Actual writing on a non-writing day

Look what my friend Valerie sent me!

She said that she'd send me the sunshine and she kept her promise! My muse, the blue sky, has finally returned to me. Hopefully I can get some good writing done today instead of scribbling in my notebook or typing on my iPad. 

In my story, I'm at a point where my characters get a chance to rest and reflect on everything that happened to them so far. I've given them two different reactions so far: the first is that they just accept everything at face value and think it's awesome. The second is that they freak out and pretend everything was a bad dream - they want to completely forget. Both of those seem...fake....at least to me. Today I'm going to try the more logical reaction: mix a little grumpy with unbelief, then add a dash of excitement. One of the characters will have a negative reaction, while the other produces a positive response. They can test out their theories, and build a truth for themselves. It sounds logical at the moment!

For writing after NaNo, I've started a new document. It begins in the middle of Chapter 14 where I left off. So far it's clean, without any brackets, highlights, or comment balloons. I've reached a new word count of:  4,715 words since NaNo!

Let's do some math. I finished November with: 50,387 words. 

So that means my story is officially 55,102 words long. Woot!

MAGICAL EXCERPT LOCATION

The next logical piece of writing is the "finally some answers" scene, that describes the realm, their weapons, and daemons. Unfortunately that writing is covered in notes and needs serious editing before I allow anyone to read it. So...pretend you know SOME of the answers and kinda skip to after that conversation. Here the characters are ready to crash for the night.

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Sun walked away from the circular platform.Vertical windows draped into the wall and made the fuzzy blue carpets seem purple in the fading sunlight. Sun turned to stare out the windows and frowned. Jason could see miles of grasslands and forests that extended past the institute, but nothing that would cause her expression. It looked really peaceful out there, like the new world they stumbled into didn’t really exist, and that the warrior standing next to him was a just senile, middle-aged woman. Although the man completely on fire to his right stopped that illusion rather fast.

                “I don’t like how it keeps getting dark so soon,” she whispered, furrowing her eyes and staring at her hands. She curled her fingers into fists and tensed, like she was ready to punch through the window.

                “It’s not your fault, child,” the fire spirit replied without looking at her. He seemed to be focused on the forests as well. “Now then,” he turned back to the group, his face changing to a brighter flame, “it’s obvious that the forests are much too dangerous to travel at night. I suggest you spend the night.”

Sun breathed a last heavy sigh and forced a smile as she turned back to the group. “Make sure you keep your weapons with you at all times. Let me show you how.” Sun took out her silver sword and pointed the blade at Isaac’s chest.” Before he had time to finish his sputtering response, she spoke a single word. “Reduce.”

Thin strands of golden dust escaped from her parted lips and swirled down to rest on her blade. As her lips closed on the last syllable, the mist created a symbol Jason never saw before. It glowed brightly and then melted into the silver metal, instantly causing the sword to change shape. It quickly retracted into its center and formed an intricately carved silver bracelet, sitting neatly in the palm of her hand. She slid it over her left wrist.

                “You see, words control everything here,” she spoke with confidence.  “It’s another rule of this realm. Words have the power to manipulate both physical and spiritual laws. Try it on your own weapons.”

Jason was stunned. “So if I understand this correctly,” Jason spoke and took a step away from the woman, “our weapons respond to both our touch and certain voice commands?”

                “How truly crude and scientific your mind must be,” the fire spirit frowned, “but yes, you are technically correct.”

He didn’t know how it was possible to change the composition of metal, but Jason just saw it happen before his eyes. Isaac simply shrugged his shoulders, while Shiri examined the underside of her glove. “What the hell, might as well try it. “Isaac offered. They all stretched out their weapons at the same time. “Reduce!”

Golden mist fell from their lips in a short puff before disappearing. The sword in Jason’s hand twisted around his forearm and shrank around itself. The hilt of the sword flipped up and the liquid-looking blade circled around his wrist. Numbered digits suddenly displayed from within the metal. Jason stared at his brand new digital watch!

Shiri’s glove had melted into the top of her hand, the rubber and circuits wrapping around her middle finger into a beautiful blue ring. Issac’s gun…was still a gun. Confused he looked between his companions and then shouted at his weapon again.

                “Erm, I guess you don’t have an elemental weapon,” Sun said apologetically. “But I believe you can press the bottom red button to make it more compact.”

Isaac turned the gun in his hands and noticed the red button near his thumb for the first time. He pressed it and the bottom of the gun flipped into itself. The barrel retracted and the gun folded up from a rifle into a pistol. “That’s it?” he complained. “So I’m the only one that has to carry a weapon by hand?”

                “Well you did make the choice…” the fire spirit started to explain. Isaac cut him off with a swing of his palm. “I know, I know. Whatever.”

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