Works in Progress: Pageseekers, by Hope

A timid boy trying to save his ailing mother…

A feisty girl striving to impress her father…

A curious girl eager to explore…

And the mysterious ice boy wandering the land…

All united by a single call: “Come. Now is the time to find healing.”

Four children, strangers, set off on an odd quest to reassemble an ancient text. For generations its pages have been scattered throughout Tiphereth Erets. It has been prophesied that should every page be united, great healing would come. It can be no coincidence that this calling arrives just as a widespread sickness conquers a record wave of victims. So without warning or proper greetings, Asmund, Firn, Hydra, and Cillian pack their bags. 

Their journey will push this ragtag group past their limits. An endless labyrinth of stone, the depths of an underwater city, frostbitten mountains, a broiling volcano, booby traps, and mighty dragon lairs—all for a book. As doubts and questions arise, little do they know their travels will take them through the depths of their greatest fears.

Here’s what Hope has to say about her latest work:

“I’ve been working on Pageseekers for over three years now, and it’s come a long way from a few scenic images and a handful of vague characters. It’s been quite the journey so far. I know God has had His hand in it. I couldn’t have even made it this far without His help. Time and time again I’ve been at the point of quitting, or I’ve had a problem I couldn’t resolve, and God has provided beyond what I’ve needed. Habakkuk 2:2-3 have been my writing verses. I write it in every journal and pray it over my writing sessions.

Some days I wonder if I’ve bitten off more than I can chew. I have four main characters and I rotate through them all as point of view characters as well. And more than that, none of them are humans. The fantasy world where the story takes place has no humans in it at all. It’s all centaurs, dwarves, fairies, and naiads, as well as the regular retinue of dragons and other fantasy creatures of my own design. My main characters are Firn (centaur), Asmund (centaur), Hydra (naiad), and Cillian (who is a creature not quite human, called the Ice Boy).

Writing from the point of view of these kinds of fantasy creatures has been a challenge, but a very fun one. It’s been a slow process, but I hope to have a completed first draft by this September. Based on the outline and how much of it I’ve written out so far, it will be well over 100k words, possibly more than 200k. I believe God put this story on my heart and has equipped me to write it for His glory. I want to entertain, intrigue, and delight my readers, as well as point them to the Creator who loves them dearly.”

An excerpt from Pageseekers: 

“Chase them out of the village!” came from behind them.
They bolted. Cillian led them dashing around corners and through the streets, which were tight but thankfully free of debris. Rather than going straight out of the village, they wove through in hopes of shaking off their pursuers, who could still be heard in an angry din. Firn didn’t know where Cillian was taking them, but he seemed to know his way alright. She only wished they could go faster than Cillian and Hydra’s shorter strides allowed. More than once Hydra stumbled in her haste, so Firn picked her up by the arms so she wouldn’t get tangled in Firn’s hooves and send them both tumbling. By the third time Firn simply swung the girl onto her back. Hydra wrapped her arms around Firn’s waist, her heaving breaths tickling her ear.
The foursome twisted and wove through the narrow streets, and at last the voices of the mob receded. A few minutes after the sounds died away, they decided it was safe to slow down. Her bloodbeat raced in her ears. The coolness of Hydra’ liquid composition felt rather good, but she trembled and pressed her legs tightly around the girthline.
Firn spoke over her shoulder. “Relax, I think we’re in the clear for the moment.”
Hydra nodded.
Cillian spoke up. “All the same, this place is small, so we should probably stay in the orchards on the outskirts of the village until we figure out what our next step is.”
Hydra slid off of Firn’s back as they started onward, but just then Firn froze. Voices, gruff and ill-tempered, came from nearby.
“Hide!” she hissed.
Cillian and Hydra dove into a shadowed alcove. The only place large enough to conceal two centaurs was a small storefront whose door was left agape. Firn took it. She pointed it out to Asmund, who dashed in first, then she backed in, closing the door. She held the handle still and waited with bated breath.
They appeared to be in a leather working shop. The scents of leather and mink oil permeated the air. Apparently no one had been in it recently. All of the tools and supplies were neatly put away. It was roomier on the inside than it had appeared, however the ceilings were painfully low.
The voices were just outside the door now.
“…all over the village and haven’t found them. If they’re smart they’d’ve hightailed it out of the village. But I don’t hold out much hope for their intelligence seeing as they marched right in here and demanded that special heirloom from us.”
“And the nerve of that Ice Boy to come back with them. As much as he’s been around he’s probably contagious.”
“The last thing we need is a wave of blistering fever in the village. Hopefully our little reminder will knock into him some sense to pack up that impudent little group and leave.”
“At this point I figure if they haven’t been found yet, then they’re not going to be found. I’ve got a wife and child to return to back home.”
“So that’s it then? What about the shop?”
The other one scoffed. “Let the magistrates run their errands, I say. And no one’s been in the shop all day. Everything’s put up so I’m going to lock up and go home.”
Firn’s stomach dropped and a flash of goosebumps spread up her arms. She whipped a glance over her shoulder. No rear exit. They couldn’t get caught and taken to the magistrates. Would they get executed? No, they didn’t do anything bad yet. It was only two dwarves. She could take them. A couple of well placed conks on the head and they could escape into the orchards. Yeah, that could work.
She gripped the door handle until the metal dug into her palm. It jiggled, and she braced herself even more.
Then, a click, and the pair of voices faded away.
Firn stood frozen in a stupor. After a moment she broke out of it and tried the handle. It wouldn’t budge. They were locked in.”

The Featured Image on our post today is a collage the author created for Hydra, the water-nypmph, one of the main characters in Pageseekers.

To learn more, check out Hope’s website at: hopemcclellan.com