Things Are Not as They Seem

It’s not just because the world is full of faeries, although for Rhychard Bartlett that has become a definite reality. It’s more than that. Much more. What Rhychard has been forced to realize is that the things he thought were true, the roles of good and evil predictable, were not as they should have been. They had been flipped; his viewpoints, even his beliefs, challenged. That was not only the way of the faerie world, but also the human world as well. Anyone who looked at Tryna would think they were seeing a cute, three-year-old in a pretty dress. However, Tryna is over six hundred years old, an ellyll from the Land Under who serves as Keeper of Knowledge for Harbor City, and specifically for Rhychard. She has magic and carries a small dirk, which she has killed with before. To just glance at her, you would not think deadly, but she is. Very deadly.

As I wrote Reaping the Harvest, the first in my Warrior of the Way series, I wanted to show that first impressions, even second impressions, didn’t reveal the truth of a person, so I flipped the stereotypical roles. Adrian Michaels is the pastor of Harvest Fellowship, thought to be a god-fearing man by his congregation. However, Rhychard comes to find out that not only is he an adulterer, but he is in bed with demons for more power. The good pastor is not above using blackmail to get what he wants, either. The good guy is now the villain and Rhychard’s beliefs are challenged. It doesn’t stop there, however.

Buttercup is seen in the distance in the beginning of the book. Rhychard watches her get in and out of cars, picking up johns and turning tricks. He’s never talked to her, not even to say hello, yet what he has witnessed from afar, knowing what she is doing, has already cemented his opinion of her. She’s a prostitute and, therefore, someone to avoid as a bad person. Yet, Kree, the coshey who has bonded with Rhychard in his fight against the Unseelie, drives the point home that not everything is as black and white as humans have become accustomed to seeing them. Check out this scene from Reaping the Harvest, which takes place right after Rhychard and Kree rescue Buttercup from being killed by gargoyles.

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The first gargoyle kept his fix on Rhychard while the second stopped in mid-flight and turned to face Kree who had landed on his feet in the middle of the street. Rhychard tossed his short sword in the air slightly, catching it like a javelin and launched it. The first gargoyle dodged. The second, however, didn’t see it coming. It plunged into his back between his wings and he was gone. Ash and sword fell to the ground.

The remaining gargoyle slowed, flittering around in a small square. He jerked his head back and forth, first looking at the Warrior, then at the coshey. The odds were not in his favor. With a loud yowl at the sky, he darted up and out of sight.

Rhychard watched him go, his fist tight around his sword, his breathing heavy. Once the creature was out of sight, he walked over to retrieve his fallen blade and asked if Kree was all right.

:They reek worse than damp dog.:

“Agreed.” Rhychard glanced to where the girl should have been as he slid the swords over his shoulder and into their holsters. They vanished as soon as he released the pommels.

:She left once the fighting commenced, but I don’t think she heard anything.:

Rhychard nodded. Why would gargoyles be following a girl who worked the streets? Wasn’t she already a child of the Void?

:That’s not how it works, Warrior. Motives not actions. Her business is to bring pleasure to her clients and she does that with her body. How is that different than people who bring pleasure by their music or art? Just because your human society believes something is wrong doesn’t mean that the Way does. On the contrary, quite often those who would protest what she does and wish to bring harm to her to make her cease her business are of the Void. Do you really think that those who would blow up abortion clinics are of the Way? Your world sometimes has a skewed view of the righteous path.:

“No arguments there, my friend.” Rhychard walked over to Kree and ran his hand along the elven hound’s back, the fur still damp but now coated with ash. “I think we both need a bath.”

Kree shook his coat, ash flying off of him. :Agreed.:

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What Rhychard had to learn is that not everything he had grown up believing was the truth. People are more than appearances. There are deeper layers, different motives, varying levels of truth that cannot be seen at first glance. Like Rhychard, many of us are used to judging based on first appearances. We need to get past that in order to grow past our prejudices and into a more accepting future. As Rhychard has come to learn, the world is not black and white. It’s a rainbow of colors and nuances that, while some may make a few of us uncomfortable, we all need to strive to grow beyond and become more accepting and loving humans. The faerie world has ceased judging based on looks and roles. Rhychard is getting there and we need to follow his example. In this life, things are not always as they seem. Quite often, they’re much better.

To follow Rhychard Bartlett and the band of faerie creatures who have surrounded him as they battle the hordes of the Nether, check out Reaping the Harvest, the first of the Warrior of the Way series, available at all eBook retailers.

Amazon US ~ http://amzn.to/1f4Cddz

Amazon UK ~ http://amzn.to/1opGXNY

Amazon DE ~ http://amzn.to/1Rb6ZTz

Amazon CA ~ http://amzn.to/1mzTuPX

Amazon AU ~ http://bit.ly/1Z20aYN

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Until next time, keep chasing your fantasies!