The Battle Lord Saga

Three hundred years in the future, mankind still is trying to survive the Great Collision that changed the earth forever. People live in pockets of civilization called compounds, battling the elements and the mutations which have developed over the centuries, trying to live and survive day by day. Yulen D’Jacques is the Battle Lord of Alta Novis. His duty is to keep his compound and his people safe, which means yearly sweeps of the area to remove any mutated men and animals from encroaching.

Besieged by Bloods and placed on a hunger watch, the citizens of the mutant compound of Wallis turn to the one person they pray will help, the Battle Lord of Alta Novis. Despite the fact that they took away the woman the man risked his life to love, they hope he will show mercy and lend aid. They never expected to find Atrilan Ferran alive and thriving as the wife of Yulen D'Jacques. Yulen sees this as the perfect opportunity to show the citizens of Atty's home compound the power and status his wife wields. But first he, Atty, and his soldiers have to risk the journey.

Forced to leave Atty behind under the protection of Alta Novis, Yulen D'Jacques takes his troops to his newly acquired compound of Bearinger to defend it against the increasing attacks by Bloods. But when news arrives that Bearinger's walls were breached, Atty knows she must risk the dangerous trek to find out whether or not her husband is still alive. If so, she must bring him back home, regardless of the consequences.

On their first anniversary, Yulen is making plans to surprise Atty with a celebration unlike anything she's ever experienced. All of Alta Novis is preparing to honor their Battle Lord and Lady with pomp and pageantry never before seen.

The last time Yulen spoke to her, Atty was heading east, along with Fortune Kalich and several other hunters. With the latest onslaught of Bloods gone, so was the game, until there was little left to hunt to feed the growing population of Alta Novis. Since very few hunters went east, they figured it might yield good results. She planned to be gone four or five days at the most, a week tops, and promised to return with good news. That was, until Fortune returned without Atty. Worried and frightened, the Battle Lord, along with a handful of volunteers, go in search of the Battle Lady.

Determined in his quest to bring peace between Normal and Mutah compounds, Yulen D'Jacques accepts an invitation for him and Atty to attend a summit conference in the distant westerly province of Corado. If the long trip isn't dangerous enough, they face an onslaught of illness and disease, as well as creatures they've never before encountered. Worse, once they arrive at Rocky Gorge compound, they discover a plot that will shatter their lives and their love.

Even though the truce between Mutahs and Normals, established by Battle Lord Yulen D’Jacques and his Battle Lady, Atty, is getting stronger and becoming more widespread, there are still divisions. After surviving the trap that had been set for them at Rocky Gorge, Yulen and Atty must return to Alta Novis to see how their people have fared. But after a brief stop in Wallis, they discover that Bloods have infiltrated both Mutah and Normal fortresses, blending in and biding their time until they receive the signal to attack.

Things seem to have settled down among the people of Alta Novis. Normals and Mutah are working together, and families are thriving. The compound is filled to capacity and brimming with new life, but their good fortune can only last for so long. Winter is setting in, and the surrounding countryside is being plagued by unexpected swarms of wild animals. In addition, a horde of rats is contaminating the food supplies and destroying goods, but why? Where are all these creatures coming from? And why is it happening now? It all seems to point to one man.

The battle lord and lady of Alta Novis are still recovering from disease and loss, but things are slowly getting back to normal. Of course, things can’t be that easy. There’s a new enemy in town, of the eight-legged variety - an infestation of them. The species is a new one, and it's unknown how dangerous they are, but Yulen isn’t going to take any risks to find out.

When a caravan of gypsies arrives at Alta Novis, looking to make a deal, these new visitors raise suspicions. It isn’t until the battle lord sees what they have for sale that his concerns and reservations are raised even more—a cannon, guns, and other weapons that haven’t been seen in hundreds of years, and only heard about in stories these days.

Unexpected visitors with an invitation to a horse sale and auction from an unknown battle lord piques Yulen D’Jacques’ interest. The opportunity to renew their horses’ bloodlines is too good to pass up, although he knows the trek will be long and dangerous.