The exercise:
I've been caught up on comments for long enough now.
Let us have one last visit to The Dream Kingdom.
Showing posts with label The Dream Kingdom. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The Dream Kingdom. Show all posts
Wednesday November 15th, 2017
The exercise:
Let us return to The Dream Kingdom, as it is time to put the pieces in place in preparation for next month's conclusion.
I won't be able to get to this for a couple days. Feel free to wait for me or to go ahead and I'll follow. I don't mind either way.
Let us return to The Dream Kingdom, as it is time to put the pieces in place in preparation for next month's conclusion.
I won't be able to get to this for a couple days. Feel free to wait for me or to go ahead and I'll follow. I don't mind either way.
Sunday October 8th, 2017
The exercise:
The first week of October kinda slipped by before I realized it, so let us return to The Dream Kingdom before any more days sneak past me.
Had a nice Thanksgiving dinner with my parents this evening. We roasted a whole chicken, did up some potatoes and yams and peas, and had some wine to go with it. It was good to have them here for the holiday.
We've got one more full day with them before they head for home Tuesday morning. Not looking forward to how the boys will take their departure.
Mine:
"I don't know how these people can wear this everyday," Dylan muttered as he tried to scratch an unreachable itch on his back. "I'm going to lose my mind and I've only been wearing this for ten minutes."
"They must only wear clothes outdoors and just walk around their homes naked," Olivia said, completely unaware of the effect her words had on her friends. "They can't possibly wear these outfits all day."
"At least your clothes fit properly," Josh pointed out from where he was lying on the cart. "Did you have to steal the clothes from a walking blimp?"
"These are an isolated, impoverished people," Nystor reminded them. "Magic is dangerously unreliable here. They have little to work with and do the best they can. Their lot is not their fault."
"Whatever." Dylan paused to try to reach the itch with his other hand. "All right. So remind me again what the plan is? I can't concentrate with all this itchiness going on all over the place."
"Does that mean you're going to get naked before this is all over?" Olivia asked with an arched eyebrow.
"Try to focus, children," Nystor cut in. "Our... informant, once he was fully recovered from his near suffocation, was quite useful. We now know that there was an unusual burst of activity at The Lighthouse shortly after King Brekstan was taken and that was followed by a steep increase in security. If the king is not being held here, The Islanders are doing a fine job of misdirection."
"Right," Dylan grunted.
"We already knew that the only approach to The Lighthouse has to be through the village of Sandsekt, which makes our current disguises highly necessary - especially with the tower's meteorite foundations. We cannot expect to be able to maintain any sort of magical disguise once we get within a few hundred feet of its gates."
"So we're just going to hope these will be okay?" Josh asked, patting the blanket between himself and Nystor that covered Olivia and Dylan's swords.
"Can't exactly go in there unarmed," Olivia countered.
"I think that's enough bickering for now," Nystor said with a poorly concealed sigh. "We are approaching the outskirts of the village."
The first week of October kinda slipped by before I realized it, so let us return to The Dream Kingdom before any more days sneak past me.
Had a nice Thanksgiving dinner with my parents this evening. We roasted a whole chicken, did up some potatoes and yams and peas, and had some wine to go with it. It was good to have them here for the holiday.
We've got one more full day with them before they head for home Tuesday morning. Not looking forward to how the boys will take their departure.
Mine:
"I don't know how these people can wear this everyday," Dylan muttered as he tried to scratch an unreachable itch on his back. "I'm going to lose my mind and I've only been wearing this for ten minutes."
"They must only wear clothes outdoors and just walk around their homes naked," Olivia said, completely unaware of the effect her words had on her friends. "They can't possibly wear these outfits all day."
"At least your clothes fit properly," Josh pointed out from where he was lying on the cart. "Did you have to steal the clothes from a walking blimp?"
"These are an isolated, impoverished people," Nystor reminded them. "Magic is dangerously unreliable here. They have little to work with and do the best they can. Their lot is not their fault."
"Whatever." Dylan paused to try to reach the itch with his other hand. "All right. So remind me again what the plan is? I can't concentrate with all this itchiness going on all over the place."
"Does that mean you're going to get naked before this is all over?" Olivia asked with an arched eyebrow.
"Try to focus, children," Nystor cut in. "Our... informant, once he was fully recovered from his near suffocation, was quite useful. We now know that there was an unusual burst of activity at The Lighthouse shortly after King Brekstan was taken and that was followed by a steep increase in security. If the king is not being held here, The Islanders are doing a fine job of misdirection."
"Right," Dylan grunted.
"We already knew that the only approach to The Lighthouse has to be through the village of Sandsekt, which makes our current disguises highly necessary - especially with the tower's meteorite foundations. We cannot expect to be able to maintain any sort of magical disguise once we get within a few hundred feet of its gates."
"So we're just going to hope these will be okay?" Josh asked, patting the blanket between himself and Nystor that covered Olivia and Dylan's swords.
"Can't exactly go in there unarmed," Olivia countered.
"I think that's enough bickering for now," Nystor said with a poorly concealed sigh. "We are approaching the outskirts of the village."
Thursday September 7th, 2017
The exercise:
Hey, how about we get the yearlong prompt back into the first week of the month again? Sound good? All right then, to The Dream Kingdom we go.
Mine:
Dylan thought for a moment, then focused his concentration on his armor's crest. After a few seconds of flickering (and a brief, horrifying return of Hello Kitty) the emblem transformed into the Q logo from the Quake video game series. Nodding to himself in satisfaction, he returned his gaze to Nystor.
"Now what...?" Nystor began but Dylan cut him off.
"It's not important. What matters now is just: where to next? I'd have to think our arrival here has not gone unnoticed."
"Right," Olivia added, her katanas now in scabbards which formed an X across her back. "We need to keep moving. I, um... think walking would be our safest mode of transportation now."
"Yeah, great plan," Josh said from where he was seated on the ground. He tapped his leg with the palm of his right hand. "Maybe we could take care of this thing first though?"
Nystor knelt beside him and checked the transformed leg once more. Finding it mostly unchanged from his previous inspection, he looked up at Dylan and Olivia. "Are you having any difficulty maintaining your weapons and armor?"
"No," they replied in unison. Hidden in the safety of his helmet Dylan felt his cheeks grow hot. Well, hotter. It was stifling in there. He tried to imagine a cooling breeze flowing through the armor and was successful enough to relieve the worst of his discomfort.
"Then I should be able to restore your leg to its rightful form. Hold very still Josh and pray that nothing in this chaotic wilderness decides to interfere."
"Hold on, I don't like the ssss-aaaaaaaaah!"
"What are you doing?" Dylan shouted. He moved to stop the old man but Olivia grabbed his arm to hold him back. "Let go! He's hurting him!"
"I think he has to," Olivia told him calmly. "I think it's like a doctor resetting a broken bone. Except in this case it's probably a lot more than just one."
Dylan didn't like it but knew she was right. Watching his friend writhe in agony was almost as bad as being tortured himself. Maybe it was even worse. When Nystor finally took his hands away and sat down heavily beside Josh, sweat flooding both of their brows, Dylan released a breath he hadn't realized he had been holding.
"Are you okay?" Olivia asked at the same time as Dylan asked "Did it work?"
"Yes and yes," Nystor replied. "Though we will both need some time to recover."
"Time? We don't have much of that to spare," Dylan said before bending down to scoop Josh up in his arms. "So... which way are we heading?"
"Sure, take the lighter one," Olivia muttered as she lifted Nystor up.
"The nearest village lies... that way," Nystor said, pointing weakly to the west.
"And what are we going to do once we get there?" Dylan asked as he began to walk in the indicated direction.
"Capture a native," Nystor said. "And then make him - or her - talk."
Hey, how about we get the yearlong prompt back into the first week of the month again? Sound good? All right then, to The Dream Kingdom we go.
Mine:
Dylan thought for a moment, then focused his concentration on his armor's crest. After a few seconds of flickering (and a brief, horrifying return of Hello Kitty) the emblem transformed into the Q logo from the Quake video game series. Nodding to himself in satisfaction, he returned his gaze to Nystor.
"Now what...?" Nystor began but Dylan cut him off.
"It's not important. What matters now is just: where to next? I'd have to think our arrival here has not gone unnoticed."
"Right," Olivia added, her katanas now in scabbards which formed an X across her back. "We need to keep moving. I, um... think walking would be our safest mode of transportation now."
"Yeah, great plan," Josh said from where he was seated on the ground. He tapped his leg with the palm of his right hand. "Maybe we could take care of this thing first though?"
Nystor knelt beside him and checked the transformed leg once more. Finding it mostly unchanged from his previous inspection, he looked up at Dylan and Olivia. "Are you having any difficulty maintaining your weapons and armor?"
"No," they replied in unison. Hidden in the safety of his helmet Dylan felt his cheeks grow hot. Well, hotter. It was stifling in there. He tried to imagine a cooling breeze flowing through the armor and was successful enough to relieve the worst of his discomfort.
"Then I should be able to restore your leg to its rightful form. Hold very still Josh and pray that nothing in this chaotic wilderness decides to interfere."
"Hold on, I don't like the ssss-aaaaaaaaah!"
"What are you doing?" Dylan shouted. He moved to stop the old man but Olivia grabbed his arm to hold him back. "Let go! He's hurting him!"
"I think he has to," Olivia told him calmly. "I think it's like a doctor resetting a broken bone. Except in this case it's probably a lot more than just one."
Dylan didn't like it but knew she was right. Watching his friend writhe in agony was almost as bad as being tortured himself. Maybe it was even worse. When Nystor finally took his hands away and sat down heavily beside Josh, sweat flooding both of their brows, Dylan released a breath he hadn't realized he had been holding.
"Are you okay?" Olivia asked at the same time as Dylan asked "Did it work?"
"Yes and yes," Nystor replied. "Though we will both need some time to recover."
"Time? We don't have much of that to spare," Dylan said before bending down to scoop Josh up in his arms. "So... which way are we heading?"
"Sure, take the lighter one," Olivia muttered as she lifted Nystor up.
"The nearest village lies... that way," Nystor said, pointing weakly to the west.
"And what are we going to do once we get there?" Dylan asked as he began to walk in the indicated direction.
"Capture a native," Nystor said. "And then make him - or her - talk."
Wednesday August 16th, 2017
The exercise:
Almost back in the first half of the month, we're returning to The Dream Kingdom today.
Work went fairly well today. Blue skies returned for another visit, which helped a lot. Kind of forgot how hot the sun is when it's not being filtered through a nice, dense layer of smoke though.
Better get this done before sleep wins yet again.
Mine:
Dylan woke to the sound of his heartbeat pounding in his ears. He opened his eyes slowly, feeling dirt and tree debris falling away from his eyelashes, and found himself flat on his back looking up at misshapen trees.
No, not misshapen, he realized. Broken. By me. By my fall.
He sat up carefully, groaning as pain shot up his arms when he pushed himself away from the ground. He looked down at his hands and saw that his fingers were still bleeding from where the flying carpet had punctured them.
Stop it, he thought firmly. Stop bleeding.
To his surprise, they did just that.
"Huh," he said. Or tried to. Mostly he just mumbled out bits of the terrain he had landed on. He spent a few moments spitting and wiping his mouth clean. "Bleh. What's that noise?"
The hammering of his heart was still loud in his head but he had finally noticed that there were other sounds nearby. A grinding cacophony was coming from his right, along with what sounded like a waterfall. As he got up to investigate a surge went through his body and he wondered if he was going to faint.
He remained conscious, though he swayed unsteadily for several seconds. Once he felt mostly confident that he could walk, he began to do so. The pounding in his head was unrelenting, and now it felt as though wild electricity was shooting through his veins.
When he reached the crest of the hill he looked down to see an escalator, of sorts. He shook his head to clear his vision but the severely out of place contraption remained. Shortly after that he realized that Olivia, Josh, and Nystor were riding up toward him. He raised his arm to wave to them but then one of the armed statues behind them came to life and began climbing after them. And then another. And another.
"Watch out behind you!"
The three turned and he could hear his friends scream. Maybe Nystor did too. Dylan knew he had to do something to help them, and fast. He looked down at his empty hands.
"Sword." He said it with a confidence that felt out of place in that strange landscape and he felt a tingling like electric shock in his fingertips. Nearly instantaneously a long, heavy sword flickered into existence in his right hand. "Lighter," he grunted and it became easier to hold. He looked toward his friends again to see there were now six armed statues pursuing them. "Another sword."
Armed with blades in both hands he took a deep breath. Just before he began to descend he remembered to imagine one more item into place.
"Armor."
Almost back in the first half of the month, we're returning to The Dream Kingdom today.
Work went fairly well today. Blue skies returned for another visit, which helped a lot. Kind of forgot how hot the sun is when it's not being filtered through a nice, dense layer of smoke though.
Better get this done before sleep wins yet again.
Mine:
Dylan woke to the sound of his heartbeat pounding in his ears. He opened his eyes slowly, feeling dirt and tree debris falling away from his eyelashes, and found himself flat on his back looking up at misshapen trees.
No, not misshapen, he realized. Broken. By me. By my fall.
He sat up carefully, groaning as pain shot up his arms when he pushed himself away from the ground. He looked down at his hands and saw that his fingers were still bleeding from where the flying carpet had punctured them.
Stop it, he thought firmly. Stop bleeding.
To his surprise, they did just that.
"Huh," he said. Or tried to. Mostly he just mumbled out bits of the terrain he had landed on. He spent a few moments spitting and wiping his mouth clean. "Bleh. What's that noise?"
The hammering of his heart was still loud in his head but he had finally noticed that there were other sounds nearby. A grinding cacophony was coming from his right, along with what sounded like a waterfall. As he got up to investigate a surge went through his body and he wondered if he was going to faint.
He remained conscious, though he swayed unsteadily for several seconds. Once he felt mostly confident that he could walk, he began to do so. The pounding in his head was unrelenting, and now it felt as though wild electricity was shooting through his veins.
When he reached the crest of the hill he looked down to see an escalator, of sorts. He shook his head to clear his vision but the severely out of place contraption remained. Shortly after that he realized that Olivia, Josh, and Nystor were riding up toward him. He raised his arm to wave to them but then one of the armed statues behind them came to life and began climbing after them. And then another. And another.
"Watch out behind you!"
The three turned and he could hear his friends scream. Maybe Nystor did too. Dylan knew he had to do something to help them, and fast. He looked down at his empty hands.
"Sword." He said it with a confidence that felt out of place in that strange landscape and he felt a tingling like electric shock in his fingertips. Nearly instantaneously a long, heavy sword flickered into existence in his right hand. "Lighter," he grunted and it became easier to hold. He looked toward his friends again to see there were now six armed statues pursuing them. "Another sword."
Armed with blades in both hands he took a deep breath. Just before he began to descend he remembered to imagine one more item into place.
"Armor."
Sunday July 23rd, 2017
The exercise:
Slightly earlier in the month than in June, we return to The Dream Kingdom today.
And chaos ensues...
Work was good today. Hot but good. Big wind blowing tonight should mean cooler temperatures tomorrow.
Hopefully.
Mine:
"Dylan!" Olivia shrieked.
"Hold on!" Josh yelled.
"Help me!" Dylan screamed.
"Everyone calm down!" Nystor shouted.
"Grab my hand!" Josh said as he reached for Dylan from the opposite side of the carpet. But just as their fingertips brushed another transformation took hold, sending Dylan wailing out of reach. "Damn it, Olivia! Hold this thing together!"
"I'm doing my b-"
"No." Nystor's voice brought with it a momentary calm, as if through the force of his will alone - or perhaps it was the strength of his imagination. "Olivia, focus on flying. The carpet will hold on its own - in some form or another. Just get us down safely."
"Which island should I aim for?"
"The nearest, child. Don't overthink this. The power of the meteor shards is greater than I expected at this distance. Put everything you have into landing this thing and then we shall go from there."
"You okay dude?" Josh asked, his hands having returned to his sides where they were gripping the carpet. Hard.
"I'm all right," Dylan replied. "Just trying to imagine having really strong ar-aaaahhhh!"
The carpet had morphed once more, but this time the edges had gone from a soft fringe to razor sharp spikes. Dylan let go, a trail of blood tracing his descent.
"Nooo!" Olivia screamed.
"Dylan - parachute!" Josh shouted.
"Focus, child!" Nystor said sternly. "Focus on f-"
"Hold on!" Olivia yelled. "I've lost control... we're going down!"
The carpet dipped, soared, dipped again. It briefly leveled off before entering a steep nosedive. Nystor began muttering a spell but only moments later they crash landed in a grove of towering trees.
Slightly earlier in the month than in June, we return to The Dream Kingdom today.
And chaos ensues...
Work was good today. Hot but good. Big wind blowing tonight should mean cooler temperatures tomorrow.
Hopefully.
Mine:
"Dylan!" Olivia shrieked.
"Hold on!" Josh yelled.
"Help me!" Dylan screamed.
"Everyone calm down!" Nystor shouted.
"Grab my hand!" Josh said as he reached for Dylan from the opposite side of the carpet. But just as their fingertips brushed another transformation took hold, sending Dylan wailing out of reach. "Damn it, Olivia! Hold this thing together!"
"I'm doing my b-"
"No." Nystor's voice brought with it a momentary calm, as if through the force of his will alone - or perhaps it was the strength of his imagination. "Olivia, focus on flying. The carpet will hold on its own - in some form or another. Just get us down safely."
"Which island should I aim for?"
"The nearest, child. Don't overthink this. The power of the meteor shards is greater than I expected at this distance. Put everything you have into landing this thing and then we shall go from there."
"You okay dude?" Josh asked, his hands having returned to his sides where they were gripping the carpet. Hard.
"I'm all right," Dylan replied. "Just trying to imagine having really strong ar-aaaahhhh!"
The carpet had morphed once more, but this time the edges had gone from a soft fringe to razor sharp spikes. Dylan let go, a trail of blood tracing his descent.
"Nooo!" Olivia screamed.
"Dylan - parachute!" Josh shouted.
"Focus, child!" Nystor said sternly. "Focus on f-"
"Hold on!" Olivia yelled. "I've lost control... we're going down!"
The carpet dipped, soared, dipped again. It briefly leveled off before entering a steep nosedive. Nystor began muttering a spell but only moments later they crash landed in a grove of towering trees.
Thursday June 29th, 2017
The exercise:
Well, we've made it to the last possible day of the month to do it, so I guess we should get back to The Dream Kingdom, huh?
Because I'm pretty sure I'm going to need four lines of prose tomorrow night.
If I can get caught up on June's comments in the next two weeks, I'll aim to get July's entry in our yearlong adventure up around the 15th. That's the current goal, anyway.
First day back at work went well. Calm before the storm, I suppose.
Mine:
"A magic carpet, huh?" Dylan watched as first Josh and then Nystor clambered on. "I guess that makes you Jasmine, right?"
"Yup." Olivia nodded happily. "Pretty sure that makes the old guy here the genie."
"The what?"
"I'll leave it up to you two to decide who's Aladdin and who's the monkey," Olivia continued without seeming to notice Nystor's confusion.
"Abu." Dylan said before exchanging uncomfortable looks with Josh. "Anyway. Is this really safer than riding horses? What if one of us falls off or we crash into something?"
"You worry too much - always have." Olivia smiled and then continued before Dylan could question this assessment. "Get on already - we're wasting time."
"Sure, why not?" Dylan muttered as he joined the others on the hovering carpet. "What's the worst that could happen?"
"I would advise you to not think about that too much," Nystor said as the carpet began to move.
"What?" Dylan, Josh, and Olivia said in startled unison.
"The power of imagination," Nystor said with a hint of a smile playing about his lips, "can be just as detrimental as it can be beneficial. So let's all think happy thoughts as we fly through the air at a high rate of speed, yes?"
Well, we've made it to the last possible day of the month to do it, so I guess we should get back to The Dream Kingdom, huh?
Because I'm pretty sure I'm going to need four lines of prose tomorrow night.
If I can get caught up on June's comments in the next two weeks, I'll aim to get July's entry in our yearlong adventure up around the 15th. That's the current goal, anyway.
First day back at work went well. Calm before the storm, I suppose.
Mine:
"A magic carpet, huh?" Dylan watched as first Josh and then Nystor clambered on. "I guess that makes you Jasmine, right?"
"Yup." Olivia nodded happily. "Pretty sure that makes the old guy here the genie."
"The what?"
"I'll leave it up to you two to decide who's Aladdin and who's the monkey," Olivia continued without seeming to notice Nystor's confusion.
"Abu." Dylan said before exchanging uncomfortable looks with Josh. "Anyway. Is this really safer than riding horses? What if one of us falls off or we crash into something?"
"You worry too much - always have." Olivia smiled and then continued before Dylan could question this assessment. "Get on already - we're wasting time."
"Sure, why not?" Dylan muttered as he joined the others on the hovering carpet. "What's the worst that could happen?"
"I would advise you to not think about that too much," Nystor said as the carpet began to move.
"What?" Dylan, Josh, and Olivia said in startled unison.
"The power of imagination," Nystor said with a hint of a smile playing about his lips, "can be just as detrimental as it can be beneficial. So let's all think happy thoughts as we fly through the air at a high rate of speed, yes?"
Sunday May 28th, 2017
The exercise:
Quick, before the month is over, let us return to The Dream Kingdom.
Edit: well, perhaps not quickly. More like eventually. Blame it on late night sleepiness and a desire to do my yearlong entry right.
Anyway, on with the delayed show.
Mine:
"Destroy the Dream Kingdom?" Dylan shook his head as though he were trying to clear cobwebs. "Why would they want that? They'd be killing themselves along with the rest of you. Sounds like a weird way of committing suicide to me."
"They are of the belief," Nystor replied with a grimace, "that the Kingdom will not be annihilated, but merely reset. And that when that reset occurs they will return in greater numbers, with greater strength. They have been performing rituals and ceremonies and sacrifices to ensure that this comes to be. Prince Reimar is to be their final sacrifice."
"Maniacs." Josh said quietly. "Wait, you said they believe the reset will happen with the prince's death. Sounds like you don't share that perspective."
"I do not. It is utter foolishness. There is nothing waiting for us on the other side of the end."
"Maybe The Islanders just have better imaginations than you," Olivia observed, her mouth now returned to its rightful place.
"That's enough talking for now, I think," Nystor announced after giving Olivia a lengthy stare. "We must begin our journey now. Your training shall continue en route."
"Woah, woah, woah!" Dylan put both hands up in front of himself, like he was intending to physically stop anyone from leaving the room. "Just hold on here. We've got lots more questions that need to be answered before we decide what comes next."
"So. Many. Questions." Olivia came to stand beside him and Dylan stood a little taller. After a slight hesitation Josh joined their human wall.
"I'm sure you do. So would I, I imagine, were I in your boots. Or shoes, as the case may be. We will have to do something about your attire, won't we?"
"Our clothes? We've got more important things to worry about than what we're wearing!" It was an effort for Dylan not to look down to make sure he was still wearing pants.
"Indeed. Like time. And how much of it you have left to find King Brekstan."
"That sounded like a threat." Olivia crossed her arms and cocked her head to the side.
"A threat? Goodness me child, no! Merely a statement of facts. Look for yourselves." Nystor pointed behind them and they turned to find three hourglasses, all seeming to match their heights, with silvery liquid beads dripping into the bottom chambers. "That is how much time each of you have. As I'm sure you have noticed, Dylan has a little less time remaining to him since he arrived here first."
"What happens when time's up?" Josh asked warily.
"Visitors to the Dream Kingdom can only be here for so long before they must wake and return to their own world. If they stay beyond that point... there is no returning. You will no longer be guests then. You will become permanent residents."
Quick, before the month is over, let us return to The Dream Kingdom.
Edit: well, perhaps not quickly. More like eventually. Blame it on late night sleepiness and a desire to do my yearlong entry right.
Anyway, on with the delayed show.
Mine:
"Destroy the Dream Kingdom?" Dylan shook his head as though he were trying to clear cobwebs. "Why would they want that? They'd be killing themselves along with the rest of you. Sounds like a weird way of committing suicide to me."
"They are of the belief," Nystor replied with a grimace, "that the Kingdom will not be annihilated, but merely reset. And that when that reset occurs they will return in greater numbers, with greater strength. They have been performing rituals and ceremonies and sacrifices to ensure that this comes to be. Prince Reimar is to be their final sacrifice."
"Maniacs." Josh said quietly. "Wait, you said they believe the reset will happen with the prince's death. Sounds like you don't share that perspective."
"I do not. It is utter foolishness. There is nothing waiting for us on the other side of the end."
"Maybe The Islanders just have better imaginations than you," Olivia observed, her mouth now returned to its rightful place.
"That's enough talking for now, I think," Nystor announced after giving Olivia a lengthy stare. "We must begin our journey now. Your training shall continue en route."
"Woah, woah, woah!" Dylan put both hands up in front of himself, like he was intending to physically stop anyone from leaving the room. "Just hold on here. We've got lots more questions that need to be answered before we decide what comes next."
"So. Many. Questions." Olivia came to stand beside him and Dylan stood a little taller. After a slight hesitation Josh joined their human wall.
"I'm sure you do. So would I, I imagine, were I in your boots. Or shoes, as the case may be. We will have to do something about your attire, won't we?"
"Our clothes? We've got more important things to worry about than what we're wearing!" It was an effort for Dylan not to look down to make sure he was still wearing pants.
"Indeed. Like time. And how much of it you have left to find King Brekstan."
"That sounded like a threat." Olivia crossed her arms and cocked her head to the side.
"A threat? Goodness me child, no! Merely a statement of facts. Look for yourselves." Nystor pointed behind them and they turned to find three hourglasses, all seeming to match their heights, with silvery liquid beads dripping into the bottom chambers. "That is how much time each of you have. As I'm sure you have noticed, Dylan has a little less time remaining to him since he arrived here first."
"What happens when time's up?" Josh asked warily.
"Visitors to the Dream Kingdom can only be here for so long before they must wake and return to their own world. If they stay beyond that point... there is no returning. You will no longer be guests then. You will become permanent residents."
Sunday April 16th, 2017
The exercise:
We return to The Dream Kingdom today.
Because Sunday is still part of this week, at least from what I meant when I was thinking about when I'd get to this.
Hope you all had a happy Easter. Max and Miles and their cousins seemed to enjoy themselves, that's for sure.
Trying to make a dent in the comment backlog. It gets a bit intimidating when I fall over a month behind, but I'll get there eventually.
Probably.
Apologies for the length of mine. I find it difficult not to get carried away with each installment of the yearlong prompt.
Mine:
"What's really going on here?" Nystor repeated. His tone was still friendly, but his demeanor had changed slightly. Dylan thought he seemed... more authoritative, somehow. "Well I suppose now that the gang's all here, as it were, we can get to the nitty gritty, yes?"
"Yes." Dylan, Josh, and Olivia said in unison.
"Excellent. Watch closely, then - I won't be doing this again."
"Watch what closely...?" Olivia began but then fell silent as Nystor began his work.
The old man turned to face the nearest wall of the audience chamber, some twenty feet away. It was covered with portraits and tapestries and sculptures tucked into spacious alcoves until... it was not.
"This," Nystor said as the colors of the wall swirled and transformed and rearranged until they became a topographical map viewed from above, "is The Dream Kingdom."
"How did you do that?" Josh asked, his previous confidence having vanished from his voice and his eyes wide with wonder.
"With the strength of my imagination," Nystor replied, almost dismissively. "To our left you can see King Brekstan's domain, where we are now. To our right, the archipelago territory of The Islanders. The mountains and desert and waters that separate our kingdoms have done little to prevent disputes and sabotage and even the occasional war."
"That's where your king is now?" Dylan asked, pointing to the largest of the islands.
"Yes, if their ransom note is to be believed," Nystor said, his tone conveying his doubts on the matter.
"What happened?" Olivia asked. "How were they able to take him?"
"I can only share my own view of the events, as well as what I have been able to piece together from... other survivors," Nystor said as the wall map shifted to bring the northern kingdom into central focus. "I urge you not to look away. You must know who we will be coming up against."
Dylan opened his mouth to protest the man's presumptuousness but then his teeth clicked together as the wall changed again. This time it felt like they were falling into the map, the ground rushing closer and closer. It was difficult not to step back or reach for something to brace himself against. Just as impact began to seem inevitable, the viewpoint leveled off and they were soaring above the landscape, like an eagle shot out of a cannon.
"Jesus," Josh muttered.
The speed of their approach slowed slightly as a castle came into view, then the small town surrounding it. A moment later they could see the invading force swarming through the streets, clad in fish scale armor and wielding silver harpoons and large barbwire nets. The towering men and women were not shy about putting either to use on the townsfolk.
"I think I'm going to be sick," Dylan whispered.
"Watch." Was all that Nystor said in reply.
They view rose higher, sending them over the castle walls and through an open window. Down twisting hallways they flew, passing running soldiers and servants, until they arrived in the room in which they now stood. The viewpoint switched to first person, and it didn't take long to understand that they were now seeing with Nystor's eyes.
The Islanders had forced their way through a heavy door which now hung on broken hinges. Nystor on the wall raised his hands before him and bolts of electricity shot from his fingers, sending men twice his size sailing across the room. He turned his head in time to see his king fall to the floor under the weight of one of the invaders' jagged nets and more bolts flew out to send his liege's attackers thudding into the wall behind them.
Nystor on the wall turned again, to be confronted with three soldiers protected by glimmer shields. More jagged flashes of light flew from his fingers, but these were absorbed by the shields. His focus shifted and a final bolt struck an attacker on the foot, sending him crashing face first onto the stone floor. Nystor on the wall aimed his fingers at the other men's feet but then a harpoon was brought down across his wrists with enough force to break bone.
"Damn it," Josh said, getting caught up in the scene despite himself. Unseen, Nystor contemplated him for a moment before returning his focus to his memories.
On the wall, Nystor looked up at his attacker just as a fist crashed into his face, sprawling him across the floor. From there he had a sideways view of King Brekstan being dragged from the room. Nystor struggled to his feet, only to be struck down again. He turned his head one final time and watched the approach of two silvery fish scale boots. The wearer was casual, in no apparent rush to reach his target. Then one boot disappeared from view as it was lifted up.
And then the wall went black.
We return to The Dream Kingdom today.
Because Sunday is still part of this week, at least from what I meant when I was thinking about when I'd get to this.
Hope you all had a happy Easter. Max and Miles and their cousins seemed to enjoy themselves, that's for sure.
Trying to make a dent in the comment backlog. It gets a bit intimidating when I fall over a month behind, but I'll get there eventually.
Probably.
Apologies for the length of mine. I find it difficult not to get carried away with each installment of the yearlong prompt.
Mine:
"What's really going on here?" Nystor repeated. His tone was still friendly, but his demeanor had changed slightly. Dylan thought he seemed... more authoritative, somehow. "Well I suppose now that the gang's all here, as it were, we can get to the nitty gritty, yes?"
"Yes." Dylan, Josh, and Olivia said in unison.
"Excellent. Watch closely, then - I won't be doing this again."
"Watch what closely...?" Olivia began but then fell silent as Nystor began his work.
The old man turned to face the nearest wall of the audience chamber, some twenty feet away. It was covered with portraits and tapestries and sculptures tucked into spacious alcoves until... it was not.
"This," Nystor said as the colors of the wall swirled and transformed and rearranged until they became a topographical map viewed from above, "is The Dream Kingdom."
"How did you do that?" Josh asked, his previous confidence having vanished from his voice and his eyes wide with wonder.
"With the strength of my imagination," Nystor replied, almost dismissively. "To our left you can see King Brekstan's domain, where we are now. To our right, the archipelago territory of The Islanders. The mountains and desert and waters that separate our kingdoms have done little to prevent disputes and sabotage and even the occasional war."
"That's where your king is now?" Dylan asked, pointing to the largest of the islands.
"Yes, if their ransom note is to be believed," Nystor said, his tone conveying his doubts on the matter.
"What happened?" Olivia asked. "How were they able to take him?"
"I can only share my own view of the events, as well as what I have been able to piece together from... other survivors," Nystor said as the wall map shifted to bring the northern kingdom into central focus. "I urge you not to look away. You must know who we will be coming up against."
Dylan opened his mouth to protest the man's presumptuousness but then his teeth clicked together as the wall changed again. This time it felt like they were falling into the map, the ground rushing closer and closer. It was difficult not to step back or reach for something to brace himself against. Just as impact began to seem inevitable, the viewpoint leveled off and they were soaring above the landscape, like an eagle shot out of a cannon.
"Jesus," Josh muttered.
The speed of their approach slowed slightly as a castle came into view, then the small town surrounding it. A moment later they could see the invading force swarming through the streets, clad in fish scale armor and wielding silver harpoons and large barbwire nets. The towering men and women were not shy about putting either to use on the townsfolk.
"I think I'm going to be sick," Dylan whispered.
"Watch." Was all that Nystor said in reply.
They view rose higher, sending them over the castle walls and through an open window. Down twisting hallways they flew, passing running soldiers and servants, until they arrived in the room in which they now stood. The viewpoint switched to first person, and it didn't take long to understand that they were now seeing with Nystor's eyes.
The Islanders had forced their way through a heavy door which now hung on broken hinges. Nystor on the wall raised his hands before him and bolts of electricity shot from his fingers, sending men twice his size sailing across the room. He turned his head in time to see his king fall to the floor under the weight of one of the invaders' jagged nets and more bolts flew out to send his liege's attackers thudding into the wall behind them.
Nystor on the wall turned again, to be confronted with three soldiers protected by glimmer shields. More jagged flashes of light flew from his fingers, but these were absorbed by the shields. His focus shifted and a final bolt struck an attacker on the foot, sending him crashing face first onto the stone floor. Nystor on the wall aimed his fingers at the other men's feet but then a harpoon was brought down across his wrists with enough force to break bone.
"Damn it," Josh said, getting caught up in the scene despite himself. Unseen, Nystor contemplated him for a moment before returning his focus to his memories.
On the wall, Nystor looked up at his attacker just as a fist crashed into his face, sprawling him across the floor. From there he had a sideways view of King Brekstan being dragged from the room. Nystor struggled to his feet, only to be struck down again. He turned his head one final time and watched the approach of two silvery fish scale boots. The wearer was casual, in no apparent rush to reach his target. Then one boot disappeared from view as it was lifted up.
And then the wall went black.
Monday March 6th, 2017
The exercise:
All right. The Dream Kingdom, part three. Let's do it.
Mine:
"That's very impressive work," Nystor said as he gazed around the audience chamber, the smoke rising from the pipe clenched between his teeth obscuring his features. "Though, perhaps, a tad too impressive. Allow me, if you'd be so kind?"
Before Dylan could say anything Nystor clapped his hands and all but two dozen of the candles winked out of existence. There was still plenty of light to see by, with the added bonus that the heat in the room dropped to a far more comfortable level.
"Why do you continue to hide yourself from me?" Dylan demanded, though he was more annoyed that his handiwork had been altered without his permission than he was bothered by his companion's concealment. The changes were clearly for the better - he really had gone a bit overboard with the candles - but he was refusing to admit that to himself. "Show your face."
Without giving it proper thought, Dylan blew air through his lips in Nystor's direction. It wasn't hard - barely enough to blow out a birthday candle from a few inches away - but it was enough to push the pipe smoke aside, even though the man was at least twenty feet away.
The first thought that occurred to Dylan was that Nystor looked like a fit grandfather. He was clearly old - the deep wrinkles in his face and the long, silver and gray hair that fell to his shoulders left little doubt of that - but he also had an air of vitality about him. He stood tall and straight, his shoulders were heavily muscled, his hands were strong and nimble, and there was an undeniable spark in his eyes.
He was dressed simply, in a full length robe with the hood down and black leather sandals on his sockless feet. It was the robe that grabbed Dylan's attention, as its vivid red reminded him powerfully of the flowers at his father's funeral. Was that the work of his subconscious or was that the robe's true colour?
But before he could voice his question, he was distracted by the sudden arrival of Josh and Olivia.
All right. The Dream Kingdom, part three. Let's do it.
Mine:
"That's very impressive work," Nystor said as he gazed around the audience chamber, the smoke rising from the pipe clenched between his teeth obscuring his features. "Though, perhaps, a tad too impressive. Allow me, if you'd be so kind?"
Before Dylan could say anything Nystor clapped his hands and all but two dozen of the candles winked out of existence. There was still plenty of light to see by, with the added bonus that the heat in the room dropped to a far more comfortable level.
"Why do you continue to hide yourself from me?" Dylan demanded, though he was more annoyed that his handiwork had been altered without his permission than he was bothered by his companion's concealment. The changes were clearly for the better - he really had gone a bit overboard with the candles - but he was refusing to admit that to himself. "Show your face."
Without giving it proper thought, Dylan blew air through his lips in Nystor's direction. It wasn't hard - barely enough to blow out a birthday candle from a few inches away - but it was enough to push the pipe smoke aside, even though the man was at least twenty feet away.
The first thought that occurred to Dylan was that Nystor looked like a fit grandfather. He was clearly old - the deep wrinkles in his face and the long, silver and gray hair that fell to his shoulders left little doubt of that - but he also had an air of vitality about him. He stood tall and straight, his shoulders were heavily muscled, his hands were strong and nimble, and there was an undeniable spark in his eyes.
He was dressed simply, in a full length robe with the hood down and black leather sandals on his sockless feet. It was the robe that grabbed Dylan's attention, as its vivid red reminded him powerfully of the flowers at his father's funeral. Was that the work of his subconscious or was that the robe's true colour?
But before he could voice his question, he was distracted by the sudden arrival of Josh and Olivia.
Sunday February 5th, 2017
The exercise:
It's the first weekend in February. I think that's a fine time to get back to The Dream Kingdom.
Max continues his gradual improvement. Miles continues his steady decline. Tomorrow could be his day to see the doctor if this continues.
So of course it's currently dumping snow outside right now.
Sigh.
Edit: and apparently I'm exhausted enough to fall asleep mid-post. Sorry about that. And just to save you waiting for any updates: we took Miles to the doctor and it's nothing too serious. Just gotta ride it out. Which is always fun.
Mine:
"Allow me to answer your final question first," Nystor said. His words came from Dylan's right and were accompanied by the sound of something wooden slapping against flesh, softly but repeatedly. "For it is by far the easiest: you will know King Brekstan when you find him because I shall be there with you to point him out."
"You're coming with me?" Dylan asked, feeling both relieved and annoyed by this revelation.
"Of course! Your group will need both a trainer and a guide as you make your way through the Dream Kingdom." There was a pause as Nystor sounded like he was striking a match, somewhere to Dylan's left this time. "I think you will find me both pleasant and useful company."
"We'll see about that," Dylan muttered. "Wait, my group? I never said I'd agreed to you doing more kidnapping or whatever it is you did to get me here."
"I did not kidnap you, child. I was sent to fetch you." Nystor almost sounded as though he was floating above Dylan's head.
Dylan looked up but continued to see nothing but unending darkness. He was getting very tired of not being able to see anything. He very nearly stamped his feet in frustration, but then decided he didn't fully trust the... whatever it was he was standing on.
"Well then, who sent you for me? And why me?!"
"That is very delicate and... large information," Nystor said, a hint of laughter in his voice. Which seemed to be coming from below Dylan now. There was also a rich smokiness rising from there, with hints of unknown herbs and flowers mixed in. "Information of such magnitude requires a trade. So: you give me two names of those you wish to accompany us on our adventure through the Dream Kingdom, and I will tell you what you wish to know."
"No way!" Dylan shouted at the darkness between his feet. Besides, he thought, Josh and Olivia would murder me if I dragged them into this nonsense.
"Josh and Olivia - two excellent choices I'm sure!" Nystor sounded far too pleased. "I shall return with them in a few moments."
"What? Hold on! How did y-"
"Oh, and if you could do something about this darkness while I'm gone I would very much appreciate it. I would love to be able to show you and your friends around my home at some point."
And with the sound of hands clapping together and a soft pop Dylan felt Nystor's presence leave him.
It's the first weekend in February. I think that's a fine time to get back to The Dream Kingdom.
Max continues his gradual improvement. Miles continues his steady decline. Tomorrow could be his day to see the doctor if this continues.
So of course it's currently dumping snow outside right now.
Sigh.
Edit: and apparently I'm exhausted enough to fall asleep mid-post. Sorry about that. And just to save you waiting for any updates: we took Miles to the doctor and it's nothing too serious. Just gotta ride it out. Which is always fun.
Mine:
"Allow me to answer your final question first," Nystor said. His words came from Dylan's right and were accompanied by the sound of something wooden slapping against flesh, softly but repeatedly. "For it is by far the easiest: you will know King Brekstan when you find him because I shall be there with you to point him out."
"You're coming with me?" Dylan asked, feeling both relieved and annoyed by this revelation.
"Of course! Your group will need both a trainer and a guide as you make your way through the Dream Kingdom." There was a pause as Nystor sounded like he was striking a match, somewhere to Dylan's left this time. "I think you will find me both pleasant and useful company."
"We'll see about that," Dylan muttered. "Wait, my group? I never said I'd agreed to you doing more kidnapping or whatever it is you did to get me here."
"I did not kidnap you, child. I was sent to fetch you." Nystor almost sounded as though he was floating above Dylan's head.
Dylan looked up but continued to see nothing but unending darkness. He was getting very tired of not being able to see anything. He very nearly stamped his feet in frustration, but then decided he didn't fully trust the... whatever it was he was standing on.
"Well then, who sent you for me? And why me?!"
"That is very delicate and... large information," Nystor said, a hint of laughter in his voice. Which seemed to be coming from below Dylan now. There was also a rich smokiness rising from there, with hints of unknown herbs and flowers mixed in. "Information of such magnitude requires a trade. So: you give me two names of those you wish to accompany us on our adventure through the Dream Kingdom, and I will tell you what you wish to know."
"No way!" Dylan shouted at the darkness between his feet. Besides, he thought, Josh and Olivia would murder me if I dragged them into this nonsense.
"Josh and Olivia - two excellent choices I'm sure!" Nystor sounded far too pleased. "I shall return with them in a few moments."
"What? Hold on! How did y-"
"Oh, and if you could do something about this darkness while I'm gone I would very much appreciate it. I would love to be able to show you and your friends around my home at some point."
And with the sound of hands clapping together and a soft pop Dylan felt Nystor's presence leave him.
Wednesday January 4th, 2017
The exercise:
Are you guys ready to get started with 2017's yearlong prompt? Yes? Good.
Because here we go.
This year we will be exploring The Dream Kingdom. Wondering what that's all about? Well I'd like to explain as much as I can in my opening, so please read on.
And since I'm pretty sure that's going to make for a long post, I'll get straight to it.
Mine:
Dylan knew immediately that he had not fallen into a typical dream. First off, Lara Croft was nowhere to be seen. His best friend, Josh, had found his dad's dusty old copy of Tomb Raider and the two boys had been playing the game in Josh's basement every night for the last two weeks.
Well, perhaps playing is not the best term. They had mostly been moving the heroine into the most appealing positions possible. Except when Olivia was there; then they pretended to understand what she meant by female empowerment as she elbowed her way into position behind the keyboard.
But back to his current dream. No Lara for the first time since they'd installed the game on Josh's computer. Also, the smells were different. More fragrant, more vivid. Like he was standing in the middle of his mother's backyard flower garden on a cloudy midnight evening. For some reason.
Except it was the dead of winter. And he was definitely sleeping in his own bed.
"Hello?" he said into the darkness surrounding him. He was not expecting a response, not really. But he got one anyway.
"Welcome, Dylan." The voice was soft, almost tentative. Grandfatherly. "I am sorry that we must meet like this."
"Who are you?" Dylan said, turning in place as he sought to locate the speaker. "And what do you mean, like this?"
"My name is Nystor," the voice said. "And what I mean is... rather complicated."
"Sounds boring," Dylan said with an invisible shrug. "I'm out."
"I'm afraid you can't do that," Nystor said.
"Do what?"
"Wake up."
"Excuse me?" Dylan was annoyed that fear had entered his voice, so he tried again. "Excuse me?"
"You cannot wake up until I allow you to," Nystor said. There was a hint of apology in his tone.
"This is ridiculous," Dylan muttered. "What is this place? Is this like sleep detention or something?"
"You have entered the Dream Kingdom," Nystor said. "I am a loyal soldier to the ruler of this place, King Brekstan, who has been taken captive by our enemies to the south, The Islanders. I need your help getting him back."
"My help? I'm only 16 years old!"
"15, actually."
"How did you know that?"
"Why are you lying about your age?"
"How do you know I'm lying?!"
Dylan had the sense that his unseen companion was studying him. He crossed his arms across his chest and waited. The silence lasted for nearly a minute.
"Because if you were 16 you would not be allowed entrance to my kingdom. You would, quite simply, be too old. And extremely unfit for the task ahead of you."
"Why me?" Dylan asked. "What makes me so special?"
"You have a very powerful imagination, which makes you very powerful here." Nystor paused as though he were considering explaining further. "That is enough, for now. But even you cannot defeat our enemies alone."
"Our? Since when did your problem become my problem?"
"Since I locked away your ability to return to your waking world. If you wish to retrieve the key, then you must free my king. But we will need help. Who would you bring with you on this quest? Give me their names and I shall bring them here the moment they fall asleep."
Are you guys ready to get started with 2017's yearlong prompt? Yes? Good.
Because here we go.
This year we will be exploring The Dream Kingdom. Wondering what that's all about? Well I'd like to explain as much as I can in my opening, so please read on.
And since I'm pretty sure that's going to make for a long post, I'll get straight to it.
Mine:
Dylan knew immediately that he had not fallen into a typical dream. First off, Lara Croft was nowhere to be seen. His best friend, Josh, had found his dad's dusty old copy of Tomb Raider and the two boys had been playing the game in Josh's basement every night for the last two weeks.
Well, perhaps playing is not the best term. They had mostly been moving the heroine into the most appealing positions possible. Except when Olivia was there; then they pretended to understand what she meant by female empowerment as she elbowed her way into position behind the keyboard.
But back to his current dream. No Lara for the first time since they'd installed the game on Josh's computer. Also, the smells were different. More fragrant, more vivid. Like he was standing in the middle of his mother's backyard flower garden on a cloudy midnight evening. For some reason.
Except it was the dead of winter. And he was definitely sleeping in his own bed.
"Hello?" he said into the darkness surrounding him. He was not expecting a response, not really. But he got one anyway.
"Welcome, Dylan." The voice was soft, almost tentative. Grandfatherly. "I am sorry that we must meet like this."
"Who are you?" Dylan said, turning in place as he sought to locate the speaker. "And what do you mean, like this?"
"My name is Nystor," the voice said. "And what I mean is... rather complicated."
"Sounds boring," Dylan said with an invisible shrug. "I'm out."
"I'm afraid you can't do that," Nystor said.
"Do what?"
"Wake up."
"Excuse me?" Dylan was annoyed that fear had entered his voice, so he tried again. "Excuse me?"
"You cannot wake up until I allow you to," Nystor said. There was a hint of apology in his tone.
"This is ridiculous," Dylan muttered. "What is this place? Is this like sleep detention or something?"
"You have entered the Dream Kingdom," Nystor said. "I am a loyal soldier to the ruler of this place, King Brekstan, who has been taken captive by our enemies to the south, The Islanders. I need your help getting him back."
"My help? I'm only 16 years old!"
"15, actually."
"How did you know that?"
"Why are you lying about your age?"
"How do you know I'm lying?!"
Dylan had the sense that his unseen companion was studying him. He crossed his arms across his chest and waited. The silence lasted for nearly a minute.
"Because if you were 16 you would not be allowed entrance to my kingdom. You would, quite simply, be too old. And extremely unfit for the task ahead of you."
"Why me?" Dylan asked. "What makes me so special?"
"You have a very powerful imagination, which makes you very powerful here." Nystor paused as though he were considering explaining further. "That is enough, for now. But even you cannot defeat our enemies alone."
"Our? Since when did your problem become my problem?"
"Since I locked away your ability to return to your waking world. If you wish to retrieve the key, then you must free my king. But we will need help. Who would you bring with you on this quest? Give me their names and I shall bring them here the moment they fall asleep."
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