First anniversary
Right after the First Light was published in October 31st, 2018, after heavy proofreading and reductions, the Golden Scallop, at last had opened a vista of character development. It was published on January 22, 2019 on Amazon and since ever after, the series had started to grow.
The first book in the fantasy series, First Light, was a cumbersome experience, and it wasn't satisfying enough for the author - too many characters converged into troubles that were voluminous to fit in one book. Therefore, the Golden Scallop had prostrated out, re-introducing the simple folks of Amber Heights - Crix and Legen.
On easy going
The Golden Scallop was written nimbly and almost with no troubles. Compared to the First Light, which was associated with many financial and social troubles entangling the author, writing the Golden Scallop was like surfing along the ocean after a hurricane.
Friends forever, friends, ahoy?
Our friends of the First Light, Crix and Legen, were bored with chores of their farms. Amber Heights and the slumbering, rustic corners of Norwin were mild enough to put in boredom even the lamest Gragner ('the armadillo-mutant'). Not taking into an account a daredevil Legen and his fastidious 'detective' side-kick, Crix.
Wildest myths of sacred stones, heralds, diamonds and magical powers haven't had to let them sleep. Brandishing their sabers and besieging castles in the sky, they have troubled imaginary hordes of orks and skeletons in fire. The boys have dreamt of treasures and fame. Only this time, the troubles had knocked on their doors instead.
An old promise to the shah
Since the War of Opules had passed away and everything rehabilitated to normal life, the rumours of the Azaz castle had started to twirl around the village of Amber Heights. The covert spies of Azaz and the long tongue of our friend Legen, had traced them down to the exact spot they were situated. The treasure of the Esper Entrance was looming in their minds, but being decapitated by the shah shone even more.
Crix and Legen at last reveal their manner. Their journey begins. Their speculations and exploration of the world is now more of an escort, an escape from the assassins than an adventure. New views of Norwin and Droop Forest reveal their hidden triumphs, as well as hidden sorrows. The distant Safir, located over the Grand Ocean, the place only the chosen ones had their chances in life to see, capture their imagination. Their motivation to move forward is slick and waning with every danger they encounter.
Labyrinths and catacombs, cannibal tribes and castles, bustling ports and promontory mountains - all had suddenly erupted in front of the two rustic guys from Amber Heights.
The legends and the doom
All of the characters that were hidden or undermined in the First Light, had spawned in front of them. The new environment of Amber Heights had changed for them radically. Once open and notorious for its 'marvellous heredity', the village turned into a centre of strange events.
It was indeed special, even for Norwin: the Hedgen nooks of the hedgehog village, the corn fields of the Scarecrow Ritual, the proximity to the dwellings of the pig-troll Paglots, and on.
The forests of the Heights were crescendoing up to the barbarian steppes of Shakalot, where the nomad swine-dog Opules were originating from. But Shakalot wasn't only notorious for the swine-dogs, it hid many other trolls and abominations.
Amber Heights as a lonely 'magical spot' of Norwin was probably, the last gem in where the magic dwelt. Perhaps, even the last spot in the eastern hemisphere of Globiuz. At that point, we have preserved only the legends of the Trunkets, the hidden labyrinths of Menators, secret dwellings of the Green Gnomes and the chest of the Spider, hidden somewhere in the depths of the Maze Forest.
Not so many enthusiasts of Amber Heights have dared to pass through the twines of their native forests, leading to the depths and ridges of the omen critters, bloody pits and ploy traps. Therefore, the numerous folk-tales had sprawled upon the roofs of their dwellings, scaring the spooks out of them. The elder generations with fervor in their eyes sat at fire-places, telling stories they were supposedly involved in, mixing it all with their own dementia. Old Hedgens rattled their spikes on their backs and jotted twigs at fire, narrating about the bane of monstrous spiders, about trolls surrounding the chest of treasures...
Many folk-tales have left the nooks of those 'vagabonds', as more and more of technology was coming in. At that time, Globiuz was shifting from dark Medieval times to Renaissance.
New shift
Having two fantasy realms: magic and science, the Golden Scallop manages to stir on both sources, retaining the balance. Our friends discover ports of Oreol and mundane life of coal miners, solitude of vagrant Caymans, diseases, plagues and racism against the Kiwis. Many other themes that brutalize certain aspects of being. Writing the Golden Scallop was sourced on the maturing side of the fantasy world, on certain duality of logic and dreams; on circles of human balance, chess-pieces of political powers, social upheavals and revolts, repugnance to evil and subjection to it.
The Golden Scallop was meant to be a boisterous adventure, an eternal summer, but led us back to the catacombs of wading myths. Swiping the dust of the ancient hieroglyphs, the boys thought they have found a noose of their dreams - immense weapon of political control. The craving for power have called them forward, revealing the other side of their persona. The value of friendship had been challenged, as well as the world of Globiuz will never have been the same.