Maestrander

They stood still, frozen in the single moment they stopped dancing. Their hands were extended, their fingers still laced together. While they stood as if some frost giant had breathed on them, the world moved around them. Wind whispered through the trees and the plants, while the music floated through the garden. She did not feel pressed to give an explanation. The scientist simply held her in that dance stance at that point, and while his eyes did ask questions, she knew that he was giving her a choice. She didn’t have to answer him if she didn’t want to. Part of her screamed against it. Part of her screamed for it. Butterflie

       “Is that Lalna?” Nano whispered to herself as she wiped her sweaty palms on the dusted previously-white pants hiding under her red dress. She set down her ruby tools, looking curiously out of the window of her tower. Music was drifting up, an old song she impossibly reconigzed.            He had to be drunk. There was no way someone sober – especially Lalna – could dance like that in full gear. She blinked and watched him take off the layers of armor, until he stood in his labcoat… and began to dance again.            Nano wanted to look away, feeling a little guilty for watching him but she couldnR

 Xephos yanked himself free of the tendrils that held him to the Netherbrick. “YOU ARE NOTHING. YOU DO NOT FEAR. YOU DO NOT LOVE. YOU DO NOT LIVE.” His eyes glowed with rage. “YOU DO NOT REALIZE. YOU CAN TRY TO SLAUGHTER US. YOU CAN THROW OUR BONES INTO LAVA, YOU CAN THROW OUR BODIES TO YOUR HOUNDS, BUT WE WILL NOT LEAVE THIS DAMMED WORLD UNTIL THERE IS NO ONE LEFT TO REMEMBER US.” His face was inches away from Israphel’s. “YOU THINK THAT FOR THE SAME REASON YOU LIVE WE WILL DIE.” He held Israphel’s fox-blood eyes. “But you’re wrong,” his voice was hoarse. “You’r

 Lomadia crashed to the ground, the horribly pungent scent of the Nether almost choking her to death. She lay in a curled position, trying to calm her breathing in the suffocating heat. Dodge. With an immense amount of willpower, she threw herself to the side, feeling the blistering heat of the Ghast’s fireball on her back. The inhuman thing screeched above her. Roll. Her muscles screeching in agony, she flung herself over and found herself hanging off an edge. Forcing her eyes open, struggling with her rugged breathing, she caught herself at the last second with the force of someone wrenching out her arm socket. The cracked bon

 Many sensations rushed at Lalna in a millisecond. Pain, numbness, guilt, horror, fear, worry – and just to the point when Lalna felt he wouldn’t be able to fight back the screech building up in his throat – nothing. The ground was soft, but firm. He could only hear his own breathing, rugged and fast. His hand was tingling as if he’d been sitting on it too long. He felt sore all over, and when he rolled on his back he felt as if a twenty ton dumbbell had been lifted from his chest. Finally able to catch his breath, Lalna was overcome with fatigue and without further thought, slipped out of consciousness. He came aro

 “Look at me,” Israphel said softly. Lomadia didn’t move, keeping her eyes on the ground. To look into his eyes was to agree to the truth. She didn’t want to believe it… Years had passed, and with that time had continued without wait. Her hair was to her waist in a long golden sheaf, woven into a braid. Her eyes had never been a more brilliant emerald green. She stood with an air of an Adventurer, expecting anything to cross her path at any moment. Her bow was slung across her body, long and a dark mahogany, complimenting her quiver of owl-feathered arrows. Mr. Owl himself stood on her shoulder still, her body

 There was a symphony of unsheathing sounds as both Ridge and Rythian drew their weapons – golden sword and dual-wielding Enderbane and wand. Israphel looked unfazed. In his white spot-less dress shirt, black slacks, old-man shoes and a long coat with golden buttons, you’d never guess a maniacal killing man would stand in front of you. In fact, it was almost as if he radiated classy. “I hope you remember I am the one who has the open to just snap my fingers and your brain will explode inside your skulls,” he said casually. “Of course, that is, unless you’re going to be gentleman about it and just talk n

 Rythian bent over his stacks and stacks of papers. Zoeya came in earlier and handed him a ceramic mug of ice-cold water which was lovely in this suffocating heat. He couldn’t understand how she could stand going around barefoot, in armor, running, midday with the sun at its hottest. Well, nor he could understand the fact that she could talk to inanimate objects, or jump into lava and not burn to death – so he just dubbed it as cute and continued working. It frustrated him every day to reach for his neck and feel only the enderpearl there instead of the Lifestone. It annoyed him that he couldn’t fly about anymore, couldn&r

 “You have my gratitude, girl. You may leave.” Lomadia turned to leave, then suddenly Israphel doubled over in pain. He shuddered deeply, his robes splattered with his own blood. When he lifted his head to meet his servant’s eyes, his own seemed to bulge. “No- no it isn’t possible. He is not strong enough!” The Owl Queen, her once-sleek blonde hair matted and crusted with blood. Her eyes had a sunken look to them, and Mr. Owl no longer stood on her shoulder. Her clothes, dark jeans, splattered boots and a filthy t-shirt were treading. “My Lord?” she asked. Israphel pulled himself up, cl

Agony rippled through Lomadia as a large canon blast went off, knocking her and Zoeya to the ground. Instantly, the sense of foreboding swept Lomadia’s thoughts into a clear picture. Zoeya felt it too. She may not have known what it was, but she felt it. The two girls’ eyes met. “Sunset.” Lots of things happened at once. The world around them became a green-blue blur of swirling colors, the air ripped from their lungs as they swirled and tumbled. It seemed to go on for ages, then finally – Nothing. Cold marble beneath them, but their senses were gone. They felt the temperature drop… Lomadia, coming to,