Zeke found himself in front of a particularly large building. His eyes swept over the metallic letters atop the entrance, boldly proclaiming the name of this establishment.
The Lion’s Den.
Finally, it was time. The past week had gone by quickly. Zeke had been so preoccupied with gat...
2023-10-23 13:15:00 +0000 UTC View Post
Even after a long moment, Zeke was unable to tear his eyes away from the sight in front of him. This place was so very different from what he had expected — from what anyone would expect to find in a desert.
Why was there so much water here?
Zeke’s eyes traced the many canals and ...
2023-10-20 13:15:01 +0000 UTC View Post
When Zeke woke up the next morning, the first rays of light were already streaming in through the single window of the private room of the carriage. A groan involuntarily escaped his lips as he tried to rise. Zeke looked down and took in the state of his body.
He gasped, seeing the conditio...
2023-10-18 15:27:55 +0000 UTC View Post
In a lavishly decorated room, a young man with dark brown hair sat cross-legged. Each day, he would remain in that exact posture for hours on end, only taking breaks to eat or to sleep. To an outsider, it would have looked like he was in deep meditation. However, that was not the case.
For ...
2023-10-16 14:05:43 +0000 UTC View Post
Zeke didn’t respond right away. Instead, he swept his eyes over the inhabitants of the room. The caravan chief was smiling, beckoning him to come closer. The three Grand Mages, on the other hand, had serious expressions. Even Rahul seemed to be on edge.
Why were they even here? Was this a...
2023-10-13 13:15:01 +0000 UTC View Post
The atmosphere had changed ever since the caravan had entered the oasis. Zeke had felt the shift as well. The surrounding flora, beautiful as it may be, seemed to be full of dangers.
“Attention!” Rahul yelled. He was one of the three Grand Mages and the leader of the guards. “For the ...
2023-10-11 13:49:41 +0000 UTC View Post
The sun had just crested the horizon when a train of carriages left through the eastern gate of Kanion. This was one of the regular caravans transporting goods and passengers between the capital to the border.
In one of the middle wagons, two brown-haired youngsters sat in silence, intently...
2023-10-09 13:13:17 +0000 UTC View Post
Rani took her seat across from Zeke and studied the menu. After a few moments, she looked up with a questioning look. “Can I order anything?”
Zeke nodded.
“Can I order a lot of somethings?”
Again, Zeke nodded.
Rani went back to studying the menu, before deciding on...
2023-10-06 14:31:21 +0000 UTC View Post
Zeke and Leo quickly made their way to the entrance of the Silkroad Serenity Inn. The guards, posted to either side of the door, looked at them with suspicion but didn’t block their path.
It was no wonder. The two, in their travelworn leather armor, didn’t look anything like the usual p...
2023-10-04 13:15:29 +0000 UTC View Post
After waiting for hours, it was finally their turn to enter the checkpoint. The guards, wearing heavy plate armor, eyed them critically as they approached. The guards’ eyes momentarily paused on their weapons — Zeke’s spear and Leo’s saber. But after a quick glance, they averted their gaz...
2023-10-02 18:07:59 +0000 UTC View Post
It had been three weeks since Zeke and Leo had hunted the boars, and their appearance had markedly changed in that time. Most noticeably, the two had upgraded their gear.
After leaving Tradespire with nothing but the clothes on their backs, the two managed to buy several pieces of equipment...
2023-09-29 14:48:39 +0000 UTC View Post
The sun had just risen, shining bright in a cloudless sky. It was shaping up to be a warm summer day. Ignoring the idyllic weather, two teenage boys were rushing up the side of a hill, racing toward the top.
The two of them ran at speeds that would have been impossible for a normal person, ...
2023-09-27 13:34:05 +0000 UTC View Post
Margret slapped the desk, unable to hold back her shock at Zeke’s words. “What did you say? You want to leave?”
Zeke met her gaze. “Calm down, Margret.”
“Calm down? How can I calm down when you are spouting nonsense, Zeke.”
David, standing right next to her, also s...
2023-09-25 13:15:01 +0000 UTC View Post
A pleasant summer wind blew across the grounds of the von Hohenheim estate. It had been two months since the day of the conference. Yet, the once customary hustle and bustle was still absent. Despite having regained a portion of the lost staff, the estate was still far from being back to its full...
2023-09-22 13:15:01 +0000 UTC View PostWho do you like most? Doesn't matter if you like them as a love interest or as a character. I am really curious about this.
2023-09-20 13:44:32 +0000 UTC View Post
After the Dragon’s words, silence reigned for a while.
Zeke was too shocked to even react. He had tried to talk to the Dragon many, many times. Ever since the latter had forced its heart on him, the uncertainty of his condition had hung like a sword over his head. Yet, now of all times, t...
2023-09-20 13:15:01 +0000 UTC View Post
She'd lost count of the times she'd looked up, hoping to catch a glimpse of the sky she loved. Yet, as always, it remained beyond her reach. No matter where she turned, all she saw was the bleak darkness of the never-ending cave system.
For the first couple of days, she hadn't found it all ...
2023-09-18 14:00:53 +0000 UTC View Post
The mechanical finger completed its rotation, pointing straight up once more. At the same time, a metallic ringing could be heard from the tower below the time-measuring device. Twelve times did the bell toll, reminding everyone that half the day had already passed.
After the last beat, Ven...
2023-09-15 13:15:01 +0000 UTC View PostZeke stood in his office. Through the window, he observed the tiled path leading up to the main mansion of the estate. Today marked the seventh day since the conference, and therefore it was also the last day of the empire’s deadline. Everyone who would stay with him, or even in his employ afte...
2023-09-13 13:15:01 +0000 UTC View PostA tingle went up Zeke’s spine as he realized that the entire room was now looking at him. Otto Geistreich’s declaration had ended the official part of the meeting, opening up the floor for whatever he had planned.
“Ezekiel von Hohenheim,” Otto began in a somber voice. “You are cha...
2023-09-11 13:15:01 +0000 UTC View PostThere was absolute silence as the messenger spoke. Nobody, not even the empire's delegation, dared interrupt their host's representative.
“My role here today is to act as a mediator and ensure the neutrality of Tradespire is not breached,” the messenger announced, sweeping their eyes o...
For the third time this month, Zeke found himself in front of that very same building on the second layer. The city hall was the same as always, its white walls as sturdy as ever. However, he barely recognized it today. A somber atmosphere blanketed the usually lively plaza, seemingly infecting e...
2023-09-06 13:15:01 +0000 UTC View Post“What do you need, young lord?” David asked through the open door.
“Come in, I want to talk to you about something,” Zeke said as he got up from his prone position on the couch.
As David entered, he glanced in wonder at the three floating pens that were simultaneously scribbli...
2023-09-04 13:15:00 +0000 UTC View PostZeke swallowed dryly. This had been a depressing start to the event. He had been aware that statistically, only one in five Mages would manage to advance. However, seeing it in person was something else entirely.
He glanced at David. The man seemed unrattled by the display, but Zeke wasn’...
2023-09-01 13:15:01 +0000 UTC View Post“I am surprised your family would pay for the VIP seats, Mordred,” Zeke remarked as they made their way through the gate. “That must have been quite expensive, especially for a group of your size.”
Mordred scoffed. “Are you kidding? We are almost 30 people, the cost would have ban...
2023-08-30 13:15:01 +0000 UTC View PostZeke stretched as he emerged from his workshop. His joints cracked at the movement. It had been over a day since he had pushed his body. Behind him, his guards were busy stacking up his finished Runes.
“How many did we make, Akasha?”
[Answer]
In the la... 2023-08-28 13:15:01 +0000 UTC View Post
Zeke stood in front of the window, looking down at the hustle and bustle. The constant flurry of movements was balm to his nerves. His biggest fear had been that something in the estate might have gone wrong during his absence.
However, nobody seemed alarmed or panicked in the least. This w...
2023-08-25 13:15:01 +0000 UTC View PostZeke awoke with a massive headache. He groggily rubbed his eyes as he sat up in his bed. Why did he feel so worn out? How long had he stayed up yester… With a start, he remembered how he had ended up in this situation: The ritual!
“Are you there, Spirit?”
“Answer
2023-08-23 13:15:01 +0000 UTC
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The moment Zeke spoke those words, the scene changed. The entire stage of the ritual disappeared from his view to be replaced with a neverending void.
He felt himself fall, but he couldn’t be sure if it was up or down. In fact, he couldn’t be sure of much of anything in this strange pla...
2023-08-21 13:15:01 +0000 UTC View PostZeke remained standing in the middle of the ritual, expectantly gazing at the portal above him. However, minutes passed without anything happening.
During Celine’s ritual, spirits had appeared one after the other. Was that the difference between a top-tier offering and his mediocre showin...
2023-08-18 13:15:01 +0000 UTC View Post