ELIPSIS You wake with a start, unable to breath. Nothing but black surrounds you and a sensation of dread shoots down your spine. Your chest is squeezed like a boa constrictor and as you panic, you feel your entire body trapped by some unknown force. The claustrophobia makes you want to scream, but no air lingers inside your lungs. You are going to die, you know it, you are going to die and in those last moments you struggle harder than you ever have before, clawing onto life, feeling the heavy force around you shift away. You break the surface coughing and spluttering. Your eyes sensitive and blinded by gold. The heat is what hits you first. The surface is blisteringly hot and you can actually feel the sun beating down from above, boiling your sweat. You try to take your first breaths but the air is humid and difficult to swallow, sour and coarse on your throat. Your skin feels rough, grainy almost and you finally open your eyes full to see the valley of dunes before you. Mountains of gold roll endlessly towards the horizon where they touch the sky so rich and blue, and the winds cut the tips of the dunes and sprinkle the sand here and there, and you take a moment to witness the harsh beauty that surrounds you. But the emptiness sets alarm bells off in your head. You don’t know where you are and you don’t remember getting here. There is nothing for miles that you can see and the sweltering heat is only getting worse. How did you get here? Why are you here? And how do you get back home? The only comfort you take in that moment, half buried beneath the sand, is that you are still alive. For now. Game Info Welcome to Elipsis! (‘Unending’ in the Ancient tongue) This is my experiment game welcome to all players, new and experienced. The game is a writing sandbox where you can create literally any character you like and throw it into the world. From there your character can stay in it for as long as you want, exploring ancient secrets and hidden locations that have been lost for centuries. Perhaps you will find a bustling city protected out of sight by an eternal sandstorm; maybe you will find a spaceship, crash landed and with aliens on board; or maybe you’ll just find more sand. It’s completely up to you. You can also pair up and meet other players or walk the world on your own, just be prepared as other players might bump into you! Together you will write your own story, tag along in someone else’s or even write one collaboratively. While I am GM, I won’t be driving the story completely as I can get very busy with work (however I will still try and write a story for my character!), so you will have creative freedom to come up with what ideas you want. The basic objective of the game is get your character back to where they came from, however its up to you if you want to ignore this and create your own objective/personal agenda. This really is a writing sandbox and the sky's the limit. Game Guidelines Considering the creative freedom in this game, I felt it best not to put any rules down - however I have come up with some guidelines which I think will enhance the game experience if followed: No God Moding - Pretty standard stuff really, it’s not fun to write when your character is invincible. Where’s the challenge in that? I understand this is fantasy but things still need to feel slightly believable - if you can write about aliens, vikings and dragons and still make it feel real then that’s a gold star in my book. Read each post carefully - You should assume goodwill here. If other players are reading your stuff, you should read theirs. It means you understand the story more and are able to interact better with other characters and have a lot more fun. And we all love fun. Collaborate together - This is one of my fav’s to do. Creating a collaborative post really brings that deeper interaction to the game and you are able to immerse your character into the lives of other characters with much more success. I highly rate writing together, plus you may find a new writing buddy in the process! Respect the tone of the scene - Try and get a read for what’s happening in a scene. If you think you can drop some humour in that’s fine, but unless your character is losing his marbles then don’t force this sort of thing. Sometimes random and irrational works, but most times it doesn’t. Don’t control someone else’s character - While I said there were no rules, I get the feeling that if you didn’t follow this guideline you’d p*** a few people off. It’s not worth the hassle - if you really want to do something with someone else’s character then ask for permission from them first. Don’t make me put the hammer down - I’m a pretty chilled GM and I want you to have fun and be creative. But don’t abuse this power of freedom I have given you and be respectful to others playing the game. If you are not I will bring down upon you fiery vengeance. Vengeance! Character Sheet You will need a character sheet so that other players can reference it. However it does not need to be approved by me! Simply create your character sheet and post it into the Elipsis discussion board for all to see. Then, voila you can start posting in the main game! Name: Species: Gender: Appearance: Occupation: (if your character has one) Personality: Background/bio: (Optional) Other: Time to explore Elipsis!
Talixia Dubois opened her eyes and shut them against the blinding sun. She rolled over onto her side and groaned in pain. Her skin felt raw and burnt, her throat was extremely dry, and there was sand everywhere. After a few moments of coughing and brushing sand off of her fairylike purple dress (and shaking it out of her wild ebony curls) she attempted to stand. She stumbled and rolled down the hill that she had previously been on top of. She groaned for a second time and a few salty tears squeezed out of her eyes before evaporating in the relentless heat of the endless desert. The last thing Talixia remembered was getting ready to go to a Wiccan gathering at a fancy country club, which was remarkable in itself because A) Talixia was a huge, desperate loner, and B) religion had always rubbed Talixia the wrong way. But Wicca was different from other religions; Talixia didn't consider herself Wiccan, but it was pretty close to some of her core beliefs. Talixia had been invited by a skinny blonde-headed girl in her Fine Art class at the local community college, and she was too polite to refuse. And she also wanted to force herself to break out of her shell and meet new people and try to be normal. So, when she got home she dug through her closet for the right dress and couldn't find anything. Everything she owned was conservative and frumpy, designed to cover her up and hide her from the world. She had a sudden inspiration to try the attic and found, in an old dusty trunk, a beautiful, flowing purple dress, with tight sleeves and a high slit that almost reached her hip, displaying her long, toned leg. She had also found a pair of pale pink slippers to go with the dress, and a clunky amethyst ring that fit her index finger as if it was made just for her. The old things in the trunk belonged to her mother, who had been a hippy til the day she died. And now, Talixia was lost in the middle of the desert in the most impractical dress ever. She pulled herself up with an enormous effort and squinted as she looked around for any other sign of life. She raised her eyebrows in shock when three glowing white discs appeared, levitating a couple inches over the ground. The discs, or "lightships" as she called them, were not new to her: she had been able to see them since she was very young. Usually they were blue, but they were sometimes other colors, too. The lightships seemed to be benign beings and they never hurt her, but she didn't know what they were and no one else had ever been able to see them but her. As she watched, the glowing lightships flew in complicated, graceful patterns, causing the sand to shift and swirl. Talixia's jaw dropped when she realized the lightships were sculpting the sand into the shape of palm trees and ferns and a rippling pond. The lightships were showing her an oasis. Suddenly, the lightships froze in mid-air and glowed brighter, making beautiful, silvery chiming noises. Then they took off into the distance, soaring over a hill and out of sight like Frisbies on steroids. "Waiiiit!" Talixia shouted, her throat grating in pain. She lifted the silky skirt of her dress and ran after the lightships, kicking up sand in her wake.
Nathan yawned. God, he was tired. Last night was absolutely terrible. First off, they had had no beer. What kind of party was that!? Also, no chicks. It was a sausage fest, and it was disgusting and awkward. High expectations. Probably half the people there were gay. Not that there's anything wrong with that. Then, Nathan received a mouthful of sand. Sputtering, he opened his eyes. Then, he realized he wasn't in his bed. He spat most of the sand out, then looked around him. A desert? How the fuck did he get here? It was difficult to breathe, the air was so humid. He quickly stood up from the scorching hot sands beneath him. He doesn't dream. If it was a dream, this was one hell of one. He didn't do any LSD last night. The hosts had literally nothing. He spat out some more sand, then tried to scrape some from his tongue. How the fuck was he in a desert? Nevertheless, at least he had sunscreen. Always prepared. He took the small packet from his pocket, and rubbed some on his nose, face, and the back of his neck. Wait, he could feel all of this. He still had his sunscreen he always had in his pocket. Was this real? Or just a really weird trip? Maybe Jeremy had snuck him something while Nathan was asleep. Wouldn't put it past the ass. He fanned his face. It was pretty damn hot. He came from San Diego, so that's saying something. It felt like if he opened his mouth, his saliva would instantly dry. The sand still in there was not helping. He moved his tongue around his mouth, trying to get at all the sand, then spit some more out. The spit quickly evaporated into the air. Nathan started to feel dizzy. The area around him was so expansive. A few sand dunes were here and there, but otherwise, there was nothing. Also, the sky was blue. No clouds. What did he do to deserve this? Nathan started walking to his right, away from the sun. Might as well. He applied a little bit more sunscreen to his arms, which were showing out of his tank top. Was there anyone else out here?
Astrid came to and looked around, taking in the endless sea of sand. In every direction, as far as the eye could see it went on, forming dunes and intricate patterns that captured both light and shadow—a beautiful, lifeless portrait painted by the hot desert wind. How long she’d been out here and how she’d come to this place, Astrid did not know. But now, fully awake and with a massive headache that felt drug-induced, she became keenly aware of the relentless desert heat. Her skin hot to the touch and her throat dry as sandpaper, it felt as if she were being slow roasted in a gigantic oven. Getting to her feet, she tested the strength of her wings, causing a whirlwind of sand to rise into the air. Her wing beats becoming stronger, the whirlwind intensified until finally she took to the sky like a giant bird of prey. The freedom of flight in such a hostile environment felt especially liberating and as Astrid headed west, she looked down at the at the bleak desert landscape, searching for any sign of life. Spotting a dark speck in the endless expanse of sand, she descended, gliding down through the thermal winds like a condor. Slowly, the dark speck began to take shape and eventually Astrid could see that it was a human—a dark haired beauty wearing a purple dress. Another transplant, Astrid thought, noting that her attire was completely inappropriate for the terrain. Astrid studied the woman as three glowing white orbs appeared before her. Clearly unafraid of any threat they may pose, the woman watched in fascination as they began a graceful dance. On and on the orbs went, their movements quickening to a frenzied pace until finally they zipped away, arcing across the sky like balls of fire thrown by an angry god. Astrid watched as they disappeared beyond the horizon, listening as the girl calling out in vain for their return. Touching down in the sand behind her, Astrid spoke. “Hello.” The girl jumped as if struck by lightning and wheeled around, a look of abject terror in her eyes. “Get away!” She shouted, pulling a knife out of a sheath hidden beneath her dress. “You're a dragon! I know of your powers! And I know that you kill people! So just stay the fuck away! You’re evil!” “Well, yes, I can be evil. But I’m not here to kill you. Of that, you can be sure.” In truth she did look like a nice snack. Young and sweet—human veal always tasted the best. But Astrid had no real desire to eat this one. After all, they were in this together, stuck in this godforsaken desert, put here by someone or something that most likely had dark intentions and an even darker soul. Whoever this girl was, she was surely an indispensable player in whatever cosmic game they'd fallen victim to. Beyond that, Astrid could sense that she possessed some sort of magic--magic that, if properly harnessed, could be used to help get them out of this hell hole. “You’re lying!” “No, I’m not. If I wanted to eat you, I’d roast you alive where you stand and swallow you whole. But that wouldn’t benefit me or you. So what do you say we establish a little trust here? Hm?” The girl pursed her lips, but said nothing. “By the way, my name is Astrid. What’s yours?” “Talixia.” “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Talixia. May I ask you a question?” Talixia nodded slightly. “What did you see when those orbs were dancing in front of you?” “An oasis,” she said, relaxing a little as she stared off into the distance. Looking into her eyes, Astrid realized something important. This girl was under the influence of a powerful enchantment spell. Someone or something—maybe the same thing that had brought them here in the first place—had taken control of her mind and it wasn’t letting go. “There were palm trees and ferns and a rippling pond. And it wasn’t a mirage. It’s a real place where we can find food and water and shelter. The orbs flew in the direction of the oasis to show us the way. And we have to go there. Or we’ll die.” “How do you know it’s not a trap?” A dark look came over her then and she glanced at Astrid as if the answer seemed patently obvious. She was offended by the question, but of course, she would be. Enchantment spells were powerful things that could lead individuals, even entire groups of people down the wrong path, sometimes to their own death. Astrid had seen it before on countless occasions when a powerful sorcerer or sorceress used his or her powers to manipulate and hurt others instead of helping them. In truth, enchantment spells weren’t always bad. But sometimes they were as dangerous as they were seductive. “I’ve seen the orbs before, Astrid. And they always lead me in the right direction. If you don’t believe me, you can try and find your way out of this blazing inferno alone. Me, I trust the orbs.” Wiping a copious amount of sweat from her brow with the back of one hand, she began trudging in the direction the orbs had flown without a backward glance. “I won’t lie to you and say there’s no danger where I’m going, Astrid. But danger or no danger, there will be water and food and shelter and without those things we’ll die. Do you want to die out here?” “No.” “Then follow me. If I’m going to have to trust you, then you’re going to have to trust me.” “Alright, but assuming we actually find this oasis, I don’t think we should stay for long.” “Of course you don’t. But right now it’s all we’ve got. And for all you know, it might actually help us find a way home. You ever think of that?” “I guess anything’s possible. But I still have a very bad feeling about this.” Looming like a giant shadow behind Talixia, Astrid contemplated whether or not she should offer to fly them to their ultimate destination so they could get this over with. But before she could speak a figure appeared ahead of them in the shimmering heat. Cresting the peak of a sand dune, looking very confused, was another human—this one a man. Not nearly as appetizing as the girl, Astrid thought. But who knew? Maybe Talixia would take a shine to him. And maybe he, being human, could break the enchantment spell that had taken control of her mind. It was unlikely. But anything was possible.
They weren’t dead. How the grek were Shin Gom Gua not dead after… whatever happened to them? That had been more painful and terrifying than even Gom’s legendary crash-landings, and the three of them had already been lucky enough not to be killed any of those times. Not that being 75% buried alive was much better than dying outright. Normally, sharing a nervous system meant that Shin Gom Gua could bounce increasingly productive ideas off of each other faster than they could speak out loud, but since they’d “landed” they had been caught up in the feedback loop of each sister getting more anxious from her exposure to both of the others’ anxiety. Gom snapped herself out of it first. She tried to blow the sand away from them, but their wings felt heavier to her than ever before; she wasn’t able to move them fast enough to get a good draft going. <“At least you even can move something.”> Shin realized that she probably hadn’t needed to be so snippy, but right now she was even worse off than Gom. Their legs and tail were completely immobilized, so the only thing Shin could do was point her head and neck to look from “sand” to “more sand”. Gua couldn’t move her arms either, but she forced herself to calm down. <“Shin, keep it down while the grown-ups are talking. Gom, could you try pushing the sand away instead of blowing it?”> Gua was right: Gom was having much better luck using the arms of their wings than she’d had with the membranes. Once she got more of their thorax out of the sand, Gom tested their tail. She felt it move, so she asked Shin, <“Legs working?”> Shin got her legs to wiggle. <“Not much, but it’s better than nothing.”> Gua decided to suggest a different direction. <“Still, if we’re able to move more now, then maybe Gom could push us back with our wings, all three of us try to push us forward with our tail and thorax, and then we go back and forth a few more times?”> Gom pressed her wing-hands against the ground. <“All right, let’s do this!”> Their body moved back just enough for their upper arms to snap against the sand. Gua couldn’t stop herself from mouth-screaming. Shin pushed with her legs to make their body stop. <“You stupid yilling gik!”> She couldn’t believe this: she was always the one that Gua took to task for being a “heartless bitch,” but now Gom wasn’t paying attention to whether she hurt their own sister? Their brains were only indirectly attached to their arms and Shin could still feel the sting; Gom had to feel the same, so how could she possibly not have noticed that Gua would’ve felt the full brunt. <“Why the goor were you just thinking going that fast?”> Gom tried to find a way to apologize for her hastiness, but Gua beat her to it: <“I’ll bet that she was thinking that if we just sit here for the rest of our life, then it won’t matter whether all of our limbs are working or not. I know that’s what I was thinking.”> Gom couldn’t believe that Gua wasn’t more furious with her, but she focused on digging out more of the sand around them. <“Gua, ready to try again?”> <“I’m not ready not to.”> Gom was couldn’t believe her sister’s pain tolerance, but she had to admit that Gua was right: they needed to get out of here. Shin could already feel Gom Gua starting to dread the possibility that there wasn’t anything else here, and Gua could feel Shin Gom starting to dread the possibility that there wasn’t anybody else. If they didn’t want to go completely insane, then they needed to start looking into the rest of this world as soon as possible. They rocked back and forth – far more carefully this time – until they were finally free enough for Shin to push them out all the way. And they almost fell back to the ground. Gom managed to get her wing-hands down in time to catch themselves, but now that they weren’t being supported by the sand anymore, they noticed that the gravity here was far greater than they were used to. Not so high that Shin Gom couldn’t walk together, but still high enough that nobody held out much hope of Gom flying anytime soon. Gliding, maybe, but definitely not flying. That was definitely going to make it harder to find other people. And/or food. They also realized that even any food they could find might not be compatible with their biological systems. <“Well, if that is the case, then at least it means that my broken arms won’t get infected.”>
REWRITE: Astrid came to and looked around, taking in the endless sea of sand. In every direction, as far as the eye could see it went on, forming dunes and intricate patterns that captured both light and shadow—a beautiful, lifeless portrait painted by the hot desert wind. How long she’d been out here and how she’d come to this place, Astrid did not know. But now, fully awake and with a massive headache that felt drug-induced, she became keenly aware of the relentless desert heat. Her skin hot to the touch and her throat dry as sandpaper, it felt as if she were being slow roasted in a gigantic oven. Getting to her feet, she tested the strength of her wings, causing a whirlwind of sand to rise into the air. Her wing beats becoming stronger, the whirlwind intensified until finally she took to the sky like a giant bird of prey. The freedom of flight in such a hostile environment felt especially liberating and as Astrid headed west, she looked down at the at the bleak desert landscape, searching for any signs of life. Spotting a dark speck in the endless expanse of sand, she descended, gliding on the thermal winds like a condor. Slowly, the dark speck began to take shape and eventually Astrid could see that it was a human—a dark haired beauty wearing a purple dress. Another transplant, Astrid thought, noting that her attire was completely inappropriate for the terrain. Astrid studied the woman as three glowing white orbs appeared before her. Clearly unafraid of any threat they may pose, the woman watched in fascination as they began a graceful dance, painting some sort of magical picture that only she could see. On and on the orbs danced, their movements quickening to a frenzied pace until finally, in some sort of cosmic grand finale, they zipped away, arcing across the sky like fireballs thrown by Zeus, himself. Astrid watched as they disappeared beyond the horizon. "Wait!" The girl called after them, a tone of desperation in her voice. Touching down in the sand behind her, Astrid spoke. “Hello.” The girl jumped as if struck by lightning and wheeled around, a look of abject terror in her eyes.
Nathan reached the top of a dune, his mouth a little dry, and his eyes completely shut. He licked his lips. This was too real. He was afraid. The expanse of nothingness in front of him, with perhaps no prospect of anything else being alive, terrified him. He could die of thirst and lie in the sand until it buried him. It was too hot outside, and he was sweating up a storm. There was no breeze to cool the sweat on his skin. Thankfully no sunburn yet, thanks to the sunscreen. He swore he could hear his mother playing Clair de Lune in the background. That one classical song he couldn't help but love. The others he couldn't care for. Those goddamned downwards chromatic scales that ripped right through that dancing feeling of the song. He took in what was around him on top of that tall dune of sand. He saw, in the distance, a couple stray figures. They stood out from the sand like strawberries in a bowl of ice cream, though they were far enough away he couldn't make out much. He could count them. Far away from him were a group of three figures, and near them was another figure. Then, in the other direction, there was one figure, all alone. It was closer to him than the others. He could make out the color being somewhat... pink? He was decently sure. He guessed that it was a human, like himself, but with a dress on. Probably female. Yeesh, not good for her. He guessed she was maybe a few blocks away from him. Well, he couldn't really use that as a measuring tool, now could he? Should've paid more attention in math class. Not that it mattered much. Nathan stood still on top of the dune, and hoped she would notice him. His blue shorts should pop out. He started waving his arm.
While waiting for the girl's response Astrid shifted her gaze, noticing a figure that had appeared atop a large sand dune to the east. It was another human--this one a man, wearing blue shorts and waving his arms frantically. "I'll be back," Astrid said, and with that she took to the sky once again and flew to him. Not wanting to scare the poor fellow--she was, after all, a hideous looking dragon--Astrid kept her distance, landing at the base of the dune. Looking up at him, she could see that he was young. She could also see that he was confused and afraid. "Let me guess, you just woke up here, too."
It began with choking and coughing, an inability to inhale anything other than burning sand. Asphyxiating dust cut and dried his mouth and nose. Panic set in. There was no time. The oxygen would run out soon. Before he could question anything else, curled sharply forward and broke the sand of the surface, and was blinded. Unable to see, skin burning, spitting and coughing out full clumps of sand, he tried to right himself physically. The air that came back in was as unforgiving as the sand going out. He could feel the cells rupturing and dying. Cotton mouth stickier than his worst hangover, and an fierce aversion to the sun. Sand-filled sweat made everything itch, and it scratched the skin as he tried to brush it away. Discomfort was encompassing. He tried to open his eyes again, and with some effort, he began to see. Began to see the nothing he had entered into. He condensed the remaining sand in his mouth with the remaining saliva he had left and spit it on to the sand. The gelatinous ball dried moments after it hit the dust. His nose bled slightly as capillaries cracked, and cooled the hot skin. He wiped it off and tried to stand. Some sort of bearing needed to be accomplished before thinking was possible. He took a long, deep breath, and exhaled slowly. What is happening right now? He couldn't even remember his name. He wasn't injured, but that concerned him more. How can I not remember anything, and yet not have a concussion? It bothered him, pissed him off even, but then he realized the more pressing issues. What the flying f*** am i doing in a god d*** desert? "I need to catch my bearing, I need to calm down." He stared at dune after dune in every direction, each seeming higher and more profound then the next. It was endless, a personal hell. The scorched wind blew over him. He looked straight up at the beating sun, nearly challenging it for power with his anger. Fists clenched, ready to pound anything that got in his way, he looked back at the waste . I need to find water. I need to find a way out. He reached in his pocket, felt a pack of cigarettes and a lighter. Lit one and looked at the box. Camels. He smirked and expelled a quick breathe out is nose. "Should've been more specific with my last wish."
Lark She awoke in the shade of an eerie sandstone plinth, its shape scoured out by an aeon of burtal winds. All around dozens more rose from the sifting morass of the dunes. Panic hauled her kicking and screaming into full awareness. Reluctantly she opened her eyes, only to snap them shut almost instantly. She wasn't in England anymore. The taste of dust was thick on her tongue as she looked at the sky, a searing hot blue. The sun, she knew, would be relentless if she rounded the stones. Lord, how she hated heat...always the destroyer. She clamped a lid on the roiling pot of demons and slowly got to her feet. Everything hurt, but nothing seemed broken, merely the aches inflicted by hard travel. How had she gotten here? More to the point, where was here? Lark lost her breath as the seal on her back speared with white hot pain. Her knees quivered, but she steeled her spine. Nothing would force her down! "Nothing," she whispered fiercely. Her voice was raw, but it, too, still worked. The pain, well, there was the answer to her first question. The here remained, but there would be an answer to that soon enough. She glanced at the sky once more and then down at her attire: Entirely suitable for the biting English winters, treks through the desert, not so much. Yet, by some happy mistake, she did have her parasol with her. Its weight was a slight comfort as she reached for it. Unfurling the sunshade, she nestled into a lee in the rocks and settled in to wait. There were no answers to be found in the furnance while it burned. She knew what she needed to do, but in the mean time she succumbed to a moment of despair. It was too much. All of it. The light, the heat, the sand...nothing green or damp grew in such a place. Her soul ached for the quite green reaches of her beloved isle, but it wasn't to be. This place was as alien to her as she was to the fear bound mortals of her home. Even the songs of the stones and the air were different here. They weren't as deep and speaking as those she knew. These were sharp, ladened with heat and motion. The bedrock seemed almost tangible...as if it were somehow alive. Lowering her parasol, Lark shot to her feet. Rounding the sheltering lee of the plinth, she saw the source of the commotion within the songs. The threads of earth weren't alive; they were being driven by the wind. "Damn," she muttered. There was a sandstorm blowing in.
While trying to signal the lone girl he'd seen, there was a brief lapse of the sun on his head, and a massive shadow loomed over him. Nathan quickly looked up, then saw the dragon land at the base of the sand dune. Stumbling back, he breathed quickly. Okay, Nathan. A big dragon is right next to you, but it also not really next to you. It is respecting its distance. Freaky. "Let me guess, you just woke up here, too." Nathan frowned, eyebrows shooting to the skies. Okay, now it could talk. In English. How can this not be a dream? A badly written fanfiction-type dream. "Yeah. I did." Okay, what else do you say to a freaking dragon? He had no idea.
“The girl over there,” Astrid said, looking toward the dark haired beauty in the purple dress. “I think she knows something. A few minutes ago there were strange orbs dancing in front of her. When they flew off she said, ‘Wait,’ like they’d shown her something important. Maybe they gave her a message—I don’t know for sure.” Ascending the sand dune, she joined the man atop his miniature mountain, casting a shadow over him. And that was when she saw it--a massive sandstorm in the distance. Stretching across the eastern horizon like a wall of doom, it darkened the sky, blotting out the cloudless blue with a vast curtain of muddled brown. A sickening feeling taking hold in the pit of her stomach, Astrid blinked and shook her head. I must be losing my freaking mind. Surely it's not real. Surely it's just a mirage, a hallucination brought on by the effects of dehydration and heat stroke. But as a scorching wind began to whip past them, it became clear that her eyes were not deceiving her. The monster sandstorm in the distance was as real as this godforsaken desert and it was headed their way. She looked down at Blue Shorts, trying to keep the panic out of her voice. "Turn around and look behind you. If we don't find a place to shelter before that gets here, dying of thirst will be the least of our worries."
Lark The hot wind scored against her parasol and her soul. This was a savage song, a wild heathen dance worthy of her ancestors' wrath. It was a chorus she knew in her blood and in her bones. It was then that she saw the faint shadows. There were others in this place and this storm was closing with deadly force. Lark knew her opinions were limited. She could hunker down and cower like a mouse or she could finally test her mantel and stall for time. A slightly maniac smile crept across her gamine little face. She was tired of hiding. Fear beat against her overwrought mind like a bird into a window, but she shoved it back. Closing the parasol with a decisive snap, she rounded the corner of her plinth to face the storm. Lark shut her eyes, blocking out the rapidly fading light. Her hands stirred restlessly at her sides as her heavy skirts billowed in the raging gusts. Lithe and limbre as a willow bough, she began to flow with the air currents. Sightless, she felt the howl and bite of the airy rage, sensed the rise and fall of the timbred voices of the shattered stones. Two symphonies collided in a discordant melee. Slowly she lifted her hands, twining her thin fingers through the snarled, unseen threads. Earth with its dense, heavy richness and Air with its bright, boundless life and motion, she caught hold of their refrains. Her hands knotted into fists as she braced her feet, sand solidifing beneath her boots as she began to weave her songs. Each grain of sand merged harmoniously with its neighbors. With her feet once more on solid ground she reached deep, seeking the refrains of the punishing winds. Threads shimmered like quicksilver in the darkness of her mind's eye, charting their course across the vast expanse of emptiness. Catching the rhythm, Lark whirled, sending out a counterpoint pulse. The streams of air shivered. Sand poured down as the winds lost some of their driving force. The lull was very brief as more gusts billowed in behind the countered threads. Melody and counterpoint, she went at it headlong. Howl and gust, skid and whirl, she battled against the winds, releasing them only after they had relenquished their burdens of sand. It was only a stopgap, but it would buy the others a little bit of time.
Talixia turned in shock and beheld the monstrous dragon that was--horror of horrors--talking to her in a female voice. Her jaw dropped and she couldn't run or scream or anything--she was frozen in fear. Fortunately, the dragon was distracted by something blueish waving on a sand dune in the distance. The dragon told her it would return and took off with a mighty sweep of its wings, effortlessly riding the air currents. 'Snap out of it!' Talixia told herself mentally. 'This is your chance to escape before that dragon comes back and decides to gobble you up!' In a panicked frenzy, Talixia gathered up her flowing dress and took off in a random direction. She had completely forgotten about the glowing lightships and the oasis they had shown her, all that mattered now was getting away from the scary dragon before it ate her, plain and simple. But she had barely made it a couple yards when the luminous white lightships returned. This time the lightships made urgent chime sounds and flew up, making Talixia stop and look at a rising wave of sand on the horizon. A sandstorm. "Ah, crapola!" Talixia cussed heatedly. "A sandstorm--really!?" She was barely able to stand due to the heat and her empty stomach and her tired muscles; she didn't see how she was going to out-run a sandstorm. But then, somehow, the sandstorm started to behave oddly and looked like there was a lone figure dancing wildly--but gracefully--on the horizon, a large plinth jutting out of the landscape nearby. Whatever the dancer was doing, it was slowing down the sandstorm...but would it be enough to save them? Talixia didn't know what to do. She was scared and desperate and close to a nervous breakdown--or passing out from exhaustion, whichever came first. Suddenly, she was overcome by a sense of love and tranquility like nothing she had ever felt before. She stood tall and closed her eyes as she raised her arms at her sides. Golden light blazed around her and, when she opened her eyes, she saw that she was inside a 3-dimensional eight-pointed star made of pure golden light. Her eyes wide in awe, she reached out and touched it--the wall was solid and smooth like glass. "I guess I'll be safe inside...this," she whispered, confused and grateful at the same time.
Shin Gom Gua felt a breeze start to pick up, carrying with it the smell of life. Absurd, unrecognizable, alien life, but life nonetheless, and possibly even intelligent. Shin was immediately excited. The people of her own world were fun enough, but she'd spent her whole life learning how her species' minds worked: what were the most common pressure points, how did different people responded to different pressures, how could she tell how strongly somebody had been effected by a specific pressure... She'd never gotten the chance to play with real live aliens before, and she couldn't wait to teach herself entirely new sets of rules entirely from scratch. At that moment, Shin was glad that Gom was the one with the wings. She loved Gua to death, but Gua was always so bored by the idea of dealing with other people; if Shin had been dependent on her to help find new "friends," then she probably wouldn't get anywhere. Gom, on the other hand, was probably as interaction-starved as Shin was. <Gom, let's go find them!> Gom didn't need to be asked twice. She'd been bored out of her mind not having anything to do anything besides walk, walk more, and then walk again with nobody but Shin Gua to talk to. A group of new people meant she could get all sorts of new: exploring the desert, find out out how they got here, healing Gua's arms... She immediately helped Shin turn around, and the two of them started downwind. <"Gua, you going to be OK with them?"> Gua was surprised to find that she didn't mind the idea as much as she and Shin had thought she would. Having something to do without others interrupting had always been the most comfortable for her, but it was looking more and more like her choices in this desert-world would be "no people, nothing to do" versus "other people, something to do". <"I think I've had enough alone time, I should be able to manage for a while."> Gom was elated; she couldn't remember that last time all three of them had agreed on anything big like this. <"You guys want to make some noise so they find us too?"> Shin didn't want to take the risk of providing any stimulus that would tamper with her new test subjects before she was there to observe them. <"We should probably keep talking in our brains so that we don't scare them off."> Gua guessed that 1) Shin's motives weren't so noble, and 2) she herself might not get the chance for good sarcasm anytime soon. <"Which probably means that we should scream at the top of our lungs."> And just like that, Gom's moment was gone; yet another Shin Gua headache was on the way.
Staring at the sandstorm boiling on the eastern horizon, Astrid noticed a woman wearing a long, flowing blue gown in the distance. Raising her arms, she began an exotic dance. After a moment it became apparent that she was somehow interacting with the storm, pushing back at its hellish winds, causing it to stop moving toward them. How the woman could fight it was beyond Astrid's comprehension, but somehow she was keeping it at bay. For how long, though? Surely not forever. And when her strength ran out, what then? Then mother nature's wrath would come at them with the force of a knockout punch and they would be doomed. "I have to try and find a place for us to go," Astrid said to Blue Shorts. And with that she took to the sky, rising through the shimmering heat as quickly as her wings could take her. Heading west, her eyes scanned the scorched earth, despair washing over her as the heat sapped what remained of her strength. It's hopeless, she thought. We're all going to die out here. But just as these thoughts crossed her mind, she spotted something other than sand on the horizon. Palm trees, Astrid thought, staring at the rows of green fronds kissing the sky in the distance. As the area came into view she could see thick foliage beyond the trees, then finally a swift flowing river, the sun reflecting off its surface like a thousand diamonds scattered by the wind. Salvation, Astrid thought, a renewed sense of hope replacing the despair in her heart. She landed in a clearing near the water's edge. Panting, her throat screaming with thirst, she stumbled toward the fast flowing water and drank deeply. Though not cold, it tasted fresh and pure. Already, she could feel her energy returning. A bird of paradise with yellow, brown and white plumage chirped at her from a nearby tree, its peacock-like tail feathers flitting about as it watched her. "Don't worry, I'm not going to hurt you," Astrid said, peering up at it. The bird chittered an angry response, clearly upset that she had disturbed the area around its nest. "Yes, yes, I know, I'm encroaching on your territory. But I'm only getting a drink of water. Soon enough I'll be out of your way." Her thirst finally sated, Astrid looked past the bird and noticed something hidden beyond the thick foliage. Beating a path through the greenery, she was greeted by the sight of an old, dilapidated villa, its walls cracked and overgrown with climbing vines. Many of its windows broken out, the place appeared to be devoid of human life. Even so, as Astrid stared at it she began to feel as if the giant house was staring back at her, beckoning her to come inside and find whatever dark secrets it held. It was an eerie feeling, really, thinking that a house could have eyes, that it could watch her, that it could see. In spite of the heat an involuntary shiver coursed through her body. Briefly, she contemplated shape-shifting into her human form to get a better look around the property, but quickly dismissed the idea. It would be crazy to explore this place alone. Besides, there were more pressing matters to tend to. The others still needed to be saved. Turning back, Astrid retraced her steps until the canopy of shade turned to sunlight once more. Rising into the air almost effortlessly, she backtracked, flying east until she could see Blue Shorts and the woman whose graceful dance was keeping the sandstorm at bay. The girl in the purple dress had disappeared, but now Astrid could see that there were others. Scattered about in the same general area, they looked like toys in a sandbox. Flying low enough to send the group a telepathic message, Astrid concentrated all of her energy on broadcasting her thoughts. To the west there is a river and a place for us to take shelter from the sandstorm. Follow me if you want to live. With that she turned back, leading the way to the oasis.
Lark Lark's song threads tangled and the storm surged as she fell to her knees...screaming. The searing pain had nothing to do with the heat or the wind. A presence was trying to force it's way into her mind. It wasn't Chance, it wasn't Tribe, and it wasn't ghost. This was bestial and her true face was having none of it. She had gone feral once and only Chance and Mag had brought her back to reason. They weren't here now, so she had to hang onto her wits. Desperately she dug her toes into the stone, catching hold of her snarled threads. She shoved the connection back with a sudden, savage thrust of Echo and a reflection of the ghostly voices of her slain kin. Two could play at this game. She wasn't made of glass...Glass! Feet flying, skirts awhirl, Lark altered her dance going into an impossibly intricate arabesque. Air came up around her in a rush. Deftly she rolled it into a condensed atmosphere about her. Now shielded from the stinging sands her fingers and hands flowed, seperating, weaving and tethering countless threads. She culled the burning heat from the cooler breaths of wind. Wrapping them in delicate thralls of Echo and muffling Spirit, she sent the weaves out into the twisting cofines of her sphere. The air began to superheat, leaving Lark buffered by refracting Echo and the cooled air. With her furnance burning, she called down thousands of strands of billowing sand. Her mink brown curls whipped across her face as she came about, her hands following through. Heavy skirts whirling one direction, she twiled back in the other. Sand collided with her sphere and seemed to disappear, but Lark could see the thread morphing. Solid became liquid, fluid and malliable. Her dance was near manic at this point as she layered the threads. It was working. With her endurance stretched to the breaking point, she swirled through her patterns twice more before dropping to her knees. Lungs screaming, Lark went still as the sand and winds hardened into a dome of twisted glass. There was silence, no wind, no voices. Just the utter stillness of a storm's prelude.
Nathan ran after the dragon after she flew off. Goddamnit. Should've asked to ride on her back. Oh well, he could run. Thank god for good quality sneakers. It took him a full 40 minutes to run to where the dragon was, and by the end of it, he was sweating up a storm and tired. He lay near the edge of the pond, and sipped some water. It was warm, but he didn't give a single fuck. Freaking water. Sheesh. He sure took that for granted back at home. After he drank as much as he could, he jumped straight in the water. It was pleasantly warm, and felt great being out of all that heat. If he had a pool like this at home... forget about inside! He surfaced, and then realized that the dragon was not there anymore. She had already left by the time Nathan had gotten there. Well. Looks like he was on his own again. He relaxed in the water, floating on his back. This wasn't too bad.
To the west there is a river and a place for us to take shelter from the sandstorm. Follow me if you want to live. Sean glanced at George, then up at the dragon that had appeared in the sky. It was red and blue, a horrendous looking creature with the wingspan of a 747. “Did you hear that?” “Yeah,” George said, his eyes following the beast as it circled overhead before flying off in the direction it had come. “It said to go west.” The sandstorm, having transformed itself into a glass dome by now, was clearly not a threat. But they still needed food, water, and shelter. “So let’s go,” George said, setting off after it. “Whoa, what are you talking about? That was a dragon. And in case you didn’t know, dragons eat people. We can’t just go after it. I mean, you understand that, right?” George didn’t answer, only kept walking. “George! Are listening to me?” Shaking his head, Sean reluctantly followed in George’s footsteps. “If it wanted to eat you it would have been on you like a hawk on a field mouse.” Wiping sweat from his forehead he glanced back at his newfound friend. “You ever think of that?” “Yeah, but that doesn’t mean it won’t get hungry later!” “Well if it does, I’ll be sure and ask it to eat you first.” The two men continued bickering until finally they could see palm trees on the horizon. “Salvation,” George said, laughing as he picked up the pace. He jogged the rest of the way and finally, after several minutes, sand gave way to greenery. Reaching the pond, he dove in headfirst, then stood and used his hands to scoop water into his mouth. It was warm, but it tasted clean. Sean arrived shortly thereafter and knelt at the water’s edge to drink his fill. And there was another man, too, at the far side of the pond. George raised an arm in the air and waved at the stranger. “Hello!”
Astrid shape-shifted into her human form and ran a hand through her long blond hair, waiting for the others in the shade near the old villa. The bird of paradise, it seemed, had finally accepted her presence as it no longer chirped at her from above. The air was noticeably cooler here and soon, as she listened to the breeze whispering through the leaves of the trees, Astrid fell asleep. Waking to the sound of voices near the pond, she stood and peered out at the three men who had arrived. Well, she thought, they were all cute, at least. Not that that mattered in a survival situation, but it sure didn't hurt. Still, the survivalist in her cautioned against showing herself too soon. For all she knew, one--or all--of them could be crazed lunatics. Better to observe from a safe distance until she could be reasonably sure that none would pose an imminent threat. After all, in her human form she was defenseless.
Talixia heard Astrid's telepathic broadcast inside her golden 3-dimensional star. She saw the ferocious shadow of the huge dragon soar over the rolling dunes and she gulped involuntarily. The dragon scared her, plain and simple. She didn't consider herself to be courageous, and she wasn't exactly a coward...but if she knew one thing about dragons, it was that they ate people. All the fairy tales said so. But her friendly lightships had told her to go to the oasis, too, and she didn't think she had much of a choice. Her throat was hoarse and dry, and when she talked her vocal chords grated together like sandpaper. So, against her best instincts, she decided to go to the goddamn oasis... ...And suddenly, in a brilliant flash of golden light, she was at the oasis. She blinked in astonishment. Apparently, the golden star was some kind of light vehicle that could transport her where she wanted to go. And here she was, at the oasis! She hesitantly tapped the wall of the light vehicle and it disappeared in a shower of magickal glitter. Talixia stumbled and fell to her knees at the edge of the pool. She leaned down and gulped it greedily, and then puked it all back up on the grass. "I guess was drinking too fast," Talixia croaked. She looked up and noticed, for the first time, all the people standing around her. "Oh..." Her cheeks burned in embarrassment. "I'm sorry!" she squeaked, and then she curled into a ball to hide her face.
A shower of gold sparks exploded like fireworks between Sean and George, startling both men. "What the fuck?" George exclaimed, stumbling backwards and falling onto his ass as a woman wearing a purple dress materialized before them. Immediately, she fell to her knees and began gulping water. It must have been too much for her stomach to take in at once because after a moment she turned her head to the side and vomited. Poor girl, George thought, his eyes taking in the exposed skin of one toned, dark leg. The split in her snug purple dress revealed plenty and George felt a shiver of desire course through him as he stared. She looked up at him, then at Sean, a look of embarrassment contorting her features. "I guess I was drinking too fast. Oh, I'm sorry!" "No need to apologize," George said, getting up and dusting himself off before approaching her. "It's just the heat and dehydration getting to you. You'll feel better once you sit down in some shade and cool off for a bit. Please, let me help you up." He offered his hand to her. Sean appraised George with a look of dismay. During their walk through the desert, George had shamelessly admitted to being the type of man who preferred to use women for sex before dumping them like yesterday's leftovers. At the time Sean hadn't really thought much about it. After all, plenty of guys were scared of commitment. But now that the girl had shown up, he felt obligated to try and protect her. "I wouldn't let my guard down around him if I were you," he said coolly. George shot him an angry look. Sean stared back. "What? You told me you liked to use women, didn't you?" "I was just offering the lady some help." Though his voice was calm there was no missing the displeasure in it. "She does need help, doesn't she?" Astrid, sensing this would be a good time to reveal herself, came out from behind the trees and approached the trio. The bald guy was still holding his hand out to the girl as if her were about to propose, but his eyes were on the tall, dark haired man, who was staring down at him with a look of contempt. "Really? You guys sound like a couple of teenagers," Astrid said, snapping them out of their staring contest. In unison, both turned to look at her. "Who the hell are you?" The bald one asked. Before Astrid could answer, the second man followed up with a question of his own. "And where's the dragon?" "What dragon?" She asked, feigning ignorance. Revealing her true identity now would do no good. She had no intention of harming them, of course, but they wouldn't believe that if they knew she'd simply shape-shifted into her human form. Maybe later, after she'd had a chance to get to know them better, she would tell them. But for now she would have to lie. "I don't know how you could have missed it. I mean, the thing was as big as a plane," Dark Hair said. "Was it? Well I didn't see anything." She waved her hand dismissively and shrugged. "Anyway, I've been exploring the area and over there beyond that grove of palm trees is an old villa. It's dilapidated. Looks like no one's lived there in years. But it's huge. Why someone would build a place like that in the middle of nowhere is beyond me, but it's the only man made structure around these parts. I'd have gone inside and looked around a little, but--" She paused, remembering how the house had seemed to beckon her, as if it had wanted her to come inside and discover its secrets. "I don't know. I guess I just got a little spooked and didn't want to explore the place alone. By the way, my name's Astrid. And you are?" "Sean." "George." Astrid looked down at the dark haired beauty, waiting for her to reply.
Lark Having robbed the storm of most of its fury, Lark settled beneath the safety of her dome waiting for the remnants of the billowing sands to abate. Reveling in the brief lull she deftly rebraided and rewound her heavy coronet dark hair. She was busy dumping the sand from her halfboots when the storm finally blew itself out. She knew there was no time to be idle. Thirst would kill her faster than anything possibly roaming these sands. Boots retied and sand free, she rose, reaching for her parasol. A quick, tricky twist of the handle freed the blade hidden inside. Placing a few strategic hits against the perimeter of her dome, Lark replaced the sword and pressed the tip of her sunshade into the center of her cracked portion. The main body of the dome remained intact, but she was able to get out. Her ears flickered beneath a scattering of escaped tendrils. Voices. Very distant, but human. There was no sign of the telepathic connection that had tried to force entry. Or was there? Going as still as stone, Lark slowed her breathing and thundering heart. It was easier sliding into the thread planes this time. Spirit lights shimmered of to the west lingering near a small vein of her beloved and missing blue. At least there was water in this heathenish place. There were a few other scattered signatures across the dunes, but instinct was pointing her toward the oasis. She would deal with the source of the presense when the time came. Carefully she pulled her senses out of the song plane and brought her mind back into focus. The only remaining problem was getting from her current location to the oasis. Walking was out of the question. Too time consuming, it would take hours, hours that in this heat she might not otherwise have. For safety reasons, standard flight was also foolhardy. She would keep that secret unless she had no other alternative. That left her with a single, viable option. Lark's lips twitched, hinting at a smile. "I've always wanted to try this." Her porcelain mask cracked with that small smile. Emotion was the patina that gave her eeriely perfect features life, but very few had ever witnessed the sight. They were too much of a risk even if they did lend her power. She had seen the devestation wrought by that power when there was no control. How she wished those memories away. Giving herself a mental shake, Lark pulled free of her mental musings and shifted, assuming her transitory form. Blood and bone yielded to smoke as she rose into the air. She now resembled at slight, desert cloud. The winds, now with her, carried her across the sky at breathtaking speed. It wasn't as fast as flying, but it certainly was fun. With the oasis looming, she drifted down following a small eddy of air that had gone on to tease a stand of palm trees. Shelter. Regaining her form, even as her feet touched the earth, Lark was quick to tuck into the shadows. There were four of them. It appeared as though the girl in the garish purple dress as gagged herself on water...Idiot, greed and haste never turn out well. Slight as she was Lark, pressed deeper into the shadows, observing. The group's attention seemed focused on a decayng building. Her thrist wasn't so great yet as to drive her from her hiding spot. She could wait.
Talixia was still curled into the fetal position when she felt a slimy shiver down her spine and a wave of desire came at her from George. Talixia looked up at him with huge brown eyes and then back at his hand and then back at him. Talixia had always been able to feel other people's emotions as if they were her own. She had always thought it was just a maternal instinct, but after teleporting in a 3-dimensional gold star...she wondered if it was something more. and it seemed to be even stronger in this desert. She knew if she touched George's exposed skin, it would focus her empathy and she would be able to feel his desire even more acutely. She definitely didn't want that, so she shook her head fiercely without saying a word. The the other guy began squabbling with the first guy, and Talixia had a moment to stand up and compose herself. She shook back her voluminous mane, her thick ebony curls shining in the beaming desert sun. Out of the corners of her eyes she could see glowing green discs floating in the leaves of the trees and pale blue, almost translucent, discs floating just over the surface of the rippling blue water. She blinked and they were gone. 'I'm seeing lightships more and more frequently,' she thought to herself without any emotion. She was too starved and dehydrated to feel scared or excited. "Really? You guys sound like a couple of teenagers." A new girl joined them. She had a strong aura of power, stronger than a normal person should have, and her movements were relaxed and confident. Talixia immediately admired her. She only wished she could be that...dragon! While looking at Astrid, Talixia suddenly saw the image of a dragon in her mind. 'What's happening to me??' Talixia thought to herself. Now she was starting to get worried. And then everyone started to introduce themselves. Talixia realized it was her turn to speak, but she was distracted by a sudden flash of intuition that told her to look up. Her eyes went up and she saw a weird haze in the sky that swooped down and landed in the shadows. Whatever it was a had great aura, as big and powerful as Astrid's, and Talixia had a gut feeling that the person in the shadows thought she was an 'idiot' for some reason. "My name is Talixia, please don't call me Tally or any other nickname, just Talixia," Talixia told the others in a rush. Then she pointed into the shadows. "Before we go to the creepy abandoned villa place, could we deal with whatever is hiding over there?"
