Azlan Brought a Radiance

“You have been playing a dangerous game my son.” came a voice from the vines beside. 

It was the Azlan. The Azlan brought a radiance also, far stronger than that of either Puck or Jupiter - his emanated a calm all about - and instantly the three felt settled by his presence.  

They waited a cosmic minute for his words to follow. 

“My Dears - 


“Light and Darkness are never balanced. Nor is Good and Evil. One cannot balance a something with a nothing. 

“The mystery behind the disruptive forces of chaos and evility is that these particulars cannot even commit to themselves - they are their own undoing - and the foulness that would corrupt, corrupts itself.  

“Those who align with evility invite their own destruction. Our crusade, as caretakers of the Spirit - the One Spirit - is to remain indifferent to the theatre of destruction, and be true to the permanency of all that is good.”  

It was here that Jupiter spoke up.  


“But if all there is is to do nothing, how can that help? Are we to watch yet other parts of our realm become dispossessed and corrupted likewise?” 


The great Lion stamped one paw, and then another, and the whole ground beneath them shook. He then spun around effortlessly and Eve momentarily was worried that he was about to disappear without giving them more of those incredibly insightful words. Words that spoke to her inner Eve. 

“When you hear a truth you never forget it. It is an immortal gift. When you hold a truth it changes you from the inside out. And when you think of that truth, you become a little bolder and brighter every time.” 

Eve had not been frightened of the great Lion. She wanted to hear more from him. He scuffed the ground and then looked up directly up into her eyes. 

He looked at her for a steady moment and then not, taking his attention back to Jupiter. 

“You are asking if you should fight Evil my Son, for what I have told you speaks to the peace of outcome and the self apparent truth that goodness will prevail, as has always done …

“But in the intermediate, where we are contested, and wish only to stop the harm, I tell thee thus:

“When a good soul turns a blind eye to Evil there is a little more corruption because of this. When nothing is done, that could be done, Evil is empowered all the more. It is a bewildering truth, that at times the gods themselves have felt safe enough within their own realm, and distant enough, from the perils of the lesser Worlds, that even they have not invested themselves in this fight.

“And by their own complacency they are remit. And by ignorance and aloofness and such high mindedness that turns away from the struggles and trials of the Mortals this epi-theatre grows. And this is a living proof of the reach of Evil’s contamination if so allowed.


“To second guess yourself is to have a conscience. To be able to ask: what do I want, what can be done, what should be done? What have I done?

“And the noble path asks, that be us Man or God, we be vigilant in righting wrongs within ourselves, and that of our outer self. 

"And we shall be defenders of the peace, of the one true Spirit, that sustains and upholds the freedoms of all.” 


Puck wanted to give an almighty cheer when he heard this, or a little whoop at least, for he was, as they say, dancing on the inside to hear the Azlan speak once more - however this occasion was too solemn to distract the other two with his feelings. He looked across at the dark waters and was just about to ask the Azlan what could be done to solve this problem of infiltration but the Azlan had gone.

“He never could stay in any one place for any length of time.” Puck said apologetically to Eve whose expression was now quite sad. 


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

East of the Nirvanic Regions

Spiky Lee

All three were standing at the water’s edge - where the Divine pool of the Lesser Heavens reflected inwardly, on a usual day - east of the Nirvanic regions, graced with a fifth season of perennial calm, shining gold and silver depending on the light - gateway to all Worlds beneath, a fluid embodiment of all times pooled together, and a mirror to the upper worlds, being the connecting link to the physical realm as well - yet today it was black - black and thick, as thick as mud.

Puck himself had the jitters seeing this dark disturbance. The waters had putrified, solidified, and its energy was all but a low Tibetan-like hum.

“I’ve done this.”

“No, they’ve done this …” he assured Jupiter, inwardly blaming him regardless.

Jupiter felt as though he had woken from a very long sleep. What had he been thinking? Was this worth it? He dipped a stick into the tar-like sludge and it stayed, standing upright.

“It looks and smells like excrement” said Eve casually, thinking that she had been taken to the edge of a sewer farm. She had somehow been transported with the two the moment Granoldi had strode back into the apartment just moments earlier. Eve had assumed that this whole scenario was nothing more than a silly dream. She found herself enjoying the atmosphere of the Lesser Heavens, regardless of the two looking so concerned. Overall she felt pretty good.

Eve looked over at Puck who was smearing some of the mud onto a wide leaf and wrapping it tightly with a vine - she noticed his hair looked lit by a light that came from nowhere and was trailing almost to his belt - he was wearing a fine cotton shirt that seemed to change colour every few minutes. The effect was very trippy.

Beside him was an exceedingly tall and muscular man who appeared angelic in countenance, in that he had a white kaftan so fine that the sun shone through with what seemed to be an aura that followed his every movement. He seemed familiar. No, she did not feel disturbed at all - even with the smell of turds now all around her.

However the Elvish gods were devastated by what was before them - their minds were not clouded by the upper atmosphere - for the Heavenly ethers brought them clarity, unlike the Mortals; it breathed a complex intelligence into the cosmic fields which magnetically restored their own health as well.

“I don’t like this at all” said Jupiter, now becoming nervous within his own soul. 

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

The Recklessness of Jupiter

Tijana Lukovic

Granoldi had been through all of this before, periodically throughout the centuries there would be those mortals who would hold him captive, torture him, for one reason or another it made them feel grand to do so; yet this day however was different for he had fallen in with the dark occult arts. 

His irritation and disgust motivated him very quickly into action. With one swift movement the three hundred kilogram bear pulled his arms out from the chains and the bleeding apparatus (that was still pumping), pushed on the cage door with the force of ten men, and magicked the padlocks into springing open.

They had certainly underestimated his strength and willpower when roused. He then, one by one, pushed Peter and Violet to the ground, followed by Letitia who was hurrying feebly away - followed by an almighty slap to Bryan across the face, engraving four distinct claw marks into his cheek.

There had been a wailing and a moaning, but it had not come from Granoldi. The four lay on the apartment floor shredded by the claws of the great White Bear.

* * *

Meanwhile back in Eve’s apartment, Puck had been trying to say, just who and what the Fairy Bear was. But he found it near impossible to frame the words to explain why a young god would want worldly experience as he had.

“It’s just like a human youth who takes a drug and become less than themselves, and their consciousness dissipates into a void of life … perhaps this is the recklessness of Jupiter when he gives over to a random happening here. I watch over him whenever I can. Be more worried for those that have taken him, for he truly can look after himself.”

Eve had felt something inside of her drawn to this bear, yet she still had not the vivid reckoning of any past life recall: she just knew in his essence there was, for her, a magnetic pull of wonderment and great attraction. She felt she needed to be close to this being, whoever or whatever he is. He was her sun to which she would orbit. All of this she kept quiet, but of course Puck could read these thoughts and in turn respected her desires. It was he, after all, that had brought Granoldi to her, knowing of their past together back in the early years of the Franciscan community. It was what it was.

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

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