Cynus

If it were that simply, my own nice collection would've gotten me out of it quite some time ago. I fear it's the strength of Gleipnir, and it will only be loosed by Ragnarok.

Sorry about the cliffhangers. I realize I was releasing a lot of chapters very quickly before. I wish I was able to provide the same level of output but my hands have been tied. I'm glad you appreciate the significance of the Styx. It's one of my favorite things I did with this story. I liked this side of the mythology. When I first decided to use the Rivers of the Underworld as the basis for this story, I had no idea it would bring me here. I'm really glad it did though, because this is probably my favorite concept in the whole story. I like your theories on the rivers. It makes me glad that there appears to still be an open-endedness to the mythology as I presented it, allowing other perspectives to come to light. I think that's how mythology should be. It should spark philosophical questioning. Magelings. Hah! Well, Orpheus has had a few name changes in the past. He does like to be mysterious, after all! Orpheus is definitely the tragic character here, but of course his myth was always a tragedy. I like how you bring in his evolution here, and thank you for referencing it. BATTLE DOWN UNDER is the new name of the Metal Soundtrack to this book. Orpheus definitely has a thing for Caleb, whether it's just curiosity or a genuine interest in what Caleb does next, there's more than just careful manipulation happening there. Great comments! Thank you. Heh, a blackout in a place with no light, only the ability to see. The nihilist in me finds that concept horrendously funny.

PLEASE QUOTE OR LIKE THIS COMMENT SO I KNOW YOU ARE COMMENTING. (I'll respond to last chapters comments a little later today)

4-4 Wake-up Call Night greeted Ethan and Jake with the enticing sound of crickets. Both men wore jackets in case of a late March chill, but neither felt particularly cold. Their anticipation kept them warm, that and the company; everyone they loved currently resided in the small house behind them. Not quite everyone, Ethan admitted to himself, missing his family already. He did love them, even if they were distant from him now. He would see them again, visit on occasion, when they

Thank you. Ethan does need to distance himself from those who detract from his progress, and his family was doing that. Hopefully it'll help him clear his mind, eh? I don't particularly care for his parents either. Although I think it would've been good for his parents to accept him, Ethan probably doesn't want them cursed, either. He's too good of a guy for that, heh. Hmm... What will Orpheus do during the seance. Yes, that's certainly the question of the day, isn't it? Oh, that would've been a neat idea! Heh, maybe if Ethan had still been in super warlock mode he would've done that? Maybe he should've done it anyway. If you'd like to contact the dead, please hang up and dial again. Right? Some people have strange ideas of what love means. Have you noticed that I've kept Mr. Pallet mostly absent in this story? I don't think he and Ethan connect very much. This seems like it's all on Mrs. Pallet's shoulders, and she isn't really the violent type. Ethan definitely has his work cut out for him though on that seance. I completely understand. Unfrotunately, I've also seen rejection of children based upon sexuality time and time again. It's so stupid... But at least Ethan has Liz! And together, they have more power than anyone else in town, especially with Jake backing them up.

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Light came from somewhere. It was one thing Caleb hadn’t reasoned out yet. There was no sun in The Underworld, yet there appeared to be a sky. Light radiated down from it, but the source was something beyond his understanding. At the moment, the sky’s color was muted, like at the horizon opposite the sun at dusk or dawn, and dark clouds hung overhead, obscuring most of it. Despite this, the Stygian water shone, reflecting what little light there was, making it seem as if they floated on a sea of

Hehe! I love it! It's true, I definitely wanted to do that. Anyone who has read "Fearless" knows I have a thing for getting my characters naked. Always glad to see you taking note of things and making connections. Makes me feel like I did my job, heh. Hmm... but having a single ace only helps if you're dealt enough of the right cards for it to make a difference. Of course, poker is poker, and you can win with a shit hand anyway. The game is what it's all about, isn't it? That's what makes this journey fun. Woot! I like that one, too. Especially since the word "mageling" is one of my favorite words of all time. Good choice. Interesting theory. I wonder how it will play out? Caleb's definitely catching on to things, and Orpheus is starting to play his hand. What will be the result when the cards have been laid down? Both Orpheus and Caleb are gambling here on how much the other person knows, but they're definitely heading toward a conclusion. As for the destination, that must, necessarily remain a surprise. Who have you placed your money on? Thank you. Yes, that's exactly what I was going for here! Caleb finally gives himself fully to the Underworld, and in turn he's granted understanding of how things work. What will the final outcome be of that knowledge? Mmm... I like the comparison between the two. I honestly hadn't planned it that way, but maybe subconsciously it made sense to me that way? There is certainly a dichotomy to explore there, and it's worth noting. Thank you! It's hard to remain a puppet once you become aware of the strings, though sometimes the strings are difficult to cut when someone is still holding onto them. You're right, it's going to be quite the balance!

Hehe. Relapse. Magic addiction is one of my favorite fantasy tropes, and I think it's underused. I hope you enjoy the reveal once it occurs!

Orpheus is a bored genius, for sure. I think most bored geniuses tend to cause quite a bit of issues in the world. That's why we should really keep them entertained, heh!

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Fear still gripped Ethan, even several hours after his dream. He couldn’t sleep anymore, not now, not after seeing Caleb and being unable to reach him. It was Saturday night, and early, so he wasn’t used to sleeping at this time, anyway, yet he also couldn’t find the strength to leave his bedroom. Instead he paced anxiously, glancing at the clock from time to time, wondering if it would ever change, if the next day would come or if he was still dreaming, still trapped in his own mind. The

Often, that want is all that we need in order to accomplish great feats in the name of love. I think that's a very pertinent question, especially since Ethan's mind hasn't exactly been on point for the entire story. Thankfully, part four has arrived. Hah! Well, I'm glad that my absence had some benefit. I'm still going to be posting a bit slower, so that patience should come in handy. I'm glad to be back though! I love this! The analysis of everything is amazing, from the varying aspects of personality to the meaning behind specific use of words! Thank you. Whether your instinct and interpretation prove true or not, we shall see shortly. . . . the music of The Ruler . . . I love that phrase! But yes, the game is certainly afoot, and what will become of our heroes if they should lose? Heh. Well, there's always room for change, right? Whether the ending is happy or not will be up to you to decide. I like it, and I think you'll all enjoy it too. But yes, the recent events still linger in Ethan's mind, and they pull at him in ways the others are not affected by. He approaches yet another crossroads. What will his decision be?

PLEASE QUOTE OR LIKE THIS COMMENT SO I KNOW YOU ARE COMMENTING. This is my favorite chapter. I can't fully explain why, and I don't expect anyone else to feel the same way, but this is definitely it.

Caleb approached the boat cautiously. The deep cowl of the boatman hid his face in its shadows, and skeletal fingers gripped the steering pole. The figure was as imposing as any Caleb had seen so far, a traditional image of death as Caleb understood it. He glanced in the bow of the boat and saw a familiar magazine carefully placed in the bow. It was a new issue, but the boats on the cover told Caleb all he needed to know. “Charlie?” he asked the cowled ferryman. The ferryman threw

PLEASE QUOTE OR LIKE THIS COMMENT SO I KNOW YOU ARE COMMENTING. Sorry for the delay. I'm still having a bit of computer trouble, so I'll be posting a bit slower than before, but I am back to posting regularly.

Hypothermia turned out to be easier to handle than Ethan expected, and he didn't even have to use magic to beat it. All it took was some expert medical advice from Ethan's scouting days as Liz took care of him. Not that he could have worked any magic if he'd tried. His will had been broken, his emotions were no longer pure, and all the knowledge in the world was useless to him without those two things. He didn't mind much, not really. All magic had gotten him was a series of brutal dead

I think you've nailed Orpheus pretty damn well. If anything, he's scared to be alive. Death holds a certain comfort for some. I'm glad you're analyzing him. I'm sorry it took so long to respond to this review. I guess I missed it somehow, and then when I wasn't actively posting chapters, I wasn't actively checking comments, either.

Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed it. This is the favorite of one of my editor's.

Thank you. No, seriously . . . thank you. That's exactly what I needed to read today. Something I was alluding to in an earlier comment was that there is more to Orpheus' actions than just the surface emotions he's displayed. He's possibly my most complex character i've ever constructed. Apparently you're just full of marvelous ideas. I wonder if I thought of that back when I was writing this? Who knows . . . well, I do, and you'll just have to read and find out!

What a marvelous idea! As to whether or not I used said idea... well... Keep reading and find out. I like where your thoughts are going here, and I look forward to future exploration. My boys need your invested perspective. What of Caleb indeed? Oh, he's about to have some truly interesting experiences, to be sure. As for Ethan . . . He's definitely reached another crossroads, the same one Jake attempted to present him in the cemetery. Does he take a different route this time? How will the promise of new life affect Ethan's development? Give them time, they'll come to understand. I know earlier there were many people dissenting about Liz giving up on this, but to some extent it's that she's really just seen the pitfalls from the beginning. Maybe she didn't entirely understand them, but she did converse with Orpheus herself way back at the cave. At an instinctive level at least, she's always known what they were up against. mageling. It's one of my favorite words! I'm not saying this is the route I took, but you did bring up an interesting thought for me. Ethan's now eternally youthful, so a reborn Caleb would potentially . . . Do not tamper with life and death and accept things as they are. That's certainly where Liz is, and I think that's usually the healthy way to be. Of course, without people idiotically charging after their loved one's souls, I wouldn't have much story here, haha!

But you know, and you knowing that someone knows something knowable about something will probably get you spinning toward the end, right? That is certainly a worthwhile question. But there remains some hope for Caleb, since at least he now has some idea of whom he's dealing with. And so I hoped you would be, for they are approaching the depths of The Underworld now. They head, as Eurydice directed, toward the seat of Death itself. What will Caleb find there? It will certainly be something which will give him pause, as one could only imagine it to be. It does look a little bleak, doesn't it? There is hope ahead, but for whom I will not say. There remains a part 4, and it will be as long as the others. We've got a bit of a journey to go, and there is still a bit to learn along the way. A wise position, my friend. As to whether Caleb is truly alive or dead, that is not for me to tell. 'What is Death?' is really the question of this entire journey. It's what Caleb is experiencing, what Ethan is fighting, what Orpheus is explaining, what Liz is trying to move on from... what is death? And by the end of this tale, you may have some semblance of my answer, if I did my job at all, heh.

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The headwaters of the Styx were wider than the Acheron. Caleb couldn't even see the other side, but he knew it was there. He knew that in the dark, misty distance lay the answers he sought. Somehow, he knew that the only way he'd get the truth from Orpheus would be to journey there, to approach the seat of Death itself, even though it walked beside him. "The Styx, mightier than all," Orpheus observed. "Hate is the strongest force in the afterlife." Caleb gave Orpheus a sidelong gla

Maybe. I honestly don't entirely know why Orpheus is the way he is. Orpheus was written as a means of understanding myself, and some of the negative feelings I was having towards love at the time of writing this. I've since come to terms with what I was feeling, and I wish I'd understood it better then, because what I was feeling at the time had nothing to do with Chris, whom I loved and still care about deeply, but there were unresolved feelings regarding someone else who had wounded me, and those feelings were making it very difficult for me to fully connect to Chris. I think in many ways, Orpheus was a reflection of my own self-doubt regarding my inability to fully commit to love. I think this part in particular was probably written from the immense amount of anger I had toward myself, and how that translates to my worldview. Is Orpheus jealous? I'm not sure, but he does definitely see something he doesn't understand, and he knows he's supposed to, and that lack of understanding definitely infuriates him. I remember pointing this out to one of my beta readers after they read this part. Someone was asking me how Ethan was so easily defeated. What I was going for here was to show an example of principles of magic in motion. You have the will, pure emotion, and knowledge. Ethan showed up to the fight with all three, and then he was strong, all Orpheus had to do was break down one of these three things. It may seem on the surface that Orpheus was breaking down Ethan's will, but Ethan's will crumbled on its own when Orpheus sabotaged Ethan's emotions. I realize this may have been exactly how you read it, I'm simply trying to elaborate upon the point you made regarding Orpheus sowing seeds of doubt. So I don't think the question is about Ethan being so easily broken, but rather whether Ethan was ever fully repaired in the first place? You've given me much to think about. There's actually a way for me to defend Orpheus here, but I think it would create too much of an opportunity for a spoiler to the astute observer, so I will have to let that point go for now. However, I would really like to address the point in the future, and so if you remind me I would be glad to bring it up at the end of the story. For me, Orpheus was a package deal from the beginning. I didn't know exactly where he would take me, but I knew there would be both positive and negative traits, as there usually are when I'm trying to make an imperfect human character. Regardless of what he may be now, he was at least at one point, human. But yes, he definitely gave Ethan something he was not expecting. I really like where you're going with this. One of the things I like about pantheistic religion is how it normally involves imperfect gods. Hades, for instance, had many imperfections, many humanlike traits. He loved as humans do, even to the point of obsession when he kidnapped Persephone and brought her down to The Underworld. Death itself, or perhaps the underworld itself, certainly has plenty of that uncompassionate, emotionless, and remorseless quality that you describe. It's in the rivers, the landscape, and in Charon from the Forest Service. But what of the ruler? Is the ruler the same as the land he/she rules, or is it imperfection trying, as always, to rule a system that was in place since long before there were beings to use it? What we humans try to control is sometimes astounding. I like your bright light analogy, too. I look forward to further insight from you.