Paradigms Lost: Chapter 38

Aaaaand here comes the second punch of the one-two, Jason. Watch out for pieces of shattered beliefs!     -----       Chapter 38: It Was an Age Undreamed Of… The Sh'ekatha, or Highest Speaker, gazed in bemused wonder at the tiny figure before him. Beneath the tangled mass of hair, filled with sticks and briar thorns, two serious, emerald-green eyes regarded him. Across the back was strapped a gigantic (for such a small traveller) sword, three feet long with a blade over five inches wide. A bright golden [ Continue reading... ]

Polychrome: Chapter 15

As Uncle would say, "Research is IMPORTANT!"       -----     Chapter 15.      "… and these notes were written by the Wizard himself, not all that long before Oz fell." She placed the thick sheaf of parchment on top of the least-wobbly stack next to Erik. The mortal could-be-Hero nodded absently, absorbed in sketching some sort of diagram or chart which, she could see, had already been re-sketched, modified, parts scribbled out and redrawn, with dozens of little notations that she couldn't really [ Continue reading... ]

Paradigms Lost: Chapter 37

  So, the first big bomb had been dropped on Jason...     -----       Chapter 37: Six Impossible Things Before Breakfast I rubbed my temples, trying to take this all in. "Okay, let's see if I have this straight. You are some kind of genetic experiment? And this wanted-poster stuff about you is all lies made up by the Evil Government Conspiracy?" If Kafan had been a cat, his fur would have bristled; as it was, he did a pretty good imitation by glaring at me. "I don't like your tone of [ Continue reading... ]

Paradigms Lost: Chapter 36

  And now the first of the two chapters responsible for >90% of the times the original DK was dropped in the middle.... both for the "WTF you have got to be kidding me" reason...     -----     Chapter 36: Fleeing From Frankenstein He looked around and smiled, satisfied. Despite his oddities, the village accepted him. His children were growing up strong and healthy. His wife took care of them all. In a country torn by civil war all too often, this village had managed to keep itself isolated and [ Continue reading... ]

Polychrome: Chapter 14

  Time for the good guys to start moving their plans forward a bit...     -----   Chapter 14.      I sat down at the small table; this time it was just me, Iris Mirabilis, Nimbus, and Polychrome. "So… what's on the agenda today?" I said after a pause. "Nimbus tells me that you have… made considerable progress." The Lord of Rainbows' tone showed that there were still reservations in that assessment. "While we have many concerns, it is clear now that you have the potential and the will needed, and that – [ Continue reading... ]

Paradigms Lost: Chapter 35

  Jason and Syl had had a very scary idea...     -----     Chapter 35: A Test of Trust "Good evening, Master Jason." Morgan said, opening the door. "Evening, Morgan." I answered, glancing around. There were still lots of pieces of clutter around from the work that was being done on the house. "Verne around?" "He and Master Kafan are in the library at the moment, sir." I opened my mouth to ask who "Master Kafan" was, then remembered Verne calling Tai Lee Xiang "Raiakafan." "Thanks, [ Continue reading... ]

Paradigms Lost: Chapter 34

  Jason had found Verne a long-lost friend, but...   -----     Chapter 34: Reunion Jitters "Guess who!" Two soft hands covered my eyes in time with the words. To my credit, I managed to keep from jumping, though she probably knew how much she'd startled me anyway. "Madame Blavatsky?" She giggled. "Nope." "Nostradamus?" "Do I feel like I have a beard? Try again!" "Then it must be the great Medium of the Mohawk Valley herself, Sylvia Stake!" The hands came away as I turned around. "You [ Continue reading... ]

Polychrome: Chapter 13

Let's see how our Heroine views the Hero's progress thus far...     -----       Chapter 13.      Polychrome watched from the doorway as the group of Guards prepared for training combat. She knew that Nimbus and her father were deeply worried; Erik had the intellectual and, somewhat surprisingly, physical potential to be a good, perhaps even better than good, warrior, but when it came down to actual fighting, sparring with the men, the closest thing to real combat they could manage to give him… he [ Continue reading... ]

Paradigms Lost: Chapter 33

Let's get Jason to do some work...       -----     Chapter 33: Who's Your Daddy? The man sitting across from me was small. Oriental, handsome (at least that's what Syl told me later; I'm not much of a judge), average-length hair just a bit shaggy. He was dressed in fairly casual style, but that wasn't much indication of his job or resources; people come to WIS in different guises than their coworkers usually see. "Okay, Mr., um, Xiang—that right?—okay, what can I help you with?" Tai Lee Xiang [ Continue reading... ]

Paradigms Lost: Chapter 33

Jason really should do some work sometimes...     -----     Chapter 33: Who's Your Daddy? The man sitting across from me was small. Oriental, handsome (at least that's what Syl told me later; I'm not much of a judge), average-length hair just a bit shaggy. He was dressed in fairly casual style, but that wasn't much indication of his job or resources; people come to WIS in different guises than their coworkers usually see. "Okay, Mr., um, Xiang—that right?—okay, what can I help you with?" Tai Lee Xiang [ Continue reading... ]