《Druidification》Chapter 166
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After finishing up the short quiz of what they had gone over, Nat and Sophie were both put through a rigorous pattern of exercises all the way until dinner time. After all, neither of them did much other than walking for the day. In order to keep on the schedule of physical activity and growth, Shannon had them make up for what work they had missed while Nat was teaching. Especially given that tomorrow they were planning on delving into Edmonton's city center. They would not be able to exercise in peace for the next day or two, since they would have to be watching every corner as they moved through the city.
Once they had all gone through that, and had a set of stretching to limber up and relax from the exhaustive movements, did they move to other needs. Natalie went through and gave another brief check-up on the gorillas. When it was all said and done, most of the gorillas were cleared to be doing full workouts, as she gauged that they had recovered enough from their starvation state in the past twelve days to be fit for duty. Normally, the average time to recover from starvation was two months, so she was expecting at least another two days before they would be in that sort of shape. That was accounting for the accelerated healing that the Soulscape seemed to give to the bonded animals. There were only two that had not fully recovered yet, but they were not far behind the rest of them. The timing for this was fantastic, as that meant they had a higher amount of fighting strength for their trek inside the city.
Sophie on the other hand, went over to help Shannon with making dinner. Tonight, they were making a tomato soup to dunk the grilled cheese in. First thing they did was chop up a bunch of tomatoes and celery into as fine of a cut as they were able to. Though, since Sophie still was not that adept at using a knife in the kitchen, Shannon first cut them into larger sized strips, and then had Sophie carefully dice them. This way, she did not have to have her hand anywhere near the blade, reducing the risk of her cutting herself immensely. She just had one hand on the handle, with her other one on the top surface of the knife. Like this, she was able to learn how to dice things easily while keeping it steady. It took a bit of work before she got used to it, but once she did her confidence got a massive boost. Anyone who was watching would see that, as her hand was slowly going faster and faster. Shannon let it go on for a little while, before getting her to slow down. It was good to get in the practice, but it was far better for her to learn how to properly do it, instead of how she imagined was the right way to do it. Slowly, Shannon explained how it was better to be slower and methodical when cutting, to make sure that every time the knife descended was purposeful and effective. There was no need to go fast, and it would actually be worse in the end, as it may give her a need to repeat it more often to get the sizing of whatever she was cutting down to the size that was needed. The only other issue Sophie had the whole time was that this was the first time that she had cut celery. It being a vegetable with high levels of plant fibres in it made her first few cuts to be quite rough. Though with Shannon carefully guiding her, she became used to it quickly, and her cuts came out far cleaner.
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That was all done while Shannon was getting the rest of the soup ready to go. First, she melted butter inside of the pot, making sure to keep the temperature from the fire lower than she usually did. This just meant it was keeping it further away from the actual fire than when she usually cooked food. Then, once the celery was finely minced, she had Sophie carefully deposit it into the pot. There, they were slowly sautéed for the next couple minutes to quickly brown. Once they reached a suitable point, flour was mixed in with them, coating the celery. Then they gradually added water and milk in equal parts, stirring it constantly to make sure it mixed properly. That continued until they felt it thicken a noticeable degree, marking the time to mix in the rest of the ingredients. With how big the pot they were working with was, due to the quantity they were making, it was quite a sight to behold. Sophie was being held up in the air by Shannon, looking like a witch stirring her cauldron.
It did not take much longer for them to finish the cooking of the soup. The only problem they encountered was that they did not have a blender available to cook with. Thus, the tomato soup was closer to a mushy stew, but it still looked and smelled delicious. Together with everyone, grilled cheese was brought out and they partook in the food. Even the gorillas joined in this time, enticed by the smell of the soup. All in all, it was quite well received by all. While that may have been due to none of the others knowing what tomato soup was supposed to look like, Natalie still found the creation delicious. Of course, Shannon told her apprentice nothing, and let the little witch enjoy the moment of successfully making a tasty soup.
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After food was done and cleaned up, everyone felt ready to call it a night. Tomorrow was looking to be a long and dangerous day, so they wanted to take precautions where they could. Getting a long and restful sleep was the easiest choice to make, at least as one step of getting ready. As the coyotes came out for watch, everyone else settled down, and went immediately to sleep. And a certain munchkin passed off into the void of sleep, wishing with all her might to have another dream of owls.
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Ardent Tears
[Participant in the Royal Road Writathon challenge.] Youth is something to be treasured, for it is the foundation upon which all experiences are built. It is also a time when some may Awaken as Ardents or Stoics; individuals who can draw great power from the Resonance of emotions. Rowan’efrii is one such youth, but at what cost? This is the story of her journey; of love and loss, friendship and isolation, fortune and tragedy. What can a girl do when she is faced with all the wonders and horrors that the world has to offer? Live! In the Kingdom of Særis, a group of renegade lords are seeking to enslave young adolescents to forge them into Ardents and Stoics. Those that fall will be used in a war against the Azure King. Will they break Rowan, or will they turn her into the very thing that will destroy them. Ardent Tears focuses heavily on all kinds of relationships including: romantic, familial, platonic and sexual. The MC is a clear example of this, especially as she is poly. Because of this, I gave the story my own Poly Tag. This won't be anything like a Harem story and it is being written by someone who is polyamorous (me). There is also going to be several LGBT themes throughout which can't be represented through Tags. Ardent Tears is now on Top Web Fiction. If you like the story, I'd appreciate it if you give me a boost by following this link and pressing boost. Massive thanks to KrazeKode for the amazing cover art. And special thanks to MelasD and Selkie for the shout-outs.
8 101Cycles of Ruin
Civilizations rise and fall. Kith build them up and monsters, led by powerful dungeon keepers, bring them to ruin. For three thousand years the cycle has been maintained by the Guild of Chaos and its endless hordes of minions who—in absence of their long lost creators—have taken it upon themselves to keep the realms of the universe in balance. The Guild has grown efficient at this task, but some among its ranks have begun to ponder the utility of a universe that has been robbed of the very possibility of change. Basil von Doom is one such dungeon keeper working for the Guild, leading an army of loyal minions from one conquest to the next; burning civilizations and sifting through the ruins in search of forbidden knowledge that the races of kith were never meant to possess. But having spent more than half a century in pursuit of glory and fame—trying to live up to the legacy of his father—Basil has grown indifferent towards his work. Desperate for a worthy challenge, but bound by his duties as a dungeon keeper, he has turned his mind towards uncovering the ultimate fate of the previous master of his house and the secrets that were buried with him. Now the young Master of House Doom must balance his growing interest in pursuing the trail of his father with the responsibilities that come with running a dungeon in service to the Guild of Chaos. To remain in good standing with the Guild, Basil has even accepted the task of mentoring an apprentice dungeon keeper, a young succubus named Elnora. It is at the tail end of her apprenticeship that the story begins; with a civilization poised to fall—its greatest heroes gathering for one last assault on the heart of darkness—and Basil striking up a conversation with his apprentice that will set into motion the unraveling of the universe. ***This is a rewrite and continuation of my story that was first posted on RoyalRoad a few years ago.
8 126The Sword Maiden
In a time when magic has become increasingly prevalent, tradition can no longer hold sway over practicality. St. Florin's Academy, birthplace of the famed Carnelian Knights, has opened its doors to students of the arcane — and with it, the struggles of a new generation. Witch adepts seek to prove themselves against the knight cadets who call this academy their home, even as the nobility continue their centuries-old animosity with the common classes. In a new era playing out on an old stage, which faction can reach the apex first? Mireille Kloeter, of the 279th intake, can only find out.
8 107Her and I (Kyouka Jirou x Fem Reader)
Kyouka Jirou x reader (complete and under editing)This story takes place in 1A's (now 2A)'s second year at UA when (y/n) transfers into their class after being saved from a traumatic past, and she meets someone who changes everythingDisclaimer: I do not own My Hero Academia or any of their characters. I also do not own the art on the cover or at the beginning of chapters.
8 168YOONMIN ¦ before debut
(COMPLETED - under editing)"We were perfectly fine without you.".....Jimin's the new and final member of the BTS lineup.Namjoon, Jin, Hoseok, Taehyung and Jungkook all have their opinions on the new guy, but Yoongi thinks otherwise......"Please don't go, you're all I have left."- Tea
8 233I Fall Apart(MattsWorld Tom x reader)
Everthing was differect,now that Tom's gone.I can't stay forever,I have my own army to lead.But I can't let fall deeper down the hole.Not after losing Tom.I'll have to wait a while longer,my two loyal solider's Paul and Patyrk will lead the army till I come back-Oh how rude of me,I didn't tell you my name.I'm (Y/n) Lepon,the red army leader.After Tom left to lead his army,the blue army the guys wouldn't trust anyone new,that's why I have to keep the trust cause I actually care for them.Matt,Edd and Tord are my closest friends,I wasn't able to let my army come in the way of our friendship,not how Tom's did.(This story is taken from MY quotev account)
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