Elaina J. Davidson's Blog, page 360
February 15, 2016
February 14, 2016
TKC Collage (Siri's Story 1)
After 14 posts from Siri's POV, it is time for a collage :)
The King's Challenge #215
TKC 215
The initial tunnel is dark, but mercifully short. We soon enter a larger space, larger even than the antechamber where Hal and Marian wait for our return.
It is an eye-opener, this space. Somewhere there must be gaps in the rock, for there is light. Not sufficient to live naturally in, but certainly enough for us to see each other by.
Kay puts a finger to his lips and points. Footprints in the dust; small prints to fit those of a boy.
The space is otherwise clear. Once this is done with, it will be a good idea to move everyone here. First, though, this terrible mission must be done with. I do not like it; I wish I am elsewhere.
Two rock arches opposite reveal there are other spaces. The prints lead to both. Shrugging, Kay heads to the one on the right; a process of elimination.
The cave beyond is a warren of nooks and niches, almost as if someone long ago carved out sleeping spaces for a host. It is empty, though. Staring at the recesses, I know we will be moving in. It is too practical to ignore.
We move back to the large space and take to the left arch.
And there a massive astonishment awaits us. I gasp, for my surprise is too great to contain. Kay whistles and comes to a halt.
“By the sands, this I never expected,” he utters.
Not in twenty lifetimes, no. This is true beauty; it is inspiration and it is life-giving. Here we will survive as long as we need to, until safety returns to the world.
A glorious sapphire lake is bathed in yellow light. Emerald fronds waves in a soft breeze from damp ledges. A pristine white beach arcs around to the left, while beautiful trees in full foliage overlook the waters from the right.
By the stars, this is magical.
The initial tunnel is dark, but mercifully short. We soon enter a larger space, larger even than the antechamber where Hal and Marian wait for our return.
It is an eye-opener, this space. Somewhere there must be gaps in the rock, for there is light. Not sufficient to live naturally in, but certainly enough for us to see each other by.
Kay puts a finger to his lips and points. Footprints in the dust; small prints to fit those of a boy.
The space is otherwise clear. Once this is done with, it will be a good idea to move everyone here. First, though, this terrible mission must be done with. I do not like it; I wish I am elsewhere.
Two rock arches opposite reveal there are other spaces. The prints lead to both. Shrugging, Kay heads to the one on the right; a process of elimination.
The cave beyond is a warren of nooks and niches, almost as if someone long ago carved out sleeping spaces for a host. It is empty, though. Staring at the recesses, I know we will be moving in. It is too practical to ignore.
We move back to the large space and take to the left arch.
And there a massive astonishment awaits us. I gasp, for my surprise is too great to contain. Kay whistles and comes to a halt.
“By the sands, this I never expected,” he utters.
Not in twenty lifetimes, no. This is true beauty; it is inspiration and it is life-giving. Here we will survive as long as we need to, until safety returns to the world.
A glorious sapphire lake is bathed in yellow light. Emerald fronds waves in a soft breeze from damp ledges. A pristine white beach arcs around to the left, while beautiful trees in full foliage overlook the waters from the right.
By the stars, this is magical.
February 13, 2016
The King's Challenge #214
TKC 214
Kay gets up and heads for the rock fall entrance. “We need to see what is out there. The Glonu hiding away further in may be calling to those in the ships.”
Before long he is moving rocks out of the way, carefully so as not to alert anyone outside via inadvertent noise. Marian heads into the other caves to tell everyone to remain quiet. Folk are waking up.
Finally there is a peephole and sunlight is evident in the lightness of the ragged circle. The rain has clearly stopped. Kay puts his face in the hole.
Long minutes pass and then he retreats. As Hal steps into his place to look as well, Kay says, “There is nothing to see yet, but I hear the whines of great engines. They sound far away at this point.”
Relief fills me.
“This region is usually unpopulated,” Hal adds as he withdraws. “They will go first where they expect to find people.” He then eyes Kay. “We need to find the Glonu.”
Suspicion about the identity of our unknown watcher has been growing in my thoughts. Someone who is afraid to reveal? Someone who prefers to run rather than be seen? It does not fit with an adult, strong male.
“I think it’s Attis,” I say.
Hal echoes, “Attis?”
Kay groans. “No, I … we … damn it.” He nods, for the logic cannot be denied.
“A boy we had in our care,” I tell Hal. “A good kid. We love him.”
Kay groans again and covers his face. “As I loved Manuel and that stopped nothing.”
Hal moves to stand before us. “The kid you knew is no longer the kid you will find. We have to silence him.”
Swallowing, Kay stares up and whispers, “Mirlin, my brother, I understand now. There is nothing I need forgive you for.”
I take his hand and together we return to the darker space. We will find Attis; Hal and Marian will keep the watch here.
Kay gets up and heads for the rock fall entrance. “We need to see what is out there. The Glonu hiding away further in may be calling to those in the ships.”
Before long he is moving rocks out of the way, carefully so as not to alert anyone outside via inadvertent noise. Marian heads into the other caves to tell everyone to remain quiet. Folk are waking up.
Finally there is a peephole and sunlight is evident in the lightness of the ragged circle. The rain has clearly stopped. Kay puts his face in the hole.
Long minutes pass and then he retreats. As Hal steps into his place to look as well, Kay says, “There is nothing to see yet, but I hear the whines of great engines. They sound far away at this point.”
Relief fills me.
“This region is usually unpopulated,” Hal adds as he withdraws. “They will go first where they expect to find people.” He then eyes Kay. “We need to find the Glonu.”
Suspicion about the identity of our unknown watcher has been growing in my thoughts. Someone who is afraid to reveal? Someone who prefers to run rather than be seen? It does not fit with an adult, strong male.
“I think it’s Attis,” I say.
Hal echoes, “Attis?”
Kay groans. “No, I … we … damn it.” He nods, for the logic cannot be denied.
“A boy we had in our care,” I tell Hal. “A good kid. We love him.”
Kay groans again and covers his face. “As I loved Manuel and that stopped nothing.”
Hal moves to stand before us. “The kid you knew is no longer the kid you will find. We have to silence him.”
Swallowing, Kay stares up and whispers, “Mirlin, my brother, I understand now. There is nothing I need forgive you for.”
I take his hand and together we return to the darker space. We will find Attis; Hal and Marian will keep the watch here.
February 12, 2016
First Lines - The Infinity Mantle
This is the result of a fun exercise I did recently. I took all the first lines from every chapter to see how it would read. Writers are weird, I know!(will probably do this for the other Lore books also)
Prologue
In a time now passed beyond memory, a man whispered over a golden disc as he set it into a vice.
Part I - Darkness
Rayne rested on the final descent from the high pass, sipping tepid water.Aven was a self-proclaimed sorcerer.Samson of the Mye dropped a hoe onto his foot, but that ache was as nothing compared to the one in his head.With the Medaillon around her neck, Averroes retreated.He stood on a brown square two by two feet and next to it a green square, then another brown, another green and so on … he was on a giant checkerboard!Light filtered into the clearing in dancing sunspots.It was hot and Taranis shifted in bed for a cooler region.The Sagorin of Glorium lived and died in much the way as other mortals.Margus paced his chamber, his haven of light in the darkness of the world.Margus mulled over the news his spies returned with.A stiff breeze swept the lake, raising white tufted wavelets.Three thousand years before the present time the human population of Valaris was essentially decimated.Using magic to travel via doorways through the spaces, insubstantial as a breath of wind, faster than light, they materialized in the clearing.The five Guardians used the period of waiting to rest, acclimatise and renew in natural light.He had her measure now.Valaris’s period of darkness lasted twelve nights and the appearance of the new moon was reason for celebration throughout the land, therefore the capital letter title ‘New Moon’.Dawn broke through the veil of night when Taranis mentioned it.Fourteen diverse tasks; they had the essence of the game.North of the clearing a track led through the trees to a picturesque setting where one of many streams lacing the Forest floor widened into a deep, green pool.What lay beyond the Forest came as a shock to the northerners.They started out early, hoping to make good progress before the heat of the day.Captain Bertin was the complete opposite of his mother.The horizon vanished in an enormous mass of dirty thunderheads, pressing down on the surface of the heaving ocean, rushing insanely closer.Resourceful McSee was a hero.The land was inhospitable; huge, windswept boulders, barren sand, stunted trees, grey and dun.Margus left his citadel and world and transferred to the uninhabited moon orbiting the small planet the Valleur called Ardosia.They left the turbulent ocean behind to enter the Gatherers’ Circle.Situated on the western coast of Tor Island, Actar experienced the excessive heat of the summer season.Actar, during the day, recovered from its nightly excesses.They dispersed after the morning’s revelations, needing time away from discussion, debate and information, from knowledge.
Part II - Arcana
In the beginning, if there is a beginning, Mother Universe was empty and lonely; thus, children were born for her enjoyment, and her grief.Two thousand years after the remaining Valleur settled on Valaris, a scant three years after the completion of Mantra’s palace, Vannis awakened from deep sleep in the dead of night.Five hundred years later, Vannis approached his seven thousandth Naming Day.The space warp was ensorcelled into Valaris’s atmosphere after Mantra, last to go, dematerialised.From the main balcony, Vannis saw the hundreds of fires of the human encampment.
Part III - Rayne
Averroes huddled for warmth and comfort before her small fire.Aven was full of questions, which Averroes answered simply.A distinctive alteration to the horizon.“I’ll not be joining you,” Aven announced. “I’ve decided to remain here.”Varelie screamed and bolted from her warm bed into her father’s lap.It gave him pleasure after all, taking on the Golden.They waited for Vannis.Vannis stared down at Dante.When Vannis found the Centuar in a meadow a fair distance from the Palace, Belun was all he found there.Vannis requested a space to find equanimity in before they rejoined the team and thus Rayne accessed an image in his mind of a clearing much like the one the team waited in.Margus turned away.
Epilogue
Valleur possess added biology that allows them to breathe air alien to humankind, a fortunate situation given where the scatterlings of Ardosia were forced to ground.
Prologue
In a time now passed beyond memory, a man whispered over a golden disc as he set it into a vice.
Part I - Darkness
Rayne rested on the final descent from the high pass, sipping tepid water.Aven was a self-proclaimed sorcerer.Samson of the Mye dropped a hoe onto his foot, but that ache was as nothing compared to the one in his head.With the Medaillon around her neck, Averroes retreated.He stood on a brown square two by two feet and next to it a green square, then another brown, another green and so on … he was on a giant checkerboard!Light filtered into the clearing in dancing sunspots.It was hot and Taranis shifted in bed for a cooler region.The Sagorin of Glorium lived and died in much the way as other mortals.Margus paced his chamber, his haven of light in the darkness of the world.Margus mulled over the news his spies returned with.A stiff breeze swept the lake, raising white tufted wavelets.Three thousand years before the present time the human population of Valaris was essentially decimated.Using magic to travel via doorways through the spaces, insubstantial as a breath of wind, faster than light, they materialized in the clearing.The five Guardians used the period of waiting to rest, acclimatise and renew in natural light.He had her measure now.Valaris’s period of darkness lasted twelve nights and the appearance of the new moon was reason for celebration throughout the land, therefore the capital letter title ‘New Moon’.Dawn broke through the veil of night when Taranis mentioned it.Fourteen diverse tasks; they had the essence of the game.North of the clearing a track led through the trees to a picturesque setting where one of many streams lacing the Forest floor widened into a deep, green pool.What lay beyond the Forest came as a shock to the northerners.They started out early, hoping to make good progress before the heat of the day.Captain Bertin was the complete opposite of his mother.The horizon vanished in an enormous mass of dirty thunderheads, pressing down on the surface of the heaving ocean, rushing insanely closer.Resourceful McSee was a hero.The land was inhospitable; huge, windswept boulders, barren sand, stunted trees, grey and dun.Margus left his citadel and world and transferred to the uninhabited moon orbiting the small planet the Valleur called Ardosia.They left the turbulent ocean behind to enter the Gatherers’ Circle.Situated on the western coast of Tor Island, Actar experienced the excessive heat of the summer season.Actar, during the day, recovered from its nightly excesses.They dispersed after the morning’s revelations, needing time away from discussion, debate and information, from knowledge.
Part II - Arcana
In the beginning, if there is a beginning, Mother Universe was empty and lonely; thus, children were born for her enjoyment, and her grief.Two thousand years after the remaining Valleur settled on Valaris, a scant three years after the completion of Mantra’s palace, Vannis awakened from deep sleep in the dead of night.Five hundred years later, Vannis approached his seven thousandth Naming Day.The space warp was ensorcelled into Valaris’s atmosphere after Mantra, last to go, dematerialised.From the main balcony, Vannis saw the hundreds of fires of the human encampment.
Part III - Rayne
Averroes huddled for warmth and comfort before her small fire.Aven was full of questions, which Averroes answered simply.A distinctive alteration to the horizon.“I’ll not be joining you,” Aven announced. “I’ve decided to remain here.”Varelie screamed and bolted from her warm bed into her father’s lap.It gave him pleasure after all, taking on the Golden.They waited for Vannis.Vannis stared down at Dante.When Vannis found the Centuar in a meadow a fair distance from the Palace, Belun was all he found there.Vannis requested a space to find equanimity in before they rejoined the team and thus Rayne accessed an image in his mind of a clearing much like the one the team waited in.Margus turned away.
Epilogue
Valleur possess added biology that allows them to breathe air alien to humankind, a fortunate situation given where the scatterlings of Ardosia were forced to ground.
The King's Challenge #213
TKC 213
The four of us do not sleep. Sleep is a luxury.
We do not know where and we cannot tell how many, but we are aware of the arrival of the Glonu and their ships. I am not a Delver, but I sense them. My heart beats and skips continuously; this is a sign of fear and fear is the seeds the Glonu will sow in order to reap our bodies and souls.
We do not speak. I know I am not alone in thinking they will hear us.
Around the time my weary body tells me dawn is imminent outside, Hal speaks, causing me to flinch.
“Damin. I have connected with Damin.”
I inhale so sharply I am dizzy in the aftermath. “What do you see?” Kay takes my hand and I am grateful for the touch and support.
“He is a silver circle,” Hal murmurs. “Tell him that if you ever see him again.”
“By the sands, man,” Kay growls.
Hal shrugs. “Death surrounds them; I am being realistic. We are not actually talking and he appears to be running, which makes proper contact difficult, but he is relaying the images he sees back to me. Perhaps, when he is able to rest, we can take it further.”
“Which images?” I ask quietly.
“Those that reflect agony and death mostly. People are dying around him and he sees what they feel. Also …” Hal pauses to frown. “… white dandelions? I am uncertain, but I sense … ghosts?”
“They are fighting the ethereal army,” Kay murmurs.
My grip on Kay’s hand intensifies.
“And now his vantage changes …” Hal lifts a hand to forestall questions. “Damin looks up and sees …” He blinks and stares at us. “Space vessels. I don’t think it is symbolic; he is relaying an actual view of the ships.”
I cannot say a word, but Kay asks, “How many and how large?”
“Damin sees four in the sky and one is landing beyond his sight. Large. HUGE.” Hal lapses into silence in order to concentrate.
The four of us do not sleep. Sleep is a luxury.
We do not know where and we cannot tell how many, but we are aware of the arrival of the Glonu and their ships. I am not a Delver, but I sense them. My heart beats and skips continuously; this is a sign of fear and fear is the seeds the Glonu will sow in order to reap our bodies and souls.
We do not speak. I know I am not alone in thinking they will hear us.
Around the time my weary body tells me dawn is imminent outside, Hal speaks, causing me to flinch.
“Damin. I have connected with Damin.”
I inhale so sharply I am dizzy in the aftermath. “What do you see?” Kay takes my hand and I am grateful for the touch and support.
“He is a silver circle,” Hal murmurs. “Tell him that if you ever see him again.”
“By the sands, man,” Kay growls.
Hal shrugs. “Death surrounds them; I am being realistic. We are not actually talking and he appears to be running, which makes proper contact difficult, but he is relaying the images he sees back to me. Perhaps, when he is able to rest, we can take it further.”
“Which images?” I ask quietly.
“Those that reflect agony and death mostly. People are dying around him and he sees what they feel. Also …” Hal pauses to frown. “… white dandelions? I am uncertain, but I sense … ghosts?”
“They are fighting the ethereal army,” Kay murmurs.
My grip on Kay’s hand intensifies.
“And now his vantage changes …” Hal lifts a hand to forestall questions. “Damin looks up and sees …” He blinks and stares at us. “Space vessels. I don’t think it is symbolic; he is relaying an actual view of the ships.”
I cannot say a word, but Kay asks, “How many and how large?”
“Damin sees four in the sky and one is landing beyond his sight. Large. HUGE.” Hal lapses into silence in order to concentrate.
How will you drink your Jack Daniel's today?
Have a 'thing' for these lists, whatever form they take. Invariably, they land up here!
While I don't actually like whisky, I thought I'd share anyway :)
From a saucepan doing a handstand with a farm animal!!
February 11, 2016
The King's Challenge #211 and #212
TKC 211 and 212
There are scuffling sounds in the darkness. I hear a woman’s voice and a man’s murmur in reply. They seek a place to relieve themselves.
Grinning, Marian gets up to help them, swiftly disappearing into the antechamber.
Soon all is silent again.
Hal sits with his chin on his chest, breathing a deliberately slow rhythm. I do not speak, aware he has sent his mind travelling. Beside me Kay is as wordless, but his concentration seems to have moved elsewhere. Perhaps he too sends his mind travelling, perhaps into memory in search of what his talent possibly is. Maybe something happened in his past he could not explain before and now he will see it differently.
I wait in this silence. It is unnerving.
A soft sound teases the edge of my hearing and my spine straightens in reaction. This sound has an element of stealth; careful tread, masked breathing, and a sense of expectancy. Is someone out there? If so, why employ secrecy? Are we not in this together?
I want to shake Kay into awareness and yet I remain still, choosing instead to listen.
A soft plink comes then, as if a toe accidentally nudged a stone, and Kay too turns his head … to the darkness behind us, to the deeper spaces we are yet to discover. Every hair on my arms and in the back of my neck spikes to attention.
Hal moves, lifting his head, and I reach out to grip his arm, placing a finger over my lips. He blinks, but nods and remains silent.
Kay rises carefully, hand on his blade, and creeps cautiously into the recesses. I want to scream, I am that unnerved.
Tense moments go by, and then Kay returns.
“Someone else is in these caves,” he murmurs. “He or she has retreated.” Frowning, he sits facing the space behind me. “We need more people and more light to go after whoever it is.”
Fingers of fear crawl along my spine. I shift to better watch the darkness. This space now contains the element of danger, an unholy intention from an unknown watcher.
Hal whispers, “Glonu. I am receiving a vague impression of the maze symbol.”
Kay curses under his breath. “We must …”
“No,” Hal interrupts. “He or she is alone and moving fast into the deeper cavities. I say we track him after we have had some rest.”
Marian returns then. “And?” she demands of Hal. “Did you get anything?”
Damn, yes. Has Hal managed to contact Damin? “Hal?” I prompt.
The Messenger leans forward. “Nothing specific. What I mean is, I see images, but they are jumbled. I think that implies I sense thoughts of more than a few, and now I need to sift through them to find the one that may be Damin. Of course, he no doubt guards his thoughts …” He gives me a wry smile. “I’m sorry, Siri, I have no answers yet, but I am not giving up.”
“That’s all right and thank you,” I respond.
“What kind of images?” Kay asks.
“Yellow knots, red splashes, blue … I think flowers or a leaf construction …”
“Fear and death,” Kay mutters. “Damin and I discussed the meaning of images …” He pauses to grip my hand, probably reading my horror. “Siri, no; maybe Hal’s symbols are different.”
“Fear and death is correct,” the Messenger says. “They are engaged in battle.”
“What happened to having no answers?” I blurt out, dread infusing my every blood vessel.
He closes his eyes. “Sensing a battle is not the same as knowing how it fares.” His eyes snap open suddenly and he stares at us, his mouth opening and closing.
“What is it?” Kay demands.
“Glonu,” Hal states. “They are everywhere.”
“The ships have landed,” Marian whispers.
There are scuffling sounds in the darkness. I hear a woman’s voice and a man’s murmur in reply. They seek a place to relieve themselves.
Grinning, Marian gets up to help them, swiftly disappearing into the antechamber.
Soon all is silent again.
Hal sits with his chin on his chest, breathing a deliberately slow rhythm. I do not speak, aware he has sent his mind travelling. Beside me Kay is as wordless, but his concentration seems to have moved elsewhere. Perhaps he too sends his mind travelling, perhaps into memory in search of what his talent possibly is. Maybe something happened in his past he could not explain before and now he will see it differently.
I wait in this silence. It is unnerving.
A soft sound teases the edge of my hearing and my spine straightens in reaction. This sound has an element of stealth; careful tread, masked breathing, and a sense of expectancy. Is someone out there? If so, why employ secrecy? Are we not in this together?
I want to shake Kay into awareness and yet I remain still, choosing instead to listen.
A soft plink comes then, as if a toe accidentally nudged a stone, and Kay too turns his head … to the darkness behind us, to the deeper spaces we are yet to discover. Every hair on my arms and in the back of my neck spikes to attention.
Hal moves, lifting his head, and I reach out to grip his arm, placing a finger over my lips. He blinks, but nods and remains silent.
Kay rises carefully, hand on his blade, and creeps cautiously into the recesses. I want to scream, I am that unnerved.
Tense moments go by, and then Kay returns.
“Someone else is in these caves,” he murmurs. “He or she has retreated.” Frowning, he sits facing the space behind me. “We need more people and more light to go after whoever it is.”
Fingers of fear crawl along my spine. I shift to better watch the darkness. This space now contains the element of danger, an unholy intention from an unknown watcher.
Hal whispers, “Glonu. I am receiving a vague impression of the maze symbol.”
Kay curses under his breath. “We must …”
“No,” Hal interrupts. “He or she is alone and moving fast into the deeper cavities. I say we track him after we have had some rest.”
Marian returns then. “And?” she demands of Hal. “Did you get anything?”
Damn, yes. Has Hal managed to contact Damin? “Hal?” I prompt.
The Messenger leans forward. “Nothing specific. What I mean is, I see images, but they are jumbled. I think that implies I sense thoughts of more than a few, and now I need to sift through them to find the one that may be Damin. Of course, he no doubt guards his thoughts …” He gives me a wry smile. “I’m sorry, Siri, I have no answers yet, but I am not giving up.”
“That’s all right and thank you,” I respond.
“What kind of images?” Kay asks.
“Yellow knots, red splashes, blue … I think flowers or a leaf construction …”
“Fear and death,” Kay mutters. “Damin and I discussed the meaning of images …” He pauses to grip my hand, probably reading my horror. “Siri, no; maybe Hal’s symbols are different.”
“Fear and death is correct,” the Messenger says. “They are engaged in battle.”
“What happened to having no answers?” I blurt out, dread infusing my every blood vessel.
He closes his eyes. “Sensing a battle is not the same as knowing how it fares.” His eyes snap open suddenly and he stares at us, his mouth opening and closing.
“What is it?” Kay demands.
“Glonu,” Hal states. “They are everywhere.”
“The ships have landed,” Marian whispers.
