Organic Growth in Novels

Today I want to muse on the benefits and joys of organic growth in novels. This will be a stream-of-conscious thing so it may be a little disorganized. Anyway,

The organic growth that can occur in a novel's development is quite delightful. To find those surprises in development is like receiving a present spontaneously on a normal day. Seeing everything come together...it's like gears meshing and creating harmonious music.

 Circumstances that I never ever expected will turn up as natural as you like. I roll with those. For instance! There was a moment in the first draft of "Looming Shadow" where I realized that there were only two possibilities going forward: 1.) Eric is killed by his current enemy or 2.) Eric defeats this enemy but, by way of Geo Effects and Dangerous Forbidden Technique, he turns into a monster.  I had already ruled out "convenient rescue by a deity" in-universe and this was an important plot point so I couldn't overrule it. Likewise, Eric's allies were either occupied elsewhere with no idea where he was or unable to help if the previous two conditions were not present. I was scrounging for a way out of this apparent corner that I had written myself into when I thought, "if the most likely outcome that still allows for Eric's survival is mana mutation, then he will become a monster." So I let the story follow its natural course and Eric transformed into a savage beast known as a "grendel". This one decision led to tremendous character development for my protagonist, splendid world building, and, most significantly, the entirety of the following book "Mana Mutation Menace".

Characters! Characters that I created to be minor expand their scope as more is revealed to me. Others that I had planned to be important, even the central villain, don't materialize. The organic progression of the story determines the characters that are important. Put into another phrase, the characters determine their importance by pushing forward the story on their own narrative weight. Another example is Zettai. When I introduced her into "Looming Shadow" it was to demonstrate Ceiha's harsh "justice" system. Then she and The Trickster bamboozled me into adding her to the main cast. Then she plays a critical role in book 4, Transcending Limitations. I even have story ideas where she has the staring role.

The prewriting sees this happen a lot. There's this one story that I'm working on (which, in fact, inspired this blog post) where I thought that the protagonist would be this character. Then, as I continued creating possible characters for this world, I thought "no, it will be that character...". Then AGAIN I notice the enticing possible chemistry between a second pair of characters and thought "I would have to make them the primary characters to fully develop this" and that's where I am now. This second pair also provides opportunities to develop the original idea for this particular story and in a richer and more direct way as well. I love it when that happens.

It's not easy. It takes many drafts to see the connections and how everything will play out. It takes an open mind and flexibility. It's fun.

Brian Wilkerson is a independent novelist, freelance book reviewer, and writing advice blogger. He studied at the University of Minnesota and came away with bachelor degrees in English Literature and History (Classical Mediterranean Period concentration).

Journey to Chaos update (August 10th 2016)

A quick update regarding the status of various things in the Journey to Chaos series.
1. A Mage's Power
-Paperback version is out and available. If you go to CreateSpace and use the discount code GVE2H9WC then you can save two dollars.
2. Looming Shadow
-I put out a second edition for the kindle version because Grammarly found errors. Hopefully there aren't any more but, if there are, I will catch them when I do the line-by-line revision with the paperback version
-The paperback version is halfway done. I did Grammarly and now I'll go through it line by line. After that I imagine the process to availability will be quick.
3. Mana Mutation Menace
-I plan to go through this one with Grammarly to look for errors and that will be the second edition.
-Paperback will follow
4. Transcending Limitations (book 4)
-Beta reading continues.


To learn more about the Journey to Chaos series, visit the Tvtropes page. 

Brian Wilkerson is a freelance book reviewer, writing advice blogger and independent novelist. He studied at the University of Minnesota and came away with bachelor degrees in English Literature and History (Classical Mediterranean Period concentration).

Sassy Saturday: Sassing Death Gods

Welcome to another week of Sassy Saturday at Trickster Eric Novels.  Every week will be an excerpt from one of my novels showcasing a kick-butt heroine. If you want read about the original blog hop the link is here.

The previous Sassy Saturday post can be read here: Escape from Mt.Heios

The context for this post:  Zettai is a new character. Up until now she has not had any extended "sassy" moments to highlight. She is a young girl (five or so years old) and a native of Ceiha. She fell in with Eric's group and has been learning magic from him. Stuff happened and now she running away from a grim reaper (not the reaper, which would this guy's boss, but the local one).

This is the last excerpt from Looming Shadow. The next book in the Journey to Chaos series, Mana Mutation Menace, will be featured next week.

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A cylinder-alligator-shaped beast colored in shades of purple from nearly white to nearly black. It had a primate arm, a bird wing, a lizard leg, and a fish fin. With these, it beat up the god that crashed into it. After the first five blows, Reno Grade punched its main body into the distance, but by then, Zettai had escaped again.

“It’s useless to hide from me, girl.”

In a heartbeat, he was directly overhead. She dove behind a rock.

“You were ‘killed’ by necrocraft and thus highlighted in my divine vision.”

The rock crumbled into sand under the force of his punch and she jumped away. Tripping over her own feet, she sprawled across the ground. She turned to face him and shouted, “G-Go jump in the Sea of Chaos!”

He grabbed her by the throat with his right hand and lifted her four feet up from the ground. Coldness filled her from head to toe and despair filled her mind and soul.

“I just might have to because of you. Modil knows that I violated my parole. Your selfish actions ruined my operation!”

“You know, for a divine being, you think a lot like a mortal.”

“What?”

“You abuse your power, pick on those weaker than yourself, and blame others for your own problems. A minute ago, I was scared of you because you looked like this unstoppable force of nature, but now, all I see is my dad taking out his anger on me because he’s too scared to confront its true source. You’re not a god; you’re a worm on a power trip.”

Reno Grade ripped her soul out of her body and held in his left hand. She shuddered but otherwise was unaffected.

“That felt…funky.” She shook her head and noticed her soul. “So that’s what they look like. Does this count as an out-of-body experience? Can I talk to myself like this?”

For once in his afterlife, Reno Grade was at a loss for words.

“Why…How…What?”

She smirked. “The so-called god is asking a puny human for revelations?”

Reno Grade glared. He would age her into dust for such an insult, but that other mortal stole his authority over senescence. If he went back for it, Tasio would no doubt find him and his trump card could not help him. Then another idea came to him. Although his face remained skeletal, Zettai got the impression that he was leering at her.

“There are a number of things I did to little girls when I was mortal. If you’re so sure I think like one, then perhaps I should do those things to you.”

Zettai kicked his arm, squirmed in his grip, and shouted, “Creep!” but he only leered more. With his prey in both hands, he flew up and out of the mountain’s Fog Cloud. He set his sights on the other mountain because her soul retained a positive impression of it and he wanted to change that. He flew unhindered and unaware that he was on someone’s radar.

A divinity such as the resident reaper was higher in standing than a planetary avatar, thus, someone that tracked avatars would easily be able to detect him. This was especially the case when he had just exited a Fog Cloud because it would have obscured his presence. The blip startled Emily and she asked Kallen what to do. Kallen replied, “Press the Smite Gods button.”

“Uh, Boss, is that really the smart thing to –”

“Emily, push the button right now.”

“Yes, Boss.”
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Looming Shadow, and the rest of the Journey to Chaos series, is available for purchase at Amazon

To learn more about the heroines of Journey to Chaos, visit the Tvtropes character sheet. 

The next Sassy Saturday post is Don't underestimate elf tech!

Brian Wilkerson is a freelance book reviewer, writing advice blogger and independent novelist. He studied at the University of Minnesota and came away with bachelor degrees in English Literature and History (Classical Mediterranean Period concentration).

 

Sassy Saturday: Escape from Mt.Heios

Welcome to another week of Sassy Saturday at Trickster Eric Novels.  Every week will be an excerpt from one of my novels showcasing a kick-butt heroine. If you want read about the original blog hop the link is here.

The previous Sassy Saturday post can be read here: Fighting zombies, mages and memories

The context for this post:  Tiza and Nolien along with other allies are attempting to escape Mt.Heios, which is basically a den of corruptive magical energy and really powerful monsters.  On Tvtropes, this sort of situation is what we call "The Godzilla Threshold".

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Their destination was Mount Heios, where Tiza, Nolien, and Vaya were running for their lives.

Monsters everywhere were eating each other. They were slashing, biting, smashing, pounding, and melting each other. The tussle between a reaper and a Bladi drove then into a frenzy. Every monster without a meal looked to the small, insignificant-looking creatures and deemed them an easy target.

The fungi that Neuro was thrown into was poisonous to mind, body, and spirit, so he was out of action. Tiza had to carry him on her back. In his current state, he was the lightest of all of them.

Looking around, Tiza scanned the horde for known breeds and quickly guesstimated what they were and what they could do. Large, old, grown strong on a diet of Fog and the mana-drenched meat of others, they ranked as B class monsters. She took stock of her equipment and her allies and possible strategies in a moment. Then she closed her eyes, removed her safety mask, and muttered, “Spider Daylra, all conditions have been met.” The monsters pounced. She opened her eyes and shouted, “Light come forth!”

Suddenly, the monsters halted. Their instincts shouted danger of the creature that multiplied its own power instantly. Tiza's eyes glowed with blue light and her body glowed with a pale blue aura. She blurred past a monster and side-kicked a second to open a path down the mountain.

She deflected a third monster reaching for Vaya and then turned aside a fourth bounding toward Nolien. Her light flickered, but she took a deep breath and renewed it. Then she tossed both her companions over her shoulder and ran down the mountain slope towards the edge of the Fog Cloud.

The monsters followed her. Hideous and misshapen, they chased her relentlessly. It was only by the power of Videlicet Mens that she stayed ahead of them. Only with the greatest effort did she maintain its effect. She took one deep breath after another and each one empowered her to greater heights. They also eroded her health and sanity.

Her hair was matted against her head with sweat. Her body heaved; a feat made dangerous by the thick Fog. No longer taking controlled breaths, the Fog began to pulse erratically within her body. Her skin turned both sickly pale and translucent. Nolien recognized the symptoms, but she did not. She was no longer concerned with them. She was not aware of them. The light of Videlicet Mens blinded her to everything but her goal. She was developing monsanity, the insanity known only to monsters.

As the seconds passed and she grew wearier, the monsters grew closer. They grew close enough for Nolien to count their teeth. A titanic monster stepped into her path, but Tiza jumped ten feet and kicked it in the stomach. Empowered by Videlicet Mens, the Fog, and her fierce determination, she knocked it over and then ran over its face. She jumped off it and continued her sprint uninterrupted all the way out of the Fog Cloud.

On her way down, she tripped and skidded down the slopes. The three people she was carrying tumbled in three directions. She breathed as deep and fast as she could but it was hard, painful, and futile in the thin air of Ceiha. Nolien rushed to her side to begin treatment, then paused when he looked back at the Fog Cloud. The monsters were following them.

They started heaving as he did when he first entered Ceiha's territorial waters. It was slow and clumsy, but they continued stalking forwards. The smallest ones adapted quicker and moved faster. Soon, they would be overrun. Nolien was calculating the odds of running again when he heard something shocking.

Tiza whimpered. Nolien would never forget it. Indomitable Tiza was afraid. His own safety was suddenly less important and saving her became his priority. Now...how do I do it...?

You can't do it, Honorable Elder Brother. Give up.

The healer ignored it and made more plans, but it followed him. It pointed out every flaw in every one. He could hear it laughing at him. Admit it. You can't do it.

Tiza flickered like a sputtering candle and, suddenly, it dawned on him. I can't!

“As I am Chaos, you are Order divine. As the sun to the moon, you shall shine. Take my power and me mine!” His slip made his face burn. He swore he could hear The Trickster laughing. “I mean like a leyline! MANA TRANSFER!”

A blue tether shot from his staff to Tiza's back and, instantly, all her fatigue disappeared. Empowered by Nolien, she grabbed the horns of the monster about to gore him and used it as a club to bash, smash, and flatten the last three monsters pursuing them. Then she tossed that one into the air, channeled enough mana to her blade to make it a mana blade, jumped up to the monster's level, and slashed off all its heads before it crashed to the ground, dead. She landed lightly and stood tall. Then other monsters caught up with it.

Unlike the three before, these were bigger than she was. Their spirits were far stronger and, unlike her, they were not exhausted. Instead of fighting them, she retreated. While she could not defeat them, Ceiha itself could. Artfully, she drew them further and further away from the Fog Cloud. One by one, they suffocated on the thin air. The sense of self-preservation in the remaining monsters kicked in and they retreated to the Fog Cloud.

Nolien had never been more in awe of her. Together with the blue dress, she appeared as a sapphire reaper. Then she faced him and he saw a monstrous look in her eyes.

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Looming Shadow, and the rest of the Journey to Chaos series, is available for purchase at Amazon

To learn more about the heroines of Journey to Chaos, visit the Tvtropes character sheet. 

The next Sassy Saturday post is Sassing Death Gods

Brian Wilkerson is a freelance book reviewer, writing advice blogger and independent novelist. He studied at the University of Minnesota and came away with bachelor degrees in English Literature and History (Classical Mediterranean Period concentration).

 

 

 

Sassy Saturday: Fighting Zombies, Mages and Memories

Welcome to another week of Sassy Saturday at Trickster Eric Novels.  Every week will be an excerpt from one of my novels showcasing a kick-butt heroine. If you want read about the original blog hop the link is here.

The previous Sassy Saturday post can be read here: Plundering Dengel's Treasury

The context for this post: The Crimson Killer of Ceiha has launched a plan to eliminate Dragon's Lair Team Four, but he wants Tiza alive. Therefore he sends his minions and partner to kidnap her.
Fun Fact: I like listening to "Before my Body is Dry" while re-reading this scene.

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Back at the camp, Tiza was about to become a hostage. Then, just as Sosuke set the cuffs around Tiza’s hands, two mana bolts generated from them and blew her and Kazuma away. Two more at her feet did the same to Haru, who was holding them together. They had the force of goat kicks and knocked the wind out of all three of them. Tiza grabbed two daggers from under her pillow and stabbed Sosuke in the chest. Then she mana bolted the boys again as they recovered and fell on them in turn.

She walked out of the tent with her sword on her back, her gauntlets on her arms, and one ring on each hand. There was dagger in one and the handcuffs in the other. Haburt fired a mana bolt at her feet powerful enough to crater the ground. It sent shrapnel flying and cut her dress (it quickly repaired itself to perfect condition).

“Why are you still conscious? The chloroform should have put you under for hours!”

“I’m immune to it.”

“How could you be immune to chloroform?”

“Are you kidding? That was the first thing Spider Daylra made me immune to.”

“Did she make you immune to this? Wind Vault!” 

Winds picked up all around Tiza and began solidifying into walls. She ran towards Haburt and the wind followed her, still solidifying. She cocked a punch, only to hit a wall made of nothing.

“No!”

She pounded on the barrier between her and Haburt.

“Let me out!”

She punched and kicked, but all she accomplished was making her hands and feet sting and her wrists sore. She sword-slashed and mana bolted, but only wasted energy.

Memories flooded her consciousness; wind closing in, a woman shouting for her, and three men fighting. Haburt carrying her to a prison somewhere and another woman smiling and forcing something down her throat. “How are you feeling today, Vaya dear?”

“AHHHHH!”

Videlicet Mens activated and she resumed battering the walls of her cage. Every inch of her flared blue light as she put every ounce of her power into escaping. Haburt held it firm. As a greater mage, he was leagues ahead of her in spiritual power. Escape was impossible. Eventually, the aura faded and Tiza sank to her knees. Dropping her sword, she breathed heavily and hugged herself.

“You must think me a monster for this, but it’s the only way to reunite with my daughter.”

“S-spare me…the shit… asshole.”

Tiza pushed a button on her hilt and the bottom dropped out. Along with it was a tiny vial of Mana Juice. She unscrewed the top and threw back the contents in one shot.

“You don’t care about anyone but yourself. I've had nightmares about this spell for years and I couldn’t tell if it was a memory or not. I was terrified of you without knowing why. I suppose I should thank you for trying a second time. Now I can conquer my fear.”

Haburt gulped. He told himself it was impossible. She was a novice fighter. Nothing she had could possibly overcome a greater mage’s spell. Tiza stood up and smirked. It was impossible, but a sinking feeling in his gut told him otherwise.

 Tiza clenched her right fist and then extended her middle finger to show off the tiger’s eye ring.

“Hard as stone, every bone: Earth Empowerment!”

Brown light shined from her eyes and her skin. She picked up her sword and the brown light spread to the tip of its blade. Her soul was now putting out earth-tinged mana, thus making her an earth-aligned creature. Her sword was now the perfect key for a cage made of wind.

She clenched her left fist and then extended her middle finger to show off the pale sapphire.

“Be gone air, I will not despair: Wind Banishment!”

Soft blue light flashed and the Wind Vault waned. The walls were now thinner and the winds themselves weaker.

She took a breath and thrust her sword through the wind wall. Haburt pushed back, but little by little, the blade penetrated until it emerged on the other side. With a wordless cry, Tiza slashed upwards. She stepped through the gap and pointed her sword at Haburt. Her killing intent made his knees weak.

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The next Sassy Saturday post is Escape from Mt.Heios
Looming Shadow, and the rest of the Journey to Chaos series, is available for purchase at Amazon

To learn more about the heroines of Journey to Chaos, visit the Tvtropes character sheet. 

Brian Wilkerson is a freelance book reviewer, writing advice blogger and independent novelist. He studied at the University of Minnesota and came away with bachelor degrees in English Literature and History (Classical Mediterranean Period concentration).

Sassy Saturday: Plundering Dengel's Treasury

The context for this post : Dragon's Lair Team Four has arrived at Dengel's Lair. While Eric investigates the inner sanctum, Tiza searches for loot.

This was formerly part of a blog hop called "Sassy Saturday". Every week was an excerpt from one of the author's novels showcasing a kick-butt heroine. It is long since over. If you want read about the original blog hop the link is here.

The previous Sassy Saturday post can be read here: Bureaucratic Battle
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Dusty stone and old cobwebs; locked doors and mystic runes. This was the home of a mage arrogant enough to build himself a castle. To historians, it was a precious window to the past. To mages, it was a holy site. To Ceiha, it was taboo. To Tiza, it was a container for adventure and loot. While Eric was gone, she discovered an additional area of the tower. Now she prowled it with sword in one hand and healer in the other.

“Are you going to tell me why we're doing this?”

Tiza answered without looking back.

“Professor Pathetic isn't the only history buff in the world. Anything here could be worth a fortune to the right person.” She continuously scanned the walls, floor, and ceiling for traps, but mostly for loot. Due to the ambient mana in the stones, everything was blurry in her Third Eye, but she managed, thanks to Spider Daylra’s training. “Just imagine what we could find!” 

“I am. That's why we should stay with Basilard.”

“Look!” She pointed to a plaque above a door: a crest with a chest. “That must be the treasury.”

“Then there will be traps.”

“What's more important to a mage as egotistical and fixated on magic research as the Old Fossil: his vault or his lab?”

“His lab.”

“Then doesn't it stand to reason that the lab would be better protected?”

“Yes, but –”

Tiza yanked him forwards before he could finish.

The door's lock was ancient but not rusted. Like the rest of the building, it was preserved by its master's power. The mechanism looked like it came out of the forge last week instead of the last millennium. Tiza considered shattering it with her hilt and strength charm but decided on a different approach. She withdrew a pouch of metal picks and examined the lock with Third Eye. Eventually, she was rewarded with a click and she pocketed her first loot.

“An authentic lock from the Ancient Dengel period of Dengel's castle. In perfect collector’s edition and exclusive in number. This could pay for another shield.”

“Or a lot more shoes...” Nolien muttered.

Tiza whacked him, but he dodged, so instead, she entered the vault while muttering angrily. As she crossed the threshold, a rune activated. A cage dropped on her, but Nolien pulled her back before it could trap her.

“Wonderful!”

“You're welcome. Let's leave.”

“Haven't you heard the phrase ‘pirates don't bury nickel’? Placing a trap means there's something worth guarding, which means there's something worth stealing.”

Nolien backpedaled Tiza out of the room and placed himself between her and the door. He used his barrier to keep her out. She did something between a scowl and a pout while he examined the cage.

“This cage has a paralysis rune on the inside of its roof. If this fell on you, you would be helpless. You couldn't even call for help.”

“That's the beauty of the buddy system; you'll save me because you're a coward.”

“No, I'll have to save you because you're reckless.”

“I found a trap –”

“You were caught by a trap –”

Tiza's expression was now one hundred percent scowl. “– and it was a restraint trap. No matter what happens, you can just free me afterwards. What's the worst that could happen?”

“Dengel could escape the Abyss, re-enter this world, float to this mountain, possess me, use my body to drag you somewhere, and then make you his slave.”

Tiza drew a dagger, punctured a hole in Nolien's barrier, and ripped it open. The shock made the rest of it disappear and Tiza marched past him once again. “I am not some lily-handed lady whose chastity you have to protect.” Then she stopped and added in a small voice, “If that really did happen....would you save me?”

Before he could reply, she ran away, dodging two more traps and avoiding a snare, and then turning a corner. Capturing no one, they instantly reset and Nolien carefully edged by them.

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Looming Shadow, and the rest of the Journey to Chaos series, is available for purchase at Amazon. 

To learn more about the heroines of Journey to Chaos, visit the Tvtropes character sheet. 

The next Sassy Saturday post can be read here: Fighting Zombies, Mages and Memories

Brian Wilkerson is a freelance book reviewer, writing advice blogger and independent novelist. He studied at the University of Minnesota and came away with bachelor degrees in English Literature and History (Classical Mediterranean Period concentration).

Sassy Saturday: Bureaucratic Battle

Welcome to another week of Sassy Saturday at Trickster Eric Novels.  Every week will be an excerpt from one of my novels showcasing a kick-butt heroine. If you want read about the original blog hop the link is here.

The previous Sassy Saturday post can be read here: Tiza the Tank

The context for this post: Being queen is difficult and tricky, so Kasile regularly vents her frustrations to the one person she feels comfortable doing so, Eric. This is one of those times.

After Tiza's action hero exploits last week...huh? You say that was three weeks ago? My, how time flies...Anyway, I felt that Kasile's "fighting" in her government was a tempting contrast.

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Kasile's guards opened the door for him, and Kasile herself welcomed him with poise and grace. She dismissed the guards. It was only when he sat down across from her that he saw her legs jittering underneath her heavy skirts.

“The Knight of Education is an insufferable ass,” she said while pouring tea.

Eric sipped it. “You don't say...”

Kasile made an unqueen-like groan. “Yes! She created a new scholarship centered on a trading card game just so her grandchildren can attend a private high school at taxpayer expense.”

“A trading card game? That’s ridiculous.”

“I know! My auditor protested that she had the gall to play the ‘diversity’ card and accuse him of discrimination against the non-athletic.”

“Are we talking about a political maneuver or the card game?”

Kasile rose without elegance and hiked up her skirts so she could round the table and smack him on the head. Then she slumped back into her chair.

“She’s the kind of smug, entitled, and entrenched bitch that my dad warned me about before he was possessed by an enforcer. That condescending tone she took when I summoned her…! ‘You’ll understand when you’re a grandmother, my little queen’ GRRRR! She makes me want to splash this tea in her face!”

Eric munched a biscuit. “What are you going to do about it?”

“I’m going to host this card game tournament of hers and personally invite the best players I can find. The prize will be the scholarship. If her smothered brats want it, then they have to earn it!”

Eric drank more tea and poured himself some more. “Why don’t you just say ‘no’?”

Kasile threw her fan at his forehead and, after it impacted, she held out her hand in a silent command for him to return it. He pushed it back into her reach without a thought.

“If I did that then I’d open myself up to ‘the queen is anti-education’ propaganda and I don’t need that kind of press right now. Besides, Ataidar is not an autocracy and my status as a demi-goddess does not entitle me to ignore the free will of others. Indeed, my divine ancestor is the Goddess of Desire and as such –”

This was followed by a summation of over two thousand years of political philosophy mixed with fire-themed theology. It went all the way back to the founder of Ataidar and earlier. Eric involuntarily tuned it out. It was a habit from listening to Dengel all day and all night. Because of this, he didn't realize she asked him a question until she smacked him again.

“Are you listening?”

“You lost me around King Steiner IX and Queen Fran the XII. Why do all your ancestors copy each other’s names?”

“Irrelevant. Besides, the card game is trendy right now, and so I can use it as a fundraiser for mana mutation projects.”

“Like me going to the Mana-less Abysshole to look for Dengel-era research.”

“I don’t expect you to find anything. The point is that I’m making an effort.”

“You are making an effort?”

“Yes, me. As queen, I am an administrator. If a god wants to get something done, they don’t descend from the Celestial Realm to do it themselves. They tell a monk or a nun to do it. I work through agents like you and Gruffle. I stay here in my heaven while you go out into the world to put my plans in motion and watch my enemies.”

“So that’s why Gruffle is following Nulso.”

“Of course. Arresting a mana mutation pioneer who turned to ordercraft is also bad press I can’t handle right now, so I assigned someone to watch his movements.”

“You trust him to do that?”

“Of course not. That’s why I placed a Fire Blood spell on him. If he breaks his parole, then his blood will turn into fire. This means he can’t leave Nulso behind or work against my interests.”

“Couldn’t Nulso negate it with his own power?”

She tried to smack him a fourth time, but Eric caught her wrist. Then, noticing that the biscuits were gone, he moved her fingers into his mouth and mimed chewing them. She made a face and pulled her hand back, wiping it on a napkin.

“I am a divine being. I have divine blood, which means I use divine magic. Furthermore, I am the lawfully designated authority in this country and I administer punishment for crimes occurring within my own home. Put these two facts together and Nulso cannot touch my spell.”

Until the meeting of the Noble Council, they spoke of other things. There were other knight departments giving her grief, nobles that hounded her with proposals, the Summit projects, and the soon in-coming suitor line. This led to talking about Siron and his honoring ceremony that very night. He was a brilliant hero during Tasio’s prank and she wanted to make sure everyone knew it.

“Thus my excuse for why I summoned you: I need your opinion on the Tazul attack.”

 

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________________

Looming Shadow, and the rest of the Journey to Chaos series, is available for purchase at Amazon 

To learn more about the heroines of Journey to Chaos, visit the Tvtropes character sheet. 

The next Sassy Saturday post is Plundering Dengel's Treasury

Brian Wilkerson is a freelance book reviewer, writing advice blogger and independent novelist. He studied at the University of Minnesota and came away with bachelor degrees in English Literature and History (Classical Mediterranean Period concentration).His fantasy series, Journey to Chaos, is currently available on Amazon as an ebook or paperback.

Sassy Saturday: Tiza the Tank

Welcome to another week of Sassy Saturday at Trickster Eric Novels.  Every week will be an excerpt from one of my novels showcasing a kick-butt heroine. If you want read about the original blog hop the link is here.

The previous Sassy Saturday post can be read here: Her Majesty’s Ordercraft Security and Compliance Team

The context for this post: An S-class monster (think "kaiju" like Godzilla) has attacked Roalt in the middle of the night and Eric runs out to make sure his friends are ok. Then one of them makes a heroic appearance.

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Fireballs fell from the sky and peppered the road all around them. The only place of safety was the small circle created by Eric's barrier.

“Pay! Definitely pay!”

“Then keep your mouth closed and hold on!”

The Tazul shook itself and spread a hailstorm of scales all over the city. Each one was bigger than a human and heavier than an orc. I can't dodge all those! Eric looked for any kind of cover. The Arsenal Lodge was just up ahead. It was built like a fortress. He pushed himself faster as the scales fell; one to his left, one to his right, one in front that he swerved around only to find himself running straight into a fourth!

“DYNAMIC ENTRY!”

Boom! A leg of steel kicked it just hard enough to divert its path away from his head and into a cart behind him, which shattered instantly. The knightly figure landed and fist bumped itself. Eric was about to thank them when it grabbed his arm and pulled him inside the Arsenal Lodge.

“Stop gawking, Dimwit!”

The forge was undamaged in every way. Although the scales fell all around it, none of them so much as scratched the glass. Ax Arsenal himself was playing chess with his son at the register counter. Both of them were decked out in the best equipment he had in stock.

“Stay here,” he said without looking away from the game. “You'll be safe.”

“There's an S class outside!” Eric shouted.

“I have faith in my merchandise.”

“But it’s –”

“I have faith in my merchandise.”

“But thoow! Did you have to do that with a gauntlet?”

“You would have splattered without me, idiot!”

“I was worried about you! Where's Nolien?”

Tiza opened a compartment above her pteruges and pulled out a scry. “Where else would he be?” Eric rushed back out the door, but she grabbed his tunic collar before he could build momentum. “Slow down, Leroy Jenkins. You need more than orc toenails if you're going out there.”

Eric appraised his armor and realized that he wasn't as quick as he thought. The armor, as tough as human bone, was chipped in places, cracked in others, and all over scorched by the fire. Reluctantly, he decided to wait while Tiza picked out replacements. She walked the aisles and picked up the highest quality and most expensive armor off the shelves.

“By the way, what's that thing on your arm?”

Eric lifted his arm and the kid rose with it like a leech.

“A thief I found on the way here.”

“Okay.”

Tiza set the armor on the ground and nonchalantly began to disarm him.

“Hey!”

“Hold still. This won't take long.”

After taking off the ruined armor, she snapped, laced, and buckled the new armor in place. She was remarkably efficient. It was the same practiced movement as a squire. Didn't ladies in the Grisly Tales do this for their knights...? Tiza’s more like a knight herself…

“Done!” She looked over her shoulder at the blacksmith and his son. “You don't mind, right?”

Ax moved a piece. “No. Go ahead. Bring them back when you're dead…done.” His son fidgeted. “I meant ‘done.’”

“Okaayyy.” Tiza placed the frozen-with-fear thief off to the side and secured him by bending a spear about his waist. “On that cheery note, let's go!”

The two mercenaries ran outside with Tiza taking point. Eric followed Tiza as she led the way to the Heleti General Hospital in Healer Town where they would find Nolien. She brushed aside fire and debris alike in her mighty armor. It not only protected her from attack but also amplified her mana reserves and focused her power. Eric wore the same set and it made him think he could wrestle a Cecri or blow away a xethras.

As they ran down the street, they spotted civilians threatened by the monster’s rampage. There was a man pinned in place by a fallen cart and children trapped in a corner by a meteor’s flame. The two shared a glance and went to work.

 Tiza grabbed the wrecked cart and hoisted it over her head. The man crawled out from underneath and Tiza tossed it down an alley. Then she hoisted the man himself onto her shoulders. All the while, she told him that it was Tiza Sprial, Dragon’s Lair warrior, that was saving him.
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Looming Shadow, and the rest of the Journey to Chaos series, is available for purchase at Amazon

To learn more about the heroines of Journey to Chaos, visit its Tvtropes character sheet.

The next Sassy Saturday post is Bureaucratic Battle

Brian Wilkerson is a independent novelist, freelance book reviewer, and writing advice blogger. He studied at the University of Minnesota and came away with bachelor degrees in English Literature and History (Classical Mediterranean Period concentration). His fantasy series, Journey to Chaos, is currently available on Amazon as an ebook or paperback.

Sassy Saturday: Her Majesty’s Ordercraft Security and Compliance Team

Welcome to another week of Sassy Saturday at Trickster Eric Novels.  Every week will be an excerpt from one of my novels showcasing a kick-butt heroine. If you want read about the original blog hop the link is here.

The previous Sassy Saturday post can be read here: Forged by Fire into a Queen

The context for this post: Eric has been attacked in Roalt Castle by someone using animated armor as flunkies. After Kasile's sentinel defeats him, she sends in a team of specialists to investigate the armors.

Anyone who can tell me what their names refer to gets a digital hug.
_________________________________________________________

The sound of five pairs of boots distracted Eric. A group of five young women tore down the hallway and into main hall. They wore light armor made from silver-grey metal and studded with red-gold emblems. Their chest plates, gauntlets, and greaves were decorated with the royal Ataidar Crest. Around their waists were segmented skirts made of four plates with each plate representing an animal from the Avatar Alliance. Around their foreheads was a circlet bearing an Eye of Order crossed out with red-gold. Each of them had a different hair color, yet all of them had strands of silver-grey mixed in; they reminded him of Kallen's strands of golden-brown. When they saw him, they stopped and said, “Trickster's Choice.”

He slouched. “Yes...What about these guys?”

One of them stepped forward. Eric assumed she was the leader by her more ornate armor. She also had the least grey hair among the five and the rest was a shade lighter than the golden-brown of elves. It was shoulder length and covered by a transparent red veil held in place by the circlet. She produced a badge that depicted the Eye of Order imprisoned in the claws of Ataidar’s Crowned Tiger.

“I am Kimberly Johnson, leader of Her Majesty’s Ordercraft Security and Compliance Team. Please step aside and allow us to perform our jobs.”

“Sure.” He turned around and Kimberly spoke up again.

“Please stand by because I will need to debrief you. Also, don’t try to cloak yourself because I will still be able to see you.”

“Sure.”

Kimberly turned to address the other four. “Taylor Jones, Daniela Cranston, Thuy Kwan, and Jasmine St. John, you know your specialties. I want to know everything about these armors in five minutes. Understand?”

“Yes, ma’am!”

They dispersed to check each body. They ran a scanning device over them and jotted down the readings. They traced with their hands and eyes for reasons that Eric could only guess. Only sparingly did they use the eldritch light of Order. When they finished with one suit, they switched to another. The fifth kept watch over Eric. She sized him up with a mixture of suspicion, curiosity, and disappointment.

“Your hair is solid red.” Not sure what else to do, Eric nodded. “He'll change that soon enough.”

Tasio wants to change my hair color?

An ethereal hand descended on his shoulder and another settled on his head. Shadow Dengel stood behind him and his shroud draped over him. I have figured it out. You never will.

Order's power leaches the color out of their hair as it does everything. Eric answered to remind himself and not because an arrogant figment of his imagination challenged him to. Chaos' power stains what it touches golden-brown because that's what chaos looks like inside a world fruit. Kallen has it because she was in the Siduban Chaos Explosion.

The four ordercrafters consulted with each other, then stood and returned to their leader's side like planets orbiting a sun.

The black-haired one, Taylor Jones, stepped forward. Eric noted that her hair was unusually long for a soldier, down her back. He also noticed that her bangs were as even as a ruler, and two side locks came down to her shoulders. She saluted and said, “This humble one traced the metal to a mine in Anich and it was likely processed in Liclis before being shipped elsewhere. There are no identifying marks other than the runes.”

The redhead, Jasmine St. Jones, stepped forward. Her hair was short enough to be a crew cut. She saluted and said, “I determined the runes to be standard ordercraft for creating automatons with extra for deflecting or negating mana. Absorbing runes are not present. If someone wanted to make anti-mage weapons, these would be effective.”

The brunette, Daniela Cranston, stepped forward. Her hair was in a braided tail. By now, Eric was putting a puzzle together. This was the fourth distinctive hairstyle and hair color. She saluted and said, “As for me, I can’t find any trace of necro or soulcraft. They’re purely automatons. The only thing animating them was their control crystal. It is unlikely that anyone has worn any of these suits.”

Is it deliberate? Let’s see…Ordercrafter means Order philosophy which means….

The blunette, Thuy Kwan, stepped forward. Her hair was in a bun. She saluted and said, “My evaluation can confirm that because I sense no hostility in these suits. Nor do I not see a connection to Epideus or his lieutenants. They were either enchanted by an impersonal force like Latrot’s Grand Obelisk or an unregistered and stoic ordercrafter.”

 “I see,” Kimberly said. “The fact that a common thug had access to this technology will assist Her Majesty and Abbott Tolis in their media war against King Epideus. My thanks to you all.”

They put their hands over their hearts and said, “We only seek to fulfill Her Majesty’s will.”
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The next Sassy Saturday post is: Tiza the Tank

Looming Shadow, and the rest of the Journey to Chaos series, is available for purchase at Amazon

To learn more about the heroines of Journey to Chaos, visit its Tvtropes character sheet.

Brian Wilkerson is a independent novelist, freelance book reviewer, and writing advice blogger. He studied at the University of Minnesota and came away with bachelor degrees in English Literature and History (Classical Mediterranean Period concentration). His fantasy series, Journey to Chaos, is currently available on Amazon as an ebook or paperback.