paper heroes

For funnage! And stuff. Opening lines and first 150 words of my MS:

Contest found here.

Title: Firekeeper

Genre: YA Fantasy
Word Count: 69,000

Pitch: When a firebird chooses Dexter as its keeper, he and his companions must travel to Faer to prevent an evil Snow Queen from taking it. But Faer, too, is a dangerous place.

The firebird sat atop an old-fashioned mailbox at Dharma Downs Lane. Rather than retreat to the safety of nearby trees and rooftops as any sensible animal would have done, it drew itself up, as regal as any queen, and waited for the shades to attack.

The shades in question were already closing in, and assuming frightening, monstrous shapes. Some took human form, with long sharp claws in place of hands. Others took on semblances of wolves and bears and strange winged creatures; black eyeless silhouettes with teeth.

The firebird chirped a warning, but the shades paid little heed. So it sighed – a resigned, I-really-did-warn-you-about-this-you-know sigh – and glowed. Its feathers, a variety of yellows and reds and oranges tipped with a subtle silver shimmer, flared. Its majestic tail fanned out like a vestal train, whipping at slow, concentrated intervals.