The Thief’s Priestess: One For Another

Hello everyone, how are we, I hope you’re all well, it has been a while I know since the last post like this was released, where I cover the making of a video worked on by a string of talented people; But a lot has been going on personally which results in frustrating delays, and unfortunately there is little I can do when such hiccups occur, mount that onto other people’s schedules that can change and you’ve a recipe for days being thrown aside like they are nothing. This article/video’s specific schedule has been all over the place for example, it had to be re-shifted, re-organised and this body of text included had to be re-written just for it to make logical sense! That’s how disorganised things have been – Usually, I am not able to post anything until late in the afternoon or sometime in the evening when everything typically is ready to go, from blogs, socials, to the site itself, and today everything was meant to be released in the morning, I had it ready, but alas things rarely go according to plan. With that said these pieces of work I am about to share with you have been building for a few months and I’m really excited to present them and in turn, publish this essay to compliment all those involved, because let’s be clear, I could not have done this without their help and their specific talents, talents I admire and talents I cherish; But before I dive right in, I’d like to touch on a recent event, the release of Episode Two-Rise of the Black Doves: Volume Five, a challenging yet very exciting instalment to TAO (The Ancestral Odyssey) series, and what a wild journey it has been thus far – Simply to arrive here feels rather strange, especially when you consider the fact that I started Ep2-Rise back in 2011 (possibly 2012), only to foolishly throw the semblances of a narrative away like trash, and to restart the project somewhere in 2018. The first draft was finished on October 6^th, 2021, Volume Four launched on February 13^th, 2023, and Volume Five released not too long ago, on March 14^th, 2024. And what can I say, I am very proud of it, very happy in fact with how it’s all turned out – I picked up my own copy a few days after it went live, I’ve given a few of my favourite chapters a flick through (Daughters of Omega, Guardian of the Nine and No Turning Back to name a few), shelved it next to the others and continued to make progress with the final third act, with Volume Six, due for release in 2024, providing everything goes according to plan of course, which it rarely does but fingers crossed. Despite a few niggling things displayed on the cover of the Paperback and the embarrassing hiccup involving the Kindle Edition, how a rogue chapter from Volume Four somehow slipped between chapters thirty-six and thirty-seven, which has been sorted, the quality of the work I am certainly impressed with, the text is clear, the paper is soft on the eye and as far as I can tell, the editorial is something of high merit. It’s all very exciting overall, a weight has been lifted and once I get clear of Episode Two entirely, when Volume Six is released and shelved, more of my time can be focused onto Episode Three-Seeds of War, Volumes Seven, Eight and Nine, the continuation which will have big shoes to fill; As it stands, the outline of Ep3-Seeds will have to undergo drastic changes to punch out the heavy-weight that is Ep2-Rise, and some people have criticised me for adopting this lens, you certainly need to tell a story RIGHT for the story and not be overly concerned with what has come before, honour it for sure, but remember it’s not a competition, and although I agree to a large degree with the criticism of this view point, there is an element in the mix that makes me want to trounce what has come before, in terms of writing ability, entertainment, character development, marketing strategy and so on. Sometimes I feel like Ep2-Rise is a monster, one that I have to overcome using Ep3-Seeds as my champion, because I do believe that Ep2-Rise, outmatched Ep1-Dream, don’t get me wrong, I love Dream, it’s a solid foundation on which to build from, but it was after all, my first and worst attempt, the story might be tight, but presentation right out of the gate wasn’t strong, there are parts that are bloated, the pacing could be tightened up and fight scenes do not necessarily need to be as long as they are. That being said, there is plenty to like about it and plenty to get engrossed in. When it comes to the final act of Ep2 and the humbling beginnings of Ep3, there is still lots of work to be done, I am sifting through old ideas I’ve had for Seeds, and like a detective solving a mystery, I am putting the pieces together while writing carefully, but it will take time to make sure I tell the story I want to tell, while being sure to keep the characters consistent and moving in the right direction. Ep3-Seeds will take care of itself in time, for now however, Volume Five has recently been enrolled into The Readers Favourite Awards, I made the earliest possible deadline and as per reward, the book is currently under review, no doubt in a month or two I’ll receive it and post it for display, good or bad I would like it to be read. Odds for winning a Readers Favourite Award are slim for the average author, but for me odds are slimmer due to the fact that this is part of a series and does not technically consist of a beginning, middle and an end, this IS the middle of the second episode, and no matter how proud I am of clearing this milestone, it does not excuse the fact that the academy of writers and readers may look at this project with clinical indifference, which I hope is not the case. Regardless, it’s been enrolled, the results will be announced in September 2024, and I’ll anticipate the review and the feedback. Speaking of feedback, I have received some very heartfelt messages since Volume Five’s release, I have been contacted by some delightful people saying how much they’re enjoying the series, them speculating on what is to come and how they’ve interpreted certain events that befell in the story, it has been thrilling to listen to and hear about other people’s takes, it’s one of many reasons as to why I do what I do. I’ve had a very warm and welcoming reception to the most recent instalment which is rather surprising considering what takes place, and what takes place is not necessarily happy putting it as mildly as I can – Don’t misunderstand, it’s not all doom and gloom, there is plenty of intrigue scattered throughout this instalment, you learn more about the Glyph magic, magic that is expressed in a variety of ways, ways you’ve not seen before, parentage of certain characters is revealed which sews up some hangover questions ever since Ep1-The Utopian Dream, we learn a little more about the ancient history of Equis, more specifically about The Age of Giants and the Pioneers, which has some seriously epic ramifications, and we’re told a genuine story about a selection of characters all from different walks of life, all with something to say and to contribute to an overarching, umbrella plot, one which I am anticipating to see through, much like Lethaniel and Isabelle were the key protagonists in Ep1-Dream, although they were separated by vast landscapes and have polar opposite ways of achieving their goals, their arcs do end up entwining, and this is similar to what happens in Ep2-Rise only you’ve a lot more characters to deal with – But there is a dark side to this, I believe the suspense is built rather well and the payoffs are executed soundly. I worked incredibly hard at this, and I trust myself enough to know that the characters behave in ways which are respectful to themselves, and that the story is delivered in such a way that you’ll be able to follow it without getting too bogged down in exposition, a lesson I had to learn hot off the heels of the first three volumes. It is important to note however, that as intense as this story gets and is destined to get, what with the release of Volume Six later this year, is that it IS just fiction, it is made for your entertainment, it’s here to be consumed at your own leisure if you so choose to do so; This is not supposed to be something punishing, it’s here to be enjoyed, real life is punishing enough, real life is cruel to us all and nature will not show mercy, we’ve all got shit going on, we’ve all a kryptonite of some kind and with the world in the state that it’s in, the more avenues of escape the better, so long as those avenues are depicted well, that they come from a genuine place and are not put in place to further drive the wedge between us. Books like mine are not going to change the world, they are not going to solve any major problems, they’re here to take you away for some escapism, they’re written to give you (yes I’ am talking to you) an outlet, to get lost in some make-believe, and to get excited about something other than the status quo, that’s it, and I think it is important for creative folk especially, to remind ourselves as to why we do what we do. I write to tell a good story, to push the limits of the epic-fantasy genre, to nourish my own mind, to provide me with a purpose and to buy my mother a Porsche should it ever become massively successful, and as a fringe benefit, feed a foolish hope that one day my TAO series might be adapted into a film/tv show (preferably film). Yes, this is extremely unlikely, I am more likely to win the lottery, get struck by lightning and make-out with Emilia Clarke all on the same day (hopefully not in that order), but it’s enough to keep going, enough to see me through the grind of the daily routine. Volume Five is great, it’s a killer continuation after Volume Four, there are many surprises, the best is still to come, and I am eager to know what you guys think. I will be writing a review of Ep2-Rise whence all the volumes are out, and enough time has gone by to avoid spoilers, and I promise you it will be better than my review of Ep1-Dream, which may have hit all the right points, but was awful to read. With all that rabble aside, I’ve another video out now, it’s complete with some fantastic artwork and some engaging music which deserves talking about. To note, this article and video is part of a family of others, there is also; Isabelle’s Theme and A Path Sewn by Fate, if you’d like to listen to them, if you’d like to read about the process and their relevance to the books, I will link them below, but it’s far easier to search them out on my site. I hope you enjoy, The Thief’s Priestess.

The best place to start when talking about projects such as this, is to answer the question; Where exactly does this concept fit into the source material? Before I answer however, I am about to get into spoiler territory, some pretty big spoilers as matter of fact so you’ve been warned – The artwork, painted digitally by artist Ashley Mckenzie, the same lass who painted The Masters Library for, A Path Sewn by Fate, is a depiction of our protagonist, the 23^rd Star Callers of Krondathia, Isabelle Verano as she appears in Episode One: The Utopian Dream – Volume Three. In the book, she is coming to the end of her journey, she is rowing across a channel, from a town called Harbours Edge toward a distant island, called The Zodias Island that is on fire! She has just confronted the Eldor’s Peacemaker on the dock, Mr. Calias Harken, who was accompanied by a class of Glyph Wielders tasked to capture an enemy of the state, someone who is responsible for abducting a High Priestess (Isabelle), someone who was interfering with the Star Callers purpose; A Dark Rogue named, Teo Liolas. Of course, for those of you who have read the book, indeed know that Toula Windeuce, one of two leaders of The Dark Rogues assigned Draygo Dumear and Riagel Tyorn to watch over the Star Caller, to stay with her, to watch over her from a distance, to escort her to safety should the unthinkable arise and to keep her away from all those who wish to do her harm. Originally, Teo was ordered to return to base, to Sentinel, which was situated in Tthenedawn Forest at the time, but they switched assignments for good reason, and it was a good thing they did this too, for it was after all Draygo and Riagel who played a hand in the strategy that ultimately crippled The Dovidian Covenants advance at the battle at Korthak Bridge, preventing the enemy from invading the country which resulted in the turn of the tide, a tide led by Lethaniel Presian and Braygon Augiene. Riagel, also factored into the equation that more men on the ground, pinned at where the war was hot, while Teo kept an eye on the Star Caller, was a better action, and he was right! Riagel displaying brilliant leadership qualities that would elevate him to the rank of Commander soon after the war was ‘over.’ Riagel and Draygo also became Shields of Krondathia to commemorate their brave contributions, to join a cabinet of renowned soldiers and professionals orchestrated by General Lethaniel Presian, this was also a ways to mend the gap between factions of Norkron and Dark Rogue, their alliance becoming something symbolic, but I’ve digressed. Calias Harken on the other hand had a different agenda; His task which was assigned to him by The Eldor, Kastius Greylion, was to arrest Isabelle, but he had to do so in such a way that would not destroy Starillia’s (the Norkron religion’s) reputation, but to find fatal flaw in the woman, in Isabelle Verano herself, so that the empire could keep functioning without pause, without risking its integrity. Calias had to find reasonable grounds in which to arrest and detain her so when the time came to put the woman through the court of law, Isabelle would be found guilty, she would be 100% to blame yet her holy order would remain intact, and the Norkron state along with its highest institutions would be rendered blameless. The people would learn to hate their 23^rd Star Caller, and NOT the culture built around her keeping all those in positions of power, IN positions of power without the need of a reform model, which is what Isabelle represented at the core of her journey and why she had to be stopped. Calias did not achieve this, he came close as you discover in Volumes One, Two and especially Three, but in an attempt at doing so, he learned of the affair between The Dark Rogue, Teo and his Star Caller, Isabelle and threatened to reveal it to the nation. As a Star Caller, they’ve rules which she must follow in order to reach what was prophesised, a utopia, and one such rule is not to form intimate relationships with anyone, for she is holier than thou, she is someone of purity, divinity, someone of uncompromised strength unburdened by the ties of human relations; She is selfless, she is loyal to the order, loved by all and her grace is given unto the people of the faith – This is the message trickled down to the Norkron populace from the preachers in this North Western culture, despite being human, she is not presented as such by her peers, Isabelle has been hailed as The Chosen, to lead the blessed people into paradise. These are not direct quotes by the way, but such phrases are uttered throughout the body of Ep1-Dream, through Volumes One, Two and Three. Calias, with his troop of Glyph Wielders, confront Isabelle on the dock of Harbours Edge, after having captured Teo, Calias knows about their affair, knows that Isabelle cares for this man intimately, and he gives her a choice:- She can choose to falsely accuse Teo of his ‘crimes’ of theft, espionage and kidnapping of a highborn, which will result in his execution, will safe-guard her reputation and enable Isabelle her ‘freedom’ to continue as she is. Or she can admit her acts of insubordination resulting in her arrest but may save Teo’s life for he would not be entirely responsible for the crimes committed. This is Calias’s best weapon against Isabelle, he knows how powerful she is, he knows he cannot physically stand-up to her for she is highly proficient with the use of Glyph magic, she’s a fucking Star Caller, once she flushes her system with this planetary energy (that is Glyph aka Glaphiar) she’s a superbeing, she becomes faster and stronger than anyone alive, and can employ weaponry that can fracture swords like they’re sticks, can stop projectiles mid-air and can crack even the toughest of shields. No one in their right mind would want to fight someone of this class, not unless you are of course another proficient wielder, Calias knows this, so he attacked her heart and Isabelle chose her freedom over Teo’s life…Initially…This is what Teo would have wanted her to do, to see the mission through to the end, to get to where she was going, it’s not until later, not until she sails out on a rowing boat when she changes her mind. Personally, this is one of the most emotional moments in Isabelle’s story, it’s an earned character shift, a notable change to what we’re used to, for throughout she is loyal to her faith, she is for the most part, well-behaved, to the book and dedicated to her practise, someone who is as calm as she can be while exercising her assertiveness given the drama of the story she’s entwined in, so this decision to throw away her reputation, her future as a Star Caller and to turn her back on an order that has existed for hundreds of years, all for a life with a man from the shadows, someone who she has been indoctrinated into thinking that HE is the enemy. To me, this is powerful. I don’t write love stories, I’ll admit I am not actually very good at communicating love, it’s very difficult, like comedy, it’s rather subjective and so easy to derail into a pit of rubbish, so I tend to lean away from love; Comedy, I think I am a little better at (he wrote while shrugging his shoulders), but writing love is a fucking minefield. In saying that however, this demonstration by Isabelle in this scene, I believe works. Feel free to disagree with me, but the idea of someone giving up everything for a chance at happiness with someone they’ve been manipulated into hating, and not only does she successfully dispel this manmade fallacy, but she fights for it, killing the Glyph Wielders who strike at her first, and toppling the carriage that Teo was being carted off in. Unfortunately, Calias not only gets away, but he is able to strike a fatal blow against Teo who quickly shields Isabelle at the last second while her defences are down and is pierced with a sharp piece of splintered wood. Teo and Isabelle force Calias to run but he struck hard enough to cause internal bleeding to Teo, and scarpers. The pair head for the dock, they commandeer another rowing boat and sail to The Zodias Island. This is what is depicted in Ashley’s concept artwork, the journey from Harbours Edge to said island. Isabelle gives up her traditional Star Caller coat, to keep Teo warm as he loses blood. Dark Rogues also employ Day Owls, they’re trained to send messages, to warn of dangers and to scout, Teo’s owl is named Wisp, and Wisp is present in this work, you can see him perched on the rowing boat, he was going to be flying, but because these owls are close to their masters, I thought it would be better if he was nearer to the pair, also I didn’t want to take away from the sky, the night sky is gorgeous, the cloud effects are stunning, and I like the bats in the distance; It’s a nice touch, I like it when artists use their own creative incentive to add to the scene. I did ask Ashely to paint in the end of a whale’s tail, and she did sketch one – Placing it however didn’t go so well, as glorious as it looked, it just cluttered up the concept, it looked too busy, so it was removed. Sometimes less really is more.

As for the music, it was written and composed by Jilaine Wheatcroft, the same musician who produced Isabelle’s Theme and A Path Sewn by Fate. Links to her Soundcloud and her specific works under TAO are listed below; If you do wish to message her about the music or want to get in touch about a specific project you’d like to work with her on, I’m sure she’ll be keen to hear out your ideas, she’s very professional and I am positive you’ll be pleased with what you create. However please please please if you do message, be thoughtful and respectful about it…The music she wrote in question, the theme she designed for The Thief’s Priestess, is as good if not better than A Path Sewn by Fate; The piece is instilled with a heartfelt ribbon of emotion, a melody laced with the notion of a long goodbye, the end of a journey and a sadness that will sit with Isabelle, left alone, forever – And yet there is a reason to still hang onto hope, that Isabelle WILL make it in honour of Teo, a thief that did his job, that stepped up to the challenge his superiors entrusted him with, and delivered her to the doorstep of her final destination. It’s sad, poetic, and inspiring, or at least I hope you find so to. I’ve listened to it several times now in preparation for this segment, and each time I hear it, when I close my eyes and start assembling the vision for the scene pulled directly from the book, it gets more and more vivid, to which I had to come away from my desk and re-read the event (with coffee), for I have been told by others that it’s handled rather well. A lot of people get caught up in the battle scenes of my books, and although this is no bad thing and not a complaint by any stretch of the imagination, readers sometimes overlook the personal battles, and in this case it’s to do with a confliction from within Isabelle, the confliction itself coming in the form of a question; Is Krondathia, is Starillia, is a line bound not by blood but by the spirit worth the sacrifice of one man, of one soul? … Isabelle hesitates when confronted by Calias on the pier, she’s human after all but comes to her senses somewhere across the channel, she finds her courage, leaps back into ice cold water, drags herself up the harbour, and participates in Teo’s rescue, retaliating furiously when attacked by those who had at one point trained under her. This act demonstrates that Star Callers, even though they’re of the same ilk as Glyph Wielders, are still insanely more powerful than they are. I hope this scene moves you as much as it moved me, I hope The Ancestral Odyssey in remembrance (if remembered at all) is known not only for its collisions of epic proportion, but the personal drama’s and conflictions that stir from within its characters, characters that may very well be larger than life in some cases, but deep down are relatable at heart, for if a story is bereft of a beating heart, it lacks all the weight and gravitas needed to make it come alive, to feel real when in the hands of the reader. This is the challenge writers have if they’ve respect for themselves and their material, the challenge of making something emotional and tangible, something that feels alive. I’d like to think I’ve achieved such a feat, and one of the essential ingredients that enables me and perhaps creatives in the same boat, are people like Jilaine, people who can communicate in ways, in languages I am barely able to grasp, people who make my level of creativity look like something cobbled together by an amateur. I am humble enough to admit that I am jealous, even envious of musicians like Jilaine, who can whip up a theme such as The Thief’s Priestess using nothing but a laptop, a keyboard and her own voice, and give it a river of epic professionalism I only thought was possible from major studios; Not only do I think Jilaine’s work is on par with the bigwigs, I believe she’s better despite the fact she works from home between jobs. If huge establishments were to employ people like Jilaine, or give over their resources, their technologies to genuinely creative people and stop wasting time with those looking for a quick buck (buck sounds better than pound), I do not doubt they would be able to utilise their talents and create something worthy of high praise, something of merit and something to be remembered. The Thief’s Priestess is another fantastic piece of music, music that captures the spirit of The Ancestral Odyssey, the sensitivity of the scene and the strength of our lead protagonist of Ep1-The Utopian Dream, Isabelle Verano.

When it came to the layout of the video itself and the effects which you see displayed, the task was to simply communicate that I essentially wanted this video to be the exact same as the video that had come before, say for a couple of different slides, it’s going to be the same. Why? Because this is part of a series, it’s a phase, a family of work so to be speak and I am making sure that these milestones feel connected, that they’re consistent with one another, so when I start a new phase, you will see an edge of difference as if it’s a seasonal change. Jilaine has handled the music thus far, so her signature is secure. Ashley is on top of the conceptual artwork, her style is prevalent and easily recognisable while Alex is in control of the edit/effects which has its own sense of style, and I am of course the one creating the groundwork in which to grow from. Once I had prepared the slides from my end, once I was near in completion of this very article and readied all the socials, I sent the slides off in an e-mail to Mr Alex Hunt, a fellow H Productions associate and good friend of mine. I attached the labelled images with a detailed brief, same process as last time pretty much, but this brief was shorter; At this point, Alex knows the deal and how I work, so the pitch isn’t as heavy as it used to be. What was discussed in this letter and what we followed up on with a few WhatsApp’s, was what we could do with the image digitally, how could we make it come alive like we did with the last one? The answer to this question is simple, we had to work with what we have, and what we have is a lot of sea and a lot of sky – One would think that this posed a problem, in actual fact it was easier to make creative decisions. While the last concept was of a floor in Eran’s library, this one is out in the open, under the night sky blanketed with a galaxy of stars, and the Moon, so let’s make them sparkle, let’s make the water ripple, let’s gently sway the boat and perhaps create the plumes of smoke distort the air space around the tops of the temple, and Alex delivered.

I did mention earlier that the island in the distance, The Zodias Island, was on fire, in actual fact, it’s not on fire, the village of Penstrive is what’s on fire. Penstrive has only featured twice, briefly, in the books, once when Isabelle passes through right at the start with Honour Guard Thao Hikonle, Lucion’s father, and when she re-visits at the end, when it has been set ablaze by an unknown aggressor. Penstrive itself is a place for the renowned, the holy and their servants of Starillia to live, and for others of the faith to retreat to; It’s a small, simplistic settlement consisting of bricked houses, pointed slated rooftops, a central chapel, and an inn called, The Chanting Inn. It’s all situated a short walk away from Cathedral Alley, which leads to the great Column Temple. To help paint a picture of Penstrive, I’ve snipped out a description from Ep1-Dream, from Volume One:-

Across the shiny meadows and woodland areas, the large band of people followed Isabelle under trees and over small stone bridges spanning streams of gushing water. The path soon merged into a greater one, becoming a rocky road large enough for carts. The hills rolled over to reveal a small village. Isabelle looked up at the old, wooden signpost; it signified that this was the village of Penstrive. Small and built for convenience by the servants of the island, it was a grey place and quite lonesome.

The group made their way through the quiet community. Locals had noticed the visitors and were staring at Isabelle with envious eyes as she strolled passed. Women were washing priests’ robes, while the men worked on a stone tower of another cathedral and the children carried water from a well. They all slowed and stared, though Isabelle ignored the whispers and looks that became unwanted. The village although small had many residents; it consisted mostly of buildings of work, storage sheds squeezed between average-sized households not leaving much room for places of leisure, but for a single inn that stood out. It had a large sign above the door, proclaiming its name: The Chanting Inn. Looking back, she could see that people had dropped whatever they were doing and were now following her group with haste, having to jog to catch up. She turned to a priest who rushed forward, eager to listen or carry out a command.

So why is it on fire and who caused the devastation? Well, remember when Calias left Isabelle with a choice? When she went ahead and decided to row away from Teo on that pier, there was an exchange of dialogue between Dark Rogue Teo Liolas and Peacemaker Calias Harken, and it went like this:-

“She lies well, don’t you think?” mused Calias, watching her sail away, standing over his prisoner.

“Peacekeepers do it better,” sneered Teo. They both watched The Star Caller rowing out to sea, disappearing into the darkness, under the shadow of the lonely island. “You’re not going after her, are you?” the rogue asked, taking a steady breath.

“No…I don’t have to follow her anymore; she won’t make it to the temple. Her safety is no longer my concern. My hands are clean in this. I wanted to take her away, back to the city, where she could carry out her duty. What awaits her now is…What she deserves.” His words were soft; no doubt he had practised them for hours as he waited for his prey.

“Is this what it was all about, huh? Catching me, exposing her humanity? Strange way to serve your country, don’t you think? There must be something more to this?” implied Teo.

“Oh yes, there is, but that is none of your concern, not anymore.” Calias looked down upon The Dark Rogue. “I maintain the order. It is my purpose. I follow orders, just like you.” Teo had nothing more to say as he was picked up by two Glyph Wielders and thrown inside the back of an armoured carriage, the kind designed to keep dangerous prisoners locked inside. He was to be transported back to Xiondel City for execution.

Calias is not stupid, far from it, he is an intelligent, cunning villain able to outwit a Dark Rogue and halt a Star Caller; He knows someone, an agent, who is waiting for Isabelle on the island, he knows it’s someone who has a chance to stand against her, he knows that even IF he were to fail to bring Isabelle in, that a counter measure would be in place should she have decided otherwise. Either way, Calias knew he would be victorious and would have come out on top despite what decision Isabelle made. What he couldn’t control however, was Isabelle’s love for Teo and her ability to manage herself when toe to toe against a Cursed, against the agent, Miranda Simbidia, who was knighted by The Magpie as a Black Dove, who was carefully inserted into the orbit of The Eldor, who passed her over to Calias for positioning and tasked to stop Isabelle from entering The Column Temple, which she gleefully accepts, why? Because Miranda was primed to be the next Star Caller, but it was Isabelle who came into the fray, ruining it and invertedly taking away Miranda’s purpose for being. The Utopian Dream’s theme is about finding ones purpose, so when all that you are is taken from you, that would hit hard, Miranda especially, so it’s no surprise that she would jump at the opportunity to face off against Isabelle, she has after all received the same training, she’s a competent Glyph Wielder, a pyromaniac falling to the Curse; From a strategists perspective, Miranda IS the most worthy candidate to defeat Isabelle, there is no other (yet) that anyone knows of who could withstand Isabelle’s power, and Isabelle is a water wielder, also known as an aquamaga – Side note, aquamaga as a class of Glyph Wielder has not been mentioned in any book thus far, so that’s a little exclusive…God I need to get out more…So that’s it, that’s the set up that happens toward the end of Ep1-Dream, and what the concept is centred around, I cannot detail any further because the piece of music that comes next, the artwork that is to follow on from this one, happens to be the scene directly after. Nevertheless, I hope this essay gives enough context for the video, that the music captures the rich level of sensitivity and can assist leading you to that emotional place, which is one of the most heartfelt moments in The Utopian Dream. As I said, I do not write love, I do not write romance, but for an epic, acts of love are necessary because forming intimate bonds is part of what makes us human. I hope I succeeded.

Guys, gals, as always thank you so much for reading today. Special thanks to everyone who was involved in the making of this short music video, a work inspired by the ramblings of a fantasy author whose bitten off more than he can chew, I very much appreciate it, you’re the best. The next music video will be called, Isabelle’s Calling, I do plan on involving the same team to complete this vision and phase, after that I’ve only one more and that’s that for this musical series. Episode One-The Utopian Dream and Episode Two-Rise of The Black Doves are available for purchase, it’s true I’ve still the final third (Volume Six) of Ep2 to edit with Joyce, work has already commenced, we’re up to Chapter 53 leaving only 7 left, but we hope for a mid to late summer release. It is a very exciting place to be in right now, we’re in the final hurdle of Rise, this has been an incredible journey, one that I will never forget, one that I will cherish and there is still so much more I would like to share, so much more to this Ancestral Odyssey which is yet to be put to page; Such as new characters and groups, fresh ideas, intense battle sequences, intricate plot threads, great beasts, crazy creatures and wild environments, so much more to come, so much on the horizon that will all be wrapped up in Episode Three-Seeds of War. The site is yet to be updated, I apologise for the delay, my web technician is a very busy chap, he will get round to me when he is able to, just have to be patient. Links to the work and people’s specific outlets are listed below, as I said if you do decide to message them, please be kind and respectful when doing so. Thanks again, and I hope you come back for the next one. Peace!      

E-mail – taotome@outlook.com

X (Twitter) – @MegasTeque

Official Website – www.taotequevault.com

Donation Page – www.taotequevault.com/support

YouTube – http://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-nc_VEmC27AIz6pP51UVkQ Bitchute – www.bitchute.com/channel/x9K5vwi2SsNu/

Author Page UK – https://www.amazon.co.uk/-/e/B01JMZ2BE6

Author Page US – https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B01JMZ2BE6

Isabelle’s Theme (Direct Link to Video) – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rfMr6dONTPA

A Path Sewn by Fate (Direct Link to Video) – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c3MgNYB8gss

The Thief’s Priestess (Direct Link to Video) – https://youtu.be/okCBM4Qd5-Q

Jilaine’s Soundcloud (Producer and Composer of: A Path Sewn by Fate) – https://soundcloud.com/jilaine26

Ashley’s Artwork / – http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100089622653877 Atlas Audio

D.W.Gill

For me – What is Love?

Since publication, I’ve entered into a new domain..Sort of..I’ve had to manage and maintain an online presence, it has been a pleasure at times, not so much at others, I’ve had to be sure to thoroughly revise absolutely everything I’ve put out there because people are reading and watching, and I’ve learned how to take criticism of ALL kinds. I believe and have said before that there is no such thing as negative criticism, if someone does not like your work, fine, if someone loves your work, fine, if someone has something constructive to say, then you can only benefit from that, it depends what is said, and how you take it but the worst thing you can do is not act or continue to repeat mistakes that have been pointed out to you prior, but I digress. In doing this, I’ve slowly woken up to the fact that this project isn’t just a sketch on the back of a receipt, it’s not a College project or a manuscript anymore, it is something that has grown up, transformed, something that has evolved once it graduated from drafts, into a Kindle, and into a Hardback, and people are reading, a lot of people are reading in fact and it is one of the best feelings in the world, I get messages almost every day from those who are following. Most who read are in fact friends, mutual friends and family, I love waking up to positive messages from people I’ve not spoken to in ages, or getting the odd few throughout the day that brightens my day at work. It is very touching and I thank all of you for taking an interest and the time to contact me. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, your time spent reading my stuff is greatly appreciated. There is a wide percentage however who are reading whom I’ve never met before, who are complete strangers. Most people so far like it, if not love the work I’ve put out, I haven’t really received anything negative other than the odd seriously sensitive person who thinks it is too violent or certain scenes are too graphic, I do take this into consideration none the less, but when people read, they like to be transported into that world, not of our own, and it is my job as a writer to paint the most vivid picture possible to ease the transition, and if it so happens I am talking about a battle sequence involving men with sharp melee weapons, the results are not going to be pretty, are they? You can also flip the script here and describe a sex scene between two characters, there are people out there who are perfectly fine with swords entering bodies, but not okay with a males piece entering a female. In these situations, you just have to let that sort of thing slide and just carry on with the work, because no matter what you do, you cannot please everyone. There is an age restriction on the book, there is adult content, do not let your children read if you are a parent or guardian, and please if you have a complaint, be sure that it is a genuine concern and not something silly like the sex scenes are too graphic. I actually re-read such scenes as few as they are and they are not exactly that explicit, more suggestive than anything and romantic. I am proud of them and would not ever change them. Never the less, a few weeks ago I got a call, a call from a young girl, I think her name was Emily or Emma, I forget the signal was pretty weak, and she said she had been reading Episode One – The Utopian Dream. One of the first things I said to her was ‘Are you old enough to be reading? The book is more for grown ups.’ She said very little about herself, but what she did want to talk to me about was something I’d never talked of before. She loved my main protagonist, Isabelle, she enjoyed the love story between Isabelle and the Dark Rogue, Teo Liolas. She seemed more interested in the relationship dynamics than anything else I had written about, she even suggested I write less epic fantasy and more love stories; This got me thinking about this next post. It’s February, Valentines Day is around the corner, hence I thought I’d talk about something a little meaningful and pretty complicated, a topic that embraces so much.

I’ve been writing on this Blog for over a year now, it is actually coming up to two years since I opened it, time seriously does fly, it is crazy! Yesterday I was a twenty-four year old, working up a story, going to the cinema once a week with my best friend Fenix and occasionally going out with all sorts of people doing ill-advised things, things that usually involved a high cliff, a rough sea below it and that wonderful thing called gravity to take control. Now, I am thirty, I’ve seen so much more of the world since, my skills in story structure, my creativity has tripled, I am working on so much and my views on life, self-growth and wisdom have broadened, and people still call me a baby, it’s great. I’ve written about so many topics since this Blog opened though, the subjects mainly centered around my book work of course, but I’ve varied it from time to time to talk about other things, such as life goals, favourite video games, films, and books. I’ve responded to other Blog posts, revealed excerpts of the current project, shared encounters I’ve had with companies, the most recent one being the scam artists Voyage Media. I’ve talked about a few of my adventures but not once have I EVER talked about one of the most powerful human emotions we can experience..Love..I will not say it is THE most powerful emotion out there, it certainly ranks within the top three without a doubt, and it is so very important to try to understand and recognise..No, I will leave you to guess which feeling IS the most potent or at least the one which I think is the most powerful within a human being till the very end of this post. Yes, the idea is to keep you reading till the end, come on if I was not familiar with this simple anticipation tactic I wouldn’t be very good at what I do, and I want to be the best at this fantasy story game. I am not going to deny it and I believe I can be one of the best, I believe anyone can be the best at what they do if they are determined enough and try, using their passion, their strength, even if it just for a brief moment in time you cannot stop doing what you feel like you are here to do, you cannot give up, you have to keep fighting and overcome whatever barriers get in your way in order to reach your goals, to be the best person you can be. Not only will I talk about love and what it means to me, but I will share with you a few pieces of music that helps stir up this emotion in me, they are best heard with headphones, in a quiet room without interruptions. These are tracks special to me, and I hope you will be able to relate. Let me know what you think of them using the contact info below, I’d love to hear your thoughts on them and on what I share with you in this article; If you’d like to share with me which emotion resonates the strongest inside you, please get in touch, tell me why I am wrong perhaps, but for now, let’s get on with; ‘For Me – What is Love?’ I’ll also dive a little into Valentines Day, talk about relationships and share my own quirkiness that I hope you find interesting.

Before I’ve even started, already I’ve hit a wall and gone a bit cross-eyed. Where does one even begin to answer this question? How can one actually put this feeling of love into words? It encompasses so much, it is unreal! I guess, after a lot of coffee and thought, staring up at the ceiling, gazing dreamily into my stuffed Imp (my soft toy) I figured the best place to start is to define it. I checked the dictionary and it says:-

Love – Noun

1. A strong feeling of affection.
2. A great interest or pleasure in something.       

Love – Verb

1. Feel deep affection or sexual love for someone. 

Of course, the definitions go on and on in extensive detail, so much detail in fact that if I had shared them all, it would have filled up a whole A4 page, but the noun and verb written above sums it up pretty accurately for most to understand, in as few words as possible. Don’t worry, I am not going to sit here and write you up a clinical evaluation on such a universal feeling, although Rick Sanchez from Rick and Morty makes a pretty funny assessment of it in Season One, Episode 6 – Love Potion, one of my favourite episodes of this genius cartoon. I hope to not bore you with other people’s written definitions revolving around logic and reason, because love is a little divorced from these two words in the first place, we’ve all caught ourselves in a crazy position acting on loves impulses and thought; “What the hell are you doing?” or “This is insane!” It makes us behave in very strange ways, sometimes makes us say and do foolish things, it can get us into trouble, cause us to act daft, irrational and at times just plain stupid, but it also can have the opposite effect. Love can focus us, it can get behind the wheel and drive us, give us a strength we never thought we had, enabling us to do extraordinary things and perform heart-warming gestures. Just after writing the last few sentences it has made me re-evaluate what I had initially wanted to say, and I’ve had to go back and re-do this post. Realize that love is just…Strange…Effecting each and every one of us in vastly different ways and I do not need to tell you that every person you meet and happen to see along your great human journey is different, different to everyone else due to a HUGE amount of factors! There are many ways to love, many different forms of love and they do vary; For example, I love my parents, I love my hat, my Imp and I also love a handful of my friends, the wording is the same but the meaning attached to each sentence is different. I do not love my hat, in the same way, I love Imp or my Mum and Dad, I do not love my friends, in the same way, I love my nephew who turns four this year, or someone I am intimate with. So there are indeed many forms in which this emotion takes. I am going to write about what I think love is, however, what I think it means from my perspective, from a straight male’s perspective, a man in love with a woman. If you happen to be a woman who is interested in women or if you are a gay man who loves other men, this article also relates to you, but because I am lazy, I am not going to change the pronouns around okay, you’ll have to do that part yourself when they fail to pop up because as I said, I am a bit lazy, I type quickly and have a lot of things to do today. I believe wholeheartedly that love expressed between gay people is the same love expressed between straight couples, that is the way I have always seen things. If anyone disagrees with this, then you can disagree, you are free to do so, although I do not share this way of thinking and suggest you think about changing your psychology. I strongly suggest you talk to gay couples, listen to them and you will see that what they say, what they share with their significant others, is no different to how a man cares for his woman or a woman cares for her man. With all that aside, this is what love means to me. Enjoy.

Love is indefinable, it is something no one word can properly define, something that science cannot measure and value or maths can put a number on, it’s an expression, a human emotion. It is a connection, a unique feeling deep within you, an invisible bond you build and share between you and your partner. One way to describe the feeling is, that it feels like going home or returning to the familiar, at least that is part of it, there is so much it entails it would be impossible to list them all, it can appear in a smile, the simplest of gestures, a kiss or even a light touch. Another way to put it is; It’s an attachment, an attachment that can bend, sway, rise, fall and can sadly in some circumstances, break. I’ve felt and experienced my fair share of success’ and failures and believe me when I say, there are positives that can be found within the negatives. You can grow from unpleasant experiences and from loss and even if it does not feel it at the time, you will rise to be more than what you were after a loss, a better version of yourself so to speak. For those of you who are young, and have not experienced the strains and pulls of this bewildering emotion, I can tell you that it can hurt, it can hurt beyond any pain you have ever felt. You can suffer in ways that you cannot imagine, its torture in some moments, but please, do not let this deter you, if it hurts so much, if you are in pain over a great loss, it is a reflection of how much you cared, it means you are capable of loving someone, in some ways what you are experiencing in the moment is a poetic tragedy, a beautiful sadness, and this sadness comes with life and the human experience. What I mean when I say this; Is that nothing will motivate you more when you are loveless, it will hurt, it will make you ill, it will fill you with all sorts of negative emotions and you’ll literally feel like death, but like a caterpillar hides and withers away, it eventually emerges from its cocoon into something far greater than it once was, grows wings, develops colour and takes flight, in time so shall you. It is okay to feel depressed, it is okay to feel angry and to punch a hole in the wall risking the bones in your hand, do what you need to do to heal from a loss, but do not bury it, because it won’t go anywhere, it will only manifest and grow like a sickness, you have to let it out. There is a saying out there, ‘It is better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all.’ What really matters though is what comes along with love’s connection, and what you’d give to hold onto that connection, because what comes with being human is the knowledge that we are all organic, sadly we all will die someday, the lights will go out, and our experiences while alive on this beautiful planet are finite. With this in mind, ask yourselves this question; What is the most precious thing you can give someone else? Have a think before you read on … If your answer was a diamond ring, the new XboxOne console, a mountain of chocolate, a bottle of whiskey or a Pony, I am sorry but you’re wrong (although the new XboxOne would be great). No, the greatest gift you can give someone else is the gift of your time. Our time here is valuable, spend it with the right person, spend it with someone who wants you around, who gets excited to be with you, who shares and embraces your interests, who would do anything to make you smile, who would not only look after you when things are getting you down, but someone who looks after and takes care of themselves.

Because our time is so limited, this goes to reason as to why I encourage EVERYONE to do away with what others ‘think’ you should do! (Yes, it’s ranting time!) I am here to tell you that you do NOT need to be married by the age of twenty-five! Marriage is nothing more than a contract that allows the Government into your relationship anyway, but that is a rant for another time. You do NOT need to go to University in order to be successful! You do NOT need to have a fast car, wealth or a banging career to make a lasting impression! You do NOT need any of that, all you need is a brain in your head and a tongue in your mouth, do the things that you want to do, do something that inspires you, that elevates you, that encapsulates who you are as a person and share it with the world, be proud of it…Or…Keep it to yourself if that is what makes you happy, not everything needs to be made public. For all of you who are alone today or have been alone for a long time, trust me when I say, you do NOT need to have a boyfriend or a girlfriend in order to be happy, this could not be so far from the truth. Being alone can strengthen you in more ways than you can imagine, being able to depend on no-one but yourself is admirable. Embracing your own independence is not something everyone can do, in fact, not many can handle it and chase after partners, but it is a sign of power and to my mind is the sexiest thing someone can put on display, independence. In spite of what you ladies may think of us guys, it is not I repeat it is NOT just about a good set of legs, a sweet-smelling perfume, colourful eyes, and a figure shaped similarly to an hour-glass all fit nicely inside a red silk dress, no, it is actually all about behaviour, positive personality traits and how you carry it and how you express it. Empathy, compassion, humour without complete humiliation, intelligence, wit, ambition…Embrace these things, let them shine for no one but yourself and others will notice. Love is about giving, love is about being playful and having fun. Loving someone else is more to do with sharing your happiness together, if you get into a relationship while miserable within yourself, that other person may stick with you for a little while, you may start out just fine because being with someone is exciting, but sooner or later you are going to need to fall back onto yourself and your own life, and if you were unhappy to begin with, nothing your partner can do will relieve that feeling, and she may leave you because without even knowing it, you have become so dependant on them as a source of happiness, you’ll suffocate them for affection, you’ll come across as needy and this is not a desirable thing. In short, you have to be content within yourself first, you have to be fine by yourself first before you even think about building a life with someone else, because building a life with another human being is not always going to be sunshine and rainbows, it is hard, it is so very hard dealing with your own issues let alone another set. Along the way, you will not only be given gifts of joy, happiness and pleasurable times but you WILL stagger and fall from time to time, you will feel waves of sadness and unhappiness and depending on the man or woman you have chosen (and you must choose them every day) they will help pick you up, they will stick by you, they will help you through thick and thin, they will communicate with you, and they will respect you. You cannot love someone without respecting them, you simply cannot lose self-respect, it is as vital as trust in one another. Do not go into this thinking that they will always be there for you, they are not your mother or elder sister, they will help you but you must be able to help yourself if your love will survive the test of time.

Love can sometimes be about the bigger picture, sometimes you’ll find yourself in a situation with someone where you both have those same feelings for one another, but the circumstances just won’t allow it to bloom into something more, this is a sad situation to be in because it is almost like fate won’t have you together. Some of you are probably wondering what circumstances? Well, what if you love a girl who is in a family who hates yours for whatever reason? What if they don’t like you for some bizarre reason and do all they can to stop you two connecting? What happens if you are separated by continents? What if one of you has strong religious convictions? Now, this is where I need to be careful with what I say because if a woman loves you, and if you really love her, then religious convictions, friends, family, distance and whatever else you may want to throw between them, none of that matters, seriously it doesn’t matter! In spite of what the majority will tell you, this is false! I believe that if the feelings are well and truly there if they are genuine, then you’d both do everything within your power to be together, this is what makes love beautiful, people will fight for it and overcome great barriers to achieve it. I say this because I do honestly believe it AND because I’ve experienced it and witnessed it happen elsewhere, I know that there is something more to it than what Rick Sanchez says, no disrespect Rick. If you are not willing to break the mold, if you are not feeling that urgency, that drive to see her face again, to touch her again, to laugh with her and to just be with her in the present moment again, then the feelings are either not there, they haven’t been given enough time to properly develop, or it quite simply isn’t meant to be. For those of you who do not know what I am talking about or cannot relate to this, just you wait, just wait till you meet that one person out of the billions out there who don’t just flip your entire world, but makes it better. That is part of what love is I think, it doesn’t quite make sense, it does warp your own reality and makes you do crazy, spontaneous sometimes even uncomfortable things, but as I said, it is not always sunshine and rainbows, sometimes it is messy, sometimes it is weird and challenging and at the moment you won’t see this, but when you look back in months or years to come, I promise you that those frowns you pulled WILL be replaced with insistent smiling.

A common misconception of love really does test you and reveals who you are as a person underneath. This misconception can take you back to square one, it can reverse everything that you thought you knew about love and cause you to re-think your concepts of what love is – And that is the ability to just let her go…I know, you just said “What?” Give me a chance to explain – The ultimate act of love is contradictory to what most people (and the media) may think, most people hang on for dear life especially when going through a break-up a divorce or separation of any kind. It is in these moments of panic, fear, and stress where our true feelings and real self-are revealed. Some people refuse to accept the situation, refuse to move on, they lose all empathy for the other person and turn inward, going against everything that what love stands for. They cling on, they call, they text, they send endless e-mails and letters all in a desperate attempt to re-connect with that person, while they ignore what their ex-partner needs, disregarding what SHE wants at this moment in time. If for example, someone breaks up with you, or if you were the one who ended things and wants them back and she rejects you, you have to respect that, you have to walk away and let her be. I am not saying you should not fight for that relationship, you need to do what you can within reason and understanding your situation because every situation is different. If you’re in love with her then you will inevitably do what you can to hold on, but you need to know when to stop, you cannot manipulate or force reality to be anything other than what it is – If you do that then you will suffer and worse, she will see through what you are trying to pull and it won’t end well, for she will lose all respect for you and no one can love someone else without respecting them. If you pursue or try to force things to happen in your favour, you’re done, you need to cut that shit out instantly because that is not what love is, in fact, it is the complete opposite, you aren’t pursuing them because you really love them, you are chasing them to soothe your own anxiety and this is in part a very selfish act. In doing this you will make yourself sick, you will make yourself crazy and you’ll ruin everything you built with her over the time you were together, forever tainting all of those wonderful memories you made.

Love is not about making anyone do anything; In the beginning, you did not make her want you, in the beginning, you did not force anything or at least I hope you didn’t because they are awful foundations on which to build a loving relationship. I imagine things happened naturally and slowly progressed as it should, and now it is over you’ve lost the connection and will employ every and all irrational strategies to try to get your way, to sooth that sense of fear, and as tempting as this may be, nothing you do when in this line of thought will work, you need to remain in control of yourself, you need to keep your calm and hold yourself together as best you can. I understand, I really do, it can be hard, the feeling of losing someone, being separated from someone you love is like death and it dates back to when we were small babies, if our caregivers left us alone for an extended amount of time, we’d die because we needed them to survive; Anxiety is the urge to DO something to prevent death, so when you are going through a break up, all these old feelings boil up releasing those same anxious feelings, and this causes us to do irrational things, usually in the form of hounding your ex-partner to the point of insanity. I get it, I really do, I’ve been there, I’ve done it, I’ve regretted it and apologised for it, but come on, you’re not a baby anymore, kicking and screaming throwing a tantrum is not going to help your situation, it is only going to make it worse. You’re an adult now, you are not going to die without her, let the feeling beat you up for a while, and it will win every day for a long time until you catch it off guard one day and knock IT to the floor instead. This is where the phrase ‘turning a corner’ comes from and you should not be afraid of it, even if you still love that person and want things to be different, you gotta get on with things.

Letting someone be happy without you; Letting them be free, living the life they want to live without you, and falling in love with someone else in turn shows that you DO love her, because love isn’t just about you, understand that it is about her also, about her needs, ambitions, her goals, and desires, and as hard as this is to hear/read, as hard as this pill is to swallow, if she wants to end things with you or if your relationship breaks down, if you truly love her, you should want her to go off, to be and to do, she is an adult too, and if the situation were reversed, you’d want her to respect your decision. Now, if you happen to be someone in a similar situation to those I’ve just described, who say has displayed manipulative tactics to try to win her back, don’t worry, I was guilty of it too years and years ago, I’ve done some batshit things in previous relationships, things that make absolutely no sense causing me to laugh at myself for doing them at times, but the key thing to remember is that I took those experiences, learned from them and decided to never do that shit again, and life has improved since. Instead, when in those dire moments of loss and doubt, give yourself time alone, be angry, be depressed, be upset, do what you have to in order to rise above it, realise that you are worth something, that you still have so much to offer someone, that you can still live a wonderful life. Also, be happy for her (Unless she did something horrific, like cheat with multiple people or make tea by putting the tea bag in with milk, then fuck her off completely and never look back), the fact that she is still out there, doing things, experiencing things, growing as a person, meeting new and interesting people, living her life, this should bring a smile to your face, and you should also remember to live your life too, you must carry on with your own interests, your own goals, and dreams that are centered within your being. This is something you should have been doing even when you were with her, getting into a relationship does not mean you stop being yourself, she accepted who you were, just as you accepted who she was in the start, so it is important you always maintain your own individuality, this independence that makes you, you and unique. Independence is super sexy, a seriously attractive feature.

A little tip, more for the guys but it can apply for women too, and it is about flirting. I’ve seen so many relationships end because typically the guy, cannot handle her flirting with other men at say the club or at a party where you are present, and I feel the need to address this because you can categorise such behaviour under jealous and neediness, the two ingredients that are the main causes of breakups; Women flirt okay, get that into your head, they do it a lot of the time and it fills them with empowerment and a sense of joy, it comes naturally to them and no girl I’ve ever met, does not want to engage in it from time to time. Obviously kissing and suggestive touching isn’t flirting, unless you are in an open relationship then you need to communicate a few things to your partner, but when it is just harmless talking and laughing with other guys, this is absolutely 100% fine. I suggest guys, that you accept that this is what women do and understand that when she flirts, it does not mean she is going to jump into bed with the guy (or girl) in the next hour, it does not mean she is not thinking of you, because in actual fact she is, and because most guys freak out and get all butt hurt when they see this, in turn losing their emotional self-control, this causes a lot of problems; When you do the opposite however and just hang back, you are displaying confidence and self-worth, why don’t you flirt with the girl standing next to you, your partner will see this, and if you have that bond there, that attachment, that trust, she won’t only see you as more of a catch, but the fact that other women find you desirable makes her love you more. It works both ways but men in my experience, from what I’ve read and seen, exhibit jealousy more than women. So, let your partner flirt with the opposite sex or even the same sex for that matter to establish a stronger connection with one another. To me, seeing my woman flirt is actually seriously attractive, again the trust needs to be there whole heartily, but when you’ve established this bond and an understanding with one another, seeing her strut her stuff across the dance floor or at any social gathering, seeing all those guys drewling over her should not be seen as a bad thing, it should not cause jealousy or raise any kind of concern, instead I see it as an empowerment, I love seeing the woman I am with flirt with other guys because I know she is safe in her natural element, it is nice to see she is such a catch, it is nice to know that other guys are jealous of our relationship and if nothing else, it makes my partner feel great; Why would you deny this pleasure from her? If it is what she wants to do, let her do it, meet up at the end of the night and laugh about it, compare pick up lines just have fun with the girl who you’re with. Love is playful and fun, it is not serious.

Another thing I’ve heard being flung around especially around Valentines Day which I have participated in, but generally speaking I’ve not really bought into, are sentences like “I need you” or “You complete me.” Lines like this sound sweet on the surface, they sound rather comforting and warm and loving but in truth, they are a little off to me. I don’t know about you but if a woman were to say to me that she ‘Needed me’ that she ‘Couldn’t live without me’, I’d be a little concerned and rather turned off. To me, things like this are a red flag as with all the ambiguous quotes you see floating around on social media, some are quite nice, not all of them are cringy, but most make me want to hide under the stairs and lock the door. If such or similar quotes fit your dynamic, if they speak to you and your partner, then more power to you, share them, send them, speak them, I don’t have a problem with it, but for me, emotional strength is appealing, independence is appealing, kindness, compassion, someone able to see through marketing gimmicks, able to think for herself, to do her thing, someone who is able to be fine WITHOUT me, this is important! Who would want someone who depended on you for a good life? A more attractive prospect would be to be with someone you grow with, someone who doesn’t require you in her life but CHOOSES to be there, so you can learn from one another, even clash with..Yes, arguing is not always a negative thing, actually you could consider it healthy to argue, bicker and disagree from time to time, it would be pretty boring if you agreed on everything, hearing someone else’s opinions and their own points of view regardless if they line up with your own, is interesting, have fun with it, question them learn from them. Simply just talking about things over a coffee or chatting while driving in a car should be moments you look forward to. I’d rather have a woman write on a card something like ‘I don’t need you, I desire you’ or ‘Lets not just grow together in this pot, let’s grow in many pots’ or ‘Don’t do anything on Valentines Day, be a slob with me in bed instead.’ These are just a few funny examples I listed quite literally off the top of my head, the idea though is that as vacuous as Valentines Day is, making an effort is not a bad thing, I’d agree by doing something is better than nothing, but do something that is unique to you two, do something that is special to you and your partner, refer to how you two met, think about a special moment you shared, list a few of her favourite things, things she loves and maybe even dislikes, going against the grain, being a bit unromantic can actually be quite sweet and humorous, but be sure you know what you’re doing, you don’t want to have the opposite reaction to what you’re going for. If red roses, love hearts, chocolates, and big teddy bears are what you two click over, then Valentines Day is pretty convenient, but for most of us, for those who live in the real world who have partners who do not eat up what is thrown in front of them, do something to match your partners individual traits, make her feel special in her own unique way.     

I’ve talked a little on relationships in this post, I’ve thrown in my views on Valentines Day, pointed out some do’s and dont’s in my book of passion, even ventured into the shallow waters of anxiety territory. Maybe I’ll follow-up on this article with another that goes a bit more in-depth with these things, but this has been centered around love. Funny, even after writing all this I still feel like I’ve explained and revealed absolutely nothing, maybe the links below will help, music and visuals can help stir up this emotion. So before I close, before I reveal what emotion is more prominent than love and why (yes I’ve not forgotten about that), I would like to share with you a few scenarios and situations that I feel can say ‘I love you’ without you actually saying it, these are things that should apply throughout the year, not just on one day. Because I am a guy, this is suited more for guys in relationships, but it still works for women and same-sex couples, we are all human at the end of the day, I mean I am only assuming all who are reading this are human, I have met a few cyborgs in my life and cold calculating machines, but on with the scenarios:-

1) If your woman comes home, tired, frustrated, pissed off; Listening to what she has to say is all you need do, don’t try to fix her problems, you wouldn’t like that, just listen to her, contribute but don’t lecture, sometimes venting can be good.

2) If it is a particularly cold night, if you are lucky enough to have a fireplace, chop some wood up, buy some coal and light the fire, keeping her warm at night speaks volumes.

3) Making her a cup of coffee or a tea without her asking for it is always a lovely gesture. Being aware that it has been a while since her last drink or bite to eat and then meeting her needs without her politely asking, this is amazing.

4) Being proactive around the house, like hoovering, being sure things are neat and tidy before she comes home can only be positive. If she has the following day off, if it is the end of the week, running her a bath for when she gets in or simply getting dinner started will be greatly appreciated.

5) Whatever she is doing, it doesn’t matter what (unless she is driving a car or piloting a helicopter), giving her a spontaneous hug or a soft touch she is familiar with, says a lot. You can just be passing each other in the hallway, but brushing up near her or a slight caress on her hand is a nice way to say ‘thinking of you’ without saying anything.

6) Handing her a glass of wine, getting behind her and just massaging her shoulders and neck…I cannot stress this one enough. Learn how to massage, learn a few techniques preferably from a pro, this will benefit both you and your partner, I promise you.

7) Taking her out at random provided her schedule is clear. Don’t tell her where you’re going, just say to her, ‘We are going out in a few hours, be ready.’ The dating does not stop when you’re in a relationship you know, you have to keep romancing her every once in a while.

8) Learning when to shut the fuck up, this definitely applies to both parties. There is a great scene in the film Pulp Fiction when Vincent and Mia share silence together, then Mia (played amazingly by Uma Thurman) says something that could not be further from the truth. I’ll leave a link below at the end of this article, check it out because I think we all can agree with what she says.

9) Leave her alone. Guess what guys, she doesn’t want you around all the time, be okay with when she tells you to bugger off, use this time and don’t feel afraid to tell her to remove herself from your presence when you want some space, but the idea is to be able to read the vibe in the room, and act accordingly without the words ever leaving her lips. We all want peace and quiet sometimes, plus space will make one think of you.

10) Have your own life. Yes, fellas, the world does not revolve around her, if you do not have your own passion or ambition in life, your own goal, what exactly are you actually striving toward? She probably has things on the side that she is fascinated in when you are done talking about those things at the table what do you contribute? Think about that one.

These are just a few things that I think will help benefit you and your partner’s romantic lives, of course, I could write dozens more but I need to go to bed, it is 4am here and I have work soon. Just remember that there is no rule book for this sort of thing, no manual or instruction sheet, you gotta do things for her because you want to do them, not because you think you’ll get something in return, that defeats the purpose of caring in the first place, it is unconditional. For me, providing love for someone I am intimate with, is something that grows the connection and strengthens your bond which is what you want if you want it to last.

Love in such a way that allows the other to feel free, when they are with you and when they are no longer romantically invested with you. No one wants to be held down, no one wants to be told what to do, how to dress, how to act, how to behave, who they can or cannot hang out with and when, what to eat, what to drink, what career or passion they should pursue, this is not a healthy way to be around your partner or with anyone. I see so many guys coercing their girlfriends into doing what suits them…For fuck sake, you love this person!? You trust this person!? You share a bond with this person!? You are intimate with this person? Then why in the hell would you want to cage her!? Let her be free and independent, let her be who she is and show it as often as possible. She will shine when you embrace this psychology, she will smile from ear to ear at times when you eradicate any neediness you have or jealous tendencies that linger inside you, she will see the good in you and love you in ways that make you feel like a mountain. There is a lot we can experience in this life, but one of the best feelings in the world is having her love. With her in your corner, you will be the best person you can be and the world will see this.

(1) Malukah – Reignite – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2JtwAwkgxA

(2) Malukah – Frozen Sleep – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBlWKhXaLeA

(3) Halo4 – Original Soundtrack – Green and Blue – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ommLyaaLnc8

(4) Tron Legacy – Original Soundtrack – Father and Son – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_6ppCa_Xks

(5) The Village – Original Soundtrack – What Are You Asking Me – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NyUwUW-lRjY

(6) Titanic – Original Soundtrack by James Horner – Unable to Stay, Unwilling to Leave (This music goes best with the actual scene involved. Whenever I think of what love is, this scene truly expresses it – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2uFlzTvUnjE )

(7) The Amazing Spiderman 2 – Original Soundtrack: Phosphorescent – Songs for Zula – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wK5tjbFrBqs

8) Paul Wagner – Little Ditty – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KHWTTLhUZ9I

9) Final Fantasy X Tidus and Yuna Scene – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ms9fXm5QKp0

10) Pure Shores – All Saints – The Beach https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qfZ6PLvzlVg

Mia’s Profound Speech –  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f1E2cYCcn64

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I guess you want to know which emotion is more powerful than love right? This is the moment you’ve all been waiting for I can tell, and screw you if you skipped to the end just to see this message, I took a lot of time to write this article up and to get it out there before Valentines Day, so I hope you’re happy (Just kidding)…It’s hope…Hope is more powerful than love and I’ll explain why I think that. People can survive without love for a partner, you may be missing a side to one’s self but we can evidently get by when we have little to none in our lives. Some people in my circle of friends actually have been without love for years and years, and they are indeed very happy, thriving if I am being totally honest. We cannot get by or survive without any hope, I challenge anyone reading this to find me the man or woman who is completely hopeless. You won’t find them because they do not exist. Hope is the reason why we dig deep during the darkest of times because we know how precious and how valuable it is to survive, it is the reason why we scrounge for a mere drop of hope in the most horrid of situations, because even just a little bit of hope, the tiniest amount can influence the biggest and hardest of decisions. Hope is something we find every day without realising it, it is what gets us up in the morning, it’s what keeps us fighting when we are at our lowest, keeps us waiting and ticking over day after day for something to happen if we are stuck in a low point. It is when we know for a fact that there is no hope where we really do lose it. Love is powerful, yes, and it can be responsible for some pretty incredible moments in life, moments you will treasure forever and just as equally it can drive you crazy and bring around sorrow even humiliation, and hope is behind both scenarios. When you find yourself at the end of a divorce for example, when there is no love coming your way from anyone, you will get by, it will be hard but you can work through it and hope will be the driving cause, hope that someone more suited for you will love you in the future that makes you leave your house, hope keeps you working toward something you are passionate about, makes you go out when you really do not want to on the off-chance to meet someone special; This is a mild example I know you who is reading can probably come up with something better but it’s true. To get a bit deeper, let’s pretend someone close to you is seriously ill, and the doctors say that there is no hope for him or for her to pull through, terrible situation, love for that person will assist with the fight, you will do all you can to make them as comfortable as possible, although the fight in all parties would be gone. Whereas, if the doctor says “There is a small chance they’ll pull through but it’s unlikely” that small chance does not just become a ‘small chance,’ it blows up and changes the game entirely, and you keep on fighting and holding onto that hope for as long as possible. This is why I feel hope is the stronger of the two emotions. Tell me why I am wrong, tell me what emotion resonates within you the most, I’d like to hear what you have to say.

“Deprive someone of love and they can still flourish finding hidden strengths. Drain someone of all hope and you’ll drain them of the very essences of what makes them, them.”  – D.W.Gill

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To The Ancestral Odyssey – https://www.amazon.co.uk/-/e/B01JMZ2BE6

Promotional Trailers and Material –  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-nc_VEmC27AIz6pP51UVkQ?view_as=subscriber

E-mail – taotome@outlook.com

D.W.Gill’s Twitter – @MegasTeque

Malukah’s Twitter – @malukah

Malukah’s Website – https://www.malukah.com/

*I do not own any of the links I’ve shared in this article, they belong to their respective owners and talented creators.

“What people call love is just a chemical reaction that compels animals to breed. It hits hard and then it slowly fades, leaving you stranded in a failing marriage. I did it your parents are going to do it, break the cycle Morty, rise above, focus on science.” – Rick Sanchez – Rick and Morty.

D.W.Gill