It's Like in the Great Stories Mr. Frodo

Frodo : I can't do this, Sam.
Sam : I know. It's all wrong.
By rights we shouldn't even be here.
But we are.
It's like in the great stories Mr. Frodo.
The ones that really mattered.
Full of darkness and danger they were,
and sometimes you didn't want to know the end.
Because how could the end be happy.
How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad happened.
But in the end, it's only a passing thing, this shadow.

Even darkness must pass.
A new day will come.
And when the sun shines it will shine out the clearer.

Those were the stories that stayed with you.
That meant something.
Even if you were too small to understand why.
But I think, Mr. Frodo, I do understand.
I know now.
Folk in those stories had lots of chances of turning back only they didn’t. They kept going, because they were holding on to something.

Frodo : What are we holding on to, Sam?

Sam : That there’s some good in this world, Mr. Frodo. And it’s worth fighting for.

~ J.R.R. Tolkien, Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, (movie version)

Lady Marthorn with the Afternoon Teas

"Bro" muttered Nervina in a rather low and thoughtful voice, "I think I've found a way in."

Brogan got up from his screen and went over to see what Nervina was talking about.

Just then there was a knock at the door - it was Lady Marthorn with the afternoon teas.

Nervina pointed to the cursor, as its heartbeat flashed over a small golden key just won, completing his final level. As he clicked on it, there came a loud humming in the room and the two felt themselves dissolving into space.

Lady Marthorn entered, and found no one present. She simply put the tray onto the desk and carried out the emptied teacups, closing the door behind.

Meanwhile, somewhere in a castle, the humming died down and Nervina looked around astonished at the outcome.

"We did it!", Nervina grinned.

-Gabriel Brunsdon, Puck in Hell, Azlander Series

Tailored for their Hungry Audience

Phoenix WAR2 had successfully overtaken the market, far surpassing the traffic and membership of its first series.

The incentives and epic scenarios were tailored for their hungry audience - a people who were starved for entertainment and stimulation - nourished from childhood on diets of action, and sophisticated cartooning.

The pleasure of these fantasies took over from their real world connect - the synapses sparked and controllers flipped - and although tedious to the Fey, this world was overwhelming to the minds of men.

The possibilities were so extravagantly contrived, and the graphics used such an emotive pitch and palette that proved addictive. The entire experience worked subliminal latitude, by its very consistency reinforcing itself over and over into the eager and anticipating minds - who could never now conceive a world without it.

-Gabriel Brunsdon, Puck in Hell, Azlander Series

They had secured the Cow

"How the hell did we end up here?"

"I wish you wouldn't say that” Biff winced. He still had his experience of Hell firmly fixed in his mind, and would go cold all over if anybody so much as mentioned it.

Bart understood where he was coming from - it was all too raw a subject for him too.

They had secured the cow (who could see them) and were leading her up through the crowded streets with Perizadeh walking beside. She did not know of them being there, only of Puck who had eventually worked out a deal, which turned out to be very simple, for all she really wanted was a guaranteed passage into the United States.

He would do his level best, and work out the details further down the road.

-Gabriel Brunsdon, Puck in Hell, Azlander Series

The Child of the World

"We need Perizadeh to bring you her cow" Puck explained, "so that we may buy it. We cannot simply take it dishonestly - there has to be a bargaining - a fair transaction - and we will pay whatever she needs."

"But what is so special about this cow the hotel maid owns?" asked Jobe wonderingly - he did not really believe that they had come all this way just for an animal.

"It has grazed on the grass grown from the pure seed of the Old World - and its milk is still the sweetest on this planet today."

"But surely when the cow leaves her pastures the milk will change?" Eric asked and then added, "why not just import the grass?"

"Because no other animal can tolerate it,” Puck answered thoughtfully - "we will be bringing in the grass and its seed too - but that is the easy part - we need the cow as well."

"And what is to be done with the milk once we have it?" asked Biff, who had been sleeping in the sun all this time, waiting for lunch.

"We are to feed it to the child of course."

"And what infant is that?" asked Bart, who also was waiting for lunch, excited now about finally having a task to fulfil.

"He is the Child of the World, and dwells at the very centre of it. He is in need of the milk. The order came through nigh a week ago."

"By order, do you mean that someone commanded this?" Goober asked jokingly - who had just landed in mid conversation.

"No" said Puck flatly, "an order through our seed-farm".

"I did not know that this child existed other than in mythology ... wouldn't he have fully grown by now?"

"No, not as yet" Puck answered, and then added, "that is what the nutrition of this milk is for".

-Gabriel Brunsdon, Puck in Hell, Azlander Series

Festival of the Lights

It was the Festival of the Lights and they all sat outside amongst the flags and streamers that murmured in the gentle wind. Every now and then a devotee would pass by them on the way inside to pray - each had an aura of solemnity and holiness.

Eric, Marley's father, was especially fond of these pious people. They had soothed his soul when he had needed it. And even though they had come to the Chapel for consolation, unknowingly they also gave it to the spirits of three dejected men, who in their past had been so restless and very troubled.

One person in particular - a cleaning woman for a city hotel - would come and stay over once a month, sleeping just inside the alcove behind the statue of Mary. She could not afford to pay for a bed anywhere within the town and felt safest hidden at night in amidst the incense and the candles.

Her name was Perizadeh, but that word sounded like a dangerous fish to Eric, so he nicknamed her to himself as Mandy. She had dark skin and wore silver bells, florid stripes and the same dress every time he had seen her. He suspected that this was her best dress, and it did look very charming.

Eric loved the feelings he experienced when he was close by her. She of course, had no idea just how close he would get sometimes. He would watch her as she sat deeply in prayer and all he could see was a soul that had barely any expectations of them ever being answered. It was as though she were running on empty, yet going a long way all the same, just to get through each day.

-Gabriel Brunsdon, Puck in Hell, Azlander Series

"Candlemas Day (the Christian festival of lights )
2nd February is Candlemas Day. This ancient festival marks the midpoint of winter, halfway between the shortest day and the spring equinox. Candlemas is a traditional Christian festival that commemorates the ritual purification of Mary forty days after the birth of her son Jesus."

"In pre-Christian times, this day was known as the 'Feast of Lights' and celebrated the increase strength of the life-giving sun as winter gave way to spring."

His Mind went to Azlan

"If Azlan himself could have done anything more to help people see the truth more clearly, wouldn't he have done it by now already without you having to ask him? Maybe you dreamt this meeting with him and it was just a fantasy from your tiring mind and nothing else, my dear Robin?" (Robin was a familiar, friendly name given to Puck, who used to share his tree-house with the species and loved them fondly.)

"Well then" answered Puck somewhat belligerently, "where did the glasses come from in the first place, and with them, their power to multiply themselves? Besides - I know what I know - and it was him I tell you. One day you will have the privilege to take his counsel also, like I did. To stand before him Goober is something you do not forget or get wrong ... his eyes see so far into your soul - if you can do this, you too will just know."

"Well I am just saying that a fact is a fact and most of the players we posted to have thrown them away by now, yet kept the Phoenix issue."

Puck tapped the table trying to regulate his thought.

His mind went to Azlan - and the answer came:

"They can see what is in front of them - they have always been able to - but for some insanity unknown, they are preferring not to."

And then it was that Puck knew what he had to do - he reached into his satchel, drew out the golden envelope and put his own pair on.

-Gabriel Brunsdon, Puck in Hell, Azlander Series 

Legend has it that when Jesus was dying on the cross, the robin, then simply brown in colour, flew to his side and sang into his ear in order to comfort him in his pain. The blood from his wounds stained the robin's breast, and thereafter all robins got the mark of Christ's blood upon them.

An alternative legend has it that its breast was scorched fetching water for souls in Purgatory.

Word on the Wire

Word on the wire was that something big was about to go down.

The birds' feathers had been ruffled for a week and they were squabbling constantly; the wasps and gnats were aggressively over-defensive; and seas were arcing up while the storms were all heading inland. The earth had started to craze where the pressure was impeding; the dogs were biting and the cats were clawing; the fruit just refused to ripen; and shopping bags were tearing.

Mould was advancing, ageing bread in just a day, and children were complaining, while the grown-ups were acting like children. The milk had all soured, and a bag of crisps was packed only half full, in these troubled days.

-Gabriel Brunsdon, Puck in Hell, Azlander Series

Frank-'n-sense

Nervina produced the blue truth powder - although not all of it, as he had decanted the purchase into two jars, just in case they later needed a back up.

It was a rich indigo color - you could have painted the Madonna's cloak with it: a virtuous compound that compelled one to speak frankly, and with commonsense. Nervina like to call it humorously Frank-'n-sense.

"You look tragic today,” he observed out loud, "what for?"
Puck was in no mood to explain himself to someone in a good mood. He stared into the glass at the Frank-'n-sense, that fell heavily from side to side when he shook it.

-Gabriel Brunsdon, Puck in Hell, Azlander Series 

Empowerment for the 'Little People'

The revenge of the nerds was a theme that Phillip Marsden had up-played, when his master-game had piggybacked onto an already successful market. It had its way of consuming its consumers.

Empowerment for the 'little people' (and by that he did not mean the Fey) was his condescending motto.

One could not really say that he was a bad man, or a visionary either - but what could be observed by the more sensitive, was that another now influenced his thinking.

Historically it is never the plain men who are the most dangerous to Humanity; it is either the possessed, or the chemists.

-Gabriel Brunsdon, Puck in Hell, Azlander Series 

Getting People to Speak the Truth

Nervina had a harvesting business with the Trolls and he was in charge of the biannual Spring Equinox festivities etherically worldwide.

This time his shopping list was entirely different - he had on order a special blue dust that was gathered from the wings of the Arubi Moth that fluoresced in the dark with properties famed for getting people to speak the truth.

It worked on both mortals and fey and once a little was ingested by breath, folk could speak only honest words for a day or so until it had dissolved. It was not a widely circulated substance as nobody really wanted it to get out, and few knew it was even available unless they were in the trade.

-Gabriel Brunsdon, Puck in Hell, Azlander Series

Spiders, Ants & Eels

Jars of spiders and cockroach snacks were being shipped out for the Troll packing plant. Sugared and spicy ants, dried fish and birds' beaks were some of the treats that were their best sellers.

Eels and eyes, fronds and bulbs, went out in jars labelled 'Healthy Choice', whist the stickier, sweeter eats, along with the fried, crumbed selections, were given a red ribbon and a use-by date and entitled 'delicacies'.

-Gabriel Brunsdon, Puck in Hell, Azlander Series

The Crest of a Flaming Tree

Mysterious golden envelopes started appearing in mailboxes everywhere - arriving on public holidays, slid under doors, popped into pockets - each one containing a flat packed pair of 'party glasses'.

These envelopes importantly bore the crest of a flaming tree; and people assumed that this was yet one more terrific extravaganza promotion coming from Phoenix WAR2.

Each player eagerly awaited their own pair to arrive to then try, assuming that instructions would follow on after online.

-Gabriel Brunsdon, Puck in Hell, Azlander Series

With not a Word More he had Disappeared

It was time to go back into the World. Dawn was eking its way above the horizon and glowed a pinkish gold in the early light. In sitting, his mentor was the same height to Puck, and with the familiarity he felt in that moment, he affectionately placed one hand upon the Lion's shoulder, whilst looking hard into his eyes and through to his being.

As he did this the form of the great golden Lion shivered and began to dissolve before him, and for one moment, in its place, stood a man - a strong man - still continuing to look back at him.

He was broad and muscular, and had strength about his presence - his chest was bare and he wore his long straight hair pulled back behind him falling down to his waist. Puck, for just a second, seemed to recognise the figure - and in the moment that he did, the form had returned back into the sagely Lion that he knew so well.

Puck took the glasses off and returned them into the bag. "Azlan, I must go back now, mustn't I?"

The Lion nodded his assent replying gently: "yes, my Son" and with not a word more he had disappeared.

-Gabriel Brunsdon, Puck in Hell, Azlander Series

Abstract Folly Erodes the Commonsense

“And so to the game ... what shall be done?”

“The prime discourtesy of the Physical World lies in is its discrepancy with the reality of the Spiritual realms. Abstract folly tries the reasoning, and erodes the commonsense. It is this we must address. I will give you a gift that will help them see life as it is."

A small black cloth sack appeared at Puck's feet. He opened it carefully and found inside there were cardboard glasses with cellophane inserts that looked a lot like they had come out of a cereal packet. He felt a little disappointed.

"These could make a difference, if they will try them. Your sack will never empty, for when you remove one, another will take its place" the Lion said in his deepest of tones importantly.

"Are they for 3D viewing?" Puck asked, wondering what they could really do for anyone.

The Lion said nothing.

"Are they rose-colored to cheer people up?"

"I have given you the gift of helping men to see the way things really are." repeated the Lion, softly but firmly.

-Gabriel Brunsdon, Puck in Hell, Azlander Series

I would be there for these Souls

The Lion continued:

"Even I do not have the power to hasten the impediments of Hell ... the dungeons are there only for good purpose, not punishment, as is mistakenly said so.

“Without this purging, the soul would truly become in peril - and the Cosmos unstable with diseases from the many problems of the World.

“I would be there for these souls but they cannot always see me - and so I wait, until they call. We cannot hurry such things you and I.”

-Gabriel Brunsdon, Puck in Hell, Azlander Series.

A Chemical Mix like no other

"The family of Man (in company and keeping, incorporating all of the kingdoms) is a chemical mix like no other.

“Men are tested and tried amongst deceptions radically and they are winning for themselves abilities to give, to deliberate, to stand fast, to choose well, to discriminate.

“They are far from the 'automata' of the Universe some think them to be. They dance the starry path and are sharpening their knowledge with every orbit of each positive thought travelled.

“They do so well - even the fallen - and it gladdens me to see the advocate and champion that you are dear Puck, for the saving of their souls.”

-Gabriel Brunsdon, Puck in Hell, Azlander Series

In the Material World all Things Eventually Perish

“In the material world all things eventually perish and yet once again, to the spiritual mind, one should (and does) live forever.

“And so the denial of death (when folk take risks for example, or simply cannot see its advance) originates firstly from a truth - a truth which is natural to the heavenly perspective.

“It is however, immature to the regions, realities and shortcomings of the day-to-day world.

“But we cannot give blame or insult to materialism for these perspectives - for were one to accept the world as it is and perceive its difficulties, materialism would become more practical, social and communal, taking care of the needs as best it might.”

-Gabriel Brunsdon, Puck in Hell, Azlander Series

In the Spiritual Worlds many Consequences are Self Evident

“In the spiritual worlds many consequences are self evident, and just, and extremely plain to see.

“If a soul is committed to Hell for a while, then we understand that it is he who has put himself there and it is fair that he should be there. This is not questioned. There can be sympathy for the damned, but the judgement itself is relied upon to be just.

“Men within this Physical World continue with such evaluations believing that the immediate conditions are exact and deserved also. This is why they do not question poverty or hardship and generally feel entitled to any wealth or good fortune that they themselves might have.

"I say this to you because the World does not operate as smoothly as it might - or will become - for it too is in infancy, still developing, and adapting, and growing.”

-Gabriel Brunsdon, Puck in Hell, Azlander Series

Flux & Flow of Emotion

The great Lion stretched out his right paw very slowly and rose smoothly to his feet.

He then padded around Puck full circle three times, and sat down again. His head was huge, and radiating out from it was a golden mane, which made it look all the bigger; yet his face was kindly and Puck could see by the expression on it that he had clearly been listening to his troubles. Puck waited solemnly as the Lion scuffed the dirt between them, making what looked like a figure eight in the ground, pausing to consider his delivery of the advice Puck had come for.

After many moments he looked straight into Puck's eyes and said quietly: "This world of Men is still very young - one could say, at adolescence. The spirit of Mankind is strong, and tensile to each age and its difficulties.

“In the breath of a lifetime their hearts heave with loss and new discovery no less than every hour of their existence there.

“This flux and flow of emotion is a constant - to be taut with life and then to relax; to breathe in the wisdom and outpour one's own; to sort through the choices before you, gathering the skills of good choosing and the ability to say no.

“But the spirit within is young and trusts all.

“It is natural for children to omit danger from their consciousness of behaviour - and in this reasoning, the spirit which is also young, comes from the abundance of Heaven and expects this paradise to continue on.

“As spiritual beings they are self-centred ordinarily - for this is where their own gravity lies - and as spirits they expect all and give very little - having much come to them from Heaven all of the time.”

-Gabriel Brunsdon, Puck in Hell, Azlander Series

The First Voice

“One moment there had been nothing but darkness; next moment a thousand, thousand points of light leapt out- single stars, constellations, planets, and brighter and bigger than any in our world. There were no clouds. The new stars and the new voices began at exactly the same time. If you had seen and heard it, as Digory did, you would have felt quite certain that it was the stars themselves which were singing, and that it was the First Voice, the deep one, which had made them appear and made them sing.”

— C.S. Lewis, The Magician’s Nephew

Living the False Realities

"I have made an enemy of a man who I find foul and irritating. He controls many people with an insidious performance that appears to be harmless, whilst directing and affecting the lives of the many millions who are now involved.

“Those who follow his work are losing their mental and spiritual acuity, by living the false realities that are so cunningly designed.

"There they wear identities that are nothing like themselves in the real world and come to believe in their fictitious fame with pride and arrogance."

Puck then went on to say: "The disconnect from real virtue, and genuine experience seems lethal to their reasoning.

"Added to this, hundreds of thousands of demonic beings are being sustained by the vitality thrown by this enterprise and the devils are now talking directly to the human players, masquerading as men, inciting acts of random harm.

"Can you tell me how I may work to extradite them from our World - for they have no rightful place to be here?"

Puck continued, catching his breath in between, "Lastly - I have seen souls re-form and the power a man can have who is rebuilt with hope ... can you help me now to retrieve all of those who are captive in Hell and deliver them back unto themselves?"

-Gabriel Brunsdon, Puck in Hell, Azlander Series

Perplexed & Without Direction or Answer

The great Lion lay casually on the stone stage of the Amphitheatre, waiting patiently as Puck approached from afar.

A rolling purr gave greeting to Puck, who bowed his head, sinking to the ground before him.

As was his manner, he gave time for him to speak his discontent - to unburden his concerns and ask then for his best counsel.

Puck confided: "I am perplexed and without direction or answer. So many men, and immortals too, have fallen to grave corruptions.

"Their choices are taking them straight into Hell, and once there they do not know how to escape its confines."

He paused. The Lion seemed to be considering what was being said, although it was not so easy to know this for sure as his eyes were closed all of the time Puck was speaking.

-Gabriel Brunsdon, Puck in Hell, Azlander Series

It Exploded, Showering him with Gold

Nervina was walking through an enchanted forest looking up at the bags of money swinging high in the trees ... when he jumped up to grab one it exploded, showering him with gold.

If only he could find just forty more such bags, he would have made ten dollars in the real world.

Best get back to work, he thought - it was proving harder this time to penetrate the game...

-Gabriel Brunsdon, Puck in Hell, Azlander Series

Four Hundred Thousand

"I'm game if you are" Goober said - albeit reluctantly, but trying his very best to sound brave.

He did not like following Puck into Hell, and avoided the lower realms whenever he could. Goober's nature was very sensitive, and sadness, suffering and torment, caused his body to bruise terribly, breaking out in red welts.

"How many do we need to recover this time do you think?" 
"Oh, I'd say around four hundred thousand."
Goober crinkled his brow thinking.
"How many?" he asked again.

"Around four hundred thousand."

Goober could see Puck was serious but his calculations seemed a little off.

"You mean to tell me that you intend going from recovering and recruiting six mortals from the nether-lands, to up the number now of four thousand?"

"Four hundred thousand" Puck corrected him gently. "Yeah, that is what I meant" Gordon sighed.

-Gabriel Brunsdon, Puck in Hell, Azlander Series

That Alien Disease from Beyond

It was appalling to see a sorrowful ghost. Their presence at this gathering had been very meaningful. Under Puck's guidance the six men had learned more after their last death than they had gathered over several hundred.

He had made it his project to help cleanse their souls - but still, old habits pursued, and their astral bodies taunted them with desires that kept them wanting life and yet despising it, all at the one time.

In seeing these ghosts there became a microcosmic glimpse into the immediate deficits within a humanity that was struggling now to navigate its course.

It could not be said that all of Mankind was deteriorating and or moving forward - they were, on the whole, all improving - just not fast enough to outrun the spiritual diseases that were dogging them into the lower realms.

Added to that were the two main concerns: the condition of dear Mother Planet who bears them all, and the infiltration of that alien disease from beyond the natural world, now incarnating in the millions through machines with screens and sound.

-Gabriel Brunsdon, Puck in Hell, Azlander Series

Hell is not Real until you get there

Abject selfishness was rife amongst the mortals and coupled with an uncharitable neediness, the instability had worsened. They called this the 'Rocky Horror Syndrome' to mark that time in history when the people had given up their cautions of Hell and turned it all into a joke.

"How can they take anything seriously that is not in the immediate before them?" commented Grievous, shrugging his shoulders and sighing. The gap between Men and Fey had never been wider. Eric, Marley's father, put his hand up to speak.

"How was I to know?" he bleated aggressively, "Hell is not real until you get there - and anyway, it's not at all like a man cares to think about such things at any time...

"... I don't ever want to go back -I know that now- but my body still aches for the things I can't have, even without the flesh to go with it".

He stopped, and his face shadowed with an aspect of genuine shame.


-Gabriel Brunsdon, Puck in Hell, Azlander Series

Going into the Dark Side

Grievous, looking over at his Troll Team, stood up slowly, waiting for the nod from Arnold to begin. He was noticeably uncomfortable.

He began: "We also have seen these changes, and, added to this there are too many of all kinds going into the dark side - the caverns of Hell are filling like never before, and both the immortals and men are indefinitely lingering there too long."

This statement weighed heavily on everyone present, because each in their own way had seen evidence of the decline in which he spoke of. Overall the Kingdoms were depressed and fearful - which was uncharacteristic of races whose nature in spirit was so naturally cheerful.

Of course, although unsaid, they all blamed the men and women of the planet for bringing them down.

-Gabriel Brunsdon, Puck in Hell, Azlander Series

Beings whose Memories Predate the Sun

Of course the Humans incarnate were not in a position these days to perceive such a concern, and life is complex enough for them to keep up with in just day-to-day survival.

They did not have the perception (which was partly the problem in the first place) to see much further than their own needs and wants.

But for the beings whose memories predate the sun, there were observations of changes that portended isolation, and potential annihilation - a slow spiritual death from a rapidly ageing Earth.

Our World was losing its connection with the supporting Universal Heart, and the risk was that should this continue, the Planet and all of its spheres of activity, might be cast out upon the Cosmic Sea without higher communication or help - and the Angelic realm could become deaf to us.

-Gabriel Brunsdon, Puck in Hell, Azlander Series

Status Gravitas

The four Trolls at the far end kept eating, ignoring the cues to pause for the talk; there was a handful of semi-permeable (dead) people - guys in bikers' gear sitting at the other end - and the Elvish - Puck's crew and family lounging in the spaces in-between. He drew breath and began.

"Friends" Arnold said rather loudly, "We, the people of Gravicia (Dwarves, like most, refer to themselves as 'people') have been monitoring the core synergisms back to, and including, the last Golden Age within this period, and it has only been most recently that our spatial context has shown signs of weakening and potentially dissipating completely.

“Very recently the deterioration has been both rapid and pronounced drawing fears for both casualty and disaster." He stopped to let them take it all in. No one really understood what he was talking about.

Arnold was referring to the 'Status Gravitas' assigned at the core - the passage to and from the Spiritual Worlds, into this World and out again.

In the simplest of terms it related to all of the realms combined within the one sphere - The Physical body (this World) its lower Astral Body (Hell) its Etheric Body (Faerie) its Higher Astral Body(Little Heaven). All of these realms are home to beings of the interlocking kingdoms, which have been exhibiting an arrhythmia in relation to the supporting Heavens beyond.

-Gabriel Brunsdon, Puck in Hell, Azlander Series

Those Historic Crescendos of Calamity

Arnold, a dwarf from the Longfellows clan, approached the group to make his announcement.

In his hand were some papers, on his person, was a brown leather coat and matching breeches that were embroidered with a finely spun silver thread. His under-garments (if you could have seen them) were fine flax. He looked important - he was important - and he carried himself with the nobility of a god.

Arnold was one of the most senior of the dwarves (hence the name of his family) and took his position amongst this group very seriously.

In the parts where he came from, his people were sensitive and responsive to the Physical World in ways that brought them concern during those historic crescendos of calamity.

They were protective of all living things - be them rock, plant, animal, fey, or mortal.

Rarely did they have direct communication with ordinary men and women due to the fact that they simply could not be seen by them. But they often visited and conversed in dreams where folk would wake remembering deep conversations that had come and gone with the night.

-Gabriel Brunsdon, Puck in Hell, Azlander Series