The Chronicles of Jesse James

The Curse of Candied Apples

noreply@blogger.com (Yung) — Mon, 31 Oct 2016 01:44:00 +0000

The Curse of the Candied Apples

A Halloween Scare

by Yung

It was time for the yearly Halloween party for the kids of Claremont Bay. The adults had set up the movie projector in the back yard of Sally Grey's house again because they had the largest shed in town. A night of scares planned by the teenagers promised to scare the neighborhood kids into having a sleepless night and the kids couldn't be more excited for it! This was one of the favorite neighborhood traditions, and Craig Harper's mom had kept it going all these years. Max Wallace was most excited because this was his favorite holiday.

Max was the average nine year old boy, he had shaggy black hair which at the moment was covered by the hood of his costume. All the better since his mom was always trying to slick it back on him. A few freckles covered his otherwise pale white face. Currently sporting a black eye from a baseball he missed during practice last week. His best feature though was the missing front two teeth he'd pulled out the night before.

"Hey Max," Sally said as Max shuffled up wearing his Reaper costume that he'd gone home to get changed into, "What do you have there?" She asked while pointing at the large bag that Max was dragging with his scythe. Max grinned,

"My mom made candied apples for the grownups!" As he saw Sally start to frown he showed he had several tucked up the loose sleeves of his costume.

"Oh ye-" She quieted quickly as her mom stepped outside and collected the candied apples. Max winked at Sally as her mom turned to walk back into the house.

"Nice costume MAXI!" Bryan Greer heckled from the sidewalk as he came walking up to the house. Max turned to Bryan in disgust, they had been friends before Bryan started hanging out with Casey Harrison. Casey was the class bully and for a 3rd grader you'd never know how mean he could truly be. Casey was right behind Bryan and already pointing and laughing.

"Sally what is WRONG with your hair?" Sally was dressed up like Elsa and her loose braid had fallen under her shoulder, giving her an odd look as though she had no braid at all.

"Same thing as your face." Sally retorted as she huffed inside the house leaving Max to greet the pair. Max looked at Bryan who was wearing a very cool zombie outfit, he even had make up making it look like part of his face had rotted off. Casey was wearing a very slick vampire costume, complete with a pair of fangs that looked so real you could tell they were carefully attached to his actual teeth. Their parents spent a lot of money on their costumes and they were definitely going to make sure everyone else knew it.

"Where'd you get your costume?" Casey sneered, "The dumpster from behind McDaniels?" The pair laughed and shoved past Max before he could even say anything. The sound of them clambering into the house was disturbingly disrespectful and Max felt bad for Sally's mom.

"Hey Max! Awesome costume!" Max turned to see Molly Halbert walking up, her long blonde hair neatly brushed. Her costume was of a beautiful angel, "You're the Yin to my Yang!" She giggled as Max blushed.

"I really like your costume Molly!" Max stated a little too excitedly, "I really like your halo." Max said while pointing at the halo made of tinsel adorning her head. Molly smiled wide,

"Sally inside?" She asked while walking past. Max nodded as he followed her up the wide steps leading into the house. Sally's house wasn't very big and it was a straight shot through the kitchen to get out back where all the kids had already gathered. The sight out back was an impressive lay of tents huddled together near the side of the shed. The girls were huddled together on the right and the boys were hanging out on the left. Casey and Bryan were busy showing off their costumes while simultaneously making fun of everyone else's.

"And look who's here." Casey turned to Max with a sneer, "Maxi wore a curtain for Halloween. He wanted to be a window but no one wanted him to wear something see through!" Everyone laughed and Max felt himself blush.

"Don't be a jerk!" Sally said as she huffed away from the others pulling Molly with her. Sally's mom came out and started the first movie, Goosebumps. As Sally's mom went inside Max could hear her talking about the candied apples with the other grownups. "I hope your mom turns into an Apple-bie." Casey looked as though he was going to burst he was laughing so hard,

"Apple-bie? You mean like your FACE?!" Sally's face turned red as she huffed quickly towards the house.

"Come on guys, let's just watch the movie." Max said while sitting in front of where his tent was set up earlier that day. Just as he was about to bite into one of the candied apples he'd swiped from the bags Bryan snatched it out of his hand.

"He says, 'let's just watch the movie' but really he just wanted to distract everyone from the real goodies." Bryan tauntingly held the candied apple out but every time Max tried to grab it he'd move it out of reach. Max stood up, fist balled.

"Give it back Bryan." Max took a step forward, "I said give it back!" Bryan moved it out of reach yet again grinning big, until Max tackled him to the ground. The boys both grunted as they rolled through the dirt struggling for control of the candied apple.

"Aaaah!" The boys stopped their rolling around as their heads jerked to the house to see Sally and Molly running down the back steps screaming.

"Run!" Sally yelled while bounding down the steps, "They're Apple-bies!"

"Apple-bies??" Casey glanced to the house while laughing.

"Apple-ZOMBIES!" Molly screamed as she rushed passed the boys towards the back gate. As she hit the gate the grownups made it to the back steps, only... they were massive, swelled up and round, and their faces had sunk into their chests. Max and the others wasted no time following Molly's lead as they too rushed towards the gate.

One of the Apple-bies, maybe Sally's mom, took off rolling towards the children. Just as Max slipped through the gate Casey slammed it shut and the Apple-bie bounced off of it with a tremendous force. The children quietly yet quickly retreated into the woods behind their houses. Once they were sure they were safe and far enough away Sally turned to the group,

"Okay. I'm guessing it was the candied apples that your mom sent." She said while pointing accusingly at Max, "So you tell us how to break this curse right now!"

"Curse?" Max said hesitating, "I swear I don't know."

"Don't know?" Bryan jumped in, "You brought the darn things." Max shuddered, he'd almost eaten one himself had Bryan and him not gotten into it they both could have been cursed too.

"Look," Max said shaking his head, "All I know is where she got the apples, and that isn't going to help us."

"Wait wait," Craig Harper said while moving forward, "They weren't from the Harper farm were they?" Suddenly everyone got quiet.

"Yeah, so what?"

"There is a tree there that no one ever eats from, grandpa always said that the last kid who ate one of them turned into a pie." Sally gasped, Molly cried, and Casey snickered, "...but. I think I know how we can reverse the spell. Let's go out to the farm!" With that all the children quickly cut through the woods and into the fields which started the Harper farm. Getting to where the apple trees were growing took a little while but when they arrived the could clearly see the lone apple tree on the hill even in the darkness. Because the tree on the hill was glowing.

"No doubt about that." Said Bryan matter of fact to his tone, "That's a cursed tree Maxi." Sally hit Bryan's arm and turned to Craig.

"What do we need to do to break the curse?"

"We need to pick the apples and throw them at the Apple-bies!" Everyone looked a little skeptical, "Trust me, we can even test it. Max, since you brought those cursed apples now you get to eat one. When you turn into an Apple-bie I'll hit you with this one and you'll turn back into you." Max jumped back,

"No way! Are you freaking crazy?!" It was too late though, the other kids all agreed that this was the best way to proceed. Molly walked over, picked an apple and walked over to Max.

"Take one little bite, we just need to see." As she held the apple out Max felt his eyes transfixed on Molly's as his hand touched the apple in hers and lifted it to his lips. He heard the crunch, tasted the sweet apple, and then...

"Oww!" Max yelled as Bryan nailed him in the side of the head. "Not yet you dummy." Max turned back to Molly who encouraged him to take another bite. Bit by bit and bite by bite Max ate the apple, and then the next he remembered was laying on the ground.

"Well, that proves that. It works!" Molly said smiling while extending her hand to Max.

"What happened?" Max asked whilst feeling dazed,

"You turned into an Apple-bie," Sally chimed in, "we threw apples but we all missed." Max looked confused and then Molly sheepishly looked down and kicked a rock.

"Until Molly said your name and you stopped moving long enough for me to nail you in the eye!" Casey said while trying to contain a laugh. The children began gathering up apples to go throw at their parents while Casey and Bryan sang a beautiful duet of Maxi and Molly sitting in a tree. Once the children decided they had enough to do the deed they hauled their ammunition back across the fields the woods. The whole thing seemed very strange to Max; he didn't understand how Apple-bie's even existed, how the curse worked, or any of it. Perhaps it had something to do with Halloween. His thoughts were cut short when they arrived at what was left of the back gate.

"Oh no," Molly whispered as the children viewed the flattened camp sites, gate, and fence. Screaming could be heard from down the street. The children started running just in time to see the Apple-bie's attacking the other grownups. Without hesitation Max hurled the first apple. All of the Apple-bies turned towards the children and started rolling at them at top speed! The girls screamed, the boys yelled, but all of the children attacked at full force. Apples were flying back and forth and as they'd hit the Apple-bie's they would pop and the Apple-bie's started turning back into the grownups!

They were winning but there were still many Apple-bie's and it came down to the last two and there were only two apples left! Molly grabbed one apple and Bryan grabbed the other. They both threw their apples and POP! POP! Sally's mom came rolling to a stop, and so did Bryan's dad.

The children had won this year, but they knew what the new Halloween tradition would be. The curse of the candied apples would be a tradition that the kids of Claremont Bay would be sure to remember!

Sword in the Stone -- Oneshot

noreply@blogger.com (Yung) — Thu, 27 Aug 2015 00:03:00 +0000

The Sword in the Stone
Author: Yung

In the heart of a small town in southern England by the name of Garrish there is a small creek which bent sharply around a hill in the center of the town. The creek was the lifeblood of the small town and most of the houses were built on the banks of the fresh water source. Children would play in the creek during the warmer months and the soft smooth stones of the creek bottom proved endless entertainment to the youngsters. On top the small hill in Garrish stood the church of the town with a bridge on either side crossing the creek. The Church, like the rest of the town, was made from old smooth stones featuring a wooden shingle roof and solid oak door. The Church in the center of the town featured a small garden off the west side of it. This garden had over time, become more of a graveyard than a place of rest for the living. Warriors often asked to be buried here as near the center of the garden as possible. Tombstones could be seen with various names etched into them as faded as the stones they were carved on the many years before.

In the center of the garden, buried deeply into a stone that itself resembled a tombstone, was a sword. The sword was simply referred to as 'The Sword in the Stone,' by the people of Garrish, despite the word 'Excalibur' being clearly etched into the blade. Away from the garden of graves was a wrought iron fence of both delicate and fancy design. The fence was quite visibly rusted, however that merely added to the overall design. Wild ivy grew rampantly through the garden of graves and the sword could scarcely be seen by anyone passing by, unless they were looking for the sword. The stone plaque at the foot of the Sword in the Stone was covered with several inches of dirt given the time that had passed since one last read the words. Despite this, the words echoed in the mind of every citizen and denizen of Garrish and had since their childhoods.

For whosoever pulleth out from

this stone, this sword.

Then he shall forevermore be,

King of England.

Years upon years had passed, yet not a single challenger proved worthy to pull the sword from the stone and claim their rightful place as the King of England. At one time warriors had come from the far corners of the world in massive groups, bearing semblance to invasion armies in the hopes that one of them could pull the sword. None ever did. The Sword in the Stone stood miraculously unscathed with not a trace of rust upon the scabbard, the hilt, nor the blade itself. The people of Garrish claimed that the timeless sword did not age because God had thrust it into the stone from the heavens in a bolt of lightning. The sword had tried to be removed through other methods, but excavation of the sword proved impossible. To the disbelief of the people, just a few inches below the topsoil the ground grew so hard that neither shovel nor pick-axe could break through. Not even legendary blacksmiths could devise methods to remove the stone from the sword despite years of effort.

As with most towns of the era, the small town of Garrish hosted jousting tournaments and was one of the towns that had rankings for the annual jousting competitions. The steady stream of warriors had nearly all visited the Sword in the Stone in their younger years, and often as squires themselves of other forgotten knights. The Sword in the Stone seemed forgotten by all, save for the youngest children. Lined like little soldiers, they would stare through the rusted old wrought iron fence. There, they would all daydream about being the one to pull the sword from the stone.

On one such bright, early autumn day, this tradition was repeated. Older children, mainly squires, were also nearby and discussing how life with their knights were. The sun had just set and the light of it still lingered in the air in the dusk of the August night. Squires were all but slaves to their knights. It was their duty to wait on their knight hand and foot, to learn how to become one themselves one day. It was grueling as some of the knights were quite cruel, while few among them were kind. Some of the squires spoke whispers of the horrors of their knights beating them and some even seeking nighttime companionship, as is often sought of a woman. Most of the squires were off duty as their knights were attending to the woman of Garrish after a long day jousting in the tournament.

One of the squires spoke boldly about the day he'd shed the world of his cruel knight by slaying him with that. As he spoke he pointed sharply at the Sword in the Stone. The squire was a husky lad, with brown hair that was clearly unkempt. His attitude matched his hair, unkempt. The dirt under his nails and on his neck showed clearly he was unbathed. With a heckle, one of the other boys challenged him to go pull it. Excitement was heavy in the air, as all of the squires rose and entered the garden of graves. The first boy walked up to the sword and removed the ivy growing from it, yet he could not help but to admire the beauty of the sword before him. The last bit of sunlight glistened off the polished blade as though it was an ornate ceremonial blade kept solely on display. The young squire gripped the pommel of soft, black leather and pulled up. To his great disappointment, the sword did not budge and he grunted loudly as he pulled harder. The other boys began to heckle and jeer as he strained against the sword. After a few seconds he gave up; stepping aside, the blade remained in the stone, as it had for centuries.

"I'll give it a go." Another boy proudly stepped up and the procedure repeated. He was not as stocky as the first boy though slightly taller. His brown hair was unkempt as well though it was evident that he had bathed that day. As he approached the sword he too admired the blade, felt the cool feel of the soft, black leather on the pommel, and he too failed to pull the sword from the stone. Several other squires tried as well, and even a young girl who was watching the boys gave it a go. The boys had stopped heckling and began discussing how absurd it was to try and pull the sword from the stone. Despite their admonishments they kept taking turns nonetheless. Several more boys took turns, each stopping to admire the blade now in the light of fire rather than that of the sun. Each squire failed to even get the sword to wiggle.

One of the younger squires walked forward for a turn at the sword. Unlike many of the other squires this one had blonde hair, and a sharp hairless chin. The squire's hair was well kept and slicked down as though it had been brushed within the day. More notably the lack of dirt anywhere showed a recent bath as well. The plain leather clothing seemed to fit tightly around the squire's chest though looser around the legs than most. The light twinkled in the squire's eyes as the squire approached the sword. The squire, as those before, also admired the blade, the scabbard, and the smooth cold feel of the black leather pommel. He turned his hands downward and gripped the sword firmly. With one swift move and the sound of a loud ding the sword slid smoothly and freely from the stone that had held it for centuries. A gasp rang out through the boys and the squire who had pulled the sword free stared in horror at the sword.

Fear swept through the boys over the deed they had done, no doubt if the knights found out it was a mere squire who had pulled the blade they would be severely punished. A loud clang could be heard as the squire who pulled the sword dropped it on the very stone that had been its home for so long. In fear the squire ran as did the other boys. They were all too terrified to confront what had happened.

Several of the boys hid immediately and then eventually moved to the barns, where they would sleep in wait of their knights to awaken. The night had grown chilly and a fire was blazing to keep them warm, yet despite this, they all shook. They shook with fear over what would proceed the next day when the town awoke. Among them there were two young squires, both with light brown hair and matching jerkins, who sat very close to the fire and discussed whether they should run away or not. Leave the life of a squire behind them and forget this awful deed which they'd witnessed.

"Don't be foolish," A boy sat down besides the first two, his cloak was dark and matched his hair. His eyes shined with an unusually bright blue, which contrasted the rest of his appearance. He pulled the cloak looser revealing yellow bruises around his neck and collar, "Giving up an apprenticeship to a knight would be a grave mistake for any of us to make."

"Aye, but they'll rightful kill us when they learn know of this deed. When we know who pulled the sword." As one of the pair spoke, the other shook his head in disbelief. The boys were all scared but the older ones were helping coax the younger squires to see the lesser of the two evils. The logical conclusion made was to keep quiet about who had finally relieved the sword of its stoney prison. The deep rooted fear of what would happen to the one who pulled the sword from the stone, shook the fortitude of many of the boys. That emotion paled in contrast to the punishment of those who did not pull the sword. To be among the crowd of squires when the king pulled the sword from the stone but failing to do so yourself would certainly infuriate a knight. In the rage of the knights jealousy for not pulling the sword himself, nor his squire, there was no doubt the squire would be badly beaten.

A few of the older squires had decided that they were not likely to all survive the proceeding day, and proposed a toast of mead. The younger boys quickly agreed and thus the plan to steal the mead from the inn began. The plan was quite simple, the two timid boys would go in and state to the innkeeper that their knights requested mead and they were to deliver enough for them to enjoy. While the innkeeper would no doubt deny them, two of the other boys would break into the cellar; the boys breaking into the cellar were tasked with stealing two bottles of wine and four loaves of bread. These items were selected because two boys could move them under their cloak without spilling them, or having to hold for all to see what they were carrying. Surely it would be suspicious if someone saw them carrying mugs of mead up toward the squires camp by the barn.

The boys gathered together and split the bread and wine evenly amongst them all. Despite the weariness of the day, and what was to proceed on the following day, all of the squires drank with merry. The squire who had pulled the sword from the stone could not be found and the other squires surmised that the young blonde squire was no doubt hiding. The lashing they wanted to give that squire for putting them in this predicament only added to the amount they were heartily consuming. The wine itself was a very sweet wine, as it had not aged for very long and the berries used were among the sweeter berries found in the local valley. The squires had no trouble drinking the slightly fermented liquid until they could hardly even stand.

It took them only two short hours to finish off all they had stolen from the inn. Whispered debates began regarding whether they should risk another bottle of the delicious beverage. After several minutes the dark brunette duo were nominated to sneak into the cellar for more of the tempting beverages. An older squire elected to take watch and warn the pair if anyone was coming as they were in the cellar. The three strode off down the lane, as the midnight hours crept on slowly. The whole town seemed to be asleep so the boys hardly paused to check corners as they approached the tall building towards the center of town. The older squire smacked the two on the shoulders and slumped lazily against the wall of the building they were standing near. Looking around uneasily the two ran quickly to the cellar doors.

The older squire, who was escorting the two younger boys, strode off to the side of the building to relieve himself. The boy was very tall, but lacked the broad shoulders, beard, and muscles that many of the other squires who were seventeen years of age displayed. He wore a lazy tan jerkin and brown leggings. His old worn shoes had the appearance of being made from cowhide, but the shambles they were in gave no credit to the beast they had come from. He rocked on his heels as he continued to relieve himself listening to the signs of the night. Crickets chirped, fires crackled, a baby cried, an owl hooted from the forest beyond the town, and another baby cried. In a moment the fogginess of his mind cleared as he realized the second baby crying was close by outside. Quickly dignifying himself, he ran to the corner and saw to his dismay the innkeeper dragging the two brunette squires out from the basement. The boys struggled to free themselves but the innkeeper had a firm grip on both. A knight came stumbling out door of the inn and saw what was happening.

"Aye, catch some thieves have ye?" The innkeeper nodded enthusiastically to the knight and threw one of the boys to him. With his free hand the innkeeper grabbed a switch of hickory branches and gave some to the knight. Both men could have passed for the other, save their ensemble, as both were large men with red hair and beards. Round faces with matching bellies betrayed their love of ale. Their massive hands were almost larger than the squires heads they had grips on. With a sharp whistle the hickory switches sung through the air as the boys were lashed mercilessly. Both started crying loudly as the switches started hitting them as they tore to get free from their attackers. The older squire who was supposed to be keeping watch rushed forward and knocked the innkeeper to the ground with a jumping leap. The innkeeper fell with such force that he broke the first step leading up to the door for the inn. The knight let go of the young squire he was thrashing and looked around confused at the situation.

"Aye, are ye a'ight there old chap?" As he spoke he strode forward and pulled the innkeeper to his feet. During the brief distraction all three boys ran with terror on their heels, quickly back to the barns.

"Aye," sighed the innkeeper. "That was embarrassing no doubt. Lets keep this between us. The boys got lashed anyhow. I doubt that they'll be back."

"Aye."

The older squire apologized to the younger two and then to the others and explained that he had to relieve himself and was hardly gone. The innkeeper must have been watching and seen the two sneak into the cellar after the ran across the street. With disappointment the boys all slumped back, but the two who had been thrashed angrily shoved the older boy down together. This naturally caused a rise from the other squires, who laughed at the trio and the trouble they'd caused.

Several of the older squires got together close to the fire and developed a sensible plan to steal a couple more bottles that involved one of them purposefully getting caught and running with the innkeeper in pursuit. The remaining two squires would then sneak in and take the bottles before the innkeeper returned. The red head squire who had let the two get thrashed was selected by the others to be the bait. In the event he was caught he deserved getting lashed, so the other squires all felt it was fair.

As the three left the other squires began a heavy discussion regarding the situation they were in with the sword being pulled from the stone. Centuries had passed with the sword in its rightful place and despite the legends that it could be pulled none of the squires thought it ever would be. It seemed like a fun story, but no one was ever supposed to actually remove the stone from it's stoney sheath. In the end the squires all concluded that despite the punishments they were no doubt about to endure it would do little to compare to the shame they would endure for betraying one of their own; another squire. The squires continued to mingle, gossip, and whisper while waiting on the three to return with their stolen treasures.

The three went to the inn and seeing the innkeeper standing in the shadow of the inn building, the older squires shoved the redhead out who then ran for the cellar door. Before he could reach it the innkeeper stepped out, switch in hand, and as planned he chased the squire down the lane. The other two broke cover the moment that the pair was out of sight and dashed for the cellar door. Just as they were about to reach it the door swung open and out bounded the blonde haired squire who had pulled the sword from the stone. The squire was holding two bottles of wine and two loaves of bread. Without pausing at the site of the two older squires the blonde ran quickly past and towards the barnyard. Surprised, the two followed pausing only to listen to the sobs of redhead being lashed across the way. Serves the lad right for letting the younger two get thrashed as he did.

When they all returned to the barnyard the excitement was heavy as the squire who pulled the sword passed around the wine and bread. As the squires all raised a toast for the young squire, they were surprised to find that the squire had disappeared. It was surmised that the squire must have brought the wine and bread as a peace offering to the others. Despite the fear of what would happen when the sword was discovered displaced, the boys all drank heavily and soon fell asleep under the stars.

The squire who had pulled the sword from the stone sat slumped against a shed, tears freely falling while softly sobbing. The squire had made the decision to steal the booze and bread for the others in the hope it would help to sway their opinions on keeping quiet. It was a vain attempt no doubt, but it was worth trying to avoid the inevitable. The squire began to think of home, of the quiet meadow and growing up with brothers and sisters. The meadow was offset from a rural farming town, and the most dominant feature was the laze of trees growing along the small creek. The creek was always running, except during the winter months, and was filled with small tan stones as smooth as butter.

The squire's thoughts drifted to the day that the knight came in to their home and purchased the squire from that loving home. The knight was older and despite being firm and strict, had turned out to be quite the father figure. The romanticized depiction of a knight in all his chivalry; never once did the knight raise his hand to the squire, nor was the squire ever abused in the night. All in all, despite being separated from loved ones, the knight had helped the squire find acceptance in this new life. This life which was about to change forever.

It wasn't until morning that anyone noticed that the sword had been pulled from the stone. A drunken knight had stopped beside the church to relieve himself. The knight was unsavory in demeanor with a swagger in his step and an attitude of cruelty. This was a tall knight, even compared to the others. He sported black hair as dark as night itself and a thin narrow face. His hair was unkempt, though, visibly clean. He wore a light armor of thin chain-mail and a sword hung from his belt. As he relieved himself he began gazing lazily throughout the garden of graves. He noticed the ivy had been moved from the sword. His eyes adjusted to the early morning light and he realized the sword had been pulled. He cried out for the town to come see and soon enough the entire town stood in silent vigil.

Every knight, commoner, and noble alike stood staring in disbelief that the sword had been pulled from the stone. The squires were seemingly all in attendance as well, despite their grogginess due to the revelry the night before. The sickening feelings they all had in their stomachs was only heightened by the dread of what was to follow. At long last, the priest of the church walked forward amongst the crowd. The priest wore a modest leather jerkin and it was a surprise to none that the old man had grown completely bald. This was after his many years of dedicated service to the church. The priest was by far one of the kindest souls in the procession. It was no small secret that he had dedicated his life towards helping better the lives of the people of Garrish. When he spoke, all listened.

"Whom among you has pulled the sword from the stone?" There was murmuring among the crowd, but none stepped forward to claim the sword. To claim the deed. After several uncomfortable minutes a visibly drunken knight, wearing only a pair of trousers, stepped forward. This drunken knight claimed that he had come by in the cover of the night and pulled the sword. As the crowd began to congratulate him a young voice spoke out over them all.

"That man is a liar!" The young girl, who had been with the squires the night before, stepped forward and gestured at the squires who all stood by with terrified looks in their eyes. "It was one of the squires, they were all here, and they all tried but only one pulled the sword out of the stone." An angry murmur rippled through the crowd as knights began grabbing for their squires and threats and curses were heard clearly over the rabble. The priest cleared his throat loudly interrupting the angry knights and the terrified, groggy, squires.

"Should this be true then he be your king. Lest not one among you lay finger to the boys." The knights all in one movement let go of their squires. The priest was correct, should any of the squires turn out to be the king of them to have hurt him would be an act of treason and a swift execution lay in wait for the perpetrator.

"How do we know who pulled the sword?" An older knight spoke out, his long beard had long since grayed and his old eyes betrayed his drunken state. He was known to be a gentle knight and a happy drunk. His armor was light and damaged from the tournament the day before, though, the state of disrepair was also due to his lack of funds,

"Lest we beat them, we will not know. They will lie and say it was they to not have their hides tanned." The priest shook his head slowly, but did not speak. There was no way for them to know who the squire was that pulled the sword from the stone. While contemplating on how to proceed, they had all the boys move and stand in line before the sword and they questioned them one by one. All of them denied seeing anything, denied pulling the sword, denied being present when the sword was pulled, and several even claimed to have witnessed a knight pull the sword, but was too abashed to point out a knight besides their own to bolster their claims.

The crowd grew angry and discontent over the process and began to speak ill of the squires, and of the sword. One was heard saying they should just put the sword back and have them all pull from the stone. The morning light twinkled in the eyes of the priest as he heard the comment. Reaching down he picked up the heavy sword and walked back the stone. There was a small slit in the stone but the sword looked as though it would not fit in such a hole. As the set the blade into the slit he was then not surprised that it wouldn't go back in.

"Boys, each of you take a turn and put the sword back to the stone." Fear ran visibly through the line of boys as they approached. One by one they each failed to put the sword back. Every squire attempted until there were none left to attempt the feat. Confused, the priest looked around at the squires and then to the knights.

"Is every squire here? Come now. Stand by your squire claiming him." As he spoke the priest gestured for the knights and they all came quickly and stood by their squires.

"Eh. My squire is not here." An older knight announced solemnly. His features displayed that of concern rather than surprise nor anger.

"Aye, nor mine." A vast giant of a knight retorted as he stomped his mighty boot down onto the ground. The echoing stomp resounded off the city walls and the knight ran his fingers through his red beard. His brown eyes angrily searched the crowd for his squire. Not seeing him among them he moved to search for his squire. As he started walking his heavy broad armor clanged loudly. The broad plate on his shoulder cast a shadow over his face which only added to his demeanor of anger. As he approached the crowd, they all stood aside.

In total there were four squires not accounted for amongst the large group of them. After a brief discussion, most of the town spread out to search for the missing squires. Among those they found one was found asleep in a hay loft. The hay he was found in was deep, but they'd followed his footsteps to the barn and one of the knights started digging until they uncovered him. The next was found hiding in a woodshed, just behind the door. Another one was found sleeping beside the daughter of a noble in her private chambers and the last squire was left unaccounted for. The three they had found were brought before the sword for them to set it back to the stone.

The other boys stared in great fear as the squire that had pulled the sword was shoved forward and tasked to put the sword back to the stone. The squire's small body seemed delicate compared to the large sword. Bits of wood hung in the squire's blonde, straight hair, and the well kept look from the night before was gone. The squire lifted the sword and placed it to the stone then quickly pulled it away and handed back to the priest.

The squire's apprehension to set the sword down with any force had gone unnoticed, even by some of the other squires who stared on at the blonde squire in wonder and awe. The crowd began to murmur again as the discussion began about the missing squire. The priest dismissed the boys to wait inside the church while the whole town began their search once more. As the doors closed behind them they all turned and looked to the squire who had pulled the sword.

"How did you do it?" One of the other squires asked in a severe tone, an average looking boy with black hair. Maybe twelve or eleven with a squeaky voice and straight jaw. The squire who had pulled the sword shook softly at the question.

"I do not know. I took my turn like the rest of you and when I pulled up on the sword, it just came out as though it had been set in butter." The squire's weary eyes sadly looked around and betrayed the lack of sleep in them to the others.

"Nay. We all saw you pull it. I ask you, how did you not set the sword back?" The eyes of the young squire who pulled the sword from the stone grew wide and with a visible tremble the squire slumped to the floor.

"I just set it to the hole, but I did not press down. I feared it would slip in and then all would know." The other boys murmured amongst themselves, as the squire who had pulled the sword sat with a look of horror still etched visibly across the face.

"He doesn't even look strong enough to pull the sword out." Another boy sneered while forcefully shoving the blonde squire's shoulder. The boy had dark red hair and freckles, but stood taller than some grown men. His beard was already covering most of his chin and the lad was barely fourteen years of age, "Look how big the rest of us are and we're near the same age."

"I don't see what that has to do with anything." As the squire who had pulled the sword from the stone spoke, the others grew silent. "The adults are much bigger than all of us and no knight, nor man has ever pulled the sword." The squire stood up and with a chest puffed out in defiance started to speak, but quickly pulled back and returned to the usual withdrawn demeanor.

"Exactly!" The sneering boy continued, "My uncle and my father have both come on multiple attempts to pull the sword, yet it never budged even when they are both very large men." As he spoke he spread his hands apart and upwards indicating the size of his relatives. As the red headed boy began to gesture, some of the other boys began to argue about just telling the town and the knights who pulled the sword. They might all be punished still, but even then it wouldn't be as badly as dragging this situation out further.

The blonde squire who had pulled the sword looked ever the more terrified at the proposition of the others revealing the truth. Several of the squires which had partook more generously than the rest, the evening prior, were more apt to admit the truth and take their beatings so they could simply lay down. The waves of nausea was evident on their faces, which was only heightened by their fear of what more was to come. Even so, what was more worrisome was the sound of the crowd returning outside. One of the older squires whistled loudly.

"Now lis'n 'ere. Ain't not one of youse are gonna sayin' any'thn to no grownups youse 'ere? We all in 'is toge'her yeah? We don' le'eve non' of ou's behin'. Na' eva'" As he spoke, his eyes scanned the room, sharply observing the reactions of the others. Even the other older squires seemed to agree with him. The squire was already seventeen years of age with broad shoulders. He sported his own set of used chain-mail, which he wore with great pride. His dark black hair and brown eyes withdrew the eyes of many of the other squires when they made contact. He stood proud, his years of following his knight were shown in how he demanded obedience.

The boys all stood and quietly waited, as the Priest entered to usher them back outside. As they stepped out from the dim church, the blaring light of the sun caused all of the boys to squint and cover their eyes. What they witnessed when their eyes adjusted was brutal. The missing squire was bloodied and bruised. It seemed that the townsfolk were no longer concerned over the potential of hurting the future king.

Two knights were forcing the young squire to place the sword back in the hole but the squire was screaming and refusing to even touch the blade. One knight grabbed hold of the squires hand while the other pinned the arms and legs of the young boy. The first knight forced the boy to grab onto the sword by the blade; the sharp edge cut deeply into his hand and blood started pooling on the ground.

The other squires all cried out in protest, but a sharp look from the priest reminded them all that only one of them was the king and the rest should mind their place. It was just a matter of time. Satisfied that the boy they were pinning down wasn't the correct one they released him. He landed in a heap, crying and clutching his hands.

"Bring in the next child." The larger and older of the two knights spoke with command, as two more knights came from behind the squires and grabbed one of them at random. It was a younger squire, who was only eleven years of age. Light brown hair and soft blue eyes betrayed his timid nature. He wore a light colored jerkin and his torn sleeve revealed old bruises, no doubt left from the rough grabs of his knight. The other squires reacted in a manner revealing that they were all visibly disturbed. Several of the boys grabbed their own arms where their own bruises caused them to wince.

"What?! No! Please?" The boy started sobbing and tried pointing back towards the squires, but a swift kick to the back of his knees dropped him before the stone and the sword. In the same fashion as before, the pair both pinned and forced the squire to grip the sword by the blade. Forcing the blade downward, while also holding the edge of the sword cut deeply into the tender flesh of the young boy's hands. The sword refused to enter the stone and the knights sighed visibly. Releasing the squire, he too landed in a sobbing heap next to the first boy.

"Bring in the next."

"No stop! It's 'im. 'e's the one youse want!" The large boy from before stood pointing at the boy who pulled the sword from the stone and all the other squires stepped aside. The feeling of terror swept through the squires betrayed one of their own. Though, it was just the one boy that confessed, they all felt the weight and shame of the decision that had been made. Each of the squires in the procession hung their heads in shame. Without hesitation, the knights grabbed the squire and threw him at the feet of the larger knight holding the sword. The other knight pinned back the squire's arm and legs. As he did so the large knight forced the blade into the young squires hand.

A murmur rang out through the crowd when no blood poured out from the squire's hand. Shocked, the squire stared in horror. The large knight tightly gripped his hand over the squire's the blade downward, back into it's place in the stone. With a gasp, the crowd all fell back and dropped down in a low bow. The large knight placed his hand on the pommel and with a strenuous tug, he confirmed that the placement was the same as before. Gesturing towards the sword,

"Now pull the sword from the stone." Looking at his hands and not understanding the lack of blood, the young squire gripped the pommel and lifted the sword from the stone with only one hand. The sword was removed with such ease it was as though it were a feather being lifted by the wind. The crowd all bowed and a soft chant rang out,

For whosoever pulleth out from

this stone, this sword.

Then he shall forevermore be,

King of England.

Shocked, one of the oldest of the knights strode out from the throng of people. His old armor had wear of decades of work and battles, and his long white beard had started losing its traces of grey. The deep blue of his eyes contrasted the rosey red cheeks on his face. This was the knight whom had been training the young blonde squire.

"You once served as my squire; Now I serve you." As he approached, he leaned in close so that only the squire could hear, "My queen."

Fifth Freedom

noreply@blogger.com (Yung) — Sat, 09 Aug 2014 12:24:00 +0000

This band recently came to Joplin, mo. I went and witnessed a very alive performance by a really talented group of individuals who've come together to form something fantastic. These guys have a great sound and I'm thinking they're going to have a great career.

They just made a Google+ page so be sure to follow them. Maybe we can get some lyrics videos on YouTube to share as well. You can find most of their social media happenings on Facebook at facebook.com/fifthfreedom

Looking forward to seeing more great things from this group. Help me help them by sharing word. I'll post more as I get information I can share.

Webcomic Showcase

noreply@blogger.com (Yung) — Sun, 27 Jan 2013 18:31:00 +0000

I have been an avid fan of webcomics for the past several years. While though my variety in taste regarding webcomic genre I tend to gravitate toward comedy oriented comics with frequent updates. I've even tried my hand at writing for a webcomic before. If you've never read a webcomic I'll go over some of the basis for the webcomic world.

The first basis for any webcomic is posting frequency. Webcomics post as often as the artist and/or publisher gets the finished (sometimes unfinished) product live on their website. Most webcomics make a promise or guarantee to their readers that they will publish X times per week or on specific days. Unfortunately this often results in some terrible cases of "filler" content. Filler content is when the artist/publisher makes some form of obnoxious short quip. An example of a webcomic with a LOT of filler is School Bites. School Bites is a webcomic about a vampire teenager who eats cupcakes and has a human boyfriend. While the plot itself is questionable the artist often uses a mass amount of filler about her cat. I find it distasteful as, if I wanted to get to know the artist and what is happening in their life, there is usually a blog of sorts below the comic to keep up with artists, writers, and publishers alike.

What you want in a webcomic is frequent and consistent updates with little to no filler. The best webcomic in my opinion for multiple categories is Least I Could Do. The focus here is on filler and lack thereof and Least I Could Do not only updates daily but does so without any clear filler. The only thing that could be considered filler from this webcomic is the Least I Could Do Beginnings which offer a glimpse at the childhood of the protagonist Rayne Summers.

Least I Could Do is easily the best webcomic on the internet for multiple reasons however I shall simply summarize that while though the adult humor is more than a little thick the plot and soft moments that Least I Could Do provides makes this a must read.

Good plot is as equally important to the webcomic selection as the posting consistency or frequency. One such comic is Amya, which has very good posting frequency but even better plot. Plot helps drive the development of characters, it helps them grow, it helps them mold into who they become throughout the life of the webcomic. A comic with really great plot can even overcome being riddled with filler such is the case with Flipside, which follows the stories protagonist Maytag and her girlfriend, friends, enemies, and love interests. The character development not just of Maytag but of all of the characters of Flipside are what shoots this to number one on my list in terms of plot line.

The best webcomic in my opinion in terms of plot, frequency, and overall content is Goblins. Goblins is the story of a group of goblins that decide that they're tired of being hack meat for low level adventurers and choose to be adventurers themselves. The story follows the humorous misadventures that they find themselves tangled up in constantly. As of late we've been following a rather exciting plot offshoot involving an entertaining trio. If you're looking for a solid, entertaining, and sometimes bloody webcomic then I recommend Goblins as a primary selection choice.

Finally I would like to talk about one of my favorite webcomics, Manly Guys Doing Manly Things. Rather than get into how great I feel the plot is, how nice the artwork is, and everything else I'll just leave you with several of my favorite strips. You should at the very least read these strips here: The Saga of Jared Kowalski, the worst Pokemon Trainer ever.

"But mom.... There's wild Pokemon in the tall grass!"

Facebook Game Apps: Galaxy Legion

noreply@blogger.com (Yung) — Sat, 19 Jan 2013 03:16:00 +0000

I'm one of the biggest critics when it comes to Facebook game applications so for me to find one that I actually enjoy playing is a rare feat. One of my absolute favorite games on Facebook is called Galaxy Legion. I actively play this game daily and am part of a large network of other players however... the thing that I like most about this game is that you don't have to add anyone to play! Let me say that one more time, you do not have to add a single person in order to play the game.

There are a few main focal points to this game. You want to improve your ship, acquire more and better planets, Legions (Guilds of players), there is PvP, and NPCing. There are other aspects of the game as well but those are the main points. Another great thing about this game is the fact that if you don't like how it's going then you can simply reset from the Help section and start over again! Some players do this after acquiring limited items that you can only get X amount of times and selling them for Complex Tech Parts (a very valuable in game commodity) on the Galaxy Legion Forum Trading Post Section. This is one way to get very rich in the game and then you can use your acquired wealth to purchase planets and other in game valuables.

Planets come in a wide variety of shapes, types, and sizes. The more valuable ones being larger with higher production values. Planets can produce one of three different resources; Minerals, Artifacts, and Research. Of the three possibilities Artifacts are indisputably the most valuable of the three as you can receive essentially free stat points to help improve your ship. Planets can be improved by general means to 15x Mega Rich in any of the given production. In order to help put into perspective the value of these resource types you should consider the following:

15x Mega Rich Very Large or Massive Mineral production planets are worth approximately 1,200 Complex Tech Parts,
15x Mega Rich Very Massive or Colossal Research production planets are worth approximately 3,500 Complex Tech Parts, and
15x Mega Rich Very Massive or Colossal Artifact production planets are worth approximately 15,000+ Complex Tech Parts.

The larger the size of the planet the more structures you can place on it, thus generating more resource production or additional attack, defense, and/or cloaking structures. Of all the different variations it is indisputable about the most valuable naturally occurring planets are Dyson planets. Dyson planets are extremely rare but do exist and can produce on their own without any augmentation incredibly high amounts of production (I.E. 44x Mega Rich Artifact Production). If you're on the hunt for a planet it is definitely for Dyson planets.

You use the resources gathered from your planetary production to better your ship. When you start the game you get your choice of species from six starter species, the rest you unlock later after completing various energy intensive missions. The ship design you can use from the beginning is based on the species selection that you've started with however more ship designs will become available to you as you progress through the game which only adds to the appeal of playing.

You can join your ship up with other ships and form Legions. Players can contribute collectively towards their Legion base and participate in Legion battles, as well as enhance their base to produce resources which can be collected daily. Legions also offer bonuses to attack, defense, and stealth for planets you control. Experienced players in a Legion often offer detailed strategy, tips, and even free artifacts to newer players.

PvPing and NPCing coincide within the same basic battle system and contribute to a large portion of game play. Elite and Boss NPC units should be shared with your Legion as most allow 3-12 players to join in and add collective damage to the NPC and share the loot drops. All NPCs give experience as does every hit on another player. Focus on the PvP aspect of the game allows you to gather badges. Badges can be traded in for artifacts that buff specific stats, modules for your ship, planetary structures, and to lock enemy bases.

You can earn badges by disabling other players (Red Badge per disable),

raiding other players (Can only be done after enemy ship is disabled, Yellow Badge),

hacking an enemy player (Blue Badge, can be done when your cloaking is higher than your enemy scan),

invading an enemy (Green Badge per invasion),

attacking enemy bases during base battles (Silver Badge, amount varies based on damage done), and

disabling specific NPC enemies (Dark Badge one per disable of these enemies)

Finally you can enhance your gaming experience by purchasing Galaxy Points with USD and other exchangeable currencies. The items vary and there are seasonal items that come and go with various events. It is through the GP Store that you can purchase items such as the Reality Transfuser which can unlock the Analyze option on a planet allowing you to analyze a planet to unlock a permanent event on the planet. This includes; Planetary Rings, Large Moons, Small Moons, and Advanced Civilization Ruins. This is definitely a game that once you get comfortable with you'll feel very well about paying a little cash to enhance your playing experience. The game is free and this is the only way for the developers to make money so be sure to show your support.

All in all Galaxy Legion is one of the single most well rounded gaming experiences I've had the pleasure of having in any of my years as an avid gamer. While though I'm not very big into most Facebook games I have definitely grown very fond of Galaxy Legion and the many facets that this game has to offer.

Anti-Hero Favorites: Richard B Riddick

noreply@blogger.com (Yung) — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 05:57:00 +0000

I couldn't resist the opportunity to write about one of my absolute favorite protagonists, Richard B. Riddick. Riddick is portrayed by Vin Diesel in the movies, videogames, animated films, and comic books. In the mediums in which allow voice over acting that is also done entirely by Vin Diesel. Riddick was born an Alpha Furyan on the planet Furya. Thought strangled at birth by the Necromonger Zhylaw, Riddick grew up being ignorant of the fact that he was among the last of Furyan's left alive in the galaxy as the Necromonger slew the rest to extinction.

The movies and videogames come in chronological order as Escape from Butcher Bay (Video Game), Dark Athena (Video Game), Pitch Black (Movie), Dark Fury (Animated Film), and The Chronicles of Riddick (Movie). Each of which having a profound impact on developing the intrinsic character that is Richard B. Riddick. Despite the challenge that the video games pose I strongly recommend them to any fan of the series for their storylines which only help to expand on the already diverse universe. From the pits of Butcher Bay to the bowels of Crematoria there isn't an aspect of the Riddick universe that should be left untouched.

Some of the more interesting traits of Riddick are often the more bold. Riddicks eyeshine, despite the story he weaves was actually a gift from his bloodline to help protect him in the dark. To protect his hyper sensitive eyesight he is forced to wear a pair of goggles. The specific goggles aren't important but they have to be to the same degree of protection as a welder would use. Thus one of Riddick's biggest strengths is also one of his biggest weaknesses.

Despite being a cold killer with a blatant disregard for lives of others, Riddick has proven to have a soft spot for children. Going so far as to risk his own life to save that of Kyra. The girl whom he first meets during the escapades of Pitch Black. Adding even more of the downright infamous string of quotes that we have gotten from the movies.

"How's it look?" - Johns, Pitch Black

"Looks clear." - Riddick, Pitch Black

"You keep what you kill." - The Chronicles of Riddick

If you would like to purchase the games, movies, or animated films you can find them all very reasonably priced on Amazon.com.

Escape from Butcher Bay (PC)
Dark Athena (Comes with Escape from Butcher Bay, Xbox 360)
Dark Athena (PC; include Escape from Butcher Bay)
Pitch Black - $2.99 New
Dark Fury - $4.55 New
The Chronicles of Riddick - $2.99 New
The Chronicles of Riddick Complete Trilogy - $14.99 New $1.30 Used

Anti-Hero Favorites Ghost Rider

noreply@blogger.com (Yung) — Thu, 17 Jan 2013 05:52:00 +0000

I can't resist loving the story of the Ghost Rider. The story of Johnny Blaze, stunt motorcyclist, who sold his soul to the arch-demon Mephisto to save his mentors life. The arch-demon fused Johnny's soul with that of Zarathos, a firey demon who's hellfire burned the flesh off of Johnny's bones leaving him as merely a flaming skull of hellfire.

The Ghost Rider rides a motorcycle that has a life of it's own, though the best representation of this takes place in the movies starring Nicholas Cage you can still see the life of his steed in the comics as well.

Traditionally speaking on the comic plotline, the above sequence not only never took place but never could have. After the tragedy befalling his mentor, Mephisto came to claim Johnny's soul only to be thwarted halfway through causing a half bind. This caused the demon Zarathos to only come out at night and only when evil was around. Given time Johnny was eventually able to wield the power of the rider even during the day when evil was not around.

The Ghost Rider has been severely slighted in terms of video games without a single game allowing you to step into the shoes of the Rider, giving you his demon powers to wreck havoc among the wicked souls that walk the earth. Despite several appearances not a single game really captures the raw power that the Rider actually has.

The demon powers that Johnny, and originating while Daniel Ketch (A different protagonist Ghost Rider for several years.) was the Rider, poses while as the Rider are extensive however he is most famous for his hellfire chains and Penance Stare. The latter being the most powerful weapon but most time costly. It is performed by the Rider looking into the eyes of the wicked, they relive as the pain they inflicted is brought onto them.

The reason why the Ghost Rider makes my list is because he hunts the wicked, sending souls to fulfill his contract with Mephisto. However, the Rider only hunts the wicked since their evil strengthens him but being half demon and wicked as the hellfire that burns off of him it would be impossible to coin him as a hero. It was reasoned that the Rider is potentially the most powerful character in the Marvel universe, rivaling the virtually indestructible Hulk.

I do recommend watching the movies starring Nicholas Cage if you haven't already. You can find both movies for good deals on Amazon.com:

Ghost Rider
Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengence

Anti-Hero Favorites: Jackie Estacado

noreply@blogger.com (Yung) — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 02:08:00 +0000

One of my absolute favorite Anti-Hero characters is Jackie Estacado, the protagonist from The Darkness and The Darkness II. Jackie Estacado is the single most twisted and dark individual I have ever had the experience of playing as a character in any video game. The video game is based on the comic book series The Darkness as well as its spinoff series the Witchblade.

I've only read a couple of the comics from either series however I am an avid fan of the video game. This game is Rated M for Mature and I strongly support this ESRB rating. This game is for adults only, it is by far the most graphic video game series I have ever witnessed. The gore is only one aspect of how graphic this video game is at its core. Other aspects of how graphic this game is would entail giving away too many spoilers but I will say that it takes the perversion of evil to new and untouched levels.

Jackie Estacado is the protagonist of the respective series. Jackie was an orphan but was adopted from a young age in a matter of speaking by Don Frankie Franchetti. Raised into the Franchetti mob family Jackie was exposed to drugs, sex, and violence from a very young age. Throughout his teens Jackie helped build the Franchetti family into the most powerful in the city. It all changed on Jackie's 21st birthday when his inner darkness culminated and he learned of his inheritance of the Brotherhood of Darkness. The Darkness was from the age of creation and the opposite of nature to the Angelus. The Darkness feeding on darkness and being from the void itself and the Angelus feeding on light and being from the light itself. The two entities have been in constant conflict since the creation, at times causing havoc upon the created. In a point of time the two entities forged a truce sealed with consummation and thus the Witchblade was born. The Darkness passes from that point through male hosts, killing the father when his first born son is consummated. The Darkness then lies dormant until his 21st birthday and then wreaks havoc on the world for several years until the consummation of a new host.

The Darkness incarnates itself in the form of two wicked serpents that the host can control through efforts of sheer will. Eventually however the host loses more control and little by little loses the ultimate internal conflict with the affliction becoming forever the slave to The Darkness. Besides the use of the serpent incarnates the host also has the ability to summon hordes of minions, vile wicked creatues, to do their bidding. In addition to these traits is also slight precognition, tentacles that allow for super strength lifting and evisceration, and nearly impenetrable body armor.

Jackie isn't just a cold stone killer however, he has a soft side for more than his share of women. In particular Jackie has a soft spot for Jenny Romano, his orphanage days companion. They have a strong and sincere relationship and connection until shortly after Jackie inherited The Darkness.

Ultimately, the power of The Darkness shall not be forsaken.

This series is not for the faint of heart, however if you feel the need to divulge your inner demons you can find The Darkness and The Darkness II for very reasonable prices.

The Darkness for Xbox 360
The Darkness for PS3

The Darkness II for Xbox 360
The Darkness II for PS3

Pokemon X and Pokemon Y Under the Spotlight

noreply@blogger.com (Yung) — Mon, 14 Jan 2013 19:34:00 +0000

Pokemon X and Pokemon Y announcement trailer:

So Pokemon X and Pokemon Y official announcement has been released marking the beginning of the 6th generation of Pokemon. There are several key points to focus on with this groundbreaking new gen...

Pikachu will be in this game! Yup... that's right Pikachu! That's what you were hoping for and the entire reason you stopped by to read, right?

Right... so the focus is on the new style this game is taking as well as the new starter Pokemon. The game style itself is apparently to take upon that of Europe more specifically that of France. Now I'm not on board with the rumors circulating regarding European conflicts being a back light to this game and I'd like to remind everyone not to believe rumors just because a couple hundred people are talking about it. Lets just keep the focus on the Pokemon and check out our new starters.

We'll start off with the one everyone is talking about, Fenniken.

Fenniken is the Fire Type started, a fox Pokemon. While though we don't know what any of the evolutions look like speculation is definitely in favor of a more masculine Ninetails variation. Regardless of speculation for one of the first stage evolution Pokemon Fenniken is definitely one of the very best looking. Coupled this with the 3D graphics this game is hosting and you've got a very impressive package.

The next Pokemon is the Grass Type Pokemon Chespin.

While though Chespin has been receiving a ton of criticism so far I feel it has a very clean art style and could turn into a very well rounded Pokemon in its evolutionary tract. Generation VI could prove to be the first generation that gives a good balanced starter line up with Chespin being potentially one of the best starter Grass Types to have ever been released. There are only six different starters so I can safely make that assumption and at the very least Chespin looks kinda cool.

Finally we have Froakie, the Water Type Pokemon.

Froakie has received the greatest amount of criticism but I'm still failing to understand why. It is a water type so naturally it is going to be styled for water affinity. In this case it's a frog, something I feel the franchise has long been lacking in terms of starter Pokemon. I'm fairly confident in assuming we're going to see it evolve into a Battletoad looking Pokemon as its final evolutionary stage with Water/Fighting Type attributes.

Another thing that has been receiving a ton of criticism has been that the game is geared for the sole use on the Nintendo 3DS. The moans and groans about how expensive they are I feel is unnecessary since you can pick them up fairly cheap on Amazon.com. The Ninetendo 3DS is a solid piece of hardware that has long been lacking exclusive games to help drive sales and with the small exception of a few Mario games there hasn't really been a driving force within the market to actually go and purchase it until now since everything else worth playing on this medium is available as cross compatible with the Nintendo DS, Nintendo DSi, and Nintendo DS Lite.

Ultimately I feel as though a Pokemon game of this caliber is long over due and I'm interested in seeing what other Pokemon will be introduced in this generation, hopefully some of the Pokemon that have long been lacking love since Gen I and Gen II will finally get what they deserve in terms of prevolution and evolutionary stages.

Anti-Hero Favorites pt. 2

noreply@blogger.com (Yung) — Mon, 14 Jan 2013 05:40:00 +0000

The Punisher has always been one of my all time favorite Anti-Heroes. Frank Castle, the man who became The Punisher has a back story that can rock the will of even the most hardened of inmates and critics alike. While though it has been portrayed through different variations a number of different ways the main factors stay the same. Frank Castle loses his wife and child to gang/mafia violence and is nearly murdered himself. Frank Castle returns as The Punisher and his sole purpose in life is to exact vengeance on the people responsible for killing his family.

In the original introduction of The Punisher, King Pin informs The Punisher that Spiderman was the one that killed off his family and essentially gains a free hit man to take the Spider out. By the end of the comic The Punisher learned the truth about Spiderman and instead turns on the King Pin for using him as a pawn.

Regardless of which rendition of The Punisher is your personal favorite...

...Frank Castle will always remain The Punisher.

The aspects of The Punisher that resonate deepest for me though are the aspects of him that are completely human. He has no super powers. He has no money. He is an alcoholic who so happens to be homicidal and depressed. He grieves nearly constantly for his family and it is a reoccurring theme to see him go out of his way to grieve as solitary as possible. Overall he is the most humanized, most realistic, of any Marvel (or otherwise) character that can go toe for toe with others who do have those perks and live to tell that tale.

The Punisher is by far one of the darkest characters of any genre of any media. I'm not saying this lightly either as any of you who know of Jackie Estacado know of how dark The Darkness can get. (Also, anyone who got that reference without having to google it should comment as such below so I can congratulate you on being right on par with my superior level of geekdom) The Punisher takes this to profound depths as he takes down some of the most powerful men in the world in the name of true justice. Some criminals can't be taken down legally, they will still need justice, they will still need The Punisher.

Anti-Hero Favorites

noreply@blogger.com (Yung) — Sun, 13 Jan 2013 01:14:00 +0000

I've been a big fan of Anti-Heroes for most of my life but the epitome of those are The Punisher and Sephiroth. My admiration for these characters is too great to detail all in one post so today I'll focus my attention on Sephiroth.

Sephiroth, The One Winged Angel. While though often seen throughout the Final Fantasy VII universe as a villain thanks to the addition of Crisis Core for the PSP we get to see him in a much different light. If you haven't gotten the chance to play the Crisis Core game and you have a PSP then I strongly recommend you go buy it right now. Crisis Core is the entire back story of Zack Fair, the man whom Cloud Strife spends the bulk of FF VII believing is his own life story. Cloud is still facing the turmoil of not having his own past in Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children, another addition to the Final Fantasy VII universe you should definitely go buy. After spending the game learning all about who Zack really was and falling for his downright uplifting personality we end up with the tragic depart depicted in Final Fantasy VII.

As moving as the Crisis Core game was it did delve into several other characters allowing an amazing opportunity to watch and experience first hand the relationship between Sephiroth and his peers, the relationship between Zack and Aerith, and Zack and Cloud after the subjugation of experiments at the hands of Professor Hojo of Shinra. Point is, that Crisis Core is a must play if only for the story. The game play itself is wonderful and does an even better job at putting players in the Final Fantasy VII universe than the original game itself did.

It was during Crisis Core that we begin to learn that Sephiroth began to go awry from Shinra only after his peers go astray. We get to see both Sephiroth's power and his self control in multiple instances and it is through this that helps show the human side of him. It is through this portion of the Final Fantasy VII universe that we finally see a distinction between Sephiroth the monster and Sephiroth the Soldier. This distinction is what allows Sephiroth to be an Anti-Hero instead of just a villain.

If you would like to buy Crisis Core you can pick it up at a great price on Amazon.com. By clicking that link it will take you right to the game so you can pick it up. If you need a PSP you could also get that on Amazon.com or you could swing by Gamestop to get one.

The sheer overwhelming power of Sephiroth is by no means anything to sneer at which is an experience Cloud comes to terms with in the movie Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children. It is through this story that we learn that no one really dies provided they are connected through the Lifestream and that Sephiroth can be reincarnate through his avatars. You can also find Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children on Amazon.com as well.

In Final Fantasy VII itself we learn that Sephiroth's ultimate goal is to use the planet as a vessel to travel the cosmos just as his mother, the alien Jenova herself, once did. His ultimate goal was to find a new planet to have a fresh start on, but to do so was to forsake everyone and everything in the current planet even the planet itself.

When put in perspective, Sephiroth's power is nearly limitless yet somehow he is managed to be defeated by Cloud! Cloud... the guy who has mental issues and can barely function in the company of others. That Cloud...

At least we have the infamous incident of Nibelheim to remind everyone that Sephiroth is a force to be reckoned with!

Momentai

Digimon: A Glance Back at Childhood

noreply@blogger.com (Yung) — Sat, 12 Jan 2013 02:27:00 +0000

I was always a huge fan of Digimon, and the first three seasons really hit a special place in my childhood memories. My favorite season by far was season three when the Digi-destined were instead Digi-tamers.

Coupled in was a clever marketing ploy to implement sales for the Digimon TCG. The TCG never did quite take off as it rightly should have. I would have loved to have gotten my hands on a foil Greymon or Wargreymon.

Nevertheless it was a very well balanced season. The cards aspect took some imagination to fill in the blanks as I imagined the kids had to do chores and small jobs to earn the money they needed to buy booster packs to get the simple power cards that they needed for when their Digimon were in battle. Since Konami never touched on that aspect I just used my imagination.

Even though I felt the season finale was a huge let down, coupled with my disappointment that we didn't get a sequel season to that aspect of the Digimon universe, I still felt it made up for its lacking points throughout the rest of the season. Some of the main key points that set this season apart from the other four seasons was the graphics which were by far the best up to that point and stronger lighting elements throughout the fight scenes than the proceeding two seasons.

Better dialogue overall compared to all other seasons as well as better characters and character development. I know it was heart touching when Sora was going through her dilemma about love and the meaning of her crest in the first season but season two lacked any real character development. The only character that developed at all in season two was the Digimon Emperor growing into Ken. At least season three had not just one or two people but a total of five major character developments. Rika, Henry, Takato, Jeri, and Impmon. While though there were plenty of other characters none of them actually developed any. They were still the exact same as they were when their characters were first introduced.

The fact that some characters had to go through character development before they could obtain new levels of power...

...simply added to the overall affect that this powerful season left you with.

Momentai.