My final mock draft comes out in a week. Putting a lot of work into this. Hope you all like it.

I love how exact everyone is with the future Elder Ring movie release date.

Don't forget hobby writers who post half-baked nonsense, tossing it out into the bluesky ether; always wondering if they could be more but not bothering to try.

Or, uh, so I've heard ...

(out of time, I guess that's it for Benny and Rourke)

"Hold on, damnit," his friends voice echoed out from somewhere in the brush to the right of the road. Soon, Benny stepped out from the bushes, lacing his belt back together. "What is it," he asked.

"Come over here and help me decide what to make for breakfast."

Or he would have if he knew where Benny was.

"Alright Benny," he called out into the morning air. "I need you once more, good friend."

When no reply came, he raised his voice and called out again. "It's important!"

Rourke had many who would obey because of an oath but he had very few would tell him what he needed to hear or think of things that he never foresaw. Benny wasn't a leading mind of any kind but, still, he was useful to have around.

And so it was Benny that he turned to when it was time.

Besides all of that, Rourke had never felt like he needed absolute obedience. The fact that Benny could think and would think for himself, that he would tell Rourke when he disagreed and why - which had happened many times, as was only natural - this was an added value of their relationship.

For his part, Benny was trustworthy and steady. He supported Rourke better and more faithfully than even those who had given an oath. He just couldn't give his own oath because, were they ever to disagree, Benny would be torn between his belief in creation and his oath.

Which was impossible.

But Rourke and Benny had grown up together and he knew Benny down to the bottoms of his feet. Rourke would never ask Benny for on oath just as Benny could never give it. That simply wasn't Benny's way.

Benny had a firm belief in his creation and that choice was given him. He would never cede it.

People sometimes wondered why he relied on Benny. How could Benny b ehis most trusted advisor and if they were truly such fast, lifelong friends then why had Benny not sworn to him? How could he trust a man not sworn to him, especially when that man had more reason to swear an oath than anyone else?

Morning practice, mostly voice to text while driving. I've cleaned up some errors but I'm sure more remain.

Just picked a subject and started to write. No plan and trying not to worry about it or edit at all. Quality matters less than cultivating the flow.

----

Overall, I was kind of listening to it and waiting to see when I could tell that it was from an age past and I never really got that feeling. To a great extent, it felt to me like something I might read which released this year ... just simpler somehow.

There's also something going on with the gods where ... what is their true identity and history? Certainly more to come on that.

The concept is fun. For some reason, gods have created 12 blades each with its own special power and they released them into the world. Different factions are now slowly figuring out that they exist and trying to acquire them.

By the end of the first book, you've only seen a handful of them.

There's a bit of a dues ex machina and something of a feel of naive straightforwardness in the characters; even the ones who aren't kind often contemplate their betrayals quite practically. More modern literature seems to write characters that feel more complex than this - it's a minor issue for me.

I finished my reread of the First Book of Swords by Fred
Saberhagen, released in 1983.

This was surprisingly good. I knew I'd previously liked it but a lot of books from the early '80s feel their age more than this one did.

I just saw someone refer to a tornado as a "nader" and talking about how sometimes naders just choose what to take away and what to leave.

And I think it's my new favorite thing.

Occasional pointless noting that I, someone completely inconsequential, think replays may as well go with the same standard as calls get made live ... what's most likely?

Reposted because I can often forgive typos with my voice to text habits but the difference between your and you're really shouldn't be that hard for these dumb clankers to figure out based on context.

Trail Mix: Because if you're going to eat fried fruit, make sure it takes like nuts.

Is there anyone in Trump's cabinet who isn't a raging alcoholic? Goodness gracious.

But Sevlin was not the man the Duke thought him to be. Perhaps once, but no longer.

Sevlin and his small province could in no wise stand up to the Duke militarily but if Sevlin did not take a stand then was he not defeated anyway? Can he be said to rule if he allowed the Duke this liberty?

No.

Sevlin looked down from his high seat and he could see that the messenger knew as much. He could see that the messenger felt confident that the Duke's strong arm would prevent any meaningful response. Likely he already had arguments and apologies prepared and was certain that's where it would end.

Should he argue rights or territory with the messenger when it was clear that the Duke had no care for diplomacy in the first place? Had the Duke any desire or respect for diplomacy, surely he would have tried that first.

What then could Sevlin do? The Duke had a strong arm and he was using it.

He could have no idea had been taken, though he was sure it had something to do with the sword and the boy that they had argued about the day before. He was sure of it, but that didn't leave him any good options.

The Duke had overstepped and deceived him -but the Duke was also powerful.

Sevlin looked down from his high seat at the messenger from the Duke. That the Duke had sent men into his territory while distracting him with the messenger was not in doubt. Those men had wrought havoc before they were stopped and it would appear that at least some escaped with an item of import.

Short practice. Just writing and letting it flow and will with about revisions done other day. Trying to cultivate the flow.

There's more to come but my daughter has called home sick so I'm leaving to get her and will return to this later. Ideas were, indeed, flowing and I'd like to get them down:

That's a bot format name but the jumping wasn't bot behavior (last time I played). Kinda wonder if they were a bot. Doesn't really change my line on the shot but ... always prefer to defeat people.

I don't play Fortnite much anymore but I met this guy in Fortnite years ago and we still chat and play sometimes. Played last night and the volcano being back in OG was pretty nostalgic.

This snipe also made me feel decent about myself for a moment.