You can see an actual video of a the Japan tsunami here.  It’s a wall of rapidly moving water that demolishes anything that is in its path.

I had the idea that a tsunami was a huge wave that formed after an earthquake – like tens of feet high that rushed forward for some distance and then crashed into the ground.  Also, once it stopped going forward, I thought that there was a huge undertow that occurred which pulled back with great force.

Since I saw what a tsunami does and acts like, I realized that I needed to re-write part of Kya’s story to reflect it.  It’s going to change how I get the people to where I want them to land and start their new life.

Time to put on the creative hat and come up with a real magical and marvelous twist to the story!!

Well, now it’s started.  The first chapter begins with a disaster for a forest village – one in which Marla survives along with only a handful of other people.  She is only a child but has to learn to be an adult very fast.

Stay tuned for previews. 

Now I’m working on the next story in the series: Marla Meets Marry.

I’m having fun creating this series as I keep my readers in mind and want to create delightful, interesting story line and scenes that never get boring.   I admit that sometimes I truly snicker when writing some of the scenes!

“Yes, yes” Kya said as she was running with one slipper-like shoe on and the other one in her hand, her long golden-brown hair flying in all directions as she descended the stairs.  She looked at the white stonework as she ran quickly by, thinking of her years of training with fondness while she mentally examined the routine she was shortly going to use.  Exhilarated and slightly breathless, nothing could take the smile off her face.

“You have the necessary supplies to get there,” the Marm said, her big brown eyes very concerned as she spoke the half fact, half question.  The Marm was gasping for air while running right alongside Kya.  She wasn’t young anymore which made keeping up difficult.

“I have everything, Marm” Kya replied breathlessly through her never-ending smile while she skipped a step to slip on her shoe.  Getting her stride back, she then reached up with a clasp to capture her unmanageable hair.

“Do you have your notes, your journal?,” the Marm said while looking at just how beautiful Kya was with her rosy cheeks, fine features and admiring the contrast of tan skin with light turquoise dress.  The Marm felt as if she was looking at a princess because Kya was so lovely.

“All is in order, Marm” Kya said, sounding as if she was totally sure of herself while she was running down the final set of stairs.  Looking at her, no one would guess that she had some slight qualms about going on her first mission.  In only a moment’s time, the two arrived and it was nearing the departure.  Kya was simultaneously excited and nervous; a shiver ran up her spine.  She shook it off and slowed her speed down; mentally reviewing her checklist to ensure all was in order.

It was less than a week ago that she graduated at the top of her class.  Now, she rapidly looked around seeing friends and family whose eyes beamed with pride as she was nearly ready for her very first mission.  The people to see her off were standing in a half circle around the translucent, crystal-shaped stones.  The gorgeous trees filled with fragrant blossoms and the cascading ivy that surrounded the platform created a lovely counterpoint of calm serenity compared to the rushing girl and Marm.

Hectically Kya looked for Keyan, but to her surprise he had appeared right beside her totally in tune with her needs, not needing to be called.  Keyan looked awesome with his decorative mask and lightweight armor.   He stood proud in his silver gleaming harness with translucent turquoise gemstones, his shining tawny fur meticulously combed and light turquoise eyes sparkling.  He gave a slight husky meow that sounded similar to a purring growl, indicating that he was ready for action.

Kya stood tall with her hair shining like gold in the sunshine.  Her long waves of hair had been neatly captured in an ornate clip that matched Keyan’s harness colors, she was wearing an embroidered dress, carrying a small pack and wearing her orb over her left shoulder with it secured on her back.  She stood proud next to Keyan whose head was even with her hips, happy to be with him and comforted by his presence.  Keyan was looking up at his lady with loving eyes, waiting for the signal.  Both women and beast stood together taking in the scene like snapshots to reminisce about at some later date, at a time when there wasn’t such a hurry to be off.

Kya held out her hand and the most incredible butterfly flittered over to land on her palm.  The butterfly looked like such a tiny spectacular beauty with her shiny jet black large wings that fluttered slightly while the other set of wings were azure blue with white tiny polka dots that the butterfly held perfectly still.  The butterfly had such an intense personality when she looked directly at Kya with her black blazing eyes.  “So brave,” thought Kya, while she held the little wonder on her palm.

Raising the little beauty up to her eyes, Kya asked the butterfly to show her where to go.  Images bombarded Kya of the shaking land, the people that were running hectically, buildings collapsing and the fires.   Kya nearly staggered because the vision came so swiftly and powerfully.  The butterfly sent the images as she had seen them which were with rounded, faceted eyes.  Her view of the world was mainly by color, the brighter the better.  But she wasn’t just a normal butterfly, she was able to see more clearly then her ordinary cousins.  So, she showed Kya the view of a world from her perspective.  Kya understood the scenes perfectly although the images showed the people as giants and the brighter colored objects tended to outshine the ordinary colors.  Scene by scene she showed Kya the land, people and buildings.  Finally, Kya saw the very last scene of a woman with her baby looking directly at the butterfly while making her wish.  She was standing in a street with crumpled stone pillars surrounding her, she was holding a very young baby looking at the butterfly with imploring eyes, wishing as hard as she could to be whisked to safety with her baby and her people.

Kya said, “Little beauty, show me right before this scene,” and once again staggered as she adjusted to the sight of the butterfly.  First there was a small crack that just wandered in a crooked line across the land.  Then the land was shaking, white stones were falling from the surrounding buildings then smashing onto the terrain while more cracks appeared splitting the ground.  Another shake occurred, this one more powerful than the first and cracks splintered off of the main crack in the ground and traveled further out on both sides.  As fast as the destruction occurred, it halted.  For a while, what seemed like weeks or months from the scenes that the butterfly showed, nothing more occurred.  The butterfly showed people living daily life but then, more shaking occurred – once, twice and then the shaking did not stop.  Not only did more cracks appear but the cracks got wider, the land was moving and the buildings collapsing.

Knowing the time and place that she needed to appear, Kya brought the butterfly closer to her and whispered.  The little lady, in her very showy fashion, fluttered into the air.  Her aerial dance received a sigh from the audience as all eyes followed her.  Then she fastened herself into Kya’s golden hair like a gleaming azure blue and jet black barrette.

Keyan and Kya then stepped as one to the glasslike smooth iridescent stones that made up the staging area, while at the same time, turning their heads this way and that, nodding acknowledgement to the crowd that gathered to see them off.  Kya reached into the woven pouch that hung at her side to grab a handful of flitter and in one swift motion, while thinking of the time and place that the butterfly showed her, tossed it into the air.

The silver flitter seemed to go up then hang in the air suspended for a moment.  All eyes in the crowd were turned upward, all breathes held.  Slowly at first, then gaining momentum, the flitter showered down over the trio.  It was a beautiful sight to see.

It seemed as if there was a shimmering curtain when the silver flitter covered the lady, beast and butterfly.  The curtain of silver hung suspended, transparent but opaque at the same time, then started moving again toward the ground.  When the last tiny speck of flitter landed, the group of lady, beast and butterfly were no longer there.

The artist of the sky was rapidly brushing the colorful hues of the dawn onto the sky.  Some remnants of the night sky were leftover.  The remaining colors ranged from grayish blue to muted purple, so the painter of the sky rapidly brushed in light washes of gold, yellow, light blue, pinks and a touch of red here and there.  Clouds intermingled with the colors leaving some with golden linings while others took on the hues of the sky.

As the artist of the sky rapidly worked, drops fell off his paintbrush and sailed toward the earth to shatter into hundreds of pieces upon impact.  The pieces of color, because they now had a life of their own, formed into flowers that stretched open their petals towards the new morning sky.

With a sigh for a job well done, the painter of the sky went his merry way on a new path that was surrounded on each side by wild flowers that matched the sky.  He never noticed that the new flowers matched his palette.

And, so a new beautiful day began as Kya rapidly got ready to start another day of school, learning how to become a respected lady of the orb.

Presently I’m working on a painting that will become the book cover.

So far there’s the Prologue (which has been posted here) and 11 chapters titled as follows:  The departure; The decision; Meeting Keyan;  As light as air; The Silver Forest; Tri Lann;  Kya’s Orb;  Ordinary Life In Tri Lann; Getting the Supplies; Formulating a Plan; A Warm Welcome.

So, let me know your ideas! 

ILIA

Prologue

The butterfly doesn’t mind that you listen or watch
She, in fact, likes it a lot
And when you are caught
Don’t be surprised if she dances around you
Just out of arms reach
Showing you her lovely markings
Capturing you in her spell

It is said that if you whisper to her your wish
She will take it with her in flight
Bringing your wish to the highest authority
And sometimes it makes it all the way
To be heard
…and it happens
It is the wishes that are for the benefit of all
That seem to come true…

It just so happens that yesterday one butterfly did play in such a way
She had one set of satin black wings
and another set of deep azure blue wings
The second set were speckled with tiny white dots

She hovered over the small red bells that were speckling a green thorny bush
Sipping nectar from the flowers – first one then another – very rapidly
And when she saw me there watching and listening intently
She showed me how easy it was to fly

She circled teasingly around my head
As if she was creating a crown of flowers for me to wear
Then she returned to her task
But seeing that I was still fascinated with her
She again came to me

I whispered my wish to her
I spoke of the wonders that could be on our world
And of the land that wasn’t safe
Imagine I said to her
Imagine how it could be

She went off to complete her task
I went my merry way
Never thinking to tell another about the encounter
With the beautiful butterfly…

ILIA

© Copyright 2010

Most of the research is done now with only one major item left to find out about.  Doing so will neatly tie together two ancient civilizations with a new modern, fantasy twist.

I really enjoyed writing chapter #7 because I was able to creatively describe something (you will have to read the chapter to find out what it is though!).   I spoke about music created by nature and had a lot of fun thinking about my readers being able to picture just what I was thinking of because of the way I described it in words.

I’m now on chapter nine and the ideas are flowing out into the word processor very nicely.

Thanks for stopping by to get an update. 

Here’s the titles of the first five chapter’s of the 1st book of Ladies of the Orb:

• Prologue
• The departure
• The decision
• Meeting Keyan
• Lessons – As light as air
• The Silver Forest – finding it

More to follow soon…