The sun shone through the window above his bed-nest, the bird equivalent creatures outside chirped and buzzed announcing it was indeed morning. The tree was bustling with creatures taking things from the kitchen and loading outside. He jumped up and started to help. He could not figure out why no one had woke him. Gretta scuttled towards him, "Good morning! I had help, my neighbors often trade labor for my wares, so real help comes from you while we are on the road. Eat, relax, I am sipping on tea and supervising this madness, there will be enough work on the road." He ate, sipped tea, and watched as the villagers looked at him from time to time with slight fear, or curiosity. Some asked him simple questions.

The wagon was loaded, and a large creature with armadillo features, and six insect resembling legs was harnessed and saddled. Braxton rubbed its side while he fed it some green grains. Gretta smiled. "We are ready, pat Ubu for good luck and you will always have a friend in that beast." Ubu made a purring sound. Braxton chuckled.

The sun shone and the short shrubbery and smaller trees soon gave way to trees and large rocks. A forest full of flowering plants, ferns, and large purple growths made a home in the ever increasingly rough terrain. It was a descent from the village. It was though the village rested on a elevated plain on top of a huge mountain range. The cloud line was the first thing they went through, it was 4 hours of fog, then dreamy thick forest. It was much colder than the village elevation. That and the constant misting did not help. "So you live in a much higher elevation than others Gretta?" Gretta shrugged, "There are higher elevations on this world, but ours is rather unique in position". Braxtion was curious "How is it "Unique"? She replied, " We have carved these narrow paths for decades, kept to ourselves and have no natural resources that Terron wants. It keeps our village relatively free. Our imports and exports keep our town a tourist destination , rather than a desirable location to conquer. Quaint and backwards, keeps us safe." "What about crime?" She shook her head, "We are three days journey to the closest small town, what bandit cares to hide in a town full of nick-nacks and hot geysers? No one, thats who. Its a more primitive life, but worth the effort to keep that monster out of our business. Terron could care less, he has his own agenda, conquer, raid and develop. We tinker, and know when growth is needed, we take into consideration when development is warranted." She paused, snapping of twigs as animals rushed across their path and disappeared into the dense forest on the other side. "We are like those animals, always here serving a balance, unnoticed by most, unless something startles us."

As he continued talking with Gretta he found that Terron was somewhat distracted from rule for the most part and five rulers governed the lands far from her small village. All the Kings given providence had different views, laws and various taxation. Currency was controlled by a central banking system and was flawed at best. All Kingdoms payed homage to their ruler once a year, and tribute was expected. All the kings were not viewed as evil, but working within a system granted to them. Work and pay varied from town to town, and for the most part, they did not worry about war or famine, but at a great price this peace was secured. The first born son or daughter of any family was expected to work in the service of the immediate territory of Terron's personal kingdom. The service was not voluntary , resistance was met with confiscation of land, or imprisonment. Rage simmered beneath Gretta's calm demeanor as she described her family forced into service, and Terron's personal interest in their race. They had developed many of the technologies that Terron used. There was some sort of secret behind his machines which few dared to speak of, and Gretta did not discuss. The blinking of flame whispers, small insects, began glowing every color shimmering across their path as dusk approached.

This was a lovely place, brick oddities were built here and there, piping lovely smells of food, or industry. Led by Gretta, he wondered why he was not taking a bath in her, tree. "Isn't there a bath in your house?" , she laughed "Why, that would be enormous!" " Hot water, small tub, not a big deal actually" he lightly stated. She stopped and looked up at him. "You are enormous!"
Ah, yes, he wasn't four feet tall. She continued, " Think of it, trying modern plumbing in my tree, no thaaank yooou. I am old, grouchy, and like my tree, old and out of date." He agreed "I do think it is really a nice tree. Nicest one I have ever seen." His thoughts turned serious as he saw children playing in the dusty road. "Have you seen or heard of any of my kind coming here, recently?" Raising a bushy eyebrow, "The news travels slow here, but we would get word in a few weeks or days." Days. Weeks. Seconds counted, what if Elaine survived, was she frightened? Alive? Dead? Injured? "There was another of my kind, a woman, reddish blond, with blue eyes. She is smaller than me. I need to find her, she came here before me, she may be hurt. I need to help her!" Gretta saw the hurt in his eyes and desperation, " I can prepare a meal, and rations after your bath, but my hospitality cannot find her, it may be that she iiiis somewhere close by."
The emotions swam thick like a great welling pressure. Never faltering, he maintained a calm, placid, exterior. They had arrived. It looked like a giant tower, with waterfalls that spilled onto balconies, then a lake, much like a moat, collected the water below. "A steam vent is at the bottom center tower, it acts like a constant geyser pushing the water upwards. Steam operates the elevator shafts, and devices control the pressure. Those whoo arrrr the talent of the steam, understand it more than I. All I know is, it does cost money, and I am doing you a great favor, Braxton."
A brass elevator lift arrived as the master of the controls, a small rock with many eyes and two limbs, opened the brass gate for him to walk onto it. Gretta waved, it shot up like a blast! Twenty some odd floors up, a slender featureless creature, pink and hairless handed him the equivalent of soap and a towel. It spoke in smooth and watery tones "Enjoy your bath sir." He undressed and opened the outer door. Walking only a few steps his opened door it looked the same as below, a balcony, only it was a large steaming tub. It had varied heights of seats, like a giant hot tub, and all though there was water spilling from above to below the current was somehow regulated by drains that went into the inside of the tub. The view was spectacular. He could see the village off in the distance, and only the side of Gretta's tree much closer. as he looked, he realised, there were no mountains he could see, only clouds, and lots of sky. and the land disappeared into the clouds, giving no visible definition of anything.
He finished quickly bathing, and realised he had no clothing that was clean now as he stepped out. To his astonishment, his clothes hung, pressed and perfectly clean. "That was fast. How on earth, did all that filth and grime get out?" Shrugging the miracle of sudden stain removal off he, hurried out and back to Gretta's.
Gretta's home was piping the aroma of delectable treats and savory eats. Her grandson who had helped him earlier inside when he first met them was scurrying grabbing ingredients dumping this and that into each pot. He sat and talked with both for hours trying to pry more information that may be useful in finding Elaine. There were maps, which to his dismay were expensive, and only one accurate mapmaker existed that they knew of. He found out that Gretta was indeed retired, and was somewhat happy for the reprieve of boredom by helping a strange creature out. She and her grandson were bakers, and sold their wares to the next village and a much larger metropolis as well.
"Grandmother is getting older, and the trip is harder, but our next sale is due soon." Braxton had not earned the trust that they had given him by offering so much. "May I help? It is all I can do. After I reach the city of Muldane, we can part ways, I could find work, and search for Elaine."
Gretta looked sadly at Braxton. " We could see you are lost, and saw your impossible circumstance from whence you came. But others may see you as a threat or, worse a Terron the Oppressor. "So there are others who have appeared like me?". she shook her head, "No humans, just two others with great powers, Legendary Ones, but only Terron remains."

"What happened to the other?" he persisted. "She fought him in a great battle, that took most of my kin to their grave. Her powers were over the fire itself, engulfing Terron's minion's. Yet, his army out numbered hers, and my kinsman enslaved then disappeared to make more of his despicable army. Terron has not emerged from his kingdom for two hundred years since the battle, and Rainement the one of Fire was said to have perished in the battle. None have seen or heard of her since." It sounded like a fairy tale. "Two hundred years, of course you wouldn't hear from her, she would be dead!" Gretta chuckled, "I only know what I have read in the historians lodges, and the great schools of my youth. To this day my kinsmen fear Terrons realm, and no army large or small has ever succeeded in infiltrating his country. They have met with enslavement or death." The idea of such barbaric behaviour baffled him. "How could a tyrant keep such loyalty?" A slight pause as she sipped her tea, " He is three thousand years old by some accounts, and made up entirely of the most impenetrable metal. I have questioned the loyalty part myself, but he rules by fear and strange, horrific powers." This was a dream, some twisted part of a head concussion, he told himself. How could even in another dimension could there be such a thing. "Legendary Ones", thousands of years old. He thanked Gretta for the food and conversation. Slipping outside he looked at the nighttime sky, a billion stars, and not one constellation her recognized. Still it was beautiful, inky black with jewels that glittered. Jewels.... her ring! In the blackness his eyes adjusted, was her ring buried in there? In that huge crater? He held out against hope, if she was alive like him, he would have to ask. as crazy as it seemed! He looked, and he saw it..... no, that was too easy, no, it was the ring! It glittered with a strange radiance, one more magical it seemed. This was the sign, he was not forsaken after all.

continuation 3

The dust cracked and fell from his eyelids with each repeated beating. And the dulled pain throbbing added the insult to injury. "OK! OK LADY!" he groaned, the shell of halfdried mud allmost two feet thick encased him and was stuck fast. She continued berrating him "Filthy Beasts! Nasty Worg loving Nasgrats!!!" Whack! It was actually helping strip large debris off his body helping him move slightly. A branch looked as if it was growing out of him. A large amount of broken landscape had been lodged throughout his muddy outer shell.
He broke free a leg, then like a newborn chick struggles for moments of life as it hatches, took heavy burdened breaths. It felt like forever. The assalt stilled for now.
"You're no ugly Mudgoblin. Hmph. Noooo, not that." The sun shone brightly behind the face of his attacker, now turned spectator. He still layed prone from exhaustion, and too tired to speak a sentence without great effort. He was now prodded with the broomstick out of curiousity.
"What are you?" the matronly voice asked. His vision blurred, he felt nausous. "Never mind that, Wilks, help me!'. Two very small people went under either arm kicking large stones of mud from his body. They took him inside the hollow of the tree, through the front door. His head hung low, he struggled to see his surroundings, without success. He was weak beyond discription. Easing him into a small nest-like bed, he truly felt like a insignifigant baby bird. Then as his chin was lifted by a very small hand some sort of broth trickled across his cracked lips. It was delightfully sweet and savory, his eyes fluttered open so he could see that the face of his helper, had wiskers and a bright pink nose.
The shock would have been greater if there had been more strength to react. His eyes were wide and silence was his scream. She was gray-blue and furry around her wrists and ankles, a large amount of fur on her head and face draped somewhat like a lion's mane. Her features were somewhat mouse-like with the eyes and flatness of a pandas. The main part of her body was clothed, with a gray hued skin that shone slightly on her legs and arms. Her jewelry was primative but hung from looped long fur on the back of her head. Her delicate pink ears had veins visible where the light shone through. Pacing into her kitchen, the warm glow of the fine wood, made this home, as humble as it was, extraordinay. Not made of sticks and twigs, but fashioned by hand, the bed he rested on was indeed a nest, but weaved in such a way a master basket weaver would have cried for the sheer intricate nature of the piece. Each vine, if that is what it was, wrapped then made a notted pattern that supported the body in perfection by giving absolute contour of the body. Every strand had been hand carved, or did it actually grow
that way? She was now 6 inches from him, looking at him in puzzlement, why was he staring at a simple bed? "I wou- would like, to know, where I am." She smiled showing small pointy canines, much like a shrews. "You are in my living room of course!" the laughter sounded alien, yet melodic in nature. "You speak english? How is that possible?" he asked. Her eyes narrowed in reply, "I only know you speak Cromise perfect-ly. This eeenglish you speak of is not my toungue."
His mind reeled, talking to a half blue rat-panda from space that he could suddenly speak Cromise to, was a bit much. The nose on her face twitched, she blinked and handed him a plate with food on it. "You arrr tired. I suggest a nap. Then we will find your place in things." It was like having a blue furry grandmother, as odd as it was, he felt safe and liked her immediately. The younger creature was stoking a small pit of fire and cooking, glancing over, his shoulder. A long slender tail moved items as the surfaces were cleared for dishes. "I wouldn't argue, shee has a way of making you mind." A smile was all Braxton could muster, it was enough for now.
There was a great commotion of voices outside, that woke him. the sleep had come so quick, there was no memory of falling asleep. It felt like a sunburn all over his body, without the actual burn, just that nagging weakness he couldn't explain. Throwing off the blanket, he shuffled to the door to see what the noise was. Outside were a modest amount of various creatures, green purple, brown and some that looked like rocks. The sight that shocked him the most was the gigantic crater 30 metres from the mouse-panda's door. They were looking up and down pointing, some looking visibly shocked. The "House" was a lone structure, it was not part of a village, but there must have been one closeby giving the size of the throng. The chatter lulled as eyes locked on him.
The older one that had fed him ushered him close, "They have reason to be slightly afraid, we have never seen one such as you." his heart sank, his thoughts rested on Elaine. "I am, well, I am human." She looked intently, "Huuman. Do you have the names?" The names? His brain knew there was more to this question, her lips, he realised did not match her words. "My name is Braxton, Braxton Flemming. I was in an accident, that happened in a lab." Silence. Loong looks of questioning and uncomfortable silence. "I am Gretta, Grettas Namer Gamule Pradicier. You huuman Braxton Flemming, we will talk of your arrival, I wish to know more of the place of lab." she offered a gesture of friendship with an outstretched pink paw. He grasped it with warmth, he needed a friend.
The people, as it were, asked about the crater, it was obvious from the size and depth of the hole, he had fallen from the sky. He wondered himself how he could not have died. The trail of mud was five times the size of his body, it was not humanly possible to carry the amount of weight he had. He was physically fit, but this feat would have been difficult for a superhuman.
He thought for a moment, "I am suddenly Superman, the only difference is, I did not arrive here in an oversized Christmas ornament". These creatures seemed to be just regular working Joes. They had various outfits that reminded him of factory workers of the early 1800's. Just fitted for alien beings. Where is the galaxy was he? How many light years from Earth? Was this another dimension? As they questioned him about the place of lab, he realised he was filthy. He asked for a place to take a bath.

The saga continues

He wished for dreamless sleep. This was the type of dreaming that made your very bones twitch, but told that you were unable to run from the terror that was pursuing you. What was this place, he could smell in this dream, taste the ash that fell, and his eyes watered from the sulpher. What was this? A tree that had leaves of fire, not on fire, but made of fire. A sun set in the distance, not even illuminating the vast valley that laid out before him. This place was actually built with and by fire! As his eyes stung, a wind filled with sand and stone beat against him and swept him to another vision. This was another place, of fire, yet filled with destruction, and the roar of suffering. He choked on noxious fumes of tar, and oil. He saw beasts draped in cloth that looked at him with a piercing evil. Even from a distance, these creatures groaned like, like and animal? No, not an animal, a machine! Glowing eyes, a grimace of life! How could this thing exist? His very soul was vexed at the site. Even the evil was masked with great suffering.
Then the entire vision faded and the warm glow of a green place, full of life, and a statue, more like a abstract form with no definition that sat in this ancient grove, untouched by humans. He saw only a glimpse, the way you catch something in the corner of your eye that distracts you, the statue opened its eyes.
He felt pain, a repeated pain. In the side of his temple, it felt like a large bat being thrust in a poking motion repeatedly. It had a loud annoyed voice attached to each thud.

"MUDGOBLIN!!!!" Crusty dried mud clung to his eyelids, he imagined his face looked like a dried lake bed. The sun had baked him into an odd shaped piece of human pottery. The annoyed gruff voice of an old woman groweld and raged. "You! Mud Goblin! Off!" He now recognised the the item he was being attacked with, it was a broomstick, and now he was being beaten with then broom part.

The beginning of my book

To all those reading this blog, this is a continuous book until the story has ended. I first wrote some of this and dreamt of this book when I was 16 years old. I added some things since.

In my imagination there is a world which I have only written one page of in a dusty notebook and it deserves to beshared where maybe just one person may see the world that I sometime see a glimpse of. And not trapped in my head, its getting a tad cramped in there.
Published or not, and correct grammer I am sure to be put aside time to time, please indulge the ramblings of this odd writer.
I hope you enjoy the tale of Braxton Flemming and the one whom he loves.


THE LEGENDANDARY ONES

The Saga of Braxton Flemming

By Christina Cudworth

CHAPTER I

"Augh!" his mind shrank at the thought of the cold creeping under the fortress of warmth his comforter provided. Not just the sleep that clung in the waking moments, but the dread of an icy wood floor. He had little money for a luxury called heat. And well into a year of proving a theory or at least the engineering part, costs everything in grants, nothing for the lump of coal that this pauper needed.
Braxton Flemming Physicist/Engineer, had a good ring to it. A Masters Degree in Physics, and a lot of sleepless nights brought him here to this place. More of a think tank, this place would help secure grants for research for much bigger visions. He had some interesting offers already from government entities wanting to use the technology for travel, and other related interests.

He and Elaina were pitching this huge monstrosity of a project for a bigger test run than just today. Ah, Elaina. she was the other half of the equation, so to speak. Right here, in this Euoropean countryside, it seemed perfect, serene and miles from population, so that if they did blow something up with this monsterous machine nothing would happen.

Elaina was just one of many who would test this machine with him, but she was the most instrumental part, of his life.
He padded across the floor to the bathroom, the morning ritual of teeth and the shave as he peered through the fogged up mirror, he looked at the box perched on the edge of the sink. Today she would see it, his intentions, his fears and hopefully a triumph. She might say yes.
His hazel eyes looked intently at the reflection of this person in the mirror, every strand of jet black hair forced into place and one insistant strand draping to the left no matter what he did.
He squinted, and looked one more time somewhat satisfied in his now completed appearance.
A handsome man by all accounts, but inwardly focused on his intrests only. Very few entered this mans world. He saw the line in his mind, where he must go, what must happen from day to day. Ordered, and unthreatening. He did not fuss about others. It was just that his own grasp on the world keeping him tethered here were the demands of his mind that outwieghed his whims. But Elaine, she was different, vibraint, elusive, she ebbed into his island. He did not mind her intrusion, she was a welcome addition to the warm shores of his protected orderly world, and worth the risk. The odd thing was, he considered to himself, was that she loved him.

The bitter cold, ice clinging to everything even the marrow of one's bones. Braxton shrunk his neck into his heavy back coat to stave off the harsh wind tracing around his warmth and killing it. His hands shoved into his pockets, one gloved hand toying with the ring box.
The car sat frozen to the street with icicles gripping the door, and he would have to climb in through the passenger side, as usual, the door handle not only broke but was frozen tight.
Tripping, falling, re-arranging his legs in the cramped quarters, he then started the car. He drove minutes through a gate, to the enourmous facility built 100 m. underground.
The main facility was not a secret, the finest minds were here to prove various particles exist, and what would happen if you throw them at each other. That and argue who may or may not create black holes that collapse on themselves. 26 659 m. of machine, solid living machine. stories of it and some monumental portions hidden from public scrutiny. He was using some of the discoveries for energy use for the project he and Elaine developed. Today was a big test run. What better day to ask her?
His hard hat on his head, and a lab coat draped over him, he took a small vehicle through the massive tunnels and after 30 minutes of travel he had reached his personal lab, with Elaine bent over poking at a wire and pointing to an assistant to fix it. "You're Late!" she grimaced and slapped a clipboard into his chest. Her blue eyes flared. "It appears she is not pleased." he teased. "This is serious! One year of begging and meetings and-and, rubbish from every high brow with funding to get to this day, and yoooou! You are late!" his heart smiled, he knew what he had in store would melt her fluster. But yes, she was right, the test must happen now.
Everything was humming loudly, the power had a supreme essence that bathed the room. She directed him to take the floor below, one story down he was to monitor the particulars of the machine, the particles reactions would be monitored by Elaine and others. A great discovery, folding space in theory could not be done, would faster than light travel be discovered through this? The building turned blue and heaved.
Metal groaned things snapped, he wasn't even a flight downstairs let alone a full story. Something was wrong. Blue light encased Elaine, she got brighter, and was gone. As he saw the blue light shrink he new it would be gone, this death, this place, this uncertainty would be gone in seconds. He counted as he ran, into the uncertainty, 5......4........3.........2.
Suddenly he was falling, correction he was plummeting. He fell at such a velocity he could only hear wind and count the rediculous amount of time it took to fall. Loud thunder, hard rain and then he landed with a thud. thick mud engulfed him he pulled hard as his body was lodged under a massive amount of thick mud. He couldn't breathe, he struggled his lungs felt the deperate cry for air. He pushed and struggled against the entrapment and surfaced exhausted. No light shone, just flashes of his surrounding as the lightening cracked around him. He saw a gigantic tree with a small hollow. His body burned and ached, whatever had happened in the lab, he now had more pain in his body than he had ever experienced in his entire lifetime all at once. "Perhaps it was the fall...", he thought to himself weakly. Dragging himself under the tree and into the hollowed part he had little respite from the storm which raged. It was 8am when the lab accident happened, and it was snow laden outside. Had the lab been obliteraited? His head throbbed, his heart shrank and painged at the thought of his last glimpse of Elaine reaching out to him in horror. As exhaustion forced him to sleep, he was sure he had seen the death of one he loved so deeply.