Character Castle 2.0
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Aydin
I was shivering, but I pretended I wasn’t. Perhaps if I kept avoiding it it would go away.
I couldn’t remember ever being this cold. My hands and feet had gone numb and I wished I was anywhere else. Anywhere but here.
I pulled my hood up, then remembered a trick I’d learned during the long dark nights in the desert. That wasn’t as cold as this but still.
I pulled a part of my hood over my nose and mouth. It warmed with my breathing, and my face wasn’t quite as frozen. The solution was temporary. Only a second later it was colder than ever, but the brief relief was worth it.
I heard the hiss of a weapon being drawn and looked around for the source of it, startled. It was just Niarok sharpening his weapon. I relaxed, slightly, too cold to worry.
The sound was oddly comforting. Maintaining weapons always had an association of comfort. It wasn’t something you did during a battle, it was a chore for around the campfire. The soft, repetitive noise blended into the background of the noise of the snowstorm.
As soon as I was sure nobody was watching and I was facing away from them, I cupped my hands and breathed into them, trying to warm my frozen fingers. My left hand was stiff. I smiled sardonically at the thought that I didn’t have to worry about my right hand being more stiff than usual.
“Is anyone hungry?” Niarok asked. I looked up, as though I had been caught at something, but everybody was looking at him instead. I wrapped myself in my cloak again, silently cursing the weather and whatever was doing this to us. It was too much bad luck to be accidental.
Niarok really did think of everything. He handed out food to everyone who had asked for it. I hadn’t. I told myself I wasn’t hungry.
Niarok glanced up at me but I pretended I hadn’t seen him. Sometime, I’d have to come up with a better solution to my problems than “avoid eye contact and hope it goes away”. Now was not that time.
Basil’s whining was as bad as the snowstorm outside. I flat-out ignored it. If I tried to talk to him now, I’d end up either angering him or hitting him and I didn’t want to do either.
Yila sat up sleepily to eat. Her hair was chaos, the tie had sagged to one side and it was standing up in the oddest places. I smiled wryly. It reminded me of a certain person who always looked as if she began the day by wrestling a bramble bush. I could count on one hand the amount of times I had seen Liorah look respectable.
She lay back down and fell asleep. I couldn’t blame her. I was exhausted too. The adrenaline from the initial unfamiliarity had all but worn off and I was left feeling drained.
Nothing I could do about it. I was determined not to die in this storm, purely out of spite. I didn’t know who I was spiting but it was the only way I could motivate myself not to sit down and freeze to death.
I glanced at the fire. It was a lot warmer there. Something inside me, some instinct trained by years and sharpened by experience kicked back hard. I wasn’t getting that close to strangers. I wouldn’t have felt comfortable getting that close to my best friends. Then again, what was my alternative?
I shook my head, to drive out the thought. It wasn’t safe. I wouldn’t do it. If something went wrong I would deserve it. I couldn’t let something like that happen because I was careless.
I scowled at the dark figures still lingering in the opening of the cave. Like I needed this on top of everything else.
Without darkness, there is no light. If there was no nighttime, would the stars be as bright?
Okay, that’s really cool! I love it!
Thank you!
LOL, Aydin will either be weirded out or he’ll just flat-out not acknowledge it because he thinks it isn’t real and I don’t know which will be funnier XD
Oh oh oh!! Now I can’t wait to see his reaction!! And Chet will probably be happier with several other quiet folks around!
Awww I love schnauzers!!!! Her name is Echo, and she’s a great Pyrenees mix, so she’s huge and excitable and has a mind of her own which means if you tell her to come, she’ll look at you and pointedly walk the wrong way… YES ECHO TOO! She hates it when the neighbors have happy time in their yards and she can’t participate, and she has a thing for black trash bags. If we fill them up with yard waste and put them out for the trash truck, she freaaaaaks out. It’s weird…
Oh, Echo (really cool name, btw) sounds so funny!!! Bobby does this similar thing where if you want him to come, he’ll just stand there staring at you, and then if you move towards him, he darts off like he’s a large hairy bullet. I think Echo and Bobby would get along just like Merry and Pippin LOL
SAME!! I love being able to create everything to fit together and showing how something that happened in the first epoch of my world carries over to the sixth one. But writing things down is… unfortunate. And hateful. And I would really rather not. But after forgetting like ten really important things, I’ve decided I’d better do it…
Exactly what I think!!! When I do write things down, I write it really basic like with no show of emotion 😛
LOL!!!! I’ll probably inform a run-on sentence that “you’ve had one comma, yes, but how about second comma?” XD
And then I’ll be like “they come in seconds? I’m getting one!”
Wow I feel like a terrible friend… HI WINGIBY!!!!!!! *gives massive hug as well*
Can I have some of this ice cream too?… XD
Oh, don’t feel like a terrible friend! You are EPIC! *gives you big hug in return* And yes, we can all eat this cold ice-cream together to shun our freezing characters 😛
Also I’m really excited for your character! Niarok likes people who don’t talk a lot. It makes him feel like he doesn’t have to say things either, and being discerning is really disconcerting because if you know what the other person is feeling, you can’t blame saying the wrong thing on ignorance! He’s 20 too. I’m excited!!!!
Exactly!! I hope they become friends (*sends pointed glance in direction of Chet*)!
I light the arrow, pull the bow,
Shoot that fire right through my soul.Oh, Echo (really cool name, btw) sounds so funny!!! Bobby does this similar thing where if you want him to come, he’ll just stand there staring at you, and then if you move towards him, he darts off like he’s a large hairy bullet. I think Echo and Bobby would get along just like Merry and Pippin LOL
Yes!!! It’s sooo annoying, but it’s also really hilarious. One of my friends irl has a dog who does exactly that, but she’s also tiny so you can catch her. My dog decides it’s time to run and ain’t nobody catching that dog! YESSSSS lol I’ll have to post a picture of her sometime so Bobby can see what his Merry friend would look like! XD
Exactly what I think!!! When I do write things down, I write it really basic like with no show of emotion
YESSSS!!!!! “We has to write a synopises, but we hates it, precious, we hates it!” That is me every single time I come up with a new idea or I have to hash out someone’s backstory…
And then I’ll be like “they come in seconds? I’m getting one!”
And then I’ll respond like “You’ve had a whole question mark already!”
Oh, don’t feel like a terrible friend! You are EPIC! *gives you big hug in return* And yes, we can all eat this cold ice-cream together to shun our freezing characters
Awww, thanks friend! Ooooh yes. *rubs hands in maniacal anticipation*
HEY LEYTERA!!!!!!! I know you’re cold… LOOK WHAT I’M DOING RIGHT NOW!!!!!
Oops, that was a bad idea.
Niarok is glaring at me.
So is Yila.
I’m going to disappear down a hole now…
Exactly!! I hope they become friends (*sends pointed glance in direction of Chet*)!
Same! *glares at Yila* It’ll be great if his sister doesn’t interfere…
"The darkness is seldom complete, and even when it is, the pinprick of light is not long in coming."
CHET GABE
Chet leaned against Brand’s warm, round stomach and sighed. The camcal snorted, his belly jerked, and out came two big globs of snot. Chet’s lips twitched, but he didn’t quite smile.
“You’re lyin’ on my hair!” A girl’s voice hissed through the muggy night air.
Chet glanced over across the dead fire where Chaha and her sister were trying to get comfortable on the bumpy ground. The old woman was already asleep, and Tyag was tactfully ignoring his daughters’ bickering. Chet’s lips curved up a little bit more, but then he caught the gleam of Nakkali’s eyes in the jungle trees.
Ah, that’s right, you worm, Chet thought, and his face was a complete frown. You’re too good fer us, ain’t ya? Well, you can have your scratchy tree all to yerself. I’m jist glad to be down here with folks who care fer me —
Chet’s eyes had shut, but now they popped back open again in shock.
What? What are ya thinkin’ ya dumb boy?
He tried to pace his breathing with Brand’s, but his mind kept racing with scattered, tumultuous thoughts.
“All gone it,” he snarled softly. Instinctively, he reached for the saddlebag beside him and searched with his hand for a leather pouch. He pulled out a flask and lifted it to his lips.
Delirious sleep was better than no sleep at all.
***
His dreams were no better than his thoughts. They were the same dreams, replayed over and over again in vivid detail. There he stood, an onlooker watching his terrible deeds march before him in single file, each one leering at him and snickering at his terrified face. His dream self shivered and tried to close his eyes, but to no avail. They were glued open.
Something touched his nose.
Chet’s eyes opened slowly, wary of intrusive light, but there wasn’t much more than a dim glow. He brushed his hand across his face to clear the tickle, but his glove was wet — and cold.
I mustn’t have slept it all off.
He rolled over to go back to sleep, but when he did, he felt a strange crunchy cold wetness.
The Aridite sat up so fast that his head swirled and it was a moment before he could take it all in.
What is this stuff?
Brand’s soft belly was covered in a white dust.
Chet himself was covered in a white dust.
“All gone it!” he breathed in amazement, and even if the drink hadn’t quite worked itself off, he still would’ve bent down and felt the snow, clenched it in his fist — and licked it.
The snow melted in his hand. Chet stared at it.
Then he stood up — by the Blades of Fire, where was he? Where were the others?
Chet turned around and took in the cold, rocky cavern. For the first time, he realized that the hair on his arms was standing straight up and that his face was probably red from something other than the sun.
The lack of sun.
His heart started racing almost as hard as it had on his first raid. He stumbled over to Brand and brushed the snow off of the beast’s large, gangly head.
“Git up, Brandy-boy. Come on, git up!”
The camcal snorted again in defiance. But when Chet dumped snow on its face, Brand rapidly gathered his legs together.
Then the raider and his ride walked carefully through the only opening in the cave.
I must still be dreamin’, or hallucinatin’. This jist ain’t possible. This ain’t able to happen. Where’re the others?
Chet guided Brand through the corridor, trying to quiet his nerves so the camcal wouldn’t panic.
So that he wouldn’t panic.
Chet’s boots crunched on the snow and when he and Brand breathed, a cloud of vapor appeared in the air.
Then Chet strained his ears, for he thought that he had heard something.
The sound of voices.
Is it them?
He started forward again — and then stopped.
But it might not be.
But I’ve got to see anyhow. There’s nowhere else to go.
So he turned a rocky corner, and there was another cavern. This one was even larger, and this one had people.
But they weren’t his people, and they looked like they were as cold as he was.
And standing right in front of him were too dark figures.
By all the hogs of the badlands, this ain’t good. What can I do? I cain’t go back, I cain’t leave . . . and I cain’t act frightened. I cain’t let that happen again. I cain’t.
So he forced himself to speak — he forced air through his dry vocal cords — and he introduced himself.
“Hiya, I’m Chet Gabe.”
Then he closed his mouth again and hoped that they thought the red of his cheeks was only from the cold.
And that he hadn’t made some kind of mistake.
I light the arrow, pull the bow,
Shoot that fire right through my soul.Niarok
Niarok watched as Ayden paced, far from the fire and clearly freezing.
There was nothing he could do about it.
He just hoped the man didn’t catch hypothermia.
All the others huddled around the fire, and wind still howled outside.
Niarok leaned his head back against the wall, relaxed enough to acknowledge how tired he was. But he wasn’t ready to sleep. He needed to do other things first.
Like think.
First of all, where had the castle gone? Or were they still in it? He hadn’t thought about it while getting attacked by strange bat creatures and talking to new people who were disturbingly similar to him.
But where were they?
The outside was clearly right there, and this had turned into a cave. But they’d heard Lord Castle’s voice, right before the snowstorm. And on top of all that, there was clearly something deeper going on. It never snowed in this region.
Niarok had almost died of dehydration in the hot sun trying to save his sister.
So where were they?
I suppose I’ll find out.
At any rate, this place wasn’t nearly so bad as any number of other places he could have been.
Basil was still whining.
Niarok suppressed a sigh. Now he was saying something along the lines of “those rations having germs.”
If you don’t eat it, give it back to me. I can’t make them pop out of thin air.
Frustration frayed his nerves, and he sensed his temper shortening.
He needed sleep.
Desperately.
Thankfully, though, most of these people understood the concept of not overusing words.
That was nice.
Yila shifted beside him, curling deeper into the blanket. Niarok saw a tiny shiver before she scooted a little closer to the fire.
Just looking at her sleep made his exhaustion all the more potent.
He was just afraid that the second he tried to sleep, Lord Castle would throw them another curveball.
He pulled his pack around beside him and emptied out its contents, making a mental inventory of food, medicines, emergency supplies, and extra knives.
He still had all the necessities, complete with another week’s worth of rations.
What do we do when we run out?
He would have to talk to the others about that sooner than later.
Maybe after they finally stopped freezing to death.
He packed everything away and leaned back against the wall, closing his eyes and letting the heat from the fire soak through his body.
He wasn’t going to fall asleep until he was sure he was warm enough not to freeze in his unconsciousness.
He let himself drift, preparing to fall asleep.
“Hiya, I’m Chet Gabe.”
Niarok’s eyes snapped open and his hand instinctively went to his sword.
He had to restrain himself from drawing it, remembering the incident with Leytera.
He really didn’t need another one of those.
He kept his hand resting on the hilt and stood up.
This man had brown wavy hair. He was also taller than Niarok. And he was leading a foreign, six-legged beast behind him.
Niarok blinked several times, convincing himself he wasn’t dreaming.
There were six legs!
“Hello,” he said warily. “Where do you come from?”
The man formed several words before snapping his mouth shut.
Niarok removed his hand from the hilt.
This man wasn’t a threat, not to him at that current moment, at least.
"The darkness is seldom complete, and even when it is, the pinprick of light is not long in coming."
Yes!!! It’s sooo annoying, but it’s also really hilarious. One of my friends irl has a dog who does exactly that, but she’s also tiny so you can catch her. My dog decides it’s time to run and ain’t nobody catching that dog! YESSSSS lol I’ll have to post a picture of her sometime so Bobby can see what his Merry friend would look like! XD
XD XD XD yes, Bobby would love that! I might be able to upload a photo of him, but I’m bad with computers, so I might not XD
YESSSS!!!!! “We has to write a synopises, but we hates it, precious, we hates it!” That is me every single time I come up with a new idea or I have to hash out someone’s backstory…
Yes! I’m like: “I wish it need not have happened in my time.”
And then I’ll respond like “You’ve had a whole question mark already!”
And I’m like: “All I have to decide is what to do with the time that is given me,” and this is what I’m doing XD
Awww, thanks friend! Ooooh yes. *rubs hands in maniacal anticipation*
HEY LEYTERA!!!!!!! I know you’re cold… LOOK WHAT I’M DOING RIGHT NOW!!!!!
Oops, that was a bad idea.
Niarok is glaring at me.
So is Yila.
I’m going to disappear down a hole now…
I’m disappearing with you…
I light the arrow, pull the bow,
Shoot that fire right through my soul.Also just wanted to let you know that the two figures in front of the door are kind of, um… *clears throat* hallucinations of Ayden’s…
"The darkness is seldom complete, and even when it is, the pinprick of light is not long in coming."
Oh, oops! Lol, forget I ever mentioned them! XD Thanks!
I light the arrow, pull the bow,
Shoot that fire right through my soul.XD XD XD yes, Bobby would love that! I might be able to upload a photo of him, but I’m bad with computers, so I might not XD
The magnitude with which I felt that statement is much too great to express in simple black and white type. XD
Yes! I’m like: “I wish it need not have happened in my time.”
And I’m sitting there looking at the keyboard thinking “the words go ever on and on…”
And I’m like: “All I have to decide is what to do with the time that is given me,” and this is what I’m doing XD
And I’m looking at you like, “cracked, she is!” XD
I’m disappearing with you…
Welcome to my bunker. It’s only a matter of time before Niarok, Yila, and all the other find it. We might want to strongly consider digging our way out…
"The darkness is seldom complete, and even when it is, the pinprick of light is not long in coming."
The magnitude with which I felt that statement is much too great to express in simple black and white type. XD
I am not alone! 😀
And I’m sitting there looking at the keyboard thinking “the words go ever on and on…”
We’re just going “there and back again.”
And I’m looking at you like, “cracked, she is!” XD
Me: “I cannot quote this distance, you’ll have to toss me!” (as you can tell, I’m running out of quotes XD)
Welcome to my bunker. It’s only a matter of time before Niarok, Yila, and all the other find it. We might want to strongly consider digging our way out…
Good thing this ice-cream is in bowls, and these are metal spoons . . ..
I light the arrow, pull the bow,
Shoot that fire right through my soul.XD XD XD yes, Bobby would love that! I might be able to upload a photo of him, but I’m bad with computers, so I might not XD
ALL THE PUPPY PICTURES!!! If you get it figured out 🙂
Oh, oops! Lol, forget I ever mentioned them! XD Thanks!
LOL, don’t worry about it XD I wasn’t being clear.
he still would’ve bent down and felt the snow, clenched it in his fist — and licked it.
Yaknow, natural reaction.
And I’m sitting there looking at the keyboard thinking “the words go ever on and on…”
I understand not a word of this conversation, it’s impressive XD
Aydin
My exhaustion and the knowledge that resting was dangerous were warring and I didn’t know whose side I was on.
I shivered again and compromised by leaning against a wall. It was colder than walking but I was so tired.
I glared at the snow drifting in, coating my cloak and flying into my face.
“At least it’s a few degrees warmer than my ex-girlfriend’s soul.”
Someone snickered.
Heavens, I’d said that out loud. I hadn’t meant to. If I hadn’t been so freezing I might have blushed.
Why had I thought of her? Her laugh like breaking glass, eyes that were neither blue nor green but somehow both. I pictured her as clearly as if I’d seen her yesterday and I shuddered.
I was dying and I thought of her. Just like last time. I wrapped my cloak closer around me, as though I could block out the memory. Whenever death was near, so was she.
How could she have done that? Had she ever loved me? More upsettingly, had I loved her? Or had we been sixteen and alone, with blood on our hands and poison in our wounds, and nobody to hold on to except each other? Love and pain were so close together. They could coexist for years, each hiding the other.
I had been so sure things could go back to the way they were, but we had scars the other knew nothing of and wounds we couldn’t hide.
(Author’s note: OOhh, I’m stealing those lines for the actual book! *Shoves them into my pockets*)
It wasn’t the time to think of it. I wouldn’t get her back, any more than I would ever get back the use of my hand. It was a truth I had never admitted to myself before, I’d always held on to the desperate hope that my hand would heal, but now, with death practically at the door, it didn’t seem so important.
I went back to pacing, forcing my exhausted legs to work. I was slowly slipping into that other state, the state where time didn’t exist and there was no future and no past, just surviving every second and doing what you needed to get to the next.
I glanced back for the hundredth time, waiting for the dark figures to disappear as they always eventually did.
“Hiya, I’m Chet Gabe.”
I spun around as if I’d been shot. There shouldn’t be anyone behind me. An extremely tall man and a camel stood in the opening to a tunnel.
I rolled my eyes. It had been a while since my visions had taken me by surprise, but this was a particularly odd one. The camel reminded me of my own, Zahava. I missed her and I’d never see her again. They’d taken her, like everything else.
This camel, however, had six legs. I smiled sourly, that was a new one.
“You have a ridiculous imagination.”The unwelcome memory made me frown. When would his voice fade? Never, probably. I’d hear it until my dying day, which would probably be sooner than expected.
I kept staring at the hallucination, I was too tired to care whether the others saw me staring into the middle distance. They’d find out sooner or later, Niarok had probably guessed half or more.
Niarok was staring too, probably trying to notice something unusual about that specific stretch of rock.
“Hello,” he said warily. “Where do you come from?”
Oh. He saw him too. I frowned, my mind working slower than usual. That must mean he was real. But what about the six legs? I instantly dismissed that at least as an hallucination.
Now I had a fairly decent grasp on reality, I set about trying to figure out what to do about it.
The man could probably snap me in half if he wanted but that went for most people here, especially now. Even before I had been half-frozen, after my recent illness I was in the worst condition I had ever been in, besides not being able to use my weapons well. I didn’t even have them with me, just a knife.
But he had a camel and sudden homesickness overwhelmed me. Perhaps it was the cold and the unfamiliarity, perhaps it was just how badly I wanted to turn back time, but I couldn’t bring myself to turn away.
“I’m Aydin. We’re stuck here,” I said, noticing again that my voice was hoarser than usual.
I couldn’t help staring at the camel, a fine bull with a shaggy head and soft eyes.
I gathered together my courage, aided by the fact that if he didn’t kill me I’d die in the cold anyway.
I took a step forward and extended my left hand to the camel, letting him smell me. I noticed with distant interest that my fingers had gone an alarming shade of violet. I had known that could happen theoretically but I’d never seen it actually happen.
The camel lowered his head within my reach, looking at me with gentle curiosity.
I glanced at the new man, not quite looking him in the eyes.
“May I– please?” I said, too tired to formulate a full sentence.
The man, Chet, nodded, doubtfully. He looked extremely suspicious and I knew if I upset his camel in any way, he’d probably kill me. It was a risk I was willing to take.
I stroked the camel’s nose, then up to his neck. He was warm, with a shaggier fur than Zahava had, and a shade darker. The camel lowered his head even further, so I could rub him behind the ears, just what Zahava had always liked. This camel liked it too. I smiled, really smiled for the first time since I’d ended up in this horrible place.
“What’s his name?” I asked. My voice was still a little too quiet, but it was the best I could do.
Without darkness, there is no light. If there was no nighttime, would the stars be as bright?
Quin
Quin leaned awkwardly on his lone crutch.
Great. now it looks like I’m a helpless invalid to every one in this cave.
But everyone had the politeness to look away, and pretend they didn’t notice. Even though they did. Everyone but Basil. He sat staring at Quin’s empty pantleg. It’s not contagious if that’s what you’re thinking. His cheeks flushed. It must look pretty awful if he’s looking that hard. Quin looked down at the pantleg that swung when he moved. I guess I deserve it for being a coward, but I wish Mama and I had switched places. He glanced up at Qatar. Even the back of his shoulders seemed angry. A lot of people would like it better.
Out of the corner of his eye he saw someone move. Leytera slipped out from under Yila’s blanket and started toward him. Oh, no.
“Can I help you to the fire?” she asked quietly.
Quin felt his red cheeks deepen to scarlet. I bet she saw that. He wondered if his ears were red, by now and dropped his eyes.
“S-sure.”
He glanced around. Not too many people were looking. she slid one little arm under his. He was surprised at how strong she was, for being so small. That’s right. Not everybody is as weak as me.
At least his cheeks couldn’t get any redder.
It felt so good to have something to lean his right arm on again that he didn’t notice how much weight he was leaning on her. She walked slowly and evenly, just the right pace.
“Thank you,” he said, as he eased into a sitting position on a rock.
“Can I get you something? A blanket perhaps?” Leytera said.
Quin looked up. Qatar’s clothes were still very wet, and he was shivering, even though he was trying to hide it. Quin clenched his teeth so they wouldn’t rattle with his shivering and said,
“Thanks, but I think he needs it more.” he nodded at Qatar. “But he might bite your head off, if you go near him just now.” he added in a lower voice.
Leytera started and looked toward Qatar fearfully. Quin smirked. “Not literally. I mean, he’s a little ruffled up now; he doesn’t like feeling dumb, and I don’t think getting wet was intentional.”
“Ok-ay…” she didn’t look like she liked the idea of offering someone a blanket they wouldn’t be glad for, and Quin couldn’t blame her. “I could do it, if you don;’t want to–” he realized how ridiculous that sounded, after she had helped him sit down. “I mean,” he stammered, “I’m his brother so I’m used to it.”
great. That was good. He could feel himself blushing again.
“No, that’s fine. I’ll give him one.”
Leytera started away, and Quin couldn’t help but add, as she left, “then could you–could you come back?”
That was a stupid thing to say.
change anything, ofc! And I think your idea on their relationship is good! (Except I’m disgruntled, b/c Leytera fits so much better with Quin than the girl I’ve got him with… 🙁 )
Quoth the raven, "Nevermore!"
https://silverpenstrokes.wordpress.comALL THE PUPPY PICTURES!!! If you get it figured out 🙂
Puppies rule!!!
Yaknow, natural reaction.
Exactly 😉
Btw, I LOVE how you show Aydin’s inner turmoil!!! Your prose is so good! One of the things I struggle with is showing a character’s inner monologue, and I think you aced it!
I light the arrow, pull the bow,
Shoot that fire right through my soul.Btw, I LOVE how you show Aydin’s inner turmoil!!! Your prose is so good! One of the things I struggle with is showing a character’s inner monologue, and I think you aced it!
Aww, thank you SO much, that really means a lot!! He has a lot of inner turmoil, I enjoy writing it XD
He’s one of those characters who has rather a tendency to have very raw, quotable lines. (Fun fact, his ex-girlfriend has that same tendency, though more abstract. She practically speaks in metaphors only.)
I really love characters who develop those fun quirks 🙂 Liorah has sass, Faye has really flowy, descriptive, beautiful prose, and Aydin has quotable lines, apparently XD It makes them more fun to write!
Without darkness, there is no light. If there was no nighttime, would the stars be as bright?
CHET GABE
Chet felt dozens of eyes drilling a dozen holes into his body, and he felt like they were drawing all of his darkest secrets to themselves.
What’re they thinkin’? Whadda they think I am? Whadda they think I’ve done? Do I look suspicious?
“Hello,” a voice said warily. “Where do you come from?”
Chet started and then narrowed his eyes. He glanced toward the man who spoke. When he saw that the stranger had a hand on the hilt of a sword, he instinctively grasped his whip. It’s cold metal surface sent a surge of strength rushing through his fingers and up to his head. He seemed to feel Maverick’s hot breath whispering down his neck.
He’s ‘bout six foot, I’d say, and ‘bout your build. Look at ‘is eyes. They’re steady; he’s the kind ‘a guy who’d do what he’d have too, but he ain’t lookin’ to kill. Ya got this, boy.
Chet’s face was as blank as the desert sky.
Oh, I’ve got it, alright.
But I do I want to have it . . .
Then Chet realized that the man had asked a question, and that meant it would be good to give an answer.
“Not here!” He said, forcing a lopsided grin.
He’d had lots of practice grinning. It was a raider’s trademark. Unconsciously, they had all developed Maverick’s look and walk and talk.
But none could beat Maverick.
No, Maverick beat all.
The other man relaxed and dropped his hand at his side. Chet’s muscles were still tense, but he slowly let his own hand slide away from his whip.
All good, all good.
He looked at the man again and realized that he didn’t look much older or younger than he himself was.
His nerves tingled.
Bash it all, they all look to be in their teens or twenties. Why’d they make me so nervous?
Chet subconsciously dug his fingers into Brand’s soft hair. He’d always had a hard time with folks his age; it didn’t matter where he was.
“I’m Aydin. We’re stuck here,” a man with brown hair said in a voice so hoarse he could’ve passed as a camel. Chet’s lips twitched despite of himself. Indeed, the man was staring at Brand with what looked like combined shock, pleasure, and awe. He walked forward with a hand outstretched.
Does he wanta shake? I don’t think e’s a threat. He might be sick, by the sound a his voice. Calm down, jist calm down, Gabe.
Chet started to hold out his hand, but the other fellow had his clenched fist held out to Brand’s big nose.
Chet immediately brought his hand back to his hilt.
He might be contagious anyway.
The man looked at him with hopeful eyes. “May I– please?”
Wait, what does ‘e want — oh, ‘e likes Brand. E’s even greetin’ him the right way, bash it all!
Chet nodded slowly, still surprised. His thoughts were all a jumble, and he didn’t have time to sort them out.
Chet watched Brand lower his head and puff happily as the man scratched behind his ears. The man smiled, and a warm feeling came into Chet’s chest.
The guy likes camcals. ‘E likes Brand!
“What’s his name?” the fellow asked quietly.
Chet blinked several times before answering. “Brand.”
“Hmm, Brand,” the man murmured softly, and the camcal’s ears twitched toward the sound of his voice.
This was a fellow he could relate to in some way. If he was going to get information, it would be from this man. Chet took a deep breath.
Hopefully I can keep this from being awkward.
“Where are we?” He asked.
I light the arrow, pull the bow,
Shoot that fire right through my soul.
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