The Language of Worlds: Renewal of Spirit

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I came across this linkup on Nicki Chapelway's blog (check out her post here, it's great), and decided to take part. Though I'd originally been intending to finish this in August, that...well, it's October now, so obviously that didn't happen. XD

The Questions

1. How long have you been writing this story?

Over a year, I believe. It was originally intended as an entry to Kendra Ardnek's Golden Braids Arista Challenge. However, I missed the deadline. Since I was no longer under a time constraint, I decided to expand what was intended to be a short story into a novel/novella. I'm not sure which it'll be yet; it's between 5 and 10K right now. My current goal is novella length, around 30K words.

2. Who’s your favorite character? Why?

Braxton. Because he's a rambunctious side character, and I love rambunctious side characters. Plus, he's a part of this world's equivalent of Aussie culture. Do I need more reasons? XD

3. Which character do you consider the “goodest of the good”?

Corinna, even though she sees herself as a despicable being for using the Taide outside of its appointed time and for serving Aranka. She knows what's right, what's wrong, and does her best to minimize Aranka's damage.

4. Which character is the “baddest of the bad”?

The Witch Aranka. She's manipulative and vitriolic. She also knows that what she's doing is wrong (enslaving others, using the Taide--which is what this world's "magic" is called--for selfish purposes, etc.), but doesn't care. Some part of her does want to be stopped, though, so I'll give her that.

5. If you were to have tea (or coffee!) with one character, which one would you pick? Why?

If I was in the mood for a chat/being chatted at, and didn't mind having to bring along a dictionary, probably Notah. He loves stories/legends/history, doesn't get out much, and would be delighted to have someone to listen to him.

If I wanted quiet, then the Witch Kamille. So long as you don't harangue her, try to kidnap Notah, or comment on the food she likes to eat, she's pretty chill. For a Witch.

6. Describe your storyworld.

At the risk of getting into too much detail, here we go!
For starters, all of its inhabitants are elementals. Even the animals, to some extent, have control of certain elements. If they didn't, they wouldn't be able to survive the Turning, which is the storyworld's rough equivalent of a year.
The races are the Haize (aye-say), the wind elementals; Clann Smàlaidh (smuh-lade or smay-lite), fire elementals; and finally the Miltaides (mil-ti-ah-des), earth elementals. There are also water elementals, but I haven't come up with a race name for them yet, since they don't play an active role in RoS. Plus there's a bit of lore about water and ice elementals that I'm still working out. Also, yes, I find myself misspelling things quite often. XD
But, I think it's worth it.

Each elemental group is split into sub-groups, with each group taking on a different role during the Turning (Breakers, Planters, Incinerators, etc.). With their variety and expansive talents, the Miltaides make up a majority of the population, with the most sub-groups: earth, gems, and plants, each of which can be split down further!
Oh, the races have their own name themes (and by extension, culture), as well. Here are the current combos: Italian/Basque/Native American; Celtic/Danish/Greek/Medieval English; Germanic/Scottish/Australian.

The Turning is an event which all sentient beings partake in--the destruction and remaking of the world. The state of the new world is dependent on the application of the Taide throughout the year. For example, if there were more Witches than usual during that year, the new world is darker, more dangerous, and harder to live in. Witches also are more powerful, and can summon beasts from the depths that normally wouldn't bother those living above-ground. Usually, the Smàlaidh guard these beasts and prevent them from leaving their underground homes, but if a Witch summons them, those beasts are making it past the guards one way or the other.

7. You’ve fallen into your book! Which place would you be happiest at?

The world is completely remade every Turning, so anyplace with pretty forests/lakes/rivers, interesting rock formations, and Smàlaidh (their application of the Taide is unmatched cooking skills). Though, the Smàlaidh tend to live underground/in the center of the earth, since they remain in their elemental forms unless they take a long and grueling journey to the surface, so I probably wouldn't have much luck in finding them above-ground...

8. Which place would you like to avoid at all costs? (Or, explore to know its secrets a little bit better?)

I'd definitely avoid wherever Aranka ends up. She's the most powerful Enslaver (a type of Witch) around, and so the land around wherever she ends up settling is rank with poisoned life (monsters, poisonous/semi sentient plants, vitriolic land a-la Faerie).

9. Share an aesthetic!

Urgh...so I couldn't figure out a way to use images from my Pinterest board, and the way this is arranged makes it look like a romance, which it originally was, but now it's not. Everything else I tried to add made it look like a love triangle or a hodgepodge of who-knows-what.
You'll have to be satisfied with this. :P
The top half is Notah and his current environment, the bottom Corinna and hers.
Edit: I managed to find a couple quotes I pinned that don't appear to be copyrighted, so I added them to the aesthetic in the hopes that it wouldn't be so depressing (because the story isn't that depressing, really.) I don't think it worked. XD

10. Share a snippet!


The six Numerals bathed everything in a crisp orange light that cut through most shadows. Every so often, beneath vibrant green canopies or among crimson canyons, she passed travelers. They treated her much as the villages did—they either ignored her, or chased her off.
Her tired steps led her to a dull brown canyon, the colors subdued despite the energetic Season’s light. The shale-like walls contrasted with the solid grey of the boulders that scattered the canyon floor.
Corinna sucked in a breath. The sound echoed and rebounded, amplified tenfold. Another sound, a voice not her own, came back with it. She dug her fingers into her cheeks to keep herself from making any further sound. Who knew what kind of beasts lurked in this place?
A wheat-red fox dashed out, nearly eliciting a scream from her.
Cautiously, she continued forward. The canyon walls changed appearance: instead of being as jagged as a piece of broken wood, they looked like a piece of cloth, with wrinkles and folds and crevices. One of the crevices seemed to be a window. Corinna glimpsed something the color of the sun within.

She entered the mountain’s shadow and shivered. The song was louder, echoing among the folds of stone. “Hello?”