Latest Story: Reflections

Input of the Skies:

What I really wanted to do with Reflections was paint three different character portraits and bring them all together in a sort of "mural." (No, I'm not an art person). I wanted to show three completely different people coming together under a common cause. Yeah, I know the whole "group of destined individuals joining to fight evil" is a bit cliche/Final Fantasy-esque, but I really didn't intend for it to be like that. I simply wanted a fantasy story that wasn't like other fantasy stories; I wanted a plot that wasn't predictable, characters that weren't stereotypical, and a setting that wasn't conventional. I didn't want some castle with a king and a princess, a knight and a dragon, etc. I wanted a story that tested the fantasy genre without completely betraying it. So, I tried to diverge a bit from old-fashioned, albeit stable traits of the fantasy novel.

I made the setting a strange new world with 3 main continents; Empyria, the dominant land ruled by a cruel, power-hungry tyrant; Eid, a once-grand kingdom that lost it all in a ruthless betrayal; and the Naga Territories, an isolated, neutral continent that welcomed none save those who already inhabited it.

I tried to make a unique plot that was its own story. Throughout the fic, I have planted numerous plot twists that I hope will throw readers for a loop. I wanted the story to be surprising and intriguing without being confusing and too complex to piece together. Most readers that pay attention to the close details in each chapter should catch on quickly to the next event; those that don't realize what will soon happen make me all the happier. Thank you, those of you who can't figure out what will happen next. You make my job complete.

And of course, I wanted different characters. Being an avid fan of the modern theater world, I believe that characters are the most important aspect of story, even surpassing plot. The characters are what shape the story. The characters are what define the story and make it interesting. Any reader can relate to characters, and I wanted my characters to be no exception. So, here's a mild introduction to the three main characters of my little "novel:"

Atliste-

While the trio of main characters of the story are the heroes, Atliste is the true protagonist. Again, I tried to make Atliste different from the classic fantasy mold of a shining, perfect hero. I wanted Atliste to be more real than that (Just because it's a fantasy doesn't mean it needs to be farfetched!). I wanted to make a protagonist with flaws, with weaknesses, and yet with one shining quality that made it possible for him to be the protagonist. Atliste is a young boy in the tiny village of Eid, which is in all but shambles as a result of a recent betrayal of the throne. Atliste first appears in the story as a youthful rebel, one of the few lively characters in the shady town. While Atliste seems at first infallible, a quick-thinker with cleverly plotted escapes and agile feet, it is soon revealed that he is not as perfect as he seems. Atliste is very dreamy, even whimsical, and his habit of drifting off into his thoughts often leads him into dangerous situations. Also, like the other two heroes of the story, Atliste often questions his surroundings, and, similar to the others, his questions also lead to the answers that will endanger him and those around him. Atliste is also fairly insecure, always beating himself up for any failure, even if it was no fault of his own. This insecurity shines through in his modest nature around friends. However, the characteristic that makes Atliste truly admirable is his defiant manner, the way he refuses to let others determine his fate. He is also a true friend, always trying to do the best for his allies, and his ability to discern between right and wrong is innate and unsurpassable. Still, he is often misled by his desire to defy, and often finds himself trapped when it is too late to reverse a situation. Nevertheless, I hope that Atliste becomes a uniquely individual protagonist, and that he is magnetic as I had strived to make him.

Deia-

Being the female hero of the novel, and the only girl in the main trio, Deia was a particularly difficult character to design and write about. On the one hand, I didn't want her to be the oh-so-stereotypical damsel in distress of the story that screamed whenever she was threatened rather than facing her problems head on. If I did that to her, she would be in pieces by the middle of the story, with what I plan to put her through. On the other hand, I didn't want Deia to become the equally stereotypical "super woman" of the novel. You know what kind of character I'm talking about; the token female protagonist that does everything better than the men and is strong-willed, powerful, courageous, and sensitive at the same time, simply for the sake of feminists world over to say, "Look! Women are better than men!" I wanted Deia to have more depth, and being the darkest character of the novel, she had to. Deia is slightly rebellious, but not to the point that Atliste is. She is much more silent in her grievances against her environment, largely as a result of the oppression she has faced all her life. Despite the seclusive lifestyle she has been a participant of, Deia has a wondrous ability to understand people for what they truly are; she can see through the facades that people put on. This ability, however, often puts her in the path of danger, as her keen senses cause her to want to enter deeper into the danger she usually faces. Deia is sometimes wise enough to know when to hold her tongue, but when pushed too far, she lets loose. Her character is not perfect, and she is by no means a girly girl or a tomboy, but a delicate balance between sensitivity and flaring independence.

Vazhen-

While I had clear plans for what I wanted Atliste and Deia to be, Vazhen was, and to a certain extent still is, a mystery to me. Vazhen fits the more traditional mold of a protagonist; a bold, musclebound warrior with a desire for justice, but with a more potent taste for vengeance. Vazhen is the more savage version of a true hero. While he maintains the virtues of honor and bravery, he lacks those ofkindness and mercy. His headstrong nature is his biggest flaw, trapping him in situations when it is too late. In spite of his nature, Vazhen is not a flat character. He also has the valuable trait of hidden wisdom, and a strong sense of cultural strength. Vazhen is tightly bound to the culture of the Naga Territories, but this bond also causes him to be even more headstrong than usual. He often overlooks many detrimental points in his plans, and while he does sometimes overcome such dangers, eventually they come back to kick him in the face. When creating Vazhen, I didn't want him to be another stereotype of the foolhardy warrior type. He does rush into danger carelessly, but it is almost always in the name of honor, or for a friend. There is a difference between running into a trap carelessly and running into a trap senselessly. Vazhen runs into situations with sense and knowledge, but he sometimes does so without concern for his own safety, leading him to be hurt in the long run. Still, Vazhen is a twist on an old stereotype, and even I am not sure how his character will develop later on.

Hmm, that was a bit more than mild...In any case, I hope you will enjoy reading Reflections! I will be updating this portion of my profile later if interest arises. In the meantime, I'll be updating the story, which I plan to be somewhere between 40 and 50 chapters, depending on how many events I decide to include in it. These characters are by no means the only main ones, just the most central. Many other characters, including Elijah and the antagonist of the story, have yet to emerge. Happy reading!