I am pleased to report that Chapter Two has been posted. Read! Enjoy!
If you’ve made a donation, you should have received an e-mail informing you that Chapter Two has been posted. If you did not receive such an e-mail, please let me know ASAP — it means your name did not make it onto my maillist. (Either that, or your ISP thinks my e-mail is spam.)
Anyway. Obviously, Chapter Two is paid for, or I wouldn’t have posted it. Chapters Three and Four are also paid for. Chapter Five is very close.
I’m still in the middle of writing Chapter Nine; I’ve been busy with other stuff, such as sending out the last copies of The Sorcerer’s Widow.
A league is three miles, in case anyone didn’t know.
Thanks for your support!
Wild speculation time: it’s a communication device for spies, and the titular companion is whoever found the only other such device remaining.
It’s a training device or a library.
These guesses are amusing.
Or it’s an AI, and the device is itself the companion. Perhaps it was a portable strategy/tactical consultant for soldiers who might get caught away from their unit, or was intended for spies rather than soldiers.
You guys are all in for a surprise in the next couple of chapters.
I think that it is some sort of guardian monster or familiar shrunk down to be portable, but when activated returned to it’s true size to defend or follow the commands of the wielder of the talisman.
I think it is going to be something quite simple, like a set of binoculars or something else of the sort. Then Ishta will use the item like a stepping stone to try to go and become a magician, specifically a sorcerer.
By the way, Chapter Five is paid for; meant to mention that sooner.
It’s a talisman for playing Angry Birds.
Bill
I need a +1 button for that last theory, I’d say it’s the least likely theory presented, but it’s an entertaining thought.
I was going for the inactive robotic companion/guardian/familiar myself, but Lawrence said they were all in for a surprise AFTER someone suggested an AI and that the device was the companion so I’m now assuming that this is incorrect.
We’ll know more soon enough.
From the moment I first heard the title of the story (years and years ago, right?), I always assumed the companion or the stranger in the forest, etc. was going to be a shatra. If it’s not I’ll be disappointed, but I’ll get over it. I’ve just been waiting to learn more about shatra since I read my first Ethshar story 20+ years ago.
I think it just glows and is a magical torch. I think the little sister is going to be involved in this and might turn out to be a potential sorcerer.
This feels similar to the previous story because of the use of sorcerer devices
I bet its a device to convert Ethsaric units into American and Metric units…. 😉