Edited to Add, 5/28: I'm really sorry for my radio silence. BayCon completely ate my brain and I've been playing catch-up since I got home. 'Change of Mind' will post hopefully Friday night. -BHey, folks, Baxil here. This is a news post: no story segment today ( Read more... )

Note: Some of the conversation here references the last time Crissy met the Archon. It might be useful to read that as a refresher.

The Sunlit World

The imaginary phone number on Crissy's business card no longer died in silence.

The first time she dialed it, a tinny automated voice said reassuringly: "Please hold while your party is ( Read more... )

The Sunlit World

"He's doing this?!" Trent's jaw dropped.

"That's what I think. The way magic works, it would be odd to find someone without conscious control of their power. Odd ... but not unknown. He's clearly coming to grips with surviving something that should have killed him -- and his internal battle is taking the form of a game and ( Read more... )

The Sunlit World

Trent dialed the fourth number, wondering just how long it was worth persisting.

The Pitt Creek news editor had referred him to the state paper. The reporter there didn't know either, but had given him the number of a friend at the New York Times. Raul Espinoza had listened to his question and tried to transfer him to the ( Read more... )

Hall of Heroes

"Ha!" the count cried, showing off a triumphant, toothy smile as Kevin thrust in. The light in the rapier's sapphire burst forth, turning the entire weapon a blazing blue.

Kevin felt his sword get swatted to the right before he even saw the rapier move. Staggering sideways to keep his balance, he fought to control his blade as ( Read more... )

Hall of Heroes

"So much for having killed the level boss," Kevin muttered, shifting into a defensive stance and raising his sword toward the shadow.

"Shadow King?" David asked. "Kevin, I thought you said Eversor had killed their leader?"

"Non! A mere pretender to ze throne!" the shadow scoffed, folding his wings inward and straightening his ( Read more... )

"I'm telling you, Kevin," David said, "don't let the fact it's a game get you down."

Kevin sulked. "I guess."

"This place is incredible," David said, gesturing around the hall. "Even if it's 'just a game,' look at it! I want to explore every square inch of it, meet everyone, save the world, fight all the optional bosses -- hell, I'll even ( Read more... )

The Sunlit World

The view from the water tower had a stark, monochromatic beauty to it. Out to the horizon in all directions, plains of unbroken white stretched beneath the roiled grey of impatient storms. Lawns and trees and rooftops lay huddled beneath snow; only walls, cars and plowed streets provided any color to the scene, and even they ( Read more... )

The Shadow Palace

Ron straightened his coat one last time. He wiggled his fingers at his mouth and rolled his tongue over his teeth, tasting the sudden burst of mint. He took a deep breath and knocked.

"Go away, Gavin," Riselmian immediately yelled. Too quickly to have been woken up by the noise. Ron quietly let his breath out.

"It's just ( Read more... )

The Sunlit World

"Mom? I'm home," Trent called, flinging his backpack onto the couch. "I'll be in my room. ... Mom?"

He walked around the house in a cursory search. Her car was gone from the garage. And there, on the kitchen counter, a note in graceful cursive: "Off with your dad at Engineer's Society social. Will bring home dinner -- ( Read more... )