Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Tera(Dr. Indian works weekends) and her cat Kodarel  (Carol)

it’s a work in progress.

In the town of Norn, not far from the shore from the crossing of the Four Rivers where they converge into the Quartz Sea known as the Four Kings. It also the very place where the King of Living Water lives so it has been said, or least he did over 2 Melina, based on stories and legends, considering no one has actually seen him or a mermaid except a drunken sailor or a half-wit calming that he had, as the people buy him a round of drinks to hear those outlandish stories of merpeople, that look more human then they do a fish with gills, stating that they can walk on water like cloud or carpet moon dust.

Yet the only thing everyone can agree on is that who won that great battle was one here by Four Kings, that saved us all from destruction; which earned the name the Four Kings so we have been told from as far back as anyone can remember; where the ferry work up and down the rivers carrying passengers from the various towns or cargo to be sold from market too market.

Food, wood or straw or anything that had to do with coming from the land itself was in short supply. No one knew for certain whom to blame, but “Rumors” say that it is the White Solon fault, which could be true. Considering all this business started the very moment word started to spread of his re awaking after nearly 2 millennia.

Yet Tera didn’t believe much when it came to rumors. She believed on true tangible facts she can believe as she looks deep into her crystal ball; the same crystal ball that has been handed down from her mother and from her mother to her daughter and so on, for countless generations.

Her soft gnarled hands moved swiftly over the spear as it glowed like a misty white cloud swirling around it in great speed. You could hear her gold and silver charm bracelets clacking against the smooth glass ball with each pass of a hand; hearing her mumble softly words that did not make it to any listening ear, other than a soft breeze. Her deep blue eyes sparkled with power and brightened as bright as a summer’s day blue sky. It has been said that when her eyes change to black hard crystals, that’s when it looks like you are looking into the belly of hell itself or a storm ready to swallow you whole. 

Tera wasn’t a large woman by any means, she was quite small in stature at least 3 feet 3 inches” tall and dwarfish in nature. The runt in the family, while her two sisters Kristen and Agatha and her mother as well as her father, who she envied their height sometimes. Yet not often because of most of all an advantage than a disadvantage… For instance, it was useful for getting lost in a crowd quickly, but most importantly everyone underestimates her because of her size. Yet when they need something…more to the point “someone like her.” Everyone comes knocking at her door because she is the Shaman having the abilities of healing and people using potions and herbs and little magic now and again.

Last she has checked she is the only shaman or healer for miles around well at least any Nature healers, but there are rumors of one other, yet what she has learned of them the stories are so extravagant that seems un-logical people healing worlds, lands that have dried from the very poison that is killing them. People curing people and asking nothing in return, that alone made her hair on end prickle, nothing in this world is free. There is always a price to pay.

She may not be strong in magic, but she can call upon the dead too from time to time using her crystal ball. But lately, her magic has been waning more, just like the land. She has seen the sign on the wall that if things remain the same… she and this town and others realms like it will die. No. nothing can stop this from happening; the rumors are just fairy-tales.

However her faithful companion Kodarel believes differently says that White Solon has risen, that prophesy of old are being fulfilled, most of that these healers known as the Whitmore’s are nearby that they seeking a meeting with the towns council members. They both knew that wasn’t going to happen considering they had fled the cities they lived in, leaving their people to die by Morgan’s and Hess army.

Kodarel was the most ornery and stubbornness cat she has ever known. Then again she hasn’t met many or if any cats like her, and that stubbornness’ could be one of the best qualities or traits as a cat that she likes about her. Other than her nine-hundred- years or so they have been together. However, Kodarel wasn’t just an ordinary cat by any means. In truth, nobody really knows where she comes from or pedigree, and nor will Kodarl is willing to tell anyone other than the White Solon himself. When that day comes, so far that day has not come according to Kodarel. “Crazy Cat.”

Besides being ageless Kodarel being, her fur is very different compared to ordinary house cats that roam the streets. For instances, her fur was black as night, striped bight silver, where her tail seemed to be dipped in gold. Belly and chest covered in white with gold and silver flecks. One green eye and the other eye blue eye, which can change color at will or based on the mood she is in.

Some of her best qualities are turning oneself invisible. Having conversations with mere mortals, knowing over 200 or more languages so she boasts from time to time.

Tera hasn’t found a language she doesn’t know among their many travels. Then finds it sort of interesting that even though she may not understand every language, but with her cat Kodarel close by she understand them and speak as if she had been speaking it all her life.

Sometime Kodarel likes to pretend to be an ordinary house cat, changing her fur color altogether, then speaks when people don’t expect while delivering a message when she needs to remain hidden from the world or for evil fun liking the look on the mere mortal seeing the cat talk, scaring them to death. One of her favorite things she can do is her transformation skills; where she can transform into a small land creature to the size of a mouse to the size large mountain cougar or a big bear….

Reviews

[Miles W.]

Okay, so you said this is a work in progress of some kind, so is this separate from the main book? If it's a part of the main book, then this is more of what I was talking about the last few chapters. More explaining of the world than experiencing it. However, this time around, it does feel a bit more natural. I do feel like we are on a bit of a different journey than the previous summaries, but for the book, it feels out of place. But if this is meant to be separate, this is a good idea to play with. I've been pretty negative the last few reviews, so I'll swing back around and applaud you again for some of your descriptions of the world surrounding the characters. Sometimes it is a bit much, but it creates a full picture to a T. And as usual, there are good ideas sprinkled in here. The cat being more of a mage than just a simple animal is a fun idea. Animals as human characters is not super new, but going off your descriptions, it seems more like an actual cat rather than an anthropomorphic cat. Okay, now that I've reached the end of this book, I'll just say, you have a lot of good ideas. One of my old teachers used to say you can't teach ideas. You can teach technique and somebody can have the most fluent and perfect writing, but their ideas just don't work. You have some good ideas, and you are very good at world-building. And that in my opinion is one of your biggest downfalls. You know this world to the point that it becomes distracting. Instead of focusing on the characters and the world itself, we spend paragraphs talking about coinage compared to our world. Instead of showcasing battles and epic moments, we instead get descriptions of what different actions do to different parts of the world and how characters and villagers separate from the story are reacting to it even though they are not essential to the story. Maybe I missed some things when I read through this, but there was so much to go through that it was tricky to make sure I got everything. And even then, it was even more tricky to make sure I had all the pieces in the right place. What was essential to the story and what was world building? I applaud your efforts to make this a twelve book series, and you have the ideas to potentially do so, but I'd recommend focusing on the characters and their story first instead of focusing on smaller pieces that while are interesting tidbits, are not necessarily vital for the reader to know. Okay, long rant done. Good luck.

[Shep]

thanks for the review and the help.