The Spark

All was darkness.  All was quiet.  All was cold. The Goddess floated as just a speck in the vast void of nothingness.  Her existence was devoted to holding herself together, for she held within her all that was and all that would be.  Time meant nothing to her, except that the harder she tried to hold together, the harder it became.  She didn't know what would happen to her if she just let go and she felt afraid.  She felt alone.  After holding on as long and as hard as she could, she began to tire.

That was when she felt it.  What was it?  It began to glow within her.  A spark.  Hope was born.  As hope washed over her she realized that all she had done out of fear was to hold herself back.

"What if I disappear?" Fear cried.

"What if I don't?" Hope answered.

The Goddess felt warm and happy.  It was magical!  And then she released her hold.

The Universe exploded into existence.  The Goddess was so happy.  She took the spark and split it into four pieces, imbuing them with all that she was, all of her happiness, all of her hope and then she created love.  Love was a light that would shine in the darkness.  Love was freedom.  Love was forgiving.  It was the desire to create happiness.  It was the truth.  It was unending and persistent.

The Goddess then put her love into the four sparks, kissed them and sent them out. Then she watched them, guiding them and blessing them.  The sparks were energy and would manifest themselves in different ways.  Sometimes they would fuel a star.  Sometimes they would create a planet.  They created you, dear reader. You are a creation of hope, love, light, of freedom. So live. 

The Greatest

You made yourself out to be
The most amazing thing
anyone could see
But you just turned out to be
The greatest disappointment to me

Everything you said was true
Ended up as fake as you
Your facade was just a show
You wore it thinking I'd not know
The greatest disappointment to me

The only person you care about
Is yourself and the tired words you spout
Mansplaining on your stupid blog
maintaining status as a slob
The greatest disappointment to me

Promises you wouldn't keep
The bullshit piled elbow deep
So observant that you're asleep
Do you ever open your eyes
The greatest disappointment to me

Every new one, the best ever!
Never felt this way before
Every single one. The best.
Until the next one in a month
The greatest disappointment to me

Love will never come to you
Because you love attention more
Yeah, you're an attention whore
Post 'at hospital' a hundred times more
The greatest disappointment to me

Ask your "friends" and they'll agree
They stay for what they get to see
The guy they want to take to bed
Then find out you're the worst they've ever had
The greatest disappointment to me

They keep you in a little box
So they can live and you are stuck
Afraid to go. afraid to stay
if only they knew how much you'd pay
The greatest disappointment to me

You claim to be such a nice guy
but underneath you're just a lie
then had the nerve to ask me why
I would leave. Because you're
The greatest disappointment to me

From the bottom, you think you top
But alpha anything, you are not
No one tells me what to do
So I mean it. Fuck you.
The greatest disappointment to me

Follow me - Poetry

Follow me, Follow me.
I know the way.

I am the keeper of paths.
I am the keeper of ways.

Follow me, follow me.
I know what to say.

I am the keeper of thoughts.
I am the keeper of the maze.

Stay. Stay.
Don't lose your way.
I know the hour.
I know the day.

I've seen it all. 
Infinite waves.
Rising up.
Infinite rays.

Follow me. Follow me.
Don't go astray.

Follow me. Follow me.
I know the way.

I am the keeper of time.
I am the keeper of days.

Follow me.  Follow me.
Love is the way.

©Renny Hall

Crimson Revenge - Payback in Blood. Part 10

It was 3 years since Ravvyn was successfully extracted from the Whispering Woods.  Even now, she remembered how a giant panda, Mengtao, came crashing and bouncing through the forest like a black and white bouncy ball.  He was followed shortly by a stuck up blood elf named Cazora and her mysterious and sneaky spirit feline, Saberhagen.  If she hadn't pinched herself, she would have thought it was some bizarre dream.

Ravvyn enjoyed being with her new clan.  Crimson Revenge was a guild of exceptionally talented fighters, from all races and backgrounds.  They believed that justice involved more than a simple punishment.  They believed in revenge.  They fought for all that was good and Light in the world and weren't afraid to kill for it.

Ravvyn stood at the gates of an ancient, night elf temple, holding Joliset's acorn.  She had consulted many scholars.  She searched old libraries for scrolls... she was finally sure that this was the right course of action.

Ravvyn stepped over the fallen pieces of stonework, vines that wound there way around and into the temple. Inside a large hole in the domed ceiling allowed a soft and vibrant beam of light to shine down on a statue of the druid goddess of nature... Ashia Timberspark.  The statue was still magnificent, even though it had stood for millenia. Her arms outstretched and in mid transformation into a tree, her hands were branches and her feet were roots.  At the base of the statue glittered a small pool of glowing water.

Ravvyn stared down at the acorn in her pale hand with a mixture of hope and fear.  She gently placed the acorn into the pool, watching it float for a moment, then slowly sink below the surface.  She took a couple steps back and waited.  The look of fear and hope interchanging as the moments ticked by.

Suddenly, she felt the smallest vibration.  It began to increase in intensity and the water began to bubble up until it could have been a boiling cauldron.  Ravvyn looked around her nervously. And then the vibrations and boiling stopped.

"Is that it?"  she asked the statue, puzzled. There was no reply, of course.

She peered over the edge of the pool to see where the acorn had gone, but it wasn't there anymore.  Only two halves of the shell bobbed to the surface.

Ravvyn sigh sadly.  Picking up the two halves, closing one in each hand.  She hung her head in defeat.

"Years of research... for nothing." she whispered to the ground.  So she turned to leave.

After a few steps a tiny scratch sound came from behind her... by the pool.  She turned to see what had made the noise.  "Probably the wind on the vines." she thought.  But the scratching sound persisted.

She walked back to the pool, placing the acorn shells in her pockets and drawing her weapons, taking up a cautious stance.  She couldn't see anything, so moved some of the tangled vines and then, she saw...  It?  Her?

A tiny living sapling was trying to free itself from the vines next to the pool.  It looked up at Ravvyn with large innocent eyes, then it squeaked and smiled, holding it's tiny branches out to Ravvyn.

Ravvyn had never smiled as big as she did at that moment as she gasped, scooping up the fragile plant in her hands.

"Hello...  Joliset." she whispered to the smiling baby tree druid.  It squeaked and bounced excitedly in her palms.  Ravvyn laugh/cried.  "Oh, I missed you!"

She held the baby tree like a precious treasure and left the temple on their way...  home.

Crimson Revenge - Payback in Blood. Part 9

The next morning was hard to tell if the sun had risen or not... the sky was covered with clouds and thick smoke from the burning farms and fields in the middle of the valley.  Lavineen had not slept very well at all.  She tossed and turned, worrying about Christopher on his mission.  She got up early, ate some bread for breakfast, read the reports.  Christopher's group had not yet returned. So she went to spend time with Starmane.  

The celestial horse stood munching happily at the grass.  He snorted and shook his head with happiness when his mistress came over and began to pat him and speak softly in the elven tongue.  Starmane twitched his ears as he listened.  He butted his head and neck against her gently, in his way of comforting her.

Many hours passed and the other paladins and soldiers began to whisper and create rumors.  Lavineen mounted Starmane and went to stand upon the hill to watch.  She sat stoically. Several more hours passed.  The evening was now upon them. Lavineen took a deep jagged breath, then hung her head in defeat.  He was never coming...

Suddenly, Starmane whinnied loudly, stomping his foot on the ground. He snorted excitedly and began dancing his hooves in place. Lavineen looked up to see a ragged looking group of paladins slowly making their way across a field.  Some were walking, limping, hunched. Some of the steeds were gone.  Some held their injured riders. There in the front, leading his own steed with an injured paladin soldier slung over the saddle, was Christopher.

As he came closer to the encampment, he could see Lavi staring at him.  He had never seen her allow her face to express the emotion she was expressing right now, let alone in front of others.  Upon seeing the sorrow, happiness and love on her face, his heart tightened in his chest as if the overflowing love he felt would explode his chest.  He smiled at her, a tear welling in his eye.

Lavi slid quickly and gracefully off of Starmane's back as Christopher handed the reigns of his steed off to one of the camp paladins.  He knew they shouldn't, but they couldn't help themselves.  The rushed together and embraced with such passion that those around them merely smiled and left them alone.  The tear Chris had been able to hold back until now trailed down his face as he held Lavi in his arms.  The sweet smell of her hair, the silky threads on his face, catching in his whiskers, the warmth of her against him.  He would remember this moment forever.

Lavineen gazed into his eyes and Christopher realized she also had tears in her eyes.  He gently held her face in his hands, rubbing the tears away with his thumbs so tenderly.  Droplets of tears twinkled in the light of the camp torches and fires and reflected in her eyes.  She was so beautiful.  He finally kissed her for the first time in front of the world.  At first Lavi was shocked, but she no longer cared who knew of their love.  Consequences no longer mattered.  True love is a rare and precious gift. She kissed him back.

After another few moments of embracing each other, Christopher took a deep breath and a few steps back from Lavi,  knelt down on one knee.  Lavi, still holding his hand, looked at him puzzled.

"Are you injured?!  Do you need a healer?" she asked, frightened.

"No. No, I'm fine.  It's just that..." he tried to clear his throat as his heart pounded in his chest and his face flushed red. The whole camp seemed to be watching him now, but he didn't care.

"My dearest Lavineen... we went through the academy together as teenagers and we have watched each other grow.  What has grown most in those years is my overwhelming respect, devotion and love for you..." he spoke with a slight waver to his voice, his face breaking out in a sweat.

Lavineen stared down at him with surprise as he held her hand in both of his.

"I don't know what tomorrow may bring for us, but I know that I can't live a single day without you by my side.  You are the light of my life.  Will you please take me as your husband?"  he asked her, his eyes hopefully looking into hers as he awaited her answer.  He held his breath.

Lavi looked around for a moment, at him, at those that had gathered, at the General of the camp who was smiling at them.

Then she turned back to Chris.  "I can't live another day without you either.  I will take you as my husband."  then a rare and radiant smile beamed from her face as Christopher jumped up, embracing her and lifting her off the ground.  The camp erupted in cheers.  As he brought her feet back to the ground, he kissed her once more.

He turned to the General stiffly, at attention.  "General, sir! With your permission of course?  Would you marry us right now.  Sir, I don't want to waste another second of my life without this beautiful woman." he saluted respectfully.

The General grinned widely.  "Granted Lieutenant! And it would be my pleasure." he saluted. Allow me to get myself ready for a quick ceremony.  He went to his tent.

The ceremony was not fancy, the bride and groom were wearing their armor, but no one could doubt the happiness of that moment.  As short lived as it was...

For a mere couple hours after the impromptu wedding and the celebrations were taking place the scourge of undead had decided to make a sneaky attack of their own.  Soldiers were yelling, rushing around, screaming...

Christopher and the General began barking orders at their soldiers and finally, they were in some type of order, but the undead were already attacking and there were a lot of them.  Christopher pulled out his shield and one handed sword.  He yelled out prayers to the Light to fill him and the soldiers around him with it's holy blessings.  They all immediately perked up, shining with inner light and determination.  Christopher then held a hand out at an incoming undead that gnashed it's rotten maw threateningly.

"By the Light, be turned away!"  Christopher yelled.  Holy light shot from his hand, burning the evil creature and made it turn away and flee.  He shield slammed another undead in the face and chopped the head off another beside it.

Lavineen held her massive two handed sword , chopping through undead bodies like they were clouds and not bones and rotten flesh.  The General was out in front, yelling and crushing the enemies with his huge hammer.

The fight was furious, it smelled like putrescence and fresh blood. Dark soil and sweat.  Holy light was beaming around everywhere, but so was unholy light desecrating the very ground.  The sun began to peak it's way into the sky as morning came.

Christopher shouted to Lavineen, "I have to push them back.  Fall back to the village with the injured and keep them safe!" and before she could protest he yelled "And that's an order soldier!"  with that, he grabbed her and kissed her one last time, then ran off leading his men.

Lavineen gathered the rest and the injured and they did as they were ordered and fell back to the village.  Thistlemoore was a small, but pretty village and the folks living there were always kind and thankful to the paladins and soldiers.  They would help take care of the sick and injured.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Christopher lay there on the ground.  The scourge scum still chewing on him as he lay dying.  He closed his eyes and thought of Lavi.  Her beautiful face.  They way she had smiled today.

He died with her smile in his heart.


A light began to shine in his eyes as he began to float bodiless in a dark void.  Closer.  Closer.  Whispers.  Closer, brighter.  Brighter.  The being of Light reached down a hand to him as it flapped it's ethereal wings. He reached out, but something became incredibly wrong...  The light began to cry  in despair and sorrow as it was pulled away. Then the darkness returned.  He was alone. He didn't know for how long...

"Oy!  Caretaker?!  Where ya wann we should dump these duds?" a gravelly voice said with a strange accent.

"Jes line um up righ 'ere! Yes yes. good." another voice said.

"Wha' a waste a good meat!" said a third voice with a gurgle.

"Oh, it ain't no waste.  Jes you wait an' see!" the caretaker said excitedly, rubbing together his pruney hands. "Now git ye back ter werk ye maggot heads!" he shooed them away.

As he turned back to examine the failed undead recruit bodies a sparkle of a glint caught his eye.  Christopher's body was still wearing the necklace Lavineen made him promise to return to her, but he never got the chance.

"Oy... wuts this??" the wrinkled hand reached out to grab the necklace when suddenly it was grabbed.  The caretaker jumped back several feet in surprise.

"....d...d....on't.....t..ouch.....th....a...t......."  the corpse said, gripping the celestial medalion in it's boney hand.

"Ah!  So's ye ain't a dud.  Good fer you, now report to the priest and git outter my crypt ye bag of pus!" The caretaker pointed to the exit.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Five years had passed since that fateful day...  the day Christopher and Lavineen had gotten married.  Lavineen sat mounted on Starmane overlooking a different valley.  The undead scourge had pushed back very hard.  She hadn't seen Christopher since their wedding day.  He was dead.  Gone.

Lavineen stared blankly out over the fields with sorrow in her heart and a sense of deja vu.  These farmlands were next on the scourge's list, but this time, they'd be ready.  The King and Queen had gathered together all their troops and made the front line unbreakable.  At least they felt they had.

Lavineen growled angrily.  Anger was the only thing that she would allow herself to feel anymore.  It hurt less...  She would often scout the fields and treeline alone. Recklessly seeking out undead filth to destroy.

Starmane snorted and pawed at the soil.  He was ready!

With a click of her heels to his flanks he was off like a shot.  Galloping through the tangle of trees with ease.

Suddenly Starmane reared up in surprise, throwing Lavineen to the ground.  It was such a surprise because it had never happened before.  Lavineen brushed dirt, and leaves out of her face and hair, stood up and dusted herself off.

"Starmane?!  What was that....."  she stopped speaking as she saw the reason for her fall.

"Christopher?!" she stared in disbelief at the rotting creature before her, wearing her pendant, resembling the lost love of her life.

[to be continued...]

**I do not own any of the images included in this story.  Just the story!  All rights for the images go tto their owners.  I am merely a fan and admirer.  **

Crimson Revenge- Payback in Blood. Part 8

Lavineen Lightbringer held a hand up to her face, blocking the sun from her gaze as she surveyed the fields below. Her pointed ears poked out delicately from her sunbeam colored hair. The plate armor she wore was immaculate, shining and very ornate.  It was paladin armor.  On her back was a beautiful crimson and black cloak and over that, a large two handed sword named "Hope's Blessing" glinted and glowed with an inner light.

Starmane bent his head to gaze on the hillside flowers as his mistress sat upon his golden saddle. He was a celestial being from the astral planes of the ancients.  A billion stars twinkled in his coat of sky, his wings folded neatly at his sides.

The farms below lay in ruin, the crops ruined, the buildings burning.  Smoke billowed into the sky, thousands of feet high.  Farm animals that had escaped their pens were all running around panicked. The undead scourge was here. The farms were all lost.  In the center of the largest field sat an immense cauldron. It bubbled with a sickly purple liquid that spewed a noxious cloud of gas. This was the scourge poison. Once dead, any creature could be brought back to fight in the undead army for the Dread Queen, Malvissa Frozenheart.

Seeing the horror below frightened Lavineen, as it would anyone, but her face remained the same, calm expression.  She didn't move at all when another paladin rode up beside her and stopped.

"My group is up next. On a special mission." the male paladin said, looking at the fields instead of Lavineen. His armor plated horse snorted a greeting to Starmane who bobbed his head in return.

"We head out tonight." he removed his plate helmet, shook his black hair and ran his fingers through it a couple times.  He turned to look at Lavineen's face expectantly.  His human emotions written clearly on his face.

A stab of pain shot through her heart. She boiled with fear and worry, but mostly overwhelming love.  Even though she felt so much, her face didn't betray her feelings. Her expression remained the same.  After a moment she put her hand down and turned to look at him.

"Congratulations on your important mission, lieutenant." she said evenly. "I'm sure you will do an excellent job leading, as always, sir. May the light protect you."

Christopher grinned slyly at her words.
"No need to be so formal, soldier. We're the only ones in ear shot."  His steed bumped against hers gently, the two animals clearly used to being this close to each other. He suddenly embraced Lavineen, pulling her close and kissing her passionately. She returned his kisses with her own passion for several minutes before sighing and laying her head on his chest armor.  Christopher caressed her head lovingly.

"I want to go with you, Chris. I can't bear to be apart from you. It's so dangerous... I never want to lose you." she spoke softly.

Chris gently lifted up her chin to look in her eyes tenderly.

"Lavi. I feel the same way, but everything will be okay. I love you more than life!  I won't be gone long. I'll be back before you wake in the morning." he smiled warmly. He kissed her nose playfully, making her smile as only he could.

"I love you, Christopher. More than you'll ever know." Lavi removed a necklace from around her neck, placing it around Chris's neck.  "I want you to take this with you." she said as she clasped the chain.  The necklace held a silver pendant with a small piece of a celestial star embedded in it.

"I will wear it proudly and return it to you tomorrow." he smiled as he tucked it under his armor, close to his heart. They kissed and held each other for as long as they dared, not wanting to get caught in their fraternizing. It was against the paladin order after all.

[to be continued... ]

At War - Poetry

At War

I am at war with myself.

Constantly.

I am sweet, kind, accepting, giving.

Then

I am mean, hateful, rejecting and selfish.

What am I?

Who am I?

I hate each form while in the other.

I am blonde, energetic, smiling.

But

I am dark, thoughtful and brooding.

I love you.

I hate you.

Light and dark collide within.

Eternally struggling.

Who am I?

What am I?

I want you.  I need you.  I love you.

No.

I desire you.  I hate you.  You need me.

I am lonely.

I love being alone.

I am at war with myself.

-Renny Hall