It’s Sunday, time for Weekend Writing Warriors (click the logo above for links to participants) and Snippet Sunday (click the logo below.)
I’ll continue with the opening of Rescue Operation in its current state. This one is a WIP but I hope very near publication. Zhaim is thinking to himself.
Derik, Kaia and Roi would be horrified by his solution, and would probably be able to sway those not solidly behind him. And since he couldn’t influence them directly….
Or could he?
Whatever Marna had done two and a half centuries ago to prevent him from doing so much as thinking of harming another, it was getting weaker with time—especially since her death, almost fifty years ago. His half-brother, Roi, had always been a weakling, and without Marna Roi simply did not have the strength to manage the regular renewal of the bindings, though he did not seem to realize how badly he was failing.
Zhaim still couldn’t manage to block conditional precognition by himself, at least not without going into convulsions. But he’d located the portion of his abilities that produced that effect, and had taught that part of the skill to another Inner Council member, one who was as appalled by Roi’s treating Humans as people as he was. The bit he’d taught that person was useless in itself, but if applied while Zhaim did the things he alone could do, the result was almost as good as the ability he remembered from the past.
Not a very sympathetic character!
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Zhaim sounds like he’s planning something that won’t be good for anybody but himself. You do such a great job of building tension, Sue Ann!
I didn’t sign up this week but didn’t want to miss your post.
Thanks. I find that opposing points of view, with neither knowing what the other is thinking, is a gread way to build tension.
Your world building is phenomenal. Zhaim reveals much in his thoughts. Intriguing snippet!
That’s the purpose of Zhaim’s POV.
I love loopholes—they make for great plots!
And Zhaim’s found one.
Intriguing hints of your worldbuilding here. Preconditioning set centuries ago that guides their behavior? And sounds like this one is rebelling against it…
Zhaim’s an exception, and his preconditioning was an alternative to a death sentence.
Your imagination captivates me, my friend. I’m baffled writing about fifty years ago. Thanks for another great snippet.
Interesting POV from Zhaim and intriguing world-building.
His POV is somewhat twisted, but I hope coherent.
Uh oh, I can see a lot of trouble coming, so this is excellent foreshadowing! Great snippet!
Yep, a whole trilogy’s worth.
Not sympathetic indeed!
No prison, whether real or in the mind, holds strong forever. Too bad Roi doesn’t know how close to a break out Zhaim is!
And Roi is more aware of the potential problem than anyone else.
I enjoy hearing familiar names in the new work. Great start.
In Homecoming and Tourist Trap non-aging while his friend age is only an abstraction for Roi. Two and a half centures later it has become very real.
Do I detect some obvious sibling rivalry here? It seems that Zhaim has to believe that he is better than his half-brother and may do something unwise to prove himself… Intriguing.
Sibling rivalry that goes back a loooong way.
Ooo, what is he planning? Excellent world-building.
A disaster, to Roi’s thinking.
Sounds like Zhaim is looking out for himself with these plans and doesn’t give a hoot about anyone else. Enjoyed the snippet. 🙂
He claims he’s looking out for the interests of the R’il’noids in general, but that’s largely a pretext.
Intriguing stuff. Looks like you’ve created a character that’s fun to write.
Fun in the same sense that Screwtape was for C. S. Lewis.
Zhaim seems to have plans that may be a bit to much for the others. I LOVE his name and the way you have written his thoughts so clearly.
Yes, he’s a villain, all right.
Intriguing writing from the villain’s POV. (I know me, though — if I tried it I’d start to see the villain’s POV as being the “right” one! LOL)
(Interestingly enough, I have a pair of half-brother characters with a similar dynamic, but I never wrote from Jehadi’s POV…)
The bits from the villain’s POV are short, but essential to keeping up the tension.