Memories are amazing

1. They help you learn from your mistakes. If you couldn't remember how you messed up, it would be extremely easy to make that mistake again and again.
2. They help you find answers to problems. By being able to remember things that you've learned, you have access to potential solutions to almost any problem.
3. They help you feel empathy for others. By recalling your own struggles, you can help support others with their difficulties.
4. They can keep you out of trouble. Knowledge can keep you safe, if you remember to use it.
5. They provide you with an anchor. When things get crazy, being able to call up comforting memories can help you from losing hold of yourself.
6. They can cheer you up. When sorrows strike, remembering the people and events you love can drive away the gloom.
7. They reveal who you are. What was the best day of your life? Your childhood friend? What was your worst experience? The moments of your life that you most vividly remember can show what you care most about, and what events caused the greatest impact to your life.
8. They help you understand others. By drawing upon your memories, you are able to recognize and comprehend the motives of others. The more you learn about a particular person, the easier it is to understand their actions.
9. They help you plan for the future. Memories give you a starting point for planning what you'll do next. Be it a planned event or an uncertain adventure, by remembering all that you've already done, you can better prepare for tomorrow.
10. They help you to keep going. Everything you can remember, bad and good, happy and sad, have helped shape who you are now. And each memory can help you to continue forward, to make new memories that will help shape who you will become.

Pizza delivery, part XVII

Back pressed against the the silvery barrier, I couldn't look away from the wraith. Smoky beat against the barrier, his claws cutting grooves in the magic that closed almost immediately after he made them.

I knew the barrier was tough, and seeing a creature made of smoke cut through it was frightening.

Especially since there was barely a foot of space between us.

There was no way Mistress Orla would let me out now. Not while Smoky was raging.

Heart pounding, I shifted a trembling hand to the hilt of my knife.

Smoky froze, a forelimb still raised.

"It won't work." That reedy voice filled my mind as Smoky's head turned toward me. My hand tightened around the hilt, and the wraith's featureless eyes darkened.

"We're both stuck in here." Slowly, I unsheathed the blade. Stretching out my arm, I let go of the knife. It clattered against the stone floor separating us. My quarterstaff was too large to be of any use, but I leaned it against the silvery barrier.

Smoky's dragon shape twisted toward me, and I held out my right hand. "Wait! You can't get out without me." It might not be true, but the wraith paused.

"Oh?" Smoky's laughter rang in my thoughts. Smiling was difficult, but I forced the expression to remain as the wraith glided closer.

"Mistress Orla is terrified of what you could do." I said, the words coming quickly. "And with good reason. Wraiths don't mingle with people very much, do they?"

"We feed." Smoky replied, and my right hand became numb.

"Exactly." I fought the urge to jerk my hand away as Smoky neared it. "You feed on remnants. But remnants of what?"

Circling my outstretched hand, Smoky bared his fangs. "With you? Sensations, memories. Such flavors." His wing brushed my thumb, and pain flared.

"Wait, memories?" More pain filled my hand as the wraith landed and coiled around it. His laughter almost drowned out my frantic thoughts. Smoky was eating my memories? Which ones? Could I remember memories a wraith fed on?

"So unusual. Strange realm with no magic.” Smoky's voice was odd, almost... wistful. “Answer this: who is Hannah?"

At the name, an ache filled my chest. I gasped at the intensity of the feeling, how it made my legs weak and pulse race.

"Hannah is– she is–" I couldn't form the words. I knew the name. I knew it. Yet when I tried to remember her, there was nothing.

Nothing but this ache, and the sense that Hannah was important. Somehow.

"Remnants. Not what we consume, but what we leave."

Important things to take on a trip

1. Extra socks. You never know what trouble your feet will find, so avoid the sorrow of squishy socks by packing extra.
2. Cash. Having access to your bank account through a card is good, but there are times when having the money on hand will save you a lot of hassle.
3. Good shoes. Even if you don't think that you'll be doing a lot of walking, make sure to wear a pair of shoes that are comfortable enough to handle any surprise hikes.
4. A watch. If you don't have a way to tell what time it is, then your trip could become a frantic rush to not be late for appointments.
5. A hat. Hats are great for protecting your head through different types of weather, which is great when you're not entirely sure what you'll face on your trip.
6. A handkerchief. Handkerchiefs are useful for more than just blowing your nose, and can come in handy during a trip.
7. Something to write with. Whether you need to jot down an address, or record your adventure, having something to write with is worth taking on any trip.
8. A book. During the quiet moments of your trip, having a book to read is wonderful. Be it a familiar friend or a new tale, a book is a great companion to have.
9. A camera. Being able to record your trip in a way that can be shared with others later on is fantastic. But even more important, having photographic evidence will help you to remember all of the fun times you had.
10. A bottle of water. Having something to drink on hand before your adventure gets going will save you from giving in to thirst later on and spending more than necessary on a drink.

Pizza delivery, part XVI

If you're ever at the wizard's guild, stay close to a wizard. As Mistress Orla led Brend and I through the guild, I couldn't help but notice that the hallway behind us disappeared into unnatural shadows. I did not want to find out what would happen if someone got caught in those shadows.

Finally, the hallway ended before a smooth slab of stone. Mistress Orla lifted her staff, and etched symbols onto the stone with her navy magic. I'd gotten used to Brend's nonsense words, so it was strange to see this woman use magic without any mutterings.

The symbols flashed, and I squinted against the light. When it faded, the stone slab was gone.

"Mister Alex, lead the way." Mistress Orla gestured with her staff at the opening, and I frowned. But I wasn't about to argue with a woman whose magic impressed Smoky.

Crossing into the new room, it was difficult to make out just how large it was. Unlike the the other places I'd seen of the wizard's guild, this room wasn't well lit. I stopped a short way into the room.

"Keep moving forward." Mistress Orla's voice was stern. Brow furrowing, I hesitated for a moment before continuing forward.

The wood flooring changed to stone, and my right hand started burning.

"Trap!" Smoky's voice filled my thoughts as light flooded the room. Covering my eyes, I froze as the delivery bag started shaking.

"I'm terribly sorry Mister Alex, but one must take precautions when dealing with wraiths." Mistress Orla said. Uncovering my eyes, I squinted against the bright light. A strange silvery haze separated the circular stone I stood upon from the rest of the room. Mistress Orla was standing on the other side of the haze, watching me. Brend stood a little behind her, eyes wide.

"Mistress Orla, is this necessary? The wraith has yet to leave the delivery bag on its own." Brend said, and she turned to look at him.

"Brend O'Nolan, I taught you better than to take unnecessary risks." Mistress Orla said, and Brend glanced away. "Now, tell me from the beginning how this delivery boy arrived in our realm."

I only half listened as Brend told her about all that had happened during the last forty days. My delivery bag was still shaking, and my head was aching from Smoky's reedy voice constantly repeating the word trap. Stretching out my hand, it met resistance as I tried to touch the silvery haze.

Yes, I was trapped in a confined space with an agitated wraith. I just hoped that shaking the delivery bag would be the extent of Smoky's attempt to escape.

When Brend finished, Mistress Orla turned back to me. "You've been through a lot, Mister Alex."

"Well, I just want to get home." Back home, where I wouldn't be stuck with a wraith that wanted to eat me or get imprisoned by a wizard. Or were female wizards called witches here? "Can you let me out?"

Mistress Orla hesitated, and motioned at the delivery bag. "Set that down first."

"Mine!" Smoky's voice was like thunder, deafening my own thoughts. There was a ripping sound, and dark smoke shaped like a dragon shot toward Mistress Orla.

The silvery haze flared to life, obscuring everything beyond the circular stone. The dragon shaped wraith beat against the barrier, and I backed as far away as I could.

Smoky was out of the bag, and he was angry.

Dragons are jerks

1. They'll take your stuff. Dragons are massive hoarders, and they don't usually care if the stuff the take already belongs to someone.
2. Their sneezes will singe off your eyebrows. Dragons do not know how to cover their mouths, and have this horrible habit of breathing fire.
3. Dragons are hypocrites. They demand that you are respectful to them, yet they treat you as inferior creatures not worth wasting manners on. How rude is that?
4. They have huge appetites. Dragons will eat almost anything and anyone, without feeling even the tiniest bit sorry about it. So keep an eye on Fido.
5. Dragons will wreck your house. For a dragon, no party is over until the walls come crumbling down. And if you don't invite them? They'll still come crashing through the window.
6. They hold a grudge. If you upset a dragon, they will remember you. And they will do their best to make your life miserable from then on.
7. Dragons don't share. Need a few more pieces of gold, or a rusty sword? Don't ask a dragon for help, because they will snap at you for even suggesting they give you something. And a snapping dragon is not good for your limbs.
8. Dragons lie. Just like their stuff, dragons guard any knowledge they have obtained. Ask them for directions, and they'll direct you somewhere completely different then where you want to go.
9. Dragons are grumpy. A dragon is never in a good mood, and they will let you know exactly how unhappy they are with a blast of fire.
10. Dragons steal princesses and other damsels. They'll carrying away a girl, and then keep her locked up for no reason whatsoever. It'd be one thing if they needed a maid, or someone to shine their scales. But most dragons abduct fair maidens just because they feel like it.

Pizza delivery, part XV

As we strode into town, people stopped to watch. They actually stopped.

Though I guess I couldn't blame them, since we were quite a sight.

I wore my dragon scale armor, and Brend held his dragon bone staff. Rafferty's new bow made from one of the dragon's horns was unstrung in a bag hanging over his shoulder. Seamus had a new knife made from a dragon claw. Lorcan's prize was one of the dragon's eyes, kept in a clear crystal amulet around his neck. When I'd asked about it, Lorcan merely shrugged and mentioned that few things could sneak up on a dragon.

And Callan? He'd claimed the dragon's teeth.

We made our way to the market, where the band quickly separated.

"Follow Brend, laddy." Callan said, resting a hand on my shoulder before leaving. Brend nodded, and we began walking.

Studying the various wares, I couldn't help but frown. "Why didn't we resupply using the wizard's haze?"

"The haze is useful for a lot of things, but sometimes it's best to barter in person." Brend said, shifting to avoid a girl leading her cow. "In addition, the market is an excellent place to hear the current news and rumors."

"Why would rumors be useful?" I asked.

"They often carry some grain of truth. Many adventurers gain their fortune by having followed the right rumor." Brend paused before a wooden building. There didn't seem to be anything special about the building, other then a sign painted with a staff sputtering magic hanging above the door.

Turning to me, Brend motioned toward the building. “Welcome to the wizard's guild.”

"Why come here?" I asked as we headed toward the door. Since Brend was an apprentice wizard, I suppose that could explain why we were here.

Upon reaching the door, Brend knocked on it with his staff twice, then thrice more. The door swung open, and we entered.

The inside was well lit with glowing orbs of light drifting near the ceiling. The large room had no other doors that I could see, nor any other way out. There was a single comfortable chair in the center of the room, where a woman sat with a shadowy staff resting on her lap.

"Brend O'Nolan, who is your companion?" The woman's voice was soft, though there was a note of disapproval to it.

"Mistress Orla, this Mister Alex. He was pulled into our realm when someone hijacked one of my spells."

The woman tilted her head, and lifted her staff. A thread of navy magic slipped through the air to encircle me. It spun around me, until it got close to my delivery bag and vanished.

"The boy has a wraith with him." Mistress Orla's voice rose, and she stood.

"Powerful magic." Smoky's voice filled my mind, along with a sense of hunger. I rested my fist against the top of the bag.

"You're not coming out." I whispered, giving the bag a glare.

"Come, and explain yourselves." Mistress Orla said, and I looked up to find that a hallway had appeared in the far wall. Brend started forward, and I followed, wondering just what we were going to tell this woman.

How to decorate your dungeon

1. Get a rack. Even if you never use it, a rack is get for inspiring a foreboding mood in your captives.
2. Have a bunch of chains. Thin ones, thick heavy ones, and don't forget some with rust! The best thing about chains is that you can have a few guard moan and rattle them at midnight so people will think the dungeon is haunted.
3. Bones. Since most of your captives will likely be uneducated peasants, just scatter some animals bones on the floor. Add to that a skeleton slumped in the corner of one cell, and you're well on the way to a grim atmosphere.
4. Train some rats to hassle your captives. It'll be hard to sleep with the scrabbling of tiny feet steadily getting closer to you.
5. Don't forget to install some leaks. A dank dungeon is a miserable dungeon.
6. Keep it cold. That rough stone floor should sap the warmth right out of your captives.
7. Don't worry about stains. Someone spill their tomato soup? Just spread it around and let the imaginations of those who see it run wild.
8. Forget the bright lights. A dim dungeon is more likely to cause your captives sorrow then a well lit one. Plus, the dark has a way of making even the most mundane objects appear menacing.
9. Hire professional prisoners. Keeping a least one cell full at all times is great for those unexpected inspections. And remember: you don't have to pay the actors until you release them.
10. Have a variety of holding cells. Some with iron bars, others that are just a covered pit, and some with frightening metal doors. By having more then one way to imprison your captives, you can customize their experience to their individual fears.