Lidarion: Chapter 1

In the kingdom of LIdarion there were many great cities, towns and even villages. Places with long and wonderful histories. Borderwood Keep was not one of them. The keep, all the shops, the homes, the town hall, and all seven farms surrounding it were less than five years old. The tiny population of Borderwood were all new settlers that were looking for a fresh start.

Bernard didn’t need a fresh start. He had moved here with his sister and her husband from the Capitol. A place that had never been particularly unpleasant in his memory. The winters were easier with neighbors to help shovel snow and share the work load of other wintertime maintenance. The winters in the keep could have been five times harsher and they still would not hold a candle to the wonder that was spring summer and fall. He had been drawn to the tiny keep gardens almost the very second he saw them on the day they arrived. He spent nearly every waking hour, learning, tending, and manicuring each plot of beloved flowers. Every winter was spent planning seasonal layouts for each plot and making sure that he had all the required seeds and bulbs in time for planting. He had never been given the job of master gardener but after three years and based on the way everyone deferred to his expertise, he had earned it.

This last winter had been particularly mild, with only a few weeks of mild snow to mark the darkest heart of the winter months, but the near freezing temperatures had stuck around long into what was generally thought of to be spring. But the day before had brought a warm rain and there was not so much as a light frost on the grass in the morning. The clear skies and the first warm sun in recent memory had brought everyone out of their homes. Bernard found himself drawn to work in the gardens along the inside of the east keep wall. Not far from the horse stables they had built for the in in the previous spring.

Bernard had become obsessed with a plant that he had seen in a pot carried by a trading caravan. The trader had called a tulip but it looked like no tulip Bernard had ever seen. IT flowered in all the colors of an explosive sunset. The barest sliver of white bleeding into ember yellow and orange fading into passionate burgundies and purples. He had purchased ever seed and bulb the trader had. He had spent a large portion of the winter prepping the seeds in pots and troughs so he could nurture them alone to the stage where they would finally flower. The bulbs he was planting now and felt a simple satisfaction as he placed each bulb into the earth.

A group of children playing some formless game of tag snapped him out of his meditative state as they ran by. ‘You kids be careful now!” he playfully called out after them. Several of them shouted back assurances that faded quickly as the game took them further away.

“We were never careful, why should they be?” a jovial voice asked behind him. Bernard sat up on his knees, a smile on his face.

“Squints!” He welcomed his friend by turning around. Squints was a Gnome and with Bernard on his knees they nearly came face to face.

“Bernard, this might be the first pleasant day in almost half a year and where do I find you?” He asked.

“Knee deep in a garden, for only fools let a pleasant day go to waste my friend.” Bernard offered getting to his feet.

“You and I have very different definitions of ‘wasting’ a pleasant day.” Squints replied.

“Indeed, so what brings you this deep into the wildlands my friend?” Bernard asked as they headed toward the home Bernard shared with his sister and her husband.

“It’s been nearly a year since we last saw each other, does a friend need any more of a reason to visit?” Squints asked.

Bernard shook his head. “Most friends need not even that much, but we are not normal friends, and your life does not afford you the freedom to travel the world in search of companionship” He commented, wiping his hands on a cloth he had pulled from the pocket of his pants.

“In deed, But with great responsibility comes mediocre power, and I have structured and guided my staff to work without me for their next few projects so that I might come this way, and if you are willing, quite a bit farther.” Squints explained, teasing his offer.

Bernard was intrigued. “How much farther? What do you mean, ‘if I am willing? What game are you playing librarian?” He questioned with an excited look on his face.

They arrived at the house and Squints stopped at the door. “Get cleaned up, let’s have dinner with Brooke and Trent, this is something they will want to be made aware of as well.”

Bernard shook his head. “You can never just get to the point can you? Always have to ‘tell the story.’” He complained heading up the stairs to his room.

Squints bowed. “Squints the royal librarian and professional point avoider at your service!” He stood up and noticed that Bernard was alrea

The XP: Chapter 1

Drainiverse Unplugged was the newest version of one of the world’s most successful Massively Multiplayer Online games. The narrative had begun in the late nineties as a text based Multi User Dungeon and because of its steadily growing die hard fan base, had grown up over the years along with rest of the MMO genre. 

Drainiverse was a chaotic story by design. Aliens had invaded earth in the distant future during a global war. The aliens made quick work of Earth and were assured of their victory until a rebel group stole a device that under the right conditions allowed a person to travel through time and space. Humanity was not skilled with the device and the scientists that were left weren’t given much time to explore the device. 

The human rebellion leadership decided to use the temporal flow adjuster without fully understanding how it worked. Causing the past, the present, and the future of earth and several of the closest alternate earths to be spun together like water funneling down a drain. By the time the machine was shut off the damage had already been done. 

There were multiple earths with hundreds of thousands of years and alternate time lines represented. There were now countless aliens, fantastic creatures, incredible ancient ruins, futuristic cities and millions of secrets to uncover and adventures to enjoy. With the launch of its fifth expansion new players were given several cosmetic items and character based bonuses to launch them into the newest content.

Yermum faded into the human starting zone. He moved around a bit to get his bearings but finally made his way to Terry the first guide and quest giver new players had the opportunity to interact with.

Terry was a cowboy with a goth steampunk vibe. He was sitting in a rocking chair and drinking from a jug that had three x’s on the side. “Hail and well met Yermum. Folks round these part’s call me Terry. And let me tell you, those folks will be mighty glad to see a new Rain Bringer in these troubled times. You see, this used to be a nice area filled with opportunity for any enterprising adventurer. Now it’s been completely over run by thieves and criminals. So if your looking for a job I’ve got one for you, that is, if you don’t have any qualms with the idea of dispensing a little frontier justice.” Terry finished his speech but just kept rocking his chair.

Yermum shrugged. “Sure why not.” He accepted.

Terry smiled and took another drink. “Fantastic, you bring me six sets of thieves tools and I’ll give you your first honest day’s pay.” Terry explained. Yermum ran off toward the first combat area where the thieves spawned for new players to kill. 

His starting weapon looked incredible. It was a chain gun longer than he was tall, it had a rope of bullets that fed to a satchel on his hip. He reached his first thief and pulled the trigger. He shot a three round burst and each hit threw up a red “4” over the thief’s head. 

Yermum looked down at his weapon. “That’s it? He complained. Ugh, this gonna take forever!” He continued to lure the thief NPC around the new player combat area until the thief had taken enough damage to drop to it’s knees, groan loudly, and die. Yermum looted the body and found his first set of thieves tools. “All right, everything’s coming up Yermum.” He stashed the tools in his backpack.

When he had all six sets of tools he returned to Terry. Holding the Tools out eagerly to trade. “Ok Terry, give me my money.” He demanded.

Terry smiled as he took the tools from Yermum. “Hail and well met Yermum. Thank you for doing your part to clear our land of these villains. Take this pistol as your reward.” Terry handed over an unimpressively tiny, bland, gray pistol.

Terry took it in hand as one might pinch a dirty diaper between two fingers. “I’m a Rain Bringer. I can’t use pistols.” He complained.

Terry nodded and kept rocking. “If you’re looking for more work I heard Pratchet is looking for some brave adventurers.” He offered.

Yermum stuffed the unwanted pistol in his belt. “Does Pratchet have class appropriate rewards?” He asked sarcastically.

Terry kept on rocking in his chair. “Hail and well met Yermum! If your looking for –

“Never mind.” Yermum cut Terry off and headed in Pratchett’s direction. 

University of Console Heroics: Chapter 1

The first day of the semester is the best and worst day to be on the University of Console Studies campus. If it’s your first day it’s awesome because everywhere you look there is something amazing to see. From Combat Studies majors sparing in the quad, to Targeting and Terrain Management students using the campus layout for parkour style relay races.

The first day of the semester was a nightmare for returning students, no parking within blocks of the campus. Every class was over full and professors were in sour moods. The first day of the semester was an out of control circus for under and upperclassmen alike. Which is why Thompson had gotten up three hours before his first class, and walked the half mile from his apartment to campus. He had purchased his course materials the week before and had every intention of sitting under the elder tree in the quad and finishing chapter three of “Coins, Rings, Rupees, and Banana’s: How to turn your OCD into a strength.” He had switched over to Adventure Studies at the end of his third year, infuriating his father, who’s anger had only slightly begun to wain by the end of the summer.

Thompson realized he had lost focus and had no clue what the point of the last page he read. He sighed heavily and closed his book. He took a look around the quad and saw Oscar sparing with a Combat Studies student he did not recognize.

Oscar was by all definitions a hulking brute and had enough physical charisma to pretty much guarantee himself a never ending string of high level mid boss roles once he graduated. But that was then, now he was being dismantled by this unknown student, it was clear that his opponent had gotten under his skin. Oscar tried one last desperation attack which was high and slow, his opponent swept low and took Oscar off his feet. The crowd parted as Oscar fell back, landing with his full weight on an unsuspecting freshman. They both hit the ground hard.

“I won, pay up.” Oscar’s opponent stood over him.

Oscar got to his feet. “Outside interference. The fight’s not over.” He took a step forward.

His opponent smiled. “You just don’t want to admit you lost!” He traveled the inner circle of the crowd, grandstanding. He stopped and face Oscar again. “You can pay me tomorrow.” He spat, then exited the circle, some of the crowd followed him, the rest dispersed.

The freshman he had landed on was back on his feet “Sorry about that.” The freshman apologized.

Oscar spun on the kid. “D’ju say something punk?”

The kid nodded. “I said I was sorry, but now that we have a moment, you wouldn’t happen to know where the R.Y.U building is would you?” He asked.

Oscar’s blood pressure shot through the roof. He came nose to nose with the kid. “You a freshman?”

The kid nodded and Oscar exploded. He grabbed the straps of the kid’s bag and lifted him in the air with both hands. “I HATE FRESHMAN!” Oscar bellowed.

The kid tried without success to pry Oscars huge hands off his bag straps, he hung almost a foot in the air, completely at the mercy of this human brick wall.His free hand reared back ready to destroy the freshman’s face. 

Thompson tapped Rodgers’s elbow. “That’s enough Rodgers, I think he’s learned his lesson.

Rodgers glared at Thompson. “Enough? I haven’t even started yet!” he leveled his rage fueled gaze back on the flinching freshman.

Thompson put his hands in his coat pocket. “I know, I know, but I’m gonna have to be his second once you do start and neither of us want that.” He shrugged his shoulders looking up at Rodgers who did a double take glance back at Thompson.

“Y, you would seriously fight me, for, him?” Rodgers looked back at the freshman who was starting to realize he was living much longer than he had expected to.

Thompson came and stood next to him “Want to find out?” He asked with finality.

Rodgers took one last look at the new kid and then dropped him to the ground. “Best make sure your baby sitter is always around, punk.” Rodgers spat before he stomped off.

The new kid blessed himself and double checked that everything in and on his body was where it was supposed to be. “Oh my god thank you! You just saved my life!” he gleefully shouted.

Thompson shook his head. “Just a few broken bones most likely. You better watch yourself around here. Combat Studies majors tend to anger easy.” He nodded in the direction of Rodgers in the distance.

The new kid nodded. “I’ll keep that in mind.” He flinched all of a sudden as he remembered that Thompson was more than likely the very threat he had mentioned.

Thompson held up his book. “Adventure Studies.” He confirmed. The new kid relaxed again, as he checked the title of the book.

The new kid nodded and then perked up. “You wouldn’t happen to know where the R.Y.U building is?”

Thompson nodded. “Yeah this building here is the Jarvis hall of 2D studies and on the far side of that is the R.Y.U building.

The new kid nodded. “Cool! Thanks.’

“Don’t worry about it…so what are you taking?” Thompson asked.

The new kid checked his class list. “Intro to energy with Roberts.” He read.

Thompson raised an eyebrow. “Cynthia Roberts?”

The new kid double checked his class list. “I guess so, why?”

Thomson smiled. “She’s an old friend. Tell her I said hi.”

The new kid nodded. “And who exactly are you?” He asked

“Dean Thompson.” He replied.

“Johnathan Foster, nice to meet you.” They fist bumped.

“Hey if you’re not busy after your class you should come back by the union and have lunch with me and my friends.” Thomson offered

Foster nodded. “That’d be cool, thanks.” Foster waved as he headed toward his class.

Thompson nodded and then looked at his book. “I should have left the damn school, brilliant move genius.” He kicked at the brick walk way in frustration.

Shades of Justice: Chapter 5

Raptarus had thoroughly beaten the Shades. Each of them was down, winded, bloody, or broken. 

Kelly was on her back, visor cracked, unevenly dashed on a pile of rubble. “Technarius, got any tips for us on this guy?” She groaned.

His voice came through heavy static. “You swim the five hundred yeah?” He asked. 

Kelly rolled over, sliding off the rubble pile and landing painfully on her side. “Yeah why?” She asked.

“Where does your mind go when you swim it?” he asked.

“I don’t know what that means.” Frustration added itself to her anger and pain.

“Are you mentally tracking each moment of the five hundred or does your body take over?” He clarified.

“I guess my body does kind of take over.” She admitted.

“Then do that now. All fo you have to find a way to let your body take over your mind.” 

Kelly sat up as Technarius’ voice faded from her helmet.

“I need Muse.” She demanded.

“Anything specific? He asked.

“Reapers.’ She replied, getting to her feet painfully slow. The drums filled her helmet as Raptarus turned to see her standing.

“Well now, one of you has some soul after all.” He readied his staff.

Kelly materialized a second Black light Saber and engaged Raptarus. As they traded blows, it became clear that Kelly was moving with a speed and grace nearly super human. Raptarus lost ground and found himself on the defensive, retreating step by hard fought step. She pressed forward until he had moved almost twenty feet away from the other three shades.

Raptarus took note of the missing fifth shade. Spinning his staff he locked Kelly up in an awkward block. He Leaned in to a point where she would have been able to feel his breath if it weren’t for her helmet and revealed a nasty grin. “Where’s your little red friend?” He growled.

Gordon’s kick solidly connected with Raptarus’ pelvis from behind. The impact echoed through the rubble. Raptarus dropped to his knees in shock. “Ok, that hurt.” He groaned before crumpling to a ball on the ground and passing out.

Kelly’s sabers powered down and the others limped over to join the pair to stand over the body of their defeated foe. “Bet your glad you practiced all those kicks now.” Kelly laughed.

Gordon shook his head. “I still can’t feel my foot.” He reminded her.

The center of Raptarus’ staff started to glow a bright red, slowly at first but it got faster and brighter.

“Um guys I don’t think we should be standing here.” Warren said as Raptarus’ body began to grow at an insane rate. 

The Shades ran for cover as he regained consciousness and got back to his now gigantic feet. He was easily fifty feet tall and just one of his feet could decimate any one of the buildings left on campus.

Blood and Profit: Chapter 31

Arthur waved as the first of the busses approached. It slowed and then suddenly stopped about thirty feet short of where he was standing, He began to close the gap when the door opened and Rusty practically fell out of the bus, doubled over and started vomiting. By the time Arthur reached the bus, Rusty was standing up right again. “Nervous?” Arthur asked, rusty nodded and two shallow breaths and doubled over again. “Let it out now then because once you’re on the ship there’s no easy place to pop.”

Rusty stood up and wiped his mouth. “Really?” he questioned.

Arthur laughed. “Of course there are bathrooms, it’s not Star Trek!”

Rusty blinked “What’s Star Trek?” he asked as Arthur ushered him onto the bus.

“What’s Star Trek!” he nearly shouted. “Did you learn nothing in your little back water hell hole?” The bus closed its door and drove the rest of the way to the command ships stationed in the grass just beyond the air field.

The second bus split off and parked closer to the squadron of fighters. The door opened and the pilots flooded off the bus and gathered in formation to wait on Toll. He and Sharea made their way to the front of the squad. He took a moment to look them over. They were anxious, adrenaline pumping. He suppressed a sad smile. “I know you are excited. I know you are scared. I know you want to prove yourselves. This is our first mission together and we have a lot of people counting on us, so make every shot count.”

The squad answered back in a unified voice. “Hoorah!”

Sharea stepped closer to the squad. “OK people, preflight check’s in fifteen, command escort’s with me, carrier escorts with Toll, last one to report in buys the beers!” The formation broke as the pilots all scrambled to their ships.

Toll and Sharea walked over to Toll’s ship. The rolling steps had not been moved since he deplaned yesterday. “What do you think ‘raya?”

She looked over the squad as they ran their preflight checks and joked amongst themselves. “None of them have ever been in a real combat situation before. I want this to go well, but it could very easily fall apart.”

“Ok for the last time I promoted you for your ability to maintain a positive ‘yes-man’ like quality and blow smoke up my ass on command.” Toll said as he walked up his steps.

 “That’s funny, Preacher is under the impression that you promoted me because you don’t expect to live much longer.” Toll froze, then sat on the top of his rolling steps.

“I’m not stupid, and I’m not suicidal, I just know that once the eye of history see’s you, your life is no longer your own.” Toll glanced at his unit.

“Pretty defeatist attitude don’t you think sir?” Sharea asked,

Toll shook his head. “You misinterpret my meaning. I do not wish to or feel like I will die any time soon. But for the first time in my life, I have willingly taken on responsibilities for something other than my own skin. This unit matters to me ‘Raya, That’s why I chose you.” Toll stood up and opened the cockpit of his ship. The rest of the squad started to line up to get their flight checks confirmed.

Blood and Profit: Chapter 30

The sun was going to rise any moment now, the sky was getting lighter by the second. This was Arthur’s favorite time of day on the airfield. He was sitting at the far edge of the area Toll had chosen to park his little squadron of fighters. They were a motley crew of hand me downs, not unlike their pilots. Arthur looked over the rusted and worn paint with a sense of loving awe. The squad had painted fresh call signs under the rear edge of their cockpits. Arthur was sitting in between Dog Breath and Smart Guy. He watched the light steadily creep over the grass and onto the concrete, shortening shadows and forcing the steady retreat of night. Finally feeling the warmth of sunlight on his back.

He heard the carrier ships before he saw them but it wasn’t long before the absolutely massive pair of ships appeared screaming up the coastline. The airfield was just big enough to land both ships and  Arthur folded up his chair, laid it in the grass as the carriers were landing. He made his way over to the opening door on the front carrier. Once there was enough space in the opening Carter jumped out followed by an assistant. 

“And let’s see if we can’t siphon off nine tenths of the water this time, I would like to see that osmosis field at peak functionality.” The assistant was tapping furiously on his tablet. “Do we still have a clean tracking signal on our target?” He turned to see the assistant hold his tablet up and show a map with a blinking light on it. “Fantastic. How’s your coffee Arthur?”

Arthur held up his old worn metal travel mug. “Same as a always, hot, boring, dirty river water.”

Carter smiled. “The way God intended.”

Arthur nodded. “Amen”

Each carrier ship was extruding was a clear foam that would harden in when the ships outer body shot off a low level electric blast. The foam was designed to reinforce each ship from crushing under the pressures of the ocean. By the time the reached orbit the covering would be gone but this process was the only reason these carriers could travel in both space and under water. Carter looked out at the ocean. “By my watch, we’re on schedule, we’ll be out of the way by the time the crews are ready to board the command and control ships. Anything out of the ordinary I should know about?”

Arthur shook his head. “It’s going to take months for the grass to grow back but that’s basic biology, nothing you need to worry about.” Arthur pointed at the neglected field where the command and control ships were parked. “How’s the star of this show?”

“I’ll let you know in about a half hour.” Carter turned to his assistant. “Are the carriers ready for submersion?” The assistant’s hand blurred over the tablet screen and then he nodded. Carter turned back to Arthur. “I wish you were going with us old friend.” Carter and Arthur shook hands.

                                                            

Arthur shook his head. “I don’t, with you gone someone’s gotta run the store.”

Carter tapped his headset and spoke to crew on both carrier bridges. "Initiate slave protocol, from here on out we're flying as one ship." Arthur watched as hatches on the front and rear  of the carrier ships opened to reveal the osmosis field generators.

The assistant made his way back into the front carrier ship.Carter stepped onto the stairs of the ship. “No parties, don’t answer the phone unless it’s me calling and absolutely no boys.”

Arthur rolled his eyes. “Yes mom.” He shouted as the door closed and the engines started up. Arthur got clear of the lift off and watched at the carriers headed out to sea and eventually sank beneath the waves, at almost the exact same time as the buses carrying the command and control crews came out of the tunnel and finished his coffee, the sun was just barely above the horizon line and he had a long day ahead of him.

Shades of Justice: Chapter 4

Technarius sent the kids back to the school. They appeared in the gaping hole in the front of the library. The crash site was crawling with Cretacian warriors.

“These fancy motorcycle suits come with any weapons?” Sonya asked the open air.

“Why yes they do captain smartass.” Technarius’ voice came over everyone’s comlink. “your suit is communicating with your body on a sub conscious level. In your heads up display you’ll see the suits available options. But if you let it, your suit and your body will work together on a level your conscious mind cannot match.”

Sonya opened up her hands. “Comedy and Tragedy!” she commanded a tonfa into each hand. She spun them, testing their balance and ran into the middle of a group of Cretacian warriors. “Come on guys don’t leave me hanging!” She yelled, catching a Cretacian in the jaw with Comedy.

Dante look a long flying leap toward another group of warriors “Tsunami Hammer!” He shouted in mid leap, bringing the hammer down onto an unprepared warrior. Another group of Cretacians moved to flank him.

“Vine whips!” Warren shouted, catching two of the flanking Cretacians by their ankles. He pulled hard dragging them to the ground and leaped toward them. Landing an elbow on the back of each skull.

Sonya was surrounded but holding her own, Several Cretacians suddenly launched into the air like bowling pins. Gordon had excessively large red mechanical gauntlets that stopped just short of his elbows. He flexed and the Gauntlets released steam from vents. “Invisible Gauntlets!” He said with a smile you could hear.

The Cretacians that were still standing unsheathed their weapons and gathered in a line. The kids regrouped as well. Kelly was in the center. “Let’s finish this! Blacklight Saber!” She yelled as the shades charged into the Cretacians. Her neon purple blade cut through weapon and Cretacian with equal ease. The others dispensed of their own opponents with ease. As quickly as the fight had begun it was over. The Shades had protected the school. 

A slow clap echoed off the surviving wall of the Library. The Shades turned their attention to the lone soldier leaning against a fragment of wall. “About time Lumarion found himself some new pets.” This lone soldier was uglier than the other Cretacian’s, and easily seven feet tall. He like a Triceratops with curved ram like horns coming out of the right and left sides. “Now let’s see if your any better than the last ones.” He stepped away from the wall fragment and revealed a staff made of what appeared to be bone. He spun it effortlessly in his hand for a turn. Gordon Charged him and caught him full force in the chest with his right gauntlet. The soldier stopped, looked down at the gauntlet and then back to Gordon. “I’m sorry, was that supposed to hurt?” He asked. The staff flashed nearly unseen and caught Gordon in the side, taking him off his feet and tossing him into the rubble of the library. He spun the staff again until it was upright. He glared at the other shades. “I am Commander Raptarus. Leader of the pathetic excuse for a Cretacian scout squadron you just defeated. I look forward to finding out which of you will give up Lumarion’s location in exchange for a quick death.”