“Almost every year that The Ravener has risen, a student studying at Generasi has sought to investigate the phenomenon to find an answer to your kingdom’s plight.” Professor Jules said gravely. “Remains of its monsters have been transported here before. As have remains of its…” she pa...
2021-05-15 00:14:08 +0000 UTC View PostAlex nearly choked on his apple pie as Khalik worked to swallow his.
Isolde looked at Thundar as she stopped eating.
“What happened to them?” Khalik asked. “For them to fail altogether…did they run into another bonedrinker?”
“No…I talked to one of the group. She’...
2021-05-14 00:08:05 +0000 UTC View PostAt last he had all the components needed for his greatest masterpiece yet. Grinning like an evil warlord in an old legend, Alex Roth gloated over the fruits of his labour.
From outside this place of incredible heat, he heard groans of misery. Students had dragged themselves from their beds ...
2021-05-12 23:58:22 +0000 UTC View Post“Have a seat; we’ll debrief on the test and talk about what you can learn from your experiences today.” Baelin waved a hand over the flat top of the escarpment.
Stone benches with curved backs shimmered into being atop the stone. The students looked at each other and silently poured t...
2021-05-11 21:40:50 +0000 UTC View PostThe group pushed as hard as they could, trying to scramble over broken rocks and ground. Dust scattered. Stones and pebbles shifted. The heat blazed mercilessly and their goal seemed to not get any closer.
The Barrens were starting to come alive with sound.
The flying students who had...
2021-05-09 00:32:14 +0000 UTC View PostDust exploded from the ground.
Muupkaras emerged from the earth around them, screeching, with rocks raised above their heads. There were only eight this time, but now they had the element of surprise. They threw the stones with full force and surprising skill.
“Oof!” Alex...
2021-05-07 22:41:22 +0000 UTC View PostThe spinning forceball shot over the ground, ploughing through the dust and kicking clouds of grit into the air. Alex guided the spell to shoot in front of each little monster, spraying the dust into their open mouths, eyes and large ears as he whirled it along the ground in between them.
T...
2021-05-06 21:59:36 +0000 UTC View PostHello folks, so writathon is done and so am I. The End.
I'm kidding, I'm kidding! No need for pitchforks.
The writathon was a real challenge that pushed me to my limits. Before this month, I was much, much slower. But I guess you could say I levelled up.
So I'll be shifting m...
Thundar slowly crept forward, and they followed cautiously as he led them away from the canyon.
The minotaur sniffed the air while pointing his snout down toward the earth. Alex kept his forceball close and had unslung a staff—it was just a broomstick with its head off; he was taking no c...
2021-05-05 21:04:09 +0000 UTC View PostBaelin’s spell was different from The Traveller’s magic.
When he had passed through The Saint of Alric’s portal, Alex had seen scenes of many places—it had seemed like he was speeding through different realms and worlds with every blink—but with this spell, he only saw swirls of l...
2021-05-04 20:52:54 +0000 UTC View Post“Do you think we are ready?” Khalik asked as the two young men walked toward the training grounds.
“Maybe?” Alex shrugged. “There’s no way we’re going to know that until we actually get where we’re going and find out what sort of evil’s been planned for us.”
“Tru...
2021-05-03 22:52:48 +0000 UTC View Post
A little bonus today: the sketch turned into this! New cover soon for RR.
2021-05-02 23:58:38 +0000 UTC View PostSomething chimed from the top of the hill, carried to Theresa’s ears by the late summer wind. The air was fresh and warm but inside, she felt cold.
Theresa Lu—great-granddaughter of Twinblade Lu—was almost as scared as when that giant insect monster had come rising from the dark benea...
2021-05-02 23:38:39 +0000 UTC View PostThe fraternity leader’s smile faded as Alex and Khalik roared with laughter.
“Why-why are you laughing?” Alex wheezed.
Khalik was nearly coughing as he tried to catch his breath. “He does not know what he says! In…in my country calling someone a coward is insult enough to tr...
2021-05-01 22:28:29 +0000 UTC View PostTraining Day 21
Push-ups: 16, 15, 12 TOTAL= 43
Experimentation Day 3: BEGIN. FINISHED. Result: Increasing speed. No improvement of forceball
Skills: Running - COMPLETE, Reading - COMPLETE, Writing - COMPLETE, Spear-And-Oar Dance (8th day of practic...
2021-04-30 21:14:29 +0000 UTC View PostAlex’s breath came in gasps as he ran along the path.
With each dull thud of his feet hitting the ground, images flooded him from The Mark: previous times he’d run or exerted himself. Beside him floated his forceball. He’d hung a basket over it using a cross tie of ropes, filling the ...
2021-04-29 18:46:30 +0000 UTC View PostThey ran out of the forest to see a reptilian monster rushing toward Selina from across the field.
It was huge—the size of a half-grown brown bear—and was covered in white scales. All four claws churned the earth. Horns rose from its head and steam burst from between its jaws and nostri...
2021-04-28 23:30:23 +0000 UTC View PostThe beastarium had been a good idea.
It was a soaring, round complex of forest and field—that most of Alric could fit within—surrounded by circular stone walls capped by a massive dome of magically enhanced supporting crossed brass bars.
To one side, there was a sitting area with ...
2021-04-28 00:03:20 +0000 UTC View Post“This is a dark day for the potions department, I want you all to know that.” A voice cracked like a whip as Alex opened the door to the lecture hall.
The door emerged onto the back of the class, which was set up like a half-bowl with built-in long tables for students to sit at...
2021-04-26 23:15:52 +0000 UTC View PostTraining Day 3
Three Sets of Push-Ups: BEGAN. 10,9,8. DONE. TOTAL=27
Spell-Testing: BEGAN.
Alex closed the book and slipped out of the room again, stretching after his morning exercises. His footsteps were very quiet now, at least to him. He was nowher...
2021-04-26 00:31:42 +0000 UTC View Post
Hello! In addition to today's chapter, I'm also posting an in-progress surprise. I had a cover commissioned for Fool, and it's coming along. You can see some of the early sketch versions of Alex, Selina, Theresa and Brutus.
Some of the clothing designs will change, as this is an in-progre...
“Oh!” Alex stood up quickly in respect. “Hello professor…”
The goatman waved him back into his seat. His fingers were almost as big as Selina’s wrists. “Don’t bother with all that, I’m not one for formality. And the name is Baelin.”
“Alex Roth, First Year, and wh...
2021-04-24 23:16:12 +0000 UTC View Post“Can I help you, young man?” A woman, whose complexion seemed to shift from orange to brown, looked at him from behind another desk set into the wall. Her ears were long and pointy like the witches in Alric’s fairy tales. But unlike Alric’s witches, hers were covered in feathers.
...
2021-04-23 22:26:12 +0000 UTC View PostThmp. Thmp. Thmp.
Three bags landed on the floor.
Creeeeeak.
The door to the apartment closed and locked.
“We’re finally here!” Alex pumped his fists. “We did it!”
The apartment was a fine place, just as Hobb had described it. The central ...
2021-04-22 22:50:24 +0000 UTC View Post“Was that a potion detonation?” a tiny, white haired woman was sprinting through the courtyard with a staff in her hand. “Please tell me that was a potion detonation. If it was another bad summoning circle-”
“There’s no demonology scheduled in The Cells today,” said a sharply ...
2021-04-21 23:00:43 +0000 UTC View Post“So, the good news is Uldar’s priests aren’t common here.” Theresa rejoined Alex and Selina in the crowd. Brutus padded behind her, his heads moving every which way following all of the new sights and smells.
The amount of people on the streets—even in the rain—was overwhelming....
2021-04-20 22:45:42 +0000 UTC View PostWhen Alex Roth imagined his arrival at the city of wizards, he’d always imagined the sun being high and his mood being high too. That morning as The Red Siren passed among the outer islands, the sky was grey and the rain poured.
He’d hardly slept, and he was still thinking abou...
2021-04-20 22:41:04 +0000 UTC View PostThe creature leapt with unnatural speed as Alex moved; stumbling away as it crashed into the rail he’d just been in front of. It shook its head, seeming to clear its senses.
‘Dazed,’ Alex though. ‘Still dazed from when it ran into the forceball.’
His mind worked. He turned, ...
2021-04-20 22:28:49 +0000 UTC View Post“Looks like rain’s coming in after all.” Gel-Dor eyed the clouds to the western horizon.
“Damn.” Fan-Dor cursed beneath his breath. “Well, at least it doesn’t look like a bad storm. Clouds are too light and the wind’s too low. Ek-u-Dari must have liked our dance well enough....
2021-04-20 22:26:03 +0000 UTC View PostFootsteps creaked across the deck.
“Good morn-” A pause. “Afternoon, I suppose.”
A middle-aged woman—half of the couple that attended the ceremony the night before—drew up beside Alex and Theresa, and leaned against the rail, yawning. “Late evenings get harder as y...
2021-04-20 22:22:02 +0000 UTC View Post