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Chapter 114 - Dreadborne Harbinger

The morning light began to peak through some of the loose planks of the barn. Klarion stirred next to Hatsune, briefly trying to go back to sleep, only to give up as a rooster’s call echoed from somewhere outside. The low, muffled bellow of one of the shaggy blue cattle caused Hatsune to shift next to him. 

Apart from the noises coming from outside, the barn was quiet, save for the soft sound of Hatsune’s breathing from where she lay near him. Her silver-gray hair was loose abo...

Chapter 113 (Interlude 15) - Dreadborne Harbinger

The clang of steel echoed off the surrounding stone, followed by a scream cut abruptly short. Blood fanned in an arc across the packed dirt of the training ring, joining similar macabre patterns set into the churned ground. Chadwick stood panting, his chest rising and falling beneath a blood-flecked dueling tunic stitched with the mark of House Copperhand. Reaching down, he grasped the hilt of his sword that was buried in the ribs of a half-starved man whose face still bore the remains of a t...

Update - 4/27/2025

Hey everyone,

Just wanted to give you all a quick update on my recent lack of posts. I got hammered by a nasty case of the flu this past week. I won't go into the gory details, but I lost track of a few days in the middle. Needless to say, writing was completely off the table. The good news, however, is that I'm finally on the mend. I'm really hoping to be back to 100% this next day or so.

Given the unexpected setback, I've decided to pause releasing new chapters to the public unt...

Chapter 112 - Dreadborne Harbinger

Farmer Donovan came charging toward them from the farmhouse, pitchfork in hand, wide eyes darting between the two dead Blaze Lions. His mouth worked through a combination of shock and awe, muttering things under his breath as he ran over to them.

Klarion kept his expression neutral as the farmer rushed their way, but he still felt a little frustrated. It wasn’t that he resented the farmer. Donovan had every right to be concerned, to come running out after he heard the sounds of fighti...

Update - 4/13/2025

Hi everyone,

First and foremost, please accept my sincerest apologies for the lighter update this weekend. As you've likely seen, only one chapter went live, which unfortunately falls short of what I aim to deliver on a weekly basis.

The reason for this is that I've been quite sick with something since Thursday night. It hit me pretty hard, and since that night keeping anything down proved to be a real challenge. This significantly hampered my writing progress, and despite my best...

Chapter 111 (Interlude 14) - Dreadborne Harbinger

The air practically burned around her, each breath scorched by the searing heat radiating from the Blaze Lion. Hatsune could feel the sweat gathering beneath her armor. Her muscles ached, and the edges of her vision blurred—but she didn’t falter. She couldn’t. Klarion was fighting his own battle, and she would not let him be the one protecting her. Not this time. Not ever again, if she could help it. She had to show him—and herself—that she was strong enough to sta...

Chapter 110 - Dreadborne Harbinger

The occasional clatter of tools or the distant thump of a gate echoed from around the farmhouse as Farmer Donovan and his family moved through the rest of their day. The farmer’s son—barely old enough to reach the latch on the pen—was shooing one of the shaggy blue-furred cows back into its stall with a stick that looked more like a toy than a proper tool. Klarion watched him for a moment, arms folded, noting how normal it all looked. As if a fire-breathing monster hadn’t been preying...

Chapter 109 - Dreadborne Harbinger

The sky was only just beginning to shift to a pale blue-gray when Hatsune nudged Klarion awake. His eyes opened slowly, the stiffness in his neck reminding him he’d slept in full armor. Not the most comfortable decision—but he had decided it was probably the smarter choice. Out here, with only Hatsune beside him and no idea what else might be stalking the edge of the Savage Wilds, he would rather wake sore and ready for a fight than wake unarmored and vulnerable.

Hatsune crouched be...

Chapter 108 - Dreadborne Harbinger

They kept moving for a few minutes after ducking into that first alley. Klarion had pulled ahead slightly to lead the way, eventually cutting through another side street, then a covered passage that opened into a quieter section of the market. Only when he thought they had lost them did he finally ease his pace, glancing over at Hatsune as he pointed to his ear.

Figuring out what he wanted, Hatsune nodded and then closed her eyes. Her ears swiveled back in the direction of the covered p...

Chapter 107 - Dreadborne Harbinger

Klarion stood in line with Hatsune at his side, his eyes scanning the towering gate that separated the Imperial Academy from the city of Bastion. The sheer fortifications were a statement in themselves—thick walls reinforced with some sort of black stone, which he assumed to be further supported layered enchantments to enhance their strength still further. From beyond the gate, he could already hear the hum of city life just barely out of sight.

A pair of Sentinels stood before the ga...

Chapter 106 - Dreadborne Harbinger

As they set off together, Klarion let himself enjoy the simple rhythm of the walk. For once, there was no immediate threat looming over him. Just the steady sound of their steps on stone and a slight, comfortable breeze. With Valdre leading the way, it wasn’t long until the conversation turned to their experiences with their classes so far. To Klarion’s lack of surprise, his friends had quite a bit to say about Etiquette and Courtly Manners.

Valdre sighed as they walked, rubbing a h...

Chapter 105 - Dreadborne Harbinger

Without prompting from Klarion, Redrek continued explaining, “The Savage Wilds is the name given to the rest of the pocket plane beyond the walls of Bastion. It is wild, dangerous, and filled with monsters that have no business existing so close to civilization.”

“More than that,” Valdre added, “the Savage Wilds are unstable. In many places, the terrain itself shifts over time, as if everything beyond Bastion is never truly settled. And it isn’t.”

Klarion frowned at ...

Chapter 104 - Dreadborne Harbinger

Klarion sat slightly uncomfortably in one of the new high-backed chairs that someone — probably Margaret — had placed in the newly refurbished parlor room within Blacksword Manor. It’s not that the chair was even that uncomfortable. In fact, it was likely the softest chair he had sat in since leaving Earth. No, the problem was that he was itching to get started on unlocking his Essences and gathering the resources necessary to unlock his class. But he knew he needed to talk with his fri...

Chapter 103 - Dreadborne Harbinger

He should have listened to Professor Thrain.

Klarion sat stiffly in his chair, jaw clenched as he stared down at the plate before him. The meal, an artful arrangement of roasted venison, seasoned root vegetables, and a delicate drizzle of sauce, should have been a feast for his senses. His fingers twitched against the fine silverware, the polished handles feeling foreign in his grip. Across from him, the assistant assigned to his table by Professor Vale let out an exasperated sigh.

Update - 3/23/2025

Hey everyone!

I hope you all had a great weekend. Mine was pretty productive on the writing front, and I was really rolling with Dreadborne Harbinger. Chapters 101 and 102 came together nicely, and I was feeling good... until I hit Chapter 103. My initial version was falling a bit flat, and it wasn't conveying what I needed it to. Sometimes that happens, though I would like to say that is generally rare for me. As a result, I spent a good chunk of time trying to fix it, but I eventually...

Chapter 102 - Dreadborne Harbinger

The sounds of scions and bodyguards gathering their things to leave the class still echoed in Klarion’s ears are he left the sparring lesson behind him. His muscles were still tense from the rigorous training, thankfully they were already starting to loosen as he followed in the direction Professor Thrain had gone. He had no idea what this was about, but clearly the professor wanted to speak with him away from the rest of the class.

Stepping back into the hallway from which they had p...

Chapter 101 - Dreadborne Harbinger

When Klarion and Hatsune arrived for Combat Studies, Professor Thrain already stood with a long wooden pole in hand at the center of the class of scions, his eyes raking over the gathered students like a blade scraping across steel. Klarion couldn’t guess what the professor was thinking, but if his expression was anything to go by, the lesson today was going to be intense. Perhaps more so than the first class.

After they selected their practice weapons, Klarion went about finding spac...

Chapter 100 (Interlude 13) - Dreadborne Harbinger

Solivair rose from his chair, stretching out his limbs with a low, satisfied grunt. The office had served well for his musings, but there was work to be done. A steward’s duties did not end with numbers on a ledger or conversations about coin. No, he needed to see the progress with his own eyes, to ensure that the staff—his staff—were settling into their roles.

It was not so different from how he used to operate.

Running an estate and running a criminal enterprise h...

Update - 3/16/2025

Hey everyone!

Hope you all had a fantastic weekend! Mine was pretty good, though chapter 97 decided to be a bit of a stubborn beast. It took me longer than I anticipated to wrangle, but I think it turned out well in the end. It was crucial for getting some much-needed information to Klarion for the chapters ahead, and I wanted to make sure it landed just right.

Thankfully, chapter 98 flowed a bit easier, and it rounded out the rest of the information on Essences that Klarion neede...

Chapter 99 (Interlude 12) - Dreadborne Harbinger

Solivair sat in the quiet solitude of his new office, the dark wood of his desk smooth beneath his calloused fingers. It was a simple room in Blacksword Manor, refurbished after years of disrepair, and yet it suited him well. There was no gaudy opulence, no unnecessary ornamentation—only a sturdy desk, a chair, a locked cabinet that would eventually hold his forms and records, and the quiet crackling of a lantern to stave off the gloom. A fitting place for a man who had spent his years in t...

Chapter 98 - Dreadborne Harbinger

The sounds of his fellow scions shuffling out of the classroom gradually faded as Klarion remained seated, fingers drumming lightly on his desk. The lecture had been informative, but his mind still burned with questions. In considering the primer on the various Rare classes he might pursue, a good number of them had required only a single Essence to unlock, but all the ones he had felt drawn to had required two. With the advantages that the Academy gave for unlocking Essences, there was a par...

Chapter 97 - Dreadborne Harbinger

Hatsune had been furious when he told her about the duel. The Leporine had given him a vicious tongue-lashing the entire way back to Blacksword Manor, only taking brief breaks when other scions came within range to hear her verbally haranguing him. He still marveled at the range of new swear words he had learned on that walk. But, thankfully, she had gotten it all out of her system by the time they had gotten back home. The last thing she had said on the subject, following his efforts at reas...

Bonus Chapter - Scion Marentia's Purpose at the Imperial Academy

Scion Marentia Hartford moved through the wide, polished hall with measured steps, the boots she wore to match her uniform tapping lightly against the smooth stone. Given how early she was, the hall was almost empty of other scions as she made her way to her first class: Foundations of History. She had no real enthusiasm for the subject. The past was the past. What mattered was who controlled it now and who would control it in the future. But the requirements of attending the Imperial Academy...

Update - 3/10/2025

Hey everyone,

Hope you all had a great weekend! Mine was made extra special because it was my birthday this past Friday. My amazing wife surprised me with a short trip up to beautiful Maine. We spent some much-needed time hiking and enjoying the stunning natural scenery, a welcome break from the hustle and bustle of city life.

The trip was fantastic, but it did mean I fell a little behind on my writing goals for the weekend. I apologize for any delays this might cause. I'm working...

Chapter 96 - Dreadborne Harbinger

Klarion left the class still turning over in his mind how Professor Mordrane had spoken about the early years of the Emperor’s rise to power. She had emphasized how it was not just strength or power but vision that had been the true foundation of the Empire. It made sense to him, and was in fact almost obvious after she had pointed it out. Without vision, power was directionless, strength was fleeting, and ambition was little more than a candle flickering in the wind. Professor Mordrane sai...

Chapter 95 - Dreadborne Harbinger

The first day of the new week dawned crisp and cool over the Imperial Academy. Baruk had made a good breakfast, and while they had been eating, Solivair had presented him some school supplies to take with him to his classes, including a small bag to carry everything in. In conducting an inventory of the manor alongside Margaret, the old Vileborn had noted that Klarion had no real school supplies and had taken it upon himself to see about providing him some. Needless to say, Klarion was alread...

Update - 3/2/2025

Hey everyone,

First off, thank you all for your continued support! It truly means the world to me.

I wanted to give you a quick update on this weekend's writing. Unfortunately, I hit a bit of a snag. A comment from a troll (you know how it goes) managed to throw me off my rhythm a bit, and it took me a little longer than expected to get back into the flow. As a result, the last chapter I was working on won’t be quite ready for tonight, but I'm aiming to release it tomorrow morni...

Chapter 94 - Dreadborne Harbinger

The rest of the weekend passed in a relentless blur, each hour dragging Klarion from one task to the next with barely a moment to catch his breath. Jezeri’s departure lingered in the back of his mind, a quiet unease that never fully faded. He trusted her—he had to. She had been a Sentinel, even if she didn’t have the class anymore, and if anyone could handle a mission like this alone, he had faith that she could. But trust didn’t erase concern.

Yet, with everything that needed t...

Chapter 93 - Dreadborne Harbinger

The door clicked shut, sealing them off from the rest of the manor. Hatsune stood in front of it, her arms crossed tightly, green eyes burning with frustration. Her ears twitched, still flattened slightly, her body tense as if she were restraining herself from an outburst.

Hatsune exhaled sharply, her foot tapping against the wooden floor. “I don’t blame you.”

Klarion blinked. That was not what he expected.

The Leporine snorted at his expression while her arms tightene...

A Reflection on Writing Dreadborne Harbinger

Hey everyone,

Now that I am approaching 100 chapters deep into the story, I wanted to take a moment to share a bit more about my journey as a writer and the process behind "Dreadborne Harbinger." As many of you might suspect, I've been a lifelong fan of fantasy and science fiction, devouring countless books and immersing myself in these incredible worlds. In recent years, that love has expanded to include the exciting realms of LitRPG and GameLit. Some of those series that have helped s...