Gotta Wonder What She's Really Thinking... (story)

Elysse regarded him coolly. She had been speaking in the tones of a teacher giving a lecture on a subject of personal interest, but now her voice and adittude returned to the cold, imperious manner she had displayed when she had first arrived. "I had assumed you would want to know, being the parents of the one spoken of in the prophecy."

(Read all previous parts of the story here: http://propheciesofshadow.blogspot.com/p/chapter-one.html)

The Eight Elements

Hey everyone. I drew up a picture to show the eight elements and their symbols. Remember the number eight, and see where else it appears in my world... I'm not an artist, so I know it's not very good, but I hope it helps you visualize things that will appear later in the story. Also, the colors have meanings which I won't get into right now, so it's not like I made them all wierdly colored just for fun.

In case you can't tell, the symbol of death is a skull, life is a tree, light is a sun, earth is a group of mountains, air is three squiggly lines with one loop in each, fire is a ball of flame, darkness is a crescent moon, and water is a river going into a lake.

Protective Daddy (story)

"Why are you telling us this?" Xeldan demanded impatiently. If there were a problem with his son, he wanted to fix it and be done with this whole thing. He would not let the stories of some dead seer get in the way of protecting his family.

(Read all previous parts of the story here: http://propheciesofshadow.blogspot.com/p/chapter-one.html)

Sunlight

Umm... Decided to just do a random little romance story bit. Totally random. And pointless. It's not part of the story I'm writing on my blog.

He pulled me into a hug. The sleeves of his sweatshirt were soft and warm as they held me close to his chest. I felt safe with this person I loved so much. When I looked up, there was a gleam in his eyes and I just knew what was going to happen next. He leaned in. I closed my eyes as our lips touched and sparks ignited my skin. Our first kiss.

Then it was gone. He was gone. Looking around for him in panic, I saw him standing at the window across the room, looking sadly out across the sea. The golden light that filtered in from the setting sun illuminated the equally golden waves of his hair, and though his back was to me I could imagine the way it set off his beautiful blue eyes.

"I'll be gone tomorrow," he whispered, the sound barely carrying to my ears. "But I'll be back, and a part of me will stay with you. You will be safe. I will protect you. And in time, I will be back for you."

"I'll wait for you," I responded. I paused as he the sunlight suddenly brightened where he stood and he disappeared. I felt his hand on my shoulder. "But you should stay the night. You know you need the sun to travel."

His soft smile pressed against my hair, his words stirring the strands. "The moon will be full. That will be enough. I've gathered strength long enough. Goodbye."

And then he was gone. And I haven't seen him since.

Introducing the Kittens

Hello. First of all, I'd like to apologize for not posting yesterday. I was in the middle of cropping pictures when my dad needed his computer back, and then I got distracted by my mom's birthday celebration stuff, so I kind of forgot to finish until it was too late. So I guess I'll do yesterday's post today.

 

Yay! Those are the kittens! They all have names that we'll use for them until they go to their new homes and are renamed. The one on the upper left corner of the picture is Cotton. I named him because he's really soft and white. The one in the upper middle is Duckling. My sister Shaya named that one because he's (I think he's male? I don't remember for sure) the smallest one and he's orange. On the upper right is Gato. My brother Braelen named her the Spanish word for cat, because that's just one of those things he would do. In the center of the picture is Thunder, named by Shaya because she's dark gray. Even though thunder doesn't have a color since it's a sound... But still, I guess that's the color of the clouds during a thunderstorm. The kitten in the lower left corner is Teddybear. He was named by my other sister Khasia because he's an adorable ball of fluff and needed a suitably adorable name. In the lower middle is Garfield. He was named by my mom Tamara for reasons that should be fairly obvious by his appearance. But no, he's never had lasagne. The final kitten in the lower right corner is Dante. He was named by my dad Robert. Ever read the Inferno by Dante? Dante uses himself as his main character. The kitten Dante is very explorative and mischievous.

 

There has been a lot of arguing over names, so don't be surprised if you hear one of us calling one of the kittens by a different name. For example, Khasia refuses to call Gato anything but Angel. I'm not sure why. Maybe she thinks it's a stupid name, or maybe it's just a pride thing. I try my best to call them all by what they were named as. My main problem is getting Gato and Teddy mixed up, and mixing up Duckling and Garfield. 

More Talk (story)

"Another reason for the prophecy's popularity is that it was given by Faldren Allspeaker, the founder of the Council of Prophets himself. In the sixth year after the War of Sword and Spell, he had a vision of another war yet to come. That night he spake many prophecies but only one of them was written down, and thus the Prophecy of the Immortal is the only one we still have. Since then, every time there has been any rumor of a war between the nations, supporters of the prophecy have banded together to make certain that no one has forgotten."

(Read all previous parts of the story here: http://propheciesofshadow.blogspot.com/p/chapter-one.html)

Break the Code Game

Hey everyone! Guess what! I've created a code for you. If you like breaking codes, I hope you'll find this entertaining. In truth, I have no idea how hard it might be, so don't feel bad if you can't figure it out and please forgive me if it's too easy. Hints can be found here: http://propheciesofshadow.blogspot.com/p/hints.html

And...

IMPORTANT!!!

 

Did the pretty, clashing colors get your attention? Good. :) Anyway, I just wanted to say that while you're free to do this just for fun, if you'd like to help me with gathering my own data, then I have some instructions for you. Time how long it takes you to crack the code and email that time along with the hidden message to me at propheciesofshadow@yahoo.com along with any thoughts you had while trying to do it. Thank you.

 



The Nature of Prophecies (story)

She paused to let the words sink in. After a moment, she continued speaking. "One of the things that made this prophecy so well known is how clear it is. Most prophecies are vague and their meaning can change with different interpretations. In fact, there are some minor prophecies that are believed by some to be separate additions to the Prophecy of the Immortal, but are put aside because of their lack of clarity.

(Read all previous parts of the story here: http://propheciesofshadow.blogspot.com/p/chapter-one.html)

My Brother's Hawkwood

This is a picture my brother, Braelen, drew of Hawkwood. Yes, he gave me permission to post it. Isn't he an artist? He's able to draw straight out of his imagination too. I know that when I draw, I always need a model. And I can't get anything near this. Good job, brother. :)

Prophecy of the Immortal (story)

Elysse smiled slightly, though her eyes remained cold. "Yes. This is all true. But your knowledge is still incomplete. Allow me to recite to you the entire prophecy, translated from the old tongue to our own:

A blood red moon rises

and brings war in its

wake from all parts

of the world Uhdrea.

 

With the Immortal lies

the world's fate. With

his strength, his mind, and

his faith will he triumph.

 

His choice alone

will mark the way. No

other will force

his hand beyond his will.

 

Marks he does bear

to make certain his identity:

eyes of the green sea, a

bloody sword, a scaled chest.

 

He will need a band

of brave companions,

a path to walk,

and an ending to life.

 

For he brings with him

secrets and terror,

life and destruction,

an end to the war.

 

(Read all previous parts of the story here: http://propheciesofshadow.blogspot.com/p/chapter-one.html)

Insanity

You know, sometimes I forget how insane I really am. It's not a dangerous insanity. If anything, it's a useful one. Like how I treat my characters as real people. I'll find myself having conversations with them while I'm thinking about what to write, and when I do write it often feels like they're taking control. Or how I'm often seized by a burning need to write dark, emotion filled things, usually poetry.

But if I didn't have that insanity, my writing wouldn't be the same. In fact, I wouldn't have any inspiration at all. Most of my writing is a direct result of insanity. Many plot twists come from my conversations with my characters, and the emotional scenes wouldn't be possible if I weren't in the grips of madness.

I'm able to control it most of the time, so maybe it isn't really insanity. I just bring it up when I have something I need to write, or when I'm bored and need entertainment. But there are sometimes in the darkest hours of the night when the shadows seem to come alive without any conscious effort on my part. So am I mad?

And if I am, is madness all that bad?

Marks (story)

Elysse nodded. "'Marks he does bear, to make certain his identity; eyes of the green sea, a bloody sword, a scaled chest.' Is this all you know?"

Aerana had searched for extra information before she had brought the matter before her husband. Being unable to read, since she was not a priestess or a member of any arcane guild, she had not been able to find much in so short a time. But she had discovered something more. "He will decide the fate of the world," she said, awe touching her voice.

(Read all previous parts of the story here: http://propheciesofshadow.blogspot.com/p/chapter-one.html)

This Title Should Definitely Say Something, but I Don't Know What

I want to write a song about being a procrastinator, but I'm too busy right now. I'll do it later.

Umm... That's not what this is about. Although I guess it might be. Once again, I don't know what to write about. I'm starting to think maybe I should stop trying to write posts about my life and just post story snippets every day. Leave a comment here or on my Facebook page if you think that's what I should do.

Anyway, I really don't have time today to waste on thinking up something interesting, so I'll just write whatever comes to mind. Sorry if it's a bit random.

First of all, I want to apologize for not posting last night's story snippet on Facebook. I was doing school work and forgot I hadn't done that. I hope that you can find the power somewhere deep inside your heart to forgive me.

I'm going to dress up all pretty-like for Valentine's Day tommorow. :) I'm really excited about it this year. I'm hoping it will be good inspiration for writing. All that love and romance in the air has to give me some ideas, right? But even if it doesn't, it's a good excuse to get all dressed up. I don't do it often. I'm not the sort of girl who wears makeup every day and spends hours on her hair in an effort to adjust her appearance into what she is told is beautiful, just as I don't starve myself or go on any of those special weight-loss diets. If I'm going to get skinny I want it to be because I'm eating a balanced, healthy diet and exercising. Well, that got off track. The point I wanted to make was that while I don't go out of my way to make myself beautiful on a day-to-day basis, I like to dress up every now and then.

That's enough writing here for today. Time to do some work. Bye.

Knowledge (Story)

"I know that the coming of the Immortal heralds war and doom," Xeldan said darkly. "And I know the verse that everyone is taught in childhood by order of the Council of Prophets."

(Read all previous parts of the story here: http://propheciesofshadow.blogspot.com/p/chapter-one.html)

Not Really Sure What I'm Trying to Say...

Why is it so easy to procrastinate? I logged on to blogger almost three hours ago to write up a simple post and got distracted looking through the different gadgets available for my sidebar. I was really tempted to add a whole bunch of virtual pets, but I limited myself to some fish... Let me know on my Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/pages/Arriah-Dreamscribe/146768685480583) if it makes things too laggy. Oh, and like it too, if you haven't already. :)

Anyway... I don't really remember any of the stuff I was going to talk about. And I'm babysitting my siblings, so I have to go make dinner... Ummm... Have a good day?

Not Enough Hours in the Day

College takes a lot of time. I think it's interesting how much of the day it takes up, considering that most people who go are adults who have to support themselves and sometimes their families.

I have three classes that I'm taking. Chemistry 121, English 101, and English 252 (medieval lit.). My chemistry class is a two hour class, but I only have it three days a week. Both English classes are one hour classes that are held Monday-Thursday. This means that on Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday I am in classes from 8:00am-12:10pm. On Tuesday I only have class from 10am-12:10pm. However, I have seminary (a Monday-Friday class where I go to the church and learn about scripture stuff) in the morning and a carpool arrangement that makes it so that I can't just go home when I finish class. With this taken into account, I'm away from home from 5:50am-about 2:00pm. Still, that doesn't sound too bad, right? Wrong. It may seem like the typical high school schedule, but there's one thing I haven't yet mentioned.

Homework. In college, there are less hours that you have to actually spend in class, but this is made up for with extra homework. The typical amount of homework per class is approximated to be about two hours per class, which means six hours for me. I've been able to work out a system with my current classes so that I get all of my homework done within four hours on week days. However, I do all of my homework when I get home instead of in my free time at school. I use that time for writing my book, which is important because it's potentially my entire future. So I can typically be completely done with school stuff at 5 or 6 in the evening. Keep in mind though that I have to get up at 5am to get ready for my morning class, so to get a full nine hours of sleep I have to be asleep by 8pm. That only leaves me two or three hours for things like dinner and free time.

That schedule works fine right now, but what if I want a job or if I decide to get some more extracurricular activities to put on my college resume? Or what if I just need a night with my friends? I'd have to start managing my time differently and cutting down on things I really care about like my writing. Either that or start failing my classes, which is not an option.

I'm not complaining. This all works fine for me. I think I manage to get enough extra stuff done to impress the university I plan to go to, and I don't need a job yet. As for friends, I'm content to save them for the weekends. I just wonder about other people. The people with families to take care of. How do they handle it all?

Scales (story)

The woman looked back at him, silent a moment.She pulled down a part of the blanket that was wrapped around him, revealing the shiny scales on his chest. Curiosity lighting her eyes, she ran a finger over them, feeling their hard strength. It felt like she was touching plates of warm steel. A trail of golden light followed her finger where it made contact. "Interesting..." she murmured quietly. Then she turned her attention back to the boy's parents, who had been watching her nervously. "How much do you know of the prophecy?" she asked them, not expecting much. Only followers of the Hyspire were familiar with all of it.

(Read all previous parts of the story here: http://propheciesofshadow.blogspot.com/p/chapter-one.html)

The Voice

I thought that today I'd share my favorite of my "creepy poems". This one is special to me because its one of the first I wrote, I wrote it in under an hour, and I was super tired when I wrote it, but I think it still turned out pretty good. Keep in mind that it's a bit dark. I don't think it will bother anyone, but what do I know... Hope you like it.

In the shadow I retire,
wanting death, the devil's ire,
bringing pain, that sick-sweet fire,
a torment that will never tire.

But suddenly a noise outbreaks.
The silence wrapped around me takes
a voice with no seen form to fake
and trick the eyes for shadow's sake

"What mortal lies here in front of me
and begs for death's blind eyes to see?
Your soul seems dark as night in thee
and yet you fear your strength, your key."

With a sigh I bow my head,
the sound of old emotions dead.
"It is not dark I fear," I said,
"but rather being blindly led.

"By ropes of twine and chains of steel,
lies of peace my daily meal,
and hurting those for whom I feel,
their fate I in betrayal seal."

"Then but accept me," the voice replied.
"The path I offer is true and tried.
You need not feel for those aside."
Welcome to Hell, the voice implied.

Advanced Development (story)

Now he sighed in defeat. "Forgive me. I know you speak the truth. Not even a Devoted of the Hyspire would lie about this."

Aerana looked at Daevyn. He had woken up when Elysse took him, but he did not seem upset by his nap being cut short. He was surprisingly alert and developed for being little more than a week old. He already had a good layer of soft brown hair, and paid more attention to sounds and lights than another baby his same age might. His eyes looked up at Elysse with obvious interest.


(Read all previous parts of the story here: http://propheciesofshadow.blogspot.com/p/chapter-one.html)

Fear and Hope (story)

Needless to say, the midwife had been quite astonished by this. The Prophecy of the Immortal was not something easily dismissed. Aerana had been forced to beg for the midwife to keep it a secret. There were some who would see the birth of the Immortal as an occassion worth celebrating, but others would not be so happy and might even be brought to murder the little boy in their fear of the prophecy. Aerana had felt pride at her son's importance, but also a mother's fear for his safety. Xeldan had felt far more fear than pride. He had harbored the hope that the marks were just a coincidence and that his son wasn't the Immortal.

(Read all previous parts of the story here: http://propheciesofshadow.blogspot.com/p/chapter-one.html)

Feelings

When nurtured, emotions grow exponentially. They don't just plod along, gaining volume drop by drop. No indeed, though they may seem that way at first.

Emotions are sneaky things. They seem like one time events, just happening as a reaction to whatever situation you're in. But the more a particular one is brought forward, the more it begins to grow until soon there's no room for other emotions.

When it comes to negative emotions, this definitely isn't such an appealing concept. But what if we help love and happiness to grow? We'll become people who are friendly and fun to be around. Wouldn't that be great?

Cinnamon's Kittens

Hello again! I finally got that picture of the kittens I told you I'd upload. They're so cute. :)

Notice the white one sprawled across the top of two others. They obviously have no concept of personal space. They all sleep in a pile too. They're still too young to play with, but they're definitely adorable. When they get older I'll take better pictures of them so that you can get to know them individually. I'm sure I'll have plenty of stories to tell once they start ripping through the house.

Marks of Immortality (story)

Xeldan and Aerana exchanged glances. It had been Aerana's idea to summon Hawkwood's representative of the Hyspire to their house, but Xeldan was not about to turn the blame on his wife by saying that. Aerana twirled a strand of her dark brown hair between her fingers nervously. Despite Xeldan's protests, she had insisted on this. Her son had all three of the marks described in the prophecy. His blue-green eyes had been common enough, a mix of his mother's blue and his father's green. The roughly sword-shaped birthmark on his shoulder had been somewhat less common. But these together with the transparent, slightly rainbow-hued scales on his chest had made his identity unmistakable.

(Read all previous parts of the story here: http://propheciesofshadow.blogspot.com/p/chapter-one.html)