Better Than Money
“Ha! It’s finished! Finished and perfect,” gloated High Wizard Mabel as she stepped back to admire her freshly potted creation. “Errm...ma’am?” her apprentice…
Situational Awareness
Toying carelessly with a whisker Feyald leaned back, “So you are a wizard then?” He slathered almost as much disdain on the word ‘wizard’ as he had on…
The Wizard and the Boy - Philosopher's Stone
The Wizard and I stood in a candlelit room, staring at the box. It was small, gilded at the edges, and strongly locked. He told me that it contained a…
Why Learn In Fantasy Land?
The bookcases stretched up to the high ceiling, packed with books and scrolls. Kitty drifted along a shelf, gazing dreamily over gilded titles. _One Hundred…
Why Leave Fantasy Land?
The portal shimmered into existence in the heart of the forest clearing. Through the blue mist, they could see a rundown terrace under a grey sky. Three…
Before the Fight Sequence
He is sitting quietly up against an old oak tree lost in thoughts not meant for the world. The only sound is the wind which blows back his dark hair and…
Don't Quit your day job.
The wizard walked up to the door and hit it a few times with his staff. Nothing. He gave it a small push with his hand – still nothing. But, you have to check…
The Neurophages XVIII
The last instruction ran through the punch tape inside the battle-engine’s chest. It clanked back into its cast-iron vault and docked to a programming niche to…
The Neurophages XVII
When Miles and Lou awoke Alba was not with them, Babbage and Ada however were. They stood hand in hand in front of an enormous difference engine. The machine…
The Neurophages XVI
Lou and Miles looked on helplessly as angel and enormous battle-engine squared off. The huge machine was clutching a pitch-black sword in one of its vast…
The Neurophages XV
Alba’s monkey-wrench sword blazed, Marie-Louise’s tool belt clinked as she searched for a suitable weapon and Mile’s knuckles cracked. They were prepared for…
The Neurophages XIV
Alba told them her story: “After being rocked by the pain that my people felt, I was trance-linked to the quorum, which is the manifestation of my entire…
The Neurophages XIII
When Miles eventually tore loose from Lou’s embrace he stammered “You? I never suspected ...” “You can be such a dimwit sometimes, didn’t you notice my…
The Neurophages XII
Ada was thoughtful as the automata pushed the Lincoln and the escape pod towards the Babbage. At an intellectual level, she understood that she should feel…
The Neurophages XI
“By the beard of Archimedes, where did that come from?” exclaimed Lou. “Oh, it was just this monkey-wrench that was destined for bigger things.” explained Alba…
The Neurophages X
Miles helped a staggering Alba into the ball-bearing shaped escape pod. They pushed past its inward-opening door, and sat down on one of the plush velour…
The Neurophages IX
Pilot Ada Lovelace the twenty-second - it had taken a while to perfect the cellular propagation - pulled the throttle back, powering down the steam thrusters…
The Neurophages VIII
A battleswarm of 1,024 automata crouched on the vast grey hull of the ship. Each creature was perched ant-like on the hull, attached via a spiral drill bit…
The Neurophages VII
“Infected with a neurophage?” “An angel is powering this carriage?” said Lou and Miles simultaneously. “Yes Lou, the neurophages are attached to their lymbic…
The Neurophages VI
They were seated on the bunks in his cabin. With Lou to his left, and the angel Alba to his right, Miles felt afraid to move either way in case he touched one…