Dog Truth

“Yup, I definitely teepee’d your living room.” Oops, that wasn’t supposed to come out. Why did that come out? I eyed the water bowl on the floor next to me. I’d only taken one drink. True, that emptied about half the bowl. But it was only one drink.

As soon as I finished though, I knew something wasn’t quite right. I laid down next to the bowl while my head spun like I’d tried to look out the side window during a car ride.

Crazy human. What’d she do to me?

“What about that spot on the corner of the couch? Who tore it apart?” She gave me that look that said she already thought she knew the answer.

I bit my tongue and glanced at Herman. He narrowed his cat eyes and bared his pointy teeth. Nope, not a good idea to tell on Herman.

“Well, what happened to my couch?”

“Not me,” I whined.

Her eyes opened wide. Surprise maybe? Or anger that I just implicated her cat? She rolled the bottle in her hand, muttering like she always did when reading. “makes imposs… for five minutes….ask what you like.”

She’d poured some of that stuff into my bowl. Five minutes. I heard her say five minutes.

“You’re saying Herman did that?” She pointed, almost flinging the bottle from her hand.

Oh dear. Herman was creeping toward me. He’d kill my nose if I said anything but I felt the urge to respond welling up like a balloon swelling in my throat.

Gotta move. Gotta kill five minutes.

I stood and my legs wobbled like the baby’s. I tilted onto my side.

“Answer me!” she demanded.

“Gablablenla…” I ended with a long ‘ahhhh’. I wasn’t lying. The stuff didn’t stop gibberish though. Thank whatever doggy lord existed.

She stepped toward me and I bolted between her legs, careening into the door frame and yelping as I fell up the stairs.

“Get back here, you mutt.” Her steps thumped up the stairs behind me.

Five minutes. Keep moving. 

Maddy was coming through the front door as I rounded the corner. I saw the open space, freedom and fresh air and the chance to run for as long as needed without hitting anything.

The door closed just as I darted for it. Ka-thunk! Door 1. Head 0. I tilted over again, my head spinning with a new ache between my eyes.

“Serves you right. Now tell me about the couch.” Her face loomed in my fuzzy eyes.

“I know nothing,” I sighed as I passed out.

***

Slowly opening my eyes, I found myself nose to nose with whiskers.

“Nice play,” Herman grudgingly said. “Drink out of the toilet for awhile, you bowl’s still dangerous.”

The End

Sunshine Blogger Award

sunshineawardI know. Usually every other week I write an adventure story… I’ll have one rolling next week, I promise.

But this post is to thank Tea with Flo for nominating me for the Sunshine Blogger Award. I’m incredibly honored and blessed. Thanks so much.

So I’m supposed to share 10 bits of information about myself. Let’s see:

1. The fantasy genre captures my imagination like no other genre.

2. I’m a Colorado native.

3. At 4′ 11″ tall, I missed 5′ somewhere along the way. Maybe due to coffee. Maybe due to my genetics.

4. I love backpacking and climbing.

5. I’ve wanted to write novels since I could read. (Check out My Why)

6. Writing by hand still holds my heart. There’s something about it that’s fulfilling but due to time issues, I usually type my stories.

7. I would share my favorite author but I honestly couldn’t pick just one. I love everything from Brent Week’s Lightbringer series to Anne McCaffrey’s Restoree to John Flannagan’s Ranger’s Apprentice.

8. My faith grounds my world.

9. I graduated with my Bachelors in English in 2008.

10. I just finished my first novel, Escaping Shadows, and am now moving on to Dryad. (Thus the topic of my last two adventure stories.)

Now to nominate 10 other bloggers who positively and creatively inspire others. 

1. Karen Soutar

2. The Wolfe’s Den

3. Doug Langille

4. Mollie Bond’s Comfort Ministries

5. Inion N. Mathair

6. Hope for Haiti

7. My Lores

8. Just Saying

9. Confessions of a Maniacal Early Riser

10. Norman LaVelle

For those Nominated:

This is how it works:

  • Use the award logo in this post.
  • Link to the person who nominated you.
  • Write ten “pieces of information about myself.”
  • Nominate ten fellow bloggers ‘who positively and creatively inspire others in the blogosphere.’
  • Leave a comment on the nominees’ blogs to tell them about the award.

Sometimes a simple act is all the encouragement needed. This nomination was such an act. Thank you again Tea with Flo.

Blessings,

Jennifer

The God Connection Part Three

Welcome to the last part of The God Connection.

If you missed the first two parts, just know that Kale is attempting to get his sister back from the Karr with help from the Karr’s priestess elect, Raylin. He’s infiltrated the under temple looking for his sister. Both Raylin and Val, Kale’s sister, are God Connections and thus valuable because they add status to anyone who has a God Connection. (If you’d like to read part one and two, you can find them under recent posts to the left.)

Now on to the story. Thanks for stopping by=)

The God Connection Part Three

He scanned their heads from beneath his hood. Val wasn’t among them but that didn’t surprise him.

Raylin said she hadn’t seen Val. The Karr must be keeping her apart for some reason.

Shuffling past the group, he entered the hall beyond and turned right, following a sound that echoed faintly. Words. As he drew closer, they became clear.

“I can’t. They don’t happen at will.” The voice was high pitched and painfully familiar.

“You can,” said a male voice. “I saw you zone out. I saw the look in your eyes.”

“I zoned because I haven’t slept. I didn’t dream.”

Did they not understand Val’s gift? It was sporadic, trivial and profound at different times but only present when she slept. Where they not letting her sleep?

Kale crept closer as his hands clenched. It hadn’t occurred to him they’d mistreat Val. God connections were rare and special.

“Tell me what you saw. You dreamed! Tell me.” The voice rose, echoing in the hall.

Kale shook. No one spoke to his sister like that. But this was sacred ground. He’d damn his soul hitting the person and Val would look at him with her dark eyes full of sorrow. She never yelled at him but that look was far worse than her yelling. It spoke of her disappointment and love of his soul.

“Who are you?”

Kale jumped. A hand spun him around to face a tall, robed man with armored boots peeking from under the hem of his brown robe. A warrior priest. He shoved Kale’s hood back and his face hardened.

“Get in there,” he shoved Kale through the doorway into the sanctuary.

Val cried softly in surprise.

“Who is she to you?” the priest questioned.

Kale lifted his head defiantly and locked his lips closed. The backhand across his face was all the more surprising because this was a priest. He stumbled from the blow, regained his footing, and came back swinging.

“KALE, NO!”

He twisted last second only to find himself in a head lock, held tight against the priest’s armored chest. He couldn’t pull air. Desperately he clawed at the arm around his throat but his vision blurred as he looked into Val’s wide eyes. Tears brimmed on her lids but another man held her back.

“What is this?” Demanded a new voice. Even with his head pounding from lack of air, Kale recognized that voice.

“Mistress Raylin, this is nothing to concern you.” The warrior priest answered her but his arm loosened a fraction.

Kale rasped in air as he heard her answer. “You are disturbing the quiet of the sanctuary. That does concern me.”

She came into Kale’s line of vision and stopped between everyone. Her violet eyes showed no recognition as she looked him over. Then her head swung to take in Val and the man holding her.

“Come here, child,” she held out a hand to Val.

The man stepped back from Val like her skin had become hot. She hesitated but then took Raylin’s offered hand.

“Tell me your name, child,” Raylin demanded.

“Meesha.”

“Your real man.”

Val swallowed, terrified. “Val,” she whispered.

“Good.” Raylin’s free hand flashed out to smack Kale’s forehead and his world blurred with the resounding words, “I pray to move from here to there.”

His ears went dead as his vision turned white. Then color flashed before his eyes. Greens, browns, blue and white. The world tilted and Kale hit the ground.

He stared up through trees at the cloud splattered blue sky. The arm around his neck constricted. This isn’t sacred ground. He shoved backward, slamming the priest into a tree, then slid free as he grabbed the man’s wrist and twisted it around. The priest cried out, sinking to his knees. With a smooth, single blow, Kale struck him low on the back of the skull and he collapsed.

“Kale, she isn’t moving.”

He swung around to find Val kneeling next to Raylin’s body. Kneeling beside her, he lowered his cheek near the priestess elect’s mouth. Faint, soft breath brushed his skin. He sank back onto his heels, relieved.

“She’s alive,” he reassured Val.

“She saved us.”

“How?” He still wasn’t sure what had happened.

“Faith.”

Even from Val, that was a bit vague of an answer. “Faith?”

“I don’t know beyond that,” she shrugged with an apologetic look. Then she flung her arms around his neck.

Kale held her while she cried. Only now did it dawn on him his sister was safe. Over Val’s dark head, he watched Raylin. What now? Does she need a healer?

Her violet eyes fluttered. Upon seeing him and Val, the corner of her mouth twitched. “It worked.” She muttered. “I’ve never tried moving people. God heard my plea.”

Val turned to look at the priestess as she pushed to a sitting position. “You saved us!”

“God saved you,” Raylin corrected. “I just offered the connection. Like with your dreams, you are the connection to God’s vision. I’m only the connection to his power. Kind of.” She shrugged and winced. “It’s a bit painful.” She looked around, her face falling into an expression of loneliness. “And now I must figure out where to go.” Her words were soft, more to herself than to them, but Kale understood her.

No home, no family. It was no life to live.

“You’ve a home with us if you wish,” he offered, not sure where the words came from. It wasn’t like him to invite people in. “We’re outcasts, but at least we take care of each other.”

Raylin’s eyes went wide. “I’d love that.” She said, longingly.

“First things first, though,” Val spoke up, “you’ve got to cut that hair.”

Raylin grinned. “I can do that.”

The End

Blessings,

Jennifer

P.S. I love feedback, so if anyone has suggestions, questions, or comments on what they like or what doesn’t seem to work, please let me know. Just be gentle to my poor thin skinned feelings. Thanks.

The God Connection Part Two

Welcome to the second part of The God Connection.

If you missed Monday, just know that Kale is trying to get his sister back from the Karr, who kidnapped her because she’s a God Connection with dreams. Kale and his companions have kidnapped Raylin, the Karr’s prized God Connection, in hope the Karr will trade her for Val, Kal’s sister. (If you’d like to read part one, you can find it under recent posts to the left.)

Now on to the story. Thanks for stopping by=)

The God Connection Part Two

Erik and Bane sat sulking but Kane kept them from taking out their head aches on the small priestess.

“Val will tan your hides if you harm her,” he said. They deflated at the words.

“What makes her a priestess?” Erik grumbled. “Val’s dreams are special. What’d different about this one?”

Raylin’s head swung in his direction with what Kale guessed was surprise but she didn’t answer.

“Doesn’t matter,” Kale said. “We only need her to trade.”

Raylin snorted. “Trade? How dumb are you?” her words were soft. Her contempt was not.

“Dumb, priestess?” Kale asked, holding his hackles in check.

“The Karr will not trade. Never have, never will. They want all connections to God within their grasp. They will not trade one for another because it gains them nothing.”

Raylin was the Karr poster child. They paraded her before everyone as their claim of favor before God. Surely they valued her more than a young girl with dreams.

“You’re their priestess. Their connection by birth,” he argued.

She laughed. “By birth? They’ve never had a connection born to them. Why do you think they steal others?”

Their confusion must have been clear because she looked at each of their faces and said, “Dear God, you don’t know.”

“Then tell us,” Kale ordered.

Her back went rod straight and she glared at him, her violet eyes glittering. Just as suddenly, she slumped.

“Fine,” she grumbled. “The Karr have never had a connection to God born to them. No dreamers, no prophets, no singers, nothing. When they sacked Mansillan, they discovered me and, instead of killing me with the others, they took me in, claiming I was born to one of their women. It started an idea. They took Balsha during the attack on Rived. Mora came next, then Sharon, then Clare. They scout out children, taking them when their families are killed in attacks they’ve instigated, usually between other tribes.”

“Then why Val? She’s thirteen and,” Kale indicated himself, “family still lives.”

Raylin frowned, a fine line forming between her brows. “I have never seen your Val but perhaps they think you insignificant, man of no tribe.”

Kale folded his arms, hiding his outcast tattoos.

“I’m confused, why kidnap me and not this Val?”

“She’s held in the under temple. We’ve not enough men to get to her without a fight.”

“Why are you not guarded?” Lenn blurted. They’d picked her for two reasons. One was her status. The second was because, of all the God connections of the Karr, she was the only one never guarded by her own men.

Her eyes dropped. “Who would rescue me? Family and city are all dead. Who would I escape to? My home’s been burned to ashes and washed away by rains these last 15 years.”

Kale dropped his head into his hands. All his planning, all the effort to capture this woman to trade, all for nothing.

I’m trying, Val.

His insides felt hollow.

“If your sister is indeed in the under temple, perhaps there is a way to get to her.”

Kale’s head came up. “What do you mean?”

“I serve in the under temple once a moon. It’s possible I could sneak one of you in.”

Kale stared at her but those strange eyes didn’t waver.

“Only one?” Erik asked, his tone heavy with suspicion. “I don’t like it, Kale.”

“Why would you agree to such a thing?” Kale asked Raylin, not addressing Erik’s statement.

“Because, for once, there’s a family to fight back. Someone who cares.”

I want to believe her. But even without believing her, he’d do it. Val needed him.

***

Whether Raylin was lying or not, there wasn’t another way Kale could figure. He’d tried to think of another way, something he’d have more control over than Raylin’s plan, but he hadn’t come up with anything.

He lay beneath the hut closest to the temple contemplating everything that could possibly go wrong. Raylin would come by on her way to serve at the height of the night. He was to crawl out and fall in behind the priests who followed her. She’d made one sick by putting something in his food. There should be an odd number, so when he joined, the group would be even and look right to the temple guard.

It was flimsy but they’d only had a few days to return Raylin and set things up before her time to serve in the temple rolled around.

Footsteps shuffled by on the side closest to the temple. Feet covered by the same brown robes he wore.

Time to move. Letting them pass, he crawled out and stepped in beside the last priest. Raylin said they were all mutes. They didn’t even look over when he fell into step.

They shuffled up the steps of the temple with heads bowed. Approaching the first guard, Kale clenched his hands to keep from wiping his sweaty palms on his robes.

“Greetings, I come to serve,” Raylin announced.

The guard closed around the group, patting each priest down for weapons. Kale raised his arms with the others, clutching his sleeves against his palms to keep the fabric from falling and revealing his tattoos.

The captain nodded to Raylin and she proceeded into the inner sanctuary.

Kale had never been beyond this area of a temple. The under temple was reserved for the devout, priests, priestesses and so on. Few saw below.

They descended a flight of stairs behind the alter into another guard room. Again they were inspected. It was a good thing the robes covered most of his skin, Kale realized, because the lights would have shone on his tanned skin. It would’ve been an instant giveaway he wasn’t a priest.

But they didn’t look closely beneath his hood. Just patted him down and sent them through. The group broke apart once they moved beyond the guard station.

Kale hesitated until he caught Raylin’s hands clasped behind her back. She pointed and then closed her fingers together.

Unless this was a set up, Kale decided, Val would like Raylin. The priestess was capable. Once she’d decided to help them instead of escape them, she’d put her all into it, even running on her own to get back before they found her missing.

Kale turned down the hall she’d indicated to find an open room with a vaulted ceiling.

In the center knelt a group of young girls…

To be Finished on Friday…

Blessings,

Jennifer

P.S. I love feedback, so if anyone has suggestions, questions, or comments on what they like or what doesn’t seem to work, please let me know. Just be gentle to my poor thin skinned feelings. Thanks.

The God Connection Part One

Welcome to the start of a new story!

For those who checked in a few weeks ago, you’re familiar with the story Saving Mae. I’ve always been fascinated by how different people can take the same elements of a story and come up with something completely different. So this story is me taking the same ‘idea’ as Saving Mae and turning it into a different story.

Hope you enjoy and thanks for stopping by.

The God Connection Part One

The fighter in him begged to confront them. They’d taken what was most precious to him but the ground beneath his feet was sacred. To fight here would damn his soul.

She wouldn’t want that. She might be his younger sister but she was gifted with the power of God’s sight that flowed into her dreams. Kale trusted her in spiritual matters like he trusted no other.

So fighting was not an option, but kidnapping was. They’d taken Val. Perhaps they’d be willing to trade if he took someone just as precious.

Through the wooden slates of the floor, he could make out the tiny soles of her feet. Raylin. He’d never seen the woman before but this had to be her. The young priestess elect of the Karr. Only Raylin could have that kind of hair Only a priestess could keep long hair without it becoming a threat to her life. And only Raylin had onyx hair.

He waited while a woman finished brushing and then plated the black tresses into an intricate braid. His men would be in position soon but the timing had to be perfect.

Guards passed and he counted, silently tapping out the seconds on the boards above him.

Thirty seconds and another guard’s feet passed.

The woman finished braiding and bid her mistress goodnight. She closed the door to the small hut as another guard passed.

Kale shoved the boards open just as his men dropped a net from the window in the roof.

Raylin hit the floor a few feet away without so much as a cry of surprise. Grabbing the edges of the net, he pulled her into the floor and held her tight to his chest as the fourth man replaced the boards about them.

A guard passed without pausing. Kale sighed. Their work over the last two nights had just paid off. They’d loosened the boards little by little and disolved the mortar around the window.

All for a perfect job.

Raylin didn’t struggle even as he held a hand over her mouth. He’d expected her to but perhaps she knew pitting her strength against his would only get her hurt.

She was tiny laying against his chest. Everyone knew the priestess elect was all of four feet ten inches tall but it was different when holding her. He loosened his arms a fraction. He didn’t want to hurt her. Her chest expanded, taking a deeper breath.

They waited. Steps sounded at regular intervals and the night went on until a familiar face peeked below the hut wall.

Bane, one of his men. The shift change for the guard took five minutes. It was time to move.

Bane helped him haul Raylin from under the hut, net and all. Once free, Kale threw her over his shoulder and they skirted the back of the huts, around the temple and into the trees, where they met up with the other men.

Without stopping, Kale led them through the trees west. They skirted several small villages, staying to the shelter of the forest.

Finally seeing the light of dawn, Kale stopped and set Raylin down. He pulled the net away to find himself staring into violet eyes speckled with blue. She wasn’t afraid. Other than her eyes, that was the first thing to catch him off guard.

Slowly rising, she stretched her legs and back. They watched but didn’t hinder her movement.

Then she bolted, right past Bane and Erik. Even her bare feet didn’t seem to bother her.

Kale cursed and gave chase. Her lack of struggling had lulled him into thinking she wouldn’t be a problem. He gained on her, for although she was fast, he had much longer legs.

She glanced over her shoulder and he caught the determination in her eyes. Spinning, she planted her feet and lowered her shoulder. He couldn’t stop. Ramming into her, his feet left the ground and he flew over her to land on his back.

His breath whooshed from his chest. It seethed in a constricted gasp until he exhaled again with relief as his lungs relaxed. Sitting up, he found two men down and the third, Lenn, watching the priestess with wary eyes.

Kale rose slowly behind her. Lenn shifted to his right and Raylin shifted to counter. Lenn shifted again and the priestess took another step, which brought her closer to Kale.

He lunged, driving her to the ground. It wasn’t pretty or graceful but it worked. At this point, he wasn’t sure what she was capable of.

Raylin gave a frustrated cry. It was the first sound he’d heard from her. She scrambled away, slipping under his arm as he tried to rise. At the last second, he dropped, pinning her legs.

By God, she was fast, but pitted weight against weight or strength against strength, she didn’t stand a chance. He secured an arm around her middle, pinning her arms, and pulled her tight against him as he sat up.

Lenn relaxed and checked Erik and Bane.

“They’re gonna love the headache when they wake,” he muttered.

“Get me some cord,” Kale ordered.

Raylin was now relaxed but he doubted she’d stay that way if he let her go. He took the cord from Lenn and tied her arms behind her back. Then tied her ankles together. She didn’t struggle but neither would she look at him.

“Get a fire going,” he told Lenn, “we all need something to eat.”

To be Continued on Wednesday…

Blessings,

Jennifer

P.S. I love feedback, so if anyone has suggestions, questions, or comments on what they like or what doesn’t seem to work, please let me know. Just be gentle to my poor thin skinned feelings. Thanks.

Mythical Choices Option Ab2: Follow the Dryad Mother

Thank you to everyone who participated in the adventure this week!

If you’re just stopping by, just know that you have been changed into a half-gargoyle to help save your friends, Tarin and Callan from oreads or rock nymphs. Tarin’s mother, the Dryad Mother, changed you but she also lied to you about saving them. You are her distraction. So you’ve decided, along with the other gargoyles, to follow and confront her.

Now on to the adventure!

Mythical Choices Option Ab2: Follow the Dryad Mother

The Dryad Mother tricked you. Although Tarin’s a good friend, his mother is quickly becoming one of your least favorites in the mythical world.

“You know where the Dryad Mother went?” you ask the large gargoyle.

“A few of us followed her when she left,” he answers.

“Then let’s pay her a visit. I don’t fancy being oread bait.”

The gargoyles respond with deep growls of agreement. The dryad’s words about you being able to fight as a gargoyle run through your mind. Your blood thrills with excitement, like it’s made for the fight.

“You are indeed one of us now,” the large one says. He introduces himself as Gadron just as Brut gains the roof by climbing a drain pipe.

Gadron growls at him. He scurries to hide behind you and then blows raspberries at the larger gargoyle.

“Really?” you ask him.

He blows more raspberries.

“Let’s fly,” Gadron says. “I won’t carry it.” he nods toward Brut and takes off from the roof.

Brut looks at you with pleading eyes. “Purpose,” he says. “I help you.” And holds out his arms for you to carry him. His words convince you because you feel the thrill of a purpose in your own veins. He’s a gargoyle. Deformed and without wings, but a gargoyle none-the-less, who’s fulfilled by serving his purpose.

Also, he’s a companion to the Dryad Mother. You’re not sure you want him out of your sight.

You sling him across your back between your wings and take off after the other gargoyles. After the first couple of wobbly minutes, your flying steadies out to an even glide that makes you think you’ve been missing out your whole life.

You spot the other gargoyles circling a large building and, as they fold their wings to land, you follow them to the roof. It’s an old supermarket that’s an empty husk of a building with a retaining wall along the back.

Gadron points toward the retaining wall and you sink to your stomach to crawl to the edge of the building. Below, you see a large hole dug into the retaining wall. Four dryads, including the Dryad Mother, are standing around that hole.

“I’ve set up the distraction,” the Dryad Mother says. “Let’s go.”

“Your distraction is flawed,” you call out and the dryads freeze. “It’s a lot easier to be a distraction when I know what role I’m playing.”

The Dryad Mother glares at you as the others look at her uncertainly. You fly down from the roof with the other gargoyles behind you.

“I’m not here to fight you,” you say to reassure the other dryads. “I’m here for Tarin and Callan but I won’t be just a piece in your game.”

“We still need a distraction,” one dryad says softly.

Gadron steps up to stand at your shoulder. “How many oreads are there?”

“Five,” answers the Dryad Mother with a haughty tilt to her head. Gadron meets her stare until she looks away. It’s kind of reassuring to see her give a bit.

“And you just need them away from the cave?”

“Yes.”

“Then give us a five minute head start and then follow.”

The dryads look nervous about the arrangement but then the Dryad Mother nods and moves away from the hole in the retaining wall.

You lead the way into the dark since this is your mission, after all. Even in the near black of the tunnel, you can feel the gargoyles behind you. Gadron is a deep, hulking mass of energy whereas Brut’s a coil of tight nerves. Brut follows so closely he hits your knees a few times with his head.

Then you sense something ahead. There are five beings that are as cool as the earth beneath your feet but far more alive. Oreads. The temperament you sense from them resembles the rocks they call home just like their skin is mottled like the rocks. At least the Dryad Mother didn’t lie about how many oreads there are.

In addition to their presence, you feel two beings set apart, cool as the night air but not cold like the oreads. Tarin and Callan.

“There’s the tunnel the Dryad Mother originally told you to take,” Gadron whispers in your ear as you come to a stop before entering the cavern ahead. “Let’s drive the oreads toward that tunnel. We can hold them there until the dryads can save your friends.”

You and the other gargoyles grunt in assent. Brut tugs at your leg and you haul him to your shoulders since he can’t fly. What he can do you’re not sure and, at this point, you don’t really care.

You don’t plan more, almost like you don’t want to. The desire to fight the oreads clouds out any other desire.

You rush into the cavern, flapping your wings and making loud cries in challenge. The oreads stand, startled, and then you and Brut dive at one. She’s heavy shouldered like the others but can’t reach you as you back away with another flap of your wings. Luckily the cavern’s big enough for flying, which gives you a clear advantage.

Brut pokes at her eyes each time you dive toward her. She throws rocks but follows as you back away toward the other tunnel. You dive again and back farther. She follows. You’re almost to the point where you can change direction to drive her into the tunnel when a lucky shot with a rock glances your side. You spin under and hit the wall. Then you drop, stunned.

Brut’s hissing is what warns you. Glancing up, you roll away as the oread lunges for you. Brut catches her ankle and she crashes into the wall with an explosion of rock. It’s enough of a distraction. Grabbing the tiny gargoyle, you’re back in the air and you realize Tarin and Callan are gone. The Dryad Mother’s been and gone. There’s no need now to corral the oreads into the tunnel so instead you dive for it as an escape route, making an instinctual call as you go. You sense the others follow close on your heels. In no time you’re out and flying away from the curses of the oreads. You’re grinning so hard it hurts.

“Well done, new gargoyle,” Gadron compliments you. “We shall meet again.” Then he flies away with the others.

***

From time to time they return, teaching you about your new senses, but it’s the friendship with Tarin and Callan that drives your life. Perhaps the Dryad Mother intended it, perhaps not, but when she bid you to save her son, she planted in you your gargoyle purpose. You now guard them constantly with Brut, who refuses to leave you. At first it’s strange, this new association with your dryad friends, but after a while you grow used to it and are content in your purpose.

Blessings and have a wonderful weekend,

Jennifer

Mythical Choices Option Ab: Gargoyle

Welcome to Friday and the last round of choices for this week’s adventure.

If you missed the beginning of the week, just know that you have been given the option to become either a dryad or a gargoyle to help save your friend Tarin. You’ve chosen gargoyle. Brut is a tiny gargoyle and the Dryad Mother is Tarin’s mother. (If you’d like to read Monday and Wednesday’s posts, you can find them under recent posts to the left.

Now on to the adventure!

Mythical Choices Option Ab: Gargoyle 

Considering Brut, you don’t want to end up looking like him but being able to fight could be a huge advantage if you run into a group of rock nymphs.

“I’ll go with gargoyle,” you say, wincing as Brut jumps with a gleeful laugh.

The Dryad Mother’s face is implacable as she stands. “The things I do for my son,” she mutters. “Hold hands with Brut.”

You hesitate but then take both of Brut’s hands. His fingers are bony with sharp claws but his grip is gentle. Such an odd creature. He’s grinning his toothy grin.

“What will happen?” you ask as she raises her hands but she doesn’t answer.

There’s pain along your shoulder blades and above your ears. You gasp and pull away from Brut but even after releasing his hands, you’re still aware of him. His heavy breathing hisses between his sharp teeth and the soft pat of his feet as he hops in agitation sends subtle ripples through the ground into your soles.

You’re also aware of another without looking at her. The Dryad Mother’s body radiates with energy that’s mimicked through all of the trees in the mini-garden. Her body, although very still, also emanates a vibe you can only term as nervous.

“What are you hiding from me?” you ask.

Her eyes widen. “You were only to get the physical attributes,” she says.

“Answer my question.” a strange sort of heat rolls along your skin at her evasion. You’re not an angry person but there’s so much sensation all of a sudden that it’s unsettling.

She lowers her head and mutters, “they have Callan too.”

And where are they keeping Tarin and Callan?”

“In a cavern with a lake. The rock nymphs have solidified the water around their feet to hold my son and his friend. You can reach this cavern through the culvert systems off of 52nd and Wallabe.”

“I don’t suppose you want to come with me?” you ask.

“I cannot be directly involved. It would chance a much larger war. Brut will accompany you.” And with that, she turns and disappears.

“Helpful, isn’t she?” you comment.

Brut hops up and down a few times. “She Mother.”

“Right.” You turn toward the apartment to gather a few items, still limping on your left leg. You stumble and reach to catch yourself. It’s a second before you realize you reached with something more than your hands. Twisting to look over your shoulder, you see bulges against your shirt. Wings.

“Wo-ah! Can I fly?”

Brut laughs. “Jump and see! Jump and see!”

You pull the back of your shirt high enough to release the wings and then you jump. Your wings extend and you experiment with a powerful flap of the leathery appendages. It sends you sailing up at the top of the apartment complex…where you come face to face with a long fanged gargoyle that puts Brut to shame.

Tumbling onto the roof, you spin to face the creature. It touches its curved horns, its face perplexed. You reach up too to feel small horns sticking through your hair just above and behind your ears.

“Welcome,” the gargoyle rumbles. “You have been charged to guard something?”

Thinking of Tarin you reply, “charged to save someone.”

It rumbles, as though thinking. There are answering rumbles and you glance around to see you are surrounded.

“The Dryad Mother gave you a charge, that is good, but she did not do it honorably.”

“What do you mean?” you ask.

“She sends you to die, not to save her son. You are her distraction.”

“Why do you tell me this?”

“You are one of us now. We serve honorably to guard and to save. We will help you serve as you should. Not as the dryad uses you.”

For some reason you believe this stern creature. Perhaps it’s the new gargoyle side of you but the honor in serving resonates with something within, like it fulfills your being.

“How would you like to proceed?” the creature asks. “We can follow the way the dryad said or we can follow her instead.”

Do you…

Aa1. Go to 52nd and Wallabe?

or

Aa2. Follow the Dryad Mother?

Blessings,

Jennifer

(Please post a comment with your choice. One vote per post please but comment as much as you like=) This makes counting votes easier. Voting will end at 12pm Mountain Time Saturday. I’ll post whichever option gets the most votes by 1pm and we’ll see how the adventure ends!)