Ben's NaNoWriMo Log

This is a log of my NaNoWriMo writing. Feel free to leave comments or questions.

Read From The Beginning:

Chapter 5 added Sep 23, 2005

Sarah wrapped her arms around her knees. The darkness inside the crate was nearly complete, save for a small hole in one side. Syphar had taken her to a storehouse near his cottage and instructed her to get in one of the empty crates.

"How are you doing in there?" came Syphar's voice from outside.

"Cramped." Sarah shifted uncomfortably. "What am I doing in here?"

Syphar chuckled. "One of my duties is to transfer supplies to some of the other colleges. I plan to make an unscheduled delivery. With some luck, we should be able to get across the border before we're found out."

"We?" asked Sarah.

"Aiding a fugitive isn't going to do much good for my career. I don't expect I'll be coming back here."

Sarah hadn't thought about that. "Why are you doing this for me?"

"Because I believe you. Besides, if your story is true, then I have no desire to serve a traitor." A numinous blue glow began to filter through the knothole. "Get ready. It's time for us to go." Sarah jumped as she felt the crate lift off the ground. She braced herself with her hands on the sides of the crate as it swayed slightly. "Try to stay still," said Syphar. The crate began to move, following Syphar as he walked out of the storehouse. Sarah could make out the street outside through her small peephole. She watched the people passing by, fearful that any one of them might see through their ruse. Eventually they approached a tall, ornate tower. Its gilded spire reached up into the sky, bristling with intricate filigree.

Syphar placed his hand on the massive double doors and they swung aside silently. The interior of the tower appeared to be a single vast chamber. The tapping of Syphar's boots on the black granite floor echoed loudly as he made his way to the center of the room. Sarah trailed behind him in her box, barely breathing in her attempt to remain still.

Through her tiny window, Sarah could see armed men standing around the perimeter of the room, their black enameled armor making it seem as though they were carved in one piece from the floor. They held their wicked looking halberds straight and still, but Sarah didn't doubt that they could be brought to bear with great speed. The crate glided to a stop, and she could hear Syphar speaking with an unseen person.

"What's this?" said the unfamiliar voice. Sarah could hear the rustling of paper. "There aren't any deliveries scheduled for today."

"This is a replacement for the cadmus globes Master Lagorse sent to Skytooth last week. One of the apprentices unloading the last one dropped one of the globes and --" he made a shattering sound.

The other voice grunted. "A waste of precious materials. I wouldn't want to be that apprentice."

Syphar chuckled. "Nor would I."

"All right. take your position." Sarah could hear the sound of a pen scratching on paper. "Tell Lagorse to file the proper paperwork next time."

The crate began moving again. As she floated toward the center of the room, Sarah could see bizarre symbols inlaid in the granite floor with shining gold. They seemed to form a circle in the center of the room. After a few moments, the crate stopped and slowly descended to the floor.

The voice began speaking again, but this time the words were in a strange cant that seemed ill-suited for a human tongue. Sarah could feel the hair on her arms begin to stand up, and her eyes started to itch. The golden symbols started to glow. She clenched her teeth against a scream as the golden circle flashed with a blinding light.

Sarah clutched her skull with her hands. It seemed as though her head were about to explode. Her ears popped painfully. She opened her eyes a fraction of an inch. Everything seemed as it was before outside her peephole. The same room, the same gold circle, the same armored men. It was only when she heard Syphar repeating his story to a new voice that Sarah realized that they were somewhere else.

After a few minutes, Syphar was allowed to go on his way. Sarah floated along behind him in her crate, the pain in her head slowly receding. Wherever they were now, the scene was far less inviting than the shining lanes of Stormwatch. The buildings were equally ornate and the streets as clean, but there was a grimness to the place that made her feel quite unwelcome.

The crate finally came to a halt in another dark storehouse. As she settled to the floor, a dim light blinked into existence, illuminating the shelves and boxes filling the small building. Sarah let out a sigh as Syphar pried the top from her wooden prison. He grinned down at her, though she could see that the ruse had put a great strain on him.

Sarah stood up, wincing as her cramped muscles protested. "You were wonderful, Syphar. Thank you."

The wizard chuckled. "It was nothing." He turned toward the shelves lining the walls. "Now, we're going to need --"

Sarah laid a hand on Syphar's arm as she stepped out of the crate. He turned back to her, and she locked her eyes with his. "I mean it," she said. "Thank you. If it weren't for you, I don't know what would have happened."

Syphar nodded, but she could see that he was still worried. "They won't be far behind. We need to move fast, or all of this will have been for naught." He placed his hand on hers. "Thank me when we get across the border."

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