Cynus

Thank you!

Every step they took after Chald's death was carefully placed, but still Ghayle wondered if her children would make it to the mountain. She had watched every moment, through her connection to the world, and all those who lived on it. Although she was insubstantial, unable to affect the world physically, she longed to do so. Her children were in trouble. But she had to have faith; after all, she demanded the same of many. Though the group was dwindling, she believed in Neredos most of all. Sh

Ultimately? Or Penultimately? Is it even possible? That may be the real question here.

You can't stop people from being people, and mistrust is common despite best efforts. Prism and Grim's mutual pain was a big thing for me throughout this series.

Thank you for understanding.

I'm sorry for the delay. I recently started a new job and the training has all my days blending together. I don't even know what time is anymore because mine no longer feels linear! I appreciate this comment a lot, and thank you for it. I think I was really starting to get a feel for how i wanted to wrap this series up around this point. I really don't think that's a spoiler, because that will probably only make sense when you finish book 5 and not any sooner.

I'm glad you liked it, and thank you for the compliment!

I swear I never got the notification for this comment. I'm sorry it took so long to respond. I'm glad you liked it! Thank you!

"I remember very little about that fight, to be honest," Neredos said as he returned to the clearing in the dream. "It was all a blur, being surrounded by that many demons and all alone. I'm still surprised that I made it out of there." Prism nodded. "Of course, there was a reason for that, wasn't there?" Neredos' face fell. "Indeed." "You all are so tightlipped when it comes to talking about the past, even though we keep on going into your memories. Why can't you say anything plainl

Thank you for reading, everyone! I posted this comment as a test of the systems because there was an issue earlier, and I just realized that I can't delete it. So, if you'd like to leave any feedback on this chapter, feel free to quote this post and say hello!

Neredos and his group made it to the edge of the ruins of Khadrun before the demons turned around, the Vhor having reached its army and delivered its report. There were people trying to reach the gate, and they must be destroyed at all costs. Or at least that was how Neredos perceived it, as he stared out from the rubble toward the west. The demons had halted, and now they were turning around; turning toward the ruins of Khadrun and waiting for something to move. Those beside him wore ex

It's one of my shorter novels, and definitely the one I wrote the quickest, so I think it's appropriate to digest it quickly too LMAO.

I'm glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for reading and commenting. I'm glad Orpheus' identity was clear.

"I realize it's not all that pertinent, but was Odiran thulu'Khant really a Fedain?" Neredos asked. "To my knowledge, it was never confirmed." "He was. Half, anyway," Ghayle replied. "Both of his parents were half-bloods. That was common among the Lodani Fedain." "So, the Lodani healing rituals he refused to teach me?" Neredos asked. "Some of them are real, but usually it was showmanship so that he could use his powers," Ghayle said. "It was not unlike what I did with Kixhan. A distr

I like your addendum. I think modern Grim would, too, no matter how happily he skips in his cynicism. More on Odiran to come. Eventually.

I didn't really know how this book was going to go, when I started. I didn't really know how I was going to do anything past "Shadow Honor" when I started the series. When I originally decided to start working beyond "shadow honor", I went back and analyzed the way Prism, Grim, and Veil in particular spoke about past. The interactions between the three of them formed my starting point for what I ended up doing with "Clouded Purity", just as the events in "Lonely Pride" contributed significantly to where I went with Veil and Neredos in "Tragic Genius". Some things formed earlier than others, and one of those was the relationship between Neredos, The Trial, and Ghayle. I knew what went down, though I didn't entirely know how, and thankfully I found my way there eventually. Wayar was a surprise character. He appeared in a chapter and then just popped up a few times without me knowing why. This finally brought it all together.

The council room was more animated than it had been in months. Normally Veil did not mind being the center of attention, but the more this topic dragged on, the more she tired of it. She knew what needed to be done, yet everyone else couldn't stop dragging their feet. "We've been discussing this for weeks, and we must come to a decision, now!" she said, slamming her palm against the table to disrupt the current cycle of the conversation. As all eyes turned toward her, she continued in a slig

It was Ghayle who let the memory fade away this time, bringing them back to the dream garden and the circle of stones. Neredos and Prism shared a look of understanding before turning to Ghayle. "Ghayle, knowing what I know now, I have to ask . . . Did you really teleport in?" Prism asked. "From my understanding, you were no longer able to affect the physical world. You showed us Kixhan before, and told us he was the one who performed all the magic you displayed while you were with us." "

Really the reason I went with that magic was just a matter of what felt good in the moment while I was writing it.

"So, you all really managed to put your disagreements aside and work together, did you?" Dogo asked, pulling away from the others. "Just like that?" "Well, it wasn't really that smooth," Neredos replied, nodding at his own words as if confirming the memory in his mind. "It took some time for us to mesh our armies. Nearly all the people left in Incaria came to join us during the next two years, and two more large groups of refugees from Oligan migrated to us as well. They had to shelter thems

I was also trying to show why Veil might've been resistant to the idea of mothering Maxthane to any degree. Over the centuries, this emotional wound of hers festered in certain ways.

Sibling relationships are hard, especially when there is a lot of bitterness between the siblings over past misdeeds. We've got a few chapters left to see how their association develops. I had the scene in mind for Prism and Zaalf for the entire book, and it took a lot longer to get here than I expected, heh.

This is a part I've been eager to reach in this story for a long time. Odiran thulu'Khant is the fourth person mentioned in the entire series (the first three, in order, are Salidar, Fasha, and Neredos), and now I get to explore his connection to Neredos! I hope you enjoy it.

The ride to the ruins of Kallen was long and tiresome, especially considering the level of distrust between the travelers. For the past couple of days Grim and Veil kept their distance from each other entirely to avoid fighting. Prism was growing tired of playing peacekeeper for the two of them, but at least there was now silence when they made camp. By the end, there had been several more additions to their group. Wayar had chosen several representatives from among his commanders to accompa

The road to hell is paved in good intentions, might be how the Church of Blood looks at it as well, when condemning Veil. I think it's safe to say that all paths we take in life are winding, no matter how straight we think they are.