Previous Chapter
Related Chapters
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
World Fire Pet
Stocke stood stiffly in the corner of the room. He tried to avert his gaze from the deplorable Caria Laire, but his eyes always found themselves with her in focus. When he noticed, he would force himself to look away again, but there was something about her repugnant nature that always had him staring at her. She paid him no heed whatsoever.He had thrown his glowbulbs everywhere within the room and outside of it, and prayed for them to grow, which they did, and now the place was littered with the bulbs.‘Is this your purpose,’ Caria Laire said with an air of arrogance, ‘to have some plants litter the length of this room? I’m not going to stay here all day, you idiot.’‘I have plenty to place wherever you decide, but it is much safer if you allow me to fully prepare here, you know.’‘Hmph.’ Caria Laire returned to her notepad. ‘Father said that if I just stay here for today and tonight, he will get me a real life rhinoceros for my collection.’ A mischievous smile broke across her face
World Fire Salocer
Evening had arrived at the Laire estate, and the half-hidden sun that turned the clouds deep purples and oranges cast long shadows that stretched from the forests of the west far towards the estate. A vicious wind had picked up, sweeping at the grass and the forest, like a harbinger signalling for oncoming terror.The clouds that had come from the east earlier, that talked of storms, were fast approaching. A light curtain of rain pounded at the roof of the estate, and Locke, who guarded the door of the loungeroom, found great comfort in listening to it. He had stood there for hours.A servant stepped up to door, a dumb look in his eyes. ‘You can’t enter here,’ Locke said, stepping in front of the door.‘Huh?’ the servant raised an eyebrow.‘I said you can’t enter here.’The servant raised a feather duster. ‘I need to clean.’‘Clean some other day. You can’t enter here.’ Is this guy stupid?
World Fire Simon Says
When Rickter heard the explosion, he rushed to reach the other side of the mansion where it came from. He had spent the day in the library, studying the ecology of the Verdantia forest, when he heard it.He ran, then stopped, for he noticed a strange sound. A ticking sound, like a clock.Tick, tock, tick, tock.Bzzz Simon Says … jump!Rickter stared dumbly to the hallway where he heard the sound.Tick, tock, tick, tock.Five seconds remain.Tick, tock, tick, tock.He blinked. Is this a trap? A game? Should I jump? Should I not? He gritted his teeth and jumped.Both players succeeded.Both? Rickter gasped. There was someone else there – he could see the shadowy figure emerge from the hall and into the library.The game will continue in ten seconds.‘You catch on quick, boy.’ The shadow stepped into the light. It was a woman with a gaunt face and dark blue hair. Pale makeup lined her skin, and dark mascara touched at her eyes. She looked quite athletic, considering her emaciated physiqu
World Fire 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
World Fire 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
World Fire 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
World Fire 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