Overview of the Period of Blades

OooOoh, What a fancy title. But what exactly does it mean?

My book starts JUST before the Period of Blades, when Yosho Ki'Sing is born. Later throughout Yosho's life, he develops a degree of fame, and finally does something so unimaginable, that Period of Time was named after him and his signiture fighting style--using a sword. By saying this post is an Overview of the Period of Blades, its actually an overview of my story's general outline, and technically doesn't even talk about the Period of Blades, since it is declared the Period of Blades AFTER Yosho becomes famous and the events in the book take place. Regardless, that's the best name I could come up with.

So, Shall we begin?

The Book is written in a biased third-person point of view, for the most part. Our narrator narrates sepirate of Dinishi and Yosho, but using a majority of their intelligence as his/hers/its basis for drawing conclusions. Why?

I felt that writing this way was the most comfortable for me. It gives me the feeling that I don't have to explain every single detail in the world, only the ones that matter to the characters at the time. This doesn't mean while running, Jimbo the Aglie Fighter will trip over a tree branch that was never there, simply because he didn't observe it. This means that Jimbo will confidently stride forward, thinking there is nothing in his way, but failing to notice the obtrusive tree branch. The biased third person serves to involve the reader with the emotions of the bias in question, rather than to hide information from the reader.

--Our book starts out from the [biased, third-person]point of View of Dinishi Mirrelle Ki'Sing when she is 12 years old. At this point, Dinishi serves as a door greater, inviting you into the writing style and the world itself through the clear and innocent eyes of a child. There is a deal of foreshadowing involving what happens next; Yosho Jorn ki'Sing is born, and Cilest Mirrelle Ki'Sing dies while giving birth to him.

Six years later, cuz we don't want to ready through Dinishi changing Yosho's diapers for chapters on end....

--Point of View switches to Yosho, and his optomistic outlook on life. I have difficulty here, because I am 22(Almost 23; was 19-20ish when writing it), and I simply don't have the metacognitive capacity to phathom what could be going on in a child's mind when he does the things he does. I try to make it sweet and cute, but at the same time display a level of maturity instilled on Yosho from his older sister, who has become very serene and gentle over the past six years. The Father, Jorn Jorn Ki'Sing (hah...Jorn-Jorn), is nearly non-existant in Yosho's life. He works tirelessly to support Yosho and Dinishi, and since his wife's death, has been slowly fading away into nothing.

--Currently, I am writing the transition from the outskirts of Klaime to Klaime itself. Its a difficult place for me, because I want to have it flow smoothly, but the So'ere Family, except for Nightingale, is giving me trouble. The patron of the estate, Pheonix, needs to not like Yosho. However, this is hard to do. The So'ere family is really good friends of the Ki'Sing family due to the relationship of a current living member (Robin So'Ere) and Yosho and Dinishi's mother. Pheonix certainly doesn't scorn his own family members, and he enjoys the lady-like nature of Dinishi. This means that Yosho needs to get on Pheonix's bad side to the point where Pheonix disregards the feelings of his two sisters, Robin, and Nightingale(Who loves Yosho), and Dinishi, and kicks Yosho out of the So'ere estate, forcing him to live on the streets.

This presents another problem. How does Dinishi react initialy? Her pent up emotion will come in later in this post, but her initial reaction can't be good. unfortunately, I don't know what this reaction is.

What I -do- know is that Nightingale So'ere, who is akin to an emotionless doll, builds up feelings for Yosho and his nature. Particularly Nightingale is drawn to Yosho's ability to relate to and comprehend Nightingale's subconcious desires and feelings that she doesn't display openly. Pheonix is Jealous of this, as are several others, but enough to hate a child? What finally does set Pheonix off is Nightingale for once takes initiative, and kisses Yosho. Pheonix, or maybe a maid servant, witnessess this, and that Horny Boy who has obviously been manipulating Nightingale is kicked out of the estate! Nightingale does not speak, nor show emotion, so she cannot protest this.

--After I pass this point, it will be nearly smooth sailing. Yosho, in his street wandering, meets a merchant(He's like a UPS man, sort of)--Incks, who takes him in under his wing. Yosho learns a lot about people during this time. Yosho travels south toward destiny(Translation: Point of view change) and while working around the port, unfortunately happens upon a bear. Yosho(Who'd been in the forested areas near the port) is chased to the shore line, where a water fairy observes the bear dealing a mortal wound to the young man. Not being Malevolant, the fairy scares the bear away, and sustains Yosho's life with some magic while contemplating what to do with the unlucky human. Being a young and impulsive fairy, she decides the best course of action is to take Yosho to the secret hideout of the water fairies.

Yosho will spend two years with the naked water ladies(lucky bastard...) while point of view switches to Dinishi for the most part, occasionally stopping on Yosho to make sure he is still alive and learning. Dinishi, in the time Yosho has been away (im thinking 3 years, one of southern travel, and two of hawt fairies) goes crazy. The focal point of her life, practically her child, has been torn from her. She becomes spiteful of others, and after some time, she snaps. Dinishi, although truely hating Mr. Pheonix for what happened, has little contact with him, and so, Dinishi's anger is turned toward Nightingale, who's relationship caused Yosho to be thrown out. Long story short, Dinishi kills the So'ere family, and a couple of their servants, and runs off out of horror of her actions.

--Until Yosho returns to the limeline, the Story focuses on Dinishi spiraling out of control. First she murders to So'ere family, who really weren't bad people. To attone(But still get some rage out), she begins to actively hunt down criminals, murdering them ruthlessly. She's not an expirianced killer, to the deaths are messy and easily tracked. Luckily, she has a shadow looming over her helping her cover up the evidance. After some time as a killer, Dinishi becomes desensitized to others' lives. She grows to not only hate bad people, but everyone. Dinishi feels it is a good idea to destroy Klaime, so she goes about doing that through Nuclear Winter. Thousands of people freeze to death, and people sent to confront her are nailed to trees with lances of ice, and later their bodies serve as her brutes(Zombies, undead, necromancy, what have you). This section mainly focuses on the darkness building up in Dinishi's heart, and becoming released.

--Yosho returns! Woo! He finally started growing, so he needed new clothes. Want a better reason as to why he came back? You don't get one, because fairies don't care for better reasons (Or at least, they're trying to make their new little brother feel comfortable, and don't know what to do about this whole "clothing" issue). While in the town with his fairy sister, Yosho hears about Dinishi and her actions. Being the responsible young man he is, he feels its best to go and confront her and stop her from what she's doing. he parts with his fairy life style, and begins marching north to find Dinishi.

--Yosho is appauled at Dinishi's actions; murder mostly. The Loss of Nightingale hits him esspecially hard, since he liked Nightingale as much as she liked him (horny kids! bah!). At this point, Yosho's thoughts turn more from "Talk to her" and toward "Justice". This is another short arc in the book, a mirror of Dinishi's two year focus. While Yosho travels toward Dinishi's location, he builds up his sense of Right and wrong, seeing mostly the pain Dinishi has been causing others, instead of being enveloped by his own pain like Dinishi.

At this point, we expect a grand conflict, 15 year old Yosho Vs. his elder sister, and great mage Dinishi! Well you don't get one. Dinishi has attracted a lot of attention from both good and evil people. A good person, her former magical instructor, wants to help Dinishi, but Dinishi's ability has spiraled so far out of control, he couldn't hope to challenge her. Instead, he requests aid from a more expirianced colleage. Little does Mr. Teacher Man know, but this colleage is pocessed by one of those evil people that caught wind of Dinishi. This evil thing, known only as Cloak of Bones, is interested in poccessing Dinishi and using her seemingly limitless power for himself, cuz evil people do that.

Yosho arrives at break-neck speed to find a poccessed Dinishi, a still semi-sentiant Dalique(Cloak of Bones) and a looming shadow, Lexsuncion. Yosho is presented with a choice; Save his sister from servitude, or free her. Dalique/Bones promises to leave the city alone, since there's no reason for him to be overly malicious. Yosho is forced to make his first difficult decission. Before, everything came naturally. Bad stuff happened, so he had to be good; Simple as that. Now, that thing he was coming to challenge is beset by a bad thing. Letting his own flesh and blood be taken as a slave was certainly a bad thing, but so was letting her continue. Ultimately, Yosho decides that this evil entity is evil'er than Dinishi, and challenges him.

Heroboy gets his ass whooped. Its hardly even a contest for a 1000-year old assassin to beat the crap out of a 16 year old boy, right? Meanwhile, our good buddy Lexsuncion has been hovering over Yosho and Dinishi's lives for some time, casually observing them because he finds them interesting. So interesting, in fact, he's willing to challenge the evil Cloak of Bones. Lex may only be 800 years old, but he doesn't need to poccess other people to sustain his life force. its not a one-sided battle, but Lex is a clear winner against Cloak of bones. Lex then subdues yosho with some poison, and helps Dinishi esscape Klaime.

--Yosho awakens to Lex, who explains what happened, and where Dinishi has gone. She's crossed the boarder! Unfortunately, the boarder is closed (So how'd she cross it? F***in' Lex...) due to the war. But Yosho MUST stop his sister's tyranny! So he does the only logical thing; Joins the military to fight against Grey's Mark. Under lex's toolage, Yosho becomes a very competent fighter and tactician, and soars through the ranks of Klaime's army, despite his age. He becomes a lieutenant of an elite tactical battalion. He challenges his Commander's actions and several occasions, and for insubordination, the Commander decides to make and example of Yosho.

Heroboy kills the commander, and there is a big fuss over it. Appearantly, killing bad people is considered wrong when they're important and smart bad people. Yosho is inquired about his actions, and found worthy of probation, instead of death. During his probation, Yosho grows and grows in military prowess. He commonly takes charge on the filed of battle, adapting quickly to situations that baffle his superiors. After his probation ends, he is instated as the commander of his old unit, to the shock of many.

With his small unit that is only 150 men strong, he spearheads the assault on Grey's Mark seemingly flawlessly. The small unit works its way closer and closer to the city until they simply can't skirmish and sneak past armies despite their small numbers. At this point, Yosho gets the rbight(dumb) idea to ditch the army, and charge straight for grey's mark himself. A single person could get there easier, and the oppisition he does meet along the way are scouts and jailors(who are there to capture him because the scouts report him. He's just one guy, afterall...) are too weak to handle the seemingly flawless swordsman.

Heroboy fights his way single-handedly into the city, where he plans to meet the queen and force a surrender. Things are a bit sketchy here, but Yosho does not wave his sword around like a superhero and use his manly muscles to bring a nation to its knees. Instead, its explained to him that the queen actually wanted to meet him, so he was allowed to enter the city under the ruse of poor protection; he didn't really think he could charge down the whole city did he?

In this little conversation, the queen comes up with a plan to end the war, since her people certainly don't like it either. All Yosho has to do is get married. Simple, right? So Yosh-WAIT WHAT!? It turns out, Yosho's actually from a very infulentual noble liniage(Which we find out early on, but this is kept from Yosho). The "political tie" between the two nations might be just enough to end the war(Theres some sneaky politics going on here, but those are boring and explained in the book anyway). Yosho grudgingly agrees to marry the most adorable and sweet Lian girl in the universe, hating it(For some reason) the whole time.

--Yosho Stagnates for four months while he waits for the war to end. Point of View switches to Dinishi and her reactions to her solitary life. Some stuff happens. The story is nearing a close!

--Soon, the war is declared over, and Yosho heads out immidiately to find his sister. His wife follows, because she's grown attatched to Yosho. More and More spoilers start to come. Dinishi actually HASN'T crossed the boarder(DAMNIT LEX!!!) and Yosho hunts her down.

--SOMETHING BIG HAPPENS!

--Book 1 ends.


As far as spoilers and character interaction goes, there is a great deal more. For example, Where's Saelin? oh she's in there. She almost has sex with Yosho even. The reason she's not included in this outline, along with Sirrieena, yosho's loving bodyguard, is that Yosho does not view these people as important to his overall goal(There's that biased third person for ya). There is a lot more color between the explained arcs, but Yosho's eyes grow to loss sight of the color around him, and soon, everything becomes black, white, and shades of grey.

Anyone would kill to take Juhani, his wife, as their bride, but Yosho becomes so far gone at this point that he doesn't realize just how much relationships mean to him or others. In a sense, Yosho dies, and is like a corpse walking aimlessly toward its final goal.

The Period of Blades extends farther beyond the events in the first book (Planing me something like a trilogy), and ends either in the second, or the begining of the third book, where another period starts, and is quickly stopped at the dawn of a new era! After that....well...I dont know. If i ever finish this story as a trilogy, the world simply wont stop existing. There's more out there, afterall. What will assail my mind after the Period of Blades, only time can tell.