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The Protagonist Speaks

Interviews with the characters of your favourite books

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Borax (of In Victrix, by Assaph Mehr)

Dear readers, tonight with us is nominally the bodyguard of the protagonist — proving once again that everyone is the hero of their own story. He’s here to talk about gladiatorial games, about childhood in the forest vs life in the big city.

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

I grew up in the forests of Arbarica, under evergreen trees. We lived in a remote village, only a few families, and my father and brothers hunted for furs and meat. At festivals, we went to the oppidium to trade the furs for tools, jewellery, and other things, and then stayed the nights for celebrations. The bards sang, and the druids dispensed law and lore, enthralling everyone with feats of magic.

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

All the memories I have are cherished because there are so few of them. I was barely thirteen when the legions came. I took up a sword and stood with everyone I ever knew and more besides against the invaders.
It didn’t help. I have no idea how I survived. I don’t even recall the actual battle. Then I was chained and marched day after day to Egretia. I was a big one, even as a child, so a lanista from a gladiator school bought me. That was the end of my childhood.

What do you do now?

My dominus is a kind master, and I owe him my life. Gladiators don’t always die on the sands and the retirement options are limited, often reduced to begging. What else is there for someone who only knows how to fight, but can no longer do it once he’s too scarred and disfigured? Even those who survive the six years or thirty bouts to earn their freedom, find it hard to get a job.
Felix took me in when I had no prospects, gave me this metal hand you see, and now I protect his life. I go wherever he goes, to make sure he comes back.

What can you tell us about your latest adventure?

You’d have to ask the master about that. My dominus is very strict about client confidentiality. Without betraying any names… well, I got to mix with gladiators again, and got a much better view of the chariot races. There were things going on — with secrets and gods, and sacrifices and religion, and rich people tampering with things they shouldn’t — and I have no idea what they meant. I wasn’t privy to those conversations. I was just there for when the going got rough.

When it did! Now, that is something that gets the blood roaring in your ears. Not like the adulation of the crowds in the arena, but real fights in dark corners with real stakes. Makes you appreciate being alive.

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The Lightbender (of Safe Passage, by Karen Menezes)

Dear readers, tonight with us is the Lightbender, an illusionist who works as a healer. After days of wandering the border forest of Capherayna, he stumbled upon the Xaeltik community, an ancient tribe who are unable to defend themselves from the dark forces of the modern world. He is here to tell us about his adventures and struggles as he risks his life to save others.

Tell us about where you’re from. Urban or rural? Small town? What was life like?

A bunch of messianic fogies convinced my family to give up their only child for the good of mankind. I have no memory of my parents and no idea where I’m from. I was taken to a secluded environment in the mountains. The academy had no technology and no scope for a social life. My teachers were as emotionless as rocks and ensured we emulated them. It sucked, to a great extent, but I don’t regret it. I developed skills that few human beings could dream of. And, yes, it was worth it in the end.

That sounds like a hard childhood! Even so, I’m sure you have a few cherished memories.

The young Lightbender wasn’t too fond of his childhood. My teachers tortured our minds and bodies in the name of resilience. But when I look back, I miss hang gliding in the mountains, making strawberries from thin air and, in a masochistic way, pushing my body to the extreme. I developed a rich inner world that sustains me to this day.

What do you do now?

I’m an illusionist. It’s not as complicated as it sounds. I’m aware of the illusion of duality and pierce the veil if needed. Some say I perform miracles, but it’s hard work and practice, really. I’m a healer, one who wanders the world serving the afflicted in war and natural disasters. My toolkit comprises herbs, acupuncture needles, my hands and a sleek hang glider. Occasionally, I use my hang glider to get out of sticky situations.

I’m curious to know about your latest adventure. Which part of the world are you in?

My latest adventure is trying to avoid adventure as far as possible. I’ve been stranded in sieges and riots, famine and landmine-infested regions. I’ve walked into a massacre, for God’s sake! Sadly, I have a feeling I’m going to get myself into trouble again—but only if I visit the borderlands. There’s a reason I’ve avoided them like the plague all these years. I’ve been stuck in Capherayna for a while and can’t get myself to leave.

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Nahor (of The Stone Cutter, by Brock Meier)

Dear readers, tonight with us is a young sculptor working the art world in the spectacular Nabataean Kingdom of ancient Arabia (you know its capital as the fabulous city of Petra). But his secrets of implication in the
deaths of his sister and mother, and his father’s abandonment, leave a
dark chasm in the flint of his heart.

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

I was born near Hawara, Nabataea—a place the Greeks called Arabia. It was a few days travel south of the capital city of Raqmu, or Petra as you call it. It was one of the last stops on the caravan road from the port at Aila, on the way to the capital, and finally on to the port at Gaza. From Gaza, they shipped luxury goods—incense, silk, and gemstones—to the rest of the world around the Great Western Sea.

Any memories of childhood?

I loved roaming the rocky white hills beyond Hawara, and swimming in the cool waters of the town’s underground cistern—when no one was looking. And I recall times of joy I spent with a girl about my age—Qainu. At the tender age of seven, I thought I might marry her.

But the place holds bitter memories as well, since I was implicated in my younger sister’s death, and later, that of my amma. And for that reason, my abba abandoned me in Raqmu/Petra, leaving me in the care of a stranger. But that man became a better abba than the one who sired me.

What did you first think when your father abandoned you in Petra ?

I couldn’t really imagine that he was abandoning me—in a city I’d never known, and to a man I’d never met. I could not grasp that I would never see my family again. I don’t think my mind, and my heart, could face the terror of that reality.

What do you do now?

I was on the fast-track of the art world in Raqmu, as protege of the famed sculptor Aslah—the man who was my foster abba. He instructed me well, and also said I had a gift like none he’d ever seen. But that all came to a horrendous end one day at the stone quarry. The collapse of a rock wall crushed him to death, and caused grievous injury to my right hand. I not only lost the ability to excel at my craft, but lost the man I cherished as my abba.

I then went on a quest to find something—the Shamir—that I thought might resurrect my career. It was said to be a powerful, but mysterious object, buried beneath centuries of myth. It took me to the very ends of the earth. And the cost of this quest grew far more than I could possibly imagine.

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Minutia (of Tactile Therapy: Requisite, by Durell Arrington)

Dear readers, tonight with us is an individual unlike any I’ve interviewed before. She tells me her name is Minutia, but she reminds me that this isn’t her birth name as she wasn’t technically born. A name, a birth date, or even an address, are all novel concepts to her. Though she’s a full grown adult, she only has memories and experiences that stretch no further than from a few weeks ago. Everything before then she either forgot or simply never happened. Tonight perhaps, she can shed a bit of light about her origin and how she’s been faring so far adapting to our modern society.

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

Well, I didn’t exactly ‘grow up’ –– not in the traditional sense. I believe a better way of framing it is that I awoke. This awakening occurred about 3 weeks ago. I have virtually no memory of anything before I opened my eyes on Apophis. Since then, I attribute my life’s experience to the things that have happened to me on a place called Earth. 

That being said, of all the peculiar things I’ve come to associate with human beings, as I’ve come to learn they are called, there is none more strange to me than these memories that flow into my head that inform me of things instantly. Things that I’m told should ordinarily take time to learn for someone with no idea of what they are. Yet, for me, I become fully knowledgeable of them the moment I see them.

Just a month ago, I went from not knowing what a car was to being able to drive one in a second.

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

Toys. You mean the object shaped like a man that Calvin threw at me when I was in his bedroom? If so, then that’s all I know of them. He seemed very concerned about the care of these objects, so I guess they have some sort of deep value to their owners. Which I presume he is. 

What do you do now?

If you’re asking what my vocation is, such a concept does not apply to me. But, I assume one would conclude that I am a seeker. I am currently looking for someone. A man who shares a likeness to me. Perhaps, with Calvin’s help I’ll be able to find him. This wasn’t something I planned to do but I’ve recently learned that he is looking for an artifact that can destroy this world I’ve somehow landed on. 

I need to stop him. Right?

What can you tell us about your latest adventure?

It seems I was successful in convincing Calvin to join me to find Jumopikwaris. I’m not sure how, but Calvin found me and it’s almost like he knew we were supposed to meet. I’ve only met four people since I awoke, but he is by far the most interesting of them.

Glenn, uh, I mean, Chadwick, lied about his true intentions and assaulted me when I least expected it. I told him he’s going to be sorry for that and I wanted to show him right then and there exactly why. But, I had to be careful around Calvin’s bodyguards. I’m not even sure where that feeling came from.

Now that me and Calvin have escaped, I’m growing more and more worried about finding Jumopikwaris. We’ve been shot at and almost died and I just met this kid. He seems to be enjoying it, however. I can only hope I can keep us safe in the meantime.

Continue reading “Minutia (of Tactile Therapy: Requisite, by Durell Arrington)” →
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Glitch Govil (of Glitch: Redemption, by Roy Jones)

Dear readers, tonight with us is someone who’s been called by many epithets — Mercenary, Vigilante, Killer, Saviour, Destroyer, Hero, Villain, Enhanced, Broken, Assassin, Protector, and, also definitely, possibly, certainly, probably insane.

Please introduce yourself and the book you are from.

Hi, I’m Glitch Govil, yes a bit of a stupid name, but there you go. As you may guess it’s not my birth name, but you know how in films and TV documentaries, they say that names changed to protect the innocent, well that’s why my name was changed. To protect my family. I started to keep a journal about my missions,  which I titled Glitch: Redemption, and me being scattered brained, didn’t start at the beginning of my journey, ,but I hope you will read about me and my journey. What? How did I get the name Glitch Govil, well that’s a story for another time.

What do you do now/What is it you do

Well, it depends on who you ask, those people I help, those desperate people let down by the government, or the justice system, will say I rescue them or save them. Well, most of them will, a few really disagree with my methods. Let’s just say that when people are in a desperate situation with no real way out, I rectify the situation, I decide what’s right or wrong, I protect the innocent and punish the wrongdoers, I am the judge and jury, and at times, the executioner.

Whom or what do you really hate?

Oh, that’s easy, The Collective, I can’t tell you too much about them, as that would place you in danger. Hmm let’s see, OK, so, you know the spy films, big secret organisation planning to take over the world or take down a democratic country, is taken down by a lone agent? No not like that, yes  The Collective is a big secret organisation, yes I fight against them, but no I can’t take them down, after all, I am just one person (sort of), all I can do is damage them and run, for they are after me.

Why Do I hate them, one, them made me what I am, two, I was an enforcer for them for a time, completely under their control, until I got away, now I am a loose end they are eager to take care of.

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Rez Cantor (of The 5 Moons of Tiiana, by PT Harry)

Dear readers, tonight with us is an interstellar captain facing an unimaginable crisis. His daring rescue of the Princess of Melela from the clutches of the alien-hybrid Relcor should have been a triumph. Instead, an unforeseen catastrophe leaves him injured and stranded on an alien moon, with no memory of how he arrived. To make matters worse, a deadly alien cloud looms overhead, threatening his life.

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

I was born on the planet Barsin, but I moved to Melela with my parents at the age of three. My father was a military officer assigned to the Diplomatic Corps, where he later became the personal attaché to the Emperor. My mother was a professor at the Melelan Medical Academy.

My upbringing on Melela was stereotypical, though I did have issues with my father. He was away on missions for the Emperor, and my mother raised me. She was a kind soul, but like most undisciplined boys, I gave her a hard time. This led to my father enrolling me in military school at ten. Oddly enough, I took to it like a duck to water, though my classmates plagued me for my inherent entitled privilege.

After graduating at eighteen, I joined the Shadow Guard, an elite military unit assigned to protecting the royal family. My duties were standard fare initially, but I eventually worked myself up the ranks to become a Captain. During this tenure, I caught someone trying to fondle the Emperor’s daughter, which I prevented. The result sealed my fate as I was commissioned to permanently oversee the Princess’ safety. Little did I know then how much this would affect the rest of my life.

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

I can’t say I had any real toys, per se, but I did love knives and swords. I think this was my way of emulating my father. He was a soldier’s soldier, and I always felt the need to win his respect, so excelling at martial arts and weaponry was a constant thing. I do remember slicing up the drapes in my room while practicing one day. I cut them to shreds, and my parents were not happy.

What do you do now?

My life today is very different. I am no longer the swashbuckling hero who saved the moons of Tiiana. Today, I am helping to rebuild our planet, Melela, alongside the Princess. The Relcor decimated our world, as they did the Empire. Things will never be as they were, but we need to move forward. Getting our planet rebuilt is a full-time job, as there are others who wish to rule. And there are faint rumors that Juc T’Krola may have survived Giragoc. If this is the case, we need to be ready.

What can you tell us about your latest adventure?

My most recent adventure was running into Penta. The young seductive survived the bombing of Corin and eventually became a resistance leader. Our initial meeting almost brought us to blows before we realized who we were. Though we are not always on the same page, both of us have the future of Melela in mind, and I look forward to collaborating with her.

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Celeste Bradford (out of The Bureau of Society Betterment, a short story in It Takes A Village Anthology, by Anaïs Chartschenko)

Dear readers, tonight with us is the protagonist from a Utopian world, where everyone lives on massively tall monolithic buildings, and social status is determined by literally how high up you live. She is here to tell us about her world, about moving between levels, and encountering an agent that governs the building.

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

I was born and raised in a monolith. It has a tall center with multiple branches of pods extending from that. Escalators at either end run the entire length of the core. They have stops at each level, with latrines placed conveniently close to the exits so that you don’t have an accident when traveling long distances.

I was not quite lowlith, but not far off, which meant the first pod I remember was slightly below the mid levels. There aren’t as many windows there, but there are a few. I spent quite a few nights sneaking out for a moment at a window. The sky at dawn is particularly beautiful, as it splashes colour against the pale grey walls of the halls.

The left side of the mid pods were mainly used for agriculture. The right is for processing them. I can still remember the smell of compost, which reminds me of why I work as hard as I do. The children’s ward was directly below one of the lower levels of the mids, and while I’ve been told smells rise, this one definitely rose and fell like some sort of decaying cloud.

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

I have an abacus from the children’s ward. I wasn’t supposed to take it, probably, but I don’t think it was missed. The other children were more interested in baby dolls or ball and sticks.

I wanted a grown up doll that looked like one of my first carer’s Ms. Renton. She was so incredibly beautiful I used to imagine she was an Elite.  I was informed by the Matrons dolls with breasts were out of the question. Apparently they needed to protect my morals. Strange, since half the monolith has them.

I’m getting off track. The abacus. It was brought by my second carer, Mr. Dirby. He taught me to count, which was a joy to me. Everything could be ordered, and that calmed me down like nothing else could. I looked forward to Mr. Dirby’s hours.

Of course, he had one look at Ms. Renton and ruined everything. They both transferred out of the children’s ward. Heard they are together to this day, with their brood of non-orphans to watch over. The bright side is he forgot his abacus. When I aged out, I smuggled it under my coat. I keep it on my desk.

On to your next question… Well,  I’m an orphan raised in a sea of wanted children. Few cherished memories. Let me think. I liked the pudding I had once at one of the other kid’s birthday party! I don’t know what the flavor was exactly, but it was the first time I’d had anything that sweet.

What do you do now?

In my current job, I run numbers. Funny how that worked out! I try to keep things running smoothly. Always learning more about people around me. Information is power, another motto. But I’ve done it all! Laundry, peeling vegetation, turning compost, assembling gadgets and do dads, minder of children, secretary, dispatcher, seamstress… There’s more, but I can see your eyes glaze over at the monotony of the list. Believe me, mine did too.

What can you tell us about your latest adventure?

Know what I just said about eyes glazing over? It was noticed.

I was about to move to a higher lith level. I was literally in the middle of a tour with a real estate agent when I found out my account had been tampered with. The apartment was denied even though I had the CAVES! You can imagine how that felt… no. Perhaps you can’t. There is no graceful way to say I lost it.

I only go to the Bureau of Society Betterment under duress. Endless forms and the fear of reassignment if they decide it suits. Did I mention the whole place drives you mad because there is absolutely nothing besides bureaucracy to look at?

Continue reading “Celeste Bradford (out of The Bureau of Society Betterment, a short story in It Takes A Village Anthology, by Anaïs Chartschenko)” →
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Arneth (of Death’s Flow, by Victor Klayin)

Dear readers, tonight we publish an in-world interview between two characters, a noble woman who wants to know more about one of the protagonists. They speak of scholars and warriors, of calculating the future and fate.

So… mister… Arneth, is it?

Arneth Farhan, your highness. May I ask what’s the purpose of this interview?

I was told a member of the Daht’Gahren was seen in town, and I wouldn’t pass up the opportunity to know if you monks are for real, or if you are all just an act.

I am, ever, at the countess’ disposal.

Really? I couldn’t tell. You don’t look like a scholar monk, more like a swordsman yourself.

Indeed. My martial prowess comes from the time I worked with my father, as a caravan guard. We would always accept contracts for guarding merchant caravans, and thus from an early age I’ve been familiar with numbers. That would prove to be very valuable later on.

And how does a caravan guard becomes a Daht’Gahren?

Slowly, your highness, as it is with all students. Since I learned of the Daht’Gahren I have been attracted to the promise of their life. When my father had accrued enough means to pay for my tuition, I journeyed to Verian Tower in search of apprenticeship. I was twenty then. When I graduated, I was thirty-five.

And how was it, living in the tower of the Daht’Gahren?

Both demanding and rewarding in extreme measures. You may have noticed my… pointed lack of body hair. Every Daht’Gahren trains memorization and fast calculus to such an extent that the stress alone causes all of our hair to fall. For our graduation exam, we each have to commit an entire library to memory. And yet, what we gain is… unfathomable. I learned to read peoples’ minds just by analyzing their body language, and to calculate the future of nations.

That’s… impressive, if not preposterous. How can anyone withstand this?

Many don’t. Of every thousand students, only one graduates. It is never easy for anyone. I remember the sleepless nights spent studying, the oral exams that seemed designed to be impossible… I doubted myself for a long time, as I apprenticed, alone with but a mountain of books for company.

Surely there must have been something to look up to?

Yes, but it is hard to put it to words. Our teachers would make practical demonstrations of the knowledge they taught us, recite entire books from memory, read our minds in the middle of a class, things like this. However, what drove me most to study were the alternate calculations. They would show us, mathematically, how much worse off our world would be if this or that person hadn’t finished their studies. It is impossible for me to convey right now just how important each and every life is, and the difference every single person makes when they have knowledge, and the will to act.

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Rudi (of Legend of Elberkhan, by Yuxiao Chen)

Dear readers, tonight with us is an elderly tree elf recounting an adventure from his youth. He’s here to tell us about befriending a human, and their adventures that followed.

Can you tell the readers a bit about yourself?

Oh hi, I’m Rudi, I’m a tree elf, and I’m the author of Legend of Elberkhan. Yes, yes, I know you thought it was written by Yuxiao, but tell me, if it weren’t for me, how would she know the story? I was there. It was a long time ago, but I was THERE!

I am 777 years old. Now don’t look so shocked, that’s just rude! Ok, fine, I am pretty old, even for a tree elf. I still have my charm though, ahem… Anyway, as I grow older, I’ve been thinking more and more about the adventures from my younger years, of which one particularly stood out.

The story happened when I was 112, when I first met Aary. I remember every detail of it, as if it all happened yesterday. I was just a boy back then, like him… What are you laughing at! I was!

Apologies (putting on a straight face), so how did you two meet? I know it’s explained in the book, but can you briefly talk about it, without giving away too many details, for those who haven’t read the book yet?

Sure. I was just elfing around in the woods, you know, catching rabbits and other delicious treats. It was near my home tree hole, somewhere on the side slope of the Soulkeeper Mountain. Actually, it was not very far from the Castle of Elberkhan, but far enough away from the dangerous humans, or at least I thought it was. Well, not that I thought that all humans were dangerous. After all, my father was a human. But I always knew that some of them loved violence, they fought each other to obtain and keep things that they didn’t really need…

Sorry I’ve gotten a bit carried away now, haven’t I? Where was I? Yes, I was elfing around in the woods, minding my own business, and that boy snuck up on me! Caught me by surprise! He made me lose a very fat rabbit, I still haven’t forgiven him for that. I was scared out of my wits. I really thought he was going to eat me!

And what did you think about Aary when you first got to know him?

Well, he was kind, and brave, pretty eccentric, but nonetheless a good kid. Who can blame him for being a bit… strange, really, with all the terrible things he’d been through and all the suffering he had to endure almost constantly, all at such a young age. I don’t want to sound old, like I said I was just a boy myself, but I did have almost a hundred years on him.

Almost from the start I felt that he was hiding something from me, or maybe he was even hiding it from himself. I didn’t want to push him too much, you know, but personally I don’t believe that holding secrets is good for anyone.

Tell us a bit about the story of your book. Again, without spoiling it for the readers who haven’t read it.

Well, when I look back on my 777 years of life, that year was easily the most exciting one. Meeting Aary completely changed my life – from an ordinary tree elf whose only concern was the next meal, to what I am now, a well-respected advisor and the author of a book!

It was lifechanging for him too, meeting the most important girl in his life, having scary encounters with fearsome beasts that almost cost him his life, and discovering all those secrets about himself and the king… Oh, not to mention the big war at the end of the year. Phew, I’ve never seen anything like that before or since! Oops, am I giving too much away? Sorry! I got carried away again!

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