Chapter 4: Moving Onward

Sebastian handed Worik an envelope and hurried him over to the window, "Theres a map and a note inside, I'll hold them off.... Just get there..." Sebastian said grimly. Worik not knowing what to do stood there frozen for a moment before Sebastian, who obviously didn't know what to do with the small boy by this point, pushed him gently out the window onto a fruit cart.

Worik's mind awakened upon landing in the fruit cart and he ran towards the entrance of town, screaming heard all around him. The entrance was blocked, Worik saw it before they saw him, ducking behind a building. "Now what, now what, now whaaat..." Worik said to himself quietly looking around. To his surprise there was a small hole in the wall surrounding the town in the very alley he had hid in. Not sure if it was safe or not, but not having the time to check, he made a break for it. Worik looked around, no sign of the bandits and thieves that were searching for him. He took this brief reprieve to look in the envelope Sebastian had given him, "Hmmm... well here's the map..." He said pulling it out. It was more simple than most maps, just perfect for someone who had never used one before.

He followed the map a short distance, finding himself in front of a shack. "What? This can't be right..." Worik said looking closely at the map again. "But... he did say to follow it..." He said walking to the front of the shack hoping it was more safe than it appeared. Worik opened the door slowly, there was a table a chair and one candle burning on the table. "H-Hello?" He said wondering who, if anyone, Sebastian had led him to. "WHO THE HELL ARE YOU?!?" A woman wearing strange clothing stepped out of the shadows glaring at Worik. "I- Seb- let-" Worik was too scared to say anything. The woman, seeing this, calmed down a little.

 "So, what is it that your here for now?" She said sounding irritated. Worik handed her the envelope, "Sebastian sent me here... I don't know why..." She looked closely at the letter, reading every part. "So, it looks like your the first new recruit we've had in quite a while." The woman said smiling. "My name is Mira and I'll have to take you to the academy now." Worik looked very confused, "What do you mean? What about my family?" he said still unsure of their fate. "You can figure that out later, just come with me and after a time you can search for your truth..." Mira said looking a little more serious.

Chapter 3: The search begins

The path seemed traveled and very defined, Worik wondered why he hadn't noticed it before as they continued towards the surprisingly close town. It seemed just big enough to be noticed, but small enough to be silent through the trees. "So... Where are we going?" Worik asked Sebastian, as he looked around still amazed that he hadn't seen this trail before. "You mean you've never been here? Surely your father has brought you here during one of his deliveries, correct?" Sebastian said sounding slightly impatient. "No... I mean... I knew he went into the woods but I never knew where he got all of the food." Worik said looking down, thinking back on all of the times his father had gone deep into the woods, only to return with flasks of water, sacks of vegetables, and meats. A drunk passed them, falling over as he tried to steer clear of the horse. "I'm sure he had his reasons..." Sebastian said trying to cheer the boy up, "How about we get some food in you, and make sure you've gotten enough sleep."

They passed several unsavory-looking places, finally arriving at, what seemed to Worik anyway, as the only safe building around. "Imperial Tavern and Inn" Worik said slowly reading the sign on the building as Sebastian tied his horse off. Worik tried to hop off of the horse, realizing it was too high up he looked at the knight. "Oh... Sorry about that..." Sebastian said sounding a little embarrassed for not realizing it sooner. "It's fine." Worik said just wanting to figure out where his family was, or what was left of it. Sebastian went to the counter, seeing the boys tired eyes, deciding it would be best if Worik slept before anything else. "Come." Sebastian told Worik leading him to their room. The room was a lot larger than Worik originally thought, almost bigger than his previous home. Without another word Worik jumped into the bed and under the covers.

"What are you doing?" Sebastian laughed out. Worik didn't respond already deeply asleep. Sebastian decided he would ask around about a woodcutters wife entering town, but he thought it would do little good. Considering how the town had changed since he had last visited, it did not look as though it would have been a safe place for them to go. Sebastian sighed after his brief information gathering journey and he sat in a recliner in the room he had rented earlier. "Ha... Sleep well kid, who knows what kind of troubles you will bring." Sebastian said quietly as he shut his eyes slowly, only to have them shoot back open when there was the sound of gunfire outside. "What?" No sooner did Sebastian get to question the noise, an explosion went off in what sounded like the room next door.

Worik woke up violently as the explosion went off, "WHATS GOING ON?!" The boy screamed. The knight just looked at him for a moment, "Stay here boy, you need to be safe and out there isn't," Sebastian said quickly as he rushed for the door. He opened it slightly to hear what was happening in the hallway leading to his room. "Okay okay... So our boss just came all the way here cause of a great big boom he heard a while ago... He told me to ask.... Who here can do magic? He'd like to speak wif you." Sebastian turned to look at Worik, the knight hiding the fear in his heart. "I was afraid of this, its Drogyn's men... They've come for you..."

Chapter 2 (aftermath)

Worik woke up the next day his shirt and pants singed and darkened with ash. He was very confused and a bit drowsy from the previous day, but he was hoping that was just a nightmare. "Ugh... What a dream... W-wait... where am I?" He said slowly becoming aware that he was at the riverbank where he had ran the previous day. "Oh no... MOM! KIRA!" Worik ran as fast as he could across the shallow river and straight back to his home, which was now charred, but still standing. "MOM!" He cried half hoping that they had not been anywhere near here when the fire took their home. "KIRA!" he yelled into his burned out childhood home. He heard no reply from either of them so he walked through the empty doorway, knowing what he might find.

Worik searched for hours but found nothing, he sat on one of the few pieces of furniture left inside and thought about the night before. "Could I have really done that? Is it really my fault?" What his brother had told him earlier was starting to get to him and he couldn't help but start blaming himself. Getting up slowly, Worik looked out of the melted window at the barren fields of ash and charred trees that used to be a forest. Just before he looked back to the floor, Worik noticed something, something small in the distance. There was no way he could have seen it before with the towering trees blocking his view. "Is... Is that a castle, maybe a tower?" Worik thought for a while and than came to a realization, "THEY COULD HAVE GONE THERE!" He was excited to have hope again but knew it would take a long time to reach it. Worik walked to the basement, the floor miraculously preventing the fire from torching their food stores. After gathering up a potato sack and gathering supplies, he went back upstairs to look upon his destination once more. "Time to see what else is in this world." He said closing his eyes a tear rolling down his cheek, and maybe... I'll find them there."

Worik began to head in the direction of the structure he saw from his former house, not knowing what his path held. He got to the river he had fallen unconscious at and looked around to see if any animals were around, he saw nothing. "Time for some water," he said to himself as he took a flask off of his belt and dipped it into the stream. He heard a stick snap but didn't bother to look, seeing as the woods were barren and burned. He suddenly heard a noise he wasn't used to hearing, the whinny of a horse along with the sound of its hoofs moving it toward him. "What?" he said with a confused look on his face. Worik hid behind a knocked over tree and peeked out. The horse had been so fast its rider almost saw him, it looked like the only reason it stopped was to get a drink. Its rider looked to be a knight, his armor looked almost unused, with an emblem Worik couldn't quite make out, and even thought it only covered his face and chest, it looked formidable.

The knight stepped off of his horse letting it drink while he sat on a log nearby, looking around with what must have been curiosity. The knight took off the helmet he wore, "wow" Worik said in a whisper to himself, thinking that this mans eyes were of a color he had never seen. "I know that you are there..." The knight said, sounding something between bored and slightly irritated. "Please come out and save me the trouble." Worik wasn't sure what to do, or if he was talking to someone else, his mind began racing. "Eh-emm," Worik looked up, and seeing the knight, stood up and backed away quickly. "What on earth are you doing?" The knight asked with a confused look on his face. "I am Sebastian Feynor, and you are?"

Still petrified because of the knights sudden appearance he couldn't bring himself to say one word. "Did you live near here? Do you know how the fire started?" Sebastian asked sounding as concerned as his voice would allow. Worik looked into Sebastian's golden eyes and finally understood this man was not a danger. "I-I used to live here... I don't know what happened..." Worik said nervously still eying the knight to be sure he wasn't as dangerous as his parents had told him outsiders were. Sebastian nodded looking Worik over to make sure he wasn't hurt, than he noticed his hands. "What is your name?" Sebastian asked looking surprised, "Worik..." he replied weakly. "So... what happened to your hands? They seem different somehow, it's like something this kingdom hasn't seen in ages." Sebastian seemed very interested in how the boys hands were so pristine and un-touched by the soot that covered the res of him. Worik looked at his hands, "What?" he was both surprised and confused by how clean they were. Worik suddenly got a headache and remembered everything that happened the night before, all of it flooded back.

Worik's eyes shot open as he became aware he was being shaken. "Get back!" Worik yelled, backing away from Sebastian again. "What is it, a vision?" Sebastian was becoming concerned again. Worik began to calm down and told the knight everything that happened that night, how his father had passed on, how his brother had blamed everything on him, and how his hands began to glow and he wasn't sure why. Sebastian just looked at Worik after listening to his story in awe. "Boy, do you have any idea what you are? What you've just done?" Worik shock his head slowly, "I don't have any idea..." he said wondering why the knight hadn't laughed at him or called him a witch. "You are one of the few people in this world who would be able to do magic!" Sebastian sounded very excited about the whole thing. "Now, please, what is your name?" "It's Worik, just Worik." Sebastian nodded, "I was sent to check on the area, but no one expected..." he paused a moment looking at the boy, realizing what he had just gone through. "I should get you to a bed. There is a town not far from here, you can rest up there while I try to get a message to the kings court." Sebastian said feeling bad about how excited he must have sounded about the boys story. Worik nodded and Sebastian put him on the back of his horse as they rode parallel to the river, to a place Worik had never seen before.

Chapter 1: Intro

-I doubt anyone will read this but I had to post it somewhere, this is a chapter or part of a chapter of a story i have decided to write. The idea came to me as I was sitting, but I don't like my own writing. If someone can tell me how to improve or what they think of this that would be an amazing help. Thank any of you who read this, enjoy-


A boy named Worik, aged around 16, sat on his porch looking out into the world. Around him was the trappings of his family, axes ropes, and saws. A wood cutting family and nothing more, in his mind he too would be destined for this life. Just as his father, just as his brother, but there was something on the horizon that no one could see coming.

Worik sat, lost in thought, as the work continued around him. "Son, are you gunna sit there or you gunna help me fell this tree?" His father, Dotan asked in a joking tone. "Do I have to do all of this dad? I mean I know its how we live but..." "Yes! It is how I have lived,Its how your grandfather lived and his grandfather before him! Now grab some rope and help!" Worik sat for a moment than sighed, "Yes, sir..." He was starting to feel that there was no hope left, as he grabbed the rope from the ramshackle house and followed his father to the tree he planned on felling.

"So wha' do ya think son" Dotan almost laughed out of excitement. "This is what has kept our family a float all these years, an its what will keep you a float." Worik nodded absent minded and only half listening to his fathers speech for what felt like the hundredth time he had made it. "Let's get started son, its time you helped more. Your six-teen and you are strong enough if your anything like me." His father said in an almost harsh, yet gentle way. "Okay, okay... So, what do you want me to do..." Worik said trying to at least sound slightly enthusiastic about the career he was born into. His father smiled, grabbing the rope from him and attaching a rock to it. "An' now" Dotan said, "Ya' throw it like this." He said as he threw the rock high enough to reach one of the stronger branches near the top. "Now you have ta' check your line before ya start cuttin'" His father pulled at the rope, and as no branches fell off he handed the rope back to his son.

"Wrap this around a sturdy lookin' tree at least once, and hold it tight and away." Dotan looked very serious as he told his son the precautions that had saved his ancestors many times before. "Like this?" Worik said looking at his father turning his head sideways slightly. Dotan smiled and nodded grabbing his axe out of a nearby stump and lining it up  low near the stump. As his father began to cut the tree, Worik began to imagine and explore the more exciting adventures in his mind. He had been to the library recently and read about great heroes killing foul beasts and working for the good of all. While lost in his imagination however he lost his grip and time. Dotan was more than half way through the tree and the rope slipped from his sons hand.

The tree made an awful crack and began to fall. "TIMBER!" Dotan cried as the tree finally began to fall under his power. He smiled not knowing his son had let the rope slip, not knowing his son was lost to his daydreams, not knowing he was so close to death. Dotans eyes widened quickly as he saw the rope dangle in front of his face. He looked over at his son, "GRAB TH-!" he bellowed as the rock attached to the rope slamed into his leg. "Help me!" He grunted as he tried to move out of the way bit it was no use.

Worik heard his fathers pained voice and his eyes shot open, he gasped seeing the tree so close to his father and his now bloodied bruised leg. "Dad, NO!" Worik rushed towards his father, but before he reached his father a branch hit the back of his head and he was out cold.

Worik woke up in his bed and looked outside, it was late. "DAD!" Worik yelled, worried that is was not just a bad dream, to his surprise his sister and mother were there sitting next to him. "Whats wrong?" he asked, worried about the fresh tears on their faces. "We thought we lost... we lost you too..." His mother said trying to make the words come. "Me... too?" he was afraid to ask, but it wasn't needed as his older brother burst into the room "IT WAS YOUR FAULT HE ISN'T HERE! ISN'T IT!?!" His brother yelled with a look of absolute hatred in his eyes. "Teznir that's enough, we have been through too much today to deal with any more..." His mothers sorrow turned to anger at Teznir for the sudden outburst. His sister ran from the room without saying anything, sorrow taking her tongue. Teznir looked at his sister as she left, "Kira, I'm sorry... I...." She walked past him not saying a word. "So now..." He laughed a little, "I'm the bad guy?" He said in quiet disbelief.

Nora looked up having heard her son, "You are only what you make yourself, your father taught you that much I know..." She said in a slightly distraught voice, her emotions bouncing all over. Teznir left the room, "I still say its your fault, you little stain..." His mothers face showed her anger again as the sound of the front door slamming echoed through the small home.Worik too confused to do anything else fell back to sleep, not knowing what just happened fully, and not knowing what tomorrow held.

The next day everything made sense to Worik, all of what had happened shown through, and he couldn't believe it. He couldn't believe how his father had died, how he had let go of the rope, how his brother had left and not come back. Worik was angry, angry with himself more than anything else. Angry because he was daydreaming, angry at the library and angry with his brother for compacting everything more. His words were lost to his rage and he ran into the forest and kept running, he stopped a stump deep in the woods and screamed at the sky. He kept screaming, not noticing the slight glow in his hands. Worik slammed his hands to the ground and it shook, the ground itself shook... Fire began spewing from his hands and onto the forest, on to the brush, onto the leaves. "Wha-" He exclaimed not knowing what had just happened. "Fire?" There were too many trees for him or the small village to handle. "FIRE!" he yelled as he ran back to his home, "FIRE FIRE FIRE!"

The fires spread fast and Worik kept running, hoping to warn someone before it was too late. "FIRE FIre!" Woriks cries became more and more silent as he went on, a massive headache taking hold. "Agh..." He had stopped near a river bank and knelled holding his head in his hands. "No, not now... not... now" His voice fading to a whisper, Worik fell on the ground unconscious. His last thoughts before slipping into unconsciousness was if anyone got out and if anyone heard his warnings.

Story ideas

I've always been one to think about magic more than swords and shields, so if I begin a story it will probably focus around a group and at least one magic user. Slowly developing his or her powers, focusing on their story more than the others in the group at first anyway. I would start with a simple accident causing the character to discover or be discovered as a magician/sorcerer/warlock what ever the terminology I decide on would be. They would slowly discover that magic was always just within their grasp and that now it is on the tips of their fingers. Either have an old sect of mages teach this character, or have them train slowly to discover their powers alone and/or with the group of characters to be met later. Slightly odd hair color but nothing ridiculous like, a neon green, bright blue, etc. Slender/skinny body type, dark/faded colored clothes.

This is all I have for now, I will write more on story ideas later when the mood strikes me.

How I write

How does one define their own style in writing, is it the ability to find words, to string them together, or just to have ideas like no others readily available? To me my writing is calming, interesting, and an exploration into my own imagination and knowledge of fiction. The main point in writing I seem to get stuck in is how to describe the characters and when to have dialogue.

The character introductions are hard for me, for in my mind they are and need no description. So, for me anyway, I must find a simple yet eloquent way to describe to a reader what my characters look like without letting the descriptions take control of the whole story. I need a shorter way to describe the faces of the stories cast, that way no more roadblocks would occur before the end of chapter one.I also have a habit of allowing the map of the world to develop, but this takes a lot of time that could be spent developing the story. I need to learn to just make stories about several different locations and slowly link them together. This could make the amount of character descriptions go down as well. I will start by making a villain for the main cast to be against. Maybe, start with only the villain / his (her) army destroying one of the main characters home villages/towns/city's.

Start the story simple, maybe make it about one of the main characters in everyday life. At the end of the book reveal the true plot points of the story and give reason for the main cast to care. Make a reason for them to need this in their lives, whether that be through desperation, revenge, or righteousness.

I could also start on a simple adventure as the lord of the rings series did. That series started out with a small-ish book called the Hobbit, and bloomed into an epic adventure series that almost everyone has heard of. While I don't believe that many would read my stories and I believe even less that any of my stories will get published, this is how I believe a good story should start. With a small unassuming venture outside of a much familiar place, into a dark mysterious land.

 I have no examples of my work to show what am trying to say but, I guess I will try my hand at writing again and see how it gos. I do need help finding my way though, feedback, tips, whatever everyone can  offer.