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Agents of Darkness IV

Mrs Sinster stretched and spread her hands across her luxurious duvet.

She opened her eyes and saw it was still dark. She’d had a lovely sleep on her first night in her new bed in her new home. She felt replenished after the hectic day before.

A loud clattering downstairs made her sit up. She looked at the clock on her bedside table, and saw it was 12:30.

“Twelve Thirty?!” she exclaimed, a little too loudly for the time of night. “I’ve been asleep for thirty minutes. Half an hour! That’s all?! I don’t believe that. I feel like I’ve slept for eight hours solid.” She slid back under the duvet with a sigh.

Another loud clattering caused her to sit bolt upright again. “What is that?” she asked as she reached for her night gown. She’d decided to investigate.

She walked down the spiral staircase and out onto the corridor. She heard loud snoring coming from Mr Sinster’s room, “So it isn’t him…” she thought, as another clattering from down below made her jump. “I hope it isn’t burglars.”

She walked down the staircase slowly. The ground floor was in darkness, apart from the bright moonlight which shone in through all of the windows. She couldn’t see anything from where she stood in the kitchen, although everything seemed in order there. She stepped forward into the living area, and on the floor between the sofa and two armchairs lay what looked like a broken chair. As she approached closer, the chair moved, and darted behind the sofa.

“Goodness!” Mrs Sinster said, as she knelt on the sofa to look behind. The chair had gone, but now there was a small harp, which definitely wasn’t there when she walked passed a few seconds earlier. “OK. What’s going on? Gabriel? Is this you?” No answer. “Soul? Are you doing this?” Again, no answer.

Mrs Sinster watched as the harp started to shimmer and shake, and shrink down in size. It stretched out to her left and right and became quite long. The shimmering stopped, and now on the floor slithered a snake. It wriggled as it tried to get under the sofa, which it couldn’t do. The snake shook and shimmered again. First it became a lamp, and then a book, and then a white cat. The cat looked up at Mrs Sinster and mewed.

“Hello there, gorgeous!” Mrs Sinster loved cats, and the cat recognised this. It jumped onto the back of the sofa and nuzzled Mrs Sinster’s cheek, “How did you get in then?” she asked as she tickled her new friend. Mrs Sinster realised the ‘cat’ must have always been in the house. “Goodness!” she said again. “You must be very hungry. Let’s see what food we have for you. I hope we have food…”. She walked back into the kitchen, the cat walking excitedly beside her. She opened the food cupboard which was full to overflowing. “Thanks, Gabriel!” she said to the room, as she removed a can of tuna. “I hope you like tuna. And I’ll get you some water as well.”

She watched as the cat lapped up the tuna and had a couple of licks of water. The cat looked at her with grateful eyes and started to shake and shimmer.

“Oh, dear!” Mrs Sinster stood alarmed. The cat had become a tiger, and padded over to her, nuzzling her once again, but this time knocking her off her feet. Even more frightened, Mrs Sinster looked the tiger in the eyes, as it stood nose to nose over her. “You’re not going to eat me, as well! No matter how cute you were!” She struggled to escape but the tiger was too heavy. Mrs Sinster sighed. The tiger slobbered as it licked her face, drenching her in seconds. “Ewww! Stop that at once!” Mrs Sinster demanded. The tiger shimmered and changed back to the cat. “Are you claiming me?” Mrs Sinster tickled the cat once again, who pawed her hand gently. “OK then, I’ll let you. You can stay. But we need to come up with a name for you.”

Once again the cat shimmered and shook, and changed into a harp once again.

“A harp? Harp! That’s your name, isn’t it!?” The harp became the cat again and padded off somewhere into the shadows of the room. “Well, that was different!” Mrs Sinster got to her feet and looked around the room once more. There was no sign of Harp anywhere.

Previous parts can be found in the Storylines Menu.
This should have appeared yesterday, but as I’m currently spending a bit of time away from Blogland to do other things, yesterday came and went in the blink of an eye, and this post never came with it. Ah well. Better late than never, I suppose!

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Experimenting with photos

I’ve finally figured out how to keep part of a photo colour, with the rest black and white.

I experimented, quickly, on two photos. The first, a fuzzy photo of Tufty:

It’s a bit rough around the edges… I was only experimenting to see if I could do it. But, I would go and choose a black and white duck which probably didn’t help matters! However, in the image above Tufty now appears sepia compared to the rest. It does need fine tuning a little.

The second photo was actually a picture of King Rabletop III, from my ‘A Long Long Time Ago’ story series:

I suppose I need to work out how to tone down the colours (although the colours on these images are quite vibrant anyway) and make the black and white appear lighter, but I think I have the basics covered.

Now onto the technical stuff! Maybe…

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The Journey Commences

Half an hour and several more dropped slices of toast later, the Goddesses were ready to embark upon their journey.

Diana, Athena, Aphrodite, Amunet and Hera walked through the arched window in the kitchen of the Lap of the Gods, and out onto the lawn of the Rose Garden. Baldur sat in the centre of the lawn, composing a lyrical piece of music on his flute. He looked up and saw the quintet walking toward him.

“Ladies!” He stood, and bowed, the bright sunshine enhancing his muscular frame. He didn’t care who saw it. He looked at Diana and smiled. “Are you venturing out to the wilderness, sister? You’ve done something with your hair, I see. You look different.”

“I wish people would stop telling me that!” Diana replied. “And what have you done to upset Amunet?” Amunet stood beside Diana, glaring at Baldur.

“Me?” Baldur said with an innocent expression. “All I did was say it was nice to see her up here for a change. Normally she’s down there, in the basement!”

“That wasn’t what you said, and you know it, Baldur.” Amunet scowled. “We don’t have time to discuss this now. We have to see Jupiter in Atlantis. It is a long journey and we must away now to arrive before nightfall.”

Athena, Aphrodite and Hera had already settled into one of the chariots, and Diana and Amunet climbed into the second. Each chariot was tethered to one unicorn.

“Of course,” Baldur smiled, “You could all come with me aboard the Hringhorni, it will get you there in half the time. And you will have the pleasure of my company as well!” He winked toward Amunet. “I know how you will like that!”

“It does make sense.” Hera said. “The unicorns have never travelled so far, so this would save them, and we would have much more room to relax as we travel.”

“I’m with you, Hez!” Aphrodite clapped her hands in joy. She had a strange feeling that a previous chariot journey with Athena and Hera didn’t go very well, although she couldn’t exactly remember why.

“And I’m with Aph!” Athena chirped up as she jumped from her chariot. “And three against two means we’ve decided.”

“But…”

“But nothing, Amunet.” Baldur leapt over to her chariot to help her out. “You know how we arrange things here. There’s a feast already laid out for us!”

Diana helped herself out of the chariot. “Thanks, Apollo. I can help myself!”

“Apollo?” Baldur said, confused. “Do you not know your own brother?”

“This is why we must see Jupiter.” Hera held up her left hand, silencing Diana. “Things are not as they seem, but my husband should be able to advise exactly what.”

The five Goddesses and one God walked through the garden’s iron gate and down the stone steps to the Edge of Olympus. There they took the Ethereal Escalator down the side of the mountain, to reach the Nile. And moored on the Nile, with polished wood and gold gleaming magnificently in the sunshine, waited the Hringhorni, known to all as the greatest ship ever built.

Baldur smiled with pride as he helped the Goddesses on board. His smile quickly left when he saw Adonis standing on the deck. Amunet took hold of Adonis’ arm, and walked him inside the boat. She glanced back over to Baldur with a smirk. Aphrodite noticed the strange glances that were being offered around.

“You cannot compete with Adonis, Baldur.” Aphrodite walked inside with the now gloomy God. “As I cannot with Amunet. This is their time of the year together.”

“Still,” Baldur perked himself up. “We have a journey and a feast ahead of us. I’m sure somebody else will take Amunet’s place within my heart.”

This is the third part to the new Legendary Circles story. The previous parts are on the Storylines page.

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Fallen Toast

Diana pondered as she ate her toast.

She knew something was amiss, but couldn’t put her finger on it. Why would the others think I’m in the wrong place? she thought as she took another bite. I’ve always been here. Yet something was definitely out of place.

Amunet entered the kitchen in a foul rage. “He’s done it again!” She slammed a slice of bread into the toaster and pulled down the lever, almost breaking the device completely.

“Now now, Amu. Please be calm!” Diana offered, gently. Amunet scowled. “That’s better.” Diana smiled. “Who’s done what, dear?”

“HIM!” Amunet huffed. “That OAF! I’d love to stick two fingers up…”

“Up what, dear?” Diana took another bite.

“Up his oversized nostrils, that’s what!” Amunet was not being calm.

“Whose nostrils, dear? Breathe gently and deeply. In through your nose and out through…”

“I KNOW how to breathe, Diana!” Amunet shouted as her toast popped out of the toaster and high into the air. She missed it when she went to grab it, and it landed on the floor. In rage, she slammed another slice of bread into the toaster and pulled down the lever again, with an audible growl.

“Five second rule, dear!” Diana said, lifting Amunet’s slice of toast off the floor. “If you don’t want it, I’ll have it!” Amunet blew breath out from her pursed lips, and counted to ten as she did so. “Feeling better, dear? Good.” Diana smiled as she watched Amunet nod. “Now, who’s done what?”

Amunet’s face turned crimson once again. “Him!” Her slice of toast popped into the air again, and she missed it once more. “Baldur!”

“Baldur?” Diana was confused. “Who is Baldur? Do I know him?” She picked up the second slice of toast.

“Are you feeling alright, Diana?” Amunet’s tone softened. “You seem a little out of sorts… not quite yourself as it were.”

“Why do you say that?” Diana asked, now beginning to doubt her very existence.

“No reason. Of course you know Baldur! He’s lived here in the Lap for as long as we have!” Diana’s expression remained blank. Amunet knew, however, that behind that blank expression, Diana’s mind was overloading; Amunet could see the strain deep in Diana’s eyes. “The God of music and medicine? Blond, muscular, good-looking – if you like large nostrils, that is.” Finally, Amunet saw a spark.

“Oh, you mean Apollo?!” Diana watched Amunet’s face contort in confusion.

“Apollo? No Baldur.” Both Goddesses looked at each other with the same confused expression for a couple of seconds, until Diana started to chew again.

Athena walked into the kitchen. “Are you not ready yet, Diana? The horses are.”

“Horses?” Amunet asked.

“Yes, we’re going to see Jupiter in Atlantis. Something isn’t quite right. Aphrodite had a dark vision in her mirror, and I have a feeling Diana shouldn’t be here. She isn’t right.”

“I’ve just said that to her myself!” Amunet smiled, as Diana momentarily stopped chewing. “And she is eating toast off the floor without butter. Something is definitely amiss. I will see Jupiter with you.”

This is the second part to the new Legendary Circles story. Part One is in the Storylines page.

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Reverence Ep.7: Loaded Breakfast

Æthelstan burped loudly.

He’d been seated in the largest throne-like chair Ursulondix could find in the tavern, and at the head of the table. Hempsty had been seated at the opposite end of the table, and Gemevere and Katherine in the middle, opposite each other. On the table empty plates were scattered, with only a few scraps of food left on a couple of them.

“This waarn’s gorgeous!” Gemevere said after finishing her third glass, her lips turning almost as red as the fluid she’d swallowed. Her cheeks weren’t far behind, colour-wise.

“I heartily agree!” Hempsty agreed.

Æthelstan finished his tankard of ale in one gulp, burped once again, and slumped headfirst onto a plate on the table in front of him. He snored loudly. Katherine rolled her eyes and looked at Gemevere. “So noble.” She smirked, noticing Gemevere do the same.

“Ready for a refill, dears?” Ursulondix dashed out of the room in the back, carrying her large carafe. “Ooh. I think the king’s had enough!”

“It’s bin quart a mornin'” Gemevere slurred. “G’wan then, Ah’ll ‘ave another glass… ferth’ roard.” She thumbed toward the door.

“I certainly don’t mind having another glass as well.” Hempsty said, offering his glass to Ursulondix. Katherine put her glass into the middle of the table to be refilled without saying anything. Ursulondix filled their glasses and left the room again.

After the fourth glass, the three travellers who had remained awake started to feel considerably woozy.

“I say, we cannot travel to Nottingham just yet.” Hempsty said, trying to stand.

“Naw. Best sit ‘ere an’ wairt fer us to sorber up.” Gemevere flicked a grape she’d found on the table over towards Katherine. Katherine didn’t notice as she was sat back in her chair, looking up to the ceiling.

“Ready for a refill, dears?” Ursulondix dashed out of the room in the back, carrying her large carafe. “Ooh. I think the king’s had enough!”

“It’s bin quart a mornin'” Gemevere slurred. “G’wan then, Ah’ll ‘ave another glass… ferth’ roard.” She thumbed toward the door.

“I certainly don’t mind having another glass as well.” Hempsty said, offering his glass to Ursulondix. Katherine put her glass into the middle of the table to be refilled without saying anything. Ursulondix filled their glasses and left the room again.

After the fifth glass, the three travellers who had remained awake started to feel overpoweringly woozy.

“I say, we cannot travel to Nottingham just yet.” Hempsty said, trying to stand.

“Naw. Best sit ‘ere an’ wairt fer us to sorber up.” Gemevere flicked a raisin she’d found on the table over towards Katherine. The raisin bounced off her left shoulder, but Katherine didn’t notice.

“Ready for a refill, dears?” Ursulondix dashed out of the room in the back, carrying her large carafe. “Ooh. I think the king’s had enough!”

“It’s bin quart a mornin'” Gemevere slurred. “G’wan then, Ah’ll ‘ave another glass… ferth’ roard.” She thumbed toward the door, whilst at the same time biting her lip.

“I certainly don’t mind having another glass as well.” Hempsty said, offering his glass to Ursulondix. Katherine put her glass into the middle of the table to be refilled without saying anything. Ursulondix filled their glasses and left the room again.

After the sixth glass, the three travellers who had remained awake started to feel queasy. Katherine pulled a couple of chairs closer to her and lay across the three of them. She was asleep in seconds.

“I say, we cannot travel to Nottingham just yet.” Hempsty said, trying to stand.

“Naw. Best sit ‘ere an’ wairt fer us to sorber up.” Gemevere flicked another grape she found toward Hempsty, which splattered on his chest.

“What in…?” Hempsty tried to stand again, wiping down his chest whilst looking at Gemevere.

“Sommat’s goin’ on.” Gemevere whispered. She thumbed to the room at the back. She mouthed the word ‘poisoned’ to Hempsty, and then grabbed herself by the throat with her left hand. She stuck out her tongue, widened her eyes and quickly nodded her head back and forth.

“Outrageous!” Whispered Hempsty, realising what was happening.

“Ready for a refill, dears?” Ursulondix dashed out of the room in the back, carrying her large carafe. “Ooh. I think the king and the lassie have had enough!”

“It’s bin quart a mornin'” Gemevere slurred. “G’wan then, Ah’ll ‘ave another glass… ferth’ roard.” She thumbed toward the door.

“I certainly don’t mind having another glass as well.” Hempsty said, offering his glass to Ursulondix. Ursulondix filled their glasses and left the room again.

Gemevere smelled the wine. There was a metallic odour which she hadn’t noticed before, and a strong smell of sulphur. Hempsty noticed the same. Gemevere looked around the room for somewhere she could pour the wine. She noticed a potted plant on the ledge behind Æthelstan’s chair, but as she stood to walk over to it the wall at the front on the tavern tore open. Wooden beams and bricks were pulled outwards by powerful claws. A bright yellow flame burst in through the hole, followed by the head of a red dragon.

“Ooh ‘eck!” Gemevere shouted as she and Hempsty both dived for cover behind the table.

***

This is the seventh part in the Reverence storyline. The previous six parts can be found in my Storylines menu.