Miles English

Book 3 - Chapter 7

“Hogg, what sort of ranged weapons do you have on hand?”

Hogg winced, in the way that a person might if he tried to shrug before realizing that his body still wasn’t working quite the way it should. “This and that. Whatever you need.”

“Which ones does Brin have practice with?”

“None of them. He’s got absolutely no talent for archery,” said Hogg.

Brin protested, “That’s a little unfair. We only tried one time, and you’re comparing me to [Hunter...

Book 3 - Chapter 6

Brin woke up the next day to the sun shining straight in his eyes. It was well past dawn, and the sun had long since dried up any dew on the grass, but Brin still felt it in the dampness of his clothes. He was still laying on a blanket on the grass, and he wasn’t the only one. Several hundred people still dotted the town square, some still asleep, while others were waking and stretching. Despite the fact that he’d apparently slept outside in the damp, he didn’t think he’d caught a col...

Book 3 - Chapter 5.5

Not a chapter, this is Brin's current status screen.

Information

Name    Brin isu Yambul

Age    13

Race    Human

Class    Glassbound Illusionist

Level    31

Attributes

Strength    160

Dexterity    117

Vitality    118

Magic    124

Mental Control   ...

Book 3 - Chapter 5

“You poor, poor dear. I can’t believe you had to live in a place like that!” Lumina held Brin tightly against her chest, stroking his hair as if calming down a frightened animal.

“I don’t think I’m communicating it very well if that’s the impression you’re getting. It really wasn’t a bad place,” said Brin.

“No magic? You said there was no magic! What’s the point of even living at all?” she said, her voice choking with empathy.

“It had other things...

Book 3 - Chapter 4

Brin didn’t expect Calisto’s shop to be open on the way back. It was still before dawn after all, but he saw a light on inside. He ran back and grabbed the glassware he’d made for the [Alchemist]. A few beakers, several bottles, and different sized containers; he packed them all into a wooden box.. He didn’t know exactly what Calisto needed, but from the look of his shop the other day, he could use whatever he could get his hands on.

When he returned to the Calisto’s place, th...

Book 3 - Chapter 3

The workshop looked exactly like he’d last seen it. Only a few of the tools on the workbench in the puppet-making side of the room had been touched, and nothing in the glassmaking section. Almost everything was exactly how Ademir had left it, as if at any moment the man would return and continue working. A specific wood chisel drew Brin’s eye, placed next to a half-carved block of wood. It wasn’t far enough along to tell what Ademir had planned for it, and now no one would ever know. 2024-03-09 00:46:08 +0000 UTC View Post

Book 3 - Chapter 2

"I've been learning the Language with the [Enchantress] in town. I understood the words you were saying just now," said Brin.

"Did you? Show me something you can do," said Lumina.

Brin decided to put his best foot forward and start with the most complicated thing he knew. He had the memory of casting Mirror Image in one of his glass rings, so he would be able to reproduce it without fail by following along in his mind. He didn't actually need to say the words out loud any more�...

Book 3 - Chapter 1

Brin reluctantly entered the temple of the gods in Hammon’s Bog. He immediately felt the urge to leave again before something crazy happened, but schooled himself. He couldn’t keep avoiding this.

The temple was still dingy only three days after the battle. Mud still crisscrossed the polished marble floor from when they’d urgently packed in everyone that could fit after the undead had broken through the walls of the town. There were big spots of dried black ooze where the people hi...

Chapter notice

Today's chapter will be delayed. I'm still working on it, and it won't be ready by the regular time. I'm still committed to posting it today, and there will still be two chapters this week.

In other news, I'm working with my publisher to get book 1 ready for print and working with an artist to get a cover. They gave me some sketches (attached) with possible poses/layouts. This isn't really about clothes, but I still told them that Brin is a lot less fancy than that :) So far I like the ...

Story Update

Hey, just thought I'd check in and let you know my plans going forward. Book 2: Bog Standard Illusionist is finished. I was heavily considering doing an epilogue, but I don't think the story needs it. I might come back around to this after I've firmed up the outline for book 3, but for now it's finished.

The Bog will continue! This story has been an absolute blast to write, and as far as I'm concerned, I'm just getting started. I'm extremely grateful for the enthusiasm and support you...

Book 2 - Chapter 48

The next day, Hammon’s Bog was a flurry of activity. He’d expected to see weeping and depression. He’d envisioned sorrowful and depressed people idly picking through the rubble of their homes or openly sobbing on the streets. He’d expected mourning, and there would be mourning later, but for today everyone was busy.

The [Lumberjacks] and [Woodsmen] were gathering lumber, the [Carpenters] and [Woodworkers] were already rebuilding homes and businesses. Those townspeople who had sh...

Book 2 - Chapter 47

"Impossible!" said Awnadil. She raised a shaky finger accusingly at Lumina.

Lumina tossed her golden hair back and flashed a sparkling smile. "Impossible, she calls me. I rather like that, very flattering. But I think I prefer being called inevitable. Don't you think?"

"My apprentice tormented this town for weeks, and I saw and knew every hand that was raised against her. How could she have done all this if you were here?"

"I only just arrived, obviously. Only, please don't ...

Book 2 - Chapter 46

Author's Note: I recently had conversations with several Alpha readers, who had the consensus that I didn't do quite enough to build up to this reveal. I've got a lot of great ideas on ways to improve this, and I'll implement those over the next few days in the next few chapters before they got to RoyalRoad. That aside, I'm very pleased with the way this chapter turned out. Enjoy.

Effa was bright and alert from the moment he walked in. She didn’t pretend to be senile ...

Book 2 - Chapter 45

The four of them ran towards town. When Myra was too slow, Davi hefted her over his shoulder, despite her protests. They dashed at a full sprint, at least for a couple yards until Zilly went down. She immediately got to her feet again, but couldn’t hide the limp.

Now that he thought of it, the giant had slapped her straight out of the air a couple times. “Are you hurt?”

“I can still run,” said Zilly, which was a yes. She demonstrated the run, but it was more of a quick h...

Book 2 - Chapter 44

Brin had expected that Myra would be here at the snake pond. Tawna had left a pretty big hint that she’d be coming this way. It was lucky they had Marksi, though, because if Myra was really underground, he doubted he’d ever find her by himself.

Marksi started to move through the brush, pushing aside tall grass, looking everywhere. Brin joined in, and Zilly and Davi helped as well.

What he really wanted to do was sit down and maybe do a little light sobbing to recover from thei...

Book 2 - Chapter 43

Brin forced himself to believe they actually had a chance. Despite how much he terrified everyone, Simao wasn’t invincible. Actually, if he remembered correctly, Simao was underleveled for his age. The danger he posed to the town was mostly psychological; he was a popular guy, friendly, with a good Class. Seeing him undead was drastically demoralizing for Hammon’s Bog. It was demoralizing for Brin, to be honest. He’d liked Simao.

Apart from that, most of the danger came from Simao...

Book 2 - Chapter 42

After the defenders dispersed, Brin followed Kevim to try to get a word with him. He hung back while Kevim conferred with what was left of the town’s leadership, following along behind quietly. Kevim stayed between others the entire walk, though, headed towards the Prefit’s house. The Prefit’s front room was a big conference room where the Council conducted their business. Apparently it was still in use even though the man himself was indisposed.

Brin called out before they went i...

Today's chapter will be late

I was stuck in trainings for work all week so the writing fell a little bit behind. Today's chapter will be posted tonight or tomorrow at the latest.

Book 2 - Chapter 41

The old familiar cellar looked completely different illuminated by Tawna’s burning cape. On the way over, he’d followed behind her and gotten a good look at it. It was sewn with the same constellation pattern that her fate-catchers had used, but rather than embroidered on, it had been sewn into the pattern itself. The flame burned hot but slowly, slowly whittling away the edges of her cape, and ashes dripped onto the floor where she stood.

The rest of her dress was no less impressi...

Book 2 - Chapter 40

Balbi the [Laundress]-[Witch] had a caustic personality and made no attempt to hide the fact that she didn’t like Brin at all, but even so she was surprisingly quick to see reason. As a member of the town Council, she was the natural choice to talk to Kevim about their plans.
First thing in the morning, she approached him with the idea to have the familiars defend the gates, but he refused. Without being able to explain that they were familiars, it was impossible to get him to believe t...

Chapter 39

“May I, Father?” asked the deep, monotone voice. The way the figure held the cloak closed, it looked as if he’d thrown it on in a hurry when Brin had knocked on the door. Pants, boots, and a shirt that would fit someone seven feet tall sat near Ademir’s work table, and there were all sorts of tools and things out, as if he were in the middle of a project. Or a repair.

Ademir stared hard into Brin’s eyes, as if weighing him. He nodded. “Go ahead.”

The robe fell to the...

Book 2 - Chapter 38

Brin gripped his spear, waiting for the gates to come down. After the battle yesterday, the town had retreated behind the walls and the undead had been hacking at them ever since. Even Bog Standard gates had limits, and they were about to hit theirs.

“[Carpenters] and laborers hang back. Infantry, steady. Archers, ready,” Kevim shouted. As the only surviving member of the town council with any combat experience, he was the de facto leader of the town. It was a miracle that the leade...

Book 2 - Chapter 37

Brin stood in the reserve line, a shield in one hand and a spear with a glass head in the other. Myra had come through with his heat-vision-blocking clothes, and he’d put them on under Perris’ leather armor, so all in all he felt ready for anything. They’d placed him between two decently-leveled [Farmers], and he wasn’t the only one his age out here. Zilly, still wearing a few bandages, was in the row in front of him, and seven other boys and one girl from his System Day were scattere...

Book 2 - Chapter 36

The next day, life in Hammon’s Bog was strangely normal. The milk was still delivered to his doorstep. The [Laundress], the one who wasn’t a [Witch], still delivered his clean clothes, and he heard Hogg’s snores coming from the other bedroom. He had no idea when Hogg had come home last night; it might’ve been five minutes before Brin woke up, so he left quietly. Outside, people walked the streets of the town like any other day. There were more children everywhere, that was one differe...

Book 2 - Chapter 35

They passed through the center of town on their way to the other gate, and the town square was completely packed full of livestock. All of the Pimental’s cows, Odilon’s sheep, as well as every other farmer’s animals were all pressed together. Several [Farmers] surrounded them to keep them in line. Yon was there with Davi’s sisters, but Davi himself was nowhere to be seen. Poco the bull watched over them all with a calm dominance.

Brin and Zilly didn’t stop to chat with anyone ...

Book 2 - Chapter 34

Brin followed Hogg down the streets of Hammon’s Bog, ignoring his attempts to send him home. There was no way he was going to sit around at home when there was an attack going on. The worst was the stab through his foot. His steps left bloody footprints behind, and while he’d been awkwardly applying Hogg’s wound-sealing cream to his other cuts, he wasn’t able to get to his foot without sitting down. If he sat down, he wasn’t sure whether he would ever get back up.

The only re...

Book 2 - Lumina Interlude

Lumina sat on the open window sill of the tower, letting her legs swing over the edge, looking down. The tower was absurdly tall, and only a year ago she would've been petrified at this view, but things like heights held little fear for her now.

Little fear, and much allure. All of Recidor lay open before her. The fort city was more fort than city now that the suburbs outside the walls had been cleared away. Past that was the jagged canyon. Normally the bottom would be full of water and...

Book 2 - Chapter 33

Basil the Bunny removed the knife from Brin’s stomach. Myra’s shirt repaired itself immediately, and the black cloth barely showed the wetness of his blood.

“Go to your room. Don’t give Hogg any sign that something is wrong,” said Basil.

“What about sound?”

“Don’t worry about that. We can talk.”

Brin didn’t waste any time. He didn’t look to the left or right. He casually went to his room and closed the door behind him. Basil didn’t follow,...

Book 2 - Chapter 32

His initial thought was to check it out himself and then warn Hogg if it really turned out to be a problem, but he’d been burned enough times by that line of thinking that he was finally starting to learn his lesson. This time he went straight for Hogg.

He didn’t know exactly where he’d be, but there was a good chance he was with the council who met in a formal conference room in the Prefit’s house. He started walking there before getting struck by a thought. There was a pretty ...

Book 2 - Chapter 31

"The words you want are <<Sumo Addad>>."

Brin repeated them, only taking two tries before he got them down. Of course, nothing happened. He pulled out a shard of glass and formed it into a marble, and tried again. With a miniscule draw on his magic, the marble made a high-pitched ringing sound. It was mechanical, almost like a beep from an old computer. Marksi hissed at it, so Brin shut it off. It was kind of annoying.


Alert! [Call Sound through Glass] le...