《HAVEN ✔ ( UPDATED )》Four
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Why can't I just have a week without something bad happening? I muse, wincing against the shrill ringing in my ears as I close out the cash register and hurry to pack my belongings. The sirens started about five minutes ago and haven't stopped, which means that this is not a drill.
Markee rushes in, panting, as if she ran for a while to get here. "Do you know what's going on?" I lean across the counter to ask her, trying to be heard over the noise wailing throughout Herald.
She takes a moment to catch her breath. "I couldn't get in touch with Miles to ask," she says while shaking her fiery mop. Her eyes glint with usual mischievousness, ever curious and eager to discover. Even the sweat beading at the top of her forehead can't douse her fire.
Sirens like these in Herald mean one of three things: the first, and most likely, is that a criminal escaped from the labor camp, indicating that we are advised to stay in our houses so the military can do their jobs. The second reason is that there is severe weather or a natural disaster headed our way and it's safer to stay inside. The third reason, and the most frightening, is that there has been a Breach: a band of Outlanders in our city.
That has only ever happened once in my lifetime.
I round the counter and Markee and I step out of the overhang and into the heightened bustle of Market Circle where vendors are hastily packing up their wares. The sky is clear and blue with barely a cloud in sight, so it most likely is not a storm siren forewarning calamity. I stop Vera as she is locking the produce in the pantry and ask her if she knows what's caused the alert this time. She surveys the crowd before looking at me, eyes steely and serious. Vera puts a bony hand on my shoulder, her wrinkles deepening as she frowns at me.
"You two should scurry home right now," she warns, knowledge in the caramel swirls of her irises. With that, she picks up her bag and walks out into the hustle and bustle of people milling about frantically.
"That was weird," Markee comments, her gaze following the older woman's gray head as she weaves through the crowd. It was indeed strange, and the fact that she didn't give us an answer doesn't sit well with me. Remembering the woman's fragile, firm grip on my shoulder sets a heavy stone in my stomach, her words betraying the cryptic look she gave me.
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"Let's try to find Miles. He would know what's up," Markee suggests, her curiosity winning over her better judgment.
My steps falter. "But Vera said we need to go home. It seems like a real emergency, look how everyone else is freaking out," I say, waving to the quickly emptying market.
"Don't you want to know why?" she asks, a candle burning behind her eyes. "What do we have to hide from? Something exciting is finally happening and I'm not going to just sit at home wondering about it. Besides," she continues softly, "I have a funny feeling about this. With everything that's been going on lately, it's awfully fishy."
Markee senses it too; whatever the reason for the city to be on high alert, it isn't good. I know we should do what the law suggests and head to the safety of our homes, but something isn't right, and it's just so easy to slip behind a determined Markee when she has a goal.
"Fine," I sigh. "But after we find out what's happening, we're going home."
With a stomach full of unease, and a nervous dread creeping over me, we depart in search of Miles.
◊ ◊ ◊
After half an hour of brisk walking, we come upon the border patrol station Miles is assigned to. It sits alone atop the levee, exactly one mile from the neighboring station. The entirety of Herald is held inside the circle of the levee, a defensive strategy our ancestors implemented centuries ago. This far from Market Circle, the blaring sirens have become a muted ringing in my ears and are starting to give me a headache, whereas Markee only seems to have tuned them out.
Goosebumps rise on my skin and I glance to Markee, her flame-colored eyebrows knotted in confusion as we realize how empty the station is. The squat gray building has no guards surrounding it and no one pacing in the windows or manning the watch tower on the roof. There doesn't seem to be any signs of life anywhere aside from the both of us. There aren't even any birds around to fill the air with song.
The desolation is eerie. I'm used to the warm greetings from Miles and his buddies when Markee and I visit. It's not everyday that there's trouble for the border patrol to deal with, so there's always, always someone there. Playful banter and jokes woud echo throughout the station. Usually so full of life, seeing the place dead makes the stone in my stomach sink further.
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I'm just about to walk up to the door and knock, hoping anyone is in there to answer our questions when Markee stops abruptly and grabs my arm. I freeze as Markee does, but I don't see anything to put us in immediate danger.
"What—" I begin, but she puts a finger to her lips, signaling me to not speak. I stand there in silence for two excruciatingly long seconds.
"What's that sound?" I ask, panic constricting my throat. She motions for me to follow as we duck behind the station and listen quietly, tuning our ears to a distant clamor.
Horrifying noises fill the air in the forest beyond the levee. Battle cries, gunshots, screaming; the sounds of an attack and defense. There's the screech of metal against metal, the crunch of forest debris being trampled. The fleshy thump of people falling to the ground. My mind fabricates scenes from the gruesome noises: soldiers aiming and shooting. The thud of people dropping like flies.
No, not just people.
Outlanders.
The sirens are alerting the people of Herald that there has been a Breach.
I look to Markee and find her already staring at me wide-eyed, realizing the same thing I do. I squeeze my eyes shut as pieces of the scene come to me, my imagination quilting a picture of violence and desperation, pain and death. With such an upheaval of sound, there has to be a lot of people involved, which means that there are a great multitude of Outlanders crossing into Herald, the first Breach since Rhett was taken.
"We should have just gone home like Vera said," I tell Markee, my voice tight—it's getting hard to suck in air. When she doesn't reply, my eyes fly open to see her no longer crouched next to me. I spring up in panic, rounding the corner just in time to catch her climbing down the levee toward the forest.
"Are you out of your mind?" I growl at her.
"Miles could be out there," she replies, trudging faster down the man-made hill.
"This is his job. He's trained for this—you and I aren't!" When she shows no signs of turning around or even slowing down, I have no choice but to climb down after her. "You're going to get us killed!"
At that, she turns around and fixes me with a gaze so angry, so betrayed, that I stop dead in my tracks.
"Fine, you can just sit here and let another one of our friends die because of the Outlanders!"
My heart stops. There is no longer any blood being pumped through my veins. There is no breath in my lungs. There is only the sting of her words slicing through the cacophony of my thoughts.
Markee's fists clench, knuckles white. "I'm going to do something other than just wait around for someone to tell me that Miles is dead! So you can go back home and wait and worry, or you can come with me and do something about it."
Beneath the shock, I realize that I'm not surprised by her words. It is fitting of Markee to have the confidence to rush in and save the day when her friends are in danger. Though her bravery may be fool-hardy, the love for her friends is fierce.
Still, she is right in a way. If something were to happen to Miles that we could have prevented, I would never forgive myself. My guilt book is already filled to the last page.
A course of action is already forming in my head, covering each liability, and I realize I've already made my decision. We are not equipped for combat in the slightest, but if we can get close enough, we can keep an eye on the soldiers and look for Miles. No unnecessary involvement is required. And I do believe that Markee can make a difference. She's always been headstrong and determined, both things it takes to be successful—everything I'm not.
I suck in a deep breath and take my place behind Markee, following her over the levee toward the battle.
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The ascendance of the "Emperor of Darkness"
A high school student who suddenly transported into another world after answering the mysterious survey questions in all [Yes].
8 233I:DI/OM - Integrate
Arthorius Ynha-El Hyuga, or as his friends and family call him, Arthur, is a 22 year old who comes into possession of a Generation I A.I. While this was not necessarily the one he wanted, he didn't much care. However, he later finds out a dark secret about said A.I., which changes his entire view of the New World. While working as a Mercenary for the Black Letter Programme, a Freelancer Company which specializes in training Operatives for hire, Arthur gets a peculiar job to save a child belonging to the family that created the Mother of A.I. This job however, turns out to be something grimmer than just a search and rescue... sending him on a mission to try and prevent another World War, and possibly, even uncover a truth far more grim than war.
8 77Thief of Time
[Participant in the Royal Road Writathon challenge] Book 1: The Legend of Tot Synopsis: Claud Primus, a self-declared master thief, has a simple goal. To live forever. It's a rather easy task, for miraculous objects called lifestones are able to extend one's lifespan. These lifestones are best found in the treasuries of nobles, lovely resorts that Claud pays a visit to every so often. Unfortunately, one of those nightly visits go awry, and Claud is forced to escape with just a single lifestone and a box in hand. Normally, that's when things die down. The guards yawn, the gates close, and the night continues. But this time, the night isn't that forgiving. A dozen schemes result in the murder of someone important, and with a convenient scapegoat — Claud — at hand, it doesn't take long for him to be framed as a heinous criminal, wanted for the indirect murder of someone high up...and it just gets worse from there. Book 2: The Moon Lords' Rise Synopsis: As ordered chaos sweeps across Licencia, Claud leaves for Julan Barony, intent on making some profits there. Accompanied by the erstwhile heiress of Julan, a fellow member of the Moon Lords, the two plot against the barony's wealth...as well as a promise to bring about its downfall. Meanwhile, back home, the Moon Lords have busied themselves with digesting their gains. Eyes, however, are beginning to turn to this proverbial fish in a small pond. The fishermen are coming. When they cast their hook, what will Dia and the others do? Book 3: Murders under the Moons Synopsis: In the sleepy town of Nachtville, where Claud and Lily are forced to stop at, a set of nasty murders occurs. Victims scream out in fright, before a spear falls from the sky to end their suffering. Cowed and cautious, the master thief and his partner slink in the shadows, their objective that of home... A new task, however, has fallen on Dia. With a trusty helper at her side, she has to set off towards Nachtville itself, to solve the mystery Claud had abandoned. Faced with an enemy whose sole skillset is geared towards killing, how will they succeed? And what dark secrets will they find? Book 4: In the Dark of the Moons Synopsis: The year has ended. The four months of the full moons will soon be followed by two months of the new moons. Duke Istrel's ascension is around the corner. Amidst this political upheaval, Count Nightfall, Licencia's strongest defender, has been called away. The Moon Lords' largest task yet — to protect Licencia in the absence of its ruler — has begun. And yet, trouble is unrelenting. A distinguished personage, one that Claud fears, has been found dead in the county, his brains dug out and his body disemboweled. The inquisitors of the White Church have been dispatched to investigate and apprehend the murderer...as well as the person behind this puppet. Tormented by a call to fight, Claud directs his eyes out of the city, looking for the puppetmaster. Skulking in the shadows, the master thief will soon confront his greatest foe yet. A foe just like him. Book 5: Moonlit Tides and Darkened Seas Synopsis: A new era has begun. For the privileged, the sands of time dribble away for every passing moment, counting down to the arrival of a entity of mythical proportions. The night now harbours shadows and fog, and operatives of the Moons and the Dark clash in shadow. Claud, as usual, is investigating a spate of nasty disappearances in the city, but little does he know what these disappearances truly mean. And yet, a tide is coming. When it finally breaks, what will he do? Book 6: Secrets in Shadow Synopsis: The person behind a strike that would enter the annals of history flees his home, bringing with him the person closest to his heart into a new land and into a new world. Having left Istrel for the first time in his life, the two of them attempt to settle down in foreign lands, only to be caught in the middle of hostilities between two mighty powers grappling for dominion. Yet, none of that has anything to do with him. Following his desires, Claud eventually makes his way to the fabled Celestia Ruins, a fragment of another world. Bearing witness to truths he cannot yet comprehend, he returns from his exploration, a small break away from the machinations of destiny. One thing, however, is for certain. Destiny will not wait for him. Book 7: Reddest Rage Synopsis: Destiny churns on, heedless of mortal machinations, and Claud watches as the battlegrounds between the Moons and the Dark are drawn up. With the forces of the great Dark occupying Lostfon, Claud comes to a startling realisation — that he may have very well be a murderer of heinous proportions. Grappling with that realisation, he struggles to prepare for his Second Tutorial... Back in Istrel, Dia finds herself confronted with a perennial truth. Even in a time of writhing destiny, the machinations between nobles never cease to end — and unfortunately for her, the group once known as the Moon Lords are forced into dealing with a petty squabble between two counts. What they didn't account for, however, was the startling discovery they would soon make... And the shadow of the Red God's Holy Son behind it all. Book 8: Darkness Descends Synopsis: Nightmares haunt the horizon as Claud sinks and awakens from a seeming dream. What was once illusory begins to play out before him, in a way he cannot imagine. Dia, forced to wield arms, begins and ends a battle that opens her eyes to the vast dangers that lurk in this sundered world. Under the banner of humanity and divinity, she beholds the silent, forgotten protectors of Orb...but there is no forgetting the battle between the divinities. The Dark descends, the Moons writhe, and the horns of war blow once more. But this is not their battle. Not yet. Book 9: Moons Muster Synopsis: As more and more events fall into place, Claud finds himself desperate. Not for himself, but for the person who has turned into his world. Armed with the knowledge of a certain future, he approaches the only person that could possibly help him in his time of need, trading information for a promise of help. With that as solace, he returns to the grim task of understanding and seeking, revisiting an ancient, shattered fragment of another world...unleashing changes that he never knew was possible. Back in Istrel, Dia and the others must now navigate around a familiar spirit, who seeks to investigate the death of his master's Bearer. With them as prime suspects, the Seekers of Life must move carefully...but the Coloured Gods are not the only divinities eyeing them closely. The Moons, bristling from repeated defeats, are looking for new recruits, and the Seekers of Life are prime cannon fodder. Above all, destiny marches on, the unfeeling clock a warning to all. The Trial of Aeons will soon arrive. Book 10: Destiny Divine Synopsis: ??? Release frequency: one every few days or something, I guess. (This work is also being serialised on Webnovel under the name Revile as a trial run)
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Status: Open for requestsNeed an aesthetic gifs for your fanfiction or book? Look no further. Aesthetic gifs for period tv shows, movies, and more, ranging from ancient times to the 1990s. Find gifs for Game of Thrones fanfictions, historical books, and any other period pieces you may need.
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"Will you ever hear me in the rain?" "...?"*****#157 in PoetryFebruary 12, 2016#86 in PoetryFebruary 14, 2016
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