Julia Labanowski

Good morning! I’m back with my world-building series! Five years ago (holy, has it been that long?), I made a post with a religion cheat sheet; a guide to help writer’s organize but also prompt ideas on their world’s religion. Since then, I have made quite a few updates to this sheet, as my own needs have changed and as my own knowledge base has increased. My original one has always been a very…

The Divine Sun, Final Chapter: The Festival

Aendul POV Rhann was playing with Meena, keeping her from remembering she didn’t want to separate from Zeefa, while Zeefa and I sat in the children’s residence. I braided her hair as she read to me from the opening chapter of The Doom of Choava. She stopped mid-page suddenly. “Daddy,” she said, her voice quiet. I gently parted a lock of her hair from the thick section I had in my hands and…

The Divine Sun, Chapter 33: Princess Surhewze

Rhann POV Aendul played with the children, a rather relaxed game of hide and go seek. I would have to give him time somehow with Zeefa before night fell. But I also needed to handle Tienn. A pre-emptive response. I moved back towards the back building, where the children’s studies were and the mess of my office was. I should make sure the servants prepared a room for Aendul there too –…

The Divine Sun, Chapter 32: The Mortal Plane

Rhann POV It had been three days, since Erhol’s kidnapping. I was up and moving and again, but I didn’t doubt that without the Open Water’s healing, I would be singing songs for the Circle of Souls. Solfei had made me take time off – equal parts, because she needed to handle the murder of the Queen’s Cousin without my interference and because she was terrified I was going to up and die, if I…

The Divine Sun, Chapter 31: The Gathering Hall

Aendul POV The Mirage of Water stepped out of the hall first, her hard eyes scanning the crowds. She tapped her finger against rough snake skin decorated breeches, as if both searching for someone and at the same time for words. Then her sights landed on Drakkem. Drakkem immediately straightened, like a child that thought he was in trouble. “Uh oh,” he whispered, a half teasing breath, to…

The Divine Sun, Chapter 30: The Timeless Realms

Aendul POV Rhann collapsed to the ground and I was about to too. We may have won, but it was at a terrible cost. I looked helplessly at the Thunderspear. But he wasn’t a healer. There was nothing, he could do for either of us. I released Erhol and let him move to his mother’s unconscious body. He lifted her arm, trying to get her to wrap him in a hug. Her arm fell limply to the ground and he…

The Divine Sun, Chapter 29: Surrounded by Zombies

Rhann POV Aendul appeared next to Erhol. And then collapsed into the ground, hard. He breathed heavily and from that gaping wound on his shoulder, I didn’t think he had long left. Fuck! I swung my sword up at the nearest guard, hitting her square in the neck. Not that it would stop her. There were still six guards in between me and my son – now me, my son and Aendul. Aendul breathed out, and…

The Divine Sun, Chapter 28: A Desperate Flight

Aendul POV             The bolt dug itself into the ground just where I had been standing. Drakkem had me with him in the sky, like I was a leaf on the wind. He wrapped around me and slammed back into the ground, the clash resounding on the ground like a clap of thunder. Shockwaves scattered from us, cracking the claybrick siding of the buildings around us.             He tossed me behind him…

The Divine Sun, Chapter 27: The Soldiers from Tienn

Rhann POV             Dia was headed further in town. It was such a preciously small town, but I knew the delegation was at the Town Hall and the town hall was always at the back left corner of the core of the town – the last building before suddenly there wasn’t any for miles. Dia was headed there. Headed for help from their guards. I wasn’t sure it was the right decision.             I ran…

The Divine Sun, Chapter 26: History

Aendul POV The Thunderspear was at my throat. Anger in his red, burning eyes. My sword, fashioned of light, was only doing so much to hold back the axe pressing down on me. “You really don’t want to kill me,” I reminded him. I glanced back at the last of the fleeing priestesses. Making their way well out of town. He pressed harder. “And I won’t,” he grunted. This did not feel like not trying…

The Divine Sun, Chapter 25: Find Erhol

Rhann POV “You shouldn’t have come, brother,” I heard the man at the river speak. His eyes glowed a dark red and the wind whipped, unnaturally around him. As if the Gentle Winds were trying to scare him off. He ignored it, taking a step out of the river towards us. “Where’s Erhol?” I heard Aendul demand. This had to be the Thunderspear. I whipped my head around searching the banks, searching…

The Divine Sun, Chapter 24: The Temple to the Circle of Souls

Aendul POV I didn’t know what to do. Behind me, the soldiers were coming. Would they know what to do? How to help? What did I do? The Open Waters. He could help. He hated healing, but he was damn good at it. How did I get to him? How did I get to him without Chasse knowing?             My temple. I could talk to him through my communal chamber. And if I was in my communal chamber, he wouldn’t…

Rhann POV Amaveesha could hold her alcohol much better than I could. She was on her fifth sake cup and I was still on my first – trying to drink slowly, since I had promised Aendul to drink less. And I didn’t exactly want to embarrass myself in front of Aendul’s mother.  “How long do you plan to be around this trip?” I asked. Amaveesha smiled, but it was a pressed one. “As long as I need to be…

The Divine Sun, Chapter Twenty-Two: The Crest of the Divine Sun

Aendul POV I followed Rhann and my mother as we walked through Appleroad District back to her compound at the far end. Now that I thought about, this would be the first time, Zeefa met Mother. But I was struggling to think on that. Too focused on the fact that my own priestesses had betrayed me. Too focused on the fact that I understood and I hated it. “Aendul, sweetheart,” Mother called to me.…

The Divine Sun, Chapter Twenty-One: The Ambassador to Tienn

Rhann POV I knew I should be focused on Aendul and his mother, but the fact that the Ambassador to Tienn was at this temple had me distracted. It was probably nothing – probably only because today was the Divine Sun’s death day – but it was so odd to see the Ambassador here. The only reason for a woman to enter the temple to the Divine Sun was if she was making an oath or a contract. I would…

The Divine Sun, Chapter Twenty: The Auspicious Day

Aendul POV I was chatting happily with Uushen about Zeefa and the other children, when I spotted Rhann coming back through the crowd. My smile dropped when I saw my mother following her, a particular annoyed, you’re-in-trouble look on her face. I immediately felt the need to defend myself, but I didn’t even know what I was defending myself from yet. Though, I had a fairly good guess. Mother…

The Divine Sun, Chapter 19: To the Temple Once Again

Rhann POV The sun set early again. Not very early, only by a couple hours, but it did mean I could return to compound early. Maybe drag Aendul out for that auspicious day we still needed to get. I hated the idea of going to the temple. Commander Ao pulled up next to me as I stomped back to the compound. “I am hoping you aren’t here to tell me the vipers have moved again?” “Not as much,”…