“I feel like every time I start to get a handle on something, I get an upgrade that puts me back at square one,” Zeke said to Eveline. Not only had his efforts with his Will recently been reset when he’d upgraded the grade of his Path of Arcane Destruction, but now that he’d begun t...
2024-04-19 13:00:04 +0000 UTC View PostFiona strode through the lobby of her apartment building, her heels clicking against the marble tile. She hardly noticed the grand entryway or the stunning artwork. Instead, she took it all for granted, as if it was no less than someone like her deserved. After all, she was the ...
2024-04-18 15:10:00 +0000 UTC View PostFor the first time in his human form, Elijah let his fury truly envelope every facet of his mind. It sharpened his focus to a knife’s edge, and as he arranged his enhancements appropriately – using his attribute enhancements and foregoing Essence of the Lion for Shield of Brambles – h...
2024-04-18 15:00:03 +0000 UTC View PostThe mana density was still thin, making the crater slightly uncomfortable. However, as irritating as it was, it also served as a great barrier for the local wildlife. The combination of the lacking mana and the previous destruction added up to an area that most living things would avo...
2024-04-18 13:00:05 +0000 UTC View PostFlickering ethereal lights cast the gate in wavering shadows, which proved to be perfect cover for Elijah’s ingress. He slipped past one of the guards, narrowly avoiding her by a scant handful of inches. She started, looking around in shock, but when she saw nothing, she muttered, ...
2024-04-17 15:10:09 +0000 UTC View PostTiny clouds of dust kicked up with each of Elijah’s steps as he shuffled forward, lost amidst the roiling memories of days long past. Just like the rest of the house, the basement had been ransacked. Boxes had been overturned to spill their contents over the concrete floor. Mo...
2024-04-17 15:05:01 +0000 UTC View PostA gentle rain fell, each drop flowing off Elijah’s smooth scales as he leaped from one rock to the next. Beneath him, a river raged, spraying a mist into the air as the swift-moving water crashed into the boulders. Elijah had spent hours trying to find a crossing – the current was...
2024-04-17 15:00:04 +0000 UTC View PostEven as Elijah drifted in and out of semi-consciousness, his mind seemed determined to settle on his past and how it might affect his future. At times, he’d find himself daydreaming about growing up with Alyssa, and only minutes later, his thoughts would turn to what he intended to do to ...
2024-04-16 15:10:01 +0000 UTC View PostElijah sat cross-legged on a boulder, his eyes closed and focused almost entirely on One with Nature. During his previous attempts at cycling his ethera in an effort to begin the process of advancing his Core to the next stage, he had begun to feel something that he’d never felt before.&n...
2024-04-16 15:00:03 +0000 UTC View PostThe world screamed.
And safe in her cave, Talia couldn’t help but cower before its cry. Her reaction only lasted a few moments, but in that time, a bevy of emotions tore through her mind. Fear – primal and unknowable – was the most prevalent, but it was accompanied by so m...
2024-04-16 13:00:09 +0000 UTC View PostAfter saying his goodbyes and cautioning Miguel to heed Kurik’s commands, Elijah gathered his things, double-checked that he had everything he would need, then used Shape of the Air. The transformation came much more quickly, barely taking a second when, before, it had taken a couple.&nbs...
2024-04-15 15:10:01 +0000 UTC View PostElijah awoke a little before dawn, but he didn’t immediately rise. For one, he didn’t want to wake Miguel, but for another, he wanted to spend an hour cycling ethera through his Core. He wanted to create a routine that would, over time, better prepare him for success. So, he...
2024-04-15 15:00:05 +0000 UTC View PostThe ground shook, but Zeke maintained his footing as he trudged forward, stomping on the head of the last tortoloid from the latest group to assault them. He let his shoulders sag a little as he took a deep, exhausted breath. The past day had been a nightmare. If before, he’d ...
2024-04-15 13:00:17 +0000 UTC View PostWe've got another week in the books, and this one came with some really exciting developments. First, thank you all for reviewing Path of Dragons. It's really helped! Obviously, if you haven't gotten around to it yet, head on over to Royal Road and drop a rating/review! Often, people with neg...
2024-04-14 16:43:54 +0000 UTC View Post“These children are remarkable,” said Biggle. “I wish I had access to a Physician to understand precisely what’s happening here.”
The kids – who were all lined up in front of the gnome – were mostly taller than Biggle, but they all beamed at the apparent compliment. ...
2024-04-14 15:10:00 +0000 UTC View PostAfter visiting Isaac’s house and catching up over a cup of tea – during which Artemis jumped in Miguel’s lap, where she remained the entire time – they went to dinner, where they were served spanakopita. Everyone enjoyed it at least as much as Elijah, which was gratifying. Aft...
2024-04-14 15:00:06 +0000 UTC View PostBeneath his palm, the first menhir Elijah had created pulsed with power. It was one of nine that comprised the dolmen that had unlocked so much potential, transforming Ancestral Circle into Roots of the World Tree, giving him the ability to teleport across the world, so long as he’d creat...
2024-04-13 15:10:01 +0000 UTC View PostThe water inside the cave was deathly still, evidence that his actions had driven the sea life away. Likely, it was a defense mechanism meant to ensure that they didn’t get caught in the dangerous flows of ethera. After all, when Elijah had cultivated his Body of Stone, it had kille...
2024-04-13 15:00:04 +0000 UTC View PostNormally, Elijah enjoyed the sound of birds chirping in the morning. However, after a night of heavy drinking until he blacked out, he found the cacophony to be the height of annoyance. For a long time, he just lay there, reveling in his own misery until he finally pushed himself upri...
2024-04-12 15:10:00 +0000 UTC View PostThe next morning, Elijah awoke feeling refreshed, and it actually took him a few moments to remember the burden of vengeance he’d taken upon himself. The moment he settled into those thoughts, his mood darkened, but he forced the roiling emotions into their own facet, where he could ignor...
2024-04-12 15:00:06 +0000 UTC View PostVoromir whistled as Zeke swung, harnessing his considerable might, and to full effect. But the swooping aviaki guardian was no ordinary monster, and it moved with lightning quickness, banking to the side just in time to narrowly avoid Zeke’s attack. The hammer’s head clipped a cou...
2024-04-12 13:00:06 +0000 UTC View Post“This is amazing,” said Miguel, his mouth hanging open as he stared at the verdant landscape of Elijah’s grove. They ...
2024-04-11 15:15:01 +0000 UTC View PostEason Edmund sat at his desk, examining a crystal. It was a synthetic treasure created in one of his mineral gardens, and even though it was barely more than Simple-Grade – as such things were measured – it emitted a power that would nearly rival that of a wild natural treasure. S...
2024-04-11 15:00:03 +0000 UTC View PostThe interior of the temple was unremarkable. Certainly, it was beautifully crafted, but given the impressions Zeke had of the exterior design, that was expected. They entered through the gates, arriving at a large courtyard populated by perfectly manicured topiary and the tinkling sou...
2024-04-11 13:00:06 +0000 UTC View PostI just got the final version of the latest piece of art I commissioned, and I'm super excited about how it turned out. This is Elijah's guardian form:
It turned out really well, and I'm super happy wit...
The sun shone bright on Valoria, a sign from the Divine System that it was a truly favored city. More importantly, as Roman looked out over the city he’d only recently renamed, a notification superimposed itself across his inner eye.
Congratulations!...
2024-04-10 15:15:00 +0000 UTC View Post“What are you going to do?” asked Lucy.
Elijah leaned forward, his elbows on his knees as he stared at the floor. He and the others had returned to Seattle to find it unchanged. Palpable tension still hung in the air, and everywhere Elijah looked, he saw drones, cameras, or ...
2024-04-10 15:10:01 +0000 UTC View Post“See, I have to carve these little holes in the stone so the structure won’t tip over the first time a storm comes through,” Elijah said, pointing to the intended location of the first of many mortice holes. “And the piece that goes on top will have protrusions that fit into the hol...
2024-04-10 15:00:03 +0000 UTC View PostElijah sat next to a fire, sipping water from his new canteen. It hadn’t even occurred to him to have his loot identified back in Seattle. He had far too much on his mind. Even after his previous resolution to keep his priorities in order, it had taken every bit of self-contro...
2024-04-09 15:10:00 +0000 UTC View PostThe armrest of the couch shattered under Elijah’s grip. The moment he had seen that Carmen was alone, he knew what she would say. But some part of him had refused to accept it until those fatal words left his sister-in-law’s mouth.
“She’s…she’s gone,” Carmen...
2024-04-09 15:00:03 +0000 UTC View Post