Fantasy study

The following is simply a study on a fantasy magic system, and characters. Maybe more will come in the future.


Kadwin checked her saddlebag, blindly reaching--hoping--for any fruit left. None. The trees here were barren, not at all like home. She turned back towards the fire, a small rabbit was roasting, she could smell it, her stomach growled at the thought of food--the first all day--but she made herself walk dignified towards it. He was watching. He still hadn't given her his name, but she didn't need, or even want, it. His deep-red coat almost blended in to the shadows, his hood still covered his face. His face, she shivered at the thought of it, The one glance she had gotten was enough--his eyes were dead, as if he no longer cared about life. She walked next to him, sat down on the rocky ground and adjusted her skirts. He had his sword in hand, one palm lightly holding it at the hilt, the other at the blade. Its double-edge gleamed in the firelight, an inscription ran down the blade in some language she did not recognize. The guard depicted an eagle in flight, wing-tips stretched towards the point, the two-handed grip was covered in black leather, the pommel was a ruby gripped between the eagle's talons. It was a beautiful weapon, but Kadwin much preferred her bow.


With a start, he stood. He was easily the tallest man she had ever seen, taller than any horse, even if one measured it to the tip of its ears, except, maybe his own. She looked around for what had startled him, then she heard it. A scream, a bloodcurdling, fear inducing, scream. It was followed by countless others. His sword was in one hand, his other was stretched out towards the fire. It blew towards him, into his open palm, and disappeared. He thrust his hood back, and she saw his face again. It would have been a handsome face, were it not for the dead eyes, the three parallel scars that ran down his face from each one, it was horrifying to look at.

"Grab your bow, and stay put," he growled.

"What are those things?" she said in return.

"Bes'trolls, maybe a Shade. Keep your eyes open, the Shadow moves tonight." Kadwin was sure that she blinked, he was right in front of her for one second, then five feet away the next. And again, ten feet, fifteen, she lost him in the trees. She hurried to her bow, and waited.

Choices...

My laptop just died on me, along with all the chapters I have worked on for my book. I have that at least backed-up, but now I must make the choice of whether I should go through the effort of moving my book to a new computer, or simply start over. At current, my literary genre of choice is epic fantasy, so writing sci-fi is a lot harder.