Onyxis: Dark Oasis, a fantasy novel set against the backdrop of a newly civilized continent teaming with wildlife, mythological creatures, humans, and humanoids all hosting various forms of magical powers.
Before the Hili (He-lee) family could make their way to their vehicle after a triumphant science fair, won by the family’s teenage twins, they find themselves transported through space and time by a lightning storm unlike any the city of Chicago had ever seen. Unbeknownst to them, with the exception of the twins, they’ve all been transported to different nations at varying times in Kebulan’s history.
Tendra Hili, a nurturing mother, aunt and wife, finds herself in the nation of Nyeusi, an agriculturally progressive country suffering from an abundance of Hubris. Amel Hili, devoted husband, and stern but jovial father lands in Mainty, a mining nation plagued with an infestation of magical beasts terrorizing the countryside.
Afini, the eldest child,is summoned to the nation of Swart, a hybrid nation of land and ocean dwellers. He quickly falls in love with the generous and peace-loving nation filled with people eager to take center stage in the world arena. Twins, Ruvye and Selishia, crash land in Moindo. Spellbound or hell bent the twins hit the ground running in an effort to rehab the famine stricken country that looks to their every word as law.
Gryfin Hili, only son of Amel’s troublesome sister, Asha, literally bursts onto the scene in the nation of Dudu, a desert nation of free spirited nomadic people always on the verge of hedonistic adventure or demise.
While the nation’s loose morals and looser laws allow for unprecedented shenanigans the reality of it’s lack of cohesiveness comes to an uninviting end when the god/goddess Mawu-Lisa, tired of feeling less than appreciated, sets their sights on Kebulan’s people to enhance the mortal devotion to their name.
While facing many personal trials as the family finds its way back to one another the battle for Kebulan requires the summoned heroes to bring a divided people together in order to bring peace back to a world whose once blissful oasis is on the brink of falling into darkness.
Since graduating from Full Sail University in 2015, I’ve put my creative writing degree to good use with a stint in copywriting and graphic design for a local newspaper, The Evening Times, my first book, Rudy’s Night Out was a collaboration with an established author, Steven Van Patten, where we utilized a characters from his Brookwater’s Curse series to expand upon a moment in the character’s life.
My most recent picture book, is a solo project titled ‘Unraveling’ (self published through Book Baby) about a ball of yarn who is depressed. Its a quirky book focusing on the golden rule while exploring the landscape of mental illness through the lens of someone addressing theirs while encountering others dealing with their own – a topic vastly fraught with stigma today.
Thank you for your consideration.
| T.M. Vornes
| TraMaine.Vornes@MemphisTN.gov
| ph: 901-486-2995
Onyxis: Dark Oasis
Synopsis:
The Hili family comprised of Tendra, her husband Amel, their son Afini, along with their twin daughters Ruvye, Selishia and nephew Gryfin, son of Amel’s troubled fraternal twin sister Asha) are instantly snatched from their middle-class life in Chicago, IL. The twins land in the same nation at the same time while the others are separated into other nations of Kebulan over the span of five years.
Upon arrival, they are hailed as the heroes and told how their new lives involve being imbued with unrivaled magic. Some are pampered, adored or even revered. Others must prove they can live up to the blessed title of hero.
Tendra spends six months learning about her Nyeusi, Kebulan and the fundamentals of magic before encountering Mandé, a villainous spellcaster seeking revenge on any citizen of any nation. Tracking Mandé becomes top priority after several children go missing. While investigating outlying villages Tendra learns Mandé is a woman raised on an island of exiled children who were all collectively cast for varying reasons. This endears Mandé to Tendra who decides reincorporating her and the others into society as her new life goal.
Amel’s life in Mainty, a rigid frozen nation of dense forests and mountains hosting a countryside overrun with monsters, begins three years before Tendra arrives in Nyeusi. This allows Amel to lean into being an adventurer and hero. Unaware that his earthly family is or either would soon be somewhere on the continent he starts a new, less conventional, family as the years pass.
Afini thrives in Swart, making his debut nine months before Tendra’s arrival. He innovates many earthly luxuries for a people eager for reprieve from closed borders and slowed trade. Ruvye and Selishia, who arrived 5 years prior to Tendra, like their brother, become servants of the people of their nation, Moindo in their time of need.
With the help of an apocalyptic survival kit in Ruvye’s fanny pack and Selishia’s quick thinking to get assistance from any listening god prompts Songo, the most powerful god, to allow them many advancements including having access to Earth’s internet through their smartphones.
Gryfin, in the nation of Dudu, a desert country with the least cohesiveness to its people, is forced to survive daunting trials before he uses his abilities to impose capitalistic ideals in an effort to establish himself as king of his domain.
During the Hili family’s endeavor to lean into their new lives the true reason behind their summoning slowly manifests. Mawu-Lisa, the god of the sun and moon, architect of world order, decides their level of worship is disproportionate to their contributions to the peace of Kebulan.
Mawu-Lisa enlist the help of lesser gods Fisi and Kishi. They recruit the outcast, Mandé, to kidnap children and turn them into sun and moon worshiping werehyenas. Their efforts only slightly boost the status of the three gods before the loss of citizens and vital resources across Kebulan turns the once peaceful and sharing nations into distrustful hoarding despots.
At the crux of a trade festival held on an island central to Kebulan, the Hilis find one another. The auspicious occasion comes to an abrupt halt when Tendra confronts Gryfin about introducing currency into a world that thrived without it. Their argument is only exacerbated when Mandé, and her army of demon beasts crash the celebration. Mawu-Lisa is drawn down from her heavenly perch to admire the chaos. In the midst of the fight Mandé kills two beloved servants of Gryfin. Seeking revenge he injures Tendra who blocks him from retaliating against Mandé.
Seeing his mother wounded sends Afini into a rage. Before he can attack Gryfin, Amel stops him and explains that Asha, Gryfin’s mother, was also summoned to Kebulan. Being Amel’s twin she too was snatched from Earth and dropped in Mainty alongside Amel. Having no access to that which fed her addictions she honed her magic into healing. She arrives and quickly heals Tendra.
The family, realizing Mawu-Lisa is behind the chain of events bringing them to Kebulan. Songo informs the twins of a magical item capable of defeating Mawu-Lisa.They ban together with other allies and attack Mawu-Lisa in an effort to end them. After a trying battle Mawu-Lisa is returned to the heavenly realm, alive. Songo explains to Mawu-Lisa that a god cannot be killed but once bested by a human they are forbidden from interfering in the affairs of humans for the continued lifetime of that human.