I'm going to have to take this as a free day to write. The links that the program provided are broken, and that renders today's exercise moot.
I will, however, post some of my story up, for anyone who wants to read it (Forgive me in advance for the font change).
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A sharp rapping sound startled Hadrian from his daydream, and he looked around the room in a sudden panic. His instructor, Tomas Gerridon III, noticed this, and peered over his notes, observing the situation with a careful eye. The sound resounded throughout the room again, and both Hadrian and Tomas realized where it was coming from. They turned their heads, almost simultaneously, towards the small circular window that was set into the wooden wall opposite the desk. There, a small blue bird was perched, silently watching the activities of the strange, rough-skinned creatures within. Every so often, it would peck at the window pane, as if to garner attention to itself. It beat its’ wings against its body, and shook its’ neck, as if proclaiming its arrival.
Tomas stood and quickly crossed the room towards the window. The bird stared at him momentarily, cocking its’ head to one side. Tomas stepped closer, and the bird fluttered away, riding the western winds back to the forests that surrounded the small village of Coppervale.
Satisfied, Tomas turned back to the desk, and Hadrian promptly turned his eyes back to the open textbook in front of him. As his eyes scanned over the words, his mind was swimming in thoughts of the outdoors and the adventures that could had outside the confines of his grandparents’ home.
Tomas took his seat, and broke the silence that was lingering, “Anyway, enough reading for now. You can close your book now.”
Even before Tomas had finished speaking, Hadrian had jumped from his seat, making to escape the rest of his lessons. He snatched a sharpened stick and a small knife from under his chair, and made a dash for the back door.
A strong hand fell on his shoulder, stopping him in his tracks. Tomas looked down at him with narrow eyes, “I didn’t say we were done.” He removed his hand, and motioned towards the chair, “Sit down.”
Hadrian heaved a heavy sigh, and slumped into his chair, “Why, Tom? Why do I have to learn these things?”
“Like I’ve told you before, we learn and study history in order to avoid repetition in the future.”
Hadrian laughed, and retorted, “But according to this,” He tapped the book on the desk, “nobody ever learned.”
Tomas smiled, reassured of himself, “Those people never learned their history. They were too quick to action, too prone to anger, and too ignorant to learn otherwise. It is from their mistakes that we learn what to do in order to avoid doing the same.”
Hadrian stuttered, and Tom’s eyes reflected his astounding intellect. Why is he so smart? He continued his downhill argument, “What change can I make? I’m not a noble; I have no gems decorating my sleeves. Nothing I can do will change anything.” He paused briefly, leaning back in his chair, and then added, “So why try?”
He felt proud of his argument, as Tomas didn’t say a word, and in fact backed down, the shimmer in his eyes fading out. Then, Tomas did something that Hadrian did not expect. He quietly took the textbook, and flipped through the pages, muttering to himself. His fingertips passed over numerous dog-eared pages, and every so often, he would pause and make a note to himself in the margins. The eerie silence that hovered in the room unnerved Hadrian, and he shifted nervously in his seat.
Tomas eventually found the page he was looking for near the end of the book, “I understand our world’s history might not be in your best interest. When I was a young apprentice, I was the same way. A day doesn’t pass that I don’t wonder what could have been had I defied my parents and pursued my dream. Yet, I don’t regret my decision.” He set the book on the table Hadrian couldn’t believe his eyes.
A beautiful painting of an ancient battle-ground encompassed both the pages. The crease in the middle of the page served as a dividing line, which separated the two sides from one another. On the left were the remnants of a fallen city. The magnificent white towers had collapsed, a blaze was engulfing the keep, and innocent people were drowning in the smoke and ash. In front of the burning city walls, soldiers stood vigilant, bravely defending their city with their dying breaths. Beside them stood robed figures, weaving powerful magic around themselves and their companions.
On the right side were the vast hordes of a dark and twisted army; Creatures as black as night with writhing red eyes jostled violently, clawing and biting at one another. Behind them, there stood a dark figure, with heavy robes draped around him. His eyes were blood red, and he was raising his hands towards the darkening sky, which appeared to swirl and convulse in pain. He was flanked by two female figures, each drenched in blood and wearing an impish grin on their distorted faces.
Between the clashing groups, an immense chasm had opened in the ground, and shadowy creatures were shambling out of it like a moth to a flame. Above them, the sky split open, and light poured through the clouds as a women wreathed in soft silk descended over the city. Her arms were outstretched in a loving embrace as soft white light enveloped the city.
What is this? Hadrian was intrigued; his eyes grew wider, brighter. He started to speak, when Tomas raised his hand to stop him, “You’re wondering what that is, right?”
Hadrian subconsciously nodded, lost in the painting. His eyes darted from the warriors, to the shadows, to the women in the sky, to the demons rising from the ground.
“Do you remember what I told you about the Shadow War two days ago?”
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