This is an interesting set of chapters. In both cases, we have some very strong emotions (anger in Sand and Blood and fear in Flight of the Scions). How the individual character respond to them, however, is a much different story.

Sand and Blood 23: One Mistake

One of the questions I ask myself about characters with powers is how they use them when they aren't fighting. In this case, what does a girl who can run hundreds of miles an hour do when she is anxious? Well, there is a lot of short, unsatisfying sprints from one side of the camp to the other. But, when you can run so fast, a small camp isn't enough time to really enjoy the rapture of running at high speed for any length of time.

This chapter leads to the two events that will completely haunt Rutejimo in the next book. The next two chapters are also my favorite chapters of this book, mainly because they strip Rutejìmo down to his base insecurities and fears and show how he confronts them.

Read Sand and Blood 23: One Mistake at https://fedran.com/sand-and-blood/chapter-23/.

Flight of the Scions 28: Blindspot

With this weeks' chapter of Flight of the Scions, our final antagonist gets a little bit of screen time. Originally, Damagar was supposed to be a western-style dragon, completely with wings and flame breath. Of course, that is back when we had Sinmak, Cobin, Damagar, and immortal elemental ogre, and a clay monkey all going against Kanéko and her friends. Over the years and iterations of this novel, I've slowly dropped one and then the other until we only have Sinmak and Damagar left. Cobin is in this story, but only tangentially since he is actually Gareo's nemesis.

I originally wrote this novel for a friend who wanted a story she could tell her other friends about. It ended up not working, mainly because she didn't like Ruben's (he was called Dyfan then) bear shape-shifting plot. Her sister really didn't like the idea that I would kill a dragon. Since I was still trying to please both of them, I swapped out the dragon for a giant toad.

The toad is actually from one of my Dungeons and Dragons game. We were just starting third edition and one of the players was looking at the mages. “Oh, toads give you +2 CON.”

Now, most of you don't know me, but making an announcement that you are picking something purely for the mechanical benefits is just asking for trouble. Actually, giving me a NPC to play with is asking for trouble, but this was worse. I had a lot of fun with Parks (named after Ray Park who played Toad in the X-Men movie). Beyond giving him a foot fetish, he ended up taking on a spirit of a dragon, becoming an eighty foot toad, and briefly was a god. There was destruction, laughter, and a lot of tears when he finally died.

Sometimes, the journey I got to writing this novel was almost an adventure in itself.

Read Flight of the Scions 28: Blindspot https://fedran.com/flight-of-the-scions/chapter-28/ (subscribers)

Patrons

More so in the near future than the past, my writing is supported by patrons and donations. Releasing the books as Creative Commons means you can read it before you buy it. If you like it, then consider donating money or subscribing to have access to all my drafts and published novels.

Forum

I've set up a little forum at http://discuss.moonfire.us/. Mostly I did it for last week's question for patrons about what I should work on next. I have three of them at the moment but only one through Patreon so I can't ask there.

Related to that, if you have questions, please ask them.