The Final Chapter! - Solonce

I have wrote an awful lot this January, so much so I delayed writing an earlier post because I thought I would instead finish the chapter I was currently writing.

I am now on the final chapter, Chapter 9, after hammering out Chapter 7 & 8 over January. I guess I did start chapter 7 earlier than that, but after getting busy and then going over parts I wished to re-write I have written more than expected. This is probably because of how much notes I had written of the final three chapters, I've been so excited about getting to this part of the story it's just fired out of me and I've enjoyed writing it so much as well.

This story has been a big one for Ayithe, I've given her a lot to deal with: mysterious characters friends and foes, life changing events and tried to emulate a feeling of being totally lost without direction. Yet, now I am here at the final hurdle for my story, the final chapter that has to conclude everything that's been happening. Who's good, who's bad and where Ayithe will end up at the end of her life changing adventure.

Fully Aware is all about Ayithe, and while I've kept in some (hopefully)interesting characters, each with their own agenda's and feelings, she is the focus of this story, and I want her to have become so strong by the end of it.

I do have a new, updated map to upload on here, but it's on my other computer, so I'll sort that out for my next post for sure. However, this is probably going to be quick finishing it all off, and then it's just adjusting some edits and getting some proofreading done.

I hope to have some people reading these early versions to give me some initial feedback, but after all that this first book will be complete and I'll be a happy man!

I guess overall this has been a long task, that's taken me nearly two years to get through. I hope future projects will be much faster than this, but in truth, this has been a big learning curve for me, and one I hope to narrow down in future titles so I can write much faster.

For now, after a lot of re-writes I have something to share that I've been feeling much more comfortable with. While there's a chance that this could be amended again, I give you the expected prelude to my story:

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Prelude: The Beginning...

Toltheria, a small island once attached to the vastly human populated main land Continent of Carnus. Anciently separated by the Limestone Sea, it has become a Haven for the rich and prestigious. Steal, Strength and Honour are valued most in this world, with iconic towns and cities each marked with their Crest and Champion. Only those that can beat the Champion can earn a Crest and then gain the opportunity to enter greater tournaments and take on the greatest fighters in the known world.

For all the human control of Carnus and Toltheria, it is not without is dangers, humanity has simply taken its place within this world rather than taken control it. The continent hosts many creatures that humanity does not understand, and fears greatly, she sea's are violent and unknown, while the many forests hold their secrets within their dark and dangerous maze like formations. For centuries Dragons have nested in the North of Toltheria, hidden behind the spine of mountains that shield the northern slopes from view. Yet the danger from Dragons has waned, and sightings have lessened as the Dragons continue to fly over the North Sea to unknown lands beyond the experience of any traveller.

However, there is a greater threat lurking in the forests, Darkling's, once a mythical beast that was mentioned only in stories. Now ensures its presence is known to the growing population of humans that fill the continent. With their ability to mimic voices and call to their prey, they have become the most feared of all that roam the land, striking fear into the hearts of even the bravest men.

Over the past one thousand years Carnus has evolved with its human society, changing from a peaceful civilization into a distrusting war mongering nation of many individual groups running by their own rules and each claiming to have a king of their own. Much time has passed since then and now the land is claimed by one King who protects and governs the Continent. This is still the tradition, but with such a vast continent the King cannot watch everything, and so uses Sheriffs to monitor and uphold the kings law. 

Now, while the Kings influence is low to the ever growing population, and the farthest reaches of his Kingdom receiving little acknowledgement, Carnus is once again beginning to change. The belief in the existence of a god that created everything is a growing religion, but the true threat to the Kingdom is the rise in the belief of magic. A powerful, mystical force that can be controlled to perform inhuman feats of strength and bizarre mysterious abilities. Taken from the souls of any creature and animal, or even people, magic became feared by most, and the current Royal Family took steps to ensure they outlawed any magic that was not controlled by themselves.

A defiant wizard known only as Shalan, who had defied the Royal Family and had not been arrested. Was beginning to greatly show them up, trying to demonstrate to others the power he possessed and claiming to be the most powerful human in all of Carnus without needing any form of steel to enforce it. Shalan with his many followers made their home in Toltheria, rebuilding the destroyed town of Solonce on the East coast, he gathered a legion of followers, built homes and warned he would up rise against the King and Queen.

As the King organized his army at the Capital of Carnus, Canden. His much larger, superior trained army would crush any form of rebellion, but Shalan had a plan. Taking himself and five great Mercenaries who were promised pay that would last a lifetime. He set out to prove his magic was real, and more powerful than any army that man could create. Shalan travelled into the Dragons Basin, and returned with five captured young Dragons, each a different breed with its own natural advantages that helped distinguish it from the others. 

Yet, once the five Mercenaries had helped to capture and pin down the dragons in a circle, they were betrayed. Shalan had no intention of sharing any of his wealth and power, and magically forced them to their knees beside the very dragons that they had themselves captured. Claiming he would steal the strength of each man, and the magical essence of each dragon, he silently stood in the middle of the circle and began attempting to drain them of their souls. 

The screams of the five mercenaries and the Dragons pain could be heard from miles around as their bodies suffered from the magical force that pulled at their hearts and souls. Yet as Shalan focused, a huge electrical storm formed around their position, and as his arms raised into the moist air an enraged lightning bolt ripped down into the earth and struck Shalan. The slash of light was so bright, the people of Solonce could see it as it lit up the mountains, and yet the great Shalan was no more.

The Dragon's lay dead while the Mercenaries survived, in pain and exhausted after their experience, vulnerable, but alone. Shalan's body remained on the floor, his face locked in horror, and his chest ripped open from the inside out. The lightning was his end, but how it formed and why, remains lost. The five mercenaries returned down the mountain to Solonce and returned his body to his many followers. Though through fear of their own lives, hiding the real tale of betrayal, they replaced it with a tale of an immense power that stole his soul, and he would one day return for them if they could ever recover it from the skies.

The Kings army arrived to a weakened enemy, and stories of a dead Shalan who was crushed by his own arrogance for power. The mercenaries fear of a backlash from Shalan's many followers never came true, they had believed the lie, and while many simply gave up believing, the ones that remained built a great church and formed a new religion of their own, believing he may one day return, and the Order of Shalan was formed.

Nearly a hundred years later is where our story begins...