cosa-cosa

[cosa-cosa]

Part II.

Summary: Years later, living in Kylas Ora has changed Elias. The alios, though said to be a promising solution to the dwindling ether, is actually tainted for diviners like Elias. He no longer has much control over his transformation and hides his appearance in daylight. One night, he is ambushed and caught by a band of looters at an alios mining field. (not without some bloodshed)

For the past five years, Elias found himself stumbling from one place to another with barely enough to survive. It was difficult the past few months procuring a means to live. His eyes had paled from a deep brown to a light hazel, his veins pulsed lights at night, all signs of a reaction to the alios. He spent most days and nights alone, visiting towns only to hear of the latest news. 

* * *

Elias landed hard, back first on the black sands, the air knocked from his lungs. The sands were soon hot enough to be more than tolerable, their heat piercing through his clothes.

His eyes scanned the skies above, and saw that an oblong, white craft prepared to land, blasting sand in all directions. Five men in dark clothing emerged from the opening door. 

He stumbled to his feet and drew his weapon, a long dagger, as they surrounded him.

“We’ve finally caught up with you, Deserter,” called out the figure just ahead of him. All five of them unsheathed their swords and advanced.

(They fight)

His feet lost purchase, and he realized too late... he had stepped into the vicinity of a harvester. The black sands crumpled beneath him, and he felt himself falling deep into its core.

* * *

A hooded figure appeared on the platform of the harvester, a long, slim blade unsheathed and levitated inches from his neck.

“Elias of Arimar, a surprise to see you here,” a voice called out.

The blade spun in an arc and sheathed itself. The figure lifted the hood. A pair of familiar golden eyes peered down at him.

“It’s been a long time, Ryohi.”

* * *

(Set up the story for Ryohi being assigned to attending the tournament)

In the bustling chaos of the marketplace, Ryohi made her way through the the crowd. Something had captured their attention, but soon the crowd dispersed  having noticed her presence. 

Then Liawhen sits up and grabs the hilt of his sword. My eyes dart to where he is watching tensely, and I make out the form of a craft silently rising to our right

“Ryohi, you know what to do,” he says quickly and doesn’t change his expression or form as he says this.

“Let me use my abil --” I start, but he whispers a forceful “go”with every meaning of urgency, and I know to move quickly.

Footsteps thud on our craft, and our craft dips to the weight of men aboarding our craft. There are at least ten other men approaching Liawhen with weapons drawn.

“No!” I yell out and step away from my hiding spot.  

“Ryohi, it’s okay,” he calls out.

“Get the girl,” someone orders, and half the men rush toward my direction.

“Go!” Liawhen shouts at me then advances toward them with his sword, and I do as he has trained me to do-- to run without turning around, to leap off the deck.

I’ve only done this outside in the light, not straight into the dark abyss with half a dozen men on my trail and my heart pounding faster and faster as it tries to comprehend the real possibility that I will never see  Liawhen again. One hand grabs the familiar knot of rope that hangs against the rail, and I quickly scale down the rope.

I keep scaling another 20 feet, distancing myself from the sounds of weapons clicking together.

I land on the craft on my feet and tighten my grip on the handles to roar it to life. I dip steeply at full speed, with the summer warm air blasting at my face. In the vast darkness, one place stands out for me to hide— the multitude of crafts preparing to depart, levying in the air.

I jump off

* * *

THE END

He had little to take with him. The rest of his possessions, he gave to the men of the legion. Perhaps he had never given himself the luxury to accumulate excess because the frontier would never be his home. Or perhaps he was never close to anyone to receive such things. except.

In his breast pocket, he felt the hard lump of carved stone Ryohi had given him. He felt the warmth of the smooth stone, felt the curved sharpness of the eagle’s beak, and remembered her words.

You are like an eagle. strong, fast, and fierce. no one can claim you, you who soar the skies. She had plopped it in his cradled palms before hastily joining the others. If she had stayed, if she was still alive, he would have told her he was no such thing. Only until he had been drawn out and forced to face the reality of his reign, did he see what damage he had caused. He had been a potent instrument, wreaking havoc on the suppressed.

Ever since Kylas Ora was destroyed, he woke from dreams of what perspired every night. Widespread flames lit against the dark night sky. Ant-sized shadows moving desperately through alleys. Steady streams of bombs deployed mercilessly. The hurtling in the air and forever chasing crafts that swooped left, right, above, and below to evade his fire.

And he saw her in his dreams. He saw her golden eyes shifted upward, realizing her home would be reduced to ashes, that he had failed her.  He hoped she had passed in her sleep, not knowing of the violence outside her walls. Her body.. still unfound. He buried his face in his hands at the thought.

He buried his face in his hands at the thought of returning to a world he no longer knew.

“Elias, we would like a word.”

Elias lifted his head and saw that Marcus and Feldspar had entered his mostly emptied suite. He motioned them to sit on the large containers beside him.

“We want to join you,” Feldspar said, “We figure you need some people on your side in the old world.”

“I can handle it on my own,” Elias said, “And we need good men to stay and help rebuild.”

“We will return to do just that,” Marcus said, “But admit you need people who will be loyal to you. When you have succeeded, we shall take the first portal back.”

“You promised me the best wine,” Feldspar groaned, “Where is the best wine but in the old world.”

Elias looked at their expectant faces and sighed at last. “I am a disgrace in the old world, you have rallied yourselves for the wrong person.”

“We will show them otherwise then,” Feldspar said.

Elias lips turned into a small smile.

“It is done, we are going Marcus!”

Elias shook his head and laughed, his worries easing slightly. “If you cannot pack your belongings by the end of the day, I shall leave without you both.”

“No need to worry, our bags are ready, sir,” Marcus said.

[cosa-cosa]

World building

Ripple effect:

1. important energy source comes through in waves 

-those who have special abilities from this energy source are treated like gods

-they need to travel via tournament to reach a site that harbors a lot of the energy source

-a neighboring nation has a large reservoir and the old world wants in

Thematic universe:

Overlap btwn you and your character

pretend character turns into a creature and then point of view from sig other

[cosa-cosa]

Webtoon skillshare

Theme

What is your theme? 

Despite hardships and a traumatic past, you can still overcome and triumph but not just on your own. Ultimately, you can be free if you choose it and help those around you. 

What will your protagonist learn? How will they grow?

Elias will learn that he shouldn’t take things for granted. He arrives at the frontier and has become distant and careless. He expresses his desire to return home, but secretly he fears returning because he believes he is not worthy and will face shame. He must strive to learn and adapt from his surroundings, to make allies, to move forward.

Why does it matter that they go on this journey?

It matters that Elias goes through with building lasting relationships at the frontier and motivate himself to prepare for an eventual return home. (and also separate himself from his manipulative uncle). He has been hearing of rampant discord in the old world and the injustices his family and allies are facing. If he does not return, his family and many other families will go to ruin. The new imperator is reckless and a tyrant and needs to be challenged. 

What is the alternative (what if they fail)?

The alternative is no one challenges the new imperator and his bigoted ways leads to complete destruction of royal families and a full out war with Kylas Ora due to his temper and inability for diplomacy. Elias’s uncle continues to his corrupt operation.

Why do you care about this story?

I care about this story because I can relate to the feeling of failure/not being enough. I want him to redeem himself when it seems all hope is lost. But I also want him to realize it’s not just him who can change the world-- he needs so many others to make it happen. 

Story and theme

Who is your protagonist at the start?

Elias is the protagonist. He’s been at the frontier for some time with his uncle, striking business deals with Kylas Ora. He’s hired mercenary in quickly growing civilization. He’s a powerful asset to his uncle, and is feared by many. However, he accidentally stumbles upon the sisterhood, which has been isolated for many years, after getting separated from his group. 

What/who makes them embark on this journey?

It all starts when he gets separated from his group and stumbles upon the mysterious sisterhood, where the most powerful leaders are trained. Currently they are in disagreement with his uncle and not in good terms. They will be upset if they find one of his men in their sacred lands. So Elias must survive in this place while he recovers/fixes his craft and make it back. But he also needs to face his demons of the past. He is discovered by a mischievous girl who bargains with him. He must help her construct an alios extractor using his transformative abilities so she can submit one of her prototypes and gain favor to be an elder sister with her pod. He needs to help her so he can return. 

What skills/values/powers do they pick up along the way?

Skills - negotiation, 

Values - That he shouldn’t be neutral/careless about the people of the frontier, friendship

Powers -

Who/what wants to stop them?

His uncle - wants to keep him in the frontier, wants to threaten the sisterhood

Members of sisterhood - want him gone

Imperator - wants him dead

Who does your protagonist become as a result?

As a result, he changes and becomes someone who deals with consequences, who is brave, and will not be a victim. He will be someone who doesn’t just obey orders and not think for himself. He is also more conscientious, careful, and warm.

Plot and Outline The Premise

asf

What’s normal and what isn’t?

adf

What is life like right now?

adf

The Cast Who is your hero and how do they fit into your world? How do they stand out?

adf

Who/what is the villain?

ad

The Catalyst What shatters the premise?

asdf

What causes your hero to step up (or run away)?

asf

The training sequence What does your hero need to learn?

asd

What strengths do they already have?

sd

Is it physical or mental journey or both?

sd

The Hurdles How and when does the villain stop the hero?

sdf

How does the hero react to failure?

df

What makes them continue?

as

The Failure

What does ultimate failure look like?

How/when does your hero see it?

Look at your theme!

This is the ‘alternative’ no one wants!

The Lesson aka “comeback”

After your hero sees the worst, what/who makes them stand up again for their beliefs?

The bigger the failure, the more dramatic this moment becomes 

The Climax

when theme finally hits home

your hero knows what must be done

your readers also know

The Conclusion

How has your hero changed? what becomes of them?

How has the world changed?

Drafting

Hero MUST grow over time

reader must share hero’s fears/desires

hero’s success must b worth risking failure

theme must be consistent!

[cosa-cosa]

Protagonist

1. One protagonist to a story

Introduce him at the start

make him active

give him a greater cause 

create conflict within your protagonist

make him complex

keep him in character

draw him from yourself

To create sympathy

1. danger, sacrifice, virtue, generosity, cleverness, appearance

Flaws --> to be solved for their goal

1. lack of self-confidence, lack of self worth, insecurity, naïveté, inability to put the past behind, inability to face the past, prejudice, stubbornness