A thought on Luxumbra

From now on I'm going to write just for this world. Any new idea should some how be incorporated into this world. For example Koi can take place in Tsukikuni and Shades of Grey can maybe work for the church going place in the east. Also, if possible, I'd love to write my own version of West of the sun East of the moon for Artika but we'll see as that's been done a few times already. The point is this is a good model and I should work with it.

Of fairytales

I love fairy tales but they've all already been rewritten a hundred times. I tried to rewrite my one but when I noticed that so had every other writer I realized what I was really missing. So, I wrote my own. A fairytale that was never written until now. About a girl who must fool the prince into believing she is a princess to steal his fortune and save her family from a life as slave. A girl who unbeknownst to her is a descendent from the old gods. A girl whose mother used her magic to tame the lands and in turn was destroyed and cast the kingdom into a curse. A girl who must, save her family, heal the land and convince the prince that she only lied with the best intentions. A new once upon a time.

I really wanted to stick with a simple story but it seems a bit more plot slipped in and now I feel a bit in over my head so let's reflect on where I'm at. Niko pretends to be a princess, Calista after her mother, in order to win the prince's heart and slowly steal from him what she does not anticipate is a proposal but she cannot accept morally because if it all built on a lie so she plans to take what she can and leave in a week's time to save her family. Then she plans to move her family and start a life somewhere new. But she ends up slowly falling for the prince and what's worse a mystery is unfolding in the castle that had a possessed girl stab the king. I know now the knife was meant for Mathis but why? Also, it is clear that magic is involved which both Niko and Mathis recognize because their mother's were always shroud in similar magic. What they don't know was that they were friends and responsible for magically fertilizing the lands but they grew to weak and both passed away from this usage. Now, five years later, the kingdom is on the brink of falling with poor harvests and a city where men sell the unfortunate in to slavery and pass off pieces of their art as there own. What is the connection to the magic though and why would the king get stabbed, unless it's! Oh I feel something! UNLESS, this is all because the land was feeding off of magic but because this stopped instead of staying even it fell into disrepair and created a sort of void so that anyone with dark intentions would be influenced to do it, as if possessed, like the princesses jealousy, the blacksmith's lies and the debt collector's greed. Any negative emotions are emphasized and acted upon. So the solution to this is Niko has to somehow figure out that this is the problem and recognize that she has the inherited strength to be guardian of the land which is the perfect thing to be if she is to be queen and continue prosperity for the kingdom. Just got sort out how she will do this and how she will save her father and brother who are sold off before the deadline... How do you fight an evil that is just a presence and not an actual being?

At a crossroads.

Need to write this out to decide what I should do. I'm walking down this path and now I see that it splits in two path, one has a complex ending for my triangle and places all my favourite characters in comfortable positions. The second path has an obvious outcome for my triangle.

The first path. This was my original idea. Niko goes to the palace to spend her week with the prince and about halfway through she hears from Ruben that he family has been taken and sold off into slavery. She leaves the palace with an apology letter. packs up everything she can and travels with Ruben to find them. She discovers that the man who kidnapped her father and brother answers to a higher power and that power is also responsible for sending someone to Milstonia to try and kill off the heir but attacks the king instead. But who? How is this solved? Who does Niko choose? The prince obviously goes after her and discovers his princess is just a farmer's daughter. How does he react? Is he offended? (Now that would be a bit of a twist) or does he end up with Niko and then what happens with Ruben.

The second path has a twist. Mathias is the bad guy. He hired an attack on his father so that he is injured enough to realize he's not strong enough to run the kingdom. Mathias wants him to resign so he can be king and save the kingdom for he recognizes a corruption in it that his father doesn't. In a way then he isn't the bad guy and maybe he's able to save Niko's situation without her having to run away. In the end she forgives Mathias's ways but does not think she can be with someone willing to go to such lengths to achieve his ends.

Other ideas to consider. I've laid the ground work for some kinda magic to exist within the kingdom that connects to Niko's and possibly even Mathias' mother. Ever since they died, or Calista at least, the kingdom has been falling into despair beginning with the harvest and moving up the economy. In this sense I could play at magic and make it so that Niko must take over as guardian of Milstonia after her mother and thus will have saved the land. In this case I could just stick with the first path and have this be the solution to all their troubles. In this case, part of what Calista was responsible was for being a positive influence on the town, without her the hearts of many of the villagers have rotted.

Still left with... who should Niko choose? Who would i choose? I've written Ruben and Mathias as such similar characters. Maybe I'll have it that Mathias is the impractical dreamer whereas Ruben is the type of man to get the job done.

Great now what should I write today...

In which Gage reflects on his mother's death

"You can't become a guard."

"It wasn't a question."

"You already have a job."

"I don't see you stepping down anytime soon," Gage said over his shoulder. He was sitting at his desk studying some material Luk had given him and doing his best to pretend his father hadn't heard the news from Leon. "And besides, you already have a son who is more willing than I am to be you."

"That's no the point. The position is entitled for you." Locke leaned against the door frame of his son's room trying to reason with him.

There had once been a time, maybe a long time ago though, when Gage and his father hadn't fought and Leon was too young to pick sides and their mother was still around. Back then Silver had been bearable, pleasant even, and the thought of succeeding his father had been a topic of pride.

It was just after Locke's own father had passed away and he was the newly appointed judge; young and eager for his new responsibility. He and his wife would discuss ideals in the little shop she ran in Silver's market as Gage and Leon made makeshift games with stones and buckets. Gage was being school with the other Silvers his age and Leon was too little to know that any world could exist beyond their own.

One morning, their mother wasn't there to prepare breakfast. Father had a straight face as he explained that she had left for the shop early; but, she never returned to night. Several days of his father's excuses persisted before an impatiently curious Gage set out for the market alone.

The first thing he found in his mother's shop was the leather necklace with the brass birdcage and flying bird hanging from it by a chain. She would never leave without it unless she planned to return. And then, he found his father weeping in the back room among the wooden boxes of supplies.

Gage froze, torn between going in and leaving before he was caught. Locke made the decision for him by looking up with his watery green eyes.

"Is she dead?" Gage asked, sadness creeping in his voice for it was contagious.

No," Locke pulled his son close and embraced him. His tears smeared against Gage's hair but he didn't mind. He hugged him back around the waist the waited for the sobs to subside.

The never had the chance to.

"Masters?" An official voice sounded deep in the echoes of the crowded room. "Chels Masters has been," the voice paused, "found."

Locke released his son swiftly. Public affection was frowned upon. "She has!" The tears dried. "Is she here?"

Gage followed as his father's shadow out of the little shop, with it's wooden shelves of coloured candy and pieces of soft fabric that must have taken days to prepare, to the street.

The voice belonged to a man with gray hair and a mustache that nearly drew all attention away from his thin frown and the sympathy that swelled in his brown eyes. He was the exact opposite of the young Locke who bore thick brown hair and hopeful eyes.

"Tom and Jean have requested your judgment."

"Judgment?" Locke had not yet lost the naivete that Gage would lose at more than half his age.

"For the," the official swallowed, looked to Gage and then away at the gray sky, "escapee."

"No. There is a mistake," Locke's words sputtered from his lips like water from a frozen tap. "She won't be punished."

The black and white representatives saw it another way.


Despite the disapproval, Gage had been brought along and Locke wouldn't let go of his hand as if it might cause his collapse.

"We don't make exceptions," Jean said, inspecting her nails and looking as if she didn't care that Chels Masters was bound just feet from her. "If we did, then everyone would act out and expect to get away with it. We have a successful society because of this deterrent that keeps people in line."

"But I am responsible for judging her crime," Locake replied, with eyes only for his wife.

"Then you better judge objectively," Tom added, although his gaze flickered to Chels who turned her blinded head in the direction whoever was speaking at the time.

"I will judge fair." Locke stood before the pair to form a triangle around them with Chels in the centre, blinded and bound to a chair.

"'Fair,' did not build the efficient faction you see before you." Jean glared. "Every escapee before her has been punished, why should she be different?"

At this point Gage had been begging for this to have been some sort of mistake. Maybe his mother had been lost when was found beyond the faction.

"But surely there is not a Silver precedent," Locke said carefully, with only a hint of desperation.

Jean smiled and looked to Chels who seemed as if she was returning the intensity of the look from beneath the cloth that his her eyes. "This is true. Now I am curious. Tell me Chels Masters, why would a Silver ever want to escape?"


"So she can provide a place for her family where they have freewill." It was bold and stubborn and Gage beamed at his mother but his father looked like he would be sick.

"There is no better place." Jean snarled. "The earth is destroyed. There is nothing out there."

"So you say," Chels didn't miss a beat. "Lock and I always spoke fondly of a city where there were no divisions and the citizen's lives weren't decided for them."

"There was a time before the words when those exact dangerous thoughts were what destroyed the world. Is that was you want? Don't you see we are all just doing the best we can!"

"I do believe the defendant has had her say and so have you Jean," Tom spoke up but looked agitated as his eyes nervously swept over everyone in the room and then repeatedly to the door. "Locke, it has been made clear what her intentions were. Please judge."

"Release h-"

"You don't understand you position yet judge," Jean made Locke's title sound like a dirty word. "Either make the correct judgment or we remove you from your position and throw your son with the other undecided children."

Gage realized two important things in that moment: first, a compound existed where others his age might be able to relate to him in a way the Silver children never had; and two, his father caved easily under pressure.

Locke looked defeated.

Chels gasped and shook her head, "take me over my boys!," she shouted, losing her composure at last.

"It's not up to you," Jean looked Locke in the eyes, not looking as pleased about winning over Chels as Gage had thought she would look. "Make the decision Masters."

Locke said nothing.

"Oh come on Locke!" Tom shouted, red face and trembling a small amount, and gazing at the exit longingly.

Locke nearly broke all the fingers in Gage's hand as he returned fire with a glare to match theirs.

"Say it!" Jean shouted.

"Guilty." The voice was small but decisive.

Locke didn't even have enough time to let go of Gage's hand before a gun erupted and sent the bullet flying that would end Chels Master.

"I hope you learned something about being objective," Jean glowered as she stormed out passed them and the body in a swish of white robes. Tom followed her but touched Locke's shoulder briefly.

Gage pried his hand free and ran from the room until he found the Silver gate.

Locke hated himself.

---

"I don't want it,' Gage flinched as he remembered the exact moment when he had made the decision to not follow as his father's shadow anymore.

"Being a guard is dangerous."

Gage would rather endanger his body than mind. "Why don' we go ask the representatives their opinion?" Gage suggested smugly as at last he turned away from his desk to face his father. "I'm sure they can convince you of the right judgment." he knew the words were cruel but they came out anyway. "They know Leon is better than me."

"That is not a good idea."

"I think it is," Gage got to his feet and shrugged on his jacket. "I'll ask them if I'm allowed to be a guard as they always get the final decision."

Locke didn't react at all, which disappointed Gage, but followed him from his room, then the unit, through the halls and into the main office. Not every Silver lived in the main tower; just the important ones.

Gage recognized the girl working the desk. She was a year older than him and had been his first. He grinned at her and she glared and would have made things very inconvenient had Locke not been standing behind him.

"Can you get us in to speak with them?" Gage asked leaning against the desk and admiring her curves that came from a good diet in Silver. Shea definitely didn't have curves like those.

"Yes Masters, I can," she looked passed him to his father and Gage frowned.

"Are you sure they are not busy?' Locke inquired hopefully.

"No sir. In fact they had messaged me to ask for you. You may go right in."

Locke sighed but led his son in to circular office. Each representative had a desk of their own and behind them were wide windows where the compounds were easily viewed from. Directly across from the entrance was a map of the faction. It was a circle divided in two large parts one slightly smaller in the north, Silver, and a small section in the middle for the undecideds. The black and white compounds mirrored each other structurally on the map, which Gage now knew was not true, for they had once been built the same when the faction was first formed. But buildings do not last over a hundred years and no Silver had been willing to go in and redraw the map. Beneath it was their code and above was the engraving, 'this is what peace looks like.'

"How convenient," Jean was always the first to speak. Gage theorized she loved nothing except the sound of her voice. "You and your son was exactly what we required."

Locke's job was easy. He did as he pleased except when the representatives couldn't agree and then he stepped in. Or when a trial needed to be affirmed or a young undecided's life ruined. The rest of the time he was at the beckon call.

He nodded them to them each and pasted on his cool smile and waved Gage to the back of the office where they both had a seat.

"Luk had put forward your son to be considered a candidate for the guard," Jean said with a small smile."

"We have agreed this would be a good fit for him," Tom nodded, and caught Jean's smile and passed it to Gage where it hit the wall instead.

Gage would not smile and give the them the satisfaction that they had done something right; bt, he was pleased with the way this is going.

"I would agree; however," Locke lied, "he is to fulfill his prior promise to be my successor."

"You have two sons don't you?" Jean asked pleasantly, even though the answer was an obvious one.

"Yes."

"Then better luck with the next one!" Jean clapped her hands like it was a done deal. "He is much better suited for guard duty, aren't you Gage."

Gage swallowed his rage at actually agreeing with the woman under the condition to himself that he was doing all this with the hope of ending her reign. "Yes."

"Like father like son." Jean smiled, and Gage's 'first' brought in coffee on cue and they all pretended that there was no tension in the room.

"I hear you have already escorted Luk down to each compound," Tom mentioned as warmly as as the awkward silence would allow. "What did you think?"

Not wanting to waste a word on these people Gage considered it a moment. "By the book." But then another thought nagged at him. "However, the whites are cold and the blacks," he paused and stared out the window, "have made many attempts to structure themselves."

"Yes they have," Jean said knowingly as she sipped her coffee.

"You know?"

"Yes. The are persistent but the whites have their ways."

Gage looked at her unsure of the meaning but not actually wanting to ask her of all people for more. "How?"

"The whites are just people. You must know that only the best go there. It is their responsibility to make the world a better place."

"You make it sound like black is evil," Tom grumbled into his black coffee.

"Evil may be a little far." Jean paused seemingly thoughtfully. "Uncivilized yes. Any structure they'd have would resolve in a more efficient way to kill."

"Black is trying to survive too." Tom put down his coffee and stared at Jean who brushed it off.

"But white is surviving and improving the world. They don't want any harm to come to anyone so they try to save the blacks. Quite noble really."

Gage looked skeptically at her. How could white cross the wall. They had no involvement with one another. It was impossible. He shook it off as her enjoying the way her sharp words pierced the air.

"You begin tomorrow Gage, officially." Tom never mentioned how unorthodox it had been for Gage to be involved with the other compounds prior to this and that was just fine for him.

"We will take our leave now," Locked rose to his feet and Gage did the same. "Thank you for your hospitality."

"Our pleasure," Jean smiled and waved them off.

Gage grinned triumphantly at Locke and despite his 'firsts' resolve to hating him, as soon as his father was around the corner, he managed to pick her up a second time.

In which Gage and Nix have it out

"Gage!"

In the hushed air that settled on the slums like dust, that voice rang out clear, as a challenge.

Luk looked to Gage but he waved him on before turning around to face Nix.

He was flanked by five other guys and adorned with a black eye, gash on his cheek, disheveled dark hair, although that had less to do with whatever fighting he had been up to, and a makeshift knife made of scrap metal tied to a piece of wood by a harsh rope.

"You're a little late aren't you?" Nix sauntered closer to they were nearly toe to toe and he had to look up a little to meet Gage's eyes. The height difference didn't seem to inhibit the threat in his expression.

Gage met his gaze but let it show nothing. He thought this would have been easier because he had already gone through it once with Shea; but, he was wrong. Shea had, in her own way, always known.

"And here I thought you had slinked off to white with my girl and left me here to rot." He grinned, all malice and not enough Nix. "Now I'm just trying to sort out if you being Silver makes that better or worse!"

Gage said nothing. The least he could so was let Nix vent his anger, he had every right to.

"So you think you're better than us! Always did didn't you! You are like those Silvers that watch the segregation but you are worse because you had to take it one step further. You had to watch our pain from our level!" His fist were clenched at his sides, one still bearing the knife, his whole body trembled like an earthquake wanting to split open a chasm in the ground. "You watched us suffer! You knew what would become of us! You bastard, how could you just sit their quietly and know we couldn't be together? How could you share our food when you must have feasted at home and we hardly had enough to go around?

"Shea always said you were cold but I used to thin with us it was different, but it wasn't. You hate everyone don't you? I suppose in your misery, you wanted to spend time with others just as miserable," he trailed off and dropped his gaze to the cracked earth.

Gage sighed, not even bothering to defend himself, and that was when the punch landed hard on his cheek. It was unexpected and he staggered back. He may have not been willing to defend himself with words but sticks and stones was a different matter.

This was not Gage's first fight. Often when he had returned from a day of study and hanging out with Nix and Shea he would come across Silvers his own age in his compound. It pissed them off that he would both going to the undecideds and when they tried to call him on it, Gage would shrug it off and keep walking. Whoever said just ignoring a bully was the way to stop them was never bullied; but then again, Gage hardly considered it bullying when he always came out on top. They never learned and continued to fight which suited him for he like the impact of their arrogant faces against his knuckles. He didn't think his knuckles would enjoy Nix's face as much.

He took a step back and assessed Nix who had one hand raised with the knife and the other before his chest to defend himself. Gage had two options: pull out his own knife, or, he raised his own fists and then kicked out, twisting his eight to put enough force behind the high kick that connected with his opponent's hand and the weapon was dropped.But his intentions were now not just made for disarming. Continuing the fluidity of the kick he landed and stepped in and undercut Nix to the gut and that was where any grace of the battle had, ended.

Nix would swing and Gage would grab it and return fire but then ignoring the pain that was being inflicted on him, Nix would grit his teeth and withstand the punches and throw a few of his own while Gage's hands were too busy to defend. Gage was more skilled but Nix was more determined to hurt.

Nix jumped back and aimed a kick to Gage's knees but it was swept which would have sent him to the ground had he not grabbed to collar of Gage's collar to off balance him to they both crashed to the ground. Nix landed more or less on top of Gage and straddled him so he could land a few punched to his face before Gage recollected and bucked him off so now the resembled little more than a heap of equally grueling fists, kicks and grabs.

It was when Nix raked his fingers against Gage's face, leaving ripped skin and red snares, that Gage got pissed enough that he shot to his knees and pinned Nix to the ground with one hand around his neck while his other hand groped for his knife and found his gun first. He seized it at the exact moment that every part of his body screamed stop!

He obeyed and went limp. Nix saw his opportunity and scrambled fro the ground to lunge at Gage but the punches became less and less passionate as he realized Gage wasn't fighting back.

They collapsed on the hard dirt, panting and gasping for breath.

Luk swan into Gage's vision but he shook his hand and with a raised hand sent him off.

"You were right about almost all of it."

"Course I was."

"Except I would have given Silver up to stay with you two."

There was a bit of silence before Nix sat up and glared at him, "your face is a mess."

Gage laughed, "and yours isn't? But that has far less to do with me kicking your ass."

Nix made a face but then looked lost in thought as he continued on his original tangent, "It's easy for you to saw when you had Silver to go home to at night." He took a sudden interest in his discarded knife and began carving shapes into the earth.

"Maybe." How could he disagree when he didn't know? "But I would give it up for you and Shea to be together. If beating the crap out of me would fix it I'd let you punch me all day."

"Yeah well, contrary to my earlier belief, that did not work. But it sure felt good." There was Nix again. In those dark grinning eyes.

Gage smiled at him and nodded, from where he still lie on the ground.

"I have a plan you know," Nix looked to his followers who had backed off and sat on the pile of rubble that was their home.

Gage sat up and look expectant.

"Black has tried you know. Tried to set up some form of structure." Gage nodded, this seemed to be the reoccurring theme of the day. "But every time they do the leader is killed off. Last year it was some girl. She came in with a plan, always hoped for black for the chance to change it but then she got blown to bits." The Nix that had smiled at him a moment before retreated into the the coldness that he seemed to be adopting. "I want to be that."

"What? Dead?"

"There are worse ways to die." Nix looked around him, to the wall on their right and then the pathetic skyline of the rubble that was the black compound. "I'm gonna make this an okay place and then find a way to get Shea here."

Gage admired his determination as he reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out the letter.

"You've seen her?" Nix's eyes glistened as he took the paper from him.

"Yeah. She's doing okay."

Gage sat silently as Nix scanner it, then eyed it slowly, and scanned it again before folding it up and pocketing it. "Thanks."

Gage shook his head.

"I know you wouldn't try anything with her and I'm sorry."

"No you don't get to say sorry." It was Gage who was at fault.

"If it was between you and being alone," Nix paused and hugged his knees. "You."

Gage didn't need to say Shea wasn't his type, he would never go for his best friend's girl.

"Gage?" Luk approached and nodded at Nix, "ready to go?"

No, Gage thought, but that wasn't an option so her gingerly got to his feet trying not to cringe at the pain everywhere. It felt a little bit good to feel something though. The moments that passed between seeing the two of them were spent feeling somewhat numb. He reached down to help Nix but he ignored the hand and pushed himself off.

"Take care of yourself." He put his hand on Nix's shoulder who defiantly looked away.

"It's okay. It's still early enough in the year for there to be enough food. They haven' turned to us yet."

Gage knew what Nix was trying to do and he deserved to but still he flinched a little and dropped his hands at the thought of the people caged in here.

"Tell her I love her."

Gage nodded.

"Bye Gage," It wasn't until the last moment when Gage was about to turn away and give up did Nix finall meet his eyes and present the weakest of smiles.

Query...

Dear Laura Rennert,

You have inspired me to pursue my writing. I met you at a writing conference in Seattle in 2010, where I listened to your presentation on young adult and picture books, and was inspired to break away from my novel, momentarily, to try my pen at children's literature. I am an avid reader and thoroughly enjoyed Maggie Stiefvater's 'The Wolves of Mercy Falls' trilogy and Kimberly Derting's 'The Body Finder.' When I met with Derting, she told me you had agented both books and I was amazed; but not so surprised, as your talent was evident. I like that you represent books with a unique and poetic voice.

Please consider my children's story 'Sympathy for Felix,' pasted below, about a dragon who is met with the struggles of the modern world. Felix laments to Sir Owen, a lost boy, about how houses don't burn down like they used to, plastic cards are not a comfortable hoard to rest upon, and business woman make for horrible princesses. Sir Owen, listens and offers his sympathies and friendship and in return Felix helps him home.

I am a graduate from the school of Journalism in Kamloops, BC, Canada, where I often worked with the local media to have my copy published. Currently I am residing in Japan where I teach elementary school English.

Thank you and the very best regards,
Sarah Bruce

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