Valkyrie's Page of Wonder

April 30, 2007

Letter from the departed

Lyrics from My Last Breath by Evanescence(edited for the story)
Sarah Redding to Xannon Okunen on the day before the Last Battle

(It will make more sense if you'd read the Animenation RPG to the end)

Hold on to me love. You know I can't stay long. All I wanted to say was "I love you and I'm not afraid." Can you hear me? Can you feel me in your arms?

I'm holding my last breath. Safe inside myself are all my thoughts of you. Sweet raptured life, it ends here tonight.

I'll miss the winter, a world of fragile things. Look for me in the white forest, hiding in a hollow tree, come find me. I know you hear me. I can taste it in your tears.

I'm holding my last breath. Safe inside myself are all my thoughts of you. Sweet raptured life, it ends here tonight.

Closing your eyes to disappear, you pray your dreams will leave you here. But, still you wake and know the truth: No one's there!

Say goodnight. Don't be afraid, calling me, calling me, As you fade to black.

Say goodnight, holding my last breath. Don't be afraid. Safe inside myself, are all my thoughts of you. Sweet raptured life, it ends here tonight.

April 27, 2007

Songs that Inspire

A lot of my story inspiration comes from life but some of the details have come from songs. For example, Prophecy: Return of the Evil, used songs by Radford(Fly), Sarah McLaughlin(Angel), Robbie Williams(Angels), Jimmy Eat World(The Middle), and Five for Fighting(Superman). And maybe a few others I can't remember at the moment.
My current story, Fallen Angel, seems to be only using songs by Evanescence(Going Under, My Immortal, Hello) and Linkin Park(Don't Stay, Easier to Run, Numb). I may have missed few by them that I can't remember the words to off the top of my head. I suppose if I listened to the radio more instead of only listening to those two CDs I might get more songs that fit the story, but hey, I'm lazy.
The RPG story from AnimeNation, used an interesting variety as well. Including Gorillaz(Clint Eastwood), Ozzy Osbourne(Dreamer), Five for Fighting(Superman), Godsmack(I Stand Alone), Hoobastank(Remember Me), Linkin Park(Numb), Rob Zombie(Dragula), and maybe a few others that, again, I can't think of.
Does that mean my stories aren't my own? Hardly. Other people listen those songs all day and don't envision a story like mine, if they envision a story at all. I've been told by several different that there are no "new" ideas, only old ideas redone in new ways. You could even draw comparisons with Star Wars: Good guy turns bad after death of loved one and later turns good again. I've even seen Harry Potter compared with Star Wars Episode 1 with interesting effect.
So I would recommend listening to those song I mentioned at least once, as long as you can stand the first minute that is. Maybe you'll make a connection to the story maybe you'll be like, "How the heck does this relate?" If you ask, i'll be sure to explain it to you.

Friendship...

Friendship means getting out of bed when your friend calls you to help her move out of her apartment at midnight and then not getting back to the house till almost 4 in the morning....and liking it.

April 25, 2007

Oops...

Oops, I missed my Tuesday deadline. "Deadline"...thats an interesting term... Anyway.

Things are going fairly well. Gandalf is still skinny, but he's holding on fairly well. We're trying to get him to eat more so he can get his energy up which will in turn make lots of things better. I just wish I know what was going on inside him to make him so sick.
Lupi is getting old and nakey. Most of the belly and neck fur is gone. We're thinking he might have an adrenal problem, but we're taking a "wait and see" approach at the moment. At least until we can take him to get an implant and see if that improves his coat.
The rest of the babies are doing well. Aki still bounces around like a little kit despite being the biggest one in the group. He like to pick on the small and sick. I told him to pick on ferrets his own size, but we will see.

Work has been pretty good as well. Been working hard on sites like the Georgia County Clerks Association. Started back on the The Country Club, so hopefully that will be up and running live soon.
Got another possible big project for Centurion Homes which involves making a web application for their home customization and pricing stuff. Very involved since they have multiple options for just about everything in the house: doors, floors, outlets, carpets, tiles, paint, shingles, and whatever else is listed in their current database. A nice hefty bonus is in it for me if I can get it done in my spare time. Hopefully everything goes well and works nicely, but we'll see.

My Warlock, Akispataki, has been put on hold while I have fun with my new Rogue, Pixieceleste. I like being able to do a lot of damage upfront, instead of a lot of Damage over Time spells. It's fun, don't get me wrong, just not what i'm looking for right now. So if you see a white haired Night Elf rogue running around Darkshore, it might be me, so stop and say "Hi".

April 17, 2007

ColdFusion, Warlocks, and Parties

Since I did say I would try to use Tuesdays to post to my blog and it is still Tuesday here, I guess I will fill you in on whats been happening.

We should be finished with the Peach County Chamber of Commerce. Jimmy and I did a last run through of the site this evening and there are only a couple of pages that he needed to update or add.
The next big project will either be the Country Club or the GCCA or some other acronym that I can't remember at the moment. Reid Church is just about finished. Need to add their privacy policy that I keep forgetting about. And eventually I'll need to go revisit the recurring events stuff for that site, as well as SitePro as a whole. It's been interesting working with recurring events and I think I'm just about through with it, but we'll see.

I got my Night Elf Hunter, Littlefire, to level 60 the other day and decided to work with my Gnome Warlock for now. It's fun, but I might decide to try and quickly grind him up to lvl 60 so I can start work on my Human Paladin. My guild is needing more healers so having a Holy Spec Paladin would be nice.

We are thinking of getting a game day going sometime in May. We plan on having all kinds of party games and such like Pictionary, Upwords, Mad Gab, as well as DDR(Dance Dance Revolution) and Fuzion Frenzy. Hopefully we will have lots of people over and lots of fun. Not sure how much fun i'll get to have since i'll prolly be cooking food on the grill, but that ok, we can always play more after food.

Still working on my story and will post more of it later this week prolly. If you haven't been reading it, make sure you start from the beginning, otherwise things will be very confusing.

April 15, 2007

Fallen Angel - Starting Over

Having been kicked out of Hirogei, Xannon heads for his hometown to see his parents. He arrives in the city and is greeted by cold shoulders and resentment. He knocks on the door to his parents’ house and after a moment, his father opens the door.
“Hello,” he answers. “How can we help you?”
Immediately, Xannon knows his father will no longer recognize him as his son or even pretend to know him.
“Who is it, dear?” Xannon’s mother calls from inside the house.
She comes to the door and looks at her son with eyes that beg to defy the High Priestess.
“Oh!” she exclaims. “You look terrible. Would you like to come in for a bite to eat? I’m not one for helping strangers, but you look like you lost everything.”
She brushes past Mr. Okunen and pulls Xannon inside. She directs him to the table and tells him to wait there while she prepares some hot food for him.
“We have some extra clothes if you would like them as well.”
Xannon smiles at her attempts to help him despite what the High Priestess had obviously said to them.
“Yes,” he replies. “That would be nice.”

After a warm meal and several sets of clothes packed into a bag, Mrs. Okunen walks Xannon to the door.
“Be careful,” she says, resisting the urge to hug the son she most likely will never see again.
Xannon looks at her for a moment then turns to look down the street.
“Don’t worry about me. I can handle myself. I don’t need anyone looking out for me anymore.”
He begins walking down the street that leads out of the city without turning to look back. Mr. Okunen comes to the door and watches him go.
“You realize you have jeopardized our lives by helping him, don’t you?” he asks.
“I don’t care. No matter what the High Priestess says, he is still my son. The Goddess knows how I feel and understands completely,” she replies.
They head back inside as Xannon continues out of the city.

~<3~

Xannon wanders through the great Klemayn plains in search of something, anything to continue living for. It’s been over a month since he left his hometown and the parents he’ll never see again. Finding food is difficult and he hasn’t had a decent meal for two weeks. As he stumbles further south, he enters the foothills that mark the southern boundary of Risah. He didn’t know where he was going but hopefully he would find something beyond these hills.
As he crests the hill he sees a road going west, deeper into the mountains. Not knowing were to go, he heads west down the road, hoping to find something, anything to keep him going for a little while longer.
After walking for days through rough terrain and feeding off what little edible vegetation there was he sees in the distance a small but active town. With renewed vigor he sets off for the town.
When he reaches the town the sign posted out front reads: “Filgara.” Filgara was a bustling new town without any ties to any temple. The leaders of the town planned on keeping it that way too. A free town where anyone could come and stay without fear of temple authorities, a place that was exactly what Xannon needed.
“Halt, who goes there?” the guard asks as Xannon approaches.
“Just a young man down on his luck and needing a place to rest his weary legs,” Xannon replies.
“Do you have a name or should I just call you, Lucky?”
“My name is…”
Xannon pauses. He had no name. It hadn’t really affected him until now. How would anyone address him with no name?
“Lucky sounds like a good name to me. I need all the luck I can get at this point.”
The guard laughs and lets him pass.
“Go check out the Gilded Rose Inn, the innkeeper there has a tendency to help out those who need it. Perhaps she can even help you.”
“Thank you, sir.”
Xannon heads into town and locates the Gilded Rose. He stumbles inside and finds a quite spot in the corner to rest. After a moment, a waitress walks over.
“What can I get for ya?”
“Just water will be fine,” Xannon replies.
The waitress leaves and returns with a glass of water. Xannon looks at the glass wondering if there was any reason to keep going. Before the waitress leaves he turns to her.
“Is there anything to do in this town? What I mean is I’m new here and I need a job and a place to stay.”
The waitress thinks for a moment, “What are you good at?”
“I am… or at least I was good with the sword. I haven’t had a chance to practice on anything more than a wild dog.”
“Well we have plenty of guards, but if you want, you can check with Captain Powell he might be able to find a use for that arm. As for a place to stay, I’ll check with Ms. Skuld and see if she has a room available.”
“I don’t have any money. In fact, I don’t have much of anything to my name.”
“Well in that case, you better talk to Ms. Skuld. I’ll tell her to come over. You just drink your water and rest up.”
The waitress heads back to the bar to talk to Ms. Skuld. Xannon takes a drink of his water, letting it cool his mouth before swallowing. He continues to drink and manages to empty his glass before Skuld comes over.
“Hello, sir. My name is Ms. Skuld and I own this inn. I heard you needed some help.”
“That is correct. I need a job, a place to stay, and some food.”
“Starting over I see. Well if there was ever a good place to try and start over, Filgara would be it. People have come from all over Gi’erth to settle here. Amy mentioned you have no money, so the first thing we need to do is get you a job. I’ll let you stay here until you get back on your feet, but don’t expect to stay for free. When you are done with whatever job you have, I expect you to work here during the late shift. She also mentioned you’re decent with a sword so I’m going to send you to my friend, Jack Powell. He’s the captain of the town watch and is always looking for strong young men such as yourself. You can find him in the town watch building near the center of town. It’s the building with the crossed swords and shield above the door. Hard to miss. Head over there now and when you get back I’ll have a decent meal waiting for you.”
“Thank you ma’am. You have no idea how much this means to me.”
“I have an idea, and don’t call me ma’am. Call me Skuld.”
“Thank you Skuld.”

Xannon stands and heads back out into the city. Feeling a little better about life he heads for the town watch building and asks for Captain Powell.
“I would like to see the Captain. Skuld at the Gilded Rose sent me over.”
The officer at the desk turns to look out the window into the training yard and points to the Captain.
“See the man with the leather jerkin beating the crap out of the poor shmuck in the full plate? That’s the captain. Go talk to him but be ready to defend yourself. He likes to give what he calls ‘pop quizzes’”
The officer hands Xannon a basic short sword and leads him outside.
“Excuse me, Captain Powell? Skuld said you might be able to provide me with a job?”
Powell breaks free of the other guy and kicks him square in the chest, sending him falling backwards, where he stays for a moment, recovering his senses.
“A job? You expect me to give you a job? You think the town watch needs another drifter in its ranks? Almost everyone who comes into this town wants to join the town watch. Everyone thinks they are good with the sword and almost everyone of them gets beat to the ground in seconds, like that poor slob.”
Powell gestures to the guy in full plate still struggling to get up.
“So do you think you are good?” he asks.
“I used to be. Not too sure anymore. I haven’t had to fight a person in months, only wild animals.”
“Well let’s find out. Attack me. And don’t hold back either. If you do manage to cut me you’ll be the first person in three years. En garde!”
Powell immediately attacks, giving Xannon barely enough time to block. The clanging of steel on steel brings flashes of memory to his mind. Memories of a life forgotten, of love lost. His mind wanders yet his blade never falters. As his mind returns to the present he knocks aside Powell’s sword and goes to strike, but Powell is faster and brings his sword back in to block. Realizing that Xannon might be more of a challenge, Powell steps it up, swinging faster and stronger, and forcing Xannon to concentrate more on the moment. Powell swings at Xannon’s head, forcing him to duck. He uses this opportunity to try and knee Xannon in the face, but he dodges to the right catching Powell’s left leg in the process, tripping him up and making him stumble a little. As Xannon rolls to get up, he is forced to dodge another strike from Powell’s blade. Xannon counters with a swing at Powell’s free arm. He pulls it in just enough to avoid getting hit, and then punches Xannon square in the chest, knocking the wind out of him and forcing him to stumble backwards. He regains his breath and balance without falling and prepares to attack.
As the match continues, the other officers gather around to watch the fight. More than once Xannon has a close call with the blade nearly slicing off an arm. Soon they are both bruised but uncut. As the fight gets more intense, Xannon starts to regain his skill with the sword and the tables begin to turn in his favor. With Powell now on the defensive, Xannon is able to focus more on his attacks and finding a weakness in Powell’s defense. With a swift deflection of Powell’s sword Xannon points his free hand at Powell and a gust of wind blows him backward into the gathered crowd. Xannon charges but stops when he sees Powell drop his sword and throw his hands up.
“Hold! I may have bested you had you been a mere swordsman. But against a mageknight, I will surely lose. You have proven yourself worthy tenfold. You have a job here if you wish to take it. We could use strong, powerful men like you here.”
Xannon helps Powell back to his feet.
“I think I’ll take you up on that offer. Maybe you can teach me a couple of things about the sword.”
“I was hoping you’d do the same for me,” Powell says dusting himself off. “And perhaps a little magic if you’re willing.”
“I may just do that. But right now, I’m going to get some food. I haven’t eaten anything good for weeks.”
Xannon turns to leave.
“Wait a minute. You mean you fight that good when you starving? I’d hate to face you on your good days. Where do you come from?” Powell asks.
“I come from a place where no one knows my name. Where everyone I used to know has forgotten me, and the only person I had every truly loved has died. I am a lost soul searching for a new place to call home.”
“You sound like you’ve had it rough. What’s your name?”
“I, like those where I come from, have forgotten my name. You can call me Lucky. It was luck that brought me here to this town and luck that kept me from harm in our fight. And if everything goes well it will be luck that gives me a good meal and a decent night’s sleep in a warm soft bed.”
“Well, Lucky, we’re glad to have you in our ranks. You go on back to Skuld and get that warm meal. I’ll see you bright and early tomorrow morning.”

April 10, 2007

Fallen Angel - Falling

It has been nearly a month since Xannon headed for Gaia City. Life was indeed full of technological wonders, but living with the Priests of Yehova was nearly unbearable. The constant state of alert was wearing him down and lately it’s been nearly impossible to get a decent nights sleep.
“Get up Xannon!” the priest orders.
Xannon rolls over in his bed to look at the priest. He sits up and stretches then starts getting dressed. The priest walks back to the main room where a letter had been hand delivered by a temple associate. It was addressed to Xannon, but the priest had taken the liberty of opening it. The letter came from Hirogei and contained disturbing news.
Xannon enters the main room and the priest approaches him, holding the letter out for him to see.
“Good morning to you too, Alex,” Xannon says.
He takes the letter and notices it was opened.
“No privacy with you around is there?”
Alex remains quiet and Xannon opens the letter. He takes a seat in one of the chairs as he begins to read it.

To Priest Xannon Okunen,

Priestess Amanda Moore

Xannon puts the letter down then turns to Alex. He hoped that he would let him go to Hirogei to see her despite the hatred that was growing inside him for the katta priestess. Alex answers the unspoken question.
“If you want to go, I won’t stop you. Just don’t do anything stupid or rash. Kimberly is already being investigated for this attack and will suffer the ruling of the High Priestess. You have to let justice take care of things, do you understand?”
“I understand what you are saying.”
Xannon stands up and heads for the door.
“I’m leaving now.”
He opens the door and leaves, closing it behind him.

~<3~

When Xannon arrives in Hirogei he heads for the Mayor’s mansion, where the temple activities are run. He introduces himself as a Priest of Bast to the guards, who promptly let him inside.
Once inside a fellow priestess leads him through the mansion to the room where Sarah was being treated. He slowly pushes the door open and sees her lying on the bed with a blanket pulled up to her neck. A priestess kneels on either side of the bed, praying for her health and trying to heal her, an attempt that Xannon could immediately tell was futile.
He kneels next to her and brushes his hand across her cheek. The warmth was already gone from her face despite the blanket. It was clear she was in shock. She turns her head in Xannon’s direction and opens her eyes. A smile tugs at the edges of her lips.
“I knew you’d come. I never stopped believing in you.”
She reaches over and hands Xannon a little brown box tied with a brown string.
“I never needed to open it. I could always feel your presence even though you were miles away.”
Xannon kisses her forehead, “Do you want to see what’s in the box?” he asks.
“Too cold,” Sarah replies, in a slow, raspy voice. “I don’t feel her presence any more.”
“Save your strength,” Xannon comforts. “The priestesses are praying for you as we speak.”
“I’m not going to make it, am I?”
“Of course you will,” he consoles.
Xannon cups her cheek in his hand.
“Never forget me, Xannon. No matter what happens in the future, you must always remember us and what we had.”
“Stop talking like you’re going to die. The goddess is always watching out for us, remember.”
“It feels like someone is blocking her eyes, Xannon. I’m so cold and alone.”
“I’m here for you. You can’t leave me now,” Xannon pleads. “We still have our entire lives to live together.
“I see her!” Sarah says, staring wide-eyed at the ceiling. “She is calling me to her. I feel so warm now.”
Sarah closes her eyes and a smile spreads across her face as her final breath escapes past her lips.
Xannon sits there, himself in shock, staring at the face of a fellow believer in Bast, his lover, and his friend. Had she been let down by her Goddess when she needed her most? There was no telling what was going on in Bast’s mind. The mind of a God or Goddess is not something mere mortals can comprehend.
What Xannon did know, however, was that the katta now in Town Watch custody was responsible for her death. She had caused the fatal wounds that took Sarah’s life. If not for that katta, Sarah would still be alive.
Xannon stands up and turns to the door while one of the priestesses draw the blanket up over Sarah’s head. The other looks at Xannon and places a comforting hand on his shoulder. He pauses a moment, feeling her hand touch his shoulder, then pulls away and leaves the room, the brown box falling to the ground.
As he leaves, the priestess that tried to comfort him picks up the box. As she does so, the small string finally breaks spilling the contents onto the floor. She reaches down and picks up a small diamond ring. An inscription on the inside of the band reads: “Yours forever and always.”

~<3~

A week after Sarah’s death, Xannon stands in the Court of Hirogei. The High Priestess of Bast sits with the Judge behind the bench.
“Priest Xannon,” the judge begins, “you have been charged with first degree murder, destruction of public property, disgracing the name of Bast, and killing a fellow servant of Bast. These crimes carry a heavy price, but at the High Priestesses request, I will yield to her decision on punishment. Any opening remarks before the prosecution calls its first witness?”
“No, your honor,” Xannon flatly states.
“Then you may be seated.”
Xannon sits down and stares forward as the first witness is called and sworn in.
“Captain Reese,” the attorney opens, “would you please tell the court what happened?”
“Certainly,” Reese says, “I was positioned at the front door of the holding center where Kimberly Stripe was being detained. I had been instructed to keep Priest Xannon Okunen from entering to see the witness and to direct him to see the High Priestess.
“When Priest Okunen approached, I stopped him and informed him he was not to see the witness and to visit the High Priestess, as per my orders. He started to head inside the building and I stopped him, drawing my sword. I restated what I had said before and told him to turn back, if he didn’t I would arrest him and use force if necessary.”
The attorney, who had been slowly pacing in front of the bench, now turns to face Reese.
“But he didn’t turn back, did he, Captain?”
“No, sir, he did not. I brought my sword up to stop him, but he turned and used magic to send me flying backwards. The other guard tried to take him down, but was also sent flying backwards.”
“For the record,” the prosecutor interrupts, “Can you tell the court which spells he was using?”
“I’m not a mage but I believe he was using Wind Blast at that point.”
The attorney nods, letting Reese continue with his story.
“After that, he entered the building where he found Priestess Stripe. My partner and I got up and followed him inside, but kept our distance. When we saw him he was having what looked like a civil conversation with Priestess Stripe. As we got closer it appeared she was telling him what had happened between her and Priestess Redding. We were too far away to hear the entire conversation but it soon escalated into a yelling match that erupted into a magic battle when Priest Okunen blew her back against the other side of her cell, with another Wind Blast, I assume.”
The attorney stops Reese again, “It was at this point that the magical restraints on the cell failed correct?”
“The restraints failed when Priest Okunen ripped the doors from their hinges, yes.”
“How did he do that exactly?”
“A Kamaitachi spell can break though most metals, or so I’ve been told. The spell he used resembled it in many ways so I can only assume that was what he used. After the magic restraints failed Priestess Stripe was able to retaliate.”
“And the resulting battle destroyed the entire wing of the building and damaged several surrounding structures, correct?”
“That is correct.”
“As many witnesses have reported the battle finally ended when Priest Okunen killed Priestess Stripe, is that your report as well, Captain?”
“Yes, the blood on his sword was Priestess Stripe’s”
“That is all. Thank you, Captain.”

Xannon sat quietly and didn’t move throughout Captain Reese’s testimony. Now he glances momentarily at the Captain as he walks back to his seat. Through the testimonies of several other witnesses Xannon sits, unmoving.
Finally after the judge and high priestess had heard all the witnesses of both sides, the Judge turns to face Xannon.
“Do you have anything to add or say on your own behalf before we pass sentence on you?”
Xannon is silent for a moment as he considers what to say. He stands and looks straight at the High Priestess.
“When I received the letter about Sarah my heart sank and my emotions took control. I arrived in Hirogei just in time to watch the person I have loved for the past seven years, die right before my eyes.
“She said something to me that made me wonder about several fundamental teachings of the temple. She told me she couldn’t feel her presence anymore, Bast’s presence. The healing of the priestesses at her side weren’t having any effect. Bast was not watching over her. She felt Bast calling her in the moments before she died. It felt like Bast wanted her to die. This was simply something I could not comprehend. How could the Goddess of Creation allow one of her priestesses to die, and at the hands of another priestess?
“If that is the kind of Goddess that I am serving then I revoke my priesthood in this temple.”
The High Priestess looked visible disturbed by that statement. She stands and briefly glows with the power of Bast.
“You have decided your own sentence, Priest. You will be stripped of your rank in the Temple of Bast. Your name will be stricken from the records. Because of the blasphemy you have shown against the Goddess Bast, the creator, you will be stripped of your name. Xannon Okunen has died this day. You are now merely a nameless, shell of a man. You will be sent out of the city with only the clothes on your back. That is the decision of Temple of Bast.”
The High Priestess remains standing while the Judge bows his head for a moment. After a brief mediation he picks up his head and looks at Xannon.
“As I stated before, this court stands by the decision of the High Priestess. At six o’clock this evening, you will be sent out of the city, having been stripped of your rank, priestly robes, and, most grievously, your very name.”

April 07, 2007

Fallen Angel - Sacrifice

Seven years have passed since their first battle in Hirogei. In that time, Xannon and Sarah grew even closer. Unknown to Sarah, Xannon was struggling over whether or not to ask Sarah to marry him. With the war still raging, Xannon didn’t feel it was the right time to ask. On the other hand, with life being such a fragile thing now would the perfect time to ask and declare his love for her. It seemed that every time he thought about asking her, another battle would call them away from the city.
Xannon sits on the steps outside his house in Hirogei trying to recover and rest from the last battle. He looks down at his hands and notices how rough and battle hardened they had become over the years. His skills with magic and the sword had surpassed everyone’s expectations, even his own. The attacks against the city had lessened after the forces of Kardis had learned of his skill.
Sarah walks outside and sits down next to him, resting her head on his shoulder.
“I hear the forces of Kardis are starting to pull back and regroup. If we press the attack we might even be able to retake Gaia City, especially since we have the help of the Zystral Mages. After that it will be all down hill and we can finally start our life together in peace.”
“Peace… Will this world ever know peace?”
Xannon looks up as a Priestess of Gaia turns the corner and heads for the Mayor’s house. He watches her disappear into the building.
“What do you suppose a Priestess of Gaia is doing in Hirogei?” he asks.

~<3~

“Are you sure?” the High Priestess of Bast asks. “Is there nothing we can do to change it?”
The Priestess of Bast pauses a moment as if listening to someone.
“There is one thing we can try, but we hesitate to ask because of the extreme sacrifice it will require.”
“Anything is better than the end of the world. What kind of sacrifice are you talking about, Sayla?”
“400 years of war, and the defection of one of your best to the forces of Kardis.”
“What!? That’s not a sacrifice, that’s suicide! Bast will never agree to that!”
“She already has, High Priestess Celeste”
Celeste drops back and sits down in her chair.
“She has?”
“Yes, Bast, Yehova, Gaia, and even Kardis and Rinous have been discussing this for some time, ever since Gaia foresaw it happening. Kardis and Rinous were, of course, against changing anything, but after realizing they were losing ground and in its current state would lose the war within four years they proposed these terms.”
“But 400 years?”
Celeste stops to think about the terms.
“Do we get to choose who goes?”
“They have already chosen.”
Sayla hands Celeste a folder containing a name and photo. She opens it up and reads over the information.
“Him? But he has everything he’s ever dreamed of. To make him lose that now would destroy him, not turn him.”
“Leave that to Kardis. He can be very convincing.”
“Very well… I’ll get on this as soon as I can.”
“By your leave,” Sayla bows and leaves the office.
Celeste watches her go and says a prayer.
“Bast, I hope and pray that one day, when all this is over, this poor soul will be rewarded for the great sacrifice he is about to make. Keep him and his love safe until this threat has passed.
Yehova, I pray that when the time comes to reward this man you give him your blessing and forgive him for any wrongs he may do and lives he may take while in the service of Kardis.
Gaia, you are wise beyond time and I weep, knowing I will never live to see the end to this war. If you say this is the only way to stop a greater tragedy, then I trust you and will follow your will. Watch over this man who’s soul I am about to condemn to the wolves. May I one day be allowed to redeem myself for what I am about to do.”

~<3~

Xannon and Sarah sit out side on the steps watching the people of Hirogei go about their daily lives. Xannon wonders what life will be like once the war ends and he can finally spend peaceful days with Sarah without worrying about war.
“Where would you want to live?” Xannon asks.
“I’m not sure. I haven’t been very many places but this is my favorite place so far, at least when there isn’t any fighting. The sea breeze is nice and everyone is so friendly. I would like to be a little closer to the ocean than this place. Being so close to the Mayor’s Mansion kind of wrecks the atmosphere.”
“Yeah, it’s like a constant reminder of our duties here.”
“I think that’s the point.”
One of the other priests bursts out of the house in excitement.
“They did it! They took back Gaia City! The end of the war is near!”
The excited priest runs off down the street singing praises to Bast and Yehova.
“We better go see what’s going on,” Xannon says.
He gets up, then helps Sarah up, and they both head into the house. Once inside they grab the attention of one of their friends.
“Roger, what’s this about Gaia City?” Sarah asks.
“A combined attack with the forces of Bast, Yehova and the Priests of Gaia from Zystral managed to retake the city. They forced the forces of Kardis out of the city and back to Guer in Risah. If they keep going like this the war will be over in just a few months.”
“That’s great news!” Xannon bursts out, hugging Sarah. “This calls for a celebration! Stay here I’ll be right back.”
Xannon heads off to his room to retrieve a small box he’d been keeping under the bed. As he leaves the room a messenger from Bast arrives with a letter from High Priestess Celeste for Xannon and a few others, including Roger. Roger takes the letter and opens it. After reading it he passes it to one of the others on the list.
“You’re not going to like this, Sarah.”
“What? Are we moving to Gaia City?”
“Sort of,” Roger replies.
Xannon bursts into the room carrying a small box and a bottle of wine.
“Hold off on the celebration, Xannon. You might want to read this first.”
Roger hands him the letter from the High Priestess. He silently curses and stuffs the box into his jacket pocket.
“What?” Sarah asks. “What’s going on?”
“We’ve been reassigned,” Roger states when Xannon doesn’t respond.
“Well, where are we going?” Sarah asks.
“You’re not going,” Roger states. “Xannon, Grey, Aaron, Kris, and myself, have been reassigned to help hold Gaia City. Everyone else is to stay here and watch the city.”
“You mean they’re splitting us up?” Sarah asks on the verge of tears. “How can they… It’s just not fair!”
She bursts into tears and runs outside. Xannon hands the bottle of wine to Roger and runs out after her. He finally catches up to her when she stops to rest on the corner of one of the shops downtown.
“How can they do this to us, Xannon? How can they split us up after all we’ve been through together? They must see, they must know how much we mean to each other.”
“As much as it pains me to be apart, if Roger is right, then we’ll only be apart for a few more months. If I have to be apart from you for a few months to be able to spend the rest of life with you then it’s worth it.”
Xannon reaches into his pocket and pulls out the box. He places it in her hand.
“If you ever feel lost here without me or find yourself missing me so much your heart feels like breaking, open this box and know that I will come back for you. No matter what it takes or who gets in my way, I will come back.”
Sarah wipes away her tears and looks at the brown, non-descript box. A small, fraying, brown piece of rope has been tied around it to keep it from opening.
“I know you’ll come back,” Sarah says, turning to hug Xannon and resting her head on his shoulder. “Kardis himself couldn’t keep you from me, no matter how hard he tried.”
They continue to hold each other for a few minutes before Sarah asks, “When do they want you to leave?”
“As soon as they secure the Magic Room at the Temple of Yehova they will send someone to get us, so, no later than tomorrow.”
“Then we better get you packed.”
Xannon and Sarah turn and head back to the house, walking slower than normal to delay the inevitable.

April 03, 2007

Long time no post...

Well its been months since the last post so I guess I should update people on whats going on. First I'll start with the reason for lack of posts, which probably has to do with the World of Warcraft(WoW) subscription that I got for Christmas and have been playing a whole long since then. I'm having lots of fun with my (currently) Level 58 Night Elf Hunter. I'm wanting to start some of the higher instances but my guild is just starting and doesn't have a lot of players ready or willing to do them just yet.

Second, my story. The one on AnimeNations' forums is done, but the one i've been writing hasn't been updated since my last post. Again, mostly due to WoW taking up my free time. I suppose I should set aside some time to work on it, but it takes at least 15 minutes to get back in the groove of the story and then very few if any distractions to get any good writing done. Regardless, I will at least attempt to write something tonight. Maybe if the weather's nice I'll take the laptop from work outside and write out there. We shall see.

Third, work. Been working hard on several websites including Habersham County, Peach County Chamber of Commerce, The Country Club, and Somewhere in Augusta. Probably a few others that I have done but done recall if I finished them before my last post or not. One thing I'm checking out is getting a ColdFusion Chat and Blog set up for a new client. It's interesting to note, that I work exclusively in ColdFusion at work, but have to code in PHP if I want to work on my personal stuff. Probably why I don't work on my personal stuff that much. Another non-work related site recently completed is Crafty Weasels. It's a site dedicated to the sewing group in Atlanta that makes bedding for various shelters across the US. I had to talk to GoDaddy the other day because their servers weren't pointing the domain name correctly causing much trouble when trying to access the site. All that should be resolved now though.

Finally, and most importantly, family. We are doing good. Gandalf isn't doing so hot however. He's lost a lot of weight and we are doing all we can to keep him going. He's still fairly active, considering his condition. Doesn't like to play rough and squeaks when someone attacks him. Rainbow and Taitou also lost some weight they both were aggressive with the nbone treats, so I think they were both "crack" addicts. Holding off on food in the hopes of getting the treat. We stopped giving them the treats and have put Rainbow on a ferretone/galanthys treatment to get her to eat more and she has been gaining some of the weight back. Taitou wasn't so bad so we are letting him recover on his own.
We finally decided to get rid of the video rockers that I liked so much. Despite how much I liked them there simply wasn't enough room for them. So about 2 minutes after Ann posted them on FreeCycle we had about a half dozen offers to take them. We called a guy at Fort Gordon and after several wrong turns he finally managed to make his way to our house and pick up the chairs.

I'll try to make more posts from now on. Since Tuesday morning is the time for the WoW servers to do their weekly maintenance. I guess I could use Tuesdays for writing and/or posting. Only time will tell if that will work or not.

Oh, and if you're reading this and happen to play WoW...on the Draenor server...on the Alliance side....you can send a message to Littlefire. That's my lvl58 NE Hunter.