Dirty Rotten Seizure

by Andrew Bardsley

  “OK, shall we try that again-” she asked, then stopped as writing appeared on the scroll.

  My dearest Salihn, please come home. We’re worried about you. Your loving mother.

  Salihn grabbed the scroll and reread it. She looked close to tears so I said, “I’ll give you some privacy to write to your mother.”

  She nodded at my offer and held my hand for a moment. I then left for my bedroom, where I read by myself into the night.

  Another week of studying and practicing magic went by. Salihn grabbed the scroll every so often; sometimes she was happy but at others she was as angry as she had been when battling the hordes in the darkness of the forest. I wondered if it was her father who was writing to her at those times, but didn’t ask.

  It was again early in the morning when I found her curled up on the couch, in the usual position she took when she was deep in thought. She was dressed in the clothing I was sure she went to bed in. I had to avert my gaze, as she was so vulnerable and I didn’t want to take advantage of the situation. Looking up, she smiled, then saw my hesitance and realized what she was wearing. This made her laugh and rush off into her bedroom. A few seconds later, she came back out covered with a robe.

  “I honestly forgot what I was wearing, “she said with a smile as I sat next to her. “Can I ask you something seriously, please?”

  “Of course.”

  “My mother has almost convinced me to go home. What do you think that I should do?” she asked earnestly.

  I looked into myself and thought about the last time I had seen my mother. It was so long ago that it was now a vague memory. With what had passed in the interim, it felt as if there was a great chasm between that time and now.

  With deep regret I said, “I’m not the one to ask that kind of question.”

  She saw that I was deeply hurting about something and put her arms around me. “Sorry if that brought up some bad memories for you. Do you want to talk about it?”

  “Maybe later, but not now. But I would give anything to visit my mother again.”

  She nodded, then asked, “Will you come with me when I go home?”

  “Of course. We still have a lot of studying to do. Remember - you promised,” I teased.

  She turned to face me and for the first time, she kissed me deeply. It seemed to last forever. Both blushing bright red, we parted and held each other for a while.

  “I need to tell you who I am,” she said with a frown.

  “Well, I think that I could make a guess,” I said with a smile.

  She took a deep breath and said, “Well, here it goes. I’m the youngest and most wayward daughter of the king and queen of the elven kingdom. I ran away from the royal court half a year ago and have been living in the depths of the forest, trying to build my own life. What do you think of that?”

  “I hope you don’t mind me asking – what’s the problem with your father?” I asked. “Every time you talk about him you seem angry.”

  “He’s so controlling over every aspect of my life. Never lets me do anything dangerous. My mother says that it’s because he cares so much for me. His little girl.

  “My goodness, he thinks I’m still a child who needs looking after under strict supervision all the time. I’m nearly an adult,” she said.

  “How old are you?” I asked curiously.

  She looked at me and said, “Age is different with elves and humans. I would be considered about eighteen years old if I was a human.”

  “That’s my age,” I said, smiling at the woman beside me.

  “Is that your age for a Valkin? How does it work for the Valkin - do you become an adult when you’re the equivalent of twenty-one in human terms?” she asked, excited that we might be the same.

  “Well, I’m not sure as I’m kind of new to this Valkin business, but that’s a story for another time,” I said. “So, your father considers you to still be a child?”

  She snorted and said, “Yes, he does, as he won’t let me do anything. It’s so unfair, as he lets my older sisters help him by dealing with the other kingdoms while I have to stay at home, all safe and sound.”

  With great wisdom for my age, I refrained from saying that it sounded like he wanted the best for her and just nodded in agreement.

  “When are we leaving to see your parents, then?” I asked.

  She sighed and looked around. “Well, I guess that there’s no time like the present. I’ll go and pack some clothes,” she said.

  As she jumped up I said, “I’ve got nothing to pack, so I’ll just wait here for you.”

  She turned back as she was just about to enter her room and said, “We need to do something about that on the way to the royal court. You can’t be looking like a vagabond when you meet my parents.”

  “I don’t want to look like a fancy elf either,” I muttered at her disappearing back.

  As she had disappeared, I sat in the lounge with my book of life, studying a spell. I waited for a while, so I guessed that ‘no time like the present’ meant a few hours later.

  I looked up when I heard Salihn’s door open. When she came out, I looked at her in shock. The first thing that hit me was the shining brightness of her golden-white hair. It was as if she was standing with the noonday sun behind her.

  Before she could say anything, I noticed she was looking nervous and quickly said, “You look wonderful with that hair color.”

  “That was a nice thing to say. You're so thoughtful,” she said.

  The dress she was wearing was another astonishing one. She looked amazing in it, but it was more formal than the other clothing she had. The material was thicker and glowed with magical symbols that flashed intermittently. I could feel the protective magical power of the garment, that seemed to be even stronger than her armor.

  “A gift from my father,” she said with a half-smile. “It’s like being your own armored castle with all its protection wards. I’m hoping that it will relax him to know that I’m wearing it.”

  “Well, you still look delightful in your impenetrable fortress, my lady!” I said with a bow.

  She stuck her tongue out at me, then smiled gently. She had a small bag at her waist which she patted and said, “Well, I’ve packed. Shall we go?”

  The End of Book 4

  Thank you for reading this book. If you liked it please leave a positive comment as it helps me to continue writing.

  Additional book by Andrew Bardsley

  The First Era: The History System Chronicles

  https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07LDZSH9Y/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0

  A man is transported to a new world, given magical power, and left to survive. He has a bit of help, from a mysterious system with a none helpful personality. This book contains LitRPG based element as part of the magical system in the world.

  Following is an extract from the Book:

  They were both standing on the platform by the palisade, looking across the plains. As the light began to fade both of them could see a group of creatures walking up the hill in a disorganized crowd. It was the goblins. There seemed to be no organization and even some fighting. When the crowd was about fifty meters from the palisade, one larger goblin started to shouting and hitting others, forming them up into rough ranks. Ahava felt a cold sweat on his brow, but Olga was giving off an air of excitement.

  The large goblin signaled to some goblins with drums. The drums started the beat. “Boom, Boom, Boom...”

  The sound of the drums continued. The goblins were dressed in fur rags, each with a spear with a stone head or clubs. Some of the goblins had blood smeared across their faces in horizontal patterns. The drum sound continued to intensify. At a signal from the leader, the goblins roared and charged forward.

  The battle had begun. The goblins ran, some using their hands like four legs. Soon they were at the ditch with the wooden spikes. Some of them tried to leap across the ditch but fell short and were impaled on the wooden stakes. Ahava could hear the cries of the wounded. Ot
hers slowly crawled down into the ditch, avoiding the stakes. Ahava and Olga had a supply of large stones, which they started to throw onto the goblins in the ditch. A lot of the rocks hit the goblins, crushing their heads and bodies. A number of goblins reached the palisade and started to climb up. Some of them were knocked off by the stones. Ahava and Olga ran out of stones to throw.

  Ahava used his spear to stab the goblins while they were climbing up the wooden wall. Olga was moving around in a type of dance, chopping with her ax at any goblins that came over the wall. The speed of the ax was a blur of movement. Ahava saw severed heads flying in all directions from the axes Olga was wielding. There were bits of goblin all around the platform. One goblin managed to bite Ahava on the arm. Ahava pulled out his knife and stabbed the goblin in the eye. It screamed and fell back into the ditch.

  The sheer numbers of the goblins were starting to overwhelm the two on the platform. At a prearranged signal from Olga, both of them withdrew. Navigating the route between small pit traps and through a hole in the thorn wall, they retreated toward the cliffs. Ahava blocked off the hole with thorns.

  Their backs were against a large bonfire. The goblins started to run across the area with the pit traps. Many of the first ones fell into the traps and were skewered on the wooden spikes. The followers managed to avoid the pits. The goblins were now pressing against the barrier of thorns. Ahava and Olga started to throw burning wood at the goblins. This set some of the dry material that had been placed before the thorns alight. Some of the goblins burned from the fire. To Ahava’s amazement, the goblins started to climb over the thorn bushes. They seemed to be in such a rage to get at Ahava and Olga that it did not matter the pain they were in.

  Olga had ordered Ahava to not get in her way if the goblins got to the open area past the thorns. He was told to only kill any that were on the edges. As some of the goblins finished climbing over the thorn bushes, Olga attacked with her ax. To watch this was like seeing a beautiful dance, full of grace and power. Heads and pieces of the goblin's bodies went flying everywhere. Ahava used his spear to stab any goblins that tried to make a getaway from Olga’s dance of death. Soon there were no goblins left except the large one, who was the leader. He had been pushing his goblins forward with kicks and punches.

  The City god: The History System Chronicles

  https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07PT716FY/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i1

  Second Book in the 'The History System Chronicles'

  This book contains LitRPG based element as part of the magical system in the world.

  Following is an extract from the Book:

  Namzu spoke urgently to the now awoken group of adventurers putting on their armor, “We’ll have to defend the cave from mountain trolls and cyclops, Istar and Etel-Pisha, go now and harass the oncoming enemy while we prepare for the attack. Hurry, you need to buy us enough time to clear the ground for our stand.”

  Istar indicated to Etel-Pisha to follow her to attack the column of monsters, before they reached the cave. They both ran for about ten minutes in the bright moon light, until they could hear the movement of the trolls and cyclops, moving along the path towards the cave. The two took up sheltered positions amongst different outcrops of rock, as soon as the first troll appeared Istar started to shoot her arrows. The first arrow flashed across the intervening distance like a bolt of light, shrieking and then thudding with the impact into the troll's chest, and out the other side. For a few seconds the large troll kept moving, as if nothing had happened, then it fell face first into the road. The troll behind it roared in anger, as moved it forward with no thought for protection. Now Etel-Pisha shot out fireballs, lighting up the area and revealing his position. The fireballs and arrows were hitting the trolls, causing damage as the trolls found themselves alight or with bloody gaping holes from where the arrow had hit. The onslaught of trolls caused the two adventures to retreat, as they could not kill enough to hold their position. Istar and Etel-Pisha ran until they could find another position to attack the oncoming column from. The process of attacking from positions along the trail continued until the two found themselves back the caves entrance. The trolls kept using the same tactic of charging at every attack, ignoring the casualties this caused in their rage. Istar had commented to Etel-Pisha that they were determined but not very bright. The slower cyclops were always behind at the back of the column, and so were not attacked by the arrows and fireball.

  The harrying had brought the required time and as they reached the cave mouth, the rest of the adventurers had formed a shield wall with a killing ground in front of it. Each of the shield men had a bundle of spears taken from the dragon's horde. As the trolls started to charge into the killing ground Namzu ordered the three shield men and one shield minotaur, to throw all at once.

  Co-ordinated, as if through years of long practice, each of them released the spears as one. The four-spears flew across the distance hitting the first four mountain trolls. Each spear impaled a troll and then rammed into the ground behind them keeping the troll bodies standing like grotesque marionettes. The process was repeated again and again as the remaining trolls charged forward. Soon the adventures could see the cyclops at the back moving towards the front. All of them stood taller than Asterion by several feet. On the side of the shield wall, Istar shot off arrows at the cyclops heads to take out their single eyes. Several cyclops were hit in the face, and the arrow ends protruded out of their cheeks, as the tough bone had prevented them entering the skull. Soon the cyclops were in range of the spear throwers, and as the spears hit their bodies, they pierced but did not stop them coming. The first slow-moving cyclops eventually reached the shield wall, spears sticking out of its body with arrows peppering its face. Using its massive club that looked to be a whole tree, the cyclops swept and crashed against Nasha’s shield. If the shield had not been strengthened and Nasha was not stronger, then he would have been thrown backwards from the strike into the cave wall. Gritting his teeth and strengthening his grip, he was able to hold his position, moving back less than a foot in total.

  The Unknown god: The Dark Part of the Soul

  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07S7YJYCM

  William faces death by execution for a murder he swears he did not commit, while Michael meets his end at the hands of a gang rival in a knife fight. Jane wins her latest legal battle but loses her life in the moments after, as the convicted murderer chokes her to death on the courtroom floor. And Evon? She wants to replace her rival for the affections of a crime boss but feels the sharp pain of death instead.

  Now these four, departed from the world of men, find themselves at a climactic crossroads in a world that is stranger than any fiction, inhabited by armies of orcs and fire-breathing dragons; a world that is ruled by four Gods for their own pleasures.

  But a new God is coming. And this one is intent on restoring the balance to the world and replacing the chaos with order. How will four travellers fare in a land that is beyond death and which holds terrors like nothing they have experienced before?

  Into the Ether: The Ether World Series

  https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07MQC26LX/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i2

  Chris Smith, a brilliant researcher, is the first person to discover an entirely new branch of magic inscriptions. The four elemental pillars have been used since mankind learned to scribe, but the world is about to change with the realization that space-time can also be affected.

  Chris is ready to lead the charge in making the new world, operating out of a magical start-up with his closest friend. His ideas will be just the beginning. However, when Chris is betrayed, his life is sent spinning in a chaotic downward spiral, leaving him with nothing but his wits.

  Engaging and fast-paced ‘Into the Ether’ spins a story of magic, intrigue, and determination.

  Following is an Extract from the book:

  Chris delayed a few moments longer until he heard the sound of a group of charging footsteps. As Chris looked back, he saw about
seven men from the Panther gang running towards the other thugs. The lead fighter of the Panther gang stopped at about two meters distance away from the five thugs and made a sudden movement with his gloved hand. Out of his hand, a bolt of electricity shot out and hit one of the five. The bolt at first, fizzed over some protective clothing without effect and then the thug who was the target started to spasm in pain. The man finally collapsed onto the ground, and the electricity stopped, as the gloved Panther made another hand gesture. With one down the four thugs were attacked using stun rods, two of the thugs that were left activated the inscriptions on their clothing to flare with the absorption of power but were eventually taken down by the sheer overwhelming force of all seven Panthers. All of the Panthers were well armed and protected by magical devices that glowed with use.

  The conflict between the criminal gangs, was quickly over and the leader of the Panthers pulled out a farseeing device for instruction on what to do with the other gang members. Soon a magical hovering platform arrived, and the rival gang members were loaded on to it. A large sheet was then used to cover them as they were taken away.

  The Inscribed Angle: The Ether World Series

  https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07NHBP8TR/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i3

  This is an extract from the book:

  Ross whispered to Freya roughly, “Time for us, well me at least, to start earning the money. I know that Jack has gone through this briefing already but I’m going to repeat it once. Only hit the targets that are indicated in your farseeing goggles, those are connected to the combat net with the plan uploaded into them. It is most important that you limit the effects to the designated areas, as if you injure or kill any of our people it will not go well. I’ll be keeping an eye on you to make sure nothing goes wrong. If you just do what is in the command net, everything will be okay. Got it rookie?”