Despite what the title says: this isn't the last book in the (now) series. I let out a massive groan when I realized it too, don't worry. This is the second (or third) time a trilogy has morphed into a series and I'm fairly sure I'll never truly write a trilogy.
Anyway. Book 1: Discovery was about discovering Blair, xer magic, the Mists, and the whole Time Knight/Mist Beast thing. Book 2: Seeking was delving deeper into the Mists as Blair and the gang figured out what the HECK was going on and who the villain was. Book 3 is where the crap hits the fan and makes a mess of the Mists, Earth, and a few other planets in the known universe.
The fun part about the three books is they continue right where the last one left off. There's maybe a few seconds between the ending of book 1 and beginning of book 2 and the ending of book 2 and beginning of book 3. Technically all three books could be a Song of Ice and Fire size book but that'd be way too long and it's better to break them all up.
Another interesting thing in this book is I go into detail about the world of Ambrosia. The planet gets two huge chapters which is a big deal because these characters have been in my head since the beginning of my writing career. If you've paid any attention to this blog you'll have seen them mentioned once or twice and Prince Daimin of Ambrosia has a side-story in one of my anthologies. But enough rambling. Onwards with the summary!
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Word Count: 90,335
Prompt: Continuation of Mists of Time Book 2: Seeking
Main Characters: Tim, Blair, Tenkondin, Hanrel, Alaya, and the Mist Watcher. I hope y'all notice who's missing from this list...
Minor Characters of Note: Dyns (yeah, he was downgraded), Emily, Ova, The Grand Healer, Natalie, Katie, Clay Orrell, Adam, and The VanHelgrove Clan. There are A LOT of VanHelgroves but the important VanHelgroves to this book: King Demek, Princes: Daimin, Lyo, Tyo, and Princesses: Lylina,and Vixen.
Summation: The earth is being attacked by Mist Beasts and the one responsible for it is traveling through all the other worlds he wants to destroy in hopes he can keep the Mists the way they are. Unfortunately he's essentially destroyed Central and the Tower in launching his plan but he'd rather take down the worlds he thinks might be a threat and rebuild than leave those worlds alive, yes, at the sacrifice of the Mists.
High Points: Ambrosia and the resident Royalty: the VanHelgroves. More specifically Prince Daimin and his twin sons Lyo and Tyo. Vixen gets special mention too.
Low Points: Natalie, Tenkondin, Hanrel, and Alaya.
The World(s): Earth, The Mists, Usglerth, Yavis, Xomia, Vioth, Trainides, Gia, and Ambrosia.
Earth is in the year 2014 and there are only two people who have magic: Blair and Clay Orrell.
The Mists are the in between world that connects all worlds. It's the world Mages use to get back and forth between other worlds. Most Mages don't have the right magic to portal into the Mists, they basically hop through in a split second but Time Mages (like Blair and Clay) are able to slow down the world hopping and enter the Mists. Only powerful Mages (like the VanHelgroves) can slow down their "jump" speed enough to get into the Mists.
Usglerth: home creatures like Tenkondin, giant slime monsters who can change their shape as they want but normally present as a large ball of slime with tentacles. They can have anywhere from 6-100s of tentacles depending on how much they want and how much they're digesting. They are semi-transparent and virtually indestructible except if you salt them, burn them, or submerge them in water for any amount of time. Some have one eye, others have two, some have three, you get the idea.
Sex is non-existent in the world. A male touches a female's tentacle for a moment, genetic material is exchanged and in a few weeks the female releases new blobs that form into new slime beasts. This makes every Usglerthian a pervert and most are attracted to round things as Usglerthains generally aren't round. Usglerthians also have the ability to learn a person's language with a single touch and since they can control the shape/length/amount of tentacles they can reach you from across any space. When they touch a person once they can find that person again, no matter how far away they are. They have no innate magic and Time Knights among them are rare and looked upon in disgust.
Yavis: Home of the warriors who are tall (over 6') built like body builders, gray skinned, silver haired, tall cantered ears, three eyes (one in the middle of the forehead), no eyebrows, and a long slender tail like a cat's that goes to their ankles. By nature they are exceptionally stubborn and sometimes a bit arrogant.
Other magic exists in Yavis but Fire Magic is exceptionally rare. Only one family can produce Fire Mages and they rule a country as Royalty because of it. The third eye enables a Yavisian to go into a kind of "battle mode" in which the Yavisian gains a speed and stamina increase. If a Yavisian loses their third eye they will die in six months. If they lose their tail they struggle with balance issues. A Yavisian warrior will fight until they die, no matter what.
Three types of people exist in Yavis: Warriors, Mages, and Scholars. Scholars are the teachers, researchers, and healers. There are also medial workers who don't fit into any of the above categories but most of the time a Yavisian will be one of the above three. If they're not then they're the builders, farmers, tailors, store keeps, fishers, tavern-owners, etc. Those who are Warrior, Mage or Scholar and have been outcast from their family/by the government for whatever reason are generally forced to drop their title and go into hard labor. If they cannot complete the final ceremony for Warriors, Mages, or Scholars, they become outcast.
Xomia: Home of the mind-readers, the Xomiaians are average in height as compared to a human but with light blue skin, golden hair, and four legs. Their arms are unusually long for their frames and their eyes are twice the size of a human's and completely black in color. They have no physical fighting capability but can cause instantaneous death in the minds of Mist Beasts (and some races) if they so choose. They cannot see the future. Xomia is one of the more popular planets for Time Knights and their other magic is mentally based.
Vioth: Home of the cat people, the Viothians are bipedal, covered in fur, have tall pointed ears, fangs, whiskers, paw-like hands and feet with claws, and long tails. They communicate through hisses, growls, meows and other cat-like sounds. They have little magic but are deadly in battle due to their exceptional senses, speed, claws, and flexibility. Viothians are rare as Time Knights but they do not see being a Time Knight as a bad thing.
Trainides: home of the other mind readers, tall and slender enough that it looks like a slight breeze would blow them over. Their heads are completely smooth but black tentacles sprout from the top of it, completely covering any features. It's rumoured the Trainidesians sense everything through their tentacles and do not have noses, eyes, ears, or mouths. Their world is completely aquatic and they fight similar to an electric eel and octopus. They are average in terms of Time Knights, average fighters, but not much is known about any innate magic.
Gia: Considered one of the strongest planets in terms of mages and many are Time Knights. The general populace is human except for the four Elemental Mage Races. The Tal'kan are the Fire Mages: tall, exceptionally slender with orange to red hair, red eyes and orange skin. They are also considered the expert warriors and have a touch of mental powers not many know about. Despite their strength the Tal'kan are few in number compared to the other races in Gia.
The Nil'shay are average in height and weight compared to humans with blue hair, blue eyes, and blue tinted skin. They are the water elementals who specialize in summoning.
Mil'nee are the earth elementals, average in height but built largely muscled. They are the expert weavers, that is, they can create something out of whatever what might be around them.
Finally, the Ala'gan are the wind elementals, the seers of the future, and the healers. They are shorter than average, none have reached a height of five feet and are destined to never have a soul mate.
Ambrosia: considered the most powerful planet in the known universe and is known as the "Watch Dog" or "Guard Dog" planet. Nothing happens without Ambrosia's consent: no new planets are added to the alliance and planets cannot initiate new trades with other planets without first asking the Ambrosians, more specifically King Demek VanHelgrove.
Ambrosia is home to a variety of folk, but most are humanoid based with two arms, two legs, one head, and average (or above average) in height. There are elves, dwarves, dragons, animal-human hybrids, and vampires. To be called a vampire is to be insulted in the highest degree as vampires in Ambrosia are little more than blood thirsty, violent cretins that do nothing but kill for their own amusement.
The VanHelgroves rule as dictators over Ambrosia with King Demek being the 25th Generation Royal VanHelgrove. The VanHelgrove family was born from an elf and a vampire which gives them the better traits of both races. The Royal Family is said to be dwindling in power as fewer children are being born but each child is becoming stronger as the generations pass. The people do not see it and did not believe it until Prince Daimin, King Demek's second son, was able to destroy a world on his own.
Despite their strength they have inadequacies the people do not see and they go to great lengths to hide. Ambrosia itself is considered utopia: there are no wars, most people live above the poverty line and are happy, there is little to no crime, health care and education are free for everyone, and there are no complaints.
Other world's rulers believe the VanHelgroves are hiding some deep secret about their family and the world since no one can be that perfect.
Memorable Lines:
"This is going to be fun. You want me to use Fire Magic in a world that lost its magic and doesn't believe magic ever existed." Ova was smiling as she spoke. (She's a Tal'kan who Blair took to earth to stop Mist Beast from killing people.)
Alaya (Ala'gan) snorted but Ova was walking to Blair's broken door. Blair followed and they stepped into the hallway together. Four Mist Beasts were in the hallway, two ripping apart people who had lived on the same floor as Blair. Other people had baseball bats, pans, and other blunt objects and were trying to knock the Mist Beasts out. One had a gun but he had run out of bullets.
"Good afternoon!" Ova said.
Everyone, including the Mist Beasts, looked to her. The humans' jaws dropped and their eyes widened. The Mist Beasts growled and tensed but didn't attack.
"My name is Ova and I'm a Tal'kan from the planet of Gia. Earthlings, please step towards the walls."
Blair didn't know whether to laugh or ask what Ova was on. The people in the hallway stepped back towards the walls. Other people were looking out of their apartment doors. The Beast growled but Ova grinned.
"It's going to get a little warm in here."
Someone screamed as fir, real fire, flung out of Ova's hands and torched the Mist Beast closest to them. It howled in pain as it burned but Ova was not done there. She charged forward with a warrior's cry and Blair saw a flaming sword appear in each hand. No, it wasn't a sword covered in flame, it was a sword made of flames.
"I think she can handle this."
Alaya was grinning when Blair looked down at her.
...
"Oh, and tell them to ignore the orange skinned woman flinging fire around," Alaya said. "She's here to destroy those things (Mist Beasts)."
"Don't freak out." Alaya said.
"Why would," Blair shut up when Alaya grabbed her arm and suddenly Blair felt weightless. They continued to walk but Blair couldn't see her own legs. (When making someone invisible it's best to give them a better warning...)
"He told me since he didn't think I'd get out of here, "Tenkondin said. "He totally underestimated sweet cheeks (Blair)."
"Is he crazy? He's going after Ambrosia?" Alaya asked.
"Yep to both. Want me to find him?" Tenkondin questioned.
"How do we get out of here?" Blair asked.
"Not the same way we came in." Alaya replied. (Some people think sarcasm is an Ala'gan racial trait...)
...Blair stared at the immense hole in the wall Alaya created. Bits of rubble were falling from the top but Alaya strode forward with a smirk on her face.
...
Alaya was walking away as if she hadn't blown a giant hole into the side of the Tower. (Best way to do it...haha)
"Fine, we have to go up," Tenkondin said. "I would say hang on but I'm the one holding y'all so stay still." (Advantage 1 of Usglerthians: can climb up a crumbling building while holding onto multiple people)
They were falling again. Tenkondin reformed his tentacles but the entire side of the Tower had been lit aflame. There was nothing for him to grab onto.
"Both of you inhale then cover your noses and mouths." Tenkondin said.
"What?" Hanrel asked.
She looked panicked. Blair was fairly sure her panties were ruined but she listened to Tenkondin anyway.
"DO IT OR DIE!"
Hanrel took a deep breath and covered her face. Blair wanted to cry out when Tenkondin absorbed both of them. He had pulled them completely into his body and Blair knew every inch of her was covered in slime. They were still falling but it was strange to see it now.
Blair felt the impact of them hitting the ground. It jarred her bones but she knew if Tenkondin hadn't absorbed them Blair and Hanrel would be nothing but smears of blood, guts, and flesh across the rubble.
Blair gasped and sat up. She was still coated in Tenkondin's slime but he was spread out all over the rubble. One of his eye feelers was a dozen feet to her right and the other was a dozen feet behind her. His entire body was splattered in a million different places and Blair felt her breath hitch.
Tenkondin was dead...
"Aw, sweet cheeks, stop crying, I'm okay."
Blair hiccupped but raised her head. Tenkondin was grinning at her, both eye feelers in place and his body coming together bit by bit. (Advantage 2 of Usglerthians: Falling from a great height does not mean death.)
"You're essentially a mass of slime. If you trip on something we have bigger problems than the Mists ending."
"Holy shit! He (Tenkondin) ate my phone! That's probably not covered."
"Double D (Hanrel), you're topless, have been starved, and probably ready to collapse. The fuck world are you going to save?"
"I'm going to get changed into something a bit more," Blair started.
"Lacy and see through?" Tenkondin asked.
"Cute, smart, and a good shot. How is he in bed?" Alaya asked.
Blair was glad Alaya could not see her blushing. Tim chuckled but said nothing.
"I mean with his aim," Alaya began.
This was too much (Uh yeah, the world is ending. Why you guys gotta be so funny?)
"He's great, okay? Drop it." Blair broke in.
Tenkondin and Tim stopped destroying Mist Beasts when Alaya raised her hand with a grin. They all watched in silent awe as a tornado formed in front of her and began gathering not just height but girth. Soon it was an F5 class and Alaya flicked a wrist.
Within seconds the Mist Beast caught in the spiralling winds were ripped to shreds. Some tried to run but it was too late. Alaya's tornado spun between the cracks and in less than a minute there were no Mist Beasts between the two columns of cracks in front of them. (Advantage 1 to being Ala'gan: destroying hundreds of creatures with a flick of a wrist.)
"But if you lock me in a room and keep using lightning attacks eventually I'll run out of air to manipulate. The only way to stop an Ala'gan is to lock them in a small space with little oxygen." Alaya said. (It's a bigger disadvantage than you think as proven in Cara Book 4: Final Travels)
"In general that's a good way to kill anyone." Hanrel said.
"Nightmares are fuel for monsters." Alaya said.
"Are you trying to tell us that for every nightmare a new Mist Beast is born?" Hanrel asked.
"I am," Alaya said. "Every nightmare from every person in every world creates a new Mist Beast."
"An Ala'gan once told me I would be defeated by a mere mortal. I see why." (The bad guy)
"So there's no like, love, or sex or," Natalie started.
"Nope," Tenkondin interrupted. "I touch a girl's tentacle for a minute or so and she moves on."
"That's, unfulfilling," Alaya said. "No wonder you're so interested in molesting everyone you find attractive."
"I just blew his (the bad guy) fucking head off but he's still running." Tim said. (Well duh you have a bad guy that's hard to kill ;) )
"Great, the earthling gets the power up," Hanrel started.
"I'm originally from earth, you know." Emily broke in. (They're in Gia, Emily's a Dragon Summoner fell into Gia from earth)
In Yavis after Hanrel catches a sword thrown at her:
"Um, okay, anyone else fell like they're in a movie right now?" Natalie asked.
"Yep." Tim said.
"Definitely." Blair said.
"The (other bad guy) managed to cut it (her arm) off but I cut off her head so it works." Alaya said.
...
"But you're not even bleeding." Tim said (and hasn't been the entire time. He thought she was born with one arm)
"I healed it right after I cut off her head," Alaya said. "It's too bad she burned my arm after she cut it off or I could've re-attached it."
...
"You could have re-attached it alone?" Tim asked.
...
"Yep. I'm Ala'gan, it's what I'm born to do. Literally."
In Trainides which is all water:
"That mass of air around your heads is balancing out the excess water molecules in the air," Alaya said. "This is why people say to always take an Ala'gan to Trainides if you want to keep breathing.
In Xomia:
"Anyone else weirded out about the person talking in their head?" Tim asked.
"Nope," Alaya said. "I'm used to it."
"Nope," Tenkondin said. "She sounds hot."
"...Plus it's always a stupid idea to send the group's healer to attack someone in a fight." Tim said.
"What do you know about battles?" Alaya asked.
"I play a lot of video games with magic systems involved." Tim answered (Advantage to playing video games ;) )
Ambrosia:
"Why the Hell would he come here?" Hanrel asked.
"Take out the strongest and the rest follow." Alaya said.
"And yes I am here to kill the VanHelgroves, all of you. I will start with the two of you, it seems." (bad guy)
...
"You're either insanely powerful or really stupid. I'm going with stupid." Lyo said.
"Me too." Tyo said.
...
"...and summon creatures made from people's nightmares." Tyo said.
"Too bad I'm the one who rules nightmares." Lyo said.
"Do you control fire?" Tenkondin asked.
"No." Lylina said.
She yelped when Tenkondin grabbed her ass. His tentacle froze a moment later and continued to freeze until he dropped it. Blair looked at him to see his eyes wide and mouth dropped open in shock.
"Lylina's an Ice, Wind, and Water Light Mage. We call her the Snow or Winter Princess." Tyo provided. (And she was such BEFORE Frozen in case anyone's wondering)
"...then take off his head." Vixen said.
"Upper or lower?" Daimin questioned.
"Upper. Jackass." Vixen said.
"The Cloak of Negativity." Lyo said.
Blair was glad everyone else was looking at Lyo with her as if he had lost his mind. Tyo smirked a moment later as if he understood. It was probably a twin thing.
"Plus five to nightmare factor." Tim muttered.
...
"Where is (other bad guy) now?" Demek asked.
Blair pursed her lips to keep from laughing when Alaya grinned.
"Oh, I chopped off her head after she cut off my arm. I think it was a fair deal." Alaya answered with a shrug.
Silence. Daimin started laughing.
Much, MUCH later:
"Fuck me, you earthlings suck."
"Yeah, life sucks and sometimes you don't get what you want but you gotta take it as it comes and make the best of it or you'll end up living, well, here (in the Mists)."
The Main Library hadn't changed but it had taken years for all the books to be replaced. Even still there were days when someone might get lucky and...
"Higher Power damn it!"
Blair smirked as Prince Tyo VanHelgrove, 27th Generation Royal VanHelgrove, Dark Fire Mage, rubbed the sore spot on his head. Apparently when placed in the vicinity of the VanHelgroe twins, books could fly.
...
"Everything happens for a reason isn't a good enough excuse to ignore a situation." Blair said.
Tyo smirked.
"The difference between you and me is I have the knowledge of the entire universe stored in my head. When I say something is happening for a reason, I tend to know what I'm talking about."
...
"So everything that's happened is fate? We can't change it even if we wanted to? Is that what," Blair tried.
Tyo looked at him again and Blair frowned.
"You don't want me to go there."
"I'm a Time Knight, Adam and so are you. Let me tell you about the Mists and what exactly you've been seeing since you turned 18."
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