Levergunner

     Zara and The Seer A small host of guards escorted Zara down the proud hallway of the castle, heading for the throneroom. Flickering torches illuminated the extravagant paintings and tapestries that decorated the walls. Within each a story was represented, each an echo of some mighty deed or quest. Zara nodded in approval, wishing she could stop to admire them more closely and learn about them, but she couldn't afford to delay. She walked confidently within the square walls the guards formed around her. She'd been stripped of her weapons of course, no one was given the chance to start trouble. At the end of the hallway lay the door to t

    Zara in the Maze of Misery  Zara could tell right away something was wrong. As she trotted towards her village she couldn't hear the ruckus of children, meal being ground or men jabbering together. She could hear faint moaning and wailing. Zara increased her pace, a long, flint-tipped spear in her hands. Her bare feet made no sound as she padded through the thick jungle, her skin beaded with sweat from the intense humidity and head. The smell of burning smoke reached her nostrils. Not just the smoke of burning wood, but of flesh. She now leaped and bounded over obstacles, seeming to glide through the jungle that would check the movement

    Zara and the Ovor Temple The ziggurat lay deep within the jungle, its dark blocks covered with the moss of millennia. Everything about the structure emenated extreme age, as if it were carved from the very bones of the Earth when it was still young. Plants took root in cracks and notches, vines crawling over the walls.  It looked as if they jungle was trying to tear the building down, devour it and make it one with the soil again. But despite the weight of ages, the building held together stubbornly. The sharp corners and angles were worn smooth but still recognizable, like the edge of a dull knife. Four grotesque saurian statues sat u

Tales of Gaming     The Tank Wars Most cases of online gaming are like watching outtakes of movies. The same general scene but done with different execution or in a different order. The majority of the experiences just end up blurring together and wondering where the last 6 hours of your life went and what you did with them. But now and then something very interesting takes place that no one was expecting. Much like bloopers in a movie, they can either be unexpectedly awesome, hilarious, or frightening. Here I would like to recount some of my more infamous moments of online gaming! World of Tanks! A fun game a co-worker had given his bless

     The Siren Simon trudged along the foaming shoreline, listening to the waves gently lapping at the sands of the beach. He'd been walking for some time now, although he didn't know for how long. He'd forgotten his watch in his car when he'd first gotten out, and was too sullen to turn back. Despite being on the nice beach, he was fully clothed in a T-shirt, shorts, and sneakers. His shoes left distinct waffle-shaped prints in the moist sand. Simon himself was in his mid-thirties, single, balding prematurely, a slightly pudgy stomach, but managed to have a respectable looking beard. At the moment he was still grumbling. He'd failed getting

You breathe deeply through your nose, slowly but fully, trying to mask the sound. Despite your calm exterior, you're frightened. More so than you'd like to admit. The fear encourages your body to dump adrenaline into your system, making you breathe more deeply in anticipation of conflict. You can't help it. You grip the cool wood forstock of your rifle tighter, trying to reassure yourself. The half-polished wood of the weapon reflects the tree-filtered light dully, much like the blackened steel of the barrel. You take a moment to let your eyes wander over the fine cuts of metal and wood. The rifle you hold is a fine piece. The round barrel ta

To the jungle, nothing was amiss. The various birds sang their usual songs, like broody neighboors bickering back and forth over their borders. Langurs scuttled about on the branches, looking for morsels of food here and there. A few barking deerm known as muntjac, cautiously picked their way through the carpet of green, nibbling on the foliage, freezing like living statues whenever any sound seemed out of place. They were quite tiny animals, one might suspect them for but children of a full sized animal. Those not used to this type would be surprised to learn that they were indeed full grown, their reddish fur somehow helping them blend in s