Chapter 7

"How did I get myself into this mess?," Lydia thought as she struggled to get loose from the chains that bound her to a pillar.

Meanwhile, she was being circled by a hulking figure claiming to be a king named Aron. He laughed and told the young girl she would someday be his bride.

"Tall and creepy is not my type," Lydia replied, not showing the her enemy her fear.

He slapped her. It hurt.

It hit home the words her mother told her. There would be times when Lydia would find an opponent who would be her equal in strength.

Alexia and Johnathyn make their way to Glory where Alexia reveals her return to the world. She joins the Queen's Guard as they fight to restore order to the land. Alexia feels compelled to take a more active role, leading to fearsome success on the part of the Guard and a horrific response from First Minister Dupree. Listed Themes and Elements apply to entire story, Rating to this posting (mostly violence but also sex).

*Before…

We get to work doing what we can and that’s not much really in truth and we’re getting tenser and tenser as dawn becomes daylight and I keep using my powers to cast out and to try and feel for Hawk or the goblins and I finally feel her and then the wagon and then I feel others with her…No…they’re not Goblins with Wargs they’re moving too wrong?

I push on with it until it’s goes into that greywashed state and my sight seems to rush out towards them and I see Jessa on the wagon and she has a nearly a score of people in armor and weapons and horses and…I see…feel lances.

I sit down with actually being relieved when I feel them and the other’s look at me and I’m smiling. “She’s okay, it’s her.”

They look relieved too and more so when we hear a brass horn being sounded to ware the camp.

I would soon learn the mistake I had made to cure my incessant boredom; I had led mankind down a road that only gods should traverse. The mistake that came from ignorance and curiosity would change not only my destiny, but that of mankind itself. But like any event there is a point in time where all the threads meet, a time when the slightest change has the greatest impact, its synergy.

After saying their goodbyes, Alexia and family return to New Amsterdam and discover the situation to be much worse than expected. She takes extreme measures to try and correct the problems. Listed Themes and Elements apply to entire story, Rating to this posting (primarily for violence)

Five years ago to keep my job I began to use my sister’s name… Let’s just say, my attitude necessitated a change if I were to stay employed. …Late summer of 2008, the worst two four letter words regarding my job were ‘pink slip’. …Julie and I were expecting our second child before the end of the year. This would not be a good time to lose my job. I had been passed over for job promotions... I blamed everyone but me.

Virtual Reality, the dream of all gamers, is now a reality with the land of Ilos.

However, it's creators are unknown, and no one knows how the devices they have access it, only that they do.

Some things are revealed, and Nick gives his theory on what has happened.

Donna White finally acquires the evidence she needs to prove that Alex Thompson and Lance Mastiff are one and the same. Alex, his new family and friends invade the office of The Consortium to confront the people who ordered the deaths of his mother and brother. Listed Themes and Elements apply to the entire story, Rating to this posting.

Story under construction...

Some characters from Ashley Phoenix Riley are in this story.

Alex makes his move to break into The Consortium but things do not go as planned. Donna White brings Captain Ridgeway into her hunt for evidence proving Lance Mastiff is from the other side and Ridgeway provides an important lead, putting them hot on Lance’s trail. Alex continues his search for evidence in the deaths of his family but is distracted by a compulsion to visit Central Park, where he gets both good and bad news. Listed Themes and Elements apply to entire story, Rating to this posting

Chapter *18*
Deep Breath

“Croydon.” I noted as we approached the next in a seemingly endless stream of junctions.

“Half an hour to home,” Manda sighed.

“I was about your age when I Twisted,” he said. “And it was a mental Twist, like yours... it was a couple of days after the Twist that I realized what my new obsessions and compulsions were. It was the day I went back to school, and I found myself looking at the girls and thinking about what I’d like to do to them... And I was horrified at what I was thinking, but couldn’t stop. I pretended I was sick and insisted on the school nurse calling Dad rather than Mom. And then I asked Dad to take me home and lock me up, and he did.

“— I might have been like that guy who Twisted into a giant cockroach in his sleep.”

 

“That’s an urban legend,” I said. “There’s a book where that happened, but it was way pre-Antarctic Flu, pure fantasy.”

Alexia discovers a serious flaw in her plan. Opulessa invites Colonel Willis to see the new additions to her menagerie. Alexia seeks Johnathyn’s help in solving her problem. White and Dupree negotiate. Alexia and Beckwith come to an understanding as the Coven attacks the Palace. Listed Themes and Keywords apply to entire story, rating to this posting

Open flames in an enclosed habitat like Phobos are a dangerous thing, but it’s hard to cast certain spells without the use of candles.

Story under construction...

Alexia and company finally reach Glory where she and Dierdra join the Coven. They begin to train and create their own plans for revolution. Alexia and Johnathyn meet Patron Miller and his co-conspirators, she learns the details of his plan and comes to a disturbing conclusion. Schicalli makes his final report and First Minister Dupree springs the trap. Listed Themes and Elements apply to entire story, rating to this posting.

Chapter *17*
Tripping

Whilst everyone had been through the day's testing, not everyone would be going to Italy so Friday morning saw the departure of David, John and Steve leaving just nine of us for the day's activities, a two hour bash around the Pennine foothills. I felt bad for David and Steve, they've been giving their all but I guess we've been building towards this point since we arrived.