Thursday, March 3, 2016
Queen and Country
Dear reader, are you by any chance, familiar with the TV-series, The Sandbaggers? If not, I should tell you that it was a British espionage-series, created by Ian Mackintosh. The series, which ran for three seasons, before ending abruptly due to the mysterious disappearance (and most likely death) of its creator, starred Roy Marsden as Neil Burnside; the ruthless, but oh-so effective, head of operations of the British secret service. As spy-fiction goes, The Sandbaggers had much more in common with Le Carré than Fleming, meaning that an episode consists of about 90% of people talking to each other, either on the phone, in the street or in an office and the remaining 10% (or less) are dedicated to action-sequences.
I love The Sandbaggers, it is, hands down, one of my all-time favorite TV-shows. However, as you have undoubtedly figured out by looking at the title, its not the main subject for this post. The reason why I brought up the show, is because writer Greg Rucka has acknowledged it as the inspiration for his comic, Queen and Country.
Of course, there are some notable differences between the two. For example, Queen and Country began publication in the early 00's, meaning that the Cold War is over and that terrorists, not communists, are the chief enemies of the Western world. Another difference lies in the main characters; rather than letting the head of operations be the main character, Rucka decided to focus on one of the field-agents (or minders, as they are called) instead. Furthermore, said field-agent is a woman; Tara Chase, who deserves a place among the great female lead characters in comics. She's backed up by a solid supporting cast, including her boss, Paul Crocker, a worthy successor to Burnside.
I've currently read five volumes of Queen and Country, each one better than the last. Rucka does a great job at spinning suspenseful plot-arcs that keeps the reader intrigued all the way to the end. All the while keeping his characters and their relationship, both professional and otherwise, interesting.
Like all the great works in its genre, Queen and Country comes with a dose of moral ambiguity as Tara and the other agents on occasion have to compromise their morals and ethics in order to carry out their mission. One particularly memorable example of this occurs in the fifth volume (drawn by Carla Speed McNeil, each volume has a different artist), in which our heroine commits an act that, while perhaps understandable, in some ways, nearly pushes her into villain-territory. I won't say what it is, you'll have to find it out for yourself.
If you're a fan of good spy-fiction, Queen and Country is a must-read.
Sunday, February 21, 2016
Chapter 3
The great dining hall of the royal palace was a long, rectangular room, with enough space to house hundreds of guests without trouble. At the time our story takes place, the dining hall was seldom in use; the king and his children tended to have their meals, or entertain any visitors in their respective quarters. This evening, however, the hall had been opened up for the festivities and the guests had now begun to take their assigned seats at one of the tables. Jeraddin, Nasari and their children, were seated at the same table as the royal family. Aside from king Sharan, who occupied the seat of honor and Thekros, there were two more dragons present: One was Keron, who was known throughout the kingdom as a scholar of some renown, but who unfortunately had been born without the use of his legs and was confined to a wheelchair. The other was the king's youngest offspring, Merees, who, being a mere thirty years old, was still a child by the definition of her species. When all the guests had taken their places, the king tapped his jewel-encrusted goblet, with one of his claws, in order to call for attention. All the guests turned towards their monarch, the king cleared his throat and began to speak:
"My friends and loyal subjects", he said, his voice reaching to the farthest corners of the room. "I know that you're no doubt eager to feast upon the various delectable dishes that my chefs, under the surveillance of master Bureno, has prepared for us. Before that though, there are a few things I'd like to say. Do not worry, I promise, it shan't take long." Here, king Sharan paused, took a deep breath and looked at the guests, who were all hanging on to his every word.
"It has been my privilege", the king continued, "to have been the head of this nation for over two centuries now and I hope that I've proven myself worthy of the task bestowed upon me. However, I could not have done it myself: Your ancestors helped me to bring peace and prosperity to this land of ours and you have followed in their footsteps. You have served me and the people of Vinoli well and I have no doubt that your descendants will do the same. I thank you."
At this moment, king Sharan raised his goblet.
"My friends, a toast; To Vinoli."
"To Vinoli!" Everyone shouted at the same time, the sound of their cheer causing the walls to vibrate. With the speech over, his majesty gave order for dinner to be served. The collective mouths of the guests began to water as they saw the variety of meticulously prepared dishes, that were being carried out in front of them. Naturally, the king was served first and he was just about to start eating, when a thought entered his mind, like a thief sneaking into an unguarded house:
What if the food had been poisoned?
Centuries ago, when he was a young and inexperienced ruler, king Sharan had fallen victim to an assassination attempt, when a jealous pretender to the throne poisoned his food. The poison had been strong enough to kill a horse, but not strong enough to kill a dragon. Ever since, king Sharan had employed someone to taste his food, to see if it had been tampered with. As luck would have it, there had never been another attempt to poison the king, aside from that time (perhaps the failure of the first try served to discourage others, who can say?), but the fear that one day, someone would find a poison strong enough to take his life, lingered deep in the dragon-king's subconscious and occasionally that fear woke up and made itself reminded. King Sharan looked at his food, there didn't seem to be anything wrong with it and besides, his daughter had been in charge of everything. Surely, Argath wouldn't try to poison her father? The mere thought was preposterous. Still, what if someone else had persuaded the chefs to put poison in the food? Someone like Thekros, for example. King Sharan looked at his son through the corner of one eye, he had never liked Thekros and that antipathy had only grown stronger over the years. The king's low opinion of his son had only been strengthened further by reports from his spies, who had often seen the prince in places of ill-repute, consorting with shady and uncouth individuals. Yes, if anyone was capable of poisoning their own sire, it would be Thekros.
Having made his decision, king Sharan held his plate out for his food-taster.
"Try some of this, a little bit of each", the king commanded.
The food-taster, a skinny hare with sunken eyes, who had inherited his position from his father, when the old man had died of a brain-aneurysm at the age of 70, sent a silent prayer to the appropriate deity and produced a small fork and knife, with which he proceeded to cut a slice of each piece of food, which he then popped into his mouth. As the food-taster chewed vigorously, the king studied his face with a mix of hope and anxiety.
"How do you feel?" He asked after awhile.
The food-taster swallowed and seemed to be pondering the question.
"Like usual, your majesty."
"You do not feel ill or anything?" The king asked, hesitantly.
"No, your majesty, I feel fine."
Feeling more at ease, king Sharan took the plate from the food-taster and started eating, as he swallowed a morsel, a look of pure bliss came over his face. The servant, seeing that the king was satisfied, began serving the other guests.
As the hours passed and the drink and food were consumed, the mood became less and less formal; the guests conversed more freely with one another and soon the hall was filled with a plethora of noises, including someone bursting impromptu into song, heated arguments (some of which ended with both parties clearing their schedules for a duel, when the time was right) and laughter. At one point, Leorin turned to his mother, reached out and nudged her shoulder.
Nasari, who had been talking with Keron about a treatise of his that she had read and found interesting, excused herself and turned towards her son.
"What is it, Leo?" She asked.
The kitten looked around and motioned for his mother to bend down. Nasari did so and Leorin whispered into her ear:
"I need to go."
Nasari turned to her eldest child, who was busy talking to Merees, the two of them having discovered that they shared some similar interests and had hit it off quite well.
"Risha, go with your brother", she ordered.
Risha sighed.
"Do I have to?"
"Yes."
Reluctantly, Risha got up, excused herself and left the dining hall, along with Leorin. As the two siblings walked through the corridors, she turned to her brother.
"Let's find a bathroom, so we can get back. There has to be one here somewhere."
"That's fine", Leorin replied and smiled mischievously. "I didn't really need to go, that was just an excuse."
The lynx-girl shut her eyes and groaned in frustration. She loved her brother, but there were times when he really got on her nerves.
"We're going back", she said and reached out to grab hold of Leorin's paw, only to find that he was gone. It didn't take long for her to find him, he was climbing the stairwell up to the second floor. Risha could move quickly when she wanted to, in the wink of an eye, she stood at the bottom of the stairwell.
"Leo, get back here!"
Alas, her brother did not listen.
"You'll have to catch me first!" He replied and bolted upstairs.
Risha mentally cursed the obstinacy of younger siblings and dashed after him. She rounded a corner and found Leorin crouched by a door, his ear pressed to it.
Risha approached, intending on giving her brother a peace of her mind. She was just about to speak, when to her surprise, Leorin turned around, signaled for her to be quiet and waved at her to come closer.
"There are people in this room", he whispered, excitedly, as if he was revealing some great secret.
"I heard that one of the king's daughters was sick and couldn't enjoy the party", Risha whispered back. "This must be her room. Anyway, we shouldn't be here, let's go back."
"She doesn't sound sick", Leorin replied. "Listen."
Against her better judgment, Risha found herself intrigued, she put one ear to the door. Two voices, a male and female could be heard on the other side, this is what they said:
"Its almost time for dessert, isn't it?" Said the female voice.
"I believe it is", answered the male voice and burst into laughter. "A toast to your ascendance, princess", it proceeded to say in an almost comically formal tone. "May your reign be long and prosperous."
"Thank you, Lorenzo" the female voice replied. "Its been hard, forcing myself to feign loyalty to the father I despise, all these years, but it will all be worth it, soon enough.
"Shame about Merees though. After all, she has nothing to do with this."
"Yes, that is a shame. Still, I can't risk her eventually turning against me."
Risha felt her heart beat faster, a mix of fear and excitement mingling in her mind. Somehow, she and her brother had stumbled upon a royal conspiracy, just like in the novels she loved to read. She was just about to tell her brother that they should leave and tell someone about what they had heard, when the door opened and a one-eyed fox, dressed in elegant clothes, stepped out. The two children pressed themselves against the wall, fortunately the fox did not seem to notice them and hurried down the staircase. Risha and Leorin waited until the fox's footsteps had died away and then sneaked downstairs, as quietly as they could.
"Who should we tell about this?" Leorin asked as they headed back to the dining hall. "The king?"
His sister thought about it for a second and then shook her head.
"No, somehow I doubt that he'd believe us. After all, it seems like this princess is very close to the king and besides, we have no proof."
"So, what will we do? We have to tell someone."
"Well, princess Merees is one of the targets, I'll talk to her. Meanwhile, you can talk to dad, since he's one of the kingdom's heroes, maybe the king will listen to him."
"OK."
While Risha and Leorin were gone, Merees had remembered an amusing story, which she felt the need to share with someone. However, everyone else at the table were busy talking to each other and it would be rude to interrupt, so the princess was delighted when her new friend and her brother returned to the dining-hall and sat down at the table.
"You have to hear this...", she began, smiling brightly. Then, she stopped abruptly, as she noticed the serious look on Risha's face.
"Is something wrong?" She asked, sympathetically.
"Princess, there's something I must tell you", the younger girl answered. "Its very important."
"Well, what is it?"
Risha was just about to reveal everything, when she noticed that the fox she had seen coming out from Argath's room was present in the dining hall, he was leaning against a pillar with his arms crossed over his chest and maybe it was Risha's imagination, but she could swear that the fox was looking directly at her. Had he noticed her and Leorin after all? No, he couldn't have, could he?
"Princess, this is really something that needs to be discussed in private."
"Really?" Merees looked surprised. "Well, I can't just leave, not without a good excuse and besides, I need you to come with me." The princess tapped her chin, pondering a solution. Then she suddenly reached out and swept her glass off the table, causing it to land in Risha's lap. The glass was still almost full and the stains started to spread over the lynx-girl's dress. Risha looked at her ruined dress in disbelief, then at Merees, who stood up. with a shocked expression on her face.
"How clumsy of me", she said. "I've ruined your dress! Come with me, you can have one of mine!"
Having said that Merees turned to the king and curtsied, Risha followed her example.
"Father, I'm afraid that I've ruined the general's daughter's clothes. Will you excuse us, while I try to make things right?"
"Very well", said king Sharan, "but don't take too long, I want to get started on the dessert in a bit."
"We'll be just a second", the princess replied and grabbed Risha's paw. "Come with me."
With that, the two girls left the dining hall, as they walked past the place where the fox stood, Risha couldn't help but take a quick glance at him. Her heart almost got caught in her throat, when he looked back at her and nodded in acknowledgment.
"My friends and loyal subjects", he said, his voice reaching to the farthest corners of the room. "I know that you're no doubt eager to feast upon the various delectable dishes that my chefs, under the surveillance of master Bureno, has prepared for us. Before that though, there are a few things I'd like to say. Do not worry, I promise, it shan't take long." Here, king Sharan paused, took a deep breath and looked at the guests, who were all hanging on to his every word.
"It has been my privilege", the king continued, "to have been the head of this nation for over two centuries now and I hope that I've proven myself worthy of the task bestowed upon me. However, I could not have done it myself: Your ancestors helped me to bring peace and prosperity to this land of ours and you have followed in their footsteps. You have served me and the people of Vinoli well and I have no doubt that your descendants will do the same. I thank you."
At this moment, king Sharan raised his goblet.
"My friends, a toast; To Vinoli."
"To Vinoli!" Everyone shouted at the same time, the sound of their cheer causing the walls to vibrate. With the speech over, his majesty gave order for dinner to be served. The collective mouths of the guests began to water as they saw the variety of meticulously prepared dishes, that were being carried out in front of them. Naturally, the king was served first and he was just about to start eating, when a thought entered his mind, like a thief sneaking into an unguarded house:
What if the food had been poisoned?
Centuries ago, when he was a young and inexperienced ruler, king Sharan had fallen victim to an assassination attempt, when a jealous pretender to the throne poisoned his food. The poison had been strong enough to kill a horse, but not strong enough to kill a dragon. Ever since, king Sharan had employed someone to taste his food, to see if it had been tampered with. As luck would have it, there had never been another attempt to poison the king, aside from that time (perhaps the failure of the first try served to discourage others, who can say?), but the fear that one day, someone would find a poison strong enough to take his life, lingered deep in the dragon-king's subconscious and occasionally that fear woke up and made itself reminded. King Sharan looked at his food, there didn't seem to be anything wrong with it and besides, his daughter had been in charge of everything. Surely, Argath wouldn't try to poison her father? The mere thought was preposterous. Still, what if someone else had persuaded the chefs to put poison in the food? Someone like Thekros, for example. King Sharan looked at his son through the corner of one eye, he had never liked Thekros and that antipathy had only grown stronger over the years. The king's low opinion of his son had only been strengthened further by reports from his spies, who had often seen the prince in places of ill-repute, consorting with shady and uncouth individuals. Yes, if anyone was capable of poisoning their own sire, it would be Thekros.
Having made his decision, king Sharan held his plate out for his food-taster.
"Try some of this, a little bit of each", the king commanded.
The food-taster, a skinny hare with sunken eyes, who had inherited his position from his father, when the old man had died of a brain-aneurysm at the age of 70, sent a silent prayer to the appropriate deity and produced a small fork and knife, with which he proceeded to cut a slice of each piece of food, which he then popped into his mouth. As the food-taster chewed vigorously, the king studied his face with a mix of hope and anxiety.
"How do you feel?" He asked after awhile.
The food-taster swallowed and seemed to be pondering the question.
"Like usual, your majesty."
"You do not feel ill or anything?" The king asked, hesitantly.
"No, your majesty, I feel fine."
Feeling more at ease, king Sharan took the plate from the food-taster and started eating, as he swallowed a morsel, a look of pure bliss came over his face. The servant, seeing that the king was satisfied, began serving the other guests.
As the hours passed and the drink and food were consumed, the mood became less and less formal; the guests conversed more freely with one another and soon the hall was filled with a plethora of noises, including someone bursting impromptu into song, heated arguments (some of which ended with both parties clearing their schedules for a duel, when the time was right) and laughter. At one point, Leorin turned to his mother, reached out and nudged her shoulder.
Nasari, who had been talking with Keron about a treatise of his that she had read and found interesting, excused herself and turned towards her son.
"What is it, Leo?" She asked.
The kitten looked around and motioned for his mother to bend down. Nasari did so and Leorin whispered into her ear:
"I need to go."
Nasari turned to her eldest child, who was busy talking to Merees, the two of them having discovered that they shared some similar interests and had hit it off quite well.
"Risha, go with your brother", she ordered.
Risha sighed.
"Do I have to?"
"Yes."
Reluctantly, Risha got up, excused herself and left the dining hall, along with Leorin. As the two siblings walked through the corridors, she turned to her brother.
"Let's find a bathroom, so we can get back. There has to be one here somewhere."
"That's fine", Leorin replied and smiled mischievously. "I didn't really need to go, that was just an excuse."
The lynx-girl shut her eyes and groaned in frustration. She loved her brother, but there were times when he really got on her nerves.
"We're going back", she said and reached out to grab hold of Leorin's paw, only to find that he was gone. It didn't take long for her to find him, he was climbing the stairwell up to the second floor. Risha could move quickly when she wanted to, in the wink of an eye, she stood at the bottom of the stairwell.
"Leo, get back here!"
Alas, her brother did not listen.
"You'll have to catch me first!" He replied and bolted upstairs.
Risha mentally cursed the obstinacy of younger siblings and dashed after him. She rounded a corner and found Leorin crouched by a door, his ear pressed to it.
Risha approached, intending on giving her brother a peace of her mind. She was just about to speak, when to her surprise, Leorin turned around, signaled for her to be quiet and waved at her to come closer.
"There are people in this room", he whispered, excitedly, as if he was revealing some great secret.
"I heard that one of the king's daughters was sick and couldn't enjoy the party", Risha whispered back. "This must be her room. Anyway, we shouldn't be here, let's go back."
"She doesn't sound sick", Leorin replied. "Listen."
Against her better judgment, Risha found herself intrigued, she put one ear to the door. Two voices, a male and female could be heard on the other side, this is what they said:
"Its almost time for dessert, isn't it?" Said the female voice.
"I believe it is", answered the male voice and burst into laughter. "A toast to your ascendance, princess", it proceeded to say in an almost comically formal tone. "May your reign be long and prosperous."
"Thank you, Lorenzo" the female voice replied. "Its been hard, forcing myself to feign loyalty to the father I despise, all these years, but it will all be worth it, soon enough.
"Shame about Merees though. After all, she has nothing to do with this."
"Yes, that is a shame. Still, I can't risk her eventually turning against me."
Risha felt her heart beat faster, a mix of fear and excitement mingling in her mind. Somehow, she and her brother had stumbled upon a royal conspiracy, just like in the novels she loved to read. She was just about to tell her brother that they should leave and tell someone about what they had heard, when the door opened and a one-eyed fox, dressed in elegant clothes, stepped out. The two children pressed themselves against the wall, fortunately the fox did not seem to notice them and hurried down the staircase. Risha and Leorin waited until the fox's footsteps had died away and then sneaked downstairs, as quietly as they could.
"Who should we tell about this?" Leorin asked as they headed back to the dining hall. "The king?"
His sister thought about it for a second and then shook her head.
"No, somehow I doubt that he'd believe us. After all, it seems like this princess is very close to the king and besides, we have no proof."
"So, what will we do? We have to tell someone."
"Well, princess Merees is one of the targets, I'll talk to her. Meanwhile, you can talk to dad, since he's one of the kingdom's heroes, maybe the king will listen to him."
"OK."
While Risha and Leorin were gone, Merees had remembered an amusing story, which she felt the need to share with someone. However, everyone else at the table were busy talking to each other and it would be rude to interrupt, so the princess was delighted when her new friend and her brother returned to the dining-hall and sat down at the table.
"You have to hear this...", she began, smiling brightly. Then, she stopped abruptly, as she noticed the serious look on Risha's face.
"Is something wrong?" She asked, sympathetically.
"Princess, there's something I must tell you", the younger girl answered. "Its very important."
"Well, what is it?"
Risha was just about to reveal everything, when she noticed that the fox she had seen coming out from Argath's room was present in the dining hall, he was leaning against a pillar with his arms crossed over his chest and maybe it was Risha's imagination, but she could swear that the fox was looking directly at her. Had he noticed her and Leorin after all? No, he couldn't have, could he?
"Princess, this is really something that needs to be discussed in private."
"Really?" Merees looked surprised. "Well, I can't just leave, not without a good excuse and besides, I need you to come with me." The princess tapped her chin, pondering a solution. Then she suddenly reached out and swept her glass off the table, causing it to land in Risha's lap. The glass was still almost full and the stains started to spread over the lynx-girl's dress. Risha looked at her ruined dress in disbelief, then at Merees, who stood up. with a shocked expression on her face.
"How clumsy of me", she said. "I've ruined your dress! Come with me, you can have one of mine!"
Having said that Merees turned to the king and curtsied, Risha followed her example.
"Father, I'm afraid that I've ruined the general's daughter's clothes. Will you excuse us, while I try to make things right?"
"Very well", said king Sharan, "but don't take too long, I want to get started on the dessert in a bit."
"We'll be just a second", the princess replied and grabbed Risha's paw. "Come with me."
With that, the two girls left the dining hall, as they walked past the place where the fox stood, Risha couldn't help but take a quick glance at him. Her heart almost got caught in her throat, when he looked back at her and nodded in acknowledgment.
Monday, January 25, 2016
A Collection of Great Characters
Perhaps the most important part of a work of fiction for me and I'm reasonably sure some of you would agree, is the characters. Now, its of course possible to have a great work of fiction, which relies less on the strength of its cast, than things such as plotting, world-building, etc. For example; I'm a huge fan of the stories written by Jorge Luis Borges, but if you asked me if I had a favorite character from his works, I'd be hard-pressed to think of one. Those are exceptions though, as a rule I find that a cast of well-drawn, engaging characters is the key to a truly great story. With that in mind, I've picked out ten characters that I've found particularly memorable over the years. These aren't all my favorite characters, of course (that would be a way longer list), but they're ones I found particularly worthy of recognition, for a variety of reasons.
As the Deadwood went on, Al transformed into something of an anti-hero, frequently going up against people even worse than him, such as the show's ultimate big bad; George Hearst. However, no matter which label you want to put on the guy, Mr. Swearengen remains one of the finest characters ever to appear on Television.
I'm a fan of characters that start out relatively simple and gradually reveals themselves as deeper and more complex as the plot goes on. Ed from Ursula Vernon's web-comic, Digger, is a great example of this type of character. Introduced early on in the story as a weird hyena that tries (and fails) to eat Digger (the main character), Ed comes of at first as the character who will play the role of comic relief and little beyond that, an impression which his tendency to refer to himself in third person does nothing to help. However, asDigger continues, Vernon starts to reveal more sides to Ed's character; showing him to be both courageous (its he who performs the most heroic act in the comic) as well as surprisingly insightful regarding a variety of topics. Of course, one can't talk about Ed without at least mentioning his back-story. I won't go into too much detail, but suffice to say that its a sad one, containing both abusive relationships and murder. Ed is by far the most purely sympathetic and lovable character I have on this list, I'm pretty sure its impossible to read Digger without wanting to give the poor guy a hug.
Who is the greatest secret agent or spy in fiction? A lot of people when asked this question would probably go with James Bond, but for me, another name comes to mind. That name, is George Smiley, the star of several books written by John LeCarré, most notably the trilogy which consists of the following books: Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, The Honourable Schoolboy and Smiley's People. Now, Smiley has none of the style of 007. Instead, he's a grey, middle-aged man of the kind that you wouldn't look twice at if you saw him on the street, or on the bus. However, he is a far more compelling character than Fleming's super-spy. Discreet, clever and manipulative, Smiley's the kind of guy who'd go into your country, figure out its secrets and you'd never even knew that he was there.
Plus, he's been portrayed by both Alec Guinness and Gary Oldman, which is not something to be sneezed at.
MacBeth (MacBeth)
When I was a kid, my mom took me to see a local performance of MacBeth, it made a huge impression on me and to this day it remains my favorite of the bards' plays and its titular character my favorite Shakespeare character. I'm pretty sure that my affection for villain-protagonists can be traced back to this play. No, MacBeth wasn't my first of these, I was already familiar with the Brain from Pinky and the Brain and Edmund Blackadder, to mention just two examples. However, unlike these two characters, MacBeth's villainy was not played for laughs, something which no doubt contributed to my fascination for the character. Of course, it doesn't hurt that the Thane of Cawdor, like most of Shakespeare's creations is an extremely complex character and I never get tired of either reading about, or watching him wrestle with his conflicting emotions, whether its his doubt, his guilt or his ambition.
Hail, MacBeth, king hereafter.
If there's a game that proves that games are capable of telling stories just as deep and involving as any other medium, it must be Planescape: Torment, a game which took the hoary old "amnesiac protagonist" cliché and made it interesting. The main character ofPlanescape wakes up in a morgue, without no idea how he got there or who he is. However, one thing soon becomes clear; he is immortal and so, our "hero" begins his journey through Sigil: City of Doors in order to learn his identity. During his journey he's joined by a variety of characters, some of which he shares history with.
Planescape: Torment is a game that has been rightfully praised for its strong writing, something which is particularly true when it comes to its characters. This game features one of the strongest and most memorable casts to be found in the medium, from a wisecracking floating skull, to a succubus, thorn between her desire to live a life of Good and her nature as a creature of Evil. However, its the Nameless One who is the heart and soul of the game and the developers deserve a lot of credit for making a character whose personality is largely dependent on what choices the player makes, into a deep and intriguing protagonist, regardless of the path he pursues.
What can change the nature of man? I may not know the answer to this question, but I do know that the Nameless One is one of the greatest characters in gaming.
Oscar Francois de Jarjayes (The Rose of Versailles)
I wanted to include at least one female character on this list and so, I thought long and hard which one to choose. Eventually, I decided to go with The Rose of Versailles' Oscar Francois de Jarjayes. From an early age, Oscar was raised as a boy and trained in all manners of manly activities, such as sword-fighting and horseback-riding, which she, of course, does better than any man in France. Of course, being a badass isn't enough to make a great character. Fortunately, Oscar also benefits from a strong, memorable personality, which makes her very easy too root for. As the story moves on, we also see her being thorn between her loyalty towards the crown she has sworn to serve and her increasing sympathy towards the people of France. She is, in short, one of the best heroines to ever appear in a work of fiction.
The fictional, homosexual younger brother of Erwin "The Desert Fox" Rommel, created by Donna Barr. Much like Ed, Pfirsich can, at a first glance, come of as pretty superficial and shallow, the vehicle of cheap jokes. However, he soon reveals himself to be intelligent, brave, compassionate and honorable, while also being a fully rounded and believable character. Possibly my favorite hero in comics.
I have a deep affection for the old-school, hard-boiled private-eye and out of all the representatives of this particular archetype, Raymond Chandler's Philip Marlowe is, by far, the best one. A tarnished knight, Marlowe wanders the mean streets of the city, solving crimes and waxing cynically about the society he inhabits. Anyone who has the least bit of interest in crime and mystery-literature, owe it to themselves to make Mr. Marlowe's acquaintance.
What list of great characters is complete without The Knight of the Mournful Countenance? Don Quixote is certainly an interesting character: On one hand, he's a figure of ridicule; a deluded kook who fancies himself a knight in shining armor. On the other hand, in some ways, Don Quixote really is the knight he imagines himself to be; the wizards and giants he fights might be products of his imagination, but that doesn't really makes the chivalry or courage he displays on his quest any less real. Its easy to laugh at Don Quixote and the mishaps he gets into, but I must admit that there's a part of me that can't help but feel admiration for the man.
He has neither magical powers nor dark armies or evil henchmen at his beck and call and yet, Steerpike, the arch-villain of Mervyn Peake's first two Gormenghast novels, is one of the greatest evil-doers to come out of the fantasy-genre. One of the things that make Steerpike so interesting is the fact that its very easy to root for the guy, at least when the first book begins. After all, Steerpike starts out at the lowest rung on the castle's hierarchy ladder, so its understandable that he would want to improve his lot in life. Not to mention that he's both intelligent and charismatic. However, Steerpike actually achieves this goal when doctor Prunesquallor agrees to take him on as his apprentice and it soon becomes clear that Steerpike is only planning to use his new master as a stepping-stone to climb higher and higher.
A consummate actor and manipulator, Steerpike cares for only one thing: Power, but he's quite skilled at making other people believe that he cares about the same thing they do and that he's on their side. He reveals himself as more and more evil as the plot progresses and its a testament to Peake's writing that even when I had reached a point where I just wanted Steerpike to die, I was still fascinated by him and wanted to know what he would do next and that, dear reader, is the sign of a truly great villain.
Al Swearengen (Deadwood)
If you asked me what my favorite TV-show is, than there's a pretty large chance that I'd answer Deadwood and one of the many things that contributed to the brilliance of this sadly short-lived series, was its cast of characters, one character in particular: Al Swearengen played by Ian McShane. Based on a real life Saloon owner of the same name (though the character's personality and mannerisms are obviously the invention of the show's writers), Swearengen is a man willing to commit any crime, provided that he will profit from it in some way. He's also charming, funny and strangely likable, which probably serves to make him even more dangerous.
As the Deadwood went on, Al transformed into something of an anti-hero, frequently going up against people even worse than him, such as the show's ultimate big bad; George Hearst. However, no matter which label you want to put on the guy, Mr. Swearengen remains one of the finest characters ever to appear on Television.
Ed (Digger)
I'm a fan of characters that start out relatively simple and gradually reveals themselves as deeper and more complex as the plot goes on. Ed from Ursula Vernon's web-comic, Digger, is a great example of this type of character. Introduced early on in the story as a weird hyena that tries (and fails) to eat Digger (the main character), Ed comes of at first as the character who will play the role of comic relief and little beyond that, an impression which his tendency to refer to himself in third person does nothing to help. However, asDigger continues, Vernon starts to reveal more sides to Ed's character; showing him to be both courageous (its he who performs the most heroic act in the comic) as well as surprisingly insightful regarding a variety of topics. Of course, one can't talk about Ed without at least mentioning his back-story. I won't go into too much detail, but suffice to say that its a sad one, containing both abusive relationships and murder. Ed is by far the most purely sympathetic and lovable character I have on this list, I'm pretty sure its impossible to read Digger without wanting to give the poor guy a hug.
George Smiley (George Smiley series)
Who is the greatest secret agent or spy in fiction? A lot of people when asked this question would probably go with James Bond, but for me, another name comes to mind. That name, is George Smiley, the star of several books written by John LeCarré, most notably the trilogy which consists of the following books: Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, The Honourable Schoolboy and Smiley's People. Now, Smiley has none of the style of 007. Instead, he's a grey, middle-aged man of the kind that you wouldn't look twice at if you saw him on the street, or on the bus. However, he is a far more compelling character than Fleming's super-spy. Discreet, clever and manipulative, Smiley's the kind of guy who'd go into your country, figure out its secrets and you'd never even knew that he was there.
Plus, he's been portrayed by both Alec Guinness and Gary Oldman, which is not something to be sneezed at.
MacBeth (MacBeth)
When I was a kid, my mom took me to see a local performance of MacBeth, it made a huge impression on me and to this day it remains my favorite of the bards' plays and its titular character my favorite Shakespeare character. I'm pretty sure that my affection for villain-protagonists can be traced back to this play. No, MacBeth wasn't my first of these, I was already familiar with the Brain from Pinky and the Brain and Edmund Blackadder, to mention just two examples. However, unlike these two characters, MacBeth's villainy was not played for laughs, something which no doubt contributed to my fascination for the character. Of course, it doesn't hurt that the Thane of Cawdor, like most of Shakespeare's creations is an extremely complex character and I never get tired of either reading about, or watching him wrestle with his conflicting emotions, whether its his doubt, his guilt or his ambition.
Hail, MacBeth, king hereafter.
The Nameless One (Planescape: Torment)
If there's a game that proves that games are capable of telling stories just as deep and involving as any other medium, it must be Planescape: Torment, a game which took the hoary old "amnesiac protagonist" cliché and made it interesting. The main character ofPlanescape wakes up in a morgue, without no idea how he got there or who he is. However, one thing soon becomes clear; he is immortal and so, our "hero" begins his journey through Sigil: City of Doors in order to learn his identity. During his journey he's joined by a variety of characters, some of which he shares history with.
Planescape: Torment is a game that has been rightfully praised for its strong writing, something which is particularly true when it comes to its characters. This game features one of the strongest and most memorable casts to be found in the medium, from a wisecracking floating skull, to a succubus, thorn between her desire to live a life of Good and her nature as a creature of Evil. However, its the Nameless One who is the heart and soul of the game and the developers deserve a lot of credit for making a character whose personality is largely dependent on what choices the player makes, into a deep and intriguing protagonist, regardless of the path he pursues.
What can change the nature of man? I may not know the answer to this question, but I do know that the Nameless One is one of the greatest characters in gaming.
Oscar Francois de Jarjayes (The Rose of Versailles)
I wanted to include at least one female character on this list and so, I thought long and hard which one to choose. Eventually, I decided to go with The Rose of Versailles' Oscar Francois de Jarjayes. From an early age, Oscar was raised as a boy and trained in all manners of manly activities, such as sword-fighting and horseback-riding, which she, of course, does better than any man in France. Of course, being a badass isn't enough to make a great character. Fortunately, Oscar also benefits from a strong, memorable personality, which makes her very easy too root for. As the story moves on, we also see her being thorn between her loyalty towards the crown she has sworn to serve and her increasing sympathy towards the people of France. She is, in short, one of the best heroines to ever appear in a work of fiction.
Pfirsich Rommel (The Desert Peach)
The fictional, homosexual younger brother of Erwin "The Desert Fox" Rommel, created by Donna Barr. Much like Ed, Pfirsich can, at a first glance, come of as pretty superficial and shallow, the vehicle of cheap jokes. However, he soon reveals himself to be intelligent, brave, compassionate and honorable, while also being a fully rounded and believable character. Possibly my favorite hero in comics.
Philip Marlowe (Philip Marlowe series)
I have a deep affection for the old-school, hard-boiled private-eye and out of all the representatives of this particular archetype, Raymond Chandler's Philip Marlowe is, by far, the best one. A tarnished knight, Marlowe wanders the mean streets of the city, solving crimes and waxing cynically about the society he inhabits. Anyone who has the least bit of interest in crime and mystery-literature, owe it to themselves to make Mr. Marlowe's acquaintance.
Don Quixote (Don Quixote)
What list of great characters is complete without The Knight of the Mournful Countenance? Don Quixote is certainly an interesting character: On one hand, he's a figure of ridicule; a deluded kook who fancies himself a knight in shining armor. On the other hand, in some ways, Don Quixote really is the knight he imagines himself to be; the wizards and giants he fights might be products of his imagination, but that doesn't really makes the chivalry or courage he displays on his quest any less real. Its easy to laugh at Don Quixote and the mishaps he gets into, but I must admit that there's a part of me that can't help but feel admiration for the man.
Steerpike (Gormenghast)
He has neither magical powers nor dark armies or evil henchmen at his beck and call and yet, Steerpike, the arch-villain of Mervyn Peake's first two Gormenghast novels, is one of the greatest evil-doers to come out of the fantasy-genre. One of the things that make Steerpike so interesting is the fact that its very easy to root for the guy, at least when the first book begins. After all, Steerpike starts out at the lowest rung on the castle's hierarchy ladder, so its understandable that he would want to improve his lot in life. Not to mention that he's both intelligent and charismatic. However, Steerpike actually achieves this goal when doctor Prunesquallor agrees to take him on as his apprentice and it soon becomes clear that Steerpike is only planning to use his new master as a stepping-stone to climb higher and higher.
A consummate actor and manipulator, Steerpike cares for only one thing: Power, but he's quite skilled at making other people believe that he cares about the same thing they do and that he's on their side. He reveals himself as more and more evil as the plot progresses and its a testament to Peake's writing that even when I had reached a point where I just wanted Steerpike to die, I was still fascinated by him and wanted to know what he would do next and that, dear reader, is the sign of a truly great villain.
Sunday, January 17, 2016
Tales of Vinoli: Chapter 2
Having climbed the stairs to the palace's second floor, Argath reached her quarters. To her surprise, she found that the door which led to them, was ajar. Before she had gone outside, earlier that day, the only other person left in the place had been Argath's chambermaid, who had stayed behind to do some cleaning. She wouldn't leave without telling her mistress, so who else could be in there? Lorenzo? No, he knew better than to just enter her chambers unannounced. Like all of her kind, Argath possessed an innate talent for magic, something, she now decided to make use of: Under her breath she muttered an incantation, while at the same time moving her fingers in the air.
A dagger, whose blade seemed to be made out of dancing, blue flames, materialized out of thin air. Argath grabbed the weapon and approached the door cautiously. If the person who had chosen to invade her domicile was after her life, they would soon find out that she wouldn't sell it cheaply.
Once she had opened the door and stepped over the threshold, the princess found that the intruder was not some unknown assassin, though the look on her face (which resembled that of a person having just taken a bite out of a lemon), said that in this case, an assassin would actually have been preferable. Reclining in Argath's favorite chair, his shirt unbuttoned and clutching a bottle of wine, was her half-brother Thekros.
The chamber-maid, a white mouse, was seated on the floor. Once Argath entered the room, she stood up and looked at the dragoness with beseeching eyes.
"Your highness", the girl said, nose and ears twitching. "He just walked in here, I couldn't stop him. I..."
"Leave us", Argath said, barely sparing the chambermaid a glance.
Looking as if she was on the verge of tears, the chambermaid left the room, Thekros casting a lecherous look at her tail, as she disappeared.
"She's pretty cute", he said, taking a swig out of the bottle. "I've got to hand it to you, Arg: You sure know how to pick'em."
"What do you want, Thekros?" Argath asked in a tone of voice which caused the temperature to drop several degrees.
"Why don't you put away that little toy of yours first?" Her half-brother said, pointing to the dagger. "I'm not here to hurt you, I promise."
Reluctantly, Argath made a gesture and the dagger vanished in a puff of smoke.
"Satisfied?" She asked. "Now, tell me what you want. I assume that you didn't invade my privacy to get drunk and ogle my servant."
Slowly, Thekros got up out of the chair, he was a red dragon and while not as tall as his father, he made up for it by being considerably bulkier. After taking another swig, he put the now empty bottle down and stood there, swaying back and forth with a cunning gleam in his eyes.
"I'm here to tell you, my dear sister", he begun, before letting out a burp. "Excuse me, as I was saying, I'm here to tell you that I've seen through your little game."
Upon hearing this, Argath stiffened. Could it be that this fool had discovered her plans? No, he couldn't have, she had been so careful in concealing them.
"What are you talking about?" She asked, her voice cold and level, not betraying any sign of anxiety.
Thekros snorted contemptuously, smoke coming out of his nostrils.
"Do not play dumb with me", he said, wagging a thick finger at Argath. "I know that you've been sucking up to the old man, because you think that he'll let you inherit the throne when he's gone. Well, I'm here to tell you that its not going to work that way: At the end of the day, the new ruler of Vinoli will be the strongest, the most ruthless of us, not a lick-spittle like you."
Argath breathed a sigh of relief.
Oh, Thekros, you poor fool, she thought. You have no idea. I'd feel sorry for you, if I didn't hate your guts.
"Well, dear brother" she said out-loud, showing a row of sharp, white teeth. "May the best dragon win. Of course, it might be neither of us, one of our siblings may surprise everyone in the end."
Again, her brother let out a contemptuous snort.
"Which of them do you mean? Perhaps the runt? Or the cripple? No, the only person who could've been a threat to me died years ago, far from here..."
Suddenly, Thekros stopped and a look of reminiscence came over him. "...Say, you two were pretty close, weren't you? You must have felt awful when you heard about your elder's death. You always were a softy, Arg."
"You've said your peace, Thekros", Argath said. "Now, get out."
"As you wish", the red dragon walked towards the open door, but stopped in the doorway and made an ironic little bow. "Your majesty."
The discarded bottle thrown by Argath had been meant for her brother's head, instead it shattered against the now closed door.
Left alone, Argath collapsed into the now empty chair and let out a frustrated groan. Mostly, she was disgusted with herself, it was beneath her to be wounded by the barbs of a lush like Thekros. It was a weakness, one she thought she had overcome by now. She was interrupted in her thoughts by someone knocking at the door.
"Who is it?" She called out.
"Its me, Lorenzo, princess", came a voice from the opposite side of the door. "May I come in?"
"Yes, enter."
The door opened and Lorenzo stepped inside. He was a fox, wearing a wide-brimmed hat with a feather in it and an eye-patch over his left eye. He looked at the broken pieces of glass lying by the door and gave a little shrug. He then doffed his hat and bowed to the chair's occupant.
"Good news, princess. I just met with our man in the kitchen and have delivered the goods to him."
Argath, who up until that point had been slumped in the chair, leaned forward eagerly.
"That is good news", she said. "Ah, Lorenzo, you've brightened my mood simply by telling them to me, thank you."
"You're welcome. Speaking of which, princess; our man asked me to tell you not to forget your promise to him."
"Tell him that he can rest easily: Princess Argath knows how to reward those who have served her well.
"I'm aware of that. By the way, may I ask how the preparations are going? For the festivities, I mean."
"Oh, they are going fine. Its a shame that I'll have to miss the whole thing."
"Indeed. Naturally, you've already come up with an excuse for being absent."
"Yes, today I simulated a migraine in front of the king, he bought it completely. I have a feeling that its only the beginning for something much more serious. Why, it wouldn't surprise me if I became bedridden just in time for the celebration. Such a shame."
As she uttered these words, Argath pretended to swoon theatrically, the back of her hand touching her scaly forehead. Then, she threw her head back and began to laugh uproariously, like someone who had just recalled an extremely funny joke they'd heard once..
Lorenzo decided to take advantage of the princess' good mood, to ask a question.
"How about a toast to celebrate your success?" The fox asked, making a smacking noise with his tongue.
"No", said Argath and shook her head. "We can celebrate when this operation has been carried out successfully, but not until then. I could use a pick-me-up though."
She got out of the chair and walked over to a cord, which was attached to the wall. She pulled the cord and the next moment, the doors opened and the chambermaid entered the room, eyes downcast.
"Make us coffee", Argath commanded.
The chambermaid bowed, Argath's quarters had its own, tiny kitchen located in an adjacent room. She was just about to go there, when the female dragon called her back:
"One more thing",the princess pointed at the pieces of broken glass. "When you're done with the coffee, you can clean up that mess over there, the last thing I need is some careless idiot stepping in it and injuring themselves."
A dagger, whose blade seemed to be made out of dancing, blue flames, materialized out of thin air. Argath grabbed the weapon and approached the door cautiously. If the person who had chosen to invade her domicile was after her life, they would soon find out that she wouldn't sell it cheaply.
Once she had opened the door and stepped over the threshold, the princess found that the intruder was not some unknown assassin, though the look on her face (which resembled that of a person having just taken a bite out of a lemon), said that in this case, an assassin would actually have been preferable. Reclining in Argath's favorite chair, his shirt unbuttoned and clutching a bottle of wine, was her half-brother Thekros.
The chamber-maid, a white mouse, was seated on the floor. Once Argath entered the room, she stood up and looked at the dragoness with beseeching eyes.
"Your highness", the girl said, nose and ears twitching. "He just walked in here, I couldn't stop him. I..."
"Leave us", Argath said, barely sparing the chambermaid a glance.
Looking as if she was on the verge of tears, the chambermaid left the room, Thekros casting a lecherous look at her tail, as she disappeared.
"She's pretty cute", he said, taking a swig out of the bottle. "I've got to hand it to you, Arg: You sure know how to pick'em."
"What do you want, Thekros?" Argath asked in a tone of voice which caused the temperature to drop several degrees.
"Why don't you put away that little toy of yours first?" Her half-brother said, pointing to the dagger. "I'm not here to hurt you, I promise."
Reluctantly, Argath made a gesture and the dagger vanished in a puff of smoke.
"Satisfied?" She asked. "Now, tell me what you want. I assume that you didn't invade my privacy to get drunk and ogle my servant."
Slowly, Thekros got up out of the chair, he was a red dragon and while not as tall as his father, he made up for it by being considerably bulkier. After taking another swig, he put the now empty bottle down and stood there, swaying back and forth with a cunning gleam in his eyes.
"I'm here to tell you, my dear sister", he begun, before letting out a burp. "Excuse me, as I was saying, I'm here to tell you that I've seen through your little game."
Upon hearing this, Argath stiffened. Could it be that this fool had discovered her plans? No, he couldn't have, she had been so careful in concealing them.
"What are you talking about?" She asked, her voice cold and level, not betraying any sign of anxiety.
Thekros snorted contemptuously, smoke coming out of his nostrils.
"Do not play dumb with me", he said, wagging a thick finger at Argath. "I know that you've been sucking up to the old man, because you think that he'll let you inherit the throne when he's gone. Well, I'm here to tell you that its not going to work that way: At the end of the day, the new ruler of Vinoli will be the strongest, the most ruthless of us, not a lick-spittle like you."
Argath breathed a sigh of relief.
Oh, Thekros, you poor fool, she thought. You have no idea. I'd feel sorry for you, if I didn't hate your guts.
"Well, dear brother" she said out-loud, showing a row of sharp, white teeth. "May the best dragon win. Of course, it might be neither of us, one of our siblings may surprise everyone in the end."
Again, her brother let out a contemptuous snort.
"Which of them do you mean? Perhaps the runt? Or the cripple? No, the only person who could've been a threat to me died years ago, far from here..."
Suddenly, Thekros stopped and a look of reminiscence came over him. "...Say, you two were pretty close, weren't you? You must have felt awful when you heard about your elder's death. You always were a softy, Arg."
"You've said your peace, Thekros", Argath said. "Now, get out."
"As you wish", the red dragon walked towards the open door, but stopped in the doorway and made an ironic little bow. "Your majesty."
The discarded bottle thrown by Argath had been meant for her brother's head, instead it shattered against the now closed door.
Left alone, Argath collapsed into the now empty chair and let out a frustrated groan. Mostly, she was disgusted with herself, it was beneath her to be wounded by the barbs of a lush like Thekros. It was a weakness, one she thought she had overcome by now. She was interrupted in her thoughts by someone knocking at the door.
"Who is it?" She called out.
"Its me, Lorenzo, princess", came a voice from the opposite side of the door. "May I come in?"
"Yes, enter."
The door opened and Lorenzo stepped inside. He was a fox, wearing a wide-brimmed hat with a feather in it and an eye-patch over his left eye. He looked at the broken pieces of glass lying by the door and gave a little shrug. He then doffed his hat and bowed to the chair's occupant.
"Good news, princess. I just met with our man in the kitchen and have delivered the goods to him."
Argath, who up until that point had been slumped in the chair, leaned forward eagerly.
"That is good news", she said. "Ah, Lorenzo, you've brightened my mood simply by telling them to me, thank you."
"You're welcome. Speaking of which, princess; our man asked me to tell you not to forget your promise to him."
"Tell him that he can rest easily: Princess Argath knows how to reward those who have served her well.
"I'm aware of that. By the way, may I ask how the preparations are going? For the festivities, I mean."
"Oh, they are going fine. Its a shame that I'll have to miss the whole thing."
"Indeed. Naturally, you've already come up with an excuse for being absent."
"Yes, today I simulated a migraine in front of the king, he bought it completely. I have a feeling that its only the beginning for something much more serious. Why, it wouldn't surprise me if I became bedridden just in time for the celebration. Such a shame."
As she uttered these words, Argath pretended to swoon theatrically, the back of her hand touching her scaly forehead. Then, she threw her head back and began to laugh uproariously, like someone who had just recalled an extremely funny joke they'd heard once..
Lorenzo decided to take advantage of the princess' good mood, to ask a question.
"How about a toast to celebrate your success?" The fox asked, making a smacking noise with his tongue.
"No", said Argath and shook her head. "We can celebrate when this operation has been carried out successfully, but not until then. I could use a pick-me-up though."
She got out of the chair and walked over to a cord, which was attached to the wall. She pulled the cord and the next moment, the doors opened and the chambermaid entered the room, eyes downcast.
"Make us coffee", Argath commanded.
The chambermaid bowed, Argath's quarters had its own, tiny kitchen located in an adjacent room. She was just about to go there, when the female dragon called her back:
"One more thing",the princess pointed at the pieces of broken glass. "When you're done with the coffee, you can clean up that mess over there, the last thing I need is some careless idiot stepping in it and injuring themselves."
*****
A few days after they had received the invitation, Jeraddin and his family arrived in the capital, Xerxes having returned there earlier. Both Jeraddin and Nasari had tried to convince him to stay, so that they might travel to the capital together, but the wolf had declined.
"I am sorry", he had said, "but I need to get back and tell the king that you've accepted the invitation."
Both of his hosts were disappointed, but realized that he was right and so they had seen him off, but not before telling him that he would always be welcome in their home.
As the carriage hurried through the streets of the city, the two children looked out the windows at the multitude outside. Leorin stared in wide-eyed excitement at all the commotion, frequently he'd turn to Nasari, who was seated next to him and urge her to look at some new thing which had just caught his interest and his mother was more than happy to indulge. As for Risha, she looked out the window, with a deliberate air of disinterest. Being the older child, she felt that acting in a way similar to her brother, would be considered childish on her part. That said, as she sat there, next to her father, chin resting in one paw, the young lynx-girl was not able to completely contain her excitement, something which displayed itself in the way she rhythmically tapped her feet on the carriage floor.
Eventually, the carriage reached the gates of the palace and the family climbed out. Jeraddin turned to the coachman, a plump ursine and paid him the agreed fare, complete with a tip.
"Thank you, my lord" said the bear and touched the brim of his cap. "Would you like me to be pick you up when the party's over."
Jeraddin shook his head.
"Thank you, that won't be necessary."
"Very well, my lord. Farewell."
The carriage departed and the family walked up to the gate, which was guarded by a pair of rhinoceros, each wielding a spear. Between the two guards stood a hippo, who wore livery and carried himself with an air of importance.
"We're here for the party", Jeraddin announced to the hippo. "Here's our invitation", he said, taking out the letter from the king and handing it over.
"Thank you, general" said the hippo as he examined the letter. "You may enter, the other guests are in the palace garden."
He signed for the guards to open the gate.
"Is his majesty there too?" Jeraddin asked, as the family stepped onto the palace grounds.
"I believe so", came the answer.
The garden was already filled with guests when the family entered it. Important members of every land-dwelling species could be seen hobnobbing with each other, while servants busied themselves carrying trays loaded with drinks. Underneath the tree a snack-table had been set up and close by, a podium had been erected upon which an orchestra was playing. The sound of the music mixed in the air with the conversation of the guests and the occasional excited scream or laughter from one of their children.
"The first thing we need to do is to find the king and pay our respects", said Jeraddin and gazed out over the garden.
"Is that him over there?" His wife asked and pointed in a certain direction.
"It is", replied her husband. "Come on, children."
King Sharan was engaged in a conversation, when Jeraddin and the others approached him. His conversational-partner, a rooster wearing a monocle, looked at the family and turned back to the king.
"Your majesty, I believe I monopolized your time enough. There seem to be a few other guests who'd like a word, with your permission I shall take my leave."
"Very well, ambassador. We shall talk more later, enjoy the party."
The rooster bowed and the dragon acknowledged the bow with a nod of his head. During this time, the whole family had been absolutely silent, not uttering a word.
As soon as the ambassador had left, king Sharan turned around to greet the new arrivals and his face was lit up by a bright smile, as he noticed who the guests were.
"Jeraddin", he exclaimed. "How nice to see you."
"Thank you, your majesty" said the lynx. "May I present my wife, Nasari and our children, Risha and Leorin."
King Sharan bid each of them welcome and the whole family uttered their thanks and either bowed or curtsied, depending on what was appropriate.
Having paid the appropriate respects, the two children decided to go and explore the garden, while their parents remained to talk some more with the king. A servant came up to them and they each took a drink from the tray.
"I hope you will all enjoy this party", said king Sharan and took a sip of the gold-colored liquid. "Its my daughter who has organized everything."
It was at that point that none other than Lorenzo suddenly appeared by the king's side, as if the mention of the princess had summoned him there.
"Pardon me, your majesty" the fox said and bowed, "but I have a message from princess Argath."
"Oh", said the king and looked surprised. "What does she want? And by the way, where is she? I haven't seen her all day."
"The princess has sent me to inform your majesty that she's feeling a bit under the weather and can't attend the celebrations, much to her regret."
The king sighed and shook his head sadly.
"How unfortunate, poor Argath. Its nothing serious I hope?"
"She told me: 'Tell my father not to worry, I have taken a medical potion and shall be fine with some rest', replied Lorenzo. Is there any message you wish me to bring back to her, your majesty?"
"Just tell her that I'm sorry she couldn't attend and that I hope she gets well soon."
Lorenzo promised to do so and headed off. Jeraddin followed him with his eyes and then turned to the king:
"Your majesty, who was that fellow?"
"He's an associate of my daughter, I believe" said the king. "Funny thing, I can't remember his name at the moment, something beginning with an L." He shrugged. "Oh, well, never mind."
Nasari and Jeraddin talked some more with king Sharan and then excused themselves and headed for the snack-table. As they were walking towards it, Nasari noticed that her husband seemed to be bothered by something.
"Is there something on your mind, dear?" The female cat asked.
"I was just thinking about that fox, there was something about him I didn't like." He took a deep breath and rubbed his brow. "Bah, I'm probably just letting my imagination get the best of me."
"Probably", said Nasari and smiled. "After all, just because someone looks like the villain in a melodrama doesn't mean they are one."
"You're right, my love. Besides, its not like he's the first person wearing an eye-patch that I've seen."
When the husband and wife reached the table of hors-d'oeuvres, they soon found themselves at the center of attention, with many of the other guests being eager to meet the famous war-hero and his beloved. Jeraddin, who had a bit of a vain side and enjoyed basking in the admiration of others, soon forgot about Lorenzo completely, as he regaled his fellow guests with a particularly thrilling episode of his career.
An hour after the family's arrival, a gong sounded. It was the signal that dinner was about to be served.
As the guests headed inside, the sound of the gong mixed with the noise from the street, where the citizens celebrated as well; enjoying the free food and drink, which had been handed out to them."I am sorry", he had said, "but I need to get back and tell the king that you've accepted the invitation."
Both of his hosts were disappointed, but realized that he was right and so they had seen him off, but not before telling him that he would always be welcome in their home.
As the carriage hurried through the streets of the city, the two children looked out the windows at the multitude outside. Leorin stared in wide-eyed excitement at all the commotion, frequently he'd turn to Nasari, who was seated next to him and urge her to look at some new thing which had just caught his interest and his mother was more than happy to indulge. As for Risha, she looked out the window, with a deliberate air of disinterest. Being the older child, she felt that acting in a way similar to her brother, would be considered childish on her part. That said, as she sat there, next to her father, chin resting in one paw, the young lynx-girl was not able to completely contain her excitement, something which displayed itself in the way she rhythmically tapped her feet on the carriage floor.
Eventually, the carriage reached the gates of the palace and the family climbed out. Jeraddin turned to the coachman, a plump ursine and paid him the agreed fare, complete with a tip.
"Thank you, my lord" said the bear and touched the brim of his cap. "Would you like me to be pick you up when the party's over."
Jeraddin shook his head.
"Thank you, that won't be necessary."
"Very well, my lord. Farewell."
The carriage departed and the family walked up to the gate, which was guarded by a pair of rhinoceros, each wielding a spear. Between the two guards stood a hippo, who wore livery and carried himself with an air of importance.
"We're here for the party", Jeraddin announced to the hippo. "Here's our invitation", he said, taking out the letter from the king and handing it over.
"Thank you, general" said the hippo as he examined the letter. "You may enter, the other guests are in the palace garden."
He signed for the guards to open the gate.
"Is his majesty there too?" Jeraddin asked, as the family stepped onto the palace grounds.
"I believe so", came the answer.
The garden was already filled with guests when the family entered it. Important members of every land-dwelling species could be seen hobnobbing with each other, while servants busied themselves carrying trays loaded with drinks. Underneath the tree a snack-table had been set up and close by, a podium had been erected upon which an orchestra was playing. The sound of the music mixed in the air with the conversation of the guests and the occasional excited scream or laughter from one of their children.
"The first thing we need to do is to find the king and pay our respects", said Jeraddin and gazed out over the garden.
"Is that him over there?" His wife asked and pointed in a certain direction.
"It is", replied her husband. "Come on, children."
King Sharan was engaged in a conversation, when Jeraddin and the others approached him. His conversational-partner, a rooster wearing a monocle, looked at the family and turned back to the king.
"Your majesty, I believe I monopolized your time enough. There seem to be a few other guests who'd like a word, with your permission I shall take my leave."
"Very well, ambassador. We shall talk more later, enjoy the party."
The rooster bowed and the dragon acknowledged the bow with a nod of his head. During this time, the whole family had been absolutely silent, not uttering a word.
As soon as the ambassador had left, king Sharan turned around to greet the new arrivals and his face was lit up by a bright smile, as he noticed who the guests were.
"Jeraddin", he exclaimed. "How nice to see you."
"Thank you, your majesty" said the lynx. "May I present my wife, Nasari and our children, Risha and Leorin."
King Sharan bid each of them welcome and the whole family uttered their thanks and either bowed or curtsied, depending on what was appropriate.
Having paid the appropriate respects, the two children decided to go and explore the garden, while their parents remained to talk some more with the king. A servant came up to them and they each took a drink from the tray.
"I hope you will all enjoy this party", said king Sharan and took a sip of the gold-colored liquid. "Its my daughter who has organized everything."
It was at that point that none other than Lorenzo suddenly appeared by the king's side, as if the mention of the princess had summoned him there.
"Pardon me, your majesty" the fox said and bowed, "but I have a message from princess Argath."
"Oh", said the king and looked surprised. "What does she want? And by the way, where is she? I haven't seen her all day."
"The princess has sent me to inform your majesty that she's feeling a bit under the weather and can't attend the celebrations, much to her regret."
The king sighed and shook his head sadly.
"How unfortunate, poor Argath. Its nothing serious I hope?"
"She told me: 'Tell my father not to worry, I have taken a medical potion and shall be fine with some rest', replied Lorenzo. Is there any message you wish me to bring back to her, your majesty?"
"Just tell her that I'm sorry she couldn't attend and that I hope she gets well soon."
Lorenzo promised to do so and headed off. Jeraddin followed him with his eyes and then turned to the king:
"Your majesty, who was that fellow?"
"He's an associate of my daughter, I believe" said the king. "Funny thing, I can't remember his name at the moment, something beginning with an L." He shrugged. "Oh, well, never mind."
Nasari and Jeraddin talked some more with king Sharan and then excused themselves and headed for the snack-table. As they were walking towards it, Nasari noticed that her husband seemed to be bothered by something.
"Is there something on your mind, dear?" The female cat asked.
"I was just thinking about that fox, there was something about him I didn't like." He took a deep breath and rubbed his brow. "Bah, I'm probably just letting my imagination get the best of me."
"Probably", said Nasari and smiled. "After all, just because someone looks like the villain in a melodrama doesn't mean they are one."
"You're right, my love. Besides, its not like he's the first person wearing an eye-patch that I've seen."
When the husband and wife reached the table of hors-d'oeuvres, they soon found themselves at the center of attention, with many of the other guests being eager to meet the famous war-hero and his beloved. Jeraddin, who had a bit of a vain side and enjoyed basking in the admiration of others, soon forgot about Lorenzo completely, as he regaled his fellow guests with a particularly thrilling episode of his career.
An hour after the family's arrival, a gong sounded. It was the signal that dinner was about to be served.
Saturday, January 16, 2016
Regarding Lists
For awhile now I've been thinking of updating and expanding my old Top Animated Shows list. I'm not sure when I'll get around to it, but it will be sometime this year.
One thing I decided to do with this updated list is that I will no longer rank the shows on it in any particular order. This is mostly because I find it more and more difficult to do so. Yes, Revolutionary Girl Utena remains my number one (I doubt that will change anytime soon), but beyond that it gets a bit more iffy. After all, tastes are complicated and may change with time and while I haven't grown to dislike any of the shows on my old list, some of them I like a bit less than I used to.
So, yes, the new list will most likely be in alphabetical order, though I also consider listing the shows chronologically, with the oldest one first. I haven't decided yet.
Than again, other option would be to follow in Flawfinder's footsteps and simply do a list of things I like in any medium, without any descriptions. One advantage to this format would be that I could easily go back to it and either add new favorites or remove old ones that I feel no longer interest me. I must admit that its an idea I find appealing.
Friday, January 8, 2016
Tales of Vinoli: Chapter 1
In the kingdom of Vinoli, there lived a lynx named Jeraddin. This lynx had once been a great warrior, who had fought in many battles against the kingdom's enemies. His skills in combat eventually earned him the praise of Vinoli's ruler; Sharan, the dragon-king, whom awarded the war-hero with a title and an estate. Eventually, Jeraddin grew weary of war and bloodshed and decided to retire. He married his childhood love, Nasari and the couple settled down on Jeraddin's domain. About a year after their marriage, Nasari gave birth to their first child; a girl,who was given the name Risha.
Four years after the birth of their daughter, the family was blessed with another addition to their little trio, this time in the form of a boy. Jeraddin named the child, Leorin, after his own father and just as he had done five years earlier, he threw a huge feast to celebrate, inviting all who wanted to come and had the opportunity to do so.
For many years, the family lived an idyllic life and for the proud parents, there was no greater joy than to watch their children grow and prosper in the care of a loving home. Our story begins in on a cool and pleasant summer's eve, with the whole family sitting on the veranda, watching the sun disappear behind the horizon.
"Come on, children" said Nasari as she stood up and straightened out her skirt. "Its time for you to go to bed."
"Aww, can't we stay up a little longer?" Leorin asked, looking up at his mother with big, pleading eyes.
"Yeah", Risha chimed in, putting one of her paws in front of her mouth. "I'm not the least bit - yawn- tired. Besides", she added. "I'm older, so I should be allowed to stay up longer."
"That's not fair!" Leorin shouted, glaring at his sister, his ears lying flat on his head.
"Well, life isn't fair", Risha retorted in a matter-of-fact tone of voice.
Leorin wasn't sure how to respond to his sister's statement, so he opted instead to stick out his tongue at her.
Naturally, Risha was not going to take that in stride and she was just about to give her annoying brother a shove, when she noticed that her mother was staring at her and thought better of it.
"Children", Nasari said in a voice that her children knew all to well. "None of you will stay up longer. Go to bed. Now."
Risha and Jeraddin both realized that their mother was open for argument, but there was still hope; both of them turned towards their other parent for support:
"Dad..." The two of them began, speaking in unison, but Jeraddin immediately cut them off.
"Do not argue with your mother, children"."We've let you stay up long enough."
Realizing that there was no point in pressing the matter further, the siblings each let out a disappointed sigh and then, dragging their feet, went inside.
"Shall we head back inside as well, dear?" Nasari asked, playfully touching one of her husband's ear-tufts.
Jeraddin smiled.
"Why don't we stay out a bit longer? It is a beautiful night."
The two of them sat there, close together, gazing up at the full moon. Their time together was interrupted, however, by the sound of a throat being cleared discreetly.
Both Jeraddin and Nasari turned and found that the family's servant; Albert, had appeared at the veranda.Something had evidently disturbed his sleep, for he was wearing his night-cap and slippers.
""Beg your pardon, sir" said the goat and stifled a yawn. "There is a messenger waiting for you."
"A messenger?" Jeraddin said incredulously. "At this hour?"
"I'm afraid so, sir."
"Who is it, Albert?" Nasari asked.
"He wouldn't give me his name, ma'am. All he said is that he has come from the capital and that you, sir (here Albert turned to Jeraddin), would recognize him."
Jeraddin stood up.
"Well", he said. "My curiosity is piqued. What say you, my dear? Shall we go in and see who this mystery-man might be?"
"Let's", Nasari agreed.
"I told him to wait in the library", Albert said, as the three of them stepped inside.
"Very good, Albert" said Nasari. "You may go back to sleep."
"Are you quite sure, ma'am?"
"Yes, I believe we can handle things from here."
"In that case", replied the servant and bowed so that his night-cap almost slipped off his be-horned head, "I wish you both a good night."
After they had returned their servant's good-night wishes, Nasari and Jeraddin headed for the library. As the two of them entered, they noticed the visitor, a wolf wearing a blue cape, standing with his back turned, studying the bookshelves.
"You wanted to see us?" Jeraddin asked.
The wolf immediately turned around and as he did, a broad smile spread over Jeraddin's features, for the visitor was none other than a very old friend, one whom he had not seen for many years.
"Xerxes!" The lynx said, walking towards the wolf. "Is that really you?"
"In the flesh, sir", Xerxes replied and made a smart salute.
"Darling", Jeraddin said, turning to his wife. "This is Xerxes, an old comrade in arms of mine. He saved my bacon many times."
"I only repaid the debt I owed you for saving mine, sir", Xerxes replied with a smile.
"There's no need to be so formal. After all, this isn't the army and I'm not your superior. You know my name, so why not call me by it?"
"That's really nice of you, si...I mean, Jeraddin."
"Think nothing of it", Jeraddin said jovially and patted Xerxes on the shoulder. At that moment, the noise of someone clearing their throat, made the lynx realize that he had neglected to do something important.
"Where are my manners?" He said, shaking his head. "Allow me to present my wife, Nasari."
"Welcome, Xerxes" Nasari said. "Its a pleasure to meet such a close friend of my husband's."
"Pleasure is all mine, ma'am" said the wolf, taking Nasari's paw in his own and kissing it.
"Oh, my", the female cat exclaimed and turned to her husband. "Your friend is quite a charmer, dear. You could learn a thing or two from him", she said, teasingly.
Jeraddin shrugged.
"He always had a way with women", he admitted. "More so than me. Still, I must have done something right? After all, I convinced the most beautiful woman in the World to marry me."
Having said those words, Jeraddin planted a kiss on his wife's cheek, causing her left ear to flutter, slightly.
"Are you married, Xerxes?" Nasari asked.
"No ma'am", the wolf replied. "I guess I haven't found the right one yet."
"Well, keep looking", Nasari said encouragingly. "I'm sure there's someone out there for you."
"You had a message for me?" Jeraddin asked, feeling that it was best to get to the business at hand.
Xerxes reached into the folds of his cape and pulled out an envelope.
"Here you go", he said, handing it to Jeraddin.
The lynx studied the envelope, it was a typical example of its kind, except for the fact that it carried the royal seal: A dragon holding a scepter in one of its claws and the head of some grotesque creature in the other. Before opening the envelope, Jeraddin turned to his guest:
"I'm afraid I'm a poor host tonight", he said apologetically. "Your trip here must have left you parched. There are refreshments on the table over there, feel free to help yourself."
"Don't mind if I do", said Xerxes and headed over to the table which his host had pointed out to him. While the wolf served himself a drink, Jeraddin opened the envelope, using one of his claws. He took out the letter and read it, his eyes darting over its content.
"What does it say?" Nasari asked, curiously.
"See for yourself", Jeraddin answered and handed the letter over to her.
Taking the letter from her husband, Nasari read it and as she did, her eyes lit up. This is what the letter said:
"Come on, children" said Nasari as she stood up and straightened out her skirt. "Its time for you to go to bed."
"Aww, can't we stay up a little longer?" Leorin asked, looking up at his mother with big, pleading eyes.
"Yeah", Risha chimed in, putting one of her paws in front of her mouth. "I'm not the least bit - yawn- tired. Besides", she added. "I'm older, so I should be allowed to stay up longer."
"That's not fair!" Leorin shouted, glaring at his sister, his ears lying flat on his head.
"Well, life isn't fair", Risha retorted in a matter-of-fact tone of voice.
Leorin wasn't sure how to respond to his sister's statement, so he opted instead to stick out his tongue at her.
Naturally, Risha was not going to take that in stride and she was just about to give her annoying brother a shove, when she noticed that her mother was staring at her and thought better of it.
"Children", Nasari said in a voice that her children knew all to well. "None of you will stay up longer. Go to bed. Now."
Risha and Jeraddin both realized that their mother was open for argument, but there was still hope; both of them turned towards their other parent for support:
"Dad..." The two of them began, speaking in unison, but Jeraddin immediately cut them off.
"Do not argue with your mother, children"."We've let you stay up long enough."
Realizing that there was no point in pressing the matter further, the siblings each let out a disappointed sigh and then, dragging their feet, went inside.
"Shall we head back inside as well, dear?" Nasari asked, playfully touching one of her husband's ear-tufts.
Jeraddin smiled.
"Why don't we stay out a bit longer? It is a beautiful night."
The two of them sat there, close together, gazing up at the full moon. Their time together was interrupted, however, by the sound of a throat being cleared discreetly.
Both Jeraddin and Nasari turned and found that the family's servant; Albert, had appeared at the veranda.Something had evidently disturbed his sleep, for he was wearing his night-cap and slippers.
""Beg your pardon, sir" said the goat and stifled a yawn. "There is a messenger waiting for you."
"A messenger?" Jeraddin said incredulously. "At this hour?"
"I'm afraid so, sir."
"Who is it, Albert?" Nasari asked.
"He wouldn't give me his name, ma'am. All he said is that he has come from the capital and that you, sir (here Albert turned to Jeraddin), would recognize him."
Jeraddin stood up.
"Well", he said. "My curiosity is piqued. What say you, my dear? Shall we go in and see who this mystery-man might be?"
"Let's", Nasari agreed.
"I told him to wait in the library", Albert said, as the three of them stepped inside.
"Very good, Albert" said Nasari. "You may go back to sleep."
"Are you quite sure, ma'am?"
"Yes, I believe we can handle things from here."
"In that case", replied the servant and bowed so that his night-cap almost slipped off his be-horned head, "I wish you both a good night."
After they had returned their servant's good-night wishes, Nasari and Jeraddin headed for the library. As the two of them entered, they noticed the visitor, a wolf wearing a blue cape, standing with his back turned, studying the bookshelves.
"You wanted to see us?" Jeraddin asked.
The wolf immediately turned around and as he did, a broad smile spread over Jeraddin's features, for the visitor was none other than a very old friend, one whom he had not seen for many years.
"Xerxes!" The lynx said, walking towards the wolf. "Is that really you?"
"In the flesh, sir", Xerxes replied and made a smart salute.
"Darling", Jeraddin said, turning to his wife. "This is Xerxes, an old comrade in arms of mine. He saved my bacon many times."
"I only repaid the debt I owed you for saving mine, sir", Xerxes replied with a smile.
"There's no need to be so formal. After all, this isn't the army and I'm not your superior. You know my name, so why not call me by it?"
"That's really nice of you, si...I mean, Jeraddin."
"Think nothing of it", Jeraddin said jovially and patted Xerxes on the shoulder. At that moment, the noise of someone clearing their throat, made the lynx realize that he had neglected to do something important.
"Where are my manners?" He said, shaking his head. "Allow me to present my wife, Nasari."
"Welcome, Xerxes" Nasari said. "Its a pleasure to meet such a close friend of my husband's."
"Pleasure is all mine, ma'am" said the wolf, taking Nasari's paw in his own and kissing it.
"Oh, my", the female cat exclaimed and turned to her husband. "Your friend is quite a charmer, dear. You could learn a thing or two from him", she said, teasingly.
Jeraddin shrugged.
"He always had a way with women", he admitted. "More so than me. Still, I must have done something right? After all, I convinced the most beautiful woman in the World to marry me."
Having said those words, Jeraddin planted a kiss on his wife's cheek, causing her left ear to flutter, slightly.
"Are you married, Xerxes?" Nasari asked.
"No ma'am", the wolf replied. "I guess I haven't found the right one yet."
"Well, keep looking", Nasari said encouragingly. "I'm sure there's someone out there for you."
"You had a message for me?" Jeraddin asked, feeling that it was best to get to the business at hand.
Xerxes reached into the folds of his cape and pulled out an envelope.
"Here you go", he said, handing it to Jeraddin.
The lynx studied the envelope, it was a typical example of its kind, except for the fact that it carried the royal seal: A dragon holding a scepter in one of its claws and the head of some grotesque creature in the other. Before opening the envelope, Jeraddin turned to his guest:
"I'm afraid I'm a poor host tonight", he said apologetically. "Your trip here must have left you parched. There are refreshments on the table over there, feel free to help yourself."
"Don't mind if I do", said Xerxes and headed over to the table which his host had pointed out to him. While the wolf served himself a drink, Jeraddin opened the envelope, using one of his claws. He took out the letter and read it, his eyes darting over its content.
"What does it say?" Nasari asked, curiously.
"See for yourself", Jeraddin answered and handed the letter over to her.
Taking the letter from her husband, Nasari read it and as she did, her eyes lit up. This is what the letter said:
To: General Jeraddin
As you are no doubt aware, the two-hundred year anniversary of our nation's founding is approaching and a feast is to be held at that date. At that time, we hope to see you and your family there, seated at our table.
Signed: Sharan I (king)
PS: In the unlikely event that something prevents you from showing up, send a letter back with the courier. DS
"Darling, this is great news", said Nasari while clutching the letter to her breast as if it was a priceless jewel. "Imagine how excited the children will be when we tell them. Leorin has never been to the capital and Risha was too young at the time to remember any of it."
"Indeed", Jeraddin agreed and then turned to Xerxes. "You're of course welcome to stay the night, my friend", he said.
"Oh, I wouldn't wish to impose", the wolf protested. "Just point me in the direction of the nearest inn and I'll stay there."
"Nonsense", Jeraddin said with a dismissive gesture. "I insist that you stay here, we've plenty of room."
"In that case", Xerxes said and put down his now empty glass. "I accept your hospitality, si...Jeraddin and yours as well, ma'am" he added, bowing to Nasari.
"I'm glad to hear it", said the lynx. "Do you want another drink?"
He reached for the bottle and was about to re-fill Xerxes' glass, but the wolf put his paw over it.
"Normally, I'd be all for another drink", he said, "but I need to get up early tomorrow. If you don't mind, I think its best that I head to bed."
"Good idea", said Nasari and yawned discreetly. "I'm starting to feel a bit tired myself."
"In that case, let's go to sleep", said Jeraddin.
With that, the three of them left the library and went their separate ways: Nasari headed towards the master-bedroom, while Jeraddin escorted Xerxes to one of the rooms used to put up over-night guests.
"Indeed", Jeraddin agreed and then turned to Xerxes. "You're of course welcome to stay the night, my friend", he said.
"Oh, I wouldn't wish to impose", the wolf protested. "Just point me in the direction of the nearest inn and I'll stay there."
"Nonsense", Jeraddin said with a dismissive gesture. "I insist that you stay here, we've plenty of room."
"In that case", Xerxes said and put down his now empty glass. "I accept your hospitality, si...Jeraddin and yours as well, ma'am" he added, bowing to Nasari.
"I'm glad to hear it", said the lynx. "Do you want another drink?"
He reached for the bottle and was about to re-fill Xerxes' glass, but the wolf put his paw over it.
"Normally, I'd be all for another drink", he said, "but I need to get up early tomorrow. If you don't mind, I think its best that I head to bed."
"Good idea", said Nasari and yawned discreetly. "I'm starting to feel a bit tired myself."
"In that case, let's go to sleep", said Jeraddin.
With that, the three of them left the library and went their separate ways: Nasari headed towards the master-bedroom, while Jeraddin escorted Xerxes to one of the rooms used to put up over-night guests.
*****
"Sorry to bother you, your highness, but where would you like us to put this?"
The slenderly built female dragon looked up from her clipboard and focused her attention on the canine servant, who had been addressing her. She noticed that he and another servant, a cat, were carrying a large wooden table between them, their muscles straining under the weight.
"Put it over there", she said, pointing to a section of the palace-garden in which a low platform had been built.
As the servants trudged towards their designated goal with their burden, the dragoness gazed up at one of the tall trees, who cast their shadow across the garden.
"Make sure to spread the lanterns out evenly across the branches", she said to the falcon, who stood beside her, "and I want another green lantern over there in the elm."
"As you wish your highness", the falcon said and flew of to carry out her wishes.
The dragoness took a deep breath and gazed contently at the activity which filled the garden; everywhere there were members of the staff doing something, from trimming the hedges of the bushes, to decorating the trees with multi-colored lanterns and garlands, to putting out tables and she was the one responsible for it all. She closed her eyes and smiled blissfully, thinking about the up-coming festivities and the plans she had made for them.
Her reveries were interrupted by someone calling her name:
"Argath! Ah, there you are."
Argath turned around and saw her father, walking slowly towards her.
In his youth, King Sharan had lived an active life. Many centuries ago, he had been part of an adventurer-group, which had traveled around the World, fighting monsters, thwarting villains and all of that other stuff that such groups usually does. These days, age had begun to catch up with the dragon-king and he had to walk with a cane, though he still cut quite an imposing figure, standing taller than most of his subjects, including his children.
"How can I be of service, father?" Argath asked. She bowed and the others followed her example.
"Oh, I just wanted to talk to you for a bit", her father replied, leaning forward on his cane. "You wouldn't mind if I borrow the princess for awhile, do you?" He asked to the servants.
Naturally, none of them did and so, father and daughter began walking together through the garden.
"How goes the preparations?" King Sharan asked, as he sat down on a wooden bench, located underneath an apple-tree.
"They are proceeding smoothly, father", said Argath. She plucked an apple from a branch and took a bite out of it.
"Good, good. Did you send out the invitations to the guests who live outside the city?"
"I did, the couriers left this morning."
"Excellent." The king rose from the bench and touched his daughter's cheek, while smiling at her affectionately. "I know I did the right choice in putting you in charge of the festivities. Out of my remaining children, you've always been the most reliable.
"You flatter me, father" said Argath and looked down bashfully at the grass. "I'm really not worthy of such praise."
"Trust me, you are. Well, I shall not keep you from your duties any longer, I'm sure that this will be a celebration none of us will ever forget."
King Sharan was just about to leave, when Argath suddenly winced, clutching her forehead, while gritting her teeth. The older dragon immediately held out on arm and grabbed his daughter before she collapsed to the ground.
"I'm fine", she said. "Its just a sudden migraine. With your permission father, I think I'll go to my chamber and lie down until it has passed."
"Of course", said the king, looking at the princess concernedly. "You do that, shall I have the royal physician check up on you?"
"No need to bother the good doctor, I'll be fine with a bit of rest. I'm just going to tell the staff that they'll have to make do without me for a short while."
Argath was just about to do that when king Sharan blocked her way.
"I'll see to that", he said. "You just go inside and rest."
"Thank you, father."
As soon as she was indoors, a cold smirk played across Argath's features.
You are absolute right, father, she thought to herself as she walked through the hallways of the palace, servants hurriedly moving out of her way. The festivities will be unforgettable, though not for the reason you think.
The slenderly built female dragon looked up from her clipboard and focused her attention on the canine servant, who had been addressing her. She noticed that he and another servant, a cat, were carrying a large wooden table between them, their muscles straining under the weight.
"Put it over there", she said, pointing to a section of the palace-garden in which a low platform had been built.
As the servants trudged towards their designated goal with their burden, the dragoness gazed up at one of the tall trees, who cast their shadow across the garden.
"Make sure to spread the lanterns out evenly across the branches", she said to the falcon, who stood beside her, "and I want another green lantern over there in the elm."
"As you wish your highness", the falcon said and flew of to carry out her wishes.
The dragoness took a deep breath and gazed contently at the activity which filled the garden; everywhere there were members of the staff doing something, from trimming the hedges of the bushes, to decorating the trees with multi-colored lanterns and garlands, to putting out tables and she was the one responsible for it all. She closed her eyes and smiled blissfully, thinking about the up-coming festivities and the plans she had made for them.
Her reveries were interrupted by someone calling her name:
"Argath! Ah, there you are."
Argath turned around and saw her father, walking slowly towards her.
In his youth, King Sharan had lived an active life. Many centuries ago, he had been part of an adventurer-group, which had traveled around the World, fighting monsters, thwarting villains and all of that other stuff that such groups usually does. These days, age had begun to catch up with the dragon-king and he had to walk with a cane, though he still cut quite an imposing figure, standing taller than most of his subjects, including his children.
"How can I be of service, father?" Argath asked. She bowed and the others followed her example.
"Oh, I just wanted to talk to you for a bit", her father replied, leaning forward on his cane. "You wouldn't mind if I borrow the princess for awhile, do you?" He asked to the servants.
Naturally, none of them did and so, father and daughter began walking together through the garden.
"How goes the preparations?" King Sharan asked, as he sat down on a wooden bench, located underneath an apple-tree.
"They are proceeding smoothly, father", said Argath. She plucked an apple from a branch and took a bite out of it.
"Good, good. Did you send out the invitations to the guests who live outside the city?"
"I did, the couriers left this morning."
"Excellent." The king rose from the bench and touched his daughter's cheek, while smiling at her affectionately. "I know I did the right choice in putting you in charge of the festivities. Out of my remaining children, you've always been the most reliable.
"You flatter me, father" said Argath and looked down bashfully at the grass. "I'm really not worthy of such praise."
"Trust me, you are. Well, I shall not keep you from your duties any longer, I'm sure that this will be a celebration none of us will ever forget."
King Sharan was just about to leave, when Argath suddenly winced, clutching her forehead, while gritting her teeth. The older dragon immediately held out on arm and grabbed his daughter before she collapsed to the ground.
"I'm fine", she said. "Its just a sudden migraine. With your permission father, I think I'll go to my chamber and lie down until it has passed."
"Of course", said the king, looking at the princess concernedly. "You do that, shall I have the royal physician check up on you?"
"No need to bother the good doctor, I'll be fine with a bit of rest. I'm just going to tell the staff that they'll have to make do without me for a short while."
Argath was just about to do that when king Sharan blocked her way.
"I'll see to that", he said. "You just go inside and rest."
"Thank you, father."
As soon as she was indoors, a cold smirk played across Argath's features.
You are absolute right, father, she thought to herself as she walked through the hallways of the palace, servants hurriedly moving out of her way. The festivities will be unforgettable, though not for the reason you think.
Happy Birthday, Roy Batty
Today is the day that Roy Batty, the central antagonist of the classic science-fiction movieBlade Runner. directed by Ridley Scott, was born (or activated). Since I'm a huge fan of the movie and the character of Roy, excellently portrayed by Rutger Hauer, I thought it only appropriate to pay attention to this fact.
So, happy birthday, you murderous yet highly sympathetic replicant. You are going to see things that we people wouldn't believe. Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. You'll watch C-Beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhauser Gate. In the end,however , all those moments will be lost, like tears in rain...
That's still a few years into your future, though. For now, time to live.
So, happy birthday, you murderous yet highly sympathetic replicant. You are going to see things that we people wouldn't believe. Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. You'll watch C-Beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhauser Gate. In the end,however , all those moments will be lost, like tears in rain...
That's still a few years into your future, though. For now, time to live.
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