Darian and Rondar crept through the forest, the musty smell of damp earth and rotting leaves filling their nostrils. Darian kept his bow at the ready, an arrow nocked and his senses straining for any hint of danger. Beside him, Rondar moved with surprising stealth for someone so stout, his axe an...
2024-03-31 16:46:54 +0000 UTC View PostOrion's face twisted with fury. "You dare mock me?" He raised his arm, qi gathering for another attack...
Zack pointed his finger at Orion in a gun-like motion.
The Origin Realm expert flinched, his eyes widening as unpleasant memories of their previous encounter flashed through his...
That night after dinner, Darian waited until his Ma started washing up. He fidgeted, trying to work up his nerve. This was it. He had to convince her to let him go with Rondar. Taking a deep breath, he approached her at the basin.
"Ma? Can I talk to you for a minute?"
Mara glanced o...
Darian trudged back to the cottage, shoulders slumped and head down. His first day at magic practice had been a total bust. He couldn't sense even a glimmer of the inner magical essence the book described, let alone cast a spell.
As he neared the garden gate, Darian spotted Rondar going th...
Darian woke up while the sky was still dark, too excited to go back to sleep. Today was the day he would finally begin practicing magic!
Careful not to disturb Talia, he quietly got dressed and tiptoed downstairs with the spellbook tucked under his arm. His mother and Thomas were still sle...
Rondar blinked at Darian for a long moment, his ginger brows knitting together. "Ye sure about that, lad?" he asked slowly. "The other humans, they ain't gonna take kindly to ye messin' about with magic. Might think yer in league with the devil or some such nonsense."
Darian swallowed hard...
Darian walked through the underbrush, keeping a sharp eye out for rabbit tracks. His bow was at the ready, an arrow nocked and waiting. Beside him, Thomas picked his way more cautiously, still not quite used to the uneven forest floor.
It had been a few days since they'd found the injured ...
Lucious shot through the sky like an arrow loosed from a bow, the wind whipping at his face. He had to put some distance between himself and that cursed village before whoever it was that was monitoring him caught up.
As a newly minted Nascent Soul cultivator, flight came as naturally to h...
"Is he...is he actually dead?" Thomas whispered, his voice shaking.
Darian bit his lip, thinking quick. He glanced at the dwarf's head wound, blood still oozing sluggishly. Making a decision, he yanked off his shirt and ripped a strip of fabric from the hem. He wadded it up and pressed it ...
Zack smirked at the dumbfounded man-child but before he could deliver another witty quip, a golden dome blinked into existence around the Fiery Mist Sect. The Aegis Bastion Formation had finally activated, encasing the sect grounds in an impenetrable barrier.
Orion gaped at the sudden obst...
"Wake up, sleepyhead! Breakfast is ready!"
Darian groaned and cracked one eye open to see Thomas' grinning face hovering over him. He batted his friend away with a grumble.
"What time is it? Feels early."
"Sun's barely up," Thomas said cheerfully. Way too cheerful for this ho...
Two weeks had passed since Darian returned from Arbrook. Life in Brookhaven fell back into old routines - hunting in the woods, helping Mara around the cottage, playing with Talia. But underneath the familiar rhythms, everything felt different now.
With Thomas living with them, there was a...
"Wake up, Chom. Time to go."
Thomas groaned and burrowed deeper under his blanket, trying to shut out the sunlight streaming in through the open shutter.
"G'way," he mumbled. "'S too early. Sleep now."
Darian snorted, giving Thomas's shoulder a gentle shove. "Can't. We've got...
The days after Thomas came to live with Darian's family passed in a blur. There was so much to do, so many little things that needed figuring out. Where would Thomas sleep? What chores would he take on? How did they integrate another child into the daily rhythms and routines of the household?
...
Author's Note
This was a really emotional chapter to write, I hope you all enjoy it.
The wagon jolted over a rut in the road, nearly tossing Darian from his seat. He gripped the rough wooden slats, his knuckles whitening. Beside him, Breck chuckled...
Finick’s POV
Finick wiped the sweat from his brow as he finished explaining the formation to the last group of disciples. Two days of nonstop drills had everyone on edge, waiting for the inevitable retaliation from the Moon God Sect. The tension hung thick in the air, like a hea...
Darian pushed open the door to the Dancing Dragon, wincing as the laughter from the common room hit him like a slap. Breck looked up from where he sat nursing an ale, relief immediately washing over his face.
The blacksmith lurched to his feet, nearly knocking over the bench in his haste. "...
2024-03-21 21:40:38 +0000 UTC View PostDarian blinked, startled by the familiar voice. He looked up to see Elias leaning against the alley wall, arms folded and one eyebrow cocked.
The young adventurer looked a bit worse for wear, with a nasty bruise purpling his jaw and a bandage peeking out from under his sleeve. But his eyes ...
2024-03-21 21:15:21 +0000 UTC View PostZack lounged in his quarters, savouring the roast duck and crispy pork belly the Fiery Mist Sect had provided. The food here was first-rate, a definite step up from the trail rations he'd been living off recently. He had to hand it to Finick - the young Sect Master knew how to treat an honoured g...
2024-03-20 23:02:54 +0000 UTC View PostAuthor's Note
The content of this chapter does NOT reflect my religious beliefs, this is strictly the work of fiction.
Darian hurried through the bustling streets of Arbrook, his heart pounding. He had to find Kara and her father before they left th...
Darian stepped into the Great Cathedral of Light, blinking as his eyes adjusted from the bright sunlight outside to the softer glow within. The air smelled of incense and candle wax.
The pews were far from empty, with many of Arbrook's residents kneeling in prayer or sitting in quiet cont...
Finick, the new Sect Master of the Fiery Mist Sect, paced restlessly in his quarters. His hands trembled as he clenched them into fists, trying to stop them from shaking. He had never wanted this role, had never been prepared for it. And now, with the news of his father's death on the southern ba...
2024-03-19 00:01:23 +0000 UTC View PostZack walked towards the city gates of Xairen, his white robes fluttering in the chilly mountain breeze. To any passerby, he looked like just another young cultivator visiting the great city.
Gotta play it cool, act like I belong here, Zack thought, keeping his expression neutral. ...
Author's Note
DSE chapter will be released later tonight!
Incoming vent at the end of the chapter warning
Darian ran through the bustling streets of Arbrook, scanning the crowds for an official-looking robe or badge. The e...
2024-03-17 13:54:51 +0000 UTC View PostSlifer sat cross-legged in the centre of the vast courtyard, nearly a thousand Black Heart Sect disciples fanned out before him in neat rows. A handful of Nascent Soul Elders had also joined but the Grand Elders were absent.
He shook his head wryly, remembering their faces when he first su...
"Breck?" Darian croaked. "You're... you're not..."
It hit him like a thunderbolt. He was back in the inn room, Breck shaking him awake. Morning light streamed through the shutters.
The day of the exam. It hadn't happened yet. None of it.
He seized Breck's arm, sitting bolt up...
Breck roared as he charged to meet the bandits, swinging his axe wildly. The haft met the first bandit's skull with a sickening crunch, caving it like an egg.
Darian looked down the shaft of the bow, picking his target - a bandit lunging at Kara, blade swinging for her head.
Bre...
Darian threw his pack onto his shoulders, a mix of excitement and nerves churning in his stomach. He turned to face Breck as the busy sounds of Arbrook village surrounded them.
"Well, my boy, it's time for us to leave the village behind for a bit," Breck said, placing a hand on Darian's sh...
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2024-03-13 22:47:50 +0000 UTC
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Inside, the noise was even louder, bouncing off the high ceilings. Kids milled about in clumps, some looking as lost and overwhelmed as Darian felt, others swaggering with the easy confidence of the well-bred. He spotted the two silk-clad boys from the other day and quickly averted his gaze, not ...
2024-03-13 18:02:45 +0000 UTC View Post