Weekly Wordzzle 190 & Daily Reminder # 596

At 8:00 o'clock I remembered that it's Friday. I was all preoccupied waiting for the vet to come and check out Angel's paw and lost track of pretty much everything else. Angel's paw is slightly infected so she will be on antibiotics  for the next week. Her little claw is twisted out of place and may or may not return to it's proper alignment. I have no idea how she did that to herself.  Anyway, I'm going to cheat and the Weekly Wordzzle is also going to be a gratitude-less Daily Reminder. Pure, unadulterated cheating. But then, I think the friend for whom I write the Reminders might enjoy Fred's story. That's my rationalization anyway.  I had a REALLY hard time with the words again. Yikes. But I finished another week's installment. Our story is drawing to a close soon, I think.

This will be the 30th installment of Paragon of Virtue, Fred Johnson's adventure in the Kingdom of Sunday.

Here are links to the previous episodes.  If you need/want to catch up, click here for the 1st installment, 2nd installment, 3rd installment, 4th installment, 5th installment, 6th installment, 7th installment., 8th installment, 9th installment, 10th installment, 11th installment, 12th installment, 13th installment, 14th installment, 15th installment, 16th installment, 17th installment, 18th installment, 19th installment. 20th installment, 21st installment, 22nd installment, 23rd installment, 24th installment, 25th installment, 26th installment, 27th installment, 28th installment, 29th installment...

Words for today's 10-word challenge were:  Solitude, improved, flowers, amazing, tile, round table, flag, splash, cape, crimson    And for the mini: value, iron, easy, details, library

My Mega: 

Looking at the amazing cape which wrapped around the purple teddy bear, the mood of those gathered at the small round table improved considerably. The details and craftsmanship of the small garment were incredible. Iridescent dragon scales were applied in the shape of flowers and startling crimson fire bird feathers added splashes of blazing color throughout.  Beyond whatever value it held for their quest, it was an extraordinary work of art. It also flagged some kind of intense memory that remained just out of his reach, something that evoked the easy solitude of his library at the farm and of something else. And then he remembered.... surrounding the iron grate of his fireplace was a series of painted tiles featuring the story of the Bird of Paradise and the maiden who had visited him in his dream. Was it possible that this cape they were looking at belonged to her? It couldn't be, could it?

My mini: 

"Ah, Paragon," the wizard whispered, as though reading his mind. "I see you recognize his garment as belonging to the Bird of Paradise. It's beauty is unparalleled, but it's real value lies in the power of it's true owner." "Your memory for details," the dragon - who WAS reading his mind - added, "is quite remarkable. Your library is lovely by the way. Perhaps when these troubles are behind us, you will invite me for a visit." Before he could reply, there was an uneasy cough from the direction of Count Psycho. He was pale and stammering. "I... I....:"  It sounded to Fred as though he was saying 'iron" over and over but that didn't make any sense, when suddenly he realized that Psycho was trying to say "I remember...."






My 10-word:   


Barely aware of what he was doing - as though guided by something beyond himself - the Paragon gently lifted the cape from the teddy bear and laid it across Psycho's flagging shoulders. To call what happened next amazing would be to understate the nature of the miracle which took place.  With his hand still resting on the Count's shoulder, he could feel the years of pain and loss and grief and solitude that had been laid on Psycho by his father's evil cruelty and lies and simultaneously felt them drawn out of him as the the dragon scale flowers and crimson feathers trembled every so slightly. And as if that was not miraculous enough, it felt as though that extraordinary healing magic splashed over onto each person sitting at that little make-shift round table, soothing old wounds and hurts. The stiffness and confusion of their years of enchantment lifted from Melody and Wallace Stripes. Bubbles felt the aches and stiffness of her pregnancy melt away and better than that, she felt pure love kiss the growing child in her belly. A grinning McFlash looked 15 years younger and even the wizard and dragon seemed to take on a more ethereal glow. For his part, the Paragon felt the healing of the others move through his own body while at the same time the griefs of his own heart and Spirit felt soothed. He power of the cloak did not limit itself to the flesh and blood beings, though. The quality of light and air in the space improved. The years of dust and neglect vanished in a flash, restoring tattered toys radiant perfection. Even the tiles on the floor glowed with a light that was more than just a high polish. On the wall perpendicular to the mural another mural appeared - the legend of the Bird of Paradise, so exquisite that the beings depicted seemed almost alive. Again, without knowing quite what guided him, Fred Johnson, Paragon of Virtue, lifted the cape from Count Psycho's shoulders and began silently asking all present to lay a hand on it, began Grandfather Purist's chant:  "Remember son, the Number One,Sun to sun, the Number One, Day is Done, the Number One, that is how the spell's begun, First we dance, then we run, then we watch the web be spun. Hate expires, Love has won, Love is ONE. Dawn of day to setting sun. Remember always Number One,"  The cloak seemed to breathe beneath their hands as they chanted the words. And as they released their hands, a being of light - the woman from his long ago dream - lifted it from them and wrapped it around her own shoulders. "Thank You," she said. "You have all done well and the journey is almost over. Paragon. You have made me proud.... as have you all," she continued, smiling on each of them in turn. "Son of Amanda Purist. You have earned a better name. What do you think of Brave Heart the Redeemed? Yours IS a brave heart, though you have, in your day done great wrong. You have also dared to love again and with the help of the Paragon and others have broken the poison spell that held you for so long. I commend you for that. and I thank you. Your wound has been my wound and accepting the healing offered, you have given a healing back. You are truly your mother's son. And now my friends, it is time to set that brave woman free. Fear not as you enter the mural. The power of love walks with you." And as quickly as she had appeared, she vanished again. 

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Words for next week's 10-word challenge:  case, crocodile, sneeze, electricity, paws, pink, frenzy, octagon, helping hand, loudly

And for the mini: soundly, chapter, bell, cheer, clever 

Thanks you for playing.  Newcomers can check here for some guidelines to make the game more fun. There are no rules, just some general guidelines and tricks.