The Legend of Winter Falls Chapter 1

The opening chapter and the beginning of Dale's story

It was a hot summer day in Springsdale, Florida. People all over town were doing anything they could to escape the sweltering heat. One man was even planning a trip to the beach. His name was Dale Coppersmite. Problem was that the Springsdale beaches were full of sightseeing tourists and the pools in his neighborhood just happened to be closed for maintenance. Could this summer day get any more boring than it already was?

            “Is there nothing to do on such a hot day?” Dale asked.

            Dale scrolled through the various ads on his travel app. As he was scrolling through the ads on his phone an article caught his eye.

Winter Falls: A breathtaking and magical place located on the outskirts of Springsdale. Come experience wonders that you can’t find anywhere else.

            Dale scratched his chin and reread the ad over. “Magical place, eh? Doesn’t Disney claim that for their amusement parks. I doubt that there’s anything special about them, but it sure beats lounging around all day trying to prepare for grad school or the military.”

            After a thirty-minute drive, Dale walked out of his silver 2010 Toyota. Upon exiting his car, a cool and pleasant breeze blew through his hair. In the distance a small log cabin surrounded by flowers could be spotted near a sign that read Winter Falls. Dale took in the view as the scent of freshly cut roses filled his nostrils. As Dale was about to head towards the log cabin he heard a woman calling out to him.

“Wait!” the woman said.

            “What is it?” Dale asked.

            The woman ran up to him. There was determination in her eyes, but also a look of worry on her face. The woman had a chocolate complexion and was dressed in a beautiful white summer dress. “You must be careful dear traveler. Winter Falls is a different world. There are great powers at work that seek to deter you.”

            Dale scratched his head in bewilderment. For all he knew that this could be part of the experience. “Is this part of some play or something?”

            The woman shook her head. “There’s no way I can explain this to you. Perhaps it is better that you check out the world of Winter Falls for yourself.”

            The woman began walking towards the cavern located behind the cavern. Dale followed the woman. Dale watched from a distance as the woman entered the cavern. As the woman walked into the cavern she slowly began to disappear. Dale was curious as to how the woman could suddenly disappear into a seemingly normal cavern.

            “This could easily be some sort of trick. But that woman slowly disappearing doesn’t sit well with me,” Dale said.

            Dale cautiously approached the cavern. As he drew closer he could hear what sounded like a waterfall deeper in the cavern. Dale then spotted what looked like a vortex of magic energy.

            Should I be concerned that I’m seeing a magic portal? Something just doesn’t feel right about this. Here I am thinking that this would be like a Disney theme park, but I had no idea that the advertisement for this place was literal. Dale thought as he looked at the vortex.

            Before Dale could react, the vortex sucked him in. Dale struggled to escape, but the power of the vortex proved to be too strong. Dale momentarily blacked out as the vortex spit him out in a beautiful meadow near a large waterfall.

            As Dale laid on the ground he could hear the waterfall and the chirping of birds. There were also two figures walking in Dale’s direction. They were a man and a woman respectively. The man was a tall, muscular, and hairy. He was dressed in black shorts with a utility belt, red and black boots, and a green button-up shirt that was unbuttoned. The man also had light purple skin, a skin tone that only existed in video games, comics, cartoons, or movies, and his hair was a snow-white blonde color. He also had ice blue eyes.

            The woman on the other hand was dressed in a white top and a khaki skirt. She held a strange device in her hand that looked like it was a smartphone from one hundred years in the future. The woman had a beautiful tan complexion, emerald green eyes, and raven black hair. It was the woman who noticed Dale laying on the ground unconscious.

            “By Almighticus’s glory! What’s this guy doing sleeping in front of Winter Falls!” the woman said. “Shouldn’t he know that sleeping in front of the falls violates our queen’s laws? What should we do Simon?”

            The hulking man named Simon walked over and inspected Dale. He pulled what looked like a wand out of his utility belt. The wand-like device then projected a holographic screen as Simon continued analyzing Dale.

            “My Warb indicates that this man is merely unconscious, Francisca. It seems like he came from the other world,” Simon said.

            Francisca crossed her arms over her chest and walked towards Dale. “So, this guy comes from that low-tech world where magic hasn’t been used to make technological breakthroughs. We can’t just leave him like this. I guess we should wake him up. We can’t let that techno wizard discover him.”

            “You don’t mean Kyle Technoheart. That madman’s android army nearly wiped out the Phoenix clan and the Lycantrians,” Simon said.

            Dale began to wake up while Simon and Francisca were talking among themselves. At first Dale thought he was dreaming. Until he saw Simon and Francisca looming over him.

            “Where am I and why do I see a purple Hulk?” Dale asked.

            “I’m not a Hulk. Comparing me to a fictional comic book character from your world pales in comparison to what I am,” Simon said. “My name is Simon Dante and believe it or not I’m a human. I’ll tell you more once we get to the city.”

            Francisca sighed as Dale looked at Simon in confusion. “My name’s Francisca Rosado. We should really head to the city. It’s not safe to linger around Winter Falls for too long. Tell us who you are so we can get the hell out of here.”

            “My name is Dale Coppersmite. Could you tell me where the heck I am!”

            The birds stopped chirping as a large thud was heard in the distance. The weather begins to change from bright and sunny to cloudy and overcast. Dale sees the waterfall behind him begin to freeze over with a coat of ice. A piercing roar is heard and a blast of cold air freezes a nearby tree.

            “Great. Looks like that damn dragon has found us,” Francisca said. “Simon, do you have the hovercar? The last thing we need is for that dragon to freeze our asses.”

            Simon pulled out a small silver cube from his utility belt. He threw the cube on the ground. Dale witnessed as the cube transformed into an armored van. The van almost looked like any other van except that wheels were missing and in their place were propellers. The van also had automatic sliding doors which opened as soon as Simon approached it.

            “it’s right here and watch your language Francisca,” Simon said. “Now get in and buckle up!”

            Dale, Francisca, and Simon jumped into the van. Simon then put his foot to gas. The van began hovering and then zipped off towards the city. Dale looked out the window and was amazed to see that the van was five feet off the ground. He then heard the dragon’s roar. The dragon was coming in fast. The dragon was preparing to unleash another ice breath.

            “Drive faster already! That dragon is catching up to us!” Francisca said.

            Simon sighed as he kept driving the hovercar. “This is as fast as this hovercar can go. Fortunately, I installed the latest in magic defense technology.”

 

            “Well shut up and activate the defense systems already!” Francisca said.

            Dale sighed and observed as the dragon drew closer. The dragon had shimmering light blue scales and a flowing white mane. The dragon took his time charging up his next attack. The dragon then preceded to launch a flurry of icicles out of his mouth. Dale preceded to duck in his seat.

            Before the first icicle could strike the hovercar, Simon pressed a red button on the dashboard. The hovercar was surrounded by a magical forcefield in a matter of seconds. Dale slowly returned to a normal sitting position and was amazed that the icicles were being reduced to harmless snowflakes. “This is amazing! Well, done Simon!”

            “Thank you, Dale. Besides, I’m not only strong, but I’m a genius as well,” Simon said. “Did you know that dragons are smarter than the average human? Some of the most famous scholars in our world are dragons. Unfortunately, dragons tend to be territorial and have a superiority complex.”

            “Who freaking cares! The last thing that egotistic dragon needs is a confidence boost!” Francisca yelled.

            Someone’s rude. Do you have anything nice to say girl? All I hear are nothing but swears and insults coming out of your mouth.

            Dale gasped as the dragon began diving towards the hovercar. “Did that dragon just speak to us telepathically? I’ve read fantasy books and watched movies where dragons can speak the common tongue, but I didn’t think they were capable of telepathy and mind reading.”

            Flattery will get you nowhere young man. All should know that Winter Falls is off limits from four o’clock pm to nine o’clock am. But you’re from another world are you not? The dragon said telepathically. However, I’m growing bored of this idle chat. I would like to make you pay for your transgressions, but I have to return to my cave. Farewell Dale Coppersmite. Maybe we’ll meet again someday.

            Dale sighed in relief as the dragon flew away. As Dale, Francisca, and Simon rode into the city Dale noticed several people who looked like they were from a fantasy novel or science fiction movie or both. The people varied from elves, dwarfs, Hulking men and women like Simon, and humans dressed in modern clothing or futuristic garb.

            Dale’s grew excited as he noticed holographic screens display all kinds of advertisements and how the people of the city was full of life. He could even hear children playing with their high-tech toys and men and women discussing various scientific theories.

            “Like what you see, Dale?” Simon asked. “You did ask me how I got my powers, right?”

            Dale turned around and noticed Simon in the back seat. At first, Dale was worried that the hovercar would crash, until he saw that the vehicle was driving itself. Francisca chuckled as she noticed the shock on Dale’s face.

            “Your cars don’t have an autopilot function yet? Doesn’t surprise me since you come from a world where bigoted morons care more about social trends than taking risks to improve the lives of others.”

            “Are you going to keep being rude, Francisca? I’m trying to have a conversation with Dale,” Simon said.

            Francisca shrugged her shoulders before pulling out a tabloid device. Francisca snapped her fingers and a pair of headphone emerged from the back of her seat. “Let me know when we get to the castle. I’m going to listen to some music.”

            As Francisca listened to her music, Dale and Simon resumed their conversation.

            “You wanted to know how I got my powers, right? What gives me this form and my strength is called Magernium.”

            “Magernium?” Dale asked.

            “Magernium is the culmination of magical energy and radioactive alpha isotopes,” Simon said. “On their own both can cause harm to the human body, however when they are combined they create a special mineral that can be consumed that gives any who ingest it great power and strength.”

            Dale scratched his head in confusion and began looking in Francisca’s direction as her device began projecting holographic versions of the artists that she was listening to. He then turned his gaze back to Simon who was sitting calmly.

            “I still don’t understand what you’re saying. To me it feels like a combination of two different versions of Marvel’s origin for Hulk. Can you elaborate a bit more?”

            “I think it might be easier to show you. Queen Naomi hosts a tournament every three months within a year. Only the winner from the male division and female division may drink from the Magernium Goblet. The runners-up may also partake in the Magernium Goblet if the queen deems there performance as worthy.”

            Dale sighed as he rolled down the window. He heard a snazzy tune and people walking down the road. He then turned his attention back to Simon. “So, when is this tournament?”

            “The tournament is tonight,” Francisca said as she removed her headphones. “You’re going to have a pretty good time. The fights are god damn awesome!”

            Simon sighed as he pulled out a trinket out of his utility belt. The trinket had a unique design with a round base, draconic wings, and a bottle neck. He then put the trinket back into his utility belt and observed Dale and Francisca converse.

            I really wish Francisca would tone it down a bit on the swearing. Also, why does she have to take Almighticus’s name in vain? Yet she’s a dear friend and ally against the forces of darkness. Yet I’m curious of how Dale fits into all of this and if I can finish creating my first artificial organism. Who knows what fate may hold? I’m ready to see what may come next. Simon thought.

            Ten minutes later, Dale and his new comrades arrived at gorgeous palace. The palace had various towers donned with beautiful crystal domes. The domes glowed brightly as magic from the magic cables flowed into them. Dale watched as various people rode hoverboards or simply flew due to magic and magical devices. He then did a double as he spotted the same woman from before.

            Unlike before, the woman now had a pair of beautiful fairy wings protruding from her back. Before Dale could call out to the woman he stumbled over a stone and crashed into a man wearing a lab coat. They both fell into a beautiful fountain that glowed from the radiance of the from above.

            “Watch where you’re going you fricken idiot!” The man said.

            “I’m sorry sir,” Dale said as he tried to help the man up.

            The man ignored Dale and went on his way. Dale and the others preceded to enter the palace. As they were walking down a winding corridor Francisca poked Simon on the shoulder.

            “Simon, is it me or did that man seem somewhat familiar?” Francisca whispered.

            “If you’re implying that the man is Kevin Technoheart then you would be mistaken. There are many scientists who attend this event to catalogue the scientific breakthroughs with Magernium.”

            “Are you guys talking about that man I bumped into?” Dale asked.

            “No, we’re talking about a robotic druid. Of course, we’re talking about the man you bumped into numbskull,” Francisca said. “I think that guy is Kevin Technoheart.”

            “I wouldn’t jump to conclusions yet, Francisca,” Simon said. “We need proof before we jump to any conclusions.”

            “Says the brawny nerd. Instead of talking and wasting our time we should be getting ready to watch the tournament!” Francisca said.

            Dale and his comrades entered through an ornate red door that led to the arena. Once inside there were crowds of people swarming to find a seat in the stadium. Competitors were sitting close to the ring. The ring itself was humongous. The outer edges of the ring were lined with a blue forcefield while the center had a sun and moon overlapping a silver cross.

            The crowd went wild as an oriental woman dressed in a red mini dress entered the ring. The woman commanded total attention. Her hair was tied up in a ponytail and her brown eyes glistened in the arena’s spotlight. The competitors cheered as she waved to the audience. Dale was intrigued by the woman’s hold over the audience.

            With a snap of the woman’s fingers wonderful and intense music began to play. “Greetings everyone. I am Queen Naomi Keshuana. I am glad to present our second Brawl-a-thon this year. Despite all our efforts the world is always caught up in the balance. We must fight on to ensure our liberty. Tonight at least one of these men and women will gain great power to ensure that we continue our fight against evil wherever it may rise!”

            The crowd cheered as she walked out of the arena and onto a platform. The platform slowly rose in the air until the queen was next to a giant monitor hovering in the air. The monitor flashed as it turned on. Names of the competitors from both the men’s division and women’s division appeared in alphabetical order.

            Dale’s eyes widened as the names turned into digital cards. The cards were divided into their respective divisions. Naomi randomly picked two cards from the men’s division. The crowd gasped in shock as the fighters’ names were revealed.

            “Normally I would start with a match from the women’s division, but this year I’ll spice this up a bit,” Naomi said. “This time every odd numbered match will be chosen from one of the divisions at random. All even numbered matches will consist of the division that wasn’t randomly chosen. Our first match will be Duke Masons sparring against Alexander Maritino!”

            The crowd cheered as an enormous fat man with red hair and a muscular tan skinned man entered the ring. Dale observed that both combatants were wearing bodysuits. He then saw various vendors make their way to the stands as the match was about to begin. Simon bought a few hot dogs, burgers, and drinks and gave them to Dale and Francisca.

            “Thanks, Simon,” Dale said.

            “You’re welcome,” Simon said.

As Dale bit into the hotdog his eyes lit up in joy. The hot dog tasted as if it was made by a world-famous chef. The scent of his hotdog lingered on his nostrils as the two fighters were about to begin their match.

“Pretty good, right?” Francisca asked. “Our technology has perfected the way we cook. I bet your world has any food as good as this. Yet there is no way that Duke Masons will this match. He’s walking blimp for crying out loud!”

“I wouldn’t be too quick to judge, Francisca,” Simon said. “This is the first time that we have seen a plus size combatant in a tournament of this caliber. We’ll see who wins in a few moments.”

A fairy flew down towards the arena. He was wearing a fancy suit. He was also wearing a pin that resembled the same insignia that was on the arena’s floor. “Without further ado, let the match begin!”

Duke Masons and Alexander Maritino went right at it. Dale was impressed that a big guy like Duke could move nimbly considering his mountainous girth. The crowd began cheering as the match heated up.

“How could a fat guy like you move with all that girth?” Alexander asked. “This shouldn’t be possible.”

“It takes years of training, comrade,” Duke said. “My people are warriors from the kingdom of Razulon. Winning this match is only a stepping stone!”

Duke sidestepped as Alexander tried to land a punch. Any punch that hit Duke was negated by his bulky frame. Duke engaged Alexander with several wrestling moves only for Alexander to dodge them. This continued until Alexander was in the center of the arena. Duke then sprang up into the air and body slammed Alexander.

That’s incredible! This guy is the equivalent to a sumo wrestler. I remember my friend, Megumi Suto, show me her brother’s sumo wrestling matches on YouTube. This guy is on another level. No man of that size could pull of amazing athletic feats like this! Dale thought.

“How’s that possible?” Francisca asked.

“So this is what the Razulonite fighting style is like,” Simon said. “Unlike other Razulonites, Duke is a master of Sarbona fighting style.”

“What’s the Sarbona fighting style?” Dale asked.

“The Sarbona fighting style emphasizes on rigorous strength training,” Simon replied. Men and women of this fighting style tend to bulk up to develop a low center of gravity. Usually obese Razulonites take up this training at a young age, but the typical brawny Razulonite may become a practitioner of the Sarbona fighting style if it helps them get stronger in battle.”

“So this Duke Masons has been doing this since he was a child? Is he royalty as well?” Francisca asked.

“That is very well the case, and you aren’t wrong about the royalty part,” Simon said. “According to the Quantum net, Duke Masons is known as the Mercenary King. So, you may want to hold back on your insults, Francisca.”

Francisca gasped as she verified the info with her tablet. The crowd cheered as Duke got off the ground. Alexander was knocked unconscious by Duke’s body slam and was escorted out of the arena by a robot attendant. The crowd began chanting Duke’s name as exited the ring. As the queen was getting ready to draw two random names from the women’s division Dale began to hear a voice in his head.

Welcome to the realm of Winter Falls, hero from another realm. A great calamity will soon befall us. You must find the Sword of Berthorn. The balance of the world lies on your shoulders. A feminine voice said.

Dale’s eyes trailed as he saw a woman in a white and gold dress walk out of the of the stadium. He then focused his eyes back on the tournament and saw two women enter the ring. One woman was a tall and muscular blond-haired woman by the name of Clair Harbor. The other was a woman of average height and brown hair by the name of Sally Harbor.

“Looks like we got ourselves a sibling rivalry. This rarely happens,” Francisca said. “This should be worth watching.”

“This seems to be the case. And they’re both battle mages too. Yet they won’t be able to use magic in this contest of strength,” Simon said.

This should be interesting, but I can’t stop thinking about that mysterious woman. Is she a telepath or is she a dragoness? And what does this all mean? How can a guy like me be a hero to a realm like this? It doesn’t make any sense at all. Dale thought.

“What a turn of events!” Queen Naomi said. “A sister vs sister spectacle! Which sister will move on and which will not? Let the match begin!”

The match began with Clair rushing at Sally. Sally elegantly dodged the attack as if she was dancing. The crowd was in awe as the two sisters exchanged blows. Yet from an avid fan’s perspective Sally was at a disadvantage. Her sister, Clair, also dodged any attacks that came her way.

“Come on, sister,” Clair said. “Give me everything you got!”

“I’ll try my best!” Sally said.

Clair and Sally clashed as they went head to head. For every punch Clair threw Sally would counter with a swift kick and vice versa. The crowd cheered as the two sisters went toe to toe. Yet as the match drew on Clair was starting to land a few hits on Sally. A few minutes later, Sally lost her footing and fell out of the ring. Sally ran off in tears as the crowd cheered on her sister.

“That was a fantastic match! Do you guys think that woman will be okay?” Dale asked.

“I don’t care. Got your head in the clouds?” Francisca asked. “You began staring off into space like a nitwit. Given that there’s an intermission between matches right now you could explore the Entertainment Hall.”

“Entertainment Hall?” Dale asked.

“The Entertainment Hall is the only place where people can go during sporting functions,” Francisca said. Francisca shrugged her shoulders and briefly closed her eyes. “Seeing as Simon’s preoccupied socializing with most of the competitors I may as well show you the Entertainment Hall myself. I have to get a new exclusive download anyway.”

Dale noticed that Simon was talking to a few of the competitors near the arena. By the look of things Simon was enjoying himself and the competitors were impressed by whatever Simon had to say. Dale then followed Francisca to the Entertainment Hall.

The Entertainment Hall was sprawling with tons attractions and games. Dale couldn’t believe what he saw. It was like he was in an amusement park, except any and all rides were momentarily closed due to the tournament. He could hear children playing mini games and smell tantalizing scents as tournament spectators purchased food. However, he heard someone crying nearby.

Dale looked around and found Sally crying on a bench. Sally was now wearing a purple vest, and a pair of green pants. She also sported a necklace with glowed with a green aura. Her beautiful brown hair was hanging over her eyes as she wept.

“I’ll never be as strong as Clair. I just always seem to be in her shadow.” Sally said.

Dale felt sorry for Sally. He really enjoyed seeing Sally attempt to hold her own in the tournament. What impressed him the most was how she moved in the ring. Sally was like a dove when she was fighting Clair. Seeing her downtrodden made Dale uneasy. Dale walked towards Sally and sat beside her.

Francisca raised an eyebrow and snickered. Dale cleared his voice as he began to speak. “That was an amazing match you had.”

Sally looked up and saw Dale sitting next to her. She smiled and folded her hands onto her lap. “That was nothing. I may be a battle mage, but I just can’t stand fighting people who are close to me.”

“As a battle mage I have taken out several monsters, yet Clair is the strongest battle mage I know. There’s no way I can become like her,” Sally said.

Dale shook his head and stood up. He pulled out a chocolate bar out of his pocket and gave it to Sally. Sally politely declined the chocolate bar and sighed. Dale pocketed the chocolate bar.

“You don’t have to be like your sister. Not everyone is the same,” Dale said. “We all have our strengths and weaknesses.”

“That’s right,” Francisca said. “Who knew that a man from another world would have something intelligent to say. Yet we ought to make our way back to the stadium. The next match begins in four minutes.”

“You’re from another world?” Sally asked. “Pardon me, but I should introduce myself. I’m Sally Harbor. Thank you for cheering me up…”

“Dale. The name’s Dale Coppersmite and this is Francisca. It was a pleasure to help you. It was nice meeting you.”

Dale and Francisca walked back towards the stadium. Sally stood up and wiped a tear from her eye. She then looked around and began heading back to the stadium to cheer on her sister.

Could the prophecy of a savior from another world be true? This would mean that an ancient evil will awaken. I dread the day when all hell breaks loose. I may have to see if this man is he the hero that our God, Almighticus, has sent? Only time will tell. Sally thought.

The tournament preceded as scheduled. Dale was amazed by how each of the fighters fought. Yet the MVPs were Duke Masons and Clair Harbor. They were clearly the strongest fighters in the tournament.

It was now half time and each of the divisions had two matches left. Queen Naomi Keshuana stepped into the center of the ring. Music began to play as the spotlight focused on her. “Thank you, ladies and gentlemen, for attending this tournament. We will now have an hour break before we wrap things up. Feel free to enjoy the Entertainment Hall and socialize with the combatants.”

“This tournament has been the best one this year, Simon. It’s amazing how a tub of lard and a magic user would be the best fighters,” Francisca said.

Simon and Dale stood quietly as Duke snuck up on Francisca. Duke was wearing a T-shirt with a dragon emblazoned on it, a pair of shorts, and a pair of heavy boots. Without the bodysuit on his musculature was more pronounced despite being obese. His arms and legs were a perfect blend of fat and muscle.

Francisca continued making comments about Duke until she leaned into his big belly. Francisca slowly turned around and was startled to see Duke looming over her.

“You know it’s rude to make fun of someone’s weight,” Duke said.

Francisca stepped back. As she stepped back she was blushing. Duke grinned and began laughing. “Yet everyone knows I’m a fat a*s! I’m so large that I have to have robot assistants help me bathe!”

Dale and the others were confused. Why would a king make fun of his own weight? However, that wasn’t the case. Dale noticed Francisca blushing out of embarrassment. Francisca stormed off in a hurry. Duke stopped laughing and gave his belly a hardy pat.

“Seems like someone can’t handle when a king makes light of his own weight,” Duke said.

“Francisca does have a bit of an ego,” Simon said “When someone upstages her she usually throws a tantrum. She’s most likely at the shooting gallery blowing off steam. She’ll be fine.”

“It’s great to meet new people and see new lands. My job as a mercenary makes it easier for me to establish alliances with various tribes and nations in the realm of Winter Falls,” Duke said. “I was hoping to meet with Naomi after the tournament. I want to establish trade between our two nations.”

“Our queen would be delighted to meet with you,” Simon said. “We were planning on meeting with the queen tomorrow. I am Simon Dante, and this is my friend Dale Coppersmite.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, comrades. I am King Duke Masons. A walking wrecking ball that can level an army.”

            As Dale and Simon were conversing with Duke, Clair and Sally Harbor approached them. Upon seeing Clair, Duke began blushing. Dale and Simon turned around and noticed the women standing behind them. Clair was wearing a white tank top and a pair of black shorts. Her blonde hair was tied up into a bun.

            “Are you Dale Coppersmite?” Clair asked.

            “I am,” Dale replied.

            “Thank you for cheering up my younger sister. She tends to get downtrodden when she’s around me sometimes,” Clair said. Clair pulled out a metallic container and handed it to Dale. “Inside this container is an electro sword. Just twist the top to draw the sword.”

            “Thank you,” Dale said.

            Duke walked over to Clair and extended a meaty hand. “Greetings fellow competitor. You’re looking lovely this fine evening.”

            Clair shook Duke’s hand. “You have a strong grip. I like a strong man. Yet flattery alone won’t win my heart.”

            Duke began to flex and bounce his pecs. “That’s good to hear. I love women who have a strong resolve. Most women either like me for my massive muscles or my fat bod.”

            Duke and Clair walked off and began chatting among themselves. Sally watched as her sister befriended Duke before turning her attention towards Dale and Simon. She walked towards them and took out a piece of paper. She then put the paper away and sighed.

            “Seems like things are turning out well tonight,” Sally said. “Yet this is also the first time I’ve seen Clair take interest in a man in two years.”

            “Is that so? What happened to the last man she dated?” Simon asked.

            “Let’s just say that he met his untimely demise,” Sally replied as she shrugged.

            “She killed him?” Dale asked.

            “Not quite, but he fell in love with a genie, broke up with my sister and became a genie so he could be with his genie lover for eternity,” Sally said. “Yet if she does fall for Duke then I hope he treats her well. Ever since high school most of Clair’s relationships usually end badly.”

            Dale nodded in understanding. He then took in the view of the entertainment Hall and saw that musicians were playing music and a clock for when the next match is schedule to begin. All seemed peaceful until the faerie he had met earlier flew up into the center of the Entertainment Hall.

            “We have an emergency!” the faerie said as she paced back and forth. The Magernium Goblet has been stolen! Unfortunately, we’re unable to finish the Brawl-a-thon. Ergo, the tournament has been cancelled.”

            The crowd bickered among themselves and began getting rowdy. The cheerful music that was being played stopped and the clock on every monitor stopped counting down. In the middle of the chaos Clair, Duke, and Francisca emerged from the crowd. Dale was surprised that they were wearing different outfits. Clair was donning robe over her current outfit, while Duke and Francisca’s wardrobe changed completely.

            Duke was sporting golden gladiator armor. In his right hand was a giant battle ax and on his back was a broad sword in a golden sheath. Francisca was wearing a red leather jacket, a pair of black jeans with two guns holstered to her hips. Her hair was also tied up into a ponytail. Dale looked around and saw Sally put on a cloak and Simon use a strange device to change into a nanotech suit.

            “Seems like Kevin Technoheart has struck again,” Francisca said. “Yet that dastard chose the wrong place and time. No one meshes with the Brawl-a-thon! It’s the most sought-after events in all of Frostbech City.”

            “Screwing with royalty is a big offense. I’m sure Naomi has her guards on the move. I sent my men to help out,” Duke said. “I will not be denied an honest and fair victory.”

            Clair stepped towards the crowd. “I will now cast a locator spell. Once we have Technoheart’s location we will do all we can to secure the Magernium Goblet.”

            Clair began chanting an incantation. As the locator spell was cast, a green path appeared on the ground. Dale and the others followed the path. The path led them past the arena and out into the courtyard. The moon was shining brightly as Dale and his allies drew closer.

            He saw Kevin Technoheart standing over Naomi who looked worse for wear. She was battered and bruised and had a deep cut on her left leg. Her dress was tattered and almost ripped to shreds, threating to expose her undergarments. She was fading in and out of consciousness to fight off the embrace of death.

            Beside Technoheart were the other four semi-finalists, except they weren’t human. A strange black substance oozed out of their bodies. Dale cringed as the bodies fell to the ground, lifeless. The bodies turned to dust as the ooze took on a humanoid appearance. The creature was hermaphroditic. Not completely male nor female. Their body had a metallic shine and glowing red eyes. The creature laughed as their body took on a semi-human appearance.

            As their metallic surface slowly began to simulate human skin, synthetic clothing manifested onto their form. “So here lies the Queen of Frostbech. I’ll enjoy wearing your body as my own,” the being said in a disturbing voice that sounded both male and female. “However, my creator has other plans. So, we’ll leave you here to die.”

            “Hey ugly!” Francisca yelled. “You just ruined the night for me and my friends! “Go to hell you damned android freak!”

            Dale and his friends readied their weapons. Francisca shot a bullet at the android. As the bullet flew it emitted sparks of electricity. The android yelped as it was electrocuted. However, it wasn’t enough to subdue the android. The android screeched and lunged at Dale.

            Dale quickly drew his electro sword and grazed the android’s side. The android pushed Dale into the fountain as it fell down. Not willing to admit defeat it split itself into multiple copies and began fighting the rest of Dale’s companions.

            “Sharbtron, retreat! We got what we need! If you continue to push yourself, you’ll be destroyed!”

            The android ignored its master’s call. Instead it continued to continue fighting Dale and the others. One by one each Sharbtron was defeated. Every new Sharbtron corpse turned into metallic black ooze. Technoheart realizing that his creation’s flawed programming would cost him the Magernium Goblet he attempted to get away.

            Dale saw that Technoheart was attempting to flee via a hoverbike. With no time to lose, Dale threw the electro at the hoverbike. The edge of the sword gently tapped the hoverbike. When Kevin Technoheart jumped on the bike he was electrocuted. Technoheart tossed the goblet into the air as his body fell to the ground.

            The Magernium Goblet spun in the air as it fell. Just before it was about to hit the ground a drone snatched it up. Dale and his friends turned around and saw a teenage boy and girl. The boy was controlling the drone while the girl assisted in helping Clair and Sally heal Naomi. The girl was crying as she used nanobots to heal the queen’s wounds.

            “Please don’t die sister!” the young woman pleaded.

            Dale and the others watched as the queen began to go unconscious. However, her wounds were healed, and she began breathing normally. The young man approached the queen and checked her vitals and nodded.

            “Looks like our sister’s going to be fine,” the boy said. “A few days or so of bed rest and she’ll be as good as new. As for the Brawl-a-thon, we may have to cancel it. Without Naomi we have no idea how to host it.”

            Duke approached the young man and bowed. “As a king I understand how tragic almost losing your loved one can be. Yet there must be a way to formally end this event that your people and tourists have come to watch.”

            “Couldn’t you have the finalists from each division drink from the goblet and have them fight against each other to close the event?” Dale asked.

            The young princess’s face lit up in delight. She whipped out what appeared to be a cellphone and began texting away. She put away her phone and jumped for joy. “That’s a great idea! Yet we’ll have to wrap things up tomorrow morning. The crowd is already pissed that Kevin Technoheart ruined things.”

            “Lily, mind your manners. As royalty we do not swear in public,” The prince said.

            “Alright, Ken. Stop being such a killjoy,” Lily said. “It was a slip of the tongue. It’s not like…”

            Dale and the others turned their attention to the hoverbike. They looked on in horror as cables extended from Technoheart’s near lifeless body and onto the hoverbike. Within a matter of seconds, the cables detached and the hoverbike took off into the west.

            Dale ran up to check out Technoheart’s body. Dale jumped back as he discovered that Kevin Technoheart’s body was that of an android. “I thought he was human! He was an android all this time?”

            Simon walked up and pulled out his Warb. He scanned the body and analyzed its data. The data popped up on a holographic interface. Simon nodded his head as he read over the newly acquired data. Simon then pulled out a device that resembled a USB and plugged it into his Warb.

            “This is interesting. Apparently, Kevin Technoheart was never human to begin with,” Simon said. “He’s actually an ancient AI that has lived in our world for nearly a thousand years.”

            “You had AI a thousand years ago?” Dale asked.

            “We sure did Dale,” Francisca said. “It’s just that your world is a thousand or more years behind. Yet that’s to be expected from a nitwit from a different world.”

            Ken Keshuana shrugged his shoulders and sighed. “Mr. Dante, can you send me a copy of your findings? I would like to analyze it, so I can use it to track Technoheart. If he manages to upload himself into a new body, we may see another massacre. Not only did his creation kill four people tonight, but he nearly killed our queen, my sister.”

            “What about Naomi?” Duke asked. “I was planning on establishing trade with your kingdom.”

            Lily walked back and forth. She tried to think of what to tell the king Razulon. “I’ll see what I can do. You think as royals we would have such authority. However, neither I nor my brother have that authority. I may have to consult the administrator of foreign affairs. If anything, he may be able to help you with trade negotiations. Once you meet him me or my brother would be able to approve or deny any trade agreements.”

            Duke bowed before the prince and princess. “Thank you for hearing me through. You two bring honor to your kingdom.”

            “Your welcome Duke Masons, king of Razulon,” Ken said. Rarely do we see foreign rulers that aren’t flaccid or war-like. Also, I’ve never seen any royal participate in the Brawl-a-thon.”

            Duke chuckled and placed a firm hand on his stomach. “Most people think we royal types would just be satisfied watching these events. They’re so much more enjoyable when you’re up close and part of the action. Yet I’m surprised that you don’t have this open to some of the other races yet.”

            “Our Brawl-a-thon’s are open to everyone,” Lily said. “It’s just that elves, fairies, lycanthropes, and most of the other races have no interest in competing. Yet I believe some of the races may be deathly allergic to Magernium if it’s above a certain isotope count.”

            Simon nodded his head in agreement. “I read an article once that a fairy made their own Magernium. However, when they used fairy test subjects, things didn’t turn out good. All of the test subjects lost control of their magic abilities or some of them mutated into horrific monsters. Besides that, there’s no account for the other races though.”

            “I had no idea,” Dale said. “Yet it’s getting late.”

            “He does have a point Simon,” Francisca said. “We better get some sleep. We have a busy day tomorrow.”

            Dale and his companions part from the group. Without a place to spend the night Dale followed Simon and Francisca. “Pardon me, but where would I go. I originally came from another world due to some advertisement for vacation. I doubt that any inns would accept dollar bills and I don’t want to risk trifling with a dragon just to go home.”

            “Can’t help you, Dale,” Francisca said. My parents won’t approve of me bringing stupid boys to my apartment. It’s bad enough that they’re my landlords and even worse when they barge into my apartment every single day.”

            Simon pondered Dale’s predicament and nodded his head. All the while, the wind howled, and the moon shone brightly in the night sky. “You do have a point. Dragons don’t like it when people pester them. Yet my house isn’t far from here.”

            “It is?” Dale asked.

            “It’s only five minutes away,” Simon said. “Yet I hope that vile Technoheart didn’t decide to run off there. The last thing I would like is for him to take over my house.”

            Francisca yawned and threw a disc into the air. The disc transformed into a hoverbike. “See you, later. I would like to stay, but I have to go.” Francisca sped off on her hoverbike towards her home.

            Dale and Simon entered the hovercar and drove around the block. Within two minutes they arrived in a large gated community. There was a robot guard standing at attention by the gate. As the hovercar approached the robot’s scanner activated. Simon rolled down his window so the robot could proceed with its scan.

            “Welcome home Mr. Dante,” the robot said. “It appears that you have a visitor tonight. I’ll be sure to let the system know that he’ll be here.”

            “Thanks, Chuck,” Simon said. “If you or the misses need a software update be sure to stop on by.”

            The robot saluted as Simon drove by. When Dale and Simon arrived at Simon’s place, Dale was amazed. Simon’s home was a gigantic mansion of technological marvel. Robot housekeepers were seen working on various tasks. Dale could even hear someone playing a guitar.

            “Pretty amazing, huh?” Simon asked. “My wife will be glad to meet you.”

            “It’s beyond amazing. And you’re married? I had no idea.”

            “Yeah, she’s usually helping me with my inventions. Yet you would have met her earlier, but she wasn’t feeling well,” Simon said. “I think it had to do with her pregnancy and a bit of morning sickness.”

            Simon pulled a card out of his pocket. Before he could open the door with his card key, the doors flew open. Standing in the doorway was strong and muscular woman with cyan skin, purple eyes and black hair. She appeared to be somewhere between six to eight months pregnant. She smiled once she laid eyes on her husband.
            “I have some wonderful news, handsome,” the woman said.

            “What is it, Monica?” Are we having a boy or girl?” Simon asked.

            “Better than that. We’re having quadruplets!” Monica squealed. “That’s two boys and two girls!”

            Simon’s eyes widened. He then embraced his wife and began making out with her. All the while, Dale stood there confused at what transpired. Here he was watching two people who resembled Hulks from comic books passionately kissing each other. The only difference was these people weren’t Hulks at all, but humans transformed due to Magernium exposure in order to create a new human subspecies.

            The overjoyed couple broke from their embrace when they realized their guest was staring. Simon put an arm around his wife and chuckled. “Sorry about that Dale.  It’s not every day that your wife tells you that you’ll be a father of four.”

            “True, but you could have waited until after you greeted me inside your home,” Dale said.

            “We’re glad to have you visit, Dale. We can get to know each other later. It’s not every night my husband brings someone home without calling me first,” Monica said. “Yet we’ll worry about formalities tomorrow. It must have been a crazy night with what happened at the arena. The Brawl-a-thon went off the air as soon as that scumbag attempted to steal the Magernium Goblet.”

            Simon called a robot to escort Dale to the guestroom. The robot was a maid unit that had a sleek black and white body and an antenna on the top of its head. Dale followed the robot down a hallway. As Dale passed by he saw two photos on the wall. One photo depicted a regular human couple and the other depicted Simon and Monica as they were now.

            In the first photo Simon and Monica had fair skin, black hair and blue eyes. Simon was quite muscular, and Monica was lightly muscled. The second photo revealed that their appearance drastically changed. Dale was still dumbfounded by the differences in the photos, but he knew tomorrow he would witness this Magernium induced transformation firsthand.

            Dale continued to follow the robot maid until they stopped in front of a red door. The robot maid bowed as the door began to open. Dale stepped inside and saw that the guest bedroom was huge. The bed was king-sized, and all the other furniture looked as if it was built for giants. But considering that his hosts are larger than most humans due to a mix of radiation and magic it made sense.

            Yet little did Dale realize is that he forgot his suitcase in his car. But right now, he didn’t care. All he wanted was a good night’s rest. Especially after travelling to a pocket universe where magic and technology are intertwined and used interchangeably. Dale plopped on the bed and fell asleep. As he slept he began having an unusual dream.

Author's Note

Give me constructive criticism and point out where I need to make changes. This book is a combination of both sci-fi and fantasy. This chapter is only a small snippet. Currently working on the next chapter. So if you got unresolved questions and things aren't answered here they may be answered in a later chapter.

Reviews

[JayG]

Well, you did ask.

First: 8000 words in a chapter? That's far too long. But because you're not trained in how to organize and write fiction, uou overlooked the places where a chapter end should have taken place. Think of them as being the place where, were this a tv show there would be a commercial-break.

Next: Never open with a weather report. That's a guaranteed rejection. If it's hot in the story, have someone wipe their brow as they do something, comment on it to another person. Or, have the fact that they're hot interfere with doing what needs to be done. You're neither on the scene nor in the story. So every time you appear to lecture the reader, for any reason, it kills the illusion of reality.

Next: A thought is placed in italics. That identifies what it is, so you never need something like "she thought," following it.

And finally (and this is where you start hating me), you can't transcribe yourself telling the story aloud and call it a story unless you also include performance notes for the reader to study. Since they can't hear the emotion in your voice as they read, or view your performance, without instructions and ignorant of the story to come, all they can do is place the emotion the punctuation suggests—to them—into the reading. Have your computer read it aloud and you'll hear the problem. It's one you don't know of because when you read your own work you CAN hear and visualize the storyteller's performance.

Here's the problem: in our school days we learn ONLY nonfiction writing techniques. And they're meant to inform, not entertain, which is a problem because our readers expect us to play on their emotions, not hand them a series of facts.

Think back. Did anyone teach is how to do that? No. Did your teachers talk about how to write dialog, handle tags, or end a scene? Did they even explain that a scene on the page is VERY different from one on stage or screen? No.

See the problem? You're a fully trained, and competent, nonfiction writer, trying to write fiction. And as you may guess, there are a few things you need to know that were not part of your schooldays writing skill set (actually, hundreds of such things).

So does that make you a bad writer? Of course not. Nor does it have to do with your talent for writing. It's just that you can't use the tool that you don't either have or know exists. So the solution is dead simple: acquire those missing tools.

Unfortunately, while it is simple, it's not an overnight process, or one that requires only a bunch of "do this instead of that," solutions, that once heard fix all the problems. Like any other profession it takes time and study. But since it applies to everyone, it's not the kind of news you were hoping for, but, it's also not a big deal, only part of the process of becoming a writer.

So how do you fix it? The library's fiction writing section is a great resource. And while you're there, look for the names, Dwight Swain, Jack Bickham, or Debra Dixon. They're gold.

Hang in there, and keep on writing.

Jay Greenstein
https://jaygreenstein.wordpress.com/category/the-craft-of-writing/

[Zachary]

Thanks for the review. Your advice is helpful and I'll use it when I begin my second draft before I add onto what I have.

[JayG]

Won't help. As someone who has owned a manuscript critiquing service, and has been published more than ones, I've been studying the art of fiction for over thirty years. And what I said about taking the time to pick up some of the skills of the pros wasn't just a suggestion.

Like everyone else, you left your schooldays owning only nonfiction writing skills—as I did. And using the book report and essay writing skills we got in our school days for fiction will ALWAYS result in something that reader like a report. Always.

It would be great if a few, "Do this instead of that," suggestions would fix the problem. But there are people making their living by writing fiction. if it was a matter of a few suggestions we would ALL be doing that. If our teachers know how to write for fiction, as the best practiced of us, most new writers would be teachers. and those who weren't would be new high school grads.

And it would be great if we learned to write fiction by reading it, but we no more do that then learn to cook by eating cooked food.

What you do is your choice, and your right. But if you want to please people like yourself, who have been reading noting but professionally written fiction since the day you learned to read, you need to know what those pros knew. No way around that.

Want a really cheap head start, to show you what you need to look into? Pick up the audio files for, Dwigfht Swain, Master Writing Teacher, on Amazon.

It's two hour long boil-downs of his all day workshops on writing, and on character development. I can's speak for you, but I found myself saying, "The man is a genius more than a few times. And if you're not willing to invest $6 on your writer's education, can you really call yourself a serious writer?

[Zachary]

I did take creative writing as a minor in college. I'll definitely have to look into the writers you've recommended. Besides it will take several drafts before my book will be ready for publishing anyway. Not only that, but trying to get ready for the military and prepping up for grad school to become a video game developer.