So, last november, I started a NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) novel. I didn't finish it ... but I decided to post it here. It's about 10K words long, and it's riddled with Spelling and Grammar mistakes. But, I hope you like it ^^ Spoiler: the story Prologue In all the tongues of this world and in all the peoples therein, there is one word which surpasses language, race, sex or even age. Not many know it, yet it is the most important word of all. It creates life, it destroys stars, it grows trees, and it feeds fish, birds, and even people. It is what holds up the sky, makes rain, and causes the sun to shine. Yet also it creates storms, earthquakes, and even death itself is controlled by this word. Some know not of it, minding their daily lives as though it didn’t exist. Others, know of it, and yet do not speak of it, less to frighten those who know not of it. And some others still use it, shape it, and master it, folding and bending its very nature to their will, for good or ill. This, in your tongue you would call “magicâ€. However, this is no cheap trick. Everyone possesses the art in a small fraction at least, how could one not? What they control and draw on is but the stuff that you or I is made of, even if it is in a raw, primordial, chaotic form. The force they shape has one name. It is called Kyla. There are many forms which Kyla can take: from vast roaring seas to turbulent mountaintops, and even to the very wind which buffets the mountains of sea. You, I even the book in your hand, are all composed of Kyla. Yet, to the shapers or “wizards†or “witches†as you would call them, there are four main “creeds†of Kyla. Iaer is the first creed of Kyla. It is what creates air for us to breathe, and the windmills to supply our power. Iaer shapers can at one moment cause a thundering tempest, but suddenly cause a raging hurricane to cease. Iaer also has other powers. It is Iaer which allows us to form speech and language, to communicate in ways which animals cannot. It also can be used, with the subtlest use of a highly skilled shaper; can be used to create music, without the aid of an instrument, as though from the air itself. However, in a malevolent shaper’s hands, Iaer can be used for dire consequences. A skilled Iaer shaper may snuff out the very life of another with only a though in their mind. This, although powerful is also very risky for Iaer does not distinguish between shaper and victim. Therefore, very few shapers, even of the dark kind use this form of shaping known as Mul-dà , and the art has passed greatly into legend and is very rarely taught or learned. The second of Kyla’s creeds is Teira. If it is Iaer which created the sky, then Teira created the land underneath it. One can through study of Teira raise mountain from the earth, or create huge valleys across her face. Teira also creates, with aid from the other three creeds, nature, forests and life. Most of the Kyla inside a living being be it animal or plant, or other such things, it mostly composed from Teira. Yet Teira has other functions other than creation. One can use Teira to heal minor injuries such as cuts, bruises and broken bones. More skilled shapers can even use Teira to heal very major wounds such as stab wounds or, if fast enough, undo the effects of Mul-dà . In addition, Teira is used to augment one’s athletic abilities such as running or jumping. However, due to its nature, it is banned in most organised competition such as the “Olympicsâ€. There are no evil forms of Teira use, due to its very nature, it can’t destroy, only create and heal others. However, the effects of Teira such as chasms or earthquakes can cause a great deal of harm to bother the earth and people around the shaper, including the shaper himself. The Third creed is the most deadly, but also the most useful to humans. Nasya is the creed of fire and lava. Nasya shapers can burn anything to dust or also shape objects for themselves out of the very rock or sand of the earth, a skill they share with Teira. Nasya, however, is not only about fire and destruction. Noble Nasya shapers can provide light and heat for people without power, and also set up power stations. Many of the great alchemists and inventors are Nasya shapers, due to their ability to shape metal as though it was paper. Yet, due to its very nature, Nasya is a very violent creed. Wicked shapers often use Nasya as their primary creed, using it to destroy those who oppose them. Yet, when not treated with respect, Nasya becomes fickle and tired of its masters, and if one should misuse it, they will be burned to ash, just as they have done to so many others. Nasya, finally is a very primal creed, and many of the people who first began using it were the medicine men of old, who used their shaping ability to heal, although not always successfully. The final creed is Quilla. While Nasya burns and destroys, Quilla quenches and soothes the flames. Quilla is the only creed which directly communicates with its shapers, appearing as water-nymphs or nix. Many Quilla shapers will have a spirit such as this to advise them. Many great leaders and kings are Quilla shapers, mainly because Quilla allows us to think and to feel. Empathic Quilla shapers can, and do, use their art to feel the emotions of others and use them to help, or hinder others. The seas, lakes and rivers of this world are governed by Quilla, yet they are not found exclusively there. Quilla shapers have the power to extinguish the flames and destruction of Nasya, yet delicately sooth and heal, not to the extent to with Teira can however. A fickle creed, Quilla can be calm one second and wild the next, just like the roaring seas they it governs. Yet, Quilla shapers may also sharpen the minds of themselves and others so they may not be taken by surprise too easily. Just as humans create alliances between themselves, the four creeds of Kyla may be further sub-divided. Iaer and Quilla tend to ally themselves with one another. As air and water, they become the icy regions of the north. Likewise, Nasya and Teira may also ally, although this is far less likely, as the Lava which makes the beating heart of our world. However, rumours are growing in the shadows of a fifth creed, a dark and dangerous form of Kyla, only practised by those willing to be consumed by its dark powers, and one which all other creeds detest above all others. It is called Mora. Few speak of it, for in the dead of night, when the sun sets, Mora takes control. Normally, Mora is harmless, a lesser creed to the great four. However, recently, dark shapers calling themselves Moramancers have been taking this innocent creed and twisting it, making it into the stuff which nightmares are made of. Beasts of shadow and flame, Ifrits, and dark beings of water and darkness called Leviathans are mere examples of what has been created by those powerful enough to shape Mora into these twisted forms and corrupt the great four creeds with darkness. Only few people have met such shapers and very few have lived to tell the tale. Every year in Narvale, a big city not too dissimilar to modern day London, there is an annual Kyla shaping contest. Every year, the greatest shapers in the land travel to Narvale to compete to win the title of “master†and at least minor fame. There are many categories from art, music and creation, to downright fights and tests of skill. This contest is sponsored by the enigmatic Reya Co-operative, and no-one really knows what they do, aside of course from sponsoring the contest. Our story begins very far away in a small village called Ilia on the east coast of the country of Arra, and follows how they choices of the few at a crucial moment can make all the difference to us all. Chapter 1 “I’m warning you Caren for the last time!†the teenage redhead shouted, “Don’t come near me when I’m shaping, you could be hurt, or worse!†Ellaria sighed as the smaller boy ran out of the room. The Competition was less than three months away and she still had no idea what she was going to do. Her copper hair, normally straight was in tangles from the Iaer she had just been shaping, and been interrupted from shaping. Her room was a mess, although, unlike her hairstyle, this was not Caren, or Kyla’s fault. She had been like this for weeks and the thought hadn’t even crossed her mind to begin tidying. Ellaria was 17 years of age and about to attend her final year studying music at the local academy. Being a “gifted†Iaer shaper, and also not too shabby with the odd bit of Quilla or Nasya shaping either, it had come to a point where her teacher had finally asked her to represent him in the National Kyla Shaping Competition. Ever since she had run home in pure delight that day, nearly demolishing several market stands and knocking over old Mrs McMeldra from next door, she had hardly rested from practising, and trying to decide what she should do. Naturally, She thought, I should enter the performance class and do something musical with Iaer. But, I have no idea what to play, or even where to begin. This thought had been reverberating around her head since Caren, her younger brother, had interrupted her for the first time, which was now, she realised looking at the alarm clock beside her bed, 10 hours ago. As though reading her mind, her stomach growled in response. “Hun … gry …†Ellaria groaned as she entered the kitchen. “I’m not surprised,†Her mother retorted sarcastically,â€You’ve been at it for almost the whole day, I’ve not seen you. Look, the sun is down already! I did tell Caren to come and get you for lunch and dinner, but you kept on shouting at him.†“But mu-umâ€, Ellaria droned with the usual ligature, “It’s the National! I want to be ready and win for Mr Moyersâ€. “I know dear, but that’s no reason to go on practising until you collapse from malnutrition! It’d be my head on the line if you did that, you know what dad’s likeâ€. Yeah … all too well, Ellaria thought. “It’s okay Ellaria,†Her mother said, “I left you dinner in the microwave for you.†After she had finished eating, Ellaria went back to her room and closed the door. She stood in the middle of the room for about a minute before closing her eyes and preparing to begin shaping once again. While she had been eating, she though about what she was going to perform for the Competition. It would be difficult, and would require a lot of practice. However, if she pulled it off, she knew that she would be a shoe-in for winning. She opened her box of chalks and pulled out the grey, silver, blue and yellow colours, before shutting it and placing it back on her dressing table. She then picked up the much larger white primer stick which she would use to draw the outlines before using the chalks to make the lines able to be used for shaping. She screwed the primer onto a stick that was propped beside her bed and began drawing. As she drew, she thought of the music that she would be playing. It was a beautiful piece of music that she had learned while in her first year of study at the academy. She thought it interesting that she should choose this piece, because it wasn’t for her first instrument (the oboe) that she had learned it. Rather, it was her second instrument, the piano, which she had learned this piece on. It had a beautiful, soaring quality that the ethereal sounds produced when shaping Iaer for sound made, and it also had a much deeper meaning to her. She had played the piece at her older sister’s wedding. She remembered the day very well. Her sister, in a lace and sating white dress that Ellaria though would’ve drowned her if she had worn it. The groom, looking at his bride with that wry, kind smile that he always wore when he was nervous. Her sister, walking towards the love of her life, her father’s hand in hers, as they strode to the sound of Ellaria’s music. It wasn’t even a wedding march, nor could Ellaria play one, but her sister, Krysta, had insisted that she play that piece. “It’s perfect,†she had said,†Come on Ella, you wouldn’t deny the bride on her wedding day, would you?†She had agreed, however, her father had only grudgingly allowed her to play … Her father. He never seemed to be happy with anything that she did. He was always very supportive, pushy even, willing her to succeed. Yet, there was always at least once, even after she had done something very well, such as getting in to the Academy with a scholarship, a moment where he would make a comment or even say something complimentary in a tone of voice that suggested to Ellaria that he wanted more from her. One of the darkest reasons she had wanted to enter the national competition was to show him that he was wrong and to show him that she could achieve the highest accolade in her art. Ellaria finished drawing. The white lines were sketchy at best, but all of the Kyla shapes were there for her to see. She picked up the pencil and paper from her desk and copied down the outline of the Kyla Circle so that she would be able to re-create it. The she picked up the blue coloured chalk stick. It seemed to squirm in her hand, and she stroked it with her finger to calm it down, as one would stroke a cat. It complied and the movement seemed to stop. She then began to draw, all the while thinking about the sounds of the Iaer music that she had heard, and thinking of the notes themselves. Once she was finished she picked up the grey chalk and thought of the volume while she drew, the way the trills seemed to crescendo and then die away just as quickly, and all of the notes in between. After this, the penultimate chalk, the yellow. Her hand twitched and she nearly dropped it, but she managed to catch it between her index and ring fingers. This chalk would only be used for tempo, which was fairly constant throughout. However, she lingered drawing the canary sweeps of Iaer, for she knew what she must do next. She picked up the last chalk, which looked just like the grey one, except for the tiny speckles that, to the untrained eye, would look just like glitter, or filings of metal. However, Ellaria knew what they truly were, and they were what had made this chalk so hard to come by, and so valuable and rare to find. The silver shimmers were tiny motes of Iaer, miniscule fragments of pure energy which, if used improperly could end a person’s life, to at least alter it radically for eternity. She would use this chalk to mark out expression, to make the audience feel deep emotion when they heard it playing. She drew tentatively at first, with the quiet opening of the piece having an air of a sunrise, or waking form a long sleep, then, her strokes and shading became faster and faster as the emotion she felt when playing the piece, the images of her sister, and her father, and her will to do well for her teacher, and for her family, and her determination to show her father what she could do, and then suddenly going back to calmness, tranquillity, and peace after being eclipsed to reprise the original theme one final time before drifting to sleep until the next time it was played, like the fleeting life a butterfly or the perfect snowflake which falls from the sky in the far north. She was finished. She stood up, putting the silver stick of chalk back in her case with the other three. Then she turned to the design on her black floor of her bedroom. It looked like silver moonlight reflected on the sea and the beach beside it. Yet, somehow the moon was being eclipsed by shades of red that she had not drawn there, for she had not used her red chalk. The sea also shimmered with aqua and green, as did the night sky with indigo and deep purples that she had not put there. Next was the important part. At the north end of her circle, she placed a crystal vial with the stopper open. She took a deep breath and began to whisper. These were the activation words which she had written into the circle that would only respond to her voice. As she uttered the last syllable of her words, a gentle breeze swept through the room, even though the door was closed and the windows were barred and curtains shut. The wind caught the chalk dust swirling it into a primordial ball of colour which span faster and faster in the centre of her room. Suddenly, her room was consumed by the mass of energy and she found herself standing on the beach that she had drawn, looking out over the sea. However, there was no sound, save for the gentle washing of the waves. Then it began. Quietly at first, but definitely palpable, the music had an otherworldly quality, like it was being sung by the very Kyla itself, which, when she thought about it, was exactly what was happening. She needn’t get complacent though, for the most difficult part was about to come. The large full moon, larger than a full moon would ever be in the real world, began to be eclipsed by a mass of red, casting a crimson light over everything in the dream-like world she had created. She quickly had to recite five invocations at the same time to keep the energy from collapsing upon it. She did so, although she nearly made a mistake on her third word, which would have been catastrophic. Once this was done, she yet had more work to do. She had seven more incantations to say, and they were all at crucial points in the music. One, she thought, two, three, break. She knew that the fourth was the most important and that it would effect how well the shaping went, yet she did not falter or even make so much of a shudder. It came, the moon was totally eclipsed and the entire beach and the sea were bathed in carmine light. She spoke the words, struggling to get them out of her mouth. She felt the dream begin to slip but she finished speaking the words and it shifted back into focus. That’s the sort of thing they’ll deduct marks for, Ellaria scolded herself, and I’ll have to be better than that if I want to win. The red light faded from the surroundings, but as it did so, it left something behind. Floating, unsupported, on the water, was a grand piano. However, it was not white and black like most pianos. This piano was composed entirely from diamond, even the strings, which shimmered in the moonlight, were made from it. The keys began to move, and the notes of the piano mingled with the unearthly voice of the Iaer spirits and as the music drew to a close, the harmony of the two made Ellaria feel calm and peaceful in her mind for the first time in a long while. She forgot her father, and everything else which plagued her mind as she listened to the last few notes of the music. As it faded, the piano dissolved into a hundred-thousand shards of diamond, each reflecting in the light of the moon. Then the dream world faded, and she found herself hack in her bedroom. Before she could even draw breath, the dust chalk dust which now covered her room was gathered up be the same breeze which had swept her room when she had spoken the activation charm. The powder was then swept by the air into a tornado which funnelled itself into the crystal vial which had once been at the north edge of the circle, directly opposite her. As the air picked up the stopper of the vial and placed it on top, Ellaria sighed. The room looked like nothing had changed from the time that Ellaria had started shaping the music, even though it had been a few hours since she had begun. She walked over to the vial of what looked like water, only that it was a deep blue colour and shone with iridescence. She placed it on her desk and picked up the label that she had written out for it. “Le Clair de la Luneâ€, she read aloud, “Thank you Iaer. With your help, I’m sure that I can win.†She need only draw the outline, cast the dust onto it and it find its way back to the same circle she had drawn earlier. Then, she need only recite the invocations correctly, and the Kyla would do the rest. Rest … that’s what I need, She thought, I will perform this for Mr Moyers the day after tomorrow, and we’ll see his take on it. With that, Ellaria placed the vial where she knew it could not be broken or touched by her cat or her younger brother, and then got ready to go to bed. As she looked out of her window, she saw that it was now dark. The moon seemed to smile at her, and Ellaria felt that calm, tranquil sensation in her body once again, even though she knew the shape was safe in it’s vial on the shelf. Chapter 2 “Take this!†the blonde man shouted as a fireball raced towards his sparring partner. “Too slow Brody.†the other said as he jumped high into the air to avoid it. From his new vantage point, he looked down on him from his new found height before quickly sketching a glyph with his hand and aiming it at the ground beneath Brody’s feet. The ground split apart, creating two hands of rock which swiped at him, as if trying to grab a hold of him. “Slow?†Brody said, â€Then let me give you a shock!†He said, motioning up at the sky. Lightning struck down from the sky at the other man, hitting him in the chest. Or rather, it would have done, had he not glowed vivid green, armour made of Teira, which absorbed the impact and shock of the blast, creating a cloud of smoke between the two of them. “Surprise,†The other man whispered in Brody’s ear, growing vines from the ground to wrap around him, constricting him, and pronouncing the other man the winner of the spar. “Very good Garryth, and not too bad either Brody,†said an elderly man who was sitting at the side of the square of dirt where the two were fighting. “Here, Brody, allow me.†He snapped his fingers and the vines binding Brody in place released. Then he gestured across the sparring field with a flat, down turned palm. The ground leveled perfectly to how it had looked before Garryth’s attack, as though it had never happened. “Now: a couple of things before we leave it there for today. Firstly, Brody, you’re being too aggressive, try to relax and watch your opponent more when you spar. Keep an eye on them and especially on their movements, see if they are shaping something before you launch an attack, and look for ways to exploit it. For example, if I were you, when I saw that he was shaping stone armour, I would have sent lava instead of lightning.†“Yes sir. It was the … heat of the moment I guess you could sayâ€. “No pun intended I presume. Right, Garryth. Even though you won, you still made some mistakes. The grasping hands were a grievous error which nearly lost you the match. However, you did something which your brother didn’t. You used his attacks to your advantage. Even if you didn’t intend it, using the smoke to sneak up him, combined with the extra muscle you put onto your legs at the beginning of the round, you were able to win that round. Don’t rely on such occurrences though, especially against Quilla shapers.†“Right master. I’ll try.†“Good. Finally, before we leave I’d –“ “Wait sir, we haven’t finished!†piped up Brody, â€We’ve done two spars today and it’s a draw, we haven’t had a decider!†The old man smiled. “You’re identical twins. How could you be anything less than an ideal match for each other? Both equally as powerful, yet also two sides of the same coin. Don’t you see? You’ve sparred more times than I’d care to count and, if my maths is correct; you are still on level pegging. Thi-“ “But mast-“Brody started. “Let him speak, Brody,†Garryth spat at him. “… This is why I want you both to represent me in the National Competition in three months time.†“No way!†Brody exclaimed excitedly, “The one organised by those Reya people?†“The same.†They master said simply, “I trust you feel you are up to the challenge?†“Well … I don’t know …†Garryth mumbled. “Oh come on bro, you know you’re the best Teira shaper in the city!†Brody pleaded, “Plus, what if we end up fighting each other in the finals?†Yes, that’s exactly what I’m afraid of, Garryth thought. “Okay then, we might as well do it. And hey, it could be a good experience too … right?†Garryth said tentatively. “So you both agree then?†the old man asked. “Yesâ€, the twins said in unison. “I thought twins only did that in films … anyway, before you go, there is another matter related to the tournament which I must tell you. I hear whispers from my colleagues across the country of people fighting without the use of one of the great four creeds.†“Isn’t that normal Mr Fythro?†Garryth enquired, “You hear about people shaping the lesser creeds all the timeâ€. “This is different.†Mr Fythro said darkly, “People are taking the very dark of the night and shaping it to their will. It is dark, evil shaping, for that is a creed which should not be tampered with. They are all very powerful and the shaping they use is the most deadly, even more so than the Mul-dà of legend.†“So what do we do if we encounter one of these dark shapers in the tournament?†Brody piped up. “Be on your guard. Keep an eye on their movements and if you see their shadow warp, dodge their next attack, for they may be trying to kill you, of at least heavily injure you.†“Okay, sir.†Brody said. “On another note sir, going back to the competition,†Garryth said, “Is there not a two on two fighting class?†“Ye-es …†Mr Fythro said looking puzzled, “go on.†“Is it possible that we could enter that as well? As you said, being two sides of the same coin and all...†“That’s an amazing idea!†Brody said emphatically, “That is … if it’s okay … sirâ€, he said, his tone dropping. “I’ll think about it†their master said, “Now I think it’s time we left it there.†Brody and Garryth bowed to their teacher and left his house by way of the front door. The sun was already beginning to dip below the terraced houses of the suburbs of Narvale where Mr Fythro, the twins’ teacher and family friend lived. The apartment they shared was a few miles away, but there were no busses at this time in the afternoon, so the two were forced to walk. After about half a mile of walking, Brody stretched his arms over his spiky blond head and stopped walking. Garryth, noticing that he had stopped faltered and turned around. “What is it Brody,†He asked, his own, longer blonde hair catching the breeze. “Oh … it’s nothing. I’m just tired from the walk.†Brody mumbled. “Brody. What is it really?†Garryth persisted. Brody moved close to his brother’s ear and whispered. “That woman has been following us for about the last third of a mile. It’s the middle of summer, yet she’s wearing a long black coat, and … I swear I saw her shadow move …†Garryth looked out of the corner of his eye. His brother was right. The woman was dressed from head to toe in black that looked as though it had been torn from the very night sky itself, although the person had clever taken a piece devoid of stars. Her hair, in contrast was stark, paper white, and it reflected the sun’s rays totally, nearly blinding him. The woman herself, however, looked only a few years older than the twins, and her face looked quite attractive, if he had to be honest. However, there was something perturbing Garryth and it took him a little while to realise what it was. When he realised though, his curiosity turned into ice cold dread. “She has an aura.†Garryth whispered. “What!†Brody whispered back, looking back in horror. “Yeah, she has an aura. It isn’t as strong as Mr Fythro’s, but it’s there.†Aura’s were only produced by shapers who’s sheer power warped the Kyla around them. Only those gifted greatly with the Gift could see them, such as Garryth and Brody, but when on encountered one who had an aura, they both knew instinctively what to do. “Run.†Garryth whispered. He quickly motioned towards his legs and his arms, infusing them with Teira, and making his bones and muscles stringer and larger, Brody on the other had sent lightning down onto the pavement just as he had done in the garden before, The strike hit true upon the ground, and dust created a haze between her and the twins. Garryth immediately grabbed his brother around the waist and sprang, catlike, away from the street they were in. Garryth leapt again, and again and again, each time getting further and further away from the woman who had been following, and more importantly, her sphere of influence. By the time they thought that they had lost her, they were on the top of a building on the other side of the city. “Whew,†Brody gasped, “Looks like we lost her.†“Don’t be so sure,†Garryth muttered, “The sun is about to set, and if what Mr Fythro said is true then her power will be at it’s fullest at night.†“But it didn’t look like she was even trying to follow us,†Brody replied. “You’d be wrong in that thought, boyâ€, came a voice from above their heads. The twins wheeled around to see the woman who had been following them standing atop the door leading to the stairs downs from the rooftop. “How did you follow us? What do you want from us?†Garryth shouted. “Oh ho ho, Garryth, don’t be so hasty, I haven’t even introduced myself, how my manners,†The woman cackled, “I am Elyse, and I am both literally and figuratively your worst nightmare. It’s such a cliché, but hey, it’s the truth.†“Enough of the talk. Why did you follow us here!?†Brody retorted. “Oh, I just wanted to play a little game my dear,†Elyse grinned. Garryth had been right. Brody now saw very clearly the swirling aura around Elyse’s silhouette in the setting sun. However, she was no match for the kind of power that Garryth could still feel emanating from where their teacher’s house was. “What kind of game?†Garryth snarled up at the pale woman. “Oh, I just thought we could play a little game of … catch!†She shouted. As soon as she said this, two great hands of shadow burst from the floor, grabbing Brody by the ankles and twining around him. “Oh, don’t struggleâ€, she giggles, “They prefer it that way.†“Let him go!†Garryth shouted “Oh, but the fun is just beginning,†She giggled, “Oh, and don’t even try to get him out, your pathetic plants can’t even begin to match Mora’s might.†“Shut Up!†Garryth roared at her. He gestured towards the ground beneth her feet, tearing the concrete of the building out of the roof under her and throwing her over the edge. Or so he thought, for just as she was about to fall, she jumped off of the falling concrete and kicked him square in the right cheek with her stiletto heel, sending Garryth over the edge of the building, only gangling by his fingers. Elyse stepped over to the edge, and looked down on Garryth. “I’m sorry we couldn’t get to know each other better sweetie. Au revoir.†She kicked his hands, and Garryth began to fall. “Noooo!!†Brody screamed from his bindings. “I’ll kill you for that you *****!†“You seem a bit tied up at the moment to be doing that don’t you?†Elyse sneered at him. However, the sky suddenly became dark and a huge cloud and tendrils of fog encircled the building. “I couldn’t let you have the satisfaction for killing one of my best pupils, Elyse†a voice boomed, crackling with thunder. “What do you old man? Going to lecture me to death?†She shouted at the clouds. “Well, now that you mention it, I can’t very well do it can I?†said the voice which Brody now recognised as that of his teacher Mr Fythro. “You have no idea what you’re up against old man, it’s been 5 years since I renounced your training†Elyse hissed, “and I’ve never looked back!†“My, your words, they burn,†Mr Fythro mocked. “Well, not as much as you are about to burn, my dear. Do you prefer medium of well-done?†“Shut up old man!†Elyse screamed, throwing a dagger of pure darkness at one of the clouds which Brody was sure would have killed his teacher, had he not simply shaped the cloud-stuff around it, dodging the attack, and dissolving it in the dying rays of the day’s sun. “Curse you old manâ€, Elyse said, her outline beginning to blur as she melted into the shadows, “You may have bested me this time, but mark my words, I will have my revenge!†And with that, she disappeared into tendrils of black smoke which flew through the hole in the clouds across the horizon ad out of sight. As soon as the had gone, the dark nads restraining Brody dissolved back into the shadows of the ground, allowing him to move once again. He ran across to the edge of the building where Garryth had fallen. “Mr Fythro! Garryth … he …†“It’s okay, I caught him, and he’s going to be okay, although he had a horrible gash on his left cheek which will need to be seen to.†“What was that all about!?†Brody exclaimed, relieved for his brother’s safety, yet still spooked about the evening’s events.†“I will explain everything later. Right now, I think you two should both come and live with me for the time being. It will be safer there than it will be at your apartment. We’ll stop by there and pick up anything you may need on the way to my house.†“One last question before we leave… who was she?†“All in good time Brody, all in good time.†Brody jumped onto the cloud-like hand that their teacher had held out to him, with his brother lying unconscious upon it. Then the three of them drifted west towards their apartment and the setting sun. Chapter 3 Ellaria knocked on the door of the house three times in rapid succession. She was excited. After the amount of shaping she had done the night before, she had been so eager to show her teacher that she had barely slept … for about five minutes. She had been exhausted, and had slept well until 12 o’clock the next day, even despite her parents’ and brother’s attempts to awaken her. It was not 4 o’clock and time for her 2 hour long lesson. The door opened, and a tall, brown haired man with short brown hair answered. “Hello Ellaria, how are you today?†“I’m very well Mr Moyers, I have something to show you too.†Ellaria answered. “Come on inside then,†he responded. Ellaria walked into the hall of her teachers home and wiper her feet on the mat. She walked through the hall to the black door, behind which was the room in which he taught his lessons. Even though it appeared to be solid black, Ellaria could feel the warm feeling of the glyphs drawn into the wood, glyphs to ward other Kyla from exiting the room, and to prevent harm to those within, just like those on the own bedroom door where she practised. The opened the door and stepped in. All around the room there were glyphs and boxes of chalks all around the room. Right in the corner of the room, in a glass cabinet warded with many glyphs and circles was his prized possession; the trophy had one in the National Kyla Shaping Contest in Narvale, which had given him the title of Master. Ellaria took off her bag and put it at the back of the room. “Right,†her teacher said, entering the room and closing the door behind him. “Before we start, let’s do a warm-up. You know the drill be now.†“Yes, I doâ€, Ellaria smiled. The closed her eyes and concentrated deeply, drawing power of the first creed: Iaer, into her mind, all of the airy qualities it controlled, and patterns of speech, song and music. She drew a glyph in the air in front of her which shone bright sliver and caused her to see red through her closed eyes. Next, she lconcentrated on the second creed: Teira, and the earth, barren rock faces, vast forests, and then on life, healing and sport, and physicality. She drew a different glyph to diagonal left of the first, which glowed a cute viridian colour, but didn’t glow nearly as brightly as the first. After this, she took a deep breath, and summoned thoughts of fire, anger, and lightning, modern technology and science, the things governed by Nasya, the thirds creed. The raw energy nearly hurt her so much that she rushed to draw the glyph below the Iaer creed, and nearly messed up in doing so. The glyph glowed with bright sparking energy, brighter than the second but not as much as that of the first. Finally, and as a relief for Ellaria, she thought of deep water, though, knowledge and emotion those things that prided shapers of Quilla in the highest. She drew the final glyph to the left of the Teira glyph and it glowed a deep ultramarine for about 5 seconds, before she opened her eyes to see the final phase of what she had created. The glyphs began to swirl together, pinning in a clockwise direction faster and faster and faster until there was only a blur of red, blue, green and silver which then became a single glyph which after only fractions of a second exploded into prismatic light which ricocheted off of the walls and then faded, and faded until there was no more. “Very good,†Her teacher said, “Your Iaer was very strong today, as always, yet your Nasya was also strong today. You must be very anxious to show me whatever it is you have to show me!†she chuckled, “It likes that sort of thing.†“Oh believe me, I am!†Ellaria giggled nervously. “Before you do that though, do you have the homework that I set you for last week?†Mr Moyers enquired, raising one eyebrow, his trademarked gesture. “… what homework?†Ellaria asked nervously. Mr Moyers sighed. He walked over to a cabinet and opened it, taking out a large glass bottle, about the size of a soup pot. He walked towards the centre of the room and sat down with it in from of him, and motioned for Ellaria to sit on the other side of it. “I asked you to do something quite difficult, so I expected that I would have to go over it anyway.†He said. “What I asked you to do was make me a tornado in a bottle, quite a difficult thing to do, as you have to not only create such a storm using Iaer, but also restrict its action so that it doesn’t break the bottle encasing it.†He explained. “We’ve done a tornado before; do you remember the three glyphs that are used?†“Yes … I think so,†Ellaria said,†She drew one of the glyph, then let its power dissipate, and drew the other two in a similar way. “Those three?†“Yes, those three. Now, for a tornado in a bottle, we need to add four more lesser gyps into the mix,†Mr Moyers said, “The glyps, together, will decrease the size of the tornado, protect the bottle from unintentional outside damage, stop the tornado from destroying the bottle from the inside, and keep the storm going without stopping for long periods of time.â€, he explained, “Those glyphs are these, he drew them in the air, and Ellaria copied them down in her book. “Where should I draw the glyphs? In the air or in the bottle?†Ellaria enquired. “Neither, in this type of shape, you should always draw glyphs on the stopper or lid of the container. That way, should the lid be removed of the bottle smashed, it becomes the epicentre of the full-size storm –oh that’s right, something I forgot to mentionâ€, he remarked, “If the container of the storm is broken on purpose, the minor glyphs break and create a full scale storm which will not herm you, but you can use to protect yourself, it is useful if you want to make a quick getaway. I always carry one around with me, not always a tornado, but something to protect me should I get in a situation where I need to make a quick getaway.†“Oh … right … should I shape it then?†Ellaria enquired of her teacher. “Yes, it shouldn’t take you very long. The glyphs should be arranged in a triangle just like the original spell, but with the four minor glyphs surrounding them, as though trapping them.†He responded. “Okay, sir, and then I’ll show you my surprise!†“I look forward to it.†He chuckled. Ellaria began to draw the glyphs in the order her teacher had told her. She wondered how he would react when he saw the shape that she had made in her room the night before. The vial containing the chalk dust was in her bag, along with her drawing of the base circle and her chalks.. She could hardly contain her excitement, and nearly messed up on some of the glyphs because of it. Still, sure enough, when she was done and Mr Moyers told her it was okay, she put the cork in the bottle, and after a few seconds a violent tornado started whirling inside of the bottle, though it never touched the sides in any way, not even when she shook the bottle. “The container doesn’t have to be that big either, that same set of glyphs can be used on any container. Also, the minor glyphs are fully transferable to any other effect: storms, fireballs, tsunamis, you name it!†her teacher explained. “It sounds very useful, even though you just sounded like you were trying to sell something on the shopping channel.†Ellaria smirked. “Yes … well, anyway, let me see what you’ve been cooking up. Let me guess, you did it just last night, and you spent ages working on it?†Her teacher enquired, once again raising his eyebrow. “How did you know?†Ellaria gasped. “I could feel you shaping until the small hours of the morning, you kept me awake!†Mr Moyers growled. “I’m sorry,†she apologised, “I was just … struck by inspiration, that’s all.†“What medium did you use? Glyphs, or chalk? Or were you adventurous and used freeshaping?†Her teacher mused “I decided to use chalk for this one, I though it was ore appropriate.†She answered. “Do you have them with you? Did you use the little trick I taught you last week about chalks, Making them easier to re-use?†He queried. “Yes, I did. It’s really useful, thanks for telling me how to do it. Can I borrow your shaping board, I think I’ll need the big one.†“Yes, that’s fine, I’ll just go and get it, it’s in the cupboard.†He opened the door and left the room. Ellaria could almost have squealed form excitement, but she didn’t. She looked at the drawing of her base, and refreshed her memory of the incantations she would have to recite to keep the image and sound in focus. She screwed the primer chalk onto her staff want then took the crystal vial out of the bag and set it on the floor beside her. Then she sat down in the middle of the room, and read her drawing, memorising the shapes and the words while she waited for her teacher to come back. *** As Mr Moyers entered his bedroom, he saw the mat immediately; it was a two meter area slate which could be folded into a smaller, more manageable shape in order to be transported with the same marks on it from earlier to prevent it from breaking. Just as he was about to fold it up, he heard his phone ringing. He walked over to his bedside table to pick it up. “Hello? Mr Moyers here.†He said. “Ho need to be so formal Tom, it’s me.†Said a familiar old sounding voice. “Oh it’s you Mr Fyth- I mean Andryw. Your weekly phone call I presume.†He enquired. “Well … actually, I have something more pressing to talk to you about. It’s about the competition.†Andryw said darkly. “What’s happened? They haven’t cancelled it have they?†Tom asked, immediately thinking of Ellaria downstairs. “No, no, no, but … they have started showing up in town. Elyse tried to kill the twins. She’s back, and she’s with them in earnest now.†He explained. “Are they okay? They’re still entering the competition, right? You said you were considering putting them in for the double battle class, as well as the singe battle class behind their back.†Tom asked concernedly. “They’re fine, Garryth needed to heal himself a bit after she tried to rip his face off. Yes, before you ask, she still wears those ridiculous shoes. I swear one day she’ll fall off of them and that’ll be the end of her.†He said through gritted teeth. “Anyway, if you have anyone entering, which I’m assuming you will, teach them how to defend themselves against … it … as soon as possible.†“I will, I’m teaching her right now.†Tom answered. “Ooooh, what class? Is this the one you were telling me about?†Andryw asked enthusiastically. “I assume she’ll want to go in for the music and visual arts class. She’s not the fighting type, unlike the twins.†Tom replied. “I look forward to meeting her, I don’t have anyone in that class. In the meantime, should any of them come to the village, especially Elyse or … him … then you know what you must do.†He responded “I will do†Tom said, “Keep yourself and the twins safe.†“I will do, same to youâ€, Andryw replied. “Byeâ€. “Byeâ€. *** Ellaria heard the door open and saw her teacher bringing in the board for her to shape onto. “Do you need any help?†She offered. “No, I’m fine. Sorry I was so long, I got a phone call which I had to take,†He apologised. “It’s fine. Right, now I know that it isn’t perfect, but it’s the sort of thing I want to do for the competition.†She unfolded the slate into its full size. “I hope you enjoy it.†“She began drawing the prime layer for the Kyla Circle. Meanwhile, Tom tried not to look at what she was drawing. I wonder what she’s going to do, he thought, whatever it is, it’ll be good. Chalk really is her best medium when she does it right. Once she had finished drawing the outlines, she double checked to see that all the lines were ther, which they were. Then she took the lid off of the vial and poured the contents onto the primed circle. Immediately, the dust particles shot straight towards the places they had been the night before and that same strange thing happened, the sea with flecks of green and the sky with purple, the moon with red that she had not drawn. She then placed the vial and the lid at the other end of the circle and looked at her teacher. “Should I begin?†“Just go whenever you are ready.†Tom encouraged. She took a deep breath and uttered the activation incantation and just like the night before, the same breeze swept through the room, lifting the dust off of the mat, and swirling it in a ball of colour in the middle of the room before exploding and sending Ellaria and her teacher into the dream-like world that she had created from the thoughts of her loved ones. *** “Well, that was certainly interesting!†Tom said, brightly. “Did you enjoy it?†Ellaria asked concernedly. “Well, you nearly killed be when you almost mispronounced that incantation in the middle†he said sarcastically, “But no, I really enjoyed it.†“… do you think I can win with it?†Ellaria asked sagely. “Well, if you do very well in the set shape performance and in the sight shaping categories then … with some adjustments, it could give you a very good chance.†He responded, “Can you draw the circle again, and set the dust back onto it?†“Why?†Ellaria asked. More than anything, she was happy that he had enjoyed it and was willing to give feedback on it, rather than just telling her it was rubbish, which she didn’t think he would’ve done in the first place considering his disposition. “I want to see it, and we need to make some alterations to the base shape, as I think you agree.†“What sort of things do you think we should alter?†“I think that the piano made of diamonds should be present all of the way through. It was a very clever idea, and the lunar eclipse would look amazing if it were refracted off of the diamonds strings.†He said cheerfully. “I couldn’t have come up with that!†“Thank you. What else is there?†She asked, sensing that he had more to say to her. “Very little, some minor aesthetic changes. The sound itself is exactly how shaped Iaer should sound. It was …†he faltered “What†“I would almost go as far as to say it was the best I’ve ever heard form a pupil.†He said bashfully. “What?!†She exclaimed, “But you’ve taught people who’ve gone on to win the national!†“I know, but none of them were quite to grips with the musicals side as much as you are. I really think you’re something special.†He said in a flat tone of voice which made it impossible to Ellaria that he could be lying. “I’ll just reconstruct the circle now,†she said. She began drawing once again, and then faltered after a few minutes. “You mentioned the set shape and the sight shaping categories. How do those work?†She enquired. “Well, basically, the first thing you do is the set shape, this is a performance which you do and prepare ahead of time. It always has a set theme which they release on their website around two months before the competition. It’s usually something quite broad such as love or war or something like that.†He explained, “The, the judges get rid of people until only half are left, but this shouldn’t be a problem for you due to your favoured medium being chalks which, as you demonstrated today are very easy to reproduce if you know the incantations – and while I’m on the subject, you need to learn the ones for this off by heart, because that’s the sort of thing the pick up on.†“Yeah, I haven’t had time to learn them very well yet … but don’t worry, I will.†Ellaria said bashfully. “Well you should. Anyway, after the set shape, the people who go through to the next round are challenged even further. They have to, within 2 hours create a shape based on a theme allocated to each contestant at random.†he said concernedly. “What?!†Ellaria gasped, but that’s barely enough time to draw a prime shape, let alone colour! How am I supposed to do that?†“Don’t worry, you won’t be using chalks for the sight shape anyway,†He chuckled, “The rules of the competition state that you must use more than one medium in the entire competition. I would personally suggest glyphs, as freeshaping is difficult and is very unpredictable. I saw a very good sight shape a couple of years ago, a girl had set up about a hundred empty flower pots, each with the Teira glyph for a different particular type of flower. She then danced around the stage and at every pot she touched, she activated the glyph causing flowers of that type to spout from that pot. By the end, she had a vertibale garden of flowers all around her, and the scent in the air was amazing.†“I see … but obviously Teira isn’t my strongest suit … so we’ll need to think how I will tackle that one. What happens next?†She egged on “After this, the judges assess the sight shapes and then further cut the numbers down to just the final few, which can be anything from ten to two, which is very unusual. They are then allowed to perform their interpretive shape. This is exactly what we are doing now, they can choose any theme or medium they like and the produce a presentation showing both their flare and skill, but also showing something about themselves to the judges, for example this connects to your musical background.†“I see, and how do they choose the winner?†she enquired. “It all comes down to the last shape they make. The set shape and sight shape only get you into the finals. After that, you’re on your own. This is why you have to excel yourself in the interpretive. And also it is why you have to learn your incantations!†he said aloofly. “All right, I get it, I get it. Look, I have finished the circle, and I am ready to putthe chalk back onto it.†“Go ahead. Do it.†He said. And let’s see if I really did see what I though I saw. She once again tipped the contents of the vial onto the prime circle and it once again zoomed immediately to the locations each particle had been in the night before. And yet again, there were the anomalies in the colour, which Tom seemed puzzled by. “What colours of chalks did you use for this shape?†He enquired. “I was going to ask you about this. I only used the grey, yellow, blue and silver, so why are there red streaks in the moon and purple in the sky, even though I didn’t put them there?†“I can honestly say that … in all my years … I have never seen a circle like this.†Mr Moyers said, flabbergasted. “It’s not a bad thing is it?†Ellaria asked anxiously. “No, I don’t feel anything dark in the make-up of this circle. But it is odd. And I have no idea what may have caused it.†“Anyway, shall we do those changes you were talking about?†She reached into her bag and took out the same four chalks from the night before. They spent about the hour of the lesson left discussing and changing aspects of the circle, and making it performable. Ellaria didn’t’ really disagree with anything he suggested, and things went smoothly. The more difficult was making the piano present throughout the entire performance, which required use of the silver chalk. However, with her teacher’s sage guidance, she pulled through it. Finally, she drew the memory glyph over the new circle which would ensure that it would go back to that state whenever cast over the same spell circle. She then dismissed the dust back into the vial and put everything back in her bag as she prepared to walk home. “Ellaria.†Mr Moyers said, just as she was about to say goodbye to him. “Yesâ€, she said, puzzled by his tone of voice which was harsher than it had been for the rest of the evening. “I’ve just heard from riend that he’s going to be bringing two pupils of his here soon, and luckily, they’re both entering the competition as well.†He imparted. “Okay, do you want me to come here on that day then?†She enquired. “Well, it’s actually quite fortunate. They are here exactly today next week. I don’t know if you are free on that day for the whole day are you?†“I’m on summer break right now, so yes, I will be fine, and I’ll come here if you need me.†She said brightly. “That would be very helpful of you if you could do that, I want to make a good impression, and … there’s something important that the five of us need to discuss.†He said. “Oh … okay. Should I bring my bag with me?†She said. What would Mr Moyers and three strangers from another town need to discuss with me? “I think … you should, but you might not need them. So do it if you want to, but if it is too heavy then don’t bother.†He said, his tone of voice shifting back to his normal cheerful one. “Okay Mr Moyers, I’ll see you next week then.†She said, and left the room. When Tom heard the door shut, he sighed deeply. Maybe Andryw can tell me more about that strange iridescence on her circle. It bothers me, yet it is nothing dark. I wonder how the twins are doing; I haven’t seen them for so long. And I wonder how they’ll all do in the competition and especially next week, when we will teach one of the hardest shaping techniques one can ever learn. I hope that Ellaria is up for the challenge. He looked towards the middle of the shaping room, and he could almost see himself standing in the middle looking down at that very atypical circle. It rang a bell, and it felt familiar, but I don’t think it’s something I’ve ever seen before. “I’ll worry about it later, it’s probably nothing of very much importance†he said out loud. And with that, he walked out of the room, still feeling the feeling of peace and happiness which Ellaria’s shape had given him about an hour before. Thank you for reading. I may continue this at some point ... and CnC is always appreciated. Also, yes I know there are GIGANTIC plot-holes XD.
I really like the idea of this... Its really interesting and makes you want to continue reading,and learn more. You also seem to be a very good writer,and the story really draws you in. Its also a very good idea thing,and its very creative I hope you continue with it <3
An absolutely wonderful story indeed, sir - I especially enjoy the entire scenario and concept presented within this world. The traditional factors of the elements has held a series of rather unique twists in a myriad of ways - and I am rather intrigued with how Iaer may be associated with verbal communication and whatnot. The story certainly does indeed appear to hold some Avatar influence, but it also stands out on its own quite well, and holds an extremely large amount of potential. The battle scenes were well written and the pacing, in general, was quite good. There are indeed a number of grammatical mistakes here and there but you already are aware of such and it is understandable as this was indeed written in a rush - but the fact that such a lovely writing style may be achieved in such quick timing is testament to your skill in word craft. I shall certainly hope for more.
Thank you both very much for your kind replies ^^. I will go over it at some point and fix the mistakes ... and I think I'll continue it too ...
