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Borykos' spell

As spells went it was pretty unimpressive. No smoke, or light, no thunder not even a feeling of power coursing through his overly muscled body. In fact, if his senses hadn't been stretched to their utmost he probably wouldn't have heard the slight squelch as the black bear finally stopped chasing him. Frankly a two-ton rock on the head was a pretty sure fire way of stopping most pursuers.

'Now what?' Borysko thought. 'Drakon dead and me miles from shelter without food, sword or even a bow to hunt food with.'

He'd lost his bearings in his mad dash through the forest and wasn't entirely sure which way to head to get back home. There was also the question of Drakon's poor mangled body. As he looked at the young mage again he did a quick double take. Fooled by the dim light in the forest and his own fears what he now saw was Drakon's blood-soaked and torn silver robes, wrapped around a sack of straw. Obviously a short term spell had run it's course revealing the true nature of the "corpse"

The boy was still out there... possibly naked, but hopefully not. He had two options, downhill or up - which way would the accident prone trainee mage gone? The stupid kid was useless at magic - but his father was a fair woodsman, he'd head downhill hoping for a stream. Borysko was torn, almost as much as Drakon's robe - return home as best he could, or continue his search?

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30 COMMENTS ABOUT THIS STORY RSS

protagonize: author profile thumbnail for Burndtree "No worries, Bolsheviki. Exams come first. We'll all be here when you've time for play.
And nice t'see WandrinMinstrel having a go at Borysko, if the warrior's life had gone...a different way.
And...was about t'comment re "Adventure" - Should really be commented about elsewhere - right right right.
"
protagonize: author profile thumbnail for Bolsheviki "Mm-hmm, I like it. Plots are always fun. I think we'll do well with this. Like you say, don't want to over-outline; I reckon things'll definately be movin' along at a fair lick now.
Funny how these things happen...one choice launching us into all this. x3 Someone's branched off that really awful branch at the beginning now; something entirely different could happen if someone took that elsewhere.
I'll update as soon as possible, but don't hold your breath; I have exams to revise for and a new puppy to look after. This may...lead to me being a tad bit slow.
"
protagonize: author profile thumbnail for Burndtree "Toward Revolution! We know Khoreia and Donovan, certainly others we’ve already hinted at, are all party to a plot against cruel and hated King Alastor, Ruler of All. They can’t hope to fight this powerful King openly, so it’s all…working in the background, plotting, spreading lies, sowing discontent thru all the King’s conquered lands: differing nations, all of them eying their conqueror king and feeling no love for him, are more likely to take up arms against him, sometime, say after the right small final provocation.
Magic, and Khoreia’s discovery of our Beargirl, and possession of the hated King’s young son, all figure in these machinations, Vagari, and whatever the greater plot yet to be discovered. And removing an obstacle named Borysko.
Of course, all this only suggestion, Bolsheviki.
Back at the start of this fun, when Borysko and bear chasing him crash in on Drakon, and Drakon reflexively pops up a spell at the bear, I might've only gone with symbiotically linking Bory and Bear, adventuring together ever after. You went with a shapeshifting spell, gave us the beargirl – and see where the adventure's taken us!
The characters are well enuf defined: we can guess how they’ll react to events we put before them. Suppose, really, so long as we don’t over-outline, we won’t end up plotting away all the spontaneity, the surprise divergences and fluky bits o'treasure we'd otherwise never trip over.
"
protagonize: author profile thumbnail for Bolsheviki "Bears galore! We ought to rename this story. xD
Yup, that chapter was a fun one. =P Mwahahaha.
...Do you have any idea where this is really going? I don't. It'll be fun finding out!
"
protagonize: author profile thumbnail for Burndtree ""Um...the ringmaster, back at the circus, Medved, also is "Bear" in Russian. Figured it might be a bit much to name the big old bear Bear, so he's Marron, for 'chestnut brown'.
Urska is lovely and sooo befitting so passionate a self -- and did You have fun or did you have fun with this one, eh?!
Yeah, prob'ly just a tad confusing if we had two Nyssa's running about."
"
protagonize: author profile thumbnail for Bolsheviki "Know what Urska means?
Little she-bear. xDDD
In fact, all the names Borysko comes up with have something to do with bears. Orsola and Ursula mean the same as Urska, while Berdine means 'Bold as a bear'.
On the subject of names, Borysko means 'warrior' and Drakon means 'dragon'.
"
protagonize: author profile thumbnail for Bolsheviki "Oooh, it's a tricky one to decide on. I believe I'll take the story off in a different direction, then come back and deal with it later. Possibly by having him turning up and giving them all a heart attack. xP
...Now...where shall I go...
"
protagonize: author profile thumbnail for Burndtree "Yeah...and Zombie can work, too. Necromancy. Dark arts. Occult, hidden magic. The ancient Vagari lore. Dono recognized the taboo stuff Nyssa gave Drakon."
protagonize: author profile thumbnail for Burndtree "Zombie, sure. Or...Remember when u showed Khoreia's kinda disdain for Dono's perhaps overly cautious way of doing? Might such a one pull Illusion from his bag of tricks, maybe? Was just running the line thru my noggin - "Donovan, lying under the moon" - There's lying, as in to lie down, in pieces maybe, bleeding into the ground; but also as in what a cautious spy prefers, if need be to lie his way thru - a deceiver, a liar, a trickster. Oh, and the silence works - big silent owl. I've gotta go empty a truck. Play with the zombie idea, Bolsheviki - we'll go with whatever feels good."
protagonize: author profile thumbnail for Bolsheviki "-kills self laughing-
No time to be falling to pieces...
I'm afraid I'm going to have to bring Donovan back-although I think it would be much cooler if he were a zombie of some description. =D How does that sound?
"
protagonize: author profile thumbnail for Burndtree "Well, the Vagari should have more to seethe about, shouldn't
they?--Something new --Other than those boring ancient grievances. And what better than whining about this murdering son of the hated murdering conquering king? "Oh, the apple doesn't fall far..."
Just know, if Khoreia's anything like my aged little sister, she'll razz Donovan next time she sees him -- "No time t'be falling t'pieces. Pull yerself together, man!"
"
protagonize: author profile thumbnail for Bolsheviki "-gasp-
Donovan's been murdered!
...Or was he? -shiftyeyes-
"
protagonize: author profile thumbnail for Bolsheviki "Thanks. =3 You're better at Beargirl than me.
-looks entirely innocent- I should think the magic should be running out pretty soon...
"
protagonize: author profile thumbnail for Burndtree "Good day, Bolsheviki.
Just a thought: Back at the the Pig and Bee, when Beargirl as bear doctor'd Drakon, she only tasted a little of his magical
blood; wondering how long she'll be able to play with shapeshifting, hmmmm?
Btw, liked what a caring beargirl you painted her with poor Calla.
"
protagonize: author profile thumbnail for Burndtree "Glad you like it, Jillian. Thanks."
protagonize: author profile thumbnail for Jillian "Hey, just wanted to say that I've been reading this one religiously and enjoying every minute of it!
Great work, guys!
"
protagonize: author profile thumbnail for Bolsheviki "Drakon's friends, good question. =o
If I intro them, they're likely to be based on my brother's Guild Wars characters, because Drakon is. xD
The character I based Khoreia off, Juniper, didn't have much of a fun life either. xD She is my most evil and twisted character and I adore her. xD
Oh, and you're so good at doing the beargirl. xD I can't do missus beargirl as good as you! But I may try. =o
"
protagonize: author profile thumbnail for Burndtree "Khoreia is such dastardly and scheming fun! But how else could she have turned out, eh? – Who else could she have become? – Considering her life growing up under that Ruler of All. You've made this so much fun -- Thanks!
Now it's just dawned on me (at rainy day's end here in Vancouver) that we haven't even touched on the academic goings-on back at the school -- or might this just go too Harry-Potterish, do you think? Has Drakon friends? If not, why not? Say he has: Who, and what are they like? Or is the school only landscape: a prince's hiding place?
Hmm...what will the beargirl do about poor green-eyed Calla?
"
protagonize: author profile thumbnail for Bolsheviki "'Naturally, no manly captain of beneficent King Alastor’s mighty army could resist such a plea, and from such a distressed and pretty one as Khoreia. Taking her along on their manhunt he will later report was his logical recourse.'
Encapsulating Khoreia's personality perfectly there. xD -claps-
I actually based her on one of my existing characters and she's stayed remarkably true. x3 She's even a shapeshifter, like the character!
"
protagonize: author profile thumbnail for Burndtree "Hiya, Bolsheviki. Very nice -- how you had Khoreia calm things upstairs at the Pig and Bee, and then take us to the circus. But -- What's a little Vagari sleep spell to our bear, I wonder? -- because she's no average bear."
protagonize: author profile thumbnail for Bolsheviki "Good point there, Burndtree. I like your thinking. =o I dooooooo."
protagonize: author profile thumbnail for Burndtree "Jillian’s right, Bolsheviki -- "Ruler of All" fits fine. So much more compact than "Sovereign of The Eight Lands that Bend the Knee to Me, Duke of the Ninth I Married a Sister To, etc." "ALL" has that aristocratic arrogance to it -- perhaps a king who thinks of geography and not people -- could explain why a despot's kid needs a bodyguard."
protagonize: author profile thumbnail for Bolsheviki "Hey, I ran out of inspiration, okay? xDDD I couldn't think of a country name off the top of my head.
I know. Lazy. -shott'd-
"
protagonize: author profile thumbnail for Jillian ""King Alastor, Ruler of All"

Haha awesome.
"
protagonize: author profile thumbnail for Burndtree "Hey'Ho, Bolsheviki. Thanks for all this fun around your great story! Just a thought. Some real world cultures see a powerful symbol of regeneration in the bear: sleeps thru winter (winter = death), wakes in the spring (reborn, restored, healed -- maybe other symbolism -- touched for immortality?) What
effect might the beargirl's kiss have on Borysko? She'd, of course, have to somehow get over the "You slaughtered all my relations" issue. Just a thought.
"
protagonize: author profile thumbnail for surreal78 "Burndtree: the site won't work without JavaScript support enabled -- make sure you have it turned on in your browser. What are you using at home?"
protagonize: author profile thumbnail for Burndtree "So Sad. Home dial-up works, for once.
No Login button let me in - except the one on a Profile page.
Wanna branch "I want the beargirl".
Neither Publish nor Preview buttons work.
Gotta be this old machine at home that's the problem:
posting's just fine from work.
"
protagonize: author profile thumbnail for Burndtree "Thanks, Miss Bolsheviki. And I see Borysko's work, whatever that might be, has just become more complicated. Great!"
protagonize: author profile thumbnail for Bolsheviki "Lovin' this, Burndtree. x3 I like the way you characterised Drakon. Nice one. =D"
protagonize: author profile thumbnail for Jillian "Ha, I love the satirical element of the protagonist! Nice one, Bolsheviki."

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