\n Skye closed the door behind the others as they filed out and turned to his mentor. "There's something that bothers me sir."
\n\n The grandmaster looked up at him "The spell the mage used before you blacked out?"
\n\n "Yes, I haven't seen or heard of anything like it. Do you know anything about it?" Skye asked.
\n\n The grandmaster indicated to Skye to take a chair at his desk. "No and it has me worried as well. We're constantly working on new spell-forms and enchantments. New weapons and defences, but in all my years I've never heard of something like this."
\n\n Skye sat down wearily "I know this may sound strange, but I think it might be a new source of magic." He looked up at the old man to gauge his reaction, but the grandmaster only looked at him impassively. "If it had been any of the five elements, I should have been able to see their flows. None of them were present. It was just a pit of darkness."
\n\n "Go on child." The old man said. It was the way that he'd always been with Skye. He would let him think a thought through fully before commenting or correcting his student.
\n\n "The other thing that has me confused is that the area was completely devastated, but we we're all fine. The Draco's bodies were gone and so was the mages, with no trace of their presence. I doubt very much that whoever you send out tomorrow will be able to find any residual magic's other than the spells I used and the few the mages cast before the black orb." Skye took a breath, considering the whole situation. "My only conclusion is that something else must have saved us or someone. Whoever it had been must also have had access to a magic that we know nothing of. The destruction that we awoke in could only have caused by great powers and I'm sure I would have at least seen the after effects if it had been by the magic's that we use. That and then there's the question of why I can now see Chris, yet he's still uniquely undetectable by magic."
\n\n The grandmaster nodded as he listened and was quiet for a while before he spoke. "I would agree with you, but with no proof it is nothing except a theory. It could simply be that it was a weapon of sorts or that the mages herself was a new breed of warrior made by our enemies. You've read about the form changing spells, I know you've studied specifically how the Wolven are created. We and the Imperialists have created creatures and weapons from people for decades now, either to gain the upper hand or as a counter to the others creation." The grandmaster sighed heavily. "As for the question of Chris I don't know if we'll ever find the answer and I hope that whatever saved you will be out on the field of battle to assist us if we come up against anything like the mage used. We have so much power and so much knowledge, all of it focused into destruction. I wish that we could go back to the times when there was no war."
\n\n Skye could see the pain in the old man's eyes, memories that must be haunting him from his time when he had been one of the many on the battle field. He wished that there were words of comfort and support that he could give his teacher, but knew that there was nothing that he could say that would ease the old man's pain.
\n\n Skye quietly directed his attention away and around the room where he'd spent most of his time. The darkly polished grand desk of the grandmaster, the faded tapestries depicting great battles and formidable creatures that he'd stared at for hours while contemplating a newly learned spell-form. At times he wished that he could return to the farm, finally be able to see his mother and father instead of the formed creations of blackness his touching had imprinted in his mind. Lost in his reverie he started when a loud snore ripped from the old man. Skye looked at his teacher. His face was worn, but the hard countenance was softened in sleep. His many years so heavy on his shoulders in wakefulness seemed to melt away in his relaxed state.
\n\n Skye could only imagine how the burden of thousands of lives must feel resting on this old man and the council's shoulders. He wondered if it was really such a bad thing if wizards were to rule, instead of simply being the care-takers of magic, people who had the power to protect and aid those who could not defend themselves. The Grandmaster had told him tales of some of the magical beings that inhabited the world and of their simple splendour and wonder, but also the dark tales of how some on the council had been adamant that such creatures weren't to be left free. How they should be controlled and studied, their rich lands given over to people to farm. How ancient forests should be cleansed of their magical inhabitants and be cut down for their lumber.
\n\n It had been those few on the council who had first told of how wizards should rule others, how their power gave them the right to choose the path farmers, cities, kings and queens should follow. They had gathered followers and finally confronted the council with an ultimatum. When they had been dismissed they had vowed vengeance and then the war had started.
\n\n Skye focused again on the sleeping form of his mentor and stood up. He walked around the desk and gently shook the old man, who snorted loudly as he came awake. "I think it's time we retire sir, it has been a long day."
\n\n The grandmaster smiled up at him "I'd say your right. I'm glad you came back safely you know, I was terribly worried for you." The old man's sentence finished in a large yawn and Skye helped him as he got up unsteadily onto his feet.
\n\n Skye escorted him to his quarters before returning to his own and relaxed into the arms of sleep. That night his dreams were plagued by shadowy figures in the distance always just out of sight.
\n\n
\n\n The weeks had dragged past, Snow cursing the fact that they were on cleanup duty. He and Chris had to wash up after every meal time and clean the fire pits and scrub pots. After training he had to help clear away the targets and stack the weapons, things that were usually done by the keeps servers, at least now that the younglings had received their own gear it wasn't that much work. He'd been relieved when Tess had not questioned the happenings of their adventure, but now he felt that it hung like a cloud between them and feared every moment that she would spring the question on him. He felt like at anytime he was about to step into a trap and be unable to free himself from it. Chris reassured him constantly that it was nothing but his imagination, that Tess had probably already pushed it to the back of her mind and it was only his own worry that was plaguing him. The nights he spent with her sleeping in his arms he'd lie there wondering what really was between them, if she felt for him as he felt for her, other times he'd wonder what exactly it is that he felt for her.
\n\n He and Chris were up to their arms in hot soapy water scrubbing pots clean when the shadow of Bayle fell over them. "You two are going on an assignment." Snow and Chris looked up at his gruff voice. "You are to report to me at the training grounds after you've finished clearing up here."
\n\n Snow stood open mouthed watching as the large tawny Wolven walked away, not giving them the chance to ask a question. Snow looked over at Chris who was also staring at the back of the retreating mountain of muscle. Chris turned to look at him before asking "Assignment?"
\n\n A slow grin spread over Snow's face, his ears perking upwards like mountains stretching into the sky. "I wonder if we're going to be sent to war? Or out on a mission behind enemy lines? Come on let's get finished and go find out!" He could barely contain his excitement as he scrubbed furiously at the pot in his paws, he also didn't see the look of trepidation on Chris's face.
\n
And if I keep to that pace you'll have something to read daily ^_^
First I was concerned for Snow, but quickly you let us know he was okay. I don't understand how everybody immediately thought everyone else was dead; Skye thought Snow and Chris were dead, Snow thought Skye and Chris were dead (so convinced he wouldn't even acknowledge them as they rescued him). I can understand Chris freaking out by not 'feeling' Snow, but not jumping to that conclusion.
Why keep Snow alive, for information? A young pup fighter? If they were able to subdue Skye and capture Snow, then they should have been able to kill Snow and take Skye?
I also agree with another comment about 'this had better not be a prank.' So far the story has been very serious, no pranks, no mischief, not a toe out of line, so it felt out of place. Maybe previously Snow was caught sneaking off with Tess?
I understand you had to put them in danger to introduce this new magician/magic, I just hope they get back on course.
To my mind a prank seems quite likely if you consider that the three are young, there's a myriad of other youngsters who would be getting up to mischief and causing the teachers no end of worry.
As for everyone thinking that the others may be dead. It would have been my own conclusion I would have jumped too in Chris's case. Having had a sense of Snow for so long it would become a part of him, to have that suddenly dissapear would make me fear the worst. Finding someone covered with blood and the scent heavy in the air would have made me fear the same about Skye.
Skye's initial natural reaction that Snow may be dead would be out of fear of having seen Snow fall in battle.
Why keep Snow alive? Well one they thought that Skye would be dead or even addled as he'd taken a head wound (which bleads profusely let me tell you)
There's also the stress of the whole situation to be thought about and the effect that would have on the characters themselves.
But now having considered this and the other comment, if it seems to my readers that it is unbelieveable then I need to revisit those chapters and either flesh it out or make corrections. Which I will do in time. The idea of sneaking out with Tess is a very good one and could be inserted into a previous chapter, it would also allow me to further explore their relationship. As much as I can put out defences for why I wrote something as I did, if my readers can't see that without me having to explain it here in the comments then that means that I need to edit and revise my thoughts. Perhaps even add in a whole chapter on some prankish exploit that Snow could be involved in along with other younglings.
I'll keep that till after I've finished the novel or for when I have time to sit and reread everything I've done so far.
Thank you though for your input :) It's the only way to learn.
As a side note, again, I'm amazed at how much you write. I was wondering if you had a total word count and how far along you consider to be along in the 'book'.
Total Word Count: 46,012
As for how long I am into the book. Originally I was considering doing it into 20 Chapters about, but I'm not all that sure I'd push it that far.
The book is more kind of writing itself than me having planned it, I have a vague idea of where I want the story as a whole to end up and a better one of the immediate situation. I never really expected that I'd get as far as I have, usually after a few pages I tend to loose interest.
and now to the story.
Have you concidered multiple dimentions or possiblities of multiple realities that these dark and light beings are manifesting from or are there multiple plains of existance like the physical plain which the story is based in and then the spiriatul plain in which the Dark and light good v.s. evil apperisions exist. I find the idea of the lady mage having been possesed or become the vessel for a terrible dark spirit in exchange for a terrible new magic that is destruction itself to be quite feasible. I also find Skyes theory on the subject to be very interesting. A kind of Magic or source of magic that hasn't been seen before. Something that is an entirely unrecognizable substance and not one of the five elements. Perhaps there are other elements of more ubscure nature that the Mages don't know of and therefore don't test for and thus over look. I've heard tell of Elements beyond my eight as well like The element of Flesh or the Element of Knoledge and sentient curiosity, Or Light and Darkness, Destruction and creation. Again they come with opposites most of the time but still. One thing that I also found interesting is that If Elemental Paths were to be merged say at birth Like instead of The element of air or water you have Ice or crystal, Lightening or forces like telechenesis or something like that. Rambling again. sorry but I hope I give you something to work with.
Cheers,
Fruanc J.H.
And you better believe that telepathy, telekenises etc may well take their own forms. The Meeko and their song of growth are a prime example of this, magic that the mages don't even understand and can't replicate in it's entirety.