This weekend was productive in a non-school sort of way. 

The only school-related thing I did was research for my lit paper. 

Other than that, I got job applications for 2 bookstores, ran campus loop, lifted weights, and helped a guy start his car cuz his battery was dead. 

I’m in “the mood,” which means I feel like writing stories and poems.

So…I’m posting part of chapter 1 of my story from the fantasy series “The Treasures of Cethystar.”  It’s not the main story, but a side story about side characters.  It’s kinda lame cuz I need to revise it a lot.  But I’m bored.  So for those of you who care….(probably just RIE TAKATA, who is my BEST illustrator)!!!  This post is dedicated to Rie.  =D

“The Swan’s Buck”

Chapter 1

Selena was bored.  And furious.  Furious with Aunt Letta and furious with him. Aunt Letta would not let her out of the house.  And where in tarnation was he? 

                First was the issue with Aunt Letta.  Selena wished that Aunt Letta did not have to be so old-fashioned.  Many girls that Selena was acquainted with were free to do what Aunt Letta considered “boy hobbies.”  Selena could not understand why Aunt Letta was so stubborn.  But she knew that Aunt Letta loved her and wanted what was best.  Selena’s parents had been killed by the Kaleidoscope Queen, so Aunt Letta had raised Selena since she was a toddler.  Now Selena was fifteen, and Aunt Letta always told her that she needed to act her age.  Selena knew Aunt Letta was just paranoid that Selena would get caught by the Kaleidoscope Queen’s followers.

                But Selena wanted to go hunting.  She wanted to practice with her bow and arrow.  Most nights, when the moon was high, Selena would quietly sneak out of the house and into the forest.  So far she had never strayed outside the protection barrier of Flanderyl because she knew that outside the barrier, the Queen’s spies waited.  But she was curious.  What was out there beyond the barrier?  She knew the history of Cethystar.  Before the Kaleidoscope Queen’s reign, Cethystar had three main kingdoms under the main rule of Queen Lilia and King Ethan.  The three kingdoms of Flanderyl, Glasea, and Eaglean each had their own leaders and their own special talents.  Flanderyl was known for their fairy magic, Glasea for their strength in the sea, and Eaglean for their remarkable martial arts.  Then there were the outcast lands where all the rebels and criminals were exiled.  Out of these lands came the Kaleidoscope Queen, whose only purpose of living was to seek revenge.  When she rebelled, Queen Lilia and King Ethan as well as the rulers of the three kingdoms had to flee.  Of course, Lilia and Ethan had not forgotten about the common people.  Before they left Cethystar, they had set up barriers around the three capitals of the kingdoms for those who did not have a means of protecting themselves.  Anyone inside the barriers was safe from the Kaleidoscope Queen, who for the past ten years tried her best to figure out a way to penetrate the barriers.  The only people who lived outside the barriers were those who had special talents and were trained in the martial arts.  Many of these people often visited Flanderyl.  Selena watched them from afar.  She was in awe of them.  They risked their lives for the weaker, common people.  They were the defenders of Cethystar, still waged in war against the Kaleidoscope Queen.  Selena wished that she could be like them. 

                Then there was the issue with that guy.  A few years ago Selena had begged her friend Heliotrope to teach her how to use the bow and arrow.  Heliotrope was a defender in training.  He had never left the barrier yet, but he was determined that he would one day be able to fight alongside the legendary warriors of Cethystar.  Heliotrope had reluctantly given into Selena’s demands, and every night they would sneak out to practice not only archery, but other forms of martial arts as well.

  Selena and Heliotrope had known each other since they were kids.  But Heliotrope had always had a superior attitude since he was three years older than Selena.  He always liked to call Selena “brat” and “spoiled child.”  Selena had always insisted on calling Heliotrope just Trope because Heliotrope was simply a huge mouthful to say.  Although they always bickered, Heliotrope and Selena always knew to resolve their arguments before the sun set. 

Today, they had argued again.  Selena could not even remember what about.  But no matter what had happened during the day, Trope always came to her window every night when Aunt Letta was asleep so that they could go practice their martial arts. 

But tonight, he still had not come.  Aunt Letta had fallen asleep several hours ago.  Selena was worried that Trope was furious with her.  So she decided to go find him.

The moon was full.  Selena was grateful for that.  At least she had some light, even though she would be able to manage navigating through the forest in the dark.  She had done that numerous times before.

She raced across the meadow.  The cool air brushed against her face.  It felt so good to be outside once again.  She came to the forest.  And she saw the barrier.  It was so tempting to cross it. 

“Just once maybe,” Selena thought out loud.  “Nobody will catch me.”

She took a step, another step, then another.  And she was across.  Her heart thumped rapidly.  Selena gazed in wonder at her surroundings.  The same moon shone brightly in streams across the trees.  The same forest beckoned to her.  She walked among the trees. 

Then she saw him.  Trope.  What was he doing beyond the barrier?  Selena knew that he would disapprove of her wandering past the barrier, so she hid behind a tree.

He was standing quite still.  Selena wondered what was wrong.  Trope looked very tense.

Then a lady dressed in silver descended from above.  Selena’s eyes widened.  This lady was beautiful, and Selena knew that this was a forest nymph, judging from the wreath of leaves wrapped around her head.