《The Chameleon's Gift》Chapter 7: The window
Advertisement
Caw fidgeted in the bed, her legs feeling like a nest of ants were running up and down them.
It had been a week since she’d entered the circular room of the spire. A miserable week of nettle tea, smelly ointments, aching joints, and pissing in a pot beside the bed. It would be fine if they allowed her to piss alone, but no, the acolytes had to be present. For all of it. This was Oak’s punishment, she was sure of it. Oak killed with kindness and worry, wearing her victims down with the love of a doting mother. Caw wondered if Oak would up the ante and have her swaddled like a babe. At least Rock would find it funny. She hadn’t seen Rock all week either. He could have at least scaled the wall and poked his head in the window. Say hi.
Oak definitely wouldn’t have approved, but it would be worth it.
Returning to the Anquan always felt like a last resort, as if they were admitting defeat. Yes, it was home, her tribe's home, the only place her people could live in peace away from the Shen hunters. But it didn’t feel right. In the forest was freedom, life, wisdom in the trees and the earth that Caw could feel in her chest and in her feet. The earth had a spirit, a voice. The Senlin all knew this. It was taught to them by the elders when they came of age; when Caw had just begun to experience the magic. The fluttering little flame, a tiny spark, brought on with a growth spurt and an ache in the lower abdomen. All Senlin youths learn to hear that voice, and they learn to understand it, understand the name of a thing and its secrets. But there was something else, too. Something she wasn’t able to put into words or translate with anything tangible. More a sense than a feeling. And Rock felt it too. When they were running through the trees, that was where they were supposed to be. The nights they’d spent laying still in the canopy, watching the stars and listening to the tree frogs singing, the night creatures scuttling about below. Something natural and good.
Advertisement
The desert was dead and hot. Everything that lived there seemed to hate it, except for the camels. But they were crotchety, ill-tempered creatures anyway, who spat and bit for no reason.
Laying in bed all week, doing nothing in the heat but reading and staring out of the window, Caw could have spat and bit too. A week in the cave would have been preferable, at least in the cave she could see the sky clearly, and not from an awkward angle. Caw thought of the bookshop in the quiet village with the fountain, its inviting bakery and happy looking residents. As soon as her legs healed, she’d be heading right back. She wasn’t sure how, but she’d convince Oak to give her some Gen money, then she could finally buy something off the old man.
The sound of footfall on stone steps echoed from the corridor outside, and the door creaked open. Oak glided in, a gentle smile on her face as she greeted the acolytes and headed to Caw.
“How are you feeling today, Caw?” she asked.
“My legs itch, and I am feeling restless, but I feel better. My legs don’t feel swollen anymore.”
“That’s good to hear.”
Oak nodded to the acolytes, and they pulled away the blankets. Caw sat forward, desperate to snatch a glance at her legs. They looked good. She leaned back, satisfied. Oak’s expression remained passive, short a flicker of her eyebrow.
“They look almost fully healed,” she said. “One more day and I think you will be fine.”
Caw sat up. “Another day?” she said, “you can’t be serious!”
“There is still some bruising and redness,” replied Oak, her hand up. “And, we needed time to study this new poison. Would you like to know where it came from?”
Advertisement
“Yes,” said Caw, leaning forward.
“It is spider venom.”
Caw’s face twisted with confusion. “Must be an enormous spider to produce that much venom. The hunters had many of those darts on them.”
“I wondered the same thing,” replied Oak. An acolyte handed her a small tray with a bowl. Oak took it and massaged the ash-coloured ointment into Caw’s legs. In an instant, the itching stopped. “I believe they have found a way to recreate it, make more of it,” Oak continued. “It is the only thing that makes sense. They wouldn’t forgo the older darts overnight for no reason.”
“But how?”
“That, I do not know.”
Oak turned her face to the window arch. Caw frowned. A week she’d been in that room, in that bed. A sitting duck. Whatever the venom was made with, it was dangerous.
“We can’t keep living like this, Oak.”
“We don’t have a choice, Caw.”
Oak left the window and left the room. At the doorway, she paused and said, “One day you’ll understand.”
Advertisement
- In Serial72 Chapters
Journey of a Scholar
What would you do if you got reincarnated ? Our MC has to answer that question as he is reborn in a fantasy world: full of magic, martial artists, watchfull gods, exotic races and dangerous monsters. But fate isn't on his side, as he has to start from scratch, without strength, magic, riches, nor any cheatlike power. How can one survive as a poor commoner's child in a dire world when his sole strength is the knowledge he retained from his previous life on Earth ? Discover Erendia and its mysteries alongside him, on a journey, full of hardships and struggles, walking the path of a scholar, with a pen mightier than any sword. NB : chapters on tuesdays, fridays and sundays. Expect a slow start, more slice of life oriented till around chap 20 as our MC is an infant discovering a brand new world. PS : English isn't my mother tongue, so please do point out any mistakes so that I can correct and edit them. PPS: tags are here mostly so I don't have to worry about censorship. There will be some gory moments, some psychological violence, some dire situations and maybe some sexy ones, but do not expect smut. participant in the Royal Road Writathon challenge
8 222 - In Serial64 Chapters
Lethal Combo (Weapon-Based Martial Arts Adventure)
Quang is a slacker that doesn't have much going for him except for his skills in Chinese kickboxing and his proficiency with a pair of nunchucks. Selene is broke but still manages to overestimate herself. The fact that she's knows Hapkido and how to handle a set of tonfas doesn't help either. Together, they're going to get into a lot of trouble. Just like everyone else in the sweltering West Coast city of Isla Lucrecia, Quang Nghiem is struggling to get by. His family’s business can’t make ends meet, his childhood friend has vanished without a trace and the self-imposed local “Union” threatens to tear down the family restaurant if they can’t pay their dues. Fortunately for him, part-time lifeguard and fellow out-of-practice martial artist Selene Olwagen has nothing better to do and is more than willing to help Quang track down his missing friend. However, there’s more lurking in the shadows of Isla Lucrecia than typical street gangs and criminals. Almost every chapter will have illustrations to accompany it. Heavily inspired by fighting games and classic martial arts films. Expect that kind of tone of going in. Updates twice a week, (mostly) on Wednesday and Saturday. Illustrations and covers were done by Ati: www.instagram.com/serious_ati/ Check out more art of Lethal Combo and my other projects here: www.instagram.com/fgc_checkmate/
8 167 - In Serial16 Chapters
Permanight (Hiatus)
The world of Mecc has fallen into permanent night. Monsters roam the countryside, the sun refuses to rise, and towns and cities alike are falling into disarray. Their only hope is the ancient prophecy, which says a hero of light will emerge to save humanity in their darkest hour... 20 years from now. Too little, too late for those living now. In the midst of the the apocalypse, college student Oscar McAllister finds himself out of a job and out of luck. After accidentally ending up slaying a daemon on his way to get the groceries however, Oscar is haplessly drawn into the world of adventuring and questing, and with the old world falling apart - Oscar becomes one of the many tasked with trying to hold everything together. As he fights however, he is forced to face not just the evil that lurks in the shadows: but the indifference that lurks in people’s hearts. The world is playing a waiting game with human lives, and Oscar is caught right in the middle of it. Note: This is a dark LitRPG story, with dungeons, levelling, and quests in a contemporary setting. Permanight is currently on hiatus while I prepare a rewrite based on the current feedback I've recieved. I'm sorry for the bad news, but I want to bring the world to life in a way that feels real, and at the moment - I'm not entirely convinced that I'm doing that.
8 137 - In Serial18 Chapters
The Overlord with the shield (Hiatus)
The Whole Nazarick gets teleported to the world of Shield Hero? Or not? What is happening? A story full of mysteries, betrayal, revenge and strange happenings.
8 92 - In Serial310 Chapters
INTO THE ARCHAILECT
Moyosore realizes he has no time to waste as he has been thrown into a new world, his current reality has been erased with the coming of the Archailect. with danger lurking at every corner, he has to get strong and fast or lose his life in this game-like reality....
8 116 - In Serial30 Chapters
Mr. Professor [A Jeon Jungkook FF]
This story revolves around a normal university student who's pretty good at academics but in practical life, she's a failure. She often gets caught in an unpleasant situation with her newly appointed History Professor. The Professor is usually a kind guy but exceptionally weird towards her. He's had a gray past that made him numb to every emotion.Both of them were not bothered by each other unless their lives took a drastic turn and now, their fates Kare entangled with each other.What's going to happen? Do heavens have ulterior motives? Are their lives going to be shattered or, are they going to heal each other?WARNING- CONTAINS SMUT (18+)YOU CAN GIVE A TRY TO MY STORIES. I'LL TRY NOT TO SHOW YOU REPEATED CONTENTS!
8 216