If you’re enjoying the Acktus Trials, or have already read it, please consider taking a minute to leave a review. Reviews help authors by increasing the visibility of their books, which helps get them into the hands of more readers. Thank you for your support!
Follow this link to leave a review: https://www.amazon.com/review/create-review?&asin=B09QZ8MQ38
The Acktus Trials, an epic fantasy novel, available now: https://dtkane.com/books/the-acktus-trials/ https://books2read.com/theacktustrials
Part II of The Spoken Books Uprising, Declaimer’s Discovery, now available! Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09R18NZ5G/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i1 Your preferred retailer: https://books2read.com/declaimersdiscovery
Map of Oration: https://dtkane.com/resources/map-of-oration/
Characters in this Chapter: Baztian (Baz): Our main character Rox: Deliritous’s Harbour (bodyguard) Ehma: Leader of Citiless Patrol
If you’re enjoying the Acktus Trials, or have already read it, please consider taking a minute to leave a review. Reviews help authors by increasing the visibility of their books, which helps get them into the hands of more readers. Thank you for your support!
Characters in this Chapter: Baztian (Baz): Our main character Rox: Deliritous’s Harbour (bodyguard) Deliritous: Baz’s master, heir to Torchsire Library Eromer: The Book Dragon!
By definition, fantasies are made up. Which begs the question: Why read a story where the impossible happens? Therein lies the genre’s beauty, as the answers are diverse. Fantasy satisfies a variety of desires.
Perhaps you seek pure escapism, a whimsical world apart from the confines of the mundane. Relax as the elves sing; taste that elderberry wine; cheer as the hero slays the dragon.
Or maybe you struggle with a difficult topic and seek to tackle it in a safe setting, the backdrop of magic and monsters serving as a buffer between you and unsettling truths. At times it is easier to examine a thing through a filter of the fantastic.
Or perhaps you want it all—a great story that both transports you to another world and challenges you to consider the difficult questions of your own; questions that many would prefer to leave unanswered. In this respect, the realm of fantasy can hold greater truth than reality.
Note to readers: Each week, I share a fantasy quote and indulge my inner philosopher with a brief essay based on said quote. Share your favorite quote with me and I might feature it in a future newsletter! Email: dtkane@dtkane.com.
A zysk będzie akurat się tworzyć przez dodatni swap na Forex. Ale można je zawsze umieścić w strategii i zrekompensować albo długością transakcji, albo krótkoterminową grą na wahaniach cen. Teraz w sposób szczegółowy rozpatrzymy, w jaki sposób oblicza się całkowitą wartość swap na Forexie dla transakcji na sprzedaż pary walutowej EURUSD. SWAP naliczany jest przez brokera i zwykle jego wielkość jest znacząco mniejsza niż sam koszt otwarcia/ zamknięcia pozycji. Swap finansowy to rodzaj umowy, która pozwala dwóm stronom na zamianę określonymi kwotami pieniężnymi w przyszłości. Swap finansowy jest często stosowany w celu zabezpieczenia przed zmianami stóp procentowych lub cen surowców.
A zmienne parametry to narzut i notowanie pary walutowej.
Transakcje typu SWAP walutowy bardzo często wykorzystywane są przez przedsiębiorców, którzy zajmują się importem lub eksportem towarów lub usług.
Trader samodzielnie nie może go zmniejszyć, ale można dokonywać transakcji, które nie wymagają przeniesienia po dobie.
Kalkulator swapów Forex pozwala wprowadzić parę walutową i walutę bazową konta, a następnie podaje kurs wymiany dla jednej długiej i jednej krótkiej transakcji.
Z drugiej strony taki SWAP może być istotnym kosztem w sytuacji gdy kurs walut zmieniłby się na korzyść przedsiębiorstwa.
Uważaj jednak na ukryte prowizje, jak spread i prowizję za noc (swap), nawet jeśli broker deklaruje brak prowizji za handel. W wyniku zawarcia swapu walutowego następuje wymiana kapitału w jednej walucie na jego równowartość w drugiej walucie przy zastosowaniu kursu zbliżonego do bieżącego kursu rynkowego. W ciągu obowiązywania swapa następują wymiany należnych kwot odsetek w obu walutach. W dacie zapadalności następuje zwrot kapitałów wymienionych przy inicjacji swapa, przy czym wówczas rynkowy kurs walutowy może być zupełnie inny niż wynikający z wymienianych kapitałów.
Jak obliczyć swap na CFD na forex, akcje, indeksy, kryptowaluty i surowce?
Oprócz SWAP’a walutowego funkcjonuje również SWAP walutowy procentowy, gdzie przedmiotem kontraktu są płatności odsetkowe. W takiej transakcji chodzi o zamianę płatności o stałej stopie procentowej oraz zmiennej stopie procentowej. W naszym przypadku zakładamy, że nie jesteśmy zainteresowani fizyczną dostawą waluty, więc nasze otwarte pozycje nie osiągną daty rozliczenia i codziennie będą korygowane o wartość punktów swap. Przepływy te dodatkowo uzupełnione są płatnościami odsetek od wartości nominalnej swapu. Swap walutowy w praktyce jest bezpieczną metodą zmiany warunków spłacania zobowiązań finansowych, po którą mogą sięgać przedsiębiorcy, ale również osoby prywatne.
Swap na Forex to różnica stóp procentowych banków, emitentów walut w parze walutowej. Różnica między stopami procentowymi albo naliczana jest na konto, albo pobierana jest z rachunku tradera podczas przenoszenia pozycji handlowej w następnej dobie. Czy jednak strategia carry trade to tylko kupno waluty wyżej oprocentowanej i sprzedanie tej o niższym oprocentowaniu, a następnie czekanie na łatwe zyski? Najważniejszym zaś czynnikiem jest płynność danych par walutowych. A ta z reguły bowiem na rynku handlu międzywalutowego Forex bywa niezwykle zmienna.
XM. Czy warto tutaj handlować? Dodaj komentarz, opinię na temat brokera Forex!
Na rynku Forex natomiast transakcja SWAP widoczna jest w postaci dodatkowego kosztu lub zysku wynikającego z przetrzymania pozycji na kolejną sesję handlową. Opłaty swapowe mogą mieć znaczący wpływ na zysk lub straty w handlu forex. Handlowcy mogą uniknąć opłat za swapy, zamykając pozycje przed końcem dnia https://forexgenerator.net/zarzadzanie-portfelem-uslug-indie-zapewni-menedzer-portfela/ handlowego, zabezpieczając pozycje, handlując w walucie o wyższej stopie procentowej lub stosując mniejszy lot. Swap w transakcjach walutowych (forex), znany również jako swap walutowy lub stopa rolowania forex, odnosi się do odsetek uzyskanych lub zapłaconych za pozycję handlową utrzymywaną przez noc.
Jest on naliczany potrójnie w różne dni, w zależności od brokera, najczęściej w piątek lub środę (za bieżący dzień + dwa dni bez handlu). Niektórzy inwestorzy wykorzystują carry trading jako strategię, która polega na zaciąganiu pożyczek w walucie o niskiej stopie procentowej i inwestowaniu w walutę o wyższej stopie procentowej. Celem jest zarabianie na odsetkach od ich pozycji poprzez swap forex. Stopa swap, znana również jako stopa procentowa rollover, swap rollover lub stopa swap, to płatność odsetkowa dokonywana lub otrzymywana za utrzymywanie pozycji przez noc. Jest ona naliczana w przypadku handlu z dźwignią finansową, ponieważ gdy inwestorzy otwierają pozycję lewarowaną, pożyczają środki na otwarcie pozycji.
Kontrakty na indeksy i surowce w TMS Brokers bez kosztów swapowych
Aby muzułmanie mogli skorzystać z usług rynku Forex zostały stworzone konta islamskie. Teraz szczegółowo przeanalizujemy, jak działa swap na https://forexeconomic.net/pkb-strefy-euro-niemiecki-zew-i-ze-deal/ Forex. Swap walutowo-procentowy, najprościej rzecz ujmując, to prosty swap procentowy, który realizowany jest przy pomocy różnych walut.
W tym samym czasie, z przyczyn zupełnie przypadkowych, za granicą macie znajomego z podobnymi problemami. Wówczas bierzecie kredyt na siebie w walucie krajowej, a on bierze u siebie w krajowej, która dla Was jest obca. W efekcie płacicie procent jego kredytu, a on – Waszego. Jak już mówiłem wcześniej, istnieje kilka rodzajów swapów. Teraz przeanalizujemy, na czym polega różnica między trzema podstawowymi rodzajami swapu. Aby wciąż ich nie obliczać, brokerzy proponują specjalne tabele swapów.
Tworzę konstrukcję blokującą, kupując na rynku Forex parę walutową, która ma dodatni swap na zakup i jednocześnie na innej giełdzie sprzedaje futures na tę samą parę. Notowania pary walutowej i kontraktu terminowego na ogół są jednakowe, jak i wahania. Przez to, że jedna strona została kupiona, a druga sprzedana. Główny jej parametr to stopa banków centralnych, a dokładniej różnica w stopach procentowych między walutą bazową a kwotowaną.
Utrudnienie stanowi również w pewnym sensie popularność metody carry trade. Wiele traderów zajmujących się tym, w związku też z popularyzacją rynku Forex, zbyt szybko lub zbyt wolno zamyka pozycje, co w przypadku nawet mniejszej korekty może przerodzić się w tzw. Główna różnica między swapem na Forex a swapem walutowym polega na tym, że swap walutowy nie jest wykorzystywany w celu uzyskania zysku. Operacja swapu walutowego odbywa się w celu zrekompensowania wydatków, związanych z początkową transakcją przy pomocy ostatniej.
Swap na Forex, swap walutowy oraz swap walutowo-procentowy
Jest obliczany na podstawie tego, czy Twoja pozycja jest długa, czy krótka. Jednak nadchodzi dzień, kiedy taka operacja odbywa się w potrójnym rozmiarze. Ma miejsce to, gdyż obliczenia https://dowjonesrisk.com/market-update-november-23-usd-yields-bid-stocks-gold-sink/ na giełdzie, wg pozycji otwartej na środę, mają miejsce w piątek. A zatem obliczenia wg pozycji przeniesienia ze środy na czwartek odbywają się już dnia następnego.
Jest to swap za transakcję typu Buy, który nazywany jest też długim swapem. Po tym, jak traderzy dowiedzą się, czy jest możliwość nie stracenia na swapach, a zarobienie. I jest ich rzeczywiście wystarczająca liczba, no z jednym “ale”. Nie ma par, gdzie wszystkie swapy są dodatnie, ale są pary, gdzie swap jest dodatni w zależności od rodzaju operacji.
Pierwsza transakcja swap była wymianą USD (dolar amerykański) na CHF (frank szwajcarski) i odbyła się w sierpniu 1981 roku między korporacją IBM, a Międzynarodowym Bankiem Rekonstrukcji i Rozwoju. W tym celu uzyskała wsparcie w ramach programu XPANDE DIGITAL Izby Handlowej w Walencji. Jak widać, w dzisiejszych czasach generowanie dochodu z kryptowalut wymaga czasu i wiedzy. Dlatego też radzimy udokumentować te koncepcje i stale sprawdzać, jakie działania podejmujesz oraz jaki jest krótko-, średnio- i długoterminowy cel inwestycji, którą zamierzasz przeprowadzić. W portfelu kryptowalut występuje duża aktywność swapowa, zwłaszcza jeśli portfel ten oferuje szeroką gamę kryptowalut.
If you’re enjoying the Acktus Trials, or have already read it, please consider taking a minute to leave a review. Reviews help authors by increasing the visibility of their books, which helps get them into the hands of more readers. Thank you for your support!
Deliritous: Baz’s master, heir to Torchsire Library
Eromer: The Book Dragon!
Below is a copy of my script/notes for the episode, not a verbatim transcription:
PERSONAL UPDATE
Welcome back to D. T. Kane’s Epic Fantasy Book Club. Today is Sunday, May 8, 2022 as I record this, episode 17.
Big personal update for me this week is I ran my half marathon yesterday that I’ve been talking about over the past couple months. The Ellicotville Happy Half for those wondering. EVL is a beautiful ski resort community about 40 minutes outside Buffalo, NY. Not quite as flat as I would have liked, but I still reached my goal, just barely. I was aiming to complete the race in 2:10 and crossed the line in 2:09:58. Couple big hills got me toward the end, but still managed to pull it out and lessons learned for my next race!
For those of you who read the weekly newsletter, you’ll know that I like to compare running to writing–they’re both endurance sports where persistence pays off, so I like how they complement one another. Plus it’s good exercise.
Other than running, I continue my work on Part IV of the Spoken Books Uprising. I’m now in the homestretch of that and intend to have the first draft completed by May 20, since I’ll be out of the country starting May 21 for two weeks. More on that at the end of the episode.
ANAYLIS CH. 23
He wouldn’t run
So Baz and company fly away on Eromer. He’s definitely got some strong magic going on. No wings, and Baz can’t even tell when they’ve lifted off the ground, because he’s got his eyes shut. But before we know it, they’re soaring over the Firelands. And a few interesting sights.
One, we get our first glimpse of Tome, the spire of the Great Library poking over the horizon. Awe, exhilaration, nausea. Baz’s emotions running the gamut. It’s an amazing sight, seeing something that Baz has ever only heard spoken of as a historic relic. But it also marks the approaching end of his journey, driving reality home. He’s going to have to face the dangers of the ruins, the Citiless who apparently dwell there, and after that, he worries what Deliritous will do with him once the Trials are done.
But Baz finally admits outright that he owes it to Deliritous to finish the Trials for him. Baz acknowledges it would have been easier and even understandable if Deliritous hadn’t saved him. Baz finally letting his guard down just a bit.
The other notable sights are the pockets of greenery that Baz notices spotted across the otherwise desolate Firelands. “Little bastions of uncorrupted grass and trees that had somehow avoided succumbing to the all-consuming swamp that surrounded them.” What are they? They’re Book Dragon dens. There’s more than just Eromer! Though, he notes there are fewer each year. What’s happening to them? Not clear at this point. Old age? Or is something else killing them? Regardless, they’re doing what they can to “keep the power of the Scribes alive?” What does that mean? Hold that thought.
Comfort
Baz gets a bit surly for a moment–how might the world be different if the Book Dragons actually went into the world instead of hiding in the Firelands lamenting a failed oath? But then he realizes he’s not unlike the Book Dragons—he didn’t want to leave his home either, despite not really liking it. This bothers Baz, though he can’t put his finger on it. But this is sort of a hidden big moment for him. The first time that Baz actually realizes it’s maybe not right to sit around in comfort when there’s good to be done out in the world. This is a concept I find particularly important: Do we live for comfort, or do we live to chase our dreams and do something meaningful, which often involves at least a bit of discomfort? I’ve actually got a post-it note on my monitor that says “Fuck Comfort” to help remind me never to get complacent.
OMG BOOKS!
So we land in Eromer’s clearing. It’s like an oasis, even bigger than the other sanctuaries Baz saw from the sky. Which suggests something about Eromer, right? Why is he the Book Dragon with the biggest lair even though he was so young at the time of the Burning? He’s even got a bunch of animals, squirrels, chipmunks, deer, and horses. And a giant dog. Novel the dog! Of course a Book Dragon has a dog named novel. Still, Eromer is depressed when Baz comments on all the “life” in the clearing. “This is the merest fraction of what this land used to be. To be.”
Eromer’s “house” is a giant cave. Glass spheres hovering in midair supply light, but Baz barely notices those, because the cave is full of bookshelves, all of them FULL of Spoken Books. More Books than in all of Erstwhile Baz says. “What little I was able to save from the Great Library before the shelves fell. So little, of so vast a collection.” Driving home the point that Spoken Books weren’t always as rare as they are today. Many destroyed during the Burning, and remember others were destroyed by Deliritous’s ancestor during the Second Burning.
For an instant, Baz sees a way out of going to Tome. But Eromer says he can’t have any of the Books because they aren’t his to give. He’s just looking after them until He Who Writes returns to claim them. Who’s that? Why, Pront vi Lextor, the Enigma, of course! This floors Baz, since Eromer speaks like he knew him. Here’s the final evidence from last week’s quest–Eromer is holding onto Books he personally saved from Tome and knew the Enigma. He’s the same dragon from the prologue.
Rox also notes that Book Dragons were followers of the Enigma, which is why Enigmans worship them. They don’t tell lies, just like Rox and his people.
I wish you to know I am sorry
No we get back into some philosophy. Rox notes that Eromer is suffering from the symptoms of a broken oath. That’s why he has all the animals. He’s caring for them to try to make up for his failure. “It is the only way to find Truth after you have lied, by fulfilling a greater oath.” Remember at the beginning of the chapter, we find out that Eromer was angry when Baz suggested killing the horses, saying he’d rescue them later.
This starts us on an interesting discussion. Baz says Eromer is being arrogant, thinking he alone is to blame for the Burning. He was young, surely he wasn’t solely responsible. Is an oath broken just because its cause extinguished? Baz argues no if there’s no causal link between your actions and the end of the oath. If Deliritous died in his sleep from a disease would Rox be guilty of breaking his oath?
Rox says that when you truly devote yourself to an oath, you feel blame for its loss no matter the cause.
Baz: Guilting yourself for something outside your control doesn’t create actual responsibility for the loss.
Rox: Have you never suffered a failure that troubled you deeply even though it was out of your hands?
Of course Baz has. His brother. If only Baz had kept his mouth shut all those years ago, maybe Tax wouldn’t have been retired. I’m not sure Baz and Rox are really even arguing here. Rox doesn’t necessarily disagree with Baz’s point about actual responsibility. Really what they’re debating is whether it’s “right” to feel guilt over a failed promise that was out of your control. The logical answer seems no–if you couldn’t have done anything, why feel bad? But here’s the paradox: if you were truly dedicated to a cause, how could you not feel bad about it failing? If you didn’t feel bad about it failing, wouldn’t that mean you weren’t truly dedicated, and thus dishonest about your dedication? So is the logical path actually a sign of dishonesty in this instance?
Then Rox is like a mind reader here. He knows Baz is thinking of his brother. And Rox apologizes for hurting Tax! Oh, Rox. If we didn’t love him already, we love him now, right? He’s got regret over what he did to Baz’s brother. He worries it wasn’t consistent with his oath. Was Deliritous truly endangered by Tax?
Baz of course says Rox can’t possibly understand what it was like to lose Tax. But again our giant teddy bear killer surprises us. He lost family too. When Deliritous’s father “acquired” him, he left behind a sister, Adalexa Stonebinder. And he has sworn an oath that one day he will return to her. Woah! That’s a huge bit of news, isn’t it? Rox has actually sworn another oath that’s potentially conflicting with his promise to Deliritous. And it seems he was brought into Torchsire’s service against his will. “When they took me away” he says.
Of course, Baz can’t let this nice moment last. “Maybe you’re a bit less of a lout than I thought. [Rox chuckles] But we’re not friends.” What happens when we get back from the Trials, Rox, and Deliritous wants to turn me in for a Cuss? Rox says Deliritous wouldn’t go back on his oath, but Baz asks whether Deliritous is more dedicated to the Truth or his father? Rox has no answer, which I guess is an answer.
Funny, though. Even though Baz is throwing Rox’s effort at bridging the divide between them back in his face, Baz shows some growth here. He doesn’t really blame Rox or Deliritous. Deliritous “is just a product of his environment.” Echoing what his brother told him back at the beginning of the book, Baz seems to have finally adopted a mature attitude as well. But still, how can he and Rox be friends when they both know that, ultimately, Rox would support Deliritous in breaking his oath and getting Baz killed? Baz even silently admits to himself that Rox has a heart beneath his killer’s exterior. Maybe Rox even understands him.
CONCLUSION
Homework: OK, we’re going to be going into vacation mode the next few weeks. You’ll still get an episode each week, but they’ll be a bit shorter. Next week (Episode 18) will be just Chapter 24, no analysis after. Same the following week, Episode 19, will be just Chapter 25. Episode 20 will be my discussion of those chapters. Then Episode 21 will be Chapter 26, which is very short, and my analysis of that chapter. But this will all be leading up to a very significant (and long) chapter 27. So hopefully you’ll forgive me the shorter episodes since you’ll be getting a marathon of an episode out of me when I return from vacation.
Quote:
“The more you learn, the more you realize how little you know. Still, the struggle itself is worthwhile. Knowledge is the root of power, after all.”
― Joe Abercrombie, The Blade Itself
Being told to “enjoy the journey” is an overused cliché. But clichés tend to be clichés for a reason: there’s truth buried in them. It’s easy to become obsessed with the next thing, and the next thing after that, and so on ad infinitum.
But what is living if not the present moment? That’s all we have–the past is gone and the future never guaranteed. So stop and smell the roses, or feel the sunshine on your face, or actually taste that morning coffee. Embrace the present and take power back from the stresses of life.
Until next time, this has been D. T. Kane’s Epic Fantasy Book Club.
“The more you learn, the more you realize how little you know. Still, the struggle itself is worthwhile. Knowledge is the root of power, after all.”
― Joe Abercrombie, The Blade Itself
Being told to “enjoy the journey” is an overused cliché. But clichés tend to be clichés for a reason: there’s truth buried in them. It’s easy to become obsessed with the next thing, and the next thing after that, and so on ad infinitum.
But what is living if not the present moment? That’s all we have–the past is gone and the future never guaranteed. So stop and smell the roses, or feel the sunshine on your face, or actually taste that morning coffee. Embrace the present and take power back from the stresses of life.
Note to readers: Each week, I share a fantasy quote and indulge my inner philosopher with a brief essay based on said quote. Share your favorite quote with me and I might feature it in a future newsletter! Email: dtkane@dtkane.com.
If you’re enjoying the Acktus Trials, or have already read it, please consider taking a minute to leave a review. Reviews help authors by increasing the visibility of their books, which helps get them into the hands of more readers. Thank you for your support! Follow this link to leave a review: https://www.amazon.com/review/create-review?&asin=B09QZ8MQ38
The Acktus Trials, an epic fantasy novel, available now:
Deliritous: Baz’s master, heir to Torchsire Library
Eromer: The Book Dragon!
Below is a copy of the script/notes I used for the episode, not a verbatim transcription.
PERSONAL UPDATE
Welcome back to D. T. Kane’s Epic Fantasy Book Club. Today is Sunday, May 1, 2022 as I record this, episode 16 of the podcast.
Writing wise the past week was a bit of a challenging one. Found a couple holes in the subplot of Part IV of The Spoken Books Uprising that required me to go back and re-work a few things in my outline. I even dove into a couple craft books and reviewed some plot archetypes and beats to help diagnose where I was going wrong. I find that very helpful when I’m stuck, looking to examples of things that I know work in order to jumpstart my imagination. I’m not the best at just pulling ideas out of thin air, but give me just a few sparks and I can turn them into a blaze given enough time to let my imagination work.
Still, it felt frustrating at the time because when I’m in drafting mode I try and get the story out as quickly as I can, so a day or two of no serious movement in word count feels like I’ve stalled. But I figured out where my issues were and now I’m back on track, and having diagnosed and remedied the problems now will never make my life a lot easier moving forward, so I need to just tell myself to be happy with that.
On a more personal note, my two-week trip to Europe is now 20 days away. I’ll be recording some episodes in advance so that there’s no gap while I’m gone, though a couple will be shorter episodes than normal. But hey! Either that, or no book club at all, and I didn’t want to ghost you guys while I was gone.
Finally, the half marathon I’ve been talking about is next weekend, so next week I’ll let everyone know how that went. I’ve put in some good training and I’m excited to get out there and see what I can do. Wish me luck!
ANAYLIS CH. 21-22
Chapter 21
Rox, get out of there!
Is Baz showing concern for Rox? Certainly sounds like it, though I’m sure if we asked Baz he’d only say it’s because he’s as good as dead if Rox isn’t around to protect him. Then again, wasn’t Baz just considering running away from Rox?
So this is an altogether different dragon. Does its description sound at all familiar to you?
At least as large as the wyrm they’d encountered, and it was shaped similarly, body one long line, though it had four legs. Glowing blue eyes were positioned above a flattened snout. It reminded Baz more of a dog than a great monster, particularly its drooping ears, each larger than a horse. A crest of white hair topped its head, flopping from side to side as the dragon’s upper body hovered above Rox, the rest of its length hidden behind the debris in the road. Thin strands of hair like mustaches hung down from either side of its snout, rising and falling as the beast drew breath.
But the most incredible thing about it was its hide. A strip of white hair ran down the length of its back, but the rest of its pale skin was bare, almost as if shaven. And upon it there was writing, tattooed over so much of the skin’s surface it seemed more ink than flesh. Words from each of the branches of the Trinity, written in the quintet of elemental colors. Something about the creature’s appearance tugged at Baz’s memory, but he was far too concerned with staying alive to pay it much heed.
It sounds a lot like the dragon from the prologue, right? It even repeats the ends of its sentences like the one in the prologue did. It’s a Book Dragon, like the statue we saw in the Conservatory and Leanna’s workshop. Apparently they aren’t extinct.
Interesting point here that, while most people seemed to think Book Dragons were extinct, Rox seems to recognize it. He’s even got a special name for it, Illumined One, and says its sacred. Now, has Rox just seen the statues too, or does he have some special knowledge of Book Dragons? Hmmmm. Rox’s depth continues to grow.
So every time Baz speaks, the dragon gets upset. Rox says it’s because it thinks Baz is trying to cast a spell. Which is interesting. Apparently the dragon can sense others able to draw power from Books. And also, the fact that Rox is able to so quickly put that together suggests he does, in fact, have some special knowledge of the creatures.
However, speaking is also the key to befriending the dragon. “You just have to Speak its name [to befriend it]” Rox tells us, which is tattooed on the dragon’s forehead. The keen observers among you out there will recognize this was foreshadowed back at the beginning, since Leanna’s name was also inscribed in the forehead of her Book Dragon statue in her workshop. Baz, of course, is skeptical, but goes ahead and tries to Read the name. “Eer-rooo-meeer.”
You enunciation is awful
It talks! And not just in one of the magic languages of Spoken Books, but the common tongue that Baz can understand. We learn that the Book Dragon was attacked by Hellar and his dragon and its tail is stuck under a large boulder. That’s why Eromer was so skiddish around them–he thought Rox and Baz might have been friends of Hellar. A Hoarder of Words (Reader) and his Oppressed (Speaker). Seems he has different names for lots of things in this world.
He calls the dragon a “Lost One.” Rox explains this is because the Fire Breathers betrayed their oath to protect the Great Library during the Burning. Recall that this was eluded to back in the prologue, where the Book Dragon there noted that the Fire Breathers fled during the Burning.
So the Book Dragon is in a predicament, and Rox is more than happy to offer it help. He seems a bit awed by the creature, and is quite angry when Baz doesn’t show it the proper respect. But when the dragon mentions having a cave, an idea strikes Baz. The thing can fly, and it has a safe place nearby. So he strikes a bargain with the dragon—we’ll get the rock off you, if you take Deliritous back to your cave and… fly us to Tome! Ah-ha! Who was wondering just how I was going to get Baz to Tome after the disaster with Deliritous? Well, what better way than to fly him there?
Part 4
Chapter 22
When the Shelves Fell
So we move right on to the fourth and final part of the novel and Chapter 22.
We saw in Chapter 21 the Book Dragon is VERY touchy about any talk relating to Tome or the Great Library, and here we see why. The Book Dragon–Eromer–is over 400 years old! He was there when the Burning happened. He’ll agree to fly Rox and Baz to the outskirts of Tome, but he won’t go into the ruins themselves because he failed his oath to protect it and can’t bear to enter. That would seem to explain why he also has odd names for many things–his speech is centuries old. The Burning is “When the shelves fell.” And yes, that is an homage to the famous Star Trek TNG episode “Darmok,” which I think is sort of fitting since that episode is all about communicating with an alien who doesn’t speak English, and here we have Baz communicating with a dragon. “Shaka, when the walls fell.”
And what does he call Baz? An “Orator,” which you’ll recall from the recitation of Oration’s history during the opening ceremony of the Trials, was the term for men who could both Read and Speak prior to the Burning. Eromer uses the term as if it isn’t 300 years out-of-style.
But interesting, when Baz corrects him and says where he’s from, he’s called a Cuss. Eromer is shocked, not because Baz and Read and Speak, but because that means he’s an Oppressed, a Speaker. And yet, he’s asking Eromer to help heal a Hoarder of Words (Reader). Interesting, as this suggests that Eromer retains some connection to the current world, since he obviously knows what “Cuss” means.
Gossamer Words
So the first prong of the deal was for Eromer to take Deliritous back to his cave and care for him. But he says Deliritous can’t fly in his current injured state. So the dragon begins to sing, just like Tax did with the Retirees back in the sub-basement of Torchsire Library. Except, to Baz’s amazement, the song has power! Deliritous begins to heal, his burns disappearing. The dragon doesn’t have any Spoken Books, but there is the writing on his body, and some of it glows as he sings. So, it seems, the Book Dragon is a flying Spoken Book, it can draw magical power from itself!
Serious implications here. Remember, Tax had a tattoo of Spoken Words on his arm last Baz saw him. Is he trying to give himself the same powers as a Book Dragon? But if that’s the case, why don’t all the Readers just do that and do away with the Books? Curioser and Curioser.
One final note: did you notice how Eromer’s tail seemed to heal itself? Bloody when they levered the rock off it, then merely bruised minutes later? Seems this Book Dragon has more magic powers than we’ve seen out of anyone else, man or beast, to this point of the story.
And so we leave our heroes this week, preparing to fly away on the Book Dragon.
CONCLUSION
Homework: Next week we’ll read Chapter 23. We see where Eromer lives and some rather interesting furnishings in his cave. Then we learn something of Rox’s past that unsettles Baz.
Listener Question:
Quest: Last week’s quest was what is the name of the Book Dragon from the prologue. Well, maybe I’m giving away a bit too much here, but we’ve only been given the name of one Book Dragon, Eromer. It’s the same dragon!
In preparation for seeing where Eromer lives next week, I’d like you to let me know what your favorite home from a fantasy novel is. Could be a house, a cave, a hovel, a hobbit hole, or something else. Someone just has to have lived in it.
Quote:
“In my experience, communication is a matter of patience, imagination. I would like to believe that these are qualities that we have in sufficient measure.”
– Captain Picard, from the Star Trek TNG Episode “Darmok”
Until next time, this has been D. T. Kane’s Epic Fantasy Book Club.
“In my experience, communication is a matter of patience, imagination. I would like to believe that these are qualities that we have in sufficient measure.”
Captain Picard, from the Star Trek TNG Episode “Darmok”
Temporal vortexes, the Orb of Time, and Q–just a few ways Star Trek has achieved time travel over the years. But you don’t have to be Ben Sisko or Katherine Janeway to take a journey through time. Just pick up a good book. Or better yet, a pen. Through reading and writing, we constantly visit with men and women long dead and transport ourselves to distant worlds and times.
And what’s amazing is that it’s a power anyone can exercise!
Writing is incredible, a memorialization of thoughts and feelings at a particular point in time that exists in perpetuity. So follow Jean Luc’s advice: pick up a pen, dust off your imagination, and communicate. We’re all capable of dispersing our ideas throughout the ages.
Note to readers: Each week, I share a fantasy quote and indulge my inner philosopher with a brief essay based on said quote. Share your favorite quote with me and I might feature it in a future newsletter! Email: dtkane@dtkane.com.
“We are not always what we seem, and hardly ever what we dream.”
Peter S. Beagle, The Last Unicorn
Like unicorns, people are complex creatures. First impressions might be important, but they rarely give us the full story of a person, of what’s truly inside of them. People have many hopes and dreams and the sad reality is that many go through life never realizing them, or even attempting to realize them, instead opting for the comfort of the average and mundane. Remember that the next time a stranger is rude to you–it likely has nothing to do with you and everything about what’s going on in that stranger’s own life. Instead, focus on what you can control, namely putting yourself in position to achieve your dreams. If you do, you’ll be the rare unicorn in a sea of missed opportunities.
Note to readers: Each week, I share a fantasy quote and indulge my inner philosopher with a brief essay based on said quote. Share your favorite quote with me and I might feature it in a future newsletter! Email: dtkane@dtkane.com.
If you’re enjoying the Acktus Trials, or have already read it, please consider taking a minute to leave a review. Reviews help authors by increasing the visibility of their books, which helps get them into the hands of more readers. Thank you for your support! Follow this link to leave a review: https://www.amazon.com/review/create-review?&asin=B09QZ8MQ38
The Acktus Trials, an epic fantasy novel, available now:
Deliritous: Baz’s master, heir to Torchsire Library
Below are my notes/script for the episode, not an exact transcription:
PERSONAL UPDATE
Welcome back to D. T. Kane’s Epic Fantasy Book Club. Today is Saturday, April 23, 2022 as I record this, Episode 15.
With release week behind us, it was back to writing and making good progress on Part IV of the Spoken Books Uprising. My first draft broke 50,000 words and I think I’m on track to have it finished before May 20. That’s my goal because May 21 I’m flying to Europe for two weeks, and don’t plan to be doing much work then! Ireland, Paris, and Brussels. It’s going to be awesome and I plan to be sharing lots of photos with all of you upon my return. I’m sure I’ll find some new inspiration for things to put in future novels as well.
I’ve also got my half marathon in two weeks that I’ve mentioned several times on here before. Just got back from an 11 mile run before recording today, so my legs are barking a bit. If those of you watching on YouTube see me fidgeting around more than usual, you know why!
ANAYLIS CHs. 19-20
Chapter 19
Who did Deliritous think he was?
We start just as we left off last week, with Baz in shock over Deliritous sacrificing himself to save Baz. Baz is actually angry: “Who did Deliritous think he was, putting Baz in his debt like that?” Why do we think Baz feels like this? Could it be because he sees that Deliritous is actually the better man than him? That he was willing to change where Baz hasn’t been so far? Tough way to learn that lesson.
Then Rox shows up, having pulled himself out of the bog. And we get some contrast here, first Rox cradling Deliritous like a child—once again, we see how much Deliritous appears to mean to Rox, despite the fact that Rox is essentially another of Deliritous’s slaves.
Then he punches Deliritous square in the chest. Baz laughs when Deliritous curses, showing he isn’t dead.
The tender moment quickly passes, though, when we realize Deliritous is severely burned and all the medicine they had with them was in his saddle bags, which have been cooked by the dragon. But even in his dire state, Deliritous isn’t willing to give up on his dream. We see even more growth here—recall back just about 10 chapters ago, Deliritous wanted to turn back with a broken leg. Now he’s suffered likely mortal burns and he still wants to press on.
Baz sees the impossibility of Deliritous going on and offers to finish the Trials for him on his own while Rox takes Delirious back to Hamlet. “He owed it to Deliritous now.” It continues to be unclear whether Baz has actually truly changed, or if he’s making this offer solely out of obligation. He’s certainly having an internal battle with himself.
He wanted to be furious at Deliritous for even suggesting that he be grateful to the man who had robbed him of his brother. That Baz knew he owed Deliritous his life only worsened the resentment he felt. But would he have rather died than be in Deliritous’s debt? The answer to that question seemed like it should be obvious, but in Baz’s mind it was clear as smudged ink.
Regardless, Deliritous won’t accept the offer. Instead, he suggests they go find some Citiless. Maybe they’ll help him, though Baz points out they’re just as likely to murder them and rob them of all the Spoken Books they have.
Waste is a lie
So they will continue on. But how are they going to transport Deliritous? Well, leave it to Rox. He hacks up the dead horse with his razor and turns it into a sled they can put Deliritous on. Not the most pleasant of scenes here. You know those horse bones can’t be that clean, and Deliritous is also blistered with oozing sores. “The whole thing stank worse than Rox had after crawling out of the bog.”
And it’s not particularly comfortable, Deliritous whimpers over every bump, and Rox is despondent at his charge’s pain. Has to wipe his arm across his eyes several times. Baz puts together that Rox must feel like a big brother for Deliritous. Interesting that maybe Baz is coming around to Rox more than Deliritous, why do we think that is? Rox is, after all, the one who actually tore Tax’s eyes out. But he even recalls staring into his brother’s eyes once when he was sick without connecting the loss of those eyes back to Rox.
Twenty-Seven
That’s how many Readers have died on the Trials in the past 50 years. And it seems Deliritous is preparing to become number 28. “I never really considered it a possibility it could happen to me. But I do now.” Even Baz can’t remain dispassionate in the face of such an admission, eyes burning. Could he really continue to hate this man? He’s just afraid, like any other person in his situation would be. But yet, he’s also brave, still pushing toward what now seems an impossible goal. Baz is glad when Deliritous passes out. At least he’s spared from the agony he’s suffered on Baz’s account for a little while.
Chapter 20
I can carry him.
And now, friends, I invite you to remove your reading glasses, put on your cardigans, and join me this week’s installment of D. T. Kane’s Epic Philosophy Book Club.
Right. So Rox and Baz carry on, dragging poor Deliritous along. Baz is trying to convince Rox that this isn’t working, but Rox isn’t having it: “It is a great Truth, giving your life for a promise. I am ready.”
Baz counters, “There’s no Truth in pursuing a hopeless path…. Anything has to be better than this.”
Rox, growing angry, responds, “We could do worse. We could give up. I will not…. I am no surgeon. I cannot heal him. But I can carry him to someone who may be able to help.”
OK. Who’s got the winning side of the debate here, do you think? Is dying for a promise noble? Or forget noble, is it the right thing to do? I think most of us can agree with the premise that keeping promises is a good thing. But to what point? If it will hurt someone to keep a promise, should you still keep it? What if it will hurt yourself? It’s tough to give exact answers to such general questions. But here, you’ve promised to keep someone safe and now they’re at the brink of death with seemingly no way out. Is sacrificing yourself worth it?
Well, I’m very thankful that I’ve never personally been in such a situation. But I think the key thing here is hope. I think if there was a 100% chance that Deliritous wasn’t going to make it, Rox, and most people in a similar position, wouldn’t sacrifice themselves. But the thing is, almost nothing is 100% certain. Death and taxes, right? And maybe Chuck Norris. Besides that, there’s always some chance. And the thing is, when you care deeply enough about a promise, even the smallest sliver of hope is worth keeping that promise. At least, that’s my theory. And that seems to be Rox’s too. Baz perhaps is more of a realist, but I’d love to ask Baz what he’d do if it was Tax on that sled instead of Deliritous. And who knows, maybe I will ask him that question in another book. *raises eyebrows*
Freedom to Choose
But Rox understands that Baz needn’t bind himself to Rox’s oath. Baz gets angry at that, since Rox insinuated the other night that he’d sworn an oath to Deliritous, but is now suggesting Baz break it after just lecturing him on the virtue on sticking to oaths. But Rox explains that he doesn’t really believe Baz swore a bind oath: “You must be free to swear an oath.”
Again, Baz initially takes offense, thinking Rox is saying Speakers can’t keep oaths. But what Rox means is a slave can’t be bound to an oath given to his master, because there’s no free choice there.
“They could die,” Baz replies.
A paradox, Rox says, one even Enigmans like him apparently can’t solve. It’s true, a man can always choose death. But is an oath sworn where the only alternative is death–the proverbial gun held to the head–a true promise? Rox doesn’t think so. Do you?
This is sort of the same question as before. Maybe modified slightly. Is your own personal truth worth dying for? I guess it likely depends on what you’re being asked to do, though I suppose we can assume that if someone’s holding a gun to your head, it’s something you would never consent to otherwise. Maybe that answers the question right there. I mean, there’s a reason “duress” is a defense to most crimes.
The even harder question is whether it’s actually the right choice to choose death instead of carrying out the coerced promise. You shoot her or I’ll shoot you. What’s the right choice there? I’d like to think I’d take the bullet, but man, I get nervous just thinking about it in the hypothetical.
Baz then modifies the facts a little: “What if it isn’t your own death that’s coercing you, but the loss of another? I’d never see Tax again if I ran.”
To me, this is almost an easier question. If the life of someone I care about is being threatened, there’s probably little I wouldn’t be willing to do to prevent it from happening. But again, tough, tough choices. Even Rox, who has proved to be our surprising moral compass on this journey doesn’t have an answer. But Rox does admit that he sees the injustice of Baz’s situation: Deliritous is better than most, but he still oppresses Baz. Man, Rox really is the best of the three–he cares for Deliritous despite knowing he’s deeply flawed.
OK, you can take your cardigan off now. Baz and Rox continue onward after that rousing debate and come to a blockage in the road. Rox dismounts to see what’s going on. There’s a bright flash! And when Baz’s vision clears, what does he see?
Another dragon.
CONCLUSION
Homework: We’ll read Chs 21 and 22. Baz’s last encounter with a dragon ended poorly. But we’ll see there’s something a bit different about this one. Then Baz makes a surprising deal. And lots of words get repeated. Repeated. What’s going on with that? Tune in next week to find out!
Listener Question:
Quest: What is the name of the dragon we met in the prologue?
Quote:
“We are not always what we seem, and hardly ever what we dream.”
― Peter S. Beagle, The Last Unicorn
Until next time, this has been D. T. Kane’s Epic Fantasy Book Club.
