Ruffians And Roughnecks: The Nemesis
Currently, I’m taking a word that means either a “bad guy”, e.g. ruffian or rogue, or a “rough diamond”, such as a roughneck, and matching it with a character from my novels.
As in the A Geography Of Haarth series, each entry is accompanied by a relevant passage from the books, which could be drawn from one of the two Wall Of Night series novels currently published, or my Kids/YA standalone, Thornspell.
The definitions are taken from Merriam Webster Online, my current go-to dictionary when writing
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Nemesis: an opponent or enemy that is very difficult to defeat
I just had to include the “nemesis” as a homage to Buffy, particularly Season 6 where the singularly inept trio of villains refer to themselves as the “nemesises.” 😉
Today’s “nemesis” is of a slightly different order.
Nirn:
“No?” Emuun was silent, his eyes half closed. Then they opened again. “Speaking of dead heralds, I see your adept, Jharin, has abandoned the last face he was wearing.”
Nirn’s chill eyes considered him. “As it happens, the face abandoned him. He could not hold it, even through last night.”
Emuun whistled again. “There must be more to these couriers than I thought. A power to resist, perhaps, rather than to attack or coerce?” He shrugged. “Although I was surprised—for all the screams and agony that delighted our assassin allies—when even your mindflaying could not break the Ishnapuri pair.”
“Which should not have been possible!” Nirn snapped. He took a few hasty steps up and down the room. “There was always a kernel of resistance, no matter the subtlety or sheer brute strength of my work. No one knows the mindflaying better than I, yet still they escaped, slipping into death before I was done with them.”
~ from © The Gathering Of The Lost, The Wall of Night Book Two: Chapter 9 — Portside