Brigandy On The World: Chapter 1 (Part 1)

I opened my eyes to darkness. The ringing in my ears sustained my dizziness. Half my face was in the ground, the soft dirt smudged on my lips. I rolled over to get up, feeling a sharp tension in my legs. I propped myself to sit up, feeling my legs. I looked up at the sky and saw a dim impression of the moon. The night seemed cloudy. “Night? How long was I out”? It occurred to me that I could have been unconscious for a good twelve hours. It was half past ten when we saw Mistress Haddinger off. I rose off the ground and looked around the perimeter. I saw no one.

I started to blindly walk across the lawn, following the sim sounds of dogs barking. I saw him there, young master standing at the entrance of the courtyard, looking out the gate. The little doggies were running around him. He didn’t notice me walk up behind him.

“Are you alright sir?” I asked as I approached him. He didn’t respond right away. His gaze was fixed outside the gate. I could not read his emotions for his expression was bland.

“Does she lie beyond this gate?” Clark asked as he turned to me and placed his hand on my shoulder. “All the other servants are gone, my dear. I thought you were too.”

“Gone? You mean dead?” I asked forlornly. Young master drew me into him for an unexpected embrace. As he was holding me I started to cry.

“All the servants are nowhere to be found. They have vanished. Dead or not, I do not know.” He released me to pull out a flashlight he had positioned on his belt. He flashed the light on me. “No blood. That’s good my dear.”

I felt a sudden uneasiness with our situation. I had no idea what could have happened or what was happening while I was unconscious. “Was this a war attack?” I wondered. But in reality I couldn’t focus on anything more than young master’s plight. He must have been yearning for answers before I arrived. “Where was his wife? Was she safe? Where did everyone go? What was happening?”

“Young master, what do you intend to do now? If you are leaving, please take me with you.”

He handed the flashlight to me. I shined it on him and saw that his blouse was torn almost completely, revealing his bruised chest. His pants were covered in dirt. He looked back at me with a firm gaze.

“Don’t call me young master anymore. There is no need for such formalities now. Call me by my name, Clark.”

I awkwardly looked down at my feet and then back at him. “Alright sir... Clark.”

“And In turn there is no need to call you a servant now, Rosaline. You are the only one with me now so I have no intention of leaving you behind. We are in this situation together, equals with one another. We must help each other survive.”

Clark turned around are started to walk back towards the mansion. The little dogs followed.

“We are going to leave this town first thing in the morning, Rosaline. We need to gather some supplies tonight. I want you to pack us any remaining food from the kitchen as I go fetch some medical supplies. Also fetch some warm blankets. We will ride in the truck, that is, if I can find the keys tonight.”

Brigandy On The World: Prologue

It was a mild summer day. The sky was a clear baby blue. I could feel the rays of sun shine on my warm brown skin. The dark green grass was freshly cut. It was a beautiful day. I stood in front of the colossal Haddinger Estate, sweeping dust from the stone steps, trying hard not to get my white apron dirty. Young master Clark came out of the mansion in his full officer’s uniform, with his lovely wife beside him. She wore a silky red petticoat and a matching frilly bonnet hat. The mild heat seemed too much for her taking, so she carried a small parasol on her shoulder, clasping the protruding bulge from her dress. Milady was with child. Her once rosy complexion was now a pale white, due to lack of sunlight. Sir Clark would not stand for her to stay in the heat for long. On the other hand, he basked in the sun daily. His light blond hair blindly shined in the sun as he sported his tan in the summer months.

This day was indeed no ordinary occasion. Mistress Haddinger was leaving for a mini vacation in the remote countryside before she was due to give birth. Young master Clark was escorting her to the cabbie car, but he had no intention of joining her. Two maidservants carried her luggage and baskets of fixings to the car. The red car was an Austin Martin, the classiest car young master had ever purchased. Milady was chauffeured by a young fellow, tall and skinny. He had medium black hair, swooped back, and sported a pencil mustache. His suit was navy blue. I saw this man’s face before, but I never got his name. As young master walked his wife to the car, I noticed the young fellow’s fixed stare on the Mistress’ belly. As they approached the car, young master gave a soft, passionate kiss goodbye to his wife. As she got into the car, she whispered something into the chauffeur’s ear, which abruptly ended his fixed gaze. While she situated herself in the passenger’s seat, she blew a farewell kiss to her husband and waved all the servants in the courtyard goodbye. Little blue birds chirped all around as if saying goodbye too.

I watched the car drive off into a distance before time seemed to abruptly stop. Within seconds the bird chirping I heard came to a dead silence. I looked up at the sky and all I saw was a white light surrounding everything. I looked forward to see young master looking back at me, as if entranced. Our eyes met and I gazed at him before everything around us went white. An Explosion…

Brigandy On The World: Introduction

This is a story based off a recurring/continuing dream. Its set in the rich countryside of England, within a steampunk society. The moral code, dress, and traditions of society remain early 19^th century, where as cars and other mobile transportation, communication, and technology are advanced to about the 1950s. The story takes place at the Haddinger family estate in the countryside of northern England, where a young maidservant witnesses the destruction of her home, the family she was raised with, and society as a whole due to a hostile bombing and invasion from alien sources. She survives this apparent apocalypse and vows to take care of the young lord who too lost everything. She travels the unknown world with him in search for his young pregnant wife and encounters many dangers along the way. Finally, when it seems their search has come to an end, things turn out more sinister than ever before…

On A Side Note: Empire of Love

I have observed that relationships these days are a lot like empires. They have a rocky to smooth start, then enter into a Golden Age, where love and wisdom fuse and flourish. And finally, it breaks apart due to enemy invaders who corrupt the empire and collapses it from within. Relationships usually start when both man and woman are just getting to know each other. They must adapt to each other before they get even closer. Then once they do, they go into a figurative Golden Age, where love and understanding between them is mutual. This lasts for a couple of years. But suddenly, without warning, an enemy nation comes to corrupt one of the spouses. He or she seduces the other and causes unrest and civil war within the relationship. They couple's bond becomes weak and is severed. The empire collapses.

Dreams of Efeshia: Chapter 9: Prisoners In A Palace

Yirresh and Ashiru lead us down another set of steps and further east inside the palace. We went through several halls until we reached a gate that connected the hall we were in to another set of steps.

“Why are we traveling so much just to get to a room”, I said looking at Yirresh. “If this is a palace, shouldn’t there be more rooms available that are closer?” Yirresh stopped and gave me a long look.

“You should be grateful for even being spared by his majesty! There is a reason why you are placed further away from the main hall and further east. Prince Lanak made a special request that you are as far from the west wing as possible.”

At that Ashiru pulled a key from her pocket and unlocked the gate before us. We went down a few steps and into a much smaller hall than the others were. Finally, we stopped at a door at the end of this hall.

Yirresh opened the door and pushed me in. Ashiru took hold of Mau.

“This one is to stay in another place,” Ashiru said firmly.

Yirresh came inside the room and closed the door as Ashiru walked away with Mau.

The room was quite big and very dark. It had a chiseled king sized bed in the center of the room and also had dressers and mirror surrounding it. There were no windows but the walls were painted and the carpet was sewn with the same dragon sign I had seen before.

“Now look here child”, Yirresh said as she walked further in the room, “His majesty, Prince Lanak also made the request that when you arrived here, we were to address you as a My Lady. But seeing what you are, you don’t seem worthy enough for us to lower ourselves before you. I do not know how you bewitched Prince Lanak, but I’ll try my best to obey his orders.”

“Bewitched? That’s an impossible assumption. I don’t even know Prince Lanak or why he is holding me captive. Nevertheless I did not bewitch or captivate him on purpose. You have to believe me!”

“Even if what you say is true, Prince Lanak has a greater destiny in store for you. It was fate that brought you to him.”

“Destiny? I know not of destiny, Yirresh. I only know that I’m not supposed to be here. I’m not supposed to be in this world!”

“As it may be, Prince Lanak intends to have you well taken care of. He has asked that any request you have be fulfilled and any luxury we have be offered to you. But, even though

the Prince shelters you, this does not mean King Azeroth won’t sense you in the palace.”

“Azeroth? Who is Azeroth?”

“If anything prevents you from being able to walk the halls as we came, there is a short cut from this room to the main hall and several palace gates”, Yirresh said, pointing to the floor. “Only four people know of this route, and Prince Lanak wanted me to tell you of it. Not even Azeroth knows. There are underground tunnels that are spread through out the palace. Underneath this carpet is a tunnel that leads to the north gate, past the main hall. Follow it only when in danger.”

“Thank you for informing me, but you still have not said who Azeroth is.”

“Azeroth is the father of Lanak and is the king of Athosia and Yirsen. He is a great conqueror but a tyrannical and oppressive king. He wishes to conquer all of the northern countries and start a new empire. If any one shows even the slightness hint of opposition, they, and their entire family, would be destroyed. King Azeroth is feared mostly among his own people and no one dares oppose him.”

Dreams of Efeshia: Chapter 8: The Palace

We rode for some time before we stopped in front of a gigantic tree. It was like one of those trees that you see only in the Amazon. But this tree was unusually dark and rotten looking. Lanak rode up to the tree and jumped off his horse. He placed his hand and the center of the tree and said some words I didn’t catch. Suddenly the ground began to shake and the tree formed what seemed like a black hole. One by one Lanak’s men went through the tree until my horse was the last one.

“It is time to go home my dear”, Lanak said with a laugh.

“No, I really don’t think this is the right place for me. I really don’t wish to go with you.”

“You don’t have a choice my dear. When we get to my palace, you will have everything you could want.”

At that Lanak pulled the reigns of his horse, with me on it, and walked into the great black hole at the center of the tree.

When we arrived on the other side the air changed. The sky was foggy and dark.

We were still in a forest but it wasn’t the same one we left. Lanak jumped back on his horse and held me as he rode to the front of his men. In the distance I saw huge towers. Finally I saw the palace Lanak was talking about. It was the biggest structure I had ever seen and it glistened in the sun. It looked like it could hold an entire city within its walls. The palace had tall marble towers at every corner and had a gate that surrounded the entire area. I could also see guards looking at us from the towers and guards at the entrance of the gate. There was a golden bridge connecting the end of the forest and the entrance of the gate.

We as we rode closer, the guards let up the gate before us. Since Lanak’s horse was leading the others, the guards of the palace saw me first. They all gave me cold, mean looks as I looked down at them. When we entered the entrance of the palace Lanak jumped off his horse and yanked me off. Two women waiting at the front of the palace met us. He told one of them to take Mau in. I figured they were just his maids. Lanak lead us to the east side, then down some stairs and then through a magnificent golden hall. As we walked down the hall I saw marble statues of svartálfar people with regal poses. Finally, we entered a room at the end of the hall. When we entered the room it looked like a cathedral, except grim. All the furniture was dark, and the windows were shut. There were long black drapes with the dragon emblem hanging on the side of the walls. It was the same emblem that was on Lanak’s armor.

“Take a seat Efeshia,” he said, pointing to the chair in the middle of the room.

“How did you know my name?”

“I’m a good guesser. Since were all settled down I would like to introduce you to my two most trusted advisors”, pointing to the two women at the side. “Yirresh and Ashiru.”

Both women weren’t human, but they looked different from each other. The one holding Mau, Yirresh, was a svartálfar. She had brown hair and dark green eyes. The other one, Ashiru, looked more like Vankari’s kind. Her complexion was much softer than Yirresh and she had short blood red hair.

“My advisors will take good care you while you stay here Efeshia. I have already asked them to clear out a room for you near the east wing.” ”Why am I staying here?”

“As long as you stay here you will be safe.”

At that another svartálfar entered the room. He looked like a soldier, carrying a long sword on his back. He also wore the dragon emblem on the side of his armor. He had curly black hair and dark eyes. When he walked closer to Lanak, he exchanged a few glances with Ashiru, who was standing on the opposite side.

“Ah, Kelthereth, your just in time”, Lanak said pointing to Mau.

“ Efeshia, this is Kelthereth, my appointed general and friend.”

“My lord, I was told that you wanted the main accounts of battle on the Har border before your father read them. The people of Yirsen are...”

“ We don’t need to discuss such matters now Kelthereth. I’ve brought a present for you to commend you for your service to me.”

“My prince, you shouldn’t have. I require no such rewards.”

“ It was nothing. I’m giving this fairy here”, Lanak said pointing to Mau. “I had captured her from the Rhun forest. She is yours to keep.”

“Thank you my prince, but I don’t think I will have a use for her just yet”, Kelthereth said looking at Ashiru.

“Yirresh, Ashiru, take Efeshia to her room and see to it that she has everything she wants. I will be talking for a while with general Kelthereth, so take the little fairy along with you.”

Dreams of Efeshia: Chapter 7: Prince of Darkness

Before us formed creatures I never seen before. Darkness, like smoke clouds followed their forms. The one in the middle was the first to take shape. As his outline took shape, I saw his body form from bottom to top. He seemed like a man at first. When I finally saw his face he had a small grin. He was wearing some sort of dark armor with a dragon emblem on his let side. His ears were long and pointed and he had long, straight hair, similar to Vankari’s, that same strange burgundy color. As soon as the other beings took their shape he looked me directly in the eyes. I instantly noticed his eyes were the color of gold, shimmering gold. His skin was very pale, like a corpse. I couldn’t move off the ground when started walking towards me. For some reason, he seemed oddly attractive.

“Creoso, mellonamin” he said in a smooth voice. I couldn’t help but notice how muscular his body was when he stood over me. His voice was very smooth but deep.

“Lle lava?” I had no Idea what he was saying but Vankari seemed to have a pretty good idea. Vankari started shouting something to the creature over me.

“Amin delotha lle!”

“Lle tela?” he said back.

“You have no dealings with the girl”, Vankari said. “What does she have to do with you?”

I started to try and get up off the ground while they were arguing. The creature noticed I was trying to get up and stood right in front of me. As he bent down, I noticed his men had encircled around Mau and her horse. They all were wearing dark armor and seemed stoic. The creature bent down and put his hand to my ankle. Within seconds I felt like he healed it. He held his hand out to help me get up. “ No thanks, I can manage on my own”, I said trying to be nice as I could. As I got up he started to walk towards me. Vankari was just pushed to the side.

“Are you a human, a human girl?”

“Yes, I guess I am.”

“Lle quena i'lambe tel' Eldalie?

“ I’m sorry, I can’t really understand your language.”

“What is a wench like you doing in Athosia?”

As he spoke he started to walk closer and closer to me.

“Its intriguing to find a human in Athosia all alone.” He started to walk in circles around me, as if preying on me. “ Are you all alone in Athosia?” he said slyly.

“No, not really. I am with Vankari and Mau.”

“You seem really young. How old are you girl?”

“Does my age matter in this situation? I don’t even know you and my dad said not to talk to strangers!”

He stopped walking around me and looked at me. “You are pretty bold for a little girl.”

“I’m not a little girl, I’m 15 going on 16.”

“15! You really are young!”

I had just realized that I gave away my age so easily.

“I am Prince Lanak, and you are in my kingdom, so I doubt that I’m the stranger.”

“What exactly are trying to get at? Why are you asking me so many questions and why did you hunt Vankari and us down?”

For a moment there was complete silence all around as he stared at my face.

“What exactly are you, Lanak?”

“I’m a svartálfar prince, a descendant of the gods of old.”

His eyes seemed to twinkle as we made eye contact. He felt as though he was trying to read my thoughts, or my soul. “He must be wicked.” I thought to myself. He suddenly grabbed my arm.

“You’re going with me now.”

“What! You can’t just take me against my own will!”

“Really, I doubt you can stop me.”

At that he started dragging me with him to his black horse. “Get on!” he shouted. He dragged and pushed me on the horse and sat behind me, holding the reins around my waist.

“Mallen pelu e' n'alaquel en' sen!”

As soon as he said that his men surrounded Vankari. One of them grabbed Mau and tied her arms. She started to scream. They tied a cloth around her mouth to muffle it. Vankari tried to stop them from taking her but Lanak’s men beat him down. I felt Lanak reach for something near his belt. I looked back in time to see him aim and throw a dagger that pierced Vankari in the waist. Vankari instantly feel into the grass.

“Why are you kidnapping us?” I screamed. “What did you hurt Vankari?” Even though Mau was fighting, Lanak’s men somehow were able to drag her to a horse.

“Where are you taking us?”

I’m taking you to my magnificent palace”, He said in a sarcastic tone.

“You will be happy there as long as you obey me.”

“Why? I don’t even know you. I don’t even know how I got into your kingdom!”

“I can’t come to believe you came into my kingdom without a reason.”

“If it’s just me you want, why are you taking Mau?”

“Your precious Mau is just a pixie. Don’t concern yourself with her. Her fate is not in your hands. “Oh!” he said as if he just had a new idea. “Oh, and if you even think about leaving me I will kill her personally.”

“That's not fair! What does she have to do with anything?”

“I think its time for us to go now. We can talk about our future together when we go inside my palace”. At that the creature tied a cloth around my mouth so I couldn’t talk for the rest of the way. “Khila amin.” The moment he said that his men mounted their horses and we started to ride off. I looked back sorrowfully at Vankari who was still paralyzed on the forest floor.

Dreams of Efeshia: Chapter 6: The Chase

After waiting for about a half hour for Vankari to return, Mau sensed something wrong.

“It usually doesn’t take this long for Vankari to go hunting. He is very skilled and it should only take him a few minutes”, she said worriedly. I also became worried and hoped that he would come soon. Suddenly, there was a hard bang on the door.

“Should you answer that Mau?”

“Its me Vankari, let me in quickly”, said the voice from the door. Mau opened it and, to our relief, Vankari rushed inside.

“There coming, he’s coming”, Vankari panted. “Who’s coming?” I asked.

“We should leave now! If he finds you, he’ll never set you free.”

“Who are speaking of, Vankari?”

“I saw him and his soldiers in the distance, not far from here! He must have used magic to find you so quickly. We must go, NOW!”

“It’s not Azeroth, is it? Why would he be interested in her?” Mau asked him.

“No, not Azeroth, worse. It’s Lanak and he is determined to find what he is looking for.”

“Who is Lanak, and why would he want me?”

“There’s no time to explain, we must go to save your own fate.” Vankari rushed back outside and brought his other horse from the back shed. It was a beautiful black stallion. “ Efeshia, you’ll ride with me on my horse and Mau will ride on hers.” Vankari mounted on his horse and grabbed my arm for me to get behind him.

“I never went horseback riding before and I don’t know how to do it now!” I yelled.

“Efeshia you don’t have much of a choice, just get behind and hang on to me. You’ll be fine.”

Mau had no problem getting onto her horse. She rode with ease and was ready to go. I climbed onto Vankari’s horse and hung on tight. We galloped away instantly and rode into the direction of the sun. After a few minutes I could sense a sudden danger arise. I felt cold and sick inside, as if I was being vexed. I started to see black fog creeping up into the trees. A cold wind was blowing from behind us.

“He’s getting closer Efeshia. We may not make it.” The darkness crept even closer to us.

“Don’t look back!” Vankari Shouted. Vankari really shouldn’t have said that. I turned my head around to see the darkness, like smoke, following behind us. I could also here the pounding of hoofs galloping around us. I became terribly frightened. Suddenly, our horses stopped, as if stunned, and didn’t move a bit.

“What’s going on?” Mau said in a panicky voice.

“Get off the horse and start running, now!”

As soon as I jumped off the horse I felt sick to the stomach. My body began to ache and I was scared to death. I couldn’t run so fast.

“Vankari, Mau, go without me.”

Vankari turned around to grasp my hand.

“I can’t just leave you here, its you they want!”

“Lets go now!” Mau cried.

Vankari grabbed my arm and jerked me with him.

“We have no time to lose. We need to make it out of the forest while we still have time.”

We started running faster and faster, but the air became darker and darker.

Mau looked back to see us lingering behind. “I don’t think we’ll make it.”

As we ran I could hear strange noises, similar to those I heard before I came into this world.

They sounded as echoes surrounding the forest.

“Mereth en draugrim, Lasta lalaithamin.”

“Do your hear that? Where are those voices coming from?”

“Don’t look back Efeshia!”

We were getting tired of running and the darkness had already surrounded us.

“Lle holma ve' edan!” Voices were surrounding us as quickly as the darkness was. “I can’t run anymore, just leave me”! My body ached for no reason and my head was spinning; yet Vankari kept running. I could go anymore and before I knew it, I tripped and twisted my ankle.

“Get up, get up now!” Vankari shouted.

“Its too late.” Mau looked dead ahead at the forming shapes in the smoke.

“Amin sinta thaliolle e dagor.”

I could feel my heart racing as I looked forward. Vankari just stood there, right next to me. “What's going on?” I asked in fear. Vankari turned his head to look me in the eye.

“The beginning of the end”, he softly said.