D.T. Bella, Author
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rychilla.com
D.T. Bella, Author
@rychilla.com
1.2K followers 1.1K following 800 posts
Aussie indie author, writing a series about a fairy detective in a steampunk kingdom. Art by PamonyaArt. Logo by Lee Bradford (He/him.)
My Books: https://rychilla.com/about-the-books/
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/D.T.-Bella/author/B0BQWBRWJY
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rychilla.com
Naeliya is a messenger fairy, who fell into that job as it's the default for town fairies. She finds it boring, and is yet to realise that she's got the instincts and observational skills of a good detective.

She eventually becomes the second private eye in the kingdom.

(Art by @o8cho.bsky.social)
A fairy with frazzled ginger hair, blue freckled skin and glasses sits on a table, reaching out for an envelope. She is looking bored out of her mind.
November 17, 2025 at 7:50 PM
rychilla.com
From page 31 of 'Embers of Doubt'. Yaetherim is posing as a caterer, while apprentices present their credentials for the job of mage.
Kelnoss had finished presenting her references, and Torym had taken her place. As Yaetherim flew closer, familiar words reached him. Names and titles aside, Torym was repeating what Kelnoss had uttered just moments before. Yet his voice had a sprinkling of boredom. Combined with Torym’s earlier anger, Yaetherim couldn’t help but feel concerned. He had looked after younglings. ’Twas every fairy’s duty to do so. They picked up such negativity. If Torym could not conceal it, that would affect his students. Yaetherim pursed his lips. He’d have to mention that to Darnith. Yaetherim swooped around Nelack, who stood by the table, a plate in hand. They smiled and waved the cacao biscuit towards him. It was missing a couple of bites. “You know, Yaetherim, I’m sure I had this when I arrived in town yesterday. Almost exactly the same taste.” “But with more cinnamon? Chef Tarlon insists on putting his own twist on them. So you’re staying at Cropper’s Crony?” Nelack peered at Yaetherim. “Arch-Mage Darnith recommended it. It’s my first visit here. I’d be foolish to ignore local advice. Do you work there?” “I consult on their Fairic food.” Nelack took another bite. They glanced over their shoulder. “Oh, please excuse me.” “Aye, don’t fuss yourself.” Nelack nodded and strode off. Yaetherim picked up the remaining plate and flew it over to Banoth. He landed. Nelack was about to present their documents. He waited so as not to interrupt.
November 6, 2025 at 11:17 AM
rychilla.com
#NovemberWorldbuilders 1/Nov/25: Something in your world that's red?

Dark red/maroon is the royal colour in Rychilla. Reserved by law for those on government business. It's the colour of town guard uniforms and cars. As such, Karis usually wears it.

(Art by Sofia Aspe.)
A woman in her mid-thirties with silver hair and eyes is standing with her hands on hips, She is wearing a sleeveless top and dark grey trousers.
November 1, 2025 at 7:30 PM
rychilla.com
Here's the cover reveal for 'Embers of Doubt', book 2 of my fantasy whodunnit series. It'll be releasing on the 12th of December.

Cover art by Mousam Bannerjee.

#writer #indieauthor #Rychilla #booksky
A fairy with bark-brown skin and leaf green hair is standing in the burned remains of a classroom. He's holding clockwork gears and examining them closely. The title 'Embers of Doubt' is written above him.
October 18, 2025 at 7:06 AM
rychilla.com
Page 33 of 'Embers of Doubt'. It's the moment when Yaetherim puts things together, and realises that the accidental death of Apprentice Kelnoss wasn't an accident. #indieauthors #WritingCommunity #writesky
His gaze fell upon the pile of ash in the centre of the room. Nothing else had burned so completely. The fire must’ve started there. Directly above it, the ceiling beam was charred and sagging. Yet it hadn’t had time to burn through. Proof, perhaps, that the one lying on Kelnoss had not fallen by accident. Something glinted in the ashes. Yaetherim flew over for a closer look. Several jagged metal shapes glinted. Yaetherim frowned. Too big to be nails, they wouldn’t be part of the desk. Yaetherim landed. With a few firm beats of his wings, he fanned the ash away. His frown deepened. Cogwheels, discoloured by the flames, lay revealed. Small ones like those used in music boxes or watches. Other metal parts rested amongst them. Footsteps approached the door. Yaetherim’s head shot around. He took flight. Endra led Darnith into the room. “Excuse me, Arch-Mage Darnith. Do you use anything clockwork in your lessons?” Yaetherim’s question halted both mages. Darnith glanced at the clock mounted on the rear wall. “No. It’s not usually needed.” Yaetherim nodded. Darnith turned, stepped, and stopped. His gaze fell upon Kelnoss. The colour drained from his face. For several heartbeats, he just stared. “I must admit, I hoped you were mistaken, Endra,” he said, voice trembling. “So did I,” she replied. Darnith leaned down and closed Kelnoss’ eyes. Slowly, he straightened up. “I’ll send for a mortician.” Yaetherim cleared his throat. Cold sweat covered his brow. Unlike the mages, he knew what was coming. “Arch-Mage Darnith, I think we’ll also need the town guard.” Both humans stared at him. Endra’s mouth hung open. Darnith frowned, anger simmering in his eyes. Yaetherim glanced down. Kelnoss had been their friend. What he had to say would not go down well. “You believe there is foul play?” Darnith asked. “Aye,” Yaetherim replied. He landed on one of the least damaged desks. With his left hand, he gestured to Kelnoss. “That beam was cut cleanly."
October 16, 2025 at 9:45 AM
rychilla.com
#QueerPrompts 29/Sept/25: What would a fortune cookie tell your MC?

"You will be loved."

Yaetherim, at this point, sees himself as broken and unlovable. With scars on his body and soul. It's the reason why he hasn't realised another fairy is in love with him yet.

(Art by @o8cho.bsky.social).
A fairy with blue skin, red hair and glasses is sitting on a bed. She's got her arms around another fairy, who has brown skin, grass-green hair and scars. He's asleep and at peace.
September 29, 2025 at 3:30 AM
rychilla.com
Here's page 25 of 'Embers of Doubt' - it's the last page of chapter 2. The apprentices applying for the job of mage have completed their exam. Up next: practical demonstrations of magic.
Yaetherim smiled. Darnith had a point. If this was the worst that happened, things would go smoothly. A knock came from the door. Yerom leaned into the room. “Excuse me, Arch-Mage Darnith, but the apprentices are finished. Mage Kepan asked me to tell you.” Darnith checked his pocket watch again. “They are a few minutes early.” Banoth shrugged. “If they’re done, they’re done.” Yaetherim took flight. He’d been looking forward to seeing these apprentices in action. Until now, it had been words and formalities. Perhaps their actions would reveal more about them.
September 26, 2025 at 9:04 AM
rychilla.com
From Embers of Doubt, page 16 (beta draft).

(Yes, it is a metaphor.)
Paetolel took another bite of the biscuit. Correctly this time, with some blueberry. He chewed thoughtfully. “You’re right. Tastes better when you’ve got the whole thing. Still isn’t quite to my palate. But it’s cooked well,” Paetolel said. He glanced out the door. More voices drifted in from the square, from those who’d returned for lunch.
September 3, 2025 at 7:52 PM
rychilla.com
#QueerPrompts 1/Sep/25: Introduce self & WIP.

I'm Daniel, an Australian author writing whodunnits in a fantasy setting.

My current WIP, Naeliya Investigates, sees Naeliya look into a theft solo. She finds she enjoys it more than her job as a messenger.

(Art by @o8cho.bsky.social.)
A slightly disheveled fairy with red hair and blue skin sits on an octagonal bench atop a wooden tower. Her body language shows she's bored. Epically bored.
September 1, 2025 at 11:35 AM
rychilla.com
#FantasyIndiesSeptember 1/Sep/25: Introduce self & WIP.

I'm Daniel, an Australian author writing whodunnits in a fantasy setting.

My current WIP, Naeliya Investigates, sees Naeliya look into a theft solo. She finds she enjoys it more than her job as a messenger.

(Art by @o8cho.bsky.social)
A slightly disheveled fairy with red hair and blue skin sits on an octagonal bench atop a wooden tower. Her body language shows she's bored. Epically bored.
September 1, 2025 at 11:34 AM
rychilla.com
#FantasyIndiesAugust 9/Aug/25: Snippet Saturday.

From the start of 'Embers of Doubt', Yaetherim is escorting his drunk friend, Naeliya, out of an inn when he's interrupted.
“Hold on, we’re nearly there,” Yaetherim said. They’d almost reached the door when Yaetherim heard his name amongst the hubbub. “Protector Yaetherim, have you got a moment?” It had been a man speaking Rychillan. Sounded familiar, but that didn’t quite narrow it down. Yaetherim had spoken to several Rychillans recently. Naeliya giggled. “Never expected to see the Arch-Mage here.” Yaetherim pulled up into a hover. A middle-aged Rychillan stood amongst the tables, looking up at them. His hands were conspicuously devoid of food or drink. Yaetherim frowned. He’d thought he was done with the College of Mages. But going by Arch-Mage Darnith Sekan’s expression, the college wasn’t done with him.
August 8, 2025 at 7:36 PM
rychilla.com
I've a scene in one of my stories where Naeliya and Taesonith visit the library to check the newspaper archives. While there, they discover a mutual love of reading, and agree to meet up to read together regularly. Like a two-person book club.

(Art by Rait Visual Works.)
Two fairies are sitting in a library, reading a book together. Behind them, the walls are covered with books on shelves.
August 7, 2025 at 9:03 PM
rychilla.com
#QueerPrompts 8/Aug/25: Snippet with cat or animal.

From 'A Pinch of Distrust', chapter 1. Yaetherim and some forest protectors (fairy police) are searching an abandoned human village for signs of recent visitors.
After his preflight checks, Yaetherim joined them. They flew towards the dock, eyes peeled for any signs of movement. About halfway there, a movement amongst the bushes caught their attention. A protector on the right brought her bow up. A small, scaly brown animal skittered out into the daylight. The archer lowered her bow. She let out the breath she’d been holding. “It’s just a lizard,” she said, relieved. It scurried along between trodden bracken and broken branches. Yaetherim frowned. Between the damaged plants, not around them, on suspiciously smooth soil and stones. Only a few ancient arrowheads littered the track. Even those lay to the sides. “That’s a path down there,” he called. A few of the protectors looked down.
August 7, 2025 at 7:13 PM
rychilla.com
#FantasyIndiesAugust 3/Aug/25: Show us your book covers.

I've only got one so far, for A Pinch of Distrust. It depicts a scene in the middle of the story, where the two protagonists (Yaetherim and Tenora) meet for the first time and realise their investigations are connected.
A woman with navy-blue hair and a tall woman with silver hair are standing at a desk, looking at papers. A fairy is hovering next to them. In the background, a man sits dead in a chair.
August 2, 2025 at 7:15 PM
rychilla.com
Yaetherim starts as a sour gummy bear. He's cynical, grumpy and determined to get answers. By the third or fourth book in the series, he's become more of a sherbert lemon. Hardened, slightly sweeter, but still with a bit of bite in him.
July 25, 2025 at 6:55 PM
rychilla.com
From 'A Pinch of Distrust' - Yaetherim is trying to work out if anyone at the College of Mages could spot a lover walking down the road to her trysts.
To the right of the building sat a cobblestone slab with five cars parked upon it. Nothing special there. At the front, it met a driveway wide enough to allow a lorry through. Pruned trees flanked it, their branches slightly wilted. It entered the forest and joined the road Yaetherim had travelled to find the boat. He hadn’t paid attention to it earlier. His worry had been finding the landmarks from Dinsec’s directions. Yaetherim strode to the front of the roof and peered down the driveway. A lizard scurried across the far end. Yaetherim frowned. If he could spot that, so could anyone in the building below him. The more he considered it, the more it made sense. These mages had skill enough to teach magic. Casting a complex spell, like a water lance, would come simply to them. They also had easy access to crystals and a clear view of the road Dinsec travelled to reach her trysts. A perfect opportunity for someone less than honest.
July 18, 2025 at 10:24 PM
rychilla.com
#FantasyIndiesJuly 17/7/25: Any side characters end up being a bigger part of the story?

Taesonith was originally a witness who provided an alibi in book 1. She had a bigger role in book 2, so I developed her more.

She's now getting her own book and is the MC's love interest.

(Art by Sofia Aspe)
A fairy with red skin, ember-red eyes and red wings is standing. She is wearing a green dress and gold chain. Her curly hair is ash-black.
July 16, 2025 at 7:25 PM
rychilla.com
#JuneWorldbuilders 23/June/25: Snippet: Crime.

This is from 'Naeliya Investigates', a novella I'm working on while 'Embers of Doubt' is with beta readers. This is the moment when Naeliya realises something for sale may have been stolen.
A few fairy buckles sat on the bottom row of the display case. Like the jewellery, they too bore marks of use and held silver crystals. Except for one item. On the left of the shelf sat a bronze eight-pointed star. A silver, dagger-shaped inlay ran from top to bottom. Naeliya leaned in for a closer look. One point, on the top-left, had been broken off. Several scratches marked the spot. Faded bands of dark red and white coloured the ribbon holding it, five in all. She pointed to the medal. "That's a medal for valour, isn't it? From the civil war?" she asked. Lamiol nodded. Naeliya leaned in for a closer look. That made it at least 250 years old. Older than any fairy living today. Several had probably been issued. But that missing point on this medal made it one of a kind. For the second time today, recognition flowed through Naeliya. She knew this medal's owner. Arild Tainban, a lead actor at the Midnight Theatre. He would never give up this medal, not after the way he'd spoken of it. Nor would he be careless enough to lose it. Naeliya's wings twitched and she cast a look over the display cabinet. First her bodice, now this medal. Both valuable, both prized by their owners, and both for sale here. Perhaps it wasn't a coincidence. "Does all this jewellery come from the same place as the clothes?" "Yes. Broker Taesonith arranged for it. Same as for the clothes." Taesonith. That name rippled in Naeliya's mind. She'd heard it recently, in connection with something untoward. That settled it. She wouldn't be spending any more kerlum here.
June 23, 2025 at 1:12 AM
rychilla.com
Here's Yaetherim in a moment of downtime, slicing some fruit.

(Art by ROGunsou.)
A fairy with black skin and green hair is sitting down. He is holding a strawberry with one arm and cutting it with his knife.
June 8, 2025 at 10:58 AM
rychilla.com
#FantasyIndiesJune 7/June/25: Saturday Snippet: Magic.

This one is from 'Embers of Doubt'. Apprentice Nelack is demonstrating their skills with magic, while trying to get a position as a mage at the local college.
“Excuse me, Arch-Mage Darnith. May I proceed?” Darnith nodded. Yaetherim touched down on a rock. Nelack stopped a few paces away. They stretched their left hand towards the stream. Water rose from it. Just like Torym’s demonstration, it grew clearer, toxicant dripping from it. Nelack addressed those watching. “I’ve always believed that magic and finesse go hand-in-hand. Similar to rain and crops.” Nelack moved their right hand forward. Before it, the liquid took shape. A shape with two arms, two legs, a head and a pair of wings. “Most people see water as a means to an end,” Nelack said. They’d spoken as though teaching a class. “Something used to grow food or propel a steam engine.” Water ebbed and flowed, forming details on the sculpture. Eyes, ears, scars and a patch on the right wing. Yaetherim smirked. Now he understood why Nelack had asked for his help. “But I’ve always thought it’s had a beauty of its own,” Nelack added. Yaetherim chuckled. He’d seen that body and its damage in the mirror often enough. Beautiful was hardly the word to describe it. He caught a look from Nelack. With a few quick motions, he signed two words in Fairic. “My apologies.” Nelack raised an eyebrow. With their left hand, they reached for the forest. “But,” they continued. “There are still some things it cannot do on its own.” A dozen or so leaves floated into the clearing, bobbing on air currents. Half were the mottled green of those freshly fallen, the others brown. Yaetherim glanced at the water sculpture. ‘Twas conspicuously devoid of hair and clothes. As he watched, the white haze of ice crept through the sculpture.
June 7, 2025 at 1:24 AM
rychilla.com
#Queerprompts 19/May/25: Agender or gender non-conforming characters in story?

Mage Nelack Elmor is a nonbinary Rychillan who's travelled a lot around the kingdom. They're skilled with water and air magic. Introduced in 'Embers of Doubt', they're initially a murder suspect.

(Art by Aikyo Winter.)
A nonbinary person with shoulder-length hair is standing, holding a staff. They are wearing grey trousers, a blue shirt and boots. They have one grey eye and one purple eye.
May 19, 2025 at 3:01 AM
rychilla.com
Yaetherim is an 'Inquirer' - the first private detective in the kingdom. He was a forest protector (i.e. fairy cop). After he was nearly killed, he was relieved of duty due to 'scars on his soul'. So he created another purpose for himself.

(Art by Grbaged.)
A fairy with dark skin, green hair and green eyes is standing and staring at the viewer. His arms are crossed. He has several scars.
May 13, 2025 at 10:54 AM
rychilla.com
Rychillans have a series of tattooed 'terax marks' along their left arm, starting at their wrist. These indicate profession and rank, notable accomplishments and social class. The latter is based on trust, determined by criminal activity or lack thereof.

(Art by Ocho.)
A woman with silver hair and eyes is looking at the viewer with her arms folded. She is wearing a red sleeveless top. There are several tattooed marks along her left arm.
May 12, 2025 at 7:59 PM
rychilla.com
Karis does. As a senior member of the town guard, she believes it's part of her duty to be ready to capture criminals at a moments' notice. So she'll keep herself fit. Including stuff like walking to work instead of driving, etc.

(Art by @pamonyaart.bsky.social.)
A woman with silver hair and silver eyes is looking at the viewer. She is wearing a casual sleeveless dress and corset, and is muscular.
May 8, 2025 at 10:07 PM
rychilla.com
#Queerprompts 8/May/25: Intimidating trans/queer character?

Karis Relinda is a veritor, the most senior rank in the town guard. Karis is known as 'the steel veritor' for both her demeanour and eye/hair colour. She's demisexual, and will end up living HEA with another woman.

(Art by Pamonyaart.)
A woman in her mid-thirties with naturally grey hair and eyes is looking at the viewer. She has tattooed symbols all along her left arm, and a dagger on her belt. She is wearing trousers and a sleeveless maroon top.
May 7, 2025 at 7:36 PM