Harmonious_Echos

Aaaaaaahhh! I finally reached page TWO! 🤣😂 I am currently re-writing this story into book format to see if it's worth it to try self-publishing it... it's fun (and also kinda embarrassing) to note how much my written "voice" has changed in this story from the start to the present. Definitely some skill growth in the last 10 years... I hope I can keep the story consistent and not lose the original charm it held for me, as I go. I'd like to LIKE my work. 🤔😆 Thanks for all your support! (Aimed generally in the direction of any helpful lizardy or non-lizardy readers lurking around this area)

Small red and brown birds fluttered in the branches of the massive fruit tree which stood beside the inn. Granny Jak waited for them under the tree, thumping a short wooden cane on the trunk every now and then, to drive away the birds from the fruit. She immediately took charge of Kyir, her old wrinkled face beaming as she saw his new blanket and shirt. Holding Kyir securely, she trotted off down the path and motioned for Harmony and Muse to follow. The path was hard to manage here, harder than Harmony had expected; it was lumpy and uneven, and between the clumps of grassy earth, Harmony spotted ancient worn bricks, too large to have been placed by hand. More of these huge bricks circled the roots of the fruit tree, and around the edges of the garden; it appeared these places were intentionally meant to stay open for growing things. As Granny, Muse, and Harmony walked past the inn and towards the castle, the castle appeared at first to float, and then recede from them; Harmony realized it was much larger than she had first thought, and much farther away–and surrounded by warm air currents, which gave it the illusion of flying. Nothing in Grebefal is how it seems, she thought. The buildings and roads are too old for the people living in it...it’s an old fashioned village, yes, but strictly kept so, in spite of evidence of some kind of higher technology here. It’s guarded by a mere handful of men...and yet it has a high, thick wall and strong gate for protection. But against what? Harmony had not seen anything out in the forest that had warranted such protective measures; for that matter, she had not seen any animal life of any kind, besides the fish in the stream. On top of it all, there were no mages in the town, in spite of a powerful undercurrent of mana which she felt coursing through the place. It was like the town had been fabricated, built for some other purpose, by other people, and then abandoned for some reason, empty buildings and sculpted gardens, left to the elements until the people of Grebefal had appeared, and settled down there. And none of that explained the enigma of the Lord himself. Grebe, Harmony thought. That’s the name of a wild bird, from MY homeworld. Why does a resident Lord of this world have a name from mine? After a short walk, Harmony, Muse, and Kyir arrived at the protecting wall of the large, tired-looking castle; it wasn't a large town, in spite of the immense size of all of the structures. Only a few of the massive houses stood between the town wall gate and the castle itself, looking oddly like they had been arranged beforehand, and then placed there by a giant unseen hand. As they passed through the protecting wall, they heard the sounds of the iron forge; it was apparent it was inside the wall itself–or at least, the entrance to it was. They heard hammers ringing on anvils, and steam and hot metallic odors blew upward from an open staircase set deep into the thick wall. Somewhere within, a reddish light glowed fiercely. They passed this by, and came out the other side of the wall into the sun again. Here Granny left them. “Ye won’t be needin’ me naw. Th’ castle’s door is straight ahead. Jist follow th’ path an ye can’ git lost.” She passed the baby to Harmony and waved farewell, after giving Kyir’s cheek a final gentle stroke of her browned finger. As they drew closer to the castle, the dust and dirt covering the path wore away, perhaps swept by the strong wind which seemed to circle the castle. Beneath the dust and grime of the path, a hard, shining, dark stone stood out, the same stone which appeared to have formed the castle; it was different from the hard, muddled grey color of the stone in the town. The structure of the castle itself was a simple one; a huge, single, circular tower, looking a bit like some sort of fat root vegetable set upside-down. Small slit-like windows pocked the squat lower half, which rose as smoothly from the ground, as if it had grown there. The walls narrowed, becoming an increasingly smaller circle, as it rose higher. At the top, it was smooth-walled with no more windows or other obstructions, finished by a tower top with a jagged wall. Above that wall sprung a single flagpole with a large green, tan, and dark brown banner, which flapped vigorously in the wind. The symbol on the banner stood out, easy to see; a trio of green leaves dancing on a curved, pale tan stripe, surrounded by brown. Harmony thought it looked like leaves in the wind. Wind–there certainly was a lot of it. The closer they came to the castle gate, the harder the wind blew, and the stones grew less and less dusty, more gleamingly polished. Neil Jaksson stood just inside the large iron gated-tunnel to the inside, his hair tostled. Apparently, he had been asked to bring them in. He looked as suspicious of them as ever, but smiled when Kyir let out a soft sneeze as the wind flapped a bit of fabric over his face. Neil cleared his throat awkwardly and then stated stiffly, "Th' Lord knows you're here. Come on in, I'm to bring you to speak to Master Jer. I think they want ter know what yer doin’ in Grebefal, seen’ as we don't get many Mages round here." Muse grinned again at his awkwardness, her pointed ears lifting with her smile. "Have we done something wrong, my good sir?" Her eyes glittered as she stared him down. Neil flushed a little, and looked away. "Well, ah, naw...no. Anyway, come on. Master Jer's awaitin'." Harmony hitched Kyir up a little higher on her shoulder--he was getting sleepy and warm. They walked through the thick wrought-iron gate, down a short hallway, and stepped over a thick, raised doorway onto a straw floor. This was obviously some sort of stable; a covered lamp hanging nearby gave the only light, here, and the sounds of several animals stamping and chewing came from the darkness beyond it. A smell of fresh straw and grain feed rose from somewhere nearby. Beside the entry, a long wooden stairway led upwards to another floor, indicated by a strong-beamed wooden ceiling high above them. Neil led them up these stairs, between a curved wooden inner wall and the stone of the outer wall. Next they crossed a short landing, and then climbed a second flight of stairs. This floor of this part of the castle had stone for the flooring, both ceiling (or the first floor) and floor of the second; it was all made of the same thick stone blocks as the outer walls, laid in a manner Harmony had never seen before. The edges of the stones were laid so smoothly and skillfully, that it almost appeared to be one solid piece of stone; only the natural patterns showed that these were separate sections. No mortar was used, only paper-thin lines of some golden metal, surrounding all of the blocks. From the pattern of the blocks, it appeared that both the ceiling of the first floor, and the flooring of the second, were made of the same stone; Harmony marveled at how these huge blocks of stone stayed up so high, without any beams–or any apparent support, at all. The rooms and walls in the second floor were also stone, here, and the doors appeared to be some type of dark metal; none were solid, but made of a finely wrought iron pattern, covered from the inside with fabric for privacy. Torch sconces stood at intervals, making bright pools of light on the dark stone. The top two steps of the staircase were the same stone; and no other stairway was visible here, only a short hallway ending with a large double door. Neil waved them forward into this door, which opened into a largish triangular room. Whitewashed walls and a thick rug of pale green, gave it a homey feeling, and a light green curtain fluttered over the tiny window, which was set open to catch the breeze. Vases of flowers set on small tables along the walls, and soft upholstery decorated a set of twelve large, long benches set on either side, leaving an aisle between them. At the front of the room, on a slight platform, a wooden podium was pushed off to one side. This was obviously a chapel of some kind. Harmony and Muse sat down on one of the benches, and Neil left them, closing the door gently. They heard his footsteps echoing as he descended the stairs again. A soft cough drew their attention; Harmony started, and Muse snickered softly; Kyir murmured in his baby-voice. Harmony hugged him close. A thin, gray-looking man was sitting in a chair just beyond the podium, off to one side, slightly in shadow. His hair was gray, eyes were gray, clothes were gray; even his voice sounded gray, soft and round and withered, when he spoke. "I am Master Jer. I assist the Lord in all duties related to the village and visitors from afar. May I ask what you and your--(here he paused and glanced from Harmony to Muse) small companion are seeking, here in Grebefal?" Harmony glanced at Muse too, as if to check that she hadn't suddenly changed shape. She hadn't. "We are simply seeking shelter and directions, and a temporary livelihood, sir. I am a mage, and I have been working as a magic researcher. I believe that we came to be here through a magical malfunction of some kind. My servant and I were stranded in the nearby mountains yesterday, and have lost a good portion of our memories, and I was not able to discover our whereabouts through magical means. I was pregnant, I had my son, while we were in the forest. Grebefal was the nearest place to us, so we came here, hoping to find assistance." Master Jer nodded quietly, as if this was what he had expected to hear. "I see. And do you expect to move on from here? There are larger cities and other countries, where much greater knowledge than ours prevails. I had heard from Jaksson that you wished to stay?" Harmony smiled. "Yes, if we could. I have some money, and Muse and I would like to spend some time resting and learning about this place...you see, at the moment, neither of us can remember anything of this world, or its cities and countries. I would be willing to pay for a residence here, or perhaps pay through tasks which are suited to us, if that is preferable to coin? Muse is adept at writing and music, and I am a healer as well as a mage." Master Jer smiled back, showing rounded gray teeth in his round, gray face. "Grebefal is indeed in need of a mage, and the Lord offers his most sincere greetings to you both. It is good that you wish to stay; we can offer you one of four small residences in our town in which to live, or you are welcome to stay at the inn until you wish to leave, if you can pay. It is the custom for newcomers to Grebefal to spend coin for the first full year of residency here, to help our town's economy. We can allow you to perform small magical tasks for coin, or sell items at market; but for purchasing items, wether it be a home or food, coin is definitely preferable. Once your year is up, you may trade tasks for items directly, or make coinless trades." He lifted a gray satchel from behind the chair and opened it, lifting out four pale pages of parchment. Harmony could see writing on it, dark against the pages. "Here are the four options for your perusal. I will not make light of this; Grebefal has been wishing for a Mage and a healer to move here, for quite some time. Your presence here is most welcome. Please let us know through Master Jaksson which residence your party will be needing as soon as you are able. Until then, I wish you a most pleasant rest of your day." Master Jer rose like a smooth column of smoke, and wafted across the room to where Harmony and Muse sat. He handed the four pages to Harmony and bowed, then indicated the door. "Captain Jaksson will see you out."

I'm sad it took me so long to find this! That was really a sweet story. It could easily be made into a bigger one, too, or be an intro to a whole other story... I love that.

Sometimes.... it's as simple as a facial feature. I have a smallish creature child who also stares with deep and disturbingly intense dislike at certain people, for no apparent reason. I find it highly amusing, myself, and hope they are not offended by my child's apparent need to express dark and dangerous desires through murderous gazes...then again, sometimes people just LOOK FUNNY. I find many people do, myself included. 😆🤣

Not kidding, this looks really fun! I would definitely try getting or somehow crafting your own set and trying out the play style first, but after that maybe you could pitch it to Hasbro since this sounds awesome. And for a name, I'd go with just "Scoundrel" or "Modern Scoundrel"? It fits with the cards and the more modern take on the game. I LOVE all the ideas you had here & if you need any help creating art for the game board or the cards, let me know. I'd love to help.

Well, yeah. Floe is 14, escaping assassins and an arranged marriage by fleeing through city sewers... in a post-apocalyptic world where 90% of the earth's human population is contained in a densely-populated, roofed, & climate-controlled city, approximately the size of the state of Alaska. People inside the city are governed by the Officers, a police style Oligarchy/Monarchy controlled by a few ruling families, the leader of which is called the Supreme High Officer. Floe is the Supreme High Officer's daughter, and his bloodline's only heir ...in spite of having several concubines. This is due to a cocktail of war-related toxins in the 'outside' environment, which have faded over time... World War 5 had combined all nations into one, and the total human population was significantly reduced by war; almost all the earth's landmass was uninhabitable, and so with what specialized medicine and technology they had, the survivors of that great war produced the domed city, built its system of government and made it self-sufficient, and attempts were made to increase fertility rates. While increasing fertility didn't work, they did discover and develop a DNA-coating elixer, that greatly lengthened the lifespan of the current population, in order to allow humanity to produce more children over time. With this came a great drive to produce children, and women came to be married as soon as they 'came fertile' due to social pressures to increase population and squash the low birth rates. It has been 27,500 years, and the population of the City has finally begun to bounce back. However, so many of the original settlers have passed on that no one remains who knows how the city came to be built, and things like science, technology, and medicine have become very limited. (Think "roman empire" type levels of civilization and technology). No one still living has the capability of telling who will be fertile and who won't be; so due to the social pressure to be fertile and produce heirs, women are socially forced to immediately marry and become mothers as soon as they are physically able. Men, too, are expected to be fertile, so if a man cannot produce children, they lose much of their social standing. If they are wealthy, they can take on concubines and attempt to produce an heir this way; some adopt a lower class family's child as their own. If the person, male or female, is lower class and infertile, however, they run the risk of being proclaimed Nameless, or 'a Non-Fertile'. These are people who are city citizens, but are legally permitted only a first name, and who are sold into slavery or made indentured servants of the ruling classes, since they are considered near-worthless for anything but manual labor. Floe's never thought much about those things, though. She's had loads of formal training to be a ruler, since she would be expected to be the next supreme officer (it is an ungendered role). However, as a female, she would also be expected to take on a high-society concubine and bear heirs herself, for her family's name and bloodline to be passed on...basically forcing herself to be repeatedly impregnanted by as many men as will bed her, to raise her chances of having a child. Yet, in many ways, she's still a child herself. Now she's running from the assassins sent by the next-highest ruling family, who have already murdered her mother, her father, and kidnapped several of the other concubines, with plans to remove her bloodline all together, and elect someone from their family as Supreme High Officer. She's dressed in dirty castoff rags, and she's just been shoved down an ancient tube-style drain in the side of a building, meant for food waste and large piles of street filth. She's the princess of her realm, and she's now in the nation of rats...and the rat-catching Orphans, a race of strange, mutated humans who somehow survived and thrived outside the city, who came into the city sewers through the gated doors outside the sewers; who live in what is now becoming once again, a beautiful, natural world--remade by war, reborn as a new Eden. A world Floe, and all of her generation, have never seen, heard of, or ever dreamt of.... (Feel free to use this idea if you like. I will be using it too, though, so be forewarned...)

Sorry... I totally got stuck on thinking "What scars would the F-bomb make?" 🤣😂 ANYWAYS I would totally use this (what you wrote) as the premise of a story, I could see it being a good one, too, if I knew a bit more about science maybe? Definitely a fun start.

Floe lifted a hand in front of her face. In the darkness she pictured her hand, lifted like a dancer's, soft and white and slender, gracefully tilted at the wrist; tried to picture it moving, wriggling her fingers in front of her face to see if she could see them. Then something thick and sticky plopped from the ceiling onto her hand and slid off, leaving a greasy, smelly trail. She retched and shuddered, attempting frantically to wipe it off on her clothes. That made it worse, of course; the rags she wore smelled horrid too, and she felt a faint sensation of crawling on her skin which she was desperately trying to ignore. The darkness was like a heavy blanket, weighty and black over her eyes, making it impossible to use them at all. She'd have relied on hearing, but all around her she heard soft squeaks and scurrying, the occasional plip-plops of dampness dripping from above, and the rumbles and whooshes of sewage systems above, carrying waste downward into the tunnels. Alone, one of those sounds might have been easy to pinpoint; but together they made an almost overwhelming din of sound, a low roar, not loud, but continuous, blurring each of the echoes into more echos, again, and again, and again. It never stopped. Floe remembered how she had been thinking it would be very quiet in the sewer system, compared to the city above. How wrong she'd been! There was no silence here. This was no calm, hidden place. This darkness was ALIVE.

A sharp, cold sunshine fell across the dusty hearth when Harmony awoke. The fire had been allowed to die down to a few glowing coals, hidden deep in white ash; the morning air smelled of wood smoke and sheep and herbs, and a rusty tang of iron, from the forges. A small, thin boy sat by the door, a wooden bowl in hand, staring at Harmony with dark, deep-set eyes. Muse and Kyir were nowhere to be seen. Harmony reached out a mental thread; there they were, outside, with Agatha in the garden. Harmony felt the breeze caress Muse's fine hair. She drew back and sat up, feeling hungry and confident; she felt they had a good chance of staying here, in Grebefal, until she could figure out how to rebuild the link which had transported them both here. World-bridges were complex, but also simple; a mere thought while sleeping or a dream could have brought them here, although Harmony couldn't guess what had caused her to stay--or be buried in the crypt, pregnant... so many questions; it was high time she found some answers. Agatha entered the room like a soft summer thunderstorm, carrying 5 baskets at once, as if the weighed nothing at all, and began busily putting away various herbs and foodstuffs into basket-drawers, crocks, and jars on the far wall of the room. While she did that, Muse handed Kyir to Harmony; he nuzzled at her, and she gave him his breakfast, grinning at the soft greedy grunts and wriggles he made. Such a soft, funny thing he is....and so sweet, in a baby way. Harmony felt a little pang of anger and hurt at the thought of waking up pregnant, not knowing why or how, but she snatched the thought and pushed it deep down. This little one didn't deserve such feelings. It's not his fault, and he's mine. I won't let anyone hurt you, she thought. Even if I was hurt by someone, to get you. Muse nodded in agreement from across the room, behind Agatha's back. He's innocent, there's not a single bad bone in that child's body. Some strange magic, to be sure--but no darkness. Agatha, finished with her chore, turned and smiled at Harmony. "Up now, are you? I would guess you will be wanting some breakfast before you go to the Lord's court. Help yourself to food; there's bread on the table in the dining room, and fruit. When ye come back there'll be stew and mash, if you're hungry then. You've paid me finely and I don't mind sharing our provisions, since ye seem to be needing it." Harmony smiled "My thanks, Agatha. I will, I'm a mite hungry right now. Do you know if there are rules I should remember about approaching the Lord? I have heard only that Grebefal is ruled by this Lord, I don't even know a name... Lord what?" Agatha nodded and grimaced slightly, her gentle face showing her consternation. "The Lord prefers his anonymity–it’s likely you won't even see him. His name is Lord Grebe, he has requested we all just call him “Lord”. Everything in Grebefal is handled by his two staff, the Lord's Hands, Master Jer, the butler, and the head housekeeper, Madam Fyn. There's only two castle maids and they handle everything else. The only one who sees the Lord besides those, is Neil Jaksson, the guard captain. He gets his orders and makes a report to the Lord once a week." Harmony remembered the tall, thin, dark-hared man from the gate, with his sharp features and suspicious gaze. He didn't seem the type to give out any information, to be sure. Harmony guessed she would have to speak with the butler. Muse fetched her a hunk of bread and a soft, round reddish-yellow fruit with a creamy taste; Kyir finished nursing, and Harmony changed the soiled the downy-fluff liner of the diaper he had been packed into. Silently, she blessed Granny Jak for giving her an ample supply of the stuff. Muse carried it outside to the compost, with a wrinkled nose. Harmony recruited Agatha’s help to teach Harmony to pin a new diaper on; it took Harmony a few tries, and her diapering skills were nowhere near Granny’s level of expertise, but she got it to work, finally. Not without a few finger-pokes, which she healed surreptitiously. Then she wrapped Kyir in a section of her cloak again, and then Muse rolled up and put all of their new clothing and other various belongings into a wide fabric bag Agatha provided. Next, Agatha showed them the way to a room on the upper floor; this room was large and clean, with white-washed walls and a high ceiling, and had two large, many-paned glass windows which stood open to the sun. Each had a heavy curtain of tan fabric, pulled off to one side. Two heavy wooden beds with thick mattresses, pillows, and coverlets, stood against the walls; beside one, a large woven basket had been set up as a baby-bed. A small wooden desk sat between the beds along the far wall, with a candelabra, mirror, and stationary-box arranged on top. In the center of the room, a small table and two chairs sat, decorated with a vase of small flowers, looking festive and sweet. A large woven rug covered the cold floorboards, and behind a privacy-screen sat a large, low wooden tub, meant for bathing in, along with a stack of towels, and buckets for hot water. At the foot of each bed stood a small chest, made for clothes storage. Harmony took it all in with a sense of deep gratitude, and a little pang of chagrin; Agatha clearly didn’t know how simple and easy summoning those gold coins had been, for Harmony. She had worked hard to make the place lovely, and had made sure the room had everything they would need to support them, all in one place. Agatha gave them a nod and left them, and Muse helped Harmony unroll the clothing out on the beds. There were long fabric leggings and new shoes for each of them, made of some sort of brushed suede. For Harmony, there was a short, light outdoor work dress, a long, deep-brown formal dress with a corset and petticoats, and a night-dress. For Muse, there was a nightdress and a sturdy, un-ornamented everyday dress. A carryall and wide leather belt for Muse; a large, soft shawl and wide brimmed hat for Harmony. And for Kyir, a long, soft shirt with a drawstring to close it at the feet; a soft blanket, and a tall stack of diapers and fine silver pins. Harmony carefully dressed Kyir in the shirt and swaddled him in the blanket, then helped sort and fold the clothing, and laid their outfits out on the beds while Muse carried buckets of water up to the tub. First Harmony, and then Muse, had a quick, cold-water wash; then, cleaned, fed, and dressed in their fine new clothing, they started out for the castle.

Aga'te--or Agatha, as she introduced herself, in a refined tone--was a tall, strong-looking woman with an air of genteel nobility, in spite of her plain linen shift and bare feet. She opened the half-door and stood aside to let them in, and Harmony nearly tumbled headfirst into the straw flooring. She was totally and completely exhausted. Agate took one look at the coin she offered and stretched out a steadying hand to Harmony. "Upstairs are our finest beds, my Lady, but the climb is steep and you appear to be weary. Would you allow me to offer you a bed by the fire for now?" Harmony nodded and pressed the coin in her hand, too tired to do more than cling to Kyir in his basket and sink onto a nearby bench. Her eyes swam and Muse held onto her arm, concerned. "Harm...ony? Are you all right? Let me take Kyir. I'll feed him if he wakes. You need sleep!" ..... Her voice separated into several voices, and her figure multiplied, sounding and looking like an odd bunch of mirror Muses...then faded as Harmony's hearing blurred and her vision faded to black.....safe and warm, fears eased, and baby attended to, she slumped forward into a fainting sleep. ~~~~~ A huge, pale wave rose high before her eyes... higher and higher until it crashed down on her, covering her with a fine white powder which ran and dripped like a liquid. The sky was dark, and full of blazing stars, unfamiliar stars... and beyond the wave, a thick blackness rose, soft as fur and black as the antithesis of all light. From within it, near the top, two of the stars in the sky now moved, gleamed, blinked, and became eyes, focused intensely on her... She felt a deep distrust, but no animosity or anger, emanating from those eyes. She felt an odd longing, and a powerful curiosity to see what creature owned those eyes... that soft, luxurious blackness... the ruler somehow, of this scene of burning stars, hard, blue night, and this moonless, dusty, bone-white landscape.... Suddenly Muse stood beside her, in her elf-like form, carrying something that looked like a weapon in her hand. She seemed to recognize this creature and flung the weapon at it, which flew from her hand in a stream of silver light. Harmony felt a sharp pain in her own chest as the weapon struck the creature. Light from the weapon spread through the creature like flash-flame, burning upwards and outwards, leaving a hole, a nothing, a soundless and scentless erasure of existance, burning, burning, burning.... BURNING Harmony smelled fire, and something else. She opened her eyes and felt a sharp stinging pain; she slapped at it and the pain eased. She was on a cot beside the hearthfire, and an ember from the fire had landed on her throat and had been burning her. Looking around, she saw Muse staring at her oddly, rocking in a chair a few paces away, holding Kyir who was happily suckling on her thumb. Did you see that? Harmony thought at her, picturing the dream-scape she'd seen. Muse nodded. Yes, I was beside you, came the reply. I don't know what that was, but it didn't want you. It wanted Kyir. It was pulling you closer, and you were pulling Kyir closer.... I felt its hunger and struck to drive it off, but I think I may have killed it. Harmony sighed. Just what she needed... another mystery. She closed her eyes. I'm going back to sleep, she thought. Mused grinned. You do that.

Hmmm.... or maybe running water (topic 1) actual, magical, and supernatural equines (topic 2) and a group of teetotallers (aka designated drivers), for the last one... 🤣

Welp, that's proper terrifying.... I like it though 😈

Just throwing out a few of the ideas that keep pestering me (Muse, stop that! I have work to do!) ~A young girl from an abusive 'reality' becomes a lucid dreamer and discovers a way to telepathically communicate with beings on other planets; At first she thinks she is still dreaming, but they give her "proof" by changing her circumstances (kind of like a sci-fi redoux of Matilda?)... ~A little boy wanders off from a family picnic and falls into a mysterious pool that transforms him into an ant. He discovers that the ants have a whole life and community and world down among the rubbish beneath a pine tree, and even strange magical powers which make him question the whole idea of human freedom... ~A girl discovers she can produce portals into other planes of existence, and has to learn to use them in order to stop her powers from turning her whole 'plane' inside out and destroying everyone & everything she knows. (on one of these planes she befriends a massive 12 foot tall white otter named Finx. It helps her discover the tools to repair other bridges of worlds, and move on to the next plane). .. ~a mother in a town about to be destroyed by a volcano has a prophetic dream about the destruction of her entire town. She attempts to tell everyone but gets jeered out of meetings and laughed out of the town hall and finally sent to an asylum for treatment since they all think she's crazy. Her children discover she's right and use newfound super powers to rescue thier totally sane mother before the town gets destroyed. They don't make it in time, though, and everyone is buried beneath the ash and gas clouds, and the children have the tough choice to either save everyone and show thier powers, or hide them and escape with thier mother. The mother helps them decide... ...will add more as I think of them... Feel free to use or to add more!

Harmony glanced at Muse, who was busying herself with a hard roll from the basket Granny had passed to her. They were now seated at the table; Kyir was snoozing peacefully in a reed basket, covered in some odd white and brown downy material, which Granny had called "Waterwort fur". Harmony hadn't known where to start on thier story to Granny; so she had started with the simplest version she could. "We are from a country called Joei, and I don't know how we got here...I'm a mage, where we come from. I was asleep, and then awoke and found myself pregnant and alone in a cave in the mountains with Muse. We found our way out and I had the baby outside on the mountain. We just want a place to stay and we don't mean anyone any harm. Could I find work in Grebefal? Do you need a mage here?" Granny looked Harmony up and down, as if she was assessing a horse or a cow. "Well, we've no Mage here, but I dinna what we've need of one fer. Unless someone gits in some fearsome way. We coulda used ya a few years back when ma house caught afire. Ma sweet Bertie passed after that fire." Granny's eyes softened and she turned away for a moment. Then she coughed and cleared her throat. "Ye, well, I reckon it'd be right fine to have a mage in Grebefal for a time, if ye'r fixin to stay. But y'll have ta see the Lord and git ye an order and a room claim so's you can set up shop. I kin take ye there in the mornin'. For now I'll take ye ower to the inn." Harmony nodded. "Thank you, Granny Jak. That would be much appreciated." Harmony rummaged a moment in the folds of her cloak and pulled out the wand. "Might I offer you some payment for your help? Is there something I might help you with?" Granny eyed the wand. "Mayhaps. Kin ye fix that old shutter-strap on the high window there? I'm a mite too short to reach 't, an I like bein' able to close it after I look out." Harmony raised the wand and focused. The leather strap wriggled, stretched, looped itself over and tied to the window-handle, then around the large nail above; then grew down, down, down to coil on the floor, a leather rope now, instead of just a broken strap. Granny eyed it, as if expecting it to leap at her like a snake. "that's mighty strange, but ye did fit 't. That's a good work ye do. Ye'll be in high demand with a skill like that." Harmony sighed. It had been such a long day, and hse was still feeling the effects of blood loss, the long hard ride, and now magical drain as well. "If there's anything else, Granny, I'd be glad to help. But I will need some time to renew the power I used. It isn't unlimited." Granny nodded "Ye, makes sense, that does. Well, let's go git ye and yer bunch a bed." She hopped up from her place and shooed them outside with surprising quickness. "Ower there. The big yellow house. That's our inn. It's closest t' Market and has more floors that t' rest. Hope you've coin though, or Aga'te will have ye sweepin up and muckin out for yer bed." Harmony nodded. She was too tired to explain that she could easily magic up money, if needed, besides which it probably wasn't a good idea to let too many people know she had such powers. So far, the people of Grebefal had been pleasant enough, but unlimited funds could, and often would, ruin anyone.

🤣 Yes, it has been every other year, how weird is that?! I feel old now... *cough* ANYWAY It was pretty odd, coming back and seeing "five years later".... and "three years later"... etc, on my posts. Embarrassing. But Muse and Harmony are very much still alive & kicking, so I'll keep going!

This story has really taken on a sort of "life of its own" I think... With Harmony becoming more and more her own character, and Muse as well, and adding in new characters.... and I'm wondering if I should continue to write it here, or take it and try to produce it, in a more formal sense. Opinions? It's definitely in need of a lot of polish and fleshing out, and it might take me another 10 years to complete, since (as we know) I take long breaks. Long, long breaks. But it's been really nice to write it here and see it grow into more than just a silly whim-post about myself (Yes, I actually WAS pregnant when I started this story). My army of small, semi-rabid monkeys has grown to 5 since the time I started this tale. Muse, however, abandoned me until very recently when I finally published that book. Now she's back, and much more solid than before, with helpful hints and a toothy grin.... but I digress. Either way I'll probably continue writing bits here from time to time, since I like it here. It's quiet and smells of old libraries and squirrels.

Up close, the dusty paths and small gardens were much, much larger. The houses, too. Harmony gazed around at the structures, wondering; second, third, and even fourth stories loomed awkwardly above them, looking very, very old. The massive foundation timbers were cut and sunk into solid rock, with a precision that hinted at a high level of engineering expertise, and tools that these people definitely didn't have. The walls greyed with age, and with sun--but no decay. Vines climbed over them, and the fruit trees wrapped hug limbs around the sides. These were houses for not just a family. "you could house a whole village in one of these!" Muse murmured, and Harmony agreed. The "spiked roof" house was the only house that showed some wear and tear; black sooty streaks down one side and a newer-looking roof, of thatch, not slate like the rest. It, too, was grey with age, but seemed not to have any other form of decay. The straw thatch stood up in a spiky edge, along the ridge. At one corner a clay chimney-pot rose through the thatch, and at the top of it, a large black bird sat, eyeing them. It croaked loudly and dived, and Muse stared as it seemed to vanish, diving down the chimney into the house. "How odd.." Harmony tapped on the heavy wooden door. A small window above it popped open with surprising quickness, and a tiny, withered face peered out. "What you want?" Harmony, taken aback, stared with mouth open; Muse grinned her wide grin and answered in her stead. "Are you Granny Jak? We've come with a new babe and a mother who needs a healer. We've come a long way, from over the mountain. Have you any heal spells or potions?" Granny Jak, for it was she, frowned. "Naw. I have herbs and poultices. And nawt for a babe. But for you-" (here she eye Harmony suspiciously) "For you I've briar tea, to help the milk come in, if you like. But you're in fine fettle; anyone can see that. Dunno why you'd call on an old lady and waste her time for nothing" The window slammed, and the door jerked open. The old woman stood staring up at them from Harmony's waist level, and Muse stifled a giggle; Harmony glared at her, because she heard full well the roars of laughter in her mind. "AHAHAHAHAHAHAHa......she's so short! And she looks like a bog-troll! I can't HELP it!" Granny eyed Muse sharply, and grasped Harmony by the hand, pulling her through the door. "come on. You need to let that babe suckle so's he can stop his whining. There's a seat in the kitchen. I'll fetch the tea." Harmony gratefully followed Granny Jak into the kitchen, and almost fell to her knees at the smell of fresh bread and savory stewed meat. Granny snorted and pushed her into a high-backed chair. "sit. Feed the babe. I'll get you and your little maidling something to eat and drink. Then I want to hear more about how you came here. You can pay me with your tale."

**Stares ominously** YOU ARE NOW MY FAVORITE DECORATION PREPARE THE CARBONITE

Wrote this one standing at my kitchen sink. (I wonder why....) My house is full of ghosties! You cannot see them there They leave thier dirty glasses And stinky underwear I make so many passes Round and round the house, They're louder than six elephants But shyer than a mouse! My house is full of ghosties! You'll never see them first, You'll see that all the lights are on, And piles of dirty shirts! My house is full of ghosties! They never seem to care Where there's a chore Or several more You'll never see them there. But bring out all the sweet things The drinks and things to eat Then suddenly they all appear! Consume, and then retreat... **These are the selfsame ghosties which love to leave dishes in my sink. Or rather, all over the house. IT NEVER ENDS *cries*

I have FINALLY managed to finish my book of poems and wanted to share that here... it is LARGELY thanks to this forum that I even have these to publish, some of which I wrote as far back as 1997. I'm very grateful to have had those written and archived here in a post I made, back in the "good old days" of MySpace and Yahoo messenger chats. So, without further ado; I introduce "Twilight Riddle, a book of neurodivergent poetry (and winged frogs)" I don't expect anyone to buy it, but if you ever see one at your local library, don't hesitate to check it out and have a chuckle at my expense. To all my Pen friends, gratefully, Helena J. Marfell https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/twilight-riddle-helena-marfell/1143987004?ean=9798855610208

*Muse busts down the door swinging a lamp like a weapon* NOPE NOT GONNA LEAVE, YOU CAN'T MAKE ME *transforms into giant toad & chains self to floor* SEE, I AM LEIA THE HUTT

(I never knew my grandpa well, and am now wondering what I may have missed!) My condolences for your loss? And nice to see you back again.

Harmony wanders in, followed by Muse, who sniffs around for the dust-bunny and pounces in corners, shrieking high-pitched gibberish. (Harmony ignores her) Loving this story; please don't stop! I immediately connected because of Scherezade and James in the tale, but I'd still appreciate it even if the names were different. Great to be back at the Mighty Pen. ❤️

Ugh. Gross amounts of money are for dragons, or miserable rich widows who stare morosely through tall dark windows in overly-elegant rose-colored bathrobes... The second place sounds nice, though. Too bad they couldn't actually help there! Sending comforting thoughts to Vibs, I too have felt the existential dread of the Ages on this side of the pendulum's swing. And I have a thing for frogs, obviously.

Muse was nearing the gates, now. They weren't gates really, more of an open arch guarded by four tired-looking, middle aged men with rusty polearms... no armor, not in this heat. Just dusty linen tunics and loose pants, stained brown from sweat & long wear. The length was too long on one; another's tunic pulled tight across his chest, slightly bunched at the armpits & hanging down at a comic angle. Hamony smiled. There was nothing threatening about this lot! Still, it was better to be cautious. One never knew what sort of traditions these villagers were accustomed to, or what their rules were about outsiders. Muse shook her mane. "Harmony. I have a feeling it's better if I don't transform here. What should I 'be' while we are here?" Harmony thought for a moment. "A cat would probably be good, but if I needed you to do things for me, it could raise questions... Can you do a normal-looking person?" "what is normal to you?" "Ah. Well, something similar to these people... or to me? But not an exact copy. A human or an elf, maybe, with skin the same as mine, and hair close to the same color?" Muse seemed to consider. Slowing to a halt, she knelt to allow Harmony to get off, and then trotted behind some nearby boulders for a moment. When she emerged, she was a small girl-child, an elf. She stood shoulder-height to Harmony, with pale, luminescent skin, long white hair, and Muse's classic purple eyes. Harmony grinned. "Do you ever get tired of white and purple?" Muse returned the look. "Well, no, but I CAN do other colors..." she snapped her fingers and her hair darkened a few shades, to a soft dusty blonde. Harmony gaped at her. "Muse, you can TALK!" "well, yes, when I need to. I prefer the rift-speech, mind to mind... but I can pretend?" Muse blinked her deep purple eyes, which faded to a soft lavender hue. "And I can't very well rift-speak to the villagers without raising questions about who we are..." Harmony nodded. "Yes, I'd rater not explain, since I don't even understand it all myself. If I can't, who could?" Muse snapped her fingers and clothed herself in a long linen tunic, like the guard's, but without ornamentation. "Needs something..." she looked around, then grasped some dry grass and twisted it. A rope belt & pair of simple sandals appeared, which she clumsily put on. Hamony giggled, hugging Kyir who had been quiet for the whole ride, asleep. Now he stirred with sleepy squeaks, and nuzzled at Harmony. "Muse, I think we might need to wait a bit before going in--Kyir needs to eat." Muse smiled a tiny bit too-toothily and glanced meaningfully at the guards at the gate. "If he's hungry, it's a good excuse to let us in, right?" "I suppose..." They approached the arch, sticking to the trail that emerged from the grass to wind up through the gate. Beside the trail, farm fields could be seen; some type of cluster shaped grain, and a small, deep red fruit, ones Harmony wasn't familiar with. A mouth-watering smell wafter from them, and Muse frowned. "Why does my body ache from the smell? It is pleasant, but it makes me hurt." "that's hunger, Muse. You aren't used to it, but in this form you must need to eat." Muse sighed. "And I suppose it would be bad form to eat those fruits...." Harmony smiled again. "Yes, at least until someone who works in the fields offers us some. They don't belong to us." As they approached the gate, the largest of the men snapped to attention and said "Halt!" Muse & Harmony stopped, waiting. The man sputtered a bit, as if he had expected them to pressure him, and had forgotten what to say if they complied. Harmony smiled at the man, and he blinked, then stared. "ER, excuse me, my lady. What brings you to Grebefal? There isn't much for a fine lady, to be found here..." One of his fellows approached him at this, a taller, younger man with a thin black beard & hair, studying them closely. "Vern, she's not a lady, look at her. What lady travels barefoot with nowt but a single servant and a mewling babe?" He frowned. "Where have you come from? You can't have come far, with those companions." He turned back to Vern. "we should take them to the castle, to see the --" He broke off as Kyir suddenly let out a hungry wail, flailing his tiny fists in the air. "Um. I mean, probably they need the inn..." Harmony nodded. "Yes, please. And is there a resident healer here? Or a mage?" The young man shook his head. "naw, Grebefal is too remote for such luxuries. We heal ourselves, mostly. There's Granny Jak, who does births and deaths. That's all." "May I see her, then?" He nodded, motioning them through the gate. "Yep. Second house on the north side. The one with the grey spiked roof 'n the raven on the chimney". Muse and Harmony walked through, looking around. Muse looked back at the guards and grinned at the dark-haired man. "What's your name?" He looked unnerved, but smiled back. "Neil Jaksson. Granny Jak's my Grandma. We're all related here, one way or another." Vern nodded, leaning against the wall "Yeah. I'm married to his sister 'n he's-" -here he motioned to the other two guardsmen- "-my sister's man, and our other brother. Kade and Hasren. We're here most days. Lord's orders." Harmony lifted the now-wailing Kyir to her shoulder. "Harmony and Muse, and this is Kyir. My thanks for the directions. I should go now, Kyir needs his meal and I am in need of a rest." The guards nodded and Muse cheerfully waved as they crossed the market-space and down the path, towards the first house.