Diving Practice

This is a short story from the Conquest of the Sphere universe. Conquest of the Sphere is, on its surface, a Low Fantasy setting, a world with fantastic elements, but little to no magic. However, I approach it as Science Fiction. That may not affect the plot or characters to a great extent, but it shapes the world they live in.

You will not see traditional 'races.' There are no orcs. There are no elves. There are also no wizards and demons, no fates or destinies. To paraphrase the film Zero Effect, "there are no good guys or bad guys. There's just a bunch of guys." As in our world, there is suffering and joy. There are diverse groups of people with diverse views on their world. Unlike our world, there are two dominant, sentient species, the Una who are very similar to Humans, and the Yaro, who are something between bipedal capybaras and canines.

What follows is a short story featuring Baal, a character who has long-served as my gateway to the world. She is my Conan, my John Carter, my Northwest Smith. A perpetual outsider, Baal allows us to see the world through fresh eyes, to take some time and look around.

You will see strange words, references to unknown places and unknown creatures. This is not Earth. It will sometimes seem alien, because it is. Let your imagination carry you. It's a world I love exploring, but I'll never see it all, and I hope you'll see parts I never dream of.