A Brief Scream in the Silence

First off, I sincerely apologize for leaving this blog completely in the dust. It was not my intention and hopefully I'll be able to start cranking out some posts for you guys soon.

Secondly, I would like to announce that I will be officially attempting to do Nanowrimo for the first time in three years this coming November. Pray for me. That is all I have to say. If anyone wants to add me as buddy on the main site, I think my username is Anastasia_Cross. (If it's not and I'm not showing up, just let me know.)

Thirdly, I would like to bring your attention to my Wattpad page. I have been posting poetry pretty regularly all year, and though it's pretty dark and somewhat personal stuff, I'd be super happy if any of you guys wanted to go check it out. I currently have two poetry books on Wattpad; one is called Logastellus and the other is called Tacenda. Logastellus is my "writerly" poems--basically, they have no meaning to me other than they're based off a character or story, or are directly related to writing. Tacenda is my personal poems (I like to define them as "emo poems about death and the sky").

Anyway, that's basically all for now. Before Nanowrimo starts, I hope to get up a post with some helpful resources for us writers who just love to procrastinate on fun character profile sites or plotting apps.

Until then, ttyl!

Inside the Character: Eadën Vangûard

So apparently a lot of people want to see an ItC on Eadën from The Cycle of Time. I haven't dealt with that story in a while, so this could be interesting to see how much I remember/get feelings over Eadën (then again, it's not hard to get feelings over Eadën). I will try to avoid spoilers but know that he is a big character in The Cycle of Time so there is bound to be some secrets or storylines revealed.


P.S. Some of you ask, I answer: the ¨ above the "e" in Eadën's name is part of the language I created for the elves in Janíza (the land that The Cycle of Time is set in). Normally, the ¨ represents the natural sound of a letter (like e says "eh", a says "ah", etc.) and is used in longer, more complicated names to help with pronunciation. You may be saying, "but Eadën's name isn't complicated it's just 'eden'." This is true. However, since he is royal, the ¨ is used more as decoration. Call it fancifying royal people's names in this case.

In case you were wondering what the other symbols mean:
¨ = natural sound
ˆ = no sound
´ = long sound (e = ee, a = ay, etc.)

Otherwise, words are pronounced normally.

Fun trivia: In elven, Eadën's name is actually pronounced "ee-AY-den", with a long "a" sound. However, humans are bad at language apparently and read it as "Eden". ;)

Okay. Language rant over, you can skip that. Bye.


1. Who would play Eadën in a movie?
Honestly? I don't know. I haven't found his actor yet, but I have a few pics of drawings and stuff that resemble him so here ya go.

This would be Eadën most of the time...tired, sharp featured, and hair in disarray.

However, he does have moments like this...

Where he is very creepy looking when he wants to be.

Eadën is an elf, by the way.

2. What color is his hair?

Eadën's hair is described as glossy black and wavy/curly in texture. It is cut loose across his forehead, so you can usually see the wave. He rarely combs it since he's kind of a traveling man, so it's kinda a mess sometimes.

3. What color are his eyes?

Those who have read the current draft of The Cycle of Time: The Journey (lookin' at you, Rachel) are well aware that Eadën's eyes are very, very blue. Sky-blue; azure almost. They are extremely bright and are actually a bit shocking at first.

4. What is his body type?

Per elven norm, he's lean, but muscled, and quite tall (think 6'7"). And he's extremely angular. I think I described him as looking like "a string was tied to his spine and it was pulling him upwards constantly" or something like that. His shoulders are sharp, hipbones jagged, and his silhouette is all edges and corners. He is also very pale, and his skin is described as having almost a silvery sheen to it.

5. Does he have any piercings/tattoos? 

None mentioned in the book, that I can recall...however, I wouldn't be surprised if he had a tiny meaningful inked something-or-other on his skin.

6. What's the most attractive thing about him?

Since he comes off as alien-ish with his elven self, only some find him attractive. However, the most attractive thing I find about him is either his eyes or his super-sharp facial features. Think STRONG JAWLINE. VERY. STRONG.

7. What is the ugliest thing about him?

Okay, trying not to spoil anything, so read on if you dare. He has a really ugly scar wrapping over one side of his torso from mid-stomach, over shoulder, and down back. It's from a wound that was deadly but of course he magically lived through it (I know, I'm working on it...).

8. When he smiles, what does it look like?

LOLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL that never happens. Eadën has had a very hard life and he doesn't like joy. However, it is notable that he has extremely white and amazing teeth.

9. What does his laugh sound like?

LOLLLLLLLLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLLLL no.

10. What is his normal speech pattern?

He has kind of fancy-talk (but not as fancy as the fairies). He's pretty articulate despite not having attended most of his childhood schooling.

11. How does he express/handle anger?

Hrm...he's kind of emotionally dead, honestly. Granted, anger would be one of his most-felt emotions, but he doesn't show it much. If he gets angry enough to react towards someone, he would probably either kill them or like flip a table or something.

12. Does he cry?

Only on special occasions I suppose. He's used to sadness so it's only rare that he cries, but when he does it's usually like silent, and he just tenses up as tears stream down his lil face.

13. What would make him cry?

In the novel, Eadën struggles with feeling unworthy of his place in life and guilty over the choices he's made. It is these issues combined with longing to please/live up to his deceased father that makes him cry in the book. So yeah, stuff like that.

14. How easy is it for people to read his emotions?

Unlike Jay (whom, as I've mentioned, people who know him can tell by his physical cues how he feels), Eadën is completely unreadable and people hate him for it. He can hide almost any emotion, even from his own wife.

Character Beliefs

15. Is he religious?

Not particularly. I think he follows a religion, but not very strictly.

16. How does he view those of other faiths?

He doesn't care what you believe.

17. What are his core values?
Eadën's core values would beeeee.......hmmmmmmmm...........probably loyalty, or striving to be a better person. Idk if those are "values" or not, but they're things he's always focused on.

18. How willing is he to fight for those values?
In theory, Eadën would fight for anything if he believed in the cause. However, if he's discouraged or defeated...he finds it difficult to get back up sometimes.

Likes and Dislikes

19. What is his favorite food?

He's vegetarian, actually. He really likes fruit.

20. What is his favorite color?

Probably green. He really loves being out in nature, so green has become a calming color for his turbid mind.

21. What is his sleeping preferences?

Eadën is definitely not picky when it comes to sleeping. Actually, he really doesn't sleep much at all. I think in the book once he went several days without sleeping a wink. You can imagine he was grumpy and emotional about it, too. Anyway, he doesn't sleep much because he has nightmares...yikes. Poor bb.

BONUS: What position does he usually sleep in?

Probably on his side, or stretched out.

22. What type of music does he listen to?

Eadën was never one for arts and crafts and math and writing. He was always out on the field perfecting his swordplay and footwork.

Character Introspection

23. When is his birthday?

I'm not sure of the exact date, but he was born in the summertime.

24. What family structure did he have growing up?

Eadën was supposed to be born dead, so he's been sort of fighting for his life ever since he was a wee babbie. You see, elves are biologically capable of having only one child in their lifetime, so Eadën was more than a miracle child, especially since he was alive when he was born (albeit weak and wailing). His older sister doted on him for much of his childhood, and his parents, the king and queen, didn't see much harm in him skipping his classes and romping out in the sun if it meant he would get stronger. However, after a while his older sister realized that their parents paid more attention to Eadën than they did to her and...well, the rest is history.

25. What is the worst thing he has ever done?

um idk probs burning down half of janíza and earning the title ember because all he left in his wake was embers but u know idk

26. What is the best thing he has ever done?

Attempting to turn his messed up life around, even though it meant leaving everything he loves and knows and jumping headfirst into danger.

27. Has he ever been in love?

Once...long story short, he had taken a young ten-year-old human girl prisoner when she decided to start talking non-stop to him for weeks since she was bored and he visited the prison every day. She ended up spurning his turn-around, and he helped her escape. About a decade later, they married, despite his elven nearly-immortal aging and her short life span.

28. What is his biggest goal in life?

To stop the war in Janíza and finally settle down with his little fam-fam. :3

29. What does he believe is his greatest vice?
Without a doubt, black magic. It is an addictive form of magic and he used it for a long time and struggles to fully separate himself from its consumptive power.

30. What motivates him most?
Probably his daughter, Clairê, and his wife, Linnea. He doesn't find anything redeeming within himself, so he simply focuses on staying alive and keeping Linnea and Clairê safe.

31. Is he objective oriented?
Most definitely. Goals have pretty much mapped his life out since before he can remember. Goals give him something tangible to work towards, I suppose.

32. Would he rather be a good person or a great person?
Great. However, I think he is realizing that he may only ever be a "good" person...to himself, anyway.

33. Would he rather be hated for who he is or loved for pretending to be someone else?
At one point, he lived for other people's acceptance. However, he's grown quite a bit since then and now I think he realizes that not everyone will love him for who he is. He still struggles with that, though.

34. Is he an extrovert, ambivert, or introvert?
Introvert, definitely.

35. Is he creatively expressive?
Yes! But only in one form: SWORDPLAY. He literally has the best form when he's using his sword, and his footwork is always flawless and it's said he looks like he's dancing some ferocious panther dance when he's fighting someone with a sword. He works constantly to be the perfect swordsman.

36. What is his disorder?
Where do I start. He's addicted to black magic, he's got PTSD basically from war and being like cut in half and his sister hating his guts and being evil, I'm pretty sure he's got major depression if we're being clinical here, and...and... *CRYING WILDLY*

37. Is he materialistic?
Seeing as he's only ever had any real possessions while he was still officially a prince, no, he's not particularly caught up on possessions. He does have a few possessions that he will probably hurt you if you touch them though.

38. What is his learning style?
He's definitely a visual learner. If he watches someone do something, he can probably replicate it pretty well.

39. I am a ______. How would he finish this sentence?
"I am a failure." (NOOOOO BB WHY U SAI THAT NO STOPIT)

40. Life is an act of _______. How would he finish this sentence?
"Life is an act of deciding when to stand up and fight back and when to kneel and take it."

OTHER

Theme song: "Cold" by Aqualung

Pinterest boards:
Eadën's board
The Cycle of Time board

Wattpad stories:
Excerpt of The Cycle of Time: The Journey
Janíza's Hero (short story)
Embers

Calling All Beta-Readers! Apply now for a chance to beta-read "The Cycle of Time: The Journey"

Hello, my peoples! I am hereby calling ALL THE BETA READERS!

With The Journey (link leads to info on book) finished and edited until my head hurts, I think it's time for some new perspectives. Thus, I am calling on the help of 20 beta readers to properly edit and give feedback on The Cycle of Time: The Journey (link leads to info on book). Participants are looking at an exclusive chance to read The Journey before the general public, as well as some other perks, such as:

• With consent, beta readers will be mentioned (by name or by email/internet name) in the published version of The Journey's "Acknowledgments" page
• A personalized blog to discuss the book with other beta readers
• A little badge of my own creation that will probably completely stink for internet awesomeness purposes
• My eternal love
• Chances to be first-choice to beta read upcoming novels/short stories/etc of mine as I finish them
• If you want, you can receive a print copy of the novel you are editing when the beta reading is over

If you are interested, here are the details:

The Journey Beta-Reading Program

The Cycle of Time: The Journey (Long) Synopsis

Darkness is nearer than the land of Janíza knows. Fire Eye, the ruthless ruler, is weakening the cities, and before the people will be able to react, everything they know will vanish.

Alli and Dirco, two orphans living in the slums of a secluded village, live in this time. Dirco barely makes enough money from his storytelling to feed them both. Just when Alli is beginning to wonder where their next meal will take place, a stranger appears and hires them to travel with him, claiming he is interested in Dirco's stories. Things only become darker and stranger from there, as both Alli and Dirco are thrown into the midst of a ongoing war that seems to revolve around Dan, the stranger.

Now neck-deep in a battle that began far before either of them were born, Alli and Dirco struggle to survive as Dan pulls them from one end of Janíza to the other. Questions arise, but he avoids them and insists they keep close. Alli knows Dan isn't who he says he is, but is too scared to ask herself who he could really be. When she is suddenly forced to question everything she has ever known, will she have the strength to fight or will she hide forever in the small village of Geggon?

The Cycle of Time has just begun. The tests have just started. Before she knows it, Alli will be thrust into a strange new world. If she and Dirco don't accept, all will be lost.

Qualifications:

1. You must be able to read and write fluently in English.
2. You must be at least 13 years of age for reasons.
3. You must have a Google account in order to reach Google Docs, which is where the beta reading will be taking place.
4. Applicants must have consistent access to the internet via laptop/computer.
5. All participants will be required to read and sign some official stuff that says you can't copy my work (because it IS officially copyrighted) and that you won't blab about my storyline to the whole internet. You will be allowed to discuss whatever you want on your given blog, but outside of that I will request you keep silent. You will be allowed to say that you are in the Beta Reader Program and such but no details leaked, please! Doing so will result in instant rejection from the program.
6. You must give consent to publish your name (in whatever form you like) in the published version of The Journey. If you don't want this, that's fine too.
7. Only one applicant per household. Literary agents, editors, or employees of ANY publishing company are not eligible to participate in the program. An false information will result in instant rejection.
8. You must, of course, have at least some history in writing/reading. I will be asking some pretty deep questions for you to answer, so you have to have some knowledge on how storylines and character arcs work in order to properly give good feedback.

The Beta Reader Program:

• The application window opens at the posting of this post (so now) and closes on April 24, 2015 at 11:59am Eastern Time. All those accepted will receive the Beta Reader Program Official Email of Awesomeness.

• Readers will be provided the url to their blog and their Beta Reader Program Packet if they are selected to participate.

• The Beta Reader Program will begin when I post the first installment on Google Docs, which will most likely be in early May. The book is over 22 chapters long, so I will be posting multiple chapters at a time for about 6-8 weeks during the summer.

• Beta readers will be provided several chapters of The Journey every Sunday night between the hours of 9-11:00pm. Reader assessments must be turned in by 11:59pm the following Sunday night. (Of course I'm a busy person too so if you miss this deadline it's cool. As long as you get them in sometime during the next week.) As long as readers continue to comment on the works and turn in their readers assessments, they will continue to be able to post on the blog.

• You will have continued access to the blog after the program is over. I'm not gonna take that away from you, don't worry.

• When I finish any other books, you will have first chance to continue your beta reading.

• While I will never edit content of any posts or comments submitted to your special blog, I will not tolerate hate speech, overtly political messages, or slanderous comments aimed at me, other authors, fans, Beta Readers, or individuals. Any such behavior which intentionally violates the spirit or function of the Beta Reader Program will result in the offender being removed from the Beta Reader Program. And I will also find you. And ruin your Netflix connection while you are trying to watch that one show. Yeah, that's right, I mean business.

Application Details:

Please send all applications to acrossbooks@gmail.com

To apply, please provide the following (star * indicates categories not required, but highly suggested for my own personal research. I promise I won't use any information you send to advertise to you, send to any third parties, or any such cruelties that the rest of the world does. I just like to know who my audience is and how they are responding.):

• Age (must be at least 13)
• Name (at least internet name/username/fake name/nickname. I need something to call you by if you don't want to give me your real name.)
• Whether you want your name mentioned in the acknowledgments in the published version of The Journey or not
• *Gender (male, female, unspecified)
• *Preferred reading genre (fantasy, sci-fi, dystopian, medieval, modern, etc. If you don't know, just list some of your favorite books!)
• Writing/editing background: Basically, I'm asking if you have any history in the general framework of understanding how a story works. If you don't, hey, I'm not expecting too many applications so go ahead and apply anyway. If I don't get over 20 applications then I will accept all applications that come in. All you really need is a willingness to be as honest as possible while reading through my novel. :)
• *How did you find out about The Journey Beta-Reading Program (Pinterest, this blog, etc.)
• What's your favorite ice cream flavor?
• On a scale of one to ten, how much do you like Lord of the Rings? (sorry guys, I need to know these things. No optionalness.)

If there are any questions, please comment below or email me at acrossbooks@gmail.com

I like emails.

I won't bite, I promise.

Good luck and may the Force be with you, Luke!

Stuff Happens More on Wattpad (aka A Comprehensive Guide to Ana's Wattpad Page)

As you may or may not know, I joined Wattpad a while back and, as you may know if you stalk me close enough, I post things pretty regularly on there. While my posting is mainly short stories and nothing really substantial, it's still pretty like, for real. It also answers some questions I'm sure you have about many of my characters (that is, if you stalk me on Pinterest close enough to know my characters).

Currently, I have 17 stories published on Wattpad, including (DUN DUN DUN) an ENTIRE FULL LENGTH NOVEL!!!! Have I ever mentioned Rhett Hawke? Well now I have. In his story the humor side of myself comes out, so its nothing serious, though I attempted it to be sometimes. Keep in mind that I wrote it when I was about 13, edited it maybe four times, and left it because I'm not really planning on publishing it or anything anytime soon, so I decided to make it a magical Wattpad series for all the magical Wattpad people of the world. Enjoy :3

Anyway, about my other works... I have 17 published works (I said that already didn't I) and about 75% of them are short stories about my various novels. To give you a peeky peek, I shall make a handy dandy list about my handy dandy titles and what characters and stories they include and/or are related to (feel free to skip, I'm just bored):

UNTITLED (Peter Pan fanfiction-retelling backstory type deal)
What it's about: I have a board on Pinterest about it...and that's literally about all I understand about it. It's a really cool story if I do say so myself, I just have to plan it out some more.
How much posted: A chapter...a short chapter...
Well known (if you stalk me)?: Nope. I don't post much to the pinterest board and haven't written any blog post about it, so it's just me and my brain.
Updated?: Not really. I need to plan it.
Worth reading?: Why not? It's like a peek into my sick mind. >:) (Then again I could say that about everything)


Blue Skyys
What it's about: Sci-fi galactic war between two rivaling galaxies. Includes major brotherly/family feels and awesome characterization (ahem I'm really proud of those charries okay). Also a cliffhanger. And really intense scenes.
How much posted: Three or four chapters, pretty good length.
Well known (if you stalk me)?: Eh, if you really really stalk me you'll know a pretty okay bit about it. I've written a blog post on it, and the board on Pinterest for it is a pretty good size.
Updated?: Nope. It's coauthored, and the coauthor doesn't write hardly at all, so no regular updates.
Worth reading?: I've been told the setting is a little hard to explain, but if you like the genre, I think it's worth a skim to see if you want to invest time in actually sitting down to read it.


The Orion: The Deadlands
What it's about: If you stalk me you know. Post-apocalyptic, bad governments, all the rage going on these days in young adult fiction. Awesome characters stuck in lame writing.
How much posted: Two shortish chapters. I am capable of posting more (I have the whole thing written yet unedited), but I'm not sure I want to because I want to publish this one someday.
Well known (if you stalk me)?: Yes. Absolutely. I post about this one all the time.
Updated?: Like I said, I can, but I don't, because I want to publish it and don't want to spoil it...
Worth reading?: Really only if you're curious and want to get a feel of what the book's about. Nothing really happens; the prologue gives a good explanation of what the book is about. Otherwise, just a sneak peek.


Home at Last
What it's about: Short story I wrote for school, so it's pretty complete and like, you know, understandable. Set in King Arthur time. Pretty epic.
How much posted: It's four pages long, but a complete story.
Well known (if you stalk me)?: Nope. Little known secret though: I have a secret board on Pinterest with ideas for a King Arthur story. Coming soon to a Wattpad near you.
Updated?: Complete.
Worth Reading?: If you're into it, sure! One of my better works, probably, because it was for school so it had to be pretty good to get a good grade. :)


Luke's Conversion
What it's about: Short story (excerpt of Orion series 2). It's about Luke Vetti converting to Christianity. Major Luke feels ahead.
How much posted: It's a short story, completed, edited but probably not perfected, four pages long.
Well known (if you stalk me)?: Luke Vetti has the largest Character Board on my Pinterest account (about 652 pins, I believe, at time of writing). He's famous amongst my Pinterest followers...though not as famous as Westly Decker.
Updated?: Complete.
Worth Reading?: Yes.


Luke & Kyle: The End of the Line
What it's about: Short story (related to Orion series 2). Luke and Kyle's infamous parting scene. Super painful.
How much posted: Two pages of indescribable pain.
Well known (if you stalk me)?: Yes.
Updated?: Complete.
Worth Reading?: Yes.


"Know What You Fear"
What it's about: Short story (related to Orion series 2). Two young assassins from "The Orion series 2" who are dealing with issues related to being pressured young assassins.
How much posted: Two pages.
Well known (if you stalk me)?: Not really. They have a board but that is all.
Updated?: Complete.
Worth reading?: For fun, why not.


Rhett Hawke: The Secret of Blackrock Cave
What it's about: FULL LENGTH NOVEL!!! Very humorous and lighthearted tale of pirates and orphans and treasure and Rhett Hawke the Awesome.
How much posted: 31 Wattpad pages, about 100 normal pages, so a novella.
Well known (if you stalk me)?: I'll post the occasional Aiden Turner pic for Rhett Hawke on Pinterest, and I've mentioned Rhett Hawke before, so kinda.
Updated?: Complete.
Worth reading?: It's a bit of a commitment, but if you want a laugh (even if it's a slightly random plotted, slightly unedited laugh), this is the book for you. Especially if you're a Pirates of the Caribbean fan.


Me Too
What it's about: I wrote this short story in a writer's meeting one day and thought it was interesting enough to type out and post. It's not terrible, not a piece of art, but it's so short you might as well give it a go.
How much posted: 1 page.
Well known (if you stalk me)?: No.
Updated?: Complete.
Worth reading?: I put it up there for kicks.


One Song Won't Hurt
What it's about: Short story (related to Superior Race). Lane and Chloe go to the prom. Lane-ness ensues.
How much posted: 2 pages.
Well known (if you stalk me?): I haven't done anything with this story in a while, but it's pretty well known.
Updated?: Complete.
Worth reading?: It's a fluffy little piece. Nothing epic or severe.


Embers
What it's about: Short story (related to the Cycle of Time). A collection of short stories that only has one short story, but I wrote another and plan to post it.
How much posted: 4 pages.
Well known (if you stalk me)?: YEAH MAN. I TALK ABOUT IT ALL THE TIME.
Updated: Recently I've been trying to write The Sentinels, so as long as inspiration holds, I will no doubt have a few short stories waiting around to be written.
Worth reading?: If you like fantasy or are interested, sure.


The Cycle of Time: The Journey
What it's about: About three chapters of my first novel, a fantasy adventure.
How much posted: 6 pages.
Well known (if you stalk me)?: YEAH MAN. I TALK ABOUT IT ALL THE TIME.
Updated: Nope. THAT'S ALL YOU'RE GETTING, PEOPLE.
Worth reading?: If you're curious...


Westly Decker
What it's about: Short stories revolving around my newest little baby bear, Wes. If you want feels, you're in the right place.
How much posted: 5 pages, two short stories.
Well known (if you stalk me)?: Pretty much. I only pin to his board every other day in massive spurts, that's all.
Updated: About once every month or so I crank out new feelings.
Worth reading?: I feel like the second story in this work is one of the most poignant, well-written works I've ever written, and my best friend Angie Zoe agrees. So yeah, read my awesomeness.



So yeah, exhaustive list of my works and how bad they are. Anyway, as you may have noticed, my blog doesn't get the attention it deserves. I am sorry for that. However, if you are lonely, head over to Wattpad or Pinterest to get some more action (Pinterest mostly). I post to there more often. :)

Yeah that was the whole point of this.

Yeah I don't care that this was incredibly long, it makes me feel better for not posting anything for months.

Yeah I know my blog posts are random, insane, have terrible grammar, and are filled with typos and inconsistencies.

Yeah I don't care.

Yeah it makes me feel like I'm writing a personal letter to people.

Yeah it makes me feel like I'm funnier than I am.

Yeah I like the personal feel it gives.

Yeah.

I know.

I'm da bomb.









(Yeah I know I'm selfish and conceited PLS DON'T HATE ME *cries*)

The Evolution of Written Stories

I guess it's time to make a new blogpost, Ana thought to herself as she sat down at her computer. But what about? She scrolled through her blogpost ideas, uninterested at the array of mostly randumb ideas in her brain. Then, she came across this one.

Comparing my first draft and my final draft? She scratched her head. I dunno...that leaves me up to exposing my terribly written work all over the internet. But the longer she thought this through, the more appealing it seemed.

Standing up and walking away from her desk, she moved towards her bedroom, and from her bedroom into her closet. She stepped into the slightly cluttered space and reached to the top shelf, bringing down her archives. She unzipped it, reached inside...

And brought out her first draft.

247 notebook pages of penciled, 9-year-old writing, all bound together with a tawny string. Mystified, she blew the imaginary dust off the top page, titled in ornate letters "HIDDEN HEROES: JOURNEY TO TAEBENGORDONJIN". She laughed deeply to herself, feeling like Gandalf with the ten-year-old papers in her hands. Brushing his beard from the page, Gandalf moved slowly, with an old-man like gait, to her large, wooden, ink-stained desk and sat down with a slight grunt, moving large, leather-bound books aside for this new and amazing discovery.

Then, Gandalf opened his computer, and began to read...

***********************

Chapter 1

Harvest

        "Dead." Irmese laughed as she swung her silver sword and stopped mid-air, centimeters from Custis's bare neck. She imitated the sound of a head being chopped off. She leaned on the hilt of her sword.

        "You're head is rolling in the dirt," she said matter-of-factly.

        Custis grinned, flashing white teeth showing under his lips. "I guess it is," he said, pretending to sulk. He threw his hands in the air and fell to the ground, clutching his chest, and screeched.

        Irmese strode over to where he lay, looking lifeless, and our her foot on his chest. "I, Irmese Migani Lestor, have defeated the great Custis!' She let out a loud, spine chilling, howling cackle.

        Custis's heart leapt as a voice said, "Not yet, Fowl Beast!"and he heard swords clang a few times, then Irmese screamed, a cross between a howl and a screech, unearthly and hair-lifting. A thump met Irmese's falling body. Then two hands lifted Custis's shoulders off the ground. "You are free, Young Hero. The Fowl Beast is dead."

*************************

Gandalf chuckled to himself, yet still he was slightly disturbed by the lack of grammar in his old writing. Turning to his final draft, he compared....

*************************

CHAPTER 1

SHROUDED

        Alli stood, transfixed, as she listened to Dirco’s low, captivating voice. His storytelling gift hypnotized people on a daily basis; a crowd had gathered around the seventeen-year-old boy, enraptured by the tale he told.

        Alli often wondered how Dirco did it; she had known him for a very long time—practically her whole life—and his voice never changed so dramatically as it did when he told a story. People stood and listened for hours as Dirco skillfully wove his tales of woe and of hope.

        In half an hour, Dirco finished his tale of the beginnings of Janiza bowed as the crowd applauded and threw small copper coins at him. Alli collected the coppers in her ragged skirt, smiling and thanking those who paid for his story.

        As the audience dispersed, Dirco approached Alli. “How much did we get?” he asked, his voice no longer low and smooth but boyish and somewhat hoarse. He grinned his twisted, cryptic, and creepily-charming grin.

        Alli counted silently. “I’d guess around six or seven coppers.”

        Dirco pushed his pale blonde hair back from his face, his strange whitish eyes wide. “With that crowd?” A frightening scowl replaced his grin. “I oughtta start making them pay to stand there like doltheads and wander off into la-la land!”

        Alli sighed as she tucked the money into her pocket. She would probably hear about this for the rest of the night. “At least we have something.”

        “Might as well have left squat!”

**********************

Not even the same characters. Interesting development. Gandalf stroked his beard, turning the pages of his first draft to the scene where his favorite character, Eadën, first appeared.

**********************

        Unexpectedly, Irmese whipped her head around, hair flying in all directions.

        "What's wrong?" Custis whispered, not doubting her superior elf hearing.

        (Ah, yes, Gandalf remembered. The girl was randomly transformed into an elf while they were randomly attacked by Jzän in the woods, which they were randomly playing in.)

        She didn't answer. She didn't have time to, really.

        A huge, groping Já'nän, walking on two legs, came hurrying towards them.

        Custis didn't have time to draw his sword, for when he looked again, it had transformed into a nimble black cat.

        The only thing that made Custis doubtful is that both of them had sparkling, sky-blue eyes.

        Irmese went into a panic and climbed a tree to the highest branch.

        The....Thing...transformed again into an agile sparrow, flying to Irmese and landing on her thin shoulder. She batted it away with a quick blow and it fell to the ground a cat once more.

        What is it? Custis asked himself.

        The moment he thought that, the Thing transformed into an elf.

CHAPTER 6

EADËN

        "What the..." Custis stammered, staring at the Thing, now a handsome young elf boy.

        Irmese spoke first, jumping out of the tree. "What kinda sick joke is this?!" She yelled, marching up to the tall elf. "What and who are you?! Some kind of freak, if you will, a weirdo, sicko, moron, maniac, WHAT?!" She poked a slender finger in his sharp-featured face. "Some demented, evil-spirit obsessed creature, right?!?!?!?! I say," she paused dramatically, then practically yelled, "YOU ARE AN EMBARRASSMENT TO ALL NATURE ITSELF!!! You creepy, shape-shifting, stinkin'—"

        "Okay, Irmese, let him speak for himself!" Custis interrupted, ruining her meaningful speech.

        "Well for one," the Thing-elf said. His voice surprised Custis. It was cool and clear and crisp, yet filled with an exotic and beautiful accent that was like music in his ears. "I applaud for the well thought of speech that was made up on the spot. That was incredible. And for two, I'm an elf. Whom or what other creature, I ask, is so attached to nature that is can literally change, inside and out, into nature itself?"

*******************

At this point Gandalf was forced to stop reading because his gag reflex had been acting up so badly. He choked away for another five minutes before finally getting a hold of himself, with the greatest of difficulty. "Did I really write that?!" he asked, reading ahead a bit, but reluctant to share how Eadën was born under a tree in a pit in the middle of nowhere, but he did not explain in the book why his queen mother was IN a pit in the middle of nowhere, thousands of miles away from her castle.

Gandalf cleared the bile from his throat with a swig of water and turned to his final draft. Hopefully, this one would be better...

*******************

        Dan didn’t answer. He had approached the door. He straightened his blood-soaked cloak, seemed to mentally prepare himself for...what? Then he knocked.

        For several minutes there was no sound, only the wind. Alli thought that maybe no one was home, until the door opened abruptly and there stood a young woman with long brown hair and large hazel eyes. She shrunk as she stared up at Dan, obviously frightened. Dan’s chest rose rapidly, as if he took a sharp breath upon seeing the woman.

        Alli and Firell glanced at Dan. The woman glanced at Alli and Firell.

        “Can I help you?” she said.

        Dan lifted an arm as if to reach out to her, then hesitated. He slowly touched her cheek with his fingertips, then caressed her face. When he spoke, his voice was no longer dark, whispery, or hoarse. Contrarily, his voice now sounded smooth, like velvet, with an unrecognizable lilt. He said, “Linnea.”

        Linnea, the woman’s, face paled. She swallowed, shook her head, and squinted closer at Dan. Reaching up slowly, as if Dan would attack her at any moment, she pushed his hood away from his face. Dan flinched as his face was revealed.

        Alli gasped the same moment Linnea did. Linnea fell back, crashing into the door. Then her face twisted, and she wrenched around, flung herself upon him, and twined her arms around his neck, shouting, “Eadën, Eadën! Oh, how—you—Eadën!”

*******************

Gandalf finally turned away from his first draft, unable to go on. Oh, how his story had evolved from such trash, to such acceptability! He was shocked at how much his entire PLOT had changed, now that he was flipping through the novel. He could not even believe how so many random scenes could make sense just three drafts later.

Re-arranging his original manuscript papers back into place and tying the string once again, Gandalf reflected how glad he was that he was done with that piece of trashy writing, and that he was now working with his final draft.

That first draft was fun to write, with all the freedom, Gandalf concluded, placing the archives back on Ana's closet shelf, But the final draft sure is worth all the work!

With this thought happy in her mind, along with the freeing thoughts of how bad her first draft was (that left her with all the freedom to make her other first drafts that bad!), Ana returned to her computer and opened the file labeled "Superior Race" to write until 4:00 pm, when she would have to help her mother with dinner.

The End.

READ MY WORK!

ATTENTION! I HAVE JOINED ANOTHER WEBSITE AND HAVE TAKEN THE NEXT STEP INTO THE BIG BAD WORLD!

Anastasia Cross is now on Wattpad!

My best friend Angelina Zoe (find her writing here, and her blog here) introduced me to this great website a few weeks ago and I have just gotten to actually joining and posting. Since I am very wary about letting the world see my awesome ideas and letting them have free reign of stealing it (ahem ahem wink wink) I have decided to only post things I am not planning on publishing. I did post the first chapter or two of every book I have finished and that I am working currently on, so CHECK IT OUT! Also, I have posted several short stories that pertain to my larger novels (i.e. include the characters and setting). So if you have the time or get bored or something, check out what I've done!

I may also begin posting random stuff like, stuff I will never finish or book beginnings that I scribbled down, if you're lucky... >:)

Thanks for reading!

Your faithful freak,

Links:
My watt pad page, where you can read some of my writing
http://www.wattpad.com/user/Anastasia_Cross

"Outlawed"; an Old Love

I have always had a love for Robin Hood. Something about rogues always attract me, like flies to a rotten...peach. Yeah, gross, sorry about that. Anyways, rogues. I love them. Especially when they are the heroes, or help the heroes somehow. From Axel in Kingdom Hearts, to Jet the Hawk and Shadow from Sonic the Hedgehog, to Scipio the Thief Lord, they're all on my fan list.

So that's how Outlawed came about. It's not even really a work in progress; I haven't planned it out or anything. I've just been messing around with beginnings and different ways to tell the story of Robin Hood. In one version, I made the situation more personal to Marian and more desperate for Robin. In the second I went with a darker feel, with Robin being a fear-striking symbol to the people of Nottingham—one that Marian is completely terrified by.


BEGINNING 1:


CHAPTER 1

        He sat amongst the brambles and boughs of an old oak near his camp, drawing his blade over a chunk of wood. The sky was gray, signaling the sunrise was soon to come. His cloak provided some cushion from the rough bark, and even though darkness still prevailed he kept his hood drawn over his face. There was some comfort in it—as if wearing it made him a new person, an outlaw named Hood, when without it he was nothing but a young man with blood on his hands called Robin.
        He peered up through the leaves, pausing in his whittling to listen to the deep, heavy breathing of his comrades. Little John, Will Scarlet, and Mitch, all thieves or murderers of some kind, slept beneath him. For the one hundredth time, Robin wondered what on earth he was doing here, in Sherwood forest, with a giant, his best friend, and a boy not even old enough to grow hair on his face. What did he hope to accomplish with these three outcasts?
        Provide safety, Robin argued with himself, pulling the knife across the surface of the wood with sudden violence. We are outcasts. Outcasts stay together. His gaze drifted down at the young men below him. Besides...where would they be without me? Without each other?
        A sudden grisly image of nine-year-old Mitch, accused of pickpocketing and ‘murder’, hanging by his neck on a loop of rope made him shudder and slit his thumb with his carving knife. He rubbed the blood between his fingers with a sigh. That’s why I am here. He glanced up at the sky again; the sun was rising. Pursing his lips with a renewed sense of calm, he began to whistle the wandering tune of a morning songbird, carving out chunks of wood as his desired image slowly came to shape.

* * * * *

        Marian stared out of her window at the sunny gardens of her father’s mansion, face drawn with worry, confusion, and sorrow. Bags and chests of her belongings still sat in piles in her room from her summer-long trip—a trip she had spent walking the edges of forests and wishing she were back home in Nottingham with Robin.
        They had been friends for as long as she could remember; her first memory was one of a small, tousle-headed boy with bright hazel eyes, almost yellow in color, grinning at her from a freckled face. They had grown apart when Robin’s mother died, then his father, but she remembered him and visited him when she could, about once or twice a month. She had left for vacation three months ago with a goodbye she remembered all too well; Robin had been working on his garden, soaked in sweat and grimier than reasonable, but Marian still insisted on hugging him goodbye, and her father had been angry when he’d seen her filthy dress.
        That was three months ago. Three months ago, when Robin was a simple farm-boy with a knack for crafting bows that bent strong and arrows that flew straight, whom she knew better as a boy than a man. Now his name was plastered on every corner, along with the words ‘WANTED’ and ‘REWARD’.
        How could so much change in just three months? Marian thought, her fist on the windowsill. She could glean from no one what Robin had done to be outlawed...or wether it was a mistake or intentional. Robin had always been the brooding type, better accustomed to trees and wildlife than people. But would he really steal from someone, or even...kill a man?
        She shuddered and stood. What reason would he have for doing so? She sighed. There were too many questions...and she couldn’t find him. Anywhere.

BEGINNING 2:

PROLOGUE

        The rain pounded down, and he lifted his face to it, letting it cleanse his dirty skin and filter between his lips. Wiping his mouth with the back of his long, careful-fingered hand, he shivered and pulled his dark hood over his head. The house sat on a hill just near Nottingham, where the sheriff and lord, Roger de Laci, lived with his niece and countless guards and servants. It would be difficult to infiltrate the house and find his men, but there was no other choice.
        Even so, he knew he was waltzing into a trap. The sheriff had captured his right-hand man and a few others not to kill them, but to draw his real victim into his clutches. The sheriff knew that he would come looking for them. Because outlaws always stayed together.
        He frowned, the edges of his thin, poised lips turning down. He reached and took an arrow from the quiver on his back and set it on the string of his longbow. Then, lifting his face to the sky and closing his eyes, he set his teeth a released his most ear-piercing hawkish whistle.
        The pad of silent feet followed his call, and he smirked into the lightning that cut the sky.


CHAPTER 1

        Marian awoke.
        It wasn’t with a start, or a cry, or even a yawn. She just awoke, as if she had been awake all along and had just now realized it. It was the kind of awakening that you knew something was wrong, but couldn’t place what it could be.
        She rolled over, trying to ignore the feeling and go back to sleep. But something tugged at her heart and told her to move. Fast.
        She sat up and glanced around, suddenly feeling watched. Something moved in the corner, and she peered that way, pulling the blankets up over her chest. “Is someone there?” she whispered. “Susie?”
        Silence.
        She carefully moved her legs around the side of the bed and stood, taking her nightcoat from the stand nearby. Slipping it on, she stepped around the room, searching for the source of unease. But she found nothing.
        I must be out of my mind, Marian growled to herself. The middle of the night and I cannot even lie down and rest.
        She spun around, frustrated at herself, and was just about to climb back into bed when suddenly a shriek caused her to stiffen every limb. It came from down the hall, towards the slave’s quarters.
        Gasping, she tore out of bed and rushed to the door, lifting a lantern and lighting it before scrambling into the hall. “Susie?” she called. “Uncle?!”

SO, WHICH ONE DO YOU LIKE BEST? WHY DO YOU LIKE IT?

Character Profile: Jayd

Jayd
The Orion

"“Welcome, new recruits,” said a too-familiar female voice with a lilting accent. As his eyes accommodated to the light, Will made out a slender, graceful form and a mane of wild hair. “Step out and line up.”

        The teenagers scrambled to their feet and hurried to obey orders. Now that Will was out of the dim room, he could see that the woman had taken her mask off to reveal that she was surprisingly young, no older than Roy. She had a delicate face, but at the same time she seemed sly and deceiving. Her thin eyebrows were poised over harshly slanted eyes that matched her hair in color. Her lips were curved into a beguiling smile as she considered the group of beaten-up teenagers before her. Despite her wild, frightening appearance, she was strikingly beautiful." —The Orion: The Deadlands

        When the Orion began drafting Middle Class and Upper District children to train, they overlooked the Deadlands, where Jayd lived before she became an Orion general. Jayd ran away from the life of a Lowlander when she was ten years old and demanded to be given a chance at joining the Orion. Soon afterwards, she proved her talents as she progressed through the stages of training with flying colors. At fifteen, she was the Orion's best agent, and was promoted to first general at the age of eighteen.

        Jayd relies on stealth and deception in her fighting style, which also shapes much of who she is.  She has been groomed to believe that she is the greatest agent to join the Orion, and has plans of overtaking High Generals Viktor and Ivan and becoming complete leader of the Orion. Despite her harsh, unfeeling outer shell, she does have a soft spot for children.

Age: 18
Height: 5' 6"
Weight: 96 lbs
Hair color: black
Skin color: nut-brown (Asian toned)
Eye color: black

Excerpt of The Deadlands

I now reveal to you...dun dun duuunnn.....The Orion excerpt! This scene is one of my all-time favorites! I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Another writer and I are co-authoring this trilogy. I am very excited about getting it published, but the rough draft was just that—rough. So editing will take longer than it did with my other works. Still, we are diligently working on it, so don't lose hope! We will try not to. :)

~Anastasia

P.S. Just so you know: Jayd and Roy are two of the coolest, most amusing characters of all time. Just so you know. Their relationship is awesome.

Excerpt for ‘The Orion: The Deadlands’

“Lying, deceitful, betraying, freak, no-good slobs of society!”

“Rotten, fish-faced, ignorant, stupid, flimsy-limbed, gutter-worthy, horse-mouthed, buffoons!”

“ALRIGHT!” A soldier yelled, grabbing his ears. “Both of you shut your mouths before I permanently seal them!”

Roy struggled in the ropes the military had put him in. Behind him was Jayd, who was tied with him, back to back.

Roy had woken almost an hour after being knocked out to find himself tied with his worst enemy. Their hands were tied together at their backs.

Just touching her made him feel on edge. Not delightfully so, like the feeling he got when fighting. More stressed out, mentally-tortured on edge.

Roy blew upwards, distancing himself as much as he could from Jayd, which wasn’t very much, seeing that they were bound together. He just hoped Will had gotten away. Those men had run after him...

Jayd squirmed behind him. “Remind me why you’re doing this again?” she demanded of the head soldier.

The head soldier, who had been sickly pale ever since seeing Jayd, wrung the barrel of his gun with his hands nervously. “Th-the government... I mean, the dictator said to bring you back to him in chains. H-he said you were to be punished for being defeated by a Lowlander, and for letting failures live, and...” He trailed off, glancing around.

Roy felt Jayd take a deep breath. “That is the stupidest, most imbecilic thing I have ever heard in my entire life. I am the Orion’s best agent, and they’re going to tie me uncomfortably close to this Lowlander because I let him live a couple of times? He didn’t deserve it, I admit, but honestly! He’s spunky enough to fool any of you!”

“Not our problem. We just follow orders,” one brave soldier said. “Talk to Mr. Calhoun about it when we get you there.”

Jayd snorted, slamming against Roy’s back. She had a surprising amount of strength for one who hadn’t eaten in three days. Roy could feel the heat of her annoyance seeping off of her skin and through her clothes.

It was a couple minutes later when the soldiers started falling asleep. They set up a sentry, who stood in front of Roy and Jayd with his back to them.

Jayd squirmed for the umpteenth time. 

Roy huffed and glared back at her. “Maybe if you stopped wriggling around so much it wouldn’t be so uncomfortable,” he whispered fiercely.

Roy literally felt her eyes pierce his skull. “Maybe if you hadn’t run off in the first place we wouldn’t even be in this mess,” she shot back.

“Maybe if you hadn’t been so atrocious to be around I wouldn’t have run away.”

“Maybe if you hadn’t rebelled, I wouldn’t have been so atrocious.”

“Maybe if you hadn’t kidnapped me in the first place I wouldn’t have rebelled.”

“Maybe if you weren’t so strapping and handsome and hadn’t gotten in the way of the law I wouldn’t have kidnapped you.” Jayd’s voice dripped with ridicule.

“Maybe if you and the Orion hadn’t been such obnoxious idiots I wouldn’t have gotten in the way of you trying to steal an innocent boy from his mother.”

Jayd pressed against his back, turning her head so her mouth was right by his ear. “I had nothing to do with the rules of the Orion, no matter what sort of delusion you have conjured. I follow orders so I won’t be killed.” There was a bit of ironic sarcasm in the last line she spoke, as if it were a known fact.

“But you enjoy it,” Roy growled.

“I never said that.”

“Hey!” The soldier on duty jerked around, pointing his gun and whispering. “No talking, both of you!”

Roy could tell Jayd glared at the soldier because he cowered back a little before turning and retreating a few steps away.

Jayd wriggled her arms again. Roy could feel her working her fingers urgently, as if trying to reach something. Roy glanced at the sentry, who was a couple feet away, back turned to them, staring off into the woods.

“What are you doing?” Roy dared to breath to her.

Jayd’s hair brushed against his cheek as she turned her head, looking down her arm. Roy winced and rubbed his face against his shoulder. “I have a knife hidden in my sleeve,” she said, so quietly that Roy barely heard her. “But...I can’t...reach it...” Her fingers scratched against his as she worked them desperately. “See if you can’t get it.” Then, a hint of the mocking tone crept into her whisper. “Though I doubt you are intelligent enough to do that much.”

Roy grunted something nasty under his breath. He gathered up an insane amount of courage to wrench his hand up Jayd’s sleeve and fish around until he felt the cool steel of a blade. He grabbed the tip between two of his fingers and slowly worked it out, pushing it into one of Jayd’s slender hands. 

“Intelligent enough, unfortunately,” Roy growled over his shoulder.

He thought he saw the faintest flicker of a smile on her face out of the corner of his eye, but then she turned her head. Roy felt the blade slip between their wrists; the tip nicked the inside of his arm, but he didn’t say anything. He glanced fervently at the sentry, who was cleaning his gun with his shirt absently, as Jayd began to saw through their bonds.

Roy felt sudden relief as the first bond loosened, then the second. The ropes fell on the ground between them. The two pulled away from each other quickly as if they never wanted to touch each other again. Roy rubbed his wrists and silently got up, keeping his eyes on the sentry. He snuck forward two steps and grabbed the soldier from behind around the mouth to silence his cry of fear and bashed the back of his head, dropping his limp body.

Jayd was brushing the snow off of her, still holding the long, thin knife when Roy turned. “Trying to impress me?” she sneered in a whisper, one eyebrow arched over her twinkling, slanted eye. Her entire face radiated contempt and malice. Suddenly, Roy stiffened, afraid for a split moment that he had caused his own demise. He had freed the girl who would kill him instantly if she so chose; he had even given her a knife to do it with!

Excerpt of The Secret of Blackrock Cave

Here is an excerpt of The Secret of Blackrock Cave. Since these books are hard to describe (funny? comedy? adventure? huh?) I think this and a few other excerpts will help clear things up a bit. Once again, enjoy!

~Anastasia

Excerpt of ‘Rhett Hawke: The Secret of Blackrock Cave’

  “But where is the treasure?!” Captain Rex almost shouted. 
“Quiet!” Adriane hissed. “You could set off a cave-in!”
“But the treasure isn’t here!” he replied loudly.
“The cave goes deeper,” Evan said cautiously. “Maybe we should go ahead.”
Rex curled his lip dangerously. He jerked his head in an indefinable direction. “Up here, Hawke. You first.” He poked Wikk in the chest with his sword. “But leave the bodyguards. No funny business.”
Rhett smiled easily and strode forward as smoothly as he could with his injured leg. Adriane grabbed his arm, giving Rex a dark, proud look as she marched along with her stumbling comrade.
They lit more torches and gave one to Rhett to light the way. The pirates shoved and fought to run ahead, but Rex silenced them with a word.
The going was slow according to the leader, and the pirates were getting antsy to see gold. Rhett himself itched to see a glimmer of some sort. Where was this promised gold of Cíbola?
They must have wandered through a thousand tunnels and forked paths. Rhett’s leg was throbbing and he was getting kind of suspicious about the whole deal. Sir Francis Drake was a pirate, after all. He would have spent every ounce of gold he looted, wouldn’t he?
It must have been hours before Rex stomped up to Rhett and poked him in the chest with his pistol. “Where’s the treasure, Hawke?”
Rhett pretended to look emotionally hurt. “What? What do you mean? Do you honestly think I took it and didn’t tell you?”
“Stop foolin’ around,” Rex growled. “Where’s the treasure?”
“What makes you think I know where it is? I didn’t even know about your bloody treasure before you told me about it.”
Rex narrowed his gleaming eyes. “You know somethin’, Hawke. Somethin’ yer not tellin’ us.”
Rhett huffed and caught Adriane’s eye. She gave him a questioning look, but Rhett quickly shook his head. “Listen, mate,” Rhett said. “I know about as much about where the treasure is as you do about my mother’s mental state.” At Rex’s stare, Rhett added, “Nothing.”
Rex bellowed and threw his sword around. “Then I came here for nothing? Where’s me treasure?!”
Adriane grabbed his arm and pulled. “Be quiet! The cave!”
Rex elbowed Adriane in the face and she reeled back. Evan sprang up and grabbed Rex’s arms. Wikk followed by wrestling Rex’s mouth shut between his echoing shouts.
A shower of rocks landed in Rhett’s hat. He looked up. “Uh, Milty?”
Rex threw both Evan and Wikk of of him. “An’ DON’T call me MILTY!” Rex screamed. “M’name is CAPTAIN REX!”
“MILTON! SHUT UP!”
Adriane waved her arms. “YOU GUYS BE QUIET! THE CAVE IS UNSTABLE! IT COULD—”
Between the last two shouts, the cave suddenly rocked. Everyone froze, clutching something to stabilize themselves. A hunk of the cave’s ceiling came crashing down dangerously close to Rhett, and he leaped away, rolling when he hit the ground. Before anyone could react, a wall of rock had fallen between Rhett’s party and Rex’s crew.
“What trick have ye played now, Hawke?!” Rex yelled over the rocks.
“For the last time, you old twit,” Adriane sighed, “shut your trap!”
Rhett chuckled but hid the sound with a coughing fit. Clearing his throat, he said, “Captain Milton Rex, it looks to me like we have a race on our hands.”
“A race?” Rex said.
“A race to the treasure!” And Rhett, Adriane, Wikk, and Evan dashed down the nearest corridor.