The Aurora Effect

“The truth is, there are many with your abilities. You are not special. You are not unique. As a matter of fact I can call up a map to point out each of your faction and wipe them out just as easily as I drink a cup of your atrocious tea.” My smile felt venomous as I spoke. It would do. No one from the Dragon Blooded factions needed to know that soon I would be aiding in their rebuilding. Especially as it stood. I was chained, ankles and wrists to a giant X in the town square in Yane. My tattoos showed in the square betraying my allegiance.

“If it were indeed so easy Miss, I believe you would have already. As for my tea, I believe you would have done well to drink it and not throw it in my face. Your kind is rare… We could have used you.” His sword graced my neck with a presence that –almost- felt threatening. I’d seen this all unfold. This wasn't my biggest concern presently.

I turned my head and looked to the east, eyes flashing as I did. The Dragon Blooded general looked with me and saw exactly what I did. A dragon king. They were primordial in every sense of the word. Or so he believed. The reality was much worse for him.

“Who is this?” The Dragon King boomed taking over the air space with a heavily accented tone. It stole all the air from the area and left the general speechless and paler. He dropped to his knees and bowed his head as he grasped for the strength of character to answer one of the sacred ones.

“A Sidereal, master.”

“Release”

His command was coarse but to the point. I blinked and let my vision come back to the present as the dragon blooded scrambled to his feet and let the chains loose, leaving me to fall. And fall I did, about three feet to the sandstone square. The dragon king smirked and walked over, letting a soft whisper over his lips.

“If I’m discovered, you will be the first to die, young one.”

I smirked and forced myself up. My muscles had started to deteriorate over the days stuck there, wobbly was the best I could manage. My wit however, remained as sharp as ever.

“You should fear me Young General. Your elders come to my rescue. They are more powerful –“ I was slapped, sending me for a brief ride through the air.

“And you should have respect for those you will serve.” The Dragon King frowned and gestured towards the horizon. I stood, wavering in my steps, attempting to wipe the blood from my mouth. The General laughed heartily as he watched his master walk away.  A savage roar filled the horizon as the dragon and I disappeared into the sunset.

“Was that really necessary, you beast?” I growled, my own investigation now back at the fore front of my consciousness. The Dragon King’s façade melted into that of a wily man, heavily tattooed in the tradition of the Lunars. His smirk play across his features as he remained silent.

“Brin… you are a treacherous ally. Luckily I haven’t figured out how to kill you… Just yet.” 

Like-able Villains

Tolg slipped past the waterfall, holding his side, where that damned dwarf had actually hit him. The dragons lair lay beyond the waterfall and she looked…displeased.

                “I assume you have failed in killing them and that’s why you’re here?”

                “Apologies mistress…” He had planned to say more but the dragons scorn was enough to still his tongue.

                “Your abject failure displeases me but ultimately doesn’t shock me. You changelings are fairly worthless beings whom I shouldn’t have assumed could take care of anything properly. You are free to go. Take your cut of the pay I promised you and get out of my sight. Should I see you again expect to be killed thrice over.” The dragon sneered and flung a small bag of gold at Tolgs head. “I will take care of these foolish mortals personally.”

                “Thank you for your infinite kindness.”  Tolg muttered and caught the bag as it headed towards him. The dragon roared sending a warning to those in the other room. Tolg took his leave, shifting into an old man and sliding out the side exit.

                At a nearby township, dusk fell with seemingly no incidence. The local bar was lit up with activity, from wives pulling their drunk and disorderly husbands from the place to men pulling their wives out of the arms of another gentleman.  Tolg sat quietly in the corner and watched the evenings festivities. A dragon born walked through the doors and Tolg raised a brow thinking for a moment that the burnt red tendrils on his head looked familiar, but alas it was simply the firelight. He didn’t look forward to seeing those faces again. They burned in his mind as the only fight so far he had to walk away from. That should teach him for leaving the shadows…

                The changeling tipped back a mug of warm ale and let a small smile slip as a young couple sat arguing over something seemingly benign. “Young love will either kill itself or strike itself down in an effort to win the other…” he said muttering more under his breath than anything. Humanity amused him. Not in a sadistic sort of way but because there were so many of them. And they adapted so well to anything! Regardless the challenge. The old races could do well to learn from them but that… would most likely never happen.  They are too proud. Hell Tolg was too proud to admit his failings, and as far as he was concerned… he had none. At the moment.

                 The door opens to a teifling looking over the bar. Some time ago it had started raining, unbeknownst to the bar dwellers. Tolg stifled a chuckle looking at the drenched demon spawn. Normally these beings invoked fear in the hearts of anyone around them. To Tolg however, this one looked like a cat after a bath. Pathetic with angry eyes behind it’s drenched appearance. His white hair was stuck to his head and horns , weaving a spider-webbed appearance about the curled horns.  He walked in and  was accompanied by two bodyguard looking cloaked and equally drenched companions. The rest of the bar grew eerily silent and watched to teifling with piqued interest.  Tolg swallowed his half drunken laugh in a small effort to look like he could blend in. His drunken logic was only as sound as his weakling constitution.  Tolg smirked while the man ordered a drink at the bar. The teifling lifted his head from the freshly ordered drink and frowned at the seemingly disrespectful changeling.

                “You… laugh at a teifling. You’re either drunkenly brave or a fool.”

                “Little of column A, little of column B. Are you willing to find out which is more the case?” Tolg said smirking from behind his mug. Tolg let the smirk evolve lowing into a grin while the teifling watched. Nothing sobered him up faster than the prospect of a fight that he couldn’t, or rather ,shouldn’t be able to win. The tiefling smiled and got up motioning for his lackeys to do the same. The three moved and took chairs sitting down across the table from the doppelganger.

                “Whether it’s brains in your head or your fists I like your style.” The tiefling said extending and open hand to the doppelganger. “The name’s Gary.”

                “Tolg.”

                “Interesting name.”

                “I’m an interesting guy if you give me a chance.”

                “Are you currently employed?”

                “Sort of… I’ve got a part time thing going with a pretty major player around these parts. It’s contract though, so once it’s up I’m available… Why such an interest in my employment history?”

                “What if I were to offer you a more permanent position in an organization.”

                “Then you would have my attention…providing of course our future discussion involves another drink.” Tolg said smirking. The teifling nodded and gestured towards the bartender.

                “Another drink for my new friend.” Gary smiled. The smile sent a shudder through Tolg that he tried hard to mask but failed utterly. He inebriated state left him less convincing all around. It wasn’t an awful smile, just one that made him feel like he was making a pact with an unknown devil. He had no issues if he knew what he was getting into, this however seemed like it could be a bit more fatal all around. The drinks arrived and Gary took a sip of his blood wine.

                “Join the Deus Ex Machina Corporation and we’ll provide benefits and enough treasure to keep you happy for the rest of your life.”

                “What’s the catch?”

                “Oh the usual. Certain death around every corner, though we can bring you back to life should you die… provided one of your party members brings your corpse back.”

                “Party? I travel alone Gary. Even when I’m working under contract I work alone. No one trusts me and if they do they are foolish to.” He said shifting into an older man who clutched his side and moaned in apparent agony. One of the guards gasped at the parlor trick and as Tolg got up he shifted again into himself.  “Would you trust me with you?”

                “No but I don’t trust anyone I travel with. It makes it easier to dispose of them after.” Gary said shrugging at the whole thing. He’d seen better.  Tolg smiled and sat back down.

                “We’ve been following you Tolg Longshanks for some time. We like how you operate. Join us and we’ll begin your more extensive training in the morning back at our facility. Resist and we will have to ty to kill you.”

                “Of course.” Tolg nodded acceptingly. “You have a deal Gary.”   

Dwarven Greetings

Sylvie growled, half thinking half wishing that screaming, punching a cardboard box full of packing peanuts and walking away would make her feel better. The truth being that it might but there were way too many cameras watching her. She leaned against the cold gray steel of the backroom shelves and stared out the open bay door. The snow fell softly as the calm, frozen whispers of winter graced the threshold. A shiver ran up her thin frame, prompting her to pull her sweatshirt tighter around herself.  She frowned and thought about all the different ways she could get someone fired as she approached the open door.

“Fucking people don’t even know how to close doors.” She shivered again and reached for the rope to pull down the gate. “This isn't a barn!” She tugged but the rope wouldn't give. “What the…”

“Listen, I told you we took a wrong turn at the last portal.” A light skinned woman walked forward from the open door and pointed on a map to her companion. The man frowned, though it was hard to tell through the mound of facial hair present. He took the map from her, gruffly and looked back out the bay door. Sylvie stood there, jaw hanging open, not entirely sure what to make of what was going on in front of her.

“Are you a dwarf?” She heard the words leave her mouth and then quickly regretted them. The man whirled his frame around. All… five feet of him. His long black hair fell down over his shoulders to his waist, with a beard to match. His bright green eyes glared at her and a slight snarl emerged from his lips as her breathed a reply.

“What else would I be, you daft lass?” His voice was deep and guttural, and more menacing than Slyvie had heard from anyone. The woman stepped between them and looked Sylvie over before smiling softly.

“You’ll have to excuse our companion...”

“She doesn't have to do anything but stand there like a hooked fish with her mouth hanging open, apparently!” The dwarf snapped and looked at the map. “No we’re here. This lass is the one. Let’s just get her and be off. Sylvia Cressfall, you’re now with us.” The dwarf’s snarl didn’t let up, and Sylvie’s eyes widened as he put away the map. He gestured to the woman standing between them and she winced.

“Miss Cressfall. Your hand.” The elven looking woman extended her hand. Sylvie, awestruck; put out hers and was met with the slenderest fingers she’d ever seen. As her eyes closed and consciousness flitted from her body, she focused on the dwarf, hoping for an answer. “Now lift her gently, Baldrik…”

“Gently? If she doesn't get a concussion, will that…”

“Fuck you and the horse you rode in on…” Slyvie’s voice faded as her world went black.

Clustering : A Brain Dump in Color

So tonight at Inkwell, we decided to go over some organizational techniques for writers, given NaNoWriMo is just around the corner... already! *deep breath*So in an effort to show the effects of clustering (yes kids, in color), I demonstrated on my NaNo storyline, thus giving you a peek into my NaNo and my clustering methods. 

In addition to this ...mess... There is a point to clustering. It's not simply to draw on white boards with pretty marker, though that does help keep you focused, but to engage your brain in active imagination cohesion. Your brain works in odd ways and not many of us can work in pretty bullet pointed lists. They are shiny, but not for everyone, just like clustering. The biggest advantage of clustering is, it forces you to see the connections inherent with your characters, theme, setting, and misc.  Suddenly all those little details you didn't want to think about need a home, and the bigger notes? They get a list on the side, or, even better, a whole separate more overarching cluster!

So give it a shot. Take a look at my mess and see what you can do with your own stories. =]

<3 

Jessi

Whole beginning cluster. Neatly color coded and a list of notes on the side

 

I'm starting to think here that Annie (the 11 yr old) may be much more
interesting than her adoptive father....

Eric wants a Dragon. * points above*

Dislikes private investors. Stupid minion demand... 

From the Desk of A Mad Scientist

Greetings and Salutations,

While I am aware of the formalities expected towards this prestigious council, I will be keeping this in plain common for those within the council walls that may in fact be more brawn than anything else. Your demands on the scientific community have been oppressive at best, of late.

This is being brought to your attention, not because of the new chairperson overseeing the development of weaponry and the like, due to the fact that, suddenly, three of my minions have turned up dead. Now, I would like to blame the forces of good, and chalk it up to an unfortunate casualty of the business but the evidence otherwise is a bit too overwhelming to point fingers elsewhere. Ms. Raven’s instruments of death have been well categorized by myself and my colleagues, noting the specifics of the poisons she uses in an effort to make them look natural within most the human species. These same poisons were found within one of my minion’s circulatory system. I’ve done some preliminary investigating on my own, suspicions being followed before revenge was approved by the council. In a in-person follow-up, I’ll present all of the findings.

For now, however, I’d like to place my name in for the replacement of the talented Crimson Raven, our current chairperson. Below is a copy of my resume, including all the of the contraptions and gadgets that I’ve supplied over my 15 year stint with the council, including some freelance work. The highlights however, include my current project, a dragon automaton, with fire ‘breath’ that can shoot , on a full fuel tank, up to 100 feet of flame, and can perform tasks up to the cognitive level of that of a young child, through some dynamic programming and a little ingenuity. This stunning piece of work is one of a kind and currently going through our patent office. The client, who generously provided the materials and funds; chooses to remain nameless has provided thorough documentation on his/her alignment.

Oh, this all seems suspicious, you say? Too many things starting to point the bony finger my way? Adorable, that your childish minds cannot comprehend someone who takes the initiative to submit a report, perform an autopsy, and recommend oneself for the soon to be vacant position. Though you would be right to investigate, those that are veterans to the Council will vouch for my abilities in that given arena. I don’t kill. My creations do. Poisons are for people who want to watch the slow decline of a victim. I prefer a hands off approach. Something more… inventive. Less old-lady-killer-esque.

I look forward to your quick reply. I’ll have my lasers aimed towards the sky. Do be so kind to try to sneak up this time. The minions need the target practice.

Gracious Send Off,

Erik A. Mathhers

Mad Scientist Extraordinaire
Tinkerer, Inventor, et al. 

Between Genius and... Genius! A response to Goggles and Lace's Writing Prompt

“You're kidding right?” I growled into the communicator and shook my head, wavinga hand at one of the gremlins about my lab. He was holding some sort of paperwork, but quite frankly, I didn't care. This investor bullshit is not for me. “Fine. We'll have a prototype up and running within the next couple of weeks. I'll need more... Yes. Send a shipment ASAP. And not ASAP as in 'as soon as you please'. The traditional version of the acronym will do just fine.” I hung up before more demands could be made of me. I appreciate rich idiots like one enjoys ditzy blond play things. As long as they're sitting looking pretty and not speaking, it's 'all good in the hood'. I sighed and ran a hand through my ever increasingly longer hair. I should get a hair cut...

“Master!” I sighed. These little genetic manipulated mutations might have been a mistake...

“What?!” I snapped, squeezing the bridge of my nose. I was told once it fights oncoming headaches. Whoever said that was a fucking liar. The gremlin coughed and stood as straight as it could in front of me, thrusting paperwork at my free hand. I took it, bringing the yellowing papers up to my face for a closer look. It was plans... Plans I hadn't drawn up. I adjusted my goggles and peered closer at the papers.

“I made a few adjustments... With Mistress Annie's help...” His voice was raspy and sounded like that of an overworked child. High pitched and seeking approval while having this annoying undertone of whine that shot through me like nails on a... well you get my point.

“Ahh.. Annie was here today was she?” That girl was becoming too smart for her own good. I always advocated killing the girl. But no! Now she was attached to me.

I grumbled as I walked over to the wall of switches and levers. I left the decoy wall there for funsies. Felt like every mad scientist lab should have one, and what the hell, the gremlins love it. A mirror hung at eye level off of a piece of rawhide. I checked it thoughtfully, needing a moment to inspect myself before heading upstairs. Adopted child or not, she tended to be upset when I came upstairs looking like I haven't slept in 3 days... or had it been 4? Who knew at this point. The sun doesn't reach down here anyway. My eyes looked sunken in and closer to black then my dark brown eyes ever should. Pale. Sickly, she'd say. Healthy, I'd argue as always. No chance of skin cancer in the dark. Should tie my hair back. I stretched out my hand and a gremlin deposited a brush with a piece of string on the end. Perfect.

“Thank you Cedric.”

“Eyown, master.” I looked down and it was in fact. Cedric was taller. Less heavy around the middle. Also less likely to snap at a moments notice. I nodded.

“Apologies Eyown. Cedric was just right here.”

“ 'E got hungry. Went out to yard to catch dinner.” I chuckled as I tied my hair back.

“Very well. You should eat too. Go run along. I'll be back after I take care of Annie.” He nodded and galloped off towards the gate. That's two.. where was... Ah. I looked in the mirror more carefully at the pipes that led to the generator. Hanging upside down was the tallest of the bizarre little creatures, sound asleep. I nodded and stepped to the side, pulling the one functional lever on the wall, revealing my lift. It was a solid piece of steel with only two levers. One to go up, and one to go down. And it only went between my lab and the false fireplace in my bedroom. I took the lift, looking around the lab once more for good measure. Two of them outside and one snoring. And nothing out of place. Good enough to stop for dinner.

I opened the door to my chamber to see Annie, tapping her foot impatiently.

“Father.” Her voice was as flat as her stare. Over the glasses, and stern. I sighed and brought a smile to my lips.

“Yes, dear. How was school today?” I walked over and hugged her gently, though there was no physical response from her.

“I didn't go.”

“Why is that?”

“Because I already know everything they can teach me. I showed Mrs. Boudain how to correct her nuclear fission equations. She's kinda dumb.” I had to chuckle. Mrs. Boudain had invented half those equations, and the other half she stole from her late husband. She never could get those ironed out quite right. It was at that point she had turned to villanry, deciding that if her late husband, Mr. Theodias Boudain was dumb enough to get himself killed saving the world, she'd better be on the side that lived longer. Villanry it was. “Why do I have to go?” Her voice cut through my thoughts and I stopped looking down at the 12 year old.

“Because I said so.” The fall back answer for every lame parent there ever was. I was quickly becoming one of those.

“Seriously? How about a real reason?” She blew her bangs out of her freckled face as the took to the marble banister, sliding down expertly. I walked quietly down he stairs starring at her while I thought.

“Because. You could be the smartest little child there ever was, the strongest little girl, or the most evil, however, you can still learn a thing or two about humanity within those walls.” I raised a brow, pulling a small pair of spectacles out of my pocket, and replacing my goggles with them. She rolled her eyes and sighed heavily, letting her shoulders fall in an overly dramatic fashion.

“Humans suck” She said slouching further as she crossed her arms.

“That may be true Miss Annie, but that's not up for debate. You're going to school tomorrow, even if I have to have Cedric bring you.” She wrinkled her nose and stuck her tongue out. “Then it's settled.” The door gong sounded, a series of smaller bells going off through the hallway. “Go set the table, I need to answer this.” I had been expecting someone. Annie frowned and nodded, slumping off towards the dining room. I turned, footsteps echoing down the ornate hallway. I should invest in carpeting... though I feel I come to that conclusion every time I walk the halls. I pulled a lever by the door and stood, watching it swing open slowly. A woman stood before me, leaning against the doorway, holding her side. A slight smirk graced her features as she stepped through the door way, dropping her pack. She was a tall girl, blond hair and striking blue eyes, but that wasn't why she was interesting to me. She opened her pack, wordlessly handing me a couple of brass keys on a chain. From that very same pack came a brass box.

“Good.” I smiled and took the box under my arm, turning to head back to the dining room. “Clean up upstairs. Dinner will be ready in five minutes.” I heard a soft whimper. I turned, eyes set ina glare over my glasses. She stood up as straight as she could and nodded. I turned and continued my trek.

“Was that Anya?? What'd she bring you?? Is it that? What's in the box?” The child's eyes and ears missed nothing, a wonderful and also wholly loath-able attribute. She pried at my arm in an attempt to release the box from it. I shook my head and slapped her hands lightly.

“I thought you outgrew this stage years ago.” I muttered and placed the box down on the table, sitting in front of it. It wasn't ticking, so the mechanism was deactivated. A plus. The keys in my hand fit into two locks on the box perfectly. The lid popped open with a soft hiss. Annie jumped behind me and looked over my shoulder as I pulled the piston from within it. Small, much smaller than the box itself, but none the less the part I needed. There was some miscellaneous crud in there as well, including a few specialty bolts for the dragon automaton I was tinkering with in my spare time.

Anya reappeared, now dressed more formally, bandages wrapped tightly around her waist and ribs. She smiled softly at Annie, who ran to her and hugged her, a bit too tightly. Anya gasped and Annie froze. “I'm sooooo sorry Anya!” She signed quickly as well as said it, backing off, a bit surprised. Anya nodded and patted her on the head signing “It'll be alright little one.” She bowed her head to me and sat down.

One of the help appeared around the corner and brought a tray with three meals piping hot on them. He was the only one that could cook around here. Might as well make use of it.

“Let's eat.” I smiled to the girls. For that one moment, life seemed normal. Projects underway, deadlines to fulfill, a girl set straight again, and one recovering from a successful mission. Sometimes it's good to be evil.  

The War of the Realms -Dreamscape Pt. 1

(apologies, this is a bit clunky but it's my first entry back into the non-scriptwriting world after a long hard month...Enjoy)

The gentle tick tock of my wrist watch seemed to pound loudly in my ears as I lay trying to pretend to be somewhere else. Once upon a time, it seemed, the tick tock of my grandmothers watch would soother my tired mind, lulling me to sleep. Now I lay on the battlefield of the Dreamscape, the watch the only thing that crossed the plane with me. I lay silently, a human among a land of monsters, waiting for death to come. My hear stopped several seconds ago, but I was still breathing. I pushed myself to roll over and lay starring at the starless sky. The purple clouds swirled overhead and I became entranced with my own breathing. Someone or something wasn't letting me die.

I winced as the pain in my abdomen increased, pushing myself to a sitting position. I was cold. I looked back down. My body was still with me, so I wasn't a ghost. I looked over myself and saw my wounds, I was bleeding heavily, though the blood loss seemed to have little effect. I reached a shaky hand up to my chest, checking for a heartbeat. Still nothing. I sighed. My commander had pushed ahead in an effort to keep her daughter from the kingdoms boundaries. I looked down and picked up my lance, my pistol, and a small notebook. My wrist watch tempted my heart to start beating with it's every steady ticking and tocking. I looked towards the horizon. The eagles were being sent to aid in the battle. They and the dragons would make up the bulk of the air forces. Their riders were a lucky few. I however, was infantry. Merely one of the humans hat got conscripted for when the dreams took a bit more of a violent turn. This however, was war, of a magnitude unseen by many here for thousands of years. The family had split into two factions. Here I sat on the Dreamscape, the other army, under the rule of the Nightmare Queen, the daughter of the Dreamscape's ruler, Emeline. I suppose I could bore myself by recounting the history but 'd rather not. I had to focus on getting back to the front lines.

I flipped open my little notebook and began to whisper it's words softly to myself.
“Because I believe, I can. Because of Emeline, I am.” My eyes closed and I felt my body fall backwards, my breath stopping as I hit the soft grass beneath me. I remember feeling... alive. And then, nothing. Odd really...

~*~*~*~*~*~

“Devon? You're going to be late for school! Get up, hon.” Devon's mother called up, already irritated that her teenage son was falling behind in his schoolwork, and now he had been sleeping for nearly the last 24 hours. All he had to do was get through the last few months and then get to college. It all seemed so close... She sighed and walked upstairs, leaning her ear to the door, listening for movement. Nothing. Her eyes narrowed and she opened the door. Her breath stopped, but her heart continued. Her son lay with eyes open, blood trickling from his mouth. A silent scream echoed through the house as 911 was called. Sadly it was too late for Devon. His body had given too much to the war...

~*~*~*~*~*~

I took a breath. My heart began beating. But this time... I felt as alive as I did in the real world. And gods the pain... I slumped over and began breathing harder. A hand rest on my shoulder. I turned. The faceless soldier gave it a gentle squeeze. The soldiers never recognized me before... What was going on. I stood, barely able to hold back the vomit from the pain. AS I stood, the watch fell. The gentle ticking had stopped. The watch lay dead. I picked it up and regarded it thoughtfully. Another nudge from the soldier.

“Will you bring me to the front lines?” Wait... Whose voice is that? I blinked and the faceless soldier seemed to smile, offering me a look into his bright shield.

“I'll bring you to Emeline...You have much to discover about your death.”

To Be Continued...

Character Study: Amy

A young looking twenty something sat quietly, slim fingers wrapped tenuously around her latte. She seemed to be watching everyone. She was in fact, watching everyone. Her unwashed blond hair peeked out from under a trendy loose fitting, knitted hat, leading to a loose braid corralling the rest. Her glasses shielded her looks towards the others in the cafe. By all accounts, she was a normal customer, just looking for an hour away from their self involved lives to simply sit.

Celia had watched her for hours. She never stayed long, but working at a cafe had it's advantages; in this case, one of them happened to be ogling pretty girls, pretending to fit in with the hipsters. She'd learned her name was Amy. What else she knew about her only came from her slightly creepy observations. Though, she did always come in on Celia's shift. Had to mean something right? She often convinced herself of it, even if it wasn't the case. Today though... She'd been starring at the fireplace for about an hour. Noting the steam had long since stopped rising from the latte, Celia, whipped up another. 'This is my chance. Don't fuck it up, Celia.' She thought as she walked from the counter to the couch in front of the fire. She set down the hot, fresh latte and smiled, clearing her throat.

"I brought you a fresh one..." She managed and Amy looked up with a slightly confused, if not honest smile. 'Oh goodness, she has violet eyes...' Celia noticed and flushed, forcing a smile. She was beautiful...

"Thank you, Celia." Celia's heart rose to her throat and she nodded, taking the old one from Amy, her hands brushing over hers for a moment, before retreating to the counter. She set the coffee down calmly and made her way to the back room.

"Dummy. Dummy. Dummy. You should have said something else to her... God..." She shook her head and took a deep breath walking out to continue her shift.

Amy smiled at the fresh latte and shook her head a little. The mortals were amusing if nothing else. She stood, leaving the latte on the table and headed to the counter. Celia stood, making some drink. She leaned over, offering a smile to the barista.

"So if you're not doing anything later tonight..." Amy said, pushing a piece of blond hair out of her face and replacing it under the cap. "...there's a meteor shower party I'm going to... I could use a date." Celia blinked a couple time, damn near dropping the steamed milk she was holding.

"Me?"

"Yes. I'm sorry,... Was that too forward?"

"Ha... no. No. I'd love to. I get off work at 8."

"Ok. I'll pick you up here?"

"Yeah... Cool."

"See you then Celia." Amy smiled and walked out, waving as she passed through the doors. Once outside she smirked and ducked behind the building. She glanced both ways casually and cracked her neck, beginning a quick transformation into a violet dragon. Her tongue flicked over her snout as she read the air. There were other dragons a foot. She would have to fly higher than normal. She jumped to the side of the building, climbing it with ease, and taking off into the twilight sky. Three hours. The countdown began.

When Magick returned to the world... Pt 2

It had spoken to her. But why? Samantha was pulled back from her contemplative trance in the mission control center outside of the capital. She ran a hand through her hair and looked at the tablet in front of her, going over the latest on the dragon incursion. There was too much to try to process at the moment. The dragons were capable of telepathic communication, so why hadn't they tried to talk to humans at the start? Sam sighed and leaned back in her chair, letting her head flop over the top and stare upside down at the people and goings on behind her. People wandered to and fro talking quietly amongst themselves. Sine the dragons had come to Washington, the whole city was on red alert. Everyone was beyond tense, with the exception of Sam. She was far too lost in her own thoughts to let everyone else intrude.

“Samantha Marks?” A dark haired gentleman with golden green eyes starred at her unscrupulously as she sat starring off into the distance.

“Yeah? That'd be me.” She said losing her eyes, and sitting up to face him in a less ridiculous position. “What can I do for you?” the blood rushed from her head as she spoke and she shook it, exasperating the feeling of disorientation.

“You can start by briefing me on the mutations and the dragons...” He said tilting his head as he watched her carefully. Her face was bright red and she looked a little high honestly. Sam motioned to the chair across from her and ran her fingers across the screen, pulling up a few articles and placing it in front of the gentleman.

“There you go. That's all we know.” A smirk played on her lips, watching his reaction to the news feeds and articles. He rolled his eyes, clearly not impressed with her sarcasm. “I don't know what you're looking for me to tell you. The stories keep rolling in and we're all as lost as the next person. I'm just doing my best to try to hold off the big guns on the creatures.” Sam's tone dropped to a more serious one and she pulled up a draft of a letter she was working on with some colleagues to send out.

“Why would Washington declare an assault on a so far benign enemy?” The gents tone was mocking and Sam let the smirk return to her face.

“To calm the masses. Magic isn't real, it's just that giant lizards have resurfaced after thousands of years and the mutations are the 'natural course of human evolution'. Last I checked guns didn't fix anything but they're certainly trying.”

“We don't know that it's magic yet.”

“Ah the scientific approach is your crutch, is it? I want to hear your explanation then.” Sam leaned forward on to the table, resting her head on her hands. She couldn't help the condescending look, though at this point she wasn't even trying to hide it.

“Adorable. Why did they suggest you anyway?”

“Because I'm a reputable source that's had contact with a dragon.”

“Right. My name is Matthew Blakhorn, by the by.” Sam nodded and failed to hide the almost impressed look. Mr. Blakhorn had long led a team that had believed the dinosaurs could have survived longer than the preconceived periods, lending to the tales of dragons in the cultural tales of many nations. He'd actually been onto something a couple years back and then his funding was cut and there went his lead. Sam didn't hold much respect for many with crackpot theories but this was actually kind of interesting to follow.

“Nice to meet you, Mr. Blakhorn.” Sam stood and offered her hand. Blakhorn stood and shook it.

“So... We have some work to do.”

“Yeah. So do all these people.”

“We're going after that dragon. And you're coming with me.”

“Oh lovely. Suicide missions are my favorite.” Sam rolled her eyes. Matt raised a brow and frowned. He really didn't need the added difficulty of a bitch who thought too highly of herself, but if this is what he got, that was that. Sam watched him for a moment and slung a backpack over her shoulder. “Have you been tracking the dragon?”

“No we're going in blind. Of course we've been tracking it.” Matt sneered and motioned towards another table. There was a map of Washington D.C. with flight patterns and data on the dragon. Sam looked it over as Matt discussed transport with one of the army men standing off to the side. She ran a hand over the map and then piked up a photo of the creature. It starred defiantly into the camera, as if challenging the person behind. Sam smiled a little and looked at the map again. Matt rejoined her and he nodded.

“Lets get going.” Sam nodded and followed Matt and the lieutenant outside to a waiting Humvee.

“I'm starting to think I should have studied engineering or something in college.” Sam smirked and let loose a little nervous chuckle. Matt didn't even so much as bat an eyelash at her comment. It's going to be a long couple of days...Sam thought and looked out the window watching the skyline of the city disappear into the horizon.

When Magick returned to the world... Edited ( a lesson to the power of editing)

“No really, I mean who would do that?” The girl sneered and shook her head watching the others reaction instead of the road She was young, and still believed that the world owed her. Her bright blond hair was pulled back into a pony tail, curls cascading down.

“Obviously John. He's such a dick.” The other girl shook her head and sighed. The girls were driving in a small white vehicle down the back roads of Central Massachusetts on a foggy evening from a day full of shopping and gossip.

“Hold on.” The driver turned the radio down and raised an eyebrow looking out the windshield. There was a loud rumble from their right and suddenly, a huge creature crashed from the woods, blocking the path.

“Shit!” She swerved from the massive beast that now lay in the road.. She stopped her car and got out, hands shaking from the adrenaline in her system.

“Don't go out there!” Her friend warned, though she wouldn't heed the advice, herself getting out of the car, gripping the car door. The driver walked over to the creature's grand head and she looked back towards the car after a moment.

“It's a dragon...”

Two weeks later, Samantha Marks, a mythology expert was brought down to Washington DC to a press conference. She and several other experts were gathered to see what brought these creatures here over the course of the week. Sam sneered at most of the theories, but then again... they were dealing with Dragons. She put in her headphones and ran a hand through her dirty blonde hair, looking out over the room. Reporters were beginning to gather, talking amongst themselves in the Smithsonian. Samantha smiled holding her tablet, looking through all the assorted news stories they had been provided with. She frowned at most of the sensationalist bullshit. The dragon sighting, children reporting actual monsters in their closets, and then there was the more disturbing of developments.

Today the conference was adressing something a bit too close to home for her liking. Mutations. They had ranged from pointed ears, to overgrown I-teeth, to scales sprouting on skin, and most disturbing of all, the discovery of wings. Wings, bursting from the backs of humans! Sam had documented such a case in one of her roommates. They had always joked around she was an angel... but this... this was a bit much. Gabby was in ICU recovering from the incident, not that the hospitals could do anything but pump her full of fluids and pain medication. She was due out later today, after opting out of the removal surgery for her new appendages. Sam just shook her head. She didn't know what to make any of it.

“Experts, please...” A stage hand, motioned to the panel and opened a side door. Without Sam realizing it the room had filled, and they were all looking hungry for answers. She turned and walked towards the open doors, the last to filter through.

“Ok. So the press have been given some questions, however, trying to control the hysterics and lies on something like this is damn near impossible.” The gentleman addressing the group was well dressed and Sam figured he was the main speaker appointed to them for the press conference. He took a breath and continued “So please stick to answering the questions with as few details as possible, since it is a developing story.” Sam sighed, watching the speaker. He was handsome but in a completely nerdy kinda way. Think glasses, curly black hair, and a goatee. The kind of guy you'd expect to see wandering the hallways of the Smithsonian. He gestured to the doors and the stage hand from earlier opened them. The world went silent for a moment before the vaccum was filled with shutter clicks and flashbulbs as the experts filtered onto stage. A wolf like crowd sat before them, needing anything to sate the public for even a moment. Sam gulped and looked to the others at the table, the main speaker standing to address them.

“Thank you for joining us today. In front of us are some very strange series of events, even the rapid mutation of several humans.” Slowly the room full of shutters quieted. “We will address all of your concerns that we can, please understand though that as this is something none of us have ever seen before, we're working with very little information. This conference is to go over the recent changes of one woman captured on film.” As he finished he pressed play on his remote. A screen behind them started playing the footage Sam had caught of Gabby. Sam simply starred forward, having seen it in person. The four minutes of it that they did show was enough to make a few reporters leave, throwing up. Sam just watched them sympathetically. The clip finished and Sam watched as many simply sat silent, too shocked to say anything.

“We'll now take your questions.”

An hour later, Sam emerged from the Smithsonian, completely pale faced. The press conference had been a joke. She shook her head and looked up, hearing helicopters over head.

“FIND SHELTER, IMMEDIATELY. THERE HAS BEEN A DRAGON SIGHTING. REPEAT: FIND SHELTER, IMMEDIATELY. THERE HAS BEEN A DRAGON SIGHTING.” The message cycled through the air and the crowd went into a panic, all heading for the nearest buildings. Sam sighed and booked it to the subway entrance. People packed in and Sam pulled the doors to the station shut behind her. The streets were empty in moments and eerily silent. She stood watching the skies, gripping the push handle on the door. She hadn't seen one of these majestic creatures yet, except for the videos. There was a loud flapping noise and a long black body with massive wings blocked the light of the sun. Sam burst out from the subway and her eyes widened.

“Oh my god...” She breathed. A black dragon was perched on top of a sky scraper, surveying the land. It looked so majestic. A shriek emitted from the beast. Sam could feel the intensity in it's roar even on the ground. A plane came whizzing up and fired a missile barrage, all missing the beast. It roared and it's chest expanded. A bright ball of blue flame emanated from it's mouth, engulfing the plane. Her eyes widened and she felt someone pulling on her arm. She looked over and an officer was pulling her towards the subway again. She went but not before locking eyes with the beast.

“Hello Samantha...” The voice resonated in her head as she was pulling through the doors of the subway.

When Magick returned to the world...

“No really, I mean who would do that?” The girl sneered and shook her head watching the others reaction instead of the road.

“Obviously John. He's such a dick.” The girls were driving in a small white vehicle down the back roads of central MA on a foggy day on the way back from a day at the shopping plaza.

“Hold on.” The driver turned the radio down and raised an eyebrow looking out the windshield. There was a loud rumble from their right and suddenly, THUD!

“Shit!” She swerved from the massive object that now lay in the road.. She stopped her car and she got up.

“Don't go out there!” Her friend warned, though she wouldn't heed the advice, herself. The driver walked over to the creature's grand head and she looked back towards the car after a moment.

“It's a dragon...”

Two weeks later, Samantha Marks, a local mythology expert was brought to a press conference. She and several other experts were gathered to see what brought these creatures here. Sam rolled her eyes a most of the theories, but then again... they were dealing with Dragons. She put in her headphones and ran a hand through her dirty blonde hair, looking out over the room. Reporters were beginning to gather, talking amongst themselves in the Smithsonian. Samantha smiled holding her tablet, looking through all the assorted news stories they had been provided with. She frowned at most of the sensationalist BS. The dragon sighting, children reporting actual monsters in their closets, and then there was the mutations of some humans. They had ranged from pointed ears, to overgrown I-teeth, to scales sprouting on skin, and most disturbing of all, the discovery of wings. Wings, bursting from the backs of humans! Sam had documented such a case in one of her roommates. They had always joked around she was an angel... but this... this was a bit much. Gabby was in ICU recovering from the incident, not that the hospitals could do anything but pump her full of fluids and pain medication. She was due out later today, after opting out of the removal surgery for her new appendages. Sam just shook her head. She didn't know what to make any of it.

“Experts, please...” A stage hand, motioned to the panel and opened a side door. Without Sam realizing it the room had filled, and they were all looking hungry for answers. Sam turned and walked towards the open doors, the last to filter through.

“Ok. So the press have been given some questions, however, trying to control the hysterics and lies on something like this is damn near impossible so please stick to answering the questions with as few details as possible, since it is a developing story.” Sam rolled her eyes and nodded. The doors opened and shutters flashed as the panel took their seats behind the table. A wolf like crowd sat before them, needing anything to sate the public for even a moment. Sam gulped and looked to the others at the table, the main speaker standing to address them.

“Thank you for joining us today. In front of us are some very strange series of events, even the rapid mutation of several humans. We will address all of your concerns that we can, please understand though that as this is something none of us have ever seen before, we're working with very little information. This conference is to go over the recent changes of one woman captured on film.” As he finished he pressed play on his remote. A screen behind them started playing the footage Sam had caught of Gabby. Sam simply starred forward, having seen it in person. The four minutes of it that they did show was enough to make a few reporters leave, throwing up. Sam just watched them sympathetically. The clip finished and Sam watched as many simply sat silent, too shocked to say anything.
“We'll now take your questions.”

An hour later, Sam emerged from the Smithsonian, completely pale faced. The press conference had been a joke. She shook her head and looked up, hearing helicopters over head.

“Find shelter, immediately. There has been a dragon sighting. Repeat: Find shelter, immediately. There has been a dragon sighting.” The message cycled through the air and the crowd went into a panic, all heading for the nearest buildings. Sam sighed and booked it to the subway entrance. People packed in and Sam pulled the doors to the station shut behind her. The streets were empty in moments and eerily silent. She stood watching the skies, gripping the push handle on the door. She hadn't seen one of these majestic creatures yet, except for the videos. There was a loud flapping noise and a long black body with massive wings blocked the light of the sun. Sam burst out from the subway and her eyes widened.

“Oh my god...” She breathed. A black dragon was perched on top of a sky scraper, surveying the land. It looked so majestic. A shriek emitted from the beast. Sam could feel the intensity in it's roar even on the ground. A plane came whizzing up and fired a missile barrage, all missing the beast. It roared and it's chest expanded. A bright ball of blue flame emanated from it's mouth, engulfing the plane. Her eyes widened and she felt someone pulling on her arm. She looked over and an officer was pulling her towards the subway again. She went but not before locking eyes with the beast.

“Hello Samantha...” The voice resonated in her head as she was pulling through the doors of the subway.