One last stand…

His striking look sent shivers down my spine. He wore a Caruvean Red Badge of Death, a sign that many battles have been won and many foes slain at his hands. The night pressure goggles could not hide the gleam of his red demonic eyes, as he scanned the area for any objects in the environment he could use to his advantage. I clutched the hilt of my sword, feeling grateful that the rough hide provided enough friction for my sweaty and pale palms. I shifted much of my weight to my right leg as I readied my body for a power swing. I knew that my first swing would either have to shatter his shield or throw him off balance for me to have any chance against his mind-crippling Zeedoh movement techniques. Once the correct pattern and the rhythm of footsteps is achieved, they begin to resonate in the enemy's mind like the sound of a million shrieking shards of glass, intensifying as the correct movement pattern is established. The Zeedoh battle style was one of the legacies of the old masters, and Werm knew how to use it.

Though his body stood perfectly still, I could still catch the tiniest movement in his demonic eyes. It was time to act. Like a sharp winter wind, my blade went screaming through the thick Moonclave air. With all my weight behind the swing, I used the carefully hidden counterbalance device to retain control of my body. The body was still in motion when the mind braced itself for the steel-bending impact of the blow. And yet, the blade continued on its path, missing its target completely.

Werm was using speed boosters.
If there is one dangerous moment during any battle, it's when you see your initial plan fail, either by the virtue of your enemy's skill or the lack of your own. You have that split second to adjust, and it's literally the moment when your life is decided. Or the life of your enemy.

Caught by surprise, I did something that Werm didn't expect me to do. I used the morphing dagger to stab myself in the right thigh and seemingly flee from the battle. Feeling like a hunter stalking his prey, Werm knew he should run after me, and yet, he granted himself the luxury of gloating in my disgraceful retreat for a few seconds.

This gave me enough time to morph back into my humanoid form and cast the winged blade spell. Once again, the blade was cutting through the air, only this time, it wasn't guided by my own hand. And while Werm started executing the Zeedoh movement techniques, and the shrieking grew louder in my head, ripping through my skull and literally making my ears bleed and my body fall helpless to the ground, the unwavering and unforgiving steel of the blade, like some brilliant bird of prey, lodged itself into Werm's lower rib cage, tearing through armor and flesh, and ripping through his internal organs.

The impact of the blow was so hard that Werm literally flew into the air, the hilt of the blade stopping it from going clean through his body.

After a few moments I pulled myself back up, my head still spinning and eyes burning as if acid was poured over them, and I walked over to Werm. He was screaming in agonizing pain, the sound of his screams partially muffled by the blood gushing from his mouth. He was violently gripping the hilt of my blade, trying to pull it out of his aching flesh. The blade had broken off in two from the fall, its jagged edges not allowing Werm to do what he so desperately desired. I did not speak his tongue; maybe he was calling out for his family, or for some loving maiden waiting for him back home. I did not know that and I couldn't tell. As I stood over him, trying to catch the last warm breath of air leaving his lungs, I could see the red gleam in his demonic eyes slowly fade away through the night pressure goggles.

With Werm dies the secret of the Zeetoh battle style, and with him die the hopes of the people of Moonclave. The age of slavery was about to begin...

San Andreas escapade

This is what happens to kids who play too many games. They start having day and night dreams. One such kid is Ahmad Rida who is 12 year old and full of strategic game ideas. He wrote to us about his 'San Andreas Escapade'! In this story, he is a robber who just robbed a mall.

After the robbery, some guy informed the cops, and soon all of San Andreas Police was behind me, following me from all directions! Finding no other means of transport, I desperately looked around. I saw a man getting inside the shopping mall. I took his car, since the man forgot his key inside and paved my way to the Dark Kat club! Just then, I saw a cop's car parked outside the club. I became a bit suspicious since all the San Andreas Cops were looking for me. 'Nah the cops won't go disco-dancing at this time of night!' I thought. It was half past eight and I had the idea of having some fun. Inside, when I was dancing away to the blues, I saw a lady holding a riffle to shoot me. I got back my senses and hit her with the baseball bat that was lying on the floor. I thought I would snatch her possessions, but all she had was her car key and her police badge. 'Good enough!' I thought. Nobody noticed. They were busy dancing away, and did not notice the fallen lady.

I was about to go the washroom, but suddenly I saw a briefcase behind the bar. I snatched it away without anybody seeing. And started on my way back to the washroom, as if nothing had happened. I came outside the club and saw the cop's car was gone. I checked to see where the lady cop was, and she was gone too! I was quite sure, by now she had reported to the Chief. I thought it was best time to escape to Las Vegas by plane. It just hit me that I did not have a passport or a plane ticket.

I took a Ferrari parked outside, and zoomed to the landing field. A siren made me realise that two police cars were following me. Two of them were just ahead with spikes in the middle of the road! By my side I saw a river and in it was a handsome speedboat zooming near the edge of the river! I came as close as possible to the edge of the road and sped up. I jumped on the speedboat and threw the boat rider in the river, silently praying that he could swim. I looked to my right and saw the two cop cars crashing in to my Ferrari Enzo, the fell prey to their own spikes and blew off their tyres. Happily I went towards the airport, which was about a mile from here. I was feeling sorry for the Ferrari and wished I could keep it.

By and by, I forgot about that. I got off my boat and crept near the rear end of the airport, which was connected to the river. My eyes fell on a fighter jet. The pilot was cleaning the rear wing, unnoticed, I crept into the plane and started it. For one second I forgot all about the pilot and was about to start the plane. The pilot unnerved, started banging on my windowsill. Behind, the cops ran towards me. I desperately tried to start the plane but all in vain!!! The cops got up and surrounded my plane, trying to push open the window. Just when the cops were about to fire a shot, the plane started. I whooshed…the pilot, the cops and the watchmen all fell down one by one. One of the policemen was still hanging by the wheels of the fighter jet. I lowered my plane further below to allow the police to get down. When he jumped off, off I went up and up to the safety of the sky! 'That was a pretty cool escapade', I thought!

By Ahmad Rida

A poem
I'll write you a poem tonight
Not a simple ode of love,
Or praise,
Or words threaded by half-lies.
I'll write you a special poem tonight.
I'll dip a finger
In my own sea of sorrows,
And swirl…
Until a whirlpool wakes up
And sucks in whatever is left
Of our fragmented souls.
I'll write a poem tonight
To make you cry
To remind you of all the promises
You made and broke
To tell you of my blind faith
My feelings, beyond me..
To ask you the countless questions
Which sprouted from the answers you gave me.
And when you'll read
And weep,
The time will be past.
And all that will be left
Are words,
And a silver watch that beeps at midnight.
By Tausif Salim

Still love you………..
Fingers are on the keys
The wheel of mind is running
Eyes are on computer screen
Mail to you I am writing
Outside is raining!
The day is so pale
You will receive soon my mail
Will you slate or hail?
Nothing is being set
Recalling the pain which I always get
Words and sentences are becoming restless
To you I want to say more not less
The feeling I have been concealing
Now is the best time for revealing
To read my mail don't run back
You know well I am a bit crank
You should know how much I adore you
Didn't value when I said I love you
The word 'No' from you
Upside-down my world
Didn't utter a single word
You went away so far
Now I will leave you forever
Before leave I will come to you near
Open my heart show you the feelings
You will see …….
From long time my heart has been suffering
I know you can't love me
You don't know what love is
I wish the flower of love will bloom in your heart
Then you will realize the agony if anyone hurt
Bidding you farewell leaving you
Just know I still love you……………………..