《Wulver》Chapter Two: Company in the Cabin
Advertisement
Wulver didn’t put a shade on his boat as he left the shore. He was in an uncharacteristic hurry though he had plenty of time to return to his cabin before nightfall. The fog on the sea made him anxious. It made him afraid. He didn’t remember the last time he felt fear. That time when a flock of sheep raided his garden was something akin to the emotion. But fear… this was his first time. He kept looking back to see if the fog was following him. He didn’t stop to see if it came over to the shore. He didn’t know how a fog could follow like a creature, but the nightmare had hushed his reasoning for the time being. And reasoning didn’t explain a strange fog on the sea anyways.
As time went on, Wulver increased his pace. He had ample time but he didn’t feel like he had. The only thing that held him off from running on both four legs was his pride. Wulver could carry a pine log on his shoulder. He could scare off a bear or a mountain lion with a growl. How could he run as if he--
Wulver heard a sound. It came from far away, but he could swear it was the sound of a… crunch. Wulver ran. Still, on two legs, but he ran how the bear would hightail when he would growl at him. In minutes, he saw his cabin in the distance and relief came over to him. It was enough to make him get back his bearings, and he considered: Was it a crunch he heard or the rattle of shake of a branch when a bird would take off of it?
“Well, this is embarrassing,” he said, laughing. Though the laugh was half-forced. “I must stop imagining things. It was only a dream.” He hurried into his cabin and locked the door behind him.
Advertisement
The sun was touching the horizon, and the forest was warm with an orange glow. Wulver could hear the flutter of the owl going out to hunt. Soon, it was dark and the moon came high up in the sky. Wulver prepared a simple meal for that night. Roasted potatoes with a tomato sauce. He ate without enthusiasm. He was tired but hunger was far from him. Neither, the lack of fish was on his mind. His thoughts wandered back to the fog no matter how much he tried to dismiss it.
He felt a keen sense of loneliness about him. Wulver never kept friendships with the forest dwellers. He was so different from them. And yet he didn’t seek the company of men over the mainland either. They would be too afraid of him. He felt like an orphan of both worlds, but never felt the sadness of his orphanage. He enjoyed life as it was, a day after another. Some days were difficult, others a cakewalk, but each day he felt blessed to go through and blessed it back.
But today, tonight, he felt alone. He wished he had somebody to talk with.
Wulver was terribly brought out of his musings by a loud crash from his pantry. Immediately, he went over to the hearth and picked up an axe leaning by the log basket. His fists shivered around the handle of the axe as he crept closer towards the room. Putting together what last courage he had left, he burst into the room, axe high and ready to strike any foe.
There was a sharp, piercing, inhuman scream. It was followed by a louder, human-like one and the dull bong of iron on wood. Something scurried past between Wulver’s legs and into his bedroom. He picked up his axe and his hands didn’t shake anymore.
Advertisement
“Rascal! Thief!” he bellowed as he stomped into his bedroom. He looked around but the holder of the disreputable monikers was nowhere to be seen. Come out, you scoundrel before I bring you out! Oh, you don’t want me to bring you out, that’s for sure. Show your face, you dirty fox!”
There was movement beneath his bed. A snout shyly poked out of the darkness followed by two pleading eyes with ears tucked back. When the fox saw that the act was making Wulver’s fingers twitch around the axe, he dropped it and came out and sat upright and looked at him as if it was Wulver who had come into its house.
“Theif!” Wulver said. “For the third time, I have caught you in my house, in my pantry. I saw you but a poor creature the first time but don’t believe I will now. Remember what I said the second time?”
The fox blinked and cocked its head sideways as if it was unaware of what this uninvited guest at its house was raving about.
“I said,” Wulver continued, “that I would chop your head off if you tried it the third time. Well, it seems it’s the third time and I have an axe in my hand, how convenient for me.”
The fox snarled at Wulver. Wulver bared his jaw full of fangs and snarled back. “Oh, first thievery, now derisory. Better watch your mouth, fox. I have had an awful day, and I am not in a good mood. You don’t want me to get serious.”
Both were unwilling to give the other an inch. It seemed their stand-off could only end in a mishap. But then, the fox stopped snarling and its ears perked up. Wulver’s ears too went up as well. They had heard a sound. A sound like a crunch. And as Wulver looked out his window, he saw a fog had rolled outside.
Crunch. Crunch. Crunch. The sounds kept getting closer to his cabin.
Advertisement
Tales of the Implock - A LitRPG Monster Evolution Story
Nyx - A demon, weak and small, too fleeting of a creature to survive the infernal wastes in which he was born - but after multiple brushes with death, the otherwise inconsequential demon experiences a destiny-changing encounter with an unknown and eccentric god, foreign to this world. Cast from the domains of old and conspiring gods to a land of which is sheltered from the divine, beyond the reach of whence they scheme, the impling who soon would come to be known far and wide as Nyx will find a new purpose. Born of Pride, with the fires of ambition fanned and burning deep within, Nyx will grow, learn, and evolve. From a weak and pathetic impling, to that of a mighty arch demon of untold demonic power, nothing would stand in the way of his ascent. Yet, the yearn of power might not be the only thing the power-manic demon will come to desire as he will encounter others who might just matter as much to him as the ecstasy of power does. [Info]This story features a wide breadth of characters with unconventional views, morals, and actions. There is no black and white - there is only grey. In a world where strength rules, notions of good and evil blur. The protagonist of this story is not a hero. He is not human. He is a megalomaniac demon trying to find his place in the world of which he has been discarded. This novel is my first crack at making something serious, a piece of work I can be proud of. It is a part of a bigger universe that I am creating, The Aethos, and I fully intend for this story to be professionally edited, then self-published on Amazon. The novel will continue on for a long adventure, as each arc will be made into a proper book. Therefore I heavily encourage feedback and interaction. Anything to improve my story and my writing is greatly appreciated. Thank you, and welcome to the Aethos. [Schedule] - Five chapters a week. [Discord] - Here
8 224Caged within the Ravencourt
A short and pain-filled life was all that Melissa was given, and it wasn't until falling asleep for the last time that she was finally given something more. Waking up in a healthy and young body, and faced with an unfamiliar culture and even more inexplicable sights, Melissa had to adapt to her life new as Kalie, the third Princess of the Shattered Isles of Cerith. It didn't take long for Kalie to realize that even though she finds herself in a strange world, she may just be one of the strangest parts of it. As Kalie comes to terms with her bizarre new life, she finds herself set in the sights of the powerful new king of a far off land. Eventually finding herself taken away to be Caged within the Ravencourt. This story is world spanning, and slow to start. It's my intention to build up towards the epic story I'm hoping to tell. Don’t expect over the top powers, just smart characters using magic interestingly. And, like my other stories, the focus is on the characters themselves, less so the world they’re in. Enjoy!
8 200In the House of a Witch
While hiking during an extended weekend from grad school, the slightly airheaded Rose Snyder slips through a gap between worlds and encounters a witch.. With no way to return, she must adapt to the strange world of magic and danger, and find her place in a land where those who lose their grasp on reality fall. Shared Universe with my other story, https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/41575/the-archivists-petty-revenge Also posted on Scribblehub. Based on the description of traumatizing content, it's worth noting that this series normalizes tax evasion and other such crimes. Also is vaguely GirlsLove-ish.
8 292Art of Mortality
New Synopsis after chapter 56: Long long ago, there was a mortal who despised the gods and envied the immortals. Why do the mortals have to die when the gods wish them to? Why do worlds have to perish when the gods say so? Why do only immortals get to live forever, why not mortals like him? As his family, friends, and his loved one died, he lamented. He wailed, he cried. He cursed the immortals, blasphemed the gods, spat at the heavens. But he was just a mere mortal. His curses were pointless, his blasphemous words were useless, and his spits only returned back to fall on his face. At last, he thought, enough was enough, he would definitely do something about it. He decided that it was time for the multiverse to know what a mortal can do. He was the first mortal to cultivate. Eventually, after a long struggle, he killed the Immortals, enslaved the Gods, and shattered the heavens. He reshaped the multiverse and rewrote his fate. In the end, he reincarnated as he decided upon a grand scheme, a scheme to rule 'All and Always'. He came up with the concept of what is known today as 'Paragon'. And with this, all of reality, 'All and Always', was finally reforming, according to a Mortal's Wish. Synopsis (Old): In the vast and complex multiverse, what can a mortal accomplish? In the grand scheme of things, what can a mortal change? In truth, what is a mortal, and what is mortality? Being mortal is being ordinary, the same as being trash, or so says The World. "No, mortality is an art, and a true mortal is a grand artist. Being the root of all, a mortal can become anything.", says a young mortal boy. Meet Edward Alexander, a mortal boy walking the path against gods and immortals, fighting to the end to rewrite his destiny, and change the grand scheme of things. Can he really change the grand scheme of things? Or maybe he himself is the Grand Schemer? To know the answer, follow Edward Alexnder on his journey to demonstrate the Art of Mortality.*******
8 162A Page of Petals
No one likes waking up in a cell. It’s cold and dark and overall, a horrid experience. Now imagine the cell is in the middle of a town full of monsters. Yeah. That’s definitely worse. So when Amora woke up with no memories of how she got there- well, that’s what we call rock bottom. Unlucky? But I guess it can only get better from here… right? Join her as she tries turning her life around. In a weird slice of life fantasy story of friendship, adventure and magic- Oh, and an obscene amount of flower picking too. Enjoy!
8 200Raising Gracie
Life happens sometimes for no rhyme or reason but when things line up magic happens. Seth Rollins and Becky Lynch walk down a path with a young girl named Gracie. Watch as she changes their world and lives and completes things in so many ways.
8 237