《Mirefall》Chapter 2 - Luck
Advertisement
Clamping my hands over my mouth, I sprint to the railing—but I'm too slow. Thankfully my stomach is empty of all but air and bile.
A long shadow falls over me as I crouch heaving and trembling on the mossy planks.
"Care for a hand up? Or do you need me to hold your hair back?"
I close my eyes, take a long breath. "No. It's alright," I say, but my legs shake as I rise to my feet. I heave my curls out of my face with one arm and turn to peer up into Kaidin's eyes. They reflect the canopy, their usual dark hazel gone vibrant green.
"Come on. Let's get to Greathall. We won't be leaving for a while, there's still time to get breakfast."
I sputter, heat rushing to my cheeks. Why does it have to be him here? Why does he have to be the one to see me like this? I wave my hands vaguely at the puddle of stomach acid where it seeps into a patch of moss.
"I can't eat."
He touches my arm lightly. "We have a long day ahead, Nik. Please. At least get something to take with you on the road."
I want nothing more than to run back to my room and bury my face in blankets.
"Al-alright. I'll grab something."
Careful to keep my eyes averted from the corpse, I take a few wavering steps toward the stairs. Kai falls into step beside me—his tree cat, Veshti, keeping pace at his side. The tip of his spear flashes as we pass through a pool of sunlight, snaring my attention. Light streams through the translucent bonechrys, illuminating its blue-gray heart.
I stop. "Aren't you on duty?" My eyes don't leave the blade. It takes all of my willpower not to reach out and touch it.
Advertisement
"You're to have a Hunter with you at all times when outside, and it might as well be me."
"What? But you're the one who's an Heir. I—"
"You need it. Nik, what the chasms were you even doing? You were drawing it, weren't you?"
I sigh and rub my forehead, fingers going up to tangle in my hair. Veshti winds about my legs as we make our way up the stairs, purring so loudly that I almost smile.
"Ack, sorry," Kaidin sighs. The cat disentangles himself, hanging back to take a place by his human's side.
"Kai?" I look directly at him at last, and for a heartbeat I'm distracted by the way the light paints his contours to accentuate the almost cat-like angles to his cheekbones and eyes. How it dances in the waves of his dark hair, refracting in tones of red of copper. But then I remember what I'm about to ask him, and I begin to feel sick again.
"Yes?"
"That was her, wasn't it? That was Enkiah."
At first he gives no answer save the thud of feet on worn planks. Then he draws a deep breath.
"Yes."
It's as though the stairs drop away from beneath me. I lurch.
I knew it. I'd known from the moment I saw that shard. But it was another thing to hear it confirmed. It's real now.
"But she...but she was one of the Heirs," I say once I'm able to form words again. "And the Turning's in weeks!"
"They'll choose someone to replace her," Kai says, tone carefully flat. His own betrothal shard bounces against his chest as we climb. I cried the day he got it—not because I'd wanted to be named an Heir too, but because it was the end of my hope that we might one day be in the same Khejia ourselves. After all, we're not related by blood. But I had to let go of that dream the instant the shard was placed about his neck. Maybe, one day, if I work really hard at it—I'll be able to stop loving him. I doubt it though.
Advertisement
We reach the top of the stair, and I hear the crowd before we even step into Greathall.
The curving beams, the drapery of vines and the moss-padded ceilings help to temper the din-but I still wince as the onslaught of voices hit me. Like being trapped in a small cave with too many bats.
"Oi, Kai! You've seen it, right?"
"Was it really her?"
"Who else could it have been? Her party should have come through here on their way to Grailhold days ago, and the stars are falling closer every night."
Veering away from the group already forming around my khejcousin, I make for the far end of the last table and sink onto a cushion. For a while I sit hunched, face hidden in my arms. In the shadowy space beneath the mass of my hair, I study the opalized veins of the table's surface. I try to focus on everything I have to look forward to. In a matter of just a few hours, I'll finally be getting my own akhana. And just days after that, I'm off to join my first dig—and what'll probably be the most monumental one to occur in my entire life, at that.
But I can't tune the voices out.
"What do you think happened to the others?"
"Maybe we'll find out when they check her stomach."
"Or maybe they all fell into the Mire, turned into monsters. Or just outright died."
I rock backwards, swallowing bile. I have to get out of here. I scan around. No one seems to be eating much. I snatch a few nutpaste buns from an untouched platter, cramming them into my belt pouch as I rise to leave.
"Wait, Nik!"
I look around to see Kaidin making his way over to me, waving off a few clingers-on as he powers through the crowd. It's just my luck I'd end up with the house's second best Hunter for a babysitter. My aunts trail close behind him—they must have arrived earlier when I had my head down.
"Time to go," says Aunt Maharah, charging up to me and taking my arm. "Are you ready?"
My legs turn to jelly, and suddenly I'm glad for the extra support.
This is it. I'm finally going to become a true Vishkan.
Unless, of course, nothing chooses me.
I might just throw up again.
Advertisement
The Breath of Creation [DROPPED]
General Summary: Sometimes, the multiverse needs expanding. That's where I come in. But, unfortunately, being a deity isn't all fun and games (and is incredibly complicated), as there are always things working against you. Not even the God of the Multiverses can change that. Another Summary: Twelve souls were chosen to expand into the void surrounding the known universe(s), and were given a grace period in which they would experience a relatively safe expansion of their domains. Once that period is up, however, they are free to interact with each other...and what lurks in the depths of the Abyss, the Void, and the Primordial Chaos. I am one of those souls. And let me tell you, this shit ain't easy. Between trying to raise mortals into an immortal army, with which I can defend my domain, dealing with my children, and trying to maintain the balance between all realms of existance, I have my work cut out for me. Sigh. Now I know why, back on Earth, gods worked in mysterious, invisible ways. There's just too much to be done. Formerly called RE: Deity
8 132The Molten Throne
(A SciFi System Apocalypse novel.) Welcome to Origin World #2367: Earth! It is the year 2325 A.D. and the Machine Wars have left humanity tattered and torn. Man survives in isolated pockets, hiding from the very same machines that once called them "Master". But change is coming for them. It is coming in the form of Zedaris Whiteflame, First Prince of Pyrrhus, heir to its planetary Empire. He is a herald of the System's Advent. A Keeper come to conquer Earth in its stead. And he is not alone. Will Zedaris defeat his fellow Keepers and conquer Earth? Will he bring glory to those praying for his safe return back home? Or will humanity master the System and drive the invaders out, finally joining the civilization spread across the stars? Only time will tell.
8 190Blood Imperium
It is the year 2234, and a deadly virus, FORTIS-33, is sweeping the globe. Millions die each passing day while scientists scramble to find a cure and governments impose harsher measures to prevent spread and dispose of bodies. Thane Ashford, a young actor who enjoys playing villanous roles, catches the virus and is taken to a quarrantine facility. On his deathbed, while he waits to be euthanized, he is visited by his brother Cade, who is a hardware engineer at Synaptic Entertainment. Cade tells of a top secret plan to rollout a new experimental technology that uploads minds to a virtual reality version of Earth, offering Thane a chance to be the first test subject. However, virtual Earth is still under development, and Thane will be uploaded to Eventide Online instead, where he must pretend to be an NPC World Elite as per non-disclosure agreements. He spawns as a level one Vampire in the barren wilderness dangerously close to a player-built town. A dark Litrpg with focus on town-building, resource production chains, and unit management.
8 150My son is a Reincarnator... But so am I!?
Zi Yang ends his life full of despair and hatred only to end up in a new one as a father!? How will he cope?! On top of everything, he became a clan leader with a system and to top it all off, his son is a reincarnated genius! ----- I suck at writing synopses, please don't go, I love you.
8 181Hunters
The world of Eviet is a dengerous place. Two twin fire-hounds that happened to get stuck in a storm know this better than most. In the morning after the storm they smell blood.
8 63Fate (Magi Fanfiction)
~I do not own Magi or any of the characters~*1st place winner of MagiWA 2017 in Judar category!!*There are only supposed to be three magi per era. Three magi to guide the world and create great kings, right? Nishi isn't sure why she was born, but she doesn't care much. She's determined to use her power as a magi to help others and protect those who can't protect themselves. But there's more to the story than she's telling. Nishi's got a secret. Something dark she's hid from everyone her entire life. Something she desperately wants to forget, but can't get over...What will happen to this young magi? And will she end up falling for the one person in this world she shouldn't? (37K words)
8 89