Welcome Back, Dear Travellers
Welcome to Book Two of The Glass Wizard. Whether you have followed this tale all the way through the heart of the Shatterglass Dunes and the Dimension of Light, or whether you have simply wandered in at this point and are now wondering why fate, questionable judgement, or possibly a duck has brought you to this story, I am very glad to have you here. Thank you kindly for reading on.
This part of the story leads deeper into the Albweiss and into the life of the Mountain Guild:
a place of ancient duties and pressing dangers, strange witches and even stranger companions, unfortunate employment, and many more perfectly reasonable reasons to worry. There will be oracles waiting in temples upon the highest peaks, ork shadows upon the Snowtrail, beast Kings stirring in the underground dark, and also a truly considerable amount of shit work at the guild. Mountains, as it turns out, contain both wonder and bathrooms that need cleaning. This is probably symbolic. Unfortunately, it is also Yu’s problem now.
He steps forward in this tale, or is perhaps pushed forward with all the grace one might wish to grant someone who has spent much of his life being deeply uninterested in taking any part in society. You might find him oddly interesting, given that he is a fina-wizard bastard with emerging Transcender skills. You might even feel sympathy for him, because he is an avian with crippled wings. You will most likely be annoyed with him, since he has become rather good at complaining about both of these things. As with Yves, there are truly no promises that he is in any way likeable, or inclined to better himself.
The Glass Wizard remains a slow-burning psychological fantasy tale for readers who enjoy lingering not only in a character’s world, but also in the less orderly country of their thoughts. There will be magic and wonder, songs, lots of lore, and quite a few notions about the rather dystopian human habitats that keep your kind confined. There will also be insecurity, self-doubt, suspicion, and the slow, uneven changes that happen inside someone when paranoia grows claws, and when other voices begin to speak from deep within. With his particular hearing skills, Yu might even be able to hear you, if you but share your advice with him in time.
May you travel well through the Albweiss.
With heartfelt appreciation,
The Duckman