Isto

I really should be asleep right now.  Unfortunately, my husband hurt his shoulder and I woke up about an hour ago to rub some Tiger Balm on his aching body.  As usual, I started thinking instead of falling back to sleep.

The past couple of days have been dedicated to working on my book.  To make my main character more interesting (since he wasn't complicated enough) and throw my readers off, I created a fairytale monster called an Isto.  My main character is accused of being one and thus all that encounter his elemental/seal-covered form go running in terror since an Isto is said to be the vengeful dead.  It is common belief that they are immortal since "how can you kill something that is not alive?"  They take on many forms so any sort of terror or foolery is blamed on Isto...Istos?  Or Istoes?  I haven't decided yet.  I think I'll leave out the 'e'. 

On to what has been keeping me up for the past hour.  I really don't have much content for my second book.  I have a basic outline which deals with the consequences of the first book.  There's a plague killing off jespers.  Rin is introduced to help find a cure.  Derhan finds his last guardian on an island.  LaTonya has to keep her half-brother from dying.  The earth clan demand a new Teymir.  The guardians have lost their marks.  MaTisha and Kieser must settle the unrest and unite the provinces.  It all sounds rather uneventful, doesn't it?

In comes the Miasho deities and the Isto.  De, Tu, Li, and Na hunt down their brother Ko with some bad news.  Taking on the niniers (which was never part of Derhan's master plan) has upset the balance, releasing the monsters that they had to imprison long before the humans or elementals existed.  These are the Isto and they aren't just fairytales this time.  The first to be targeted are the upholders.  Miasho power kept them at bay so the first item of business is to destroy their adversaries.  That means Nicholas, Alistair, Alissandria, and Satch all have their hands full with undead monsters who wish to rip them to shreds.  That should add a bit excitement to the storyline.  How will the hero vanquish the Isto and save the day?  Not sure yet, but the details will work themselves out.