The Lost Princess in Winter's Grip

by Josh Kilen

  Through the kitchen door of the house, was the largest platter of cheese they had ever seen!

  Big looked down at Little, a small bit of drool escaping from his watering mouth, "Oh Little,”, he whispered, “I want the cheese soooo bad."

  Little nodded her head toward a hole in the fence, "Look over there, we could get in and take just a little cheese. No one would notice."

  They both smiled. As soon as they got to the hole and started to poke their heads through, they heard a noise.

  Suddenly, two huge, mean guard dogs came out of nowhere and snapped at Little's ear, almost taking a piece off. Big and Little scrambled back onto the sidewalk.

  They were both breathing hard from fright, “Two guard dogs!” Big exclaimed, “How will we get in now, Little?”

  But Little was clever, and usually able to think her way through these types of situations. She walked around the perimeter of the fence and surveyed all their options. The guard dogs followed them, watching through the fence and growling ferociously.

  Then she looked up. Connecting the Cheese House to the building across the street was a thick bundle of power cords. If they could get up to the top of the building across the street…

  Big tried not to look down. There they were, 50 feet above the street, on their way to the roof of the Cheese House. The cord swayed gently in the wind, but if you are ever suspended on a cord far above the ground, that sway sure doesn't feel gentle!

  Big whimpered at Little, "Little, I don't know if this is worth the cheese."

  Little looked back, "Not worth the cheese? Just think about how good it will taste! Trust me, we'll be okay."

  Big always trusted Little. So they kept walking carefully, placing one paw in front of the other. Once they got to the roof they had to find a way into the house. Luckily, the owners had left a window open in the attic and they easily slipped through. They were almost there, they just needed to get down into the house and the cheese would be theirs!

  Big and Little walked slowly over to the hatch that led from the attic to the main house, creeping softly so they didn't make too much noise. They carefully opened the hatch and looked down to see if the coast was clear.

  "Grr…Ruff, Ruff!!!, Bark…grrr…Bark!!!!" The guard dogs were waiting for them, making such a noise. They couldn't get down that way!

  Little looked around and spotted a small hole in the wall. It looked like the only other way to get down into the house. As they crept over to the mysterious hole, a voice called quietly from behind some old boxes, "I don't know if you want to go down that hole, you never know where it will lead."

  Big and Little jumped back and watched curiously as a small Gnome stepped out from behind a large box. He was smartly dressed, with a red hat and a blue coat, carrying a cane that he spun in one hand. He wore a happy smile that made the dogs want to trust him.

  "Let me guess," began the Gnome, with a jolly laugh, " You're both after that cheese downstairs?" The Dogs just nodded their heads. The Gnome nodded his in return. "Aye, it's the only thing worth braving those beasts to get. I'll tell you what, if you can help me with a little problem I've been having, I will help you get the cheese.” He looked from Big to Little and raised an eyebrow. “Deal?"

  Big looked over at Little with pleading eyes. Cheese. Little returned his look of longing. Cheese. With unspoken agreement the two smiled, looked over at the Gnome and said in unison, "Deal!"

  The Gnome jumped in air and yelling "Huzzah!” And enjoyed a brief victory dance. Then with a smile he said, “Okay, now we can go down the hole!"

  The dogs looked at him cautiously. "Where does it go?" Little asked.

  "Where do any magical tunnels go?” The Gnome replied with a wink. “Wherever you need them to!” He looked seriously at Big and Little, “We're off to my home, and to help me with my problem. Come on!" The Gnome jumped through the hole and disappeared.

  Big and Little called out for the Gnome, but no one answered back. With a long sigh, Big steeled himself and said " A promise is a promise," He looked once at Little and then jumped through the hole. Little, not wanting to be a coward, but not trusting the hole completely, hesitated. She told herself, "If Big can do it, then I can too."

  Tentatively, she put one paw through the hole. Nothing happened. With a deep breathe she took the plunge into the dark tunnel, and began to fall faster and faster down into the darkness…

  Chapter 2

  Little flew from the tunnel onto a smooth, rather springy turf. The grass was the softest she had ever felt, like the silk blanket at home she was forbidden to lay on. Little wanted to roll around in it for a while, but then she looked up!

  Little stared in wonder at the light pink sky which was, she thought, just like when you get to lick a candy cane and the colors run together. Next to a bright orange sun, spanning across the sky were seven moons, all different shapes and sizes. Little had never seen anything like it.

  Big and the Gnome had already gotten to their feet and the Gnome was searching the horizon. Big was just standing, mouth hanging open, staring at the sky.

  "They were right here when I left," The Gnome whispered to himself, but the Dogs could still hear him.

  "Who are you looking for?" Asked Big.

  The gnome looked at Big and said, "The Crusts."

  Big and Little had no idea what that meant; they looked at each other in confusion. There was a low rumble and the ground began to shake beneath their paws.

  On the horizon, marching over the hill, came an army of pizza crusts. The Gnome jumped into a battle stance, pulling out a fold-able battle ax. Big and Little looked at him in amazement. Big turned back to the advancing crusts. “What are…I don't…how did…” he managed to get out. "What do we do? Is this the favor you wanted?" Little asked.

  The Gnome looked at the dogs and said, "I know that this is frightening, but I wouldn't have asked if I didn't think you were up to the challenge. I was sent to your world in search of help. Maybe you are the two of legend, the two who will save us all! We shall soon see.” Pulling himself to his full, if insubstantial, height the Gnome looked from Big to Little. “Let's defeat some pizza crusts!" he roared. And the Gnome sprinted with surprising speed toward the crust army.

  Big and Little, encouraged by the Gnomes words, began to charge as well, baring their teeth and growling. The attack was terrible. The Crusts were armed with clubs and sticks, though some had small knives. These weren't enough to do much damage, but they could still hurt badly.

  The Dogs rushed into the crust army behind the Gnome and immediately started to bite and chew. Big took a bite of a Crust and tasted it's buttery goodness. "These Crusts are Yummy," he thought to himself and attacked with extra fervor. Dodging clubs and batting away knives with his paw, Big was starting to enjoy himself, but he was also getting very full. He looked back to see if Little was okay, just in time to see a crust jump from behind and land a heavy blow with his club. She let out a whimper and then crumpled to the ground.

  "Noooo" Big cried out as he trampled through the remaining army to get to Little. He stood guard over her body, and devoured any crusts that dared come close.

  The Crusts were quickly disappearing. Between strikes from the Gnome's battle ax and Big's ferocious appetite, they didn't stand a chance. Eventually the last of the Crusts ran back over the hill, shrieking in high pitched, annoying voices.

  The Gnome yelled after the retreating crusts, "Go on, run you cowards! Good riddance!" and then went over to Big and Little. Big was licking Little's wounds and making sure that she was taken care of. The Gnome knelt down and laid his hands on her head. Sparks of light shot out from underneath his hands. All of the sudden Little's eyelids fluttered and she smiled up at the two. "Did we get 'em?" she asked.

  "Oh yes, we got them," Big told her, and then moaned. "and I am so full."

  The Gnome laughed, "Thank you my friends. I can't tell you what a treat this has been. I have a feeling this is just the beginning. Now, about yo
ur little cheese problem…"

  “Wait just a minute!” Little said as she stood to her feet. "What. Just. Happened?!?” she demanded. “We were attacked by pizza crusts! How? Why?"

  The gnome looked at her seriously, "I wish I could tell you the whole story, but you probably wouldn't believe me. I ask you to trust me. If you are meant to understand all of this, it will be revealed to you in due time. If you are not meant to understand, then you are probably better off not knowing. As for this little adventure, these Crusts chased me into the tunnel where I found you and I could not defeat them without help. So I thank you and ask you to trust me once again." The Gnome looked hopefully at Big and Little.

  Little didn't want to believe him, but she couldn't help it. Something about him just seemed good and trustworthy. He had such a kind and wise face. She nodded her head, and Big did the same.

  The Gnome jumped with joy, "That is fantastic news! Now, let's go get your delicious cheese!" And he threw himself back into the tunnel.

  Big looked at Little and said, "After you".

  With a last look back at the lovely grass, which still begged to be rolled in, Little smiled at Big and entered the tunnel. They were on their way back to the real world. But one thing was bothering Big: how were they going to get past the guard dogs?

  Preview of Sean Ryanis & The Impossible Chase

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  Chapter 1

  A lone spaceship blasted through hyperspace, intent on its destination. Its captain, Sean Ryanis, stared at the view screen, tapping the console impatiently. Worry lines creased his face and his mouth was turned down into a terse frown. His co-pilot Shaker glanced over at his partner and told him to chill out.

  Ryanis grumbled, "If we miss this job, I don't know when another’s gonna come around. Can't we push engines any faster?"

  Shaker looked doubtful, "Their already at maximum. If we push 'em harder and they break, we don't have the parts to fix them. Don't know 'bout you but I don't want to be stranded in dead space. Like I said, chill. We'll get there in plenty of time."

  Ryanis fell silent, he knew Shaker was right. Their ship, the Tiberius, started out as an old junky transport until he and Shaker got their hands on it. Over the years they turned it into the best independent frigate in the galaxy. But it still wasn't a good idea to push it too far.

  It had been 4 weeks since their last job and supplies were running low. They were heading to the Firnote Quadrant because they heard the local magistrate needed of a couple of ships to transport goods into dangerous territory. The Tiberius had just enough fuel to get there, so this trip was a big gamble.

  Ryanis closed his eyes, leaned back, smiling to himself as he thought about the 'dangerous' situation that lay ahead of them. He didn't know what the magistrate's idea of dangerous was, but Ryanis and Shaker had probably seen worse.

  The loud blaring of the Tiberius' alarm shook him out of his daydream. The paticular noise let them know that it was a local planetary distress call.

  Without opening his eyes, Ryanis said, "Shaker, turn on the coms, let's see what it is."

  Shaker rolled his eyes, "Need I remind you that we only have enough fuel to get to Firnote and that's it. If we take a detour, there's no more payday. And remember what happened the last time we took a detour? I believe the Duke and Dutchess on Kloxon 9 still have a warrant out for your arrest."

  Ryanis smiled wider at that thought, "I know, I'll be good. Can't hurt to listen, right?"

  Shaker muttered sarcastically, "Can't hurt to listen..." as he flipped on the comm switch.

  The speaker crackled and a pretty voice filled the ship's cabin, "All available fighting ships, the planet Martosis is under attack by a Malogan strike force. We are taking heavy losses. More enemy ships are arriving by the second. Bounty will paid to all independents able to destroy at least 5 enemy ships. Please, help us... All available fighting ships..." The message repeated.

  "Hear that? Bounty!" Ryanis began to adjust the controls and set a course for Martosis. Shaker knew better than to get in his way, especially when it came to his instinct for money. Somehow Ryanis always knew the right angle to play and they usually ended up on top.

  Despite his faith in his partner, Shaker was still a little nervous, "Fighting Malogans isn't my idea of an easy bounty. In fact, it's downright dangerous." But as he spoke, Ryanis' eyes sparkled.

  Ryanis reached over and slapped Shaker on the shoulder, "Don't worry old buddy, I won't let anything happen to you," he said. He punched the hyperjump control and the Tiberius entered hyperspace on route to Martosis.

  The ship jumped right in the middle of a full fledged war zone. Hundreds of ships shot across the sky, laser beams shooting everywhere. Explosions lit up space like a fireworks display. This wasn't exactly what they signed up for.

  Just then, two Malogan fighters locked onto the Tiberius.

  Chapter 2

  The black Malogan bubble fighters closed in on the Tiberius.

  Ryanis told Shaker to buckle up as he swung the ship wildly to the left. The Malogan fighters tried to keep up, but their engines weren't nearly as powerful. Ryanis looped down and back around to come in behind the fighters and Shaker took them out with the quantum cannons.

  With no more ships nearby, they were able to survey the battle. Shaker studied the monitors, "Looks like the Martosis forces know what they're doing. They're focusing all of their fire power on the main Malogan Command cruiser. If a Malogan flagship goes down, the rest of their forces usually retreat."

  Ryanis smiled at Shaker, "See, isn't this more fun than hauling cargo?"

  Shaker sighed as Ryanis pushed the engines to maximum, streaking into battle.

  Malogans are the most feared species in the known galaxy but from everything that Ryanis had heard they weren’t this powerful. At least not powerful enough to assault such an advanced world. It seemed his information was incorrect.

  As Ryanis sped through the battle zone, Shaker fended off the bubble fighters. The ship bolted toward the Malogan command cruiser, a huge black cylinder hanging in space. The skin of the enemy ship looked smooth, only interrupted by the intermittent launch of more fighters.

  Ryanis positioned the Tiberius for firing and Shaker set the Quantum cannon for maximum power. The light blue blast pierced the command ship's hull and they saw a small explosion as they raced across the length of the cruiser.

  Ryanis laughed, "That got their attention."

  "Bubble fighters right behind us," Shaker growled, "And they're gaining."

  Ryanis banked hard and skimmed the very surface of the command carrier, hovering inches above the smooth black surface. The bubble fighters struggled to keep up and several crashed into the cruiser's hull.

  The Tiberius pulled away and prepared to make another attack run. Ryanis looked off to the side toward the planet, "Looks like more ships are landing, it's all out invasion. Never seen the Malogans quite this aggressive. Must be something down there they really want."

  Shaker nodded but kept his eyes on the monitors, "Ryanis, there are too many fighters in the attack path. We'll have to circle around."

  "Nonsense," Ryanis said with smirk, and gunned the engine while performing a high speed loop maneuver. The Tiberius went up and around, then swooped underneath the cruiser rocketing towards the unprotected belly. Shaker fired at maximum strength again.

  The blast was blindingly bright as a fire ball erupted from the hull. The Tiberius headed strait for the cruiser, but Ryanis pulled away just in time, barely touching the hull. The loud scraping sound and Shaker's worried look reminded Ryanis to be more careful next time.

  The alarms went off again, this time it was a constant ringing. Shaker quickly went to the scanners, "Two frigates on either side of us, they're locked on!" he said.

  The scanners showed two red dots moving closer, then two yellow dots appeared moving even faster. The alarm turned into a screech.

  "Two Ship-Ripper missiles com
ing right at us, from both sides." Shaker said as he stared in horror at the monitor.

  Preview of The Superhero Chronicles: Birth of Moonlight

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  Chapter 1

  Billy watched as the fist quickly approached his face. The impact knocked his head back and he heard the sickening crunch of bone from the bully’s fist against his jaw. After that, everything went completely dark. When he came to, Billy was on the floor staring up at the Vice Principal, Mr. Davis.

  Mr. Davis did not look happy.

  Reaching down to help Billy up, Mr. Davis shook his head. "Getting into more trouble I see." Billy’s head felt woozy and he had a hard time standing up straight as the school hallway spun all around him.

  "No Mr. Davis, I was trying to stop Rick from picking on Jasper, the new kid."

  Mr. Davis looked at Billy sternly, "That's not what I heard, in fact no one was willing to say that you didn't start the fight. You'll have to come with me. We need to call your parents." Mr. Davis supported Billy as they walked to the main office.

  "Not again," Billy said to himself. He looked up at Mr. Davis and said aloud, "Honestly, I was just trying to help. Rick and his friends were going to pummel him."

  But Mr. Davis didn't say anything else as they made their way slowly through the hallway.

  Safely in Mr. Davis' office, Billy slumped down in the chair across from the large desk as the Vice Principal calmly sat down behind it. He considered Billy carefully, "Billy, I want to believe you, but this is the third time in three months. I think that you should consider backing off. If there is any bullying going on in this school, the administration will take care of it. You need to let us do our job."

  Billy wanted to laugh at that, but he knew it would only make matters worse. Every kid knew that Rick and his gang of bullies ran the school, but the Principal and his staff didn't do anything to stop them. No one was willing to say anything against them. No one except Billy that is.

  "I'm sorry Mr. Davis, I know it's your job but if I see someone in trouble I can't help it, I have to help." Billy stared down at his feet dangling off the tall chair he sat on.