It was the third day of the celebrations before we got word that the Dominion was making its move. Still quite fast, all things considered. As I paced up and down the rooftop terrace, I couldn’t help but reflect on the map in my memories, trying to reason out distances and speeds. They certainly would have had to move into position ahead of time, perhaps even start moving. Not to mention all the strategic and diplomatic preparations. The only thing missing is an official declaration of ...
2020-11-30 20:46:00 +0000 UTC
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A/N: This is supposed to be written, in-universe, before the wedding.
I find myself baffled on more than one occasion when trying to understand the Zarian Dominion. Part of that might just be the sources I have access to. After all, they’re almost all from the Empire of the Sky and very much slanted towards an Imperial perspective, which rarely does the nation’s old enemy any favors. But that’s not all of it. Perhaps I don’t have the context or experie...
2020-11-29 20:46:00 +0000 UTC
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When I woke up, I spent a moment just lying there, thinking through the dream I’d just had. Of course, it being my dream, it was more like a controlled hallucination, and I’d had a lot of time to ponder the last few hours. Now I looked through my memories and senses to try and pick up if there was any point of concern.
Mior had cleared me for sleeping on my own again, but remained nearby, in the form of Aston, with guards around my rooms. That was a standard if perhaps a bit exagger...
2020-11-27 20:45:59 +0000 UTC
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The full moon shone down on the courtyard, and it almost felt like the qi flowing through my veins hummed in response, thrumming in the night as my connection to Rijoko sat sharp and clear in the back of my mind. The sun had only just set and its warmth still lingered, but the darkness of the night and the light of the moon and stars filled the hidden courtyard with a lot of qi I could use.
Unlike last time, I wasn’t even a little bit nervous. I knew I could do this, fairly easily eve...
2020-11-25 17:17:50 +0000 UTC
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Looking around Yarani’s room, I couldn’t help asking myself if I should move her. It was pretty close to my rooms, certainly indicating a favored position. Maybe even intended as a home for a less close spouse to a member of the Imperial family. Then again, it probably didn’t matter. I’d only met Kajare briefly since our arrival, but neither he nor anyone else from his side had seemed to notice or care, that I already had someone.
It’s getting easier to think like a prince...
2020-11-23 20:46:00 +0000 UTC
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Anyone who knew me probably wasn’t surprised that unlike Kajare, I didn’t hurry back to join the negotiations. Instead, I went to the lab. The last few hours and days had demanded a lot from me, especially when it came to dealing with people. Trying to be polite and nice to strangers wasn’t exactly my idea of a good time.
It seemed Mother understood that, since she didn’t call on me to join any meetings or do any political stuff after we got back. From what I heard, things were ...
2020-11-22 20:45:00 +0000 UTC
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A/N: I couldn't get this idea out of my head, so here we have our first scene from another character's perspective. This will not become a regular thing, although I might do a few more interludes in the future.
There were times Isuro missed the human world. Its simplicity and focus on the physical would perhaps help him rein in his marauding thoughts better. Not that it was truly another world, of course. But here, in the depth of a qi anomaly cultivated and adjusted...
2020-11-22 19:30:15 +0000 UTC
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I’d almost forgotten how sharp and vast my sense of the ocean was, especially of the incoming tide. It was a weirdly specific sensation granted to me by my bloodline, but hard to compare to anything else. Of course, here at the western coast things were subtly different than the eastern ocean I’d dove into, and we were considerably farther north than my first taste of this ocean during the war.
Though the waterfront was more controlled, as well, with harbors and docks, and the coast...
2020-11-20 20:47:15 +0000 UTC
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As the seconds stretched on, doubt started encroaching on my determination. Am I really sure this is a good idea? Or at least a well calculated risk? After being burned once, you aren’t supposed to come back and reach into the fire.
I shook my head, quieting those thoughts. It wasn’t like I could change my mind now. Besides, Mior was here, and I trusted them.
I stepped forward slowly, and after a moment of hesitation, took my new weapon from my storage ring. Fides’ ...
2020-11-18 20:45:01 +0000 UTC
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A/N: This one ends on a cliffhanger. Fair warning.
“Come on, Nari!” Al called, grinning. “Get a move on, you don’t want us to leave you behind!”
Grudgingly, I sped up. I knew the guards would take good care of Al, although I wouldn’t put it past Mior to let him run into trouble to teach him a lesson. But that didn’t mean I should let him get too far ahead. This wasn’t a safe place, after all. Even if everything seemed quiet and tranquil right no...
2020-11-16 20:30:05 +0000 UTC
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By the time noon rolled around the next day, I was seriously considering my life choices. Maybe some other ones wouldn’t have led me to the pounding headache that was attacking my brain, making my thoughts feel sluggish and sending stabs of pain through my mind. Damn mental defense training. Damn Mior.
I straightened up and wiped the grimace off my face before I opened the door to the meeting room Mother wanted to see me in. It was one I’d been to often enough in the past, ...
2020-11-14 20:46:00 +0000 UTC
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A/N:
There will be another extra chapter this weekend.
It's a little strange to realize how much I've already written. According to my (very) rough plan, we're almost two thirds of the way there. I could make this longer, since there's more than enough potential in the worldbuilding and characters to fuel more arcs. But I don't want to drag this out unnecessarily.
Well, I guess I could be persuaded to add a short arc or two. If you really want ...
2020-11-13 20:45:00 +0000 UTC
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For some reason, I resented that I wasn’t able to take a nap during the flight, even though I knew I probably wouldn’t have done that. But now I felt disgruntled about it, knowing that I shouldn’t sleep any time soon. Maybe that’s just human nature?
I snorted and turned away from the window, where I was just watching our airship descend over Blue Valley City. The flight back to the city from the coast had seemed like it dragged on endlessly, even though it was really pr...
2020-11-11 20:46:00 +0000 UTC
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Hey folks! It's about time I shared some bonus material for you awesome patrons. And if there's anything else you'd like in this vein, please let me know!
As the first tidbit, we have a few old character sheets, mainly for Tori/Inaris.
This is mostly an old version from before I started writing the story, which means a few things might have changed or not appear in the story. I haven't really looked at it while writing, this was more for preparation. And yeah, it'...
2020-11-10 15:15:50 +0000 UTC
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Coming back to the others felt like someone was finally lifting the weight they’d been pressing down on me. I wanted to run forward, but controlled myself. I knew Al was tired, even if the prospect of returning to safety had given him a second wind. Mior fell back a little, but I barely noticed, instead looking at the people in front of us.
It was clear they’d been aware of our coming, and had gathered. There was a small camp outside of town, this one less the type for a night sleep...
2020-11-09 20:45:01 +0000 UTC
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Extra chapter this weekend. Next one will be on Monday as usual.
At first, I thought I was imagining things. But as we continued walking, it became clear that there really was light ahead. I had to stop myself from speeding up. I didn’t have a problem with darkness, but finally seeing natural light again felt amazing. The air was starting to smell fresher, too. While I was glad that there was air around us and the caves weren’t flooded here, I wouldn’t mind a b...
2020-11-08 14:04:59 +0000 UTC
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The door at the end of the corridor held even more qi than the one we’d just come through. It opened with only a bit of scratching and groaning, though I could see that most of it functioned mechanically. Once it started opening, water poured through the door into the next room. I sighed and quickly put up a qi barrier to keep it in the corridor. Should have done that earlier.At least the door behind us had closed again, so there would be no new water coming in here.
Carefull...
2020-11-06 20:45:59 +0000 UTC
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Underwater, there was no way to tell the time. Little light filtered down, so it probably wasn’t day yet. While I finally had a mechanical watch, tucked away in my storage ring, I didn’t want to risk it.
But although I couldn’t be sure, we couldn’t have spent more than half an hour swimming through the ruined city. It wasn’t that big, especially since this was just the part out in the open, but I wanted to be careful. Spirit beasts lurked here, and other dangers.
Somethi...
2020-11-04 20:45:59 +0000 UTC
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How do you keep together an empire spanning thousands of kilometers, multiple landmasses, and dozens if not hundreds of peoples?
The local answer seems to be, mostly: with a common language and culture, and force if that isn’t enough. The metaphor of an iron fist in a velvet glove comes to mind. Although there’s more to it than that.
I’ve been thinking about questions like these lately, because the answers aren’t always what I would expect. This society is, in some ways, m...
2020-11-03 20:00:25 +0000 UTC
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I twisted in the grasp of the tentacle, steadying my hold on my little brother. A part of my mind was calmed by his presence, the rest still split between raging at our enemies who dared to hurt him and worry over whether he was okay.
I put my hand against Al’s mouth and nose, and concentrated on the qi around us. I could do without breathing for a bit, but he, not as much. I easily had enough darkness qi in my core, though it was a bit of a struggle to get air qi here, underwater. Bu...
2020-11-02 20:45:59 +0000 UTC
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As it turned out, there wasn’t much to do on the coast or in a coastal town at night. I still wanted to explore the ruins of the old city through those caves, but we’d decided it was best to wait until the next day. While I was fine with darkness, it would still be easier to miss things. So, since it had been dusk by the time I got back, we’d stay the night here.
I shifted in bed, scrunching my eyes shut and trying to calm my mind. I wanted to catch up on sleep, since there wasn...
2020-10-30 20:45:00 +0000 UTC
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(I'm also including this poll on RR and SH in the latest chapter to get more opinions.)
Which sort of elements do you like and would you want to see more of? If there's something I'm missing, please let me know!
Also, I'm considering 'bonus material' to put on Patreon. If there's something you'd like, feel free to make suggestions.
2020-10-30 20:31:00 +0000 UTC
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I was just starting to get bored with the town when Lirta contacted me. Apparently, the dolphin spirit beast had returned, along with a few companions. I was a little surprised, since we’d barely waited more than an hour.
We made our way back to the point on the shore we’d come from. Al was trudging along beside me, fiddling with some small device. He was clearly bored and didn’t pay much attention to where we were going. Tenira strolled along with a slight smile on her face, obvi...
2020-10-28 20:46:00 +0000 UTC
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Quicker than I thought, the weeks slipped by. I was constantly busy with establishing our research team, planning and checking the construction of the new defensive line, and setting up the university. Although Al arrived a week after me, I didn’t have much time for him.
He did make himself useful, though. Perhaps I’d been too caught up in thinking of him as my twelve-year-old brother, forgetting that he’d come from Earth, too. He spent most of his time in the lab, helping us make...
2020-10-26 20:46:00 +0000 UTC
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The generator didn’t look like I was expecting, I mused as I stared up at it. I’d pictured a windmill, like one of those old ones people had used for grain mills, just a bit bigger and better.
It didn’t look like that, or even a modern wind generator. Instead of three or four planks made from metal or even carved wood, they were a black, earthy material, as if someone had compacted a part of the ground. Which was pretty accurate. An earth cultivator must have formed them from eart...
2020-10-23 20:01:00 +0000 UTC
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I leaned back a little in the chair, grateful they’d at least put a cushion on it. And that I didn’t have to look up to people, since they were all kneeling or bowing if they approached, or further down the room.
I was holding court. Maybe not officially, but it certainly felt like it. While we’d arrived yesterday, I’d take today to deal with the political stuff and get to know the local nobles and such. Hopefully, that would let me get to work in relative peace later.
“...
2020-10-21 19:45:01 +0000 UTC
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A/N: I've decided to change 'The Wanderer' to 'The Pioneer'. So that refers to the same person.
“You should probably get down and into the airship,” Mother said.
I glanced out over the balustrade of the balcony we were on and shrugged. “They’re still loading things. That’s probably going to take a while.”
“Everything else ready?”
“I still don’t know if Yarani wants to come. Apart from that, we’re all ready. Took us long enough....
2020-10-19 19:46:00 +0000 UTC
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I took a quick look around the corridor before knocking on the door in front of me. The only people were in the few pictures hung on the wood-paneled walls, except for a few guards. Those had been following me around constantly, of course, but they kept their distance. It was quiet, only faint sounds from the rest of the apartments in the building. We were only one floor down from my own quarters.
“Come in!”
I opened the door and stepped inside, taking a quick look around. The...
2020-10-16 19:45:59 +0000 UTC
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“Coming in,” Lei yelled.
I ducked my head out of reflex, then looked up. A black spot fell from the sky, quickly coming close enough that I could make out all the details of the small flier. It was an unmanned model, only about a meter long and controlled by qi formations. The noon sun shone off its black finish.
Then the flier released its payload, which impacted the grass with a bang, the explosion digging into the ground. I blinked against the dust it raised, but it had cle...
2020-10-14 19:45:01 +0000 UTC
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A/N: I messed up when I intended to release this, so I'm going to post it pretty quickly to RR and SH, too. But I'll put it up here now.
This is supposed to be written before the current events.
Yes, I’ve tried to avoid the topic. But I suppose my pseudo-scientific (or researcher?) pride wouldn’t allow me to do that for long. Especially given recent developments. It’s probably about time that I take stock of what I know about spirits in general, ...
2020-10-14 07:48:46 +0000 UTC
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