A Peek Into the World of A Noble Warrior

*Two curtains pull back, inviting you down a dark tunnel*

Welcome to the Divided Lands! I am so glad you could join me in a tour of our wonderful countries.

*The tunnel slowly bends to the right as you walk, a cold breeze dancing past with the sharp, fresh scent of pine*

*A glowing silver pinprick appears in the distance, slowly growing wider—and colder—as you walk*

Welcome to Eisyber!

*The tunnel opens wide to a breath-taking snowy landscape, the bright sun glittering off piles of white snow and towering green pine trees marching in rows around you*

Eisyber has been ruled by the Erich family for the past three centuries. The kings and queens have had their ups and downs, and were known for being a tad reclusive, but they took good care of our wonderful country.

Sadly, the grand line of the Erich family was cut short two years ago, in a tragic attack by wandering raiders.

All of Eisyber would have been destroyed if it were not for our savior, the Mouse King, and his loyal troops.

*leans closer to you and whispers*

There have been whispers, though. Rumors that the deaths of the king, queen, and young prince Cassian were…not so accidental.

*glances around and raises a finger to my lips*

Ehem, anyways!

Before the wind picks up and we have a blizzard on our hands, allow me to walk you through a short list of the most famous elements that make the sprawling snowy woods and mountains of Eisyber.

• Our snow and ice, of course.
• Lord Dasilmer and his awe-inspiring inventions.
• A recent invention…ice cream.
• The great council that helps our king rule Eisyber. Particularly the annual meeting after the great autumn festival (forgive me if you do not know what autumn is, it has been centuries since the seasons changed and anyone outside of the In Between has experienced autumn), where each council member brings their troops to swear loyalty to the royal family.
• Snow trolls. Extremely fast-talking and large creatures.
• Eisyberians all have dark hair and dark eyes.

*You move away from the snowy woods, towards a giant canyon that’s depth makes your stomach drop even from a distance*

Long ago, the Lands were one country. Until great civil war split the people…and eventually…the land.

Freezing Eisyber in eternal winter, burning Ninaria into forever summer, and creating the Divide.

A canyon so vast and deep that no one has been able to build a bridge between the two lands.

Except…for the In Between.

*as you walk, you see a great stretch of land that seems to rise up from the endless canyon, covered in sprawling woods of orange, red, and golden leaves*

*You find yourself crossing a narrow stone bridge between Eisyber and this new land, and soon have made it through a narrow stone hall and are standing in the slightly-warmer, crisp air of what seems to be eternal autumn*

Welcome to the In Between!

Ah, yes, that autumn that was mentioned earlier? That is from the In Between.

A narrow land where the extreme weather finds balance, and the peoples of the Divided Lands gather for annual festivals to remember their past.

The In Between is famous for…

• Its sprawling woods that appear to be on fire.
• Week long festivals.
• The chance to thaw from Eisyber’s cold, and cool down from Ninaria’s heat.
• The great chaos that happens when the two countries’ cultures are mixed.
• The climbing layers of the festival grounds, where each level and hall becomes richer and more exclusive as you go.

*You see the other side of the divide as you cross the In Between, and your stomach drops once again as you cross the ornate wooden bridge—the only thing keeping you from falling to your doom in the empty black hole*

*A wave of heat hits you as you cross under the gates of this new country, and you tug off your cloak before you are suffocated in its warmth*

Welcome to the last country of our tour—Ninaria!

A land of eternal summer, Ninaria is home to sprawling golden fields, great green hills, and flowery meadows.

No king or queen rules this great country. Instead, nobles each watch over the commoners in their lands, and form an intricate network of working together to care for Ninaria’s needs.

The youngest nobles to date, Lord and Lady Stahlb’rin, are siblings who inherited their titles when their parents were killed on a tragic visit to Eisyber…supposedly by the same raiders who killed the Eisyberian royal family.

*Hands you a cold glass of lemonade to help with the heat*

And…to close our tour…Ninaria is known for:

• Ninari possess a strange tolerance to the sun and don’t seem to sunburn unless outside for hours on end.
• The great southern mountain range.
• A recent invention of lemons, water, honey, and a secret ingredient that the Ninari will not reveal creates a drink that provides more protection from sunny side-effects than water does.
• The giant nut farms near the edge of the divide.
• Though all Ninari have golden hair, their eye color can vary between gray, blue, green, and golden.

And thus concludes our tour! Thank you so much for joining me in the Divided Lands!

Which country was your favorite?

To learn more about the Divided Lands, Cassian, and Lord and Lady Stalhb’rin, check out my upcoming book, A Noble Warrior!