by Isu Yin
INOUE COMMUNITY: The community on the opposite side of the Centre between the Capital Palace and the beaches below. The people of Inoue live roof to roof on the slope, adhering to old tradition and gathering for celebrations held by the Royal Family living at the top of the slope. In spite of their spacious region, they prefer to remain close together, as a reminder to cherish their neighbors and their families. Children from this community gather in the Centre to listen to folklore told by the Elders.
USSAN: Rumored to be the only remainder of the once magnificent crystal empire. The forest is guarded by Capital guards at all times, because it is so dangerous, but many people from all around the Empire try to visit the Capital for a chance to see it up close. The citizens of Inoue say that the forest sings and chimes in order to tell the tales of the Lost World. In some cases, they say that if you listen closely, you can hear it whispering.
NEX: A once luxurious region tarnished by the plague and Rahma rule. The two sides of the kingdom, Nex and Macellarius, were divided upon the coronation of the Cruentus Twins, Neco and Niteo. It is the smallest and coldest kingdom in all of Mu, and is often neglected by the higher powers due to its Rahma rulers. Even so, it is considered important because it is the only kingdom standing between the Capital and the rest of the Empire.
NYSA: The fifth kingdom of Mu—home of the Feh. Although they are few in numbers, they still hold a great deal of power and influence in Mu. With their intelligence and fantastic ability to manipulate their element, the Feh have created one of the most beautiful and peaceful kingdoms in all of Mu. Under the rule of their king, they also have sided with the Rebellion.
THULE: A place in the Ethereal Realm where Ancients still thrive. Akira is said to have been raised there by the Council in one of their facilities. No mortals are capable of entering this realm, but Ancients may enter in whichever form they please. Thule is inside the Beyond, above the path of light and a chasm that has opened to the Void.
NIALL: A city of Reapers located in the Shadow Realm. Phantoms roam the shadowy landscape searching for sustenance. It is covered by strange glowing orbs and surrounded by space.
UNDAL: Often referred to as the Old World. Most people believe that it’s a mythological world or theorist’s tale about the world before Mu. However, there are a select few who believe in its origins and study its history and scriptures.
1. Miasma plays a large role in the plot. At this point, what is your understanding of it and the effects it has on others?
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2. What are some of the parallels between the present story and the folklore in Rota Fortunae?
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3. How many of the book’s events may have been instigated by the presence of miasma?
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4. Both the Rebellion and the Council have strong opinions about the Tainted. Based on their current arguments, which side do you believe is the most fair? If not either, discuss the reasons why.
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5. What reasoning might the Madam Fortuna have had for not training Fate to fight prior to her meeting Hero?
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6. According to the story thus far, the Spinner symbolizes fate and Leoht Miina symbolizes chaos. What do you think the relevance of this is to the plot, and how might it effect the story?
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7. The Tainted suffer from miasma poisoning. In what way might their ailment relate to human conditions?
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8. So far, Fate’s doesn’t appear to be affected by miasma. However, there are several implications that she might already be infected. Discuss the reasons she might be able to withstand it and the signs she might already be infected.
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9. How might the story of the original Spinner foreshadow the current tale?
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10. The books of Grims’ Truth carry many hints in symbolism and subtleties throughout the story. Discuss some of the details that were the most distinct, and what hints they might hold.
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11. The story suggests that the Tainted are responsible for the deaths of hundreds, if not thousands of people throughout Mu. What might be the Rebellion’s reasoning behind focusing on the perpetrator of the murders instead of the Tainted?
Q. Does writing energize or exhaust you?
YIN A. Writing energizes me, but having to manage writing around my day-to-day schedule exhausts me.
YANG A. I don’t really know if it does either for me. I’m more emotionally affected than anything.
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Q. Do you want each book to stand on its own, or are you trying to build a body of work with connections between each book?
YIN A. For me personally, it’s about the series as a whole and how it all comes together. However, I do enjoy the components individually.
YANG A. I think each individual story can be dissected, but generally, we work backwards because we’re trying to build towards the ending. It’s about every piece functioning to create one giant machine.
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Q. Can you name an early experience from when you first realized that language had power?
YIN A. Language has power? I’m kidding. It was probably the first time I was told ‘no.’ It was a real bummer.
YANG A. Uh, I’ve never considered this before. I guess it was the first time I used the wrong word to describe something. The reactions said a lot. Now, I use this technique intentionally.
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Q. How many unpublished and half-finished books do you have?
YIN A. The sad truth is that I’m sitting on some really awesome stories. I don’t know when I’ll have the chance to finish them. I have at least three that I intend to complete.
YANG A. Too many.
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Q. What period of your life do you find you write about most often?
YIN A. I don’t write about this life.
YANG A. I don’t generally focus on myself.
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Q. Do you hide any secrets in your books that only a few people will find?
YIN A. I have secrets in my books that no one will find... I hope. Come to think of it... where exactly did I stash those secrets?
YANG A. There are so many secrets, that even this interview has secrets.
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Q. From where did you draw your inspiration for the series?
YIN A. The Universe and everything in it. More so the voices that aren’t heard, those who feel left out, the lost, and the damaged. There have been so many things that I’ve seen in my life that stories seem to miss. I was just trying to fill a void. I wanted more from the stories I read and the movies I watched. Finally, I just decided—why not just do it?
YANG A. I get this question a lot, but I don’t draw inspiration from any one source. In fact, every time we start a new book, I have to trail off and find new inspiration. For me, inspiration is just something I dissect and piece back together in various ways. There are many, many films, books, pieces of music, games, and art that I study to achieve what I want in writing. It’s difficult to name them because they’re fleeting. In the period of a month or two, I replace old inspirations with new ones.
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Q. If you could become one character in the book, who would it be?
YIN A. This question always perplexes me because I feel that when we write, we become each character and because our series focuses on different perspectives we get to spend a lot of time with each character. We get to know how they feel and think, and understand why they behave the way they do. It’s hard. You get attached.
YANG A. I agree with Yin. Sometimes I get so wrapped up emotionally that I have to walk away because I get overwhelmed. After finishing a recent manuscript, I realized that every time I looked at the document, I became upset. However, for the sake of actually answering a question in a straightforward manner, I’ll say I’d like to be Barloc, but he’s not in this book, he’s in the next book. My reason is, he’s charming, brave, and yet... not quite right. Well, you’ll see.
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Q. Are there any characters that either of you placed a piece of yourself into or feel more connected to?
YIN A. All of them.
YANG A. Akira. I got really distressed during the writing of Book 2. It’s not that we’re alike or even that I put any of myself into him, but his story seriously distresses me. You’ll understand eventually.
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Q. If the series ever became a Hollywood movie, who would you cast, which character would they play, and why?
YIN & YANG A. We had way more answers than we thought we did. Here’s our list so far: Eddie Redmayne as Ignis Fortis. Zoe Saldana as Alin Oralia. Lee Dong Wook as Jackyl. Cara Delevingne as Argyris Isul. Katherine Langford as Gishian Luna. Claire Forlani as Gishian Una. Jared Padalecki as Mortis. Jasika Nicole as Myrna. Lupita Nyong’o as Nene. Jaime Chung (we had difficulty with Fate, actually) as Cruentus Fate. (If he acted... sob from Yang.) Mitsuji Sen as Akira.
CONUNDRUM
Grims’ Truth – Book 2
By Isu Yin & Fae Yang
Be swept further away into the world of Grims’ Truth with Conundrum, the second book in this epic fantasy series, set to release in November 2017. For more information on this series, please visit the Evolved Publishing website.
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Please scroll down to the next section for....
CONUNDRUM
Grims’ Truth – Book 2
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Please scroll down to read
Chapters 1-3
You mortals live in blind faith, ignorant of the creators that formed your crumbling society. You follow scriptures of faceless authors, those which you believe without basis. To consider your geniuses wise is but an insult to those safeguarding your meager existence.
I say this only to enlighten your sad and frail mortal souls.
I am time, a beast created by the mind of a battered and faithless child—a concept of broken fragments.
To say I am everywhere is an understatement.
If creatures like myself were spawned by a mere idea, who is to say whether the mortals dreamed their gods or the gods dreamed their mortals? If the latter is the case, I wish nothing more than to rescind the existence of your kind.
Our worlds are interconnected, two different mirrors of the same flawed notion. The world intertwined with your own is under your nose, yet you heed it no mind. A war rages around you, but you simply scamper into the line of sight, blind to the struggle of your warriors.
I am but one of many, not a warrior, but a judge.
I exist only to serve justice, though I shall not attempt to justify my beliefs. Whether or not you deem my actions righteous is not my decision.
But watch and listen carefully. The new world is coming, and you are unwelcomed.
The computer room in ARX headquarters sat unoccupied. Each white monitor glowed in the darkness. Most of the members were off preparing for the newest mission, but their leader observed their stations. The low hum of the sleeping computers filled his ears as he watched the specks of dust floating towards his tall rolling chair. When he’d first founded the group, he’d sat in that very chair with the poise of a confident leader.
Those days were long gone. All that remained were the aches and pains of their journeys.
He sat on the chair a final time, checking the name plates beside each station: Jackyl, Reina, Fenix, Vulpe—and lastly, his own—Akira.
He had sought to expand the team, but time—a double-edged sword, both his purpose and his curse—had defied his wishes.
He’d never recovered his name and identity. Not many knew or cared about his story, but those few kept him going.
One of those people entered the room, adjusting his cat mask as he passed through the doorway.
Although Akira had already seen him, the Reaper reached out a hand. “Are you all right?”
“Yes, I’m fine. Is everyone ready?”
The Reaper nodded, and they strolled through the long white hallway to the Portal Room.
Looking back, Akira recalled the chaos of their home. In this epic game, its inhabitants served as his wild cards, but everything else was spic and span, just the way he liked it. Still, he hesitated to pass through the portal as he thought of his team.
The Reaper in the cat mask touched Akira’s hand and nudged the silver band resting on his ring finger. By touching it, the Reaper seemed to remind Akira of their pact. “Why don’t you leave this to the team?”
“They say a captain must go down with his ship, but I say better the captain than the ship. I must see every mission through to its end. At least... for as long as I’m able.”
The Reaper stood silently.
Since his companion did not respond, Akira pressed several clear buttons on a panel beside a misshapen portal, manufactured from metal and crystal. “Doesn’t Mayuri need you back at Sclera?”
The Reaper moved his mask to the side of his head. With his face uncovered, his cobalt blue eyes shone more vibrantly. He gripped Akira’s hand tighter than before. “Is this truly what you want?”
Akira stared back. They’d been together for as long as he could remember. At such a dire time, he could think of nothing more to say or do than smile. This could have suggested one of two opposites: I’m all right or I’m afraid. He left its interpretation to his friend.
With the press of a button, the portal flashed with blue and pink light.
The Reaper put his mask back over his face, and they stepped towards the distant image of an old facility surrounded by trees.
Two members of the team, Jackyl and Reina, waited on the other side of the portal, crouched about the shadowy opening of the woods around the small white buildings. Ocean waves swished in the distance, but nothing could be seen through the dense leaves.
Jackyl noticed Akira first and turned to greet their leader. The mask of a jackal hung around the side of his head, entangled in tufts of dark, wavy hair.
Akira pointed at the mask and once again reminded Jackyl of his bad habit. It seemed pointless to remind him of the mask at all—in fact, Jackyl wore it less than ever before.
Reina rose from her place by the bushes, twirling a strand of blonde hair around her finger. “We’re ready, Leader.” She shifted her gaze to the Reaper in the cat mask, and raised a brow. “Not a cat today, Bes?”
“I’m whatever Akira needs me to be,” Besil said.
“Oh my.”
“Focus,” Akira said, scanning the area—no movement, no visual concerns... not even a sound, it seemed.
He had run scans and calculations on the facility for many months, the consistency of their variables critical to success. He reached into his blazer pocket and retrieved a small journal, embellished with a gold sun dial, and scanned past his notes written in black ink, to a special notation in red.
Oga Island. September 21, 1993. 8am.
Condition: Foggy.
Facility #3—a scientist leaves the building where they store their injections. Take those stores. The subjects are trained to react to doses of adrenaline.
You have one chance to break out Tatsura and Sera. If you fail, you cannot save Besil, so don’t be arrogant. Allow them to save themselves.
Akira glanced at Besil, and the Reaper gazed back, his eyes glinting with curiosity.
Akira’s lungs grew heavy as he recapped the details of the note written in his journal. He ran his fingertips over the handwriting, closed it, and placed it back in his pocket. “I’ll go in first. Even if something goes wrong, you have to hold your ground.”
Jackyl moved his mask to the side again. “I know it’s a bit late to be saying this, but I’m not so sure this is a good idea. Wouldn’t it be better to send someone more... stable?”
“Don’t question your leader.”
“First and foremost, I’m your friend.”
“For once, we agree,” Besil said.
Akira sighed. “This isn’t the time or place to argue. I’m going in.” He took a step forward and, in
a flash, appeared deeper within the encampment.
A group of the facility scientists passed by and entered one of the white buildings. They did this now and then when they needed to check their captives, but for now there was time to strike.
Akira crept behind the buildings and hid within the shadows to watch for passersby. From a distance, he spotted his first target in one of many concrete blocks barred by thick metal.
He hid behind the third facility building, waiting for the man to exit. Sometimes the variables changed, and this always distressed him. The closer he drew to the end of their journey, the more essential their successes. Now, he fought to ensure the safety of his loved ones. They had already lost so many in the battle for the balance.
He shook his head.
Focus. Where’s your mind?
As expected, a man in a white coat stepped out from the facility.
Akira conjured his scythe and snagged the man in one, concentrated swipe. This way, no blood spilled on the coat and the victim remained intact.
After stealing the coat and studying his victim, he conjured an illusion of the man over himself. He struggled to hold any of his abilities for extended periods, as the miasma hindered his concentration and physical condition.
At this point, he had to trust the notes in his journal to proceed. Once again, time would either aid or destroy his plans.
He entered the third facility building and scanned the room—a single stretcher that stood between cabinets of medicine, several lights, and a tray of needles and tools. He dug through the drawers of the cabinets, pocketing several vials of adrenaline and two syringes.
The illusion flickered over his hand.
Stop it. Not now.
He moved swiftly outside towards the concrete blocks that contained the facility’s test subjects.
The first target lay inside one of the prisons. He was a small boy of twelve, a genetic experiment, and one of the few chosen survivors.
Akira knelt down and weakened the illusion. “Wake up.”