Evidence of Things Unseen-Book Two of the Life-World story

Tentative cover of Evidence, created by using Dream by WOMBO to edit my painting of Aileron

This is a quick update to let everyone know that I've been working feverishly on the sequel to The Substance of Things Hoped For, titled Evidence of Things Unseen. As you may know, the previous story ended on something of a cliff-hanger where the Animus was defeated and Benjamin was returned to his true reality. But on Life-World, an even greater evil was lurking in the shadows, waiting to fill the vacuum left by the Animus. In order to save the woman he loves and his own sanity, Benjamin must return to Life World and face this threat.

Like The Substance of Things Hoped For, Evidence will be published as an ebook on Smashwords and will likely be available on Amazon as well.

Once Evidence of Things Unseen is released, The Substance of Things Hoped For will likely be removed- a revised version, complete with a glossary and encyclopedia will be released. The glossary and encyclopedia will have entries featured major characters in the story and elements relating to Life World. I'm looking forward to it!

the seraph Aileron becomes Benjamin's lover in Substance

AILERON -

AILERON - A beautiful seraphi female who became Benjamin’s bonded life-mate after his initial

arrival on Life World. Like all members of her race, she possesses wings which allow for flight, as well as superhuman strength and stamina. In The Evidence of Things Unseen, Benjamin realized that Aileron was the doppelganger of his former fiancée, Leticia Warren. She is depicted here wearing her yukata and brandishing her nodachi; her hair is down and loose here to show her resemblance to her ‘real world’ counterpart, Leticia Warren. Aileron’s name means, ‘little wing.’

Benjamin Bishop, main character of The Substance of Things Hoped For

Excerpt from Evidence of Things Unseen-

On the open plain in the wilderness of Syn, Benjamin felt uneasy on the way to Zauria. Even without Kor-Tan to verify it, he was sure that they were being followed again. Not just followed; they were being herded toward something, like sheep. He unconsciously slowed his pace as they traveled, and in response, the others also slowed. Finally, he stopped altogether, the others coming to a halt alongside him.

“What’s wrong Bereshith?”, Lagertha questioned. She had referred to him by the title given him during his first advent on Life World-without her usual biting sarcasm- and it was significant in that it signaled her full acceptance of him as friend and ally. But the full import of the moment was lost on him, so focused was he on what he perceived as a threat.

“You can stop hanging back”, he called out in a loud voice. “I know you’re following us-you have been for several miles now.”

After moments of eerie silence on the plains of Syn, one figure on horseback appeared over the ridge behind them. Followed by another, then several. Then more still.

"I knew it!" Kor-Tan growled. Tyr's hand sought the hilt of his sword.

"Please tell me we can kill them now", Ereshkigal said to the younger, less savage Marauder who rode beside her. Her voice was a needful whine of hate and anger. Nergal ignored her, calling out to Benjamin.

“Finally we meet face to face, Bereshith. Finally, you get to meet your death.” Nergal drew his blade and goaded his mount in a furious gallop toward his foe. At his side, Ereshkigal frothed and foamed with mad glee at the prospect of at last slaying her foes. In a similar fashion, Lagertha’s eyes narrowed into mere slits of rage as she beheld the female Marauder charging down on her. At last, she faced a foe who was truly worthy of her steel. Seasoned warriors, the group formed a semi-circle of defense around Freya, Ageha, and weaker members of their company.

For Benjamin, these Marauders charging down on them was just one more obstacle to finding his way back to Aileron-an obstacle he was determined to see removed. With a growl, he turned to face Nergal, emissary of Bad-Doramu.

Yet, something in the aspect of this new foe was vaguely familiar, as if Nergal should have been known by him somehow even though reason told him that was not possible. But then, everything about his experiences in Life World was far beyond reason. And as the two groups finally clashed, the din of their weapons ringing out across the barren plain in the wilderness of Syn, Benjamin still couldn’t shake the nagging feeling of the wrongness of all this. Nergal’s group far outnumbered Benjamin’s relatively small band of warriors, yet they never seemed to be in any real danger of harm. By contrast, they had dispatched a number of Marauders who had laid down their lives for cause-whatever cause that might have been. They were cannon fodder, and the sudden realization of that fact chilled Benjamin to his core; the simple implication that they were being steered into some deadly trap.

"Not yet, Bereshith", Nergal taunted. "No quick death for you. But rest assured, it will come." The young Marauder then signaled a retreat to his contingent, much to the consternation of Ereshkigal.

"Why should we flee!?" she hissed. "We outnumber them so greatly!"

"You must remember our plan," Nergal explained in a low voice. "They will all die at the proper time."

The company of Marauders withdrew, retreating back over the low ridge from which they came. Their sudden retreat would have almost been comical, had not Benjamin and his companions not been aware of its seriousness.

"I suggest we get moving again with haste," Tyr commented.

"Indeed," Kor-Tan added. "I like this not. The sooner we reach Zauria, the better. From there we add to our number and press on to Elysium."

“I agree,” Benjamin offered. “This whole thing smells like a set-up.” But what the set-up might have been, he couldn’t begin to imagine. If this Bad-Doramu wanted them all dead, he wouldn’t have had a better opportunity than with Nergal and his band.

Even so, the group now increased their pace onward toward Zauria. Kor-Tan, for one, was happy to be drawing nearer to his homeland.

“It won’t be long now, friends,” he began cheerfully. “I can see the garden cliffs now. A few more leagues and we will be safe amongst friends and allies.”

Benjamin had to admit, he was glad to finally be near Zauria as well. After Nooetopia, it was the closest thing on Life World to home. Inwardly, he reminisced pleasantly on the last time he was there with Aileron by his side, with friends Roth-Khan and Mari. 

But even as the group began to pleasantly imagine a measure of safety and comfort in Zauria,  a sudden flash, blinding even in the light of Life World’s twin suns drew them up short. Almost immediately following the flash was a massive concussive wave that threatened to topple them from their mounts. But most terrifying of all was that, immediately after those effects, followed the same phenomenon that the group witnessed earlier, this time much more intense. It seemed as if for a moment, all of Life World would evaporate to nothingness-disappearing as though it had never been. Kor-Tan could only manage to cry out a hoarse "No" before his world and everything he knew was both figuratively and literally expunged. And somewhere in another reality, Benjamin sat bolt upright and screamed.