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My NaNo Book--A
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My NaNo Book--A
My NaNo Book--A Darkness Rising (Tentative title, mind you.)
So, this is my book for NaNo. It's a WIP, obviously, (and unedited, so have a little grace on my mistakes) and I'm planning on just posting what I have so far and then posting chapter by chapter after that if y'all are interested. I'd much appreciate it if you'd read this. Feel free to guess about foreshadowing, scream at the cliff hangers, and yell at me when I forget to post new installments. Comments and critiques welcome. Without further ado, the Intro.
~A Kind of Introduction~
The world of Earvinst is a large, vast world, with two main continents divided by one large ocean. The larger continent, Thariss, is is the east, and the smaller continent, Fargon, in the West.
When the world of Earvinst was young and pure and no evil had entered it as of yet, good, pure beings walked the earth. They were know as Ielisans, and they were the first beings to inhabit the land other than the many creatures. The Ielisans protected the world from all darkness and evil that might wish to take the land, and a wonderful peace lay over the land like a soft blanket. For one thousand years the Ielisans managed to ward off evils, chasing them to the corners of the earth. During this time of peace, more races entered Earvinst, such as elves and men. Kingdoms flourished. Cities rose up. Towns and villages were built. People were happy. But the world couldn't stay perfect forever. Evil came, as evil will. Darkness shrouded the land. And though it wasn't what it once was, the world still had much good in it. The Ielisans retreated to the land in the north from whence they once came.
Now some evils weren't strong yet. They still lurked only in certain places, but it was apparent that there was a main evil building its forces. And it was building them quickly.
The people of the land gathered together their armies and sent them all to fight as one. They knew they'd have no option but to unite their armies. But the enemy was clever and knew their plan. He caused them to turn against each other. The entire land was fighting. Cities which had once been allies raged battle against each other. Kingdoms were torn apart. Villagers fled. The people fighting for their land ended up fighting against it, doing half the work of the enemy for him, and leaving their land worse off than he could have.
But yet, there was hope. An army arose, an alliance, a resistance. They fought hard, and were able to make the enemy retreat across the water separating the two mainlands. The enemy promised to return, stronger.
The men of the Sornian mountains, however, had grown accustomed to the peace that followed. They didn't want to give it up, and they didn't want their children and their children’s children to have to give it up, either. So they moved down into the valley of Minildrith below, and built a huge fence around its border. The fence was neither large nor strong, and wasn't fit to keep anything out. In fact, it wasn't meant to. It was more to keep the people of Minildrith in, or, rather, to tell them where security ended and the danger of the wide world began.
This is where our story begins.
~
~Prologue~
Two figures stood at the bow of the ship, cloaks blowing in the light wind. One was slightly behind the other. The figure closest to the edge of the boat peered out over the sea. The water was calm, still. Still as it always was beside the cliffs of Ielis. The figure drew a spyglass from the folds of their cloak and held it to their eye. He seemed to be looking for something. Slowly, the first figure brought the spyglass down.
The man turned, his brow furrowed and his face solemn, as if he had just seen what he had hoped not to see, but expected to see. And he had. He pulled off his hood. Turning to his companion, he spoke.
“I have seen it.” His companion’s face grew dark. Concern clouded the younger man’s usually cheerful eyes.
“Are you sure it wasn't just fog?” He said, as if trying to convince himself it could've been when he knew very well what it was.
“I am sure.”
Both men stood in silence under the grey sky.
“We must send word to Ielis and Thraenen.” The older man was the first to speak. “Turn the boat around. We must spread the word quickly.”
~
An elf-maiden stood in the deepest part of the forest, staring into a clear pool. It was dark. The moon was black, but the stars sparkled above the treetops and made the smooth pool below shine silver so that it looked like glass. She stood alone, in silence. The pool began to glow. It was dull at first, but soon grew into a bright light so that one could hardly bear to look into it. The elf-maiden kept her gaze fixed upon it. Soon, a hushed voice began to emanate from the pool along with the light. It was so soft you could barely hear it, like the whisper of a whisper, and yet it boomed and echoed inside your head like your own thoughts. It came from the pool, but it carried on the wind, and in the air, so that the sound seemed to be coming from all around you. Though the voice was soft and sweet, it had an eerie air to it.
"There was once a prophecy.” It said. As the words floated up from the water, the image changed. The maiden’s reflection wavered in the pool, fading, showing something else. Something dark. No one was there with her, but if they had been, they would've seen the elf’s expression change from a calm, still, peace, to one of horror. Like the water, her sea-green eyes had once been still and cool, but they now swirled with emotion and turmoil, as the water now swirled with images. Images that no one else could've seen. Would ever see.
She tore her eyes from the pool and ran. Ran away, deeper into the forest, her skirts blowing out behind her.
Soon, the pool seemed to realize it was alone. The images faltered, replaced by a reflection of scattered trees illuminated by what once was a glow; now mere starlight.
~
Thanks sososo much for reading, and expect new parts soon!
submitted by Leeli
(November 17, 2017 - 1:17 pm)
(November 17, 2017 - 1:17 pm)
(January 1, 2018 - 12:50 pm)
(January 1, 2018 - 12:51 pm)
(January 1, 2018 - 12:52 pm)
(January 1, 2018 - 12:52 pm)
(January 1, 2018 - 12:53 pm)
Trying a new tactic...BUMP YOU THREAD
(January 1, 2018 - 12:54 pm)
(January 1, 2018 - 12:55 pm)
(January 1, 2018 - 12:55 pm)
Sorry for the wait everyone! I've had this chapter ready for awhile, but I haven't found the time to post it. And besides that the thread sank and I spent twenty minutes topping it (which, by the way, didn't raise it AT ALL). So, without further ado, I bring you--
~Chapter 11~
Eris woke up to darkness. It was still night, and she was tired. The boy had offered them nothing, so Eris slept on the cold, hard ground of the cave, shivering. She was thankful that she had at least been able to gasther some moss for a pillow outside the cave entrance, but it didn't make her any warmer. Her back ached from sleeping on the cold stone. If you could really call it ‘sleeping’. It was more like drifting in and out of a light doze. Eris had been tossing and turning all night, just wishing it would be morning already so she could get up and end this night. She pulled her thin cloak up around her chin, shivering. It had served her well in the chilly days that she rode with the rangers, but as a blanket on a freezing night it wasn't so good. She missed her hammock and wished she hadn't taken it for granted. Eris's eyes adjusted, and as she looked around the cave, she realized that the boy was gone. She wondered where he had gone to. And then she saw a light in the back wall of the cave. As she examined it closer, forcing her eyes to focus on it, she realized that the glow was coming from a crack in the cave wall. Eris couldn't sleep anyway, and besides that she was curious, so she quietly stood and went iver to look at the crack closer.
It turned out that the crack was a small hole, about three feet high and two feet wide. Eris knew she could just barely fit, but she tried anyway. And she made it, crawling through in her hands and knees. The hole led to a tight passage, not much wider than the hole, but the ceiling was high enough for Eris to stand up. She walked down a ways until she came to a turn. She peeked around the corner and gasped.
The passageway opened up into a large cavern. Stalagmites and stalactites jutted out from the ceiling and floor, and they glowed bright shades of blue, indigo, sea-green, rose pink and violet, all mixing together. Little golden flecks floated around in the air, giving the dully glowing cave a magical feeling. In the center of the cavern was a wide, shallow pool, full of shining white and silver rocks. As Eris neared it, she caught a glimpse of someone kneeling over the water. It was the boy. Eris had been silent, and so had the cave, until a large droplet of water dripped off one of the stalactites and landed on the stone floor with a sharp plink that echoed off the walls, ringing in Eris's ears.
The boy looked up and saw her.
“Hey! What are you doing in here?” He snapped.
Eris jumped. “I-I’m sorry, I saw the light, and-“ he cut her off.
“And at this hour! Don't you know not to meddle in other people’s homes?”
Eris clenched her jaw. “I said I'm sorry! I was woken up because of the awful hard ground, and I wanted to see where the light was coming from. Anybody’d be curious. I didn't know you’d be here!” And if I had, I wouldn't have come. Eris added in her mind.
The boy sighed exasperatedly and ignored her. Eris approached the pool slowly.
“I’m Eris, by the way.” Her time was softer this time, almost as if she was approaching a scared animal. The boy stiffened.
“Korr.” He said. “Name’s Korr.”
Eris sat down a foot or two away from him.
“Why do they glow?” She looked around at the stalactites and stalagmites.
Korr shrugged. “Maybe it's magic. Or maybe firebugs breed inside them. Or maybe it's a trick of the moonlight.”
Eris glimpsed a small cot on the other side of the cave. “So you live here? Alone?”
“Not completely. I live with my grandfather, though he's often gone on patrolling trips to investigate things. He protects the forest. He's gone on one of those trips now.”
Eris changed the subject. “Why do hate elves so much?”
Korr grunted. “You ask too many questions.”
They were silent. Before Eris knew it, she had drifted off to sleep, slumped beside the pool.
When Eris woke for the second time, she was back in the open entrance of the cave. This time, though, she found herself on a feathered blanket. Still not very warm or comfortable, but Eris gladly took it over the cold, bare, stone. She noticed Rowyn and Tryss had been given one, too. Sunlight streamed into the cave. She was the first to wake in the pale, morning. She stood up and began to shiver. The morning was cold and the air was thick with dew. Eris wrapped herself in the feathery blanket and made her way out of the cave. She looked around and noticed for the first time that there were more pines in this area, northward, even that in Fynnesse. She wondered for a moment if she'd be able to figure out how to make pine tea. How she longed for a cup of warm pine tea...
Crunch. A twig snapped behind a grove of pines. Eris limped around the trees slowly, hoping to creep up behind whatever the the thing was. She caught a glimpse of white fur.
A wolf.
The wolf turned and saw her, hackles raised. It growled. Eris backed up slowly, and the wolf took a step toward her. Eris turned and ran back to the cave.
The wolf disappeared behind the trees.
Rowyn was awake when Eris got back to the cave.
“What was that?” He asked.
Eris shook her head. “Nothing.”
Rowyn furrowed his eyebrows. “I don't think you're telling the truth.”
Eris held back a smile at Rowyn’s seriousness. “It was a--a wolf.” She breathed.
Rowyn frowned. “We'll have to be careful. I hear the wolves of the north can be cunning and dangerous.”
They had woken Tryss, who sat up, rubbing her eyes.
“How's your leg?” She asked Eris.
“Its...manageable. I can get around, though not very fast or smoothly. My ankle still aches.” She wiggled it and winced.
Footsteps sounded on the stone behind her, and Eris turned to see Korr. He was dragging a sack of herbs, roots, and berries. He grunted (something he seemed to do a lot), and tossed it on the cave floor. Silently, he walked to the corner and began to start a fire.
Tryss frowned. “I'd rather not eat weeds. What we need is some nice juicy meat.” She unstrung her bow from her aimed at a small white rabbit a couple yards away.
Korr sprang to his feet and shoved Tryss’s bow down. “Stop!” He yelled.
Tryss glared at him. “What was that for? I was about to get us a meal!”
“The stew is more than good enough a meal for you.”
“It was a rabbit! Don't you eat any meat?”
Korr glared at her until she dropped her gaze. “No. This is their home as ,I have as mine, and they deserve to live.”
Eris was shocked by this outburst. She'd have thought that someone as experienced at surviving in the wild as Korr would turn down fresh meat. But Korr was adamant. Eris loved animals, and hated to kill one unless it was necessary, but with Korr it was different. She didn't know why though.
Korr stormed to the other side of the cave and continued his attempts to start a fire.
“Well? Are you going to help or what?” He looked at them expectantly.
Eris took the hint and scrambled to her feet, forgetting about her ankle, and slipping on the smooth rock. She landed with a sickening crunch.
“You okay?” Tryss asked.
“Fine.” Eris gritted her teeth, determined not to let the burning pain climbing her leg show itself. She limped out of the cave and into the sunshine, and began to gather kindling for the fire. Suddenly, she heard a sound. Leaves crunching under a heavy weight. It was a sound she recognized...
Hoofbeats.
Eris whirled and saw two figures on horseback riding toward her. As they came nearer, she strained to read their faces. One of them was an older man whom she didn't recognize, and the other looked familiar, but she couldn't place him. Then he came nearer and dismounted his pony. He cocked his head.
“Eris? Is that you?” He called.
Eris choked.
Finn.
She ran at him full force, and collided with him, wrapping her arms around him. He held her for a moment before pulling her away gently. He wore the same grin as always. Eris relaxed as she saw that nothing had changed. She couldn't find her words. She started laughing and crying at the same time. Then it all came spilling out at once.
“Oh, Finn! Finn! I'm so glad you're here and you're okay and you're alive! I was afraid you hadn't made it, or that those men had taken you somewhere, or--or--“
Finn laughed. “Eris, slow down!”
“But--I have so many questions! I don't know what to say first! How did you get here? And who's this?” She asked just as the other man approached.
“Both of those questions can be answered at once.” The man said, his voice gruff. “They call me Forest Rider, and I brought him here. You're welcome.” Eris thought she caught the hint of smile behind his worn lips.
They made their way back to the cave, where Korr met them.
“I see you've already met my grandfather.” He said. “But I wasn't expecting anyone else.” He eyed Finn suspiciously.
Eris ignored him and dragged Finn to the others.
“Who's this?” Tryss was the first to speak.
“Finn! My friend, the one I told you all about!” She exclaimed excitedly. “Finn, this is Tryss, my sister!” Finn blinked.
“Your--what? You don't have a sister!”
Eris explained everything about her real parents and how she'd been taken to Minildrith for ‘her own safety’ and how Tryss was later born.
“And this is Rowyn. He's,” she tried to think of the word. Then she found it, though she hadn't known she was going to use it. “My friend.”
Rowyn looked at Finn dubiously. He seemed to be sizing him up. Finn shifted uncomfortably and frowned. Eris noticed this subtle exchange, but didn't think much of it.
Finn changed the subject. “But how did you get here? And why? And what are you doing?”
So Eris explained what had happened when Gladir and Rowyn escorted her to Thraenen, and about the dealings with the men and what the rangers suspected about the enemy across the sea, and how they meant to have an alliance with Endell. Then she told him how she'd gone on the ride to Endell and hurt her ankle, and how they'd ended up were they were. During this speech, Korr (who was sitting in the corner, pretending to focus on roasting the rabbit, but actually listening to the entire exchange) simply frowned from the other side of the cave.
“Now, it's your turn. What happened, and how did you get here? Start from the beginning, on the night of the fire.” Eris ordered.
So Finn told her everything, about when he got captured, taken to the Angyth Fortress, escaping with the pony Apples, and finding Forest.
“So that's what they do with prisoners.” Eris said aghast. “That's...awful. But what would He want with a bunch of rocks?”
Finn shrugged. “I wondered the same thing.”
They sat in silence for some time.
“Well, what matters is now.” Forest said finally. “We have to do something, and we have something to do.”
Eris cocked her head at him. “What do you mean?”
“I mean we should get you and your friends to Endell. We have no time to waste.”
“You would help us?” Finn asked.
Forest shrugged. “I would do what I can. You all are welcome to stay here another night, but we should leave by morning if we want to make good time.”
Eris glanced at Korr, remembering their promise.
“We-we made you a promise, Korr. We'll leave.”
Forest frowned. “Nonsense. This is just as much my home as his, and I say you'll stay.”
Korr said nothing.
That night, Eris was uneasy. She had a feeling Korr was unwilling to help them. He certainly had no obligation to. But she felt things wouldn't go well between them if he was forced to see Eris and her friends to Endell by Forest.
She had to talk to him.
Eris got up and crossed the cave, squeezing inside the small opening. She padded into the cavern, illuminated by the glowing stones and spikes. Korr was nowhere in sight. She heard a low growl. Her eyes scanned the cave, but, though she thought she caught a glimpse of a white tail, she saw nothing more.
Then Korr emerged from behind a huge stalagmite. He gave her a look that she took as meaning, ‘what are you doing here?’ He sighed.
“I thought I told you to stay out of this cavern!” He hissed.
Eris stood firm. “Well, you said no such thing whether you thought so or not.”
Korr rolled his eyes.
“Well?” He looked at her expectantly. “Do you want something from me?”
Eris shook her head. “I just wanted to speak with you.” She took a seat on a rock. Before he could object, she began.
“Korr, I want to ask you something.”
He at down beside her. “I'm listening.”
Eris took a deep breath. “As you heard me tell the others earlier, we're making for Endell. The enemy is growing stronger, and the elf rangers seek an alliance with them. Endell is strong.”
Korr interrupted. “I want nothing to do with the elves.” He stood to leave.
Eris didn't know what else she could do. “Wait.” She said. He stopped, but didn't turn.
“What is it you want?”
Korr opened his mouth to say what he'd usually say to this question. What I want is my own business. Or What's it to you? But he didn't say either of those things. He found he couldn't.
“I-I want to find my family.”
Eris hated asking. But she had to. “What happened to them?”
At this, Korr hardened.
“Why should I tell you?” He sneered. “It's not like you'd help me anyway. You'd probably turn on me, for all I know. It's just like an elf.”
Eris was hurt. She absolutely hated being doubted or misjudged. She thought herself a very honest person, and for anyone to think she'd lie to them or turn on them was hard for her to understand. Her temper started to flare up. She stood.
“What do you have against me?” She yelled, her voice echoing in the quiet cave. “Why are you so bitter?”
Korr was silent. Then he turned.
“You came here to preach to me, is that it?”
Eris looked at him angrily. “No!”
“Then what do you want?”
Eris lowered her voice to a whisper. “I want to help you.”
Korr blinked slowly. He seemed to be processing her words.
“You--you want to help me?” He raised an eyebrow suspiciously. “And what do you want in return?”
“I want you to help me.”
(January 1, 2018 - 1:00 pm)