From the Eiffel Tower 

Moved!

Very sorry to do this again but this blog has been moved to http://blog.sparkymat.net . It won't be moved again. This was a temporary blog till http://blog.sparkymat.net was set up.

Prey

I pretend to sip my drink and eye the crowd around me. The dim lighting hampered visibility but what I could see was definitely not the best of humanity. A crude and violent kind of people. Some sort of organized fight was happening in a corner and much gambling was going on. I take a quick inventory of the people gathered around the ring. Most were drunk and senselessly gambling away thier money. Apart from the gamblers, there were a few mean looking guys who were probably looking to making some money in the ring. Most of the patrons were trying to catch a glimpse of the action from their seats but not successfully so. A short chap was sitting at a table sipping his beer, with a hat covering most of his face. At a nearby table sat a particularly large man with long blonde hair. Something about his face would send a shiver down many spines. Maybe it's the smile, the smile of a lion who has cornered its prey. And when he smiled, I was almost certain I saw fangs. Or was it those eyes, like a predator looking for some foolish prey to fall into it's grasp. In all probability, this might be the one I am looking for. The guy who gutted Selina. Left her to bleed to death. Had it not been for the communicator I gave her, she would've never survived. My heart had stopped when I heard her cry over the phone. The mad rush to get to her. I close my eyes and try to push the memories away. Have to concentrate on the task at hand. Have to push back the rage. I grit my teeth and manage to subdue my anger.

Aloof from the crowd there stood a tall and majestic throne on which sat a tall lady. Dressed in less, it was pretty evident that she owned the place and probably half the town. On either side of her, stood tall, hired muscle. Whether the loyalty was towards her or to her money, it was evident that any who was foolish enough to cross her would be dealt with swiftly and very painfully. A sudden cry of pain brings my attention back to the ring. As I turn, I see a man large as a house smash his opponent into the floor. His bruised and bloodied body, obviously bereft of life, is soon dragged away. The large man shouts out many challenges. The size of the guy itself intimidates many and there are no takers for the offer. The guy with the blonde hair smiles and stands up. I realize that he just found his prey. Curious to know how this would turn out, I get up and push my way to the front of the audience. The man giant was still in the ring shouting out challenges and swearing at some unknown foe. The blonde guy walks up to the ring and jumps in with a grace that is suprising for someone so large. The two come up face to face. Tall as the blonde guy is, he is dwarfed by the living mountain in front of him.Bets are soon made with incredibly high odds against the blonde guy. I notice the tension in the ring and sense that both were waiting for the other to make the first move. Probably tired of waiting, the giant rushes only to connect with air as the blonde guy sidesteps him with ridiculous ease. Enraged, the giant starts swinging wildly at his opponent. Each blow looks powerful enough to bring down a building and yet none of them connect. All the while, the blonde guy keeps grinning and dodging his opponent with ease. And then suddenly, and quite unexpectedly, he ceases dodging and takes a punch.The crows gasps, for the punch is powerful enough to throw the guy backwards. One would expect him to get up hopping mad and fight like hell but he just stands up with that evil grin on his face, as if he was just testing his opponent's power. He takes a few more punches without hitting back as if silently taunting his opponent to try and hurt him. The giant starts bellowing and was very evidently losing control as the punches became more and more random and undirected. As if this was precisely what he was waiting for, the blonde guy lunges at the giant, moving almost faster than eye could see. My quick eye notices a flash of metal and moments later, the giant is on his back, bleeding. No one cries foul. Not a single sound is heard from the bar which was all too noisy just a moment ago. Even the toughened patrons stare in horror at the spectacle in front of them. The blonde guy's hands, covered in blood, have metallic nails protruding from his fingers. He crouches there like some beast from a monster movie, with bloodshot eyes and a snarl on his lips.In mere moments, the beast within had been unleashed and had satisfied it's bloodlust. I realize with dawning horror that here was confirmation that this was indeed the person I was looking for. For Selina's belly was gutted much in the same way. As if some beast had attacked her. Though she was too delirious to remember details, she was sure it was a man. The man beast standing in front of me. I quietly take off my shirt and step into the ring.

There is a gasp from the audience. To them, it made no sense. Here was this beast in humaniform, having just felled a guy as large as a house, in one shot. And this normal looking guy was going in to fight him. All the patrons in the bar start to gather around the ring.
The blond guy looks at me with that evil grin of his and slowly licks his bloodied fingers. My rage doesn't let me feel fear. I force my mind to relax and convince myself that I can do this. Both of us circle each other like two wolves gearing up for battle. I know that he will wait for me to make the first move. So I fake a lunge at him and catch him with a left hook. Caught off guard, he snarls and attacks back. I easily sidestep him for he was clearly enraged and thankfully wasn't fighting like he could've. Another lunge, and my side-step attempt is interrupted by his claws tearing through the flesh in my arm. I grit my teeth and channel my mind away to ignore the pain. I keep my eyes on his hands only to be kneed in during the next encounter. More attacks are met either with powerful blocks, or even more painfully, with savage counter-attacks. Slowly, it dawns on me that the claws were not his only weapons. He obviously has had a lot of training in hand-to-hand combat, as my mastery of multiple forms of martial arts weren't exactly helping me against this monster. I try to push back my emotions and fight this logically but Selina's face fills my memories and this moster's evil looks weren't helping with the fear either. I parry some more, with neither of us landing any major hits. Suddenly, I realize that I am weakening, having lost a lot of blood from multiple wounds. He smiles as if he read my thoughts. His cockiness returns and once again, he's the lion circling in for the kill. Rage blinds my senses, and I leap out in a savage kick that would've felled any other lion I've known. But it hardly fazed this one. I started feeling like I was losing my senses for I could no longer see any bruises on him. He seemed to be healing right before my eyes. Knowing that this could very well be my last stand, I attack him savagely with hardly any regard to stance or method. He just swaps me away like a fly. Darkness starts falling and I struggle to stay concious. A sharp pain in my abdomen tells me that he has just gutted me. As I crumble to the floor, I vaguely see his figure looming over me, preparing for the finishing blow. From somewhere in the distance, a voice calls out, 'That will be enough, Creed'. I fight against the enclosing darkness and regain enough vision to see the short guy from the table, talk to the monster called Creed. Some incomprehensible words are exchanged and I see metal flash and soon Creed joins me in a pool of blood. This new short monster has foot long metal claws protruding from his knuckles. My sanity stretched to its limits, i pass out.

I wake up in a strange hospital with no familiar faces around. It takes me a while to come to realize that I am back in Gotham. I seemed to have been out for several days on end. I looked around, still dazed from the terrible ordeal. On seeing me awake, the nurse brings me an envelope.I tear it open. Inside is a hand-written note. "Creed has paid for what he did to your woman. Go in peace. A friend."

The Darkhaven Chronicles - Chapter 1 : First day at the Academy

Still dizzy from the teleportation, I step away from the portal just in time as it fades away from sight. I take a moment to check my belongings - travel rations, canteen, spare clothes, my lucky amulet.... Well, looks like everything made it through the portal. Now, that's surprising. Usually you lose a thing or two. Guess I just got lucky. I smile and turn around.

The majestic gates of the Darkhaven Academy loom ahead. My heart drops down to my feet. 'This is it', I tell myself. I am entering the most prestigious institute of learning, in all of Seldeon. They say that Lord Fellon himself was involved in the establishment of the Academy. I watch in awe as the great gates open themselves on my approach. Slowly and silently, a new world is revealed to me.

With small shy steps, I approach the receptionist. 'Errr.. Greetings. I am Xion and I was invited to join the Academy for mage apprenticeship'. She directs me to an inner room. I walk into the room to find a hall full of young people listening to a tall lady shrouded in flowing shadow and light. Her voice was gentle, and at the same time, commanding.

"Greetings younglings. I am Mistress Tsythia, the Headmistress of this Institute. Until you complete your basic training, you will be reporting to me. At all times, refrain from breaking the rules of the Academy and wandering beyond the limits of the Academy grounds. This is for your own safety. Each of you will be given a magical amulet which will teleport you back to Toric, the academy healer, whenever you are excessively hurt or your lives are in danger. Please understand that the amulet is made of extremely rare gems and you should take care not to lose them. On completion of your basic training, you will be required to return the amulet, for, by then, you would be capable of taking care of yourself. Each of you has been assigned space in the student quarters and after this session is over, you can proceed to the quarters to relax awhile. When the sun reaches its apex, you shall assemble in the dining hall. I shall see you all then. You can now proceed to your quarters."

We herd into the student quarters. The quarters is a long hall with rows and rows of bunkbeds. I find mine to be in a corner. Mine is the top one, the lower being occupied by a human. On seeing me, his face immediately splits open in a wide smile. "Greetings. I am Finrod. Human. 17. You are?". "Xion. I am a high-elf from the plains. I am 16", I say with a smile. I put up my stuff on my bed and sit down with Finrod and we start talking. He tells me about his village, how he was living on a farm with his parents and sister, and how one day a cloaked stranger approached him and invited him to the academy. Apparently, he had the potential for learning the magical arts within him, just like me. For us elves, it comes naturally. For this quality to be present in a human, is rare indeed. Finrod has a perpetual smile on his face and his good nature is infectious. Soon others join us and in a short while, we start feeling like we've known each other for a while.

The dinner bell rings and we all assemble in the great dining hall. The moment I walk into the hall, my jaw drops open. I feel small and insignificant in the large hall. The other end of the hall is just barely visible in the dim lighting, as is the ceiling. There is a huge oval table in the center and many small tables in the periphery of the room. I understood immediately that the center table was for the elders and we younglings were to occupy the smaller tables. Finrod pokes me and points. I follow his eye and see Mistress Tsythia taking the head of the table. Many of the instructors are assembled around the central table. Prominent among them is Lord Domick, the chief instructor. Mistress Tsythia gets up to speak and a hush falls across the great hall.

"Today, we are gathered here, to welcome the new generation of initiates into the Academy. As you all know, it is a great honour to be invited to the Academy and I remind all gathered here, that with this honour comes great responsibility to always use our powers for the good of others. Let not my words dullen this joyous event. I wish the initiates a wonderful life ahead and everyone a happy and hearty meal."

All through dinner, Finny and I were whispering to each other. We were both very excited as we would be training to be mages. We could hardly wait to start. The rest of the dinner went uneventfully as we stuffed ourselves with the delicious spread the Academy kitchen had put out.

The rest of the day was spent in familiarizing ourselves with the layout of the Academy facilities and the Academy grounds. Some parts of the Academy grounds were marked off by barbed wire. 'Ye who is not ready shall not enter'. In other words, initiates keep out. Finally all the walking tired us out and we went back to our quarters. A refreshing steam bath and we were ready for dinner. Dinner turned out to be a lot quieter than lunch. After dinner, Lord Domick informed us as to where the classes would start the next day. We drag ourselves back to our beds and in not time we are fast asleep.

I dream that I am fighting a huge terrifying dragon. My magic spells drive it back and finally I rescue the lovely princess and carry her off to live happily ever after. I smile. A new life has begun.

The hopeless romantic

All around the world, conservationists run helter-skelter to save the Elephants and the Tigers. Poachers are poached and hunters are hunted. Endangered species are protected and preserved. And yet, the march of time has taken a lot of species along with it, leaving us with just memories. Going down this road is another species for which there is no protector, no preserver. And as they die out, they would take with them, something of the world, which, we would realize, only when they are gone forever.

Dancing in the rain, candle lit dinners, sunsets on the beach, knight in shining armor, princess waiting to be rescued. The hopeless romantic loves deeply and purely, unafraid to get hurt.

I find it very hard to proceed. I am totally intimidated by this article I came across on everything2.com . I am struggling not to copy ideas from that article but it is too well written for that. I shall quote it here. It was written by RainMirage.

Hopeless romantics believe in love and fairy-tales. They dream of roses and candlelight, walking on the beach at sunset, and dancing in the rain. They know that somewhere out there is a knight in shining armour ready to carry them off, or a beautiful princess waiting to be carried off into the sunset. Hopeless romantics believe in true love, and the eternal bliss that comes from being united with one's soulmate is what they crave most.

Hopeless romantics recognize in themselves the ability to love infinitely deeply, and they ache to be loved with the same fervour in return. When a hopeless romantic has someone to lavish their affection on, lavish they do. Hopeless romantics sometimes write love letters full of poetic phrases and send flowers, but mostly they try to find a thousand thoughtful little ways to show their love. They make romance into an art form.

Hopeless romantics wear rose-coloured glasses. In their eagerness to find "the one", a hopeless romantic may either be extraordinarily picky or not discerning enough. Hopeless non-romantics think that hopeless romantics are delusional and too intense. Other than the seeming futility in the search for a soulmate, nothing frustrates a hopeless romantic more than a significant other who does not understand the hopeless romantic temperament.

Sometimes, in this cynical world, it seems like the population of hopeless romantics is declining. One has only to look at the number of movies and songs about love that are currently popular to prove otherwise. It may also seem that there are many more hopelessly romantic women than romantic men. This isn't surprising in a culture where a man might get snapped at for opening the door for a woman. Men and women often have different ways of expressing their emotions, and the number of hopelessly romantic men is probably much higher than anyone could tell simply by observation.

Hopeless romantics are the idealists, the sentimental dreamers, the imaginative, and the fanciful. They give the world its once-upon-a-times and happily-ever-afters. Hopeless romantics may have their feet on the ground, but their souls fly somewhere over the rainbow.

Btw, I consider myself to be a totally hopeless romantic.

The Final Showdown

After months of rebellion, I finally decided to give into the system. I had my hair trimmed. As I sat in the saloon, waiting for the "hair designer" to finish his job, I was looking at myself in the mirror transforming from a hippie into mama's little boy. It looked like I was growing younger with every snip of the scissors. Finally when I got out of that place, my head felt so light and nice. All that constant irritation and fidgeting was gone. No more checking if my hairs were standing up like horns. I was finally a free person.

Till I got home.

I looked in the mirror aghast. I couldn't recognize myself. Woah! I realized that this was going to be a serious identity problem. I looked like a long lost version of myself. I never thought I'd look like this anymore. I mean other people many recognize me but I have trouble relating to this new look.

Oh! And the feeling of having to give into the system, not good.

Year One

It's been one year. Yes, I have finally become an "experienced" software professional. Yesterday marked the completion of one year of life in the "real world", a life radically different from the college life we had. I still remember the night of June 21, 2004. I came back to my hotel room, depressed beyond measure. I told my parents that I dont want to go back. Maybe the experience wouldn't seem so bad now (now that I an "old hand"), but then, my first taste of the real world was bitter indeed. And thus started a 3 month ordeal that in the end, left me hopeless, ready to give up on this cruel cruel world. Then things started happening fast, and before long, all signs of my former life were eradicated. The memories took the longest to disappear but even they eventually left, leaving me with happy memories and experiences. And here I am now, 22, and still going strong, stronger from all the countless hardships that life threw at me in just one year. I know that I have a long long life ahead (oh I tend to be optimistic about my lifespan) and what I have dealt with, as of now, is just a small taste of things to come. But Year One has served to make me stronger and more capable of withstanding 'the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune'.

"I think I am ready to do this.. Finally..."