Sandra Hults
Author
Dusting off and starting over.
Current Reading: Edge of Eternity – Ken Follet
Current Listening: World of Final Fantasy OST – The Sending/Hymn of Fayth [Extended]
Hello, my friends. Forgive my absence. Going forward, I will not be going so long between posts. Life has been well, life–a hot mess of crazy sandwiched between work and family life. I have barely had time to create and I’ve been feeling the lack.
To address this, I have started a writer’s group called Ink &Quill that will feature daily writing prompts, encouragement and humor. In that vein, it is my hope to get myself back into some measure of regularity. I also hope to help other writers further their craft. Whether their end goal is publication or not, or if they just want to enjoy some good creative fun. I look forward to hearing from you if you’re interested. Feel free to drop me a message if you would like an invitation.
With that being said, Ink & Quill’s writing prompts can be a variety of things from words to music to images. I do a vague, fun post and a more guided post for those that need a little direction. The purpose is for all types of writers to get their feet wet, have a little fun and create something that was not there before. With that being said, here is our vague prompt for the week:
So, with this image, I was struck by the starlight and the way it flowed around the woman standing in the dark. With that, came a new character idea not for the book series but merely for my own amusement. I have touched on the idea of a modern day realm before….Ladies and gents, please meet Sarina Jacobs. 🙂
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Starlight glittered across her skin as she took this moment to rekindle her strength. Dr. Sarina Jacobs was one of the precious few left who understood Fate and her gifts. In a world of modern miracles, the miracle of magic stood forgotten. The lifeblood of their realm begun to fade. Here, among the land, Sarina could feel the pulse of their world. Beyond the city’s constant buzz, constant noise, she could feel that heartbeat struggling to breathe. Ages ago, Duty fulfilled its song. Emma Jacobs was a woman of legend among her family. She began the family tradition of never marrying. The reasons, Sarina understood, were unclear. Not a whisper of scandal surrounded the woman’s name. Clearly the family line continued through her or she would not be standing here beneath the night sky.
With a flick of her will, she brushed the thought away. Medical school stood a blur among her teenage years. She was considered a pioneer in her field. The youngest woman in Maeselorian history to graduate from medical school, she puzzled her peers. Her record was impeccable. These communes with the night sky served to ground her. The starlight glittered white on her skin as she stood staring at the heavens around her. “Fate bless thee.” She whispered a prayer older than her body, perhaps older than her spirit. She never lost a patient and many assumed that was simply her gift. So many of them refused to see how her hands glowed white in the operating room. Her manipulation of magic was so finite that no one would have seen the blessing for what it was.
More than fifty years ago, a government was born that stripped the power of the royals and shared it with the people. The ruling body, the Siteni, cautioned those royals that still remained to be wary of using their talents. By this time, so few of her kind remained that no one could know who carried a royal bloodline and who did not. The world had changed, or moved on if one preferred. Many argued, what use did the modern world have for stories of ages past? The only lines that seemed to ring true anymore were hers and Queen Adrianna herself. The Morningstars, the consummate politicians, remained. The monarchy remained like a comforting old blanket. Their protectors, the Redwynds remained but of the clan, only one remained by the Queen’s side. Of the Jades, the fabled protectors of the realm, no one lingered.
Still, she drew on the blessing of the land and sky around her. Fate beat beneath her as she stood drew. Her dark hair tumbled to her bottom in a careless disarray of curls. The wind tousled and toyed with the mess. Her hazel eyes flecked gold as she focused the skills that were so discouraged by the Siteni. How could such beauty, such life be wrong? How could those in power not see these gifts as they were? Her thoughts meddled with her focus. Beyond her wards a darkness throbbed. In the city, that constant felt like an open artery. The night air was crisp this Adryn. Isean would be upon them soon, as would the snow and rush of winter. Sarina stretched her magical wings. No one would sense her. No one existed that would care. In that, she felt utterly alone. Magic tides within her bloodline had risen and fallen over the years. Even her mother said she had not seen a talent like Sarina’s in many years.
“So, the Starson line does live on.” A voice startled her from her thoughts. The scream died in her throat as a man stepped out of the shadows. Knowledge and power echoed in his sapphire eyes. He was a stranger to her. Or was he? He knew her. She could see it in his gaze. “At ease, I bring no harm.” At least, he supposed, she could not blast him from here to kingdom come.
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Feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments below. Those of you familiar with the realm at large MIGHT know who our mystery man is. Stay tuned for more and whatever else may suite my fancy in the weeks ahead. Nanowrimo is right around the corner and so is book six of the Maeseloria series.
Sandra Hults 