ive been debating with myself whether or not to put this online, but hey, its good to have more than one editor (no offense j!!!! ^-^'). if i get a good response, ill put up the rest of chapter 1 and the rest of the chapters as well. actually, ill put them up anyway! so please, enjoy the first part of 'The Dragonfly Chronicles' Chronicle 1 Meeting A breeze made the trees on either side of the Great Road sway. The old, worn road was abandoned except for one girl. She looked to be around thirteen years old and walked with great caution, for she knew that thieves prowled the road at all hours. She wasn’t too worried, however, for she had nothing a thief would want and no one traveled the road at midnight, on this day of the year. It was the king’s birthday and everyone would be celebrating. She pushed her black-with-blonde-tips shoulder length hair behind her ears, adjusted her lantern so she wouldn’t trip on the wagon tracks and thought about her task. Her friend had asked her to bring the package the girl had in her pocket to the border of Pirinia and Eve’s Forest, on the bank of the river closest to the sea. In return she could go with her friend and her friend’s companions. As she reached the corner of the road, where the road went west toward the desert, she sat on a fallen log to think. “Let’s see. If I keep up this pace I’ll reach Sella Lake by dawn,” she thought aloud, “then it’s just a short walk to the border.” She stood up, shook out her terracotta colored dress and continued through the small, dark forest, her deep brown eyes alert for danger. She stepped over a thorn bush and carried on. ***** “Cloud, stop staring at the shiny. We have to hurry,” ordered one of the three girls traveling through the forest. She brushed her dirty blonde hair out her no-nonsense blue eyes and stopped to wait for her friend. She was a short, thin girl, seemed to be thirteen years old and wore a pink shirt, a yellow belt, and a pink and green skirt, made of sections shaped like leaves. “Coming Sari,” called the girl named Cloud. Her shoulder length platinum blonde hair, which had the slightest of blue tinges to it, swayed as she rushed to catch up. She wore a blue half-cape, pinned with a polished quartz crystal, a white shirt, a purple skirt, blue, knee-high boots and a pale blue cloud hairclip. Her warm, brown eyes showed a deep curiosity and her childish features, voice and attitude were misleading to all who met this seemingly fifteen year old. Cloud also had endless energy, no attention span and was none too bright. “Sari, what type of bird is that, yay a butterfly, I’m gonna go catch it, hi I’m back it got away, oh look a shiny.” The third girl traveling with them was more strange than the other two put together. She was pale, with white hair. She wore white shorts, with pale blue trim, a matching shirt and a blue belt. Her eyes were covered with a decorated white headband and she carried two swords; a western one, with a blue crystal set in the hilt and a eastern one with two ribbons coming from the hilt, each with a red-gold bell on each end. Her hair was kept up in a ponytail and part of her long bangs were held back with a gold hairclip that had a black star in the middle. Her ears were those of foxes. “I wonder where she is. What if…” Sari started, when suddenly, Cloud came crashing through the trees, riding a moose. “Wee! Sari this is fun you should totally try it. Faster moose, faster.” “…she didn’t make it out of the capital?” she continued, ignoring Cloud, only through years of practice. “Oh well. We’re almost at the meeting place.” Sari proceeded, “Let’s continue.” She reached out, grabbed Cloud from the tree branch she was presently hanging off of and started dragging her along. yes, Cloud is an idiot, but not really. youll find out when i get to writing it :) Sari is the typical 'mother' character, always worring and nagging, but with Cloud, its needed. Nalia is kind and caring, but doesn't know much about the world. and Eroa..... well Eroa's personality will develop more later. heh.
Chronicle 1 Part 2 At the meeting place, the girl sat on a log and waited for her friend. The girl, whose name was Nalia, looked at the packet of beads she was told to bring and wondered when her friend would get here. She put the beads back in her pocket and toyed with her necklace. It looked like a crescent moon hanging on the end of a stick and was very beautiful, but beauty wasn’t the only reason she took it with her. Nalia looked up. She thought she heard something coming from the trees. She stood, wary, and watched the spot where she heard a faint rustling of leaves. Suddenly, a huge, grotesque humanoid lurched out. It was very tall, twice the size of a grown man, with bulging muscles. It looked like any giant except for its face. The parts of its face that were human were twisted in pain. The other parts, that were possibly animal, were also distorted in pain and malice. The creature looked around and locked its eyes on Nalia’s face. It roared a roar that was closer to a scream and charged, swinging wildly with the huge battle axe in its massive hands. “Hurry up Cloud, we’re almost the…” Sari broke off. Was that singing? She sped up, dragging Cloud with her and the third girl following close behind. Why is there singing up ahead? I told Nalia in my letter not to do anything to attract attention. Do nothing to betray your location. As she broke through the trees, she saw Nalia was sitting on a log, singing, with a large mass next to her. “Nalia, I told you…” Sari broke off again as she saw what the mass next to her friend was. “I know what you told me, but really, this location isn’t really a secret.” Nalia said matter-of-factly. “This creature found me very quickly. What is it do you think?” Sari, staring down at the creature, smiled. “Dead. Not bad for a human. It’s a creature of dark Control. I believe I told you this. Creatures such as this one are created on the other side of the northern mountains. Always in pain, they’re promised that it will go away if they catch their targets.” She knelt for a closer look. “You’ve been granted a merciful death. Rest. There’s no need to be in pain any longer.” And with that, the creature vanished. “Let’s go Sari.” Nalia intoned from behind Sari as she got up. “There’s still daylight.” ***** At a clearing next to the river that leads out of Sella Lake later that night, Sari finally remembered the introductions. “Nalia, this is Cloud,” Sari indicated the girl she finally decided to put a leash on, “and Eroa” indicating the pale, quiet girl. “Cloud and Eroa, this is Nalia.” Sari started to bite her fish when Cloud interrupted her. “Sari~, you forgot again.” “Oh right. Nalia, this is Moosey.” She waved at the small hippopotamus stuffed animal that Cloud pulled out of her half-cloak. Introductions over, Sari went back to her fish and Cloud went back to tugging at her leash. After supper, Nalia and Sari went down to the river to talk. “I’m glad you’re well, Nalia.” Sari stared down at the dark water, flickering with points of lights from the fire. “I was worried that you wouldn’t make it out of the capital.” “It wasn’t easy, as you might imagine. Family like mine, the whole city is probably in a state of panic by now. Maybe the whole province.” Nalia smiled a little in the darkness. “But I can’t go back now. I’m the only one who doesn’t think he died, so I’m the only one who can save him.” “I know. You have to go.” Sari smiled too. “It’s strange. Normal people don’t have the same type of determination as you do. Even knowing that you might not come back, you try anyway.” “We’ll come back Sari. I promise” ***** “Sit up straight, Princess. You want to make a good impression on your Control teacher, don’t you?” “Not really Nurse. I don’t see why I need to learn this.” Nurse was about to explain, but the door opened before she had the chance. “May I present Ms. Sari Petalstone, Control Master.” I never liked the doorman. He had this awful, nasally voice and his nose looked like he kept it on a flat surface all the time. He wasn’t very nice either. “What is this?! This is no Control Master! This Sari Petalstone is little more than a child! How dare you insult the Royal Family in this manner?!” Nurse was definitely outraged. I couldn’t see why. Didn’t she see the endless knowledge in this lady’s eyes? I was six and I could see it. “Shall I show you a demonstration of my powers, milady?” The mocking smile on her face was amusing to say the least. “What would you like to see?” “Hmm… any child can Control energy. Why not stone? It’s difficult enough.” Nurse said this with a superior smile, even though I know she can’t even do light. “My specialty.” She held out her hand and closed her eyes. The castle’s stone wall shot out tentacles that wrapped around her hand like a snake. yay part two!!!!! i have Chronicle 2 already typed but youll have to wait for it. maybe a week......hmmm.... ill think on that
srry its been so long. my comp got a virus and i had to go get it cleaned. heres chpt 2. :) Chronicle 2 The Price To Enter On the other side of the woods, a slight figure raced toward the Trade Road, speaking into a small globe of light and twitching her unusual ears. She had a bandana tied around her head and kept her bangs sticking out the front. Her leaf green vest and tattered brown shirt flapped in the wind created by the speed of her movements. The small dagger she kept on her belt rattled in its sheath. Her staff was tucked vertically through the back of her vest. “Hurry hurry! You must hurry! They’re in danger!” The frantic male voice from the globe was starting to infuriate her. It had been repeating this for the past five minutes. “I know,” she growled in reply, “be quiet so I can catch their trail.” The globe sniffed rebelliously at her tone. “Fine, but don’t ask for help next time the patrols catch you.” The girl, still running, laughed, once, mockingly. “I let them catch me. Go ahead and ask for my help, though. You’ll need it.” The globe was silent after that. ***** Nalia was shocked, to say the least, at Sari’s patience with Cloud. The following conversation had been repeating itself for an hour with no indication of it ever ending. “Are we there yet?” “No, Cloud.” “Where are we going?” “To the Lawless Lands, Cloud.” “When do we get there?” “Tomorrow, Cloud.” “…Are we there yet?” The four of them continues west for another few hours until the last drops of daylight slipped over the horizon. They stopped in a very large clearing stripped of all trees and bushes. Camping close enough to the edge that fire wood was accessible, but far enough away that no one could sneak up on them, they started a fire using fire Control. Eroa, doing as she had the nights before, leaped into a tree and sat on a branch and leaning against the trunk, went to sleep. I think. I can’t tell if she’s awake or asleep with that cloth she keeps tied over her eyes. She never talks either. I wonder if Eroa’s mute. Thoughts swimming through her head, Nalia went to sleep. ***** Nalia opened her eyes. Did she imagine that noise? Sari sat bolt upright. Was she here, finally? Cloud was already awake, and yawning. Eroa jumped off her tree branch, crossed her arms and stared at the person sitting under the tree. “Did you people forget the fact that honest outsiders cannot enter the Lawless Lands without a pass?” voiced the girl leaning against the tree in a strange accent. “Seriously, I don’t know how you get around without some good thief sense.” She stepped into the light. Nalia stared. She knew it was rude to stare, but she did anyway. “Um, Sari?” How was she to phrase this? “Is that…?” “Yes, Nalia, it is.” She sighed and walked towards the stranger. “Nalia, this is Chia, member of the Lowest Council and one of the Irahai tribe members. Chia, this is Nalia.” “Oh! You’ve never met an Irahai before, have you?” Chia laughed as Nalia shook her head, dumbfounded. She twitched her dog ears and wagged her tail, which had drawn Nalia’s attention, in amusement. “Well, now’s a good time to do so. The Irahai are all half-human, half-canine people, created by the Smart Ones before the Burning Time. Same goes for the Nenahi, Torité, Atsui and Hiyayaka peoples. You’ll probably meet them later.” “Huh?” “Well, let’s go! Don’t want to keep the barrier pass smith waiting, now do we?” And with that, Chia strode off, leaving the others to follow. Her head spinning with confusion, Nalia followed. Chia really was an odd girl. She told Nalia as they were walking that she was twelve years old, yet she spoke like someone much older. Her clothes were tattered, but she had a very well-looked-after leather dog-collar and buckle made of a strange red-gold metal. There was a small globe of light fluttering around her head that she called “Quirky” and said was a kind of Control that uses light energy to transmit sounds over long distances, which was very advanced, although she hadn’t used Control near Nalia yet. They walked west, towards the Lawless Lands, the one place where thieves, robbers, murderers, and other criminals were kept safe from the laws of the country. This was due to a barrier surrounding the entire province that kept out all strangers to the province. How it distinguished between friend and foe, no one except the thieves new, and they weren’t telling. Chia stopped, the others a few steps behind. A few hundred paces away was a small smithy, its chimney already spewing smoke, even this late at night. Chia told the rest of the group to stay put for a minute and walked into the smithy. “Hey Reject, how’ve ya been?” Chia asked nonchalantly as she walked in. “Place in still a mess, I see.” This was true. There was a desk, completely swamped over by two types of metal, one gold colored, one silver colored. The floor next to the forge was covered in soot and the wall of weapons was over-crowded. Even Reject’s own oddly made sword, with one side wider than the other, was shoved into the back of the room, behind a chest that held Reject’s clothing and scant armor. “Aw, shaddup!” came a voice from the back room, “I never needed Boom telling me how to run my life, and I don’t need you doin’ it either.” Reject walked in, same as ever, maybe twenty, with a few tips of her short, messy strawberry hair permanently soot blackened. She had a large grey shirt, right sleeve black, left sleeve missing, on over a pair on slightly darker grey breeches and a long black skirt that was split in half so it only covered her left leg. “Ya, where is Boom anyway?” “She went off to play with her new toy. She just made it.” “Cool. I need you to do something for me.” Chia said with her sweetest smile. “What?” Reject replied with narrowed eyes. She knew Chia. That didn’t mean she trusted her. Not completely. “I need a new thieves pass. Could you start one?” “I have the metal, but you know I need one other material.” “Of course,” she stated with another smile, “you start the metal, I’ll get the next bit.” Reject turned toward the forge opening, started the bellows with one hand and grabbed a small chunk of the gold metal with the other. Chia grabbed a small jar from the table near the door and dashed off into the darkness. Reject loved fire. The way it flickered and twisted, the way it held it’s heat for exactly the right amount of time. When her beloved fire was hot enough, she let go of the bellows and thrust the gold colored metal into the heart of flame with both hands. The flame licked up her hands, offering a small bit of discomfort to the things that it didn’t understand, even though they had seen the things before. The metal, it could understand, but not these soft things that didn’t burn, when they should. Reject worked quickly. If the fire should come to understand what her hands were, they would do more than just offer discomfort. She might actually get burned. She pushed at the metal with her thumbs, working it into a disk shape. A small explosion from beyond the yard didn’t distract her. Now to wait. Chia came racing back. “I got it. It took some convincing, but eventually she consented. And she says she wants the shape to be a pair of feather earrings.” She put the jar, now half full with blood onto the counter. “Well, she has to, doesn’t she? Otherwise she doesn’t get into the Lands.” Reject raised the side of the disk in her hands, making a shallow bowl, which she took out of reach of the fire. She grabbed the jar and poured the contents into the bowl, ignoring the hiss of hot metal and only slightly warm blood mixing. Then she carefully raised the edges of the bowl some more until the liquid was completely closed off from air. Slowly she Controlled the metal to accept the liquid it enclosed, into its very being. The metal changed to the same red-gold color of Chia’s dog collar buckle. She then molded the small piece into a pair of earrings, staying true to the client’s order. She threw the excess into the flames to evaporate the remainder of the blood, so the metal could be used again later. The fire slowly died down as Chia took a nap. ***** Nalia looked at the bandaged cut in her hand. It didn’t hurt after Sari smoothed a salve on it, but it did itch a little. She looked up. From the color of the sky, it was almost daybreak. She looked at the smithy. Finally, Chia came running out. She had a small box in one hand that she held out to Nalia as she ran up. Sari jumped up to look at the box as she slipped on a simple pendant with a red-gold metal holder and a sapphire, while Cloud looked down from the tree branch above Nalia’s head. “Here,” Chia smiled, “this is yours now.” Nalia took the box and opened it. Inside were the most beautiful earrings she had ever seen. Such detail! The tiny feathers looked real, except for the color, which was red-gold. “You’ll never lose these. Because they were made with your blood, only you can wear them, and you’ll always know where they are. You won’t ever be able to say the secret of entry into the Lawless lands, outside of the Lawless Lands. And, most importantly, these will give you access past the barrier.” Chia said this as if she had it memorized and recited it many times before. Then she smiled. “Let’s go meet Reject and Boom.” As they walked towards the smithy, Nalia felt a … tingling, was the best way to describe it, in her arms and legs. The feeling subsided quickly as they kept moving so she didn’t bring attention to it. Cloud did though. “Yay, the tickle fairies are back.” She giggled. “The fairies come and run around and… aw they’re gone.” “I hate that. It creeps me out.” Sari shuddered. “You should be used to it by now Sari,” stated Chia not-helpfully, “you coming by as often as you do.” “I rarely come by, thank you very much. I’d rather not lose every possession I have on a frequent basis.” “Ooh testy! Remind me not to get on your bad side.” “Wait.” Nalia broke into their argument. “Everything you own?” “Only what I was carrying.” Sari said nonchalantly, “You have heard the rumors of the Lawless Lands, right?” “That it’s all thieves and murderers and other criminals. Of course I have. Everyone has, but their just rumors, right?” Chia smiled and answered the question for Sari. “ ‘Just rumors’. Ha! That’s just wishful thinking. We’re here!” And with that happy note, she strode into the smithy, pretending not to notice Nalia checking her belt purse. ***** Nurse stared at the girl in the doorway, her mouth open. I thought it was funny. Sari smiled again as she returned the stone back to it’s place. “When do I start?” Nurse closed her mouth and put on an expression that seemed to be a mix of humiliation and anger. “Never. You have performed dangerous Control in the presence of the Princess and…” “Nurse! That’s enough!” I stood up from my chair and walked in front of Nurse. “She only performed this Control by your request. By Royal Decree, I want this woman to be my teacher in Control, as she obviously has the qualifications.” “Bu…” “No buts! If I hear anymore complaints I’ll ask Ms. Petalstone here to Control the voice from your throat! Now please leave.” I smiled slightly as Nurse tore from the room, stumbling slightly on the threshold. “Hmm… Control away a voice.” Sari closed the door. “I should try that.” She looked at me. “Thank you, Princess.” “Oh please, ‘princess’ is so ancient. Just call me Alina.”
Here we go. part 3. yay! Chronicle 3 Planning Inside, Nalia was introduced to Reject and started looking around while Sari chatted to Reject about security. After a few minutes, another explosion from the yard, bigger than before, rocked the small room. Reject sighed and opened the window. “Boom! Get in here! We have guests!” She bellowed as only a smith could, louder than any fire. The girl who entered was perhaps 18-19 and wore a red, short sleeved shirt, purple bandana, with her short red hair shoved underneath it, blue denim overalls, steel-toe boots and goggles. Her clothes and skin were stained with a greasy type of black soot which exuded a noxious odor, as did her large shoulder bag, which she dropped near the door. Her red-brown eyes stared at her hands, which were putting out the wick of a red candle-like object. There was a hammer in her belt and a screwdriver in the front pocket of her overalls, which had a rip in one knee. “Jeez sis! I was just about to try this!” She held up the candle. “I designed it so it would be perfect to throw, stack, and stick in small holes, and you want me to delay my practice session for guests? What if it explodes?!” “That’s why I told you to leave all explosives outside.” “Fine! I‘ll test it now.” And with that, the candle was lit, thrown out the door, only to land in the grass a hundred yards away and explode. “…Cool!” said Boom brightly. Nalia tugged on Sari’s sleeve. “What was …?” “Just a small explosive,” Boom turned to Nalia. “I call it dynamite. And this one is a firework,” she pulled a large, gaudy tube from her bag and held it up, “it’s great for distractions. Then you’ve got the basic bomb,” round black object with a string coming out “and the timed bomb,” a complex mass of wires covering a black rectangle with a panel on top “and this thing.” a small red ball “What is this? Oh, just junk.” She threw it out the door. It exploded. “Oh, that was impact bomb. Who’re these people?” “Boom, this is Nalia, Sari, Cloud and Eroa. You know Chia, or you should. Everyone, this is my younger sister Boom.” “Explosives expert, at your service.” Ducking a mocking, yet eloquent bow, Boom stealthily tried to slip an impact bomb into her belt. Reject caught her and confiscated it. “Brat.” Sari looked around the messy room. “What now? We should probably start planning the trip but…” “It’s okay. You’re not insulting my hospitality. I don‘t have any.” Reject stood up from the work bench and walked over to the wall where the forge was located. She reached into the fire, ignoring Nalia’s gasp of horror and pulled out a tube. It held a map, which she spread out on a table that Boom had just cleared. It was a map of the country, not very detailed until you looked at the map of the Lawless Lands. There, there were small details of forests, hills, villages, towns and a single city. “Before we begin, there any questions?” Reject looked up from the map at Nalia timidly raising her hand. “Ya?” “Why is the entirety of Half-Moon Cove covered in ports?” Half-Moon Cove, named for its half moon shape, was rimmed with unnamed ports. “Pirate ships. Any other questions?” Reject looked around again. All was silent. “No? Good. Okay, so what you’re gonna do is head south. Stop in The Crooked City for supplies, you’re running low, then head down to Thieves Town. You should make it by sundown. Stay at the inn. Don’t worry about thievery too much.” Reject grinned at Nalia’s worried expression. “All the people in Thieves Town are murderers.” “That doesn’t make sense.” Sari broke in. “Why would the murderers live in Thieves Town?” “The same reason that a vast majority of pirates live in Murderer’s Den and the thieves live in Pirate Cove.” Chia stared at the map as she said this with no apparent interest. “Pirate Cove is inland,” Nalia observed. “Exactly,” Boom interjected from outside. “Anyway,” Reject continued with a look of irritation that most people get when they’re interrupted for no good reason, “in the mornin’ continue south. The port you want is this one.” She pointed. “This’s where Zekkô’s pirate crew is docked.” “Wait,” Chia held up her hand dramatically, “Zekkô!?” “Ya.” “She hates me.” “No, she doesn’t.” “Ya, she does. I should know.” “She doesn’t hate you, she just doesn’t like you.” “Same difference.” “No, it’s not. Hate implies somethin’ stronger than dislike.” “She hates me.” “Fine! Whatever makes you happy?” “Happy!? How can I be happy? She hates me. Hate isn’t joyful!” “Then shaddup! Anyway, Zekkô’s crew will pick you up and you’ll sail around to Kellis Port, it’s on the Trade Road that goes west of Pirini Town. You’ll go to Castle Pirini and spring Kaarii from the dungeon…” “Spring who from the dungeon?” Reject looked up to see a confused expression on Nalia’s face. “Kaarii. Eroa’s sister.” Ignoring the look of surprise and quick glance at Eroa, still standing at the corner of the table, by Nalia, Reject went on. “Spring Kaarii from the dungeon, then run to Miscal Town in Gestal, and that’s run because the army will be chasin’ you. There you will meet a member of the army named Elren…” “The army?!” This interruption was from Sari. “Yes, most men are in the army these days, even the good ones, now would everyone please shaddup?” Silence. “Thanks. A member of the army named Elren. He’ll lead you to the Oasis Town in Nahani Desert. You’ll need lots of water. The route you’re goin’ don’t have any rivers on it, not a drop of water. When you get halfway to the Oasis, Elren will go over the rest of the plan with all of you. That’s all. Now get outta my house.” She turned back to the forge, grabbed out a piece of hot metal with her bare hands, and started hammering it. “But…” Chia began. “Stop stalling and get out, or I’ll poke you with this.” She waved the hot metal over her shoulder. Chia was gone so fast that Nalia didn’t notice her leave. Quickly, with Reject chuckling behind them, Sari, Nalia and Cloud followed Chia out of the house. Eroa walked out more calmly. “Hey!” A call from behind her stopped Sari in her tracks. She turned around and saw Boom running after her, a bag in her hands. She caught up and pushed the bag into Sari’s arms. “Here. Instructions are in the bag.” Boom smiled as she ran back to her sister’s house in more of a skipping gait. “What’s in it, what’s in it?” Cloud started chanting as Sari opened the bag. “Cloud, shush. It’s…,” Explosives. Sari stared in speechless disbelief. She knew that the time, effort and materials it took to make just one, small explosive was enough to make a grown man cry with pity, yet here were thirty or so large explosives and maybe twenty small ones. She shuddered at the thought of what these could do to a large city. She picked up the small instruction card from the top of the pile and unfolded it. 1. The large explosives, you’ll need to set the fuse on fire. Place the explosive, light and run. You’ll need about 500 meters of space so you don‘t get caught in the explosion. 2. The small explosives with little red X’s on them work the same as the large explosives, just with less power. 3. The small explosives with no red X are called grenades. Pull the pin at the top and throw. Be fast. You have about ten seconds. 4. There are fireworks, impact bombs and timers in the side pocket. There’s a separate instruction card on how to use those next to the timers. 5. Use at your own discretion. “Some instructions,” Nalia commented over Sari’s shoulder. “Use at your own discretion. What does that mean?” “I suppose it either means that everything we do is our responsibility, or we can do whatever we feel like doing with these.” Staring at the card with indifference, Sari continued, “Either way, she doesn’t want to hear about it.” She put the instructions back into the bag, closed it and slung it over her shoulder. In The Crooked City, where the families of all the criminals lived, Nalia and Chia went shopping, while Sari and Eroa went looking for Cloud, who ran off, chasing a “shiny”. As they were shopping, Nalia noticed that Chia got discounts for everything. The four copper apples were bought for two. The seventeen silver throwing knife set, Chia got for twelve. It was, frankly, amazing. Finally, she couldn’t hold in her curiosity anymore. “Why do you get all those discounts?” “ ’Cause I feel like it. Ooh, let’s go get some pastries!” Smiling, Chia took off towards the bakery. At the other end of town, Sari pulled Cloud away from a particularly sparkly necklace. “No you can’t have it, Cloud.” She spared a second to look over her shoulder. “Eroa, I could use some help!” Eroa looked up, shook her head slightly and walked over to where Sari was wrestling with Cloud with all her strength, to get her away with the stand. She grabbed the back of Cloud’s half-cloak and started pulling her effortlessly down the street. As she walked down the winding streets, Cloud firmly in hand, she listened. She listened to the soft pattering of Sari’s feet as she walked behind her, she listened to the voices of the streets, talking of deals, products, haggling, and services. She listened to the day’s voice, the birds singing, the trees rustling and the wind blowing. Most importantly at the time, she listened to the familiar breathing of Chia across the city. “Hey look, it’s Eroa.” Nalia looked up from the mangoes she was looking at when she heard Chia from the next stall over. She turned and waved at her friends as they approached. ***** Sari and I stood in the training yard, looking over the Control equipment. There were logs, stones, a pond, torches, a lightning rod and a deep, deep pit with a cover to keep out the light. Sari nodded. “This equipment is good. It’s useable.” She turned to face me. “Now, the logs are for wood Control, the stones for mineral Control, the pond for water, the torches for fire, the rod for lightning and the pit for light. To begin, close your eyes, and breathe deeply. Reach deep inside yourself. This may be tricky, so I want you to do it as often as you can. When you get where you need to be, you’ll know. Start.” I closed my eyes and breathed. so thats it. chronicle 4 may take some time as i still have to write it , plus i have a nasty case of writers block. yes, its terrible, but ill get over it. bye *smiles* :) i could use suggestions, if anyone has any.
