Word games.

Another chapter preview! More Nyx Nerdiness... (remember, this is subject to change, blah blah blah...)

Elmiryn thought, tapping the handle of the skinning knife on her chin. "Let's play a game."

I gave her a deadpan look. "While you're carving an animal corpse?"

"You tell me about yourself. Using single words."

"...Pardon?"

"Five syllable words," Elmiryn added with a grin. Her angular face seemed a little flushed and for a brief moment I wondered if she were drunk again.

"Elmiryn I can't--"

"Of course you can. I bet you can come up with a word for how you're feeling right now."

"Yeah. Exasperation!"

"See?"

"I really don't think it'll work."

Elmiryn looked at me. Then shrugged. "Okay. If you say so." That was when she filleted the deer from the gut to the chin.

The beast in me snarled at the sight of red life spilling onto the dirt, the tumble of dark purplish organs, the gleam of the exposed rib cage. The smell that hit me literally made me reel. I spun back around, horrified. "Disquietude! Feelings of anxiety that cause one to become tense!!" Even I could note the lower pitch of my voice, the growl that tinged my words.

"That's four syllables." Elmiryn said calmly. I couldn't see her expression, but I could imagine her smiling. Why did she find these things funny?

"Fine! Pestiferousness; something akin to evil or general annoyance."

If you guys have checked my twitter updates on the main site, you'll know that the next update won't be up till sometime Sunday. I apologize for this and really DO dislike going against my schedule, but sometimes that happens in life, and after this rather eventful week I really have no reason to stop and regret it at all.

I was feeling pretty unmotivated with the next installment before I was hit with a random idea. It literally saved the sinking ship! It also helped to remember that I was writing Eikasia for myself as much as for others (though I truly do appreciate my readers)--It was just getting to the point that I was fretting so much about what people would make of my story that I couldn't even write it. But now I think I've gotten over that (for now, ha!) and the writer's block has magically vanished. I'd stay up to work on this more, but I have work tomorrow so I'm afraid I'll have to put it off till later.

Till Sunday then!

P.S.
Because it's awesome-sauce.