Back to the flesh and blood readers. As I've been telling you, for the last few months I've been hacking away at the main story in my upcoming release, Guild Files Volume 2: Reagent Protocol. While I haven't fielded any questions, I'm sure there are some, so I'm going to try and answer a few.
First off, is Reagent Protocol a sequel to Subject 12? No. I already answered this, but I'll go into a little more depth here. While it's not a direct sequel (in fact, it takes place during the events of Subject 12), it sets up characters that make appearances in Rogue, and it expands the overall universe in ways that I plan on taking advantage of.
Second, is Reagent Protocol an anthology like I had discussed before? Yes and no. It will bundle Banshee, which you should be familiar with (if you're not, click that link), and the story I just finished the rough draft to, which is about Shawn Doolish, a 200 year-old shadow mage who has left the Villain's Confederation and joined the Heroes' Guild. Current word count on the Doolish story is over 67,000 words. Banshee clocked in around 10,000 words, so we're looking at probably around 80-82.5K words total when I get some reader feedback and do my editing. And no, I haven't done the Guild Intelligence file(s) for the main story yet.
Third, what does Reagent Protocol mean for the publication of Rogue? Well, obviously I haven't worked too intensely on Rogue while I've been working on Reagent Protocol. While I need to keep many irons in the fire so I don't get too burnt out on any one project, the lion's share of my attention does go to the project that I feel is of the highest priority, and that usually is the one that I feel the most inspiration for. In this case, Rogue just didn't make the cut that often. I'm still working on it, I swear, it's slow going. I do, however, plan on making it my next Guild Files release.
Fourth, do I still have plans for an anthology of short stories set in the Guild Files universe? Not as such, no, and certainly not immediately. I do, however, plan on possibly tacking another short story or two into Reagent Protocol, provided they fit the criteria for a Reagent Protocol story. I'll explain what I mean about that in the actual publication.
Fifth, is there any way you can read the rough draft and give me reader feedback? To be honest, possibly. I've had a couple of offers and, even if I haven't responded to them, I've heard them and remember them. The issue at hand is twofold. Of highest priority would be the fact that I need feedback both on the story as I've presented it. Is it good enough? Are the characters believable? Are they exciting? Is the story plausible within the constraints of the universe? Are there any gaping plot holes... That's a lot to ask of anyone, especially someone I don't know, and that doesn't even cover the other part. If you think you can handle all that and get back to me in a timely fashion (by Monday the 27th), I'll consider the first three people who contact me with a valid e-mail address. Drop me a line on Google+, Twitter, or in the comments here. Thanks!
Those were the only questions I could really think of, so I'll wrap it up here. I'd planned for a character map of the main characters, but this is getting long already and will only get longer from here.
Now, on to why many of you might be interested in reading this blog post at all, the excerpt. Keep in mind three things. This is a rough draft. That means what you see here may not bear any resemblance to the opening of the published story. Secondly, this won't be the same excerpt as you'd get from Amazon when I get the book published. That will, if memory serves, be substantially longer than what I'm posting here, and cover at least in part a different section of the story. Third, I will not change this when I publish. Consider it a glimpse into the creative process if you so wish. If it stays the same, then you'll know I did good. If it changes dramatically, you'll be able to see the difference. Also, though this goes without saying to anyone who has read Subject 12, there's a content warning for language. You have been warned. So, with those things in mind, enjoy!
Reagent Protocol
The
day was hot, as hot as Alaska ever got this far inland and north.
The dust kicked up by the landing plane drifted away on the gentle
breeze, the perfect touch to finish off the lovely day, but both
Guild members were thirsty and a little irritated from both the long
walk and the total lack of cloud cover. The air might not have been
particularly warm compared to where Ergone had been born and raised,
but the sun felt hot. She could feel it prickling her skin wherever
it was exposed.
“This
berk better be worth it,” she said to herself.
“Don’t
fancy the walk back, love?”
Ergone
shot him a dirty look. He smiled and raised his hands in submission.
“It’s just the way I talk. I don’t mean anything by it.”
“Two
years we’ve known each other and I’ve told you to knock it off
what feels like every damn day, Skorp. Don’t make me chastise you
in front of the newbie until we have a chance to feel him out,
alright?”
“I’ll
try. Can’t promise more than to do my best, now can I?”
Ergone
stared at the plane as it taxied back from the other end of the
landing strip. Something about it gave her an odd feeling. The
noise from the twin engines was enough to drown out any casual
conversation anyway.
“I
hope he doesn’t expect anyone to carry his luggage,” Skorpion
shouted over the engine roar. “He can hire one of the Narboski
brothers to haul it back to the hall on his own damn time!”
She
didn’t bother to reply. The wind had shifted and the smell of the
engine exhaust hit her like a heavy pillow. Suddenly the air felt
thick and hot and like the breeze had evaporated. Her vision focused
on the tiny aircraft’s door as adrenaline pumped into her system,
the sound of the engines coughing as they died ringing in her ears
like twin gunshots. She felt like running away and she didn’t know
why.
“Hey,
Skorp? Do me a favor and don’t go anywhere.”
“I
wasn’t planning on it. What’s up? One of your hunches?”
“Yeah.
Be on guard but don’t do anything too obvious.”
“Right.”
His stance shifted into one far more alert than the
playfully-insolent one he’d been in a moment before. “If we have
to dance I’ll wait for your lead.”
“Let’s
hope it doesn’t come to that,” she said, watching the door pop
open.
The
pilot stepped out first, yawning and stretching as he normally did.
He waved at the pair of supers watching him and cracked open the
cargo compartment, levering one of the sides back and fishing inside
for the luggage. Two black suitcases appeared and were placed
gingerly on the packed soil. Only when they were on the ground did
the sole passenger disembark.
Ergone
gasped as a wave of discomfort washed over her.
The
newcomer was of slender build with hair long enough to brush his
shoulders, though it was graying at the temples. On his fingers were
several rings with various stone settings glinting in the light. His
clothing was black and resembled military-issue battle-dress, though
the blouse wasn’t buttoned and his undershirt was a green so dark
it would have appeared black except in contrast to the ebon fabric
covering most of it. He squinted at the sun and waved his hand over
his head. The area around him dimmed instantly and followed with him
as he moved to pick up his luggage.
“Shadow
mage,” Ergone breathed, her stomach slowly twisting into a knot.
“Oh, fuck me, a shadow mage.”
Skorpion
was about as magically-inclined as a chimpanzee with a twig and a
termite mound, but even he shuddered at the sensation of Ergone
drawing deep-earth energies to herself and slamming down a magic
shield thick enough it actually warped the light traveling through
its insubstantial form. She muttered half-heard phrases as she
summoned the power of the stones and trees around them.
The
newcomer straightened and, spying the two supers, waved cheerfully at
them. He said something to the pilot and pulled an envelope from the
breast pocket of his battle-dress blouse, handing it over with body
language from both parties involved that indicated refusal wasn’t
acceptable and that what was being given was a gift. When that was
completed the stranger picked up his two bags and started walking
toward the pair of supers waiting for him.
“On
my mark,” Ergone growled through gritted teeth. “Take him from
behind. Don’t give him a second to prepare or react...”
“Hi,”
the man said, smiling brightly. “I’m... surprised there isn’t
a car. No problem, though, right? After all, walking is good for
the constitution.” He dropped the bags and extended his hand
toward Skorpion. “You would be The Scorpion, correct?”
Giving
Ergone a quick glance he relaxed his stance slightly and shook his
head. “Just Skorpion, mate. With a K.”
“Ah,
right. Right. I’ll remember that. And you,” he said,
recognizing that his offered handshake wasn’t going accepted and
turned to Ergone, “would be Ergone.” His smile faded slowly.
“You’re a witch, aren’t you? Well, they said there would be
surprises.” If he noticed the shield – a certainty, she reminded
herself – he gave no indication.
He
bent over and opened one of the bags, rummaging around for ten
seconds before saying “Aha!” and straightening. He didn't call
attention to how tense Ergone had gone at the sudden movement. “My
file.” A large crypto-pouch, sealed with an official Guild
biometric lock, dangled from its carrying handle in his left hand.
“It’s keyed to open only for you, madam.”
Ergone
stared at the pouch for a second longer than even she was comfortable
with. Then she looked up at the earnest face and affable smile, back
to the pouch, and realized that she had to make a decision right then
as to whether she was going to give up her only chance to defend
herself if he was anything other than he appeared. She chose not to.
“This
is going to be difficult, isn’t it?” The smile faded from his
face. Sighing, he replaced the crypto-pouch in his bag and zipped it
shut. Straightening
again, he flashed Skorpion an embarrassed grin by way of apology and
then nodded to himself before removing a ring from his right hand.
He brought the stone to his lips and kissed it, causing Ergone to
snap her hand back; energy crackled and hissing around the ring so
strongly even Skorpion could see and hear it. Ignoring this
reaction, he slipped the ring back on and brought his hands behind
his head with exaggerated slowness in an attempt to keep Ergone from
releasing the pent up magic in her hand.
His
fingers worked for three and a half seconds before he got the catch
released. A black chain appeared between trembling fingers and a
small pendant emerged from under his shirt. He wrapped the chain
around his right hand and brought the pendant up to his lips. He
whispered “Behave” before extending his arm, slowly, toward
Ergone. The smile reappeared but with a brittle edge.
“I
didn’t take it from anyone or use anyone to make it, madam. It is
entirely mine. It will behave for you as long as you are careful to
handle it lightly and don’t tease it.”
Ergone’s
mind went blank except for a phrase burned into her memory from sheer
repetition. Every treatise, every scroll, every lesson she’s
uncovered, heard, read, or translated had said, in one form or
another, the same thing.
A
shadow mage never surrenders the Beast he wears around his throat,
for to do so the mage would surrenders whatever is left of a
blackened soul.
“Maybe
this will help make up your mind,” the mage said quietly but with a
very resigned note to it. He flicked his fingers and the shield
exploded, but all of the energy dissipated away from them instead of
violently grounding itself in each of the people standing there.
“I’m a level five.”
Ergone,
gasping with shock, released the pent-up energy in her hand into the
ground with a purple spark that was momentarily brighter than the
sun. Skorpion, fed up with knowing he was missing about three
quarters of what was actually going on, snapped. “Would someone
please tell me what the fuck is going on here?”
“This
gentleman has just proven to me that he is on the level,” Ergone
breathed, her eyes locked on the small cage hanging from the black
chain. Something inside its midnight-black interior moved.
“Because if he wasn’t he could have killed both of us and there
wouldn’t have been a thing we could have done.”
“Don’t
say that. I had plenty of time on the walk over to feel out your
shield and find its weak points. You’re actually very good.”
Sincerity oozed out of every pore as his smile returned. “Go on,
take it. It won’t bite if you don’t provoke it, I promise.”
The
books had warned her against ever touching a shadow mage’s caged...
Actually, they’d never gone into detail about what it was,
simply that she should never touch it. Come to think of it, they’d
never told her why
she shouldn’t touch it, just that “badde thinges have happened to
thofe
unwary enough” to have done so.
The
mage sighed. “Ma’am, I promise you, as long as you treat it with
respect it won’t harm you. Regardless of what you may have heard,
it’s really quite tame.”
“Oh,
for the love of,” Skorpion said, his irritation finally getting the
better of him. “If you won’t take it, I will!”
“Don’t!”
Ergone and the mage shouted in unison as Skorpion reached for the
necklace.
“Do
not touch it,” the mage continued, pulling his hand away. “While
it might behave for myself and for the lady here it would not
hesitate to devour one who is not... aware of what it is they hold.”
“Bollocks
this,” Skorpion replied, shaking his head. “I’m going to grab
some bitters at the store. Come along if you like or stand here
pulling your pud. Either way, sod this shit.”
They
watched him walk away until he was out of earshot. “That could
have gone better,” the mage hazard, glancing down at his necklace
and the caged darkness that twisted within. “I’m sorry, I’m
not used to dealing with people who don’t know the risks.”
“Skorp’s
a good man in a pinch, but his patience can wear thin quickly. Wait
until you meet Ookami. He’s a frigging werewolf, if you can
believe that.” She coughed. “Not that I have anything against
werewolves, of course.”
“So
I was told. Look, I’m making a mess of this. Are you going to
take this or not? I’d feel better if you did, honestly, because
you know what I’m giving up. If the others don’t trust me it’s
not a big deal. If you don’t trust me this whole situation will go
down the toilet faster than an unwanted pregnancy
on prom night.”
Fin
Well, folks, that's the excerpt. I hope it whet your appetite for more! As you can see, I have been working. Is it of the same caliber as Subject 12? I can't say for sure. I just know I enjoyed the characters and I'm looking forward to sharing the rest with you when it's ready.
On a final note, I will say that I'm planning on having the cover for this book professionally done. While I'm proud of the jobs I did on Subject 12 and The Grand Granger, I just don't have the mental or emotional resources to spare to dig around for an inexpensive stock photo to doctor up, and the last time I looked I couldn't find anything that fit my mental image of what I wanted anyway. I found a place where I can get it done inexpensively and of high quality, so I'm planning on farming it out to save myself the hassle.
Thanks for reading!