First of all, it would be presumptuous of me to say that this story is a book and that it deserves a preface, an essay at the least; though presuming things have benefited me before, I would not keep my fingers crossed on this. 

The main story was not at all something that I conceptualized in the heat of the moment, so to speak; in fact, it was something I distinctly recall I had already planned for--the main plot at least. The subplots were, as is the case with me most of the time,  something so random and so out-of-context it would not have been right to not have put it in. The irony was rich at the time, but I did not expect that my planning during class hours (often rendering me mentally absent within the premises), and the random things I had thought of would lead me to this story. Dark Fall was still being written, and delving into another world with its own set of rules and systems would only ruin me. It would be my inevitable downfall had I chosen to pursue this, but to abandon such a promising project would have been as equally wrong, if not moreso. Likewise, when it came to me and fantasy, forgetting something on purpose was not tolerated at all. I had fashioned myself to be quite the aficionado about fantasy. A childhood built upon the lore of Warcraft and various mythologies would have led me to assume that position. Granted, Tolkien and George Martin are two of the real veterans of the trade, but I like to imagine myself as a rising star. 

Now, on for the acknowledgements. Gratitude is, of course, extended to seamslikeviolet for her work on the cover. The various internet sites that had refreshed my memory in Greek and Celtic mythology are also thanked (too many to number). It was quite disappointing to realize that I had forgotten even the tiniest bit about what I knew about Greek mythology, seeing as I had become so allured by the tales during my younger years that I had memorized what I read--and believe me, those that I read were not small in number. The usual yapping about family and friends (and classmates) would have undoubtedly bore you to death by now, but truth be told they did little to help. I prefer the company of silence when I write or think; another presence beside me is hardly productive for someone of my station. You could say I am mostly aloof, as I spent the majority of my time thinking and imagining fantastical battles and stories between magi and dragons, assassins and demons (references, references), and much more. 

This essay has gone on long enough, it seems. To be frank, I would have indulged that voice in my head saying to make it longer, but this is a story, not an essay, and it would not be beneficial for me to turn away potential readers through boredom. 

Au revoir.
-Jeremy Dale Coronia (Seralto)