In Sun and Shards, three lives are set on a collision course. Sylven, a daring youth from the small but resourceful Shykind, must prove himself in the Shard Rites, which involve taming a pika mount and stealing an egg from the kobolds of the Cradle Caverns, who're at least five times the size of the Shy. The trial is his path to becoming a full Sunbrave, earning respect among his kind and fulfilling his self-imposed goal to stand tall at the upcoming Big Mix, a rare gathering of all the Shykind settlements, whose hidden and stratified societies range from rugged hunter-gatherers riding over the surface grasslands to the magic-tech crafting and dealing elite sheltered deep underground. Among the collectivist, eusocial kobolds, Vikka wrestles with her own discontent. While her tribe celebrates the duties of egg-laying and communal care, she feels trapped by these traditions and attitudes. Her defiance leads her to discard her unwanted egg, a secret act that unwittingly ties her fate to Sylven's quest. But their worlds unravel when just as their paths cross, Sylven, Vikka, and Whisker—the pika Sylven struggles to tame—are all captured by humans, towering beings who exploit their rare kind for magic, labor, and wealth. In captivity, they must forge uneasy alliances to survive, escape, and warn their own kind, uncovering hidden truths about their world and themselves. As their bonds deepen, they realize their greatest strength lies in what they can achieve together. *** This is my first try at writing fiction after many years of writing non-fiction, reports, and essays for work. Mixed together all the elements I found interesting (smaller-scale people and communities, kobolds and collective societies, vaguely anthropomorphized thoughts of cute furry animals) and tried to tie it all together into a hero's journey, bildungsroman, daring heists and escapes. Making this all up and learning as I go along. Looking forward to feedback and ideas! I've got a couple chapters already simmering in advance of what I've posted, and an overall story arc already planned out, but would be glad to entertain some interesting subplots and side stories. Hoping to post at least twice a week. ***