1-2 Chapters of the first book that I posted on here. And another prayer request (s)

Yep, a genuine sample of the Elandai series. I haven't looked it over yet (I'm just basically copying and pasting--I'm in a HUGE hurry today!)

But before that, I'd like to ask for prayer for my mom's uncle. He has some health issues, and they may have (or will have, or already have) to amputate some of his foot. I just hear snatches from phone calls, so I just know that it's sort of serious.

And another one...my uncle was hit by a car about a year ago, and now he's paralytic. However, he's lost the use of one or more of his hands rather recently, because of something they forgot in a surgery. He's in a lot of pain, so please pray for him. The good thing about it is that it brought him to Christ!
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Ben Wilson woke with a start as his alarm clock suddenly blared. he groggily blinked and squinted at the clock. It read 6:00 AM.

Six AM? Why--oh, I forgot. I promised Kaela that we'd get up early and go exploring. The Wilson's had just moved into their house, which backed to woods. Ben and his sister, Mikaela (or Kaela, as everyone called her) had lived in the city all their lives and were willing to get up early to see what adventures the forest contained.

He jumped as he heard a clock go off in the room next to his. That would be Kaela's alarm. Her clock was exactly thirty seconds later than his. Ben quickly dressed and then went down to the kitchen, only to find his sister had beat him there. She was very punctual, even though she was nine, four years younger than him.

"Mom left bagels out for us." Kaela told him. "With cream cheese and jam, too."

Ben licked his lips. "We can always depend on Mom to feed us well." he remarked, and then plopped down at his seat. Kaela sat down across from him and spread her bagel with a thick layer of cream cheese. Ben and her were alike not only in their love of bagels, but also in coloring. Both had blond hair, though Kaela's was more dark, and blue eyes. They were both 'string-beans' as some people call long and thin people.

Ben was reaching for the jam when he noticed a piece of paper lying on the table. He picked it up and noticed it was from Mom. It read:

Ben and Kaela,

Have fun out in the woods and remember to cross the creek. Go left on the big path until you get to a ford. Cross there.

Love,

Mom

Ben read it out loud to his sister. She cocked an eyebrow and looked at him. "Why does Mom specifically want us to cross the creek? She even gave us directions to get there!"

"Well, maybe there's something really neat over there. She did live here when she was a kid, and she could have explored yesterday when we were at Grandma and Grandpa's."

"True," pondered Kaela. "But she talked a lot about the cliffs and the caves." she gulped down the rest of her orange juice. "C'mon, Ben, let's go already. We'll find out why when we get there."

The siblings raced out the back door and looked at the woods for a moment from their backyard. The woods was in two layers, the first was more sparsely wooded, but had a lot of long grass. The other one, which was further back, was more thick. They were separated by a large dirt path that was half overgrown with grass.

They scrambled through the grasses of the first layer to get to the path. When they reached there, Ben stopped for a moment to breathe in the fresh morning air. A solitary bird twittered from a branch on the skirts of the deep woods.

"Hurry up, Ben!" ordered Kaela starting down the path to the left. "Don't you want to find out what's on the other side of the creek?"

"Hold, on. I'm trying to find out which way is north. Let's see, there's the sun; that's east. So if we go left we'll be heading almost due north."

Kaela had given up on her brother's slow pace and had started running on the path. Ben sighed and tried to catch up with her. She was very fast, and played a lot of sports, but Ben still outdistanced her by a few minutes.

"Alright." he said presently. "Around here is probably a ford." he took note of the surroundings. As they had been running, the deep woods (which they had been traveling parallel to) had thinned out until they could see that the creek had been behind it. They were now standing almost on it's bank, and they could both see that they had reached the ford. A long line of rocks marked the shallow area.

Ben and Kaela climbed down the bank and paused at the edge of the water. "Whose going first?" asked Kaela.

"I guess I will," replied Ben and stuck his foot in the creek. He was wearing boots, but he could feel the chilliness of the water. He looked down and could see bright green algae waving with the current, attached to the dark rocks. A few clam shells were scattered along the bed. He glanced back and could see beyond the bank and the trees were houses. He could hear some far-off trucks from the subdivision, and there was a bright yellow spray-painted board propped against a tree.

He reached the other side and scrambled up the bank. He looked at Kaela, who was almost across. When she reached the shore he helped her out and up. Then he looked back at the side they had been on just a few minutes ago. He inhaled sharply.

The houses and board had completely disappeared! Ben blinked twice, and then looked again, but they were still gone. "That's strange," he commented.

Kaela peered at him. "What's strange?" she asked.

"Last time I looked on that side, there were houses and other modern stuff. Now there aren't any. I could hear trucks, too."

"I can't hear any trucks, and I don't see the houses."

"I know, neither can I. And it's not like I can't see them from this angle. I should be able to see them better, if anything."

Kaela frowned. "Could that be what Mom was talking about? That we're isolated from the modern world on the other side of the creek?"

Ben shrugged. "Maybe. What d'you think we should do? Go on and explore this side of the creek, or go back. I'll let you choose."

Kaela pondered for a moment. "I think...we should explore. We're already on this side."

"Alright. Which way?"

She looked both ways. There were three paths. One led to the left, the other to the right, and the last straight ahead. They all met where the siblings were standing. After a few seconds of thought, she said, "Straight."

Ben and Kaela stepped forward and began walking.


Chapter 2

Ben glanced around as they walked. They were going through a woods now. For some reason that he couldn't explain, the woods felt...evil. The trees were all crooked and dead, and there was no grass or flowers. No birds, either. It was unnaturally silent. Neither of the children talked, and they walked almost on tip-toes.

He happened to glance to the side in time to see a dark shape, passing from tree to tree, following them. He blinked and then it was gone. I must be imagining things, he told himself. But it looked sort of human.

Ben watched the woods anxiously, keeping a sharp lookout for the dark shape. Kaela, walking beside him, asked "Ben, what's the matter?"

"Shh." he shushed her. "I thought I saw something."

Kaela shuddered. "Was it a bear?" she whispered.

"I don't think so. Oh, there it was!"

Kaela turned her head in time to catch a glimpse of the shadow. She gasped and whimpered, "I'm not really liking this... that looked like an ogre!"

"Don't be silly, Kaela. Ogres aren't real. You're just over-imagining."

"I'm sure it was an ogre, or at least what I've always thought they were like. They're sort of hunched over, and they walk flat-footed. I think they are ogres."

"Well, you can think what you like. They aren't--"

Ben was interrupted by a whoosh, and an instant later, a quivering arrow buried itself into one of the twisted trees, nearly clipping his ear. They froze for a second, and then another arrow landed inches from Kaela's foot.

The arrows were coming from the direction of the creek, so there was no way to go back that way. As one, the siblings began sprinting down the path, headed nowhere but hoping it was somewhere without arrows.

Ben risked a glance behind as they ran. Several dark shapes stood on the path behind them, all with bows bent and arrows on the string. They were hunched over and their feet turned outward, just like Kaela said. He managed to get a glimpse of their faces and knew immediately that his sister had been right. They were ogres.

One of the ogres fired his bow, and Ben swerved. The arrow missed and fell in front of him. He tripped slightly on it, and then continued running for dear life.

Suddenly, the ground beneath Ben and Kaela's feet swung open, and they fell down into a hole, clumps of dirt and rocks falling in with them. They landed with a thud at the bottom.

Ben looked around to find that he and his sister were in an underground room. It was small, containing only a table, three mats, and some chairs, as well as several swords propped against a wall. A lamp was on the table, and Ben could see by it's light that they were not alone. An old man with a flowing white beard sat in one of the chairs, and a man and a young woman, both maybe in their twenties at the latest, had just leapt out of their seats in surprise. They all were staring at Ben and Kaela.

The woman suddenly started. "Learka, quick--help me!" she yelled as she grabbed a sword and climbed up the earthen wall with amazing agility. The man also picked up a sword and followed her, and they disappeared from view when they got out of the hole in the ceiling. (As Ben watched them he saw that the hole was actually a hatch with a wooden door. His and Kaela's weight had must have triggered it somehow to open up) There were several flashes of light from above, followed by deep, gurgling yells. Then all was silent.

The man and the woman climbed back down into the hole, closing the hatch behind them. They propped their swords back against the wall, and then the woman addressed Ben and Kaela. "Good day," she greeted. "I am Yevelina Taelri Mahal Ka'amia Daria, but you can just call me Yev. The young man over there is Learka. He's my brother. And this is my father, Klii. Are you, by any chance, from other worlds?"

Ben, still slightly stunned by the rapidity of events, wondered, From other worlds? Oh no. We aren't in another world are we? Not a big surprise, actually. I sort of guessed that with the disappearing houses and the ogres. "I guess you could say we're from other worlds. I am Ben, and this is my sister, Mikaela. Very pleased to meet you."

This time the old man, Klii, answered. "And I, you. I must say, you are an answer to our prayers."

Learka looked strangely at Klii. "You aren't saying that they--" here he gestured at Ben and Kaela. "--sent from Adonai?"

"Learka," Klii said patiently. "It is written that help from these circumstances will fall from above. It did not say that Adonai would send warriors. And Ben and Kaela certainly did fall from above."

"Wait," Kaela frowned. "How are we an answer to prayer, who is Adonai, and where are we?"

Klii turned to the children. Ben got the immediate impression that he was very wise, expecially from his bright pale blue eyes. They held a spark of merriment, but also a solemnity. "Children, years ago, our beatiful land called Elandai, was a wonderful place to be. The forest that you passed through used to be green and living. Adonai is it's maker, and he made it as a paradise for his people.

"Unfortunetely, those people rebelled against Adonai, led by the evil one, Daran. They changed Elandai into a wasteland. There are some people whose hearts have changed and they follow Adonai, and the followers are greatly persecuted. They live underground, waiting for Adonai to come back and overthrow Daran. Adonai has promised that help will come, and he has said that it will fall from above. Like you did."

Ben nodded. "I get it. The dude called Adonai got overthrown and the dude in charge isn't that great, so you're planning a take-over."

Klii looked shocked. "No, you don't get it. Adonai is still in power, but he is a just ruler. In the beginning, he told the people that if they obeyed his statutes, they would live without death and so on. If they disobeyed, they would have to be punished with death. It is really our fault."

"Our fault?" Kaela asked. "I didn't rebel against him."

"Whenever we do something wrong, child, we rebel against Adonai. But, there is a way to escape death. Adonai has promised that he will send someone who will conquer Daran."

"Are we those someone's" Ben questioned.

"No. That someone has to be perfect, to carry out all the statutes, like we failed to do. You two, on the other hand, were sent to help prepare the way. Do you understand?"

Ben pondered for a moment, and then realized that yes, he did understand. He and Kaela nodded.

Klii smiled. "Good answer. Now, before you start your work, you must be trained. We will start immediately."
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Izori

Chapter 8 (From the Dark)

Soooooooooo, been a very very long time since I've worked on my Elandai book (which still isn't named). Some of you gave me name suggestions a while ago, so I'll put those on a poll with the names I thought up and then y'all can vote.

Another thing...I've decided not to prolong the Elandai series any longer. So basically, this book will turn into the last. Don't worry, I'll make it as good as I can!

Oh, and one other thing--click HERE to see my last chapter. I was reading through it, and I was like, "Man, I wrote this?" I think my writing style has matured a little.

Chapter 8

Ben started as Kaela screamed. Not because he had been scared (although that certainly had happened), it was because he had run into something that felt uncomfortably like a spiderweb.

He wasn't paranoid of spiders like his sister was, but this was a very large spiderweb. Ben frantically swiped at his arms, trying to get the sticky strands away from him. He gave a small yelp as he touched a strand--it was thicker than a piece of yarn and it burned his hand.

Trying to jerk away from the burning, acidic web, he blundered straight into another one. Except this one had a resident living in it.

Ah, so that was what Kaela was screaming about, Ben mumbled to himself. He was staring straight into a pair of glowing balls that he knew were eyes. The scary thing was, the eyes were the size of oranges.



Kaela had dropped her sword when she had nearly walked into the web. The spider sitting in the middle of it reached out grossly-large, hairy legs toward her face.

Behind her, Lisa saw it and jerked Kaela back, who had been frozen in terror. Then she too gave a screech.

Both Ben and Kaela's swords--one dropped and one still held in a webbed-up hand--had suddenly been extinguished.

Lerin, who had been behind the others, hadn't yet reached the spiderwebs. All of the children heard him as he called out, "What's wrong? What's going on?"

"Help?" Ben groaned. Over at the edge of the path where he was, the spider had begun making him into a cocoon. He jerked out an arm and struck out at the spider, but it merely hissed and avoided it. Trying to move his sword, he found that he was too webbed up to do it. When the webbing gets past my jeans and my shirt, it will be rather painful on my arms and face, Ben reminded himself, redoubling his efforts to get free.

Kaela never knew how she did it, but with a high and shaky yell, she picked up her sword once more and lunged at the spider closest to Ben.

It was one of those moments where she felt that someone else had climbed into her body and was making it move, and all she had to do was sit back and watch. With a move she had not told herself to do, she sliced right through the spider's middle. Blood that looked black in the dark, but could have been a different color in better lighting, spilled out as the spider shriveled up and flopped dead onto the ground.

She shivered--the spider was close to the size of a pony--but her arm continued on in it's seemingly unassigned work. Her sword cut through the webbing around Ben as quickly as if the strands were water, and so neatly that Kaela was startled. She could never do that!

But the main point was that Ben was safe now, rubbing his arms and trying to get that horrible spidery sensation out of them. And there were many more spiders, creeping just outside the ring of light.

Light? Kaela caught herself. Yes, light was once again coming from her sword, and in the glow she could see Lerin in the act of kicking at a spider, trying to fend it off.

Ben was off like a shot, his sword drawn and shedding light again. But as he went by Kaela, he muttered "Thanks!"

Behind her, Lisa called out, "Kaela?" There was panic in her voice.

Kaela swung around, thinking that her friend was entangled in a web. But instead Lisa was distractedly beating a spider with a stick.

"Did you see that?" Lisa gave the spider one more whack and it curled up, stone dead. Kaela realized that she was not talking about how she had defeated the monstrous arachnid.

"See what?"

"Right over there by the edge of the light--I saw something like a...a man!" She pointed with a shaky hand.

Kaela knew what was going through Lisa's head right now; the stories Ben and her had recited about the Ogres and other things from the times they had been to Elandai before. "I don't think--" she began, but then stopped with a small squeak.

A spider had just dropped from a tree overhead, obviously aiming for Kaela's head. Unfortunately for it (and very fortunately for her), it has missed by a hairsbreadth and instead impaled itself on her sword. There was a squeaky hiss, and then dark blood spattered Kaela as the spider shriveled up on the blade.

For one startled moment, she stood there with her mouth open, staring right into huge orbs dimmed by death. Then Lisa broke her silence.

"Well...I guess that's one spider that won't jump again."

For some insane reason (and it wasn't hysteria) Kaela broke out into laughter. From that moment onward, she looked at spiders much differently. Even years later, she would remember the time when a spider had jumped onto her blade, and fear of them would no longer bother her.

Lisa laughed with her, and then the two girls--one with a sword (now without the ornament of a spider) and one with a stick--set out to shrivel some more spiders.


Ben had just stuck his sword into the last spider when a voice said from the edge of the dark, "Well, we came to help you, but I believe you do not need our assistance."

Lerin jumped and shouted, "Outlaws!", Lisa screamed, "Ogres!", and Ben and Kaela eagerly toward the sound of the voice.

"Who's there?" Ben called out.

In answer, the owner of the voice stepped into the voice.

He was tall and strong-looking, with green eyes that twinkled with supressed merriment. His beard, brown and curly, made him look like the Elandaian version of Robin Hood. He was not dressed in green though; instead his garb was a light brown tunic and boots and leggings of the same material. And instead of being armed with a bow and a quiver, at his waist was tied a sling, a bag of stones --and a sword that looked remarkably like Ben and Kaela's.

The man surveyed the little group with a smile. "My, my, two ladies, one young sir, and a another sir who looks like he fought his last battle decades ago defeating this rabble of spiders. My thanks we owe you, strangers. These spiders have been plaguing us for some time. No doubt set here by the Dark One, they have been carrying off those of us who stray out at night--young ones, older children, even grown men."

Kaela decided that she liked this man who had just appeared out of the darkness. Although he didn't bring the assurance that she knew only one would bring, it was still a comfort to have another human around--one who looked like he knew something about mountain survival.

Ben, however, caught something that his sister missed. "Hold on. Who's 'we' and 'us'?"

The man's eyebrows leapt up in approval. "Rather sharp young man, aren't you. And I see that your sword shed light." He gave a slow whistle.

Men materialized around the small group, revealing the fact that throughout most of the fight with the spiders, they had been surrounded. The men were dressed much like their leader, although (with the exception of the swords) they were armed differently.

The man who had first appeared drew his sword. It glowed, warm and mellow, showing that he was a 'follower', or one that Adonai had set aside as his own.

Lerin was looking accusingly at the man. "You are outlaws, aren't you?" he demanded. "This army proves it!"

Looking around at his men, the man nodded. "I see a band, not an army, but one cannot be too exact in words. So I suppose you could call us outlaws, yes."
--- --- ---

There. I maybe could have done better on this chapter--it's hard to write an attack by huge spiders when you're listening to 'Let it Snow' by Celtic Woman!

Chapter 7: (Spiders)

Chapter 7

It was now completely dark. Ben and Kaela had both pulled out their swords, and the familiar, pure glow lit the path ahead of them.

Kaela smiled as she remembered a time, quite a bit ago, when Klii had read aloud to her, Ben, Learka, and Yev from the Book of Prophesies. One of the parts that she recalled well was a verse fitting for the situation now. 'You are a lamp to my way and a light to my path/I can walk at night without my foot being caught'. How true that was now!

Lisa quickened her pace and caught up to Kaela. "I didn't know it could ever get so dark out!" the other girl exclaimed.

"Dark?" Kaela wondered. "It's not dark; the swords are lighting up things rather nicely."

"Well, yeah, but...don't they seem really dim? Everything's all shadowy." Lisa nervously chewed on the end of her pen as she peered around, trying to find the great light that Kaela was talking about.

Kaela shook her head, bemused. "Lisa, can't you see it? I can at least clearly make out the path ten feet in front of us!"

Lisa looked sad. "Maybe I can't see it because I don't really believe in Adonai?"

Kaela's eyebrows lifted. "You know, you're probably right--you can't see the light because you don't believe in the source of it."

"I want to see it, I really do," insisted Lisa. "But I can't. Why is that, you think?"

Thoughtfully looking at the other girl, Kaela finally said, "It's because we don't choose to follow Adonai."

It was Lisa's turn to raise her eyebrows. "We don't?"

Kaela shook her head firmly. "No, we don't. And it actually makes perfect sense. Everyone's a sinner, and sinners wouldn't choose to follow Adonai by themselves. Last time Ben and I were here, he actually died to pay for all the wrong things we've done, are doing, and will do! People don't like to be told that they're not really good deep down and that they need someone else to help them, so we wouldn't want to believe in him on our own. It's more...grace then choice."

Lisa frowned. "I suppose that does make sense..."

Kaela nodded sympathetically. "I know everything's confusing here. You're probably still processing the fact that you're even here, right?"

"Exactly!"

"Well," said Kaela. "You think it's hard for you, just think of what it was like for Ben and me! The only explanation that we got was from Elandaians who didn't see our perspective."

"Yeah," Lisa laughed. "I guess I got it easy!"

Kaela smiled back, and then gave a shriek that was truly ear-splitting. Right in front of them dangled the biggest spider she had ever seen.
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Ah, spiders! Kaela's arachnophobic, by the way.

Izori

Chapter 6 of the yet unnamed book: (Unnamed Chapter, too. Suggestions are appreciated!)

Hi, y'all! (yes, I just typed in a southern accent. I can't help it; I'm a southerner) This is the first of the scheduled posts, but don't let that stop you from making comments!

Chapter 6

As soon as Ben, Kaela, and Lisa (she was still trailing slightly behind) began walking further up the trail, Lerin called back to them in a voice quavering with fear, "Wait, where are you going? That's where the outlaws are!"

Lisa stopped. "Are we just going to leave him there?" she asked Ben and Kaela. "What are his chances of finding his way back in the dark? He's not exactly young."

Kaela looked at Ben. "She's right--we can't just walk off without making sure that he'll make it back to his village safe."

Ben stopped walking. "Well, what are we going to do? We can't just bring Leran to the outlaws! What if he's a spy or something, just faking that he's an old man. He could be working for Daran, for all we know! And we really do need to reach the followers before it get's completely dark."

"Who says we can't bring him to the outlaw hide-out with us?" Kaela demanded, still speaking in low tones.

"I just said why, he could be a spy!" Ben glared at Kaela, and she glared back.

Thinking quickly to break the tension between the two siblings, Lisa joked, "Hey, you're a poet and you didn't even know it!"

A small smile spread across Ben's face. "Thanks, Lisa. Sorry I snapped at you, Kaela, but I really don't think it's a good idea."

"Because he could be a spy? Ben, don't worry so much. First, I think he's a genuinely afraid, and I think we shouldn't leave him alone in the woods. Second, even if he is a spy, he still is an old man. We can show compassion and respect to him, and Adonai will take care of the rest. We do serve a powerful king, don't we?"

Ben nodded. "I guess you're right." He turned and walked back to Lerin. "Ahem. We're going up the mountain; would you care to come with us?"

He blanched. "Up...the mountain? Don't you understand?! It's where the outlaws are!"

Ben nodded pleasantly. "So I've heard."

Lerin gaped. "Are you an outlaw?"

"Well, I am a follower of Adonai, so I suppose I am an outlaw."

Lerin slowly backed away until he bumped into a tree. "Don't hurt me! Don't hurt me!"

Kaela now stepped forward. The presence of a twelve year old girl was slightly more assuring than that of a teenage boy, and Lerin paused mid-plea.

"Would you like to come with us?" Kaela repeated. "We followers aren't as bad as we're made out to be. And it might be better than walking all alone down a mountain at night."

The old man warily stepped toward Kaela. "Well...alright, I'll come, but I think it'll be the death of me!"

He joined step with the other three as they continued up the mountain.

Presently, to satisfy her curiosity and start up conversation, Kaela asked, "So, what'd the followers do to get outlawed?"

"Following Adonai, or whoever, naturally," Lerin nodded. "It all started back in the capitol, Nirshodeth..."

"Nirshodeth?" Ben asked. "What about Mahal?"

"Mahal?" Lerin snorted. "That small city? Some don't even call it a city, only a village."

Kaela nodded. "I see. Has Mahal ever been the capitol?"

Lerin looked at her in a weird way. "If you've ever lived here, you would know right away that Mahal has never been, is not, and probably will never be the capitol of Elandai."

Lisa quietly took notes in her notebook.

So, I guess that means we must be in an earlier era than last time, Ben thought. We might even run into Klii when he was a boy. Klii was one of Ben and Kaela's friends from their first adventure, who had been rather elderly at the time.

'And so Daran is the king?"

"King Daran (may he live forever) is king, yes. But let us hurry, being in the mountains at dark is not the best place to be. I'd prefer shelter, even if it's in the den of outlaws."
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Ah...there was something else I was going to say, but I don't remember...so never mind.

Izori

Chapter 5: (The Outlaws)

Chapter 5

Lisa looked around her in the gathering dusk. Kaela, Ben, and her had been traveling up the mountain for quite a while, and still hadn't reached the top. She was starting to get a little nervous, too. Who knew what could be lurking around in the woods of a strange world at night?

"Um, Ben?" she asked. "Are we going to spend the night outside?"

Ben shrugged. "If we have to," he replied. "But I don't think we will. Look at the path."

Both Lisa and Kaela glanced down at the worn path beneath their feet. Then it suddenly dawned on Kaela. "Hey, that's right! Lisa, look how worn the path is!"

"Yeah...what about it?"

Ben patiently explained. "Well, look at how worn the path is. That means it's been traveled on somewhat. And look right there," he pointed off to the edge of the path.

Kaela knelt and searched the ground. "It's a foot-print," she declared. "And that means that there was a human here after the last rain. Or at least the foot of a human was here."

Lisa opened her notebook and scribbled a quick note in it. "Interesting..."

"We might want to get a move on," Ben gently chided the girls. "Otherwise we will be sleeping away from civilization,"

Lisa shivered and hurried to catch up with him and Kaela, who had begun striding ahead.

Up ahead, a stick cracked. Both Ben and Kaela whipped out their swords (which proved that their nerves were slightly on edge, too).

Immediately a voice called out of the bushes, "No! Don't 'urt me! I'm not one of 'em, I'm not one of 'em!"

A man, around sixty or so, slowly moved out of the bushes with his hands in the air, repeating in a trembling voice, "I'm not one of 'em!"

Kaela and Ben lowered their swords, now that they saw there wasn't a threat. "You're not one of who?" Ben asked.

"And we wouldn't hurt you," Kaela added in ways of reassurance. "We would only hurt--" Ben swiftly covered her mouth with a look that said, Be careful. We don't know if he's totally harmless or not.

To the old man he said, "What's your name?"

"Lerin, sir, and I'm not one of 'em!"

"Yes, we know," Ben replied, his tone just having a hint of impatience. "But who are them?"

"Them is what we piedmont dwellers call 'em. They call themselves 'the followers'. Or so I've heard. They're outlaws, and no one who has ever tried to find their hideout come back down alive! Absolutely no one! The law's been after them for years!" Lerin bobbed his head up and down emphatically as he spoke.

"Followers of what?" Kaela asked, beginning to get interested.

"Some god person, I think," Leran twisted his hands nervously. "They claim that this Adonai, or whoever he's called, made the heavens and the earth, and that he's even powerful than great king Daran (may he live forever) and--"

"Hold on," interrupted Lisa. "Did you just say 'Adonai' and 'Daran'?"

"Yes, yes I did," Lerin turned to her. "But you forgot the 'may he live forever' part at the end of Daran (may he live forever)."

Kaela and Ben exchanged glances. "Ah, Lisa, come here please." Kaela tugged at Lisa's elbow. "We need to talk for a second,"

The three met in a huddle a few yards away from Lerin, who was looking increasingly nervous by the second. "What's going on?" Lisa asked. "Did I do something wrong?"

"No, you were just fine," Ben assured her. "It's the man--Lerin--who's wrong."

"Ben," Kaela shifted on her feet as she quietly glanced at Lerin and then looked back. "It sure seems like this is a time of persecution for the followers."

He nodded. "Yes, it does. From what I gather, we're outlaws."

Lisa jerked away, her voice rising an octave. "Wait, you're outlaws!?"

Kaela shushed her. "Lisa, we're not evil or anything. A lot of times here, the law has been after the good and rewarding the bad. And now the good side is outlawed."

Lisa took a deep breath. "Okay," she finally said. "So what are we going to do now?"

Ben smiled. "We're going to join the outlaws."
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Not my longest or well written-est chapter, but I'm in a hurry. Sorry.

Izori

Chapter 4 of Unnamed Elandai Book

Well, high time I posted this...

Chapter 4

Lisa spun around as she looked at the scenery. They were in a woods, with something that could be called a very rough path a few yards to their right. The trees were thin, and she could see a mountain rising up ahead.

So, she thought. We're in a valley...somewhere.

Kaela was looking around too, but she wore a huge smile on her face. "In Elandai again--at last! Isn't this awesome, Ben?"

Ben looked around, slightly more thoughtful. "Yes, it is. What time period is this, I wonder? Because I don't remember seeing this particular spot in our earlier times."

"Ahem," Lisa said, clearing her throat. "Where exactly is here?"

Kaela twirled around joyfully. "Where else but Elandai?"

"Elandai?" Lisa glanced at Ben, hoping for a more helpful answer.

"Well, Elandai...I guess I'd better start from the beginning," Ben answered, and he and Kaela took turns explaining to Lisa all about Elandai.

"Okay, let me get this straight." Lisa shifted her notebook from one arm to the other. "We got transported to here by going through the bubble-thingy, and we could be in a different time period then last?"

"Elandaian time is different from Earth time," Kaela explained. "So we could be in a time before our last adventure, or a time centuries after. It's a little sad because last time we went, all of the people we used to know here were...dead."

Lisa opened her mouth, shut it, and then nodded. "Ah."

"I know," rushed on Kaela. "It's a little confusing, but I think you'll have it down pat by the time we're done here."

"I see," Lisa nodded again. "But...why do you two have swords?"

Ben looked down to see that a sword was strapped around his waist. A very familiar sword...

"Why, it's my old sword!" he exclaimed, delighted. "And Kaela, you got yours, too! These were the swords we got on our first time here, Lisa."

Kaela pulled hers out and held it in the air. "You know, Lisa, these shoot light for the followers of Adonai."

Lisa's mouth dropped open. "This is so cool!" she gushed, whipping out her notebook. "I must write this down. Sword...light...for...followers...how do you spell Adonai?"
--- --- ---

After talking for a bit more, Ben suggested that they get a move on. "It's getting late, as you'll see if you look at the suns positioning."

"But where do we go?" asked Lisa. "Is there a city somewhere?"

Kaela shrugged. "We don't know. We've never been in a mountainous section of Elandai, and this could also be a totally different time period. Wait! Remember, in the Tunnels of the Followers, Ben? When Adonai told us to spin the sword?"

Ben nodded. "Right! So, do you think it'll work now?"

"Well," responded Kaela, smiling. "I don't think Adonai's control over everything changed with the time periods!"

She placed her sword on a (roughly) cleared area and gave it a good spin. It whirred around, a circle of silver, and then came to rest with the blade pointing toward the mountain."

"I guess that's it, then," said Ben. "We go to the mountain."
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Sorry, that chapter's short.

Izori

Chapter 3 of Unnamed Book, Elandai

Remember, if any of you have suggestions for book-titles, comment them!

Chapter 3

Kaela hopped down from the passenger seat of the U-haul moving truck and moved out of the way, onto the lawn of the new house. Turning around, she stared at it.

It wasn't huge...but it wasn't small, either. It was certainly bigger than their last house. Looking around the subdivision, she could see that the other houses were like that, too. Some had fancy lawn decorations, others had perfect landscaping.

She could see a few kids her age, peeking around the back of a house, to gawk at the large moving truck sitting in the middle of the street. All of them had bathing suits on, so Kaela figured that particular house must have a pool in the backyard.

Kaela looked up the street in time to see the family van, with Ben and Mom in it, (Ben was driving, and Mom was holding onto her seat--the typical reaction whenever Ben drove) carrying the last of the boxes.

They parked in the driveway, and then Ben hopped out. He stood for a moment, looking at the house, and then said, "This is it?"

Mom climbed out of the car. "Yep. Now let's go and help your father unload."
--- --- ---
Several hours later, Kaela and Ben both explored the backyard of the house. It was perfectly trimmed, with flower gardens, and even a pool, but they weren't interested.

"How could these people survive without a woods?" Ben asked, slightly horrified. He stared glumly at an orange flower as he and Kaela sat on the steps of the deck.

Kaela picked up a smooth, white stone from off the ground and rubbed it as she sat there silently. Then: "Want to meet the other kids with me?"

Ben considered. "I'm guessing you won't meet them without me, right?"

"Well...yeah."

He considered some more. "Um...fine, I guess I will. The only ones I saw were--"

"Hello?" Ben and Kaela both jumped of the steps and turned toward where the noise had come from. Kaela's hand had involuntarily drifted to where her sword hilt would have been in Elandai, and then realized the motion and clamped her hand at her side.

A girl, about Kaela's age, maybe a little older, stood on the lawn, surveying them. She had red hair--very red hair--that was gathered up in two pigtails that reached down nearly to the small of her back. Her eyes were a bright blue, and she clutched a black notebook so securely that Kaela wondered if she carried it around with her all the time.

"Um...I'm sorry I startled you," the girl said. "Your mom said that you would be back here. I saw that some kids were moving in, so I wanted to meet you guys before they got to you. I'm Lisa."

"My name's Kaela," Kaela said, remembering her manners, "And this is my big brother, Ben."

Ben smiled, and then said, "Whose they?"

"They," Lisa said the word as if it was poison, "Are the popular kids. They don't like nerds like me. At all. They sort of have a way of sucking you into their traps, tricking you that you're their friend, when they're really not. You know what I mean?"

Both Ben and Kaela nodded.

Lisa continued. "And that brings me to the notebook. My brother is part of them, so he basically ignores me. I think he considers it cool to do that. So I took to writing."

"Writing?" squealed Kaela. "You write?"

Lisa wriggled her eyebrows. "All the time. Mainly about other worlds. Don't you think it would be nice to go to other worlds? I don't think anyone ever has, though. Wouldn't it be awesome?"

"Yeah," Ben agreed, glancing at Kaela. "Awesome."

Kaela smiled.

Right before Kaela was about to ask Lisa a question about how to start books, a brilliant flash lit up the whole backyard.

They all covered their eyes, and Lisa screamed. For an instant, Kaela felt a topsy-turvy feeling, like the time she had been on a roller-coaster and it had suddenly plunged, as roller-coasters usually do. Then everything righted again.

Lisa uncovered her eyes, screamed again, and shut them.

Ben and Kaela uncovered their eyes, and gasped in delight.

"Yes!" Kaela crowed. "He did it!"

They were standing on steeply sloped ground, in a forest. Ben guessed that the forest was located on a mountain. In Elandai.

Next Elandai Book (which is unnamed for now): Chapter 1, Moving

On to a new book! Exciting, huh! I still need to decide which Elandaian time period I should put my characters in. Well, I got a vague idea, actually, but I'm not telling yet =).

Chapter 1

Mikaela Wilson slumped at her computer, her fingers hovered over the keys. Her face scrunched into a frown, and then she sighed.

"Oh, it's no use!"she said aloud, greatly frustrated. "Why can't I start writing already!"

The tall, blond, eleven year old pushed her chair away from the computer and stood up. Mikaela (most people called her Kaela) had been trying for several days now to write a story. It wasn't just any story, though.

Two years ago, Kaela, her brother named Ben, and her cousins, Josh and Lindsey, had discovered a world that was located just across the creek behind the Wilson's house. Actually, Ben and Kaela had already discovered it before Josh and Lindsey came along, and at first they had regretted that their cousins were accompanying them. At least, that was before they met Yeshua.

Ben and Kaela already knew Yeshua (or more specifically, they knew him by the name of Adonai) from their first adventure in that world, which was called Elandai. He was powerful, strong, and mighty, and helped the siblings to defeat Daran, the most evil creature Kaela ever knew of. She couldn't bring herself to call him a person, seeing as he really wasn't. She didn't quite know exactly what he was, actually, but she did know he wasn't a human. The thought of Daran made Kaela shiver.

In the adventure with their cousins, Yeshua gave Daran a wound that would prove mortal, yet not in the way everyone expected; he allowed Daran to kill him for the sake of the fallen land of Elandai. And then he had rose again.

The adventure had changed all of them, but especially Josh and Lindsey. Before it, they had been spoiled and bratty. But by the end, they had followed Yeshua, and they had changed--for the better. As a matter of fact, Ben and Kaela were going to see their cousins tomorrow, and were looking forward to it.

All of this, Kaela had wanted to write down. She wanted to remember it forever and always, yet she couldn't find the right words to begin. For some reason, they were eluding her.

Maybe it's just to awesome to write about, Kaela thought. Or maybe it's because I'm forgetting. It has been two years, after all!

She jumped as the garage opened, letting out it's customary grinding sound. A few seconds later, Ben came into the house.

"H'lo, Kaela," he greeted her. "What's up?"

Ben was sixteen now, and could drive. He looked a lot like Kaela--tall, blond, blue-eyed, and gangly--but his voice was much deeper, and yellow fuzz had begun to grow on his upper lip. He was several inches taller, too.

She twirled a few strands of her hair on her finger, a habit she had picked up. "I'm trying to write about Elandai. But I can't figure out how to start!"

"Oh, that's easy," Ben snorted. "From the beginning, I would think!"

Kaela sighed, exasperated. "I wish it was that easy! You can't just start 'Once upon a time, two kids were walking in the woods and they crossed over their creek', you know. It has to be something that catches the readers mind, making him (or her) want to keep on reading to find out what will happen."

Ben's eyes widened. "Wow, maybe you do know something about writing. Just continue that thought, and you'll get something. Possibly."

Her shoulders slumped. "I wish I knew someone who had a few tips on writing. But it seems like no one's interested these days. Or at least, no one that I know."

"Well, doesn't--what's her name? The short one with the dyed black hair that's about your age-- Stephanie, isn't it?"

Kaela shook her head. "No, you mean Bethany."

"Right. Anyway, doesn't she write some?" Ben asked.

She shook her head. "No; she just reads. Besides, she's really busy now with school and all." The Wilsons were homeschooled, and they often finished their schooling before their friends did.

Ben shrugged. "Well, I can't think of anything else...oh, Mom wanted me to tell you that she'll be coming home later from the library than she expected. There's a huge amount of kids needing school books, and she's stuck in the middle of a checkout line that isn't moving. And Dad's coming home early. Mom said to eat without her if we have to so we can get on time for your bagpipe recital tonight."

"Bagpipe recital?" Kaela gasped. "I completely forgot!"

"Well, then you'd better start practicing," advised Ben. "I guess I'll get dinner on for you, then."
--- --- ---

The day after Kaela's bagpipe recital, the whole Wilson family sat at the dinner table, eating.

"Hey, Dad?" Kaela asked. "I forgot to tell you this earlier, but my teacher said that I'm doing really well. He suggested that I graduate to the next level. I'll have to have forty-five minute lessons twice a week, but I think it'll be worth it. Can I graduate?"

Dad looked at Mom, and she looked at him back. "Um...Angela, would you like to explain?" Dad asked.

"Perhaps you'd better," Mom answered.

"Oh, alright. Ben, Kaela, I was hoping we could avoid this...but it looks like we're going to have to move again."

Kaela sat bolt upright. "Move?!"

"Move?" Ben asked, not quite so shrilly.

Dad nodded. "Yes, move. I'm sorry."

Kaela looked stricken. "But...the creek!"

Mom cleared her throat. "I knew you would say that. Do you think there's only one way to get into Elandai?"

"Well, yes..." Ben hesitated. "I'm pretty sure."

"I wouldn't underestimate how awesome Adonai is, Ben," Mom corrected. "It would come as no surprise if there is another way into Elandai." Both Mom and Dad had entered Elandai when they were young, and knew much more about it then Ben and Kaela did.

"So the answer is no, Kaela," Dad said. "I'm sorry, but we just won't have time. We're going to have to move in two weeks, and we have boxes to pack."

"Oh, that's okay, Dad," answered Kaela, distracted. I sure do hope Mom's right about more ways to Elandai. I would hate to never visit again.
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Bet you didn't see that one coming, huh?

Izori

Break from Elandai

You know, I think I'll take a small break now that I've finished "The Return to Elandai". I really enjoy writing them, but I'd like to spend more time on Sarea, seeing as that's the book I'm hoping to publish the most. Don't worry, I'm really wanting to write another book with Ben and Kaela, but that might be in a few weeks to a month.

Izori

Chapter 20 (Going Home)

Wow, Chapter 20! If every chapter was a year, this book would be seven years older than me! And this is the last chapter too! *sniff* Nooooooooo!

Chapter 20

Ben nibbled on a piece of bread as he vacantly looked out the window at the people down below. Hans was whittling something besides him, and Tristan was taking a small cat-nap on the floor.

"Here," Hans said, handing Ben a piece of wood and a knife. "Why don't you carve something?"

Ben briefly nodded and accepted them. He took one last look out the window. And then turned away. Wait, did I saw who I thought I saw? He looked back again and leaped up in surprise.

Making their way through the traffic were Kaela, Lindsey, Erithnae--and Yeshua!

He rushed down the stairs, narrowly avoiding stepping on Tristan. Hans looked after him. "Hey, Ben? Where...what on earth?"

Figuring that the cause for Ben's excitement was somewhere outside, Hans glanced out the window. And nearly screamed in delight.

"Tristan! Tristan!" he bellowed, shaking the sleeping boy. "Wake up! It's Yeshua!"

The other followers heard Hans yelling, and then the whole house was alive with joy. Ben had never come so close to crying as he did then, but not because he was sad. Yeshua's alive! he kept on repeating to himself. Yeshua's alive!

After the hubbub had died down a bit, Yeshua smiled. "I'm sure everyone knows what comes next!" he exclaimed. "A feast!"

Josh was about to ask where the food was, when Yeshua waved his hand at the table. Instantly it nearly disappeared under food of every kind! Bread, meat, fruit, vegetables, salads, souffles, puddings, pies...every food imaginable was there.

He was wondering where he should start, when Yeshua came up to him, holding something behind his back. "Care for a suggestion, Joshua?"

Josh sniffed. "Something smells familiar...yeah, sure. What's that behind your back?"

Yeshua pulled his hands out behind him and waved a livercream pie in front of Josh's face. "Care for some livercream pie?"
--- --- ---
The feast lasted for several hours. Everything, as Lindsey noticed, tasted so much more real then other food. The fruit was more juicy, the meat more tender; she wondered if it had anything to do with the fact that Yeshua made it.

When everything was finished, Yeshua gathered everyone around. "Ben, Kaela, Lindsey, Josh--you're time in Elandai is over."

Lindsey sighed. "Man, that was awesome! Thank you so much, Yeshua!"

Josh looked a little worried. "Will we ever come back?"

Yeshua smiled in a reassuring way. "All of you will come back someday. But even when you aren't in Elandai, I will still be with you, though you won't see me. And soon after you four go, I also will go up to my father, Adonai. So say your goodbyes now,"

Ben turned to Tristan and slapped him on the back. "Well, see you, Tristan."

Tristan patted him in return. "Have fun in your world, Ben."

They all said their goodbyes to the followers, and then stood in front of Yeshua. He smiled at each one, and then suddenly--

--Ben, Kaela, Josh, and Lindsey were standing beside their creek, back in their own world.

Lindsey blinked. "Wow," was all she could say.

Josh couldn't manage much more. "Were we...dreaming?"

Kaela grinned happily. "No, we weren't. And that's the best thing about Elandai; it's all one hundred percent real!" She turned to Lindsey. "So, are you happy you guys came to the creek with Ben and me?"

Lindsey smiled sheepishly. "Definately. And I'm really sorry about the way I acted. I would understand perfectly if you hated me for life."

Kaela smiled back. "Oh, that's okay. You certainly aren't like that anymore!"

Ben waved toward the creek. "Well, I guess we'd better be getting back to the house now, guys. C'mon, this way."

He led his sister and his cousins back across the creek and onto the other bank. When they had finished, Lindsey took one last look back.

"Do you know if anyone else has discovered Elandai?" she asked. "It would be so easy to find; all you have to do is walk across the creek and you're there!"

Ben shook his head. "We do know that Mom and Dad had at least one adventure in Elandai, but other than them, we don't know."

Josh suddenly started. "Hold on. We were gone for weeks! We'd better get home now!"

"Oh, don't worry," Kaela assured him. "Elandaian time is different from ours. In Elandai, weeks for them would only be a second in our time. See?"

She held her watch under Josh's nose. "The time's exactly the same as when we crossed over. It's 9:24 AM."

Josh could only shake his head.

"When do you think we can go back?" Lindsey asked her cousins.

Ben shrugged. "It really depends. It was nearly a month after our first adventure that Kaela and I were summoned into Elandai again. But for you two it could be different--maybe a few days, or maybe a year. But we might want to go back now, this is a good season for snakes."

Kaela shuddered. "Righto. Come on, guys, let's hurry. You really don't want to run into snakes around here!"

The cousins turned and walked away. But as Ben left the creek, he knew that it wouldn't be very long before they would have another adventure in Elandai.

The End

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Whew. That was a complicated book. Some people may think it's easy to write an allegory, but it's not really. Because you want it to be theologically correct, but you don't want it to just be an exact copy of the Bible. But they're so fun to write!

Thanks for reading this everyone. Comments and suggestions are greatly appreciated. I'm never too busy for comments!

Izori

Chapter 19 (The Surprise at the Tomb)

Okay, I'm going to try and wrap this up in the next couple of chapters.

Chapter 19

The next days passed in a blur. Josh got up every day, hoping that there had been some mistake, and then Yeshua really wasn't dead. But soon it became obvious: Yeshua was seriously, honestly, unmistakably, dead.

It had been three days since that day when Kaela tapped Lindsey on the shoulder. "Hey, Lindsey?"

"Yeah?" Lindsey looked up from where she was drawing on the dusty floor.

"I'm going down to see the tomb. Wanna come with me?"

Kaela's cousin shrugged, but stood up. "Why not. We just have to watch out for Ogres, though. They haven't been particularly friendly toward us followers."

Kaela pursed her lips and nodded. Ben had just recently had a close encounter with an Ogre guard, and now the followers stayed at home almost all the time. Not like it's particularly pleasant outside; nine tenths of Mahal are celebrating, and one tenths are trying to keep a low profile.

Kaela walked over to the wall of her room and put her head-covering on. She had begun wearing it so that none of the Ogres would see her face. It seemed that the Ogres knew whether or not you were a follower by looking into someone's eyes. At least, that's what Ben had observed. Kaela had also taken to wearing traditional Elandaian garb; a long tunic with a cloak over that, and the women wore head-coverings.

Lindsey also covered her head, and Kaela grabbed her sword, concealing it under her cloak. Then they set out for the tomb.

Taking the back-streets and alleys, the girls avoided the main traffic. They arrived at Erithnae's house fifteen minutes after they had started out. Erithnae met them at the door when they knocked.

"Erithnae, just telling you, we're going to visit--" that was all Kaela said before Erithnae put his finger to his lips.

"Shhh. Some officials came by yesterday and posted guards around the tomb!"

"What?" Lindsey asked, in a low tone. "You're joking, right?"

"I wish I was, but I'm really not. They said something about making sure none of the followers removed the body, or something crazy like that."

"Do you think we can still visit it?" Kaela questioned.

Erithnae shook his head. "They won't even let me get near it, and I'm the owner of the property. I doubt they'll let you girls get close. I guess you could try...but I wouldn't if I were you."

Kaela couldn't have cared less, even if Erithnae had just said that the tomb was guarded by a two headed, fifty foot long, poisonous snake (and snakes were one of her big fears). "Well, I'm going to try to."

Lindsey stared at her cousin, shocked. "Really? Kaela, are you...um..."

She grinned wryly. "Don't worry, I'm perfectly sane. I'll be right back."

Kaela gathered up her tunic and strode determinedly, yet quietly, down the path leading to the tomb. For some unknown reason, her heart was racing much faster than it ever had.

She reached the bend in the path that if she rounded, she would have been in sight of the tomb. Cautiously, she peeked around the edge--and froze.

There were no guards, although there were swords with the official seal of Daran lying on the ground. And that wasn't what frightened Kaela.

The tomb was open.

Kaela distinctly recalled how the followers had closed the tomb; it had taken all of them, straining and grunting, to move a huge boulder into the mouth of the tomb. And that boulder was now rolled several feet away from the opening. From where Kaela stood, she could see one more very important detail.

The tomb was also empty.

She came closer, all her senses on the alert. Then she jumped back.

A man was standing by the tomb, his back toward her. He looks so familiar, Kaela thought. She hesitantly addressed him. "Uh...sir, there was someone I knew in that tomb. Do you know know if someone took their body away?"

The man turned, and instantly Kaela saw who it was.

"Yeshua!"

Yeshua laughed as Kaela ran to embrace him. Then she said, "We all thought you were dead!"

"And so I was. But now, as you can see, I am not."

"So, is it like Erithnae said? When you died, death was reversed?"

Yeshua nodded. "Yes, daughter. Now that someone who has done no wrong has died in the place of a fallen world, death no longer has it's hold. And Daran now has a mortal wound."

Kaela's eyes shone. "That's so...cool! But c'mon, we need to go tell the others that you're back again!"

The two set down the path, and then Yeshua said, "This is too slow-paced. Come on, let's run!"

Kaela had never felt so energetic as she bounded alongside her Master, both racing down the path to Erithnae's house. They arrived in record time.

Erithnae and Lindsey were standing by the house, talking in low tones. For a moment, they both stared at Yeshua.

"Well...?" Yeshua eyed them joyously. "What are you standing there for?"

Erithnae moved first. "Master!" he yelled, and then ran to him. "How in the world...? You're alive!"

Lindsey moved more slowly towards Yeshua. Looking into his eyes, she all of a sudden felt imperfect compared with him.

To her utter surprise, Yeshua opened his arms. "Come here, daughter."

Lindsey came. "I'm awfully sorry for being so..." Before she could go any further, her words were muffled by Yeshua's gigantic hug.

After the first greetings were over, Yeshua, Kaela, Lindsey, and Erithnae began the walk over to the followers house.

Kaela couldn't wait to tell Ben the good news.
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There. Optomistic writing is more my style.

My arm is so sore! We moved boxes from our storage unit back to the house yesterday, and then I played this earlier version of a Wii at a friends house. You have this sword thing, and then you have to chop up Ringwraiths and other Lord of the Rings stuff on the TV. It takes a surprising amount of effort.

Chapter 18 (No Happy Ending?)

I'll try writing good, but I'm really bad at sad books.

Chapter 18

The wagon-driver halted the horses when they were still a good distance away from the temple. "Better get off here," he said. "It will attract less attention. By the way, my name's Erithnae. We've been in such a rush I haven't heard your names."

Tristan told Erithnae all their names, and then the six crept toward the temple.

Erithnae lead them towards an inconspicuous side door with such certainty that Ben wondered if he didn't know the temple inside out. They slipped inside and rapidly made their way towards the platform-altar at the other end of the large hall.

The other followers, with the exception of Garian, had already gathered around the altar. They looked up when the others approached.

"There you are," greeted Hans. He had circles under his eyes, and looked decades older. "Who is he?" he asked, pointing to Erithnae.

"I am Erithnae, a follower of Yeshua," Erithnae introduced himself. "I have kept silent about my faith for some time, but now I will not. I have a tomb in the garden behind my house we can lay Yeshua in. We might as well, because Daran will not spare such honors on him."

"Yes, we had better," Hans agreed.

Hans, Ben, and two other followers climbed onto the altar and reverently picked Yeshua up. Lindsey silently looked on. He sure looks dead.

The group quietly slid Yeshua's body onto the wagon, and then they set off for Erithnae's house. The followers walked on the side of the wagon, and Erithnae drove. Lindsey sat next to him.

"Erithnae, do you know much about Adonai and Yeshua?" she asked at last, breaking the silence. "Because I have a question."

"Ask away. I will try to answer, but I know little more then you, probably."

"Alright." Lindsey was silent for a second, and then burst out, "I thought...well, Yeshua was powerful, wasn't he?"

"Yes."

"And more importantly, Yeshua was Adonai, wasn't he?"

Erithnae nodded. "He was."

"So...why did he die? Couldn't he have stopped Daran? From what Ben and Kaela said, Yeshua could just squish him."

He took a deep breath. "Well, remember on the way to the temple, when I said that by letting Daran kill him, Yeshua was really killing Daran?"

"Yeah, but I guess I don't get it. Daran may die later, but Yeshua is dead."

"Is he?"

Lindsey looked very confused. "Um...I think." She looked back at Yeshua's body in the back of the wagon. "He--he looks dead."

"So maybe you don't remember what I said. Death itself would be reversed, you know. If you would just read the Book of Prophesies..."
--- --- ---

The followers put Yeshua in Erithnae's tomb, and then wearily went home to the place where they had stayed yesterday.

Un-energetically, Kaela climbed into the bed she shared with Lindsey. How in the world is this going to work out? she wondered before she drifted off into a restless sleep. I thought stories had happy endings. But maybe this one's different.
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Izori

Chapter 17 (The Wagon-Driver)

I guess I'd better finish this thing up. This isn't the last chapter, but we're getting close.

Chapter 17

Lindsey flung herself across the street, barely managing to make it in front of the wagon. The first Ogre chasing her, however, wasn't so lucky.

"Probably won't get up for a while," the wagon-driver said as he stopped the wagon and climbed down, referring to the Ogre. Then he turned his attention to Lindsey. "Are you alright?"

Lindsey nodded, still a little shocked.

The driver had to bend to get to her eye-level (not that Lindsey was short, but Elandians were taller than people from her world). "Why was 'e after you, missie?"

Lindsey gasped out her story as much as she could, not knowing why she was. After all, if she told it to the wrong person, she could get executed. However, when she finished with, "And I think there are still some more Ogres after me, so I'd better go!" the driver smiled.

"Hop onto my wagon," he suggested. "They won't find you there."

Lindsey wearily climbed onto the back of the wagon and crouched beside the produce. She was next to a basket filled with some odd fruit. They looked a little like a mango or an apple, but when Lindsey felt them, they were fuzzy like a peach.

The driver noticed her interest. "You can have one if you would like."

She bit down into the fruit. It tasted like a cross between a peach and a mango, only better. And as far as Lindsey was concerned, it had to be pretty good to be better than a mango.

They rode through the streets, this time more slowly, until Lindsey suddenly noticed Tristan, Josh, Ben, and Kaela, all huddled into a group. Crawling up next to the driver, she asked, "Can we stop? My friends are in the same trouble, too."

"But of course." The driver stopped and waved the children over.

"Lindsey!" exclaimed Josh at seeing his sister. "How in the world...?"

"Shhh!" Lindsey shushed him. "There are some Ogres over there. Get into the back, quick!"

They climbed into the wagon and started down the road again. Once settled, Ben warily asked, "Why are you doing this for us?"

The driver clicked his tongue at his horses to hurry them up a little. "I am a follower of Yeshua, also. Only I have not shown that I am until now."

"Where are we going?" Tristan questioned.

This time, the driver did turn around. "We are going to the temple."

Ben jumped, and Kaela put her hand on her sword hilt. "Are you sure you're a follower?" Kaela challenged. "My sword is sharp, you know."

The driver laughed. "Put thy sword away, maiden. I am positive I am a follower. We are going back to bury him. It's all we can do for what he did for us."

"What did he do for us?" Josh looked a little confused. "I'm not saying that he did nothing for us, but..."

"I know what you mean," the driver replied easily. "He gave Daran his mortal wound."

"Well, I'd hate to say it," said Ben. "But from where I stood, it looked like Daran gave Yeshua a mortal wound."

"Have you ever read the Book of Prophesies? If someone pure of heart, Yeshua dies to ransom a fallen world, Elandai, then death itself will be reversed. When Daran raised his sword, he was giving a wound to himself."

Kaela recalled Klii's words in the dwelling under the ground, long ago. He said something along the lines that Ben and I had come to Elandai to temporarily defeat Daran (which we did), but that it wouldn't be permenant. It would take someone better to rob Daran of his power. Someone like Yeshua.

She sighed. But Yeshua's dead.
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To make up for chapter 16 being so long, this one's a little short.

I wouldn't have been able to write this one without reading "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe" by C.S. Lewis (although I'm sure everyone knew that :)

Izori

Poll Results

The poll for 'Should I end Elandai with a book based on Revelation' (or something along those lines) has officially closed. 5 people voted yes, 0 people voted no. So...I think it's obvious that the yes people have it.

Izori

Chapter 16 (Yeshua's Death)

I'm hoping to make this chapter rather long, for a change.

Chapter 16

Lindsey blinked as she and the others slipped out the door leading into the great throne room of Daran for two reasons: one, because she had grown used to the dimness of the cell, and the throne room was much more brightly lit (it looked a lot like the Lincoln Memorial). The second reason was it was full of people. And no one had been expecting that.

Tristan gasped, and they all immediately flattened against the wall, trying to remain unseen. However, everyone seemed to be looking in one direction, the throne. Or rather, the platform that the throne was on.

There were a whole bunch of tall people in the crowd, making it impossible for even Ben and Tristan to see what was going on. They pushed through the multitude, trying to get closer.

In all the bustle, Kaela and Lindsey got separated from the boys. To avoid being separated from each other too, Kaela grabbed her cousin's hand. When she looked up, she gasped.

Without realizing it, the girls had reached the very front of the crowd, and they had a very good view of what was taking place of the platform. Two figures were standing on it. One was Daran. Kaela knew right away, even though she had never seen him before. The evil radiating from him would have tipped her off even if she hadn't even heard of him before.

Her first instinct was to whisper for Lindsey to get behind her. Daran would easily recognize her cousin, but probably not Kaela. Where's Ben? Kaela thought, starting to get nervous. If Daran sees him...

Then something caused Kaela to look harder at the second figure. He was bound, and his white robe had been replaced with some rough, dirty, fabric. He was cuffed and bruised, and someone had mockingly placed a crown of viciously sharp thorns on his head. But she still could immediately tell who it was--Yeshua!

She started violently, and gasped. Yeshua looked her way and saw her. He seemed to smile at her, trying to tell her it would be alright. But it isn't alright! They're going to kill you, Yeshua!

Kaela reached for her sword, ready to pounce on Daran, but something stopped her. Instead, she just stood there, silently watching as Daran smirked at his adversary. Then the evil master spoke.

"Well, we finally meet at last, Yeshua, and it appears you were wrong. I guess you won't be giving me a 'mortal wound' after all. Now I have you tied up, and it's you, not me who must beg for mercy. Will you?"

Yeshua didn't say anything, he merely looked at Daran, who seemed to quail before his steady gaze.

"Don't you understand what I'm saying?" Daran yelled, in a fury over Yeshua's silence. "I'm going to kill you, not the other way around. I won, not you!"

Yeshua was silent.

Finally losing his temper, Daran screamed angrily and shoved Yeshua, hard. He stumbled and fell, lying on the platform. To Kaela's chagrin, the crowd burst into laughter. Behind her, Lindsey gasped. "Why are they doing this?" she whispered into Kaela's ear.

Kaela didn't answer, only felt helpless.

Now Daran was pulling a sword out of it's scabbard, which had been attached to his waist. He held it over Yeshua, who didn't flinch. "Any last words, O king?"

Kaela covered her eyes, but she knew what had just happened by the way the crowd cheered. Daran had just stabbed Yeshua with the sword.

Behind her, Lindsey started sobbing. Daran's triumphant voice rang out above the crowd. "It is finished! The 'great and mighty king' didn't defeat me, after all! Ha, thinks he so powerful!"

The crowd cheered again, and Daran said more, but Kaela didn't pay attention. Ben had just tapped her on the shoulder.

"Kaela, come quick!" he hissed into her ear. "Some guards are after us! They must have noticed our different reactions!"

Kaela forgot Yeshua for a moment and glanced at the crowd. Several Ogre guards were making their way toward them, determidly pushing through the crowd.

"We might want to hurry!" Josh said nervously. His freckles were standing out more than ever, and he was glancing from time to time at the platform where Yeshua's body still was.

Tristan looked like he was in a trance, but he mechanically led the way through the crowd toward the exit. They pushed past the people, who didn't pay any attention to the children.

Ben was looking behind to see if Kaela and Lindsey were still with them when he bumped right into a solid looking man, who had been quietly watching the goings on. "Oh, I beg your--" Ben stopped. It was Hans!

Hans put his fingers to his lips. "Shhh. You must go away, quickly! I saw the Ogres, and all followers will be persecuted once the festivities are over."

Lindsey came up behind Ben, still in shock over what had just happen. "Hans--they killed Yeshua!"

Hans raised his eyebrow. "Lindsey, I am not so sure about that. Remember the prophesy?"

Just then, Tristan and Josh came back to look for the lagging others. "Hurry, guys!" begged Tristan. "The guards have started to cut us off!"

Hans waved them away. "I'll be alright. Now go!"

The children slipped out the exit and scattered. Lindsey ran through the streets of Mahal, wondering in the back of her mind what she was supposed to do now. Even though many people were in the temple celebrating the death of Yeshua, the streets were still crowded.

Lindsey glanced back and saw that two of the Ogres had followed her. They were shoving past the milling people, mindless of whether or not they knocked some merchant's produce to the ground. However, it would have been much wiser to look ahead.

She didn't realize she was in the middle of the busiest street of all until it was almost too late. A horse-drawn wagon was careening down the rough road, and the driver hadn't noticed her yet. To go back was to give herself up to the guards, so Lindsey did the only thing she could do in the circumstance: dart out into the middle of the road--right in front of the wagon.
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There. That's sort of long.

I just got back from piano lessons, and last night we had been visiting a farm, which had goats. I'm wearing the same jeans that I wore at the goat farm. And the same shoes. I wonder, did anyone notice?

Izori

Chapter 15 (Kaela's Sword)

Chapter 15?!?! No way! My, the time flies.

Chapter 15

Ben massaged his temples wearily. It had been half an hour since he had found out that they were in Daran's temple in Mahal, when a sudden thought occurred to him. "Hey, where is Yeshua, anyway?"

Kaela gasped. "That's right! How could we have forgotten?"

Lindsey blinked sadly. "Don't get your hopes up, guys. Remember, Daran told he he was going to kill Yeshua. That's probably what's going on right now!"

Josh pounded his fists into the wall. "I wish we could do something about--wait. What was that?"

A muffled voice could be heard through the door. "Ben, Kaela, Josh? Are you there?"

Kaela called back. "Tristan? Is that you? Yes, we're all here. What happened?"

"One of those Ogres knocked me out in the garden. I guess they thought I was dead. Let this be a lesson to them; never mess with Tristan Oenhelm! Anyway, do you happen to know where the keys would be?"

It was Lindsey who answered. "No. Ben, can your sword cut through the bars? You said it could do a whole bunch of things, right?"

Ben sighed. "I'm sorry, but I dropped my sword in the garden. Even if it could, it wouldn't be any use to us now."

"Maybe Tristan can run back and get it?" Josh suggested hopefully. "Oh, never mind. We don't have that much time; they'll probably be killing Yeshua any minute! We barely have any time to save him."

Kaela hit herself on the forehead. "Oh, how brainless can I be!" she scolded herself. "I do have my sword with me! Here, let's try."

The girl pulled her magnificant, yet not full-length, sword out of it's plain scabbard. Everytime she did it, shivers ran down her back, knowing how powerful it actually was. It immediately began radiating a pure, clean light, illuminating the whole room.

As if in a trance, Kaela walked over toward the door, and then brought her sword down onto the bars with a clang. "It worked!" she cried triumphantly. "I felt something give!"

She pulled it away and gave yet another whack. Now there was a noticable dent it the bars.

Before she could strike it a third time, Kaela felt the blade vibrate. An instant later, it shot out the familiar, white ray of light that easily pierced through the bars. As a matter of fact, it completely incinerated the whole door, which had been made of strong, thick metal.

Tristan looked at the sword, eyes wide. "How in the world...?"

Kaela merely smiled and said, "Adonai."

Josh, Ben, Kaela, and Lindsey filed out of their former prison into the dark hallway. Not dark for long, however, as Kaela's blade glowed again, this time lighting up the hall.

Tristan looked skeptically at Lindsey, but said nothing to indicate he was surprised at her presence. Instead, he turned and broke into a run. "Now let's go rescue Adonai!"
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All my chapters are rather short. I would make them longer, but now I have limited computer time, so I just type as fast as I can and as short as I can, and then go ahead and post it.

Results for Poll

The "Should I end the Elandai Series, and then write more series' based on Elandai" results have come in! Three people voted yes, and one voted no, so the yes-people have it!

What I think I'll be doing after 'The Return to Elandai' is writing one more book about Ben and Kaela's adventures in Elandai. Then I'll write a trilogy about there parents, Michael and Katherine (I thought I named them somewhere, but I guess not, because I can't find anything about their names. If I come across it later, I'll make an edit).

And I'm going to be checking e-mail a lot today. I had a dream last night that I got an e-mail from this publisher-dude who asked if he could publish all of the books I've written and am going to write, and then he offered, like, a million dollars! *dollar signs appear in my eyes* That was a very good dream

Izori

Writing Tip: Drafts

Who in the world thought of the word 'draft' (as in, "I wrote the first draft of my book")? It's one odd word.

Anyway, another tip for writing a book is doing drafts. I like to write my first drafts in a notebook, not on the computer. It's basically the 'bones' of the book, and you can make your first draft as messy as you want. Like mine--crossed out words, squished in sentences, abbreviated names, and scribbled notes. Then I type it all up on the computer and start adding the 'muscle'--incorporating the notes, rewriting sentences, and so on. Then I re-read the whole thing and edit it all.

Sometimes, like with the Elandai series, I don't do drafts. That's a little harder, because if you made your plot do one thing, and then later realize that you didn't want it to do that, you can't go back and fix it. That makes the Elandai series a little interesting, because even though sometimes I do think ahead, I have no clue where I'm going next (like now).

Izori

Chapter 14 (Tristan's Realization)

Tristan moaned and came awake, finding himself under a berry bush. One of the Ogres had hit him over the head--rather hard--and he had rolled under the bush when he fell to the ground.

The follower cautiously stood, rubbing the black and blue bump starting to appear on his forehead, and looked around. He was the only one in the garden. No Ogres, no Garian, no Yeshua. Ben, Josh, and Kaela were also gone, too.

"Hello?" Tristan called softly. "Ben? Kaela? Josh? Are you there?"

No answer.

Tristan grimaced. The Ogres must have taken them, he realized. But where would he put them?

He pondered this for a bit, and then finally decided that such important prisoners as Yeshua and his followers would probably be kept in Daran's main headquarters--the temple. Then he slipped out of the garden gate and headed for his destination.
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Tristan paused when he reached the temple. Several formidable Ogres were guarding the entrance. No way he could just waltz up and enter.

He picked up a decent-sized rock from the edge of the road and hurled it at a stack of spears on the other side of the guards. The spears fell with a loud clatter to the ground, and the Ogres turned toward their disturbed weapons.

That was all Tristan needed. He dashed across the open stretch of ground and disappeared into the entrance before the Ogres even noticed him.

Looking around, he could see that he was in the huge, dim throne room, where Daran usually was. Tristan was about to flee before the dark master could see him, but then he realized: Daran wasn't there.

That's odd. Where is he?

Tristan began looking for anything that might tell him where to find Yeshua and the other followers. Finally he found a thick, wood door that had runes carved on it. He, being a native Elandai, could easily see that they read, "Dungeon".

Well, that's where I have a suspicion I'll find them. He entered the door and began walking down a dark, long flight of stairs. There was no railing, and it was beginning to make Tristan a little queasy. Then he had a horrible thought.

Oh, how could you! he scolded himself as he picked up the pace as much as he dared down the stairs. It's in the Book of Prophesies! Why couldn't you see it!

Tristan began to run. It was prophesied that Yeshua would be Daran's undoing. And naturally, if Daran had Yeshua as his captive, he would see that he wouldn't be able to defeat him. And that also explains why Daran wasn't on his throne; he's overseeing the execution of Yeshua!
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This chapter is a little short.

Izori

A Brilliant Idea

Ooooh, I had a really good idea! Well, hey, aren't all my ideas wonderful? Don't answer that.

I know that my poll on whether or not I should end my series with Ben and Kaela, and do more about other people's adventures in Elandai, and just have everything go on and on and on, isn't even closed...but I was thinking, maybe I should keep all the series' trilogies (like the Elandai Trilogy, the Adonai Trilogy) and then write a single book based on Revelation--the final battle of Elandai, and end it all, basically. It would be a little sad to see Elandai go, but I think I might start running out of ideas after book six, and then everything would basically be repeats, which doesn't make for good books.

I'm going to do a poll on this. If you want to express yourself more, please comment.

Izori