Thursday 31 March 2011

#5 If I ever get around to my novel...

Like everybody else in the world, I'm working on a novel. (actually, i'm writing a couple -.-;)
The story has many plot twists so it's difficult to explain, but it's about another dimension in which science is a highly guarded luxury. For instance, most people live in wooden or straw houses, they ride horses or other animals for transportation, but a small group of people have guns far superior than our own. Teleportation is possible, and so is the ability to cleave whole worlds in two. Although this secret is closely guarded. And before I forget, there are also elves who can cast magic (this speeds up the advancement of technology a great deal). In that world, humans have dissected magic into a science. The title has morphed from my original idea so severely that i've decided to put it's construction on hold for the time being. Let me feed you the prologue before I continue rambling... (I had so much fun writing this :D)


      She clutched the baby closer, as if any minute, the infant would vaporize into thin air. The woman's gasps came out in short, jagged breathes.
Every wave of air sent a spasm of pain into her body as it scorched her throat. She couldn't stop, not now, not when the end was so close. Another blast of adrenaline surged through her body as she caught a glimpse of light up ahead.
      She had been running for hours in the mercilessly dense forest. The pitiful amount of light that managed to seep through the crevices of the canopy above could barely illuminate the forest floor, and a few feet in any direction was shrouded in darkness. The sound of faint hoof beats made her stop in her tracks. She listened intensely through the silence of the trees, and her heart sank. She had hours of a head start, and yet they had gained ground quickly. She whipped her dress around, time was of the essence, and she needed every second to get out alive, or at least, to save the child. She sprinted towards the opening. 
     A village laid on the other side, and the woman knew they were her only chance of survival. She put on another burst of speed. Suddenly, the forest erupted into flames around her. The conflagration swallowed the surrounding trees- it's roar tremendous. She balked as the heat licked the hem of her dress. The wails of the infant spiraled through the air. The woman rocked the baby gently, and willed herself to be calm. The sound of hooves became louder and soon, the silhouettes of bulky riders came into view. They stopped their horses and looked down at her with black, beady eyes. There were three of them. The woman stifled a scream. Ogres. 
      The monsters were as big as the horses themselves, with ram horns protruding from the sides of their diminutive heads. They wore black armor and a helmet with specially crafted holes for their horns, which were twisted and were about a yard long. She straightened her shoulders and faced them with more courage than she felt. They did not speak in the human tongue as they conversed with each other, but she knew they were incapable of casting magic, their tiny brains allowed little more than grunting and movement. Her eyes darted around, searching for the spell caster. The roar of the flame was deafening and she could feel the sweat pouring down her back. A slight shimmer of movement on her left. Perfect. She closed her eyes and started to mutter words rapidly under her breathe. The beasts looked at each other, confused. Enunciating, she raised her arm out in front of her, flicked her wrist and shot her palm out. A sickening crunched split the atmosphere and a diaphanous amount of water exploded into the forest, rapidly smothering the fire and crushing the ogres. She couldn't see the mage, but he couldn't get out of this alive. Hurriedly, she drew the infant to her chest and darted out the forest. 
       She arms and legs were badly burnt, but she ignored the pain. Her vision blurred and she could see the darkness invading from the corners of her eyes. She didn't know if she was losing consciousness or if it was her eyes attempting to adjust to the harsh light. She crashed into the nearest doorstep she could see and flung herself against the wooden door. She didn't know who opened it, or when the unconsciousness settled in, but she heard herself whisper as the ground rushed up to meet her, "protect the child, protect the child..."


The whole story revolves around one idea "be the change you want to see in the world". Directly contrasting to SH 5, I believe acceptance is important, but so is the will to change things for the better. To attempt things beyond one's own scope. I don't remember where I read this, but Oscar Wilde once said: Anyone who lives within their means suffers from a lack of imagination. 

~ceci

1 comment:

  1. Totally unrelated to your blog post. But how does the knife that the girl on the left is holding work? How can it make a straight flat cut with that point in the front?

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