《It's hard being the fourth wheel in a love triangle》17 - His people
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When Ayva woke up, it was already light out. The sun has gone down, the sight of the city glitters at night, beautiful in a way nature is not. It is the light of commerce.
Wiping himself, Ayva discovers that he has a new change of clothes.
'It was probably Leo', Ayva reasoned. Then he found a note.
'We are going to go sightseeing. Won't be back until late at night.'
'So that guy is out having fun with the girls eh? That's alright.'
Alone, Ayva was able to put all his weapons into his inventory. After that, Ayva went out at night.
Red Crown is a living breathing creature. It only truly becomes awake at night.
Ayva watches a guy on the street doing a show while selling goods. He drank a smelly concoction then spits fire in the air. The crowd claps and tosses him some coins, with some buying his product.
Ayva tosses in a coin, he has to be tight with his spending considering that he sent the rest home.
Then, Ayva bought a local delicacy, roasted honeyed bird on a stick. With a stick in hand, Ayva wanders over the busiest part of the street to see what the fuss is all about.
It was a fair distance from the inn he was staying at. From the staff at the inn's advice, he has to go to the other part of town for actual 'entertainment' and street food. The inn serves three meals a day as part of the payment but snack come extra.
So, to try out some of the food that is known as the specialties of Red Crown, Ayva walks all the way through.
Of course, when the crowd starts getting too much, he quickly scales the roof in the dark and starts jumping roof to roof.
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He has a feeling that his set of skill will be especially useful here, considering all of it belongs to a rogue.
However, currently, Ayva just wants to have fun. With superior agility, for example, Ayva could tracks the dirty looking boy's fingers moving to take his wallet in the crowd. With that same agility, Ayva could also let him take it and then take it back from his hand without him even noticing. It is not good making a fuss in a crowd.
Ayva arrives at the biggest attraction on the other side of town where none of the big buildings are.
It was a brothel.
Momentarily, his eyes darken.
Then he walks past it.
The girls who are inviting guests to check out the merchandise inside sure are bold.
But he is underage after all. Even though he has killed a human before.
"Hey, you are from out of town too right?"
A thick accent welcome Ayva back when he returns to the better part of town. Three brothers, Ayva can immediately tell from the resemblance.
There is a kind of tell between the country boys. Ayva recognizes them as country boys just as they recognize Ayva.
It is just the way they move, or their expression, or their face.
'I guess I look just as gullible.'
The eldest brother is a head taller than Ayva while being twice as thick. The second brother is near his ear, while the youngest brother is a head shorter than Ayva.
"Ay, do ye know where the Red Crown Wizard guild is?"
"Sorry, I just moved here, I don't know much about the place. But you should check the northern street, I think that's where they are."
When Aeana got injured, Micah took her to the northern street to get her healed
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"Bless ya."
"Why are you looking for the Wizard Guild anyway?"
"We are getting junior here register. He is a little magic user ya."
The eldest brother told Ayva. The smallest boy fidgets under the attention, but he puffs his chest to act a bit proud after his brother comment. Immediately, Ayva turns on his status page.
As if it was affected by the oldest's comment, the status page's name was changed
"Junior
HP:150
Spell: Spark"
'Only 150? Well he is on the smaller side.'
Most importantly, there was also a spell that did not appear in game. [Spark]. Ayva could guess that it is a fire spell of some sort, but not what kind. However, he didn't pry.
Looking at the three clueless brothers for a moment, moving into a big city as a chance to change their life, especially the youngest's fidgety, Ayva was suddenly reminded of himself.
"It is not that far. Let me go with you."
"Oh, eh? Thank a lot lad."
"It's alright. It's not far away. We people from the country side have to stick to each other."
The second oldest smiles.
"Thank. It is our first time in the city, and we feel so lost."
"Ha, I feel lost too. Suddenly, I don't even know what I'm doing with my life, moving so far away from what I'm used to and comfortable with. Even now, I'm not sure it was the right decision."
Suddenly, the eldest puts his hand on Ayva's shoulder.
"Don't worry lad. The Goddess has her eyes out for everybody. As long as there is a will there is a way. As long as you keep moving forward, there will be a place for you."
"My dad always said, a man has to build his own home. That is in our village. But now we are in the city, I hope we could do that too." The youngest speaks, causing all to laugh.
Sending them to Red Crown Wizard Guild, Ayva suddenly spots Aeana walking out. The knightess was dishelveled, but seeing Ayva, she suddenly flinches. Ayva taps the three boys to make them walk quickly. How awkward.
At least he has some people to talk to on the short walk.
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Another world
For some, this old story would always be altered, but the outcome was always the same. 'The Evening Celebration.' Some blame humanity for provoking them, while others accuse monsters from another realm, and a few believed it was all merely the devil's fault. There is now a killer in the city. Attacking all the young ladies, pulling something from within them, and abandoning them on the doorsteps of their loved ones. Exactly similar to the old story. Will this issue ever be resolved, or will it be the start of something new? Ignoring the matter is also an option. Continuing with their everyday routine is generally a wise decision. That's just for the time being, of course. Till the plot leads them to someone they should have never encountered.
8 121The Final Incantation
Members of the Red Legs gang, founded by disgraced Queensguard Sheridan and Abel, struggle to survive in a world after the fall of the Queendom, and revival of the Church. Stealing and thieving to survive on the frontier, they begin to stumble onto a vast, ancient conspiracy that will change the world forever.
8 74The Oresteia (Modernized)
All three of the great Greek Tragedians have written plays about the bloody chain of murder and revenge within the royal family of Argos. Yet theirs is in fact not a story of tragedy, but rather one of redemption. As they move from darkness to light, from rage to self-governance, from primitive ritual to civilized institution, their spirit of struggle and regeneration becomes an everlasting song of celebration to be heard throughout the ages. Forming a discourse set against the emergence of Athenian democracy out of a period of chaos and destruction, the Orestian plays are compelling stories of the tensions between our obligations to our families and the laws that bind us together as a society. In the beginning, we witness how a king’s decision to sacrifice his daughter and turn the tide of war inflicts lasting damage on his family, culminating in a terrible act of retribution. In the aftermath of regicide, we behold how a son must set out to avenge his father’s death by committing a most egregious sin. In the end, the sinner is tormented by supernatural powers that can never be appeased, but ultimately finds redemption and ends the curse on his house once and for all. Woven through all of this is the story of a friendship so close that it elevates itself to brotherhood - Where the blood of the covenant is shown to be indeed thicker than the water of the womb. In this very brief twelve-chapter modern rendition of the Orestian plays, I have chosen to place my focus mainly on the lives of the characters Orestes and his best friend Pylades. The chapters, each around 2000-2500 words, are split up evenly between them in first-person narrative. I hope that you will come to enjoy reading this heartwarming story, but more importantly, that you see how the conflicts portrayed in the story, whether human or institutional, are still much very relevant to our societies today. Note on Sources: The details of this story is very loosely based on The Oresteia by Aeschylus. And I mean very loosely. Other sources that I referenced for detail and inspiration are Mythology by Edith Hamilton, Electra by Sophocles, and Iphigenia in Tauris by Euripides. You may also find that I have quoted some of these works, and others (such as Shelley's Ozymondaeus), without citations (average of 1-2 such quotes per chapter). I did this because I do not have the ability to describe certain scenes nearly as well as some of those writers. If you read a particularly beautiful piece of prose here, chances are it's probably stolen lol. Also, I wrote this during the summer between my high school senior year and my college freshmen year. It was the summer of 2020, and being quarantined apparently gets my creative side out lol.
8 191Encroaching Darkness
Ashford Meyers used to be a general practitioner, living out his days in peace while he expanded on his hobbies. This all came crashing down when the world changed. Creatures from myths came out of the ether to wreak havoc on the world. He uses his smarts and additional powers from the system to create a place for the remnants of humanity to flock to. He starts training those who want to protect the weak in this new world until everything changes with the arrival of the outworlders. So, this fiction is something that I have been working on for a few weeks, and as such, I have about 75 pages already pending. On another note, chapters will be released every week on Monday and Friday, 8:00 am EST.
8 276Running from him
The game and Jennifer Lopez bookTime jumps.
8 70The Avengers Compound
An AU where everyone lives in the Avengers ComplexJust little one shots of cute/special moments between characters, mainly Peter Parker with the othersTakes place after Spiderman Far From Home, but Tony, Nat and Vision aren't dead, and Banner isn't professor Hulk
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