Mike Carss

The morning hours were long, quiet—painfully so. Once again, Callum had riled his captor, and now he was paying the price. He deliberated how to undo the damage he’d caused, but attempting to talk to Rym felt treacherous. It was only when they stopped to rest shortly past midday—crunching on hardtack—Callum noticed the pactrid had lost his gruff mood and was open to dialogue. “Rym, I want to apologise again for what I said this morning. I was confused, and I guess a little frightened by wh

Yes, from what Callum has learnt so far, that's the assumption. Here's a quote from the first chapter regarding his surroundings:

I'm happy to have you aboard! ❤️ I only started posting last Thursday so you're essentially with us from the start. (Chapters will be posted twice weekly until early December.)

Hah yeah, despite Rym's rough treatment of Callum at times, he's not overly malicious. Rym simply doesn't trust him, and for good reason. From outside Callum's perspective, I wanted Rym to be somewhat likeable from the start -- to show that pactrids aren't the monsters Callum was led to believe -- although this is also shown to a degree in the first chapter during the interrogation scene.

No, @VBlew is correct. Callum isn't aware of the mountain range or the border Rym talks about. This is an important point that will be brought up later.

I'm humbled by the comparisons. I hope I don't disappoint. 😅 Enjoy!

Thanks for sharing the link. I wasn't aware of most of these. But it goes to show how warring against your neighbours can last seemingly forever, to a point where it can become a cultural norm. The Anberans have certainly fallen to such a state.

Thank you for sharing. Most of your guesses are pretty close to the mark. It's always interesting to see how readers interpret with the clues they've been given so far. 😄

A sudden kick to Callum’s outstretched legs caused him to jerk awake. The pactrid stood there, glaring at him in the near dark. Morning had only just broken. “Wake up, human. We’re leaving.” The last night had lasted forever. It’d been impossible to get comfortable, and while it felt like he’d been awake all night, exhaustion must’ve finally taken over. To his surprise, Callum found himself untied—the rope now in his captor’s hands. Sitting upright all night had resulted in a numb bu

Indeed. I've always had deep respect for our natural environment, and this story does nothing to hide that fact. 😉

Of course. My comment is based on Callum's (and the reader's) current point of view of the world. Just trying my best to not spoil anything. 😉 More will be revealed in time, however the pactrid does provide a hint: “Your kind—you always take without permission.”

Why innovate when you can just throw endless troops at the problem? 😒 Just because a select few are in power of a population doesn't necessarily make them smart. Your second question will be brought up as the story progresses.

Yeah, there would certainly be a dissonant whiplash between the peace of home and the clash of war. Callum will discover this firsthand, much to his dismay.

@drpaladin and @akascrubber, I'm so happy to have you joining in this new story. I hope you enjoy it!

Callum dipped his bloody hands into the washbasin’s cool water. Small eddies drew the blood from his skin—delicate swirls disappearing into a pinkish hue. Sweat dripped from his brow. The stifling air within the canvas medical tent had grown unbearable. Lost in the moment, he pulled in a deep breath and gradually let it go, revisiting the day’s events. The pactrids had attacked mid-morning. How many, Callum wasn’t sure, but their numbers had surprised even the officers in charge at the cam

A lie, repeated enough times, can become reality. Callum, a conscript in a century-long war, serves as a medic in the Anberan army. His adversary—a monstrous race of fierce warriors—battles to control the Anberan's stolen territory. A mishap propels Callum far beyond enemy lines, leading to his capture and interrogation. His captor, however, presents a radically different account as to why they’re warring, filling Callum with doubt. The Roaming Sea is a fantasy novel exploring themes of environmental exploitation, generational fascism, loneliness, and finding compassion in the unlikeliest of places.

I'm glad Nathan and Brohm managed to break through your defences. 😉

Thank you so much. 🥰 Yes, at times I questioned whether the story was frustrating some readers (you among them) a little too much? As I've said in other chapters, I've learned a lot from the feedback you've all given me. I can't thank you all enough. ❤️

Only Rabiah knows the answer, but whatever the outcome was, it would be bad.

Thank you. ❤️ Regarding Theodrik the daemon and its home (the hells), yes, I wanted to subvert expectations. I've always liked the idea of a friendly demon. A good example of "you shouldn't judge someone by their looks alone."

My work is done. 😉

That means a lot to hear. Thank you. ❤️

Thanks. I'm glad you enjoyed it. 💗

Thank you. 💗

Based on the comments in many chapters, one of the biggest points of contention was Nathan's decision not to seek help when the pain returned in his arm and chest. The title of this novel is Strength of Fate, and when Nathan was bitten, his fate was sealed right at that point. Nothing he could've done would've changed his outcome. Let me explain: The iratxos that ambushed him were brought by the daemon's (Theodrik) presence. By that point in the story, Theodrik had already flown south to escape the cold of winter. Later, it was revealed iratxos were appearing in the south due to the daemon's migration. Others were attacked by the iratxos, and soon after, the symptoms of their bite became known. Nobody knew of the iratxos' origin, however. They called them goblings. So at that time, there was no cure for the slow toxin. It was only much later that a treatment was discovered (told by the doctor at Etton Crossing) but since Nathan was one of the first to be bitten, that cure didn't exist yet. Does that redeem Nathan's choice to not seek help when the pain started? No, of course not, but his decision to hold back was based on a few factors. First, sometimes people make bad choices. That's what makes us human. I wanted Nathan to be flawed, but also wanted to show growth that he was becoming a better person. From a storytelling perspective, I wasn't interested in telling a story of him trying to find a cure. Nathan was a selfish person, but over the course of the story, he showed that he's capable of considering others' wellbeing. His actions before the first book (assassinating Lord Helmsley's son) were the basis for all the trouble throughout this second book. The daemon's presence—and the resulting iratxo threat—was his fault, albeit indirectly. Regardless, he realized this and decided to take action. Ultimately, his sacrifice at the end could be seen as a kind of redemption for all the pain and death he caused in the past. Though I will admit that his choice is marred by selfishness again. At the beginning of this chapter, had he not suffered the horrible experience where he thought he was dying, chances are high that Cormac would've been the one sacrificed. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed these insights that might not have been obvious. I really enjoyed reading all your takes on how Nathan could've cured himself of the toxin. There were some excellent ideas. And in case you were curious: personally, I don't believe in fate. It's just a useful storywriting tool. 😉 I'll quote the great line from Terminator 2: "The future is not set. There is no fate, but what we make for ourselves."