Dressed for Court

His green velvet had been embellished with gold - real 24kt gold, embroidered into the gown, of golden leaves, with peridot and sapphires sewn at their points. It was a glorious cape, concealing well the smallness within. This Pope, innocent to Hode’s stare, all the while, had been praying.

He himself was dressed for court - Puck had a flair for regalia and wore it well. It was a change from the over-large sacks that the black Monks travelled in. He looked today neither like a reverent or a vagabond - adorned in a fashionable suede that was simply embellished here and there with threads of silver, sporting his indefinable charisma, that said subliminally: ‘you may love me’.

However, the elderly Pope’s attendants were not so enamoured.

They held a thick distrust for anyone within the Vatican walls who was not immediately related to their society. It was a rare occurrence to have such visitations from an outsider. And recently, there was a skepticism rife concerning the Pontiff’s reasoning - which was doubly troubling.

Each had vowed to keep an eye on this visitor lest he was a trickster … and thus they refused to leave the two alone for any confidences that might be shared.


-Gabriel Brunsdon, AZLANDER: NEVER ENDINGS: Second Chances

Here’s to you Mum

The key was on a hook by the side of the door, and Charley immediately unlocked it - looking over her shoulder at the fat furry animal that quietly crouched there. She half wondered if she should take it with her and opened the door widely showing it a way of escape.

What she did not know was that this was in fact the Troll groundskeeper who had thus been responsible for locking her there in the first place. He had caught sight of himself in her magic mirror, and had been diminished to his ordinary self, having seen his true nature within and been reduced by it.

It was made all the worse for him when Charley had found him almost adorable.

She walked back out into the park and down the idling pathway to the main road - feeling more certain of herself than ever before, now content to meet face to face her uncanny future as it stealthily rose up to greet her.

“Here’s to you Mum” she quietly said.

-Gabriel Brunsdon, AZLANDER: NEVER ENDINGS: Second Chances

Round like a Ball

The narcotic Troll dust had now worn off, and with a clear head she found the neck of the sack, pushing her slim hand through, she worked the knot until it gave way.

Charley stepped out of the scratchy enclosure, shook the weevils from her coat, found the electric light switch, and turned it on.

To her surprise she could see a small creature sitting in the corner, looking up at her, quite frightened.

It was round like a ball and she could not figure what it was exactly - sitting or standing, it was about two foot high - more or less. Because of its ill defined shape it was near impossible to see just how big it was - yet this fellow was quivering worriedly in the light of the globe above, staring at her, with what seemed to be great fear.

-Gabriel Brunsdon, AZLANDER: NEVER ENDINGS: Second Chances

Mystery Begging to be Explored

John Bauer 

When Charley came to, she had found herself back in the gardener’s shed, clutching the little mirror that Rastofarius had given her.

She was much relieved not to be dead after after all, yet a part of her was remiss all the same, to have left that paradisiacal place with those warm feelings that had enveloped her. The experience had been unquestionably pleasant, and the souvenir she had come away with, was a mystery begging to be explored.

-Gabriel Brunsdon, AZLANDER: NEVER ENDINGS: Second Chances

Black Thoughts

"It's time to put our cards on the table" he said obliquely.

Puck nodded in agreement. The scrying ball had offered nought.

His telepathy was completely failing him - all contact with Charley was down, and the etheric web ether-net was giving him nothing. It was almost as though Charley did not exist - all trace of her had vapoured.

He pushed his black thoughts aside, but they quickly pushed back a moment later.

Goober got up, opened the door and ushered them briskly out, with a firm incantation and a stick he used to crack over their scrawny heads. The black thoughts scurried on their spindly black legs into two groups running for the corner near the door, hoping not to be seen, but with a clap of his hands and very firm words, he squeezed them all out of the room, closing the door abruptly behind them.

Puck had not even noticed this commotion - his head was bowed over the cards laid out before him on the crystal coffee table.


- Gabriel Brunsdon, AZLANDER: NEVER ENDINGS: Second Chances

Searching Spirit Realms

The procession lined the pathway through to the cosmic dance - the spirit folk in their spirit clothes, travelled their incline with divine formation - onto the starry path, through to Heaven’s pearl encrusted gates.

The tides of the lunar force had swept over these pearls, as they formed in the oceans of Earth, and same substance now shone with their iridescent rainbows, at this portal of the Moon, that the souls would travel through.

Puck was frantic as he had ventured its length leading up to the entrance - looking to see if his daughter was queued, waiting to go yet further into the spirit realms beyond.

Was she amongst these pilgrims of the sky?

Suddenly Goober (Dr Fabaceae) appeared by his side. They were back at the flat - Goober had an apartment on the banks of the boggy marsh beside Lake Windermere. He sat back poised on his feather filled couch and handsomeness flashed momentarily across his long thin face. Puck noted this change distinct from his own sadness and confusion.

- Gabriel Brunsdon, AZLANDER: NEVER ENDINGS: Second Chances

Fairy Blood

Trolls have long, yet selective memories. They carry with them a catalogue of complaint that spans aeons in human time.

It is no coincidence that the persistent stalkers of the internet are named after their disgruntled counterparts.

In point of fact human nature holds within it a small host of particles that are of the etheric realm … and some might well carry the characteristics of any one of its curious folk who inhabit the Land of Faery.

-Gabriel Brunsdon, AZLANDER: NEVER ENDINGS: Second Chances