《Black Cloak, White Art》The Stones of Arcory – Chapter 31 - One A Price To Be Paid, Or Not
Advertisement
I pressed the end of my staff into the furrow of the innermost circle, added my power to the overall glow. The tall witches’ retinue cried out and stepped back. Their leader, however, stood her ground.
“Did the Margrave of Bardelaisch meet his death here, or elsewhere?” I demanded, the sparks from the borders of my circles made the trio back up further. I needed to confirm her statement at the very least. Not that I was surprised he might be dead. Coming here was beyond any risk worth taking by a mere aristocrat.
“No men of power or substance walk these woods,” the tall woman replied, waved her hand either in dismissal or casting. “Nor will you, after this night. Do you think you can survive with such puny protections against the power of our moons? Even now our power is increasing and yours I failing.”
“We shall see,” I smiled, continued my vigilance, glanced at the other three who had moved to surround me. “I am not here for battle. I am here to find trace of the Margrave of Bardelaisch who I am told passed this way in search of assistance for his land. At least to send back to his wife. She at least deserves to know his true fate.”
The woman laughed. It was a deep loud throaty laugh. Its candor told me much.
“A fool,” she told me. “And doomed. He and his retinue passed through to the mountains in search of a Demon of the Hot Sun, or so I heard, to seek its favor. Only a fool would seek favor from a Celestial.”
Desperate men often become fools, I agreed silently.
“So he passed through this forest safely?” I asked her.
“Why expend the effort to slay a fool on a journey to his demise,” she told me with a smirk. “The demon will have dealt with him by now. I doubt its price for aid is anything a man would find acceptable.”
Advertisement
“Then you have no other concerns about me,” I told her. “I will follow his path and leave your forest.”
She shook her head.
“You have defiled this grove by your very presence wizard, only your blood boiled can erase the taint your shadow has touched,” she told me. “You can expect to pay a blood price.”
It turned out, however, the price was not much more than a night without sleep, as I was not intending on battle the four to the death, and they were clearly unwilling to draw on the costly measures it would take to break my circles, even though they could with time and effort. The young have little patience.
“Be warned, wizard,” the leader told me as she followed her others with the rising of the suns. “We will return in greater numbers.”
As such is was an only wearied wizard who rode down from the forest passed the surprised woodcutter. The man shrugged and turned back to his work, regardless. But if a Demon of the Hot Sun was dwelling in the Black Mountains, I could not face it alone. I would need help. And rest.
It seemed, however, I would get little of either.
Halfway back down the hills to the Blue Guardians’ monastery I found the forest road before me blocked. Not by men or beast – by the very forest itself. As I turned away, the path behind me had also turned to trees and undergrowth. It was, of course, unnatural by any means. And more than a bother, as magic was clearly behind the change and there was a fast approaching storm approaching from the east now racing me to my destination.
The witches, I wondered, out to exact unanticipated retribution? But the forest wall was no illusion, no practice of the petty power they would have wielded. As I watched, an arch opened in the wall. Tree limbs creaked and shuddered, while vines slithered away to open up a dark entrance in the greenery. Someone with power had created a forest door. There were few who had such power. And I suspected there was only one who would have the motivation to want to draw me though it.
Advertisement
HUNTED
One late-night run changed Aila’s life forever after getting caught up in a battle between werewolves and hunters. She is suddenly kidnapped by said hunters and finds out secrets about her past and her future as she embarks on a journey to find out who or what she truly is.
8 4049Saving 80,000 Gold in an Another World for Retirement
An 18-year-old girl who lost her family in an accident, Yamano Mitsuha falls off a cliff one day and transferred to a different world with a civilization level of medieval Europe. Mitsuha who discovered it was possible to go and return to Earth after a deadly fight with wolves decided to live in both worlds.「For the sake of security in old age, I will aim for 80,000 gold coins!」I will try not to let strange things circulate and distort the progress of the world, but I won’t hold back for the sake of my easy life and safety! While carrying three handguns along with words and deeds that appear decent, in her head, Yamano Mitsuha is a sly girl.Making an effort to make money even with a small body that looks like a child to foreigners!Oh, my secrets are too dangerous, you said? It’s fine, it’s fine! I’ll transfer away when push comes to shove!
8 292Thief Lord
“What is wrong with you!?” That would be what anyone who knows me would say if they knew what I’ve done. They wouldn’t be wrong, as no sane person would ever quit his job the first chance he got when he saw an opening to follow his dream. To become rich and famous by playing video games. What? Did you think my dream wasn’t childish? The best dreams most often are. No? Well, maybe you just don’t dream big enough. Ever think about that? Dreams are never easy to follow, and neither is mine. There are millions of players who want the same as I do, but very few would actually risk their future trying. Following the path of a Villain isn’t easy, and I have a city filled with thousands of players who would love to see me fail. I will show them though. Just you wait and see... ----- This story is currently only posted here on royalroad. The only exception is an up-and-coming narrator names Agro Squerrils who I have given permission to narrate a few of my chapters on his youtube channel. Feel free to check it out if you are interested!https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLcfzFNUhrNS3YUShvr3W9mKwvhpMgmyua Disclaimer: I would advise checking out the story's tags. The story contains a low to medium amount of profanity. Read at your own discretion.
8 107Focus
Life can't get much worse for Michael. His bully Tucker is as relentless as ever, Papaw's behind on rent, and he's likely going to fail Sophomore year for the second time. Once the fleeting suicidal thoughts start building into plans, it'll take more than Meemaw to talk him down. --- Constructive criticism is encouraged and appreciated.
8 110The Land of the Unknown
A school field trip gone wrong, two friends, Tommy and Antonio, come across an underground laboratory while exploring and sneaking into the caverns at night. After a bit of scuffle with another intruder, a girl named Maggie, the three activated a portal, which sucked them right in. When the trio got out, they found themselves trapped in another world, unlike their own. This strange new world contained much dangerous stuff that they have to be careful of, such as Dinosaurs, elemental hazards, different realms to explore, among other things. Tommy, Antonio, and Maggie must work together to try to stay alive. They must find a way out of there as soon as possible. The trio will need to survive the dangers and figure out who to trust in this new world, including each other.
8 149anybody else | wilbur soot fanfiction
they could only ever be best friends. that is until one night they want to be pretend to be somebody else. anybody else in the whole world, and they choose lovers."do you ever just want to be somebody else for a night?" I ask him as he takes another sip of his drink. He makes a face as the alcohol slides down his throat. "All the time, why?""Right now I don't really want to be me." I sigh."Then pick someone else," he shrugs, "Anybody else in the whole world and be them tonight."
8 106