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Hello everyone, this is Asclepius, with a great story from Vyrin, entitled

“Mark’s Tales of the Unremarkable, No 19″

Joining me in this podcast are
Brian Manown as Guard-Captain Dreyfuss,
StaticGrazer as Lord Enmar, and
sarg as the stablemaster
Background music “Ethetes”, by Smartsound.

Mark’s Tales of the Unremarkable, Number 19
The Same, Only Different
Day 132, post adventus

It takes a lot to drive me from my cottage. However, some days the traffic in and out of Owl’s Head is so heavy, that the meandering sounds of humanity come uncomfortably close. Today, a parade of braying beasts, squeaky carts, and raucous conversations drove me south and east, toward quieter hills. It’s a pleasant area where one quickly finds a secluded overlook opening onto the river valley. As I crested a steep rise, a stand of trees and dense undergrowth came into view flecked with gold and rust. Here, I realized, there would be a Fall. Back home, the early red sumac nags you with the reminder that August won’t last forever. Here, the effect was reassuring. Things aren’t always as different as they appear.

Yesterday, Lord Enmar had summoned me to dictate some letters. Mid sentence, Guard-Captain Dreyfus ran up the stairs.

“My liege, pardon the interruption.” He struck his fist to his chest in salute.

“What matter brings you here?”

“The stable boy everyone calls Bit was killed just now.”

“Did you summon a healer?”

“Yes, but they could do nothing to return him.”

“Well how did it happen?”

“He was exercising one of the horses. It was spooked, threw him, and then trampled his rib cage.”

“That’s strange. Those at the stable are quite careful to avoid spooking the horses.”

“The people at the scene told me that it was an outlander who did it, with magic.”

“Well then you better take a few men and clear out the people from that area. Find out what you can.”

“Sir, I already have Brent looking for any sign of foul play.”

“If this was malicious, I want hard evidence, not rumors and innuendos, do you understand?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Now I know poor Bit was an orphan, and the stable master took him in. Please inform him that you will dispatch a guard to prepare the body, dig the grave and secure a marker. Please also convey my condolences and that I will attend whatever memorial he deems appropriate at sundown. Return with what he decides.”

“Yes, sir.”

When he had sealed the last of the letters and handed them to a guard to deliver, he turned to me. “Do you think you might come to the memorial tonight?”

“I didn’t really know Bit, and have only seen the stable master from a distance.”

“I think it might be good to have an outlander there.”

It made me uncomfortable to be cast in this scene at such a tense moment, but of course I’m too softhearted too refuse.

“Sure.”

“I greatly appreciate it.”

As sundown approached I had no idea what to expect. I hadn’t observed much in the way of religious custom here, and had only heard remotely of the passing of townsfolk. It turned out to be a small gathering, circled around the open grave and Bit’s shrouded body. A group of teens peered out from behind trees at the edge of the graveyard. As we gathered in silence, I felt a strange sort of resentment. Immortality made most outlanders very callous about life, especially the lives of the natives here who weren’t so fortunate.

The stable master looked down. “Bit never had much in this world. Wherever he goes, I pray that he’s happy. He did well in this world by me, and by a lot of people. If that counts for anything, let it count for him now.”

Lord Enmar clasped the stable master on the shoulder. Nothing else was said.

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Hello everyone, this is Asclepius, with a great story from Gabriel Nightshadow, entitled

“The Arena”

Background music “Viracocha’s Demise” by Eliot Corley at www.opengameart.org

The Arena

Gabriel Nightshadow stood anxiously in the arena holding area of the Bear Tavern Brawl in Owls Head. Participating in this tournament had originally seemed like a good idea, but now that he got his first glimpse of his opponent, Gabriel was plagued with doubt. A fierce looking, but beautiful, red headed warrior clad in augmented plate, Caska DiFumarate seemed mesmerized as she peered through the gate at the match currently in progress. Suddenly, she turned, smiled at Gabriel, and made a throat cutting gesture! Gabriel gulped.

“You two are next!”, shouted the Battle Master, pointing to Gabriel and Caska. “Follow me!”

The crowds roared as they entered and took their positions by the stone pillars. Gabriel looked up into the stands and was heartened to see two of his good friends, Asclepius and a fellow Outlander who called himself Time Lord, cheering him on. Gabriel had enjoyed great success with using fire, lightning, and blade attacks against the elves roaming the forests near Kingsport and the vicious kobolds which had been launching attacks on Lord Ferig’s battle camp, but a human foe was something quite different.

“Combatants ready?”, asked the Battle Master.

Both Gabriel and Caska nodded to the Battle Master.

“Fight!”, yelled the Battle Master.

Gabriel quickly drew his great sword and ran towards his opponent while attempting to cast Fire Arrow. The spell failed as she ran out of range.

Caska cast Death Bolt. Gabriel tried to dive out of the way, but wasn’t fast enough.

Gabriel felt a bit better after casting Healing Ray. He cast Fireball, but Caska managed to avoid the brunt of the attack and was only slightly singed.

Gabriel finally managed to stun her temporarily with Lightning, but as he ran towards her, Caska drained his health with a Death Touch spell. She used Inner Strength to unleash a barrage of attacks with her Vanduul polearm. Gabriel tried to counter with Double Slash and Rend attacks , but soon felt Death’s cold embrace.

After Gabriel regained consciousness, he congratulated his foe.

“You did pretty well out there for an amateur, Gabriel!”, said Caska. “With a bit more training, you could do well in the Arena.”

“Thank you for your words of encouragement, Caska! I will do as you suggest.”, replied Gabriel. “I hope to test my combat skills against yours again next month!”

Caska bowed and said, “As do I.”

After Gabriel left the arena, he paused for a moment to look up into the dark night sky at the shattered moon, Daedalus. I think I have learned all that I can from the combatants here in Owls Head, he thought to himself. Best to seek further training elsewhere, Gabriel mused, as he stepped through the lunar rift…

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Hello everyone, this is Asclepius, with a great story by Boomer, entitled

“Elven Gold”

Background music “Time Traveler” by Smartsound.

Elven Gold

The tall yellowing grass waved in the breeze, occasionally mimicking the waves on the ocean. With the setting sun at his back, Sebastian crouched low and carefully crested the hill. One of the many elk was prancing nearby and momentarily startled him. The contents of the overturned wagon were strewn along the road below him. An open crate of weapons enticed him the most, but seeing the several Elven guards that were alert and on patrol reminded him about the dangers of this venture.

Each guard’s movements were very predictable. After careful observation, Sebastian saw a window of opportunity that would give him just enough time to sneak closer, make a quick dash, grab a weapon or two, and hightail it back to cover. His escape would be aided by his speed, the dark before moonrise, and Alchemist Julia’s stealth potion.

The plan would have worked admirably had he not dropped a shield while his hands were encumbered with a stolen sword. The clatter drew the attention of every elf in the vicinity. He was partially back up the hill before he noticed that the elf guarding the road between him and the river had abandoned his post and was running to the wagon. With all the speed he could muster, Sebastian dodged to the left and ran for the river. Before he could get there, an elf Mage released a fireball that ignited the grass where he had been a moment before.

Sebastian plunged into the deepest part of the river he could find and half swam, half crawled along the rocky river bottom. The weight of the shield slung on his back kept him submerged like some kind of turtle.

Out of breath, Sebastian finally had to scrabble up the far side of the river bank and pray he would avoid detection. The stealth potion must be working, as no bolt of fire or feathered death found him. He gasped for breath as quietly as possible. In the dim light of the rising, shattered moon, Sebastian could see an elf guard ankle deep in the river, motionless, as if in a trance.

Sebastian crept silently closer, alert for any response. He knew elves were not very smart, but this stillness was ridiculous. Did water immobilize them? Sebastian got closer. No response. Gripping his sword, he thrust it through the hapless elf, then again twice more before the elf fell silently into the water. The elf’s last gesture almost tore out Sebastian’s heart–it raised its hand in a strange pleading manner before expiring into the river.
The elf had indeed carried gold, over 100 gp. He had also carried an additional sword. Sebastian was now a warrior, equipped with shield, sword, and enough gold to buy armor. He also had the new-found knowledge of a weakness in elves that he could exploit.

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Hello everyone, this is Lady Adnor, with three short stories from Womby.

Where are the children?

Dear Diary,
I don’t know why, but it didn’t occur to me at first.
Perhaps it was the general air of gloom that hangs over Kingsport.
Then again, it might have been the distraction caused by being unceremoniously torn from my normal world into what I can only assume is some kind of alternate dimension.
Regardless, I have just realised this morning that there are no children. I’ve seen adults, I’ve seen cats, I’ve even seen chickens wandering unconstrained about the marketplace. But no children.

I tried asking a couple of the locals, but was unable to get a straight answer. I have not pursued the question further for fear of antagonising them, but I plan to investigate.
I have heard strange sounds coming from the sewer – perhaps the answer lies there.

Cats

Dear Diary,
I love the sea. In my idle moments I would often sit by the docks in Kingsport and gaze at the horizon. As a result, I was the first to notice the cats.
Now, you may think that the presence of cats near ships, especially fishing vessels, is no surprise, and normally you would be right. Only there are no ships.
None have arrived for quite some time, and the cats that used to dwell on the docks have long since migrated to the various basements and sewers where mice and rats have taken up residence.

At first there was only one cat. Jet black. Then it was joined by another, also black, and finally today I saw three black cats milling about the wharf.
It is entirely possible of course that this is nothing to be concerned about, except that these cats are indistinguishable. I mean they are absolutely identical in every way.
The thing that really raised my hackles however was when I noticed that one of the cats had two tails. As I watched in horrified fascination, what I thought was one cat separated into two identical cats.

I no longer spend time by the docks. I believe the place is cursed, and I worry for the future. Something bad is coming, I just know it.

Malevolent Forces

Dear Diary,
My delight at finally acquiring my own home in Kingsport has been tempered recently by the discovery of a mysterious, incomprehensible entity that is dogging my footsteps.
I first noticed it when I attempted to arrange some books on my bookshelf. They refused to stand up.
Then, while carrying a remarkably oversized potato to the kitchen, I found that the carpet was following me.
I tried to escape it by climbing the ladder to the roof, but was unable to do so. Something inexplicable was preventing me from making the ascent.
Next I resorted to lighting candles. Lots of candles, in the hope of purging the forces of darkness. As I did so, however, I found my movements becoming more and more sluggish, until eventually I could barely move at all.

Tomorrow I shall seek advice on how to free my home of these malevolent forces.

Background music “Curious Critters” by Matthew Pablo at www.matthewpablo.com

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AVATAR CHRONICLES I : THE RETURN OF THE AVATAR

On one of the many parallel worlds in the multiverse…

Episode 3

(Insert “Enchanted Festival” by Matthew Pablo at www.matthewpablo.com)
Chapter Two: Gabriel’s Story
LOVE
Earth, Poughkeepsie, NY
The Present…
Sunset fell on the battlefield. The medieval battle reenactment was over. Lord Gabriel
Dane’s forces had defeated those of Lord Robert Darrington’s after a fierce three hour
battle. As the members for the Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA) sat down to a
medieval banquet in their finest noble attire, they began to talk about bestselling science
fiction & fantasy novelist Gabriel Dane’s latest novel.

“A toast to Lord Dane for a hard fought victory! “, said John as he raised his wine goblet.
Everyone else raised their goblet in response.

“Gabriel, I must say that I was not expecting that last disarming maneuver. Most
impressive!”, said Robert, “By the way, I heard that the first book in your new fantasy
series, The Avatar Chronicles, reached #1 on every Bestseller’s List in its first week of
release. Two million hardcover copies! At this pace, I think it’ll outsell your Time Lord
series.”

“So, how did you come up with the idea for your new book series?”, asked Henry.

Gabriel Dane paused for a moment before answering. “For the last nine months, I’ve
been having these strange dreams about a realm named New Britannia. It seems so real
to me, as if I’ve actually been there…”, said Gabriel.

“Come on, quit joking, Gabriel!”, said Sarah, ” You probably came up with the idea over
drinks at the Foxfire Club.”

“So, Gabriel, any truth to the rumors that you are currently dating supermodel
Alexandra Covington?”, asked Brian.

“No!”, answered Gabriel, as he touched the white gold ankh pendant dangling from his
neck, “You know that Shannon was the only love of my life!” (Loop as needed. Music fades out.)

(Insert “Ireland’s Coast (Game Edition – Live Players)” by Matthew Pablo at www.matthewpablo.com)

Gabriel suddenly thought back to when his late wife had given him the pendant as a
fourth anniversary gift following a romantic candlelit dinner in their suite at Ashford
Castle in County Galway, Ireland.

“But Shannon has been dead for three years!”, said Brian, “Don’t you think it’s about time
for you to move on?”

As Gabriel looked at the Irish Claddagh ring on his finger, he remembered the first time
that he and Shannon met. Gabriel had been on a book tour of the United Kingdom to
promote the thirteenth and final book in his Time Lord series, The Death of a Time Lord. After
wrapping up the book tour, Gabriel had decided to spend a couple of days taking in the
sights of Cardiff, Wales. As a VIP member of famed Irish mezzo-soprano Shannon
Donohue’s fan club, he had been one of the twenty-four lucky fans chosen at random for
a meet and greet with Shannon following her concert that evening at Cardiff International
Arena. When it was Gabriel’s turn to have her sign a photo for him, their eyes locked and it truly was love at first sight. Later that evening, they met for drinks and talked long into the night about their interests, their hopes, and their dreams.
One year later, they were married in a lavish wedding ceremony at Ashford Castle in
County Galway, Ireland. At the wedding, one of Gabriel’s friends, Charles Whittaker,
Professor of Irish Studies at the University of Notre Dame, noted that Gabriel was a very
lucky fellow because Shannon was a striking beauty who bore an uncanny resemblance
to Brigid, the Celtic goddess of fire, water, & healing. Gabriel had dated many beautiful
actresses and models before he met Shannon, but all those relationships were shallow
and short-lived. Shannon was different. She truly was Gabriel’s soul mate. The five short
years they had together were the happiest days of Gabriel’s life.

Jessica saw the sad look in her dear friend Gabriel’s eyes. Jessica had known Gabriel
since their freshman year at New York University twenty-two years ago. They had even
dated briefly, but soon discovered that they made better friends than lovers. Jessica
knew that Gabriel had never really been the same since losing his wife, Shannon, to lung
cancer. The best doctors in the world couldn’t figure out how someone in excellent
physical condition could suddenly develop Stage IV lung cancer and decline so rapidly.
The doctors had been unable to identify the pathogen, other than the fact that it appeared to be
extraterrestrial in nature.

Shannon died three months after her initial diagnosis. As Gabriel’s closest friend, Jessica
had been one of the few people with him at Shannon’s bedside as she passed away.

(Music fades out.)

Jessica shot Brian an accusatory glance and then tried to defuse the situation by quickly
changing the subject.

“Honestly, Gabriel, I don’t see how you have any time to write these days, in light of
your blossoming pop career!”, said Jessica, “Your debut album, Shadows and Light, has
been # 1 on the pop album chart for eight weeks now. Ten million copies sold! Every
time I turn on the radio, I hear your debut single, Song Of Love, and all I ever hear from
my teenage stepdaughter Lori and her friends these days is “Who is that sexy masked
NIGHTSHADOW fellow?”

Everyone laughed.

“Gabriel, you are a true Renaissance man – author, singer, songwriter, martial artist,
armourer and swordsmith.”, said Morgan, “Is there anything you can’t do?”

Gabriel was about to respond when, suddenly, a lunar rift appeared a few feet behind
him. As the shocked diners looked on, a tendril of white energy emerged from the rift
and pulled him in.

In the confusion, the other diners failed to notice that Jessica smiled as her eyes briefly
glowed. “I hope you find what you’re looking for in New Britannia, Gabriel.”, she
whispered to herself.

The lunar rift deposited him on a grassy field. Gabriel got up and looked around. He
saw a lone white dove soaring overhead. Suddenly, there was a slight breeze and Gabriel
noticed a skull lying at his feet. He picked it up and was instantly flooded with
memories from the final battle with Lord Shadowreign forty years ago. Gabriel quickly
dropped the skull and staggered back.

“Where am I?”, said Gabriel, ” This looks like Falura Field in New Britannia, but that can’t
possibly be…”

(Insert “Heroism” By Edward J. Blakeley)

Gabriel suddenly felt a tingling sensation in his head and quickly turned around to face a
seven and a half foot tall , highly muscular, bald warrior with a Van Dyke beard, who
was wearing black studded leather armor with a skull-shaped belt buckle and wielding a
massive, two-handed red battleaxe, which had an eerie black glow. Gabriel could swear
he heard the battleaxe whisper “Feed me!”

“Ah, another avatar for me to kill!”, bellowed the warrior, “Never let it be said
that Malgor the Mighty wasn’t fair. Pick up the sword and defend yourself!”

Gabriel reached for the sword lying on the ground. Malgor the Mighty swung his
massive battleaxe directly at Gabriel’s head. Gabriel tried to parry, but the force of the
enchanted battleaxe shattered his sword in half. Gabriel barely managed to dodge the
next blow, thanks to the lightning fast reflexes he had developed during his many years
of martial arts training in the Far East. He quickly dropped the broken hilt and countered
with a dragon fist punch followed by a butterfly kick. Malgor was knocked back a short
distance, but quickly recovered. Gabriel did a quick combat analysis. Malgor’s armor
prevented Gabriel from attacking his pressure points and paralyzing him. Furthermore,
Gabriel’s powerful punches and kicks barely seemed to faze Malgor. The only vulnerable
area seemed to be Malgor’s unprotected head.

“Is that the best you’ve got?”, laughed Malgor, “I’ve killed over 600 other potential
Avatars since I arrived here from Earth six months ago, and most of them were a lot
tougher than you. No one can escape my Muramasa Battleaxe! PKs rule! In the end,
there can be only one Avatar!”

Muramasa Battleaxe? How was that possible? Everyone knew that Muramasa was a
famous swordsmith, Gabriel thought to himself as Malgor swung his mighty battleaxe at
Gabriel’s head again. Gabriel dodged the blow and countered with a phoenix eye strike
to Malgor’s temple. Malgor immediately coughed up blood, dropped his battleaxe, and
fell flat on his face, dead. Gabriel noticed that Malgor’s corpse suddenly began losing
muscle mass rapidly. Soon, his corpse reverted to its true, five foot tall, 130 lb form.

(Music fades out.)

(Insert “Conquerors” by Alexandr Zhelanov)

Gabriel heard the battleaxe whisper to him, “Take me…” He felt compelled to pick up the
battleaxe and examine it. As soon as Gabriel grasped the battleaxe, he was instantly
bombarded with images from the battleaxe’s past.

Despite its massive size, it did not feel heavier than a normal sized, one-handed ax. The handle had strange runes engraved in itand there was a blood red gem embedded at its base.
Gabriel heard the battleaxe say,”Feed me blood and I will make you strong! Strong enough to defeat
all of your enemies!”

“Do not try to tempt me, foul demon!”, said Gabriel, “The battleaxe has revealed the
truth to me! Malgor’s real name was Marvin Blatz aka Hack N Slash, a professional video
game player. You were simply using Marvin by preying on his bloodlust and his need to
win at any cost. Once he decapitated his 666th victim, you would have been freed from
your prison to wreck havoc on New Britannia. I will not let more innocent blood be
spilled!”

Gabriel’s eyes suddenly turned bright white as he strongly gripped the battleaxe.
Suddenly, the battleaxe was engulfed by white fire which erupted from Gabriel’s hands.
Gabriel seemed unaffected by the flames , but the battleaxe screamed out in pain,
“Arghh….the white fire burns…How dare you resist me!…I am the demon lord Argax…I
will not be defeated by a mere mortal !” The battleaxe began to glow bright white.

Gabriel hurled the flaming battleaxe high into the air. The battleaxe screamed, “No……!”
as it exploded. Gabriel’s eyes reverted to their normal appearance.

(Loop as needed. Music fades out.)

(Insert “Tower of Great Lords” by Alexander Zhelanov)

Gabriel’s keen sense of hearing alerted him to the sudden presence of three hearts beating
behind him and he quickly turned around.

“Most impressive, Gabriel.”, said the elderly,white bearded robed figure standing in front of
him, “I’ve been expecting you. Allow me to introduce my assistant,Theodric, and my good
friend, Carlin.”

The young monk standing next to the old man stared in awe at Gabriel as the small metal fragment in the palm of Nystal’s right hand began to glow bright white. The archer standing
next to him seemed intrigued by this turn of events.

Suddenly, there was a flash of light and the Avatar’s Sword of Virtue appeared in
Gabriel’s hands. The sword suddenly began changing shape, transforming into the
Masamune Dragon Katana! Being a highly skilled swordsmith himself, Gabriel marveled
at the level of craftsmanship. At the base of the golden blade was a circular hand guard
comprised of two intertwined dragons (one red and one black). The red silk wrapped hilt
had a solid gold dragon’s head pommel with red ruby eyes.

Both of the red ruby eyes and the eight Runes of Virtue engraved on the hilt began to
glow and Gabriel could swear that he heard a dragon roar emanate from the sword!
Unbeknownst to anyone, all across New Britannia, the Nine Legendary Dragons
suddenly began to awake from their forty year slumber.

Upon opening his eyes in his Underworld lair, the black dragon Kuroseth used the
bond he shared with the members of the Nightshadow clan to appear to Gabriel
in a vision and said, “Greetings, Gabriel Nightshadow! I am Kuroseth, one of the Nine
Legendary Dragons. Long have I waited to renew the covenant with the Last Dragon
Lord!”

At the abandoned ruins of Castle Genar, former base of operations for the Nine Dragon
Lords, overlooking the cliffs of Avan, a strong gust of wind blew away the cobwebs in
the main Council chamber as all of the torches throughout the castle suddenly lit up.

Meanwhile, back at Falura Field, a startled and somewhat confused Gabriel sheathed the
katana in the red lacquered scabbard which had suddenly appeared at his side. Everyone
failed to notice that an image of Gabriel’s late wife Shannon briefly appeared in his white
gold ankh pendant as well.

“Theodric, please fetch me the enchanted black plate armor we recovered from the
crypt.”, said Nystal, ” You don’t remember me, do you?”

“No, have we met before ?”, asked Gabriel.

“Something’s not right.”, said a puzzled Nystal, as he reached out and touched Gabriel’s forehead with the palm of his hand, “Someone’s placed a mental block in your head in order to prevent you from remembering your past lives. Let me fix that.” (Music fades out.)
(Insert “Dream Raid Full Version (Mock Up)” by Matthew Pablo at www.matthewpablo.com)
Nystal’s hand glowed for a moment and then Gabriel was instantly flooded with memories from the past. He remembered that he and his fraternal twin brother, Lucius, had both held the rank of Primus pilus (senior centurion of a Roman legion – equivalent in rank to a Lieutenant Colonel today) in the Roman army prior to being chosen by Lord Order and Lord Chaos to be their respective champions in their eternal battle. Gabriel had been reborn in many different bodies over the past 2,000 years, as were the companions who Lord Order had seen fit to grant him to aid in his never ending battle with Lucius. In addition to Nystal, there were always two other male companions and a female companion as well. Nystal was different from the other companions because his form never changed, as he was immortal. The only thing which comforted Gabriel was discovering that, as he was constantly being reborn into new bodies, so too was his beloved wife, Shannon. He looked forward to seeing her again in his next life, for they had so little time together in this one.
The last recovered memory which Gabriel had was being handcuffed to a chair in a darkly light room in an abandoned warehouse sometime in 1987. Seated across the table from him was a very tall (about 6’ 10”) albino man with long white hair. He was dressed in the attire of a proper Victorian gentleman, with a red silk puff tie, a black Bancroft double breasted vest, and a black Victorian Cutaway Coat.
“My master would prefer that I do a complete memory wipe of your mind, but it seems that your innate mental defenses are far stronger than I had anticipated.”, said The Tall Albino Man, “The best I can do is to place a mental block that will prevent you from remembering anything from your past lives.”
As The Tall Albino Man reached out towards Gabriel’s forehead with his pale white hand, Gabriel said, “One day, I will find you and I will make you pay for this!”
“You’re welcome to try, but I highly doubt that’s ever going to happen.”, replied The Tall Albino Man, with a wicked smile on his face.
The last thing Gabriel remembered seeing was The Tall Albino Man’s platinum, diamond encrusted ring on his outstretched hand. What was that symbol in the center? Gabriel concentrated on the memory and the blurry image came into focus. It was the symbol of Chaos! (Music fades out.)
(Insert “The King’s Crowning” by Telaron)
“I remember everything!”, exclaimed Gabriel, as gave Nystal a bear hug, “It is good to see you again, my old friend. What has transpired since we last met?”
“New Britannia is in grave peril! Lord British’s half-brother, Lord Shadowreign, is preparing to attack this realm in six months time with an alien invasion force he has gathered at the other end of the universe. Our only hope of stopping him is recovering the nine fragments of the Amulet of Vazur and summoning the Nine Dragons of Legend! But this task will be very difficult, for Lord Shadowreign’s minions are everywhere, including your brother, Lucius!”
“Why am I not surprised?”, replied Gabriel.
“Welcome home, Avatar!”, said a smiling Nystal, “We have much work to do!”

High above, the lone white dove happily cooed as its eyes briefly glowed. It turned and
flew off towards the horizon. (Music fades out.)

*****************************************************************************************************
(Insert “ Radakan – Old Crypt” by Janne Hanhisuanto for Radakan)
“At last, I am finally able to penetrate Nystal’s cloaking field!”, said the handsome, dark-haired young nobleman as he peered into the scrying pool, “So, that’s the new Avatar?”

“Yes, Duke Garen.”, replied the fat, balding, middle-aged wizard Marek, who was
standing to the right of him.

Lucius (i.e. Duke Garen) immediately sensed his brother Gabriel’s soul in this new form, but decided it was best not to let the others know about this fact, for these mere mortals knew nothing of their eternal battle.

” I am not impressed.”, replied a smirking Duke Garen. He turned to the beautiful, red-
haired young woman clad in black leather armor and wielding a double-bladed sword
standing to his left. The young woman was the spitting image of Gabriel’s late wife,
Shannon! Marek leered at the woman while Duke Garen had his back turned to him.

“Annese, take two dozen of your best assassins and proceed to the Valley of Fallen
Heroes and ambush the Avatar and his companions as they pass through there. It is
fitting that their final resting place should be among the tombstones of our ancestors.,”
commanded Duke Garen, “Bring me back the Avatar’s body. Dispose of the others as
you see fit.”

“Yes, my Lord,”, replied Annese.

She pressed a button on the hilt of her double-bladed sword and twisted both halves of the hilt in opposite directions. The double-bladed sword separated into two single-bladed ones which Annese placed in the two sheathes on her back. She bowed, turned
around and exited the room. No one noticed the flames which momentarily danced in her eyes.

As Annese exited the room, she found her second-in-command, Lareth, waiting for her.
“Assemble the Black Scorpion, Crimson Cobra, and Yellow Centipede squads.”, said
Annese, “Our master has given us a mission and we must depart for the Valley of Fallen
Heroes immediately.”

“Who’s the target?”, asked Lareth, “Hopefully, more of a challenge than our last one…”

“It’s the new Avatar and his companions.”, replied Annese.

Lareth smiled. “Worthy foes indeed! Mistress Vala would have been proud to see what a
fine job you’ve done as the leader of the Dakari Sisterhood of Assassins these past
seven years.”, she said, before turning around and hurrying down the staircase to the
barracks. Annese followed shortly thereafter.

Meanwhile, back in the chamber, Duke Garen, waved his hand to dismiss Marek and
turned back to observe the Avatar and his companions in the scrying pool.

“And Marek, if I ever catch you looking at Annese like that ever again, I will make sure
that you suffer horribly before I kill you.”, said Duke Garen, “Annese is mine and mine
alone! Is that clear?”

Duke Garen’s eyes suddenly glowed bright red and Marek suddenly was flung
backward across the room. He hit the wall hard and crumpled to the floor.

“Yes, My Lord…”, groaned Marek, as he slowly got up and hobbled out of the room,
grimacing in pain.

Once Marek had departed, Duke Garen turned his attention back to the scrying pool, but
suddenly the image of the Avatar and his companions faded away as two large glowing
red eyes appeared in the now pitch black water. A disembodied voice spoke to Duke
Garen.

“Do not underestimate the new Avatar. He may be untested, but I sense great power
within him. He would not have been able to defeat my former servant Argax were it not
so.”, said the voice.

“I know. But even if Annese and her assassins fail to kill the Avatar, they will greatly
slow down his progress in obtaining the fragments of the Amulet of Vazur.”, replied
Duke Garen,” Without Nystal to guide him, the new Avatar will not know what to do.”

“Indeed.”, said the voice.

“I have good news to report.”, said Duke Garen,“ Our support of the Homeguard has reaped enormous rewards.
Marius has convinced a significant porion of the population that the offworlders are invaders who pose a serious threat to our way of life.
Many avatars are now being killed on sight by Homeguard members as soon as they emerge
from the lunar rifts. Even if Annese and her assassins fail, the new Avatar may yet be
killed by loyal Homeguard members or sympathizers. There is also growing
dissension in the Great Council over Lord British’s latest reforms. Lord British
has reduced the tax rate on the commoners while increasing the tax rate on the nobility.
He has been using the excess money to fund programs that benefit the commoners –
increased food distribution to the poor, and construction of affordable housing and
schools. He has also tried to reduce the power of the nobility by forcing them to
contribute 25% of their personal troops to the Royal Army. The most vocal opponents of
the reforms, the Dukes Gramal, Heron, and Jobin, have already joined our cause. With
their support, we now have over 400,000 troops in New Britannia at our disposal.”

“Excellent!”, replied the voice, “That, combined with the 600,000 troops that I have
assembled in this realm, should be more than enough to defeat the troops loyal to Lord
British. You have done well, my son. Lord British is a fool! He should have been paying
more attention to what the nobility wanted instead of trying to help the common people.
Soon I shall finally return to New Britannia and reclaim the throne from my weak and
pathetic brother!”

Lord Shadowreign’s maniacal laugh echoed throughout the chamber.

(Loop as needed. Music fades out.)
************************************************************************************************

(Insert “Covert Operations” by artisticdude)

Duke Garen failed to notice the listening device attached to the skylight above the
chamber. The young woman crouching on the roof pushed a button on her headset and
the device retracted itself. She turned her head and it was apparent that she was the
woman from Theodric’s vision! The athletic, attractive, young, red-haired woman was
clad in black leather armor with two swords strapped to her back.

“Hmmm, Valley of Fallen Heroes. It looks like Nystal and the Avatar will need my help.
Time to repay my debt to you, Nystal!”, said Amber Raine.

Amber turned and walked over to the edge of the balcony. She pulled out her grappling gun and
fired a grappling hook line down to a tree located below. After tying the other end of the line
to a chimney, she pulled out a leather strap and slung it over the line. After waiting for the guards down below to pass by on their patrol route, she slid down the line, landing behind the tree. Amber knew that her pet wolf, Mori Tura, and her black horse, Inferno, stood waiting for her behind the nearby hill.

One of the guards sensed something was wrong and circled back to investigate the area near the
tree. As he passed by the tree, Amber emerged behind him and choked him until he fell to the
ground unconsciousness. Propping his unconscious body up behind the tree, Amber quickly
scanned the area for other guards. Seeing none, she made her way over the hill, then mounted her horse. As she, Inferno, and Mori Tura rode off, the explosives which she had planted in the castle’s weapons storage shed began to detonate. Chaos erupted as the sharp weapons stored there became deadly projectiles, impaling many of the soldiers scrambling to put out the fires.

(Loop as needed. Music fades out.)
***************************************************************************************************
(Insert “Winds of Stories” by HorrorPen)

Back in Jerahl, two burly men dragged a blindfolded Mingo into the warehouse and shoved him

into a chair. Mingo’s hands were bound with enchanted, hand forged iron shackles which prevented him from using magic or his innate abilities. One of the men removed his blindfold.
A mysterious black hooded figure entered the room and said, “You two may leave now!”
The two burly German men turned and left.
As soon as Mingo heard the man’s voice, his eyes grew wide and he began sweating profusely.
“No, it can’t be! The Nightmare Man…”, whispered Mingo.
The Tall Albino Man removed his hood and smiled.
“Ah, I see you remember me from our last encounter, Mingo!”, he said, “Your cousin, Nystal, isn’t around to rescue you this time! Tell me where he is!”
“No, I will never betray my cousin!”, replied a defiant Mingo.

“We’ll see about that!”, laughed The Tall Albino Man, as his eyes began to glow

Mingo started singing, “I am a teapot, short and stout…” and prayed that The Tall Albino Man wouldn’t cause too much damage to his mind this time. (Music fades out.)

***************************************************************************************************
(Insert “The Path Revealed” by Eliot Corley )

Lord British and Fire Lotus were having afternoon tea on the balcony of the castle when
they both spotted the flash of light from nearby Falura Field.

“That flash of light…”, said Fire Lotus, ” I wonder what it means.”

“It means that the new Avatar has been revealed.”, replied Lord British, “It seems Nystal
was right after all.”

“This is good news, my Liege, because the next lunar eclipse is due to occur in six
months, “, said Fire Lotus,”I hope that the new Avatar will be ready by then.”

“Me too.”, replied Lord British, “The fate of New Britannia lies in the Avatar’s hands.”

“Well, I must be returning to my tavern to prepare for the evening crowd. Thank you for
the afternoon tea, My Liege.”, said Fire Lotus.

“My pleasure. You know how much I enjoy our daily conversations! “, replied Lord
British, ” The castle seems so empty while Lady Arabella is away visiting her relatives in
Jerahl. I’ve been so busy these days that I haven’t had a chance to catch up with any of
our other old friends.”

“Then you really must stop by the tavern this evening! David will be making a rare
appearance and performing some of his new songs.”, said Fire Lotus.

“I will definitely be stopping by the tavern tonight! It will give David and I a chance to
reminiscence about the good old days, catch up on current events, and honor those who
are no longer with us. It also gives me a reason to sample some of this new Fire
Mountain ale I’ve heard so much about. Is it really as good as they say?”, asked Lord
British.

“Indeed it is, My Liege. Demand has been so high, I’ve had trouble keeping it in stock.
My next shipment of Fire Mountain ale isn’t due to arrive until the middle of next week,
but don’t worry, I do still have a bit of it left in my private stock for both of you to
sample.”, replied Fire Lotus.

“Excellent! “, said Lord British, “I look forward to it.”

Fire Lotus departed.

As soon as she left, Lord British went to the library room. He searched one of the bookcases
for The Book of Aramus. After making certain that no one else was around, he pulled on the
book and a hidden doorway was revealed. He walked down the stairs to a secret laboratory
filled with strange equipment powered by Tesla generators. He walked over to the vertical
healing pod and peered through the translucent case where the real Lord British stood in
suspended animation. The impostor looked at the computer readout next to the pod. It said:

HEALING CYCLE 99% COMPLETE
TIME REMAINING 179 DAYS 23 HOURS 55 MINUTES 30 SECONDS

“Rest well, my son. I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you when you were growing up, but I’m
here for you now. You’ve accomplished far more in your lifetime than any of my other
children. I’m so proud of you. Your people will have need of you again soon. I will
continue to watch over them until you are ready to return to us.”, said the impostor as
he began changing into his true form, that of Barek of the Old Gods!

(Loop as needed. Music fades out.)
***************************************************************************************************
Several hours later, Mingo finally lost consciousness. The Tall Albino Man was physically exhausted from his attempts to penetrate Mingo’s mental defenses.

The two burly German men returned.

(Insert “Melvin and Waldorf” by Joe Reynolds – Professorlamp at www.jrtheories.webs.com)

Hans, the taller of the two, spoke.

“Master, were you able to extract any information from him?”, he asked.

“Yes, although his mental defenses have gotten much stronger since our last encounter!”, replied a very exhausted Tall Albino Man, “ At first he tried to confuse me with some nonsense about a lizard named Krisskar, some adventurers named Jeb, Ed, Lyra, and Shania, armored squirrels, talking penguins, and some Red Hat and Blue Hat gnomes! “

“Gnomes?”, said the shorter one, Gunther, “Didn’t they all die out long ago?”

“No one really knows for sure, little brother,”, replied Hans, “But it’s been ages since one has been sighted!”

Gunther then made the mistake of saying, “It was good to see your sister, Vastra, again, master! She’s so hot!”

The Tall Albino Man became very angry and his eyes began glowing again.

“Don’t talk about my precious Vastra like that!”, he shouted, as Gunther suddenly began having trouble breathing.

As Gunther began gasping for air, his brother Hans said,”Please forgive my brother, master! He is still young and often speaks without thinking. I’m sure he meant no disrespect! Isn’t that right, Gunther?”

Gunther nodded, as his face began to turn blue!

“Very well, I will forgive you this time, Gunther!”, said The Tall Albino Man, as his eyes stopped glowing, and the color began to return to Gunther’s face, “But if you ever speak of Vastra like that again, you will die! Do you understand?”

“Yes…master!”, stammered Gunther, “Thank you for sparing my life!”

“Take Mingo and teleport back to Owl’s Head. Dump him at Fire Lotus Tavern and then return here.”, said The Tall Albino Man, “We will intercept Nystal and his companions in the Magasa Forest!”

“At once, master!”, said Hans and Gunther.

Hans and Gunther picked up the unconscious Mingo and carried him away.

(Loop as needed. Music fades out.)

*************************************************************************************************

(Insert “Colossal Boss Battle Theme” by Matthew Pablo)

Later that same evening, Duke Garen entered a secret chamber underneath his castle bearing
a bloody sacrificial dagger and a black bowl adorned with demonic images. A well-
preserved skeleton lay on a stone slab in the center of the chamber. Duke Garen placed
the dagger on the corner of the slab. As the clock struck midnight, Duke Garen poured
fresh, virgin, female blood from the bowl on the bones and cast an ancient, forbidden,
dark magic spell. Red smoke formed around the corpse and muscles, veins, and skin
quickly began to grow on the bones. When the resurrection process was complete, the
bald man opened his eyes and sat up. Duke Garen handed the man a black robe to wear.

“How long have I been dead?”, inquired the man.

“A very long time, hundreds of years.”, replied Duke Garen.

“Why did you bring me back?”, asked the man.

”I have need of a highly competent general to command my troops in my upcoming war with Lord British.”, replied Duke Garen, “Would you be interested in the job?”

“Yes, very much so. I must pay back my “old friend” for killing me in that magic duel!”, said the man, “Revenge shall be mine!”

“Excellent! Welcome back, Lord Blackstorm!”, said Duke Garen, with an evil grin on his face.

“No, Lord Blackstorm is dead!”, said the man, “From now on, call me Lord DarkStarr!”

(Music fades out.)

*************************************************************************************************

Sir Stile Teckel Presents
The Avatar Chronicles 1 – Return of the Avatar
Directed and Produced by Lord Baldrith
Writer and music supervisor Gabriel Nightshadow
Casting director and court Jester Time Lord
Assistant Casting Director and Director of Public Relations Amber Raine

Cast appearing in this episode:
Steven J Goldman as John
Thornrage as Robert
Asclepius as Henry, Morgan, Brian, Malgor the Mighty, Demon Lord Argax, Kuroseth and Lord DarkStarr
Joe Garrity as Gabriel Nightshadow
Elizabeth as Sarah
Dame Lori as Jessica
Lord Baldrith as Nystal and Mingo
Trenyc as the Tall Albino Man
Duke Greigor as Duke Garen
Chips36 as Marek
Indi Martin as Annese
Kami as Lareth
StaticGrazer as The Voice
Amber Raine as Amber Raine
Littlegeeklost as Fire Lotus
Sir Cabirus as Hans and Gunther

With Cipheruzmad as Lord British and Barak of the Old Gods

And starring Asclepius as the Great Storyweaver

Music Credits for this episode:
“Enchanted Festival” by Matthew Pablo at www.matthewpablo.com
“Ireland’s Coast (Game Edition – Live Players)” by Matthew Pablo at www.matthewpablo.com
“Heroism” By Edward J. Blakeley at www.opengameart.org
“Conquerors” by Alexandr Zhelanov at www.opengameart.org
“Tower of Great Lords” by Alexander Zhelanov at www.opengameart.org
“Dream Raid Full Version (Mock Up)” by Matthew Pablo at www.matthewpablo.com
“The King’s Crowning” by Telaron at www.opengameart.org
“ Radakan – Old Crypt” by Janne Hanhisuanto for Radakan at www.opengameart.org
“Covert Operations” by artisticdude at www.opengameart.org
“Winds of Stories” by HorrorPen at www.opengameart.org
“The Path Revealed” by Eliot Corley at www.opengameart.org
“Melvin and Waldorf” by Joe Reynolds – Professorlamp at www.jrtheories.webs.com
“Colossal Boss Battle Theme” by Matthew Pablo at www.matthewpablo.com

Stay tuned for the next and final episode in this enthralling saga!

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AVATAR CHRONICLES I : THE RETURN OF THE AVATAR

On one of the many parallel worlds in the multiverse…

Episode 2

(Insert “Beauty of Chaos” by grindhold and grindhold.de)
Chapter One: Enemies and Allies

Somewhere on the road between Kingsport and Owl’s Head

Five years ago…

It was a warm summer day, and about two dozen members of the Church of Chaos (twelve armed, twelve unarmed) were traveling by horseback from Kingsport to Owl’s Head.
“Be on the lookout, my sisters!”, said the lead rider, Sister Agnes, commander of the Shadow Guard, the military branch of the Church of Chaos, “I have received reports that Dark Elves may be nearby!”
Sister Amber Raine rode alongside Sister Agnes. As her second in command, she was well aware of the dangers they faced passing this close to the forest. Amber’s recently acquired pet wolf, whom she had named Mori Tura, trotted alongside her.
“Sister Agnes, are you sure we brought enough Shadow Guards with us?”, asked Amber.
“You worry too much, Sister Amber Raine!”, replied Sister Agnes, “We can easily handle a group of Dark Elves!”
Amber’s pet wolf, Mori Tura, suddenly came to a halt and started growling loudly. He stared in the direction of the woods.
“What’s wrong, boy?”, asked Amber, “Do you sense danger?”
Suddenly, Amber heard a familiar whizzing sound as an arrow struck Sister Agnes in the heart and she fell from her horse, dead! (Music fades out.)
(Insert “Dream Raid Full Version (Mock Up)” by Matthew Pablo at www.matthewpablo.com)
“Sister Beatrice, you and the rear guard help our unarmed sisters to seek cover!”, yelled Amber, “Everyone else engage the enemy!”
Amber was surprised to see five dozen Dark Elf archers, swordsmen, and mages, come charging out of the woods! Amber and her sisters dismounted and took up positions. Her archers took cover behind some nearby boulders and began firing poison-tipped arrows at the Dark Elf mages who were casting fireballs, while her mages began casting Chaos Bolts at the enemy. Sisters Amber, Melody, and Carlita rushed forward to engage the Dark Elves in hand to hand combat.
Amber used her twin swords to finish off two Dark Elf swordsmen who charged at her, but did not see a third Dark Elf swordsman sneaking up behind her. As he raised his sword and prepared to backstab her, Amber’s wolf leapt into the air, tackled him and ripped out his throat! Amber turned and nodded approvingly.
Sister Amber and her fellow Shadow Guard members put up a good fight, but there were just too many Dark Elves to deal with. One by one, Amber saw the others fall, until she and Sister Melody were the last two Shadow Guard members left standing to defend the nine surviving unarmed Sisters who were hiding behind some nearby boulders. All seemed lost…
Then Amber suddenly felt a sharp pain in her back as three Dark Elf poison-tipped arrows struck her. No problem, thought Amber, my enhanced healing factor should be able to handle this! But something felt wrong this time. Everything went black as she lost consciousness and fell to the ground… (Music fades out.)
(Insert “Flights of Fancy” by Eliot Corley)

When Amber regained consciousness, she found herself lying on a mat in a cave, clad only in her underwear and covered with a blanket. Apparently, someone had removed her armor and put some sort of salve on her wounds and bandaged her up. Her pet wolf, Mori Tura, sat beside her with a somber look on his face. Once he saw that she was conscious, he smiled and bent down to lick her face. Amber patted him on the head as she sat up.
“Ah, you’re finally awake! You were unconscious for about a day.”, said a white-bearded fellow clad in a white robe with black trim. The back of his robe was emblazoned with the image of a black hourglass.
“Thank you for saving me, kind sir! But what of my sisters?” said Amber.
“I’m afraid they were all slain by the Dark Elves.”, said the somber fellow, “You are fortunate that I happened to be riding by after the massacre. Your enhanced immune system couldn’t handle the heavy dose of Badophan poison you received. Badophan poison is extremely rare and is the only type of poison which is fatal to elves. It appears that you were specifically targeted, as I could find no trace of Badophan poison on the arrows which struck two of your fellow Elven sisters. My cure poison and healing spells did not seem to have any effect on you. You seem to have an extremely high natural resistance to magic. Thank heavens my late friend, Christopher Nightshadow, taught me a thing or two about herbal remedies long ago.”
“My sisters were all slain?”, whispered Amber Raine, as her eyes appeared to glaze over, “I have failed in my duty as a member of the Shadow Guard! I should join them in death!”
Amber reached for the dagger she had strapped to her leg, but the old man swatted her hand away with his wooden staff.
“Don’t throw your life away like that!”, admonished the old man, “You did the best you could under the circumstances. You were surprised and seriously outnumbered. There was nothing you could have done to change the outcome. What transpired was meant to be!”
“No, I can’t believe that! Our Lord Chaos would not want his most devoted followers to be slaughtered a bunch of foul creatures!”, exclaimed Amber.
The old man sighed.
“I have seen much during my 5,000 years of existence and can assure you that this was a fixed point in time. Your sisters’ fate was sealed the moment they embarked on this journey. Your destiny lies elsewhere!” said the old man.
“Who are you?” asked a wary Amber.
“My name is Nystal and I am here to help guide you to your proper path, Amber Raine!” replied a smiling Nystal, as his eyes began to glow. (Music fades out.)
*************************************************************************************************
(Insert “Liyan” by Elerya)
The Port City of Ardoris
5:00 PM, The Present…
“Keep moving!” barked Amber Raine to her prisoner as they emerged from the lunar rift outside the port city of Ardoris, located at the southeastern tip of Novia. The prisoner’s hands were bound behind his back with Darby style handcuffs. Her pet wolf, Mori Tura, trotted alongside.
(Music fades out.)
(Insert “From Tome to Tome” by Eliot Corley)
The charming and handsome bandit leader, Red Badger, flashed a grin, as he turned to Amber Raine, and said, “It’s not late for you to let me go! I’ll offer you triple whatever your employer is paying you. You know what they’ll do to me if you turn me over. How could you do that to a hero of the common people in good conscience?”
Amber snorted in disgust.
“A hero to the common people?” replied Amber, “I suppose you’re going to say that you’re like Robin Hood, robbing from the rich to give to the poor!”
“Why, of course!” said Red Badger.
“Don’t lie to me!” Amber angrily replied, “I know for a fact that only 10% of your ill-gotten gain goes back to the poor in the form of food or gold. The other 90% you keep for yourself!”
“I have expenses! I have many men to support!”
“Hogwash!”, retorted Amber, “You spend the bulk of the money on wine, women, property, and rare and precious forms of art and literature!”
“I admit I do have an appreciation for the finer things in life.”, said Red Badger, with a devilish grin, “Especially beautiful and strong women, such as yourself! Wouldn’t you like to be my girlfriend, Amber? I could shower you in diamonds and pearls and silk dresses…”
“Shut up!” said Amber, as she punched him in the jaw!
“Ow, that really hurt!” exclaimed Red Badger, as he rubbed his bruised jaw.
“I always honor my commitments! My word is my bond.”, said Amber, as she glared at Red Badger, “I’ll not be bought off with trinkets! Speak of this anymore and I will show you the meaning of real pain!”
Red Badger knew Amber was being serious, so he decided to keep his mouth shut.
(Music fades out.)
(Insert “Asian Duet” by elerya)
As they approached the giant stone archway which marked the entry point to Ardoris, the normally stoic Guard Bob suddenly smiled and waved to Amber.
“Good to see you again, Amber!”, said Guard Bob , “ You’ve been busy I see..”
“Yes, the Mayor will want to see this prisoner right away.”, replied Amber, “He’s the Red Badger!”
“The Red Badger?!”, exclaimed Guard Bob, “We’ve been trying to catch him for the last six months! I am very impressed.”
“Thank you, Bob.”, replied Amber, “Apprehending him wasn’t easy!”
“By the way, I get off in an hour. Mind if I buy you a drink then at The Bear Tavern?”, asked Guard Bob.
“I’ll have to take a rain check.” said Amber, apologetically, “After I drop off this fellow and collect my bounty, I have to get back to Brittany right away!”
“OK, next time then…” said Guard Bob, trying to hide his disappointment.
(Music fades out.)
(Insert “Asian String Suite” by BossLevelVGM)
Amber escorted the prisoner to the front gate of the Mayor’s luxurious mansion, which, like much of Ardoris, had an Asian theme to it. A magnificent white marble water fountain in the form of a globe held in the palm of an enormous hand stood in the front yard. She informed one of the two guards at the front gate who she was and the nature of her business. The guard rushed inside to inform the Mayor and Amber and her prisoner were soon ushered into the Mayor’s back office. The Mayor was seated behind his desk with his back to them, gazing out the window at his well-manicured zen garden. Two armed guards took up positions on either side of the door behind Amber and Red Badger.
“Well done, Amber, you’ve succeeded where my guards have failed!”, said Mayor Stile Teckel, as he turned around in his chair to face them, “So, you’re the notorious Red Badger who has been attacking my trade caravans? You’re a lot smaller than I expected.”
Red Badger started to speak,” Mayor Teckel…”, but the mayor cut him off with a gesture of his hand.
Turning to Amber, Mayor Teckel said, “As soon as I received your message, I sent men to the secret cave hideout which you described. They were able to apprehend a dozen of the Red Badger’s men and recover about half of the stolen loot.”
“Tell me where I can find the rest of your men and the loot and I promise you a swift and merciful death!”, said the Mayor, “Refuse, and I will have my men torture you until you provide us with the information and then you will be drawn and quartered at high noon in the city square!”
“Wait, that’s not necessary!”, said Red Badger, “I have even more valuable information to offer in exchange for my life!”
“What sort of information?”, asked a curious Mayor Teckel.
“It wasn’t by chance that I targeted your trade caravans, Mayor Teckel! I was acting under orders from my boss!”
“Your boss?’, asked Mayor Teckel, “..And who might that be?”
“Duke Garen!”, replied Red Badger.
“What? That’s utter nonsense!”, said Mayor Teckel, “Duke Garen has no quarrel with me and is a highly respected member of the Great Council. He would not be consorting with criminals such as you!”
“I know it’s hard to believe, but it’s true!”, said Red Badger, “Duke Garen is angry for losing the bid on the Nimada casino construction project to you! The potential revenue from the first casino to be constructed in New Britannia will be enormous!”
“Indeed it will be!”, replied Mayor Teckel, “I’ve already entered into negotiations with The Bear Tavern to provide food and beverage services for the new casino, which will be built here in Ardoris. Duke Garen did seem somewhat disappointed in losing that bid. Perhaps you are telling the truth…”
Mayor Teckel stroked his chin as he pondered the validity of Red Badger’s claim.
“I wouldn’t trust a thing this scoundrel says!”, said Amber, “He’s trying to stir up trouble and save his own skin!”
“You have a point, Amber.”, replied Mayor Teckel, “If Red Badger is lying, and I make a move against Duke Garen, that would be disastrous! I would not want someone as rich and powerful as Duke Garen as an enemy!”
“Amber, you doubt my sincerity?”, asked Red Badger, “Well here is a bit of information you might find interesting. Duke Garen has men searching for your old friend, Nystal!”
“Nystal? Why would Duke Garen be interested in Lord British’s former adviser?”, asked Amber.
“I don’t know why he’s interested in Nystal, but I do know that he has dispatched men to every city, town, and village in New Britannia.”, said Red Badger, ”Do you want physical proof? Reach into my vest pocket.”
Amber reached into Red Badger’s vest pocket and pulled out a folded up piece of parchment. Opening it up, she saw a wanted poster of Nystal which had been distributed to all of Duke Garen’s men. The wanted poster instructed his men to apprehend Nystal and bring him back to Duke Garen’s castle just outside Brittany for questioning. Amber showed Mayor Teckel the wanted poster and then folded it up and put it in one of her belt pouches.
“Well, it seems for once you were telling the truth, Red Badger!”, said Amber.
“Guards, take him away and throw him in my private dungeon. I will notify the Shogun Siranto and he will decide what to do with him!”, said Mayor Teckel.
“Hey…”, said Red Badger as the two guards dragged him away.
After they left, Mayor Teckel took a small pouch full of gold coins out of his desk drawer and handed it to Amber.
“Good work, Amber!”, said Mayor Teckel, “I suspect I will be in need of your services again soon!”
“Well you know how to reach me should the need arise!”, replied Amber, “What do you plan to do about Duke Garen? I know you’ve already tied up a significant portion of your assets in the Nimada project. Without sufficient supplies and materials, the project will fail and you will be ruined!”
“I will have to plan my next move carefully.”, said Mayor Teckel, “Duke Garen is not someone to be underestimated. I’ve spent too many years building my business empire to allow it to be brought down by that man. What are your plans, Amber?”
“I have to track down my old friend, Nystal, and warn him of the danger.”, replied Amber.
“Good luck to you!”, said Mayor Teckel, shaking Amber’s hand.
“You too, Mayor!”, said Amber.
Amber turned and left the room. . (Music fades out.)
(Insert “Innocence” by Eliot Corley)
Outside the Mayor’s mansion, Amber found Mori Tura patiently sitting by the front gate. As Amber approached, he got up and they began walking down the street. Suddenly, they spied three teenage boys picking on a young, ten year old girl.
“Please give me back my ball!”, asked the young girl.
“I don’t think so!”, said one of the boys, passing it to one of his friends. The second boy taunted the girl by holding the ball in front of him. As the girl reached for the ball, he suddenly pulled it back beyond her reach and then tossed the ball to a third friend.
The third boy held the ball out, just above the girl’s head. The little girl jumped up to get it, but the boy suddenly held it high above his head, beyond her reach! The little girl jumped up again, but to no avail. The three boys started laughing.
The little girl looked like she was about to cry, when Amber and Mori Tura walked up.
Amber glared at the boys and said, “Give the little girl her ball back!”
Mori Tura started growling.
The three boys suddenly looked very nervous. The third boy handed the ball back to the little girl.
“Now leave! And if I ever catch you bothering this little girl again, you will surely regret it!”, said Amber, as Mori Tura eyes suddenly turned bright red and he bared all of his sharp, pearly white teeth.
“Ah, it’s some sort of demon wolf!”, cried one of the boys. The three boys turned and ran away as fast as they could.
“Good boy!”, said Amber, patting Mori Tura on the head, as his eyes returned to normal and he smiled at the little girl.
The little girl walked up to Mori Tura and began petting him.
“Good wolf!”, she said, “Do you want to be friends?”
Mori Tura nodded.
Amber introduced herself to the little girl.
“Hi, my name is Amber, and this is my pet wolf, Mori Tura.”, said Amber.
“Thank you for helping me, Amber.”, said the little girl, “Those boys were really mean.”
“I don’t think you’ll ever have to worry about them bothering you again.”, replied Amber, “Right, Mori Tura?”
Mori Tura nodded.
“What’s your name?”, asked Amber.
“My name is Chariya.”, said the little girl.
“Chariya? I know someone with that name…”, said Amber. (Music fades out.)
(Insert “Maria’s Theme” by Janne Hanhisuanto)
Amber suddenly remembered that, right after she recovered from the Badophan poison five years ago, Nystal had introduced her to the holographic form of his wife, Chariya. This little girl looks exactly like her, Amber thought to herself. This can’t be a coincidence. I better let Nystal know about this when I find him.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Chariya.”, said Amber, shaking her hand, “Now I think it’s best if you run along home now. I’m sure your parents must be worried.”
“There you are, Chariya!”, shouted a blond-haired, blue-eyed, middle-aged man clad in a knight’s tunic, as he ran over to hug Chariya, “You had me so worried! Never wander off like that when your grandmother falls asleep on the sofa!”
‘But it is so nice and warm and I wanted to play outside with my ball!”, said Chariya, “Three older boys were really mean to me, but this nice lady and her pet wolf scared them away!”
“Thank you for coming to my daughter’s aid!”, said the knight, as he shook Amber’s hand, “I am Sir Charles Campbell, Knight Commander in Lord British’s Royal Army. Ever since my wife, Helen, passed away three years ago, it’s been rather hard keeping an eye on Chariya. My mother is getting very old and I had just sent our servant Niles to the market to fetch some lamb for Chef Robert to prepare some nice lamb stew for dinner. I was tending to our garden out back and didn’t even notice that Chariya had wandered outside.”
“Well, no harm done.”, replied Amber, “But you have to do be more careful, Chariya! Mori Tura and I may not be around the next time you get in trouble. Do you understand?”
“Yes, Amber.”, said Chariya, as she nodded her head, “You and Mori Tura must be hungry. Would you like to join us for dinner?”
“I don’t want to impose…”, said Amber.
“Nonsense, it’s the least I can do!”, replied Sir Charles Campbell, “I won’t take no for an answer!”
“What do you think, Mori Tura?”, asked Amber, turning to her pet wolf, “Should we join Chariya and her father for dinner?”
Mori Tura thought to himself – I really wish I could speak. I hate being trapped in this wolf form. His mind drifted back to the past… (Music fades out.)
******************************************************************************************************
(Insert “Soliloquy” by Matthew Pablo at www.matthewpablo.com)
Five and a half years ago…
Castle New Britannia
Samuel was hard at work in his studio in Castle New Britannia completing the painting his liege, Lord British, had commissioned of his lovely wife, Lady Arabella. As he moved his enchanted paintbrush (said to be once owned by the great Italian artist, Caravaggio, an influential figure of the Baroque period) across the canvas, images suddenly appeared, despite the fact that he was not using any paint at all! A few more touches and it was complete. Samuel gazed at the painting. He knew that his liege would be very pleased with it.
Setting down his enchanted paintbrush, he got up and examined the other paintings he had recently completed for his liege, which were leaning against a nearby wall. One was a rather peaceful painting of a warm spring day in the Valley of Fallen Heroes. Taking a closer look at the background, he noticed two odd things which he hadn’t been aware of before. First, that single white dove flying overhead – was it his imagination or was its eye actually glowing? And where did that smiling, purple llama standing atop a nearby hill suddenly come from? Strange indeed… Samuel moved on to the second painting, which depicted Castle New Britannia as it would be viewed from someone standing near the front gate. He suddenly noticed that there appeared to be a light on in one of the upper tower rooms and a figure standing in front of the window. Who was that? Samuel peered closer…he couldn’t make out the person’s face – just, a shadowy, hooded figure pointing a finger – directly at him! This was getting to be too eerie…Samuel moved on to the third and final painting, which was a head shot of a black wolf staring right at the viewer. There was something odd about the eyes. When viewed one way, the eyes appeared yellow, but when viewed from another angle, they appeared to be red!
Since being appointed by Lord British to the position of Royal Artist, Samuel was afforded the privilege of keeping some of his own artwork to decorate his own quarters or to sell as he saw fit. Now it was time to paint something for himself. Samuel picked up a blank canvas and placed it on his second easel. Picking up his enchanted paintbrush, he let his imagination run wild as an image slowly started to form on the blank canvas. When he was done, he gasped. Before him was the face of the most beautiful, red-headed elf he had ever seen! There was a sad look in her eyes, though, that hinted at some hidden pain.
Samuel was suddenly interrupted by the sound of a rather familiar, annoying voice.
“Greetings, Samuel! How are you doing on this fine spring day?”, said Duke Garen, as he entered the studio.
“Just fine, Duke Garen.”, replied Samuel, as he forced himself to smile, “What brings you here today?”
“I was visiting Lord British to discuss some court business. I’m here to offer you a business proposal.”, said a smiling Duke Garen.
“What sort of business proposal?”, asked Samuel.
“I have always been a big fan of your artwork, Samuel. I will pay you double whatever Lord British is currently paying you, along with food and lodging, if you come and work for me instead.”, replied Duke Garen.
“Thank you for the generous offer, Duke Garen, but I must decline.”, said Samuel, “I am quite happy working for Lord British.”
“You are refusing my offer?!”, yelled Duke Garen, “How dare you…”
“I think you should reconsider, or you will surely regret it…”, hissed Duke Garen.
“I don’t take too kindly to threats, Duke Garen.”, replied Samuel, “Furthermore, I don’t think that Lord British would tolerate this sort of behavior either. I…” (Music fades out.)
(Insert “Dark Amulet” by Matthew Pablo)
Suddenly, Samuel found that he could neither move nor speak!
A hooded figure appeared in the doorway and was pointing his finger at Samuel, just like in the painting! The figure pulled down his hood to reveal a Tall Albino Man with red glowing eyes!
“I always get what I want! If I can’t have you, then I will make sure that no one else will either!”, hissed Duke Garen.
Glancing over at the painting of the wolf, Duke Garen suddenly had a wicked smile on his face.
“So you like wolves, Samuel?”, said Duke Garen, “Very well then. A wolf you shall be!”
Duke Garen started casting a spell and Samuel felt himself changing…
A few moments later, he glanced over into the dressing room mirror behind Duke Garen and saw that he was now a black wolf identical to the one in the painting!
“That will teach you for defying me!”, cackled Duke Garen. He nodded to the Tall Albino Man.
The Tall Albino Man smiled and extended his arm, pointing towards the door. In his mind, Samuel could feel, rather than hear, the command “Run away little wolf – far far away!”
Samuel was suddenly no longer paralyzed and was compelled to run out of the studio as fast as his legs could take him. He ran out of the castle, through the streets of Brittany, and into the nearby forest.
After about an hour, he was finally free of the Tall Albino Man’s influence and was able to stop. He was totally exhausted and panting. Samuel looked around. He was deep in the forest and completely lost. Suddenly, he heard the sound of growling behind him. He turned around to find himself facing a giant brown bear! The bear swatted him aside with one of his sharp claws. Samuel landed on his back nearby. He felt the sharp pain from the deep claw marks in his chest and saw the rapidly expanding pool of blood forming on his black fur. The growling bear was rapidly approaching, but Samuel didn’t even have enough strength left to right himself. What a terrible way to die, Samuel thought.
Suddenly, the bear was struck in the chest by three throwing knives and a figure in black suddenly jumped in front of him and finished the bear off with a pair of swords! Everything faded to black as Samuel lost consciousness. (Music fades out.)
(Insert “Path to Lake Land” by Alexandr Zhelanov)
Several hours later, as Samuel slowly regained consciousness and opened his eyes, he realized that his head was lying in someone’s lap. His mysterious savior had apparently bandaged his wounds and was petting him on the head. Stephen looked up and found himself staring into the face of the beautiful, red-headed female elf whom he had painted earlier that day!
“Are you feeling better, boy?”, she asked, in a very soothing voice.
The elf identified herself as Amber Raine, and, turning to Sister Agnes, asked if she could keep the wolf as her own. Sister Agnes initially refused, as pets were forbidden in the church, but Amber was insistent, pointing out that the wolf would surely die if they left him in the wilderness. Seeing Amber’s devotion, and obvious love for the wolf, Sister Agnes interceded with the High Priestess, and Amber was allowed to keep him, on condition that she became totally responsible for his upkeep.
Thank you, Sister Agnes!’, replied a joyful Sister Amber Raine. “I think I will name him Mori Tura!”,
Amber Raine turned to her new pet wolf and said, “Hi, Mori Tura! My name is Amber Raine. I think we’re going to be really good friends!”
Samuel looked up into Amber’s eyes. He had always been popular with the ladies of the court because of his incredible good looks and his position as Royal Artist, but he had never found anyone he wanted to spend the rest of his life with – until now. He found it rather ironic that now that he had found his one true love, he was cursed to be in this wolf form. But, at that very moment, Samuel knew that he would never leave Amber’s side. He hoped that one day he would find a way to break this curse and give her all the love she deserved. Right after he ripped out the throats of that damn Duke Garen and Tall Albino Man!
******************************************************************************************************
Back in the present, Mori Tura nodded.
“Well, it’s settled then!”, said Amber, “Mori Tura and I would be happy to join you and Chariya for dinner!”
“Excellent!”, said Sir Charles Campbell, taking hold of Chariya’s right hand., “My home is just down the street.”
Amber and Mori Tura followed the two of them to Sir Charles Campbell’s Founder Knight home near the stone wall marking the edge of the inner city. As they entered the home, Chariya smiled. Amber is such a nice lady, she thought to herself. Perhaps father will like her and she will become my new mommy. (Music fades out.)
******************************************************************************************************
The Magasa Forest
5:00 PM, The Present…
(Insert “Battle Theme A” by cynicmusic at www.cynicmusic.com and www.pixelsphere.org)
Theodric had decided to scout ahead of Nystal when suddenly he heard the sounds of men shouting and strange humming and clanking noises. He heard a man shout, ”Hurry, I think he fled this way!”

Soon, Theodric found himself facing fifteen Oracle flies, spiders, and Obsidian soldiers!

“You there!”, yelled one of the soldiers, “Did you see a ranger come this way?”

“No, sir!”, replied Theodric.

This didn’t make any sense at all, Theodric thought to himself. Why would there be some of the Oracle’s droids running around here and allied with her bitter enemies, the Obsidians?

“I see.” , replied the soldier, “Seize that man! We will take him back to the Temple for conversion. He will make a fine addition to our army! All hail the Oracle!”

Two of the other soldiers stepped forward, but Theodric grabbed hold of his long staff and began spinning it around.

Suddenly, one of the soldiers fell back dead, an arrow sticking out of his chest!

“That arrow came from up there!”, shouted the other soldier, pointing to some nearby trees, ”I…” He never got to finish his sentence as he, too, was cut down by another arrow!

One of the Oracle flies fired a laser beam at one of the trees. Theodric heard someone grunt in pain, and a figure fell from one of the nearby trees. The figure quickly rolled on the ground to extinguish the flames coming from his left shoulder and quickly came up on one knee and fired another arrow at the Oracle fly. The Oracle fly exploded into tiny pieces.

“Attack!”, yelled the enemy commander. The remaining soldiers, spiders, and flies surged forward.

A massive Obsidian soldier charged at Theodric. “Those who do not serve the Oracle shall die!”, he yelled, as he swung his sword at Theodric’s head. Theodric easily dodged the attack and knocked him to the ground with a legsweep. He knocked him unconscious with his staff before he had a chance to recover.

The ranger fired three more arrows in rapid succession at their foes, taking out an Oracle fly, an Oracle spider, and an Obsidian soldier. I’ve never seen an archer move that fast before, Theodric thought to himself, as he smashed an Oracle spider into a tree with his long staff.

Thanks to his enhanced sense of hearing, which he had developed during the years he spent immersing himself in the martial arts at the monastery, Theodric heard a humming sound coming from some distance behind him. He quickly turned around and saw an Oracle fly which had flown behind the ranger undetected.

“Look out, behind you!” , yelled Theodric, as he quickly grabbed one of his hunting knives and hurled it at the Oracle fly.

The Oracle fly was impaled against a tree! The ranger nodded to Theodric, then dropped his bow (for he had run out of arrows) and drew his long sword. The two of them stood back to back and quickly dealt with the remaining foes who had surrounded them.

After the last foe had fallen, the ranger shook Theodric’s hand and introduced himself.

“Thanks for the help. I’m Carlin, the Druid Archer.” , said the ranger.

“I’m Theodric. Glad to be of assistance.”, replied Theodric, “Why were those soldiers and droids pursuing you?”

“That was one of the Oracle’s hunting parties which I happened to stumble across.”, replied Carlin, “Although the Dragon Lords helped Lord British and the Avatar defeat the Oracle long ago, some of her droids and neurologically implanted human soldiers still exist and continue to follow their prime directive: seek out humans to convert into Oracle followers. There must be an Oracle temple nearby because I know that the droids have a limited range. You know, I wouldn’t be surprised if remnants of the Obsidian Eye’s forces still exist today as well.”

Meanwhile, a short distance away, Nystal suddenly cried out in pain.

“What’s wrong, my love?”, asked Chariya, as Nystal began clutching his head with both his hands.

“The pain! My head feels like it’s on fire!”, screamed Nystal. (Music fades out.)
*****************************************************************************************************
(Insert “Invasion” by Eliot Corley)
Nystal suddenly found himself on the astral plane and facing Vastra, who was clad in sexy, green silk lingerie.
“Hello, Nystal. Miss me?”, said Vastra, with an evil grin on her face.
How dare you mentally attack me, you witch!”, roared Nystal.
“Now is that any way to talk to your ex-fiancee?”, replied Vastra, feigning a look of disappointment.
“I won’t fall for your tricks, Vastra!”, said Nystal, “It’s a good thing I figured out before our wedding 2,000 years ago what a lying, scheming witch you truly are! I was a well respected scholar, but that wasn’t enough for you, was it? First you tried to seduce my best friend, Gabriel, and then I caught you in bed with First Consul Lucius Cornelius Cinna on the eve of our wedding! You were just using me as a means to obtain wealth and power!”
“Of course, my dear!”, answered Vastra, “That is what matters most in life!”
“What are you doing in New Britannia anyway?”, asked Nystal, “I have no doubt that you have enchanted some poor noble with your feminine charms!”
“I am here on behalf on my master, Lord Chaos, to give you a warning.”, said Vastra, “ Abandon your quest to find the new Avatar! Let Lord Shadowreign conquer New Britannia and dispose of his brother, Lord British. I understand that, after 200 years, you still have been unable to create a new body for your wife, Chariya. While I don’t know why you would settle for someone who is far less beautiful than I, if you join us, my master will see to it that your wish will be granted!”
Nystal was tempted by Vastra’s offer, but said, “I will never serve Chaos!” “Get out of my sight Vastra, before I do something I regret!” Nystal’s eyes started glowing.
“Don’t say I didn’t want you Nystal”, said Vastra. “You will regret opposing us!”
Vastra’s eyes started glowing, and then another shadowy cloaked figure suddenly appeared beside her. Nystal couldn’t make out his face, but saw his eyes glowed bright red.
The force of their combined mental attack was too much for Nystal.
In the physical world, Nystal lost consciousness and fell to the ground.
(Music fades out.)
*****************************************************************************************************
(Insert “Medieval” by Miguel Herrero)
Meanwhile, Theodric and Carlin heard some disturbingly familiar sounds. They turned around and found themselves facing another thirty Oracle flies, spiders, and Obsidian soldiers! These Oracle flies and spiders seemed much larger, were jet black in color, and sported razor sharp adamantium mandibles. The Oracle spiders had spider web cannons mounted on their backs.
Carlin muttered, “Damn Oracle droids…”

*****************************************************************************************************
“HEY! WAKE UP!”, Chariya shouted.
“What?”, said a groggy Nystal, as he regained consciousness , “What happened?”
“You suddenly got dizzy and passed out!”, replied Chariya, “Hurry, you must help Theodric and Carlin before they are captured or killed by the Oracle’s hunting party!”
“No! I will observe and advise, but I will never get directly involved in a conflict ever again!”, said Nystal.
“But if you don’t intervene they will die, or even worse be converted into mindless Oracle drones, like those captured Obsidian soldiers were!”, said Chariya.
“I…can’t…”, said Nystal.
“Why not?’, asked Chariya.
“Because the last time I did…you DIED!”, sobbed Nystal, tears rolling down his cheeks.
Chariya’s holographic form suddenly appeared alongside Nystal and stroked his cheek.
“Oh, my darling, even after all of those years, you still haven’t forgiven yourself for my death, have you?”, said Chariya.
“No, I guess I haven’t . And despite mastering all of the schools of magic over the past 200 years, I still have been unable to create you a new, immortal body! In another 300 years, the cube’s power source will be depleted! ” said Nystal, choking back the tears,
“I know how hard you’ve tried, dear.”, said Chariya, putting her hand on his shoulder, “But even if you fail, 500 years is far longer than the little time we would have had together if I still had my mortal form. Remember that I feel in love with you because you are a good and kind-hearted person, always helping those in need, and striving to do what is right.”
Chariya leaned over and kissed Nystal on the cheek. The spark of energy tingled.
“You’re right, my dear, it is time for me to take action!” said Nystal, as his eyes began to glow.
****************************************************************************************************
Despite taking down fifteen of their foes, Theodric and Carlin were now completely surrounded.
“Surrender and you will be spared!,” said the enemy commander.
Carlin spat blood in the enemy commander’s face.
“I would rather die than become a mindless servant of the Oracle!”, shouted Carlin, as he assumed a battle stance with his bloody long sword.
“Very well then, I will grant you your wish,”, replied the enemy commander, “Kill the unbelievers!” (Music fades out.)
(Insert “Almost Out” by HorrorPen)
But before anyone could react, four of the Oracle spiders and four of the Oracle flies were hit by Nystal’s Chain Lightning! Nystal then cast Gust, causing one soldier to smash into a tree. Theodric heard the soldier’s bones break, as he fell to the ground dead. A Stone Fist caught another soldier in the chest, causing him to cough up blood and drop dead.
Two soldiers charged at Nystal with swords drawn from opposite directions. He disarmed them both, and then grabbed both of them by the throat and smashed their skulls together. After dropping their dead bodies, another soldier wielding a battle axe charged straight at Nystal. Nystal dodged his attack and then punched a hole straight through his chest! The stunned soldier looked down at the gaping wound and fell to the ground dead. Nystal hit another soldier in the face with his Flame Fist, decapitating him in the process, and sending the soldier’s flaming head flying! It struck another soldier right in the face, killing him as well!
A few minutes later, he heard Chariya say, “That’s enough, dear. They’ll all dead now.”
Nystal’s eyes stopped glowing and he surveyed the carnage. He had single-handedly wiped out half of the Oracle’s hunting party! Theodric and Carlin stood in awe.
“Thank you for coming to our aid, master!”, said Theodric, “I did not realize how truly powerful you were until now!”
“Good to see you again, old friend!”, said Carlin, shaking Nystal’s hand.
“Carlin, I know you have been busy tracking down that Dark Elf archer, Elirebin Shademaster, but I really need your help.”, said Time Lord, “ Theodric and I are on our way to meet the new Avatar. The fate of New Britannia rests in our hands.”
“Of course, I will help you, Nystal.”, replied Carlin, “I’ve waited many years to avenge the murder of my adoptive parents, but I can be patient a little longer. And how is my Elvish sister, Lanthirthel, progressing in her magical studies?”
“Lord Baldrith tells me that she has mastered Fire Magic and is starting to learn Water Magic.”, replied Nystal, “You really should pay her a visit sometime soon.”
‘No, I don’t want to distract her from her studies…”, said Carlin, “…and her location must continue to remain a secret. Her life remains in danger as long as Elirebin remains free.”
“I know.”, replied Nystal, “Perhaps it is best that you keep your distance from her until Elirebin has been found and dealt with.” (Music fades out.)
******************************************************************************************************
(Insert “Red Curtain” by HorrorPen)
Meanwhile, back at the warehouse in Jerahl, Vastra handed drawings of Nystal, Theodric, and Carlin to her young lover, Marius, leader of the Homeguard.
“Make sure that all of our people know that these men are to be taken alive. They have information vital to our cause and must be brought here to headquarters for interrogation!”, said Vastra.
“Of course, my dear!”, replied Marius.
Vastra grabbed Marius and pulled him in close and gave him a passionate kiss.
“I will see you in two weeks.”, said Vastra, in a sexy voice as she whispered in his ear, “I must hurry back to the castle now!”
“I will be counting the days until we are together again!”, said Marius, before departing.
After Marius left, a black cloaked figure emerged from behind a curtain.
The cloaked figure removed his hood, revealing his identity.
“The love struck fool has no idea what’s really going on, does he?”, asked the Tall Albino Man.
“No, he doesn’t.”, replied Vastra, with a smirk on her face, ” I’m always amazed at how easily men are distracted by a beautiful face and body.”
“Indeed, dear sister, no man has ever been able to resist you, except that old fool, Nystal!”, said the Tall Albino Man.
“Yes, I will make sure that he suffers greatly for rejecting me!”, said an angry Vastra, “After he has been both physically and mentally tortured, I will crush that Radozan mind cube with my bare hands in front of Nystal’s eyes and then I will rip his beating heart out of his chest and show it to him as he dies!”
“Well, dear sister, I guess I better make sure never to get on your bad side…”, said the Tall Albino Man.
“Don’t worry, big brother, you know how much I love you!”, said Vastra, as she gave him a big hug, “You’re the only family I have left!”
“Remember, I will always be here for you, little sister!”, replied the Tall Albino Man, as he lovingly stroked Vastra’s hair and deeply inhaled her lavender perfume. She smelled so good, the Tall Albino Man thought to himself. (Music fades out.)

Sir Stile Teckel Presents
The Avatar Chronicle 1 – Return of the Avatar
Directed and Produced by Lord Baldrith
Writer and music supervisor Gabriel Nightshadow
Casting director and court Jester Time Lord
Assistant Casting Director and Director of Public Relations Amber Raine

Cast appearing in this episode:
Amber Raine as Amber Raine and Chariya
Kami as Sister Agnes
Lord Baldrith as Nystal
Asclepius as Red Badger
David Peters as Guard Bob
Sir Stile Teckel as the Mayor of Ardoris
Chips36 as teenage boy
Lacr0bat as Sir Charles Campbell and enemy soldier
Duke Greigor as Duke Garen
Sarg as Marius
Avatar Acid as Theodric
Bryan D Taylor as Enemy Commander
Carlin Archer as Carlin
Majoria70 as Vastra
Trenyc as the Tall Albino Man

And starring Asclepius as the Great Storyweaver

Music Credits for this episode:
“Beauty of Chaos” by grindhold and grindhold.de at www.opengameart.org
“Dream Raid Full Version (Mock Up)” by Matthew Pablo at www.matthewpablo.com
“Flights of Fancy” by Eliot Corley at www.opengameart.org
“Liyan” by Elerya at www.opengameart.org
“From Tome to Tome” by Eliot Corley at www.opengameart.org
“Asian Duet” by elerya at www.opengameart.org
“Asian String Suite” by BossLevelVGM at www.opengameart.org
“Innocence” by Eliot Corley at www.opengameart.org
“Maria’s Theme” by Janne Hanhisuanto at www.opengameart.org
“Soliloquy” by Matthew Pablo at www.matthewpablo.com

“Dark Amulet” by Matthew Pablo at www.matthewpablo.com
“Path to Lake Land” by Alexandr Zhelanov at www.opengameart.org
“Battle Theme A” by cynicmusic at www.cynicmusic.com
“Invasion” by Eliot Corley at www.opengameart.org
“Medieval” by Miguel Herrero at www.jamendo.com
“Almost Out” by HorrorPen at www.opengameart.org
“Red Curtain” by HorrorPen at www.opengameart.org

Stay tuned for the next episode in this enthralling saga!