Stellar

Hey, thanks for reading Hidden Sunlight. A bit different from Spirit of Fire, I know, but I am a teller of very odd tales. Lily and Konstantin were the final two members of their respective families; the rest were gone, either due to the virus itself or other more violent means. Had Shay not crashed into their lives and upset everything, it's quite possible their family lines would have ended with them, though Konstantin definitely wants to have children one day. He just hardly had the opportunity to do so living on Lucere. Thanks for letting me know, I will probably have to see about re-hosting the maps of Aurum, the Capital Arm and Aspira City. Didn't really want to use the gallery function on GA, because it wasn't really suitable for what I was wanting to do.

Ah, thank you for your measured and rational response! I appreciate it. I won't sugarcoat the fact that what I write often has a lot of unpleasantness going on. After all, conflict is at the heart of any big tale worth reading and I find fiction is at its most interesting when the stakes are high, failure is a distinct possibility, and the options particularly dire. What I can promise you, however, is that whatever tragedy, drama, horror, and angst occurs during the plot, I most emphatically do NOT believe in writing anything that has an unhappy ending, nor one where the most important issues stay unresolved. Your emotional investment in the characters and their situations will have an eventual payoff that should be satisfying. It may not be quite in the way you expect, nor, I caution, will every character necessarily have a happy-ever-after -- even some of the 'good' ones -- but I have every intention of this being a proper story, with a start, middle and ending worthy of the title. So, no apology is necessary. I hope you'll continue to read what I write and give it a fair chance.

Hey, thanks for commenting The other two elemental forces that aren't the main focus of the story will appear, but they have reasons for not being right in the middle of things that you may later learn about. As for Torsten and Lucy? Well, Lucy is just one of those rarer humans who is naturally resistant and very stubborn -- most people can't do what she did because they just don't have the ability -- and Torsten, well, what do you mean by special, apart from being a good-lookin' teenaged boy? You'll have to wait on that one. Lastly, I'm sorry if it was ambiguous at all, but Celeste is 100% a normal human being. The little magical bauble she has was something given to her as a gift, and she has no native power of her own, though working for the Order has allowed her access to various types of magical devices that they have on hand to fight their enemy. Then we have Araziah! His future is something that you will also have to wait on. No spoilers here!

Thank you! I'm glad you are enjoying it. I've already commented enough of the identity of Lady Shiba, so I'll abstain from saying anything further on that count. However, the presumption of your final sentence is *somewhat* correct. The Spirit of Fire has absolutely no love for the Spirit of Water, not least because of the central part the latter played in his banishment, but also simply because they are diametric elemental forces that are polar opposites and do not mix. The other two siblings, however, are not regarded in such an extreme way by their fallen brother, and those relationships are a little more nuanced. Earth and Air were, more-or-less, forced to choose sides, and previously existing feelings made this choice a terrible one. For them, this is a complicated and arduous matter.

Celeste's provision of the 'backstory' describes the essential plot motivation of the antagonists, and consequently the opposing motivation for the Order and their water dragon allies; it is very much the core of 'what is going on' -- though what's more important is, of course, future events. Crawley has seen enough dragons in their natural forms to be quite wary and very concerned about what Araziah could turn out to be. He is the more cynical and averse counterweight to Celeste's optimistic outlook that Araziah represents an opportunity to hurt their enemy, and not a terrible risk that's just waiting to turn into a catastrophe. What's not been mentioned yet is what Araziah himself wants and thinks, and how much he knows. More to come on this in future chapters, of course You need not worry about him burning anything down by accident either. If he's in his big winged murder-lizard form, any fire breathing will be completely deliberate. Nero and Darren are blood siblings, as mentioned by Nero himself at the tail end of Chapter 6. You could certainly surmise that Theo is related too, since he is (rather suspiciously) at the same school where Darren just happens to be masquerading as the counsellor, though you may have to wait for confirmation on that count. Theo is definitely younger than his peers though, and his personality is a little more atypical for his breed. He's suffering something of a crisis because of the conflicting sides he is becoming caught between, and will need to find a way out of it. Regarding Triskeleth and Shiba: the former is in the clutches of Nero and Darren still, because they need her to translate the incantation for them. She will appear again in future chapters as a prisoner while they try to get what they need from her. As for the latter, and why she is so scary? Well, Lady Shiba is not her true name, but an alias, in the same way 'Nero' and 'Darren' and 'Theo' and 'Silas' are human names adopted by the dragons as a harmless alternative to their real identities. Conversely, 'Taraxes', 'Kerudath', 'Araziah' and 'Triskeleth' *are* true draconic names. For dragons, knowing the true name of another can provide a massive advantage over that individual, as it *can* make them susceptible to your influence and whatever magic you wield. So, who is she really? The answer is: someone who was able to (almost) dominate the mind of fire dragon elder Silarion through knowledge of his true name and her inherent power alone. Dragons are usually the ones doing the dominating and are seldom on the receiving end. The mental fortitude of an elder -- who is a very mature adult that has lived for a long long time -- is significant, because they represent some of the most resilient and powerful of their kind. That she is able to manage this with apparently very little problem should be a hint about who she is, if nothing else.

Hmmm, this is an unusual comment; short and not all that informative. If 'paranoia and despair filled business' is your sole takeaway from the first six chapters, then I would say you are wilfully focusing on the most negative aspects of suspense, mystery and dark fantasy. The book description and tags are fairly clear about what you are going to be reading, and the protagonist opens the first chapter by telling the reader that this is the story of how he came to be witnessing 'the beginning of the end of the world.' This should make it abundantly clear that this is not a story filled with kittens and rainbows. Not only that, but there actually are moments of levity and humour and quirkiness within all this, so I cannot say I agree with your analysis, brief as it is. I'm sorry it has been emotionally frustrating, but I do wonder what your expectations were? This is a serious question, doubly so given that the story is not even halfway complete and there is plenty left to come. Were you anticipating a romance to have begun in earnest by now? Were you expecting more ... comedy? Fluff? Shenanigans at Mirrorvale High? Something? Is it frustration that you have had to wait until Chapter 7 to get the some of the answers you might want, or that you didn't get enough of them by the time it was finished? A little bit of reasonable explanation would certainly go a long way.

"I hope Araziah's motives and desires include getting in Torsten's pants, just to see how he goes about fulfilling those desires." -- pfffff ahahahahahah! Shouldn't be responding to reviews at work, I just laughed out loud for real. For some reason I had this image of him interpreting the idea literally and trying to wear them at the same time -- "Human, you need bigger leggings. There isn't room for the both of us in here." Thanks for that. Well, anyhow, while Torsten's narrative does say he's watching 'the beginning of the end of the world' in the first scene of the story, it makes absolutely no mention of how it's happening and by what means it came about and who was responsible. This is exactly what Spirit of Fire is -- Torsten telling the reader how he got to that point, so ... I really really really can't comment on anything about this without 100% spoiling the entire book. I just want to mention that the individual that Theo is talking to in this chapter is NOT Nero. It's no secret to say this character is one that has appeared in multiple previous chapters and is mostly seen giving directions *to* Nero. His name has not been revealed and for now he has only been described as 'the man in the suit.' The rest of your speculation is sound enough. It's also worth mentioning that Lucy immediately realised what Darren is after learning all this new information -- he did try (and fail!) to compel her, after all -- but she just never had a chance to talk about it with Torsten during the chapter. This subject, and the topic of Theo, will be something the two friends discuss in the near future. The relationship triangle is going to be an awkward and contentious one. I've been waiting patiently to get to the point where I can involve Araziah in all the goings-on as an actual participant with a voice, because he is a ... troublemaker, you might say. He's not here merely to upset the applecart, he also wants to set it on fire and push it down a steep hill just to see what will happen on the way down. You will see.

So, what makes you think Araziah won't be a "good guy"? That is, apart from the fact that his type is predisposed towards megalomaniac impulses and wanting to resurrect a mad god? He is definitely a wild card, and will continue to be one until his own motives and desires are made clear. I never described it, but it was Torsten's decision to tell his mother. He doesn't like hiding things from her and he decided that it was getting very difficult to do so anyhow. Natalia also doesn't know any sensitive information that the Conclave would need -- what Celeste told them was common knowledge for most dragons. Celeste is right next door too and able to offer protection if needed, so Natalia is relatively safe -- for now. Theo, on the other hand, is in a very problematic situation. What happens to him going forward will depend a lot on Torsten and on his own choices -- his emotional state versus the expectations of his culture and deity, and his ability to withstand their influences. Suffice to say, there are not many 'happy' ways his story can go, because regardless of what he chooses, somebody is going to be quite unhappy with him. Lastly, in non-romantic terms, there will be a very uncomfortable triangle consisting of Theo-Torsten-Araziah. You can make any number of assumptions about this, but I can simplify things by saying: this relationship will not be entirely friendly on all sides. As for romantic ... well, you'll just have to see for yourself.

By all means, reread if you think it will enlighten you further. There's quite a lot of hints about all of this, mostly in scenes involving characters like Crawley, Triskeleth and Nero. Knowing what you know now, their interactions will have more depth. As for Lady Shiba, her identity is strongly implied in her two scenes, without being stated outright. I'll leave you to figure that one out

And Chapter 7 is here!

The walk back to the apartment felt more than twice as long as it actually was. It wasn't that he was travelling any slower than he normally did, nor that he had taken a different route. It was all because of what had happened earlier that afternoon, and how much it occupied his thoughts; how much he was obsessing over it. Theo did not know what to do. He was angry at himself for speaking out of turn, for admitting his complicity in greater events. There was an apprehension over the po

It did get fed before this moment, but, 'off camera' so to speak, so the readers didn't see it happening. At this point though, the poor little thing had been imprisoned in Shay's backpack for a day or three while he was being kidnapped and forced to slog his way across alien landscapes, so ... it was getting rather hungry. Thank you! I'm glad you're enjoying it.

Thanks Cassie! There are six chapters available right now, with another in beta, so feel free! Glad you're enjoying it.

Thank you! I have to say that the transformation between forms is something that can be enacted at will, as Darren and Nero later illustrated. Why Torsten's companion chose this particular time and place to first do so is a question that will soon be answered, along with a great many more.

You have no idea how eager I am to introduce this new personality, with all of his caprice and whimsy in its magnificent and intolerable glory. The English language and human concepts are not something to be given, but something to be ripped from the progenitors and possessed, as a property of those with such right. This is definitely the future. It is quite possible I have already said too much I love your comments, they are forward-minded and insightful -- so much is happening and you are, without doubt, thinking ahead!

Who says that Torsten will have to hide him? Seriously though, Natalia certainly isn't slow-witted, but there will, by necessity, need to be a resolution to the situation that doesn't involve long term subterfuge. With regard to interaction, they will get to talk This isn't a spoiler so much as an inevitability, but I caution you: it may not go down quite the way you are hoping.

Theories are made to be broken and reassembled, so there's no shame in that. Young dragon-boy will certainly get more attention in coming days, don't you worry on that count either.

A wyvern is basically a dragon but with four limbs instead of six; in fantasy when they are considered distinct from dragons, they are usually smaller or weaker in comparison. Sometimes they have a breath attack, sometimes they don't. It all depends on how the artist is depicting their lore.

Torsten's grandfather's possessions are still around, they just haven't featured recently. They will again, however.

Yes, they are. You might be rethinking just how friendly the guest is, though.

Communication is a safe guess. As for the shed, it had a busted door and isn't particularly secure.

Here is Chapter 6 of Spirit of Fire.

I took the long way home from school, wanting to get the mess of churning thoughts and emotions out of my head. Sharing with Lucy had been a relief, but the future was still uncertain, and Theo? Regardless of the fact that he was mixed up in everything, somehow, I still couldn't deny that I did feel something for him. It wasn't quite the same as friendship. It wasn't more than that, either. What does this all mean? I had admitted to myself that it was ... possible ... that I coul

Ah, I'm sorry to disappoint but it's still a work in progress. Updates will hopefully be steady though, so don't forget to follow and stay tuned Mrs Sterling certainly seems to be much more devious than her appearance! Just what is she up to, hmm?

Awesome, thanks for reading. I'm glad you're finding it to your liking! I do love a good cliff hanger and employ them liberally throughout my writing. The power of suspense can have a lot of impact if employed strategically. I will be updating Spirit of Fire as quickly as I can write and have it beta'd. Typically this will translate to somewhere between two and three weeks. This time may stretch a bit in the later part of the plot, but hopefully not by too much.