In a Prior Life

Pietro was not the only one to whom Murmur had ‘healed’ and had subsequently made landlocked, earthbound, shut out from passing through the gates of the Heavens as one would normally do after death.

The starry gates were closed also to Vlad - who, in a prior life had worked as a civil servant of the Church: seeking obeisance, piety and personal accord. His name known by the order was Theo, like the great physician who was yet to be born.


-Gabriel Brunsdon, AZLANDER: NEVER ENDINGS: Second Chances

Go Back

Humankind has its captains and champions; adepts, masters, bodhisattvas and beyond - and the Fey, they too have their accomplished few, ahead of the rest … and Puck was such a one.

Francis recognized Brogan with the happiness of the familiar.

A white light appeared ever so strongly and almost blocked him from moving forward. He reached out towards, but Brogan stepped back into the light and could barely be seen.

“You must go back.” he said softly, yet firmly.

And with that, Francis clamoured his way once again into his earthly consciousness to find something that even he could never have guessed at, waiting for him to wake.


-Gabriel Brunsdon, AZLANDER: NEVER ENDINGS: Second Chances

An Uncanny Connective Tissue

In the spirit world all beings can, and do, shape-change. They can project, or be perceived, in images relevant to their essential self, or as how they wish to be perceived.

When Brogan had passed over two decades earlier, he had been wearing a rabbit suit at the time. And so, when he returned back into the earthly sphere he could still appear as he had left - looking like a 6' 3” rabbit. It was not intended as a comment as to Francis and his congeniality with the animals.

Life can be like that: it can knit together people, places and circumstances, with an uncanny connective tissue - finer than that of our own designing.

Brogan also, was a dear friend of the deep past. He had been helped by Puck, and was conjoined with Charlotte’s (Charley’s) mother, Marley (Marian) as a partner, lion-hearted benefactor, and close companion throughout.

- Gabriel Brunsdon, AZLANDER: NEVER ENDINGS: Second Chances

The White Rabbit

Josep Benlliure Gil

Death to the Saint is but a blessed release, for the Heavenly airs are alike to the fragrance of coffee in the morning, or jasmine in the eve: the inhalation of the new life beyond this one, brings a joyous complexity both rich and sublime.

He could see a tall white rabbit waiting there to greet him. This rabbit equalled him in height. Francis thought to himself that the end of his life was signatory to this sight.


-Gabriel Brunsdon, AZLANDER: NEVER ENDINGS: Second Chances

His Nemesis

He [the Dark Master] had had his eye upon Francis for some time now … as he had known him to be the hope of the world. Years earlier he had morphed into a rabid dog and with the taste of the boy’s flesh within him, he now had a physical connection to the man, having assimilated some of his blood into himself, it now bore their union.

Hode knew of his nephew’s evil stalker, yet refused to use his name, lest he invoke the evil one - calling his attention or giving power to his menace - and so, in the stead, he only referred to him as ‘the Dark Knight’.

-Gabriel Brunsdon, AZLANDER: NEVER ENDINGS: Second Chances

The Dark Master

Every hero has his nemesis, and for Hode there was an Elvish Master that was so evil that even the history books could not bear to make mention his name.

His shadow stank with a putrid smell - for it was not of the sun, but made of the astral light - and it carried the particles of death all about him.

He wore his hatred of the Humankind dark, just like the stars embedded upon his cloak. His long hair streamed sleekly down upon his back in black waves, with a fine beard cropped short - his appearance was compelling.

-Gabriel Brunsdon, AZLANDER: NEVER ENDINGS: Second Chances

Teleportation

“If you can manifest the tea” she said looking at the steaming teapot, with the mugs and milk and cookies too - “how come you don’t just manifest those fire ants also?”

“Good question my girl!” he said with a broad grin. “Why do you suppose?”

She drew a blank.

“Well well,” he said, “inanimate and animate. Teleportation is so much harder with things on the move - especially those with a mind of their own. The ants are going places with their own ideas - but the teapot I can find exactly where I last left it … which was the common room of the treehouse yonder.”

“Makes perfect sense” she said, helping herself to an oat crispy.


-Gabriel Brunsdon, AZLANDER: NEVER ENDINGS: Second Chances