Holy Sisters

Talbot Hughes 

It was not unusual for babies to be born to the Holy Sisters themselves - but rather, it was common.

Many women, through abandonment or war, had lost their partner during childbearing and sought refuge in the protection of the holy arms.

Although the children were absorbed into the priory schools, they were given back into their mother’s keeping throughout the night, and in times of sickness. Thus Murmur, whose name now was Fatima, in this, his-her new life, was such a one, born to a convent Sister.

The ability to revive the dead was still very much present in her, as was also, the pure faith of one who has witnessed a multitude of miracles previously, as Fatima had done.

- Gabriel Brunsdon, AZLANDER: NEVER ENDINGS: Second Chances

Pilgrimage

The chapter to follow of Murmur’s lifetimes within this world, saw him reborn amongst the pious he loved: this lifetime into a cloister of nuns.

Becoming a woman, instead of a man, was no hardship for this healer-soul - in fact, in many respects he preferred this gender to his former, finding it to be more peaceful and consolidated - and, less lustful than his former manly incarnation had been.

Added to this, he discovered that being born back into this spiritual community felt natural to this soul.


- Gabriel Brunsdon, AZLANDER: NEVER ENDINGS: Second Chances

Universal Magnetism

“Have you noticed” … began Francis, “that wherever Murmur pops up, there also is Pietro?”

Black considered this. “I thought it was just a magnetic obedience", he said.

Magnetic obedience was the elvish term for a law of attraction that works amongst humans and immortals universally - where those who are familiar to one another, come into the sphere of each other when in proximity.

Most ordinary folk have experienced this in remarkable episodes where they have ‘bumped into’ someone known to them, in a crowded country, that defies the odds of their orbits ordinarily overlapping.

“I think it might be more than that. What if, let us say, that when Murmur was contracting his healings, a little bit of him went to seed the pearl, as it were?”

Puck caught this thought. It was slightly complicated but could work.

“You mean to say that their evolutions are literally interwined?”

“Yes, this is exactly my thought.”


-Gabriel Brunsdon, AZLANDER: NEVER ENDINGS: Second Chances

Can you be too Positive?

Black was relieved to hear Francis talk with some reflection. Generally, he thought him to be too accepting - and way too positive.

“Ah, can you ever be too positive?” Francis asked a little sadly, reading his thoughts.

“Well, yes, frankly … I think you can” Puck said ruefully in return.

“I know you have tried to unravel this issue of Pietro’s entrapment for some time - and the twine mats fast.” (This had been an expression from the days of the weavery.)

Privately Black felt that there was little of the world that he did not know - or at least had the means to discover the wherewithal, with a little investigation. But this enigma had stumped him. Pietro was earthbound and whatever they did seemed if anything, to make it worse.


-Gabriel Brunsdon, AZLANDER: NEVER ENDINGS: Second Chances

Donkey Boys

“Do you remember the case of the donkey boys?”

“I do”, answered Black thoughtfully.

“Well, I am thinking that simply by association, men - or even children - can migrate into species … and species into men... and, it bothers me."

Francis continued, “Because I do not believe that the innocent animal makes for a better human once converted, and nor does the human, convert well into animal. There is a degradation of being occurring with the unnatural change, of this nature. I cannot quite name.”

Black thought back to the donkey-boy circus - travelling sex traffickers who were recruiting youth town to town, and then holding them in service, not allowing them to return home. It was young boys for the main.

A dark magic overtook this troupe, whereupon the children, in time, had morphed into a herd of donkeys, and because of this, the authorities could not make a case to save them. They could not even prove that they were once boys.

As time moved further on, it had been thought to be only allegory, but Francis and Hode had discovered this corruption and worked to free them, as it happened. It was a nasty business.

“And, what bothers me more so, is the corruption of species. The donkey boys were a prime example of evil working to destroy what was good about the children, and good about the beast - and it all became a mess. I think, a cautionary tale."


- Gabriel Brunsdon, AZLANDER: NEVER ENDINGS: Second Chances

Oscar's Clocca

A little bell chimed, and the two stared at the mechanical clock admiringly. 

"Oh I think you should give it back”, said Caspar earnestly, shaking his head, “this clearly was not meant to be given out by the Brothers of poverty. The bailiff will come and arrest you for possessing such a treasure. No, you cannot keep this, it is not safe.”

“What if I copy it first? I shall pull it apart, bit by bit, and make drawings of its works … and then return it back to Master Murmur on his weekly return.”

“This is a plan that is proper and acceptable, methinks.”

And so Oscar pulled the dainty contraption into pieces, and laid out its cogs and engine, so that he might trace around its little shapes; but when he came to reassembling the beating heart, he just could not get the ratchet to fly.

He looked over his work-bench in case he had left anything out. He tried several times with optimism and then defeat.

It lay dead in his hands. The clocca chimed no more.


- Gabriel Brunsdon, AZLANDER: NEVER ENDINGS: Second Chances

Murmur’s Wagon of Charity

It so happened that Oscar was picking through Murmur’s wagon of charity, when he found the fine wooden box with the metal bell-ringing device inside.

His hands could feel its significance, and he was excited by the craftsmanship apparent in the ornate tooling with its intricate, miniature style.

“It rings bells randomly”, he explained to Caspar who was fondling this new treasure.

“I will manufacture these, and my business will prosper. See there - it has a little heart inside, and whirring wheels with teeth; so small - look, look closer!”


- Gabriel Brunsdon, AZLANDER: NEVER ENDINGS: Second Chances