The Protagonist Speaks

Dear readers, tonight with me is an elven prince raised to rule and trained to fight. He’s here to tell us about his adventures in fighting dead things, the love he found on the way, and – of course – about his magically glowing tattoos.

Please excuse his excitement, but his book will be released tomorrow (August 9th)! You can join him and his author in the fabulous release party on Facebook.

Let him now speak about his background and upbringing, as well as his exciting adventures. And tattoos, of course.

Tell us a little about where you grew up. What was it like?

Valatha is the most beautiful city in Thril-Garëw. Buildings of moonstone and crystal. I played as a child near the crystal mines, and on the lush lawns of the palace beneath the crystal spires.

When I was fifteen, my twin sister and I began our Nuvian training, to join the elite warriors. I earned my rank of Nuvian at twenty-four, a year early. Faë still thinks I cheated.

But I suppose you meant what it was like growing up in the palace? What do you want to know? That I ditched out on my studies to play pranks on my sister? That I hid scorpions in my uncle’s desk? That I ran naked through the ancestral hall’s to impress a girl?

Because I never did any of those things. (He smirks)

Did you have any favourite toys as a child? Any cherished memories?

According to Faë, anything that was hers. She claims I broke her first bow, but I swear, it threw itself from the top of the quarry…

You mentioned you were a Nuvian Warrior? Being crown prince, you are allowed to fight?

Of course I fight! I am a warrior and we are at war. Yes, I am my father’s heir, which is all the more reason for me to fight. A day will come when I need to be able to lead my armies, not sit on my throne and send others to die for me. It is not the elven way.

Besides, I have siblings, my parents have Faëlwyn and Thalion should I do something stupid like get myself killed.

What can you tell us about your latest adventure?

Recently I went traipsing about in a haunted marsh. Dead things and bugs the size of your face. Good times were had by all, especially when mortal weapons are no use against our attackers.

I do enjoy the rush of adrenalin when I am running for my life.

What is the best thing about being a Nuvian Warrior?

The magic glowing tattoos of course!

No, we as Nuvian train for close to a decade to master the spirit runes, beginning from age fifteen. The training itself is brutal, we only earn the right to bear the tattoos if they pass the final trials. And more than two thirds of the recruits fail or drop out before they reach the final trials. So the best part? Surviving the training and the sense of pride and accomplishment.

(Whispers) Really, though, it’s the tattoos.

Tell us a little about your friends. Your family.

My friends? Or as my people say, Na’Fen.

There is Roggar, the dwarven engineer. Very adept at drinking, not so much with hunting. He once pulled out a loaf of bread and wheel of cheese and proceeded to make lunch, right as I was about to make my kill. Needless to say, we were not adding venison to the menu that day. Very handy with a broad axe though.

And Theron. (laughs) Theron is our Nuvian Commander. He trained both Faë and I. We became good friends over the years. He at least knows to have lunch before we hunt. He spends most of his spare time with my sister now, if you catch my meaning.

My Family?

Well, obviously there is my twin sister Faëlwyn. I obviously, am the pretty one. We have been close our entire lives, having not really spent any great amount of time apart.

I also have a younger brother, Thalion. We too are close, as close as one can be with a sibling more than a decade younger. He is fifteen and just joined the Nuvian. He will definitely keep Theron on his toes.

I am older by several minutes, hence why I am heir and Faëlwyn is not. We elves do not buy into the whole ‘eldest male’ piece. If Faëlwyn was born first, it would have been her. Though I sometimes think my mother wished it were her. (smirks)

Any romantic involvement?

Remember that girl I mentioned earlier? The one I was so keen to impress with my nakedness? Her name is Sairalindë. We are to be married in the summer. I am supposed to be helping her with the planning now actually, instead I am here with you.

If you see her headed this way, I suggest we run. This is not the first time I have been late …

How do you feel about the war? Do you hate it?

Many would say they hate the war, but I am a warrior. The Dragon Wars began before my birth. I have known nothing else. How can I hate something that has always been? The revenir on the other hand? I can say with absolute truth and certainty that I hate them.

Have you ever fought a reanimated corpse? All pus and rotting limbs. It gets rather messy, and there is just something about a lone hand crawling across the battlefield that makes my skin crawl. Not to mention the smell.

What’s your favorite pastime? How do you relax after a grueling day on the battlefield?

Relaxation you say? Eating, drinking, hunting, and making love, not necessarily in that order. (smirks)

Seriously though, I simply enjoy just being with Sairalindë. Whether it be at our table at Aten’s tavern sharing a meal and drinks or watching her at work at her desk, or holding her while she sleeps.  I am a very lucky man.

Also the hunting and the eating and the fighting.

What does the future hold for you?

After I defeat the necromancer and end a hundred year war and marry the love of my life. Settle down and raise a brood of children naturally. And have a lot of fun in the making part.

Is that not how the hero is rewarded? (smirks)

Can you share a secret with us, which you’ve never told anyone else?

I hate corn, despise the stuff. Gets stuck in your teeth.

If you are reading this now, come join Errin and Flintathriël in The Last Dragon Rider Release Party on Aug 9th!

Errin Krystal is a fantasy romance writer who has been writing since she was a small child. Her head has always been full of stories. She began work on her first novel when she was sixteen.
 
She lives with her family in regional Victoria, Australia, and works as a chef. In her quieter moments, she loves to indulge her passion for storytelling, basking in the joy that comes from creating vibrant characters, fantastical worlds and all manner of magical creatures. Dragons and elves, mages and warriors, troubled princes and beautiful princesses, romance, magic, and adventure can all be found in her writing.

You can find Flintathriël on the pages of The Last Dragon Rider.

Join us next week to meet the heir to throne, who’s life is complicated by being an illegitimate son of a mage and a normal human. Please follow the site by email (bottom-right), via Twitter, or like our Facebook page to be notified when the next interview is posted.