March to October

The room is cold with only a small wood furnace to warm the house. Snow drifts down from the sky and collects in white piles on the hard, frozen ground. I sit hunched in my chair, the aches of the day settle over my body and the worries of life settle in my mind. To me, the cold of winter is not enjoyable, yet I love and cherish the chill of Fall and early Spring. Winter is cold air and people huddled around fire, Fall is warm houses and a refreshing breeze.

I stare outside at a tree, bare and snow spattered. The sun shines down on the snow, but the frozen water refuses to melt. The persistence of Winter is equal to an old man refusing to get out of your chair. Old man winter has settled into your seat and no matter how many times you prod him, he wont budge. I do not make a habit of prodding old men in chairs, but if there was only one chair in the world and an old sleeping man was in it, I might prod him.

As I let my eyes stare unfocused at the scenery outside, the world through my window flickered. It was the quickest kind of flicker that I would have missed if I had blinked. Then the world in front of my eyes flickered again, but this time the alternate image stayed. The space outside my window was no longer winter but late Autumn.

The sky was a dusky orange as if time was stuck in permanent twilight, the trees stayed bare but the bark of the tree was darker and the bare branches curved down like grasping hands with long slender fingers. I felt excitement and confusion, I couldn’t tell if my vision or my brain malfunctioned or if the world really had changed from Winter to an eerie version of an October landscape.

I leapt from my seat and ran down the wooden stairs. I threw open my door and stood to behold the world in full October glory. This wasn’t the Autumn landscape printed on travel magazines that some writers write about ad nauseam, this was October and the spooky thrill of Halloween.

I began to walk around the backyard, the stubborn snow was removed, old man winter evicted from his chair and the chill of fall replaced the bitter cold of winter. A local stray cat strutted through my yard as if it were the dominant species. It was a dirty orange tabby with a smug expression, short legs and a small chubby frame. This small potato walked with the confidence of a lion. I called the beast, it looked at me and opened its mouth but instead of a meow, it let out an echoing wolf howl. The cat looked very pleased with itself and then walked away.

I smiled at the strange creature, my expression was that of amusement and bewilderment. I gazed at the land before me and spotted the largest full moon I had ever seen. It was bright and seemed to glow. The yellowed white color of the moon added to the warm colors of the dark orange sky.

I walked out to the road and saw the small houses of my neighbors all brightly lit and decorated for the Fall festivals. The people inside were acting normally and if they saw me might think I was the one who was strange. At this moment I realized I was barefoot and still wearing my indoor clothes. I was so used to the winter cold that being outside on a fall day without a coat didn’t bother me and my excitement kept me from going back inside for shoes.

I walked down the street toward the center of town and as I walked I marveled at the fall decorations, the Jack-o-lanterns and the candles put in almost every windows. The I gazed up at the moon again and for a minute it had a face. The moon had a large grinning mouth with rows of teeth, wide eyes and no nose. I was so startled that I gasped and in response to my gasp the moon winked. A moment later the face vanished and I continued walking, my mind trying to work out how to deal with what I just saw.

Once I arrived at the center of town I spotted a black cat, who wore a witches hat  and stood on two legs, conversing with a skeleton, who didn’t wear clothes but had an elegant mustache. I decided not to interrupt the conversation, as it seemed important from the tone and the way the skeleton kept repeating “No! It’s real! Ok!”.

I was enjoying the sights and sounds of this alternate reality so much that I didn’t much care if I ever returned to my wintery, snow blasted reality. I didn’t know how to return even if I wanted to.

The fun ended when two men wearing black robes approached me. “how did you get here? You don’t belong here” The man on the right said. “He must have slipped in somehow” said the man on the left.

I explained what had happened and how I had no idea how I ended up in this world. If I was indeed in another world, I didn’t so much slip in as I fell in. I didn’t choose to come to this place even if I was enjoying. 

The two robed men thought on this and then moved towards me “We don’t know how to send you back, so we need to take you with us until we can figure something out” said the first man. As much as I would have liked to see a Halloween prison, I didn’t want to be trapped in one, so I turned around and took off running back to my house. The men in robes took off after me, their feet disappeared under their cloaks as they levitated off the ground and flew as they gave chase.

I couldn’t out run flying creatures and I didn’t want to be imprisoned for an indefinite amount of time. My mind raced as fast as my feet as both faculties tried to help me escape. Just as the men wear gaining on me, I heard a wolf howl. I turned to look as a road orange cat flew from the darkness and struck the first man. The potato cat struck the floating man with such force that he careened into the man next to him. The two men tumbled to the ground as they fought with a surprisingly fierce runt of a cat.

I eventually reached my home, I was tired, sweating, out of breath and had dirty aching feet. I ran up my stairs, went into my room and sat down. I looked out the window and saw only a Halloween landscape. I stared as hard as I could hoping for another flicker. The door downstairs began to thud and break as intruders came in after me. I stared at the window and continued hoping to return to my old reality. The intruders came up the stairs and barged into my bedroom. I kept staring at the October landscape, hoping, for the first time in my life, that it would turn into a winter landscape. I felt large arms grab me around my torso and pull me back. I struggled as I stared in desperation at the old window. I was slowly dragged from my bedroom and as I was pulled out I saw a flicker outside. I fought even harder to escape and get to my window.

I was hauled downstairs and outside, I was dragged across the yellowish dried grass of late Fall as my hopes of escape began to dwindle. Then in a flash I was outside in the snow.

I had returned to my own reality. The freezing cold was too much and I was under dressed. I stood up and ran back inside. There I saw a black cat and an orange runt of a cat sleeping peacefully on my bed. The orange cat didn’t howl and the black cat didn’t stand on two legs or wear a witch’s hat, but they did expect me to feed them.

I felt a sudden sting on my arm so I rolled up my sleeve and saw a Jack-o-lantern mark with a face and large grinning mouth like the moon had. The mark stung and looked like it had been burned into my skin.

I was safe and in my old reality and even though I wasn’t able to stay in the Halloween land as long as I would have liked, I did get a few souvenirs to remember my time there.

Nature's change

Summer in the hills, green grass flowing as far as the eye could see. Sunlight shimmered off the water of Star Pond. The pond was large, located on the top of the tallest hill in the area and at night you could see the reflection of stars in the water.

Small cottages dotted the landscape, warm and cozy at night, a roaring hearth located in each little home, and cool and breezy during the day. The hill land ended abruptly at a valley where the mounds of earth of every size suddenly dropped off and made way for flat emerald green land. The tall grass of the valley swayed in the wind like waves in the ocean.

The warm days of summer and swimming in lakes gave way to the Fall season. The Fall colored the grass and trees with warm yellow, orange and red. The tall grass dried and looked like a golden wheat field. The best food of the year was harvested, stored and feasted on.

The valley had more cottages and houses clustered together. The terrain was forgiving and ripe for farming. At the edge of the valley was a great and mighty forest. Few forests in the world could be described as ‘mighty’, but the Ancient Wildwood not only covered a large section of land but the deeper into the forest the stronger the trees grew. The tall old trees were as big around as a cottage and the bark was as strong as iron. The people of the Valley would harvest the trees on the edge of the forest but no one ever successfully chopped down a tree in depths of the Ancient Wildwood.

The tall and ancient trees still bowed to nature like all trees do and their leaves we awash with bright orange and red. The Wildwood was so vibrant in the fall it could be seen for miles and looked as if it had caught fire.

The leaves of Autumn fell as the days grew cold. Late Autumn rain, cloudy skies and the bare branches of ancient trees made an eerie yet beautiful sight. A man carrying a lantern walked through the deep Wildwood, his small light bounced with each step. Through the forest and onto the edge of the land was a steep cliff side. The sheer cliff would have been impassible if not for a small winding trail that lead from the forest down to the sand beach below.

The path was steep and one false step could lead to a deadly fall to the shore below. Down the path and onto the windy beach, the rain from the season mixed with the cold of the ocean. Waves crashed against the sand, rain fell from the sky and wind blew in from the furthest reaches of the world.

Autumn drifted away like a falling leaf and winter blew. The rain was replaced with snow and the cold air mixed with the warm exhaling breath. Visible steam like breath puffed from the traveler’s nose and mouth as he stepped aboard a large ship. The ship was leaving this land and off to explore the unknown.

The chill brought in from the ocean heightened the cold of winter. Back in the forest the animals hid inside the great trees for shelter. The Ancient Wildwood might have lost its leaves but it would not bend to even the coldest winds of winter. The Wildwood lasted hundreds of years and stood against hundreds of winters. The people of the land did not worship the Ancient Wildwood but they did treat it with respect and hoped to also be as sturdy and enduring as the forest itself.

The snow had settled in the valley, the wind from the ocean was broken by the cliffside and tall standing forest. Trails of smoke lifted up from a dozen chimneys, the smoke curled and twisted on the breeze as it floated away.

From the Valley to the Hills, the snow had settled everywhere. The hills were so covered in snow that it was hard to tell where the snow stopped and the rock began. Star Pond had frozen over, the ice shimmered like glass and the pond took on an even more mystical aura as if it were a giant mirror hidden away in the hills.

Night in the hills was clear and every star was visible. The cold of winter sent chilling wind blowing over the glassy Star Pond. The people in the Valley often told stories of highest hill and Star Pond. They worried that on winter nights, when the air was cold and the sky appeared larger than normal, it would be possible to fall up into the blackness of space.

Just as night faded to day so did winter melt away. Spring crept in, slow and with caution. The snow turned to puddles, the Pond turned from icy glass back to water and the earth turned damp and muddy. The gray skies, rainy weather and muddy ground was far from the bright bloom of spring that most wished for but the damp weather meant water for plants and the plants did grow and eventually they bloomed. The bright blooming flowers and trees sprung up across the Hills and Valley. The Ancient Wildwood turned emerald green and the ocean by the shore calmed to a more reasonable pace.

            The people of the Hills and Valley were happy, they began their planting of crops, the children played in the muddy valley and swam in the cold water of Star Pond. The land and people grew another year older and observed another year of natures changing beauty.

1 Degree

It’s one degrees Fahrenheit, not Celsius, I never learned Celsius. I went to public school in America and in my adult life never bothered to learn. I even had to ‘Google’ how to spell Fahrenheit. I never need to spell Fahrenheit. It sounds germen but I think the Germans use Celsius, that was another thing I never bothered to learn, I had to Google it, I didn’t google it.

            Google, a verb, to search something on the search engine Google. Google helps people find answers, there is no reason for ignorance in the era of search engines. People don’t remember, I don’t remember, I don’t need to, I can Google it.

            I use Google weather on my phone and it tells me its 1 Degrees Fahrenheit. The normal dull ache in my bones worsens to a searing pain as I struggle to get up out of bed. Not struggle like “I need my coffee in the morning or I’m a monster hahaha” I mean struggle like physically difficult to stand. I pour my neatly sorted pile of pills into the cup of my hand, I slam my hand against my mouth as the pills shoot into the back of my throat. I need them to be in my blood stream now but they won’t. I type next to a frozen window, cold medicine pumping into my bloodstream, traveling through my body like tree roots down into the earth. I have a pill for everything, It costs thousands of dollars to keep me alive and the tax payers pay it. Most wouldn’t, I think most would be happy to let sick people die as long as they did so outside their field of view.

I sway back and forth in my chair, the gentle movement of the muscles seems add some relief to my tortured spine.  Inside my body it is 100 degrees Fahrenheit and outside it is only 1.

            People with harder jobs than mine are going to work at earlier times than I do. I tell myself that they don’t have the pain I have, I hope its true because it makes me feel less shitty about succumbing to pain.

            There is a phrase in my head that I tell myself when it comes to work. “People can tell you they are dependable, but it takes actions to prove it”. This phrase is a double edged sword, it reminds me to prove my value but also is daunting when I am unable. I don’t remember where this phrase came from, it feels like something my dad said when I first started working, but it could just as easily been something my brother said or something I made up entirely based on my own experiences. This sentence has followed me longer than I can remember and pushed me even when I didn’t know it was there.

            One of my first jobs I pushed myself too hard, I gave the company all of my energy to prove I could be part of a team and in the end they fired me as soon as I was too sick to work. I worked myself to sickness and they threw me away. Years later I am starting a job and have hope again for the first time and yet I can’t bring myself to go. Pain and anxiety surge through me, fighting against my medicine, the winter winds blow through and creatures die from exposure.

            I never learned how to behave as an adult, I just watched my dad and made the rest of as I went. He never had illnesses like I do, but I try to be dependable anyway, with my actions. You can’t google how to be a good human or how to see the balance between working hard and over working. They don’t teach these things in school, they teach advanced math that no one remembers and history that I only remember because some of it was interesting.

Some days life is hard and its 1 degree outside.

Winter for Conspirators Part 2

            Delana ruled over Jillian’s heart in the way that Jillian ruled over the battlefield. She fought with her soft green eyes and red hair, her summer dresses and talent for making Jill blush.  Delana was always the first one to turn any situation into a joke and loved to laugh. The only time Jillian ever saw Delana cry was on their last day together when Delana, frightened by the power of the Vanguard, made Jill choose between her or the Vanguard armor.

            The Vanguard now fought for her life in the fortress of the deceased General Durm. Every soldier in the meeting room rushed the Ebon knight while a servant boy ran to alert the rest of the soldiers in the keep. News of General Durm’s death spread like fire and soon the entire fortress had transformed into a hive of angry bees.

            Blood painted the walls with each swing of the Vanguard’s axe. Jillian wielded her two-handed battle-axe with both hands. She would normally flail her large weapon around with one hand but her rash decision making led to a very dire situation and she would need her full effort to escape alive.

            Axes, spears and swords charged into the small room, stabbing, thrusting and slashing at the demon knight. Jillian had incredible reflexes, speed and strength but was so surrounded that even she couldn’t avoid taking damage. Blood began to trickle from the gaps in her armor, spotting the floor and mixing with the pool of soldier blood forming at her feet.

            She rushed forward with her axe, he eyes burning red and her black armor lit up with fiery runes. Her helmet was still on the table from the meeting minutes before. Jillian reached for the helmet as she pushed her way through the room and the helmet jumped into her outstretched hand. She slammed her helmet over her head causing more runes to scrawl across the armor. The Vanguard began emitting a blazing heat as well and the soldiers felt like they were fighting next to a roaring bonfire.

            Through the enchantments of the armor, the wearer is always stronger when wearing the complete set. Now that Jillian had her helmet she was even more of an unnatural force. The Vanguard swung her axe back and forth as she pushed forward. Each axe swing was like a farmer cutting down wheat for the harvest, each harvest a bloody soldier.

            Jillian’s blood stopped dripping from the armor and instead was being absorbed by the black enchanted metal. Her blood was feeding the power of the Vanguard armor and the more wounded she became, the stronger she grew. The armor fed on the blood of its host and of the victims as their bodies fell. The armor wasn’t keeping Jillian alive in any way and she could die from blood loss if she wasn’t careful. When she reached her peak frenzy, she would stop feeling pain and only rage would exist in her mind.

            Corpses tumbled down the stairs into the main room of the keep as the Vanguard tore through the ranks of Durm Fortress. The Vanguard was like a nightmare made real, a demon pulled from the earth to smite the human race and still the soldiers fought on. The soldiers didn’t know of General Durm’s treachery, they didn’t know that the Vanguard was indeed hired by the King and so they thought they were fighting a great evil. They fought and died for their King and land and Jillian didn’t have the time or mental capacity to explain otherwise.

            “You are a monster!” Shouted a terrified soldier as he slashed wildly with his sword. Most of the slices clanked uselessly against the Vanguard’s powerful armor but the sword strikes that hit between the gaps made Jillian bleed her life force down into the greedy maw of the dark armor.

“You’re a monster” Cried another voice. This wasn’t a soldier, it was a voice inside Jillian’s head. Delana sat crumpled over on the grass as she sobbed. “You’re a monster” she cried. That was the first time Jillian went into a frenzy.

Jillian blacked out and when she came to her senses she had massacred a group of militiamen.

Several of the militia had been too forceful while trying to flirt with Delana. Jillian arrived on the scene to see her love struggling to leave as the men pulled on Delana’s arm and laughed. Jillian blacked out and in her frenzy carved them all up and her armor drank their blood. When Jillian heard Delana call her a monster she was struck with a pain that she had not felt before or since.

Jillian had been hurt in a thousand different ways since that day and hearing Delana’s words was still the worst thing she experienced.

            The sadness of that moment tore through her mind like daggers and the rage in Jillian swelled. The loneliness, the heartache and the loss would all be rolled into a ball of anger and forced onto the soldiers of Durm’s fortress who thought they were fighting for their King.

            The Vanguard made it out of the keep and into the courtyard when her blood loss began to slow her movements. Archers rained arrows down from the guard towers set up along the walls. “Close the gates!” Shouted the captain of the guards. The soldiers surrounded Jillian as the arrows continued to fall. The Vanguard lashed out with slow powerful axe swings, each swing sent out a burst of flames that would burn up arrows and scorch exposed skin. Magical flames would burst out from the runes on the armor with each step the Vanguard took. The armor wasn’t sentient but the magic in the armor was enhanced by blood and at that moment the armor was drenched in it.

            Jillian’s vision started to blur as she rushed forward. Jillian stopped moving but the armor continued expelling bursts of flames from everywhere and her axe burned with molten heat. The Vanguard was drenched in blood, covered in wounds, with arrows sticking out of her. The soldiers began to feel that they won and began to cheer.

Then the Vanguard shook and launched forward in a dead sprint. The dark knight moved like a bolt of lighting, ran straight into the gate and collided into the massive door with enough force to cause a shockwave. A loud boom and a shockwave was sent up into the archer towers toppling the soldiers from their perch. The Gate cracked open just enough and the Vanguard continued its mad dash to escape. A giant hole was torn through the metal gate, the edges of the hole were burnt from heat, bent back and curled up as if the metal was as flexible as clay.

Durm fortress was left in ruin, trails of bodies and smearing of blood ran through the halls. The Vanguard was nowhere to be seen. That was the historic day in the Kingdom when the record number of soldiers, knights, guards and servants all quit their post at the same time.

            The treachery against the King never came to pass and without General Durm the conspirators disbanded. The King publicly denounced the actions of the Vanguard but was secretly grateful for disposing of General Durm and those loyal to him.

            As for the Vanguard, she never reported in to the King, she never spoke to his advisor and no one in that Kingdom reported seeing a fierce black knight.

While the legend of the Vanguard would grow in that land for years to come, the fate of the actual Jillian Cole would remain a mystery.

Winter for Conspiritors

            The first snow of winter had finally settled over the land and the Vanguard knew she was running short on time. It had been several months since she had slain Captain Humford and his cowardly nobles. She could kill a room of people without breaking a sweat but rooting out treachery and hidden plots was not her strong point. She requested permission from the King to behead every noble in court but was quickly denied. The treasonous wolves hid among the flock of sheep and the Vanguard lacked the subtly required to find a wolf without killing a flock of sheep.

            The Vanguard’s black metal boots crunched down on the fallen snow as she approached a large fortress in the northern part of the kingdom. Jillian Cole, the Vanguard, heard only whispers of treason during her travels and the only solid lead she had was the word of a cowering noble. The coward accused General Durm of being the leader of the traitors, but Jillian didn’t think it was wise to just burst in and start lobbing off heads. So the Vanguard approached the fortress of General Durm with her helmet off. She hoped that the general would see Jillian as a person and maybe let his guard down. She only needed him to slip up once and then she could put her helmet back on and do what she felt the most comfortable doing, removing heads from bodies.

            Jillian marched up to the gate of Durm Fortress. She had a confident stride, with her helmet tucked under her arm and her double-sided axe, strapped to her back. she had an assortment of large deadly weapons and while she wished she could bring them all, she knew it would be difficult to be diplomatic while carrying an armory on her back.

            As the Vanguard approached the large gate a man shouted from atop the stone wall “State your name and business here!” the guard’s voice was stern and Jillian could tell he was on edge. “I am an ambassador of the King, seeking an audience with General Durm” Jillian called back. The Vanguard’s mannerisms matched someone who had been in the military for years. In most situations her tone made her sound rigid or unfriendly but she had the perfect tone for speaking with members of the military.

            Without another word from the guards the gates opened. Jillian marched forward towards the keep. Her face was confident and cold but her mind was racing. Even at this late stage of her plan, she wasn’t sure what she would say to General Durm. As her body marched forward, her mind went back to her early years. Jillian Cole’s father would have known what to do in a situation like this. Jillian’s father, Jeriah Cole, was a silver-tongued devil who could get out of any situation with words. Jillian was more like her mother and grandfather, both great warriors who had slain hundreds of soldiers in their day.

            Jillian shook the thoughts from her head. “I don’t need to worry, this General Durm is a military man, he is most likely gruff and old. And since he is a traitor he is also probably arrogant. I am sure he will slip up, then I can slay him and go home to my books and wine” Jillian thought. Her eyes flashed with determination as she hastened her step.

            The door to the keep opened just as the Vanguard approached. To her surprise a smiling older man emerged from the entrance.
“I heard the Vanguard was approaching my fortress and my men panicked!” The man chuckled as he exclaimed. This was General Durm, a slender man in his fifties. His hair was black with gray on the back and sides. He had a trimmed beard, brown eyes and a slender face. His welcoming smile belied the true deadliness of his character.

“I honestly expected fire and brimstone, not a beautiful woman” Durm said as he gestured to the door. Jillian curled her mouth into a sneer but then relaxed her face. “It is good to meet you General Durm. I was raised to properly introduce ones self before entering their home. I am Jillian Cole, Ambassador for the king. I am also known as the Vanguard, but this is not Vanguard business, this is the King’s business” Jillian replied stiffly.

General Durm’s smile grew wider “Yes of course! So rude of me. I am General Theodore Durm. Would you please join me in the keep so we can discuss business?” he asked as he gestured again to the door. Jillian nodded and proceeded forward.  

            Inside the keep was a large room made of stone with plaster walls, each wall painted with colorful paintings. The middle wall in the far back had a picture of General Durm sticking a sword into a knight of the rival kingdom. Jillian had killed more than her share of people but didn’t find it necessary to paint a picture about it. The main room of the keep was clean and well lit with torches and a few window slits in the back. “I have won so many battles for the King that he allowed me to construct my own fortress. I have added many of my own details to this structure. The beautiful artwork, a few trap doors and an armory grand enough to make even the King’s armorer jealous!” the general boasted. Jillian nodded her head and winced at Durm’s bragging. Jillian was led through the main hall, up a set of stairs and into a smaller room. This looked to be a meeting room, well lit, with sturdy tables and chairs. Armed and armored guards followed closely behind Jillian as she was taken through the keep. 

            Jillian began to recall memories of when she was a little girl, all of the bragging and bluster was reminiscent of her father’s friends. Nobles and military leaders would boast about their accomplishments while Jillian played soldier with her wooden swords. A man named Arthur Delmont was one such friend and bragged almost as much as General Durm. It was at this early age that Jillian knew she didn’t want to be a noble lady. 

            Jeriah tried to teach little Jillian everything he knew about politics but the lessons fell on deaf ears. It wasn’t until she was the age of fifteen that she started to pay attention to the lessons the nobles taught. It was at this point when Arthur Delmont and his noble friends turned on Jillian’s father. One day their friendly smiles vanished and they convinced the Lord of the land that Jeriah Cole was guilty of treason. The noble men and women then tried to seize all they could from Jeriah. Jillian remembered that lesson and distrusted the rich and powerful ever since.

            General Durm finally sat down at his large meeting table. Jillian’s mind was brought back to the present. She smiled and nodded at whatever inane thing the general was talking about and he returned with a pleased smile.

            Jillian pulled the wooden chair out, her metal boots clanked against the stone floor. She sat down with a heavy thud “As lovely as your keep is and as much as I loved our conversation, I must discuss our business” Jillian said, still trying to be diplomatic. Durm gestured his hand for her to continue. “The King is concerned about the killing of Captain Humford and several noble men. He wants to make sure his MOST trusted allies are safe and accounted for” Jillian said with fake concern in her voice. General Durm’s expression brightened further. “I will admit, you had me worried. When the Vanguard approaches your keep, the mind assumes the worst. It is so encouraging to hear that both the King and the legendary Vanguard are concerned about me and the leaders of this land” General Durm said as he ran his fingers through his chin beard.

            Jillian flinched as she felt an old memory scratching at the back of her mind. A half forgotten thought, buried in time trying to claw its way from the depths. She felt dread and sick but didn’t know why. “I am very secure and comfortable as you can see. Now if I may ask, why was the Vanguard sent with this message and not an ordinary envoy?” Durm asked as he continued to fidget with his facial hair. Jillian didn’t answer, her face went pale as her mind raced. “W-what?” Jillian said as she stared at Durm with an unusual intensity. General Durm repeated his question as his fidgeting grew worse. 

“Everyone has a tell. You can never trust ‘Uncle’ Delmont when he fidgets with his beard!” Laughed Jeriah Cole. Nine-year-old Jillian laughed along with her father as Delmont sighed.
  Jillian snapped to her senses as she glared across the table at General Durm. “Uncle Delmont?” Jillian said, her words poured from her mouth like bile. General Durm froze and his face went pale. “Who is that, my dear?” Durm asked nervously.

            The pieces all fit together in her mind. Years of age, stress and battle marked Delmont’s face, he changed his name, he was promoted through the military ranks and now after all this time, he was sitting across from Jillian. The most twisted part was that Arthur Delmont was like a brother to Jeriah and the closest thing to family Jillian had at that point. He was also the traitorous snake who killed her father and was now a prime suspect in trying to overthrow the King.

            Jillian stopped thinking, she stopped reasoning, she was no longer an envoy to the King or a diplomat trying her best, she was The Vanguard. Jillian’s eyes burned fiery red and in the blink of an eyes had jumped up from her chair, pulled her axe from the straps on her back was now moving toward the snake known as General Durm.

With one hand Jillian swung her axe. With that axe she sliced through any chance at subtly just as she sliced through General Durm's neck.
The head of general Durm had a shocked expression, the same shocked expression as every guard and soldier in the room.

  Unquenchable blood thirst and rage flowed through the Vanguard at that moment. She had just murdered a military general inside of his own fortress, a fortress full of battle tested soldiers and would now need every ounce of strength to make it out alive.

The Vanguard part 2 of 2

   Jill was so angry from her conversation that morning she was hardly watching where she was going. Her steps were interrupted as she tried to put on her last armored boot. She hopped on one foot as she slid the armor over her leather boot. Just as she was fully armored up she fell forward into a group of travelers. These ‘travelers’ looked more liked bandits or thugs. Jill had the best luck.

            “Watch it girlie” Said a large brutish man. “Easy, Trom” Said a hooded man in the group. Trom, the large man, smiled “No, we have been walking for days and out of all the space in these mountains this clumsy girl falls right on us” Trom replies. “She has some nice armor. I think it would look better on me” said a girl brandishing two daggers. “Listen we have work to do and robbing one lone soldier isn’t part of our plan” said the hooded man. “Well majority rules, Locke. Who else thinks we should make this clumsy bitch pay for crashing into me?” asked Trom as he raised his hand. The dagger girl raised her hand, Lock, the cloaked man, just glared from under his hood and the fourth member of the party a silent man with a spear also raised his hand.

            “Just run, get out of here” Said Locke. Jill was angry and now had someone to take her aggression out on. “No way, this fat tub called me a bitch” Jill replied. “You three will be lucky to leave here with your spines intact” 

            The spearman lunged forward at Jillian. He wore a blue bandana, blue baggy pants, sandals, no shirt and was very tan. His spear looked like it was for hunting and not something a soldier would carry. Jill swatted the spear away as it flew straight at her. The force of her gauntlet smacking the spear away knocked the hunting spear out of the man’s hands. The assassin girl spun and slashed with her daggers. Jill reacted quickly, so quickly that she either had amazing reflexes or she could slow down time. Jill ducked to dodge the blades and then gave an uppercut punch to the assassin’s jaw. Bones cracked and teeth shattered under the force of Jill’s armored fist. While Jill was busy delivering an uppercut, Trom swung his hammer right into Jill's left side. She was knocked sideways from the force of the hammer strike.

            The assassin clutched her broken jaw. She couldn’t talk to reply but went after Jill while she was down. Locke moved in quickly and pulled a cutlass out from under his cloak. He moved in front of the assassin and blocked her daggers before she could strike out with them. “Don’t do this” Locke warned. The assassin’s face squished up into a horrible glare and then she tried to stab Lock in the stomach. A gunshot rang out and the assassin fell over dead. Blood poured from her mouth and a large wound in her stomach. Gun smoke drifted out from beneath Locke’s cloak.

            Trom and the spearman turned to Locke in disbelief. “You killed her!” the normally silence spearman said then charged at Locke.

            This distraction gave Jill enough time to unholster her Axe. Jill’s axe was a double blades war axe. it was thinner and lighter than most battle axes that barbarians carried and soldiers rarely used axes. This was special made to compliment Jill’s agility and strength. To make up for the lack of weight, the axe’s blades were always very sharp and could cut through armor and bone.

            Jill held the axe handle with one hand and let the blade hit the ground. She glared at Trom with fierce intensity.
Trom ran forward holding his giant hammer in the air, ready to smash it down on Jill.
Jill swung her large two handed axe with one hand and slashed Trom’s chest. The large man yelled and lost balance. He stumbled and fell, giving Jill enough time and an opening to attack.

            Red markings began to glow on Jill’s black armor. The armor was enchanted with runes and when activated made Jill increasingly more powerful. The red runes lit up in the center and then spread out to her arms and legs. Jill walked toward Trom with her axe resting on her shoulder. Red runes burned brightly in her armor and her eyes looked more red than brown. “Ready to die bandit?” Jill asked. Her voice was different, more menacing and every breath was visible. With every breath Jill looked like she was exhaling steam or smoke. Trom saw this transformation and for the first time in a long time he felt genuine fear. Trom saw Jill's glowing red eyes and her smoky breath and worried that soon she would be breathing fire. At that moment she appeared to be some manner of dragon or demon.

“Hey, lady, look I’m sorry. Ok? We’re even. I give up” Trom said as he dropped his hammer. “Remember what I said? You will be lucky if you leave here with your spine intact and you don’t look very lucky to me” Jill hissed.

            Jill charged forward Trom picked up his hammer and blocked Jill’s on coming axe attack but the axe split the head off of Trom’s hammer.
Jill grabbed Trom by the throat with her black metal gauntlet and began squeezing. Trom choked and dropped what was left of his hammer. “Stop! That’s enough!” Locke said from the background.

           Locke had been fighting with the spearman and was trying not to kill any more people. Once Lock let his guard down the spearman charged passed him and tried to stab his spear into Jill’s back. Jill spun around with uncanny speed and swung her axe. In one move she sidestepped the spear, turned around and swung her axe. the spear stabbed into Trom instead of Jill and as the spearman accidentally stabbed his boss Jill’s axe sliced through the air and chopped the spearman’s head clean off of his shoulders. the spearman's head bounced when it hit the ground and then rolled down the mountain path. The spearman stiffly clung to his spear but the rest of his body sagged over, bringing Trom’s body toppling over as well.

            Locke walked up to Jill. “I should have been warning them to run instead of warning you” he said grimly. He put down the hood of his dark gray cloak, revealing a young man with short spikey light brown hair, a bandanna around his head keeping his hair in place, tanned skin and blue eyes. Locke would normally have a big bright smile on his face but today he was wearing a grim stare.
“It had to be done. They had no respect for the life of others” Jill said coldly.

            “Neither do you!” Locke replied angry as he gestured at all of the bloodshed. “I have respect for innocent lives. You’re friends wouldn’t have spared me, so why should I spare them?” Jill said as she turned quickly to face Locke. Locke flinched as he expected her to attack him.
“they weren’t my friends and you spare people because you are better then they are, not equal” Locke replied. “Nice ideal, but I have been in too many wars to agree with you” Jill said as she turned away and continued down the mountain path. “Thanks for the help” Jill shouted back without turning. Locke nodded “Yeah, I thought I was helping” He said almost too quietly for Jill to hear. “You didn’t really need any help” Locke muttered.

            Jill continued down the path, leaving the dead bodies and the young Locke behind her. She found it odd for a bandit to stick up for a traveler and even stranger that he had a gun. Guns were new technology and almost no one had them. This had Jill feeling curious, but not curious enough to go back and bother talking with Locke again. Jill was still on a journey and couldn’t afford any more interruptions or set backs.

The first snowflakes of winter could be seen drifting over the kingdom and Jillian had little time to waste.

The Vanguard Part 1 of 2

            The cold winter wind blew through the White Mountain peeks. The small town of Wolfpeek was miles from any other town or settlement. Anyone who traveled through the mountain pass would stop at Wolfpeek to rest before continuing on their journey. The town population was very small, only a handful of determined people lived there all year round. They were the ones who maintained the general store, the Inn and the stables that the visitors relied on. The town population was low but visitors were so frequent that the town never felt empty.

            Jillian Cole was a woman with medium length black hair, pale skin like the snow and reddish brown eyes. She was not a towering figure or even an extremely muscular one, yet she still managed to be an intimidating figure. Jillian walked into the horse head Inn, he black metal armor clanked and rustled with each step. Her whole body was armored but it wasn’t the bulky suit of armor knights had, this was designed for mobility. The joints and under the arms had thick black leather instead of metal plate to improve on speed and flexibility. The only color she had on her armor besides black was the red scarf that was wrapped around her neck and hung down to her midsection.

            The horse head Inn was a large, dimly lit room full of tables and chairs. There was a bar and in the back was a set of stairs that led to a second floor. The second floor was more of a large loft with a row of beds. Night had passed over the land and the Inn was full of travelers drinking and laughing. Even the most seasoned traveler could find an interesting story or bit of new information in the Horse head Inn due to the number of people that passed through on a regular basis.

            Jill walked toward a chair in the far corner of the room, she undid her weapon strap and removed a large battle-axe from a holder on her back. She set the axe against the wall and sat down with a heavy clunk. Just as she sat down a barmaid walked up to Jill and with a bright smile asked “What can I get for you today, Sir?” Jill brushed her hair out of her face and stared on the bar maiden. The Barmaid was pretty enough, with blue eyes and strawberry blonde hair.

“Don’t see many women in armor? In such a well traveled place like this, I thought you would have seen it all” Replied Jill, she smiled in her best attempt to be friendly. The Barmaid looked surprised “Oh I am sorry Madam. I-its dark and your hair was in your face and I thought, well don’t mind me now. What can I be getting’ for ya?” She said nervously. Jill tried to smile again but had reached her limit. “Just an ale, thanks” She said. The Barmaid nodded, gave a nervous smile and ran off.

            Jill wondered why she was trying to be nice. She wasn’t one for small talk and rarely let things slide. The barmaid reminded Jill of someone she used to know. The barmaid returned and set the beer down on the table and gave a smile and Jill smiled back. Jill figured she must either be exhausted or had spent too long on the road alone because she was never this friendly.

           Jill tried to focus on the journey ahead, she pulled maps, papers and letters from her bag. She had letters from all kinds of people, Lords and kings to farmers and sailors, every letter asking for her help with a battle, fight, war or just asking to scare off some local gang. The maps were covered ink, little notes about places she had been and drawings of landmarks.

            The night continued on and Jill mostly kept to herself, drinking her ale and thinking about her journey. But as she made plans for her trip ahead her mind kept bringing her back, back to a simpler time. A time when Jillian didn’t always wear armor and she still had people she considered friends. The peaceful days when she had a hometown and made plans to settle down.

            “Excuse me Madam, will ya be needing anything else?” Asked the Barmaid. Jill looked up from her drink and her pile of papers. She had maps, letters and scraps of paper spread out on the table in front of her. Most of the night she was studying the map but the last half hour she was just staring at it as her mind drifted into memories.

            When Jill looked up she saw the Barmaid’s expression had softened. She no longer looked afraid of Jill and her smile was warmer than ever. Jill was pulled so suddenly from her memories she had to assume her own expression must have been pitiful enough to make a once timid Barmaid now feel sorry for her. “What is your name?” Jill asked. “Andrian” Replied Andrian the barmaid. Jill smiled. This time it was a smaller yet more genuine smile.
”Andrian would you like to have a drink with me? Its been ages since I have had someone to talk to that wasn’t a brutish man” Jill asked. Andrian giggled “Yes we do get a lot of those” She replied. Then she smiled and hesitated before speaking again. “I think my shift is almost over, most people be needin’ sleep more than they need beer right now anyway” Andrian replied.

            Jill stayed at the table and put away her maps as Andrian talked to the Innkeeper. Andrian came back to the table with two fresh beers. Jill found it surprisingly easy to talk with Andrian, Jill didn’t have to intimidate anyone or keep up her guard. The barmaid was a genuinely nice person, a little simple maybe, but nice. Plus if Andrian did try something, Jill was pretty sure she could win in a fight. Cheerful, little strawberry blonde trying to fight a heavily armored traveler with a battle-axe. The thought of Andrian trying to pick a fight with anyone made Jill laugh.

            The sun was starting to come up and the two women were still at the table talking and having a great time. Jill was drunk and tired but kept drinking and didn’t want to sleep. Andrian reminded her of someone and the thought of this mystery person kept weaving in and out of her head. Andrian was in the middle of a funny story when she noticed Jill lean forward like she was going to fall over. Before Andrian could react Jill kissed her on the lips. Andrian’s eyes went wide and she froze. Jill pulled back and drunkenly began to apologies. “Sorry, I had a nice time but I think I should go to bed. I didn’t mean to…uh, Sorry again. I should go to sleep” Jill said sounding flustered. She tried to stand up and as she did she almost fell right over. Her armor clanked and rustled as she slowly got to her feet. “I am just gonna…” Jill said to Andrian as Jill motioned to the upstairs. Again mentioning she needed sleep.

            Jill began to stumble off, embarrassed and angry. Embarrassed that she kissed a person she just met and angry that she let her guard down. Getting this drunk and exhausted was dangerous when you traveled alone. Andrian caught up with Jill and smiled. “here let me help” She said to Jill. Jill nodded and smiled again. Andrian waved to the barkeep as she led Jill away from the main room, through a door and into a small room with a bed. “I don’t want you getting robbed or something in your weakened state…so you can stay here in my bed. I live here at the Inn so...” Andrian said nervously. Jillian leaned in and kissed Andrian again. This time Andrian wasn’t shocked and Jill didn’t pull away.

            Morning came too soon as the light of day shined through the shutters of the small bedroom. Jill woke up to find she was naked in bed with Andrian the barmaid. “Shit shit shit” Jill muttered. She was relieved to see that her armor and all of her possessions were not stolen or lost while Jill was in her drunken state. In fact all of Jill’s things were neatly piled in the corner of the room. While most would consider it a victory to end up in a pretty girls bed after a night of drinking, Jill didn’t. She had to be careful, so many things could have gone wrong and she couldn’t afford to let her guard down.

            Andrian rolled over and put her arms around Jill. Jill blushed as she began to remember the things they did together. Drunk Jill was as fearless and bold in bed as she was in battle. Sober Jill could handle the carnage of battle but having a naked woman next to her made her embarrassed and nervous. “Maybe I have been alone for too long if this is how I am acting” Jill told herself. 

            “I had a great night” Andrian said with a giggle. Jill blushed again and then turned to Andrian. “S-so did I” Jill replied. Jill realized who Andrian reminded her of. To her surprise Jill realized that Andrian reminded her of Delana, Jill’s previous girlfriend. Delana had red hair, not strawberry blond, her eyes were different and in many ways looked nothing like this Barmaid. But there was something about Andrian that made Jill think about Delana. “Maybe I am going crazy and every girl is starting to look like her” Jill thought. Andrian had similar mannerisms and her behavior was close to Delana, but Jill didn’t make the connection right away because they two didn’t actually look alike. It also explained why Jill let her guard down so quickly to a stranger.

            “I am still on a journey. I don’t think I can stick around. I am sorry if that upsets you” Jill said rigidly. She felt guilt from letting her guard down and now risked hurting someone who reminded her of Delana. Andrian stretched and got out of bed. “What? No, don’t worry about it. I know better than to expect a traveler to stick around. Besides I am looking for a husband, not a wife. I got to keep my body pure so I can’t have sex before I am married. So this helped keep my urges at bay until I find the right man” Andrian said.

            Jill’s eyes went wide, she didn’t know if she was more hurt, surprised or relieved. “Well g-good. Because I can’t stay so that makes things easier. But, uh, we did have sex, so you can’t call yourself a virgin who is waiting till marriage” Jill said, trying to speak carefully so as to not show emotion. “heheh, you’re so silly. No I mean real sex. Like with a man. you’re a girl, we can’t make babies or nothing so you don’t count” Andrian said as she got dressed. “I-I don’t count?” Jill stammered feeling hurt. “No, its just like girls helping each other out…” Andrian said then paused. “We are all just looking for a husband right? I mean you are a soldier so you must do stuff like this all the time just to get by. You can’t end up with a girl, how would you have babies?” Asked Andrian.

            Jill stared with unblinking eyes. “I guess you can’t have babies. But no I am not looking for a husband, I want a wife and to settle down. This isn’t a game. I don’t just sleep with strangers while I wait for prince charming to show up and put babies in me! And yes that did count! You aren’t a virgin you are a whore” Jill said. He anger grew as she spoke and couldn’t hold it in at the end. Jill put on her clothes grabbed her gear and stormed out.

            Jill wasn’t looking to start a life with anyone right now and this worked in her favor. Jill could leave without any guilt. This worked out. Jill was still upset though. She might have slept with a stranger in a moment of weakness but it still meant something to her. Andrian might have been a stranger but having traits similar to Delana, who Jill loved, made Jill feel like there might have been a connection. Jill wasn’t planning on staying but that doesn’t mean that night they spent together couldn’t mean something. Two ships passing in the night, but still a memorable night. “Oh it was nothing eh? Just wait in the mountains for a man to come rescue you?” Jill muttered as she angrily marched down the path, slowly putting on her armor as she went. Jill was also annoyed that she let her guard down for someone so foolish. Jill wouldn’t insult marriage or starting a family, but the thought of waiting for a man to come swoop and start making babies together seemed like weakness. Jill wasn’t about to wait for the woman of her dreams to swoop in and carry her off to a perfect life of marriage and happiness. Everything in life takes work

November thoughts

A pumpkin sat out in the cold, leftover from October. A gentle dusting of snow covered the pumpkin and the surrounding dried leaves that had fallen. The bright afternoon sun melted the small amount of frost leftover from the cold early morning. Chilled wind mixed with the warm sunshine. The Fall was very much a time of hot and cold. The weather was often unpredictable, the mornings were cold with hot cups of coffee traveling to rumbling cars trying to heat up, the afternoon sun mixed with the chilly air, the cold of night was pushed back by the light from homes and the burning fireplaces that kept the humans warm.

            October was always full of crisp air and the promise of spooky fun just around the corner but November is a pumpkin covered by snow. It’s the gatekeeper of Autumn and Winter. Jiggle bells dance in the heads of many while others gloom about the passing of Halloween. Some are more present minded and look forward to or dread the most immediate holiday: Thanksgiving.

            November often feels like the start of Winter but it is full of Fall beauty for those who seek it out. Squirrels scamper through backyards, covered in extra layers of fat and fluff, food associated with a harvest are in full display, the rustic scent of wood smoke fills the air and while some nights feel like one day closer to Christmas, many nights have a cold eerie vibe that is very much the ghost of Halloween coming up to say hello.

            November is Christmas cheer, Thanksgiving turkey and half off savings on Halloween decorations. November is scarf weather and Fall jackets. November could be the start of stress and worry for some, with the expenses of the holiday season or the dread of winter and snowstorms, but if you appreciate the beauty of November while it is here, you just might face the holiday season with a little more cheer.

Joseph and Jaye save Autumn part 2 of 4

Joseph and Jaye stepped through the spirit gate that was placed before them. Both friends pushed open the little gate door and walked through only to find that they hadn’t been transported anywhere, they were still in the field. The spirit giggled in a squeaky voice. “Just a joke guys, ok ok. Here you go” said the spirit who then snapped its fingers and the two friends were whisked away to the spirit world. Joseph felt like he was riding a roller coaster through an endless number of loops. Joseph then felt like he was free falling at one point, gaining speed as he hurtled toward the ground like an meteor.

Two green streaks of light flashed across the sky over the autumn land deep in the spirit world.  The two green meteors crashed hard into the ground below, shaking the surrounding area. Joseph and Jaye shakily climbed out of the crater they created. Joseph didn’t know how he survived the fall but was glad the ride was over.

The autumn land was beautiful. Golden sunlight lit up the forest, each tree had various colors of autumn. Different shades of orange, red, and yellow, every shade from bight shining color all the way to the deep rust color the trees get at the end of Fall.

The grass that spread over the land was different shades as well, deep green, pale green and yellowish. In front of the friends was a stream that sparkled with reflective sunlight, the water looked cool and fresh. The air was chilly but not overly cold. The smell of wood smoke lingered in the air and a cute little cabin sat in the distance. 

“I thought this place was under attack?” Joseph said. “Maybe they took a break from destruction to get a coffee” Jaye suggested. “Or the spirit sent us to one of the few remaining locations in the autumn land that haven’t been destroyed yet” Joseph said. “OR! The spirit was lying about destruction and the special relics he gave us are just junk he found” Jaye said with a sly grin.

Joseph held his staff out in front of him, pointed it at the water and focused on trying to use it. A burst of wind shot from the top of the wooden staff shaking the little autumn leaves that grew from the top of it. The wind rushed forward several feet and stirred up the water before disappearing into the air. Then the staff let out a little burst of flame, small and mostly harmless. “Ok, so I have to work on this. At least we know the staff is real” Joseph said proudly.

The two friends began to talk through the autumn forest, listening and watching for any signs of fighting or destruction. Clouds began to form, blocking out the sunlight. Rain started to fall on the land transforming the bright and colorful forest into a sleepy rainy forest. The friends could hear the sound of rain hitting the trees and splashing into the river. Their hair and coats were damp from the rain. The air felt a bit chillier and Joseph wished he had brought a heavier coat.

The rain continued and the friends were getting cold. “Hey how about a swig of that flask we got?” Asked Jaye Williams. “You are always looking to eat or drink something! But yeah, it might warm us up” said Joseph. Joseph opened the leather water skin and took a small sip then handed it to Jaye who took a sip and gave it back. The liquid tasted like hot chocolate or coffee, or a mix of the two with some kind of Fall spice in it. Whatever it was, it tasted good and the two immediately felt warmer.

The air continued getting colder as the friends pressed on and soon each breath was visible. Joseph spotted frost on the tops of the trees and some of the Fall trees even looked like they were dying from sudden frost shock. “Get ready, this can’t be natural to this area” Joseph said. Jaye nodded and pulled out the pumpkin and concentrated. The hand sized pumpkin transformed into a large one-handed sword. The blade was jagged and curved like a cutlass, the handle was black with a leather grip and the hilt was made of an orange metal and had little pumpkin shapes at each end of it. The pommel of the sword was also a pumpkin shape. “Whoa! I wonder if I would offend anyone if I carved a pumpkin with a pumpkin sword” Jaye said with a quizzical look. “Focus” Joseph replied.

The air was icy cold and each breath in felt like tiny daggers in their lungs. Two trees collapsed on each other, then an icy figure approached from behind the trees. “If the Patches just came out to settle his debt, we wouldn’t have a problem!”  Yelled Glacious the ice spirit. “Hey! Stop destroying the forest! Some of us love autumn. Take your grudge somewhere else!” shouted Joseph as he aimed his staff. The rain continued but all of the rain falling in the radius around Glacious was turned to snow. Snow and rain littered the soon to be battlefield as the two friends held their weapons out, ready to fight. 

“The coward sent fighters in his place?” Glacious howled, his voice was loud and furious like a blowing winter wind that shakes the house and slams the shutters. Before another word could be exchanged Glacious put out both of his hands and launched a beam of frozen energy.

Jaye held out the golden maple leaf, which conjured a shield around the two friends. The shield was translucent and made of rushing wind. The winter blast hit the shield. Part of the blast was absorbed into the shield but the rest of it went right through and hit the two friends. “You cannot stop the fury of winter with wind. Whoever sent you, has sent you to your death” Bellowed Glacious as he marched closer to the friends.

Joseph and Jaye crumpled to the ground from the shock of the ice blast. Their skin felt like it was burning and their hearts raced. “I’m glad we took a sip of that flask before. Otherwise this might feel worse” Jaye said as he struggled to stand. “Maybe a little more will help!” Joseph added as he tried to regain his balance. Joseph pulled the flask from his bag and took a big gulp, then handed it to Jaye who also took a large gulp. 

The feeling of cold and the threat of frost melted away. The air felt like a pleasant Fall day and the snow falling around them felt no colder than tap water. “alright, now that we are warmed up, lets give Glacious a little warmth” Said Joseph as he pointed his staff at Glacious and let loose a flame blast with all of his might. A flamethrower like flame erupted from the staff scorching everything in its path and engulfing Glacious.

The flames died down and Glacious was still standing. He had an icy wind shield flowing around him but he looked injured from the fire. The ground was scorched in the wake of the flame attack.

“My turn” Jaye said as he charged forward. Glacious let loose another arctic blast. The freezing air did nothing more than make Jaye feel a little cold and the wind wasn’t enough to do anything but slow him down. Glacious gave a smug grin assuming Jaye had died in the usually fatal arctic blast. When the wind and ice died down, Glacious saw Jaye charging forward unhindered. Jaye slashed with his sword like a maniac. Each cut from the sword left these glowing blue wounds on Glacious. Since the sword was enchanted and not a physical weapon it could harm spirits. Jaye didn’t know any of this, he just wanted to slash someone with his new sword.

Glacious realized his cold powers wouldn’t be enough this time, so he formed sharp icicles all along his arms and shoulders then swung his icicle covered arm at Jaye. Jaye Williams jumped back, his sword disappeared from his hand and transformed into armor. The enchanted pumpkin could sense its owners intentions and could transform back and forth in a moments notice. Jaye was hit full force by the strength of Glacious and his dagger like icicles. The attack sent Jaye flying but the armor protected him from being impaled. The armor was orange and black with a little smiling pumpkin face on the belt buckle.

Jaye slowly got back to his feet. As Joseph charged forward with his staff he launched earth tremors under Glacious’ feet causing the spirit to stumble. Then while he was off balance Joseph launched a whirlwind from his staff then followed it up with a flame burst. The flames engulfed the whirlwind and flew straight at Glacious. The icy spirit didn’t have time to react, once the tremors died down he looked up to see a flaming whirlwind come straight at him. The wind hit Glacious and whirled around him for several seconds inflicting massive fire damage against him.

Joseph Stephens collapsed from exhaustion. The staff had drained his energy and he was out of the fight. Jaye stood between Joseph and Glacious. The ice spirit was severely injured and looked like a human ice sculpture. He was more solid than before and lost his appearance of being a being of floating ice and snow. 

“Give up! You can’t attack me without being impaled on my spikes and your friend is down” Glacious yelled, his voice strained light a dying wind. “I brought something with me. Something I keep around for when I need to wreck fools. It’s the weapon that hurt the spirit of winter itself, the kingslayer, the one and only, CLAW HAMMAH!” Jaye yelled. He pulled an ordinary looking claw hammer from the inside pocket of his jacket and lunged at Glacious. 

Glacious turned both arms into spikes and stabbed them out at Jaye. Jaye swung down at the ice spikes and shattered them with his majestic hammer that he bought on sale at Tuscany Sam’s hardware depot. The hammer shattered the spikes. Then Jaye swung again, this time the hammer striking Glacious on the head. The attack sent cracks through Glacious and caused him to fall backward. The spirit hit the ground, his blue aura began to fade and his brittle icy body looked like it was one strike away from shattering completely. “I give! I will never bother you or Patches ever again” Glacious pleaded.

Jaye’s eyes went dark as he stood ominously over the fallen ice spirit. Jaye’s shadow was cast over Glacious as Jaye spoke with a deep grumbling voice “There will be no mercy for those who oppose Autumn” Jaye said as he lifted the claw hammer above his head. Glacious prepared for oblivion but then nothing happened. “Juuuust kidding, Boyo!” Jaye said with a goofy grin. “HA! I took a picture of your stupid face with my phone. Now get outta here or I’ll show everyone how much of a big cry baby you are!” Jaye said then walked off to check on Joseph. Glacious was stunned by the turn of events. He had never met anyone like Jaye Williams before nor anyone as strong and dedicated as Joseph Stephens. Then a single frozen tear slid down Glacious’ face. “I’m not a cry baby” he said in a pouting voice.

The day one won and Glacious was defeated. As the ice spirit disappeared, escaping back to the winter lands, Joseph was slowly waking up. “I have to be more careful with this staff, it knocked me out” Joseph said. “Thaaaats what she said” Said Jaye. Joseph grimaced at Jaye before letting out a small smile. 

The air grew warmer and went from winter winds back to a pleasant Fall day. The two friends knew they had to fight Ignitious next but decided they should rest first. They set up a small camp where they could regain their strength, eat and prepare for the next fight. The day had turned to night, the rain had stopped and a cool breeze lingered in the air. The autumn trees swayed in the breeze and the falling leaves danced in the air as they drifted slowly to the ground.

Santa vs Nathan round 2

Twas the night before Christmas and Santa clause did lurk, he was trying to stay hidden from Nathan, the Jerk.

            Nathan and Santa clause had a long and bitter feud and every year Santa would have to sneak into Nathan’s house to leave coal for Nathan and a gift for Nathan’s wife, who wasn’t a jerk, to Santa anyway.

            It was almost midnight and Nathan was awake sharpening a hatchet. While everyone else in the house slept, Nathan sat silently in a high-back chair next to a plate of milk and cookies. As the clock struck midnight a rustle on the roof was heard, or a clatter, if you prefer. Up on the roof arose such a clatter while Nathan sat in his chair, mad as a hatter.

           

            Nathan controlled his breath as he heard footsteps in the living room, slowly walking toward the Christmas tree. “Surprise fat guy!” Shouted Nathan as he drove his hatchet down onto the intruder. The hatchet sunk into the chest of the intruder, who wasn’t Santa clause, but an actual intruder who broke in through the window. The burglar gurgled blood as he breathed out his last words “Tell my kids, I never loved them” He muttered as he died in Nathan’s arms. Nathan wiped away one single tear from the corner of his eye and gently lowered the crook onto the floor, then opened his half broken window and heaved the dead body from his first floor window into the flower bed below. “I’ll get to that later” Nathan muttered. Then he heard more footsteps but this time they were right behind him. Nathan turned to see a red gloved hand fly right for Nathan’s face. Nathan took a sucker punch to the nose and stumbled back. He was slightly stunned from the punch and when he looked up, Santa was gone and the presents were under the tree. Also the cookies were eaten, the milk was gone and Nathan’s stocking was full of dog poop. Nathan cursed under his breath and dashed for the window.

            He scaled the side of his own house till he reached the roof and saw Santa ready to take off on his sleigh. Nathan charged at the reindeer like a madman, which frightened the poor animals. The Reindeer couldn’t talk but they could fly, and all began to run and take off into flight without Santa giving the word to go. The sleigh was jerked forward and Santa was almost thrown off the roof. The Sleigh bells jingled and the reindeer raced into the night. Santa was glad that he didn’t have to visit that house for another year.

            Just as Santa’s sleigh was about to go into warp speed, or whatever magic his sled had, Nathan popped up from the under carriage and jumped onto the seat next to Santa. Santa’s arm went up out of a defensive reflex and it pulled on the reins making the reindeer veer off course. The sleigh began to pick up speed as it flew gradually more out of control. The bottom of the sleigh even took out the top of someone’s chimney. So you KNOW it was craaazy.

            Nathan swung his hatchet like a maniac trying to finally end the immortal fat man. Santa punched Nathan in the stomach and tried to dump the hatch man over the side of the sleigh. Nathan doubled over in pain but managed to grab Santa’s jacket. The two men rolled out of the sleigh. If it wasn’t for the low hanging jingle bells Santa would have fallen to his death. Snow pelted Santa’s face as he hung onto a green rope covered in golden bells. Nathan the madman clung to Santa’s black as coal boot with one hand and swung his hatchet with the other. Nathan managed to land a hit with the hatchet, chopping santa in the lower back. Santa cried out in pain and dropped from the sleigh. The two men fell. Nathan was surrounded by blizzard winds and winter snow. It had had struck midnight only a few minutes ago and Nathan and Santa were already about to die.

            Nathan woke up in the snow in the middle of nowhere with a note pinned to his chest. “You are lucky my reindeer saved you. They feel bad for you. This saint, isn’t as easy to forgive. Try again next year. Clause OUT!” The note was written in red ink with festive Christmas lettering. Nathan lost his hatchet and would have to spend the night walking home. For Nathan a shot at the fat man was worth almost dying from a fall, freezing to death and walking home in the snow all night.

            Merry Christmas everyone and remember, if you hear rustling on the roof or in your living room, it might be burglars.

Christmas Landscape

It was three weeks before Christmas and I was in bed, I stared up at the ceiling but was watching the scenery in my head.

            It was night, the stars in the sky shined brightly from space, twinkling for the world to see. The ground was covered in freshly fallen snow, it was light but wet enough to make a small crunching squeak under you foot with each step. Beneath the snow was grass that still had some green color to it. A stone path cut a winding shape through the field of grass. I walked across the stone path, wearing a winter coat and scarf and every exhaling breath was a visible puff of from my mouth. To my left was a row of tall pine trees, each tree was between seven and eight feet tall. Bright strings of lights and colorful decorations covered the trees. These Christmas trees let off a warm glow which was a pleasant contrast to the cold snowy night of winter.

            I continued walking down the path, the snow was melting away from the stone but was still sticking to the grass. As I was walking I spotted two pumpkins lightly dusted with snow. They were to the right of the path and so close that they were almost touching the stone. The snowy pumpkins sat in the grass and seemed out of place in the otherwise Christmas landscape that had been spread out before me.

I approached the pumpkins, crouched down and gently touched the side of one. The pumpkins had faces carved in them. The eyes and mouth lit up when I touched the first pumpkin. Both pumpkins turned to reveal that they were Jack-O-Lanterns with a light that glowed just as bright and warmly as the Christmas trees. “It is much to late for Jack-O-Lanterns” I said, then paused “Or much too early” I added. The first pumpkin began to move its carved mouth “We are not pumpkins that celebrate Halloween, we are pumpkins that you keep around as regret. You carried us into this Christmas and while others walk right by without notice you always stop and check on us. Halloween is once a year and you worry you don’t appreciate it when it arrives. Just the same that you will not fully appreciate Christmas until it is over. When you are walking alone in January you will find a small tree only a foot tall and covered in Christmas lights. You carry your regret without being asked and insist on doing this even if you were told to stop. We are also the fond memory of the recent Halloween passed. It is not all regret it is also joy. But we are pumpkins in the snow, slowly getting buried until we are forgotten until the snow melts. This is just like your memory of Halloween, a beloved holiday that slowly gets snowed over by the excitement of Christmas and when the snow melts you will be wishing for Halloween all over again.” Spoke the first pumpkin, its words cut me to the core and I muttered “sorry” but didn’t know why.

            I stood up from my crouching position and began to walk further down the path. “Don’t worry we will always be around. You don’t need one day to celebrate the happy memories. Those stay forever” Called the second pumpkin, who seemed more laid back and probably took a lot of naps.

            A tear welled up in the corner of my eye as I walked away. I smiled as I thought of the fun I had in Autumn, no matter how short it was, I enjoyed it. I then looked forward and took in the sights of the Christmas snow and lights.

            My walking pace slowed to a stroll as I thought about the Holidays passed and the ones approaching. A small person in green and white clothes was in the field to the far right. He looked like one of santa’s elves. I didn’t believe in santa but I gave the elf the benefit of being possibly real. “Hello!” I called and waved to the elf. The small person looked up and waved back. I continued walking so as to not risk getting lectured by another Holiday symbol. I didn’t need a Christmas elf that eating junk food and staying up all night playing video games was bad, or that I should be more charitable.

            As I walked I saw a small house in the distance. It was brightly lit up and surrounded by the peaceful scenery of night air, snow and a forest even further back behind the house.

            I continued moving forward and could see more detail in the house. It was a small wooden cottage with wood smoke coming from the chimney, snow on the roof, a string of Christmas lights lined the roof and windows and a porch light that seemed warm and inviting. My slow stroll turned into a brisk walk as I imaged the comforts of the cottage and how nice the warm fire would be after walking in the cold night air for so long. My cheeks started to get read and my toes were cold.

            I finally reached the house, I walked up the two wooden steps that led to a covered porch, I wiped my feet on a decorative bear statue that had bristles on his back. The stone bear with the hard bristles seemed to be there with the purpose of cleaning off shoes. As I walked to the door I was about to knock but felt so comfortable I reached for the knob and walked right it.

            The inside of the cottage was warm and inviting, I smelled mulled apple cider and a crackling fire. Soft music played on a record player near by. The crackling of the fire and the small crackling sound the record player made were just as pleasant as the music being played.

            In the living room was a big fluffy dark green couch with blankets draped over the back. Next to the couch was an arm chair which looked just as comfortable. I sat down in the armchair. As soon as my body rested into the chair I began hearing voices of happy people playing in the house. I saw a black cat sitting on the couch, curled up and sleeping. I smiled and reached over to pet the cat. Before I touched the cat my eyes began to tear up. Tears trickled down my face though I did not know why. I touched the cats soft shiny fur, it looked up at me with its big green eyes and then vanished.

            I heard a female’s voice all to me and without hesitation I responded “Yes, Honey?” I looked around and no one was there. I was confused by the house and even more confused by my own actions. The house seemed so real but everything disappeared when I reached for it.

            I stood up and saw silhouettes of children playing and a reading a book while lounging in a chair. I would blink and they silhouettes would disappear. The smell of fresh pie lingered in the air and I could still smell hints of the mulled cider from when I first arrived. I knew these things weren’t real and decided to leave.

            I left through the front door, walked down the two steps and continued walking down the stone path. I didn’t look back once not even after I walked so long that the house was out of view. I walked down the stone path and came to a split. I took the path to the right and followed it into town.

            I arrived in a modern town, it wasn’t fancy, it didn’t have a warm glow and no one went out of their way to give helpful advice, but at least it was real. I walked to a three floor house, made my way passed the front door and opened an easy to miss side door. The door took me up a winding set of stairs that led to another door, I unlocked the second door and arrived at a small apartment on the third floor. It was quiet, cozy and except for the landlord, no one else knew it existed. 

            I entered into the living room, to my right was a big window that looked out on train tracks and the tops of other peoples houses. Sometimes the train would come rocketing by and I could feel the gentle shake of the building as the force of the giant machine moved quickly down the metal tracks. Having the train close to my apartment was an interesting feeling that I have yet to describe in any way other than “pretty cool”. The muffled sound of the train and the gentle rocking was a great feeling. I could close my eyes and it felt like I was on the train, gently rocking side to side as I sped toward another land.

            I locked the door to my apartment and laid down on the floor. I made a kiss noise in the air and two cats came out from hiding and started to purr immediately. The cats rubbed their faces on my face and hands, welcoming me home. I pet the cats for a minute then slowly stood up. The lazy cats plopped over onto their sides like sacks of potatoes when I stood.

            I crossed the room to a small stand. On the stand was a two foot tall plastic Christmas tree. I clicked a button on the bottom of the trees plastic stand and the branches of the tree began to light up. I turned the lights off, took my shoes off and crawled into bed. I pulled the blankets over my head and nestled into bed. My cats jumped on me and sprawled out, draping their bodies across the bed and over my legs. The fake Christmas tree gave off a soft colorful light in the dark room, my cats purred themselves to sleep and in the distance I heard the muffled sound of the train.