Melody of Dragons – Book Excerpt

Welcome friends! I am excited to collaborate with my dear friend Erynn Lehtonen and her partner, Alex Rousseau, writing under the pen name of Derrick Ward. You have met Alex with his academic hat on in Creator’s Roulette when we chatted about Indigenous Peoples and History, and today we will hear from his author side. Melody of Dragons is Book 2 of 2: Lunar Insurrection and is a LitRPG Fantasy. So if you enjoy video games and like reading fantasy set in video games, read on for an excerpt after we chat with Alex and Erynn a bit.

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Get to know the authors: Alex (Derrick) and Erynn

Welcome to Armed with A Book! Let’s start with some introductions. Tell me and my readers a bit about yourself!

Alex: To start: I’m not much of a “writer” in how I think people imagine it. Although I have written many words over the course of my time in University as a student of History, I hadn’t written anything as a speculative fiction author. Well, Erynn and I played around with a few stories and ideas years ago, but I lacked the finesse needed to bring words together. I mean, I still believe I do, but I can put words on paper because I do not imagine myself as bringing words together, moreso I bring ideas together.

I write as if I was running a game of Dungeons and Dragons. I imagine my characters are players, and I am merely describing them moving through my world. They encounter ideas in which I hope they engage with. I don’t have maps, or much description of the world, because I want the reader to experience the world with the characters.

So, unlike most writers, I don’t have a fully fleshed out world which is planned from before the characters are born until after the characters are dead. My world only exists as the characters experience it. But the beauty of that is, the world will come alive and develop into a complex mythos if we allow the world to steep in unbound creativity.

Erynn: Well you know who I am 😉 but for those who don’t, I’m Erynn, author of the Yokai Calling series. I’m a dragon lover & tea addict and LOVE fantasy in just about all forms. I’ve been writing basically forever and a few years ago I finally decided to take the leap and independently publish my books. It’s been a bumpy but exciting read. The best part so far has definitely been how many amazing people I’ve met along the way.

My work currently features Japanese mythology, although this series that Alex and I are working on is the exception. It’s more based on typical Dungeons and Dragons environment, which tends to be more European in style and setting, and yet we of course intend to subvert those expectations at every available opportunity!

What inspired you to write this book?

Alex: This book was inspired by a desire to tell a story. I cannot really write, I speak a story onto a page. I wanted to tell a story that fit within the conceptions of fantasy, but then also at times, broke those conceptions. Challenges preconceptions of readers and offer a much more humble narrative. One in which the world is as much a mystery to the characters as the readers, allowing for us to walk alongside, rather than behind, our characters.

How long did it take you to write this book, from the first idea to the last edit?

Alex: I wrote this book in about a week. Then Erynn let it stew for about a month. That stewing time is very important for stories. Ideas need time to marinade, to cure, to mature. I liked the first draft of Melody of Dragons. I told Erynn that, but I really like it after the edits. Lots of finessing of components into the narrative structure rounds out the story a bit more and pulls through some looser strands, bringing together a much more cohesive and entertaining story.

What makes your story unique?

Alex: I believe I’ve already talked about what makes this story unique in my introduction, but to perhaps be more specific: I think my story is unique because most fantasy worlds are much more present as a character in the world. It is not to suggest mine is not, but most of the time, I delegate my world to be experienced through the characters’ interactions with it, rather than descriptions. While this may sound unsatisfying at first, I believe I have left enough of a framework to allow for readers to paint their own imagery in this world while still being guided through an entertaining tall tale of swords, spears, magic wolves, and of course, dragons.

Who would enjoy reading your book? 

Alex: I hope that anybody might pick up this book and find some entertainment in it, but my target audience is definitely someone who has interests in Roleplaying and Dungeons and Dragons. While we push the narrative towards the LitRPG genre, which is more oriented towards a Video Game experience, I wanted to create a world in which someone might imagine either themselves, or at least, A Dungeons and Dragons character could exist within.

What’s something you hope readers would take away from it?

Alex: I want readers to pay attention to the conflict between the environment and other actors in the book. There are times in which I draw attention to things about the ways in which we live with the world are actively destroying it, rather than finding a way to live with it. I hope a reader will notice that this isn’t a story in which two groups of people are unable to come together, but a story in which something has created a barrier for the coming together of these people and that there is a place for both in this world.

Do you have a favourite quote or scene in the book that you find yourself going back to?

Alex: My favourite chapter is chapter 7. It’s a split-perspective chapter and each of the scenes allows for each character to sort of have their own moment in the spotlight to interact with the world and each interaction is very indicative of their characters. Rey is dragged far away from his friends, communicating with folks he doesn’t understand, and ends up having a great time. Guen is extremely suspicious of her escorts, expecting them to kill her at any second, but in reality, they too, show her a good time. 

Erynn described this chapter as “Slice of Life,” which is strange in my opinion that I like it so much, but it is just such a good little palette cleanser of a chapter that allows us to get into the more gritty chapters that follow.

Erynn: I’m really fond of chapter 4, which is where some of the heavier worldbuilding comes into play. Some mysteries are resolved & revealed at the same time and do some set up for later books in the series. You get a sense that there’s something sinister going on behind the scenes and I just loved worked on that part.

The ending of the book is a lot of fun, too. The characters find creative solutions to difficult problems instead of brute-forcing their way out of a sticky situation with overpowered skills.

What was it like to work on the book as co-authors?

Erynn: This is the first time I’ve written a story with someone else (to completion) and it’s a lot different to how I would usually work on a book. The biggest part has to be that Alex actually did most of the writing when I’m used to that being a solo operation.

There are a lot of compromises that have to be made during the story development to come to a story that we’re both happy with as our writing and storytelling styles are very different. But we’ve had some very good discussions over the time we’ve worked on this story and are often able to find middle ground that, most of all, serves the story above all. 🙂

Alex: I’m the worse of the two halves in this writing relationship. Although I would say I wrote about 60-80% of the book (we don’t keep track during editing although the first draft was about 30% shorter), Erynn made this book publishable. I mean, if it were up to me, this book would be the first draft and I could have not cared less, because it was the story I wanted to tell. There were plenty of times where Erynn wanted me to do something, or edited something that conflicted with how I imagined the narrative, but as she said, all feedback was ultimately used to serve the story and clarify or push things further.

This is one of your first books from your indie press. Tell me about your press and why you both decided to start it!

Erynn: An indie press has been a long time coming for me. I have always been passionate about books, storytelling, and I’ve been saying it would happen one day since about early 2015 or so. In a way, this stemmed from my frustration with the traditional publishing industry. Overall it’s very whitewashed, exploitative of authors and artists, and resistant to certain types of stories.

Although the industry is slowly changing, that change is not coming fast enough. Thus we aim to do it ourselves and White Raven Chronicles was born.

This is a process that will come in many phases, especially as we are just starting out, but we, of course, have several primary objectives. We will always tell diverse stories of all kinds, engage with the voices of authors of colour, especially Indigenous voices, with an emphasis on writers located in Canada. Our focus is and will always be on fantasy and its many subgenres, but we do intend to branch out into other genres in the future.

Were it not for Alex finally getting frustrated with the world enough to start White Raven Chronicles with me, it probably would have been many more years before I was ready to venture off into a project as large as this on my own.

Alex: Erynn couldn’t start WRC alone. While she had all the skills to publish books, she lacked the human capacity to fulfill all the needs of an Indie Press. It’s not much, we are starting with not much more than the laptops and computers we already had and the education we spent far too much money on. But that’s about all you need to tell a story, and if you can tell a story, you can get words onto paper for others.

I will avoid going too far left, but I was frustrated with the lack of opportunity Erynn and I had, despite being capable, intelligent human beings. We both struggle to find spaces where we can thrive in this world and we decided, if there isn’t a space for us, we need to make a space for us (and those like us). We sized up where we were at, and where we were headed and it was like: “Well why don’t we just publish our own stuff?” What’s stopping us? The idea that you need a traditional publisher to act as the middleman between your writing and the market is absurd.

You don’t. While there is more that goes into putting a book to market than just putting words into a Word Processor, that’s the majority of the work that goes into producing the product. The printing can be made in small batch orders from indie-printers (and even Amazon if you want to sell your first born to Bezos) and online advertising is making the market more and more accessible to a wider and wider audience that is interested in more than what the Big Wigs in New York, London and Toronto are offering.
Erynn: For the time being, we’re starting small. Since we’re currently in a state of discovery and having fun, we’re focusing on publishing our own stories as well as those by a select few that we’ve interacted with in the past or have ongoing friendships with. We are not currently accepting submissions but we are hoping that we can be in a position where we’re ready to at some point in 2022.

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Melody of Dragons

Book Excerpt

“What I promise you is a new life. Freedom.” The Savior stood on a stage at the front of the theatre, his face obscured by a black-feathered mask. A row of large screens circled the room, accenting his every word with vivid pictures. His feathered cloak fanned around him like wings as he extended his arms to the hushed audience. This world is doomed. We, as a species, have done more damage to this planet than any other.”

The screens flashed through a spread of natural disasters—hurricanes, flooding, forest fires, and earthquakes as they tore apart cities. The splinters of what remained of the livelihoods of countless people carried away like nothing. Outraged murmurs scattered through the assembled audience, although all were in agreement.

“Mother Earth can no longer support all of us,” the Savior continued on. “She sends storms, pestilence, and pushes us ever closer to Armageddon.”

A dozen pairs of tired, dejected eyes watched the man and the screens that flashed around him. Morbid curiosity held our gaze as the sweet voice promised change. The scenes that flashed upon the screens were inscribed in the audience’s day-to-day lives; they were not colourful windows into new worlds but ripped from their realities. Every single person in that room had experienced a disaster on some scale—it was what brought them there.

The Savior’s great feathered mask bobbed as he spoke, the vanes of the feathers catching the light and changing colours as each movement sent them dancing in the floodlights.

“We are being given another chance. The new gods have granted the lucky few an opportunity.” The screens shifted to display a room filled with the empty plinths of smashed clay statues; the only evidence left was the shards of pottery scattered in mixed piles across the floor. “Centuries of iconoclasm have left us with little evidence of the gods. And ever since, people have doubted the great beings that nurtured us as we crawled across the dangerous expanse of Earth. Yet despite these constant slights through years of destruction, the gods haven’t forgotten us. They’ve become attuned to the fact that the world wasn’t built for everyone.”

The screens went black until it was lit up only by a small blue marble. It grew to reveal splotches of green across the sphere, the object seeming to move slower. As the continents on the new planet began to form concrete shapes, an unfamiliar globe emerged. Lines appeared on the continents, strange runes slowly shifting into familiar languages.

“A seed has born fruit. With the power of the gods flowing through their minds and hands, our developers created a new kind of reality. One not just digital, one not just virtual, but a Transcendental Reality.”

A pause of silence rippled through the room. Crumpled pamphlets emerged, remnants of their welcome package that some still clung to anxiously. A common thought became a murmur around the room, I thought this was a beta test or something? When are we getting paid? I thought we would be given a chance at a new life. People looked at one another. A similar tired, sad look shaped their faces.

“This Transcendental Reality game that you have all been gathered here for, to beta test? Nay, beta test is far too simplistic for what your noble quest shall be. Here, we come together at the confluence. The birth of a New World. This”—the Savior gestured to the map behind him, which started to light up with stars on the map— “is a virgin world. You are to be the pioneers, your participation ordained by the gods. Those brought here today will be selected by whatever divine being takes pity on your soul. Your life will be left behind, and they will carry you to a New World.

“As you have all read in your pamphlets, this world was built for your arrival. With the powers you will come to have, you will be able to shape the land, the people, and the nations to your will. You will find contenders among the people you find there; some will be others like yourselves, others will be people who came from the seed of this world. So please, follow the instructions in your pamphlets as our attendants help you to your ascendency!”

Next to the audience members, great tapestries on the theatre walls were raised to reveal tables that had been folded flat behind them. Lines in the roof of the circular room lit up to show a red star which illuminated the space in an ominous light. The audience members were strapped onto the tables. Some began hesitantly but seeing the enthusiasm of their peers, they, too, went to their designated tables to await further instruction.

“Those of you chosen will be welcomed into the New World. Those not chosen…” the Savior’s voice boomed.

Their arms were strapped above their heads in a V, positioned so their fingers were out of reach of their neighbouring patients. As they settled and their heads were strapped in place, the Savior strode into view at the center of the room. He spun, his cape of feathers flying around, almost like wings. “Thank you, dear adventurers. You are laying the foundation between the combination of the new gods and the old.”

His familiar feathered mask had become a symbol of hope for many in that room through the bleak years up to this point. He promised them a new life, an end to their suffering—their ceaseless poverty, the death and destruction that shadowed the unsustainable modern lifestyle that fell apart around them. That bright feathered mask lit up their days.

His hands stuck out above his head, teasing the edge of his mask. “This is it. This is what you’ve all been waiting for.”

They had hoped that this meeting, being their final one, he might have revealed his face.

“The new gods have no faces,” the Savior explained. “The gods who will give you all a new life are a series of ones and zeroes, and yet still, they are so, so much more.” The globe on the screen faded to the familiar M, the symbol for the Savior’s software development company. “We are about to bring those gods to life. In ending our suffering, we bring birth to a new type of immortality.”

“The time of your rebirth has come.” The great blue M faded to black as the room became lit only by the giant red star coming from the ceiling. His voice came in a low, soothing timbre. “We live in a world of riddles and rules. There is only one rule you must abide by in your New World: Obey your patron. Be wary of questioning the tasks given to you. In this life, you are born with no purpose. But in the next… you are being reborn as their champions. You must fulfil your destiny.”

A medical technician came and placed a black visor over each of the patients’ heads. Darkness swallowing the red light from the ceiling. Below the bottom rim of their visors, the audience could see their fleeting Savior who’s hand once again flourished above his head, sending his feathered cloak dancing.

“All life is fragile,” the Savior continued, “and you will find that in your new life, it is no different. It does not matter how many levels you gain, how many stats you accumulate, the weaponry and magic you collect. This world is to be the battlegrounds of the gods. There will always be someone or something bigger and stronger than you.”

Attendants in lab coats came around, carrying a dark purple liquid in their delicate syringes. A few tears were shed by the audience turned as they turned into medical subjects, but not a single word was uttered. Each attendant finished fastening the dark translucent visors and turned to await the signal from the Savior.

The ground shifted below the Savior’s feet as his tall flamboyant frame began to sink out of view. “You will find a new life, and I guarantee you won’t be alone. More will join you every day. For now, rest your heads.”

Once the last wisp of his tall feathered mask followed him as he descended into the ground, all the attendants nodded in unison and turned to their patients.

* * *

They had heard of the Savior’s new game through a friend, the offer of a new life. To give a new world for those who had little hope in this one. The wildfires that ripped through forests and cities met with an array of shrugs from government officials. It came as no surprise to them that even the floods and hurricanes that brought the great city of Seattle to its knees were met with a chorus of “not our problem.” The world can only be a personal problem for so long.

The pinch of the needle was not accompanied by the familiar euphoria that had led them to this place. Instead, their consciousness faded, and they were spun through a sea of stars.

They closed their eyes. They were ready.

The game was starting. Their life was ending. Those last desperate breaths of life that attempted to beat a broken heart. The memory of a monitor flatlining echoed in their head until it was silenced by a quiet melody coming from their headgear.

The stars formed into a line of great bold letters with a message: GAIA HAS CHOSEN YOU. WELCOME TO GAIA RENEW. Cultivate a new life, one of your choosing, one in harmony with nature.

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Interested?

You can buy the book from Amazon! I will be adding the links for Goodreads and Storygraph when they become available. Connect with Erynn Lehtonen on her website, Goodreads, Twitter and Instagram and with Derrick on Amazon. You can sign up for her newsletter here. learn about their press on https://whiteravenchronicles.ca/.

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If you are an indie author and would like to do a book excerpt, check out my work with me page for details. Happy reading!

Cover image: Photo by Tobias Tullius on Unsplash