By
Kayelle Allen (Guest Blogger)
Thank
you for letting me visit with you and your readers, Lisabet. I'm
happy to be here! Since I conducted an interview with Pietas on
another site recently, I thought it would be interesting to ask the
same questions of Six, one of the major characters in Bringer ofChaos: Forged in Fire.
A
short background on Six: he's human--or he was--but after being
killed in battle, he was resurrected in a secret process, and
inducted into the Ghost Corps. His mission was to fight Ultras, who
are immortal beings with various psychic abilities and incredible
strength.
When
Six is marooned on Sempervia with an Ultra, the two of them have to
depend on each other to survive. That story is in Bringer
of Chaos: the Origin
of Pietas. Forged in
Fire is book two. Here's a bit about the story.
Forged
in Fire...
When
the immortal Pietas is marooned on a barren world with no food and
few survival tools, he knows it could be worse. He could be alone.
But that's the problem. He's not.
Half
a million of his people sleep in cryostasis, trapped inside their
pods and it's up to Pietas to free them. He can't release one at a
time. It's all or nothing. He's facing over five hundred thousand
hungry, thirsty, homeless immortals who will call on him for rescue
and he has no way to answer.
It's
not all bad. The beautiful telepathic warrior he's loved for
lifetimes is at his side. He's bonded with a sentient panther. He
hates humans but the one dumped on this planet with him has become a
trusted friend.
Before
Pietas can build shelter, figure out how to grow food, or set up a
government, he must take back command from a ruthless enemy he's
fought for centuries. His brutal, merciless father.
Immortals
may heal, but a wound of the heart lasts forever...
Interview with Six
Six,
how old are you?
I
would have been thirty-nine, if I'd lived. You're wondering what I
mean, I guess. I was special ops. A secret group highly trained to
fight Ultras. I was killed in action, but I'd signed on with Ghost
Corps. They resurrected me in a secret process Kayelle won't let me
talk about on here. Anyway, I died when I was thirty-eight, but I'm
not dead anymore. That's all I'm gonna say about that.
When
you look in the mirror, what do you see?
Brown
skin. Brown hair. Brown eyes. Sturdy kinda guy. Always needing a
haircut. I'm not so ugly I can't get a date on payday.
What
is people’s first impression of you?
I'm
going with "who?" I tend to blend into the background and
keep a low profile. You stay alive that way. Or you should.
Name
three of your favorite things.
I
always liked fishing and I get to do a lot of that where I'm at. I
hunt too, for food, not sport. Is that one thing or two? I'm sayin'
it's two. So for third, I'll go with dancing slow with a fast woman.
Name
three things that tick you off.
Hope
this doesn't sound stuck up but being ignored. You know, when people
look right through you like you're not even there. Man, I hate
that. Being lied to. Being used by one person to hurt another person.
I can't tell you details, 'cause Kayelle says that's a "spoiler"
so I'll just say you'd know right away what I'm talking about if you
read the book. You come up to that scene, you're gonna go, "Ah
ha! That's what Six was talkin' about. That's it right there."
And trust me, it'll make you plenty mad too. Yeah. Just read it. Man,
that cranks my jaw.
What
would you like it to say on your tombstone?
He
had a lot of chances and he took every one of 'em.
What
is your favorite song?
I
would have said something completely different before I heard this
one song the other day. It's called “Forged in Fire”. Thing is,
the song isn't all that special. What made it unforgettable is who
sang it. Kayelle shared it in her book about Pietas. You should read
that. I'm not admitting to anything in public.
What
would you most like to forget?
That
I ever believed the lies I was told about Ultras. Man, I had it all
wrong. All of it.
Are
you close to family?
My
grandmother raised me. I had a lot of cousins and other family before
I joined Ghost Corps. I'll never see any of them again. Once you're a
ghost, you're as good as dead.
What
is your most prized possession?
I
can't tell you how I got it 'cause that's another one of those
spoiler things. But I can tell you it's a rusty knife. I know,
I know. A warrior ought to have a good blade. But this one... let's
just say I get a real kick out carrying it where a certain person can
see it. You'll like that scene too, same as me. Read the book. You'll
know it when you get to it.
In
this scene from Bringer of Chaos:
Forged in Fire, we get a peek
at the weird weather on Sempervia. It's not like Earth's. It's
dangerous to be out in a storm. When a mini-tornado wreaks havoc,
Pietas, the immortals' king, finds himself in an awkward situation.
This scene is from his point of view. He and Six are with four other
Ultras who are trying to reach shelter.
~~~
The
sky turned tornado-green. A few fat drops of rain slid down Pietas's
neck, leaving a cold trail in the heat. A few others smacked his hair
and face. These scouts warned of the threatening army advancing.
Higher up, ominous thunderclouds glowed a menacing pink and orange.
They
picked up the pace. In the distance, the oncoming storm blackened the
sky. The wind whistled, calling its dogs to hunt.
Icy
fingers dragged down his spine. Pietas swallowed, fighting back bile.
The
hill they'd crested led down to a jagged claw-rip of darkness, a
slash in the velvet forest forming a lightless, foreboding tunnel.
The coffin-shaped slice emptied into an abyss of shadow, swallowing
every indication of depth and life.
Despite
knowing he needed to hurry, Pietas slowed his step, dragging his bare
feet through straw-colored grass. Turning in a slow circle, he held
out his injured arms as high as he could and lifted his face to the
cloud-covered sun, a child wanting one more minute outdoors before
bedtime. He cherished the open air and light, unwilling to relinquish
the beauty of his freedom.
"Pietas!"
Joss called to him. She'd gotten far ahead. "Come on!"
He
started toward her. The forest maw ratcheted open like the unhinged
jaw of a snake. An uneven patch of ground beneath a foot cost him his
balance. Pietas stumbled, tripped, and threw out his hands to break
his fall. He landed on hands and knees and then sat, cross-legged.
His scraped palms stung and bled. A potent swear word flew to mind,
but he denied it voice.
His
sister slowed as she passed, but didn't speak. If an Ultra did not
ask for help, none was offered.
The
twins, however, tasked with guarding the party, did stop. Aid was
their duty.
"Guys."
Six stooped next to him. "You go ahead. I'll stay with Pi."
Pietas
flicked his fingers. Without a response, the twins joined Dessy.
Joss
looked up and around at the sky. "Pietas, I'll wait for you."
"No,
go ahead. The rain's almost here. I'll join you under the trees."
When
she had gone, he examined his palms. The injury had healed.
"How's
the ankle?"
"Fine,
ghost." He wiped off his hands.
His
friend studied him, glanced toward the forest. "Gotcha."
Six stood.
When
Pietas shifted to rise, Six offered a hand.
"Thanks,
but I can manage." He stood and brushed himself off.
The
wind picked that moment to set a dust devil whirling into the sand
and dried grasses around them. It flew up, stinging exposed skin.
Six
covered his eyes. "Oh, man!"
Pietas
shielded his own. The whirlwind ripped the cloth tie holding back his
hair and whipped strands into his face. He tried facing into the
wind, but the circular current spun the tresses back into his eyes.
As fast as it had risen, the wind subsided.
His
long hair, full of static electricity from the wind and storm,
settled over his shoulders and adhered to his neck. He was unable to
lift his arms to gather it himself. He refused to let the others see
he needed help and he did not want Six fretting over it.
The
man blamed himself for the injury. Yes, Six had bound Pietas. It had
been Six's duty to do so. In truth, those who had placed Pietas
inside the pod and refused to release him were to blame, but no
matter how often he reminded Six of that, the ghost refused to
relinquish his guilt.
Six
dug into his pockets. "I have another strip." They had torn
several from a ragged shirt. Six wore the biggest piece around his
neck. He set down his pack and opened it.
"Six,"
Pietas hissed. He did not turn his head, but looked toward the
others. "Leave it!"
The
ghost glanced up at him, then the immortals, waiting ahead. "You
want the women messing with your hair? Is that it?"
He
closed his eyes, counting to ten. To a hundred would not erase this
embarrassment. "No." When he beheld Six, the man had the
discourtesy to smirk. "Don't look at me in that tone of voice."
This
book has no profanity or explicit content, but lots of angst, a
little humor, some sweet romance, and a ton of betrayal with plenty
of vengeance. Plus a ginormous, sentient panther who wants to be
Pietas's "kitty."
Giveaway
Here
is
a
free
adult
coloring
book
to
download
and
print,
based
on
my
character,
Pietas.
If
you
like
dragons,
you
will
love
this.
I
hope
you
enjoy
it!
It
contains
original
art.
http://bit.ly/color-pietas
Kayelle
Allen writes Sci Fi with misbehaving robots, mythic
heroes, role playing immortal gamers, and warriors who purr. She's a
US Navy veteran and has been married so long she's tenured.
