《The Dark Star Emperors》Chapter 18: The Desert
Advertisement
It was a clear day in the middle of a desert. The sand was smooth. The cacti laid bare for woodpeckers. It was quiet. Quiet, until three girls began screaming as they fell from the sky. They all fell kicking up hot sand around them.
Jack quickly jumped up looking around. "Light Guardians. Light Guardians," she muttered, but as she saw nothing but sand, she calmed down.
"Huh? Where are we?" Jack asked before she turned herself back.
Yune and Mary slowly got themselves up. "Ow," Mary said, "Why couldn't you just let me speak?"
Yune saw the empty desert and replied, "I didn't know he was going to bring us here. Why would he bring us here?"
"Because you said - ugh, nevermind. Let's just find our way back," Mary said trying to calm herself down. Then, she looked at Jack and asked, "Are you calm now, big girl?"
"Yeah, I'm calm. Sorry that happened. Something just came over me," Jack replied, but didn't actually feel remorse.
"You don't sound sorry!" Yune shouted, "It's like you were some kind of animal!"
She transformed back into human form, and as soon as she did, she held her mouth and ran away towards a cactus. She then proceeded to vomit all over it.
Mary looked away and said in disgust, "That's not what I want to see right now."
She transformed back and stretched and looked up to the clear sky. The rays of light turned the land into an oven. Jack didn't feel anything, but Mary felt completely overwhelmed with the heat.
After Yune finished throwing up, she came back to the other two and said, "Well, let's just try to find our way back to Janken City. I don't think the shopkeep would have sent us too far. Not for one coin, anyways."
Advertisement
Mary complained, "Yeah, sure. Do you know where to go?"
Yune analyzed the area and with no idea on where to go, she pointed to a direction and said, "That way."
"You can't be serious. Why there?"
"A good feeling."
"Oh, so you're guessing."
"Do you know where to go?" Yune said angrily.
"Uh, no."
Jack stayed silent as she needed time to process and rearrange her memories.
And so the three girls walked in one direction. They kept walking for hours until they finally reached a road.
As soon as Mary and Yune saw it, they began to cheer. But Jack stayed silent.
They looked to both sides, and Yune just decided to go right. Then, they began to follow the road.
They walked and walked.
Yune and Mary sweated all over themselves. And then, Yune looked over to Jack and noticed that she wasn't sweating at all. It was strange, but then she began to worry once she noticed that Jack's arm had bruises and burn marks. Yune hurried over to Jack and said, "You're hurt. Why didn't you say anything?"
Jack became confused and as soon as she saw her bruises, "Oh. I didn't notice. It's not so bad."
Yune became worried and bit her lips. "Damn it. When we get back home, I'll patch you up."
Mary looked over to them and asked, "Why do you care, Yune? She was throwing you around earlier."
But Yune didn't know why, either. She felt like it was her job to worry.
Jack said without any care for either of them, "It's alright. You don't need to do anything. I'll worry about myself. So, you worry about yourself."
"Good advice. I will be doing that," Mary said as she began to lose faith in working together with Yune and Jack.
Advertisement
But Yune couldn't. She felt like she had to keep everyone safe, but she didn't know why.
While they were on their trek, a bus started driving up the road. The sign on the bus said it's next stop was Janken City. It was pure luck.
Yune waved her hand trying to get the bus and luckily, it slowed down to a halt. It's doors slid open inviting the three.
"How did that metal thing open the doors?" Mary asked.
"It's automatic. Now, let's just go inside. It will give me some time to think," Jack said as she walked towards the bus.
"I hope this isn't some mirage. I've never experienced a mirage. Is it a mirage?" Yune asked.
"Well, we'll all see," Mary said.
They all entered the cool bus. There were other people on it, but it wasn't crowded. The back seats were empty and so the three girls sat there. The air conditioning relieved both Mary and Yune, but Jack didn't feel any different. She decided to take a nap.
"I love this new-age stuff," Mary commented.
The bus went off. It rode and rode. The wheels turned, but it felt like they were going nowhere. But the bus kept going. The driver silent. It's passengers silent. All while the three Night Guardians relaxed themselves. Outside their windows, the road moved. But nothing moved.
Advertisement
Memories of the Fall
This is a story about two sisters, Jun Arai and Jun Sana, and their friends, Juni, Ling and Shu who make their living as members of the Hunter Bureau, an organisation dedicated to dealing with the terrifying flora and fauna endemic to their home Great World. When they get dragged into a grand scheme to unpick the ancient secrets entombed within one its foremost forbidden zones in their world, the Yin Eclipse Mountains, they must all try to survive the dark machinations, eldritch undercurrents and the echoes of a terrible conflict trying to re-emerge into an unsuspecting cosmos that had rather hoped it was done with that kind of thing a few eras hence. So please come join Arai, Sana, Juni, Ling, Shu and the rest of my cast as they journey through strange lands, meet all kinds of unusual beings and unravel some of the power and glory of a land time tried very hard to forget. I promise terrifying mushrooms, angry snakes, confused gods, even more confused cultivators and much, much more! Update schedule: (02/6/2022) As chapters are done, sorry. Progress: Currently up to old chapter 13-15. Chapter 24(or 25)/13, Parts 1 & 2 will be the end of the rework. Part 2 has been temporarily delayed due to me getting a frozen shoulder in the middle of June, which has been very slow to properly clear up. It is getting better, though, but Shoulder/neck is the worst set of muscles to have issues with ;( You can currently pick up most story threads after the rewritten chapters, starting from chapter 13-14 (old) Genre-wise, this is a bit hard to pin down. It's technically a Xianxia (because cultivators!), but it also veers towards Xuanhuan and has more traditional High Fantasy elements and a bit of Gods and Monsters and All Myths Are (on some levels) Valid. It also has a fairly large, ensemble cast, so if multiple point's of view are not your thing I am sorry. It won't ever really be considered 'grimdark' by any real measure of that definition but it does go to some complicated and fairly places dark occasionally, which I will note in author pre-chapter notes when expedient!. About the Author I mainly write fiction for my own hobby, it makes a nice change from academic scribbling! I started writing this quite a number of years ago. It has grown somewhat organically out of a bunch of different interests in all kinds of Mythology, World Building, Drawing Maps, Archaeology, Anthropology, History and Epic Fantasy fiction into what it is today. So I hope you enjoy the story and thanks for reading! Other stuff The cover is made by the author, using photos taken by the author. There is a Discord Server- Please come and chat, but beware of spoilers.
8 195Silvertongue
After another long day at work, all Jon Christensen wanted was a cheap burger and some peace and quiet. Pulling into an ordinary McDonald’s, Jon only had the usual cares on his mind. His sister. The bills. A career with seemingly nowhere to go. But when a confusing encounter at the cash register triggers a violent episode in the parking lot, he’s quickly pulled into a world he doesn’t understand. His few careless sentences - and the odd gift of languages he’s kept hidden for years - wind up thrusting him right into the middle of a chaotic magical free-for-all, a battle taking place in the shadows of society. Entangled in an increasingly complex web of violence and lies, he's left with a choice: adapt, or die. Surrounded by strangers, Jon must struggle to survive, searching out friends amidst a sea of foes. If he can get his group of strays and rejects to work together, there’s a chance they might just make it out alive. Should he fail, the consequences will be dire - not only for Jon, but also for those he loves.
8 270Micah Ever After
[Note: New chapters will not be released on this site anymore, nor will previous chapters receive any edits or updates. To continue reading beyond chapter 6, please use this link to find MEA on Scribble Hub. Sorry for the inconvenience.] Sawatari Mikasa was a normal high school girl. She was great at sports, had above-average grades, lots of friends, and a little brother that she loved more than anything in the world. To Mikasa, life couldn't be more perfect. That is, until the day she received the phone call that shattered her world. "Yuu has been hospitalized." Her precious younger brother, Yuu. In a fit of panic, Mikasa raced towards the hospital to check on him. But her negligence threw her straight into the path of an oncoming car... And that was how the girl known as 'Sawatari Mikasa' lost her life. When she awoke, she found herself before the being known as 'God', who presented her a second chance at life in a new world. She accepted, and only had one question: "What happened to Yuu?" But God would not give her an answer, and before she knew it she was being reborn in a world of monsters and magic straight out of a fantasy novel. However, she wouldn't be satisfied with that. 'I need to go home and find out what happened' This became Mikasa- no, Micah's goal in this new world. Even if she had to become God's enemy, or even that of the world's, she would do whatever it takes to make sure her brother is safe. If Yuu had recovered safely in the hospital, then she would be happy. Having fulfilled her duties as an older sister to the best of her ability, she would peacefully live in this world for the rest of her life. But if Yuu had somehow died, and was in this world too... 'Find Yuu' or 'Find God'. I don't care which comes first. Micah's journey to find her 'Happily Ever After' had begun.
8 105Paint with Me Among the Shadows (Book One, the Salvation MC Series)
What happens when a finger painting prodigy hitches a ride from a disfigured biker? Why chaos of course!Quirky, oddball Georgie is anything but normal. For years she hasn't only suffered from a lack of filter but she also has "episodes." She can't control them. To make matters worse, she was just expelled from the illustrious art university that she had been lucky enough to get into. With nowhere else to turn, Georgie makes the decision to travel back home to Sunny Valley, AL to reunite with her father and sister, whom she hasn't seen in fourteen years.It's at a gas station where she meets the beautifully scarred, Adonis, and with his help, she arrives home in typical Georgie fashion: with arms full of snacks, a never-ending string of chatter, and a determination to find out the truth all while keeping her episodes a secret. Easier said, right? Especially when that handsome biker stumbles upon an episode.*Wattpad Reviews:"This was a beautiful book and captured me throughout." @JamieLee716"This was honestly one of the best books I have read on Wattpad in the last two years." @alswedlove"I love this book. This was such an emotional ride. At times so painful, so raw. And the ending... Perfect." @YelenaLugin"I was so hooked I couldn't put my phone down." @S_Nicole1995"Wow, honestly I loved the raw emotions in this book." @kenny-08"This story was seriously beautifully written." @SugarLoverCandy9"This is one of the best stories I've ever read no exaggeration!" @xxxSweetMelodyxxx*# 1 in Art 5/8/22# 1 in Alphamale 7/20/21# 3 in Comedy 6/26/21# 1 in Painting 7/30/21# 3 in Biker 5/5/22# 3 in Motorcycle 5/5/22# 5 in bad boy 11/19/21 # 4 in Mental Health 2/19/22# 21 in Romance 7/20/22
8 191The Magic Ork
This is the story of a man sent to a different world, trying to adapt, to grow, and to stake his claim in his new surroundings. This man reincarnates into a forest in completely different world. And he doesn't just reincarnate as himself, boy no, he reincarnates as an ork. A green, tusked, hard-skinned, strong, ork. Watch as he rises from his lowly begginings to heights he'd never have dreamed of before (link to great artist Dyemelikeasunset)
8 175The Top of the World
A harsh world of combat, where strength trumps all.A boy, discriminated because of his lack of strength. But everything changes when a meteor from the sky hits him...
8 76