#73 A Rat For The People + Short Diversions: A Demon Amongst Spiritualists

Happy Blog Day Everyone!

Today is a Short Diversions day, as we take a walk over to my Daemon Soul stories. Sadly there is a bit of bad news sandwiched between the brand new Comic Tales of Brennan and Riz and that aforementioned short story, but we'll deal with that there. 

For now, let's see what Riz is doing...oh no...

The Comic Tales of Brennan and Riz

Given what's happening in the UK at the moment, I couldn't resist including one of Riz’s other, less disgusting desires. Though someone should probably tell him that people vote for MPs rather outright prime ministers.

Art wise I'm still trying to get folded arms down, and I'm still failing judging by Brennan in that first panel. Trial and error, just trial and error.

Update Addendum

Last week I mentioned that I had submitted (again) for the steampunk edition of the latest Harvey Duckman Presents anthology. Well, after a short couple of days wait...I failed.

It was an answer I was kind of expecting but hit hard all the same (must be something about this time of year as I'm sure I spoke about rejection at a similar point a year ago!).

They do say as one door closes another opens, and I have had inspiration struck about a new one but if I'll get chance to mine it for 3k words before deadline on this coming Friday (or even if I should) is something that remains to be seen. In the meantime however, I'll post up my submission on this blog soon so you can decide for yourself if it had potential. Watch this space.

Short Diversions: A Demon Amongst Spiritualists

Today's Short Diversions is another entry into my Daemon Soul stories, or if you prefer the antagonist, the Gabrielverse. 

Please enjoy!

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A Demon Amongst Spiritualists

13th October 1874

     Rain beat down on the gloomy London streets. Those foolish enough to be out in it made quick their visits.

     For the members of the Oracle Spiritualist Society, it was the best weather they could have asked for. Not content with what they dubbed as cheap party tricks from their contemporaries, they sought to prove once and for all, with ironclad proof, the spirit world, was real. To this aim, they performed all the research they could, read all the esoteric texts and communed with those that claimed to be readily in touch with the dearly departed.

     Time and time again, they were let down, but still, they persevered, using their dream as strength to carry on. Then, he turned up. He promised them that they could achieve their dream, that all of London, nay, the world, would know their name. Having made little headway elsewhere, his deal was readily seized upon, and preparations began.

     All of it culminated in this fateful night. Few paid attention to the small gathering of eccentrics, and those that did noticed the smiling man amidst the more nervous individuals. It was this smiling man who emerged alone a few hours later, once the rain had subsided, and left without leaving a trace.

     It wouldn't be till the next morning that the poor Oracle Spiritualist Society was found, yet the horror was only about to begin.

20th October 1874

     A thick fog covered London town, only the street lamps offering a hazy light for guidance. For the figure darting across the cobblestone rooftops, they didn't need it. Their appearance was obscured by a cloak that blew behind them as they carried on their path, a sword in their right hand. Despite their unnatural speed every footstep went unnoticed by the people below. They crouched as they neared the end of the row of houses. Ahead, was a vacant house. A sinister presence permeated the fog, giving the building an aura of malice. The figure atop the roofs, hopped down with all the grace of a cat and, unobstructed, walked slowly till the vacant house loomed large in front of them. Understandably, there was no one around, the strange matter regarding the houses abandonment, coupled with the murders of the past few days, had seen to that. The strange figure was undeterred and walked up to the structure that would have been more impressive in better circumstances. A mounted plaque was still in place on the door that swung slightly open. The figure ran a finger over it, reading what was written:

     ‘Oracle Spiritualist Society’.

     The fog seemed to swell as the figure stood on the threshold, blocking off any potential retreat if they so wished to take it. In response, the figure simply shut the door as they disappeared inside.

     The atmosphere inside was no different to the outside, with the pitch darkness replacing the oppressive fog. The figure was in the main foray, but their goal didn't lie here, and probed the doors that came off from this room carefully. After a few moments, they ventured into the dining room, the site of many of the group's seances. The figure pulled their hood down, revealing the face of a young Japanese woman, a streak of blue hair and emerald eyes marked her as different.

     “I know you are here…” she said aloud, wanting her statement to echo around the empty property. “My name is Serena, and I have come to kill you. Show yourself so we can end this matter!”

     Silence greeted her.

     Then came the first thud from above. Then the second, and third. Serena followed them back into the foray where the large staircase was. The thuds were now at the landing directly above her and Serena tightened her grip on the sword that she held at the ready. 

     A steady rhythm of thuds began on the descending steps. The stairs themselves were an L shape with a bend turning to the right. It was these steps her target was coming down and with each noise the tension grew tighter till she saw movement. She darted forward, not wanting to give her opponent any chance but it was only before she thrust her blade in did she realise that the object that had been making the noise wasn't her prey, but the badly mauled corpse, it's remaining eye barely hanging in the socket. How long dead the body was, Serena couldn't tell, but clearly it hadn’t propelled itself down the stairs. Carefully, she took a step back, the silence that had settled once more seemed heavier, like it was refusing to offer the blue haired woman any respite.

     Crash! The ceiling above Serena gave way in a downpour of broken timber that threatened to bring down more of the first floor. Not needing time for the dust to settle, Serena brandished her sword in a defensive posture. Four red eyes shone brightly from the dust as a form took shape.

     “There you are, demon,” Serena muttered, her eyes locking with that of the foul monster in front of her. With nothing obscuring anymore, the beast stepped forward. It resembled a lion in body structure but was several degrees bigger. Instead of a mane of fur, it had a mane of quills that appeared razor sharp. It's overall colour was a dark purple.

     “I've been expecting you. He said you'd come to claim my head,” the demon said with a purr. He raised a paw as twisted claws emerged.

     “Did he? And where is he now?” Serena asked, she'd seen too many demons to be intimidated by this one.

     “He left, wanting me to give you a message.”

     “And what is that message? What did Gabriel want you to tell me?” Serena controlled her breathing, knowing full well what was fated to happen.

     “He asked you to come and find him…Should you survive...” That seemed to be the signal as the fight started in earnest.

     In the beginning, the combatants stuck to little moves, trying to gain an advantageous position. Blade did meet claw but only as they passed each other. Both knew that at this stage, gaining information about the other was paramount, wanting to test defences and see what they were capable of. 

     For Serena, this meant working out what type of demon she was dealing with. The way it poised itself, its manner of speaking, none of it was pointing towards a low level monster, far from it. Sensing her concern, the demon spoke up again, as it prowled around her:

     “He made me, using their hopes, their fear of death…My first sight was their drained corpses stuck to the ceiling. Every essence they contained, now within me. He gave me my name and then another.”

     The demon remained calm, not letting any emotion rise to the surface.

     “And those names?” Serena asked in return.

     “Leo Nemeaeus…The other, he called me Primal…” With that, Leo growled furiously and Serena knew what kind of monster she was now facing.

     “A primal…He created a demon of that power…Why? Was your only goal to kill me?” Serena demanded.

     “It was not in my nature to ask him that, I only hunger, as I do now, and the only food before me, is you.” Leo bounded at her, claws at the ready. As he made contact with Serena, she rolled onto her back, using her legs to launch him through one of the walls, sending him into the dinning room where he smashed through the table that had once been used in futile attempts to talk to the dead. Back on her feet quickly, she followed the demon, to continue the fight, but finding no opening to take advantage of. Every thrust she made, every strike, was countered by claw, or the spikes of the demon’s ruff.

     “Is this all you have?” Leo roared at the top of his voice, causing the weakened structure to shake. The spikes that formed his mane picked up, all of them pointing at Serena before being launched at her in a blitz of projectiles. Using her sword, she batted away the ones that got too close, while using her agility to evade the others, but it was merely a distraction as the demon followed up the last spike, lunging at his opponent, knocking the sword from her grasp and trying to pin her to the ground. 

     As she struggled, he unhinged his jaw, making it large enough to take her head and most of her torso in one bite, but he was unable to deliver the killing blow, as Serena used all of her strength to lift the demon off her, before throwing him backwards, breaking more of the furniture. Leo snarled in rage as his jaw fixed itself, his mane regrowing the spines quickly. Serena was free again though, and knew that she had to get her sword back, the other thing she realised that if this fight persisted, she would quickly be at a disadvantage. Serena could use their anger against them till they wore themselves out, that wouldn’t happen to a Primal type demon. Instead, she was more likely to get worn out, not to say anything of others getting drawn into the conflict. With the noise they were making, she knew it was only a matter of time before people from Avalon got involved, a disaster waiting to happen. 

     This didn’t leave her with a lot of options, and those that she could do, she needed her sword for. Leo wasn’t giving her the chance to get it, as he barreled into her, using his bulk to knock her down with the force of a charging rhino. Serena landed with a thud but she rebounded, landing on her feet. This allowed her to narrowly miss another charge, this time was more crucial as the demon had his claws extended, wanting to skewer her. Now, the sword was in sight, but she had to get around the demon, who was gearing up for yet another attempt on her life. 

     Serena faced him down, and waited till he was close enough to see the veins popping out of his flesh. She went to leap over him, using his head as a leverage point. The demon skidded into a turn, wanting to catch her before she landed, unleashing another barrage of spikes. A few of them found their mark, sticking into her side, but she was undeterred, and what’s more, she had her sword back.

     “You should be proud that a human like yourself is making me work for my meal,” the demon said, a little bit of calm returning to its voice.

     “Human? Did your master not inform you about who you were supposed to kill? I am not a human,” Serena replied. With her free hand, she pulled out the spikes, letting them fall to the floor.

     “If you’re not human…”

     “I am a Daemon Soul. The being that will kill you, and all of your kind. Let us end this fight.” Serena pointed the tip of her sword at the demon, as she became enveloped by a blue aura…. 

     Outside the house, a young boy, no more than seven years old, had inched closer to the house. His rough sleeping had been woken by the howls and crashes coming from the building. All his instincts were telling him to run, to leave the area and never return, but his curiosity dragged him ever nearer. He only retreated when he heard a final, blood quenching roar, sounding like a beast’s last outburst, and the house, which had been swaying slightly, finally gave way. The child waited till it looked like everything had settled, before venturing closer again. He didn’t know if it was the dust, but his vision was hazy, as he saw a figure emerge from the ruins. They were swathed in a strange blue light, pulling what looked like a sword free. The child could make out no discerning features, and he blinked, the figure completely disappearing from view. The child turned with shock though as someone put a hand on his shoulder from behind.

     “We mean you now harm. Did you see what happened here?” It was an older man, but his features were hidden behind a light grey high hood and a tri corner hat. He was flanked by two others who were dressed the same. There was a symbol on the cloaks though, of a sword in front of a shield.

     The child nodded in response, not being able to summon enough words to give an answer verbally. The man in charge pointed to the ruins, and the other two went over, rummaging through.

     “Sir! I found the demon!” One shouted after a moment, he withdrew a pistol from inside the cloak, pointing at a hazy mass that was safely out of the child’s perception.

     “Dead?” the leader asked.

     “Recently, it’s only started to dissolve now…” the one with the gun put it away as quickly as he withdrew it.

     “So, she did beat us to it. Did you see a woman by chance?” the leader asked the child.

     “I d-don’t know…I couldn’t see them properly, mister.” the child replied.

     “But you did see someone? Do you have a name?” 

     “My name is Charlie… Charlie Blake, sir.”

     “We are from an organisation called Avalon, we exist to keep this country safe from monsters that wish to do us harm. Would you like to come with us?”

     Charlie certainly couldn’t think of a reason not too, and once the men from Avalon had gathered what they needed, they all departed.

     Serena had stood observing them from a high vantage point, she was tired, but not as bad as the last time she’d fought like that. She’d put the demon to death as was her duty, but what she’d really wanted was to have faced Gabriel once more, and finally deliver the justice that he rightly deserved. Yet again, the Demon Merchant had escaped, leaving nothing but a trail of bodies in his wake. Silently, she lifted her hood up. There was still much work to do…

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Charlie Blake...Wonder if he's related to Isabelle Blake (daft question, that's her great granddad!)

That's it for now.

Till next time,

Keep on writing!

Peter James Martin 

Quick Links

The Strange Tales of Brennan and Riz Volume 1

The Strange Tales of Brennan and Riz Book 1: A Boy and A Rat

The Strange Tales of Brennan and Riz Volume 2

Malarkey's Imaginomnibus Volume 1

Malarkey's Imaginomnibus Fade to Noir

Malarkey's Imaginomnibus Hubble Bubble

#72 Riz’s Odd Hobbies 1 + Update

Happy Blog Day Everyone!

Today won't be a long one, but I've got a few updates to go through (sadly, not that update as I've yer to nail down a proper meeting date, which is annoying me) but things are moving in the right direction at least!

Before that however, let's check in on the Comic Tales of Brennan and Riz! After all, eagle eyed readers might have noticed the title of the blog today...

The Comic Tales of Brennan and Riz

I couldn't resist doing one of these. I'll put my hands up, this is purely an excuse to put Riz in different outfits and find new ways to dunk on poor Brennan. Like the cartoon one from a few weeks ago, there is going to be more of these.

All I have to do is research more costumes for Riz to wear!

If you have any ideas, don't hesitate to let me know in the comments.

Update

Oh how I wish I was using this space to report that the long awaited republishing of Brennan and Riz had taken place, but sadly that is not the case. You'll have to put up with me talking about my writing instead.

The Madness on the Tides

This story is actually coming on quite well, considering its past. I dropped a bomb early on (you'll see when reading it, and its the reason this will be the last story in Volume 3) and I was in two minds about how it played out versus using it as a stinger for whatever stories came next. Ultimately, I settled on the current path as the information needed to come out when it did. Will this be the right choice? Guess I'll find out when you lot are reading it!

Avalon Tales Chapter 3

Amazingly, this is almost finished! I know, I'm shocked as well. I think it helps that this is a straight forward chapter that leads into chapter 4, will that one be as easy? Probably not. Checking my notes, chapter 5 should be easy as I may be able to reuse some old content (with tweaks). Wish I had been this productive earlier this year.

Malarkey's Story 4

Not quite ready to announce the title here but its coming along nicely. I've found a suitable location for the bulk of the story to take place, and it even has ties to other Brennan and Riz stories (one of which is currently abandoned, but it still counts!).

Harvey Duckman Steampunk

Technically I wrote this last year, but what the hell... Given all the chaos surrounding Harvey Duckman as of late, the dust has settled and the Steampunk edition has re-emerged, all the stronger. To this end, I've resubmitted my only Steampunk tale (read about my trials with that here and here). What happened to my original submission? Who knows. I'll probably need to resubmit my post-apocalyptic story as well (which was a Phantom Dawn short).

Will the story make the cut? Probably not, I'm not sure it made the cut last time! Still have to try right?

And now for something completely different...

Normally,  when I do a #vss365 piece, I have to edit it an awful lot to make it fit into the tweet (Yes, I'm aware I can pay to get more space and the edit feature. No, I'm not giving Musk any money or rewarding him for what he's done with the platform). Of course some don't require any editing, like this one from Monday (20/05/24 for folks living in the future!):

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"Ya eva wondered y ya ave ta salute a single #magpie?" Riz asked as he saw me do the act.

"Why's that then?"

"Cuz dey're propa bastards, one tried ta mug me da otha day."

"A magpie tried to mug you?"

"He tried takin da gold watch I'd liberated!"

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The prompt this time was Magpie, which was a fun little word, but really, there was more to the story...Check out this version:

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"Ya eva wondered y ya ave ta salute a single magpie?" Riz asked as he saw me do the act.

"Why's that then?"

"Cuz dey're propa bastards, one tried ta mug me da otha day."

"A magpie tried to mug you?"

"He tried takin da gold watch I'd liberated!"

"Liberated? From who? Was that when I was in the opticians?"

"All ya need ta know waz I saved it from a twat who didn't respect it, nd dat no one waz seriously hurt. I mean, a ickle blood but not mine."

"RIZ WHERE DID THAT WATCH COME FROM?" I yelled.

Riz was thinking about an answer when the sound of a magpie distracted both of us. There was two black and white birds staring down from a tree, their beady eyes focused on Riz.

"Erm...help!" the rat pleaded as the birds dived at him. Riz darted from the bench and started running as the birds attacked him. I could only put it down to an extension of whatever happened the other day. A thought occurred so I ran with it.

"You stole it from the magpie didn't you!"

"Does dat matta now?"

"Answer the question!"

"Fukin...Fine! Yes! I stole it from a magpie! It waz neva gunna respect it! Now 're ya gunna help me!"

"Why would I? One for sorrow, two for joy. I'm getting a lot of joy watching you getting chased for being a prat!"

End.

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Sometimes, Brennan is allowed to get his own back.

That's all for now, possibly a new Short Diversions for next week, but we'll see how time shakes down as it's also half term...

Till next time,

Keep on writing!

Peter James Martin

Quick Links

The Strange Tales of Brennan and Riz Volume 1

The Strange Tales of Brennan and Riz Book 1: A Boy and A Rat

The Strange Tales of Brennan and Riz Volume 2

Malarkey's Imaginomnibus Volume 1

Malarkey's Imaginomnibus Fade to Noir

Malarkey's Imaginomnibus Hubble Bubble

#71 Probably Too Strong + Short Diversions: Abyssal Gaze

Happy Blog Day Everyone!

We have a new face in Short Diversions...Well, technically, she isn't new per say, but this is her first Short story appearance on the blog, along with a very special guest. Before we get onto that though, time to check in with the Comic Tales of Brennan and Riz!

The Comic Tales of Brennan and Riz

I don't know quite what Riz is putting into that coffee but I'm pretty sure he shouldn't be putting that much in. Guess he won't be told though. Hope he's paying for it!

Short Diversions: Abyssal Gaze

Today's story comes to us from the Phantom Dawn stories, where Rose wanders the post apocalyptic wastes in search of herself, but maybe there's someone out there with answers...

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Abyssal Gaze

     Rose stood tentatively on the edge. Kurz hadn't even had chance to tie the emergency rope around her yet.

     “What the hell you doing!” He yelled angrily. “If I can't stop you from going down there, at least let me make sure we can haul you back up!”

     “Oh, sorry,” Rose replied, a little absentmindedly. She stepped away from the precipice, though she didn't break her gaze with it.

     It had been someone in the last town they'd visited who pointed out the mysterious fissure in the earth, where the planets skin had been rent in whatever process caused the world to turn inside out. This someone told fanciful tales of people who ventured into this hole, coming away with vast secrets, though what happened to them afterwards was a bit vague. Neal, ever the wise leader of the group advised against the excursion, but relented quickly as Rose continued in her push for answers. Both Mason and Kurz stepped forward to accompany her down but their requests were dejected.

     This is what led to the current situation.

     “You have any problem, any problem at all, tug on the rope and we'll get you back up,” Kurz sighed.

     “Thanks,” Rose smiled. “I'll call for help if I need it.” She walked back to the edge, staring down into the swirling void. She hesitated to say it was pitch blackness, on effect, it looked like there was a void of all known colours.

     “Are you going to climb down or…?” Mason asked without thinking.

     “What else would she do?” Kurz questioner, the pair hadn't realised that Rose, had already jumped headfirst. It took them a few seconds to recognise the sound of the rapidly dwindling rope, causing them to fall over themselves in an attempt to secure it. The men looked at each other and then both turned their heads to the abyss where Rose had disappeared, concern written on their faces.

           For Rose, time became meaningless. She didn't know how long she twisted alone in that strange space. While she had dived in head first, she now found herself floating right side up. The rope hung limp around her waist, but she certainly didn’t want to leave this place just yet. She knew that there were answers to be found here. From above her, or was it below her? There came a pale light that she recognised. It started off small before getting slowly larger, and larger till it dwarfed her completely. Looking at the swirling mass of hatred and malice, Rose perfectly identified it.

     “The Phantom Dawn.. “ Rose quickly looked around, to see if It was really possible that she'd ended up in the sky somehow, despite her blind leap into the depths of the world. However, there was nothing else around, no storming clouds, no surface to speak of.

     “Were you expecting some grand vision? Your old memories returning with a song?” A male voice called out. Rose's blood ran cold. While she didn’t recognise the voice, something deep within her told her to fear this voice, to fear whatever person was about to appear before her. 

     “Who…Who are you?” She called out, getting only a laugh in response at first.

     “You don't call, you don't write, you don't visit? What else am I to do but stage an intervention.” The Phantom Dawn simmered and a man emerged from it, brown hair and crystal blue eyes. His attire marked him out as different from anyone else that Rose had met, and there was a wicked smile on his face. From Rose's perspective, he was floating the wrong way round, but showed no sign of discomfort with it.

     “I’ll ask again, who are you?” Rose tried to increase the distance between them but found herself unable to move, not even her rope was giving any movement.

     “Didn’t Void or the twins tell you my name? Did you not ask who their master was? I’m deeply hurt by this. Suppose it’s to be expected given the state of your memories. My name is Gabriel. By the way, aren't you bothered that you're upside down?” Gabriel said, gesturing. Rose's perspective shifted almost immediately, putting her the wrong way round again. She contorted herself into the right position, once more, staring into Gabriel’s smirking face..

     “I know you?” 

     “You did, in fact, we were in the middle of a riveting conversation the moment before you ended up here. You’d left your cousins for dead and had even managed to keep Void at bay. It was an impressive sight for sure,” Gabriel’s eyes seemed to be scanning Rose, her every reaction and hesitant breaths.

     “Who am I then? If we were talking, you should have all the answers I want.” Part of Rose wanted to jump for joy, this Gabriel offered her a once in a lifetime chance, answers to everything. However, this was tempered by the strange sensation that overtook her, one of revulsion.

     “Would you like me to tell you your real name? Not the fake one you’ve been running around with?” Gabriel started drifting closer to her.

     “No,” Rose’s words came out by themselves like a self defence system. Her eyes betrayed the shock she felt, but Gabriel wasn’t bothered with the negative response.

     “Oh really? So, I take it you don’t want me to tell you about your family. Your mother, your father? Or even, your twin brother?” 

     “My brother?” Rose broke down, her heart pounding with the revelation.

     “You had a loving family, till, well, you know. Hey, I’ve got a idea. Why don’t you come with me, and I can reveal every little secret locked up in your head. I can tell you who you were before. Wouldn’t that be nice?” Gabriel held out his hand towards Rose. “Family is supposed to help each other isn’t it?” 

     “You sent those monsters after me didn’t you…” Rose muttered, again, trying to put more distance between them.

      “Monsters? Oh! Void and the twins! Yes, I sent them to retrieve you. I knew you would be out here, in this world, all alone.”

     “And all those people they killed?”

     “I have to let them have their fun. It keeps them in line. You want to stop them, join me and I’ll let you deal with them.”

     “No!” Rose recoiled, again that dissenting voice getting stronger, pushing the feeling that Rose would want nothing to do with the man.

     “You can’t even think of a reason to say no can you? Have I given you a reason to distrust me? Think of what I can give you…”

     The surroundings turned into a tempest, howling winds and a suffocating atmosphere fell on Rose.

     “All you have to do is say yes, and I can help you, in so many ways…” Gabriel was only an inch away from her now.

     Rose didn’t know the point where she had tugged on the rope with everything she had. She was dragged away from Gabriel. With one breath, he was there still offering all the help she could want. 

     “Rose!” Kurz shouted, and everything went black.

     In his dark dimension, Gabriel sat on his dark throne, smirking all the same.

     “Did it go well then?” Void asked as he slithered forward. “Would you really have told her everything?” 

     “Void, I would say it went splendidly. As for your second question. I would have told her what I needed her to know. It wouldn’t have changed the crushing truth she would have to face.”

     “Then why not grab her while she was within your grasp?” 

     “And succeed where you failed? I move like that and everything will fall apart. I’ve come too far to let things fall now. Things will be all the more interesting now I believe…” Gabriel started laughing. 

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That's it for this week!

Till next time,

Keep on writing!

Peter James Martin

Quick Links

The Strange Tales of Brennan and Riz Volume 1

The Strange Tales of Brennan and Riz Book 1: A Boy and A Rat

The Strange Tales of Brennan and Riz Volume 2

Malarkey's Imaginomnibus Volume 1

Malarkey's Imaginomnibus Fade to Noir

Malarkey's Imaginomnibus Hubble Bubble

#70 You Were Warned

Happy Blog Day Everyone!

Apologies to everyone if my writing isn't aa great today or if I speak more crap than usual as I'm still reeling from the Flu I caught last week and it has sapped me.

Still, it's time to review my writing in April but before that, lets get to the brand new Comic Tales of Brennan and Riz!

Comic Tales of Brennan and Riz

As said above, I'm pretty much feeling the after effects of the Flu (I really wish thus cough would dissappear) so while I probably should have postponed this week's issue (a first since it started) I instead went fir a simpler idea that I knew I could do, and here it is.

Not the best, but then again, don't think it's the worst either.

April Report

April...what a month. I think I actually managed to get more writing done this month, including finishing off Chapter 2 of Avalon Tales (only 2 months late!). Chapter 3 was duly started but is about a page in. However, due to the change in my deal with the publisher (I.e. I'm self publishing now) I have started work on the last Brennan and Riz short story I need for the long awaited Volume 3. I'm about to finish the 'beginning' phrase of the story, and had I not been ill last week, I would like to think I would be further ahead if I wasn't ill.

So while nothing major was finished, how about the short stories on the blog?

We had:

Lives in the Storm

A Cold Voice

Technically these weren't new as I'd written them before, but I did go through them again to spruce some things up.

I also got a lot of vss writes and poetry done, some very good poetry (apparently).

Would anyone be interested in a poetry book?

Maybe something to ponder for the future.

Another thing I need to ponder though, is a short story idea for a brand new anthology...The question of what to write is always a tricky one, especially with so many characters demanding attention!

We'll leave it there for this week.

Join me next week were hopefully I'm completely Flu free.

Till then,

Keep on writing!

Peter James Martin

Quick Links

The Strange Tales of Brennan and Riz Volume 1

The Strange Tales of Brennan and Riz Book 1: A Boy and A Rat

The Strange Tales of Brennan and Riz Volume 2

Malarkey's Imaginomnibus Volume 1

Malarkey's Imaginomnibus Fade to Noir

Malarkey's Imaginomnibus Hubble Bubble

#69 In Case of Emergency + Short Diversions: A Cold Voice

Happy Blog Day Everyone!

Following on from last week's festivities we have a new short Diversions for you all to enjoy! 

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What's that? It's the first of the month and the time I do a round up of the writing of the month before?

Sshhh! Don't say that part outloud!

Ahem, last week's 100th post blow out put out the schedule a little bit but we'll get there...

Before any short story, you'll have to deal with a brand new Comic Tales of Brennan and Riz!

Comic Tales of Brennan and Riz 

I enjoyed writing/drawing this one, though it didn't really undergo any revisions from the initial idea, though the song Riz is rocking away to was chosen for a reason (an obvious one at that!).

Short Diversions: A Cold Voice

Today's story is another Avalon Tales Short, but it's primarily focusing on Isabelle, a bit later into her career. This was written a whole ago with the intent of submission, but I shelved it because I didn't think it worked as a stand alone. Readers of this blog will probably get context more.

Without further ado...

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A Cold Voice

“Tell me what’s going on, Robyn,” Isabelle shouted into her mouth piece. She pressed her back against the wall, and started to control her breathing till it slowed. Her hand hovered over the hilt of her sword that was locked in its sheath, an icy chill permeating it. 

No, not now! Isabelle forced her hand back against the wall, she peered round the corner and saw the marching shadows that indicated that the enemies were moving in.

“Izzy! Looks like there’s been some reinforcements that the intel didn’t mention. I’m working my way along the roof to get to your position. I’ve lost sight of Bravo unit,” Robyn replied, her voice crackling as the transmission started to break up.

“Negative, keep your position! There’s about twenty threats in my vicinity, it’s too dangerous. I’ll make my way to you so we can regroup! Robyn, do you copy me!” Isabelle practically screamed into the headset, but there was no signal. She had no way of knowing if the message had gotten through. She could now see the shadows on the far wall, without needing to turn around, and heard their feet hitting down in unison. Pulling a small pistol from its holster on her side, Isabelle knew it wouldn’t be enough to put down the enemies that were closing in on her, but it would give her an opening. Counting down from ten, Isabelle braced herself for the frenetic activity that was about to explode.

Waiting for the last possible moment, Isabelle fired point blank into the head of the first enemy that came round the corner. She wasn’t fazed by the appearance of the dishevelled creature that fell to the ground, its rotten head burst apart by the shot. It had been wearing a tattered military uniform, not too dissimilar to the one Isabelle was wearing. There had been five other creatures like this in the group, all wearing different attires, and all of them turned to her, each one was carrying assault rifles that had been taken from elsewhere, some of them with the original owner’s hands still attached. A flurry of movement kept Isabelle safe from the spread of bullets, and with careful aiming, she took another three down in the same manner as the first, the other two took themselves out as she darted between them. A glance back confirmed her fears as the bodies were still stirring, the headless corpses being little more than puppets for the demonic parasites that were hidden within, ones that didn’t like their legs being damaged. From the vacant neck wounds, a slug-like creature slithered out, and each of the fallen started to rise again. Isabelle had already moved on.

The mission that she had commanded should have been a simple one, clear a demonic infestation at an old house. Clearly some idiots had either bargained for them to be brought into the world, or had simply stumbled upon a concealed nest, not that the scenario mattered, the end results were both the same. The house had been vast, hinting that whoever owned it before it fell to ruin must have had money, despite there being little evidence of that now. Isabelle had entered this place with eleven other people, breaking up into three units. She got separated when the first lot of demons attacked, causing her to fall through the floor to a badly deteriorated basement level. Seeing the Avalon uniform one of the horrors didn’t give much hope for any other survivors. It had been lucky that Robyn had stayed outside with her unit, acting as a barrier between the normal world and that of the operation they were undertaking. Had she been inside as well, things may have been far worse. Under normal circumstances, Isabelle would have been in direct contact with headquarters, allowing her to summon reinforcements and a swift extraction so they could reassess what had happened. A strange signal had blocked everything but local transmissions.

Far behind her, Isabelle heard the clicking of the demons that she’d just waylaid, but knew that it wouldn’t be long till either they caught up, or that she’d run into the first group, who had taken to augment their decaying vessels with fresh parts taken from local animals, making for some grotesque forms that had cut their way into memory. Her other problem was the amount of ammo she had to use. Being an efficient shot, she’d only wasted one bullet for each enemy she had put down, but to kill them outright would take more, and there was no guarantee that the bullets would do the job, even the modified ones that she’d been given. There was one weapon she had that would work, and even now, it whispered to her, wanting her to release it from the sheath that bound it. Again, her hand was being drawn to the hilt, a hilt that with one tug would cause the restraints to unlock, allowing the demon blade its freedom. Isabelle exerted control once more. The sword was a potent weapon, there was no question in that, yet using a demon weapon was never without risks, and the risks of Ygnir, as it called itself. Their minds shared a bond, and it promised her power. It was because of this bond that she couldn’t simply choose to not take it with her when she sortied. There was also the element of need, the sheer power of the sword meant that most threats would be dealt with, yet, she was still hesitant in unleashing it. Even now, this situation would certainly warrant it, but she needed to show herself how far she could go on her own, without having to draw from that tainted strength.

“Izz…zy!...Ca…ou…ear me?” Isabelle’s transceiver burst into life, reminding her that she was still wearing it. She was overjoyed to hear Robyn’s voice. There was a deep dread that in her zeal to find her, Robyn would have fallen into the enemy’s nest, and despite her skills, would have fallen to their parasitic nature.

“Robyn! Stay on the roof! The enemy is dangerous and we’re not properly equipped at this time to deal with them!” Isabelle ordered. While she didn’t know how much of that would get through, she hoped the important parts did, that of Robyn staying away from where she was.

“Your…ing…up! You…nt…me…to stay…ere?” 

“Yes! I repeat, stay where you are! I’ll find a way to come to you,” Isabelle cast her eyes up as she said that. She imagined a path through the ceiling and beyond.

I can make that easy for you. A cold demonic voice echoed in her mind.

“No, Ygnir, I don’t need you,” Isabelle sighed. “I can do this by myself.”

The clicking noises were getting closer, so seeing that her respite was over, Isabelle made a break for it, continuing her trek through the labyrinth-like walls. While it would have been nice to come across a way up, it wasn’t a primary objective, her real aim was finding another point where the ceiling had already collapsed, giving her easy access back to the ground level.

“Any…out…ere? I rep…Anyon…th…?”

Isabelle stopped when she heard this second voice coming in on the local transmissions.

“I can hear you! Who is this?” Isabelle asked.

“Ma’am…thi...Squire…Moore, par…of…Bravo…” 

Survivors. More lives that she felt responsibility for. She knew that the speaker was Squire Robert Moore. In Avalon, it abandoned the ranks that one normally associated with military duty, going with the training stages of chivalry. That made sense for the organisation considering that it had been going since the time of knights on horseback. Robert had been handpicked to join Avalon from the army following his squad’s unfortunate demonic encounter. In fact, many of the people partaking in this mission were people like that, ones that she’d chosen after scouring reports from every branch of the British military. While she didn’t want to dwell on it during, she always kept a list of those who never returned from the operations under her supervision.

“Squire Moore, where are you? How many others are with you? I repeat, how many others are with you? Are you encountering any resistance?” she fired the barrage of questions as quickly as she could manage. 

“Comm…is…at…you? There…four…us.”

“What is your location, Squire, tell me now!” Isabelle stressed. With the communication having caught her attention, she was aware that the demons were coming up behind her fast, their stomping boots in a strange beat that indicated a faster movement then the bodies should have been capable of.

“We’re…led…up…the first…Few…threats around.”

“Stay put, I’m coming for you!” Isabelle set off faster, pushing herself more. Her increased pace hadn’t gone unnoticed from those chasing her, as they too moved to give haste.

It didn’t take long for Isabelle to find a spot she was looking for, as she turned a corner and spotted a beam of sunlight that was pouring in from a hole in the ceiling, the perfect size for her to climb through. She had to watch her step, the last thing she wanted was the ceiling she was climbing on, to further collapse. Using the walls, she leapt up, pushing herself up with her feet. The first time she did this, she slipped back down, but the third try was successful. The demons arrived too late to catch their prey and instead started climbing each other to reach up. Isabelle readied her gun again and aimed for the lower parts of this growing mass. Again, knowing that it wouldn’t kill any of them, she still took the shots, which caused the tower to tumble before they had a chance to get to her, buying her precious time to reach the next floor.

“Robyn, if you can hear me, I’m heading to rendezvous with the survivors. We’ll need an escape route.”

Isabelle didn’t know if her order would be carried out, but she didn’t have time to dwell on it, the demons would be with her again in a moment if she wavered.

Being on the ground floor was just the beginning of her problems. She had emerged in what used to be the main entrance, a grand hall that would have looked majestic when it was first built. Now it was dilapidated, with any wrong step sending her back to where she’d crawled up from. Bravo Squad could have been holed up in any part of the first floor. She needed something to go off, a sign of a firefight or anything.

My power could help you, even in this situation. Ygnir was trying a different approach, but the effect was the same. So far she’d managed to block out the temptations, and she’d do her best to keep it that way. A noise she didn’t want to hear had the effect of upping the tension, as the sound of something heavy being dragged on the same floor as her rang out. The source seemed to come from one of the hallways that split away from the hall. She didn’t hear anything other than wood on wood, so doubted that it was any of her comrades that she wanted to save. A quick scan of the room revealed two large staircases, either which would get her to the required floor; however, one set had been ruined, with the upper part being completely inaccessible. This meant that there was only one option. Isabelle didn’t like being forced to choose a route, she strived for control over her hectic life, and having to relinquish some of that established control, caused a pain in her mind, like a thousand glass shards being pushed in her head. She endured it for her duty, she had a goal to achieve.

  A shape appeared in the doorway where the previous sound had come from, the shape could have been generously described as humanoid, but was far more bestial with some of it’s limbs, limbs that it had too many of. The presence of animal tissue hinted that it was one of the first batch of demons, yet Isabelle couldn’t recall seeing it in the melee that erupted when the demons attacked her forces. The creature wasn’t wearing any clothes, but its body was heavily scarred, but what put Isabelle on edge, was the fact that amongst the scars, was evidence of stitches. Fresh looking stitches at that.

Those weren ‘t caused by any demon. She told herself. Judging the distance, she noticed that the creature was between her and the stairs, and the more time she spent evading, the greater the chance it was going to get reinforcements while she was outnumbered. She could have called for her own back up, plead with the other survivors to come to her aid, but that would be an affront to her. She was their leader, and she always tried to put her best foot forward. A solid belief in this doctrine meant she would have to face this demon, whatever type it was. Killing it would raise an issue, no question, though she hoped that merely disabling it would do the trick, and allow her to pass it with only a little time wasted.

“Come on, demon, you’ll learn against messing with the forces of Avalon,” Isabelle spoke in confident tones. She didn't know if the demon could understand her or not, and it didn’t matter, it was mainly for her own benefit, psyching herself up. There was a response from the demon, but it was clicks and a rasping breathing to accompany it.

I think your challenge was accepted, time to unsheath me! Let me taste this demon's blood! I may even be able to help you identify what alterations were made to it. 

Looking at it from a purely fact finding view, Ygnir’s offer was the strongest yet. Still, Isabelle used all of her will not to grasp that handle. There was no contest in any argument about the usefulness of his power in a fight like this. The ice blade would make short work of these parasites, she could cleanse the entire building in no time at all. All it would have cost is giving the demon inside the blade more access to her. She’d used the demon blade numerous times before, and each time, the lingering presence that Ygnir left made her question who was in charge of who. All this introspection had wasted time as the demon she was supposed to be facing off against, was running at her. Each thunderous blow of the demon’s foot caused the building to shake. The demon shouldn’t have been able to move, let alone run, its body so misshapen due to the animalistic limbs that were either grafted on after the fact, or added due to the demonic influences, that it shouldn’t be balanced enough to stand. It had closed the gap between them, and it was lucky for Isabelle that she was deft enough to roll out of the way. The beast howled through four different mouths that opened widely, ready to devour. One of these mouths was attached to a long thin arm that emerged from the beast’s shoulder. It was this limb that was sent out to attack Isabelle, its hunger evident from the way it smashed its teeth together. Being pragmatic, she responded by putting the gun barrel its way and firing. The bullets tore through the flesh with ease, breaking teeth and causing the torn up limb to retreat.

With one method of attack denied to it, the demon barrelled towards its prey, choosing to strike with its fists, smashing the floor up wherever it hit. One such hit revealed the other demons, much to Isabelle’s dismay, and they too started clambering up to join the fight. She took aim again, picking off any that dared to poke its head up, but she was running out of ammunition, and the feat of getting away from the demons was slowly moving out of reach.

It’s time, you know you need me. We can end their lives together, or are you willing to let yourself die in vain? Ygnir sounded confident. Isabelle cursed herself, there wasn’t a lot she could do about this, other than releasing the demon weapon. The bigger creature was standing in the way of her goal, and the longer she hesitated, the more likely all the other monsters would become an issue. Her marksmanship was good, but she wasn’t a god with the gun, with the sword however.

Do it, release me! Do it! Do it! Ygnir chanted. With no will to resist, Isabelle allowed her wandering hand to grip the handle of the demon weapon, turning it ever so slightly clockwise, which started up the release mechanism for the sheath, and with a hiss, the locks moved from their positions. The demons surrounding Isabelle stood still for a moment as an ungodly chill went through them, they still went to press on their attack, none of them realising what it meant for them. The first sign they properly took notice of, was the last one they would ever see. 

The demon that had blocked her progress to the stairs, noticed with an absent minded gaze that snowflakes were suspended in the air. It reached out to touch one of them, forgetting about Isabelle for the moment, afterall, she seemed frozen in place to their eyes now. Touching the snowflake was the last mistake the demon would ever make as no sooner had its flesh touched the icy construct, did its arm freeze solid. The other demons, taking notice of what happened tried to distance themselves from the falling snow where they could, but Isbelle put paid to any notion of them leaving this fight alive. With Ygnir’s power coursing through her, she swung the sword in a graceful arc and the first few demons that the blade touched, shattered like glass. The bigger demon, either in a desperate attempt to survive or an act of madness, charged forward. In response, Isabelle calmly stepped forward to meet it. The other remaining demons, now being affected by the cold temperatures, could barely move, none of them could offer any support. The charging demon was almost frozen to death by the time it came into range of Ygnir’s blade, and with brutal efficiency, Isabelle only needed one strike to kill it, bisecting it and watching as it broke apart from the wound. This left the other demons that had once been eager to kill her. Just like the others, she put them all out of their misery.

We’re not finished here, there are still demons lurking around, I can feel them. They’re afraid of you. Freeze this entire place, let none of them survive! 

Isabelle heard Ygnir’s words and through glassy eyes, she scanned her surroundings, looking for any signs of these threats the demon sword was so confident about. 

“Izzy!” 

A voice had managed to overpower Ygnir’s, one that made Isabelle look up, the trance she was in, broken like the demons that she’d shattered with her blade. Robyn came down from the ceiling, suspended by a rope and landed like a cat as she leapt from it. 

“Robyn?” Isabelle asked, as all notions of rank and professionalism melted away.

“Izzy, I guess you didn’t need my help after all…” Robyn quietened down as she saw that Ygnir had been unleashed. “Don’t you think you need to sheath that blade now?”

Don’t listen to her, there are still enemies here. A good soldier kills all their targets. Only then do they put their weapons down. You need my power.

“I…” Isabelle shook her head, as if she was trying to get the rest of her words out.

“Come on, Izzy, I know you’re better than this,” Robyn took a step closer. She knew that she should be terrified, being part of Avalon meant seeing what happened when a demon weapon had taken over its host, abandoning all pretence of a symbiotic relationship. Yet she believed in Isabelle, she’d swore to trust her, to trust her strength that had guided both of them to this point.

If she tries to force us to part, she’ll be declaring herself an enemy! Listen to me! Ygnir pleaded. Robyn was now within arms reach of Isabelle, and gently, she put her hands around Isabelle’s hand that held Ygnir in a tight grasp. The cold that the blade was generating was cutting through Robyn’s gear, but she’d swear that she didn’t feel it. With no resistance, Robyn guided Isabelle’s hands towards the sheath that would silence the blade, for now.

“You know what you have to do, Izzy,” Robyn smiled, her mouth trembling from the intense chill.

Isabelle’s eyes returned to their normal warmth, and with little fanfare, she forced Ygnir back into the sheath as the mechanical locks snapped shut, sealing the blade once more.

This is not over… Those final words were a common threat. 

There was a silence between the pair, one that lasted a few minutes before Isabelle spoke, her decor taking over her once more, and as much as she wanted to embrace Robyn for her strength, strength that she needed to put the demon blade away, she also knew they still had a mission to complete.

“We need to get to the survivors, then we head for extraction.”

“What about the remaining demons?” Robyn asked, looking at the shreds that were left, she figured there would be a handful, if that still wandering the mansion's ground.

“We’ll return, with proper equipment, and we’ll exterminate them all,” Isabelle replied coldly. “Thank you though, Robyn. I’ve still a while off having mastery of Ygnir.”

Robyn was taken back by the contrast between Isabelle’s two statements, but knew it wasn’t the time nor the place.

“You’ll do it, I know you will,” those were the only words that she could think of at the time, and they were empty platitudes. Not to say she didn’t believe that Isabelle wouldn’t do it, but they were useless in changing anything. Isabelle smiled all the same, and the pair headed up the stairs to the first floor, to reunite with the rest.

They encountered no further demons.

It was long after they’d gotten back to the base with the rest of the survivors did Isabelle allow herself to react to the events. She stared at the letters she was going to send out to the families of the ones who died under her command. Generally, these were pre-typed, with more mundane explanations for why they weren’t coming home again. A part of Isabelle wished she could have done away with the feeble false explanations. However, the truth would only have done more harm, or at least that’s what she believed. The fight against the supernatural threat of the demons was not meant for the eyes of the masses, and if that meant lying to the bereaved, then that’s what it would take. Still, regardless of what the content of the letters were, she hated herself for having to write them. Each one stood as a testament against her leadership. She kept a document for herself, and in it, was the names of every person who ever died while she was in charge, even if she wasn’t personally leading the operation. 

Despite being in her private office, she could still hear the calls of Ygnir from where the demon blade was stored when she didn’t need it. It’s mocking laughter turned into a chant of all the names she despaired over, and the message was clear, it said: they wouldn’t have died if you relied on me.

A knock on the door allowed her to relinquish those thoughts, and dull the demon weapon’s voice. It was Robyn who entered, with almost everyone else likely to have been turned away. She walked over, and put her arms around Isabelle, hugging her tight. The pair didn’t need to say anything else… 

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That's it for this week!

Till next time,

Keep on writing!

Peter James Martin

Quick Links

The Strange Tales of Brennan and Riz Volume 1

The Strange Tales of Brennan and Riz Book 1: A Boy and A Rat 

The Strange Tales of Brennan and Riz Volume 2

Malarkey's Imaginomnibus Volume 1

Malarkey's Imaginomnibus Fade to Noir

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