Other stuff that's happening is Heather totally rocked her classes for Spring semester! The last day of finals was Thursday and she did so good. Her Summer classes start on Monday.
The Church has invited people to send in submissions for music to make officially in the new Hymn book or Children's songbook. Heather can probably do something great. If it was making a board game for the church I could probably do something great.
Speaking of board games, so I've had an idea for a rehab of the Lab Mice game. I'm changing the theme to be they're aliens now instead of mice, which will totally open up the audience and people who want to play. The race of the aliens are supposed to be like, big lizard horses, things, is the idea. Klidrins is the name of the species and thus the game. Same concept, except I'm expanding the powers so each trait has three powers depending on the there trait they hook up with, not two, which creates three new powers. I'm also hoping to make it more simultaneous so there's less down time. I'm not a big fan of a lot of downtime. It's a work in progress.
I also had another idea for a game where there's a lot of simultaneous play which is steampunk themed. Where Dominion has you building your deck, Mystic Vale your cards, Century: Golem Edition your hand, and Dice Forge your dice, this one has you building your action pool for action selection. Also, there's resources. And a semi-worker placement kind of thing.
Also still thinking about A Thousand Faces.
Got the pixalmator program on the computer again which is super nice for making cards and such.
Any who, here's the rest of that summary I have so far:
Chapter 10
In Tzendor, Topaz uses makeup to disguise Bat’Chor and himself. As they go out in disguise, they remark on how even the peasants are better off than before, due to the new emperor Aronack. As they approach the Temple of Hsaw, they mix with other pilgrims who are visiting it for religious purposes. Topaz’s knowledge of when these pilgrims arrived causes Bat’Chor to once again wonder is Topaz needs to sleep.
They enter the building and Bat’Chor is amazed by its architecture. Topaz and Bat’Chor get their own small private room to stay in located near the building’s outer wall, and discuss architecture. Three hours later, the pilgrimage director calls them and their pilgrimage group out of their rooms to see the object they’ve traveled so long to see.
They walk down a hallway with other pilgrims into a large room. In the center of the room surrounded by a glass case is an ancient sword, a relic. Bat’Chor is a fierce warrior and thus is interested. Topaz notices that part of the hilt is made of Dragonsteel in an odd pattern and shows Bat’Chor. Bat’Chor asks if they are there to steal the sword, but Topaz replies in the negative, saying that they are there to instead steal a scroll, located on a nondescript bookcase at the back of the room.
Chapter 11
Martis and Yoharn practice dueling outside, as Courteth and a group of girls look on. Jerick is also nearby, and Ryalla comes up to talk. Jerick notices that while Ryalla seems subservient, she is actually rebellious underneath the surface, which no one but Jerick notices. They start to bond.
In a break in the dueling, Martis’s father Kalord comes to talk with him, telling him that Jerick is doing better at Martis in his studies and that he needs to step up his game. Martis acts submissive but yearns for the day when he can overpower his father.
Ryalla thinks how sad it is that Jerick is caught in Courteth’s wiles. Martis notices Jerick looking with longing at the duel and, in order to look good in front of Courteth and humiliate Jerick, invites him over to spar. Jerick readily agrees, but is, of course, woefully beaten. The king and Doram pass by, the king commenting that he forbade Jerick to practice, but Doram adding that he didn’t forbid him to fight. Jerick vows to learn how to fight.
Chapter 12
In the middle of the night, Topaz explains to Bat’Chor the security measures surrounding the sword, and the alarm that will go off if any traps are activated. They sneak off and enter what appears to be a service closet but actually leads to up behind the sword room, filled with complicated machines for the traps. A window peers into the sword room, and Topaz and Bat’Chor look in to see a group of thieves attempting to steal the sword.
Topaz purposefully sets off a trap, setting off a loud alarm that blares through the building. The thieves barely manage to escape, and Topaz grabs the scroll. Bat’Chor and Topaz enter the hallway, now crammed with people trying to figure out what’s going on. A tall man with a deep birthmark on his face enters at the front of the chapel, and Topaz suddenly collapses, the hand with his topaz ring pulsing like a heart.
Bat’Chor manages to lug Topaz back to their room, but the tall man is following them. Topaz uses his magic to makes cracks in the wall, but can’t bring it down. Topaz curses the Lords for giving him no power to destroy. Bat’Chor is ready for a fight, but Topaz stands up again and causes the cracks in the wall to suddenly grow with moss and fungi, which manages to break the wall apart. The two escape.
Later on a boat, Topaz explains that what he did was cause microscopic spores to grow. When Bat’Chor asks him how he did it, Topaz replies that he doesn’t know. Topaz gives Bat’Chor the scroll, telling him to bring it to the Trexandian scholars to translate. The two will separate but meet back up in Lakdon in about a year once the translation is done.
Chapter 13
Jerick is now fifteen. He and Doram practice fighting, and Jerick is improving. Jerick asks Doram about the Eternal War, and learns that even peasants can fight in it, but Doram encourages him not to. Courteth comes in and reminds Jerick about a feast happening that night.
Later as Jerick walks down the hallway, thoughts enter his head that are not his own. It seems as if two people are talking with each other, mentioning obtaining a bargaining item. Jerick recovers and convinces himself that he’s just overtaxed from studying too much.
Courteth prepares for the feast and punishes Ryalla by forcing her to do her homework for her. As Courteth leaves, Ryalla congratulates herself for tricking Courteth: Courteth was about to be kicked out of school for not doing any homework, and so she forced Ryalla to do it. Ryalla convinced Courteth that she hates reading, thus making sure that Courteth “punishes” her by forcing her to read. After reading a book about folk tales, Ryalla goes down to Topaz’s rooms to water his plants like she does every week. When she approaches, however, the plants burst into life and grow rapidly, which is a sign that Topaz is now somewhere in the palace.
Chapter 14
Jerick enters that feast, and him and Martis sit near each other to keep an eye on each other. Jerick begins thinking about his father, and the next thing he knows someone is asking him if he’s alright, as he had zoned out. Martis and Jerick exchange barbs, and the king gets up to speak. Right before he can, a large tearing noise is heard above and Topaz drops from the ceiling with a colorful scarf, stealing the limelight.
Prince Yoharn is very unconfident in himself, and doesn’t think he’ll be a good king. He feels like he’s just faking everything, and contemplates that he’d give Jerick the crown if he could get away with it.
After the feast, Frost is in his room when Topaz sneaks up on him. Topaz comments again on how he thinks Frost is more than what he says he is, which Frost denies. They discuss Jerick’s education and Topaz learns that Jerick has become skeptical of magic. Topaz vows to correct this, and leaves.
Chapter 15
In school, the teacher Vendavious discusses the recent essays the students just turned in. He then begins a discussion on a newly developed theory about Axios. The Axios is the base element, incredibly small, and everything in the physical world is made up of them. He gives the students an essay to read on the subject and dismisses them.
Jerick sits in the library reading the essay and is surprised when Topaz shows up to talk with him. Topaz notices that his years of studying have made Jerick argumentative and cynical, and he points this out. Jerick apologizes, but when Topaz mentions magic Jerick scoffs at the idea. Topaz begins to speak about presumed reality.
Topaz shares a story of when he visited a faraway land where people had a superstition that they had to throw rocks at a certain type of tree before going near. Topaz uncovered the origins of why they did this and knew that it was safe to go near the trees, and to prove his point he forced a man to go near a tree without throwing rocks at it first. However, the man’s presumed reality was stronger than actual reality, and the man died of fright right then and there. After his story, Topaz gives Jerick a small red fruit and leaves.
Chapter 16
Jerick looks up the fruit and learns that it is a Ballas fruit, which only grows in Souterhn Yolen and spoils within hours: it was impossible for Topaz to give him one still fresh and red. Jerick ponders this in the back of an amphitheater where Scathe the Horwatcher is preforming a magic show. Frost comes up and speaks with him, and Jerick discusses with him Topaz and the fruit and how Scathe does all his tricks.
Scathe’s last trick is waving a Tamu Kek bone from a Sho Del over candles several times and making them burst into flame. As Jerick ponders presumed reality, the Ballas fruit, and through some prodding from Frost, Jerick begins to notice waves coming off of the bone. Suddenly, Jerick’s vision switches from normal to being able to see individual Axi. Frost is blown away that he can do this, and explains that Jerick and Topaz do this, but no one else can that he knows of. Scathe himself doesn’t even know what he’s doing when he uses the Tamu Kek bone.
Jerick sits at his table long into the night thinking, and Ryalla comes in. They talk, and Jerick asks Ryalla soul-searching questions about himself, such as if he’s arrogant. Their conversation is interrupted by footsteps approaching, and while Jerick wants to hide Ryalla responds that the people can’t see them if they don’t want them to. Scathe comes in, but even though he is feet from Jerick and Ryalla, doesn’t see them. He and another man talk about a token of bargaining, and then leave to continue their conversation elsewhere. Ryalla acts as if it was no big deal, but Jerick realizes that Ryalla can do magic too and doesn’t even know it.
Chapter 17
Martis heads home after dueling practice to find his father, Kalord, beating the cook for getting his food wrong. Martis mentions that he thinks Jerick will beat him in the testing in a few months, which causes Kalord to come at him in a rage. However, Martis fights back, which is unexpected, and due to Martis’s training and Kalord’s lack of practice, Martis beats his father and stabs his cheek with a knife. Martis takes over for Kalord as ruler of their house.
In Jerick’s rooms, Topaz comes in and Jerick apologizes. Jerick asks him how they can do magic, but Topaz doesn’t know. Topaz calls it microkinesis, but says everything he’s read about it claims that magic is evil or of the Fain. Topaz warns of an unknown danger that’s coming, but hints of it can be found in ancient legends and myths.
Their talk is interrupted by a disturbance at the window, and they look out to see a man in white armor riding on a horse up to the castle. Topaz and Jerick use microkinetic vision to determine the composition of the armor, which is steel. They then rush down the hallway to meet the visitor, and Topaz explains how Dragonsteel gives off pulses in the spiritual realm. Jerick mentions how the Tamu Kek does this, and Topaz says that’s because Sho Del have some Dragonsteel in their bones. They reach the gates where the king is greeting the visitor, Hsor. Hsor announces to everyone that he has just come from the Eternal War hunting after a Sho Del assassin. He promises riches and glory to anyone who can catch the assassin, which causes quite a stir.
Chapter 18
Jerick is invited to the throne room to see the king and Hsor, as Jerick might be able to identify what a Sho Del looks like. Jerick is confused and claims he’s never seen a Sho Del before. As Jerick walks down the hallway after being dismissed, he hears a commotion at the gates. He goes over to see a mad beggar trying to enter the palace. However, the beggar turns out to be Torell, who is unaware of how he sounds and looks.
After five years away from the palace, Torell’s speech has become like the peasants’ speech, and he thinks his dirty robes are still pristine because the common people’s clothing was all he had to compare them to. As servants clean him up, Topaz comes in to see him and talk.
In his command pavilion, Martis receives reports from some scouts. Martis plans on capturing the Sho Del, but not by hunting it. Rather, he has spies in the other hunting parties so that he can intercept it when it is captured. He makes plans to marry Courteth and become king.
Chapter 19
The weather has turned cold and icy, and Ryalla walks around the frozen palace grounds. Courteth finds her and punishes her by telling her to read her homework books in four days. Ryalla complains, but Courteth catches on that Ryalla has been playing her for a fool. Courteth orders Ryalla to strip down to just her shift and walk out into the freezing pond up to her neck. Ryalla’s years of slavery and obeying orders cause her to do so despite herself. As Ryalla stands in the pond in agony, Courteth lectures her from the side. Ryalla feels her body begin to shut down, and she begins to sink under the water.
Suddenly, Topaz is there, grabbing Ryalla and dragging her to shore. He presses his topaz ring against her and she feels sudden warmth and healing. Completely healed, she watches as Topaz, his demeanor dark and menacing, slowly advance upon Courteth. Plants around him burst into rapid life, and Topaz threatens Courteth, who runs away in fright. The plants go back to normal and Topaz tells Ryalla that she’ll never have to worry about Courteth punishing her again.
Courteth races back to her rooms and calms herself down. She convinces herself that the plants growing was just a trick. Martis enters and proposes a union with her, claiming that the Sho Del assassin will soon be his. Courteth knows that the best way to get back at Topaz is to go through his friend Jerick, and so she denies Martis, planting in his head the need to humiliate Jerick.
Chapter 20
Ryalla sits by the pond that was her near-demise, and realizes that her punishments only worked because she willfully obeyed and allowed them to. Jerick comes up and they talk, both admitting that Topaz can do magic.
Frost and Topaz talk in Frost’s room. Frost muses how Topaz does so much with so little information and is almost tempted to tell Topaz all he knows, which would break a vow he’s made. Whatever Frost is, it is much greater than Topaz assumes. Bat’Chor arrives and gives Topaz the translation of the scroll. One section is a legend from thousands of years ago about an alter to five gods, the names of the gods being written in Dragonsteel on the alter. The alter was later destroyed. The names of the gods are written on the scroll, but it was a part the translators couldn’t translate, and were left in their original tongue.
Frost admits that he can translate them, and does so, justifying his actions that any scholar could translate them, even though he knows that what he was doing was close to being “a betrayal of his promise.” However, the scroll only has four names down, not the name of the fifth. Frost says he knows what it is, but says he is forbidden to share it, to Topaz’s anger.
Topaz tells Bat’Chor they’ll find the name of the fifth god on their own, pointing out that the bits of Dragonsteel that the names were made of would still be around even after thousands of years. In fact, the pattern of one of the names was identical to the piece of Dragonsteel on the sword hilt: that piece had come from the alter. They plan on going and looking at famous pieces of Dragonsteel to see if one spells the name of the fifth god, and Frost agrees to give them the alphabet so that they can translate it when they find it.
Martis’s servants find a group of hunters that caught the Sho Del assassin, and kill them, bringing the Sho Del to Martis. Instead of taking it to the king immediately, Martis says he has a better plan.
Chapter 21
Jerick visits Torell and asks about his parents. When he tells him, Jerick’s mind goes fuzzy until Topaz snaps him out of it. Topaz says they’ll have to do something about that, and then that the king has an announcement to make and they should go. As they walk down the hall, the voices in Jerick’s mind come again, one saying to proceed with the plan and that a distraction was made for them. Topaz didn’t hear the voices and says that that power isn’t microkinesis, but cognitive magic, which comes from the Sho Del. They hurry to the king.
Meanwhile, Martis talks to the bound Sho Del, giving it a blunted sword and telling it to kill the king. He then rushes to the king, who is making his announcement. The Sho Del rushes at the king but it intercepted by Topaz and Jerick. Topaz tries to swing a sword at it twice, but both times his body refuses to cooperate and his swings miss at the last moment. The Sho Del kicks Topaz out of the way. Jerick fights with it, and is about to defeat it when Martis yells out to him to kill it to avenge his parents, who were killed by a Sho Del. Jerick freezes, allowing the Sho Del to move past him and to the king. Martis then defeats it according to his plan, leaving Jerick humiliated.
Chapter 22
The king announces the engagement of Martis to his daughter.
This is the last chapter of Part two, and then there's another interlude.
