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Friday, November 25, 2011

This Holiday's Must-Have Sci-Fi & Fantasy Titles

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fall's biggest titles


"Paolini's fans, who have spent over 2,000 pages and eight years rooting for his hero, will cheer the final flight."
-- Washington Post

"A rousing success . . . very few of the millions of fans will be disappointed." -- Booklist

The wait is finally over! It began with Eragon. And after eight years, it ends with Inheritance, the epic conclusion to the international bestselling series. Not so very long ago, Eragon--Shadeslayer, Dragon Rider--was nothing more than a poor farm boy, and his dragon, Saphira, only a blue stone in the forest.

Now the fate of an entire civilization rests on their shoulders. Will Eragon and his friends defeat Galbatorix and bring peace to Alagaësia at last? Get your copy today and find out!


Check out Christopher Paolini on Tour
Follow Christopher Paolini on Twitter
Play the Inheritance Quest on Facebook!
Buy a signed edition

 
fall's biggest titles

"If you are a fan of paranormal romance, I think this is a book you will devour! I know I did!" -- Reading Teen

Katelyn McBride's life changed in an instant when her mother died. Now she has to start over in Wolf Springs, a tiny village in the Ozark Mountains. Like any small town, Wolf Springs has secrets. But the secrets hidden here reach back centuries, span continents, and conceal terrifying truths.

Nancy Holder and Debbie Viguie, the New York Times bestselling authors of the Wicked series, have created an entirely new trilogy with the passion of Twilight and the grandeur of Fallen. The Wolf Springs Chronicles introduces readers to a town of secrets and the new girl who's about to start believing in werewolves.

Check out the Unleashed website
Watch the Trailer
Buy the book

 
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Years before Sophie and Josh Newman met Nicholas Flamel, two legendary warriors fought together for the first time. Billy the Kid and Scathach the Shadow. Now that lost story can be told . . .

With this exclusive eBook, Michael Scott offers readers a never-before-seen short story from the world of the bestselling series the Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel: the tale of how Billy the Kid and Scathach meet for the first time and join forces against the unseen, deadly and eternally hungry vampyres who control the city of Las Vegas.

Visit the Website
Get the eBook today!

 
fall's biggest titles

Tookie De La Crème isn't expecting an invitation to Modelland -- the exclusive, mysterious place on top of the mountain. But someone has plans for Tookie. Before she can blink her mismatched eyes, she finds herself thrown into a world where she doesn't seem to belong.

Signed editions of Tyra Bank's debut YA novel are now available!

Send a Modelland Gift on Facebook
Check out the Modelland website
Watch the Trailer
Buy the book

 
More Thrillers


Is death the only escape from the Return's destruction?


The Project
by Brian Falkner

An old book is the perfect place to hide a dangerous secret.



Meridian
by Amber Kizer

Half-human, half-angel, Meridian Sozu has a dark responsibility.



The Iron Thorn
by Caitlin Kittredge

Aoife's family is unique in the worst way—every one of them has gone mad.

 
 
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Sunday, November 20, 2011

3.1.7.3. Flyin' Flynn - Part Three



Tentative Image Source for Kyflynn Windwalker : Dark Elf by ~kerembeyit

http://kerembeyit.deviantart.com/art/Dark-Elf-61425102

Kyflynn answers, ‘We’ll take notes from the hunters who return here, and then send groups to explore and find out more accurate combinations. Who among you can use telepathy?’ Again there’s no answer. Kyflynn talks on.

‘No one? Then we can only rely on our notes. Let’s hope we don’t go into dead-ends.’

‘I’ll write it down now and make a diagram of it,’ says Carolyn. ‘Now give me what you got.’ She takes out her quill and her notebook from her goodie bag. Then, one by one, the hunters, starting from Kyflynn and Genilda tell Carolyn what tunnels and rooms they went into. Carolyn makes a diagram and writes down the information in codes, sometimes murmuring…

‘Yes… north room, left tunnel… N1. Then came out in N2, went in tunnel N23 and returned at South Room. Next!’

And soon, more and more hunters starting to go and return in the rune room. Robert, Chiel and Andreas return together. And then Agustina returns too.

Carolyn and Kyflynn begin to send out groups. The first group is led by Robert and Andreas to the East Room to find out a more accurate route. Some more hunters come, and one of them is Hernan y Parvaez, leading a few wounded hunters, returning in the rune room. He went into the tunnels much earlier than Robert and Kyflynn’s parties, but he never found a right route out.

‘It’s my turn again now,’ says Kyflynn after studying the diagram and exchanging information with Hernan and his group. ‘I have a hunch that the north room is worth some more checking. I need five hunters and Agustina with me into the tunnels. And you too, Genilda.’

‘Oh, no,’ says Genilda. ‘I think I’ll stay behind.’

‘But why?’ says Kyflynn with surprise on his face.

‘This adventure is over for me. You see, I have two kids back home. And the man who went into the fan in pieces was my husband.’

Kyflynn is crestfallen. ‘I’m sorry to hear that. But why did you take the mission in the first place?’

‘Because it was from the Pope. From Vadis. We thought we can finish this up and go home together to our kids. But now that my husband is lost, what will my kids do if they lose me too? My family is everything to me. I’ll do whatever I can here for Vadis’ sake, and then I’ll go back to the entrance through the forest. I’m sure Lord Vadis will understand.’

‘Well, if you must. You’ve been a great help in there. Thank you, Genilda, ma’am. I’ll never forget you.’

‘Jolly holly, it’s been an honor to fight side by side with Kyflynn Windwalker,’ says Genilda. ‘Now go. May Vadis and Enia be with you.’

‘And you too. C’mon, Tina!’ says Kyflynn as he walks into the North door again. Agustina doesn’t answer, but she follows Kyflynn silently, still with her cold, expressionless face.

With the additional information from Hernan’s group, Kyflynn is now convinced that the right route is through the North Room, and then they take the left tunnel again. They fight through the wind elementals successfully in the next room, thanks to Agustina who casts An Jokul’me Fyasch, her powerful Blizzard Blast magic, turning them into liquid and freeze them so the other hunters can destroy them with ease.

And then in the next room Kyflynn says to his comrades, ‘Guys, we surely must take the middle tunnel. From the info I’ve got, a hunter has tried the left tunnel before and took a longer route before finally returned to the rune room. So, shall we?’ And without further ado, all follow Kyflynn into the middle tunnel.

And then Kyflynn, Agustina and the rest of the group arrive in an identical room as the previous one they’ve gone into. No one has any information about where this room series will lead to. Without thinking twice about the risk and the trap they might find, Kyflynn and his group press on. They meet three wind elementals in the next room, and the positive-thinking Kyflynn says, ‘Well, from the looks of it, I think this IS a progress.’

With Agustina’s magical assistance, once again the wind elementals become sitting ducks for the hunters. As they go into the next room quickly before the fans generate another batch of wind elementals, Kyflynn is now faced with another three tunnels. And as there’s no information about it, he has to figure out which is the tunnel that doesn’t return them to the start again.

He begins to speculate, ‘The first is left, the second is middle. So this time it’s a fifty percent chance the right is the right one.’ Kyflynn immediately gives instructions to his comrades. ‘You three take the left tunnel, you two the middle, and Agustina, come with me to the right. And don’t forget to share our route with Genilda and Carolyn if any of us return to the rune room.’

‘Aye aye! Right on! Yes!’ are the various responses from other hunters except Agustina, who doesn’t even nod, blink or move her lips. And yet she follows Kyflynn obediently into the wind and flies into the right tunnel.

They come out at the end of the tunnel into a completely different room. It’s a round room, much larger than the previous ones. As Kyflynn observes it more, he finds three things: First, He and Agustina are still floating in mid-air, tossed here and there by multi-directional wind made by four large fans at the floor. The second thing, there are fifteen tunnels around the room. Kyflynn doesn’t have a chance to count it yet because the third thing comes and takes his full concentration: another wind elemental with the same round head as before, but this time it’s three times larger than the previous ones. And what’s worse, the scythe-like arms are three times larger too, and there are three of them.

Now Kyflynn has a reason to be panicked, but he’s not. He runs at once as quickly as possible to dodge the scythes, and yells, ‘Tina! Do your thing!’. Hearing Kyflynn’s yell, Agustina is now recovered from her hidden shock and casts ‘An Jokul’me Fyasch!’ in order to turn the giant wind elemental into liquid and freeze it, but this time the Blizzard spell doesn’t affect it much, instead the elemental absorbs the blizzard through his head and blows it out, redirecting the blizzard towards Kyflynn and Agustina.

Kyflynn increases his running speed to avoid being hit by it, and Agustina casts ‘An Jokul’me Prdaj!’ And an ice wall forms in front of her, blocking the blizzard as she can only absorb a part of the cold energy. As the wind elemental finishes blowing the entire blizzard it sucked, it immediately changes its attack mode into Wind Scythe Fins again. Its fins and body break the ice wall into pieces, leaving slash wounds on Agustina. Luckily the wall muffled the slashing force from cutting deeper into Agustina’s vital organs, so the wounds aren’t deep. Agustina runs, points her finger on her wounds, freezing the blood to prevent more coming out from her body.

My blizzard can’t harm it at all. I must defend myself and help Kyflynn find the right tunnel. But how?

Agustina keeps on making walls of ice to block the slashes. Kyflynn on the other hand tries to make a good use of the walls although he got some cuts himself, and his wounds bleed blue blood in several places of his body. He looks up and down, trying to find some kind of clue while the wind from the fans keeps tossing him around. He looks at the walls and the ceiling, and suddenly an idea strikes him. He catapults himself to the ceiling from the nearby wall, and nails a pair of his spare daggers on the ceiling, leaving him hanging there like a spider escaping when its web is being destroyed.

With a precise calculation, Kyflynn hooks his legs on the nearby wall. The giant wind elemental can’t reach Kyflynn with its scythes and it can’t elongate himself or climb the walls, because of its form. So far Kyflynn is safe, but for how long? How long can he strain his muscles to hold his daggers?

Thoughts are racing in his mind. Agustina can’t stand much longer too, so we have to figure out something, fast! Unfortunately, no ideas come out.

Agustina is beginning to get very exhausted too, from her wounds and from draining her mana energy to make ice walls every time the scythes come near her.

As Kyflynn and Agustina are in their wits’ end and they can’t hold on much longer, they hear rumbling sounds from the entrance tunnel. And soon enough, some figures are emerging from the tunnel. And apparently they are Carolyn, Hernan, Iris, Desmond and four other hunters including a dwarf and a faun (half-human, half goat creature but retaining his human face, hands and torso).

A hunter flies too close towards the giant wind elemental and is cut into pieces by its scythes. Desmond is also hit, but because of his rock-tough skin he only gets some scratches. Kyflynn yells desperately, ‘C’mon! Attack it now! We can’t hold on much longer!’

The wind elementals reveal their shining eyes on their ‘windy’ heads and unleash their most deadly attack to strike lots of enemies at once, Seven-Split Tornadoes! Two wind elementals split up into seven regular-sized wind elementals with the largest still positions itself in the center. They begin chasing the hunters with their scythe-hands spinning ceaselessly. Hernan unleashes his Requiem of the Tides skill on a wind elemental with no avail, but something catches his sight and he begins to speculate.

Then he yells to Kyflynn, ‘Hey you, dark elf! Attack the giant wind’s eye! I don’t know if it works but it’s worth a try!’

Kyflynn hears this and thinks quickly. That must be its weak spot! I’m up here, so only I can do this one-shot opportunity! Let’s hope my sacrifice can save them!

With this thought he lets go of his spare daggers, takes out his trusty twin daggers Maraj’vriad (A Myriad of Shadows) and dives, spiraling downwards with one of his lethal moves, Soul Splitting Drill. His spiraling move creates a drill-like whirlwind around him to the head of the giant wind elemental. One shot, one target. Hit or all will die. He forcefully thrusts his daggers and it’s a hit!

Sparks of red light come from the giant wind elemental’s eye as Kyflynn retracts his Maraj’vriad from it. It lets out a deafening shriek before the whirlwind on its body becomes uneven and bursts everywhere. The six other elementals also dissolve the same way as the giant one. The shattered winds don’t hurt the hunters at all, just blowing them flying everywhere. The faun himself is blown into a tunnel.

The rest manage to stabilize their positions, still floating in the wind stream. ‘Tina, glad to see you safe,’ says Desmond, gliding towards Agustina. But Tina doesn’t answer or even look at him at all. Desmond snorts at Tina’s usual response towards him, and then talks to Kyflynn. ‘Good job, partner. Now what should we do now?’

‘I’m at my wit’s end’, says Kyflynn. ‘Which one among these many tunnels is the exit? We don’t want to get back to the start again now, right?’

‘You got a point there, dark elf. I’m too exhausted of going back to the start again and again,’ says Hernan. ‘By the way, what a nice Whirlpool Polonaise Thrust you did there !’’

‘Thanks. Actually it’s a reversed Soul Splitting Drill. But anyway, as far as I saw, there’s no clue whatsoever about the right tunnel except for the sun and moon symbols on top of each tunnel. I need anything more: riddles, numbers, codes, runes – for Enia’s sake!’

‘That’s it! I think… maybe we can use this,’ says Carolyn. ‘You see Iris has sung this so many times so I can remember every word of it. Now, if my memory serves me right…’

Enia, caught in no avail,

The Twins’ fight make you wail,

Thirteen times to The One you prayed,

Only your sacrifice is the way

Plunge into the sea you did,

Be one with Eternia you bid,

The Twins stopped fighting and mourned,

Their beloved they fought for is no more

‘Carol, that’s amazing! It’s Ode of Enia, sixth verse! You remembered every word of it!’ says Iris. ‘I never thought you’d paid attention in the first place!’

Carol responds with a smile. ‘Thanks to you too, Iris. Now we know that thirteen is Enia’s sacred number. People said it has extreme effects on our fate, whether we’ll be lucky or not. So whaddaya say? Shall we try the thirteenth tunnel?’

Just then, Robert, Chiel the Micha, Andreas, and more hunters and elf guides arrive at the spot. They can hardly hear the discussion between the heroes just now, but they stop and listen to what Kyflynn is about to say next.

‘Hmm, thirteen is our best bet yet. I’m going to try it. But which one is the thirteenth tunnel?’

Iris says, ‘Don’t you get it? You see the entrance tunnel? It has a sun carved around it. It’s obviously the starting point. Then we count from right to left, following the sun and the moon symbols like the sun rises in the East and sets in the West, day and night. There it is! Thirteenth to the right, fourth to the left with the entrance also counts.’

‘Okay, okay, I got it,’ says Kyflynn, irritated, ‘Three cheers for my fellow elf’s logic. Now you can freely choose to follow me or choose other tunnels. Let’s go now before they generate another giant elemental!’

Robert, Carolyn, Chiel, Andreas, Agustina, Iris, Hernan, Desmond and a large number of hunters immediately follow Kyflynn flying into the thirteenth tunnel, and the rest of them go into their own choices. After flying for a while, they come out in a completely different room. The room is not as large as the dome of fifteen tunnels, but it looks exactly like the rune room, except the wall is made from large stone bricks and instead of four bird statues on pillars, the epitaph at the center is guarded by two stone gargoyle statues.

‘I guess we have passed the wind tunnels now,’ says Robert. ‘But alas, I just remember something. Where’s Chris?’


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Immortals



http://youtu.be/7VdONYkKFmQ

Subscribe http://ow.ly/3UVvY | Facebook http://ow.ly/3UVxn | Twitter http://ow.ly/3UVyA

Release Date: 11 November 2011
Genre: Action | Drama | Fantasy
Cast: Henry Cavill, Mickey Rourke, John Hurt
Directors: Tarsem Singh
Writer: Charley Parlapanides, Vlas Parlapanides
Studio: Relativity Media

Plot:
Greek warrior Theseus battles against imprisoned titans.

Friday, November 18, 2011

The Last Battle of the Starswords

Click on image to read it on the source site

Written by: Dale Broda jr


Description:
She’s tried for years to get the sister sword from Andorian. With no success. Losing patience, a war broke out. This is the story of the end of that war, where brother and sister sword clash for one last time.

Source: Evolitera
http://evolitera.co.id/ebook/the-last-battle-of-the-starswords

Category: ,

Type of Book: ebook

Publisher: Self-Publish

Number of Pages: 49

Language: English

Monday, November 14, 2011

Dracula - Bram Stoker


Novel Source: http://www.scribd.com/doc/53870868/Dracula-by-Bram-Stoker

Dracula by Bram Stoker

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dracula
Dracula is an 1897 novel by Irish author Bram Stoker.[1] Famous for introducing the character of the vampire Count Dracula, the novel tells the story of Dracula's attempt to relocate from Transylvania to England, and the battle between Dracula and a small group of men and women led by Professor Abraham van Helsing. Dracula has been assigned to many literary genres including vampire literature, horror fiction, the gothic novel and invasion literature. The novel touches on themes such as the role of women in Victorian culture, sexual conventions, immigration, colonialism, and postcolonialism. Although Stoker did not invent the vampire, he defined its modern form, and the novel has spawned numerous theatrical, film and television interpretations.

Picture Source: Count Dracula - http://thevaultofhorror.blogspot.com

Friday, November 11, 2011

3.1.7.3. Flyin' Flynn - Part Two


Air Elemental / Wind Elemental (Tentative Image)
Taken from http://www.freewebs.com/xgunlimited/legendaryshuelements.htm


Vera Vyrkova (previously Agustina Vyrakova) the Ice Mage


Desmond Edmundsen the Berserker


Kyflynn Windwalker the Dark Elf Assassin

Kyflynn, Desmond and Vera (previously Agustina) - Final Revision (Dark Elf Assassin, Berserker, Ice Mage)

‘You’re right. It means we must plan our moves wisely and quickly. This room is too crowded now,’ says Robert in discomfort. ‘Now let’s see. There are four doorways in this room, North, South, East, and West. We came from the West door, so we must decide whether we go to one of the doors together or split up.’

Christopher, who rarely suggests anything, speaks up. ‘I think we better split up and try each door. If there are foes ahead we can still join other hunters and fight them. And if any of us comes back here, he or she must wait for the others to share information.’

‘Good one, Chris,’ says Andreas. ‘And don’t forget the riddle: follow the flow and know your way. It’s a strong hint for what lies ahead. And it mentions about flying, so there’s a chance that we will fly in there.’

‘Okay, so we’ll split up,’ says Robert. ‘I’ll go with Chiel to the North, Andreas with Carol to the East, and Chris with Iris to the South. Let’s go now, and may Vadis and Enia be with us!’

Carolyn releases Chiel from the bag, and as though it understands the briefing earlier, it immediately follows Robert to the North door, and the other two teams run to their respective doors.

‘Hey, you all! Wait!’

Robert and his party stop. And they look back to see who’s talking. Apparently it’s Kyflynn’s trio along with other hunters. Kyflynn talks, half-shouting with his hands on his waist.

‘Don’t go there only two-by-two! Wait for us, will ya! We’ll split up too and we all will go together into whatever lies behind those doors.’

‘Oh, don’t worry, Mr. Kyflynn. Of course we welcome company. We are just trying to act fast, you know. The heir maybe have reached and claimed the Kraal’shazar already. We must act fast to stop him!’ Says Andreas excitedly.

‘Haha, you know I’m fast, father. So let’s split up guys! Hurry, hurry!’

Kyflynn chooses to go with Robert, Desmond with Andreas and Carolyn, and Agustina with Chris and Iris. The hunters also split up and follow them into the respective rooms. Kyflynn enters the North door. In the North room, there are six large tunnels: three on the left wall, three on the right wall, and there are three large tunnels at the front. The tunnels are large enough for an ogre to walk in. Yet as he walks past the six tunnels and approaches the tunnels at the front, he is hit by a violent wind coming from two gigantic propeller fans on the center, facing the six tunnels at the front. Kyflynn feels that his body is lifted from the ground, apparently it’s like flying. It’s flown by the wind, to be exact.

Kyflynn immediately shouts to Robert, ‘Quick, choose a tunnel!’

‘Center!’ Robert answers hastily, ‘Chiel, follow me!’ And Chiel follows Robert into the center tunnel.

Kyflynn cannot control himself and enters the left tunnel. Rather than resisting it, Kyflynn lets himself fly inside it. The tunnel bends upwards, then left. The sudden maneuvering makes Kyflynn loses control again and bumps into a tunnel wall. Kyflynn grunts in pain, but he quickly regains his concentration as the tunnel bends sharply downwards. He quickly does his Cartwheel Somersault to avoid being hit again. Success! He lands on his feet.

Now all I have to do is to fly by and see what’s ahead. He keeps gliding in there for sometime and doing several somersaults at sharp turnings, and finally he reaches the end of the tunnel and enters a room.

The room looks rather different than the North room. Now Kyflynn enters from one of the three entrance tunnels in the room. There are also two fans on the left and right, but these fans, instead of blowing wind, they suck wind and function as exhaust fans. Kyflynn tries hard to balance himself, trying not to get himself sucked and minced into the fan. He successfully lands on the windless section of the room.

There also come other hunters: a swordsman and a sorceress. The ill-fated swordsman cannot balance himself and gets carried by the suction wind into a big fan, but before the fan blades slices him into pieces. Blood splatters everywhere and his head is severed and flies to a corner of the windless section of the room. The sorceress, however, thinks quickly and casts a spell ‘An Petravia Fyasch!’ And a jet of water comes from her wand to the wall above the tunnel and pushes her out from the wind. She lands roughly on the safe area. ‘Yowch!’ The sorceress yells in pain.

Kyflynn looks at her and says, ‘Good thinking, ma’am. Poor soul, he is. If only he prepared himself better.’

The sorceress, a woman in her forties, smiles feebly and responds, ‘Years of experience has prepared me much, Mr. Kyflynn. You don’t have to be famous to have a taste of it.’

Kyflynn lips twitches aside. ‘I can’t help being famous, and I don’t want it.’ He says, ‘By the way, we need to keep going. Please help me, madame…’

‘Genilda. Yemima Genilda. Of course, with pleasure. A polite dark elf like you deserves more than just a help.’ Genilda begins to walk, following Kyflynn.

In front of them, there is a big, closed door. Kyflynn says, ‘Guess there’s no other way but forward’. He immediately opens the heavy door with some effort, and enters with the sorceress.

The next room is considerably longer than the previous. It consists of an entrance, an exit and fans on the left and right walls. This time the fans blow wind, but the wind is not so strong that can make humans fly. Kyflynn is puzzled.

‘This is too easy,’ says Kyflynn. ‘Smells like a trap, I say.’

As soon as it is said, two black whirlwinds – each slightly larger than human size – come out from the fan, and the forms of the whirlwinds are as though they have heads and hands on them. They move in a very high speed, rotating haphazardly around the room, and block the exit. Kyflynn and Genilda are having a hard time avoiding them. A single graze of the whirlwind leaves a cut wound on Genilda’s back, and Kyflynn immediately pulls her to safety. ‘Thank you!’ says Genilda.

‘Damn!’ Kyflynn curses, ‘Now we are trapped!’

‘Jolly holly, we have no choice,’ says Genilda. ‘We must defeat them of go past them to get to the exit. They’re air elementals!’

‘Let’s go past them! I can use wind energy in my skills, but it won’t be enough to divert them! And you?’

‘I’ll try this! An Petravia Prdaj!’ Again, a jet of water comes out from Genilda’s wand, but this time Genilda rotates her wand around her and Kyflynn continuously, making a wall of water around them. The air elementals can’t pass through liquid, even when they extend and rotate their ‘hands’ forming two gigantic sickles in a quicker pace. The sickles’ sharpness are somewhat muffled totally that only gentle breezes of wind come through the water wall and hit Kyflynn and Genilda.

‘Wow, great!’ says Kyflynn honestly.

Genilda doesn’t respond. She is still concentrating. Using the moment fully, Kyflynn and Genilda moves on forward and finally they reach the exit door. Kyflynn opens the heavy door, but as the door is barely open, Genilda loses her concentration and the water wall breaks. The air elementals are now attacking brutally using their ‘hands’.

‘Kyflynn… quick!’ says Genilda.

The door is opened at last. Kyflynn reacts. ‘It’s opening! Go! Go! Go!’

Genilda and Kyflynn rush towards the next room and both of them quickly shut the door to prevent the air elementals from breaking in.

‘They’ve stopped. Maybe they are supposed to guard that room only,’ says Genilda.

‘I guess so. Hmm, let’s see what’s in this room,’ says Kyflynn.

It’s the room with two fans and three tunnels again, just like the north room.

‘I think this room is different than before,’ says Kyflynn. ‘Let’s try… the right tunnel.’

‘I’ll take the middle tunnel then,’ says Genilda.

‘No, please don’t. Come with me. I still need your help for whatever lies ahead.’

‘Jolly holly! The famous Kyflynn needs me, the poor, plain witch from Barc’vadon.’ Genilda smiles, and says again, ‘All right then, if you insist.’

Kyflynn smiles and says, ‘So, let’s take the right tunnel for starters.’

They step at once into the wind, and then let themselves be levitated and flown into the tunnel. Kyflynn helps Genilda to balance her body so she won’t bump into the tunnel walls on turnings, and they arrive at the end of the tunnel at last.

This time it’s a room with six tunnels, just like the first room they entered north from the lobby. Kyflynn is confused now. ‘Now what?’ he says, ‘Where should we go? Right or left?’

‘Let’s try right first,’ says Genilda. They both open the heavy door on the right and look inside. It’s the three-tunnel, two-fan room again.

‘Now let’s check the left room,’ says Genilda. ‘I have an itchy-bitchy feeling about this.’

They go back to the six-tunnel room. As they enter the room, they meet a few hunters who are going to the room Kyflynn and Genilda have just left. One of them, an old sling shooter, exclaims with surprise, ‘Lo, you two just came back from there, not goin’ in there?’

‘We want to check the other room first,’ says Genilda, pointing to the room she’s going to.

‘Oh, ‘tis that darn room with ancient runes on an epitaph. We can’t read it, so we went south.’

‘You should’ve waited for your elf guide,’ says Kyflynn.

‘He’s dead, lad,’ the old sling shooter answers with a sigh. ‘A mutant bee stung him squarely into his chest.’

Genilda says sadly. ‘Jolly holly! Looks like we’re back on the starting point. No time to waste now. Let’s try south this time.’

‘Hey, not yet. I have an idea,’ says Kyflynn. ‘Why don’t we wait at the rune room? We’ll gather some information from other hunters first, so we’ll have more accurate combinations of the right tunnels to the exit.’

Genilda says with a mixture of admiration and mild surprise, ‘And lower the risk of being slashed into pieces.’

‘Yes. Good idea. We’ll wait too,’ says the old sling shooter.

All the other hunters murmur in favor of this idea. So they all go to the rune room and wait. Kyflynn speaks loudly, ‘Any of you have gotten into the tunnels and back? Please raise your hands.’

Two hunters except Genilda raise their hands.

‘So, where did you go?’ Kyflynn asks them.

The first hunter answers, ‘Right at South Room, Second room middle, third room left and back at the North Room.’

The second hunter says, ‘I went East, chose right and then redirected to the North Room.’

Kyflynn listens, pauses for a moment, smiling. And then he begins to frown and turns to Genilda. ‘Can you remember that?’

Genilda shakes her head and says, ‘We need to take a note here. Does anyone of you bring a quill and some parchments?’

There’s no answer.

‘I have some.’ A woman’s voice comes from afar. Then the speaker comes out from the East room. It’s Carolyn! She says, ‘What are those for?’


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3.1.7.3. Flyin' Flynn - Part One




Left: Desmond Edmundsen, Middle: Kyflynn Windwalker, Right: Agustina Vyrakova (revised to Vera Vyrkova)

Flyin’ Flynn

Robert, Christopher, Carolyn, Andreas, and Iris enter the great gate of Enia’s Sanctum along with other survivors. They all look very fatigued, wounded, and particularly uneasy. Tension remains in their bones and muscles. Even some of them are still trembling from the horrors they just experienced and the deadlier and more dangerous horrors that may and will befall them.

‘This is the main lobby,’ says a senior elf guide. ‘You may all rest here until we reach a sufficient number of people to move on and catch up with earlier groups. With many people we will have a better chance to pass the obstacles and guards there.’

All of them immediately find themselves a spot to sit and take a rest. Only the elves are seem still vigorous and eager to move on. They soon find that there are many others who came in here earlier, a mass of about a hundred chosen hunters, all from different jobs, races and classes. Most of them are bounty hunters, fighters and sorcerers, male and female, humans, elves, dwarves, ogres, and (to Robert’s disgust) orcs and hobgoblins. And they are all chosen by the light side or the dark side. Robert has to rub his ring several times to contain himself not to attack the orcs right away.

Kyflynn the bluish-skinned dark elf assassin is among them, along with his partners Desmond Edmundsen the berserker from Bjordan and Agustina Vyrakova the sorceress from Val’shka. Kyflynn is examining his Maraj’vriad – a pair of elf-made curved daggers that are superbly fine and sharp that after they slice through flesh, no blood is left on the blades. Rumors have it that Maraj’vriad was made from a single, fine mythril ore.

Desmond is half-kneeling as though he is always on guard, holding his great maul resting on his shoulder like an enchanted guardian golem. And Agustina is meditating with a transparent, almost invisible force field around her. Anyone who dares or is foolish enough to step inside it or even touch it will freeze before he knows what hit him.

Andreas spots the three of them as he walks around offering help to heal the wounded. He approaches Kyfylnn and says, ‘Sir, I see you have a big scratch wound on your leg. Perhaps you’ll allow me to heal it.’

Kyfylnn looks up and answers with a smile, ‘And perhaps I allow you, good dwarf. You are not from Grad, I presume?’

‘Aye, Grad is my homeland,’ says Andreas. ‘But I’ve been in Valanis as a priest and a healer. I went back to Grad, but an incident has sent me traveling again with my companions over there,’ he points at his hunting party. ‘By the way, I am Father Andreas Marvellini. And you are – if I’m not pretty much mistaken – the famous Kyflynn the Windwalker, right?’

‘Hahaha!’ Kyflynn laughs pleasantly. ‘I think I’m not that famous. In fact, I’m seen as a misfit, an outcast from my dark elf kindred and other people by my trade. But at least I have my freedom, and earn quite a living with my two friends here, Desmond and Agustina.’

‘A boundary-breaker, real admirable,’ says Andreas.

Kyflynn responds with the same admiration, ‘and yourself also. The first healer dwarf in the world.’

‘Ah, well,’ Andreas blushes a bit innocently upon this compliment and offers something in return. ‘Shall we go on with the treatment, then? Please don’t move. Vitali!’

Andreas’ healing staff glows, and he puts a hand above Kyflynn’s wound. A glowing white light emits from his hand. It touches Kyflynn’s wound and the wound closes in. The frozen blue blood is wiped off; leaving a healthy and intact as though the wound have never took place before. Kyflynn gets up, lifts his leg, stands on one foot, then he does a somersault as if he is practicing his Cartwheel Slash, and lands on the foot that was just healed.

‘Wow! Great, it’s as good as new! Basic healing method is indeed better than Agustina’s, no offense, partner.’

Kyflynn looks at Agustina but she doesn’t budge or respond. She just goes on with her meditation. Desmond didn’t hear that.

‘Too bad you already have companions. I certainly need a good healer in my team.’

‘I’ll gladly heal you anytime we meet again,’ says Andreas. ‘But thanks for the offer, though.’

As he looks at the result of his work, Andreas suddenly sees a glimpse of a glittering, silvery fabric beneath Kyflynn’s shoe. Shock comes into his face. Kyflynn notices this and asks Andreas.

‘Father Andreas, what’s wrong?’

‘N-nay, nothing…,’ says Andreas. ‘I just realized that I need a rest myself to replenish my aura. Well, ‘twas nice to meet you.’

‘The pleasure’s mine,’ says Kyflynn with a slight bow. ‘Thank you, father.’

Andreas walks away full with thoughts. Wasn’t that the Mythril Greaves of Eil’thanath…? Impossible. No way. It was stolen by Sheena Mekh’ta. I was banished again because of that greaves. No. I must confirm that first. Maybe he’s wearing an extra silver cloth to protect his feet, his most valuable assets especially from the sun. It’s no use to confront him now. I must find Sheena to know for sure first.

Andreas finds a spot to rest, but he is still deep in his thoughts.

Even if we confront them, our three fighters are no match for them. Iris is our guide, she won’t fight for our personal vendetta. There’s a more important thing at hand anyway: protecting the Kraal’shazar (Deathblade) and find and destroy the heir.

Hmm… if he indeed has it, let him wear the greaves for a while – it’s better than to lie idly in Grad Vault. I like his principle anyway. Well, as long as my family is safe…

Suddenly a voice breaks Andreas’ chain of thought.

‘ATTENTION PLEASE! As we are over four hundred strong now, and rested a bit, we can proceed now. Please proceed to the room to your right…’ It’s the senior elf guide again. This time he sounds rather commanding as though he is the leader of the entire contingent.

‘The obstacles ahead will sort you out. Hopefully, the guardians can destroy the heir, but we don’t really know for sure about that, right?’

Without listening anymore to the elf’s speech, Robert’s party gets up and gets ready. And they start walking out from the lobby to another chamber at the right.

It’s a medium-sized round chamber with a marble floor. Around the chamber on the wall, there is a great mural painting of Enia sitting on top of a flower-filled hill, her hand outstretches and a sparrow rests on her hand. And how strange, the mural animates! The Goddess Enia in that painting releases the sparrow, and it flies away, joining all other various birds flying around in the sky animatedly, even making warbling sounds. Enia smiles amusingly. And then the sparrow flies around the room and lands on Enia’s outstretched hand again. It’s obvious that the mural is painted with magic – although it’s not a very advanced magic as Enia in that painting cannot interact with the people inside the room.

Like in the waterfall-tunnel entrance, there is also an epitaph here, standing at the center of the room. The difference is, it’s surrounded by four marble poles, which have letters N, E, W, or S engraved on each pole and statue of a flying bird on each top, all facing four different directions that actually are North, East, West, and South. Robert’s party examines the words engraved on it, and it’s yet another riddle in ancient elvish language. Lavennia Iris immediately translates it.

Sun Mother favors the wise,

For wisdom lies in the sky,

Follow the flow is the advice,

Flying away by knowing your way

‘Knowing our way?’ says Carolyn, a bit puzzled. ‘What’s the meaning of this?’

‘Well, it’s quite simple, you know,’ says Iris. ‘Maybe we will understand it at once when we are inside the area.’

Just then the other hunters come in. The room cannot accommodate hundreds of people at once, so not all of them are inside.


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Author's Note: Revised May 2008 pg 209-213

Kursk, the Dark Elf Assassin as example from http://www.freewebs.com/intothetrash/kursk.htm

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