And so, Book Four: First Flight begins!
I aspired to greatness
Long before I knew its face
I wished for glory
Long before I knew its taste
I asked for power
Long before I knew its base
I was not wrong to dream
I was not wrong to hope
But I have long since known,
That which I want
Cannot be gained by either
Or with begging hands
That which I want,&nbs...
2018-01-10 03:48:50 +0000 UTC View PostHello guys,
There are some pretty big changes coming to HoGW. I pray you'll bear with me while we work them out. For a while now, I've been waiting for the current book to be completed so that I can make this announcement. Here goes;
HoGW does not have two books. It has three.
I know. That's confusing. I'll put it a better way. Due to editing changes that occurred int he production of Hatchling, the entire series is going to have to be restructured. All one h...
2018-01-07 23:53:08 +0000 UTC View Post
That up there is how far the artist making the cover has gotten. It's pretty good in my opinion. The image is supposed to wrap around a print copy of the book which again, in my opinion is awesome.
With how close he is to finishing, I'm thinking of finally setting a launch date. I'm also looking into some marketing services. Anyone know how book ads on Royalroad work?
Anyway, you guys tell me what you think of the cover. Also, let me know if you want to change something. It is stil...
2018-01-07 22:32:49 +0000 UTC View Post"Are you certain of what you saw?" Thorn Clearwing asked the young sprite.
At thirty-four centimetres tall, Thorn was good a deal taller than most sprites. The four hundred years he'd lived made him a good deal older as well. Sadly, despite how longlived his race was, his harsh childhood, turbulent youth and stressful rule caused him go appear older than his age. His head bore a golden circlet and he wore clothes of spun spider silk as well as a sword at his hip. The first spoke of his s...
2018-01-07 01:28:54 +0000 UTC View PostSlowly but surely, Brandr woke up. The act of waking was itself was a surprise to him. He'd been certain he was dead or dying. His mind clearing up, he reaffirmed to himself. 'I should be dead.'
There was no way he could have survived that last battle. His body was destroyed and his nascent divinity broken. That alone spelt doom for his soul. His cultivation should have collapsed, his soul dispersed and his dao merged with the world. Examining himself, he discovered to his shock that whilst mo...
2018-01-07 01:15:03 +0000 UTC View PostThe earth was still, just like the earth was wont to be when it wasn't rumbling and quaking. A moment later, that changed. There was no quake, no rumble but the earth was still no more. Mana, the lifeblood of the world begun to gather around a previously ordinary ruby. Slowly, the ruby grew larger, absorbing the offered essence until it could no longer. When that happened, the strange consciousness within it, the very same one that had provoked that reaction, evolved completely, becoming somethi...
2018-01-07 00:48:31 +0000 UTC View PostStarting today, I will have a new series under my roster. I will be doing this for a variety of reasons.
1. HoGW has reached a point where I feel comfortable enough to explore something else.
2. I wish to experiment with new themes that do not fit into HoGW or what I have planned for it. You may have noticed that HoGW is a slow burn series, one I put incredible effort into when it comes to things like character interaction and the exploration of non-stan...
2018-01-07 00:38:37 +0000 UTC View PostThis is a teaser project I worked on a while back. One of several. It started out as a plot bunny I realised wouldn't fit well into HoGW. Unfortunately, I couldn't get rid of it. It then haunted me until I developed it into something independent. I stopped myself after three chapters but by then, what I had was something worth developing. Maybe one day...
Check it out!
Synopsis:
Pride goes before the fall and prideful gods fall very hard.
Kerm...
2018-01-04 22:52:26 +0000 UTC View Post
This was originally a Patron-only special I never got round to releasing, a sort of day in the life of Squad Two. However, I was not satisfied with the ending I had and realised that with a bit or work this could be a better ending.
Let me know what you think of it.
Soon, it was time to depart. However, just before he left, Valerian saw Captain Walters walking up. With him were the remaining members of Squad T...
2018-01-03 06:57:10 +0000 UTC View PostValerian sat on a bench at the side of the training yard, staring off into the sky. Come sunrise, he would have to leave Strapping's. It all seemed surreal. The school that had required him putting in so much effort to get into...now he was leaving it for something better...supposedly. His resolve wavered when he thought of the people he was leaving behind.
He'd told his squad and instructor some of the details of his meeting. Lad...
2018-01-03 01:39:12 +0000 UTC View Post
"What of your dual forces? Can he help with that?"
Valerian said nothing. The answer to that was so obvious it did not need saying.
"Strapping's is holding you back", Lady Bloodworth told him. "It's not your instructor's fault. It is the system's. You heard the report. You have to do things yourself and from what I see it is because you can’t rely on others to do them to the standard you require. Your squad is lagging...
2018-01-03 00:38:56 +0000 UTC View Post
Hello everyone, Happy New Year!
I hope you’re enjoying the holidays. Things have been a bit dull on my end. Dull but rewarding. Sorry I couldn’t make the christmas release. I was neither around or hooked in(webbed in?). Some charity works here and there, some sleep (more than I’ve had in a long time. I had my first dream in three months four days ago).
We’re in a new year now! A new year means new things for HoGW. I’ve cooked up some surprises over the l...
2018-01-02 23:11:43 +0000 UTC View PostMaelstrom after maelstrom touched down on the battlefield. They appeared randomly, targeting every place but the area around their caster. The [Field of Storms] was a powerful spell but it was also one that was beyond Valerian's ability to cast. He could get many of its properties right but he couldn't get them all. At his current mastery, the tornados could not actively hurt his enemies but that was alright. He only needed them to sow confu...
2018-01-02 23:03:19 +0000 UTC View PostValerian led his squad forward. Due to their two consecutive victories, their morale was currently high. Squad Two had actually become the favourites to win the whole thing. Valerian hoped to ride this wave of confidence and favour to the end by proving the betting odds right.
The plan Vorm had discussed with his before he came to Strapping's had four phases. Phase I: Pass the first exam without revealing his strengths. T...
2017-12-18 22:48:58 +0000 UTC View Post
Sorry this chapter is only coming out now. I was forced to spend a day at the hospital. Don’t worry, it’s nothing too serious.
"You have?" Reynard asked in confusion.
"Yes!" Valerian answered dryly.
"I see..." Reynard said with some confusion. "Well... It was nothing like me, I assure you", Reynard recovered. "I have a divine body, an auspicious cloud divine body."
Valerian could not st...
2017-12-14 01:50:35 +0000 UTC View Post
HoGW has made it into the top 150 novels on royalroadl! I know, I couldn’t believe it too. Please support those who reviewed the series with a thumbs up as well as rate/review the series if you, like me, think we can push even higher.
Today’s chapter is too long. 1000 words over our normal limit. Still, I like how it ended so I’ll leave it as is.
Do you want to ask me a question about writing, Verre, Valerian, HoGW or the future of this series? If so then please ...
2017-12-09 22:35:31 +0000 UTC View PostThis is an idea I've been playing around with for a while. It is possible to use a membership system to display patron-only material on our website and still restrict it to patrons only. The only question is if patrons are up for it. Some of you might not.
Still, try and imagine being able to read advance releases and patron only materials right in lupineking.com. Wouldn't that be cool?
1. In addition to this, the publication date for Book One: Hat...
2017-12-06 11:55:23 +0000 UTC View Post
Of all the squad leaders, Reynard was the one Valerian was most wary of. Gigne was easily understood. He was another face in a long line of military officers. He wanted to live up to that legacy and prove himself at the same time. Clearcrest was much of the same only she was not as forthright. She skulked around the edges looking for openings and flaws she could exploit but in the end, their goals were the same. They ...
2017-12-05 02:45:12 +0000 UTC View PostValerian and the surviving members of his squad were pulled out of the illusory realm into raucous cheering. Many in the stands were even on their feet as they clapped their hands for the victors. Sparing a glance to his sides Valerian saw their 'dead' squadmates cheering as well. They looked slightly drained but happy and well. It was the same on Gigne's side minus the cheering. A few of them actually glared at him and Valerian chuckled a...
2017-12-04 05:00:00 +0000 UTC View Post
HoGW resumes!
Sorry I left you guys without word for so long. I had stuff I needed to figure out. Wasn't even sure I would continue with this at one point. I had to take a good long look at my writing and my viability as an author. I'm not sure whether the choice I made was right or wrong but you guys are the ones who'll prove either way.
I've completely redone the site. It looks brand new and all the old problems should be resolved. Still, if you find any let me know. Feel ...
2017-12-03 04:38:41 +0000 UTC View PostThe next chapter of HoGW to be released will be the 100th chapter in the series. I'd like to show my gratitude everyone who has been supportive of me and my writing thus far and all the old readers who actually remember when we only had ten or so on our page. Thank you all so much.
If you're someone who picked HoGW up recently, Thank you too! We love having new readers to share our story with! I hope you'll be with us when we celebrate our next milestone.
Honestly,...
2017-10-05 11:46:01 +0000 UTC View Post
Gigne watched Valerian stumble onto his feet with a wicked smile on his face. It served the lanky bastard right. Did he really think he could sneak up on him? The lion himself? Pausing his steps ever so slightly, Leonidas shook the thoughts and the rising angry ego out of his head. He needed to remain clear headed at this time. Merging with his phantasmal self gave him extraordinary abilities but the combi...
2017-10-05 11:27:48 +0000 UTC View Post
Valerian had not expected Gigne to attack soon and he was right. they spent the next hour waiting for nothing. It was too early. They were too fresh. It would have been a mistake. After the first hour, Valerian allowed his squad to grab some seats and relax a little.
Sieges were waiting games on both ends. The siege or attacking party tried to starve out or cut off the sieged or defending ...
2017-10-05 11:22:18 +0000 UTC View Post
For the next few days, the members of Squad Two wracked their brains trying to think of something, anything that would help them in the battle to come. Every plan or idea brought forth was hotly debated before either being accepted or discarded. The main problem was that They were planning out how to defend a place without knowing anything about the place they were going to be defending.
They would have asked thei...
2017-10-05 11:18:03 +0000 UTC View Post
The opponent was locked in place. Spiked chains and glazings of ice held it down and restricted its movement. Even half frozen, the horde leader tried to break free of the chains that held it, causing the spikes on them to dig further into its flesh. The ice might have been trapping it but its cold did little to slow the daemon down. Valerian wondered if the frost even went deeper than its thick blubbery skin. I...
2017-09-24 00:14:51 +0000 UTC View Post
Have you ever felt true hate?
Have you ever looked at another person
And wished to put your hands
Around that hateful neck
Or bash their ugly face in?
Have you ever been so angry
That it sits in your gut
Smoldering, blazing, unquenching?
Funny!
The anger? The rage?
It all springs from the hate!
With but a thought
A ponder on that hated foe
It sur...
2017-09-22 01:25:45 +0000 UTC View PostI am consumed by rage
It festers, it burns
In my gut and in my throat
It aches, it throbs
In my heart and in my temple
I burn with wrath
It lingers, it remains
Surges when I least expect it
Resists my attempts to quench it
I sit on a fire of fury and hate
And though it burns,
It burns not me but for me
These are flames I’ve tended
This is a bo...
2017-09-21 22:17:03 +0000 UTC View Post
Who missed me?
Things have been pretty hectic on my end but I'm happy to say we can resume releases now. The commute to and from work is pretty bad. I'm so drained when I make it home every day. Thankfully, I can try to post in the mornings before leaving for work. We'll see how it goes.
Releases will be cut to two a week, sadly. Thursday was unlucky enough to be the one cut. So this will be the last Thursday post until things change. You can expect the next chapter on Satur...
2017-09-21 21:57:51 +0000 UTC View Post
We march as one,
Unstoppable in our conquest
We march as one,
Onwards to our inevitable victory
We fight as one,
Decimating all who march against us
We bleed as one,
Seizing retribution for our fallen.
Our shields we raise as one,
To protect ourselves and our comrades.
Our spears we thrust as one,
To cow and skewer our enemies.
Our arrows we loose as one...
2017-08-27 23:46:05 +0000 UTC View Post
Dearest Mother,
Mother, there’s been an incident at school. Remember my friend? Callum from the House of Trace? He’s been injured. It’s bad. The healers are uncertain about whether they can even heal injuries as bad as his. I do not know what to do.
In my last letter home, I mentioned that our teacher felt we were ready to start learning more advanced techniques and that he wanted us to try breath skills. I have also mentioned, in le...
2017-08-27 23:43:37 +0000 UTC View Post