The Prophecy of ClansWorld

Chapter One: Soulmate of the Dreamtree

by

Brenda Abrigo Rich

(Dedicated to Glenda - for having faith in me and my stories)

The Prophecy:

She who walks between the worlds

            Will start the circle to spin

She will come for the love of the Magi

            And the battle they both must win

For He who is the Eater of Souls

            Wants the world of the Clans Nine

Yet, there’s more to him and the Evil

            As they over course shall find

The web will be woven then the

            Strands traversed

Yet, in the end the one will be free

            He who was cursed.

This prophecy speaks of a destiny

            In turn it will touch many lives

The key to the end of one cycle

            Will be he who has crystal for eyes.

However, in time past this future

            After the music is played and done

There will be another, the last

            And from two worlds he will come.

He is a pawn of the Evil so ancient

            But the game will be far from complete

With that which is deep in his heart

            This challenge for Clansworld he’ll meet

When these words are fulfilled

            All paths will be their own

For once in a while the fates guide us

            As in the above I have shown.

Lynx of the Clan Bastalian

The Story:

            Lynn walked methodically through the woods, not wishing to disturb the already calm beauty of her surroundings.   As an environmentalist she respected the nature around her especially on a research hike such as this.    Studying nature has been a passion for her since childhood.  Always wanting to be out doors, and with the animals, especially cats of any shape and size.    She was here now to see if she could follow the trails of an illusive lynx, there had been reports of one in the area and she wanted to make sure the wonderful creature’s home hadn’t been disturbed by the local hunters.

            Making her way to an area she thought best for a camp she quickly pitched her tent and settled in.  She knew she really shouldn’t be out here alone, that it was very dangerous and risky but sometimes she just needed to get away.  One of those times was now.  She had used the excuse of research to leave for the weekend, telling where she would be at least, to calm her friends fears and that she would take her cell and radio incase of any trouble.   Lynn never had any trouble save when she was in civilization, she was more at home and at ease in the woods.  She wasn’t scared about being alone; she hated more feeling alone when not alone in the large city where she lived. 

            She still had a bit of daylight left in the day so she decided before her work would begin she would have some fun, she took her compass and a few things for a quick hike around the nearby area, again to relax.   So much was going through her mind, she was always thinking of other things, strange things her friends would tell her, fantasy filled things her parents would warn her and impossible things her relationships would admit as they left her.   Yet, she couldn’t stop some of her dreams would actually give her hope, give her strength to go on…because maybe just maybe there was someone out there that understood how she felt.   

            Lynn sighed to her self realizing she had allowed the thoughts to swarm in her mind and she didn’t  kept sight of her baring and her position to her base camp.    As she began to move again she noticed that the trees were thinning, there was a clearing…no a meadow up ahead, yet there was no meadow on the maps she had brought with her and studied prior to even coming out here.

            “Great” she whispers to herself, “I let my mind wonder and I get lost, wonderful environmentalist I am…what else is new?”  She sighed and moved further into the meadow.   The grasses were not too tall as to impede her progress and as she stepped she noticed the fragrance of the grasses and wild flowers become almost and tangible intoxicating substance.   Her soul lifted as she began to feel free from the thoughts of the city. 

            For a moment, she had the insane desire to dance.  She smiled to her self, thinking “if they could see me now wanting to dance here in the wilderness, they would want to wrap me up finally and cart me away.”  She stopped in the next moment of defiance, “so what if I want to dance, no one is here the only ones I would scare are field mice” she laughed and took off her back pack laying to the side and moved out deeper into the field and began.  

She hummed a tune in her head and moved with it, swaying slightly at first then letting the need to move take her over.    She danced as if she were feeling another with her, dancing…leading her.   It felt so good to her to let go, she even trusted the level of the ground enough to close her eyes and allow the feelings to move her, allow her other senses to open.  

“Yes,” she whispered to her unseen partner feeling that tangible aura around her moving her limbs, moving her as if she were part of the very meadow, as if she were part of nature’s energies.   The intimate dance of energies kept her moving for some time before she finally gave in to her body.  Lynn found her self laying down where she stopped, in the fragrant bed of the meadow.  And before she knew it, she had fallen asleep.

Dreams came freely to her, weaving and spiriting through her mind offering hope, love and peace.   Lynn felt as if she were being carried through the dream’s winding paths nestled in strong warm arms of an already dreamed of and familiar lover.    She was comfortable and secure, allowing herself to press closer to the strength that held her.   She noticed that the apparition felt so real, she felt an arm around her back, and an arm under her knees and cloth pressed against her cheek.     

Suddenly her mind came back to her, she was waking and the feelings of being carried were coming with her.   Adrenaline flowed; her mind thought of the myriad of possibilities….hunter…stranger…serial killer.   Her eyes blinked open and she looked up.    What she saw was nothing she had expected, she had never seen someone that looked like this, fear coursed through her, making her arms and legs move, pushing away from him.   Unknown to her, the stranger tried to set her down so she wouldn’t’ hurt herself, yet it didn’t work, for in her need to get away from him she landed on the ground hard. 

            “Please hold, calm down.  Please don’t be afraid, I can feel the fear pouring off of you.  Oh spirit I hope you can understand me.  I will not harm you.”  The being implored her in a calming voice.  He stood there not coming forward, he held his hands up in an non threatening manner, she almost felt the need to believe that he wouldn’t hurt her.

“Who…who are you?....what are you?”  How could she describe what was in front of her? He was basically humanoid, tall about 5’11”, elegant in dress and manners, yet his face…his hands…and his legs.   His face, he had the slight facial features and markings of a cheetah.  His hands, he hand long elegant fingers but they ended in claws not nails.  And his legs, his legs were contoured just like large cat, but he was standing erect.   Her head swirled with taking in everything about him.

            “My name is Acin Jubatis, I am of the Clan Bastalian, and you are?”

            “Scared witless, wait…wait…” she held up her hand “This has to be a dream, you can’t be real.  I have to be still asleep in the meadow.”

            “This is not a dream; at least I don’t perceive it as such.  However who is dreaming who here?”  He smiled and lowered his hands to his waist.

            “I would have a smart ass for a hallucination.  Great I wanted to get away and now I’m in another world…or think I’m in another world.  I have flipped.”

She covered her face with her hands, trying to wish the hallucination away.

            “What world are you supposed to be on?  If I may ask?”

            “Earth, heard of it?”

            “No, sorry haven’t, this is Clansworld.  Specifically you are in the land of the Nine Clans, near the city of Rufelis in the kingdom of the Bastalians.”

            “Oh goddess I think I am going to be ill.”  She tired to get into a position that she could get up and run.

            “Here please allow me to help you up…” when he started towards her she only reacted.  She scrambled up, and took off running for the edge of the woods.  

            The trees were only a few yards away, she felt it was her only hope to try to loose him.  Just then, she saw a blur and a rush of air move past her, it was him.

            “Why did you run?  I am not going to hurt you…I can’t hurt you.”

            She paused, he had truly meant that.  She felt her self calm but then in her mind she heard voices.

            “Well, well what do we have here?”  a rougher deeper voice came from behind her, she turned to face who ever it was.  There coming out a part of the forest were three wolves with packs on their backs.   They encircled her blocking any way to run.    Their forms began to glow; she backed up unknowingly closer to Acin.  The wolves stood and became humanoid just like Acin.  She felt her self shiver and her legs weaken.   There stood in front of her three wolf-like men looking at her like nothing was strange at all in all their naked glory.  She felt herself blush and look away from their bodies.  

            “Would you three put some cloths on, I don’t think she feels comfortable with you natural.”   Acin said behind her which made her jump for she hadn’t noticed how close she was to him again.

            “Okay okay, but who is your friend Acin” The first wolf man ask as he moved taking off his pack like the others pulling out simple cloths and dressing.

            “We should ask what it is,” came from a second shorter wolf man.

            “And again Daran finds a new etiquette for greeting strangers…people..mmm..visitors.”  The third wolf man spoke.

            “Trap it both of you,” The first one snapped.

            “Skylar, my spirit brother, how are you?”  Acin motioned a wave yet he didn’t move. 

            “I am well Acin.  And again who might this be then?”

            “She unfortunately has not given me that valuable information yet.  She just ran away from me when you three came.”

            “From you?  That is a first, a woman running away from Acin.”  The others laughed and Acin turned a nice shade of red.

            “Could you please, dear lady tell us your name?”  The taller of the wolf men came up to her, the one that spoke of etiquette.

            Lynn broke down, a tear fell from her eyes, not knowing what else to do she answered him, “My name is Lynn Synclair.” 

            “She is of an outer world called Earth.”  Acin added.

            “I am honored to meet you.”  The one Acin had called Skylar came forward and took Lynn’s trembling hand and kissed it as if they had been in a Victorian court.

            She quickly pulled her hand away in fear, “Please let me go.” 

            “But you don’t understand Lynn Synclair,” Acin said, “You were never my prisoner.  I only wanted to help you.”

            She wanted to believe him, his eyes were so kind but her head began to spin and her world suddenly slipped out from under her feet, she fell into blackness. 

Clansworld continued

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Practicing Malevolence

by Jesse Aaron

The most beautiful and most profound emotion we can experience is the sensation of the mystical.  It is the source of all true science . . . to know that what is impenetrable to us really exists, manifesting itself as the highest wisdom and the most radiant beauty which our dull faculties can comprehend only in their most primitive forms – this knowledge, this feeling is at the center of true religiousness.

                                                                   Albert Einstein

Chapter One

A Bit of Background

I turned on the TV – sit com, sit com, news – I was tired of it all – Special.  Ok, I suppose I could attempt to swallow a bit of this tripe.  A scrawny, dark-haired boy about my age came on the screen.  He began performing stunts I’d seen most seasoned magicians handle with great ease.  I looked at the TV Guide – Paul Malevani, the fifteen year old wonder, the new Houdini!  I watched as this boy escaped shackles, handcuffs, you name it.  I turned off the TV and picked up the book I’d started reading the night before as I thought, “That was no great feat.  He’s as big around as a pencil.  He’d slip through anything.  Big deal.”

A couple of years went by, and this kid was still the rage of the magic world.  As he matured, he stayed scrawny, but became a little better looking, as boys will do.  Nothing special, mind you, just a little easier to look at – not attractive by any stretch of the imagination.  I saw him again a few times on some variety shows but payed little attention, having my same old feeling that magicians did nothing but con the public.  Get a real job.

I was growing up also.  Three years of college didn’t do much for me since I still had no idea what I wanted to do with my life.  I’d proclaimed so many majors that they should have pronounced me schizophrenic.  I stuck around for another year, not having enough credits in any one area to graduate, but there wasn’t much else of interest to me.  As occasionally happens, I met a decent man who was getting his masters in engineering, and we fell in love and married.  I had a baby girl the following year but wasn’t really good at being a stay-at-home mom, so I picked up my guitar, got my voice back in shape, found an agent and started playing small clubs in the area.  I made a nice second income, and it got me out of the house.

As my marriage was failing a few years later, I worked more, knowing that I’d have to support my daughter and myself soon.  The lack of financial stability in the music industry drove me to find a “regular” job.  Somehow I ended up working at a bank.  Much less glamour, no psychological rewards, but I knew that every two weeks we’d have a check and how much that check would be.

Soon after the marriage ended, I met a very interesting man.  We began dating, and a year later we married.  I’d never given up on my music.  In fact, I wouldn’t have met husband number two if not for music.  We met in a club where I was playing.  As the first year of our marriage proceeded, I could see that being gone three or four nights a week was taking its toll on the marriage (hubby was the jealous type), and I quit singing to “save the marriage” – a small price to pay to NOT FAIL AGAIN – such a noble gesture on my part, wouldn’t you say?

This, however, did no good whatsoever.  Within the second year, his jealousy became alcoholism.  Alcoholism became physical abuse.  I had no intention of living this way, so my daughter (now ten years old) and I called it quits and moved out.  Thank God for regular paychecks.  I hadn’t quit my job at the bank.  I’ve never had much faith in men anyway.  I guess you’d call it self-preservation.

During my hiatus from singing, my old booking agency had closed its doors thanks to technology.  DJ’s, CD’s and sound systems were cheaper than live bands, whose bookings were what had kept the agency afloat.   There were a couple of agencies left in town, but their reputations were not exactly golden, so I complacently did not pick up my guitar again.  I’d been with the bank long enough to make a reasonably comfortable living.  My daughter and I lived quietly together in modest harmony.

Time went on – one day, another day – nothing to get really excited about, but no disasters reared any ugly heads at us, at least for awhile.  In the world outside our walls, however, the economy was declining, property values were dropping, businesses were decreasing their employee bases by attrition and layoffs.  If you were lucky enough to have a job, you were doing the work of three people because two had quit.  Life in the 80’s – a dream come true.

Within four more years, the company I worked for announced that my department would be dissolved and centralized to another state – none of us would be employed soon.  I took this opportunity to say bye-bye to the big, dirty city, the snow in the winter, the hassle and heartbreak of a thankless job with a company too big to know what was going on within its own walls.  Carrie, my daughter, and I moved to a better climate with more diversified possibilities.  Tucson, Arizona – a place I’d wanted to live since childhood.  You may as well live your dreams.  Life is short, and we figured it was our turn.

I took a position in a small gift shop (mostly cheap Mexican imports) to reduce my elevated stress level from the last two miserable years I’d had working for that immobile giant of a financial institution.  I needed an emotional break.  I wasn’t making nearly as much money as I had, though, and Carrie would be starting college soon.  That was just a small hurdle.  We’d made it before and knew that we would again.   

Chapter Two

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The Motionless Dance

If you don't think Love is Immortal...Ask a Vampire

by

Brenda Abrigo Rich

Dedication:
This Story has had many Births, and each birth helped and guided by good friends.
The First birth was helped by Jeanette with her imagination she helped me form the first concept of Thorn Vancanis, and with her art inspired me to write with him and about him.
The Second Birth was with a group of friends that helped me round his character out and developed new one. They are to me The "Cathexis Crowd" ; Glenda, Tami, Jason, Remy and Tony. To you Gang the story has changed a bit, brought up to date but the characters basis is the same and hopefully familiar to you. Within this birth others came in; Mena, keep drawing and creating because you definitely inspire me.

 I love you all and even if we are not close physically please know that my heart and mind are not so limited.
To my family, my loving husband Steven and my soul kitten Albion
Finally to the memory of Chalise - my angel - for a time that was no longer then a breath you gave me eternity.
 

Part 1

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