Continuing Story

[Rubywolf]

OK. I'll start a story and then someone else will continue it. That someone else will leave the story OPEN and someone else continues it. DON'T END IT! ALWAYS LEAVE IT OPEN. when there's no more openings, Someone starts a new one. You can write as much or as little as you like, but remember, it's more fun when the authors change constantly. Don't purposely lead a story into a dead end because you think it is stupid or silly. OK, here goes...

The wood behind Grandma's house had always been...different. As a little girl, I used to play in it. Every now and then, I'd think I 'saw' something. A phoenix, maybe, or a unicorn. Or something else.... Fantasies were abundant in that time long ago. Nightmares were, too.
Now I stood before it, taking deep breaths, almost a decade later. When my parents had died two months ago, the attourney had decided that my closest relative, my Grandmother, was my guardian--but Grandma had disappeared yesterday. I found a hastily scribbled note when I woke up. 'They are coming to get me...look in the wood.'
I now stood before the wood, at the grand age of fifteen, steeling myself. I was going to have to go find her.
I took the last few steps into the wood. Hold on--what was that? I pushed my long, black hair out of my eyes as I squinted. Nothing--I guess....
Wait! Was that it again? Oh no, oh no no no....
A giant black wolf with golden wings stepped out of the woods. It was snarling ferociously and said in a deep, growling voice, "Who are you to step into my Master's domain?"
I gulped and asked who he was.
"I am Shadow. You are to come with me."
"Where are we going?" I asked.
"To the No Man's Land in the Nowhere world."
I asked where that was. He/It laughed and replied that "where" didn't exist in the Nowhere world.


OK1 have fun! Remember, don't get mad if it gets weird or doesn't turn out like you thought that it should. But, don't go crazy and mess it all up. Oh, and it can get sureal if it's not too confusing. Also, this first post can NOT be a dream or halucination. This really happened.

[makdragon613]

The dead leaves on the forset floor crunched under my feet. OkayI thought to myself There's no need to panic. Just breathe deeply. Alright, let's look at the situation shall we? I'm alone in a forest following a giant wolf and I have NO IDEA where I 'm going. Nothing to worry about right?
I took a deep breath and let it out quietly, so much for trying to convince myself. I was trying VERY hard not to panic or get hysterical. Somehow I had the feeling "Shadow" would not put up with that.
"So Shadow," I said hoping to lighten the mood, "Do you often come this way?" Shadow just kept walking, not even looking back. Great I thought What have I gotten myself into?

[Rubywolf]

We walked farther than I had ever before. I was exhausted and breathing hard. The woods became thicker and darker. I tried not to think about where I was going because I had an idea that where ever we were going wasn't any place good. I almost stopped as a thought struck me.What if Shadow had a hand in my grandmother's disaperence? I tried to block the thought out of my head as shadow growled something about going any faster. I scowled at the unfairness. His long legs could easily walk quickly.
All of a sudden, I was lifted off the ground. Shadow had grabbed the back of my wind breaker in his mouth and had taken off into the air. I screamed as a thwack from a branch hit my face. All of the air was knocked out of my lungs as we swooped upward through the thick forest top. Finally, we passed the maze of leaves as we hit the sky. Shadow threw me into the air and caught me with his back. I held on to dear life and wanted to yell and curse at Shadow except that I was scared that he would drop me. I climbed slowly forward onto his kneck, past the wing joint. His golden feathers whirred around me, but never hit me.
Then I saw the look in Shadow's eye. It was one of absolute terror. I heard a head splitting screech and sowly turned around. Four black and white speckled griffons were pursuing us. They were as large as Shadow and their talons were large and sharp enough to cut his hide. We zig-zagged up and down to try and ut fly them, but they were gaining on us. I held on tighter to Shadow and lay myself flat to avoid the wind resistance. One of the griffon's talons tore through Shadow's wing and we fell. The last thing I remembered before it went black was that shadow was proteecting me with his paws. Then I slipped into unconscienceness.

[kk]

When I woke up, I was in a cave. It was dark, and damp, and I couldn't see anything besides the shadow's glowing eyes. I tried to get up, but the shadow growled for me to stay put and be quiet. I listened carefully, and heard the sound of wings flying away. "Good," said the shadow in his/its gray, grumbly voice. "They have left. Now we may continue our journey. Hurry, get up. We leave for the Master's commorancy at the first rays of dawn." I got up, knowing that this was probably not good.

[Rubywolf]

Shadow rose and I noticed that he was dragging his torn wing. I summoned my courage and walked over to him while taking off my wind-breaker. i gathered the wounded mess of feathers and dried blood and wrapped it with my jacket. It was the best bandage that we had.
He said nothing.
We walked all day until we reached a mountain range. I was stunned. There were no mountain ranges any where near the woods that I had seen from Grandmother's house. I asked Shadow where we were. He turned around and snarled at me.
"Where doesn't exist! We are Nowhere!"
Oh. Right. I'd forgotten.
Shadow lifted his muzzle to the sky and howled. First deep, then getting higher. It was sweet, it was ferocious. I had never heard a wolf howl before.
Another wolf howled in answer. We hurried over the steep terrain. Night was falling rapidly. We reached through a pass in the mountains as the stars came out.
I gasped. A huge fortress was in the center of a ring of mountains. It was very gothic looking, like something in my wildest dreams. We walked slowly toward it. When we reached the enterance, a wolf/giant/winged-thingy stood guard. He glanced at me and then spoke to Shadow.
"What took you so long? The Master is not happy."

[Dragon Writer]

"we had some problems with griffons," i said, determined to not be left out completely
the wolf glared at me, as did shadow, but silently stepped aside to let us pass.
when i saw what was inside, i nearly fell...it was gigantic, the floor a black and white pattern, a chandelere, gigantic, and a slight feeling of darkness, suffused through out it. i didn't know whether to gawk, or hide.

[Rubywolf]

In the center of the room was a towering spiral staircase. It was so huge that three wolves could have gone up it while walking side by side. However, the steps were small and close together so I had no problems going up it. We climbed for a long time. There were several floors that we passed up, but we passed them all up.
"Here," Shadow whispered. We entered a giant hall, at the end of which stood two spinxes. They loooked like giant golden lions, but with the faces of the most beautiful women in the world. they were exactly identical. We walked toward them and they spoke to us in simultanious, musical voices.
"Shadow, the Master has summoned for you when you arrived. However,' they sang, "he is occupied with another visitor. It shall not take long. May the Master grant you Pardon."
"I'll bet I know who that visitor is. may the Master grant you Favor," Shadow mumbled, but he sat on his haunches and waited. The Sphinxes smiled, but gave nothing away.
I stared at the sphinxes. They were beautiful and mystical. There were exactly identical, and did everything at the same time.
The door was slammed open. Shadow sprang up out of the way. A woman, old and dressed in a royal robe of white feathers stormed out. She turned around and thundered at whoever was within, "You shall regret this to your dying day, Albatross! which, I might add, apears to be loomung ever closer!" she grabbed the ends of the robe and, with a flurry of feathers, turned into a giant dove. Nothing was starting to surprise me.
The sphinxes shut the door. Shadow looked at me urgently and said, "Seak not until you are spoken to, and remember your manners! Just do what I do." The Spinxes opened the door and we entered a throne room. The floor was marble, the walls and ceiling gold. In the far end, a mighty throne sat. It was red and carved to in the form of two dragons hissing and sithering. In the throne sat an old man, his long white beard standing out against a robe of woven gold. his fingers were laden with precious rings and a gold crown sat on his head. His features were pale and his nose almost beak like. over the golden robe, he wore a robe of grayish white feathers. In his hand, he held a mighty staff adorned with a large saphire. Shadow and I bowed low.
The Wizard spoke. "Shadow, you are late."
"My lord! I beg nothing but forgiveness! i was attacked by griffons in the eastern forest and wounded. We tried really har-"
"Stop your foolish blabbering! as if I wanted to hear a tale! Do you have the girl?"
"yes, my Lord."
The Wizard ooked at me. One of his eyes was blue, the other brown. "Do you know of the whereabouts of your mother's mother?" he asked, his voice pleasant.
I could not stop the tears. They ran for my Mother, my Father, my Grandmother, my hunger, my exhaustion, my fear, and for the fact that my world had turned upside down.
The Wizard nodded and called for his guards to feed me and give me a room to sleep in in the northern tower. The spinxes escorted me out of the throne room. Shadow stayed behind to speak with Albatross, the Wizard.

[Dragon Writer]

i stared at my food for the longest time before eating. it wasn't that i wasn't hungry, for i was starving, but rather that i was...confused. my entire life was being turned upside down, it seemed, and i could no longer even make myself care, because it seemed to go on for as long as i could remember...
and yet, eat, i did, finishing off every particle, though whether from hunger, or simply for lack of anything else to do, i could not say, and no sooner did i finish, then shadow came to me.
"the master wishes to see you."
that was all he said...i waited for more, but when it seemed obvious i wasn't getting anything, i got up, and began to follow him.
***

everything seemed different on the way back up...nothing big. a slight change in shadows, a different shade of green...small enough to wonder if you were imagining things, but big enough to wonder, and despite my adopted apathy towards my situation, i could not help but wonder, even as i followed shadow, just what kind of place i had walked into.

[wordwielder]

[Rubywolf]

The Master stared at me. He looked tired, kind, and very intimidating. "Did you tie a particle of your clothing to my servant's wing?" he asked.
I gulped, wondering if that had been the wrong thing to do. "Yes, my Lord."
Albatross nodded. "Shadow, remove it." Shadow did so. Albatross waved his hand and Shadow's wing healed.
"You see, I have no need to use such unnaffective methods. Would you like to know how?" Albatross asked with a menace in his voice.
"Yes, my Lord," I said, afraid that refusal would be offensive.
"I have power. It is called Magic. I am the only one. In fact, my daughter was just in here earlier wanting to have some of it. As you saw, I refused. I have power. You don't." He stared at me. "GET DOWMN ON YOUR KNEES! YOU ARE LOOKING AT POWER YOU STUPID HUMAN!! POWER!" he roared. I dropped and he laughed. 'good. You are learning. Shadow, take her to her room."

[Dragon Writer]

"what was that about?" i asked shadow on the way back.
"that was power," was his only reply, and then i was in my room, left alone to contemplate what he meant. i'm afraid i understood only too well...

[Rubywolf]

My room was like one that a princess or better yet a queen sleeps in.A huge 4 poster bed was in the middle.The sheets were woven gold.How much money did this guy have?The sheets alone probabley costs as much as the crown of England.The room was furnished with antiques and priceless jewels.Since I was in a tower,I went to the window to see what I could see.There were bars on the window.I was a bird in a golden cage.
Dinner was surved after a few hours.I had gone to sleep,and I was startled to see another sphinxes come to serve me dinner I relized that the giant wolves and the sphinxes were the servants of Albatross.I dined in luxury,but my thoughts drifted to Shadow. He was my only friend in a cruel world.

[Dragon Writer]

And my thoughts drifted still...
why the golden room, the show of money and servents?
and even as the questions formed in my mind, i knew the answer. "power." he had it, i didn't, and he was making sure i saw it. So maybe it was time i got some...
i was fiddling with the sphinxes' feathers when i heard a knock.

[Rubywolf]

I stuffed the feathers underneith the blanket and called to whoever it was to come in. Shadow came in. Or at least I thouht it was Shadow.
"My name is Firewrath. Please forgive me for intruding, but..." said the female wolf. She looked exactly like Shadow, except her eyes were softer.
"But what?"
"Well, the Griffons are planning a seige on the castle. It is no longer safe in the towers."
I got her drift.
"Very well, let me grab my stuff." I took my windbreaker and wrapped the feathers in it for protection. I follwoede Firewrath down the stairs into the Great Hall, where we first had entered. The Master, Albatross, was pacing, yelling orders at everyone. He told several wolves to get more drinking water, that eight barrels were not enough, and that the doors needed to be reinforced. Blankets had been spread out on the floor for sleeping on and the place was streaming with creatures. Wolves and sphinxes were in the majority, but some elves and stags were presant as well. Stags? They had huge antlers, but were the same size as normal deer. They looked tiny compared to the wolves, like Chihuahuas among Great Danes.
A firery bird was hovering near the Master. I recognized it as a pheonix from a coloring book thet I used to have. It was red and orange, with a crest on its head. It looked like an oversized, discolered, Cockatail.
In the mess of creatures, i spotted shadow. I weaved my way toward him, but he ignored me. How nice.
I left the mess of people and went into ne of the bathrooms and locked the door. even the bathroom was huge and glamorous. At that point, it didn't impress me. It annoyed me. A lot.
I stroked the feathers, trying to get them to work. Then I remembered. I whispered, "May I grant you life."
two identical Sphinxes stood side by side, ready to follow my every command.

[Dragon Writer]

shadow glared at me.
"are you insane?" he muttered, out of the side of his mouth. "HIDE THEM! if the master sees them with you..."
"i don't know how!"
"give them a command!"
"may i turn you into feathers?" and it worked! just in time too, because the master was striding towards me post hast.