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  Ætheric Elements:

  The Rise of a Steampunk Reality

  Travis I. Sivart

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. This is not proof of time travel, or parallel realities through related activities. Any resemblance to actual persons –living, dead, or yet to be born - or actual events is purely coincidental.

  Ætheric Elements: The Rise of a Steampunk Reality

  Copyright © 2013 Travis I. Sivart

  All rights reserved.

  ISBN: 149124500X

  ISBN-13: 978-1491245002

  Talk of the Tavern Publishing Group

  Want a free ebook?

  Go to https://www.TravisISivart.com/FreeBook

  Contents

  Dedication

  Acknowledgments

  Author’s Note

  What is New is Old Again

  Discovery

  Final Entry

  Puppetmaster

  Nothing but a Dog: A Trio of Travelers Tale

  The Case of Dark Disappearances: A Croaker Norge Case File

  The Warm Glow of Companionship

  The Tridington Birthright: Shadow Heritage

  Faith Be Damned

  The Foundation of Compelling Curiosities: A Croaker Norge Case File

  Saving Souls

  The Big Picture

  Looming Shadows

  The Unchronicled Peril: A Trio of Travelers Tale

  The Event of the Mysterious Promontory Fiend:

  A Croaker Norge Case File

  Shadows of Worlds

  The Tridington Birthright: Dark Land

  The Devil’s Triangle: A Trio of Travelers Tale

  The Adventures of Friends on the Road to Manhood

  Appendices

  About the Author

  Dedication

  For Ron, who made a bet with me over a pool table, I am finally paying up. For my brother Jay, for too much to mention and because I am still jumping. And for my son Aidan, who is my inspiration, support, and has taught me about love, life, and laughter.

  Acknowledgments

  Thanks goes to my editor and friend, Wendy L. Callahan, who is a formidable author in her own right. Without you, I would have been lost in many ways. Thanks to Chris Bartholomew of Static Movement for publishing my first story, which also appears in this anthology, and to Rebecca Snow who helped me get started and sent me the first submission request. A special thanks to my fellow author and trouble-maker, Tonia Brown, for all of her patient help during the middle of night, hers or mine.

  Author’s Note

  This is a collection of my works which appeared in various anthologies and four original stories. When many of these stories were submitted, the editors often wanted something that took place in this world’s history, and I complied. I have reedited them for this book to reflect my own world, including places, money, calendar, and other minor details. Some of the titles have been changed and the content double checked and cleaned up.

  I decided to list the stories in the historic chronological order in which they happened in my world, except for the very first tale which is more of a prologue to set the mood. Discovery shows that this world has had visitors from other places, and they left traces behind. Final Entry shows the downfall of a long forgotten human society. PuppetMaster takes place approximately five hundred years before the stories which follow it and shows a bit of why the medieval world entered the Dark Ages, and is an excerpt from my medieval fantasy series, The Downfall. At this point I think it is worth mentioning that The Big Picture is also an excerpt, but from my Steampunk novel.

  The remaining stories lead you deeper into this Steampunk reality, showing you the races, places, wonders, and terrors in the world. Each story gives hints and information relating to events in the larger world, and all of them tie together in some form, as well as being linked to my upcoming full length novel set in the same world. I hope you enjoy.

  Travis I. Sivart

  July 31st, 2013

  “The right word can mean the world.”

  Travis I. Sivart

  What is New is Old Again