Eleventh in the series, The Lost Princess of Oz follows up on Rinkitink in Oz with another excellent tale, one of the best in the canon, and one of those most deeply influential in my writing of Polychrome. Dorothy Gale, going to Ozma's rooms to ask if she and her friends Betsy and Trot could take the Saw-Horse and royal carriage to visit the Munchkin country, discovers that Ozma has disappeared; even more disturbing, her Magic Picture is gone, so they cannot use it to discover where Ozma is. Shortly, they learn that Glinda's [ Continue reading... ]
Polychrome: Chapter 26
December 12, 2014 By Leave a Comment
Well, we should look in on what our villains are up to... ----- Chapter 26. Ugu found Queen Amanita in the Third Garden, one of the few spots of green in the Gray Capital. She was apparently experimenting with transformations, morphing a butterfly into a sort of winged centipede with a dozen sets of brilliant wings, then into a bird with butterfly wings, and other variations on flying pretty creatures. She has an excellent eye and appreciation for beauty, but her art is as cold as her smile, [ Continue reading... ]
Polychrome: Chapter 22
November 14, 2014 By Leave a Comment
And now we see what Ugu's reaction is to his forces' first brush with the True Mortal... ------ Chapter 22. "And so I will be sending several Hands of Temblors, perhaps even of Infernos, to teach a lesson to –" "SILENCE!" roared the King. Mombi stared at Ugu in confusion. "Y… Your Majesty?" He pointed his finger down at her and muttered two ancient words. The old witch, dressed in finery terribly unbecoming to her, suddenly hopped as though standing on red-hot coals. "Ow! [ Continue reading... ]
Polychrome: Chapter 20
October 31, 2014 By Leave a Comment
As the Heroes have started their move, so must the Villains... ------ Chapter 20. Ugu the Unbowed stood on the balcony overlooking the petrified Emerald City; halfway to the horizon the pure dead gray ended, in a line as sharply drawn as if by a knife, and the green of the surrounding lands began. "And so it begins." "Sire?" Cirrus Dawnglory – or, at least, the being who now wore his name and face – said, clearly unsure of what his King meant. "Ah, you are here. Excellent. Walk with me, [ Continue reading... ]
Polychrome: Chapter 12
September 5, 2014 By Leave a Comment
If we have Heroes, we must also have Villains, and don't they deserve a bit of screen time? ----- Chapter 12. "A True Mortal! That little conniving snip of a Faerie and her father have brought over a True Mortal!" The sky darkened above the Gray Castle as Queen Amanita clenched her fist and muttered a phrase in a language so dark that even Ugu winced. He could understand Amanita's fear; as a Giantess in her origin, she was vastly more bound to Faerie than even he, for the Herkus were mostly [ Continue reading... ]
Polychrome: Chapter 7 and First Vision
August 1, 2014 By Leave a Comment
It's time for a point of view we haven't seen for quite a while... since the beginning, in fact... and then one we will see short pieces of a few more times... Chapter 7. He looked up from the stone he was polishing as the Tempest swirled into the room. "You bring news?" The bound storm-spirit bowed low before Ugu, and in a thin shrieking voice reported its observations. As he listened, Ugu felt his face tightening, already thin lips thinning. And so it has begun. Once the Tempest had concluded, [ Continue reading... ]
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