Skip to main content

FLUX – Zugzwang

Reading sample

FLUX – Zugzwang is a normal fantasy novel despite its additional content, which can be accessed via AR, among other things. The following is the reading sample.

Chapter 1: Lyderia in the Empire of the West – Rhiel

Five days earlier …

Flashes of lightning revealed the face of a young man trudging through the flooded alleyways of Lyderia. The rain beaded on his hood and ran onto his cloak, which was less to protect him than his bag. Pale lantern light showed him the way before he arrived frozen at his destination, banged on a wooden door and waited. A brief grumble and it opened. He scurried through, closed it abruptly – gasped in relief and threw his coat into a corner, his long black hair falling into his face and briefly covering his deep blue eyes.

Home at last. His leather boots left watery prints in the familiar labyrinth. He walked past equipment, components, all sorts of junk, several mountains of steel and iron, containers and crystal, which were piled up in an abstruse, almost endless jumble in the home of the western empire’s most famous alchemist.

Acalon was sitting at his desk, which was completely swamped with tools and piles of paper, drawing on a construction plan. 

“Scrapes and burn marks again?” The boy pointed to the alchemist’s battered smock.

“Huh?” The old man grunted, confused. “What do you mean, Lycon?” A penetrating look, a brief moment of silence, then enlightenment. “Oh.” He waved it off. “The usual.” Acalon paid him no further attention, immersed in his work – until he remembered, realized that he had sent Lycon to pick up a package.

“Oh yes.” The old man grinned, flipped up his golden glasses with the dozens of lenses placed in front of each other and looked at the boy curiously. “Have you got the syncanite?” Lycon opened the bag.
“Along with a letter from Soric.” Acalon frowned.
“What does he want this time?” He eagerly took the letter, skimmed it and burst out laughing.
“Soric, the madman, wants a new siege weapon with which he can break the ‘borders of the Iron Front’, as he insists so pompously.” The cynical tone was clearer than Lycon’s impending cold. “Daring endeavor.” Acalon’s words, abruptly sober.

“Do we know Zeron any differently?” Acalon paused, slammed the letter down on the desk, stood up, buttoned his disheveled smock and assumed a thinker’s pose – only slightly exaggerated.

“The question is,” he sighed, ”do we want it any other way?” Lycon stifled a laugh; the staging was familiar, but legendary. “Of course, we could just keep Avadur in check, but these fanatics are putting us under pressure, provoking definitive action.”

“The suffering of the resource-poor, needy south.”

“Yes, of course!” Acalon nodded, said yes several times, turned and looked at the letter again to read it aloud. “Pay attention! ‘To end the tyranny of Avadur and his regime, the Empire needs your help. So formal! We’ve known each other for almost thirty years!” Lycon grinned, Acalon continued. “’An aether artillery that can meet the enemy with immense power, resistance and mobility – with this, which surpasses Avadur’s designs, we not only have a chance, but more importantly, the certainty of bringing about the end of the war soon.’” He grunted with laughter, almost choking. “What a propaganda piece. The war against these miserable fanatics is always almost won. And for almost how many years?” Lycon’s cue.
“Seventeen.” Acalon nodded, grunting again.
“I’ve already stopped counting.” The old man regained his composure, suddenly focused, seemed captivated by the document. “I’ve just seen his concept – brilliant! I had the idea weeks ago.” Lycon shook his head – his hunch was confirmed.

So that’s what the old man is working on all the time. The alchemist’s eagerness to try it out was clear to see. I’m sure that’s the only reason he sent me out into this miserable weather. The monologue was followed by curiosity.

“When can we test it?”

“The bag!” With a hasty wave of his hand, Acalon demanded the bag. As soon as it was thrown to him, he searched through it, almost greedily, definitely euphorically, and after a few seconds pulled a melon-sized, angular arcanite crystal out of it.

Reddish glow, encased in a brilliant cut. The highest quality, as only the Order of the North was able to deliver.
“Thanks to this specimen, any time. But first…” He lost the thread, noticed one aspect of the blueprint and lost himself in the revision of it. He didn’t notice Lycon leave the room.

The boy climbed the wooden staircase into the attic and entered his library-like room. Across the red carpets, past piles of books and notes, he walked towards his wing chair and dropped into it. Match, scratch; he lit a candle, swapped it for the book on the table and began to read, devoting himself once again to the teachings of the Western Empire’s expanded military strategy. Soon over. He worked his way through the tough reading, remembering Acalon’s words. If you want to achieve something in this day and age, you have to deal with it. You won’t get to the court of Zeron of Rhiel any other way. My word alone is not enough if you can’t achieve anything!

He was right, discipline triumphed. Lycon sank into the writing, looked up after a while and put the book in his lap. It is more than mere discipline that guides me. Lycon reflected, analyzed – drew on his knowledge from other sources and wrote an inner essay:

The needs of a society largely determine its image. Rhiel stands for tradition, strength and independence. The latter two aspects justify our focus on the military and infrastructure. Because only those who are well equipped can act quickly and in a disciplined manner are able to defend themselves and act in an emergency. This maxim has shaped the thinking of the ruling House of Flasyra since the very beginning of the Western Empire. It was under the founder of this dynasty that we fought for our freedom and we still uphold it today, united under the black phoenix banner of Zeron of Rhiel.

The history of Rhiel

Every empire has a history. Find out here how Rhiel was founded, how it gained its independence and what values have shaped it ever since – in three short stories.

But defense alone will never put an end to the fanaticism of the North. We must tackle the root of all evil: Free Avadur from the Order’s influence before its transcendent madness produces a new breed of despots like the Ascendants of old: those false gods who denied us the power of Arcanite, perfected its use and enslaved all the peoples of this world out of their decadence.

Soric is convinced of the need for allies in this endeavor and went against the tradition of foreign policy neutrality when he began to make common cause with the Hegemony of the East: The metropolis of Tycos, dominated by the corporate conglomerate, has always exploited distant provinces and colonies to secure obscene wealth at home.

It is a kleptocracy that justifies draconian dictatorial measures of order under the guise of progress and prosperity, often profiting from ventures such as exploitation and war – and consequently has a vested interest in maintaining these conditions.

Their values are diametrically opposed to ours and yet they agreed on the basis of a common ambition: to break the power of the North in order to secure their own way of life. Reality, however, shows that the Order’s power is only limited – to the extent that it benefits a few more than it harms. Lycon grinned, catching himself. For the crystal he had delivered to Acalon was from one of the Order’s suppliers. No one is innocent. Everything is interwoven. 

He continued his inner essay: Rhiel and Tycos’ joint war against Avadur is never ending. Instead, he solves the problem of limited growth through constant destruction and reconstruction. He violently forces the break-up of once immovable structures in politics and society, creating innovations conducive to the conflict. The system becomes ever more efficient and maintains itself. On the one hand, Lycon recognized its brilliance, but on the other, he also saw that it was wrong to maintain or otherwise support it: This war economy is a blood-oiled machine that springs from resource poverty and a threat situation, militarizes our society, binds us to the Hegemony, and primarily benefits Tycan corporations and their high command. This policy is their most profitable export product and a perfidious attempt to reintegrate us after we had fought for freedom from the former hegemony of the East centuries ago.

The history of Tycos

The actions of the Hegemony of the East ultimately gave rise to Rhiel. Learn all about the history and ideology of Tycos in three short stories.

Acalon had raised Lycon in the traditional spirit of Rhiel as his own son and taught him much about the history of the Empire. Lycon formulated his position accordingly: “In my view, the alliance of convenience with Tycos neither upholds Rhiel’s tradition nor our claim to true independence. Under Soric, the focus is solely on the strength of the Empire and thus its military power. He has made himself a pawn in the Tycan hegemony. Whether out of compulsion or self-interest I don’t know, but that’s what we need to find out!

He read on with determination, but at the same time thought about the consequences of Zeron’s policies, which disgusted him and ultimately motivated him further: How many families have lost members because of this war economy that profits from constant destruction and rebuilding? How many were denied a free and prosperous life because a few put their interests above those of the general public?

At that moment, he also remembered his parents, both highly decorated officers, who once left him with Acalon, bid him farewell with a hug and kind words, and went off to war themselves, never to return.

Lycon clenched a fist, gritted his teeth, controlled his emotions and regained his composure. As long as I’m not in a position of power to clear all this up, I have to play the game. Adapt myself. Go along with Soric’s agenda to give mine a chance of being realized.

This was his thesis. Lycon anticipated the future and prepared himself as best he could for his role in it. It was ambition that drove him. The desire for the power to change something. He looked at history again and summarized his thoughts: Tycos has always been known for its moral inconsistency. They take advantage of the hardship of the peoples, position themselves well, let Rhiel fight for them and blackmail the expansion of the war economy; make us dependent on them, as they already are. And we only accept this because the dictatorship of the North strives for the South, abuses its power and resources in its transcendent delusion and does not tolerate the Southern way of life – a welcome situation for Tycos, provided Avadur is kept in check.

The history of Avadur

The Nexus of the North is the reason for the reluctant merger of Rhiel and Tycos in the Southern Alliance. Find out more in two short stories.

It is no wonder that this material battle has been raging for seventeen years. An end is only in the interests of the Hegemony when the costs of the war economy no longer justify its benefits, or even when the very basis of the Tycan oligarchy’s existence is threatened. These thoughts aroused determination. Acalon’s training had prepared him for the first step on his path. I will join the Council of House Flasyra and bring about the end of the war. Avadur must be defeated, the greed of the corporations curbed, the people saved from the war economy.

He regained his strength, turned to his book, got through it quicker than expected and finally enjoyed another read. Titled Discourse on the Relevance of the Independence of the Tycan Front Provinces, it seemed to him to be an effective means of achieving his goals.

Cookie Consent Banner by Real Cookie Banner