#Why should she go - as an animal - this is my former riders daughter and it would only be fair to have her as my new rider

[b-rainlet]

People claiming Aemond 'stole' Vhagar from Rhaena....you know Dragons aren't inherited do you....

[danceing-spelled-wrong]

Yandere Varian

I'm aware he has a crush on Catherine but I just think it's sweet..in a creepy way how he wanted Rapunzel's hair..it was the perfect story for a fanfic

"Rapunzel! Hey Rapunzel! I need to talk with you!" A boy with black hair yelled looking around for the princess,he helped a bouquet of yellow flowers. His name was Varian and he needed to give them to her,he entered the garden and saw her sitting alone with Pascal,"Rapunzel!"

The princess looked over,"Evening Varian! What can I help with?" She asked with her joyful sounding voice. The boy held out the flowers,"I..I wanted to give these to you..and can you go to the dining hall.." The princess grabbed the flowers and smiled,"So sweet! Of course!" She said with joy

Varian walked away with a jump in his step

The blonde princess looked at the flowers,"Oh Eugene.." She had no idea who the flowers were really from

Varian looked around for the princess dressed in his best suit,he saw the door open and the princess walk in wearing a pink glittery gown. Rapunzel saw the dinner on the table,"Hey..um..I'm not a great cook,but I hope you like it.." The boy said scratching the back of his neck,"I'm sure it's lovely! I'm glad you and Eugene made this for me." 

The boy looked confused but figured out what she thought

"No..I made this..for US." Rapunzel looked at him confused..but then she relieved what he meant,"Oh Varian..that's..that's really sweet..but you know me and Eugene are married.." "But he doesn't know you as well as I do!" The boy pulled out a book and flipped through multiple pages stopping at one

"Your favorite food is hazel nut soup,your favorite color is light blue,you like ballet,favorite animals are chameleons,and Gothel tricked you to believe you were her daughter. See?! I know everything about you!" Rapunzel sighed,"It's..sweet that you remember everything about me,but I love Eugene..I'm sorry.."

Varian looked down feeling tears come down his eyes,he ran away from the area

The princess looked at the dinner and sighed walking away

In a secret place in the castle,Varian was there lashing out in anger,"STUPID! STUPID! Why would she had said yes?! She's the fucking princess,your just an alchemist! Why did you even think you stood a chance?!" He screamed throwing testing tubes smashing them. He started to calm down..but then broke down into tears

He fell to the ground covering his face

Varian looked into the mirror..when something hit him

"No..it's not my fault.." He stood up and walked up to the glass

The image of that smug asshole appeared,"It's..HIS..all HIS fault. HE's making her like this,I need to save her..but..she won't believe me.." Varian then noticed a letter knife on the testing table,the boy picked it up

He looked at it..and a smile crossed his face,"I'll..I'll just kill him..and Rapunzel will be saved from the demon keeping her imprisoned.." With a plan in mind,Varian walked out the area

Rapunzel sat alone in her room thinking of what she had done,she felt like she needed to apologize to the boy..he looked very hurt that she turned him down. With a quick breath,the princess walked out her bedroom to find Varian 

"Hey Flynn? Can we talk real quick?" The former bandit looked at his pal and waved as he followed the young male

They were now in the garden

"What did you want to talk about?" Varian got his knife ready,"Well..it's about Rapunzel..you see..I..I really like her..so..can you please leave her so I can have a chance with her?" Flynn scratched his neck a bit uncomfortable,"Well..sorry,but me and Rapunzel already have plans to have kids..and we don't plan to break up..sorry.."

Varian sighed,"Alright. That was your last chance." "What-" Flynn looked down and saw a letter knife piece his chest,his eyes were wide in shock..and with an opened mouth trying to scream. He fell to the ground..but Varian wasn't satisfied,he stabbed his eyes in and ruined his face

The blade stabbed his cheeks in,his eyes were gone,his nose was broken and he looked unrecognizable,"Looks like your not so pretty anymore!" Varian yelled laughing stabbing his chest again causing blood to fly on his face. He looked down at his work..and decided to take it a step forward,he stood up and started to smash his head in with his foot..it broke

Varian walked away a trail of blood following behind him 

Flynn Riders death spread out around the kingdom and the killer hadn't been found yet. Rapunzel was the most destroyed sadden by the death of her husband 

But Varian took this chance to get closer to her,but no matter how he tried..the princess only found him as a friend

It got to the point..Varian was planning his next step to get Rapunzel to love him

Rapunzel walked up a path that was lined with roses,she saw the trail when she got out the shower which gave her some time to change into her normal clothing

The sun was setting shining over the sea,the princess heard guitar music playing

She saw Varian leaning against a tree playing a guitar. In front of him was a rose blanket with a basket full of food and drinks along with two wine glasses. The cherry on top was the candle that gave a sweet rose smell

"Varian..this..this-" The boy placed the guitar down and walked over to her,"It's not much..but I know Flynn's death got you down,so I wanted to make you happy." Rapunzel smiled,"Thank you..this is amazing."

The two talked for hours laughing and enjoying each others company,Varian poured Rapunzel a glass of cider,"I hope you don't mind me asking.." "Go ahead." Rapunzel took a sip,"How come your acting so..calm after hearing how Eugene died?" Varian took a sip of his own drink,"I've seen worse deaths..way worst. It's a shame he died but It's nothing from what I've seen."

The princess was about to talk again but then felt very sleepy,"I..I think I should head back to the palace.." She said standing up,Varian stood up and grabbed her,"You'll fall and hurt yourself if you go alone. I'll help you." He said looking into her half lidded eyes

He was right

Halfway there,Rapunzel passed out. Varian held her in his arms which..gave him a happy feeling.

The boy laid the princess on her bed and covered her up with a blanket,"Rest well my dear." He said giving her a kiss on the lips. It was just as sweet as he imagined.

Varian exit the room with a smile on his face,he walked towards his room but was stopped by a hand,"I know it was you." He looked over confused and saw Cassandra standing there

"You killed Flynn." "What?! No! I would never-" The woman showed him a file with notes and photos

"Your hair was found at the scene,that night there was blood in the water and during that you took a shower,your the only one in town who isn't sad about it,and their was a blood trail that was in the shape of your damn shoes! It's clear your the fucking killer!" She yelled. Varian looked at her seriously,"I'm not the killer. I would never harm someone that Rapunzel loves."

Cassandra scoffed turning her back,"Just wait..when I give this to the police,they'll be on my side."

The morning sun shined in the sky,Cassandra opened her eyes but wasn't greeted by the lights of the sun. She looked around..it was a dark room full of science products..and broke glass,her gaze ended up on a table with objects covered with a cloth. The wall moved showing a secret passage way,"You know..this little room was used as a dungeon to torture prisoners til they die. I use this room for testing things..and of course..planning my next kill." Varian said laughing a bit

"Varian! What's going on?!" The woman yelled struggling against the ropes that tied her to the chair,"I thought it was clear what I was doing. I'm going to kill you." Cassandra's eyes widen and she started to trash around trying to break from the ropes,"Don't even try. The ropes can't be broken." "Why are you doing this?!"

The boy rolled his eyes annoyed,"You know why..your going to tell everyone what I did.." He said removing the cloth and grabbed a screwdriver,"So you DID kill him!" "It was pretty obvious." Varian said walking over to her

"Don't do this! I..I won't tell anyone! Just don't-" "That's a lie. Your acting like I'm stupid." Before Cassandra could speak..the screwdriver was stabbed in her stomach

The disappearance of Cassandra spread just as fast,Rapunzel was even more destroyed. She refused to leave the castle even if the lights were out

The only one there was Varian

Just Varian

She felt safe in his arms

The boy finally had her to himself

It was just him and her now

Nobody else

Nobody

NOBODY

Fun fact! I'm accepting writing requests! It's freeeeeee!

Or whatever. Hope you liked it

[imassivedreamcollection]

Today is the one year anniversary of Once Upon a Time’s series finale. As a six year watcher, I greatly reveled in the show’s magic, storytelling and characters. I love Emma’s journey, Regina’s romance with Robin and Rumpel’s life as the deliciously naughty Dark One and his romance with Belle. I even found a crush in Zelena. I hope my fellow Oncers also loved the show’s run. 

However, like some others, I thought the show could’ve been more than what it was. 

Here’s some of my thoughts on what I’d do to make the show better, but first let’s start with some things that could stay:

Rumple and Belle’s romance.

Emma and Hook’s romance.

Regina and Robin’s romance.

Red and Dorothy’s romance. 

Henry being Emma and Neal’s son. 

The Neverland/Oz Arc.

The Underworld Arc.

The trio of Aurora, Phillip and Mulan. 

The Frozen Arc. 

The Camelot Arc. 

Henry and Violet’s romance. 

Henry becoming Rumple’s apprentice. 

Jacqueline and James’ journey up the Beanstalk and their raid of the Giants’ treasure. 

Some of the realms untouched by the Curse like Dun Broch. 

Jasmine’s story in Agrabah.

Ariel and Eric eventually leaving the Land without Magic and having adventures in Fairy Tale Land. 

Mulan helping Phillip save Aurora. 

Merida. 

The Author subplot.

Hook’s animosity for Rumple. 

Grumpy romance with a fairy.

Okay on to my ideas. Hope you don’t mind I have a lot: 

One

As much as I liked the Blue Fairy as the go to fairy for help, I think they should’ve had Flora, Fauna and Merryweather instead. Think about it; in the “Sleeping Beauty” movie, they were pretty much the real heroines in the story while in Pinocchio the Blue fairy was only in two scenes. I even thought of Storybrooke names for them:

Flora: Sarah Felton 

Fauna: Josephine Allen

Merryweather: Barbara Johnston 

I even thought of occupations for them: Sarah would be a dressmaker, Josephine a baker and Barbara a cleaning lady. (These are references to the scene where they use magic in the cottage) 

I also thought for them to somehow get their memories back before Emma broke the curse and for them to help Henry make Emma believe. 

I also they should powers connected to nature like in the early story of the movie while it was in development. Flora has the power of plants and flowers, Fauna can talk to animals and Merryweather can use Atmokinesis (weather magic) 

Let’s also have Grumpy have a romance with Merryweather. 

Here’s who I thought should play them: Helena Bonham Carter as Flora, Tina Fey and Debi Mazar as Merryweather. 

Two

Maleficent and Ursula should have been Regina’s allies in Season One. Maleficent being Regina’s deputy mayor and Diablo the crow being her partner and human while Ursula owning a beauty parlor and bringing the latest gossip to Regina. Flotsam and Jetsam being human form too and working in her business. 

Three

Pinocchio/ August Booth should’ve also been part of the main cast. He also should’ve stayed by Emma side at least until their teens when she became a criminal. They also should’ve been shown more of his life in the Land without Magic without his father, Jiminy or the Blue Fairy to guide him. 

Four

Let’s make David’s backstory more simple and make him and James the legitimate sons of King George with David being the nice one due being closer to his mother and James being more like his father. On that note, let’s toss in the tragedy of David’s mother getting killed by thieves when he was little in a raid, leading him to have a further distrust of Hook in Season 3. 

Five

Let’s give the reason for David and Abigail’s marriage alliance be due to Robin Hood and the Merry Men raiding King George’s royal treasury and a failed attempt to steal the Giants’ treasure up the Beanstalk.

Six

Let’s start Snow White life as an outlaw begin with her helping Bluebeard’s wife get away from him. 

Seven

Let’s change how Rumple become the Dark One by somehow having him kill Zoso to end the Ogre Wars and prove he wasn’t a coward. 

Eight

Let’s make Red’s boyfriend Peter the wolf terrorizing the village all along and her having to kill Peter. Later, Peter’s pack learn of his death and want to take their revenge of Red and her Granny. Let’s also not make Red a werewolf. 

Nine

Let’s make Maleficent the daughter of Chernabog and Vidia, the Black Fairy. Let’s also have Clarion, the Queen of the Fairies send Terrance to destroy their union, but Chernabog kills him. Let’s show Maleficent’s childhood and how she became the Mistress of all Evil too. 

Ten 

Let’s set Tiana’s story in the “original” Enchanted Forest and make Mama Odie her godmother. Let’s have Angela Bassett play her. 

Let’s make Dr. Facilier’s dept be with Hades and the Underworld. When the gang to the Underworld, he should have a role in the story arc. 

Let’s make Tiana in Storybrooke a worker at Sarah’s bakery.

Eleven

Let’s give Regina a better reason to hate Snow than what happened in the show. Let’s also make her the girl Queen Eva abused when she was younger a la what happened to Cora in “The Miller’s Daughter”. And give us a love triangle between Regina, Eva and Leopold. 

Twelve

Let’s make Robin Hood at first what like he was in the Wish Realm (stealing so he could be rich) and somehow Snow and Charming change him for the better before or after the Curse was broken. 

Thirteen

Let’s make Flynn Rider a former member of the Merry Men who betrays them, stealing some of their loot and running off to eventually meet Rapunzel. 

Fourteen

As I’ve said let’s keep Jasmine’s story in Agrabah, but lets have her never leave Agrabah for the Land of Untold Stories and married Aladdin by the time the Curse is cast; in short let’s keep the Aladdin story from the movie in the show, genie included. Let’s also have the genie protect Agrabah from the curse. Let’s also maybe have Ali Baba put the Genie’s lamp in the Cave of Wonders. I see Aladdin’s genie as not the one who meets Leopold on the show. 

Fifteen 

Let’s keep the number of realms to a minimum: Fairy Tale Land (The Enchanted Forest, Arendelle, Dun Broch, Camelot, Agrabah)  Neverland, Oz, Wonderland, The Underworld ... Okay that may not be a minimum. Sorry. Anyway let’s lose, 1920s England, Victorian England, The Land of Untold Stories, New Enchanted Forest.. Too many realms in the original show, don’t you think? 

Sixteen

Let’s fully tell characters stories and make them count to the overall plot and stick primarily to fairy tales and no classic literature works like Jekyll and Hyde and 2000 leagues under the Sea or movies like 101 Dalmatians.

Seventeen

Let’s have Rumple hear of how Geppetto can build a magic wardrobe and have him kidnap Geppetto and force him to make it like how Ratigan kidnapped Olivia’s father in “The Great Mouse Detective”.

Since I said that, here’s how I see Pinocchio’s story:

Pinocchio’s adventure begins when he’s sent on an errand. After escaping Stromboli, he discovers Geppetto’s been kidnapped. He and Jiminy sent sail to find him and on the way stumple upon Pleasure Island. After escaping there, he finally finds Geppetto and they escape, but Rumple sends Monstro after them. They survive and the Blue Fairy turns him into a real boy and for Geppetto and Pinocchio to seek asylum in Snow White’s kingdom. The End.

Eighteen 

Let’s name the Blue Fairy Evangeline (guess why I named her that. Think of a firefly character you may know) and sadly have her killed by Rumple before or after the curse.

Nineteen

Let’s give Rumple this reason for asking for the first born babies of Cora and Cinderella: to use the Time Traveling Spell to make sure his son was never lost to him.

Twenty

Let’s make The Dragon Mushu from “Mulan” and the mentor of Mulan and give him a role in Storybrooke.

Twenty One

Let’s give Mulan and Phillip Storybrooke counterparts. Let’s make Mulan a self’defense teacher at a dojo and bisexual and in a relationship with Phillip.

Twenty Two

Let’s make Aurora the only “Sleeping Beauty” that Maleficent cursed and have her also curse Phillip as an Yaoguai for him to be saved by Belle and Mulan. In Storybrooke let’s have Maleficent keep cursed Aurora, still asleep, in the basement of her house. 

Twenty Three

Let’s show more characters from Disney and fairy tales like Mad Madame Mim and Goldilocks. 

Let’s make Madame Mim a rival to Maleficent and Goldilocks a stooge for Rumple. 

Twenty Four

Let’s make cursed Eric the boyfriend of Ursula and have cursed Ariel mute with Ursula keeping her voice somewhere at her home or beauty parlor. 

Twenty Four

Let’s have more commotion in Storybrooke after the curse is broken: the Giant trying kill David, Gaston rising a mob to kill Rumple, etc. 

Twenty Five

Let’s have Archie Granny, Ashley, Ariel, Red, The Seven Dwarves in the supporting cast with the Mad Hatter and Flynn Rider and Rapunzel 

Twenty Six

Let’s see more of the Home Office (Greg and Tamara’s group). 

Twenty Seven 

Let’s include more fairy tales like Goldilocks and the Three Bears, The Emperor’s New Clothes and Thumbelina.

Twenty Eight

Let’s make Mother Goose the author of Henry’s book. 

Okay’s that’s all I’ve got.

Thank you to any one who stayed so long to read my thoughts. What do you think? Let me know in the notes section at the bottom of this post.

Thank you for your time and have a good day. 

[nanuri169]

Candy Shop Chapter 1

Summary: Alexis is the leader of a small, but thriving community, hidden deep in the woods. It seemed that the people living there have found a small, fragile understanding of peace. How long can a quiet life last when Negan finds them and shows interest in what the small colony has to offer? 

Chapter 1: 

Whenever Alexis felt the last bits of humanity vanish from inside her, she chose to put the old, worn out saddle on the back of her horse and simply ride out all on her own.

People called her stupid for choosing loneliness on her rides. They all thought that it was only a matter of time until someone would shoot, or even worse, caught her. But at least they still wanted her to come back.

Though, what they all feared never happened so far. Alexis knew the forest that surrounded her community inside out and her horse did as well. Still, sometimes she even asked herself why she had to put distance between her and her home from time to time, she was a leader after all. She chose all of this.

But then, when she felt the steady rhythm of the chestnut gelding's hooves, her own breath and the slight breeze in her hair, she knew why. For a moment, it didn't feel like the apocalypse anymore. She was just a girl on her horse, enjoying a nice ride in the untouched nature.

Then again, it was all an act. The sweet, innocent Alexis that loved horses for her whole life died on the day walkers started to eat people. Sometimes she was still holding to the last pieces of her former self, but at least she knew that it wasn't her true self anymore.

The bat that was leaned against her leather clad shoulder reminded her of it. When she saw the walker stumbling into the clearing she was just passing, the melancholy was pushed the edge of her mind. Her left hand held the reins, while her right clutched the long, smooth bat tightly and then the muscles in her legs tensed, giving her horse the sign to quicken his pace into canter. Bravely, he ran towards the creature, completely trusting his rider.

When the bat crushed into the already rotten head of the walker, Alexis felt this warm feeling running through her body and a savage smile spread on her face. She liked crushing heads with her bat. Of course she knew that it was sick, but she couldn't help it. This feeling of power, it was amazing.

Her head came back into focus when she noticed that the walker was completely on its own, which was a sign that it could have been a survivor. That could mean that it had something useful on it. She stopped and jumped down from her horse to quickly check for anything.

At first, she found a small knife on it, which was already more than the average walker carried with it. But when she roamed more closely, she found a paper in an inside pocket of its jacket. Quickly she unfolded it and scanned the numbers scribbled on it. Those were coordinates. Jackpot. Maybe its where the group of the now dead man hid its supplies. Following such leads was always a risk, but often they were worth it.

Alexis climbed into the saddle again. She had to go back home, this wasn't something she could do on her own.

...

Negan leaned his head back against the headrest of the truck and thrummed his fingers in the rhythm to the tunes of some Bon Jovi songs. One of his lackeys was driving the massive car and it annoyed the hell out of the Savior's leader that this one wasn't very talkative. It bored him shitless and this urge to bash Lucille into something struck him. Why didn't he take Simon with him? At least he wasn't too afraid to joke around with him. Well, someone had to be in charge while Negan himself was gone.

He would probably see a lot more fear in people's eyes when he was done with today's mission. Simon found him a community that they never had seen before. It made him wonder why. Usually some Saviors would find people from other places on scavenging trips, but the walls of this one they found just by coincidence.

And hell, Negan hated coincidences. They led to sneak attacks.

But he could see why they've stayed hidden for so long. The road leading there was narrow, leading straight through the woods and nature already had started to take the dirt road back. It didn't look like cars were passing here often.

An impressed expression rushed over Negan's face when the seemingly endless woods suddenly parted into open field. But not fully open. They were greeted by a high fence. Tarps were attached to it to cover what laid behind it from curious glances...If anyone even dared to cross the whole woods to this place. The group hadn't passed any herds on the way here, but surely there were some stray walkers around.

Negan hopped out of the truck and swung Lucille up to his shoulder, inspecting the massive gate that parted him from the big surprise of the day: what would they find behind it?

Two men with hand guns in their fists stood in front of them and Negan strolled towards them. They didn't make any attempts to aim their weapons at him, to his shock they didn't even eye Lucille strangely like everyone else did.

"We come in peace, dear Martians...at least if you welcome us with a beer."

His voice was booming as usual and he chuckled while he patted the shoulder of the guy to his right. He just gave him an annoyed look and shrugged his hand off. Oh, if he knew who he had in front of him...he wouldn't be that relaxed.

"I want to speak to the person in charge here."

Negan's smile faded a bit when he saw the humorless reaction of the guards.

"Our leader isn't here at the moment."

The guy's voice was monotonous, not giving away if he was lying or not. Maybe they were told to not let anyone in. Negan swaggered closer, entering the man's comfort zone and he could finally see that he was getting uncomfortable. Exactly what he wanted.

"Well, then we'll wait. Why aren't you being fucking nice hosts, let us in, and offer us tea?"

A long silence erupted and tension slowly seemed to built up. This could get quite violent in no time, they just had to mess with Negan's short patience a bit more.

"No."

The short man beside Negan said and suddenly, every gun around them was raised. While the Saviors aimed the guns at the guard's heads, the two hand guns were directed at the raven haired leader. They were heavily outnumbered by Negan's men, but still they were brave.

"Rude."

Negan hissed and was ready to give the sign to shoot the men. But suddenly, a sharp whistle sounded from behind them and the attention was drawn to the figure approaching them.

She literally came ridden on a high horse. Pitch black, messy hair hung around her pale doll face, but what was most striking were the huge, baby blue eyes. They were cold, void of any emotion and if the rest of her wouldn't have been that delicate, Negan would've been creeped out.

But what left all of their mouths hanging open was her overall appearance. Beside the aura of authority that radiated off her, she resembled someone that the Saviors knew all to well. For a moment Negan thought he was having a very wet dream, when he saw the black leather jacket that hugged her curves just in the right places and the bat leaned against her shoulder. It was just missing some barb wire.

Unfortunately, this wasn't the comfort of his bed and he had to keep his facade on to hide his own surprise. Quickly, he got himself together again and flashed his pearly white teeth while grinning widely.

Alexis stopped her horse and jumped to the ground. She had seen the trucks from afar and had the time to mentally prepare herself. But when she saw the guns raising, she knew that she had to intervene.

She had a faint clue of who was standing in front of her men, behaving like he was king. The girl had heard stories of him from people dropping by and while scavenging, she and some others had seen what was called the Sanctuary.

"Look, it's me with a pussy!"

He laughed, but no one shared his amusement. Not even his men. They all were still gaping at her, sometimes adverted their gazes between Alexis and their leader. She herself was a bit stunned by the similarity in their choice of clothing and weapon. Her bat was usually referred to as uncommon, so it was actually quite the coincidence that he carried it, too. For the blink of a second she inspected the barb wire wrapped around the head of the bat. That was quite the clever idea, it would leave more damage and looked way more intimidating. But it also would be quite gross to pick up walker remains from the tips.

When no reaction came from anyone, the tall man rolled his eyes and came closer to Alexis. His eyes darted towards her huge horse and she could see that there was the slightest of insecurity in his eyes when it came to get closer to the animal. Alexis bit her lower lip, hiding her smile.

"Darling, can you tell me who the fuck is in charge here?"

She grew fairly annoyed by his vulgar tongue, but she wouldn't let herself be provoked by that.

"Who's asking?"

Her voice was soft, her light British accent emphasizing its velvety tone. Alexis was good at reading people. Just by looking at him for less than a minute she figured that he was offended by her asking something back before answering. He probably wasn't used to it.

"I'm Negan. My pleasure."

"Alexis. I'm the leader of this community."

She held out her hand to him. The smile on his handsome features appeared again, but instead of shaking her hand, he lifted it up and kissed her knuckles, his lips lingering a while too long to be appropriate. How Alexis would've loved to break his jaw for this.

They were playing the same game. Provoking each other with disrespect until one of them would snap. But they both weren't used to loose a game.

"I don't have a freakin' idea if I should consider if it's possible that I had a daughter really long ago, or if I should find this hot."

For the first time in this encounter, Alexis couldn't help but chuckle.

"You're not that old, daddy."

The people behind Negan made a chocking sound, close between amusement and shock. They had no clue if Negan would bash her head in for this, or find this funny. Their answer came quick when Negan leaned his head back and laughed heartily. This quiet girl had some fire in her, he could see it clearly.

"You just made me like you. Why don't you let us in and carry this conversation on like civilized people?"

Alexis crossed her arms in front of her chest.

"Oh, are we civilized? I'm sorry if I'm judging your motives by all the guerrillas you brought with you. Doesn't look that peaceful to me."

She motioned for the two dozen of men standing behind him. The young woman knew that if she made one wrong move here, the Saviors would kill her immediately and take over her community by force. But she knew exactly how to handle men like Negan.

"They're just here for my protection. Can't be sure what kind of stunts you hide between that nice fence of yours."

Of course she didn't make any attempt to let him in. Not yet. She had nothing to hide, but she needed to make him know that she wouldn't listen to his every command.

"Tell me what you want, Negan."

Her voice turned more cold, she was done with the fake politeness. Negan started to swing his bat by his side, the barb wire nearly scratching Alexis jacket, which made her guards obviously nervous, but she herself stood her ground.

"It's easy. We want you to find stuff for us and we'll leave you alone, happy and peachy. How does that sound?"

Alexis couldn't help but laugh right in his face. She didn't laugh often, but this was just too hilarious. Of course she knew that he was highly dangerous and judging from the look of his home, his community was huge. But seriously, what kind of braggadocios douche was he?

The tension rose up highly again and Negan came even closer to her, towering over her small frame, lips pressed into a thin line. She definitely pissed him off big time, but Alexis wasn't even the slightest bit afraid. Her piercing blue eyes stared up to his darker ones, not adverting her gaze for one second. Their leather jackets touched and for a moment, they just stayed like that, waiting for the other to submit. But they both were way too stubborn for that.

"I will consider your offer. I'll let you know how I'll decide. Let's say tomorrow, your place?"

She winked at him before turning around and grabbing the reins of her horse before walking through the gates that her guards slightly opened, leaving Negan standing.

But the biggest rarity was that Negan didn't attempt to kill her. He stared after the girl, admitting to himself that she left him stunned. After a moment of reconsidering his options he motioned for his men to get in the trucks and drive back home.

[flygonrider]

Rider Reads

Whatcha read, Rider? - The Trials of Apollo: The Dark Prophecy was there always a the in the start 

Who wrote it, Rider? - Rick Riordan

What do you rate it, Rider? - 4/5

The Dark Prophecy is the second installment in the Trials of Apollo series, following the first book entitled The Hidden Oracle. Our main character is the Greek god Apollo who was thrown down onto the earth and tossed out of Olympus as punishment for his supposed contributions to the Second Gigantomachy which was the main conflict in the previous series, The Heroes of Olympus.

The book starts with the demigod-style “Our luck has just ran, even if we didn’t have much of it to begin with.” Six weeks after the events in THO, Apollo, along with Leo Valdez and Calypso, plunge into Indianapolis. They have an encounter with creatures called the blemmyae, humanoids with their faces on their torsos. A brief and witty encounter with them pushes the trio into a demigod haven dubbed the Waystation, which seems to be very Labyrinthian-esuqe though friendlier. The first thing that left me rather confused here was exactly how it took them six weeks to go from Long Island to Indianapolis, even if there was mention in the previous book that their destination would be Indiana.

Moving on. The Waystation, though seems to be sentient much like the Labyrinth, it has two caretakers who are also former members of the Hunters of Artemis, Jo and the former goddess Hemithea. The reason why they are former members, of course, is because they fell in love.

There have been many, many complaints in the past, especially the previous book and in the Norse series about how Uncle Rick loves to shoehorn in many of these diverse characters. And while that is definitely welcome, the way they are seen and accepted is a bit preachy to a part of the fandom, Apollo being one of the characters guilty. While I personally won’t say whether or not I support this viewpoint, I would like to point out that in TDP, Uncle Rick does a wonderful job at circumventing the ‘preaching’ in the other books. Instead of focusing on the lesbian relationship and why they should be accepted, he instead focuses on how the two have chosen to give up immortality for the sake of their love and desire to grow old together, and to raise a family (as seen in the weariness they have whenever their adoptive daughter, Georgina, is mentioned). Some history between Apollo and Hemithea add even more to this part of the story, which I’m quite happy about. While not the only relatinship featured in the book, this is one of the best examples that shows the change in focus on orientation to the focus on what actually constitutes and makes up relationships: the people, their motivations, their history and future, their connections.

On a side note, it is canon that there can’t be lesbian couples amongst the Hunters. No love at all. Sorry shippers.

Calypso and Leo’s relationship also benefits from the same sort of finesse, in terms of writing. It is made clear that there is a conflict between the two, especially since the only time they’ve had together was in face of danger and on the back of a several-ton metal dragon. And the rest of the time was with Apollo. So, rough start for the couple. My biggest fear for these two was that they would be a power couple to the likes of Percy and Annabeth, which took almost two series to properly build. However, it is shown that, even if Leo went to great lengths to liberate Calypso, they still have problems.

Anyways. We also encounter the patron of the Waystation, Britomaris, the goddess of nets. She was a Cretan goddess incorporated into the Greek pantheon, and made a lieutenant of Artemis. Again, more history between her and Apollo.

I do commend how she was portrayed in the few moments she appeared. As one of the minor goddesses, she doesn’t actually have any intention to be more than who she is now. She is content with being a lieutenant and a goddess of small things, but relishes in being able to order Apollo around (like most of the gods to appear in here, I assume). She also does well in showing that, like most gods (as the previous books have spent a long time establishing), there is more than meets the eye than simply being a goddess of traps. Nets are not only meant to trap things. They can also serve as safety nets, which, from my experience, should definitely be pointed out. A net may appear to be only about hurting things, but it can also save lives. Much like the Waystation itself. Small thing, but a good thing.

At this point, it is established that the main conflict lies between the second emperor-to-be-revealed and his plans to do bad thingies. This one, revealed to be Commodus has even more reason to hate Apollo than the last emperor, with an apparent obsession to destroy the Waystation. Britomaris assigns him and Calypso with the task to free a pair of griffins, her sacred animals, trapped in the local zoo. At this point in the story, one of the smaller and less focused on unanswered questions is answered. In the Lost Hero, the main characters encounter Midas and his son, Lityerses. After a brief conflict, Midas is implied to return to the Underworld whilst Lit remains a golden statue. In TDP, Lit returns as one of Commodus’ minions.

Commodus himself is an interesting character. A former lover of Apollo, he grew up to be a rather corrupt emperor filled with a bloodlust for exotic life, enemies, and sports. He had a large ego, enough to make him want to name everything after him. Apollo ended up killing him in ancient times. Again, the dynamic between the two is interesting. Often in Riordan’s writing style, we see glimpses of the character’s pasts through flashbacks. I feel Commodus was fleshed out using this rather well.

Though really my favourite part about him was liking ostriches, though I didn’t like how he treated them.

Another thing that I found interesting was how the abuse of the animals captured by Commodus was portrayed. While I’m not very well-versed in the topic, the trauma the animals faced, though only alluded to, was really seen through the effects it had on the animals, especially the ostriches and Britomaris’ griffins. Another kudos from me.

Meg, the daughter of Demter and master of Apollo, comes back to save both Apollo and Calypso from an angered Lityerses. They then save her as they make their escape. I don’t have much to say here, as the dynamic between Apollo and Meg is still as entertaining as the last book. On the plus side, she seems to be growing more distant from her stepfather, Nero. She also seems to be taking steps in recovering from the trauma he induced on her, which would be interesting to see later on.

There are so many other things in the book that I think were done well, and some points that I feel were a bit weak, but overall, I’m happy with the book.

Uncle Rick also alludes to a new pantheon, the Yoruban one, in the warrior-accountant-student Jamie. He’s fun.

Definite improvement from the other books. Four out of five.

Taa taa for now, darlings.

[readbookywooks]

The Intention Craft

"My child! My daughter! Where is she? What have you done? My Lyra - you'd do better to tear the fibers from my heart - she was safe with me, safe, and now where is she?" Mrs. Coulter's cry resounded through the little chamber at the top of the adamant tower. She was bound to a chair, her hair disheveled, her clothing torn, her eyes wild; and her monkey daemon thrashed and struggled on the floor in the coils of a silver chain. Lord Asriel sat nearby, scribbling on a piece of paper, taking no notice. An orderly stood beside him, glancing nervously at the woman. When Lord Asriel handed him the paper, he saluted and hurried out, his terrier daemon close at his heels with her tail tucked low. Lord Asriel turned to Mrs. Coulter. "Lyra? Frankly, I don't care," he said, his voice quiet and hoarse. "The wretched child should have stayed where she was put, and done what she was told. I can't waste any more time or resources on her; if she refuses to be helped, let her deal with the consequences." "You don't mean that, Asriel, or you wouldn't have - " "I mean every word of it. The fuss she's caused is out of all proportion to her merits. An ordinary English girl, not very clever - " "She is!" said Mrs. Coulter. "All right; bright but not intellectual; impulsive, dishonest, greedy - " "Brave, generous, loving." "A perfectly ordinary child, distinguished by nothing - " "Perfectly ordinary? Lyra? She's unique. Think of what she's done already. Dislike her if you will, Asriel, but don't you dare patronize your daughter. And she was safe with me, until - " "You're right," he said, getting up. "She is unique. To have tamed and softened you - that's no everyday feat. She's drawn your poison, Marisa. She's taken your teeth out. Your fire's been quenched in a drizzle of sentimental piety. Who would have thought it? The pitiless agent of the Church, the fanatical persecutor of children, the inventor of hideous machines to slice them apart and look in their terrified little beings for any evidence of sin  - and along comes a foul-mouthed, ignorant little brat with dirty fingernails, and you cluck and settle your feathers over her like a hen. Well, I admit: the child must have some gift I've never seen myself. But if all it does is turn you into a doting mother, it's a pretty thin, drab, puny little gift. And now you might as well be quiet. I've asked my chief commanders to come in for an urgent conference, and if you can't control your noise, I'll have you gagged." Mrs. Coulter was more like her daughter than she knew. Her answer to this was to spit in Lord Asriel's face. He wiped it calmly away and said, "A gag would put an end to that kind of behavior, too." "Oh, do correct me, Asriel," she said. "Someone who displays to his under-officers a captive tied to a chair is clearly a prince of politeness. Untie me, or I'll force you to gag me." "As you wish," he said, and took a silk scarf from the drawer; but before he could tie it around her mouth, she shook her head. "No, no," she said, "Asriel, don't, I beg you, please don't humiliate me." Angry tears dashed from her eyes. "Very well, I'll untie you, but he can stay in his chains," he said, and dropped the scarf back in the drawer before cutting her bonds with a clasp knife. She rubbed her wrists, stood up, stretched, and only then noticed the condition of her clothes and hair. She looked haggard and pale; the last of the Gallivespian venom still remained in her body, causing agonizing pains in her joints, but she was not going to show him that. Lord Asriel said, "You can wash in there," indicating a small room hardly bigger than a closet. She picked up her chained daemon, whose baleful eyes glared at Lord Asriel over her shoulder, and went through to make herself tidier. The orderly came in to announce: "His Majesty King Ogunwe and the Lord Roke." The African general and the Gallivespian came in: King Ogunwe in a clean uniform, with a wound on his temple freshly dressed, and Lord Roke gliding swiftly to the table astride his blue hawk. Lord Asriel greeted them warmly and offered wine. The bird let his rider step off, and then flew to the bracket by the door as the orderly announced the third of Lord Asriel's high commanders, an angel by the name of Xaphania. She was of a much higher rank than Baruch or Balthamos, and visible by a shimmering, disconcerting light that seemed to come from somewhere else. By this time Mrs. Coulter had emerged, much tidied, and all three commanders bowed to her; and if she was surprised at their appearance, she gave no sign, but inclined her head and sat down peaceably, holding the pinioned monkey in her arms. Without wasting time, Lord Asriel said, "Tell me what happened, King Ogunwe." The African, powerful and deep-voiced, said, "We killed seventeen Swiss Guards and destroyed two zeppelins. We lost five men and one gyropter. The girl and the boy escaped. We captured the Lady Coulter, despite her courageous defense, and brought her here. I hope she feels we treated her courteously." "I am quite content with the way you treated me, sir," she said, with the faintest possible stress on the you. "Any damage to the other gyropters? Any wounded?" said Lord Asriel. "Some damage and some wounds, but all minor." "Good. Thank you, King; your force did well. My Lord Roke, what have you heard?" The Gallivespian said, "My spies are with the boy and girl in another world. Both children are safe and well, though the girl has been kept in a drugged sleep for many days. The boy lost the use of his knife during the events in the cave: by some accident, it broke in pieces. But it is now whole again, thanks to a creature from the north of your world, Lord Asriel, a giant bear, very skilled at smithwork. As soon as the knife was mended, the boy cut through into another world, where they are now. My spies are with them, of course, but there is a difficulty: while the boy has the knife, he cannot be compelled to do anything; and yet if they were to kill him in his sleep, the knife would be useless to us. For the time being, the Chevalier Tialys and the Lady Salmakia will go with them wherever they go, so at least we can keep track of them. They seem to have a plan in mind; they are refusing to come here, at any rate. My two will not lose them." "Are they safe in this other world they're in now?" said Lord Asriel. "They're on a beach near a forest of large tree-ferns. There is no sign of animal life nearby. As we speak, both boy and girl are asleep; I spoke to the Chevalier Tialys not five minutes ago." "Thank you," said Lord Asriel. "Now that your two agents are following the children, of course, we have no eyes in the Magisterium anymore. We shall have to rely on the alethiometer. At least - " Then Mrs. Coulter spoke, to their surprise. "I don't know about the other branches," she said, "but as far as the Consistorial Court is concerned, the reader they rely on is Fra Pavel Rasek. And he's thorough, but slow. They won't know where Lyra is for another few hours." Lord Asriel said, "Thank you, Marisa. Do you have any idea what Lyra and this boy intend to do next?" "No," she said, "none. I've spoken to the boy, and he seemed to be a stubborn child, and one well used to keeping secrets. I can't guess what he would do. As for Lyra, she is quite impossible to read." "My lord," said King Ogunwe, "may we know whether the Lady is now part of this commanding council? If so, what is her function? If not, should she not be taken elsewhere?" "She is our captive and my guest, and as a distinguished former agent of the Church, she may have information that would be useful." "Will she reveal anything willingly? Or will she need to be tortured?" said Lord Roke, watching her directly as he spoke. Mrs. Coulter laughed. "I would have thought Lord Asriel's commanders would know better than to expect truth to come out of torture," she said. Lord Asriel couldn't help enjoying her barefaced insincerity. "I will guarantee Mrs. Coulter's behavior," he said. "She knows what will happen if she betrays us; though she will not have the chance. However, if any of you has a doubt, express it now, fearlessly." "I do," said King Ogunwe, "but I doubt you, not her." "Why?" said Lord Asriel. "If she tempted you, you would not resist. It was right to capture her, but wrong to invite her to this council. Treat her with every courtesy, give her the greatest comfort, but place her somewhere else, and stay away from her." "Well, I invited you to speak," said Lord Asriel, "and I must accept your rebuke. I value your presence more than hers, King. I'll have her taken away." He reached for the bell, but before he could ring, Mrs. Coulter spoke. "Please," she said urgently, "listen to me first. I can help. I've been closer to the heart of the Magisterium than anyone you're likely to find again. I know how they think, I can guess what they'll do. You wonder why you should trust me, what's made me leave them? It's simple: they're going to kill my daughter. They daren't let her live. The moment I found out who she is - what she is - what the witches prophesy about her - I knew I had to leave the Church; I knew I was their enemy, and they were mine. I didn't know what you all were, or what I was to you - that was a mystery; but I knew that I had to set myself against the Church, against everything they believed in, and if need be, against the Authority himself. I..." She stopped. All the commanders were listening intently. Now she looked Lord Asriel full in the face and seemed to speak to him alone, her voice low and passionate, her brilliant eyes glittering. "I have been the worst mother in the world. I let my only child be taken away from me when she was a tiny infant, because I didn't care about her; I was concerned only with my own advancement. I didn't think of her for years, and if I did, it was only to regret the embarrassment of her birth. "But then the Church began to take an interest in Dust and in children, and something stirred in my heart, and I remembered that I was a mother and Lyra was... my child. "And because there was a threat, I saved her from it. Three times now I've stepped in to pluck her out of danger. First, when the Oblation Board began its work: I went to Jordan College and I took her to live with me, in London, where I could keep her safe from the Board... or so I hoped. But she ran away. "The second time was at Bolvangar, when I found her just in time, under the... under the blade of the... My heart nearly stopped... It was what they - we - what I had done to other children, but when it was mine... Oh, you can't conceive the horror of that moment, I hope you never suffer as I did then... But I got her free; I took her out; I saved her a second time. "But even as I did that, I still felt myself part of the Church, a servant, a loyal and faithful and devoted servant, because I was doing the Authority's work. "And then I learned the witches' prophecy. Lyra will somehow, sometime soon, be tempted, as Eve was - that's what they say. What form this temptation will take, I don't know, but she's growing up, after all. It's not hard to imagine. And now that the Church knows that, too, they'll kill her. If it all depends on her, could they risk letting her live? Would they dare take the chance that she'd refuse this temptation, whatever it will be? "No, they're bound to kill her. If they could, they'd go back to the Garden of Eden and kill Eve before she was tempted. Killing is not difficult for them; Calvin himself ordered the deaths of children; they'd kill her with pomp and ceremony and prayers and lamentations and psalms and hymns, but they would kill her. If she falls into their hands, she's dead already. "So when I heard what the witch said, I saved my daughter for the third time. I took her to a place where I kept her safe, and there I was going to stay." "You drugged her," said King Ogunwe. "You kept her unconscious." "I had to," said Mrs. Coulter, "because she hated me," and here her voice, which had been full of emotion but under control, spilled over into a sob, and it trembled as she went on: "She feared me and hated me, and she would have fled from my presence like a bird from a cat if I hadn't drugged her into oblivion. Do you know what that means to a mother? But it was the only way to keep her safe! All that time in the cave... asleep, her eyes closed, her body helpless, her daemon curled up at her throat... Oh, I felt such a love, such a tenderness, such a deep, deep... My own child, the first time I had ever been able to do these things for her, my little...! washed her and fed her and kept her safe and warm, I made sure her body was nourished as she slept... I lay beside her at night, I cradled her in my arms, I wept into her hair, I kissed her sleeping eyes, my little one..." She was shameless. She spoke quietly; she didn't declaim or raise her voice; and when a sob shook her, it was muffled almost into a hiccup, as if she were stifling her emotions for the sake of courtesy. Which made her barefaced lies all the more effective, Lord Asriel thought with disgust; she lied in the very marrow of her bones. She directed her words mainly at King Ogunwe, without seeming to, and Lord Asriel saw that, too. Not only was the king her chief accuser, he was also human, unlike the angel or Lord Roke, and she knew how to play on him. In fact, though, it was on the Gallivespian that she made the greatest impression. Lord Roke sensed in her a nature as close to that of a scorpion as he had ever encountered, and he was well aware of the power in the sting he could detect under her gentle tone. Better to keep scorpions where you could see them, he thought. So he supported King Ogunwe when the latter changed his mind and argued that she should stay, and Lord Asriel found himself outflanked: for he now wanted her elsewhere, but he had already agreed to abide by his commanders' wishes. Mrs. Coulter looked at him with an expression of mild and virtuous concern. He was certain that no one else could see the glitter of sly triumph in the depths of her beautiful eyes. "Stay, then," he said. "But you've spoken enough. Stay quiet now. I want to consider this proposal for a garrison on the southern border. You've all seen the report: is it workable? Is it desirable? Next I want to look at the armory. And then I want to hear from Xaphania about the dispositions of the angelic forces. First, the garrison. King Ogunwe?" The African leader began. They spoke for some time, and Mrs. Coulter was impressed by their accurate knowledge of the Church's defenses, and their clear assessment of its leaders' strengths. But now that Tialys and Salmakia were with the children, and Lord Asriel no longer had a spy in the Magisterium, their knowledge would soon be dangerously out of date. An idea came to Mrs. Coulter's mind, and she and the monkey daemon exchanged a glance that felt like a powerful anbaric spark; but she said nothing, and stroked his golden fur as she listened to the commanders. Then Lord Asriel said, "Enough. That is a problem we'll deal with later. Now for the armory. I understand they're ready to test the intention craft. We'll go and look at it." He took a silver key from his pocket and unlocked the chain around the golden monkey's feet and hands, and carefully avoided touching even the tip of one golden hair. Lord Roke mounted his hawk and followed with the others as Lord Asriel set off down the stairs of the tower and out onto the battlements. A cold wind was blowing, snapping at their eyelids, and the dark blue hawk soared up in a mighty draft, wheeling and screaming in the wild air. King Ogunwe drew his coat around him and rested his hand on his cheetah daemon's head. Mrs. Coulter said humbly to the angel: "Excuse me, my lady: your name is Xaphania?" "Yes," said the angel. Her appearance impressed Mrs. Coulter, just as her fellows had impressed the witch Ruta Skadi when she found them in the sky: she was not shining, but shone on, though there was no source of light. She was tall, naked, winged, and her lined face was older than that of any living creature Mrs. Coulter had ever seen. "Are you one of the angels who rebelled so long ago?" "Yes. And since then I have been wandering between many worlds. Now I have pledged my allegiance to Lord Asriel, because I see in his great enterprise the best hope of destroying the tyranny at last." "But if you fail?" "Then we shall all be destroyed, and cruelty will reign forever." As they spoke, they followed Lord Asriel's rapid strides along the wind-beaten battlements toward a mighty staircase going down so deep that even the flaring lights on sconces down the walls could not disclose the bottom. Past them swooped the blue hawk, gliding down and down into the gloom, with each flaring light making his feathers flicker as he passed it, until he was merely a tiny spark, and then nothing. The angel had moved on to Lord Asriel's side, and Mrs. Coulter found herself descending next to the African king. "Excuse my ignorance, sir," she said, "but I had never seen or heard of a being like the man on the blue hawk until the fight in the cave yesterday... Where does he come from? Can you tell me about his people? I wouldn't offend him for the world, but if I speak without knowing something about him, I might be unintentionally rude." "You do well to ask," said King Ogunwe. "His people are proud. Their world developed unlike ours; there are two kinds of conscious being there, humans and Gallivespians. The humans are mostly servants of the Authority, and they have been trying to exterminate the small people since the earliest time anyone can remember. They regard them as diabolic. So the Gallivespians still cannot quite trust those who are our size. But they are fierce and proud warriors, and deadly enemies, and valuable spies." "Are all his people with you, or are they divided as humans are?" "There are some who are with the enemy, but most are with us." "And the angels? You know, I thought until recently that angels were an invention of the Middle Age; they were just imaginary... To find yourself speaking to one is disconcerting, isn't it... How many are with Lord Asriel?" "Mrs. Coulter," said the king, "these questions are just the sort of things a spy would want to find out." "A fine sort of spy I'd be, to ask you so transparently," she replied. "I'm a captive, sir. I couldn't get away even if I had a safe place to flee to. From now on, I'm harmless, you can take my word for that." "If you say so, I am happy to believe you," said the king. "Angels are more difficult to understand than any human being. They're not all of one kind, to begin with; some have greater powers than others; and there are complicated alliances among them, and ancient enmities, that we know little about. The Authority has been suppressing them since he came into being." She stopped. She was genuinely shocked. The African king halted beside her, thinking she was unwell, and indeed the light of the flaring sconce above her did throw ghastly shadows over her face. "You say that so casually," she said, "as if it were something I should know, too, but... How can it be? The Authority created the worlds, didn't he? He existed before everything. How can he have come into being?" "This is angelic knowledge," said Ogunwe. "It shocked some of us, too, to learn that the Authority is not the creator. There may have been a creator, or there may not: we don't know. All we know is that at some point the Authority took charge, and since then, angels have rebelled, and human beings have struggled against him, too. This is the last rebellion. Never before have humans and angels, and beings from all the worlds, made a common cause. This is the greatest force ever assembled. But it may still not be enough. We shall see." "But what does Lord Asriel intend? What is this world, and why has he come here?" "He led us here because this world is empty. Empty of conscious life, that is. We are not colonialists, Mrs. Coulter. We haven't come to conquer, but to build." "And is he going to attack the Kingdom of Heaven?" Ogunwe looked at her levelly. "We're not going to invade the Kingdom," he said, "but if the Kingdom invades us, they had better be ready for war, because we are prepared. Mrs. Coulter, I am a king, but it's my proudest task to join Lord Asriel in setting up a world where there are no kingdoms at all. No kings, no bishops, no priests. The Kingdom of Heaven has been known by that name since the Authority first set himself above the rest of the angels. And we want no part of it. This world is different. We intend to be free citizens of the Republic of Heaven." Mrs. Coulter wanted to say more, to ask the dozen questions that rose to her lips, but the king had moved on, unwilling to keep his commander waiting, and she had to follow. The staircase led so far down that by the time it reached a level floor, the sky behind them at the head of the flight was quite invisible. Well before halfway she had little breath left, but she made no complaint and moved on down till it opened out into a massive hall lit by glowing crystals in the pillars that supported the roof. Ladders, gantries, beams, and walkways crossed the gloom above, with small figures moving about them purposefully. Lord Asriel was speaking to his commanders when Mrs. Coulter arrived, and without waiting to let her rest, he moved on across the great hall, where occasionally a bright figure would sweep through the air or alight on the floor for a brief snatched word with him. The air was dense and warm. Mrs. Coulter noticed that, presumably as a courtesy to Lord Roke, every pillar had an empty bracket at human head height so that his hawk could perch there and allow the Gallivespian to be included in the discussion. But they did not stay in the great hall for long. At the far side, an attendant hauled open a heavy double door to let them through, onto the platform of a railway. There waiting was a small closed carriage, drawn by an anbaric locomotive. The engineer bowed, and his brown monkey daemon retreated behind his legs at the sight of the golden monkey with the chained hands. Lord Asriel spoke to the man briefly and showed the others into the carriage, which, like the hall, was lit by those glowing crystals, held on silver brackets against mirrored mahogany panels. As soon as Lord Asriel had joined them, the train began to move, gliding smoothly away from the platform and into a tunnel, accelerating briskly. Only the sound of the wheels on the smooth track gave any idea of their speed. "Where are we going?" Mrs. Coulter asked. "To the armory," Lord Asriel said shortly, and turned away to talk quietly with the angel. Mrs. Coulter said to Lord Roke, "My lord, are your spies always sent out in pairs?" "Why do you ask?" "Simple curiosity. My daemon and I found ourselves at a stalemate when we met them recently in that cave, and I was intrigued to see how well they fought." "Why intrigued? Did you not expect people of our size to be good fighters?" She looked at him coolly, aware of the ferocity of his pride. "No," she said. "I thought we would beat you easily, and you very nearly beat us. I'm happy to admit my mistake. But do you always fight in pairs?" "You are a pair, are you not, you and your daemon? Did you expect us to concede the advantage?" he said, and his haughty stare, brilliantly clear even in the soft light of the crystals, dared her to ask more. She looked down modestly and said nothing. Several minutes went past, and Mrs. Coulter felt the train taking them downward, even deeper into the mountain's heart. She couldn't guess how far they went, but when at least fifteen minutes had gone by, the train began to slow; and presently they drew up to a platform where the anbaric lights seemed brilliant after the darkness of the tunnel. Lord Asriel opened the doors, and they got out into an atmosphere so hot and sulphur-laden that Mrs. Coulter had to gasp. The air rang with the pounding of mighty hammers and the clangorous screech of iron on stone. An attendant hauled open the doors leading off the platform, and instantly the noise redoubled and the heat swept over them like a breaking wave. A blaze of scorching light made them shade their eyes; only Xaphania seemed unaffected by the onslaught of sound and light and heat. When her senses had adjusted, Mrs. Coulter looked around, alive with curiosity. She had seen forges, ironworks, manufactories in her own world; the biggest seemed like a village smithy beside this. Hammers the size of houses were lifted in a moment to the distant ceiling and then hurled downward to flatten balks of iron the size of tree trunks, pounding them flat in a fraction of a second with a blow that made the very mountain tremble; from a vent in the rocky wall, a river of sulphurous molten metal flowed until it was cut off by an adamant gate, and the brilliant seething flood rushed through channels and sluices and over weirs into row upon row of molds, to settle and cool in a cloud of evil smoke; gigantic slicing machines and rollers cut and folded and pressed sheets of inch-thick iron as if it were tissue paper, and then those monstrous hammers pounded it flat again, layering metal upon metal with such force that the different layers became one tougher one, over and over again. If Iorek Byrnison could have seen this armory, he might have admitted that these people knew something about working with metal. Mrs. Coulter could only look and wonder. It was impossible to speak and be understood, and no one tried. And now Lord Asriel was gesturing to the small group to follow him along a grated walkway suspended over an even larger vault below, where miners toiled with picks and spades to hack the bright metals from the mother rock. They passed over the walkway and down a long rocky corridor, where stalactites hung gleaming with strange colors and where the pounding and grinding and hammering gradually faded. Mrs. Coulter could feel a cool breeze on her heated face. The crystals that gave them light were neither mounted on sconces nor enclosed in glowing pillars, but scattered loosely on the floor, and there were no flaring torches to add to the heat, so little by little the party began to feel cold again; and presently they came out, quite suddenly, into the night air. They were at a place where part of the mountain had been hacked away, making a space as wide and open as a parade ground. Farther along they could see, dimly lit, great iron doors in the mountainside, some open and some shut; and from out of one of the mighty doorways, men were hauling something draped in a tarpaulin. "What is that?" Mrs. Coulter said to the African king, and he replied: "The intention craft." Mrs. Coulter had no idea what that could mean, and watched with intense curiosity as they prepared to take off the tarpaulin. She stood close to King Ogunwe, as if for shelter, and said, "How does it work? What does it do?" "We're about to see," said the king. It looked like some kind of complex drilling apparatus, or the cockpit of a gyropter, or the cabin of a massive crane. It had a glass canopy over a seat with at least a dozen levers and handles banked in front of it. It stood on six legs, each jointed and sprung at a different angle to the body, so that it seemed both energetic and ungainly; and the body itself was a mass of pipe work, cylinders, pistons, coiled cables, switchgear, valves, and gauges. It was hard to tell what was structure and what was not, because it was only lit from behind, and most of it was hidden in gloom. Lord Roke on his hawk had glided up to it directly, circling above, examining it from all sides. Lord Asriel and the angel were close in discussion with the engineers, and men were clambering down from the craft itself, one carrying a clipboard, another a length of cable. Mrs. Coulter's eyes gazed at the craft hungrily, memorizing every part of it, making sense of its complexity. And as she watched, Lord Asriel swung himself up into the seat, fastening a leather harness around his waist and shoulders, and setting a helmet securely on his head. His daemon, the snow leopard, sprang up to follow him, and he turned to adjust something beside her. The engineer called up, Lord Asriel replied, and the men withdrew to the doorway. The intention craft moved, though Mrs. Coulter was not sure how. It was almost as if it had quivered, though there it was, quite still, poised with a strange energy on those six insect legs. As she looked, it moved again, and then she saw what was happening: various parts of it were revolving, turning this way and that, scanning the dark sky overhead. Lord Asriel sat busily moving this lever, checking that dial, adjusting that control; and then suddenly the intention craft vanished. Somehow, it had sprung into the air. It was hovering above them now, as high as a treetop, turning slowly to the left. There was no sound of an engine, no hint of how it was held against gravity. It simply hung in the air. "Listen," said King Ogunwe. "To the south." She turned her head and strained to hear. There was a wind that moaned around the edge of the mountain, and there were the deep hammer blows from the presses, which she felt through the soles of her feet, and there was the sound of voices from the lit doorway, but at some signal the voices stopped and the lights were extinguished. And in the quiet Mrs. Coulter could hear, very faintly, the chop-chop-chop of gyropter engines on the gusts of wind. "Who are they?" she said quietly. "Decoys," said the king. "My pilots, flying a mission to tempt the enemy to follow. Watch." She widened her eyes, trying to see anything against the heavy dark with its few stars. Above them, the intention craft hung as firmly as if it were anchored and bolted there; no gust of wind had the slightest effect on it. No light came from the cockpit, so it was very difficult to see, and the figure of Lord Asriel was out of sight completely. Then she caught the first sight of a group of lights low in the sky, at the same moment as the engine sound became loud enough to hear steadily. Six gyropters, flying fast, one of them seemingly in trouble, for smoke trailed from it, and it flew lower than the others. They were making for the mountain, but on a course to take them past it and beyond. And behind them, in close pursuit, came a motley collection of fliers. It was not easy to make out what they were, but Mrs. Coulter saw a heavy gyropter of a strange kind, two straight-winged aircraft, one great bird that glided with effortless speed carrying two armed riders, and three or four angels. "A raiding party," said King Ogunwe. They were closing on the gyropters. Then a line of light blazed from one of the straight-winged aircraft, followed a second or two later by a sound, a deep crack. But the shell never reached its target, the crippled gyropter, because in the same instant as they saw the light, and before they heard the crack, the watchers on the mountain saw a flash from the intention craft, and a shell exploded in midair. Mrs. Coulter had hardly time to understand that almost instantaneous sequence of light and sound before the battle was under way. Nor was it at all easy to follow, because the sky was so dark and the movement of every flier so quick; but a series of nearly silent flashes lit the mountainside, accompanied by short hisses like the escape of steam. Each flash struck somehow at a different raider: the aircraft caught fire or exploded; the giant bird uttered a scream like the tearing of a mountain-high curtain and plummeted onto the rocks far below; and as for the angels, each of them simply vanished in a drift of glowing air, a myriad particles twinkling and glowing dimmer until they flickered out like a dying firework. Then there was silence. The wind carried away the sound of the decoy gyropters, which had now disappeared around the flank of the mountain, and no one watching spoke. Flames far below glared on the underside of the intention craft, still somehow hovering in the air and now turning slowly as if to look around. The destruction of the raiding party was so complete that Mrs. Coulter, who had seen many things to be shocked by, was nevertheless shocked by this. As she looked up at the intention craft, it seemed to shimmer or dislodge itself, and then there it was, solidly on the ground again. King Ogunwe hurried forward, as did the other commanders and the engineers, who had thrown open the doors and let the light flood out over the proving ground. Mrs. Coulter stayed where she was, puzzling over the workings of the intention craft. "Why is he showing it to us?" her daemon said quietly. "Surely he can't have read our mind," she replied in the same tone. They were thinking of the moment in the adamant tower when that sparklike idea had flashed between them. They had thought of making Lord Asriel a proposition: of offering to go to the Consistorial Court of Discipline and spying for him. She knew every lever of power; she could manipulate them all. It would be hard at first to convince them of her good faith, but she could do it. And now that the Gallivespian spies had left to go with Will and Lyra, surely Asriel couldn't resist an offer like that. But now, as they looked at that strange flying machine, another idea struck even more forcibly, and she hugged the golden monkey with glee. "Asriel," she called innocently, "may I see how the machine works?" He looked down, his expression distracted and impatient, but full of excited satisfaction, too. He was delighted with the intention craft; she knew he wouldn't be able to resist showing it off. King Ogunwe stood aside, and Lord Asriel reached down and pulled her up into the cockpit. He helped her into the seat and watched as she looked around the controls. "How does it work? What powers it?" she said. "Your intentions," he said. "Hence the name. If you intend to go forward, it will go forward." "That's no answer. Come on, tell me. What sort of engine is it? How does it fly? I couldn't see anything aerodynamic at all. But these controls... from inside, it's almost like a gyropter." He was finding it hard not to tell her; and since she was in his power, he did. He held out a cable at the end of which was a leather grip, deeply marked by his daemon's teeth. "Your daemon," he explained, "has to hold this handle - whether in teeth, or hands, it doesn't matter. And you have to wear that helmet. There's a current flowing between them, and a capacitor amplifies it - oh, it's more complicated than that, but the thing's simple to fly. We put in controls like a gyropter for the sake of familiarity, but eventually we won't need controls at all. Of course, only a human with a daemon can fly it." "I see," she said. And she pushed him hard, so that he fell out of the machine. In the same moment she slipped the helmet on her head, and the golden monkey snatched up the leather handle. She reached for the control that in a gyropter would tilt the airfoil, and pushed the throttle forward, and at once the intention craft leapt into the air. But she didn't quite have the measure of it yet. The craft hung still for some moments, slightly tilted, before she found the controls to move it forward, and in those few seconds, Lord Asriel did three things. He leapt to his feet; he put up his hand to stop King Ogunwe from ordering the soldiers to fire on the intention craft; and he said, "Lord Roke, go with her, if you would be so kind." The Gallivespian urged his blue hawk upward at once, and the bird flew straight to the still-open cabin door. The watchers below could see the woman's head looking this way and that, and the golden monkey, likewise, and they could see that neither of them noticed the little figure of Lord Roke leaping from his hawk into the cabin behind them. A moment later, the intention craft began to move, and the hawk wheeled away to skim down to Lord Asriel's wrist. No more than two seconds later, the aircraft was already vanishing from sight in the damp and starry air. Lord Asriel watched with rueful admiration. "Well, King, you were quite right," he said, "and I should have listened to you in the first place. She is Lyra's mother; I might have expected something like that." "Aren't you going to pursue her?"' said King Ogunwe. "What, and destroy a perfectly good aircraft? Certainly not." "Where d'you think she'll go? In search of the child?" "Not at first. She doesn't know where to find her. I know exactly what she'll do: she'll go to the Consistorial Court and give them the intention craft as an earnest pledge of good faith, and then she'll spy. She'll spy on them for us. She's tried every other kind of duplicity: that one'll be a novel experience. And as soon as she finds out where the girl is, she'll go there, and we shall follow." "And when will Lord Roke let her know he's come with her?" "Oh, I think he'll keep that as a surprise, don't you?" They laughed, and moved back into the workshops, where a later, more advanced model of the intention craft was awaiting their inspection.