Cynus

It felt surreal to be entering The Shade again so soon, and to be doing so through the main entrance instead of sneaking in. While Maxthane had expected things to be different now that his father was dead, he still thought of the grand cavern as his home, but for some reason it didn't feel familiar to him anymore as he stepped onto the staircase that would lead him down into the depths. It felt like he was entering a whole new world. His stomach fluttered and he felt as if he were going to

And unfortunately, it happens all too often. The immortal's curse. At least that's what my best friend and I call it. The way that living forever affects your psyche. As always, I appreciate your enthusiasm! I can tell you who summoned Fasha, but not until we reach that point. I can tell you who Fasha's contact is in the Everbright city, too! Of course, we learn that sooner rather than later. I can't wait to explain Prism's tattoos to you even more. Oh, just wait for the next book before you draw too many conclusions on Prism and Grim. As I was mentioning above, I was inspired a lot by the term "the immortals curse", which has certainly affected Grim in its own way. Will be delving into the foundation of Grim in the next book. Names are definitely powerful, and it's great you picked up on that. You nailed Neredos exactly. :-) Don't worry, obvious I won't reveal how yet, but were not done with Grim yet. The only thing I can answer this point, is that Fasha had the time between leaving Salidar and Maxthane to change into whomever he wanted to be. As for why he chose Veil, and whether or not Veil has anything to do with this, I'll address later. Oh yes, the Knights honestly didn't think this would ever happen. At least not for the past few centuries, anyway. Now, I think another interesting question is, why were they so unprepared? What stopped that knowledge from being spread? Is it simply Neredos's incompetence, or is there something else at work? I love this back and forth between you two. Thank you for this. Answers will come soon, I promise!

I will respond to recent chapter comments later today.

"Prince Maxthane!" Kirra and Styx looked up to see one of Salidar's men headed their way. He was dressed in the black leather uniform, except that his was of higher quality than the others, marking him as higher rank than the other soldiers. The sword he held was of a quality to match the armor, and from the scars visible on his middle-aged face, to the gait with which he walked, implied that he was a seasoned soldier. Worry was etched into his features as he saw Maxthane lying on the ground, un

Indeed. What marvelous and extensive observations! I love them all.

I don't think this counts as a spoiler, really, since it's not really pertinent to the present, so I think I'll answer that directly. The Inquisition was once a legitimate Inquisition. During the years after Neredos sealed the demons, he was dedicated to preserving his reign by whatever means necessary. The Inquisition was formed to hunt down insurgencies and to help rid the world of certain forces which could serve to challenge Neredos' claim to rule. Once the dust had settled and they'd accomplished their mission, they retained their title but became more of an investigate and offensive branch of the Knights of the Firmament. Oh, Maxthane is definitely the most powerful of the three boys at the moment, but the others will have opportunities to grow. We'll have a full party to take on the ultimate evil in the end! Go, Warriors of Light! (Well, I guess we only really have ONE of those, since Kirra's the only one from the Everbright City, and the other two are Warriors of Dark . . . but, you get the idea.)

I take it that's a good "OMG"?

I'm glad the battle scene worked! Oh, we'll be addressing what happens soon. Will someone save Prism? Good question. Or is he even going to need saving? Just because he thinks he has no chance, doesn't mean he doesn't have the ingenuity to pull through. Sweetlion's answer is definitely in the right area. Good question. You will have an answer before the end of the book. As for Maxthane and what happens next... Man, I need to finish the next book . . . Good job!

Neredos had already turned away, considering Prism a non-issue. There are also reasons for Neredos being . . . well, Neredos. I will eventually address this issue (I have already, actually, in chapter 1 of book 3, but it'll be awhile before we get there). I'm glad you're questioning things. It actually helps me know what I definitely have to cover in the later books!

It is kind of a terrible way to get to the throne, but I suppose that's the way of things, isn't it? How will Fasha deal with the threat he has created in Maxthane? The Knights truly were unprepared for what is happened, weren't they? And I hope to prove that Maxthane doesn't have a shred of jealousy in him from his actions towards Kirra. He's good kid. Oh, don't worry about him. I never kill my characters! I don't know if you've ever seen Full Metal Alchemist before, but there's a character, Greed, who is incredibly difficult to kill. One of the lines set against him is "how many times do I have to kill you before you stay dead?". I like to imagine certain people saying that to Fasha. Yes, unfortunately these beautiful and magnificent Eagles will not be able to fly the ring to Mordor. Indeed, Salidar's motives were exactly what he lined them out to be. Despite all the warnings, he truly believed he would be able to avoid losing control. Great question! Yes it did! Thank you so much, and I hope you received my email. Oooo... I like where you're going with your thought process here. Delving into the motives of the Vhor... I'm looking forward to your reaction when you see the final reveal of everything. Of course, that might take a while yet. We will eventually get to the heritage of Styx. I promise! Really, I do! Hey, I'm glad someone feels sorry for Salidar. I put a lot of myself in to him, just as I did with Nobuyuki and Masahiro Sato from "From the Cup of the Worthless". I have a soft spot for bad boys, what can I say? And yes, in his final moments, Salidar was shown the perfect truth of everything he tried to accomplish, the dark mirror of his intentions. His final moments must've been agony. I don't think it's weird at all the you felt more sorry for the Eagles to the Knights. As far as we know, most of the Knights are pricks. We'll get into a lot more tattoo magic later, too. Have you noticed Prism's? Thank you for the confidence boosters! Max did! Unfortunately, Fasha is a man with many many many contingency plans. But, he is killable, if they can only pull it off. Ah, I absolutely agree with you, Salidar would not of been equipped to deal with the potentials of a demon threat that wasn't under his control. Hell, even if the plan had succeeded exactly the way he wanted it to, Salidar still probably would have come up short. And there's more intensity to come, I promise you. Book 3 will deal with our boys being together the most, I think. That, or book 5... We'll have to see where the muse takes me, and if everybody makes it to that book...

I will be responding to recent comments shortly.

Every step had to be perfect; every movement precise. There was no margin for error, and the ends justified the means. Surely it meant that he no longer had a soul, but nothing would stand in Grim's way of destroying the abominations; the lives that existed for no reason but to destroy life, not unlike his own. The fog was already fading as the final word of the unbinding spell still echoed. 'Freedom'. That was what the Gor word translated to. It was ironic that such a word, which gave suc

Spikey, please don't feel horrible. I'm really grateful for your explanation here. I'm sorry I read something into it that wasn't there. Maybe I should've clarified first? This particular story is one I expect the worst on, so I jump to conclusions whenever something is ambiguous. See, this is the novel I wrote immediately after "The Navigator". Novel number 3 (if you count all of "Rumors of War" as one, which is how it was originally released.). I had hubris back then, and still do sometimes, about the quality of my work. I was still riding the high from the popularity of "The Navigator", and I was certain "Shadow Honor" would be my ticket into traditional publishing. At least one editor and one beta reader warned me it wasn't ready, but I didn't listen, and I submitted it to a publisher (Just one, but at that point I didn't understand that you should expect to send your work to hundreds of agents and as many publishers as possible). When it was summarily rejected, I pretended that it didn't affect me, which turned out to be another mistake. I shelved it, promising to come back to the story that "wasn't good enough" sometime and fix it. I did go through it once, a cursory look-over, but I didn't spend any significant time on it. But it had been awhile since I'd released anything, and so I finally decided to give it to you guys. In my mind I thought, "they're going to hate it, but something good is coming soon, I promise!" It turned out that people loved it. It was a small following at first, but everyone kept coming back with these amazing comments (including yourself), and I fed off the excitement and wrote the sequel. But in the back of my mind, the thought kept going "Oh, but when they come across this or that issue, they're going to hate it." I've been carrying this the whole time, I keep expecting to come here and find everyone leaving scathing comments about the issues in this story which I feel are so obvious. And so, when I came across your comment, I read it in that nagging voice, and thought, "oh, so it's finally here . . ." I really appreciate your explanation, and I'm extremely grateful for your continued comments. They've all been wonderful. Even the one I responded to earlier. In fact, now that I know where it was coming from, it's exactly the kind of comment I love. Dissections of characters, and questioning motives! I love it! It was my fault for reading my misgivings into it. Please, continue to comment. I look forward to reading all of them, and if you ever do intend criticism, I'll absorb it. Peace, Cynus P.S. I ran out of time to respond to this when I first saw it, so I apologize for the delay.

"You're loving this, aren't you?" Kirra asked as he felt Styx relax as he gripped Kirra around his waist. When Styx had first climbed into the saddle with him he had been tense and worried, but not anymore. "Flying? Yes," Styx answered with a contented sigh. "This is only the second time I've done it, but it already feels natural. It's different from using my hawk to slow my fall. I've never been able to do anything but fall slowly before. This is amazing." "I know exactly what you mean

Fasha is extremely complex, and we're definitely not done with him yet. Hopefully you'll continue to appreciate the drama he brings to the story. All this speculation of Max's parentage makes me want to go write a sequel... oh wait... I will confirm 100% that Salidar IS Maxthane's father. I don't intend to be ambiguous about that at all.

Fair enough. Nah... Prism is too resilient to die from falling from the sky. He's basically a meteor. More on the Ghayle connection to come!

That's right! You tell him! Being a Fedain is very tricky business, and this decision will weigh heavily on Grim. For him, he is caught in a Catch-22, damned if you kill someone, damned if he doesn't. Unfortunately, this time he made the wrong choice. I probably should have clarified the bit about the circle. That's another note for when I go back and revise the story, as I realize now that I completely left it out. Originally when it's swinging its sword, the sword is what is extending beyond the circle. The cracking of the cobblestones that happens afterwards breaks the circle and allows it to move forward. I could've sworn that I had included this, but looking back I realize I absolutely did not, and I apologize for the confusion. Salidar and his tunnel vision. I'm sorry that Grim disappointed you. My goal with his actions in this chapter was to show him as a flawed person in his own way, since for most of the story I have made him out to be stronger than pretty much everyone else. Unfortunately, it seems I went too far. I am sorry for the cliffhanger, too. The story was written when I was a lot more reliant on cliffhangers. I don't anticipate the revision when I get around to it, will be quite the same. That is a wonderful question to be asking. And I thank you for it. The reason I've put off responding to the comments on this chapter is because I didn't know what to say here. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate your willingness to give me the criticism you feel is warranted here. I'm grateful that you took the time to give me extensive feedback on your disappointment with this chapter, but I don't entirely know what to say to it. I could offer the same excuse I've been using throughout the story, saying that the story is old, and I don't know if I would make the same choices now if I were writing it again, that feels a little hollow here. I see all of your points, and I will seek to apply the lessons learned from them in the future. I suppose I duped myself into thinking that Salidar's actions made sense, or even that Grim's did, though at this point I still stand behind my choice to have Grim attempt to avoid murder. I definitely see your point about him and Max, however. As for the last point, there remains more to be learned about this, and in the interest of not spoiling anything, in case I haven't already driven you away from the story, I will avoid commenting on that part. Thank you again for the criticism. I have learned here, and I will hopefully avoid making the same characterization mistakes in the future. Thank you for this. This is the image I was going for, though it appears that I have oversold it. I'm glad that it didn't fall flat for everyone, which gives me some hope that the chapter is redeemable. I wanted to showcase the tunnel vision of both Salidar and Grim here. Hell is right. Ibrix looks like he came straight from the devil's court, doesn't he? "Victims of their own nature", that reminds me of a line I wrote in the sequel (which will start posting in a few weeks). Hopefully I'll remember this when we come back around to it. Like I was saying above, my goal was to show the tunnel vision both Salidar and Grim had toward their goals. Grim to his ethics, Salidar to his pursuit of power. I promise we'll touch on the Fedain role in the Demon War through the course of this series. Thank you, Buz. I appreciate the pick me up, too. I can see both interpretations of the chapter, and hopefully by balancing them out, I'll be able to get the best of both worlds next time around. You've outlined the logic I was using, and hopefully by seeing someone break it down in that way I can use it to address where I went wrong. Salidar was complicated to handle. For better or worse, this was the result of me taking him down the path I set for him. I wanted him to come face to face with the truth, and at least I made it there. Grim is only Fedain, it's true. Thank you to everyone who commented. I appreciate all the feedback, both positive and negative, as I find it all constructive. I hope I didn't ruffle anyone's feathers with my responses, and I hope you all know how much I adore you. Peace, Cynus

The view from the rooftop of Sabreeza's estate was better than Salidar had expected, and he could easily see each pillar that they had marked for release, filling him with eager anticipation. It was time to bring about the fall of the Radiant Tyrant. He glanced toward Fasha and grinned, receiving a sinister smile from Fasha in response. He was pleased to share this moment with someone he trusted as much as he did Fasha, even though he wished that Maxthane had seen the light and joined them.

I let the responses pile up and now there's too many to quote, so you'll get tags this time. Not a bad problem to have! This may be my favorite batch of story comments ever. I've waited a long time to see my stories dissected in this manner. To see them discussed through the lens of philosophy and mythology, questioning the symbolism of my characters and where I may be going with the story. I also recently had a conversation with a friend of mine who spoke of the discussion he had with our mutual online friend about this particular story. When I was a teenager, reading the various stories which would later form the basis for what I consider to be great literature, I would often have discussion like this with my friends who read the same stories. There were also several stories which were particularly popular, such as "Wheel of Time" by the late Robert Jordan which I joined online communities for, and discussed and debated the many different facets of the story with various other fans from around the world. When I started writing, although this wasn't the main reason I kept writing, it was always in the back of my mind that I wanted people to discuss my ideas in this manner. I write to be understood, more than anything, and to see discussions like this really makes me think I must be doing something right. I may never have this occur with great frequency, or have some online community dedicated to discussing my work, but I do have this. This community here, and the various other communities I'm a part of throughout websites where I post are all very special to me. I was recently watching a video from one of my idols, Chris Rehage, who has a goal of walking the entire distance from Beijing to Berlin, and is currently somewhere in Iran. He was talking about walking into a strong head wind, and wondering why there never seemed to be a back wind to help push him forward. Then he stopped, and said, "maybe we just don't appreciate the back wind while it's there?" Thank you for being part of the wind that pushes me forward, and I'm grateful to have all of you. @drpaladin - As always, I love the questions you ask. You know, there is a certain tradition among Buddhist monks in Japan who have predicted their own deaths. Not all of them are right, of course, but just enough are to make you wonder if it's possible. Maybe Prism sense something, or perhaps some other ominous thing is on the horizon. I think you'll all find as the relationship develops between Styx/Maxthane/Kirra that the dynamic will be quite interesting. I can say I have plans for how things will work out between the three boys, but my characters have surprised me many times before, and since the full series is not yet finished, it could still go a lot of ways. I do know I love them all personally, so causing any of them hardship or heartbreak would be difficult, but of course, that's also what makes for a good story. Your observations about the different levels of experience for the three boys is also interesting, and I think it can apply to the interpretation of Prism as well. His experience and the experience of the others he knows so well is now different, and perhaps that's why he feels a bit like a babe in the woods right now, and a babe alone in the woods wouldn't feel like he had much chance of survival in such a cold and dark world. @BlindAmbition - Your observations are amazing. "Mourning is a dangerous luxury." Amen. In many ways this entire sentiment sums up Prism right now. He believes there's a job to be done, and he is wondering why the world seems lost in complacency. Why are they standing around waiting for something bad to happen, instead of trying to stop it? But at least he does put hope in there somewhere, instilling some into Styx even as he warns of dangerous times to come. He, at least, believes there is something to be gained if only those young and innocent enough to work for it choose to do so. As for their symbolism? I think I'm still working on figuring that out myself, and I doubt I'll know until I write the very last word. I usually have it mostly figured out by then, but tell the last word is the page there's always a question.I love the fact that you brought up both philosophy and mythology, and that really made my day. @Wesley8890 - I have always loved the eagerness with which you greet each chapter. It's a joy to come across your comment and see you so excited. Thank you, my friend. @Sweetlion - I appreciate the concern and love you have for my characters. One of my personal criticisms toward this story is the speed at which the characters fall in love. One of the reasons why I always wanted to go back and rewrite it, but then didn't, was to pace that out a little bit better. It may still happen at some point, though of course I will post any updates to that here. I hope you won't be too bothered if they end up in a polyamorous relationship. I have written about such relationships before, and I will definitely write them again. I am in an open relationship myself (mine is by no means typical, however), and I know quite a few people who manage polyamory in a very positive way. It's, of course, is not for everyone, and I know that your concern comes from your love for Max and the others. Thank you for loving my characters! @spikey582 - Thanks for catching that comment from Veil about the possibility of Styx's relationship with the other boys. It's always good to see the things you catch, because you never seem to miss anything. That magical Fedain blood comment is pretty spot on, for instance. LOL But, no, I wasn't trying to avoid writing a drawn out romance in the middle of Demon War 2. This is the third novel I ever wrote, and pacing wasn't exactly my strong suit at the time. If you ever read the rumors of war novella series (which was originally written as one novel) you probably have some idea what I'm talking about. I think the overall plot is paced fine, don't get me wrong, it's just some of the subplots are a little… Quick. Thank you for the examples from mythology, too. Maybe these boys really will be the three Fates one day? @deville - I think your observation, like usual, is spot on. Prism believes the others are living in the past, "mourning" the world they're trying to keep alive which has left them behind eight centuries before. Maybe it's because he's had such a jarring experience coming from the world he knew to this one, and sees how much has changed where the others cannot. He knows better than anyone that the past is gone, and the future is already here, and he stares at it every time he sees Styx. And Kirra and Maxthane for that matter. What will this Fellowship of the Three (working title for our little triumvirate) be able to accomplish? Great potential is right, and we have a pretty balanced party, too. @Puppilull - Thank you for cheering on the team! I always appreciate the encouragement you bring in when the sun rises in your part of the world and are able to join us here. Glad we have you to root for the survival of our dear friends. Of course, you know what giant eagles mean, right? It means they won't fly the ring to Mordor, but they will save the party right in the nick of time.

Thank you, Carlos. This was fun for me. As always, I had to wait for Dabeagle to respond first. It's an honor, and I meant what I said about collaboration. Hit me up!

Kira appreciates your mistrust. Though he can't tell you why just yet. Veil certainly has her reasons for what she's doing, as do all the others. But what are they? And who is in the right? He is, isn't he? Veil has her own secrets. It is a bit of shaky logic, isn't it, even though there is still logic to it. So why would she make that declaration? Is it simply a matter of her own inexperience in matters of commanding troops? What will the backlash be? Interesting, I'd not thought of reptilian before, but I can see what you mean. Kirra has issues trusting others, even someone he likes is much as Styx. Aren't the bureaucrats just lovely? They really are the bunch people you love to have running your city, aren't they? So, to anyone reading this, I'm curious if you're moved at all toward camp Salidar. These are great observations as always. There's been a lot of these on this chapter, and I love seeing them! I love the way the motivations and the perceptions of the people are being dissected. Neredos is a very interesting man. We will eventually get into his past, just like were getting into prism and grim's past in the next book. Will he even be familiar? That is an excellent observation about Alsha. I may have missed it above, but I think that's the first time I've seen someone question "why" Alsha goes along with this so easily. It's good that you're questioning everything else, too. I'm really excited for all of you to find out what is really motivating everyone, and to see how it matches your perceptions of things. I think the hardest part for me about writing a series is waiting to reveal all these tasty little morsels for you all to digest. Lovely questions, lovely observations, and thank you. *Claps for Salidar* thank you for your comments about him, that was actually something I really want to sell in his character. "At least he's not a pretender" is probably my favorite thing anyone has said about him. I also like your questioning Veil's connection to Styx. I wonder what will come of that? Also, I really like your description of Veil, too. "She just doesn't correct impressions of her" is another great line. So is "there's insight and having hindsight". You're full of great things today! I like your descriptors for the inquisitors. Greasy and manipulative fanatic zealots, yeah that seems to fit. Neredos is a very complicated man, and we will find out a lot more in the chapters to come and the weeks ahead. And indeed, what are all the agendas? Thank you everyone for the comments, sorry that it took me some time to get back to you. I was involved in a major short story writing competition, and it has demanded most my time for this last week. Thank you for all your support!

Oh, that is some great stuff! I do really like this theory, and if it proves not be what is actually happening, I can always use this to inspire a future story. I will tell you that you will eventually know how a Vhor is created, and precisely who and what Fasha is, and maybe you'll find out you outsmarted me and guessed it before I ever revealed, hehe!

"Prism! Please, wait!" Styx finally caught up to Prism in front of the barracks. Since Prism was not a member of the Knights, he could not pass the guards on his own and instead he stopped in front of the building and glared at it. He turned around at the sound of Styx's voice, carrying the glare with him, which stopped Styx in his tracks. "Styx, there's nothing more to talk about," Prism said in a flat tone, though his entire body was quivering with rage. "There's nothing to be done."

Salidar had his reasons for what he does, as we know from the past, he does have a bit of the tunnel vision issue. Also, do we have any reason right now to know for sure that Fasha is not on his side? No, I will confirm now that Max and Styx are not brothers. They are only as related as the average person is to anyone else. Maxthane is 100% Salidar's son, and the son of some yet unidentified Fedain. By the end of the story you'll have a greater idea of Fasha, but I can't guarantee your understanding will be complete. There won't be any additional understanding of Naxthul until book 2, unfortunately. Great question, though. So, if a Fedain can give their life energy to another person, and, according to Grim in chapter 3, the powers of healing work in reverse, then the fate of Jakkel(the beetle guard of the gladiators' cell) unlocks a potential answer to the paradox. Humans, Gor, and Fedain do all share a significant amount of genetics, and at some point have a common ancestry, but I think it's best to think of them as closely related but separate species. Kind of like how a lion and tiger can produce offspring, though they are distinct. Those are all great suppositions about the order of Naxthul, which we'll expand on in book 2 (I'm not saying Naxthul is in the book or anything,, but I have mentioned before that book 2 takes place largely in the past, so we will touch on Grim's understanding during that time.) You're drawing the parallels I wanted you to. "The powers of healing can work in reverse". You are asking great questions regarding Fasha, the Vhor, all of it. Everything about Salidar's motivation is in question. I love it! Thank you! You've been paying attention. Don't worry, before the end of this you will see plenty of Gor rituals. We are far from the end of Naxthul related information. Grim believes it is the only shot they have of success on that front, and that any chance is worth taking if it means stopping the demons. He doesn't know how deep Salidar is, but if anyone can reach him, it would be Maxthane. I absolutely love this! Keep it going, guys. Oh, I liked having the little twisted pair of Fasha and Salidar being linked. It seemed rational at the time, which is probably what Salidar thought, too! Great question about Veil, though I know other people have asked it too. It will be interesting to find out the answer, won't it? Dogo is definitely winning the case for most people. But, I won't confirm that yet. the world is always more interconnected than we believe it to be. Although I think you meant this, I just wanted to clarify for anyone who is reading this that we do also know of one other thing which Fasha is afraid of, being fire. I love the paths your thoughts are taking, and I can't wait to see where you inevitably arrive. Great questions! That is one of the questions I want you asking the most. Thank you everyone for reading and commenting! I'm sorry it took so long to get back to you on this, this weekend has been really busy. Posting the next chapter in just a minute! EDIT: I will also be responding to chapter 18 comments later today.

I'm not certain I could count how many I have... At least twelve knives (not used for cooking). Only one sword currently in my possession, though I own a few which aren't at my house. Two staves, a shinai, a couple bokken, a wooden kukri and sabre for training purposes, and a large iron cudgel. That's just what's within my own room/possession. If you count my significant other's room (yes we live in separate rooms. It's a complicated situation which I'm happy to explain but only if people are genuinely interested. It's nothing bad, just atypical), he has at least five swords, a few knives of his own, three wooden training weapons (at least. I may have lost count) including a spear, a kris, and a sabre. He has a staff as well, his is waxwood while mine is bamboo. Our two other housemates have even more weapons (including two blowdart guns which used to belong to Brad and me), one has a rifle and the other has an assortment of knives, and a wooden training glaive... Favorite weapon? Among my collection it's the iron cudgel. I sleep with that beside my bed. My favorite type of weapon of all time would be some form of spiked or bladed gauntlet, or a strong metal boot.