2022-09-18 09:03:28
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World Fire The Most Esteemed Family of Laire
When they returned to Rag and Tags, Rag (and Tags) were not pleased to see them at all. They did not want to see any more harm come to their establishment, but it was the years of warm and unlikely friendship that they shared with Stag that had them welcome them into their tavern and lend them a room.‘I’ll send some money over for your reparations,’ Stag said, patting Rag on the shoulders.‘Oh, Stag, you don’t need to make up so many lies. We know you’ll never pay us for anything.’Stag smirked. ‘This time I mean it. I owe a friend who always has my back when I need it.’Rag could hardly believe it, and he was smiling from ear to ear as he showed them to their rooms. ‘Two beds here, one for you and the boy, and the girl can have a room to herself.’Stag shook his head. ‘They’ll both be sleeping here. I’ll be keeping watch.’‘I thought you dealt with the assassins.’‘It seems that this a deeper problem than I first thought. I thought they were just petty assassins, with half-hearted m
World Fire Tangle
As they returned to the Army District early next morning, they kept their eyes and ears out for any hint of someone watching them, but they found nothing. It was as though nothing had ever happened the day before. Stag volunteered to hold Kets’ hammer for her, as she hadn’t quite recovered from the events of the previous day, and she dragged her feet like a zombie down the street.Stag pulled them into Sweeps and Handles, a shop that sold all kinds of broomsticks for travel.‘What can I do for you today?’ said the gum-chewing shop keeper, sparing them a single glance from her book.‘Three brooms.’‘What quality? What make? Any preference in wood or length?’‘Just anything that can get us home in one piece.’The shop keeper waved a finger to the barrel to the side of the counter, filled with old brooms with clipped wood and chipped fibres. Stag slid the coins to the shop keeper and pulled out three of them. Once outside, he gave one to Locke and Kets.‘Ever rode one of these before?’T
World Fire Grand Show
All eyes were on the stage in the large amphitheatre. All the nobles stood on the balcony, in neat suits and dazzling dresses, sparkling like the stars in the night sky. Down below were the commoners, in common wear, like the silent sea in the silent night. Caliphoe, through a tiny slit behind the stage, smiled at the sight. It evoked such beautiful imagery inside of his mind.Yes, I can write about all sorts of things from this point. I can think of so many sights, and feel so many feelings. He smiled and jotted something down on a notepad. If he squinted and went slightly cross-eyed, he could almost imagine the shifting of the waves, and glimmering of the stars. Oh yes, my beloved audience, you are as spectacular as the performance I am putting on now.He glanced at the performance being played. It was the first showing of the thrilling romance On a Hill in Verdantia. It was his greatest work yet – but still, too dull! He was almost embarrassed to being showing it in front of such a
World Fire A Matter of Coincidences
Stag leaned back into his chair, chewing at the end of his pen, deep in thought. It was the end of another day, and the recruits were in the middle of a set of torturous punishments. Trys hated pushups more than anything else, so he had her do two hundred of them, and Kets abhorred cleaning, so he had her sweep the entirety of the training hall.His punishments usually revolved around strength or endurance tests, so he had Rickter, Locke and Stocke all participate in an endurance game. They would each hold the plank for as long as possible, and the last one left would be the one who is exempt from the next punishment that he had in store.Stag stared down at the note on the table, scribbled a few words, read it over, read it over again, dotted a few i’s and lined a few t’s, then smiled at the result. It was addressed to Belvon Laire and detailed much of the events that had happened to him, and his suspicions that there were plans to assassinate Caria Laire.He reached over and opened
World Fire The Evils of the Laires
It was Saturday morning and there was an odd jitter in the air. Stag, Arla and Miles forced them to get ready as quick as possible, and by the time they were having breakfast, Stag had said his goodbyes, took a Pegasus and took flight to the city for his court case.They were still three Pegasuses short from their normal amount, and they decided that Arla, Kets and Trys would take a different route to the Laire estate, namely the Griffin Taxi.Locke hurried down a bowl of rice, grabbed a sword and fixed it to his waist, tightened up his uniform and left the Amber Hall to spend a few minutes by himself before they went to a new world of danger.Of course. It feels like we are walking directly into a trap. Everything just feels so conveniently planned.What else can we do? Is protecting Caria Laire a mistake?
World Fire Flight!
They were soon joined by Miles and Rickter, who they would be flying with to the Laire estate. Miles brought out the Pegasuses, handing one to each of them. They held out their hands, let the beasts nuzzle them, and climbed onto their back. Before they left, Arla rushed out, whispered some words to Miles, and returned inside.‘They’ll be travelling on foot for a few kilometres outside of the base,’ Miles said, ‘where the Griffin Taxi will pick them up. They’ll arrive at the Laire estate around an hour later than we do.’ Miles adjusted his iconic leather cap over his head and subconsciously brushed at his moustache. ‘Are we ready?’There was a loose chorus of affirmation.‘Well then, let’s go.’ Miles dug his heel into the skin of the Pegasus and it shot up into the air, the others following him. Locke, who had seen how Trys and Kets were frightened by being up in the air, was surprised to see how natural Miles, Rickter and Stocke treated it – but they were always so attuned with nature
World Fire Laire Estate
The Pegasuses inclined their heads downwards and they descended towards the floor, their hooves trotting against the springy grass. Ahead of them was large, countryside manor. The walls that enclosed the perimeter were of a thick marble. A fountain stood a little outside the entrance to the manor that was constructed of a rich, red brick. Spotless windows marked every room across the three storied building.‘Let’s greet them, shall we?’ Miles said, jumping off the Pegasus. ‘We’ll deal with the Pegasuses later.’‘Let’s not leave them for long,’ Locke said, ‘I don’t want to see more of them dead again.’Miles nodded. ‘That won’t happen. I’ll be taking them myself. With our current plan, I’ll position myself deep in the forest so I can snipe any enemies from far away?’‘What if they enter the building before you can shoot them?’ Rickter said, feeding a hand through the inside of his shirt and pulling out Nut, the squirrel. Nut ran up along the length of his arm, clawed up the side of his
World Fire Hold of Beasts
‘Well, what do we do now?’ Locke asked when they stepped out of the room.‘We leave Stocke to his duty, I guess,’ Rickter said.‘As planned, I’m going to go to the forest,’ Miles said, pulling up his watch. ‘But, tch. Where is Arla and the others?’ He grimaced. ‘I’m sure that they will come soon enough. You two, you have your blueprints to the manor, don’t you?’‘Yeah.’ Rickter pulled out the map.‘Go about and be vigilant. And Locke – I think you should patrol the entrance to the lounge room. Tail anyone who enters it and watch over them. Do you understand.’‘Yes.’Me too. Something feels wrong.Miles left the manor, Locke stayed where he was, and Rickter wandered down the hall. Last night when he reviewed the map, a certain room had caught his eye – the Hold of Beasts. He smiled at the servants as he passed and found the stairs that led down to the Hold. The red wallpaper that had decorated the inside of the manor faded, and was replace
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What am I to do?
Stocke, who healed unnaturally fast, regained consciousness the next day. Despite Belvon’s protests, he clawed his way up to his feet despite his dizziness and made to leave the room.‘Stocke, my boy,’ Belvon Laire said with his usual dramatic voice. ‘Lay down, rest, there is no good to come from rushing oneself.’‘Thank you, Belvon, but no. I’m in quite a bad mood, need some time to myself.’Stocke returned to his room, shut the door behind him, and stared out at the field outside. Flowers were blooming, the wind brushed at the grass, and the sun gleamed from the east. The weather mocked his foul mood.From the events surrounding the Laire mansion, he felt so utterly useless – and betrayed! He noticed the indecision in Locke’s posture and face. He saw how he had edged closer to hand Caria Laire over to Straza. But … was it really his right to be mad? Caria Laire had treated him so poorly back at the containment camp. She had aided Kelnaxx Laire in the cutting off his ears and tails.
The Fire that Burned the World
Aftermath of Scars
When Locke came to, he found that he was in his dimly lit bedroom back at the Amber Hall. Bandages ran up and down his body, and there was woollen padding around his shoulder where he had been stabbed. It was night, but a candle burned softly on his desk, illuminating Kets in an orange light.She sat there, her head lolled off to one side, her eyes ever so slightly parted. Noticing movement, her eyes sprang to life, and focused on Locke.‘Locke, your awake, ya ha,’ she said. ‘I’ll tell Belvon Laire when I get the chance – he’s busy attending to Stocke.’‘No, wait,’ Locke said. It was difficult to talk, and a nauseating pain pulsed through his body. ‘Can you catch me up to speed? What happened? Why weren’t you, Trys and Arla with us in the Laire estate?’‘We were attacked enroute. One of the Coordinator’s actors blew up our mode of travel, and we were stranded.’ Kets reached forward, grabbed Locke’s hand and held it up to her. ‘The Laires, now without their mansion, and their daughter
Sun, Moon, Stars
Fahrla took a step forward, tearing off her veil and revealing that same hair and face that he had loved and cared for all these years. Bandages wrapped around her eyes, obscuring her vision entirely, and she had grown a little taller, too. But aside from that, there was no difference. She stretched out her hand.‘Locke, hand her over.’Locke took a step back. Caria Laire, barely conscious, stared at Fahrla and Straza with terror.‘I can’t, Fahrla. I can’t hand her over.’‘But he is just saying that.’ Straza let out a powerful laugh. ‘You want to save Fahrla, don’t you? You want to live a life of peace with Fahrla, right? Yes, he thinks. Yes, to both. Yet he wants to stop us from acquiring this girl, which is a key to our success, which would grant you that peaceful life.’‘What do you want her for?’ Locke shouted, taking another step back. I feel weak, Elandra, I can’t hold the fire anymore.
World Fire
Flames licked at the branch that Locke stood on. The fire gnawed through the wood, turning the rich brown to a crisp black, and it crumbled to charcoal just as Locke leapt from the branch and reached for another in the distant darkness. What is this power? Elandra – I don’t want this! I don’t want to burn everything! The throbbing pain of a stab wound pulsed in his shoulder.The fire blanketed the ground, growing more vicious and turmoil with each passing second. The smoke from earlier had collected into thick columns of grey that forced itself into his lungs, and Caria Laire was whimpering in pain in the darkness.He gripped at the new branch, but a single lick of flame connected to the tree and now stretched through from that spot.Elandra, I can’t hold the fire around me anymore.For the first time, Elandra’s voice was cruel and demented.
Great Actor
Salocer gripped Stocke’s head and slammed it into an invisible wall. Salocer’s face was contorted in fury, and one of his eyes twitched in madness.‘I have tried to be fair with you. I have! Even the Coordinator can attest to it. Can’t you? Can’t you Coordinator? You can see my fairness. You can see everything! But you … you.’ He pulled Stocke closer to him, stretching out his tongue and licking the line of blood that dripped from his forehead. ‘You are intent on playing tricks with me.’ Salocer breathed in, and then sighed.‘I am the Coordinator’s best actor. It is the reason that I have lived so long and performed in so many of his plays. I do my best. He can see it. I give no information and I perform my heart out. I show genuine expression, and I show genuine rage at your disobedience. You see, when you’re performing for the Coordinator, you have to perform well, lest your family suffer for it. When you get into a tangle with the Coordinator, the best scenario is one where only yo
Empty Space and Men in the Walls
The sound of Miles’ sniper resounded through the room, and Locke was confused as to where it had come from, and where it had hit. His eyes darted around and found no signs of the bullet. He stepped back, his body came in contact with the door, and rather than it giving him that support that it always did, it swung open under his weight, and he stumbled into a room of darkness.Right away. But, I’ve done it so much lately, I’m starting to tire.Locke willed his fire to cover every inch of his body, but it did little to push through the thick veil of darkness. Thump. A pair of feet landed beside him. It was Stocke.‘Locke, they’ve got Caria. They’re hiding somewhere in this room.’‘And they’ve got a hostage outside that I don’t know how to deal with.’‘How did the door open? The door should have remained locked.’Locke’s eye
That Which is Unseen
Stocke held Caria Laire close to him and gripped his knife close to his leg. The darkness pounded at them, and all details of the room were lost. A white fear had swept over Caria Laire, and Stocke, despite his own fear, knew that he could not falter.There was a scraping sound on the tree branch behind them, and when he turned, he saw a haunting figure drag itself towards them. It was the pale faced man with the knife, pulling himself with his stomach flat against the branch. His eyes were wide open, and his pupils horrifically small, and age-old cuts ravaged his face.‘There are wicked men …’ his voice sent chills through their body. It was like a ghoulish husk, whispering words not from his mouth, but through the wind that blew in from the window. The words stabbed at them and clutched to their minds, digging their icy claws into them. ‘… Hiding in the walls. Scratching from below the floorboards. Up, in the crawlspace above the roof. They come for you! They come for you!’The man
Burning Down the House
Rickter was faced with three problems. The first was the fire that had caught onto his head and had consumed the bookshelf behind him. The flames licked at the open air, searching for flesh to gnaw at. The second was Calindar, who, despite her wound, looked wild with rage. Her dark blue hair stretched across her torso and sweat dripped down her pale face. The third was the glowing orb over Calindar’s shoulder. The orb that played Simons Says.Tick, tock, tick, tock.Bzzz Simon Says … punch a window with your bare fist!The excited tone that the orb spoke to Rickter frustrated him. It suggested such maniacal things with no shame or hesitance. Rickter climbed to his feet and Calindar followed sluggishly. Caw dived down and slashed its talons once more across her eyes. She gasped and stumbled, still clutching at the bleeding wound in her gut.He ran to the far window, cocked his fist, and punched through the glass, adrenaline fuelling him. The shards of glass cracked free and dug into hi
