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The Elementi Chronicles Book I: The Stone of Serenity
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I'm writing a book. Read what I have so far to understand it.
THE ELEMENTI CHRONICLES BOOK I: THE STONE OF SERENITY
Chapter I
___{:}___
The moonlight shone on the Lake's deep, fuchsia waters. Conifer trees fringed it, thickening into foreboding woods. The Lake was the center of the Faimón Forest, and it contained a great amount of magic. Its surface was smooth, undisturbed. All seemed well, yet it was not. A wild cry broke the peaceful silence. A shape tumbled down a path through the trees. Another shape hared after the first, who had a jagged gash down its side. "Tell me where it is and we can save a lot of trouble," the second animal growled. "Never! Never in my life!" the first cried, practically wailing. "Then I guess the information will die with you!" The second figure struck the first, shoving it into the Lake. After a while, its head bobbed up, gasping for air. "We. . . . won't. . . tell you! You'll never. . . find. . . . it. . . " The second animal chuckled quietly to itself. "And who's going to stop me?" It padded silently away into the trees.
__________
Sheena opened her eyes. Squinting through the thick water, she searched for the surface. She couldn't tell which way was which in the murky fuchsia water of the Lake, heavy with magic. It was the one body of water that Aquinas leopards couldn't swim skillfully in. There! A pinpoint of moonlight shone through the water. Sheena kicked strongly towards it, propelling herself through the Lake to that shaft of light. She could feel her breath slipping away. Just as she thought she would black out, her muzzle broke the surface. Sheena gasped for air, the gash Narwhal had given her stinging. She paddled for the shore, tail boosting her forward. The leopard reached the sandy beach and heaved herself up onto it. She shook her royal blue pelt out, shuddering.
Sheena knew that the Knowledge Protector would be proud. She would not reveal the Stone's location to anyone, especially not Narwhal, even if it cost her her life. The Aquai Leopards were the guardians of the Stone of Serenity and were part of the Elementi Leopards, along with the Ignis, Ventus, Aether, and Terra Leopards. Each kept a Stone of Harmony, like the Honesty Stone and the Joy Stone.
Each cult of Leopards selected one of their kind to keep all of said cult's lore, the Knowledge Protector. The tales and secrets of each cult were passed down through generations of Protectors. Sheena was training as the Apprentice Protector for her cult.
In addition to the Leopards in the five cults, there were Leopards that abandoned their birth cult and lived as enemies of the Elementi known as Rogues. Rogues banded together, and Narwhal lead his group, which he called the Rens. Narwhal and his group wanted to get everyone in Leovie who opposed the Stones of Harmony to join him, their goal being to capture the Stones, or destroy them, once and for all. Sheena didn't know what would happen if all balance in Leovie was destroyed, and she didn't really want to find out.
Lying on the shore now, gasping for breath, Sheena recounted the day she'd been selected for Apprenticeship by the Knowledge Protector, Ciel. . . .
________
I'll add more later, I promise! Enjoy the story! Oh, and, biae!
submitted by Scylla
(February 5, 2016 - 10:02 pm)
(February 5, 2016 - 10:02 pm)
Woooooooooooooooohhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Go Scyllaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!!!!!!
(December 11, 2016 - 10:09 am)
Agh! I'm sorry! I forgot! I'll have a few posts up by next Saturday, I promise. I feel so guilty...
(December 10, 2016 - 8:26 pm)
WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!! GOOOOOOOOOOO SCYYYYYYYLLLLLAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!
(December 11, 2016 - 8:33 am)
*flattens nose against glass*
(December 17, 2016 - 8:43 pm)
Here it is! I promised! I didn't let you down! Admins, if it's not too much for you, can I post more later today?
Although she seemed no nearer to the bottom of the Black Hole than she had before, there was now a kelp forest. Long, green-gold strands wove together, waving in the currents, looking so gentle. There were no other animals; it was just Sheena and the kelp. She stopped swimming, letting the current move her in the mesmerizing wavy patterns of the kelp. She wanted to drift away into the kelp forest, and rest her aching body, and sleep.
She was so exhausted.
Was the Essence even worth saving? She could sleep here, and become just another strand of kelp. But if the Essence was captured, then she'd lose the ability to breathe underwater. And she would be crushed by the weight of the water above her.
Did she really want to die?
But Narwhal couldn't be that far ahead. Surely she could rest for a little bit, just laying on top of the kelp. She paddled a little closer to it, resting her paws on its shifting surface. She sighed. It would be so nice to just rest there. So close.... so dark...
Sheena blinked. What was she doing there? What was she trying to do? Why was she in a kelp forest in a blue hole? What was wrong with her? She tried to swim upward, to find the next protection of the Essence of Aqua, but she couldn't get away. The kelp had wrapped itself around her paws and was pulling her closer to it, into its shadowy depths. She could not escape. She opened her jaws, but no sound came out. The kelp was up to her eyes now, strangling her in its golden-green tendrils.
Panic clouded her thoughts. How could she escape? She struggled to breathe as the kelp closed tightly around her gills, cutting off her breathing. Black spots danced before her eyes, making her feel faint. And then she remembered why she was in the Black Hole in the first place. She was there to save the Essence of Aqua. She was there to stop Narwhal. But she couldn't do that if she was beaten by a few overgrown weeds.
Her claws glinted in the half-light as she lashed out, slicing seaweed stalks to escape. They relinquished their hold on her as they fell, and she darted upward, away from them. Was the kelp the barrier? What if I don't pass because I used violence instead of finding a more intelligent way out? Anxiety gnawed at Sheena, and her thoughts once again turned to Narwhal. She doubted that he would've done something peaceful to escape the kelp. And he had obviously passed the trial. So why wasn't anything happening?
And then it struck her. Maybe the next "door" was inside the kelp. Maybe she was supposed to let it drag her down. Maybe she shouldn't have panicked. It seemed like something a Knowledge Protector would do--enchant a kelp forest to sense and react to its prisoner's emotions.
Sheena sheathed her claws, drifting carefully back down to the kelp. With her previous ordeal in mind, she felt more than a little uneasy. But she pushed the uneasiness away, replacing it with a sense of urgency. She needed to reach the bottom of the kelp forest, or the next door, before it was too late.
Again with the too late, the voice jeered.
Shut up, Sheena snapped. She was pleased at the resulting silence.
Free of distraction, she let the kelp once again caress her fur, pulling her gently this time into its golden-green arms. It lowered her down, down, down, deep into its strangely beautiful world. She was surprised to feel contentedness washing away all her negative emotions, but it was completely under her control. She was in control. And at that moment, a door appeared in front of her.
(December 17, 2016 - 5:42 pm)
Of course you didn't let us down, Scylla! That wouldn't be like you.
This is so much fun! I keep wondering what's coming next-- the next test, the final showdown, or something completely unexpected?
(December 17, 2016 - 10:49 pm)
Thank you! Here's the next part.
Sheena had overcome four of the seven barriers now. She only had three left. All tiredness was forgotten as she pushed through the door. It was a round one this time--made of a dark wood in rough planks with tarnished brass hinges. She slid through, leaving a few tufts of midnight-blue fur behind, and was greeted by... rocks. They were huge, jagged rocks, more like small mountains than rocks. They were set in front of ehr, stretching for as far as she could see. Some towered over her, some barely made it up to her tail. Some were fat, and some were thin. Some had extremely sharp pinnacles, others with only moderately sharp tips. Some were brown, and some were gray. All were daunting.
Is this the point? she asked herself. Are these rocks only supposed to scare me? Or am I supposed to go pass through them somehow? She studied the small gaps between rocks. Perhaps I could, with motivation. She growled internally. Enough with the pondering. Stopping Narwhal should be enough motivation.
But it seemed as though the rocks had something else planned for her. Something much more terrifying. She heard a vague noise behind her, as if something big were moving in the water. Like a particularly large fish. But as she heard a water-smothered snarl behind her, Sheena decided that it must be a monster. It roared and even though she was underwater, the sound rattled her bones and shook her to the core. She didn't dare look back at what might be following her, her only focus on the rock in front of her.
She swerved around it, wishing she could swim faster. Raw terror ripped through her while she heard the rock crumble and crack as the beast knocked it over in pursuit. Sheena's paws connected with the rough surface of a tall gray rock and she leaped off of it, propelling herself through the water. Violet eyes wide, she leaped off of a rock to land on another, and another, and another. She was sprinting as fast as she could, but it wasn't enough. She could feel hot breath on her heels, hot even through the water. She darted away as jaws snapped at her hind legs. She felt the brush of very sharp teeth as they grazed her limb. A silver-blue spray of blood fanned through the water, and Sheena saw ten heads pop from behind surrounding boulders, shiny black eyes sparking with interest. She saw ten white-scaled, red-horned monsters with lean, serpentine bodies slither from behind the rocks, stained claws outstretched.
(December 17, 2016 - 11:19 pm)
Ive said it before, but I'll say it again! I love it, Scylla!
(December 18, 2016 - 9:09 am)
*Screams*
Ahhhhhh!!!! Monsters!!!!
*Tries to calm down*
*Fails*
AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!
I think I need a therapy leopard.
(December 18, 2016 - 1:48 pm)
*Screams*
Ahhhhhh!!!! Monsters!!!!
*Tries to calm down*
*Fails*
AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!
I think I need a therapy leopard.
(December 18, 2016 - 1:48 pm)
I think a healer could help you! But read this part first.
Sheena was suspended for a moment, in utter terror, as the ten monsters, along with the one that had been chasing her, came slowly closer. And closer... and closer.... Sheena finally regained her senses. Wild fear drove her forward as, with a singular, unified roar, the horrifying creatures leaped forward. She barely saw the rocks as she vaulted from each one, and she seemed to have been fleeing forever when she had an idea. When the monsters plowed through rocks, the rocks fell, and some of them had very sharp points. What if she could manipulate them to stab the creatures instead?
Use your power, the voice urged.
This time, Sheena listened.
What do I do? she queried.
Let me guide you, it answered. Let me take control. You don't know enough about your power to handle it. I will get you out of this. It gave a wry laugh. After all, killing is what I do.
Sheena seemed to turn cold. If you say so. Then she let go of her body and let her Hidden side take over.
~ ~ ~
She turned over willingly, Hidden observed. She didn't fight me.
It turned to the eleven monsters, flexing its claws. There were many ways it could use water alone to dispatch them. There were just as many ways it could use stars. But combined, the two Elements would be lethal. Hidden decided to use only Aether and save its energy for when it was needed more.
It faced the monsters. They seemed surprised by this and stopped chasing Hidden, staring at it curiously. It wove its host's paws through the water, creating a tiny, glowing star between them. White light gently pulsed from the star, not enough to harm but enough to cause interest. Hidden let the star hang in the water, then dipped its claw into the star and drew the energy out in long, sweeping strokes. The beasts were captivated by its mesmerizing swirls, and stood staring at it. Hidden took advantage of this, stretching Aether beams to fabricate a spear. It slowly and deliberately hefted the spear in its paw, aiming at the biggest monster's heart. Time slowed down as the spear shot through the water, straight and true, landing on its mark. The beast couldn't make any sound as the Aether poisoned its veins, setting them on fire with celestial flame.
The other ten, still oblivious, soon met similar fates. Hidden longed to stay in control, to feel the strength of the power flooding through its body, but it knew it must give itself back to its host. It let her dominate, once again fading to the background.
~ ~ ~
Sheena rubbed her eyes and started. I have to keep going! The monsters will destroy me! She paused, confused at the lack of sound from behind her. Won't they? She turned around to find the monsters' bodies drifting down between the rocks, soon to be lost in the bottomless Black Hole. How did that happen? They had been chasing her, claws extended, just moments ago. How were they all dead? She decided not to dwell on it, as a door had just appeared in front of her. With the tall rocks looming behind her, their bottoms lost in the misty blue, she pushed open the door and went inside.
~ ~ ~
(December 18, 2016 - 4:06 pm)
Wow! That was so cool the way she made a star in the water! I've always been fascinated by stars like that, and I love that kinda stuff in books!
(December 19, 2016 - 9:04 am)
Oh, my gosh. This is so awesome. I can't believe it! Stars! Monsters! And the Hidden's point of view was the best part. This is the AWESOMEST book I've ever read! I can't believe I haven't checked it for so long! It is so interesting! I wonder what the next task will be... And what will happen with her confrontation with Narwhal... I can't wait!!!!!!!!!!
(December 19, 2016 - 5:34 pm)
Thank you, everyone!
(December 20, 2016 - 2:44 pm)
Woww.... *Clutches therapy leopard* *leopard growls* *drops therapy leopard* Um, help? My therapy leopard is aggressive. Does the insurance cover this?
(December 24, 2016 - 1:15 pm)