Free Fiction Tuesday: Seeds of Prophecy (Part 4)

“What do you thinks wrong with him, Toby?” said Phiobe, from where she sat watching Ubrin investigate the open space between the house and the wall separating the foreign dorms from the rest of the campus.

“I don’t know, Phi. He did seem rather off though, and don’t think I didn’t notice the way Ubrin was sniffing at him.” Toby replied, continuing to place his belongings in order within the first floor room that Phiobe hadn’t clamed for herself.

Tobias and Phiobe had arrived at the house shortly after the midday bell to find their belongings had already arrived and been placed in the first floors living area.  The living area was modestly furnished in neutral tones of white and beige, and took up most of the first floor. Further inspection had revealed a small sink and cooking prep area to the left of the main entrance as well as two large rooms with adjoining bathrooms along the back part of the floor. Having taken that in Reginald had shown the siblings to the second floor by way of a set of discrete stairs. The second floor was much like the first except where the first floor had only had two rooms the second had four, split into pairs with a bathroom set between them and each having access to the large balcony which spanned the back of the house.

The house itself did not appear to have hosted residents for quite some time though it had, as Reginald had explained, been cleaned in preparation for the siblings arrival.

The reason for the lack of other residents, Reginald had also explained was that although the group of two story homes that sat in a circle surrounding the open courtyard area were available exclusively for use by all foreign students, because of the other options available to such students often the six buildings went without residents.

Shortly before arriving at what would be their new home for the length of their stay at TUAMA, Reginald had pointed out one of those options. Across from the Foreign Students dorms were a row of dorms dedicated to different campus groups. Slightly bigger in size then the foreign students dorm houses, these Group homes served the housing needs of particular members of the student body.  Reginald had explained, though he hadn’t pointed out specific buildings, that certain abilities caused tension within other dorms or were simply easier on all involved when housed separately from the general population of students.

For example, he had said, persons with natural or cultivated ensorcellment abilities often chose to be housed in the group dorm dedicated to those with that particular ability since they were often treated with distrust by other students. While those with strong precognitive or empathic abilities where often invited to join the NUCOGPATH house since it had been found that certain types of Nulls helped temper the side effects of those gifts.

Faculty homes were placed along the opposite side of the paving hosted the Group homes eventually ending at the Headmistress’s home itself. While this path branched off from the one ending in the foreign homes, it started at the schools gates and ran solidly across the campus connecting the many separate buildings.

The campus tour had begun with that first step out of the Administrative building which, while Toby had thought of the Administrative Building as being a singular structure, Reginald had revealed, was actually part of what the school referred to as The Quad. The square structure was actually four buildings surrounding an open courtyard that had been built into each other. The corner the siblings had been in was the Administrative Building, which also housed business classes on it’s second floor, while the corner above it housed the student infirmary and the medical arts classes. Next to the Administrative building’s corner was the Library and Language spellcraft arts buildings corner leaving the that corner to house the student cafeteria with general education classes held on it’s second floor.

It had almost been time for the midday meal when Tobias and Phiobe had finished speaking with Headmistress Imsenko, so Reginald had offered to start their tour at the cafeteria and answer any questions they might have.

~*~

(to be continued)

April Fools Day is BULLS@#%!!!

There i said it. It’s a stupid excuse to be a dick to people. Most people don’t even realize it’s not actually a holiday. Like Anywhere. you heard me, nowhere else in the world do people go around on April 1st and make asses of themselves.*

So I’d like to extend my sincere gratitude to everyone out there who did or will not partcipate and perpetuate this heinous “holiday” by spreading misery to those around them. thanks for being a grown up. ^_^

*Correction: It is a holiday other places, and it's one based in belittling and/or pointing out the so called ignorance of those who don't share your beliefs or those who's actions you find cause to mock because they are not your own.
That's a pretty good reason to not continue a tradition who's origins have been changed from a form of protest to an excuse for malicious behavior.

W/S: Creation.

For me writing is about creating, and writing supernatural/paranormal fiction is about creating something that by it's very definition has never been seen before.

So in a way my writing is equatable to my children.

I create and then nuture them to the point at which they are ready to go out into the wold.
I have hopes for them even when i nolonger have an active hand in their shaping.
I hope they grow old and loved by the people who know them.
And if they ever run into slash writers I hope they have lots and lots of smexysmex time. ^_^

But i think that writing can also be a group affair too big for one individual to accomplish easily. while many of us online and in other mediums write our books solo, we do not live in a vaccum. we talk to our friends, our family, our editors, our publishers, our teachers, our fellow authors, librarians, we interview character source material like scientists or police officers. we are by definition recieving help with our stories thought we are maintaing our own singular vision in most cases.

The point of this is to aknowledge within ourselves as writers that writing is more then the work we call the finished product. It comes from us, from our desires and needs. And while it's might be nice in theory, if something that tied to who we are was easy to accomplish and didn't have any other affect on our lives, sadley that isn't the case.

Treat your stories right, and treat yourself right. Good luck!

Ask TheLostSigns #6

This week's "Ask TheLostSigns" is brought to you by the characters of long running Japanese Anime. They're stupid and they need help. good thing I'm available to give it. ^_^


Dear TheLostSigns,
Me and my friends are searching for the Moon princess. Have you seen her? This magical cat with a crescent moon on her forehead snuck into my house and started talking to me. It also gave me magical powers and now i fight the Negaverse as Sailor Moon. Strangely enough most of the friends i've met have turned out to be Sailor Scouts too! There's Sailor Mercury, Sailor Mars, Sailor Jupiter, and Sailor Venus. We've been looking for the Moon princess for a while, although we think Sailor Venus might be her, because she's so pretty and a model and stuff. What do you think?
Please help!
Must Observe Optimism Now

Hello MOON! I'd like to start off by saying thank you for writing in. I can understand how life must be really confusing for you, what with the talking cat and the superpowers. After reading your letter i was left with one nagging question, tho.
...
HOW F*CKING STUPID ARE YOU AND YOUR DUMB*SS FRIENDS?
Seriously, you're Sailor F*cking MOON. Moon is in your name. You're the god damn Moon princess.
Go back to school, cause you needs you some education.
Sincerely
TheLostSigns


Hey TheLostSigns,
I live in a town of ninjas, and one day I hope to be their leader. The best Leader they've ever known. My problem is i've got an all powerful fox spirit trapped inside me, so nobody in town will talk to me or be my friend. I'm so lonely what should i do?
Not Actually Really Up To Objecting

Thanks for the letter NARUTO.
Being the giver of sound advice for those tough life choice, I'd like to ask why what these other people think is so important to you that you'd dedicate so much of your life to them.
I can understand wanting the power that comes with being the leader, thus having control over whether they live or die, but i think that's an unhealthy ambition. It's also rather drawn out.
Wouldn't it be easier to just, i don't know, kill and eat them?
Efficiency is the name of the game.
My suggestion to you is to cut out the years of hardship and simply release the beast inside you and let it destroy your piss poor townsfolk as retribution for the misery they've caused you. You'd get away with it too, since they'd all be dead or well in your belly.
I should warn you however that everything i've read indicates that people do not taste like bacon. That'd be a problem, but i'm sure you could find some way around it.
Good luck with the upcoming massacre,
TheLostSigns

New creature idea.

So i was dreaming and in my dream was a "witch", but she was actually a green skinned creature that resembled a woman. And she inflated with "gas" and used that to propel herself and fly.

...
Green lady who farts her way across the sky....>_<

But then i thought how about, it's a gnarled creature who's territory includes lakes and bogs, who inflates with gases at night and the propels themselves through the air by realeasing bursts of gass from vents in their vine like or wooden body and that cause balls of gaseus explosions similar to will o wisps or fox fire.

That could work. ^_^

The name that kept coming to me was Celladonna, but i was also getting a lot of Kantel, which i belive is how i imagine the words for the harp like instrument.

Well see if anything else comes to me.

Free Fiction Tuesdays: Heart of Stone (Part 1)

Todays i was supposed to continue my book "Seeds of Prophecy" but i had to get some research together so i don't wanna write at the moment.
Instead I'll be posting part of the prologue for my "Heart of Stone" book.

Prologue

The golden man came for her under the cover of darkness, or more precisely the Helm of Darkness gifted to him by Hades, lord of the Underworld which rendered the wearer invisible.

Perseus, for that was the name his mother had bestowed upon him, had traveled many day to reach this out of the way place at the end of the known world in order to find the cave in which his prey the Medusa lived in solitude, save for the company of her two gorgon sisters Stheno and Euryale.

Sneaking quietly in the yawning mouth of darkness which was the gorgon’s home, Perseus saw many things which he did not understand. Stone statues of warriors and terrifying beasts, as well as ones made of glass, clear and fragile.

Making his way past these strange additions to what should have been an otherwise barren cave inhabited by crazed monsters. It wasn’t long before Perseus noticed other strange things like rugs and wall hangings. A small table here, and a torch holder there.

Continuing deeper into the cave, moving quickly while being careful to not give his presence away, Perseus noticed that the darkness of the cave, illuminated partly by the moonlight filtering in from the cave entrance and projected by a few of the glass statues into deeper parts of the cave which he a surely passed at this point, was beginning to lighten. With the coming of the light also came the soft sound of scuffling and a strange hissing sound.

“Ahh, I have found the feared Gorgon. Now to slay her and take her head as requested by my King.” thought Perseus as he crept closer to the source of the light and the strange sounds. Hiding behind a seemingly well place rock, Perseus drew out the gift the goddess Athena had given him, a brightly polished shield. Athena had warned him that to look upon a gorgon’s face without protection would surely result in death, before giving him the shield to use as a mirror.

Settling himself into a comfortable position with his back against the rock, Perseus looked upon the scene revealed in his shield.

A great cavern lay beyond his position lit on three sides by torches set into the walls. On either side there were tunnels carved in the stone walls.

“Those must lead to other caverns…” Perseus assumed.

He also noticed there was furniture within the cavern. There were large raised divans placed in a central location, while low table were scattered in the surrounding area. The main thing, though, that caught his eye and kept it was the sight of the three Gorgons.

Perseus studied the gorgons in the surface of his shield. All three were seemingly petite women, with fair skin like the moon. What he could see of their bodies above the waist seemed very womanly indeed covered as they each were in short stola each a different color. Below the waist, however, starting where the legs would on an ordinary human there was instead a thick column of flesh covered in scales which must have been over 15 feet in length and resembling the body of a snake. They also had snakes in their hair.  Although upon closer inspection, Perseus realized that the snakes seemed to be actually growing out of their scalps along with their hair. The two of the sisters moved restlessly around the third, which upon further inspection accounted for the strange scuffling sound he had been hearing and couldn’t place, the sound of their serpentine coils rubbing against each other and the stone which made up the floor of the cave. Perhaps thankfully, the two moving Gorgons had their backs turned to Perseus’s location effectively hiding their faces from his gaze. The third sat hunched over, her face also hidden where it lay held in her hands, her petite shoulders moving in jerky motions.

“Sssissster,”came a pleading cry.

Startled, Perseus quickly hid his shield under his long cloak. So the strange hissing sounds he had heard hadn’t been just the sound of the snakes of the Gorgons hair, but the gorgons themselves. Perseus had assumed them to be crazed monsters, but thinking about everything he had seen since entering the cave gave him pause. Perhaps he should sit and listen more, for killing dangerous crazed monsters on behalf of your king was one thing, but…

For anyone wondering female gorgons never have to pee. EVER. It's magic, bitches. Seriously i totally lost my mojo while writing this because someone asked my how they were supposed to use the bathroom. 

Thanks for reading hopefully i'll be able to come up with something for next week.

W/S: Vampires

This weeks "Writing Supernaturals" post is brought to you by esteemed author Katica Locke, who can be located a http://katicalocke.wordpress.com/  .

On Ms. Locke's website she has a number of articles which provide details into her writing process and views on the types of character she uses in her writing.

Below I've reposted with her permission her article on Vampires in it's entirety. Ms. Lock says:

I was brainstorming the other day, working on a plot for my next Suburban Fantasy story, and I realized I hadn’t written an article on vampires yet. I have been a vampire fan for many years–so long ago that I can’t remember what started my fascination. I do remember chasing my little sister around the house as a child, the broken tines from a white plastic fork held tight between my upper lip and gums like fangs. Yes, I was a strange child. I haven’t changed much.
I grew up in the era of romantic vamps, the dark, brooding sort who lament their lost mortality and strive to atone for their crimes, the kind that can be dangerous, but fight against their baser instincts and thirst for blood. That’s the kind of vampire I like to write about.
In my universe, being turned into a vampire is a deliberate act that takes three days to complete. The act of biting a mortal does not turn them into a vampire. The vampire-to-be must either be willing, or held captive. The first step is to have a significant amount of blood removed and replaced with vampire blood. This works best through a transfusion. Within the first twelve hours of the first transfusion, subsequent transfusions may take place, which help speed the process and may be necessary if the vampire donor is young.
After the blood is transfused, the vampire-to-be must remain out of direct sunlight for sixty to eighty hours, depending on the potency of the vampire blood. Exposure to sunlight, for as little as a few minutes, halts the transformation progress. If exposed during the first day, the vampire-to-be remains mortal and can make another attempt to be turned at a later date.
If exposed during the second or third day, the vampire-to-be is stuck as a ghoul and cannot ever complete the change into a vampire. Ghouls are halfway between mortal and vampire–they live longer, are stronger and faster, hear, see, and smell better, are sensitive to sunlight and heat, and crave blood. The will eventually die of old age, but sunlight will not kill them and do not need to feed exclusively on blood to survive.
After the third day, the mortal has become a vampire, though it can take up to a week for their fangs to grow in and sunlight to become fatal. During this transitional period, they are very vulnerable, at the mercy of a terrible thirst for blood, but not yet strong enough to protect themselves. Most die before having been a vampire for fifty years–more than half of those within the first few months.
Vampires do not technically feed on blood. Their internal organs are repurposed, their digestive system transforming into a storage and distribution center. Blood is held in the stomach until needed, then moved into the intestines, where connective blood vessels have attached, allowing the blood to be sent where needed.
Since a vampire’s heart ceases to beat within a few days of being turned, the circulatory system is no longer needed. Veins, arteries, blood vessels, and capillaries are rerouted into one-way streets, taking blood out to the tissue that needs it. As blood is consumed by tissue, it creates negative pressure, drawing more blood to fill the space. Vampire tissue is so efficient at consuming blood that it produces very little waste product. What is produced cannot be removed in the normal, mortal fashion since the system is no longer circulatory. The waste is simply pushed to the surface and exuded in minute amounts through the pores as a slightly waxy substance, not unlike mortal sweat. This waste is virtually undetectable unless the vampire has poor personal hygiene, in which case it builds up on the skin and their clothes, giving them a musty smell that has long been associated with the undead in folklore.
Speaking of myth and folklore, I ran into an interesting dilemma when I had to choose which parts of the vampire legends to keep and which to disregard, and come up with good reasons for both. I decided the religious aspects had to go since few of my books take place on Earth, and it would seem strange for a vampire who had never heard of Christianity to be repelled by crosses and holy water. Also, it insinuated that vampires are inherently evil, which was something I wanted to avoid.
I changed garlic from vampire repellant to simply repugnant due to its strong odor and a vampire’s keen sense of smell. I didn’t see a use for the OCD behavior of needing to untie knots or pick up and count small items that had spilled, like seeds or rice, except as comic relief. In a truly life or death situation, it would seem silly.
My vampires do have trouble crossing moving water, and they can’t touch hawthorn or garnet, though those particular traits haven’t made an appearance in any book yet. Their bodies are cold, right around room temperature, since all metabolic functions have ceased. Heat degrades vampire tissue, so the colder they can stay, the less blood they need to drink. They don’t have reflections, nor do they show up on film or in digital photographs, however, they are not simply absent from the picture, they appear as a blur. In mirrors, they are like a mirage, a hazy, indistinct form seen out of the corner of the eye, but gone when looked at directly. They will die if exposed to the sun, the light burning exposed skin, the heat and UV radiation damaging the tissue until all the blood inside them is used up and their tissue cannibalizes itself trying to repair the damage being done.
They are adapted to feeding on humans, with small, slender fangs that pierce the skin and arteries without tearing out huge chunks of flesh. They are inconspicuous predators, often trying to blend in with their prey. Their saliva contains pain-killing enzymes which act quickly on open wounds. The act of drinking is often pleasurable and even erotic to the one being drunk from–a unique way to subdue a frightened or struggling victim–though not everyone responds this way. Some mortals take no pleasure from it, while others are intensely sensitive to it. Most find that the act becomes more pleasurable with each subsequent bite.
Now, as far them being evil or soulless, I prefer to let my characters be individuals. A kind mortal is going to become a kind vampire (with some understandable issues about his thirst for blood). An arrogant mortal is going to become an arrogant vampire (perhaps with new narcissistic tendencies due to new-found eternal youth). A timid mortal is going to become a timid vampire (or maybe not–maybe his new strength and urge to kill will give him the push he’s been waiting for to tip him over the edge and he goes on a killing spree). I like having the option to develop the characters. Vampire = monster doesn’t leave a lot of room for character development.
Picking a favorite vampire from among my characters is easy–Lucifer, the vampire stallion. He’s every bit the vicious predator, but with almost human intelligence. You can read about him in The Devil’s Hunt and Broken Wings, both free on FictionPress, and in Magebound, available through Amazon.com and other online book retailers.
Second favorite is Julian Marcellos. He’s dark and sexy, with decades of practice in the art of seduction, but still young enough to be insecure about his vampirism. I’m a sucker for that kind of vulnerability in a character; makes me want to huggle them. You can read about Julian in A Crash-course in Kinsa-sitting here on the website, and in the Suburban Fantasy series, which can be purchased from Shadowfire Press.
As far as vampire villains go, I actually have a couple. In Sparkles & Strawberries, Ezarali and Zarik must infiltrate an S&M club run by a sadistic vampire, and in Empathetic Magic (currently unreleased) the heroes must return a lost necklace to Lord Raethen, a crazed teenaged vampire. Of course, there is hope of redemption for Lord Raethen, because I cannot seem to create unredeemable villains.
That’s everything I can think of. I hope you enjoyed reading this article and if you have any questions, don’t be afraid to ask!

I appreciate how Ms. Locke hasn't adhered to common stereotypes when writing her version of the Vampire mythology. She's put a lot of thought into what she wants these characters to be like as well as realizing that the world she has placed them in would have an effect on them and they're mythology.

Personally, Vampires aren't my favorite type of supernatural/paranormal creature, and i studiously avoid fiction in which they are the main character due to their over abundance. Also, i'm more than a little put off by the "blood focus" which is often associated and quit frankly unavoidable when a story is told from a Vampires perspective. 

In my multi-verse, Vampires are relegated to the Gate's Crossing Universe (also known as Earth #1). They are actually part of the Komu (Japanese spider demons) Hierarchy. 

The Komu Hierarchy is organized as follows:
Komu: At the top are the Komu themselves. Komu are always Female, and are "pure blooded" descendents. They live in Japan and rarely leave the compounds which are referred to as nests. There are 4 nests coinciding with the cardinal directions. They consider males disposable.
Pure blooded males ( Master Vampires ): Next are Pure blooded males which the Komu breed with in order to create more Komu, although pure blooded males are also born of such unions. They often have enhanced strength and speed. They are also susceptible to sunlight, but it simply causes severe sunburn and they are capable of remaining awake during the day. They are required to obey the Komu.
 Non-Pure blooded Vampires (Vampires) : These types of vampires are created by Master Vampires. They are also technically undead. While they are not forcibly/magically controlled by their masters, they often trade their servitude for the "immortality" associated with being a vampire. They cannot create vampires themselves, and their ranking within their covens/seethes are based on what they bring in. They have enhanced strength and speed. while the Komu acknowledge the usefulness of Pure blooded males, non pure blood vampires are ignored, in the event they make nuisances of themselves or draw the attention of a Komu they are killed. They are susceptible to sunlight, they are also highly flammable. They "sleep" during the day, although a master vampire can adjust them to be awake during the day but that is at the master vampires discretion.

So that's what i've got on Vampires, Check out Ms. Locke when you have the chance. 
And remember to pick up "Broken Wings" on Smashwords at https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/katicalocke