Surfacing Ch. 35

22 Pages?

Thank Cthulhu for long weekends.

Fireworks and the Underdark! Happy 4th of July!

Wow!

Non-stop action took my breath away. I felt as if I was in the middle of the battle myself. Incredibly exciting. Mental whiplash. Just wow ...

5 stars but it feels unfinished

I look forward to the conclusion?

Oops

That was meant to be a period not a question mark.

This was supposed to be the END!

Another great chapter, but I thought this was supposed to be the end!!!! I was looking forward to a rewarding conclusion, not another lengthy wait for more story!

Fantastic! What an enjoyable set up!

Wow. What a behemoth of a chapter you have written. First off I feel as though you deserve a round of applause, just for that. Second, I must say it is always interesting to see what aspect of society, norms and interpersonal relationships you will explore next. Yes, this was an epic battle, but we also saw huge power shifts, the beginnings of even larger societal changes for the drows (potentially as a collective), emotional personal realizations, and the reveal/ reintroduction of some very interesting connections between characters. Also, there are now so many interesting pluralities existing within single entities, in some ways it almost feels like a way to symbolically muse on how others impact us as individuals. Which is awesome, because in my experience the best of literature doesn't just tell you a story it makes you reconsider or reflect your own. In relation to the story however, it in interesting because instead of having a physically mixed or hybrid individual from birth (such as Mourn or the Wilder) there is now a rapidly expanding sub-group of mentally mixed or hybrid individuals (Siriana, Xalli, Gaelan etc) and its interesting to see how and where they fit into the larger picture.

A joy to read and contemplate, as you weave a rich world into existence. I look forward to your next installment, wherever and whenever that may be as all your ends to this battle are proving to set up tantalizing new beginnings. Thank you!

Enough emotion

...that my eyes leaked often. Emotion in Drow Nation? I do believe that you are trying to change their society... Noice!
Pier

I cried!

Here is the thing, I rarely cry I have thought of crying as a wasted emotion, mostly because it changes or helps nothing. Therefore I can't wait for the next part.

@ "the end"

Where was it said that this was supposed to be the end? This trilogy is ended but Surfacing goes on until the end of the year, as was stated multiple times - and even then the story will not be finished and there will hopefully be added content some time in the future.

On a personal note: I don't understand why people use 5-10 exclamation marks, looks just childish imo.

Thank you

Thank you for being an awesome story teller.

Amazing

So many pieces and plots to keep track of I am impressed that anyone could write with such clarity. It's like your telling a historical story not creating it.

I thought . . .

. . . you were great before, but now I think 'your the best'.

NOOOOOOOOOO

This ending is not what we bargained for! Fuck this shit is good!!!
I really expected Cris to come this chapter but I guess we will meet him on the surface again?

Just to clarify. It was the elder mind that died? So all other thrall and enemies simply collapsed now and the drow are safe?

Can't wait to see the atermath of the battle.

5* and a big thank you!

What a treat!

Etaski, thank you for your persistance, imagination, hard work and excellence in this whole series. I first picked it up last fall, and have chomped through it all.
The characters have journeys, and I've seen them change and grow; the world is cohesive, the obstacles are challenging and of epic scale (Muirag sized). This chapter has a lot of resolution in it and I'm glad to hear there is more coming (once you've rested). This is my favourite story on here by a long shot. The sex is hot (especially Mourn, Sirana, Jael, Gaelan stuff), and the story is finely wrought. Well done! Please continue writing forever. I'm looking forward to seeing this Drow society attain a new balance; see the reunion of the old friends form above ground, and perhaps, to see stories in the future of the next generation of extraordinary young people reaching new heights. Plus to see the balance restored with the sisters! Again, Bravo.

Another Great Chapter

I could not stop and had to read the chapter straight through to the end. Thank you very much for all the time and effort you put into creating this story for us.

Very good !

I would like to thank you for the very entertaining story, PLEASE continue...!

Perfect

Outstanding as always can't wait for next installment

Closed arena?

@Methusalem I forgot to think about Cris this chapter, but interesting thought. Mourn said that D'Shae could close an arena, but because she was minding the draegloth we saw she wasn't able to. I'll have to go back to the surface conversation with Lethrix and see if he said he was going to close the arena for this conflict, thus keeping Cris and any others out?
Pier

re: Cris and Lethrix

@pier: Exactly what I thought, plus Lethrix said the challenge would be balanced and he likes it that way, so he couldn't just let anyone in.
I suppose we won't see Cris until Amduscias is being dealt with as Auslan said he would be compelled to help finding/bringing out the Sisters. After that is dealt with he will likely see his double blade again, as announced.

@Etaski: I don't really know what to write after this chapter, it's just been too much to really summarize it, write something that is adequate to its scale... So I just say thank you for this epic chapter and I'm looking forward to seeing the mysteries of this world unraveled even more in what is still to come.
It's actually been so overwhelming that I forgot my tagline in the first post, won't happen again :D

Greetings, G

Wow Wow and Wow

All i can say is that was epic, 22 pages of Literati reading heaven. I can't believe some thought it was the final chapter (sniggers). Chris is lurking, they still have to return to the surface to re-establish the boys as their gods representatives, among other things, and I still think that Kurn's Papa is yet to make another appearance, as well as a couple of others, hmmm?

Eats you are the champion of great epic writing, bows humbly in thy presence.

Mal

Ulitharids

So the Elder Mind is still alive and probably never left their hideout in the first place?
I got a bit confused because our heroes had such a hard struggle with a single Ulitharid and also the comments about Xalli now being free made me think they got the Elder Mind. Probably wasn't the only one.

So the fight is far from over? Elder Mind will retreat it's forces and regroup for a later battle?

Could you also specify the part about the glowing scars for me, so I have that one right too ^^ Is it just the exploded sapphire shards glowing when psionics are used or was there more to it?

As always thanks for your answers!

I eagerly await every chapter, fantastic read.thank you

Elder Mind

Illithids in D&D lore (and seemingly in this story) are a Hivemind. Just because you kill one Ulitharid, doesn't impact the actual Hivemind itself to a large degree. It's a setback sure, but Mourn even said that this young Hivemind probably had a few Ulitharids. It's like cutting an arm off, or a leg. You can still live without it, but it will suck.
I'm very interested in where you go with Xallihoon (assuming "she" sticks with that name, it appears insulting). Can she talk? Does she only communicate psionically? If she's merely a child, and she stood up to Mourn...her powers must be incredible, which is interesting to consider as she is essentially only an Illithid who was made self-aware.
I still wish Innathi had D'Shea's realizations about herself and the future of the Drow race. C'est la vie.

Great chapter. Looking forward to the next bonus chapter, assuming it will be House Aurenthin's.

Seriously

I hope you enjoy writing this as much as I do reading it. You rock. Can't wait for all the sub-plots to play out.

Awesome

I cannot wait to read each installment of this marvelous story you have created. As you promised, there was no way I was going to stop reading once I started this chapter and admittedly every chapter before. I have loved every moment... the characters... the changes... everything you have put together to make this story come so alive... its just absolutely amazing. The wait for the next mind blowing revelation will be excruciating but always worth it.
Vonnie

Xalli :)

And so we welcome new member of our heroes team. Drow/Ilthid mind and physical hybrid... Now the new question that goes with her is who is the team going to fight next that Etaski decided they need such a power house :). She basically can hold her own against Mourn accompanied by hes Darathrix and at the same time slaughter some near drow soldiers. Who is so powerfull that Etaski/Dragon decided that Sirana + team needs her? To try to anwser that we need to ask ourselves do the Ilthids worsip any god that is not represented in our team yet? Is it to be yet another set of hands to help seek the lost sisters? Either that or the next enemy will be demigod at least... if not god himself

Xalli

I guess she would want to put off the experimental armor and that would weaken her considerably. She probably won't join the team as "the strongest charakter" but probably as valuable and strong enough member.

I still hope E will explain the situation of the Elder Mind and it's army a bit more for me (unless it is part of the next chapter). Again I'm still a bit confused that, if a single Ulitharid was that strong, and the Elder Mind has several (and it itself is lurking somewhere) how could they not just simply overpower the drow?

Once more ...

a really great chapter! I enjoy your writing so much!
I was on holidays, carrying several fantasy books from the library. Really thick books, fine printing, nice cover - they sell them for maybe 15€ here in Germany - but what a crap compared to your story! None of these had such a sophisticated plot, such an interesting "maturing" main character, such good writing (maybe the translators fault)!
Wish you more donnators via paypal or patreon!
Keep on!

Hmmph

I wouldn't say I forgot her armor, as much as assumed it provided about the same amount of benefits as Mourn's own magical equipment gives him, which you agreed with. So, I figured it was a wash.

How dare I ...

... argue with the author herself *chuckle*

First things first.. I don't know how many Ulitharids there are, I think "a couple" was mentioned. But let's get back to what you just now wrote. It nearly killed three heroes with a surprise attack (let's say two because mourn is a tough fucker) and injured Sirana in the process. Gaelan had to flee and Shyntre just barely did not kill Sirana. The fact that Shyntre got 'possesed' tells me that there were at this battle probably only a hand full that would not struggle that much (Mourn, Sirana, d'shea.. then it get's critical..)

Unde these circumstances, assuming there are around 10 Ulitharids and an even stronger Elder Mind I don't see why they did not force the issue, staying relatively close, protecting each other and push through.

Mhh.. maybe I have our heroes on a too high pedestral and all others (shadows, other red sisters, wizards) on one too low ^^
I love those post-chapter discussions.

Heh heh 😏

Okay, I can easily agree you did not forget the armor, nasty_butler. It is a wash for a limited amount of time was the suggested refinement.

And Methusalem, far be it from me to insist on only one view. I will count it a major positive it seemed challenging to you. I should probably just stop talking about the battle and show you the aftermath instead. That is sort of my job, right? ;)

So good

Thank you Etaski for a wonderfull addition to an already wonderfull tale.

KABOOM!

Well done, Etaski! Well done!

The wait was worth it

Amazing, had to read it twice to make sure i did not miss anything. The only bad news is you have raised the already high bar to a a whole new level.
The great news is you told a truly brilliant story.

Standing applause!

Yet another 5 star outstanding chapter, Etaski. Can't wait to see what the future has in store for the newest member, Xalli. I could imagine her finding a "Happily Ever After" amongst the Wilders learning to be wild, free and individual as well as providing a new and fantastic level of defense for them. As a strange and unique hybrid elf they kind of HAVE to accept her don't they? Could also see her end up working her way up through The Guild. Skills like hers would command huge compensation. Any way it goes I can't wait to see where you go from here! Thank you for writing this!

I want to hate you for that ending...

but really, I love you. So much. This was another awesome chapter and I cannot wait for the next.

thanks

again I am so pleased.....awaiting the next chapter .
thanks for all the work that is going into this story.

wow...epic!!

Another great Chapter.. I'm always happy when another edition to this series comes out. I know this may have a few more to close this out.. But are there other unrelated stories on the horizon?

*tableflip*

Dammit, E!

Truly epic

Love the imagination. If you need another proofreader, I'd be happy to volunteer. This one had a couple of dozen errors with verb tenses, spelling etc that could have been caught. But still 5 stars.

Damn

I waited as long as possible to read this chapter and now I am sad it is over. Amazing as always though.

What, I can't give more than 5 stars?

Your chapters are a small book each and you have outdone yourself. This is amazing in detail, pace, sub-plots. So many authors seem to reuse the same words or expressions over and over yet I had never that impression with your writing. You make it look so easy, that is a true sign of real mastery.

Great cameo appearance by the fucking dragon: it wouldn't be the same without his kind of humour. Which is different from Jael's or Rausery's... They all have their own personality yet you manage to give them complexity, depth and let them change and evolve at the same time. That is really impressive.

I had a little bit of trouble understanding what was going on in Sirana's and the Corrupter's heads at times, but nothing a third or fourth reading won't cure. ;)

Seriously, I've rolled back and forth clutching my head in fangirl agony several times over this chapter. And I totally stayed up to read it even though I'm sick enough to cough like a velociraptor (or deinoychus if you're going to get technical about theoretical sound). I also made the kind of gasps and groans one usually makes when witnessing a fight that's been building for a while. Excellent chapter!!!!! I loved seeing how all the characters have developed and how the new threads are building new webs- or is it still webs? What could our new analogy be as the ties to Lolth are being slashed with a forceful blade.
Can't wait for the rest of the story.

To Anonymous/This was supposed to be the END!

You can see Etaski’s master plan at the bottom of her Biography page. There you’ll find that this chapter was never intended to be the absolute end of the story. What you’re looking for is likely to be Ch. 41 or 42.

If the lengthy wait bothers you, plan your reading accordingly and apply some self discipline. Now you know there will 6 or 7 more chapters, at least. Figure they’ll take 6 weeks apiece to appear, so check the page count at the bottom of page 1, do the math, and spread the pages out over 6 weeks. Problem solved.

Meanwhile, Etaski, you continue to lavish us with your grace. You imagine the most amazing beings and places and plot—a real labor of love. Thank you for your generosity. I’d be happy if you never end the Red Sister series.

cmsheaff was wrong about the “couple of dozen errors”—there are far, far more than that. But the beauty of the story still shines through. I, too, would be happy to aid in proofreading.

In humble admiration,
Barry

Patience

In reference to some of the comments… one of the most ironic things I've ever read (not here) was, "I can be patient when I have to be."

(You can only truly show patience when you don't have to. There's no cutting in line to make Christmas or your birthday or your vacation come any sooner.)

Waiting for Sirana to send her next journal entry to Etaski? That takes patience. You can be selfish and impatiently complain that this amazing artist is taking too long to satisfy your desires: we know she reads the comments here. Though she might be pretty good at taking it all in stride and ignoring the whining, if we post enough it's bound to get to her. That doesn't mean you'll get your fix any time sooner, but you will affect her somehow.

Anyway! As always, this story was worth the wait. Now I'm impatiently waiting for one of the Surfacing stories to get a perfect score (from everybody who rates it). Hurry up already, Etaski! Sheesh. ;-)

Many smilies ^__^

Indeed, I do read the comments. Been a bit buried and working hard on Ch 36 so I haven't been able answer or thank every contributor in the last few weeks, but I do see and appreciate them very much.

I enjoyed one Anon's extrapolation and forward thinking in finding a place in the world for Xalli'hoon (Wait and see! Can't wait to show you. ;) ), and I saw another asking about other stories after this one is closed out (Shit, yes. My brain won't shut the fuck up! :P But first I have to fulfill a few promises so I have to pause and breathe soon.), and I'm not sure about a new analogy if we're slashing the web one, but you're right, Anon. ;) A new theme will rise up out of the words, sooner or later.

Being able to read about some reader-experience to this story arch from both an immersion view and a craft view has been enlightening, humbling, and joyful. I am more like Barry and hakdrakken in that I champion patience and self-discipline (two things absolutely required for me to write what I have), but rest easy, I am far from any breaking point where it comes to the routine internet demands for "moar nao" and the occasional expressions of disappointment. I always try to step away and take a moment to consider the person on the other end posting the comment. In every case, even the less-pleased ones, I think they are just trying to communicate the only way available and are not tangibly harming my love for what I'm doing. I am human and feel the words more sometimes than others, but I also have methods and friendly support for processing it and letting it go rather than stop writing. Overall readers have been very generous.

Barry, thank you for the very sweet show of support. You're welcome, and thanks for noticing my "master plan." ;) I am going without proofreaders prior to posting, a decision I made a while ago to tighten the release schedule (though I do have beta-readers, they just aren't great with grammar), so these are all "pretty good 2nd drafts." Clean versions will come out later.

I also have one thorough gentleman combing for errors afterward. He found 23 in this chapter. Better than I expected, honestly. I took a 10 day vacation from work to complete this, and I simply could not look at the screen looking for errors anymore after 6 straight days and 70+ new pages written in that time. It took me the final 4 days to recover and feel human again. I won't be doing that again for Surfacing, but I also don't have to. I hit and exceeded my goal.

I do like the ironic statement, hadrakken. It almost sounds like something Mae West or Groucho Marx could have quipped back in the day. ;) And dear Goddess, no, please don't let me hit a perfect score...! Not only will I think it's a glitch because that's better than believing I have nothing else to strive for, but Johnny Depp from "Once Upon a Time in Mexico" will show up to shoot me in the head! :P At this point, those little up and down differences are relative to other chapters and mostly indicate how much action or pay-off there is in it, as well as how well I bricked the road in getting us there. ;) Next chapter, I have to set-up more pay-off a fair bit later, so the score will be lower. It's balanced...and God, I'm enjoying it. :)

Thank you, everyone.

Will I live long enough?

Etaski, please know that I believe that you are doing an incredible job by providing your hungry readers a new chapter of this wonderful story every 5 weeks or so. Frankly, I can't imagine how you continue to do it considering the demands of a full time job, family responsibilities, friends, keeping up your websites, and the mundane chores of life. That said, it has taken you almost 5 years of real time (first Sirana story 12/2011) to document less than 3 years of Sirana's life. Granted, you have given us a lot of backstory, but I'm talking about the main story line. In story time, it will be about a year before Sirana's son is born and then at least 2 years before her daughter arrives (and that's assuming that Shyntre and Sirana embarrass the midwife immediately after the son's birth :-)) I'm almost 70 years old and I have a bad heart, am undergoing my second bout with cancer, and I am an avid motorcyclist to boot - I may not live that long! How much would you charge for a copy of your working outline? I promise to keep it secret. Please have pity on an old man :-)

I've just caught up after avoiding your stories since September. When I read, especially your work, the world goes away and I become totally immersed in the story. I allow my emotions free rein, so, needless to say, I often get pretty "wound up" when reading about Sirana's adventures. This happened last fall - the adrenaline hit, my heart rate and respiration increased, I started sweating, I was trembling so much that it was difficult to see the words on the screen - you know, the typical reaction to one of the exciting parts of Sirana's story. That time, however, the "excitement" didn't end and I experienced my first incident of atrial fibulation - whoops! My doctor suggested that I try to avoid that kind of excitement until he got the a-fib under control. After a couple of more incidents, he performed an ablation on my heart. It's now been more than 6 months since the ablation with no incidents of a-fib and I'm tired of reading comedy, history, etc, so I decided to catch up with Etaski's outstanding series. Since the last three chapters didn't result in any a-fib, I guess I'm cured.

I hope that you understand and appreciate the joy that you so generously give to your readers. Thank you isn't enough, and I WILL purchase your books when they become available. You are one of the finest authors I have encountered. Others often compare you to Salvadore, I imagine because you write in a similar genre. You are much better than him. I so much look forward to the continuation of your work. Thank you again!

ps - I sent an email praising your writing a couple of years ago and you sent a nice response - I treasure it. Thanks.

@jdg0203

Thank you very much for the wonderful and generous note, although upon reading your story, a stronger feeling for me is I'm happy to hear your health has stabilized enough to enjoy more things you want to do. Congratulations on catching up and I'm relieved the last three chapters did not see a repeat medical emergency. Then there's the motorcycling to boot. :) My husband and I enjoy our rides as well, we're with you on that, feeling the wind and the open road.

Will you make it? I genuinely hope that you do, and can only promise again to work toward keeping my part and finish this winter. I am in the resolution now, another 5 or 6 chapters. A gradual resolution, I'll admit, but relative to the rest of the story, it will wind down a lot of things at a good clip while providing some detailed answers readers have been waiting for. I don't mind saying this will necessitate a few "time jumps" after this next chapter 36 (which is still detailed and only covers the immediate few days following the battle). So starting Ch 37, we'll run more temporal ground forward to around Ch 41 or 42. Probably 42. It is the answer to the meaning of life, after all. ;)

I am truly moved by your post, thank you for reading my story, and my best regards and wish for your continued stability to be able to do what you would like most to do, whatever that may be.

books

when published, i wonder how many books the sirana saga would be... septology?