Song of the Forever Rains

The road to anything truly worth having is often steep, but think of the view when you get there.

All was fine. Or at least, it appeared to be fine, which of course meant it could very well be all wrong. .

He had given her his light and remained in the dark.

It’s in the past now.” Achak leaned into her chair. “Only there to learn from, not dwell.

With you, I wanted to let you in beyond my wall, my defenses. You make me feel strong even with the door wide open.

How could the simple act of stringing certain words together change the very shape of a soul?

The monster was so large that its matted fur scratched along the rocky walls as it approached, its head forced to duck down. The best comparison was to a giant dirt matted canine, except it had as many eyes as a spider and far more legs than a dog.

I will stop your nightmares. For I will be the final storm to rock this keep.

Steady hands thread finer needles,” said Achak. “Do you understand? Practice being steady in your head and your heart. When you are surrounded by a storm—” “Stay steady,

Nothing inappropriate will happen.” “What a shame.” “Excuse me?” “What a shame,” she repeated. “For then you’d be right and I wrong. But now that you’ve just contradicted your own claim against your lack of intelligence in visiting me unchaperoned, I fear any declarative statement you say from here on out will have no bearing.” “I have a headache.

To be a relation, you merely need to relate to another,” explained Achak. “Besides, if we did have family, any evidence of them has been taken by the No More.

When enough of something is lost in a society's collective memory, the energy holding it in existence falls away, like water through a sieve, simply causing it to become No More. It's pulled into a hole that swallows any realm, place, or thing that has been forgotten." (chapter 08)

Why must I only like a thing that looks good on me? Can I not love it for being beautiful on the rest of the world?

Darius had hated how quickly his heart had beaten in that moment, seeing her there. How it had turned to an aching twist when she’d said his name, the sound like a soft song from her lips.

I’ll be careful, Zim,” she said. “As careful as I am able.” “Which for a Bassette means hardly safe.” “Dancing around trouble?” “Playing with death.” “Perhaps,” she said. “But if I can play, then it means I am still alive.

Behind them, the door burst open. The girl looked like crashing waves at sunset as she poured into the room, unstoppable beauty. And though shorter, what she lacked in height she made up for in the curves and sway of her hips as her creamy peach dress bubbled up like agitgated froth with each of her steps. Whether she liked it or not, her moods were always readable through her movements an effect of her hypnotic gift of dance.

none were as devoted as those whose secrets you held safe.

While Larkyra had grown up in this house, she still had not figured out all its secrets,

Larkyra had learned the hard way that calm often camouflaged the most vicious of intent.

You do not have to lie" said the man "How do you know I lie?" Countered Larkyra "Because lies and I are well acquainted

Larkyra wasn't in the mood for a fight, but she also didn't want to merely walk away. Not now. Yet currently, with only one proper working hand... Ours, crooned her magic. Let us do it for you. Larkyra internally stroked her powers, which paced restless in her lungs, a master calming a hungry tiger. Gentle, she coaxed.

One may be beautiful,” she began, “rich, poor, young, blessed with magic or not, a sinner or virtuous, and the gift of life is still given to us all, just as death comes for us all.

Life is made to move in one direction—forward,” continued Larkyra. “It is our souls that act as the winds guiding its course. Life can be given to all, but only our souls decide how we want to live.