《Mistakes Lead To Success》Chapter 5: Child of the Forest
Advertisement
Chapter 5: Child of the Forest
Akuji couldn't help but think Rehna was strange. The brunette found her lying in a field and decided to follow her despite not know if she would attack her. Why would she help a naked stranger? She could honestly say she would leave the stranger lying there unless it was a child. She has been following the redhead for the last few days and to this evening.
Rehna turned to her with curious eyes. “I could feel you staring at me. Is there something you would like to say?”
She shrugged and gestured to the endless plains before them. “Show me your powers.”
The native looked at the grass before she then raised an eyebrow. The grass shimmered then grew taller than the women; it kept growing until it couldn't hold it weight and fell like a wave of green. When she looked away the excessive grass died and turned a dark grey, emitting a slight odor.
She gestured to her handy work while smirking at the demigod. “What do you think? They don’t work as well on Athen than it does on Gaea but it should be interesting.”
The redhead held her hands and looked into her eyes then said, “Channel your power into me.”
Rehna recoiled in horror. “Gods no! I might kill you or make you into an abomination.”
Akuji chuckled then pulled the woman into a bear hug. She sucked in a deep breath and focused her absorption powers at the frighten native. Her swan tattoo started to glow a dim grey and the void appeared over her shoulder. The nomad screamed when she felt her magic being stolen from her body. She tried to will the plants around them to attack but it caused her power to be stolen faster. She struggled in the demigod’s arms only to be dropped on the floor.
Akuji stretched her arms and waited for a response from Silas while Rehna was crawling back onto her feet. She tripped Rehna and stepped on her back, adding extra pressure to make sure she doesn’t leave.
Advertisement
She heard a buzz in her ear then a familiar sweet voice. “Hello Natalie, I’m surprised you managed to collect a decent amount of magic within a short period. Did you steal an artifact or capture a creature? It’s enough for me to heal a few bones and grant you an upgrade.”
She laughed while pulling Rehna up into a chokehold, close enough for Silas to hear the brunette’s quicken breath and gasping. “I stole magic from a native called Rehna. She could control grass and plants.”
Silas sighed and she could hear him shift a bit. “You should apologize to the child of the forest. I will send you a drop of the void. I would increase her magic pool slightly and fix any damage you have done to her. You should not steal magic from others unless they are your enemies. It damages their connection to the universe and thus their connect to Gods and mana. Hold your hand out.”
Akuji held her hand out and was amused to see a raven made of void appear from nowhere. The wispy raven dropped a clear purple crystal into her hand and cawed at her. She studied the fluid yet solid bird before feeding Rehna the crystal. Due to her having Rehna in a chokehold for too long, she had to pry the native’s mouth open and slip it down her throat.
“I have to go Natalie but the crow is your gift until I can make a better system for us. The crow does not need to eat and likes the shadows. It can speak to you and can create more crows if you feed it anything, really. It is great for recon and can protect you depending on the situation. Goodbye, Love.”
She sighed then carried the unconscious woman over her shoulders and continued their long walk towards the mountains. Every step she took was a driving force, guiding them into an uncertain future. She continued the track until the moon shined at its peak and the stars twinkled in dance.
Advertisement
Akuji laid Rehna on a soft patch of grass and asked the crow to find large leaves. The crow called and disappeared into the night, a specter in the darkness. She stared at the shimmering grass plains and wondered if her family would have enjoyed seeing the beauty of nature or would be too caught up in life to notice. She heard shifting and turned her attention to the awaking nomad.
The younger person shook her head and tried to lift herself into a sitting position but her arms were too weak. She gritted her teeth and pushed against the weak dirt but did not move an inch. She felt a slender hand slide around her waist and lift her into their lap, leaning her against their body. She looked up and felt disdain enter her heart when her eyes caught sight of the redhead.
Akuji ran a hand through her hair and gave her a weak smile. “My apologies for stealing your powers and causing you pain through my actions. I greatly needed your mana at the time. My… beneficiary life is dependent on magic but he was dying due to a lack of mana. I was my job to collect a large amount of mana within a short period of time and the idea of stealing your mana came into my head today. I am not asking for forgiveness but I have given you an item that healed you of any damage I may have done and expanded your mana reserves.”
The crow swooped down from the sky and delivered dozens of large palm tree leaves. She patted the bird then laid the leaves into a makeshift bed. She lifted the weaken woman and placed her on the bed with a few extra leaves to cover her like a blanket. She stood up, walked a few paces away and laid down, slightly out of sight. She understands how Rehna feels considering she has felt the same hurt and know she should stay a considerable distance away.
The demigod foiled her arms under her head and beckoned the small bird towards her. It flew onto her shoulder and curled in the crook her neck. She smiled at the scene but her smile quickly faded into a blank, cold expression. She felt a sliver of guilt stir in her stomach. She could have asked the nomad for mana instead of stealing from her and potentially crippling her forever. She was an ally and she used her, much like a certain god. She pulled herself into a tighter curl and hoped she would not be hated by the younger woman.
She gasped in pain and bolted into a sitting position, the pain radiating from her back. Sooner than she could react, another explosion of pain came from the side of her head. She choked on her breath and was knocked a few feet away. She hit the grass and rolled into a stop. The demigod managed to bring herself into an unsteady fighting stance. She immediately dropped it when her eye met angry brown ones.
Rehna dropped the mana enhanced root from her hands and back up a few steps. She muttered, barely above a whisper. “I think this makes us even.”
Akuji walked over, although staggering, and handed her the root. “It’s not enough. I hurt you emotionally too.”
The nomad landed a swift hook in her nose, ignoring the feeling of her own hand breaking. “Even though it’s not possible, I wish I could cause the same amount of pain you have done to me with fists. I know I do not know much about you but you could have explained the situation.” She fixed her robe sleeve, ignoring the blood dripping from her hand. “I still will follow you. I feel Gaea is leading me to my future, even if I have to bear with a monster like you.”
“My apologies.” The redhead kept her head down and walked away briskly.
The path of the mountain base seemed much farther now.
Advertisement
- In Serial34 Chapters
The Extramundane Emancipation of Geela, Evil Sorceress at Large
Darkos, holy priest of Alerion, the God of Peace and Healing, has just arrived at the castle of the Evil, Dark Sorceress, backed by his trusty, if clumsy, companion, Geela. They fling open the doors to find the place dusty and decrepit. "Oh dear, this place is showing its age," Geela sighs. And with those words, everything Darkos knew about his friend is turned on its head. Geela, far from a naive farm girl, is a 70-year-old Dark Mistress, hell-bent on exacting revenge on her ex-husband Barney for cheating on her, trashing her place, and changing the locks. Geela is everything Darkos has sworn to defeat. A bastion of dastardly deeds. A pinnacle of evil... ...so of course he finds himself tagging along.
8 172 - In Serial7 Chapters
No content
8 84 - In Serial45 Chapters
Token
Token is a web serial about four friends who find themselves playing through simulated board games in real life. Whether they want to play or not, it is not their choice, and whoever loses a game gets… re-balanced. Will they conquer this mystery before losing themselves completely?
8 81 - In Serial40 Chapters
Fate Of The Swordsmen
Anarion Ragnor struggles to move ahead in a world that is on the brink of collapse. Demons, Gods, Undead, Cursed Beings and more are all fighting for control of Terath. Anarion a student on his way to graduation from the Swordsmen Academy struggles to cope with his issues of abandonment while those around him are trying to breach through the emotional mask he wears to protect himself from becoming attached to the people around him. Anarion is forced to live in the Shadow of his older brother who has fastly become one of the most renown Swordsmen alive. Dealing with his insurecity, ineptitude and inner fears. Anarion must face the world and himself. Swordsmen are ancient Warriors who wield legendary blades that can become so powerful they could shatter reality. They also know a unique magic called Elestran.
8 64 - In Serial8 Chapters
Scorpion
This is my Mother Sharon Bouriaque's work. She passed away in 2003. I loved reading my mother's work and she got me into writing. So I'm putting this out there with full credit to her. I have made some modification to technology since there has been a lot of changes to technology from when she wrote this until now. But other than that and a few very basic edits the work is hers. Jeff Carlisle despises the alien race that has colonized his world and inter-married with some of Earth’s people. Earth’s governments are working to get rid of the Thrans when they learn that something much worse is headed Earth’s way---an invasion fleet of RiaZan. The savage spiderlike race who harvests human types for food. The government leaders are terrified. Earth has no workable defense against ANY invaders from space. However, the Thrans do. They respond to the threat of invasion with an astounding move. They remove the psi-damper from all the people and activate the Scorpion Forces, The psionic warrior who are the elite of the Thran Military units. The Thran’s must also contact a certain youth whom they’ve kept hidden. They must activate the legendary Gold leader, and Jeff Carlisle’s life changes forever when he discovers he is the long-prophesied psionic warrior the Thran’s been hiding.
8 178 - In Serial958 Chapters
Legend of the Lost Star
[More placeholder space for the next Writahon...] [Completed the October 2020 Royal Road Writathon challenge] [Completed the April 2020 Royal Road Writathon challenge] Book 1: First Light Synopsis: As a war of epic proportions enters a ceasefire, a soul from another world enters a dead boy's body. Without any memories of who he was, with only a little companion by his side, the lost soul begins his long, arduous journey to recover his memories, while unraveling the mysteries of a war-torn world. Why was he sent here? And where will he go now? Even he himself does not know. But one thing is for certain: the world will never be the same again. Book 2: Foredoomed to a Rendezvous Synopsis: As war continues to break out between the Five Lands, Gaius finds himself inheriting a legacy of ancient times. With the flames of battle spreading through the South once again, the lost soul throws himself into battle over and over, in an attempt to protect his home and those he holds dear. How will the boy, nearly unrivalled in martial might, fare in a web of conspiracies beyond his ken? Book 3: The Last and the Lost Synopsis: The boy has set himself an unbelievable target in a bid to save someone precious to him. With his former home now out of reach, he stalks the Southern Continent, inciting rebellion and revolution where possible to lure his prey out. Meanwhile, in the heart of the South, embers of war begin to rekindle. Will it be the death knell of yet another nation millennia old? Book 4: The Unravelling World Synopsis: Time is not on Gaius' side. Everyday life, already disturbed by the flames of mortal war, falls apart entirely as beings of legend once again appear on Orb. Forced to a foreign land to treat his injuries, the boy must confront the outcomes of his actions, directly and indirectly. But the tide is rising. Countless enemies are throwing themselves against the nations of Orb, cleaving a path of blood wherever they go. Gaius has to hurry...or drown with the rest. Book 5: World's End, Divines' Rondo Synopsis: The great gods of Orb have staked their claim on the world itself, killing all in their way. Each of the Cardinal Continents are fighting their own battles and making their own peace, but none are aware of the growing threat from the Wildlands, where a self-exiled legend continues to gather strength. Meanwhile, a new threat stalks the whole of Orb, killing whatever remains of the Constellation Heroes. Against such a chaotic backdrop, a boy continues to protect a semblance of daily life for his loved ones, but will he be successful when the curtains finally open? Book 6: The Frenzied Tide Synopsis: A sword hangs above the Eastern Territories. The Human God, progenitor of all life, the direct cause of the beastfolk genocide, has made his will known to the rulers of the East — make peace with the God of Water, or be destroyed in three months. Gaius, who has left the battlefield to return home, is once again called to fight, to support a do-or-die offensive upon their foe's territory. But in the background, the threads of destiny are beginning to come together. Plots set in motion long ago are coming to fruition... Book 7: Limina of Ruin Synopsis: The chalice has broken. The East is beset with turmoil, as factions turn on each other. The Great Divide, however, brims with a setting radiance, ensuring a final, transient peace. And in the midst of it all, one young boy follows the fettered winds and the unshackled waters, heading to a new land to uphold a promise. For him, the days of fighting will be a distant memory before long...and a daily event in the years to come. Uncovering ancient memories, putting to rest regrets, enjoying the last of a peaceful life...the people of the Five Lands will live to their fullest. Yet, this is but the calm before the storm. Book 8: Power Talks Synopsis: Fate. A curious word to most...and a frightening word to Gaius. Alongside the rulers of the North, Gaius witnesses frightening truths, proof of an inevitable future. Spurred by a myriad chilling revelations and urged by a god's killer, the Mortal Light Dynasty gathers both mortal rulers and divine sovereigns, covering past conflicts with a offer of cooperation of an unprecedented scale. However, can this unity, first of its kind, stand up to time, fate and mortal nature? Or will it burn, along with the Five Lands? Book 9: Homeland Song Synopsis: Gazing out at the Orb of old, Gaius ponders his destiny and the great stakes with it. Time and again, he has led a life of choices, making one after another for the sake of those he cares about. His latest choice, however, carries implications of an immeasurable scale. Charged with the protection of the future, all that awaits him is an eternal solitude... On the other side of the false world, a single star shines, one whose light is meant to protect. Gemini, who has long found a homeland in the form of Ark City, has spent years defending it with friends and family alike. However, an inexorable end is approaching. The day the Great Divide falls looms ever closer. At the crossroads of destiny, when the chains of fate bind him fully, what will the last Constellation choose? And what will his choice mean for the rest of the Five Lands? Book 10: Immortal Indignant Synopsis: As the Five Lands reel from an unexpected revelation, Gaius continues his struggle to accept his immortal destiny of eternal vigilance. Mortal fetters continue to tie him down, with the prospect of breaking them a heart-rending prospect. There is little light for him in the darkness; his emotions seemingly a poisoned apple. For him, the days ahead are one of balancing his emotions; his immortal destiny is antithetical to the aspects that make one mortal. However, he isn't the only immortal indignant at the current state of affairs. Behind the scenes, huge powers push and pull, tussling in an insane game of wrestling sanity. The Five Lands and the great gods prepare in the background, awaiting their time to strike... Book 11: Cause Convergent Synopsis: As Orb reels from an unexpected turn of events, the crumbling of the Great Divide speeds up. With time now at a premium, Gaius travels the world, addressing a particular personage's last will, while ensuring that he leaves no regrets behind. Revisiting the Five Lands with his beloved one last time, he casts his eyes to a new future, a world full of a peace forged by collective resistance. Far away from Gaius, at the very borders of the Southern Continent, soldiers train day and night, awaiting the day the rift between worlds crumble. But the battlefield there isn't just between the Five Lands and the Wildlands... Book 12: Boundary Belligerent Synopsis: The rift between worlds crumble. The moon, the sun and the sky shatter, revealing the vast expanse beyond. The cold light of the stars gaze down upon Orb, illuminating a bloody battlefield at World's End, where gods and mortals wrestle. Immortal troops charge the Five Lands, over and over again, only to be repelled by vast engines of war. For many, the moment of destiny has arrived. The Third Extermination has begun. However, Gaius gazes not at the present, but at the future beyond. What does he see there? And what will he do? Book 13: Destiny Divergent Synopsis: Bells ring, and destiny veers. Mortal miracles, having pierced a divine destiny, now turn their light of annihilation upon the legendary land of dangers and dark myth. A single being who should have slept forever reawakens, carrying out a inherited duty to protect. Under a dome of absolute law, the hulks that darken the skies are grounded, forcing the Five Lands to move ahead on foot. Hidden differences erupt, comrades turn upon comrades, and the alliance begins to crumble. What should have been a happy ending begins to fall apart. Watching from high above, the Abyss Sovereign laments his weakness, cursing the new destiny laid upon the world. And yet, he will never give up. Book 14: Abyss Ascendent Synopsis: As a future of never-ending conflict draws closer, Gaius stands at the centre of Orb, his will tempered and set. What the Wildlands has ceased to be, he will inherit. Divine Kingdoms and mortal nations clamour for peace to prepare for greater wars, but Gaius will no longer stand for that. For the sake of his dream, the Five Lands — and now, the Wildlands — must be unified against a common enemy. Gaius himself. Raising the flag of rebellion against mortal nature and destiny, the Abyss Sovereign commences a festival of creation for his new world, a paradise unimaginable to both mortal and divine minds. With his intentions made known now, there is no going back. He will succeed. Or die trying. Book 15: Terminus Transcendent Synopsis: ??? This is a story that may, depending on how impatient you are, take some time to spin up. I have enough in my mind for a long run, so it's essential that I lay out a great deal of groundwork at the start. Eleven books have been released so far, and this work will end at Book 15. Be aware of late arrival spoilers! My Patreon link is here, which allows for up to sixty-five advanced chapters ahead of the free releases, or if you'd just like to support me. Release schedule: My original promise was 2 a week, minimally, but it's been a daily release for a long time. So yeah...
8 835

