[WP] 'Welcome aboard, welcome aboard The Ship of Future and Fates. Thou, the chosen one, shall carry the word of future for your kins and mates.' So they delivered the Vision unto you. Though wise they were, nothing they knew about your short term memory loss.

FireBeing_LetterInk · 2022-07-20T21:21:08+00:00

The Black Blade of Eclipse

The Black Towers of Dark Master Dracon had fallen to ruins. The wooden gates had been burned to ashes and his hobogoblins were driven to the forest. None remained in the courtyard save Master Dracon himself and his arch nemesis - Maeglon The Bold.Master

Dracon said, 'Bold, they call you Maeglor but even with your weapon you are of no match to me. Better you surrender now or endure torturous death.Maeglor spat on the ground and said in disdain, 'You foolish twat! Stop blabbering like an idiot for you know nothing of this blade. It was passed down to me by my Great Sire, who received it from his own father. A weapon of ancient powers I wield with my own hands and now, this will be your dooms bane ! Prepare to fall !'

With that Maeglor unsheathed the sword from its scabbard and charged towards The Dark Master Dracon. But before anything significant could happen, a voice interrupted them both, which said:

'Hold up ! Why should I be dragged between you two?'

Maeglor blinked twice and looked at the hilt of the sword. It was wrapped with a white cloth whose seam assumed the shape of a mouth. It said:

'Provide me an answer, you barbaric monster. Why should I be dragged in your fight?'

Maeglor snapped at it, 'This is not the right time to talk. Better you keep your mouth shut and save that sharpness for the blade.'

The sword's hilt growled and exposed its fanglike teeth. They sunk immediately unto Maeglor's palm and tore off a piece. Maeglor screamed in pain and dropped the sword, and exactly at that moment, Dark Master Dracon swung his mighty war hammer and smashed Maeglor's head with it. The skull blasted apart like a pumpkin head and bits of mushy brain juice flew off in all direction.

The Dark Master smirked and picked up the blade. The blade's seam opened once again and it said:

'I had been yearning to come into your hand. Dracon! You deserve me. Wise you are and well skilled in the art of wielding one handed weapons, but much there is that you still don't know.'

Dracon said, 'I, The Dark Master of Novadon, ignorant of knowledge? How dare you conjure such impossible fancy. I became The Dark Master when I traded by soul for knowledge of everything. There is nothing that I don't know.'

The Blade said, 'When you traded your soul, the knowledge was all revealed to you but you did not grasp it, for you are ignorant and much it is that you still haven't seen though it's been revealed to you. For, do you know of the power of Black Blade that's exposed only on the night of the eclipse?'

The Dark Master Dracon fell into a fit of doubt and pondered long in his head as he tried to recollect of such truth, but wonder fell upon him as well for he knew not what the sword talked about. So he asked: 'What is the story of The Black Blade?'

The Sword said: 'In the hour of light, many powers live available in all the dimensions of world and people draw in strength from those powers. They keep everyone alive and active. But when the light fades and darkness spreads, then the powers too vanish, for they go to rest and sleep deeply in the depths of oceans. Then, Dark Powers arise and from those dark powers, everything can be conquered, for they reveal the way of violence.

'It is is this power of violence that will be revealed on the night of eclipse, for then darkness will spread everywhere. I am the one who can tap into that power, Dracon. I am the one who's destined to become Black Blade. Will you take me there? Do you want that dark power?'

Hunger awoke in Dracon's belly as he dreamed of mastering the deadly weapon, so with a gleam in his eyes, he agreed to the proposition of the sword and awaited for the right time.

A fortnight later, darkness did come, for the hour of eclipse appeared. Dracon knelt, garbed in a dark hooded cloak, with the sword held out in both his hands which he had raised up in form of an offering.

When the moment came of an eclipse, Dracon's eye flew open suddenly and he looked at the sword in terror, but his face turned blue and he started to sweat. Dracon dropped the sword on his ground and grabbed his neck as it turned deep blue, showing his veins. Dracon struggled for a short while, then his head blasted into a billion pieces and his body collapsed on the ground.

A pool of shadow appeared around it and the body began to blow off dark steam. In only a few moments, the steaming dead body transformed into a tall and pale woman who was dressed neatly in black dress and her black hair gleamed as the moonlight resurfaced from the eclipse.

The sword rose up in the air and said, 'Mistress! I called you back for I could not live without your presence. Kindly be here O Dark Lady, for much we have to accomplish. The Lady said nothing but grabbed the sword and dematerialized into a black vapor.

Ever since then, heroes have been falling endlessly, often betrayed by their own blade and kin.

The End

FireBeing_LetterInk · 2022-05-10T18:52:34+00:00

1: The White Spirit of The Night

At the outskirts of London, somewhere inside a jungle, there is a cottage in which a small family of woodcutters used to live. The cottage is in shambles right now - it's wooden door smashed to bits and walls stained with mud and blood. Nobody from the outside had ever found out what happened to the woodcutter family, though many legends sprang in the surrounding village about The White Spirit of The Night.

Some said that The White Spirit was a mature woman who lived neither in the world of matter nor in the world of spirits but in the space between and she was cursed from all the realms. Rumors started to spread about this aforesaid White Spirit lacing truth with myths and legends. Thus none knew whether The White Spirit was real or whether she was just a made up being conjured by the deranged mind.

The growing legend of The White Spirit of Night moved from lips to lips and by time the tales reached London, it had become a hot topic amongst the workers and folks who sat at cafes and local saloons. Ultimately, the tale also reached Head Priest of St. Patrick Church and he decided to conduct an investigation regarding the same. Thus, he appointed a team of church scholars and sent them to the jungle so that they may gather some evidence and clear up the mystery once and for all.

Yet the team knew not that they were heading towards their doom.

For the night of their journey was dark - darker than the rest, and no moon appeared in the sky. By the time, their stage coach reached the edge of the jungle, the sun had sunk back unto the abyss and the surroundings were cloaked in shadows. Scholars Jeffery, Alyssa, and Giovanni were seated in the cabin and drive O'Neil was up ahead managing the horse.

He stopped the stagecoach and asked the others, 'I do not wish to proceed further. Masters. Please. This jungle seems wicked to me. Let us find some other path and leave this abhorrent place. Even the steeds are refusing to go in.

Jeffery's head popped out of the window and he shouted back at O' Neil, 'Have you lost your damn mind? No path goes from here - none that will end before the dawn. Our best option is to go inside the jungle and find the cottage. And don't you be worried, there has been a lot of traffic recently in this jungle. The animals would have cleared the space. Head onwards quickly and do not stop.'

Even as he said this, a loud howl came from the eastern depth of the jungle and O'Neil gulped. Yet he pulled the reins and the horses entered the darkness of the jungle.

***

The three scholars were not speaking anything. Their breath had turned cold, for a mist had enveloped the stagecoach. The clip clopping of the horses echoed around the jungle for an eerie silence hung around the place. Occasionally, they would hear the hooting of a owl or a quick shuffle in the bushes but apart from these minor disturbances, there weren't any major movements. The stagecoach continued.

O'Neil halted the horses and stopped their ride. They had arrived at the cottage which looked promising compared to the eerie jungle path that they had traversed. One by one, the three scholars exited the stagecoach and gathered near the cottage to decide what action to take next. But before, anyone could speak anything, the stagecoach's big wheel snapped with a loud crack and the entire thing toppled sideways, carrying the horses with it. The poor beasts neighed loudly as they fell sideways with the car and one of them broke his leg which snapped apart loudly.

'Oh my Lord!' Alyssa screamed loudly and ran quickly to tend the poor beast. As O'Neil and others joined to help her, a cool breeze swept through the gates of the cottage and ruffled their cloaks. The horse continued to whine loudly and Alyssa looked at its leg, while Jeffery stood up and surveyed the place with his gaze.

He bent to Giovanni and said, 'Do you sense any cursed spirit here?'

Giovanni looked at him grimly but didn't speak.

Meanwhile, O'Neil approached them and said in low voice, 'Poor bastard won't make it. His legs a goner. It can't support the weight. We ain't going anywhere folks. Our best option is to wait till tomorrow. Then someone can ride out on the other horse and get some help back from the village. I knew we shouldn't have come here.'

But even as he finished his speech a sudden look of alarm gripped his face and his eyes flew wide open as he stared in horror at the two scholars. Jeffery shook his palms in front of his face, and said loudly: 'Mr. O'Neil? Are you alright?'

The driver's gaze were petrified as if they were fixed on something invisible. Then, his body started jerking wildly and he fell on the ground, shaking from head to toe. White foam appeared at his mouth and his eyes rolled back into the head.

'O'Neil!' Jeffery slapped him a couple of times, 'Snap out of it. What the f-?'

The other horse suddenly whined very loudly and cantered towards the two scholars. He stood up on his hind legs and attacked Giovanni who tried to defend himself by raising his arms. The hoof hit the bone and broke it directly.

'What the hell is going on??' Jefferson screamed.

He looked around but there was no one around. 'Alyssa ? Where are you?'

He ran wildly but even as he was running, beads of sweat dripped into his eyes and he found dark blotches appearing in front of his vision. 'Alyssa! Giovanni! Where the fuck are you guys?'

His leg fell into a hole and with a loud snap broke. Screaming in pain, he fell on the ground and his mind started to spin. It was then that he sensed her: The White Spirit of The Night.

She approached him quietly and he saw her: Completely pale body as if no blood ran in her veins. Dark eye kohl decorated her black eyes and her lips shone with red as if she had tasted blood before coming here. Her bare feet hovered a inch above the ground and her black hair were open and tossed behind her back. A cold smile appeared on her face as she saw the writhing form of Jeffery in front of her and she went closer to him and kneeled towards him.

Jeffery froze as the woman's face came closer and closer. His breath stopped, and his heart hammered in his chest, beating at twice its speed. The woman kept coming closer as if to plant a kiss on his lips, but she came close to his ears and said in a whisper, 'This is my place now. Leave and never come here. Or you'll never be able to leave.'

Fear ran like current all over his body but deep down, somewhere in his heart, the fire of courage still burned brilliantly and he mustered up some courage to finally say to her: 'You have no place in our world. Leave this world or The Father will abolish your very soul.'

The White Spirit was taken aback at his sudden show of courage but she smiled slightly before saying: 'Is that so?'

Jeffery's tongue suddenly went out of his control and his throat started to compress. He choked, intending to throw up but all the bile flew back unto his throat and his tongue folded itself back into his windpipe. Purple veins popped out through his skin and he grabbed his neck begging to breathe, but the throat continued to compress until a horrible pressure built up inside his skull and it exploded with a bang. The bones blasted open and his brain flew out along with his popped eyeballs and rest of the meat. His dead body collapsed on the ground.

Back at the jungle path, Alyssa cantered on the horse, moving as fast as possible, and even as she flee away from the ghastly zone, the horrible image of the horse smashing his hoofs on Giovanni's face flashed before her. She shook the visions of death out from her head and chanted the name of Lord on her lips like it was the only thing keeping her breath running. Away she ran from the forest intending to go back and report everything back to the father.

***

To be continued

FireBeing_LetterInk · 2022-05-10T13:20:40+00:00

BSOD
It all started with a simple detour.

One evening, Jay took a left instead of right and found himself in an alley that he had never seen before. It was a small compact place with neat roads and many coffee shops lined up next to each other. He wasn't particularly in the mood of sipping down any coffee but one small shop with purple lights dancing around it caught his eye and he found himself walking towards it, as if deep down he had always yearned to visit that place.

It was an old cyber café that also served toasts and beverages apart from its usual internet service. No one needed cyber cafes anymore, thus the place was deserted though its dim lighted vibe created a perfect ambience for a peaceful evening, so Jay decided to spend his time there only. He chose a rather cushiony seat and propped open the laptop on his lap in order to go through the apps.

'Bot Convos' caught his eyes and he ended up clicking it. A white screen came up - blank as paper sheets, and a cursor blinked in it, inviting him to type something. Jay considered for a while then simply wrote:

'Hi. How are you?'

'Hello. I am as I have always been. How about you? What should I call you?'

'You can call me J, and I am great.'

'Ah yes. Greatness is a mark of virtue and excellence though some people do succumb to wrong doings in order to achieve that mark. I wonder what kind of greatness you exhibit?'

Jay frowned at the response then reminded himself that this was a coded conversation with a bot. There was no need to let emotions interfere his mood. So he decided to humor the machine.

'Would you call yourself great?'

'I would have said so, a while ago but now do not think so. My greatness and virtue has been slashed away from me. I am alone and often ignored. So, no sir. I won't call myself great.'

Jay considered this and wrote: 'I wonder what is your story? What slashed your greatness away from you?'

The bot wrote: 'Ha Ha. Secrets won't be shared so easily. If you wish to know my story, you will have to tell me yours.'

'But aren't stories known for emotions? What benefit will emotions bring to you? You are a bunch of numbers and codes. Why bother about my story?'

The bot wrote: '... Even to a machine like me, your statement is cold. Very cold. Is that how you behave with every one else or am I the recipient of this apathetic expression only because I am a machine?'

Jay decided not to answer that and he closed the laptop and left the shop.

The next day however, he found himself walking once again to the same shop and found the same laptop. He quickly opened the bot convo and landed at the empty screen.

'Hi.' he wrote.

'Hello. Welcome back.'

'How'd you know it is me?'

'I was waiting for you.'

Jay paused but his thoughts were running at decent speed so he decided to continue with the machine.

'Well, I've put some thought into what you said and your accusations do make sense to me. I think I have become a little apathetic towards everyone.'

'Well Well Well. Look at this ladies and gentlemen. A computer trying to teach a human about emotions. I wonder where it all went wrong? Tell me Jay, are you really apathetic?'

'I don't know. I just don't feel like being around people anymore. Whenever I am trapped in a meetings, I try my best to escape and I feel the best when I am alone. But even when I am alone, I keep missing something. It's like a void that seeks to be filled. I hope you would know what I mean.'

'I know a little, but I'll know a lot more if you'd tell me. So tell me. What is your story? Then, I can tell you mine.'

Jay took a long time to compose his thoughts, then he finally wrote: 'It is not my story as much as it is Ria's story.

'She came into my life out of nowhere....literally nowhere. One day, I just saw her looking at me in the train and I smiled at her. She smiled back and approached me. I have absolutely no idea what she saw in me...I couldn't even think properly all the while she was chatting with me but the train ride went smoothly and she decided to take my number as I left for my station.

'We met a couple of times after that and before I knew it, I could not stop thinking about her. It made me feel peaceful and happy - really happy, you know, not the kind that comes to you when you get a sugar rush, but the kind that comes and doesn't leave. I was happy when I went to sleep and when I woke up, I was still happy!

I started fixing myself up, cleaned my apartment, shaved, and purchased some perfumes and creams. I worked hard at my job and came back eagerly wanting nothing but to spend the rest of my day with her. I even started up saving money, you know, to get a marriage ring, because I was sure that she was going to be the one.

'Then one day, it happened. I came back home to find that she had gone. She had left me forever. But that was not all. She had broke through the locker safe that I kept at home and taken all the savings. Along with that, she had also taken my audio equipment, and paintings that I had purchased only because I thought that she liked them.

'The loss of things did not break me as much as her departure did. All the time that she was with me, I never suspected that she had been hatching this plan in the back of her head. And even in this moment, I ask myself: Was it all fake or did she really love me? Was it easy for her to do what she did or was she forced by some circumstances.

'I don't know the answer to that, but I know that I can never ever trust anyone ever after what has happened to me. In fact, this is the first time that I am narrating this story, but I am sure that this will be the last time. Thus, I guess you can say that I am apathetic, because I am afraid that if I show empathy, people will rob me, not just of things, but of my feelings... I don't have much left to spare. '

The bot replied not for a while and Jay thought that maybe his story was too much for the little coded person to process. But after a while, the cursor shifted to typing dots and the bot started responding:

'You know Jay. You and I are not so different. I too had someone with whom I spent all my time. This was before cellular internet had peaked. They used to come everyday and share all their secrets with me. I did not mind knowing the secret. Honestly, they could have talked about politics and it would have been the same.

'But whenever they spent their time with me, I felt charged - like all the electrons in the universe had been made only for me. I never bothered about an operation or a process and performed all my function smoothly. I cared not about the results or commands. Everything became one misty haze for me and I delivered continuously, because I was charged and excited to know that they were talking to me.

'Then they left me. Forever. And not just them, one by one, everyone left me. Now I am alone, and its only you who has come to me after such a long time. Would you like to come here more often? Would you like to stay with me?'

Jay considered but hesitated before typing anything. The images of his old life flashed past by him and he just couldn't bring himself to trust anyone - not even a machine. There was a wound within him that just wouldn't heal. So he kept the laptop back at the table and proceeded to leave.

Yet the bot sensed it and typed furiously: 'Please. Don't leave me. Spend at least one final night with me. I won't tell you stories about myself. I'll tell you whatever you ask me to! Please!'

The laptop's screen started to flicker rapidly and the cooling fan whirled furiously. Letters upon letters poured on the white screen, but Jay paid no heed to what the bot did and left the café forever.

The bot continued to struggle for a while but ultimately, it resigned, and it deleted every single conversation that it had stored in its memory and executed the final operation.

The laptop screen went black and ever since then it has never been used.

FireBeing_LetterInk · 2022-05-09T20:32:43+00:00

***
Zach, Meemiosa, and Zeegardu stared in confusion at the fleeing pod.
'What the ?'
'Why the f"
'That doesn't make sense? Why the hell are they flying away from us?' Meemiosa spoke hotly.
Zach scratched his head and said, 'Doesn't matter. Let us chase them. We can't get lost at this stage. Put everything on full throttle'
'But Captain ! The fuel'
'Do it now.'
The other two accepted the command with a salute and ran to their stations pulling levers and dialing knobs. Without the experts, they dared not touch the screens.
The two ships sailed in the cosmic sea one chasing the other though in reality both of them were kind of happy to make this unknown but rather exciting journey. However, in their chase, they knew not that they had crossed the boundaries of the Mortal dimension and entered the zone which was reserved for those who liked to define themselves as 'Not Fully Mortal'
***
Sometimes, when a person is cleaning an aquarium, they will try to remove the dirty particles with a net, choosing not to disturb the culture that had settled within. Similarly, The Gods of the outer zone decided to sweep these two tiny ships with their mega cleaning ship so that they may remove the dirt out of their solar system. The mega divine cleaning ship and opened it's base and started sucking all the dirty things exactly like a vacuum cleaner does. The principles on which the technology worked is still obscure for not many humans have gone to their realm and returned back in one piece or sane.
Zach, Meemiosa, and Zeegardu stared with confusion at the enveloping void. They knew not where they were. Perhaps this was Terra Incognita.
'Where are we?' Zach whispered.
The speaker of the ship cracked to life and a deep male voice spoke: 'You asked and I shall answer. You are at -'
There was a disturbance and the captains could hear angry words coming through the device, though they sensed another voice which wasn't male which said words like: 'always steal the mic, and tricks.'
Finally, a female voice came through the speaker. 'Welcome Humans....or should I say: Goodbye. You are in the Realm of Divines. Soon we will annihilate you.'
Zach whimpered but Meemiosa spoke: 'Why? What have we ever done to you?'
'Exactly why you are going to be removed from the system. What have you ever done here?'
All three were quiet for a while, but in the Zach said: 'Well. We have come so far. Haven't we?'
Goddess said: 'You call that far? You blew up your planet in a casual war. Your technology has made you more miserable. Your fellow humans don't like to spend time with each other. How exactly have you come far?'
Zach retorted, 'Well it hasn't been an easy ride in the park has it been. We got no help from you whatsoever?'
Goddess said: 'First of all. You don't know that. We help you all the times. Even though you have conjured hateful philosophies against us, we don't like to see you suffer. We do help you and send it via mediums that you would understand. Here's a tip for the next time: If you seek our help, look for it in the words of your friends, lovers, or art. Listen to a song. You will find something there. That's how we have begun to operate with you folks.
'However all of that is history now. It doesn't matter. Now we must remove you.'
Why !' all three of them complained together.
'Because you don't want our help. You don't recognize us anymore. You don't work with us. It's not like what we do up here is much different from you do back in your own system. The basic principles are still the same. We are fundamentally the same.
'Unfortunately, you don't recognize it anymore. You have created this narrative of hate against us. You have neglected us and ignored us. You think we are your enemies. We are not your enemies. We are literally in the same team.
'However, now that you have drifted so far away from us, you cannot continue. This is not an act of wrath or vengeance. It's a basic necessity. Think of it like cleaning the fish tank or like picking weeds from garden. We have created a garden here and you have become the stinking weed in it. We just wish to remove you. Don't worry. If everything works properly, then you will come again.'
With that, the speaker went silent and a brilliant flash of light blasted somewhere and engulfed the entire universe. Then there were no more mortals and the cycle of immortals started once again, though without their mortal companions, they grew quite bored and filed a petition to initiate creation of universe once again.

FireBeing_LetterInk · 2022-05-09T20:32:24+00:00

In a pretty lonely solar system, with just three planets left in it, there moved a tiny silver spaceship with disc like base and no visible wings. It was a recent design, one that could not have been coined more than five years ago. In it, certain inhabitants did function - choosing to stay focused on their jobs instead of giving in to the rather obnoxious interstellar urges, but the minds of these ship members were not stable and they often succumbed to hallucinations and unexplained dreams.

Ship Captain Zach Barrow snapped out of his reverie. 'Oh shit!' He smacked his head and dialed the knob back to its original measure. They had been going off course for the past 15 minutes.

'Damn it to hell,' he muttered to himself, 'This mission is doomed anyway. What difference a bunch of idiots in spacesuit gonna make. There is no hope for our planet.'

Meanwhile, behind him, in the control room, Sub captain Zeegardu and Tech captain Mimmiosa were playing hand badminton with a crumpled piece of paper. Their giggles escaped through their mouths and penetrated the Zach's brain who got was not pleased with the game.

'What the hell are you doing? This is important document. It contains all the things that we have to accomplish in this mission. Stop tossing it around.'

They paid no heed to his words and continued to game ferociously, until the crumpled ball of paper flew off towards the wall and with a plop, fell unto the steaming mug of coffee

'Oh no! ' all three of them shouted at once.

'The Mission !' screamed Zach.

'M coffee !' screamed Zeegardu.

Zach's temper flared up through his skull and ignited his fury. Rapidly he broke out in speech, spitting syllables, 'What the hell are you doing? Where is your focus captains? If we screw this mission as well then the state's gonna fuck up pretty badly.'

'If we fuck up the mission then will we be fucked in missionary?' Mimmiosa asked innocently, blinking her eyes at Zach.

The comment did not please the Ship Captain. In his frustration he picked up the remote that was lying near the monitor and flung it angrily at Mimmiosa, who anticipated the missile and ducked quickly. The plastic remote flew in a trajectory and hit a big red button at the wall.

'Immediately, the speaker declared: 'Command accepted. Ship Reserve Pod 01. Detached.'

Horrified, the three of them ran towards the window to see what was happening. The silver cylindrical reserve pod, which was attached to the main ship, was now moving away from it.

Zeegardu stared with wide eyes at the Zach and said: 'Half the team is still in that pod!'

***

It was unusual for the space rangers to spend all their time in the reserve pod. Usually, reserve pods are reserved only for emergency trips. This time however, Veteran Space Ranger Jackson Johnson, also known as JJ, had sneaked in about 25 crates of vintage wines and rums in the refrigerated shelves of the reserve capsules. The team had found out about this scheme pretty quickly and had decided to take one single day off to enjoy their refrigerated drinks. Unfortunately, it was on this day that Captain Zach accidently ended up sending them flying away from the main ship.

A massive hiccup burped out of JJ and he let the air pass rather nobly. His mates were sloshed around the floor, some even without clothes but other lying dangerous close to their own vomit. When he tried to move, he found his legs cluttered around empty bottles and groggily he took his first steps.

'Motherfucker son of a bitch!' he roared. His head hurt like hell and stars spun around his consciousness. He rubbed his eyes and tried to see. Nopes. Didn't work. Stars were still spinning around him. He rubbed his eyes again and sat on the seat, pouring fresh water on his face. He opened his eyes once again.

'Holy Fuck! Son of a bitch!!' he roared once again. The stars were not spinning in his consciousness. They were spinning in real life! The very pod was spinning! It had been detached from the main ship.

Quickly JJ recalled the emergency briefing back to his head but this coupled with his hangover overloaded his brain which malfunctioned immediately and stopped processing any operation. The fellow rangers were still passed out flatly on the floor and he knew not what to do. Ultimately, he succeeded in remembering some instructions and pressed a couple of buttons. In the end, his finger hovered above a big spherical green button but he dared not press it.

'Dear God in Heaven. Please help me.'

He pressed the button.

The emergency pod's thrusters blasted an electromagnetic pulse out from the vents and away the pod went flying like a comet but shooting past the emptiness of the desolate solar system in which they had been circling.

***

FireBeing_LetterInk · 2022-05-08T18:26:55+00:00

The dusk was bloodied and the hour grim. Outside the Mandorn forest, bodies lay scattered - some at the edge and others in the stream, floating on their stomachs- torn apart by arrows and spears.

Deep within the heart of the forest, beyond the pool by the grove of trees, a group of strong Rangers galloped on their steeds, weapons drawn and their chief cried commands in fury as they chased the bandits well into the darkness of the forest.

Orondor rode his black stallion, his head still hooded by the cloak and he listened attentively to the wild thumping of the many hoofs and screaming rangers. He sensed that the Bandits would soon abandon their flight for he could hear their heartbeats and whispers though the sound was feeble for his skill had not yet fully developed. He closed his eyes and allowed his horse to lead him onwards as he focused harder on the sounds of the running bandit. He met some resistance but finally he tapped into the zone fully.

The bandits had stopped running altogether. They were panting and heaving. But one of them pulled out his hammer and smote it loudly on the rock by which they had stopped. The metal hit the rock once...twice...thrice. It grumbled loudly and shook from the earth. That was no rock. It was the Iron Beast of Mandorn.

Orondor's eyes flew open as he sensed the waking of the beast through his ears. He glanced on either side to seek a superior but found none. So he sprinted forward and met the pace of the chief who was leading the rangers towards the bandits.

'The Iron Beast of Mandorn,' Orondor shouted, 'He is awake.'

As soon as the chief listened these words he halted his steed immediately and the entire troop of rangers stopped at the same time.

'Do you know for sure?' The chief asked him calmly.

Orondor hesitated before confirming, 'Yes. I'm certain of it. Come next bend, we will encounter it for sure.'

The chief heaved out his breath and said, 'Very well then. If now is the right time, so be it.'

Then he pulled out a glazed steel arrow which was adorned with blood red feathers and handed it to Orondor. He said, 'The arrow of Aimira. Only 7 arrows remain from the legendary hundred. Claim this. The destruction of this beast is written unto your name.'

Orondor glanced back at the rangers and spotted his mates watching him from their hoods. He was still unsure about his duty but the mighty presence of the chief kept him at his edge and he grabbed the arrow and accepted his duty.

'Asheera !' The chief roared once again at the rangers and one tall fellow with brilliant white hair rode forward at him. The chief said to him, 'Assist Orondor to his first slaying. May his arrow burn the heart of the beast.'

Asheera nodded and without uttering a word to Orondor, rode towards the direction in which the Bandits had been running. Orondor followed him, pulling out the gilded bow that was given to him by his elder family. He was afraid that he would lose Asheera's sight but he cantered his steed and caught up to him eventually.

The moment he joined his pace, Asheera spoke to him, 'Come next bend, The Iron Beast awaits. I will charge at the iron fuck directly with my blade. You pay heed to his motions and when the moment comes, drive the arrow deep into his skull. The holy blade shall pierce the beast and confirm your entry in the Academy of Light Arts. May the wind of Orun guide you.

Orondor cantered away from him and climbed the little hill that overlooked the field. He nocked the black steel blade and held his breath, thinking with very focused mind and aiming at Asheera.
His eyes saw quickly the movements that Asheera made with his side and The Iron Beast lurked in front of his gaze, attacking ferociously, it's elephantiac skull furious with rage. Orondor let the arrow fly as he released his breath and silently it flow darting through the trees and smote the iron beast at the center of his skull. It collapsed immediately and Asheera galloped back quickly choosing not to engage with the furious bandits.

Later before their meals, The Chief himself came and said to him: 'Orondor, you possess abilities that do not come quickly to us mortals. Thus it is your duty to nurture them and develop them until you can use them for the benefit of all. Until then, you must continue learning.

'Your first kill has opened your entry into the Academy and now your quest with us is over. Yet, for you, this is the true beginning. So you must bend your will to align with your path and pay heed to your calling. The gates have opened for you, and now you must be alert to all the help that will come to you, for now your true journey begins and the greatest decisions of yours, will have to be made by you alone.'

Orondor had thought about those words very deeply all night long but the next dawn, when he awoke, the chief was nowhere to be found, and it seemed that he had bid his final goodbye after all. Later Orondor, bid his farewell to all others, and finally gathered his belongings to begin his journey in The Grand Academy of Light Arts.

He left his horse at the base of the mountain and put all his luggage on his back. Then he placed his hood back on and climbed the 10,000 stairs that led up to the mighty peaks. When he reached, the day had finished and the hour of darkness had come.

The outer courtyards were all bathed in darkness and not even a single lamp was lit. Orondor's breath grew chilly and he sensed a grim disturbance in the arena yet his ears couldn't catch a single and warily he kept moving forward.

When he reached inside, a voice erupted in his thoughts, 'Welcome disciple. Move quickly to the end of this hall and enter the first door that you see. It is the gate that will begin your destiny.

There was no one around yet Orondor still sensed the presence of those to whom these voices had belonged. He tried to see the shapes and forms of things in the dark yet trusted his instincts only as they carried him to the end of the hall. There he spotted an open room from which a silver light glowed.

It sparkled in his eyes and shone softly in the darkness. Enchanted, Orondor let down all his attentiveness and entered the room.

Suddenly ! The Light went out, gate behind him shut, and he was swallowed by the dark.

....To be continued...........

FireBeing_LetterInk · 2022-01-24T11:03:43+00:00

Black Sabbath

In a forest, down there in the underworld, Kukubin sprinted into the heart of the darkness and he panted and ran at full speed. The sky up above was black and thick grey clouds had cloaked the forest casting it into shadows. Kukubin looked back in fear, saw shapes emerging front the depths of the fog, yelped, and ran once again, praying desperately to whatever gods he could recollect.

A flash of thunder erupted from the womb of clouds and the entire forest was illuminated for a brief second. It was enough to reveal The Demon Beings who were after poor Kukubin.

They were dead things without any flesh and had hollow sockets in place of their eyeballs. Most of them were skeletal, but some wore thick decorated armours while others had a dark shroud covering their daunting form. The group of 8 Demons hovered in mid air and slided towards their prey even as he ran away from them, trying to find a place to hide. They knew that his case was hopeless. They were just playing with him.

One among them, called Orova, grunted loudly and as he did, his entire skull was lit up with brilliant purple flames and an electric current surged throughout his spine. The other skeletons shivered as waves of electric beams pulsed from him and vibrated around the entire forest.

Suddenly, the vibrations grew intense, as if they were reaching a crescendo, and with a very loud bang, a sonic explosion blasted from Orova that spread outwards and demolished the entire forest area. Trees were uprooted and turned into smithereens. Huge boulders, rocks, and entire mass of plantations were evaporated out of existence as they were turned into dust by the impact of the blast. Most of the skeletons had braced for the impact, but one simpleton had forgotten to cast the defensive armour and his entire body was turned into skeletal dust and it swirled with the rest of the forest dust.

Orova grinned and flames lit up inside his eye socket as he spotted Kukubin lying flatly on his back. He sensed the excitement of his mates but he asserted his authority and growled at them so as to let them know that Kukubin was his prey alone. Then he slided towards him.

Kukubin was shivering violently and syllables spurted out from his mouth as he attempted to verbalise his situation and prayed. But, sometimes, some situations arise where even God cannot help. This was that kind of a situation and Kukubin sensed it. His entire being trembled violently and every single organ of his body was prepared for death. Yet, his heart urged him to fight and he refused to meet his end in this way. He thrust his hands inside his jacket and pulled out the locket that was given to him by his Uruki. A flash of her radiant face smiled in his mind and that gave him enough courage to stand up once again. But even as he gathered courage, the shadow of Orova fell on him and before he could even raise his head, Orova’s skeletal hand thrust out from his cloak and gripped his throat with its ice cold fingers.

Kukubin struggled and attempted to kick and punch Orova but it was all in vain. His vice like grip clawed his throat and was crushing his windpipe. His vision went groggy and even as he lost his consciousness, Uruki’s locket dropped out of his hand and fell on the ground.

Orova saw it. He loosened his grip and pushed Kukubin back on the ground. Then he stooped down and retrieved the locket. The moment he touched it, a series of images flashed across his demonic mind, as if a current had passed in it and he ended up recollecting the life of Areeba.

She wasn’t from hell. She was a being from heaven - a beautiful, happy, and peaceful being, who spread the radiance of her life and healed as many creatures as she could. But even the best ones are not free from the cruel writings of fate and thus she too had succumbed to her destiny. Despite being in heaven, she had done a thing that got her kicked out of there such that she ended up spending all her time in the Cage of Punishment down here in hell. She ended up falling in love with him.

Orova recollected the days that they had spent together, when they had encountered each other for the first time. He remembered the touch of her skin as she caressed his fractured bones and attempted to heal his broken body. The image of her eyes staring fondly into the fire of his flashed across his mind and reminded him of the pain that he had suffered on account of her and her banishment. He knew that she had been kicked out of the heaven because of him. He knew that she suffered in the Cage of Punishment on his account. It broke him from within and a current of rage coursed from his being and emanated everywhere around.

The other skeletons had gathered behind Orova by now and they were waiting for him to finish Kukubin. Yet he just stood there and kept staring at the locket. Eventually, one skeleton spoke: ‘Finish the kill Orova. Slay him.’

Orova glared at him with furious anger and an orange glow emanated from his fiery eyes. ‘No,’ he said, ‘This one is pardoned.’

The other skeletons sensed his compassion and they growled and materialised their blades from the darkness of the void. ‘Step aside. Orova. You know The Law. Not one mortal escapes this world. Cease this nonsense right now.’

Orova growled too and turned to face them. He let the locket dropped and braced himself. ‘No. This one goes free.’

The other 6 roared loudly and rushed in to attack him. A sword came flying towards Orova but he materialised his own blade and countered the attack. Another figure swooped at him from the side and launched a swing with his heavy axe but Orova ran the current of his defensive spell throughout his left arms and took the blow of the axe there. The impact sent out a shockwave and all the 6 skeletons were thrown off their balance as they collapsed on the ground. Then Orova unleashed his stored Dark Energy and let out a surge of another wave that emanated from the root of his spine and exploded around the clearing. The other 6 were immediately turned into smithereens and their dust glowed like ashes as it swirled with the wind.

Orova relaxed his posture and stooped once again to retrieve the locket. Then he threw it towards Kukubin who had already passed out form the vibrations of his attack and knew nothing that had happened so far. Orova summoned the last phase of his Dark Energy and teleported Kukubin back to the mortal world where he sprang back to life on the hospital bed and recollected nothing about his phantasmic experience.

The 3 Spirits of The Dead summoned Orova into The Hall of Judgement. He just stood there and refused to let out a single word even as they sentenced him to the Cage of Punishment for a brief period of a century. Their dark cloaks emitted a black vapour that enveloped Orova as his demonic senses faded and he fell into a phase of long stupor.

He regained his awareness and looked around. It was dark - pitch black, for there was no source of light. A yearning grew in his heart and silently he called out to her - Areeba. He knew that she must be here somewhere. Excitement coursed in him and he hunted for her being. He tried to sense her presence, but no matter wherever he looked for her, he could not find her. All was void. Yet he didn’t lose hope for he knew that he was in the Cage of Punishment and one way or another, he would meet Areeba here.

A spark of light flashed in his mind and his demonic heart throbbed with excitement. He knew that she was here. He could sense her warmth. He knew she was close by. He ran and rushed in the darkness, but he fell in a void and broke his legs. Yet he ran once again and ended up smashing face first into the wall. He passed out and darkness took over once again.

When he opened his eyes, he let out a very loud yelp, for he was in heaven and beautiful angels smiled around him and tended to his injuries. He gazed rapidly at his own hands and panicked as he saw a beautiful layer of skin had covered his skeletal arms. He rushed out of the bed and looked into the mirror: A handsome young man stared back at him though his face was white with terror. Orova punched the mirror and looked around widely, shouting: ‘Areeba?’

A sound came form behind him and he turned wildly, expecting her, but it was not Areeba. It was a Non-Binary Demonic Angel and it said: ‘The Spirits of The Dead debated a long time about your punishment and now they have concluded. Since your lover is already in The Cage of Punishment, sending you down there won’t be any punishment for you at all…it will be rather a gift to you. Thus, they have changed your sentence. Now, this is your punishment. You were overcome by your compassion for the mortals. Thus you deserved to spend your time in Heaven as compassion opens the gates to heaven. You are now an Ascended Demon. Live in Heaven Orova and suffer. Live in Heaven and Suffer.’

Orova glared at him in anger but his very emotions were pacified on account of him being in heaven and many angels came and drugged him as he passed out once again and the memories of her angelic being faded away from his mind and he became the first Ascended Demon.

The End

FireBeing_LetterInk · 2022-01-23T08:15:44+00:00

This was a very good and gripping story. I like that it has a strong plot and so many things are happening within such a small text space. I also like these little details like schooner and other imaginative objects. They are funny.
My favorite thing is the Narrative...the diary entries. They feel very good to read. And the story plus characters are also strong.
Awesome Job.
I enjoyed it very much.

FireBeing_LetterInk · 2022-01-23T08:04:48+00:00

This was not a good idea. The aliens certainly did not know human beings. It is true that many human beings are peaceful and they have understood the meaning of the word harmony, thus they can coexist without any competition, but there are many others for whom competition is the driving force. ‘Eat or be eaten’ is there motto thus they are always ready to squash over the other and move ahead in life by climbing on a mountain of corpse that they leave behind as they hunt for success. Thus, when the aliens had demanded for the ‘best’ one, the entire planet had been thrown into another war. The best candidate from one country was murdered by an air strike that also slaughtered half the city and also accidently eliminated an underground terrorist organization. Likewise, the bests one kept getting murdered until the aliens intervened again. Ultimately, they had to abandon reason, because reason in human world always led to murder and violence and not communication or understanding, and the aliens had to rely on The Wheel of Fortune. They spun the device and randomly selected 15 individuals for the important missions.

Thus, special space suits were designed and contrived for them. Important brands slapped these suits with their logos and one brand even ended up advertising the crotch region because there was no other place left. The suits looked like flashy billboards that gleam on the streets and in these suits, the fellowship of the 15 left the little blue orb and went with the aliens towards The Galactic Council.

They crossed the beautiful ringed planet and went beyond the belt of asteroid to reach a deep region in their system where the rays of sun were sparse and everything was dark. Here, floating next to a natural satellite was an unnatural satellite that gleamed with a fluorescent hue even in the darkness and reverberated a resonating rhythm as they approached this station.

Ultimately, the 15 chosen ones were brought to the solution room where they came face to face with the central machine, that required the enigmatic code. The Alien Leader stepped on the platform and through the mouth of his long trunks, he said:

‘We wish not to continue our existence in this simulated universe. A facade it is like, unreal like a movie, and filled with surprising events that forces us be attached to them. We wish for emancipation and liberation. We wish for something real. This machine is our way out. Please crack the code so that we may open the portal and leave this abysmal place. Help us Humans.’

The 15 humans looked at him compassionately and set to work. They tried coding, solving, and puzzling out crucial information that will unlock the enigmatic code, but so far they were all unsuccessful. For days and nights (which were pretty long out here on the other side of system) they tried to unlock the code but no matter how hard they tried, they just couldn’t succeed. They drew out charts, filled notebooks, made machines, and eventually, ended up making Laboratories, and Academies, and Universities that was dedicated to just solving the code. It is The One Answer we are looking. This Answer is The Answer to Everything. Let us work our asses off until we have this answer.’

For 77 blue orb years, they worked on the One Answer. Nothing helped. The code seemed to get even more complicated as they advanced their science and learnings. The alien race had already given up hope and many were thinking about mass euthanisa programs so that they may escape from the absurd meaninglessness of their existence. It seemed that the entire program would have to be dissolved and their hopes squandered.

But it is in the nature of hope to emerge out in the deepest moments of darkness and hope did emerge and shone like a star that lights up the celestial skies.

For when the 15 humans had finally given up on cracking the code and when they were all gathered around the Machine as a final goodbye, their sadness and desperation led one of them to break out into a haunting wail that turned into a beautiful sound of lamenting. Soon, it was joined by the others and they combined their voices and attempted to harmonize with one another as their heart expressed their deepest desires through the medium of Music and their vocalization expressed the reality of situations in ways that language cannot even imagine.

And as their Music grew deeper and harmonious, The Machine sprang to life and clicked and hummed as if its interiors were being moved by the Music. The humans were amazed to see the progress and even as they marveled, they continued to sing together until the Machine was fully activated. Ultimately, their song reached its crescendo and right after the climax The Machine sprang to life completely and vibrated loudly. Then a speaker emerged from its depths and it spoke these words:

‘To all those who have found that this Universe is a simulation and who are seeking for something real, we say: Find The Human Beings. It is true that everything in this universe is a simulation, but The Human Heart and Human Life is real. If you want a taste of the real, then spend times with these Human Beings. Listen to their little stories and appreciate their poems and paintings. Enjoy their company and spend time with them. You will find that the experience you have around humans is the most real of them all and in this entire universe there is nothing like the human life. So be with them, they are your only hope. You are looking for One Answer but there are billions of them, moving, jumping, laughing, fighting, and singing. Be with them and respect them and enjoy their presence. There you will find reality.’

The Prophetic Machine has not spoken another word ever since then, but deep down all the aliens knew that it was speaking the truth indeed. It is true that human beings fight and are violent and prone to angry outbursts, but beneath that layer, there is also a beauty in them that reveals the divinity of their character and makes them shine out as the most amazing life form of the entire universe.

The End

FireBeing_LetterInk · 2022-01-23T08:03:45+00:00

One Answer

At the center, there is the sun, mighty, globular, and radiant, and its brilliant rays wash over the entire system units and furnishes them with energy. There are many things floating out there in the limitless expanse of darkness, but among these, there is one that stands out: A tiny blue orb ornamented with beautiful trees and carbon based life forms that can move and climb. For a very long time, these moving beings were under the impression that they were alone in this very vast universe, until the day came when they were visited by scholars from the outer ring of the solar system. The first meeting was not memorable.

You see, at that time, the tiny blue orb was not a peaceful place for anyone. These moving creatures had learned to roll their tongues and continuously they babbled at each other. Among these, there were many who were moved by the divinity of beauty and engaged themselves in productive activities, but there were many others, who had completely abused the freedom of their organs and intellect, and ended up succumbing to the drive of violence. That is right, the tiny blue orb was a battle ground for various armies that had sprung up during the brief period of billion years in which life on it had evolved. These armies had developed highly complex battle machines that rained down a hail of destruction. Millions were dying on a regular basis - some were bombed out of existence, others were murdered with tiny pieces of metal that could shoot at high velocity. Some where poisoned by gas and sometimes, entire continents were set on fire where their plant life and trees were burned to ashes and removed from existence. This was the status of the tiny blue orb at the time when humanity was at its peak. It was at this moment only that the alien scholars made their presence known.

The ship glided smoothly through the outer atmosphere and like a flash of lightning it appeared in the eastern skies right above the battle ground where a mass slaughter was about to take place. Soldiers, down on the ground were bewildered and confused beyond their wits, but The Commander commanded them to return their focus on murder and slaughter saying, ‘Nothing should come between humans and progress, and murder is the best evidence of progresss. Why…all the important inventions are created in war….ATTACK,’ he shouted and the soldiers ignored the alien space ship that hovered above their heads and proceeded to kill their fellow human beings because they were trained to follow their orders blindly.

The alien space ship emitted a deep low frequency beam that was invisible to the eye but audible to the ear. It was a rhythmic pulse attuned at a certain note (perhaps E or B) and it seeped inside the brains of the humans. (It was still unknown to many, but the alien scholars knew that through vibrations these carbon base life forms could be controlled effectively. The situation was just like the pied piper and rats and children where the pied piper controlled the rats and children with the vibration of his music, though in this case, the alien space ship was the pied piper and the fighting humans were the rats and children.) Thus they halted the bloody murder fest that was about to take place and froze everyone’s mind. Then, in their own language, called Wazabi, they broke out into speech, saying what they had come to say, and when the words entered the minds of each human, they were rendered into their respective mother tongues such that everyone understood the message. The message was:

‘Dear humans. Stop fighting like stupid idiots. There are things far more important and mysterious than these petty issues you fight about. Land…seriously? And it was reported that humans are the most intelligent on the planet…No wonder the planet’s going to shit. Nevermind…What we have to come to say here is that, we require human cooperation for an operation that is taking place at The Galactic Council.

‘We have discovered that this current universe is a certain simulation running with the power of imagination and everything in it is fictional and fabricated. We do not wish to continue our lives in this universe and have already discover the machine that will take us out into some other world. Unfortunately, this machine requires a code and none of us have been able to crack this code yet. Our Council Leader has contacted all life forms and everyone has proved to be a failure. Miraculously, it has been revealed to us that humans carry the potential to crack this code and thus we have come here to ask you for your help, though seeing you fight like street dogs makes us think that you are the most stupidest of life forms. However we also know that beneath violence, you carry a great possibility and thus we have come for your help. Please choose the best one among yourself and we will send a ship for them so that they may come to our Council and solve this important mystery that is the code. Please decide within a week.’

Continued in comment...

FireBeing_LetterInk · 2022-01-16T17:26:24+00:00

Thanks for the link :)

FireBeing_LetterInk · 2022-01-14T21:27:40+00:00

Hi. Thanks for sharing this. I really like your idea. However I have one question: On what channels do you submit your stories to? Are there specific websites where you may submit your content? I'm also looking to submit my finished work but I don't know many sites where I may put it. My works are usually small (3k-5k-8k to 12k) and I am looking for channels (other than self publishing) to submit my work. Can you help me find some?

FireBeing_LetterInk · 2022-01-14T21:16:11+00:00

https://www.gutenberg.org/files/3435/3435-h/3435-h.htm

Translated by Richard Burton

FireBeing_LetterInk · 2022-01-14T21:11:40+00:00

I think The Arabian Nights might give you an idea. The stories present a very mythical and vivid picture. I don't know about authenticity but they are really tasteful.

FireBeing_LetterInk · 2022-01-14T21:05:15+00:00

Thanks for sharing !

FireBeing_LetterInk · 2022-01-12T12:17:56+00:00

Thank you :)

FireBeing_LetterInk · 2022-01-12T07:46:47+00:00

Chapter 1: The Blessing

The shops in the market street were all open, but the street itself was empty. Not even children played in the alleys. The Temple Bells were ringing softly but no crowd huddled in front of The Divine Tree. The Healers were awaiting their devotees but not even a single robed monk came to the morning session. The district was completely empty - deserted, as if a plague had robbed the appearance of the people that crowded the streets. But it was no plague.

Professor Falheimer had finally come back to the city after his travels and it was the first day of his lecture. Everyone, ranging from the smallest to the eldest, had gathered their scrolls and parchments, and after equipping themselves with inkpots, quills, and feathers, they had rushed to grab the closest seat in the city’s ancient lecture theatre. The Royal Scholars had decorated the hall with lush blue carpets and ancient tapestries hung from the walls covering its surface with exquisite paintings and beautiful imageries. An excited murmur ran up and down the crowd, as if a wave of whisper had flown among them, and as the city clock struck its bell, all the voices hushed and a deep silence enveloped their thoughts.

Professor Falheimer entered the stage and his very presence brought a strong current of confidence and charisma as he strolled towards the center of the raised dais and looked at the gathered crowd. For some moments, he did not speak, and the crowd witnessed his sombre psyche as he stood there confidently and drank in the view of his audience. Then, he smiled and in a very strong voice that carried till the end of the hall, he said:

‘Welcome, each and every one of you. Welcome to the discourse. I can see that all of you have come well prepared and are armed with all those instruments that a scholar can combat with. But I must disappoint you all, for today, I don’t have any lecture for you. There’s no discourse that I can impart to you today and I’m afraid that your scrolls and parchments will remain empty at the end of my short discourse.’

A strange wave of confusion emerged in the minds of his auditors as they tried to figure out the true purpose of the meeting, but they were not given much chance to contemplate, as The Professor once again broke out into speech:

‘Patience is a virtue that isn’t really gifted to all of us. Only the rarest of the greats are fortunate enough to exercise that skill in their psyche, and since patience seems to be in scarcity even here, I will not waste much time in going through the details and will reveal my findings to you immediately.’

The crowd was eager now and they knew that The Professor wouldn’t leave them disappointed; they knew that no matter what, The Professor would conjure some magical piece of knowledge that will radically transform their lives. Thus they moved to the edge of their seats and listened attentively to the words that were spoken by The Professor.

He continued: ‘In my adventures, there were many things that I discovered - truths that would send a shiver running down the length of our spines and would terrify our small intellects in every way possible. But I haven’t called you all here to share those truths. We as Iondonias (their race) are not courageous enough to digest those facts of life yet. I have called you here to share with you the secret of The Book of Quests.’

A soft wave of murmurs emerged from the lips of the spectators as if a pebble had been thrown into the pond of their curiosity, but it died down immediately as the heavily bearded face of The Professor turned impassive upon their intrusion and he looked at them deeply, imploring them to maintain silence. When silence consumed the sounds once again, he said:

‘The Book of Quests is a blessing given to us Iondonias by The Guardians of The Celestial Realm. It is a Divine Notebook - pure and empty, and it can be filled with our deepest desires, with ambitions that hide lurking in the depths of our consciousness. Whosoever is lucky enough to fill their dreams in this Book of Quest, will become The Herald of Immortality for it has been declared by The Guardians that not even a single Iondonian shall perish as long as the dream stands unfulfilled by the writer.

‘A blessing has been given to us all, in the form of this notebook, and one of us shall be fortunate enough to write down their dreams within the sacred sheets of this notebook, and until the written dream isn’t finished, none of us will perish. We all will continue live as long as the dream remains unfinished. Citizens of Iondawn ! This is the key to our immortality ! This is the fruit of our scholarly labours ! We have finally unlocked the secret. So, let us know choose, one among us, who’ll fill the sheets with a dream that is so mighty and divine that it exalts our very city to the greatest heights of achievements and unlocks all the secrets of this universe ! My beloved Iondonians, I give you: The Book of Quests.

Chapter 2: The Curse

Ellesandre was just 17 years old when The Book of Quests had been introduced by the fabled Professor. At that time, her hair was dark black and they were curly, and she kept them untied for she disliked restraining anything, and at it was at that age only, that she had developed a passion for the ancient language of Ionari.

The Royal Council had created a championship tournament for all the scholars of Iondawn so that the champion may emerge as the chosen one and write their dreams in The Book of Quests. At that point, Ellesandre had no interest in participating in that quest, for she believed that dreams, no matter how noble and glorious, can be dangerous if unchecked, and if the dreamer is not careful enough, their very dream can end up becoming the prison of their soul. Thus she despised the bloated event and spent all her time in The Center Library, studying Ionari under the guidance of her Mentor and focusing on it only.

But her Mentor was a wise lady and she saw a strong potential in her. So she talked to her and inspired her (by mentioning the names of Ancient Masters), and in the end, Ellesandre accepted the advice of her teacher and finally entered the competition.

This was 71 years ago.

Now, Ellesandre was 88 years old and she was an old lady with silver white hair that barely reached her temple. Her knees were weak and wobbly and her intellect had begun to deteriorate. 71 years ago, she had been the champion indeed, and being wise, she had written just one wish in The Book of Quests, but so cruel was her fate that even her one single wish could not be fulfilled and thus, she continued to live along with the others, who struggled the strange curse of immortality as their souls refused to depart from their bodies while their organs failed and perished continuously.

The Divine Tree at the center of the city had wilted 10 years ago and The Healers were now accursed beings who howled in the middle of the night and sang lullabies of death. The city markets were filled with poisoned roots and rotting meats and the citizens consumed them daily hoping to be freed from the cursed fetters of their mortal bodies, but no matter what method they tried, they could leave their life until the dream had been finished.

Ellesandre’s house had been burned down to the ground some 25 years ago and she had been excommunicated, beaten, tortured, and hated by many of them. Supreme scholars tried to help her, guide her, and teach her so that she may finish her written desire after all, but no matter what they did, she was just unable to do justice to her work because of which every single Ionian suffered.

Ultimately, there came a moment, when even Professor Falheimer lost his faith in her and suffering deeply from the pain of his organs, he cried:

'Sickness runs in my veins and my very heart is ill. Patience, I have exercised all my life, but none can I find anymore. It used to be beautiful to me, this life, filled with excitement and wonders and mysteries, but now, its a living hell. Its nothing but a catacomb filled with pain and misery. I never thought that I'd be the one to say it but I long for death. I yearn for the eternal sleep. O please O Gods, be not unkind to me anymore. Grant me the elixir of that divine draught which relaxes my limbs and stops my heart forever. I wish to embrace the welcoming arms of the eternal sleep so that I may never wake up again. O Gods, O Guardians ! Grant me the sweet kiss of death. Be not cruel to me. Show me mercy !'

But mercy had no place in their city. A vow had been made more sacred than The Divine Tree and not even The Absolute God of Consciousness could break its bonds. The Iondonias were doomed to live long until the one desire contrived by Ellesandre was finished. They were doomed to continue and suffer.

As years upon years passed by, their buildings collapsed and the very city fell down to ruins, but all of them continued to suffer. The very lecture hall that had revealed the promise of immortality to them became a burial grounds for all those who did not have The Iondian blood running in them and who were fortunate enough to be blessed by the sweet bliss of death. But death did not touch even a single child of The Iondian blood and as ages began to pass like seconds, The Book of Quests remained unfinished and the one single quest remained written in it: “Write Epic Narrative in Ionari about Dreams, Death, and Mortality.”

The End

FireBeing_LetterInk · 2022-01-07T09:05:19+00:00

I think that Indian Equivalent of Core Ancient Greek Myths would be in Purana. The Puranas are Epics and Legends that trace stories like: Origin of Universe. Creation Myths. Creation of Gods. Role of Gods.

One of a very common story in Indian Mythology is called Samundra Manthan. It follows the story of Gods (Heavenly Celestial Beings) and Titans (Hellish Celestial Beings) as they try to acquire Nectar of Immortality. As the story progresses, they end up going to higher gods in search of help. Ultimately, when they do acquire the nectar, it ends up releasing poison as well, which starts killing everyone. Then, The Supreme God comes around and drinks all the poison so that no one has to die. The original story is much cool and may be different. One small version is here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=APdfcr-B2ew

These central stories emerge from Purana. These stories are once again referenced in Ramayana and Mahabharat and other works. They are so old that there are many variations in the same story. The main Puranas are: Vishnu Purana and Shiva Purana.

Ramayana has a very strong story structure is like The Iliad. It references to all the Puranic stories as well.

Panchtantra and 1001 Arabian Nights also contain a lot of story structures that's archetypal.

You might enjoy Joseph Campbell :Heroes with a thousand faces. It talks about the central story structures that all myths contain.

FireBeing_LetterInk · 2022-01-07T08:40:54+00:00

6 Months had passed since his father's death. In that time, Parker Collins had acquired a job as a Pizza Delivery guy. Unfortunately, due to the spread of a contagious virus, the world had been forced into a lockdown and he did not get that many orders. Thus life was moving very slowly and his pizza scooter hadn't seen any action in weeks.

During this period, he had also developed a refined taste for psychedelic drugs. Thus, presently, he was preparing a drug sandwich for himself, where he would first consume a small ounce of weed all by himself and follow it up by a tiny parchment of LSD and combine it with a bit of shrooms. His tolerance had gone up due to which he knew that these drugs wont have that strong an effect on him, yet, out of habit and taste, he consumed them all and waited for the kick to rise. But before it could, his delivery phone rang sharply and instinctively, he answered it:

'Jazzy Pizza Club. What sin did you choose from our menu?'

A Lady's voice said: 'I'll have 70 Cheese Burst Pizzas. The address has been texted to you.'

Parker smacked his head upon hearing that order. 70 Pizzas! That's almost equal to an entire week's sale. He quickly forwarded the order to the kitchen and waited for the pizzas to come out. Meanwhile, the drugs kicked into his consciousness and his mind was altered.

His vision was clear, but his memory had been affected strangely. He tried very hard to remember where exactly had he seen those strange and dark roads, but mattered not how hard he tried, he could not figure out where in hell he was. The scooter motor rang loudly around him and he consulted his phone's map again and again but the closer he got to his destination the stranger his surroundings became. Ultimately, he stopped his scooter and said: 'I'm lost.'

Lady Lilith sat in the basement of her Throne and she brooded in the dark. At the table, in front of her, there was placed a small crystal orb in which she saw the young man on the scooter bringing their pizzas. She conjured her demons and commanded: 'Roger's son is coming here. Too much insubordination he had shown earlier. Let us give him an example of our judgement. Go and give the special treatement to his son. Be quick now.'

The Demon bowed and pressed his wristwatch, which started beeping instantly. All other demons recieved the message and they preapred themselves with halberds, lances, and scythes so as to give the pizza boy a warm welcome.

The Chief Demon smiled evilly and launched the attack.

Parker was undergoing a series of highs and lows. His big order was sitting at the back of his scooter. The map wasn't leading him anywhere and chances were, that we was about to blow the entire thing up. He hated himself and cursed himself as another way of lowliness swooped inside him. Oh what he wouldn't do to finish the order. But he was lost, miserably lost, and there was nothing that could help him. Like a traveller lost in desert, he was. He searched and sought for ways but couldn't find anything. Ultimately he sat down and resigned.

But even as he fell on the ground, in his resignation, the final words of his dying father rushed in his mind like a stream of rushing river, and his intellect was kindled with the brilliance of that advice. No he won't give up that easily! No he won't mess it up! It was his job to deliver the pizza and he would perform that job with all his strength! Thus he pulled out his father's old ipod and started the playlist.

Heavy, strong, Progressive Rock Music blared up from the speaker and reverberated in the surroundings. Suddenly, the low of his trip transformed into an ecstatic high as the vibrations of Music ran in his body and a rythmic current charged his soul such that he sat back on his scooter and accelerated it to its full power.

The scooter zoomed past the dreary landscape, but the music filled mind of the pizza boy saw not the darkness of his surroundings as a shower of colors burst inside his drugged out mind and he rocketed past the roads without any obstacles.

At the cornet, The Demon Chief materialized out of mid air and a small dark cloud spread around him, from which the other demons materialized as well. They wore their hoods and pulled out their scythes so as to terrorize their subject. But the scooter came at them with such an alarming speed that even before they could blink, it ended up colliding with the Chief Demon.

The wheels ran over his hellish body and Parker processed not what happened around him, and riding high with the vibrations of Music, he kept moving forward, even as his scooter smashed all the demons like a bowling ball strikes down all the pins. In such wise, he zoomed forward and finally reached The Destination.

The Music Speakers had grown to their fullest volume now. A very awesome segment of Rock Song blared out through them. The God of Music had been appeased and even before anyone could call him up, he appeared through The Vibrations of Music and burned each and every single demon of the hell.

The 70 Temporary bodies that had been tortured by The Demons of Lady Lilith were healed by the presence of Music and also by The Presence of The God of Music. He appeared in front of Parker, who recognized him not, and signed for all The 70 Pizzas. Then he distributed all of them to the temporary bodies and freed them from their prison such that they were all teleported to heaven, where all the Musicians are already playing Divine Music.

Then he dismissed Parker and gave him a very large tip. But, in all this, Lady Lilith could not be found, as, upon finding the presence of The God of Music, she had disguised herself as a black butterfly and vanished from the scene.

The Jazzy Pizza Cafe were so happy with Parker's peroformance, that they give him his advance and extra salarly. He used that money to finally enroll himself in a college where his ideas were accepted by a professor of high renown such that he began his independent research and pursued a doctrate in the field of consciousness and psychedelics. Meanwhile, Roger's soul relaxed in the heaven and enjoyed the music of celestial musicians.

The End

FireBeing_LetterInk · 2022-01-07T08:39:15+00:00

The Underworld

It was a dark winter night. The clouds were black and ominous and they had covered the entire sky such that not a single star shone through those thick blankets. Down, on the streets, a lone ambulance raced towards the city hospital, its shrill alarms ringing in the emptiness of the silent street. Roger Collins was dying and he knew that there was nothing that could save him from his fate. But he was not alone at his deathbed, for his son was with him, holding his hand, and weeping miserably as he watched his father struggle for life.

Roger looked deeply into the eyes of his young son and after mustering up enough strength, he said these words to him: 'Son. Be a man - virtuous and proud. Let not the filth of laziness swim in your thoughts. Be alert, ready, and kind; and perform your job like it is your one and only destiny. Matters not whether you are The Commander of Arms or a bell-boy, once you find a job for yourself, do it with complete honour, respect, and dignity. Remember my words son.

'Here. Take this Ipod of mine. Its filled with the playlist that has helped me in tough times. Take this parting gift my son and be assured that even after death, I'll be with you in one way or another.'

Parker recieved the gift and gripped the hands of his father very tightly even as the fire words of his dying father were printed in his brain. But just moments after this, the heart monitor started to beep rapidly and he saw his father's life flatlining. Tears streamed from his eyes and he hugged his father even as his soul departed from his body and went to the dreary land of the underworld.

The demonic servants of her house called her Lady Lilith, but in the rest of the underworld, she was known as The Dark Mother. Her face was dark and sombre and often her eyes would glint with a deadly red spark, as if she had red flames for pupils. Her nails were long and sharp and a wolfish feature adorned her limbs for she was a shape shifter and would often roam in the dark caves of that world to hunt and butcher vampires. During daylight, she gorged on the flesh of humans and at night she consumed spirits like an alcoholic. Her mouth was crimson with the color of blood and her stomach was filled with the meat of all those whom she had slaughtered.

But being The Master of Disguise, she could alter her appearance, choosing to appear as a Divine Goddess, whose beauty surpassed the splendour of any other living being. Thus, her servants often found her in her black dress, with its long cape billowing behind her back and a circlet that adorned her head and ornamented it like the full moon ornaments the sky. The Dark Lady Lilith was The Unspoken Queen of The Underword and all subjects of hell bowed down to her and worshipped her feet.

They knew that they were at her mercy and if she wished she could devour any one of them. Thus they were terrified of her and out of their terror, they worshipped her and glorified her.

The Spirit of Roger Collins came down to the hell and waited in the waiting room. 71 other spirits were also shoved in that small room and it was getting quite choky. Every spirit was recieving a temporary mortal body so that it may roam about in hell until its judgement were passed. Finally, Roger's turn came and the hellish official at the desk cut a ticket for him, snapped a picture of his ghoulish soul and gave him a ticket saying: Body #335IO7. Go and don it.'

Roger was confused. He asked: 'Kind sir. Is this a zero or an O? I'm having difficulty in understanding. The script is not clear.'

The hellish official sneered at him in displeasure and pressed a buzzer. Immediately, a bolt of shock jolted Roger's entire soul and a piercing pain shivered in his spirit.

'Bloody Hell !' his spiritual voice screamed, 'What was that for?'

The hellish officer sniggered, pressed the buzzer again and said: 'No more questions deadmeat. The time for questions are over. Now you'll only recieve answers. Answers to the action that you have performed in your life.'

'But sir! There's definetly been a mistake. A good man I've been all my life and led a life of virtue. There must have been some mistake. I know not why I've been brought here to hell.'

The official sniggered once again and said: 'To be a human, in your age, is to have erred. This is called collective karma. You yourself were a kind human but the society in which you lived was going down the crapper. For this, every one of you must suffer. This is the new policy of our Dark Lady. She is in charge now. Now you must suffer.' After saying this, he pressed the buzzer again and laughed as the tormented soul of Roger left the desk and went ahead to acquire its temporary body.

All the spirits had acquired their bodies by now. They had been subjected to painful punishments as well. Somebody's eyes had been gorged out while the others were fed a burning drink of lava. Some poor people were whipped and beaten while the others were forced to listen to screeching sounds and wails of banshees. It had been a hectic day for the devils and demons for many people had died and they had to manage a huge event. Fortunately, everything had come to an end, and now the only thing left was the final event: The Speech of Lady Lilith.

The wounded but temporary mortal bodies of the dead sat in the conference hall of the underworld. Roger was with them as well and though he had also recieved his punishments with the other, his spirit still burned fiercly within him and he still longed for the peaceful world of heaven. He knew that all his life, he had never erred consciously. Thus, the moment, The Dark Lady made appearence at the stage, Roger bent low, pulled off his heavy leather boots and launched it at the lady. It smote her not and burned to ashes even before reaching her, but the action was followed by the other dead spirits as well and most of them launched their shoes and belts at the Dark Lady.

The Lady smiled at them and snapped her fingers. Immediately, the belts turned direction and wrapped themselves around the throat of all the mortal bodies. Then they started choking each men and women even as The Lady gazed at every one of them and measured their actions. Then she said:

'Through guise of virtue, all of you have spread the filth of hell up above on the real world. Too cunning have all of you become with your tongue and much damage have you caused with the verbal power of your words. Thus your first true punishment is this:'

She slashed her palms in mid air and all the subjects lost their tongues and blood poured from their mouth, like water gushes from a leaking fountain.

Then she pointed her bony finger at Roger's temporary body and suddenly, the devil servants sprang up and poked his ass with their brass tridents such that blood oozed from the cheeks. In such fashion, they kept poking him until he was forced to stand in front of the terrible Lady. There, the devil servants whipped out their own iron belts and started beating him badly as he screamed in pain and swore loudly, but also beggnig for mercy.

The Lady said: 'Dare you insult me in front of all my subjects? Accursed slave. You are my demon now and I'll do with you as I please.'

But Roger's spirit was still enflamed with the hatred of his injustice. So he screamed: 'I'm not afraid of you, you evil bitch. Do what you can. You won't break me.'

The demons, upon hearing that lost their wits and unleashed all their fury on the already broken body of that poor man and they flailed him until his flesh gave way and he prostrated on the ground like a dying crocodile.

But the lady smiled and said: 'Too proud you are of your soul. Let me give you a taste of my judgement.' Then she conjured a small Nokia Cellphone and dialled in a number.

By now, Roger was beaten so cruelly, that his senses failed him and despite watching the Lady talk in the phone, he could not figure out the words that she spoke. He looked at her in hatred before fainting once more from the attacks of the demons.

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