Notes: Crusading Camp, Chapter 1 · 3:01am May 15th, 2014
Yes, I know this story is moving quickly. Yes, I know most stories begin with a conflict and introduce some drama before getting any "action" involved. Yes, I know my main character hasn't been established and you have no reason to yet care about him. Just trust me on this. I know what I’m doing.
Secondly, I did get the whole "audio recording" idea from Rick Riordan's Kane Chronicles (great books, by the way). As you'll later find, much of this story was originally inspired by Mr. Riordan's works. In the famous words of author Willa Carter, "There are only two or three stories [in the world], and they go on repeating themselves as fiercely as if they had never happened before."
And while we're on the subject, I know this chapter doesn't read as a recording. There's good reason for that. Did you notice how Birch never seemed hurt when he was "hurt"? How he never seemed confused when he was "confused"? That's because, despite what he says, Birch is recording this at a hospital in Canterlot, four days after the attack. This will be reveled later (probably around chapter four), but for now, all you need to know is that Birch is a storyteller at heart, and not a reliable narrator. If he can't even resist telling his part of the story in present tense now, what's to stop him from "tweaking", "exaggerating", or outright lying later?
