom beaming with pride as he showed her his project, and his dad passing gas in the kitchen. Things weren't all as bad as he sometimes let on, he thought as he floated away like a log in a gently flowing stream.
Friday, May 7, 2010
The Chronicles of Edwin, Ch. 2 "The Interview"
Edwin could barely sleep. The previous night he had pressed his shirt and shined his boots for the big interview. Normally getting up in time to not be late is a miracle from God, but not today. Edwin rolled over and looked at his clock. He muttered the incantation to make it light up. Gah, still an hour till it is time to wake up he muttered to himself.
Finally the alarm went off. Such an annoying thing it was too. It was an older model and used a cricket to make very loud chirps in quick succession. Edwin thought it might be nice to get the same model his friend had. That alarm used some fancy magitech and made the sound of a beautiful woman singing. Unfortunately, amidst all this thinking Edwin had fallen back asleep. Somehow he realized this though and soon fell out of bed.
He took an extra long shower and made sure to trim loose bits of hair. Then he adorned his one and only fancy shirt, put on the newly buffed boots, and was about to head out the door when his little brother shouted, "Put some pants on Edwin!"
After addressing this minor hiccup, he rushed the boys to the academy and rode off to the headquarters of the Magitech company. It was located in one of the larger nearby cities, but with a magical homing device Edwin wasn't worried about getting lost. He actually made good time and got there an hour early. So, instead of going in early, he decided to have an adventure.
Edwin knew that his childhood home was nearby. It had been six years since goblins drove his family out, and he was curious to see it and his old haunts again. So, in oder not to get lost he reprogrammed the MPS to the new desired destination. The MPS, or Magical Positioning System, is a magical homing device very much like a map. It uses magically imbued crystals suspended in orbit to triangulate one's position on terra and will often map out the best rout to whatever destination one desires. Edwin'd had the the standard options, quickest time, most use of roads, avoid mortal peril, and scenic rout. So, Edwin chose quickest time and kicked his jeed into a full out run.
It wasn't too long till Edwin came upon a crowd of travelers. It seemed two men were in a dispute after they ran into one another on their mounts. Things were starting to get ugly, the guards had already been summoned but that seemed to just make things worse. When Edwin saw a riot troll being summoned by the guards he knew it was time to make like a tree and leave.
Soon he began to see the familiar sights of his childhood. Much of the land had not been touched in the goblin raids and was just as he remembered it, the trees were just bigger. There was the huge church with the steeple that scraped the sky, and there was the old barbers shop and mount feeding station he used to walk to. Then he arrived. The entrance to his childhood village. The gates were broken and mossy like moldy bread. There didn't seem to be any danger, so Edwin rode on in.
There he saw the overgrown hovels of his old friends and neighbors. They looked very much like pieces to a game he once played, strewn about in the forest. He had gotten used to the larger houses of the village his family had moved to. To his surprise, a child came running down the street. He was a dryad, a child of the forest. Looking around, it seemed that a whole clan of dryads had moved into the abandoned village. That was a pleasant thought.
Edwin came upon his childhood home. There were more trees now, and a fence. But it looked nice. He thought about knocking and saying hello just to peek inside. But somethings are best left undone. He moved on and visited a few of the places he used to play and have adventures as a kid. It was all very nostalgic. He wished the goblins had never come. Maybe one day, when he had a wife and kids on the way, he would move back to this village with the dryads and show his children the paths he had carved through the woods.
All of this took place in a rather short amount of time, the speed of thought is an amazing thing. Too soon it was time to go. Edwin really did not want to be late after being an hour early, how bad would that look. So, he dug in his heels and held on tight as his jeed took off at dizzying speeds. Edwin was worried he would run into an all out battle royal on his way back, but it seems the riot troll had be extremely effective. There was no sign of the incident left, just a few ornery guards looking callous.
Edwin's jeed made very good time but they were still a couple minutes late. Oh well, maybe they will think I'm just being fashionable... I do look good in these fancy duds... Edwin thought to himself as he walked into the little building. The trip to his home had calmed his nerves and the interview seemed to go swimmingly. Edwin really liked both the men he talked to, they seemed very down to earth and honest. The company helped construct large castles by providing finely cut steel and stone to other magitech firms. It was not what Edwin expected, but it sounded kind of fun. Definitely a great opportunity. He really hoped this one would pan out.
After going home and having a short nap, Edwin realized he had his next Magitech Final soon. This one was going to be a pain. The class was on using scryvers to solve complex mathematics problems, but the professor was always late, he could never hear her, and they were allowed to bring notes to use on the final. What a pain. Edwin thought about using his scryver from home and splicing his feed into the University's server, but if he got caught he could be expelled.
Once again Edwin was off. It was mid to late afternoon now and the sun was beating down like ticked off mother dragon. So when Edwin got to the storage area, he sat with his jeed in the shade waiting for the bhusr. Whoever was driving this particular diplopod was off his rocker. He flew past the first stop, ignoring a few people and nearly missed Edwins! Luckily two rough looking fellows wanted off and made him stop. Edwin barely managed to get on by running out in front of the beast (they are not so great at turning you see). The driver then had the bhusr scurry on, missing yet another passenger who made an obscene gesture.
After nearly getting hit by a scarab and idling in the most random of places, they finally arrived at the University library. Edwin would not forget this driver and was in a rather wrathful mood. He took the final, but that only served to enrage him further. If one could have seen just how miffed he really was, they would tremble in fear... or at least be rather impressed with the amount of steam coming from Edwin's ears.
Edwin swore, if it was that ratty bhusr driver again he would rip the man's head off. Thankfully it was not, and the sight of one of his favorite drivers did much to put him in a better mood. The view on the bus was nice on the way back to his jeed. It was brunette with long flowing hair and sparkling eyes wearing a modest dress, the only decoration a wild flower amidst the locks. Maybe the day wasn't as bad as it had seemed just an hour ago. After all, Edwin had had a wonderful morning.
Edwin got off the bhusr, thanked the driver, and rode off. On his way he remembered promising to pick his brother Michail up from the Aacademy to get a haircut. Edwin sighed, he wished his brother would get a license to ride a mount, but Michael was too thick headed. As Edwin waited for his brother, he watched the fencing team practice. They were getting pretty good. Sword fighting was a requited class at the academy, but some continued to pursue the art for various reasons. Becoming a royal knight was by far the most popular reason for swordplay though. One had to be and expert to make it past the first round of qualifying exams in that line of work.
Finally Michael came out and they headed out. Edwin dropped Michael off at the barber's and then headed home for a nap. Edwin eventually got out his scryver to see if anyone else was linked up. And sure enough they were. One was a young cook whose skills were quickly gaining repute throughout the land, and the other was a rather eccentric young story teller. They chatted through their scryvers long into the night till Edwin fell asleep where he sat.
Finally the alarm went off. Such an annoying thing it was too. It was an older model and used a cricket to make very loud chirps in quick succession. Edwin thought it might be nice to get the same model his friend had. That alarm used some fancy magitech and made the sound of a beautiful woman singing. Unfortunately, amidst all this thinking Edwin had fallen back asleep. Somehow he realized this though and soon fell out of bed.
He took an extra long shower and made sure to trim loose bits of hair. Then he adorned his one and only fancy shirt, put on the newly buffed boots, and was about to head out the door when his little brother shouted, "Put some pants on Edwin!"
After addressing this minor hiccup, he rushed the boys to the academy and rode off to the headquarters of the Magitech company. It was located in one of the larger nearby cities, but with a magical homing device Edwin wasn't worried about getting lost. He actually made good time and got there an hour early. So, instead of going in early, he decided to have an adventure.
Edwin knew that his childhood home was nearby. It had been six years since goblins drove his family out, and he was curious to see it and his old haunts again. So, in oder not to get lost he reprogrammed the MPS to the new desired destination. The MPS, or Magical Positioning System, is a magical homing device very much like a map. It uses magically imbued crystals suspended in orbit to triangulate one's position on terra and will often map out the best rout to whatever destination one desires. Edwin'd had the the standard options, quickest time, most use of roads, avoid mortal peril, and scenic rout. So, Edwin chose quickest time and kicked his jeed into a full out run.
It wasn't too long till Edwin came upon a crowd of travelers. It seemed two men were in a dispute after they ran into one another on their mounts. Things were starting to get ugly, the guards had already been summoned but that seemed to just make things worse. When Edwin saw a riot troll being summoned by the guards he knew it was time to make like a tree and leave.
Soon he began to see the familiar sights of his childhood. Much of the land had not been touched in the goblin raids and was just as he remembered it, the trees were just bigger. There was the huge church with the steeple that scraped the sky, and there was the old barbers shop and mount feeding station he used to walk to. Then he arrived. The entrance to his childhood village. The gates were broken and mossy like moldy bread. There didn't seem to be any danger, so Edwin rode on in.
There he saw the overgrown hovels of his old friends and neighbors. They looked very much like pieces to a game he once played, strewn about in the forest. He had gotten used to the larger houses of the village his family had moved to. To his surprise, a child came running down the street. He was a dryad, a child of the forest. Looking around, it seemed that a whole clan of dryads had moved into the abandoned village. That was a pleasant thought.
Edwin came upon his childhood home. There were more trees now, and a fence. But it looked nice. He thought about knocking and saying hello just to peek inside. But somethings are best left undone. He moved on and visited a few of the places he used to play and have adventures as a kid. It was all very nostalgic. He wished the goblins had never come. Maybe one day, when he had a wife and kids on the way, he would move back to this village with the dryads and show his children the paths he had carved through the woods.
All of this took place in a rather short amount of time, the speed of thought is an amazing thing. Too soon it was time to go. Edwin really did not want to be late after being an hour early, how bad would that look. So, he dug in his heels and held on tight as his jeed took off at dizzying speeds. Edwin was worried he would run into an all out battle royal on his way back, but it seems the riot troll had be extremely effective. There was no sign of the incident left, just a few ornery guards looking callous.
Edwin's jeed made very good time but they were still a couple minutes late. Oh well, maybe they will think I'm just being fashionable... I do look good in these fancy duds... Edwin thought to himself as he walked into the little building. The trip to his home had calmed his nerves and the interview seemed to go swimmingly. Edwin really liked both the men he talked to, they seemed very down to earth and honest. The company helped construct large castles by providing finely cut steel and stone to other magitech firms. It was not what Edwin expected, but it sounded kind of fun. Definitely a great opportunity. He really hoped this one would pan out.
After going home and having a short nap, Edwin realized he had his next Magitech Final soon. This one was going to be a pain. The class was on using scryvers to solve complex mathematics problems, but the professor was always late, he could never hear her, and they were allowed to bring notes to use on the final. What a pain. Edwin thought about using his scryver from home and splicing his feed into the University's server, but if he got caught he could be expelled.
Once again Edwin was off. It was mid to late afternoon now and the sun was beating down like ticked off mother dragon. So when Edwin got to the storage area, he sat with his jeed in the shade waiting for the bhusr. Whoever was driving this particular diplopod was off his rocker. He flew past the first stop, ignoring a few people and nearly missed Edwins! Luckily two rough looking fellows wanted off and made him stop. Edwin barely managed to get on by running out in front of the beast (they are not so great at turning you see). The driver then had the bhusr scurry on, missing yet another passenger who made an obscene gesture.
After nearly getting hit by a scarab and idling in the most random of places, they finally arrived at the University library. Edwin would not forget this driver and was in a rather wrathful mood. He took the final, but that only served to enrage him further. If one could have seen just how miffed he really was, they would tremble in fear... or at least be rather impressed with the amount of steam coming from Edwin's ears.
Edwin swore, if it was that ratty bhusr driver again he would rip the man's head off. Thankfully it was not, and the sight of one of his favorite drivers did much to put him in a better mood. The view on the bus was nice on the way back to his jeed. It was brunette with long flowing hair and sparkling eyes wearing a modest dress, the only decoration a wild flower amidst the locks. Maybe the day wasn't as bad as it had seemed just an hour ago. After all, Edwin had had a wonderful morning.
Edwin got off the bhusr, thanked the driver, and rode off. On his way he remembered promising to pick his brother Michail up from the Aacademy to get a haircut. Edwin sighed, he wished his brother would get a license to ride a mount, but Michael was too thick headed. As Edwin waited for his brother, he watched the fencing team practice. They were getting pretty good. Sword fighting was a requited class at the academy, but some continued to pursue the art for various reasons. Becoming a royal knight was by far the most popular reason for swordplay though. One had to be and expert to make it past the first round of qualifying exams in that line of work.
Finally Michael came out and they headed out. Edwin dropped Michael off at the barber's and then headed home for a nap. Edwin eventually got out his scryver to see if anyone else was linked up. And sure enough they were. One was a young cook whose skills were quickly gaining repute throughout the land, and the other was a rather eccentric young story teller. They chatted through their scryvers long into the night till Edwin fell asleep where he sat.
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
The Chronicles of Edwin, Ch. 1 "The Test"
Edwin awoke to the grating sound of his mothers yells. She had already turned on the lights and made breakfast. "Wake up! You don't want to miss the first day of finals do you?!"
"I'm awake!!!" Edwin retorted impishly as he fell back to sleep. But the instant his head smashed into the fluffy mass that resembled a pillow, the reality of what his mother had said hit him. He bolted up, well half way at least. It took him about three tries to finally sit up. He was not a morning person. But today was different. He had two finals at the regions foremost renowned university for Magitechnology, and he was going to be late!
What was worse was his lack of study, but he was rather apathetic of late. It was time to just get them over with and move on. So, Edwin dressed himself in the new clothes he and his mother had purchased just last night and rushed down the stairs. His father was looking lumpy as ever, waiting to take Edwin's siblings to the academy in Edwin's place. You see, it is normally Edwin's job to take his brothers to Crest Academy but because of finals he had to leave early.
Edwin downed a couple pastries and quick as a click, he was out the door and mounting his Jeed. Now a jeed is a funny looking creature, it is big and furry with huge padded feet. Edwin had an elderly red jeed which he rode around most places, it was his favorite mode of transportation. Anywho, he secured his pack on the saddle and mounted the beast. Pretty soon they were barreling pell-mell down the highway.
It was not long till Edwin had stowed his mount and was riding the Bhusr (the 'h' and 'r' are silent), a giant breed of millipede that had been tamed and was used as public transportation by the university. Edwin wasn't nervous about the exams at all. Rather he liked watching all the others riding the Bhusr as they were frantically looking over notes. One girl sitting across from him was rather attractive. She kept looking his way when she thought Edwin wasn't looking...or so he hoped anyway. It is hard to see what someone is doing whilst not looking at them, no?
Edwin wondered what would have happened had he said something, anything, to that girl on the Bhusr. Probably nothing. Definitely nothing. He wondered why he always daydreamed like this. Maybe it was because so many of his friends were in or in some stage of entering relationships. Or perhaps just his boyhood fantasies of finding his princess and having wild adventures till happily ever after came. Oh well, this was his stop. Time to walk...
Edwin hated walking. He was quite round, some believed him to have giant blood in him, some just thought he ate too much and instead of growing out he first grew up. Whatever the case, his feet disagreed with prolonged use and in the event of walking, or heaven forbid, running! They promply started to whine. But, being used to this, Edwin ignored his feet and walked on.
It turns out he had made great time and was a whole half hour early to class. So, he got out his books and mused over the material. "To use magic to create structures, you must first understand what you create. We begin with the simple rod..." Learning to be a Civil Magitechnician was a lot of work. One had to master mathematics, geometry, alchemy, and other technical skills. But it paid well and Edwin would be able to carry on the family trade. For indeed, both of his parents were magitechnicians and his grandfather was too. He worked for the military building forts and harbors and such around the world.
Well, dreams of grandeur only come true one test at a time. And it was that fated time, Dr. Tayedalhi was passing out the exams. Edwin wished his friend luck and went to work.
Three hours later and a little cross eyed he turned in his paper. He guessed way too much on that exam, nothing good could come from that. That's what I get for not studying I guess... I'll live. He thought as he walked out.
Edwin now had a bit of time on his hand, his next exam was a couple hours away. So, he found a place to sit down and got out his scryver text to check 'face-tome'. Then he remembered he had to make an important call. He had accidentally scheduled and interview with a magitech company during one of his exams. The lady was nice though and everything worked out fine. He would be going the next day at 9:00 instead of 1:00. Disaster averted.
Shortly after his friend called inviting him to lunch. Naterasha and Eliza met Edwin at one of the campuses dining areas. They ate and laughed and studied a bit then it was about time to go. Naterasha stopped everyone to hand out gifts. She had made some little notes with an encouraging 'end of the semester' scripture on it, also a piece of chocolate. Edwin and Eliza each got one.
Then they were off. They ran into a couple friends on their way, but quickly got to Haverson Hall. It was a huge round building where they say terrible alchemic experiments used to take place, and that was why there were plans to demolish it. Whether these stories were true or not, the building was real enough. And so were the stairs. Edwin hated those stairs with a burning passion, as intense as the pain in his calves after climbing them.
They all made it to their room though, and after catching his breath a bit Edwin settled into his seat. I was not too long before the exam was passed out and pencils were grinding lead into endless reams of paper. Math, Edwin loved math. Math tests, those he hated. And this one was no different.
Once again, three hours pass and even more cross eyed than before, he turns in his test booklet and leaves.
Exhausted, he goes straight home to relax and prepare for the next day.
"I'm awake!!!" Edwin retorted impishly as he fell back to sleep. But the instant his head smashed into the fluffy mass that resembled a pillow, the reality of what his mother had said hit him. He bolted up, well half way at least. It took him about three tries to finally sit up. He was not a morning person. But today was different. He had two finals at the regions foremost renowned university for Magitechnology, and he was going to be late!
What was worse was his lack of study, but he was rather apathetic of late. It was time to just get them over with and move on. So, Edwin dressed himself in the new clothes he and his mother had purchased just last night and rushed down the stairs. His father was looking lumpy as ever, waiting to take Edwin's siblings to the academy in Edwin's place. You see, it is normally Edwin's job to take his brothers to Crest Academy but because of finals he had to leave early.
Edwin downed a couple pastries and quick as a click, he was out the door and mounting his Jeed. Now a jeed is a funny looking creature, it is big and furry with huge padded feet. Edwin had an elderly red jeed which he rode around most places, it was his favorite mode of transportation. Anywho, he secured his pack on the saddle and mounted the beast. Pretty soon they were barreling pell-mell down the highway.
It was not long till Edwin had stowed his mount and was riding the Bhusr (the 'h' and 'r' are silent), a giant breed of millipede that had been tamed and was used as public transportation by the university. Edwin wasn't nervous about the exams at all. Rather he liked watching all the others riding the Bhusr as they were frantically looking over notes. One girl sitting across from him was rather attractive. She kept looking his way when she thought Edwin wasn't looking...or so he hoped anyway. It is hard to see what someone is doing whilst not looking at them, no?
Edwin wondered what would have happened had he said something, anything, to that girl on the Bhusr. Probably nothing. Definitely nothing. He wondered why he always daydreamed like this. Maybe it was because so many of his friends were in or in some stage of entering relationships. Or perhaps just his boyhood fantasies of finding his princess and having wild adventures till happily ever after came. Oh well, this was his stop. Time to walk...
Edwin hated walking. He was quite round, some believed him to have giant blood in him, some just thought he ate too much and instead of growing out he first grew up. Whatever the case, his feet disagreed with prolonged use and in the event of walking, or heaven forbid, running! They promply started to whine. But, being used to this, Edwin ignored his feet and walked on.
It turns out he had made great time and was a whole half hour early to class. So, he got out his books and mused over the material. "To use magic to create structures, you must first understand what you create. We begin with the simple rod..." Learning to be a Civil Magitechnician was a lot of work. One had to master mathematics, geometry, alchemy, and other technical skills. But it paid well and Edwin would be able to carry on the family trade. For indeed, both of his parents were magitechnicians and his grandfather was too. He worked for the military building forts and harbors and such around the world.
Well, dreams of grandeur only come true one test at a time. And it was that fated time, Dr. Tayedalhi was passing out the exams. Edwin wished his friend luck and went to work.
Three hours later and a little cross eyed he turned in his paper. He guessed way too much on that exam, nothing good could come from that. That's what I get for not studying I guess... I'll live. He thought as he walked out.
Edwin now had a bit of time on his hand, his next exam was a couple hours away. So, he found a place to sit down and got out his scryver text to check 'face-tome'. Then he remembered he had to make an important call. He had accidentally scheduled and interview with a magitech company during one of his exams. The lady was nice though and everything worked out fine. He would be going the next day at 9:00 instead of 1:00. Disaster averted.
Shortly after his friend called inviting him to lunch. Naterasha and Eliza met Edwin at one of the campuses dining areas. They ate and laughed and studied a bit then it was about time to go. Naterasha stopped everyone to hand out gifts. She had made some little notes with an encouraging 'end of the semester' scripture on it, also a piece of chocolate. Edwin and Eliza each got one.
Then they were off. They ran into a couple friends on their way, but quickly got to Haverson Hall. It was a huge round building where they say terrible alchemic experiments used to take place, and that was why there were plans to demolish it. Whether these stories were true or not, the building was real enough. And so were the stairs. Edwin hated those stairs with a burning passion, as intense as the pain in his calves after climbing them.
They all made it to their room though, and after catching his breath a bit Edwin settled into his seat. I was not too long before the exam was passed out and pencils were grinding lead into endless reams of paper. Math, Edwin loved math. Math tests, those he hated. And this one was no different.
Once again, three hours pass and even more cross eyed than before, he turns in his test booklet and leaves.
Exhausted, he goes straight home to relax and prepare for the next day.
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