azazele

Arc 8-118

For a long time, I thought the world was a disgustingly mundane place.

It can’t be helped; I spent nearly two decades watching the same people do the same things for mediocre rewards. Saints, can survival be called a reward? Their long day...

Arc 8-117

My clan wakes early. Painfully early. Earl is up at dawn, his routine as precise as a general plotting battle strategy, Anna practically springs out of bed to fuss over her fluff balls, and the succubi… well, I’m still not convinced they sleep...

Arc 8-116

The city is a different kind of quiet the next morning. I’m used to the air being still, as if the denizens moving through the ruin are scared to disturb lingering silence left behind by the tragedy. Today, as I move across the few rooftops that...

Arc 8-115

The room is tense enough to pickle vegetables. Honestly, I don’t blame them. Given our history, it isn’t unreasonable for them to fear for the future. I just hope the fear doesn’t cloud their judgement.

“You can relax.”

My at...

Arc 8-114

I force the room to take a break.

Of course, it’s primarily for my benefit; I haven’t done anything but talk, yet these gazes weigh on me like sacks of wet flour. I’m not a shy woman—saints know I revel in attention—but le...

Arc 8-113

Thankfully, for everyone’s sake, the racket doesn’t last. One of the hunters—a beady-eyed man whose jaw trembles like a leaf in a storm—finally shouts his pack into silence. Then he turns to Grayskin, the only one among them who looks like...

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 fluff...

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 cach...

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 comple...

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 conquero...

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 ...

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 ar...

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...

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...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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...

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, di...

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 m...

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 fut...

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...

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 ...

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 ...

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, ins...

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 ...

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 si...

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 nob...

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, br...

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.

Ther...