• About – 2.0
    • About 2.0
    • BooknVolume
    • BnV?
    • Who Is She?
    • Contact Me
  • Copyright Notice & Information
  • Dark Fey Trilogy
    • Dark Fey The Reviled- Pinnacle Chapter
    • Dark Fey Interview
    • Dark Fey, Jyndari Summerfest
    • Dark Fey, Review and 2nd Interview
    • An Insightful Review
    • Dark Fey: Standing in Shadows – A Night at the Temple
    • Dark Fey, Standing in Shadows – The Uunglarda
    • A Word About Fey Words – Celebrae
    • A Word About Fey Words – Dlalth
    • Lebanon Daily News Interview
  • Guest Blog on BnV
  • Translate BnV
  • Write With Me

Booknvolume

~ For the Love of Words, Laughter, Inspiration (and the odd sexy split infinitive.)

Booknvolume

Tag Archives: Darkness and Light

#GuestBlogger #CharacterInteractions #Spotlight on Jacky Dahlhaus

24 Saturday Jun 2017

Posted by Morgan in Guest Bloggers on BnV

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

BnV, BooknVolume, Character Spotlight, Darkness and Light, Immortals, Meet My Character, Supporting Indie Authors, Vampires, ~Morgan~

Hi there,

My name is Jacky Dahlhaus and I live in the beautiful countryside of north-eastern Scotland. I was born in Australia and have lived in The Netherlands, England, and France before I called Scotland home. I love the change of seasons here, although I still don’t experience white Christmases.

I began writing in 2015. I dreamed about a girl bumping into a vampire and falling instantly in love. I told my dream to my children and they told me to write it down. I then didn’t leave my computer for a fortnight and wrote 55.000 words! ‘Living Like A Vampire’ is my first new adult novel, which was soon followed by ‘Raising A Vampire’ (which is under revision at the moment, but due to being republished in August). I decided to make it a trilogy, the Suckers Trilogy, and the third book, ‘Killing A Vampire,’ will be written soon. I hope to have it ready by Christmas. All three stories are set in Maine, US. I just love the countryside there and would love to visit it one day.

Morgan invited me to write a short story about characters of my books meeting up in a different setting. Although my books are the story of Kate, a young science teacher who gets wrapped up in an outbreak of a virus that makes people have vampire-like habits (and are hence called ‘suckers’), I chose to write my story about two supporting characters, Charlie and Sasha.

Charlie (who happens to be the spitting image of Peter Dinklage, aka Tyrion from Game of Thrones) used to be a silversmith before re-schooling to become an Arts teacher (that’s how he met Kate). In book 1, Sasha is introduced when she’s already a sucker, but before that she was a fashion model, trying to escape her past and suppressors. In this short story, Charlie meets Sasha at a fair before the virus outbreak, not knowing who the other person is and how much effect they will have on each other’s futures.

If you like to get to know what happens to Charlie and Sasha after the virus outbreak, you are invited to sign up for my newsletter at Jacky’s Website.

Charlie meets Sasha for the first time

Charlie climbed on his chair and faced the crowd. His dwarf-legs dangled behind the market stall’s black velvet tablecloth. He had just finished laying out his silver jewelry and waited for the people to come and inspect his handy work. And hopefully, buy some.

The morning was very slow. The rain helped little to tempt people to attend the open-air fair. By lunchtime though, the sun had come out and the number of fair-goers had grown. There was now an even stream of people passing the stalls. Charlie even had had some customers. The money he had earned so far would at least pay for the stall. Anything he sold from now on would mean he could buy himself dinner.

“Pjotr, look! Come have a look at this jewelry,” said a voice with a thick Russian accent.

Charlie turned to see who the voice belonged to and saw a tall, slim figure. The hair was dark and short, the face flawless. He couldn’t tell whether it was a man or a woman. There was no make-up, no curved chest to see through the long, black jacket, and the voice also didn’t give anything away toward the sex of the figure. It mystified Charlie and he couldn’t keep his eyes from the face. It wasn’t a particularly pretty face, yet it had something that caught your attention he couldn’t put his finger on.

“This is beautiful stuff!” the person exclaimed, eyeing Charlie’s rings, earrings, necklaces, and belly button studs which were aesthetically displayed on his table.

Charlie thought the voice too low to be female yet the facial features too feminine to be male.

The man called Pjotr, who was tall, heavy-set, and wore a thick overcoat, followed the tall figure. They both elbowed their way to the center of the stall, but instead of looking at Charlie’s jewelry, Pjotr kept his body turned sideways and looked around into the crowd. He gave the impression he was trying to find someone, he was on the lookout for danger, or he’d rather be somewhere else. Charlie couldn’t make up his mind which one of the three it was.

“Pjotr, just look. I’ve got to try some of these on.”

The figure took three necklaces from the table. As Pjotr turned his head to look at the necklaces, Charlie saw a tattoo of a spider’s web sticking out from the man’s collar. A spider was trying to walk off the web into the man’s ear. Charlie now looked eagle-eyed at the two of them for any signs they were going to run off with his goods. You just never knew with customers these days. When Pjotr helped to put one of the necklaces around the figure’s neck, Charlie threw a quick glance sideways to the woman manning the stall next to him, pointing two fingers to the floor with his hand close to his side. The longhaired woman, Sylvia, sold leather ware and was a friend of Charlie. They often met at fairs selling their wares and, as they got along well, often organized to have their stalls next to each other. They would cover the other’s stall when the other had to go get lunch, use the toilet, or chase thieves. Sylvia nodded almost imperceptibly at Charlie.

“Do you have a mirror?” the figure asked.

“Sure,” said Charlie, and pointed at the hand mirror lying at the far corner of the table. The figure leaned over in front of other customers and grabbed the mirror. The arm stretching out from the sleeve was thin, almost underfed, and had dark, circular scars.

The figure admired the mirror image. “This would go well with the Fiorucci dress, don’t you think?” she said.

Charlie had figured it out. She was a fashion model. Hence the skinniness and the vague signs of femininity. He wondered who gave her the cigarette burns and how she covered them up during a show. The woman held the other ones up to admire in the mirror as well.

Charlie studied Pjotr for his reaction to the woman’s cries of ecstasy about the necklaces.The man didn’t seem to care less.

“You have a cigarette?” Charlie asked Pjotr.

The large man looked down upon the small man behind the table. Charlie didn’t waver his stare into the cold eyes of Pjotr.

“Sure do,” Pjotr said after a while and produced a packet of cigarettes from the inside pocket of his coat. Charlie wasn’t surprised Pjotr also had a thick Russian accent. He also didn’t fail to notice the holster stuck under the man’s armpit. “You need a light?” Pjotr asked.

“No, thanks,” Charlie said as he pocketed the cigarette.

“You’re not going to light it?” Pjotr asked with raised, heavy eyebrows.

Charlie patted his pocket. “Not in the presence of a customer,” he answered.

Pjotr shrugged and turned around again, as uninterested in the whole scene as before.

Charlie turned his attention back to the woman. “Which one are you going to buy?”

“I don’t know, they’re all so pretty,” she said. “I can’t make up my mind.”

Charlie smelled opportunity now. “I’ll tell you what,” he said. “You can have all three for the price of two.” He smiled an extra wide smile. ‘Better a small profit than no profit at all,’ he thought.

Charlie’s smile had been genuine. He felt sorry for the woman. She was being treated very badly by somebody. He wanted to show her that not all men were animals.

“Are you sure? That is wonderful! Thank you so very much!” the woman said. There was a smile on her face that not quite reached her eyes. She grabbed Pjotr’s hand and almost threw the two necklaces in it. “Pay him,” she said and walked off.

Without further ado, Pjotr took a wallet from his inside pocket and paid Charlie for the necklaces.

Charlie’s mouth had dropped open and was still open as he watched Pjotr follow the woman like a dog. How could he have been so wrong? He closed his mouth, squinted his eyes, and thought of another scenario. One that was much worse. He took out the cigarette from his pocket and crushed it. He let the remains fall on the ground and wiped his hand clean on his trousers. He had never smoked and wasn’t going to start now. ‘At least there’s one cigarette less to torture you with on command of your master,’ Charlie thought as he saw the woman disappear into the crowd.

.

I hope you enjoyed reading that. To find out more about me and/or my writing, you can follow my activities on my website JackyDahlhaus.com or on my Amazon Author page .

If you would like to be notified when my next book is published or to be the first to hear about special giveaways, please subscribe to my newsletter Suckers Trilogy (if you click on the following link:  you get to the form). I won’t send you any spam or anything other than news about my books. Thanks for your interest and I hope you have a nice day!

Jacky Dahlhaus

 

Share this:

  • Pinterest
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Reddit
  • Tumblr
  • Email
  • StumbleUpon
  • More
  • Pocket

Like this:

Like Loading...

#FridayFantasy – #CharacterInteractions- When Fey and Eternals Collide – Finale

19 Friday May 2017

Posted by Morgan in Dark Fey, Friday FeyDay / Fantasy

≈ 7 Comments

Tags

BnV, BooknVolume, Character Spotlight, Darkness and Light, Fantasy, Fantasy Characters, Fey Folk, Immortals, Supporting Indie Authors, Vampires, ~Morgan~

moonlight17

.

Part One

Part Two

Part Three

.

His thoughts filled with violence as the frenzy of bloodlust took hold of the Eternal and, when he bared his teeth at the Fey, Gairynzvl understood clearly just what purpose his glinting fangs served.  Rather than back away in fear, however; he flexed his powerful wings with equal aggression and delved deeper, listening to the thoughts that filled Jean’s mind even as he rushed forward and grasped the Fey by his neck.  Glaring back at the Eternal with every measure of composure he could manage, Gairynzvl took Jean by both arms with an iron-like clasp and beat his wings forcefully.  Rising up from the ground at a daunting rate of speed was unexpected enough to redirect his attention and Jean paused to look down at the receding rooftop with an evident combination of astonishment and respect for the Fey’s countermove.

“Kill me and you may not live to regret it.”  Gairynzvl hissed viperously as they ascended, continuing hastily before his quick-witted adversary had time to interject some acerbic reply.  “But before you rip my throat out, will you allow me to pose one final question?”   Jean’s black eyes locked with lavender-ice and he growled ferociously in return.

“It’s not like I have a lot of choice.”  The Fey smiled with vexing charm, halting their upward climb and turning them in a slow circle before beginning to descend.  Jean could not silence himself.

“If you wanted to dance, I could have asked the orchestra to play some Strauss.”  Thirty feet from the rooftop, Gairynzvl inclined his head with exaggerated courtesy and let go of Jean’s arms.  He plummeted to the ground amid the fluttering black of his coat, looking every bit the dark raven he was, and landed with surprising agility, neither falling nor staggering.  Regaining his orientation, he glared viciously upward at the descending Fey, the red mists rushing over him, but Jean could not stop himself from laughing.  Alighting several feet from the unpredictable Eternal, Gairynzvl watched his amusement cautiously, probing further into his thoughts in spite of polite decorum.

“If your existence here is as abhorrent to you as you claim, what have you to lose? The Light of Jyndari may not be fatal to you.”  Recovering from his atypical display of mirth, Jean drew a deep breath and stalked closer.

“Light is light and I don’t fancy incinerating myself on a whim.”  Gairynzvl shook his head.

“That is like saying blood is blood, but even now I can hear you debating whether or not my blood will satisfy you.”  The revelation that he could read his thoughts rekindled the flame of his anger, causing the Eternal to move within inches of the brazen Fey with another growl.

“And just how might you know what I am debating?”

“We all have our gifts.”

“You may not want to read my mind.  It just might make me angry.”  Gairynzvl smirked with understanding; for the moment they enjoyed a truce and it was all he required.

“I do not know much about your realm, but you do.  You know enough, at least, to wonder if my blood will satisfy you as a human’s might, which is vastly different than pigs blood or that of the wolf.  I only suggest that Light is no different.  Your body knows only the light of your realm; the Light of Jyndari is an unrecognized source of energy and may not be lethal.”  Jean could not dispute the Fey’s logic, but sneered all the same.

“Yet if it is, I will not live long enough to say I told you so.”

“As I am not from this place, my blood may be equally as deadly; yet it is a risk you seem eager to take.”  Considering the Fey’s argument pensively, his silence provided Gairynzvl a final opportunity, not only to save his own life, but to perhaps change the Eternals as well.

“If you are able to cross and stand beneath the radiance of our Light, will it not give you what you seek most; to breathe life and liberty without the compulsion for violence that you claim to detest?  To gain some measure of purpose through the freedom of choice to live as you wish, rather than as you are forced?”  The intensity of Jean’s glare pierced the Fey. He was certain he was right, but everything he knew was violence.  How would he change that?  It was a question he did not need to ask.

“I once lived a life of violence much as you do, but the Light of Jyndari changed me, allowed me to Prevail over the darkness and find a purpose for my life.  It can do the same for you.”

“Is having a purpose so important?”

“You seem to believe so.”  Jeans glare darkened.

“I asked you not to do that.”  Once again, the Fey smiled with annoying charisma.  Turning to gesture at the slowly undulating darkness of the portal, he questioned without speaking; yet Jean knew precisely what he was not saying.  Looking round him at the garish glamour of the Rhineland and his, as yet, unconscious sometimes-friend, he took a hesitant step forward.  If the Fey was right, then what he offered was as irresistible to the Eternal as blood itself, but the realization sent a myriad other questions tumbling through his mind. What would he do in this new realm and what would he consume if their blood was poisonous?

Gairynzvl reached outward toward the portal and spoke the dark words of Dlalth required to reverse its path, turning back to gaze at Jean with a wry smile even as he indicated that he should step through its dark surface.

“All very good questions, but you have time to debate them later.”  Stopping beside the Fey, the dark raven reached out and laid his hand on his throat.

“If I have time to debate them, I may also have time for lunch.”

The portal opened, darkness pulling on darkness and Jean could not keep his feet from moving forward into the spiraling blackness.  Letting go of the Fey, he stepped inward, hesitation and uncertainty filling every fiber of his being, but there was no turning back and what did he have, after all, to turn back for?  The slurking pitch was utterly disorientating, but, in spite of not knowing which way was up or back, he took another step and felt the unexpected plush of undergrowth beneath his boots.

Light poured into the portal with terrifying velocity and the Eternal, born to death and darkness, stepped out into a brilliant glimmering of sunlight, which streamed through emeraldine branches.  Warmth surrounded him for the first time in his life and the unexpected sensation made him squeeze his eyes closed in horror, certain it was the beginning of the end for him, but nothing happened.  Birdsong filled the air more sweet than any concerto or symphony he had ever heard and the blush of the Light of Jyndari made him sigh profoundly.  The rush of red mists that ever swirled in the depths of his being began to dissipate and the gnawing hunger he had always known was inexplicably quelled.  Opening his eyes, he stared upward at the green canopy of a forest so beautiful he could not combat the tears that sprang from somewhere deep within him.  Turning, he watched Gairynzvl step out of the portal, an insolent smirk upon his face, but the rush of anger he had always fought no longer compelled him to violence.  Still, he had not changed all that much.

“You don’t live in these trees do you?”  Gairynzvl pretended to laugh with marked sarcasm and pointed into the distance where the Eternal, whose vision remained as remarkable as ever, could see a village with clusters of quaint cottages and buildings nestled into the woodland.

“Lunch is at the tavern.”

.

~A Collaboration by Morgan and Richard M. Ankers. Richard’s contributions are highlighted for you in italics to set his writing apart from my own.  We hope you will enjoyed this collaboration and debut of Character Interactions.

If you find the notion intriguing and would like to set your own characters in some new and entirely different situation, drop me a line or a comment to discuss the possibilities 🙂

Share this:

  • Pinterest
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Reddit
  • Tumblr
  • Email
  • StumbleUpon
  • More
  • Pocket

Like this:

Like Loading...

#FridayFantasy – #CharacterInteractions- When Fey and Eternals Collide – Part Three

19 Friday May 2017

Posted by Morgan in Dark Fey, Friday FeyDay / Fantasy

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

BnV, BooknVolume, Character Spotlight, Darkness and Light, Fantasy, Fantasy Characters, Fey Folk, Immortals, Supporting Indie Authors, Vampires, ~Morgan~

moonlight17

.

Part One

Part Two

“Purpose! I have no purpose, unless it is killing time in awaiting the end? Being alone?

            “You’ll always have me,” whimpered the man on the floor. “Always.” Jean silenced him with a kick.

            “Must you feel the need to demonstrate your superiority in such ways?” Gairynzvl had never once looked away, his stare continuing to break down any barriers between the two.

            Jean sighed, as the Fey shook his imposing wings and cracked his neck.

            “All I wish for is peace and quiet. Unfortunately, violence is often the only way to secure it. Especially where Sir Walter Merryweather is concerned,” Jean added.

            Gairynzvl glanced at the comatose form on the rooftop, then back to Jean. He appraised the brooding form before him and struck upon a revelation. “You do not desire death; you feel it imposed upon you.”

            “Perhaps.”

            “And you brood in the darkness because you cannot smile in the light. I do not know your kind completely, not yet, but I sense this true.”

            “You see much, winged one.”

            “I prefer Gairynzvl.”

            “We all prefer something.”

            Gairynzvl took a long, deep breath, eyes narrowing, and sniffed. “If light is all you wish for, then it is a gift I may bestow.”

            “What?”           

            “I am Fey, and as such may open portals to worlds other than your own, as you have borne witness to. I can give you light, Jean. And I will if you wish it.”

            “I could not stand before it.”

            “Not all light is the same.”

            The raven of a man staggered backwards. If he had sought to impose himself upon the Fey in a brash display of strength, his actions dismissed that persona. Gairynzvl had offered him the one thing that nobody else ever had or could. Yet Jean remained Eternal, descended of the vampires of old, and the promise of that which he imagined a lie tore at him. The Eternal grew troubled, the red mists falling, clouding his vision, his judgment, his sanity.

            Gairynzvl readied himself.

.

~A Collaboration by Morgan and Richard M. Ankers. Richard’s contributions are highlighted for you in italics to set his writing apart from my own.  We hope you will enjoy this collaboration and debut of Character Interactions.  Be sure to stop back for the finale tomorrow 🙂

Save

Share this:

  • Pinterest
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Reddit
  • Tumblr
  • Email
  • StumbleUpon
  • More
  • Pocket

Like this:

Like Loading...

#FridayFantasy – #CharacterInteractions- When Fey and Eternals Collide – Part Two

19 Friday May 2017

Posted by Morgan in Dark Fey, Friday FeyDay / Fantasy

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

BnV, BooknVolume, Character Spotlight, Darkness and Light, Fantasy, Fantasy Characters, Fey Folk, Immortals, Supporting Indie Authors, Vampires, ~Morgan~

moonlight17

.

Part One

Gairynzvl did not need to be empathic to understand the man facing him was dangerous and he did not need to delve telepathically to know that one wrong word or movement on his part and he could be facing oblivion.  It was not a prospect he fancied, so when his lavender-ice stare met the brooding black glare of the stranger’s he lowered his expansive wings in an instinctual indication of deference.  The man bore no weapon, but upon closer examination, he realized the dark raven needed none.  Glinting from his sardonic grin, twin fangs as foreboding as any wolves warned the Fey of his lethal capacity; thus he stood silently to choose his words wisely before speaking.

“It was not my purpose to cross to wherever this is,” he offered as diplomatically as he might contrive to sound, glancing round him with undeniable curiosity; “any more than it is my intention to interrupt you.”

            “It would only have been an interruption if he’d got away.”

            Gairynzvl grinned at that, a swift gesture that drew a matching response. “My name is Gairynzvl,” said the Fey offering his hand. “Might I ask where I am?”

            “Jean,” replied the man in black, dropping his victim to the graveled rooftop. “And I often ask myself that very same thing.”

            The brooding fellow stalked forward, threw his coattails to one side and took the Fey’s hand. Their handshake was swift, but genuine.

            The place was not unpleasant, but neither did it overly appeal. Gairynzvl’s eyes swept the night allowing Jean the freedom to appraise him. Though his wings were distinctly peculiar, his powerful physique suggested, if put to it, he would be a formidable opponent.

            “Why does the water run red?” the Fey inquired, his feathers rustling in the breeze.

            “Because it’s blood.”

            “Blood, you say. Hm, this is indeed a strange and wonderful place.”

            “If by strange and wonderful, you mean bordering on dead, then yes.”

            “First impressions would suggest this a world not bordering on death but of death, albeit a luxurious one.”

            “You should never read too much into first impressions, otherwise I’d be offering you bird seed.”

            Gairynzvl did not rise to the bait; Jean’s smirk suggested he was impressed.

            The two stood together in silent contemplation, gazing out across the Rhineland as though friends for centuries. But Jean could no more hide his bitterness towards life from Gairynzvl than he could the moon from the sky; such were the Fey’s gifts. Hence, the advantage lay with the newcomer.

Twisting round to gaze at the man who lay unconscious where Jean had dropped him, the Fey could not silence the query that escaped him in a markedly sarcastic tone.

“Friend of yours?”

“On occasion.”  Jean’s terse reply warned him to go no further down that path.  Scoffing with a grin, Gairynzvl returned the banter of the raven glaring at him speculatively.

“Then, although I may not be here long, I shall endeavor to not make you my friend.”

“That would be wise.” The blunt honesty of his deprecating remark mirrored the flood of anger and resentment that rushed from Jean so forcefully the insightful Fey could scarce defend himself from it.  The sensation was one the former Legionnaire was all too familiar with and he frowned upon recognizing the other’s pain, but knew better than to remark on it unless he wished to learn, first hand, just what function his fangs performed.

“Where are you going?”

“The Uunglarda.”  Jean shook his head.

“Never heard of it. Beyond the borders of New Europa, is it?”  Gairynzvl shook his head, gesturing at the darkness from which he had stepped and Jean noticed, for the first time, how in that spot the shadows wavered and warped like the despoiled waters of the Danube below.

“Beyond this realm, although it, too, is a place of darkness and death, unlike my own realm of Light, life and purpose.”  Jean sneered.

“Something some of us will never know.”  Gairynzvl’s lavender-ice stare captured Jean’s, piercing him to his core.

“Your lifeforce is certainly unusual, but it is as potent as my own and I suspect your purpose is no different.”

.

~A Collaboration by Morgan and Richard M. Ankers. Richard’s contributions are highlighted for you in italics to set his writing apart from my own.  We hope you will enjoy this collaboration and debut of Character Interactions.  Be sure to stop back / watch for upcoming installments.

Save

Save

Save

Save

Share this:

  • Pinterest
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Reddit
  • Tumblr
  • Email
  • StumbleUpon
  • More
  • Pocket

Like this:

Like Loading...

#FridayFantasy – When Fey & Eternals Collide – Part One – #CharacterSketch

19 Friday May 2017

Posted by Morgan in Dark Fey, Friday FeyDay / Fantasy

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

BnV, BooknVolume, Character Spotlight, Darkness and Light, Dystopian, Epic Fantasy, Fantasy, Fantasy Characters, Fantasy Preview, Fey Folk, Immortals, Vampires, ~Morgan~

moonlight17.

Welcome to the debut of Character Interactions!  In this first installment, you will find a unique interaction between Richard M. Anker’s lead character, the Eternal Lord, Jean and the lead character of my own Dark Fey Trilogy, Prevailed Fey of the Light, Gairynzvl.  Richard’s contributions are highlighted for you in italics to set his writing apart from my own.  We hope you will enjoy this collaboration and debut of Character Interactions.  Be sure to stop back / watch for upcoming installments.

.

Opening portals into other realms was just one of Gairynzvl’s many gifts.  As a Fey of the Light he was born telepathic as well as partially empathic, which allowed him to read the thoughts of another without difficulty. He could also sense the stronger emotions of others, though he had been taught from a young age not to delve without permission. During the years he spent among the Reviled, he had also been taught the unique skill of opening portals; which the Dlalth exploited to their own dark purposes; yet it was a gift he was thankful for, nevertheless.

Standing before the mirror he intended to utilize to pass into that dark realm, he stretched out his hands and spoke the incantation to prepare the glass for crossing; the guttural Dlalth words he spoke causing the reflective pane to ripple like the waters of a disturbed pond.  His deep voice pressed into its surface, penetrating the darkly silver abyss, opening it into the beyond, and the shadows that swirled and heavy darkness that reached through the void pulled at him, compelling him inward.  Grasping the sword he wore sheathed at his side and folding his expansive wings tightly, he stepped forward into the slurking emptiness, pushing his way through the murky nothingness of the portal outward into the waiting domain on the other side, but it was a domain he could never have anticipated.

The darkness, tinged with the silver of an unrecognized moon, illuminated a rooftop, one Gairynzvl teetered on, in full view of a river awash in dark crimson. This was not the world the Fey intended, a different night, a different place, but, still, it intrigued. He flexed his wings, their beating stirring up an overbearing pomade of some strange flower, both unknown and unwanted. There appeared to be music playing from down below and a casual glance over a steep drop revealed the flickering light of myriad candles, an overly bright accompaniment to the internal merriment. All very strange. All very new. 

Gairyznvl prepared to make the leap to a broad balcony below, when distracted by a grunt and the crunching as of gravel to his back, he paused. With a curse of frustration at having been the observed and not the observer, the Fey spun about-face. There before him locked in a one-sided struggle were two men. One, a dark raven of a man, appeared to be throttling the life out of a rather gaudily attired other, who hung from the first’s grip, his shock of messy blond hair waggling back and forth across his face. The throttled man, seeing Gairyznvl, attempted a cheery wave before an involuntary last shake silenced him, possibly for good, and the man in black turned to face his witness. The fire in his eyes suggested he was not best pleased. He was not best pleased at all.

.

~A Collaboration by Morgan and Richard M. Ankers.

Save

Share this:

  • Pinterest
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Reddit
  • Tumblr
  • Email
  • StumbleUpon
  • More
  • Pocket

Like this:

Like Loading...

#CharacterInteractions- When Fey and Eternals Collide – Finale

09 Tuesday Aug 2016

Posted by Morgan in Authors Books Reviews & Interviews, Collaborations

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

BnV, BooknVolume, Character Spotlight, Darkness and Light, Fantasy, Fantasy Characters, Fey Folk, Immortals, Supporting Indie Authors, Vampires, ~Morgan~

moonlight17

.

Part One

Part Two

Part Three

.

His thoughts filled with violence as the frenzy of bloodlust took hold of the Eternal and, when he bared his teeth at the Fey, Gairynzvl understood clearly just what purpose his glinting fangs served.  Rather than back away in fear, however; he flexed his powerful wings with equal aggression and delved deeper, listening to the thoughts that filled Jean’s mind even as he rushed forward and grasped the Fey by his neck.  Glaring back at the Eternal with every measure of composure he could manage, Gairynzvl took Jean by both arms with an iron-like clasp and beat his wings forcefully.  Rising up from the ground at a daunting rate of speed was unexpected enough to redirect his attention and Jean paused to look down at the receding rooftop with an evident combination of astonishment and respect for the Fey’s countermove.

“Kill me and you may not live to regret it.”  Gairynzvl hissed viperously as they ascended, continuing hastily before his quick-witted adversary had time to interject some acerbic reply.  “But before you rip my throat out, will you allow me to pose one final question?”   Jean’s black eyes locked with lavender-ice and he growled ferociously in return.

“It’s not like I have a lot of choice.”  The Fey smiled with vexing charm, halting their upward climb and turning them in a slow circle before beginning to descend.  Jean could not silence himself.

“If you wanted to dance, I could have asked the orchestra to play some Strauss.”  Thirty feet from the rooftop, Gairynzvl inclined his head with exaggerated courtesy and let go of Jean’s arms.  He plummeted to the ground amid the fluttering black of his coat, looking every bit the dark raven he was, and landed with surprising agility, neither falling nor staggering.  Regaining his orientation, he glared viciously upward at the descending Fey, the red mists rushing over him, but Jean could not stop himself from laughing.  Alighting several feet from the unpredictable Eternal, Gairynzvl watched his amusement cautiously, probing further into his thoughts in spite of polite decorum.

“If your existence here is as abhorrent to you as you claim, what have you to lose? The Light of Jyndari may not be fatal to you.”  Recovering from his atypical display of mirth, Jean drew a deep breath and stalked closer.

“Light is light and I don’t fancy incinerating myself on a whim.”  Gairynzvl shook his head.

“That is like saying blood is blood, but even now I can hear you debating whether or not my blood will satisfy you.”  The revelation that he could read his thoughts rekindled the flame of his anger, causing the Eternal to move within inches of the brazen Fey with another growl.

“And just how might you know what I am debating?”

“We all have our gifts.”

“You may not want to read my mind.  It just might make me angry.”  Gairynzvl smirked with understanding; for the moment they enjoyed a truce and it was all he required.

“I do not know much about your realm, but you do.  You know enough, at least, to wonder if my blood will satisfy you as a human’s might, which is vastly different than pigs blood or that of the wolf.  I only suggest that Light is no different.  Your body knows only the light of your realm; the Light of Jyndari is an unrecognized source of energy and may not be lethal.”  Jean could not dispute the Fey’s logic, but sneered all the same.

“Yet if it is, I will not live long enough to say I told you so.”

“As I am not from this place, my blood may be equally as deadly; yet it is a risk you seem eager to take.”  Considering the Fey’s argument pensively, his silence provided Gairynzvl a final opportunity, not only to save his own life, but to perhaps change the Eternals as well.

“If you are able to cross and stand beneath the radiance of our Light, will it not give you what you seek most; to breathe life and liberty without the compulsion for violence that you claim to detest?  To gain some measure of purpose through the freedom of choice to live as you wish, rather than as you are forced?”  The intensity of Jean’s glare pierced the Fey. He was certain he was right, but everything he knew was violence.  How would he change that?  It was a question he did not need to ask.

“I once lived a life of violence much as you do, but the Light of Jyndari changed me, allowed me to Prevail over the darkness and find a purpose for my life.  It can do the same for you.”

“Is having a purpose so important?”

“You seem to believe so.”  Jeans glare darkened.

“I asked you not to do that.”  Once again, the Fey smiled with annoying charisma.  Turning to gesture at the slowly undulating darkness of the portal, he questioned without speaking; yet Jean knew precisely what he was not saying.  Looking round him at the garish glamour of the Rhineland and his, as yet, unconscious sometimes-friend, he took a hesitant step forward.  If the Fey was right, then what he offered was as irresistible to the Eternal as blood itself, but the realization sent a myriad other questions tumbling through his mind. What would he do in this new realm and what would he consume if their blood was poisonous?

Gairynzvl reached outward toward the portal and spoke the dark words of Dlalth required to reverse its path, turning back to gaze at Jean with a wry smile even as he indicated that he should step through its dark surface.

“All very good questions, but you have time to debate them later.”  Stopping beside the Fey, the dark raven reached out and laid his hand on his throat.

“If I have time to debate them, I may also have time for lunch.”

The portal opened, darkness pulling on darkness and Jean could not keep his feet from moving forward into the spiraling blackness.  Letting go of the Fey, he stepped inward, hesitation and uncertainty filling every fiber of his being, but there was no turning back and what did he have, after all, to turn back for?  The slurking pitch was utterly disorientating, but, in spite of not knowing which way was up or back, he took another step and felt the unexpected plush of undergrowth beneath his boots.

Light poured into the portal with terrifying velocity and the Eternal, born to death and darkness, stepped out into a brilliant glimmering of sunlight, which streamed through emeraldine branches.  Warmth surrounded him for the first time in his life and the unexpected sensation made him squeeze his eyes closed in horror, certain it was the beginning of the end for him, but nothing happened.  Birdsong filled the air more sweet than any concerto or symphony he had ever heard and the blush of the Light of Jyndari made him sigh profoundly.  The rush of red mists that ever swirled in the depths of his being began to dissipate and the gnawing hunger he had always known was inexplicably quelled.  Opening his eyes, he stared upward at the green canopy of a forest so beautiful he could not combat the tears that sprang from somewhere deep within him.  Turning, he watched Gairynzvl step out of the portal, an insolent smirk upon his face, but the rush of anger he had always fought no longer compelled him to violence.  Still, he had not changed all that much.

“You don’t live in these trees do you?”  Gairynzvl pretended to laugh with marked sarcasm and pointed into the distance where the Eternal, whose vision remained as remarkable as ever, could see a village with clusters of quaint cottages and buildings nestled into the woodland.

“Lunch is at the tavern.”

.

~A Collaboration by Morgan and Richard M. Ankers. Richard’s contributions are highlighted for you in italics to set his writing apart from my own.  We hope you will enjoyed this collaboration and debut of Character Interactions.

If you find the notion intriguing and would like to set your own characters in some new and entirely different situation, drop me a line or a comment to discuss the possibilities 🙂

 

 

Share this:

  • Pinterest
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Reddit
  • Tumblr
  • Email
  • StumbleUpon
  • More
  • Pocket

Like this:

Like Loading...

#CharacterInteractions- When Fey and Eternals Collide – Part Three

07 Sunday Aug 2016

Posted by Morgan in Authors Books Reviews & Interviews, Collaborations

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

BnV, BooknVolume, Character Spotlight, Darkness and Light, Fantasy, Fantasy Characters, Fey Folk, Immortals, Supporting Indie Authors, Vampires, ~Morgan~

moonlight17

.

Part One

Part Two

“Purpose! I have no purpose, unless it is killing time in awaiting the end? Being alone?

            “You’ll always have me,” whimpered the man on the floor. “Always.” Jean silenced him with a kick.

            “Must you feel the need to demonstrate your superiority in such ways?” Gairynzvl had never once looked away, his stare continuing to break down any barriers between the two.

            Jean sighed, as the Fey shook his imposing wings and cracked his neck.

            “All I wish for is peace and quiet. Unfortunately, violence is often the only way to secure it. Especially where Sir Walter Merryweather is concerned,” Jean added.

            Gairynzvl glanced at the comatose form on the rooftop, then back to Jean. He appraised the brooding form before him and struck upon a revelation. “You do not desire death; you feel it imposed upon you.”

            “Perhaps.”

            “And you brood in the darkness because you cannot smile in the light. I do not know your kind completely, not yet, but I sense this true.”

            “You see much, winged one.”

            “I prefer Gairynzvl.”

            “We all prefer something.”

            Gairynzvl took a long, deep breath, eyes narrowing, and sniffed. “If light is all you wish for, then it is a gift I may bestow.”

            “What?”           

            “I am Fey, and as such may open portals to worlds other than your own, as you have borne witness to. I can give you light, Jean. And I will if you wish it.”

            “I could not stand before it.”

            “Not all light is the same.”

            The raven of a man staggered backwards. If he had sought to impose himself upon the Fey in a brash display of strength, his actions dismissed that persona. Gairynzvl had offered him the one thing that nobody else ever had or could. Yet Jean remained Eternal, descended of the vampires of old, and the promise of that which he imagined a lie tore at him. The Eternal grew troubled, the red mists falling, clouding his vision, his judgment, his sanity.

            Gairynzvl readied himself.

.

~A Collaboration by Morgan and Richard M. Ankers. Richard’s contributions are highlighted for you in italics to set his writing apart from my own.  We hope you will enjoy this collaboration and debut of Character Interactions.  Be sure to stop back for the finale tomorrow 🙂

Save

Share this:

  • Pinterest
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Reddit
  • Tumblr
  • Email
  • StumbleUpon
  • More
  • Pocket

Like this:

Like Loading...

#CharacterInteractions- When Fey and Eternals Collide – Part Two

06 Saturday Aug 2016

Posted by Morgan in Authors Books Reviews & Interviews, Collaborations

≈ 6 Comments

Tags

BnV, BooknVolume, Character Spotlight, Darkness and Light, Fantasy, Fantasy Characters, Fey Folk, Immortals, Supporting Indie Authors, Vampires, ~Morgan~

moonlight17

.

Part One

Gairynzvl did not need to be empathic to understand the man facing him was dangerous and he did not need to delve telepathically to know that one wrong word or movement on his part and he could be facing oblivion.  It was not a prospect he fancied, so when his lavender-ice stare met the brooding black glare of the stranger’s he lowered his expansive wings in an instinctual indication of deference.  The man bore no weapon, but upon closer examination, he realized the dark raven needed none.  Glinting from his sardonic grin, twin fangs as foreboding as any wolves warned the Fey of his lethal capacity; thus he stood silently to choose his words wisely before speaking.

“It was not my purpose to cross to wherever this is,” he offered as diplomatically as he might contrive to sound, glancing round him with undeniable curiosity; “any more than it is my intention to interrupt you.”

            “It would only have been an interruption if he’d got away.”

            Gairynzvl grinned at that, a swift gesture that drew a matching response. “My name is Gairynzvl,” said the Fey offering his hand. “Might I ask where I am?”

            “Jean,” replied the man in black, dropping his victim to the graveled rooftop. “And I often ask myself that very same thing.”

            The brooding fellow stalked forward, threw his coattails to one side and took the Fey’s hand. Their handshake was swift, but genuine.

            The place was not unpleasant, but neither did it overly appeal. Gairynzvl’s eyes swept the night allowing Jean the freedom to appraise him. Though his wings were distinctly peculiar, his powerful physique suggested, if put to it, he would be a formidable opponent.

            “Why does the water run red?” the Fey inquired, his feathers rustling in the breeze.

            “Because it’s blood.”

            “Blood, you say. Hm, this is indeed a strange and wonderful place.”

            “If by strange and wonderful, you mean bordering on dead, then yes.”

            “First impressions would suggest this a world not bordering on death but of death, albeit a luxurious one.”

            “You should never read too much into first impressions, otherwise I’d be offering you bird seed.”

            Gairynzvl did not rise to the bait; Jean’s smirk suggested he was impressed.

            The two stood together in silent contemplation, gazing out across the Rhineland as though friends for centuries. But Jean could no more hide his bitterness towards life from Gairynzvl than he could the moon from the sky; such were the Fey’s gifts. Hence, the advantage lay with the newcomer.

Twisting round to gaze at the man who lay unconscious where Jean had dropped him, the Fey could not silence the query that escaped him in a markedly sarcastic tone.

“Friend of yours?”

“On occasion.”  Jean’s terse reply warned him to go no further down that path.  Scoffing with a grin, Gairynzvl returned the banter of the raven glaring at him speculatively.

“Then, although I may not be here long, I shall endeavor to not make you my friend.”

“That would be wise.” The blunt honesty of his deprecating remark mirrored the flood of anger and resentment that rushed from Jean so forcefully the insightful Fey could scarce defend himself from it.  The sensation was one the former Legionnaire was all too familiar with and he frowned upon recognizing the other’s pain, but knew better than to remark on it unless he wished to learn, first hand, just what function his fangs performed.

“Where are you going?”

“The Uunglarda.”  Jean shook his head.

“Never heard of it. Beyond the borders of New Europa, is it?”  Gairynzvl shook his head, gesturing at the darkness from which he had stepped and Jean noticed, for the first time, how in that spot the shadows wavered and warped like the despoiled waters of the Danube below.

“Beyond this realm, although it, too, is a place of darkness and death, unlike my own realm of Light, life and purpose.”  Jean sneered.

“Something some of us will never know.”  Gairynzvl’s lavender-ice stare captured Jean’s, piercing him to his core.

“Your lifeforce is certainly unusual, but it is as potent as my own and I suspect your purpose is no different.”

.

~A Collaboration by Morgan and Richard M. Ankers. Richard’s contributions are highlighted for you in italics to set his writing apart from my own.  We hope you will enjoy this collaboration and debut of Character Interactions.  Be sure to stop back / watch for upcoming installments.

Save

Save

Save

Save

Share this:

  • Pinterest
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Reddit
  • Tumblr
  • Email
  • StumbleUpon
  • More
  • Pocket

Like this:

Like Loading...

#FridayFantasy – When Fey and Eternals Collide – Part One

05 Friday Aug 2016

Posted by Morgan in Authors Books Reviews & Interviews, Friday FeyDay / Fantasy

≈ 15 Comments

Tags

BnV, BooknVolume, Character Spotlight, creative writing, Darkness and Light, Fantasy, Fantasy Characters, Fey Folk, Immortals, Vampires, ~Morgan~

moonlight17

.

Welcome to the debut of Character Interactions!  In this first installment, you will find a unique interaction between Richard M. Anker’s lead character, the Eternal Lord, Jean and the lead character of my own Dark Fey Trilogy, Prevailed Fey of the Light, Gairynzvl.  Richard’s contributions are highlighted for you in italics to set his writing apart from my own.  We hope you will enjoy this collaboration and debut of Character Interactions.  Be sure to stop back / watch for upcoming installments.

.

Opening portals into other realms was just one of Gairynzvl’s many gifts.  As a Fey of the Light he was born telepathic as well as partially empathic, which allowed him to read the thoughts of another without difficulty. He could also sense the stronger emotions of others, though he had been taught from a young age not to delve without permission. During the years he spent among the Reviled, he had also been taught the unique skill of opening portals; which the Dlalth exploited to their own dark purposes; yet it was a gift he was thankful for, nevertheless.

Standing before the mirror he intended to utilize to pass into that dark realm, he stretched out his hands and spoke the incantation to prepare the glass for crossing; the guttural Dlalth words he spoke causing the reflective pane to ripple like the waters of a disturbed pond.  His deep voice pressed into its surface, penetrating the darkly silver abyss, opening it into the beyond, and the shadows that swirled and heavy darkness that reached through the void pulled at him, compelling him inward.  Grasping the sword he wore sheathed at his side and folding his expansive wings tightly, he stepped forward into the slurking emptiness, pushing his way through the murky nothingness of the portal outward into the waiting domain on the other side, but it was a domain he could never have anticipated.

The darkness, tinged with the silver of an unrecognized moon, illuminated a rooftop, one Gairynzvl teetered on, in full view of a river awash in dark crimson. This was not the world the Fey intended, a different night, a different place, but, still, it intrigued. He flexed his wings, their beating stirring up an overbearing pomade of some strange flower, both unknown and unwanted. There appeared to be music playing from down below and a casual glance over a steep drop revealed the flickering light of myriad candles, an overly bright accompaniment to the internal merriment. All very strange. All very new. 

Gairyznvl prepared to make the leap to a broad balcony below, when distracted by a grunt and the crunching as of gravel to his back, he paused. With a curse of frustration at having been the observed and not the observer, the Fey spun about-face. There before him locked in a one-sided struggle were two men. One, a dark raven of a man, appeared to be throttling the life out of a rather gaudily attired other, who hung from the first’s grip, his shock of messy blond hair waggling back and forth across his face. The throttled man, seeing Gairyznvl, attempted a cheery wave before an involuntary last shake silenced him, possibly for good, and the man in black turned to face his witness. The fire in his eyes suggested he was not best pleased. He was not best pleased at all.

.

~A Collaboration by Morgan and Richard M. Ankers.

Save

Share this:

  • Pinterest
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Reddit
  • Tumblr
  • Email
  • StumbleUpon
  • More
  • Pocket

Like this:

Like Loading...

Dark Fey Website

Attn: Artists & Photographers

BnV is a visual & lyrical blog which makes use of many sources of media to enhance the words I write. All artwork and photography displayed on this blog is diligently credited to the Original Artist or Photographer, whenever possible. IF you discover one of your images without appropriate credit acknowledgment PLEASE feel free to contact me via my contact page info so I may update the post with your name & website info OR, if you require it, remove the image. Thank You for Sharing your Talent with BnV.

Categories

Perusing BnV

  • 273,874 Visits

Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 18,048 other followers

Follow Booknvolume on WordPress.com

All About Me & My Writing

Dark Fey, The Reviled

Dark Fey: Standing In Shadows

Dark Fey: Breaking Into The Light

Facebook BnV

Facebook BnV

Translate BnV

BnVersary

BooknVolume Anniversary DateJune 6th, 2013
Celebrating SIX Full Years of BnV!!

Follow me on Twitter

My Tweets

Inspirations

Amazing Photography Autumn Autumn Foliage Beautiful Earth Beautiful Earth Photography Beautiful Photographs Beauty Believe in Yourself Blessings BnV BooknVolume Breath Calm Cosmos creative writing Dance Dark Fey Darkness Desire Dreams Earth_Pics Epic Fantasy eternity Faith Fantasy Fantasy Books Fear Flowers Friday Fun God Haiku Halloween Harmony Heart Heaven Hope Imagination Indie Authors Inspiration Joy Kindle Books Laughter life Light Longing Love Love Poetry Magic Meditation Meditative Thinking Memory Moonlight Music Mystery Mythical Creatures Natural World Nature Night Ocean passion Patience Peace photography Poem poetry Poetry Blog Poetry Challenge Quiet quotes relationships Religion Renewal rhyme Romance Seasons Shadows Silence Soul Mates Space spirituality splendor Spring Stars Supporting Indie Authors Temptation Thankfulness time Tranquility Truth Twilight Waiting Whispers Winter words Writing Writing Challenge Writing Prompt YA Fantasy Yearning ~Morgan~

Archives

Proud Member of Poetry Society of America

Freshly Pressed Artist

A4P

IAN Member

Poet’s Corner

Poets' Corner

Where BnV Has Traveled

Flag Counter

BnV Award Free

Blogs I Follow

  • Marvelous Bookish Tomes & Motivated Keto Mama
  • Beautiful Words to Encourage Your Soul
  • Laura Writes
  • Rantings Of A Third Kind
  • Into the Light Adventures
  • Ailish Sinclair
  • Poet's Corner
  • The Writer's Den
  • Short But Magnificent Stories
  • Guy Lozier

Friends

ReadFreely

2013 Blog of the Year

AUTHORSdb

Chatter

Ladysag77 on Breath of Yesterday- #spiritua…
Morgan on Breath of Yesterday- #spiritua…
jbcowgill on Sweetness – #Love #…
Ladysag77 on Breath of Yesterday- #spiritua…
Morgan on Sweetness – #Love #…
heavenhappens on Sweetness – #Love #…
jbcowgill on Sweetness – #Love #…

Blog at WordPress.com.

Marvelous Bookish Tomes & Motivated Keto Mama

Book Blogger - Keto - Health Blogger - Bookstagrammer

Beautiful Words to Encourage Your Soul

The blog for those looking to grow their souls

Laura Writes

Rantings Of A Third Kind

The Blog about everything and nothing and it's all done in the best possible taste!

Into the Light Adventures

By Sandra Js Photography - Make the rest of your life the best of your life.

Ailish Sinclair

Stories and photos from Scotland

Poet's Corner

Poems, poets, poetry, writing, poetry challenges

The Writer's Den

A Community for Writers

Short But Magnificent Stories

Imagination Fills in the Rest

Guy Lozier

Author/Director/Producer/Publisher

Cancel
loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.
%d bloggers like this: