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.”