Chapter One - Welcome to the Book, Here's an Unfinished Snippet
Hello, this is my random book. My second, to be exact. You'd know the first if you read the summary, but I know many of the people who add random books to their reading lists must never bother to check that.
I figured I would like to start this off with a bit of a rewrite from my original book titled Revak Feykro. The name comes from Bethesda's TESV: Skyrim's Dovahzul, or Dragon tongue, and translates to "Sacred Forest." That is one of the settings in my story.
Early in the morning of the first day of the ninth month in the year 1100, as the dawn light filtered through the thick leaves, a young Cí'mehia -- a humanoid creature with cheetah ears, tail, and, sometimes, feline eyes -- met up with a ruby Dromdí -- a humanoid of draconic origin, with dragon wings, the occasional tail, and rarely dragon's eyes -- outside the High Arch, Arch-Dragon Dark Wings' strategy center. Both humanoids held duffles made of vine, woven to be strong and waterproof.
"I can't believe it, Myrkr," the ruby Dromdí said to his companion, his voice almost rumbling, "we were sent to Nú'lette not to study, but to spy."
"We are advanced in our skills, Sanguine," Myrkr reminded, her voice with a slight feline accent. "It was luck, perfect preparation meeting the perfect opportunity. But I know what you mean, I can't really believe it, either. Now we really have to get to know our peers. And say nothing about this around our Fao."
"Yeah." He glanced toward the High Arch. "We should go and see Dark Wings and Lavender, and head out, shouldn't we?"
"We surely won't hear the end of it if we're late," Myrkr answered. She made a bowing gesture. "After you."
"Whatever happened to 'ladies first'?"
Myrkr gave a smirk. "Whatever gave you the idea I was a lady? Get going, Romeo."
The duo, with Sanguine leading of course, entered the High Arch. It was a simple structure from the outside, just an arch that led into a large and ancient oak tree the inhabitants of the Revak Feykro Isle named the Immortal Oak. Inside, it wasn't very much more elaborate. All paintings that had decorated the walls had been replaced with maps and strategies, lists of operations. In the center of the room was a simple, purple-fired, wooden chandelier -- enchanted, of course, to never be set ablaze -- above a table that looked like a tree stump, the latter about twenty feet in diameter. On top of the table was an enchanted map of the Isles of Ysamaldri, the Isles circling -- like the human's solar system -- the center Isle, Ysamaldri's meadow.
A tom cat with a long tail, whose fur was shifting from purple to blue to green as he padded across the map, speaking to a dark purple -- almost black -- dragon with scorching yellow eyes. He was a very large dragon -- he was decently old at this point, having lived a century -- and took up a third of the room, which was at least a hundred feet in diameter, and it was three times as high, bookshelves covering the towering inside of the enchanted tree.
"On the new moon in three weeks, Ziixi Mountain Isle will be closest to us," Lavender was saying. He turned, having heard the two young Mythics enter the room, and smiled warmly at them, his green gaze kind. "Ah, hello you two," he purred. "Good morning, I'm happy to see you both. Are you excited for this year?"
"Of course!" Sanguine answered enthusiastically. "It's always fun, if stressful, to start a new year at Nú'lette."
He would say that, Myrkr thought. He's made so many acquaintances, all easy to forget of course, but he's socialized. Unlike me.
"And you, Myrkr?" Lavender asked. He, like Cargent, Sanguine's father was such a prominent father-figure in Myrkr's childhood. "Are you excited, too?"
"I suppose," she responded non-committedly. "I do like experimenting with the runes and potions, and there is an almost-infinite supply of those items there, free with tuition."
The tomcat tilted his head. "What about the Cí'mehia that are there?" He gave her a knowing glance. She was terrible at socializing, she worked on her studies far more and made no time to get to know anyone. "You still haven't met any, have you?"
"I don't need my people's approval," Myrkr insisted. "Revak Feykro Isle is my home."
"That is good to hear," Dark Wings rumbled. "Because what we've tasked you with requires your loyalty more than another Isle's blood." He turned his yellow gaze on Lavender. "You did tell them how this year was to proceed, Lavender?"
"Of course," Lavender said, feigning insult. "Myrkr is like the kit I haven't had. To leave her, or Sanguine, in the dark longer than necessary is unthinkable to me."
The dark dragon sighed. "Then, please, explain their focus before they leave."
"Yes, Dark Wings," the tomcat said. "You two know that you need to place highly in your classes to have the best future opportunities, yes?"
"They only drill it into our heads every year," Myrkr answered drily. "That is the end goal."
"How does that help with our spying?" Sanguine asked. "Wouldn't that be for Mythics who want to be instrumental in the politics and the schooling and war?"
Lavender smiled and nodded to the Dromdí. "You were right, Dark Wings. He was a wise choice." To Sanguine, he answered, "Toward the middle of the year, there are two banquets that are hosted at Nú'lette Castle. It is very formal, but more importantly, Silver Wings will be attending both events."
"A bit of a high-stakes job for a couple of Mythics still attending the academy to be tasked with assassinating him," Myrkr commented, a gleam in her eyes.
Dark Wings noticed. "No," he said firmly. "You two are tasked with finding any way -- be it physically or socially -- for an agent of ours to get close enough to take care of him."
"Are you sure that's not as much pressure as killing him ourselves?" Myrkr asked. "The only difference is that we aren't doing it, and you have to send--"
"We'll have time for one of the Wí'chú to work their way into any such situation," Lavender assured, interrupting gently. "We spent many years planning this and preparing ourselves and you two for that moment."
Myrkr was silent a moment. "If you say so," she said reluctantly.
Dark Wings sent a scorching glare at the young Cí'mehia. "You are forbidden from any attempt at assassinating Silver Wings, Mkhoal," he warned.
Having sent an uninterested and bored stare back, Myrkr snapped to attention mockingly and said, "Yes, sir, Arch-Dragon."
The dark dragon sighed and turned his gaze pointedly to Lavender. The color-shifting tom nodded and turned to face Sanguine. "Keep her out of trouble, will you?" The ruby Dromdí nodded. "You two better find Azure so she can send you to Ziixi Mountain Isle. Don't delay, please -- we have need of her talents." Sanguine nodded again. Myrkr already turned to leave. "Oh, come here, Myr -- at least let me say goodbye to your face."
"We've got a tight schedule, you both made that clear," she said without turning around, though she did halt.
Lavender huffed, then leaped from the center of the stump onto Myrkr's shoulder, about twenty feet away. Once he landed, gracefully as always, he headbutted her cheek lightly. "Good luck," he said affectionately. "Don't get yourself killed. I want you to meet our kits when you come back."
"Same to you, Lav," Myrkr replied in a lower voice. "Give my regards to Moon's Claw, will you? Tell the kits I say hello when they're born."
"Only if you try to meet a few Cí'mehia this time," the tom joked.
Myrkr sighed. "Alright, alright."
Azure Star, a pretty, periwinkle-furred Eltri, found them first. The crystal ball that displayed an infinite array of colors matched her emerald-colored eyes. She was worried about something, possibly what Lavender had alluded to earlier, Myrkr suspected. "Are you both ready to go?"
Myrkr glanced at Sanguine, as he met her gaze. "Yes," the ruby Dromdí answered, unable to keep the emotion -- excitement, nervousness? -- out of his voice.
Azure Star, seeming to push aside her own worries, gave the duo an encouraging smile. Even the crystal ball turn blue, signifying calm, from an orange-green meaning agitation and worry. "I'll only be a dream away."
"We know." Myrkr faced Sanguine. "We've got each other, as well."
The Eltri nodded. Without a word, she turned and led them to the closest Ivory Tree, a portal, touched her nose to it, and a starry portal started to swirl into existence as she moved away, connecting Revak Feykro Isle to Ziixi Mountain Isle for a very brief amount of time. "Good luck, and do be careful, will you?" She intentionally singled Myrkr out for the last part. Before the Cí'mehia could complain or defend herself, Azure Star continued, "I know you well, young one. Of course I will suspect trouble for this year. Don't do anything rash," she added seriously.
Myrkr huffed at that, said nothing, and stepped through the Ivory Tree's swirling portal. Immediately, the crisp, cool air of the Ziixi Mountains greeted her, as it always had before. Sounds pierced the air, not dampened by the familiar trees of her home, deceptively far away. Then Sanguine came through the portal, too, and took a huge breath of the mountain air. "I love the air, and the open sky, here," he said.
"It's a bit too open for my taste," Myrkr responded.
"Well, that's because you're a creature of stealth and can't fly."
She lightly punched him. "Oh, please. I basically fly over the ground in my cheetah form." she readjusted her hold on the duffle. "Now, come on. We need to register and board the Cloudy Skies."
Once they checked with the Wí'chú in charge of registration, he directed them toward a large mound of boulders and stones. It was the transport, the Cloudy Skies, with its camouflage. Although it was used as a transport primarily, it was an advanced type of stealth ship. Once in the air, it changes the surrounding atmosphere to the perfect climate for clouds, making any attack on the ship nearly impossible while also hiding Nú'lette Academy, the destination, and Nú'lette Castle from its passengers until the transport has landed.
It was always about a day's journey to the academy on clear days. Although the winds were against them, the weather was otherwise perfect for the flight.
Each student was assigned a number. Myrkr made sure to memorize hers, and she glanced around. "I'm going to check who I'll be with for the flight. Maybe we can make a few friends, blend in a bit more," she added in a hushed tone.
"Right," Sanguine said. "I'll do the same."
They both headed to different sleeping quarters. Sanguine ended up having two Dromdí and a Lycanthrope for roommates; Myrkr also had two Dromdí, and someone feline, labeled as a fellow Cí'mehia.
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August 30, 2017
Here is the beginning of a new random book and the beginning of a story that is coming soon! This is only about five or six non-college-ruled notebook pages, about four and a half Google doc pages at size twelve. I have thirty-two pages (and counting) of notebook for this, so once I get a decent bit of it typed, it should be up soon! I don't know when, but I hope around the new year. I want to establish the story more, and if I end up back tracking again, well all the better for an improving story! At least this time around I know where I'm headed.
Hope you all are doing well as usual, and have a great day or night!
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