Nothing to See Here… Yet.
On February 2nd, 2010, this site will play host to the first publicly available web novel written by Ian M Rountree of the Wings of Wax Project. As the launch date nears more information will be posted here sporadically. After all there are a number of things still to do, like make a Technorati claim (they told me to say “vn6ez2bwgq” those silly folk).
As the bulk of this novel will be principally written during National Novel Writing Month, as its beginnings were last year, it’s likely very little information will be released before November 1st. However, RSS feeds are available for both posts and comments, so feel free to subscribe early.
Until the content begins flowing, feel free to follow the author’s blog at Wings of Wax, or perhaps look for some other web fiction at the Web Fiction Guide.
I’m a glutton for teasers and comments, so here’s a taste of something coming early in Volume One: The Norfolk-Dornan War.
Sinking spirals of sunlight wet the palm-laden flats to the east of the manor house as Jag Har’Oah’s rings bit into the ocean beyond where the five Yeun highliners carrying the last of this intake’s ten score recruits were beaching themselves. Those who had already disembarked had assembled at the foot of the south entrance’s stairs. Some had been slow in arriving, the south winds making an infernal trial of the passage to the isle from East Yuma. Lockwood might not be a backwater capital like Tan Maevin, and it was certainly no Absolution, but for such a small isle, the manor and Academy and their attendant villages made a substantial sum, when the Academy was in full session. Anrui Frost watched the last trickles without much interest. The repeating clockwork of humans being.
Calenhad was right, the war was getting just plain ridiculous. The last one had gone on for almost ten years, and this one – less than twenty years after the last – looked to be even more high strung, placing an even higher expectation on Lockwood and its instructors to train battle mages. With the huge, unexpected increases in the number of Talented among both Norfolk and Dornan, the Regulators were hard pressed themselves, keeping everything running like clockwork. Good luck, Anrui snorted.
Like Wyvern Lake in the north, which trained the Norfolk’s’ fanatic, mundane warrior caste, and Attensah with it, which bore the School of Summoners, Lockwood was an Academy. Here, at Jinda on Lockwood Isle however, were trained Mages – the dread dynamic magicians of the Norfolk who did the real damage in wartime. From all the reaches of the kingdom, with all kinds of backgrounds, men and women came to Lockwood to live and learn under the watchful eyes of the Regulators. Men like Calenhad Firehand, who was just now taking his place on the pulpit before the crowd. Men like Anrui Frost, who stood to Firehand’s right, tugging more tightly around his shoulders the heavy black cloak that marked him as a Weaver. It was his time to speak.
“Welcome, friends, to the Lockwood Academy. I am Regulator Anrui Frost, one of the Academy’s many instructors in the Arcana and the Divinorum. Most of you will come to know me well. Now, however, it is my duty to introduce the head of the Lockwood Commission, Accord Council Calenhad Firehand.”
There were no cheers as the Accord Council of the Regulators took a single measured step forward to match the one Anrui moved back. There could not be, Frost knew, not only because these people were in unfamiliar places after a long journey, but because of Calenhad’s reputation. Some said (and it only took some) that Nieri ran in Firehand’s blood. That he was a Chaos Mage. Any mage but Calen would have been ruined by such a rumour. Instead, the Accord Council had simply become more imposing and feared. The arch mage’s powerful personality had ensured him not only respect of a kind, but also autonomy from the capital’s politicking, and most people thought the powered forces better for it.
“Make no mistake,” Calenhad began, wasting no time. “This is no vacation, and for many of you, Lockwood will be your home for years to come, instead of simply the next five seasons. How long your tenure here is depends on your talent, your skill, and your force of will. Some of you may become squad mages for the armies. Some might become general Practitioners, and from there choose a trade path. Many of the most talented might even become Regulators and instruct like dear Anrui Frost and Grale, whom you will meet later on. But for now, focus on your instruction, and learn. Above all else, remember; the safe road is the slow road. None of you plan to be another Ansolen Lemiticron. No one wishes to be the next Grevault Anginock.”
Anrui frowned. Calen always brought up the Slayer and the Grey Man. And Anrui never saw anything more than bad omen in it. As Calenhad stepped back, Anrui descended into the crowd to begin seeking out his students.