Elsa is going to leave the Darkzone along a path paved with junk or along a river of blood. Elsa is not a warrior, but in her underground settlement she has a skill of greater value—she has a knack for fixing objects junked from the ruined surface. It doesn’t matter that she wears the mark of the Bad Seed, or that she is treated like a pariah even amongst outcasts. It doesn’t matter that no one has ever escaped the Darkzone before. She will do it. She will use her skills as an apprentice, her wits and her allies to remove every obstacle before her, whether it be the Black Guardsmen, the mysterious band of Blood Wolves from the surface, or her own fears. She can give up almost everything to succeed, even her own dignity. The one thing she will not give up though, is her uncle. Elsa is not a warrior, but she will fight for him and her place in the light. Amos could never be a warrior, but he will do anything to protect his niece, even forsake the light, even travel the dangerous surface in search of old-world treasures. Armed with his skills as an engineer and his memories of the world before the Chaos, he will not let her live the life of a Bad Seed forever. He will continue to build up their collection of junk and teach Elsa everything he knows, all to keep her safe. But danger comes in many forms, and the biggest threat may be two youths from the surface with strange powers and a troubling connection to Elsa. Their appearance will force Amos to act. He could never be a warrior, but Amos will protect Elsa with his life. Finn may not be a warrior yet, but he is going to save his friends from his oppressive, cruel father…maybe. Armed with the Source and burdened with the treacherous creature that produces it, Finn is determined to get to the underground city of Haven and seek help. But Finn will learn that getting underground is the easy part. He may reach the Darkzone, but leaving it will be no mean feat, and even heroes with special powers can bleed. Finn is not yet a warrior, and that may be his downfall. Noak is a warrior, a Blood Wolf. He has control of the Leashworm, a deadly gift from his master, and he can wield the Source with power and skill. Noak has very little to fear, until Finn goes missing. Together with others from his pack, he will travel underground to rescue Finn. Along the way, Noak will face off with the Black Guardsmen and the shifty inhabitants of the Darkzone. He will discover that brute strength and intimidation may not be enough for him to succeed. Instead, he will need to draw on the art of deception and persuasion. He will reunite with Elsa, a figure from his past, and forge a bond that will haunt him, well after he has escaped the underground.  Four heroes thrown into darkness. Can they work together to reach the light, or will they perish?    Bad Seed is the first novel in a series. The plot and world will be developed over several books. The romance is slow burn. The plan is for five novels in total. Four have been completed. Chapters will be posted daily until the first novel is complete. Bad Seed novel was originally uploaded to Kindle in 2016. Updates have been made to better fit the Royal Road format, however, the story is essentially the same.