Well since I've been "blessed" with a 4 day weekend I'm also cursed with mountains of homework from my new school. Ever since I had a terrible experience in 7th grade at my old school, I went to this new private school for 8th grade. It's great but the homework is like the stuff you would get in your 2nd year of high school. So I've had to do a lot of things including:

• Write out a rough draft of our Epic Tales that we're doing as a part of our Medieval unit in Humanities (Language Arts/ Social Studies)

• Write another rough draft for my essay that's ALSO part of our Medieval unit
• Do 30 problems in math and a C.O.W. (challenge of the week)
• Write summaries for like 5 different chapters in our The Story of Mankind books.
• Spanish homework. I had to sticky note everything in my house with what it is in spanish and go over it to make sure I know it all. I only put up like 15 notes while I have like another 50 words to know... heh heh heh...

So now I must make a blog of my misery. And also because I'm still procrastinating. SO! without further adue, here is my story thus far!!!

The Shape Shifter
The sun shined on the soft coast of Naples. The clear, light blue waves lapped at the low ship docks, longing to see the wonders of land. The sky is clear and fishermen return home with good catches. But all is not peaceful. For a creature is among them, waiting. He is known only as the Shifter. He is the Devil's pawn bringing misery and death to the world above. If one is not careful, his own son or wife may be the Shifter in disguise, having done away with the original. Although the townspeople have been aware of the Shifter for many years now, they have been un-able to free themselves of him.
During this period, Naples was a large settlement ruled by a "king", or controller of the land. Fortunately, the Shifter has yet to impersonate King Jadus, a two faced man, because he has been in hiding for many years. Jadus was two-faced because he was extremely greedy yet generous to the people living in his town. Knowing the distress of his people, he sent his messenger to deliver a letter to towns and city states all over Italy in search of a warrior. A fierce and strong warrior. Someone with a swift hand and steady sword.
"Xanthus! Come quickly!"
Walking out of an inn walked a young man named Xanthus. His gleaming sword hilt gently knocks against his trousers. The chainmail he wore shone brilliantly. His sister, Reana, a beautiful girl with a strong will and keen, sharp eyes like that of a hawk was standing before him in-front of the inn's mail box.
"What is it, Reana? I thou have just interrupted a conversation I was having with an ex-soldier of Persia." Xanthus loves the war stories and legends of heroes and of the gods.
"It is this letter! Signed with the mark of the ruler of Naples! It says here that he and his people are in need of a hero. They're village is being ravaged by a beast that may change his shape at will!"
Not only did Xanthus love stories, he loved living them as well. Adventure has been in his blood since he was small. His father had to lock the doors of their home to stop Xanthus from wandering off into the thick woods. His mother saw that this was a bit of an in-justice. So she would secretly unlock the doors and go with him to the woods. Of course to keep him safe, but also because she loved adventure as well.
Xanthus's father wasn't very worried about his sister, Reana, though. She seemed to always be the perfect little daughter. But when father went away to the mill, she would secretly follow his mother and brother into the woods. If they ever turned to see who was following them, she would disappear in an instant. Her cleverness and sharp eyes have saved her many times from the suspicions of their father.
One night, Xanthus, his mother, and secretly Reana crept back into the house; their father had not made it home yet and was late for dinner. Xanthus's mother was getting worried so she went out to the mill to bring him home. She opened the door and noticed the lanterns were unlit. Her shadow reached far across the floor from the moonlight shining through the one front window and through the opened door. She called out in the darkness,
"Dear! Dear where are you? It's time for dinner!"
Her voice bounced throughout the mill but no one replied. She slowly sank into the darkness searching desperately for her husband. Creeeeaaak… Oh! She thought. That must be my husband on the upper level! She worked her way up the old wooden ladder. A lantern sat near the overhang of the ledge. Drip… Drip… Drip… She noticed the liquid on the ground and looked up. She screamed.
"WAAAAAAAAHH!"
There hung the beaten and mangled body of her husband, hanging from the rafters of the mill by rope. She fell to the floor in fright, the tears blinding her eyes. Then the monster came. Its feet made no sound and left a smoldering footprint where ever they walked. Xanthus's mother turned quickly to see what was before her. A pitch black being stood before her. It had no mouth and its eyes were a bright white. It's body looked like smoke out of a fire-pit. Wisps of its gaseous form drifted from it in the delicate air. Then it began to change shape and color. Its eyes turned human, and its body changed into that of Xanthus's father. Their mother's eyes widened as she stared solemnly at the image of her husband. Standing there with his head drooped down, and his mouth, an endless black hole, gaping at her. The beast picked up an old hoe and rose it high above his head. Their mother fainted from the very sight of her husband being controlled by a monster.
• • •
The next day, Xanthus and Reana went to the mill to find their mother and father dead. Wretched and weeping, the children searched every last centimeter of the mill for clues of their parents' murder. It wasn't long until they saw the trail of footsteps, burnt into the wooden floor. After spending hours at their town library, they asked a scholar of mythology about the murder and the mysterious footprints that they found.
"I have heard of such burn tracks of feet. They were left by the Devil's aid, the Shifter! A terrible demon that can take the form of any living creature he so wishes by laying his evil eyes upon them!"
Ever since then, Xanthus and Reana have been in search of the Shifter, sharpening their skills of combat during their adventures. Reana became the greatest marksman in all of Italy. Xanthus wielded a sword worthy for a hero of lore. He carries his two-handed sword in his right, while he carries a shield on his left.

Well that's all I got. Tell me what ya think! Or if you didn't read it all, screw you :D

(not really.)

(or maybe... if you really want to be :P)

I'm not going to do one of those gay "Well this is Download signing off! I'm off to do more homework!" kinds of things. But I just did so, there ya go :D