kindar

The Technician's Fight, Draft 1, CH35

Jeremy kneed the woman who had stabbed him, then punched her in the face. He berated himself as she fell. He had claws. He should have gone for the throat. She didn’t get up, so he allowed himself to look around.

“Alright,” the special ops beta said in Earther, covering the people seated at the controls now that the five guards were dead or subdued. “Regardless of what you’ve been told about us, we are not monsters. You don’t cause us trouble, and we won’t feel compelled t...

Mind Your Step, Draft 1, CH 03

The fire low and Heather sleeping, Tibs moved away so he could talk with the core without her overhearing him, if she only pretended to sleep. He doubted that was the case—she was too upfront about what she intended—but while he could tell her body had relaxed by the way Fever settled within her, that didn’t mean she slept. He suspected he needed the element of Dream to know that. Or possibly Mind.

“We can talk, now,” he said, sitting against a tree with the light of the fire ...

Harker, year 1, April, Cedric

The floor shook.

“Continue with the exercises,” Cedric said, walking between the groups of three as they worked on what would be their year-end test in magical craft, making a containment spell.

With an application of his will, and a hand gesture for flourish, he made the scaffolding of the magic encasing Harker visible to him, and him alone. It wouldn’t do to distract his students.

An overview showed nothing out of the ordinary. He moved the representation, looking fo...

Going Home, Part 02, Greak Oaks

The army had taught Eric one skill he enjoyed now that he’d left. The ability to sleep under almost any conditions. He’d slept through an artillery drill, while explosives were being detonated in the room next to his. He’d even, once, managed to stay asleep in a trench as gunfire erupted around him. So it wasn’t the clicking sound that woke him.

He was no longer tired, and that happened to be going on. Had been for a while, probably. That he wasn’t tired didn’t mean he felt ...

The Technician's Fight, Draft 1, CH34

Jeremy leaned around the corner only long enough to fire three shots, then was back behind cover. “Four doors down. I think.” He was confident he’d seen the tip of a boot in that doorway. Possibly someone’s shadow from the light inside on the corridor floor, but the light outside made that uncertain.

He wanted a scanner to confirm what he thought, but the hunter with them had gone his own way a few corridors back. Jeremy wasn’t sure if it had happened with the beta’s approva...

Update for the week ending on 09-06-25

Chapters written

This week was a little ‘short’ writing wise. Monday was a holiday, here in Canada, and on Wednesday afternoon, a friend dropped by for a visit. I’d planning on using my Thursday ‘write for me’ block to make up the Technician’s Fight chapter, but that ended up not happening.

So, this week, it was two chapters for Mind Your Step, one chapter for The Technician’s Fight, and one chapter for Harker, and the reading of the outline for The ...

Mind Your Step, Draft 1, CH 02

Tibs laughed.

He’d fully expected her to protest, to negotiate something more to her liking. Try to whittle at his determination.

A bold lie? Glowing so bright?

That took him completely by surprise.

“What?” she demanded, offended.

He got his laughter under control, save the occasional chuckle. “Really? You chase me through how many kingdoms? Trek through the wilderness to find me here and just like that, you’ll give that up. Give up getting the respect ...

The Technician's Fight, Draft 1, CH33

“Still unable to contact the shuttle,” comms said, and Gralgiran nodded, forcefully setting aside the desire to order full thrust toward the station so he could rescue his Heart.

The role of an Alpha was to coordinate first, fight second. While he relished those hunts where all the details were small so he could take active part, this wasn’t turning into one of them.

And Jer had training, as well as two packs to support his. Short of locking him in their apartment, Gralgiran...

New Dashboard

Patreon has made a new dashboard layout available, and I decided to avail myself of it. I would appreciate opinions since I suck at that kind of stuff

One area I'd like looked at specifically is the banner. my plan was to include the covers to all my books, but I'm realizing I have too many to make that workable. so, should I limit it to the first book of each series? put them all, no matter how small they each become? something else?

thank you for the assistance

Mind Your Step, Draft 1, CH 01

Tibs crouched next to the unconscious young woman. His copper haired pursuer. He’d never been in a position to take his time studying her. The best he’d managed being during a short conversation in a market.

She had the same leather armor, with the metal between the layers. He thought it had been repaired since then, some of the essences in patches was…fresher was the best word he could put to them. Maybe some of the metal had also been changed, but sensing the kinds of metal wasn...

The Technician's Fight, Draft 1, CH32

The hangar was the definition of chaos to Jeremy, with Kelsirians in hunter armor moving about among personnel from Repairs, Maintenance, and a few other departments, by the variation on the utility belts. His pack followed their beta through it, moving out of the way of someone hurrying, or someone stepping out of theirs, until they boarded a shuttle.

A pack was already seated on one side. Their beta, a muscular female with claws that had a metallic sheen to them, stood. “You may add...

Mind Your Step, Introduction

Mind Your Step, an Introduction

Mind your step is book 5 in the Dungeon Runner series, and book 2 in the second arc of the series, which I’ve called, Tibs of the Wilds.

This books continues Tibs’s adventures as he seeks more dungeons the guild doesn’t control, on his quest to regain the power that was taken from him and push further so he can take his revenge on the guild and the men who killed Mama. He must also deal with a difficult dungeon core and an unwanted companion, ...

Harker, year 0, Selection Process, The Orrs

Arthur Orr took a circuit board from the components carefully arranged on the anti-static cloth before him on the kitchen table, and placed it within the cellphone case, next to another one. He screwed it in place, then connected it to the other with thin wires.

“Should you be doing this now, Arthur?” his father asked. “We are expecting a guest.”

He shrugged. He had little use for the guest they were expecting. He didn’t care to be the ‘diminutive tech wonder’ the me...

Going Home, Part 01, Greak Oaks

Eric watched the skyline as he walked toward the city along Old Tiranis Way. He waited for it, anticipated it, and it still took his breath away when he finally made out the lightnings.

He stopped, look at where he stood, at the buildings still in the distance, but he knew that this was what being home felt like. Being able to look up and make out anything of the Grand Lightning Hotel. This was where Tiranis began, he knew it in his bones, even if there were no visual indications of it....

The Technician's Fight, Draft 1, CH31

Gralgiran pulled his arm out from under Jer, and rolled over Toom, to tap his tablet. “Go.”

“Alpha,” the bridge’s beta said, “You’re needed on the bridge.”

“On my way.”

Jer and Toom grumbled half awake protests as he extricated himself, then were curled against each other. He hurried to dress, leaving the apartment in the process of putting his vest on. He’d have preferred a shower first, but the beta wouldn’t have bothered him if this wasn’t import...

Stepping Wild, Draft 2, CH 99

Tibs ignored the dungeon’s whimpering as he tightened his hold on the core, or the way its voice changed, once it was out of the cradle. He focused on it, on the essence in it.

“Please.”

Would he have to break the core to be able to pull the essence out? He tightened his grip more, thought he felt the stress spread, even if he couldn’t sense most of the core itself.

“Please, stop.”

I didn’t deserve to be listened to after all the people it had carelessly ...

Update for the week ending on 08-29-25

Chapters written

This week, I wrote 4 chapters for Mind Your Step, the extra one was to catch up for the missed one on the previous monday. 3 chapters for The Technician’s Fight, and one for Harker.

The writing went well on the whole.

Chapters edited

I edited the chapters of the previous week, and I’ve been slowly editing a story that will be posted to the furry sites.

Other stuff

The Keyboard is now fu...

The Technician's Fight, Draft 1, CH30

The ship didn’t have the level of alertness Jeremy had expected. There was something, in the days that followed, but it wasn’t like the tension he felt.

They were chasing a pirate ship. Didn’t that meant that any moment now battle could occur? Gral had explained how the ship they pursued was staying ahead, red-lining their reactor until they were slightly faster than the Bane, and becoming slightly slower when they needed to ease up on it to keep from destroying themselves.

...

Stepping Wild, Draft 2, CH 98

The essence within the wall changed as Tibs ran.

The dungeon had gotten over the surprise of how easily he’d killed the powerful creature, and was trying more direct ways of killing him.

He jumped over the crystal spear that flew out of the wall, then under the next one. A metal shield blocked those he couldn’t avoid when the dungeon sent multiple. Having to stop at one point and encase himself until the attack ended.

“Just let it happen,” it ordered, as Tibs ran aga...

The Technician's Fight, Draft 1, CH29

“You know,” his heart said, before Gralgiran offered him the sauce covered cube of meat, silencing him.

“Oh, I know,” he replied, grinning at the male leaning against him on the couch as he chewed. He speared another cube with a claw and dunked it in a different bowl.

“I don’t think they ever meant for meals to be eaten on the couch,” Jer hurried to say, before the cube was at his mouth.

“You wouldn’t let me feed you like this in bed.”

His Heart gla...

Stepping Wild, Draft 2, CH 97

The first creature to reach Tibs was feline in looks. Its claws and fur were metal over stone, but it also had wooden horns. He took them with his shield, but the force behind the impact pushed him back. His attempt at pulling Earth essence from the ground failed. That was the dungeon’s, and it didn’t let him take control.

He was fully into daylight by the time he managed to shove it aside. A stone and crystal rabbit flew at him, and he cut it. The feline sliced through his pant leg...

The Technician's Fight, Draft 1, CH28

Jeremy hurried back to engineering to find it, as it had been these last weeks, busier than ever, every station occupied, technicians from engineering, maintenance, repairs, and probably other department he hadn’t had to deal with, coming and going.

They were on their way to another rendez-vous Xenial’s relative had arranged, and after witnessing the Earther’s willingness to blow themselves up, the Engineer wasn’t willing to give any god an opportunity to Meddle against the Bane...

Stepping Wild, Draft 2, CH 96

It took Tibs more than a week before the forest thinned. Later that day, he left it behind and stepped onto grassland. As he’d been told, the trail was marked by trampled grass. Pushing a little Wood essence into it revitalized the color, but did nothing to make it grow until he also pushed hints of Life in. Then it quickly matched the surrounding grass.

Only once he considered his test done did he realize he was channeling Life and Wood essence, and that he didn’t feel any changes ...

Update for the week ending on 08-22-25

This week, it was 2 chapters for Mind Your Step. I had a checkup on Monday morning. It was three chapters for The Technician’s Fight. The final chapter for The Tourists, and the submission process chapter for Colby was written.

The three chapters for Mind Your Step of the previous week were edited. Along with the Harker chapter and a chapter for Tiranis.

Other stuff

I had my Cistoscopy on Monday Morning. They found a small tumor, so I’m heading for another surgery.

The Technician's Fight, Draft 1, CH27

“The ship is entering long range scanner,” the hunter at the sensors said.

“Any indication of their pursuers?” Gralgiran asked, standing in the center of the bridge.

“Not yet.”

The message had come two weeks before, through the Quartermaster. A location, time, and identifier tag.

“This is your captain! All civilians are to return home. Any who can’t do so in a timely manner, go to the closest Room of Banners. I repeat, we are preparing to engage. Civili...

Stepping Wild, Draft 2, CH 95

The trail didn’t improve.

Tibs couldn’t even find evidence of Charlie’s passage, with how buried the markers were. Clearly his fighter, Marok, knew the trail well enough he hadn’t had to unearth them. They’d also been careful not to leave traces of their passage. It was impressive, considering they didn’t have elements to undo the damage setting up camp caused.

Every few days, he took the time to test another combination of elements.

Water was the element that ch...

The Technician's Fight, Draft 1, CH26

“Okay Jeremy, so the thing you need to keep in mind is that Kersosterans don’t do the ‘till death do us part’ thing. Everything’s very much about the transaction. The contract. So me being…well, married really isn’t the right word here, but it’s the only one I can think of, is for a fixed duration. Once the contract ends, we can renew it, or renegotiate it, or just go our separate ways.”

“On the whole, it’s painless, but like with everything, there are exceptions.�...

Stepping Wild, Draft 2, CH 94

Tibs woke with a start, saw the blood covering him ,the massacre surrounding him; then the memories assaulted him.

He threw up.

He saw a lot of raw meat in it, and he threw up again. Then he forced himself up, used Purity to stop his legs shaking, and ran.

Ran from what he woke among, and the wildness he remembered. The things he’d done.

At least, it had only been to animals.

Not that it brought him much comfort.

Dropping torrents of water on him cleaned ...

The World Which Is, CH 105

The trek home is…. Well, I’m not going to say uneventful, but nothing to spend all that much time on either. I mean, it’s pretty much just more of the same. Two more years of more of the same.

Two years of avoiding cities, and mostly avoiding people. When we can’t avoid settlements, we mainly stick to villages or towns that don’t control entry—there aren’t a lot of those. As you can imagine with traveling almost exclusively in the wilderness, there are monster fights. A lo...

A Creature of War, Epilog

The old lynx leaned back in the plush seat and let his breath out as he watched the children and some parents move away.

This felt different. Well, it had been the end of the story, so that would be different, but he couldn’t shake the sense there had been more to it.

A human woman, and her boy of nine or ten, approached him. She was smiling, while he partially hid behind her. “Excuse me, but is there somewhere I can get the story? Is it a book? Or maybe you've recorded it?”...