L.G. Estrella's Blog, page 11
November 25, 2023
Ambient Magic
The term ‘ambient magic’ has come up several times in Unconventional Heroes.
Simply put, ambient magic refers to magic in the surrounding environment. It can come from a variety of different sources, and its utility can vary as a result of both its origin and the nature of the person trying to use it.
The most common source of ambient magic is the land itself. This natural magic can also flow, moving from one place to another in what are generally referred to as magical currents. Areas where the...
November 21, 2023
November 17, 2023
Do Authors Always Read The Same Genres They Write?
I think it can vary quite a lot from author to author. I won’t deny reading a lot of fantasy, but I don’t actually read a lot of humour. In fact, growing up, I read a lot of military fiction and thrillers. For example, my father read a lot of Tom Clancy, Robert Ludlum, Colin Forbes, and WEB Griffin. Since he had those books around the house, I read them too.
My mother read a lot of different genres too, everything from legal thrillers to romance. I read all of those as well. Did I particularly l...
November 15, 2023
Daycare (Flash Fiction Fridays #54)
Flash Fiction Fridays is early this week since I’ll be busy on Thursday and Friday.
Katie tugged on her master’s sleeve. “Master, I don’t think this is a proper daycare.”
“What makes you say that?” Timmy asked.
Katie just pointed to where Spot was watching a huge pile of rubble burn. Next to him, a raccoon in an elaborate wizard’s robe cackled madly and shouted encouragement. The dragon made a happy sound and unleashed another wave of flame that sent the bonfire blazing ever higher.
Not far awa...
November 14, 2023
When Does Magic Awaken?
The following discussion pertains to Unconventional Heroes.
Virtually every person is born with magic. However, simply being born with magic does not mean that someone’s magic has awakened. To say that someone’s magic has awakened is to say that they are able to use their magic to produce independent effects.
In other words, until someone’s magic has awakened, they can’t really do anything with it. There are two main exceptions to this. Even before awakening their magic, people can still use the...
November 9, 2023
Mercy (Flash Fiction Fridays #53)
Spot raised his claw and prepared to bring it down on the wolf when a low whine caught his attention. A scrawny wolf pup had crawled forward to put himself between Spot and the wolf. Despite his pitiful size, the pup drew himself up to his full height and growled. Behind the pup, the adult wolf was frozen. It only took Spot a moment to understand why.
The adult wolf was female. She was the pup’s mother. That was why she hadn’t run away.
It would be easy for Spot to kill them both. All he had to ...
November 7, 2023
Why Is Cuddles A Guinea Pig?
Cuddles is a nigh-omnipotent cosmic guinea pig from Cosmic Delivery Boy. If you want to know what he can do, the answer is that he can do basically anything. His species were the victors of a war that went on for aeons and spanned the entire multiverse. We’re talking about war between entities who can erase universes with a thought and whose death throes annihilate significant chunks of the multiverse.
But why is he a guinea pig?Originally, I wanted Cuddles to be a hamster. However, upon look...November 5, 2023
What Is Chomp?
Chomp is a massive three-headed dog who appears in Unconventional Heroes.
He is a labyrinth hound, a species of canine that can generally be found underground or in rocky or mountainous regions. Labyrinth hounds are known for their enormous size and their incredible strength. Chomp, for example, is as large as a war horse, and he can carry multiple people on his back with ease.
In battle, labyrinth hounds can simply trample over most opponents. A regular human soldier has essentially zero chance...
November 4, 2023
What Does Spot Eat?
Spot is a young dragon from Unconventional Heroes. One of the running jokes throughout the series is his formidable and diverse appetite. He will eat vast quantities of practically anything although he definitely has his favourites.
So what exactly does he eat and why?
Dragons are inherently magical creatures. Older dragons are able to subsist almost entirely on the ambient currents of magic that flow through the world. They are also capable of deeply influencing their surroundings. This is why ...
