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| Blogs > goodlookincookin > A Stroke of Genius |
A Piece of a Dream
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A Piece of a Dream Some of you who know me know that I've been working on a novel for the past five years. It is a fantasy novel based on a Dungeons and Dragons adventure in which I was the Dungeonmaster. At the beginning of the game, I asked each person to come up with a brief summary of their character's life up until the present. They all asked me to do it for them, so I wrote a few paragraphs on each of six characters. As I read each biography, I was amazed to see all of them gathered around me, clinging to every word. I'm not one to need to have my ego fed, but the words "WOW" were used excessively to express how they felt about my writing. Then, the one thing I least expected happened. All of them urged me to write a book based on the adventure. Inspired is a word that doesn't do justice to the way I felt. It has been a long road with bumps and bruises, threatening to shatter this dream into unrecognizable shards, but it stood the test of time and adversity, and now, very soon, my dream will become a reality. I thought I'd share an excerpt from the novel. You'll have to forgive any typos, because it is still considered a work in progress. This part tells of two dark elves. Tharivol, who struggles to accept his own destiny, and Drusilia, who battles with a hidden, more sinister side of herself. Thanks to a cruel, shapeshifting enemy, they find themselves trapped in a deep pit with no apparent chance of escape. Just as all seems lost, an unexpected savior arrives in the nick of time, blurring the line between friends and enemies. The impact had knocked Tharivol unconscious, yet he never let Drusilia go. His dark-elven blood was running down his forehead from where he had struck his head on a nearby jagged stone. Drusilia remained unharmed, save the spider bite on her right leg. She looked at Tharivol, and felt the urge to cry. No one had ever protected her in such a way, not even Thorn. Drusilia placed her ear against Tharivol's chest, and although he was unconscious, his heart was beating strong. She listened closely, hoping to hear him breathing, and was relieved to see the rise and fall of his chest. First examining her hand, seeing that there were no scales present, she reached toward his mouth. She could feel his breath on her hand. Knowing that he may not feel her touch, she battled with the desire to press her lips against his. It would be a one-sided expression of affection, but there would be no chance for her king to deny her the opportunity. She moved closer to him, imagining that he was waiting for her. Closer still, only a few inches away. Her heart began to pound furiously, and she felt Tharivol's breathing quicken. He opened his eyes, startled, and quickly sat upright. He looked at Drusilia, and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Are you alright?", Tharivol asked. Drusilia lowered her head. Under her breath, she cursed Father Time himself for not giving her a second longer. Tharivol repeated his question, "I SAID, ARE YOU HURT?!!" Even though this wasn't the first time he had asked her the same question, his commanding tone of voice blatantly overshadowed his concern for Drusilia's well-being. She felt compelled to tell him 'yes', for although his words were genuine, his harsh tone cut through her heart like a well-sharpened dagger. "No, I'm unharmed." she told him. She got to her feet, slightly wincing from the pain of the bite, and walked toward the other end of the crevasse into which they had fallen. There was a small pool of water there, and Drusilia neared it, looking down at her reflection. "We have to find a way out of here. These walls are too sheer to climb." Tharivol's words seemed to go unnoticed, for Drusilia was standing over the pool of water, frozen in horror. "What is it? What do you see?" Tharivol inquired. Drusilia gazed into the clear water, and saw not the graceful form of a female dark-elf, but the rugged, scaly face of Drutha the Arkura. Her eyes were blazing with fire, and Drusilia quickly covered her own. Tharivol asked once again, "What is the matter, Drusilia?" "Don't look at me!" she screamed. "I'm hideous!" she added. Tharivol took a step toward her. Drusilia held up a hand toward him, covering her eyes with the other. "Stay back! I don't want to harm you!" She felt Tharivol's hand take hers, his fingers entwined with her own. "You're not hideous." Tharivol said, removing her shaking hand from her eyes. "You're just as beautiful as the first day I met you." Drusilia's heart soared, and at the same time sank to new depths. She looked down at the ground, and out of the corner of her eye she caught movement. Turning to look, she saw two pitch black wings behind her. She pushed Tharivol away. "You see?! Look what I am! How can you say I'm..." Drusilia paused. Wings, she thought. Wings were made for flying. She concentrated, trying to lift them into the air, and tried to take flight. She felt her feet still firmly on the ground, and jumped to assist them. Her efforts seemed futile. "I'm too weak to fly. ", she told Tharivol. "My wings are useless." Tharivol's face took on a concerned look. "Wings? You don't have...." He remembered the spider bite. Drusilia continued to jump up and down. Tharivol walked to her, and gently placed his hands on each side of her face. "Drusilia, you're hallucinating. The poison from the spider bite is making you see things that aren't there. It will pass. You still need to rest." Drusilia looked her king in the eyes. He was strong, not only physically, but his will was that of the finest steel. He always seemed to know what to do in any situation, whereas she could not bring herself to reveal the feelings that threatened to make her heart explode. The feelings...that were growing by the minute. They stood there, locked in a seemingly perpetual gaze, neither of the two advancing nor retreating. Finally, Tharivol began to pull her ever so slowly toward him, slightly tilting his head to the side. Drusilia let out a sigh, rejoicing that the moment had come. Although their final hours may be spent in the depths of this crevasse, she was content to finally feel her king's embrace, and to be seconds away from his kiss. "Well, well, well. Isn't this cozy?", a rugged voice from above told them. Tharivol looked up to find the source of the voice, while Drusilia closed her eyes in despair, once again foiled in her moment of truth. Sironn was looking down at them with an unusual frown on his face. "I must say, it is tragic to die this way." Tharivol became confused, "Die? Stop your foolery and help us out of here, Sironn." "I'm afraid I cannot obey, your 'majesty'. I do not take orders from you. You see, the pit you have fallen in was once used by the Dragon Knights. Once a dragon was wounded enough so that it could no longer fly, it was lured to fall through a cover of brush into this pit. Then..." Sironn pointed upward to the opposite end of the pit where an iron bar mesh was hinged, "...the 'cover' is quickly lowered, trapping the helpless dragon. The Dragon Knights' spears finished the job." Tharivol saw Sironn walk to a rope that was tied nearby. The dwarf untied it, and the iron cage came slamming down onto the top of the pit, leaving the two Drow without an escape. Sironn continued his taunt. "Next, the Dragon Knights took a torch, and tossed it into what you surely believed was water. Sorry, my captive friends. It is oil. A very flammable liquid that would be used for burning the corpse to ashes, leaving no evidence for the Arkura to find. Crude, but very effective. I'm curious...how a dragon's death will differ from the demise of two dark elves." Sironn tossed a tiny torch into the end of the pit, and both Tharivol and Drusilia winced from the sudden change in light. Their elven eyes were made to see in the dark, and the bright ignition of the oil was painful to them both. Sironn walked around once again to the end of the pit where the two Drow stood, "I would rather enjoy watching you both die together, but I have other matters to attend to." The dwarf looked at them both, and spoke again, this time in a distinct tone of voice, "Zabt zudo jpo Icxeci." When she heard Sironn's words, Drusilia winced as if someone had struck her. Tharivol saw this, but did not inquire as to why. He had heard the same language before, spoken by her own lips. There was, he believed, a connection, and would perhaps have the chance to seek the answer another day. Tharivol saw Sironn walk away. He looked at Drusilia, "Are you well enough to lift me up? Perhaps I can reach the top and unlock the gate." Drusilia looked at her hands, expecting again to see black scales and claws, but instead, her dark elven hands were ever present. "I am weak, but I will try." she told Tharivol. She cupped her two tiny hands, and her king placed a foot there. With all the strength she could muster, she heaved upward. Tharivol managed to grasp the bars of the iron grate, and there was enough space to push his head through. He saw Sironn walking away from them. "Traitor!!", Tharivol shouted. Hearing the Drow, the dwarf turned to look at him. Sironn's eyes were as if on fire with a violet flame, and a demonic chuckle erupted from his lips, forcing a smile to twist them as well. The King of the fallen Drow kingdom of Neverlight watched in horror as Sironn's body twisted and changed, and became that of a violet scaled dragon. Spreading its massive wings, it took flight, and disappeared into the sky. Drusilia could no longer hold Tharivol's weight. Her leg was throbbing, and it gave way to the pain. She was forced to let Tharivol fall, and he landed unharmed in front of her. She saw the look on his face, and knew that this time, he had no answer. She was going to die here, and if it was decreed that she die with her king, so be it, she thought. She stepped toward him, and they commenced a final embrace. With her head pressed against Tharivol's chest, feeling the increasing beat of his heart, she looked at the approaching flames, and this time Drusilia spoke without fear. "Tharivol, if this is the end, I want you to know...." She lifted her head, and looked her king in the eyes, voicing her feelings in the Drow tongue.... "Usstan ssinssrigg dos." Tharivol placed a dark elven hand on Drusilia's cheek, "Drusilia...I...." The sound of steel on steel rang through the air. Someone was striking the lock on the iron grate above them. Finally, the massive heavy gate began to rise. Tharivol could see a shadow moving above, but could not tell who it was. The gate rose until it stood straight up, and the shadowy figure tied the huge rope to a nearby tree. A short pause later, and a smaller rope fell down between the two trapped Drow. Tharivol looked at Drusilia, "Go up first." he told her. Drusilia refused, "I am too weak. You go first. You'll have to pull me up." "Very well then." Tharivol replied. With that, the dark-elven king began to ascend the rope to the top of the crevasse. Drusilia turned to look at the flames. They had risen higher than the ground above, and their fiery caress was inches away from the rope that secured the grate. The heat had become intense, and the fire was roaring as if a beast, and its cruel intention was to incinerate its helpless captive. Tharivol was one step from the top, and a pudgy hand reached out of the shadows to help him up. The king of Neverlight was stunned to see Sironn's face, as well as having his life saved by him. Puzzled, Tharivol angrily walked toward his savior as Sironn backed away. "Sironn?", Tharivol remained confused, "Why have you come back?" The dwarf pointed toward the dragon trap. "Your future queen is going to die if you do not move quickly." Tharivol's heart raced, "My...what?" Tharivol spun to look at the flames, and saw them dancing across the huge rope. The sound of hot, buckling metal filled the air as the iron grate slightly lurched downward, the strands of rope snapping one by one. "DRUSILIA!!" Tharivol ran to the edge of the trap, and looked down at Drusilia. He saw her standing there, trapped, the flames were mere inches from her feet. Lying down on his chest at the edge of the trap, he reached for her. "Grab my hand! Quickly!" he shouted. Drusilia looked up at her desperate king, seeing him try to stretch his hand closer to her. "Tell me." she said calmly. The iron grate jerked again, falling a few inches more. The rope was helpless against the flames, and time was running out. "Tell you?! Now is not the time for this, Drusilia! Take my hand!" Again the massive gate threatened to close, falling a few feet more. The rope was unraveling, and the flames had almost finished their dire deed. The trapped Drow spoke with more calm than Tharivol had ever noticed before. "Now IS the time, my king. Tell me, or leave me to die here." "You're acting as a , Drusilia. Do not do this." Tharivol told her. Drusilia dropped her eyes, " act as they do because of their innocence, because they are loved. It is a feeling like no other. I never thought I would find it. Now that I have, I do not want to let it go." She turned and stretched her hand out above the fire. "Tell me, or leave me here, and let the warmth of your touch be replaced by the heat of these flames, for what I carry in my heart will never belong to another." Tharivol tried to calm himself, "Drusilia...please...take my hand." She reached out to him, her dark-skinned hand less than half an inch away from his, and in the midst of an imminent and painful death she spoke with a calmness that equaled his own. "Tell me...please." Tharivol looked behind him at Sironn, "Grab my hand." He obeyed. The dark elven king reached harder, and at last had hold of Drusilia's hand. "Don't let go." he told her. Drusilia held Tharivol's hand fast, and he began to pull her up. She pushed up with her leg, and a near blinding pain shot through her. The spider bite was throbbing, and her grip slipped until she was left holding naught but Tharivol's fingertips. "Drusilia! Hold on!" Tharivol shouted as Drusilia's head emerged from the pit. He looked back at Sironn. "Pull! PULL!!" Tharivol's heart thundered when he saw the burning rope, now completely severed, fall into the trap. All was silent save the roar of the flames. The grate, with all its massive weight, was falling fast, and Tharivol had mere seconds to save Drusilia. Only a few inches more to pull her out. The cover fell, striking Drusilia, separating the two dark-elven hands, and knocking her back into the trap. "DRUSILIA!!! NO!!!" Tharivol screamed. The would-be king of the Drow kingdom was reduced to a helpless as he cried out to her. She had been knocked unconscious, and luckily she did not land in the flames. Tharivol drew his father's black-bladed sword from its sheath, "Father, help me." he pleaded. With all his strength, he swung the sword at the iron bars. Sparks flew in all directions as the grate began to turn red from the intense heat. Over and over Tharivol struck the grate, tears streaming profusely from his pale yellow eyes. Sironn walked up to him, and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Tharivol, let her go." Tharivol spun about, his long white hair dancing in the wind, and his pale yellow eyes turned a deep blood red. "YOU may give up easily..." His voice had deepened, and Sironn began to back away. "...but I do not! YOU may have been content to watch as your beloved was murdered before your eyes, but I will DIE before I allow the life of the woman I love end in fiery agony!" Tharivol turned once again toward the flames, and grasped the massive iron grate. Sironn could hear the flesh sizzle as Tharivol lifted with all his strength. The red hot bars began to bend, and the dwarf watched in amazement at such a display of power. Even though Tharivol's hands burst into flames from the intense heat, all he cared about was saving Drusilia. Sironn was forced to dodge flying metal as the hinges were broken into pieces, and the grate was lifted into the air. With one final heave, Tharivol tossed the huge iron grate to the opposite side, leaving the flaming trap open. Ignoring Sironn as he poured water on Tharivol's scorched hands, the desperate dark elf tied a rope around a nearby tree, and lowered himself down into the pit. Drusilia was lying there, unmoving, and Tharivol quickly took her onto his shoulder. "I've got you." he told her. Upward he went, pulling on the rope, finally reaching the top. He slumped to the ground, cradling Drusilia in his arms. He could feel her breathing, although it was very shallow. He looked up into the sky, at the colorless vashtra, and said a silent prayer, pleading to Dalkruun not to let her die. "Please, help me. I have all this uncontrollable power, yet I know not how to save her. I beg of you, don't let her die. I cannot do this without her." Tharivol looked up at the flaming pit. The journey seemed so long. How much farther, he thought. He glanced down at his vashtral star, and as if answering his thoughts, the beam of light shot from his hand. He looked again at the pit, and thought of what direction they were walking when he and Drusilia fell in. The star was pointing the opposite direction. He angrily looked at Sironn, realizing that he had been leading them in the wrong direction. Suddenly, he heard a weakened, but very soft-spoken voice. "You...never answered me." Tharivol's heart rejoiced, and he held her tightly against him. This was, for now, answer enough, Drusilia thought. She felt her king's tears falling on her own tearful face, and she knew, that this time, he did it all for her. Any questions that this excerpt left you with will surely be answered by reading the finished work. As soon as I finish proofreading all chapters, you just might get the chance. I welcome any comments. Hope you enjoyed it. GLC |
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5/16/2009 1:26 pm |
You write very well, thank you for sharing Falling in love is exciting. Staying in love is extraordinary
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Lovely
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11/21/2009 4:02 pm |
That's a cool name "Neverlight" This part of the story u shared was really good. Thanks for letting us get to read a bit of it. And again ~ Good Luck and much success I hope u have with it and with any future books u write. And even if it's hard this first time (or any) keep trying to get it published or in the stores. If u haven't thought about, u always have the option of doing the self publishing thing as well. So don't give up on ur dream even if at times it's hard not to and it doesn't seem to be going to happen...don't give up and one day if u keep trying to get there and believing you can and will then you'll see it happening for you.
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