《The Path to Pacifism is Long and Paved with Blood》Denouement 1: The Noisy Cricket
Advertisement
Skrrr-pidit hopped down from the apple he was eating with a satisfied plop. He had just eaten his fill, and couldn't be more satisfied with the world at this particular moment.
No predators, no scary clouds, no competition, no worries.
Skrrr decided to go on a quick romp through the grassy forest to clear the full feeling in his tiny belly, hopping from one patch of grass to the next. The wind blew overhead, enthusing Skrrr for his next bound. He jumped so far this time!
Life was good for Mr. Pidit. The only thing that could make it better was... "Chirrip, chirp, Skrrr, Pidit," he called.
Skrrr waited a second to see if he would get lucky...
Hmmm, maybe not today. Oh well.
Skrrr decided to rest a moment on a sunny rock, listening to the birds above argue over who would get to mate with who, or the weather, or some other nonsense Skrrr couldn't understand. He sat there an hour, contemplating nothing, and just rested. With a full belly and no distractions, there was no reason for Skrrr to do anything else.
Then he decided to try again. "Chirrip, chirrip, chriip, chir-irp."
A brief hesitation later, he decided he was unlucky again, so he bounded off into the wild to try again.
"Chirrip, chirp, Skrrr, Pidit," he shouted out with his wings, waiting anxiously for the response. No luck. Relocation necessary again.
At some point he landed on some bare dirt with a good view in either direction. He figured this was as good a place as any to call out, as he could see a potential mate from potentially miles away. "Chirrp, chirirp, chrip-ip, chirp."
"But I just don't see why we have to go to a dungeon with all these living creatures! Who cares if they're monsters, any life is too precious to snuff out!"
Advertisement
"Get over yourself, they respawn in another day or two, they'll be fine."
"That doesn't change the fact that they feel every death! How would you feel if once a month you got brutally murdered?!"
Skrrr hopped away from the frightful noises, less because of any potential danger they may suggest, and more because he felt the one he was trying to woo might not hear him over it. But the more he moved away, the closer the noises got. How annoying!
"So what would you have us do to collect your precious materials then? How do we get the money for next week's rent at the inn? We don't have much choice."
"Are there no dungeons with undead, or bounties on such? There has to be a better way!"
"We've been over this, there are no other options. All the zombie dungeons have been cleared out, and they're not due for another clearing for at least another fornight. We have to take our chances with this one. Now just shut up and keep studying that new spell of yours."
Skrrr happily noted the noises stopping, but a moment too late. He already saw her, standing in the road, looking at him. It was time.
He readied his back legs for the greatest leap of his life, praising his luck at finding both a perfect meal and a perfect mate within a day, and at that same moment, a distracted cleric managed to land his foot right on top of the would-be cassa-cricket. Thus ends the story of Skrrr-pidit
Advertisement
- In Serial14 Chapters
Phantasmal Party
In the two weeks since he first entered the Labyrinth, Eduard Fergusson has gained the patronage of one of the Five Families, three powerful companions and lovers and a unique and powerful Shard. Unfortunately, he also managed to gain a powerful and perssistant enemy in the form of his former party member, Kevin, and in Kevin's mysterious new master. The first ten floors of the Labyrinth are behind him now, but the road to the fiftieth floor, and the mystery of his sister's disappearance is long and arduous, and there is no telling where the Questshard called "The Luck of Sindbad" will take him next. Book 1 of Phantasmal Party Cover art by Erez Regev
8 93 - In Serial112 Chapters
Hero Demon Synthesis
Classes; Skills; Spells. In a fantasy world that is ruled by the Gods, a person's life relies heavily on these three items. What can a Warrior do by herself? Well, it depends on the situation really. Could a single Warrior really take on a Dragon alone? Well, what if they were in a Party? A bad Party goes off to die. A good one though can change the world. This is the story of Paige, a seemingly simple Warrior, who lives a seemingly normal life. Author's Notes: Updates are every three days unless noted otherwise. Rough drafts of the next chapter are updated on my blog: http://zoidianblog.home.blog Cover photo is an edited version of "Mount Pleasant Cemetery Walk" by JasonParis and is licensed under CC BY 2.0 / Photo effects applied to the original photo. Photo was used as the inspiration for a typical depiction of a mausoleum in book 1.
8 170 - In Serial14 Chapters
Money Grubbing Demon Lord
A short story based in a fantasy world with Heroes, Demons, and lots of money! Completed, with 13 Chapters and a Prologue at about 500 ~ 600 words per chapter.
8 88 - In Serial28 Chapters
Cursed Forest
This is a high fantasy story with horror elements, featuring the map-maker and half-elf Aspen, and his friend Sekafi, a hyena-like humanoid as they are sent on a mission to map out unknown territory and encounter a monster. Soon they're involved in something larger and more dangerous than they ever wanted. What happens next, you'll find out when you read. This is the first story I'm publishing here on RoyalRoad. I wanted to try this site out since it's more geared towards fantasy. I've been at Wattpad for about 2 years under the same name, but since I'm not writing romance I haven't gotten much steam there. This is my latest story, and it's also published on Wattpad in the book called Short Stories. I wanted to start with something new and unfinished here. I'll try and update at least once every other week, sometimes more often. ~RiisingNovels
8 220 - In Serial29 Chapters
Trollex
I love the movie "Moana" and I often wonder how it would go for King Trollex. Hope y'all enjoy it!
8 208 - In Serial6 Chapters
Resist
~Won the Most Creative Award in TLOSFA Round 1~"So close, yet so far." Bree's thoughts when she was taken hostage by the Masked Man in An Author's Odyssey. Please read and review! Mild ConnerXBree. Originally published on fanfiction.net.✧・゚: *✧・゚:* ☆ *:・゚✧*:・゚✧A story offear,fury,resistance,and hope𝙍𝙀𝙎𝙄𝙎𝙏‼
8 134

