Part 2, Chapter 10
(Tharnday)
Towani City, Towani
Towani rains pounded on the abandoned building which drew little attention, both because it was still in good condition and because it had been warded against attention. The rains reminded Iyva of the spring Irolean rains that had found her homeless just over a year ago. So much had happened since then. She thought about whether anyone would be able to find them in this old warehouse.
“It took a strong Yerdua to place such wards,” Zilan answered as they made a corner comfortable with an inflatable mattress and coverings. “It’s similar to wrapping ourselves in the leya to get past security and ticket-takers, but it’s on a huge scale. That takes a lot of power. A lot more than the two of us can wield together. I have often wondered whether the Uugli had Yerdua at the top. This would seem to confirm that theory.”
“How did you find it then?” Iyva asked.
“Because there are tricks for finding such treasures. It will often feel like a void in the leya. Sometimes that void is simply that, a void. But other times, it’s hiding something,” Zilan replied, sitting on the newly-made bed.
“Uugli or not, it’s nice,” Iyva said. “Keeps the rain off, anyway.” She sat next to her lover, happy to be on shore and not on the run.
“This place was used by the Uugli for many years after the Neví came to power. But over time, the Uugli were either killed or absorbed into the Neví,” he explained, putting his arm around her.
“How long will we be in Towani?” Iyva asked.
“As long as it’s safe enough.”
“Are they still after us?” Iyva asked, thinking about the raid that had been conducted on their little apartment. They had come back from a simple food run to find the magna-seal breached and their apartment ransacked. She and Zilan had left that moment, not even risking a step in.
“As long as we live,” Zilan said. “That level of attack tells me that we’re likely to have been served Death Edicts. They do not expire.”
She shuddered.
“I’m sorry that I’ve endangered you, but this why I’ve been training you. To be able to survive anything they throw at us. If anyone can help you survive a Death Edict, it is me,” Zilan reassured, kissing her tenderly. “I will protect you to the death if that’s what it takes, but I hope to keep us both alive until no one is around to remember our Edicts.”
“Will we be able to look through the greenhouses since we’re here?” Iyva asked trying to find something good about their position.
“Unlikely,” Zilan said, sadly. “unless we want A’mara questions.”
“What good is living in the shadows if we can’t be like real people?” Iyva asked.
“We’re alive and free. That’s what counts,” Zilan reminded her. “We will practice honing your skills of being invisible to almost everyone. Don’t get too comfy though. Towani City isn’t necessarily the best place for us, but I wanted you to see it – the fact that it was the destination of the first ship to leave Irola was a factor, of course.” He grinned.
“Is this what love is? Risking life and limb to show your partner cool places?” Iyva asked.
“If this isn’t love, I’d like to know what is!” Zilan said kissing her into silence.
Palerma, Tephsa – A’mara Complex
Kauri Klement brushed another fly off her arm, damp with afternoon sweat despite the fact it was just barely noon. She sat with Kanesh at an umbrella-shaded table outside the commons of the A’mara Complex in Palerma. Kauri enjoyed the view of the harbor, but the sea breezes seemed to blow the wrong way.
Kauri recalled that Irola got hot and sticky too, but the island-city had more of the off-coast breezes to keep it comparatively cool. Tephsa seemed to lack this relief from what Kauri could tell.
She wasn’t sure what the food was. It seemed to be somewhere between a casserole and a lasagne, featuring a local fish that would have made you swear you were eating the best jelip in the world. Whatever it was, she was enjoying it. Kanesh seemed to be eating quickly as well.
“You should be glad you are not stuck in the Interior,” Andrian Ramsley, the local abári said as he sat with Kauri and Kanesh. “If you are not careful with your work, sir, you may still have to take further refuge in that hot desert.”
“Warning taken,” Kanesh said with a smile. Even Kauri could tell that the fact made him nervous.
“If you must film, you must film more quietly – in quieter places. Every time you bring out a camera when you’re in public, you’re putting yourself – and Kauri – at risk,” the abári pressed the point home. “It’s only a matter of time before the Neví catch you on a surveillance camera and put two and two together. It’s unlikely to have escaped them this long that there are two people missing from the Irola complex.”
“Do you have any suggestions?” Kanesh asked.
“If you must film, may I suggest that you reserve some of our Complex rooms for studio time? Many of them would be versatile enough to do any indoor scene. When you use the atrium or our living roof you should find plenty of scope for outdoor shots too. Obviously, we can’t provide everything you could possibly want, but if you exhaust the easy things first, hopefully enough time will have passed by the time you get to the more complicated scenes that we can’t accommodate.”
“I see you’ve put a lot of thought into this,” Kanesh complimented. “I will see what we can do.”
The abári excused himself.
“So, what next?” Kauri asked, finishing her food.
“I hear the rooftop calling us,” Kanesh replied, rising from the table.
They went inside, then up the zip-lift to the rooftop.
“I haven’t been up here before,” Kauri said, as they opened the door onto the green rooftop. Instantly, Kauri was looking at the plants which crowded the rooftop, making it look as lush as the tropical gardens of Omrill.
“It is so beautiful up here,” Kauri said with wonder. “We should be coming up here every day!”
“We can,” Kanesh replied. They looked at all the different spots and the greenery that grew in each place. “I haven’t been up here before either. This is surprisingly versatile – we could actually shoot a lot of different kinds of scenes here.”
Kauri nodded. “It would be good to get Derick up here,” she said.
“I agree. Look, I want you to consider something for me,” Kanesh said as they examined the fountain and admired the fish in the pond.
“What’s that?” Kauri asked.
“Would you do some dancing?” he asked.
“What kind of dancing?”
“Swing dancing. You would be trained to a professional level so that you would be good enough to win the world competition,” he said.
“I don’t know if I can do that,” Kauri said.
“I think you can. You have the right sort of body for it,” he said, sitting on a bench.
“Swing dancing normally requires a partner,” Kauri said.
“Would you give it a try?” Kanesh said. “I can start you off, but I can get a trainer in here to teach you everything you need to know. You would be dancing with Derick, of course.”
Kauri felt slightly afraid of the task in front of her. “I will try,” she heard herself say.
“In fact, I’d like you to consider playing opposite Derick throughout the movie, if you could.”
“Do you really think I can act well enough for a movie?” Kauri asked. “Can I act well enough for Derick?”
“I think you can,” Kanesh replied. “You just need a little bit of training. Again, we can bring someone in to help you through any difficulties. Acting isn’t all that hard if you put everything you have into it.”
“Why don’t you act?” Kauri asked.
“You can’t very well have both Kanesh and Derick in the same movie, now, can you? And there is no comparing the two of us...”
“Okay,” Kauri said.
“Look, you don’t have to decide right now. Let’s go and watch a movie.”
“Sure,” Kauri said, smiling.
They took a zip-lift to the basement where the lounges were. One of them was empty, so Kanesh set up a movie and sat next to Kauri on the two-seater.
Other Chapters of this set
Acting the Part - chapter 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9
Building on Promise - Chapter 1
Acting the Part, part 2 - Chapter 10
Maps and Guides
- continents of Alacantis and Kranisis (five maps)
- continent of Almara (five maps)
- countries of Kri'enden and Yezi'im (four maps plus "other places")
- characters, pronunciation and glossary
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Brighid's Blood 2006 and 1200 B.T.C.E. Katja and Rachel are so desperate for love that they cast two love spells one night. But the Guardians do not consider spells "fun", but rather as cries for help from the very depths of your soul. Certainly Katja and Rachel could not have possibly imagined where these spells would take them! |
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Birth of the Neví 829 T.C.E. It is a tumultuous period of Terrenden history. As is all too common, there are those who wish to profit from the misfortune of others. Some of these come together in a new "charitable organization" and step on the toes of the notorious Uugli. Combine this with draconian new measures to combat pollution and Terrenden has a situation ripe for a power struggle. |
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Rebound of Power: 850 T.C.E. Collection of Romance Terrenden is being terrorized by a previously underestimated Neví who, through the mysterious “Curator,” have been controlling elections all over the planet. In this collection, we meet some interesting women. Iyva - a homeless teenager in Irola whose untrained power leaves her close to death; Marc’la - a breeder of prized caballus in Kasago whose heart lives in the past; Zukie - an abused widow whose heart is afraid to try for future happiness; Jenna - an elections assistant manager and masseuse who has a prejudice against A’mara; Kami - a chola student in Varkevand who has been assigned to protect Ardin, a man who has his own reasons to distrust A’mara. |
| COMING SOON | TO AN EBOOK STORE NEAR YOU!!! |
| Rise of the Neví - 830 T.C.E. The Neví begin their rise in power with the completion of several large housing projects that seem totally charitable, but also hide a great evil within. The draconian measures brought in the previous year has caused major distress throughout the world, perfect for giving the Neví a further foothold on the Terrenden stage. Will the A’mara, now removed from the Council of Peers, be able to shut down the Neví? |
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Acting the Part - 851 T.C.E. Collection of Romance The Neví have infiltrated the Terrenden Freedom Party. Dr. Jarly is on the run and the Curator still dominates the Terrenden stage. Famous actor, Derick Aiden has released his Neví expose film and now the Neví want him dead... In this collection, we meet more interesting women. Kauri - a simple receptionist who doesn’t realize one of her wildest dreams has come true; Tirry - an elections manager who is always the bridesmaid and never the bride; Zara - a chef who has all but given up on finding love for herself; D'zani - who isn’t even looking, but has to chaperone her more vulnerable roommate; Soala - an heiress who is expected to marry, but refuses to marry someone she doesn’t love; Moxara - one whose past griefs have locked away her heart. We also get updates on some of the lovely ladies we met previously. |
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Lori Svensen
author/designer at A'mara Books
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