Rise.

So I thought I'd take a moment to answer a few questions that have been posted in the reviews (much thanks for those, by the by); you will find the answers to your inquiries below:

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lala11: I love this story and I think you're doing a great job. However, I think I like Rift better because it's got a little better flow between the chapters. This one kind of jumps to different characters more suddenly. Is that what you intended - to have it be more like one chapter per character? Otherwise, keep up the great work and I can't wait to read more.

Jenner: Thanks! I actually do like to maintain different styles between the two story arcs; in Rise, as you've noticed, there's a bit more jumping around between characters, whereas in Rift, I do a bit more jumping around between times. Rise takes place over a smoother chronology, whereas Rift skips weeks and sometimes months to maintain the story of the two or three main families. Maybe I'll merge the two at some point down the line - for now, I like 'em as they are, and I hope you do, too.

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Anna Belle: What the heck was that? [Chapter 9] I thought abusing your beta was forbidden or least that's what I got from reading Rift.

Jenner: Well, there's two things that are important to note here: first is that Blaszni's not being abused. He and Dorano are certainly a bit rougher with each other than we've seen previously (eg. with Róan/Marik or Euan/Loban), but they are not worse - just different. I've worked quite a bit on the dynamic between these two, and as time goes on, more of their unique story and subsequent relationship will show itself. For now, though, I assure you that he's OK.

Also, remember to keep in mind that what happens in Rift happens ten years after and some distance away from what happens in Rise. A lot can change in ten years, especially when you are just on the brink of settling into peace in such a tumultuous world. Think about Virgil, Melbourne, and Avion's experience only ten years before Euan's own - how different! How many more rights and rules for the treatment of betas appeared in such a small time; how much more egalitarian his world was than theirs. There will always be differences in the way betas are treated place to place, time to time - all that change and struggle is an element of growth, hopefully towards a better tomorrow for everyone. And when you are trying to combine two very different worlds into one, the amount of sudden growth you are due to undergo is enormous.

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nythwolf: what the f*** is taking you so long? (paraphrased from the original post)

Jenner: I'm tired. Writing is hard work. Do you know how long it took me to write Rift? I'll try to be a bit more regular, but that might mean that each update will probably contain less writing - or at least less writing that's worth your time to read. When I write from inspiration, I write long and emotionally charged pieces. When I write for regularity, they come out a bit more trite. Which do you prefer?

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The question below was actually posted to Rift, but I'll put it here, too, since I see that my stories share many readers:

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Mursus: You have created an interesting world in your Rift series Jenner. I enjoyed very much reading it and you write really well too. I'm curious about the other groups though, will you tell us more about them and their way of living? Like those Louts or what's it like living as an underground human. Anyway, I'll be waiting anxiously for more chapters and stories from you, please dont stop writing!

Jenner: I wrote a bit for you about them in "Author's Note: Who Are These People?" Hope it helped. If not, just let me know and I'll tell you anything your heart desires about them. We'll find out more about how humans live/lived as time goes on and we meet more of them. Just stay tuned...