Exploring Character and Place in A Seared Sky #12

Okkyntalah:

This is the 12^th in a series on characters and places featured in Joinings: A Seared Sky. This background information isn’t covered in the book but will enhance the reading experience. For some of my people there are character drawings, supplied by Alice Taylor or myself, maybe a video interview, and accompanying script. I’ll do short pieces of fiction, deepening knowledge of certain minor characters as well.

For the places, I use sections of the map to indicate location or a sketch to illustrate the place, along with a description of the place, as I see it, and, where appropriate, links with characters. Sometimes, I indicate the way of life there with a short anecdote or story.

I don’t reveal any of the main story, either as already published or as written in the series, simply enhance readers’ enjoyment of the trilogy by providing more information. I hope this gives pleasure to those who’ve bought the book and, perhaps, persuades others to take that step.

Pronunciation hints:

Okkyntalah – ock-in-tar-lah

Tumalind – tum-a-lind

Names are pronounced phonetically. But this is my take on them; how I hear them in my head. You may pronounce them as you wish, of course; reading is, after all, active rather than passive.

An interview between the author and Okkyntalah, one of 3 male heroes in the tale:

A young man who grows through the story, but starts off as innocent and naïve, though intelligent, Okkyntalah is a buck looking forward to joining with his beloved Tumalind. A hunter by trade, and definitely an outdoorsman, he is well built, handsome, confident and brave.

SA:         Good day to you, Okkyntalah. I’m going to ask you a few questions.

Okkyntalah:       Ask away.

SA:         You’re a good-looking young man. Do you have any trouble with women?

Okkyntalah:       Thanks, but I don’t know what you mean. I’m a virgin buck. Waiting for the joining ceremony so I can become one with my betrothed, Tumalind.

SA:         Yes. But, in the meantime…well, a young man has certain needs?

Okkyntalah:       Oh, that sort of thing. I’m a Follower. You know what happens if we break the rules. I’m not risking violent punishment for a bit of fun. Anyway, I love Tumalind and she knows how to deal with those urges.

SA:         Tumalind’s very beautiful and much admired on the island. How did a young hunter like you manage to catch her?

Okkyntalah:       We’ve known each other all our lives. Fell in love cycles ago. Tumalind loves me; I didn’t have to ‘catch’ her. We have fun together. Want to be together, want to raise a family. What else is there, after all?

SA:         If I told you there are plans for you that involve adventure?

Okkyntalah:       Adventure? Sounds interesting, and fun. No one’s going to get hurt are they?

SA:         As to that, I’m not able to tell you. But you may be placed at risk.

Okkyntalah:       Risk? I hunt every day. If you’d ever hunted a terzet horn on your own with a spear and arrows, you’d know what risk means.

SA:         How about travel to other lands?

Okkyntalah:       As long as I have Tumalind, I’ll go wherever I’m needed. Just don’t let her be in danger. I won’t stand for that.

SA:         Sometimes a character must do things he doesn’t like, you know.

Okkyntalah:       What are you not telling me? I won’t have my Tumalind put at risk. I won’t! I’m having none of your adventures if she’s in any danger. Understand?

SA:         Well, Okkyntalah, it’s been interesting talking to you. We’ll just have to see what happens, won’t we?

Okkyntalah:       Hey! You can’t just go and leave me like that! I want to know….

SA:         Fun being the director, making your creations jump through the hoops. Not sure Okkyntalah would agree, though.

I wonder if it’s that sense of power over others that makes most leaders into absolute bastards?

Buying links for Joinings; A Seared Sky - 

Paperback, from Fantastic Books Publishing Store

Ebook or paperback from your local Amazon store.

Paperback, post free anywhere in the world, from Book Depository

Ebook via Ask David

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Exploring Character and Place in A Seared Sky #9

Chellyth:

Chellyth, as visualised by Alice Taylor

This is the 9^th in a series of pieces on characters and places featured in Joinings: A Seared Sky. This background information, isn’t covered in the book, but should enhance the reading experience. For some of my people, there’ll be a character drawing, supplied by Alice Taylor, maybe a video interview, and accompanying script. I may do short pieces of fiction, deepening knowledge of certain minor characters as well.

For the places, I may use sections of the map, to indicate location, along with a description of the place, as I see it, and, where appropriate, links with characters. Perhaps I’ll indicate the way of life there with a short anecdote or story. I won’t reveal any of the main story, either as already published or as written in the series, merely enhance readers’ enjoyment of the trilogy by providing more information. I hope this will give pleasure to those who’ve bought the book and, perhaps, persuade others to take that step.

Pronunciation hints:

Chellyth – chell-ith

Por-Kildu – paw-kill-do

Dagla Kaz – pronounced exactly as written.

Aklon-Dji – ak-lon-djy (think of the Dj sound in the name of tennis player, Djokovic

Muhnilahm – murn-ill-arm

Names are pronounced phonetically. But this is my take on them; how I hear them in my head. You may pronounce them as you wish, of course; reading is, after all, active rather than passive.

Chellyth is the female half of a pair who lead the rejects, criminals and so-called deviants imprisoned on The Point. I know some will balk at her lack of apparel, but, like all those who live in her community, she lacks the means to make clothing. She is 30ish, attractive, and a strong woman who exists in a very harsh environment. She has to be tough to survive. Here she talks to our Fantasy editor from Fantastic Books Publishing, where you can purchase the first book in the series: Joinings, A Seared Sky.

FE:         So, Chellyth, how do you fit into this fantastic story?

Chellyth:            Fit in? An interesting idea for the leader of a group of people rejected by the rest of society, don’t you think?

FE:         Rejected? In what way, and why?

Chellyth:            I don’t know your world. But here, on the island of Muhnilahm, everything’s ruled by a tyrant who holds the title of High Priest. Dagla Kaz is a cruel, intolerant, bigoted and basically dishonest man. You get on the wrong side of that bowelcreep and you’ve generally got two choices: an agonising death – he loves to invent ever more painful ways to kill people – or escape to The Point.

FE:         The Point?

Chellyth:            Por-Kildu, who’s my partner, and I, are known as ‘The One’. We rule on The Point and give sanctuary to those who either run away from the main part of the island or are brought here as a punishment by the High Priest’s gang of corrupt officials, the Holy Ones.  This place is effectively cut off from the rest of the island; a long narrow peninsula isolated by a huge scar that runs the width of the landward end of The Point. It’s more or less unscalable, except that Aklon Dji manages to get up and down it. He’s the High Priest’s son and a man we admire more than any other.

FE:         So, you live a segregated existence on this Point?

Chellyth:            Exist, yes. We’ve no choice. There’s no way down the steep cliffs, unless you want to kill yourself on the rocks below. And, as I said, only Aklon Dji seems to know how to ascend the scar onto the main island. We’ve no fabric for clothes here, the only water comes from a spring that dwells under the shadow of the small copse of trees on the low hill. The rest of the land is arid and parched; home to venomous snakes and carrion birds. We grow what little food we can on a small piece of land hard by our village.

FE:         Sounds a hard life, Chellyth.

Chellyth:            Hard? It’s all I’ve ever known. I was born here. Por-Kildu, he’s different. He was tortured by Dagla Kaz and then brought here to die. I restored him to health and we became lovers. But he describes life on the main island, telling tales of luxury and plenty. Yes. It’s a hard life.

FE:         If you’re governing a bunch of criminals, law-breakers and social outcasts, how do you keep control?

Chellyth:            Don’t make judgments about people you’ve never met. My people are fine. They’re victims of an unjust system. They’re not really criminals, except in the sense they’ve broken unreasonable laws.  It’s a harsh land and I have to employ harsh rules. Break the rules of my society and you’d better be prepared for a horrible death.

FE:         Doesn’t that make you as bad as Dagla Kaz?

Chellyth:            Fool! He has a choice, and he chooses to inflict pain and suffering for entertainment. Nothing to do with imposing his will or governing the people: he has the Holy Ones and an army for that. I have to keep control of people who have nothing. You can’t take anything away from them, except their lives. And some of them would welcome that, so I have to make it a difficult ending. It’s the only way to rule here, as you’d know if you’d ever lived in such a place.

FE:         Do you have dreams, hopes?

Chellyth:            Aklon Dji will save us all one day soon. He’ll overthrow his evil father and allow us back onto the main island. Then we can lead normal lives.

FE:         Sounds a bit unlikely.

Chellyth:            You think our hero can’t fulfil his promise to us? What do you know?

FE:         One man against all the High Priest’s forces? There’s a price on his head, isn’t there? Suppose they catch and kill him?

Chellyth:            I’ve nothing more to say to you. You delight in inflicting pain on a repressed people. Leave me be. Go! You’re no friend of mine.

FE:         A remarkable woman, but I get the feeling she’s delusional.  Mind you, if things are that hard, who can blame her for clinging to a dream?

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Exploring Character and Place in A Seared Sky #8

Character interview with Tryonta.

This is the 8^th in a series of pieces on characters and places featured in Joinings: A Seared Sky. This background information, isn’t covered in the book, but should enhance the reading experience. For some of my people, there’ll be a character drawing, supplied by Alice Taylor, maybe a video interview, and accompanying script. I may do short pieces of fiction, deepening knowledge of certain minor characters as well.

For the places, I may use sections of the map, to indicate location, along with a description of the place, as I see it, and, where appropriate, links with characters. Perhaps I’ll indicate the way of life there with a short anecdote or story. I won’t reveal any of the main story, either as already published or as written in the series, merely enhance readers’ enjoyment of the trilogy by providing more information. I hope this will give pleasure to those who’ve bought the book and, perhaps, persuade others to take that step.

Pronunciation hints:

Tryonta – try-on-ta

Dagla Kaz – pronounced exactly as written

Ytraa – eet-rah

Names are pronounced phonetically. But this is my take on them; how I hear them in my head. You may pronounce them as you wish, of course: reading is, after all, active rather than passive.

Tryonta is around 35. He’s a snake. Amoral and utterly self-centred. His voice holds the sinister charm of the man who knows how to manipulate others. Although his responses may appear terse, they’re spoken more with a superior questioning quality than with overt anger. Here he is interviewed by Fantastic Books Publishing’s Fantasy Editor.

FE:         Good morrow, Tryonta. I gather you’re a sort of aid to the High Priest?

Tryonta:            What of it?

FE:         Ah, I merely want to get your view of your position and your feelings about the…

Tryonta:            Feelings are for fools. My position is that of guardian, helper and informer for the most important man in the land.

FE:         What sort of things do you do to…help Dagla Kaz?

Tryonta:            You don’t look like a fool. Does a trusted deputy discuss his duties with all and sundry? No. I don’t wish to appear obstructive, but you must understand the delicacy of my position.

FE:         Let’s try a different tack. What are you feelings…thoughts about your religion?

Tryonta:            What is there to think about? We are Followers. We obey the will and the regulations set out by our High Priest. We do our duty. Those who fail to obey are dealt with according to the law. Such fools deserve the pain and humiliation they suffer for their failure to do as they are required. What more is there to say?

FE:         Do you have personal pleasures you’d like to share with us?

Tryonta:            A good meal, served with good drink. A compliant partner for joining; preferably someone who understands rank and status. A well-made tabard, of silk and decorated with suitable designs.

FE:         You enjoy joining with a willing woman, then?

Tryonta:            What man does not enjoy the pleasure to be had with a compliant partner?

FE:         How do you view the High Priest?

Tryonta:            You choose your words with care; that’s good. The High Priest is my commander, my provider; dare I say, my friend? But I am also his protector and his most trusted aid. We form a team, in which he plays the part of the leader, of course, since he is blessed by Ytraa, and in which I play the role of reliable and unquestioning assistant.

FE:         And, if Dagla Kaz were to ask you to do something, shall we say, not quite within the law?

Tryonta:            A foolish question, if you will forgive my bluntness. Dagla Kaz is the chosen of Ytraa. It is impossible for him to act outside the law, since he is the law. You understand?

FE:         I believe I do. Thank you for your time, Tryonta. Most enlightening.

Tryonta:            Really? And I thought I had been so circumspect in my answers. If you believe yourself enlightened, I can only assume you’re a better questioner than I imagined, or, perhaps, not honest enough with yourself to understand the true nature of our exchange.

FE:         Perhaps. Honesty and truth, however…

More to follow.

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Exploring Character and Place in A Seared Sky #7

Dilanthas

This is the 7^th in a series of pieces on characters and places featured in Joinings: A Seared Sky. This background information, isn’t covered in the book, but should enhance the reading experience. For some of my people, there’ll be a character drawing, supplied by Alice Taylor, maybe a video interview, and accompanying script. I may do short pieces of fiction, deepening knowledge of certain minor characters as well.

For the places, I may use sections of the map, to indicate location, along with a description of the place, as I see it, and, where appropriate, links with characters. Perhaps I’ll indicate the way of life there with a short anecdote or story. I won’t reveal any of the main story, either as already published or as written in the series, merely enhance readers’ enjoyment of the trilogy by providing more information. I hope this will give pleasure to those who’ve bought the book and, perhaps, persuade others to take that step.

Pronunciation hints:

Dilanthas – di-lan-thass

Krohtl – krow-tul

Muhnilahm – mew-nee-larm

Ytraa – eet-rah

Names are pronounced phonetically. But this is my take on them; how I hear them in my head. You may pronounce them as you wish, of course; reading is, after all, active rather than passive.

Dilanthas, from Krohtl, Muhnilahm, is a shy girl Chosen to go on the pilgrimage as a Virgin Gift. Here is a short piece about her initiation into womanhood.

All her life, Dilanthas had lived under Ytraa’s Peak, rising tall and dark to the southwest of her home. Her father urged the whole family to make their prayers at the back of the house, so they could see the craggy mountain before and after their acts of worship.

Tomorrow, she must make the journey up to the Plain of Ytraa, surrounding the high peak, and spend a whole sixday with other girls her age. Under strict instruction by the Holy Ones, she’d learn discipline and devotion, earning hard smacks for every failure to do exactly as they demanded.

It wasn’t the prospect of punishment she most feared, though she was certain she wouldn’t pass the sixday without pain and humiliation; it was the way she must leave the town. To walk the entire length of the main road and allow all to see the butterfly tattoo adorning her left breast and, worse, the hummingbird pointing its long sharp beak at the very centre of her womanhood. These were things only her betrothed and Ytraa should see and this exposure was what she most dreaded. After all, naked was sacred.

‘You’ll no be on yer own, lass.’ Her father’s words were intended to hold comfort.

She wanted to make him proud, make that walk with head held high and her whole body declaring her love of Ytraa. Shyness and modesty warred with her desire to do her best for her family and her beloved, as she made her way to the ceremony that would end her life as a daughter and announce her readiness to join and become a wife.

‘All t’other girls your age ‘ave to do same, Dilanthas. Me an’ your father did it when we was gettin’ ready to marry. Think on your pride as a Follower an’ go to yon Peak like our founder did all those ‘undreds of cycles ago.’ Her mother’s words were encouraging; she seemed happy with her life, and she and Father got on well.

It was true that Dilanthas looked forward to the ceremony that would come a few sixdays later. She and her betrothed would take the same route together, leading their families to the Plain of Ytraa, there to join before Ytraa and become as one.

She’d talked with the other girls, of course. They’d be fourteen in total. One by one they’d leave town and head into the hills. They were supposed to go to the Peak alone, but most intended to wait on the edge of the olive grove above the river and travel together.

Dilanthas would be sixth to leave and she’d vowed to follow the rules and make her way on her own. But she’d have to pass the place where they were due to collect and she wondered if she’d have the courage to leave them behind. There’d be safety in numbers. Should they pass an isolated farm, or come upon travellers, she’d be one of a group rather than a girl alone.

She could see the attraction of their intended disobedience. But would she be bad, or would she do as she’d been told, and make a solitary journey? It was considered part of the test.

For now, evening prayers were over and she’d had her last meal with them. Mother had prepared Father’s freshly caught fish with wine, something they rarely had in the house, and the tangy flavour lingered in her mouth. She’d placed her few needs in the rush bag she’d hang from her shoulders at her back. Now, all she needed was a good night’s sleep to be ready for the morning.

The family would take the short walk to the beach. There she’d remove her tabard and present it to her father as a sign of her independence. She’d step into the sea until her whole body was submerged. Then she’d turn and walk past the townspeople to the initiation on the Plain, following the tradition set by the first Follower, as he set out to explore their new home on this island. If she kept that thought in her mind, she might get through the ordeal with less anxiety. She might even feel the pride and joy her father expected her to show.

And, of course, her betrothed would be there, watching. On her return, he’d make the same trip, with the other bucks of his age, and she’d watch them. That was something to look forward to, after all.

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