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The Prologue, starring Danie, Esthaenie, and Adelram:
The mist wound thick around the meadow as Danielle Amora picked her way across, cloak dragging through the dew-hung grass. Her boots were soaked through, toes clenched against the chill that drifted across the way.
Ahead of her, Adelram stalked through the fog, feathered arms clasped in reverence.
“This is as far as I shall take you. Be wary and wise, Amora.” The kenku’s beak clicked as he spoke, silhouetted by the light of the moon. His simple brown robe draped in billows over his shoulders. Danielle liked the man: he was quiet, and honest, much unlike most kenku. Adelram was an excellent monk and guide.
“Thank you, Adelram,” Danie said, wrapping her cloak more tightly around her middle. She winced at the tremor in her voice. Adelram nodded solemnly and began to leave when he paused.
“Ms. Amora,” he said, raven-like head bowed, “if I may… why are you here? There is naught here but a meadow, last I heard.”
Danie’s ears turned pink. “Do you know the Oracle of Verineth?”
The kenku shrank back. Danie regretted her words, wincing under her mask of calm. She was a fool to tell him.
“You spoke to the Oracle himself?” Adelram said, half-terrified and half-reverent. Danie’s eyebrows quirked at the hint of awe in his tone. She straightened.
“Yes, I did. And he said to come to this meadow, outside Graywing City.” Danie crossed her arms, but doubt ate at her all the same.
Adelram, however, looked satisfied. “The Oracle is wise, and trustworthy, despite being a filth--”
Adelram’s eyes widened. He put a hand to his beak. “Amora, I did not mean to speak in that way. I hope you understand.”
Danielle nodded. “I get it. And I know what he is. I’m not afraid of them.” Her voice went just a bit too high on the last word.
Adelram nodded, casting his eyes down. “Until we meet again.”
Danielle gave him a weak smile. “So long.”
He vanished into the mist without a sound. Danie shivered.
She walked forward, eyes scanning for trouble, ears pricked for the sound of pursuers. She was a rogue. Rogues prepared for the worst.
There were no footprints on the ground. The wet earth sucked at her feet as she walked, caking her boots and dragging her backward. She grumbled under her breath.
She dragged her boot along the ground until she came to a toadstool. It was green, like her cloak and hair, and almost blended into the grass but for the pulsing glow that came from within the bulbous top. It was a flight fungus.
She stopped in the meadow and screamed in irritation.
“A flight fungus?” she called, “I walk for miles to get to the city, pay 30 diamonds to hire a guide, and I get a flight fungus?”
She swooped down and plucked it, eyes blazing in blind irritation. Flight fungi were common around Verineth, and almost completely useless. One bite meant fifteen seconds of flight, and only fifteen. They couldn’t even be useful enough to give more than one bite, either. They crumbled to powder after the first nibble. Danie growled and crumpled the stalk in her hand. There went the last of her money until she bartered or stole for a meal. There went three days of walking. By the gods, she had had enough of Oracles.
A thunderclap drowned out her screaming. She tensed, waiting for rain, but it never fell. An electrical storm. Perfect. She looked up to the sky, daring the lightning to hit her. It would be preferable to her current existence.
A flash of golden lightning illuminated the woman in the clouds. Danie stopped shouting, suddenly sobered by the sight.
The woman hovered, violet dress billowing against the clouds, curls of red hair scattering across her back. Two ivory wings curved against her back as she levitated in the clouds.
An angel? Danie watched in awe as the woman’s eyes fluttered open for a moment, deep gray-green eyes glazed with lightning’s glow.
The woman began to fall.
Danie’s breath caught. The woman pitched backward and fell, unconscious, skirts twirling in dizzying whorls. The flight fungus grew heavy in her hand.
Danie took a bite from the fungus and felt it crumble in her hand. She stepped off the ground and began flailing, trying to make it to the falling woman. Thirteen seconds left.
She picked up some speed, wind battering her face, and swept in under the falling woman. Danie wrapped her arms around the tall woman and tried to slow the descent, breath wheezing through her lungs, grasping for oxygen. Seven seconds left.
Danie slowed in the air and readjusted her grip on the winged elf. The woman curled against her. A strained sigh escaped Danie’s lips. She was safe.
The woman’s eyes fluttered open, bleary in the mist. She blinked twice and let out a ragged cough.
Danie’s vision faded for a moment. In her mind, she saw the dark, gaunt face of the Oracle of Verineth, laughing, the third eye stitched to his forehead glowing with scarlet light. She shuddered.
She snapped out of her reverie when the gorgeous woman screamed and punched her in the face.
submitted by Brookeira
(October 24, 2017 - 8:10 am)
(October 24, 2017 - 8:10 am)
It has shown up!!! Yay!! I love this story
also Westward carries Illaeara??? ❤️❤️
(November 6, 2017 - 12:43 pm)
XD THAT WAS SO CUTE. <3 <3
I ship those two, no matter what either one of them says. :P
Also, I have a scene just like that in my NaNo novel!^^
(November 7, 2017 - 6:31 am)
Aw, the last part was adorable! Keep it up!
(November 6, 2017 - 6:56 pm)
(November 7, 2017 - 5:10 pm)
Starflower shrieked and whirled, staring at the spot in the earth where the troll had buried its club. She scooped Eris up in her arms and ran out of the way, panting. The troll seemed weaker than most, dazed, yet it was still a threat.
“We have company!” Danielle shouted. Five goblins dashed out of the woods, letting out cries of bloodlust. Esthaenie slashed through one with her sword and drew back, pale.
Danielle threw a knife at one. It lodged in his shoulder and he dropped to one knee, screeching. The rogue nearly finished the job, but yelped as the troll’s club went just over her head. It roared. The goblins jeered.
Westward dashed to the side, pushing the others back. “Stay behind me. We can take him down with-”
“No,” said Illaeara.
“What?” Westward said, nerves jittering down his spine, “That’s a terrible idea.”
“West, listen to me. You need to act like you’re retreating.” Illaeara hissed, firing a ray of frost at a goblin. It hissed, but still stood. The troll nearly hit Eris, who was playing a Whitney Knives song on the gitar.
“What? That’s-”
“No, she’s right!” Esthaenie hissed, blinking, “West, let’s start moving back. How far?”
“About 60 feet, unless you want to die.” Illaeara said, flatly.
Danie and Esthaenie moved back. Eris quickly followed suit, with Starflower following behind. The goblins jeered. One fired a crossbow bolt; it grazed Eris’ arm. She let out a swear in southern halfling.
“Culo de caballo!” she shouted, furious. She turned around to throw something back, but Starflower dragged her away.
“Illaeara, you’ll be hurt. Come on!” Westward shouted, sweat dabbing his brow. Illaeara turned to him, eye-lights turquoise.
“Funny, I thought you didn’t care about the party wizard.” Illaeara said.
“I’m not leaving your side!” Westward said, anger boiling up inside. Illaeara laughed. Westward brained a goblin. The troll and two goblins were still standing, clearly about to charge. The troll roared at its leash, held by the more nervous-looking goblin.
“I thought you might attempt some heroics. Which is why I prepared Thunderwave this morning.”
“Thunder-what--” West began, before a ripple of seismic force sent him back thirty feet. He yelped and clattered to the ground, winded by the leaden weight of his armor.
“Illaeara! Stop! What-”
“Cone of Cold.” Illaeara said, extending her hand toward the troll and goblins.
As they rushed forward, a sound like a clap of lightning resounded, and a wave of blue light flashed out from the wizard’s hand. The goblins shrieked as shards of ice ripped through them and froze them solid, their terror immortalized in statue. The troll roared and was silence, hand outstretched.
Silence fell. Illaeara panted, eye-lights turned off with exhaustion. She turned to the other five a moment later, eye-lights flashing back on. Westward sagged with relief.
“Don’t worry about the wizard,” Illaeara chuckled.
There was a crackling sound behind Illaeara. West froze, blanching. Illaeara turned, readying her hands.
The troll, half-dead yet royally miffed, burst out, limping, ice still frozen over much of its body. It had the dexterity, however, to send its club crashing into Illaeara’s side with a crack.
(November 8, 2017 - 9:36 am)
Ooh Jeez. That might not be good.
(November 8, 2017 - 10:43 am)
Uh-oh.
(November 8, 2017 - 6:14 pm)
Is Illaena ok!!?!!
(November 8, 2017 - 4:23 pm)
Ooooh. I like Illaena...
(November 8, 2017 - 9:32 pm)
Correction: Illaeara
(November 9, 2017 - 10:39 am)
Oh my goodness gracious grapefruits, this is incredible! Your writing is just so spectacular I— wow. No words. The action is amazing, it's beautifully descriptive, and the character's personalities are so vivid. I ship West and Illaeara so muchhh! (And also kinda Danie and Esthaenie? Sorry I'll go home now.)
(November 9, 2017 - 8:41 pm)
Esthaenie: What? Ha! I hope you’re joking.
Danie, blushing: Ha! Yep! I sure am glad she’s joking! Ahem!
(November 9, 2017 - 9:15 pm)
*internal fangirling*
(November 10, 2017 - 12:31 pm)
Hey, this is Brookeira! Here are some random details about characters I thought you should know.
Eris is Latina in looks. She comes from the Southlands (it's basically South America) and won't talk much about her past. The language "Southern Halfling" is a twisted version of Spanish.
Star and other wood elves tend to look East Indian. They are very graceful and poised. Star's a bit too exuberant for their tastes.
Westward is a human, very rare in the Northlands (his home, a bit like Russia but with dwarves). An old legend says that he is a son of the All-Father. West hasn't found any evidence of that.
Esthaenie's auburn hair is an anomaly. Most avariel have blonde hair.
Danie's hair is green to the follicle. She was actually cursed by a sorcerer. She considers it more of a mild inconvenience and conversation starter.
I would tell you more about Illaeara but she's threatening to magic missile me. See you later!
(November 10, 2017 - 9:14 am)
Illaeara’s arm twitched as though jerked along by the tail of a snake. She groaned, ribs aching, and tried to sit. The grass was wet beneath her. Under her cloak, she felt blood dripping from her nose.
She couldn’t sit. She huffed and relaxed into the grass, content to wait for possible death by troll. It hurt to move.
Get up.
The thought tunneled its way into her head and sat, coiled and whispering. In her dreamlike state, she saw him: a frail man, grinning wide, an eye that glowed green sewn to the center of his forehead. He levitated in the center of the room, smiling, white hair floating like hair on a drowned body.
Get up.
Above the man was another shape, who smiled with a smile too wide for his face and was half-hidden by shadows. He watched her with two flickering green eyes that melted away into the darkness as she lay there, watching.
He lunged. Fire flared around his feet, flashing on a face once handsome, now covered in gouges and rivulet scars.
GET UP, WIZARD.
Illaeara sat up and screamed.
Her scream was mostly drowned out by fighting. She touched a hand to her chest, panting, and felt her ribs. Healed. West had used some divine favor to heal her.
She groaned. He shouldn’t have wasted it on her. She stood on unsteady legs and watched the fight.
The troll didn’t stand a chance, apparently.
Starflower had wrapped its legs in verdant thornbushes (oh Underdark, not those again), trapping it where it stood. It thrashed and roared, its milky hide scarred with tiny crosshatches. As Illaeara watched, Star roared and shifted. She was a mastiff dog, snarling and ripping at it. It was a bit unnerving. Eris hopped on the dog’s back, whooping, and did an admirable job of staying there while playing Wall of Wonder by Watering Hole. Not that Illaeara would ever admit it.
Danie had taken a crossbow from one of the slain goblins and was knocking it back when she could. Illaeara stifled a cheer when it lodged into the troll’s cheek. It roared, trying to swipe her, but she was out of range.
Esthaenie slashed at its chest in diving attacks, pinning her wings to her side and dropping to pick up speed. The troll was slow, and too ungainly to hit. It cried out; she had carved a gash in its chest.
And then there was Westward.
He was shouting orders to stay back and ignoring them, rushing in to slam his warhammer into the troll’s ribs with all of his strength. The troll shook, shocked by the blow. Westward shouted something to Esthaenie, who balked.
“Are you sure?!” the avariel shouted.
“Sure as Hela! No one’s allowed to break my-our wizard!” West shouted, “Now pick me up! I’m finishing this!”
Star, Eris, and Danie kept the troll distracted while Esthaenie swooped, grabbing West by the waist. She flew over his head and looked at West one last time.
Illaeara felt herself blanch.
“NOW!” West shouted.
He dropped onto the troll’s shoulders. Illaeara started running. He was going to be killed, or thrown.
And then West had his warhammer in his hand, and he brought it up. The troll went crosseyed trying to watch the cleric’s movements.
West brought the hammer down.
The troll fell.
Silence fell over the clearing, punctuated only by panting.
Illaeara slowly began to applaud. It felt right.
(November 10, 2017 - 9:36 am)