Now.Here: Rubecula & Nascha

By Richard Haslam

How did Rubecula's search for Mira's friend, Okasa, lead her to find her womance relationship with Kiona? Where did the waveark that appeared within Lake Saintmere come from? Along with the many mysteries that surround the relic town of Saintmere and beyond. Meanwhile, Nascha's loss of Achak had since left her confused and reckless. Will she rec

• Language: English
• Publisher: Now.Here
• Release date: Nov 27, 2022
• ISBN: 9781738493678

Richard Haslam

Richard James Haslam is a humble individual who is the author of the Now.Here Saga. Born in Bolton, Greater Manchester on the 2nd April 1989 with High Functioning Autism, he lived with his older brother, Philip, and his parents, Christine and Martin near Horwich for a short time before moving to Whittle-Le-Woods near Chorley, Lancashire, where his childhood there shaped him with events, including TV shows such as The Dreamstone, Animals of Farthing Wood, Watership Down, Redwall, The Wind in the Willows, and other examples that would gradually overtime inspire him to write the Now.Here Saga. He was given an extra year in Nursery after coming down with Meningitis when he was three, and as a result, had a year gap between himself and Philip at Manor Road County Primary School (1995-2001). After Primary School, Richard went to Lostock Hall Community High School and Arts Collage (2001-2006), where throughout that long 11 year road of maturity, his carer, Sally, would help him mature his rebellious childhood and transition him into an adult. After High School and warm goodbyes to Sally, Richard gained more independence in living when attending a disabled boarding college in Wirksworth, Derbyshire called Callow Park, part of the Alderwasley School (2006-2008). After two years of staying with his parents, Richard eventually moved into Townley House in Chorley in June 2010, a disability-living apartment of flats. The ingredients that lead to Now.Here's conception was from that experience of a Born Again Christian. It was also inspired by Bethesda's video games of Skyrim and Fallout 4, Raymond Brigg's When the Wind Blows, and also the ridge and furrow landmarks when he was on his family's narrowboat holiday along the Oxford Canal in 2015. If there are many stories of a Post-Apocalyptic Future. Why not a Post-Apocalyptic Past. Richard's time in Townley House was an enjoyable one at first, but over time, many of the staff left and were replaced, gradually hiring fewer and fewer. 10 years later, in March 2020, Richard moved to Penwortham, near Preston to have a fresh start with Autism Initiative. The timing couldn't have been fortunate, because when Covid-19 struck, Richard was confined within his new home, but unlike his last home, he had a garden and space in the countryside to move about. The elements were now just right for writing Now.Here, and thanks to a college friend who had published his own books with the publisher Pag-e-nation, Richard had his first book published by them, Kiona the Gardenian on 12th October (Now.Here Day). A second, The Retanian Twins, was also in the works for the following year, until complications to the publisher had it delayed and them shutting up shop. After a lot of searching, Richard decided to publish his books through Kindle Direct Publishing in March 2022, merging the first two books into one to create the Kiona the Gardenian book that is now available, with the first half of the story renamed to The Eve of the Heart, while the second half still kept The Retanian Twins name. Richard had also written four more books, which he merged together to become two more books, The Maid of the Heart, and Rubecula & Nascha. Since 2023, his works had already received critical acclaim from Autism Initiative and Blog Preston. His first book, Kiona the Gardenian has been given a 5 - Star rating by Reader' Favorite and Authors Reading. From his childhood dream, to the first drawings of the five girls in 2005, Richard had came a long way of finally fulfilling it in the form of a book saga.

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NOW.HERE

Copyright © 2020 - 2024 Richard Haslam

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or used in any manner without the copyright owner’s permission of this book and series.

All characters and events in this publication, other than those clearly in the public domain, inspiration or references to both fiction and non-fiction are coincidental or fictitious trivialities.

First Edition published in 2022, Second Edition published in 2024

Written and Illustrated by Richard Haslam

Edited and Proofread by Richard Haslam

Independently Published

ISBN: 978-1-7384936-2-3

E-ISBN: 978-1-7384936-7-8

www.youarenow-here.co.uk

CONTENTS

Rubecula & the Relics

Friends Forthwith

Serena’s Ring

Cold Night Haunts

Mira’s Legacy

Ghost Ark

Nascha the Firebird

Seeing Double

The Perils of the Gifted

Bornbazine

Fire & Ice

Given the Boot!

Rubecula & the Relics

Tuesday, 7th December 332 (1734)

Friends Forthwith

A month had passed since the ball in Belladina. Nascha had returned to Shikoba, while Kiona ran the Forest Trial Stadium as the Forest Ringmaster. But no soon had the last participant left Shenandoah with her achieved Forest Talisman: the exact moment the last leaf fluttered to the ground; the entire island of Gardenia was at last ready to join Retania in adorning its white robe of snow.

One crisp evening, Kiona arrived at Gardenia’s unique town of Saintmere. Named so because when The Firestorm caused the entirety of France and southern England to become the Meridian Sea, the abbeys and castles caught within its blast-front somehow clustered together into one spot before being waterlogged to become Lake Saintmere. The stonework from its ruins and nearby outcrops were more than abundant for the Gardenians and The Shepherds to build the nostalgic, Post-Firestorm town for future English relics like Joseph Demn, situated on an island that sat in the middle of the vast lake. Aside from canoe and pteron, the only way to the island is by crossing its impressive stone causeways, passing the untapped ruins that stuck out picturesquely from the water: lingering monuments to those who did perish in The Firestorm.

Kiona was on her way to stop over with Serena and Zoe in their shared accommodation. Gwendolyn was also stopping over, because, regardless of her ancestral pride of being Cymru, Gwendolyn did show some effort in offering Serena an olive branch since they first met. We relics are all on the same boat now, as she puts it. It was fortunate for her that she wasn’t just stopping by; for once she saw the innocence of the snow exposing itself as a heavy blizzard, Gwendolyn knew that she had made a wise decision. Presently adjusted to the warmth, she sat blissfully in front of the fire, drinking a warm cup of Cymru Mead… how appropriate.

Along with the three friends, there is in addition a new face who was eager to be acquainted. This bubbly young girl is called Rubecula Sander. She is a recent member of The Coalition who had just become a chapter in rank. In The Coalition, you start as a page, then a chapter, then a story, then a legend, and then finally a chronicle. Saga is the highest rank, and only a few and qualified can be one.

Serena and Zoe met Rubecula only this afternoon in Saintmere, running errands for the Bakewell Garrison. Though what made this acquaintance unique to the two was that Rubecula was searching for the friend to Mira Melsbach called Okasa.

Expecting Kiona’s arrival, Serena and Zoe invited Rubecula to stay with them for the night; and being the simple person that she is, she promptly jumped into the offer. Keen to meet new friends, there was an unusual hesitation from both sides the moment Kiona entered the sitting room, who, unbeknownst to each other’s presence, had only arrived while Rubecula was getting changed in one of the rooms; and when after Rubecula joined the others, Kiona was getting changed in another room. With this stillness in the air, as if something had crossed their paths, the two girls stepped gingerly forward until they were face-to-face, their chests only a few inches from each other.

Okasa? Rubecula asked quietly. Her only response from Kiona was a joyful smile, followed by a warming embrace, pressing their hearts together so that Levtiqvah can enter within and provide Rubecula with her long-sought answers. In an instant, Rubecula’s heart was all aflutter with her head floating in the clouds for Kiona. Recognising this new sensation, as though a unique destiny has been sown within them, their matching hearts forever since became one.

As bubbly as a chirpy little robin, chortled Serena when observing Rubecula’s new obsession. She reminds me of me, when I was younger.

Everyone’s bubbly when they’re young, Serena, smiled Zoe.

Want a bet? Gwendolyn objects. Then, watching Kiona and Rubecula happily laughing together within their embrace, as like sisters; she couldn’t help but be the one to spoil their moment. Dah! What on earth is up with you two? Are you engaged or something?

Take no notice of Gwendolyn, Kiona assured the baffled Rubecula. "She just wants to cause strife. Her bark is