The Bane of Yoto
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Some say the Arbitrators existed long before the universe was born. Others believe their dark powers spun the fabric of time itself. They are mystery. But here is truth: After ages of formless existence, the Arbitrators craved physicality once more. Their hunger sparked a great fire-a blaze that found its shape in the form of a dagger capable of transmitting their essence into a living vessel. In their search for a worthy body to inhabit, they destroyed the world of the gentle numah and the combative olokun.
But not all was lost.
General Vega and his vile olokun warriors enslaved the remaining numah and relocated them to a thriving moon where they were forced to toil in endless strife.
Cycles later, two numah brothers, Eon and Yoto, witnessed the slaughter of their parents at Vega's whim. Eon vowed vengeance, while Yoto sought a timid life in hopes of drawing no attention from their cruel overlords. But when an alien witch dispatches a minion to bury a mystical dagger in Eon's heart, thereby granting him the Arbitrators' power and the ability to defeat Vega, it is Yoto who is stabbed. Now, Yoto's days of cowardice are over. He is transformed into a monstrous creature of tremendous strength and intellect.
But will Yoto become the heroic liberator of his people-or the cause of their total annihilation?
Joshua Viola
Joshua Viola is a Colorado Book Award winner and Splatterpunk Award nominee. He co-authored Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver - The Dead Shall Rise, an official prequel to the beloved video game series, which became the 4th most funded graphic novel of all time on Kickstarter, raising over $1.4 million. He edited the Denver Post #1 bestselling horror anthology Nightmares Unhinged and co-edited Cyber World, named one of the best science fiction anthologies of 2016 by Barnes & Noble. He co-authored the comic book slasher series True Believers with Stephen Graham Jones, featuring official cameos from icons like Jamie Lee Curtis, R.L. Stine, Jeffrey Combs, and Barbara Crampton. As a producer, he has contributed to films such as Aliens Expanded, The Thing Expanded, TerrorBytes, Shelby Oaks, Shrine of Abominations, Deathgasm II: Goremageddon, and the recent Deathstalker reboot directed by Steven Kostanski (The Void, Psycho Goreman), starring Daniel Bernhardt (The Matrix, John Wick) and produced with Slash from Guns N' Roses. In 2024, he founded Bit Bot Media with musician Klayton (Celldweller), a multimedia company focused on original and licensed IP, including The Terminator, Legacy of Kain, Evil Dead 2, and more. Bit Bot also collaborates with Canadian film studio Raven Banner Entertainment on film productions, merchandise, and distribution, including titles like The Autopsy of Jane Doe and the documentary Hate to Love: Nickelback. Joshua's video game development includes work on titles such as The Rocky Horror Show, Pirates of the Caribbean: Call of the Kraken, Unioverse, The Smurfs, TARGET: Terror, and others. He is the owner and chief editor of Hex Publishers and resides in Denver, CO, with his husband and son.
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Mario Acevedo
Mario Acevedo is the bestselling author of The Nymphos of Rocky Flats, X-Rated Bloodsuckers, The Undead Kama Sutra, and Jailbait Zombie. He lives and writes in Denver, Colorado.
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