《The Avenger》 prologue: as I lay me down to sleep
Quote:sometimes, the worst danger is one from within the family
hello, this mai first chapter of my first story, so comment on what u like, what u think I can do better, and stuff ___________________________________________________________________________________________ It''s been five years since then. I don''t know why I keep track. Maybe I just want to remember what my life was like before. {flashback} "close the door, quickly. she''s getting closer!" yelled my sister as the insane husk of what had once been my mother walked down the hall with a mad glint in her eyes. "I''ll cut you into bits if you don''t tell me where you hid my children!" my insane mother said cackling wildly "d****t mother, come to your senses." I muttered under my breath as I helped my sister barricade the door. "I changed my mind!" my mother shouted gleefully "I''m going to kill you anyway!" "s**t bro, what we gonna do?" my sister looked at me with a scared expression. I surveyed the room, two tables that could be used as shields, a couch that could be used as cover, some letter openers and a few kitchen knives.. they might just work. "grab as many sharp objects as you can." I told my sister, grabbing a few myself. "when she breaks through throw them at her and go out the window storing four in my pants pocket. Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. "hello, I have a gift for you!" my mother called, still sounding more and more insane with each minute. *thud* *BOOM* The door exploded inwards and my mother stepped through the wreckage, holding onto a shotgun, and a pistol. why did my father have to buy guns? I thought to myself as my insane mother took aim. diving to the side, I escaped the blast. Then I hurled both my letter openers and motioned for my sister to go out the window. both letter openers hit her hilt first, one in the arm, the other in the gut. while she was winded, I jumped out the window. It was only a second story drop, so both me and my sister made it down without breaking anything. "I''ll kill you for taking my precious children!" my mother screamed at us, taking aim and.. *crack* ¡§Guahh!¡§ I turned and saw my sister fall, blood soaking her hip and shoulder. "NO! NOOOOOOOO!" I wailed, dropping to my knees as my sister bled her life into the dirt. "Run, bro." my sister said weakly. "the bullet hit my leg, I can''t run." "I can''t leave you." I said "I can''t." "HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! DIE! ALL OF YOU! DIE FOR TAKING MY CHILDREN!" "Go." she said, smiling weakly, using the same words she had whenever I played a sport. nodding, I turned, and ran as fast as I could, leaving my sister to die at my mother''s hands. chapter one: the time of dying
Quote:man''s worst enemy is himself
hello, thelazyauthor is back with an update. as my name suggests updates will be infrequent and sporadic
five years later: I stumble down an alleyway in a city whose name I probably learned, but have since forgotten. My purpose in this desolate alley is to find some shelter for the night. or if that fails, leave myself to the cold and the ice. catching sight of a window frozen in the cold I see myself. "grubby clothing, check. hollow eyes, check. emaciated body.. triple check." I say to myself chuckling at my little joke. ''not that there''s much left of me.'' I think continuing down the alley. my head hurts and I rummage in my pocket for a cigarette then bringing it to my mouth and lighting it with my lighter. though it was hard with only three fingers, but I managed it. as I puff on the cigarette I sink down until I''m sitting with my back against the wall. times like this are when I think about my mother and my sister, though I try to avoid it. my mother was my final kill after I became a hitman to survive. I didn''t get the job from someone else, I took it upon myself to lay her to rest. *flashback* "give me my children!" screamed my mother, still thinking in her insanity, that I had kidnapped her children. pitiful perhaps, but reasonable. she was armed to the teeth complete with fragmentation grenades. "I will If you will." I responded calmly. I had faced tough situations, but this was a first for me. after all, who expects to kill their own mother? "I just want my darlings back!" she screamed then popped off a grenade, cocked her arm and threw. running to the left, I barely made it behind cover before a shotgun blast erupted over my head. jumping up, I took aim and threw the knife I had palmed when my birth-mother fired her shotgun. doubling over and clutching at the impact in her gut, my insane mother then jumped towards me and threw another grenade. this time I wasn''t able to avoid it completely and part of the gate fell across my legs, pinning them. She then giggled madly while choking out "shall I kill you as I killed your partner, kidnapper?" I realized she meant my sister as my mother leapt, and swung down her machete and cut off two of the fingers on my right hand. grabbing a knife, I stabbed her in the gut and drew back for another strike. My mother however, burst into flames and screamed long and loud never letting up until her trachea was burned all the way through. it appeared that I hit the canister of liquid phosphorus that she was carrying. It occurred to me almost to late that the grenades would explode as the burning woman that had been my mother grabbed me. "I may be going to hell, But I''m taking you with me!" she said before her vocal chords ceased functioning and her grenades began exploding.
two days later I had recovered enough to move, but I still lay there. weeping for my dead mother, and sister, and all those that I had killed. if I said that I still did not see them in my dreams, I would be the worst kind of liar imaginable. sitting up, I dragged myself over to a well and drank deeply before crawling over to my supplies which included food and water, the basics of any survival kit. though I was luck the grendaes were on the back of my deceased mother''s belt, I still suffered second and third degree burns on my body. after refreshing myself, I took out a spare cell phone I kept in my kit, and called an ambulance so that my burns could be treated. sitting up, I looked at the rising sun and felt something on my shoulder. looking over I saw a close companion and distant lover. The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. "thank you." the spirit said "for avenging me, thank you." I never pretended to be any better than a murderer. but in the end, it was a matter of survival. and my life was dearer to me than theirs. I wasn''t the person that put all other''s lives before his own. I would do what needed to be done, but I would live if I could. "I''m just glad I could avenge you, my sister." I called to my sister''s departing spirit. she was the only one I had risked my life for, even after her death. sitting down, I wept once more for my dead family and all that I once knew. *flashback end* sighing to myself, I extinguished my cig and stood up, making to move down the alley. when a flurry of snow entered the alley and blew past me. in the snow I thought I herd a voice say the following. "I''m ashamed of you, Shinir. allowing yourself to fall to this." It may have just be a trick of the wind, but I thought the snow flurry gestured towards my emaciated body. It was true that without a purpose, I had fallen into grief and let my body waste away, but I could still fight and I wasn''t about to be scared of a patch of snow when I had conversed with the spirits of the dead and dying. "but you should be scared." the snow seemed to say, before I felt a huge pressure and fell to my knees. the wind rustled "I can give you a chance to reach your full potential shinir, or I can kill you. which would you prefer? I stood silent, not trusting myself to speak. I wanted to die, but I wanted to finish my sister''s vengeance. "very well." the wind rustled. I will take you to another world and there you may reach your full potential. however, you must stay within the confines of that system. dragging me into the center of it''s vortex, the wind swirled once, twice and I blacked out.
deep in the land of dreams, a man stood on a lone pillar in front of the sea. "choose!" bellowed the man. his cowl muffling his words slightly. "beetween what?" I asked. he raised his hand, and twin staircases fell from the sky. "light and darkness, heaven and hell, fire and water. what does it matter, choose." he said, a little more urgently as waves began to erode away the sand we were standing on. behind me, waves of fire and ice crashed on the encroaching shore. "CHOOSE!" the man bellowed "OR ALL IS LOST!" raising his other hand, He made gates appear over the entrance to the staircases: one shaped like a diamond, the other like a traditional door. behind me, the waves took on a more sinister feel as they ate away more of the shore with each second. steeling myself, I dived up the staircase on the right-hand side and was enveloped in light. I was inside a circular room with four doors. each one framed by two opposing elements. (ice and fire etc.) beneath me the floor bubbled. if I stayed here, I would die. If I went through the door in front of me, I would be swallowed whole by a whale. If I went through the door behind me, I would never come out. If I went through the door to my right, I would face the agonies of hell. but If i went through the one to my left, I would plummet through the void for all eternity. beneath me, the floor began to collapse and I scrambled to the side as a figure wreathed in smoke clambered through the broken floor. as his axe came crashing down, I dived through the door behind me so that I would survive.
welp, hope everyone liked the chapter. I''ll try to get the next one out soon! -thelazyauthor chapter two: lifes game
Quote:to some, life is a game, others, a war
hello! thelazyauthor is back with another chapter and hopes that all the viewers enjoy the story. plz comment and ask questions, I will try to respond.
as I fell back through the door, the giant''s axe cleaved through my body, seperating my left arm from the rest. Falling back, my arm fell away into the void that was at my back when the giant grabbed my shirt. "you... are coming with me." growled the giant. his shroud of steam making my skin blister. In response, I brought my remaining hand up, and tore away the piece of fabric that it was holding onto. "I''d rather not." I told him as I followed my severed arm into the void below. As I fell I heard the giant scream in fury, but it seemed that he was reluctant to jump after me. As I fell down into the black pit, following my severed arm, I saw several scenes. in the first, a elderly man sat on a bench while a pair of men hurried to finish their sculpture of snow. The creature''s stripes glittered in the sun, giving it a translucensce that was both beautiful and deadly. It''s claws looked sharper than daggers, as if they could rend you with a single swipe. Finishing their sculpture, the men stepped back as the elderly man stood up, concentrated... the scene shifted. In front of me sat a man at a table. He looked as if deep in thought. then he burst out coughing and hacking. when he finally managed to stop hacking, he resumed his position. a girl entered the scene and started whispering words of encouragement, that he wouldn''t have to suffer much longer. as the girl walked away, I followed her to a point where two men were working on a sculpture of iron. The girl asked them how soon it would be finished. seeming satisfied with the answer she went back into the house, and brought out the sick man. the completed sculpture''s shell gleamed crimson in the dawn light, It''s stocky legs seeming too small for it''s body. the sick man concentrated and the world spun. A battlefield. ravens circled overhead and rats darted through the rubble. the final confrontation was being made. two captains were engaged in a duel to decide who would win. the shocking thing was the lack of bodies, there were animal corpses, and limbs, but no whole corpses. while I had been thinking, the duel entered it''s final stages. the older combatant looking tired and not quite as vibrant while the younger resumed his all-out attack with even more fury. then the older duelist kicked dirt into his opponent''s eyes. then lifted his sword and prepared a coup d¨¦ grace. the scene shifted... a man was sitting at a game table, though it had no games on it. Not even cards "come and join me." the man called "I need someone to play against. ¡§what is this game?¡§ I asked the one sitting at the table. ¡§this, is the game of life, all who have been offered power will play through different lives and lead the occupants of those lives to either fame and fortune, or bitterness and ruin, but beware, for the opponent can destroy your chances.¡§ If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡§why should I play?¡§ I had no reason to live someone else''s life. ¡§if you do well you can be powerful in your next life, but if you don''t do well you find yourself in a space where time has no meaning.¡§ ¡§do I get a choice?¡§ I asked, as from the tone of his voice, he seemed pretty sure I would play the game. ¡§of course you don''t.¡§ he said, scoffing at me, ¡§everyone who reincarnates plays this game.¡§ "I don''t know the rules," I told him "this game is different every time you play it, as life is for each person." he said in turn. Seeing nothing else to do, I sat down in front of him. "are you sure that''s the move you want to make?" he said as a set of pawns appeared on the table. "is there any other move to make?" I responded. "no, but the rules always change." he said. "so, a move that is impossible one round is possible the next?" I commented. "Precisely!" he said, switching the positions of two of his pawns. "the availible moves will be shown on the board." settling myself down, I prepared to move a pawn when the world spun... When my vision regained focus, I saw myself in the dugout of a little league baseball team, with both arms and in the uniform of the team. "hey, chuck!" said a bright faced young boy yelled while running up to me, "grab your batting gear! You''re next!" he said pointing over at a black bag with a brand mark on it. I walked over to the bag he pointed at, and took out a black helmet and bat. when it was time, I moved to the plate, settled into a stance I remembered from my little league days, and swung at a ball, to late the ball popped over towards my dugout. when the next ball came, I swung again and completely missed the ball this time. was it just me, or was that last pitch slower than the first one? no matter. as I set my stance again, I readied myself to swing. the breath was driven from me as a fastball found it''s way into my ribs. the world spun.... and I was back at the game table. "didn''t expect that, huh?" the opponent asked. "that''s the first move, the others will be both easier and harder." so the game progressed with a number of interesting scenes as the moves. I counted three baseball related scenes, two video game runs, a siege and six sword fights. quite predictably, the game ended with the opponent taking the last of my pawns. "well, you fought well for a beginner. come back later to challenge me again." the opponent said, rising from his seat. "after you pay the penalty for losing that is." with that he walked into the gloom. there''s a penalty for losing? I wondered in my head. "I wonder what the penalty is?" I asked myself. then my chair fell away from me to reveal a black mineshaft into which I fell down, down, down chapter three: warrior of death
Quote:You are the true master of death, because the true master does not seek to run away from death. He accepts that he must die, and understands that there are far, far worse things in the world than dying -Albus Dumbledore, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
hello, da lazy author here with another update. sorry bout update times, I redo everything about three time before it''s finished, and add a whole bunch a stuff. hope everyone likes the story. please review :sparkle:
As I fell deep into the dark shaft I thought to myself: NOT AGAIN! this is the second time in how long, minutes, hours? i settled on a day. the second time I find myself falling down a deep, dark hole. now all I need are the visions. as if on cue, all different voices flooded my head. "only one, scion and partner..." "He shall come deep from within..." "A warrior." "not a hero..." "a judge..." "an avenger." "a warrior of..." "death." "death" "death." "the darkness and death" "he shall face the coming storm, no more powerful" "than any before..." "or after." with a start I realized that I was hearing a prophecy, one that described a warrior, a judge, and one who dealt with death in all it''s forms. "animist." the word was the last to echo through my head. from what I knew, there was a future waiting for me, one in which I could avenge others and perhaps let go the memory of my mother. I don''t know how long passed in that time after the prophecy, it could have been eons or it could have been only an instant. one tends to lose track of time in the darkness when I hit the bottom of the mineshaft. as my broken body lay there, I thought about the wind, It''s feel on my face, the way it both helped us survive and destroyed our buildings, sowed seeds and toppled trees. inexplicably, I thought of the other three elements in turn, fire, water, and earth. then my thoughts turned to death, was it the mere absence of life or something greater? was I dead or something entirely different? when one died, did their consciousness become separate from their body or did their consciousness fade and be replaced by something else? who could truly answer these questions but the dead? I don''t know how long the dark cloaked me in my own thoughts, it could have been centuries. as I thought of that I started singing a song I remembered from my days on earth Some legends are told, Some turn to dust or to gold, but you will remember me_. remember me for centuries_. This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.just one mistake, is all it would take. we''ll go down in history_, remember me for centuries_. D da da da, daaa. Da da da da, daaa. Da da da da, daaa. chuckling to myself as the words faded into the gloom I wondered what would happen now. would I lie here until my limbs mended or just... fade? no I wouldn''t fade. I would go on to that world that was promised to me. some amount of time later, a glow appeared. not like the glow of a lamp, more like the aurora borealis. "Beautiful, isn''t it?" said someone to my left. I tried to turn my head to see who was trapped here with me. To my surprise,I could. it was a man sitting cross-legged on the ground looking up at the light show above us. "only occurs once every five thousand years." he chuckled at that. "how long have..." I asked as I tried to sit up, and succeeded. "I been here?" the man responded. "hundreds of millennia. I simply don''t want to go on." "then how long have..." I paused, not wanting to say any more "You been here?" he finished. "at least five centuries, you tend to lose track of time, and everything moves slowly here."I nodded, slightly confused. "you should get ready. you''ll be moving on shortly." I nodded, taking this ancient beings word for it. "before you go, I would like to give you a gift." he said, stretching and standing up "why?" I asked him. "I''ll fade into solitude soon, I want you to inherit some of my knowledge and power." he said as his reason. then he concentrated, much as those men in my visions had. behind him, a majestic creature stalked out of the gloom, it''s black fur even darker than the darkness that surrounded us, with piercing yellow eyes. "take my hand, the hand of the king of solitude." the ancient man said, stretching out his left hand. I reached out my right and clasped his hand. He smiled and leaned back, the animal behind him touched it''s muzzle to him, and dark winds swirled around the two of them. when the winds cleared, a single black obelisk stood where they had been. chapter four: one lost man. halloooooo! thelazyauthor here! I know it''s been a while, but stuff happened and yeah. so, without further adoo, here''s chapter four!
Quote:a pointillist picture is similar to a bond, they can only be understood from far away
sometimes I wonder what would have happened if I chose to simply stay in the abyss. It was likely that the world would be destroyed, but I wanted to cast aside my memory of my mother and what else happened on earth. As I sat next to the pillar that was once a great man, I decided that it was time to move on from this abyss and seek a new life. While thinking that, I tried one thing that I hadn''t done since my sister died: sing. not just sing the lyrics of a song, but truly sing and pour my heart into the music. Fa-tshe Le-tshu le-a ha la le la. Fa-tshe, Le-tshu le-a ha la le la.... Shadowland... The leaves have fallen, this, shadowed land, this was our home. now the river''s dry, the ground has broken so I must go, now I must go... And where my journey may lead me, let your prayers be my guide I cannot stay here, my family, but I''ll remember my pride. I have no choice I will find my way. Le-a ha la le la Take this prayer What lies out there Le-a ha la le la Fa-tshe, Le-so le-a ha la le la Giza buyabo, Giza buyabo I will return, I will return Beso bo giza buyabo I will return Giza buyabo, oh giza buyabo beso bo my people, beso bo when I finished singing, I unfolded my legs from the position I had assumed. contrarily to popular belief, You can sing just as, if not better than you can standing sitting down, It just requires more practice, as such I loved to sing a song or two while falling asleep or meditating. However, since my mother had died I couldn''t open my heart and pour it into the music. Something about this place healed the heart, not erasing the personality, but healing the wounds that someone received through emotional trauma. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡§Such insight is not wrong, but it isn''t correct either.¡§ said a voice from somewhere off to my right. ¡§Then what is the correct insight?¡§ I asked, confident that he wouldn''t have spoken if he meant me ill, and he was more powerful than me anyway, to read my thoughts. ¡§what herb cures all ailments?¡§ the voice responded, it seemed that this being liked to hide information in riddles. though I sensed that that wasn''t it''s real intention. ''an herb that cures all ailments... allspice? no, it''s something else... oh! he is clever, but the riddle was to simple.'' I thought at the later part of trying to decipher a riddle clearing my throat, I said ¡§by the black raven''s lock, and by this rhyme, why, the answer would be thyme.¡§ *clap* *clap* *clap* ¡§very good, it only took you one year to figure out, very well, you may now move on from this realm.¡§ ¡§that''s it?!¡§ I asked, surprised at the simplicity of it all. ¡§he, he, he.¡§ the voice snickered ¡§it is, if you can survive the transition.¡§ the darkness became more oppressive, and heavy. It felt like the surrounding area was being drawn to me, or rather, my heart. As the world drew in towards my heart, I felt rather than saw, three sets of eyes on me. Padding out of the gloom came a smaller version of the same creature I had seen earlier. The steady wing beats of another took my attention, and I found a small bird with beady eyes, that were at once intelligent and mysterious. Behind me I heard a light hissing as a reptile with scales even blacker than the void covering it''s serpentine body. slowly moving in a slowly tightening circle around me, they said as one ¡§choose.¡§
The song lyrics sung by the M.C. are to the song shadowland from The Lion King musical. plz comment, I hope that people will read my story and comment about things that are good and bad also, which animal should he choose, I personally want the snake cause the abilities are interesting to work with, but I''ll post a poll soon on a further note, how do I get a poll to show up? notice What am I doing wrong? no one comments on anything, and Still no one has put up a review! though I appreciate that someone followed my story, I want to know what I''m doing wrong. plz comment and tell me how I can get better at this chapter five: a witness to power since no one commented on what animal they would like, and no one told me how to get a poll up and running, I just went ahead and wrote this chapter
As the three animals continued circling around me, waiting, waiting for an answer to their not quite unspoken question. meanwhile I was figuring out what the different animals represented. the snake stood for the darkness of caves and warrens, the places under the earth. the bird of the darkness of night, and the freedom of wind. the last one though, I could not discern anything other than solitude emanating from it. It''s aura spoke of eons alone, with no one to depend on, no one to be with. If I had learned one thing from my time on earth, it was that loneliness was the ultimate killer. you could go insane from it, and kill yourself. all other emotions:love, greed, rage, madness... all stemmed from the desire to not be alone. kneeling in front of the creature of my choosing, I stretched out my hand and held it much like one would when one meets a new dog. In that one moment, I saw the entirety of my life, past and what could be stretched out into eternity. Then I understood that if I choose this creature, i would walk a path few others could, one of a traveler who was like erosion, unnoticeable at first, but with unchecked force, could shape worlds. one who couldn''t destroy the world, but one who couldn''t die. Realizing I knew a song that described something like this, I sat down, and started singing I got no money in my hands or my coat or my pocket, I won''t get to space ''cause I haven''t got a rocket. But I''ve air in my lungs, eyes in my sockets, and a heart that beats like a tap that leaks, in the night when you haven''t got a plumber who can stop it. Jack in the box without a key to lock it. Well this boat may sink, but I''m not gonna rock it cos the sea doesn''t know my name. Yeah the boat may sink but I''m not gonna rock it cos the sea doesn''t know my name. Well, if you can''t get what you love You learn to love the things you got and if you can''t be what you want, you learn to be the things you''re not. If you can''t get what you need you learn to need the things that stop you dreaming all the things that stop you dreaming Well I got no one''s word and nobody''s promise. Not a lot to show but this book full of sonnets and my liver may be fucked, The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.but my heart is honest. and my word is true like the sky is blue in the summertime when everybody gets on it, warm our skins and get sun-burnt from it. and our eyes shine bright like a sky full of comets that shoot like silver trains yeah, our eyes shine bright like a sky full of comets that shoot like silver trains Well if you can''t get what you love You learn to love the things you got and if you can''t be what you want, you learn to be the things yo''re not and if you can''t get what you need, you learn to need the things that stop you''re dreaming oh ohoh all the things that stop you''re dreaming. Ohh oh oh ohho no and ohh oh oh ohho oh Ohh oh oh ohho oh ohouon oh no well if you can''t get what you love you learn to love the things you got and if you can''t be what you want, you learn to be the things you''re not and if you can''t get what you need, you learn to need the things that stop your dreaming ohuoh all the things that stop your dreaming all the things that stop you dreaming.. finishing my song, I looked into the golden eyes of my chosen ¡§companion¡§ and rejoiced in the fact that I would never be alone again. then the darkness closed in around me and my animal, and all was still.
hallo, thanks to lifebloom for noticing my mistake, I patched it up, but guys even if it''s just a thx 4 the chapter, I would like to see posts under my chapters. also, sorry but I love cliffhanger endings also try too guess what animal he picked! also, the song that the MC sang is the things that stop you dreaming by passenger, I advise you guys to look it up, it''s a great song chapter six
Quote:Never assume your safe. and never tempt fate by announcing that you think you''re safe
I''d like to say thanks to zvonimir for the constructive criticism and will work on my mistakes, all others plz continue to comment and could someone plz write a review?
As the darkness cleared from my vision, I saw a field of flowers, and a burning-red sky. next to me, where my companion had stood, was a small patch of dead grass, and... something? Something that fluctuated between black and white, red and blue, yellow and violet. *those are particles of [Energy], also known as [Calum} or the energy left by a transformation.* came a voice from... inside me? it sounded like I was speaking, but at the same time, like I wasn''t. My guard went up a little late, but I still wanted to be ready to defend myself, even with only-. I had both arms again, how could that be? *It is a residual effect of the void, the phrase ¡§time heals all wounds¡§ is true in the physical sense, as if even a splinter of bone remains attached to the main body, the limb will eventually grow back.* ¡§who are you?¡§ I asked, still not seeing the source of the ''voice'' that seemed to come from within. *''I'' am ''you''. If that''s what you wanted to know* came the voice in response. *''We'' should try to get along, after all you did choose ''me''.* ¡§you''re..¡§ *correct, ''I''am the animal ''you'' selected to transfer power with.* ¡§no, I mean- what''s your name?¡§ *Do ''I'' really need one?* the voice asked me, in a surprisingly feminine tone, before it was simply a monotone sound. ¡§Yes,¡§ I said in response, ¡§If only so that *I* know what to call *you*.¡§ *A name, hmm...* ¡§how about, Ngyuen?¡§ I asked, hoping to prompt a train of thought *That''s a boy''s name!* the voice grumbled. ¡§Would you prefer something else then?¡§ *How about Rachel?* ¡§That sounds nice,¡§ I said. Sitting down, I took another survey of the surrounding land. While doing so, I noticed a caravan resolutely trudging along the plain, headed on a course that if I guessed right, would take them directly to the foot of my hill. ¡§Company,¡§ I muttered to Rachel. *''I'' can see what ''you'' see, no need to explain things,* came the response. ¡§What do ''you'' think I should do?¡§ I asked the one who was, but was not me. *wait until they''re close enough to make out the banner, if it''s anything other than a black star on an azure background, run away.* ¡§Why?¡§ I asked, wondering why a single banner meant ¡§safe¡§ This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. *that is the banner of the Weeping Angel, one of your fellow travelers, and the only person in existence who can detect any and all lies* ¡§You said her name is the Weeping Angel; why is that?¡§ *when she first fought, she cried tears of blood, and her power and beauty is equal to an angel''s* ''tears of blood huh, I''ll have to see that for myself.'' Looking at the caravan, I noticed a blot of red on something; it was too far away to make out details yet. As it inched closer I began to notice more and more details on and about the caravan. including the blood-red banner atop the largest wagon. As I rolled down the back of the hill,I noticed too late that there was another caravan, one which I couldn''t gather to many details about because of my speed. I came to a stop at the base of the hill and sprung to my feet, a little unsteady from the constant shaking. a split second later someone hit me over the head from behind, knocking me off my already unsteady feet. ¡§what are you doing?¡§came a voice that was at once rough and unpolished, and at the same time beautiful. When I didn''t respond immediately I was stomped on. ¡§I asked what you are doing, young man?¡§ ¡§Currently, I am being stomped on,¡§ I said, answering her question ¡§Before,¡§ she growled, pressing down harder ¡§I was rolling away from danger into an ambush, isn''t it obvious?¡§ I asked, trying to make light of the situation. ¡§Ha ha, very funny"she said. ¡§before you rolled down the hill, what is the ''danger'' you saw?¡§ she asked me ¡§A caravan with a blood-red banner.¡§ I stated, it was up to her whether or not to believe it. ¡§Are you certain it was blood-red?¡§ she sounded surprised, and anxious. ¡§Very certain¡§ ¡§To think that they''d get this close without knowing... I must warn the others.¡§ she half muttered to herself, lifting her boot from my back. ¡§hm?¡§ she said, sounding surprised. ¡§What?¡§ I asked while rolling over, wanting to know who ¡§they¡§ were and what was wrong with my back. ¡§You have- ¡§ she shook her head ¡§you''re coming with me¡§
dun dun duuun! srry ''bout the cliffhanger but it''s late, and I need sleep. also *quote* means Rachel is speaking to the MC and ''I/you/me'' means not quite, but infinitely close. think of it as the < and > signs in math. in addition, ¡§bold text in quotes¡§ means someone is speaking telepathically magic/ranking system I thought I''d post this before people started asking me how magic works so there are seven base forms of casting and three inherent forms of casting the first form is channeling, this is the base and most common form of casting, if a cast type says 2x power, it has twice as much power as a channeled version of that spell. the second is incantations, they have 1.5x power, but 1.75x cast time, in the higher levels, the power difference makes a lot of difference, while time isn''t that big a factor. the third is ''runecasting'' or preparing scrolls or wands beforehand, it has 0.5x power, but 0.1x cast time. the fourth is ''ritualized casting'' this uses 0.05x mana, but has 50x casting time, but buff spells cast in a ritualized format last 20x longer. the fifth is the silent cast. even runecasting makes a small noise when being prepared, but users of this type suffer from vocal paralysis when casting spells and for five minutes after, preventing them from making any vocal sound, including a moan. the sixth is ''motionless cast'' which allows one to cast a spell from any position in the same amount of time a channeled spell would take. In addition, muscle atrophy after completing the cast makes users of this technique physically weak, even among mages the seventh, and last is enchanting, unlike runecasting, which stores a spell for later use, an enchanted item will have an ''aura'' placed on it that gives it more durability, more apparent weight without increasing it''s weight physically and sharper edges, or elemental damage. every one of these methods can be trained, but the three ''special methods'' randomly show up in a mage from time to time, these will be more powerful than the normal methods, but at major levels the cast type doesn''t matter much. the first is instant cast: it has instant cast speed and uses 0.1x mana and 0.75x power, those who have it usually become assassins or spellswords. the second is mysterious, no one really knows how it works, but it seems to involve drawing power from the web of invisible lines of power that encircle the planet, without more information, it is impossible to write it down (I couldn''t come up with a good idea, so sue me) the third is by far the rarest, and most deadly: songcasting, or spellsinging as it is called by some. while a spellsinger cannot pierce the levels of grand magic without decades of training, their songs will summon up a copy of the spell being cast every two seconds at 0.5x power and for the same amount of mana as a ritualist, however, all spellsingers are mute and only when they sing a spell can their voices be heard, every one of them has a beautiful voice, and many of them suffer from blindness, deafness or a frail body. the most powerful spellsinger in existence is the weeping angel comment on ideas you have for the second special casting technique there is no ''elemental affinity'' in this world,though the ''travelers'' can manipulate mana of a certain element easier, they don''t necesarily wield that element, it all depends on what the person wants to specialize in. the six base elements are: fire water heaven(wind) earth light and hell(darkness) the sub-or fusions are: sun(fire and light) moon(water and light) vapor(water and fire) mist(water and heaven) ice(water and earth) poison(water and hell) blast(earth and wind) magnet(earth and light) life(earth and hell) storm(heaven and light) lava(earth and fire) ash(fire and heaven) destruction(earth and darkness) and the most powerful: twilight (light and hell) anyone can train dual-elements, but it takes decades of practice to master a single dual-element spell, so only elves and immortals practice it. please comment on what elements you''d like to have me add, next chapter is in the works and will be out within a week edit: metal/ranking system. metal value system is same as earth. metal rarity system: gold is more common, but still one of the rarest, whereas iron is very common. magic affinity system: ranks E, D, C, B, A, S, SS, and X E rank is unenchantable, this rank includes live plants, meat, and iron. Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.D rank degrades enchantments placed on it. includes: low-grade steel, and all metaloids. C rank degrades enchantments slightly, includes: med-grade steel, all alkali earth metals, and most metals. B rank is considered the ¡§null rank¡§ enchantments will not be degraded or bolstered. includes: medium high-grade steel, and all noble gases, and the two alkaline series, plus dead plants. A rank provides a small boost to enchantments. includes: silver, and some metals such as aluminum. S rank provides a moderate boost to enchantments. includes: electrium, and carbon. SS rank provides a huge boost to enchantments placed on it. includes: gold, and adamantium. X rank is practically mythological due to the amount of time needed to make one ingot of the material. includes: aldarium, mithril, and dragonhide. how to make adamantium and similar metals. adamantium: is made from gold at a 100:1 rate, because of this, a single adamantium item is worth far more than any amount of gold due to it''s semi-unique hardness that prevents it from being scratched by non-magic weapons/items. Mithril: this one is easy, enchant silver, and wait a couple milennia. Electrium: mix in gold and silver at a 3:2 ratio, then forge like silver. electrium is prized for both it''s hardness and it''s enchanting capacity. Obdurium: mix Adamantium, iron, and silver in at a 3:1:1 proportion wait three months. Forge like iron. Obdurium is the pinnacle of non-magic strength, with hardness surpassing adamantium, it''s possible to make Obdurium without silver, but doing so will degrade enchantments placed on the metal. Aldarium: same process as Mithril, but substitute silver with electrium. hope everyone enjoys! -edit- races dwarf(moreinasir ¡§the children of Moradin¡§) they maintain a culture of moon-worship similar to ancient greece in social hierarchy but closer to medieval Europe¡äs tech level. elves([?ruff?nil][nightsworn*]) culture is Norse and a small group maintains a Finnish culture. they are known as ?ruff?nil (daysworn*) orcs have a culture with very powerful magic and physical prowess, but a low tech level. their culture resembles that of the Aztecs in central america. B?rumin or ¡§those with the blood of the bear/Bearbloods¡§ maintain a rigid and vast empire that covers much of the central continent that remains stable despite never expanding. see if you can figure out what type of culture I based their culture off of. Lycans are fringe hunters that maintain a clan/tribe structure with powerful ritualized and rune magic though there is low tech power. all Lycans draw power from the sea and can often be found near there. Dragonkin look like humans but always have part of their body adapted into that of a dragon ie. finger or toe becomes a claw. it¡äs considered good luck if a girl has a dragon¡äs talon in exchange for her ring finger. the more of a Dragonkin¡ä? body that¡äs covered in scales, the more inherently strong they will be. they follow a very celtic-like culture. fey and other magical beings have no unified culture and are often found in the wilds. humans have a nomadic culture based on that of ancient tribes in Africa. they are also the second-least populous species, after fey. power ranking system. there are no specified ¡§stats¡§ but they can usually be grouped into six ¡äcategories¡ä and from there you get into the real complex stuff. for example, in the ¡§Strength category¡§ you have ¡§muscular strength, muscular endurance, mental strength, and mental stamina.¡§ it is quite common for a ¡ägroup` to be in more than one category. then you get action stats like ¡§pushing strength, pulling strength, lifting strength, and leg strength.¡§ each stat is categorized on a rank from E-X same as the metal ranking system. E rank: lift one pound, resist very weak mind control for one minute, or influence someone under the influence of drugs are tasks that have a 50% chance of success at this level. for every rank up, increase the power by a multiple of ten. the average adult strength in this world is rank B (able to lift 100,000lbs of material at 100% muscle capacity. needless to say, the amount they can actually lift is far, far less. chapter seven: voiceless singer
Quote:I can give you a very special present. Just keep in mind that it''s not yours
wow. that was some... ¡§refreshing¡§ comments, oh well, I need to work on my style anyway.
¡§why should I come with you?¡§ I asked, rolling over, and looking up at a woman who... I couldn''t describe how she looked, each moment her skin, and eyes changed shades slightly every second. Her hair appeared to be a vibrant red, but it shifted through all the shades of red as I looked. ¡§I ask the questions, not you.¡§ she growled, her harsh voice somehow accentuating her beauty even more. ¡§Now come with me.¡§ she said, grabbing me, and slinging me over her shoulder like a sack of potatoes. Then she started running, faster than I thought a human could run, so fast that the landscape blurred around us, approximately halfway through the trip I heard a voice in my head, one that came from without, rather than within ¡äWelcome to the journey, traveler of shadow, the never-ending bulwark` said the voice, and then it was gone. Only then did I realize that a connection had been severed ¡§Why do you have the same mark as my mistress on your back?¡§ my captor asked unexpectedly, still running so fast that the surroundings blurred. ¡§There¡äs a mark on my back?¡§ I asked surprised, last I checked which was two years ago, my back had a few scars, but no tattoos or marks ¡§Of course there is, that type of mark is there since birth!¡§ she growled, punctuating her sentence with a stomp that shattered the ground. ¡§How could you not know you had a traveler¡äs mark?¡§ ¡§Traveler`s mark?¡§ I asked innocently. She came to a screeching halt, looked me in the eyes and said ¡§You¡äre not from this world, are you?¡§ ¡§Whatever gave you that impression?¡§ I asked, curious to find out how she figured out my secret. ¡§You have a veritable ignorance of common knowledge that even a hermit would have known,¡§ she said, pacing in front of me. ¡§This changes things... no matter, you`ll still meet my mistress.¡§ ¡§Your mistress?¡§ I asked as she slung me over her shoulder again and started running. ¡§The greatest spellsinger and a mighty warrior with or without magic, not that you¡äd be able to touch her in combat.¡§ she said, sounding very proud at having such a powerful mistress *I have hypothesized that her mistress is likely the one that contacted you with telepathy earlier.* Rachel said, breaking the silence in my mind. ¡äwhy haven¡ät you spoke to me recently` I asked of Rachel *When you were contacted via telepathy, I had to shut down in order to not be found, the process of waking up is rather difficult* `interesting, why did you hypothesize that?¡ä The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.*It¡äs quite simple, really. All thoughts have a ¡äflavor` if you will, and the flavor of the telepath that contacted us is very similar to the flavor of your captor* ¡äMakes sense.` *What will confirm or deny my theory is this person¡äs blood relation to her mistress, generally the closer the relation the more similar the scent* ¡äSo, identical twins will have practically the same flavor?` *Actually, it¡äs more common for a brother and sister pair born within three years of each other to have the same flavor. Don¡ät ask me why.* While me and Rachel had been conversing, time had gone by and we arrived at a... camp? no, it was more like a fortress that could be packed up and moved from place to place. I was awestruck by the sheer size of the place. It rivaled a major league baseball field in size! Heavily armed men and women were everywhere, in about a 40:60 ratio. Just enough to be obvious, but not enough to make it seem gender-biased. I also noticed that there was an abundance of serpents about the fort, patrolling with the guards, feasting themselves on something that looked a lot like a mouse, and simply lazing about. Then I noticed that the male guard talking with my captor seemed to be referring to himself as lesser, but he wasn¡ät referring to her as greater. Did that mean that males were less important than females in this society, or was that because of the person he was speaking to? there were so many things to learn. When we started down the road in the middle of the fort, I noticed that everyone was staring at us, no more correctly, at me. Why was that; was it my being a ¡§traveler¡§ or because I was seeing my captor¡äs mistress or because I was a captive? ¡§a traveler, huh?¡§ ¡§after so long...¡§ ¡§I hope he joins our clan.¡§ those were just a few of the words I could make out in the din. Well, one of my questions was answered, the reason I was capturing the interest of the entire fort was because I had become, or had the potential to be, a traveler. ¡äWelcome back, Kara.¡§ the words flowed into my head like I would hear in a normal conversation ¡§I greet my mistress and turn over the traveler canidate to you. You will know best of what to do with him.¡§ and with that, my captor, apparently called Kara turned and walked away, before stopping, turning around, and coming back. ¡§mistress, we have an unconfirmed report of a Bloody Blades caravan three ri to the West.¡§ then she clapped her fist to her chest, pivoted and walked away. ¡äNow we take a look at you, hm¡ä came a voice into my mind, it made me so unbelievably tired, and I couldn¡ät stay awake Chapter Eight: An Enemy and an Ally hello! I started up another fiction because I had this flash of inspiration, and just had to write it down. this new story probably won¡ät last long, so this remains my main fiction. my second fiction is The Resolution. Without further ado, here¡äs a new chapter!
¡§Mistress¡§ POV. After he fell asleep I quickly exited my room, and asked a servant to bring him in from outside. I would need to see him personally to determine whether or not he was a boon, or a threat. I navigated through my ¡§house,¡§ although the term ¡§Glorified Hut¡§ might be more appropriate. While I did so, my summoned servant brought in the man my lieutenant had brought in, I could tell he was rather wiry, emaciated and in poor health, but still very strong of mind. Most people in his state would have long exhausted their mental strength. That¡äs good, if he should prove an ally. ¡§Jori, send three regiments of Haldir and one squad of Jerin to fight a series of delaying actions on the Bloody Hand¡äs caravan. I will join them as soon as I figure out who this man is, and if he poses a threat.¡§ I relayed to one of my lieutenants. ¡§This is not a drill.¡§ I felt him respond before I severed the connection ¡§It shall be done, your highness.¡§ I immediately brought a portion of my wrath down on him. ¡§How many times must I tell you that I hate that term,¡§ I asked him. ¡§Now carry out your tasks¡§ ¡§it shall be done, Vel¡äNukimia.¡§ he messaged back, and I could imagine him bowing with his arm across his chest. Now that the intruder was delayed, I could attend to the matter at hand. Quickly crossing the room, I opened the door to the scrying room, where I had instructed my servant to leave the man. The first thing I ¡§saw¡§ when I opened the door, was his supine body, laid on the scrying bier, and the claw-like hand that formed the end of his right arm. The loss of his fingers appeared to be from frostbite, but I couldn`t Tell precisely what severed his digits. No matter, Time to beginwith the spell. Fear is tough, but my love is a lantern, shining up like, coins in a fountain. Hope is a tree, sitting on a mountain where the grass don¡ät grow There is a sad old sea, But my love is an island, Wild and free like hills in the highlands. Is it a breeze that brings me back to dryland where the flowers grow? And love is the pain in People, And love is the last unicorn, And love is the only song I sing If hate is poison and Love is the remedy singin¡ä out like sweetest of melodies. Hope is a ghost in the deepest of memories. Stronger than it¡äs enemy, fear is the enemy. In the dark in creeps like a shark in the coldest, deepest part. Hope is the beat in the oldest heart, hand in hand and love in a star. Hope is a fireside This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.Warm on the coldest of nights. Love is the only song I sing. All night. Love is the truest of words, and love is the last winter bird, and love is the only song I sing, ohh I sing till I can¡ät sing no more. ohhh! I sing till my throat is sore Umm, Hmmmm.... Finishing my song, I lean forward, and dive into my subject¡äs mind. I¡äm in a cave, a dark space that sucks in all light and even drains some of my power. I won¡ät be able to fight effectiveley here, better make this quick. ¡§And what exactly will you make quick?¡§came a voice from behind ¡§I don¡ät think my master was had sufficient knowledge to come here?¡§ I whipped around, and came face to face with a creature of amazing feline beauty, the tracing of her muscles beneath her layer of fur and the eyes that spoke of loss and regret, while her posture seemed to say ¡äI have lost the only one I could trust, can you say the same?¡ä She stood up, stretched, and walked over to me while I simply stood still, knowing that in her realm, she could do with me as she wished, and one wrong move meant insanity. ¡§Why are you here, if you are looking for secrets than get out now,¡§ she said in a warm tone that did nothing to mask the threat lying underneath. ¡§I seek to discern if this person is an enemy or ally of my people.¡§ I said, choosing my words with extreme caution, ready to cancel my spell at the slightest threat. ¡§My `partner¡ä is no friend of your enemies, but he is not your ally either.¡§ came an unexpected response from the big cat crouched in front of me . ¡§I see, then I will leave you and bring your other half back to the land of waking.¡§ I responded, and cancelled my diving spell. Sitting on a chair before that man, who I now knew to be the enemy of my enemy, I was unsure whether or not to restore him to wakefulness. While he certainly wouldn¡ät be going directly against us, he might sabotage our plans somehow. Sighing, I put my head in my hands and ¡§saw¡§ his back, and the mark there. That¡äs when I realized that he was my ally, but not my people¡äs friend. Lifting my head, I released the spell holding him unconscious, and as I did so, I touched his power, it was a vast endless void of life, one that birthed life, but could not sustain it, constantly in opposition with itself and shrouded in perpetual gloom. It contained the ease of mind that came with travel. In addition to the intensity of battle. it was diametrically opposed to itself, and held naught but a single gift. M.C.¡äs P.O.V. The first thing I noticed when I regained consciousness was that I wasn¡ät outside anymore. The next was the woman with the eye-patch sitting on a nearby stool, She had a scar over her left eye, forming a cross with her eye-patch, hair as dark as midnight. She was garbed in a simple woolen tunic, with an arm-guard on her right arm and a rather functional pair of boots that appeared to be leather. *You¡äre awake,* said a voice in my mind, *follow me, and do not touch anything I do.* with that, she turned and left the room through a previously unnoticed door. If she was the one who knocked me out earlier, than I should follow her. I¡äd never been able to judge strength, but I could tell that she had experience in many forms of combat, and maybe even invented one herself. It would not be wise to go against her. I stood, and followed her out the room
yay for cliffhangers! next chapter will be up within two weeks of christmas The lyrics are to the song coins in a fountain by Passenger, look it up, It¡äs a great song! notice #2 I have a very intense week coming up, wit rehearsal¡äs every day, this gives me little opportunity to write, so the next chapter may be delayed until around Christmas, but I¡äll try to work when I can