I finished Ch. 1! How did that happen?

It's true! I actually finished writing the first chapter of AF: Cage Rattlers!! And I really don't know how it happened! I just sort of started working on pieces of it at the library just for the sake of writing and then POOF!! I finished up the chapter yesterday. I actually can't remember the last first chapter I wrote (and I have written many) that was actually good. I hope this isn't a bad omen for my story. Then again, I can't very well publish a story I haven't written.

Anywho, I now have something to post. It wasn't what I originally hoped to post, but that segment will come in its own time. In the mean time, I'll post part of my brand spankin' new chapter one!! Oh, and don't worry, M. You'll still be the first to read it (well, you're probably the only one who reads this blog anyway), I'll send you out a copy after I make revisions...'cause this is a very rough draft.

~Voila!! Chapter One: Captain (or at least a piece of it)~


Normally, the harbor was one of the few places in the city whose beauty remains intact. Its cerulean blue hue was so pure and perfect that it's easy to forget the city that lied just behind it. The ocean breeze would carry to the shore in just the perfect way, as sea breezes often do. The sun would sparkle and everything will be contented.

But not today. Today gray clouds loomed overhead with the threat of rain, the salty breeze was replaced with a late-winter chill, and the water, which usually satisfied every pleasure of the hand, only felt wet and cold. However, the weather only slightly depressed Aidan. He had seen worse things. Aidan ran his hand along the railing of the outlook, frightening the many seagulls that perched there. They squawked unhappily at him as they flew off in search for another rail.

As he curved around more shops, his destination came into view. It was just another outlook appearing just the same as every other one lining the cliff. Aidan supposed that was the point. All the same, Aidan continued on towards the designated outlook, but as a row of benches came into view, Aidan saw that someone was already sitting in the place where Aidan was supposed to meet his captain. The "someone" was a boy maybe a little younger than Aidan with shaggy silvery blonde hair. He was lying on his back with his hands behind his head across one of the benches staring up at the dark sky.

~Now here's another part for you!! (this is much later in the chapter)~


"As you can tell," Sebastien said breaking Aidan's train of thought, "we're part of Nine. Your new teammates."

"Part?" Aidan asked.

"Yeah, there are nine of us, including the captain, but now that you're here we're an even ten."

"Which is the limit to how high Sebastien can count," joked Oz. "So we'd better not get anyone else." Oz, Jed, and Sebastien erupted into laughter. Even Leon and Ace smiled.

"I might as well send you back to the country now if you're going to be chit-chatting rather than working," said a harsh female voice obviously directing her comments at Aidan. "And you," now referring to the others, "aren't you supposed to be doing something constructive?"

The others each went off to their previous positions.

Aidan turned around to see a tall, striking young woman who must have been a year, or perhaps even two years, younger than him. She stood just inside the door frame with her arms crossed, glaring at Aidan through icy hazel eyes. She wore a short dress with shorts underneath and bands covering her knees. Her long slivery blonde hair was held in two metallic shapes just behind and above her ears. The same types of metallic metal shapes were again used on her forearms as a sort of covering. Across her shoulder, she carried a brown leather sash, on which was a rectangular metal plate inscribed with .