Total pages in book: 247
Estimated words: 231436 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1157(@200wpm)___ 926(@250wpm)___ 771(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 231436 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1157(@200wpm)___ 926(@250wpm)___ 771(@300wpm)
What else can I tell you about the wolven?
Appearance: They look like oversized wolves in their true form and run hotter than normal.
Abilities and Biology: Wolven can heal fast, thanks to quickly replenishing blood. They have extended lifespans—some have even lived as long as I have. Only wolven have keener senses than the Atlantians. They are vulnerable to any wound to the heart or head. Wolven can sense unrest, vamprys, and Primal emotion.
Culture: Scars are revered and never hidden within their culture. Public displays of affection are commonplace.
Habits/Mannerisms/Strengths/Weaknesses: They will do anything to protect their homes and families. Wolven have their own language. Most find clothing cumbersome. Gods hold a special place in their hearts since one made them of two worlds, which is why they feel honored to be in the presence of a child of the gods. No wolven has ever ruled—their pack instinct is too strong.
The Joining: It’s an old tradition, not done much anymore, when a bonded pair extends the bond to the Atlantian’s partner, thus making the wolven duty-bound to both Atlantians and tying all their lives together. It requires an exchange of blood by all parties. The ritual can become very intimate and include sex, but it does not have to. It is not to be entered into lightly, as the blood bond goes all ways. If one dies, the others die, as well. It doesn’t work with mortals—all parties must have at least some Atlantian blood. The ritual must be done in nature with all participants naked. Vows are spoken, and blood is exchanged—the strongest of the party drinks first from the others, then they drink from each other; lastly, they drink from the strongest. An Atlantian blade is used to mark the center of the chest near the heart for those without fangs needing to draw blood. The blood is taken from the wolven’s throat as it is a conduit of sorts, a bridge to link the lifespans, and then blood is drawn simultaneously from the strongest partner to ensure they hold the lifespans of the others and become the base.
Other: It takes many decades to raise a wolven; therefore, it’s normal for siblings to be born decades apart. It takes wolven at least two decades to gain control of their forms. Young wolven are very accident-prone in their alternate forms, and if injured, they must shift as soon as possible to avoid permanent damage. At a wolven wedding, only the wolven can dance around the fire—or their Liessa. Wolven are relatively healthy, but a few diseases can fell them—the wasting disease that took Elashya and her grandmother, for one.
Now, let’s delve a little bit more into what Kolis did to Eythos and what the consequences were…
The Shifting of Fates:
The story begins with a mortal named Sotoria…
Kolis, the then Primal of Death, used to enter the mortal realm. Those who saw him cowered and refused to look him in the eye. On one trip, he saw a beautiful young woman picking flowers for her sister’s wedding. That woman was Sotoria.
Kolis watched her and immediately fell in love. He was utterly besotted with her and eventually stepped out of the trees to speak with her. Sotoria knew who he was—back then, mortals knew what the Primal of Death looked like since his features were captured in paintings and sculpture. She fled, and the chase ended in her falling from the cliffs.
Despite dying young and much too soon, she accepted her fate, and her soul arrived in the Shadowlands, passing through the Pillars of Asphodel and entering the Vale within minutes of her passing. She did not linger. She was at peace with starting the next stage of her life.
Decades after her death, Kolis remained obsessed with bringing her back and being with her. Eythos, the then Primal of Life, warned him that he shouldn’t pursue it, but he didn’t listen, and knowing the Primal God of Life had the power to do what he wanted done, Kolis found a way.
Only he and Eythos know exactly how he managed to do it. One will never speak of it, and the other isn’t here to tell. We do know that it involved the Star diamond. Kolis was successful in trading places and destinies with his twin. The act had catastrophic fallout, though, killing hundreds of gods who served both Courts and weakening many other Primals—even killing a few, thus forcing the next in line to rise from godhood to Primal power. Many draken were also killed, and the mortal realm suffered devastating earthquakes and tsunamis. Many places were leveled, and pieces of land just broke off, some forming islands while others sank.
Eythos warned Kolis not to bring Sotoria back, saying she was at peace, and it had been too long. He said if Kolis were to do what he planned, she would not come back as she was. It would be an unnatural act and upset the already unsteady balance of life and death. Still, Sotoria rose, and as predicted, she was not the same. She wasn’t grateful that Kolis brought her back; she was frightened, unhappy, and horrified by what had been done to her.