Sorana

oh I didn't realize that. I simply found him powerful, but as he was intended to go against the Bureau Meeker organizes, I thought it could work, as Meeker told us, he has several people following him.

Althea hastened into the room, only to realiza she was too late. Storms. She shouldn't have... It didn't matter. Quietly she joined Max and shot him an apologetic glance. She could at least congratulate them, even if she had missed the ceremony.

I'm ok with the character, but I don't have a final say in this.

Damaya walked over to Rotcennoc, ready to use her staff should he try anything, again careful as to not disturb Nogard's line of sight. "Stop it. Whatever you are doing stop it right now."

Althea sighed. "I can partly tell you what happened here. As much as my reports told me. For the full story..." she fell silent, grief stopping her from continuing to talk for a moment, though she was careful to hide it from Rhazien. "Chaos marines and some demons attacked the Waystop. They tried to kidnap one of those that came here for training and succeeded in the end. You could probably ask Mr Amber for more details, or if anything happened after said guest had been taken away." Thinking about his next questions she continued. "The time after the seven day war was mostly used to rebuild the Alleycity. The Ghostbloods. After Solace vanished a new leader took over and we had a long period of stability and growth. There were some ... issues with the DA, but all in all we managed to regain most of the numbers we lost during the war. When Solace, or rather Septhis returned he started a conflict regarding the leadership, which left Oasis partially destroyed and let to us following him to stop him." She looked over at Solace, her gaze cool, calculating. "And we still need to sort that one out." Her voice softened, when she looked at Rhazien again. "We can try to help you find your wife and child. But I have no idea where they went."

Lena trailed after them, looked around the hospital. If they left her alone with Nekorb, she could maybe grasp something. There was lots of useful stuff around.

Damaya nodded, smiled at Araha, tightening her grip on her friends hand. "What is your plan? We don't have much time. I won't allow him to kill the two small islands." She didn't hug her, made an excusing gesture towards her staff and Rotcennoc. They could hug later. @#Voidapple

It should be after 7am for everybody? It's 6pm for me?

Althea walked through the streets of Oasis City and listened to her assistant. The woman pointed at structures, indicating this and that, gesturing at buildings on the verge of falling down. All in all the damage was less than she had expected, but then her memory of the fight and the attack of the phoenix were blurred, almost to a point where she only remembered pain, desperation, Max behind his shield, Solace, and everybody killing everybody else. It was like a nightmare and she had a hard time to maintain a controlled and cold face, pushed everything as far away as possible. "How long will you need until the bodies are cleared out?" she asked and the woman checked something on her pad. "Another two days. Then we can start to assess the damage in real and start rebuilding the defenses. Once they are set again, I'd like to focus on the buildings, starting with those that threaten to fall down. I've organized some emergency quarter for the homeless, as well as basic goods like cloths and food." Althea nodded. "Send it over." The woman followed, no real haste in her movements. Althea liked that about her. She was quick and efficient, without being hasty or making mistakes out of fear. Scanning the report she sighed. "That's a lot of money." Lifting a hand to stop the womand from talking she added. "It's alright. It's our city. We won't let it lie in rubble. But I'd like you to contact our contractors and make a better deal than that. We have enough leverage over some of them, that it should be no problem." Taking some notes she inquired. "How long do you need to get the city in a state where it will function?" "A month. Half a year for most of the damage. Another half a year for the million little things we need to replace." "Keep me informed." she ordered and inhaled stormlight, elsecalled away. It was only when she was alone, that she stopped, took a deep, steadying breath. It was hard to believe that she had called that city her home once. All it reminded her right now, was death and pain and desperation. The way her mind had given way beneath Max rioting, how it had shattered until she couldn't think, until she was lost in that storm. Pushing the memory away she straightened and decided to return home. She would take a bath, read a book and calm down. There were enough reports to read, to really get a grasp on the situation and she could easily do that from her flat. Mentally she started a list, what she needed to do, call the council, get a grip on who had survived, rebuild, sort their laboratories. The next few months were going to be busy.

Lena appeared at the hospital's doors, pulling a cart behind her. On the cart lay an unconcious person, Nekorb. She let the cart stand in the hall and walked over to the reception. "Hello. I need your help. My ... He is gravely hurt, but I think you might be able to save him. Could you maybe call for someone? I tried to stop his blood from spilling all over the place, but I'm note really trained in that sort of thing." @xinoehp512

Lena appeared somewhere in the midst of rubble and looked around. Nothing. Well, apart from the rubble, and a leg, and over there, probably a hand. Humming quietly she set to search for Nekorb. He was here, maybe close? Or maybe the card simply had her brought to the site. She sat down for a moment and thougt about the situation. If Nekorb really was still hanging on, he needed to breathe, that meant, he couldn't be down beneath all the stones and the metal and whatever the building had been constructed of. So hopefully she would be able to see him. Getting to her feet she started eating a pancake and set out to search for him. It felt like hours when she finally saw a leg, that might fit. Crouching down, she peered beneath a larger stone and saw his face. He looked pretty dead to her, and she reached out, felt for his pulse. He was alive, the stone had formed some kind of cave and protected him, from the worst of it. Pulling out a Tia card she activated it for him, and it fell to the ground, useless. "Honestly? That has to be a joke." she exclaimed and started to roll some stones aside, to get him free, then checked him over. She left him for a moment and searched for something to use as an improvised bandage, then returned with it. Roughly she cleaned his wounds with water and set to cover the worst wounds. It was a wonder he was still breathing, though it looked like that would have changed somewhere soon. Then she stood up again, looked at his body and sighed. She could always claim, he had been dead when she arrived, or that he died, or she simply killed him right now and went her own way. Screw her curiousity. She should have thrown the box away as soon as the word help had been written somewhere. "Let's get you to a hospital." she told him with a sigh.

As we have spoiler warning in the title and it's monday, here are my thoughts on the next 240 pages. I tried to focus on them and leave the larger picture a bit aside, so that everybody has the same basis. What I liked: Perrin and Egwene's storyline. Yes, I'm still no real fan of Perrin, but I love the wolves and how the interact with him, how he doesn't want to accept that he indeed can talk to them, can understand them. Until at the end, when they get captured, that he misses them and tries to defend them. That's great and I liked a lot how he changed. The tinkerer and their believe in peace the way of the leaf. I like tinkerer a lot, but this forceful peacekeeping attitude, felt a bit forced to me. I had the impression, that they were set to be as strange as possible, almost forcefully. Mat and Rand, well they are Mat and Rand. The last group: Lan and his two female companions. (Lan ) nothing really happens here, most of the time they are travelling and Nyanaeve and Moiraine have their differences. Lan easily is the most interesting of them (and no, I'm not biased at all)

Damaya flinched back when he took her hand, instinctively tried to pull away. Then she saw him. Nogard. This was Nogard. He had helped her before. Heart pounding in her chest she forced herself to keep their connection. She had touched him before on her own choosing. He wouldn't hurt her. Same as Araha he wouldn't hurt her. It took her a moment, to realize he was talking to her. I can give you the power you need. She replied. I never really learned how to use it, but if you know what to do, I can give you what you need to execute your plan. It won't harm my island? Breathing in she felt the stormlight and experimentally offered it to him. More, she needed enough to make sure her body wouldn't stop its healing. "Please. You have to leave them alive. We can find a justice system, something. We can't let you hurt them." Damaya turned. Araha. At first she was relieved that Araha was good enough to get to her feet, then she grasped the meaning of her words. "You are telling us to stop?" She asked barely able to believe what she heard. "He has a ... spell, whatever, ready that will kill us if we don't do something about it right now and you tell us to stop. He killed a child, and he tried to kill two others and you are talking to us?" She stared at her friend, suddenly feeling cold, alone. "I trusted you, and you, you, you betray me. You turn against me when my life is threatened?" Her voice broke, the last words barely understandable.

Lena looked up to see a stranger ask her a question, only to walk away directly afterwards. Reading the backside she looked through the cards and sighed. Help Nekorb? Cursing herself for the part where she had agreed to help Freedom in the first place she looked for the right card to go to the Den of Thieves.

I had to prepare a presentation for my english lesson. My teacher wanted us to read some books and had a list prepared with what he thought fitting, but allowed us to choose another one as well. As there was no fantasy volume on his list I googled a bit, discovered Elantris, liked the cover and ordered it. I missed lots of details, but understood enough to get the story and fall in love with it. Though I read the german version after it had been translated a year (?) later. The only book of Brandon I've done this actually. But then my english wasn't that good back then... The rest can be summed up with impatiently preordering Mistborn, Warbreaker, ...

Walking along a street he thought about what filling he wanted to have for his taco.

Doomstick Glys vs a ghost

=========================== “Let me tell you of the death of Sir Wilfried from Calvi. Sir Wilfried from Calvi let Onnurth’s forces against the White Witch with the goal to free the monastry Aurium’s Glory. He and his around one hundred men and women travelled deep into occupied territory, behind the enemy’s lines. At the same time a larger force staged an attack at one of the larger fortresses to keep the soldiers of the White Witch occupied. So when the travelled north, they only encountered the usual patrols, but no larger force itself. They made camp a few miles away from Aurium’s Glory. It wasn’t the best place for the camp, but it was the best one they could find. They were attacked the first time shortly after they managed to set up their tents. It didn’t take the soldiers of the White Witch long to push them, so that they all clustered in one part of their camp. The sun had already set and they were exhausted from their days march. They had no choice but to share their beds, a part of them sleeping, while another part was up defending the camp. The next morning arrived and finally the forces of the White Witch pulled back, gave them some space to breathe. They set out, and discovered a magical crystal poisoning the water and the land itself. In a large ritual they managed to destroy the crystal and returned to their camp afterwards. Unsurprisingly, the camp had been ransacked. They spent the next hours removing poison from their food and then got attacked again. This time the attacks lasted for several hours until in the end all those able to wield a weapon were injured. The healers cared for them, the mages were exhausted. It was only a matter of time, until their enemies would win. It was during that situation that the White Witch managed to kidnap some of those standing watch. And Sir Wilfried from Calvi met with the one commanding the White Witch’s troops and exchanged himself. A young apprentice ran up to him, asked him after something belonging to him, something she could use to find him. It was the first time ever she participated in the war raging in her country, only shortly before she got the permission by the one teaching her to leave the temple.” Lena paused. “Back then the magicians were taught together with the novices of Jaara at a temple. That changed later though.” “Sir Wilfried gave her his book with his prayers, as a was a paladin of Hope. She pressed it against her chest, held it close and then he left, leaving his second in command in charge. What happened afterwards - His second in command looked over what he had left. Everywhere moaning and crying people were lying around, all warriors were either dead or severly injured. Mages, alchemists, scholars and cooks were mounting the watch. When the apprentice approached him, told him that they could follow Sir Wilfried, that she could find him he gave a single order. Nobody leaves the camp. And the apprentice followed.” “Later that evening cold crept into their camp. They were still discussions what they could do, those that were able to talk that is. And still nobody was allowed to leave the camp. They marched into the camp carrying torches and then in the middle of them a litter. The priestress of Raggok herself had appeared and she brought the winter and the cold, suddenly you could see your breath forming in the air in front of you. The apprentice was still clutching the book, held it close. She knew why they were here, knew they had lost. The soldiers set down the litter, showing them who was lying there. Sir Wilfried from Calvi was dead. And the apprentice knew, that something like this would never happen again. She would never listen to such an order again, not if it meant death. She had barely known Sir Wilfried, but his death changed everything for her. From now on she carried a personal item of her friends with her whereever she went. She would be able to find them, she would never again listen to an order condemning someone she cared for. She realized that she had grown up in a protected environment. Life on Onnurth had never been easy, but still she had lived a sheltered life.” Lena stood up, observed the man that was lying in front of her on the ground, his lips tainted blue. “Do you know why I like this story so much?” she asked him. “I like it, because the apprentice has a name. Some call her Lena. When I left Sel I looked for another name and I chose her name. Because she is brave and strong, because she makes mistakes and yet she goes on.” With a grin she got up and let him lying there. She had a meeting to go to, probably a new customer. And she wanted to try out another poison first. ============================== Shortly after the ending of Era 2 Althea touched the water and smiled satisfied. It was warm to the touch, almost hot. Just as she liked it. Absently minded she lit a candle and left the bathroom to go and fetch her newest book. She was alone for the moment and she had decided to take the time for herself, to relax and take a hot bath, read a book. When she returned she closed the door, took a deep breath, enjoyed the smell of the oil she had added to the water. She placed the book next to the bath and walked over to fetch the candle, so that she could turn off the light. The candle. The flame was small, harmless, it was red and orange and now that she concentrated she could smell it. It was a candle. And then it was not. The smell of burning houses, of a burning city invaded her nose, easily grabbed her mind and pulled her down, far down. She heard the shriek of the phoenix circling above the city, saw the shadow it cast on the houses. It attacked, again and again and again. The smell of blood, of those that died, that killed themselves or were attacked by others. Emotions that raced through her body, tore her apart until there was nothing left, until she screamed and screamed, until she felt something break, shatter and then drift apart. Heart racing Althea slowly surfaced, enough to realize that she had trouble breathing, that her heart was beating too fast, so fast it felt like it might break any moment. Her hands were wet and she was shivering, shivering so violently, that she could hear her teeth meet each other. The fire, screams, fear. Something soft touched her hands and instinctively she grabbed it, pulled it close to her chest. She needed both hands to hold it, but she managed. The cloth was soft and it smelled - Max. Althea pressed her face in his shirt, breathed in. Once, twice. A third time. Slowly she managed to get at least a bit of control back and realized, that she was lying on the ground. It took her a few tries to sit up, her shaking arms offering almost no support. But then she managed and sitting somehow helped, at least she could pretend she was in control again. Taking another deep breath she continued to sit there, buried her face in the shirt, her body still shaking. Behind her, the water was cold. Shortly before the new era starts Althea sat beneath the tree and looked out over the sea. The sun was hidden behind some clouds and while she was still wearing her sunglasses, she had waited for a day like this for a while. Dry, not too cold and the sun was hidden. Althea smiled, observed the soft waves, enjoyed the smell and the cries of the seagulls above. “It’s been a while.” Brashen hopped down from her shoulder and settled down on the ground next to her. “Almost a year.” she replied. “But it felt right. To return here.” It had taken her a while to work through everything that happened. To stop lying awake at night, because her mind returned to Oasis City, to that white room in the Foundation Building, to the city where they finally had confronted Sephtis. To stop waking up, because her dreams were full of fire and pain, full of Max body lying on the ground, a sword stabbed through his chest. Full of Steve laughing at her, telling her that Max was dead, but if she was willing, he wouldn’t say no to someone to warm his bed. Full of Septhis waving a hand, ripping into her mind and doing with her, influencing her in whatever way he pleased. Althea shivered at the thought, pulled her jacket tighter around her shoulders. She had managed, she was able to sleep again, the nights without nightmares finally in the majority. She even had bought a new candle, but hadn’t found the courage to lit it. Maybe later, maybe never. “You spoke your first oath here.” Brashen recalled and Althea laughed quietly, enjoyed the part that she felt like laughing again. “You saved me. Annoyed me until I spoke those words, until I chose to live.” He laughed as well and she glanced at her hand, her smile deepening. “I’m married Brashen. I’m married and it’s been almost a year now.” Her spren only laughed again. “Yes you are. But your next oath is mine again.” Althea nodded. “I’m sorry you have to share me.” “No, you’re not.” She laughed, louder this time. “I’m not. I wouldn’t be here without him. I don’t think I could have managed on my own.” Althea looked out at the ocean. The last year had been complicated. Maybe the most complicated year of her life - but it also had been the best. It had taken a lot of strength to confront what had happened, to learn to live with the fact, that Solace had free access to her mind whenever he wished to, to face her memories and more or less come to term with them. Max had helped, had held her, had listened when she dumped everything on him, all the while fighting his own demons as well. And yet, they had found a perfect house outside of Alleycity and moved there, had taken some time for themselves to built up a working relationship. And it worked. She was married to the love of her life and it worked. For the first time in her life, she had a family.

"Another one." Damaya whispered in awe, looked at the gemheart in Nogards hands. "You've got one as well." Hearing Rotcennoc's step come to a halt she turned towards him, stepped between him and Nogard.

He fled? From her? Astonished Damaya looked after him and looked over to Nogard. Quickly thinking about her options, she let Rotcennoc run away and walked over to Nogard, kneeling down next to him, checked if he was still breathing.

SNIRS not SNIPR

Damaya hesitated, looked at the shadow between her and Rotcennoc. A shadow. Reaching in her bag she pulled out a small light and shone it at the creature.

Lena turned the card over and looked at its backside.

Out of the corner of her eye she saw Nogard slump to the ground and hoped he was alright, or at least alive. The only good thing was - every passing second made her stronger. Without giving him a moment to catch his breath she attacked again, still aiming for his upper body as that one was the easiest to hit.