Lupus

@Seraph28 I’m glad you enjoyed this chapter. Prince Otello is interesting to write because, as a disabled character, his perspective on the world is a bit different. He constantly has to prove to others that he is more than what his appearance suggests. In the case of Dareis and Elyssa, power has corrupted them and they might have been nicer people if they had grown up poor. Or Dareis would probably be an asshole no matter the circumstances. In any case, writing their characters is a lot of fun. Andiol has very biased and racist ideas about what the Ksingi people are like. With that background, it’s easy to understand why everyone in the room was horrified by the news. Your comparison to Genghis Khan is quite fitting, since the Mongols also came from the east. His armies were genuinely brutal conquerors, but as for the Ksingis, we still don’t know much about them.

Otello Dimalos, Andiol Empire Governor Dareis Monteilon was a name Otello recognized. He couldn't quite recall what the Senate reports had said about the former governor of Paidos — likely not much. The province of Paidos was far away, and in Dimalos few cared about the fringes of the vast empire. Monteilon himself made no particular impression. The man was undeniably handsome, but he carried himself with an irritated, unfriendly air. His beautiful wife didn't seem any more cheerful.

@Seraph28 @chrstphrl @drsawzall Thanks for your comments! Zal really does try his best, but it isn’t easy when there are so many enemies and they’re stronger than he is. A great deal of responsibility has been placed on the shoulders of one old man. But surely the villains’ luck can’t last forever… or can it?😶

Zaltarim The Misty Isles, Grand Duchy of Malkania Dusk had already settled by the time they reached the main harbor of Great Shoal. Anden had insisted it was essential to set sail as soon as possible. The Misty Isles were not safe; they had to leave at once. "The wind is rising," Taihan said, having been wary of the idea of a nighttime crossing from the start. But Anden had been adamant, pleading with the others to come with him. The danger, he claimed, was too great — every extra ho

Yeah. These long‑lived creatures need hibernation just as we need sleep.

At least one thing is clear: this world needs heroes.🦸‍♂️

Thank you.😊 Darren is one of my own favorites among the characters.

Thank you for the comment. Things do indeed seem to be looking better now between Danae and Darren.😘 But of course, Melgy’s arrival will change their situation in many ways. In the next chapter, we move on to Zal, Taihan and Ragart.

Danae Aunt Anibella had been so thrilled about Danae's return that she immediately began arranging a welcome celebration. It was scheduled for the very next evening. She said the celebration would make up for the Naming Day festivities Danae had missed. "We'll talk later, darling," her aunt had chirped before bustling off to instruct the servants. Danae's objections — about the necessity of the party or inviting guests — were brushed aside. According to Aunt Anibella, all the nearest n

@akascrubber Time will tell. It definitely won’t be easy.😟 @RainbowPhoenixWI Yes, the appearance is pretty close to those Mogwai creatures, or maybe a miniature Yoda😄

I also felt that this kind of alternation between Darren’s and Danae’s POVs worked quite nicely in this chapter. In fact, they’ll both be narrators again in the next one. I wanted to start the book in a way that isn’t too dark, and without giving the villains the spotlight right away — even though they’ll show up later on. I deliberately saved Darren as a POV character until this late in the story. Deep down he’s quite a different person from the one he tries to present to others. He’s hard to read, and even his friends — maybe with the exception of Bartos — don’t really know how to interpret him.

@Seraph28 @chrstphrl @RainbowPhoenixWI Thank you for the comments. The side of light indeed needs helpers so that the Darkness can be defeated. This was a slightly different beginning for the book, since we didn’t meet familiar characters right away. But I’m glad you still liked it.😊 I can definitely see the parallel with the Ents heading to war, though the nocturnal being and his kind look about as un‑Ent-like as it gets 😄

The prologue and the first chapter of the fourth book are now out. Welcome back to continue reading.☺️

The Andiol Empire is torn apart by a merciless civil war. In the capital of Dimalos, old allies and unexpected companions navigate danger, betrayal, and brief moments of hope as blood runs through the streets. Choosing the wrong side can be fatal — especially when the enemy serves the Darkness. "Everything important happens in Dimalos," Ikarr Knobnose once said. So it is on a certain evening, when a mismatched group gathers in an abandoned industrial district, though not all will see dawn. Far in the north, Franz Landez gazes into the Mirror of Dreams, where a black tower rises beneath a blood red sky. Humanity is running out of time.

"War is the pinnacle of mankind's refinement, and the spirit of sacrifice is its fuel. When you go to war, spare no blood, for without sacrifice an army cannot crush its enemy. A victory won without wounds is a disgrace." - Maendrym Cors, 'On Warfare and Its Principles', printed in Dimalos in the year 1520 of the New Era "War is a horror. It is the praise of the cruelest and the death of the weak. Whoever bears the sword of the spirit hates war and finds in mercy the bloom of purple gr

Darren Somewhere in the Grand Duchy of Malkania The rails clattered steadily, the train whistle let out a lazy wail every now and then, and the Malkanian countryside streamed past. It made him drowsy — not in a bad way, though. When he stretched his neck, he could see through the window how the horizon was filling with downy clouds. Darren glanced at Danae, who was dozing beside him. You're like one of those clouds: pale and lovely on the outside, but when a bad day comes, nothing

Thank you very much for your help. I was quite silly not to realize that myself.😳 Adding a new story has always been a rather difficult for me, probably because I do it so rarely.

I tried to start adding a new story, but I can’t get past step 1. I can’t figure out what the issue is. Is there something wrong with the story title that prevents me from proceeding? Attached is a screenshot.

@Madii Good observations! Dreaders are parasites in the sense that they use humans to reproduce. It would indeed be quite unlikely for evolution to have shaped them in that direction. It’s more likely that by altering the genetic code, mutations enabling such an unnatural continuation of the species were created. However, the information about this has vanished into the murk of Oblivion.💀 The tower and the beast. The only thing I can say about it is…😉

@Madii Very interesting reflections.👍 I’ve thought about it like this: although the dreaders are immensely strong and dangerous, it’s still possible to kill them with ordinary weapons. The chemical compound invented by Jestok is also a tool that can be used against them. In some way, the people of the Oblivion era ultimately defeated them, and they were nothing more than ordinary humans. But this time the comet passes closer to Earth, and that makes the situation much worse, just as the seer said in the prophecy and as described in the letter Andreuz read. As I see it, Might is a kind of invisible current that some people are able to channel in different ways. This ability can be lost if a person pushes it too far, for example when fighting another user of Might. You could think of it as a kind of overexertion from which the body can no longer recover. However, such cases are very rare, and Jestok was probably more susceptible to this because he was so strong in Might. I could probably explain this better in Finnish, but I tried at least.😄

I don’t enjoy stories that are too dark either – or at least not the ones that end in utter tragedy. Even though unpleasant things happen in the world of my story, the upcoming books also contain gentle, joyful, and even romantic moments. And besides – from my own subjective point of view, books 4 and 5 are the best in the series. I hope you’ll keep following along.🙂 I haven’t yet decided when I’ll start publishing the next book. I’ll probably take a break for two, three, or four weeks.

Good question about what exactly Jestok managed to discover. When Chab called it useless, he meant that even if Jestok’s invention could help against the dreaders, it wouldn’t do anything against the beast in the tower. There will be at least five books. I can end the story after Book 5, because it wraps up naturally and brings a certain arc to a close. But it’s not the end of our heroes’ journey, so if there’s enough interest, Books 6 and 7 are definitely possible.🤔

Darren has absolutely no idea that he is meant to have a bigger role in this story.😄 But we’ll get to hear a lot more of his thoughts soon, since he becomes a POV character right at the beginning of Book 4.🙂 What Zal sensed in Darren (Book 2, chapter 27) wasn’t Might. This "touch of destiny" was something else—something Zal couldn’t understand. And he’d noticed that same “something” in Josel and Zdain as well. So based on what we know so far: those three boys are descendants of Brotherhood members—Josel (Vanna), Zdain (Cors), and Darren (Jestok).

It is pretty sad that Jestok learned so many things that would’ve helped Zal, but never got the chance to tell him. And honestly, Darren’s father probably would’ve grown into a much better person too, if Jestok had been part of his life.😢

Thank you for the comment.😊 You’re very much on the right track!🥇 This third book was, in many ways, quite dark, and in several moments it really seemed as if the Darkness would always prevail. The epilogue also ended on a sad note, but at the same time it offered a small glimmer of hope. The mutilated man, Chab, is an unexpected possibility with his immense Might. The fact that he isn’t actually on the side of the Darkness after all is a hint that not everything is lost. And as you said, Bartos is another hidden asset on the side of light.🤞 The boys’ roles in the story become clearer over the course of Book 4. This epilogue does indeed suggest that Darren, too, has his own part to play in the larger whole.