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LOCATION: Chico, Ca
RECORDS: 5
LATEST RECORD: 2 years ago
JOINED: March 11, 2010
LOCATION: Chico, Ca
RECORDS: 5
LATEST RECORD: 2 years ago
JOINED: March 11, 2010
All TheMovieWhore's RECords
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John Cusack has been in more films and played more characters that have spoken to me on a personal level than any other. His characters tend to be the every man dealing with the everyday B.S. we all endure. With HIGH FIDELITY I found myself thinking of the five women I would go visit to find out why I can't seem to make relationships work and by the end of the film I had come to the same conclusion, it's not really them, it's me. One of my favorite young actors would be Joe and the reason why is because I have yet to see him in a film. I have seen the characters he was portraying in each film and only the characters. It is not often I find myself forgetting that the actor or actress is just that. I love it when and an actor brings a character to life in such a way that through out the duration of the film I am convinced this is a real person. |
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Another scene from one of my dream projects that I can't seem to finish. Clay stood at the top of the hill looking down across the valley below. The valley floor was covered with lush green grass. There were bushes covered in what appeared to be the reddest raspberries that Clay had ever seen. As his eyes scanned across the valley he could see where the ground turned back towards the sky. As it reached upward, the grass and bushes began to disappear and in their place was blackness. The only thing Clay had ever seen like it was obsidian rock. It had a glassy appearance that made the mountain a remarkable sight to behold. As Clay’s eyes continued to scan upward to the sky, he could see white billowy clouds over the mountaintop. There was a single ray of sunlight that shone through the clouds as if it were the light of heaven showing this traveler to end of his quest. Though the mountain had held a glass like appearance the suns rays did not reflect off the mountain, but instead it was as if the mountain absorbed the light. Taking it in, consuming it. The mountain fed upon the light as a spider feeds upon its prey. Clay could feel the darkness, the evil that the mountain possessed. It wanted to suck the life out of the sun itself. With every step he took moving closer and closer to the spire of darkness, Clay could feel Callos reaching out for him, wanting him, calling to him. Thought he knew that Callos was truly evil and all that he spoke was lies. Though Clay could not help but to be tempted by his words. Callos spoke of peace, beauty, and immortal life. Callos gave Clay images of his home, Clay could see the park, he could see his horse waiting for his master’s return. As hard as he tried to block the images and voice from his mind he could not. It seemed the harder he tried, the more soothing the voice became, the images became more heavenly, as Clay could see in his mind a beautiful man with arms stretched open, the voice saying “Come to me. I shall take away your pain. Come to me. I shall take you home.” It was almost more than he could resist. He knew that if he were to turn and leave this place, then it would all stop, but he continued on. As he move across the valley floor an all-consuming scent filled Clays nostrils. He could compare it to nothing he had ever smelled before, but he knew he did not want it to go away. His head began to fill with images of grand castles surrounded by green fields, by a golden lake whose water was smooth as glass. “All this can be yours, and more.” Clay saw a grand room walls colored in burgundy and white, covered with golden designs. Down the center of the room was two rows of ivory pillars that rose up from the floor stretching to the ceiling. Green vines perfectly spiraled around each one. On the marble floor between the pillars lay a blood red velvet carpet that led to the end of the room. There Clay could see a man sitting on a golden thrown, but it was not the man that caught his attention but the beauty by his side. It was Sheylaar. She wore a forest green satin dress. Upon her head lay a tiara of diamonds and emeralds, but the jewels could not compare to those two perfect emerald eyes that were filled with love as she gazed upon the man next to her. |
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This is a scene from something I started 15 years ago in book form and I am now n the midst of changing it up into a script. There was great sadness in Mealars amber eyes as he thought of the past. A past he must relive once again. He knew he had to tell these three how this all began and why they had been brought here from their homes. He only wished that they would understand. “It was a thousand years ago, and I was a grand sorcerer then. The only magic that I could not summon was that of the forbidden arts. Most of these spells were used to bring harm to others, or to increase ones power by calling upon the demon realm and loosing its inhabitants upon the world. The only way that one of them can exist in this realm is by taking over the body of a mortal. But I get ahead of myself.” Thoughts of his brother brought a smile to his aged lips and a tear to his soulful eyes. “You see I once had a brother, an older brother. He was my hero as a child. Anything Mythgan would do I wanted to do, everything he became, I wanted to be. I would follow him everywhere he went, like a puppy following his master. More often than not I would be in his way but he never let on, he always allowed me to be a part of whatever he was doing. My brother loved me very much, and I him. As time went on, and I discovered my own use of magic, I spent less time with Mythgan, and soon realized that I was more powerful than he was. In fact I had become more powerful than any on the Sorcerers Council itself. This planted the seed of jealousy in my brother’s heart. He no longer was recognized as Mythgan but as Mealars brother. Before I had become so strong with magic, my brother was well known for the things he did with magic. His best spells were that of changing the appearance of a thing, making it into whatever he wanted it to be. The one I remembered the most was when I was quite small and some kids were picking on me, well Mythgan came along and turned them all into pigs. The spell only last a short time, but those kids never picked on me again. With his use of magic Mythgan had been studying to one day be a part of a special group that worked for the Sorcerers Council.” “The Sorcerers Council was made up of the of the wisest mages in the land. They were not just Elfmen, but also human, elf, and dwarf magic users. I don’t know if your peoples still have the gift of magic, but a thousand years ago it was shared by all in the realm. The council was made up of 12 members, 3 from each race. They served as guardians over the races, the council settled all disputes and their word was final. No one dared go against the council, for all knew that they were the only ones with access to spells that could kill. Kill not only one, but also kill hundreds with each casting. These spells were in the great library in the city of Kinslear, deep inside elfmen land. The library was open to all and there one could learn of medicine, science, philosophy, or any other knowledge that was contained within its walls. Any knowledge that is, except for that which lay behind the iron door. Blacker than the darkest night, the door had one single ring attached for a handle and a single hole for a key. The sorcerer’s council held the key and they said who would enter. For what lay beyond that door was death. The books in this room held the darkest of spells. The guards instantly beheaded anyone who dared attempt to work one these spells. There were those who worked in this secret room trying to find a way to unmake this evil magic. They came in the morning and left as the sun fell from the sky. They would talk only with the council, and never anyone else. They lived separate from the rest of the town, and it was seldom that you would see one them walk the streets alone.” Mealar paused as he thought. He tried to forget the past, but these times were burned into his mind as if they had happened yesterday. “I had indeed become powerful, and felt that my magic belonged on the Sorcerers Council. The one and only time I petitioned them to join, I was told that though I had great power I was far from achieving the wisdom required. My brother had attended the meeting with me, and as we left he told me that wisdom comes with time and that I should go travel throughout the realm and see all that there was of each race. He told me to go and learn. In my arrogance I became outraged, what could anyone teach me that I did not already possess. My brother turned to me and said two words. Patience, and Humility. He was right but I did not care. I turned him into a pig and laughed as I went home.” Oh I am sorry Mythgan, I should have heeded your advice, and maybe if I had you would not have done what you did. “It was 2 days before my spell had worn off, and in those 2 days a hatred grew within my brother, he wanted revenge.” “Over the next year two things happened, Mythgan went before the council every week, asking to join the special group in the library, and I tormented my brother each time he was rejected. After a year of this the council finally allowed Mythgan to join the researchers in the secret room. He was closely watched at first. He was never left alone and any notes he took were carefully read when he left. As time went on they watched him less and read his notes at random. After about a year they stopped watching, and Mythgan started his real search.” If only I had known. “He began to search though the forbidden volumes looking for a way to increase his use of magic and become more powerful than I. He wanted so badly to put me in my place, to take his revenge upon me for a year worth of humiliation that I had dealt out to him. He would finally have his place back, he would no longer be referred to as Mealars brother, and he would be the one known as the greatest magic user in the entire realm. Every day he searched reading through the text at an astonishing rate soaking up all that was with in. Then the day came when he found exactly what he had been searching for, he found Callos.” “Callos was lord of the demon realm. His power knew no equal in this place, and if it were to be unleashed upon his world, utter chaos would be sure to follow. He knew no mercy and would torment all those that he would come in contact with. He would take over the body of the individual who would be foolish enough to call upon him. Once in body of a mortal there is only one thing can stop him. There is one item of magical creation that can drive Callos out of the body and back to the demon realm. It is a mirror. The mirror acts as a doorway between this world and the demon realm. Once a demon that has taken over the body of a mortal looks into the mirror, he is drawn out of the body and cast back into the demon realm. This often leaves the one who was possessed near death, and sometimes depending on how powerful the demon is, the mortal will die. Mythgan had found this in his research but did not care, his only concern was power, and with the aid of Callos he would have more than even me. Mythgan also found the spell that would bring Callos into this realm.” “It was a common theory that in order to unmake the spells, each would have to be performed. This way one could study the effects of the spell as it was happening, and thus find a way to unmake it. Mythgan used this belief to his advantage. He told the others that he believed he had found a way to create a bubble that would hold the unleashed magic, making it safe to cast the spell. It took some convincing but one by one they agreed that it could be done. Mythgan also convinced them that his Callos spell would be the perfect test for this bold experiment.” “They had decided that the best place to work the spell was in a cave deep inside of Mt. Jule. The reason for choosing this place was quite simple, this is where Callos had been thrown into the demon realm two hundred years before. That was when Palael had gone to the goddess Shahri, and she gave him the mirror. Palael then took the mirror up into Mt. Jule and faced Callos in his cavern lair. No one ever really knew the details of what had happened during this encounter, due to the fact that when Palael had come down from the mount he was near death. He lived long enough to tell that Callos had been captured in the mirror and that the mirror was to be protected for all time. Palaels words had been heeded, and the mirror was locked in a vault inside the forbidden room in the library.” “As I was saying Myhtgan had convinced his fellow researchers to join him in the conjuring. They had decided that during the next full moon they would make the journey up into Mt. Jule and cast the spell. Until that time they continued to go into the library every day and continue their work. They discussed their plan with no one, knowing it would mean certain death to them all.” “There has never been a day in the last thousand years, where I have not thought about the things I have just told you. But what I am about to tell you has been in my dreams, a nightmare that won’t go away. The day my brother set Callos was free.” “The night had come for Mythgan and the others to make their journey to Mt. Jule and see if the magic would work. Mythgan and the others had researched spells of flight to shorten their journey other wise it would have taken most of the night just to get to Mt. Jule. Once inside the cave they made their way through the cave until they found the chamber. The chamber was circular with smooth walls, not the rough rock that one would expect to find within a mountain. It was as if the chamber had been hand carved then placed inside of Mt. Jule. None of them had ever stepped foot into this chamber before but they all knew the story. It was said that Callos himself had created this room with magic, and it was from here that he controlled his demon army. It was also here that Palael faced and captured Callos in the mirror, and it was here that he would make his return.” They set up the torches in the room as the spell book instructed and then sat in a circle each man sitting in front of torch with the mirror in the center of the circle. There were 13 of them including my brother Mythgan. Once they were ready, Mythgan started to recite the spell. As he did the mirror lost its reflective appearance as if the glass had disappeared, and what had replaced it was a dark cloud swirling within the mirror. As Mythgan finished reciting the spell a black ball of energy came shooting out of the mirror and hovered near the ceiling in the middle of the chamber. “Who has called me forth?” “I have, I wish to feel your power so that I may have my vengeance.” Mythgan knew that the only way he would have Callos’ power was if he let Callos into his body. In his arrogance he thought that once Callos was inside of him he would be able to control the demon and Callos’ power be his to command. “You wish to have my power, and you shall have my power.” The ball flew from the ceiling straight down into the Mythgans chest. When the ball hit him he flew back through the torch behind him and up against the wall. He was suspended in mid air against the wall as his face began to twist and change. His body was wrapped in black bolts of lightning like fingers squeezing him, holding him in the air. The others looked on in horror and disbelief. They themselves had not read the spell, Mythgan told them that there would be nothing to fear that if anything went wrong he would simply recite the spell that would close the gateway and return Callos back to the mirror. But what Mythgan did not tell them is that he had never even bothered to look up that spell and no intention of doing so. He wanted Callos inside of him, it was the only way he could take revenge, the only way he would be able to show everyone who the more powerful brother was. His transformation stopped and the bolts disappeared, Mythgans body floated down until he was standing on the floor chamber floor. When the others looked at his face they were in shock, never had they seen such angelic beauty. “Foolish mortal, thought that he would control me.” “My..My…Mythgan” one of them spoke up stuttering as he was frightened by what he had just seen, and baffled by the impossible image that stood before him. “Mythgan is no more, but you may call me Callos. What can I do for the rest of you who joined this mortal body in returning me to this realm of existence.” He smiled as he spoke these words, knowing that they would not resist his invitation, he also knew exactly what they would ask for. They always ask for the same thing. “Callos, I speak for us all when I say that what we desire is to be like you, you who are the most beautiful thing that any of has ever seen. We wish to have beauty like yours.” If only they had known what they were asking for, or who they were asking, but that was part of Callos’ power. All they saw was his enchanting beauty. “Your wish shall be granted, but first you must swear your allegiance to me. You must swear that your lives, your very souls shall be mine.” They responded one after the other, each saying the same thing “I swear to you that my life and my soul shall be yours.” “Brethren come forth and claim what is mine. Take these bodies for your own, and together we shall take our rightful place in this realm.” As he spoke similar black balls of energy came flying out of the mirror, each striking and transforming the remaining twelve. But instead of forms of beauty they changed into forms so grotesque and hideous I have no words to describe them. When the last of the transformations was complete Callos spoke again. “Brethren it has been a millennia since we were banished from this realm, now it is time for us destroy these pathetic mortals and their gods. It is time for us to rule, to destroy, to taste their blood. But first I must find bodies for the rest of our brothers.” Then Callos left the cave and traveled down the mountain in search for those who would give their souls to him. “This is how it began last time, and this is what is happening now. Callos is out there changing all those that swear allegiance to him.” Mealar could see the disbelief in Clays eyes, but could not blame the man, for his people had forgot this land and its history. Mealar still remembered the king that they had sent from this land into the next, King Uther. “Now then get some rest, soon I will be taking you to see Shahri so that we can find out why the three of you were sent instead of three armies. Clay found that he could not sleep he was too excited. He had just met a real elf, and a real dwarf. He could not believe how similar their appearance was to the images he had in his head for all these years. Even though he was excited by the whole experience thus far he still noticed that when Talon looked at him it was with even more hostility then Kailem. He thought for sure that if he had been able to sleep that Talon or Kailem would have surely slit his throat. Clay then thought about the story that Mealar had just told all of them. It was something out a book, and could not possibly be true, but then again he did walk through a magical portal that took him to another world, so maybe he should take the story more seriously. But if it is true than how are could the three of them defeat such a powerful demon. Clay walked circles around Mealars house until the sun came up. “Good morning” Clay was still wired from whatever this was that was going on. He felt like he was in a dream and that is he closed his eyes he would wake up to find out it was. “Didn’t you sleep last night?” Mealar knew he had not. Truth be known no one slept that night, Clay was just the only one to spend the night walking in circles. “Actually I’ve been walking around your house all night. So when do we go see this goddess of yours?” That was the part that intrigued Clay the most. He had never met a goddess before either and was very curious about how she was going to look, where they would find her and a million other things. “After we have breakfast we will go to see her. It will take some time to get there; her home is Shahri Lake. There is a village there that we will be staying at tonight.” Mealar desperately wanted to get there and find out why only three had been sent, and why these three, there seemed to be nothing special about any of them, least all this puzzling man. “Convenient that the lake is named after her, but then again if your goddess you should have something named after you.” Clay didn’t even know if he was joking or serious. “Oh yeah, by the way is Sheylaar going with us?” Clay was already in deep seeded lust with this young woman and knew if he spent any more time around her it would definitely turn to love. “Yes, both Sheylaar and Kailem will be going with us as well as Talon, and Raythe.” Mealar saw the way that Clay looked at his adopted niece and knew that it would be better if the two never saw each other again. After breakfast they started their journey to Haven. The village name is from being a place of protection. The goddess protected the village and its inhabitants. It is said that any one who makes his home there will never be bothered by again by the shadows of his past, and shall be protected from any evil that may seek him out. Any evil that is except Callos. During his last attack on Myth he all but wiped out Haven. While they walked, no one said a word, not even Clay. Clay could not get over the scenery everything was so vibrant. If a flower was blue, it was the bluest flower he had ever seen, the green grass was greener than any he had ever seen, and so on. It was like he had been watching life in black and white and this was the first time he had ever seen colors. As they walked Clay actually tripped several times because he forgot to watch where he was going, not mention when he wasn’t looking at trees and flowers he was watching Sheylaar. It took them all day but they finally reached the lake. The sun was setting as they reached the shore. “Our timing is perfect, once the sun goes down we will call Shahri. Then we will find out what you three will be able to do against Callos.” Mealar was very anxious to find out what was going on. “While I prepare the rest of you should take time to eat and rest from today’s journey.” The siblings broke out the bread, jerky, and water and started passing it around. “So has either of you two ever seen this Shahri?” Clay did not know what to expect from all of this. Was he really going to meet a goddess? “No, neither of us has ever had the honor of being in the presence of Shahri. It is a rare occasion that she shows herself to mortals. Mealar I think is the only still alive that has ever spoken to her.” Sheylaar seemed to be the only one that would even so much as look at Clay, much less talk to him. She was curious about this man. She realized he knew nothing about was going on and was crude by Elfman standards, but yet she was intrigued by him, and wanted to know all about him and his world. “So I guess you take a lot on faith. I mean even though you have never seen her or heard her voice, you still know that she is there.” Clay understood faith, he had seen much of it in his world but never saw enough in his own life to have any faith. “Yes, I think you actually understand about gods. I am surprised, you seem like someone that doesn’t believe in much of anything.” Sheylaar interest had just reached a new peak. “There are a lot of things I believe in. Things such as love, and family, friendship, and loyalty, but dot I believe in gods, I am sorry to say that I have never had much of a reason to believe. Maybe Shahri will change my mind.” He saw the look on her face and hoped that it meant she would continue to talk to him. At least then he would not feel so alone. “The time has come.” Mealar had called his goddess and now she was coming. As they all stood on the shore looking out across the still waters, suddenly a bright light came from the center of the lake and started moving towards the shore incredibly fast. The light stopped just a few feet from the shore and started to rise up out of the water. As the light rose from the water it took form, the form of a woman. Her Skin was the purest white with long straight blonde hair. Her blue eyes glowed as if there were a light shining through them. She stood on the surface of the water and must have been only five and a half feet tall, but her presence made her seem gigantic. Then she spoke “I see you have done as I have asked. Have you told them why they are here?” She looked at Mealar as the others stood in amazement. “I have told them of how Mythgan brought Callos back to this land and how Callos creates his minions. As for the rest, I thought it would be better if you explained to them their purpose here.” Mealar knew that he would have never been able to explain all to them. “I shall explain.” As she spoke, Shahri raised her hands palms up. A white sphere formed in each hand the size of softball. One sphere rose up and grew to be several feet across the other floated up out of her hand and flew right at Clay. As images started to fill the larger sphere, the smaller hit Clay in the chest, he began to see images that he somehow knew were of the Great War to defeat Callos. On a battlefield turned red by the blood that both sides had spilled, he saw men, dwarves, elves and Elfmen, in battle with misshapen grotesque creatures that are often talked about only to frighten small children and give them nightmares. Clay could barely stand to look at the creatures but could not close his mind to the images that were before him. When he thought that he could take no more the image changed and it was not nightmarish creatures of evil that they were fighting, but each other. Brother slew brother, father killed son, and they never knew that it was their own that they had slain. Clay could not get one burning question out of his mind, Why? Why show this to me? Why show me these images that could drive a man mad? And yet no answers could be found, and as the assault of images continued to batter Clays mind he felt something in his mind unlock and what came forth was knowledge, knowledge of battle. The use of any weapon that his mind could conceive, as well as many forms of hand-to-hand combat, these were his to use in the quest he was about to be given. Clay knew that this had to be a dream and that all he had to do was wake up and it would all end, but he could not wake, for this was truly happening and Clay was the one chosen of the race of man to save this world. The next image he was given was that of Callos, the sorcerer who created the beastly demons that had been slain on the battlefield. He did not appear as the other forms that were repulsive; instead his form was one of beauty. Just to look at him Clay wanted to be Callos, or be like him. This was how Callos had enlisted his followers, with the promise of eternal beauty. But what he brought upon them was damnation and suffering. Once an individual had sworn his allegiance to Callos. That was when the change happened, and the demon creature would take its form. The creature would vary in appearance, sometimes with claws and fangs with a face that held two blood red eyes and dark coarse hair that covered most of the face and body. Its arms reached down to the ground and it had protruding claws that grew from its elbows. Its legs had similar protrusions coming out of its shins and along the outside of each thigh. It did not look human at all, it had horns coming out of its head, one from each temple. They curved around the front of the creatures’ head, then back out forward. If it were to head butt someone it would most certainly puncture the skull causing almost immediate death. That is if the victim were lucky. Others had skin that was a thick layer of black sludge that reeked of rotted and decayed flesh. Some had wings and dove down from the sky to kill with horns that were a part of the wings themselves. They protruded out from underneath the snake like skin on the outer part of each wing. Each attack could rip a man in two. There were other shapes that these creatures took too hideous for words to describe, but inside each of them lay a farmer, a blacksmith, a father, a mother, a child, and others who had not had the strength to resist Callos and his evil power. Once the images stopped Clay opened his eyes. There was a look of disbelief on his face as he turned to the goddess, "I cannot be the one chosen to save this world. If I came face to face with one of those things, I would probably shit my pants, and either run like hell, or just stand there to afraid to move." "If that were so, then the gifts I have given to you would be in vain. I have seen inside your heart and I have seen the strength that it holds. There is no other than you that can defeat this evil power that threatens my beloved children." The goddess knew that this man was all that stood between her people and total annihilation. Clay’s heart sunk and a fear like he had never known came over him. He never thought that he would never see the day when one of his fantasies would come to life, and now wished he had never wanted such things. Again he spoke to the goddess "If you are so powerful then why don't you destroy Callos?" "My time in this world has nearly come to an end, and my power has all but left me. Soon I will die and there will be no other to protect and care for my children. That is why you have been brought here. To serve as their guardian." She knew that this was more than he could understand now, but as he fulfilled the quest he would see the truth that she spoke. " But why me?" Clay still bewildered by all that had taken place, and now to be told he was to be the guardian of this world, he knew he had to be insane. " I mean, you bring me here from my own world and tell me that there is this really bad guy that I am supposed to kill. You fill my head with these images of death and demons as well as this Callos character that is supposed to be the root of the problem, and then you tell me I am to be the guardian over this world. Come on lady, give a break." " The reason for your choosing is simple, there is no one else who can do it." The goddess knew she could never make him understand, and hoped that she had not been wrong in her choosing. " So let me get this straight. In all the world I get to be the one guy out of 5 billion that is going to be able to go out, find this Callos guy, put him back in the mirror, and then be eternal guardian over this world, protecting it from evil forevermore. You will have to excuse me if I don't buy into this, but if you were me what would you do." Clay was starting to wonder where the TV cameras were hidden, and who in the hell was playing this sick joke on him. “I understand your confusion and disbelief but it does not change the fact that you are the chosen one and it is you that will seek out the mirror and seek out Callos and return him to the demon realm. If you do not you will die.” She knew this would only scare the man further and make him more reluctant to fulfill his destiny, but she had no others words to say. For a moment Clay thought of all he had seen and heard, and thought of his never ending fantasies of doing something just like this. Now the opportunity had been laid out before him and he was too scared to take it. He never expected anything like this to ever actually happen, but yet it some how felt like the right thing to do. Though his fear and lack of belief in himself still had him questioning whether or not he could fulfill this quest and bring peace back to this realm, he knew he had to try. This was his one and only shot at truly living out his dreams. “I may fail, but I will try to be this man you think that I am, but don’t be surprised if I am the first to be slaughtered.” Those around Clay could see something different in his eyes, he had been changed some how. Gone was the look of bewilderment and in its place a look of determination, and will. But even as Kailem saw this he still did not believe this simple man could possibly be their savior. “Why have chosen this man over one of us, one of your children?” If anyone should save their people it should be him. After all it was Kailem that had discovered the reappearance of Callos and destroyed three of his demon followers. Why was this honor not bestowed upon him? “Kailem there was no choice to be made. I did not choose Clay any more than he chose to be the one. It is fate.” The goddess did understand why Kailem was so disturbed by this revelation but even her power could not change fate and its course for her people. Talon spoke for the first time “If you think that I will serve under this man, you are gravely mistaken. I would sooner kill him.” Imagine an Elven warrior subservient to Man, this was not going to happen. Before the Goddess could answer Clay interjected “Talon, I would not, nor shall I ask you or anyone to take orders from me. We are in this together and that is how we must face it, together. Through what chain of events has brought us to this place at this time, I do not know, but if we do not work together against this monster we will all die.” Clay walked up to the elf and stuck out his hand. “I know that in a distant past my people acted with stupidity, causing wars between Man, and the Elves. But those men have long since died, and with them died any prejudice their small minds held. I am not those men, I am a man, a man that is far from his home, a man that needs your help, a man that will die for you if the need should arise. Please let us put the past behind us.” “You seem sincere, but trust you, I do not.” Talon remembered the tales told of mans treachery against the elven people, and his trust would not be so easily gained. “The past between our peoples is filled with broken promises and the lies of Man.” As he knocked Clay’s hand away. “I will not ask you to trust me, I will show you that you can.” Clay had said these words a thousand times in the past and had meant them every time. He had only just found out about the past between the two races and yet even though it was so far removed from him and his life, there was remorse in his heart. He could only imagine what Man had done to this proud race. All he knew of elves was what he had read in books, and thought the whole race to be a figment of the imagination. But now he knew that yes they did exist and that he must some how find a way to bridge this gap. “You will find that my trust will not so easily be gained.” For some strange reason Talon found he wanted to believe this man. There was something in his eyes that showed truth, and honor. He had never seen such honesty as that that shown in Clays. “Understood” Clay knew any other words would be a waste and would accomplish nothing. Time was their enemy now and they need to get underway, and find this mystical mirror he had been shown in his vision. “Goddess you have shown me everything but where this mirror is now. How do I find it?” “You will find the mirror heavily guarded in a cave on Mt. Jule. The same place where it was last used to capture Callos.” “Wait no one has said that Callos was captured a thousand years ago, why not?” Clay got the feeling he was not going to like the answer. It was Mealar that answered, “That is because a thousand years ago he simply disappeared before the mirror could be retrieved. His forces were out numbered and those that remained would soon fall, so he left my brothers body and disappeared. He has been waiting a thousand years to make his return, to have his vengeance.” “And in a thousand years no one has thought to get the mirror and keep it safe for when he returned, or wait no let me guess. After a couple hundred years you figured he wasn’t coming back, so you put the mirror back in the cave to serve as some kind of memorial or something.” Clay was getting more and more annoyed with this whole situation. “First you bring me from my world to yours, with out even asking if I wanted to come, then you tell me about this seriously evil mother fucker that you want me kill. You fill my head with images of this guy and all his grotesque little helpers that frankly scare the shit out of me, and now you tell me that this Callos has in his possession the one thing we need to beat him. Are you trying to get me killed or is it just a nice bonus that I will probably die trying to save your world. Pretty convenient if you ask me. Let the man get himself killed and keep our asses safe.” Clay had never been so angry in all his life. “The mirror was returned to the cave only last year, and it was returned there by Callos. You see Callos took over the body of one of the individuals that had access to the mirror. Before he left he killed 10 guards, and turned another twenty into his minions.” Though Clays words had angered Mealar, he knew that the man was speaking out of fear not anger. “You were chosen not because of your race but because of your heart. I have looked into your heart and it is the heart of one that is true, one that will fight at all costs to save the lives of others, the heart of the bravest knight. You act not thinking of yourself and what you will receive in return for your deeds, but because you truly care and wish to help. I have also seen that some thing like this has always been what you wanted. You have often pictured yourself against insurmountable odds, and finding the courage and the strength to overcome them, and save the world from great evil. You need only look in your heart to find what you need to save this land and its people from Callos, and become the Guardian, forevermore protecting my children from evil.” The goddess hoped her words had not fallen upon deaf ears. Clay’s anger turned to humility. “You’re right, I have dreamed of something like this. But never did I think it would actually happen. The things you say you see in my heart are things I have wished for, not things I have. As for you Mealar, I apologize for my assumptions. You have to understand this more than any man can take calmly and accept, as if it were an everyday occurrence. Think of what has happened to me, and what you have asked of me. Now imagine you were me. How would you react to all of this? I mean that up until yesterday I was a telemarketing manager whose life was pretty boring. Now I get to be the one to save the world. Kind of a lot to deal with, you know?” “You are nothing like what we expected. But as it has been foreseen you will become the guardian. No one can change that, not me, not you, not the goddess, not anybody. You must accept what is true and what you are to become or we will all be made to suffer.” Mealar had to find some way to get through to this man who would be their savior. “ I have all these images and ideas running through my head. They move so fast I can’t even concentrate on one to see where it leads. I see visions of unholy beasts laying waste to men, women, and children. I feel magic moving within me, I some how know how to use a sword and fire a bow with lethal cunning. I am going to save the world from a thing that cannot be killed and might be able to be trapped. But the last time that happened was eons ago, and it was one of your own people that captured him. Yet with all these doubts I also feel a kind of calm, the kind of inner strength that has made mere men into heroes. Hell, basically your telling me that this is my one shot to live out a dream, to be more than I am, to step outside the boundaries of what I thought my existence to be, and though I wish to embrace it, I can’t help but to be afraid, afraid that you made the wrong choice and that I will fail.” Fear and courage warred within Clay, it was a battle that would not be won or lost until he came face to face with Callos. “But fears can be overcome, and I will overcome mine. All of this has got to be true, because if it isn’t then I am in serious need of psychological counseling.” “What does psychological mean?” Sheylaar was puzzled by many of the words Clay used. “It is a word that is used to describe things that go on inside your head. Your thoughts and emotions, and things of that nature.” Clay was not too sure about how to explain psychology to a people who clearly would be considered straightjacket material in his own world. “ Any way, we need to get started as soon as possible, so I suggest we go back to town and pack supplies then try to get some rest, we leave in the morning.” This time there would be no disagreement, but still no one quite trusted this would savior. “Before you leave I have one more gift to give to you.” Shahri knew that her time in this world was over and that it was time to pass on her power and the power given to her by the other gods. She only hoped that she had been right in her choosing, and Clay would be able to handle that which was about to be bestowed upon him. “What?” Clay had no idea what he was about to receive. Shahri floated up to Clay and grabbed took his hands in her own. The two figures became surrounded by light, as if it had substance and could be touched. Clay could feel the magical energy passing into to him, filling him. He could feel the great magical power flowing through his veins. His mind was also filled with the knowledge of what he was receiving and how to call upon this magic. As the light faded, Shahri lost the aura she had once had, and no longer appeared young, the magic that had sustained her for thousands of years was now gone and she had become mortal. Her hair had turned silver, wrinkles appeared on her face and hands, the white cloak she wore lost its shimmer and hung on skeletal form. She was dying, and Clay knew it. “Why?” With the knowledge that she had passed to him Clay knew that there was nothing he could do to stop her death. She had chosen to die. “As I said before, my time here has come to and end. You now will be the guardian over this land. The magic I have given to you will protect you from the hypnotic spell that Callos yields over his victims. But know that his power is far beyond this. Remember that mirror is the only thing that can defeat him. You must capture him in the mirror, or all will be lost.” As she spoke these last words she fell into Clays arms and died. |
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