Hey, after a time of on and off deciding I'm entering the 2008 TAC.
The Last Midnight
Basically, it's a dark fairytale set with traditional characters aiming to prevent the the triumph of evil.
For a critique of my overall writing quality I have the prologue enclosed in this snippet. I later plan to release a barebones demo with this and chapters 1 and 2.
Prologue
Interestingly, should a passerby had happened to have been daring enough (or most would have said foolish enough), to have been in Darkpine Forest, and furthermore, had gotten close to the deliberating group to see them fairly well, he or she could only have concluded that only the darkest forces of evil could bring together such a group, and also be the purpose of the meeting.
The first member would have been the biggest cause for concern. He stood, feral eyes displaying suspicion and contempt toward the two human bitches. The thought was not an insult, rather an unthinking display of natural animalistic tendencies. An appropriately knowledgeable individual from our world could describe him as a sentient upright walking wolf with the power of speech. An appropriately knowledgeable individual from this world, would have skipped such gibberish and limited his characterization to one word. Wolfon. He spoke, slightly growling with every word. "What's your point? You come here, bringing me this collection of incomprehensible symbols which you call a book, and say it knows a future that I must help you bring about. How do I have a role, and why should I do it?"
This was primarily addressed to the second member of the party. A well-dressed woman, whom one could easily sense was a member of the nobility at minimum. Her countenance was frightening, with cold ice-blue eyes and raven hair adding to the effect. Her lips pursed, but in a moment she responded. "You are described as the Hunter of Heroes, the one who would kill those who could stop us. That is your role. As for why?" She glanced at the last person, plainly expecting a better explanation than she could provide herself.
"It's very simple, dearie. Those who bring about the Last Midnight shall be the ones to inherit the world. The wolves shall roam far, and shall slake their hunger at will. I believe that's the passage that will answer your second worry." The speaker was an older female. She was dressed in a black dress, and covered by a cloak contrasting with her greying hair. Her hand rested on a black poplar staff, and she seemed the most at ease, despite the disconcertedness of the noblewoman and the pure wildness of the wolfon. "How does that sound?" She smirked, seeing the change in his eyes. "I know you like that. It's what you want more than anything. For yourself and your packs."
That last sentence drove the point more effectively than with the use of a sledgehammer. Ornoh recognized the tempting bait set for him, but he knew there was no way to refuse it. A wolfon was naturally the overall leader of the wolf pack or packs in the area where they lived. A concern for the packs guided every one of their decisions, and concern was great at this time. The wolf population in Darkpine Forest had grown extremely large, and prey was getting quite scarce. Usually, they would go down into the valley and steal the sheep and goats of the villagers there, but guards were constantly around now. Hunters who left would not return. He had been through this before, the cycle of growth and starvation. To end it, for the wolves of Darkpine to be forever strong and full, that chance could not be ignored. He grinned.
"I agree. On one condition." He lowered to all fours and loped to a rocky outcrop overlooking the valley, and gestured to the nearest town. "See, the villages? They hunt us for killing their animals. They mess with us... and we shall show them the result. But there are many of them." He looked at the lady in a way that showed he wanted something very important from her. "I want you to help the Darkpine wolves fight them."
"You beast! I'm not-" "Varriah!" The older woman's voice was stern as she stared intently at the livid noblewoman. "We cannot dispense with Ornoh. And I should mention that two of our opponents live in the valley, that the Book of Midnight says. Do you want to ruin our plan? I don't want to have to use my magic to calm you down. But if you push me..." The only sound now was the breathing of the lady, and her face changed as she came to an unpalatable decision. "Fine. When, wolfon?" "Ten days. Then, the Darkpine wolves will feast." He turned and bolted off, still on all fours, letting loose a great howl that reverberated in the air.
The two women watched him depart. Varriah was quiet for a moment, then spoke disgustedly. "Bloodthirsty beast." The older woman nodded. "Dear, we'll deal with him in time. When we no longer need him." Varriah smiled gleefully. The older woman turned with a smile, surveying the valley. "Good Zel." The older woman turned back. "Yes. Did you know that Ornoh in the wolf speech means Big Bad?" "No. Now let's go. There's work to do."
[i]
The world of Barisea is a landmass surrounded by the seas. It is divided into three kingdoms, Sopas, Weford and Faraway, who have been at peace for decades. Faraway is ruled from the capital city of Garamond, close to the eastern valley that provides much in the way of food, and other agricultural products. To the west are mining towns in the northern mountains, and bustling seaports in the southwest. The eastern valley is bordered by Darkpine Forest, a place which is not safe to go far into normally, due to the prevalence of ferocious wolves. The kingdom is ruled by Queen Varriah, the second wife of the late King Daren III, who died under mysterious circumstances two years after his marriage to Varriah. Next in line is Varriah's stepson Prince Joseph, a charismatic man well-liked by all people. Varriah's son Prince Rory, is a despised man outside of the court for his arrogant ways, and envious of Joseph. Though cold-hearted and authoritarian, Varriah has led the kingdom well. Lately though, she acted suspiciously and has attracted rumors of secret meetings with witches. It can be expected that only the Godmother knows what she is up to, and for that matter what will come...
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