Realm Walkers: We Start a War

As you can see, we have come up with a name for the Addy and Thacia stories. Realm Walkers. It probably doesn't make sense now, but hopefully it will later. We are also going begin to naming each short story, and we have titled this one: We start a War. Hmmm, very interesting. Anyways, Realm Walkers for July is written by me (Emma Nikki), from Thacia's perspective. Hope you enjoy!

Thacia sat on the Round Table, along with Addy, as they drew pictures.  She had to admit, she was slightly disappointed the fighting had already ended when it did, and that it was so easy- she desperately needed a challenge.  “Addy, your grandfather was so easy to beat.”  Thacia announced, out loud.  “We need a real challenge.  Something that will make me concerned for our lives for at least a moment.”

  “Oh, yes!  We should just go deliver ourselves to Cenrid.  He’s always fun to mess around with.”  Addy agreed.  “We’ll have to bring charcoal, to draw on his face when he falls asleep before we leave though.”

  Thacia nodded, “Naturally.”

  At that moment, Arthur, Merlin, Leon, Percival, and Gwaine entered the room.  “What are you doing!?”  they heard Arthur shout from behind them.

  “We’re drawing.”  Addy answered.

  “On the Round Table!?”  

  “Well, where else are we supposed to draw?”  Thacia asked, feigning confusion.

  “On paper.”  Merlin suggested quietly.

  Addy and Thacia ignored his suggestions, instead Thacia felt Addy punch her in the shoulder.  “Thacia, look at this.”  she gestured toward her drawing right in the middle of the table.

  Thacia laughed out loud at the sight.  “Arthur died!”  she shouted, still laughing.  She fell back onto the table.

  Thacia saw anger cross Arthur’s face at her exclamation, which only made her laugh more.  “What do you mean?”  he stepped forward, and glanced at the picture.  “Who drew that?  A two year old?”

  “Yep.”  Addy admitted, sarcastically.  “I’m definitely a two year old.”

  Thacia laughed again, as she imagined the picture in her mind.  It was the image of a cart full of red apples trailing across the streets of Camelot.  The one driving the cart was a stick-figure Leon, and for who knows what reason, he rode a stick-figure Percival (Naturally.  After all, he was the size of a horse).  On the side of the cart were the ever-faithful words: Long Live King Arthur!  Only, Percival was riding right over a dead lifeless stick-figure King Arthur.  Thacia knew it probably wasn’t a very respectful picture, but she couldn’t help laughing her heart out.  

  When the others caught sight of it, there faces filled with horror.  Except for Gwaine’s and Merlin’s, who couldn’t help but give tiny grins.  “You dare to disrespect your king?”  Leon boldly asked.

  Addy let out a hearty laugh.  “Of course, I do.  My king is my grandfather!  And you can’t help but disrespect that old toad.  If you thought Arthur was my king, you are so very much mistaken.  I think you need to go get your brain checked.”  and with that, Addy gently patted him on his dear old head, then continued her drawing.

   Thacia laughed again, then turned to Addy.  “As we were talking earlier, when should we go visit Cenrid?”

  “Cenrid!?”  Arthur shouted.

  “Oh, don’t worry, Arthur.”  Addy comforted.  “We’re not his friends, we just want a bit of a challenge.”

  “No, Cenrid’s here.”  Arthur explained.  “He’s here to try and make peace with Camelot.”

  “What?!”  Addy exclaimed, in surprise.  “No peace comes from that old oaf!  Don’t you remember last week when he attacked you!?”

  “That’s also the day you came, unfortunately, we had to make peace with you.”  Arthur argued.

  “That doesn’t matter!”  Thacia yelled, getting to her knees.  “Cenrid never makes peace with anyone.  He’s only here to kill us!”  

  “He wouldn’t dare to kill you in Arthur’s court.”  Gwaine assured them.

  “How do you know that, Gwaine!?  Cenrid’s been chasing Addy and I for years, we know when he wants to kill us.”  she hissed in her brother’s face.

  “Which is all the time.”  Addy stated, quietly.

  “He’s here to make peace.”  insisted Arthur.  “And I have accepted his proposition.  So, stop arguing.  You’re war with him is nothing but in your head.”

  Thacia’s jaw gaped, “In our- In our heads!?  Addy did you hear what he said!?  As if we’re delusional, or something.”  

  “You two are delusional.”  Gwaine snorted.

  “Thacia, what do you think we should do about this?”  Addy asked.

  “Let’s meet him in battle!”  Thacia shouted, standing, and brandishing her sword in front of her.  

  “I don’t think there’s going to be a battle.”  Merlin stated, crossing his arms.

  “No battle!?  That’s-”

  “Oh, hush, Thacia.”  Addy demanded, annoyance lining every inch of her tone.  “We don’t have to have a battle.  We just wanted a challenge, right?”  

  Addy gave Thacia an odd look, which only she understood- they were going to battle anyways.  “Oh… I like that idea much more.”  

  Thacia sheathed her sword, and jumped from the table, Addy following.  “Hey!  Are you just going to leave these drawings?”  Arthur shouted.

  “Of course.”  Addy and Thacia shouted back in unison.

  Moments later, they found Cenrid alone in the halls.  They nodded, and began to advance on him.  At the sound of their footsteps, he turned.  His face filled with surprise.  “What are you two doing here?”  he asked calmly, but with hate filling his entire voice.

  “What are you doing here!?”  Thacia shouted.

  “You are annoying.”  Cenrid spoke, rubbing his ear.  “I didn’t know you two were here.  If I did, I never would have come!”  he unsheathed the two swords from his back.  “But I’m glad I did.”

  “You’re such an idiot.”  Thacia scoffed as she held up her sword.  

   “And you two are so annoying.”  Cenrid answered back.  

  Thacia caught a glimpse of Addy unsheath her sword.  Then they began to fight, all their hate pouring out with each slash and stab.  Thacia and Addy were winning, when Merlin, Arthur, and Gwaine stepped into the hall.  “Cenrid!  What are you doing!?”  Gwaine shouted.  

  Cenrid stopped at that moment, and- because they promised not to kill or hurt anyone defenseless- Thacia and Addy stopped also.  Thacia watched as her brother unsheathed his sword.  “Gwaine!”  Arthur condemned him.  “Cenrid, what are you doing?!”

  Cenrid finally sheathed his swords.  “As long as those two are in Camelot and not in my kingdom, there will be war!”  he ran off.

  He was instantly out of sight, and Arthur turned to Thacia and Addy.  “What were two thinking?!  You started a war in the halls of my castle!”

  “Then just kill him.”  Thacia stated, bluntly.

  “We can’t just kill him.  He’s gone now.”  

  “He’s still in Camelot.”  Addy stated, with a look that Thacia read as, ‘Arthur, you’re an idiot.’  “You could go, and capture him right now.  You just have to run a couple steps-”

  “You two are banished from Camelot.”  Arthur announced suddenly.

  Thacia and Addy stared at him in disbelief.  “What?”  Thacia asked, confused.

  “You can’t banish them from Camelot.”  Gwaine argued, after he finally recovered.

  “Yes, Arthur.  There is no reason to banish them.”  Merlin insisted.

  “But there is, Merlin.”  Arthur fired back.  “If I have to banish them to avoid a war, then that is what I will do.  It is done.  They are banished from Camelot.”        

Sisterhood of the World Bloggers Award

I was tagged by Hannah Williams for this award.

                                                  

How many books have you read this month?
Sadly, I have only had the opportunity to read one book this month- but thankfully, the month is just beginning.  I read Moonblood by Anne Elisabeth Stengl, the third book in the Tales of Goldstone Wood series.  It was a really good book, and a work of genius, you need to read the series.

What's a song that's been on your mind?
Oh my gosh!  So, I just finished watching the entire Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit movies for the first time.  So, I have been thinking of several songs from those movies.  But I have been obsessing over one, which is The Last Goodbye.

Favorite holiday?
Thanksgiving beats Christmas by a smidge.  And I think it's only because of all the food- I really love food.  Of course I also enjoy the history behind it, and spending time with my family.  Not to mention the fact, I have a lot to be thankful for.

Describe the prettiest firework you've ever seen?
Well, right now, on the top of my head, the prettiest firework I have ever seen begins as a standard firework.  It usually is a beautiful red, and the tips are green.  Then as the firework begins to fade, the green tips start to fly around in the sky, as if they were little fireflies.

Is there a type of story you haven't read yet and really want to?
Well, I really enjoy history, so I've been wanting to read more historicals, but I have not had the time to find any (If you have any suggestion, feel free to suggest).  But maybe someday, I'll get the opportunity to read one, and learn the amazing histories of the world!

Favorite meal?  
Oh!  Greasy, crunchy, fried chicken, with warm mashed potatoes covered in sour cream and bacon.  With corn on the cob dripping butter on the side of the plate!  Oh, I'm drooling just thinking of it!

What's your favorite least-known fairy tale?
The Goose Girl.  I came across the fairy tale when I was reading a collection of Grimm fairy tales, and I fell in love with it (Honestly, I don't know why)- despite the strange gruesome resolve.

What's your favorite rare food?
Sushi.  I know, it sounds disgusting.  But I'm not talking about just any sushi.  I'm talking of a California Roll, and a Salem Roll from Momijis!  So, delicious!

Favorite constellation?
I wish I still studied greek mythology and the constellations.  When I was younger I studied the subject extensively, and of course, then, I could tell you my favorite constellation.  But I've forgotten most of the constellations, so I'll have to choose one out of the few I remember.  Which is Orion.  Because he's an archer, and I like archers.  It's really as simple as that.

Pick a color and explain why you think it's beautiful?
Okay, lets see if I can come up with something:  Sky blue is such a vibrant color, and so beautiful.  Because, when you look to the sky, and see the clouds mixed in, you can't help but think of heaven and the hope of eternal life.

Now for my questions:
What is your favorite book of the bible?
What is your favorite genre to read?
Who is your role model, besides Jesus?
What are your gifts and talents?
What made you want to start a blog?
What is your favorite movie/movie series?
What are you looking forward to this coming school year?
What do you do when you need alone time?
What is your favorite Disney fairy tale?
What is something God has shown you in the last month?

Now I am supposed to tag ten people to join in, but I'm afraid I'm not very social, and only know six (well, seven.  But the seventh tagged me, so...) people with blogs.  So, I tag:  Audrey Murray on Miss Audrey; Annie Durret on Dyslexic Chic; Moriah Jayne on 3Girlz4God; Katelyn Atwood on Katelyn's Photography and Pictures; Eliana Maddox on The Nutty REEEES; and Emma Maddox on The Nutty REEEES

Addy and Thacia Adventures

  Here is the new installment to the Addy and Thacia adventures (Now, that I think of it, my Ellie and I don’t have a name for this, we’ll have to come up with something.  If you have any suggestions, please feel free to suggest).  This snippet is written by Eliana Maddox, and from Addy’s point of view.  Next month, we’ll do it from Thacia’s point of view, and I’ll write it.  We hope you enjoy, and in case you don’t remember the post from last month, here is a link: http://theauthorsplot.blogspot.com/2015/05/addy-and-thacia.html

  Addy and Thacia walked through the streets of Camelot.  As they marveled at how much it changed, Addy was lost in her own thoughts.  They had only been in Camelot for about a week, but Cenrid’s men were bound to find them sooner or later.  These were not the only thoughts on her mind, however.  There was the matter of finding Merlin, and the fact that she might also be found by- “Oooooph!”  Addy looked up to see who she had bumped into, then looked at Thacia and shouted,  “I FOUND HIM!”

  “No, duh!”  she shouted back, from an arm’s length away.

  Merlin rubbed his ears.  “You two shout a lot.”  he stood up from picking up the basket Addy had caused him to drop.  Then he smiled, and said, “So, you both coming to find me means you’re coming with me… right?”

  “Yes we are!”  Addy answered for the both of them.

  “Off to go herb picking.”  Thacia stated as they passed through the walls of Camelot, “It actually sounds quite boring!  Why are we going with him, Addy?”

  Addy slackened her pace, looked at Thacia intensely and said in a quick whisper, “Because I need to ask Merlin about magic!”

  She then quickened her pace to Merlin’s, as Thacia followed in realization.  “Sooo, Merlin-”  a twig snapped.

  Both Addy and Thacia froze.  Addy looked at Thacia with grief-stricken terror in her eyes.  With mouths ajar, they both turned to Merlin as he said, “Oops.”

  With terror still in her eyes, Addy shouted, “How could you kill that twig?!”

  Thacia shouted in the same moment, while trying to suppress a smile.  “That was our favorite person… stick... thing!”  

  Merlin looked confused.  Addy continued, “We had great conversations!  Well, he didn’t talk much… but… he was an amazing listener!”

  Merlin only stared at them, puzzled.  After a moment, he turned and started picking some herbs at the base of a tree.  It took only twenty minutes to find the rest of the herbs Gaius needed, and then they were on their way back to Camelot.  When they arrived at the castle everything seemed a little odd.  Addy couldn’t quite figure out what it was.  She shrugged it off as she followed Thacia to go find a couple of knights to talk to.  They headed through some of the long hallways to the armoury.  It was abnormally quiet, and soon they realized nobody was around.  They decided to go to the throne room.  They walked up to the double doors that entered into the throne room.  Addy went to the door on the right, and Thacia to the one on the left.  Right before they opened the doors, Thacia stopped.  “Where are all of the guards?”  she asked.

  That’s what’s different!  Addy thought.  But she said, “They’re probably out for lunch or something.  I’ve never seen those guys eat!”  

  Thacia nodded in agreement and they opened the doors.  What they saw surprised them.  Sitting in Arthur’s throne room, was an old man.  His hair was dark and thick for his age, he had icy green eyes that chilled you to the bone, and he was wearing clothes fit for a king (including a crown).  Addy recognized the man immediately.  She gave Thacia a look she knew would be understood.  “That’s that king from that kingdom right?”  Thacia whispered.  Addy nodded.

  ‘That King’ was walking to Arthur, who sat, tied.  In the corner a dozen or more knights and guards were bound together.  Among them were Gwaine, Percival, Elyon, and Leon.  A few of the knights were gagged.  Near them, Merlin and Gaius were tied back-to-back on the floor.  Addy and Thacia look back at each other for a moment before they started whispering at a very quick pace.  Addy started first, “If Merlin’s here, how come he hasn’t magiclified himself and the others a way out?”

  “I was wondering that too.”  Thaica answered, “And how’d he manage to capture all those knights, and Arthur?  It’s just one old king guy!  One old…”

  As she trailed off she noticed all of That King’s soldiers lining the walls.  “Oh.”  she said in realization.

  “How did we not notice them before?”  Thacia asked the ceiling.

  “Ah,”  That King said, “My grand daughter has arrived.”

  Many of the knights, and Arthur, Merlin, and Gaius all chorused, “Granddaughter?!”  As Addy feigned a surprised look at Thacia.  Thacia just glared back, as That King gestured for them to come forward.

  They cautiously took three steps, then sat on the ground.  “You are just in time to witness me take over Camelot.”  That King announced proudly.  

  Leon and Gwaine (who were gagged) writhed around making muffled protests as Percival and Elyon shouted, “Never.”  And were promptly gagged as well.

  “Then you will be forced to come back to your kingdom, Addylen.”

  “Morgana tried to take over Camelot,”  Addy said in a matter-of-fact tone.  “And do you know what happened to her?”  That King stared at her blankly, and she continued.  “Well, nothing really… but one day something bad is going to happen to her!... eventually… hopefully.”

  “Wow.  You are as irritating as I remember.  Tie them up!”  That King motioned a few of his guards towards Addy and Thacia.  

  They struggled, but were eventually overpowered by the much bigger guards.  That King resumed his conversation with Arthur, leaving time to develop an escape plan.  Suddenly, Thacia straightened up like she had an idea, and within a few minutes Thacia had cut their bonds with the small dagger she always had with her, and they both worked to free the knights.  It didn’t take long for That King’s guards to notice and advance.  By that time, most of the guards had been released.  Apparently, they were all bound by the same rope.  A fight broke out.

  Thacia acquired a sword, while Addy took Thacia’s dagger and started to free the rest of the knights and guards, then Arthur, and finally Merlin and Gaius.  Since there were no extra weapons on hand, Addy and Merlin subtly used magic to lean the fight into their favor.  The battle didn’t last long, and within twenty minutes That King ran away with what few guards he had left.  Everyone sat in silence for a few moments before Addy said, “I’m hungry!”

  “Me too!”  Thacia replied.

  “And I.”  Gwaine added as a few other knights nodded in agreement.  “Well, then, let’s go eat!”  Addy shouted.

  Arthur and Merlin looked at each other, shrugged, then they all headed to get food.  Suddenly Addy looked at Merlin.  “I still can’t believe you killed that twig.”

  By the way, I am sorry for not posting anything for the past month.  I wish I could tell you a good reason for being absent, but I honestly have not been busy at all.  I can’t even say I’ve been busy with my writing projects, I’m afraid I’ve been kind of slow with them recently.  But, I do have some news.  I have chosen a new name for Twelve Dawns Rise.  It is now being titled, Dawns Rise.  I was in the middle of my second draft, but then I realized I had to go back and completely re-outline EVERYTHING.  Which was a pain, but thankfully I am coming to the end.  I’m afraid I had to do this, because I was stupid, and didn’t do any character or plot outlining in the beginning.  

  As for other writing business:  I am entering a Sleeping Beauty re-telling contest.  But that is really it.  I have outlined it, and begun the writing, but I am not going to say anything about it (I don’t even have a title yet).  Anyways, as you can see, I have not been up to very much.  I hope your past month has been much more productive than mine, and may the next be just as productive.  See ya’ later!  

Addy and Thacia

Picture this: Two friends walking around in their neighborhood, in their own little world of stories. Laughing at every joke and making characters annoying and ridiculous.

That is my friend, Ellie, and I. We are always walking around making up stories of our favorite TV shows, movies, or books, and then we completely destroy them by putting our own characters in. Okay, so that is probably an overstatement, we don't DESTROY the stories... but we pretty much annoy the other characters. Anyways, the characters we always enter into the stories with is Thacia and Addy. And we thought we would share our stories with you. You'll get it soon enough, once a month we'll put a new "edition" in, and we will be switching off and on who gets to write it. This month I wrote the story, and we are entering the world of Merlin. A BBC TV show which Ellie and I love watching. The story takes place in between season 4 and season 5. Now, I hope you enjoy the adventures. But beware: These characters are VERY annoying.

Thacia ran alongside Addylen through the forest outside of Camelot, away from King Cenrid.  Thacia smiled, just another day of their life, running away from death.  Well, she didn’t have to live like this, it was Addy who was wanted, but she liked the thrill of adventure, and the unlikely odds of living another day.  She focused all her energy into moving forward as fast as she could, until she and Addy found themselves crashing into the sides of horses.  Addy and Thacia stood up, moaning, and glanced around for any signs of their pursuers.  “Hello?”

  Thacia jumped at the voice, and Addy laughed at her fright, as they both turned around to face a boy, not much older than themselves.  They squinted their eyes at him and studied him, he had scraggly brown hair, and high cheekbones.  His face was long and narrow, and he was so thin, his cheeks seemed to dent in a little.  “Who, are you?”  Addy asked him, emphasizing the, “who.”

  “I’m Merlin.”  He answered, unsettled.

  He stared at them for a moment, returning their curious stares, “I’m sorry is there something wrong?”  He asked.

  “Merlin!”  A shout came from out of view.

  “No, but it looks like something’s wrong with you.”  Thacia commented.

  Merlin squinted, “You two look familiar.”

  Addy scrunched up her face in disgust, and said in a raspy voice, “No, I never forget a face!”

  Merlin smiled, “You two-”

  He was interrupted by the sound of the impatient voice and the sight of a young man with blonde hair.  “Merlin!  What are you doing, you foolish toad?!”

  Thacia raised a brow, and glanced sideways at Addy, “Well he doesn’t seem to nice.”

  She shook her head, and stared at the man as he approached them.  “Merlin, I called- who’s this?”  He pointed at Thacia and Addy.

  “Uh… they were running and ran into the horses.”

  “But you were about to say who you remembered us as Merlin, who are we?”  Thacia asked, arms crossed.

  “I saw you guys as you ran through my old village once… and then I saw you running through the forest a few days later.”

  “Oh.”

  Addy hesitated, but eventually asked, “So Blonde, who are you?”

  The man raised an eyebrow, “Blonde?”

  Thacia stepped in with an explanation quickly, “Don’t worry she calls me a blonde too, it’s just for the color of your hair.”

  He didn’t look satisfied and stared at them for a moment.  “Who are you?”  Addy asked him again.

  His attention snapped back to us, and answered, “I am King Arthur, of Camelot.”

  “Ah… you’re not as tall as I thought you too be.”  Addy commented.

 Thacia rolled her eyes, then heard the sound of a twig snapping, and glanced behind Addy.  A soldier stood there, his crossbow trained on Addy.  “Move!”

 Thacia pushed Addy and forced her to move out of the way, as an arrow hit the tree in front of Addy- which if Thacia hadn’t also moved after Addy would have been her head.  She smiled, “Pay up.”

  Addy groaned, and reached in her pocket, pulling out three coins.  “I told you I would save your life today.”  Thacia gloated.

  “Well I saved your life twice yesterday, so you still owe me.”

  “Whatever.” Thacia ignored, staring down at the precious coins, then dropped them into her satchel.  

  They looked back at Arthur and Merlin, “Who were chasing you?”  Arthur asked.

  An arrow struck a tree near Merlin’s head, and his eyes became wide from how close the arrow came.  “Its just Cenrid’s men.”  Thacia acknowlegded.  Another arrow struck nearby, “Lets go.”

  Thacia and Addy jumped down a hill as Arthur and Merlin started to protest about them needing help, but they already began running.  They ran right into the middle of a camp, and ran into a tall man with buzzed blonde hair, and huge muscels.  Thacia gawked at the size of him.  “What’s with us, and running into things today!?”  Addy shouted.

  Thacia shrugged, and looked back at her, “I don’t know, but that guy is like a huge block of muscle.”

  The man seemed confused, “What?”

  Arthur and Merlin ran down at that moment, and stared at them.  “Why are Cenrid’s men after you?”  Arthur asked.

  Just at that moment, three more men rode on horse back toward them.  One of them jumped off, he was african, and had a long narrow face.  “Sire, Cenrid’s men are attacking.”

  Arthur glared at them, “Answer my question.”

  “It’s none of you business.”  Addy answered.

  One of the men on the horses with short red curly hair, said, “It is our business if we are being attacked also.”

  Thacia frowned, “Doesn’t mean you have to fight back.”  She pulled out a sword, “If you’re too scared you can leave.”

  Addy smiled at Thacia, “Can I have my sword?”

  “No!  Remember what happened last time you had a sword?”  

  Addy bent down and picked up a long stick from the ground, “It was an accident, and once!”

  Men came running out from all directions, and began attacking the group.  “Oh yeah!”  Thacia shouted in excitement.

  Thacia and Addy joined the fight, and Thacia caught a glance of Merlin’s eyes.  They seemed to turn yellow, after he said some strange words, and one of the attackers flew back against a tree.  Thacia smiled, she recognized what it was, she had seen Addy use it often.  The fight lasted a mere five minutes, and Thacia puffed out a breath.  “Well, that was fun.”

  “Who are you?”  The african man asked.

  Thacia ad Addy frowned, they did not enjoy it when someone commanded an answer so rudely.  “We will not tell you our names, until you tell us yours.”  Addy told them.

  Arthur sighed frustrated, “Why do you want to know our names.”

  “Because. Will it hurt you if we know your names?”  Thacia asked.

  “If you’re working for Cenrid, then maybe.”  A man with long curly brown hair, and a rugid look to him said.

  Thacia studied him for a moment, then acknowlegded, “Cenrid’s men just tried to kill us, I don’t think we’re his friends.”  

  “We think, we don’t know. We could be his best friends and I wouldn’t know. Nobody tells me anything.” Addy stated bluntly.

  The man with curly red hair, spoke first after a moment of silence, “I am Sir Leon.”

  He put out his hand to shake it, but Thacia ignored it, as Addy shook it.  He held it out a little longer for Thacia, but she ignored it and only spoke, “My name is Thacia.”

  She glanced to the side at Addy, as she told her name, “I’m Addylen.  But everyone calls me Addy.”

  Thacia smiled, “And your other names?”

  The huge man with muscles spoke, “I am Percivel.”

  “And I am Elyon.”  The african man told them, “And that is Gwaine.”  He gestured toward the man with curly brown hair.

  “Thats Sir Gwaine to you.”  He told them.

  Thaica stared at him for a moment, thinking of a certain person she use to know, “Your name is Gwaine?”

  He appeared uncomfortable, “Yes.”

  Silence hung in the air for a moment, until Thacia shook her head and Addy spoke in a raspy voice, “No, she never forgets a face.”

  Merlin smiled and chuckled slightly, until the others stared at him, then he cleared his throat and was silent.  Arthur looked toward Camelot, which you could see through the thick forest, “We need to get back to Camelot.  Come on, men… and Merlin.”

  Thacia whispered to Addy as they walked away, “Did you see Merlin use magic during the fight?”

  Addy nodded, and smiled, “Now I want to get to know him, I’ve never met anyone with magic, besides myself.  Well I actually haven’t gotten to know anyone,”  She scrunched up her face at Thacia, “Well besides, you.  Ugh.”

 Thacia smiled, she know Addy was just playing around with her.  “Well  now what are we going to do?”  Thacia asked.

  Addy smiled, “Hey- uh!”  She shouted out to the group saddling on top of their horses.  They looked at her, “We’re going to come with you!”

  Arthur seemed surprised and annoyed, “Um, why?”

  “Because we need to go somewhere, where Cenrid’s men aren’t.”  Thacia answered.

  “Why?”  Merlin asked.

  Addy looked annoyed, “Wow, really?!  Did you not see them attack us?!”  

  Merlin seemed to just realize why, and stared at Arthur, as if waiting for him to do something.  Gwaine sighed, “You girls can not come with us.”

     Thacia stared at him, “And why is that?  Are you going to leave us out here to fend for ourselves!?”

  She made a confused face and stared up at the sky for a moment, That came out wrong.  Addy saved her unthoughtful words, and clarified her meaning, “What Thacia means is, we can fend for ourselves, but we are coming with you because we feel like it.”

  “Why do you feel like it?”  Gwaine asked.

  Thacia looked down at Addy, “That still came out wrong!”  

  Addy shrugged.  Arthur shook his head, “Whatever, Merlin give them your horse.”

  Merlin seemed shocked, “Why do I have to give them my horse?!”

  Merlin climbed off his horse as Arthur answered and Thacia beat Addy to the horse, and began to climb on.  “Because they are women, and need the comfort of riding, not walking.”

 Thacia frowned at this, and froze, then swung her leg back over onto the ground.  “I don’t want to ride.”  

  She turned on her heel, and her cape flourished and made the sound of whish.  Addy had also frowned, and commanded to Merlin, “Merlin, you get back on that horse.”

  He seemed very confused, and climbed back onto his horse, and stared at them like they were crazy as he sat straight up.  Thacia glanced up at Arthur, “We’ll walk, thank you very much.”

  Addy and Thacia stomped ahead of them, as they others stared at them silently, confused.  They regained their composure, and followed them on the journey to Camelot.  As they rode/walked Gwaine stared at Thacia, and she occasionally stared back, curious.  Finally Arthur noticed, and it concerned him.  “Gwaine, and… Thacia, why are two staring at each other.”  

  They continued to stare at each other uncomfortably, as Thacia answered, “Because he looks extremely like someone I know.”

  “And who is that?”  Gwaine asked.

  Thacia stayed silent for a moment, as Addy asked her something, “Didn’t you say your brothers name was Gwaine?”

  Thacia continued to stare at Gwaine, it seemed a little like she was challenging him.  “Yes, I did.”

  “Is that why you’re staring at him like that?”  Elyon asked.

  Thacia shook her head, “No, I’m making sure that I win the staring contest.”

  Gwaine laughed at that, “I should have recognized you at first sight, Thacia!  But then you have grown a lot in eleven years!”

 Thacia smiled, “You have too.”

  “You two know each other?”  Merlin asked.

  Gwaine smiled, “Know each other!?  I’ve known her since her birth, she is my little sister, Thacia!”

  Thacia stood straight and tall, and smiled, “And last I remember, I was able to beat you in a horse race.”  She looked back at Merlin, “Merlin!  Get off that horse!”

  Merlin appeared confused, as he climbed down, “So, now you want it?”

  Thacia climbed back on the horse, “Yes-”

  Addy smiled, “She needs to show up her older brother, like she use too.”

  Thacia smiled and clicked her tongue against the roof of her mouth as she took a head start in front of Gwaine, “That wasn’t fair!”

  Gwaine raced after her at an amazing speed, and began to catch up, but could not manage to pass her.  Minutes later Gwaine and Thacia reached the entrance to Camelot, with Thacia barely on front of her brother.  Gwaine smiled, “I would have won if you hadn’t cheated.”

  Thacia shrugged, “I didn’t try my hardest.”

  A few minutes later, the others finally caught up, “What took you people so long!?”  Gwaine shouted.

The Beowulf's Charm

   Amelia Isilee climbed silently through the window, trying to sneak away from the ghastly ball.  As she stood straight, she felt for the necklace lying on her chest.  It wasn't there.  In a sudden panic, she scanned the ground for the necklace.  After a few frantic moments, her eyes met the charm, and she sighed.  She leaned down to pick it up, and fastened it behind her neck.  "Stupid old clasp."
   Once it was secure, Amelia rushed around the corner trying to escape, but she stopped.  Thacia, her lady-in-waiting, stood in the corner, studying her delicate sword.  "Leaving the ball so soon?"  she asked.  "You have so many gifts which could benefit some-specific- people."
   Amelia was surprised to see her, but she quickly recovered, and pulled her own sword out from below her dress.  Thacia did not even feign surprise as she glanced at her sword.  "My my, it appears you have changed from the wimpy little princess, who always begged for help."
   Amelia lunged forward, and Thacia deflected her strike.  They fought for a few moments, Thacia clearly underestimating Amelia's ability.  After a few moments, she admitted Amelia's skills.  "It appears I actually have competition."
   Thacia cut toward Amelia's throat, and she blocked it, locking their blades.  "Give me the necklace."  Thacia demanded.
   "Never."  Amelia said, barely above her breath.
   Amelia leaned into Thacia, and held her into a death trap.  "Yeild, and your life will be spared."
   She hoped with all her heart, that Thacia would yeild.  But Thacia glanced down at the charm which lay across Amelia's chest, and a new rage was kindled within her.  She waited patiently for Amelia to relax her grip, then carefully freed herself from the trap, and attacked her with all her anger.  She tried everything she could to kill Amelia, and each time she blocked Thacia's attack.  Amelia suddenly felt her necklace slip from her throat, and to the ground.  She glanced down for a moment, then slowly began to crouch.
   Her fingers were only inches away when Thacia kicked Amelia in the shoulder.  She sprawled backward onto the hard cement floor.  Thacia crouched down, and snatched the necklace, firmly grasping it within her palm.  She laughed with glory.  She spoke softly to it, "You are mine now.  I am your queen and protector."
   Suddenly, Thacia's face contorted in pain.  Behind her, Amelia slipped her sword from Thacia's back.  She fell to the ground dying, still clutching the necklace.  Amelia leaned down and took the necklace from Thacia's hands.  She spoke sadly, on the verge of tears, "I am sorry, Thacia, my dear cousin.  But as protector of the Beowulf's Charm you left me no choice."
   Amelia sang a lullaby as she watched Thacia die.  A few minutes later, after Thacia took her last breath, and Amelia grieved, she stood and left.

Elemental Quiz

I have mentioned before my work-in-progress, Twelve Dawns Rise (As you can see, I still haven't changed the name), and some of the aspects of the story.  One of the very important dominant features of the Elemental Islands, are the clans, and each of the clan's element.  There are seven clans in all, the Mists, the Flames, the Shadows, the Clouds, the Icicles, the Roots, and the Shocks.  Each of the clans have their own little personalities.  So I have created a quiz to determine what clan you would be in, if you were to live on the Elemental Island.  So to figure out which clan you belong in take this quiz and find out.  Keep track of your answers (I'm sorry there are so many answers for each question, but there are seven clans).

Which element would you have if you lived on the Elemental Island?

1.  Which word would you use to describe yourself?

A.  Unpredictable

B.  Quick-tempered

C.  Demented

D.  Impulsive

E.  Insecure

F.  Stubborn

G.  Arrogant

2.  Which word would your friends use to describe you?

A.  Caring

B.  Passionate

C.  Patriotic

D.  Driven

E.  Quiet

F.  Strong

G.  Bold

3.  What would be your strategy when fighting an opponent?

A.  Do the least thing they expect

B.  Hit them till they're dead!

C.  Kill them swiftly then bask in the glory

D.  Succeed or die

E.  Do my best and hope I live to see the next day

F.  Outline a careful plan to leave alive

G.  Intimidation.  I won't have to do anything after that

4.  What happens when you're angry?

A.  I don't know.  I'd probably just stare at you or something

B.  I burn with anger

C.  ..........

D.  I'd probably attack you

E.  My attitude turns icy cold

F.  I don't really get angry, but when I do, everyone feels it

G.  I have short bursts of rage all the time

5.  What force of nature is most fascinating?

A.  Rainstorm

B.  Forest fire

C.  Lunar eclipse 

D.  Windstorm

E.  Blizzard

F.  Earthquake

G.  Lightning storm

If you answered mostly A's then you are a Mist.  You have the power of water and live in Mist Lakes.  You can breathe underwater, manipulate water, and drown someone at will.  You can make geysers shoot up out of the ground, and when you stomp, waves seem to erupt from the ground, and crash down upon others around you.  Even though no one quite understands you, or why you do things, you care for everyone.  You hardly have a bad thing to say about anyone you know.

If you answered mostly B's then you are a Flame.  You have the power of fire and live in the Flaming Forests.  You are able to create a wall of fire, and a fire sword out of thin air.  By the flick of a wrist, you can create a fireball, and you manipulate fire.  When you stomp fire spreads to all sides of you, and pushes against your opponents.  Anger makes your hands heat up in anger.  You tend to be very quick-tempered, and often times your anger will get you in trouble.  

If you answered mostly C's then you are a Shadow.  You can manipulate the shadows of others, and you live you in the Shades Forest.  You rip other's shadows right away from them, and can manipulate the shadows you steal to form a shield.  You can also turn into a shadow.  You also have whatever your parents power is, so if you would like to know, have a parent take this quiz.  Shadows tend to be very vengeful, but it's all for a patriotic reason!

If you answered mostly D's then you are a Cloud.  You can control the air and the breezes, and you live in Cloud Valley.  You can control air, and tornadoes.  When you stomp it creates winds which overtake your enemies.  You can overwhelm a person by crashing the air around them, and sucking the air from their lungs.  You tend to be very driven, and ambitious.  When you want something, you will get it, because you work hard toward all your goals.

If you answered mostly E's then you are an Icicle.  You have the power of ice and snow, and you live in the Frost Woods.  You can create a sword transformed from ice, and a dart.  You are able to walk on water because when you do, ice forms a solid surface, you can also create an ice wall.  When you stomp, ice spikes from the ground and forms a spiked barrier between you and your opponents.  You don't grow angry often, but when you do, your hands frost over and you become cold and harsh to anyone who tries to talk to you.  You don't have many friends-due to your cold behavior- but when you do, you will be there loyal friend to the end.  

If you answered mostly F's then you are a Root.  You have the power of earth, and live in The Woods.  You can create flexible root whips out of thin air, and can explode rocks too- if you develop this enough, you can create avalanches- When you stomp, the ground explodes around you, and people will want to stay clear, because rocks and other minerals will be flying everywhere.  You can telepathically pull up roots, and make plants die quickly and at your will.  You hardly ever get angry-like never- but when you do the earth quakes beneath your feet.  

If you answered mostly G's then you are a Shock.  You manipulate lightning and electricity, and live in the Shocking Empire.  You can shoot lightning , and create a wall of electricity.  You have the ability to stimulate nerve endings, and can manipulate the electricity to do your will.  When you stomp, it sends electricity crawling through the floor, and electrocuting anyone in its path.  And when you get angry, your body sparks with electricity.  You are very strong-willed and bold.  You express your opinion and mood whenever you feel like it.  You can also be very vicious.

What clan do you belong in?

Mournful Stories

I was watching the last Harry Potter movie last night, and of course people died, naturally that fact made it sad.  So after I had dwelled on the terrible deaths of my imaginary friends for awhile, I began to think of some sad books I have read before.  And I asked myself the question, what is the saddest book I have ever read?  The first book which came to mind was Ever After by Karen Kingsbury.  I didn't even read the whole thing, I just skipped to the last part, and mourned for the characters.  But since I didn't read all of it, it doesn't count.  So to answer the question, the saddest book I've read is Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins.  Everything by the end of the book was terrible.  Many people died, and the main character was forever affected by the war in a terrible way.  If you don't cry while reading that book, I'm sorry, but you have no soul.  So, now I would like to ask you this same question:

What is the saddest book you have ever read?