《A Smidge of Magic》Chapter 68
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Mal sat on his haunches near Roland who was crouched on a wooded hill overlooking the warehouse. Ban'Koliath, Pandora, First Ranger Trendal, and Commander Reige were close behind. Roland was attempting to cast a scrying spell to see inside, but found his attempts were unsuccessful. The remainder of the Order had gotten in position and awaited Commander Reige’s command. And he was waiting on Roland, who was in the process of cooking up something a little more potent than a simple scrying spell.
“We can’t see inside the building," Reige said, holding a hushed conversation on a pscry with Gormath, “But the plan remains the same. Once Custodian Ironroar’s mage friend finishes whatever the gods he’s doing, we’ll get a look inside. Begin your assault when you are ready," He paused while listening to Gormath’s response. “And to you. May you never walk in shadow," Reige said and then put the pscry into a pouch at his hip. “Almost through there, Mage Altaeus?”
Roland ignored him lost in the machinations and complexities of his craft. When his purple eyes snapped open, there was a faint golden light coming from within his pupils. He gave Pandora his roguish smile and whispered to her, “If you can’t see into the building, simply make the building see-through.”
He raised his hand, the golden light from his eyes drained out and sped down his arm, rocketing from his outstretched fingers. Zip, zing, fwish. The motes of light struck the building. In the spots where the light touched, the walls appeared to melt away. Soon enough they could all see what awaited inside.
Crimson-clad figures milled around the open space. Warriors, mages, archers and all manner in-between were represented in the mix. The inside of the building was mostly bare with a few shelves at the front stacked with wine casks to give the appearance of filled storage space. In the center of it, rested a brilliant white portal. A portal surrounded by people armed to the teeth and ready for a fight.
Someone has given us away, Ban’Koliath thought. Reige muttered the same sentiment from beside him. There was little they could do about it besides hope that Gormath and the others would be enough to deal with the forces inside.
Roland’s spell, however, got an unexpected second wind. It continued to spread until the entire building became transparent. On the roof a man ran for the stairwell and shouted down to those inside raising the alarm. They watched as their enemies ran for the front door, having spotted the Order of Brass and Fallen Kings through the clear walls.
Reige gave Roland a sour look but all the mage could do was shrug. He hadn’t expected the spell to do that. He’d been going for a single wall, not the whole bloody building, but when concocting new spells on the fly these things happened. Shouts from the front pulled Reige’s attention back to the building.
Battle lines formed up as the Harlequin Court’s forces poured out from the warehouse. Gormath ordered the Brassmen out onto the field where a bright translucent blue shield enveloped the members of the Order. The Fallen Kings which Trendal had left in Gormath’s charge were positioned amongst the Okallas on the eastern side of the building and out of sight.
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Sub-Commander Gormath flicked his long golden-scaled tail so abruptly that it cracked like a whip. He walked out in front to within an inch of the shield, stuck his massive cavalry sword into the ground and turned his back on the enemy. He looked out over the faces of his Sisters and Brothers. Then in a boisterous, carrying tone, he spoke.
“Today it ends. There will be no quarter, no parlay, no surrender. No more hiding in the shadows. Time and time again we have been subjected to the subterfuge and sabotage of this group of fanatics. Centuries,” He paused to let that sink in for some of the younger members, “Centuries we have been fighting this shadow war and, make no mistake, we have been losing. But today it ends,” Gormath pulled his sword from the ground and aimed the tip behind him at the crimson horde, “Here and now we have finally found the source of corruption, the cancerous malady that has eaten away at us to our very core. Today our righteous wrath will be brought to bear and we will claim vengeance and victory for all of our fallen!”
The sound of hundreds of arrows filled the air as the Fallen Kings let loose into the unsuspecting fanatics.
“TODAY IT ENDS!” Gormath roared, turning and leading the charge.
Flashes of light, explosions, and the sounds of metal and rage filtered around to the back of the building. From their vantage point the rescue team watched the battle unfold. When the two sides joined Reige nodded to Trendal, who in turn signaled the rangers he’d brought with him. They quickly dispatched the few men protecting the rear door of the structure.
Ban’Koliath pulled his new hammer, Void, from its place on his back and led the charge down over the hill. Roland’s spell wore off as they charged and the building became solid stone once more. Ban’Koliath reached the door at full charge and swung the hammerhead against it. The door buckled under the force of the blow blasting inward and catching a member of the Court on the other side. The minotaur gave the hammer a satisfied spin in his hands as Mal vanished inside the building impatient for blood.
Void had been a gift from Sub-Commander Gormath. In Ban’Koliath’s report, he’d relayed the disturbing news; Nyeberian golems walked the earth once more. This had deep implications for the Order, not the least of which was that they had failed in their sacred duty. The Commander had hastily invoked Defensi Ultim. The order gave the senior commanders access to the extremely powerful ancient weapons of the Knights Eternal. Leftovers from the Cataclysmic War, these weapons were a major factor in the respect the Order of Brass commanded. Each weapon, in the right hands, could lay waste to entire cities. For that reason, they were used only in the direst of circumstances and only by the most trusted Brassmen.
The hammer was forged from a silvery metal and inlaid with gold filigree around the runic designs. Gormath had informed Ban of the hammer’s primary capabilities. It was an enchantment breaker via absorption. Every enchantment it consumed added to the power of the hammer. In the hands of a master, they could wield those many enchantments to devastating effect. And while not quite a master, Ban’Koliath was no novice. Dealing with two fanatics in short order, their bodies almost comically flew through the air from the force of the hammer blow and he stepped inside the warehouse.
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As the rescue team stormed the building, the portal to The Key blasted out a wave of force. The wave sent all the faux warehouse adornments, several Court members, and even part of the floor flying out in a blinding flash. When the team could see again the portal had almost doubled in size allowing greater numbers to pour through. All of them ready to murder in the name of their masters. But in the face of the trained and disciplined ranks of the Order of Brass and the agile Fallen Kings, their numbers were not enough.
Ban’Koliath and his group had timed their entrance perfectly. As they came in from the back Gormath and the main force breached the walls at the front. Effectively pulling any and all focus from the small rescue team to the front. Across the warehouse floor, Gormath swept his massive sword through the Court members, carving a line through their defenses. The mages that had entered with him were blasting holes with ice orbs, fire lances, and acidic sludge.
Reige led them closer to the portal with Mal using his shadow powers to afford them some cover. Trendal and his rangers silently, and quickly, dealt with any fanatic that took notice of them. Reige raised a hand and closed it into a fist once they were in position and the rescue team closed in around those guarding the portal. They overpowered the ring of fanatics and the rescue team fanned out to defend their new prize the way to The Key.
“Brothers, Rangers. Hold this portal no matter the cost," Reige said giving them a salute.
“Sir,” Came a quiet chorus of responses.
“Be prepared for anything in this place,” Ban’Koliath said, “I have only been inside once, and we weren’t there to explore. Dakon and Ivy have not yet shown themselves, but if you see them, run. Run and find the Commander or myself. Fight only if you must but remember that our main goal is to get Ian out of there," The minotaur lowered his horns and rushed through. Roland, Pandora, and Mal were right on his heels. They spilled out into the entryway that Ban’Koliath was familiar with the Hall of Doors. Every shape and variety of door lined the expansive room.
“Keep an eye on those doors,” Ban’Koliath warned, “Reinforcements could come from any one of them.” He ushered them towards the back wall where they had entered The Key before. Mal sniffed and whined against a spot on the wall but the minotaur could see no way inside. Roland gave Ban’Koliath a chance but when it became apparent that he wasn’t going to find a way in any time soon the mage set to work. He did not want to be caught out here in the open when, for all they knew, a thousand fanatics were lining up to rush in here to aid their fellow brethren.
“Manufest et aperio,” Roland said with a flourishing hand move. The doorway bloomed in a showy flash of green light also revealing a hidden switch. Roland flipped the switch and the wall slid open.
Ban’Koliath ducked through behind Mal, his nose to the ground. There were a handful of whispered remarks at the display of wealth in this room, but Ban’Koliath remained unimpressed. Though he did notice the hungry glances that Trendal let slip at some of the most lavish items.
“From here,” Ban’Koliath pointed, “That way leads to the library. I don’t know about the rest. I’m afraid Ian got us where we needed to be last time.”
“Then I will go to the library,” Roland said. “We will still need to send Ian home after all this so the Star Chart should be retrieved.”
“I’ll go with Roland,” Pandora volunteered. She had been quiet since they entered The Key but at the mention of a library she perked up.
“Go with them to the library,” Reige said to Trendal, “just in case. We’ll head deeper in and search for Ian.”
“I do not work for you, Commander,” Trendal said with a scowl, “But, seeing how someone needs to protect these humans… ” He made a sniff of disdain and gestured for Roland to lead on.
Roland gave Ban’Koliath a do-I-have-to look but acquiesced before the minotaur could retort. The Commander was meanwhile eyeing the doors lining the entry hall behind them.
“These all lead to various locations across Paragore?” Reige asked.
“It’s how they’ve been getting around unnoticed for all these years,” Ban’Koliath confirmed. After allowing him another moment to process Ban’Koliath pressed, “Shall we get moving, sir? We’ve a lot of ground to cover.”
“Yes, you’re right,” Reige said drawing his longsword from the scabbard at his hip, “We can worry about destroying this highway of malice later. This shadow wolf - how is he at tracking?”
Mal lifted his head long enough to look at Ban’Koliath and chuff. He grew impatient and was giving every indication that he had Ian’s scent already.
“The best there is, Commander,” Ban’Koliath answered.
They headed across the room following Mal’s nose. He lead them to a set of double doors; the room beyond was pitch black.
“I’m not entirely comfortable with how easy this has been," Reige commented.
“Nor should you be. But if I have learned anything over these last few days about our foe, it is that they are supremely arrogant. I doubt they planned on the Order putting up such a fight," Ban’Koliath said. Mal made a low growl as he sniffed at the dark room beyond. The growl changed into a full snarl and the wolf charged into the darkness alone.
“Mal!” Ban’Koliath took off after him. When his hoof hit the floor, the room lit up to reveal the training area within.
“Congratulations on making it this far,” came a timbering voice from behind the glaring lights. “I’m sorry to inform you that this will be the end of your journey. I have been given strict orders to eliminate any intruders. So, I welcome you to your tomb.”
“Dakon,” Ban’Koliath spat the word out as though it were a curse. His grip tightened on Void and his eyes narrowed in a rare display of anger.
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The Menocht Loop
Ian Dunai thought he was powerless. He’s not alone: only a small percent of the population have high enough affinities to perform magic. But in the eyes of his father’s gifted family, Ian’s impotence is a disgrace—and the stain of his mother’s common blood. But on one fateful day, Ian awakens not in his college dorm but in the middle of the ocean on an old dinghy. Reaching land is the least of his problems as he encounters risen skeletons, tortured captives, and a shoreside city in the throes of contagion. Ian doesn’t last very long without magic. But death isn’t the end: Ian wakes back up on the dinghy and relives the day again...and again...and again. As Ian investigates the purpose of the loop and a way to escape, he begins to realize that he might be more powerful than anyone—especially himself—ever imagined. Release schedule: 2 chapters/week (Mon/Fri at 11:30 AM EST). Book 1, The Menocht Loop, is complete at ~100k words (~370 pages; chapters 1-41). Book 2, The False Ascendant, is complete at ~110k words (chapters 42-83) Book 3, The Eldemari's Wrath, is complete at ~145k words (chapters 84-143) Book 4, The Samsara Crucible, is complete at ~165k words (chapters 144-211). Book 5, The Seed of Chaos, is ongoing (chapters 212 and on). Constructive criticism welcome. Join the discord. Vote on Top Web Fiction! View the wiki. Cover art by the very talented Jeff Brown. (Higher res version here; 3840 x 2400 ultra high res wallpaper version here)
8 12459The Accidental Archmage - BOOK 9 (THE DRAGON HOUSES)
The Accidental Archmage Series (BETA CHAPTERS) NOTE: DRAFTS OF EARLIER BOOKS (BOOKS 1 to 8) HAVE BEEN POSTED BEFORE ON RRL. THEY ARE NOW ON AMAZON AND HAD ATTAINED BESTSELLER STATUS IN THE FANTASY-MYTHOLOGY GENRE. ACTUALLY, MANY RRL STORIES PUBLISHED ON AMAZON HAVE GONE ON TO BECOME BESTSELLERS AT ONE TIME OR ANOTHER. HOWEVER, AMAZON KDP RULES REQUIRE THAT MOST OF THE DIGITAL CONTENT AVAILABLE ELSEWHERE BE REMOVED. GENRE: CLASSICAL EPIC FANTASY An epic mythological fantasy in another world. Immerse yourself in a grand and dangerous adventure. In a world both familiar and strange. A world where magic and gods still exist. Meet deities, beings, and exiles from Earth’s pantheons. Encounter warriors, huskarls, satyrs, hoplites, dark and evil mages, and strange beings from myths of pre-history up to the age of iron.Match wits with the likes of Loki, Zeus, Athena, Odin, Amun-Ra, Coniraya, Viracocha, and even Dionysus. Escape plots and schemes played by powerful gods of life and death.Find the truth behind the dark and otherworldly beings from the Lovecraft mythos.Play with dire wolves, drakontes, lamias, keres, amphisbaenae, a sphinx, ice giants, creatures of nightmares, empusas, gigas, minotaurs, vrykolakas, jotnar, dokkalfr, to name a few.Survive being in the middle of wars between civilizations and races. Suffer the arrogance and stupidity of gods and men alike. Cross paths with beings who don’t like you. Thor, Ares, and the Incan death god Supay, to name three.Be burdened with a quest to save yourself and your humanity in the brutal and primordial world of Adar.A world where scientific pursuit will get you a lightning bolt or two. Probably five. All at the same time. Book Nine - THE DRAGON HOUSES His beloved Eira rescued, the rogue Titans have been defeated, and Tartarus sealed. Yet as the rising Archmage tries to escape the Forbidden Isle, events have been set in motion that would embroil him once again in the tides of war engulfing Adar. Escaped Titans, a rising power in the South, vengeful adherents of the Elder Gods, and more have him in mind. Least of all, a far from defeated Loki. New players have come to the fore, each with their own purpose in mind. The lustful drive for power, the search for a release of one's soul, and the companions' storied pasts all come to drive the world deeper and further into chaos. Add a powerful demon determined to open a portal to its own dimension. It's enough to drive a mortal man mad. (Cover image used under license) Book Eight - WHERE TITANS WALK Now in the land of the damned below the underworld domain of Hades, Eira awaits the company and battle portends. But first, they have to find the fortress of the Titans. Above them, Loki's war is going well as the internecine war among the pantheons continues. An old foe rises in the south, more powerful than ever. Astrid finds herself the subject of a wife's rage and the murky past of the companions now comes back to haunt them. Yet amidst it all, a dying Elder won't wait as plots and new players bedevil Havard Ulriksson, formerly Tyler West of Earth, now the Archmage of his adopted world. Cover Image used under license from shutterstock.com. Alterations by the writer. Book Seven - DRAGONS AND DEMONS https://www.royalroad.com/amazon/B08122Y739 An urgent rescue and the path to vengeance are not easy in a magical, myth-filled world. Nasty roadblocks and unexpected complications have a way of rearing their wicked heads along Tyler's route across the dwarven lands and into the infernal realm of Tartarus. More myths and legends cross the First Mage's path as Loki's war and Asag's emergence stir up mortal lands and magical domains. Cover Image used under license from shutterstock.com. Alterations by the writer. Book Six - TARTARUS BECKONS Gifts, curses, and problems. The unfolding of Loki's mad and complicated scheme results in a war between and among pantheons, empires, and kingdoms. From Ymir's Domain down to the far south, conflict engulfs Tyler's world and the magical gate to Tartarus is starting to break open, threatening to add mad Titans and other powerful beings to the chaotic mix. And on the forbidden isle of Banna, a dying enemy awaits. (Note: NOW PUBLISHED ON AMAZON) Book Five - LOKI'S GAMBIT With the promise of the First Mage not to act against him, Loki now accelerates his plans. A plot millennia in the making, spanning the length and breadth of Adar. Like a spider spinning its web, the trickster god now puts the finishing touches on an audacious scheme. A revolution to change the balance of godly and mortal power in the world. Book Four - VOID LANDS The Void Lands. A place where gods fear to tread. Where strange creatures and hostile beings emerge. A nexus of dimensions, the origins of which are lost in the mists of time. To stop the Aztecha Empire’s march to power and domination of the eastern lands, Tyler West, now a High Mage, must confront and defeat the empire’s mysterious patrons. Beings of incredible might and magical knowledge. An imperative path which leads him right to the Void Lands. Though a few detours are required, each dangerous yet crucial. The only problem is that the Void Lands are on the other side of the continent. And to get there, he may have to ask a favor from the Trickster God himself, the Norse deity known as Loki. Book Three - BLOOD WARS Continuing our lost mage's epic journey through the magical and extremely dangerous world of Adar. Escaping the convoluted schemes of the Greek pantheon, Tyler finds himself with an old acquaintance, the Incan deity Viracocha. His son, the sun god Inti, is dead. With the Aztecah Empire and its powerful pantheon of deities on the bloody road to more conquests, the deity asks for his help. A request he could easily refuse. Except Viracocha is not alone is asking for his aid. Two other pantheons have made their presence known to the young mage. And the Egyptian deities are watching how he will decide the matter. To add to his burdened conscience, the rise and dominance of the Aztecah pantheon would mean a million or more new human sacrifices. Resulting in extremely overpowered bloodthirsty deities. What's a newly minted Elder apprentice mage to do? Involve himself in a blood war? Book Two - GIFTS OF THE GREEKS Tyler's journey continues. New land, misadventures, friends, foes, skills, and knowledge. Confused encounters of the female kind. More deities become aware of Tyler as he continues his quest to survive, reach his potential, and carry out his burden. Amid convoluted plans designed by divine acquaintances of old and newly met gods, what's an ordinary guy from Earth to do?The god of wine wants to be his friend. Ares and his sons are coming to say hello. Book One - RAGNAROK RISING What if you fell through a crack in reality? Like those people disappearing in plain sight you've read about. What if you find yourself in a strangely familiar world? A world full of Earth’s mythological beings, lost civilizations, and people from its primitive and brutal past? Where magical energy still exists. Where gods play games among themselves, with the fate of mortal men as pawns. A land where a sword is deadlier than a five-inch thick contract drawn by a hotshot lawyer. Would you survive? That's Tyler West. Alone, lost and bewildered, the three moons in the sky made it clear he wasn’t on Earth anymore. It’s not a game. It’s real. And there's no coffee, pizza, fries, or his favorite show on HBO. *** All Rights Reserved. 2017/2018/2019/2020. Cover Images are used under license.
8 141A Mailman as a Superhero
The world changed in less than an hour. Across the world people, animals and plants changed, evolved. Some say for the better. Others say for the worse. Some are waiting for the other shoe to drop. They will tell you "There's no such thing as a free lunch." For Rene Wilder it's just another day delivering the mail in the world's coldest capital.
8 254Dudley's good???
People are flawed creatures and they do things, good and bad. No one grows up doing only good things. Most people eventually get around to live a normal life, a mixture of good and bad decisions. But some are raised as hellspawn. They fail to see what wrong they have done. Oftentimes, they need a push from an external force to steer them in the right direction. Some remain a hellspawn. So, what will happen when Dudley gains a new set of memories and finds himself questioning his life??? Read to find out more.
8 187[C]Seksa seorang isteri ✔ •Park Jimin•
Cerita ini mengisahkan seorang perempuan yang bernama Min Yoorin yang sudah menjadi isteri kepada seorang lelaki yang menjadi pasangan hidupnya iaitu Park Jimin.Perasaan benci dan dendam Jimin pada Yoorin tak pernah terpadam sejak Yoorin menjadi anak angkat keluarganya sejak mereka menemui Yoorin yang terbaring lemah di tengah jalan raya ketika waktu hujan pada waktu tengah malam.Jimin menyimpan perasan benci terhadap Yoorin kerana Yoorin adalah punca kematian ayahnya.Yoorin:Kenapa awak benci sangat dengan saya?Apa salah saya?Beritahu saya apa kesalahan yang telah saya buat sehingga menyebabkan awak terlalu bencikan saya?Jimin:Aku benci kau sebab KAULAH PUNCA AYAH AKU MATI!!!!DISEBABKAN KAU,AYAH AKU SANGGUP DERMA JANTUNG DIA KAT KAU HANYA GARA GARA KAU!!!DAN SEJAK KAU HADIR DALAM HIDUP KELUARGA KAMI,KELUARGA AKU TAK PERNAH LAYAN AKU MACAM ANAK DIAORANG SENDIRI!!!APA YANG KAU NAK,SEMUA KAU DAPAT.TAPI KALAU AKU MINTA,AKU TAK DAPAT.BILA AKU TANYA OMMA DAN APPA KENAPA OMMA DAN APPA TIDAK PEDULIKAN AKU,DIA CAKAP KAU PERLUKAN KASIH SAYANG SEBAB KAU TRAUMA DENGAN KISAH SILAM KAU!!!!!KAU HANYA PEMBAWA BALA DALAM KELUARGA AKU!!!!Namun lama kelamaan,Jimin sedar bahawa hatinya sudah terpaut kepada Yoorin.Jimin:BODOH!BODOH!BODOH!!!!KAU BODOH JIMIN!!!KAU BODOH!!!!!!ASAL PERASAAN BODOH NI HADIR DALAM HATI AKU!AKU BENCI PERASAAN NI!AKU BENCI KAU YOORINN!!!AKU BENCI DENGAN PERASAAN AKU NI!!!Yoorin:Selamat tinggal,Jimin.Semoga kau bertemu dengan jodoh awak.Mungkin sampai sini sahaja hubungan kita.Awak berhak Dapat isteri yang lebih baik dari saya.Halalkan makan dan minum saya dan ampuni dosa saya sepanjang hidup sayaMampukah Jimin dan Yoorin mempertahankan cinta mereka? sehingga akhir hayat mereka?Start:6/12/2019Finish:16/06/2020
8 113The Red Sun
Upon the assassination of the chief of goblins, the supernatural world falls into chaos as the secret they've been keeping for ages has now been unraveled. Uprisings, hunters and duels menace the whole race and threaten the existence of the supernatural world. It is now up to a group of warrior friends to face the anarchism.
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