azazele

Arc 8-112

It’s a fine day for a meeting.

Truthfully, I don’t know what makes meeting weather. I imagine that when a group plans to decide the fate of a city, they ought to be in a cheery mood. For that, the bright spring sunshine and the few fluffy clouds drifting through the blue sky are perfect. It’s the kind of day that should be spent on a field of grass, enjoying the warmth with good foo...

Arc 8-111

After a few centuries of neglect, it’s not surprising that few of the blades are in working condition.

It’s a relief, honestly. I thought the founders had left an entire arsenal out of their reach, but it’s more like they used the cache to store very valuable trash. Most of the weapons have broken enchantments—the spells inscribed in them missing pieces or worn away by some means....

Arc 8-110 (Kierra)

The succubus’ plan made sense.

Forcibly altering a body took a lot of power. The burden was lessened if the target wasn’t actively circulating their mana, but it was still enough that Kierra expected them both to empty their cores completing the work. With the addition of possibly two additional sums of mana to push through, it took their task from hard and exhausting to unfeasible. 2025-10-31 00:12:40 +0000 UTC View Post

Arc 8-109 (Kierra)

Since their wonderful union, Lou had asked Kierra why she fought a handful of times.

She didn’t ask often and usually it was in jest; Lou might not agree with elven culture and its veneration of strength, but she respected it. Her conqueror asked for compromise, but never outright denied who Kierra or any of her lovers were. It was one of her many charming points.

The question was...

Arc 8-108

It’s a disheartening thing, to watch the strong collapse.

It’s nature at work; the weak seek the strong. Like Kierra says, predators are terrifying, but there is nothing like knowing the wolf is working for you. We praise the saints and the heroes they inspire because the monsters are real and we desperately hope they can shield us from them. Oh, some bleeding heart might cry for the ...

Arc 8-107

Someone might ask why I didn’t bring a wagon, despite going as far as to purchase one for the first cache I unearthed.

Simple. This is supposed to be a hidden armory of legendary weapons. Granted, armory implies multiple items but these are legendary weapons. Those aren’t produced in excess no matter the time, or so I thought. Plus, these were hidden in a time of war, or right after. ...

Arc 8-106

Shake stomps off toward the rest of her tribe; Cloud holds us back, but I can perfectly follow what’s happening. The large woman runs over to a man who dwarfs her with his lower half alone, the dark hair of his horse half gleaming with a sheen I recognize from a well-cared for mount. Once more, I wrestle with impatience, anticipating a long conversation as the powers that be debate the proble...

Arc 8-105

“I didn’t expect you back so soon, honored sister.”

Once more, Cloud welcomes us at the front gate of the Sanctuary, though there are far fewer of us; I don’t want the kids running around this next cache, Talia wasn’t interested in another day trip, and Kierra likely has her hands in a pirate’s guts. Alana has enough energy to make up for all of them, smiling softly as we slow...

Arc 8-104

“First, I believe I should clarify the celestial affinity, at least what I know of it. Only arrogant fools think they fully understand any affinity, especially the most mysterious of them.”

Geneva rises and moves to the end of the table so her rapt audience can see her clearly. “In this realm, you call it the celestial affinity for its users’ ability to read fate, as if they are s...

Arc 8-103

Alana’s missions is successful; she returns with an old wagon of dark wood. It’s stained and chipped exterior looks like one bad dip in the road will shatter it, but it has all its requisite parts and rolls smoothly. It rolls even better once Kierra’s done with it. Saints, it looks practically new, probably worth the cost Alana paid for it. I don’t want to imagine the swarmy grin and el...

Arc 8-102

The founding of Harvest was not a peaceful affair.

I’m starting to suspect that everything I know about humanity’s history has been altered, is outright wrong, or some combination of the two. Despite that, I trust the brutal accounts of the founders’ struggles to secure the continent; there’s physical proof. Places where great beasts and the great spells that felled them scarred t...

Arc 8-101

“Where are we going, Lady Lou?”

I grin down at the little beast of a girl, though perhaps that’s not a fair assessment these days. She’s come a long way from the savage girl I met on the road. I don’t mean the surface changes, like her well-fed body that’s no longer painfully thin or her neat uniform. It’s her eyes, shining up at me with unshakeable trust and devotion. Those...

Arc 8-100

Several hours later, only Grayskin remains in the room. He watches with impassive eyes as Earl sets a small table in front of him. A dark dining cloth is draped over the surface, smoothing into deep folds that catch the candlelight. One by one, dishes are laid down, their lids releasing tendrils of steam that curl upward, filling the room with rich, mouth-watering smells—roasted meat spiced w...

Arc 8-99

“How familiar are all of you with our neighbors to the south?”

For once, the three men are of one mind in their shared confusion.

“Do you mean the elves?” Sin asks. “I confess, I know nothing beyond the kingdom. Perhaps the more learned men in the room will offer insights.”

Grayskin grunts. “Learned fighting.”

“What do the elves have to do with this?”...

Arc 8-98

“Is it to your liking, my lady?”

The young noblewoman becomes even more flustered when I don’t answer immediately, continuing to circle her as I scrutinize her new appearance. Leena Teppin wants to work for me to save money for her future. While I have my doubts about how useful she’ll be, any failings on her part will not be because I didn’t give her the tools she needs to do h...

Arc 8-97

There aren’t many places to hide in the middle of nowhere. Thankfully, I can take the form of a dust hawk. I was briefly concerned that they might try to shoot me down for a meal, but no one took notice as I flew circles over the Traditionalists’ camp. I watch their boring day to day, as the sun sets. I take notice as a group of them congregate in one of the more decent buildings made of st...

Arc 8-96 (Lucas)

Being a hunter didn’t always translate into being a skilled fighter. More than brute strength went into bringing down monsters. The best teams filled multiple roles, many of them noncombatant. Foremost among these were trackers—those adept at moving unseen through the land and wielding magic that shaped the environment in line with their affinities. They not only tracked elusive prey but al...

Arc 8-95 (Lucas)

It was a testament to the destruction that the sorry group gathered around the table represented the best the guilds had to offer, Lucas thought. As Jacoby’s aide, he had seen the city’s decay from close range; sitting in this room gave him a chance to be near power, but it also meant he had to measure every word and movement.

When he had been a boy running about the city doing odd jo...

Arc 8-94

I’m eager to get away from the unnerving sisters, but my flower’s sweet words and expertly crafted upturned eyes convince me to re-enter the room. I focus on Leena and her never-ending stream of questions about the city. They’re pointed, insightful—enough to give me hope that giving her a job might amount to more than charity.

I do my best to ignore the unwavering attention of the...

Arc 8-93

I don’t think of myself as a villain.

Dangerously self-absorbed, sure, but that’s par for the course. Most people are selfish. I’m only dangerous because I can wield more violence than most to get what I want, but plenty of people can cause just as much damage with nothing but words. My nature also makes me easy to handle. It’s simple: give me what I want and there’s no danger a...

Arc 8-92

“That’s everything,” I announce, bringing an end to a long and tedious discussion.

“An adequate resolution,” Morgene says over the rim of her glass, casual yet effortlessly imperious. Once the conversation went past noon with no sign of slowing down, I had Geneva bring refreshments—the only thing that kept me from abandoning the session until tomorrow.

“You seem happy ...

Arc 8-91

Two days later, I’m in the study, staring at a neatly written document whose script looks far too refined for the rough paper it’s on. Something this eloquent should be scrawled across parchment soft enough to stroke the pampered cheeks of nobles, not this coarse stuff. I can almost feel the writer’s chapped lips puckering against my ass with every dripping line of flattery. Yet between a...

Arc 8-90

“You wanted to show me a hill?”

It’s unusual in the wide open space of the Green Step, but hardly worth the walk. Cloud waits at its base, staring off into the distance. At my words, she jumps, glances back, and forces a smile. Wan, brittle, with only the faintest trace of amusement to give it life. It doesn’t suit her. The sight plants a sharp worry in my gut, one that grows as s...

Arc 8-89

We stop at the Blue Step, pulling up beside an idyllic creek that manages to be both a breath of natural wonder and entirely unremarkable. The kind of place travelers are glad to find after a long day on the road, but forget by morning.

There isn’t much to see, but the others throw themselves into senseless pursuits with childish enthusiasm. Cloud drags Kierra into the water, and togeth...