Preparing for the Feast

"I wish you could be by my side Raea. Everything seems so much easier with you support."

"Cal you know I will be there, but we cannot be together in public. They tolerate us because we keep it to ourselves, but if we flaunted it in front of you know they will force us apart. We are to far apart to be a couple, a mere Weapons-master could never rise to be a Queen."

"Let us not talk on that now dearest, our time will come and you will be able to be beside me. I know for now we cannot but you will be able to stand beside me in the open one day."

"Those are big dreams Cal, but you must make haste and get ready now, it will do you no good to be late for a feast that you are hosting, especially for your best friend Tallor."

"You're right again. What would I do without you?"

"You would probably find someone else to be a nuisance too, now go!"

"Alright I'm going already, but I hate to leave you. The world is always a brighter place when you are around."

"Stop with the flattery and go you little punk, or you will have one very dark night."

"I am really going now, just need one last thing from you."

Walking over to Raea, I grab her and pull her closer to me. She is taller and stronger than me, but let's me pull her in. Slowly my hands slide down her muscular frame and then our lips lock in a kiss. Careful not to be enveloped by my passion I pull away from my love.

"Now I can leave, but you I will see tonight."

Walking back over to the table, I grab my outdoor robes and book and leave the training room. Going over to the stairs I begin the long climb up to my chamber, luckily my room is almost directly above the training rooms so other than the climb it isn't that long of a trip. Getting to the top of the stairs, I make a left and head to my room. Laying on my bed is dress robes already sat out for me. It consisted of a black robe with golden scrollwork around the oversized cuffs and a pair of pants in the same style. These were the robes of fully trained Sentinel who was ranked at the master level. These robes were above my level, but my position as Prince ranked me as an equal to a Master practitioner of the Life magic. If I could, I would wear something less gaudy but one has to follow traditions and protocol when one is a Prince of the Blood.

Throwing my outdoor robes on the floor I strip off my undershirt and head over to the washbasin. The water is cold, but it feels good on my sweaty skin. I run the wet cloth over my bare chest and under my arms. The water glistens on my dark skin like fresh morning dew on a leaf. I set the wash cloth down and grab a dry towel. Quickly I wipe the water off my skin and grab a clean undershirt. Sliding the robe over head, I reach for the pants when a hear a knock at the door.

"Calton, what is taking you. Our guests are about to arrive and you are lingering in your room. We must be in the Hall to receive them."

"I am almost ready mother. Just let me finish getting dressed and I will meet you in the garden so we can go in together. I know Dad is probably already down there waiting on us. You know how he gets when we are late so you better go down before me Mom."

"Alright Cal, I will but you better be not more than a minute behind me. I don't want to keep the Leth's waiting."

I could hear her footsteps walking away as I slid my pants on. I felt ridiculous in these robes, but there was nothing I could do about it. Looking around the room I saw a pair of black boots to match the horrible robes. I don't know how the Masters could wear these all day, I could barely get through one night in them. Pulling the boots on, I quickly walk out of my room and back down the stairs. Once at the bottom, I head off to through the hall to the right. Quickening my pace, I hurry to the arches leading into the garden. I can push my mom into waiting a little but, but my father will have none of it. The King waits for no man, not even his own son. As I walk through the archways I can see his face already. His eyes are creased with age and the frown on his lips has become a permanent fixture. He is never happy anymore, and I seem to be the cause of a majority of his anger. I could feel his gaze piercing through my flesh and into my soul. I am his heir, but I am his son also, and in both I never seem to be good enough for him.

I am not going to give you a time for the next one because I do not know myself, but I will try to get one up before the weekend. I am starting to really flesh out Calton's character and in doing so writing him is becoming easy again.

The Test

Walking over to the weapons rack, I set my book down. I quickly remove my outdoor robes and grab a training vest.

"Cal you will not be needing that today, this is going to be done with actual weapons. No training gear will be used, I want to test your skills in as close to the real world as we can get. So grab your katana so we can begin."

Throwing my training vest aside I grab my katana from the table beside the weapons rack. Sliding it out of the sheath, I gently run my finger along the blade checking the sharpness. I catch Raea at the edge of my view and feel blood starting to trickle down my finger. Turning away from her i can feel that she is looking at me. I turn back wink at her and laugh.

"Raea I can't even unsheath my sword with you in my presence how am I supposed to fight a beauty like you!"

"Cal quit joking around! Take care of your finger and lets get this started. You know we both have other things to do today."

"Okay, you want to kiss it and make it better?

I could just catch the smirk on her face as I gathered a small amount of energy to quickly mend the wound on my finger. Once I saw it was closed up, I sheathed my katana and strapped the sword belt on my waist. Walking in to the training area i got into a forward fighting stance leaving the blade in its sheath. I had become accustomed to a sheath fighting style, that focused more on speed than power. I would not call myself weak or short but my body was better built for speed, so the style worked quite well for me. Raea also was in the forward stance, but unlike me her katana was straight up in down in front of her. She had a more muscular frame then me and was not required to use the inertia from speed to power her blows.

I advanced slowly, my hand never leaving the hilt of my sword. I could see her muscles tensing, she was getting ready to attack me. With a grace that would impress even a swan she came at me. I quickly drew my katana, to parry the blow that was coming from above. As our swords met, something started pulling at my thoughts. Trying to stay focused on her sword, I paid no mind to the pull. Her sword came at my right side, I parried it with my sheath and brought a backhand swing toward her side. Then I felt the pull again, this time it was slightly stronger, but before I could focus on it she parried my swing and quickly pressed me from straight on. Raea was faster and stronger than any opponent I had faced and I was still managing to hold my own against her. We traded blows for awhile longer each of us taking some superficial scratches as the others blade touched up but was not enough to wound. As the fight went on I could feel the pull at my thoughts even more. In the process of parrying on of her attacks with my sheath, my left hand stopped as I tried to attack an opening she left. Then she was pressing me even more, moving faster and more fluid than she was before. On top of fighting her, I was now fighting for control of my own body. With two quick motions she had my sword out of my hand and her blade was at my throat.

"Cal," she said panting, "This fight is over. Do you know why you lost?"

She stepped back and sheathed her katana as I leaned over and picked up my own.

"You are just a stronger fighter than I am."

"Yes, that is true but not in the way you think it is. This was a test, but not of your swordsmanship, it was a test of your mind and your barriers. If we were only dueling with katana's there is no way I could have beaten you. You have come a very long way and are truly a blademaster, but there is always a chance that whoever you are fighting will come at you with more than a sword in hand. I beat you because you did not expect to have your mind assaulted. I know you are being trained at the Sublimus School, but knowing how to control sword and control magic does you know good if you cannot control them both at once. You must be able to shield you mind while you fight or you will lose everytime. This is why I am your new training partner. If you can spar with my and keep me out of your head than you should be able to fight anyone."

"So you were what was pulling at my thoughts. I did not even think of that. Why have they not told me this at Sublimus?"

"They cannot tell you how to form barriers, you must work it out for yourself. Everyone's barriers are specific to them and in some cases to the task at hand. One cannot go into a fight with their mind completely blocked off for they will not be able focus on the fight itself. That is why it is me who is doing this training with you. I have a more personal knowledge of you then anyone else in the palace, so if you can fight me and keep me out no one should be able to use your mind against you."

"So now I get to see you more than just at night?"

"Yes, but speaking of night, your training is over for today and there is a dinner reception for the Tri'Leths that you need to get ready for. So hurry back to your room and get ready, I will see you after the festivities. Please try not to drink too much, you're no fun when your drunk, and I think we could both use a little bit of fun tonight."

This will probably be the only post until Saturday, sometimes life takes over and time vanishes.

A day in the life pt. 2

Walking back in to the palace I was not surprised to see Fallon waiting for me. He was tasked with

the duty of raising and training me, and somehow he always knew when I came back from my journeys

outside the palace. Coming up beside me he began to walk matching my pace precisely.

"So Calton, how was your trip to the mountain today? I see you were doing some reading while you

were there. Did you discover anything interesting in that book?"

"You know the history better than I do, Fallon, but even still, no matter how much I read it I cannot figure

out why he did it. Why would someone who was so good to the people turn his back on them so completely?

There has to be something that isn't being said, something that made him change."

"It was so long ago, I do not know if anyone could tell. We have been through this all before, Cal.

Why do your push yourself so hard to find an answer that may not be there? Just let it go, you are well

liked by the people, this paranoia does not suit you."

"I can see it in their eyes, they all fear me, fear what I will become. I need to find out what happened."

"Well you have more time later to bury your head in books, for now it is off to sword practice."

"Has Reae found me anyone new to train with, I am tired of having to hold back."

"You know I have nothing to do with your training regiments so why do you bother asking me?"

"Oh well, I guess I will see you at dinner Fallon. Poate Steaua Vieţii să te binecuvânteze."

Watching him walk away I made my way to the armory room where I found Reae waiting for me.

"So Reae who do you have for me today?"

"Today you will fight me, it will be your last test if you can beat me. If you lose though, you will be training with only me until you can best me."

"I thought this day was still a ways away."

"You have progressed at an unexpected rate and I fear that I am the only one who will be able to hold their own against you. So today is your test because it has to be."

Just a note the language I am using is Romanian the translations are as follows:

Poate Steaua Vieţii să te binecuvânteze = May the Star of Life bless you.

Steaua Vieţii = Star of Life

The Sunvern Elves get their magic from the sun so it is to them truly the Star of Life.

A day in the life

Laying on the mountain side I feel the sun warm my dark skin, allowing the power of life to course through me. I want to embrace the magic it holds but it scares me. Long have I been told the stories of my great grandfather Regun, and how you used this magic to sway the elves to do his bidding. I lay here, on Mount Regun, where he defeated the Demon-God Calesta, and fear that I may become just like him. I find myself drawn to this mountain, drawn to the history of Regun, but I do not want to believe that he misused the magic. They train me to rule and to control the magic, but they fear what I will become at the same time. Since Regun no one who has had the gift has risen to throne, but here I find myself next in line to rule the Sunvern, and no matter how much training and education I get there will always be the fear that I will abuse the power as well.

Slowly I stand up and grab the book by my side, "Regun, The History of the Perils of Power." There has to be something the historians missed, how could a man turn from one of the best rulers in our history to the monster he is now portrayed as being. Something happened to him, something that no one wants to say or that no one knows. I must find what happened so I do not have to fear using my power, so I can rule my people well and belay the fear the have of me. I head back to the city thinking about these thoughts that are always with me. I fear they day that I finally ascend to the throne, fear how my people will view me. Every day the need to find an answer grows in me, everyday as i learn to control my power, I fear how I will use it even more. I pass through the Gate of Light and enter Steaua Vieţii, the city I call home. The burden of reality washes over me as I enter the busy city, but even that cannot take away from the beauty of what we have created here. The buildings flow together with the ground and everything resonates with the music of ones soul. Within all that beauty though I can still see the worry in fear in every ones eyes as I pass them. Quickly, I move through the streets back to the palace. My lessons may be over for the day but the longer I am away the more my caregivers worry.

This is all I have time for right now but there will be more coming soon.

Beginning

So this is the first post in my blog. I am just going to give a little background about what I am doing and my reasons for doing it, and then the next post will be the actual start to the story. So to start of what I am doing is creating a back-story and exploring the life of the main character, Calton Sy-Shalra, of a novel I am slowly writing. My reasons for this is to get back in to writing, to get to know my main character again, and to get myself out their and create a readership base for my world.

Now that I have explained what I am doing here is a little information about myself. I studied English with a concentration in writing at Clarion University of PA. I am currently doing nothing in writing (which is why I am doing this) and the aforementioned novel has been in the works for about 5 years and is stuck at 25k words (I know not a lot to show for 5 years). I am going to try to use this to spur me on in working on my novel and to show it i will give a updated word count with each post. Maybe at some point I will put an excerpt up from the current body of work but I am not quite ready for that yet. So here is the start of this journey, I hope you enjoy.