Fiera Shadowscale Entry 11 - The Fenway Job

Fiera checked her bag, ensuring everything she would need was inside. Lockpicks, backup lockpicks, dagger, notepad, small quill, ink, her tarnished pass, and a small sandwich she had picked up from Bill’s Bakery earlier that morning. She touched the gem on her necklace, activating its glamour charm. She had found out while experimenting with the necklace that she could turn the charm on and off, which would probably come in handy. Fiera headed down the steps from her small apartment, and scanned the dentistry’s waiting room. She found Dimmerson lounging in a hanging plant. He was inspecting the plants flowers and leaves. “Hey, I’m heading out for a few hours to meet up with Lirna, we’re going to the Windfish to have some dinner and drinks. I should be back by midnight, maybe a bit later. Don’t wait up, okay?” Fiera said, heading towards the door. Dimmerson waved a tiny hand and went back to lounging in the dirt of the plant. He was an odd one. Fiera was fascinated by his ability to manipulate light. What she had told him hadn’t been a complete lie. She had already met up with Lirna earlier that day and had breakfast with her at the Windfish Inn, then they had gotten some pastries from Bill’s Bakery. So far she had been adjusting well to the city, and had found her work with Feven to be dull, but fulfilling. She would often go to the market to fetch him different supplies or pick up orders for him, as well as check on patients on his behalf. Most of the time they didn’t have any complaints about the work he had done on their teeth, but if they had any pain or discomfort, it was Fiera’s job to schedule them for another appointment with Feven to address it. She shut out her thoughts of work and turned them to what tonight would entail. She had been in the city for two weeks now and hadn’t stolen anything. Fiera walked quickly down the street as the sun was nearly fully set. She didn’t want to miss the owner locking up for the evening. After navigating the various roads and walkways, crossing a few bridges and cutting through a few gardens, Fiera finally got to the alleyway she had been heading towards. She took off her gloves and looked both ways to make sure no one was watching. A few people were still walking about at this hour, but Fiera was quick. She extended her clawed fingers and sunk them into the brick and mortar of the wall beside her with ease. She hauled herself up and began to climb, using her natural climbing ability to make her way up the forty-foot tall building and onto the roof. Once there, she approached the opposite side of the roof and kneeled down, peering over onto the street below. A few people were about, but no one looked up towards her. From here, she could see much of the silver district. Far to the north she saw The Canopy, a tavern that was easily the tallest structure in Brimstorm. It even surpassed the towers of Brimstorm keep, and those were visible from nearly anywhere in the city. The Canopy serves as a central hub for much of the city - it stands at the center, and has access points to both the silver district and the gilded district. A wall dividing the districts flanks The Canopy on either side. There are multiple levels of the tavern, though Fiera had only been inside the silver district level. Feven had taken her there for dinner the night after she had received her glamour charm from him. The food was amazing, and the drinks were some of the best she had ever tried. They stayed for a few hours, enjoying the amazing view of the city while Feven explained how the city worked, the best places to visit, and his favorite local places to eat. He promised to take her into the gilded district eventually, but day passes were expensive. Feven lived in the gilded district, and he was one of the few people who worked in the silver district, but lived across the wall. When Fiera questioned why Feven hadn’t opened his shop in the gilded district, he smiled. There was much money to be made there, but Feven told her that he preferred the honest, hardworking folk of the silver district to the nobles who lived across the wall. As Fiera looked back to the jewelry shop below she saw the iron door swing open. A tall man stepped out, and began to lock the door behind him. “Alright,” Fiera mumbled to herself, “the place should be empty. Now hopefully we don’t have any surprises.” She still wished she had a partner for this job. She had thought about asking Lirna, but she didn’t want to risk getting her in any more trouble. She had learned that Feven and Grandad had paid off the guards after finding out she had escaped. Fiera continued to wait and observe from the rooftop, eating her cold sandwich in the meantime. It was some kind of a cheese and sprout sandwich, recommended to her by the baker himself. It was delicious, and Fiera found herself sad that she hadn't gotten a second one. She made a mental note to return and get another soon. Sandwich finished, Fiera headed back to the alleyway, using her claws to anchor her to the wall as she fell. She landed lightly on her boots, and began to head to her second position. She stopped on the corner of the street and leaned against the wall. She had cased the place earlier, and found there were no back doors or windows. She had chosen not to go inside - the less people who saw her around the shop, the better. She wasn’t planning on taking everything, just a few gems and some jewelry. This job wasn’t about profit, it was about shaking off the rust. She hadn’t broken in anywhere since Silco City - reflecting on those memories sent shivers down her spine. One patrol passed her, but she had pretended to be writing in her notepad, using a nearby lantern to write. They didn’t give her a second glance, which was lucky. Guards here in Brimstorm tended to check passes frequently, which made it hard to engage in any illicit activity. Fiera took a deep breath and started across the street, heading straight for the shop’s dark, iron door. She took a glance at the shop's sign as she arrived at the entryway. It read: "Fenway’s Gems - Finest Stones and Jewelry in the Silver District. Open Sunrise to Sunset Daily." She inserted her rake and tension wrench into the lock and was about to turn it when she heard a voice over her shoulder. “I wouldn’t do that just yet,” the voice said. Fiera turned and ducked low, swiping out with her claws. The dark figure dodged out of the way, barely avoiding her attack. He held up both hands, showing he was unarmed. It was either a human or an elf, but she couldn't be sure because of the hood and cloth mask covering the lower half of his face. She noticed he wore two daggers on his belt, and a longer dagger at his shoulder. “Easy now, I’m no threat. I’ve been watching you since you went up on that rooftop. I just wanted to offer a little advice,” he said, shrugging slightly. Fiera stood at the ready, just in case he tried anything. You could never be too careful when on a job - carelessness could get you killed. “What do you want?” Fiera snarled, showing her draconian fangs. “Like I said, just a little advice. Here, we need to get inside before anyone else passes by.” He lowered his hands and approached the entryway. Fiera stepped back, allowing him access to the door. She kept her hand on her dagger, ready just in case. He took out a small pouch and threw a puff of powder at the door. Runes lit up at each corner, and another right above the lock. “We’ll need to scratch off these runes if you want to get inside without alerting anyone.” He gestured to the now-glowing runes. “Some of these would’ve harmed you the second you tried to turn that pick,” he added gravely. He grabbed a smaller dagger from his belt and Fiera tensed. He scratched at each rune twice, putting a small slice through each of them. As he did, the light faded from the glowing runes. “Alright, now we can head in. Would you like to do the honors?” the man asked as he stepped back. “Fine. Take another step back, though. I don’t trust you,” she said. “That’s probably pretty wise. I don’t trust anyone ‘til at least the second drink they buy me.” “Why the second?” Fiera asked, flicking open the lock with ease. She gave a shove and the door opened inward. “That way I know they aren’t trying to poison me,” he joked. He grabbed her cloak as she tried to step into the shop. “Hold on,” he said, earning another glare from Fiera. He took another small handful of powder from his pouch and tossed it into the room. A large glyph took shape on the ground in front of the door, as well as on the windows, and the displays of the cases inside. “Okay, let me go first,” he said, stepping over the rune on the floor. Fiera followed him in, allowing him to close the large, iron door behind them. “How did you know about the hidden runes? And what is that powder?” she questioned as she eyed the small pouch at his waist. That would definitely come in handy in the future. “It’s pretty standard here in Brimstorm. I take it you’re new? Nice job with the lock by the way, I can tell you’re not new to this line of work. I’m Kenten, by the way.” He held out his hand in offering. Fiera took it and gave it a fierce squeeze, digging in ever so slightly with her claws. “Einrith. I’ve been here almost a month,” she lied. “Haven’t had the best luck so far here. This whole magic thing is kind of new to me.” “Welcome to Brimstorm,” said Kenten, smiling.

Fiera Shadowscale Entry 10 - Half Priced Goods at Bill’s Bakery

Fiera turned slowly as the guard approached. He slowed as he got closer, raising a lantern towards her. “Ah, apologies, Miss. We’re on the lookout for a young, black-scaled draconian. You haven’t seen one, have you?” the guard questioned, sounding disappointed. “No, can’t say I have. The only other draconian I’ve seen today was my Uncle Fevenworth,” Fiera answered. “Right…Old Fevenworth, of course. Didn’t know he had a niece. What’s your name? And can I see your pass?” the guard asked. “Einrith. Einrith Fevenworth.” She handed over the tarnished pass Feven had given her. “Now if that will be all, I’ll be on my way,” she said with a tone of finality. She was used to using fake names. “Of course. Have a good night. Sorry to bother you.” He handed back the small, silver card and walked back towards the checkpoint. Fiera walked quickly down the street, careful to keep an eye out for anyone else. Eventually, she came to a small business that was, remarkably, still open. She peered down the street and saw it was the only building with lights on, besides a few taverns. There was a sign on the outside that said, “Bill’s Bakery - Now Open 24 Hours a Day!” Fiera headed inside and noticed a small machine was perched on the counter. It spoke as she entered, its voice metallic, making little dings and clicks as it talked. “Welcome to Bill’s Bakery. We are currently selling all items at half-price. Fresh-baked goods will be available in approximately three hours and twenty-four minutes. What can I get for you?” the little machine asked. Fiera had never seen a machine quite like this. It was circular and made of what looked like silver and platinum pieces. There were a few gemstones that glowed faintly on the outside. She treated the machine the same as a person behind the counter, and ordered a small croissant and a chocolate and greeberry tart. She paid with one gold coin and ate her treats as she continued to walk. She saw a few more people as she walked, though none talked to her. She approached a small fountain of a large, winged fairy and sat on a bench, watching the stars as she finished her baked goods. Belly now full, she rose to begin heading back to Feven’s shop. She saw a shooting star and followed it with her eyes. Eventually, it fell out of her line of sight, however looking right where it disappeared, Fiera saw there was a shop she had yet to see in Brimstorm. It was a small jewelry shop, currently closed. There were empty displays, and as she approached she could see there were more glass displays filled with gems inside. She looked around behind her, making sure the coast was clear before taking in as much detail of the shop as she could. She hadn’t pulled off a heist in a while. It looked like this might be a two person job. It was always good to have a lookout. The place didn’t appear to have much in the way of security, besides a heavy iron door and bars on the windows. Fiera just knew it would be only too easy to pick that lock, scoop up as many gems as her claws could carry, and be off. The only problem was she didn't have any connections here. She didn’t know any other thieves or fences she would be able to sit on, and until she found someone trustworthy enough, those precious gemstones would be practically worthless. Fiera shoved her hands into her pockets and walked off. There was no reason to steal anymore - she had a job, a place to live, and food to eat. Still, the thrill she would experience called to her. Thanks for reading! There will be another entry tomorrow!

Fiera Shadowscale Entry 9 - A Late Night Stroll

After about twenty minutes, Fiera decided she couldn't sleep. She was much too excited to explore the city and see what it had to offer her. She slipped out of bed, shrugging on her cloak and grabbing her new necklace from its box on her desk. She slipped it on, and immediately her appearance shifted to the icy-blue scaled draconian woman. Fiera put on her boots and took her bag from where it hung on the desk chair. She grabbed out the four coins she had swiped a week ago. They were gold, but much less familiar than the typical gold coin she was used to seeing. They were circular, golden leaves, and according to Feven, they were worth about five regular golden coins each. They were incredibly well crafted, and she was eager to see if she could earn any more. As Fiera headed down the steps, she saw a note resting on the front desk. She picked it up and it read: Fiera, Thank you for your help this first week. I’ve placed your first week's pay in the leather pouch beneath this letter - spend it wisely. There are many who would try to take it from you in this city. Not every week will be as easy as the previous one, especially now that I’ll be able to send you out on errands. I’ll be taking today off, please use the day to explore the city and learn what you can about it. Best, Dr. Buranos Fevenworth Fiera grabbed the pouch sitting beneath the letter and checked its contents. As she spilled it out onto the desk she counted out twenty gold pieces. These were your typical golden coin with a dragon inscribed on one side, and a sunflower on the other. She added them to her bag, and was about to leave when she heard a small noise from in front of her. Looking down, she saw Dimmerson, leaning against a book, small arms crossed. His eyes were half closed, like he had just woken up. “Don’t worry, I won’t be out long. Besides, Feven told me to explore, what's the harm in going out a few hours before the sun rises?” Fiera asked, strolling toward the door. “Don’t worry, I’ll be back soon. If I’m not back by sunrise you can tell on me. Deal?” Dimmerson shrugged and turned to hop off the desk. Fiera headed out the door and made sure to lock it using the key Feven had given her when they first arrived. She stood in the doorway, staring out into the depths of the night. Usually it rained each night here, something to do with the location and altitude, according to Feven. Tonight, however, the sky was clear, though the cobblestones were damp from a cold rain earlier that day. She pulled her hood up and started off, breathing in the fresh air. It smelled amazing, like everything was cleansed by the recent storm. Fiera headed what she thought was north, walking past many closed businesses and residences. She eventually came to a wall, which she followed for a few minutes before she saw torches and guards ahead, guarding a passageway in the wall. She identified it as one of several checkpoints to get into the gilded district, as indicated by the golden banners and flag surrounding the entryway. She continued on, confident her new glamour would hold up to the guards. She was just about to pass them when she heard one call out, her heart stopping. “Hey, you there. Stop,” called one of the guards. Fiera did everything in her power to keep from bolting straight away. She gripped her bag with one hand, the other clenching as she turned. She only had a few seconds to think quickly.

Fiera Shadowscale Entry 8 - Glamour Charm

For the first week that Fiera was in Brimstorm, Feven had her stay in the apartment and the shop. He said he had commissioned a glamour charm to be made for her, modeled after a portrait that Dimmerson had drawn. When Fiera questioned why, Feven had explained that the glamour he had commissioned was going to be of a draconian woman with blue scales. When Fiera complained, saying she had been excited to finally look like a normal person, Feven took hold of her by the shoulders. He told her that she is normal, and this glamour is only for the next few months anyway. After that, no one should be looking for her. Plus, the illusion would hold up if someone were to brush against her actual scales, or touch her face. He also explained people of draconic ancestry were much more common here. They were still somewhat of a rarity, but even just staring out the window during the day, Fiera saw a few pass by. She was upset for a few days after he broke the news, but she soon realized that Feven was right, and keeping her draconic look was indeed the smartest move. She mostly stayed in her room that week. There was a small bookshelf in her room that was about half-full of strange books. There were stories, biographies, a halfling dictionary, history texts, and several books in languages Fiera couldn’t recognize, let alone read. By the end of the week, Fiera had gone through several books, and she knew she wanted nothing more than to fill the rest of her shelves with more. Finally, after a full week, a knock came from outside Fiera’s door. “Come in,” Fiera called. She was reclined on her bed, reading a book about some adventurer who claimed to have killed a basilisk in an undead city. Feven entered, a smile on his face and Fiera jumped at the sight. “Is it here?” she asked excitedly, trying to inspect whatever it was he was holding behind his back. Feven revealed a small wooden box, and handed it to her. “Now, this was quite expensive. Don’t lose it,” Feven smiled. Fiera opened the box to reveal a small, blue, triangular gemstone surrounded by platinum. As she took it from the box, a matching platinum chain came with it. Feven helped her put it on, and as soon as it was clasped around her neck, Fiera saw her scales flash, leaving them an icy blue color, a bit lighter than Feven’s. She turned and hugged him tightly. “Thank you! I’ll be sure to pay you back. How much did it cost?” Fiera asked, looking down to examine her new necklace. “Don’t worry. It’s a gift, and an investment on my part. Just promise me you will stay out of trouble…or at least out of sight of the guard,” laughed Feven. “I will, I promise.” He turned and grabbed hold of the small hand mirror that sat on her desk. She inspected her face and saw it was now slightly more angular and sharp. She barely recognized herself. “Does this mean I can leave the shop now?” she asked, looking back at Feven. “It means you can go out on errands for me - starting tomorrow. I have some supplies I need you to pick up for me, as well as a few things I ordered. And yes, in the evenings and on your days off you’re free to explore the city,” he nodded. Fiera hugged him once more, and Feven bid her goodnight. She couldn’t stop smiling. Tomorrow was going to be a big day.

Fiera Shadowscale Entry 7 - Dimmerson

Together, Feven and Fiera made their way to a small building about four blocks down from Grandad’s Chest. As they approached, Fiera could see a sign through the rain that read, “Fevenworth Dentistry” and further underneath it another sign read, “New Patients Welcome!” On one side of the building there was a business called Lizzie’s Deli. On the other side was a set of blue, double doors with a sign above that read “Post Haste” with an emblem of a letter with wings attached. Fiera followed her new employer to the door where he pulled out a large, iron key, which shrunk down to a smaller size as he put it into the lock. He turned the key and the door opened with a slight click. He gave the door a shove, and a bell rang as it swung inward. They headed indoors, and blinding lights came on a moment later, then dimmed down to a low light. “Yes, yes, sorry for the late night interruption, Dimmerson. I’ve happened across a new employee and she is in need of some lodging upstairs. Her name is Fiera, and I expect you to be nice to each other,” said Feven, to no one in particular. Fiera looked around and couldn't see anyone. They were in a waiting room that had a desk, and a few chairs placed around in a square. A doorway led to the back and another had a staircase leading upward. Fiera heard a slight whimper as she took a step forward to inspect the small room. There were a few sculptures of teeth hanging from the ceiling, and on the wall was a beautiful mural. A circular, cottage home with a garden, some woods in the distance, and the most wonderful wildflowers had been painted on the wall. She heard a slight whimper again as she stepped closer to the front desk. There, sitting on the desk, was a little, blue mushroom - but upon further inspection, Fiera could see that the mushroom was moving. It had small arms, a pointed, blue hat-cap and was holding a wooden staff that he was using to draw. The little mushroom-man was drawing an image of something, and as Fiera approached, she could see it was an image of the two of them, stepping into the room. “You must be Dimmerson, it's nice to meet you,” said Fiera, regretting not seeing the small, blue mushroom right away. As she drew closer, he gave a small nod and continued to finish his picture. Fiera could see little stars and moons patterned across his cap, and he wore a blue cloak. Dimmerson said nothing, but finished the drawing and handed it to Fiera. “Oh, thank you. This is wonderful,” said Fiera, smiling at Dimmerson. Dimmerson kicked at the desk playfully and wandered over to a mug which he jumped into. “Yes, he is quite the artist. He assists me during the surgeries. He makes sure I have the light I need, and uses his staff to see through patients' skin and show me the decay in people’s teeth. He is quite the little guy,” chuckled Feven. “Anyway, the apartment is upstairs, it should be unlocked. I’ll leave you to get settled. I’ll have your tarnished pass requisitioned tomorrow and I’ll talk to someone about getting a glamour charm made for you.” “Thank you, Mr. Fevenworth, truly,” said Fiera. “Ah, when we are in here, it's Dr. Fevenworth. Everywhere else you can just call me Feven, though.” He winked, and began to head out. Fiera watched him leave, then made her way upstairs. At the top of the stairs there was a small landing and a door that was shut. Fiera tried the handle, but found it locked. She quickly took out her lockpick and unlocked it after a few prods with the small tool. The door swung open easily enough and she wandered into the small chamber. There was a bed, desk, chair, mirror, chest of drawers, and a large trunk. Fiera sat on the bed and looked out the window to see the moonlight reflecting off passing raindrops. This place was hers. Not some stinky alleyway cobbled into a hut, not a damp rooftop, or a swaying shack that threatened to fall at any moment. She had a real apartment all to herself. And Dimmerson, of course. Fiera smiled as she laid back on the bed. Maybe this was when her life would finally start to turn around.

Fiera Shadowscale - Entries 1-6

I've decided to just go ahead and put everything I've written so far into this post, no idea if there is a character limit but I guess we will find out! Check out this story if you like Fantasy/D&D/Sword&Sorcery type stuff! Thank you! (I'm posting new entries for this story daily btw!) Entry 1 - The Silver Sapphire Fiera closed her eyes and focused on her breathing, her heart beating rapidly. She felt the wood beneath her clawed fingers and tried to focus on its texture. Anything to distract her from the panic that had set in as she settled into her nook. Everyone had gotten caught, except her. She hoped that her friends would, at most, be jailed, and hopefully not worse. A hanging was a typical fate for a thief. Being imprisoned was almost like a challenge, if you were good enough. Fiera had gotten herself out of her fair share of prisons. This time there would be no escape for her friends. Not when the Platinum Guard were the ones in charge. Your typical guard could be bribed, intimidated, even blackmailed, but the Platinum Guard was notorious for being the best. She had no idea they were the ones hidden away, guarding that caravan. She ran her friends names through her head as she contained her rage, her guilt. Garret, Mary, Feerio, Emmia. Friends that she had bonded with over the last three years. All their success, everything they had achieved together, gone. She felt her claws dig into the wood of the ship beneath her. The waves lapped at the wood loudly and she felt herself choke up, but she swallowed her sorrow. They had agreed if a job ever went bad, it was everyone for themselves. That was always the rule. The problem was, Fiera had never had a job go this wrong before. Sure, Mary and Garret had gotten locked up, but between her, Feerio, and Emmia, they had always been able to break them out. But the Platinum Guard? There was no chance of her breaking out four different prisoners, all on her own. The guards had carried magical weapons, and they had some kind of protective enchantments. Mary’s crossbow bolt had hit an invisible force field, and all of Feerio’s darts missed their mark. Magic was the only possible answer. In Silco City, magic was rare. You would occasionally get a trickster or tinkerer that would come through town with a few minor enchantments or trinkets. They would sell you a bobble that would run out of magic after a few uses, and it was always much too expensive. Potions were more common, but still expensive. People in Silco had developed a mistrust of magic over the years. Ever since she was a small girl, Fiera dreamed of magical enchantments, and items that could make her do amazing things. One item that she always wanted was one that could change your appearance. According to the stories she heard, you could change your clothes, your hair, even your race. Having draconic ancestry meant that everywhere Fiera went, people gave her strange looks, and hardly anyone treated her with kindness. She would give anything to look normal, to be treated fairly. Instead, she was an outcast. That was why she stuck to the shadows. That was why she stuck to thievery. Fiera felt the ship begin to set out, a bell ringing faintly from the top of the crows nest. She was nestled deep below deck, near the bottom of the ship. She rested between two wooden crates, a tarp pulled over the top to conceal her. When she had boarded the vessel, she had barely registered the silver sails, or the blue windfish painted on its hull. As the ship pulled away from port, she began to relax. At least now if they did find her, they would have to take her with them. Fiera closed her eyes and allowed the waves to rock her slightly, lulling her to sleep. She felt a connection to the sea. Every night she would watch the sun set beneath the waves. It was like something primal within her felt the motion of the water and she anticipated which way it would move. As Fiera swayed gently with the waves, her unconscious thoughts drifted to each of her friends, and the fates they may already be facing. Entry 2 - Into the Sky A low rumble woke Fiera. It sounded like they were dragging against a sandbar, the entire ship shaking with the rumble. Fiera’s back ached as she sat forward, peeking out from under her tarp. Her stomach rumbled, but it was inaudible compared to the sound emanating from below the floorboards. She had been asleep for hours. She had no idea where this ship had been heading, but she knew they couldn't be there yet. The closest port to them was over a day's journey by sea, and that was a small military encampment. She hadn't gotten a chance yet to look at the cargo they were carrying. Much of it was locked up tight in crates and barrels, though a few things were labeled. She saw crates loaded with different cheeses, something that Silco City was known for. There were barrels labeled with assorted wines, wool, leathers, and several crates with images of teeth stamped onto them. She was intrigued by those crates, but had to hide as she heard footfalls coming down the steps from above. “Should be taking off soon. Captain said to check the cargo was secure before take-off. Gravrock’s just gotta warm up. I still think it's strange we have to do this every time we go to Silco for this damn cheese,” said a gruff voice. “Yeah, but it's worth it. The questions and spectacle alone wouldn't be worth the trouble. Plus, you know how the captain gets about his cheese. He can't get enough of the stuff. We’ll probably keep half of what we picked up to deliver. Can’t beat that Silco cheese…” another voice trailed off as they walked around the lower deck. They passed by Fiera’s hiding spot without trouble, and headed back up above deck. Soon after they left, Fiera felt the rumbling below her grow stronger and her vision began to blur slightly. All of a sudden she felt her stomach drop out from under her as she felt the ship pick up speed and shoot upward. She had no idea what was going on, so she crawled over to a porthole embedded in the hull, peeking out the darkened glass. She saw the water below them, and a land mass far in the distance, both shrinking as the ship began to ascend upward. Fiera’s jaw dropped. This wasn’t just any ship she had stowed away upon. This was a skyship. And it was rapidly gaining speed as they zoomed into the clouds. She had once read a book detailing their design and function. They supposedly ran off a type of rock that had a natural buoyancy that was found floating in the air. These gravity rocks were then broken down into whatever size was needed for the ship being built, and then an arcane channeler would either pour energy into the rock to make it rise up, or suck the power out, causing it to lose its levitation ability. Fiera’s copy of the book was unfortunately stolen by another child, and thrown into the kitchen's hearth. Fiera cried for days after that had happened. She blinked and turned to look out the window again, the memory passing. This was real. She was actually headed somewhere in a real skyship. Her stomach grumbled again and she took out her dagger, making quick work of one of the cheese crates. She hacked off a chunk and put the lid back on the crate carefully, ensuring she would have access to it later. She hunkered down again in her hiding spot, chewing through the soft cheese quickly. It wasn’t a perfect meal, but it would keep her stomach from growling at her. Two days went by like this, Fiera stealing bits of cheese when she could, and she even had to break into one of the wine casks to quench her thirst. The crew came down a few more times to grab a few things, but for the most part they left the cargo hold alone. By sunset of the second day, she heard a commotion from above and risked a peek out of the porthole again. She still wasn’t tired of watching the endless clouds pass by - she saw mountains far off in the distance, huge plots of land, small villages and farms, and now as she gazed out, she saw they approached a city. One side featured a port full of skyships of all sizes and colors. As she gazed at the incredible city, a name popped into her head that she remembered from the book she had read. Brimstorm, the city known for creating skyships. It was located on a series of mountain peaks, and used gravity rocks to help keep the entire city from falling out of the sky. Looking out in amazement, Fiera knew this place was going to be nothing like Silco City. This was a place of magic and adventure, but most of all, a place of opportunity. Entry 3 - Glozzed The Silver Sapphire pulled into port. Fiera could hear men shouting greetings to other dock workers who helped secure the ship. She knew that she couldn’t stay here long, they would probably be unloading soon. Her best option was most likely stealth - she was, by nature, incredibly stealthy. Her obsidian scales blended in well with the shadows, and at night she was nearly invisible. The only problem was, her draconic ancestors forgot to give her the ability to see in the dark. As she snuck slowly up the stairs, Fiera listened intently for anyone coming her direction. As she worked her way onto the main deck, she noticed many of the sailors were heading her direction - some working on securing the rigging or sails, and others started moving to the cargo hold. As Fiera ducked low on the steps of the deck, she could see the main bridge that connected the ship to the dock was currently unoccupied. There was a portly man wearing a wide-brimmed hat discussing something with what looked like a guard. He wore gold and silvered armor, a clipboard in hand, and a sword at his side. Deciding it was now or never, Fiera pulled her hood up and began to stride forward, confident and with purpose. If she looked like she belonged, there shouldn't be a problem. Fiera started down the bridge, and immediately the guard noticed the movement and held up a hand. “Just a moment, I’m just speaking with your captain. You can start unloading as soon as we get this paperwork over with,” the guard said, turning back to the captain. The captain turned as he spoke, and immediately his eyes opened wide as he saw her. “But she’s not one of mine, I’ve never seen this person. Who are you?” he said, walking toward Fiera, hand reaching for something on his belt. She paused, then with a sudden burst of speed, sprinted down the plank. She jumped onto the railing and somersaulted over the captain and the guard, landing in a roll before continuing to sprint down the docks. She barely had time to take in the sprawling city in front of her before she heard the shouts from behind her. Ahead, she saw many dock workers looking in her direction, but thankfully, none stopped her. She continued on with a renewed strength, seeing the end of the wooden docks and the start of a street only 200 feet away. Fiera sprinted even faster, and she saw ahead that two more guards carrying spears had noticed the commotion. They sprinted towards her. She risked a look behind her and saw the guard that had shouted at her was already on her heels. As she approached the other two, she bolted to the right side of the docks where a bunch of crates had been piled high. Fiera sprinted up onto them and jumped, bypassing the two guards. She was nearly free, only twenty feet to go. As she hit the pavement, she felt something collide with her back, and a rope wrapped itself around her, tightening on its own. Fiera used all her strength, but the rope had turned to iron. Her arms were stuck to her side, and she couldn't reach her dagger. As the guards caught up, she saw a flash of yellow, and a cloud of powder erupted around her head. One of the guards had thrown down something on the ground, and immediately Fiera began to cough and choke as she inhaled the salty, musty, powdered substance. A moment passed and it dissipated, but the powder already began to take effect. Two of the guards picked her up and she swayed. Had the two guards not been holding her up, she would’ve fallen back down. It felt like she had drank far too much wine, and her muscles didn't want to function. “Now, who are you?” asked the guardsman with the sword. He wore a fierce expression, like her little stunt was a personal insult. Fiera tried to spit in his face, but all she got was a glob of saliva down her chin. “Nice job, Errick, you glozzed her. She won’t be able to answer any of our questions for at least an hour or two,” said one of the guards holding her. Fiera looked up into the sky. The clouds nearby were an incredible golden color, and she immediately was distracted by them. She nearly fell backward as her head rolled back and she shifted her weight suddenly. The guards hauled her forward and the one named Errick pointed down the street. “Take her to the hold, then. We’ll have to question her tomorrow. My shift is nearly up, and I don’t feel like doing any more overtime. Gilroy owes me enough as is,” he said, walking back to speak with the ship's captain. Fiera’s eyes rolled back into her head as she began to slip in and out of consciousness. “Make sure to search her before you put her away for the evening,” the guard called. “We don’t need my perfect record being ruined by a draconian.” The last thing Fiera heard was one of the guards swearing as they began to carry her down the street. Entry 4 - The Electrum Guard As Fiera came to, her head throbbed immensely. She opened her eyes, and tried to take in her surroundings. After a few moments, a dark room slowly came into focus. She was in a cell somewhere. Memories flooded back as she doubled over, emptying what little remained inside her stomach. “Yeah, getting glozzed isn’t very fun. Sorry about that. You’ll feel better soon. About fifteen more minutes until you’re back to normal,” a voice said to her left. Fiera looked over and could barely make out a set of greenish, glowing eyes. “Who said that? Who are you? Where are we?” Fiera gasped, trying to get up. Her muscles ached as she stood. “Well, I said that, my name is Lirna. We’re in a holding pen near the docks, I believe. Most of the other pens are full, I guess. They caught me trying to sneak into the Gilded District. The guy who sold me that pass swore it was legit,” she mumbled to herself. “Guess I gotta be more careful next time. If they don’t chuck me out with you, that is,” said Lirna. As Fiera’s vision came into focus, she saw a young, female rabbitfolk wearing an apron sitting ten feet from her inside the same cell. “What are you talking about? They wouldn't just throw me out of the city, would they?” Fiera asked as she massaged her temples. “Take a seat, I’ll explain.” She hopped closer and used a nearby stone to scrape a rough map onto the floor. “This is Brimstorm, and currently we are inside the Silver District - that’s where most of the residents of Brimstorm work and live. There’s also the Gilded District - all the fancy, expensive nobles and merchants live there. “Our city functions on a pass system. Each year when you pay your taxes to the lord, they give you either a gold or silver pass that will allow you entry into their respective districts. A Silver District resident is allowed inside the Gilded District, but you have to pay for a day pass, and those are extremely expensive. I’m assuming this is all new to you?” she asked dully, as she used the stone to idly scratch at the cobbles beneath her. “Yeah, this is all new. Wait, so if I had a pass the guards wouldn’t bother me?” said Fiera. “If it was a legitimate pass? Yes. You’re passed the enrollment period unfortunately, and the list to apply for citizenship here is insanely long anyway.” “No matter. I’m used to sticking to the shadows. I’ll be out of here in no time. I’ll just have to be more careful with the guards.” Fiera schemed, inspecting her shackles. "Good luck with that,” Lirna said sarcastically, “getting glozzed is only one of the ways the Electrum Guard has of taking down runners. Besides, they’re not exactly going to let you off with a warning. Most likely, you’ll be sent to the prison down below.” “The Electrum Guard…are they related to the Platinum Guard? And not to worry, I don’t think they found my hidden pick,” said Fiera, pulling off a false scale on her shoulder and removing a small, metallic lockpick. “Uh, I guess they are, yeah. Never heard of any Platinum Guard, though. Hey, wait, are you going to try to escape?” Lirna’s ears pricked up in surprise. “I’m not going to try. I’m getting out of here. These fools don’t know who they’re dealing with,” she said fiercely. A half-second later, a small click emanated from her manacles and she was free. Fiera started toward the door. “Wait, if you free me too, I can get you a temporary worker’s pass! That should keep the guards off your back if they see you again,” she pleaded. She had moved even closer now, and Fiera could see her rabbit nose was wiggling with anxiety. Fiera paused and turned to look at Lirna. “A worker’s pass, huh? And I’m guessing that's only good for the Silver District…” she said. “Yes, but it's foolproof. The worker’s passes are given out by the merchants of the Gilded District. I happen to know one that makes trips to this district regularly. Let me free and I’ll take you to him.” Lirna raised her bound hands towards her. In the low light, the small rabbitfolk looked helpless. Fiera paused to consider her offer. “Fine, I suppose it couldn’t hurt to have a friend in a new city,” replied Fiera. She approached Lirna and quickly unlocked her manacles. They approached the cell door and that too was unlocked with remarkable speed. “Wow, nice job. I’ve never heard of anyone breaking out of here before.” Lirna peeked around the doorframe. “Usually they do a good job of searching anyone they bring in here, and they trust in the locks and security system so much that they don't actually have anyone guarding us most of the time. I expect someone will be back soon to give us a meal, though. We should hurry. The office with your things should be over there in the corner.” Fiera hurried over to the office in the corner and was surprised to find it unlocked. There, on a peg hanging on the wall, she saw her satchel. She grabbed it quickly and then swiped the four coins on the desk - due to the low lighting, she couldn't see which denomination they were - and half of a hard loaf of bread, before hurrying out of the room. As they headed out the door of the cell block, a shrieking sound emanated from directly above them. They covered their ears and looked upward and saw a large crystal now flashing red, bathing the hall in crimson light. “Come on!” shouted Lirna, running down the hall, leading them out onto the street. Fiera followed with haste, entering a back alley and down into a sewer grate that Lirna opened up for her. “They won’t be able to track us down in the waterways.” Fiera hurried down the ladder, careful when she jumped the last few feet. She landed with a slight splash and took in the small sewer. It smelled awful. “Come on, this way. We shouldn't have to spend too much time down here,” said Lirna. Fiera followed her cautiously, taking in as much detail as she could. If there was a sewer system here that the guards didn’t use, it was worth learning about. Entry 5 - Grandad’s Chest As they jogged down the sewer, Fiera internally mapped each path they took. It was dim, nearly dark, but the slow-flowing waterways glowed an iridescent green and blue color, allowing them to navigate without a torch. The smell was incredibly pungent, and Fiera was nervous about travelling for long distances. Eventually Lirna led them to a ladder, slick with moisture, which they both swiftly ascended. There was a grate that Lirna pushed up, using her shoulder to flip up its rusted hinges. As they emerged out onto the street, they could feel mist beginning to fall from the sky, and the sky above was incredibly dark. Fiera followed Lirna down the alley and across the street, which was dark and vacant save for a stumbling old man down the way. Lirna entered a small shop door, with a large sign above it that read, “Grandad’s Chest.” Fiera followed with caution, very aware of the putrid scent coming from the two of them. “There ya are, Lirna, I’ve been getting worried. Who’s this you’ve got with ya? And why do you two smell like you’ve been wrestling with the Lizpigs?” said a gruff voice coming from a corner. There, in a small arm chair, was an old, halfling fellow. He had many wrinkles on his clean shaven face, and a large book sat in his lap. He was frowning at the two of them. “Sorry, Grandad. This is Fiera - she helped me, and now I’m helping her.” Lirna nodded to Fiera. “Hello, it’s nice to meet you,” Fiera replied. “I’m new to Brimstorm.” She cringed when she thought of how she must look and wished they had taken a cleaner path to the shop. “Yes, I expect you’re wanting to speak with old Fevenworth. He should be here soon for our midnight tea. Good to meet you, Fiera,” he smiled. He reached over to the table beside him and grabbed a small, fist-sized object, tossing it to Lirna. “Freshen up, would you? Otherwise the Guard will be able to smell you from here,” he remarked. Lirna nodded and raised the stone to her forehead, and uttered a strange word. Blue mist cascaded around her, instantly cleaning her sodden clothes. A strong smell of wildflowers emanated from her now as the mist faded. Lirna approached, holding out the stone towards Fiera’s head. “May I?” she asked. “Of course, go ahead,” said Fiera, still shocked to see magic being used so casually. Lirna pressed the smooth, warm stone to her forehead and said the strange word once more. Instantly, the same blue mist appeared, this time mixing with a green mist to cleanse the muck and grime from her. The smell of lilac and lavender mixed around her. As the mist faded, Fiera could see her scales were more shiny and clean than they ever had been. Her clothes too were immaculate, cleaner than the day she first put her second-hand cloak on. Fiera composed herself as Lirna handed back the stone to Grandad. “That's much better. Now, before he gets here, there’s something you should probably know about Buranos Fevenworth,” said Lirna, walking back over to Fiera. Before she could get out another word, there were two knocks at the door, and it opened, a cloaked figure stepping into the room. It was now raining harder, and the figure moved their hand in the air, lifting all the water droplets that had collected on the cloak. With a flick of the wrist, the figure flung them out the door. “Ah, much better, I didn't realize we were due for rain tonight,” said the figure, turning around. Fiera felt shock overwhelm her once more as she watched the blue draconian pull down his hood. Entry 6 - Buranos Fevenworth “Ah, I see you’ve got some other visitors for tea time as well, and another draconian, at that. How wonderful! You don’t see too many of us around, even in Brimstorm. Pleasure to meet you, I am Buranos Fevenworth, though you can call me Feven, for short,” said the blue draconian. He bowed, then began to walk slowly towards the couch near where Grandad was sitting. Fiera was too stunned to speak. She had never encountered another draconian before, and she was stunned to see him. “Hello, I’m Fiera, it's nice to meet you. I’ve never met another one of our kind before. Forgive me if I can’t quite think right now. I’ve sort of been through a lot in the last couple of hours. I’m from Silco City, by the way - I’m not sure you have heard of it,” Fiera trailed off, embarrassed. “Silco City, you say? That’s the city they say to steer clear of if you use magic. Lots of witch burnings, supposedly. Any of that true?” asked Feven. “Uh, I think that was a long time ago. I’ve never seen anyone get burned alive for using magic. We’ve had a few people come through that tried to show off some tricks, but I think most people just think it's foolish tricks and that nothing good or useful comes of magic. I’ve learned quite the opposite even just in my first few hours here,” said Fiera, taking a bench from a nearby table and sitting down. Lirna plopped herself down next to her, chewing on a hard biscuit she had grabbed from a bowl on the coffee table. “I see. Well, welcome. I assume you have a worker's pass, or have just been granted citizenship with us?” Feven questioned, raising a brow. “Actually, Feven, I wanted to ask you something about that,” Lirna interjected. “You’re looking for a new assistant right? Well, Fiera here is quite fearless - she would be an excellent candidate for your shop,” she added. “Is that so? No fear of blood or teeth?” asked Feven. “Teeth? Uh, no, I’m not too afraid of anything,” said Fiera slowly. “Well, it's settled then. I can provide you with a tarnished worker’s pass, and you’ll work for me at my dentistry shop. My last assistant left due to, well, an unnatural fear she developed. Not to worry though, You won’t need to assist in any medical fashion. That’s what Dimmerson is for!” Feven said. “A denti-huh? Uh, I’m guessing you work on people’s teeth, then. Well, what would I need to do?” asked Fiera, sitting forward intently. “Oh, not too much, just sweep the shop each day, collect any packages that arrive for me, and keep the place cleaned up. There can be a fair amount of blood and other fluids from some of our patients. Not to worry though, it will leave you plenty of time in the evenings to explore our fine city! I’d love nothing more than to help out one of our kind.” Feven smiled at her. “Sounds great. Uh, so this tarnished worker's pass is good for three months?” asked Fiera. “Yes, it’s good for three months, after which I’ll be able to help you apply for a full-time silver pass. You’ll be able to skip the line, so to speak. I’ll provide you enough of an income to live on, and there’s a spare apartment above the shop you can stay in. I will ask you to keep an eye on the shop while we’re closed, however. Spook off anyone trying to break in, that sort of thing,” He took a sip of tea that Grandad had poured for him. It was at this point Fiera realized that a cup had floated its way over to her and was bumping into her arm. She grabbed it and took a sip. It tasted amazing, with a sweet, yet robust flavor. It made her mouth tingle slightly as she drank it. “So, who’s Dimmerson?” Fiera asked as she sipped her tea. “Ah, you’ll meet him when we get there. I assume you’ll want to get settled in tonight, unless you have another place to stay?” said Feven, giving Grandad a look. “Of course she is welcome to stay here, if she desires,” said Grandad, looking at Fiera. “I wouldn’t want to intrude. I would prefer to get settled into the apartment, I suppose. I can start keeping a watch tonight,” she offered. “Oh, no need to stay up and watch for anyone, I just meant you can keep a watch on the shop in a general sense. If you ever hear someone breaking in, call the guards, or deal with them yourself - if you’re able,” he said with a wink. “Understood. Shall we head out?” Fiera stood up. Her cup was empty. “Soon, soon, I just need to speak with Grandad here about a few things, then I’ll be ready. Feel free to wait outside. Here,” he said, flicking his hand outward toward her. A shimmer of blue energy shot out of his palm and encased Fiera, though it was nearly undetectable. “That will keep the rain off you. I’d still suggest putting your hood up until we get a glamour for you,” he added, sipping his tea. Fiera nodded, putting up her hood, and gave a wave to Lirna. “It was great to meet you, Fiera, thank you for getting me out tonight. I owe you one,” she said with a wave. “Stop by the shop sometime and we can settle our debts,” Fiera joked. With that, she stepped out into the dark, cold rain. She watched as the droplets of water bounced off her, refusing to get more than an inch from her body. Leaning against the shop’s entryway, Fiera smiled to herself. Not only had she managed to secure a job, a place to crash, and a worker’s pass, but that old draconian had said something about a glamour too. For the first time she wouldn’t have to worry about people seeing her as a weird, dragon girl. She would just be another person, working to earn a living. There was something respectable about that. Fiera knew that trouble had a way of finding her, but for now, at least, it seemed she was safe. Thanks for reading! There will be another entry tomorrow!

Fiera Shadowscale - Prelude

This is the introduction/backstory of a story I am currently working on writing daily posts about! If you like fantasy/d&d stories this is right up your alley! Let me know what you think! (I’m just writing this story for fun). Fiera’s Prelude - Troublemaker, Runaway, Survivor. Fiera Shadowscale was born somewhere on the Farlian Coast, but was dropped off at an orphanage in nearby Silco City at only three years old. Silco Orphanage raised her, and even from an early age she was a troublemaker. She was constantly taking things that didn't belong to her, starting fights, and letting her temper control her actions. One thing she was constantly stealing from others was their books. She had developed a love for reading, and would devour any book she could get her claws on. She was often treated poorly simply because of her draconic ancestry, which was rare in Silco city. Most people that lived there were human, along with a few dwarves, halflings, and gnomes. When she turned 16 years old, she decided to run away from the orphanage and began living as a thief on the streets. She learned to steal in order to survive. She made her money by pickpocketing, and doing other small-time jobs. She only stole from those who deserved it. Many other street kids respected her for her skills, and she was known as one of the better pickpockets in the city. After a year of being on her own, she began to run with a crew that called themselves "The Serpent Hounds," named after the predator that dwells in the forests surrounding Silco Valley. Serpent Hounds are known for being smart and making strategic, calculated moves, so it was a perfect fit for Fiera. She eventually became their master of strategy and would be the one to plan out their jobs and escape plans. For three years Fiera ran with them, earning them a reputation and a fair bit of gold. They taught her many things, including how to pick locks, how to scout locations, and how to disarm traps, all of which she picked up incredibly quickly. Her nimble draconic hands were perfect for a thief. One day, however, a simple job went bad. They were set up to rob a caravan carrying two nobles into Silco City, but the Serpent Hounds encountered a surprise after launching their attack. The guards escorting the caravan had magical weapons, as well as protective enchantments. Magic in Silco City was rare, so the Serpent Hounds were forced to run. The guards captured all four of Fiera's companions, and Fiera was forced to flee Silco City. Using her quick intellect and wits, she was able to flee. As she arrived back at their hideout, she found it was being raided by the guards of the city. She was forced to stow away aboard a ship that was just about to leave. There was nothing left in Silco for Fiera, and she was in need of a new beginning.

My second Adventure Hunt is about to drop. It was funded by Kickstarter, and I have a late backer website for anyone who wants to the Protagonist in a National Treasure-style adventure story with actual puzzles to solve. It's a good time. https://dimono.ca/

This may or may not be my last post on the Rooster Teeth website depending on whether I get my “Oh Disney!” blog post done this month or not. I’m still doing a lot of work on that, and I don’t know how long my First membership is going to last for at the moment. Anyway, here’s my blog post focusing on the winners of the Razzie awards this year. :D https://mamzelleboomstickvstheuniverse.blogspot.com/2024/04/reviewing-golden-raspberry-awards-2024.html

This is going to sound weird and stupid, but I can't get it out of my head now, what if we and others create a goodbye party for all the animations Rooster Teeth has ever created? I'm talking about that is a fan-made story made by everyone who wants to write their story about these characters where they meet other characters from other shows like... Rooster Teeth Animated Adventure, Ah Animated, Rwby, Nomad of Nowhere, Rwby Chibi, Red vs Blue, Stinky Dragon, Camp Camp, X-Ray and Vav, Any Rooster Teeth Animated. And the place they're all in it's where the party is. Everyone who wants to join in can write their own small story like what some of the characters are doing at the party, it could be fun it could be sad it could be interesting, you can ride it, you can draw it, or Draw one picture, how you do it doesn't matter you do what you can do long or short, it's your choice. So what do you think? Is anyone interested?

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I have finally managed to upload my blog post on my annual visit to see the London Christmas lights this year. Here it is if you want to see the photos I took. :D https://mamzelleboomstickvstheuniverse.blogspot.com/2023/12/seeing-christmas-lights-2023.html

Red, White, and Blue, a Red vs. Blue fanfiction. Tags: Self Insert, Scifi, Humor, Drama. Chapter One: Fun and Games Jackson Army Space Port on Reach was a hive of constant activity, what with Pelicans and other types of ships constantly landing and taking flight bearing troops and cargo to Who-Knows-Where, while the ground was alive with vehicles, and people doing military stuff. I had just finished training, and was waiting in a line to get directions to my destination. "Private White reporting for duty, sir," I said to the sergeant when I got to the front of the line, while also standing at attention. "At ease, Private," replied the sergeant, who then held up his hands. "Orders?" I passed an envelope to him, which he opened and read carefully. "Your flight is in Row 14, column 22," Said the Sergeant eventually. "It takes off at 1445 hours. It is transporting one other Private, and cargo. Here is a map with the location circled. Got all that?" "Yes sir," I replied swiftly. "You're dismissed," said the sergeant dismissively. I nodded and walked pass him into the spaceport proper. While my flight was half a mile away, I managed to get there quickly, as I was wearing what seemed to be a normal human version of the Mjolnir armor, which everyone was wearing, even the sergeant. The normal human version of the Mjolnir armor was called the Gungnir armor, named after the spear of Odin. My armor's color was a dark gray, cause I preferred darker colors, and apparently it was my choice. I figured that this must be some sort of AU of the Halo verse, as I didn't remember normal people wearing armor like this in the games. Given that there was only one other person being shipped out with me, I imagined that I was going to some sort of remote base that only needed a few people manning it. I was 20 and it was the 25th​ year of The Great War, the war between the UNSC and the Covenant. I knew that I was probably going to die in this war, but I wasn't too concerned, as I had died once before. Interestingly, once you've died once, death loses its mystery. I arrived at the flight point to find the Pilot loading some boxes into the holding rack that was under the dorsal section of the ship. "Private White reporting for duty, sir," I said when I entered the flight point, standing at attention. "Private White?" asked the Pilot, turning around. "Oh, you're the other passenger. I don't out rank you, Private, so you may stand at ease." "Thank you… um," I replied. "Jones," the Pilot replied, "Call me Jones." "Ok," I said, before gesturing at the tank. "Need help with the cargo?" "Not really. Go ahead and get on board," Jones replied dismissively. "The other passenger is already there." "Thanks, I will go introduce myself then," I said as I passed him. Climbing on board the Pelican, I noticed the other passenger sitting in the passenger compartment, who happened to be wearing very blue armor. "Hello," I said in a friendly manner, holding up my hand. "I'm Private William White, what's your name?" He looked up at me, then shook my hand. "Nice to meet you," He replied. "I'm Private Michael J. Caboose." It was a good thing I was wearing my helmet, as it hid my shock. Wait, the Michael J. Caboose? Did that mean that I was in the Red Vs. Blue universe? Was I actually going to Blood Gulch? If so… well, at least that meant I… probably… wouldn't be dying anytime soon. Maybe. Possibly. Hopefully. I sat down across from Caboose and a few minutes later Jones got onboard himself, and the pelican took off. Eventually we hooked up with another ship, and Caboose and I were lead to what looked like the Team Blue Cryobay, where we were lined up next to a bunch of other Blue Soldiers in front of a row of Cryotubes, with a row of suit lockers behind us. A few minutes later, after a few more Blues had arrived, another Sargent arrived. “Good morning, men,” the Sargent said. “You’ll be entering an extended cryosleep for the next 5 weeks, so make sure you get cleaned up good. I don’t want any complaints about freezer burn when you wake up, got it?” “Sir, yes sir,” We chorused. “Good men,” the Sargent nodded. “Now, your tube is the one directly across from you, and your locker is the one directly behind you. Make sure you remember the number. Now, get out of those suits and go get cleaned!” “Sir, yes sir,” we chorused again, and with that we all turned around and made to take off the suits, before heading into the nearby shower. Showering before entering Cryosleep was standard procedure, as any dirt or dead skin could cause blistering while in Cryosleep. After I had finished washing, I stepped into the nearby drying room. The drying room was just a small square room that blew warm air over you like a hand dryer. You didn’t want to go into Cryosleep all wet either cause it could cause the same blistering effect. Once I was fully dry, I stepped back out to the Cryobay and walked up to my Cryotube, before opening it up. I was the first one to be finished with showering. “Looking sharp, Private,” the Sargent said. “Do you need help with the Cryotube?” I shook my head. “No, Sargent.” “Alright, then,” the Sargent replied. “Just remember your training and you’ll be fine.” I nodded, and then stepped into the Cryotube. I laid back, the tube closed on it’s own, and a moment later, I felt pinpricks as a needles from the back of the Cryotube were inserted into my back. A moment later I felt a chill as they injected Cytoprethaline into my bloodstream. Cytoprethaline was a drug that would prevent ice crystals from forming in my body during cryosleep. Turning to regard a computer display that hung on a robotic arm from the top of the tube, I checked the scanners that were tracking the progress of the Cytoprethaline as it passed through my bloodstream. I had to make sure my body was completely suffused with the stuff before entering Cryosleep, or I would risk dying. Once my body was completely suffused, I picked up a mask that was hanging from the top, and placed it on my face. As I inhaled with the mask on my face, I felt the strange sensation of bronchial surfactant coating the inside of my lungs. It felt like drowning, but worse, as I could still inhale air, so each breath became heavier and heavier… And suddenly I was waking up from cryosleep five weeks later. As this was the first time I’d done long term Cryosleep (having only done Cryosleep for a few days at a time in training), for a moment I was confused as to where I was. A dull red light pierced my eyelids, and I found myself pulling off the mask and stumbling out of the Cryotube, before getting down on my hands and knees on the floor, and coughing until a stream of clear but viscous liquid flowed out of my lungs and onto the floor. Once it was out, I took my first real breath for the first time in five weeks. Blearily, I opened my eyes and looked around. It appeared that everyone in the Cryobay had woken up at the same time, as there were rows of other men and women on the floor, coughing and spewing bronchial surfactant. I sighed before making my way to the shower to wash off the cryogell. A few minutes later I was all cleaned up and back in my suit, standing before the row of Cryotubes with Caboose standing next to me, chattering away with a nearby private. About half an hour later, the Sargent came back and started calling names, with those called lining up on front of him. He would then lead them away before coming back and calling more names. I assumed that they were all getting sent off to various simulation sites, so part of me was worried that I would be called without Caboose, and that I would be sent off to another simulation site that wasn’t Bloodgulch, so I was relieved every time the Sargent left without calling up me or Caboose, but somewhat annoyed that I still had to listen to his inane chatter. Eventually, Caboose and I were the only ones left in the room, which I took as a sign that yes, I was indeed going to Blood Gulch, and I breathed a sigh of relief. Thankfully, I knew what was coming, and knew who was going to be involved, so I'd be able to anticipate any moves people made before they made them. Survival seemed likely. A painful death, hopefully avoidable. Eventually the Sargent returned. “Well, come on, you two,” He said, and we made to follow him out of the Cryobay. He lead us to a different Pelican, this time in a docking bay, where a different pilot was checking over a very old and beat up tank that was sitting under the dorsal section of the ship. Caboose choose that moment to annoy the pilot with his inane chatter, so I took that as my cue to get on board. Eventually the pilot managed to convince Caboose to get on board himself and stop bothering them, so a moment later I was joined by him in the passenger compartment. "Isn't this exciting? We're finally gonna be deployed!" Caboose said excitedly as he strapped himself in. "I wonder what our teammates will be like?" "I bet the first thing they'll say to you is 'shut up'," I muttered under my breath. "What?" Caboose asked curiously. "Didn't catch that." "Uh, nothing," I shrugged nervously. "I hope they aren't full military type hardasses. I hate those kinds of people, they're always getting on my case about being lazy." "Yeah, me too," Caboose agreed blithely. He was prevented from speaking further by the pilot, who was finished loading up the tank, so now it was time to fly down to the planet. It was a short but bumpy trip, and as I looked out a nearby viewing port, I noticed that we seemed to be heading towards an island. Blood Gulch was on an island? Huh, go figure. Eventually we arrived, landing a few short meters to the east of Blood Gulch Outpost Alpha, and the pilot promptly kicked us out and detached the tank with little fanfare. A few moments later, Church and Tucker came out of Blue Base and started admiring the tank, completely ignoring us. After a few minutes of lingering silence, Caboose worked up the nerve to speak up: "So I said to the guy 'how are you gonna get the tank down to the planet?' and he goes, 'I'll just put it on the ship', and I go, 'if you got a ship that can carry a tank, why not just put guns on the ship and use it instead'-" "Hey, kid," Tucker suddenly interrupted, turning to Caboose. "Yeah?" "You're ruining the moment. Shut up." "Oh," said Caboose, a bit surprised. "Ok! You got it, man!" "You know what?" said Church, in a tone of awe. "I could blow up the whole god damn world with this thing." "Well, maybe not the whole world," I commented. "Perhaps a few small bits of it at a time." "Kid," said Tucker, turning to me. "Ruining. The moment." "Oh Right, sorry." I rolled my eyes. They admired the tank some more, and the minutes dragged on. I was temped to make a point of checking my watch to see how they'd react, but then remembered that I didn't have one. "You know what," Tucker eventually spoke up, turning to Church. "Forget what I said before. We can definitely pick up chicks in this thing. Probably two or three chicks apiece." "Oh, man," Church groaned. "Listen to you. What are you going to do with two chicks?" "Church, women are like Voltron," replied Tucker with an air of describing something to a child. "The more you can hook up, the better it gets." "Somehow, I get the feeling that you don't know how female anatomy works," I commented wryly. "Oh yeah?" asked Tucker. "How many chicks have you had?" "Uh, Zero," I shrugged. "Then what the fuck do you know about female anatomy?" "A hell of a lot more than you, if you're comparing woman to Voltron," I replied sarcastically. "Nerd." "Dick," Tucker muttered. "So, yeah," Church spoke up a moment later. "I'll let you guys in on a little secret. I've, uh, I've actually got a girl back home." "Oh yeah?" asked Tucker curiously. "Girlfriend or Wife?" "No, man," replied Church casually, "She's just… my girlfriend. We were gonna get married, but I got shipped out and – – Ah, you know how it works." "Oh, well, you gonna marry her when you get back?" asked Tucker. "I'm not going to get married," Caboose suddenly interrupted. "My dad always said, 'why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free?'." "Hey rookie," said Church in an angry tone as he walked towards him. "Did you just call my girlfriend a cow?" "No, I think he called her a slut!" said Tucker in a disbelieving tone. "No, he said that his dad called your girlfriend a slut. Or cow," I corrected. "along with all other females in existence. You know, just to clarify." "I'll tell you what, noob," Church growled angrily at Caboose. "I can sit out here and listen to you insult my girlfriend all day long, but as it turns out, I got a lot more important job for you to do." "Great," Caboose replied morosely. "See, we've got this General," Church started explaining. "Right, the General guy," said Tucker, playing along. "Who likes to come by and make random inspections of the bases," continued Church. "so what I'm going to have you do… is I'm going to have you go in the base and stand right next to the flag at attention, just in case he decides to come by." "When is he coming by?" Caboose asked curiously. "We never know," Tucker replied. "Could be today, could be weeks from now." "You want me to stand at attention for a week?" asked Caboose in confusion. "You know, you don't sound very grateful," said Church loftily. "This is the most important job at the whole base! You're going to be right there with the Flag!" "What's so important about the Flag?" he asked dubiously. "Oh, come on," said Church in exasperation. "Don't they teach you guys anything in training?" "They didn't tell us anything about a flag," Caboose replied doubtfully. "Why is it so important?" "Oh, you must have missed that class in basic," I replied cheerfully. "You see, the flag is the most important thing in the base because if we lose it, the Reds win." "Win what?" asked Caboose. "What do they win?" "Uh, the war, dumbass," said Tucker. "Why do they win the war if they get our flag?" "Because it's the flag, man," said Church exasperatedly. "You know, it's the—it's the Flag! It's— Tucker, you tell him why." "Well, Its--" said Tucker uncertainly. "It's complicated. Its blue, we're blue--" "It's just important, ok? Trust us." Church insisted. "So when the General stops by, the first thing he's going to do is want to do is inspect the Flag." "Right," said Tucker. "So, just go in there, you know, far away from us, and wait for him," said Church with a shooing motion of his hand. Caboose turned and started walking down to the base, but when he got to the entry way he turned around. "Uh, how will I know when I see him?" he called. "There's only four of us out here, rookie," Tucker called back. "He's gonna be the guy that doesn't look like one of us." "Now get in there, and don't come back out!" barked Church angrily, before turning to Tucker. "Man, that guy is dumber than you are." "You mean he's dumber than you are," Tucker replied wryly. "Wow, Tucker," Church replied in the most sarcastic voice he could manage. "Great come back." They turned back to admiring the tank. After after a few seconds, Church turned to me. "Ok, um… other Rookie," he said, perhaps grateful that I had helped him. "Whats your deal?" "I'm Private William White," I replied. "I guess you can call me White." "Ok… White," said Tucker. "You got anyone waiting for you at home?" "Oh, you mean like… a significant other?" I asked curiously. "Yeah, sure. Whatever floats your boat," Church shrugged. "Well, I'd tell you, but…" I said hesitantly. "I think… I think that would violate the… uh… Don't Ask, Don't Tell… protocol." "Wait, you're Gay?" asked Tucker in surprise. "Um, yeah," I replied slowly. "For the record, you asked." "Great," said Church, face palming. "So we're stuck with an idiot, and a fag." "You got something against gay people?" I asked, a bit annoyed. "Uh… no," Church backtracked quickly. "You sure?" "Yeah." "Wait, if you're gay," said Tucker slowly. "Does that mean you're going to be talking about, like, Gay stuff?" "What kind of Gay stuff?" I asked curiously. "You know," he replied. "No, I don't know," "You know, like, girly stuff," Tucker said with a hint of disgust. "I'll tell you what," I replied in a serious tone. "If I ever start wearing pink armor, and talking about girly stuff… you have my permission to kill me." "Really?" he asked in surprise. I nodded seriously. Tucker sighed in relief. "Oh good, that's a relief-" "Uh, Mr. Church, sir?" yelled Caboose from the entrance to the base. "Oh my god, WHAT?!" yelled Church back in anger. "Tucker, I swear, I'm going to kill him!" "Sorry about calling your girl a slut," Caboose yelled back contritely. "ROOKIE! SHUT UP! JUST SHUT UP! YOU'RE DRIVING ME CRAZY! GET IN THERE!" Tucker and I laughed. "Tucker, White, are you laughing at me?" asked Church when he turned around. We were prevented from answering by the arrival of Donut. "Excuse me, sir? Can I ask you a question?" He asked Church. "Dear. God. In Heaven, Rookie," Church stated with an air of finality. "If I turn around and you're not inside, I—I can't be held responsible for what I'm going to do to you!" "What did I do?" asked Donut confusedly. "One!" "Oh, give me a break!" "Two!" "Fine!" Donut turned around and ran into the base. I just managed to suppress a snicker. "Ugh," sighed Church, before looking at Tucker. "Well, enough gabbing out of us. Let's take this bad boy out for a spin. Go ahead and hop in, Tucker." "Me?" asked Tucker in surprise. "I can't drive that thing!" "You're telling me you're not armor certified?" asked Church in shock. "I don't even know how to use the fucking sniper rifle," Tucker replied confusedly. "Don't you know how to ride that?" "No! Holy Crap, who is running this army?" Tucker turned to me. "What about you, White?" I shrugged. "I mean, I just got out of basic. We didn't exactly get to ride tanks around, there." "Hey!" yelled Caboose from the entrance to the base. "Just wanted to let you know, the General stopped by, and picked up the Flag!" "Yeah, OK! Whatever, moron!" Church yelled over his shoulder, before turning back to us. "Why would they give us a tank if nobody here knows how to drive the damn thing?" Beat. "Wait a second, what did he just say?" “He said the General stopped by and picked up the flag,” I pointed out. “Shut up, White!” Church barked at me, before turning to Tucker. “Come on, Tucker, we should find out what that stupid rookie is talking about.” “Right,” Tucker nodded. Five minutes later found the four of us on top of Blue Base, with Church and Tucker standing near the western edge, while Caboose and I stood a few feet behind them. Tucker was scanning the landscape, while Church was chewing out Caboose. "So, let me get this straight," said Church slowly to Caboose, anger leaking into his voice. "You gave this guy our flag." "Is that bad?" asked Caboose. "Bad? Oh no that's not bad," Church replied sarcastically. "Next time he comes over, why don't you just help him blow up the whole god damn base!" I wondered if I should tell them that I had seen Donut, before deciding against it. I didn't feel like being chewed out today. "Hey! Look, there he is!" said Tucker suddenly, pointing in Donuts direction. "Where?" asked Church as he lifted his sniper rifle. "Oh, yeah. Oh, I got him. He's sneaking around back behind the cliffs." "He must be one smart son of a bitch!" said Tucker. "Oh, I don't know," I commented. "It seems more likely that Caboose is just stupid." "Hey!" Caboose protested. "Oh shit," Church interrupted. "Hey, Tucker, look at his armor. It's Red." "Oh man!" Tucker complained. "That means it's their Sergeant." "Well, that makes sense," said Church. "At least we know how he got past our defenses." "Uh, you know," Caboose interjected. "He came in from the back door where you guys were standing." "Yeah… we know," I rolled my eyes. "Well, ok," Tucker said to Church. "Well, let's take him out then." "Roger that," said Church, taking aim at Donut. "Ok. Say goodnight, Sarge." He quickly fired four rounds. All of them missed. "Ah, crap," Church said in exasperation as he lowered the Sniper rifle, before turning to find Tucker and I staring at him. "What?" "You're really not very good with that thing, are you?" asked Tucker. Church was prevented from saying anything by Donut yelling at us. "Hey! It's me, don't shoot!" shouted Donut back at us. "I'm the one that bought the Flag, remember?" "Oh, great. Now he's taunting us," said Tucker. "That's just embarrassing." "All right, that's it," Church grunted with anger. "I've had it!" He turned to Caboose. "Rookie, you stay here. Me, Tucker, and White will head through the teleporter, and we'll cut him off at the pass." "Right!" Caboose nodded. Church turned and walked over to the other side of the teleporter, before turning to look at me. "White, you ready?" "You did set it up right, didn't you?" I asked dubiously. "What? What are you talking about?" asked Church in confusion, turning to look at it. "All it has is an on and off button." "You can access the teleporter's control panel through your HUD, remember?" I replied in an instructive tone. "Yeah, I must have missed that class," Church replied sarcastically. "Doesn't matter, you're going through." "Why me, though?" I asked curiously. "Why not Tucker or Caboose?" "Cause you're the rookie, and I want to make sure this thing works properly," Church stated flatly. I stared at him for a long moment. "Wait a minute… is this because I said I was gay?" "What- No!" Church protested sharply. "I don't know dude, it's kinda starting to feel like a gay discriminatory thing-" "No, it has nothing to do with the fact that you're gay," Church interrupted hotly. "It's because you're a rookie… and the fact that you're starting to annoy me." "Well, either way, there is no way I'm going in that thing if you haven't calibrated it properly," I stated mutinously. "Seriously, I could die! We could die! Or worse, come out weird on the other side." "We've already tested it, White," Church growled with annoyance. I gave him a flat look. "Oh yeah? Let me guess… you threw rocks through it." "Yeah, and by the way, they came out the other side," Tucker added snottily. "Did they come out all hot and covered in black stuff?" I asked sharply. "Uh… Yeah. How did you know?" asked Tucker in surprise. "That's a sign of an improperly calibrated teleporter," I observed with annoyance. "There's no way I'm getting in that thing." "White, I'd almost hate to do this to you," said Church as he rose his assault rifle and pointed it at me. I stared at the business end of it. "You sure this isn't the gay thing?" "Will you shut up with that?" Church groaned before giving me a flat look. "You know, I look at it this way: Either A: We go through there and get the flag back-" He indicated the Teleporter. "Or B: we stay here, and I get to kill you," he pointed his gun at my chest. I sighed and face-palmed. "Well when you put it like that… For the record, you're an asshole. Tootles!" I ran though the Teleporter. There was a slight buzzing sound as I passed though the teleporter. I emerged on the other side feeling like my nerves had been lit on fire for a moment, but then sensation turned back to normal. "Jesus!" "Holy Crap!" "What the fuck?!" "Oh, hey," I said, turning around and observing Church, Donut, and Tucker standing nearby. "Looks like you guys got over here before me." "White, is that you?" asked Church curiously. "No, I'm Caboose. Cause, you know, that's real obvious," I said sarcastically. "Yeah, it's definitely him," Tucker grumbled. "Whats with all that black shit on your armor?" asked Church, looking me over. "Didn't we just talk about this?" I asked with annoyance. "I told you that stupid fucking teleporter wasn't calibrated properly! I could have died!" "Ok, ok, I get it!" Church replied grouchily. "You can calibrate the damn thing when this is over." "Yeah, whatever," I rolled my eyes, before turning to Donut. "Why'd you take our flag, asshole?" "What? I have no idea what you're talking about!" exclaimed Donut. "The idiot thought he was buying it from a store, White," Church explained, before turning to Donut. "Ok, dipshit. We've captured you, so you're coming back to base with us as our prisoner. Tucker, go ahead and take the – what in god's name is that music!?" Indeed, we heard polka music coming towards us, and suddenly, the Red's jeep jumped over the hill. "Woo Hoo!" I heard one of the Reds yell. "Run! Run towards the cliff!" yelled Church with fear. We (that is, Church, Tucker, and I) all made haste to do so, and they started firing at us with their machine gun. I guess it was a good thing we all had shields, as they protected us from the gunfire. We took cover behind a rock. For a minute, the three of us just crouched behind it. "Well, we'll just wait here," said Church eventually. "That things gotta run out of bullets some time." I frowned deeply. "You know, I'm still not happy about the teleporter thing. Are you absolutely certain that you're not a homophobe?" "Jesus Christ, White," Church groaned with annoyance. "This is not the time to discuss this!" "Well it's not like we're going anywhere, anyway," I commented wryly. Church frowned, "Fine, what the hell do you want from me?" "An apology would be nice," I suggested. Church gave me a flat look, before rolling his eyes. "Alright, Jesus, I'm sorry." "Thanks," I nodded, before smiling. "Just… don't force anyone else through the teleporter at gunpoint before I've had a chance to look at it, alright?" "Yeah, fine, whatever," Church groaned. "I'm just glad it wasn't me," Tucker grumbled suddenly, reminding us of where we were. "That black armor does looks kind of cool, though. Do you think mine would turn black like that if I went through the teleporter?" “Probably,” I sighed, and we fell into a tense silence, listening to the sound of the machine gun fire. “My God, doesn’t that thing ever run out of bullets?” Church asked with annoyance several minutes later. “You know, in hindsight we should have brought the tank,” Tucker mused offhandedly. “Hey, Tucker... what good is a tank gonna do us if nobody knows how to drive the damn thing?” asked Church curiously. “Yeah, I can see how hiding behind a rock is a much better strategy,” Tucker replied sarcastically. “Well, yeah, but… oh, man,” Church groaned. “I guess I gotta give that one to you.” “Hey, Church, if you give me your sniper rifle, maybe I can get a shot on one of those Reds,” I offered. “Oh, don’t you start!” Church barked hotly, turning towards me. “I’m not giving anyone my sniper rifle!” “Well, yeah, but it seems like you’re really bad at aiming with that thing,” I replied in a sincere tone. “Wouldn’t it be better in the hands of someone who actually knows how to use it?” “Yeah, I agree with the rookie on this one,” Tucker commented wryly. “Both of you, shut up,” Church growled angrily. “I don’t care how many insults you make, I’m not giving anyone my sniper rifle.” “Ok… wait, do you hear something?” I asked, perking my head as if to listen to something. “Um… no?” Tucker replied curiously. “Exactly, there’s no machine gun fire,” I commented excitedly. “They’ve stopped shooting at us!” “Oh, right,” Tucker nodded, before turning to peek around the rock. “Wait, were did the Reds go?” “What, the Reds are gone?” asked Church, who also peeked around the rock. “Wow, yeah,” I said, standing up to look over the rock. “Hey, why don’t we go get the Jeep? We can use it to get back to base before they… do whatever they’re doing.” “Yeah, that sounds like a good idea. Go for it,” Tucker replied with a dubious tone. “Me? By we I mean you… asshole,” I replied with annoyance. “White, don’t be stupid, they’re just trying to draw us out,” Church replied cautiously. “No, they’re not!” I contended, pointing my gun at the Jeep. “Look, they left, there’s no one around the Jeep.” “Well, I don’t know about this,” Church frowned, looking at the Jeep dubiously. “It seems pretty fishy, but... all right, screw it. Let’s go get it.” “Ok then,” I nodded, turning to Tucker. “Tucker, you can stay here and give us covering fire if we need it.” “Better you than me,” Tucker remarked dubiously. “Dick head,” I muttered as we started running down the cliff, but when we got within 3 meters of the Jeep, it blew up. “Son of a bitch!” Church and I both yelled, turning right around and running right back to the safety of the rock. “Hey, guys! The Jeep blew up!” Tucker remarked loudly when we arrived. “Yeah, no fucking shit, Tucker!” I deadpanned. “No kidding! Thanks for the update, dumbass!” Church barked angrily. Damn, I had completely forgotten that the jeep had blown up in the original story. Where there other things I had forgotten? I made a mental note to take some time off later and try to remember what had happened in the original story so I wouldn’t be surprised like this again. While I’d been thinking, Church had walked up pass Tucker and towards the edge of the cliff. “Hey, Tucker, White! Look at this, man! It’s the other rookie, and he brought out the tank to scare off the Reds!” “What?! No way!” Tucker exclaimed in shock. “Maybe Caboose is smarter than we thought!” I commented loudly in a stage whisper. “Yeah, I’m gonna pretend I didn’t hear that,” Church remarked sarcastically, before shouting out across the box canyon. “Hey Rookie! Good Job, man! Why didn’t you tell us you knew how to drive the tank!?” Distantly, I heard a feminine voice that I identified at Sheila say: “New target acquired.” Then I heard Caboose say: “That’s not a target, that’s Church!” Oh, right, this was the point where Church supposedly died, right? I briefly considered saving him, before deciding against it. It would probably be a lot harder to prove that he was an AI if he was still in a biological body. “Yeah, that’s right!” Church yelled down to Caboose. “It’s me, Church! What’s going on, man?” “Target locked.” said Sheila robotically. “What? No! Go back! Target unlock, unlock! Please help me, nice lady!” Caboose babbled with fear. “Firing main cannon,” said Sheila. “What?” Church exclaimed with shock as he looked down the cannon on the tank. “Oh, son of a bi–” Then Church blew up in a blaze of fire. “Holy Fuck! Church, are you ok?” Tucker exclaimed with shock, peering down at Church’s body. “Talk to me! Church.” “Yeah, I think he’s dead, Tucker,” I admitted apologetically. “You killed Church, you team-killing fucktard!” Tucker shouted down at Caboose. “Tucker,” I heard Church say weakly a moment later. “Tucker...” “Oh, he’s alive,” I responded bemusedly. “Church! It’s gonna be ok, man,” Tucker replied with relief, bending down to poke at him. “No… aah. I’m – I’m not gonna make it,” Church replied painfully. “Tucker, there’s something I need to tell you.” “What is it?” asked Tucker. “I just want you to know… I always hated you. I always hated you the most.” Church confessed softly. “Yeah, I know you did,” Tucker replied with aggravation. “Now hurry up and die, prick.” “Ok – Hurk… blah,” and then Church was dead. “Man, what an asshole,” I commented, staring down at him. While this had been happening, Sheila had locked on another target, and was now firing at Red Base. Tucker was quiet for a moment after Church’s final confession, before turning to me. “We should go help Caboose.” “You can go do that, I’m gonna head back to base,” I replied, making to turn around. “You’re not coming with me?” asked Tucker with shock. “Hey, I’ve only been here for like… what is it, three hours?” I checked my clock. “Yeah, three hours, and in the short time I’ve been here, we lost our flag, lost a teammate, oh, and now our crazy tank is running rampant. So yeah, I’m heading back to base. You can deal with Caboose and the crazy run-away tank.” “Wow, has it really only been three hours?” asked Tucker in a daze. “It’s feels like it’s been a day, at least.” “Yeah, that’s how much shit we had to deal with,” I replied testily as I turned away from him. “And if this is the kind of shit you have to deal with on a regular basis, I want to be prepared. Also, I kind of need to clean my armor. You know, after that whole debacle with Church forcing me through the teleporter at gunpoint.” “I guess that makes sense,” said Tucker in an unsure tone. “See you later, then.” “Yeah, see you” I nodded, before making my way back to Blue Base. The top two levels of Blood Gulch Outpost Alpha, otherwise known as blue base, was basically the roof were the teleporter was, and the flag room. Underneath the flag room was the four level complex where Blue team lived. I descended to the barracks, and chose an unoccupied room for myself. Getting my armor off with an armor rack, I took a quick shower, then spent the next half hour cleaning the armor. I then went to the armory and outfitted myself with an assault rifle, a shotgun, and some grenades, along with extra clips. Strangely enough, there weren’t any sniper rifles. After all this was done, I decided to properly inspect the base, and see all the facilities available. I found the kitchen, a small cafeteria, a rec room, and a room full of dumbbells and exercise racks. The kitchen was well stocked with food, and all of the water faucets work, pouring clean, fresh water, so that was good. I was careful to check the water storage tank, and it seemed pretty well stocked up. I made a mental note not to let Caboose anywhere near it. I also found a machine repair room, which was obviously meant for repairing our weapons and armor, but I noticed that there was a thin layer of dust on everything, so nobody had visited for a while, it seemed. It was there that I found a Matter Fabricator(often shortened to MatFab). A matfab was like a really advanced 3D printer, and you could make anything with it, other than food(you needed a special matfab for that). I didn’t really understand how matfabs worked, only that it had something to do with lasers. I checked the matfab resource storage, and noticed that we had plenty, enough to produce two sniper rifles, some ammo, and a computer mod I wanted for my suit. I set the matfab to produce the things I wanted, then I left. Production time would take 15 minutes, and as I left I set a timer in my HUD. I didn’t find anything else that was interesting in the base, other than a door that I couldn’t open. The door required special codes that I didn’t have, and I suspected that nobody other than Captain Flowers had them, and Captain Flowers was dead. When the timer was up, I went and grabbed my things from the matfab, left the computer mod in my room, and headed up to the roof, to see that Tex was there. It seemed that I had missed a lot in the short time I had been in the base. Tex was using Caboose as target practice, while Tucker was standing next to her, chatting her up. “Hey, who’s this guy?” I asked as I walked up to them. Tex immediately reacted, turning around on a dime and pointing her gun in my face. “Whoa, take it easy!” I responded, lifting my hands in placation. “Its ok, Tex, this is White. He’s on our team.” Tucker spoke up. Tex snorted and turned back to using Caboose as target practice. I looked at Tucker. “Tex? Who is he, when did he show up, and why?” “Well, we lost Church, so I called Blue Command and asked for reinforcements,” Tucker explained. “They sent him, he’s a freelancer.” “I see,” I replied, turning to look at Caboose. “Why did you let him use Caboose as target practice?” “It was him or me and I didn’t feel like eating a bullet sandwich,” Tucker shuddered. We walked up to Tex and stood on either side of her. Apparently Tucker had been explaining the situation in the canyon to her. “...That’s basically it, sir,” Tucker concluded. “They have five guys over there... and a big jeep.” “And your flag,” Tex grunted. “Right, that too,” Tucker nodded hesitantly. Tex threw a grenade. “Uh, hey, Tex?” Tucker inquired fearfully after it exploded. “I don’t know what it’s been like at your other bases, but we try not to use other Soldiers as target practice here.” “And you’re causing damage to the base too,” I added with a frown. “You do realize that we have to live here, right? It’s not like we can wash off bullet holes.” I turned to look at Caboose, who had a bunch of bullet holes around his frame in the crenelation. Tex was scary accurate with her gun. “I’m scared,” said Caboose in a weak voice. Tex ignored us, reloading her gun and turning around. Taking that as a hint that training was over, Caboose walked up to us from his spot next to the crenelation. “So… you’ve got the Special Forces black armor, I see,” Tucker commented. “Were you in the Special Forces at some point?” Tex continued to ignore us. It seemed like she was preparing for something, as she was checking her guns and gear. “Ok, so I guess...” Tucker began, but he stopped when Tex turned and ran off the base. “Oh ok, you gotta go? See you later!” “I don’t think he likes you guys much,” Caboose whispered to us. “Thanks,” we both replied sarcastically. We all ran up to the edge of the roof. “Where you going?” called Tucker. Tex turned around. “Red Base. Kill everybody. Get the flag back.” After that terse statement, he turned and left. “Oh, ok!” called Caboose. “We’ll just stay here and guard the… transporter.” “Shut up, Caboose,” I groaned. We watched as Tex walked off, and as she got closer to Red Base, she turned on her invisibility thing. “Hey, Tucker,” I said, pulling one of the sniper rifles from my back, and passing it to him. “Here you go.” “Oh, neat!” he said, and I could hear the excitement in his voice. “Where did you find it?” “There’s a matfab in the machine room,” I replied, pulling out my own sniper rifle and passing some ammo to him. “I made it.” “We have a machine room?” asked Tucker in confusion. “Whats a matfab?” asked Caboose at the same time. “Its short for Matter Fabricator,” I said to Caboose, before turning to Tucker. “Dude, you’ve been living here longer than me, how could you not know you had a machine room?” “I guess I never really thought of it,” said Tucker as he loaded his sniper rifle with ammo. Caboose also got out a sniper rifle, and as one, we lifted up our rifles to watch Tex beat up the Reds.

I'm an AUTHOR!!!! I'm excited to finally announce something I've dreamed of doing since I was a kid. My debut novel, The Grief of Godless Games, is being released on the 8th September 2023. A fantasy novel set in the fictional archipelago of Edokand. The premise is if the Vikings invaded Japan, including themes like time travel, body swapping, geographical anomalies, and eldritch horrors. "Everyone knew the truth all over the world. Religion had died, and gods didn't exist." For more information, please check out the post on Earth Island Books: https://www.earthislandbooks.com/post/the-grief-of-godless-games-launches?fbclid=IwAR3cewGlZjHQlCDrlitLY2BnBi9FqbIhJd-Wa-_IZA7oUrcyz83ELgshBxk I'm very proud of this book, and it has been a privilege working with Earth Island books to make my dream a reality! To PRE-ORDER go to this link: https://www.earthislandbooks.com/product-page/the-grief-of-godless-games-by-j-t-audsley?fbclid=IwAR03nng6Yv7Op5fdt0JiKgM3RWUDwwBHi3blqPwgV_4ajFNqWhUH9pdHLHk Cover art by the fabulous Jennifer Lee @jen2art on instagram

I have written and drawn a webcomic called SuperActionGirl. I wanted to do this for years. https://www.theduckwebcomics.com/A_SuperActionGirl/

I was hoping to inquire about your thoughts on Ko-fi and Patreon. I have been considering creating a Ko-fi account and sharing some of my drawings on Patreon. Should I go for it now or wait a bit longer?🤔

Last year I invented a genre of storytelling I call the Adventure Hunt, which casts the reader as the protagonist of a National Treasure-style treasure hunt where you have to solve puzzles to access the next part of the story. The first one was well enough received that I just launched a Kickstarter project for a sequel, called The Tidings Of Minos. There are lots of exciting backer rewards available, some of which may surprise you. Please back it if you are interested, and share it with others who might be. https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/dimono/the-tidings-of-minos-an-adventure-hunt?ref=99qrc8

A Jigsaw Puzzle? Question... When you sometimes try to write a story, does it feel like you're playing a jigsaw puzzle? You write the scenes for your story, and you try to see where they fit and where they don't fit.

Is a light novel or novel good enough or worth writing online like comics?

A Cupid Story part 1 of 2