Tag: works in progress

Another big week

I ended last week having added 14,119 words bringing the total up to 64,635.

This week’s writing was extremely fun. I think I was able to fix a lot of the issues the first draft of the story had. I have a few ideas for what the next portion needs. Requiring a new character, had no idea I would need so many more.

Excerpt from this week:

              Zuriel lay on his couch enjoying the brief pause he had been given. With the campaigns put backseat to training the new recruits and rebuilding roads between the liberated cities and the capital, he found he had more free time. He was reading one of the books Chiron had brought him, a charming adventure story about a naim called Cedric.

              When a knock came at the door, Zuriel called for them to enter thinking Halvar would be dropping by as he typically did in the evenings.

              “Hi.”

              The sound of her voice felt like cold water being thrown on him. He sat up abruptly, setting the book aside. “Aila, hey.”

              “I hope I am not disturbing you. I just wanted to talk with you about something.” She stood off away from the seating as she spoke. Ready to leave should he wish it.

              “No, no it’s fine. Sit.” The initial shock began to wear off.

              “I have been sparring with Halvar. If you talk with Elior, please don’t tell him. He really doesn’t like the idea of me building up my magic like that.”

              Zuriel nodded. It crossed his mind to tell her what a poor start to a relationship it was to hide something like that, but thought better of it.

              “Anyway, I actually beat him today.”

              “Really? Halvar is…wait, you’ve never beat him before? You can totally beat him.”

              Aila smiled. “Well, yeah with a sword, but I’m focusing on using my magic as a weapon.”

              Zuriel nodded again. It was nice to talk with her. He had forgotten how pleasant it was to be in her company.

              “But I, uh, realized something today. I acted kind of foolishly. Remember when you assumed that I was bad with a sword?”

              Zuriel playfully hid his face. “Ugh, I know, I’m a jerk.”

              Aila chuckled. “Well, I kinda did that when you said you didn’t want me to fight. I thought you didn’t think I could handle myself out there, but I don’t know how I could have thought that. You’ve trusted your life to me before. I get it. You weren’t able to protect me and that freaked all of you out. Luckily, you have Elior on your side so.” She dropped her eyes. Zuriel felt a tinge seeing the sadness in them.

              “I know you want to be out there. We just can’t risk something happening to you.”

              Aila nodded, her eyes on her hands. After a moment she looked up with a reluctant smile. “I know I kinda let you have it so I wanted to make sure we are still okay.”

              Zuriel smiled and nodded. “Yeah.”

              Aila got to her feet and opened her arms toward him.

              He looked at her a moment before nodding and folding her in his arms. He wondered briefly if it was worse to never touch her or deal with the longing that filled him now.

              Pulling back Aila smiled. “Alright, I’ll let you go. I just wanted to tell you that.”

              Zuriel wished her good night and watched her leave. When the door closed, he sat on the couch with the heels of his hands on his forehead. He wanted to scream.

              He got up abruptly and stood at the end of the couch. She didn’t like Elior. He not only had to watch her marry someone else, she had to marry someone she didn’t even respect. He formed a small sphere of ice and threw it against the stone floor where it shattered, throwing shards of ice around the room that glittered with the light of the fire. He sat on the arm of the couch, sobbing.

              “Hey, did Chiron bring…what happened here?” Halvar stopped a few steps in the room as the pieces of melting ice caught his eye.

              Zuriel rose and turned away, rubbing his face. “Uh, I just had a moment.”

              Halvar took another step forward. “Okay…why?”

              He took a deep breath that shook with the emotions that were only just beginning to ebb. “Aila just left.”

              Halvar’s shoulders dropped. “Shit, that was my fault. She just looked upset about it and I thought it would help. I’m sorry.”

              Zuriel waved his hand as he turned back to the couches and took a seat. “No, its alright. I wanted her to know, I just couldn’t tell her.” He sat back. “That isn’t what the ice is about though.”

              Halvar took a seat across from him. “What’s the ice about then.”

              “She doesn’t love him. She doesn’t respect him. She is hiding what she wants from him because he refuses to accept that she wants it.” He leaned forward, resting his head in his hands.

              “Its not really as bad as that. He cares about her in his own way. They just met.”

              Zuriel dropped his hands laughing humorlessly. “This is Samael’s fault. I cannot wait to kill him.”

              “Oh, come on. Even if there were more nymphs, she is still the first-born daughter of a royal line.”

              “But if there were more nymphs, she would have a better option than someone like that. You keep acting like I think I can marry her; I know that isn’t happening. There is no circumstance where that happens. I get it.”

Excerpts

Because I am off of work this week, I am writing 1,500 + words a day which is going to leave a massive weekly update if I don’t off load some of the bits I would like to share, so here are a few high lights from this week so far:

           Zuriel watched her as she turned back to the trees where she had come. There was a small path that hadn’t been there before. After a brief hesitation, he followed her.

             “Are you alright?” He asked as he joined her in the clearing the path led to. It was familiar somehow, but he couldn’t put his finger on it.

             Aila turned, her eyes moist. “Today was her birthday.”

             Nydia. She was rebuilding the pond in Nydia. His heart dropped. He went to her, taking her in a hug as she allowed herself to fall apart.

             When she got her composure back, she drew away drying her eyes. “I’m sorry.”

             “Nothing to be sorry for Aila.” He rubbed her back before dropping his arm back to his side.

             “She would be half way through her fifth decade.” Aila looked sadly at the beginnings of the pond. “At least she made it longer than our sisters.” Her lips trembled with a new wave of emotion. “I know I shouldn’t indulge in this misery, but I feel so guilty. I don’t see why I should still be here when everyone else is gone. It seems wrong to just go on.”

             Zuriel took a cautious step closer, considered laying a hand on her shoulder, but decided against it. “I don’t think they would want you to be stuck. I think they would want you to go on.”

             Aila nodded, fresh tears spilling from her eyes. “She was so excited to have found you.” She smiled at him through her tears. “She wanted to come back home.” She turned back to stare into the water. “I am almost glad she didn’t have to come back and see how much Vale has changed since we left. She was strong, but there are memories here that have nearly gutted me.” She shook her head. “They might have destroyed her.”

             Zuriel looked at her as she stood with her arms folded across her stomach as if she were cold. A thousand things crossed his mind to say. That she was strong. That he would fix it. He wanted to tell her how much of his strength he drew from her. How she had begun to color everything he saw. He felt as if his heart throbbed with her pain.

             He opened his mouth to speak several times, but found nothing that came to mind truly appropriate. The idea of telling her he would do anything to make it better ran through his mind. But that wasn’t the right thing to say. Not to her.

             Aila straightened, drawing her shoulders back. “I guess I have no say in the matter though. I still have the command Zelena gave me. I am light. I don’t get to give up.” She turned around, a shaky smile on her lips. Her eyes sparkling with tears. Not thinking to hide his emotions, she read them plainly on his face. “Thank you for coming out to check on me. You’re a good friend.”

             “Yeah. No problem.” He dropped his eyes and did his best to set aside the emotions that raged through him. Her composure gave him room to be angry with himself for feeling them at all.

             Aila looked back over the pond she had started. She remembered how Kyra had sleep the first week. She had built the pond and started a field around it before she awoke. Trying to put as much beauty into their new home as she could. Knowing it would be little relief to the darkness in Kyra’s mind after Zelena’s death. But she had to try. All of Vale was shrouded in darkness now. Though she felt her light was dim and useless in the expansive black, she still had to try.

           “Zuriel, come on! You can do better that this.” Aila said as she dropped the tip of her sword in dirt.

             “I know, I know. I just…” He shrugged.

             “You just what?” Aila looked at him a moment. “You don’t want to hit me. That’s the problem isn’t it?”

             “Of course, I don’t want to hit you. I don’t relish the idea of hitting a woman.”

             “You asked me to do this.”

             “I know, I know, and it’s helping. It’s nice to just focus on the moves without worrying about Cyrus tripping me or throwing in some new move he has never showed me.”

             Aila shook her head, annoyed at his behavior. “You keep saying that you don’t think I’m helpless, and then you freak out about dropping me or hitting me with a sword that can’t hurt me.”

             “Cyrus hits me all the time, I know it can hurt.” Zuriel feebly tried to defend himself. The obvious discrepancy between what he said and how he acted felt out of his control.

             “Zuriel.”

             “Look, I wouldn’t put my all into a sparing match with Halvar either. Or Michael. Or anyone I respect.”

             “You do it with Cyrus.” She planted her free hand on her hip.

             “That’s because he makes a point of pissing me off so I will fight him.”

             Aila looked at him with furrowed brow a moment, “What?”

             “He makes me mad. Pissing someone off is an earth expression.”

             Aila nodded. “Well, I don’t want to make you mad, but I can’t help you if you are holding back.”

             “You aren’t supposed to be a difficult opponent anyway.” He argued, realizing immediately that it was not the right tact.

             “Oh? Well, you can fight a post then.” She thrust her sword into the dirt and turned away.

             “Aila, wait.” He sheathed his sword and jogged after her.

             “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to imply you are a push over, or anything. I just need someone below my level so I can focus on muscle memory. Please.”

             Aila huffed, searching his face a moment. “You can’t train your muscles to hold back.”

             “Fair.”

             “Are you going to stop holding back?”

             “I am going to try.”

             Aila thought a moment, a grin emerging on her lips. “You said Cyrus trips you right?”

             Zuriel paused, not sure he was liking where this was going. “Yes.” He said finally.

             Linking to the tera, Aila took on the fearsome appearance of it, gaining two inches of height. “Alright, every time you hold back, I am going to move earth at your feet. Hold back, you go down.”

             “And when I learn to not hold back, you leave my foot work alone?”

             “Yes.”

             Zuriel put his hand out which she took with a smile and a firm shake.

             Aila returned to her sword, drawing it from the dirt and they returned to their matches. Though it was still sometime before Zuriel could push himself past the urge to hold back from her, he eventually managed to push farther with each match.  

             “Ah, you found a new teacher I see.” Cyrus said after watching their match unnoticed for a moment.

             Aila jumped, turning to Cyrus, eagerly seeking to meet his eye.

             “She’s helping me build up my muscle memory.” Zuriel said with a smile sheathing his sword.

             “Oh, she could probably,” Cyrus began but stopped when Aila finally caught his eye and shook her head slightly so as not to be noticed by Zuriel. Cyrus looked at her confused a moment. “Aila could be quite helpful.”

             “Not that I don’t appreciate your methods, having someone I don’t have to worry about surprising me helps.”

             “Someone who won’t surprise you?” Cyrus looked at Aila with a smile. Aila shook her head again. “Right.”

             “I mean if I keep practicing, I could get to his level.” Aila said calmly, still holding Cyrus’ eye.

             Cyrus stifled a laugh, stroking his beard to hide his smile while he recomposed himself. He finally turned and winked at Aila who looked relieved. “Well, I am very glad he has found someone on his level, but its my turn now.”

             “Thanks, Aila.” Zuriel said as she started away.

             “Yeah. I’ll see you later.” She smiled and continued on, her heart still racing from the exertion as well as the nerves of nearly being outed.

             “You are warmed up then?” Cyrus said with a gleam in his eyes that Zuriel didn’t like.

             “Oh no.” He said, reaching for his sword as Cyrus started in on him. He deflected the strikes, keeping focused on Cyrus’ movements to anticipate his next attack. He was deeply irritated when his heel struck a block throwing him on his back.

             “Cyrus! I can’t see what isn’t there!”

             “The block is there.” Cyrus said calmly.

             “I know, but I can’t see it even if I was looking for it,” He stopped, taking a breath.

             “I have to make this difficult, Zuriel. When you are out on the field, the people you are fighting will actually be trying to kill you. You need to watch where you are going while anticipating the moves. And it won’t be just one, there will be tens attacking you at once. Now get up and reset.”

             “At least when Aila did it I could see the obstacle.” Zuriel said in a low voice, dusting himself off.

             Cyrus perked up. “Aila put obstacles for you?”

             “Yeah, I was holding back, so she started pulling up the earth at my feet if I held back.”

             “Wait here.” Cyrus put his sword away and hurried out of the courtyard, leaving the rather confused Zuriel to wait, working through a few thrusts until Cyrus returned with Aila.

             “Alright, you want to see the obstacles, you can see the obstacles.” Cyrus gave Aila a look as she linked to the earth and took a seat on the bench.

             Zuriel glanced at Aila then back and Cyrus. “So, she’s just going to put obstacles at my feet to watch for?”

             Cyrus smiled and drew his sword.

             After several matches, Cyrus was pleased to find Aila not only got him to watch where he was stepping, but had the added effect of keeping his outbursts to a minimum. By the end of the hour, Zuriel managed to force a draw.

             “Okay,” he sat up, reminding himself it was his duty as a friend. “I have been watching you and Aila.” He looked at Zuriel who nodded, beginning to understand. “I just wanted to make sure you knew that she isn’t available.”

             “She has to marry a nymph. I know that.”

             “Oh,” Halvar said, visibly relieved. “So, you aren’t trying to pursue her or anything?”

             “Halvar, I have so many things to worry about right now, the last thing I need is a girlfriend.” Zuriel forced a smile and reminded himself that Halvar would not read his mind even though he could.

             Halvar nodded. “Yeah, it’s just, I do know you really well and I can tell when you like someone.”

             “I mean, of course I like her. She’s pretty, she’s fun, she had been a friend through a really weird time in my life, I think it would be weird to not have a bit of a crush?” Zuriel hoped Halvar would buy his down play. He hadn’t been able to convince himself of it for days now.

             “That’s fair.” Halvar nodded, taking a drink of water. “I just wanted to make sure you knew. You’re a lot younger than you realize, you know? You’ve got like, hundreds of years to settle down.”

             Zuriel smiled. “Yeah, I think I’m just going to worry about the whole going to war thing for now.”

             “Yeah,” Halvar said with a grin. “That’s wise.”