Indefinitely postponed...

This is just a notice that A Lady's Prerogative II: Wounded Aerth will be indefinitely postponed thanks to a lot of setbacks related to social abuse in my community and place of residence by a blood centric racist cult that are essentially against me being in a relationship with someone Mandarin Chinese.

That's not your problem and I apologize to my readers for the setback and delay. Until this problem is dealt with there will be no continuation on this book or The Butterfly Dragon series.


Just so you know that I'm pulling my weight with regard to Women's rights and their link with The Butterfly Dragon and A Lady's Prerogative, here's a copy two letters I received from the Office Of The Prime Minister of Canada with regard to the issues of rights that I had written to them numerous times about.

So here is the reply from the Office Of The Right Honourable Justin Trudeau

Dear Mr. Johns:

On behalf of the Right Honourable Justin Trudeau, I would like to acknowledge receipt of your correspondence regarding the problem of violence against women.

As your comments will be of interest to the Honourable Carolyn Bennett, Minister of Indigenous and Northern Affairs, and the Honourable Patricia A. Hajdu, Minister of Status of Women, I have taken the liberty of

forwarding your e-mail to the their attention. I am certain that the Ministers will wish to give your concerns every consideration.

Thank you for writing to the Prime Minister.

A. Opalick
Executive Correspondence Officer
for the Prime Minister's Office
Agent de correspondance
de la haute direction
pour le Cabinet du Premier ministre

>>> From : Brian Johns fav.inbox@gmail.com Received : 07 Mar
2016 10:58:44 PM >>>

>>> Subject : A Matter Of Importance >>>>

Dear Prime Minister Trudeau,

I am sending you a letter which I sent to former Prime Minister Stephen Harper on the 28th of November in 2012. The letter that I sent follows:

I am a citizen whose concern for the fair treatment of Aboriginal women is as important as the treatment of all women.

We as a nation do not tolerate violence against and the exploitation of women, yet why is this not the case for Aboriginal women within Canada. With cases like that of Robert Pickton and numerous disappearances and deaths of Aboriginal women within cities around the country, why is this allowed to continue? There is no justifiable reason for us to ignore the plight of any women within our nation yet it is allowed to go on without someone saying 'this isn't right'. We cannot allow ourselves to be lulled into thinking that if we see it happening around us that it must be ok.

We as the people of Canada serve as your eyes and ears in terms of your navigation through the often perilous challenges for our country. If we are your senses then why ignore requests from us, and agencies like Amnesty International with regard to this issue. Please show the mothers and daughters of the members of our Aboriginal community that we as a nation of many different and valued people care for their well being and welcome them as well as the Aboriginal peoples as likely as they welcome us, for despite our differences, we all are really one.

To allow them harm is to harm ourselves.

I received a direct and formal reply from the office of the Prime Minister with regard to the above request and was able to see some action and results in this regard especially with investigations that sought to reduce victimization of Women who'd been lured into prostitution often by those who'd employ the use of crack cocaine or another addictive drug as the motivating factor in retaining those Women for such purposes. They would literally repeat their service hiring themselves out for small amounts for the concern of making sure they could afford their drug habit. Many of the dealers responsible for this activity were and are aware of this. These are people who really sought to and did do these things to Women. It is one thing for Women to consensually play with their lover or partner in whatever way they as a couple choose, so long as there is consent. Its quite another for a Woman to be lured into selling themselves in order to pay for a drug habit that they've often been led to by the very person who is selling them for sexual purposes. When Women have been involved in such activities and with someone who wants that to remain quiet that creates motive for the activities of someone who might seek to snuff their lives out to keep them quiet. These are important considerations for this issue and should be tabled as there have recently been cases that involve such activities as I've described here.

I would like to expand upon that request and ask of you that such a mandate be pursued as did the prior occupant of your office to include all Women whom fall victim to such acts and tragedy as I am certain you are taking steps to accomplish. There needs to be a tracking mechanism that can help investigators follow such cases of wrong doing with regard to such acts in such a way that Women are not exploited in such a way and to prevent Women (including Transgender Women who've identified themselves and their gender as Women) from meeting such ends seeing as the occurrence of such crimes are more likely to find Women victims much more often than Men. Our investigative capacities and law encorcement capabilities should reflect that difference and ensure that such information or intel related to such activities immediately is taken into consideration or evaluation as per standard operations by law enforcement.

As in my Canadian books A Lady's Prerogative and The Butterfly Dragon I: Heroes Of Our Own both of which have characters of Canadian origins and of a wide variety of origins and cultures, I would like to see a society where Women and Men are equals and work together as a team, regardless of sexual orientation or culture and for all Women to feel safe to this end.

Canada is a world leader in that aspect having been amongst the first fivecountries in the world that ratified the Women's vote in 1918 (following the suit of Manitoba's Provincial Women's vote) and as the fifth country in the world to have the Women's vote. That's only 25 years behind the first country to who brought about the first Women's vote in 1893 (the vote occurred in 1894). Let's hope that we are a World leader in Women's rights in the future as we are and have been in the past.

Sincerely,

Brian Joseph Johns

In honour of International Women's Day
A few years prior I received this reply from the Office Of The Right Honourable Stephen Harper with regard to the same issue
Dear Mr. Johns:

I would like to acknowledge receipt of your e-mail addressed to the Prime Minister regarding the prevention of violence against Indigenous women.

You may be assured that your comments have been given careful consideration. As they will also be of interest to the Honourable Robert Nicholson, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, and the Honourable John Duncan, Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development, I have taken the liberty of forwarding copies of your message to them. I am certain that the Ministers will give your views every consideration.

Thank you for taking the time to share your views with the Prime Minister on this important issue.

P. Monteith
Executive Correspondence Officer
for the Prime Minister's Office
Agent de correspondance
de la haute direction
pour le Cabinet du Premier ministre

>>> From : Brian Johns fav.inbox@gmail.com Received : 28 Nov 2012 10:18:27 PM >>>
>>> Subject : A moment of your time for the issue of violence against women. >>>>

Dear Prime Minister Harper,


I am a citizen whose concern for the fair treatment of Aboriginal women is as important as the treatment of all women.

We as a nation do not tolerate violence against and the exploitation of women, yet why is this not the case for Aboriginal women within Canada. With cases like that of Robert Pickton and numerous disappearances and deaths of Aboriginal women within cities around the country, why is this allowed to continue? There is no justifiable reason for us to ignore the plight of any women within our nation yet it is allowed to go on without someone saying 'this isn't right'. We cannot allow ourselves to be lulled into thinking that if we see it happening around us that it must be ok.

We as the people of Canada serve as your eyes and ears in terms of your navigation through the often perilous challenges for our country. If we are your senses then why ignore requests from us, and agencies like Amnesty International with regard to this issue. Please show the mothers and daughters of the members of our Aboriginal community that we as a nation of many different and valued people care for their well being and welcome them as well as the Aboriginal peoples as likely as they welcome us, for despite our differences, we all are really one.

To allow them harm is to harm ourselves.

Truly,

Brian Joseph Johns
So in both cases I received a prompt reply with regard to the issue and thankfully recently the RCMP appointed an investigative task force to look into the deaths of Aboriginal Women. This was largely the result of many concerned citizens who'd expressed concern in regard to this issue and those in office who acted upon it.

So my books are more than just words as are most books. Writing can be the diagnosis of social symptoms of some much bigger problem, or it can be a social mirror that is much needed in society. A point from where to step back and take a deeper look into experiences that allow us to explore without risk to our health the road ahead through prose and allegory. I say these words with truth and without any sort of reversed meaning as is common nowadays by some. I'm not on the hate means love team and never will be. I've always lived by the words say what you mean and mean what you say.

So I'll continue with my efforts with my books at some point in the future after the problem of this abusive cult has been dealt with and exposed.

Brian Joseph Johns
http://thebutterflydragon.blogspot.ca
http://talesofthesanctum.blogspot.ca

A New Promo Image Of The Lost And The Found...

Here's a new image of the cast from The Lost And The Found with the addition of two new characters. Specifically Athandra Rithyani (of The Order Of Ghanesh) and Valerie Aspen (Valkyra). The events of this story will bridge the sequels for A Lady's Prerogative and The Butterfly Dragon I: Heroes Of Our Own. Also not Mila's and Nelony's new attire.

Enjoy!

Brian Joseph Johns

The cast from left to right are:

Alicia Westin (aka Night Style), Nelony Ardbloem (of the Order Of The Aerth Mother), Jasmer McCavanaugh (of The Order Of The New), Yirfir Lacharme (of The Order Of The New), Valerie Aspen (aka Valkyra), Athandra Rithyani (of The Order of Ghanesh), Barris Windsor (of Shepperton off the Thames, Great Britain), Mila Rendebelle (of The Order Of Aetherial Artistry), Heylyn Yates (aka Ai Yuanlin Ying aka The Butterfly Dragon), Mishima Sato (most honorable Sensei and  Bujutsu), Shaela Sheowellyn (of The Order Of The Night Wytch) and Monique Defleur (aka The <Strawberry> Eclipse now just The Eclipse). The image of the lady in the background caressing the world in her arms is known as the Aerth Mother. It is said that the milky way in the sky is the strands of her hair enveloping the Aerth protectively while she holds it in her arms.

There are many more characters and designs to come...

Presenting Athandra Rithyani...

Here is the close to final version of Athandra Rithyani, Matron of the Order of Ganesh. She has appeared in The Lost And The Found and she's also in the upcoming book A Lady's Prerogative II: Wounded Aerth, she and her order play a key role in locating Nelony and protecting the Sanctum. The Sanctum of course is the secret headquarters of their magical order, located in a time independent other worldly plane of existence and who are the protectors of the Aerth. The Sanctum is made up of representatives from every culture in our world who are naturally talented and trained in the arcane arts. It is like a magical United Nations tasked with our protection from otherworldly forces. It draws its root from the like of Marvel's Doctor Strange (though not copied or conceived from even nearly) and J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series, though as mentioned the tone and setting are much different. A Lady's Prerogative borders on the line between adolescent and adult graphic fiction. I also drew inspiration from Anne Rice, a great writer and innovator when it comes to mystical and fantastic fiction.

Athandra's head piece is based upon real designs and represents Ganesh, whom appears in the form of a jewel encrusted elephant and is one of the pantheon of Hindu Gods. It was created in Newtek's Lightwave 3D and is only about a quarter of the way completed.

Her dress designed by Wendy Pusey as part of her works on her Daz 3D based content website. I actually spent much time looking for a design even walking through Toronto's own little India taking pictures at the various dress stores looking for that right design and to get some ideas. I'd started designing the character ages ago and between programming and another work gig, I got off track.

Today earlier this morning I received my first comment ever from this blog, from a fellow from India who is a real curative magician. So I thought to myself that if I'm reaching so many people and in other parts of the world, I really should finish this character. Besides, I'm looking forward to adding her into the upcoming photo architecture. Between working on this and The Butterfly Dragon, it's very time consuming while keeping up on other life aspirations not to mention dealing with some troublesome souls at times. I'd received a lot of (hidden) positive feedback from A Full Glass, A Piano And The Disappearance Of Time and had been working a lot with The Butterfly Dragon in the last few weeks. I'll actually have another new short story for The Butterfly Dragon within the next week which finds the quartet of Women as children who together must solve a mystery. It will still be another two weeks before I write a new chapter for The Lost And The Found if only to keep some abusive souls at bay. 

Also I'd like to say congratulations to all of the athletes competing in the Olympic Games in Rio. I was able to watch some of the events today including the Women's and Men's lightweight Taekwondo tournaments and the Women's Soccer (in which Canada took a Bronze medal!). It's so inspiring to see good sportsmanship between the athletes during such intense competition. Remember that these people have been working their whole lives and practicing day and night for the last four years for what hinges on a few moments at the pinnacle of their performance. It is very inspiring to see and as my own Aikido Sensei and Kyoshi Morgan, Ai Yuanlin Ying's instructor from The Butterfly Dragon would say: Learning how to get up also requires us to know how to fall...

Until then I'll have a few more character designs to post, Athandra here being the first.

Brian Joseph Johns

A preview of Athandra...

My apologies to the little India of Toronto. On my way to work in the mornings (on the odd times that I walk to work) I usually pass through little India in the East end of this magnificent city I call home. 

Yesterday I took a different route even though I was actively working on Athandra! I actually used the little India shops and people in the community as a reference for the character Athandra, who is a sort of Priestess of Ganesh. She leads the biggest presence of India in the Sanctum in A Lady's Prerogative and plays a pivotal role in A Lady's Prerogative II: Wounded Aerth. So as a thank you to the people of little India in Toronto, here are some early previews of Athandra and her headdress (which I studied from actual renditions of Ganesh).

Thank you and most of all I hope to honor people the culture of India living here and abroad,

Brian Joseph Johns

Afterwards Lady Naemi Soon and Jeong Soon here I come!

PS: Eugene F. has nothing to do with A Lady`s Prerogative, The Butterfly Dragon or this blog.

The Lost And The Found - Family picture...

From left to right: Alicia Westin (Night Style), Nelony Ardbloem, Jasmer McCavanaugh, Yirfir Lacharme, Barris Windsor, Mila Rendebelle, Heylyn Yates (Ai Yuanlin Ying aka The Butterfly Dragon), Mishima Sato, Shaela Sheowellyn and Monique Defleur.  Click for a larger image.

I'll be designing Athandra, Xenshi and Xushu next followed by Thara, Jexelen and Lannay. Athandra, Xenshi and Xushu will show up in the next family picture.

Thanks to a lot of abuse from a nasty and abusive neighborhood cult in Regent Park, I am not going to publish any new chapters for The Lost And The Found for a while. I don't want to punish my readers and many of them know the situation already. A gang of crooks in my community conduct illegal surveillance on my computer for the purposes of theft of what I create with many of the same crooks stalking me in the community. I don't use my computer for any illegal purposes at all, so there's no justification for doing so.

So to hold my supportive readers over until I post new chapters, here's a pic with a few new never before seen characters and with an updated Mila, Shaela and Barris.

Thanks to my readers,

Brian Joseph Johns

The Lost And The Found Part 7: Butterfly Eclipse Ally

Mishima Sato

Sato got to his feet thanking Feylashar solemnly bowing low for her.

"It's good to see you back again friend." Barris said, with a bit of emotional intensity.

Enough so that it may have caught some off guard.

"Oh stop playing with me. I'm a bit sore from that encounter." Sato said changing from the smile he'd shared with Feylashar to a gruff face he reserved for Barris.

"I am sorry my friend that I could not rend and end to what that vile soul had to us sent. It is good to see that peace has been found between you, the Eclipse and the Butterfly of course." the large Dragon Weltherwithsp said while still in their presence, its serpentine body held in place by two enormous butterfly wings.

"Sato, you could have slaughtered that man. Lorr. Even with his magic you could have ended it all right here." Barris said almost in disbelief that Sato had been felled so easily by the Power Lord.

"My friend, I would thank you for your vote of confidence but I cannot for it is a display of ego on your part and as such it imposes a weight upon me that is not right to entertain." Sato responded to Barris.

"But I've seen you in action. In that Estate in L'Arbour D'Noir. You acted through me and I felt limitless ability through your guidance." Barris said almost disappointed to have seen Sato felled so easily by the Power Lord.

"I agree. I mean Heyl... er... my Butterfly friend here took on an army of high powered creeps at once by herself to rescue me and our friends. Seeing her fall to the Power guy... uhhh... Power Lord there was a bit of a surprise." Monique still in her Eclipse costume said backing up Barris' point.

"I could explain but I would it if you would, Sato?" Heylyn aka the Butterfly Dragon conferred with Sato as to whether he could express their reasons for falling in battle.

"Then I will do so, Butterfly. The one you saw there, Lorr who is also known as the Power Lord is a very ancient force. He has been around since before the Shogunates. Before even the Dynasties. Before the Castes of India and before the stones of the first pyramids. Before even the Gardens of Babylon or the epic flood described by Gilgamesh. Before our earliest histories this... human man transcended the limits of mortality. He betrayed his wife and his children which he kept against her wishes. He has lived long and therefore he is an elder. Far older even than myself." Sato explained to Barris and those gathering in the assembly hall.

"What does that have to do with anything if he is evil and hurting people?" Barris asked affronting Sato's explanation before it was expressed.

"Yeah! If he's the big man behind all of this evil then why don't you just cut him down?" Monique asked looking first to Heylyn and then back to Sato.

Sato looked over to Jasmer and Yirfir who'd joined their conversation in listening. Jasmer looked back to Sato nodding and in essence giving his OK that Sato explain the situation.

"If we were to smite the Power Lord with all of our force and power, he would only become a martyr and it would not be long before the one who did the smiting became the new force to be reckoned with." Sato explained.

"But he's clearly evil! You'd be doing the world a favor!" Barris said to Sato.

"I agree! If this guy is half as bad as you say he is, then he deserves it!" Monique added to Barris' testimony.

"In some cultures around the world, age is revered." Heylyn said to Barris, Monique and all of those listening.

Sato nodded.

"But you're old and wise... er.... sorry 'bout the old part. You're a seasoned veteran." Barris said happy with his choice of words.

Barris and Mila

Mila who'd been dealing with Athandra, Thara and Jexelen about getting back to the ship joined Barris by his side.

Heylyn looked to Sato and he once again nodded and continued.

"If I or the Butterfly were to just destroy him by force, we would betray everything that we stand for and vilify ourselves in the process. Despite the fact that he looks much younger than I do, he is still in the neighborhood of ten thousand years old. He is an elder far in advance of my own age. For me to cut him down would appear to some as if a teenager had cut down an elderly man. Likewise with the Butterfly. It would fuel the fires of revenge and most certainly it would pit us as the enemy. The world congress would cut its ties with the Sanctum and we would become exiles. In such a case it would be nearly impossible for us to do our job and worse, someone would take Lorr's place. His twin offspring. They would be followed blindly by the Norbids and any whom they'd lured into their circle." Sato said looking to each Monique and Barris.

"It wouldn't stop there either. The twins are very powerful. Perhaps the most potent practitioners of the weave there are. Should they ever gain this leadership over the Norbids without the bridled restraint practiced even by someone as crass as Lorr, it would mean chaos and eradication for the world and subservience under their rule." Jasmer explained going by his memories of the fall of the first Sanctum.

"The human trafficking ring we are taking down would seem like a day care by comparison. The entirety of the world would be enslaved to the rule of the twins and the Norbids. Women. Children. Men. All of us. And worst of all once again would be the rule of might means right rather than might for right." Yirfir summed up Jasmer's contempt of the Power Lords.

"Nice touch, quoting T.H. White too. Cheers sweetheart." Barris said winking to Yirfir.

Yirfir smirked somewhat pleasantly at Barris.

"Perhaps it is a sign of unity amongst us that in that moment that none of us did in fact take that Power Lord down. It was fate. Destiny?" Heylyn contemplated aloud.

"It could safely be said that we do indeed fight on the same side and for the same mores. Perhaps that is how we should conduct ourselves in the future rather than fall prey to machinations of Lorr, his twins and the Norbids?" Thara her dark and boding shadow presence illuminating their path.

"I agree. Jeong, Jexelen, we should make this official." Lady Soon addressed her husband.

"Then so shall it be done. Let it be known that from this day forth that we shall work together as allies. Xenshi and Xushu however I give you the responsibility of staying in touch with Weltherwithsp and the Butterfly. Of keeping us in sync as it were." Jeong Soon addressed Xenshi and Xushu.

"We must get you back there soon. Time passes differently here in the midspace where the Sanctum is located in temporality. Time does not pass here and you will return to the ship at the very moment you left for the Sanctum. However, if you are gone too long even the precariously weak senses of the uninitiated will tune into the fact that something about you has changed. That you've experienced more time than they have, though it will come from them in other ways. Irritation with you. Suspicion. Perhaps even the urgency to interrogate you. You should return very soon." Athandra urged them.

"I agree. Not to mention that we need you to be alert for they are about to make communication with the leadership of their criminal organization." Jexelen informed them.

"We are all healed thanks to the magics of Feylashar. She is much strained and understaffed as Haether Dovensoul is currently away on assignment with Sir Manfred and Kenshin. We should take advantage of our good health now and return to the ship. No doubt we will be spending our health soon in the name of good." Xenshi responded looking to Feylashar.

Xenshi and Xushu floated over to Feylashar.Xenshi's hand gracefully found the end of a strand of Feylashar's hair. She held her fingers there momentarily. Her aura flowed through her fingers attaching itself to the end of the strand of hair glowing brilliantly.

"A secret gift for you." Xenshi said to her with compassion.

"She doesn't deserve it! She's really poisoning all of you with her healing! Aha! Haahaha!" Xushu said madly floating inverted above Xenshi's head.

Feylashar's heart jumped and she took Xushu's words in stride instead focusing on Xenshi's.

"Thank you." she responded.

"Uhhh, I don't mean to be imposing but we really should get going don't you think?" Nelony looked at the group as if to press the matter.

"I agree though we'll have our showdown some other time, Eclipse girl." Shaela said still a bit hurt that she'd been felled by Monique.

"Anytime, anywhere." Monique said confidently.

"We're better positioned in the container that we're in to conduct the kind of scrying we need to get at their communications." Mila said referring to her illusory painting in the container which allowed them to sleep in luxury while maintaining their cover.

"Nelony and I will keep an eye on the bridge of the ship. When they make their communications we'll let you know." Yirfir said to them.

"I've got someone watching for any communications as well. I'll be making contact with her as soon as we get back to the ship. Our plan was to bust out of the containers when they made their rendezvous point and take the guards out one at a time by stealth, keeping the captives in the containers while we did. Once we'd taken out their guard detail, we'd secure the cargo hold where the captives would remain while we swept the ship." Heylyn explained the plan her and Monique had worked out.

"That's basically our plan as well, however we've got information that they have backup. I don't know who or how and that the backup is enough for even a force like ours to be worried about." Yirfir stepped forward explaining the conundrum.

"Hurry up and wait was our plan. Wait and see what happened at their communications point and adapt as necessary while protecting all of the captives. First priority." Jasmer added.

"While you're protecting the captives my shadow cat is going to make dessert out of the traffickers." Shaela said sharply.

"Disabling them is alright but killing them and certainly eating them is not. We need them alive to stand trial for their crimes before a court of law." Jeong Soon reminded Shaela.

"Then so shall it be done. Let's get moving. We've got to procure freedom for some captives and take away the freedom from some traffickers." Jasmer urged the group.

Athandra and Thara began the portal summoning spell and before long a series of holes appeared in the fabric of space within the assembly hall.

"Be successful and be safe. You take the Sanctum with you." Lady soon said the team filed into the portals leading back to the ship from whence they came.

They each stepped in one at a time as the bubbling portal sucked them in whisking them across time and space.

"Is this going to hurt?" Monique asked.

"No. Not at all. Actually it feels great. I mean that. Really." Shaela said to Monique keeping her lie well concealed.

Monique stepped into the portal oblivious to the pain she was about to experience.

"You were lying to her, weren't you?" Heylyn asked Shaela.

"Absolutely. Sorry honey but those are the breaks." Shaela said, still a bit sore at Monique for messing up her summoning spell.

"I guess I should be greatful I haven't eaten..." Heylyn said as she stepped into the portal.

Barris watched as Shaela got close to the portal and as she did, he pointed urgently.

"Egad! What's that!" gesturing to a point across from the portal.

Shaela bought his ruse and looked just long enough for Barris to push her into the portal screaming.

Barris was the last to step into the portal. As he did, he braced himself for the experience which was reminiscent of being turned inside out several times while speeding both inwards and outwards from your body. As he stepped out of the portal despite his throbbing head he was surprised to see Mila, Shaela and the rest of the captives with their hands up.

"Alright, alright. It was me. It was all my plan... I ratted you all out..." Barris said putting his hands up in the air as he felt the barrel of the assault rifle in his back.

The man with the monocle had returned and was walking around the container eyeing everyone like the cat who swallowed the canary.

"It seems we have a few... secrets going on in here shall we say? The kind of secrets that might make our little operation a bit more... efficient? I'd say its time that we had a chat, wouldn't you?" he addressed them looking piercingly to Barris.

"About what? Oh... You mean these... Oh they're just... things. Floaty glowy things... Haven't you ever had a lava lamp? Hippy beads maybe?" Barris said trying to cover up the portals which slowly faded.

"SILENCE! I think you know more than you're letting on! Tell me or they..." the monocled man said losing his temper.

"Alright, alright. It was all my plan and doing. I'll tell you everything. Just please... not in my face. Or tush." Barris said attempting to protect Mila and Shaela.

"You know what? I believe you! Let's go have a talk..." the monocled man said as the butt of the assault rifle rendered Barris unconscious.

To be continued... and far from the end...

Brian Joseph Johns
200 Sherbourne Street Apt 701
Toronto, Ontario
Canada M5A 3Z5
fav.inbox@gmail.com

416 203-0928

Butterfly, Butterfly

To spread your wings

To see you fly

In the night, In the sky

Butterfly, Butterfly

The Lost And The Found Part 6: Battle Of Words And Giggles

It had all happened so fast. First as the Butterfly lady at the entrance to the assembly hall had confronted them in the midst of their meeting and then another lady had mysteriously appeared in the form of a blinding light before quickly dispatching Shaela and Yirfir before they could retaliate.

It was Mila's surrealist maze that had bought them enough time to reason with the Butterfly lady while her friend struggled in the maze.

Jeong Soon and his wife, Lady Naemi Soon stood alongside Sato, Xenshi, Xushu, Jasmer, Feylashar and Thara whom had just arrived to assist the group.

One moment it was the Butterfly lady that had a rage in her eyes and then it had fled her and become manifest. Jasmer had recognized its form first as Lorr, the first Power Lord and the husband of Lyra. Lyra was the Mother of all magic upon the Aerth having been given it as a gift by the Aerth Mother and Gods of All as many as ten thousand years ago.

Lorr had wanted to keep that power within their family alone, never allowing their offspring to mingle with other humans whom were not similarly gifted and so he planned a incestuous breeding program to keep the power theirs. Lyra disgusted with his greed and lust for power deserted him and started the first Order Of The Weave to stop him. She trained others in the use of the weave and even found a new lover with whom she'd bore a child so that the secrets of magic would be shared with humankind and to protect it.

Lorr's and Lyra's first original children were twins. A boy and a girl whom at reaching the age of eighteen procreated once again to bare the next generation of twins whom were also a boy and a girl. This line continued as it had started with the twins until the modern times growing stronger with each generation. Lorr had fed upon this growing energy to maintain his life force for this long even outliving Lyra who'd passed on centuries before leaving behind the legacy that would eventually become the Order Of The Sanctum. Those of all cultures of the Aerth who'd benefited from Lyra's willingness to share the secret and the line of the weave.

Lorr had through the years attempted many times with the help of the Norbids to corrupt or infiltrate the Order Of The Sanctum. His plans and manipulations of the lives of many mortals were always geared to such goals and it was no surprise to Jasmer when Lorr had erupted from the Butterfly lady's aura to appear before them. Jasmer was a veteran of the fall of the first Sanctum and had even joined the Power Lords for a time until his love, Yirfir had once again won his heart uncovering the virtue and honor with which he'd committed himself to her and their fight against Lorr. For the love of Lyra and her willingness to share the gift with all.

What Lorr had tried to contain was akin to trying to contain the secret of procreation itself and to contain it. To keep it secret so that none could have child or so that only a select few could have the right to bare a child. Provided your blood was pure or true could you have this privilege. Much was the same with the weave and keeping it for their own and their line.

Jasmer readied himself for battle summoning his elemental energies to do battle with the Power Lord. Jeong Soon jumped in front of his wife, Lady Soon who'd managed to engulf the group in a protective bubble. Feylashar stepped up to Lady Soon casting forth a spire of energy further fueling the protective barrier.

The Butterfly lady and the Power Lord were on the other side of this barrier as Lord let forth his own magic. His hand contacted the barrier and it disappeared as he absorbed the magic into himself. Lady Soon and Feylashar both fell unconscious to the cold floor of the assembly hall as the Power Lord moved forth to finish them all.

Sato moved first advancing upon the Power Lord as Jasmer let a blast of cold fire forth from his hands. It hit the Power Lord turning to flames.

"Sato! Don't attack him!" Jasmer yelled as Sato had landed the first blow.

The Power Lord laughed at Sato's pitiful impact.

"Well, a martial artist? Let me try!" Lorr said as he directed a strike connecting dead center of Sato's chest.

Sato flew the distance of the assembly hall hitting the back wall and falling to the floor unconscious.

Heylyn Yates, otherwise known as Ai Yuanlin Ying in her native Chinese tongue and also as the Butterfly Dragon moved next. The concepts of negative and positive energy were nothing new to her and she'd understood the concept completely but really the concept of polarity was powered by two forces. Willpower and followers. The more your commitment and belief in the sidedness of any force or paradigm, the more likely it would succumb to your willpower in those regards. The more who followed any sort of sidedness with regard to that duality the more likely the sidedness was to go to their favor.

Heylyn's willpower was nearly indomitable but Lorr had tricked her by impersonating someone or rather something that she had learned to trust since she was a little girl. The Butterfly Dragon. Weltherwithsp whom was nowhere to be seen.

She focuses her energies aware of how this Lorr person might perceive his field and if she believed and was sure of herself and her righteousness in defending these people, she might actually affect him.

Her wings erupted from her aura glowing and brilliant as she leapt into the air. The Power Lord turned to face having absorbed a large degree of Sato's martial arts prowess.

She landed behind him delivering a kick to his back. He folded gently allowing the force of her kick passage as he helped her follow that force into the floor. He spun as she continued directing her with the force of her attack. She instantly recognized what he was doing and tucked herself into a roll. Instead of continuing through with her roll, she extended her arms stopping her roll dead pushing herself back up and towards the jaw of the Power Lord. Her booted feet impacted his face sending him backwards to the floor as she flew upwards into a roll allowing her wings to pierce his aura and break his polarity reversal. By the time he hit the floor he was subject to the full blunt trauma of her attack.

He immediately got to his feet in pain and fury and launched a bolt of embers at her. She attempted to dodge them though they flew too fast for her to avoid. They struck her side and burned through her protective armor and suit burning her flesh. She struggled on the floor of the assembly hall trying to brush the embers from her body. With a last ditch effort she brushed them off of her as she rolled on the floor in pain. Her body's accelerated healing was pushed to its limits against the injury and she fell unconscious from pain. It was at that moment that her friend had arrived and far too long overdue.

As her aura shimmered it emerged from her, a forty foot long serpentine dragon with two butterfly's wings, the feathers of a bird, the antennae of an ant, the whiskers of a mouse, the rings of a worm and the stinger or a bee. It by far dwarfed Lorr and took its place between him and the others including Heylyn who'd been pulled to safety by Xenshi.

"Is that you Weltherwithsp? We haven't come face to face for a millennia. You do remember the last time don't you? I believe you were developing or should I say misleading another young mind. Twisting her much like you are likely doing to this one so that she may be another lost pawn in our little game." Lorr said to the Dragon.

"Twisting seems a forte fall of the meandering of your call upon the face of words by which you deceive those who I've taught merely to believe... In something of their heart and that is the good which is in each of us... You've lost your compass Lorr. You lost it when you deceived Lyra and when she left. Your faith is not in others but only in yourself. Your offspring you see are merely reflections of you. You look nothing for their own minds and hearts but only of your own upstarts and the greed of your soul! Is your blood so superior that anything of worth that comes from others is yours by claim? You prey upon the fearless and those bold enough to make an effort! How many have you preyed upon who've lost their creations or life's pursuit because of your belief that your blood is superior? Or because you believe that if you can keep it secret better than they can that it is yours more than theirs. You schemed these ways to take it from them? Much like you did to your own love, Lyra did you not? You stole her children from her because you believed it was your blood that powered the weave? You are a despicable disease upon the face of the Mother's Aerth. They were bore in her womb and the weave from there arose!" Weltherwithsp said to the Power Lord.

"It is you who misled! Serpent! In all of history you've been tread upon and under foot! Deceitful are your words and in the face of those whose lives have been enriched by my blood though it was Lyra who betrayed me to share it with them! That horrible Wytch!" Lorr said drawing the lines of the battle upon the minds of those who'd bare witness to it.

"You speak of a one sided and twisted interpretation of folklore that depicts all serpents as being the deceiver when it is you who deceive. You are relying upon the effects of millennia of such interpretation within the minds of those whose beliefs cross such questions without allowing them to make up their own minds. That's because you don't believe in their freewill to make their own choices. Instead you lure them to heated hatred based upon such interpretations. In the East, the serpent is the bringer of fortune and luck and often wisdom to those whose ears such a serpent's words fall upon. For me to benefit from the Eastern interpretation and to blindly mislead those who followed it unquestioningly is as bad as you trying to mislead those whose interpretation of serpent related folklore sees them as being the deceiver of humankind, forever consigned to crawl on their bellies. I am no more that serpent than I am the bringer of luck and fortune, though I am certainly the bearer of wisdom should you use your ears in the correct ratio to your mouth to listen! I only offer truth and the trust of those who hear this truth to make their own free choice without consequences despite whether they befriend me or loath me. Yours is to make monsters of your enemies by making hate in your victim and then by pointing to them. Look, there goes the one you all despise! The enemy! Know them by their hate! Yet when it is you and your followers doing the hating you offer no such anecdote or compass pointing to you as the enemy, for all to despise! You only draw alarm when have you provoked such ill from those you victimize! Perhaps that is another of your reversal tricks? Your love meaning hate and your hate meaning your love? If so, then when is one to trust that you're telling the truth? If none can guarantee your compass as pointing in the correct direction, then how can there ever be trust of you?" Weltherwithsp spoke, its voice thundering and shaking the entirety of the Sanctum to its foundations.

"Trust is a game of numbers, Weltherwithsp. Like the Casus Belli it is for those wise in the ways of words to manipulate, hoping that those numbers and the minds they reflect benefit your cause enough to power your war upon your competition. That support fluctuates depending upon who you are with and where you are. It is merely a tool through which to gain control and power. The compass may point north or south and it makes no difference so long as you gain the trust of the side with the most numbers at that point in time." Lorr responded to Weltherwithsp's onslaught.

"You are wrong Lorr for it is consistency through which you found your ideals that others form to trust you. To deceive them by concocting a different story at different times to meet the needs of different people is wrong, for they will no doubt sooner catch on to what you are doing. Even should you do the same to my words and deeds, putting them in the mirror to reflect their inverse or opposite and relay them as such to others, people will eventually figure out that they have been deceived by you. Honesty and consistency is important so long as the consistency is about right and protecting the people and their right to be. Learning sometimes brings change to one's consistency but once one has hardened themselves to protecting the basis of their virtues will you rarely find inconsistency except through the social illusion of those who'd want to hide one's consistency. Perhaps when one is so right does the justification exist for trying to make them appear so wrong." Weltherwithsp once again countered Lorr's argument.

"You always were a difficult one to debate with. So honorable and so... Even you have your diametrical opposite. Have you not told her? Even you keep secrets from those you'd have trust you." Lorr spat at the Dragon.

"Do you speak of the twins when you attempt to lure members to the Norbids? My nemesis and the balancing card of my dichotomy are spoken through allegory, much as your allusions to the Western folklore about the serpent. When West Meets East to trust in these differences in understanding and interpretation will we all benefit despite our ignorance, interpretations and differences. Now, we fight for the freedom of those who've been trafficked as human cargo which I suspect you have little to do with yet you used this time to gain entry into the Sanctum and to destroy them once and for all. Shall we settle this now and in battle Lorr?" Weltherwithsp asked the aging master sorcerer.

"I spent a century healing from our last encounter. I have no wish to meet the same fate again but we will meet again under less favorable circumstances for yourself Weltherwithsp. As for that cargo ship, I have little to do with that though I found my way to it when I sensed an abundant warp in the field of the weave. One that indicated that many practitioners were present and on board. I was not disappointed either. Finding my way into the Sanctum was more difficult though I knew when I recognized your student, Heylyn that I could impersonate you and trick her into helping me gain entry you fool. What they found on that boat was only the tip of the iceberg. You'll know so only if you can make it back soon enough to see them make their rendezvous... Until we meet again sssserpent..." Lorr said purposely spraying his word as much as he could before slowly fading from view.

Jasmer looked to the Dragon who hovered before him in the assembly hall of the Sanctum.

"Well. What now serpent?." Jasmer asked somewhat sarcastically.

"Ironic that you Jasmer should pose that question or is it a suggestion? Either way I hope it as such and before just as much should you find my repose fine I ask you in kind, what now sorcerer?" Weltherwithsp settled down eye to eye with Jasmer.

"We've got to get help for the Butterfly Dragon! She's dying!" Monique said tending to her burns with an ice block Shaela had conjured.

"We have no other healers present in the Sanctum on this night? We have to revive Feylashar and my wife!" Jeong Soon said cradling her in his arms.

"I know a tale that was told to me once by Ganesh in my sleep. In the tale he spoke of an elixir of the mind whose juices were the very essence of the soul. Karma. Prana as I'd been taught. This elixir was needed to revive a beautiful shepherd from a trance she'd fallen into upon a field. Mara's seed blossoms, deadly flowers upon which Mara sometimes slept had erupted and caught the shepherd. A Prince so captivated by her beauty that he'd fallen in love with her, called upon Ganesh to help him. He made the elixir from the spires of Prana of his own mind and body to heal her. He fed her the elixir with a kiss and she awoke to see the Prince. Of course she fell in love with him and they lived happily ever..." Athandra told her story.

"I fail to see how a fairy tale can help us here? Are you proposing I kiss Sato?" Barris said interrupting her ending.

"Well he is your friend and I'm sure it wouldn't hurt!" Mila said to Barris sharply encouraging Barris to listen.

"I am saying that perhaps our own Karma and Prana might be the key to healing and reviving our friends? After all, you've done much good in your lives? The Gods look upon this favorably and it manifests itself as Karmic life progression. You so much love your friends that perhaps you would rather they be well than for your own progression? You might give up your gain so that it might benefit their health?" Athandra explained.

"I was looking forward to a vacation on an island with a spa honey..." Barris said to Mila.

"Our friends first..." Mila said to Barris.

"I'll give up something to revive Feylashar. Besides, once she's healthy she could heal us all. I mean last year I rescued the lives of a dozen or so farmers from the murderous Norbids. Six of them. Two of them Norbid Magi." Shaela said to them trying to bring up some good karma to benefit Feylashar's health.

"Saved them? They were a lynch mob and they were going to kill you and the Norbids!" Mila reminded Shaela of the incident.

"It was their good fortune that my shadow cat scared them off like that before eating those Norbids." Shaela responded to Mila's insinuation.

"They would have been eaten too if they'd stuck around..." Mila said to her in response.

"But they lived... If I hadn't summoned the shadow cat they would have been killed by the Norbids who likely would have killed me seeing as I was outnumbered. Only by one mind you..." Shaela lifted her chin in the air rolling her head side to side.

"That saved lives. It matters not your intent though intent does count, but more so that the end result of your words or your action saved lives. That is the way of Karma." Athandra explained.

"You aren't trying to convert us are you?" Shaela said defensively clasping her chain of Mother Mary.

"No, I am not trying to convert you. Your beliefs are yours and I respect them despite our differences. My Gods and yours work together despite their differences too. Even if you don't believe anything at all. If you are good, the universe will conspire to help you. So will the Gods." Athandra said to them.

"So there. I told you it was a good deed." Shaela said to Mila who rolled her eyes.

"Honey? What about all those paintings you did for the hospital... The one with the sick children?" Barris asked Mila.

"Yes! Exactly! Barris came home one day all proud that he'd donated some money to a local hospital foundation. He had the brochure in hand when he came in the door. I'd been laying on the sofa all day, with artist's block when he came in. I jumped to my feet eager to see him..." Mila said blushing a bit.

"...she was all over me. She was a beast of lust and she..." Barris said looking to her lovingly.

"I was lonely... withdrawn... I hadn't been in front of a canvas for weeks. Barris always gives me my space when he knows I'm having trouble finding my stride. When he got back I was... Well let's just say that after we spent two hours up stairs together..." Mila said blushing again.

"....fixing the bed..." Barris jumped in to cover for her.

"For two hours?" Jeong Soon asked in amazement.

"It really needed fixing if you know what we mean..." Mila said smiling at him.

"Oh? That kind of fixing. I know exactly what you mean." Jeong Soon replied tightening his grip on his unconscious wife.

"So after we'd fixed the bed... we were laying in it and I found Barris' brochure for the hospital. I read it while he slept..." Mila explained to them.

"I wasn't sleeping Mila. I was... thinking with my eyes closed." Barris said to her.

"While he was thinking with his eyes closed and snoring I read the sick children's brochure. He'd donated some money and I though to myself, I have to do something for them! So I ran downstairs to my studio and locked myself in it for the night. I produced a series of paintings over that time of each of the kids in the brochure though with my own Mila twist. It was of each of them doing something amazing. I had one sitting at the Judge's bench with a gavel in hand. I had another in a space suit putting the flag on the moon. I had another wearing surgeon's gear getting ready for an operation. All in all there were nine of them which I donated to the hospital." Mila said to the group looking to Athandra.

"That is most gracious and inspiring Mila! That is such good Karma to heal the sick. For those children to see themselves as you do. When we look into a mirror with our own eyes we often miss what others see in us. That will certainly help Feylashar." Athandra said to both her and Barris.

"Is it not egotistical to take credit for one's own good? To put your name upon your own creations? That must be full of ego." asked Jexelen honestly.

"No. In life it is a necessity to earn money honestly to buy food. If you barter your skills, you must take ownership of what you barter so that you may receive future business based upon your good work. You must put your name on a painting you sell because someone else may like your art and want to buy it. You must put your name on something you create so that someone who wants to buy it can do so. It is not ego to label your work or even to profit from your name, but it is crime to lay claim to someone else's work for any reason. There are exceptions of course. For instance, I can sell a tree that I grew. I didn't create the tree or trees for that matter, but I cared for the tree that I am selling and your buyer is paying for that time. You may sell your paintings and though you did not make the paint or the canvas, though I suspect Mila often does, your customer is paying for your talent and time making the painting. Some may copy a painting by taking a picture of it and selling it as a print. This is much like piracy and it is wrong to do so." Athandra explained.

"I once saved an entire colony of seals!" Nelony announced standing from her vigil beside Feylashar.

"You mean from clubbing?" Mila asked.

"Honey, seals despite popular belief do not go to dance clubs..." Barris replied.

"I'm not laughing yet..." Nelony responded and there was a moment of awkward silence.

"No really. I rescued an entire colony of seals. They'd been trapped in a reservoir formed between two separate icebergs which had collided. The reservoir was sealed but had a small pocket of air so they could breath. The reservoir was protected by ice five feet thick pretty much the whole way around." Nelony explained.

"So how did you get them out?" Monique asked as she tended to Heylyn's wounds.

"Get this. I talked to some walruses. I told them about the reservoir and then told them not to tell any other fish or mammals in the sea. Well, most people don't know that walruses are suckers for gossip. They're the gossipers of the deep. You tell them not to tell anyone and they tell everyone! Well after telling these walruses about two hours goes by and a small army of whales shows up. The killer whales started first and they begin to pry the icebergs apart. About ten sperm whales join them with the help of seven whale sharks. There's a lot of motion going on under the water but no sign of the icebergs separating. Then out of nowhere comes four families of blue whales with a few bulls and calfs and they all join in. Well within fifteen minutes the icebergs break free of one another freeing the seals." Nelony said smiling holding her index finger in the air.

"You're taking the credit for the work of all of those whales? How could you?" Barris said to her in levity.

"So you used your knowledge of how the walruses are socially to spread the news to the other sea creatures. It worked and the seals are safe. You did very well and in coming up with that way of doing so it might lead to a greater understanding of the creatures of the sea." Athandra said to Nelony.

"Yea, like don't ever tell a walrus something that you want kept secret..." Barris replied.

"Well that's three very good deeds. Now how do we deliver the elixir of the mind and body to Feylashar?" Mila asked Athandra.

"Someone must kiss her." Athandra said to them.

"Who? We don't have a Prince... wait a second. No! Mila would kill me!" Barris responded.

"Only if she doesn't wake up..." Mila said to him.

"Honey, this is the second time this has happened! Remember that castle slash hotel in Transylvania when I was kidnapped and we met that Gypsy and you fell under the spell of the Count and I had to kiss the Gypsy to rescue her?" Barris said reminding Mila of one of their earlier adventures.

"Honey! Kiss her!" Mila said looking him in the eye.

"Yes dear." he said surrendering to her.

"Could you look away honey? In case I enjoy this... and I probably will..." Barris said to Mila who threw him a furious look before she resigned her view elsewhere.

Barris leaned forward hovering over Feylashar's sleeping face. His lips slowly descended until they were barely touching hers.

Five minutes later and Feylashar had revived Lady Soon, Sato and Heylyn (even repairing her armor with her healing magic).

"I suggest that you all get ready. You'll be returning to the ship and hopefully in time for the rendevous." Jexelen reminded them of their mission and its importance.

"I will be by your side little Ai Yuanlin Ying when you need me or heed me." Weltherwithsp said to Heylyn who'd gotten to her feet.

"I trust you Weltherwithsp and more importantly, I believe in you." Heylyn responded as a Woman.

"Then ta ta it is for now..." Weltherwithsp coiled further and further until the Dragon was gone into nothingness.

The members of the Sanctum got ready next to Heylyn and Monique.

"Looks like we had them all wrong eh boss?" Monique asked Heylyn.

"We don't now. That's what counts. We have some new allies too." Heylyn said to Monique.

Shaela and Nelony stepped over to Feylashar who was still checking over Sato making sure he was in top shape.

"So tell me, what did it taste like kissing Barris?" Nelony asked her.

"Well you know, I have to say that he really tasted like..." Feylashar whispered into her ear with a smile on her face.

With that Nelony burst out in giggles and struggled to relay the message to Shaela's ears. Shaela broke down in a fit of giggles herself as the portal back to the boat reopened.

To be continued... and far from the end...

Brian Joseph Johns
200 Sherbourne Street Apt 701
Toronto, Ontario
Canada M5A 3Z5
fav.inbox@gmail.com

416 203-0928

Butterfly, Butterfly

To spread your wings

To see you fly

In the night, In the sky

Butterfly, Butterfly