Out of Place

Eve felt fragile with worry finding out that Granoldi had escaped to God knows where from the safety of her keep.

She was finding it hard to think straight - or even at all - this day had turned out to be so disturbing.

Needles sat (invisibly) on the other side of her on the couch tuned into her upset - he was unnerved terribly, as he was now so synchronised to her mind and mood he was feeling her feelings acutely.

“We have to find him” she said urgently all at once to Puck, who answered:

“Before we do I need to tell you a few things I think you need to know.”

Eve had heard a few stories from him in their narrow past but this did not seem an appropriate time …

He persisted - “this is important Eve”, he took her hand in his, getting her attention.

“There once was a young god - Jupiter - who for many reasons - too many to mention now - felt the urge to enter into the realm of Earth …”

-Gabriel Brunsdon, Finding Self - Second Guesses- Azlander Series

Dark Path to the Wizard

It appeared that the older these elderly four had grown the more ambitious they had become to acquire a strength of immortal proportions at any cost.

Over the years together they had done a great many things to achieve what they believed would bring them power, and youth, using various rituals with vampiristic means. To look at them it was obvious that none of this had worked. They were not exceptionally powerful or magnetic, and there was nothing outstanding about any one of them.

And yet they still had hope, and a faith of their own. In all of this striving there was a larger character motivating the group unseen - one that they that they had adhered to for decades - and it was hard to say if they had found him during a mad incantation, or if he had found them and inflamed their delusions of greatness.

Romulus was a foul character of dark design. He was, one could say, the Wizard of Oz of the black arts: and they, the four, the alter egos finding their way on this dark path to the concealed tower.

Yes, this is a very good picture tale … of a mirror world, where human life is so distorted, upside down and back to front, and the souls involved have truly lost their way, believing in a misguided chance for a never-won prize that would have been theirs anyway, should they have travelled the moral road instead of the greedy one.

And just alike to the Wizard of Oz, Romulus kept himself concealed, and their communications were brief but to the point, and in this also, he was always arms-length to the evil they perpetuated.

Peter had a personal history of military service for which he was most proud and of the four he was the least the squeamish at doing what he believed had to be done.

The room stunk of burnt fur, as Peter had been setting light to Granoldi watching his white curls frizzle back to a pale pink skin beneath.

Lettie had been poking him with her knitting needles - and even though Granoldi was secured well she kept her distance, by using her foot long prongs.

“Don’t poke the bear” laughed Bryan repeating himself.

The other three failed to see the funny side of this - their minds have converted to literal speak only and simple humour was as impossible to this sinister lot, as was doing a pushup.

Any simple joy or happiness had departed them same moment they pledged themselves to the push and pull of the will of Romulus.

-Gabriel Brunsdon, Finding Self - Second Guesses- Azlander Series

Bryan, a Scholar

“Don’t poke the Bear”, Bryan chuckled, strutting around him as though he were ten foot taller.

The old woman laughed a tobacco-worn raspy laugh beside him. This would usually get on Bryan’s nerves, but today he would let it pass, for today he was too absorbed with the capture.

The occult four had been aware of Granoldi’s presence for some time. Not only did they see he was a bear hiding out in the flat above, but they had the inner knowledge of who and what Granoldi was, and this was very dangerous.

Old Peter had wet himself with excitement. To capture a god was a dream come true. Granoldi was still in a half-sleep half-wake condition. Whenever he would rouse from his journeying in the spiritual worlds back into earth, his consciousness was slow to resume. Added to this his demeanour was generally so affable that he allowed the ropes and plastic ties (the type with teeth) to constrain him as they pushed him into the waiting cage.

They had plotted and planned for some weeks.

The activist Peter had believed that all possessions belonged to him and thought nothing of the taking for himself, even of another life. Yes, these four knew full well that Granoldi was no simple animal. They perceived the prize within. and by some mishap of imagined reflected glory thought to take power from the young god that he naturally emanated, expecting to make it for their own.

It wasn’t quite the kidnap one might think. When the four elderly stole away Granoldi from the flat, they used a key that Violet had taken some time ago. When Eve was out shopping she used to like exploring the knick knacks in the draws; Violet had always been something of a snoop. Although one might not have guessed this from her quiet demeanour.

Peter, Bryan, Violet and Leticia had simply gone in knowing that he was about to wake. Granoldi had no reason to doubt the seeming kindness of the elderly four. and they appeared to know him, and so he followed obligingly into the corridor and down to Violet’s apartment below.

It had started with the borrowing of the wheelchair when she knew something was up. Bryan, a scholar, in archaic mythology and occult demonology, was intrigued with her story she confided of discovering Granoldi in the bed.

“This is important enough to consult with the great one about” Bryan had said authoritatively.

And so it had begun.

-Gabriel Brunsdon, Finding Self - Second Guesses- Azlander Series

Bear Gone

“What do you mean he’s gone?”

“He’s gone, he’s gone I tell you.”

“How could that possibly happen - we have just been talking, I did not hear him … I didn’t hear the door, I didn’t hear him get up - what do you mean he’s gone? he can’t have gone, maybe he’s just gone to the bathroom.”

“Bears don’t go to the bathroom.” Puck snapped.

He couldn’t believe it, thinking out loud Puck said, “Perhaps Needles let him out, or took him down the street.”

"Needles, who’s Needles? What do you mean Needles?”

Puck sighed. How could this happen? “He’s his own man after-all.”

“What do you mean Man?”

Eve was really beginning to get worried.

“But he was asleep … maybe we woke him up, do you think?”

Puck sped out the door with Eve closely behind him, up the landing and into the street.

“You go that way, and I’ll head into the shops.” Puck said determined to find Grandoldi before he was taken into custody by some well meaning ranger, or worse still, a police officer using undue force.

-Gabriel Brunsdon, Finding Self - Second Guesses- Azlander Series

Capturing a God

Granoldi shook himself - a taser’s ray had just caught him on the back of his neck and a thin tube with his blood dripping into it was tugging at the fur, caught on his arm - it was connected to some kind of extractive device that wheezed with electronic bellows. 

Four elderly humans were glaring at him through a wall of wiry mesh. He groaned a deeply mournful bear’s groan. Jupiter had returned back into his familiar body to find himself being kidnapped and tortured by what it appeared to be some very low forms of life indeed.


Bryan had had the genius idea of purchasing a shark cage some weeks before - the kind where divers contain themselves for a subterranean viewing. It was assembled in Violet’s apartment ahead of time, and fitted with padlocks on the outside. It proved to be the ideal size for restraining a very large Bear.


“Like mother, like son,” snarled Peter.


“The great Romulus has delivered him to us”, Violet said with an almost childish compunction that did not suit her weathered face at all.


Lettie kept skewering Granoldi through the holes in the mesh - it had been some time since she had a victim larger than a cat to torture and she was clearly enjoying it. 


“I’ll go and get the acid” Bryan said matter of factly - his tone was so cool you might think he was about to serve a beverage. 


The four apprentice magicians were extremely pleased with themselves. 


“I’ve waited all my life for a conquest like this” Violet confided to Letty who was wiping the drool from her mouth with a handkerchief. 


The atmosphere of excitement from these depraved four was creepily sexual.  


“Who would have thought?” Leticia snickered, “We captured ourselves a god.”


-Gabriel Brunsdon, Finding Self - Second Guesses- Azlander Series

Kisung Koh 

The Golden Lake

Beside the sea ran another sea. The people often speak of there being just one body of water that flows hither and thither, but in truth there are many currents within the one ocean, and many rivers in a torrent, and countless pools within the one lake.

This is relativity, and a far more subtle law of action within life’s movements and manifestation, and yet little pronounced or known about by elves, or men, or gods.

Jupiter stood once again at the side of the great Lake, waiting for his moment to enter. His back ached and his mind was tired - the lesser heavens had replenished him and fatigued him all at once.

He had craved the experience of Earthly existence more than he cared to admit. It was his own personal saga and he was not yet ready to quit this, his story.

The golden lake reflected back his own substantial glow - a shimmering auric halo that emanated all over and followed his every movement. The young god, dressed in silken breeches with a kaftan atop, wore but one amulet engraved with a bird seated upon an egg-shaped blue moonstone.

He undressed and folded his etherial garments into a sack of the same material which shimmered in the half light. He then unclasped his neck chain, and placing it too into the cloth bag. This had become his parting ritual to prepare him for the lower world - and he solemnly and thoughtfully laid the bag high in the arms of his favourite tree, worn smooth by his climbing, his only possessions now nestled in the lap of two enormous branches.

He then swung himself up and over the marble embankment and lightly dropped with an artful grace that would have been admired should anyone had seen him.

-Gabriel Brunsdon, Finding Self - Second Guesses- Azlander Series

Fiery Fryery

Pablo Carlos Budassi

THE ENTIRE UNIVERSE

MOVED AN INCH TO THE LEFT

AND NO ONE NOTICED

- Klutz - 

This was now the third fryery burned to the ground - the hot oil would catch, and before Tindle knew it, the building from within, was alight.

“Thank the gods nobody’s been hurt.” Parrot spluttered.

It had been Parrot who had fallen asleep coddled in a whisky doze oblivious to the heat.

“Only for minutes I tell ye, no longer I say.”

It had taken just minutes to ignite. Tindle was exasperated.

“Perhaps you need a female understanding of the kitchen itself” Parrot had said edging back … he wanted to take his leave, as he saw the fury rising in his master like a secondary fire.

“You may go.”

Women were scarce for employment - all of the good ones were with family or imbedded in households already. Nathanius would have to look further from his coastal village to find one suitable.

It was a good plan. And so taking action a week later Tindle rode out on his long haired mare who equalled his height, being the tallest of the town … she, all colours, with a white diamond on her forehead.

In his satchel were two baked salted potatoes now cold, elegantly wrapt in the waxed paper from his chippery, and coddled again in a satchel of vellum.

Some said that the potato had no goodness within, because it was covered all over in the evil eye, and for this they would not touch it. Yet they were commonly eaten along the coast; stored and brought in, by the ships that travelled, and used for their own meals onboard.

When Tindle had dressed them in oil, and cooked them thusly as the stranger had instructed, the people could not see the eyes - and when seasoned, their happiness became tenfold.

What knowledge has a slave of the kitchen? Perhaps none. He thought over the problem repeatedly and at each turn of his mind decided the inevitable: a wife, this is what he should get - a wife. For as a wife she would be trustworthy, and bound to his household, and a fine long-term prospect for the chippery.

-Gabriel Brunsdon, Finding Self - Second Guesses- Azlander Series