#3. the more evil and wretched you are the more soul crushing it must be to get beaten by Bubblegum Biff over there

[guillotine-drop]

Kirby is actually such a funny series because a lot of the games follow a structure that’s like

Part 1: Oh no! King Dedede has stolen all the candy in Dreamland, and he’s keeping it all for himself! Quick, help Kirby get it back so everyone in Dreamland can have sweets!

Part 2: Uh oh! That cool knight Meta Knight is back with a vengeance! Run through a crazy gauntlet of enemies and obstacles to make your way to him, and have an epic sword fight!

Part 3: The Great Evil known by the name ‘Caedes the Unwavering’ has cast his shadow over Dreamland. Only a star warrior capable of breaking through his veil of nightmares by destroying his 100 legions of darkness can defeat him. Do you have what it takes?

Ending: And so Kirby and his friends sat down and had a scrumptious shortcake together, to celebrate their victory! The camera pans over to reveal Caedes’ helmet lying in the grass, charred beyond recognition, as a small plume of nightmare energy emerges and is immediately stomped on by King Dedede running over for cake

[aboutnorsemythology]

Loki`s truths

Ægir, who was also called Gymir, had prepared ale for the gods, after he had got the mighty kettle, as now has been told. To this feast came Othin and Frigg, his wife. Thor came not, as he was on a journey in the East. Sif,

Thor's wife, was there, and Brag, with Ithun, his wife. Tyr, who had but one hand, was there; the wolf Fenrir had bitten off his other hand when they had bound him. There were Njorth and Skathi his wife, Freyr and Freyja, and Vithar, the son of Othin. Loki was there, and Freyr's servants Byggvir and Beyla. Many were there of the gods and elves

Ægir had two serving-men, Fimafeng and Eldir. Glittering gold they had in place of firelight; the ale came in of itself; and great was the peace. The guests praised much the ability of Ægir's serving-men. Loki might not endure that, and he slew Fimafeng. Then the gods shook their shields and howled at Loki and drove him away to the forest, and thereafter set to drinking again. Loki turned back, and outside he met Eldir. Loki spoke to him:

1. "Speak now, Eldir, | for not one step Farther shalt thou fare; What ale-talk here | do they have within, The sons of the glorious gods?"

Eldir spake: 2. "Of their weapons they talk, | and their might in war, The sons of the glorious gods; From the gods and elves | who are gathered here No friend in words shalt thou find."

Loki spake: 3. "In shall I go | into Ægir's hall, For the feast I fain would see;

Bale and hatred | I bring to the gods, And their mead with venom I mix."

Eldir spake: 4. "If in thou goest | to Ægir's hall, And fain the feast wouldst see, And with slander and spite | wouldst sprinkle the gods, Think well lest they wipe it on thee."

Loki spake: 5. "Bethink thee, Eldir, | if thou and I Shall strive with spiteful speech; Richer I grow | in ready words If thou speakest too much to me."

Then Loki went into the hall, but when they who were there saw who had entered, they were all silent.

Loki spake: 6. "Thirsty I come | into this thine hall, I, Lopt,(1) from a journey long, To ask of the gods | that one should give Fair mead for a drink to me.

7. "Why sit ye silent, | swollen with pride, Ye gods, and no answer give?

(1)Lopt: like Lothur (cf. Voluspo, 18) another name for Loki

At your feast a place | and a seat prepare me, Or bid me forth to fare."

Bragi spake: 8. "A place and a seat | will the gods prepare No more in their midst for thee; For the gods know well | what men they wish To find at their mighty feasts."

Loki spake: 9. "Remember, Othin, | in olden days That we both our blood have mixed; (2) Then didst thou promise | no ale to pour, Unless it were brought for us both."

Othin spake: 10. "Stand forth then, Vithar, | and let the wolf's father Find a seat at our feast;

(2) Loki speaks of an oath of blood but never mentions a brotherhood, this was erroneously interpreted and perhaps it makes reference to verse Volusp, 18  that refers to the creation of men.

Lest evil should Loki | speak aloud Here within Ægir's hall."

Then Vithar arose and poured drink for Loki; but before he drank he spoke to the gods:

11. "Hail to you, gods! | ye goddesses, hail! Hail to the holy throng! Save for the god | who yonder sits, Bragi there on the bench."

Bragi spake: 12. "A horse and a sword | from my hoard will I give, And a ring gives Bragi to boot, That hatred thou makst not | among the gods; So rouse not the great ones to wrath."

Loki spake: 13. "In horses and rings | thou shalt never be rich, Bragi, but both shalt thou lack; Of the gods and elves | here together met Least brave in battle art thou, (And shyest thou art of the shot.)"

Bragi spake: 14. "Now were I without | as I am within,

And here in Ægir's hall, Thine head would I bear | in mine hands away, And pay thee the price of thy lies."

Loki spake: 15. "In thy seat art thou bold, | not so are thy deeds, Bragi, adorner of benches! Go out and fight | if angered thou feelest, No hero such forethought has."

Ithun spake: 16. "Well, prithee, Bragi, | his kinship weigh, Since chosen as wish-son he was; And speak not to Loki | such words of spite Here within Ægir's hall."

Loki spake: 17. "Be silent, Ithun! | thou art, I say,

Of women most lustful in love, Since thou thy washed-bright | arms didst wind About thy brother's slayer."

Ithun spake: 18. "To Loki I speak not | with spiteful words Here within Ægir's hall; And Bragi I calm, | who is hot with beer, For I wish not that fierce they should fight."

Gefjun spake: 19. "Why, ye gods twain, | with bitter tongues Raise hate among us here? Loki is famed | for his mockery foul, And the dwellers in heaven he hates."

Loki spake: 20. "Be silent, Gefjun! | for now shall I say Who led thee to evil life; The boy so fair | gave a necklace bright, And about him thy leg was laid."

Othin spake: 21. "Mad art thou, Loki, | and little of wit, The wrath of Gefjun to rouse; For the fate that is set | for all she sees, Even as I, methinks."

Loki spake: 22. "Be silent, Othin! | not justly thou settest The fate of the fight among men; Oft gavst thou to him | who deserved not the gift, To the baser, the battle's prize."

Othin spake: 23. "Though I gave to him | who deserved not the gift, To the baser, the battle's prize; Winters eight | wast thou under the earth, Milking the cows as a maid, (Ay, and babes didst thou bear; Unmanly thy soul must seem.)"

23. There is no other reference to Loki's having spent eight years underground, or to his cow-milking. On one occasion, however, he did bear offspring. A giant had undertaken to build the gods a fortress, his reward being Freyja and the sun and moon, provided the work was done by a given time. His sole helper was his horse, Svathilfari. The work being nearly done, and the gods fearing to lose Freyja and the sun and moon, Loki turned himself into a mare, and so effectually distracted Svathilfari from his task that shortly afterwards Loki gave birth to Othin's eight-legged horse, Sleipnir. In such contests of abuse a man was not infrequently taunted with having borne children.

Loki spake: 24. "They say that with spells | in Samsey once Like witches with charms didst thou work; And in witch's guise | among men didst thou go; Unmanly thy soul must seem."

Frigg spake: 25. "Of the deeds ye two | of old have done Ye should make no speech among men; Whate'er ye have done | in days gone by, Old tales should ne'er be told."

Loki spake: 26. "Be silent, Frigg! | thou art Fjorgyn's wife, But ever lustful in love; For Vili and Ve, | thou wife of Vithrir, Frigg spake: 27. "If a son like Baldr | were by me now, Here within Ægir's hall, From the sons of the gods | thou shouldst go not forth Till thy fierceness in fight were tried."

Loki spake: 28. "Thou wilt then, Frigg, | that further I tell Of the ill that now I know; Mine is the blame | that Baldr no more Thou seest ride home to the hall."

Freyja spake: 29. "Mad art thou, Loki, | that known thou makest The wrong and shame thou hast wrought; The fate of all | does Frigg know well, Though herself she says it not."

Loki spake: 30. "Be silent, Freyja! | for fully I know thee, Sinless thou art not thyself;

Both in thy bosom have lain."

Of the gods and elves | who are gathered here, Each one as thy lover has lain."

Freyja spake: 31. "False is thy tongue, | and soon shalt thou find That it sings thee an evil song; The gods are wroth, | and the goddesses all, And in grief shalt thou homeward go."

Loki spake: 32. "Be silent, Freyja! | thou foulest witch, And steeped full sore in sin; In the arms of thy brother | the bright gods caught thee When Freyja her wind set free."

Njorth spake: 33. "Small ill does it work | though a woman may have A lord or a lover or both; But a wonder it is | that this womanish god Comes hither, though babes he has borne."

Loki spake: 34. "Be silent, Njorth; | thou wast eastward sent, To the gods as a hostage given; And the daughters of Hymir | their privy had When use did they make of thy mouth."

Njorth spake: 35. "Great was my gain, | though long was I gone, To the gods as a hostage given; The son did I have | whom no man hates, And foremost of gods is found."

Loki spake: 36. "Give heed now, Njorth, | nor boast too high, No longer I hold it hid; With thy sister hadst thou | so fair a son, Thus hadst thou no worse a hope."

Tyr spake: 37. "Of the heroes brave | is Freyr the best Here in the home of the gods;

He harms not maids | nor the wives of men, And the bound from their fetters he frees."

Loki spake: 38. "Be silent, Tyr! | for between two men Friendship thou ne'er couldst fashion; Fain would I tell | how Fenrir once Thy right hand rent from thee."

Tyr spake: 39. "My hand do I lack, | but Hrothvitnir thou, And the loss brings longing to both; Ill fares the wolf | who shall ever await In fetters the fall of the gods."

Loki spake: 40. "Be silent, Tyr! | for a son with me Thy wife once chanced to win; Not a penny, methinks, | wast thou paid for the wrong, Nor wast righted an inch, poor wretch."

Freyr spake: 41. "By the mouth of the river | the wolf remains

Till the gods to destruction go; Thou too shalt soon, | if thy tongue is not stilled, Be fettered, thou forger of ill."

Loki spake: 42. "The daughter of Gymir | with gold didst thou buy, And sold thy sword to boot; But when Muspell's sons | through Myrkwood ride, Thou shalt weaponless wait, poor wretch."

Byggvir spake: 43. "Had I birth so famous | as Ingunar-Freyr, And sat in so lofty a seat,

I would crush to marrow | this croaker of ill, And beat all his body to bits."

Loki spake: 44. "What little creature | goes crawling there, Snuffling and snapping about? At Freyr's ears ever | wilt thou be found, Or muttering hard at the mill."

Byggvir spake: 45. "Byggvir my name, | and nimble am I, As gods and men do grant; And here am I proud | that the children of Hropt Together all drink ale."

Loki spake: 46. "Be silent, Byggvir! | thou never couldst set Their shares of the meat for men; Hid in straw on the floor, | they found thee not When heroes were fain to fight."

Heimdall spake: 47. "Drunk art thou, Loki, | and mad are thy deeds, Why, Loki, leavst thou this not?

For drink beyond measure | will lead all men No thought of their tongues to take."

Loki spake: 48. "Be silent, Heimdall! | in days long since Was an evil fate for thee fixed; With back held stiff | must thou ever stand, As warder of heaven to watch."

Skathi spake: 49. "Light art thou, Loki, | but longer thou mayst not In freedom flourish thy tail; On the rocks the gods bind thee | with bowels torn Forth from thy frost-cold son."

Loki spake: 50. "Though on rocks the gods bind me | with bowels torn Forth from my frost-cold son,

49. Skathi: the wife of Njorth, and daughter of the giant Thjazi, concerning whose death cf. Harbarthsljoth,  Bowels, etc.: according to the prose note at the end of the Lokasenna, the gods bound Loki with the bowels of his son Vali, and changed his other son, Narfi, into a wolf. Snorri turns the story about Vali being the wolf, who tears his brother to pieces, the gods then using Narfi's intestines to bind Loki. Narfi--and presumably Vali--were the sons of Loki and his wife, Sigyn. They appear only in this episode, though Narfi (or Nari) is named by Snorri in his list of Loki's children

I was first and last | at the deadly fight There where Thjazi we caught."

Skathi spake: 51. "Wert thou first and last | at the deadly fight There where Thjazi was caught, From my dwellings and fields | shall ever come forth A counsel cold for thee."

Loki spake: 52. "More lightly thou spakest | with Laufey's son, (3) When thou badst me come to thy bed; Such things must be known | if now we two Shall seek our sins to tell."

(3) Loki Laufeyjarson post

Then Sif came forward and poured mead for Loki in a crystal cup, and said:

53. "Hail too thee, Loki, | and take thou here The crystal cup of old mead; For me at least, | alone of the gods, Blameless thou knowest to be."

He took the horn, and drank therefrom:

54. "Alone thou wert | if truly thou wouldst All men so shyly shun; But one do I know | full well, methinks, Who had thee from Hlorrithi's arms,-- (Loki the crafty in lies.)"

Beyla spake: 55. "The mountains shake, | and surely I think From his home comes Hlorrithi now; He will silence the man | who is slandering here Together both gods and men."

Loki spake: 56. "Be silent, Beyla! | thou art Byggvir's wife, And deep art thou steeped in sin; A greater shame | to the gods came ne'er, Befouled thou art with thy filth."

Then came Thor forth, and spake:

57. "Unmanly one, cease, | or the mighty hammer, Mjollnir, shall close thy mouth;

Thy shoulder-cliff | shall I cleave from thy neck, And so shall thy life be lost."

Loki spake: 58. "Lo, in has come | the son of Earth: Why threaten so loudly, Thor? Less fierce thou shalt go | to fight with the wolf When he swallows Sigfather up."

Thor spake: 59. "Unmanly one, cease, | or the mighty hammer, Mjollnir, shall close thy mouth; I shall hurl thee up | and out in the East, Where men shall see thee no more."

Loki spake: 60. "That thou hast fared | on the East-road forth To men shouldst thou say no more;

In the thumb of a glove | didst thou hide, thou great one, And there forgot thou wast Thor."

Thor spake: 61. "Unmanly one, cease, | or the mighty hammer, Mjollnir, shall close thy mouth; My right hand shall smite thee | with Hrungnir's slayer, Till all thy bones are broken."

Loki spake: 62. "Along time still | do I think to live, Though thou threatenest thus with thy hammer; Rough seemed the straps | of Skrymir's wallet, When thy meat thou mightest not get, (And faint from hunger didst feel.)"

Thor spake: 63. "Unmanly one, cease, | or the mighty hammer, Mjollnir, shall close thy mouth;

62- Thor`s journey  to the Land of the Giants

The slayer of Hrungnir | shall send thee to hell, And down to the gate of death."

Loki spake: 64. "'1 have said to the gods | and the sons of the god, The things that whetted my thoughts; But before thee alone | do I now go forth, For thou fightest well, I ween.

65. "Ale hast thou brewed, | but, Ægir, now Such feasts shalt thou make no more; O'er all that thou hast | which is here within Shall play the flickering flames, (And thy back shall be burnt with fire.)"

And after that Loki hid himself in Franang's waterfall in the guise of a salmon, and there the gods took him. He was bound with the bowels of his son Vali, but his son Narfi was changed to a wolf. Skathi took a poison-snake and fastened it up over Loki's face, and the poison dropped thereon. Sigyn, Loki's wife, sat there and held a shell under the poison, but when the shell was full she bore away the poison, and meanwhile the poison dropped on Loki. Then he struggled so hard that the whole earth shook therewith; and now that is called an earthquake.

Complete analysis in process

[atomic-taco-muffin]

A new song for the sin/daughter of evil au (this is called Seven Crimes and Punishment)

Lilia, spoken: It starts again…

Bragi: 7 petals twirl in front of me, As they grow I feel my sin blossoming, They smile at me sweetly, as I kiss them each so passionately Yes…That beast of the past is truly gone!  

Xiangling: Thus the flowers sprout juicy, red fruit, The 7 seeds within must be devoured A natural process; eat first or you will be next This world is a buffet for the strong.

Miranda: These flowers take root around the castle walls, A great Kingdom of a Wonderland In which I am Queen!

Miranda, Xiangling, Bragi: Come let us tell, A story of sin Of two cursed twins who moulded these horrid souls. Whilst they watched the flame. Of their mother’s burnt corpse, Would they have smiled at The seven crimes and punishments

Rumi: 7 breezes drift in with Winter, Their poisons frost up my window. It’s a precious gift; I will save it just for him My darling, who will sleep forever more!

Roxy: Cast upon the water’s reflection, Seven springs show my sweetheart’s face. Though something else appears In the background; fuzzy yet stark 3 shadows who change you to a stranger!

Azul: Silence resumes as the courtroom begins, Guilty as charged. Oh, those wretches have dug their own graves!

Roxy, Azul, Rumi: I don’t care if I fall down To hell as long as it’s my own design I’ll greet devil with a smile as they laugh at the 7 Crimes and Punishments

------------------------------------------------

Bragi, spoken: God, you are so beautiful.

Xiangling, spoken: More! I just need more! Bring the next meal!

Miranda, spoken: Incompetent idiots everywhere! Just give me what I want!

Rumi, spoken: I know exactly why you married me…You damn playboy…

Roxy, spoken: I don’t understand why she just won’t look at me!

Azul, spoken: You’re late on your payment and your trial is tomorrow… I’m going to have to crush you.

Bragi, spoken: None of you whores understand! How hard it is…to be…hideous…

Xiangling, spoken: If you loved me, you would let me do this! I-I can’t resist anymore! I need you inside me…

Miranda, spoken: That angel girl! She’s the only reason he…He won’t love me! I want her dead!

Rumi, spoken: Darling…You look so tired…Here, lie down and rest with this. It’s a gift from me

Roxy, spoken: Why do you keep flaunting those women in front of me…Don’t you care at all? I love you so much and this is how you treat me?

Azul, spoken: Hmmph…Well it’s not my responsibility. If they go to jail, it’s their own fault. They should have hired a better lawyer. My family is all that matters to me

Bragi, spoken: Urd..You’re the only one who understands me…Heh…Just keep on drawing…It’ll keep you entertained while I’m away…I’ll see you in a few days.

Xiangling, spoken: Mmmh…What a chubby face…And that blond hair…Urgh…You keep flaunting yourself around me like that and I’m just…Ahehe…Gonna lose it.

Mirnada, spoken: What do you mean they’ve revolted? I don’t understand…W-what does that even mean? Does that mean I’m going to lose…everything? That can never happen! It’s impossible.

Rumi, spoken: Oh…You look so peaceful asleep like that! I wish I could be so happy…and calm…I bet everyone in the village does as well…I know exactly what I’m going to do… I’ll help them.

Roxy, spoken: Look! Darling, look! Don’t you think I’m gorgeous in this kimono? Look at the hairpin I bought…I went to that store you like…I’ve been watching you go there quite a few times so I thought it was natural to just…Eh? What’s wrong…You look upset!

Azul, spoken: Don’t be afraid, darling. I'm going to stay close to you and you’ll be safe. Those peasants…They think that if they set us alight it’ll be the end of us! But they’ll see…We’ll both come back and take what is rightfully ours!

Bragi, spoken  You…You stabbed me….You whorish… man….No…No! This can’t be happening! Girls, please…Don’t leave me here! You can’t…A-ah…Urd…Urd wait! You can’t go…I love you! Don’t leave me here! Urd!

Xiangling, spoken: I-I need more…Why the hell is no one here to serve me…Urgh…I’m going to starve if this carries on…I…Ah… I think…I think I’ve just found my final desert! Ahehehe…I’ve always wondered how rotten I taste…

Rumi, spoken: …I’m so tired now…Everything has been fixed in this place and I just don’t have any other reason to go on…Ah…I think it’s time for me to rest now. It’s time to just close my eyes and sleep. Everyone is so happy now…I want to experience happiness too…

Roxy, spoken: That rotten mermaid! She didn’t even recognise me…After all the love and care I gave her…she just didn’t even care…Even addressed me as a stranger…I suppose I’ll just cry it out and let him go. After all…He’s gone now. It doesn’t matter anymore

Azul, spoken: Hah! Do you honestly think I will give up my fortune that easily? Stupid woman…I will never part with it! Not even if the fires want to swallow me whole. Just you wait...They’ll all be mine soon! All the sins...Then my darling and I will completely rule everything!

Miranda, spoken: Deuce! I promise I’ll keep smiling. I-I’m so sorry, just don’t leave me here alone!

Hana: In the darkness, I hear the song of the wood… But that sound isn’t the wind, It’s the end; a bullet!

Collumbina, spoken: It starts again

All (except Collumbina and Lilia): Come let us tell, A story of sin Of two cursed twins Who moulded these horrid souls . Whilst they watched the flames Of their mother’s burnt corpse Would they have smiled at The seven crimes and punishments

Columbia and Lilia: Lulilala lulilalala Lulilala lulilalala Lulilala lulilalala Lulilala lulilalala

Beautiful

[swordsandsorcerypodcast]

Mordigrim

Take a step into the mind of our group’s Human Warpriest of Groetus as he goes through his daily morning ritual. A Warpriest is a Fighter/Cleric hybrid class. Groetus is the god of the endtimes, he is depicted as the skull-faced moon above the Boneyard in which all souls venture to after death and it is said that Groetus will usher in the End of all things. As I’m sure you can guess, a devotee of Groetus might be just a touch mad. Mordigrim was created by and will be played by Brad. Told from the point-of-view of Mordigrim himself this short piece is an introduction to the character so that you can get to know him a little better before we begin our Carrion Crown Adventure Path.

Without further ado, say hello to Mordigrim.

“They do not see what lies ahead when sun is faded and moon is dead.” - Gollum

______

I'm awakened by the sound of a single bird chirping on my window sill. The sun is not yet above the horizon but the soft glow of the inevitable daylight is just bright enough to illuminate the bird. I must have forgotten to close my window again. My throat and sinuses are dry and sore from breathing in the cool night air, the fireplace must have died out hours ago. I feel an ache in my back that instantly reminds me of just how old I am.

Forty-eight years ago I was born into a simple farming family a couple miles outside of Ravengro in Canterwall and I was given the name Mortimer Grimwauld. My family was known locally as “the Grims” and my name was quickly shortened to the nickname “Morti Grim” and eventually bastardized by the local accent to be “Mordigrim”. I always preferred Mordigrim over Mortimer, so I never protested the title. My father was a lifelong farmer, working in the fields from dawn until dusk. My mother was a devout cleric of Pharasma, she spent her free time caring for the locals of Ravengro. My older brother was a town guard and taught me how to fight. My older sister was a widow before I even hit puberty, she spent the remainder of her days helping to take care of me and our family home. All of them were killed twelve years ago.

Forty-eight years on this planet. I’ve had forty-eight years to prove my worth to Groetus. I don't believe I've earned his favor yet. I can only hope that I find what I'm seeking soon, I think another four or five decades of suffering in this world would be far too cruel. My eyes were opened to the truth of Groetus the day my family was slain. It was then that I came face-to-face with undeath and realized that the Endbringer is the only champion capable of ending such a scourge forever. Many think that the encounter drove me insane but they are wrong. I have only been truly sane since Groetus first revealed to me the truth of this world; this life is not our true life at all, it is merely a test. I long for the Boneyard and even more so for my reward that lies beyond.

I sit up in my bed and look over at the bird. He’s so small, so delicate, so blissfully unaware of how cruel this world is. How can he sing during times like this? Why does he not seem to fear me? I could easily crush him in my hand, his bones would shatter and crumble as easily as the egg shell he crawled out of. Yet here he sits singing me a beautiful song about the rising sun.

Perhaps he’s not unaware after all. Perhaps he knows exactly how cruel the world is. Maybe that is precisely why he sings for the daylight, a praise for the end of a long night. Maybe he knows as I know that Groetus is coming. Maybe he too sees that this world that we live in now is like the night and only after the Last Moon falls will the sun rise over a brighter new world. Only those strong enough to survive the night will be shepherded by Groetus to see the sun rise over our new world, the world that we righteous champions of the night will shape and build. Perhaps he sings not only for the sun but also in celebration of the glorious end of the wretched night.

I dress for the day. Black pants, heavy black boots, and a lightweight black tunic. I gather my armor and place it over my clothes, I have a knot in the pit of my stomach that tells me that today will be a day of danger. Atop my armor I wear a grey tabard with pale blue trim and a black skull on the front. Lastly I put on a thick black leather belt and a long black overcoat that nearly reaches the ground. My thick white beard is long and unkempt, it reaches to my stomach and the only care it's given is a braid on either side of my mouth. My hair, though bald on the top, is tied into a single thick braid that reaches down the entire length of my back. I've not cut either since I began my journey toward my true life and I don't bother fussing with either of them unless one of the braids happens to come undone.

I retrieve my traveling pack, filled with supplies, weapons, and my sacred fetishes. I then make my way over to the fireplace and with the poker I find a still-glowing ember, carefully place it in my fire carrier, and cover it with a layer of ash. I close my windows and step out into the cool dawn to begin my daily ritual. Outside of my door is a long path that leads through a densely wooded area and to the town of Ravengro. The ground within the woods is littered with dried sticks, limbs, and leaves. I begin collecting a number of small kindling sticks, then a few slightly larger twigs, and just a handful of medium sticks. I don’t need much. I return to my home and walk around to the east side of the building where I have long ago dug a 3-foot wide hole in the ground. The hole is filled with the ash of countless fires and is surrounded by a wide circle of dirt. I remove my hot ember from my fire carrier and place it in the center of the hole and then place the kindling, twigs, and sticks on top of it. Within minutes my small wood pile is flaming.

I sit next to my fire, facing the rising sun, and begin preparing my daily spells. I focus on protection spells this morning. Something tells me today will be the start of a long journey. I received a letter that informed me of the death of Professor Lorrimor. Today is the day of his funeral. Lorrimor had approached me years ago after my family was murdered by that undead abomination. Once every few months for the past twelve years he has visited my home to study me and any effects the undead might have had on me. He has always warned that one day I would have to face my fears again. Lorrimor’s only interests seemed to be in those abominations and their effect on myself and my fellow residents of Ustalav. What that thing was...and what it did...I don’t know if I’m prepared for another encounter. However, I must do whatever is necessary to prove my might to Groetus. Especially if it means destroying one of those...things. Nothing deserves a second life not granted by Groetus, a false life. Anything that lives after dying, no matter how soulless and empty that false life may be, is an affront to the will and work of Groetus.

I look down at my fire, it has calmed significantly. I must have gotten lost in thought again, I don’t know how long I’ve been sitting here. This is but one of my traits which my neighbors attribute to a supposed mental affliction that I most certainly do not have. They think that my reverence for the Endbringer is surely madness. They do not understand what lies beyond. They have not looked into the eyes of a creature living a false life. They do not know the depravity and despair that lies there. They do not know how desperately this world needs to be Ended and cleansed so that we may start anew.

They look to Pharasma for protection against the undead. They are fools, all of them! When Pharasma reads the last name in the book of life it is Groetus who closes that book! It is Groetus who opens the next book! It is Groetus who brings the end and the beginning! It is Groetus! Pharasma is nothing but an orator, a mere herald in comparison to the power that is Groetus! Only the Endbringer himself will end this cursed life and bring the Last Moon to wipe away the undead hordes and every other evil in this world once and for all!

My fire is gone. It’s nothing but smoldering ash now. I was lost in thought again. From my pack I collect my shield, my two kukris, my holy mask, and my sacred skull. My shield is a light steel shield with blue trim around the edge and a black skull painted on the surface, I place it on the western edge of my fire pit. My two kukris are well-sharpened and quite heavy for their size, I place one on the north edge and one on the south edge of the pit with their blades pointed toward the darkness to the west. My mask looks like the top half of the face of a skull. It is made of thick boiled leather with the details of a skull structure carved into it, open eye and nose holes, and no jaw. It is painted ghost-white and has a leather strap that runs around the back of my head to hold it on. I place it on the eastern edge of my pit, looking forward toward the light of the sun. My sacred skull is my most holy fetish and I carved it long ago from the wood of an ash tree. It is a simple jawless skull and I carved a tunnel through the nose of it and out of the roof of its mouth so that I could run a bit of rope through it.

The local townspeople often fear my appearance. They are offended by my many skulls. They believe the skull is a symbol of death. I know better. The skull is the symbol of life. Only by looking through the eyes of death can I see the beyond, the true life. This world is ending and rightfully so, this world deserves its death and it is nothing to mourn for. It is only the next life that matters and only by going through the End can we reach it. This world burns hot, it is a raging chaotic fire of life destroying itself faster and faster the hotter it burns. When nothing is left but skulls and ash, then we may truly know peace. Only those who championed true life in this world will be chosen to write the next book of life and I intend to earn my place amongst them.

I use the sacred skull to stamp out any remaining embers and mix in the older surrounding ash to cool the remains of my fire. I rub ash all over the surface of the skull and then tie the rope to my belt. I then dip both of my hands into the ash and cover my face with it. I do this every day and now my nose, all around my eyes, and my forehead are stained a deep shade of grey. I pick up another handful of ash and spread it over my items around the pit. I gather my pack, place my shield on my back, sheath my kukris on my belt, and place my mask on my face. I am ready for my journey.

I look to my window sill and see that the bird is still sitting there, still singing his song for the light of the sun. He seems entirely unbothered by my ritual or my presence. The sun is now above the horizon and it is time for me to make my way to the town of Ravengro. I look back at the bird one last time and in that exact moment I see a black cat jump up and snatch the bird from off of the window sill. In an instant the bird’s song is ended by two sharp fangs quickly sinking deep into his throat. I take it as reminder to myself that I can’t make the dangers of the night simply disappear by worshipping the light, I must be both willing and able to fight back against those dangers as well. I thank Groetus for showing me this truth and I begin making my way down the path through the woods.

[moonlightreal]

Alfea library- Elementary Hexes

Gotta have some curses for the witches, of course!  There was a “Cloud Tower” section of the message board, but of course no one was allowed to say anything very evil.  I have no idea how these “books” came about, who wrote them and how.  But I feel like they were written with a lot of thought and heart, not just thrown out silly because the writer thought their readers were dumb kids.

Elementary Hexes by I.M. Medusa

In this volume of Elementary Hexes, basic mischief making hexes will be covered. Every aspiring wicked witch should include these spells in her repertoire. Most of these hexes act a little slower than more advanced hexes; however, the results are well worth the wait. Each hex is designed to give the maximum amount of embarrassment and discomfort with a minimum amount of magical knowledge and effort.

Auto Wedgie This first hex is one of the most popular hexes of all time. It has had many names in the past - bloomer binder, knicker twister - that seem to reflect the time and the culture in which it was being used. However, it is now most commonly known as the auto wedgie. This hex is rather self explanatory, and is very effective. To implement this hex, it is preferable to have the intended victim in sight, although, with stronger magic, not entirely necessary. The hex is as follows: "Wiggle and squiggle Writhe and creep Wedgie work your way up Till you make (insert victim's name here) squeak!" Beware of the Return Wedgie! Be warned that if the victim is another student of the dark arts, it is likely to return the hex of the auto wedgie if they can identify the sender. As mentioned before, this is one of our most popular hexes, and is known in Dark Arts schools realm wide.

Locker Volcano This hex is a handy one to know and use, since it can cause mischief and grief in a very short amount of time - if used properly. The optimum time for such a hex is when the person/victim is rushed, like trying to get to another class or go home. This one is also a lot more fun in front of an audience. The Locker Volcano causes all the contents of a locker to jumble up inside, and spew onto whomever opens the door of the locker. Note again that this hex is not placed on a person, but an object (the locker), and the contents will fall on whomever opens the locker door. Many an aspiring witch has been tricked into opening the door of the locker which has been freshly hexed. Do Not Fall Into This Trap!!! The hex is as follows: "Jumble and tumble Insides rattle about When this locker's opened Let the insides pour out!"

Booger Blight There will be times in every witch’s life when they will come across someone who deserves this embarrassing hex. And if they haven’t come across this annoying person, it is a fun hex to use anyway. If the victim is particularly annoying good timing can double or even triple the embarrassment quotient. A really devious time to implement this would be when the victim was talking to, or on a date with their crush. Properly executed, this curse will first cause a tingling sensation in the nose of the victim, which will steadily become more of an itch. The itch will cause the person to first crinkle their nose, then to wiggle it, and they will be overcome by a sudden urge to pick it. If they succeed in not picking their nose, the blight truly begins. Small boogers will appear and the nose will twitch faster and faster until a curious popping sound starts, and the boogers will start to shoot out of their nose, like a popcorn popper gone mad. It is, suffice to say, very effective. The hex is as follows: "(Name of person, said twice) Twitch and tingle they will fight Make boogers pop With all their might As I hex them With Booger Blight!"

Ogre BO A devilish way to get back at someone who stinks – or at least they will when this hex is put on them: -- Ogre BO makes someone smell worse than ogre socks that have been worn for 198 days straight! If you want this hex to last longer than its usual 8 hours, obtain an item of ogre clothing (preferably sweaty), and throw it at the hex victim as soon as the hex is cast. This will keep them reeking for a full 48 hours. The hex: "Plug up noses Make watering eyes Give (name here) an odor That’s ogre in size."

Instant Acne From a scaly rash to a blazing break out, this evil hex covers the victim with acne the strength of which is determined by the strength of the hex. In its most powerful form, this hex is capable of producing large welt-like pimples that repeat everything the victim says. The first time this hex was used, the poor victim (the now famous Arborious Smythen) was driven insane by the constant chattering of his acne. Should you be wicked enough to use this hex, be wary of the protective counter curse, which sends the hex back to the sender in a stronger form. To determine if your prey is protected, slowly and quietly repeat the hex backwards and if they are protected, you will begin to feel your skin tingle—so stop! Best used when the intended is in a moment of stress (while frantically studying, handing in an important paper, passing a crush on campus), this hex provides very satisfying results to the novice and experienced witch alike. The Hex: “(Victim’s Name) shall be the adoptee Bright red boiling for all to see Growing and growing all over thee Cover that wretch in oozing acne!”

Tormenting Itch With a growing and spreading itch, this spell is great a way to mess others up. Devilishly effective and horribly fun at any time, one must think carefully of the most opportune moment to use such a spell. Only strike when your victim is vulnerable, say at an exam, especially oral exam or class presentation when they are in front of a crowd, would be wickedly ideal. This spell causes the victim to be wonderfully itchy all over. Well, wonderful for you. For them, the striking itch comes on slowly, starting in a few places then spreading aggressively around the person’s whole body. The Tormenting Itch usually starts in a hard to reach area, like the middle of the back. This is why it is so ideal to use it when the victim is in front of a crowd. Watch them notice the itch, try to think how to reach it, squiggle and wriggle to find how to itch it. Only, by the time they might have though of a way, the horrible itch has started to grow until finally the whole body is alive with skin screaming to be itched. I’ve actually seen usually calm and relaxed people run screaming and scratching from the room after this spell has been cast on them. It is entirely delightful to see the Tormenting Itch set upon a usually shy and uncomfortable soul begging not to be seen only to find they are drawing all attention with their yelps. When casting this spell, be very wary as it spreads, just like fleas spread, almost silently and unnoticed until it is too late. When casting, be sure to protect yourself with a strong and reliable Anti-Itch spell, and when reciting the spell, feel their itch growing, let the words creep from your mouth with the knowledge of what comes. They will never see it coming! The Hex: “Squiggle and wriggle All over your skin Torment (name here) with itches Like fleas from within.”

Mind Reading Spell This is a particularly difficult spell to perform, due to a number of reasons. First off, the ingredients required are hard to find. Second, any magical defensive spells act like interference, making it hard to make a clear connection. And third, the mind has its own protections and defenses against spying. However, if you wish to try, here are the steps. Collect the following ingredients under the dark of the moon: The tail of the Kamulus Scorpion 3 cups of Leviathan slime A bowl carved from a single piece of either onyx or hematite A branch from a poisoned tree (any variety will do, but oak, yew, or ash are best) One handful of powdered werewolf fangs And finally a clear flawless crystal 5 to 6 inches in length Once the ingredients are gathered, grind the tail of the Kamulus Scorpion and powdered werewolf fangs together in your mortar. Pour the slime into the bowl, and add the powdered mixture. Use the poisoned tree branch to stir them all together. Then finally place the crystal directly in the middle of the bowl, so most of it sticks out like an obelisk. Using your magic, suspend the bowl over a low fire, and stare at the crystal. Then chant these words while holding your victim’s face in your thoughts: Tail of scorpion pierce the veil Leviathan slime to smooth the trail Werewolf teeth to infect your mind Poisoned branch to seal and bind Show me the thoughts within your mind All the knowledge you can find See and hear your deepest soul Reveal to me all that you know The crystal should then reveal to you the thoughts and memories of your chosen target. Keep the crystal with you and you’ll always have a doorway into their mind. But if you lose the crystal, drop it, or damage it in any way, your connection could be lost. So be careful. You wouldn’t want all that work to go to waste. Please note: the Kamulus Scorpion tail, werewolf teeth, and leviathan slime are not found at your local potion shop. They must all be collected with your own hand under the dark of the moon. If you cheat, the spell will not work. Also, if you are an official student at Cloud Tower you will find one of my other books titled: Magical Ingredients and their Significance. It will give you a more detailed description of the ingredients in this spell, where to find them, and any tips on collection and safe disposal.

Audible Thoughts Hex This hex is both easier and harder than the Mind Reading Spell. Easier in that there are only two simple ingredients required, but harder in that it must be cast every day for six full lunar cycles in order for it to take effect. This hex, if performed properly, will make the victim’s inner thoughts, memories, and daydreams audible and visible to everyone around them. It’s fantastically embarrassing and humiliating for them. I love it! Ha! Here’s what you have to do. Collect a piece of your intended victim’s personal effects, like clothes, hair, or a chewed on pen. Stick the item in a pouch made of silk and recite this incantation every night at midnight for the full 6 lunar cycles. Without fail! Or you will fail. Reveal the thoughts within your mind Give them speech and show the blind Your inner voice for all to hear Your dreams made visible throughout the year. If performed correctly, your victim’s thoughts and dreams will be on display for everyone to see and hear. And it lasts for one full solar year. Many sufferers of this hex have gone into seclusion rather than have their innermost thoughts paraded for all to see. Cowards! Have you ever heard the phrase, “year and a day”? In fairy tales that often refers to the amount of time a knight must quest for something, a princess must wait for her true love, or some drivel like that. In fact, it was the phrase that originated shortly after I created this spell. Because the day after the spell wore off, the pathetic victims would be able to crawl back to their so-called regular lives again.

Sticky Feet Hex This hex was a special favorite of mine during sports events, dance recitals and for keeping fairies stuck in place! This little hex basically sticks the victim’s feet to the floor. You can adjust the amount of time they are stuck. If you want them to trip while running, use the spell for just a moment. If you want to lock that annoying pixie in place, hold the spell on your subject for as long as you want. It’s really simple and easy to do and creates all kinds of fun and mischief. Strangely, though, if someone is aware of your attempts to place this hex upon them and is properly shielded, it will result in your nose and ear hair growing to a foot in length and turning florescent pink… instantly. It is not known why this is the result of a rebounded Sticky Foot Hex, but it is. Stick their foot down to the ground Lock in place and keep them bound A little hex called Sticky Feet To hold in place and help me cheat. Say this spell then concentrate your magic upon your victim. If you want a quick stick, then imagine your magic just flicking them lightly. If you want them to stay rooted to the ground, then hold your attention on them like a heavy hand on their shoulder. Beware of holding the spell on too long if you are alone, as I once had the friend of one of my victims dump cold water on my head. It broke my concentration and was rather humiliating. I got him back though. I cast three separate hexes on him all at once, which resulted in his face sprouting lots and lots of little wriggly tentacles. And just before the big dance too! It was delightful.

Torturous Tail This evil hex allows you to inflict your victim with a long, scaly tail. Used for generations across the realms, the Torturous Tail grows suddenly and painfully on the victim and then begins to wildly swish back and forth. The hex does not require a great deal of power, so it is simple for even the novice witch. The intensity of the hex does not change the quality of the resulting tail. However, the tail will vary depending on the mental state of the victim. If they are jealous at the time they are hexed, the tail will be green. If happy, it will be yellow. If mad, it will be red. Variations in scale size and density will give you a clue to their current stress levels. While the state of the victim will determine how the tail appears, their change in attitude will not alter the state of the tail. If it grows green in colour with many large scales, it will stay like that. While this hex is typically used for the simple joy of seeing the victim scream in anguish as they grow and then try and gain control over the swishing tail, it can also be used to acquire information about a victim for future use. For this reason, pay particular attention to what your victim is doing before you cast the hex. You might gain important information that can be used to further humiliate them! This wicked hex shall never fail The torturous tail will always prevail Growing long, ugly, and covered with scale Give (victim’s name) a Torturous Tail! Casting this hex on a group of people is particularly effective as the tails begin smashing into one another, and, if provoked enough, will begin fighting with one another. Now that’s entertainment!

I am forced to apologise. Apparantly someone ripped this hex out of the library book which means I have to post it again. So here it is. Suffering Sneeze Sneezing fits can be amusing to watch and serve as effective distractions while mischief takes place. This hex has the victim in a sneezing fit for 3 minutes solid. This can allow you to get into all kinds of trouble while a crowd’s attention is focused on the retched sneezing. A strong Suffering Sneeze hex can transform the victim’s head into a giant nose-shaped head that amplifies the “hachoooo!” sound tenfold. When combined with Booger Blight, it is a thoroughly entertaining amusement. Should you use the two hexes in tandem, be careful to stay out of the aim of fire of the victim. Things will get messy. Send (victim’s name) into a freeze Let them begin to wheeze and wheeze Starting now, they’ll have to sneeze Make it wicked, please oh please!

Big Feet The Big Feet Hex is an easy, effective hex for humiliating a person and making walking difficult. It works by creating a sudden growth spurt in one’s feet that lasts for several days. The end result is huge feet that are five or six times larger than one’s usual shoe size. The simple Big Feet Hex should not be confused with the Big Foot Hex, whereby the victim grows to 7 feet tall and sprouts an immense amount of body hair. Your favorite shoes Will soon be old news And everyone you meet Will gawk at your feet So large they will grow That everyone will know! Please Note: the Big Feet Hex should not be performed in colder climates where snow is present, as it can have the positive result of creating fun by skiing on ones own feet.

Tooth Decay This hex is perfect for performing on vain little fairies that are obsessed with looking their best. Although it can be used on anyone, this hex provides the most amusement when the recipient has an important function to attend the next day. A slow working incantation, the Tooth Decay Hex takes 6 to 8 hours to fully develop. If performed in late evening, this hex is ideal for ruining someone’s morning. Because this hex is a combination of 2 separate hexes and includes time-released deterioration, it should be practiced by experienced witches only. If a witch attempts this hex and is less powerful than the victim, the hex will bounce back and attack the sender. This hex is extremely difficult to remove, so use with caution. Those pearly white teeth Will cause you some grief For at night while you sleep This hex will work deep To bring you cavities and decay That will make your teeth rot away!

Nightmare Hex This nightmare hex is extremely general and does not specify the type of nightmare the recipient will have. The benefit of a general nightmare hex is that it uses the victim’s own insecurities and fears to customize a terrible nightmare for them. For example, if your victim has arachnophobia (fear of spiders), they may dream that they are trapped in an enclosure full of hairy, venomous spiders. Because it is difficult to know your victim’s innermost fears (hey, it could be broccoli, who knows?), the general hex does the detective work for you. To implement the nightmare hex, you must have been in contact with your victim within 12 hours of reciting the hex. At the time you believe the recipient will be going to sleep, recite the nightmare hex three times while envisioning the recipient exactly as they looked that day. It is sometimes useful to jot down their appearance on a pad of paper after being in contact with them, lest you forget, rendering the hex ineffectual. Have a fitful night You will not sleep tight Your dreams will turn from light To be filled with images of fright The value of nightmare hexes must not be underrated. Nightmare hexes are ideal to use when you want to manipulate the outcome of a future event by instilling fear in your enemy. A common use for this general nightmare hex is to prevent your enemy from having a good night’s rest the eve before a test, date, or special occasion. Enjoy the results of your hex! Your victim will be tired, irritable, and have dark circles under their eyes the day after the hex was used.

Delayed Travel Hex Sound boring? Maybe, but it is a wonderfully wicked way to put the jinx on anyone’s travel plans. Heading to a wedding? Delayed! Off to your vacation? Denied! Trying to get to school or head out on your date? Doesn’t happen! Why? Because this marvelously simple hex simply makes sure that everything that could go wrong, does go wrong in regards to travel. Their car will run out of fuel, their dragon will strain a wing muscle, and their horse and buggy will lose a wheel. They will also get rocks in their shoes while walking, or twist an ankle. Detours and potholes will suddenly appear, vehicles will break down – anything and everything will go wrong. It’s fabulously evil! Point your wand, or even a finger, at the intended victim of this hex. Then say these words while crossing your eyes, the fingers of your left hand, and foot and both your legs. Delayed by weather, vehicle and feet That special person you’ll never meet This hex will slow you from getting there So you just sit there and pull your hair. I have had so much fun with this one. I have stopped marriages, caused students to fail final exams, stopped top athletes from competing, broken hearts, and broken dreams. And it is so simple. On top of all of that, many people believe that the delayed person is lying about their reasons for being late. That adds just another splash of mayhem to the mix. Delightfully wicked. Be warned, though! If the spell is blocked or discovered, it can be turned back upon you. Possible side effects include intense impulses to be early for everything and an inability to find any of your shoes. For some reason, a backfired Travel Hex also seems to attract clouds of sparrows and other small birds, which then make a horrible racket outside your house and whitewash the roof of your house, your vehicle, and even you.

Silent Treatment Spell Ever find yourself in a situation where you have to listen to someone babble on constantly? This always happens to me when I am doing some interrealm travel. The passenger in the seat next to me begins telling me their life story and doesn’t stop until we reach our destination. I never want to be terribly rude by asking them to be quiet or worse yet get up and change seats, so I devised this dandy little spell to save the day. It is called the Silent Treatment. Once performed, your babbler will continue to see you attentively listening and hear you adding in the odd “Uh huh”, “oh, of course,” and “certainly” while you will really be free to do what you really want, like nap, read, or watch the scenery go by. Best of all, the sound of your seatmate will be silenced, and you will hear nothing but the soft sound of waves crashing on a distant beach. Fabulous! While trying your best to block out the sound of his voice, repeat this incantation: If you’ve lost all your patience And you find you start to wince If they’re bounding with exuberance In fact, you’re growing with petulance Simply remove your presence For them you are not of relevance This is a simple convenience Of the joy of distance A pure and simple luxuriance Remove me now from his audience!

Memory Removal Hex This awesome little hex has the power to remove memories from your victim’s head. Let us say, for example, you are caught doing something you shouldn’t have been doing. This could include “borrowing” potions, wandering the halls between classes, or being seen by a crowd during a truly embarrassing moment. This is a perfect little hex to have in one’s repertoire as it allows you to remove this memory from your victim’s head. It can also be used on multiple people at once. If you are caught doodling your crush’s name and you do not want that little tidbit spread all over campus, try this hex to remove the 411 from your victim before they have a chance to leak it all over the school! Eek! Be absolutely sure to have this hex fresh in your mind whenever you are around someone who is known to gossip. Great big vault depository Constantly creating inventory Ready to make it auditory Goodness, gracious, this could get gory! I will not be part of your vain glory! Give me back my embarrassing story! There is the chance of wiping more than just the memory you want to remove, but no worries there. I find, whenever I need to use this spell, I am not too worried if my victim loses her entire memory! Ah! How wicked would that be!

Thought Placement Hex This is the reverse hex to the Memory Removal Hex. Instead of removing thoughts or memories, this is an easy hex that allows you to place thoughts within other people’s heads. This is helpful for when a class assignment might be late. Simply slip your assignment into your professor’s office, and place the thought that it was on time in their head! Other uses include making a crush think about you more, making other people think ridiculous things that they then spout as true much to their embarrassment, and creating false memories to confuse your victims. The hex must be repeated while you are in the same room as your victim and be certain to look directly at them. Should you find they lack a thought And you think that they should not Do not become too distraught You shall place the thought you sought Take this thought within my head And place it there for them instead! When you are performing the hex, you must be absolutely certain that once you say, “Take this thought within my head” you are thinking of what you want their false thought to be. If, for example, you are thinking of the hex, wickedness, or anything else, that thought would, in fact, be the one transferred to your victim! This can be particularly embarrassing if one is distracted by a crush, remembers a moment of one’s own embarrassment, or thinks of a secret you do not want shared. Be warned!

Bad Weather Spell First, a warning: Always be careful when you attempt spells that affect the weather. The results can be unpredictable. You could call for rain and cause a bright sunny day on the other side of the realm. But so long as you cause your intended victim misery, what does it matter if some strangers on the other side of the realm have a nice day at the beach? That said, this weather spell is quite difficult and also quite dangerous. It involves an invocation of the dark side of the elements. It is not recommended for beginners. At Cloud Tower, they wait until Fourth Year to teach this type of spell. This spell will attach truly nasty weather to your intended victim. It will follow them around for days or even weeks if they don’t figure out that they need to cast a banishing or dispersal counter spell upon their following storm. You will need a wand for this spell. Any dark wood is acceptable, although oak works very well due to its habit of attracting lightning. It must be tipped with either a clear crystal or a dark crystal. I like quartz, onyx, and even obsidian (volcanic glass). Just don’t use pink quartz! No self-respecting witch would ever use anything pink! Point your wand at your intended victim and very clearly state this spell. If you mumble or mispronounce any names or words, the storm could lock onto you instead! So be careful! By the first pillar of power I summon thee wind Zypheris the storm gale By the second pillar of power I summon thee water Endrokath the torrential rain By the third pillar of power I summon thee fire Raknerion the jagged lightning I stand as the fourth pillar of power (Your name here) the guiding force of destruction I demand that you send forth your awesome might To cause pain and wreak havoc all day and all night You’ll follow that victim wherever they go The dark dangerous weather will give them much woe. You should see boiling storm clouds form in the sky over your chosen victim. Once the first bolt of lightning flashes, your spell is complete and you can leave. I recommend you leave the entire area, as things could get dangerous for you as well.

Potato Ears Hex Ever hear the saying, “your ears are so dirty you could grow potatoes in them”? Well, with this super little hex, you’ll make sure your victim’s ears are not only that dirty, but that they will grow potatoes too! This is a choice hex for creating immobilizing embarrassment to a wicked soul who really has it coming. It’s perfect for hexing a classmate while they’re giving a presentation, a family member that’s totally getting on your nerves, or that neighbour down the street you’ve just had enough of. Choose the perfect time, as this hex works best with a big laughing audience! Once the hex has been cast, the victim’s ears begin to over flow with dirt. First a gentle little tumbling of rich brown soil and then an avalanche of dirt piling onto the floor around them! Next, leaves and long vines begin to appear and dance wildly around the victim’s head. They will grow longer and longer and dance higher and wilder making the victim wobble in place trying to keep their balance. The long vines will root down into the piles of soil that have fallen from the ears and fly up into the air around the victim’s head. Finally, the vines produce blossoms, and long roots begin to develop the ultra wicked spuds. Potatoes of all varieties will begin to appear! First, tiny little new potatoes, then good old roasting potatoes and finally giant baking potatoes will begin to appear! If the hex is strong enough, the dancing vines will congregate at the victim’s head, and the potatoes will begin to heckle the victim. “Wash your ears!” they’ll bellow. “Use some soap!” they’ll taunt! This wicked little hex must be tried to believe the hilarity that follows! Grow and grow those wicked spuds Never removed no matter the suds Growing and growing Potatoes overflowing! Forget the soap and all the suds! Cover them now in great dancing spuds!

Spitting Hex This simple hex is exceptionally easy to cast and almost always works. It exponentially increases the amount of saliva in your target’s mouth and also causes them to gleek, spit, or dribble much more often – say about 1000 times more often! – than they regularly would. For those of you who don’t know, a gleek is that stream of spit that comes from under your tongue and sprays your books, computer, mirror, and occasionally other people. Imagine your target spitting on their friends, textbooks, and that cute guy they like so much! Humiliation galore! You leak and you dribble You gleek and you spit You look like a doofus A right royal dim-wit.

Worst Day Hex If you have a pest of a pixie that is in need of some mayhem, this hex is sure to ruin her day. This hex not only creates an awful day, in insures that everything that could have gone right, goes horribly, horribly wrong. Easy exam they know they will ace? They’ll fail it instead and be made to complete huge extra projects. Super date with a boy they are totally into? He won’t even show up and pretend he doesn’t know her. Close group of girlfriends she thinks she has to fall back on? They’ll totally dis her and ruin her rep. Sure, the Worst Day Hex only last 24 hours, but the ramifications will last for years! Choose your prey carefully because the more vulnerable they are, the worst this hex can do! Look east to the rising sun and repeat this hex thinking of all the misery you know you’ll be giving her. Demons of Thunder! Creation Asunder! Haurio Dirus! Massalis Miseritudo! Vereor Posterus! Explelus Joyus! Create torture and ruin! Glory left strewn! Not only will this hex ruin her day, but also if you’ve concentrated hard enough on her miserably smiling face, not even a Perfect Day Spell can reverse this truly wicked hex!

Insect Summoning Spell This spell is wonderfully useful. If you want to ruin someone else’s day that is! This lovely little hex summons whole hordes of insects. I’ve summoned swarms of mosquitoes, troops of army ants, a plague of locusts, and colonies of termites. Great for demolishing houses, destroying crops, and ruining picnics! You can specify what type of insect you want, or you can leave it up to random chance. Specifics are great if you have a plan in mind, but the random spell is great fun if you just want chaos and destruction. If you wish to summon a specific insect, you will need to collect a specimen of that insect. Don’t let anyone see you running around with a net collecting mosquitoes or digging under woodpiles for termites. First, you don’t want anyone to guess what you’re up to. Second, and more importantly, it’s embarrassing because you might look silly. Embarrassment is not good at all and will require several hexes on the person who sees you to make things all better. The Memory Removal Hex is excellent for tidying up embarrassing memories. Hold your captured insect between your fingers, and stare at your chosen location as you recite the spell to summon that particular type of bug. Then let it go, or crush it under foot when you’re done. It’s up to you. If you are going for the random option, simply recite the spell while looking at the place you’d like the insects to go. Then chant this spell. The buzz and hum of insects galore Down from the sky, critters do pour To ruin your day, your party, your life These little buggies cause stress, woe, and strife. Be careful when summoning insects like termites or cockroaches with this one. They are not insects that can fly and are quite large. A hail of cockroaches is scary, repulsive, and occasionally painful. Make sure you’re well out of range when you cast this spell.

Clothing Mishap Hex This is a fun little hex to cast on, well, just about anyone. It is super easy to do, does not require any messy ingredients, and works every time. Some of my students have claimed that this spell was used several times on Princess Stella. Her reactions to this spell are nothing short of spectacular. You would have thought she had been stung by a bee or something….the way that girl carries on. Really! This is a clothing mishap hex. It does the following things: 1) Changes the color of various articles of clothing. Usually so that it clashes wonderfully with whatever else your victim is wearing. Or sometimes it is a gradual slide into yucky colors. 2) Stains will spontaneously appear. Use your imagination. Mustard stains, tea stains, grass stains…all will appear all over the clothes. 3) And the most fun, true clothing mishap: Shoelaces will come untied or even tie to one another. High heels will break. Laces will snap and anything that can pop, undo, or ride up will do so. 4) Finally, this hex is combined with a proximity spell. The closer the intended victim gets to her crush, the greater the intensity of the spell. Simply marvelously evil! Mwahahahahahah!!! Simply stare at your intended target and recite this spell: You over there, all sparkly and cool, I’m gonna make you look like a fool. Your clothes will betray you Your crush can’t get near All taste, fashion, and sense Will be turned on its ear. This hex is a great one to combine with the Auto Wedgie Hex, or the Makeup Mishap Hex for maximum wardrobe melt down. Ah the evil enjoyment.

Makeup Mishap Hex This is another lovely little hex to cast any time. The results are wonderful and surprisingly creative on occasion. It is a hex designed to warp and ruin anyone’s makeup. Here are some of the results that have happened when this hex is cast: 1) Colors are changed. Foundation is the wrong shade. Eye shadow is changed to make eyes look smaller and more beady. Blush changes to look like clown cheeks. 2) Makeup becomes incredibly smeared and smudged. It comes off on anything that the victim comes close to, leaving lipstick and eye shadow smudges on friends and foes alike. 3) Mascara runs like they have been crying or standing out in the rain. I have seen one pathetic victim with mascara streaks from hairline to chin. Hideous. 4) Lipstick slides off the lips and moves onto the teeth. Nothing is more startling than bright red or pink teeth on a smiling fairy. 5) The clown effect. This is the ultimate result. All the makeup is transformed into a full-face clown makeup. Only the power of the hex and your imagination are the limits. Simply point at your intended victim and recite this chant: Makeup dribbles and makeup pours Color changes, clashes, and wars Your pretty face is now a mess A clown mask really is just the best. Voila! Instant makeup disaster!

Mealtime Mania Hex This is a relatively simple hex that is great for maximum humiliation. Especially when combined with other humiliation hexes. Use your imagination. I know you have one. This is a hex designed to make your victim’s meal a complete disaster. Have their food rebel, their face covered with sauce, and their clothes ruined with stains in no time! To activate this hex, simply bump into your intended victim in the cafeteria and recite the hex as you walk away: You dribble You’re dull You can’t hold or cling Getting food to your mouth Is an unlikely thing. For the rest of the meal your victim’s cup will dribble, their knife will be horribly dull, food falls off their fork or spoon and usually into their laps, they’ll drop their plates and dishes onto the floor and anything else humiliating to do with food. Oh the fun! If you’re particularly lucky with this hex, the victim’s food will run around the plate trying to escape their fork and knife. The victim will cry out in shock and anger while trying to capture their food only to learn that they are the only one who can see the food running around. Not only will the cover themselves with their meal, but they will receive a healthy dose of humiliation, too!

Imp Summoning Spell Imps are small mischievous beings who enjoy performing petty acts of trickery and spite. They will steal your keys, every other sock and move things around. Moving items just enough so you will trip or stub your toes is especially enjoyed by imps. They are also shy and nervous creatures, preferring to run from shadow to shadow to avoid detection. Some accounts have them being lonely creatures who prefer to travel in groups or at least pairs. They prefer the company of other imps, but would rather be with anyone or anything rather than be alone. Imps are also fairly easy to summon and control. They can be set tasks to cause mischief and mayhem. Some reported tasks have included theft of small items (imps are too small to take large items) such as keys, gems, jewelry, CD’s, Ipods, paychecks, magical ingredients and the odd pet now and again. It is rumored that some imps are more technologically inclined and can send emails, chat using IM, and even corrupt data and take over websites. These imps are very rare, as they tend to be rather old fashioned in their interests. If you wish to summon an imp, here are the steps you must take. All of these items are available at your local ingredients store. 1) Collect the following ingredients: a. Three tails of Carosian Scorpions b. Two red candles with silken wicks c. Five cones of sandalwood incense d. A mortar and pestle e. One tablespoon of imp ichor f. A large jar with lid 2) Grind the sandalwood incense and scorpion tails in the mortar with the pestle. 3) Mix in the imp ichor to make a paste. Put the paste in the jar and put the lid on tight. 4) Then light the two candles and place the jar between them. 5) Recite this spell to summon the imp “I summon an imp from the realms all around To answer my call and make mischief abound Some stealing, some mayhem, a lot of bad stuff You’re mine to control ‘til I call out ‘enough’!” The imp should appear within the jar. Often it’s accompanied by a loud bang and a puff of green, yellow or brown smoke. Try not to jump or cough when this happens. The imp could laugh at you and you’d be forced to waste time waiting for it to stop laughing. Once the imp has appeared, stare it straight in the eyes and command it to do fun and mischievous things. **Warnings** - Take extra care not to let anything happen to the summoning jar. If it is broken or damaged in any way, the imp can escape, ruining your fun. - Make sure to keep your imp in awe and afraid of you. Otherwise it will become susceptible to being stolen away by friendlier, kinder, nicer people. Yuck!

Goblin Summoning Spell Goblins are much larger, meaner, and nastier creatures than imps. They enjoy bullying imps and using imps as items in games, such as making the imps act as tennis balls, badminton birdies and basketballs. Soccer is also another preferred game goblins play with imps as the soccer balls. Goblins are summoned if you want to wreak some serious havoc on your enemies or their minions. Goblins also have an intense dislike for fairies, pixies and all things goody-goody, sweetness & light or sparkly. So avoid wearing sparkling jewelry when summoning a goblin. Oddly enough, even cupcakes can upset a goblin, as cupcakes are sweet and fluffy. So no cupcakes, soufflés or anything you can think of that could be called sweet or light should be in the room. Lamps, candles and low burning fires are usually acceptable, as goblins see them as fire, and not light. An odd distinction perhaps, but such is often the way with magical creatures. The steps to perform a summoning for a goblin are similar to an imp, but more difficult. Goblins love to be summoned to chase imps, so you can use that information during the summoning to make it easier. 1) Collect these ingredients: a. One spider web (spider optional) b. Two cups of spoiled milk c. The tooth of a goblin d. One dollop of nightmare mucus e. Five foxglove blossoms f. One small cauldron (5-6 cups in size) i. Optional – one teaspoon imp ichor 2) You can also add one teaspoon of imp ichor if you know that the goblin is being summoned to chase imps. 3) Put all of the ingredients in the cauldron and place the caudron in a bucket of ice. Then whip until the mixture is frothy and bright yellow-green in color. Once you reach that stage, let it sit until it’s the consistency of month old, previously chewed, taffy. If you notice a fresh bread smell, then the potion is too cold and has been ruined. You’ll have to start again. Fresh bread – ick. It would surely infuriate the goblin immediately upon being summoned. 4) Once you get the potion to the right consistency and color, recite this spell: “A goblin I call from wherever you are From dark realms and bleak realms From near or from far. To answer my bidding Like a good little minion To do what I tell you And strengthen my dominion.” The goblin could appear in a few different places, so don’t be startled. The usual location is within the cauldron. However, it has been reported that goblins have also appeared in the nearest toilet, inside your fridge and even in the nearest cold fireplace. Goblins are surly and grumpy by nature and appearing in the nearest toilet is designed to make them even grumpier. Goblins like to be grumpy, so this is actually a good thing. When you have found the goblin, command it to do your bidding. It is bound to you by the spell, so ignore all it’s attempts to bargain or make up excuses. Telling the goblin that it’s been summoned to chase imps usually makes them very interested and gleeful. Eager even. To banish the goblin, you will need to use the Goblin Banishing Spell. **Warning** As the imp is bound to its bottle, the Goblin is bound to the lump of ingredients - usually stuck to the bottom of your cauldron. Keep the cauldron in a safe place and the Goblin will be yours to command!

Stupidity Hex Ooohhh! This is one of my favorite hexes by far! This particular hex is attached to a substance and affects anyone in close proximity to it. I usually like to use a piece of chewed bubble gum or my victim’s favorite hairpiece or even their glasses. If you can ‘borrow’ these items long enough to get the hex onto that is. Once you have the item, stare at it with your eyes glazed and crossed. This is very important. The more crossed your eyes, the stronger the spell. Hold the item before you then bend down so that you are staring at the item upside down. Seems silly right? Well it is. That is why I always do this spell in a private place. Bathroom stalls at school used to work well for me. Now I do them in the workroom of my tower. Here are the steps before reciting the hex: 1) Acquire an item to attach to your victim 2) Cross your eyes and stare as best you can in the direction of the item 3) Bend over and look at the item upside down 4) Recite this spell “The blood goes rushing from your head You’re almost as smart as the walking undead You’re as foggy and stupid as I want you to be What brainpower you’ve got Comes rushing to me.” Your victim becomes shockingly dumb for as long as the item is on them. And you get some extra smarts for a while. It is fabulous to do before tough exams. The hex gives you that little extra smarts boost without actual cheating! I’ve even stuck cursed gum to the bottom of a desk chair, so that every time this one particularly obnoxious fairy came to school, she instantly became dumb as a stump in class. Once the item has been discovered, however, it is quite easy to de-hex with any of the spell removal incantations. So do not expect the hex to last forever. But it is wicked fun while it lasts!

Gossip Hex Ever find yourself at a party with a gossip? You know the ones. They are constantly chattering about everyone else and half of what they say is not even true! It is all fun and games while they are talking to you but the next thing you know they are talking about you! Put a stop to a gossip with this perfect hex that will have her spilling her most valuable secrets for all to hear! I guarantee she will not be keen to gossip at the next party! To perform this hex, you have to be within twenty feet of the gossip. It can be hard to be this close and recite the hex if you are at a smaller gathering, so you might want to find a partner in crime to distract the gossip when you perform the incantation. This hex is usually fairly easy to do at a party of more than fifteen without being noticed. Fix your eyes to the gossip and recite the incantation at a moment when you believe she is gossiping. You can tell because her eyes will become really big, she will move in towards the people she is talking to and begin to whisper, and she will make very small but excited hand gestures. When you see her in action, recite: Put an end to all this chatter And your vicious endless natter! Shut your yap Go take a nap! Leave it be Come back to reality! When you finish the incantation one of the following things will occur. First, she could turn to the room and shout, “My name is Sue! Really, it’s true!” which means she was not gossiping and she never really has. In this case, you have mistaken your mark and tried to hex someone who is not a gossip. Shame on you! Second, she could begin to giggle hysterically while scratching her forehead. This means she is a horrible gossip but you did not catch her in the act. Try again before she uses a protection spell! The third possibility is that you caught a true gossip in the act and she has now been Gossip Hexed! I recommend you go and grab a nice glass of punch and a snack because you are in for one heck of a show. She will begin by declaring her affections for her crush. Right to him! Then she will tell you all her most valuable secrets in reverse order. For example, she might start with something she did or felt a few minutes prior and end up with great long stories about how she sucked her thumb until she was six! If she is a moderate gossip, her rant about her secrets will only go on for a few minutes, but if she is a truly awful gossip, she could go on for hours! Records show three days as being the longest one, and you would not believe the things she said! Good luck and remember this hex is waiting for you next time you feel like gossiping, too!

Bad Mood Hex This particular hex is lots of fun. Well, lots of fun if you are the one casting it. It also has two different options that you can use. The first option is great if you are in a bad mood. The hex will take all those bad feelings and give them to someone else. You will not end up all giddy and stupid happy, but you will be back to your normal maliciously gleeful self. To rid yourself of this bothersome mood, just find some annoyingly happy fairy and focus your concentration on her. Or find a happy go lucky hero and ruin his day. Cross the little fingers of both hands and point them at your target. Then recite this hex: The bad mood that I’m feeling I pass it on to you. The grumpies and the weepies So I will not feel blue. The second option is just as fun, but doesn’t transfer your bad feelings to someone else. This is perfect for a time when you are not feeling particularly bad, but you just really want someone else to feel lousy. It makes the target sad and mad and you get to remain as wicked as ever. Again with your little fingers crossed, recite: You’re too happy You’re glowing That just makes me sick So you over there Will be sad, grumpy and ick. If you concentrate hard enough, you can actually make the target victim sad, mad, and even queasy. Now go out and have a super happy day and make someone else’s day miserable.

[eirian-houpe]

Scattered - Chapter 5

Fandom: Once Upon a Time (TV)

Rating: Explicit

Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

Relationships: Belle/Rumplestiltskin | Mr. Gold

Characters: Belle (Once Upon a Time), Rumplestiltskin | Mr. Gold, Gaston (Once Upon a Time), Maurice | Moe French, Mad Hatter | Jefferson, Evil Queen | Regina Mills, Alex (OC)

Additional Tags: AU, Curse gone wrong, Rape/Non-con Elements, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Attempted Rape/Non-Con, Cruelty, Abuse, Triggers, Eventual Smut, Romance, Character Death, Gaston is evil, Graphic depictions of violence 

Summary: Casting a spell, any spell - at least the ones that involve more than just the wave of a hand, or worse, the wave of an irritating fairy’s wand - takes time, and patience, and the right ingredients, and… just like any recipe, if you get it wrong, it doesn’t mean the cake won’t cook, rather then will, just with unexpected or unintended outcomes. All of Rumplestiltskin’s careful planning and manipulation, all of his hopes and dreams turn to dust; ashes in his bitter heart in the blink of an eye… in the fall of an equine heart.  Belle exchanges one terrible prison for another, and it’s one she is desperate to escape, and though Rumple’s fate as The Savior was severed from him centuries ago, sometimes fate itself has a way of finding an alternate route home.

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[Chapter 1]  [Chapter 2]  [Chapter 3]  [Chapter 4]

Chapter 5 - Embrace the Storm

This chapter contains the aftermath of what Gaston did to Belle. It will likely be triggering for many people. If this is likely to be you, please skip to the section after the double asterisks

I was given the prompt: Footman!Gold saves Lady Belle from her runaway carriage. From then on, the House of French looks toward their servant with new eyes. Some aspects of that are now quite different, but follow the spirit, if not the letter of the prompt.

Belle wasn’t one to weep and yet she could not stop the tears.

Everything ached, and she felt wretched and filthy; sick to her stomach. Even the cracking of the fire couldn’t mask the sound of his lips smacking as he ate. He disgusted her. Slowly, she uncurled from the ball by the hearth at which he’d tossed her when he was done and saw him sitting at the head of the long table, sipping red wine from one of the unbroken crystal goblets, and sopping meat juices from his fingers; ignoring the debris that was strewn around the room. His feet were up - his ankles crossed on the corner of the table.

She looked away, down at her hands as she tried to straighten up, then looked away from her broken fingernails, and the cuts on her hands - the bruises at her wrists. For a moment she thought of simply plunging her hands into the fire, pulling out hot coals and carrying them across to grind into his face. It couldn’t possibly hurt more than she already did. She dismissed the thought, not because of any sense of self preservation, but because she knew she wouldn’t get close enough to do him harm. He had overpowered her once, he would do it again.

Belle wasn’t one to run and yet she knew she couldn’t stay.

**

Rumplestiltskin barely retained the presence of mind to grab his cloak before rushing out of the cottage. Overhead through the branches the sky was split by forks of lightning and the clouds were almost visibly gathering, huge and dark, and pregnant with the chill of an icy rain that he could already feel in his heart as though it already soaked his soul.

“NO!” he turned his face to the heavens. “Don’t you dare! Don’t you DARE!

He reached out, embracing the gathering storm, the power in the air and wove it in with his fear and his anger. To think of Belle afraid… in pain… He filling himself with all he needed to reach her, to find her - heal her pain and take away her fear.

**

Ignoring the additional pain that moving caused her, Belle grasped the side of the mantle and used it to draw herself up to her feet; to hold herself in place and to keep her balance until the room stopped spinning. She could do this. She could leave; had to.

“Where the fuck do you think you’re going?” Gaston roared at her, and she jumped, but refused to stop moving; refused to answer even if she could have spoken through her cracked and bleeding lips. “Fine then,” he said dismissively as she took another shuffling step, and then another. “Get to bed. I’m done with you… for now.”

Each step felt as though she was being run through by scalding needles. Even breathing hurt and she knew it was going to get worse, before it got better. If it could ever get better. It must. It did, at least by a barest thread, when she closed the heavy door to the hall behind her, shutting him out; no longer able to feel his eyes on her.

**

Her cries again reached him, sharper now, more acute and for a moment, overwhelmed, he lost control, and sight swept over him, confusing  images and sounds and scents.

…There was a sound, like thunder only sharper, and the smell of ozone and fire. A weight in his arms, the tightness of tears, loss, a hollow in his chest. “Who’s Belle?” And lights, so bright… so, so bright…

“You won’t take her from me again!” he snarled, and threw up his hands, conjuring a wind that gathered the deep purple smoke of his magic that was all that was left of him in the space outside of the cottage, and scattered it over the landscape like some sick, lurid fog.

And then the rain began.

**

“Oh,” a cry from a voice she knew, one of the older housekeepers, almost broke her resolve. “Oh, Miss Belle!”

She shook her head, then shook of the soft touch that fell against her shoulder.

“Don’t…” she rasped, her throat as broken as the rest of her. “I… I can’t…”

“But Miss…”

She swallowed hard, and shook her head again. “Do as he says… that, and no more. Do not endanger yourselves. I will…” her voice hitched, “Find help.”

She knew it was a lie. Where would she go - save to his father, and what good would that do? He was at the root of this blight on her people, she was certain of it.

“But Miss… you…”

“I’m all right,” she lied again, and pulled herself up to the extent of her height, ignoring the added pain, to walk the rest of the length of hall with as much dignity as her broken form would allow. “Do as I say. Now go. Tell… the others.”

**

**

When he materialized he was in the field outside of Amberley that bordered the road. He cursed himself aloud as the cold wet drops fell in huge splashes against him, against his face. He had focused on Belle, on the feelings he was sharing, her pain, her fear. Why wasn’t he with her? When was the last time he had failed to reach the intended space when he aparated? Then he saw it - saw her. Like a beacon in the storm, emerging from beneath the gatehouse arch, her form limp and listless, lolling on the back of a horse in nothing but her dress - no cloak, nothing to keep her warm and dry.

“Belle?” he murmured, though he knew she could not hear him. A hundred different imagined insults crowded his mind and threatened to crush his heart. He felt suddenly lightheaded from lack of air, began shivering from the cold of the rain in a way he had not for tens of tens of tens of years.

He saw the boiling of clouds above the gate to Amberley as if they were made of smoke from a raging fire, swirling and gathering, turning the air to a sizzling mass of charge in the air.

“No,” he repeated his cry of earlier, to some unseen, imagined thing, already beginning to run toward the road. “Don’t you dare. Don’t you—!”

The crack of discharge was an explosion of sound and light, and power that threw the men and women who were milling in the sudden torrent of increased rain to the ground, as the lightning struck beside the road. It almost took his own feet from beneath him.

The horse that carried Belle screamed and reared. Rumple echoed, heart strangling him, tearing him in two, but somehow Belle held on, a shrill cry of her own joining the cacophony of panic in the instant before the horse bolted.

Rumplestiltskin cursed the finite reach of his grasp on the magic of this realm with its natural vibrations, even with his centuries of experience. He would have to do it the hard way. He ran for the nearest of the mounted guardsmen and leaped at him like some great, wildcat, knocking him from the saddle before somehow righting himself, grasping the reins and spurring the enormous warhorse into motion, wheeling its great head around and spurring him after Belle smaller, but terrified mare.

He leaned down closer to the horse’s neck and urged him on, faster and faster, scattering people on the road who must barely have found their feet again after the uncontrolled flight of Belle’s horse. Their anger drifted after him, for him to gather to himself, storing it, feeding the power growing in him, fizzing like the activator in some complex magical potion.

Nearer and nearer, stride by stride, the warhorse carried him, out-pacing the smaller mount. The beating of hooves matched the pounding of his heart, until at last he drew the horses side by side, matching flight with flight until he reached across and wrapped his wiry arms around Belle’s slender waist.

Already frantic, she him fought like an angry dragon as he hauled her across into his lap, letting the mare run on… run herself out. He slowed the warhorse, keeping a tight hold on Belle, until he could slip the both of them from the saddle and onto solid ground. He caught her fists as she beat at him, her wrists as she made claws of her already bloodied hands; wrapped her in his arms as he took her in, bit by bit. The state she was in slowly registering in him now that he had her, held her… whispered her name over and over again.

“Oh, my Belle,” he breathed against her hair when she finally ran out of fight, or else realized that he meant her no harm - and if he were honest, he wasn’t sure which. “My Belle, my sweet Belle… who did this to you!”

She flinched at the snarl in his voice, the growl as understanding of what had happened to her resolved in him. He could guess who had been the cause of it. He had to concentrate so hard to draw it in, his mounting rage. She needed him now. She needed to be healed and whole, and could not do that for her if he was so angered that every little part of him screamed for murder.

“It’s all right, Belle,” he murmured softly when he could at last trust his voice. “You’re safe now. I’ve got you now, and I won’t let anyone hurt you any more.”

He passed a tender hand over her brow, letting what reserve of peace and warmth he held within him flow from the near touch into her, until she calmed, and went all but limp in his arms. Only her hands remained tense; tight little fists in the woolen fabric of his cloak.

“Master… Rascende…” she barely whispered, as though her voice was ragged, in ruins.

“I’m here, Belle,” he said around the painful knot in his own throat. “You’re safe,” he promised her. “No one will hurt you any more.”

…Ever…

“Sleep.”

He held her close, and lifted her into his arms as his compulsion took her, and in the next moment, the mist of his magic, as dark and angry as the clouds above, whisked the two of them away.