Author's Note

The Rise and Fall of the Butterfly God is an orderless series of vignettes concentrating on the view points of the seven principle characters: Alex Maddock, Caia Glen, Min, The Butterfly God, Autumn Maddock, Delora Valdemar and Zeras Valdemar. Present tense indicates current events, past tense indicates events that have happened in the past. But basically this is what you need to know:

The Plot
The countries of Novia and Kedara have been at war for the past five years and it doesn't look like the war is going to be won by anyone any time soon. One of the major bones of contention is the race to the only country not touched by the war, the distant Isle of Evangel. In the middle of it all is an exiled princess, an Immortal and a deserter. One is the last hope for her country, one is the final puzzle piece to humanity's destruction and one is just desperately looking for something he lost long ago. All three will find themselves struggling to stay together in a world that's tearing itself apart.

Please do not read further if you don't want to know who the characters are up front.

The Exiled Princess
Twenty year old Caia Glen is the young princess from the country of Novia. She's forced to flee her country after Kedaran forces drive her entire noble family into exile for their very lives. As a Novian, she's a force to be reckoned with. She enjoys being important and tends to be rather outspoken despite the fact she has loner tendencies. She gets along with people really well, has a cheerful sense of humor and despite her nobility, she doesn't look down on others despite their station. Due to the war, she's forced to train for combat and isn't as skilled as she'd like to be. Caia prefers peaceful resolutions to conflicts so this war is very hard on her ideaology. She tends to be rather cocky and often lets that get the best of her. Like all Novians, she has the ability to control and manipulate light although the degree in which she can do so surpasses the ability of any Novian alive. She met Alex Maddock once when she was 15 before their countries went to war and she never forgot the encounter. When he comes back into her life, it will change the very foundation of her world.

The Deserter
Alex Maddock is peasent from Kedara, Novia's enemy country. Before the war, he had lived on a farm with his small family but after the war began, it was wiped out by Novian invaders, killing his family. He escaped with his younger sister, Autumn, whom he became separated from. Originally press-ganged into Kedaran forces when he was eighteen, he deserts them early on to search for his sister, alone. He too remembers his encounter with Caia Glen but he never imagines he will see her again. When she unexpectantly becomes his travel companion, it complicates his quest in ways he never plans on. A man of few words and a few tricks up his sleeve, his favorite person in the world is Me, Myself and I. Because of the slaughter of his family, he hates Novia with a passion which is why traveling with the heir to the throne of Novia - and falling in love with her - is something his heart has a very hard time accepting.

The Immortal
Min belongs to a race of beings called the Immortals. They are the last descendants of beings who came from somewhere called The Beyond centuries ago who still take on human form. Min has been Caia's protector since she was a baby. Though she resembles a woman in her early twenties, she is actually well over ten thousand centuries old. Like most Immortals, she does not speak, but Caia seems to understand her well enough. She cannot be killed but she can be "scattered" a technique few mortals know anyway. Totally stoic most of the time, she can find a smile once in a while, especially when she's alone with Caia. Her duty is to Caia first until the Novian heir dies of old age. Unknown to her comrades, Min is at odds with her fellow Immortals. They are seeking to reconvene an Inner Circle and they need her to complete it. The purpose is to perform a Wipe - which will destroy every last human being on the planet. Min knows they need her but she does not agree with their motives and continues to resist their impassioned demands to join.

The Antagonist
Delora Valdemar is a young woman of noble birth ruling Kedara, she is the fuel that keeps the war between Novia and Kedara going. A Novian by blood heritage, a Kedaran by birth, she is determined to be the ruler of both worlds. She is conniving, calculating and cruel. Her sweet countenance is as false as the color of her hair. Delora was childhood friends with Caia before their countries went to war, she now seeks the princess's destruction. Caia is the only rightful heir of Novia and exists as a living impediment to Delora's claim over the country - and she's the only force powerful enough to stand in Delora's way.

The Brother of the Antagonist, or The Lovelorn Assassin
Zeras Valdemar is Delora's fraternal twin brother. He's sly, wicked and pretty much made of all the same nasty elements Delora is. He loves power and is his sister's right hand man. Women hate him and his subordinates hope someone takes him out sooner rather than later. Perhaps his only redeeming quality is that he's secretly, desperately, in love with Caia Glen - and it's driving him insane inside. Worst of all, Delora has tasked him with killing the princess! Could his life suck any more?

The Butterfly God
The BG is probably the only Immortal Min hasn't made an enemy of. Her natural affinity are butterflies and moths, hence her moniker. She can be summoned but only in bright flower filled meadows - for no other reason other than the fact she personally refuses to appear anywhere disgusting enough to ruin her dress. She will often appear in human form but will take the form of one or many butterflies. Delora seeks to capture and harness her power for one reason: The BG is the only Immortal after she's been scattered, can be controlled if her mind does not reunite with her spirit. If Delora can capture the BG and untilize her power, she will win the war.

The Missing Sister
Autumn Maddock, Alex's younger sister, disappeared when she was 12 years old and Alex only 15. It's been five years since the siblings have been separated. Alex discovers she may have made it out to Evangel. He's not sure of the validity of this information but he's going to make it out to the island one way or the other.