《Wavebound》Unwanted Attention
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The mutated man stood in the weaver's doorway. His voice was harsh and low, and the arms that the villagers held onto ended in claw-like hands. He'd become somewhat more human-looking than when he'd been possessed and fought, but would still be called a monster anywhere he went. Something like a mole or boar. He said, "Thank you, miss Ruyo. I remember what you did, now. I've come to apologize for my actions."
"You weren't in control of yourself, were you? You, men, why are you still holding him?"
Sheepishly they let go, though they still looked ready to jump him.
"Not once the gnome took me. That was its name, or its kind. What I'm sorry for is that I didn't fight it hard enough. My family, we've had a way with spirits -- subtle ones, nothing like this. This one knew enough to threaten my relatives, if I didn't let it in."
"Relatives, plural?" said one of the men.
The mole-man paled and said, "Forget it." To Ruyo he said, "Can you forgive me?"
"I do. Is there any way I can help?"
His deep-set eyes glittered. "You can let me tend the shrine here. It's a reason for me to stay, since these people don't want me here but I've got no place to go."
Ruyo said to the men, "Would you throw him out of town, for sacrificing his body to protect his sister from being possessed?"
They just muttered and looked aside.
The transformed one said, "I can't stay with her, and be a constant reminder of what happened. And I want to find some meaning in this disaster. Let me do that by working for you."
Ruyo looked down. What meaning could she offer anyone? She did magic and tangible things, not principals and morals. She said, "I... I can't pay you much, yet. And there's a ritual involved and... prayer."
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"I can help with the garden at Moira's place for now, and start one of my own. Stumpy the Mage offered to help clear a little land for me out by the pond; maybe I can dig." He showed off his hands. "As for the other things, I can think of worse fates."
The mole's self-appointed guards grumbled. One said to Ruyo, "Are you trying to make us keep him around?"
Ruyo sighed, looking back and forth between them and the lone man. Should she push the town to accept his monstrous presence, or risk having him banished when he just wanted to live quietly here?
She held out her hands. "I'd accept him working for me and I think you should, too, but it's not my village. You tell me what your rules are."
"Hmmph. At least you're not declaring yourself the new elder. There'll be talk about this, merchant-mage."
"That makes good sense." She asked the tusked man, "What's your name?"
"Miras," he said, bowing his head.
The escorts wandered off. The weaver woman said, "I knew you a little, Miras. Your family never did anything wrong to me. I'd better go speak with certain people before they work themselves up to do something stupid. If you'll excuse me, miss?"
Ruyo nodded and started to leave.
Miras stopped her outside. He said, "I'm not offering this out of pure gratitude, ma'am, although you saved me. I like to think I was a handsome man, before. If I serve as a priest, I don't want to be thrown away because someone more charismatic came along. Let me tell people about 'inner beauty' in your name, and encourage them to create art and other fine things and be kind to the malformed."
It sounded reasonable, and she saw no reason to spurn him. She stretched high and planted a kiss on his hairy cheek. "All right. We can work on the exact wording later. If they don't accept you here, we'll find something else." She stepped back and left him.
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Ruyo returned to the shrine and was pleased to find the three hired men hanging around and not causing trouble. One was hammering stakes into the ground. Nusina's presence registered like a phantom hug, which she tried to return.
One of the men was tending a fire buried in dirt, which gave off much smoke. He said, "This is a charcoal pit. See what I'm doing, choking the fire? The wood beneath will be blackened and refined to burn hotter afterward. Hot enough to work iron."
Ruyo studied it, coughed, and had to be nudged upwind. Blazing air rippled up from the covered pit. The column of smoke spoiled whatever secrecy she had left.
"A wagon passed this way from the west. From Brotherhood. Seemed like traders, but the driver stopped to leave a letter."
Ruyo took a little scroll from him. A speck of wax hinted that the men had broken a seal on it without telling her. The note said, The Witch Hunters know of you, and mentioned your roof.
Ruyo shivered, even next to the flame. "Thanks for showing me. Excuse me." She ran back into the cave.
Nusina zoomed into view. "Are you all right, milady?"
Ruyo showed her.
"Who are they?" the spirit asked.
"Men like that monk, trained to kill monsters and evil wizards. They're heroes, really. Not people you want targeting you." She looked up at the stone ceiling. "I like to think this place is secure, but a few of those magic chisels can chew through a rocky hillside as easily as a quarry. If the Hunters are clever enough they probably found a way to do it quietly."
Nusina gave a bubbling sigh. "I'll reset the timer on that 'one week where nobody attacks you' rule. But you've got allies coming, people who'll pray here."
"But assassins! Not just a robber gang!"
"If they're planning to dig to avoid the many fearsome traps in the entryway" -- which meant a lock and a noisy tripwire -- then they're still assaulting you where you're most powerful. Really smart killers would catch you next time you're on the road without me."
Ruyo groaned. "So now, any time I leave home, that could be when they strike."
"Could be. How powerful are they?"
"I've only seen a little demonstration where they were punching bricks and jumping with gusts of wind."
"Then they likely haven't got real practice at fighting spirits, elementals, or especially gods."
"And I'm not experienced with hit squads. What can we do?" Ruyo paced. "We need to go to them. To Brotherhood."
"That doesn't sound like a favorable battleground."
"And they won't expect it. We must have an ally there, somebody who's sympathetic, or a random trader wouldn't have found out about this."
"Right; random traders never find anything important on their own."
Ruyo snorted.
Nusina drifted near the ceiling. "About defendng the shrine. One option is to put a thick layer of ice on the ceiling and freeze part of the stone, to interfere with earth-magic digging tools. That will slow intruders down."
"Long-term we need something better."
"With enough power, you can do it. Do you want me along for this trip, or guarding this place?"
"I want everyone."
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The Demon Queen (On Hiatus)
This is a strange predicament I got myself into. Before me was the king of a human kingdom. "Welcome heroes from another world! Humanity needs your help in defeating the [Demon King]! His plans to destroy humanity must be stopped, and you are the destined heroes to defeat him!" Or so he says. No matter what, isn't this a really weird situation? I'm a demon you know? A demon! And not just any demon either, I'm the [Demon Queen] you know?! Why was I summoned as a hero?! Release Schedule:Every Wednesday and Saturday. On permanent hiatus until I find motivation to write this again. Currently writing a quest on fiction.live in the meantime under blazingseraph. The quest name is Elder Dragon Quest if you want to check it out.
8 203The Girl from the Mountain
Alexandra Bedford is a weapon, a young woman with telekinetic powers capable of leveling entire cities, born to fight in the desolate remains of post-apocalyptic North America. There is only one problem: she may be losing control of her abilities. Sixteen years after a global pandemic devastated the earth’s population, the lines in the old United States have been drawn between the Cheyenne Directorate in Colorado and the New England Alliance on the East Coast. The Directorate, of which Alexandra is a part, is a small but powerful organization dedicated to returning the country to its former glory. However, when a diplomatic mission to the New England Alliance goes wrong, Alexandra finds herself at the center of a bloody civil war. Battles are fought on the old highways and in dilapidated towns and once-great cities. And as the conflict escalates, all of North America faces the threat of being burnt away by nuclear fire. Against this backdrop of war, Alexandra tries to uncover the long-hidden secrets behind the plague, her abilities, and the two men fighting to decide the fate of the United States - Henry Bedford, Alexandra's father and leader of the Directorate, and John Martin, the mysterious figure at the heart of the New England Alliance who may hold the key to everything she seeks. None of this will matter, however, unless Alexandra can prevent the power growing inside her from taking over and consuming the very world she is fighting to save. Author's Notes: I appreciate you taking a look at my novel, The Girl from the Mountain. If you're a fan of post-apocalyptic fiction, military thrillers, and/or cosmic horror, I think you'll enjoy this story. I completed the novel's first draft back in 2011 and made significant changes in 2016. Since then, I've more-or-less sat on the manuscript while working on other projects. Thanks to a bit of prodding, I've decided to send this story out into the wild with some touch-ups and additional revisions. I welcome any comments or criticisms, and I hope you enjoy The Girl from the Mountain!
8 227The Alien's Retaliation
The novel takes place in an alternate universe that is brimming with life. There are a lot of planets were life has greatly developed, as many civilizations were born. Fearsome aliens and strange creatures inhabit the space, and at the same time wars and conflicts are not such a rare sight. On a remote planet, ignorant of everything, Xeno is living a hard and monotonous life, waiting for time to make its course. However once again the mysteries of the universe will present before his eyes, changing his life completely. Follow Xeno on a long journey through the vast space, as he will seek the strength and knowledge necessary to uncover the secrets of his new gained origins. The narration has been changed to third person from chapter 24. However there will still be POV changes every so often. This is an original work and at the same time my first novel, as such constructive criticism is welcomed. English is not my first language too, feel free to point out any mistakes you may find. WARNING: The novel will have elements of gore, violence and some pretty strong scenes. I have posted this novel on WebNovel too. There I have put a brief comment about what to expect from the novel in more detail, if you are still uncertain, you might want to check it out. (https://www.webnovel.com/book/the-alien's-retaliation_18948068206835105) Average words per chapter --> 1400 Chapter release (?). I don't own the cover of the novel, if the author wants me to change it he just needs to tell me to.
8 97Ein Gard
"Another chance, huh." Averon, Knight of Astarian Empire, decided to gave his life much like his comrades, taking down a Demon Dragon and defend the last chance of his people to retain their ideal. His sacrifice did not go unnoticed, as he was given another chance to live his life, with his memory seemingly intact. He was sent to another dimension, where the army of the demons have yet to invade... "Better prepare while I still have time..." ====== Author's Note, MAY 2022 ====== I apologize to all the readers for the long hiatus. I totally, as if I lost my memory, a portion of my life... This really hurt.
8 149Blurred Childhood
DISCLAIMER: I wrote this story before the Fazbear Fright books came out, more or less confirming that Foxy Bro is Michael Afton. I took this story down for a little while because I wasn't sure what else to do with it, but I decided to put it back up because I worked for a long time on it but I would like you to have this little PSA in mind. Thank you. :)Now for the synopsis:Michael quite literally wakes up to impaired memory and a distant family who he thinks might be willing to help him get his memory back. Soon enough, he learns about the many dead people he's been close to and the mystery surrounding them. Michael then starts sticking his nose in places he doesn't belong, getting himself in trouble, all the while his family seems to be falling apart.
8 92Fine Apple | ✓
❝HELP HELP HELLLP!❞❝Hello, this is the Fine Apple market, and no, we are not an Apple knockoff store; how may I help you?❞❝Well, someone just stole my phone.❞❝Sorry, what?❞❝You asked how you could help me.❞❝...Oh.❞◽︎◾︎◽︎in which a jittery workaholic who realizes she needs help and an antisocial beach bum who doesn't realize he needs help both find help.short story #22copyright © 2016 by rosecoloredsoul. all rights reserved.cover by @robinwithouthoodie
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