Chapter 4 - Ravadiana's Last Stand

Lady Ravadiana meets a stranger en route to the Grand Tournament of Magic. A meeting that leaves her with dire consequences.

The open air of the country road was refreshing to the Lady Ravadiana Pegason; she had spent too much time indoors over the last few months studying the new rules and regulations for the Grand Tournament of Magic.  She leaned back against the saddle of her horse and took in the environment.  The open air and majestic sounds of nature were calming to her senses.  It always seemed almost cleansing in a way.  However, the thought of the impending tournament got under her skin the more she thought about it.  It seemed to be more about being able to memorize the huge tomes of “knowledge” they call the rules than the actual manipulation of the arcane mysteries.  She had seen little children earn their victories just because the child did exactly what the parent wanted them to do, not because they were mentally flexible enough to win through real arcane combat.

Ravadiana, herself, had just earned the right to participate in the Grand Tournament of Magic through her own hard work and sacrifice over the past year, but now it was a nuisance to her.  It was the rules, not the magic casting that got to her.  So much of the arcane mysteries were available to everybody but the rules oppressed those who might have had the ability to step out the ordinary and be unique and capable of so much more.  She loved the art.  Being able to tap into the energy of the universe, bending it, twisting it and creating anything she desired always enraptured her.

In this part of the world, it was only allowed to use magic in structured matches between magi and sorcerers.  Mages used spell foci and arcane sigils to create the effects while sorcerers created the effects seemingly spontaneously.  The best of these seemed to be able to do a little of both. 

These matches culminated in one final tournament just after harvest was complete.  It vaguely fashioned itself after the structure of the medieval tournaments of knights and warriors.  Except the weapons here were the primal elements of chaos, purity, corruption, manipulation and creation, instead of a wooden lance and a horse.

Only the socially effluent and wealthy had the time necessary to study magic so more and more magic users were 'ladies', 'dukes', 'earls' and other titles of nobility.  There were a few of the more wealthy merchants and governors that had started to take the time to look into arts of magic, but most often they took a look at it as more of a science.  Even then, they had their own reasons for the pursuits.  This way of perceiving the magical arts seemed to have taken its roots in the exhaustive rules of the magical matches.

The road was soft and long, it wouldn't be too much longer before she and her handmaiden would be arriving at the tournament grounds.  It was to the Grand Tournament that found Lady Ravadiana on the road today.  She sat side saddle as her rank and nobility required.

Ravadiana ached to be rid of these thick and constraining dresses that she had to wear. Couldn't the seamstresses come up with something more comfortable?  Her father's lust for wealth required of her and her handmaiden a more frugal way of transportation than traveling under guard in a coach.  It was a good thing that most of the people in the area were too fearful of the amount of destruction that could be caused by a single caster to accost one of them on the roadside and force them to use their arcane skills outside of the arenas, in protection of self and others.  

"Madam, a moment of your time, if you will?" a young and lanky man stepped out from the trees near her.  His question caught her off guard and made her mind stumble a moment.  His white hair fell down over his face so that it was near impossible to make out any real distinguishing features. 

Ravadiana guessed he wasn't a person who like to stand out in a crowd.  His pants and boots were made of softer material.  No doubt a local thief.  His darkened skin probably came from the many passes through the city underground, or perhaps a few jaunts across city walls and rooftops.

"If you are looking for alms, then I am to sorely displease you." replied Ravadiana.  "I have just enough for my own purposes."

"Nay, milady.  Your reputation for gift-giving and charity precedes you,” replied the stranger.   “No alms are needed.  Instead, it is I that has a present for you." When she gave him an incredulous look he continued.  "You see, your wise decisions and gifts to the people have made you an easy favorite among the betting circles for the upcoming tournament.  And it is well, ahem; within our 'interests' that you have all that you will need to compete successfully in the upcoming tournament."

"I see, and what exactly is this ‘gift’?"  Her eyes narrowed on the unwelcome advance.

With the question barely out of her mouth, the stranger pulled out a small cloth covered package from his pocket.  Ravadiana opened up the crude packet to reveal a small pocket mirror. 

Ravadiana's eyes began to glow with a light blue hue as she studied the mirror.  It was a side effect of using magic, but it was necessary to see if the item held any true import.  Her inspection told her it was of very old magic indeed.

"Should I even ask where you obtained this?" asked Ravadiana. "I hope that I haven't lost any relatives or friends in your procurement."

"Hmm, you ask a strong question." replied the stranger. "Lets just say that it is my 'legal' possession, and you will never ever have to compete against any of its previous owners."

Admiring the mirror, Ravadiana responded choosing her words carefully.  "I am going to keep your gift…" Looking down from her horse to where his eyes remained hidden from her view, she quietly added a thinly veiled threat. "… but only so that it will never be found out that this was once pilfered from another mage."

"Your decisions are just and wise, milady." With a flourished bow, the stranger started down the road on his own merry way.  His final words seemed ominous to Ravadiana but she thought nothing more of it.  "Good luck in the tournament, although I truly doubt you will need it!"

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The roar from the arena stadium was deafening.  Several hundred thousand spectators was chanting their favorite magic user's name or some black hearted curse against another.  Most came from far away to see the spectacle, some were lucky enough to have wealth to be able to live nearby the magic academy where the fighters learned their trade.  Peddlers sold everything underneath the sun.  Some were legal, most were at least questionable. 

Ravadiana realized long ago the distraction that the noise was going to be to her, so she took up studying by a large waterfall near her homestead.  She felt confident that she would have no problem with this in the upcoming matches. The sun beat down on the arena, with no trees to cool the place off it easily reached unbearable temperatures during the matches.  Whoever it was that said mages were spoiled needed to take a vacation here.  Ravadiana smiled for a moment at the thought before turning back to finish the laces on her armor.

"Are you ready, milady?"  Her handmaiden knocked on the door to her preparation room before entering.  She looked Ravadiana over and helped her secure a couple loose lacings. "The match is scheduled to begin in a few minutes, do you have all your artifacts and spell book ready?"  

"You know better than that.  My spells are memorized.  I don't carry any notes with me." Ravadiana scowled at her handmaiden's mistake.

"I am truly sorry; milady but the rules’ masters made me ask the question.  They want to check everyone's packs to make sure that there is no breach of the rules."

"They can check my materials when I enter the arena.  That I remember IS the rule."  Ravadiana marched to the waiting area for the competition.

At the arena gates, the competitor’s bags and carrying items were checked.  Only five "trinkets" were allowed to be carried in.  Armor was then checked just to make sure that no wands were carried in.

The last minute changes to the rules were explained in depth and the competitors finally entered the arena.  The spectator’s voices jumped in volume at the anticipation of the match.  Lady Ravadiana and some "Earl" of somewhere were to compete this time.  She could barely see him from across the arena field; he looked so pompous in the many-colored traditional garb that he was wearing.  Her own armor was dull and reflected usage over style.   A necessary evil when one thought of the greed and frugality of her Father.  “Why is it that all men think that they have to dress up for everything?  Couldn't he wear something more appropriate to the occasion?  Hmm…  Maybe a couple lightning bolts will fix that?”  With that thought, the gong struck to begin the match.

“Foqal… sak'kamen… maral…”  Ravadiana could feel the air around her charge with power as she began her chanting.  Her voice reverberated the power of her will upon the grounds she stood on.  This was the part she enjoyed, the twisting of the fabric of the universe with her voice, her mind, her will.  It was more than the words that caused the change, it was her will employed on the physical realm manifested through her words.  She could feel the latent power of the area.  Its stored energy beckoned for her to tap into its strength.  She knew that if she fully tapped into the area that the results would be disastrous, so she siphoned off a little of the potential power to form her spell.  The air bristled the hairs on the back of her neck with power as her hands through the glyphs.  Her opponent stood still as well, likewise chanting the same ancient tongue.  The air above her began to darken with clouds circling above her.  Her preparations were now complete.

“Sak’kamen!”  As Ravadiana screamed the word, two forked lightning bolts arched from her fingertips, and around her body.  In addition, several thunderbolts leapt from the clouds to the ground in close succession.   She collected its entire raw power and threw both of the thunderbolts from her hands down the field at her adversary.  That technique had already given her the nickname of 'Storm Witch' with the locals.  Her enemy stood still, taking each of the hits with no change in his demeanor.  If he was just going to take it, then she was ready to hand it to him.

“Cha'th but'laeb.” The air around her hands heated to an unbearable degree and ignited. The movements of her hands left flames in their wake.  The resulting chaos threatened to burn her clothes where she stood.  She wrapped the fire into a sphere the size of her head and sent it hurtling toward the pompous fool.   The resulting explosion was fantastic, but it didn't seem to faze him one bit.  

"He has to have something to absorb the damage, but why wait this long to cast?" thought Ravadiana.  It wasn't uncommon for a magic user to bring some protection items; even Ravadiana brought three "trinkets" devoted to just that cause herself.  Ravadiana decided against memorizing the defensive spells since she had just procured a couple more of these items and devoted her study to the offensive spells she had at her disposal.

Just then the ground erupted around her, knocking her to the ground.  The ground opened in a long crack and Ravadiana crawled backward as a demonic spawn emerged from crevice.

"Oh great...  He's a necromancer.  How long has that thing been there?"  Its boney hands were the size of large dogs and it began to climb out of the crevice.  The creature had succeeded in gaining her attention as it roared with an unearthly scream.  Its empty eye sockets turned and focused on its prey.  

Ravadiana turned to face the necromancer to see if it left him fazed at all.  He was standing there already casting a second spell.  No sense taking out the master if he isn’t weakened.  The creature now stood up to its full height.  It towered over her more than twice her own size.  

“Sak’kamen!”  Screamed Ravadiana as she unleashed the full potential of her previous spell upon the creature.  Lightning bolts from the skies above and from her hands struck the creature knocking it back.  She moved forward and grappled with the raw electricity in the air that was left and hurled her own lightning bolts at the creature.  Each strike was devastating in their own right but still more was needed to take this creature down.

The longer she fought the more tired she felt.  It was a natural effect to be tired and weary from casting, but she didn’t feel like she had much left in her.  Sweat beaded down her face as she finally got a look at her adversary.

“How is it that he isn't feeling the strain and I am?  Okay stop Rav.  Take a look at what he is doing.”  He should be on death’s door right now from having to control such a creature.  The arcane sigil his fingers were weaving in the air was more than enough to tell her that he had tapped into her own life’s strength and was using her to bolster him.

The cheat!  Life stealing spells were explicitly not allowed in the tournaments due to the extreme difficulty of recovering from the effects of the spell.  Often as a result the victim who fell pray to those types of spells would be out of the tournament for the rest of its duration even if they won or not.  The hard part about them is that their sigils mimic other spells making them difficult to discover.  Ravadiana had just recently learned that spell, allowing her to see what he had just done to her.

"Aadk!" Lady Ravadiana screamed at the summoner.  She tapped all of the magical resources she could into her voice and unleashed a sonic wave that knocked her opponent down, weakening his concentration just enough to let her break the spell. 

Ravadiana fell to her knees panting to catch her breath.  If she was going to finish the fight, she needed to turn this around and quickly.

He was already setting up yet another spell.  From his preparations, this was going to be a final spell.  Everything he could muster went into its creation. 

Ravadiana was too close to him to keep from having it hit her.  With the demon spawn slowly lumbering behind her and the master in front of her, she had to make a decision now. There wasn’t many choices left.  In desperation, she pulled out the 'rogue's gift' hoping that whatever it does would be something that can protect her.

The Necromancer unleashed the most powerful fireball she had ever seen. If she survived she was going to have to remember that sigil for later, but first she had to survive.  Unable to dodge the spell, she took the full brunt of the impact of the spell and was thrown backward.  The firebolt bounced off of the mirror and its energy was redirected back to the Necromancer.  Unable to duck or dismiss the spell himself, the impact of the reflected spell knocked him to the ground, where he spent the next few moments extinguishing the flames from his clothing.

“If you ask me, it’s an improvement.” coughed Ravadiana just before her opponent fell to the ground from overexerting himself. After taking a few moments to breathe she worked her way to her knees.

The stadium erupted into a mix of applause, screams, and laughter.  The necromancer now unconscious, his control over the skeleton stopped and it fell to pieces around her.  Ravadiana walked slowly off of the field to be met at her gate by her handmaiden.  Tired and exhausted she leaned upon her for support.

"Tell whoever comes to the door, I am not to be disturbed.  Tell them I have a terrible headache."

"Yes, milady.  You wish shall be done." came the reply. "A cup of tea to soothe the mind?"

--------

Several moments later, in more comfortable clothing and a warm cup of tea in her hands, Ravadiana settled down in her bed to relax for a few hours before her next match.

"You did well out there, milady." stated her handmaiden.  "Your father will be proud of the win."

"Especially since it will bring in more winnings to the family treasure room." retorted Ravadiana, her voice twisted slightly with exhaustion and disgust. “And… his pocket.” Sighing she looked out the window at the spectacle below.  Already the next match had begun.  The two opponents squared off one with another and began their combat.

"Don't feel such a way, milady." pleaded the handmaiden.  "I am sure he is just as proud of your skills as he is the winnings.  Besides, you looked ravishing in your leather armor.  Or at least, that is what the mages tell me.  Maybe you should invite one of them to the ball later on tonight?"

"I doubt it; my father wouldn't accept any suitors for my hand unless they could bring in more winnings than what I have been able to."  Her remark brought home the reality of what her hobby had cost her.  Fame and fortune for the family and a father who lusted for more money.  "Anyways, I don't think I will be getting involved with these types.  They seem to be too, how do you say it... arrogant?  Plus, the armor makes my profile look too ample for my taste."

A knock at the door broke the two from their reverie.  "Send them away, please." requested Ravadiana.

"Yes'm." The handmaiden went to the door, and tried to send the visitors away.  Ravadiana could hear a short and terse exchange of conversation just before her handmaiden returned to the room visibly distraught.

"Ma'am, it’s the tournament masters," started the handmaiden.  "They say they have important business that cannot wait."

"Well, let them in then." replied the Lady. "I will meet them in a moment in the parlor when I am finished dressing into something more appropriate."

--------

"Lady Ravadiana, we know you to be one of the most knowledgeable battle mages here," began the Tournament master.  Already this had a very negative attitude to the start of the conversation.  She tightened her lounge coat around her while he presented his case.  "Because of this, your possessions in the match were only given a cursory looking over.  May I see your bag please?"

"May I inquire the reason?" asked Ravadiana.

"The family of your last competitor is claiming that you used a spell or artifact that wasn't authorized for the tournament.  I know for a fact that you would never memorize a spell that could be unethical or unauthorized so I need to see the belt pouch to locate the artifact in question." Nodding, Ravadiana bade her handmaiden to bring the pouch to the master.  “You will find that all of my possessions is in order.”

The tournament master dumped the contents of the pouch onto the table between them.  The trinkets for protection and the pocket mirror among other items were revealed.  It was the mirror that the master mage focused his attention.  Holding it in his hand, he turned it over and over reading the runes etched into the circles on the back of the mirror before handing it back to her.

"Do you know what this is?" asked the tournament master.

"Not exactly just yet," answered Ravadiana "My discoveries into it showed a strong amount of protection and some alteration magic.  I brought it with me in the hope that it would protect me from some form of magic I wasn't prepared for."

"Well, it did just that." smiled the Master.  "Unfortunately for you, it’s a magic deflector.  It was designed to send ranged combat spells back on their caster.  It was made back in the years when magical combat was not practiced in arenas.  They were normally made to be worn over the heart on a necklace.  This one is interesting; it’s been used enough to not have a latch for a necklace, or its one of the originals made before that time period.  Because of its specific nature, its usage was banned from tournament a few years after the tournament system was standardized.  How did you come into the possession of something this old?  I would venture to say this one is almost two to three thousand years old."

"It was a gift from a suitor.  He wanted me to have a pretty little something to see my darling face every morning with." lied Ravadiana.

"You were never a good liar," smiled the Master.  "The family of your competitor is claiming to be the victims here and are also very influential in the politics of the local region.  I don’t know how to say this in a way that comes out nicer than it is.  I am being forced to remove you from the tournament."

"What?!" screamed Ravadiana.  "How is it that the cheat who casted life stealing spells in blatant disregard of regulations is able to continue in the tournament?"

"Let me explain, I didn't say it was fair.  If it was up to me, I would have expelled you both on principle." replied the Master.  "Again, the family pulled some favors of their own and the council of masters held an emergency meeting after the boy was pulled from the arena.  They ruled against you and not against him.  It isn't fair, but you will have to pack your belongings and leave the stadium.  The council also ruled that you are not to participate in any future tournaments again.  And they have restricted your current access to the Academy."

"I cannot believe what I am hearing." said Ravadiana, just barely keeping control over herself.  The air around her charged with her rising emotions.  "You are telling me that they are revoking my ability to study and cast magic.  What right do they have?"

"Not necessarily, I am sure in a few years, say five to ten that this will blow over and you will be allowed to study and ultimately teach in the academy.  I will push up a recommendation myself on your behalf."

"I will not accept pity!  This lazy illegitimate child of a pompous goat cheated outright.  It should be him that be sent home in dishonor, not me!" 

"Its not pity I offer, but foresight.  Calm down first and then come by my office before you leave town.  I will send you home with enough to satiate your father's lust for money to protect you.”  His friendship with her had been a stabilizing force in her formative years as a magic user.  “I also have a few things which will keep you interested in your studies.  You are by far the most gifted fighter we have; I don't want your skills to atrophy."

"Thank you," came the terse, practiced response. "Your kindness is always welcome."

"As has been yours, Lady Ravadiana."

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Lady Ravadiana and her handmaiden walked along the streets next to the stadium in search of a local tavern to get something to eat and pack up some provisions for the journey home.  The tavern coming up had sign of a roasted ham and some painted characters weathered to illegibility on the door sign.  This might just be the place to find their needs.

Walking into the tavern, everything seemed quiet.  Most of the patrons present were already in drunken stupors.  If there was someone that wasn't, they weren't showing it.  Ravadiana and her accomplice took a table in the far corner.

"What will you fine ladies be having this evening?" asked the tavern barkeep.  His gruff voice mangled most of the sentence, but he was understandable to a point.  The smell of mutton and cooked vegetables wafted in from the kitchen.

"You order the food and supplies, I will go freshen up a bit." says Ravadiana.  She excused herself from the table and left in search of the ladies room.

Ravadiana took a moment to look in the mirror and stifled the scream that she was about to give.  The stranger from the road was standing behind her.  How he got into the room was beyond her, she didn't even hear the door close.

"You!" growled Ravadiana. "You have a lot of nerve coming in here.  I ought to kill you where you stand now!  Because of you, I was eliminated from the tournament.”  Her voice cracked slightly as her anger exploded. “Because of you I will never be able to compete again!"

"Hmm... that would put a damper on the relationship, now wouldn't it?" replied the stranger.  His manner was just forceful enough to keep Ravadiana from retorting immediately.  "You could try to strike me down, but I doubt you would get much pleasure from it as I don't think you have the strength to do much to me as it is.  By the way, getting kicked out of the tournament wasn't on the planning books.  But testing your skills and resourcefulness was."

"Testing my skills?!  What kind of a person are you?" asked Ravadiana.

"One of a kind, m’lady." replied the stranger arrogantly.  "You now have two roads before you.  One, you can strike me down and go home poor and destitute from your failure at the tournament.  I am sure your friend will keep your father happy for the time being, but I am also even more sure that you will be unhappy for the rest of your life being unable to practice the arcane arts ever again.  How long do you think you can go without whispering to the universe something to make your life easier?  Even more how long until your father marries you off to the richest bidder to satiate his love of money?”

Ravadiana wanted to asked the b*****d how the hell he knew of her family's situation but bit her tongue just enough to keep control of the situation.

"Your point being?" She asked.  Her patience was quickly wearing thin.

"Choice two is that you come to work for me.  You will lose your title of nobility, your handmaiden, your family.  However, you will gain fame, fortune, more spells than you can ever hope to master in your lifetime, and most importantly, you will be able to cast them freely in support of the most noble of all missions."  His tongue was quick and smooth but she felt a catch to the situation.  No doubt he practiced his style on the bar wenches around town.  The words more spells than you can ever hope to master stuck in her mind.

"You have my attention, for however long it may be." replied Ravadiana.  “And just where do I fit in?”

"Your skills in magical casting have been known for sometime now in circles far beyond your own.  In fact, your potential rivals my own.  However, I am unable to join in the fight anymore.  I need a champion for my cause.  I need you.  I will provide you with a school, access to my spells, and the training grounds required to learn them.  When the time comes, you will go and fight my battles to defend all of life as we know it."

"And if I don't accept your gracious offer?" asked Lady Ravadiana.

"Well, let's just say that you now know too much to be allowed to leave this room..." replied the stranger.  His point was made clear.

"You make a persuasive argument.  I find… that accepting your offer to be well within my best interests."  Lady Ravadiana put down the towel beside her on the counter.

"I thought you would see it my way.  Follow me," said the stranger. His hand made a gesture toward the wall and it began to quiver until a portal appeared to allow them to a new area.  The sounds of people were active on the other side and seemed to be focused on something other than them.  Ravadiana balked and hesitated for a moment looking at the other door back into the tavern.

"My handmaiden, surely leaving now will alert her to something being amiss.  She will bring the constable down upon this place."

"She has already been dealt with.  Also your mentor, the tournament master, and your father." replied the stranger.  He placed his hand behind her back and led her through the doorway into a waiting classroom.

Reviews

[jjwilbourne]

This was really cool. I think myp favourite chapter so far.
I would like to address an issue however. I feel like I'm not getting the full weight of drama here. It has nothing to do with the plot. The plot is great. It also has nothing to do with the the arc of the chapter.
Instead, I think it has more to do with character and viewpoint. Now, in the previous chapter you were working within a different framework for POV than this chapter. This chapter looks like 3rd limited. That's well and good but it concerns me for two reasons.
1. Its inconsistant with your previous work.
2. You can take advantage of this viewpoint a bit more effectively.
The first is more of a "rule" in literature. If you start a story in one form of POV, you have to follow through with it. However it is worth pointing out that there are many works that break this rule and do it well. Its risky but possible.
The second has more to do with the bigger issue. I don think you are giving you Ravadiana enough breathing room. The great thing about 3rd person limited is that it feels a little closer to 1st person. You're able to get closer to the thoughts and feeling of your focus character. What's going through her head? It feels like she spends most of the chapter holding her breath because I'm not getting that insight.
It will allow me to not only get to know her better but also let me care more.
I'm excited for chapter 5. Keep it coming!

[Richard Linsley III]

I definitely see what you're going with here. It took me a bit of time, I actually had to research the topic again on POV. I think I stuck with 3rd person limited not out of sticking to rules but because it felt right. The story is told on the whole from 3rd person unlimited. There were a few bits that I lightly touched upon and didn't go into. Mostly because I didn't feel it was appropriate at the time, but editing and shaping this story may find it better to put them in. The biggest reasons for this chapter was: 1) to introduce the last of the main characters: Rav. 2) to start introducing exactly how much impact magic has upon this world. I was very scared earlier about the different casting types and how to describe them. I was hoping that people would notice some familiar faces involved in the chapter.

[jjwilbourne]

I think you're doing those things well. I think your magic descriptions are well done. I could see it in my head.

[Richard Linsley III]

Now the question I have is that, I did not bounce back and forth in POV in this chapter, due to the fact that the focus was squarely on this character. Even though the rest of the book is is 3rd person unlimited, does that break the rules too far?

[jjwilbourne]

Yes & no. Typically in one piece of fiction, the POV stays consistent. But like I said. There are works where this isn't the case. The "rule" like all rules in literature can and should be broken at times. Its just hard to pull them off well.
And doing it well means you're not confusing your reader to the point where they put down the book and you have a purpose in doing so that is important to the goals you have for your story.

[Richard Linsley III]

How would I go about changing this specific instance away from 3rd Limited to 3rd Unlimited? Introduce thoughts and motives from all the characters?

[jjwilbourne]

That is how I would do it. The hard part about that is being clear who's head you're in at any given moment.
Also, youre looking to create story tention not from what one character doesn't know but what the reader knows that one or more characters may not know.
For example. In the previous chapter you have a "bad guy" trying to trick a "good guy"... The unlimited tention can come from the " good guy" not knowing what the "bad guy" intends and therefore the reader is pulled by wondering whether the good guy will discover those intentions and if/when they do, will the "bad guy" know about it? And so on.

[Jennie Baron]

I think you got some good advice from jj; he's been a great help to me. I don't see that much of a problem with POV, but then this chapter is similar to my writing. I use third-person POV but I do use methods to get more immediately into the character's head. For example, I try to be as generous with details as possible and will sometimes introduce a character's thoughts verbatim, italicizing them.

As for the story itself, it's outstanding and really grabbed my attention. I always love magic and the supernatural although it's not my genre. The characterization and pacing are good. And you've expertly ended the chapter introducing this uncertain new phase of life for Ravadiana. Great work!

[SpeedyHobbit Armstrong]

Yet again, more enthralling writing. Fascinated

[Richard Linsley III]

Glad you liked it. What was the best part?