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Starship Engineer - 180 - Integration

Chapter 180 Integration

With the Sylvan reviving ancient First Citizens, I thought there would be an attempt to usurp my authority in the Bradbury system.  In our meetings, Edmund took pleasure in reminding me that I created the forthcoming political disaster.

That did not happen because as the fifty-one of the possible fifty-nine powerful First Citizens emerged, they were all playing their own brand of politics.  They were supposed to be awakened to fight the Malevolent...

World Sphere - 153 - The Tide Starts to Turn

Chapter 153 The Tide Starts to Turn

With the pirates landing across Aegis City and Gareth defending the entrance of the Shiny Platinum, things seemed bleak.  My thoughts were to let enough pirates pass us, run into the city, and then rally everyone to launch an attack on one of the pirate ships that had landed.  We could commandeer the ship and retreat to the capital.

I just needed my aether to replenish before making the attempt.  I was under one percent of my aeth...

A Soldier's Life - 117 - Odd Reunion

Chapter 117 Odd Reunion

I followed Konstantin as he moved quickly through the trees.  I knew he was experienced at this, but he seemed too aggressive—too excited.  Why not wait for the company to catch up?  I am sure Zyna could handle the summoner by herself.  “There!” He whispered harshly to me.  About two hundred yards ahead, the brown cloaks were moving steadily.

We were gaining ground quickly, and I guessed a mage was just not as fit as a legionn...

A Soldier's Life - 116 -

Chapter 116

I started to walk with Konstantin when Zyna halted me, “Eryk, good job protecting me.  Castile suggested I give you one of these as a reward.”  She placed an essence in my hand, “Don’t get yourself killed,” she smiled and returned to talk with Castile, Delmar, and Adrian.

Konstantin walked beside me as we entered the woods. Flavius was already ahead of us to the left. When everyone was out of earshot, Konstantin asked, “You know I serve a Praetori...

A Soldier's Life - 115 - Pig Roast

Chapter 115 Pig Roast

I had asked my question about the variety of giants to be rhetorical, but Maveith answered me anyway.  “The Titans come in many varieties.  There are the cloud and fog giants of the Dresimere Mountains.  Then, the corrupted two-headed ettins, but you are familiar with them already.  The stone giants are builders but are nearly extinct as all the great Titan cities have been destroyed.  The storm giants ruled all the giants before the civi...

A Soldier's Life - 104 - A Brief Lesson In Alchemy

Chapter 104 A Brief Lesson In Alchemy

Flavius stood in the path and tossed the deer carcasses down with a thud in some grass. He stretched his neck, happy for an excuse to rest.  He wiped his hands on nearby grass, “Eryk, you returned with an alchemist?”

I dismounted and led Ginger over to Flavius, “We did.  I am guessing that Sebastian found his brother’s collecter since you returned?”

Flavius eyed me carefully, “No.  We spent three days looking f...

A Soldier's Life - 103 - The Burnt Healer

Chapter 103

Lareen was kneeling on the bed, holding my amulet.  I didn’t have a headache or any disorientation from the artifact being removed, so at least I had learned something.  I could be awakened if the amulet was removed without ill effects. Now, I needed to deal with the curious woman.  She was educated, and I assumed the runic patterns on the outside of the device told her it was magical in nature.

I gave a half-truth, “It helps me sleep.  It filte...

World Sphere - 153 -

Chapter 153 The Tide is Turning

With the pirates landing across Aegis City and Gareth defending the entrance of the Shiny Platinum, things seemed bleak.  My thoughts were to let enough pirates pass us, run into the city, and then rally everyone to launch an attack on one of the pirate ships that had landed.  We could commandeer the ship and retreat to the capital.

I just needed my aether to replenish before making the attempt.  I was under one percent of my aether a...

An Incubus Life - 163

Chapter 163

Sofiel, the archangel, was talking to Vida, and surprisingly, Vida was not agitated talking to an ice orc.  Then I realized she must be charmed by the angelic.  I thought Sofiel would have alerted everyone in the room and have them attack me when she realized I was a demon.  Instead, she continued her conversation with Vida and just kept me in her line of sight.

I moved Aurora, who was at the dessert table, and selected items to try by putting them direc...

Chapter 152 High Mage of Skyholme

Chapter 152

The small dwarven ship had decent speed and maneuverability.  The low ceilings made it feel claustrophobic.  There was also a lingering scent of lemon and alcohol.  The controls were universal for a skyship, and I took a moment to get a feel for them before powering forward.  Thousands of pirates and mercenaries were about to land, and I couldn’t stop them all.

I targeted the largest ship in the group and toggled the aether cannons.  I could ...

A Soldier's Life - 114

Chapter 214: A Day in the Life of a Pup

I didn’t have a chance to talk to Konstantin before we were shuffled inside the fort. The fort, or castle as they called it, was small and sparse; it was just a large tower surrounded by high walls. A dozen soldiers and support staff looked at us as we entered the bailey. Konstantin moved off to the right and was talking to the soldier who hadn’t let me in when I arrived early. Of course, he played a role in that.

We followed Cato into t...

World Sphere - 151

Chapter 151

Debris littered the streets, and broken bodies struggled to regain their senses.  I moved to a mother shielding her daughter and quickly diagnosed both.  The mother was relatively unscathed, but the young girl was unconscious with a shattered spine.  “Lay her flat, I ordered.”

The woman continued to rock her daughter, and I realized the concussive blast from the explosion had ruptured her eardrums.  I healed her ears quickly and repeated, “Lay...

A Soldier's Life - 113

Chapter 113

The march on the road was mostly orderly.  We kept three men abreast, spaced ten feet apart, with Castile, Adrian, and Delmar leading.  We passed refugees headed to Sobral every few hours.  The refugees found the most interesting thing about our company was Maveith.  I had Maveith on my left and Brutus on my right, so it felt like every refugee was also staring at me.  It felt like it had been a long time being part of the company since I had worked ...

Starship Engineer - 179

Chapter 179

I asked Bel’Fer how long we had before the Malevolents arrived.  She did not know.  If they could travel as fast as my ships with the higher band subspace drives, it would be thirty years before they arrived at the galaxy’s edge.  Together, we examined the map of where the Sylvan city ship had departed and its probable course to another galaxy.  The distance was difficult to fathom.  But if the World Destroyer entered the galaxy at that edge, the...

An Inucubs Life - 163

Chapter 163

((Im a bit tired writing to 1 AM, going to reread and edit this tomorrow…probably going to change how he influneces Sofiel to cooperate))

Sofiel, the archangel, was talking to Vida, and surprisingly, Vida was not agitated talking to an ice orc.  Then I realized she must be charmed by the angelic.  I thought Sofiel would have screamed and had everyone in the room attack me when she realized I was a demon.  Instead, she continue...

A Soldier's Life - 112 - Raelia POV

Chapter 112 Raelia POV

Raelia walked the promenade in the King’s Palace, following the mage.  After being sent home by her brother from Macha, she spent two days recovering in the Rookery.  She had been mucking nests and showing the newest class of Griffin Riders how to care for their saddles and tack.  Then they learned of the Telhian ruthlessness.

The mages of the Telhian Empire had torn down the city’s outer walls with earthquakes.  It was completely une...

A Soldier's Life - 102 -

Chapter 102

Adrian pushed us to the final stretch of forty miles to Sobral.  Not so much us, as we had gotten our riding legs, but Decimuswho was still struggling since his body had not been given a chance to recover.  The alchemist had almost gotten his riding legs.  At least he had stopped moaning every time Adrian ordered a light trot. I hope I had not been that bad while learning to ride.

The road had that deva vu feeling when traveling somewhere you have been b...

A Soldier's Life - 101 - Nighttime Visitors

Chapter 101 Nighttime Visitors

The heavy, thick rain was also loud.  We all pulled out oil cloaks and wrapped ourselves tight. Even under the cloak, my metal helmet echoed a constant cadence of thunks as we pressed on.  My immediate thought was remembering our raft trip from the capital.  This rain was similar except that it now also had a chill to it.  Even with my oiled cloak wrapped tight, my clothes were drenched, and it drained my body heat, and I shivered. &nbs...

An Incubus Life - 162

Chapter 162

We were all trapped in the library for now. Aurora was content to sit and selectively eat from her massive plate of food. Bedelia was in a chair but using her spells to keep watch on the Matriarch Gundella and the members of her household. I doubted she was done plotting.

Iris worked through the titles and stacked titles that I should add to my mind space.  She focused on all the relevant clan cultures and laws of Mercanious. Whenever someone was coming down the h...

A Soldier's Life - 111 -

Chapter 111

Konstantin’s body was a mess as we brought it into the barracks.  The company huddled around as he was placed on a table and his body stripped.  The smell of burnt flesh and charred clothes was strong among the stink of days in the woods.  His leather bracers had bite marks on them, and when removed, bloody, partially scabbed-over puncture marks were underneath.  Lirkin checked the forearm, “Bone is broken.  Get the healer in the city.”  F...

An Incubus Life - 161 - Vida POV (2 of 2)

Chapter 161

When the trials ended, it was as Zeka had predicted.  Only ninety-eight ice orcs, four grays, and seven greens passed.  While they were currently being shuffled off to a party and a chance to listen to other clans’ efforts to recruit them, nearly one thousand three-time losers remained in the Coliseum.  Most of the orcs who passed the trial already belonged to a clan, but that would not prevent the more powerful clans from trying to recruit them.

As th...

World Sphere - 151

Chapter 151

Debris littered the streets, and broken bodies struggled to regain their senses.  I moved to a mother shielding her daughter and quickly diagnosed both.  The mother was relatively unscathed, but the young girl was unconscious with a shattered spine.  “Lay her flat, I ordered.”

The woman continued to rock her daughter, and I realized the concussive blast from the explosion had ruptured her eardrums.  I healed her ears and repeated, “Lay her fla...

Starship Engineer - 178

Chapter 178

One-Nine-Seven-Six was awoken from his hibernation. He checked the communication, as this was not unusual. The message was pertaining to the galaxy he was heading toward.

He quickly assimilated the message and considered a course of action. The technological advancement was accelerating, and the disturbance in the region he was headed toward was expanding. Currently, the HUB, was indicating an instability of 0.00004%. It had doubled in time he had been in hibernation.<...

World Sphere - 150 -

Chapter 150

The captain of the Harbinger stood before me with the news that was a shock.  “Where is the pirate fleet?”  I asked him while playing various scenarios in my mind.

The captain bowed respectively, “High Mage, I was told to bring you to Slyhold to join the meeting with the Admirals.”

I nodded and joined him on board the Harbinger; Bleiz unsurprisingly appeared on my left, but the captain jumped to Bleiz’s satisfaction.  We took off and land...

A Soldier's Life - 110 -

Chapter 110

The soldiers for the Countess were at attention and waiting for orders.  They were all sneaking glances curiously at Maveith.  Brutus looked to have been working with the Citadel gate guards.  Brutus looked tired and asked, “I am done for the day.  Do you mind if I spend some time with you in the alchemist tower?”

“You are welcome to.  Maveith hauled up an old table and some seating a few days ago.  Why don’t you go steal something...

Starship Engineer - 177 -

Chapter 177

The standoff with the Brotherhood could not last forever.  They were reluctant to commit their resources if they thought they were going to have heavy losses.  They seemed content over the next six days to prevent us from resupplying our production facilities.  Edmund thought they might be computing the arriving vectors of our transports.  This way, they could trace back the subspace path to the origin.  Then, they could send other fleets to handle t...

Monthly Voting for World Sphere

December was the Phantom Cat Kiara.  It should be a fun chapter to write.  

An Incubus Life Monthly POV Vote

November was Gundella.  This month three choices:

December POV Chapter Voting For A Soldier's Life

Raelia the griffin rider won last month so the chapter will be in the works.  Remeber you can change your vote if something else strikes you later in the month.  Because of the gap forming in chapters some of these characters have not been introduced

World Sphere - 149 - Aelyn (POV)

Chapter 149 Aelyn POV

Author’s Note: The last Aelyn POV was Chapter 100

Aelyn had left Cullinbar and her mother behind.  She was indecisive about returning to Skyholme, but since she had nowhere to go, she decided she would head in that direction and make a decision as she got closer. She had the Heart Stone of Skyholme worth a king’s ransom in her small dimensional pocket. If she sold it, she could live in luxury for the rest of her life.

First, sh...