Riven Wight

A Land of Wonder and Nightmare

Though spoken softly, Elayra still caught his comment about Wonderland’s residents’ condition.
She shrugged, her face hard. “It is what it is. But that’s what we’re going to change.” Her voice came out fiercer than normal in her attempt at keeping her doubt from entering her tone. “Kill the…” She stopped herself, then cast an extra glance around the street for good measure. She lowered her voice as she continued. “Kill her, the Curse will die with her, everyone affected by it will revert back to as normal as you can get, the portals will reopen, and you can be on your marry way back here.” At least, that was how she hoped it would go.
When he asked about Drust, her steps faltered and she inhaled. She had been trying hard to not think about that. A day ago, she would have said ‘no’ without hesitation. But now, after the Curse’s effects had escalated here, she feared the possibility of it spreading, even with him back in Wonderland. For all she knew, the Drust on the other side of the portal was waiting, consumed by the Curse he had fought against for as long as she could remember, to attack the moment they stepped foot in Hollow Hill.
She swallowed, hard, shook her head, and wiped all but as confident of an expression as she could from her face as she caught back up with Ghent.
“It would affect him a bit differently, but no,” she answered softly, hating the uncertainty in her voice. “It’s just something about this place that’s made it more prominent here. Mix that with the extra stress he’s been under lately, and you get what you’ve seen so far,” she finished, trying to convince herself of the words.
As they neared, Elayra easily guessed which shop was the boutique. She raised an eyebrow at some of the clothes in the display window, eyeing the eerie, white-faced mannequins
Her lips pursed slightly in contemplation at his question.
“Maybe,” she answered slowly. She placed a hand on his shoulder to bring him to a stop under an awning one store down, the boutique's window visible on the opposite side of the street. She moved a step in front of him. “But it's best used at extremely close range. Let me give it a go first. Don’t need to risk you blowing the entire store to oblivion right off the bat.”
She took a deep breath, trying to tune out the drumming of the rain as she cleared her mind and reached out to the world’s magic. Once again, it met her eagerly, awaiting her orders.
She thrust both hands out toward the window as she said the focus word she had used against Drust the previous night. A burst of condensed air that crackled with an electric, magical buzz shot from her palms toward the window. It started out strong, sending drops of rain splaying in every direction as it rushed through the downpour. It hit the window with an impressive thunk, but its force was nowhere near enough to shatter it.
Elayra heaved a frustrated sigh, then turned to Ghent. “Your go, Featherhead.” She crossed her arms grudgingly as she moved as far from him as she could without leaving the protection of the awning. “Maybe you can modify it enough to do some damage. The word you want is inexus,” she said it slowly, carefully enunciating its three syllables. “Say it a few times before you reach out to the magic, would you?”

MONSTORY

For the millionth time that semester, Izzy had taken the wrong turn through the school. Lost in thought, as she so often found herself lately, her legs had instinctively tried to take her to one of last year’s classrooms. Frustrated and a bit frazzled, she jogged through the halls toward a set of stairs. The halls were vacant, everyone already in their proper classes, making the echo of her footsteps sound louder than normal.
She forced herself to focus on where she was going. Her shoes squeaked on the linoleum when she nearly passed the staircase she needed to take, skidding to a short halt before scrambling up the stairs.
Noticing a boy on the wide stairway ahead of her, she started to step to the side to go around him. She had sat behind him in enough classes to recognized him just from his back as Holden Sandstrom, the sickly boy whose seat often sat empty. But just as she was only a few steps away, the delicate-looking boy lost his balance and tumbled backward.
Without thinking it over, she dropped her physics book and notebook, and braced herself to try catching him. Though she suspected his weight would only send both of them tumbling down the stairs, perhaps she could at least soften his fall.
Instead, when his back met her, it felt as if she had caught little more than a breeze between her arms.
What the… Before she could fully register what had happened, Holden had collected himself and raced up the stairs.
"Hey! Hold on!" she tried calling, taking a couple hasty steps up, but he had already disappeared around the corner. She stared after him for a moment, blinking. He had grown up in the town, as far as she knew, and she had seen him frequently in the halls and classes of the high school. There was no way he could be an aberration… was there?
Shaking her head, Izzy quickly collected her things, chasing after a pencil that had slipped from the spiral of the notebook. Could he have been affected, like Trevor had, by something the residue of Cerasus’ presence had conjured?
With her things gathered, she continued to her class, but her mind remained on Holden and his unnatural weightlessness.
The rest of the day dragged by. Izzy looked for him in their couple shared classes and the crowds of students that flooded the halls between bells, but she did not see him again, even at lunch. By the time the day finally came to an end, Izzy had given up trying to find him. Even if he had stuck around school, just avoiding her, he would have gone home by now.
Now, sitting in the art classroom with Trevor, the tube lights buzzing softly above them, she sat across from him on one of the tables, the end of a pen tapping restlessly against the wood.
“Remind me again how I let you talk me into this?” she asked with a groan when, at last, he declared a break from their tedious work.
She leaned back in her chair so it balanced precariously on its two back legs as Trevor removed his glasses. She watched him for a short moment, thinking, yet again, about what had happened to him, and wondering if Holden was dealing with something equally as supernatural. Or, rather, what he was dealing with. After all, nothing she knew of in the “natural” world could cause such a symptom.
“Random question for you,” she began as nonchalantly as she could. “Do you know anything about Holden Sandstrom?”
She linked her hands behind her head beneath her usual high ponytail as her friend answered. The rolled-up sleeves of a camouflage-patterned jacket she had found at a thrift store to replace one of her old ones pulled up slightly.
“What?” Her chair clanked back to the floor at his inquiry of having a crush. “No. Nothing like that. Like you said, I’ve had a lot of classes with him.” She shrugged. “Thought I’d find out what I could about him. See if he needs help with schoolwork what with all his sick days.”
“Huh,” she said thoughtfully as Trevor leaned back. Her brows rose slightly when he finished speaking. You have no idea. “Don’t suppose you know where he lives, do you? Maybe I’ll drop by or something. See if he needs a hand with anything.”

A Land of Wonder and Nightmare

“We won’t be.” Elayra watched the station wagon pull away, then carefully slipped the other strap of her pack over her opposite shoulder, trying to distribute the weight evenly over the tender spot on her back. Rain dripped through her hair and down the back of her neck.
She snorted at Ghent’s comment. “I’m more surprised he hasn’t passed out from lack of oxygen.”
“Hey, um…”
She spun toward him, the tone in his voice making her scowl. “What?” she snapped, the direction of his attention not going unnoticed. She eyed him in his moment of debate, daring him to say what she expected he would say. She raised her chin slightly when he wisely changed his mind.
She nodded, then followed silently behind him, the patter of the rain drowning out their footsteps.
She did not dare conjure another rain shield in case anyone else were to see it, and was thankful when the open streets gave way to buildings with awnings. The drum of the rain grew louder beneath the tin overhangs, but at least it gave them a few minutes of a reprieve from the relentless deluge.
She remained ever watchful, the whispers of the rain playing tricks on her. More than once, she paused or spun around, ready to draw her dagger and wishing her saber still hung at her belt, only to find nothing more than the rain making its music on a new surface, or the rush of water flowing down the street carrying rubbish in its torrent. One good thing about the rain, though, was it kept the streets virtually empty. Lights glowed invitingly from a few of the shops in the process of opening for the morning, and a couple people rushed along the sidewalks, umbrellas in hand, paying the teenagers no attention. It was still so strange to her, seeing people, real people, on the streets and not having to hide or run the opposite direction.
When Ghent at last broke his unusual silence, Elayra cocked an ear toward him.
“Many times.” She shrugged, keeping a careful eye out for anyone else brave—or crazy—enough to be out in the downpour. “But we only take what we need, when we absolutely need it. The Forsaken don’t usually even notice something’s missing.” She paused, realizing Ghent had no idea what the Forsaken were. “They’re what we call the people initially affected by the Curse,” she explained before he could ask.
She jumped at a clatter in an alley as they passed, but only a stray dog ran away from the road down the narrow alleyway.
“They’ve basically become mindless zombies.” A mix of disgust and bitterness entered her voice, anger flashing in her eyes. “They go about their lives like they always did, but they don’t really know they’re doing it. It’s just… instinct, for them.” Her lip curled up with a soft snort. “Unless they so much as sense you’re not Curse-ridden. Then they’re driven to attack. They’re some of what make towns and cities dangerous.”

A Land of Wonder and Nightmare

Wasn’t Arnold on Netflix once? Maybe I’ll look and see if it’s still there somewhere. Hey, that’s awesome you have a shirt of it!

Woo! So glad to hear that you had a good day. It was the lemonade, right?

Yep, yep! I would say we’re two peas in a pod when it comes to that, but we’re probably a bit too introverted for that. Maybe with pods right next to each other. With zippers to shut out the world every now and again.

I thought pretty much the same thing. Didn’t try it out as a wallpaper, but I HATE low resolution wallpapers. They drive me insane. And of course! *Hugs back.*

“I meant to bring this up around five posts ago.” Story of my life. Aww, I’m glad you like that! No apologies necessary. I like seeing you enjoy it. That’s really what it’s all about, in my opinion! And I know! The life that was and could have been for them, versus what is.

To Cure a Curse

Rayadell expected the animal’s stop, Broach’s hooves digging into the earth of the path.
A second before the animal jerked to a full halt, sending Calanon overboard, she nimbly leapt from the elk. Her cloak flared slightly around her feet, but settled quickly, the tips of her wings easily mistaken as another garment to the unsuspecting, untrained eye. With little more than a thought and the gentlest touch of magic, the second her feet landed lightly on the path on the same side as Calanon, a long, silvery blade shot from either end of her staff.
She scowled and glanced to the woods as the axeman took a step forward, a wicked gleam in his beady eyes as he swung his weapons, Calanon dodging an arrow.
Rayadell scowled and leaped forward, ducking, at another, quiet thwang of an arrow being loosed. It soared over her head from above them, the archer hidden by foliage. The arrow embedded into the base of a tree on the opposite side of the path.
She gave Calanon a quick nod. “Do it, and do it fast!” she snapped, quickly stepping around him to face the man in his rock armor. Hoping Calanon was as skilled at fighting as he was at acrobatics, she gripped her staff, ready to fight or defend with it.
“Tell ya what!” the man called, his voice gravely. “Surrender your goods, and we just might letchya go!”
“Cute.” Rayadell smirked at him. “But not going to happen!” She rushed at him, forcing his full attention to her. White flames erupted from her palms and spiraled down the shaft to the sword blades, igniting them in fire.
The stocky man undoubtedly had strength on his side, but she had speed and magic.
The man cursed and jumped back out of her reach as fast as his bulky body let him as she brought first one blade down on him, then swung it swiftly to try meeting him with the other.
Narrowly avoiding her attacks, he shouted something in a language she did not recognize. The sound of two more arrows being released faintly met her ears, one right after the other, giving her only a fraction of a second to register the sound and dodge.
She stepped swiftly back, each step a slight hop. The first arrow dug into the ground where she had stood, while the second pierced the hem of her cloak. She swiftly yanked it free, expecting the archers to fire off another round, but the rock-man charged her with a guttural cry, swinging his axes in a deadly arch.
She raised the staff and blocked one of his blows with the shaft, then tilted it to deflect his second. The blades stuck slightly in the wood, making hot sparks flair up from the stream of flames, and she moved to kick him as she jerked the staff to the side, trying to knock him off balance.
His weapons pulled free when she twirled the staff, and he stumbled back to avoid her kick. She lunged forward, ready to strike, but another arrow rushed by her. Its tip and fletching grazed the back of her neck, catching and pulling at her hair as it shot by.
She gasped and was forced back by a second shot from the same direction in quick succession.
“Any day now, Cal!” she called as the man tried to take advantage of the arrows’ distraction and lunged once more.

Of Science and Magic

I'm sure you'll do great!

Of Science and Magic

You are correct! Once I know where Byrce is at the end of your next post, I will figure out where to put Thea and do my best to set up for a meet post! Sound good?

Of Science and Magic

That depends on the day for me, I suppose, with liking to make friends. Heh.

Thanks! I look forward to when you get the chance to post. No rush, though! :-)

Schooled in Magic

I'm sorry to hear that! But I understand, and thank you for letting me know.

That's a good idea, but I'm more likely to forget that I have something like that on a Google Doc. I practically never use them, so that would not really work for me.

A Land of Wonder and Nightmare

Flippin' yes! And HA! YES. My gosh, I haven't watched Hey Arnold in ages!

I did say 'or something.' xD

Ugh, sorry you've had a lot of chainsaws! I've just been hit with a heavy dose of not wanting to communicate with people. Hope you get those lemons! Because lemonade is a good summer drink.

Ha! Seriously! You gotta love those cravings brought on by reading and writing.

Man, I love your GIFs!

My turn, though it isn't a GIF. Found this while searching for new wallpapers (I change my computer wallpapers more often than my avi on here), and thought of you. For a fair warning, it's large.

Have a picture