《What the Green Bird Sees》Clinquant
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Clinquant (adjective): glittering with gold and silver
In the windows, laid countless pieces of shining jewelry. Brilliant sunlight spilled through the glass and glittered off each golden necklace and silvery ring, dazzling the eyes of the girl staring into them.
Her group of friends ooh-ed and ahh-ed at each carefully crafted masterpiece, knowing bitterly that the dollars in their wallets would not be enough, or ever enough, to claim one of the shop’s jewels for themselves. In hushed tones, they debated whether or not they should purchase one together. But if they did, who would wear it? Would they trade off? What would happen if one of them lost it?
The girl felt empty.
She couldn’t bring herself to join the conversation, only offering sympathetic smiles if one of her friends looked her way.
Those shining jewelries didn’t feel real to her.
Of course, each and every work in the display boasted precious metals and flawless craftsmanship with a breathtaking luminosity and price tag; they were undoubtedly genuine.
Although she stood right next to her friends, huddled in a bundle before the windows, she felt an overwhelming chasm and void between them.
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Northwoods Trapper
In the wild places of our planet, dark vestiges of our paranormal past yet cling to twisted life. In the past, the hunters and trappers of the world were tasked with removing such blights from society's fringes - legal assassins, enlisted to enforce the will of civilization against those unnatural, otherworldly hosts. Nowadays, we're not so lucky. With the idea of proper monster-hunting fading from public perception, the once-prestigious mantle is donned by amateurs, hobbyists, and self-taught warriors. It pays poorly, it's dangerous, and people would rather do something that gets them rich or famous or drowning in attention. Most often, new-age monster hunters are born from tragedy. They lack the tact, training, and funding of hunters passed. Instead, they have only their wits and brawn to carry them through. So it is with our hero. In the woods of the American Midwest, foul creatures lurk. Tabitha Varna, a young college drop-out scarred by her past, is determined to uproot them or die trying. Sometimes she hopes for both.[Participant in the Royal Road Writathon challenge]
8 198A Merchants Tale
Legends rise. Country’s fall. Empires wage war. But what supports these great powers, allowing them to function as a single organism. Is it the common man, Farmers and Millers forming the backbone of the land? The Soldiers and Guards keeping public order? The Wives and Widows supporting from the side-lines? The Nobles from their seats of power? Or the elusive Sorcerers who wield power untold? And what maggots crawl in this great creature, all trying to get a piece of its slowly decaying flesh. The gangs of the Underworld hidden in the shadows? The Bandits and Deserters hiding at the edges, ready to pounce on any weakness? Witches and Warlocks working their dark art? Or other Nations clawing at their neighbour’s, salivating over the riches they stand to gain from another’s demise. There is one group that belongs to neither group. They thrive on others misfortune and bring with them salvation and destruction in equal measure. They can raise a kingdom up or tear it down screaming and kicking. These are the merchants, the lifeblood of kingdoms, because what is the one thing above all else men crave. Is it Love? Power? Destruction? All these things can be acquired with one simple thing. Wealth. Wealth is the true power behind the world. Wealth can buy army’s, strangle kingdoms, and turn even the most devout man from his faith. Merchants come in many forms, shapes and sized, some gaudy, bleeding the people for all their worth, some tricky, preferring to make contracts and debts to trap men. And some desperate, doing all they can to sell even the most worthless of junk. This is a story of one merchant who goes against all a merchant stands for. He works not for profit but for some unseen goal, a prophesy aeons old. He comes and goes like a ghost, bringing with him hope and victory. All pray for his arrival to spare them from despair. But what about when he doesn’t show? What about the people he doesn’t save? For this man is no angel, no saint sent to save the masses. His goal was never to deliver hope. It merely isn’t time for their destruction yet. For nothing is eternal. And all things must end. But what comes after? Quick disclaimer in response to the review I got, this is my first story and somewhat of an experiment for me, hopefully my writing will get better the more I practice. Thanks for any helpful advice :)
8 65Central Intelligence Ashitra (Isekai)
In this line of work was always a dangerous one, there's no doubt about it and Kalden accepted it. When he was shot dead in his own office in the Osaka Consulate, Kalden wasn't terribly shocked, but when offered a second chance at life in a brand new world, Kalden was sceptical at best, but nonetheless he found himself in the world of Ashitra. Stripped of purpose and motivation, can Kalden adjust to this new world? or will the pressures of the new world be too much?
8 78StarFay: Children of the Sun
Milly Sayer, a young 19-year-old technician fresh out of training for the massive intergalactic nation, known only to her as “the company”, is sent on a 3-year survey mission to a remote planet. She does not understand why she was sent all the way out here, why it had to be a world close to the forbidden zone or why it had to be kept a secret. However, she soon finds something that will change her life forever and set her on a course to question the very foundation of society, love and what it means to be human. Follow her as she journeys though the mystery set in front of her, as events unfold outside of her control.
8 289The Last King
Gods, Demons, Roland has friends among both. And enemies. As a person who's strength rivals those at the peak of power, Roland likes to live life at hie leisure. Passive most days, immovable on as a mountain on others. Yet nothing is without a price, and the time to pay up once again is drawing closer fast. *** Four mortals stand inside a large hall. Having reached the end of a long journey, their last chance at survival rests in a dangerous Summoning that could leave them crippled. But they have no other option left to them. Cursed by a mysterious group of beings for reasons unknown and currently hunted by enemies far outmatching them in strength, they gamble everything on the hope that someone answers their call. *** -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Author: Things like NTR, rape and the like are things i hate so if people are worried about that stuff i want to let you know that those things will not be happening. EDIT(June 18): So I should warn you guys, I have been told that the chapters have too many info dumps. This is a shortcoming that i am now aware of thanks to comments and reviews mentioning that fact. Since i know many readers enjoy the character interactions much more, that is what im planning to increase with my future chapters. I would say only my more recent chapters have decent amounts of character interactions and this is what i will take a larger focus on from now on. Although there will still be information presented, I intend to not make them so long. If you can get past the info dumps, you may like the story. Who knows. EDIT(August 19): The summary above is new. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I dont usually do this... but if you like TLK, this story, then feel free to check out my other work: http://royalroadl.com/fiction/5893
8 96As Straight As The Crow Flies {a Sons of Anarchy story}
8 153