Oksa Pollock

Books

• 

  Volume 1 The Last Hope

  video Novel

• 

  Volume 2 The Forest of the Lost

  Novel

• Characters

  • Oksa Pollock

    or the Intrepid Ninja

    13 years old (born Paris, 29 September 1996)

    Physical characteristics: bobbed chestnut hair, dancing slate gray eyes, high cheekbones, slightly uneven teeth, dimples. Average height, slim, athletic build.

    A big fan of kung-fu and rollerblading, Oksa is a bubbly girl who isn’t afraid of anything. Her best friend, Gus, accuses her of acting first and thinking later. He’s right: Oksa is both fearless and impetuous and her impulsive nature and lack of caution often land her in dangerous situations, although she always manages to talk herself out of them. She wins people over with her charisma, naturalness and unfailing good humor. Despite her volatile nature, she’s a softhearted girl who loves the warmth and comfort of family life.

    • Hobbies: karate, rollerblading
    • What she loves: astronomy, ninjas, rock music, pirojki
    • What she hates: the color pink, leeks, bugs, drawing attention to herself
    • Favorite movies: Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, I Am legend
    • Musicians/Favorite groups: Muse, Paramore, Linkin Park

    • Family:
      • Parents: Pavel and Marie Pollock
      • Grandmother: Dragomira Pollock
      • Best friend: Gus Bellanger
      • Friends: Merlin Poicassé – Zelda Beck

  • Gus Bellanger

    or the Cute Shy Guy

    13 years old (born Shanghai-China, 16 March 1996)

    Physical characteristics: black hair cut asymmetrically with one side longer than the other, dark blue eyes, Eurasian good looks, prominent cheekbones, long slender hands, supple, slim figure, average height (same as Oksa)

    Despite his good looks, Gus sorely lacks self-confidence. This insecurity makes him shy and timid, although he can be remarkably brave in certain situations (particularly extreme situations caused by Oksa’s hotheaded behavior). Unlike Oksa, he thinks before he acts, which means he often ends up protecting the Young Graciousness. His keen sense of friendship and his good sense of humor make him an ideal friend.

    • Hobbies: karate, rollerblading, guitar
    • What he loves: manga, video games, rock
    • What he hates: sushi, rap, self-sufficiency
    • Favorite movies: the Star Wars saga
    • Musicians/Favorite groups: Bullet for my Valentine, Green Day, Linkin Park

    • Family:
      • Adoptive Parents: Jeanne and Pierre Bellanger
      • Best friend: Oksa Pollock
      • Friends: Merlin Poicassé – Zelda Beck

  • Dragomira Pollock

    alias Baba Pollock, or the Benevolent Power

    70 years old (born Edefia, 5 November 1939) but doesn’t look her age

    Physical Characteristics: blue eyes, Slavic facial features (high cheekbones, fair skin), long blond hair with a sprinkling of silvery white strands, often worn plaited in a crown. Tall (5’ 9”), well-proportioned figure.

    Dragomira is the embodiment of eccentric elegance: she’s a remarkable, flamboyant and fascinating character with a whimsical, oddball personality. Nonetheless, her extravagant nature doesn’t prevent her from being a pillar of strength for her family and friends: a true clan leader, she watches over those she loves closely and benevolently. This exceptional woman has one failing: her optimistic, headstrong nature occasionally stops her from seeing the bad in people and leads her to overestimate her abilities.

    • Profession: herbalist-apothecary (retired)
    • Hobbies: herbs, the magical pharmacopeia
    • What she loves: all derivatives of the color plum, incredibly ornate jewelry, velvet, cardamom tea
    • What she hates: boiled vegetables, lack of compassion, rats

    • Family:
    • Parents: Malorane and Waldo (stayed behind in Edefia)
    • One son: Pavel Pollock, married to Marie
    • One granddaughter: Oksa
    • One brother: Leomido Fortensky
    • Best friend and Watcher (godfather): Abakum Olixone

  • Pavel Pollock

    or the Eternal Worrier

    44 years old (born Feofilakt, Siberia, 7 May 1965)

    Physical Characteristics: looks like his mom: blue eyes, Slavic features (high cheekbones, fair skin), short blond hair. Tall (5’ 11”), athletic build. Tattoo of a dragon on his back.

    Pavel is a secretive man who tends to be introverted due to his worries, which run deep and never let up. Life has been hard on him since the age of eight and, over the years, the burden of his origins and constant danger have weighed increasingly heavy on his heart. Despite his strength (both physical and mental) and his powers, he lives in fear and feels very vulnerable, not for himself, but for his family. His weapons against anxiety are martial arts and self-mockery.

    • Profession: head chef
    • Hobbies: karate, martial arts
    • What he loves: cooking, gardening, afternoon naps (curled up on a sofa), his deep bond with his daughter
    • What he hates: danger, having no control over a situation, his own vulnerability

    • Family:
      • Mom: Dragomira Pollock
      • Father: Vladimir (died in 1973)
      • Wife: Marie
      • One daughter: Oksa
      • Best friends: Jeanne and Pierre Bellanger

  • Marie Pollock

    or Motherly Love

    40 years old (born Paris, 14 July 1969)

    Physical Characteristics: hazel eyes, long chestnut hair, sweet face, milky complexion. Tall (5’ 7”), slim.

    Marie has two standout qualities: discretion and efficiency. Understated and serene in her appearance, she draws on a deep well of inner energy. Although she’s fairly reserved, she can be extremely loving towards Oksa and her family, who couldn’t ask for a better mother and wife. In the face of adversity, she shows unfailing solidarity and powers of resistance.

    • Distinguishing marks: always wears perfume
    • Profession: restaurateur
    • Hobbies: reading, Chinese culture
    • What she loves: exploring second-hand shops, lazing on a sofa, watching her daughter
    • What she hates: fish, the color green

    • Family:
      • Husband: Pavel
      • One daughter: Oksa
      • Best friends: Jeanne and Pierre Bellanger

  • Abakum Olixone

    or the Wise Protector

    79 years old (born Edefia, 12 February 1930) but doesn’t look his age.

    Physical Characteristics: gray eyes, penetrating gaze. White hair and short beard. Slightly hollow-cheeked. Tall (5’ 10”), average build, stooped.

    Abakum is a shadowy force who silently keeps watch and protects. His absolute discretion doesn’t prevent him from being noticed in spite of himself: Abakum is an intriguing and awe-inspiring character, whose magnetism and aura of mystery inevitably attract attention. He’s a humanist, a keen connoisseur of the world and the human soul. This gentle, reassuring man is a completely dependable figure.

    • Profession: herbalist-apothecary (retired)
    • Hobbies: interior decoration, herbalism
    • What he loves: the countryside, trees, open fires
    • What he hates: human excesses, judging people solely by appearances
    • Best friend and protégée: Dragomira

  • Leomido Fortensky

    or the Secretive Dandy

    75 years old (born Edefia, 2 April 1934)

    Physical Characteristics: blue eyes, white hair tied back with a large bow, emaciated face. Tall (6’), neat. Aristocratic appearance.

    Much less eccentric than his sister Dragomira, Leomido is the height of elegance and discrimination, not only in his style of dress, but also in spiritual matters and his relationship with other people. Leomido is burdened by dark secrets, which make him ambivalent about many things and lead him to live apart from society in the solitude of the Welsh moors. Although secretive and tormented, this music-lover is highly supportive of his family and friends when danger threatens.

    • Profession: conductor (retired)
    • Hobbies: piano
    • What he loves: solitude, his beautiful Welsh home (a former converted church)
    • What he hates: what is left unsaid

    • Family:
      • Parents: Malorane and Waldo (stayed behind in Edefia)
      • One sister: Dragomira
      • Two children: Cameron and Galina
      • Wife: Lisa (died in 1997)

  • Pierre Bellanger

    alias “ The Viking”

    45 years old (born Plzen, Czechoslovakia, 28 December 1964)

    Physical Characteristics: blue eyes, blond hair with long strands hanging over his forehead, plump face. Very tall (6’ 3”), sturdy, imposing figure of a man.

    Pierre is the very picture of the Viking in all his glory: resplendent, powerful, invincible. He has an unshakeable sense of friendship: Pavel and Marie are as dear to him as his own family. Pierre is always there when he’s needed by the Run-For-Your-Lives, clear proof of his strength and dependability. Unflagging in his love for his wife, Jeanne, he’s also a great father to Gus.

    • Profession: chef
    • Hobbies: rugby
    • What he loves: collecting tee-shirts
    • What he hates: letting himself go, being weak

    • Family:
      • Wife: Jeanne
      • One adopted son: Gus
      • Best friends: Marie and Pavel Pollock

  • Jeanne Bellanger

    or Quiet Kindness

    45 years old (born Plzen, Czechoslovakia, 10 October 1964)

    Physical Characteristics: sweet, oval face, short black hair, brown eyes. Slender, willowy figure. Average height.

    Despite her strong powers, Jeanne suffers from an emotional fragility which she makes up for brilliantly by her attentiveness, kindness and generosity to others. Like her friend Pavel, the violent traumas she experienced in childhood have opened up painful wounds which can never be healed. She has complete faith in the Run-For-Your-Lives, which makes her a valuable ally. A maternal, loving woman, Jeanne has created a close family unit with Pierre and Gus.

    • Profession: sommelier
    • Hobbies: running, climbing
    • What she loves: her son and her friends, challenging her physical limits
    • What she hates: feeling lonely

    • Family:
      • Husband: Pierre
      • One adopted son: Gus
      • Best friends: Marie and Pavel Pollock

  • Tugdual Knut

    or the Weird Misunderstood Guy

    5 years old (born Oulu, Finland, 29 April 1994)

    Physical Characteristics: pale complexion, steely blue eyes often outlined with black and purple makeup, delicate almost androgynous face, tiny diamond piercings in ears and eyebrows. Tall (5’ 9”), very thin, supple.

    People either love or hate the charismatic, gloomy and disturbing Tugdual. His extraordinary origins are not the only reason for his unusual appearance: Tugdual, who always dresses in black and is mad about gothic literature, has made an art of being provocative and ironic. He also enjoys watching people to find out what makes them tick. He can be as biting as the arctic cold, which either terrifies or totally captivates the people around him.

    • Hobbies: listening to music, reading, thinking
    • What he loves: he’s fascinated by all forms of power and strength, his own uniqueness
    • What he hates: crowds, bright colors, summer
    • Favorite movies: Dangerous Liaisons, The Dark Knight
    • Musicians/Favorite groups: Dead Can Dance, Morrissey

    • Family:
      • Grandparents: Naftali and Brune Knut
      • Protector: Abakum

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• Creatures

  • Foldingot

    The Foldingots are H.O.W.s (Household Orientated Workers) whose main task is to manage their master’s estate and oversee the smooth running of the household. They live in pairs and work exclusively for the Graciousness and her family, to whom they are devoted body and soul.

    Adult Foldingots can grown to a height of two and a half feet. Their broad faces are graced by a bulky nose, two prominent ears and large blue eyes filled with kindness and friendliness. The female Foldingot has a tuft of yellowish blond hair on top of its head. The body of the male Foldingot spreads width ways, while the female Foldingot tends to be taller and thinner. They are compulsive readers who love words and enjoy using them in a plethora of imaginative and inventive ways.

  • Curbita-Flatulo

    The Curbita-Flatulo is an animal-object whose head resembles that of a bear cub. Its fluffy body forms a bracelet around the wrist of the person it is looking after. It is a true conscience keeper, endeavoring to prevent the magical excesses and outbursts which can prove very tempting for all beings of a supernatural composition. It has its work cut out when it comes to Oksa…

    The Curbita-Flatulo eats very little, but if it doesn’t have its dose of granules, it throws all discretion out of the window and noisily justifies the second part of its name…

  • Getorix

    The Getorix, which is about a foot high, looks like a large potato topped with a tangle of hair which is always clean and shiny (!) and which is used in the preparation of certain Granoks. It has very short legs and is not very agile.

    The Getorix is a world-class scoundrel. Its favorite pastime is teasing the other creatures and it has an unfailing sense of sarcasm. But the Getorix is not only a joker: it also has magical abilities which come in very handy for the Run-For-Your-Lives.

  • Goranov

    The Goranov is a genuine magical plant which, like all the plants from Edefia, can express itself and communicate with human beings. About sixteen inches tall, it produces beautiful glossy green round leaves; its stem is relatively robust, unlike its mental health. In actual fact, the Goranov is extremely fragile and afraid of virtually everything and everyone. It suffers easily from stress, which causes severe chlorophyllic hypertension and frequent fainting fits. Two remedies can ease its distress: a balm made from Incompetent crest and the music of Chopin.

  • The Incompetent

    The Incompetent is one of the biggest creatures (almost three feet long) and probably the cutest. Its head, which resembles that of an elderly walrus with no tusks, houses an unusually soft brain, which makes it uncontrollably lethargic. When it doesn’t understand what’s going on around it (a frequent occurrence), people say it looks a little like E.T. Naturally, it is the favorite butt of the Getorix’s jokes, which it tolerates with admirable indifference. Along its back runs a clawed crest, which can be grated and powdered to make soothing salves of remarkable efficacy.

  • Abominari

    The Abominari is the totem creature of the grimmest, most forbidding tribe on Edefia, the Firmhands. The vindictive, aggressive Abominari never passes up a chance to use its claws, which are long and razor sharp. Its reddish-brown body resembles that of a skeletal cockroach and is fairly large, measuring no less than two and a half feet in height! Its long gnarled feet are ugly as hen’s feet and its glassy eyes are streaked with little red veins.

    Only one specimen exists Outside. When we encounter the Abominari, it is living in Dragomira’s care, but it shows her nothing but ingratitude and aggression. It won’t waste any time in rejoining its master, the Felon, so that it can wreak havoc with its characteristic spite and savagery.

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• places

  • Oksa’s Room

    Oksa hated her room when she first saw it. The décor in the typically English Victorian house found by the Pollocks was… original. The sash windows are one thing, particularly as the view over Bigtoe Square is quite nice, but the wallpaper with large pink flowers, and carpet to match, are quite another… So Oksa covered the walls with posters of ninjas and rock groups, and pinned up a large poster for Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, as well as a huge map of the sky, which kindles her imagination. She has her precious computer on her desk, which is a board over some trestles. The rest of the décor is in creative chaos: books lying around, rollerblades in a corner, clothes on a chair, schoolbag, uniform tie which she pulls off as soon as she comes in from school, etc.

  • The Strictly-Private-Workroom

    This secret room is reached via a narrow spiral staircase inside the magical double bass case in Dragomira’s sitting room. Lined by huge glass skylights and hung with silky fabrics, the Strictly-Private-Workroom contains shelf upon shelf laden with thousands of phials, as well as bookcases, cabinets, pedestal tables, velvet seats and even a computer. The mess is indescribable! Dragomira’s creatures live here in snugly lined cavities in the wall.

    There’s also a small alcove hung with old gold drapes, which contains a turquoise velvet sofa.

  • Saint Proximus

    As soon as they arrived in London, Oksa and Gus were enrolled at St Proximus, a French school in a former 17th-century convent. Its façade is an elegant affair with many statues, slender granite colonnades and stained-glass arched windows. The walls of the entrance hall are lined with coats-of-arms in faded colors, engraved with Latin inscriptions. There are classrooms all along the cloister and on the two floors overlooking the courtyard. The staffroom is on the third floor, as is the Principal’s office, which Oksa will get to visit on many an occasion…

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• edefia

  • Edefia

    The invisible Land of Edefia covers around 46,300 square miles, which is equivalent to a quarter of the surface area of France. It resembles a giant biosphere which is surrounded and sheltered from the Outside by a protective mantle of light—a sort of high-speed ray of sunlight.

    The energy needed for the smooth running of Edefia is totally green: solar panels on all dwellings, geothermics, etc. No polluting fuels are used by any vehicle, machine or factory: the power is provided by sun, wind or water.

    Before the Great Chaos, 16,245 people were counted in the last census. They were split into four large tribes: the Sylvabuls, the Firmhands, the High-Throats, and the Ageless Fairies. As in all societies, there were a few misfits who had been tempted to dropout, rebel or engage in a life of crime. People also had their disagreements about certain subjects. But it can be said that until the Great Chaos, all the Insiders lived in harmony and got along with each other, despite the fact that all the tribes were very different and had their own characteristics, gifts and powers.

  • Sheer Cliff

    The Sheer Cliff territory is in western Edefia. This is a region of extremely steep cliffs, which are mostly inaccessible due to their steep slopes and the hard rock from which they are formed—an extremely pure crystal, almost transparent with a pinkish tinge, that emerges entirely from the black rock. The highest peak is Mount Demezur, which soars to an altitude of 42,578 feet. Its vast height makes it the coldest place in Edefia; at the very top, there is a cavern carved into the ice, which can be reached by flying over the cliffs on the back of an eagle.

    A trip to Sheer Cliff is a fantastic and thrilling experience: you can descend from the heights in hollow logs by sliding down huge toboggan runs carved out of the rock.

  • Of-A-Thousand Eyes

    At the heart of Edefia is the gently undulating region Of-A-Thousand Eyes. This is the location of the capital city, as well as a vast residential area with terraced gardens and parks. In the very centre of Edefia stands the Glass Column. This 843-foot-tall transparent residence is home to the Graciousness and her family. The administrative authorities—the Pompignac (the government) and the Gracious power— are centralized in Of-A-Thousand-Eyes.

  • Green-Mantle

    Situated in the south of Edefia, Green-Mantle is densely covered with fabulous lush forests. The most spectacular are the forests of giant Parasol Trees: their trunks can reach 160 feet in diameter and they can grow as tall as 1,640 feet. They make even the largest American Sequoias look like shrubs... Their name is derived from their leaves, which are shaped like very large parasols: one leaf can shelter forty people from the sun! Chewing their bark for a long time makes it possible to bounce like a kangaroo. But it is also an excellent repellent for bugs which are fond of sugar, like ants... And when it comes to ants, the smallest in Edefia are on average around three and a half inches (the day Oksa discovers this, she’s bound to scream: she hates bugs!).

  • Ageless Fairies

    Strength and mystery

    The Ageless Fairies are one of Edefia’s four tribes, but they are special: all the harmony and power on Edefia comes from them. They choose the young girl destined to become the Graciousness. They live in the very depths of Edefia, on the Island of the Fairies, and are extremely mysterious beings, whom no one is allowed to see...

  • Firmhands

    Physical Strength, Expertise in science and technology

    The Firmhands, one of the four tribes on Edefia, live in huge troglodytic dwellings cut into the cliffs of precious stone that are found in the Sheer Cliff region. Their senses are highly developed, like those of animals, particularly birds of prey. They are also renowned for their immense physical stength, which naturally predisposes them toward trades such as building and architecture, the manufacture and processing of metal and glass, and stoneworking. They have an excellent mastery of science, chemistry and technology: over 600 years ago, they discovered how to use solar energy to power means of locomotion like flying machines, as well as tools and machinery. 1,500 years ago, they also developed a rich range of remedies using precious stones.

  • Sylvabuls

    Kinship with nature, Greenthumb power

    The Sylvabuls, one of the four tribes on Edefia, inhabit treehouses in Green-Mantle. Their distinctive abilities and their deep bond with nature logically predisposes them toward occupations with a connection to the land and to plants. They possess the Greenthumb power: at their touch, vegetables, fruit and cereals grow vigorously. This tribe also has a virtual monopoly on food sectors like bakery, confectionery, dairy product processing, fish farming, seaweed farming and flower-growing, as well as on woodworking, tanning, manufacturing natural cosmetic products, and breeding animals and other creatures.

  • High-Throats

    Organization

    The High-Throats are one of the four tribes of Edefia. These city-dwellers live mainly in the region Of-A-Thousand-Eyes. They have an innate sense of organization and a deep understanding of systems at all levels and in every sphere, including public highways, town planning, education and the legal system. They could be described as the organizers of Edefia.

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Les auteurs

Anne Plichota

41 years old, born in Dijon, has lived in the Vendée, Lyon, Bordeaux, Besançon... After studying the Chinese language and culture, she spent some time in Korea and worked in China. She has had several jobs: Chinese teacher, nurse’s aide, public letter writer, currently librarian.

She enjoys working; English and American literature; Gothic literature; listening to people and hearing about their stories, their destiny.

She lives in Strasbourg with her eleven-year-old daughter.

Cendrine Wolf

40 years old, born in Colmar, she studied sports and worked in the socio-cultural environment, in so-called "problem" neighborhoods.

Dynamic, spontaneous and determined, she loves illustration, which she discovered late and taught herself, speed in every shape and form, and fantasy literature.

She lives in Strasbourg.