DR: Daniel's Teaser

Disclaimer: Characters, etc. belong to me. This is narrated to Daniel's POV and slight spoilers are contained, as it takes place AFTER Dark Redemption.

To clarify things. First, I never wanted to save the world. All I wanted was to make things better for those I care about. My family, my friends, even those kids at the Academy who pick on other students.

Second point of clarification. I never once dreamed we'd be in so much danger. It was a harmless simulation, designed to pass away the hours of the afternoon and procrastinate on a pile of homework from Ms. Turner's AP biology class. Maybe if I'd known we were going to almost be killed like that, I wouldn't have dragged Bridget along.

But what does one do when thrust into a situation where the fate of the world is at stake? What if you simply cannot do anything to make things better? At that point, do your choices even matter anymore? Contrary to popular belief, perhaps questions have no easy answers. Maybe the right answer is different from person to person and dependent on the situation.

Yet then again, maybe not. From the very beginning (even though I never read the books written by Ms. Adams), I knew that Synistra had to be evil and we, as the heroes, had to be the good guys. I have always known that the good guys have to win in the end, but when I was younger, I didn't understand why CJ was so hesitant. I think I do know why now; my time in Almendrim has taught me that evil never goes down without a fight. The good guys still win in the end, but it's never easy.

And maybe that's why I did what I did. I chose to do what was necessary to help the good guys defeat the evil guys in the end and no choice comes without sacrifice.

Dark Redemption: Meet the Characters

As the clock ticks and the time gets shorter and shorter, it is up to six teenagers to save two worlds. Six teenagers and one computer genius.

He never told them it would be easy, but even Seven McAllistair, head programmer for Nikolai Kwaitowski's corporation, had not foreseen these challenges. For one thing, all this was supposed to be a game... a harmless source of entertainment. But no one had counted on the entire system being tampered with, least of all him.

By far, sixteen-year-old avid gamer Jake Saunders was the most enthusiastic about testing out Return to Almendrim: Rise of Synistra, but as tensions grow thick and he finds himself responsible not only for his own well-being, but also the well-being of others, can the young knight who doesn't believe in nonsense, Thomas Winston rise to the occasion? Or will Jake allow his own emotions to cloud his ability to make decisions that could affect the fate of two worlds and billions of people?

At fourteen, Emily Merquet is easily the "baby" of the group, but she's far from inexperienced. Growing up with a brother and a sister who loved fantasy games, Emily decided to create Aviella Nims, a fire-breathing scout character. Although not involved in much combat, Emily has always enjoyed the scout's versatility in challenging situations where she has to solve puzzles. But a piece of the puzzle is missing and even the resourceful Avi can't seem to solve it. Will Emily let her inability to find more information jeopardise their ability to bring about the downfall of the Dark Mage?

Fifteen-year-old Natalie Chandler has always been creative... and a bit of a diva. So when Jake asks her who her character will be, she just smiles. After seeing what the rest of the group has picked, she decides to create her alternate persona as a half-Elf... with a secret past. Like her creator, Leah King has always been a star. But unlike the sparkleful girl, Leah has more than her share of hurt and shame to overcome. Will she be able to put the past behind her and give her all for the team? Or will the shining star fall short once again?

"You need a healer character?" Bridget Page listened carefully as the premise of the game was being explained to the five others who gathered in the circle. "Sure, I'll do it, I guess." She moved over to the computer console, where Seven patiently attached the cords to her arms, legs and torso, just as he'd done to Jake moments before. As Bridget closed her eyes, she saw the character creation screen and selected Healer. The game suggested that her character should be either a Human or a Dwarf and the blonde girl's mouth dropped open in amazement. There were so many choices! How was she ever going to choose just one? As a middle-aged human, Shaina faces many choices. It's obvious she respects Thomas, but when Vandimir leaves the group, does she follow him and make sure he stays out of trouble? Or should she stay loyal to Thomas and the others?

Seventeen-year-old Daniel Verity was always the quiet, model student, never doing anything out of the ordinary... until he decided to stop by Gale's Games one winter afternoon. When Mr. McAllistair explains the premise of the simulation to the teenagers, Daniel is instantly captivated and eagerly agrees to try it out. Thus, Joseph was born. As a mischivous gnome with the power to enter (and change) dreams people have, Joseph has quite the ability to wreak havoc. But one night while he and Vandimir are on their watch, he sees something that genuinely frightens him: a dark, hooded figure sitting in a seat of power. The morale of the group is already down and if he tells everyone else what he saw, it'll only make things worse. Will Joseph have the courage to stand up to the truth when questioned by the others? Or will he cower behind lies and illusions, like he's done in the past?

Alannah Sharpe, better known as Al, wasn't in this because she wanted to be. No, Jake had tricked her into testing this out and she's not pleased. Even less amused at the whole situation is Vandimir Silvermoon, a calloused Elven scholar who prefers to keep his nose in a book. As Vandimir begins to push others away from him, it becomes apparent that because of his choices, his task is the most difficult of all. When the Midnight Angel comes to visit and warns Vandimir that the fate of both worlds now rests in his hands, will Alannah swallow her pride and ask for help? Or will both worlds fall because she's too stubbourn to accept the help that's been offered?

As the fate of both worlds collides, will these six youths unite against the coming evil and rise to the occasion? Or will they fall into darkness, like many before them have?

Dark Redemption: Overview

"Jake! Are you sure this is a good idea?" The sound of Alannah's hiss barely made it to the freckled boy's ears. Alannah, better known as Al, frowned and narrowed her eyes as she placed the bracelet around her left wrist.

"Have I ever steered you wrong?"

"This had better work!" She glared over at her best friend, who could only smile. This was the moment he'd been waiting years for, but Al wasn't so sure. Both teenagers closed their eyes and plunged into the darkness. Moments later, Jake opened his eyes and blinked.

"Uhm, Al?" He looked around for any sign of his best friend, but all he saw was a cloaked figure who was quite a bit taller than he was and obviously male. He turned towards the being. "I don't think we're in Gale's Games anymore..."

And so the adventure begins...

As the dynamic duo begins to travel the world of Almendrim, strange things begin to happen. There's a war brewing in Sininen over who's going to be the next ruler of the free world and there have been rumours in the East that an ancient magic is growing more and more powerful. Back in the "real world", things start to go awry and a young mage who possesses the ability to travel between planes tells Al and Jake that the fates of both worlds are intertwined. Even worse, Kwaitkowski's research manager told them that they only have a set amount of time in the virtual world. Can Al, Jake and the others find a way to stop this terrible force from being released and get back to their world before time runs out?

In this epic tale, you'll see a variety of old friends, such as Ashiaro, an experienced ranger; Eirhian, a jaded healer who has her own agenda; Mark, a young bounty hunter; Tem, a snarky mage who can control time; and Synistra, an ancient being with an insatiable desire to unlock the secrets of the past.

You'll also meet new characters, such as Ceryn, a young female assassin who's too pretty for her own good; Rochben, a knight who is committed to upholding justice... and of course Alannah, Jake and the rest of their friends and family.

Stay tuned for more information!

Elisha's Staff

Just a little piece about Elisha that I had a bit of fun writing. I hope you enjoy it and have a very merry Christmas!~

CRACK! As I held the handle of my katana, the blade snapped in two. Fear raced through my body and every muscle in my body tensed up all at once. Both my hands started shaking and I could feel all the colour drain from my face as I stared at the Nwalmiel. All my energy left my body and I felt sick, like I was going to throw up. With no strength left, I dropped to my hands and knees, what was left of my sword clattering to the stone ground.

"Get up." A voice that I'd never heard before in my life came from above me and I could feel myself pulled into a standing position by a hand that was a good deal larger and stronger than mine. "Hand me the sword." Since it was dark, I couldn't get a good look at the man's face, but he was a good deal taller than I am. Not that being taller than I am is that difficult. I did as I was told and he held Jordan's katana in his hands for long moment. "This must be returned to its rightful owner."

I slipped my dark blue cloak over my shoulders and turned to leave the room, but Jordan's voice grabbed my attention before I could take more than a step and a half. "Take my sword," he said. "You need it more than I do and it'll help you remember everything you've been taught. Laika will serve you well." He placed the katana and its sheath in my hands, gave me a pat on my shoulder and then turned and walked out of the room.

He held a plain wooden staff in his own calloused hands, with what appeared to be some sort of binding around the center. "This is no ordinary staff," he said, handing it to me. It felt heavy in my hands for the first few moments I held it, but it gradually got lighter. "It may look like nothing special, but its abilities are tied to your willpower. Keep yourself strong and focused and your staff will serve you well." He paused for a moment and I could see a faint blue light radiating from the stick I held in my left hand. "Keep it with you at all times. The Enemy will try to take it from you, but you must not let that happen. Now," here, he put his hands on my shoulders, "go in peace, my child."

The girl nodded and handed my staff back to me. "The Master gave it to you, didn't he?" she asked, the same smile that was on her lips dancing in those blue eyes of hers. I nodded. "You'll learn how to use it and don't even think about letting it go." Her own hand dropped down to touch the hilt of her sword. "The Enemy won't be able to do much against a weapon like that." She reached out and gave me a hug. "We'll talk later, alright?"

With one hand in my pocket and the other hand holding my staff, I set out from the courtyard of the castle and into the surrounding forest. Although it is sad every time I must leave, I'm sure that I'll be back to see both her and the Master again. But now, I must complete the mission that was given to me.

Meeting Allison

The young bounty hunter crossed the room. It was rather crowded and he cared little for paying attention to the latest gossip, which Lin seemed to be the center of. Well, Lin and Naomi. Elisha's nose wrinkled slightly; he knew he would never understand the female mind and its need to speak incessently of all the latest happenings, including the arrival of a new informant for the Resistance.

"You ought to go greet her." Mark motioned to where Jordan was speaking to a small girl with short blonde hair. Or Elisha only assumed she was a girl by her unusually petite frame, but really, it was hard to tell from the fifty meters away that the two boys stood, just watching. "Eh, doesn't really matter one way or another. Looks like she's getting the royal treatment from Lin over there." A slight frown crossed Mark's face.

"Aye, maybe I should," Elisha answered, almost the exact same frown crossing his darker face. "Lin really needs to learn to treat newcomers with respect or there'll be no one left to help us." There was a slight pause and the grasp on his quarterstaff tightened until his knuckles were white. "And right now, we need all the good help we can get. There's no way Ran is going to let Lin go out and spy." Using the wooden stick for a bit of extra support, he half-limped to where Jordan was standing, talking to the new arrival. Mark followed partway in silence, then broke off to go talk to Ran.

As Elisha approached, Jordan turned around and nodded towards the shorter youth. "This is Allison, a new recruit," he held his hand out towards the girl. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go speak to Harcourt and Ran and I'll leave the two of you to get acquainted." Without waiting for Elisha to protest, Jordan turned around and let his long legs carry him effortlessly across the room.

The younger bounty hunter frowned to himself and winced slightly, still annoyed with himself for slipping down the riverbank when he, Naomi, Mark and Lin went out for a short excursion the week before. Another few days of limping around like this and then he knew he'd be back to normal before the end of the week, but the fourteen-year-old couldn't help feeling the hairs on the back of his neck prick up when he saw Lin and Mark sparring and he had to sit on the sidelines, just watching.

"What's your name, Darkie?" The girl looked up at him, meeting his dark hazel eyes with her own light brown ones. "I'm Allison, or that's what everyone calls me." She looked him over and he could feel a piercing stare. "You're not a very good fighter, are you?"

The very tips of Elisha's ears heated up and it felt like they were once again subjected to the hot desert summer afternoon. He had only been that far out of the town a few times, even though his ancestors were originally from the desert tribes to the east. "Why should I give you my name?" After a moment, Elisha met her piercing gaze with his own more subtle one. "You obviously haven't given me yours, at least not your real one."

"Then can I call you Darkie?" When Elisha shrugged, the girl perked up and bounced away, leaving the bounty hunter more confused than ever. By the time he turned around, Mark was standing behind him. The taller bounty hunter had picked up the habit of being able to sneak up quietly behind people; it especially annoyed Lin.

"You know I don't like giving out my name," Elisha's voice dropped down to a whisper. "To know another person's name is to hold power over them and it's not something I need to deal with right now, so don't even think about it."

Sigh. I really don't like how that piece turned out, but whatever. I think it would've been better (especially at the end) if it had been a first person narration to Elisha's POV. And just to let you know, "Darkie" is a rather derogative term used to refer to someone from the desert, but Elisha either doesn't know or doesn't care. Meh, I might as well let you read this...

Scene between Elisha and Mark

Okay, wow... it's been over a month and a half since I posted here and I thoroughly blame real life stuff for getting in the way of writing. As a side note, remember some of the characters I mentioned earlier in this post? A brief scene between some of them came to mind earlier today and I just thought I'd share it with you...

Elisha glanced around the room briefly before turning back to Mark. All around them, bounty hunters went on their way, to and from their respective assignments. The sixteen-year-old could easily pick Lin out from the crowd, as well as his sister and Allison, who were both over flirting with some of the boys their age. His lips drew into a frown and he made a note to himself to speak to Naomi about the danger of a man's thoughts later.

"Hey," Mark's voice, as usual, was quiet. "You were thinking 'bout something, weren't you?"

"Yeah," Elisha nodded after a moment. Figuring out how he was going to explain everything to Naomi would have to wait until later. "But honestly, it's Lin I'm more concerned about. She's been acting all... wierd... lately, ever since Jordan left." It had been about two months since one of the most respected bounty hunters had just disappeared, leaving his sword in the hands of Elisha. When the youth had asked his senior where he was going, Jordan simply replied that it was a quest for something he called Veritas and that someday, he'd understand as well. No one had really understood, least of all Elisha and even as he tried to explain it to Lin, the words had refused to come. Jordan had abandoned them.

Mark shrugged and stuffed his hands into the pockets of his jacket. "I wouldn't expect her to believe that Veritas even exists, you know what I mean?" His own dark eyes drifted over to where Lin was standing, obviously engaged in some sort of argument with Allison.

Elisha paused for a minute, then nodded. "Lin..." he sighed. "Lin's one of those people... she never believes anything that she can't see for herself. She's a good friend and more than a worthy adversary, but she doesn't stop to consider all the possibilities." There was a short pause as he turned to watch Allison flounce away in a huff and Lin smirk, turn the other direction and go about whatever business she had. Elisha didn't wonder for too long what had happened; he was pretty sure he'd hear all about it later, whether he wanted to or not. "Mark." The other youth looked over at Elisha. "Can I ask you a question?" When Mark nodded his approval, Elisha continued. "Do you believe in the existence of a spiritual realm?"

"Yes," the voice that replied was slow to speak. "I believe that I do." Mark removed his right hand from his pocket, revealing the time keeper that Elisha had loaned him earlier that month. "I guess you might call it blind faith 'cause I've never seen anything, but I've heard about it." There was a slight pause. "Remember that old story Ran told us once? The one about Echelon and how everyone banished him to the castle outside of town because they thought he was crazy?" Elisha nodded. "What Ran said makes me think that Echelon might not've been as crazy as they say. If he had actually seen Melekhiel, that would've explained a lot... and it would be a bit more reasonable, I think, to explain why Jordan left."

Elisha frowned slightly. "But you can't even feel it, can you?" At this point, I must pause and give a brief history lesson. In the beginning, there was a spiritual realm and there was a point when everyone could not only feel it, but experience it as one would savour the richness of a barbeque with friends and family on a warm summer afternoon. Over time, people began trying to explain everything and this ability to feel the supernatural was lost to all but a few who are known as the Shiniel, or in their language, the spirit-people.

Mark opened up the timekeeper. "Eh, it's the same thing as this," he answered. "I know that it works and it makes the work I do better and provides a logical explanation as to why I don't run late anymore." He closed the gadget back up and placed it in his pocket once again. "Now, Ran knows that I've always been late and now I'm not. What's the explanation he'll come up with?"

Elisha nodded. "I see," he replied. "Even though he doesn't know that you have my timekeeper, it's most likely he'll assume you've acquired one and learned how to use it properly. I suppose, in a sense, he has faith that you have a timekeeper."

"Maybe I am accepting this on faith, but you can't always know everything, eh?" Mark's gaze trailed off into the distance and for a long couple of minutes, he was staring out the window near the ceiling. "Even Jordan doesn't know everything and I'm pretty sure that's why he went to look for answers." Mark paused and shifted to a more comfortable position, now leaning up against the stone wall of the building. "I guess I can ask you the same thing."

"Sure," the other youth spoke. A quick glance flittered around the room and he turned his back towards the commotion. He lowered his voice to several notches quieter than what it normally was. "You already know that I am a Shiniel." There was a short pause and when Mark nodded, Elisha continued. "For me to deny the existence of a spiritual realm would be worse than Lin not believing in the existence of the physical." He sighed, turned back around so that he was only halfway facing Mark now. Out of the outermost reaches of his peripheral vision, he spotted Lin, who appeared to be arguing now with Ran. "I pity her. She really just doesn't get it, does she?" He forced a weak smile over at the taller youth, who shook his head. Elisha's hand reached down to touch the handle of his sword. "Perhaps it's for the better, then." Without waiting for a reply from Mark, he turned the rest of the way and began walking towards the door.

AN: Elisha and Mark live in a society and they're both bounty hunters. Lin is Elisha's partner and Naomi is Elisha's sister. Ran and Allison are also both part of the coalition of bounty hunters. Ran is a bit older than they are and Allison is a bit younger. She and Naomi are close friends. A bit more can be explained by reading my post about Echelon's Ring, which I linked for you up above.

Quest for Echelon's Ring

So, I got an idea for a story and it's about a pair of bounty hunters (Elisha and Lin) who go on this quest to find a ring that belonged to one of the great historical figures of their land, a man named Echelon. I'll eventually end up posting the story here, so I'm not going to give you any spoilers, but a little glimpse into who's who and a teaser...

Elisha (No. 958): A nineteen-year-old bounty hunter who was raised on the streets who narrates this piece. He's an expert at things like picking locks, gathering information from strangers and is a pretty bright young adult. He is one of the Shieniel, who are people who have had some sort of encounter with the non-physical world. His choice weapon is a sword, though he rarely uses it. He also carries around exploding canisters and poisoned darts for ranged attacks.
Lin (No. 843): Elisha's eighteen-year-old partner, a fellow bounty hunter. Her expertise lies primarily in the physical aspects of the job and she's in really good physical shape. Before she became a bounty hunter, she was just an average citizen of the town and Elisha hints at the fact that she originally took an apprenticeship to help take care of Nemo, her younger brother. Her weapon of choice is a blast pistol and for close range, she usually fights unarmed.
Jordan: Identification number unknown. He was the bounty hunter who originally trained Elisha, but since then, he has left to go on a search for Veritas, or Ultimate Truth. It is revealed that the sword that Elisha now wields used to belong to Jordan and was probably given as a gift at their parting.
Mark: ID number unknown. A fellow bounty hunter and close acquaintance of Elisha. It is revealed that Elisha loaned him his "time-keeper" (basically a watch).

A few additional notes:
Veritas: Otherwise known as the Ultimate Truth. Only Shieniel can properly seek it and really only a few Shieniel are interested, as most believe it is a highly theoretical and not very practical area of interest.
Shieniel: People who have had some sort of encounter with the non-physical realm. They're often treated as outcasts to society, especially since people forget that there was a time when everyone was a Shieniel. Elisha and Jordan are both Shieniel.
Luaniel: People who have never encountered anything outside the physical realm. They make up about 95% of the current population. Lin and her family are Luaniel.
Echelon: Elisha explains this myth within the context of his narration, but Echelon was a town elder during the time where people were beginning to become Luaniel.
Melekhiel: a mysterious being. You'll find more out about him in Elisha's narration.

And... now for a teaser! This is just the first two paragraphs.

I don’t know what brought me here or even why I decided to stay. This whole place is a bit of a creepy castle, like the kind you read about in stories about medieval times with knights and princesses and dragons. To be honest, I never cared for much of that. No, I was always caught up in the practical aspects of life, like where I would find my next meal. Living on the streets is hard, even if you do happen to land a good paying job as a bounty hunter.

I didn’t always start out as a bounty hunter and I guess that’s not even what I really am. Not truly, anyhow. Jordan was the one who gave me this sword and taught me just about everything I know. He helped me get my first job, but since then, I’ve moved on. He helped me find my place in a society where everyone treats us badly because we are different. Actually, what am I spending time telling you this for? He doesn’t even come into the story that I’m about to tell you. In fact, I haven’t seen or spoken to Jordan in about three years. Last I heard, he went off on some quest for Ultimate Truth or, as he called it, Veritas. My story actually starts much later than that.

So there you have it. I think this story will actually get done pretty soon because I actually have a clear idea of where it's going.

Return of Digit Island!~

Well, I'm thinking about resurrecting Digit Island yet again, albeit with some changes and some alterations to character histories so that they don't all know each other. <_<

Scene: An abandoned stone courtyard. The sun has gone down and there is a chill in the air. Two humanoid figures are facing one another. The taller one, clearly belonging to a male, is sitting and the shorter, standing a short distance away, hands on her hips.

"Are you sure these are the seven?" the female asked, her voice incredulously high, especially for her. "They look... weak."

The other figure spoke a few sharp words in his native tongue. "They are human, Tem," he replied, switching back over to common. "It is the will of the High Council that this be done and as part of your discipline-"

Before he could continue, the one addressed as Tem interrupted. "Yeah, yeah. I know," she narrowed her eyes. "I just don't think they'll be ready when the time comes. But don't say I didn't warn you."

The man stood up, taking some effort to push himself into a standing position. "Take the twins with you," he replied, his voice barely audible, even in the dead silence of the night. "They'll remind you not to lose faith in humanity... yet."

Enter Isaiah and Jeremiah Lewis, age 19.

"We're going to be late for classes!" Isaiah grabbed his bookbag and ran out the door, dragging his brother behind him. Today was the first day of classes at Veritas Academy and the older of the twins had his introduction to engineering class in less than five minutes. Jeremiah, as usual, was lagging behind.

"Just hold on... there's no need to rush," Jeremiah grabbed his notebook and managed to barely get his set of house keys out of the lock before he was yanked away. Another typical morning to another typical day, right? Wrong.

"Hey! You two. You're with me today." Isaiah frowned; he'd heard that familiar voice before and it always meant trouble was close behind. Before either of the brothers could say anything, they were whisked off to a campsite. Tem was up to her usual tricks again.

Meet the Chosen Seven:

SCOTT ADAMS, your average fifteen-year-old high school student from California who enjoys theater, hanging out with his friends and just generally having a good time,
SAMANTHA ADAMS, Scott's twin sister who is an avid storyteller and a caring friend,
NATHANIEL "NATE" WINTERS, Scott and Sam's fourteen-year-old cousin who is originally from New York who has an aptitude for technology and setting things on fire,
KIRAN SHASTHRI, one of Nate's best friends from school who wants to be a medical missionary when she grows up and is rarely seen without her flute,
MICHAEL LIU, a quiet fourteen-year-old with a mysterious past,
KEITH CHANDLER, a thirteen-year-old kid from eastern Washington who talks to inanimate objects and lastly,
EDWARD McALLISTAIR, a sixteen-year-old football player from Texas with a superiority complex to boot.

Together under Tem's instruction and the watchful eyes of Isaiah and Jeremiah Lewis, can these seven young teenagers work together to save Digit Island before it falls? Or will Tem's skepticism about the strength of humanity prove accurate once again?

Fantasy

I recently came across a note that a friend of mine wrote on facebook in the form of a poem, talking about why she writes fantasy. This got me thinking about why I enjoy reading and writing fantasy literature. Since I am not nearly as creative as she is, my reasons will just take the form of a list.

• Guys treat girls with respect. It's something that is surprisingly uncommon these days... the idea of chivalry and honour. But in most, if not all, fantasy stories, the leading guy is a firm believer in and follower of the code of chivalry. Girls are also tend to be less manipulative than they do in today's society.
• A true sense of family and belonging. Even if it's not by birth, characters in fantasy stories generally act like family better than ones in realistic stories do. Take LotR, for example. What holds the fellowship together to the best of its ability is the power of friendship and teamwork. The goal wouldn't have been able to be accomplished by one character alone and each character has a place that they belong.
• Responsibility of powers. Whether this involves magic (as many fantasy stories do) or the ability to kick some serious behind with a sword, fantasy stories explore the balance of having power and being responsible about it. Those who abuse their power get what's coming to them in the end and those who either refuse to be tempted by the power (think Aragorn's reaction to the Ring in LotR here... or Faramir's reaction in the books!) or accept it with responsibility to use it for good (ie, Gandalf or Elrond or Galadriel with their Elven rings) are rewarded.
• Second chances, redemption and self-sacrifice. I don't know if this is true, but fantasy characters seem to mess up more than realistic characters would... or their mistakes hold much graver consequences. Through this, fantasy authors are able to explore themes like second chances (Pippin got at least one in LotR), redemption (Edmund's story in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe) and self-sacrifice for the sake of helping others (when Boromir died at the end of FotR or beginning of Two Towers, depending on whether you're following the movies or the books, respectively). You don't see that as clearly in realistic fiction.
• Beauty of other cultures. Fantasy authors are able to address controversial issues like racism in a much less offensive way than realistic fiction authors would be able to. The deep-seated prejudice between the Elves and the Dwarves in Tolkien's stories could easily be applied to modern prejudices and show readers how foolish it is to judge people solely on an aspect of themselves over which they have no control.
• In a highly materialistic, secular humanistic culture where there is little belief in what cannot be explained by science (or pseudoscience, as the case often is), to jump into a world where elves and dwarves, fauns and satyrs, talking beasts and trees that move exist is rather refreshing. To be able to enjoy a story like that allows for just a little bit of hope that some of it might be true... and thus opens a person up to the possibility of a supernatural.
  
• The end. I have yet to come across a fantasy book where the bad guys win in the end. The bad guys always have to get what they deserve (usually in the form of death or some other humiliating punishment) and the good guys win, but rarely without some large sacrifice on their part (once again, this often involves character death). In the words of a young character of mine whose universe is at war, "we have to win in the end 'cause we're the good guys. And the good guys always win in the end, right?" He's able to sum things up much better than I can. This idea is very Judeo-Christian, as God will have the final victory.
  

And I think that just about wraps things up. These are the main reasons why I enjoy reading and writing fantasy as much as I do. Thanks for reading.

Sam's Fantasy Epic

I've been working on a story that Sam is writing and she lets Michael read later. I have vague ideas of some of the characters, but I don't know where the story is going.

Just to let you know, Sam is a huge fan of writers like Tolkien, so her stories have a definite fantasy flavour to them. Yes, there is magic in this story, but it is written in the spirit of Tolkien and Lewis.

Character List
Royal Family of Kumori~

King Richard: 53. Was once a fair and noble king. Now going slightly senile due to the effects of a magical illness he contracted as a child.
Queen Lauren: 42. Wants to marry off her children while her husband is still able to function. An adept hostess.
Prince Adam: 20. The eldest son and heir. Arrogant and slightly spoiled by his mother. Very handsome. Is overdue for an arranged marriage, but Queen Lauren cannot find any girl who will suit him.
Princess Emilia: 17. Middle child. Is jealous of her mother's attention to Adam. She enjoys dressing extravagantly. Likes Lucius Touchstone.
Princess Charity: 14. Youngest child. Friendly and takes a special liking towards Violette. Enjoys playing matchmaker. Original tamer of Luminas.

Residents of Kumori~

Violette: 16. A resourceful and hard-working girl originally from the kingdom of Thalmosse. From a noble family, she was one of the girls taken to be a possible wife for Prince Adam. Luminas now belongs to her. Olivia is her best friend and Quincy is her twin brother.
Olivia: 16. Vi's best friend and a fellow servant girl. A bit spacey at the best of times. She is an Outsider.
Lucius Touchstone: 18. A servant who is learning how to become a healer from Eirhian. He likes Emilia, but is a commoner.
Eirhian: Age unknown. A celestial Outsider who works as a healer. She used to be an assassin and is now training Lucius. Nioko belongs to her.
Nioko: A rather snarky imp who often takes the form of a snake and accompanies Eirhian wherever she goes.
Luminas: A playful imp who takes the form of a giant butterfly/moth.

Other characters~

Sir Keith Chandler: Early-to-mid 30s. A mysterious knight originally from the kingdom of Galoris. He rarely speaks, but he has been training Robert for at least a few years.
Elyora: Sir Keith's fiancee.
Robert Anderson: 15. Demonic outsider who accompanies Sir Keith on his expeditions. He's originally a commoner from the kingdom of Galoris.
Synistra: Age unknown. A demonic outsider who is a skilled user of magic. Resides in the kingdom of Sheol.
Quincy: 16. Violette's twin brother who is studying to be a performer in King Sebastian's court.
King Sebastian: The king of Thalmosse.

Kingdoms
Kumori
Thalmosse
Galoris
Sheol

Races
Humans: Your typical humans... normal, diverse, etc.
Outsiders: Any non-human humanoids. They're treated as second-class citizens in most areas. The children of outsiders will always be considered outsiders, even if they look human. There are two types: Celestial and Demonic. This doesn't necessarily have any say on whether the character is good or evil (as Robert, Synistra and Olivia are all the same type of Outsider); it merely comments on their appearance.
Imps/Faeries: Small creatures that usually take the form of animals or plants.

Magic and Other Stuff
Magic: Yes, this story has magic in it... both magic to heal (what Eirhian and Lucius use) and magic to hurt (like what Synistra uses). Magic users are generally Outsiders and therefore, treated as outcasts. It is an inherited ability, but must be developed with effort and much practice.
As an author, Sam is very much inspired by the world that Tolkien created, as well as a bit of CS Lewis. Both authors had magic in their stories (for Tolkien, it was primarily Saruman and Gandalf, and for Lewis, Aslan and Jadis) and it is not inherently evil. I think I'm going to make a blog post over on my other blog going into further detail with this, so I'll leave it that for now.

Shiny New Character!

Introducing brand-new, shiny character! I got an idea for a story when I was sitting in CORE lecture and this character won't leave, so I figured I should write a little bit down about him.

Tarachand doesn't exactly live in our world. Instead, he lives in Almedrim (Seleweno, Sininen, to be mroe exact) and he's a member of a monastic community. He's about seventeen years of age and has been living there for about a dozen years.

Their culture is very different from ours. They count the years by solstices and the way the twin moons align in the sky. The monastery is dedicated to a monotheistic religion, worshipping Anilfirin (Elven name). The Tamesians are the ethnic people from which the Winged Raiders com.


Character Name: Tarachand Paras (“Tarachand” is Sanskrit for “star”, “Paras” is Sanskrit for “touchstone”.) I do really enjoy using Sanskrit names.

Birth Date: Morning after Winter Solstice. Lunn and Carn were aligned (during Solstice, they are only aligned every third Solstice). He is currently about seventeen.

Place of Birth: Sobotaj, Sininen. This is one of the southeastern most communities and it is under the constant threat of war from the Dark Elves and raids by the Winged Raiders.

Residence: Monastery of Anilfirin in Seleweno, about twenty miles north of Cynelic

Race: Human, possibly tainted by Tamesian blood somewhere up the line.

Height: Five foot, ten inches.

Weight: ~150 pounds

Clothing Sizes / Styles: He tends to wear loose clothing and mostly long robes, which is what everyone wears at the monastery. When he has his choice, he will remove his outer robes, preferring a simple tunic and pants instead. His clothing is well-worn and patched in many places and with all sorts of colours of cloth.

Hair Color: Almost black. He is from the south eastern region of Sininen and they tend to be darker.

Hair Length: Straight and long enough to pull back into a ponytail. He tends to braid it at night so that it will not tangle.

Eye Color: Dark with golden flecks around the rim, signifying that he has Tamesian blood in him and is an outcast because of that.

Handedness: Right-handed. Everyone in their monastery has been forced to be right-handed, at least to write and eat.

Jewelry: None. No jewelry is allowed at the monastery.

General Appearance: Tarachand is of approximately average height, weight and build for a young human male. His dark hair reaches down well past his shoulders and is fairly fine. He often keeps this tied back. His skin is pale compared to his family, but naturally darker than the others at the monastery and it has a slightly jaundiced tint, due to the small bit of Tamesian heritage he has.
The clothing he wears is worn and tattered around the edges. His hands are perpetually covered in ink stains and often, he will walk around the monastery without shoes on, especially during the summer.

Relationship with Family: Tarachand doesn’t really know his real family because he was dropped off at the monastery when he was a small child to be placed under the care of Ahbahs Nirav (the Abbot). He considers Nirav to be a father to him and their relationship is very close.

Key Family / Relatives: Ahbahs Nirav

Relationship with Friends: Jahangir is one of the other members of the monastery. He is almost heretical for his beliefs and enjoys questioning the practices of the others. He is somewhat rash in his ways and stands up for what he thinks is right. One way that he dissents from the main group is that he believes that there is beauty in everything, not just in the culture of the monastery. Seeing truth and beauty in the pagan beliefs is more than enough to put him at odds with Tarachand, who has grown up believing everything that Nirav has told him to be true.
~Ellywn is a female wanderer who has settled down for a short time just outside of the monastery. Originally from Cynelic, she was taken in by Elven adoptive parents (their own children had long since left home) when she was a child after her parents died of the plague (similar to influenza). When she was sixteen, she left home and has been travelling since then. She is fairly caring, though she recognizes that life can be stripped away from people in an instant, so she tends not to form emotional bonds to people easily.
~Ahbahs Nirav, or simply Nirav, is the Abbot of the monastery. He is about eighty-five years of age as humans reckon time and he has cared for Tarachand since the boy was young. As the head of the monastery, he is in-charge of and responsible for everything that goes on there. He adheres strongly to the old traditions, even if they are considered out-of-date by some of the other members. To him, there is no excuse to deviate from the law and if you do, strict punishments are to follow. However, if one follows the law, Nirav is very kind and benevolent. He prefers to teach by example, rather than speaking. There are weeks where he will only speak while in prayer to Anilfirin.

Key Friends: Jahangir, Nirav, Ellwyn

Educational History: Tarachand was schooled at the monastery since he was a young boy. He learned to read and write and the basics of mathematics. When he was twelve, he began his training as a scribe. Because he is a scribe, he has learned how to read Common and Elven, the two main written languages of Almendrim.

Work History: Scribe training from the time he was twelve until he turned fifteen. He has been a scribe at the monastery since then.

Skills: Cooking, planting, harvesting, mending, transcribing the ancient manuscripts

Bad Habits / Vices: Vanity. Despite not being able to own very much (monastery rules), he really cares about how he looks... most of the time. He is very proud of his hair, but hates his eyes.

Quirks: He tends to bite his lips together when he’s focusing really hard on something or occasionally when he is working.

Best Qualities: Follows the rules, contemplative, emotionally and mentally stable, a good worker

Worst Qualities: People pleaser, vain

Key Childhood Experiences: Not remembering his family and being dropped off at the monastery when he was about five-years-old.

Key Teenage Experiences: Meeting Ellwyn, scribe training.

Sexual Background: Everyone entering the monastery has to take a vow of celibacy, which may only be broken if said person leaves the monastery.

Personal Goals: To be able to belong somewhere and be accepted by people. Because of this, he is a people-pleaser.

Morality / Ethics: Tarachand is legalistic about following the rules of the monastery, as he was raised there. When he meets Ellwyn and begins wondering if the solitary life is right for him, he feels bad for questioning what he’s been taught all his life. Tarachand is religious and worships Anilfirin.

Style of Speech: Not as formal as Nirav, but more formal than an average human of Almendrim would speak and quite a bit more formal than a human of the Shadowlands (ie, our world) would normally talk.

Other Important Details: Other than the fact he’s a brand-new fantasy character? Really nothing.

Update

Well, I'm awake and have nothing better to do, so I might as well blog. I haven't been able to knit, so I've been writing in my free time instead. Most of it is for a story that I'm working on with a friend over instant messenger. It's really starting to get interesting because there are a lot of potential issues that could come up and last night, we were talking about the issue of racism as it applies to a fantasy setting. Not usually the best path to take, but I do have a character who is racist, and perhaps almost for a justified reason. She takes it way too far and it is wrong, but considering the fact that her people have been at war and she hasn't had the most ideal life, she could be doing a lot worse than she is.

But that's really not what I intended to talk about. What I wanted to talk about was the idea of looking back on stuff that I've written over the past year or two and seeing how far I've come. One thing (in writing or in life) is that it's hard to make a judgement on that when you're in the middle of a situation. You really have to step back and make an observation.

I've even been looking back at Snapshots, which isn't necessarily the best embodiment of this. I was re-reading over some of what I have written and in the second chapter, only the very ending is strong. Chapter three, which was written in April of 2008, is mediocre. Really, only chapters one (because it was the first), four and what I've written so far of six are what I would consider really good. Chapter five is decent, especially towards the end. I've started to learn how to weave description in with dialogue, which is a most excellent thing.

I think I should work some on chapter six over spring break. But for now, I should probably go to bed and try to get at least couple more hours of sleep before morning really comes.

Eirian's Tale

I need to write more... unfortunately, I want to write something that probably wouldn't happen in the realistic stories I have going, so it might be time to bring out Eirian...

Eirian's an Annuviel, or a winged being similar in most ways to an Elf. Except that they're shorter and they have very large wings. And they can fly. She's from the same clan as Quayle (Xanthus), which means her wings are silvery-white. Her hair is also pretty light and her eyes are silvery-purple, which is characteristic of those descended from the Elder Tribe (Kai and Ismet are not descendents of the Elder Tribe). Those of the Elder Tribe are usually taller than other Annuviels; it is rare for an Annuviel to be taller than five feet.

Most Annuviels have a love of life and all things that grow or breathe, though they tend to be quite xenophobic. They're secretive folk and don't like outsiders. Eirian may not be xenophobic, but she is incredibly prejudiced. To her, humans are alright (she lived with them for quite a few years), but she hates the Dark Elves... or anyone who might be descended from them. She's also incredibly masochistic, as lying causes physical pain for the Annuviels. Some have learned to ignore the pain (like Quayle) and others have learned to like it, but most just don't lie. At all. Eirian actually likes it.

So here's a little something I wrote with her in it. Yes, it's fantasy. It takes place in Almendrim, which is the fantasy land I created. It's kind of your general fantasy land, not completely unlike Middle-earth, though there are more races... and talking animals.

MPAA Rating: G
Word Count: 438

“With all due respect, I must object.” Eirian’s voice was raised quite a bit more than anyone had heard before and she stood up. She and an unidentified human male were in the highest tower at the castle in Cynelic. They had been discussing important matters for nearly three hours; every time the man offered a proposition, the younger female refused. Time after time, arguments started again until at last, Eirian felt like she had enough.

Grey eyes darted to glance out the window, the only portal into the outside world from the Tower. The sun was ready to set and within hours, the twin moons – Lunn and Carn – would appear. The Annuviel felt sick to her stomach; she knew what happened when the moons would align as they would tonight. Far off into the distance, she could already hear the chanting and she thought she saw a flicker of flame out of the corner of her peripheral vision. Another raid. Not even the most foul words in her native tongue of Archia would suit for the moment and she swore under her breath in the common speech.

“Consider it.” The man’s voice was insistent and even Eirian couldn’t ignore the pleading tone that was infused so deeply into his emotions. His offers were tempting; she could do as he asked and still gain revenge upon at least one of the enemy simultaneously. The corner of her eye twitched and there was a brief flash of a devious smile; her ears pricked back and she met the man’s eyes after a brief moment of recovery.

“Alright then, I shall.” There was a slight smirk playing onto her face as she thought through what he had said. A hiss came from inside the shoulder bag she was carrying and a teal head popped out. Nioko glared at the man, suspicion shining through his sulfur-colored eyes. Though the moons would align tonight, there would be no more Annuviel blood spilt over senseless raids by the enemy. She now had the means she needed to exact her revenge.

Little did she know, one action of hers would set off a chain reaction that would involve a major political crisis and another betrayal in her life. Nor was she aware that during the next few months, she would come to discover with whom her true allegiance rested. All she understood was that she had been given a task and she would carry it out like every other time, only placing her signature twist on the assignment.

Instead of deterring the company, she would find them and kill him.

Nioko is her pet snake. The unidentified human male is the Duke, who happens to be a high official in the King's Court. Lunn and Carn are the names of the twin moons that orbit Praesodyn, which is the name of the world that Almendrim (the country) is located on. Cynelic is the capital of the human kingdom. Archia is the name of the Annuviels' native tongue, which is virtually impossible for a non-Annuviel to learn (though some Elves have picked up decent portions of it). Eirian's basically a hired assassin at this point.