The Gift of Volkeye

THE GIFT OF VOLKEYE

By Wrinklegus PoisonTongue

Copyright © 2014 by Marque Terrynamahr Strickland/Wrinklegus PoisonTongue

E-Book Edition

COVER ILLUSTRATION AND BOOK DESIGN BY MARQUE TERRYNAMAHR STRICKLAND/WRINKLEGUS POISONTONGUE

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of my imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

Thank you for downloading this e-book. This is the copyrighted property of the author, and may not be reproduced, copied and distributed for commercial or non-commercial purposes. If you enjoyed this book, please encourage your friends and family to download their own copy. Thank you for your support.

This book is for Lisa Kelly-Wilson, without

whom I wouldn’t be the writer that I am.

Hello, loyal reader! Greetings, fellow writers! As most of you know, it’s a brutal process making a career as a writer, and some of us go through some extremely dark moments. However, emails from fans (especially when they’re from a completely different part of the world, and English isn’t even their first language) are those little rays of sunshine that enable us to keep pushing forward. Writers, no matter how “indie” you are...no matter how few people it seems have read your book, what you do IS worth it! Don’t ever let anyone tell you different. If you touch the soul of just one person (inspiring them, or just entertaining them, and therefore helping them to get through their day easier), then, my friend, you’ve done your job!

Within the following pages, you’ll find a set of emails, sent by my very first fans. I couldn’t help but share. Knowing that there are more people like them, who are probably searching for a writer like me, helps me to keep fighting the good fight.

Enjoy!

—Wrinklegus Ezekiel PoisonTongue

(And don’t worry...I’ve eliminated the spoilers from the emails. In those portions where you find asterisks, that’s where I had to make adjustments, as to not give away key information!)

Alexandra Paschalidis
of Frankfurt, Germany

MAY 2009:

Hey,
KNIGHT OF THE PEN,

I
love
“The Gift of Volkeye!!!” I’m only on page 180, as I have to read a book for university as well. Trust me, if I did not have to read the other book I’d be done with yours by now. LOVE IT: the characters, the scenery, details, bloody scenes (whoa), storyline, depictions. Very captivating and enjoyable! I’ve also developed a strong dislike for people with unibrows, by the way! LOL. Muah!

Love,

Alexandra, 100% A

JUNE 2009:

Guess what?! …

“The four patients leapt from the edge of the rational land from whence they came and dove into the waters of unexplored territory, bravely setting out to receive...”

The wording is so beautiful, Marque.
*TRUMPET FANFARE*

***Side note*** If I hadn’t had to read 4 books for my classes, I’d have been done way sooner. Then again, I did not want your book to end!

I am done reading your book, and it was thoroughly exciting! I’m sure I went through every possible emotion imaginable while reading. And did I mention that I’ve developed a strong dislike for unibrows...probably in the last email, no? UGH! LOL.

I laughed my head off (Maugrimm, Peenuhs), or was utterly disgusted (Helena) while reading.

Brilliant, coherent, ingenious and...words fail me! Your book was so captivating, and I was totally absorbed while reading. Excellent, magnificent! Talking about being absorbed into the story...could you tell me where Phyllamon & Co. resides now? I want to hunt them down! Seriously, I LOVE it, and I’m proud to have it in my bookcase!

Thank you, Marque! :)

Love,

Alexandra, 100% A

28
th
September 2009:

Hey! OMG! I just got your package today! Wow! I did not expect you to send me TWO books! I am thrilled! Thank you times infinity! I am so touched by your kindness. Seriously, this has got to be one of the nicest things anyone has ever done for me! To personally receive books by one of my favorite artists...wow, you totally made my day. Actually, you made the rest of my week! I feel so inspired I’m going to go paint something right now! Thank you, love!

xoxo

—Jen  :)

3
rd
October 2009

I read right through the Sas book! It was delightful. And I just started reading
VOLKEYE,
too! Hehe :) I’m on chapter 3...I’ve been drawing all day, so I took breaks with reading. I love your pronunciation list for all the names. The whole thing is hilarious! I’ve been reading so much nonfiction lately; it’s great to read something whimsical for a change! And I LOVE fantasy above all, so it’s perfect! I can’t wait to read more about Sas...Sas kicks ass! HAHA!

—Jen :)

6
th
October 2009

I’m moving right along in Volkeye...and really starting to get pulled into the story. It’s like a whole different kind of fantasy world than the typical knights and faeries and dragons and all that...I get the coolest visions in my head! Happy writing, my friend!

xoxo
—Jen

7
th
October 2009

Don’t worry, I won’t let anyone else read it! It’s all MINE! Heheh! :) But I will definitely let people know, when your book hits stores, that I have one of the original manuscripts, signed and noted to moi! LOL! They’ll be, like,
“How in the world did you manage that?”
And I’ll just be, like,
“Well I just happen to know Mr. PoisonTongue!”

And they’ll shake their heads and tell me I’m weird like usual, but I’ll just laugh. I’m not at the Igloo yet...I just got past the part where ******* kills his ******* and Sing is wanting to kill Phyllamon, because he’s being a perverted fucker! I had to work all day, so unfortunately the only reading I was able to get in was during my lunch break, but now that I’m home, I’m about to relax with some Bacardi and VOLKEYE!

Hope you have a good night, hon! =]

—Jen

9
th
October 2009

Hell freakin’ yeah! I love these chicks! They’re like Amazon warriors! I want super ******** like Bahzee! And I think Sing is my new idol! It’s just too awesome they’re not all
damsel-in-distress-like
. They kick that ass themselves! LOL.

17
th
October 2009

Hey! I’m 3/4 of the way through Volkeye, so I want to finish it because I’m really sucked in at this point! Then I’m going to read the prologue for your other story! =] When I get involved in one book I usually like to just finish it before diving into another. I just got through the huge battle scene where ******** was blown up by ***** ...I raced through that whole chapter! Talk about action-packed! Now the people of Rhameeryla are heading to the *****! Great writing, my friend! Bravo! I’m writing this from North Carolina, and it is freezing here! We may get some snow! Woohoo! Hope you have a great weekend, sweetie =]

—Jen

20
th
October 2009

So I just got back from North Carolina yesterday. I spent several of my nights up there staying up past three in the morning, completely absorbed in
THE GIFT OF VOLKEYE!
LOL. Yeah, after the first few battle scenes, it’s pretty safe to say I kinda FLEW through that book! I think my favorite aspects, at first, were Khyeryn and Lyn Sha’s transformations...and Bahzee’s too...

But when Teshunua became ***** that took the cake! LOL! I seriously want to see this turn into a movie one day! It would be, like, the next epic, like Lord of the Rings, but waaaayyy edgier and just overall
ass whooping badass!

xoxo

—Jen

Saturday, 9
th
January 2010

Awww, Marque, you are so sweet! OF COURSE I read your stuff! How rude of me would it be to just let your books sit there after you were nice enough to send them to me? Pretty freakin’ rude! Hehe! Besides, I LOVE IT!! Volkeye is definitely one of my favorite fantasy books of all time. Seriously, it has got to be the most unique story I have ever read, simply because it’s not just the typical fantasy story (as I’ve told you before). I love all the futuristic biomechanical stuff you blended into it!

And thank you so much for the email! And I DO feel special, courtesy of Mr. PoisonTongue himself! Hehe! K, well I’m gonna get started on reading that email story. Tea and cookies sounds lovely!

xoxo —Jen Jen

Do keep in mind that I’m a widely travelled wizard, who is constantly migrating about the globe. So, aside from the names in this list, you’ll find that I prefer spellings used in different parts of the world. You’ll always find the
U
in words like “colour” or “favourite.” And when it comes to my most indulged practice, you’ll see that I prefer the word in one of its oldest forms:
“MAGYK
.” It will remain thus across my entire catalogue of books, so if this bothers you, you should probably acquire reading material elsewhere. However, you all should know, there are spells placed upon all of my stories! Anyone attempting to abandon them (especially if it’s over your feeble-minded ineptitude at making sense of alternate spellings) won’t live to tell the tale. You’ve been warned!

**

Murlach
—
(
Mur-lock)

Phyllamon Xyecah
— (
Fil-a-mon    Zy-ka
)

Sing Tzi Yi
— (
Sing Zy-Yee
)

Zynathian Volkeye
— (Zin-a-thee-yin   Volk-eye)

Lyn Sha
— (
Lin Sha
)

Khyeryn
— (
Ky-rin
)

Asha
— (You really need to start reading more if you can’t pronounce this!)

Bahzee
— (
Baz-ee
)

Teshunua
  (
Tesh-u-na
)

Felix
— (I’m not going to bother!)

Helena
— (See the response above.)

Belch
— (Sorry, there’s no way in hell I’m going to help you with something that you’ve been doing your whole lives!)

Maugrimm
— (This is an easy one, too, but I’ll be nice…
Mawg-rim
)

Jix
— (Oh, heeeeeeeeeeeell no!)

Vlajdimir Ghurzblood
— (
Vlad-a-meer   Goorz-blood
)

Zephranie Ghurzblood
— (
Ze-fran-ee  Goorz-blood
)

Ya Minj
— (Dude, seriously, come on!  It’s two friggin’ syllables. 
FIGURE.  IT.  OUT!
)

Nhad
— (
Na-Hod
)

Anup
— (
An-Yoop
)

Zu
— (
Zoo
)

Rhylix
— (
Ri-lix
)

Mheep
— (
Meep
)

Dhorm
— (
Dorm
. You know, like, that thing some of you used to live in while in school?)

Peenuhs Dickery
— (
Penis Dick-e-ree
.  Yes, I know…I had quite a lot of fun with this character!)