Thursday, April 8, 2010

CHASING THE WIND ~ By Barry J. Northern of Harbinger*33


Chasing the Wind
 ~ Part One ~

By ~ Barry J. Northern

"Chasing the Wind" from THE CHAOSWIND CHRONICLES, an original fantasy set in the mystical world of Cryl, a land struggling to contain the chaotic magical energies that were unleashed upon the world when the last god was murdered.



Out on the northern border of the desert of Medeb in the land of Cryl, a group of Medebic warriors sat upon their camels dwarfed before a wall of improbable chaos. A writhing mixture of cord-like energies, lightning, wind, sand, violent whirlwinds, vortexes of colour, and a cacophony of sound threatened to descend upon the men at any moment, yet they stood confidently before it, robes pulled about their heads. The Wind appeared to roil in place, though it surely travelled, for the men had been tracking its slow progress for days.

One man took a fist-sized Star Sapphire from his companion, and in the other hand he held a long pole bearing his clan's standard. He nodded once, and then bade his camel trot forward with a squeeze of his legs.

The columns of multicoloured, snaking energies writhed impossibly high into the barely visible sky, and the warrior saw a change in their movement as he neared; the red cords became taut like ropes, as if they pulled the storm towards him. He spurred his camel onwards, inciting a short burst of speed – all he would need – pulled back his arm and threw the Star Sapphire into the Chaostorm.

His clan cheered, and the warrior brought his camel to a stop, waiting for the Binding to begin. The wavering energies whipped towards the Stone, which rapidly grew as bright as a star, yet the Storm did not shrink as fast as it should. One of the red cords – a huge, thick column – toppled over and crashed down upon the Stone, yet was not tamed by it. The warrior turned his camel about and yelled out to his clan to flee, but his voice was taken by the Wind.

(c) 2009 ~ Author Barry J. Northern
Pencil Sketch by a fine artistic friend of Barry's



C H A S I N G   T H E    W I N D
 ~ To Be Continued ~
W A T C H   F O R   N E X T   I N S T A L L M E N T  ~  AT THE BIJOU
 
FANTASY AUTHOR BARRY:  Hi Kate, Great stuff (I'm saying that a lot recently), here AT THE BIJOU. I'd like to share this 16k-word fantasy I wrote a while back called "Chasing the Wind". As fantasies fly in the theme of April, this is the first installment ~ served up to your great theatre folk, epic-style.
  
BIJOU CHATELAINE ABSOLUTELY*KATE:  Well HELLO Barry! I'm so excited you splashed across the pond to join us here AT THE BIJOU. I just knew a good desire for fantasy would swirl your sparks of metaphysical energy through our mahogany double doors. Why even our resident Phantom can move more freely around the audience when you're shooting electrodes of mesmerization.

BARRY:  Well Kate, feeling welcome is where enchantment really has its humble beginnings. AT THE BIJOU is a prime showhouse for a serial epic fantasy. (You know how big fantasy can get!)

ABSOLUTELY*KATE:  Yes Barry, I certainly know what you mean. Fantasies have no recollection of walls or borders or anything faintly remote reining them in. They grow of their own a'chord and rustle their rhythms within. Kinda like your amazing fantasies churning to a FABLE competition right here {click, enjoy}. Sure betcha writers are going to run their pens and keyboards rampant on that. A Modern Fable? Folks should Aesop that up, then lick their chops. 

BARRY:  Kate that reminds me of the simple pleasures in life such as the other night when I had a lovely beef roast dinner with Yorkshire puds and sticky toffee pudding with custard of dessert . . . but Thanks for shouting out about my contest and other bits and bobs.  

ABSOLUTELY*KATE:  Hey, I recall that from your sage remarks in the First Thursday Alert ~ AUTHOR! AUTHOR! THEY'RE NO FOOLS! {click, enjoy} recently playing to packed and traveling audiences AT THE BIJOU. Folks, if you like Chasing the Wind you can email Barry at barryjnorthern@googlemail.com and convince him to finish editing the first Chaoswind Chronicle Novel, "The Birth of Magic". Also, pop on over to experience all the amazing bells and whistles and sound and lights at his stimulating site, 21st Century Writer Barry J. Northern to delve into some of Barry's other writerly projects, many of an alluring interactive nature . . . but . . . you'll see.

Thanks Barry for
spinning fantasy-astic
AT THE BIJOU!

~ Absolutely*Kate
and our fine staff of renown

GRAB YOUR POPCORN!
THE NEXT ACT
IS NO FOOL ON THE HILL
> IT'S HOT!

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi Barry, nice piee of fantasy. I loved the thought of a fist sized saphire. A girl can dream you know.

Unknown said...

Well done, barry ... I have to wait until next week for more?? Perhaps you will grace us with an audio edition as well... nudge-nudge.

Harry said...

Chaostorms are the worst! Quite a landscape you depict Barry, looking forward to next week!

Barry J. Northern said...

It's exciting having my first Chaoswind story out in public. If people like it I'll pursue it more. I've got a whole world building bible and a first-draft novel just lying around doing nothing right now.

Kate Pilarcik ~ absolutely said...

Well bring out that word-building bible and let it run a'pray ... AT THE BIJOU gives you full-speed ahead blessings. (as fasssst as your camel can carry your thoughts)

Barry ~ I love the otherworld but maybe not otherworld underlying the mythical strength of this piece. Yes ~ keep them coming and FEEL Ant's *nudge* ... (He's the one who installed the sound*system AT THE BIJOU - He knows things). So do you ~ kindly keep the shares coming and shining on ~ like the legendary star sapphire.

~ Absolutely*Kate
and the fine staff of renown
AT THE BIJOU

Paul D Brazill said...

very good indeed!

MCrittenden said...

Interesting tale. Can't wait to see how it unfolds.

Michael Solender said...

love the opener to this barry, resplendent