Tag: NaNoWriMo

Tough day but I hung in there and finally got Mykal’s response to yesterday’s debacle.  *laughs*  See if you can decipher “who” shows up near the end of the snippet.

Today:  1,318

NaNo: 62,410

Snippet:

“Impressive,” he whispered, shaking his head with a wry smile.  “I didn’t expect her to kill so many before we even started this dance.”

“And the rest flee!  We had an army she couldn’t possibly defeat, and now only a handful will be stupid enough to risk setting a single foot on her precious Green Lands.” 

Ignoring him, Mykal felt his heart stutter oddly and stumble to a halt.  Reflexively, he touched his chest, waiting long agonizing moments.  Pain banded his chest, his breath wheezing in his throat, Shadow enclosing him in deadly wings.

His heart refused to beat, which meant hers wasn’t beating.  He’d Given his heart to her, so when she died, he would too.  If her heart ceased to beat…

He reached down the bond to fly toward her heart, although she remained miles away in Shanhasson.  She lay crumpled on the Great Seal, her hair and gown dripping wet, plastered to her body.  Her young Red clutched her to his chest, smoothing her hair from her face, whispering urgently to her.

The connection was so strong that Mykal could hear the boy’s words.

“Please, na’lanna, take a breath.  Just one.”

Mykal staggered and fell to one knee, bracing himself on his left hand to keep from tumbling face first into the sand.  :Iyeh, brightheart, just one breath.  Will you let me take this dance so easily?:

Hovering over her, so close, he could almost touch her.  He stretched harder, his right hand reaching through time and space to stroke her cheek, to finger one of those beautiful marks on her body and dream about where his might lay beneath her creamy flesh, just waiting for his teeth to bring it out.

Her eyes flew open and she sucked in a deep, loud breath.  His heart crashed against his ribcage, thumping frantically to catch up to hers.  She saw him, somehow, staring directly into his eyes.  Her hand floated toward him, her mouth moving, but he couldn’t hear her. 

:Give me your blood, brightheart, and I’ll hear every–:

Something hard and cold shoved beneath his chin, snapping his head back, his teeth crashing together.  It flung him back so hard he stared up at the slip of moon again, flat on his back in the damp sand.

“What is wrong with you?”  Gana cursed and grabbed a handful of taamid to shake him thoroughly.  “Are you drunk?”

Mykal caught a flicker of Shadow, a small gleam of white, and then the presence was gone.  Something–or someone–had warned him off quite effectively.  He couldn’t help but laugh.  These warriors of hers would surely give him a beautiful dance.

I sat here tonight writing out the BIG scene I mentioned earlier, and I reached a point where Shannari was winning.  Yes, the impossible battle I’d so carefully set in motion, nowhere near the climax of the story, and she was winning! 

I sat there, staring at the cursor, and whispered, “Oh, shit.”

I couldn’t let her win!  I needed something to go horribly wrong, so wrong that I didn’t even KNOW it could be wrong, if that makes sense.  Once again, she had the Black Dragon pinned, ready to skewer him, and I couldn’t let that happen, else lose every bit of conflict and doubt I’d deliberately built page after page.

So I sat here a few minutes, sipping on a Diet Cherry Coke, trying to ignore the burn behind my eyes that told me it was late, the ache in my wrists that said I needed my braces, and most of all, the sick feeling in my stomach that I was absolutely, horribly up Poop Creek with nary a paddle in sight.

And my playlist just happened to roll back to Savin’ Me by Nickelback.  I listened to the words.  I smiled.  And I wrote the end of the scene.  The snippet below explains everything if you know much of anything about the Keldari and why this development might be a bit of a problem.  *winks*

What’s hilarious is this screws BOTH characters, completely fouling both their plans.  Now they both have to punt — which means I need to figure out what the *@!# that means!!

Today (2nd session): 1,390

NaNo: 61,092

Snippet:

Dizzy and sick, she tumbled from the sky, spiraling, white feathers raining down on the sands.

:Shannari!:  He screamed through his bond, stretching out both hands toward her, his face cloaked in Shadows.  :My heart beats for you!:

Something slammed into her, breaking the vision of tumbling toward the ground, but her heart refused to beat.  She couldn’t breathe.  A massive weight sat on her chest, silver eyes gleaming, sweeping black leather fluttering in the sky, darker than the night.  Razor teeth flashed and the dragon buried his snout in her chest, cracking open her ribs, exposing her heart swollen and bruised.

:I’m Given to you.:

Tough day despite “vacation” from the Evil Day Job.  Made the mistake of logging on to time report and got sucked into a discussion that lasted all afternoon.  Combined with errands this morning, I didn’t get nearly as much done today as I hoped, but still decent progress so far.

Today: 2,011

NaNo: 59,702

Snippet:  Shannari is having a very important discussion with her Blood, preparing for something she hopes will avert a war that she can’t win.  I’ll admit, there are crucial elements and nuances deleted to avoid spoilers, but I think you’ll get the general idea.

“I’m going to need all nine of you this time.  If you’re willing.”

Grinning widely, the other Blood nodded, jostling each other in to prove their willingness to be first to offer na’lanna Qwen their blood. 

“Last time, we broke Shadow’s hold on the earth.”  Dharman reached up to the high neckline of her gown and undid the tiny buttons one by one so it hung open down to mid-chest.  She barely breathed as he folded back the white cotton, opening it enough to bare the gleaming marks on her shoulders and the upper swells of her breasts.  He wanted all to see those scarred bites on her body, especially a certain Black Dragon.  “What will you do this time, na’lanna Qwen?”

Slowly, she smiled, and chills raced down Dharman’s arms.  He felt the wellspring of holy water bubbling within her, as eager as her Blood to answer her Call.  “This time, we clip his wings and muzzle the dragon.”

Mykal’s scene is done.  I have an idea in mind for the next scene that is entirely new.  Magic, that’s all I can say.  I needed something big, and I think this will work well.  BIG.  Shannari faces a battle she can’t possibly win, so of course, she’s striking first, directly at the heart of Shadow.  She’s going to need Nine Blood appropriately bleeding, a Rose Crown, the Great Seal, and of course, Gregar’s ivory rahke, which those in the know will remember how Road ended.

It’s CRAZY.  When I wrote the ending for Road, I didn’t know why the rahke did what it did.  *trying to be deliberately vague to avoid spoilers*  Now I do.  *shivers*

I’ve known the “epilogue” or final scene for Shannari absolutely — but this whole Keldari thread is entirely new.  Even my rough outline from last year had several things cloaked in Shadow that I simply didn’t know.  I’d messed up Mykal entirely and I had no idea whatsoever who my antagonist was.

So now I have two plot threads galloping full speed toward one another.  A battle of sorts is coming.  And I have no idea what happens.  *gulp*  I have no idea how Mykal resolves his thread.  Honest.  He’s not the man I thought he was, and so while I know what used to happen, that whole flimsy thread burned away in a flash of dragon fire.  (And Mykal’s dragon doesn’t even breathe fire.)

So I’m feeling very reckless and crazy and obsessed.  I want to stay up all night and find out what happens because I don’t know!  Despite my vacation, That Man has to be up by 6:00 a.m. and I’ve got to get the monsters off to school, so I guess I should go to bed.  It’s nearly midnight after all. 

You can bet that I’ll be priming my mind to dream in sandalwood rose.

The killer song for the upcoming battle:  Savin’ Me by Nickelback.

Show me what it’s like
To be the last one standing
And teach me wrong from right
And I’ll show you what I can be
Say it for me
Say it to me
And I’ll leave this life behind me
Say it if it’s worth saving me

Heaven’s gates won’t open up for me
With these broken wings I’m fallin’
And all I see is you
These city walls ain’t got no love for me
I’m on the ledge of the eighteenth story
And oh I scream for you
Come please I’m callin’
And all I need from you
Hurry I’m fallin’, I’m fallin’

Mykal’s scene: 1,012

NaNo total: 57,691

Snippet:  I don’t think any explanation is required. 

 

His purpose hadn’t changed, not exactly.  He would still grasp the moon in the palm of his hand.  Whether he would take the left or right hand path thereafter, he didn’t yet know.  Death waited on all sides, cloaked in Shadow.

Again, he felt that sense of tumbling through the night sky, wings bent awkwardly, painfully twisted and broken.  He fell, too fast, the ground rushing up to meet him.  [this plays a huge part in the Keldari mythology and their original devalki.]

So much depended on her, whether she was named truly as Daughter of Our Blessed Lady of Love.

:Run, brightheart.  Run to your Shining Walls and cower behind your nine Red geldings.  This time, I’m coming to mark you as mine.:

I “finished” the dream sequence from hell, only to find Shannari standing outside the Tenth Camp, needing to see some people inside very badly indeed.  Whew, some rough stuff is going on, both emotionally and physically.  Shannari’s never been this shaken and scared before.  NEVER.

Today: 3,083 4368 and counting.  Yes, I’m still going.  I’ve caught the na’kindre and I’m riding it as long as possible.  Just brewed another pot of coffee (10:30 pm.)  All dream sequence is finished; Mykal section upcoming.

NaNo Total: 55,394 56,679

Snippet:  In the first part of the Dream, she’s conversing with the Black Dragon, who took the form of a desert savage.  After a small disagreement *snort* she has him pinned flat on his back while she threatens a very delicate part of his body.

“Why not turn to me, brightheart?  Why not let me give you the solace you deserve after so much suffering?”

“Shut your filthy mouth, blackheart” she ground out, shaking with fury.  “The Gods have a purpose that we can never possibly understand.”

He stared up at her, his eyes shining in the moonlight.  Shadows peeled back enough for her to almost see his face.  High forehead and cheekbones created valleys of shadows where his silver eyes gleamed.  “I, too, have a purpose, brightheart, and I assure you, I refuse to fail this time.”

“You bring the tals to kill me.”

“Not at all.  They come to capture the White Dragon and sacrifice her into the flaming pit of Agni, He Who Burns.  If you die beforehand, none of us will be named azi’Keldar.”

“And you?”  She retorted, squeezing his balls again.  Her talons bit too deeply.  The scent of blood wafted up from his body, mingled with sandalwood and desert.  Lady help her, her mouth watered at the thought of licking that blood away.  Her teeth ached to sink into him.  “Why do you come?”

He laughed.  “You know why.  Or will you come first, brightheart?  Your roses are nigh on fire.”

Strategy.  Politics.  She could ignore the temptation of his body and blood if she kept her mind on the game.  “If any of your savages harm my people, my soldiers will ride you down like dogs.”

“You don’t have enough soldiers to stop us from burning a path of destruction across those Green and Beautiful Lands all the way to your Shining Walls.”

He was absolutely right.  She’d seen the massive Keldari encampment.  She shuddered at the images of burning villages, helpless screaming people mowed down by whooping savages swinging long sickle blades on all sides.  “The Shining Walls won’t burn, they won’t fall, they’ll never allow you into Shanhasson.”

Suddenly, he pushed himself harder onto her talons.  His breath hissed out with pain, but his eyes burned, his scent dark and inviting.  “Then I’ll fly over the Shining Walls to reach you.”

On straight word count alone, it wasn’t a very productive day.  However, I did take all the sections I’ve completed so far and roughly placed them in order into a “first draft” file.  (I write in individual files, either short 4-6 page sections or full chapter, depending on what I feel like.)  I didn’t edit or read through everything, but I feel a little better now that I have the sections in a semblance of order and can see the pages stacking up quite nicely.

I also jotted about 5 pages of handwritten notes about the next Dream sequence with the Black Dragon.  On paper, I got some good ideas.  However, the words were like pulling teeth tonight.  I think once I get a bit further into this section, I’ll find the right flow and be able to come back and smooth this.  I want lots of dialogue and inuendo, playing hatred and attraction off each other like a tennis match.  I’ll take it for now, though, and be thankful for the notes!

Today: 1,439

NaNo: 51,721

Snippet:  Shannari is dreaming as the White Dragon again and decides to spy on him like Dharman spied on her.  What she finds is an impressive Keldari army on her border.

“What are you doing here?  How did you find me?”

She crouched, tail lashing.  She’d been thinking too hard about rending enemies limb from limb to hear him approach.  Cocking her head, she studied this new form in which he appeared.

He’d come as a man instead of the Black Dragon, a desert savage swathed all in heavy black cloth.  Shadows hung about him, obscuring his face, but she knew him.  His eyes were the same molten silver and his scent, oh, yes, this was the exotic spice she recognized.

Now that she knew his blood smelled as good, it was all she could do not to leap on him and bury her muzzle in his abdomen.

Before she succumbed to temptation, she shed the dragon form.  Calm and regal, she smoothed her face and drew herself up proudly.  “How else does a dragon hunt its victim?  I can smell you from Shanhasson.”

His cloaking shadows wavered enough to betray a slight paling about his mouth and tightness about his eyes.  “Indeed.  And what, exactly, do I smell like?”

“Sand.”  His eyes flickered with surprise, which made her smile.  “Dragon.  Fire.”

He spread out his black cloak on the sands and sat with his legs crossed, gesturing for her to sit across from him.  “Now I know you’re telling me untruths, brightheart.  This dragon never breathed Fire.”

Intently, he watched her, the shadows drawing tighter about him like wings tucked tight to his body for protection.  Protection from what?  He wasn’t even meeting her gaze.  She glanced down and the miserable sun of this place exploded in her face. 

She was nude.

Growling, she crossed her arms, closed her eyes, and wished very hard for clothes.  A full suit of armor slammed into place, cold and hard around her body.

His low, smug laughter only infuriated her even more.  Changing into the long, prim cotton nightgown she’d worn for so long to discourage her Blood, she lifted her chin and sat across from him.

“What?”  He chuckled, shaking his head.  “It’s your dream, brightheart.  You chose to come to me in your skin.”

“I didn’t think about what I was wearing–or the lack thereof–in the waking world,” she said stiffly.

“Ah,” he leaned back to one side, supporting his weight on his elbow.  “I see that your young Red took my advice.”

Lady above, she hated the wicked gleam in his eye, that smug little curl to his lips.  Of course that was why she couldn’t stop thinking about drawing that full lip between her teeth. 

I learned a lot about Mykal tonight.  Nickelback is my new favorite group.  He particularly likes S.E.X. and Burn It To the Ground.  I have no idea why.   

Mykal’s scene:  1,127

NaNo Total:  50,282  Makes me wonder how far I’ll get by the end of the month…Will I actually get a complete FIRST DRAFT?  At this point, I’m guessing no, I’ll be drafting into Dec.  We’ll see.

Snippet:  Oh, it’s so hard to limit this to just a few hundred words.  Mykal is so…well.  You’ll see.

If Mykal’s eyes didn’t betray him, the scroll bore the Great Seal of rampant lions wreathed in roses.

Roses.  He sucked in a deep breath.  Even from a dozen paces away, he swore he could smell her on that parchment.

Gana jerked his chin in a command, and a warrior stood and moved to intercept the trader.  Hissing, Mykal flung back his taamid, silently flowed behind the unsuspecting warrior, and swung his arm in an arc. 

He was as stunned as everyone else when the rav’s head rolled across the sand.  Staring down at the vicious claws, he slowly rotated his hand, watching the moonlight flicker across the silver razors.  Shaken, he tried to remember what he’d done to make the claws come out.  How had only part of the dragon manifested?  How did he control it?

Raising his hand high above his head, he turned in a circle, letting the warriors see the evidence of his transformation.  He might as well use the opportunity to bring them further under his control, as long as he could successfully mask his own unease.  By the awe on his own rav’s face, no one suspected his stomach boiled with fluid as noxious as the Venom Lake.

“Tal,” Asad’s voice shook as badly as his hand offering the scroll.

As though dragon claws on his human hand were perfectly normal, he used his index blade to crack the wax seal.  Carefully he unfurled the parchment, his heart pounding.  The dragon crouched, wings cocked, ready to burst free and fly hard, fast, toward Shanhasson.

He held the precious scroll to his face and breathed deeply.

Iyeh, her hands had touched here and here, and…there, a hint of salt.  The ink had blurred, smearing her name slightly.  A tear, how appropriate, how fitting.  The dragon within shuddered, curled up its wings, and slept to dream of a sweet, clear lake the likes of which this blasted land had never known, sprinkled with drops of blood.

He knew she was the Rose of Shanhasson, Last Daughter, High Queen of the Green Lands, but more importantly, she was the White Dragon to break Agni’s fiery punishment.

Or loose Yama’s Shadow on all the world.

Dark & Early this morning and back to the Evil Day Job.  This kind of scene is hard enough to write, let alone at the butt crack of dawn, but I finally finished up Sal’s scene.  I’m exhausted, and they’re just getting started. 

 

Today: 1,210 words

NaNo Total: 49,155 words

Snippet:  Shannari is discussing marks with Dharman and Sal, whether she’ll let them mark her and vice versa.  Short, because…well…there’s not much of this entire scene I can post without getting Bethanie fired.  HA. 

“I’m certainly going to mark you both again if you’ll let me.”

Sal’s eyes glowed.  He crawled closer and plopped on his stomach, staring up at her through his hair.  “Anywhere I want?”

She rolled her eyes but she knew he felt the unfurling desire spreading through her body at the thought.  “Anywhere that won’t…er…maim you.”

He pouted, which startled her enough she let out a choked laugh.

Dharman sat up, scooting her over to the side of the bed.  He stood with her in his arms and headed for the bath.  “Walk in front of us, Sal.  I think she’ll figure out where she wants to mark you.”

Sal sauntered past, shaking his head slightly so his hair swished down his back.  He paused, looking back over his shoulder with a decidedly lecherous grin.  “Alea always did say I could give Gregar a hard gallop for his rahke.”

Holding her breath, Shannari let the waterfall of his hair draw her eyes down his sculpted shoulders and back to his bare backside.  He didn’t have dimples on each cheek like the Shadowed Blood–his were higher near the base of his spine, two dished indentions begging for her tongue–nor the same heavily muscled thighs, but Sal definitely possessed a tempting ass of rounded, firm muscle, framed by all that glorious heavy hair.

She dragged her gaze up back to his and hoped her mouth wasn’t hanging open.  She suspected that she needed to wipe her chin.

He winked.  “You haven’t gotten a good look at my front, either, although Dharman takes that rahke.”