Dear reader,
Thank you for reading the story of the fantasy land of Gaia. Here I have my own person story and update. You can skip the story part if you like, as it's just personal, and just skip to the update :)
Update on Next Chapters:
I am working on the next part of the story and it’s planned to be released next year unless I’m done early(which is very possible)
Origin story of From Fire and Blood (My true story):
I graduated Chemical Engineering (University of Alberta) in 2019. I was progressing in life. I was about to get my dream job in process control with Teck, was set to get married, and everything was jolly.
But then one day, while I was cleaning, I bumped my nipple in the counter and noticed it was inverted. I thought nothing of it till the next month when it still persisted. I went to the doctor and he said it was a hematoma - basically a trauma induced clot inside my nipple and it should heal on it's own. We had an ultrasound done and everything seemed to line up although the doctor told me to get a repeat ultrasound after a few months.
So off I went to Nepal, my country of origin, where my to-be wife lived, and we had a great time! We got married, travelled a little, she completed her dental internships, and life was exciting - except for the inverted nipple which persisted. But the doctor had said it was just a hematoma and I was set to get a repeat ultrasound so I pushed those thoughts to the back of my head.
After two months, I had to leave my wife in Nepal, while her PR application was in progress, and come back to Edmonton. It was hard. Tears almost escaped my eyes seeing her so sad, but her application was in progress, and dental equivalency in Canada takes a ton of money (appx. CAD 30k including courses/moving expenses/exam fees), which I was going to earn. It was hard but we had a plan and so we had hope.
When I got back, I did my repeat ultrasound. The doctor was a little concerned that something seemed to be feeding my hematoma so he ordered a biopsy - just in case.
Next week I went back to my regular work out in Kitimat, BC. Meanwhile, I completed my interviews with Teck for my dream job and they invited me for a site visit. I was excited when I read their e-mail and thought I needed to calm myself and I would reply to them in the afternoon.
At work, during a concrete pour, where I was doing quality tests to a background of thunder and rain, I got a call. Thankfully I had completed my initial tests and the pour was ongoing so I went into my pick-up to take the call.
If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.
It was my doctor.
I don't remember much of what he said but I remember him saying, "There is no easy way to say this so I will just get to the point - you have breast cancer. I need you to come see me right away."
At first, it didn't register. I can't leave work. I was on work at Kitimat for 14 days after which I flew back home. What the hell.
So I think I told him, "Oh I'm at Kitimat for work."
He said, "Can you get to Edmonton tomorrow?"
And I said, "Sure, I'll try to get back tomorrow."
Nothing registered within me and I completed the pour. It was like clockwork. I did not want to talk to anyone as I felt something in my throat so texted my boss and coordinator that I had cancer and I needed to fly back. Then I cried for a little while in my pick-up as I thought about what I had done to my wife. Then I drove back to the office, said my goodbyes, and started packing for the next day.
Back home, my laptop was waiting for me with a draft e-mail ready to be sent to Teck. I clicked on the e-mail body, then CTR+A, CTRL+X. I wrote to them of my condition and they courteously expressed their remorse and put my application on hold.
My flight was booked and I was back the next morning. I started getting calls and e-mails from breast cancer care coordinators, doctor's offices, disability insurance, immigration (for wife) and TLDR - I was busy for a few days setting up appointments with specialists and treatment plans.
As I was waiting for treatments to begin, I remembered the times I was a kid and would imagine these grand fantasy landscapes, with different mythical tribes, and grand battles with coins representing different army units decided by a combination of heroes and strategists. I started drafting the story of Gaia (From Fire and Blood) from the last pages of my notebook where I kept track of my medical appointments. After the first few days of chemotherapy, when all I could do was lie in bed, came time for recovery where I was at least able to sit infront of a computer and type and thus, I wrote the first few chapters of From Fire and Blood. Through that month of radiation, which was much easier than chemo, I wrote some more but mostly I was just re-reading and re-writing the first few chapters and the overarching plotlines. Then later, as I continued on a lighter chemo after surgery (and dealing with a randomly found thyroid cancer but explaining that will take too long), I was able to bring together my jumbled plotlines into a somewhat coherent narrative. I am not the best author in the world - not even close, but I think the story I have written was somewhat interesting.
On the other side of my treatments, I am going back to work pretty soon in a different city so I have been very busy lately. After a year of processing time, my wife is with me here in Canada, and she will be with me. I need to make some money to support my wife and create savings in-case of a recurrence.
This is why I haven't been able to publish regularly so I hope you will forgive me. I tried to write but trying to rush it only yielded garbage so I didn't bother publishing it. I expect it will take about a year to create the next part of the story. If it's done earlier, I will post earlier.
Sylia needs to get to Athena but likely will be incumbered by the morality of sacrificing so many lives for the life of his nephew. Holga is maddened and Freja is just being cool manipulating everyone and everything. Inga still needs to show his potential against Strategus. Whatever happened to Alketas anyways? Do you think he will somehow join in with Sylia? Yes, yes he will - probably idk yet.
God bless you all!
Cheers,
Rubin