Where the Willow Walks ~ (4/16/18)

[Livvielove]

"Down by the water, under the willow, sits a lone ranger minding the willow.
He and his wife once lived happily, planted a seed that grew through the reeds."
"Willow" - Jasmine Thompson

This is the tale of Adriel and Theran - two names often heard whispered in tall creation tales but brushed away by many in Atalan to be silly folklore. Many believed Adriel and Theran to be two original gods of varying relation (siblings and rivals the most common); some think them to be silly children's stories to teach of morality. One book published by a rogue historian challenged all of the previous assumptions declaring Adriel and Theran lovers across ages that created a stir among the masses until it was discredited and shoved to the public as romantic nonsense. Yet what many had yet to realize was that the truth was much closer than they thought.

[Home] ~ [Disclaimer] ~ [Chapter List]

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Chapters
00 ~ The Storyteller
01 ~ A Lesson in Science
02 ~ Adriel and Theran
03 ~ The Nine Generals
04 ~ Nyenni
05 ~ The Battle of Atalan
06 ~ The Pioneer
07 ~ Marie's Bluebells
08 ~ The Academy
09 ~ You Won't Last Here
10 ~ Family Day
11 ~ The Academy Chronicles

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Where the Willow Walks is a story I've been working on for the past ~7 to 8 months and exclusively for the past 3(ish). It's a standalone story that takes place in Atalan, the world of all of my stories (Song of the Nightingale; Faction of the Lost Ones; The Reapers Legacy).I've worked really, really hard on this story, and there's a lot of editing and personal artwork put into it. This story has a lot of dark images on a dark background so mobile viewing may be more difficult. Any feedback is greatly appreciated!

[Livvielove]

02 ~ Adriel and Theran

In a way, Theran was Adriel's strength and stability, and Adriel was Theran's will and heart.

[Blamsart]

HAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
LOOK AT THIS
LOOK AT THIS ITS BEAUTIFUL
The best kind of folklore

[Livvielove]

Author's Note - SimNaNo begins!

03 ~ The Nine Generals

Torig imbued more than breath, but a piece of his soul and energy into nine spirits - his nine generals.

[Livvielove]

Author's Note - Off with a bang for SimNo; ~ 4,000 words and 55 pictures! Woo! This update kicked my butt with editing though. Imma go take a breather now.

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04 ~ Nyenni

A spirit’s bond with it’s other half is the most pure thing I can ever describe.

[Livvielove]

Author's Note - SimNo #3!

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05 ~ The Battle of Atalan

She took the hit herself… and shattered into fragments.

[Livvielove]

Author's Note - SimNo #4! Almost done with this challenge at 9,431 words!
Special thanks to @Blamsart for helping me with the French in this chapter.

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06 ~ The Pioneer

"Sometimes you have to be the pioneer to learn something new."

[MichelleCYoung]

This is just sooooo good! Not only is the story gripping, but the pictures are gorgeous! I can't wait to see what comes next!

[Livvielove]

This is just sooooo good! Not only is the story gripping, but the pictures are gorgeous! I can't wait to see what comes next!

Thank you so much! I've been giving myself a little break between this last chapter and the next, but it should be up soon! SimNaNoWriMo kicks my butt into gear! I'm so flattered that you like it though! My stories are my babies and I love when people love them too!

[Livvielove]

Author's Note - With this chapter, I have achieved gold for SimNoWriMo! And WHAT a chapter to end on too. Full warning and disclosure - this is an intensely emotional chapter. I fully admit to crying my eyes out like a little baby writing, editing, and finishing this chapter. A big thank you to @Blamsart for the French help; and to both her and @mpart for their consistent support. The story is FAR from over, of course, but this chapter... just did me in emotionally and I'm SUPER proud of it. I hope you all enjoy it as much as I did writing and rereading it.

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07 ~ Marie's Bluebells

“Promise me you won’t stop learning… but more importantly, that you will never… never stop pursuing whatever it is that makes you happy.”

[Livvielove]

Author's Note - My official last entry to SimNaNoWriMo! Ended with a bang. 6k words 114 pictures. I hope you all enjoy!

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08 ~ The Academy

J'ai reussi, maman, papa.

[MichelleCYoung]

Just read Chapter 8, and I'm grinning, and saying, "D'awwww!"

This is great!

Also, thanks for posting here, so I can comment. Are you going to put a thread here for your other stories, too?

[Livvielove]

Just read Chapter 8, and I'm grinning, and saying, "D'awwww!"

This is great!

Also, thanks for posting here, so I can comment. Are you going to put a thread here for your other stories, too?

Hi Michelle! Thanks! I loved chapter 8, even though there were parts of it that still broke my heart. I had no good place to end it so I worried it got a little meandering...

As for my other stories, I have threads for all of them here, plus anonymous commenting as been enabled for anyone who isn't on boolprop who wants to comment on the stories! You can find the other thread links here:
Reapers Legacy
Song of the Nightingale
Faction of the Lost Ones(Perfect Genetics Legacy)

[Livvielove]

Author's Note - So this chapter comes from a very familiar, deep, and dark place in my life. When I was in the darkest point of my life, I was 16, not unlike Robert. I went through a very traumatic situation that left me torn open for a very long time and would lead me into a horrible depression and PTSD. It would take me years before I could see the light at the end of the tunnel, but I'm finally there.
This chapter is long, heavy, and follows the mind of someone suicidal.
The point of this chapter isn't to glorify it, but to show the gritty realness that many people face each day. To those of the world who have thought about, or actually committed, suicide: you are not alone. I hope you never forget that.

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09 ~ You Won't Last Here

“You won’t last here, Robert.”
Tell me something I don’t already know.

[MichelleCYoung]

Wow! Chapter 9 is powerful!

Spoiler:

I can't speak for everyone who has contemplated suicide, but I can say that a lot of it rang true, especially the part about being afraid people would try to "fix" you, when you know full well that they can't fix The Thing. And knowing that someone else loves you and needs you... That is what kept me going. That was the only thing, for me (I'm better now; Don't Panic, Friends!). Yeah, this was spot on.

In my experience, it's easy to find a cause worth dying for. It's harder to find a cause worth living for. Living through the pain and struggles and confusion and challenges. But love. Love hard, and challenging, and can be extremely painful in itself, but it IS worth living for. Whether it be romantic, family, friendship, or even basic altruism, love is, in my opinion, the most effective suicide preventative in the world. Because love is worth living through the pain. However, in order for it to work, the person contemplating suicide has to know two things: 1) that they are loved, and 2) that their death would cause immense pain to the person they love. If you don't have both elements, it loses its power.

Mostly, I like the funny stories, as an escape from the world. But dark stuff, done properly, can be cathartic. Well done.

I won't beg for a quick update, though. I reached my dark limit for a while, you know? I'm willing to bet you need a bit of a breather after writing that, too.

[Livvielove]

Author's Note - It's been a while, sorry! I had a lot of sorting-out I had to do, though, and I'm back and better than ever! I got super revved up to get this chapter out, and honestly leaving it where it was on Chapter 9 we really needed this chapter! I hope you enjoy!

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10 ~ Family Day

Yet despite all the progress he made, which perhaps was minor in the grand scheme of things, he was chained to the impending doom that was Family Day.
He just wanted to get it over with.

[Livvielove]

Author's Note - Happy 1-year anniversary, Willow!

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11 ~ The Academy Chronicles

Happy 1-Year Anniversary, Where the Willow Walks!

[LylaWitness]

Yay! Another chapter!

A one year anniversary? Oh wow, that's impressive! Congratulations!