313) The Salvation of Eden, Chapter 77 — No greater Love
They say that in moments of life-or-death, time sometimes slows down, giving you uncanny clarity of perception. Kohra understood instantly what she had to do. There was no time for anything else.
312) The Salvation of Eden, Chapter 76 — Kohra finds her Power
Everyone was silent while Kohra closed her eyes. Dominic smiled to himself. Ms. B had told him this would happen. That someday, Kohra would start to find herself. He felt strangely proud, like he was watching “a moment” in his friend’s life.
311) The Salvation of Eden, Chapter 75 - The Second Challenge
“Maybe they eat dust.” Lenny pointed out into the cavern. “You see any dust in here?”
“Maybe they eat your face!” Reilly poked Lenny in the ribs.
“Maybe they eat your mom!” Lenny poked her back.
“My mom is a tree!” Reilly raised her voice.
“Maybe they eat trees!” Lenny fired back.
307) The Salvation of Eden, Chapter 71 — From out of the frying pan….
Who is to say who are the “good guys” and who is “bad”? Did those soldiers not have friends? Loved ones? Childhoods? Hopes for the future?
She closed her eyes. But the darkness behind them was worse.
305) The Salvation of Eden, Chapter 69 — Attack
There was a sudden, tremendous crash, and screams filled the air. Peering through the trees, Lenny saw the flaming guard tower fall. She grinned, pumping her fist. “We’re winning!”
304) The Salvation of Eden, Chapter 68 — The least likely Plan
Lenny responded, “Yeeeeet!” and raised her arms in what she called her “goblin pose.” Lenny typically did things like that when she found herself the centre of attention. Dominic laughed, in spite of their circumstances. Kohra, watching from behind, smiled. She loved these people. Even in the midst of a suicide mission, they found humour in little moments.
“Okay, we were right,” Grok commented as they hiked. “She brought most of her forces to catch you.” She grinned. “I love it when a plan comes together.”
303) The Salvation of Eden, Chapter 67 - Time Bubble, Magic, and Saying Good-bye
At the end, they all lay in the snow, looking up at the scintillating sky. Kohra smiled to herself, pure gratitude warming her from within.
Today was a good day. A magical day. Whatever happens tomorrow, we really Lived today.
301) The Salvation of Eden, Chapter 65 — Never enough time in a day
“Okay, listen. First, we need to knock her out.” She looked pointedly at the Archer Captain. “Devona, I’ve got a potion—” but Devona had already booted the Captain in the face. She was out cold. Nobody objected.
292) The Salvation of Eden, Chapter 56 — From Shame to Freedom, the First Step
As is so often the case, Kohra’s “failure” was the beginning of true growth. She finally gave up trying to conjure fire, and instead just felt into the Flux with a “beginner’s mind,” like Ms B had always encouraged. She felt into its currents, its ebbs and flows, like a surfer paddling around waiting for the right wave. Remembering the sheer thrill of the Flux, she began to play.
183) The Salvation of Eden, Chapter 18 -- The Seat of the Will
She remembered how much she loved, as a little kid, sitting in a dark closet or an old shed, watching the shiny specks dancing in shafts of soft light coming through a crack in the door.
I hope we never get rid of dusty places. I think that’s maybe why I still believe in fairies. How could dust motes be anything other than some form of sentience?
182) The Salvation of Eden, Chapter 17 -- Shaping: Connecting the Inner and Outer Worlds
Kohra laughed, throwing her head back, looking up at the skyflows. They were so bright tonight, incredible, like they were ten times closer than she had ever seen them.
What IS that stuff Gorb smokes?
77) Magic, Motorcycles, and Mandelbrot: Part 1 - Magic
Let’s start with when we’re young. Really young. As young as we can remember. I wholeheartedly believed in magic when I was a kid. I’ll bet you did too. You might have held onto it as an adult, but you probably didn’t, or at least, it faded and changed. This “loss of magic” as childhood morphs into adulthood is such a cliché that it is, in fact, a theme in many children’s stories themselves.
23) Gratitude Day 4: Gary Gygax
I could say more. But if I have any spare time today, I’d rather spend it crafting a better world. First in my imagination. Because everything starts there, doesn’t it?
20) Gratitude: Day 1 — Slider
There’s something rather….intimate….about another ‘being’ who shares your bedroom for 40 years. They go through a lot with you.