Beautiful People: Dakota Ryan

This is from my Dakota Ryan books, obviously. :) The Beautiful People thing is from a blog called Before My Penn has Gleaned (click here) and it helps you get to know your characters.

What is their full name? Dakota Elizabeth Ryan
Does his or her name have a special meaning? She's named after Elizabeth the First, the first phoenix. I also picked that name because of Lizzy in Pride and Prejudice – the witty, slightly impulsive one. :)
Does your character have a methodical or disorganized personality? Neither. She's kind of in between....not exactly methodical, not exactly disorganized.
Does he or she think inside themselves more than they talk out loud to their friends? (more importantly, does he or she actually have friends?) Yes, she has friends. She kind of thinks to herself more, I guess – she talks to her friends, yes, but she does not share her innermost thoughts, and she keeps a lot of her thoughts to herself.
Is there something he or she is afraid of? Dakota is afraid of failing – she's afraid of being irresponsible when on a mission, and as a result of that one of her friends or loved ones die. She's afraid of causing things that result in death for the people she loves – whether it's being irresponsible, letting her anger get away with her, or making a reckless decision.
Does he or she write, dream, dance, sing, or photograph? No. She dreams like every other human being, but as for writing, dancing, singing, and photographing, no.
What is his or her favorite book? (or genre of books) She likes science fiction.
Who is his or her favorite author and/or someone that inspires him or her? Dakota's mom (Cara Ryan) is like a role model to her … Dakota admires her mother's calmness and bravery, even under pressure.
Favorite flavor of ice cream? Peanut butter fudge.
Favorite season of the year? Summer.
How old is he/she? Thirteen in the first book, fourteen in the next, and so on until she is eighteen in the last.
What does he/she do with his/her spare time? She does not really have spare time, but she would like to take gymnastics. But she never had the time.
Does he/she see the big picture or live in the moment? She lives in the moment. Because of her impulsive phoenix nature, she has trouble seeing the big picture, but she is not completely blindfolded. She is good at improvising, but she does live in the moment.
Is he/she a perfectionist? She'd rather not make mistakes, but she's not obsessed about trying not to make them.
What does her handwriting look like? (round, slanted, curly, skinny, sloppy, neat, decorative, etc.) Her handwriting is simple. It's not decorative or sloppy. It's neat, tall, and skinny.
Favorite creature? Phoenix, of course. ☺
Does he/she have any pets? She had one fish, two hamsters and one guinea pig over the course of her childhood.
Does he/she have any siblings? How many? Where does he/she fit in? She has one younger sibling named Brooke. Dakota is the oldest.
Does he/she have a 'life verse' and if so what is it? No, she doesn't have one.
Favorite writing utensil? Pen.
What type of laugh does he/she have? A pleasant laugh – it's high, but not too high, and slightly musical.
Who is his/her best friend? It was Tessa Reed until Dakota was sent to the Haven. Then her best friends became Jazmyn Fletcher, Noah Logan, and eventually Luca Tidmarsh and Adrian Carter.
What is his/her family like? They are kind to one another.
Does he/she believe in fairies? She's not sure. With all that she's seen, she wouldn't be surprised if they existed, but she's never seen them herself.
Does he/she like hedgehogs? No.....
Favorite kind of weather? Sunny, clear, and warm.
Does he/she have a good sense of humor? If so what kind? (Slapstick, wit, sarcasm, etc.?) Not really.
How did he/she do in school, or any kind of education they might have had. She's an okay student. Not the best (she's never seen that many A's) but she's willing to put effort into her schooling.
Any strange hobbies? She enjoys sorting M&M's or colored candies by color. She also likes to make pictures out of random things like name tags, Legos, and Post-Its.
What kind of music does he/she like? Country music.
Does he/she like to go outside? Yes – she adores the outdoors. :)
Is he/she naturally curious? Yes.
Right, or left handed? Left handed.
Favorite color? Orange.
Where is he/she from? She lived in North Carolina for twelve years, then moved to Rhode Island.
Any enemies? Plenty. Let's see....Igdoscio Dechomai, Juliet Capulet, Pythos Wolfsbane, Argon Revilian, and (eventually) Onyx Aspodel. Then all of Igdoscio's troops are her enemies as well, and in the first book, she has an enemy that I won't say here....
What are his/her quirks? Dakota hates bananas in any shape or form, basketball, icing, and tea. She hates tea very much.

The Wanted: Piece of Chapter 1

It's kind of a prologue, but.....

 

Chapter One

Warrenfield, 5009, Friday the 13th

The night was dark and black – the trees whispered and waved in front of the canopy of the moonless sky, and terrified animals darted from their position to safety in a bush, branch, or hole. Every living thing seemed afraid of something on this night – except for one.

The cloaked figure strode quickly and silently across the grass, his hand on his sword hilt. The looming palace rose behind him, teeming with guards and soldiers, but no one saw the hooded form as it slithered across the yard, seeming to blend with the shadows.

The figure – a tall, thin man – reached the forest edge. He slid quietly through the trees until he reached another man. This other man was fully dressed for battle – his shield lay on the ground beside him and his helmet was under his arm. This man looked wary and alert and nodded at the cloaked figure approaching him.

“My lord, the men are ready,” said the armed man.

“Excellent,” hissed the hooded form. “Very well done, Boyd. The palace shall soon be mine.”

“Yes, Lord Veridian,” agreed Boyd. “The men are hiding around the palace, awaiting your orders.”

“Good. We will abide by the original plan, however I have made some minor changes.”

“And what would those be, my lord?”

Lord Veridian turned towards Boyd and threw back his hood, revealing his complexion. He was a bony man with long black hair braided down his back and ebony deep-set eyes. He looked cool, calculating, and the type of man no one would like to have as his enemy.

“Tell your men to kill all who stand against us,” snarled Veridian. “And I want it known – the king is mine.”

~

Rolf Blentley was a renowned lookout.

He was known throughout the kingdom as the best scout there is. He had eyes like a hawk's and was skilled with the sword and was very wise – as a result, he was made the king's advisor as well as watchman. Today, King Holst had seemed distraught and uneasy, feelings the king rarely felt. Rolf was worried about the king, and as a result of that offered to be watchman. Rolf had been up in the tower since eight o' clock in the evening, and now it was almost midnight, and Rolf was getting tired. When you stare at the woods for too long, your eyes start playing tricks on you, and Rolf knew this well.

Rolf lowered his eyes for a second and stared at the stone floor, trying to adjust his eyesight so he may better resume his watching duty.

He didn't see the arrow.

~

“I hit him, Captain Boyd!” an archer shouted excitedly from the nearby forest. Boyd nodded. “Well done, Lesly.” He turned to Lord Veridian who was watching close by. “My lord – Rolf Blentley has been hit.”

“Fatally wounded?”

“Aye, sir.”

“Very well. Tell your men to begin closing in – slowly – and staying close to the shadows. We want to be in the castle before anyone finds Rolf's body.”

“Aye, sir.” Boyd turned towards the archer Lesly, who was well-concealed in a tree. “Lesly. Sound the call.”

“Yes, sir.” Lesly took a deep breath and crowed softly. There was an echoing crow from around the forest in different places and at different pitches.

“They are ready, my lord.” said Boyd, bowing towards Lord Veridian.

Veridian's eyes gleamed with a ghastly hatred. “It is time.” Veridian raised his voice so all could hear. “Move out, men!”

Groups of about a hundred soldiers moved out from their places around the castle, all making their way silently through the forest, following Lord Veridian.They kept to the shadows, and if anyone glanced briefly out the windows they would think that the wind was moving the grass in odd ways. If anyone just glanced out the window, they would not know that an army of two thousand soldiers was silently slithering up towards the castle walls.

But King Holst knew.

Holst had been standing, well hidden, on his balcony overlooking the castle courtyard. He had heard the crows; he had seen Veridian call to his men; he had watched them all move from the forest like large black ants.

Holst knew that his time had come – oh, he would put up a spectacular fight, that was certain, but Holst was losing hope, and quickly. He had sent two thousand of his men across the sea to Oriman, their neighboring country, who was fighting a rebellion of their own. That left Holst with three thousand soldiers – two thousand of which had, apparently, gone over to Veridian's side.

Holst shook his head sadly. Veridian had been his friend for a long time, but lately Holst had noticed that his demeanor had been changing. Veridian had always been sullen, melancholy, and quiet, but now he was bitter, hateful, and was harboring evil tendencies. Holst had heard rumors lately of Veridian bullying the soldiers and harassing the women. He had not wanted to believe it at first, but now as he watched impending doom creep forward towards the castle walls, he knew that those rumors and more had been true.

Holst took a deep breath and slid out of the balcony. Even though he knew he would lose – unless a divine miracle helped him – Holst knew he would have to fight. There would be no surrender for Veridian.

“Wake up,” said Holst gently to his wife, Saphira.

“What is it, Holst?” she asked, stretching and sitting up. “Is it the baby? Was he crying again?”

“No, Saphira,” said Holst sadly. “Lord Morbaida Veridian and about two thousand of my men are approaching these walls now, their hearts intent on rebellion and murder.”

Saphira jumped out of bed, the covers flying. “What are you going to do?” she moaned.

“I am going to fight,” said Holst calmly.

“Not alone, you're not. I'll fight with you.”

“Saphira, you know very well that you can't. You are cunning, clever, and skilled with the sword, but we are up against brute strength and sheer numbers. I cannot fight while worrying about you.”

Saphira's lip trembled for a moment, then she quickly got it under control. “What do you want me to do?”

“I want you to take the baby and run. I don't care where, as long as it is far, far away. Veridian's goal, I'm sure, is to kill me then kill the baby, for he is the heir.”

“Will I ever see you again?”

Holst blinked back tears. He leaned down and kissed Saphira tenderly. “I love you, Saphira. I always will, even if I no longer walk the earth.” He took hold of her hand and squeezed it. “Do you understand that?”

Tears streamed down her cheeks, but she nodded. “Yes. I – I love you too.”

Holst nodded and let go of her hand. He reached under the bed and pulled out a long sword. He quickly donned a breastplate, helmet, and shield and walked towards the door, nodding towards Saphira. “Take care of him.” Holst's voice caught as he glanced down at the baby boy, sleeping peacefully in his cradle next to Saphira. “And remind him, when he grows older, that his daddy loves him.”

And Holst was gone.

Saphira cried silent tears as she dressed quickly for battle. I will not fail him, she murmured through her tears as she strapped on her dagger. I will keep the boy safe, even if it costs me my life. Reaching for a bundle of blankets, she gently picked up the sleeping baby and wrapped him in the cloths. “Easy now,” she whispered to the baby as he stirred. “Stay asleep, if you can – if I know Veridian, this is going to be a rough ride.”

Heart of Ink

Hi everyone. :)

This is my first post. I really have nothing to say. The only reason I'm posting this is so that I can check and make sure the font for the posts is a font that I like. I'm very crazy about fonts, you know - if I don't like the font in a book or anywhere else, it annoys me very much. But I usually grow used to it.