《Frays in the Weave》Intermezzo
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The man was dirty and tired. Still in his riding clothes. If he came here without changing to his robes first it had to be important. Cardinal Zaarbach waved for him to come forward.
"Your excellency, there has been violence in Friedhafen." He didn't even stop before gasping out his message.
"Friedhafen? Cardinal Garnhalt is assembling the fleet there. What kind of violence?"
The young man, barely an acolyte, bowed, trying to hide his eyes. "Violence, your excellence. Godless traders hurt some of the sailors."
"Don't be stupid! They may be godless, but they are still traders."
"They refused taxes for the Reunion Fleet. There were casualties."
And now they try to drop the problem in my lap. "You mean they refused to fund the fleet we would use to conquer their lands?" He sighed, but leaned forward for the youngster to kiss the ring on his hand anyway. "How many casualties?" he asked after receiving his due.
The boy, he wasn't old enough to be called a man Zaarbach saw, rose and backed away. "Trader's quarter is mostly burned to the ground, almost all the way to the harbour"
The cardinal shrugged. The killing was bad, but men killed and died whether he approved of it or not. Age had made him numb, but there was more to it than that. "Keen will demand an apology," he said. Five years ago Keen would have sent ships, but I would have been screaming this boy's face off long before that. "I doubt they value the outpost that much any longer." Five years ago the raiders hadn't come in strength yet, and he'd been unable to even comprehend how the count of Friedhafen would survive without the trade. He had, to the surprise of most.
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"Mich... count Friedhafen is most unhappy with the recent events." The boy had the decency to blush.
Son? No, younger brother I think. No land for him and off they sent him to university. He smiled at the boy. The lapse hadn't been a grave one. Had they hoped for a bishopric? Maybe, but that's out of reach for you now.
Survived, yes, but not unscathed. It had taken a man of great bravery and imagination however to come up with the idea of bribing the raiding dragonlings. Zaarbach leaned back in his chair, more like a throne and as uncomfortable. We were quick to catch up on that idea. I hope you enjoyed it in Keen.
"The count would do well to be more careful with his opinions," he said. You would do as well to keep a secret when you hear one. "There are those who think he shouldn't concert with unbelievers from Keen. Some even say he loves money better than God."
The youngster had listened. His eyes flared with anger but he stayed his voice.
It was true though. With the raider fleet on the bottom of the sea money had found its way into Friedhafen again, and of course some resented that. The crown, such as it was, couldn't afford its loyal subjects to become too powerful, as the years had shown. The crowns, the thought was distasteful, three of them, or isn't there a fourth claimant now?
It was the lack of De Vhatic galleys after the raiders were gone that gave birth to Cardinal Garnhalt's plan to move the papal fleet north. It was to escort ships from Chach, but the escort far outnumbered any ships Chach could scrape together.
"You may tell him that I disapprove of the killing, but that anyone refusing our right to claim God's due should think twice before resorting to armed resistance." Killing traders was stupid, but Garnhalt had always been more a paladin than a man of the cloth. Too much in love with the sword as far as Zaarbach was concerned. "Tell him that God's ordained must bring back the godless to His embrace. The fleet sails with our blessing." He bent forward, fist outstretched, to announce that the audience was at an end.
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Young Friedhafen, he was sure it was a younger brother now, kissed the ring and withdrew.
Zaarbach waited for him to almost reach the great doors before coughing loud enough for him to stop. "Before you leave there are a few letter for His Grace Garnhalt I would have you carry." Better keep the youngster reminded where his loyalties lay now.
Alone again Zaarbach rose and struggled down the stairs. Old, so old and feeble, but he wasn't old enough to die before making certain that Garnhalt never sat the holy chair. A man of the cloth should not gird himself so eagerly with the sword. The day they elected a paladin they were no better than the heathens in Kordar.
No, Garnhalt was not for the chair. He was proud and too sure of himself. Zaarbach doubted he would be satisfied with taking the ports from the godless. No, more probably march north, possibly even to the magic roads along which Keen ruled supreme. In the best of worlds the chair would make certain to have him canonized for his services to holy mother church.
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Heretical Oaths
Volume 1 is complete! Volume 2 is complete! Volume 3 is updating on Sundays and Thursdays! Since times long lost to history, magic power has been gained through a contract with divinity. The vast majority of mages are pacted to the eight core gods and the sixty-four lesser ones. Lily Syashan—formerly Lily of House Byron—holds an oath to a forgotten god. Exiled into a peasant village after her parents were executed for treason, Lily swore that she would gain power and succeed where her family failed. To build her power, she will need to kill, destroy, and ruin. Whether her target is an Altered monster or another human getting in her way, Lily will need to be ready to defeat them all. The journey to the top won’t be an easy one, but Lily is prepared to do whatever it takes to finish it. You can read three chapters ahead (number subject to increase) and support Heretical Oaths at my Patreon. Link to my Discord! Updates on Sundays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays at around 12 PM PST. Disclaimer: This fiction contains multiple LGBTQ+ characters.
8 399The Mother of Monsters
Immortality is an illusion. Ianna Kovac’s first moments of a new life after her own uneventful one comes to an end are marked with fear, pain, and yet another death. Faced by the guardian of an ancient tomb she experiences firsthand the horrors of her new home. She will need to find allies; horrors, monsters, demons, warriors, and kings to help her. No solution is out of the question, no means are off the table to survive and make her place in a world terrified of her very existence. Even if that means becoming a monster herself. After all, nothing is immortal in Orum, not even the gods. Normal Release Schedule is 5 Chapters Per Week, Monday - Friday EST [Completed the April 2022 Royal Writeathon Challenge!]
8 188Beyond Average Prequel [A DiceRPG]
Updates Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday. Check out Discord! Join Patreon for advanced drafts and the chance to affect the story! “I suppose I’ve died then?” Adam had been a fairly average British guy who had lived a fairly average British life. Now he is dead and speaking to a god. Join Adam as he navigates a new world with his powers, a world filled with magic, beasts, intrigue, adventure and so much more in this brand new and totally never seen before LitRPG. (TW: There will be quite a bit of British slang, so if you don't recognise a word that's probably why, like nibbitybit.)
8 81Forbidden Destiny
Two troubled teens, raised as siblings, try fighting their attraction to one another, while struggling to uncover the truly unexplainable and unimaginable reasons why their entire lives were a lie. Sky and Star were raised as brother and sister. As they got older they began to realize that there was much about them that was completely unexplainable and deliberately being hidden from them. Struggling with the feelings they were raised to believe they shouldn't have for one another, and all the pain that causes them, the two search desperately to uncover the truth about who... or what they really are. (This book is completed, so the plan was to post 1 chapter each day until the end) *This story does deal with difficult issues such as suicide, abuse and rape. Though I try to do so in the most realistic, sensitive and sympathetic way possible. So be advised that these themes are included in the book. And I hope you'll give it a chance nonetheless.* *Yet another disclaimer: Yes, there are teenagers involved in consensual sexual relationships with other teenagers in this book. Which is also a more than common occurence in hundreds of other books, shows and films, (not to mention a common occurence in real life, even though this is a fantasy story with characters who may or may not even be fully human), so if you have a problem with troubled teens behaving like troubled teens, then you probably shouldn't read this book.*
8 103LITRPG: The Great Machine Sage
With the War Machine System, Hax will create the deadliest machine throughout the universe!It is the 200th Millenium. Humanity has conquered the entire universe.Now, they set their sights on the multiverse.Hax, a human prodigy created with the brightest genes humanity could offer, create the technology for humans and waged war against the other universe.They have conquered one universe, it won't be long before they take another one.But Hax never thought the enemy would come from within.Banished into a strange universe with his past long forgotten, Hax will have to start from the beginning.This time with the War Machine System!His deadly war machine took the new world by storm! He equipped his army with his machine and dominates his enemy. Through increasing his wealth, power, and influence, Hax stormed through every opposition.But as his strength increased so does his enemies. His journey will be filled with peril and hardship."Nothing can stop my war machine!"Join the discord server https://discord.gg/yPtRt29tAg*The cover is not mine. If you want me to take it down, feel free to contact me.
8 254Poems About Life
Inspirational poems, sad poems, happy poems, advice in poems, just poems in generalIf you like these poems, then please read my other poetry book called "Within the Confines of my Heart." Tell me what poems you want me to write in the comments or on my conversations.I'd also really appreciate it if you would vote on my poems; it really means a lot!!!#6 in whattoread - 12/1/2019# 5 in underrated - 8/9/2020#53 in poetry - 1/14/2021#1 in poesia - 3/29/2021#9 in read me - 1/14/2021#3 in poet - 2/14/2021
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