Plugging Plot Holes

Welcome Back!

           Back in July, we saw the importance of checking the accuracy and relevance of facts. Sadly, even if all the facts have been verified and passed review, there is still the possibility that certain elements in the narrative will not add up. Today we move on to another important aspect which requires attention when editing: Plot Holes!

Plugging plot holes.

As mentioned in my earlier post about Plot lines, the plot is the backbone of a story which is composed of a series of interconnected events, meant to feed information in a comprehensive sequence, leading to an intended goal. Every event mentioned usually has a specific meaning or importance; establishing connections, suggesting causes, and showing relationships.

Now that we have established what is a plot line, what is a Plot Hole?

A Plot Hole is when a piece of information (or lack thereof) is presented in a narrative, that either negates, contradicts or comes into conflict with another established fact. This error within the plot line creates an inconsistency, which threatens to break the integrity of the story. Credibility is important, because once it is lost, the whole storyline will fall apart and the audience will lose interest.

There are three levels of Plot Holes; Minor, Medium and Major. These categories are based on the amount of work required to repair the damage to the plot line. In the following paragraphs, we will take an in depth look at the different types of Plot Holes, and see various examples of mistakes to look out for, such as;

• Typos.
• Neglected inclusion of information.
• An oversight during a revision.
• Contradictions of established facts within the storyline.
• Inconsistencies in the timeline.
• Subplots that were left unanswered.
• Character performances which go against their intended personalities.

Minor Plot Hole:

These types of Plot Holes are easy to identify because they are usually attributed to simple mishaps. Correction of a Minor Plot Hole is normally quite simple, as it only requires replacing a few words, substituting information or possibly changing a sentence. A few examples are:

• In the beginning of the book, a background character is named “Osborn”, while a few chapters later they are referred to as “Osborne”. (typo)
• The main character has an eye patch on their left eye when first introduced, but in the final chapter the patch is mentioned to be on the right eye. (simple mishap)
• At one point of the story, a character is said to be unarmed, a few paragraphs later they suddenly have a pistol. (neglected inclusion of information)

Medium Plot Holes:

More common problems are the Medium Plot Holes, which can be severely detrimental to the storyline. These errors risk damaging entire scenes or even several chapters, and may be harder to identify unless the reviewer has inside knowledge of the writer's intentions. Medium Plot Holes usually happen when a writer loses sight of their original vision, causing story elements to be transformed over time. Also, it can be the result of not taking into consideration information they had mentioned some time before. This causes breaks in the narratives consistency. An example that is easy to understand in this case, are characters who are acting out of character:

• The main character suffers a serious gunshot wound to the stomach. A few paragraphs later, they are climbing, jumping, or fighting off villains, as if they were in no pain. (information not taken into consideration)
• The Villain is determined to do anything to destroy his superhero nemesis; create weapons, hire assassins, build traps… when the time comes where the hero is helpless in the Villain's clutches, the Villain simply leaves them unsupervised to do something else, not taking the opportunity to see the result of all their hard work. (character performances go against their intended personalities)
• In the beginning of the story, one of the female leads was presented as a strong, adventurous women. By the end of the story, said female character is acting scared, and more like a damsel in distress than the fighter she was originally painted to be. (lost sight of original vision)
• (example pulled from a movie I saw recently) Main character cuts off her broken finger to avoid it getting worst. She then walks around with a bandage on her hand to cover the stump. A few scenes later, she has this dramatic interaction with another boy, but throughout the scene, she has all 10 fingers! Once this particular scene is over, the character goes back to having only 9.  

Major Plot Hole:

Finally we have the Major Plot Holes. These problems usually cover a large section of the narrative, often requiring major changes, maybe even a rewrite, in order to fix the issue. These usually involve the core of the story, key elements which the writer may have overlooked, or a fact they did not take into consideration. Instances for these types of situations are more complicated to come up with, but here are a few examples:

• A story begins in New York at sunrise, where are protagonist discovers they have 24 hours to reach California before a bomb goes off, killing their family. The main villain forces the protagonist to use their car to reach their destination because of stops they are required to do along the way. The story sees the character pick up the necessary items, and arrives just in time to give them to the terrorist and stop the bomb. The problem? It takes over 40 hours to drive from NY to California, so no way this story happened in 24.
• While they were a child, the protagonist sees their parents killed by an older man with a scar. The protagonist goes on with their life, occasionally getting into trouble by breaking the law, but eventually get a change of heart and begin seeking justice. They therefore study in law enforcement to later become a detective. While on duty, they find clues to the scared man, hunt them down to finish the story in a bare fist brawl on a roof top. The problem? A) if the murder happened when the protagonist was a child, how old would the villain be by the time the hero got enough education and training to become a detective? B) a criminal record may have prevented the protagonist from becoming a detective in the first place.
• In a dystopian future, the sole survivors of mankind are forced to live below water in closed habitats, because the air outside is now too toxic to breath. In order to live under water, the humans develop new ways to grow crops, build structures, navigate the seas and hunt. Most of their work revolves around the help of marine life, such as whales, dolphins and sea turtles. The problem? Whales, dolphins and sea turtles are not fish, so they also require fresh air to live, therefore it would not be possible for them to live because of the airs toxicity.
• In a fantasy world, there is a magician with great magical power. He uses his magic to put out fires, create golems and save lives. One day, the king is poisoned, and in order to save him, the magician sends out a group of soldiers to retrieve a special root to make a remedy. The magician informs the troupe they have until nightfall, or the king will die. While they are gone, the castle is attacked by an evil dragon, trying to destroy everything in its path. In order to prevent destruction and hold off the dragon, the magician places a time spell on the dragon, stopping it in it’s tracks. The problem? If the magician has the power to stop time, then why not simply use it on the king, therefore buying the soldiers all the time they need to retrieve the root and removing all sense of urgency?

While revisions are important, the best way to avoid plot holes is to keep in mind how they happen and where they come from. This is why it is always a good idea to have your work revised not only by you, but by other people. As writers, we tend to spend so much time staring at our work, that we become blind to our own mistakes.

        This concludes today's post. I hope this was helpful to you in some way, as I know it turned out to be an eye opener for me. My research into plot holes lead me to a website that used time travel stories as an example, which turns out is what my own novel will be about. On the bright side, this website also gave helpful tips on how to fix the problem, so I am happy that it will make my story better for it.

So until next time,

Cheers!

Patrick Osborne

Interview - Alexis Radcliff

Welcome back!

Today we have something special; an interview with published writer, Alexis Radcliff. This is the first interview on my blog, so if anyone has any requests or suggestions for future interviews, please leave a comment.

I met Miss Radcliff via Twitter, where we have been discussing various aspects of writing ever since. She is very professional, knowledgeable and has a lot of insight in this business, which she shares in the following interview.

Short Bio: Alexis Radcliff is an author, gamer, unashamed geek, and history junkie who spent the better part of a decade working in tech before dedicating herself to her first love, literature. A VANISHING GLOW, her debut novel, is the opening book in her MYSTECH ARCANUM series, an exciting blend of steampunk and flintlock fantasy with mature themes.

Published Works: A Vanishing Glow (The Mystech Arcanum, #1)

(http://www.amazon.com/Vanishing-Glow-Book-Mystech-Arcanum-ebook/dp/B013CW2T0G/)

Current Projects: Book Two of The Mystech Arcanum, and a top-secret piece of dark literary fiction

Website: http://www.lexirad.com/

When did you begin writing?

I started writing at a very young age, dabbling here and there, but spent most of my childhood and teen years voraciously consuming more than creating. It wasn't until I was out of college that I began to take my writing seriously and work harder at developing my craft.

Did you receive any special training or attend a school?

Not for writing, no. You have George R.R. Martin, Robert Jordan, Michael Crichton, and Anne Rice to thank for my literary style. I see, I (try to) do. I'm a huge proponent of self-learning, actually. When I was first getting started, I sat through all of Brandon Sanderson's excellent online lectures. I also read just about every craft book I could get my hands on while writing every day to put what I was learning into practice.

Where do you get your inspiration from?

Mostly they're plucked from the ether of my mind after it's had some time to cook on interesting ideas for a while. I'm an infovore -- constantly on Reddit, Feedly, Twitter. Every few days some cool thoughts coalesce and hit me out of nowhere, and I rush to write them down in a little red book I carry everywhere in my purse. I skim the best of them off the top and work on whichever projects I'm most excited about at the moment.

Do you use any special resources when writing? (other books, computer programs, etc)

Absolutely! Did I mention I'm a geek? I write all my prose in Scrivener, I use ProWritingAid.com to weed out obvious issues in drafts, I'm a big believer in the Pomodoro Method (using my favorite timer app, Tomighty), and I look for cover artists on DeviantArt. I also enjoy my thesaurus, and recommend its distant cousin The Emotion Thesaurus as a great reference for making sure you don't re-use the same emotional cues too often.

What is (in your opinion) the most important thing to remember when writing, and why is it so important?

The most important thing to remember is that you're running a marathon, not a sprint. You're not finished until you're finished, and editing will always take longer than you expect. No matter how much time you have to work on it or where you are in the writing process, keep chipping away and don't lose hope. It can be easy to feel like your novel is a never-ending slog sometimes, but just focus on what you're doing now, do it well, and get it done. Eventually you'll have a book you're proud of.

What is (in your opinion) the most challenging part of writing, and how do you overcome it?

For me the hardest part is deciding that the work is done, because I'm such a perfectionist. I'm never happy with the work no matter how often I go over it. You can't help but compare yourself to your heroes, you know? At some point, you just have to decide that good enough is good enough and move on to the next project. It's all about the journey. I think I found the right balance of that with A Vanishing Glow after five or six drafts. For a debut novel, I'm very proud of it and very excited to release it.

Did you use an agent, and how did you get your book published?

I don't have an agent. I'm completely self-published, by choice. When I first set out to become an author, I weighed all the pros and cons of seeking a traditional publisher and self-publishing, did a bunch of research, and finally came away persuaded that the wave of the future is self-publishing for people who want to own and manage every aspect of their writing like a business. I love being self-sufficient and doing all of it myself -- the marketing, the copy writing, the cover design (and of course the writing of the book itself). I wouldn't trade that for the world.

Did you use an Editor? If not, what process did you use to edit your work?

I hired a freelance editor whose work I liked on Reedsy.com and was very happy with the results. I also had several friends who are authors and bloggers go through with a fine-toothed comb and give me their feedback (and I really owe them for it, since the final draft weighs in at over 115,000 words).

Do you handle your own marketing?

I handle all of my own marketing and maintain an active blog and social media presence to assist with those efforts (plus I love connecting with other authors and fans). As for marketing, I plan to use the usual suite of options you see recommended: Facebook ads, giveaways, my mailing list. It's really easy to connect with people who are passionate about the type of work you do these days.

What is your best marketing tip?

Don't be spammy. It doesn't work. If your Twitter feed is endless retweets and your blog is just curated lists of reposts, you should rethink your strategy. It's important to be genuine and actually talk to people if you want to make friends and fans (and you should!).

What advice do you have for other writers?

Keep writing and don't lose hope! When you finally get the book out the door, it's such a great feeling. It's definitely worth the sweat and the tears. And there will be some tears, I promise. Just pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and keep going.

       I would like to thank Alexis for taking the time out of her busy schedule to take this interview. Hoping everyone found it as helpful and informative as I did. I’m already looking into some of the resources mentioned above, but we will see more on that in future posts.

Until next time,

Cheers,

Patrick Osborne

Current Projects Part 7

Welcome back all!

       Today's  “Current Project” post follows my second milestone on the journey to becoming a writer: reaching 2000 views on my blog! Also, my Google+ page has surpassed the 10k views and my Twitter has reached over 700 followers. My social media is slowly gaining attention, and I'm impressed by everyone's support, it means a lot to me. My FB page seems to be lacking, however, so I have put together the "100 for 100" stunt (more on that later).

 

 

        The month of July has proven to be a hurdle on this mission to becoming a writer. All of the headway I had gained in previous months has been exhausted, leaving me struggling to keep the pace. Several obstacles have surfaced, forcing me to reevaluate how I will be doing things going forward.

 

        The first problem surfaced when Google made an update to Google Drive. This means I have lost access to Drive while at work, as the app no longer functions on Internet Explorer 9. Furthermore, I have been having issues connecting to Drive from my home computer, meaning my access to Google Drive is practically inexistent. I am currently looking into other options on where to migrate my documents, but until this is resolved, it will severely  slow down my work. Which is bad, since all of my writing for Missing Worlds Media, as well as my own books, were done via Google docs.

 

        My laptop also suffered this month, as it went offline due to technical failure. Fortunately, a few days in a shop later, it is now back to working order... for now.

 

        On a more positive note; I started my new job at the Copyright Department! I have learned a lot over the past few weeks, have come across many interesting items. You can expect to have at least a few updates in the near future that will be about Copyright and how it affects us as writers.

 

        This new job comes with a draw back; my daily commute has now gone from 2 hours to 4 hours each day. This also has taken a bite out of my writing time, however it has given me more reading time. So it kind of broke even on that one! :p

        So all of these changes will force me to adapt how many posts I create per month. From now on, I plan on having one post of each type per month (By the Book, Inspiration, Current Projects, etc). This will help me keep on top of things, as well as standardize my blog!

 

         As we entered the final week of July, I am now beginning the last required preparations for our trip to Chicago. My wife Linda and I made a checklist, and are gathering the last few items we need. I have put together an itinerary of the sights we will be seeing. You can expect to see a lot of pictures from Chicago in the future, as I will be taking a lot of notes as research for my own book! By the time this gets posted, the trip will be only a few shorts days away.

 

        Finally, as I mentioned earlier, I have been trying to come up with ideas to attract more attention to my Facebook Page. This is when I came up with the "100 for 100" idea! For every 100 likes on my FB page, I will post a 100 word post from my book. This can be anything from a character bio to an actual part of the story. Be sure to share these posts, cause for every time my FB pages gets 100 likes, I post a new bit of my book. This also applies to followers on my blog, for every 100 follower I get, I will post a short 100 word paragraph on my story. The follow button should be on the right side column of my blog. So get cracking!

 

That is all for now, take care and I will see you on the front lines!

 

Cheers,

 

Patrick Osborne.

Short Story 1

Another day in the life of a hunter…

The sun was slowly setting behind the trees as fog rolled in, covering the muddy shores surrounding the swamp. The air was growing cold as the native animals began creeping out of their dens. Frogs and night owls could be heard, and somewhere in the distance wolves were howling.

 

Within the marshlands, a camp had been set up by a group of hunters, having made a temporary headquarters which allowed them to hunt the surrounding area. The twenty men and women were slowly packing up their supplies, getting ready to return home after having spent two weeks in these less than favorable conditions.

 

In a nearby trail, a hunter staggered back to camp, dragging the dead body of a six foot long wild boar behind him. His heavy footsteps sank in the mud, as he cursed this wretched swamp and whoever thought it was a good idea to come here. His officer’s armor was muddied, and stank of sweat and gore. Angrily, he swatted away mosquitoes as he approached the camp site. A bearded man in a heavily decorated armor stepped forward to greet him. It was Adam Wolfkin, the Wolf Clan leader.

“How was the hunt, Owen?” asked Adam.

Over seven feet tall and wide as a tree, the hunter known as Owen Bearhide was quite imposing. Unlike most hunters with their swords or spears, Owen’s weapon of choice was a two handed war hammer, which he could bring down on an enemy with the force of a falling mountain. He was a formidable hunter that Adam trusted and knew for a good part of his hunting career. The big man was usually joyous and fun loving, but the swamps drab weather was taking its toll, for his patience was now wearing thin.

“Remind me again, Adam” Owen grunted as he tossed the boar’s carcass in a nearby wagon, “why are we here?”

Adam laughed out loud. He slapped taller man’s shoulder as they walked together. Owen found himself in a somewhat better mood already, being in the murky swamps all day was not his idea of fun.

“My poor friend, you know how it is, we go where the bounty takes us! If we hear something in these woods is worth its weight in gold... we come kill it!” explained the clan leader.

“Adam, I’m not some new recruit fresh out of the academy..." Owen’s tone turned impatient again. "This blasted swamp doesn’t have anything worth hunting. The only thing we have accomplished here, was gather herbs and stock our food supplies. Why the Maker's name did we come here?”

“Yes...well. We also have obligations towards the Guild, which state we must clear out any dangerous or unwanted animals that may have been reported... and such a creature was reported in this area” Adam was gazing out into the foggy swamp. “But we’ve been here for almost two weeks, and still nothing. So I shall be reporting our findings back to the Guild Master, and inform him his contact seems to have been mistaken. Now, would you mind helping the others with their preparations? We are leaving tomorrow at daybreak.”

“And not a moment too soon” muttered Owen to himself, as he saluted his senior officer and left to go take care of his gear.

While on his way to his tent, Owen came across James Bluewolf, the crossbowmen Captain. The marksman was sitting on a tree stump, swearing under his breath as he cut his finger on an arrow head. James stuck his thumb into his mouth and looked up with a startled expression, only now noticing he was being watched. Owen chuckled as he entered his tent.

 

Some time passed, and just as Owen finished packing his belongings, he overheard familiar voices originating from outside his tent. Owen poked his head out to see Jeremiah Greatfox and Keith Pathtraveler in a heated argument. Keith was recruited into the Wolf Clan not too long before Owen, and had proven himself numerous times. This was far from enough to impress Jeremiah however, for this old hunter was well-seasoned after many seasons out in the field. They called him Great Fox for his outstanding tracking talents.

 

Both of them were good colleagues and great friends, so Owen decided it would be prudent not to get involved and be about his business. Before he could re-enter his tent, Jeremiah called out to him.

“Owen my boy," Jeremiah called out, "can you do me a favor? I’m in the middle of something, can you just go around camp to make sure everyone is ready to leave by day break?”

Owen waved his hand in acknowledgement and walked away, leaving the two men to argue to their hearts content. He was never one to try and shove his nose in where it wasn’t wanted.

 

As he began patrolling the campsite, Owen ran into Irvine Blackhorn, the Wolf Clan’s second in command. Irvine was the reason Owen wanted to enter the Wolf Clan, as he was his first teacher back at the academy. At this moment, Irvine seemed to be inspecting the camp grounds.

“Well good day to you, Owen.” Said Irvine in a cheerful manner.

“Greetings,” Owen replied less enthusiastically, ”I see they have you on babysitting duty as well?”

“Not today,” chuckled Irvine, ”I’m looking for Marcus. His gear is still unpacked and I can’t find him anywhere. You know how he is, if he doesn’t start packing now, we’ll be here till tomorrow night waiting on him.”

“Wasn’t he on fishing duty this afternoon?” Owen thought aloud.

“Oh? He must be by the waterside, then.” Irvine began walking off in the marshes direction, “I’ll go have a look there.”

“I’ll join you, I was made responsible for the boy, besides, everything seems ok here” Owen stated, as both men made their way to the nearby fishing spot.

The hunting in this area wasn’t great, but the fishing was surprisingly good. So they had kept one man on fishing duty at all times during their stay. At this moment it was Marcus Littlebrooke’s turn.

 

Marcus was boy, still a student at the hunter’s academy. The Guild occasionally allowed students to go on expeditions on the condition they not participate in any dangerous activities and be kept to simple tasks. This was a great opportunity for young hunters to gain experience out on the field and see the pros at work. Marcus was the curious sort and always seemed to get himself into trouble. You couldn’t question his dedication, however, for he was the first to volunteer for anything.

 

They found the recruit with his fishing rod cast out and both feet in the mud. Marcus was whistling softly and seemed oblivious to Irvine’s and Owen’s presence. He was surrounded by buckets, some containing large quantities of different varieties of fish.

“Well... I see your day was productive!” exclaimed Irvine as they approached the shoreline.

The boy jumped up, startled. He looked at the two hunters and let out a sigh of relief. “That was not funny! You guys scared the living ghost out of me!” Colors were slowly returning to the boys' face, “I’ve been hearing weird sounds around here all day.”

Both hunters laughed out loud, amused by the recruits' reaction. They had to wipe tears from their eyes and take a breath before being able to ask the young hunter if he needed any help.

“I’m fine. I’ll be doing a lot better once we leave this spooky swamp,” uttered Marcus.

“Speaking of which,” replied Owen, ”why have you not finished packing your gear yet?”

Marcus grinned and pointed to one of his buckets. Irvine and Owen took a step closer to peek inside, and were amazed by what they saw. The container was filled to the brim with golden coy fish.

“Amazing!” exclaimed Owen, “You caught all these today? With the price these fish go for at the market, we should be able to pay for this entire excursion with the fish in this bucket alone!”

“Yep!” replied Marcus, “they seem to be abundant in this area.”

“Adam will be happy to hear that,” stated Irvine, ”but right now you need to go pack your equipment, Marcus, or you won’t be ready by tomorrow morning.”.

“Do I have too?” whined the young man, ”I still have some time before sundown, I might still catch a few more of these golden coy fish.”

Both Owen and Irvine looked at each other and shook their head. “Just be certain you are ready to leave come daybreak” ordered Owen.

“Don’t worry about me sir!” answered Marcus, “I’ll stay up all night packing if I have too!”

Owen turned to whisper to Irvine. “Which is more than likely what is going to happen, have you seen the inside of his tent!”

The hunters chuckled between themselves as they made their way back to camp, but before they got out of earshot, they heard little Marcus cry out for help. Owen and Irvine turned and ran back to the muddy shoreline.

 

The reinforced fishing rod jerked with such force that the little hunter found himself dragged forward, landing face first in the mud. This caused Owen and Irvine to burst out in laughter. As Marcus pulled himself back to his feet, it became clear he would not be able to reel in this catch by himself.

 

Owen approached the lad, grasping the fishing rod alongside him. Both of them now leaned back in an attempt to reel in the catch, but to no success. Irvine decided to help by grabbing on to the other side of the fishing rod, but all three of them still could not reel in the catch.

“It must be caught under a rock or something...” grunted Irvine as he leaned back with all his might, “it’s not moving.”

“YA IT’S MOVING,” yelled out Marcus, making no effort to contain his excitement, as the fishing rod began jerking frantically back and forth, “AND ITS A BIG ONE! WOOHOO!”

“Maybe Marcus got lucky and caught himself a mermaid!” Chuckled Owen, putting all his weight against the fishing rod.

“In a swamp?” asked Irvine, “must be one ugly mermaid.”

Owen gave a quick glance around himself, searching for anything they could use. At this moment, he noticed other than the buckets with fish in them, are two more buckets empty of whatever content they had.

 

The rod jerked forward again... all three hunters found themselves being dragged into the murky waters.

“By the Maker this must be one of a big... Fish...” Irvine grunted as sweat dripped down his brow.

“Bloody Blazes! How big is this beast...?” growled Owen through clenched teeth, “Marcus... tell me... what in the Maker’s name have you been using as bait?”

“Well... I ran out of worms and leeches...” the boy said sheepishly, “so I’ve been using whatever I could find... frogs... dragonflies... when I ran out of those I figured I would use a lure, so I crafted one out of a gold coin I had in my pocket and…”

“WHAT!?!?!” Owen and Irvine screamed in unison.

The two hunters looked at each other, then gazed out onto the swampy waters. The surface of the water was being rippled by something underneath. The waves were gaining in frequency and amplitude. Then suddenly, a large yellow fin broke the surface.

“Damn it”, cursed Irvine, “Damn it all to the darkest corners of the Abyss. We’re not prepared for this.”

Owen felt his skin go pale. The look in Irvine’s face told him the older hunter was thinking the same as he was. He turned to look at the camp grounds, desperately looking for help.

“ADAAAAM!” Owen cried out as loud as he could.

All conversations on the campground went silent and all activities came to a halt as everyone’s attention was now diverted to the water’s edge. Adam could be seen coming out of his tent, looking around frantically for the source of the commotion. The Clan leader was struggling with his helmet when he noticed the three men by the waterside, wrestling with the fishing rod.

“WYVEEEEERN!” yelled Owen.

The campsite burst into action. Hunters ran around frantically getting armor and weapons ready. Adam was yelling out orders to get everyone organized, while Marcus, Irvine and Owen desperately tried to keep a hold on the fishing rod.

“Should we try... to pull it to shore?” asked Marcus.

“Are you daft, boy?” snarled Irvine while trying to keep his footing. “We’ll be lucky if we can hold it still!”

“Besides,” replied Owen, “I’m perfectly happy where it is right now... which is as far away from us as possible!”

“But… I don’t understand,” said Marcus, fear growing in his voice, ”why would a wyvern be biting on a fishing line? Shouldn’t they be going for larger fish?”

“They are attracted to gold!” replied Owen, “It probably thought your lure was one of those golden coy fish…. Would explain why there is so many in the area. Damn it, I should have seen this sooner!”

A loud snap was heard as the fishing line finally broke, sending all three hunters crashing to the ground. Shaking their heads in an attempt to gather their wits, they looked out to the water’s surface.

 

Waves crashed and spiraled as a low rumbling noise resonated through the air. The sound quickly turned into a loud roar, as a fish-like head raised above the water line. It continued to snake upward until it was higher than the tree tops, exposing large fins on each side of its body. It then tilted its massive head downward to look at the three men laying on the shoreline.

“You think it knows we’re here?” whispered Irvine.

The Wyvern shrieked, lunging towards the hunters.

“I’LL TAKE THAT AS A YES!” screamed Owen, as he hurried to get back on his feet.

Each grabbing one of Marcus’s arms, Owen and Irvine frantically dragged the boy to the nearest set of trees, zigzagging as they tried to avoid the water dragon. The creature climbed on to shore, now on its two hind legs, pursuing the three huntsmen. Its long fish-like tail swung wildly in the air, swatting down trees and leaving broken stumps in its wake.

 

The three hunters continued sprinting through the dark forest, ducking between the trees until they came to an abrupt halt. They had encountered the base of a rock formation stretching upward, way too steep to climb quickly. With nowhere else to go, they turned around to face the oncoming dragon.

“...weresogonnadieweresogonnadieweresogonnadie...” Marcus was babbling, having lost his wits to fear.

“Owen, are you thinking what I’m thinking?” Irvine glanced over to his fellow hunter.

“Ya...” replied Owen, “Get ready to charge.”

“Wait, what?” squeaked Marcus? His eyes wide with fear and disbelief.

The wyvern was charging them at full speed. Every tree in the monsters path was trampled or tossed aside. The creature lowered its head to be even level with its prey, its  gaping maw revealing numerous rows of small sharp teeth. The beast was ready for the killing strike.

 

Just when the creature was within range, Irvine and Owen grabbed Marcus and charged the wyvern while yelling in defiance. Instinct caused the wyvern to raise its head, to attack its prey in a downward motion instead of trying to bite it in a ground level attack. This reaction allowed the threesome to jump and roll between the large creatures legs, effectively avoiding its assault. The dragon, however, could not stop its momentum, and found itself crashing head first into the rock wall. The monster staggered backward, dazed and confused.

 

The hunters gathered themselves and hurried back to camp. Looking over their shoulder, they saw the wyvern had already shaken off its dizziness and was back in pursuit. Its giant head was reaching for them, when a series of fireballs struck the dragon, causing it to rear back and roar in pain.

 

Owen, Irvine and Marcus looked ahead of them to see James Bluewolf had arrived and was followed by his squad of crossbowmen.

“TAKE THAT, YE BLOODY FLOUNDER!!!” roared James defiantly. He then turned to order his men, “FIRE SECOND VOLLEY!”

The crossbowmen continued to provide cover fire as more Wolf Clan members came to assist. Great swordsmen, spearmen and other warriors all surrounded the creature to limit its movement. The giant water dragon fought back, swinging its long tail, sending several bodies flying into the air.

 

Adam halted the trio before they ran past him. Owen and Irvine seemed fine, but Marcus was as pale and clearly in shock. The boy was stuttering and babbling to himself.

“Are you well enough to fight?" Adam placed a hand on Owen’s shoulder while looking him over.

“We’re still… in one piece...” Owen was panting heavily, but still managed a smirk at the Wolf Clan leader.

“Yes… just allow me… a moment…” Irvine was still fighting to catch his breath.

Marcus was still rambling to himself, not making any sense whatsoever. Grabbing the boy by the chest, Adam shook him vigorously while calling his name. Marcus snapped out of his stupor and managed to focus his gaze.

“Go to the supply wagon,” Adam ordered, “bring back more ammunition for the firing squad!”

The little hunter nodded and ran off towards the supply wagon. Adam turned his attention to his second in command and squad captain.

“I want both of you armed and back here,” barked Adam, “NOW!”

The two officers gave a sign of acknowledgement and ran off to their respective tents. The clash of battle and screaming men, accompanied by the dragons roar, sounding vividly behind them.

 

Owen ripped through his tent’s doorway. He quickly unpacked his bags, searching for his hunting belt and knife. He strapped them on and equipped his helm, while grabbing his favorite war hammer on his way back out. Just as he exited his tent, he crossed Irvine who had gotten his great sword. Together, they made their way back towards the fight.

 

The wyvern was keeping the hunters at bay by shooting powerful jets of boiling hot water from its mouth. Adam and Jeremiah, accompanied by a few more spearmen, were holding their ground, hiding behind their massive shields. Their goal was to keep the crossbowmen safe while they reloaded, but it was becoming painfully obvious that they would not be able to hold out much longer.

 

The dusk sky lit up as the crossbowmen fired a new volley of flame tipped arrows at the wyvern. The spearmen and trappers spread out to surround it, getting ready to attempt ensnaring the beast with nets. The dragon, however, was not cooperating. It swept its massive tail around, causing several hunters to be sent flying and crashing into the firing squad. Adam and Jeremiah looked behind them, they knew too well that without cover fire, they were in serious trouble.

 

The wyvern roared and fired hot waters jets on the men and women of the Wolf Clan. Adam and Jeremiah managed to block the attack using their shields, having to lean against them to withstand the pressure of the blast. Nonetheless, the pressure proved to be so great, that they found themselves being slowly pushed back, their feet losing traction in the hot mud.

“Tell all the recruits to fall back!” Adam bellowed to Jeremiah, trying to be heard over the sound of the dragons attack, “and I want the firing squad to flank it...distract him long enough for us to attack!”

Jeremiah acknowledged and from the cover of his shield, turned to face his men. Performing a series of hand gestures, he signaled the orders the other hunters. The crossbowmen proceeded to split into two separate groups, while everyone else without a rank retreated.

 

Irvine and Owen were advancing in a crouched position, moving in to join the leaders and remaining spearmen, whilst making sure of remaining hidden of the dragon’s line of sight. Adam greeted them with a smile.

“Glad you could join us,” said Adam from the cover of his shield, “We were beginning to think you would miss all the fun!”

“Don’t worry old man,” smirked Owen, “I wouldn’t let my elders do all the hard work by themselves!”

“Don’t patronize us, boy,” replied Jeremiah jokingly, “I’m certain there are still a few tricks us old coots can teach you!”

“So it’s the four of us against the wyvern then?” said Irvine, “Poor thing doesn’t stand a chance.”

“Let's not get over zealous” cautioned Adam. “Save the gloating for later. Now, move into positions.”

Adam and Jeremiah hid behind their shields and raised their spears. Together they charged the wyvern, with Owen and Irvine following close behind them, their weapons at ready. All four of them ran straight at the dragon, forcing it to assume a defensive position. The wyvern roared and lunged forward, snapping its massive jaws. The two spearmen deflected the attack with their shields, then pushed the dragon back by threatening it with their spears.

 

Meanwhile, Owen and Irvine circled the creature and went for its legs. Irvine attacked first, swinging his great sword around in a wide arc, slicing the beasts hamstring. The blade sunk deep into the dragon’s flesh, which spewed forth thick, dark blood.

 

The wyvern raised its left hind leg with a jerk, letting out an ear piercing shriek. Its giant head turning abruptly, all its attention now gone to the sword wielder. Irvine stood his ground, assuming a defensive position as the Wyvern limped toward him.

 

With the dragon preoccupied, Owen seized the opportunity. Bringing his mighty hammer in an upward swing, he landed a blow on the wyvern’s right knee cap, effectively shattering it with a loud cracking sound. Again the Wyvern shrieked out in pain, as it toppled to its side.

 

The water wyvern flopped around on its side like a big fish, totally helpless. With both the dragons legs incapacitated, the hunters moved in for the kill. Two spears went through its mid-section, while a great sword slashed its throat and the finishing blow of a giant hammer crashing down on its skull.

 

The scaly body twitched and went limp...

 

Breathing heavily, the four hunters just stood there for a moment, with their weapons still in the dragon. Cautiously they moved back, removing their arms from the carcass. People could never be too careful around dragons. Even in death, these nasty creatures could have a nerve spasm strong enough to knock a hunter for several yards.

 

When it became apparent that the creature was no longer a threat, the signal was given for the rest of the Wolf Clan hunters to move in, bringing with them carving knives, wheelbarrows and carts. The hunters listened as the Wolf Clan leader and squad commanders began issuing orders.

“I want everything of value to be scavenged from this beast,” ordered Adam, “fins, scales, teeth... Everything, all the way down to the bones! Make sure it is all properly wrapped and contained, I don’t want anything to go to waste.”

“Anyone with wounds, report to the field medic” instructed Irvine, “I want a full report of all injuries.”

“Once the carving is done, I want everyone is to go back to finish packing their gear!” requested Jeremiah. “We are still leaving tomorrow at dawn. I will also be looking for volunteers for night watch patrols.”

Each member of the Wolf Clan went about the camp, hurrying to get their respective task accomplished. Owen removed his helmet, went over to a nearby cart and sat down. Reaching to the back of his belt, he pulled out a small, leather clad book and a piece of charcoal, and proceeded to sketch the events of the day. “Just another day in the life of a hunter”, Owen thought to himself. He believed keeping a journal was important, especially in a risky profession such as his. He wanted to be sure some sort of record would be left behind for his family, in the event something ever happened to him. Other members of the Wolf Clan admired his work, to a point where he was made the clans unofficial records keeper.

 

Adam, Irvine and Jeremiah came over to join him, letting weapons fall to the muddy ground as fatigue claimed their weary bodies.

“Ack! My feet are killing me...” Irvine complained, as he sat down on a nearby fallen tree trunk and proceeded to remove his boots.

“My back is killing me...” chimed in Jeremiah, sitting next to him.

“Well... I do believe this would explain the source of the “dangerous animal” that was reported by the Guild” stated Adam, as he took off his helmet and let it drop to the ground, then taking a seat on the cart next to Owen.

“Remind me when we get back to town,” requested Owen, “to inform the Guild Master that he needs to reconsider his definition of “dangerous animal”, and change it to “BIG FREAKIN’ DRAGON”!”

The four friends laughed out loud, as they laid back to rest.