Andrillrian, thank you for taking the time for this interview. You have just been instated to the Palace Guard. Can you share what that means to you, your training and assigned duty?
Thank you. I am honored to be here.
Becoming a member of the Palace Guard means a great deal to me and is my
proudest accomplishment. I trained with a sword since I was a little girl, but
it didn’t meet with my parents’ approval. Determined not to give up, I snuck
away to take lessons from Ishtar, a retired Guardsman. It came to the point
that the small amount of training I received each week was hindering my
progress. Finally, I made the decision to leave my family and travel to
Mystandia in order to follow my dream.
Ishtar made the journey with me and
introduced me to other master fighters. I trained constantly and became
proficient in the great sword, which I favor, but also short swords, daggers,
and archery. My years of commitment finally came to fruition only a few months
ago. I applied to become a member of the Palace Guard. The tests given were
difficult, and many applicants were rejected within the first few hours. I am
one of only eight people chosen to become trainees. What makes my accomplishment
even more meaningful is that I am the first woman to become a Guardsman. Women
have never been forbidden from joining the Palace Guard but none before me
displayed the necessary skills. Not only am I the first woman, but I rose to
the top of my class and beat each of my fellow trainees during the elimination
trials. Because of that, I was chosen to protect Darrak on his journey to
defend people throughout all of Dragonath.
I’m not saying all of these things to
boast. I couldn’t be more honored to be Darrak’s protector, and I get a great
deal of praise from him and the rest of the company, but I will be the first to
admit that I am not the best. I am not invincible. One of the most important
things Ishtar taught me was that there will always be someone better, stronger,
and more skilled. Instead, I see my accomplishments as a way of inspiring
others, especially young girls who dream of joining the Palace Guard. Nothing
is impossible. Nothing is out of reach. But things will only be achieved
through hard work and dedication.
That
you were selected ahead of experienced Palace Guards says something positive.
Who
is Darrak, and why does he need special protection as he travels Dragonath?
What is he defending the people from?
Darrak is the rightful heir to the throne,
but he is from another world called Earth. He didn’t know anything about
Dragonath or his true heritage until only a few months ago. His parents were
murdered, and the Grand Sorcerer brought Darrak here in order to offer him
protection while he learned about our world and the role he needs to play.
He is being hunted by the enemy. They
don’t want his bloodline to regain control of the throne. They’ve remained
extremely secretive and not much is known about their powers or full ambitions.
They infiltrated the palace, turning people the Grand Sorcerer trusted against
him. But he didn’t become aware until it was almost too late. There was no way
protection could be offered to Darrak within the palace walls until all of the
traitors were discovered and dealt with. The only solution was for him to flee
and make his way to the northern country of Krémarra. But with no knowledge of
how to fight or the lay of the land, he needed people to protect, guide, and
teach him on the journey.
The enemy is cunning and a master of a
black magic that focuses on deception. They were originally led by the Grand
Sorcerer’s daughter, Mionee, however we have recently discovered that to no
longer be the case. An evil lord has returned from the dead and he’s determined
to kill Darrak and claim rule of all of Dragonath.
Darrak is the only one whose magic is
powerful enough to defeat the ancient lord. But it’s not simply a matter of
standing against the enemy. None of Dragonath’s citizens know that the current
Grand Sorcerer isn’t the true ruler. In order to gain victory over the enemy,
Darrak will need the aid of the people. But first, he must prove to them his
worthiness and gain their trust. He is the only one who can save them from the
oppressive rule of Payton Niemel, and his first battle is to make them understand
that to be so.
I don’t think he realizes how difficult it
will be. The people of Dragonath do not take kindly to change and
unfamiliarity.
Although
it’s not your area of expertise, what magical powers does Darrak have, or might
have once trained, that would empower him to overcome the evil lord who has
returned from the dead?
Like all those
who can wield méno, Darrak summons his magic through what's known as a
kraylock. A small glass sphere, Darrak's kraylock is bound to him, and he draws
energy from it as well as himself when casting a spell. The magic only responds
through a language called Ancient Mystandian. As long as Darrak understands the
meaning of the words he is uttering, he can cast any type of spell from healing
to protection to attacks such as fire or lightning.
But Darrak, is
also what's known as a Healer. It's an ability which is exceptionally rare, and
not much is known about the full extent of a Healer's capabilities. But from
what we've seen so far, he is able to summon méno without the use of his
kraylock. And as long as he uses it to heal others, his own energy isn't
depleted. He can heal the injured of an entire battlefield and not experience
any fatigue. However, one caveat Darrak discovered, is that he cannot heal when
he himself is wounded. If we fail to protect him during battle, his powers are
useless. Unless he reverts to relying on his kraylock, he cannot heal himself
and he cannot heal others.
What do you anticipate to be the most
difficult aspect(s) of your duty and what do you believe would be the result,
should you fail?
I think the most difficult aspect for all
of us is preparing for war against an enemy we know almost nothing about. Darrak
isn't the only one fighting in the dark. The only information we have was
learned through some of Darrak's visions. If not for that, we wouldn't even
know the true identity of our adversary.
For me, trying to train Darrak in such a
short amount of time is challenging. Although he is a Healer, his magic won't
always be available to him. He is the enemy's target. They want him dead. He
needs to be able to fight and defend himself with a sword and other weapons.
The skirmishes we've been in so far have been only a taste of what we'll encounter.
The enemy is well trained. So far, Darrak has been lucky, but luck is something
he can't rely on. Finding time to train him while on the run has made my task
even more difficult. But Darrak understands what is at stake. We are all
working as hard as we can and are using what we've been given.
I have a few important responsibilities.
Not only protecting Darrak, but also training him. Should I fail either, and he
should fall, the world will fall with him. The reason the enemy wants him dead
is because he's the only one strong enough to pose a threat. Yes, he is still
learning the extent of his powers, but without him, we cannot win this war.
Dragonath will be controlled by an evil more terrifying than any of us can even
imagine.
One
final question, Andrillrian. Should Darrak succeed and your side emerges
victorious in the war, what might you see yourself doing next?
It is my hope that if we work together,
we’ll be able to keep the newfound peace throughout our land for years to come.
But there will always be people who disagree with Darrak and his policies.
Adversaries will rise to challenge him for power. It is the nature of our
people. I will work to keep him safe and will fight in defense of our country,
wherever I am needed most.
Understandable
answer, Andrillrian. Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions.
=============
 | ||
| Andi O’Connorat ConCarolinas 2015 |
Andrillrian is a character that appears in
Andi O’Connor’s Dragonath Chronicles.
To
learn more about Andi and all of her works, check out the links below:
Author Website: https://www.andioconnor.net/
Twitter: @OconnorAndi
Facebook: www.Facebook.com/oconnor.andi
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