When I saw today's prompt, the first thing to enter my head was the running career I dreamt of as a teenager. I used to be a sprinter, and a pretty fast one too, but fate intervened and scrunched my dreams like a sheet of waste paper. But a new notion popped into the grey matter – something a little different – and I decided to explore that instead. I hope you like it.
Hearing a noise, she whirled around. Her eyes peered through the gloom and saw a dark-clothed figure bearing down on her. A scream exploded from her lips as she turned and ran for her life.
Pumping her legs ever harder, willing her feet to greater speed, she shot along the never-ending corridor, desperate to escape an uncertain fate.
She felt the icy breath like tentacles on her neck and sobbed as she realised she couldn't evade it. Seemed like she'd run from it her entire life.
Opening her eyes, she resolutely decided – no more running from the demons of her past.
This entry was posted in #BlogFlash2013 and tagged #BlogFlash2013, demons, fate, running, sprinter by Carlie M A Cullen. Bookmark the permalink.
I have been following yours and Donna's flashes. Just wanted to let you know how much I enjoy them.. Thanks.
Thank you, Sherry. I'm glad you're enjoying them – I'm loving Donna's too!
Wow!! Very powerful. Love it!!
This is great! Love the mood, the pace.
I'm glad you enjoyed it, Mervi, and thank you!
Very well-paced and exhilarating snippet!
Definitely can identify with the character here! Great job!
So can I, Amanda. Thank you for your kind comment.
Fantastic work here, Carlie. Very well done.
Thank you very much, David. I'm glad you enjoyed it.
This is wonderful, Carlie! A very powerful twist at the end!


Poorly defined job descriptions and a lack of proper evaluation of the physical components of a job can lead to inefficiency and injury. A physical demands analysis (PDA) is a systematic process that evaluates the physical and environmental demands of essential and non-essential job tasks. The benefit of having a PDA performed is to determine compatibility between a worker and a specific job.
Our Kinesiologist will objectively evaluate the environmental conditions, use of machines and equipment, tools, and physical demands of each work task to clearly define the job. With a oundation now in place, a complete ergonomic analysis of the job to determine potential risk factors for injury is completed. Our Kinesiologist can provide recommendations for improvements that will reduce the risk of injury to workers.
Employers who require a physical demands analysis to be completed.


Rooter will be the official fan engagement partner for Delhi Dynamos, the two-time ISL semifinalists. It is Rooter's second with an ISL club.
With the fourth edition of the Indian Super League (ISL) round the corner, Rooter, a sports fan engagement platform, has joined hands with Delhi Dynamos to expand the team's fan base in North India.
Rooter will be the official fan engagement partner for Delhi Dynamos, the two-time ISL semifinalists. It is Rooter's second with an ISL club.
One of the most exciting teams in the ISL, Delhi Dynamos has seen iconic international players such as Florent Malouda, Bruno Pelissari, Toni Doblas, Gustavo Dos Santos, and the legendary Alessandro Del Piero don its colors.
As its fan engagement partner, Rooter will be reaching out to the Dynamos fans through unique and interactive fan engagement opportunities, giving them even more reasons to cheer.
Being a multi-sport platform, it will also aim to convert fans following other sports into Delhi Dynamos followers specifically and football generally, as well as to augment club revenues by promoting sponsorships.
Commenting on the association, Piyush, Founder and CEO, Rooter said, "Through our association with Delhi Dynamos, we are looking forward to expanding and strengthening the bond between the club and its fans through innovative in-app features such as live match prediction, quizzes, trivia, contests and expert insights.


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Blu-ray: Skip It
Sale Price 11.99
3rd Party 6.71
Release Date: March 9th, 2010
Old Dogs (Combo Pack)
Review Date March 4th, 2010 by Aaron Peck
Overview - Two best friends—one unlucky-in-love divorcé (Robin Williams) and the other a fun-loving bachelor (John Travolta)—have their lives turned upside down when they're unexpectedly charged with the care of six-year-old twins while on the verge of the biggest business deal of their lives. The not-so-kidsavvy bachelors stumble in their efforts to take care of the twins (newcomers Ella Bleu Travolta and Conner Rayburn), leading to one debacle after another, and perhaps to a new-found understanding of what's really important in life.
Skip It
Technical Specs: BD-50 Blu-ray Disc
DVD/Digital Copy Combo Pack
Video Resolution/Codec: 1080p/MPEG-4 AVC
English Descriptive Audio: English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1
Spanish (Mexico): Dolby Digital 5.1
French: Dolby Digital 5.1
Subtitles/Captions: English,
English SDH
Special Features: Audio commentary by director Walt Becker, producer Andrew Panay, and writers David Diamond and David Weissman
Movie Studio: Disney/Buena Vista
Oh man, where to start. I knew going into 'Old Dogs' it was going to be bad, but this bad? I had no idea it could be this bad. Like watching a train wreck, 'Old Dogs' derails in the first fifteen minutes and crashes head on into terrible jokes, stupid sight gags, and preposterous, sappy situation humor.
Employing the acting chops of seasoned comedic actors like Robin Williams, John Travolta, and Seth Green, 'Old Dogs' manages to play dead when it comes to genuinely funny things happening. From the very beginning, where we pan over ridiculously Photoshopped pictures of Travolta and Williams hanging out throughout their formative years, to the ending -- which involves a jet-pack and a pack of angry penguins -- 'Old Dogs' doesn't manage one sincere, authentic, or amusing moment.
Charlie (Travolta) and Dan (Williams) have been lifelong friends. When they grew up they founded a sports marketing company. Now they're rich, still best buds, and have trouble realizing that they're considered old. During one of Charlie's patented sales stories, we find out that Dan once got married during a drunken fest of debauchery (PG debauchery), in South Beach, Miami. He got it annulled a few hours later, no harm done right? Wrong. Dan's got kids and they've got to stay with him, because their mom (the woman Dan was married to for just a few hours) is going to jail for two weeks for trespassing…
Nevermind, there's no point in really going over all of that. Charlie and Dan have to watch the kids for two weeks, that's the gist. Got it? Good. Wacky hijinks ensue as Charlie and Dan find themselves battling mid-life crises while taking care of the kids, all while trying to secure the biggest business deal of their lives.
Throughout the movie I couldn't help but wonder what this movie, with the same actors, and the same overall plot would have been like if it were directed by someone like Judd Apatow. He could have made this work, and it probably would have been pretty damn funny. 'Old Dogs' is instead helmed by director Walt Becker of 'Wild Hogs' fame. Becker is in love with cringe-worthy gags, like when Charlie and Dan get their medicines mixed up and have to deal with the side effects. In a heavy-handed foreshadowing scene Charlie and Dan discuss their pills, the side effects, and how each one of them is worst than the last. When the meds are mixed up by the kids and put into the wrong containers, Charlie ends up suffering from facial paralysis, while Dan suffers from severe loss of depth perception. This all begs the question that if these meds were taken by the right person, would that person suffer the same bizarrely stupid side effects? Becker uses CG animation to give Charlie a Joker-like smile. Yup, so funny. Har, har, har.
It's just one gag after another, each time pushing more and more towards the realm of the sitcom laugh track. Williams and Travolta ham their roles up so much they're nigh unwatchable. You know when you're out walking your dog, and when it goes number two you've got to do bend over and pick it up with a little plastic baggy? Watching 'Old Dogs' feels a bit like that, but the stink is worse.
BD-50 Blu-ray Disc
1080p/MPEG-4 AVC
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
Audio commentary by director Walt Becker, producer Andrew Panay, and writers David Diamond and David Weissman
'Old Dogs' does have a little redeeming value when it comes to the video presentation. Presented in 1080p with an AVC-encode Disney's high-def transfer looks polished and well done. The biggest problem with the presentation is the overall orange-ish skin tones that constantly plague the actors. For the most part everyone looks like they've had a spray on tan at one time or another. Everything else looks pretty decent however. Colors are nicely rendered, even though outside whites tend to be a little blown out. Fine detail is top-notch although tinier patterns like on one of Dan's suits and the fine detail of Charlie's bathroom wall are hotbeds for aliasing. Some noise specks also crop up, which is a shame, especially for a film that just came out in theaters last year. When all is said and done, this is a decent looking transfer, but it isn't anything that warrants a purchase.
Disney's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 audio presentation is nicely rendered and balanced. Some of the sound effects however, particularly the groans and growls from the gorilla, can overpower everything else in the sound field. Dialogue is nice and clear, and the soundtrack is given ample room to shine as it bleeds into the surround channels for an encompassing feel. Ambient noise in restaurants, at campouts, and during an Ultimate Frisbee game are nicely done and create an enveloping listening atmosphere. LFE is plentiful here, but at times it can be overwhelming. Directionality of voices and pans are adequately placed, but at times sound fairly artificial. Like the video presentation, 'Old Dogs' audio presentation is commendable, but again isn't enough of a reason to even think about watching this film.
I think this could be the first instance in my time at High-Def Digest where I've considered giving a Blu-ray a better score because there are so few features. When you dislike a movie this much, there's nothing worse than spending more of your time watching the features.
Audio Commentary - I'm going to be completely honest with the HDD readers here. I did not…scratch that could not, bring myself to watching this entire movie again with the audio commentary on. Instead I spot checked it. I know it's evil and something that shouldn't be done by a reviewer, but I couldn't bear watching the entire movie again this time accompanied by a lifeless commentary from Becker, writer David Diamond, writer David Weissman, and producer Andrew Panay. After checking a few minutes of the beginning about ten minutes in the middle and a few minutes at the end I realized that the commentary provided by these guys isn't anything worth listening to. Instead of treating this movie like the dog it is, they seriously talk about how good they think it is, how wonderful it was working with Travolta and Williams. It's just as lame as the movie, let's move on.
Deleted Scenes (HD, 4 min) - Two deleted scenes and an alternate ending are included. Think about how bad something would have to be to actually get cut from this movie, then think if you want to waste four minutes of your life watching what actually did get cut from this movie. I rest my case.
Blooper Reel (HD, 3 min) - The bloopers contain one or two laughs, which is one or two laughs more than the film itself. I was really wanting Williams to bust out a couple of F-words after line flubs. Alas.
Stay away from this movie. Stay far, far away. Don't even go near it. Just pretend there's a sign on it saying "Beware Old Dogs." What a waste of a good 90 minutes. You'll never get it back, I'm warning you. Even the decent video and audio aren't worth the agony. You've been warned.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Judge Recommends State Not Uphold Donlin Mine Water Certificate
KYUK | By Anna Rose MacArthur
Published April 13, 2021 at 6:30 PM AKDT
On April 12, an Administrative Law judge issued a recommendation that the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation not uphold a water certificate issued to the Donlin Gold mine.
The Alaska Commissioner of Environmental Conservation will make the final decision on the matter.
The state initially issued what's called a "certificate of reasonable assurance" to Donlin in August 2018. It said that the state had reasonable assurance that Donlin's operations would comply with state water standards. It's attached to one of the biggest state permits Donlin needs before it can begin constructing and operating its gold mine. Donlin Gold needs more than 100 permits for its operations.
The Orutsararmiut Native Council challenged that certificate, contending that the state cannot have "reasonable assurance" that the mine won't violate these standards. Specifically, the tribe said that the state cannot guarantee that the mining operations will maintain Alaska's environmental standards for mercury levels, water temperature, and fish habitat.
Administrative Law Judge Kent Sullivan agreed. "Salmon and salmon habitat in a large segment of Crooked Creek will be significantly and detrimentally impacted by the project," Sullivan wrote in his proposed decision.
The three parties involved in the case, Orutsararmiut Native Council, Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation, and Donlin Gold, have until May 5 to respond to the judge's recommendation.
Correction: The first reference to the judge in the story has been corrected to say "Administrative Law judge." A previous version of this story incorrectly labeled the judge as a "state judge."
Anna Rose MacArthur is the KYUK News Director. She has worked at KYUK since 2015 and previously worked at KNOM in Nome, Alaska.
See stories by Anna Rose MacArthur
Public Hearing In Aniak On Donlin Gold's Water And Waste Management Permits
State regulators are meeting in Aniak this evening to discuss the proposed terms of a permit for the Donlin Gold project's water and waste management…
Deadline For Donlin Water Quality Permit Is Approaching
A deadline is quickly approaching for an important state water quality permit that the proposed Donlin gold mine needs to begin operations. The mine would…
Donlin Gold Gets State Water Quality Permit
The proposed Donlin gold mine has nabbed another key state permit. The Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation issued the state water quality…


text:
"AFTER 10 YEARS, MY HUSBAND & I WERE ON THE BRINK OF DIVORCE, THEN WE GOT A SECOND CHANCE
"That morning, I'd checked my bank account and realized my husband had visited the ATM at 2 a.m. and taken all our money.
I was alone with three kids and $50."
THIS SIDE OF FORGIVENESS,
"THE ROAD LESS TRAVELED BY"
THE RUMPUS VOICES ON ADDICTION
"I met a man in 2003. He was soy chai lattes and Ben and Jerry's "Everything but the Kitchen Sink" ice cream. He was flowy, red Hawaiian shirts, country music under neon lights, and moonlight strolls on red rock beaches..."
"One month after we met, Kory injured his back. He was my soul mate, but soon he became my opioid addict, too. Ten years and three children later..."
FEATURED ON UPWORTHY - MOM SHARES TEEN DAUGHTER'S WARM GESTURE IN HONOR OF HER DAD'S SOBRIETY ANNIVERSARY
A mom sparked an important discussion on sobriety on Twitter this week when she shared her daughter's thoughts about a very special day in her dad's life. Megan Aronson, an author and inspirational speaker, took to the microblogging platform on Sunday to recount a heartwarming conversation she had with the 15-year-old the night before the anniversary of her husband's sobriety journey. "Last night my 15-year-old stopped me and said, 'Mom, are you guys doing anything uh, celebratory tomorrow? Because I kind of think you should. You should celebrate,'" Aronson tweeted.
CREATIVE NONFICTION MAGAZINE ONLINE
A #TinyTruth sharing a big story in few words.
THE DAILY WISDOM WORDS PODCAST
EP. 20 - RISING AGAIN FROM ROCK BOTTOM WITH MEGAN ARONSON
Megan Aronson is an author, motivational speaker and founder of the popular #RiseAgain movement. From the opioid crisis to multiple deaths in the family to COVID to financial peril, Megan went through it all and still rose again like a phoenix. She's also chronicling her story in an upcoming memoir called 47 Chances.
AN INTERVIEW WITH JANICE BURT & MEGAN ARONSON ~ ON ADDICTION, FORGIVENESS & NEVER GIVING UP
In this interview Megan Aronson talks about her new book "47 Chances" where she goes in depth about the pain of her husband's opioid addiction and the surprise "ending" that few people in her position get. She is full of nuggets of wisdom and stories only a life well lived is able to tell.
"CONVERSATIONS WITH THE INSPIRING MEGAN ARONSON" ~ VOYAGE PHOENIX
"I live by one rule: we can always rise again. I have been knocked down more times than I can count, experienced more suffering in ten years than most will in a lifetime, and it has taught me how to save myself..."
RISE AGAIN WITH MEGAN ARONSON ~
OUR VOICES, 90.3 WKAH NEW YORK
Megan Aronson is an author, speaker, thought leader, and Mental Health and Addiction/Recovery Advocate. After losing 28 people in 8 years, she uses her experiences to remind others that they can always rise again after any fall. She is the author of the forthcoming memoir, "47 Chances," the true story of how she survived her husband's battle with opioid addiction. Megan is on a mission to use the spoken and written word to inspire a generation to live, grieve and love out loud. Megan joins Natasha Nurse on Our Voices to share the secrets for really tackling loss and grief.
VERDE VALLEY MENTAL HEALTH SUMMIT & THIS IS MY BRAVE ~"I DON'T NEED HELP"
Sometimes it's hard to admit we need help...it took me a long time to realize "no one's coming to save you," but when I finally asked for help, everything changed for the better. Watch this video for one of the most powerful & inspiring stories I've ever told.
Dad Celebrates His 9-Year Sobriety Anniversary With Surprise Gift From Teen Daughter
Twas the night before a very special occasion for Megan and Kory Aronson, one that not many people get to commemorate.
Their 15-year-old daughter, fearful that the pair may have forgotten about it, went up to her mother and asked: "Mom, are you guys doing anything uh, celebratory tomorrow? Because I kind of think you should. You should celebrate." It surprised Megan. She didn't think her daughter would remember such a date, but she did. An anniversary, but not just any anniversary—9 years since her dad beat his opioid addiction and reclaimed his life.
Publications, Interviews, Profiles & More
"This Side of Forgiveness." The New York Times, April 2022
"I Never Thought I'd Be Part of This Club." #TinyTruth micro-essay, Creative Nonfiction magazine Twitter feed, March 2022
"Voices on Addiction: The Road Less Traveled By." The Rumpus, December 2021
"Coping with the Loss of Faith Moore." Verde Independent, August 2021
"Pandemic Takes Toll on Mental Health." Red Rock News, November 2020
Winner of Zoom Call Masterclass Session with Talent & Literary Manager Marilyn Atlas, When Words Count Retreat, September 2020
Finalist in Guideposts magazine's Writer's Workshop Contest (Kimberly Elkins, Editor, sought me out after reading my blog and asked me to write for them and enter the contest, then put me directly into the finalist category after I submitted two pieces)
"Conversations with the Inspiring Megan Aronson." VoyagePhoenix.com, July 2018
"A Challenge to Save Lives." Red Rock News, December 2018
"So Much More Than 5 Stages of Grief." OpentoHope.com, May 2017
"The Safeway Story: Be A Miracle." Rise Again blog, February 2014 (This blog went viral when it made it to the CEO of Safeway who then flew the employee I wrote about out to their corporate headquarters for a special event to highlight his achievements)
"Grief Speaks: How Can I Be Alone." YourTribute.com, September 2013
"Grief Tools: Keeping a Journal." YourTribute.com, August 2013
"Grief Tools: Expressing the Pain." YourTribute.com, August 2013
"My Baby Died and Taught Me Faith." OpentoHope.com, March 2012
"This Year I Gave Time for Christmas." Red Rock News, January 2012
"How to Feel Sedona's Mystical Energy – An Interview with Mr. Sedona." WanderingEducators.com Homepage Feature, October 2011
Interviews & Profiles
"How to Use Twitter Spaces to Build Your Brand & Platform with Audio Conversations." Nonfiction Authors Association podcast, forthcoming August 3, 2022
"Rising Again from Rock Bottom with Megan Aronson." The Daily Wisdom Words podcast, October 2021
"On Addiction, Forgiveness & Never Giving Up" - An Interview with Janice Burt
"Trevor Bauer hosts bullied boy at Dodgers game: 'That is a story I identify with'." Los Angeles Times, written by Bill Shaikin, March 2021
"Bauer gives bullying victim 'incredible' day." MLB.com, profile/interview by Juan Toribio, March 2021
"Megan Aronson: Rise Again." Our Voices, 90.3 WKAH New York, September 2018
"Author, Advocate & PTSD Survivor Megan Aronson." Voices for Change 2.0 podcast, August 2018


The teased revival of the NBC sitcom Will & Grace appears to have seemingly shifted into "confirmed" status. Series guest star Leslie Jordan has even attached a special number to the new run: 10. Ten episodes of W&G are apparently on their way.
KPBS spoke with Jordan ahead of his Straight Outta Chattanooga performance in San Diego. Jordan was pretty straightforward in sharing the status of the comedy in terms of its apparent rebirth. There's no reason why it would be kept under wraps, but traditionally there's a Today reveal or the like attached to this sort of thing.
Jordan's TV forecast doesn't seem all that unreasonable. This year's election sparked Will & Grace reunion showed a continued hunger for the ensemble comedy and keeping an eye on Karen Walker is a full-time responsibility. Plus, the nation's cameo-based economy will receive a massive boost from the hundreds of celebrities that will no doubt pop by to play Jack's overseas attorney or whatever. The show likes its famous faces and it will show them to you.


Litigation arising from employee misconduct costs employers billions of dollars yearly. The proliferation and rising complexity of the legal guidelines governing business have pressured growing specialization in corporate legislation. It is not extraordinary for sure sorts of company transactions to require a team of 5 to ten attorneys as a result of sprawling regulation. Business legislation spans common corporate regulation, employment and labor law, well being-care regulation, securities legislation, mergers and acquisitions, tax legislation, worker profit plans, food and drug regulation, mental property legislation on copyrights, patents, logos, telecommunications regulation, and financing.
I imply honestly, after Google bans itself for cloaking itself, I actually thought you could not prime that. It was like an early April Fool's Day present. But then one of many firms that Google itself lists here as supporting nofollow – that is particularly created due to all of the weblog cries about how remark spam is ruining the online – turns around and spams Google? Please, please make it stop. There's going to be nothing to joke about on April Idiot's Day itself.
Higher often known as "The Artwork of Operating a Small Business," this Times weblog is the last word instrument for entrepreneurs and founders. The recommendation is present and straightforward to eat, and if you obtain the app, you might have the most recent information right at your fingertips.
Our members are the nationwide insurance associations in 35 worldwide locations, representing undertakings that account for round 9516a612519e290134a26e1ea306914a0dfa744c4a298db52becf72747df4e665c of full European premium income, straight make use of 985 000 people and invest nearly €9 900bn throughout the financial system. Mortgage-related securities created by non-governmental issuers (comparable insurance to industrial banks, financial savings and mortgage institutions, private mortgage insurance companies, mortgage bankers and other secondary market issuers) may be supported by different types of insurance coverage or ensures, together with specific individual loan, title, pool and hazard insurance coverage and letters of credit score, which will be issued by governmental entities, personal insurers or the mortgage poolers.
There's a small, however rising, group of individuals in Australia reporting indicators of this devastating sickness to our basis. The worldwide epicenter of Morgellons Illness seems to be California, additional specifically town of Los Angeles. We'll in all probability be pleased to debate this situation with you, and share analysis information with you as we transfer forward. Hawaii's transient, by Washington lawyer Neal Katyal , cites not only Trump's advertising and marketing marketing campaign suggestions but additionally his actions as president, together with the time he retweeted three anti-Muslim propaganda videos" from a widely condemned far-correct British group.


Through triumphs and tears, here are 18 folks who inspired Balancing Act columnist Heidi Stevens the most in 2018.
A perk of this gig is the chance to talk with people about the topics they hold dear — hopes they're chasing, loved ones they've lost, change they're creating.
The Triibe co-founders: Northwestern University graduates Tiffany Walden and Morgan Elise Johnson didn't see the whole story of Chicago's black community in traditional Chicago media, so they tapped their pal David Elutilo and launched The Triibe, a digital media platform that blends journalism and documentary. "We can go from writing a piece about music to writing a piece about art to writing about gun violence in the city," Walden said.
Colin O'Connor: I went to 5-year-old Colin's house to see his collection of Major League Baseball pocket schedules (he wrote to every team asking for one) and left with a full heart … and three schedules he gave me for my own baseball-loving son — a display of kindness from a kid who's learning that the world is full of it.
Devereaux Peters: The WNBA star sat on a Young Feminist Conference panel I moderated and explained, beautifully, her decision to stop accepting every guy's challenge to play her one-on-one, which wasn't getting her any closer to realizing her dream of playing pro basketball. In fact, it was depleting her reserves and putting her at pointless risk of injury. Remember whom you answer to and why, she told the crowd. Perfect.
Jay Quirke Hornik, left, age 9, poses with his mother, Sheila Quirke, on April 13, 2018, in their Chicago home. The pair traveled to Washington, D.C., this year for training in a push for more cancer research funding. Sheila's daughter, Donna, died at age 4 from cancer. Read the full story.
Manasseh is the mother of two grown children and the founder of Mothers/Men Against Senseless Killings, a 3-year-old group that sits watch and builds community in one of Chicago's most violence-plagued neighborhoods — the neighborhood where Manasseh grew up. Read the full story.


Trey was sitting in the banquet hall with Teres, trying to explain what a shortcake was to an interested audience of servants and a harried [Cook] when Gazi found him. The half-Gazer strode through the crowd and jerked her thumb.
It was indicative of her personality that no one asked questions. Trey and Teres were following Gazi out of the banquet hall in an instant.
Gazi's head turned and she cut Teres off with an answer.
The word precipitated a crash of broken pottery. A woman who'd been carrying a load of dirty dishes dropped them when she heard the word. Gazi glanced at her and the woman immediately bowed.
One of Gazi's eyes turned to follow the servant as she bent to pick up the broken shards. She didn't say anything, but Trey would have bet his eyeteeth—since he didn't have any actual money—that the woman would be telling everyone in earshot as soon as she was out of sight. And Gazi probably knew that, but she walked on.
As it turned out, war had already been declared by the time the twins and Gazi reached the throne room. They entered to hear shouting, and saw a young man wearing leather armor, covered in a thin layer of dust and sweat, shouting at Flos.
Flos sat on his throne, flanked by Orthenon and Mars as he stared down at the messenger.
The young man's eyes blazed up at Flos. He didn't seem to notice the twins as they edged around the room, nor Gazi as she strode up to the throne and took a place next to Orthenon.
His father. Trey looked at the young man. Was he a [Prince]? Certainly, Flos seemed to be treating him like one, to let him yell at him in front of his vassals. But why had a [Prince] come himself? He certainly wasn't attired like one, and he looked like he'd been on the road for hours, if not days.
His words made the young prince flush with fury.
Trey shuddered. One was watching him and Teres. Watching them react to the prince.
Flos sighed. He stared down at Siyal with an expression Trey and Teres hadn't seen on him before. It wasn't anger. It was more like grim intensity. It was a very kingly expression in that sense, but there was something else in the way he looked at Siyal.
Siyal's eyes blazed and he actually unsheathed his sword a fraction. At once, Orthenon and Mars both reached for their sword hilts. The prince halted, eying both of them.
Flos cut off Siyal as the young man looked as if he might truly rush the throne. He stood up and stared down at the young man.
The King of Destruction raised his voice over the young man's voice.
It was amazing, Trey thought, that Siyal could shout that at Flos, much less to his face. A King's word…but Flos didn't grow angry. He just stared Siyal down, and the [Prince] lost a bit of his bravado in the silence that followed.
Siyal's face had gone pale as Flos spoke. He pointed a shaking finger at Flos.
Flos stared down at Siyal, that same cold disappointment in his expression. He shook his head slowly.
Siyal did draw his blade, then. And Orthenon and Mars did the same. They leapt off the throne's dais, surrounding Siyal from both ends. He whirled to face them, face pale but jaw set.
Flos stopped his vassals with one hand. He looked down at the [Prince] as Orthenon and Mars stepped back, sheathing their blades.
It was cruel. Flos' words were harsh and cutting, and Trey saw the marks they left on Siyal. They cut deep, because Trey knew they were true. There was something in Flos' voice, the way he spoke that made the truth self-evident. And some part of Siyal knew it.
The prince sheathed his sword. Tears stood out in the corners of his eyes as he glared up at Flos. His voice was rough, but steady.
He lifted a hand in dismissal. Siyal turned and stormed from the room, face crimson. All that time he had not glanced once at the twins. They were beneath his notice.
The two double doors closed behind Prince Siyal of Hellios, and Flos sat down slowly upon his throne. Only then did Mars and Orthenon turn to face him. After a second, Gazi stepped down and joined them.
And then Trey saw the curtains near one of the balconies move. He stared as Lady Maresar pushed them back. She calmly walked over to the others, putting an arrow back in the quiver at her side as she did.
Flos glanced at Maresar, at Gazi, and then the twins as they hesitantly came to stand before his throne. He smiled a bit at them, wearily.
This time Trey said the word and felt a chill. It was strange. One person said it, and suddenly it was true. He glanced at the doors Siyal had left through.
Everyone in the room except for Teres nodded at once. Mars grinned as she tapped her chin.
Orthenon frowned at Mars before turning to Trey.
Flos looked mildly annoyed by the implication. Orthenon bowed to him.
Maresar's lip curled and Flos shook his head. He sat with his back straight against his throne, staring at the ceiling.
Trey could see it there too. That awful glimmer, that silent spark of terrible things. Terrible, glorious things.
When he said it, Trey got goose bumps again. Only this time, Flos did not seize his sword and rush out of the room. Instead, he sighed.
He looked at his steward.
He turned and the twins tensed with anticipation. Flos smiled.
He paused, and only Trey noticed the slight rolling of his eyes, and the look of chagrin on Flos' face. He turned.
To Trey's surprise, the rest of the day was not filled with people running about and general confusion. Oh, some people moved faster than normal, but Flos walked down his corridors at the same pace as always, and took time to greet the people he met as usual.
He had an explanation when Trey asked.
Orthenon nodded as he stepped out of a cluster of servants and messenger. He was the one working hardest, and Trey and Teres got to see exactly what going to war meant you had to do.
The first and most important thing was to make sure everyone knew there was a war going on. It wasn't as if everyone had a telephone—or a [Mage] capable to receiving a [Message] spell. Within the hour, people on horseback were racing to all parts of the kingdom, bearing the news of war.
But that didn't mean people were about to come rushing towards the castle with swords in hand, ready to fight, either. It did mean they harvested any food available, and made preparations to leave their villages and towns at once if an army came their way.
Flos told them this in between readying his capital for war. There was so much to do he was giving Orthenon a hand in organizing. The walls had to be inspected, soldiers manning the battlements and watchful at all times, and gear had to be distributed. Not everyone walked around ready for battle like Mars—most people found wearing anything heavier than cloth fairly tiring, let alone plate armor or chainmail.
And not everyone got that, either. Helmets were in short supply, armor needed patching, some weapons could use a whetstone, while others had a broken haft. Potions needed distributing, pack horses and other animals found to haul all of the army's supplies and equipment—the list went on and on. It wasn't as if Orthenon and Flos had been neglecting doing any of this, but they'd had an entire kingdom to get working again. Now, all of these preparations were the first order of business.
Amid all of the busy work, Trey felt like the most useless lump. He could only watch as Flos strode around, taking care of matters that Trey wouldn't have thought to address. At least Teres could say she was helping a bit—she scribbled down notes for Orthenon as he assessed the number of soldiers they had, how many saddles were in working repair, and so on.
Not so for Flos and Trey. The King of Destruction didn't use lists, and he didn't need another person to run messages for him. He told Trey that he just needed him to watch what he was doing. So Trey did.
He watched as the second declaration of war reached Flos in the throne room. And then the third. And the fourth.
This time the messengers came together. Two delegations of armed soldiers approached the gates and demanded entry. The bulk of the soldiers remained at the gate, watched warily by soldiers from the walls, as a smaller delegation entered the throne room.
One man came alone, sweeping into the room with a bow towards the throne, his silk robes swirling around him as he approached the throne and then bowed again. The second man marched in with four warriors at his back, a scroll of parchment sealed with wax in his hands.
Flos sat on his throne, staring down at the two unalike messengers. It was the man in robes who spoke first.
Flos nodded at the man as Trey stared at Ambassador Illius. He sounded like a complete ponce. That was, until Trey realized he probably was all the things he said. So…just weird.
Flos knew. Everyone in the room knew. But somehow, the good ambassador managed to stretch a single statement into multiple sentences.
Flos nodded as Trey rubbed at his ears and Mars yawned. The King turned to the man standing stiffly next to Illius.
The man stepped forwards, offering the scroll. Not directly to Flos, but to Orthenon, who came down to receive it. Only after the steward had checked the scroll—for dangerous magic or poison, perhaps—did he deliver to Flos.
The King broke the seal and read from the scroll as everyone in the room waited. It took him only a few seconds, mainly because Trey saw his eyes skimming down the very long scroll all the way to the bottom. Then he rolled it up and nodded. He said one word.
The ambassador and messenger both bowed their heads. Flos looked down on them. Trey was practically eating his fingers. Three nations had declared war? Three? But the King of Destruction looked as if he'd expected nothing less.
Apparently, all of Flos' vassals and Flos himself had known more nations would be declaring war. And apparently, Teres had figured it out as well, which meant only Trey was caught off guard.
She explained it to Trey when he pulled her aside—for what Trey had assumed to be a mutual freak out, but which became a stern lecture. Teres frowned at Trey as if not predicting war was a fault.
Just how many was a surprise to both of the twins, though. Because not an hour after the two delegates had left, another declaration of war came to Reim. This one came in a box, and it was delivered by a [Runner].
In fact, it took a while to get to Flos. A servant came with it as Flos was walking around his city with Orthenon, making sure there were no glaring gaps in the wall. Only when Orthenon had spoken with the man did the small box reach the King.
Flos sighed. He eyed the package.
Orthenon shook his head at Flos' incorrect pronunciation as the King took the package and began to unwrap it. It was tied with a bit of twine, and the package itself was a cheap wood box, hardly fit for a King. Trey edged away from the box nervously.
Flos' hands had unwrapped the parcel. Trey recoiled and Teres clapped a hand over her mouth when they saw—and smelled—what was inside.
The King's face didn't change as he showed the contents of the box to Ortheon. The steward stared with disgust at the slightly rotted heart in the box. Flos handed it to him and Orthenon immediately handed it to a servant with orders to burn the box and everything in it. Only then did Flos notice Trey and Teres' pale faces.
Teres was able to ask the question. Trey felt if he opened his mouth something else would come pouring out.
The King waved away the smell and the twins had to go sit down for a bit. That was the fourth declaration of war. The fifth and sixth arrived the next day. But before Trey heard them, the first assassin was discovered in the castle.
Trey awoke the next morning to a scream. He rushed out of his room, and Teres ran out after him with the sword Orthenon had given her. They followed the raised voice and people running and found Gazi.
She was kneeling over the body of a child.
Her sword was drawn, and there was blood on it. Trey knew what had happened, but he didn't want to know. He stared at Gazi with dull horror beating in his chest.
She straightened, after wiping her sword on the dead child's clothing. She turned and paused when she saw Trey and Teres staring at her. But then her head turned. She bowed as Flos strode towards her down the corridor.
The King stopped when he saw the body. He stared at Gazi, and Trey saw his face pale. He knelt by the small corpse and the pooling blood. She had raven hair. It was a she. Flos gazed down at the child and then up at Gazi. He sighed, and it was as if part of his heart left with it.
The half-Gazer bowed her head. Then she produced something and held it out carefully to Flos. He took it.
It was a dagger, coated with something dark and brown on the tips. Flos didn't touch it. He only stared at the dagger and then dropped it.
Maresar spoke softly behind Trey and Teres. They turned to her. She had an arrow nocked as she stared at the child's body. There was no sorrow there, just concentration.
There was on Orthenon's face, and Mars. They came at a run, Orthenon first, Mars slower, running with sword and shield in hand, wearing her plate armor as always. Mars turned away from the body and Orthenon sheathed his sword harder than necessary. Flos stared at the crowd of servants and soldiers, and then at the twins.
Neither one of them could look at the body. But they couldn't look away. Trey stared at Gazi. And then at the child.
Flos looked at Gazi. She answered softly. As if by reflex, she smiled as she spoke, that same, damned smile that Trey hated so much. It wasn't a smile. It was a grin. Something devoid of actual emotion.
Orthenon rubbed at his face.
Gazi turned to him, looking vaguely surprised.
He didn't reply. He just stared at the body and turned away. Orthenon walked down the corridor as Flos stood. He stared down at the child's body and then looked at Gazi.
He did not say thank you, or that it was a job well done. If he did, Trey thought Teres would have attacked him with the sword in her hands. He did not know what he would have done. Gazi nodded once. Then she turned. She sheathed her sword and began to walk in the other direction down the corridor.
Someone covered the child's body with a cloth. Someone else carefully picked up the dagger and wrapped it in several layers so the deadly poisoned edge was not visible. Flos walked towards the twins. They stared at him.
This was the feeling Trey remembered. This was it, pure and raw and sudden, cutting through the vague acceptance of this world, all the time he'd had to adjust to a new reality. Suddenly, he truly was a stranger in a strange land.
Until he remembered they did this very thing where he came from too. Not at home, but in his world.
Flos looked into his face. The King was silent for a while. Then he spoke.
That was all he said. He turned away and began walking towards his throne room. It took a long time before Trey and Teres moved. And when they did, they stumbled. They walked along the stone corridors, hearing the hushed voice and knew they did not belong. They did not want to belong.
Not here. And Trey remembered Gazi's smile.
And he hated her for it.
There were more shadows in the throne room that day. Flos sat heavily on his throne, and he did not smile. The fifth declaration of war reached him as Orthenon was speaking quietly.
Orthenon relayed the message, a look of disgust on his face.
Flos was in no mood to debate the issue. He clenched one hand as he sat on his throne, looking as though he would have rather drawn the sword at his side instead. It was another plain sword from his armory. Not enchanted.
The steward nodded. Flos turned towards the twins, standing like ghosts. His voice softened, but he did speak to them of war.
The twins made no reply.
The sixth declaration was the most dramatic of all, and if it hadn't been for Orthenon and Flos, Trey and Teres would never have spotted it. The King was walking out of his palace when he uttered an oath and stared up. Orthenon stared up and the twins barely saw a flaming arrow before it struck the wall of Flos' palace. It did not shatter, but rather dropped downwards, out of sight.
Flos strode to the battlements. Trey and Teres saw a rider with a bow in hand. They had shot the arrow at the walls. A banner—dark blue, emblazoned with a white bird clutching a second flaming arrow in its talons—flapped wildly, attached to the horse's saddle.
The meaning was clear. War, from a sixth nation. By this point Trey was numb to it.
Flos stared at the rider, hands gripping the battlements tightly. He turned his head towards his steward.
The man nodded and strode away. Trey stared at Flos. The King's eyes followed the rider until she had vanished. She was allowed to go; no one had been harmed by the arrow as it fell to earth.
Twenty minutes later, Flos was in the war room with all of his vassals, including Lady Maresar and the twins. He sat on a large chair clearly meant for him, staring darkly at his steward as the man spoke.
Trey felt a cold pit in his stomach, but Flos just nodded as if that was inconsequential. Trey couldn't help but keep glancing left, to where Gazi stood with arms folded in one corner of the war room. No one was standing with her. Teres was deliberately sitting with her back to the half-Gazer.
Now one of Gazi's eyes turned towards Trey. He looked away quickly.
Orthenon stared grimly at the map of Chandrar as Flos stood up and paced back and forth in front of the table. He turned to Orthenon.
Orthenon paused. He looked at Teres, and she was the one who answered.
Mars mumbled that. She was playing with a dagger in her gauntleted hands. She hadn't spoken much before this; Trey hadn't seen her around the castle as Flos and Orthenon were moving about. Orthenon eyed her and nodded shortly.
Flos nodded. His mouth twisted wryly.
Gazi shifted as all eyes turned towards her. She looked at Orthenon.
Someone made a small sound. Trey realized it had been him. Orthenon's head turned towards Trey and his tone changed, becoming slightly more reassuring. It didn't work.
Trey didn't want to be a downer, but he had to speak the blindingly obvious truth when he saw it. Flos drummed his hands on his chair's armrest as he sat back down.
He had to say the situation was hopeless, right? Even if he was the King of Destruction…Trey waited, but Flos just shook his head.
Maresar whispered that. Flos nodded. He looked at the twins. He was still explaining. Still explaining, as if this meant…nothing.
Orthenon's calmness was getting on Trey's nerves.
Flos gently patted Trey on the shoulder and let him take his seat. Trey sat, fidgeting on the chair as Flos looked at Ortheon. The steward continued.
Orthenon shook his head to Flos' clear disappointment.
Flos sighed. He looked at Gazi.
She was already ready. Gazi bowed to Flos, eying the position of the army on the map.
She would have strode out there and then, but Flos caught her arm. He stared down at Gazi.
She smiled at him. Smiled in a real way, so happy that it made Trey hurt to see it.
Then she was gone. In lieu of better knowledge, Orthenon declared the meeting adjourned. He began shifting forces along the north east wall in preparation for the battle. And he sent more riders out after Gazi had gone, although not to scout for soldiers.
Flos turned away. He stared at the map, and then walked out of the room. Orthenon called out.
The rest of the day, Trey and Teres stood with Flos as he walked the battlements or descended to the streets, greeting the exhausted people coming to his kingdom.
They came in small groups, some of them. Others arrived in long, winding streams, stumbling towards the gates, footsore, weary. Many had nothing but the clothes on their backs. Some hadn't eaten in over a day and had to be half-carried inside. But they called out when they saw their King, riding towards them with wagons filled with food.
It was a bad idea to help them. Trey knew that. Teres told him how many storehouses Orthenon had to open and how much was left. And yet, they were Flos' people and no one in the entire kingdom could have stopped Flos from feeding his subjects or going to them.
They were refugees. People without a home, forced out of their country by war. The very definition of refugees. It surprised Trey, that there would be that kind of people in a fantasy world, a magical one. But that was what made it reality.
Refugees, and dead children. It was too real for Trey.
But still, Flos kept him by his side. And in the evening when the rush of people entering the city had slowed, he took them back to the war room and explained what they were facing.
It was incredible to Trey that Flos could say that, given the disparity in numbers. But Flos was adamant the coalition wasn't as dangerous as the Emperor of Sands, not by a long shot.
Teres pointed that out and Flos nodded.
Flos had to laugh. He spread his hands over the map as he spoke to the twins.
It was, but not exactly favorably. Trey was hazy on the exact number, but he knew over three million men had served in the British army during World War II. When he told that to Flos, the King's eyes gleamed.
Trey just couldn't imagine that. One person shouldn't be able to influence an entire battle, even if they were as strong as Flos. But the King seemed to think each one of his vassals was worth thousands of soldiers.
Trey found the courage to ask that question. Flos blinked at him. Trey found his tongue knotting, but went on when Teres nudged him.
Trey yelped as Teres trod on his toe. Flos laughed, but his eyes had turned distant. He went to the map and picked up a small pin with a flag on it.
Trey and Teres nodded. Trey held his breath as Flos stared down at the map. He seemed older, as he spoke of the past. Older, yet there was a smile on his face when he said their names. And unshed tears in his eyes.
Trey hadn't heard two of those names before. Tottenval and Queravia. He knew without being told they were the two who had died.
Flos' eyes met Teres'. He nodded.
Trey could imagine Gazi doing just that, with her slight smile. That was why she was always looking. That was how she'd found the child. He shivered.
The name made Flos stiffen at first, but then he relaxed. Trey hated to ask. But he wanted to.
Flos' head lowered. Trey and Teres exchanged a glance. She was the one who asked the next question.
Flos smiled ruefully. Trey thought about Orthenon carefully and meticulously plotting the enemy's movements, just like he took care of everything else.
The King looked first surprised, then amused. And then heartbroken.
His fist tightened on the wood. Trey didn't want to ask, but Flos continued. He lowered his head and stared at something neither Trey nor Teres could see.
He had to ask it. Trey whispered.
The wood on the war room table cracked slightly. Then Flos looked up and smiled. Tears ran down into his beard.
He seemed to be arguing with himself. Flos turned his face to Trey, and there was pain in his eyes.
There were no more questions after that. Flos wept and the twins left the room, shaken, hearing the past echo around the King of Destruction. They knew him well, after having lived and heard his more secret confidences for a month. And yet, they knew him not at all. They did not know what he had lost.
In the days that followed, things went simply for Trey and Teres. They followed, they watched, they saw streams of refugees fleeing the enemy army, and they heard endless reports about it approaching.
Gazi returned after two days, riding hard, looking tired. But she had come with vital news.
Orthenon bent over the map, looking tired. He had good news for Flos and a lot of bad news.
Gazi sat gulping water in a chair. She eyed a plate of biscuits that had been prepared for the meeting in the war room, but didn't take one. Trey didn't either; he knew they'd go to people who were actually hungry afterwards.
Mars swore. Trey looked around. Flos had to explain.
Orthenon nodded. He stared out of the window at one of the battlements. Trey knew that the city had a number of high watch towers and decently tall walls, but no trebuchets or catapults of their own.
Flos nodded. He still didn't look concerned, but perhaps that was because he was a King and couldn't afford to show weakness. Trey could do that for the both of them. His heart was pounding out of his chest.
Orthenon began placing units outside of the city. Flos nodded. Trey, who hadn't been privy to every discussion stared blankly at the board. Orthenon was taking half of the soldiers out of the city? Three thousand versus sixty thousand sounded a lot worse, and Trey had thought it was impossible to make the odds any more stacked against them.
Maresar broke into the conversation, looking intrigued. Gazi smiled, and they walked to a corner to talk with unsettling grins. Trey saw Orthenon glance several times at his King before he cleared his throat.
Flos began arguing hotly with Orthenon. Meanwhile, Trey and Teres stared at the map. Teres nudged Trey.
They were so busy whispering, they didn't notice Mars coming up behind them. She slung an arm around both twin's shoulders.
They stared at her. Mars stared back.
Mars stared down at the map. Her brows furrowed. She eyed the enemy army, Orthenon's proposed force. She blinked.
She'd spoken a bit too loudly. Every head turned towards Mars. She flushed red. Orthenon turned back to Flos and the others as if she hadn't interrupted.
Flos clenched his fists as he stared at the map. He sighed, looking tired.
Orthenon nodded. Then he turned to Mars. She was busy telling the twins about fog arrows, which wasn't helpful. Because what they did was apparently create fog. Lots of fog.
Mars stared incredulously at Orthenon. Trey and Teres stared too. They had been under the impression that Mars was great at fighting—better than Orthenon or Gazi. Mars glared at Orthenon.
Orthenon stared at Mars. Gazi turned and grinned at the [Vanguard].
Mars argued. She raged. She turned over chairs. But Flos told her she had to stay, and that was that.
And afterwards, when the meeting was over and everyone split up. Mars sat in a chair and sulked. This came as a surprise to Trey, since everyone else was busy. Gazi was scouting the terrain, Maresar was drilling soldiers and Orthenon was managing everything else. Flos was inspecting the battlements, but Mars was sitting where she was. Doing nothing.
Now that he thought about it, Trey hadn't seen Mars doing anything these last few days either. He asked Orthenon about it as the man strode out of the war room. It was the first time Trey had ever seen the steward's pained expression as he tried to explain Mars' role in the kingdom to the young man.
He paused. Orthenon opened is mouth and searched for words. Then he gave up.
Gazi put that in. Maresar nodded as she broke off from them. Trey stared at Flos' vassals, and then at Flos. The King looked sheepish.
He had trouble finishing that thought. In the end, he just took Trey and Teres on a tour of the battlements, inspecting them for Orthenon's plan. What they were looking at, Trey didn't know. But Flos was happy to lecture them on the walls.
Teres looked at Flos. The King laughed heartily.
Trey's estimation of their odds of success went down another notch. Flos shook his head.
Trey had seen the watch towers. There were sixteen of them, placed at equal distances along the curtain wall. They were very big and could hold a lot of archers on top. Flos pointed to each of them.
Trey had to think for only a second.
Flos nodded, smiling at the recollection.
Flos nodded. He stared at one of the towers and sighed, suddenly melancholy.
Flos just grinned at Trey. He put a finger over his lips.
He patted the wall of one of the watch towers fondly, staring up at the dark peak. Trey felt another lurch of fear in his stomach, but Flos' eyes were calm. He smiled.
Then he turned, and strode away. Trey stared up at the towers. They stood tall and black in the night sky.
And then it was time. Trey nearly choked on his food when Orthenon came striding into the banquet hall, dressed for war. He was wearing leather armor and there was a sword at his waist. He strode up to the table where Flos was sitting down to eat for once. The King looked up and pushed his plate back.
Orthenon stepped forwards as Flos rose. The [King] and his steward clasped hands. Flos looked Orthenon in the eye.
The half-Gazer was wearing her brown scale armor. She reached up to clasp Flos' hands. There was a slight smile on Orthenon's face.
Flos roared and the people in the banquet hall leapt to their feet. Orthenon and Gazi strode out of the hall, Flos and a stream of people following. There was already an army at the gates, mainly mounted warriors on horses. Trey stared at them through a window, and then turned.
Mars was sitting at a table, hunched over, clearly miserable that she had to stay. She met Trey's eyes and lifted a mug.
She hurled her mug as Orthenon, Gazi, Lady Maresar, and four thousand of Flos' soldiers rode out to meet over sixty thousand soldiers in battle.
The minutes after Orthenon had left seemed to drag on like hours to Trey and to Teres. She'd said goodbye to Orthenon at the gates, upon which she'd burst into tears and refused to speak to Trey. She was carrying Orthenon's sword around—Trey had a steel sword Flos had given him personally. He felt like he shouldn't have been wearing it, but he was too afraid to take it off.
Flos warned the twins. He seemed hardly able to take his own advice. He was pacing around his throne room, unable to sit still. He'd gone to the balcony twice, as if to stare at the distant patch of horizon where Orthenon and Gazi had last been spotted, when someone rushed into the throne room.
Blood. Staggering bodies. A man without an arm, holding bloody rags that might have been a body. Someone without an eye. A girl with an arrow protruding from her sides.
People were coming through the gates, many wounded. Trey stared in horror at a wailing baby being held by a man who was trying not to let the blood spilling from his arm fall on the child. He wavered and would have fallen, but Flos caught him.
He shouted as he held a hand over the cut in the man's arm, stopping the bleeding. The man sagged as Teres took the baby out of his limp arms. He stared up at his King and recognized him. He smiled.
Somewhere between people rushing towards the wounded with bandages and Flos shouting, the news came out. There were more refugees, being herded from other countries. They'd been on the road for days, thousands, maybe tens of thousands of them. But soldiers had ridden down on them in the final stretch. They were cutting everyone they saw apart. Mounted soldiers, maybe only a hundred of them. Maybe a lot more.
It was impossible to tell. They were killing everything. It was just blood and death out there.
Flos stared towards the west, where more groups of shapes were approaching down the road. Trey shakily held a man's arm with Teres as a [Healer] tried to wind bandages around a cut in his stomach. He was screaming and thrashing, but Flos didn't turn his head.
Mars was there, in full armor. She was staring at the refugees with a sick expression on her face. She stared at Flos as he turned.
Mars grabbed for Flos' arm. He stared at her.
She shook her head, sending her perfect red curls flying.
Trey was holding the wounded man's arm as tightly as possible. It was that or be thrown off, even with Teres helping him. At some point she shook him, and told him he could let go. Trey realized the shaking had stopped.
Flos turned to look as Trey got up, shaking, blood on his arms and legs. He looked at Mars, and it was a [King] who spoke next.
She could not disobey. Trey saw her try. Mars' mouth opened, and her arms and legs shook. She tried to move as Flos strode away, and then slumped.
He didn't know why he did it. But Trey ran after Flos, and Teres was there too. They caught him as he was mounting his warhorse. Flos turned to look at them.
Trey and Teres didn't know why they said it. Neither of them were warriors. They hadn't been trained. But they knew they had to follow. It wasn't Flos commanding them. It was something in them, something that wanted to follow this King. To see.
Flos didn't argue. He just called for two more horses and in minutes the twins were mounted. He said only one word.
They rode out of the city at a gallop. Trey thought he heard people screaming Flos' name, but their voices were left behind in an instant. Then Flos and the twins were riding along the dirt road, passing by people, wounded people, who looked up and saw their King.
It was a trap. Of course it was. The King knew it was. But Nune Salismen knew the King of Destruction would enter the trap. Because that was the nature of [Kings]. That was his nature.
He had studied Flos, learned all there was to know about the man when he had been given his orders by Queen Calliope. So it was with satisfaction that Nune heard out the [Scout]'s report as the rider found his hidden encampment in the hills.
Nune nodded and ordered the camp struck. His men jumped to work with alacrity. They had been waiting for this moment. There was exaltation in Nune's heart. His plan was working!
But there was fear as well. It was really happening. The King of Destruction would die today. Today. At the hands of a force led by Nune. Nune. Not a [General], but a [Commander]. The King of Destruction would die in an ambush as he rode to save his people from a handful of raiding soldiers.
But it wasn't a hundred men that Nune had brought. Not even close. He had just under eight hundred soldiers, the largest force he could sneak close to Reim, even with Gazi the Omniscient blinded. Perhaps that might not have been enough, though. Irrational as it was, Nune wondered if a thousand men could slay the King of Destruction. But Nune had another advantage on his side.
He approached the only tent that stood out from the dark grey uniformity of his camp. A bright yellow tent—totally inappropriate for an ambush—housed the one man not directly under Nune's command. He emerged as Nune waited by the tent flap.
The [Mage] smiled thinly. He had multiple rings to each finger, and he held a glowing staff with a crystal orb floating above the wood shaft. He was the very stereotype of a [Mage], and most would have considered him all show and no substance. But Nune knew the façade was there for that very reason.
The [Mage] inclined his head, politely accepting Nune's words.
Nune paused. This was the first time he'd heard of that.
The [Mage] smiled. He tapped the ground with his staff, and the earth shook. Nune stared into two innocuous, watery brown eyes. You would never have thought they were the eyes of a Level 36 [Geomancer].
A lot of chapter here. A lot of things to be written. I'd like to talk about it sometime, but there's always a bit of me that says I should let the chapter speak for itself.
So about sleep. I've finally started waking up a few hours earlier, and I think it's helping. I feel more tired now, though. So…not a good thing for late nights such as these.
But hey, that's the writing life! I do enjoy it, and I'm used to writing 10,000 words now. The U.S. Government might be shut down, but I'm still typing!
There's your relevant political commentary right there. Not sure what I'm saying, but I never am. Hope you enjoy this chapter, and for those of you afraid Flos is forever…nah. But I had to have at least one battle for the King of Destruction. I mean…it's his name.
For me, taking a multivitamin for 2-3 days helps with insomnia.
Leave a typo to keep The Wandering Inn running! Because I'm really bad at finding typos.
—> I darehope you meant "hanging around"!
These either should be plural, or I suspect they were meant to be plural.
The King's face didn't change as he showed the contents of the box to *Ortheon.
Trey sat, fidgeting on the chair as Flos looked at *Ortheon.
Possibly the Wistram mages have taken measures to conceal news of Flos's awakening from her? Or perhaps she's en route, and will arrive just in time to turn the tide of the battle?
Mars is really getting a raw deal, lol… first told that she's not fit for anything but battle, now told to stay behind on guard duty while everyone else rides out into the thick of it.
It is? I just went back to look, and the last we saw of her she was still at Wistram. There's no mention of her fate afterwards. Did I miss something?
Hm. Level 36 Geomancer… Is that low or high, really? It doesn't feel all that high for some reason. I guess it is one of the higher levels we've seen, but I just can't bring myself to feel impressed. Well, he is just one soldier in the end, so maybe that's not surprising.
It's pretty high. The Horns of Hammerad are in the high teens to low 20s, depending on how many levels they got for clearing the ruins, so he's around twice their level.
He seems to have come alone, and the narration emphasizes his innocuous look, so I'm guessing he's meant to be some sort of assassin rather than a direct combatant. Maybe he sets up pit traps or something?
I dunno why, maybe other stories I read made me think so, but it felt like the King of Destruction is going to die.
I think Flos will be saved by Trey finding a activated Skill. Not like Minotaur Punch, I'm leaning more towards a movement skill. Since we now have a cliff hanger I'm also hoping that means 4.06 will have a R after it.
Last chapter i was sure Mars was a trap. Now it turns out she is a muscle brain. Can a character be both?
Floss, King of Caries' Destruction and Lord of Dentists.
Man, I'm just loving these K chapters. Also, that wannabe army being sent against Reim is going to get rekt by Mars.
And . . I'm calling it. The twins get their abilities from this conflict.
Damn tho, so much could happen. Amerys, Erin/Ryoka/Other-Human-From-The-Plot, an awoken god, a Wistram Conspiracy . . .
I am never disappointed with your writing. Amazing story.
I don't have the words to convey just how much I've come to love this story and the characters within; I hate crying and you've brought me to tears with some of the things you've written.
Great writing but way too many story lines.
Hey Pirateaba, great chapter, can't wait for tomorrows!
I just had an idea where you can put your Patreon details on the password protected chapters!
Probably useless though since all the readers that get to that chapter probably already know about the donator early chapter.


hey hows it going? im a pretty cruisie sort of guy living in noosa, my days are spent on the beach and i generally work at night. Myself: blue eyes, 79KG 180cm. what more do you want to know?
im looking for a female for chatting, friends (maybe with benefits?) and if your a nice sort of person and looking for one then maybe a relationship.


The VIYNA PORUCH ( WAR IS NEAR) project is aimed to remind Ukrainians and the world community that the war in the East of Ukraine has been going on for the for five years. To recall how much have been paid the Russian agressor to stop the and undermine his plans.
The images used in this project show emotions, feelings, fears of witnesses of the first days of the hostile invasion and the struggle against it.
The project is a system of small street sculptures, located in Kiev downtown. The items are metallic silhouettes of people in typical poses, which were shot bullets. They were installed to show the analogy with the fate of innocent people who have been accidentally killed during the war. Sculptures emphasize on the spontaneity of death during wartime. Anyone can become a victim of an artillery attack. Society and each person should better understand the threat of war and its consequences.
VIYNA PORUCH is out of any state borders and condemns the war conflicts all over the world, encourages to appreciate every civilian's life, as well as support the victims in conflicts.
The project also includes NEARBY photo project and FRONTLINE photo exhibition.
The war in the East of Ukraine lasts almost as long as the Second World War. The front line is stable for a long time, although there are shellings every day, Ukrainian soldiers and peaceful people keep on suffering. Life has entered into a customary way, in Kyiv and other large cities, even those close to the front. Daily routine and troubles, night cafes and restaurants are crowded everyday.
VIYNA PORUCH project was developed in partnership with Maidan Museum.
«The emotional project of a talented artist and activist Oles Kromplias is a kind of cold shower for millions of Ukrainians who have come to terms with dry, but methodical television statistics of losses and events on the Ukrainian-Russian war Eastern front and are accustomed to it, an attempt to awaken disappointed and indifferent people from everyday vanity and help them to realize that the struggle for their freedom continues. This project wakes up our conscience, stimulates social responsibility and civic activity. And that is why our institution supports it» – Ihor Poshyvailo, CEO Maidan Museum.


Is the Millenium Bug really a problem?
MARCH 16, 1998: As the year 2000 approaches, nowhere has Millennium Fever hit harder than in the computer industry. While mindless news anchors and talk-show hosts babble on about the consequences of owning a personal computer when Old Man 1999 turns over his mantle to Baby New Year 2000, it is important to remember that very few of them really know what they're talking about.
It's known as the Year 2000 Bug, the Millennium Bug, Y2K, and by any number of other names. What it means is something up for debate.
Here's the theory: Computer engineers in the 1960s and 1970s solved problems as many do today, one issue at a time. When you're working with experimental technology and ways to improve it, there's rarely time or place to do any crystal-ball gazing and determine what future problems your current actions may cause.
When developers produced much of the hardware and software in use by such long-standing institutions as banks, no one thought about storing the current year as anything but a two-digit number. Therefore, 1999 is read by many computers and many software applications as "99." That means computers could interpret Jan. 1, 2000 (or 01-01-00 in computer-ese) as Jan. 1, 1900.
Basically, if you have a Pentium computer constructed in the mid- to late-1990s, or if you have an Apple Macintosh system, chances are that your hardware will not be affected by Y2K. It is likely, however, that some systems sold as late as last year still contain the 2000 bug.
Software, on the other hand, is another matter entirely. The havoc potential there is limited only by the imagination: Bank accounts could be terminated. Billing by any number of companies could suddenly be 100 years overdue. Some fatalists even go as far as to say that airplanes will fall out of the sky and power companies will shut down.
Radio talk personality and former federal prisoner G. Gordon Liddy, interviewing the author of a book on this subject, recently told his listeners to "get your rifles ready." By his reasoning, Y2K will cause grocery stores to close; neighbors will all go wild in an attempt to break into other people's houses and steal their food. "It's going to be Armageddon!" he shouted into his radio mic.
The truth is, no one knows what Y2K may ultimately mean, but a vast number of financial institutions and other corporations throughout the country are busily upgrading their computer systems to kill the problem. In fact, the author of Time Bomb 2000, the book that so affrighted Liddy, takes a wishy-washy view on the subject, leaving it completely up to the reader to decide if Y2K is a real concern or just another attack of Millennium Fever.
Locally, financial institutions are not taking any chances. The Bank of Nashville and First Tennessee Bank, among others, have plans in place to upgrade their computer equipment and eliminate the bug. First Tennessee Bank, in fact, has dedicated an entire department called Project 2000 to the effort.
"Every bank in the world is working on it," says Anne Cheatham, senior vice president of The Bank of Nashville. "We've been very proactive about determining whether we needed to upgrade or whether we are already compliant."
Y2K may mean a whole lot of people spending a whole lot of money on a whole lot of new computer systems. This conclusion has led some analysts to say that businesses will be spending millions of dollars simply to maintain the status quo, and that it will spell disaster for the world economy. The stock market, they say, will crash and the world's monetary systems will go up in flames.
Again, it's dangerous to make such predictions. "What they're worried about is folks spending a lot of money and not getting any return on it," Cheatham says. "That could be the case in some situations, like teller software, where a few extra bells and whistles might make things a little easier. The effectiveness really depends on the ability of the individual managing the window."
In The Bank of Nashville's case, Cheatham says she believes the company's expenditures will amount to adequate returns. In addition, the company has prepared for the Y2K contingency by providing itself with a regular upgrade budget. "The year 2000 upgrades are falling nicely in line with our plans," she notes.
Most year 2000 upgrades won't simply be maintaining the status quo by patching old equipment and old software. Ideally, they'll be replacing old technology with brand-new Y2K-free technology. Along with those upgrades will come new software with dozens of new and more powerful features.
At least, that's the way it should be done. Those companies attempting to rewrite the bug out of old software may run into more trouble than those who simply upgrade. And so society will benefit from the change.
The people likely to be most affected by Y2K are not members of large corporations or financial institutions. They don't work for airlines or power companies. They're not in the automotive industry, or in the publishing industry--traditionally the slowest technology-dependent industry to upgrade.
Those most affected will be small-business owners--personal computer owners who can't afford to upgrade their computer systems. In that case, the economy could indeed suffer an impact from Y2K.
Until Jan. 1, 2000, we'll just have to try to plan for every contingency we can. For now, when you buy new hardware or new software, ask the dealer if it's ready for the year 2000. If you're running old software, call the manufacturer and ask if your version will be affected by Y2K. If the answer is yes, ask if there is a 2000-ready version available, and upgrade to that version.
Computer hackers were extremely busy emulating their favorite movie character from the 1980s film War Games last week. Reports at www.cnn.com Friday claimed that a small band of hackers invaded some of the U.S. military's unclassified documents. In addition, other pranksters had also found a way into computers running Windows NT with direct connections to the Internet and caused them to crash.
Our buddies at Microsoft have already released a patch to prevent this from happening again--along with a statement that's the equivalent of a big corporate shoulder shrug. "All the major operating systems are attacked from time to time," said one Microserf.
Reports indicated that the attack affected thousands of NT-operated computers with direct Internet connections; computers were fed invalid data, which the computers continued to attempt to process until they finally crashed. Users who do not have direct connections to the Internet were probably shielded from the attack through their service providers.
Microsoft founder Bill Gates finally had his say before the Senate Judiciary Committee March 3. The committee hopes to uncover whether Microsoft violated its 1995 agreement with the Justice Department that it would not seek to monopolize the computer industry with Windows.
The Justice Department is accusing Microsoft of attempting to "take over the Internet" by including Internet Explorer with Windows. That integration, they say, could give Microsoft the ability to control the 'Net and charge a fee for transactions over it.
Gates disagreed, stating that the Internet is an impossible entity to control. "The beauty of the Internet is its openness," he explained. "It cannot be controlled or dominated or cut off because it is simply a constantly changing series of linkages."
Let's hope so. The Internet is too great a resource to belong to anyone.
Curiously enough, Microsoft is changing its Internet Explorer promotional policy to fall in line with its founder's Justice Department speech. According to reports on the Internet, Microsoft is now allowing Internet service providers who have deals with the company to promote other Web browsers, such as Netscape Navigator.
According to the original policy, service providers who made deals with Microsoft were only allowed to promote Internet Explorer when users signed up for the service. Now, Microsoft says, other browsers may be promoted, but they may not be promoted more than Internet Explorer.
Microsoft officials claim the decision had nothing to do with Gates' appearance before the Justice Department the same week.
James Hanback Jr. is the systems administrator for the Scene. He may be contacted by telephone (244-7989, ext. 272), or by e-mail at james@nashscene.com.


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A Dream of Flight with Ørumari
By Rathika Sheila • 01 Apr 2016 in Interview
Being known under an alias is a method most artistes apply to their career. Maybe it's to create an illusion between who they are and who they want to be (Beyoncé, Sasha Fierce [RIP]), or it could be because their birth name doesn't quite articulate what they're trying to express through their art. Edmund Anand, previously known as Ego, has rebranded himself as Ørumari after turning over a new leaf. We listed Ørumari as one of the few artistes that should be paid attention to this year in our '2016 Intake' issue after noticing the overwhelming potential he had as a producer and an artiste — and by the looks of it, we're not too far off the mark. JUICE spoke to the transformed caterpillar regarding the possibility of another track like 'Run This', referencing Kendrick Lamar, and sustaining a studio.
Who is Ørumari? Is he anything like Ego?
Ørumari is the one who's more focussed. The one who cares more about the art form, 'the butterfly'. The harder, better, faster, stronger version of Ego. Ego is the caterpillar, the one who doesn't really give a fuck — he's immature yet vigorous. There's still some Ego in Ørumari, you'll get him if you push the right buttons.
Why did you change your moniker?
When I was younger, like most of us, I didn't ponder much on branding myself properly. I just wanted an alter-ego name cause before people like Kendrick Lamar, using the name your parents gave you wasn't dope enough to portray a rapper persona. I grew up listening to Jay-Z — no one knew whom Sean Carter was. By the time I mastered making music as an art form, branding became a huge deal, everyone started calling me 'Ego'. I felt kinda immature when people started calling me 'Ego' in front of my family and friends.
'Ego' (the word) is generally received as more negative than positive in society's 'terms and conditions'. When I built my own studio, Kayabutter Co., about a year ago, I decided to rebrand myself. The decision to call myself Ørumari was a no brainer because I use that word a lot when I speak.
Oh, it's a word? What does it mean?
In street Tamil, it means 'one kind'. To put it in a nutshell, I guess it was a metamorphosis from a caterpillar to a butterfly. We're never fond of flying until we actually realise we're growing wings.
That metaphor sounds vaguely familiar… why do you think you're 'one kind' now?
Hmm… that's an interesting question. Aren't we all different? Aren't we born to stand out rather than fit in? I feel like being a misfit in a world where we're taught to be 'normal' is what makes great ideas. To me, everyone is Ørumari dope, it's whether you choose to recognise what you have and turn it into something that people can be inspired by.
Speaking of inspiration, how often do people request for you to produce another track like 'Run This'?
It used to be frequent but even if I went to gigs where I'd meet people that have an interest towards the music I make, they didn't really ask me about it. 'Run This' to me is a very unique piece of art because of the rappers that were in it and how it turned out for its time; from composing the music, to recording, to engineering the sound, directing, and editing the music video, that was all me. I don't feel making another track like 'Run This' will justify what it is and was, so I doubt there'll be another one.
How do you feel about being responsible for a song that received that much recognition at the time though?
It feels great to be the first and only one in the industry at the time who made an effort to pull seven talented rappers in one music video with a dope soundtrack and to eventually form a friendship/brotherhood.
You mentioned starting your own studio, Kayabutter Co., about a year ago. What were other studios unable to provide you with that you wanted to start your own?
I'll quote DJ Khaled on this one… "the vibe." Having my own studio had always been a dream I had since I began making music. I wanted to make music in a place that I was super comfortable in, I wouldn't say other studios suck but it's different when you feel at home while making art, plus from a business point of view, it's more feasible to pay yourself for your own recordings.
Besides the homey atmosphere, what's different about Kayabutter Co.?
Kayabutter Co. owns one of the very few and rare Yahama NS10-M Studio monitor speakers in Malaysia. These speakers have a long history behind it, people like A.R. Rahman and Dr. Dre mix with this same speaker, so, to actually have one to use myself is a privilege. Shout out to Tactmatic for the speakers. Thanks machings!
What are the costs like in regards to sustaining your own studio?
You could say it's an expensive passion, but when you turn your passion into work that you can make money from, it will slowly sustain itself. Creating anything new is always hard in the beginning but if you're persistent you will enjoy the fruit of your labour. I rarely concentrate on the audio part of my studio, I make a lot videos because that's where the money is. I've directed many music videos including my own, the most recent work I've directed and am proud of is De Fam's 'With You'. Making videos is very similar to creating audio, I draw out all my creative energy whenever I'm doing either one.
You've used a lot of references that Kendrick Lamar has popularised himself (caterpillar, butterfly). Do you feel like you relate to him?
I wouldn't say I relate to him but if hip hop was a religion (which some hip hop heads already claim), Kendrick Lamar is pretty much a Prophet of our generation. People like him make the blueprint of what the genre will look, feel, and sound like for the next few years. There's something he knows that some of us still don't understand.
Because he's more than a man, he's a God. Continuing with the subject of creating blueprints, what kind of work can we expect to hear from you? Will it be similar to 'Nobody Else'?
Looking at my beats archive now, I have many different kinds of music in it. I don't really know what I'll put out next, it really depends on the time and place. 'Nobody Else' was made about a year ago when I first heard the sample. When I did decide to put it out, I only sampled the saxophone for the middle part at the very last minute, I like revisiting my old beats and tweaking it to make it sound current. I feel like that's a really dope way to make art, to try and match the past and present.
You've acknowledged that you're growing wings — where do you want to fly to?
(Laughs) I just wanna get high, high enough to see the world in a size of a marble and see how small all our problems really are.
Let us know how small it is when you get there. Last question, tell us your best joke.
I don't have a "best" joke, but I came up with this two days ago — what do you call Michael Jordan dancing? Air JORDANCE!
Keep up with Ørumari here.
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Max Johann Friedrich Hesse (* 29. August 1870 in Königsberg, Königreich Preußen; † 28. April 1947 in Bad Homburg vor der Höhe) war ein deutscher Diplomat.

Hesse war von 1910 bis 1917 deutscher Botschafter im Libanon.

Sein Sohn war der Journalist Fritz Hesse, seine Enkelin die Autorin und Übersetzerin Eva Hesse.

Weblinks
 Biografie

Einzelnachweise

Deutscher Diplomat
Deutscher
Geboren 1870
Gestorben 1947
Mann

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia