Chapter One, Part One: Myra

           "What a beautiful morning..." Myra said to the forest as she began riding into town. The sunlight filtered through the tree branches, occasionally catching in bits of dew that still clung to the leaves. Indeed, it was fine weather for market-day. The recent rain had left the roads slightly muddy, and her horse trotted along with a rhythmic squish squish of hooves in the moist soil. As Myra rode out from under the shade of the trees, she could see her beloved city in the distance: Esselya; a state known as the eighth star of Aclasia. It stood like an island of civilization in a sea of forest. 

            Esselya was a place of relative tranquility. Lord Shaanon maintained peace and good order within his realm, and was loyal to the law of the High Kingdom. Myra’s father served Lord Shaanon well as steward of the only mead-hall in the province, and as a retired general of the Esselyan Guard. The army was small, and they were not particularly wealthy, but Esselya was prestigious throughout the country in its own way: they had an extensive library tower adjoining the northern part of the castle, and this housed thousands of rare and valuable volumes of literature covering a wide range of subjects: from advanced incantations, mythology, history and politics, to gardening. Esselya was also home to the nationally-renowned Healing Houses. As Myra drew closer to the city, she could see the famed ivory buildings some distance behind the castle, where they sat on an island in the middle of the Sionne River.

            She dismounted and began leading her horse as farmhouses and stables began to give way to vendors' carts and traders' stands, filled with colorful, charming, unique, and delicious items waiting to be bought by some eager shopper. Even the not-so-eager would be hard-pressed to make it through the streets without purchasing something; the vendors were well-rehearsed in the persuasive arts. The most persuasive vendors were those of Tracian descent, a people who ran their trade-boats up and down the Sionne river, selling trinkets and foreign goods throughout the country. Especially difficult to resist were the children: sons and daughters of the Tracian people, helping to bring in money for their families.

            " Hello, m'damme!" cried a young boy, running up to greet Myra, a large basket clutched tightly under one arm. "Care to buy a pretty ornament? A necklace, perhaps? Bracelet? I have some that would suit you wonderfully, if you'll allow me..." He set the basket before her, pulling out a small bracelet lined with dark blue gems. He barely paused to take a breath. "I’d suggest this one ‘specially...dainty, isn't it? Just right for a lady. And the stones match your eyes..." He held it up in the sunlight for her to see. The silver chain glinted alluringly, but Myra just smiled and shook her head.

            "It is lovely. But I'm afraid I'm not planning to buy anything today. I'm only making a visit to the library. Maybe another time..." she carefully skirted around the boy, who made a few disappointed protests, and then resigned to allowing her to pass. He started to turn away, but the glint of a few extra pennies in his basket caught his eye. Surprised, he looked back to thank her, but the young lady with dark blue eyes had already disappeared into the heart of the city, to the library.

            The library stood, as it always had, proud and stately against the southern sky. It was the tallest building in the city, five stories high, comparable in splendor only to the Healing Houses. Myra left her horse with a stable hand to be fed and watered, and entered through the familiar oak doors into the foyer. A little old man, diminuted by the massive oak desk at which he was seated, glanced up as she entered. He was dressed in deep blue scholarly robes (which were just a trifle too large for his stature) and wore gold spectacles with frames that stuck out a good two inches behind his ears and had large circular lenses (which Myra thought made him resemble a small, educated owl). He was Esselya’s head librarian, and had been for the past thirty years. Myra smiled. He had not changed much since she first met him. 

            “Good day, Westin!”

            “Myra, my dear! One moment, let me finish this transcription…I happen to be nearly to the end of this chapter…” After a minute or two of careful inking and scratching on the parchment, Westin set the work aside and turned his attention to his visitor. “There! Sorry to keep you waiting…Myra, you are looking well! Come in and see our new arrivals, there are some I believe would be of special interest to you…” he got up and beckoned her to follow him into one of the rooms adjoining the foyer. This room was dedicated to the sorting, mending, and re-stocking of recent additions to Esselya’s library. These included various books and maps picked up from trade-boats, transcribed official documents from other cities, local periodicals, foreign periodicals, and the occasional strange, magical books which were locked away to be studied by scholars who specialized in such things. Westin handed Myra two books on swordsmanship, a collection of ancient myths and folk-tales, and a rare booklet from the farming state of Agris, which featured some local folk tales and an article on dragons. She flipped through them eagerly.

            “These are wonderful!”

            “I thought you might like them. I wanted you to have the first chance at reading them. Folklore is a popular subject these days, and you know how our young men are about books on swordplay…” he winked at her and she smiled. 

            “Thank you, Westin. It will give Auria and I something new to talk about.  Has she seen these yet?”

            Auria had been an apprentice at the library for the past fourteen years of her life, since she arrived there at the age of twelve. She and Myra shared a deep love for the written word, and for the peculiar kind of magic which it possesses. They would often discuss interesting bits of history or magic they had read about during Myra's weekly visits, and Auria provided Myra access to the more obscure volumes the library hid deep within its heart. 

            “Ahhh….Auria. Yes, you came to see her, didn’t you?” 

            Myra furrowed her brows at his odd tone. “Well…yes, for our weekly meeting. Why? Is she out?”

            The old librarian sighed as he walked with her back to the foyer. “No. That is partially what worries me; she hasn’t been out at all the past week. In fact, she has hardly left the upper tower.” 

            “Well…that’s not unlike her if she’s found something she wants to research…”

            Westin shook his head. “This is different. She seems paler, and looks as if she hasn’t been sleeping well, if she’s slept at all. I’m very concerned for her.”

Myra nodded solemnly. “I’ll see what I can find out.”

             **~**~**

            The remote room at the top of the library tower was always dusty, but normally the dust was settled in its proper place among the older, more obscure books on the upper shelves; not swirling restlessly around the room in little golden clouds, catching sunlight and tickling one's nose rather irritatingly. But this was exactly what the dust was doing when Myra opened the door. Most notably, it clouded around a slender, dark-haired girl in a green dress who was standing on a stool, reaching for some ancient, cobweb-ridden volume at the very top of the shelf. Several more like it lay in tall stacks around her feet.  

            The sound of Myra's sneeze startled the dark-haired girl so much that she gasped and dropped the book she had just reached, knocking over one of the precariously arranged stacks at her feet, which knocked over another, and another…books collapsed in heaps on the floor, papers and periodicals flew in all directions, and a single, large cloud of dust rose up gently from the floor at the disturbance. "Myra!" Auria exclaimed, scurrying off the stool and rushing to greet her visitor, who sneezed again in response. "You startled me! I didn't even hear you come in! You have a habit of sneaking up on people..." She laughed nervously, waving away the dust that had begun to re-settle in its place among the old books and shelves. Myra attempted a watery smile, and then sneezed a third time. The young librarian shook her head as if to ward off a distracting thought. "I’m sorry; where are my manners? Come in and sit down…and have a handkerchief for goodness’ sake! " She handed Myra a dainty white handkerchief from her dress pocket and began spouting idle chatter, which was quite out of character:  

Had Myra eaten yet that morning?  How was her father and brother and sisters? Wasn’t the weather lovely recently, and didn’t she think the fall harvest from Agris should be coming in soon?  Terribly sorry about the mess…was just researching the most interesting flower that is supposed to repel fleas....

            She does look pale, thought Myra. And she’s acting very strangely. I don’t think I’ve ever seen her so fidgety before… “Auria…” Myra started.

            "My books!" Auria cried, noting with dismay that they were scattered about the floor in a most alarming manner. She proceeded to gather them up in her arms, placing them back into the neatly arranged stacks from which they had fallen, and taking the damaged ones back to her desk to be lovingly repaired.

            The little room in which they now sat contained all of Auria's books, or so she called them. Myra privately believed that the young librarian apprentice had merely moved all of her personal favorites to this room for the sole reason that visitors rarely came up here, and it was less likely that the books would be disturbed. Auria could be a bit sensitive when it came to books. As Auria laid her work aside, Myra caught a glimpse of one of the titles Auria had apparently been researching. She wondered what A Political History of the Lords of Asria had to do with repelling fleas. She tried addressing Auria again. 

            “Auria…I think we should talk…”

            “What?   Well, yes, of course, isn’t that why you’re here? I see Westin has let you rummage through the new arrivals…” Auria replied quickly, pushing her research out of sight, and focusing on Myra a little too-intently. 

            “Auria. What’s bothering you?” Auria hesitated for a few moments, recognizing that her visitor was concerned about more than literature today.

            “Bothering me?” she echoed, her dark brown eyes wide.

            “Yes. Westin is concerned about you. He says you’ve locked yourself up here for the past week, and you look as if you haven’t been sleeping well. And now that I’ve seen you, I’m inclined to agree with him. Are you sick?”

            “Well, no, not really…you see, I heard that my relatives were coming to visit…”

            “Oh, bosh! You’re hiding something from me; out with it!”

            Auria blinked a few times, and then sighed deeply, and her jittery countenance melted into a somber smile. “You know me too well.”  

They sat in silence for a few moments, Myra anticipating (a trifle impatiently), and Auria measuring how to give her a satisfactory explanation. She looked absently out the window. 

            “I…haven’t been sleeping well. That much is true.” She glanced at Myra, who was still leaning forward, waiting. “I’ve had a lot on my mind, lately. And I can’t seem to shake this feeling that something terrible is about to happen.” She paused, unsure of how to continue. “I wish it was simply paranoia on my part. And maybe it is. But, Myra…” she hesitated, then lowered her voice, though there was no one to hear, ”I’ve been having dreams again…”

            Myra paled slightly at this, and she felt her stomach contract. Her face posed the question that she did not want to ask. Auria read her friend’s expression and went on, though she could not meet her eyes. “They are very similar to the dreams I had before the war.”

Reviews

[Doug]

this was great. i love fantasy, and this hit the spot. i plan to read more as soon as i get the chance. i am writing a fantasy novel with a friend. we would very much appreciate any help you can offer. very well done.

[D. Christian Baker]

You have simply outdone yourself this time Beth. Your story is masterful in the crafting. The descriptions are vivid, yet very fluid and subtle to the point that the first read through they didn't seem to be there at all. You introduce culture and a bit of history without really giving a history lesson. simply amazing.
However, you are still having problems with indenting paragraphs.

[Srian Pen]

A fantasitc start with all the makings of a future best selling novel. The end had a lovely way of leaving us hanging by promising adventure and mystery and the subtle influence of magic. You excelled at introducing the character's character by observation rather than statment, if you know what i mean. I shall be eagerly awaiting the next part of this chapter and the chapters that, I hope, will follow.

[Shawn Drake]

*eyes widen*...Well now that's just a little bit of magic, now isn't it? It's wonderful, Beth darling. That said, allow me to point out some good and bad points.
You do an amazing job of making your setting seem like a living, breathing place; one with its own history. It's absolutely fantastic to see a fantasy world fleshed out thusly.
Similarly, your interactions between characters is rather amazing as well, especially between Myra and Auria. You make it very plain to see that the two are best of friends, and can read eachother like open books (sorry, couldn't resist).
You have apparently learned a good deal from our good friend Tolkein. Like him, you manage to present long, flowing sentences which cascade like these magnificent waterfalls. Just a word to the wise, while this furthers your goal of creating a pastoral setting with a sense of peace and prosperity, it does not lend itself well to combat or other jarring scenes (which I suspect will be coming soon). Don't be afraid to present simple sentences to stagger your reader...or throw in a fragment just to knock them flat. Bear in mind these are only suggestions.
HOWEVER! Just because this appears damn near flawless doesn't mean you're allowed to take forever in forking over the next installment. I suggest you get to work...otherwise you will have a considerable amount of ravening fans with nothing to sate their appetite for adventure.

[Beth Holian]

Very good! Most excellent. I am really liking it, dear. Continue to work on it; I look forward to reading more! :)