No Title (but a story nevertheless)

So there I was, idly sitting in the parking lot, laid back and listening to my radio whilst I waited for my passenger to return. Got a CD going because the radio wasn’t doing it for me. Then … Lo! A story surfaces. This is normal. It’s my muse using the time as an excuse to plot.

Of course, what she uses her time on is up to her. Does she set her powers to that pesky chapter I need for Dark One’s Bride? No, no, no. That’d be a productive use of the time. Instead, we’ll lay out what’s happening for the unnamed story that I wasn’t planning on outlining until I’d written DOM, Crimson Night, and Witch of Morthin.

The only named characters so far

And yet, despite me still calling it “the story with the elf in it”, the plot is slowly coming closer together. Already, I have the two Main Characters: Lady Adyia (last name pending) and Kaheran.

Adyia had most of her family all sorted out right from the get-go. She has an indulgent father and an older belligerent brother, both of whom will come into play throughout the story. With the vibes I’m getting, I expect some sibling clashes seen from both sides as I think this story may have, at least, four Point of Views.

Whereas Kaheran has given up quite the back story. I’ll need him to fill in some gaps as I get down to it, but so far, he was born to slavery, sold off when he was seven due to ‘an over-abundance of males’ and spent that time working in an orchard (as well as getting into trouble with the other slaves) where he was beaten, starved, mutilated and eventually resold. No, it’s not a pretty life but, as he keeps telling me, it’s all he’s got.

There’s also the general worldbuilding going on. I’ve a feeling I’m going to be influenced by a number of ancient cultures here. Certainly Ancient Rome and their older views on slavery, which I feel is the closest comparison to the vibe I’m getting from Kaheran’s story. I already know there are certain norms to this world’s culture that Adyia, a sympathiser, refuses to comply with and I’m immensely glad that those norms don’t seem too outrageous (in context, anyway).

What I don’t yet have is the reason behind the final clash. Her father keeps referencing some sort of war/revolution. The people behind it seem amiable enough to Kaheran, but are also pretty set on killing Adyia. That led me to thinking it’s a good ol’ elves-against-human shtick, but I feel the conversion Kaheran alludes to is part of a bigger battle … possibly an invasion, maybe a slave revolt. I get the feeling Adyia’s father knows more.