Mike Carss

Yeah, she was a lot of fun to write. 😄

With the sun in their eyes, the trio rode through Etton Crossing’s open portcullis. Nathan marvelled at the city walls of neatly chiselled stone, four metres thick. With well-worn cobbles underfoot, they threaded their way through dense foot traffic—citizens making their way in and out of the city. Beyond the entrance, an open plaza funnelled people toward a web of arterial streets leading deeper into the city. “Do you know which way it is to the university?” Nathan asked Cormac. “Ye

As we already know, Theodrik carrying one person is no problem. Two people -- one in each arm -- would be pushing the daemon's carrying capacity, not to mention a little scary for Nathan and Brohm. If they accidentally slipped out of Theodrik's grip, that'd be a long fall. 😬 Maybe one of them could ride on the daemon's back and hold on dearly to its neck. 😅

Indeed. Something else to consider: even if Nathan had sought help at the first sign of pain while his arm was healing, it's possible no one would have a cure or know how to treat it. He was among the first to fall victim to the iratxos. Perhaps his fate was sealed, regardless of his decision to hide the pain he was experiencing.

The continuing days fell to routine. Dry, dusty trails led them faithfully eastward, bounding through small towns and villages. Their way remained on regularly patrolled arterial routes, so highwaymen were rare occurrences. While they were of little concern to Nathan and Brohm, not having to deal with bandits was a boon. Cormac continued to sheepishly voice his concern he wasn’t required to be their guide. In response, Brohm reminded him that his given task was secondary. His trust toward

Heh, no. The reaction was his shock to hear the inn was, somehow, still standing.

A foredawn sky of deep blue and purple hues welcomed Nathan, Brohm, and Cormac as they stepped onto the guildhouse veranda. The morning air, crisp and cool, functioned as a slap in the face to shed any grogginess that remained. Brohm, carrying a lantern in one hand and a multitude of bags in the other, headed toward the stables. Nathan and Cormac followed in his wake, similarly burdened with their own gear. Their steeds were groomed and tacked. Saddlebags were filled with goods and equipment. Ru

Your words humble me. Thank you! ♥️

The fault of trying too hard to "be good". 😅

This was a major concern I had while writing. It's no secret Brohm has anger issues. Having that aimed at their foes is one thing, but toward Nathan? That's edging dangerously close to an abusive relationship. I've no doubt some would say he'd already gone too far. 😞 If it's any consolation, while Brohm's roughed Nathan up, he'd never outright hit him. And while his anger issues still need to be dealt with, from this point on, they're never aimed at Nathan again.

Nathan woke from a gentle nudge, finding Brohm’s face nearly filling his vision. “Wakey, wakey,” he said in a flat tone. Nathan rubbed the sleep from his eyes. “What time is it?” Brohm, already dressed, stood up. “Dunno. Late? Let’s get some breakfast before we figure out what we’re doing.” The memory of last night slapped Nathan across the face, and he groaned, wanting to forget it all. Downstairs, the common room was empty, much to Nathan’s delight. Edgard still h

@CincyKris and @drsawzall Interesting contemplations. I'll assume @drpaladin is referring to the witch, Morgana, as well. Next chapter, we'll see what Nathan and Brohm consider is the best course of action. And yes, Nathan's carelessness regarding his well-being is a big concern. To quote myself from the previous chapter: "His entire life has always revolved around telling lies and hiding the truth." It's comes automatically, much to his detriment. 😟

They do? 🤯

Thanks, everyone! 😄 And a special thanks to @Cia for the interview and the continued spotlight on my novel. 💗 I'm humbled.

It began with a breeze. Gentle, warm, fragrant. A rush of sound hit his ears. Birdsong, the rustle of long grass in the wind, the rise and fall of distant conversation. He couldn’t determine the words, but their tone was jovial, peppered with laughter. Everything was harsh at first, however after drowning in a sea of silence, the contrast of any sound was painful. With effort, Nathan opened his eyes warily, not wanting to overwhelm his senses any further. He was dumbfounded to find h

That means so much to me. I'm happy you enjoyed it. Thank you! 🥰

Ah, such an intriguing idea. 😄 Unfortunately, she's settled in her cozy cottage.

The universe is trying to tell Nathan something. The question remains: will he heed its advice? His entire life has always revolved around telling lies and hiding the truth. He's trying to change, but it's not easy.

Hah! You know, I was positive Shaw explained the reason for the letter's secrecy in this chapter, but no, it's explained in the next chapter. Thinking back, my reasoning to withhold details was to keep the tension high in Shaw's office scene. At that moment, Shaw explaining their reasons for secrecy wasn't important. Their concern was only to protect Nathan from himself and others. And like Nathan, the reader is left confused. That's by design.

The next morning, while still in bed, Nathan and Brohm discussed the situation with Cormac. To Nathan’s surprise, Brohm was receptive to a meeting. The big man was willing to give Cormac a chance—to seriously consider what the monk could offer them—but couldn’t provide any guarantee he’d follow through with suggestions to change. They appropriated Iain’s office to speak with Cormac privately. After what Leah heard the night before, Nathan didn’t want a repeat of the wrong words heard by the

Haha! Well, it is a reception/waiting room. Maybe "clerk" might've been a less anachronistic word choice. 😅 Thank you. 💗 You'll have to keep reading to understand the beggar's part in the story.

I'll begin by saying: I completely agree with your assessment. However, I feel it's a different kind of "stupid decision" compared to his previous mistakes. Humans are stupid creatures often controlled by fear. I've no doubt you've heard stories of people who don't seek treatment for some random ailment, hoping it'll "go away" on its own. Some of the common reasons? Fear of the truth. Fear of what treatment might entail. Or even fear of being seen as a baby because "the problem" isn't a problem at all. "It's just a bit of pain. Suck it up!" In Nathan's case, worrying Brohm is the deciding factor. And yup, I agree, that's a terrible reason not to seek help. Like fear, love can make people do stupid things, too. This flaw -- his want to shield Brohm from worry and concern -- is a theme that's explored throughout the story, and these decisions do weight heavy on his mind later on. So while he's made a stupid decision now, at least he'll be cognizant of it in the future.

Maybe a bit? We live in a world of intolerance. I wanted to show that in Nathan and Brohm's world, (nearly) no one gives a shit. Hey, it's a fantasy story, after all, right? 😉 In the last scene of chapter two, Laird's discovery that they're a couple isn't disgust. He was just thrown off-guard (and a little embarrassed) by Nathan's blunt statement. 😅

After months of planning, hard work, and travel, Nathan and Brohm now felt antsy having nothing to do. They spent many of those empty days talking about the incident with Tarn, finally allowing Nathan to accept it and move on. He hoped Tarn would be the last person—at least the last innocent person—he’d need to murder. The spare time allowed them to move their belongings from the apartment into the guildhouse, finally calling it home. Brohm spent a great deal of time outside, chopping down

It comes soon. 😉