Wyvernharte

Sorry, I've temporarily deleted this chapter. I've rewritten the timeline because I didn't like the twelve-year jump in the story, which means chapter 7 must be rewritten, and the previous version must be pushed back a bit. Thank you for your patience. ~Emma

As the auburn-maned, middle-aged woman stared out the large conference room window, she longed to see only the pure beauty of the floating nation's hidden heart, and not the memory of last night's tragedy. As with every night she had trouble sleeping, she had gazed upon the great sanctuary from her quarters. The soothing greens, browns, and blues allowed her mind some peace. Last night, she had noticed the faint cyclic lights of two hoverdiscs and made the mistake of using her window's interactive console to zoom in on the lights. She saw that a routine system purge was in progress. With mild disgust, she reached to switch off the transparent

The two groundkeepers who confirmed the anomaly were back in the Sanctuary for routine System troubleshooting. An anomalous fetus was in the System, and it was one of their regular duties to manually purge such anomalies from the system. All purges had to be performed manually to prevent automated purges by accident or ill intent. "Here we go again," said one as he hopped onto his floating disc. The other did the same, dropping his weight loudly on the disc. "What's wrong with you today, Kif?" asked the first, concerned. "You've been storming about like you caught your boyfriend in bed with another guy, and you want revenge." "Just an off

Apartment 317. Jess walked in and plopped down on the far cushion of Jeff's black leather sofa, as if she'd done so a thousand times before. Jeff thought he was the only one aware that the far cushion is by far the most comfortable. He decided to test her. "You know, the end closer to the door's more comfortable." Jess glared at him. "Is that supposed to be funny?" she retorted. "This side has the worn springs, and I don't like having my back to the door." Jeff was becoming more disturbed by the minute. First, she knew how to open the glove compartment in his Jetta, which had the broken handle. Then, she knew the code to enter the parking g

A shriek jumped out of Jeff's throat, but he caught it with his hands. "I heard that!" she exclaimed. "Get out here already!" Three footsteps later, the door flew open. He almost screamed like a little girl, but he stopped it in his throat to avoid alarming his co-workers. The girl standing in front of him looked very familiar--and very cute. She wore the same clothing he was wearing. Her hair was the same kind of blond, complete with darker streaks. She even had freckles and a mole under her right eye like--no, it couldn't be. Was this a joke? "You're thinking this is a joke, aren't you?' she asked. He was speechless. "It's what I'd be t

'Boredom. It's like trying to kill an armadillo with a flyswatter.' Jeff was proud of his cleverness. He googled an amateur photo of his catchphrase and was about to photoshop a viral motivational poster a la 4chan, but decided on a more entertaining way to spend his downtime at work. Jeff leaned his chair back to scan the hallway. Not a soul. He listened for footfalls, which, on this flimsy floor, sounds like someone hitting a punching bag in a closed garage. As usual, only clicking keyboards and distant chatter were audible for what seemed like miles around. It was a graveyard on this side of the office, and it freaks out his boss. This ge

Laitha was right, they did overlook the first time she canceled the countdown. The second time, however, there was an inquiry. The head gardener was a master of disciplining her staff. Most had only to glance at those those icy blue eyes and they'd cry confessions. Her eyes were an intense contrast to the smudges of dirt and freckles on her tan cheeks. All the softness of her facial features seemed yanked back with her tight, milk chocolate ponytail. Her carmine pink lips were slightly chapped and pursed. Laitha held her composure well in spite of the desperation driving her mad, though she was perspiring nervously. She had a crush on the h

In the little booth adjacent to their tiny, modular kitchen, Laitha was pale, sunken-eyed, and definitely not hungry, while her girlfriend, Talei, was bright and energetic and eating like there was no tomorrow. Though Laitha's exhausted visage was not normal, there was nothing unusual about their polar differences. Their friends affectionately referred to them as "Night and Day": Laitha was doll-cute, loved makeup and dramatic fashion, was child-like, rebellious, and obsessively artistic, while Talei was striking in her natural beauty, nurturing, mature, outspoken, and career-minded. "Laitha," observed Talei, her rich, vibrant voice expressi

One of the two large simul-wood vault doors opened to the Sanctuary. Simul-wood was really just metal altered at the sub-nano level to take on properties of wood but retain the strength of tungsten. It allowed a physically sound, yet aesthetically appropriate environmental seal for the sanctuary. Two groundskeepers entered, their amber-tinged bioskin-suits like a gel coating over their bodies, protecting not them from the Tree, but the Tree from them--their toxins. Toolboxes in hand, they crossed the well-worn path, hopping over stepping stones in the moat, until they arrived at the gargantuan roots of the Tree of Life, Yggdrasil. The ground

The gardener visualized a pink satin méridienne with cloud-like cushioning and it manifested in a flurry of pixels beneath her feline girl avatar, suspended above the ground in her forest-themed virtual environ-sphere. She sunk deeply into the plush furniture and purred, the smoothness of the satin caressing her virtual furry limbs, which in turn triggered sensations of warmth and familiarity through her wireless technopsychic connection. She felt the heat of butterflies' wings in her abdomen as she recalled the blissful weekend she spent with her girlfriend in the beach resort sector. "Focus," she reminded herself, while scooting lazil