If you're putting me on the ballot once, I'd prefer if Astoria made it in. If you like Echo a lot more, then that's fine, but if you like them both (which... I'm being sort of conceited here, but oh well), I'd prefer that Astoria gets on the ballot.

1. Name: Echo Lin

2. Appearance: Short, curly brown hair.

3. Background: Very poor. Used to be less poor; but then Fable had to leave him and his family when her talents were discovered.

4. Occupation or trade: Not really anything? He sings, and sometimes gets money for it, but he doesn't really have an 'occupation'.

5. Attitude toward main character: He's her cousin, so he started out being friends with her and living with her and being practically her brother. After she left him and his family without giving a reason, he became hostile to her at first; when he found out why, they became friends again.

6. Strengths or special abilities: Good at hiding and singing.

7. Fears, weaknesses, or secrets: Afraid that he's not good enough for people; ashamed that he has to rely on Fable after meeting her again for many things due to his poverty; sometimes resents Fable for her curse, which he sees as a power (especially because she 'abandoned' him for it and was no longer as poor), but ashamed of himself for it because he knows that she considers it a curse.

8. How is the sidekick helpful? Provides company for Fable and is her friend. He's also, as previously mentioned, good at hiding and not being noticed.

9. What does the sidekick want most? To be respected, self-sufficient, and to control his own destiny without people he considers more "important" (such as Fable and whichever villian wins) pushing his destiny around like a chess piece.

10. Your Crowd Sorcery Sentence(s):

Humming quietly, Echo kicked the pebble around a little. His hair fell in his eyes and he pushed it back. He finally sighed and sat down, his humming crashing to a halt. She was my cousin--more than that, she was my best friend, one side of his brain said. She abandoned you when you needed her, and no wonder--you're poor and unimportant, she's important, she left before you got this poor, the other argued.

He didn't know which side to listen to, so the arguments just bounced around and around in his brain.

I'm arguing with myself, he thought. God, does it get more pathetic than that?

He wished his little sister, April, were here. She would know what to say to make him laugh, and to make everything make sense, to make him know what to do.

Still, he was glad she was gone. It had taken all their money to send her off to the school, despite the donation they gave to help cover it--but she'd be better for it. It's such an incredible opportunity for her.

Never mind the rumbling in his stomach.

(Fable never had to deal with that, he thought.)

(But still--she was my best friend.)

A memory stirred; her and him, running wild in the forest, carefree and joyful, exploring an imaginary world as they ran up and then down a hill.

I think I'll give her a chance, at least. 

Sorry, I mentioned earlier that Echo was Fable's cousin. Sorry for
making so many extra comments about mistakes in my original post for
Echo, but this is a pretty obvious one, as Fable doesn't know her
parents.

Echo was Fable's 'adopted brother'--his family took her in, and then one day she left them alone.

Extra miscellaneous details that weren't in my original post that I
wouldn't have added except I'm already making a comment so I might as
well: He's 2 years younger than her, very freckled, and skinny. His eyes
are expressive and dark blue.

Name: Jonah

Appearence: Jonah's hair is too long for a boy and too short for a girl. It makes the children in the village laugh as he walks by. But still he keeps a steady pace, never even daining to glance at them. Jonah is always garbed in a thick woolen tunic and leather trousers, with sturdy shoes for keeping his balance as he sails through storms. His face is weathered, but he is still young. His eyes are green, deep green, with the color of the forest somewhere in them. Some call them emerald, but the old wives of the Szurke snort in laughter at the notion. To them, his eyes are the color of green glass: cheap, common, and entirely unremarkable. " To think that brat of a boy could ever become something!" It was the joke of some of the more heedless of the old gossips. 

Backround: Jonah was a simple mechanic who worked the docks of Szurke, repairing the broken vessels. He lives alone, and has no close friend. His father and only confidant was killed in a shipwreck when he was eleven.

Occupation: Ship's mechanic

Attitude towards main character: We'll have to see!

Strengths or Special abilities: Common sense and practicality. As well, Jonah can sail a ship through any storm, weather any hardship. He is undyingly loyal, though at first a bit suspicious. Jonah has no magic, but with the strength of his mind he can discover the answer to any problem, if given long enough to think.

Fears, weaknesses, or secrets: Jonah has never spoken of his father's death. And as far as the people of the village can tell, he never plans to. But he continues to rebuild the Whale, fighting to regain his fathers honor as he wages an eternal battle with the sea that stole him. 

How is this Sidekick helpful: Jonah is clever with a sword, better with a trident, but his element is the sea. With a little luck and a storm, Jonah has discovered how to harness lightning when it strikes the water and save it for later... emergencies. He always carries a sheath of lightning around with him. Not to mention he is incredibly intelligent, and eternally loyal if he trusts someone. 

What does this sidekick want most: Jonah wants to honor his father, and to understand why he was taken. Jonah is only 15 but wants to discover why he always seems to be part of the sea but at war with the sea. 

Crowd Sorcery Sentence:

On the shores of a failing port town shabbied by age and wear until it was the color of graying sea foam, Jonah crawled out of the belly of the Whale. Nor was this the famed Jonah, or the oft referred to whale-- he was a simple mechanic who worked the docks of Szurke, repairing the broken and battered vessels, torn by the spray of the salt water and the rage of the sea, that daily returned with their meager loads of fish. To these men, as battered by the sea as their vessels, creased like old paper with a webbing of scars and sun-battered skin, Jonah was a magician. In his hands, a hammer and a few stout pegs became instruments of wonder, bringing the sagging boards of even the oldest crafts back to life, at least for a time. But always, they would return, reinjured and broken, like everything else on the island, awaiting the temporary cure that rest can provide. 

Not the Whale. Jonah held this craft of solid bronze to be his greatest treasure, a last gift from the sea, after it turned sour and robbed him of his father. His father had lived and died aboard this ship that became both his crowning glory and his burial shroud. But as, even months after his death, remnants of the Whale began to wash up on the shores,  Jonah could not abandon his father’s last friend, so he collected the pieces and began to rebuild the Whale from the ground up, awaiting the day he could again challenge God’s wrath and die in honor like his father. . .  The bronze Whale shone like a beacon of fire in the dying light of the day, rivets and body gleaming like the noonday sun and threatening to blind Jonah as he gazed at it with pride. Only God would dare to challenge this ship

1. Duke Hertog

2. Long, black mustache, elegant clothing, sly green eyes.

3. Hertog is an unimportant duke who lives on the inner side of the city, but he often visit's the outer slums, hooded and disguised, just to satisfy his taste for books in the libraries. On either side, he also hides something else: his strange power to read peoples minds. He stumbled upon Fable on his way back to the inner city, and it wasn't long before they became friends.

4. The Duke is employed by the Prime minister. It pays the bills, but the minister wouldn't notice if he took a day off.

5. The Duke recognizes and understands Fable, but even with his power does not understand her fear of the prophecy.

6. Hertog can predict things certain people will do before they do them. he also carries a diamond tipped dagger.

7. Hertog keeps a secret from Fable: he is a Duke.

8. His power makes the Duke extremely helpful.

9. Hertog wants people like himself sand Fable to be recognized.

10. Duke Hertog felt his dagger and scabbard on a stool by his bedside. What was bothering Fable? He thought. This was one of the many questions in his brain. He had tried time and time again to read her mind, but all he could gather were two words: 'The prophecy.'                                                                                                                   What was the prophecy? What was the Prime Minister up to? And why was the city preparing for war?

This is my second sidekick; I was happy with Fifer but I thought it would be interesting for the sidekick to be a boy Fable's age. 

1. Name: Toni Hielo (TOE-ni HI-low)

2. Appearance: He is short, and very pudgy. Toni is very self-conscious about his weight. He has short blonde hair and very sad looking green eyes. Toni can be often seen wearing deep purple cloaks because he thinks the purple goes with his eyes. He actually hates the color purple but he wants to do anything possible to look better.

3. Background: Toni grew up in a small town bordering a large city. He has an older sister, and two older brothers. His sister is very beautiful, and his two brothers are tall and handsome. His parents, who were wealthy land owners, barely noticed Toni when he was younger. He always grew up in the shadow of his older siblings. 

He was very lonely as a child, and he never had any friends. At school he was teased relentlessly, and Toni was constantly seen just as a fat kid. He amused himself by reading and acting out plays with his imaginary friends. Therefore, he grew very smart. However, he has always been self-conscious, and he is afraid to be judged.  

4. Occupation or Trade: He is unsure about what he wants to do when he grows up.

5. Attitude Toward Main Character: Toni never thought he would have an actual friend, and he definitely never imagined that he would be the one helping that friend. But Fable treats Toni like a normal person, and she has confided so much in him, it makes him feel like a Somebody, and less like a Nobody. In return he does all he can to help her out. He wishes desperately for her curse to be broken, because she is the best and closest friend he has ever had, and he would sail to the end of the world for her. 

6. Strengths or Special Abilities: Toni is unbelievably kind, and he is also very helpful. He is definitely the kind of person that you want as a friend, because his smartness and loyalty will shine through the hardest times. 

7. Fears, Weaknesses, or Secrets: Toni is incredibly self-conscious of his weight. He will do a lot of things to become more attractive (he has tried very hard to lose weight believe me). Therefore he is not sure of himself, and is afraid of what other people think. At times he even fears that Fable is lying to him about their friendship, and that one day she will hate him for the way he looks. 

8. How is the sidekick helpful?: Toni will literally do anything for Fable. He is so glad to have found such a great friend as her. He wants to help her figure her curse and the prophecy out, but he is not quite sure what he can do. However, if he found some way to help her, he would try it in a heartbeat.

9. What does the sidekick want most?: Toni wants to be handsome. He longs to be skinnier and to be more attractive, and he will do a lot to achieve this goal. 

10. Your Crowd Sorcery Sentence(s):  Toni walked down the riverbank, feeling rather forlorn. Fable was depressed again; she had written a terrible story, and he had watched, feeling hopeless. Once she had finished fervently writing, she broke down into tears. Toni had comforted her for a little while, until she told him that she just wanted to be alone for a while. Now he walked the banks feeling foolish and sad. He glanced at his reflection in the water, and saw a useless, overweight boy, and he vowed to help Fable no matter the odds. 

Name: Michael

Appearance: Michael is eight feet tall being a pigmy giant (separate species) and has incredibly large muscles. He also has long, dark hair and a beard that is braided in some areas. Strapped to his back he has a five foot long magical ax that is engraved with ancient spells and curses.

Background: As a boy, Michal lived in a large village hidden away in the mountains. He was the runt in the family that always was pushed around. Though his parents loved him he was always shunned and picked on by others. Finally, when the giants most precious possession, was stolen, The Jewel of Life, even though he had nothing to do with it, Michael was blamed and was banished from his village. After wandering through the forest for a while, he arrived at Fable's town where they treated him with kindness. Michael then became a friend of Fable's and a blacksmith.

Occupation or trade: Michael is a blacksmith.

Attitude towards main character: Michael considers Fable his little sister and is very loyal towards her.

Strengths or special abilities: Being a pygmy giant Michael is somewhat immune to fire and black magic.

Fears, weaknesses or secrets: Though Michael is undoubtedly kind and loyal, pygmy giants are not known for their intelligence and it does not take much to make him fly off the handle. He is also deathly afraid of spiders due too the fact that spiders are much bigger and much more dangerous where he comes from.

How is the sidekick helpful? Michael is very loyal and will fight to the death for his friends. Because he lived in the forest for so long, Michael has some knowledge of what kind of plants are edible and which are poisonous. He also knows antidotes for poisonous berries and plants. (He obtained some of this knowledge from eating the wrong berry. His head shrunk back to normal size after a while, but he was more careful after that)

What does the sidekick want most? To help Fable get to her goal.

"That darn elf!" Snarled Michael as a crash was heard from outside. He got up out of his chair and walked towards the door of his small hut. He burst it open. "BARNEY!" He roared, "HOW MANY TIMES HAVE I TOLD YOU, QUIT TRYING TO ROB ME!" Barney was a very strange elf, he had always believed that Michael was hiding some sort of valuable treasure in his home, though there was none. He was always trying to somehow break in and steal it. The small elf scrambled out from under some fallen boards that were leaning against Michael's house (but had somehow  fallen and now lay in a jumble) and stood up.

"Oh, hi Michael! Um, I was just-EEP!" Michael broke Barney off when he grabbed the little person by the hair and lifted him off the ground. He held him at eye level.

"I've told you a MILLION TIMES if I have one. I'M NOT HIDING ANYTHING!"

"Oh you're not are you!" Then how-EEK-come you're-OUCH-so protective of your-OOMPH-house-OOWWEEE!?!" Michael continued to hold him and tightened his grip on Barney's hair.

"BECAUSE-" there was a rustling sound in the woods shrouding Michael's hut and Fable walked out. She glanced at Michael and then at the helpless little elf dangling from Michael's gigantic hand. 

"Hey Michael, hi Barney." She said placidly. Michael looked up and dropped Barney. The little person squealed as he fell. He got up and ran off into the woods.

"Hey Fable. What are you doing today?"

"Nothing, just was taking a little walk. It helps to get my mind off things." She gave a deep, sad, sigh. "Michael, could I talk to you? Privately?" Michael raised an eyebrow.

"Come on in," he said. "What's on your mind?" he asked once they had sat down. She looked at him with her big, starry eyes that seemed to know everything. That always unnerved Michael.

"It's the prophecy. I'm worried abut it. it seems to be getting near time, but...there's no way to know for sure."

"Oh, I wouldn't worry too much, I mean, your powers haven't been that much of a problem. Have they?" 

"Michael, last week I was writing about a dragon, and the thing came out of the paper and almost burned down the town. Then yesterday, I accidentally wrote a troll out. I managed to get it to go into the woods before any harm could be done, but if this keeps up..." her voice trailed off.

"Ooookay, so they have been acting up. But I still wouldn't worry. The prophecy still has to be a long way off, so just forget about it for a while." Fable smiled.

"Okay, I will. Thanks Michael." She got up. "I should probably go now." He saw her to the door and watched her disappear into the woods.

"Oh, boy," he said to himself. This was going to be interesting.

1. Name- Alex Timberwood

2. Appearance- Blond-Dirty blond, the kind of boy who always looked like they were up to no good 

3. Background- Parents died in fire and he was forced to find work to survive. 

4. Occupation or trade- He works as an apprentice for the man who recognized Fable's talents.

5. Attitude toward main character- He is curious about her, but eventually develops a crush for Fable.

6.Strengths or special abilities-Has the ability to vaguelly tell a persons emotions by looking at them

7. Fears, weaknesses, or secrets- He has a weakness- he can't stand silence, making himself a chatterbox- and a secret- his eventual crush on Fable.

8. How is the sidekick helpful- He uses his ability to convince, or avoid, people to do what he wants, sometimes.

9. What does the sidekick want most- To be known as a somebody

10. Your Crowd Sorcery Sentences- Alex usually stays in his room, but tonight was special, he could feel it. He leaves in silence, occasionally muttering to himself, and heads toward the bookstore. He sees a girl inside writing, but what does he see flashing in the dark? A pair of dazzlingly blue eyes that look deeper, darker than just the color. The owner comes through, frustrated. Alex leaves quickly and goes back to his room. As he lies in bed he thinks about the girl and her eyes. He thinks, "strange," and falls asleep.

1. Name -  Araceli (meaning sky alter) Luminè ( mostly known as luminè)

2. Appearance - Soft white skin that seems to glow like that of a star, blinding to look at for too long. Her hair is long, spilling over her back in a waterfall of dark and darker. It seems to garb her like a shadow, clinging to her as she watches you from the darkness. Luminè's eyes are gray, the color of the ocean after a storm, and never seem to be looking at you, but instead, looking through you. She is slender and short, poised like a bird ready to take flight at the slightest sign of danger. She smells of parchment and ink, the hearts of old books worn dog-earred and ragged. Luminè is the one face that you would miss at first in a crowd, and upon returning home, remember forever. She is never seen without her cloak, which is long, inky black, and made from the feathers of crows. As well, she carries about a leather satchel that she never opens, but is rumored to be her father's last gift. 

3. Background - Araceli Luminè was the only child of the mysterious Booksmith, a man who travelled every town and village of the northern parts, copying ancient manuscripts and bringing them back to the Library. No one knows what became of her mother, not even Luminè herself. Indeed, the villagers say that if she had a mother, she must have been one of the stars, fallen to earth. One day Lumine's father is sent to an obscure part of the realm to find " a shadow faced, blue eyed man", who supposedly has an extremely valuable book, the Book of Shadows. It is not only incredibly rare, but incredibly magical, though no one knows quite what it does. Luminè is left with the Sisters of the Library for what is expected to be his short trip. But her father never returns, and Araceli is left an orphan,  alone in the Library, raised by the silent Sisters who guard  and care for the books. Months after her father's death, a package arrives at the library, addressed in his handwriting. None  but the silent sisters know of its existence, none but Luminè. To the visitors in the library, she is little more than a hazy memory: a girl in the shadows, pale faced and garbed in a feather cloak like a wild raven, fed on books and them memories of dreams that cannot be written.

4. Occupation or Trade-  Araceli works with the Silent Sisters in the library. While sorting books, she has fed herself on the memories of the years of book gathering she did with her father. 

5. Attitude Towards Main Character-  Luminè is at first frightened of Fable, the girl who daily wanders the Library alone hungry for new words, but at the same time, afraid of all that she learns. Luminè watches her from the shadows, trying to understand this mysterious girl and all that she could represent. Eventually, Luminè begins to trust Fable enough to approach her.

6. Strengths or Special Abilities- Luminè can hide anywhere, in anything. Under her raven-feather cloak, she is invisible to any eye. But her gray eyes can peer into any secret. She can also climb quite well.

7. Fears, weaknesses, or secrets- Luminè's weakness is darkness. She is safe in the shadows, but when it becomes ink black in the deepest crevices of the library, Luminè does not dare to venture onwards, even with the temptation of new stories. Luminè cannot stand being underground. Other than this she is quite brave, though she is quite reserved and inclined to be suspicious of people. 

8. How is this sidekick helpful - Araceli Luminè is intelligent, mysterious, and holds in her possession the Book of Shadows, a book created from living words. If used properly, this book has the power to control all knowledge ever written, or to wipe it from humanitiy's memory. It contains the secrets of all things forgotten, and most especially the things that were meant to be forgotten. All prophecy, all that has happened and is yet to happen is contained in the ancient pages. Luminè can also tell if people are telling the truth or not. She is said to be a child of the stars, and can upon rare occasions, fly. 

9.What does the sidekick want most- Luminè wants the shadow faced man to be punished for her father's death. As well, she wants to discover the truth about her mother and see the flame of eternal knowledge in the library lighted at last. 

10. Crowd Sorcery Sentences-  

Deeply immersed in the book she was reading, Luminè barely noticed the Silent Sisters as they glided around the library, their feet seemingly never touching the ground. They were always busy, as the Library seemed to go on forever, but their soundless footsteps and the whisper of the turning of old pages always seemed to shake the very building. They wanted to be felt, not heard. Not that they could find Luminè, even of they wanted to. From her peephole in the ceiling of the domed marble arch, Luminè could see all that was going on below. Not to mention that this was a nest of books; mostly those forgotten by the sisters, but some Luminè had stolen from the library herself for her enjoyment. But the prize gem of her books was the Book of Shadows. She had never opened this mysterious book, as her father had commanded in his last letter, but the cover spoke of tales too old to be of this earth, and too black to be remembered. It was an ancient thing, silent and cold as the sisters themselves. It demanded to be felt. It's very presence in Araceli's covey left a hole in its wake, a hole that meant having no father. 

On the floor below, suddenly the sound of high, echoing footsteps boomed across the library, amplified by the emptiness and the former silence. Luminè was jerked from story-land, her she imstantly looked down to see who it was. Didn't they know that this library was cursed? Ever since the flame went out, a year ago, people began avoiding the library. Some even began blaming the sisters for other misfortunes, but in all cases, they left it abandoned, only cared for by the sisters and herself. This time it was the girl again. The only one who dared to enter the library. Fable? Why does she always come here? What is she looking for? And why is she afraid of what she might find? Luminè flew from her comfortable perch, down the ladder, and out of the trapdoor on the second floor. Dashing silently across the marble steps, she followed Fable to an ill lit corner of the library, where she was just in time to see the other whirl on her. Luminè grasped for her cloak, but it was too late. Fable had seen her. 

" I knew it! I thought I saw you last time, but I came back to make sure.Why are you following me?"

Luminè couldn't honestly answer this. She was foolish to believe Fable could help her find the shadow faced man. So she replied with a question.

" What are you looking for?"

" Answers. A cure. Anything that might help."

Luminè was taken aback by the bright blueness of Fable's eyes. There was something in them that made her trust the girl. Suddenly, she recognized the symbol hanging about Fable's neck, and she shuddered with amazement.

"What is it?" Fable asked.

" Come with me" Luminè answered. " I think I have the answer to your problem."