brought to you by Tow
By Reid Silverwing de Feura
In this world full of fantasy
This world that's like a dream
I met a fair-haired woman
Who wasn't quite as she seemed
Her face was powdered white
Her smile was so serene
But when I saw she was a vampire
It made me want to scream
Be careful in the Azdun's deep
For here does evil dwell
But if you stay within the light
Then you will be well
This world that's like a dream
I found the dead Ashtani
Thought they weren't as dead as I'd deemed
Maim seemed oh so kind
When first we did meet,
But then I went exploring,
Beneath her cellars deep.
Within her ghastly maze
I found the homeless children
Every one of them a zombie
Of this, I was certain.
Be careful of the falsely sweet
For here may evil dwell
And it will hurt you much, much more
When those you trusted, make you yell.
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The Haunted Lodge, by Ravien
“Ok! Who ever is coming on this Ravy train had better shift their cubby butts!” Ravien clapped her hands and smiled as a mixture of novice Sentinels began to gather around her, some knowing of the trip ahead, some just curious as to why such a number had gathered. A young atavian sentinel cub looked up at Ravien with wide eyes and asked “is it really haunted?” In the background Tow chuckled “Just maybe” he said, a small grin on his lips “Or maybe one of you will end up in the pot and we all get to eat by the campfire, so come on, you heard the Siren, get ready to go!” Tow patted the atavian on the head and disappeared to inform the others that it was time to head off as Ravien made sure everything was set, reassuring the smallest members that they would not be eaten. In a matter of minutes, Tow returned hand in hand with his wife, Julya, closely followed by Greyda, Aztecia, Entaro, Agrias and Encephalon. Central Hall stood silent and still apart from the hushed voices and giggles from the pack, the moon was high in the heavens and the light shone brightly against the leaves in the upper parts of the trees catching their movement like glittering sequins caught in the sun. Tonight they were heading to the Sentinel lodge for a little Logosween fun and Eleusis had the perfect backdrop, high in the trees where the wind rustled the leaves and many a forestall animal could be heard scampering around. Holding lantern’s up high the group made there way into the subdivision, passing through the main village until they stopped at their destination.
Aztecia opened the heavy wooden door and it swung open with a dramatic creak and hit against the stopper. Looking at her hand, Aztecia didn’t recall pushing that hard but shrugged it off and stepped inside. Aztecia turned and motioned to Entaro “Pass me a lantern please so I can find my way in and get some light in here?” Aztecia took the offered lantern from Entaro and lit the candles that led the way into the main room of the lodge, big enough to seat twice of whom was present. It wasn’t long before all found a seat or piece of floor to lay out their blankets and get comfortable. Placing the lanterns in the middle of the room, each of the older Sentinels began to weave animated tales of magic, horror and gore. Roamer’s eerie tale had the youngest members of the group clinging to Greyda and Julya as Tow’s gruesome renditions of Belladona’s slaughters had them all swearing to never go up near her lair, much to the amusement of Agrias who playfully made a lunge for an unsuspecting cub’s neck, to be greatly rewarded by a startled scream.
Just as the laughter began to settle down, the lanterns centred in the middle of the room began to jump ever so slightly. Encephalon rose from the place next to his wife and stepped closer to them to get a better look, as he started to crouch it happened again making him lose balance but it wasn’t the lanterns, the whole lodge was shaking with every bang. Aztecia immediately ordered Julya and Ravien to stay and settle the cubs, as with each bang they were becoming more frightened, she then beckoned for the others to follow her out of the room and take a patrol first on the other rooms and then the area surrounding the lodge. Before anyone could move more than two steps the lanterns flickered out and a gust of air whipped around the group, extinguishing the candles one bye one leaving the Sentinels in total darkness. In a low haunting voice, the words “Leave ... “echoed and rippled throughout the room. No more than mere seconds after the voice disappeared, huge orange flames began to lick at the windows from the outside bathing the room and its visitors in an amber glow. The heat was intense as the cubs clung to the closest member of the house they could find, eyes wide in fear.
Flashes of blinding light reverberated around the room as those who could, transformed into the spirit of the Icewyrm and the others grabbed their buckets. Greyda ran first towards the door and it slammed shut in her face, her hand reaching for the knob she twisted and pulled as hard as she could yet it would not budge. Aztecia tried but even as a powerful dragon, again the door would not give and just before those Sentinels who were of the village could call for a gate, the flames and heat vanished as quickly as it arrived stunning the pack into silence. Encephalon looked to Greyda and asked “What the hell...?” Greyda just shook her head and edged towards the door “No idea Ceph, no idea ...” Greyda reached out to try the handle and before she could touch it, everyone in the room jumped as an almighty crash sounded through the lodge “Aztecia, her instincts kicking in said quietly “That was the main door, whatever was outside … is in” The cubs, completely terrified now were too scared to even move. Julya looked around her and saw what was on the floor “Cant gate, there’s a flamed mono …” she said quietly.
To be in a situation unarmed was one thing, to be in a situation skill less and unarmed was another and they knew it so Aztecia and Agrias motioned for all those who where able to defend to step forward, protecting the others as they fell backward. As the door would not open, all they could do was wait for ‘it’ what ever that may be to reach them. Big bangs vibrated throughout the lodge, each seemingly huge footstep made the younger sentinels jump and the older ones stand firm. Each shuddering step made the Sentinels hearts beat faster and faster, each pace towards the room they were locked in getting closer and closer until. Silence. Not a breath was let loose as all eyes focused on the door as the handle shook, the knob turning slowly, metal squeaking against metal as a light began to glow around the frame of the door.
The door itself then flew open and a grating laugh could be heard as through the blur of light Julya gasped loudly then burst out laughing. One bye one each of the Sentinels relaxed then fell into fits of unrestrained laughter. For there, standing in the door way was a group of slightly merry, beaming faces. The rest of the pack had heard that some Sents where going to give the cubs a fright night on their first Logosween so they thought they would shake everybody up a little. Each new face took a bow for their efforts in illusions, control of the elements or just the fact they were there hiding etc as Landon made his way first into the large room, coughing then banged his chest as the low haunting voice echoed around the room “Leave … me plenty of room as I am a dragon and need the space” Those recovering from the laughing were sent back into hysterics. They then spent the rest of the night drinking warm cider and ale and sharing delights from the Eleusian Inn as once again the candles burned low and new stories of myth, legend and terror animatedly filled the room.