The Emeralds

Acknowledgments and a short note from the author

In a word of introduction:

If I recall correctly, it was a late autumn evening. I was lying on my bed with my laptop on my lap and my phone in my hand. I was enjoying the sight of my newly purchased desk lamp, which I could use a knob to adjust the intensity of the glow of light emanating from the bulb. I had been planning this purchase for a long time, as I lacked a sense of comfort and intimacy in my rented room in a three-bedroom apartment, in which the other tenants live. The lamp made me feel in the room's overflowing twilight everything I liked to feel when I was alone. And while I was sitting like this at the time, enjoying the warm, orange, barely perceptible light, my friend texted me.

Our unwritten, unofficial tradition is to send each other links to illustrations, art on which anthomophorbic characters are depicted. A friend of mine would sometimes show me various, individual "Furry" characters while saying the words "tell me his story".

The illustration he showed me depicted a wolf. His face was filled with a sense of determination and terror. His fur flew in the chilly winter air and was tangled in artistic disarray. The headband on his head, colored green, made me think of a warrior, living in the far east. A samurai who must travel a hard road to meet his inevitable destiny.

That's when the idea of creating a story of "The Emeralds" was conceived. Although interested in history, I thought it would be safer to describe a story from my home continent. In that case, the warrior wolf, after all, could not be a samurai, could he? That's when my thoughts traveled north, to Scandinavia. Along with them, Rainer Thorde was born.

Why am I talking about all this? Well, I myself personally did not expect that after the very first chapter I wrote, the idea for the whole story would be born in my head. Initially I planned that "The Emeralds" would be a short, uncomplicated story about a man whose lust for revenge begins to transform into desires for love.

For this reason, I want to especially thank my friend for sending me this particular illustration and asking me this particular question. I want to thank you for, through such a seemingly mundane act, setting in motion the cogs in my mind that began to work on this story until the day I am writing these very words. Thank you.

Further special thanks:

I sincerely, from the bottom of my heart, thank every person who supported me with donations through the Ko-fi service. The most motivating driving oil of my work was the fact that, despite the widely available and completely free story "The Emeralds," you decided to support me anyway, even though you didn't have to at all. It seems to me that the best compliment and recognition for an author for the hundreds of hours of his work in front of the computer, from which he does not benefit materially, are voluntary donations. Since words are not enough in this case, I decided to thank you, the donors, in a unique way and prepared a surprise. However, before I tell you what the "surprise gift" section is all about, I would like to say something else.

I do not forget all the rest of the people who supported me in every way while this story was being created. Every kind word or gesture of appreciation has been, is and will remain for me a mechanism to motivate me to continue to work at creating stories from which we can all laugh, anger or sadness together. Thank you, readers from all over the world, for being there for me and building a sense that I am not the only one interested in the fate of Rainer Thorde and Colin Olsen. I thank you for this especially because the process of creating this story involved a long work, during which I had more difficult moments. Lack of inspiration, bad mood or simply a busy schedule, more than once prevented me from finishing "The Emeralds". Fortunately, I had you, the readers. Every comment on Wattpad, every kind word in a private message or opinion built in me a stronger and stronger feeling that my work was not meaningless. Thank you.

A sequel?

Many people back when I was writing "The Emeralds" asked me about a sequel. Some plot elements presented in this book allow me to write the second part of Rainer and Colin's adventures. Above that, an idea was born in my head a long time ago, what are the further fates of the couple in love. However, should I write the second part? Well, that is up to you, my dear readers! If you let me know in private messages or in the comments section whether you would like to continue following this Viking story, just write. The more of you who declare that you want it, the more seriously I will consider writing a second part. It's also not that I don't want to write it. Maybe it's just that it's better if we close the story together and leave what happened next to our guesses? I don't know. Dear readers, the choice is yours!

Surprise gift:

It is true that "The Emeralds" contains 29 chapters. What if I told you that I decided to round that number up to 30? That's right! There is already an extra chapter in my Ko-fi account for both monthly patrons and those who make one-time donations.

You are probably wondering, what can you find in this chapter? Well, let's be realistic, look in the mirror at our reflections and be honest, we've all been waiting for some obvious "interaction" between Colin and Rainer. That particular "scene" and a handful of additional plot tidbits are there and just waiting for you!

Right away I want to reassure everyone. Chapter 30, "The Emeralds," should be considered an addition to the story, not an inseparable, binding part of it. If there is ever a second part of the story, the chapter in question will not be necessary to understand the plot of the next installment of the book. Chapter 30 is and will remain only an addendum in which no sudden change in the plot occurs. So if you are afraid that you will miss the meteor shower falling from the sky, or the unexpected return of Magnar flying on a dragon, don't. By no means.

https://ko-fi.com/post/The-Emeralds--XXX-V7V0EKGJL

And at the very end:

At the very end, I would like to thank my headphones, which withstood my listening to loud music while writing this book. I would like to thank my keyboard, which like an unmoved rock endured the pounding of my fingers. I would like to thank my glasses for being able to distinguish between letters and not being blind. I thank my mug for always having coffee or tea in it on cold days, and sugar-free Coke or Pepsi on those warm days. And finally, thank you to my desk lamp with the option to adjust the intensity of the light. You are the greatest!

And seriously, thank you, readers once again. I wish you much health and happiness in life. If you would like to share your feelings about this book, tell me what you think of it, it would be my pleasure.

Again, all the best and a peaceful day or evening.

- _M_R_

Ps. If you like my story, you can leave stars under the chapters or and even share it on your social media. You can also support me on my ko-fi or Patreon account. Every, even the smallest, help whether by leaving a nice comment, giving a star under the chapter, or a tiny donation means a lot to me.