Inside the carriage by myself was very lonely. I could hear my mother and Valk whisper to each other and we bumped along the dirt road. I pushed my ear to the wall of the carriage to see if I could hear what they were discussing.

"We can't afford another attack like that," my mother said.

"The boy must have been cursed some time ago," said Valk. "There was probably a magical trigger that would activate if he and the your daughter were left alone."

"Jall must have been planning his revenge for sometime. I should have put him down then and there when we discovered what he had been doing to the villagers."

"I still wonder about his escape. There had to have been someone on the inside that helped him. There was no way he could have gotten his hands on emberstone locked in the dungeon as he was."

"It's too late to think it about now."

"Will the nearby kingdoms stand for it? Will they just let a mad wizard take and corrupt the land?"

"As long as he doesn't move on them, they will probably won't do anything for now."

"Surely they will feel threatened by his power?"

"Which is what will keep them docile. No doubt word will spread quickly on how fast we were overthrown. No one wants willingly face an army of demons."

A moment of silence.

"What about this green robed person that my daughter saw?"

"No doubt an agent. For that matter, we haven't seen anyone one the roads since we started traveling."

"We're not on the main roads are we? We haven't even passed a village since leaving the castle."

"No, but we should have least have run into somebody. The wizard's corruption already must run deep."

The two fell into silence and I sat back down on the bench. Jall - there was that name again. When I had asked my mother about him earlier, all she told me was that he was a very bad person who had done some very bad things.

After some time, I began to hear scraping on the side of the carriage. Looking out one of the windows, all I could see was green. Trees leaned inward, their branches brushing along the outside of the cart.

"Blasted!" I heard Valk exclaim. "I just got wacked in the side of the face by a branch."

We journeyed onward, the scraping continued and occasionally I would hear a "TWACK" sound followed by another cuss from Valk. The light from the sky started to fade as evening drew in. Valk and my mother began to speak again, this time at a normal volume.

"Milady," Valk said. "It's been a long day. Why don't you go back with your daughter and get some rest?"

"You're still injured," my mother chastised Valk. "If anything you should get some rest."

"As much as I hate to admit it milady, we should all stop and rest. Including the horses"

"Do you think we're safe? After what happened at the bridge..."

"I can't guarantee anything. However, if the wizard was intent on following us, he would have sent along riders after securing the castle."

"What about the person my daughter spotted?"

"We've seen no sign of them either."

"We will have to do watches." my mother insisted.

"I'll start looking for a suitable spot to pull off."

We continued to roll along. I did my best to keep myself amused by pretending there was a little man running along side the window, jumping over any obstacles he encountered.

"Smoke - In the distance." My mother said.

The carriage rolled to a stop.

"I'll go ahead and see what it is," said Valk. The carriage shook as he got down from the front seat.

"Are you OK to do that?"

"It's just a minor wound, I'll live."

"If I'm not back within a half-hour, get off the road and hide."

His footsteps then, walking away doing the road.

I felt the carriage shake again as my mother got down. I heard her approach the door.

"Samantha honey. We're stopping for a bit. Did you want to stretch your legs?"

I opened the door and got out.

My mother looked very, very tired. Dark lines were under her eyes. Her normally tidy hair had several strands sticking out in several directions. Leaves stuck to parts of her travelling outfit. I had never seen her like this, normally she was best kept person that I knew.

The sun was very close to the horizon it would be dark soon.

My stomach grumbled.

"Did you want something to eat?" My mother asked.

"Yes please." I said.

She walked to the back of the carriage and fumbled about inside the luggage box. She pulled out two apples, brought them over, and handed me one. She took a bite out of the one she held and scanned around in both directions. I sat down on the carriage step below the door and bit into the juicy fruit.

She quickly finished her apple and paced around, continuously scanning the horizon. She pulled out some carrots for the horses and fed them. Afterwards, she began pacing again. Even to my four-year-old self, I could tell she was on edge.

Minutes passed. I finished my apple and watched the sun descend behind a far off hilltop.

"Come on.... Come on," I could hear my mother muttering to herself as she continued to look up the road in the direction that Valk had traveled in.

"Thank the ancients!" she exclaimed. I followed her gaze and saw Valk waving at us to move forward.

"Let's go honey," my mother said. She lifted me up to the front bench of the carriage and got behind the reins. We rolled forward, eventually reaching the Valk who stood waiting for us.

"It's a merchant caravan," Valk said once we go into earshot. "They're just skimming the border, making their way to the northlands. Said we could follow them if we wish."

I saw the nervous edge and tension melt away from my mother.

"Finally some good news."

****

My body felt heavier and heavier with every mile that we crossed.

It had been a over week since my mother and I left Elkshire under the cover of night. The only rest that I had since that time had be short, dreamless naps as we continued to push forward.

As Eplash had said, we began to take cover at night. One would sleep for a short while the other kept watch for our pursuers. Occasionally we would hear the dragon circling the area, on those nights, its nightmarish screeches keeping us both awake and alert.

We spent little time on the roads, rather Eplash would guide me through the forest primeval.

When time allowed, she would point out how to spot game trails, what plants could be used medicinally. How to construct lean-tos and smokeless fires were also included in the instruction.

After a particularly arduous day of travelling, we stopped to rest in a small glen. I sat down heavily on a fallen log. My head was pounding and my feet were aching. I was near my limit.

"We will go to a town tomorrow." Eplash said as she started to build a fire. "I believe we have lost our pursuers for now."

"What makes you say that?" I said.

"We haven't heard the dragon for two nights now."

"Are we even near a town?"

"I recognize this area. I cross through it every year when I come from the Giantkin lands.

There will be an inn there that you can stay at for a night. Get some sleep and recuperate."

"Me? What about you?"

"All the furniture there is.... human sized."

I tried to picture the giant woman attempting to sleep in a normal sized bed, legs sticking out several feet from the end. I giggled at the mental image.

"Ahh, I see."

"Besides, I live outside for most of the year. I will camp nearby. I'm used to it."

I couldn't help but feel that the Giantkin was somehow disappointed in my lack of endurance. Since we became traveling companions, she had told me several more stories about the adventures that she and my mother went on during their younger days. I had memories of my mother being a tough woman, but the way Eplash told it, both of them were superhuman. There had to be embellishment. Right?

"I'm sorry I'm not stronger," I said. "Like my mother was."

Eplash stood, towering over me and pointing at my head with a stick.

"You are strong here." She lightly tapped my temple. She then move the stick to my chest and gave it a light tap as well. "And here."

She then pointed the stick to my legs, "These can be trained. Those other two cannot."

As much as my body ached and cried for rest, I wearily helped Eplash set up the camp for the night. We constructed two lean-tos, a large one for her, and of course a much smaller one for myself. Eplash then said she was going hunting and disappeared into the forest for about an hour. She returned with about a half-dozen pheasants which she had strung from a stick... or in her case a small log.

Cleaning the birds and plucking their feathers took up more time, but it was a nice mindless distraction from the day's travel.

Eplash began to cook the birds and I stared into the fire. I began to look forward to tomorrow when I would get to sit down at the inn and be brought a nice hot meal that I would have no hand in butchering, defeathering, or deboning. Then, I would slip in to nice clean sheets and my body would get the rest it so desperately wanted. Perhaps I would even take a bath.

Save for the nighttime sounds of the forest, we ate in silence. We were beginning to settle in for the night when something occurred to me.

"You mentioned something about Beam and explosions?" I asked.

"What?"

"When we first met, I asked you about how we would find the other companions. You mentioned something about following the explosions to find Beam."

"Ahh.... yes we haven't talked much about the other two so far. I guess I should prepare you before we meet them."

Prepare me? What would I need to prepare for? Exactly what were my mother and father up to before I was born. It seems that they kept a lot from me.

"Beam is an.... engineer of sorts. He's one of the top dwarven explosive experts. Last I heard he was helping with a major emberstone mining operation. That was many years ago though, so he may have moved on by then."

"So we're going to be looking for somewhere where an explosives expert would be necessary?"

"Yes."

"OK, makes sense so far. And Vendrix is some sort of elven exile now? That means he was active royalty when you knew him."

"Yes."

Ahh Eplash, ever the conversationalist.

"Anything else I should know?"

"He and your mother were to be married."

"WHAT!?"

Eplash might as well told me that water ran uphill and goats were actually bloodsucking animals that flew. Whenever my mother had talked about my father, it was with great affection. I couldn't fathom her being with... no being ENGAGED to anyone else.

"It is a very long story and I do not tell it very well." Eplash said. "Vendrix was the one to call it off, much to the delight of your father."

I made a mental note to ask Vendrix more about this when we finally met him. I wondered what other earthshattering revelations the Giantkin was keeping from me.

"Well, I'm glad we got THAT piece of dragon's fire out of the way now rather than later."

"Yes, good talk." Eplash looked like the world had lifted off of her shoulders. "Now sleep."

"Wake me when it's my turn for watch."

"Yes."

I curled up and drifted off to dreams of warm meals and warm beds.

When I opened my eyes it was daylight. The Giantkin was nowhere to be found.

"Run!" the now distorted face of the groomsman yelled.

I turned and started pumping my legs as fast as I could. I began to run back towards where Valk and my mother had been talking.

The roar of the groomsman had drawn their attention. Both Valk and my mother started making a beeline towards me. Valk, with his longer legs, reached me first. He didn't stop, but rather blew right past me, sword drawn.

"Keep moving!" he shouted as he ran past.

Once my mother reached me, she scooped me up in a protective embrace and turned to run in the opposite direction.

From what I could see from my mother's shoulder, Valk had gotten to the carriage and was trying to beat back some sort of ferocious animal. Hortim the groomsman was nowhere to be seen.

My mother continued running. Suddenly, we were on the bridge and crossing the river. My mother stopped and put me down on the far side.

"Honey, you see that pile of boulders over there?" She asked.

A ways down the road, there was a cluster of massive stones that littered the field. I nodded, acknowledging that I saw them.

"Keep running until you reach them. Once you do, hide as best as you can."

"You're not coming?" I asked.

"I'll be along in a few minutes." My mother said as she removed her cloak and set it on stone of the bridge. "I have to go help out Mr. Valk. Stay hiding until we come and get you ok?"

"Yes Mommy."

My mother pulled a short sword from a scabbard that sat on her hip. I stood staring. I had never seen my mother hold a weapon before.

"Go!" my mother said. She started running back towards Valk and the carriage.

I turned, and ran as fast as I could towards the rocks.

***

The stones were the remnants of some sort of ancient construction.

Even as a young as I was, I could could tell that they had once been purposefully placed in a pattern. Specifically what that pattern was, what the purpose would be, evaded me completely.

I found a spot where a few of the stones had toppled onto each other, creating a small gap that I could squeeze into. I pulled myself inside and twisted myself about so I could see the road.

From this angle, I could only see a small section of road. I wasn't able to even see the bridge that I had left only a few minutes ago. I waited for what seemed like an eternity.

Finally, I heard the sound of hoofbeats approaching. It had to be the sound of my mother with the carriage coming to find me.

I was just about to pull myself out of the ruins to go and greet her, when something deep inside told me to wait.

A figure on horseback came into view. They had approached from the opposite direction of where the bridge was. Bright green robes decorated their body.

In their right hand they grasped a golden amulet that hung from their neck. Their left arm was outstretched in the in the air, the palm of the hand facing outward. The hand was slowly moved in this direction and that, like it was seeking something.

The figure then quickly turned, their palm facing exactly in the direction of where I was hiding.

The rider dismounted. Still holding the amulet, they began walking towards the ruin.

I did my best to slide backwards into the limited space that I was hiding in. I scrunched myself down, trying to remain unseen.

I could see the figure was a man. He stepped closer and closer to the ruins. Then he stopped.

He seemed confused. He attempted to step forward again, but he found himself sliding backwards. He held out his free hand as far as he could, but try as he might, he could not push it past a certain point. I heard him curse.

He suddenly looked startled. He turned and bolted back to his mount. He spun his horse around and galloped in the other direction.

Moments later, I heard the sound of more hoofbeats. This time it was coming from the direction of the bridge. I stayed in my hidey hole and waited.

I saw the familiar carriage roll into view. My mother was at the reins. Valk sat next to her, several dents in his armor, and a bloody bandage on his right arm.

"Samantha?" my mother called. She handed the reins to Valk and dismounted. She looked around the ruins, "Samantha? It's safe to come out honey."

I pulled myself out of my hiding spot and ran towards her.

"Mommy!"

My mother bent down and I ran into her arms. She embraced me and kissed me on the forehead. "You did what I told you! Good girl!"

"Milady," Valk said. He motioned to the roadway. "Tracks. Fresh ones."

My mother brushed back some of my hair. She looked me in the eyes. "Honey, did you see anything while you were hiding?"

"I saw a man in green robes." I said. "I think he was trying to find me, but I hid!" I don't know why, but I made no mention of the stranger's weird encounter at the edge of the ruins.

With the mention of the man, my mother went pale and gave a look to Valk. "Good job honey. Now we have to keep moving."

She opened the door to the carriage and I stepped aboard. I waited for her to join me.

"Valk got a little hurt, so I'm going to stay up front with him OK?"

I nodded.

"Mommy, where is Hortim?" I wondered what happened to the groomsman who had been so kind to me.

"Hortim is... gone honey."

With that she closed the door, and I was alone inside the carriage. With a sudden jerk that almost knocked me off my feet, we started moving.

I sat down on one of the benches. Aside from the sound of hooves plodding along the dirt road and the creaking of the carriage, it was dead silent. My mind switched from face of the kind man that held me up to pet the horses, to the horrible visage with black eyes and sharp teeth. These images would haunt me for years.

***

Following fresh horseshit inevitably lead us to the horse that made it.

More accurately, it led us to a pair of horses that had been tied off on the side of a trail. A Vardo, or wagon house, was parked nearby. From this distance, we could see number of people milling about a small fire. The smell of breakfast was heavy in the cool morning air.

The sun was just coming up over the horizon. One of the people near the fire saw us and waved us over.

As we approached, we could see that the group of travelers appeared to be a small family that consisted of a man, a woman, two young boys who looked to be about 4 and 5 respectively, and an elderly woman.

"You're tall," said the smaller of the boys looking up at Eplash as we drew near. He had to strain his neck to look up at her. Contented with stating his astute observation, the boy turn and ran over to his older brother who was inspecting an anthill.

The woman, whom we assumed to be the boy's mother stood and wiped her hands on an apron. She looked to Eplash, "Sorry, he's at that age where anything might come out of his mouth."

"It's alright," Eplash said. "I stand out."

"Where are you folks coming from?" the man asked as he poked at whatever meat he was frying over the fire.

I wasn't sure how to respond. I couldn't just tell them I was being pursued by cultists... oh and there was a dragon after me as well.

"Hunting," Eplash said motioning to the large bow that was strung over her back. "Showing my apprentice the ropes."

A lie with just enough of the truth thrown in. This wasn't Eplash's first time using subterfuge.

"We don't see many Giantkin over this way," the man observed. "The hunting bad back home?"

"I hunt the same prey all winter over the mountains. It is nice to change things up."

The man nodded, seeming to accept this. The roads could be dangerous, but they could also be very lonely. Talking to another traveler might be the only news that you got for days. Sometimes you had to size someone up a little before getting too friendly.

"We're just about to have breakfast," he said as he turned a few pieces of meat over in the pan. "You're welcome to join us if you wish."

My stomach growled. It had been quite a while since I had a proper meal.

I was about to speak up and accept the kind offer, but then realized that Eplash had appointed me the role of apprentice.

If I accepted the invitation before my "master', it might dispel the glamour that Eplash's lie had created.

"That would be nice," Eplash said. "We've been walking all night."

The man introduced himself as Garet. The woman was his wife Joyet, and his two sons were named Dewt and Ledt. The woman was his mother-in-law, Kamet.

The hard T's at the end of the names indicated that the family was probably from the northern regions.

"What brings you folk to the road?" I asked as I was handed a plate full of hot steaming food. Beans, sausage, eggs, and a biscuit. I was in heaven.

"I'm a tinker." Garet said. "During the spring and summer months we go from town to town and I repair pots, pans, and the like."

"See anything strange on the road lately?" Eplash asked. Both the plate and fork looked tiny in her large hands.

"We've heard some weird screeching for the last couple of nights," Joyet said. "Given the children some terrible nightmares."

"Dragon," The old woman interjected. "I've been telling ye it's been a dragon."

"Oh mother!" Joyet sighed. "Don't go putting things into the kid's imagination."

The kids, having wolfed down their breakfast at a frightful speed, were now off to the side chasing a frog. They weren't exactly in on the conversation.

"It's weird though. It doesn't stick around very long." Kamet continued. "Screeches and flaps around for a bit, then moves on. Not like any dragon I've ever heard."

"Dragon or not, I hope we're out of its territory soon. The horses have been super skittish since it showed up," Garet said as he dumped another scoop of beans into my plate.

I felt bad. The kids nightmares, the scared horses, it was all my fault. The dragon had started hunting me shortly after my mother and I had been driven out of our home following the assassination attempt in Elkshire. The cultists and the dragon had to be connected. One hunted me by day, and the other at night.

"Have you happened to run across an elf in your travels?" Eplash changed the conversation topic.

"An elf? No can't say that we have." Garet raised an eyebrown. "What would you two be doing looking for an elf?"

"Old friend," Eplash said.

Garet thought for a moment. "Come to think of it, last year while traveling near Boatswin, I remember the villagers talking about a hermit that lived some ways away from the settlement. There was rumor that he was some of exiled Elvish royal. Never gave it much thought myself, every town seems to have some sort of strange character like that."

I looked to Eplash, who nodded. "Thank you, that helps a great deal." She turned to me. "Time to go."

We gave back our empty plates and said our goodbyes to the travelers. Eplash offered some coin (the very same coin that she had liberated from the body of the cultist) in exchange for the hospitality. She was politely turned down.

"Just do a kindness to someone you meet on your travels, then ask them to do the same afterwards." Garet said. "Those of us that live on the road try to keep the good will flowing."

"A fine philosophy," Eplash said. Philosophy was not a word that I had ever expected to come out of the large woman's mouth.

**See previous post for story description**

My legs burned as I struggled to keep up with the Giantkin.

Despite striking such an imposing figure, the large woman seemed to glide through the woods with ease, slipping through bush, and barely disturbing the ground with deft feet.

Even if I wanted to make conversation, it took everything for me to keep pace. Eplash said little as we travelled. Occasionally, she would hold up a hand to stop, and then cock her head, listening to the sounds of the forest.

Sometimes we would continue, sometimes we would wait, and sometimes she would begin moving again, but in a completely a different direction.

After a few hours, we arrived at her camp.

"You live here?" I asked, looking around the small clearing. There wasn't much save for a lean-to, some bags, and a firepit.

"No," the large woman scoffed. "I hunt here."

I noticed she mostly spoke in clipped short sentences, as if she wasn't used to speaking to another living being. On occasion she would speak with more eloquence.

"It will not be safe here for long," Eplash continued. "We maybe have one day before they find this clearing. Those cultists don't appear to be skilled trackers, but there are many."

My stomach growled. I still hadn't eaten that day. I looked down to the rabbit carcass was dangling off my belt.

"We can rest a few hours here. Have a meal. Recover." Eplash said as she moved to the firepit.

"Is it wise to have a fire?" I raised an eyebrow. "Couldn't they track the light? The smoke?"

"Smokeless fire." Eplash said. "I assume if your mother sent you she told you of my skills in the woods."

"She didn't tell me much except to find you, Vendrix, and Beam."

The woman raised an eyebrow. "And where is your mother?"

"Gone..."

The word hung heavy in the air. Eplash went silent, poking at the now burning fire with a stick. "You still need to skin that rabbit."

I pulled out my knife and began the gruesome work. While I did so, Eplash went to a nearby stream and filled our water-skins. Once I was done, Eplash took the rabbit and hung it on a stick over the fire.

"How did you find me?" I asked as we waited for the rabbit to cook.

"Heard the dragon circling last night," Eplash said. "Knew something was up. The forest felt wrong. Didn't know it was you. Just knew I should go out and look."

After a while she inspected the rabbit. "It's done. Eat."

"Aren't you going to have some?"

She looked at me amused. She held out both of her hands in a "look at the size of me gesture."

"That would only be a snack to me," she said. With that she moved over to her lean-to and brought back a large ball of some sort of reddish blackish mixture.

"Pemmican," she said when I lifted my eyebrows questioningly. "Meat, berries, and fat. Mixed."

I guess I involuntarily made a face at that. The Giantkin gave a raucous laugh. "Soft."

I shrugged and began to slice off hunks of rabbit meat. After not eating for so long, even the gamey meat tasted like the most wonderful thing in the world. Eplash munched on her ball.

"Your mother was a great friend to Giantkin," Eplash said after we had finished our respective meals. "She and your grandfather were the first ones to come trade after the Emberstone war."

From what I knew, the Emberstone war was a bloody conflict between Giantkin and humanity that had lasted for generations. Both Giantkin and Humans claimed to be descendants of the Great Giants that had once walked the land before the modern races came into being. It was thought that the veins of rare Emberstone that ran through the mountainous divide that mostly separated the two races were in fact the petrified corpses of those Great Giants who once ruled the world as demigods.

Emberstone itself had magical properties and was highly sought after by both kingdoms. It was extremely rare to find a deposit, and both species knew that whoever had access to the biggest supply would win the war.

In the ultimate irony, the war ended when vast deposits were discovered in Hisus, several hundred miles away. With ample supply now available to both kingdoms, and the original belligerents of the war long dead, neither kingdom felt it necessary to continue the fighting. An uneasy peace went on for a few dozen more years, and finally the human lands began to reach out. Apparently my mother and my Grandfather were some of the first to cross the border in as part of a diplomatic trade mission.

"She told me some stories," I said. "But she never went into great detail."

"We were the same age," Eplash said. She laughed caught in the memory. "But compared to me, she was tiny, like a doll. I dragged her around everywhere."

She then looked at me and then trailed off. "I'm sorry, perhaps I will save happy stories for a happier time."

I gave a sad smile, "It's ok, please go on."

Eplash continued, telling how she and my mother became fast friends and would often go hunting in the deep woods surrounding the Giantkin capital. I got the feeling there were many more stories, but they were too personal and I would never get to hear them.

"Then I came to visit her home in the Timbershot Mountains." she concluded. "I fell in love with the land, the lakes and the forests here. I now come every spring to hunt, and return to my home in the winter."

"When was the last time you saw my mother?" I asked.

"You had just been born. We kept in touch after, and then I heard that the Kingdom fell. Then nothing until now."

She went silent again.

Moments later Eplash got up and walked over to where I was sitting. Two large hands clamped down on both my shoulders.

"I should have been there for your mother," she said. "But I am now here for you, and I will be here for as long as you need me."

I was then swept up in the biggest bearhug imaginable.

"I can't breath," I wheezed.

I was only half-joking.

***

I sat on the small step to the carriage while my mother stood someways away with Valk and the Groomsmen.

"I shouldn't have to answer such questions," she said in a harsh voice. "Not right now."

"I'm sorry milady. It's completely my fault, it will not happen again," Valk said. Both he and the groomsman had their heads down in supplication.

"It BETTER not."

My mother turned and walked back to where I was sitting.

"Did I do something wrong?" I asked.

"No honey, you only asked a question." she bent down and looked me in the eyes. "If you ever have a question, you should always ask OK?"

I nodded.

"Alright, let's get something to eat."

As promised, Valk had stopped the carriage near a bridge that crossed a small, slow flowing river. He was set up a blanket for us to sit on, while the groomsman watered and attended the the horses. Both were gave my mother a VERY wide berth.

We walked to the blanket and sat down. It was a fine early-summer's day. Birds chirped from a nearby copse of trees, and the only other noise was the sound of the river lazily bubbling by.

Valk approached with a sack and pulled forth some meat, cheese and bread which he lay on the blanket for us.

"Thank you," my mother said.

"We will eat with the carriage," Valk said.

My mother shook her head, "There's no need. We'll be on the road for a while, it's best that we get used to each other's company."

"Yes Ma'am." Valk said. He waved the groomsman over.

The fresh-faced boy meekly approached. He did his best to avoid eye contact with my mother. I didn't know how old he was, but he appeared to be much younger than both Valk and my mother. I still considered him a "grown-up" though.

We sat down and ate in silence. The food was a far cry from what we usually had in the castle. The bread was crusty and the cheese had a very sharp taste.

The meal finished, we got off the blanket and Valk began to shake off the errant crumbs. The groomsman returned to the carriage to get it ready for the journey onward.

"How much longer," my mother asked the Captain of the Guard.

"I can't say for sure ma'am. We've another 3 or 4 days to reach the edge of the Kingdom at least. Beyond that we will need to find a safe spot for you and your daughter."

"We have some distant family in Elkshire..." My mother began. She then looked to me. "Honey, go sit with the carriage and wait."

I nodded and walked towards the carriage, slowly kicking rocks as I went along. I was old enough to know that whatever my mother wished to talk about next, she didn't want me to hear it."

I sat down in the grass and watched the groomsman get things ready. After a short while he noticed that I was watching and gave me a friendly wave.

"Hello," he said.

"Hello," I said. I tried to think about what my father told me about meeting people. "What's your name?"

"Hortim," he gave me a big grin. "And you're Lady Samantha."

I nodded. I poked the ground, not knowing what else to say.

He looked at me thinking for a moment, "Did you want to pet the horses Lady Samantha?"

"OK!" I said jumping up.

I walked over to where he was standing. The two horses seemed like giants.

"I'm going to pick you up OK?" Hortim asked.

I nodded. He bent down and picked me up under the arms. "Now, be very gentile," he said holding me up close enough to brush the neck of the nearest horse with my hand.

"This is Regal," he said as I pat the soft fur. The horse looked over at me with giant brown eyes and large lovey lashes. "She's four year old."

"Like me!" I said.

"Yes, like you." He laughed. He then brought me over to the other horse. "And this is Majesty."

I reached out to pat Majesty, who whinnied and made a step back. "Majesty is a little shy," Hortim whispered. "But I have a solution for that. One moment."

He set me down and away from the horse. He went to a small bag that was hanging off one side of the carriage and took out a small carrot. He walked backed to where I was and placed the vegetable in my hand. Then picking me up, he said, "Let's try again. Keep holding the carrot out."

I did as he instructed. I saw Majesty's eyes go wide as we approached with the vegetable. Its lips curled forward, lighting touching the pointy end, before taking a small bite out of the carrot with its teeth.

"Now try," Hortim said.

Tentatively, I reached out with my free hand and brushed the wide cheek of the animal.

Regal whinnied.

"Oh, now Regal is getting jealous. We will have to get a carrot for her as well!" Hortim said.

I giggled.

We fed Majesty the rest of the carrot. Hortim then brought me over to the bag and withdrew another, which I then fed to Regal.

Hortim then set me down. "I have to finish getting the horses ready. But you can pet them again next time we stop OK?"

"OK!" I said.

I looked back to where my mother and Valk were still talking. My mother stood with her arms crossed, listening to Valk as he spoke.

I then looked back to Hortim. He stood with his back to me, facing the copse of trees, unmoving.

"Go back to your mother Lady Samantha," Hortim said.

"Why?" I asked.

I noticed that the birds had stopped chirping. Without moving his head, he reach down and drew a dagger from his belt. He slowly began to turn.

I gasped as I saw his face. He once friendly brown eyes were now solid black orbs. Something seemed to be writhing under his skin. He gritted his teeth, which now seemed pointy and elongated.

"Run!" he roared.

***

We set out at around sunset from Eplash's camp.

Now that I had found the Giantkin, I had wondered where to go next. My mother and I had been on the way to the Alphine Woods to find Eplash when the attack happened, so I knew where to look. All I knew about the other two companions were their names.

Vendrix, with its "-RIX" suffix meant that he was probably an elf, and one of the royal family at that.

A beam was a building material, and there was nobody but the dwarves, who were widely regarded as the best builders in the land, who would name their child something like that.

So one elf and one dwarf.... that narrowed it down to just several million people.

Eplash's help in this matter was... limited.

"So," I said as we were taking a short rest. "This Beam and Vendrix... do you know where they might be?"

"No," the big woman shook her head. "It's been many years since I've seen or talked to them. Vendrix will probably be easier to find."

"How so?"

"Last time I saw him, he was dead."

"What!"

"When someone is exiled from the Elven kingdoms," she explained. "They are considered to be dead. It's very rare to spot an elf outside their homeland, so he will stick out wherever he is."

"Exiled? What for?"

"You will have to ask him," Eplash shrugged. "He did not speak much about it."

"And what about Beam?" I questioned.

Eplash seemed to think for a moment. "We will just have to follow the explosions."

I was just about to ask the Giantkin what she meant by this when the deafening screech of "Saaaaaaasssaaaaaa" cried in the distance.

Eplash jumped to her feet. "This way! Run!"

Grabbing my things I sped off in the the direction that she pointed. The woods were dark, but I could see that Eplash had directed to me onto some sort of well worn, but narrow trail. I could hear her feet pounding the ground just behind me. Suddenly, I felt myself lifted into the air and thrown over a massive shoulder, carried like a lost little lamb on the back of a shepherd.

"This is faster." was all Eplash said when I tried to protest. Those protests were very weak - she was right after all. My running was nothing compared to her massive strides and overall athleticism.

"Saaaaassaaaaaa" the draconic voice echoed as it drew nearer. I could hear the *thump thump thump* of its wings now.

I could only watch the branches and the leaves fly by as Eplash bounded along the trail. I was glad that I hadn't eaten much in the last few hours, the experience did no favors to my stomach. The dragon began to circle overhead, seeking.

Suddenly we were on a downward slope, I could hear the sound of rushing water.

The next thing I knew, my view of the sky was blocked by the underside of a stone bridge. Eplash set me down and we did our best to keep away from the sides, a hard task given the amount of space that the Giantkin occupied.

"It is following you," Eplash frowned. "How long?"

"Four days," I said. Was that it? Was it just four days since my mother and I were first attacked by the cultists who had been hunting us for all those years?

"Saaaasssaaaaaa!" the dragon screeched. It was swooping along the area that we had just traversed. Its head swiveled back and forth.... hunting.

Eplash held a giant arm out and pushed me back against the arched wall of the structure. She huddled in herself, stepping back into the shadows that our cover provided. The beating of the wings came closer.

I heard the dragon swoop overhead.

Moments passed and we heard the *thump thump thump* fade into the distance.

I felt myself suddenly wanting oxygen. I hadn't take a breath in some time.

The pressure of the protective arm lessened. Eplash stepped away, she poked her head out of the shadows and looked into the sky.

"Gone," she said. "Strange."

I stepped beside her, my breathing slightly labored. How do you breath again? I felt like I had to take each breath manually.

"Why," I breathed. "Is it strange?"

"We are below dragons. They would never hunt a single person. Evil magic is at work. From now on, we will shelter at night."

I nodded.

We clambered up the side of the riverbank to the bridge, we had made it to a main road.

"Cultists.... dragons..." Elpash said. "Your mother didn't make it easy on me."

"I'm sorry."

"No, do not be sorry!" the big woman smiled. "I enjoy a challenge!"

I gave a slight laugh. It felt good. I felt a little bit of the tension that had built up over the past few days slip away.

"Good," Eplash said. "Laugh more. You're mother would want that."

I looked in the two directions that the road followed. "So, which way?"

Eplash hunched down and examined the road. She poked and prodded the ground for a few moments.

Standing up she pointed left.

"This way," she said and started walking. She cut her stride down for me to keep pace.

"I will have to show you bushcraft," Eplash said. "By the time your mother was your age, she could hunt with the best of the Giantkin."

"I would very much like that," I said.

"Good, we will start now. Do you know your constellations?"

"Yes," I said. "More or less."

"More or less?"

I pointed at a cluster of stars, "That's Ankor, the Titan. The star at the tip of his tail leads North." I said.

"Good," Eplash said. "What else?"

I pointed out the small handful of constellations that I knew. Eplash began to instruct me on the location of several more, and showed me ways to use them for navigation.

We continued walking into the night. Something occurred to me.

"Eplash," I said. "You poked the at road when you decided which direction we should take. Is there some sort of technique I should know?"

"Shit."

"What?"

"Horse shit. I looked for the freshest clump I could find. We are following horse shit."

**Note**

This is the start of a webnovel I began a few years back. I'm going to be transferring the entire text over to NG over the next few days. It's not finished, but if there's any interest I might be convinced to continue.

**

"Ssssaaaaaaaaaaasaaaaaaaaaa," the terrifying creature screeched overhead, its thick leathery wings making a audible *thump thump* as they beat in the air.

I couldn't tell which was louder, the beat of the wings, or the beating of my own heart as I kept myself curled up inside the hollow log, praying to the ancients that I wouldn't be discovered.

I clutched the crystal vial of the invisibility potion in a fist against my chest. Part of me screamed to down its contents and to make a run for it. Truth is, I might have done so if I wasn't completely paralyzed with fear.

I heard the dragon scream once again and the beating of the wings grew louder. I clutched the vial tighter. Sharp diamond shaped edges that adorned the outside of container dug into my flesh. Any moment now I knew that the creature would unleash it's fiery breath onto the forest floor, cooking me instantly.

*Thump Thump* the beating of the wings grew even nearer. I brought my free hand to my mouth to keep myself from screaming.

Then overhead, one more ear-splitting screech and the beat of the wings began to fade. I lay there in the damp inside of the log, listening to the beast gradually move away.

Then silence. I still didn't dare to move for some time. Finally, the feeling of "something" skittering over my exposed forearm caused me to shift and brush away whatever it was.

I turned around and peaked outside of the log. The forest lay still, and silent.

I grasped the outside edge of the log and pulled myself free. It took some doing to gain enough purchase as the rotten wood crumbled in my fingers. The moisture from damp moss that grew on the inside of the long dead tree soaked through my dress.

Finally I stood up and brushed myself off. It didn't help much, twigs and dirt stuck to my clothing. I shook off a few spiders that were crawling up my left arm.

I realized that I was still tightly clutching the invisibility potion tightly in my hand. I relaxed my fingers and gazed at the small vial. Mother had told me to only use it in a life or death situation, I wondered if I was a fool for not downing it when I first hear the terrifying cries of the creature as it searched for me from the skies.

I sighed and placed the vial back into one of the pouches that hung from my belt. I felt exhausted, cold, and hungry. I dared not make a fire in fear or drawing the attention of the dragon once again.

From another pouch I drew a small piece of deer jerky and popped it into my mouth. As I chewed the tough meat, I started walking. Every fiber of my body wanted me to stop and rest, but I knew I had to keep moving. Even if the dragon didn't find me this night, I wasn't sure if the wizard's cultists were still on my trail. The mad wizard Jall already had control of the kingdom, I'm not sure how killing me would help whatever plans he had,

It was twelve years ago when he took control. Twelve years ago, I was a young princess living in a castle with my mother and father. It was a moonless night such as this one that everything had changed....

**

*clump clump clump*

I could hear my father coming up the corridor to my bedroom. I stifled a giggle and quickly slid headfirst under the covers and flattened myself as much as I could. The clumping grew louder and I heard him stop outside the door for a moment. The door creaked open and I could hear him step onto the Emberstone tiles that decorated the floor of my room.

"Well that's strange," I heard him say. "I was sure my daughter would be in bed by now. I guess I'll have to find her." Each step he took was a heavy footfall, first moving towards a window.

"Is... she.... OUTSIDE?" he said. I could hear him open the shutters.

"No.... she's not outside..." he pondered. I tried not to giggle, but failed.

His boots slowly continued to clomp on the floor as he stomped about my bedroom. "Is...she....in... HERE?" I heard a cabinet drawer open. "Silly Daddy!" I though, I was too big to fit in one of those small drawers! The heavy footsteps began again.

"Is....she.... UNDERTHEBED?" he said the last words a so quickly they sounded like a single word. I felt the covers shift as he lifted them up and to peek underneath.

"No... not there either..." he trailed off. I then felt the edge of the bed sink down as he sat upon it. "Hmm... I guess if there's no daughter there's no story tonight..."

I giggled again.

"Hmm... yeah there's nobody in here," he paused. He suddenly threw back the covers of my bed, revealing my hiding spot. "EXCEPT A GIGGLE MONSTER!"

I started laughing. I jumped up and gave him a hug.

"YOU!" he said in shock. "You're the giggle monster that ate my daughter!"

"No daddy, it's me!" I said still laughing.

"Are you sure?" he asked, his face in a mock concern. "Because I ONLY read to my daughter. I don't have to time to read to giggle monsters!"

"I'm sure!"

He looked at me a moment longer, appearing to think it over. "Well alright then, my DAUGHTER should be properly in bed!"

I quickly laid my head on the pillow and pulled up the covers up "I'm in bed. I'm in bed."

He nodded. "Well, alright then."

He stood up and walked over to a bookshelf that ran along one of the walls of my bedroom.

"Now," he said looking at the collection of books that line the shelf. "We just finished the first volume of 'Stories of the Great Kings' I guess that means we tonight we get to start volume 2." He plucked the appropriate tome from the shelf.

He moved to step back towards the bed but I stopped him. "Daddy, we need the magic leaf."

"Ahh, quite right,: he said. He opened the first volume and removed a single maple leaf. The leaf was one that I found when we took a family picnic last fall. He said it was magic because no matter where we were in the story, it would remember where we were when I would inevitably fall asleep.

Leaf and book in hand he returned to the bed and he sat down on the edge again. He opened the front cover, "Stories of the Great Kings... Volume 2," he read.

"In the time before man, when giant's ruled the land," he began.

Suddenly a knock at my door.

"Yes?" my father said.

"Your Highness, it's me. I have some urgent news." I recognized the voice as Sir Valk, the captain of the castle guard.

"Just give me a moment," my father said.

He gently lay the maple leaf in the front of the book and placed it on the nightstand. He kissed my forehead, "I'm sorry, it looks like I won't be able to read to you tonight."

"Aww..." I said disappointed.

"I tell you what," my father said rising from the bed. "I hear that your lessons with your tutor have been going well. How about tomorrow night we pick this up and YOU read to ME."

I nodded with vigor. He tousled my hair and opened the door. "Goodnight my Samantha," he said.

"Goodnight Daddy!"

He closed the door behind him. I could hear both he and Sir Valk began to walk down to the hall, talking.

That was the last time I saw my father alive.

***

The crunch of something moving across the dead leaves of the forest floor jostled me awake. I bolted upright and listened. Something was moving outside of the cave I had sheltered in.

Cave was a generous word, it was more like a small gap that I had squeezed myself into. I moved my hand slowly to the pouch where I kept the invisibility potion. I slowly untied the string and pulled the glass vial from inside.

Very slowly, I shuffled myself towards the entrance to my "cave", doing my best to avoid anything which would make a noise if I stepped on it.

I had walked for about two more hours following the encounter with the dragon last night. I kept moving until every part of my body ached and demanded rest. As much as I wanted to continue, I knew that I probably would have injured myself stumbling around exhausted in the woods in the dark. I could hear flowing water in the distance so I began to walk

towards it. I soon found a stream flowing through a small gulley. As I drank my fill of the cool and clear mountain waters, I spotted the small opening to the cave. I gathered branches from the gulley floor and did my best to camouflage the entrance to the cave as best I could. I then crawled inside and covered myself in my cloak and did my best to sleep.

I got close enough to the entrance where I could see some of the surrounding area through the camouflaging. The gulley lay in lightening shadows, the result of the sun just starting to peak over the horizon to start a new day.

I waited and listened. The crunching of the leaves came again and then stopped. It sounded like the movement was coming from above me. Something was moving about on the lip of the gulley.

I continued to listen. Whatever it was followed a patter of moving, then stopping for a minute or so, and then moving again. It had to be an animal.

"Maybe it's a deer," I thought, remembering that I was nearly out of the jerky that I had brought with me. My stomach rumbled at the thought of fresh meat.

One by one I moved the branches away from the mouth of the cave, trying my best not to make too much noise. I pulled myself outside and peaked just the very top of my head over the top of the gulley wall to try and look at whatever had awakened me.

I couldn't see anything at first, but after a few moments, movement caught my eye. I was wrong, it wasn't a deer, but a small woodlands rabbit, its brown coloring helping it to blend into the surroundings.

"Ok, so now what?" I asked myself. I thought about the small knife I carried, but at first, I could only picture the animal making a quick get away as I ran after it haphazardly.

As I thought about what to do, the rabbit moved further away. If I didn't do something soon I would lose it.

I returned the potion to a pouch and then withdrew the knife from my belt. With my other hand, I opened another pouch. I took a small pinch of the grounded Emberstone and sprinkled it over the weapon. The knife gave a faint glow for a moment.

The rabbit moved again. This would be tricky.

I closed my eyes and visualized the knife. Then in my minds eye, I pictured the weapon leaping from my hand and impaling the rabbit.

I felt a sudden tug as the knife flew out of my hand. I heard a thunk in the distance.

I blinked one eye open. The rabbit lay crumpled on the forest floor, the sharp edge of my knife embedded into its head.

I felt a sharp pang of sadness as I walked towards its limp form. I took no pleasure in killing for food, but I needed to do it to keep myself going. I made a vow to myself to look for edible plants as I continued onward.

"Fancy trick you done there," a voice came from behind me. I froze. "But I'm grateful. Saves me from looking for breakfast."

"Caught like a scared rabbit yourself," the voice continued. "How ironic. Turn around."

I held my hands up and slowly turned towards the voice.

A woman dressed in leather and furs stood about 20 feet away. She held a bow and had an arrow notched, but it was pointing downward and away from me. Even from this distance I could tell that she towered over me. Giantkin.

She stood watching me for a moment. I looked to her left and right. She was alone. Could I make a break for it?

"Don't," she said.

I was about to speak, but saw a blur of motion. I suddenly felt air rush past my face. There was an audible thunk and groan behind me.

The woman slung the bow over her shoulder, and with long strides walked towards me. "You can move," she said, her voice possessing a smoky deepness.

I turned as she strolled passed me. Laying face down on the sloping hill next to the dead rabbit was a figure in robes, a large arrow protruding through its back. "Friends of yours?" she asked.

The robes were the dark green of the Jall cultists. They had caught up to me.

"No," I said. "Not friends at all."

The woman flipped the cultist over and began patting the body. After a moment, she reached inside the robes and pulled out a small money purse, which quickly vanished into her leathers.

She hunched down and picked up the rabbit, it looked tiny in her massive hands.

"Hold out your hands," she said.

"What?"

"Your hands. You made the kill, you gotta skin it."

I nodded dumbly and did as she instructed. She bent down and placed the carcass in my outstretched palms.

"I don't wanna waste any more arrows today," the towering woman said. "And I'm assuming you don't wanna stand around here waiting to die. We should go."

It suddenly struck me.

"Eplash." I said. This woman was the very one that I was stumbling around in the woods searching for.

"The one and only," the giantkin grinned. "And you, you are the splitting image of your mother."

***

"Samantha," it was my mother's voice. "Samantha, wake up honey."

I rubbed my eyes and sat up. My room was dark and I could barely make out the form of my mother standing over me.

"Get dressed honey, we have to go," her voice had an urgency about it.

"Mommy?" I asked sleepily.

"We have to take a little trip baby," she said pulling the covers off of me. She then handle me a bundle of clothes. "Put these on."

I climbed out of bed and began to put on the clothes, struggling to find arm and leg holes in the dark.

While I did so, my mother moved to my dresser and began to stuff clothing into a bag. "Hurry up honey, we have to leave very soon."

"Is Daddy coming?" I asked.

My mother froze for an instant. "He will catch up to us. Don't worry."

She turned and looked me over. "All set?"

I picked up the large book from my nightstand. "Can I take my book? Daddy said I could read to him next time."

She smiled, "Of course you can honey," she held out the bag. "Put it in here."

I dropped the book into the bag and my mother took me by the hand. Leading me to the corridor, we turned right and began to walk down the hallway towards to stables.

The castle was quiet. Even at night there was usually guards patrolling, or various castle staff performing chores, but we didn't see anyone until we arrived at the stable courtyard.

Two groomsmen worked preparing a carriage that sat in the middle of the yard, Valk stood barking orders at them.

"We haven't much time, they'll be here soon."

Valk turned as he saw us approach. "I'm sorry my lady, I thought we would be done by the time you arrived."

"Any word from my husband?" my mother asked.

Valk shook his head. "No ma'am, not since he sent me here to see to your safety."

A huge green ball of fire lit up the sky. A chilling demonic screech echoed in the distance. I began to shake with fear.

"Mommy, what's going on?"

She bent down and took me in a protective embrace. "Shh, it's OK honey."

"We're done sir," one of the Groomsmen suddenly said.

Valk moved to the door and opened it. My mother scooped me up and placed me on one of the benches inside, and then sat down next to me. She wrapped one arm around me and pulled me close. Another green blast lit up the sky and carriage rocked as the horses began to shift fearfully.

"I'll be up front," Valk said closing the carriage door. He looked at me and gave a warm smile. "Don't worry, I will keep both of you safe."

Within a few moments the carriage began to move. A thunderous boom shook the air as green fire lit the sky once again.

I screamed. It was too much, I started to cry.

"I'm scared mommy, I'm scared."

"Shh... shh.." she said pulling me closer. "I know honey. It will be alright I promise."

The carriage rolled through the gates and down the sloped road that led up the the castle.

Loud thundering blasts continued. Even with my eyes shut, periodically green light would shine through.

Then... silence.

I opened my eyes and it was daylight. At some point I must have drifted off. My mother still held me in a strong embrace as the carriage continued onward. She was asleep.

I could hear Valk and the groomsman talking from the front seat of the carriage.

"How much longer do we keep going sir?" the groomsman asked.

"Until we are well out of the realm," said Valk. "The King made it very clear that we get as far away as possible."

"Is it really that bad sir? Did we really lose the kingdom in a single night?"

"We were completely unprepared. Jall tapped into to some demonic power that was well beyond the little defense we could muster."

The carriage jostled. Valk snapped at the Groomsman, "Pay attention man, I will not have the Queen and her daughter WALK across the border."

"Sorry sir."

The jostling woke my mother. She looked at me, her green eyes looking very red and tired. I had never seen her this way before.

"You alright honey?" she asked stroking my hair.

I nodded. A painful knot suddenly sprung up in my stomach, like I was feeling every emotion at once. The fear from the night before had returned. I started sniffling.

"It's alright honey," my mother said. "I know it's real scary right now, but we are going to be OK."

I nodded, and wiped a tear from my eye. I tried to choke back the lump in my throat.

My mother leaned in, touching her forehead to mine. She smelled of lavender. She looked into my eyes and in a soft voice said, "Could you do something for me honey?"

"Ye...yes..." I sniffled.

"For the next little while I need you to be brave, OK? Can you do that for me?"

"O...Okay," I said.

"That's my girl," my mother smiled. "Are you hungry?"

I nodded. My mother knocked on the front of the carriage. Valk opened a small shutter and looked inside, "Yes ma'am?"

"Any chance we could stop for food?" my mother asked.

Valk frowned, "I'd rather not, ma'am. Not until I'm sure we are safe."

"Surely the horses need to be rested and watered," my mother returned. "They've been going all night."

"She's right sir," said the Groomsman. "I can tell that they are both tired."

Valk nodded solemnly, "I know this area. There's a small bridge crossing ahead. We should be fine to stop there."

"Very good," my mother said. She closed the hatch and moved to sit on the other side of the carriage.

We continued along for a little while longer. The intense knot of emotions finally ebbed. I had to be brave, I promised.

Something bothered me though.

"Mommy," I asked. "Who's Jall?"

The color drained from my mother's face.

Had a few games come out within the last year or so, so I decided to update my video game voiceover reel.

Feel free to check it out and keep me in mind for your projects.

Video Game #Voiceover #voiceacting 2024 (youtube.com)

One of the short games I made with Adventure Game Studio (The Distant Door) last year is up for "Best Short Game - 2023" in the AGS awards!

I doubt it's going to win since it's up against some really great games, but it was neat to get nominated!

Hey everyone, a couple of updates on projects and such.

On Voice-acting:

I'm in a videogame! Check out Twilight Oracle on Steam and Itch.io (it released today). You'll run into a stone lion's head that gives you a quest near the start of the game, that's me!

It's not the first commercial game I've been in, a few years back I had a small role as the leader of Blimp Cult in the cyberpunk game Born Punk. I don't get commercial game work very often, so it is neat when it comes up.

I'm working with another small indie developer doing beta testing a little voice-acting for the upcoming "Captain Disaster and the Two Worlds of Riskara" (There's a demo on steam)... I think it's getting released this year, but not 100 percent sure on that one. There's a Tron inspired section where you will hear me in the background making announcements about lightcycles and such.

In NG voice-acting news, I'm part of the upcoming "Who Dun It Collab" which should release later this year.

Trying to put together a script for the Storytime collab as well, but I'm a bit stuck.

**

On writing:

I got first place in last summer's writing jam, and was one of the three winners of the one that was held over Christmas. I want to get back into writing more, but I'm a bit hung up on what to work on and where to post it. It's been encouraging and I've been thinking of maybe doing a weekly serialized story exclusively for NG but I'm not sure there would be an audience for it on here. Maybe I'll end up posting something on multiple sites to see if it "sticks" anywhere.

**

Gamedev:

Nothing serious here. I did three gamejams last year and will probably participate in a couple again this year if the right mood hits and I have the time. I'd love to be able to work with an artist, so if you are interested in making a point-and-click adventure game, let me know.

Anyway, thank you to everyone who's shown me support in my creative ventures. I live in the middle of nowhere so it's the only thing that keeps me somewhat sane.

This is my submission for writing jam #2 entitled Bones of the old world. Microsoft word gives 2,999 words and wordcounter.net gives 2,996.

Prompt used was Bones.

**

“Can we talk?” 

I shuddered as I felt the wind shift, as it always did when she appeared. No matter where, no matter when, if she chose to materialize so that I could see her, there was always a frigid wind that cut through to my bones. 

I stopped in my tracks. It was twilight, and a few flickers of quickly dimming daylight remained, glowing like dying embers on the horizon. It was the solstice, and while many people would start merrymaking and celebrating the longest night of the year, I was bushwhacking along a forgotten game trail, the miniature ghost of a young woman hovering over my shoulder. 

“Is this the right time for this?” I asked, pushing aside branches and stepping over a fallen log. 

“I need to say I’m sorry,” she said. 

“We’ve gone over this. You’ve apologized so many times; I’ve lost count.” 

She floated directly in front of my face, forcing me to stop completely. 

“If I hadn’t cursed you, you’d be home right now, celebrating the solstice with your family.” 

“I have to press on,” I said, ignoring the comment. “You told me yourself, this has to be done tonight. We’ve made arrangements for the Duke’s cook to drug the mulled wine, and you said it was important that it had to be done on the solstice.” 

“I know,” she nodded. “My connection to this world—to my remains—is the strongest on this night. But a few minutes here and now won’t make a difference.” 

I thought about the small pouch of pulverized bone that I carried in a satchel around my neck. It was all that was left of her body. A quick image of the gruesome procedure to get her body to that state flashed in my mind. 

“I’m not sure what else there is to say,” I slowly continued forward, brushing past her small floating figure. “We are here now, and the only way for either of us to rest is for you to receive your vengeance. Besides, if I stop moving now, I’ll never make it to the Duke’s manor before freezing to death.” 

She floated to the front of my face again, however this time allowing me to keep moving through the bush by hovering backward as I continued along the game trail. 

“Do not make jokes about freezing to death!” she warned. Her eyes flashed for a moment. 

“You know I wouldn’t make a joke about that,” I snapped back. 

I stopped. “I’m sorry; I know that’s a sensitive subject... for the both of us.” 

** 

The Young Duke was eager to prove himself a leader upon claiming his hereditary title following the death of his father. Even more so, he was eager to gain favor with the heads of the new religion, the followers of which had made certain arrangements to speed up his ascension to Dukedom.  

To show his dedication to the new faith, the Duke first targeted the covens - those least prepared to fight back against the hammer of the new dogma falling on the land. 

He took his men and swept through the land. His goal was to cleanse the land of “heresy” and make way for the monks of the new faith to move in. 

She was a victim of one of the assaults. When the alarm was raised that the coven was under attack, she was instructed to gather the children and hide with them underneath a false floor that had been prepared for such an occasion. She had huddled with them, keeping them quiet as the horrific sound of slaughter and looting echoed through the air. 

She stayed with them for hours, waiting for the sounds of the dying to fade. When she emerged from the hiding spot to see if it was safe, she found herself quickly surrounded by the Duke’s men.  

They grabbed her, and the building was burned. She was tied behind the Duke’s horse and was made to walk as the screams of the youth echoed through the night. 

“Merely the cries of rats,” the Duke sneered, and the building was engulfed in flame. “Those who do not follow the new light deserve to burn. Even their youth must be purged.” 

“Put the blade to me,” she cried. “Let me join my people.” 

“Oh, you will join them soon enough,” he gave a sickly smile. “But our faith demands sacrifice, and I think a pretty young thing like you will do wonderfully.” 

Eventually, she found herself on the edge of a cliff, a river raging below. If the fall wouldn’t kill her, the raging icy depths certainly would. 

A holy man of the new faith stepped forward, waving around some sort of symbolic fetish as he muttered in a strange tongue. 

“Be glad,” the Duke said. “Your soul is being cleansed. You will face death with a sinless heart. After all, what good is a sacrifice that has been tainted by sin? Our deity will not accept anything less.” 

“This is what your faith is?” she questioned, her back to the cliff’s edge. “Old men speaking gibberish? Pointless gestures and symbols? You killed people, you killed CHILDREN for this?” 

“You dance under the moon,” the Duke retorted. “You tell old tales in an ancient language. You bind people to the land, to the past. You talk about having magic in your bones. Our way is the future.” 

She scoffed. The trauma of the events was turning into a dark bitterness. She was angry—no, she was enraged at how unfair all this was. 

The old man put away his symbols and ceased his gibbering. 

“Now, jump,” the Duke said. “I can’t have the death of a cleansed soul on my conscience.” 

“That’s your plan?” she spat. “A loophole so you don’t have to bloody your own hands? What kind of pathetic god would overlook such foolishness.” 

“You told me you wanted to join your people,” the Duke said, unaffected by her comment. “So, go ahead.” 

“This will not end well for you,” she said. She spread her arms and fell backward, plunging into the raging water below. 

** 

I squat at the side of the river, washing my hands free of the blood from butchering my most recent kill. 

It had been a harsh winter, and the village was running low on food. I and the other youths had been dispatched a few days ago, sent out to hunt once the snow had melted enough for us to travel. Game seemed to be getting scarcer every year. 

Something drew my attention upriver. Something was floating towards me. 

Once I realized I was looking at a person, I quickly dove into the river, angling to catch the body as it passed by. 

Breathless from the effort, I slung the unfortunate individual onto the bank.

It was a woman, covered in cuts and bruises. She was very pale, but still breathing. Something told me that she wasn’t long for the world. 

I quickly pulled her over to the fire and did my best to comfort her while she passed. She was ice-cold. I felt pity for the poor girl, but I had seen death come upon members of my village, and there was very little that I could do. 

I was leaning over her to check her pulse when her eyes flickered open, locking on me. She grabbed my arm with an unnatural strength. 

“I curse you. For all that is natural in this world, I curse you. You will never rest until justice has been done.” 

Her grip relaxed, and I saw the last essence of her life drain from her eyes. 

I shook my head. I wasn’t sure what had happened to that girl, but her last moments were those of rage and anger. I just hoped that in the next world, she could find peace. 

I buried her next to the river and packed my horse, fully intent on returning to the village with my kill. I’d have an odd tale to tell for sure. 

I began to ride towards home. It was late in the day, but I was sure I could make good time on horseback, perhaps even getting back before dark. 

My mind drifted, and I thought of the warmth of my bedding. 

And then found myself emerging back at the riverside, the freshly dug grave before me. 

I had grown up in the surrounding forests. Getting lost or getting turned around could literally be a death sentence, and yet, here I was, back where I started with no sense of how that happened. 

I felt a chill run down my spine. There was something unnatural going on, and the grave had something to do with it. 

I decided to unpack my horse and camp at the riverside for the night. Maybe whatever was preventing my departure would ease up by morning. I unrolled my bedroll and checked over my bow and my current supply of arrows. Finally, sleep took me. I found myself floating in a void of nothingness. No sound, no light, just terrifying black. 

Then a voice. 

“I.... I’m sorry.” 

A figure floated before me. It was the woman that I had pulled from the river. The edges of her figure seemed to be in flux, somehow being wicked away by something ethereal. 

Unlike a typical dream, I felt very much awake and in control of myself. 

“You’re that woman...” I said, unsure of how to proceed. 

“I am, and I’ve done a horrible thing.” 

“Horrible?” 

“I’ve cursed you, I’ve bound you to my body.” 

I had heard tales of curses. Always taking place in some old story in some ancient land. Now, I seemed to be part of one of those tales. 

“Cursed? Is that why I can’t seem to leave this riverbank?” 

The floating figure nodded, looking sad. 

“Why? I tried to save you?” 

“In that final moment, as death approached, I was confused, I was angry. I thought you were one of the ones that did that to me. I wanted vengeance and in those final moments, I unleashed all my hatred on you.” 

I shook my head. “Who are you to curse me?” 

“I was part of a coven,” she said. “I worship the old ways.” 

“Can you release me? You know I did nothing to you.” 

“I’m afraid that you are bound to my body. The magic of the old ways becomes embedded in our bones. It’s an... old spell to keep a murderer from fleeing should one of our coven fall.” 

“I’m not a murderer though.” 

“No, you’re not. I was so filled with anger; I wanted to strike out at someone... anyone. The only way to be free is for you to enact my vengeance.” 

We talked through the night. She told me of the attack on the coven and the deeds of the Duke. 

“It will be hard for me to do anything stuck on this riverbank with your body. Let alone help you get your vengeance - as deserved as I think it is.” 

“You are a hunter, yes? You know how to butcher a creature? Break it down into meat and bone?” 

“Yes, but...” 

“My power, my essence.... it’s in my bones.” 

I felt myself pale at those words; I had grim work ahead of me. 

** 

I snapped back to the present. I now stood at the rear wall of the Duke’s manor. I could hear the laughter of seasonal merriment drifting through the cold night air. 

“The drug should be taking effect soon,” the ghost whispered to me. “The effects of their drink should be a little more pronounced, and they should be none the wiser.” 

“I just hope the cook did the second thing he promised. If not, all this might be for naught.” 

The cook had kept his promise. I found an open door to the manor’s cellar.  

I soon found my way to the upper level of the manor. 

The hallway was decorated with greenery and holly to mark the season. The fact that these people brought greenery indoors seemed strange to me. If you wanted to enjoy the woods, why not just go out and take a walk in it? 

I shook my head and made my way to the Duke’s bedroom, slipping inside. 

A fire crackled, shadows danced across the wall. 

"Better hide," the ghost said. "Once he goes to bed, we will act." 

I slipped inside the walk-in closet and waited. 

Finally, I heard the door open. 

"And I have your assurances, sir, that you will let our clergy occupy the outlying villages once the spring comes?" One voice said. 

As soon as the second voice spoke, the ghost stiffened. It was a voice she had heard before. 

"Followers of our faith seem to be more obedient, and I’m more than happy to let them have whatever they need. Much better than those unfaithful savages that follow the old ways." 

"Then I wish you a happy evening, Sir Duke.” 

"Get ready," the ghost said. 

I tensed, grabbing the special arrow from my quiver.  

I heard the Duke move about the bedroom. After a time, things fell silent. 

“Now,” the ghost said. 

I silently opened the closet door. The fire, now much lower, cracked and popped, still emanating a dull and dying light. I could see a figure lying in the bed. 

I recalled every lesson I learned as a hunter about moving silently, stealthily. I crept towards the bed. 

Wordless, I plunged the arrow into where the ghost had instructed me. Before we had departed for the manor, she had been very specific about where the wound must be made. Between the ribs, the arrow slid. 

The Duke bolted upright, breaking the shaft of the arrow, looking first to the wound in shock and then to me. He let forth an extremely loud wail. 

I heard boots stomping up the hallway. A retinue of guards burst through the door, catching me standing over the now very injured Duke. 

Even through the stupor of the wine and the drug, the guards could clearly see the assassination attempt. Before I could even think, I was grabbed and roughly carried out of the room. Shouts for the Duke’s doctor echoed down the hall. 

I had failed. 

** 

I wasn’t sure what was colder, traversing the forest at night, or the cell I now found myself in. 

I was bewildered. Beaten and thrown into a cell, I didn’t have time to process, or even think. I felt myself slipping away, drifting into an unwanted sleep. 

I wasn’t sure how much time passed. The room spun, and I was sure I fell into the darkness at least a few times. 

Finally, things snapped into place and I had a coherent thought. Daylight was creeping into the cell. The solstice had passed. The longest night was over. 

I heard somebody stomping down the hallway. Somebody wearing a set of heavy keys was approaching. 

“Leave me,” I heard the Duke’s voice say. 

“But Sir...” somebody protested. 

“You gave him an outright beating last night. He’s in no condition to hurt me.” 

“But your wound, sir.” 

“Bah, the Doctor looked at it. Barely a scratch.” 

I shook my head. Barely a scratch? But I plunged the arrow straight between his ribs? 

The door opened, and the Duke stepped inside. His eyes narrowed. 

“Well, look at you..” he smirked. “My men certainly did a number on you.” 

I tried to speak, but all that came out was a croak. 

The Duke grinned, looking at my expression. 

“A villager, not much older than a boy, and you thought you could take me out...” 

I wanted to strike him, but my will had been sapped. 

“And it worked.” 

My cracked and bloody lips parted, a confused “Wha?” escaped from my lips. 

The Duke’s figure glowed bright blue for a moment. The form shifted, becoming shorter and softer. Hair lengthened, and a familiar feminine form now stood across from me. 

The woman from the river. She stood in front of me, more alive than I had ever seen her. 

I stood with my mouth agape. 

“Miss me?” she grinned. 

“I’m not sure what I’m looking at..” I managed to spit out. 

“You did it. The arrow that I made you forge months ago with bits of my bone sprinkled into the iron, it did the trick.” 

“The power is in the bones,” she said, as if that explained everything. “Once my essence of made contact with the Duke’s heart... I was able to take control.” 

“You are... the Duke?” I asked. 

“When I wish to be. I can now assume his form whenever I wish.” 

“And what happened... to him?” 

“Oh.. He's long gone. If there’s any truth to his deity, I guess he’s with him now.” 

“So, I’m free?” 

She looked around the cell. “Uhh, not quite. You made an attempt on the Duke’s life after all.” 

“What’s going to happen to me then?” 

“Oh, the Duke will have a change of heart and pardon you in a couple of weeks, specifically when the new year is rung in. He’ll make a declaration that he will be returning to the old ways of his father.  

She turned, looking to the lightening sky of the morning after the solstice. 

“I can’t thank you enough,” she said. “You gave me my vengeance, and for that, I am grateful. I’ll give you any reward you wish once enough time has passed.” 

I nodded, still in pain from my treatment by the guards. 

She smiled sadly, looking over my wounds. “I’m sorry you had to go through all that; I’ll send the Duke’s doctor, claiming I want you in top shape for a trial.” 

“In the meantime, look forward to the new year. I’m sure it will be a good one.” 

She shifted her form back to that of the Duke’s, turning to leave. 

“I can feel it in my bones.” 

Hey everyone.

I wrote and recorded an entry for the upcoming Creepypasta collab. If there's an visual artist out there that would like to do some art for it, please let me know.

Baudy-Horror (Creepypasta 2 Collab) (newgrounds.com)

I uploaded a new game last week. It's in the same vein of my last featured game. If you are in for a short, point-and-click adventure, check it out. The base game was made in two weeks for a jam. I've polished it up a little since then. I'd like to do more jams in the future, so if there's an artist out there that would like to work together on a game, let me know.

The Books of Knowledge (newgrounds.com)

I've also put together ALL the dystopiatech comedy audio bits in a single collection. Again these are open for anyone to animate.

Dystopiatech (newgrounds.com)

Happy spooky season.

(This is a piece in response of the writing prompts on JamRiot's Discord. I took the writing prompt of "Write about a cosmic event that is bound to change the world")

***

When the universe didn't say a thing

***

If the universe could describe what type of day it was, it probably would have said, "run-of-the-mill." Now, of course, since the universe was a non-sapient entity, it remained quiet on the subject. Any sudden vocalization about its current status would have probably caused chaos among the various sentient and sapient lifeforms that dwelled within. Notably, one of the worst affected would have probably been a certain species of really dumb, smart ape that lived in a wayward arm of an insignificant spiral galaxy. These particular apes stood up and took notice of any weird sounds that the universe would make on occasion. Some even wrote papers on the subject.

You see, "run-of-the-mill" was an apt description for the normal state of the universe. Like some sort of cosmic factory, it contained a lot of things that spun around other things. This process produced stars and other exciting bits of cosmic "stuff." Sometimes that stuff would even clump together and form things like the above-mentioned paper-writing,

really dumb, smart ape.

Anyway, the universe was busy doing what it did (existing), and things were going as normal. Now, as I’ve mentioned, the universe doesn’t really say anything, but if it could on this occasion, it probably would have said, "Oop," like some sort of really dumb, yet polite, smart ape trying to squeeze past another in the grocery store aisle.

The universe wasn’t alone, you see; there were a bunch existing alongside each other, each with their own rules and unique bits of exciting cosmic stuff inside. Mostly, the universes would remain separate, spaced apart, but sometimes one would brush past another. Most of the time, this would happen without incident, and the two universes would continue on their merry way, the inhabitants of each remaining blissfully unaware of the event.

And then sometimes, when one brushed past another, some of the bits of one universe would get transferred to another. Now, as I mentioned, each universe had its own rules, its own sets of physics and such. Some universes were very similar, so if a transference did happen, there would be little to no major crises for inhabitants that got passed along like some sort of cosmic lint. If the two universes were different, well, let’s just say things got very, very messy.

Anyway, on this occasion, our universe did brush past another without making a sound. Thankfully, this other universe had VERY similar rules and even appeared in structure and layout like our own. Nobody suddenly imploded, and the aforementioned apes (even the ones who REALLY paid attention and wrote papers) didn’t even notice a thing when their galaxy was transferred to a completely new universe.

In fact, the apes remained unaware of the transference until about 2 PM on a “run-of-the-mill” Thursday afternoon when a Mrs. Karen Walker, living in a suburb of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada found an elf(who notably smelled like moldy goat cheese) in her living room.

The subsequent events caused many really dumb, smart apes to take notice and write MANY papers.