《A Ghost in the House of Iron》Chapter 24
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He's not what I expected. I've had years to imagine what may have become of him, and in most scenarios I'd come up with, the young boy I'd once been so close to knowing-"Watch over him. If you must, befriend him."- was gone forever. Dead, or consumed by some fiery monster. Yet here he is, standing in the street before me, his basic features the same as I remember. What's new is a sort of feral elegance, a poise that one could presume comes from his royal heritage. Except it's too wild for that, almost fae. A little unnatural. If it wasn't for his very human expression of affronted confusion, I'd probably be running with fear. But because he seems just as surprised as I am, I have a rush of boldness, slipping my bone dagger from its sheath in one smooth motion.
I did. That voice again, answering my question. It strokes against the barriers of my mind, a low, smoky rumble. My eyes widen.
"You can hear him," the prince says, only a slight hint of a question in his tone. He seems to be having difficulty digesting that information.
I make a snap decision, darting forward in the hope that I might once again catch him off guard. Even if he sees my quick approach and has the time to react, he chooses not to. He holds perfectly still as I move fluidly up to him and slide my sharpened white blade against the bare skin of his neck.
"I know who you are," I whisper. But even as I say it with such certainty, I feel the strange heat coming off of him, see the flickering orange light along his veins. Below my dagger, shimmery black feathers have sprouted from fair skin. I begin to doubt my decision.
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He gazes at me blankly for a moment. Then I notice a hint of a smile. "Do you?" he asks. "I didn't know we'd been acquainted."
Careful with the knife, that deep voice grumbles. I prefer him in one piece.
"It was you, in the queen's chambers," I say, making a gamble, but trying to sound sure.
"Who are you?" he asks, his tone more puzzled than accusatory.
"Who else is here?" I ask. "Who's voice is that?"
He doesn't respond, and I press the edge of my dagger against his skin.
"I know your mother," I say. "Answer my question, and maybe I can help you."
He hesitates, despite the sharp blade biting into his neck. I see a thin line of blood begin to well up.
A rhythmic, breathy growl licks at the corners of my mind, and it takes me a long moment to realize it's a laugh. Come on, Owl, the voice says, chuckling. Answer her.
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Transcendental Misappropriation (Book One of the Pentacle Series)
Danny's life was going well. He had a steady job and plans to buy his own place. That was until some rogue junk mail decided he needed a change of scenery. Now Danny's got a new start in another world and he needs to make sure he doesn't squander this opportunity at making the most of this new life. Now available on Amazon If you like this work please support me by purchasing a copy. Otherwise I really hope you enjoy(ed) this free version.
8 167MANTIS: On Hiatus
Two young adults who were childhood friends are killed amidst a pandemic worse than our own. After many years apart, Rihelah was on her way to see Michael, hoping to rekindle their friendship on the day they would both lose their lives. The pair are unwittingly selected to represent Earth in a test set forth by godlike beings who are intrigued that our world gave rise to complex life without having been intentionally seeded by their kind. Michael and Rihelah are reincarnated as predatory insects upon a distant planet called Edon. Elves, Dwarves, Dragons and their kin, Goblins, Ogres, Humans, Lizardfolk, Orcs, and sapient arthropods known as Enkelyn all inhabit this beautiful world touched by magic. The tiny mantids must survive terrified and very much alone upon arrival, while neither is aware that the other has also been reincarnated upon the same island. Naked in their new chitinous exoskeletons, they must now brave the terrors of an alien world's food chain. Each will benefit from their years of experience on Earth, but they must somehow find a balance between old lives and new. Moderate mindsets and peaceful values from a mostly safe and privileged life on Earth must now contend and somehow coexist with the strange physiology of a new and unfamiliar body as well as the violent aggressiveness of a predator's mind. To top things off, the pair are about to find themselves struggling with their inner turmoil while swept up by terrible conflicts they know nothing about. Both endure the hardships of their new lives while attempting to understand and make proper use of a mysterious and terse video-game-like System that pops status notifications into their vision from time to time, but initially has no useful interface. Some of the options they are presented with sound enticing, but as with everything else in life, each choice has benefits and drawbacks... Author's Note: This story makes many changes to the original version, and readers of Mantid will find that many things in Mantis are new and different; especially after the first few chapters. I've learned a ton from writing like a madman, and also from the RR community. I appreciate you guys! :)
8 209Death's Embrace
The World is Such a Rotten Place. It isn't a safe utopia where everyone can be happy. It isn't a place where True Peace can ever be attained. However the niave will tell you otherwise. They'll mention their hope. They'll mention their dreams. They'll scream to the world that they believe in the 'Good' in people. That no one is born naturally 'Evil', and that everyone can be saved. If the world is such a place, if there is a possibility that everything can change for the better, then why haven't we changed it? "Why is it that people lie?" For Satisifaction "Why is it that people cheat?' For Greed "Why is that people Kill?" For Supremacy If the world is truly such a rotten place, then am I expected to turn the other cheek? To walk away? Give second chances? Sacrifice myself for others? Why? All to be called a 'Good' person from the shallow masses, only to be backstabbed and betrayed by the very ones that praised me? Faith in humanity, is something fools preach, and only the niave practice. The World is Such a Rotten Place...and I love it. I will Lie. I will Cheat. I will Kill. Why? For Power Follow our protagonist as he journey through his old world, yet changed, with one goal in mind. To become the srongest and rule. Reborn into a world where only the strong can strive, he will do any and everything to reach the peak. There isn't a question of whether he'll survive or win, it's a question of will he be alone at the top? And if not, how many died to get him there?
8 204Fate of The Godwin
Billy, an average undergraduate student was killed on his way to his girlfriend's house. His soul was sent to the god of another world and he was forced to help the god to kill a demon or his soul will be obliterated. Didn't want to die meaninglessly, he accepted the offer. He was reborn in another world as Robert Godwin. This was the beginning of his journey to the top. Release Schedule: A chapter every two days.
8 70Emperor of Yin and Yang
Heaven's Emperor peacefully lived with his wife, overruling all Immortals in Heaven, a loyal and powerful wife, he was at the apex. Living in the Royal Palace, despite living peacefully, he knew it wouldn't last forever. He suspected a man planning a revolution, just like the Ancient Prophecy proclaimed. Why didn't he go against it? Simple. There would be two revolutions, not one. Thus, when his time came he faced the onslaught of Immortals with a serene expression and a tyrannical bearing. A man and a woman, slaughtering all Immortals except one, were forced to hand over the Throne. Yet even when the time came for the Emperor to lose his Royal Throne, he was not worried. Rather, both him and his wife, disappeared from the Heaven to search for their inheritor. The man to lead the Second Revolution. Anmos Archer. A thirteen-year-old youth born to an abusive single-father household. He struggles with being bipolar, inherited from his dad - a fallen cultivator. As he struggles to find an opportunity, a chance, to allow him to retaliate against his father he wanders upon a Royal Couple. Could he be the inheritor? The man to lead a Revolution against Heaven? Cover by Bharath Kishore.
8 80Despite not Being a Hero, Saint, or Even a Demon King, I was Summoned
I was summoned to another world. Not as a Hero, not as a Saint, not even as a Demon King, but as a regular contract demon. You know, like the ones that come when you sacrifice a chicken or something on top of a magic circle. It's a bit weird, especially since I'm human, but I've just decided to go with the flow for now. Which apparently means becoming the employee of an item shop. (What's that? You want to know what cheat powers I've been given? Well, how about an inexhaustible source of mana substitute? ...Holy crap, I have an inexhaustible source of mana substitute.)
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