Title, Copyright, Synopsis, Characters & Location

Duran's Choices Volume 2

By Draeme Saekyr

Copyright

Draeme Saekyr/Lydia Michele Franks © January 21, 2022

Duran's Choices © January 21, 2022

DuransChoicescovertitle.jpg © January 21, 2022

Description © January 21, 2022

Duran now faces more choices than before. Firstly, he'll have to accept that his fourteen years of living in a nameless town were not his choice. Secondly, his real father is a globally famous craftsman, Chastain Claude. Thirdly, he has a twin brother and other siblings somewhere out in the world. Fourth, does he want to attend Abalone Academy after all? All those choices will be sorted, but Duran has to figure out his feelings about everything for now. Not only that but Andre and Maribel are currently on the run after having dispatched Dougal and Matilda Roma in a brutal massacre. Will Duran have what it takes to find the truth behind their actions, or will he simply allow them to be detained like criminals? All will be found out in the chapters of this latest installment.

Synopsis

Life hasn't been easy for Duran once he found out about his cousin Garou's location and rescued him. He's been on the verge of a breakdown ever since leaving his home. Now he's faced with even more crazy situations that he hadn't anticipated. He's worried about his known siblings, who may be something he hadn't expected, such as yes, an uncle and a…mother? One who loved him enough to sacrifice her life at least three times in this cycle. Now, he's also facing other challenges. He'll soon enter the Academy, but he'll need to prove that Maribel and Andre had received prior orders to assassinate Matilda and Dougal, only he knows nothing about this. Will his other relatives, Chastain Claude and Maurice Roma, step in or not. Murky waters are swirling higher than ever, but none will stop Duran from deciding how to direct his future. His only concern is whether he'll even be able to attend Abalone Academy. After all, that's what he's fought to do this entire time.

Locations:

Julienne Country is relatively small compared to those surrounding it and constantly under threat of annexation. However, due to its unique positioning and how it functions. It has managed to stay separate and neutral for a very long time. It holds power through its citizenry, which is quite unique as well. They come from a mix of backgrounds and races. They're magical and elemental in nature and prefer to remain in Julienne and two other continents that are narrowly linked through portals and bridges connected to Anemone Seaport.

Anemone Seaport is a bustling portal to several countries, kingdoms, and empires spread over a vast ocean. It is thought to be a centralized locale of an ancient empire, but no one is certain. It is believed that there were initially four enormous continents but, through catastrophic events, were further decimated in size. The seaport has five areas that compose its vast bulk. North, East, West, South, and Central. Within the central area is the Abalone Academy.

Central - the judicial, chamber of commerce, and other official buildings are clustered. This is also where the Academy resides, though it has satellites located in the north, east, west, and south portions.

North - The northern portion of Anemone has all the various crafts, museums, and historical areas for the amusement and entertainment of tourists. It is also where students of the Academy are most likely to hawk their wares under the watchful eyes of instructors within vocational aspects of the Academy. The middle, working-class, and slightly lower economic people base their homes and workplaces in the same space.

East - has many financial buildings that aren't found in the Central location. Other museums are niches and not as eccentric as that can be found in the north. This is where other official documents can be secured that aren't always available in the central area. It also contains other aspects that the native population isn't as pleased about as the West and South. They all have slums that're scattered around the Academy and central facilities. Therefore, they're practically intermixed when it comes to crime rates. In the following volume, the West and South sections will be clearly defined as their specialties regarding the Seaport and the Academy.

Initially only an elite women's education center, the Abalone Academy focused on who and what it could teach. It went from sole elite women led to co-ed after a thousand years of existence. In other words, it lasted through a myriad of leadership changes and watched empires rise and fall. It maintained a stance of neutrality, along with the Anemone Seaport, in the neutral country of Julienne. It is this somewhat controversial Academy that Duran will be attending.

Characters

Duran Roma - 15 years old, silvery-gray-white hair, pale crystalline eyes, and lightly tanned skin. He's scarred all over and lucky to have retained his eyes. He's still in the middle of a growth spurt, so he is almost 6 feet but might go taller. Thin as a rail due to unreasonable workloads despite having enough food to eat. He tends to wear too big for him and is always patched with whatever material he could scrounge. Nobody looking at him would know his actual appearance because he can cast illusion magic that he's mastered to almost mythical status.

Sylvester Roma

Age? silvery blond hair, green eyes, and pale skin. He admires Duran. He's always the first to challenge Lowell and others who would bully Duran. He's a scrappy fighter and always getting into trouble. Unlike Lowell, he won't let Duran take beatings for him. In fact, if he's able, he'll take over the responsibility to prevent multiple whippings issued to Duran.

Karl Roma

Age? is an odd one of the trios. He has slightly lighter maroon hair, blue eyes, and pale skin. He doesn't have much to say except for Duran's defense. Then he'll reveal exceptional fighting skills.

Leonard Roma

Age? he has black hair and black eyes. He doesn't care much about the household in general. Given his druthers, he'd run away as soon as possible. However, he has a few people he does care about. Duran, Sylvester, Karl, and sisters Ellie, Sina, and Rosie. He would lay down his life for those six and nearly has a few times.

Andre Roma

One of three older brothers of Duran. He's the oldest of them and considered exceptionally talented and brilliant. He was the apple of his parents' eye until Duran was born. Then he became viewed as an insolent, rebellious eyesore. That description, Andre reveled in and took it very far indeed. Now there's some doubt about whether he's actually a blood relative. Since it was revealed that the Roma parents - Matilda and Dougal, acquired and fostered children under their name who weren't even born to them.

Maribel Roma

Duran's eldest sister supposedly. She has similar coloration to him, but that is the only thing. She's wild, talented, and notorious for getting into trouble. Despite the knack for getting into trouble, she's a diplomat, often mingling with the elite wealthy and royalty. Her parents often use her as an envoy to promote their businesses with other countries and curry favor.

Marisol Roma

Maribel's twin sister. Little is known about her, other than that her body was restored to her with the horrible massacre that occurred. She and her sister have since gone through accelerated pregnancies that would keep them alive and in separate bodies. They have to figure out what they want to do with their lives.

“Ellie” Alessandra Roma

A miniature adult in attitude, manner, and appearance. She does her best to assist Duran in daily matters so that he suffers fewer beatings. Unfortunately, most of her efforts are hampered by other brothers who don't want to see him going without at least two-four whippings daily. As a result, she teamed up with Sylvester, Karl, and Leonard, along with Sina and Rosie, to foil the brothers and parents who routinely battered Duran and tried sabotaging him in every which way possible.

"Sina" Ambrosia Roma

A younger sister with a sensitivity hampers her ability to work around hourly problems. However, when the chips are down, she does her level best to keep a cheerful mask whenever Duran comes around to see if they need anything. She really wants Duran to have a good life somewhere else, where she and her sisters don't cause him unnecessary grief.

"Rosie" Roselle Roma

The youngest of the trio of sisters do their level best to assist Duran whenever possible. She, Ellie, and Sina learned very quickly. How to run interference when Lowell or other jerks were on rampages designed to destroy whatever progress Duran might've made concerning getting chores done.

Trentham Folsom

Quite the character. Folsom is a craftsman, a proctor, professor, and many other titles within the Abalone Academy. He also witnessed Duran's frightening capabilities but knows the boy hides his true strength. He's going to do what he can to help Duran succeed. Even if it means helping him hide what might be a scarier talent that could upset the balance of Julienne's neutrality that it practices daily.

Adriana Gloria

15 years old, 5'6", and has golden-brown hair, dark green eyes, and ivory white skin. She dresses flamboyantly and is always cheerful and friendly to everyone she considers her equal.

One of Duran's classmates and an over-exuberant admirer. She's a stalker of his from childhood. Born into a wealthy councilman's family, Adriana believes she should be the center of attention and have whatever she wants, an inanimate object or a human. In Duran's case, she wants him as a breeder of her children, and he wants nothing to do with her.

Augustina Clements

An old friend of Maurice's. She often hosts him whenever he does business or leisure in Anemone Seaport. In this case, she's willing to temporarily host Duran until he's settled into the academy dormitories.

Arlon Milton

6', 18 yrs. old, and has crow-black hair, maroon eyes, and white skin. He's not the typical male that is known around the area. His origins are utterly mystifying to everyone around him. He's Duran's guide while settling into life at the Academy.

Chastain Claude

A crafter and museum curator and, as it turns out, one of Duran's uncles. He had a son who would've been Duran's age had he lived. Rumors circulate that he's actually been held in a very nasty part of Anemone Seaport this entire time. Chastain is willing to do whatever it takes to get his son Garou back.

Garou Claude

There is some mystery surrounding him. Is the boy only Duran's cousin, or could he be a twin? They're the same age and look identical. He was recently rescued from a horrific situation with a hostage against the Claude and Roma clans. Now that he's no longer a hostage, the two families, what remains of them, can live life freely with a few restrictions still in place.

Alan/Sylver Ferrous

A creature that came into being with the destruction of several orbs. Sylver's taken on the aspect of a kitsune but in humanoid form. Thus far, he's concluded that humans are exciting but seem to prefer being suicidal maniacs. However, he's still interested in learning more about them. Who knows what'll happen with that humongous tidal wave on them?

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