My WIP

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  • #142266
    hybridlore
    @hybridlore
      • Rank: Eccentric Mentor
      • Total Posts: 1477

      @kyronthearcanin

      Amazing!! 🤩 I can’t wait to read the next chapter!! (Please tell me you’re almost done!)

      Just a few things I noticed: (Sorry if you weren’t looking for critiques. And feel free to ignore any of this! Just trying to be helpful)

      The one scene with her standing on the top of the ship — it kept going back and forth between different subjects, and it was a little confusing. (Don’t know if there’s really a way to fix it, just wanted to mention)

      And the hatch is on the top of the ship? That confused me too, at first, because she was leaning over, deciding whether or not to jump, and then she went in the room.

      Also, how big is Arew?? Lol I saw he was riding Rina? I thought he was bigger, but maybe I’m just not remembering his description right, lol.

      And I didn’t really understand why Arew took Rina away so fast, either, but maybe that’s a part of the plot I’m missing. Like why was it so important for her to escape rather than help them fight it off?

      By the way, I LOVE the rootwinder idea, and your description was so cool!

      And the end of chapter six?? (Something I noticed earlier.)

      It can’t be that simple. Can’t be. I swallow a growl. This is all too real. Or maybe not real at all. My imagination has the best of me, that’s all. Arew’s not really here. He never was.

       

      But what if it’s true?

      Does this connect to the chapter? Or was that an accident?? Just seemed a little out of place, but maybe it’s a flash-forward??

       

      Thanks for the tag! Love it so far 😅 Can’t wait to read more!!

      "Be careful, for writing books is endless, and much study wears you out." Eccl. 12:12

      #142274
      Ava Murbarger (Solfyre)
      @kyronthearcanin
        • Rank: Knight in Shining Armor
        • Total Posts: 715

        @hybridlore

        Yeah, I’m definitely looking for critiques! My first drafts especially need it XD

        The scene on top of the ship may have been a little muddled because it was the first time I was actually figuring out what the top of the ship was going to look like instead of what I was actually writing. XD I do that a lot. Anyway, yeah, I’ll definitely look into clearing that up.

        The hatch was on top of the ship, but I kind of pantsed the whole scene, lol, so I didn’t even know it was going to be there until it, well, was there. So I will be going back to it in more detail for sure.

        Arew is a little less than twice the size of your average falcon. I didn’t measure out the size exactly, but in my mind he was just small enough to stand there on Rina’s shoulder if he balanced himself with a wing.

        The part where Arew takes her away… That’s not part of the plot you’re missing, at all. That plays into the plot later, so yes it definitely wouldn’t make sense under normal circumstances.

        Thanks! The Rootwinder was an idea I made with a writing group recently. One of the people there suggested some kind of sand snake for Leor, you know, like a giant worm thing, but I thought maybe that was used to much??? So I switched it to Aavian and it became a Rootwinder. There’s more detail about how it got there later, just so you know. 😉

        For the end of chapter six, I just couldn’t decide how to end it XD. I’m planning on going back to it later, though.

        Thanks for the awesome critiques! That’s what I’m looking for in my chapters, so that I don’t miss anything, so it helps a lot. 🙂

        Follow your heart, but take your brain with you.

        #142275
        Ava Murbarger (Solfyre)
        @kyronthearcanin
          • Rank: Knight in Shining Armor
          • Total Posts: 715

          @hybridlore

          Oh, and yes I’m nearly done with the next chapter. 😅🤣

          Follow your heart, but take your brain with you.

          #142276
          hybridlore
          @hybridlore
            • Rank: Eccentric Mentor
            • Total Posts: 1477

            @solfyre

            Oh, and yes I’m nearly done with the next chapter. 😅🤣

            Yess!!! 😂 Sorry, these cliffhangers 😅😟

            Have you read keeper of the lost cities?

            Oh, and all that makes way more sense!! 😆

            No problem!! Happy to help! ☺️

            "Be careful, for writing books is endless, and much study wears you out." Eccl. 12:12

            #142288
            Ava Murbarger (Solfyre)
            @kyronthearcanin
              • Rank: Knight in Shining Armor
              • Total Posts: 715

              @hybridlore

              XD XD I’m such a pantser I don’t even know when I’ll have cliffhangers or not. I mean, I planned out chapters 1 and 2, and then just went of the rails and the chapters have been ending that way, lol. Hey, but at least it keeps you reading 🤣

              I read a random one of the Keeper of the Lost Cities books a loooong time ago because I got it free at a library thingy, lol. I don’t remember much, because I wasn’t sure who exactly the characters were, but I remember thinking it was good.

              Follow your heart, but take your brain with you.

              #142291
              hybridlore
              @hybridlore
                • Rank: Eccentric Mentor
                • Total Posts: 1477

                @solfyre

                Me too!! 😅 I don’t usually plan chapters out either! I just start with a idea 😂 Maybe that’s why I struggle so much after that

                Yeah!! Definitely 😁

                Oh lol! Yeah, they are pretty good, until the most recent ones at least. But I just remembered them because each book ends with a cliffhanger.

                "Be careful, for writing books is endless, and much study wears you out." Eccl. 12:12

                #142347
                Ava Murbarger (Solfyre)
                @kyronthearcanin
                  • Rank: Knight in Shining Armor
                  • Total Posts: 715

                  @hybridlore

                  A fellow pantser!!! XD

                  Yeah, I write cliffhangers a lot, but also I can’t stop reading when I get to a cliffhanger, so… I’ll have to try that series again lol.

                  I’m working on Chapter 8, and have been for a few days but I’ve been kind of stuck at the ending. So you know, I’ll probably have it done at some point XD

                  Follow your heart, but take your brain with you.

                  #142412
                  hybridlore
                  @hybridlore
                    • Rank: Eccentric Mentor
                    • Total Posts: 1477

                    @solfyre Yep, that’s me!! 😁

                    Yes you should!!

                    Yay!! Can’t wait xD (And don’t worry, endings are hard!)

                    • This reply was modified 1 year, 6 months ago by hybridlore.

                    "Be careful, for writing books is endless, and much study wears you out." Eccl. 12:12

                    #142519
                    Keilah H.
                    @keilah-h
                      • Rank: Chosen One
                      • Total Posts: 4929

                      @kyronthearcanin Nice job! The rootwinders are cool. Ooh, and Quelin’s back? Why? Now I want to know!

                      Where'd I get ya this time? The liver? The kidney? I'm runnin' outta places to put holes in ya.

                      #142520
                      Ava Murbarger (Solfyre)
                      @kyronthearcanin
                        • Rank: Knight in Shining Armor
                        • Total Posts: 715

                        @keilah-h

                        Thanks! I’ll get the next chapter out soon and then you’ll see XD

                        Follow your heart, but take your brain with you.

                        #143295
                        Ava Murbarger (Solfyre)
                        @kyronthearcanin
                          • Rank: Knight in Shining Armor
                          • Total Posts: 715

                          @hybridlore @keilah-h @landric @thearcaneaxiom @i-can’t-keep-track-anymore XD

                          Alright! So, that ending took longer than I thought, but here’s Chapter 8! This is purely first draft as I haven’t done any kind of editing (didn’t even read through it, I never found the time). So critiques are definitely, absolutely welcome and appreciated!

                           

                          Chapter 8

                          Why is he here? How is he here? My mind is spinning, refusing to pull it together as Quelin steps closer. I can’t go back. They’ll know, and I’ll never be free.

                          “You’re a long way from Spearhead,” Quelin hisses. His mouth curves into a smirk. “You should have never left. Life was so easy for you, but you just had to make it worse.”

                          My eyes dart around, searching for a way out. The forest around us is eerily still, and in my mind every root is twitching, every tree leaning closer, like they’re each some kind of monster, like the Rootwinder. If I call for the others, will it be too late? Will they even hear me?

                          Quelin takes a heavy step forward, his smirk turning into a frown. “You’re nothing. You’ve been practically useless all of this time, and yet Dragor still wants you.” He growls. “You’re the reason everything went wrong. The reason I’m stuck here, trying to find some ridiculous mutant!” He swings his spear at my head, and I just barely duck out of the way.

                          I swallow as Quelin looms in front of me, breathing hard. Everything is going too fast. I thought he was dead, or at least in some kind of punishment. “Why… Why does Dragor want me?”

                          He rolls his eyes, claws regripping his spear- tightly, like he’s holding back. “Don’t feel like you’re anything special. If it were my choice, you’d be dead right now.” He pauses, glaring around, and I wince. Something’s different about him. “Dragor has a fascination with the Arcanin. Always has. You hardly count, but the star is there.”

                          So they sent him after me. But why him?

                          “I don’t have any power,” I say, a little too quickly.

                          Come on, Rina! You knew Quelin before. Why is this so hard now?

                          He barks a bitter laugh. “So you say. But I know you have one. You always have. All I have to figure out is how to get it out of you.” He watches me for a moment, and I wither a little. “Once Dragor gets his claws on you, you’ll wish you were dead anyway.”

                          “I’m-” I pause and shake my head hard. My voice keeps shaking, no matter how hard I try to stay calm. “I’m not going with you. I can’t.”

                          He snarls, his yellow eyes flashing. “You’re not in a place to argue. You’re coming to Spearhead if I have to knock you out the whole way there.” He shakes his head, then points the spear towards my side, where blood still stains my cloak. “Managed to stab yourself already?”

                          “What do you care?” I snap, anger mixing with fear. The least he can do is just spare me this conversation. “You want me dead anyway.”

                          He runs his forked tongue over his fangs, tail lashing. “If you want to stay conscious, you will tell me.”

                          “One of the jars broke,” I say hesitantly. “I cut myself on it.”

                          “It’s quite a cut,” he says, narrowing his eyes. He lets out a growly sigh and steps forward, gripping my wrist in his claws before I can move away. “Doesn’t matter. Come on.”

                          I try to pull away, but his grip is tight, digging into my fur and pricking my skin. Suddenly my breathing is quick, and fear washes over me in a cold wave. I struggle, pulling back, and in a flash Sorren’s dagger is in my free paw. I squeeze my eyes shut and swing out my arm, and the blade connects with scales.

                          Quelin roars with rage and rakes his claws across my shoulder, ripping through the cloak’s sleeve and releasing his grip on my wrist. I fall to the ground and push away, scrambling to my paws. “Sorren! Dune!”

                          “Where is that Lupinari?” Quelin snaps. A long line of blood runs down his arm. He stabs his spear into the ground right in front of me, and I flinch back. He  “Now that’s someone I can fight.”

                          He’s insane.

                          I put a paw gingerly to my shoulder, wincing. “You’d lose.”

                          Quelin let a drop of venom drip onto his claw, flicking it towards me. It flies right past my ear. “I doubt it. He’s old and slow.” He flexes his claws eagerly. “Where is he? I’d like to have a fight before we leave.”
                          I decide it’s probably not the best time to argue. He has a strange look in his eyes, crazed. “Have… have you heard of a Rootwinder?”

                          “No.”

                          “It’s a snake. A really big one, but it’s made of roots.”
                          He glares at me. “You expect me to believe that? What does it have to do with the soldier?”

                          “It’s real,” I say, pushing back a shudder. “I just got away from one. I’m just not sure which direction it’s in. Sorren and… Well, Sorren was fighting it.”

                          Quelin sighs and yanks the spear out of the ground. “Fine. We’ll just have to leave without a fight.” He jerks me to my feet by the hood, and I stumble forward a few steps, clutching my neck. “Walk, halfling, or I’ll have to drag you.”

                          I walk forward slowly, glancing back at Sorren’s dagger. I could never reach it. My side and my shoulder hurt enough that I’d rather be unconscious, but I can’t be. I have to be ready for any chance at escape, or I really will have to go back to Lacertilia. And Sorren and Dune, even Arew… What will happen to them?

                          This is all going so, so wrong.

                          Quelin is different. Before, he was grumpy, sure… But now? His eyes flash with something like rage every time he looks at me. I feel stupid for ever thinking he might be a friend. Serpenree are all the same. They’re all just Dragor’s pawns. If Orythia was rid of them, maybe we would be okay.

                          Maybe I should have let Quelin die after all.

                          The Serpenree mutters to himself as we walk, tapping his spear on the ground. If I still had that dagger- and if I was any good at fighting- I would make an attempt at escape. But right now, I’m not sure Quelin wouldn’t kill me if I try anything else. So I trudge along, exaggerating a limp to keep us at a slow pace.  It’s better than ending up unconscious and useless.

                          As we walk on, I can see where the trees stop and the hills begin. In the distance I see a Serpenree ship, but not the Urbryn. It’s much smaller. I slow down even more. Quelin brings his spear down on my tail, and I jump forward with a cry.

                          “Keep moving,” he mutters. “You’ve seen ships before.”

                          Those ships weren’t taking me back to your horrible planet, I think bitterly. They were my only way out.

                          There’s not much time now. If I’m going to escape at all, it will have to be very, very soon. But where should I run? Out into the open doesn’t seem like a good choice; he’d outrun me easily. Back into the forest would be safer, but there’s a good chance I’ll get myself lost. Then again, I’m practically already lost, and lost is better than caught.

                          Forcing my paws not to shake, I turn around, facing Quelin. He snarls at me. “What are you doing, halfling?”
                          “You wanted to know my power,” I say, my eyes scanning the forest behind us. Anything to avoid meeting his fiery gaze. “What if… what if I showed you?”

                          He narrows his eyes. “What?”

                          “I… I could show you,” I say. “But… not on that ship. It won’t work there.”
                          He raises a brow. “Where exactly will it work?”
                          Oh, please don’t let me mess this up.

                          “It has to be at night,” I blurt out. This is harder than I thought it would be. “I mean, under the stars. On the ground, not in some ship. Otherwise, it, um… won’t work.”

                          “Why should I believe you?” Quelin asks with a hiss. “You lived in Spearhead for years and never had anything happen at night.”

                          I hesitate, then nod quickly. “But I was never outside at night. Battles always happened during the day, at least the ones I was in. And even if I ever did, it was under storm clouds, not stars.”

                          “And why are you suddenly willing to tell me this?”

                          I give a small shrug. “It gives us both what we want. I get to stay off of your horrible ship for another night, and you get to see my… my magic.”

                          He watches me in silence for a moment, his tail lashing. Then he lets out a long growl, tilting his head back. “Mutant, if you’re lying to me…”

                          “I’m not,” I say quietly. Then, a little louder, “I’m not. Promise.”

                          He snorts. “I don’t want your promise, halfling. We’re staying one night. That’s it. And if what you told me isn’t true, then Dragor will deal with you how he wants.” He leans forward, and his breath is all venom. “And trust me, you do not want that.”

                          I swallow, taking a step back. “I… I know.”
                          “Well, come on,” he snaps. “You’re a healer. You can bandage yourself when we get to the ship.”

                          I let out an almost imperceptible sigh- whether it’s of relief or apprehension, I’m not quite sure yet. If all else fails, and I’m still with Quelin by nightfall, I’ll need to make something happen when the stars come out. But what? Too many scattered thoughts are flooding my brain to think about it right now. I just need to calm down, but at the same time, being on edge could be helpful.

                          Just cheer yourself up, I think, though it sounds crazy. I let out a long breath, forcing my steps into a steady rhythm and matching it to my breathing. It helps, even if it’s all just in my head. Okay. If Dune can do it, so can you.

                          The problem is, I’m nothing like Dune. Besides that, he’s always got a jumble of emotions written all over his face. Anger at Sorren, nervousness that fills a room- though somehow it never quite looks like fear, and a kind of weird happiness. No, that’s not right. Maybe… Confidence. Or a constant attempt to be confident, and to force away all doubt. Whatever it is, it looks like a whole lot to deal with.

                          Sorren’s words echo in my mind. Traitors are usually good actors, Rina.

                          Is Dune the way he is because his every action is some kind of act? Is he really a traitor, like Sorren might think? Surely he can’t be. He wouldn’t betray us… wouldn’t betray me, anyway. He’s not exactly on good terms with Sorren, and doesn’t really know Arew. Then again, I realize, my heart sinking, I don’t really know Dune either.

                          It feels like I’ve known him for ages. Like I’ve seen that same lopsided grin on his face for years now. Like I’ve always known Sorren’s calm, reassuring tone. But I haven’t. I guess when you’ve been alone for so long, time feels strained when you’re with someone else. Or, I add ruefully, someone that doesn’t want you dead, in any case.

                          This, I’m sure, is definitely not how Dune cheers himself up. Maybe I’ll get it out of him someday, if I ever see him again. I let out a small growl. There you go again, Rina. Think about something else. Like… Well, just something else.

                          Quelin interrupts my thoughts, and I’m almost glad. “The Felisaro that crashed on Lacertilia. Where is he?”

                          “With the Rootwinder,” I say, wincing. “And Sorren. Like I told you.”

                          “And the stolen Serpenree ship?”

                          The Urbrin.

                          “I, um… Well, it’s just…”

                          I can hear Quelin’s tail lashing behind me, sweeping over the grass. “Don’t waste my time lying to me. I’ll find it soon enough.”

                          I frown, staring at the ground as we walk, my shoulders rigid. “I wouldn’t have to,” I shoot back, “if I knew you weren’t going to take everything.”

                          “You took the ship from us,” Quelin hisses. “Don’t act like this is our fault.”

                          Fury spreads like a fire inside me, and my fists clench at my sides. “This- this is all your fault!” I yell, whipping around. “You’re the reason I grew up on your horrible planet instead of my own! You’re the reason every day was a nightmare!” My voice quavers on the last word. “And now… now you want me to go back, but I can’t, or everything will be dark again.”

                          I’m breathing hard, and my paws are shaking. They shouldn’t be. None of this should be happening. I shouldn’t have yelled. Not at Quelin. But I couldn’t help it. Anger and fear wash over me in waves. Quelin watches me, expressionless, his tongue flicking in and out between his fangs. “Are you done yet, halfling?”
                          If it were Sorren, or Dune, or Arew, I would apologize for yelling. And I would get some kind of relief from it. But with Quelin, I’m not sure what to say, so I don’t say anything at all. I turn back around, wiping stray tears from my face, and start walking again.

                          Quelin mutters something unintelligible, hidden inside a growl. I’m berating myself for being so reckless when pain blossoms in the back of my head. I fall to my knees, and my head hits the ground. The impact slaps my teeth together. Flecks of light shoot across my vision.

                          Claws dig into my arm, pulling me up as everything dims. I will myself back into consciousness, trying to shake off the adamant pull of darkness, but raising my head produces more swirling motes in my vision. The strong grip of pain and fatigue is woven tightly around me, and I can’t resist anymore.

                          So I let go, and fall into blackness.

                          ~

                          Something rough wraps its way around my shoulder and upper arm, tightening sharply. Cold bands encircle my wrists. My eyelids are heavy, unwilling to open. An ache swells deep in my chest, and a strained whimper escapes my mouth. My head feels like it got hit by a tree.

                          Not again, I think as a pinprick of light enters my view. My mouth is dry, and my attempt to swallow hurts more than it helps. Soon, I can tell, everything will feel much worse.

                          In my mind, I can see Dune’s grin, and hear his quick response. Careful, Rina. You don’t want to make this blacking out thing a habit.

                          But Dune isn’t here. Only Quelin, and he knows I’m awake.

                          “A couple hours now until sunset,” his voice informs me through the ringing in my ears. I manage to open my eyes a little farther. “I take it you had a nice nap?”

                          It sounds so much like something Dune would say that I give a sudden, choked laugh. Groggily I watch Quelin as his eyes narrow. My head feels funny. Having a hard time focusing. I try to speak, but it comes out as a sigh.

                          My surroundings are blurred, but I can make out metal, and a door out of the metal into grassy hills. I’m still on Aavian. Good. My head clears a little more. Sorren. Dune. Arew. They’re still out there somewhere.

                          “Where?” I make out, and Quelin cocks his head.

                          “The Lupinari?”

                          I nod slowly.

                          He gives me an unnatural smile. “Dead.”

                          I hear the word as if through a daze. Quelin, I can tell, wants a reaction, but panicking takes too much energy. My mind feels too slow to process the questions running through it. I lean my head back against the wall, closing my eyes, and let out a weak groan. Water. My mouth is dry as Leor.

                          Quelin snarls, apparently disappointed. A moment later, something slams hard into my stomach, forcing the air from my lungs. My eyes struggle open. My satchel. “Clean yourself up,” he says. “You’re a mess.”

                          My mouth feels too slow, so I shake the cuffs at my wrists, causing the chains to clink together, then cock my head as if to say, how?

                          “You’ll figure it out,” Quelin mutters. Taking his spear from a rack on the wall, he steps to the door, keys dangling from his claws. “Fix yourself up,” he says, turning. He points up at a camera fixed on me from its place on the ceiling. “You’re being recorded, so don’t get any ideas. Not that you could.”

                          With a shake of his head, he steps out, the door closing behind him.

                          For a while I just sit, unsure of what to do, and trying not to feel anything. And yet, that’s all I do. I feel pain. I feel fear. I feel tired. Sleep sounds amazing, but I can’t just do nothing. Stiff and sore, I open up my satchel.

                          I fumble with the jars, my paws feeling clumsy and slow. It’s made worse by the manacles I’ve been forced to wear. The wound at my side is itchy and sore, and I suddenly remember. The Liquid Death jar. Usually, a dose would kill in less than a few minutes. But if even just a drop entered my system through the wound, things could still go horribly wrong.

                          Unfortunately, I’m not near any clean water- or water at all that I can tell, and if I am, I can’t get to it. Looking down, the same bands chain my legs together at the ankles, though it feels somewhat numb. So instead I take out a jar of runny liquid, called Corpryl, and wince as the first drop falls into the wound. It should disinfect and dull the pain- the only problem is, it tends to disinfect first, and the whole process is made more painful because of it.

                          Closing the jar tightly, I set it back in the satchel and wait out the burning feeling, my ears flattening to the top of my head. It’s not so much just the burn of the Corpryl, but the pain along with everything else. My head… Yes, that’s it. Something for the headache. I dig in the satchel for something to take the edge off the pain. Unfortunately, all I can find is crushed Vyvene root. It works fine, great, even, but it tastes like you’re eating dirt.

                          I open the jar, scoop out a small pile with my paw, and toss it to the back of my throat. I cough, my throat tightening in protest. The idea was to not have to taste the earthy medicine at all, but this is worse. It reminds me of the smell of the Rootwinder, and I do my best not to gag. I shove the jar through the others to the bottom of my satchel and cock my head back, wishing for water.

                          I wrap a bandage around my waist, tying it tightly and grimacing as it rubs against the wound. I close my satchel. There’s not much more I can do now. My throat is burning, from thirst as well as the Vyvene root. I run my tongue over sharp teeth, wishing I had the ability to summon water at will. Or incredible strength to get out of these chains. Now that would be useful.

                          But no. My power isn’t so much a gift as it is annoying. No friends to heal, no way to find them, and no way to heal myself. Not with magic, anyway.

                          The room around me is a kind of entrance. To my right and left are doors, with no windows to see through, and before me is the door leading out of the ship. A small movement out of the corner of my eye catches my attention. I glare daggers at the camera. How far away is Quelin, anyway? Would he really come all the way back? I feel dumb, but I look up at the camera and its flashing red light.

                          My voice comes out as a raspy whisper. “Can you hear me?”

                          No answer. Right. No response, no questions. I should have known that.

                          “I… I’m just going to find water. A sink. Something.”

                          The camera stares. I look away, scolding myself for talking to the object. Quelin probably can’t even hear me on the other side, if he really has a device connected to it at all. Maybe he said it just to scare me. Surely he wouldn’t come all the way back from whatever he’s doing just to stop me from having a drink.

                          Slowly, I push with my paws, pushing my back up the wall. My first step sends me staggering forward, and I fall, barely catching myself with my paws. I take a deep breath, my snout an inch from the ground, and my heart beating too fast- or maybe too slow, I can’t really tell. All fours it is, then.

                          Shuffling towards the nearest door, I wait for it to open like the doors on the Urbrin did. But they don’t budge. There’s no handle, no knob, not even a crack I can use to pry open the door. Now that I think about it, it’s obvious. Of course Quelin wouldn’t leave the doors so that they could open for me. I’m chained, not immobile. I’m just glad there aren’t any manacles on this ship like on the Urbrin.

                          Turning, I notice the camera followed my motion to the door. It doesn’t matter, really. Quelin will either come back or he won’t, but he can’t blame me for trying to move. I’m sure he would do the same in my situation. Even without the chains, I have no idea how I would even begin to escape this place.

                          After pacing the room and scanning the space for anything I can use, I sit back down. Nothing. The room- besides the camera, me, and my satchel- is completely, defiantly empty. I tap my claws on the wall behind me, growling softly. The large door across from me, the door Quelin took, leads outside, but I don’t know about the doors to my left and right.

                          My headache is beginning to clear a little, but that disgusting root still wasn’t worth it. I think through my options. It doesn’t take long. All I can do is wait. Dune, Sorren, Arew- I just have to hope they’re alive. If they’re not… If they’re not, I don’t know what I’ll do. How could they have escaped the Rootwinder? I’m sure they didn’t kill it, not with something as small as a spear. Even if they are alive, they’ll think I’m just lost, or maybe that I got caught by another Rootwinder. They have no way to know that Quelin found me, or that he’s here at all.

                          My shoulder is wrapped so tightly that my arm is beginning to feel numb. I try my best to focus. Ashe. That’s where we were supposed to go. Of course, the plan won’t work as well without the others. I have no idea what to do. Without them, any hope of an offensive on Lacertilia is gone. I doubt the Falcor will make an alliance with the Lupinari just because some halfling walked up to their queen and asked.

                          Most likely, they’d give me right back to the Serpenree. But I’m already stuck going there, so at least there would be a chance. I hug my knees to my chest, sweeping my tail over my paws.  Besides, the others probably aren’t dead. They can’t be.

                          My eyelids are already heavy again. If I can’t do anything else, I might as well rest. Repositioning myself against the wall, I close my eyes.

                          A swooshing noise comes from all around, and I jump up, tripping over the chains at my ankles and landing face-first. Growling, I put a paw to my snout. Then I look up. All three doors are completely open. I wait for Quelin to come in from outside and tell me he’s found the Urbrin, or one of the others. But no one enters.

                          The camera doesn’t move. Slowly, I rise to my feet and peek outside. Rolling hills spread out from the ship, then slowly flatten out until the tree line. The sky is slowly darkening as the sun slips behind the trees. From my position at the door of the ship, I can’t see Quelin anywhere. He must have gone into the forest.

                          Hesitantly, I step into the grass, careful not to trip over my chains. I can still smell the earthy scent of the Rootwinder, but it’s not as pronounced as it was earlier. There’s no trace of Serpenree or Serpenree venom anywhere in the air, so I take a couple more steps and turn a slow circle. Why would the doors just open on their own?

                          Something hits the ground beside me, and I jump, nearly falling again. As my breathing falls back into a normal rhythm, I study the object. Metal and glass, with a stiff wire sticking out the top. Some sort of device, like a remote, with a few smashed buttons, and a cracked, dark screen…

                          I glance back. Does the screen go to the camera? If it does, why doesn’t Quelin have it? And where did it come from?

                          “Your Serpenree friend had that. I figured you’d want it.”

                          My head whips around, and I look up at Arew, who is perched on top of the ship. His head is cocked, his red-brown feathers shadowed by the retreating sun, and he watches me with gleaming eyes. I nod slowly. “Thanks, Arew. And he’s not really my friend…”

                          “I guessed that as well.” He nods at the chains, clicking his beak. “Are there keys to those on the ship anywhere?”

                          I shrug. “I hadn’t checked.”

                          He spreads his wings. “Allow me.”

                          Arew flaps down and disappears through the right door from where I sat. I go back and sling the satchel over my shoulder. I glance out towards the forest. Where are Sorren and Dune? Why isn’t Arew with them?

                          The more I think about it, the stronger the sinking feeling gets.

                          Follow your heart, but take your brain with you.

                          #143389
                          hybridlore
                          @hybridlore
                            • Rank: Eccentric Mentor
                            • Total Posts: 1477

                            @kyronthearcanin

                            Oh, lol I think that went into my spam 🤣🤣 Didn’t get the email for it 😠

                            And oh my goodness girl!!! Your writing is getting soo good!! I’m hooked 😂😅 This chapter was amazing!!!

                            I could totally see it being a book already XD

                            And that cliffhanger . . . 😤😭

                            I can’t wait for the next chapter!!!♥️♥️

                            "Be careful, for writing books is endless, and much study wears you out." Eccl. 12:12

                            #143390
                            hybridlore
                            @hybridlore
                              • Rank: Eccentric Mentor
                              • Total Posts: 1477

                              @kyronthearcanin

                              And now I want Rina and Dune together 🤣🤣😊

                              • This reply was modified 1 year, 5 months ago by hybridlore. Reason: Tag didn't work

                              "Be careful, for writing books is endless, and much study wears you out." Eccl. 12:12

                              #143501
                              Ava Murbarger (Solfyre)
                              @kyronthearcanin
                                • Rank: Knight in Shining Armor
                                • Total Posts: 715

                                @hybridlore

                                Yeah, I didn’t get an email for yours either. But then again, KP has been kind of weird lately XD

                                Thanks so much!!! I was actually kind of worried about this chapter, so that’s awesome!

                                Lol I think cliffhangers are my way of forcing myself to write the next chapter, because even I want to know what happens next. XD the motivation of a pantser. I wonder if plotters ever experience that feeling lol

                                And girl, ngl… I do too. 🤣 They just feel right together. My mind always goes to, but what will the kids look like? But hey, halflings already exist, so… *me imagining little wolf-cats with superpowers XD*

                                Follow your heart, but take your brain with you.

                                #143502
                                hybridlore
                                @hybridlore
                                  • Rank: Eccentric Mentor
                                  • Total Posts: 1477

                                  @kyronthearcanin

                                  You’re so welcome!!! 😉And yeah, hopefully it’s fixed soon

                                  Ahh I should tryy that!! I need motivation 😆

                                  XD the motivation of a pantser

                                  XD

                                   

                                   *me imagining little wolf-cats with superpowers XD*

                                  And oh. My. Goodness. I need this in my life!!!!! XD

                                  "Be careful, for writing books is endless, and much study wears you out." Eccl. 12:12

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