Character spotlight: Falconer and Sersi

His real name is Dar Macabon and he lived on the planet Chyssia as leader of the royal guard for many years. Then his team was framed for the murder of the king and they were forced to flee to protect their infant princess. Because Chyssia is where the game of Chess really originated, they were called chessmen without a king and the name stuck. They became the Chessmen, fighting to go back home.

Dar earned the name of Falconer when he rescued an injured red falcon in the mountains. But this was no ordinary bird. Her name is Sersi, a mystical falcon and very rare. Being highly intelligent and capable of speech were only the beginning with her. Sersi is an amateur spell caster and getting stronger every year. For the sake of her team she specializes in healing magics, but her combat prowess is nothing to dismiss. Her power dive comes with a peal of thunder and red lightning. She can fell a thick tree with one pass.

Dar has power over the elements and weather. He can generate storms and manipulate elements in any form. He can make earth churn like water and shape fire into anything  he can think of. He can generate micro winds for shoving people out of they way or full force hurricanes. In a major fight he prefers lightning but is highly practiced in every angle of his abilities.

When it comes to his team, Dar is deeply concerned with their innocence and the effects of being forced away from home. His leadership is firm yet caring and conscientious. Sersi is in love with him but keeps that fact well hidden, hoping to one day change form to a humanoid woman for him. Together they inspire a team loyalty that surpasses most similar hero teams.

Dar's most notable drawback is his personal guilt over what happened to his team and the situation they are in.  He feels he should have seen the whole thing coming and no one, not even Sersi, can convince him otherwise. (Avoiding spoilers, you'll just have to read Chessmen to find out.) Dar also prefers to avoid combat if possible, but he isn't afraid to deal punishment to anyone who earns it.

Falconer and Sersi in combat are a fearsome force to behold. If he doesn't have to worry about his teammates, he and Sersi can clear a battlefield of minor threats in seconds. He can obliterate heavy artillery and possibly even throw it into orbit. Both of them can fly in space with assistance of Sersi's magic and Falconer's ability to carry an aura of sustainable atmosphere with him. He can channel lightning in space, but the lack of other elements restricts his abilities.

Their dedication to the princess is stronger than any known bond and they protect her with their lives. The only thing more powerful is the drive to take her and the team back home.

Character Spotlight: Sersi, the Mystic Falcon

Sersi is the magical friend and partner to the Falconer, leader of the Chessmen. Her magical prowess and aerial combat ability have served and saved too many times to mention.

Sersi is highly intelligent and capable of communication through telepathy with anyone she wishes. Most of the time she talks to Falconer, who she has a secret love for. Her intelligence takes opponents by surprise as she can quickly out-think or out-maneuver most. She's also an adept mage with a limited number of spells. She primarily uses her magical skills to heal but she has a decent arsenal of combat spells.

Like any falcon, Sersi is deadly fast. In a dive she can break 250 miles per hour until she casts her dive spell. At that point she becomes a red thunderbolt that can knock down even large targets. She also uses her magic to enhance an attack with her razor sharp talons. That attack has been known to pierce armor. She can cast a force field spell that covers a small area and anyone within. Sersi is always trying to improve her magic.

Sersi loves Falconer very much, but her magic is only strong enough to let her show it in his dreams. He has no idea it's her. Sersi hopes to one day master her magic enough to transform into a beautiful woman. Until that time, she is with him everywhere he goes.

For the Chessmen, Sersi is scout, healer and air support. You can read all about her in Chessmen: Opening Moves available on Amazon and Kindle. Catch the link in the upper right to my author's page!

Chessmen sample!

Here is a portion of Chapter one of Chessmen: Dangerous Moves. I hope you enjoy it.

The Queen of planet Chyssia is dead. She died in childbirth while her infant girl survived. The humble and peaceful people of the planet were wrought with grief. The Queen was loved greatly amongst her subjects and her death came as a great shock. Nothing would sooth this pain for some time. Even the proud beauty of their world; the luminous grasses and high red mountains, could offer no comfort or peace.

The Falconer has served proudly as leader of the Royal Guard for two generations. He stood just outside the door with the King, while the Queen labored. When the Chancellor came out to report her death, the Falconer had to catch his King who crumpled toward the floor. As his beloved monarch cried and asked how this could be, it pained him to have no answer. Falconer’s mind raged in turmoil.

He went to the top of the highest spire of the castle, where he took time to think and reflect. This was, to him, the most peaceful place in all the kingdom. He could gaze out upon the beauty of the land and clear his mind. This time, the mind clearing wouldn’t be so easy. There were things that didn’t make sense about the Queen’s death, but Falconer couldn’t put a finger on it. The Chancellor had reported her death as natural from complications in child birth. Despite those findings, he couldn’t shake the feeling that something evil was involved. So he needed to think and think hard. It had now been three days since her death and he felt like the clock was ticking toward some horrible event. He took a deep breath and closed his silvery eyes. He felt the wind course through his ash white hair and press against his chest. Up there, he could let go of everything and just be one with the air and sky. In his mind, he only saw the smile of the Queen and the face of the infant Princess. He breathed deep and hoped for some answer to come to him, but it was only the sound of the wind. His eyes snapped open as he felt a pair of small feet land on his shoulder. Sharp talons rested against thick black cloth but didn’t pierce through. His spirit-mate, Sersi, nudged his right temple with her beak.

“You still fretting?” she said in his mind.

“Yes,” he answered aloud, not even thinking about their psychic bond. He stared out over the countryside.

“It’s a terrible tragedy, I know. But we don’t have any proof of our suspicions. Shouldn’t we concentrate on protecting the ones that are left?”

“Sersi, you are right, as usual. I just needed to clear my head. We should get back down there now.”

She fluttered away from his shoulder, “See you there!” and she dove fast toward the courtyard below. Few creatures anywhere are as fast as a falcon in a dive. Sersi dropped like a missile toward the ground below. In only a second or so, she spread her wings and lightly landed on the head of a statue in the courtyard. She made flying look ridiculously easy. Sersi craned her neck to look up and watch Falconer.

Falconer gazed down at the courtyard, hundreds of feet below and let go of the pole he stood by. He and Sersi were no strangers to heights. For that matter, no one in the castle was. The entire royal palace was built into the high cliffs of the red mountains. It could only be reached by airship. Falconer leaned forward and let his body yield to gravity. Air rushed past as he sped toward the ground head first. His clothes rustled and wind filled his ears. The courtyard below grew quickly in visual size. The rounded stones of the courtyard floor seemed to reach for him as he plummeted. With a few yards before impact he slowed, turned his body and gently landed on his feet.

“Always catching yourself at the last second,” Sersi chuckled.

“It’s good practice for the reflexes,” Falconer replied, “And as I remember, it’s a trick you taught me. Come, let’s go and check on the King.” He held out his left arm and Sersi fluttered down and landed on it.

The Chessmen novel

When the Chyssia Royal Guard are framed for the murder of their king, they have no choice but to flee. Falconer knows that the real killer will also take the life of the infant princess. In order to save the princess and possibly his whole world, he must regroup the scattered Royal Guard, face mercenaries and assassins, and find out the truth behind a plot bigger than his home world could ever know.

That's The Chessmen and, as you can see from the illustration, it's pretty serious in Falconer's world. The plan currently is a series of books on the Chessmen and what they do in order to clear their names and save their entire solar system. Yeah, more than just their planet is at risk. You don't want me to tell you everything right here do you?

I've completed the first book which is a small novel but only the tip of the iceberg. Work on layout for the second book is underway now.

So, who do you see in this picture? Well, you see Falconer diving from an airship to rescue the Princess. Above him circles his friend, a mystic falcon named Sersi.

In the Zento universe, Falconer is what's called a "lord class" elemental. That means he has control over weather patterns and elements. He can generate fire or freezing air at mental command. He can control the shape of stone and wood too. Sersi is highly intelligent and knows a few spells as well as a couple of very special aerial combat maneuvers. At the Zento fan page on Facebook, you can see illstrations of several characters from The Chessmen.

The title is yet also under consideration. Currently we are considering "Chessmen: Dangerous Moves" but who knows? Galaxy Zento: The Chessmen is also a possibility.

There will be far more to come out of the Zento universe than just the Chessmen. There are lots of stories, both short and novels in the works. Who are the Chessmen going to meet? Well, you'll just have to stay tuned to eventually find out!