A-to-Z Challenge: “P” is for “Protection Spells”

For the A-to-Z Challenge 2016, I am blogging info on my current work-in-progress, a YA fantasy/adventure mini-series tentatively titled “The Other World”.

I’ve talked about each of the other intelligent races in The Other World, and discussed the fact that each one of them keeps their distance from humans, as much as possible. The Drakanae accomplished this by burying themselves deep beneath the surface, in places none would dare look. The Caiyana rely on their physical prowess and violent nature to protect them in case of attack. But the other races, who are all generally non-violent in nature, accept help from Eden to hide them from the outside world.

Eden’s power is far from limitless, but she does hold control over an old magic that allows her to perform powerful protection spells. For the Mermai she surrounded an island with a mirage that seeps into a sailor’s subconscious and gently probes their mind, convincing them – without them realizing it – to veer off course and avoid the land mass at all costs. For the Malekanai she cloaked their elevated tree-village in something like an invisibility spell that cannot be seen through until you are upon the settlement. The Cheonsa perched themselves on top of the White Mountain and begged Eden to create tests that only a worthy soul could pass in order to make their way up the rocky slope.

All three spells are powerful, and have done their respective settlements no end of good, but they are not flawless. Specifically, they require maintenance in order to keep functioning, which means that Eden endlessly travels between the settlements, over and over again, unable to stop lest she be responsible for an attack upon one of them. She does this willingly, of course, but she worries, for although she is very, very old, the human body she has taken will not hold out forever. Therefore she relies on our protagonist more than she might let on, praying that the evil in the kingdom will be defeated before it is too late for her to help the people any further.

I hope you’re enjoying the A-to-Z Challenge and my little snippets of ‘The Other World’! If you’re interested in what else I’ve written, please be sure to check out ‘Nowhere to Hide‘, available on Amazon in both hard copy and e-book versions!