(From)

First Contact - Cimmerians

Book Seven

Chapter Sixteen

Virelia does not have a sky in the way mortals mean it, but it still holds a horizon. It stretches in layered depth, a ceiling of stars and luminous color that feels close enough to touch and far enough to swallow you. Bands of nebula drift like slow rivers of light, not moving so much as changing their mind about where they belong. The ground is cloud, mist, and brightness together, a rolling surface that supports weight without being solid, and reflects without behaving like water.

   Two figures stand across from one another on separate rises of cloud, with a wide space between them that feels deliberate.

   On the left, Chord holds a calm that seems to settle the realm around him. His wings are pale and broad, feathered in clean symmetry, each line of them composed as if drawn with patient certainty. Light collects on him softly, not in flares or sharp edges, but in an even presence that makes the surrounding color appear more organized. His robe carries faint, shifting hues that stay within a controlled spectrum, as though the rainbow itself has been asked to behave.

   On the right, Discord stands like a bright argument.

   His wings burn gold and amber, feathered and real, but edged with a heat that looks almost audible. His robe is richer, heavier with color, draped in a way that suggests motion even when he is still. The light around him does not rest. It crackles, it pushes, it insists. The clouds beneath his feet do not smooth themselves into stability. They roil gently, as if they are never fully convinced by peace.

Thank you for reading this short excerpt from my book!

Scott Ickes