Book excerpt: “The world burned. Our home drowned. I fell into twilight. I dreamed of a tiny ripple born in the heart of a storm. Resonating in the rage of an ancient enemy returned from exile, it became a wave. Echoing misery suffered by alienation, it gained tidal strength and lapped against the walls of an island sanctum, heralding both threat and blessing. Tall, strong and singular in purpose, the once tiny ripple grew into a tsunami, rolling quietly across the ocean like a rogue continent towards a peaceful coastline. Unheeded, unexpected, the mighty surge collided against the will of an indomitable foe. The devastation left in its wake was a small price to pay for the calm that followed. The meek could inherit, at least for a short while, the earth." - Usher Ravenscrawl, Archivist of Twilenos. Raised and educated in a realm far removed from civilization, Nicholas finds himself forced into exile and pursued by a misanthropic entity. Venturing to remote corners of the world in an effort to avoid capture, he learns more of past events that shaped the fate of humanity over millennia. Armed only with an odd assortment of birthday gifts, which lack any kind of resemblance to a weapon, Nicholas is, nevertheless, forced into conflict far earlier than his benefactors intended. Artfully rendered into an impromptu adventure around the ancient world, this historical fiction/fantasy weaves a genesis myth about a folklore icon's youthful struggle. Despite his fears, Nicholas draws inexorably towards a confrontation he has little chance of surviving.