Hot Topic (More than 10 Replies) The Age of Aquarius (Read 3079 times)
THE ONI
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The Age of Aquarius
Mar 10th, 2018 at 12:56pm
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  The Man woke with his face against something cold and rough. Actually his whole body was against this uncomfortable mass. He looked down and pulled his head back. Wheat, crushed and twisted together. He rose slowly and looked around to get his bearings. The Man had no idea where he was but he knew he was in the exact center of a large crop circle, a real one, not one of those silly pranks.

  Excitement ran through his veins as he teetered a bit while reviewing the circle. Could there be a new Letter hidden here? One could never tell so he wobbled around the outside perimeter to get a better view. It was a Letter but one He already knew. The Man was excited and disappointed at the same time. Theories that a True Letter could be revealed in a crop circle were confirmed, sadly since it was one he knew there would be no additional knowledge today.

  The Man began to walk east for no true reason other than it was where The Sun was at this moment in Time.   Time.   What time was he currently in and what location? Both these facts were unknowns to him but he knew at least he assumed he was on Earth.

  As he crested a rise he could see a small two lane road with an older model car as well as two men leaning on it. As he approached he noted the car was in surprisingly good shape for a late 1950's or possibly early 1960's model. The two men, actually one man and one boy of about sixteen years old approached him though the older Gentleman took the lead.

  The Man began to speak as he raised his hand in salutations " Hello there, good to see you both. My name is Di......" It was then that the older gentleman stopped his speech immediately with a raise of his hand. " No names please Sir. That might cause a ripple in time and effect the future. You can call me Dickie Dander and we have been told you will be going by Milton Paradise if you please."

  The Man now to be known as Milton Paradise thought for a moment. A Ripple in Time. For some reason this made him think of his friend who at one time called himself Mr. Ripple. This for some reason became outrageously funny and Milton Paradise began to laugh uncontrollably. The blood rushed to his head and he became dizzy as he wobbled even more than before. It seems Time Travel can have a sever effect on the body, mind and possibly the soul. Milton stopped for a moment, looked at his two new comrades, threw up and promptly passed out.

  He awoke later to find himself leaning on the trunk of the car while the young sixteen year old boy was wiping the vomit of Miltons shirt and cleaning his forehead from sweat and dirt.

  " Hey, great, you're back with us!! Good to see you are feeling better. Let me know if you may need anything since we are here to help you. Oh boy!! Where are my manners? I have not introduced myself. You can call me Mason Lodge"

  Milton looked at the boy, heard the name the boy gave himself and promptly bent over and vomited again.


« Last Edit: Mar 10th, 2018 at 1:02pm by THE ONI »  
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Re: The Age of Aquarius
Reply #1 - Mar 10th, 2018 at 1:37pm
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  Milton fell in and out of consciousness and finally awoke on a couch in a quaint home somewhere. The style and architecture told him early 1960's so with that and the car he knew at least about when he was. The sound from a black and white television talking about the current Cuban Missile Crisis confirmed it. Sometime in mid to late October 1962.

  It was then that young Mason Lodge looked up from the comic book he was reading. " Hey you're awake! You have been sleeping from three days man. I bet you must be famished!! Dickie is making eggs in the kitchen. I'll go get you some lickity split!!."

  Milton noticed the comic the boy had been reading and had tossed away the moment Milton looked up. Fantastic Four #2. Man what a find and Milton knew once he got some cash in his pocket he would need to get to the local five and dime to pick up some more.

  Mason was correct. Milton was famished and he got up immediately to get to those eggs. Dickie Dander was in the kitchen frying them up with cigarette in hand and eyes bouncing back and forth from the pan to the television. Dickie Dander was scared. Milton knew this was a dangerous and incredibly frightening time for those who had to live through the crisis and the cold war. Milton knew how it would turn out but could not give his new friend any real solace. You just don't mess with time and information about the future. You just don't.

  " This is part of what you are here for." Dickie said as he handed Milton the plate of half runny half burnt eggs. Dickie was looking at the television when he said it so Milton assumed he would somehow be involved with stopping the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962 though he had no idea how he was involved.

  Mason Lodge walked back in. " Boy, I can't believe you slept a whole three days straight! Hey, three, that's a common number in the Occult World. Did you know that?"

  Milton simply smiled and said " So your are interested in The Occult are you?" but Masons reaction was to just look at Milton strangely as if he should know something he did not already.

  " Anyway, Welcome to Nebraska Mr. Paradise" Dickie Dander said. " We are your go betweens right now and we will get you settled in. You have a party to be at in four days time at the Golden Nugget in Vegas. You are going to need a suit and a few bucks in your pocket. We have already taken care of your new identity and proofs"

  With that Milton was presented with a wallet containing some cash as well as a file with bank account numbers. The cash was minimal, basic spending money, the bank accounts totaled about $125,000.00. Milton had some thoughts for that money and how he could multiply it over the next three plus decades but it was not time for that right now
« Last Edit: Mar 10th, 2018 at 1:39pm by THE ONI »  
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Re: The Age of Aquarius
Reply #2 - Mar 31st, 2018 at 12:29pm
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  Later that afternoon Dickie Dander and Mason Lodge took Milton shopping for a new suit. Going to the Bobby Darin Concert in Vegas in a silver space suit was just not going to get it done.  Dickie slipped the tailor and extra twenty bucks and requested a rush job once Miltons fitting was complete.

  While the tailor was feverishly rushing on the new suit Mason Lodge and Milton strolled the quaint little town and did a bit of shopping. Comic shopping that is. Milton a few bucks in his pocket from his new wallet and picked up some crisp new comic books. Fantastic Four #1 as well as a mint original Flash when Barry Allen first met Jay Garrick.

  Milton had some plans for those two books in the not so near future
  
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Re: The Age of Aquarius
Reply #3 - Jun 3rd, 2018 at 10:57am
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It felt funny.  Dick’s parents would have been so excited to see Bobby Darin.  Still hearing him sing Somewhere Beyond the Sea gave him the chills. And knowing that in only ten years, Bobby would be dead from a botched surgery made Dick feel sad.  He wanted to speak out, he wanted to tell someone.  Maybe he could pass his manager a note? 
It was then that the weight of time travel hit him.  He couldn’t create a paradox.  He tried to enjoy the moment, but the moment was too heavy.
The after party?  Now that was something else.  Even knowing the fate of some of the guests, Dick, as Milton Paradise, couldn’t help but enjoy himself.  I mean who wouldn’t?  Right here were some American legends!   
Walking out of a bathroom was Johnny West!  Who didn’t have the Johnny West comic book?  Who didn’t see the infamous Dean Martin Roast for Johnny West, when an obvious Johnny West said that he, as he put it, put the spurs to Marylyn Monroe?  And leaving the bathroom with him, was it, could it possibly be Rachel Welsh?
Of course he recognized Gina the Jungle Queen.  She was a personal hero of his.   She made environmentalism sexy.  Who hadn’t been, er um, inspired, is that the right word?, by the photos of her in that skimpy tiger striped bikini?
And in the corner, talking to a gaggle of gawking women, was comic book strong man, Charles Atlas himself.  He was as cool as Dick would have hoped.   
The only person his aged was an out of placed 19 year old. He didn’t dress up.  Dick thought he looked familiar.  It wasn’t until after the party that he learned he was the so called “deadliest man alive, Count Dante.”   Dick was sure there was no relation.
The party’s host was a mysterious gentlemen of means who went by the name of Mr. Clean.  He was not in attendance.  Dicky said that he had a thing about germs and didn’t want to come to a party where everyone was smoking.    Did I mention the smoking?   Wow, everyone was smoking.  Even Atlas.  The sixties was a different world.
Gina came over to talk to Dick.  He couldn’t help but stare.  She was nearly forty and he started to believe that she really did discover the Fountain of Youth in the rainforests of South America. She hugged and kissed Dick, which he thought lasted a bit longer that a hello should, not that he was complaining. But he was a bit embarrassed by this 18 year old body’s reaction…   If Gina noticed, she didn’t react.    She introduced Dick to an impeccably dressed Chinese man.   Dick read the CHESS files.  This had to be Jack Wu.  This man infiltrated the Assassin Nation, became its leader, and neutered its operations for decades, without them catching on.  Dick was more than just a bit impressed.  He couldn’t help but stammer as he said hello.   Jack, being the greatest spy who ever existed, gave no tells.
Gina, Jack and Dick talked for most of the party.  Jack was charmed by their charisma.  He wanted to impress them.  And looking back, he is positive that Jack’s polite party talk, was infect, the smoothest interrogation known to man.   He wonders how much information about the future he gave up. 
Gina suddenly became flushed with anger.  She went from pure sexy beauty, to sexier fury in a second. She turned to Dick and whispered.  “Whatever you do, don’t talk to that bastard!”  She nodded at a tall thin blond man.  She looked smarmy.  He looked over to Dick and raised his cocktail glass.   Dick looked away.     Gina said he went by the name of the Bavarian and that he was not invited.  Sure enough, he made a bee line over to Gina, Jack and Dick and said hello.  He put his hand between the two adults and shook Milton’s hand.   Gina put her arm around the Bavarian’s arm and cooed a warm hello and walked him away.   Whatever the Bavarian was, he was still a male, and no male could resist Gina the Jungle Queen.   
Gina ran interference.  It was obvious they were keeping Dick and the Bavarian apart.   Dick didn’t mind, as he got to meet Lucid.   She was tall and thin.   She had black hair down to her thighs.  She had eyelashes that practically grabbed you, and big black eyes.  He was not sure, but Dick though he saw a shooting star in her pupil.
Lucid talked and talked.  Dick barely got a word in edge wise.  She would trail off, change subjects, answer he own questions.  Dick could sit and listen to her blabber all night.  She was sweet and otherworldly.   It wasn’t until she asked, “What happened to the cat you dream off?” Did Dick become scared?  Who is she?  How did she know about Gygax?  Between that, the drinks, the smoking, the pressure of knowing everything about the oncoming years, yet carefully monitoring what he said, he began to panic.
Adele saw and did her job.

Who was Adele?  Well I saved the best for last.  Adele Astra was Dick’s handler.  I will wait for the immature giggling to stop.  I know I typed Dick Handler.   I was did it totally aware.   But it was true.  She was assigned to be his date for the night.   And what a date.  She had long platinum blond hair and a figure like a G clef.  She walked like a metronome, keeping the beat of the universe.  She wore a silver sequin dress that made Milton Paradise invisible. She was on young Milton’s arm all night, feeding him information, and keeping him from saying too much.    She stayed near him all night. Something Dick appreciated for a few reasons.

Ad, as she went by, told Dick to act drunk and grab her bottom.  Dick hesitated and she put his arm on her ass.  The Bavarian came over.   Hello, we keep getting interrupted.  He said.  Ad Astra stopped him cold.  “My little Milton has had too much to drink. I think I have to put him to bed.”   The Bavarian eyed Milton, who played his part, as it was not too hard, as he had not had any alcohol in over 500 hundred years. 
“What a lucky boy,”   The Bavarian said licking his lips at Ad Astra.   He gave Dick the creeps.

Ad dropped Dick off at his hotel room.   He noticed that she never told him to take his hand off her ass, and he never did.   She told him he did well all things considered and kissed him.   To say he was disappointed when she left was an understatement.    Dick Dante, as Milton Paradise was alone for the first time since he arrived in 1963.   He turned on his t v and went to bed.
That night he dreamt.   He dreamt of space.   That was not unusual, he has been dreaming this dream for centuries.  He was alone, cold, and numb.  This is why Dick didn’t like being alone.   He was alone for too long.   
He heard crying.
It was terrifying.   For too long his dreams were quiet. They were lack of sensations, just endless drifting, with fleeting visions of Gygax, of Cantrip, or oddly Sister Tessa.   The sudden sounds of sobs were like supernovae.   He saw the girl from the party.    Lucy?  No Lucid.  She was floating near him with tears streaming down her large eyes.   He lashes held frozen droplets of tears.   “I never knew space was so lonely.”  She hugged him and for the first time in half a millennium, Dick had a pleasant dream.

  

I am scary, very, very scary.
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Re: The Age of Aquarius
Reply #4 - Jun 3rd, 2018 at 11:28am
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The next morning Dick was a bit hit hungover.  He showered, then ate alone in his room.   Ad Astra knocked on his door.   She, of course, looked amazing.  She took him to The Observatory where he met with Jack Wu and Johnny West.    Jack did most of the talking.
Jack put down a map of the Moon.  He explained that they had a small window to do this.   He had information that Kennedy was serious and wanted to put a man on the moon within ten years.   This caused a bit of a problem as for the past 600 years there was an alien outpost hidden in the Tyco Crater. 
He explained that he obtained records of a treaty between the Order of the Sun and the Eich. It was signed in 1453 and permitted the Eich to establish an observatory out post on the moon.  This was done as a compromise.  The Eich breed by killing humans.  So it was either full scale war, or limiting them to one place so they could be managed.
As per terms of this treaty, a number of people to be negotiated every 100 years was to be offered to the Eich to keep them satisfied.  Who the people were didn’t matter.  The Order of the Sun thought it was best to limit the damage the Eich could do.   It was a horrible choice but they were not able to stop the Eich so this was the best choice.   
Dick was horrified.   We were sacrificing people to space aliens for centuries!   How did he not know this?  What else did he not know?
Dick had so many questions.  What did they look like?  Where did they come from?   He wondered if he knew their home world.  After all, he did spend more time in space than on Earth.
Jack said, “It’s complicated.”   He looked at Johnny West who said, “he is either on the team or not.”  Jack nodded.
“The Eich have no bodies.   They look like ghosts.  They are horrible.”  Jack had trouble with his R’s.  He noticed he didn’t have any accent last night.    Dick thought he must be at ease today.   Dick was a bit comforted at this.  “They breed by killing us and taking our souls.  It’s a fate worse than death.  They come from a world beyond our universe.   We haven’t been there, and can’t go there even if we know where it is.   It’s a place without matter, without bodies. Only dead things can exist there.”
Dick shuddered.  He as legit scared.
“So far only magic can affect them.  That is why we need you.  They got to Ernest, and he killed himself.  You were the best choice.  You came highly recommended, and no one, not even the Bavarian, knows about you.  You are an unknown actor.  And that makes you valuable.”

Jack explained that their financier had a rocket built.  Ernest had already prepped it with wards.   The finishing touches were being done at the moment.   Dick was to be given a lab and whatever he needed to prepare whatever magic he could muster. Time was the only commodity in short supply.  He had to be done by the New Year at the latest.

Dick accepted.  He had to.  He couldn’t let space ghosts feed off of innocent people?  And what about the astronauts?  What if they stumbled upon the Eich?   Of course he knew they didn’t, so he also knew that he accepted this mission and already succeeded or will succeed.   Time travel was hell on verb tenses.

Dick sequestered himself away in the Observatory.   His only contacts were Dicky Dander’s and Mason Lodge.   He grew found of them both.   Dicky, with his old fogy routine, and Mason with his enthusiasm and imagination.   They made the best of it, Mason was a real help and learned everything fast.   Dick enjoyed their bicycle rides to town every week to pick up the newest comics.

Dick was finished in late October.   He recreated his old spell book.  He was ready.    He called Jack and said all systems go.
  

I am scary, very, very scary.
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Re: The Age of Aquarius
Reply #5 - Feb 6th, 2019 at 10:29pm
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Dick was growing comfortable as Milton Paradise.  He had a laboratory underneath the LA Observatory.  He had a friends, Mason Lodge and Dicky Danders, and he had frequent visits from Ad Astra.  When she came, she was the only person who was in the room.  No one else mattered.   She was a beacon in sliver.   It physically pained him when she left.

Mason was the best.  He was super enthusiastic about everything.   Going to a baseball game, what was amazing?  Reading the new issue of Justice League; Incredible.   Checking out a movie; tops!  Mason was Milton’s Jimmy Olsen.

And speaking of sidekicks, Milton found out that Dicky Danders was a teen sidekick of the WW2’s counter espionage agent, the Ally.  He was Bucky to his Captain America.  True, the Ally’s missions were top secret, and Milton only found out when Dicky spilled his guts while drunk.  The Ally was killed in the Secret Soviet City of GorodBudushego.   Dicky was devastated and blames himself for the loss of his hero.

The three had a going away party.   Dicky and Mason didn’t know what Milton’s mission was, but they knew it could be the last time.   Mason kept his spirits up, while Dicky drank.   Dicky burst into tears, he said he can’t keep saying good bye to good people.    Milton knew him enough not to bring this up in the morning.  Dicky likes to keep up the illusion that he is all together.

And they dropped him off at a black mesa in Utah.  Of course Milton recognized it as the headquarters of CHESS back in 2000.  Again, play stupid.

Dicky and Mason left.  They hesitated sadly, and then drove off.  Milton wondered if he would ever see Dicky again.  He knows he will encounter Mason again, and cause his death, in 1999.  Milton felt guilty.

  As he was being cleared by airmen James Hendrix, he began to realize something. Dick was thinking of himself now as Milton.

  It was now November 3rd, 1963.  Something important tugged at his memory.   

Milton met up with Gina the Jungle Queen, Johnny West, Jack Wu, Count Dante, Charles Atlas, and the mysterious Mr. Clean.  He was among titans.

The seven talked.  Jack observed, Johnny bragged, Dante tried to show off, Gina flirted, and Charles charmed.  It was everything Milton hoped it would be. They lived up to their legends.    Mr. Clean was silent.  He stared.  He had a forced smile.  He was head to toe in white.  White gloves, white suit and tie, white shoes and socks.  He was bald.  He looked like the guy from the commercials.  But more serious.  Like he was carrying secrets, secrets too serious for anyone, even him.  He looked burdened.

And they smoked.   Even with Mr. Clean in the room.  They smoked, and drank.  It was 1963 after all.    At midnight they all raised their glasses, “To Ernest.”   They drank to the memory of poor departed Ernest, whom Milton was filling in for.

Johnny, a bit drunk, came at Milton.  “Hemmy was the best.  You better honor him, kid.”   Gina had to put him at ease.     Milton was terrified.   When Johnny West smiled at you, you glowed.  When he yelled at you, you cower.  You have no choice.

Mr. Clean called Milton over.   He asked him to come into his office.   It was white.  It was clean and sparse. 

“Call me Lance, Mr. Dante.” He said to Milton.   This shook Milton.  It’s been nearly a year since anyone called him by his real name.  He was settling into his persona rather comfortably.    It was unsettling to be reminded it wasn’t who he was.

“My name is Lance Muldoon.   I was born in 1966.”  He smiled and waited for Milton’s reaction.   “Like you, I am a time traveler.   I was sent back to 1905 during a battle.  I was fighting alongside Major Strong and Magnum.  I hesitated and they died.  I was sent back to the past.  I have been working for 60 years to make up for my hesitation.   I am building up, preparing the world for the coming dam break of super powers and alien invasion.   But right now we have to protect the Earth from the Eich.”

Mr. Clean told Milton of the past members of the Secret Seven.  The first, and greatest team of super beings ever to assemble.  He told of how Ernest died fighting the Eich.  The invaded his soul and had him comit suicide. He told the horrible fate of Big Ivan, the Iron Cossack.  He told how the Secret Seven had been fighting since 1944 against the Illithid threat that had invaded Soviet Russia.  “The Flayer War had been won, but at great cost.”

He warned Milton about talking to the Bavarian.  How he was a magician of great power and age.  He answered to a cadre of Liches and was working on a Great Work to transform himself to Undeath.  Mr. Clean unburdened himself sharing bits of the future that Milton would already know, or at least, not create a paradox by knowing.  He talked about his great relieve when he found out  Marshal Strong was not killed  and sent back even back even farther in time.   He even told him he knew the where about of the Mighty Mars’ stellar rod.   He, in a moment of vulnerability, asked Milton, “Did I succeed?  Did I save the world from the King of All Tears?  Was this life of isolation worth it?”
Milton, with a tear in his eye, told him he did indeed save the world.   He left out the part that he died trying.
  

I am scary, very, very scary.
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Re: The Age of Aquarius
Reply #6 - Feb 6th, 2019 at 11:01pm
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They spent a few weeks training.  Spaceflight was in its infancy.  They took it all well.   The Artemis Project, funded by the Atlas Foundation was ready.   The first manned moon mission.   Well the first known about at the time…

Did you really think the first moon mission would be named after the god of the sun, and not the goddess of the moon?   Go away, amateur...

Johnny, of course, was the pilot.    Gina was copilot.  She was under orders to not leave the craft.  She was to fly back if anything happened to Johnny.  Everyone else was given folders not to open until they were out of free of Earth’s gravity.  They were not to share the contents of the folders with other team members.     This was a precaution as the Eich could invade your mind.   The team took it in stride.  This was standard during the Flayer War.

Mr. Clean was ground control.  He gave Johnny the call sign, “Major Tom.”  Only Milton got the joke.  He hoped the mission would fare better than the one in the song.

The ship would take three days to get to the moon.  I would land near Tyco Crater, where the Eich had their outpost.

Milton ripped open his envelop as soon as he was permitted to.   He was a bit embarrassed by his eagerness.   Everyone else read their mission with cool aplomb.  Not him.   He blamed his 19 year old hormones.  And he could smell Gina’s perfume…

Milton, I call you Milton to protect your soul.  As a magician you understand.   You are mission critical.  You MUST succeed.  Everyone else is in support, and if needed you are authorized to take command.  I give you the unlucky burden of saving the world.   

Nay, I give you the burden of saving the souls of everyone on Earth.   In retrospect, the Earth will go on if you fail.

The Eich are a race of beings with no material bodies.  They breed by corrupting souls.  It’s horrific.   A young Eich is a tortured ghost with memories of his material life.  It goes through decades of screaming spiritual pain as the psyche is twisted and overcome by the unknowable desires and needs of the Eich.  It’s worse than hell.

And Hell is real.  I have been there.

Ernest has woven a spell.  We put a circle of microscopic mithryl particles in orbit around the earth.  We made the largest magic circle known.  Enclosed are the wards needed to work the magic.

Each team member is provided with a custom mythril weapon.  Johnny, being Johnny, wanted “silver bullets.” Like his hero, Cole Pershing.   Gina, a silver lariat.  Jack, a samurai sword, Charles, silver knuckles, and Dante, well nunchucks.

You have been assigned Ernest’s staff. It’s been charged with power.  How, is it charged?  I will never tell you.  Let’s just say some secrets have to be kept. Not for arcane reasons, but for reasons of humanity and regret.     I have done things to protect earth and when I finally die, let’s just hope my hell is not too hot.

You are also gifted with Ernest’s pen.  He wanted whomever replaced him to have it.   I don’t know what it does, if anything, or why.  That is for you, and you alone.

Jack was given the Soul Engine.   He knows how to work it.   You are to await his signal and power it with the staff.   If all goes well the ward will protect Earth until something more permanent can be created.    

The Eich are terrifying.  Do not let them touch you.  Do not reason with them.  They do not think like us, and they have no regard for your or their own lives.  What they truly are, I have ideas.  Too horrible to share with you now as you would abandon your resolve and join poor Ernest, who dared to learn too much.

I wish you well and hope to see you back in six days’ time.  Adele says she misses you. 

Lance Muldoon   Mr. Clean
."


The next day, was spent mostly quiet.  The cramped quarters bred discomfort.  Johnny was growing irritable.   They decided to listen to the radio.   

Yes, the Artemis Capsule had the latest state of the art stereophonic radio equipment.

They bickered over what to listen to, when they settled on some John Coltrane.   It was during, “My Favorite Things.” When the news of the Kennedy Assassination  broke.    From then on  no one spoke a word.
« Last Edit: Feb 6th, 2019 at 11:30pm by John »  

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Re: The Age of Aquarius
Reply #7 - Feb 7th, 2019 at 12:23am
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The Capsule detached and landed without a hitch on the moon’s southern highlands.  It was a rocky place, smattered with debris from various lunar collisions. They said good bye to Gina They hiked, and hiked fast. 

The low gravity and the warded spacesuits made for uneasy travel.  Their suits were bulky and lined with mythril.   Ernest had them warded years ago just for this.  As long as the wards held, they were Eich proof.  At least that was the plan.

They used Gina’s lariat to climb down the ridge of the crater.   It was easier than expected, all things considered.    They maintained radio silence and used signals to communicate.   Talking was for emergencies.

They came to the meeting point.  After all, this was supposed to be a negotiation.   They met at the body of the unknown traveler.  A human corpse in goggles and a golden broom stick like rocket was the site of the meeting.   Milton wondered who this person, preserved in the airless void of the moon could be.

He felt cold.  Well colder.  The moon was frigid.   He looked up to see them.  The Eich.  They were worse than he could imagine.  They were tall, elongated ghosts of human skeletons.  They appeared to be constantly screaming with open jaws.   They were silent, silent as the moon.
They spoke.   It was not a voice so much as a feeling.   He could hear their voices in his soul.   It made him sick.
“The Council of the Sun wishes to renegotiate?”  The Eich said.  Milton was not sure which one spoke, or if they all spoke.     Johnny went to speak but Jack interrupted.  He put down the Soul Engine.
“Yes.  We wish to update terms.”
“Excellent.  We found the old terms, too restricting.”   Milton got the shivers.
Jack stood tall, “We wish for you to go back to the Necrosphere and leave us be.  If you do so, will leave you be.   It’s been centuries and we have learned much in that time.  We offer peace between our races, and a mutual exchange of knowledge.”
The Eich made a sound.   Were they laughing?

“The Eich care not for peace, knowledge or humanity except as incubators.” 

At this Johnny West fired.  His mythril dispersed an Eich.   It looked like they were surprised.

They swarmed.    Charles jumped infront of Milton and punched away.  Jack brandished his sword and protected the Soul Engine.  Johnny fired away, never missing.  Count Dante jumped forward and was crushing Eich left and right with his mythril nunchuks.    It was actually impressive.

Milton cast his hex bolts with worked and dispersed Eich.  Johnny laughed, “The kid has fangs.  Good for him!”

The time instinctily huddled together for protection.  The Eich could fight in all dimensions.  They came from the sky, the east, west, and underneath.  They were ghosts after all.  Dante, flailing away, walked deeper and deeper into the Eich.  He was swarmed.  The team rushed to him and pulled him back.  When he fell he damaged his wards and the Eich got to him.  He was screaming.

Jack, torn, ran to help and called out to Milton.   

Milton, thinking this was the signal, activated the Soul Engine.  It fired and went quite.   It was too soon.   It wasn’t fully prepped.

Everyone turned to Milton.     “You doomed us all!”  Johhny screamed.

Jack yelled, “I got this.  Calm down.  He went to the Soul Engine.  He took his sword.  He slit his throat and dropped on it.   Johnny screamed.   Charles, carrying Dante, ran to Jack.  Jack waved to Milton.  He put up his thumb.   This was the signal.   Milton tried again.    The Soul Engine fired.   A silver circle fired out and repelled the Eich.    The fight was over.

The Soul Engine hummed.   It would hold.  The Eich were routed.   Jack was dead.  Dante wounded.    “This is your fault!”  Johnny screamed at Milton.

The team came back to the capsule.  No one spoke.  Gina screamed when she saw Jack’s body.

They travelled back in silence. 

They landed in the Indian Ocean.  A ship took them to Prince Drakkar Island.  They were treated for their wounds.   Count Dante was physically unhurt, but suffered a psychological break down.    Johnny West wouldn’t talk to Milton.   He refused to bury the body and instead demanded they used an expericmental cell preserving fluid called Amber to preserve the corpse.  He told the doctors that he would find a way to save his friend.  He heard rumors of Black Grail that could raise the dead.  He vowed to find it.

Only Charles and Gina said goodbye to Milton.  He sailed on a chartered ship for a few months.  He made it to New York in May.   He met up with Mr. Clean in an apartment he had in the Waldorf Astoria.  He was pleased about the results.  He told Milton that he had performed as well as anyone could have.  Had Count Dante not advanced Jack would still be alive.   He assured Milton that everyone agreed that what happened to Jack was not his fault.   Johnny knows it too, but he is, well, he is Johnny West.

Mr. Clean asked Milton to lay low.  He said the Bavarian orchestrated the Kennedy assassination.   He harvested the power of the sacrifice of the Sun along with the sacrifice of the Moon, Marylyn Monroe.  Milton knew this to be an ancient work, the Sacred Marriage.  A rite performed by Sumerians, Mayans, and in lost Mu.

The Bavarian now had the power he needed for his Undeath.  He would now slumber for decades while his mind grasped immortality.  Milton was no longer needed.   

Milton enrolled in classes at Jackson Hole Community college. He got a nice off campus apartment. He was ready for boredom.
  

I am scary, very, very scary.
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Re: The Age of Aquarius
Reply #8 - Feb 8th, 2019 at 12:13am
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Milton spend the summer of 63 in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.   He was laying low.  He got a job working as a metal smith.  It was hard summer, hot, but also rewarding.   No supervillains, no monsters, nothing but sweat, work and weekly trips to the comic store.

In September, he enrolled in community college.  He still worked part time at the shop.  He kept to himself, but he worked hard and was smart.  He kept most people at a distance.   His heart was just not into it.

He was tempted to phone Dicky, Mason or Adele.  The truth is, he couldn’t.  He didn’t know where they were or what number to call.   His only contact was Mr. Clean.   
The class became shorter and farther apart, and stopped.    Milton was on his own.   His plan was to wait it out.   Wait till time caught up to him.   Graduate, fumble around, get a house, read, and next thing it would be 2000 and he could reemerge as Dick Dante.
He passed all his classes.   His teachers thought of him as a shy, quiet but very intelligent student.  They said he wasn’t living up to his potential.   But isn’t that something teachers say about everyone?

Christmas was especially lonely.

Milton signed up for the spring semester.  He did this as if he was on remote control.  He kind of slept walked through town.  He only signed up as he had nothing else to do.   The girls were cute and he went on a few dates.    However none of them compared to Ad Astra.

It took him most of his free time, but Milton managed to forge a magic ring.  It was black forged iron.  While worn, Milton had total control of his body and mind.  He made it mostly to fill his time, as he didn’t see any threats, magical, or mundane is his humdrum life.

It was a week before finals.  His history professor was speaking to him about his lackluster paper.  There was a commotion outside.  A small crowd had gathered. Milton looked outside.  There was a pick Cadillac convertible.   And next to it was Ad Astra.

She was a vision in pink.  Pink skirt, pink head scarf, and pink blouse.  She had white boots.   The guys were whistling and cat calling.  She was smiling, all curves and dynamite.   Milton excused himself from his professor and headed outside.

He never took his finals.
  

I am scary, very, very scary.
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Re: The Age of Aquarius
Reply #9 - Feb 8th, 2019 at 1:26am
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Milton and Ad arrived in Manhattan in July of 1964.  They put down some cash on a nice place at 177a Bleaker St, in Greenwich Village, Manhattan.  They were so happy.

Milton got a job unloading cargo, and Ad, well she found work as a model.   The building was full of artists and they loved drawing her.  For the first time in over 500 years of life, Milton was happy.   He knew he shouldn’t be in New York.  He was displaced in time, and New York had too much going on.  Too many ways to trip things up.   But Ad wanted to be here, and well, you try and say no to that face.

Milton came home from work to a small party.   It was the weekend so Milton relaxed.  They ended up at 47th set in Midtown.  It was there Milton met Andy Warhol.  He wanted to photograph Ad.  When Andy met Milton he was amazed.
“You have such old eyes,” Andy droned.  “Can I film you?   Take off your shirt, let me film you.”    Milton declined.
Ad presented Milton with tickets to the World’s Fare.     This set off alarms in Milton’s head, but if he had a weakness it was those green eye and platinum blond hair.   

They took the subway and a bus.   The fair was everything and more.   Food, cars, shows, rides, and all the attractions anyone could want.   They were viewing a barker talking about the City of the Future when he heard Adele coo, “Ohh Milton…..”   

It was awful.  He nearly panicked.   Ad’s face was red with a sexy blush.  Her eyes were closed.  Her mouth closed and her bottom lip was in her mouth bitten by her teeth.  She was moaning.   Her neck was cocked and her head was to the side.  She was covered in blood.   The teeth were tearing her throat.   The man biting was old, and sallow.   He stunk of garbage and piss.

“What the hell!”  Milton screamed.  The crowd ignored the man biting Adele.   A man turned to Milton and told him to quiet down.   Milton spoke a few arcane words, waved his hands and blasted the vampire in the face with a curse bolt.    It let go of Adele, who fell to the ground.   The vampire fell to the floor and covered his face.  “Pity me!  Pity me!”  It cried.  “I am cursed.  I am wretched.  Pity me.”   

The vampire had a hole in his head from the curse bolt.  Still the people in the crowd ignored him.  Milton went to check on Ad, and put pressure on her still bleeding throat.   A woman screamed.  People now saw what was happening.  Milton called for help.   Men rushed over.   People ran for a doctor.  It was chaos.   

An ambulance finally came and Milton was torn.  Should he go with Adele to the hospital, or stay and look for the vampire?
It tore him up, but he knew Ad would be treated no matter what he did, and if the vampire got away more people would be hurt.  He chose to stay.

He looked around.  He cast a spell to activate his crystal glasses.  He looked at auras, he looked at ambient energies.  He saw that there was magic all over the place.  So much so that it blinded him.  He took off the glasses, wiped his eyes, put them on and looked more towards the ground.   

Why was there so much magic here?

He saw a pale aura.    That usually meant something undead.  He found it behind a bunch of food stands.   It was standing there, crying.
“Kind sir, pity Kraslow. “  It was begging on his knees.   “Kraslow is so hungry.   Kraslow tries not to eat.   Kraslow feeds on rats.   Kraslow is worse than rats.  Pity me.”  He was crying blood tears.    Milton actually felt pity on the being.   “Kraslow will leave.    Yes,   leave.   Go away to a dark place.  A place where no pretty blonde women live. “

Kraslow made a mistake.  Milton was about to let him go, hold him to his promise, but he brought up Adele.   Milton began to work a spell.

“Halt!”   Milton turned to see a dwarf.  Not a midget, but a dwarf.  You know, hi ho, hi ho off to work we go, kind of dwarf.  He was in plate mail, had a shield with a fire shaped crest, and a longsword.

Well long for a dwarf.    And more, Milton recognized the dwarf.   It was, or will be, his mentor, Cantrip.   He never saw Cantrip in anything but slacks a pullover shirt and riding a moped.   This armored knight was a new get up.    Milton was so happy to see a friend from his past.   
But he couldn’t say anything.   Once again, the weight of time travel came down full.   And all the warm fuzzies turned to cold crinklies.

“Halt, I am a Knight of the Secret Fire.”  Who are you and why are you using magic?” Milton was impressed.  His calm, measured, reasonable mentor was once a rash knight. 

“I am Milton Paradise.  I am putting this Vampire to justice.”   

Kraslow screamed.  “NO NO I am a worm.  I am worthless.   I deserve not death but pity.”

The Dwarf drew a circle and spoke a spell...   “The crowd will not notice.  Do what need be done?”

Milton blew Kraslow to hell.       Over all it was easy.    But then, for wizards, destruction is always easier than creation.

The Dwarf eyed Milton.  He asked if he knew the woman who was attacked.   Milton said yes.   The dwarf said that he had no quarrel, but if he approached the Future Pavilion he would slay him without mercy.  The dwarf then reminded Milton that he was a knight of the secret fire.

Milton backed away.  He would rather go check on Ad anyway.

Pushing through the crowd he saw another familiar face.  Last he saw it Milton was Dick Dante, kinda.   He was a floating brain in a jar kept alive by the life support of a small space ship that acted as the command center of a 1000 different ships from a thousand different worlds.
It was the face of a boy.  He was in green.  He was floating a few inches off the ground.   Milton knew him as The Messenger.

The Messenger was always seen in the company of four other men.   The Stranger: in white, the Wanderer in black, the Traveler in Gray, and the Explorer in many colors.  They called themselves the Keepers.  They kept the five more power objects in all creation safe.    Why was the Messenger here?


“I saw you.  Well I saw your woman.   Then I saw you.”  He looked friendly. “You handled yourself well with the undead.”     Milton didn’t know how to react. 

“You know what?  We are the closest in age out of everyone here in the crowd.  True I am millennia older, but old timers like us are hard to come by.”

Anyone listening in would laugh,   as the messenger looked like a young boy, while Milton’s body was 19.
“I have been watching you for a while now.  You are very interesting.  You can hold secrets.   I love secrets.   You know something I don’t, and while I will not be rude and ask you, I will learn what you know.” 
Milton took that as a threat.  It did sound like a threat. “Who are you?

“Good question.  A wizard should know that true names are powerful and never to be given out to just anyone.   But still you can call me Peter.”
Peter?    Was he kidding?   A boy in green floating?   Peter?  Peter Pan?

“Or you can call me Loki, or Hermes, or Coyote, or the Messenger.  But I these days I prefer Peter.”  He held out his hand.  Milton shook it with slight fear.
He pointed to the Future Pavilion.   “It’s the day of my ascension.  I take the throne today.   Head of the Pantheon.    Athena is retiring.  She is going to live with pop.   Raise birds. She always was a daddy’s girl.”
Milton was confused.   Was he saying that Zeus retired?  And Athena took over?  And she retired?  And now he, god of liars and thieves was taking over?  In Flushing, Queens?

“Ya last day of freedom.  And what do I do, watch a mortal kill a vampire.” Milton was full of questions.  He stayed silent.
“All the big shots are here, in that tent.  Titanna, Oberon, The Sumerian, the Scions, even the Beekeeper.   Biggest assortment of powers since the old Order of the Sun days.    It’s quite a bore actually.”

Peter looked at the tent.  He looked sad.  “Gone are days of cloud stealing and maiden wooing.  It’s time for big boy things.    I will get Apollo for turning this down.    I guess this proves once and for all who is smarter.    Oh, sorry didn’t mean to keep you.  Go see your woman.   I will find you later.”

He was gone.  Milton rushed to the hospital. 

The surgery took all night.   Ad had lost a lot of blood.   The wound was horrible.  Her flesh was disfigured as if a chemical had turned it to plastic and melted it and let it solidify.   Her neck would never heal properly.
Milton stayed all night in her room.  Ad woke up with a smile.   Milton broke down in tears.

Adele tried to be stoic but her face betrayed her when the bandage came off and she saw the scars.   She cried, she tried not to, but she did.   Her modeling days were over.
Milton spent his days at work.  Ad insisted he not sulk at the hospital all day.   He spend every evening at her side.   It was a Thursday, and Ad would be released tomorrow.  When he got there there was a man in the room.  They were arguing.

Milton burst in and they both turned.    “Is this him?  MY god woman he is just a kid.”  Ad looked defeated.   “Pack your things.  I am taking you home.  It’s best for you and its best for the baby.”
Adele didn’t look at Milton.  She looked ashamed.

“For god’s sake woman, enough is enough.   I have indulged you long enough, and what, you get pregnant?  You get attacked?”

Milton was a mess.  A symphony of emotions swirled.

“I am your husband, and I am taking you home.”   The man turned to Milton.   “Kid I don’t blame you.  Hell, she took advantage.  Go home.  Forget about her. Meet someone your own age.”
He handed Milton a card.  It read Congressmen William Plymouth.   “Call me if you need something.”

He could see in Adele’s face he lost.  She was going with him. 

Milton turned to leave.   
“Oh and kid, I see you haven’t registered with selective services.   Don’t worry, I took care of that for you.”    
« Last Edit: Feb 8th, 2019 at 1:26am by John »  

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Re: The Age of Aquarius
Reply #10 - Jun 15th, 2019 at 12:00am
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Milton and Adele’s cozy little apartment on Greenwich St was unrecognizable. Gone were the comfy little things Adele loved. Everything was cluttered.  Milton, like the bed, was unmade.

He received the registered letter. He was being drafted. How petty he thought.  He didnt want to go. He spent 500 years alone in space, but the idea of death never scared him before. To be honest, he was never a father before.  He didnt want his child to be the child’s of a draft dodger.   He also didnt want his child to be the child of a dead soldier either...

Mason Lodge and Dicky Danders took him out for cheering.  Mason was beaming.  He was so proud. Dicky,  after visiting the third strip club, broke his usual stoic silence.

“War sucks, kid.”  He looked ashamed.  “ I did things.  We all did things.  Hell, the Ally did things we don’t talk about. I had to cover it up. I was his cleaner,  me Dicky Danders, the Tricorn Kid,  covering up for the Ally’s excesses. 

  “Milty, Your a good kid.  And I know you can handle yourself.  And I hell, I know you know more than you can tell, but war is hell.  For god’s sake, stay on the side of the angels.”    Dicky then stumbled,  sat down and put his head on the bar.   Milton and Mason had to carry him to the car.   Mason drove.   He, again, was beaming.

The next morning. Dicky and Mason took all of Milton’s important things for storage.  All Milton was going to need for the next four years could fit in a duffle bag.  Dicky saluted Milton, and Mason followed.   They drove off.   Milton had three days.

   He fought the urge to look up where Adele was now living.  Instead he would distract him self with drink. 

It was after midnight when Milton woke up to Peter and a tall handsome stranger in his room.   Some how this didn't shock him.

Peter was floating a few inches above the bed.  He was cleaning Milton’s head with a damp rag.  He was laughing.  He introduced his his friend as Robin Goodfellow, a minor royal in the house of Oberon and Titania.  Robin bowed and waved his arm.

“Puck?!”  Milton yelped.    Robin looked suprised.  “Oh you heard of me? That play is still in circulation?  Its been centuries.   I need to revisit my contract.”  He then laughed.  Milton sneered.

Puck and Dick Dante had, or will have, a complicated relationship in a few decades.

Milton was angry, depressed and emotional enough to do something in his current state.   Had he not been wearing his iron ring,  who knows what he would have done.

Peter asked Milton for help.  He said he needed a favor.   Milton welcomed the distraction.  He also realized  that doing a favor  to major magical being such as Hermes, god of information, might be useful in the future.  He got out of bed.

In the wink of an eye,  Peter,  Puck and Milton were floating in the sky.   Seconds ago it was after midnight, but now it was warm and bright. They hid behind a cloud and Peter explained to Milton the plan.

He explained that they were in the land of Xian. And a local Duke held the goose that laid the golden egg.  Peter didn't want him to have it. 

Peter explained that he, as the new ruler of Olympus, and Robin as affiliate of the Seelie Court, couldn’t move directly on the Duke, as there are accords to be followed.  However, Milton was still an unknown, and wouldn’t sign the accords for years.  He was free to act.   

Milton is not dumb, he knew there was more going on, as he was with the two biggest trickster in the Universe.  Peter was Loki, for christ’s sake!  He knew this was not going to be easy.  But he did know that that Peter only brought Puck with him to show that he did intend to honor the debt.  A fae can not undo a promise. 

“So what am I supposed to do?”  Milton asked. 

“Anything you want.  You are a man, and no man’s slave.”  Peter wanted Milton to know he was acting on his own agency.  This was subtle magic.   Milton knew that if he failed and was captured,  there would be no magical connection to him and Peter.  He was on his own.  Again,  Peter was Loki, and Loki was a dick.

“Just go in, and find the goose that lays the golden egg, and return to his spot with it.”  Peter smiled.  Puck looked uninterested.   “Bring it, unharmed, while avoiding death.  Easy, peasy.”    Peter laughed.    Milton laughed too, its hard not to when Mercury, lord of Story tellers, cracks wise.

Milton walked, uneasy off into a pleasant looking story book village.   

“Milton!”  Peter called.   Milton turned to see Peter and Puck fading away, “ what ever you do, don't go in the nursery.”

Milton was now alone.  The clouds that surrounded them were gone.   He was alone in a wooded outskirts of a hamlet.   

With no other choice, he walked to the town.   The people were all farmers.  They worked rice paddies.  They were all Chinese.  He was a bid taken back by this. He expected Europeans.

He asked for the duke.  He didn't speak their language but Peter took care of that.  They understood his words and he theirs.   Small favors.  They pointed to the tall pagoda in the center of town.  He slapped his head and wondered how he didn't see that.   He swore that this place messed with his senses.

   As he walked towards it, he saw it defied physics.  It as too tall, too narrow, to be traditionally made.  And he swore it moaned in the wind.   Still it was beautiful. 

    Surrounding the pagoda was a beautiful lawn of perfect grass.  He was about to across the lawn when he heard a scream.   From the trees, masked bandits attacked.  They had bows and swords.   The people called for the Duke to protect them.  Milton fired hex bolts at the raiders.   One fired an arrow at him, hitting him in the shoulder.   The raiders parted and a huge Ogre Mage conjured a magical fire.   Milton defeated the underlings easily with minor magics.  The Ogre, was more hardy.  He summoned sparks which wounded the henchmen, and hex bolts which defeated the Mage.    It was not to easy, as Milton was bruised and bloodied by arrows, and evocations.

He went to help the farmers.  He was set upon by a beautiful elven woman.  She breathed frost and beauty.    Milton was taken by her terrible charisma.   He felt cold and fragile.

      He, was dying.  He was loosing his warmth.   The Cold Woman was stealing his heat.  He figured she wanted heat, so he gave her heat.  He fired sparks at her, which wounded her so that she fled.   He gave her chase and hex bolted her.   She cursed him and occultated away.   Milton was hurt. 

The farmers thanked him and one whispered, “ go away, the Duke doesnt want visitors.”   Milton said he had to go.  The farmer said, “ stay off the hungry grass.”

Milton stood at the edge of the perfectly manicured lawn.  He cast a simple spell of levitation to carry himself over the lawn.   Due to the injuries in his shoulder and the shaking of his hands from the cold he botched the spell and was thrown, face first, into the Hungry Grass.

It began to grow and write. It climbed into his ears, nose and mouth.  He pulled him down.  He was absorbed into the earth.   The farmers mourned and went to work, after all, the rice wouldn’t grow itself.
  

I am scary, very, very scary.
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Re: The Age of Aquarius
Reply #11 - Jun 15th, 2019 at 1:02am
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Milton was surprised to find himself in a bed.  He was even more surprised to find he was still alive. That did not end his surprises. He was surprised he was still breathing.   He was surprised he was not covered in dirt. And finally, he was surprised he was being cleaned by a lovely young woman.

He jumped out of the bed and grabbed a pillow to cover himself.    He asked where he was and who she was.  He then saw that her mouth and eyes were sewn shut.  He gasped.  The woman carried on with the water and the towel until she felt the empty bed.  She reached out for her patient.   Milton felt horror.  Who would do such a thing?  He must have a talk with this duke!

He, still covering himself with a pillow, walked over to the woman and took her hand.  He then noticed her ears were folded over and sewn shut too.   His horror was giving way to anger.

  He tried his best to assure the poor woman he didnt need her help, but how do you communicate with a deaf, blind mute?   She cleaned up and left.   Milton dressed and wandered the castle.

   It was decorated in ornate tapestries and silks, and treasures.  He couldn’t read the writing but all the paintings were of war, death and carnage.  Still they were grand works of art, and despite the subject, were pleasing to the eye.

Milton observed as dozens of woman, all with their eyes, ears, and mouth sewn shut, went about the pagoda, doing their work in silence and odd proficiency.  One took Milton’s arm and escorted him to a large hall.  One he was too sure was too big to be in this narrow palace.

The table was full of food.   At one end sat, from the paintings, he assumed, the Duke.  All the food was put at one side, away from the host.   The woman walked Milton to a chair.  She sat him down and presented him with food.  The Duke smiled and watched.

Milton was hungry but didn't take any food. 

“I find it hard to believe you are not famished.”  The Dukes voice was cheerful and pleasant.  “The Cold Woman leaves her victims starved and frozen.  And the Hungry Grass forced you to expel your guts for easier digestion.  It took. Nana two weeks to stuff you back in like a proper sausage.”

“Two weeks?”  Milton thought.  “Great, now I am awol...”. 

“ I assure you, if I wanted you dead, or poisoned or harmed in anyway, I had plenty of opportunity to do so.”  The Duke waved away such nonsense. “ Eat, it’s delicious. I give you my world as the Blood Duke of the T’Sing Valley, and Benefactor of the Providence of the Green Lake, and vassal of the Emperor of Xian, signer of the Accords.”   

The Duke stood as he said that.    

Milton ate.


The Duke was charming.  But them most of the villains in Milton’s long life were charming.   In fact some of the best people he ever met were blunt too the point.   He learned to distrust charm.  Still he was hungry and the food was delicious.

The Duke was tall.  Nearly seven feet tall.  He was thin, impossibly so, like his home.   He was covered in either a mask or make up.  It was hard to tell.  His face was black, white and red like a kabuki dancer.   He thought that was out of place, as Kabuki was Japanese, but the farmers were Chinese.  He assumed the Duke was a foreign  conqueror.

He said that he watched as Milton fought the Ogre Mage and the Cold Woman.   He was impressed with the Gaijin magic user.  He would let him into the castle and talk.  It was a long time that the Duke had an interesting visitor.

Milton let him talk.  He ate his full, and then some more.  The Duke explained how he protected this small, but strategic valley.    The woods are evil and monsters roam.  Dark and horrible things come from beyond the woods.   And if they were to get passed, then the cities to the east would suffer.  He said he was always looking for new ways to repel the monsters.   He learned war from warriors, magic from philosophers, and a few monstrous tricks from a few monsters.   He would now learn white magic from this mysterious white man.

Milton, trying not to offend his host, stalled.  He said white magic came from the belly, and since he was just re stuffed, it needed to heal.    The Duke,  said, “ of course,  I heard that.  All magic comes from the belly.” 

He walked arm in arm with Milton.  He showed him his home, and his art.   He was given free reign.   He was told he could roam anywhere, but if he were to leave the patio, the hungry grass would claim him, and this time, he would not send Nana to save him.

The Duke said he had affairs to attend to and asked if he was hungry for other things.  He pointed to one of the mutilated serving girls.   Milton polity declined the offer.  The Duke went upstairs.   

Alone,  Milton searched the pagoda.  From top to bottom he found no golden goose, nor even a nursery.  All he found was torture chambers,  sleeping quarters,  kitchens, and all sorts of mundane chambers.

He spend four days stalling the Duke. He wanted to heal the women but wasn’t sure how it would go.   When he felt fully healed, he figured it was the best time, if any, to challenge the Duke.   He went to heal one of the woman.  She didnt fight him.  She pulled her hair from her neck and there were scars.  Milton pulled up her sleeve, and there were more scars.  He inspected all the woman. They were all covered with hideous scars.  He saw similar scars before.  Adele had them.  They were made by a vampire!

Milton went to call out the Duke.   He was behind him.   He called him out and the Duke was angry.  “You spurn the traditional bond of host and guest?  You do?  I will not fight you.”

Paradise left.  He looked for this nursery.  He was sure that Peter only told him not to look into the nursery as a way to goad him.   Again, Loki was a dick.

He figured the only place a nursery could be was underground.   He searched ever bit of this place above ground.  So he looked for a secret was down. 

While in the kitchen, he noticed a grate where the cooks spilled food.  He looked and saw that there were steps under the grating.  He pulled it up, and went down.

Underneath the kitchens was the abode of Nana.  She was a bloated, horrid woman of pale complexion.  She ate the drippings and tended to the prisoners.   Milton bested her in a magical combat.  He wielded spells, and she wielded fingernails, teeth and hair.   

He looked in ever door, and freed many starving men and women.   They covered their eyes as their rooms were pitch black.

In the last room Milton was not prepared for what he saw.    In the corner of the room, covered in filthy tattered rags, was his mother.   

Milton, again due to the magics of the iron ring he wore, kept his composure.   She was a jittery mess.   She covered her eyes as they were not used to brightness of any kind.   He carried her up the stairs as she was too week to stand.

He cried with every step. 

He asked the women to tend to the prisoners.  Of course they ignored him, as they were all deaf, blind mutes.   He made sure his mother was safe in his room and called out the Duke. 

The Duke was dressed for a fight.  He bore his fangs.  He said he took secrets from monsters to fight monsters.  He said he did as he was charged to do to keep the cities of man safe from the woods.  He said this woman was to bear a golden child of great power. He cursed Milton for breaking the bond of host and guest and attacked. 

The Duke was a whirlwind of ranges and claws.  Milton used every trick he could think of.  He dodged, he evaded.   And when the Duke expected a spell, the threw a punch.   Milton finally did him in with fire, that he set to the tapestries.    He called to the woman, forgetting they could not hear. He rushed to get them out too the patio.  He went in for his mother.   She was crazed with panic. 

The pagoda was ablaze.  Could he risk the Hungry Grass?  Would he risk the women’s lives?    Staying here under burning castle was death, and forward was death.    

From out of the sky Puck came flying.  He transformed into a feathered serpent.  He collected the women and said he would come back for Milton.    Could he let them go with his future nemesis?  Milton had no choice.

He waited. And waited.   Damn you Puck, you deceiver!  The pagoda was about to collapse!

Milton’s only regret was that his mother would never see her grandchild.  He closed his eyes.

Puck came back and carried him to safety.

The farmers ran away.   They locked their doors.    No one would look at Milton.  They feared him.

Peter came and healed the women.  He put Milton’s mother to sleep, as her eyes were still to damaged to bear light.   He said this was best as she couldn’t see Milton’s face.   Paradoxes and all.

Peter took Milton Home.

The next morning Milton woke up with a hangover.  He showered, shaved and dressed.  He waited for the bus that would take him to boot camp. 
  

I am scary, very, very scary.
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Re: The Age of Aquarius
Reply #12 - Jun 15th, 2019 at 1:56am
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Milton excelled in boot camp.  The discipline and routine were a rare comfort.  He tended to shy away and keep to himself.  This earned him the Knick name Clam. 

  Private Paradise adapted well to the Marine Corpse.  He was selected for special forces training and spent 18 months in various places training.  He was ranked E3 and second in command of his troop.  He was the medic, and they called him Dice, due to his name, and his uncanny luck. 
   He was placed in Project Delta.  A newly created special forces team tasked with exploration and rescue.   His team was debriefed.   His first three missions were simple recon, and with small fire fights, hardly worth the training they had all received.

   Dice’s team was  Mother,  a tall, big, bespectacled kid from Nebraska.  He was ranking officer. He took his job seriously and it showed. He worried about everything.  Next was Whistler.  He scared Milton. He knew everything.  Not in a smart ass way, but in a genius way.  He was well read,  hardly spoke, always whistling, and the most dangerous man in a gun fight you hope you never meet. 

     Next Is Dallas.  He played guitar before the war and is always talking about music.  He is constantly trying to get everyone to listen to new bands.   

Snaps is from Detroit. He is the toughest strongest son of a bitch Milton ever met.  He got Milton to try LSD with him on furlough in Oregon. 

Witchita is the typical salt of the earth son of a coal miner.  He doesn't drink, smoke or as Snaps calls it, “chase tail”.  He carries his girl’s picture on his helmet.

Project Delta is run by Major Buffett.  He shows interest in Milton and says he has tremendous potential.


Their third mission is two years after Milton Paradise was drafted.  They were to go into Laos, which is officially off limits to the Military, and rescue Archibald Roesenblatt.

Private Roesenblatt was captured by the Cong.  He is Buffet’s personal valet, and he thinks he was taken instead of him.    Still Roesenblatt knows things and they may torture him to learn it.   What he knows is classified.

Buffet shows the team Blatty’s photo.   It’s Mason Lodge!


Mason was so impressed with Milton that he lied about his age and joined the army.   

Project Delta was tasked with working with locals as a unit.   Two Vietnamese men were assigned to their rank, who knew the local area.  They said that the local area in Laos was a remote jungle full of pirates and bandits. 


They flew in as far as they could.  They were dropped in Laos and had to make it on their own.  Time was a commodity they didnt have.

They marched for days,  with small skirmishes.   They came to a temple of some sort, and Milton went in first.  The place was evil.  It was littered with broken bones and chewed on skulls.    While inside, he heard fighting outside.  He ran out and an honest to god 20 foot tall orangutan was fighting his men.  It wasn’t afraid of the machine gun fire.   It took over 40 rounds before it died.

Snaps called it VeitKong.   

They crept through the temple and fought Vietcong along with locals.   They found Blatty in a put with runes.  He was beaten up but still feisty.  He called out to Milton.   They fought their way back.   Mother and Snaps were killed.   

Major Buffet reassigned Dice to head of the squad, and put. Perceval “Rude Boy” Frazier in Project Delta.   He a Jamaican immigrant who was offered jail or the army. He excelled in the army.  He is the ideal solider and the most suave mother fucker you ever met.   He wears the “telephone cut” on his face like it was a smile.   You like him instantly despite not wanting to as he can never replace Snaps and Mother.

Major Buffet invites Milton to diner.  While there he tells him he is part of an elite society of powerful military men.   He calls it the Brotherhood of the Ram and invites Milton. He tells him he has the right stuff.

Milton accepts.

A week later a naked Milton is being covered in the hot blood of a gutted ram.   Once this is done, the ram is cooked and the group get drunk and feast.  Of course Milton’s iron ring prevents him from succumbing to the the alcohol.  He meets many powerful men, generals and politicians ,  businessmen and clergy.  He is given a gold ram ring.

  

I am scary, very, very scary.
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Re: The Age of Aquarius
Reply #13 - Jun 15th, 2019 at 11:27am
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Also let it be known that the night before Milton left with Peter to go on this dreaded adventure he met Andy Warhol. Andy asked if He could photograph Milton but Milton knew it would not be a very good idea for a multitude of reasons.........
  
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Re: The Age of Aquarius
Reply #14 - Mar 15th, 2020 at 2:23pm
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In early 68,  The team was given two weeks furlough.   

With no where else to go,  Dice took  Rude Boy up on his offer to get some "good food."  They packed up and went off to Kingston, Jamaica.

Dice was accepted warmly by the Frazier family, and yes, the food was quite good. 

The Frazier family was large, and Milton " Dice" Paradise missed what he never had, a large family. Not for at least 500 years...

Granma took great delight in showing old embarrassing photos of Percy.   Milton noticed that he had the scar on his face since he was 11.  He never asked about it,  and Percy never told about it.

Without prying,  Milton was able to figure out Percy "Rude Boy" Frazier's story.  At age 11 he got into a fight over a girl with a much older boy.   The girl, Mary Jane Thomas was Rude Boy's childhood friend and sweetheart.  Johnny Toobad, the local wanna be tough guy, took a liking to the young girl. 

Johnny got a little to handsy with the girl and a young chivalrous Percival defended her honor.

Johnny took out a German ratchet and cut Percy's face from ear to mouth.   Amused by the kid's show of strength Johnny Too Bad said he would be watching him.

The Frazier family had Percy moved to Chicago after this incident.  It was the last time Percy saw Mary Jane or his grandmother. 

Milton  said or did nothing, but he did notice that  Rude Boy seemed to be looking for something.  It was on the 10 day in Kingston before he figured out what Ruddy was looking for.  He was looking for Mary Jane.

It was one of Rude Boy's cousins who told him.  Nicky was a bit older, and a reformed criminal himself.  Now he ran an auto repair shop.  It was from this shop that Rude Boy stole a motorcycle and took off.   Milton saw Rude Boy take off in a hurry and asked Nicky what happened. 

Nicky told him.    Milton took off running.  This wasn't going to end well.

Milton saw Rude Boy in combat before.  They did six missions since he joined the squad.   Milton was impressed and a bit scared of him.  Out of the squad no one was more at home in violence then Rude Boy.   He wasn't just capable, he thrived. 

Milton wasn't going to stop Rude Boy, he was going to save Johnny Too Bad!

Nicky told Milton that Ruddy asked him where Mary Jane was.   After Ruddy was sent to Chicago,  Johhny Too Bad continued to pursue Mary Jane.   She said no, but that didn't stop him.  He attacked her and killed her  the street.  No one stood up to him, and even though it was broad daylight,  no one claimed to have seen anything. 

Milton ran all the way to Rock, a local bar.  He found it a wreck.  Rude Boy drove his motorcycle through the window and dove on  Johnny Too Bad.  Witnesses say he fought off all of Johnny's goons and nearly killed him right then and there, but he escaped and ran off.   Rude Boy beat down 12 men with bar stools, and poolsticks.   Milton was relieved no one was killed.  So far this can just be chalked up as a "bar fight" and let it go.

Milton asked where they went, and was told Johnny was running to St Peter's church.    Milton took off.

When he got there he saw Ruddy sitting on the steps.   He said it was done, over.   He asked what happened, and Ruddy said  " He begged for his life."   Milton went in.    He found Johhny Too Bad dead, throat slit and a  bloody German Rachet on the ground.

local police found no witnesses,  Milton and Percival were questioned and released.  They went back early.   Neither speak of the incident.



« Last Edit: May 2nd, 2020 at 7:39pm by John »  
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Re: The Age of Aquarius
Reply #15 - Apr 26th, 2020 at 9:24am
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  It had been nearly six years for Milton in the Marines. He had reenlisted and stayed on in Vietnam with Project Delta for the additional two years. Milton had His reasons, One was because of his friends in Project Delta, Dick/Milton never had many friends, the other and more important reason was to gain more knowledge of The Brotherhood of The Ram. Hermes (Yes, THAT Hermes) told Him there would be a war of Gods  coming many years in the future and Milton needed all the knowledge He could gather. He met many influential Brothers over that time and could keep all their information and conversation stored in his mind for the future.

  In those two years He was also able to finally complete and Empower His Magical Bracers of Defense. Yes Milton well actually Dick was a big D&D Gamer so some of His spell names were not  exactly original but Milton had quite a bit on His mind back then. A Child who he never met, a Mother and Father He had finally learned the Truth about and a Future/Past as well as a Present in question.

  Milton was summoned to Major Buffet's office for a new mission. He noticed His reenlistment papers on The Majors desk but said nothing. It seems reconnaissance photos had captured pictures of three American soldiers being held by the Vietcong in a camp surrounding and Ancient Buddhist Temple several miles up the river. Milton would lead Delta Team on a rescue mission to extract them. The pictures proved that at least twenty Vietcong Soldiers were in the camp so there could be more. Milton did not like the odds but knew his job and what He had signed up for. No man left behind.

  The Team was prepared as they always were and no time was lost. The Helicopter dropped the small boat in the River and Milton along with Rude Boy, Dallas and Wichita crept up the delta. They pulled the small boat in about a mile south of the camp and prepped it for a quick and easy departure. The walk up to the camp would be slow going and dangerous.

  Milton took point with Dallas to His right and Wichita and Rude Boy taking up the rear. He was just putting on His Crystal Lensed Glasses and prepping a spell of Seeing when a Cong Scout Patrol opened fire right in front of them. Milton was too slow and the Cong ripped into the four of them. Milton was protected by his Bracers and Protection Spells but Dallas and Wichita were both hit and Rude Boy in a moment of panic bolted back towards the boat. Milton returned fire, not something he liked to do, and tore into the first Vietcong. It was then as he moved to fire on the next that his gun jammed. As they Say "It Sucks To Be Dick Dante"

  The three Vietcong took this opportunity to send another barrage of fire back at Milton, luckily His comrades had already hit the floor with injuries and Rude Boy had bolted. Milton took the hits against his shield spells and was safe. It was then that Milton ran forward and clobbered both Cong with the butt of his rifle putting an end to the struggle. He them turned his attention to His fallen team mates. Both Dallas and Wichita were hit and badly wounded. Milton cast Healing Spells on both to stop the bleeding and stabilize them. He activated His Aura Spells to monitor them and turned to the three fallen Vietcong Soldiers. Their Auras were fading and Milton being who and what He is went forward to heal them as well. Unfortunately magic is a Fickle Mistress and His Spells caused them all to suffer Wounds instead. Milton realized this Spell would no longer function as He looed at His charred fingers. As he turned back to Dallas and Wichita He could see Wichita's Aura fading. Milton has missed a bullet still lodged in him and with no Healing Spells available He had to rely on good old fashioned Medicine. He was in fact a Dr. you know.

  Milton cast and Obfuscation Spell around all three of them and set to work. It was exhausting as the amount of energy needed to be ignored on three individuals was incredible. Another Vietcong patrol emerged from the jungle. One sped back towards the camp and the remaining two searched the area. They walked right past and over Milton and Dallas' leg due to the Spell and moved on in search of Rude Boy who had escaped. A short time later Milton heard fire from the North and he could tell by the sound it was multiple types of weapons. The Cong had found Rude Boy or he had found them.

  Milton continued to hide and a third Patrol emerged as well as one from the second Patrol. Three soldiers removed the bodies of the fallen Cong and the fourth took off in Rude Bots direction. It was obvious now to Milton that they worked always in groups of three. Once the patrols had gone Milton was near full exhaustion. He shut down all His spells and rested for twenty minutes. It was all the time He could take a chance with. Milton stripped Dallas and Wichita of their gear as well as much of his own. He used some camoflauge to hide their weapons  and lifted the two of them onto His shoulders. Milton walked as quickly and quietly back to where the small boat was supposed to be and He was exhausted and dejected when he arrived. The boat had been untied and was floating in the middle of the River about fifty feet from the shore. Milton guessed Rude Boy had just gotten it untied when the Vietcong found him. There were shell casings all around the small shoreline where they had pulled the boat up.

  Milton had no choice but to leave Dallas and Wichita as He dove into the water. He struggled against the currents but made it to the boat. Milton returned with the boat to the shore and retrieved the two Soldiers. Their vitals were weak but steady and he knew they would survive. He then activated his Sight Spell and headed back up river. He located two Vietcong Soldiers and neither had active Auras, Rude Boy had killed them. As He continued on He saw the final Cong Soldier and Milton took him out with two well placed Curse Bolt Spells. Eventually He caught up to Rude Boy near the shoreline and pulled the boat under a low hanging cliff face and Rude Boy joined him.

  Milton ordered Rude Boy back to their base camp to tend to Dallas and Wichita, Milton would complete the mission alone. Rude Boy protested and was feeling a heavy sense of guilt for abandoning the Team but Milton pushed him to make sure to return, leave the radio on but silent and make sure he made it obvious they were leaving. This would help to convince the Vietcong the mission was a failure and hopefully relax their guard if even just a small amount. Milton dove back into the water and Rude Boy circled once and headed back up river towards the American Camp.

  Once Milton reached the shore He rested for another thirty minutes. He needed to re energize Himself as well as give more time for the enemy to convince themselves the current threat was over. He slowly made His way back to where the initial ambush had taken place and gathered some of His items. Radio, Pistol, Folding Staff and Medical Kit as well as his vest. He had to move quietly and as unencumbered as possible in order to save the three Americans being held. Milton crept towards  the camp and finally dropped to His belly when he reached the clearing. He had already activated His Sight Spell and now gathered leaves, mud and hard earth to activate an Obfuscation spell around Himself. Just as He finished casting a camp Dog came close to Him, Milton froze. The Dog sniffed around, looked in His direction, urinated and inch from Milton's head and moved on. The Spells were working, if a Dog could not notice Him with it's heighted sense of smell Milton felt more if just slightly at ease. 

  He steeled Himself, stood and strode softly into the Vietcong camp. Milton passed goats and chickens both in pens and walking freely. He noticed there were women and children as well as the soldiers though neither the women nor children were armed. Milton moved towards the overgrown Buddhist Temple to locate and entrance. The first side had none He could find and as He rounded the corner he came across Soldiers surrounding a set of three makeshift bamboo tables. The three Cong Soldiers Milton had attempted to heal were there prone on each table top. One had the top of his skull removed and Milton could see his brain had been removed as well. One of the Soldiers was in the process of tapping a heavy blade across the skull of a second obviously prepping to dislodge another brain. Milton was confused by this and at that moment the Soldier with the knife stopped, grabbed his weapon and stared in Miltons direction. He was obviously alerted but stared right past Milton. Once again this made no sense. He could not see Milton yet was somehow acting as if he was aware of His presence. Something was terribly wrong.

  Milton had no time left and he backed away and turned to find the entrance to the Buddhist Temple. As He entered the candle lit hallway he walked forward and emerged into a just slightly more lit rounded room. In the center of the room was pit maybe twenty five feet across. The walls of the pit clearly had some type of makeshift stairs built into the sides but only of heavy sticks you could climb up or down very carefully. Milton made His way down slowly and stepped into another room covered in mud and excrement. The room was filled with slow moving humans and two guards. There were maybe a dozen American Soldiers instead of the three He had come to liberate. Each of them looked to be in a trance like state and all had damage to their noses and accompanying black eyes. Milton thought they were drugged and beaten but the wounds were consistent with something being jammed up their nasal cavities. Milton being both a Dr. and Mage cast a Detect Life Spell as He was concerned they were perhaps Zombified or Mummified. They were all alive. He then activated His Sight Spell and looked around the room to better understand what may be happening.
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Re: The Age of Aquarius
Reply #16 - Apr 26th, 2020 at 12:06pm
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  With His Aura Sight He could now see everything more clearly. In the center of the room he could see a wicker basket hanging from a rope over a brackish small river inside the pit. As He watched there was movement in the water and four tentacles reached up and opened the basket. Out came the Human Brain that was missing from the Vietcong Soldier on the table upstairs. Two of the tentacles quite dexterously took hold of the brain and easily placed it into an viscous looking beak that now appeared from the murky river. As stated before, Milton/Dick was an old avid D&D player and knew what he was looking at and how much trouble he and everyone else was truly in. A Mind Flayer!! That explained why the Guards were alerted but still could not see Him. It was then that the tentacles paused, changed to appear as part of the brackish river and disappeared.

  Milton knew He was in for the fight of His life and that was when it attacked. Milton was struck stone cold. He dropped His pistol and staff and stood motionless. It was all He could do to use His Magically Enhanced Will from His Ring of Iron Will to break the control. Milton immediately bent and pivoted and created a Magic Circle against Meta Beings around himself. It was not a powerful one as Magic Circles made out of mud and shit really cannot be. He saw as he stood from making the circle that the two Cong Guards eyes glazed over. They both turned their weapons towards Milton and fired. Luckily Milton had all His defenses active and the two Guards were facing each other. They both took the other out with automatic weapons fire. Milton could now see The Mind Flayer was up out of the water and inches from his face. The Magic Circle though weaker than normal still held and protected Milton. In desperation Milton summoned a Curse Bolt that struck the foul creature squarely in the chest. It flew backwards and slammed against a far wall dropping to all fours next to the river. With Milton's Sight He could see it was possibly triple or even quadruple jointed? It was a truly horrific sight to behold. The Mind Flayer paused and dove back into the water and disappeared.

  Milton had a moment if just that to use His magically enhanced sight now on the rest of the beings in the room. There were maybe twenty in total with as many as twelve American soldiers and eight Vietnamese, some of the Vietnamese being Women. With His Aura Sight he could see each were still alive but also that each had another small Aura in their brains. The Humans were carrying what Milton could only say were infant Parasitic Flayers slowly eating their brains. It was too much for Him on so many different levels and he was suddenly reminded of the incident of the Nursery in Arcadia. That was when he heard it, felt it, and smelled it. A dozen Vietcong Soldiers had appeared above at the rim of the pit and were pouring gasoline down on all of them.

  Without hesitation Milton ran the circumference of the bottom of the pit and created a Protection from Fire Circle just as the soldiers began to drop candles into the pit. The flames extinguished as they touched Milton's Magical Wards. With no other recourse the dozen Vietcong Soldiers simply began to fire their automatic rifles into those still in the pit.

  Milton/Dick for only the second time in His Five Hundred plus years of existence flew into a Rage. Milton Levitated above the soldiers who were slaughtering those at the bottom of the pit and cast Shower of Sparks. Giant Sparks and Flames flew from His hands and engulfed the soldiers. The cans of gasoline made it even worse and the sounds of screaming and the stench or burning flesh emanated through the Temple. Milton tuned it out.

  After the atrocity was done Milton lowered Himself back to the bottom of the pit. All but one of the Humans were dead but the majority of the Parasitic Mind Flayers still lived, only those who took bullets to the brain no longer pulsed with an Aura. Milton Levitated Himself and one remaining American Soldier out of the Pit. As he was Magically carrying him out of the Temple Milton saw a man running towards him, it was Rude Boy. Seems He had disobeyed a direct order and not left.

  Rude Boy, his real name is Percival, questioned Milton on what had happened. Milton began to fabricate a story about test mind control drugs and incendiary grenades but stopped himself after a moment. Percival was the closest friend he ever had and He just could not keep up the charade any longer, especially after meeting Percival's Grand Mother who Herself had a touch of the power. He broke down and told the Truth of what had happened. Rude Boy listened and nodded. "Yeah Dice. I know about the Magic. All of us in Delta kind of know but it was up to you to share it with us. We saw things that couldn't be explained sometimes  when you thought we didn't. We're your Brothers and none of us liked you holding back secrets but they were your secrets so we figured you would tell us when you were good and ready"

  It took Milton and Rude Boy nearly thirty six hours to haul up all the bodies from the Pit. No Man left behind was what Rude Boy said. During that time Milton cast Cure Illness Spells on all the bodies with the Mind Flayer Parasites effectively destroying them. He still did not do it in front of Rude Boy but He did tell him what he was doing. By the time they were done a larger boat came to return them to base camp as well as the bodies. Milton spent days in debriefing and told Major Buffet what he had seen. Surprisingly the Major was well informed about them though not this specific case. "Illithids" he said " They seem to crop up in any communist controlled country. They would have taken over the Kremlin if it wasn't for Johnny West intervening. West has been fighting them for years now."

  After the debriefing Milton advised Major Buffet He would not be reenlisting. Milton could do more good for The Brotherhood as well as others if He was less limited in His scope. The Major did not show any emotion but Milton was pretty darn sure he was not pleased. As Milton walked to the airfield where he would catch a plane back to the states and visit Whistler in Levenworth Prison a thought crossed His mind.

  Milton's closest friend was Rude Boy. Rude Boys real name was Percival. Milton was a direct descendant of Arthur Pendragon and Morgan Lefey. That seemed to be Quite a coincidence. Milton did not believe in coincidences however. Only time will tell where this may lead.

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Reply #17 - May 30th, 2020 at 9:08pm
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The papers were signed. Salutes given, handshakes taken.  It was official,  Master Sargent Milton Paradise was honorably discharged from the US Military.

It was a good, yet scary sensation.   Milton was on his own.

He arrived in LA and was met by Dicky Danders.   Dicky was older, heavier, and more lost. Their reunion was bittersweet.  Of course war stories were told.  Milton told Dicky he saw Mason Lodge, AKA Archibald Rosenblatt, over there.

They drank to old times, to lost friends, and to the future.   It was then that Milton saw that Dicky looked lost. 

Dicky had been, and always would be, stuck in World War 2. 

  Milton bought a motorcycle.  A nice used Indian.  He drove off to see America.   For three months he had no home.  Some nights he slept under the stars.   He wasn't particularly happy, but neither was he sad.   It was calm, and that was welcome.

A bar fight here, chased out by cops there,  no place felt like home.  He was avoided cities.  He wanted to stay out of history, at least for now.  He stumbled across it, not really sure what he was looking for, but it was it. 

Milton put a down payment on a plot of land with a small house and a roadside workshop in Stull, Kansas.  The workshop was the last house on main street just by the cemetery.  It was roomy, quiet, and off the beaten path.  Perfect. 

Dicky Danders came out to help Milton set up.  He rented a small truck with all the things Milton put in storage back in California.  The two spent a few weeks painting and repairing rooves.  It was a good time.

Dicky's vaction was over and had to go back to LA to his job. Dicky was sad to go.  But then, when is Dicky not sad?

The final thing Milton did was put a sign out in front of the shop.  "FIX IT" was all it said.   Milton didn't really want customers, he wanted an excuse. 

The shop gave him that, an excuse. He could hammer away at all sorts of things and no one would bat an eye.  One day he was sharping blades for a local farmer's carbine,  the next he was hammering metals for a magic circle.  No one bothered him.

For a year, he was content.  He dreamt of Adele, and that comforted him.   He knew she was ok.  And so was his son, Christopher.  It hurt to be away, but he knew he couldn't go to her.

He became the crazy cat man.  All the local feral cats could be counted on to stop by his shop at least once a day.  He would talk to them, and the kids of Stull would say they talked back.   Of course, being cats and all, all they would say was; more food, pet me, and I am scared of the cemetery.

That was odd.  Why were cats afraid of the cemetery?    Milton went to investigate.

While Stull was a nice, but dull town to live,  it did have a reputation.    Sometime in the past, a rumor began that Stull had a gateway to hell, and the devil himself could be found there.  This ticked the locals off plenty, and they were downright unfriendly to pesky university students coming through town asking stupid questions.    This only fueled the rumors.

So Milton walked the cemetery.  The only odd thing he found were footprints in the wet October soil leading away from an undisturbed grave.   He didn't see where they ended, but he was sure they began at the grave.

It was time to use magic.    Oh yes, Milton is a wizard.  Didn't I tell you that?   He used his magic glasses to see things that are hidden.   

He found out two things.  One, that this was the oldest grave in the graveyard.   In fact it was over a hundred years older than the town of Stull.  Second, that it was a portal to somewhere.   

Could the rumors be true?

Dick was thinking.  Should he use the portal, see where it leads? Should he try to bind it closed?

It was then he heard a crash.  It was the sounds of metal on metal.  A car crash.  He wasn't too far from the road and off he went.

It was one of the local farmers,  Mr. O'Brien and his wife.  They hit a biker.  There was broken metal and a twisted motorcycle next to a contorted body.   The O'Brien's were understandably upset.

They recognized Milton and were thankful he was there.  They knew he was a medic in the service.   Milton's glasses told him that this was not as it seemed.  The body was covered in an illusion.  The young biker was a lie, and instead, what lay on the ground was an ancient corpse.   Milton didn't want to scare the nice couple and told them to go to town and get the cops, that he would take care of the victim.

They took off.   Milton figured he had under 7 minutes before the police came.  What to do?

Well the question was solved when the corpse tried to grab him.  It stood up and hissed.   Milton fired a hexbolt at it, knocking it down. 

The corpse then grabbed the motorcycle and slammed Milton with it, then ran.   Milton followed but was too slow.   

It made it to the old grave and just sank in gone.   When Milton got there, the grave was undisturbed as if nothing happened.

When the police arrived, the saw Milton walking out of the wooded cemetery.

What could he do?  He thought quick.  He lied.  He told them that the biker must have been on LSD and ran off.   He said he tried to chase him and he was too fast.   The officer said that these drugged up hippies can run real fast when on drugs.  They searched for a while then gave up.  They hauled the motorcycle off to Milton's shop.

The next day Milton went to the grave.  His magic said it was normal.   No magic, no portal.  He figured it probably only worked at night.

He spoked to the police officer who pulled up.  He wanted to photograph the motorcycle, and look for personal items in the side bags.   He wanted to see if he could identify the biker who was hit.

He gathered the items, but them in a bag and walked to the car.  He spoke on his radio, and turned on the lights and raced off.  Milton, intrigued, followed on his motorcycle.

Just west of the town limits, a body was found.  It was the biker, dead from leprosy.   His wallet ID'd him as a California resident, and former Army.  They called the local doctor, who ordered everyone not to touch the body.   Milton and the doctor turned the body over using a crow bar, to get it on the stretcher so they could transport it to the morgue.

All in all the police were satisfied that the biker died from wounds sustained by the car crash, and he was driving erratically due to the leprosy. Milton didn't correct anyone.

He went home and decided to stake out the grave again.   It was just after dark when he was about to leave, and there he was.  The Biker.

He looked fine.  Milton used his glasses and saw through the illusion.  It was the corpse again.  He said he came for the bike.  He said fix it and you will never see me again.   Milton said no.

The biker grabbed the crowbar from the foundry.  Milton was burning it clean as it touched the leper's body, and hit Milton with it.  It burned and smashed his ribs.  Milton took off his ring and tossed it.

The ring expanded and fell on the ground.  The Biker Corpse hissed.  He was trapped in a magic circle, and a particularly strong one at that.

The Biker Corpse tried to break out, but he couldn't. Then he did what the trapped always do,  plead.

When pleading didn't work he tried to bargain.   He had nothing Milton wanted, so the last resort.  He threatened.

This scared Milton.  He said he was the Devil and his legions would rise from the grave on the next sundown after he didn't return and defile  every last citizen of Stull.  He said all he wanted was his bike repaired and his freedom. 

Milton agreed.   He didn't want to risk the life of the people who welcomed him so warmly.

It took four hours, so just before midnight Milton called back his ring.  The thing thanked him and rode east.

Milton wasn't sure he did the right thing.

The following evening he packed a picnic basket.  He was going to stake out the grave, this night, and every night from now on, until he learned something.  Anything.

He sat on his stool and poured coffee from his thermos.   While drinking the grave vanished.   It became a stairway down.  Two robed figures emerged.  They looked like embalmed corpses.  He knew them, from the future.  They, however, didn't know him. Yet.

They recognized him as a wizard and struck a deal.  A favor for a favor.  Standard deal in the magical world.   Milton agreed.  They asked him to find their errant citizen and return him to their city of the dead.   Milton didn't name what he wanted, nor did they ask.   They seemed desperate.

Milton had his suspicions and this confirmed it.  He had learned long ago, that the oldest grave in each cemetery is a way to the Necropolis, the City of the Dead.  One of the Seven Occult Cities.  Today he found that to be true.

Milton went home, and prepared for a trip.  The Death Biker had a day's ride ahead of him. And he was worried about the cats.

He was packing his bags when the car arrived.  Milton was upset.  He had enough on his plate now and didn't want any customers at the moment.

He recognized the two men right away.   One was Mr Clean, leader of the Secret Seven, the other was Col Marshal Strong.  Both were men out of time, just like Milton.  This was not going to be good.

They spoke quick, and Milton stood rapt.  They were both very commanding men.

"Milton, your country needs you.  Pack your bags, your flight to Moscow leaves in the morning.  Its a matter of national security."

All Milton could say was   damn...
  

I am scary, very, very scary.
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Reply #24 - Jun 27th, 2023 at 9:20pm
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Clean and Strong set Milton up with a cover identity.  He was a Canadian Archeologist.  He was set to Moscow for a party.

At the party he rubbed elbows with Soviet Academics.  He met Agata. She was the leader of the dig.  She was a tall, thin blue eyed blond beauty.  She had everyone in the room at her command. 

Milton spoke scarcely and strategically.  He used subtle magic to scan the room.  He picked up strong enchantments, but elsewhere.   He excused himself to investigate.

Pretending to need to use the washroom, he wandered the Catherine Palace trying to find that magic.

He turned to a familiar face. 

Rasputin said hello in English.  He invited Milton to a room.  Milton was confused, as he didn't see the door to the room until Rasputin mentioned it. 

Inside was the fabled lost Amber Room Peter the Great.  It was filled with foods, luxurious furniture, books and various beautiful woman and a young beautiful girl.

Rasputin wanted to know who cast the spell.   Milton couldn't deny it as it was still active. 

After a short talk, Milton asked to leave, the young girl asked to go while him.  Rasputin took a defensive stance, and Milton left.

It wasn't until he saw the photographs on the wall that she was the missing princess, Anastasia. 

Milton saw that Rasputin cast the room off into a limbo.  Each day started over, with fresh food, and the ladies all had no memories time spent. For them, it has only been a day since they sequestered themselves with the mad monk.   It seems only Rasputin was aware of the passage of time.

Disturbed by what he saw, Milton knew he had to make a plan for later. 

He was aproached by Agata, who showed him a series of tablets.  They appeared ancient, yet to percise to old.  A paradox.  Milton secretly cast a spell and read.  What he learned astonished him.  It was a chronicle of the Illithid race!  From their humble beginings on Koth, to their destruction. And worse, how they wish to restore lost Koth.   

The last secret gave Milton the chills.  Koth was earth!  They wish to return Earth to a more ancient time, before the moon, when Earth was covered with shallow seas!


The next few days, Agata and Milton prepped for the dig.

When they got to the site, significant progress was already made.

It was routine, and if this was not all a deception, this would have been enjoyable for Mr. Paradise.

The only oddity was that Milton did not dream.  He is usually a very vivid dreamer.  And since his relocation to his own past, he has been trying to reconnect with the lovely Lucid.  So, after three days of dreamless sleep, he decided to stay awake.

He laid in bed.  He saw Agata come in and light a Hand of Glory.   This primitive spell is used to keep sleepers asleep.  It can be very helpful in that if affects a wonderful, refreshing, healing sleep, but one who is asleep cannot awaken until the candles are extinguished.

Milton saw Agata sneak off.   He followed quietly.   

She met up with a T'cho t'cho.  These interdimensional merchants were always up to no good.   She traded some mithril for information about her missing brother. 

She turned out to be Milton's contact and gave him the coordinates of the hidden military camp.  He, and his two traveling companions and fellow CHESS agents, Homer Grimsby and Alexandria Huntington, armed up.

The next night, under cover of darkness, Milton took a jeep and drove to a military installation that "did not exist."  All it cost was a promise to help Agata rescue her missing brother.

Great first the Princess, now Agata's brother...

Milton was stopped by a guard.  He had to fight his way in. Alexandria proved to be a real threat with a reloading crossbow, while Homer, less flashy, took out several guards with his handguns.  The entire base went on alert.   He used stealth, and extreme violence to make his way to a huge tarp tent. 

Inside the tent was a primitive hospital and a huge pit.   He was then attacked by a misshapen meta human.   The fight should have ended in Miton's demise, but Miton was a wizard. 

Milton found what he was sent for, Mr. Visitor!  The alien who landed in Roswell went missing.  He was last seen in Laos and was captured.  He spent years in captivity.   Milton brought him back to CHESS HQ.   

Unfortunately, the Soviets learned of alien activity on Earth, and it was never found out, what was in the pit.



« Last Edit: Jul 1st, 2023 at 9:48am by John »  

I am scary, very, very scary.
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