The Quest: Chapter 19

Celeste again. =)

I bet a lot of people thought that I was going to have the fight be in this chapter, right after the last little cliff-hanger, but I wanted to draw the tension out a little more. This is the last fight of the book, it deserves to be built up a little.

The phone call with Gabe was originally going to be when Seraph was alone in her cell, but Woodson complained that Celeste wouldn't let her keep a phone on her because she could call for back up or the police or any number of things that could ruin Celeste's day. I was forced to agree, but I felt the conversation with needed to happen, thus its new placement. It was also longer, but Seraph said things that I felt she wouldn't say in front of Celeste, so they were removed.

Celeste's particular method of healing is, of course, really illegal in this world. As well it should be. I needed to have Seraph be in better condition to fight the oni, but it wasn't in Celeste's nature to do anything that isn't in someway horrible. I liked how she didn't understand why what she was doing was upsetting. Celeste is truly a psychopath to her core. And I get another opportunity to horrify and mess with Seraph. Win-win.

The Quest: Chapter 18

As with all the sans-Seraph chapters, this is plotgasming all over the place. We get more to see Kaelyndra step up into the role of sole ruling monarch. While not weak before, ordering the souls of her enemies to be tortured for information puts her firmly into the "do not fuck with" column. On the other hand, she pours a great deal of magic and property damage into trying to save her servant at the end of the chapter. Amira pretty much is there to show that Kaelyndra is, well, a nice person. There is a bit of advice I heard once, "If you're out on a date and the person is nice to you, but not to the waiter, they are not a nice person." Replace waiter with servant and you have a good stick to measure the royals in this world.

But more importantly this chapter has the execution of the goblins and a real introduction for Rhairen, who's name I AWAYS have to look up. >.>;;

I put a lot of thought into the execution method of the fay. If had to be equal parts brutal and elegant, not an easy combo, but I think I hit it on the head by making them kill themselves.

Rhairen is a bit of a mystery. I think I'll let her stay like that for now.

The Quest: Chapter 17

Celeste is my darling character. I love her to pieces and always feel that I don't quite have the skill needed to nail her down. Woodson and I worked hard on working out just how she would react to things, what she would say and how she would say it. She is completely batshit, but and awesome, smart, sexy batshit. Whom you should never ever for any reason turn your back on.

I also have her in here to widen my monster base. By having her be Japanese (well, half, but don't mention that around her) I can put in all kinds of fun weaboo critters in my story (kitsune, oni, kapa, etc...), none of which Seraph will know, making them in jokes as well. Celeste lets me add layers and layers of awesome!

For some strange reason, Seraph doesn't like her as much as I do.