kiiblade

A Land of Wonder and Nightmare

Elayra. This struck a chord in Ghent's mind, and his heart sped up as he realized why. The name was familiar. Even though his memories were hopelessly fragmented, he wanted to put this name to a face from the past.
During his childhood, Ghent had insisted that there had been a girl with him, though her identity had eluded him.
Platinum hair...a doll-like face. Ghent starting to get an eerily familiar, yet haunting feeling that he knew the one standing before him. Had Elayra been around thirteen years younger, she could have been the child he remembered. To even consider the idea felt wrong, and Ghent shook his head slowly as if to push the thought away. There was no way. Was there?

There was something cryptic about Elayra. The way she spoke was perhaps the strangest thing about her. Had Ghent not been so disturbed, he may have laughed; she spoke as if she truly believed William was some sort of mythical beast.
Aside from that, Elayra's appearance was unusual, and the necklace she wore was unlike any Ghent had ever seen. While Ghent was no expert on jewelry, he was certain that pendants didn't usually glow in the dark. The glow caught William's attention, at least. The cat stopped his struggling and settled for staring at the pendant with wide, curious eyes.

Ghent was searching himself for a response when he took notice of Elayra's eyes shifting to someone else, and he followed suit. Realizing that they were not alone, Ghent frowned towards Drust, then looked to Elayra for her reaction to the stranger being there. Were these two together or were they being watched? Judging by Elayra's lack of response, Ghent concluded that she must have known the mystery man.
This didn't feel right, and Ghent didn't fancy the idea of being mugged of what little cash he possessed.
"Look, I'd stay and chat, but I have to go." Troubled, he turned to leave, but didn't get far.

“Do you know anything of a place called Wonderland?”

Ghent stopped in his tracks. He fell dangerously quiet, then turned to face her.
"Who put you up to this? Him?" Ghent was unnecessarily defensive, and he nodded towards Drust as he said so. The subject of Wonderland a touchy one; he'd faced years of ridicule and mockery from his peers.
Ghent hated the place, and he regretted how often his ridiculous imagination landed him in trouble. He was tired of theories, he was tired of trying to find the missing pieces, and he was tired of events triggering memories that he wasn't sure were real.
For reasons Ghent did not know, he'd been left in the woods, but he had learned to accept the fact. No more searching, no more Wonderland. "Joke's old, you know?"

Hobbit-LOTR: Quests, Curses, And Guardians { Angel & Polarize }

All good things had to come to an end, and while Kili would have loved to stay in the tree longer, he also wanted to know what was going on. Soon, his questions were answered. The sled they'd seen from above had pulled into the wooded clearing, and the driver was soon to depart.

"Thieves! Fire! Murder!"
Radagast was out of breath, and he seemed relieved to have spotted Gandalf. "I was looking for you, Gandalf. Something’s wrong. Something’s terribly wrong." The shorter wizard motioned him over so that they might speak in private, and it was here he explained what had happened only hours before.
"Spiders, Gandalf. Giant ones. Some kind of spawn of Ungoliant, or I am not a Wizard. I followed their trail. They came from Dol Guldur." Clearly, he was frazzled, and he spoke as quickly as he could.
"I saw him, Gandalf...from out of the darkness, a Necromancer has come."

Kili had overheard Gandalf speak of Radagast before, but he was completely unlike how he had envisioned. Though they were not at immediate risk, he kept a hand on his bow, and he was ready to nock an arrow should the need arise. "What is he going on about?" The youngest Durin was impatient, and he longed to overhear their conversation. It must have been of the utmost importance; even Gandalf looked mildly distressed.
Suddenly, an unearthly howl was heard in the distance, and Bilbo looked up, his face visibly paling.
“Was that a wolf? Are th-there wolves out there?”

Thorin had heard this sound before. "Warg ­Scouts!" At that, he drew his newest weapon once more, his jaw set. Where there was a Warg, there was often an Orc. "Which means an Orc pack is not far behind.”

A Land of Wonder and Nightmare

Absolutely! I will try to keep an open mind for any future possibilities. :D

Thank you so much! You're very kind -- I am keeping all of your feedback in my notes for writing.
As for one, or both...gosh, that's difficult to say so early on. Did you have a preference? I am completely fine with one or both.

I absolutely loved reading your thoughts!! Makes me very happy, and I am so glad that you liked it! I think there's a bit of Axel's personality in all of us...
& You can totally add that to your book of quotes! I'd be honored.

Now, for yours: your post kept me on the edge of my seat! Me, being my naive self, actually believed that Elayra may have hurt Drust's feelings by the remark of him losing his mind. When she started to apologize, I wondered if that was because he was sensitive about the topic...instead, he totally lashed out! That was awesome! (I was worried for Elayra, but I had hope that she could hold her own!)

This scene/line:

Her eyebrows rose in a mix of mockery and pity when the boy slipped and landed in a mud puddle. “You’re sure that’s Hatter’s son?”
“The evidence points to it.”


That totally cracked me up! I love the dialog of these two.

I also really like how you wrote the fight scenes between them. I could see all of it within my head.

Another thing your post made me realize is how strange modern Earth must be for them. Not only for the world itself, but the things we would take for granted (such as when you wrote that Elayra did not know what Java was).

Thank you for the indentation tips!! I'll give it a shot for my next post. If all else fails, I'll fall back on the double returns.

Hobbit-LOTR: Quests, Curses, And Guardians { Angel & Polarize }

With a small yelp of surprise, Kili felt himself leave the ground. Contrary to what he'd feared, his godmother was able to carry him with ease. To fly was something Kili had hoped for ever since he'd seen Saeril's sleek wings, but he hadn't expected her to take him so suddenly.

Saeril flew so gracefully and effortlessly; the youngest Durin watched in wonder as they left the ground, and he could barely contain his excitement as they landed to a tall, mighty tree near the cave.
"That was incredible!" Kili was left breathless, and he steadied himself by sticking close to his godmother.
The branches of the tree were far and few in between, and climbing it would not have been possible without the gift of flight.

Kili took this moment to scour the area. They had a perfect view, and as a result, they were the first to see a fast moving sled heading in the direction of the company. The sled was moving at an astonishing speed, and it looked to be pulled by a group of small rabbits. There was a driver as well, clad mostly in browns and tans. In all his years, Kili had never seen such a sight.

"What in Durin's name is that?" While his vision was sharp and aided him with scouting, Kili could not identify the moving object quickly coming their way.

---

Thorin looked the sword over with disdain, though he did not put the weapon back to the hoard. Gandalf was right; the blade was well made. There was nothing else of interest to sort through, and so Thorin turned to leave.
“Let’s get out of this foul place. Come on, let’s go. Bofur! Gloin! Nori!”

As they neared the outside, Thorin stopped in his tracks. Something was wrong. "Something's coming!" He shouted to the others, his newfound weapon still in hand.

A Land of Wonder and Nightmare

"Getting real sick of this crap, William."
Ghent was in no hurry to get up. He'd been on his feet for most of the day, and William wasn't going anywhere. The sky looked nice, at least. The view couldn't compare to the one back in the country, but it was enough to keep Ghent there for a few moments more.

Any attempt at stargazing was put on hold when a shadow of a person suddenly flew over Ghent's head. The person turned out to be a girl, and to Ghent's astonishment, she was climbing the slide with ease. "Whoa, hey!" Competition was definitely not something he'd expected at this hour. How had Mrs. Saxon spread the word of William's disappearance so quickly? Better yet, how had this girl found William here too? The odds were incredible, and as usual, not in Ghent's favor.

Now that Elayra had retrieved William, Ghent scrambled to his feet, his jeans muddied and wet. So much for $200. "Hold on! I saw him first," he started to protest, only to be silenced when William was handed over without argument.

The turn of events was enough to shut both up. Ghent looked to William, William looked to Ghent, and then both stared at Elayra in matching looks of disbelief. In this moment, they matched in expression and appearance; they were rather disheveled after the chase, and they couldn't seem to get over this girl.

"Of course he isn't mine." Finally, Ghent found his voice, and he raised an eyebrow as Elayra referred to him by name. Something about the last name felt familiar, and he couldn't help but feel uneasy. "What the heck is a Madrail?" Even though the park was lit by street lamps in certain areas, he squinted through the darkness in order to get a better view of her face. "Who are you?"

From what Ghent could tell, she was really quite beautiful. Platinum blonde hair, eyes in a color he could not then identify. . .and with a rather impressive looking scar running through the left one. The scar was so unique that Ghent nearly caught himself staring, and he was quick to advert his gaze by readjusting his hold on a squirming William. Pretty girls were always somewhat intimidating to Ghent, and he certainly wasn't the sort to pay compliments or flirt. Instead, he viewed Elayra with the utmost suspicion while taking notice of her curious looking attire. This was unusual wear; he'd only seen a few dresses similar to this, and that was when his mother had been commissioned to make costumes for a Renaissance Fair.

"Mrs. Saxon asked you to find him, didn't she?" Ghent wasn't giving Elayra a word in edgewise; he was coming to conclusions all on his own. "Tell you what. I'll split the reward with you." As he made the offer, Ghent unzipped his hoodie and worked to wrap the cat up with it. This wasn't to keep William warm, this was to keep his claws at bay. "You can have 20%."

Hobbit-LOTR: Quests, Curses, And Guardians { Angel & Polarize }

Kili could not have been happier. They'd gotten Bilbo back, the ponies were safe, and Saeril had pointed out his courage. To have the quality of a Durin was high praise indeed, and he blushed with pride. "It wasn't so bad," he attempted to be modest about the rescue. After all, if not for Gandalf, they may have still been in those sacks. Or worse. "Though, I am glad to be free all the same."

As Kili often did during the journey, he stuck close by his brother and godmother. Thorin was up ahead, and from what little Kili had overheard, they were searching for the troll's cave. "Why should we look for that?" Kili did not understand why they would want to find the home of such foul creatures. Surely they would have nothing of value.

Thorin knew more about trolls, however, and he believed it possible that they had a small hoard of treasure within their suspected cave. "This way." Up ahead, he spotted the mouth of a cave, and even from a great distance it smelled of fermented meat.

Kili grimaced, then stopped in place. Normally, he would have jumped at the chance to explore, but the smell of the cave was less than inviting. "Perhaps we should wait here. With the ponies," he tried to get out of it, as he didn't believe that there was anything worth seeing. A cave was only a cave, after all. Bilbo seemed on board with that idea too, for he hadn't moved from his spot. Going through a troll's home had not been part of the contract.

Meanwhile, Thorin was hunting around the hoard as Bofur and the others prepared a 'long term deposit' as Gloin put it. During his search, Thorin came across an impressive looking blade. He looked it over with scrutiny, then lowered the weapon as he looked to Gandalf. "These swords were not made by any troll."

A Land of Wonder and Nightmare

I'm relieved to hear that! I was concerned that I unintentionally hoisted off the most difficult part on you. If you're certain it is not a burden -- I do not mind at all -- but just let me know if you need any help later on. I don't want to make it a chore for you or anything! ^^'
As for supernatural-style horror and the macabre, yes!! That sounds awesome, actually. :D Haven't gotten to have that in any past RP's.

I adore the relic idea, too! Gah. This is all so perfect. I am so on board for everything. I really love all of that -- Elayra's locket, Ghent's connection to the relic...yes x100! This is gonna be amazing.

Ok, finally posted! I figured he might as well look like an idiot.
I was keeping your feedback in mind: I tried to make this post more clear, and hopefully I did the paragraphs properly. I am having trouble with creating indentations, however. It worked on Word, but would not transfer over here. So it's a bit more spread out than your posts. D:

A Land of Wonder and Nightmare

Ghent was appreciative that the neighborhood was quiet for once. The rain must have played a part in this, as most people would be inside their homes during the downpour. The silence was broken when a Black Sedan came to an abrupt stop.

"Ghent!" Mrs. Saxon rolled down the window of her vehicle, her eyelashes wet with tears. The woman's distress was clear, and she held a handkerchief close to her heart. "Have you seen William?"

Today may not have been so bad after all. Ghent shook his head, then moved himself closer to the car.
"No, I haven't. Is he missing?" A stupid question, but he wasn't sure what else to say. How was one supposed to react when their archenemy was out of the picture?

"Yes. He is." Mrs. Saxon sniffled miserably as she looked in the review mirror for the umpteenth time. "As I was getting into my car, a truck roared by. It scared him so badly that he ran off, and I have yet to find him!"

Had this been anyone else, Ghent would have helped, but he disliked the Saxon family. Mrs. Saxon's son was a loudmouth who needed to be put in his place, Mrs. Saxon never had anything nice to say, and William was William. "I wish I could help, but I really need to pick up some groceries for my mom."

When Ghent turned to leave, desperation kicked in, and Mrs. Saxon leaned out of her vehicle even further in hopes of stopping him. "Wait! I'll pay you for recovering him." This part of town was not one she wanted to wander through, not at this hour. "I will pay you $50!"

For once, Mrs. Saxon was at Ghent's mercy, but he wasn't feeling very charitable. He'd already given away his comics, after all. That had been his good deed of the day. "No offense, but I'm not traipsing through the ghetto for $50. I really have to go now."

If Mrs. Saxon leaned out of her window any further, she may have fallen onto the sidewalk. "Wait! I'll double it. $100! Please, just find him!"

Ghent didn't turn around, but he was enjoying every moment of this.

"You are a greedy, horrible young man." Mrs. Saxon would offer no more, but then she overheard a dog barking in the distance. A large one, from the sound of it.

Ghent sighed and shook his head as if the cat had died already. "Poor William." His sympathy was fake, but that was enough to up the reward.

"$200." Mrs. Saxon was envisioning a funeral for her precious furbaby, and the image alone was enough for her to cough up the extra cash.

With a light smirk, Ghent finally turned to face her. "Deal." He decided not to hold out for more; $200 could go a long way, and if Mrs. Saxon became any more worked up he feared that she may have a meltdown. "I know my way around." Ghent was confident about this, as he'd lived in the area for seven years. "If anyone can find him, I can."

---

Ghent knew for a fact that William had an attitude; the Persian only followed Mrs. Saxon when he wanted to, and even then she was usually lugging the cat around so he didn't have to walk. Ghent had already invested a half hour in hunting the missing animal down, and he wasn't feeling so confident anymore. The money was the motivation he needed to continue on this way.

Despite Ghent's former remark, Kingsview wasn't exactly a ghetto, though the neighborhood was sometimes described as "sketchy" by the folk living there. Ghent wasn't afraid, but he did wonder what his parents would say if they knew that he was on his own and so far from their apartment.

As he passed by a former photography studio, Ghent overheard a familiar meow. William did not sound like a cat should; his meow sounded thick and warbled. Ghent followed the sound without hesitation, and to his relief he found William sitting atop a stack of crates near a dumpster. "There you are!"

William looked right at home. Ghent had often felt that the cat was mangy in appearance, and he could have passed as a feral cat rather than a domesticated one. "Here William, come here." Ghent wasn't sure how to speak to him, but he didn't want to scare away his chance at $200. "Stay...good boy." Just a little closer.

The dumpster was overwhelmingly full, and the rain hadn't helped the smell any. Garbage bags littered the alley, and there was evidence of rats and dogs getting into the bags. Disgusted, Ghent held his breath, then used one of the crates to boost his height. As he made a grab for the animal, the crate caved in from his sudden weight. In desperation, Ghent grabbed for the nearest object to steady himself, but missed. A bag of trash broke his fall, and then William jumped down and started to trot away.

"No! Get back here!" Ghent pushed himself up, and that only encouraged William to run. The cat was faster than he looked, and he ran right across the street, Ghent close behind.

Running into the road without looking wasn't the wisest of ideas, and an oncoming driver slammed on the breaks and cursed Ghent out for being so foolhardy. "Stupid punk! What's the matter with you?!"

Ghent winced, but he made sure not to look back in fear of being identified later on. "Sorry!" After this, he didn't want to leave the apartment for a while. Being cooped up with Henry may not have been so bad after all this mess.

Right then, his cellphone started to ring, and Ghent answered it even while running. "Hello?"

"Hi, cousin! Aunt Elise wants to know when you'll be back." Henry's timing wasn't the best.

"Soon. Tell her the gas station was out of milk. I'm heading to the supermarket downtown." Ghent grimaced as he felt his sneaker stick to the pavement. He must have stepped onto a wad of gum. "It's okay, though. My friend is giving me a ride there, tell her not to worry, alright?"

"Sure thing! I'll tell her." Henry didn't suspect anything was amiss; Ghent's explanation made perfect sense to him, and he didn't believe his cousin capable of lying. "I've been thinking real deep. Wanna hear my latest theory?"

Ghent arrived at the park. William was slinking around near the playground. "This isn't a good time, Henry."

Either Henry didn't hear him, or he didn't care. "Well, I was just thinking. I think the best when I clean, it's therapeutic. I cleaned your whole room, you know." Henry started to go off topic, and Ghent found himself wondering if this was a trait in his mother's family.

"I think there's a reason Aunt Elise found you in the woods." Henry drew a breath as if he had to break some difficult news. "Have you ever considered the fact that you might've been stolen from your parents by a pack of wolves?"

Ghent would have rolled his eyes, but he wanted to keep William in his line of vision at all times. "Henry, come on!" The stress of the day was getting to him, and his cousin wasn't helping.

"It's possible!" Henry had a wild imagination, and he'd always found Ghent's story to be fascinating. For years, he'd attempted to uncover the mystery. Who were Ghent's parents and what had happened to them? Originally, Ghent had longed to uncover the truth, but he'd given up after too many failed leads. Henry hadn't, though. "At least consider it!"

Ghent wasn't sure what was more bothersome; the stitch in his side, or Henry's crazy theories. "I have to go. We'll talk later."

After he hung up, Ghent observed the playground. The playground was a large one and made almost entirely of wood. Time had warped its appearance, but that didn't seem to bother William. He was busy sharpening his claws against one of the posts, and when he took notice of Ghent, he started to climb up so that he would reach the first level.

Ghent was inwardly cursing him, but on the outside, he remained quiet and considered his options. There were two ways to reach the first level of the playground. The stairway on the back, or the slide. The slide was nearest, and so he decided to try this route first. As skillfully as he could, Ghent climbed the slide, his sneakers squeaking against the yellowed plastic. The sight was rather ridiculous, but he didn't care. As far as he knew, no one was around.

William did not move, he was busy scratching at his ear. Ghent scoffed at him. "It'll serve you right if you got fleas." The slide was still a little slick from the rain, and when Ghent extended a hand to reach the top, he slipped, fell backwards, and fell down until he met the end. With a frustrated growl, Ghent looked to the sky and slammed his fist to the pile of muddied water he'd met at the bottom. "Darn you, William!" Perhaps he should have pushed for $250 after all.

A Land of Wonder and Nightmare

No, not at all! As a matter of fact, I enjoy it. Your posts are lovely; I'm really digging the images you've used, too! I know I've said it before, but I really appreciate the thought you put into your writing. Thoughts as I read your post;

thoughts

- This is so spooky

- I'm glad I don't live there

- Earth looks really good compared to this. Ghent got off easy @- @

- Drust don't snap! ;; HANG ON

- The details *^*

- The references to the other fairy tales YES

- Those weapons may not fit in so well on Earth. *laugh*

- AWWh she remembers that they were friends T - T *feels*

- *imagines little Elayra and little Ghent* so adorable.

- I love all of this

- THIS IS SO GOOD

And you were correct in presuming that (I had forgotten to mention a time! x'D) I'd say it closed around 6:00, and by now it's nearing 7-ish.

In regards to the plot, I do not mind at all -- actually, I feel a bit guilty for having gotten off so easily! x'D Over the years I've usually "winged it" for plots (doesn't usually end well) but this is all so detailed and fascinating. I will try to help pull my weight, so it isn't a burden on you or anything like that. ^^' Eventually, I'd love to make some fan art of this!

I am all for the side-quest idea! Hm...perhaps like the Horcruxes in Harry Potter? They wouldn't have to destroy those-said objects, of course...not unless we wished them to. :'D They could be something to help bring her down, as you said. They could be weapons, or...pieces of one larger object...heart pieces? *Zelda moment* Just tossing ideas out there!

Thank you so very much for the feedback! I must say, this has opened my eyes. First, thank you very much for the compliments. I really do enjoy writing different personalities, so I am touched that you liked them. Secondly, I will definitely keep myself aware of that! I am so guilty of being unclear at times...and that doesn't just go for my writing, either. Heheh. I'll improve! *determined face* And I will try to improve my paragraph-skills as well. :D Can't wait to get started on my reply!! I already have some ideas.

I'm seriously excited to see when everyone meets. xD

Hobbit-LOTR: Quests, Curses, And Guardians { Angel & Polarize }

Kili had half-wondered if he and Fili were to be scolded. They hadn't watched the ponies to the best of their ability, after all. When Saeril acknowledged their bravery, he could scarcely keep the smile off of his face. "Do you really think so?" If there was one thing Kili loved more than attention, it was praise, and he could finally feel that he'd redeemed himself from the blunders of last evening.

The youngest Durin brushed some dirt from his sleeve, and then he took notice of Fili scanning him over. Not again. "I'm fine, Fili." This did not upset him, and -- as Dis often reminded him -- he should have been touched to have a brother so concerned for his safety. Still, he wished Fili did not have to worry about him so much. Perhaps he would have to prove himself capable to his brother as well.

"No thanks to your burglar." Thorin responded curtly, then turned away from the statues in disgust. Trolls were terrible creatures; though rare, in this area. "Since when do mountain trolls venture this far south?" Again, he looked to Gandalf, and then he motioned for the others to follow. If the sun had done this, he knew that they would have had a home someplace to shield them from the light. "There must be a cave nearby."

Bilbo was really quite sickened, so much that he did not even take notice (or care) that Thorin still had little faith in him. His coat was covered with troll snot, and so was his hair. They'd saved the ponies, but at a great cost to cleanliness. Grumbling, he pet Myrtle absentmindedly as Dwalin and the others recovered the rest of the ponies. For now, they chose not to ride. The cave would be very near by.