My phone woke me up at 8:30 am.  It was my youngest daughter calling to wish me a  happy birthday.  We talked a little bit; she was off school because of the snow.  I did not do much at all today.  Watched a movie.  Washed some clothes.  Did some dishes.  Watched another movie.  Thought about how nice it would be to go back in time a few years and try to fix some things that went wrong, but she would have just done it to me anyway some other time, some other place.  I had calls from my parents and my sister as well each asking what my big plans for my birthday were.  If I did not have to work tonight, drinking would be in the plans so I would not even have to think of today being my birthday.  I told them I was going to spend the day alone (of course, not by choice).  I looked through photo albums and missed my kids.  Cried a bit.  Thought some about her and her and wonder how people can be so screwed up in the way they think and how they treat people.  It was a random day filled with too much thinking.  Beer would have been better.  Beer makes me not have to think and not have to hurt. 
     The weather sucks so badly.  I had to drive almost two hours to work in a combined mess of snow, rain, slush and dumbass drivers.  Tonight it will all freeze up which will make my drive home even worse.  They blocked more sites here.  How do they expect me to sit here for twelve hours at night and not fall asleep if they block every damn site we visit?  At least they haven't blocked xanga----- yet.  I found Hulu so maybe I'll watch a movie. 
    Anyways.... see y'all later.

Prologue of a novel I am in the middle of... would like feedback.

     The great black dragon sat perched atop a high cliff wall staring across the vast sea. A massive storm raged around him. Merciless winds swept torrents of rain across the bleak land, and barren trees bowed grotesquely against the onslaught. Golden veins lanced across the sky, briefly illuminating the desolate land and craggy mountains beyond. Thunderheads clashed and roared overhead. Waves danced violently against the cliff walls. Oblivious to the tempest around him, the dragon continued to stare across the waters and beyond. Anger and hatred burned in his crimson eyes as a low growl rumbled from his throat. His ebony talons scratched impatiently against the rocky ground. A deafening crash of thunder sounded overhead and he responded in kind. He lifted his head to the sky and roared a mighty bestial roar. Watching the storm rage above, his roar turned to maniacal laughter. Eyes that burned red with anger now glowed a deep contented blue. He refocused his gaze across the sea, a slight smile curling up his reptilian face as a lightning flash briefly revealed another dragon flying in from the sea. His talons continued to scratch at the ground. Aerynx anticipated the scout would bring him good news.

     Aerynx was the largest of the black dragons of Trakania. He was also the most feared creature in the land. He served as head of the Obsidian Order. The Order, comprised solely of black dragons, was the high council to Lord Uthros. Very little information to this point was ever recorded of Uthros, for he ruled Trakania in obscurity. It had been rumored Uthros was not mortal. Stories passed down spoke of a deep evil within Uthros spawned from the very depths of the underworld itself. Aerynx received orders and reported directly to Uthros and no other Trakanian ever saw the sinister ruler.
     The second dragon landed next to Aerynx whose eyes remained fixated across the sea. 
     "What news, Kaeryx?" Aerynx asked.  Kaeryx stood considerably smaller than the other dragon, yet he served as Aerynx's general and second in command. 
     "The storm rages far, sir," Kaeryx replied in a raspy voice.  "The isle of Elios is completely blanketed within the storm."  Aerynx smiled.
     "Good," he replied and turned to Kaeryx.  "When this storm ends, there will be a fog and mist so thick over the island, those pathetic humans will not be able to see their greasy noses in front of their faces." 
     "What is the concern of Elios?" Kaeryx asked.  Aerynx laughed.
     "My lord wants the humans on Elios gone," the large dragon replied and nodded at his general, "and you are going to kill them."  Kaeryx's eyes opened wider.
     "Me?" he asked. 
     "You are to take two others with you at storm's ending and fly over Elios," Aerynx explained, "and incinerate the entire island.  Two longboats filled with Orcs will land at the western shore and make sure no one survives."
     "Why bother with Elios?" Kaeryx asked.  "They are nothing more than squatters from the far western worlds.  They are primitive people.
     "Oh, Kaeryx," answered Aerynx, " humans are more resourceful than you think. They are pesky, and come from everywhere like insects.  When my Lord gives the word to move on Willowcross, he does not want the humans to interfere." 
     "I agree, sir, but how could a band of squatters interfere in a war between two lands?
     "They could get help, send word," Aerynx stopped to think and nodded.  "This band of squatters sailed here from a land somewhere West.  While there are few, many more will eventually arrive.  Yes, they are too cunning and too resourceful for their own good.  Uthros wants them all dead before we attack Willowcross.  If my Lord wants them dead, then they will die." 
     "I understand, sir, "Kaeryx nodded. 
     "A rider approaches," stated Aerynx.  The dragons turned their heads as a figure approached them mounted on a hulking black worg.    "I sent for the orc chieftain Mum' rock," the dragon continued.  The orc wore a scowl on his green face.  Two small tusks curved up from his lower jaw.  The large orc's bloodshot eyes peered cautiously at the dragons. 
     "You sent for me, sir?"  Mum' rock said in a deep, guttural voice.  He was armored in a combination of chain mail and leather armor. 
     "Ah, Mum'rock," Aerynx smiled, "My simple friend.  It is good to see you and thank you for coming so quickly."  Mum'rock's scowl deepened.   His steel helmet, adorned with bone studs and spikes, did little to ward off the torrents of rain.  "Mum'rock, I have a bit of a problem and I need your help." 
     "What is it, sir?" 
     "To the Southwest of Trakania is a small island that has been over-run by vermin." Aerynx gazed across the sea as he spoke.  "I need you to eliminate the vermin."
     "Elios?"  Mum'rock asked.  Aerynx smiled.
     "Yes, my green friend."
     "You speak of the humans there?"
     "When the storm ends, Kaeryx and two other dragons will fly over Elios and incinerate it.  You are to land on the western side of the island behind them and kill anyone that is still alive."  Aerynx turned at looked into the eyes of the orc leader.  "No one is to survive.  Kill every man, woman and child."
     "It will be done, sir," Mum'rock nodded.  Aerynx kept his eyes on the orc.
     "Assemble your men at the southern docks.  There, you will board the boats.  Because of the horrible fog this storm will leave, a pair of aqualonians will guide your boats to the island.  The last thing we need is for you and your force to become lost."
     "Yes, sir," Mum'rock replied. 
     "Mum'rock, these orders come directly from Lord Uthros, so do not fail.  Everyone dies."  Mum'rock nodded.  "If you fail, things will not go well for you, my simple green brute."  Mum'rock stood quietly.  He hated the Obsidian Order, yet he feared them as well. 
     "Sir, if that is all, then I shall gather my raiding party and assemble at the docks."  Mum'rock grunted.  
     "Yes, Mum'rock," Aerynx said.  "You have your orders.  When the storm lifts, you shall depart.  Go now and prepare."  Mum'rock nodded and rode off into the storm.  The two dragons watched him disappear.
     "Orcs really are a simple race," Aerynx stated, "but they love to kill things and that will serve us well."
     "I do not think our orcish friend likes you, Aerynx," said Kaeryx with a smile. 
     "No one likes us, Kaeryx," the large dragon laughed.  "I doubt very much Lord Uthros likes us, but we are a master race unequal to none."  
     "Willowcross will crumble beneath our might," Kaeryx grinned. 
     "Go now, my friend," Aerynx spoke softly.  "Pick your two and meet at the docks when the storm lifts.  Report to me when Elios is nothing more than a smoldering heap of bone and ash."  Kaeryx nodded and flew off into the storm.  Aerynx gazed one last time across the sea, his eyes glowing a deep blue.  "Good-bye my filthy human squatters," he whispered before unfolding his massive wings and flying to report back to Lord Uthros.

     The storm raged through the night until subsiding by the early dawn hours.  A light rain continued to fall and a thick fog choked the morning air.  Mum'rock stood at the end of a long wooden dock studying the throng of orcs massing on the shore.  An orc named Khul stood next to him with arms folded.  Mum'rock muttered something to Khul who nodded.  Fifteen orcs could fit in each boat; yet over a hundred orcs waited impatiently with the hope of joining the assault on the human island.    Mum'rock walked the length of the dock to the shore and began inspecting the warriors.   He pushed through the crowd, looking each orc up and down.  Mum'rock would yell at those he found suitable for the raid and order each to one of the waiting boats.  Khul directed each to one boat or another.    The longboats bobbed uneasily as each orc selected stepped into the worn vessels.   The boats filled quickly and Khul held his arms up to inform Mum'rock they could take no more.  Mum'rock yelled at the crowd, ordering the remaining orcs to disperse.  He walked back to the dock as Khul began to hand out oars. 
     "Where are the aqualonians?" Mum'rock yelled to Khul.  The latter shrugged.  Mum'rock cursed and spit as he walked along the dock.  Kaeryx and two other dragons hovered overhead.   "We have no scouts yet!" Mum'rock yelled up to the dragons.   
     "They will come!"  Kaeryx yelled back.  Mum'rock mumbled to himself and walked up to Khul.
     "This whole thing has me nervous," he muttered to Khul.
     "Why is that?"  Khul asked.
     "Rowing out to Elios," Mum'rock said, "with the Obsidian Order and aqualonians.  I detest both."  Khul nodded.  
     "We will make quick work of the humans and be back in Trakania soon," Khul assured him.  Mum'rock nodded and then gestured towards the water.
     "They have arrived."  

     The aqualonians were an ancient race pre-dating any other denizen of Trakania or Willowcross. They inhabited deep underwater caves along Trakania and rarely surfaced. Aqualonians were humanoid from the torso up. The back of their sleek heads bore a small red bony crest. Except for a set of large grey eyes, the aqualonians boasted no facial features. Rubbery black skin covered their entire body. The aqualonians used their wiry, strong arms and clawed hands primarily for fighting and hunting. Having no legs, the Aqualonians propelled themselves with amazing speed through the water in serpentine movements using powerful tails. They communicated with each other using guttural clicks and short screeches from their throats. Their eating habits remained unknown due to the fact that aqualonians had no mouths. The aqualonians primarily patrolled the waters between the lands of Trakania and Willowcross. Oftentimes, aqualonians and mermaids crossed paths while patrolling the disputed waters. Few skirmishes ever broke out; rather the groups would mirror each other's movements until one of the groups would disengage.  
     The docks grew silent as the two aqualonians communicated briefly with each other. No one understood their language and their arrival created an eerie silence among both the orcs and the dragons. Mum'rock and Khul each entered a boat and stood in the bow. Kaeryx descended and hovered just above the water. He looked at the aqualonians.
     "Guide the boats twenty yards from the western shore of Elios," he spoke to the scouts. The aqualonians nodded and clicked in understanding. "You will not be able to see us fly overhead, but you will surely see the inferno we create. When the inferno has started, land the orcs and remain with the boats until they return." The aqualonians again nodded and clicked and gestured for the orcs to follow them. The orcs began to row, guiding their boats from the dock and into the open sea. Fog choked the air, making visibility poor and progress slow. A light rain continued to fall as the boats disappeared into the mist.

     The young girl awoke early. She quietly got up and peered from her window. The morning fog brought an excited smile to her face. She looked at her sleeping parents and carefully tiptoed across the dirt floor. She cautiously snuck out of the shelter and into the murky morning. The fog was so thick; the girl could barely see the outlines of the other shelters. She hurriedly searched the ground until she found a couple of large baskets. The girl beamed with joy as she walked towards a shelter. She peered in the window and noticed everyone asleep. She set down the baskets and quietly slipped inside. A small boy slept on a mat. An adult male slept on the opposite side of the room. She kneeled down next to the boy and gently shook him.
     "Derek!" She whispered and shook him again. She briefly looked at the man sleeping and then wiped the long blond hair from her eyes. The boy did not stir. The girl frowned and shook the boy a little harder. "Derek, wake up!" she hissed a little louder. This startled the boy, who jerked himself to an elbow and looked at her with surprised eyes.
     "Wha-" he began to protest when she covered his mouth with her hand.
     "Shhhhh," she whispered and looked back at the man who snored loudly. "Come with me, Derek," she whispered. The boy ran his hand through black unkempt hair and sighed heavily in protest. Nevertheless, he quietly followed her outside the shelter into the fog.
     "Wow," the boy said. "Look how foggy it is." The girl handed him a basket.
     "Yes," she replied and beckoned him to follow. "That storm we had last night was something else." They stepped into the woods and out of the large village.
     "Kayla," the boy said, "where are we going?"
     "To get breakfast," she replied with a smile. The trees towered eerily above them, shrouded in a deep mist.
     "Breakfast?" The boy repeated quizzically. The two children stepped onto a sandy shore. They could barely see the large black rocks that pockmarked the sandy white beach. A small wooden boat, long since useful, rotted slowly as the gentle waves licked at its side. Kayla walked towards the water and set her basket inside the small boat.
     "Put your basket in that old boat, Derek," she instructed the boy. He did so and followed the girl ankle-deep into the water. Kayla reached down into the water and pulled up a large blue  crab with her hands. She turned to Derek and smiled proudly.    "Breakfast!" She exclaimed. The boy smiled and began to watch the shallow water. Soon he had his own crab. Violent storms such as the previous night's sent the blue crabs towards shore. The children began to fill up the baskets.
     "The adults will be happy with such a good breakfast," Derek smiled as he threw another crab into the basket.
     "Maybe they won't be so grumpy this morning," Kayla laughed. The two children continued to collect crabs. They threw a couple of the shelled animals at each other, laughing and running. Without warning, Derek stopped running and stood still. Kayla caught up to him and he held up a hand to stop her.
     "Listen," Derek said quietly. He cocked his head. Kayla stood motionless and waited before shrugging her shoulders.
     "I don't hear anything," the girl replied. Derek pointed up to the sky near the direction of the village.
     "It's coming from there," he said. "You don't hear it? She shook her head.
     "It sounds like----" The boy was cut short by a bright orange glow from the trees. Kayla instinctively ran for a large rock and hid behind it.
     "Fire!" she yelled. The boy started walking towards the woods when the fire grew bigger and seemed to be everywhere. He could hear screams from the village.
     "What is burning like that?" He wondered aloud. "Kayla were any cooking fires still glowing from last night?" he asked.
     "It was pouring rain last night," she shook her head. Derek suddenly recognized the sound he heard and his eyes grew wide in fear. He ran back to Kayla who remained hidden behind the rock. The girl sobbed in fear.
     "Don't move, Kayla." He warned her. "I think its dragons." The girl looked with fear into the sky. Just as the screams began to die down, a new sound caught both of their ears. The sound of brutal yelling filled the morning air. The screams started again and grew hysterical. The two children huddled together in terror. Kayla covered her ears with her hands to ward off the endless screams of terror. Derek listened closely to the yelling and maniacal laughter that echoed through the dawn. His eyes narrowed in hate and one word came out of his young mouth.    "Orcs," he rasped and stood up. Kayla reached for him.
     "Derek, where are you going?" she asked with wide eyes. The boy could see the panic in her eyes.
     "Stay hidden, Kayla," he warned her. "No matter what, stay hidden."
     "Derek, no," she stammered and reached for him. "Please Derek, you're just a boy, you'll get killed!" He smiled at her. "I'm just going to take a look. I'll stay hidden, but I want to find out what is going on." He ran up the beach and crouched at the edge of the forest behind a tree. He looked back at her and smiled. Slowly, Derek crept through the woods until he disappeared from her view. Kayla watched in disbelief as her friend went off to meet his certain death. She could not stop crying. Suddenly, she felt exposed and feared someone or something would see her and kill her. Kayla ran to the old boat and lay inside it. She continued to cry and shake with fear listening to the chaos around her. The screams stopped and she could only hear unintelligible yelling. She lay in the boat motionless until she fell asleep from exhaustion. Shortly thereafter, a pair of orcs stepped from the very woods Derek had disappeared into. Their axes dripped with fresh blood and grunge from the fires coated their armor and their faces. They scanned the beach carefully for any survivors who may have fled to the water. One pointed his axe at the small boat by the shore.
     "Check in there," he ordered the other. They both began to approach the small craft where the young girl lay sleeping when another orc appeared from the woods. It was Khul. He was breathing heavily and watching the skies.
     "Get back to the boats now," Khul yelled, "before Willowcross shows up." The two orcs stopped within ten feet of the boat and immediately turned around. They ran to Khul and the three orcs disappeared into the woods.
     Kayla drifted in and out of restless sleep. She continued to hear the screams that had long since died out. She shivered uncontrollably in the boat as a fresh light rain began to fall. Distant voices caught her ear; yet she told herself she was dreaming.
     "This one still lives," A raspy voice whispered softly. A hand touched her forehead. "She is wracked with fever and must be attended to."
     "Take her then in your arms and we shall ride out of here," a soft voice replied. Kayla felt herself being lifted up and cradled in strong arms. Her nose wrinkled at a stale stench she was unfamiliar with. "Your odor may revive her," the soft voice chuckled.
     "Kneel down so I can get on," the raspy voice said. "I'm not exactly of the proper height to mount a steed." Kayla felt her cradled body rising. Was she dying? Who were these people?
     "Keep a firm grip on the child, for we are leaving now." The soft voice comforted Kayla in her sleep. Soon, she felt as if she were flying in the air. The strong arms of the raspy voice clutched her closely to him. Despite his odor, Kayla felt safe in his arms and burrowed deeper into his hold.
     "This is Trakania's work," the raspy voice stated, "which is a bad thing."
     "I know," the soft voice answered.
     "If Uthros had his minions wipe out Elios..." the raspy voice started.
     "Then Willowcross is sure to be next," the soft voice finished the statement. "When we return to Goldstone Keep, we must assemble the council. War may be at hand."
     "If it's a war Trakania wants," the raspy voice seethed, "then 'tis a beating they shall get."