In Algebra, we worked on graphing functions. I learned that if the vertex of the function is the highest point, then it's maximum. If the vertex is the lowest point, then it's minimum.

In World History I finished the first packet and I'm almost done with the second one. I learned that starvation was common among french peasants of the time during the revolution and they often slept with their animals in houses.

In English, I had another Vocabulary test. I had less trouble with these words since I had more time to practice.

For Guitar, I practiced Country Roads with my new strings. My fingers are sore, but they'll grow stronger.

In Science, I have to figure out a pulley system for the bucket. I need to figure out the correct ratio for the size of the gears and the number of pulleys that I'll be using. I also went to a store to look at motors. I have to go to a different store since most of the motors used Alternating Current, while we need ones that use Direct Current. The DC motors that we found though, were too strong and they wouldn't turn easily, We need to get some that require less power to spin.

Vocab

Today in Algebra, we had our Chapter 8 test. It was basically all about factoring polynomials. I checked my work thoroughly, so I'll definitely get a good grade. Tomorrow, we'll probably start on Chapter 9.

For World History, we worked on another packet about the French Revolution. I learned that Marie Antoinette was hated since she couldn't bear an heir, she was foreign and many french people though that she was a spy.

For Guitar, I worked on Country Roads. I also got new strings today. They're heavier , but they sound much better than my old ones. I'll also get stronger while practicing.

In English, I started making scenes for the character progression. I made two about Karalin, and one about Akami.

In Science, I made a model of all the formulas needed for making the Gravity Battery. I found out how to do math on a spreadsheet. I learned that lifting a 5 gallon bucket of water 5 meters would burn 0.2 calories. That's enough to justify eating 0.3 M&Ms! It also generates enough power to use a keyboard for 46 seconds, a laptop for a minute, and a lantern for 3.1 minutes! You can do so many things by using the energy generated by lifting a bucket of water. Now if you had the bucket at the top of Mount Everest, I could play the piano for 21.9 hours, use my laptop for 28.7 hours, and the lantern for 3.6 days. All from that.

Gravity Battery Model

Character Progression Scenes

Akami meets Karalin and dislikes her since she’s obviously loved by all the townspeople. He starts by ignoring her, but he starts to like her.
His opinion of her grows when she saves him from the bandits and he learns a little about her.
Akami feels loss when they part, but he continues thinking about Karalin.
In Sarai Rescan, Akami begins to love her even more, but they quarrel and he leaves, feeling jealous of how the elves accept her.
When Karalin finally forgives him, he falls for her even more and begs her to stay in Sarai Rescan with him.
When she refuses, his heart breaks, but his love grows.

Karalin starts out always listening to her mother and her elders. The first time she was ever rebellious was when she went into the forest at night with her friends.
She starts by spending more time in the forest and with Qi-dá, contrary to what her mother ordered.
Karalin becomes happier and more sure of herself as the story progresses. She gets to spend time with some kids her age and they’re an influence on her.
The cockiness is the reason for her summoning Jelias, but she then realizes that it’s good to sometimes be serious.

Karalin’s friends decide to be rebellious and decide to go out in the forest. They’re attacked and Karalin runs away. She finds herself in a cave and meets an angel warrior. The angel saves Karalin’s friends and makes them promise to never go in the forest at night.
Akami convinces Karalin to help him wipe out the bandits. He is captured and Karalin has to choose whether to save him herself. She frees him, but runs away with him instead of fighting the bandits again. They are chased and Qi-dá saves her again.
Karalin and Qi-dá run into many fights during their travels and Karalin doesn’t run away anymore.
With Jelias, Karalin loses a lot of courage and Qi-dá has to save her.
Karalin has the courage to face the storm and keep them from getting lost.

The Final Conflict

In today's Algebra, we prepared for our test tomorrow. I finished my math review which was just about factoring equations.

For World History, we worked on a new packet about the French Revolution. I learned that economic depression was one of the causes of the revolution.

In Guitar, I practiced Country Roads. I am having less trouble with Fm and I'm getting more confidant while singing along to it.

For English, I worked on my character progressions. I made a top level outline for the progression of Karalin's courage. I also started an idea I had a while ago. I had some inspiration for a fantasy floating city called Numenoria. Numenoria was ruled by the Quintus family, a clan of elves.

In Science, I learned about calculating the energy that dropping a bucket of water could generate. To do that I needed distance, force, volume and mass. I learned that dropping a 5 gallon bucket of water 6 meters would generate 1112.79 joules of energy.

The Chronicles of Numenoria

Prologue

In the floating city of Numenoria, there are two rulers. The first ruler is of the royal family, a group of uniquely gifted elves whose ancestors created the floating city. The second is the unofficial leader of everyone else. He is only known as "Blood". He is an elf, but humans as well as some of his own race look up to him and follow his orders.

Blood is an assassin, and the greatest enemy of the Quintus family. He heads a clan of assassins that constantly attack the royal family. There are rumors of him being an E'Quintus, an illegitimate child of the Quintus family. Of course, those are just rumors.

Blood has only been seen in public a few times, but his face has never been shown. He wears a black cloak and hood which is enchanted to his face is perpetually in shadow. Most of the commoners are his allies so when confronted, he is helped in his escape,

The only person to have seen his face was a single city guard. The guard was murdered shortly afterwards along with anyone he had been in contact with. Blood is a ruthless killer and he never fails to get what he wants.

It is year 513 AN, After Numenoria. A war between the Sky-People and the Earth-People is brewing. Blood is planning to use the war to finally destroy the royal family once and for all.

Vareena Quintus is the current heir to the throne of Numenoria. She is wary, strong, and has learned from the mistakes of past kings and queens.

Blood will definitely have a challenge this time, for she is not to be trifled with. Quintus and E'Quintus will again meet in battle. This time may be the last. Or will it?

Bastion

Bastion sat at his desk, reading through the day's various reports on criminal activity. Several of his men had each been ambushed on their daily rounds.

The healers were working on them for hours before he could talk to them. Each story was the same. The man had been walking along an alley when an elf appeared and took him down.

It was the same elf apparently. He had white-silver hair, green eyes, dark skin and strange swirling tattoos on the right side of his face. There hadn't been any reason for the attacks, they just happened.

Bastion sighed and gathered all the papers together, placing them all into one file and locking it in his chest. He might as well go home and revisit it tomorrow.

Bastion was about to open the door when it opened for him. A red-haired woman stepped through, closing the door behind her.

"Sit down, Captain," she said, gesturing at his chair. "I can't let you leave yet."

Bastion didn't argue, turning around to go sit by his desk. The woman stood in front of him, her arms crossed. The setting sun shone off her armor, making her figure shimmer.

"My name is Luchiri De'Quintus," she said coldly. "You, Captain Bastion Orsson, have some information that I need."

In Algebra today, we continued on working to factor equations. I also got three tests back. Two of them had one problem wrong and the third had three problems wrong. I was able to correct the third one to get full credit, so I will get 100%.

For World History, we watched two videos about the French Revolution. I learned that after destroying the Bastille, a prison-fortress, the revolutionaries built a bridge out of the stones so people "would forever trample on the remains of the prison."

In Guitar, I practiced Country Roads. I had trouble with the Fm, but it's much easier for me to sing in the proper key. I also practiced my transitions again so I played the song more easily.

In Science, I figured out possible science projects. For instance, I could use hydro power of magnetism to pull a vehicle or I could try to make chemical reactions. I finally decided to make a gravity battery, which is s source of power that is powered by suspending a mass in the air. First, we went to a marine shop to find lead weights. The largest ones were 15 pounds, so I decided to just use a five gallon bucket which would weigh 40 pounds when completely full.

Today I didn't go to Timbercrest since I was sick. Sadly, I still had to do all of my homeschool work.

In English, I worked on how each character's personality and personal issues progress throughout the story. This helps me understand my characters more.

In Guitar, I worked on my transitions some more. Now I can change from A to Em and to D with barely any mistakes.

For science, I spent some time observing an ant trying to cut the end of a chive off. It was climbing around the end biting it with it's mandibles and dissolving through the chive. It's really fascinating to watch.

Characters

Karalin

• Courage
  • She starts out a little timid, but grows a little more brave. She loses some courage after summoning Jelias, but regains it when they travel to get the flowers in the desert.
• Magical Knowledge
  • Throughout the story Qi-dá is constantly teaching Karalin magic except for when they're separated. She's a quick learner and enjoys it.
• Heroism
  • Karalin doesn't start out with many heroic acts, but she slowly grows into the hero, like when she fights the bandits or finally finds the flowers.
• Love for Akami
  • Karalin is aware of Akami's love for her, but she doesn't think much of it. She is more interested in finding the tears and saving her village. She pushes him away a little when he flirts with her since she doesn't really understand what to do.

Akami

• Love for Karalin
  • Throughout the story, his love for her is growing. There is a dip when he quarrels with her, but her forgiveness makes him love her even more.
• Self Acceptance
  • Akami starts out feeling hateful towards himself since he's shunned. When he meets Karalin, he starts to accept himself since she heals old wound (add back-story) In the story, he finally finds happiness within himself and is cheered when the other elves accept him.
• Recklessness
  • Before Akami met Karalin, he was reckless and he would go out of his to get in trouble (Like with the bandits) he realized that it was dangerous to be reckless and he started becoming more sensible.

Qi-dá

• Determination and faith.
  • Qi-dá is determined to save Qi-fáguard, but her determination wavers whenever they hit obstacles. This is due to her not having much experience with problems since she spent most of her life out of human contact.
• Happiness
  • Qi-dá's happiness also wavers along with her determination. She depends a little on Karalin to bring her up out of depression but she grows happier as they succeed in their quest.

In World History, we worked on vocab and answering some questions about the French Revolution. I learned that the Third class was unhappy since food prices and taxes were raising while wages were lowered or stayed the same.

For Guitar, I worked on the transitions from A to Em and to D again. I had to practice my D chord since I was taking longer to get it. Instead of placing all fingers down at once, I put one down at a time. I can't play like that if I want to get better, so I practiced that a lot.

In English, I worked on figuring out chapter titles. I have to find what scenes fit into what chapters the best. Some parts I made a new chapter where time passed, but then that chapter was too short. I have to figure out each transition and the proper place for it. I also need to work on character development. So far, each character in Pim River is little more than a robot. I have to give them personalities and motives.

In Algebra today, we worked on factoring equations. For example, if I have x2+9x+20, then the factor of that would be (x+4)(x+5), since x2+9x+20 is the simplified version of (x+4)(x+5),

For English, I worked on the parts where Karalin is in Sarai Rescan. I introduced the Grand Library, and Valerian's shy sister, Riana.

In Guitar, I worked on my transitions between Em, A and D. I can transition faster now and with more accuracy. I'm also moving to each chord with all fingers instead of one at a time.

For Science, I looked at a list of potential science projects. Some would be hard, like the chemistry projects, but others would be simple to try out. I'm eager to start doing labs for the end of the year.

Entering Sarai Rescan: Continued

"I believe I do," he replied. "Her name was Vareena Quintus. She was the last and the youngest of the druids."

"Does everyone have to take her test?" Karalin thought back to what she had seen. "She showed me a vision…"

"No, don't tell me what it was," Akami held up a hand. "It's forbidden to reveal anything she tells you. Just lock it away so you won't tell anyone, but you also mustn't forget it."

"I won't," Karalin promised. Then she smiled wryly. "I don't think that I could ever forget that experience."

"Let's go," Akami said, walking up the street. "Valerian and Isabel will be glad to see you. Our house is near here, right by the library."

"Isabel told me of your library," Karalin said, her eyes widening. "Is it true that there's millions of books?!"

"Twenty million, three thousand, two hundred and five to be precise," he replied, smiling at her awestruck expression. "If you spent years in there, you couldn't read all of them."

"How do you know the exact number of books?" she asked. "An idle hobby?"

"Every elven child here is required to spend a minimum of five months helping in the library," Akami laughed. "Part of that duty includes organizing the books, delivering them throughout the city and studying from a few of them. I spent five years there."

"What did you study?" Karalin imagined five years in the legendary library. "That sounds amazing!"

"I studied routes of Mount Sarai, war tactics, magic and basically everything else that is needed to become a mountain guide."

"What exactly do mountain guides do, besides guide up the mountain?"

"We're scouts," he replied. "Also strategists, archers, defenders and historians. We're like human rangers, but we follow Austere and only help those of or accepted by the People."

They stopped in front of a black door with a silver handle. Akami placed his hand on the handle and pushed it open.

"Mother," he called. "I'm home, and I brought Karalin!"

The Library of Sarai Rescan

Karalin looked around at the giant library in astonishment. There were books and scrolls everywhere! They were neatly shelved or surrounding quietly reading elves.

"This is amazing," she said quietly to Akami. "I could spend my whole life here!"

"Some do," he replied, pointing at an old man, a human, looking around. "Letos came here fifty years ago and only leaves to eat and sleep."

She walked over to a nearby shelf and started reading the book titles.

"These are all about magic! Elemental, artifacts, necromancy, and battle magic. If I had centuries to spare, I could become a great mage!"

She looked up as an elf bumped into her. The elf's face flushed and she looked down.

"Oh, I'm sorry," she said, adjusting her grip on her books. "I wasn't looking where I was going."

"Riana, I haven't seen you in a while," Akami said cheerfully. "How are you?"

"Fine," she said quickly. "Well, I have to go!"

Riana fled, almost running away. Karalin looked after her, her expression confused.

"Who was that?" she asked. "She looked really nervous."

"That's Valerian's sister," Akami answered. "She takes care of the library along with a few others. They aren't really on speaking terms though. He's outgoing and adventurous while she's more shy and kind of a recluse."

"I didn't know that he had a sister…" Karalin mused. "They really look alike."

"She's been nervous ever since Blight People attacked her when she was traveling." Akami's voice grew quiet. "They affected her mind somehow. She used to be fearless and powerful. Even more so than Valerian or even Qi-dá."

"The Blight is a terrible thing."

In World History today, I Finished my CBA. Even though it's been a while since I've written an essay, I think that I did well.

For Guitar, I worked on Country Roads. It's easier to play even though I'm basically relearning the melody. F is still giving me trouble, so I need to practice more.

In Science, I started to prepare my lab space for when I'll be doing science projects.

For English, I started the scene where the tree's sickness is starting to be described.

The Tree's Sickness

Karalin walked along the path, heading for the Crystal Tree. She reached it, then stopped. Something was terribly wrong. The tree's glow was dimmed and some of its leaves were falling. Karalin walked slowly towards it and placed her hand on a branch.

"What happened?!" she turned around to see the botanist from Kalimzan, Jeered, standing there. He looked devastated. "Can a magical tree get sick?"

Jeered walked forward and knelt down next to the tree. He took out his notebook and started flipping through it. There were several drawings of the tree and many notes.

"The glow is dim, the leaves are falling and the branch that I touched just crumbled into crystal dust," Karalin said, holding up the remains of the branch. "Have you ever seen this happen before?"

"It may be Blight," Jeered said, looking up at her. "Is Qi-dá in the village?"

"Blight?!" Karalin gasped. " Qi-dá left half a tenday ago. She said she'd be back in two days."

Jeered stood up and sighed, looking worried.

"Make sure no one does anything to the tree," he told her. "No touching it, no going near it. Nothing, until Qi-dá comes back."

Kane was feeling confused. He had successfully completed his mission days ago, but the poison shouldn't have activated yet. It had only been five days since he had arrived and it was supposed to be tenday before the tree had shown anything.

Did Morigan lie? He thought, suspicious. Did he want me to be caught somehow...? No, I shouldn't accuse like that. Maybe he made a mistake, maybe I heard him wrong. But a job's a job…

"Jeered, are you alright?" he looked back at Karalin, realizing that she had been talking to him. "You seem lost in thought."

That girl… Kane's eyes narrowed. I knew that I felt a strange presence within her. Is she the cause of the quickening?

"Oh sorry," he grimaced. "I tend to get lost in my mind when there's a problem."

Today in Algebra, we worked on multiplying binomials. For instance, a simplified version of (x+7)(x+4) is x2+11x+28.

In Science, I finished my Chapter 25 test. Tomorrow, I'll figure out projects that I want to do. I'm thinking of doing a project for each chapter.

For English, I took another Vocabulary Test. I had trouble with one of the words, so I need to study much more next time.

In Guitar, I worked on my transitions between A major, E, D and G. My chord changes are much faster and more accurate.

Vocab

• Ambiguous
  • Vague or confusing
  • Adjective
  • The instructions for our essay are ambiguous.
• Benevolent
  • Kindly or helpful
  • Adjective
  • In Pim River, Austere is portrayed as a benevolent goddess.
• Circumvent
  • To avoid or bypass
  • Verb
  • To circumvent a fallen tree, I took a different route.
• Collaborate
  • To work together
  • Verb
  • My partners and I collaborate on projects.
• Dormant
  • In an inactive state
  • Adjective
  • Dormant volcanoes are more common than active ones.
• Esoteric
  • Obscure or exclusive
  • Adjective
  • Sarah's taste in jellyfish is considered esoteric.
• Gnaw
  • To chew persistently
  • Verb
  • My dog likes to gnaw on bones.
• Impromptu
  • Without preparation
  • Adjective
  • Sarah's teacher gave her an impromptu test.
• Indictment
  • Formal accusation
  • Noun
  • She decided to give an indictment against her abusive husband.
• Legacy
  • Heritage or tradition
  • Noun
  • Cara vowed to uphold her grandfather's legacy and spread his culture.
• Premature
  • Occurring too soon
  • Adjective
  • I think that this vocab test is premature since I forgot one of these words.
• Prosperity
  • Wealth or success
  • Noun
  • Bill Gates achieved prosperity.
• Renowned
  • Famous or well known
  • Adjective
  • Christopher Paolini and R.A. Salvatore are two renowned fantasy authors.
• Stifle
  • To suppress or smother.
  • Verb
  • The hot, humid air in a jungle can be stifling.
• Tamper
  • To interfere or alter
  • Verb
  • Bob cheated in the robotics competition by tampering with the other robots.
• Undermine
  • To weaken sneakily
  • Verb
  • Sarah spread rumors to undermine her opponents.
• Unscathed
  • Unharmed
  • Adjective
  • He was miraculously unscathed after walking barefoot on hot coals.
• Vigorous
  • Strong or energetic
  • Adjective
  • Mikey was vigorous when he was younger, but now he's slow and lazy
• Volatile
  • Unstable or changing
  • Adjective
  • Sarah didn't buy a car since the gas prices were too volatile.
• Wince
  • To pull back or flinch
  • Verb
  • Amy winced when a carpet shocked her.

For World History, I finished my Packet for the CBA. Next Week, I'll start my essay.

In English, I wrote the scene where Karalin and Akami have arrived at Sarai Rescan. Karalin has to get past the Guardian before she can enter the city.

For Science, I studied for my Chapter 25 test. Next week, I'll take the test.

In Guitar, I worked on Country Road. I found out that I had been playing it in the completely wrong key. So instead of G, I have to play it in A.

The Revenant Mother

Karalin and Akami stood in front of the giant stone gates that led to the grand elven city of Sarai Rescan. She looked at the ground, noticing how the snow changed to dirt, and then to green grass and flowers. Karalin stepped closer to the gate and noticed a sudden change in temperature.

It went from freezing to warm in an instant. Akami went right up to the gates and traced a runic letter on it. The rune appeared briefly on the gate, glowing blue and then it faded. He stepped back as the gates swung inward silently.

"Guide of the Mountain, who do you bring?" a white-cloaked elf woman stood in the middle of the street. "Is she of the Blood?"

She had long silver hair and pale skin. The woman's eyes were closed and her hands were clasped before her as if in prayer. Akami bowed his head and he put one hand out to stop Karalin from taking a step forward.

"If you move you die," he muttered out of the corner of his mouth. Then, he spoke to the elf in front of them. "Revenant Mother, I come with one not of the Blood. But she is pure of heart and strong of will. Will you permit us to enter?"

"Outsider, speak your name," the Revenant Mother commanded, opening her eyes. "I shall test you in the ways of the mountain."

Karalin froze. The pale elf's eyes were completely white. There were no pupils or irises, just a blank whiteness. Akami elbowed her, hard, and she remembered what she had to do.

"My name is Karalin Delura," she said clearly, though her voice wavered slightly. "I accept the test of the mountain."

The Revenant Mother walked towards her until she was standing right in front of the girl. She unclasped her hands and placed them on Karalin's forehead.

"Close your eyes, child." she said, her voice becoming gentle. "Show me what was to come."

Karalin closed her eyes and forced her breathing to become steady.

Karalin looked around. She was floating above Sarai Rescan, and was able to see the whole city. It looked to be under attack. The elves were massing around the main gate, just barely holding off their enemies. Karalin found herself falling, but she didn't feel like she was in danger.

She landed on the street right before the gate and looked past all the elves to see the attackers. They were humans, demons and Blight-People. And at their lead was… Qi-dá? Yes, the angel was fighting against the elves of Sarai Rescan. She was flanked by two demons. One of them was Jelias, supposedly Qi-dá's mortal enemy.

"This is the future that you have prevented," Karalin looked to her side to see the Revenant Mother. "Had the Crystal Tree of Qi-fáguard been left to rot away, corruption would have taken over the goodly races, and freed the evil ones. Look around, child. Do you recognize those faces?"

She looked over, a little past Qi-dá, and saw herself. She wore a black scaled armor and her blade was surrounded with a dark energy. She was fighting against Akami. Her expression was full of rage and malice, while his was a mixture of pain, loss and pity.

She looked down, and saw the corpses of many villagers she had grown up with, along with some of the elves that she had met in Duressan. Karalin looked back at the Revenant Mother, her eyes widening.

"The simple action of you and Qi-dá choosing to save the Crystal Tree has saved the world."

Karalin opened her eyes to look into the blank eyes of the Revenant Mother. The woman smiled and took her hands away from Karalin and stepped aside, holding out her hand.

"Karalin Delura," she said. "You may enter our city."

Karalin noticed that the once empty streets were now filled with elves. She turned to thank the Revenant Mother, but pale elf woman had disappeared.

"Are you okay?" Akami asked, "Meeting the Revenant Mother for the first time usually is unsettling. There was an illusion before that caused all the other elves to be hidden from your eyes."

"Who was she?" Karalin asked, turning to face him. "Aren't revenants restless spirits who roam around as wraiths and try to steal life force?"

"Yes, she's a revenant." Akami replied. "But she only steals the life force of those who try to gain entry into this city after being rejected by her. She was one of the druids who led us here, but she died of sickness. The Revenant Mother didn't want to leave Sarai Rescan, so she stayed here as the protector. She also act as the Seer, since she can catch glimpses of the future."

"What was her original name?" Karalin asked, feeling uneasy. "Do you know?"

"I believe I do," he replied. "Her name was Vareena Quintus. She was the last and the youngest of the druids."

In today's algebra, we continued to work on some worksheets that are reviews of previous chapters.

For Science, I worked on section 25.4, which was about alternate energy sources. Tomorrow, I'll study for my test.

In Guitar, I practiced Country Roads a lot along with the bass part. After I finish Country Roads, I'll try a new song.

For English, I introduced the part where the Crystal Tree is first Poisoned.

The Poisoning of the Tree

It was nighttime in Qi-fáguard and all was quiet and still. The guards were just in the middle of changing shifts when one of them saw a dark flicker out of the corner of his eye. He looked through the gate, wondering what he had just seen.

Kane ran along the dirt path, smirking. He hadn't even hit his top speed, which was why the guard had seen him. But now wasn't the time to be worrying about that. His god had given him a mission of the absolute importance.

He was from the elite mercenaries' guild, Karrnej. They worked for all races… Including the celestial beings. Kane had received a request from Morigan, God of Blight. So he had come here, to this inconsequential village in the middle of nowhere.

At last, he found the little clearing where the famous Crystal Tree lived. The tree exuded an aura of light and it made everything glow. The shimmers within it were captivating and he could have stared at the wonder for hours. But, there was a job to do.

Kane opened a the pouch at his side and took out a small clear vial of a black liquid. Morigan had given it to him and had instructed exactly what he should do. Kane didn't ask any questions. Questions made the assignment complicated.

"It's almost a pity," he whispered as he uncorked the vial. "To destroy something so delicate, so beautiful…"

"What are you doing?!" Kane turned around to see a girl, just in her teens. "I've never seen you here before."

She wore a white robe with silver lining and a medallion with a pair of angel's wings. She had long brown hair that shimmered golden when the tree's light touched it. Her wide blue eyes were curious, not threatening.

"I just arrived," he said, basically telling the truth. "I've heard so many stories about the Crystal Tree, so I just couldn't wait until morning to come here." That was also the truth.

"What's your name?" she asked, smiling and walking over to a bench to sit down on it. "I'm Karalin, one of the clerics of Austere."

"Jeered Kerrigan," Kane said, using one of his many aliases. "I'm a botanist from Kalimzan. I specialize in many kinds of rare plants. Drake's Claw, Heaven's Tears, Rosewell and more. This tree just intrigues me greatly."

"We haven't had many human botanists visit," she said, interested. "Mostly elves. Do you think you could teach me about some types of rare plants?"

"Maybe tomorrow," he said, chuckling. "It's late, young one. Why are you up at this late hour?"

Karalin's eyes widened and she stood up from the bench quickly.

"Oh you reminded me!" she ran off, then called back over her shoulder. "Thank you!"

"What a strange child," he said, staring off after her. "Ah, my assignment. I should begin, now that she's gone."

He quickly uncorked the vial again and poured the black viscous liquid into the ground. It bubbled and slowly sank into the earth around the roots of the tree. Kane corked the bottle and put it back in the pouch.

"Job complete," Kane turned around and started walking back to the main path. "Now, that will take about a tenday to activate. I should stay about 6 days. That way, I can gain their trust and divert any suspicion from Kalimzan so the guild will be safe. That should be easy."

He headed towards a nearby inn and disappeared inside.

Qi-dá walked along the path heading to the Crystal Tree. She shivered and felt a strange, almost evil, aura in the air. It quickly faded, but she still wondered about it. The tree looked the same as always had. There was no sign of any darkness.

"I must be getting paranoid," Qi-dá dismissed the feeling and kneeled in front of the tree. "Austere…"

From the window of his room, Kane watched Qi-dá with a sinister smile.

"The only thing that was also needed," he muttered to himself. "Was the name of the Goddess to be uttered near the potion. Now, the assignment is truly complete."

For World History, I finished all of my questions. I'll start my outline on Thursday. Timbercrest is having MSP testing, so the class schedules are different. On Tuesday we had 1^st, 3^rd and 5^th periods and today, we had 2^nd, 4^th and 6^th periods.

For Guitar, I practiced my transitions. I also worked on staccato so I can play it more easily. C and D are getting much easier to play but C is still troubling.

In Science, I finished section 25.3, which was about Nuclear waste disposal. I learned that there are many temporary disposal sites all over the world.

For English, I started the scene where Karalin is learning about Swordsmanship.

Training

Qi-dá sat a large boulder next to the river and Karalin stood in front of her. It was a warm day and the sky was sunny and cloudless. Qi-dá held a short sword in her left hand. It had a slightly curved blade and the hilt had a diamond pattern on it. A small clear gem was set into the end of the hilt and flickers of blue light went through it.

"I decided that it might be best for you to use a mixture of magic and swordsmanship," Qi-dá said, handing the sword to Karalin. "This will be what you use once you have learned enough."

Karalin ran a hand over the sword, feeling the weight and how it naturally fit into her hand. She swung it experimentally and a small spark ran up the blade. Karalin's eyes widened and she studied the gem. The flickers of light reminded her of lightning.

"What will I be using to practice with then," she asked, looking at the angel again. "A different sword?"

"No," Qi-dá laughed. "You'll be starting with wooden weapons. Steel will be a little heavy for you when you're just beginning."

"It doesn't feel heavy," Karalin said, hefting a couple times. "Why would I need to start with just wood?"

Qi-dá picked up an identical sword from the ground, except that it was made of a black wood. She gave it to Karalin and took back the first sword.

"That's no ordinary wood," Qi-dá told her. "It's one of the artifacts from thousands of years ago. The first people, the Othaj, made it. There are certain enchantments that allow you to train as if one minute was a half-hour."

"So if I practiced for ten minutes each day, then I would have five hours of training?" Karalin asked. "That's useful."

"Yes," Qi-dá replied. "But you will feel like you have been working for five hours. That's the side effect. So I wouldn't advise you to use this too much each day."

In Algebra, we worked on a review about slopes. It's useful since when the end of course exams come up, slopes and functions will be a major part of the math one.

For English, I filled in one of the blank spaces. Karalin and Qi-dá are heading to their first city, Joomba.

In Science, I finished Section 25.2m which was about nuclear reactors. I found out that scientists are trying to figure out a way to use nuclear fusion as an energy source, but there is no source of heat hot enough to make it work.

In guitar, I practiced my transitions and my accuracy. I'm getting better, my fingers are placed closer to the frets automatically so I don't need to adjust my position as frequently.

Heading to Joomba

Karalin pushed back her hair from her face. She and Qi-dá had been riding for three days straight and they hadn't even come close finding any of the nomads' camps. The plains looked the same in all directions. Flat and grassy. They occasionally saw some deer grazing, but those were the only animals.

Qi-dá looked more determined with each sunrise that they saw. She was constantly watching the horizon, searching for any sign of the moving city, Joomba. Karalin had thought she had seen some riders, but they had disappeared before she could actually be sure they were real.

"We should have followed a caravan or at least bought one of those maps," Karalin said wearily. "That merchant didn't seem like a swindler."

They had stopped in a small village just before entering the grasslands. A man had offered them a map which tracked Joomba's progress as it traveled the plains. Qi-dá had refused, later telling Karalin that the maps were probably fakes. She also distrusted caravans, since many of them fell prey to bandits.

"Humans in this region will do anything for a bit of money," Qi-dá smiled at Karalin. "If we had followed a caravan, they would have led us right into an ambush. And I doubt that the map really worked. It would have lost any enchantment within the hour of buying it. I know many tricks of the trade."

"Will you tell me what you know about mercantilism?" Karalin's eyes had brightened "It will pass the time."

"Certainly," Qi-dá looked down at Karalin, still smiling. "What do you want to know first?"

"Can you tell me about auctions?" Karalin asked. "You mentioned them when talking about Joomba."

"An auction is a sale," Qi-dá began. "A person, the auctioneer, will set a price for an item. Then each person who wants to buy it will have to bid for it. For instance, if the auctioneer sets a starting bid of 50 silver for an item, then a buyer will raise that price to what they would want to pay for that. If someone else wants that item though, they'll also raise the price. So basically, each buyer raises the price until no one is left that is willing to pay that. So an item that was originally priced 50 silver could easily go up to 100 in gold."

"That sounds interesting," Karalin looked thoughtful. "So are there different kinds of auctions?"

"Yes, there are three different groups," Qi-dá replied. "The one I described is the most common. Next is the trade-in auction. Buyers exchange their own items for either money or what they want to buy."

"And the third one?" Karalin's eyes held an eager light. "What's the last type?"

"The Thieves' Holiday is the nickname for the Black Market." Qi-dá said that bluntly. "That's the illegal auction. Anything rare is sold there, whether it's actually owned by the seller or not. Many swindlers also practice their trades there."

In Algebra, we took notes on polynomials. A polynomial is a monomial, or a sum of monomials.

For World History, we almost finished answering all the questions. I'll finish them on Wednesday.

In English, I wrote a self evaluation for my community service class.

In Science, I finished section 25.1. Chapter 25 is all about energy sources. I learned that natural gas, coal and crude oil are all fossil fuels.

In Guitar, I worked on playing staccato and transitions for Country Roads.

Community Service

In Algebra, we had our Chapter 10 test. I checked all of my work thoroughly so I know that I'll get a good score. On Monday, we'll start a new chapter.

For World History, we worked on answering questions about WWI to prepare for the CBA. The main idea of the CBA is causes of the war.

In Science, I finished my Chapter 24 test with 100% on the second try. Next is Chapter 25, then I'll be completely finished with the book.

I worked on Country Roads for Music today. My transitions are so much better and I'm hitting the chords with more accuracy.

In English, I started Chapter One of the Gladiator.

The Gladiator: Waking Up

In Algebra, we worked on a review for our Chapter 10 test tomorrow. When I checked my work I got everything right, so I think I'll do well.

For World History, we watched a video about World War Two and I learned how it started. The Black Hand assassinated an Archduke of Austria-Hungary because they hoped to spark a rebellion in Serbia. Austria-Hungary used that attack as an excuse to start a war with Serbia. Russia, Serbia's ally, was obliged to join in against Austria-Hungary. Then Germany, Austria-Hungary's ally, joined the war and used that chance to declare war against France. Then, France's ally, Great Britain joined the war against Germany and Austria-Hungary. And so the war began…

In Guitar, I finally became good at my C and D transitions. I'll start practicing Country Roads even more now.

For Science, I started studying for my test. I'll take it tomorrow.

In English, I had another Vocab test.

Vocab

• Amiable
  • Friendly or lovable
  • Adjective
  • An amiable dog likes meeting new people
• Cower
  • To pull back in shame
  • Verb
  • The timid servant cowered before her master
• Cursory
  • Hasty or Superficial
  • Adjective
  • Since the client had insufficient funds, the lawyer gave a cursory defense.
• Flinch
  • To pull back or wince
  • Verb
  • Amy flinched when a bee landed on her arm
• Immaculate
  • Spotlessly clean
  • Adjective
  • When Sarah's mother came to check on her room, it was immaculate
• Indigenous
  • Native to an area
  • Adjective
  • The Native Americans are indigenous to America
• Latent
  • Present but invisible
  • Adjective
  • My talent for writing was latent until it was revealed in 6^th grade
• Lavish
  • Abundant or excessive
  • Adjective
  • The table was lavishly decorated with food for Thanksgiving.
• Mitigate
  • To make less severe
  • Verb
  • Knights mitigated potential injury by wearing armor.
• Oblivious
  • Completely unaware
  • Adjective
  • When reading, I'm oblivious to my surroundings.
• Opacity
  • Lack of transparency
  • Adjective
  • Most of my acrylic paints have high opacity
• Pivotal
  • Critically important
  • Adjective
  • The World Wars were pivotal moments in history.
• Revere
  • To have a deep respect
  • Verb
  • In the Quest of Pim River, the angels revere their goddess Austere.
• Squander
  • Spend wastefully
  • Verb
  • I don't have the ability to keep money since I squander it all on snacks at school
• Tenacity
  • Firmness of purpose
  • Noun
  • I will pursue my writing career with a tenacity
• Terse
  • Brief and to the point
  • Adjective
  • This sentence is terse.
• Thwart
  • To obstruct or divert
  • Verb
  • A roadblock is used to thwart oncoming cars.
• Ulterior
  • Secret or concealed
  • Adjective
  • Morigan had an ulterior motive when telling Karalin and Qi-dá about the demon.
• Uncouth
  • Rude or bad mannered
  • Adjective
  • Sarah was being uncouth when she swore at a lady
• Veneer
  • Thin cover or coating
  • Noun
  • The fence just needed a veneer of paint.

In Algebra, we finished the packet from yesterday. I learned that there are 5 different types of functions. Linear, exponential, quadratic, square root and cubic.

In World History, we talked about WWI. I actually didn't really know anything about World War One. I learned that It happened from 1914-1918, which was at the height of the industrial revolution.

For Guitar, I worked on my transitions from G to D to E and to C. I'm still having a little trouble with C, so I need to work on it more.

In Science, I finished section 24.5, which was about radioactive tracers and PET. PET scans enable doctors to see brain disorders.

In English, I rewrote the prologue of Pim River so it will introduce the story better.

Prologue

For today's Algebra, we continued working on graphs. I found that the graph of y=-x is the exact opposite of y=x. So they're on the opposite sides of the graph.

In World History, we worked on preparing for our CBA. I answered most of the worksheet questions and I'll completely finish tomorrow.

In English, I rewrote the epilogue so it fits much better now. The other epilogue didn't really feel right for the story so I had to change it.

For Science, I finished section 24.4, which was about nuclear fission and nuclear fusion. I learned that nuclear fission is the process in which a single nucleus splits into two nuclei.

In Guitar today, I worked on my transitions with C, D and F. So far they're becoming easier, but I still need to practice a lot before I can transition smoothly.

Epilogue

"Will you come with us?" Akami asked Karalin, leaning against the tree trunk.

They were sitting in the forest, just outside of Qi-fáguard. Valerian and Isabel were preparing for the journey back to Sarai Rescan while Qi-dá prayed in the temple.

Karalin stood up, stretching her arms. She then looked towards Qi-fáguard.

"I don't know," she said, looking back at Akami. "I don't have many attachments here, but still…"

Akami also stood up and they started walking along the worn path to Qi-fáguard. Birds twittered as they flew through the trees and the sun shone down warmly.

"You could visit Qi-fáguard at any time," Akami said, his eyes pleading with her. "Please Karalin, come back with us!"

She sighed and looked down. "Alri-"

"Karalin!" they looked over to see Qi-dá standing next to the gate. "I need to talk with you for a moment."

She left Akami and walked quickly over to the angel. Akami stopped where he was and watched them talk together.

"You shouldn't go back to Sarai Rescan," Qi-dá said bluntly. "It's not a place for you. Also, think of your mother. You couldn't just leave her like that."

Karalin was silent, thinking. Qi-dá kneeled down in front of the girl, placing her hands on Karalin's shoulders.

"Make a wise choice for your future," Qi-dá said quietly. "If you leave, then you may not be able to return."

Qi-dá stood up and walked back into the village. Karalin just stood there, lost in thought. Akami came up to her and smiled.

"Will you come to Sarai Rescan with us?" he asked. "You'd love living there!"

"I… can't," Karalin said finally. "I couldn't leave here again. This is my home…"

"I… understand," Akami replied, his eyes dropping briefly. "Well, we can still visit each other."

"Yes we definitely will," Karalin promised, taking his hand. "It's only a tenday's travel to the base of Mount Sarai from here. I shall come to see you often."

Today in Algebra, we worked on graphing square root functions. A square root function is a function containing a square root with the independent variable in the radicand. For instance, y=√x is a square root function.

For World History, we prepared for the CBA by starting a Mini-CBA about the Age of Reason. So far, I've answered all the questions I need and I'll finish tomorrow.

For Guitar, I worked on Country Roads and Hallelujah. I'm a little (a lot) rusty, but I'm getting back into the system. So far I've been making good progress on the songs, though I need to practice my transitions to and from C.

In Science, I finished Section 24.3, which was about detecting radioactivity. Four ways to detect radioactivity are: Using a could chamber, bubble chamber, electroscope, and a Geiger Counter.

For English, I continued with the part where Austere and Morigan are arguing about their war. I also wrote a part where Akami is writing about Karalin. I decided to write it in first person so I could actually see his thoughts. I also changed it to third person so I could see the difference in how they both were written.

The Godly Decision

A shimmering orb appeared in front of both of them. Morigan's eyes narrowed and he took a step back.

"Now what game are you playing," he snarled, his aura taking on a red glow. "Is that…?"

"The Ootha N'thur?" she finished for him. "The Fate Stone. I may not be able to change the future completely, but I can divert its path a little."

"That shouldn't exist," Morigan raised a hand as if to strike the orb to the ground. "One of the artifacts created by the Othaj, is it? They disappeared millennia ago."

"But their work remained," Austere smiled coldly. "Stay your hand, brother. Not even us, the gods, could destroy one of these. Do you not remember the Sword of Oeja? T'lurun perished after it rejected him."

"These artifacts are evil," Morigan's voice shook. "What if the also rejects you! The balance of the world is already tilted enough without another dying god."

"That is a risk I'm willing to take if it means the safety of my followers." Austere's eyes glowed with an unearthly light. "Are you willing to take that risk? Unless you agree to halt this useless war, I will proceed."

"Austere, do not throw away your life for this petty quarrel!" Tynamir's voice boomed as he came across the two. The Dragon God towered over them, his red eyes narrowed. "The orb is not some simple spell-rock. You will not succeed, and you will die. You two have been meddling with the mortals long enough. This ends NOW!"

Tynamir grasped the orb in a claw and spread his wings. Then he flew away, heading towards his realm.

"I hate dragons…" Austere muttered, her eyes blazing. "Tynamir always ruins everything."

"Shall we call a truce?" Morigan suggested, watching the dragon's figure growing smaller. "When Karalin does manage to summon the demon, I'll deal with it if she's in danger."

"Let us not meddle anymore." Austere answered, looking down at the mortal realms. "It is time for the gods to step back and let the mortals live on their own."

Akami's First Love

When I first laid eyes on the girl known as Karalin, I had just arrived in Qi-fáguard. At first I hadn't noticed her since she was standing right next to the angel, Qi-dá. After Valerian left with Qi-dá though, I noticed her standing alone in a ray of sunlight.

Isabel left me to take care of the horses while she talked with Karalin. All the while, I watched them out of the corner of my eye. She seemed so cheerful, but there was a slight undertone of sadness to her expression. I immediately decided to make her truly happy that day.

Later when we were riding in the forest, I was able to learn about her. Karalin was like me, just living with her mother. However, she wasn't as close to her mother as I am to Isabel. Her father only left her, he didn't die like Jihan. But still, we had much in common.

I managed to get some laughter out of her, though it quickly faded when she thought of everyone lying sick in her village. That was also foreign to me. The other elves in Sarai Rescan weren't of my concern. I didn't even know most of their names! But as I listened to her, I realized that everyone else in her village was her family.

I sought to impress Karalin by going to chase the bandits away. Of course when it went awry, she saved my life. I thought that she would forever turn her away from me, but it made us closer. Though Valerian and Isabel scolded me when we returned, I do not regret anything that day. We parted to go on our separate ways, but I knew that I would see Karalin again.

It was years later when Karalin and Qi-dá arrived at the foot of Mount Sarai. It had been my duty to safely escort them up the mountain, but Qi-dá had other ideas. That's why it was just Karalin and I again, traveling up to Sarai Rescan. I was eager to show her my home, but I forgot that as a human, she wouldn't be as strong as me.

When Karalin collapsed in the stable, I thought that she would die. I carried her into the house and stayed with her all night. I wove spells of healing all night, making sure that she would survive. When she woke in the morning, I almost passed out. I forced myself not to show any weakness or else she would have worried.

Thankfully, the storm calmed over the night so we were able to make it to Sarai Rescan easily. Karalin was welcomed into the city and I was praised for my work. Afterwards, I led Karalin everywhere I thought would interest her. She seemed happy to spend time with me and we learned about each other some more.

I learned about her visit to Duressan and the meeting with Morigan. I heard the entire story of her time in Rashahn and learned about the evil demon Jelias. All her adventures were so amazing, I still wish that I had been there.

Soon, Qi-dá arrived and Queen Vajja held a ceremony for the planting of the flowers. Karalin, a human, was more accepted in Sarai Rescan than I was, even though I was of the blood. I regret my bitter feelings after the ceremony. I had been angry and I lashed out at Karalin. She and Qi-dá had left the next day and I never said farewell.

I wanted to go after her to apologize, but I was scared that she wouldn't listen to me. Finally Isabel and Valerian forced me to go with them to meet up with Karalin in Kalimzan. When we arrived, I made some excuses to stay by the ship since I was so scared to see her.

Karalin came to find me and she said that she understood that I didn't really mean it. We sat in the harbor, talking until sunset. I still felt guilty, but she forgave me. I then vowed never to lash out at her again like that. I know I hurt her, though she had tried to hide it.

We rode to Qi-fáguard the next day. Qi-dá seemed relieved that Karalin and I were riding together, but she didn't say anything. When we reached the village and the spell was lifted, Karalin started crying since she was so happy to be home.

The tree's poison and the plague were both cured and it was time for us to leave again. I asked Karalin to come with us and she almost agreed. But then Qi-dá said a few words to her and Karalin decided to stay. I kept a cheerful mask on, but my heart was breaking.

The pain that I felt was worse than anything I had experienced before. I knew that I loved her, but she seemed oblivious to my feelings. Perhaps she already loved someone. But I believe this is what the gods willed.

Before returning to Sarai Rescan, I gave her an orb that I had found at the peak of Mount Sarai. It seemed to shimmer as Karalin touched it, but that could have been my imagination. An inscription on the orb read Nissurar N'thur.

I felt a hidden power that seemed similar to her style of magic. From what I could see of her aura, it seemed more powerful afterwards. I know that whatever the orb is, it will help her. She promised to visit Sarai Rescan so I will look forward to see her again.

~Akami

Akami's First Love(Third Person)

When Akami first laid eyes on the girl known as Karalin, he had just arrived in Qi-fáguard. At first, he hadn’t noticed her since she was standing right next to the angel, Qi-dá. After Valerian left with Qi-dá though, Akami noticed her standing alone in a ray of sunlight.

Isabel left him to take care of the horses while she talked with Karalin. All the while, he watched them out of the corner of my eye. Karalin seemed so cheerful, but there was a slight undertone of sadness to her expression. Akami immediately decided to make her truly happy that day.

Later when they were riding in the forest, he was able to learn about her. Karalin was like him, just living with her mother. However, she wasn’t as close to her mother as Akami was to Isabel. Her father left, he didn’t die like Jihan. But still, they had much in common.

Akami managed to get some laughter out of her, though it quickly faded when she thought of everyone lying sick in her village. That was also foreign to him. The other elves in Sarai Rescan weren’t of his concern. He didn’t even know most of their names! But as Akami listened to her, he realized that everyone else in her village was her family.

He sought to impress Karalin by going to chase the bandits away. Of course when it went awry, she saved his life. Akami thought that she would forever turn her away from him, but it made them closer. Though Valerian and Isabel scolded Akami when they returned, he did not regret anything that day. They parted to go on our separate ways, but he knew that he would see Karalin again.

It was years later when Karalin and Qi-dá arrived at the foot of Mount Sarai. It had been his duty to safely escort them up the mountain, but Qi-dá had other ideas. That’s why it was just Karalin and Akami again, traveling up to Sarai Rescan. He was eager to show her his home, but forgot that as a human, she wouldn’t be as strong as him.

When Karalin collapsed in the stable, Akami thought that she would die. He carried her into the house and stayed with her all night. He wove spells of healing all night, making sure that she would survive. When she woke in the morning, Akami almost passed out. He forced himself not to show any weakness or else she would have worried.

Thankfully, the storm calmed over the night so they were able to make it to Sarai Rescan easily. Karalin was welcomed into the city and Akami was praised for his work. Afterwards, he led Karalin everywhere he thought would interest her. She seemed happy to spend time with Akami and they learned about each other some more.

Akami learned about her visit to Duressan and the meeting with Morigan. He heard the entire story of her time in Rashahn and learned about the evil demon Jelias. All her adventures were so amazing, Akami wished that he had been there.

Soon, Qi-dá arrived and Queen Vajja held a ceremony for the planting of the flowers. Karalin, a human, was more accepted in Sarai Rescan than Akami was, even though he was of the blood. He regrets his bitter feelings after the ceremony. He had been angry and lashed out at Karalin. She and Qi-dá had left the next day and Akami never said farewell.

Akami wanted to go after her to apologize, but he was scared that she wouldn’t listen to me. Finally Isabel and Valerian forced him to go with them to meet up with Karalin in Kalimzan. When we arrived, Akami made some excuses to stay by the ship since he was so scared to see her.

Karalin came to find him and she said that she understood that he didn’t really mean it. They sat in the harbor, talking until sunset. Akami still felt guilty, but she forgave him. He then vowed never to lash out at her again like that. Akami knew he had hurt her, though she had tried to hide it.

They rode to Qi-fáguard the next day. Qi-dá seemed relieved that Karalin and Akami were riding together, but she didn’t say anything. When they reached the village and the spell was lifted, Karalin started crying since she was so happy to be home.

The tree’s poison and the plague were both cured and it was time for the elves to leave again. Akami asked Karalin to come with them and she almost agreed. But then Qi-dá said a few words to her and Karalin decided to stay. Akami kept a cheerful mask on, but his heart was breaking.

The pain that he felt was worse than anything he had experienced before. Akami knew that he loved her, but she seemed oblivious to his feelings. Perhaps she already loved someone. But he believes this is what the gods willed.
Before returning to Sarai Rescan, Akami gave her an orb that he had found at the peak of Mount Sarai. It seemed to shimmer as Karalin touched it, but that could have been his imagination. An inscription on the orb read Nissurar N’thur.

Akami felt a hidden power that seemed similar to her style of magic. From what he could see of her aura, it seemed more powerful afterwards. Akami knew that whatever the orb was, it would help her. She promised to visit Sarai Rescan so Akami is looking forward to see her again.

In Algebra, we worked on a worksheet that had more equations like those yesterday. Recently, I've been getting 100% on all my homework so I'm really happy with my progress.

In World History, we worked on answering Checkpoint questions about Sections 1 & 2 of Chapter 5. Most of the questions asked for examples of why science was so important in the Age of Reason.

Foe Music today, I worked on singing to different songs. I worked on Country Roads, Hotel California, Hey There Delilah and Hallelujah. Those are all some of my favorite songs. I need to work on expanding my voice range.

In Science, I worked on Section 24.2, which was about Nuclear decay. I learned that Radon could decay to form Polonium and Helium.

In English, I took another Vocab test.

Vocab

Asylum

• Shelter or sanctuary
• Noun
• Refugees seek asylum.

Brash

• Hasty and insensitive
• Adjective
• Sarah brashly assumed her friend could afford to go to the expensive restaurant so she made the reservation.

Curriculum

• Course of study
• Noun
• When homeschooling, I'm able to choose my own curriculum.

Dexterity

• Skill in handling
• Noun
• Playing instruments require dexterity.

Divulge

• To reveal a secret
• Verb
• Spies will divulge information.

Embellish

• To make beautiful
• Verb
• Ladies will embellish themselves for dances.

Endure

• To bear or tolerate
• Verb
• Amy hated opera music, but she was forced to endure it at an opera.

Garble

• To jumble or confuse
• Verb
• It's easy to garble words in a different language if you don't know it well.

Heed

• To attend or consider
• Verb
• It's wise to heed a warning

Infuriate

• To put into a rage.
• Verb
• Sarah often infuriates her brother by teasing him.

Naïve

• Innocent or unworldly
• Adjective
• Children are naïve

Pertain

• To belong to or relate
• Verb
• Talking about horses does not pertain to having a test.

Pristine

• Pure or unspoiled
• Adjective
• Fallen snow is pristine until it becomes spoiled.

Quell

• To suppress or subdue
• Verb
• Rulers had to know how to quell a revolt.

Radical

• Extreme or drastic
• Adjective
• Skydiving is a radical sport.

Refine

• To purify or perfect
• Verb
• Gems can be refined to increase their value and get rid of blemishes.

Reprimand

• To scold or chide
• Verb
• The little boy was reprimanded for chewing gum in class.

Secluded

• Lonely or isolated
• Adjective
• Monks in a monastery live a secluded life.

Shun

• To avoid or keep away
• Verb
• Amy never had a class partner since the other kids shunned her.

Synopsis

• Summery or outline
• Noun
• The synopsis of a story should be simple.