Writing a book is an adventure:
      it begins as an amusement,
      then it becomes a mistress,
      then a master,
      and finally a tyrant.
               
                             -Winston Churchill

Faded Dreams

            Beneath the white sky of faded dreams, he stood wondering if this was all that’s left. He couldn’t take a step forward, and he had not strength to step back.

            Laughter drifted from the children at the park around the corner; the youthful sprites of hearts that had yet to feel pain.

            White sky, child laughter, and a dark soul. He was surrounded by purity yet within him, there was nothing but sin. His whole being now contradiction.

            Protect. That’s what he’s supposed to do. But all he could do was harm. He still felt the gun in his hand; skin sticking to the leather grip, the jolt of his heart as the sound of the bullet fired pierced his ears.

            And Serve. A code he lived by. But the only person he served was himself; he saved only himself. But it was what he had to do. To stop a murderer, he had to become on himself.

            The sky became a little bluer and children’s laughter faded. He buttoned up his shirt, reattached his tie, and checked to make sure his badge was on straight. He took a step forward, there was no way, now, to go back.

Lover's Dance

            When the Moon first caught a glimpse of the Sun, he shuttered in her glory. He was stunned by her pale beauty, his breath taken away by her sultry smile. The Moon tried to speak to the Sun, but she turned in a blush and held up the earth to hide behind. When the Moon turned away to search for her, she peaked out from behind the earth. She teased the Moon, twirled her skirts, smiled and danced, but when the Moon turned to gaze at her, she disappeared behind the earth.

The Moon tried to lure her out: it gave her his oceans and she appeared, took them, consumed them, and hid behind the earth. He gave her his mountains and snow. She took them, consumed them, and disappeared again behind the earth. Her blue eyes peaked around the globe. They sparkled with greed, absorbed the love the Moon dotted on her. Her cheeks glowed and the Moon wished only to please her more. He gave her skyscrapers and towers, bridges and industry. He gave her his trees, his art, his animals, his literature. She came out from behind the earth long enough to take what the Moon gave her and she disappeared again, her hunger growing with everything the Moon gave. The Sun hid, the Moon followed, offered; the Sun took, hid, and the Moon chased. As he gave up the last breath of life upon his surface, he grew pale and slow while the sun grew with all that she had taken. She settled down in contentment.

            With all that he had left, the Moon continued to chase the Sun around the earth she had put between them, hoping that she would return some of the love he gave. Every now and again she allowed the Moon to catch up with her, taking what he gave and pulling away again.

Forever their painful lover’s dance continues until the Sun finally consumes him, or he plunges to his death.

The Last Battle of the Tyrant King

I was dying. There was no way to counter it. My enemy's green eyes shone as he pulled his sword from my side. I didn't give him the satisfaction of screaming, but silently my body shook with deep, erotic pain. I fell to my knees in defeat, all strength leaving me.

~

The sun was rising behind the tall stone wall. There were only three of us. I couldn't believe they were even with me. Embry stood to my left, full in his glory. The light of the rising sun struck his long golden horn and reflected onto the ground.  He tapped one of his front feet into the ground, not out of impatience, but testing the ground. He had been with me since the beginning. I looked over into his face. This was what we had been working toward for the past five years: a chance to face the king, Lycarine, in all his glory.

~

We were still alive. I couldn't believe we were still alive. Three of us against the whole of the tyrant king's army. Lionessa looked at me from across the field. Her burgundy coat stained with the blood of the men she had killed in the last hour. I saw her sigh in relief at the sight of me still alive then she turned to block the sword of yet another foe. Her only goal today was to kill the tyrant king, but he had yet to leave his refuge on the stone wall.

I charged through another regiment that was released from the castle doors. I took out the center of them and then came in from behind. Lionessa and Aiden would take care of the ones left in the front.

~

Embry found me that day, the day my people were taken from me. I was all that was left of the race of elves. He came through the smoke and death. He found me huddled beneath a piece of rubble. His beautiful white face ushered me from my hiding place. He let me ride his back away from my old home of peace turned to death, and into a life of destruction.

I allowed the memories to flow freely; letting all the anger and hate grow for the dangerous battle that I knew lay ahead.

~

The battle seemed to stop as I knelt helpless on the ground. The only thing my ears took in was my slow, broken breath. I tried to lift my head to stare again into those shining green eyes, but I couldn't. My head fell again to my chest and my ears allowed me another sound: shrill, cruel laughter.

~

Another regiment of men was released when there were only a few left from the last. This regiment was larger. Before I began my attack I looked again up to the wall. The tyrant king had yet to come and meet us himself. His eyes reflected a slight fear for just a moment, but the rest of his body was as rigid and proud as it was in every battle I had seen him command.

Taking care to not appear idol or weary, I didn't spend much time contemplating the tyrant king as he sat aloft. I turned and charged again to a regiment of young men. Blood trickled down into my eyes as souls were lost to the edge of my horn.

~

Standing at my right side was a man I had come to love. He didn't look at me. He stared at the tyrant king with hatred etched on every inch of his face. Aiden had come to us a year earlier. I did not think that he, a human, would want to help us. It was his kind that destroyed our people. Until he came I believed all of mankind to be like that man, the man who was staring down at us from his place on the wall with contempt.

~

"Did you really think you could come back here and take the crown from me?" The tyrant king had leaned over to whisper this in my ear. He laughed again and lifted my head so that I was forced to look yet again into his eyes. "Did you think you could defeat me with only an elf and an unicorn as your company? I did not raise you well." He let go of me, but I had the strength to keep my head up this time.

He lifted his sword over his head to take my life. But the tyrant king did not expect me to have the strength to lift my own broadsword. I pushed it through his chest, with the help of the momentum he had built up for me in his killing stroke. His green eyes stared at me as I released the hilt of my sword. The tyrant king fell to the ground.

~

He wasn't there. The tyrant king no longer stood at his place along the battlements. I called out to Lionessa and Aiden. They looked at me and I had to wait only a moment to give them the signal they had been waiting for. I swished my now red tail, shifted all my weight onto my back legs and kicked into the air. My lungs filled and released a cry that had been kept captive for far too long.

Lionessa ran to Aiden's side and took over the battle he had been fighting. I charged into one last regiment. The tyrant king was finally among us, but I let him be. Lionessa and I took care of the men while Aiden walked with purpose, shoulders square, toward the tyrant king.

~

I looked again at the tyrant king as the large front doors of the citadel began to slowly open. I drew my bow and did what I could at the distance. Embry beat the ground again with his front foot. Aiden drew his broadsword from it’s sheath and they waited.

When the regiment was but a hundred yards away, I sheathed my bow and took out my longsword and shortblade. It only took another moment and it all began. Embry charged into the regiment, and Aiden and I took what he left behind.

~

I was only able to catch pieces of Aiden's battle with the tyrant king. More men kept pouring out of the citadel doors so Lionessa and I were kept quite occupied. Their battle lasted a long time. Neither able to touch the other, a dance with swords and movements so quick it was all a blur. It seemed as if the fight could go on for eternity, they were both equally skilled in swordplay. But it didn't, it couldn't. It was with a deeply beating heart that I watched the tyrant king place his sword intricately and forcibly into Aiden's side.

~

"The king is dead!" A man shouted from somewhere on the battlefield. But I could not see him. My eyes glazed over. It was done. The strength I had built up for the final stroke left my body entirely and I fell to the ground. Lionessa and Embry were by my side in an instant. Lionessa lifted my head into her arms.

"It is over." I managed to whisper, looking into her forever eyes.

"Not for you." She whispered back with a smile that betrayed the reality she knew was coming. I tried to smile at her, as my vision began to blur, than it all went black. My ears allowed me one last sound.

"NO!" was the heart broken cry that ushered me to heaven.

(April 2006)

The First Entry

I've finally joined the Blogger community. This will be one of my few post where I am saying something not premeditated or proof read a dozen times. I want this blog to focus on the creation of words. I hope you enjoy what I have to say.
Lindsey