Hope's Light

Chapter 10

by Erisian

Book 6

Part Three

Chapter Ten - Keepers

Layers unfold as the Book advances chapters, and intervals beyond time nevertheless speed forward.

Past further iterations of Light’s expansion, past concept of boundary enforced by the one called to such purpose, past moment of blood and sacrifice, of pain and birth.

CHAPTER 58
The week’s work was routine, but Kul was keeping a sharp eye on the e-mail inbox. At some point, we hoped to get a go/no go from Chad’s Sydney contacts, and that would mean a heavy-duty Real Business Meeting with both our water activity clients and Canning Van Man. and quite possibly with the camping shop Maz had been chatting up. In the meantime, I was still riding with a mentor, mainly Kul. He was quite clear that I knew my job inside out, but I still lacked a lot of experience in little things like navigating the city, both in terms of streets and of local culture.

No More Worlds to Conquer
A Short Story being an Alternative Retelling of History
By Maryanne Peters

A New Start

As Vimastte became their daughter Vimastte had realised how poor, despite appearances, life was for Lelle and Celce. Eventually she’d admitted there were others like her in desperate need and to her surprise Lelle and Celce had insisted on her assisting them to find those others and to bring them home.

"Amelia, come have a seat with us, dear" The queen called out to me following my curtsy, "Lovette, prepare Amelia a cup, will you?" she spoke to one of three servants that stood quietly in the corner.

"Yes, Your Majesty"

"Sit, sit" Queen Arabella turned her attention back to me as I approached.

Chapter 5

We all went to the shop to take our pick. It was sixteen well-dressed and made-up women who were picked up by a bus and taken to the restaurant that the four of us had been before. We were ushered to a private room where Khepri was waiting with his parents. There was also Abbas, his wife, Heba, her husband, as well as a few of the Museum administration and Gyasi with his wife.

Brenda managed to strike Nick, but it barely phased him. She grabs her helmet and put it back on. This freak was pissing her off and she knew she was going have to resort to dirty tricks if she was going to be able to kill him. She tosses down some smoke bombs and swing her sword towards him.

Nick was a little surprised when the woman he was fighting tossed down some smoke pellets. However, he is barely nicked when her sword comes out of the smoke and cut across his chest, leaving behind a red mark. An amusing look appears on his face as he retreats backwards.

Ah summer! Lazy days, no school, no need for a summer job, good friends, a white sandy beach, blue water, several water nymphs in multi-colored bikinis among the friends. What more could one ask?

The healers had instructed me to keep my arm in a sling for two weeks, allowing the muscles to repair themselves. While I understood the necessity, my parents' added concern was starting. They had become overprotective, insisting I couldn't go out to the lake because I couldn't take someone with me.

Hope's Light

Chapter 9

by Erisian

Book 6

Chapter Nine - Instincts

It had been less than a sleep’s turn since I’d arrived in Hell, and already I’d witnessed three murders. Four, if including Pierre’s self-sacrificing suicide. Technically they were already dead to begin with, but once reduced to a compact stone that was it for their spirits. From everything I’d been told, that was the last one-way trip a soul could take.

Short of jumping into the Abyss, anyway.

Dido stayed the night with John and left in time to get the first Central Line train into Liverpool St. She travelled as far as Stratford, where she followed John’s hints and changed onto the first of three busses that would take her to Moorgate or a spot between the Tube station and bus terminus at Finsbury Circus.

“The nature of friendship is such that you never know who will turn out to be your friends, but once you have met them you can’t imagine that you could have gone through life without ever knowing them.” ― William Gibson, Neuromancer