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queen-of-deans-booty · 5 years ago

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Sympathy for the Devil: Final Part

Pairing: Dean x Reader

Word Count: 2,278

Warnings: typical supernatural violence, language, angst, blood, you know the usual

Author’s Note: the first episode of season 5! let me know what you think!

I do not own anything from Supernatural. All credit goes to their respective owners. Any and all comments on these are appreciated. I really want to hear what you guys think about this one!

Feedback is the glue that holds my writing together.

Tags at the bottom

“We need a doctor!” you yelled as you entered the nearest hospital. Sam and Dean carried your dad inside as your heart pounded in anticipation. The nurse who heard came rushing over to help to see what the problem was.

“What happened?”

“He was stabbed!”

“Can we get a gurney?” she yelled for one as two male nurses brought one.

“Daddy, you’re going to be okay,” you let the tears fall as he was placed gently on the gurney. He looked at you as they wheeled him away, and you went to follow him but the female nurse stopped you.

“Just wait here.”

“We can’t just leave him! He’s my dad!” you yelled at her.

“Just don't move. I've got questions,” she said once she left.

“Y/N, we got to go,” Dean urged.

“No! No! I can’t leave him!” your tears rolled down your cheeks.

“The demons heard where the sword is. We got to get to it before they do, if we're not too late already. He’s in good hands now. We’ll be back in no time,” he said as he grabbed your hand. He forced you out of the hospital and into the car so that they can rush to New York to one of John’s lockup storages.

As soon as Dean arrived at the lockup, you only grabbed your gun from the trunk since you won’t be needing anything else. Sam and Dean grabbed their shotguns with rock salt since that is the only thing to actually hurt a demon.

Entering the lockup, the first thing you saw was bodies on the floor. Demons if you were going to guess. There were about 4 demons dead on the ground. No other person in sight to tell you who had done it. Entering the lockup, you looked around to try and figure out if the culprit was still inside.

“I see you told the demons where the sword is,” Zachariah said from behind you with two angel escorts.

“Oh, thank god. The angels are here,” Dean said sarcastically.

“And to think... they could have grabbed it any time they wanted,” he said as he used his angelic powers to close the storage door. “It was right in front of them.”

“What do you mean?” Sam asked.

“We may have planted that particular piece of prophecy inside Chuck's skull, but it happened to be true. We did lose the Michael sword. We truly couldn't find it. Until now. You've just hand-delivered it to us.”

“Get to the damn point, Zachariah. I am in no mood to be fucked with right now,” you growled.

“It’s you, Dean. You’re the Michael sword. What, you thought you could actually kill Lucifer? You simpering wad of insecurity and self-loathing? No. You're just a human, Dean. And not much of one.”

“Yeah, but I’m not,” you said as you stepped in front of Dean. “I’m a vessel, do you remember? Do you remember who for?”

“Amara does not exist. She is not real; therefore, you can’t be her vessel. Whatever lies you are being told, that’s just it. They are lies. Dean on the other hand, he’s Michael’s weapon. Or rather his receptacle.”

“I'm a vessel?”

“You're the vessel. Michael's vessel.”

“How? Why—why me?”

“Because you're chosen! It's a great honor, Dean.”

“Oh, yeah. Yeah, life as an angel condom. That's real fun. I think I'll pass, thanks.”

“Joking. Always joking. Well... no more jokes,” he grinned before holding up his hands in the shape of a finger guns. He pointed one at Sam and the other at you. “Bang.”

A loud crunch could be heard as Sam fell to the ground with broken legs. Your spine broke and you fell to the ground once you were paralyzed. Dean looked at the two of you as you cried out in pain. Not even your magic could heal you of this.

“You son of a bitch!” Dean yelled at Zachariah.

“Keep mouthing off, I'll break more than his legs and her spine. I am completely and utterly through screwing around. The war has begun. We don't have our general. That's bad. Now, Michael is going to take his vessel and lead the final charge against the adversary. You understand me?”

“How many humans die in the crossfire, huh? A million? Five, ten?”

“Probably more. If Lucifer goes unchecked, you know how many die? All of them. He'll roast the planet alive.”

“There's a reason you're telling me this instead of just nabbing me. You need my consent. Michael needs my say-so to ride around in my skin,” Dean said. Looking at Sam, you two made eye contact to the best of your ability without having the option to move your lower body. Using your arms instead, you raised yourself to your elbows to look at Dean.

“Unfortunately, yes.”

“Well, there's got to be another way.”

“There is no other way. There must be a battle. Michael must defeat the serpent. It is written.”

“Yeah, maybe. But, on the other hand... Eat me. The answer's no.”

“Okay. How about this? Your friend Bobby, Y/N’s father—we know he's gravely injured. Say yes, and we'll heal him. Say no, he'll never walk again.”

“Dean don’t do it,” you sighed shakily.

“No.”

“Then how about we heal you from... stage-four stomach cancer?” he asked just as Dean doubled over in pain. He started coughing and spit blood into the palm of his hand.

“Dean!” you gasped, hating the fact that you had no chance to stop this.

“No,” Dean gasped.

“Then let's get really creative. Uh, let's see how... Sam does without his lungs. Maybe Y/N’s brain pops and explodes.”

Sam immediately started gasping for breath since he didn’t have any lungs anymore. Your brain started popping which was extremely painful. It was like one big migraine that no medicine could heal.

“Dean,” you yelled as blood started pouring from your eyes. The whites started to turn red, and you doubled over and coughed up blood. “Don’t do it.”

“Are we having fun yet? You're going to say yes, Dean,” Zachariah smiled.

“Just kill us.”

“Kill you? Oh, no. I'm just getting started,” he grinned. A bright white light shone from the other end of the room as one of the angels died. The body fell to the floor to reveal Castiel, but you were in so much pain to even appreciate the angel. The other angel that Zachariah came with started to fight Castiel, but you couldn’t focus on them.

The only thing on your mind was Dean and your dad who was all alone at the hospital. However, he did it, the angel died and now it was only Castiel and Zachariah to face off.

“How are you—”

“Alive?” he interrupted. “That's a good question. How did these two end up on that airplane? Another good question. 'Cause the angels didn't do it. I think we both know the answer, don't we?”

“No. That's not possible.”

“It scares you. Well, it should. Now, put these boys and Y/N back together and go. I won't ask twice,” he threatened. As soon as Zachariah vanished in a flutter of wings, all your pain went away. Your brain didn’t hurt and your spine was fixed. Quickly standing up, you rushed to Dean to check on him and once he nodded signaling he was alright, you rushed to Castiel and gave him a hug. He didn’t hug back but stood there awkwardly, waiting for you to finish.

“I thought you died,” you whispered.

“I did.”

“I’m glad you’re back,” you nodded with a smile, going back over to the brothers.

“You three need to be more careful.”

“Yeah, I'm starting to get that. Your frat brothers are bigger dicks than I thought.”

“I don't mean the angels. Lucifer is circling his vessel. And once he takes it, those hex bags won't be enough to protect you,” he said just as he placed both his hands on the brother’s chest. They winced in pain before Castiel did the same thing to you. A burning sensation came from your ribs, and you pulled back in pain.

“What the hell was that?” you asked.

“An Enochian sigil. It'll hide you from every angel in creation, including Lucifer.”

“What, did you just brand us with it?”

“No. I carved it into your ribs.”

“Castiel, who brought you back to life?” you asked with a whisper. If you had to guess, it would be God, but you needed to be sure. However, the angel didn’t answer and vanished before your eyes.

“Dad,” you gasped, rushing out the door to hurry back to your father.

Time seemed to slow down as you rushed into the hospital. The brothers tried to keep up with you, but you needed to see your dad.

“Where is my dad? Bobby Singer!” you asked the receptionist. Before she had a chance to answer, a nurse was calling your name from behind.

“Y/N Singer? Your father is this way,” he seemed relieved in a way, but you didn’t care. Leaving the brother’s behind, you went with the nurse to a private room. As soon as you approached the door, you could hear his voice yelling at whoever was inside.

“Unlikely to walk again?! Why, you snot-nosed son of a bitch! Wait till I get out of this bed!” he yelled. The doctor fled the room just as the nurse accompanied him. Rushing into the room, you looked at him with tears in your eyes.

“I'll use my game leg and kick your fucking ass! Yeah, you better run!” your dad yelled after the doctor. “You believe that yahoo?”

“Are you okay? I should have done something sooner,” you walked to him to try and comfort him.

“I’m fine, Y/N. Really, I am,” he sighed and placed his hand on yours in comfort.

“So, let me ask the million-dollar question. What do we do now?” Sam asked.

“Well... We save as many as we can for as long as we can, I guess. It's bad. Whoever wins, heaven or hell, we're boned.”

“What if we win?” Dean asked, a bit too confident. Everyone stared at him in concern. “I'm serious. I mean, screw the angels and the demons and their crap apocalypse. Hell, they want to fight a war, they can find their own planet. This one's ours, and I say they get the hell off it. We take 'em all on. We kill the devil. Hell, we even kill Michael if we have to. But we do it our own damn selves.”

“And how are we supposed to do all this, genius?” your dad asked.

“I got no idea. But what I do have is a GED and a give-'em-hell attitude, and I'll figure it out.”

“You are nine kinds of crazy, boy.”

“Listen, you stay on the mend. We'll see you in a bit,” Dean patted his shoulder before leaving the room.

“Sam?” he asked. Sam stopped walking but didn’t say anything. “I was awake. I know what I said back there. I just want you to know that... that was the demon talking. I ain't cutting you out, boy. Not ever.”

“Thanks Bobby,” Sam whispered.

“You're welcome. I deserve a damn medal for this, but... you're welcome.” Sam left the room and you looked at your father.

“I tried to help. That demon was too strong. I tried to fight his powers,” you stuttered.

“Hey, look at me,” he interrupted you. “This is not your fault and you need to believe it. I will be fine. I’m alive thanks to you and the boys. I’ll be okay.”

“I love you,” you said as you hugged him.

“I love you too. Now get out of here and save the damn world.”

“Okay,” you nodded with a smile before reluctantly leaving. The brothers were waiting for you outside.

“You know, I was thinking, Dean—maybe we could go after the Colt,” Sam said just as you joined them.

“Why? What difference would that make?”

“Well, we could use it on Lucifer. I mean, you just said back there—”

“I just said a bunch of crap for Bobby's benefit,” he interrupted his brother.

“Dean,” you sighed.

“It’s true. I mean, I'll fight. I'll fight till the last man, but let's at least be honest. I mean, we don't stand a snowball's chance, and you know that. I mean, hell, you of all people know that,” he directed that to his brother.

“Is there something you want to say to me?”

“I tried, Sammy. I mean, I really tried. But I just can't keep pretending that everything's all right. Because it's not. And it's never going to be. You chose a demon over your own brother and look what happened.”

“I would give anything—anything—to take it all back,” he sighed.

“I know you would. And I know how sorry you are. I do. But, man... you were the one that I depended on the most. And you let me down in ways that I can't even... I'm just—I'm having a hard time forgiving and forgetting here. You know?”

“What can I do?” Sam asked.

“Honestly? Nothing.”

“Dean, we have to try,” you tried.

“No, I already tried. I just don't... I don't think that we can ever be what we were. You know? I just don't think I can trust you.”

Sam looked up at his brother in shock. He was expecting everything else but not this. Deans shook his head and walked away, back to the car.

“It’s okay Sam,” you said as you patted his shoulder in comfort. “You still have me.”

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tarotlogy · 2 years ago

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TEN OF SWORDS

HITTING ROCK BOTTOM FINALE, THE DARKEST HOUR IS JUST BEFORE DAWN

KEYWORDS

The Death of a Situation Prior to The Beginning of a New One, Transition, Major Psychological Transformation, Mental or Physical Collapse, Mental Stress, Breakdown, Exhaustion, Defeat, Failure, Ruin, Catastrophes, Luckless, Cursed, Blighted, Heavy Cross to Bear, Powerless, Letting Go, The Death of a Situation, Time to Move On, Goodbyes, Severance, The End, Closure, Flogging a Dead Horse, Surrender, Giving Up, Finality, As Low as you can Go, Hitting Rock Bottom, ‘The Straw That Broke The Camel’s Back’, Final Nail in The Coffin, The End of The Line, Unable to Cope, Hitting The Wall, ‘Darkest Hour is just before Dawn’, Relief, Release, Overkill, Exaggeration, Melodramatic, Martyr, Victim, Looking For Attention, Treachery, Betrayal, Stabbed in the Back, Bitter Rows, Assault, Attack, Violence, Aggression, Crime, Enemies, Disloyal Friends, Bad Mouthing, Bitching behind Your Back, Being Used as a Doormat, Bullying, Run Down, Chronic Fatigue, Ill, Back Problems, Acupuncture, Getting Your Point Across, Forcing your Opinions on Others

CARD IMAGERY DESCRIPTION

And so, the end of the journey has come for The Swords in more ways than one. It wasn’t hard to predict the direction it was inevitably going, or the likely Outcome. The scene that lies before us in The Ten of Swords is indeed shocking. It was designed to be so, and disturbs us greatly when it appears in our Reading. It is the culmination of the continued, ongoing chronic stress and conflict The Swords endured, or brought upon themselves from the moment they headed off at The Ace. The Element of Air is very powerful indeed and needs to be harnessed and disciplined if it is to be of any positive use to us.

The Sword’s fate seemed sealed from the outset as they quickly lost control of their Element in the Two. They had been gifted one of the most amazing and fascinating Elements of all, but it was complicated and tricky. The Sword if held the wrong way could hurt or kill. Double-edged, both sides needed to be mastered before it could be properly utilised. This was an expertise not all could achieve and many fell into the trap of learning to use only one side. Depending on which side was used, The Sword falling into the wrong hands became dangerous and destructive, not only to others, but also to who bore it. The Sword had a tendency to turn inwards, when the hand that held it was weak or vulnerable. The Sword had a mind and power of its own, and if left to its own devices, flicked back and forth from one edge of the blade to the other. If it was not used, neglected or abused, it went to work regardless, in search of someone or something to plunge itself into.

As a result many victims fell under its weight and felt the sharp cold taste of steel as it pierced their minds and heart. However, wherever the Sword ventured to wreak havoc or damage, it always returned to its owner whether wanted or not. Then it would turn inwards upon the owner, or hang precariously above their head, as they tried to sleep or go about their business. They multiplied over time and the stronger they became, the more uncomfortable, nervous and agitated their owner became. As they multiplied they became more active and restless. Not a moment’s peace was to be had for they were constantly there poking, jabbing and piercing. The pain they inflicted of course was not always visible on the outside for they were clever in how they went about their work. Instead they tortured the mind over and over in an endless assault. They fed on distress, conflict, worry, stress and paranoia. They caused insomnia and exhaustion with their constant negative chatter and demoralising inner comments. They enforced pessimistic views of the world and of those around. They sliced away at self-belief, self-worth and self-confidence and in their place instilled self-doubt and fear. They hacked wedges out of the heart, carving deep ruts into love and emotions.

On and on they went, driving their owners out of their minds and emotional stability. They were relentless in their attacks and constantly found new ways to cause distress and suffering. Tormented and powerless, their owners had crazy notions of escaping from their Swords and hatched wild plans to run away from them. They crazily believed that their Swords were apart from them and not of them, that they could sneak away from them leaving all their troubles and worries with them. If they could just get away from their Swords, those separate things that were causing all the trouble, then they would find peace of mind and be at ease. They thought it would be that simple and in the Six of Swords we watched them try to put distance between them and their troublesome Swords (conflicts and stresses). However, as we watched the hopeless trio quietly sail away in the Six, we couldn’t help but feel sorry for them. There, travelling right beside them were the Six Swords they thought to be outrunning. Maybe we should have called out and warned them of their unwelcome cargo, but it is doubtful they would have heard us for they were convinced they had found a solution to their problem. So we let them slip away, oblivious to the fact they were taking their problems with them. We hoped they would get a bit of respite before they became aware of their Sword’s presence once more, at least enough time to regroup and recharge their batteries. How disappointed they would be to discover that no matter how far they had run, their Swords had matched their pace. No matter how clever their plan to escape and conceal their whereabouts, their Swords would always Outsmart them.

They did make an attempt to come up with a new plan in the Seven of Swords, to strike back and find a solution to their problems, but they were already gone too far and finding a way out would involve sustained effort on their part, and not just a short-lived display of determination and grit. However, it did show us that it could be done, if only they could learn to turn their Swords around and use them in a positive and constructive manner. Trying to make a stand in The Seven, was all too little too late. Unlike the other Three Suits, who equally were presented their own Elemental Gift in The Ace, and then went happily on their way for some time before encountering problems, The Swords, upon departure from The Ace, immediately fell into crisis in The Two. Unsure as to how to use their Sword when with difficult decisions, they panicked and froze, blocking movement of their precious Element of Air. With their Swords crossed at their heart, they made their first mistake. Instead of facing their fears and using their double-edged Sword (mind) to find a balanced solution and then vocalise it, they shut down and became confused. Terrified by their dilemma and what was being asked of them, they placed a blindfold upon their eyes and refused to deal with it, hoping it would ignore them and go away. Internalising their issues, it was then they lost control and gave away their power to the darker blade of The Swords. Turning sharply and deeply inwards into their owner, they began to twist in their mind.

It could all have been so different if they had just trusted their ability to use their Sword wisely instead of being afraid of it. The lighter blade of The Sword is very powerful and would have provided sense, logic, reason and understanding. If it had been allowed, it would have offered a solution to the crisis or dilemma, a way forward. It would have provided clarity of mind and judgement in all matters. It would have looked at both sides of the story or situation in an objective manner, instead of focussing on just one. The lighter and brighter edge of The Sword would have encouraged communication of any worries or stresses to others, or opened the door to negotiation and reconciliation. It would have spoken out in favour of justice and fairness for all, and fearlessly exposed abuse and corruption. It would work tirelessly for its owner, encouraging assimilation of knowledge and learning. Its natural curiosity would have made them relentless in the pursuit of truth and the facts of the matter. The lighter blade of The Sword would have empowered them in the written and spoken words, words that would have a profound effect on others. With, the lighter blade of The Sword they could have flown high, into the sky and space beyond, for the power of a brilliant mind is limitless. They could have risen above their situation and sought higher ground where issues could have been viewed in their true perspective, and not created out of wild imaginings and twisted beliefs. The Lighter and brighter edge of The Sword would never have used its blade to hurt anyone or anything for it would have sought ways to end suffering and heal wounds. It would never engage in bloody, violent battles or use aggression to achieve its aims, for it knew only of peaceful ways to solving conflict. The lighter edge of the Sword stood for law and justice for all, never would it entertain ideas of being above the law or seek to break it.

Alas, they fell deeper under the spell of the Sword’s dark blade in The Three of Swords when pain and grief overwhelmed them. They were already psychologically in a bad way after The Two, so it was doubtful they would come away from the energy of the Three unscathed. And so they picked up their Third heavy Sword, added it to the other Two, and their mental burdens began to weigh heavy. They tried to go about their business, continue on their journey and keep up some sort of normal face for those around them. However, the signs of distress began to become visible in the Four of Swords and others began to notice that all was not well. The effort of trying to keep going despite the growing turbulence in their mind burdened them with another Sword in the Four and their knees gave way beneath them. Unable to cope, they were forced into rest and retreated to their bed, or to a hospital to be treated. Mental and nervous exhaustion seeped through every cell in their body and wiped out any fight that was left in them. They could do nothing but lie there and try to heal. No one knows how much time they spent in retreat and withdrawal but it did take much time for them to be strong enough to face the world once more.

Still fragile and vulnerable, the Sword’s person was discharged from hospital, medical care or left his place of rest. He then went straight from the frying pan into the fire in the Five of Swords as all hell broke loose in his situation. He either flipped and lost the run of himself and his mind or he came under vicious attack from others. One way or another the scenes from The Five of Swords were shocking and upsetting. Many got hurt on one level or another, leaving terrible tension, anger and upset among all. It certainly was not the environment for the recently exhausted Sword’s person to be in, for they were not mentally strong enough to deal with such negativity and brute force. It was this episode of trauma that made them run for shore in the attempt to escape their predicament in The Six of Swords. We know they should really have stood their ground and dealt with their problems instead of running, but it was their way of dealing with it and probably the only thing they could do at the time. It did buy them a bit of respite from the acute turbulence of their situation and gave them a chance to catch their breath and calm down.

Thinking on their feet and taking some action for the first time in The Seven of Swords gave us some hope that The Sword’s person could make a comeback and rise above his situation but he quickly lost power and any ground he had gained in The Eight of Swords. His stab at courage and bravado could not be sustained and his dark bladed Swords began to breed once more. He had so many at this stage he felt trapped by their presence. No matter which way he turned they were there, threatening and dangerous. He felt like a prisoner as the walls of his mind began to close in on him. It went wild trying to come up with a way out of his dilemma but The Swords continued to close in on him and his mind became paralysed with all types of fears; some real but most born out of his twisted, dysfunctional and tortured mind.

Believing there was no way out for him, he pulled the blindfold on once more for he did not want to see anymore. He thought it might block out all the terrors but all it did was internalise them further and remove any trace of light from his existence. He was alone in his torment and locked into his mind. He believed there was no escape and no options open to him, no way out. He also believed he had no power and was helpless. If he could only have grabbed hold of those Swords and turned them around to the lighter and brighter blade, he would have had such wonderful positive power available to him. They would have severed any bonds or chains that tied him down without inflicting pain or distress. They could have freed him and mended him. He could have found peace of mind and a way to live in a normal world, and a way to cope with the worries and stresses we all must face.

Sadly it was not to be. Bereft at how to help him or get him to help himself, we could only stand by and bear witness to his continued torment in The Nine of Swords. Truly we were all tired of this ongoing saga and drama. Would it ever end and if it did, where would that be? Surely he should have made some progress at this stage, but he certainly hadn’t helped himself or made it easy for anyone else to help him. In The Nine of Swords it was clear that he was losing whatever was left of his mind. He was beside himself with torment and worry. Yes, it was true he had some terrible things to worry about, troubles that none of us want visited upon us, but a lot of his worries were all in his mind and not based on reality at all. He had blown a lot of things out of proportion but there was not talking to him.

His now, ever-growing number of Swords had come between him and his sleep. He could get no rest, lie down or even leave his room. His mind had descended into a very dark room and he refused to seek help. He wouldn’t talk about his problems and kept them buried inside where they ricocheted back and forth in his mind, doing back flips and cartwheels. Such were his woes, he rambled and cried, sobbing bitter tears into his hands until we could take no more. We still felt very sorry for The Sword’s person and ran back and forth, holding his hand, offering soothing words and trying to make his life easier. On the other hand, there were an increasing number of us who had grown tired of his constant whingeing and moaning about how hard his life was. We were fed up with having to listen to the latest drama or crisis that was constantly besieging his life. We all had our own problems to deal with, our own worries and stresses, but it appeared none had such a heavy cross to bear as he. He should have sorted himself out a long time ago, but instead let it all get out of hand. He is now in a right mess and incapable of thinking straight. He will have to pull himself together for we can no longer help him. We have our own lives to live and he will have to find a way to live his. He needs to start taking some action, some real action. He needs to face his fears for they are obviously not going to go away at this stage in the game. If he could just get out of the bed, have a shower, get dressed and pull back the curtains he might feel a little better in himself instead of wallowing in his misery, and dare I say it, self-pity. There I said it. It’s out and sorry if I come across as heartless but enough is enough. He will have to sink or swim now, so I think it is best if we all retreat from his room in The Nine of Swords and leave him to figure it out himself. We can do no more here and the rest is up to him. We cannot watch over him, guard him and keep him safe 24/7 so he will have to start taking responsibility for his own welfare. Let us withdraw.

*************************

There is a dilemma here for we have now reached The Ten of Swords and we are not sure what we are to do or what is happening. It is true, The Sword’s Man had terrible troubles and an unbalanced mind. He was dreadfully worried and afraid he was not safe. Maybe there really were others out to get him and even physically hurt him but it might all come down to hysteria and being a drama queen. Then again, he might just have been looking for attention all this time, acting the martyr or victim, making us all feel sorry for him and his circumstances. It is crazy but some people feed on this sort of attention and lifestyle, constantly sighing and moaning about how cursed their life is. They are constantly in the middle of terrible things happening to them that no one would believe possible. How could one soul have to bear so much strife? we think as we listen to them bleat out their little hearts to anyone who will listen, over and over and over. They have so many stories to tell of the bad luck that has befallen them, and how they have soldiered on throughout, putting up and not complaining!!! If only we had to deal with what they have to, we would know all about suffering! These people are surely due for sainthood, their lives have been so remarkably tortured.

So, here we stand on yet another shoreline in The Ten of Swords. At our feet lies a body face down in the sand. We are suitably shocked. We slot into our detective mode and begin to analyse the scene. The body appears to be male and is fully clothed. He lies with his head facing away from us and his right arm turned backwards and outstretched. Ten large Swords (Exhibit A – possible murder weapons) stick upright out of his back, with one piercing his head. His lifeblood drains away from his wounds into the sand. He is still and does not move. He appears to be dead but we have not checked for a pulse yet as we do not want to contaminate the crime scene, that is if it is a crime scene.

Theory One

We need to find out what he was he doing on the beach? When we had left him in The Nine of Swords, he was in his bed. Was he trying to run away from his problems again? Possibly, for he is facing the water and there is a land mass in the distance. He does have a habit of heading for the sea when things go wrong. He may have had a destination in mind. He may have got very desperate after our departure, and reverting to his plan back in the Six of Swords, the only one he knew or had tried, believed he could escape for good this time and get away from his Swords. Grabbing a red rug from his bedroom (Exhibit B, red rug thrown over body) he made a desperate bid for freedom and dashed from the room. Running as fast as he could he headed for the shoreline. He hadn’t a plan, I think it was more of a spur of the moment thing for there is no boat in sight. Did he think he could swim that distance? It doesn’t matter now for he never got the chance to try. As he ran, his breath burning in his lungs, he could hear the clatter of steel close behind. The Swords were following or chasing him. He took a quick look over his shoulder to see how close they were, and not looking where he was going, tripped on a rock and fell, the red rug fell strewn across his back. Within seconds The Swords had descended upon him and plunged deep within. They pinned him to the ground, preventing any movement at all. He was done for, they had got him held tight and there would be no getting away from them now.

The Sword’s Man lay on the sand, badly wounded, his life-blood flowing from his body, the sand stained deep red. It was over and he knew it. The end was coming for him as he lay there, his head facing into the dark night sky and the blue ocean before him. This was the moment he had been running from all his life. He had been trying to get away from his dark Swords for so long it had consumed his entire existence. He knew nothing else of life but the constant worry and stress of his Swords. Lying in the sand, The Sword’s Man has reached his lowest point. He has hit rock bottom, and in a sense it is a relief to him. As he stares out to sea, he notices the water (his emotions) have calmed and he begins to feel the calmness flow throughout his body. He wonders if he is dying and strangely feels no fear. Instead he feels at peace, and so do we, for it is over, the end has come and he is being released from his pain and suffering. He does not have to run anymore, for he has accepted his fate. He has sunk so low, he cannot go any further.

Now that his mind is calm, he begins to realise The Ten Swords actually belong to him. He had accumulated them on his journey, one by one. From the corner of his eye he can now see their double edge for the first time and realises all he has missed out on. He had only known the dark blade or edge of The Swords and had wasted all his energy on their negative power over him. If only he had his time over again, he would do things differently, change his approach and attitude, and become positive and optimistic. It is too late for him now for he cannot have that time back. The Sword’s Man lies on the sand waiting for his end to come, surrendered to his situation, and through final surrender has been liberated. What a strange situation? His troubles are over now. The worst has happened and he can now stop worrying about it.

Staring out to sea and across to the far land, he wonders what life would be like living there as a normal person? He would love a chance to be happy and experience peace of mind. He stares at the dark sky and closes his eyes to await death. He suddenly becomes aware of a flickering light through his eyelids. Weak and barely alive, he opens his eyes to a dazzling bright yellow light. Above him the sky is still pitch dark, but on the horizon, just over the land in the distance, dawn has broken and the sky is lit up with a deep golden glow. The Sword’s Man thinks he is watching the gates of heaven open to welcome him in and sighs in deep contentment. He is brought back to the present by the twinkling of light out of the corner of his eye. Concentrating on where it is coming from he realises it is the sunlight reflecting off the bright, light blade of his Swords. He is amazed by their beauty and brilliant gleam. Why has he never noticed them before?

As the night sky begins to recede and give way to the dawn, The Sword’s Man hears a voice from deep within calling to him. It speaks to him in a clear and precise tone with a steady pace unlike the ramblings he is used to. ‘As sure as day follows night, your troubles are now behind you. You have lived through the darkest hour of the soul and understand now, that sometimes things have to get worse before they can get better. The darkest hour is just before dawn and you can survive that too. That is if you want to? Just like every day is given a fresh start with the dawn each morning, so too are you being given a second chance. You now have an opportunity being handed to you to start afresh, but it is only a small window of opportunity. Once the night sky has fully receded, the day will already have started and the chance will be lost. The dawn is the magical hour for such transitions and you must make your mind up as to what you want to do. You stand at the gateway now, and must choose life or death. Death of course will be the easy option for you for you after all you have been through. Should you choose life, then this time round you must make a determined effort to make it a life worth living. You have hit rock bottom and cannot sink any further. This is your time to rise. The Wheel of Fortune is turning once more. You can get on board and begin a new cycle with all your new-found knowledge and experience behind you. You will be expected to have learned from your mistakes, be more determined to use your Swords wisely, and put them to the use they were always intended for. If that is what you want, then you must reach back and pull each of the Ten Swords from your back. It will take all the energy you have left, but it must be done, if you want to have a chance at living. The choice is yours’.

The Sword’s Man doesn’t have to think about it too long for he knows what he wants and can’t believe he is being given another chance. He concentrates on the light side of the Swords, and as he does, begins to feel energy flood through his body. He is amazed at the strength and power returning to his limbs. Calmly but very determinedly, he stretches his right arm back and plucks out one Sword after another. The pain of each Sword releasing wracks the man’s body with pain but he is able to cope with it. As the last Sword is plucked, the pain begins to subside and he rolls over onto his back. He rubs his hands over his body but can find no wounds. The blood has disappeared from the sand and he is overcome with emotion. He slowly kneels up before getting to his feet. Stretching his body he stands facing The Sun and gives thanks for his re-birth and being brought from the dark into the light. He turns to look for The Ten Swords but he can find only one. He understands, he gets it, he realises what is happening. He is back at The Ace of Swords once more but things are different. He hears the faint hum of The Wheel of Fortune turning and knows that his old cycle is over and the time has come for him to start another. Grabbing his bright new shiny Sword, he dashes off eager to begin his journey in the confidence he will get it right this time.

Theory Two

After we left The Sword’s Man in his room in the Nine of Swords, we didn’t realise his tormentors were watching our departure. Alone and scared, the vulnerable Sword’s Man heard a noise at the back door. Peering out the window he saw someone trying to break into his house. Terrified and nearing hysteria, he grabbed a red rug from his bed and fled through the front door and away from the house. However, some of his tormentors had been left on guard at the front and saw him disappear down the street in the direction of the shoreline. They called to the others and shared the information. They had a cunning plan. Splitting up, they headed out in all directions and blocked every exit from the beach. They watched the Sword’s Man run and as he reached the water’s edge, they begin to close in. Panting and breathless, The Sword’s Man stopped to catch his breath. He was unsure which way to turn next but then he heard a noise behind him. One of his tormentors has coughed and given their presence away. The moved in rapidly and circled him. In the dark night sky he could not make out their faces. He counted Ten of them and he was surprised. He had thought there to be only two or three he had to be afraid of. The same three who made his life a misery and were always intent on causing him hurt and harm. One had been his partner but had betrayed and hurt him, the other enjoyed taunting and making fun of him on the corridors in work. The third was a debt collector he owned much money too. He had been putting him under constant pressure with threats of evictions and repossession. They were nasty people who used their Swords to hurt and cause injury. But who were the other seven? He knew his enemies but couldn’t account for these people who seemed to be aiding and abetting them, to be in on the act.

Each of The Ten drew their Swords and moved closer. The Sword’s Man was surrounded, with nowhere to run. He looked far across the water to the distant landmass, and wildly thought of swimming for it in a bid to escape. As he did, The Sun began to rise on the horizon as dawn broke and flooded the night sky with light. The Sword’s Man turned back to his tormentors and froze. He couldn’t believe it. The rising sun illuminated the face of his Ten tormentors. There, just as he had guessed were the ex-partner, work colleague and debt collector, but beside them stood seven people he thought to be good friends. These were people he had trusted and confided in. Among them were other work colleagues who he had always helped with their workload. They were after his job it seems and had been putting him down in front of the boss when he wasn’t around. He had even had them to his house for dinner. Then there was an actual friend who had known his ex-partner and was supposed to be on his side. It now appeared they were a couple and had been before they even broke up. There was also a neighbour who he now knew had been behind the intimidating letters he had received when he first moved there. He minded her cat for her every time she went on vacation. The worst of all was the discovery of a family member in the group. He realised it was her who had been saying all those nasty things about him to his mother so that she would get the bulk of the inheritance and property. She had turned his mother against him and he had never known why.

The Sword’s Man was stung to the core and devastated. He had no idea this had been going on behind his back all the time. Two-faced people with hidden agendas and he had been duped. They laughed in his face and began to push him. As he turned to run, they charged and stabbed him in the back with their Swords. He fell to the ground, wounded and destroyed. He had been betrayed by his friends, stabbed in the back and the pain of their Swords was much worse than his known enemies’ ones. It would be some time before he would heal from this attack and ever be able to trust again. When he does, it will be a fresh start and a cleaning of the slate. For each betrayal Sword he pulls from his back, he will use it to sever the ties with their owners. He will have to say goodbye to some people and let go certain aspects of his life. He will be more careful next time round if not a little paranoid and suspicious. He will have to tread gently. This cycle of his life is over and better times will come. His tormentors will go underground for a while before finding a fresh victim to torment for that it the way they spend their time on The Wheel.

Theory 3

We left the Sword’s Man to his own devices in The Nine of Swords because we felt it had all gone on too long, and he might be playing the situation in order to get attention. There was always something terrible happening in his life and we wondered if he was exaggerating everything. We also wondered if he got enjoyment out of playing the martyr or victim role. He was used to us running around after him so when we just upped and left in the Nine, he was probably taken aback by the suddenness of it. Feeling sorry for himself and sulky, he stumbled from the bed and did his usual weak, shuffling walk that used to make us all cry out ‘take it easy’, ‘don’t push yourself’, ‘you should have called us to help you’. His usual replies usually followed ‘Oh but I don’t want to be a burden to anyone even though my pain is worse than you could ever imagine’, ‘don’t worry about me, I can fend for myself, ohhh, ouch, don’t worry, it’s nothing, just my usual horrific pain’, ‘you go on your way now and enjoy yourself, don’t be thinking about me at home on my own, sure that is my life now’. God!

With no one to watch his dramatic, martyr to his suffering theatrics, and no one to tell about the most recent awful thing that happened to him, he became needy and annoyed. He hatched a plan to make everyone feel full of remorse for leaving him on his own and not giving proper acknowledgement to all his suffering. And so, he wrapped the red rug around himself and headed out the front door and down to the beach. Dawn was breaking and he knew many early morning walkers would be out with their dogs or even jogging. He would not be alone on the beach and there was bound to be an audience.

Down on the shoreline he waited and it was not long before he saw a man and woman walking towards him in the distance. A dogs chased ahead of them. There were plenty of rocks on the beach. He found a particularly lumpy one and walked towards it. Sticking his toe under the rock he flung himself to the ground and began to moan as loud as he could. He stared down the beach in the direction of the approaching man and woman who were now running. Great, he had been seen and continued to moan. The dog reached him first and proceeded to lick his face all over which intensely annoyed the man. The couple arrived panting and breathless, but full of concern. ‘Are you alright’ they asked at the same time. In a weak voice, The Sword’s Man put on a good show. ‘Its the pain, I felt weak and then I forget everything else. I must have fainted’. He closed his eyes and grimaced in pain. The woman clucked around him while her partner called the Emergency Services.

They asked him what he was doing out on his own at this hour of the morning? He told them he had been left alone and needed to go for a walk, as being stuck in the house all day in pain was terrible. He had thought he would be fine but didn’t realise he was so weak. They ask if they can call anyone for him and in a weak, moany voice he tells them he has ‘no one, no one that would be interested and doesn’t want to be a burden on anyone’. The couple are horrified that this Sword’s Man had been left to fend for himself in such a state. His family and friends should be ashamed of themselves. It was lucky they had been out walking their dog so early, otherwise God knows what would have happened.

The Sword’s Man is pleased. He now has a new audience to share his victim and martyr stories with. He begins and they sit listening to the litany of misery and disaster in his life. What a brave man to shoulder such burdens they think. As the Man regales them with one story after another, Swords begin to appear sticking out of his back. They continue to pop up until there are Ten. The man and woman are horrified at the sight. They ask him again if they might call someone for him.

The Sword’s Man has second thoughts. ‘Well there might be a few you could call for me’ and quickly lists off the names and numbers. The woman grabs her phone and starts dialling. We are all in bed when our phones ring and we jump with fright at the sound of them. As we listen to the drama on the other end of the phone we inwardly groan but quickly get dressed. We get there before the Emergency Services arrive and take in the scene. There he lies, the moaner and whinger, with Ten Swords sticking out of his back. It is a bit over the top we think. This is certainly overkill, why Ten Swords when we could have done it with just one? He is obviously trying to make this as dramatic as he can, the same as usual, and we are all fed up with it. A drama queen to the last.

We don’t look suitably concerned and the woman and man are quite cool with us. ‘He could have died out here’ they accuse us. We take a closer look at the Man. Dismissing the comments of the couple, we demand of him ‘what is it now? what is the matter this time? What are you doing out here? What is supposed to have happened to you now?’. ‘He fell over a rock’ the woman says as she points to the offending stone on the ground. ‘then as he was telling us all his terrible woes, these Swords appeared and we didn’t know what to do’. ‘So he fell over a stone, did he now?’ we all respond. ‘And even though he is weak, he had enough strength to tell you his life story? we question ‘ ‘we wonder how that happened?’. We kneel down on the sand and examine the man who keeps taking sneaky looks out the side of his eye at us. ‘What is supposed to be hurting him the most’ I ask of the woman. ‘He says it is his toe’ she now realises she is beginning to sound silly. ‘so he sucked you in too with his tales of woe. Don’t worry, he does it with most people, even us’ I assure her.

Lifting my phone, I call the Emergency Services and cancel their call out. Then we all get together and begin pulling the Ten Swords out of his back. ‘Ouch’, he cries out ‘that hurts’. ‘Well you deserve it’ we cry. After the Swords are all pulled out, we throw them into the sea and tell him that enough is enough, and he will not be using those anymore to get his way or attention. ‘Now that you have no Swords, you will have to wait and see if you will be given a new one. If you do, you had better not start a repeat of using it like you did the others. Now, get up off that ground and pull yourself together. Stop the moaning, the whingeing and boring everyone with your tragedies. No one wants to hear them anymore, so it is time to get a life. A new day is dawning and it is time for you to start over afresh and learn to live like we all have to. We take the good with the bad, the ups with the downs, and try to keep positive. You had got so used to bad things happening and so negative in yourself, you began to draw those things to yourself. You became a victim and adopted the role quite easily. You will find now that I have flung those dull Swords away, your mind will have room for some new light energy. Now go back to your house on your own. Get showered, dressed and open the curtains before going for a proper walk on the beach to get fresh air. If you do meet someone and stop to chat, speak about the lovely day it is and how great it is to be out and about. You will no longer be able to get away with the way you have been behaving up to now for no one is interested anymore, and you are missing out on so much good stuff in life. As The Sword’s Man heads back up the beach, on his own, he discovers a shiny new Sword sitting on his doorstep. He lifts it carefully and carries it inside.

Theory Four

The Figure in the Nine of Swords we discover could not sleep and was miserable because he had severe back pain. After the worst night of his life, he heads off to visit an acupuncturist/osteopath who has his practice down near the beach. He has to lie very still while the therapist puts several pins in his back and manipulates his vertebrae. He had tried everything else to fix his back and had come to the end of the line ,and his tether. He has heard great things about this therapist and his success in treating back pain. He is hopeful this might be the way forward for him and an eventual release from the ongoing pain and discomfort. The Sword’s Man just wants to get on with his life. We wish him well and hope the acupuncture or osteopathy works for him.

Theory Five

After concluding our forensic analysis of the scene we realise this is actually a crime scene. The man was obviously assaulted by some villains or thugs. A violent crime has been committed and we need to inform the police and emergency services right now.

Theory Six

Psychologically distressed after all he had been through, The Sword’ s Man could not go through another Nine of Swords night of misery. In a dark place and even darker mood, his mind has fragmented. All attempts and efforts made to find a way out of his situation or state of mind may have failed. He may be on the verge of a total mental collapse or breakdown and needs professional help immediately. In the worst case scenario, he is not able to go on any longer and decides to take his own life.

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So, there you have it. One way or another change is coming for the unfortunate Swords. The change this Card brings is often very hard to deal with and can be shocking and upsetting. However, this Card is not all darkness and gloom. When it appears it is acknowledging that your situation cannot go on any longer and that something has to give. When it does, it may be dramatic and painful, but understand it had to happen. For the Swords Figure in this Card he has reached the end. Major changes may have occurred in rapid succession and many aspects of his life swept out to sea, never to be seen again. He may feel destroyed and try desperately to rail against these changes, wanting to hold onto his old way of life, but the more he struggles, the worse it will be for him in the long run. If he can let his mind settle, he will understand that it is time to let go, time to say goodbye to an area or areas of his life. Psychologically he is going through a major transition and will feel very unsure of himself and where he stands. Everything will feel strange or alien to him. He will experience instability and insecurity but if he can just accept this as part of the process of major transformation he may find it interesting to observe and his passage will be smoother. This is a process we must all go through and not be terrified of it.

For the Swords, they now have reached a turning point in Card Ten. They have gone so low, that the only place they can now go is up. The Wheel of Fortune is turning once more, and if they can find the patience, the rewards will be great. If they are willing to let go and allow the necessary changes to take place, what will be delivered in return will be more than they ever expected. There is a new dawn on the horizon and a new life and way of being beckons. The worst is behind them. Surrendering does not mean failure, but is understanding what is best for you in the long run and embracing it. Know that all will be well and the sun will come out once more.

MEANING

Like all the other Tens in the Minor Arcana, The Ten of Swords deals with endings and beginnings. However, the ending aspect of The Ten of Swords is very often extremely painful or catastrophic. This Card can often suggest that you have come to the end of the road with your situation and like ‘the straw that broke the camel’s back’ you may no longer be able to cope. There is a possibility that all you have worried so intensely about has now come to be. It may no longer be in your head anymore but an actual reality you are being asked, or forced to face. It may be too much for you to take in, or deal with.

The Ten of Swords often indicates that you have ‘hit rock bottom’. You are bound to be feeling very low and swamped with despair and hopelessness. This is generally not something that has happened overnight, but rather an accumulation of stresses, problems or conflicts. It is also unlikely to be coming from just one source. The Ten of Swords appears when you feel overwhelmed by your situation and have lost the ability to sort out individual issues, even the most simplest of them. This Card cuts you off at the knees and pulls the plug on your physical and mental energy. Suffering from Chronic Fatigue, you may be unable to carry out your everyday tasks. This Ten can lay you very, very low and leave you feeling paralysed, and incapacitated in mind and body. It is doubtful you will be able to think straight under the heavy weight of its energy. You may have been trying to cope for some time but it has spiralled out of control.

Sometimes it takes you having to literally collapse from the strain of all yours stresses and worries, before you realise how bad things have got and admit something has to be done. We often presume the body is like a robot or machine, and just because we want it to keep going, it will. Few of us realise that is has its limits because we have never had to face them before. We often run around shouting ‘I can’t take anymore’ or ‘I can’t cope with this any longer’ but mostly we don’t mean it and is all forgotten once the issue has passed or has been addressed. The effects of chronic stress or worry is another matter altogether.

Each of us are born with a genetic stress or coping threshold. The coping threshold for prolonged exposure to chronic stress or conflict varies greatly. Some of us seem to have amazing stamina to deal with all types of crisis and traumas, while many of us crack after our first main exposure to stress. It often happens that those experiencing chronic psychological stress live dangerously close to their coping threshold, and once nothing major happens on top of what they are already dealing with, appear to get by and live quite normally. It is only when something new happens, a different type of stress, affecting them or those connected to them, that their threshold is breached. It can be something small, seemingly irrelevant, or possibly major, but certain buttons have been pushed. This brings them out of their usual comfort zone of stress and into unmanageable territory. Their already low serotonin levels stagger and their overworked, exhausted adrenal glands crash. To those standing by watching, they may be confused at the level of reaction to what they consider to be, not so big a deal, but for the physically and psychologically collapsed person, as silly as it may seem to others, it is the final nail in their coffin. Once that threshold is crossed it’s not possible to quickly jump back over it.

Crossing the stress threshold has a knock on effect on every area of the body. Crashing fatigue hits and saps every ounce of energy out of you, insomnia or sleep disturbances kick in, muscles and joints ache for no apparent reason and migraines plaque you. The simplest of decisions or having to plan anything becomes a major deal, or may not be possible at all. Appetite either increases or decreases. Noise seems to be extra loud, and leaves you in a constant shocked state with your heart pounding long after the noise has gone. Palpitations, breathlessness and serious weakness leave you panicked and distressed. Emotionally low, you find everything sad and are deeply disturbed by tragic stories in the newspapers or on tv. People, try to rally you around with suggestions of a night out, or trip away to take your mind off things, but the thoughts of even having to get washed, think about what to wear, or pack a bag, is a step too far. No one quite understands the type of tiredness you have when you say you feel exhausted. They talk of getting a good night’s sleep or going for a walk in the fresh air, but you have gone way too far for either of those to having any real lasting effect. Socially you become a recluse and will avoid answering the phone or doorbell. You are a mess and something has to be done.

The Ten of Swords has done its work and pinned you down to the ground. It is very hard to see a way out of this and extra distress is heaped upon your existing burden, because even with the best will in the world, you are unable to do anything at all, which stresses you even further. But let us not be all disaster and gloom. You may feel you have fallen into a black hole and do not know or have the energy to get out of it, but when The Ten of Swords appears it brings hope and light out of the darkness and misery. It speaks of now having an oppportunity to sort yourself out. It may not have been obvious to others before, because you were coping, but the recent turn of events has left no one in doubt as to how bad things have got for you. You can collapse now in peace as the struggle is over. Just let it happen now for this is something that has been coming for a long time.

The contrast between the dawn breaking on the horizon in this Card and the dark black sky is symbolically letting you know that no matter how bad things have got for you, there is now hope and the possibility of solutions to your problems, help and healing. Peace is on the way and an end to suffering. However, you cannot just lie there and expect it all to be done for you and to you. Recovery depends on your letting go of and saying good-bye to the way you have been living and coping with things. Change is needed on every level for you, as what you have been doing up until now has not been working. Old mindsets, attitudes and perceived notions about things or people will have to go, allowing fresh positive and optimistic energy to fill the vacuum. You may have to finally let go of stale or unhealthy relationships, so-called friends, a job that has been running you into the ground or a business that is beyond saving. You have been struggling to hold onto a way of life that has been systematically killing you. You must also let others in to help, you need to be open about your problems or issues and communicate your feelings. People cannot help if you keep them in the dark and try to cope alone. Professional help may be needed such as doctors, counsellors or psychotherapists. Offers of support from family and friends should be gratefully accepted, for everyone wants to help you recover and see you back to your normal self, happy and full of life. You will have to take it easy, get plenty of rest and find a way to learn how to relax. Taking up yoga or meditation might have long-term beneficial effects on your health. Gentle exercise will be needed to restore strength to your overwhelmed mind and body.

Unfortunately, when The Ten of Swords appears, the worst may have happened. It can bring ruin, disaster, catastrophes, dreadful misfortune and ill-health. The associated pain and distress of such events may leave you shattered and destroyed. You might feel like you have lost everything and that your world is at an end. Defeat and failure bring you to your knees. You have reached a low place indeed and may feel isolated and terribly alone. You are close to giving up the will to live, and may wonder what life is all about if it has to hurt so bad.

The Ten of Swords always supplies us with victims and you may be feeling like one right now. You may feel cursed or blighted by bad luck and misfortune. You may believe you have been singled out by the Universe for particularly harsh treatment and ask ‘why me?’, or ‘what have I done to deserve such bad luck?’ or ‘I must have been terribly bad in a previous life cause I’m definitely paying for it now’? You may feel that no matter which way you turn it’s blocked or whatever you attempt to do fails. You may be throwing your hands up in the air and crying ‘ I give up, what’s the point in trying anything anymore?. I might as well give up and die’.

It is more than likely true that the Gods are not shining on you right now, but you are not the only one. It may appear that you are getting more than your fair share of disasters but it is important to understand that we all go through times like this, when the universe seems to be conspiring against us. When we bring The Wheel of Fortune into the picture, we can see that it is constantly moving. As The Wheel rotates, those who have been enjoying their time on the ascent and reaching the top, now begin to move in the downward turn. Their luck, good times and everything falling nicely into place for them may begin to dissipate as The Wheel turns. Their circumstances may appear to take a turn for the worse. Those who have been descending, or have spent time stuck on the bottom, begin to make their ascent once more and will see an upturn in their circumstances. Life moves in cycles but there are ebbs and flows during that time, and nothing is constant. When things are going in our favour it would be truly magical if we could keep it like that, if we could stop The Wheel from turning just where we want it to be. Alas, we all want the same and our first time stuck on the downward turn, or crushed underneath it, can be a harrowing experience. We may think The Wheel is stuck, never to turn again, but as sure as night follows day what we are experiencing will pass and slowly but surely we will make our ascent once more, our luck will change and things will begin to happen for us once more. If we can be patient, observant of this process and understand the nature of it, then the next time our downward turn comes upon us, we will be able to weather the storm instead of being swept away by it.

Rest assured that no matter how bad things may seem right now, understand you have reached the lowest point. Things can’t get any worse for you now, because that has already happened. You have only one way to go now and that is up. You have reached a turning point and although you still feel you are in the dark and quite hopeless, light is on the way and there will be the first signs of circumstances improving for you. It is important to never lose hope or faith in life when everything is grim and black. The only way you can be a victim is if you constantly expect to be one. It is then you become a magnet for negativity and pessimism. Know that whatever you are going through at present will pass, just like The Wheel turning, it will move into the past and be put behind you. Don’ let this break your spirit for there are much better times ahead. You must maintain a healthy outlook on life and not let recent occurences sabotage your future happiness.

The Ten of Swords also brings melodrama and we can’t help but feel the figure lying on the ground looks a bit pathetic with so many Swords stuck in his back. Talking about overkill, he certainly gets Ten out Ten for effort. Someone may be playing the ‘good old martyr’ or ‘victim’ role in your situation. Two Swords sticking out of their back isn’t enough for them to portray their suffering or catch your attention. No, they need Ten Swords to play on the sympathy of all. This Card represents the person who is always moaning and whingeing about their life to anyone who will listen. If you are unfortunate enough to get trapped beside one at a dinner party or social occasion, then you will find it hard to get away. They have story after story to tell you about how tragic their life is and what they have to put up with. If there is a victim or martyr person in your situation, they may be making life quite difficult for you. Emotional blackmail may be used to keep you under their control. They possibly have an underhand way to make you feel guilty when you attempt to go out, enjoy yourself or go on vacation. Comments such as “poor me”, “isn’t it well for you?” and ‘don’t worry about me, you go and enjoy yourself. I will be fine all here on my own’ make you inwardly cringe while guilt and resentment eat you up inside. It is up to you to change this scenario by putting your foot down and making it clear to them you know what they are up to and won’t stand for it any longer. If the victim or martyr receives much sympathy and attention as a result of all their Swords, afflictions and crosses they have to bear, you will have a hard job getting them to drop their act. It may be best to back out of the situation and leave them to it, otherwise your life will be blighted by their constant demands.

When The Ten of Swords appears, it is certain that major changes are occurring in your life and possibly at such a rate or force you no longer know who you are or can be sure of anything anymore. You may have lost the constant landmarks in your life and do not know which way to turn. It is quite possible that you have been desperately trying to hold on and resist these sweeping changes but even though you do not see it right now, it is best to let go and give in. You must resign yourself to what is being taken away and give up the struggle. Life is changing for you and it is best to let go and trust that is all for the best. It indicates the death of a situation prior to the beginning of another. It may be the end of a relationship, collapse of a business or friendship. It is time to move on. Acceptance to the death and the changes it will bring is key here. Your thoughts about life have brought you to this place and new beliefs can take you out of it.

The Ten of Swords has been traditionally associated with betrayal and attack. Betrayal could come from close quarters or from people you thought you could trust. Because The Swords are associated with the spoken word, The Ten of Swords can suggest that someone is bad-mouthing you or bitching about you behind your back. You may feel stabbed in the back by a friend or friends after discovering treacherous behaviour. You may not know who you can trust or confide in. Individuals or groups may be working against you, making your life difficult or have it in for you. You could be the victim of bullying or harassment. This Ten of Swords can also suggest that you are letting people walk all over you, leaving foot prints on your back or wiping their feet on you as they go. It is time to put an end to such treatment and stand up for yourself by speaking out and objecting.

On a more aggressive level, The Ten of Swords can also be associated with violence and aggression. There may be the threat of physical attack or assault. Injuries or worse could occur. Criminal activity may be involved. When this Card appears it can be a warning that you do not take your personal safety seriously enough. You may be taking unnecessary risks or exposing yourself to danger. Walking home alone from a night out instead of getting a taxi is taking a risk, so to is getting separated from your friends on an outing or accepting a lift home from someone you have just met.

The Ten of Swords brings ill-health of all kinds and not just psychological woes. However, it is particularly associated with the back. It can highlight a chronic back problem in a Health Reading or be suggesting acupuncture to treat health issues. The Ten of Swords is one of the Cards that when found together in a Reading can suggest Physical Death. Remember, on its own or even when a couple of other negative Cards are involved, it does not necessarily mean death.

The Ten of Swords can indicate a sending or receiving a forceful message. Let you be in no doubt about the sender’s intentions as they drive their point home.

The Ten of Swords can signal the death Knell for Relationships. It might be time to let go of a relationship that has not been working for some time, is full of conflict or stress, or has brought you unhappiness. It is more than likely dead at this stage and you need to learn to accept this in order for you to move on. When it comes to your relationship you may feel like you have been flogging a dead horse and now realise there is no point in continuing anymore. This is bound to be a very stressful time for all involved. The final stages of it will be very painful but must be endured. Remember, that in order for new doors and opportunities to open for you other doors need to close. Time to say goodbye and move on for there is nothing more to do here and nothing can be achieved. There will be immense relief and release when it is all over and done. Look to the Reversed Ten of Swords for the possibility of a once thought dead relationship coming back to life.

If in a violent and abusive relationship The Ten of Swords can be a warning that your life or personal safety may be in serious danger. Issues and conflicts may have come to a head or are at boiling point. A tense situation could get out of hand and someone may lose control of their senses. Rage and anger may be explosive, resulting in violence and assault. The outcome may be extremely nasty and someone may get injured or worse.

There is also the possibility of treachery and betrayal by a partner or spouse when The Ten of Swords appears, but again other Cards will need to concur before jumping to conclusions. Your partner may be seriously bad mouthing you to others or family members if they are seeking a way out of their relationship. They may have the potential to turn everyone against you, and are setting the scene for you to take full blame.

In a Relationship Reading, depending on the situation and surrounding Cards it may be highlighting the fact that your partner is ill or is laid up at present. There may be ongoing treatment and hospitalisation, which is causing stress and worry for both of you. Depending on surrounding Cards it can highlight the sad fact that your partner or spouse may have died.

Work-wise, The Ten of Swords is not a welcome Card. There may be terrible conflict, stress or bullying in the workplace. You may be overloaded with work and can no longer cope with all the pressure and deadlines. This Card can also suggest that someone has it in for you in work, or is saying things about you behind your back. Everyone seems to have their own agenda and may be quite ruthless in how they go about achieving it.

There is obviously a lot of mental stress in your job and possible information overload. You may have been struggling to keep on top of things but something has happened to make you snap. There is a chance of a work-related breakdown or having to take time off from work to recover from chronic stress. It is time to re-think your whole career for it is making you ill and very unhappy. You may be forced out of your job because of ill-health or had an accident while at work. It is time to let go and move on for your job or career choice does not suit you. Have a good rest before making any decisions.

It may be time to let go of a business that is not working. Business failures, major losses and ruin can accompany The Ten of Swords. You may have collapsed alongside your business and have lost everything. You have struggled as much as you can to keep it afloat but now must make some painful decisions. All may not be lost as the dawn breaking on the horizon can suggest starting over again. However, this Card can suggest that you have been working with out-dated methods and poor planning. Doing things the way you always did, or the old way, will no longer work. You will need to bring yourself up to speed on modern business and technology, along with some fresh ideas and realistic plans. There is also the possibility that you are not suitable for running your own business. You may not have it in you to cope with all the stresses, worries and responsibilities that being self-employed brings.

Career-wise, you may be working as an acupuncturist, chiropractor or osteopath. You may be a crime scene investigator or working in forensics.

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theepolynesian · 8 years ago

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Feisty Little Hobbit

Overall Summary: You are Bilbo’s little sister but the exact opposite

Chapter Summary: You make a great escape.

Previous Chapter: Chapter 13

Next Chapter: Chapter 15

A/N: I really wanted to add another chapter so here it is.

You get shoved into the same cell you were in earlier.

“Still an ass,” you say. “Still heard that,” the guard retorts and you smile a bit before taking a seat on the floor.

“Now I understand what Beorn meant when he said Mirkwood elves are more dangerous,” you say to Thorin, who was currently sitting on the bed and leaning against the wall.

“What did he want?” Thorin asks, opening his eyes.

“He’s heard of me and he knows I have a brother and he knows that he’s somewhere around here,” you say, looking at the ground.

“What do you mean he’s heard of you?”

“I travel often, Thorin. A hobbit that travels outside of the shire is unheard of so of course I would stir up some type of gossip. How he knows I have a brother is beyond my knowledge,” you say.

“What happened? In the forest?”

You sigh. You and Bilbo were the only ones to know about your visions. You hadn’t bothered telling anyone. You didn’t think anyone noticed, actually.

“We saw our parents. With me. Just me, no Bilbo,” you say. “It seems you had a rough childhood.”

That causes you to laugh sadly. Rough was an understatement.

You were a mistake. That’s what you heard when you were ten. You had gotten up one night needing to use the bathroom and you heard them talking about how you called Otho an ugly baby and had now ruined their relationship with the Sackville-Baggins and they wished they had not sired you in the first place. That night was the first time you ever cried yourself to sleep.

After that encounter, you found yourself spending most of your time in a tree somewhere far away from Bag End, but you always made it home before the sunset.

“Its not as bad as yours, trust me,” you tell Thorin.

“Still. I would like to hear about it. We’ve been travelling together long enough and I know about everyone’s lives but yours and Bilbo’s. As the leader of this company, it is my duty,” Thorin says and you roll your eyes, but you tell him.

You tell him about how you had no one except for Bilbo. How your parents always remembered all of Bilbo’s accomplishments but always forgot your birthday. How you were always the invisible child that no one’s even heard of. That’s why you left the Shire constantly. To make a name for yourself and you did. You were known as the bravest Hobbit around and not just y/n Baggins, the unwanted child.

“Do you have any siblings?” you ask, looking at him and he smiles sadly.

“I had two. Fili and Kili’s mother is the youngest of us three. Her name is Dis. I had a younger brother named Frerin. I lost him in the Battle of Moria,” he says.

“I’m sorry,” you say and he nods.

“It’s been years, but it still hurts. Kili and Fili remind me of Frerin and I, both looks wise and attitude wise,” he explains.

“I’m guessing Fili had your attitude, but Frerin’s looks,” you say and he laughs.

“He’s not as serious though,” he says and you smile.

Thorin had a rough life. You understood that, but you just didn’t know how bad he had it. He lost his Grandfather and his little brother all in one battle. You don’t know what you would do if you lost Bilbo.

“I reckon the sun is on the rise,” you hear Bofur say.

“We’re never going to get to the mountain are we?” Ori asks and you look up in surprise as you hear jingling keys.

“Not stuck in here you’re not,” Bilbo says and you smile as he unlocks your door. You pull him into a hug.

“I have a lot to apologize for when we get out of here,” Bilbo says and you nod, stepping out of the cell. He releases everyone else and soon you all are being led into the lower halls.

You begin to question whether Bilbo was sane as you realize you were now in their cellars.

Kili voices your thoughts.

“You brought us to their cellars!” Kili exclaims and you hit him as you see the sleeping elves.

“Trust me, I know what I’m doing,” Bilbo says, but Bofur hushes him. You all stand by the barrels and you now knew what Bilbo was planning.

“Get into the barrels,” Bilbo says. There it is.

Dwalin shoves past you and Thorin steadies you.

“Prick,” you mutter.

“Just. Trust me,” Bilbo pleads and no one is listening to him. Bilbo looks to Thorin for help.

“Do as he says,” Thorin snaps and everyone stops their grumbling and gets into the barrel.

You regret your choice to stay with thorin as all the bottom barrels get taken. “Uhm,” you mumble looking up at the only barrel that was open which is the top one. The barrel that was twice your height.

You hear a grunt and you look down to find Thorin kneeling on the ground with his hands clasped. He nods to the barrel. You smile before using his hand to get into the barrel. You twist so that your head is not at the bottom of the barrel.

“Now what?” Bofur asks.

“Hold your breath,” Bilbo replies pulling on a lever. You all scream as you start plunging down a ramp. When you get into the water, you spit out whatever water you swallowed and you look back at the ramp. It seems that Bilbo had forgot one thing: how he was supposed to get out. You turn around and you’re the last barrel. You hear the ramp open up again and Bilbo comes tumbling into the water.

“Good job Master Baggins,” Thorin says, smiling happily as Bilbo clings to your barrel. You lift him into your barrel. He was not too fond of water.

“Are you okay?” you both ask and the same time and you laugh.

“I am completely sorry for the way I acted. I had no right to pick on you like that. No right to pick on your insecurities,” Bilbo apologizes looking ahead as the both of you paddle to get further down.

You reach for his hand and give him a small smile as he looks at you.

“If there has been something that I learned from our parents is that you will be the only one that’s there for me no matter what our differences and because of that I will always forgive you and love you,” you say. He smiles and presses a kiss to your forehead before you are all suddenly plunging into the open water below.

You could see the elves chasing after you and there is a horn being blown. That could not be a good thing. And it wasn’t. It turns out that that horn was a signal to close the gates.

The elves pull their weapons out and you realize that you’re now stuck and would be thrown back into prison. Your eyes widen as an elf drops dead, the sword of an orc being pulled out of it’s body.

Orcs start attacking and you had absolutely no weapons. You were definitely going to die and you were so not ready.

Bilbo stabs an oncoming orc and it drops it weapon that Fili catches. You see Kili looking around before his eye stops at the lever. Kili gets out of the barrel and you follow him, trying as much as possible to have his back. Fili tosses you a weapon and you kill the oncoming orc, tossing the weapons back down. You try to gather the weapons and you collect five and toss them down before you see another orc with metal sticking out of his body aiming his arrow at Kili. You don’t think. You just do.

You push Kili out of the way and you feel the arrow pierce your arm. You let out a scream and Kili turns back to you in shock.

“Get the lever Kee! I’m fine,” you lie and he nods, pulling down the lever as new elves join the fray. You kill a few more orcs before pulling the arrow out and slipping into barrel with Bilbo. Kili jumps back into his and thus begins the bumpy ride down the stream.

When you get to the rocks at the end, you sit on the rock and Bilbo comes to kneel in front of you.

“Are you okay?” he asks as you tear your tunic and wrap it around your arm.

“I don’t think so. It hurts more than it should,” you say as you feel a hand hold yours steady. You look up and find Thorin. You stop and he wraps your arm. Bilbo raises his eyebrow and you shrug.

He walks off.

“You shouldn’t have. You’ve already been injured more than enough times,” Thorin says, tying the wrap.

“Kili was in danger. I had to do something. He’s important to you,” you say.

“So are you. Remember that,” Thorin says before walking off leaving you confused. What did he mean by that?

Tag List: @sdavid09 @chevycastiel1967 @jotink78 @annajolras @mellonofmiddleearth

#feisty little hobbit #the hobbit #Bilbo baggins #kili #fili #thorin oakenshield #bofur #dwalin #ori #mirkwood #chapter 14

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bonestoashes · 7 years ago

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Tarot: Minor Arcana [Swords]

Other suits in the minor arcana: Cups (what are you feeling) , Wands (what are you doing about it), and Pentacles/ cups (what tools are you using). Swords is how you are thinking. In tarot the suit of Swords is tied to the element of air. This suit reminds us to be careful of our mind and thoughts. Are you sure if you need to think more, or if you already overthinking enough as it is?

“It’s easy to allow an undisciplined mind to run free, but this doesn’t usually produce anything of value.”

Here is a quick overview of how I interpret the cards. A further explanation is below the cut: Ace of Swords (Manifesting) Two of Swords (Fear) Three of Swords (Pain) Four of Swords (Relax) Five of Swords (Desperation) Six of Swords (Calming down) Seven of Swords (Deception) Eight of Swords (Persist) Nine of Swords (Regret) Ten of Swords (Failure) Page of Swords (Restlessness) Knight of Swords (Energy) Queen of Swords(Distance) King of Swords (Philanthropy)

FULL CARD BREAK DOWN AND SOURCES BELOW CUT:

** When making this guide I used the Rider-Waite Deck (By Pamela Coleman Smith). I made notes, first looking at the cards and writing what I saw and felt, then putting a second text of information I gleamed from other sources. That is the format these notes are written in. If you have any questions feel free to ask. :) ** If you click on the name of each card it will bring you to an image search in Bing of that card.

Ace of Swords I) A hand is emerging from clouds with a sword held up right. Around the tip of the sword is a crown, and that is covered in vegetation. II) A literal double edged sword. An awareness of life’s duality. An idea, team, product, something has been born from clarity and a clear mind, and intellect. Logic played a key part, and logic will be the key to bring it into the world for others to see. For a relationship this card can show that you have an idea of what you want, or for a current relationship it can show that you are in a relationship with great mental alignment.

Two of Swords I) The moon is in the sky. Behind a seated figure is a vast body of water. The seated figure is blindfolded, holding two swords crossed over their chest. II) You are letting fear hold you back. A decision has to be made and by you have blindfolded yourself from this dilemma. Out of sight, out of mind. But the more you ignore the problem the more it will grow and you will have to make a decision at some point, so might as well tackle it now. For a relationship this card tells us that a huge decision regarding your relationship will be made soon.

Three of Swords I) On a rainy night a heart is suspended in the air, pierced by three swords. II) Change is coming, and it will be the end of something(death, divorce, end of work). The best thing that can come from this is understanding. Let yourself mourn but don’t hold on to these wounds for too long. You DO have to confront the pain though.

Four of Swords I) A body is laid to rest. Atop the body is three swords ready to be chosen and used in battle. Below the body is a engraved swords showing this body was indeed a knight. II) This card is the peace after the storm. You have been through hard times but they are now over. You can retire your weapons and rest. Now might be the time to get away, and it is for sure the best time for some self care.

Five of Swords I) A person is picking up swords from the ground. In the back ground one person walks away and further still is someone else crying. II) Conflict either internal or external. You are holding on to something. An idea, motive, love, something but it doesn’t seem to be working. It is driving you to make rash and desperate decisions. Likely you know that this is a bad thing but you are having trouble letting it go. Look at your intention. If you mean well, look and see what (honestly) needs to go. What you are holding on to (fear, resentment, misplaced pride) let it go. There needs to be real communication. For relationships this card can indicate that there is a coming separation or at the very least a conflict. There will be no resolution unless there is good communication.

Six of Swords I) Someone steer a gondola for a small child and adult. In front of them the boat is filled with six swords. II) On one side of the boat is rough waters, on the other, calm. The swords are protecting the family in the front, the man has watch from the back. You are likely transitioning from a stressful time in you lie to a much calmer one. The difficult times are over and it is time to find stability.

Seven of Swords I) There is a circus of sorts in the back ground. A man makes off with 5 swords leaving two in the ground. II) This card indicates there is some sneakiness going on. While we sometimes think we can ‘beat the system’ just remember that often times our own pride can be our undoing. While you may not be sneaking around, this card tells us to be weary of people scheming against us as well. It can also tell us to use unconventional methods. Maybe you need to be sneaky. In terms of a relationship this card can suggest dishonesty or in terms of settling a conflict- compromise.

Eight of Swords I)A person walks through a jungle of swords, while she is blind folded and tied up. In the back ground there seems to be a castle. II) It is time to move through your fear. You may feel trapped and paralyzed but you can not let your self become paralyzed in the land of unknown. You may be trapped from circumstances that are out of your control or you may be letting your fear dig your own hole. If you do, you won’t be getting anywhere. In the Two of Swords you had the leisure of being able to plan before acting but it is too late for that now.

Nine of Swords I) A person sits up in their bed, alone, crying while behind them on their wall is row of polished swords. II) Right now your mind is it’s own worse enemy. You are likely feeling some negative emotional impact over some decisions, but maybe you are being too rough with yourself? You are doing nothing but keeping yourself up at night worrying. This card may also be telling you to listen to your dreams and your subconscious.

Ten of Swords I) A dead body lay on the ground covered in blood, and is stabbed through with ten swords. II) That’s it. You have failed. The important thing is to remember rock bottom is just that- the bottom. It’s now time to pick yourself back up. It’s over, now figure out how to get back up.

Page of Swords I)The wind breezes through a sword wielders hair. II) This card tells that someone is in over their heads. Either overconfidence or a lack of self-discipline is keeping someone from following through and actually bringing something into fruition. All of the ingredients are there, you just need someone who has the mind and mental strength to actually follow through and bake the cake. For a relationship this card may be telling you that you know what you want and know your dreams but are taking no action to make those dreams a reality.

Knight of Swords I) A young man brandishing his sword is flying by on his horse. II) A conflict is coming and you are going to run into it head first. Just remember not to get too caught up in the action. Make sure you cut only the ties you mean to, other wise you might burn the bridges you planned on crossing.

Queen of Swords I) A queen sits upon her throne. In one hand she holds up a sword, and in the other hand she beckons to whomever is in front of her. II) You may need to distance yourself from your emotions before they hold you back from creative and intellectual pursuits. It is time to get straight to the point and rely on logic.

King of Swords I) A king sits on his throne. Nature Is all around him. He holds a sword in his hand and looks stern. II) Time to once again put away emotions, but it’s only so you can connect to the emotions of others. Put yourself in someone else's shoes. See from another perspective, in the hope of taking your newfound information and using it to make a positive impact. Having a clear plan and sound ideas are the sure pathway to success.

Sources:

Sources are always a work in progress. Want to add a source? Send me a message with information regarding the source and I will see about adding it. Websites https://www.biddytarot.com/tarot-card-meanings/minor-arcana/suit-of-swords/ Books Alexander, Skye. The Only Tarot Book You’ll Ever Need: Gain Insight and Truth to Help Explain the Past, Present, and Future. F W Media, 2010. Crispin, Jessa. The Creative Tarot: a Modern Guide to an Inspired Life. Touchstone, 2016. Cynova, Melissa. Kitchen Table Tarot: Pull up a Chair, Shuffle the Cards, and Let’s Talk Tarot. Llewellyn Worldwide, Ltd, 2017. Fenton-Smith, Paul. The Tarot Revealed: a Beginner’s Guide. Allen & Unwin, 2008. Apps Free Apps - Labyrinthos Academy * Google Play Store | ITunes https://labyrinthos.co/ Their main website. They offer email sign ups and they have store to purchase things, such as decks.

#swords #tarot #divination #tarot research #swords tarot #ace of swords #two of swords #three of sowrds #four of swords #five of swords #six of swords #seven of swords #eight of swords #nine of swords #ten of swords #page of swords #knight of swords #queen of swords #king of swords

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tales-of-the-party · 7 years ago

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ToftP - A Gift For Rizu

Mod Rizu - Finally decided to get around to posting this since the others didn’t seem like they would mind I TOLD them I would but guuuuuys I’m lazy. So welcome to the first story of the Tales of the Party (tagging everything under TotP as well). This is the start of what has since blown up into a multi-chapter and many drawing thing for us so I hope you stick past our initial chapter, as it gets way better as it goes. Enjoy

“It’s about time you two showed up.” Rizu huffed as Bry and Coil approached. Rizu was a short woman, reaching only Bry and Coil’s chests. She had short, shoulder length red hair and large green eyes. She wore a white robe with red triangles trailing the outside, a red sash and a large red ribbon tied at the chest, she carried small pouches on her sash, and in her hand was her simple oak staff. “Sorry, had to make sure we had everything ready.” Bry said, scratching his cheek with a weak chuckle. Bry stood at an even six foot with Coil. He was a little overweight, had short shaggy black hair and muddy brown eyes with a clean shaven face. He wore large, heavy plate armor on all but his left arm. In that hand he held an axe-like halberd with a single spike atop the blade. In his right hand he held a silver tower shield with a black wolf head painted on it. “In other words, he got us lost.” Coil said with a heavy sigh. Coil wore a loose, all black uniform that covered his entire body but his green eyes. On the left side of a near invisible sash he wore around his waist were several throwing knives. On the right were four large pouches full of poisons. Strapped vertically to his back in a black sheathe was a katana. “Oi, don’t rat me out like that Coil,” Bry complained, “she said the cave by the river. She didn’t give us an exact location. I mean this is a long river.” Rizu sighed and gestured for him to come closer. When he was in range she smacked the staff down on his head, causing Bry to jump back with a yelp. “I’m a freaking white mage,” she said. “I can heal, give you boosts and occasionally do a revival. Too bad I can’t heal all your dead brain cells.” Coil barked out a laugh as Bry mumbled in complaint. “The people in the village nearby said there’s some nasty beasts here that’ve been terrorizing them lately,” she said, “so let’s hurry up and clear them out so we can get paid.” “Not very white mage of you,” Bry said, “thinking more of your pay than of the people needing help.” “Bitch, bitch, whine, whine, complain.” Rizu shrugged as she entered the mouth of the cave. “Gratitude doesn’t pay the bills.” “From what I learned this was also an old bandit hideout before the monsters came in,” Coil said, “so it might still have some of their treasure in there.” “A bonus?” Bry asked. “Sounds good to me.” “Now who sounds like they don’t care about helping out?” Coil teased. “I’m a fighter,” Bry said with a laugh, “but a little extra never hurt.” “When you girls are done kissing,” Rizu called from the cave, “feel free to get your asses in here!” The two quickly caught up to the annoyed mage and she huffed at them. She held up her hand, spoke a few words and a ball of light appeared in her hand, illuminating everything within forty feet. “I knew you could be useful at times.” Bry said with a grin. “More useful than you.” the white mage shot back as they stroke forward. Bry attempted to stutter a response but gave up after several seconds.

After five minutes of walking the trio came across the bodies. About ten of them. “Well, I guess we know what happened to the bandits.” Bry said, looking at the shredded remains and lightly kicking a severed head with his foot. Rizu glanced around at the shredded bodies and the blood splattered on the cave walls. “These guys have been dead for awhile” she said. “About two or three weeks,” Coil said kneeling down and placing his hand on the dried blood. “That’s my guess anyway.” “Should we keep going?” Bry asked, staring down toward the way they were going. “Of course,” Rizu snapped, “we took the contract. We don’t get paid until the monsters are cleared out.” Bry let out a short sigh before saying, “I thought you’d say that.” “So what are the monsters we’re up against anyway?” Coil asked as the trio continued down the tunnel. “The villagers said it’s a bunch of skeletons, a lich and something they couldn’t identify.” Rizu said. “The lich sounds bad enough.” Bry drawled. “Any clues what the other one could be?” “The villagers couldn’t give me any details besides that it was big and was on all fours.” “That’s specific.” Bry said. “Better than nothing.” Coil said, rubbing his chin “And there’s nothing else?” “Nope, just the skeletons, the undead necromancer and our mystery monster.” “Well we could-” Bry started. A whistling sound filled the darkness of the tunnel, just out of the reach of Rizu’s light, and Bry jumped in front of his two companions, his shield before him. Arrows pinged off the shield and clattered to the floor. “Coil!” Bry shouted, but the rouge was already in motion, jumping to the right wall and running along it for several steps before jumping again. While in the air he drew three small orbs from his left sleeve and threw them to the edge of Rizu’s artificial light. The orbs exploded, the light revealing a large group of skeletons. The four in front held bows and already had arrows at the ready. Still in the air, Coil drew four knives and threw them. Each knife found its mark, cutting the bow strings and stabbing into the spine of the undead warriors. The moment Coil landed, the skeletons converged on him. Bry ran forward just as Rizu began to cast her spell. Both he and Coil felt energy flow through their bodies, their movements faster and stronger. Coil managed to jump back in time to avoid being impaled by several swords, and landed next to Bry as the warrior charged forward. The skeletons attention shifted, giving Coil enough time to draw his katana with his left hand, his right tossing another knife into the open eye socket of one of the skeletons. Bry let out a bellow as he crashed into the skeletons, his halberd swinging wide and shattering three of them. He blocked a strike with his shield, leaving his stomach and left side open. Two skeletons took advantage of the opening and struck. Their blades crashed two inches from Bry’s exposed flank, invisible shields momentarily flaring into sight. “He may be an idiot,” Rizu said with a sneer, “but lucky for him, I’m not.” As the shields sent the skeletons arms wide Coil struck, coming out from behind Bry and decapitating both skeletons with one swing of his blade. “Down!” Bry roared as his arm moved to swing back. Coil dropped to the ground, landing on his finger tips and tip toes as Bry’s arm and weapon passed over where his head had been. With another swing of his weapon three more skeletons burst apart. Just as the warrior finished his swing a skeleton moved to strike Coil. Coil pushed himself forward, rolling under the skeletons swing and under it’s leg, coming up behind it. He rose quickly and slashed the skeleton four times. After a moment the skeleton split, cut just below the pelvis, just above the pelvis, just below the ribs and at the base of the neck. “Both of you, hug the walls!” Rizu shouted, the staff glowing. Bry and Coil moved out of the way just as she slammed the staff to the ground with both hands, large orbs of light as big as her head bursting forth and tearing through the skeletons. After counting to five, the orbs stopped launching and Rizu let out a heavy sigh. “Attack-based white magic spells always knock the wind outta me...” she said. There were only two skeletons left in the tunnel. Realizing that they had no chance against the three of them, they chose to run. Bry swung his halberd low, severing the skeletons legs. “Let’s go!” he shouted. As he walked by them, he raised his shield and brought it down on one right skeleton’s skull. Coil simply cut the head off the left one.

Not too far ahead, only about sixty feet, the tunnel ended and a set of downward stairs appeared. As Bry lifted his foot to take a step down, a roar sounded from deep within the darkness, followed by a gust of wind. Bry and Coil simply lifted their arm to cover their eyes to keep the dust out. Rizu used her right arm to cover her eyes, and her left to keep her robes from flapping. When the gust finally stopped, all three went silent. “So,” Coil said, breaking the silence, “who first?” Bry and Coil shared a look at each other, then looked down at Rizu. Her eyes went from one to the other, then a vein appeared on her forehead. “Oh you pansies!” she snarled and she shoved her way through them “Make a girl take the lead for you. And you call yourselves men?” Her insults and complains didn’t end until the trio reached the bottom of the stairs. The cavern they entered into was huge, easily able to hold several villages. On each side of it were torches lined evenly along the wall, every ten feet. There was rubble all around, from rocks small enough one could sit on it to boulders. At the other end of the cavern were ruins. “Looks like we stumbled upon an old temple.” Coil said, stroking his chin again. “Looks like.” Rizu said, glancing around the cavern. No sign of whatever had roared. The temple stood two hundred feet high and, if Rizu had to guess, sixty to eighty across from the base. “Let’s go,” Bry said as he strode forward, “carefully.” Rizu and Coil shared a skeptical look. Rizu followed several steps behind Bry while Coil stepped into the shadows and vanished. They had done this formation before. Bry would lure out the beast and keep its focus away from Rizu. If it was too much for him to handle by himself then Rizu would boost his power while Coil probed it for weaknesses and struck it. Bry and Rizu stepped carefully, glancing around at the dancing firelight. “Maybe there’s nothing down-” Bry began as a massive shadow came down from the ceiling. The crash was more akin to thunder, a great shockwave blowing Bry and Rizu back and putting out several of the torches. Neither had time to even see what it was before it roared and sent out another wave that knocked them back further. Rizu was thrown back to the cavern wall. Thanks to the weight of his armor, Bry was only pushed back from the beast by thirty feet. As both got to their feet, a loud rumbling shook the cavern. Quake? Rizu thought frantically as the rumbling made her teeth rattle and shake. No, if it was a quake then the whole cavern would be coming down around their ears. She finally got a good look at their opponent. By the Gods of magic. The beast was on all fours, was covered in black fur and stood at fifteen feet at the shoulder, and was easily just as long. It’s face and body was that of a lion, it’s tail a dark green cobra-like snake and it’s hind feet were hooves like a goats. “A chimera,” Bry said with a nervous chuckle. “Never fought one of you before” The chimera pulled its lips back revealing large yellow fangs, each as long as Bry’s hand and half as thick. “Rizu, you got my back?” Bry asked, turning toward her. She was gone. Bry looked around frantically until he saw her head peek out from behind one of the large boulders, thirty or so feet behind him on his left. “I’m still kinda outta magic power! But when it’s back I’ll support you from here!” she called “Good luck!” “Damn you!” Bry shouted as the chimera leapt at him, jaws open wide and ready to take his head off. As Bry brought his halberd up to try and impale the chimera’s mouth, a knife flew from the shadows and sunk into the chimera's eye. The beast howled pulled to the side at the last second, Bry’s halberd only catching the corner of it’s lip. The monster howled in pain once more. With a snarl it smacked into Bry’s left side with its hoof and sent him flying through the air. While Bry was in the air Coil appeared from the shadows and used Bry as a platform to jump higher into the air. Coil tossed down more knives on the top of the chimeras skull. He landed on its back and slashed it with his sword. The howl of pain tore through the chamber and the chimera began to buck, attempting to toss him off. “You’re going to need to try harder than that pussycat.” Coil laughed. As he prepared to leap from its back, a hissing sounded behind him. Fast as lightning, the snake wrapped around his torso as he turned. He gasped as the snake tightened it’s grip on him. “R-Rizu!” he struggled. “A little help please?” “Still not much magic energy!” she shouted. “You guys are doing great though!” Bry roared and charged, shield held before him. The snake continued to tighten, forcing the air out of Coil’s lungs. He felt the chimera move to prepare to engage Bry. The snake also turned its attention to Bry, for a moment. A moment was all Coil needed. He slipped a knife out of his sleeve and jammed it into the thick muscles of the tail. The snake let out a shriek and loosened enough for Coil to slip out and jump off to the side of the chimera. The chimera’s attention shifted to him. At that moment Bry struck. He swung the halberd toward the floor. The blade sank into the chimera’s flesh, causing it to howl in pain as blood splattered Bry and the ground. It raised one of its paws and brought it down on top of Bry, slamming him to the floor. “Rizu!” Bry shouted. “Almost got enough power!” she shouted back. The chimera lowered its face toward Bry’s head. His great jaws opened just inches away from his skull. Coil struck, slashing the beats nose. The chimera pulled back and roared in pain. It turned away and the snake struck. Coil managed to pull back enough that the great fangs only sank into his shoulder. Coil snarled and slashed its snout and eye. He was lurched forward as the snake retracted and was caught off guard when the chimera swatted him to the side with its massive hoof. Coil smacked into the wall and landed on the ground with a loud thunk. Both Bry and Coil rose to their feet as the chimera backed away, snarling and biting. “Okay Rizu! Seriously!” Bry shouted, using his shield to balance himself “Healing! Now!” “Oi! Don’t tell me what to do!” she shouted “Besides, I’ve only gained enough for one healing!” “Doesn’t matter! Heal!” “I’m afraid I must agree with him, Rizu,” Coil said, drawing two small bombs from one of his pouches. “I’m telling you guys! I only have enough for-” “Just hurry up and heal!” Bry snarled. Veins appeared on Rizu’s forehead and under her left eye, the only hint of her barely controlled rage. Bry, Coil and the chimera all seemed to blanch away from her wrath. A small, wicked smile crossed her face, showing off her white teeth. “Fine.” she said, her tone icy. “You want healing? Here it is.” A small green orb appeared in her and hand shot forward. Bry moved to get it- -only for it to speed past him and fly into the chimera. All the wounds Bry and Coil had inflicted slowly began to heal. The eyes that Coil had destroyed regrew, the noses mended and the wound Bry had inflicted on it’s side sewed itself closed. Bry and Coil’s jaws dropped as Rizu chuckled wickedly. The chimera looked at the areas that had been wounded. After examining itself, it looked back at Bry and Coil. It lifted its lips. “Did that thing just smile at us?” Bry asked. “Eeyup.” Coil said with a flinch. Rizu never stopped laughing as the chimera beat Bry and Coil into the ground.

“Awww,” Rizu said, snuggling the chimeras muzzle, “you’re just a great big kitten aren’t you?” “Bullshit!” Bry and Coil shouted. After healing the chimera, the beast had submitted to Rizu. She’d waited ten minutes for her magic pool to refill before healing the two of them. The chimera turned its massive head toward them and growled. “Oh don’t act tough,” Bry said, getting into the chimeras face “we had you on the ropes.” “Pretty sure he was kicking our asses.” Coil said as he helped Rizu onto the chimera’s back. “He doesn’t know that.” Bry said, not breaking eye contact with the beast. After several seconds it sneezed on his face. “I hate all three of you.” Bry said as Rizu and Coil burst out laughing and the chimera huffed in amusement. “Well, we’ve dealt with the skeletons,” Rizu said, scratching the lion’s head and the snakes chin, “and we’ve tamed this guy here. That just leaves the lich.” “Guessing he’s in the temple.” Bry said, shaking himself like a dog and pouring water from his canteen over his face. “Shall we go then?” Coil asked, patting the chimera on the side. “How come we have to walk while she gets to warm her rump and ride?” Bry asked as they moved toward the other side of the cavern. “Because Fluffles loves me.” she said, scratching the chimera behind its ear. “Fluffles?” “Yeah, I just decided that’s his name.” “Stupid name.” “That must make it even more embarrassing for you since he kicked your ass six ways to the end of the week.” Bry was silent for a few moments before saying, “I suppose Fluffles isn’t that bad.” The chimera huffed again. The four made their way up the steps, reaching the top after only a few minutes. The opening to the temple was held up by four large pillars with carvings of great dragons spiraling up them. “By the Gods of magic!” Rizu whispered. Just beyond the pillars was a small hill of gold. Coins, plates, cups, even swords and axes. Before it was a golden throne, and in it sat the litch. The rotting corpse wore heavy purple robes, amulets and rings adorned with all types of gems. From its forehead grew large curved horns. As they approached the lich exhaled slowly, a mist like substance coming from its mouth. “You guys rest,” Rizu said cracking her neck and jumping off Fluffles. “I got this.” Bry, Coil and Fluffles all shared a quiet look but said nothing as Rizu approached the lich. The lich slowly began to rise. Before it was half way up Rizu smacked it over the head with her staff and followed up by placing her foot on its chest and forcing it back into the throne. “Mortal wench!” the lich snarled “Do you not know the power you offend!?” She smacked it across the face with her staff again. “You-” Smack. “Filthy-” Smack. “Enou-” Smack. “Stop!” Smack. “Cold blooded.” Bry said. Rizu grabbed the lich by the front of its robe and pulled it forward slightly, her foot still on its chest. “Let’s get one thing straight bub,” she huffed “I’m your god at the moment. You’re my bitch. Understand?” The lich said nothing in return. Rizu raised her staff again. “I understand, mistress.” it said quickly. “Good,” Rizu said sweetly. “Now, we’re going to take all that lovely gold with us. Then you’re gonna pack up shop and leave so the nice people in the village nearby can live in peace. Understood?” The lich was silent for a few moments before nodding. “Good. Now get lost.” she said. The lich snapped its fingers and disappeared in a puff of smoke. “That was nicely handled.” Coil said as he, Bry and Fluffles walked past Rizu to the pile of gold. “This is going to take a few trips.” Bry said with a whine. “Good thing I’ve got two strong men and a giant monster to help carry it all, huh?” Rizu asked with a big grin on her face. “So in other words,” Bry said, “the three of us will be carrying it all up while you do nothing.” “I won’t be doing nothing,” Rizu said with a mock hurt tone, “I’ll be trying to figure out a way to move this throne into my living room.”

#Tales of the Party #ToftP #Fantasy #story #original story #Rizu #Bry #Coil

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