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I think the relationship between Eachann and Connor is the basis for a wealth of stories and , perhaps, even a novel! Think of other similar relationships i literature that have fared well over the past two centuries--Hawkeye and Chingnackgook, Ishamel and Queequeg, Huck and Jim. I look forward to more of their adventures and more development of their back story and interactions.

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Kirk and Spock also came to mind when I was developing them but so glad that they evoke such other dynamic duos from the classics!

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Jan 27Liked by Ethan Sabatella

"His bones and blood, in tune with the primeval rhythms of the world, sensed an oncoming storm." The best part about this piece was your descriptions. The visuals - glinting silver weapons, faded scales - painted a grand picture,but I especially like the tactile parts like the quote. Another good example was the serpent's lightning tingling across his skin. Anything that can give me a feeling of "texture" in a story is wonderful. Great short story, very S&S.

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Thank you! Something I feel like that's missing from a lot of modern fantasy is the more poetic elements you'd find in earlier pieces that have a much more definable feeling and mood.

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Quite a fun little adventure, this is. Connor and Eachann make for an entertaining duo in their slightly differing attitudes and play well off of each other. The atmosphere and pacing in this are wonderful, too, and I have to say the encounter they have is one of the more creative I've seen in the sword & sorcery genre. Nicely done!

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Thank you! I really like getting to blend folkloric elements with fantasy to see how they come out!

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This is beautiful! It reads like a translation/novelization of an old Gaelic poem. I wish modern fantasy used more of this lyrical/descriptive language.

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Thanks for reading and so glad you think so! I love the idea of making something feel like it's from the time period it takes place in, kind of adds to the verisimilitude imo.

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Agreed!

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deletedJan 27
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It's really challenging but worth it in my opinion! It took me about a decade of studying before I felt confident enough to start implementing it in published stories.

If you'd like, I can point to a few accessible resources for learning modern and medieval Gaelic. It takes a lot of time and tongue twisters but it's a culture and language that definitely needs more visibility.

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deletedJan 27
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"A Student's Companion to Old Irish Grammar" by Ranke de Vries would be the best place to start. While it is meant for students who are learning Old Irish in university, I think it has a really accessible breakdown and walk through of the concepts of the language.

The Electrinic Dictionary of the Irish Language (eDIL) is the go-to for finding words in Old Irish. After learning the basics it can be manageable to use the words you find on here to make your own phrases and such but having someone willing to double check your translations is also a plus.

If you want to try translating Old Irish texts for yourself "Compert Con Culainn and Other Stories" is a workbook from the 1920s meant specifically for learning the language.

Hope this helps! I also know a few more if you've gone through these rather quickly!

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deletedJan 30
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Don't bother replying. It's an account with no readers, no followers, no posts, no notes, and the only likes and replies it has are on Ethan's stack and one other that talks about hockey. It also posted this same post on every single one of the posts of Ethan's that were liked at the exact same time. It's either a troll bot or someone who's account got hacked. Best move is to report, ignore it on our end, and let Ethan clean up the comments he got spammed at him.

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deletedJan 30
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