Hopefully the story is comprehensible without too much outside explanation, but it takes place in a setting I call “Nine Towers,” which I originally conceived of as a D&D campaign setting. In it the powerful and expansionist Empire of Man has conquered a world inhabited by a vital native race (the wild folk) and established a city called Nine Towers. It’s a bit anime, a bit steampunk, and some other stuff besides. Octavia is my D&D character (a human warlord), here cast as an imperial noblewoman whose family recently relocated to Nine Towers. Admittedly this was a bit self-indulgent on my part, but I think her part in the story fits the overall theme.

I probably need to do another draft to really get the story right, but as a first draft I’m very happy with how it turned out. At the very least it says what I wanted it to say. :3

(And for the record, the bond between Tara and Rose is wholly platonic, though very strong.)

Text on DeviantArt
Dandelion Audiobook