Kindra stood on the edge of a cliff. The sky was a hazy red. Dust and smoke flowed around her. The smell of it, along with blood, hung thick in the air. Another dream? Kindra looked at the dreamscape, and her nostrils flared.
Inhaling the destruction, she looked up at the sky. A half dozen moons were in view. Each shone red, ominous mirrors of the surrounding destruction. And I’m burning something.
She looked out at the bodies that littered the ground. The...
2024-12-21 23:30:01 +0000 UTC
View Post
Water dripped from a stone ceiling, falling and splattering into a red, bloody puddle. The smell of stone, metal, blood, and pain filled the cell. Diana breathed it in, enjoying the feel and taste of it.
Turning, a strand of white hair fell into her view, and she studied the man before her. Shackled to the wall, blood oozed from cuts on his muscled arms. Runes on the wall and in the shackles glowed softly, and footsteps pulled her attention.
What now? A flash of anger pas...
2024-12-19 23:30:01 +0000 UTC
View Post
Kindra reached behind her and pulled, ripping the mana toward her. A sense of wrongness filled the air, and she frowned. What is causing that? She looked at the cave walls. Moisture clung to a few cracks, and the sound of wings filled her ears. I should pick my upgrades. She pulled them into view.
[Please pick an upgrade:
- Enhancer - Item enhancements are 25% stronger.
- Fabricator - Transmutation costs 25% less.
- Combatant - You may sacrifice a fami...
2024-12-17 23:30:01 +0000 UTC
View Post
Aika perched on a small stone outcropping. The sound of steps filled the air. She exhaled and held up her spear. Just buy them time. Mana flowed into her, surging with power.
[Your level has increased: 10 → 15.]
A smile spread across her face, and she willed updates to her attributes.
[Your speed has increased: 18 → 28. Current value: 28+20.]
[Your dexterity has increased: 18 → 28. Current value: 28+20.
2024-12-15 23:30:01 +0000 UTC
View Post
Aika dove behind Kindra and laughed, the soft sound bouncing around the stone walls. Kindra chuckled with her, looking at the charred dwarves. Burns remained in their clothes, and smudges of ash were on their faces. A few hairs smoldered, and Gleon chuckled, shaking his head and knocking away the charred remains of several hairs.
Tob sighed and massaged his chin. Errant singed hairs fell out, and he sighed. “Every damn time.”
“Why even have them?” Kindra asked with a large...
2024-12-14 23:30:01 +0000 UTC
View Post
Kindra looked at the staring dwarves. “That was a soul.”
“And the person next to it?” Gleon asked.
“Death.” Kindra shrugged. “I think he’s a god or something.”
“Death,” Tilly whispered. She looked up at the tunnel and clasped her hands together, her eyelids drooping shut.
Is she praying? She has to be. Kindra looked up. He can answer. Will he?
[I do get a lot of them and answer a few. ~Death]
Huh....
2024-12-12 23:37:01 +0000 UTC
View Post
Machine and flesh bore down on the group, metal feet clanking on stone. Gleon raised his axe and ran forward.
Kindra pulled out her crossbow and shivered. What the hell happened to those things? She jacked in a crossbow bolt, and the two dwarfs slammed their weapons into the strange cyborg creatures.
Blood and metal broke away, spraying across the dusty hall. With gears whirring, one slammed a piston-like arm into Gleon, launching him down the hall.
Dodging a strike...
2024-12-10 23:37:01 +0000 UTC
View Post
Kindra walked through the illusion. Runes sparkled around her, ribbons of twinkling lights in the curtain of magic. That’s amazing. She paused and memorized for a moment.
“Kindra?” Aika called.
“Sorry. Isn’t this amazing?”
“Gran helped make it,” Sara said. “It’s an illusion enchantment.” She pointed at the ceiling.
Kindra looked up. A glowing gem was embedded in a plate of metal. Mana flowed out from the gem, moving through an intricate p...
2024-12-08 23:37:01 +0000 UTC
View Post
The group made slow progress, the massive bear carcass slowing their pace.
Weaving through the trees, Kindra looked around. The branches swayed in a soft breeze. The sound of chirping birds filled the air, and eyes stared from the bushes.
Reaching for her crossbow, Kindra stared at the yellow and black, slitted eyes. Scaly eyelids flicked, and a red tongue flicked out.
“What is that, Dain?” Kindra asked, pointing into the bushes. A squat, scaly snout popped out. The larg...
2024-12-07 23:37:01 +0000 UTC
View Post
Hazy trees towered around Kindra. An uneasy silence lingered in the air, lurking like the countless creatures that were out there, hidden. Her focus shifted, and she studied the trees. Mana flowed through them, lighting the green forest with a soft glow.
It is beautiful. And strange. So many strange dreams.
“Come out, or lose your previous forest,” she said, raising her hand and willing her magic forward. Runes took shape around the flowing tendrils of magic.
An image ap...
2024-12-05 23:37:01 +0000 UTC
View Post
The sound of rats filled Kindra’s ears. The smell of dirt and plants filled the air, and she sprinted, searching for something to give her an edge. Where’s Aika when I need her?
Vaulting over a rock, Kindra scrambled around a tree. I can’t waste all my ammo. Her eyes flickered through the forest, and she leapt off a root.
Soaring through the air, her eyes went wide. A large chunk of white flesh greeted her. Not again. Not again. The pig’s eyes went wide, and she slammed in...
2024-12-03 23:38:01 +0000 UTC
View Post
The thing lurched, its extra limbs swaying. Its flesh split open, revealing extra mouths. They all opened.
No more horror levels. Kindra shivered and pulled out her gun. Gleon’s red beard blurred. His axe whistled and hacked into its body. A spray of purple blood shot into the air, spattering him and the forest.
The thing ignored it. Its limbs reached for him. Claws slashed through the air, and he vaulted backward.
Kindra swallowed and looked up at Sigrid. This is embarras...
2024-12-01 23:37:01 +0000 UTC
View Post
The buffalo’s eyes glistened with the night, twinkling like little angry stars. Stars that had decided their next target. Oh no. It stared at Kindra, pawed the ground, and lowered its head.
Kindra reached for her rifle, and it surged forward, its hooves ripping into the ground and spraying dirt.
Cold steel filled Kindra’s hands. She pulled the rifle up, and the ground rippled. Stone erupted from the ground, and the bison ran through it, stone shards flying into the air.
...
2024-11-30 23:37:01 +0000 UTC
View Post
Pain. It raced through the woman, and she hissed, opening her eyes. An ornate table with the most exquisite foods greeted her. Seared meat was piled high. Fruit was piled in decorative piles, and glowing wine sat on the table. Looking at her empty, golden glass, she snapper her fingers and gestured toward it, a long nail cutting through the air. Oh, Kindra. You were always a troublesome one. She sighed.
A woman in a black and white dress dashed forward and refilled the goblet with the g...
2024-11-28 23:37:01 +0000 UTC
View Post
Kindra grabbed her empty bowl and walked it to the basin. She rinsed it and the spoon. The sound of silverware filled the stone room, and she turned back.
“You ate so little,” Sigrid said with a sorrowful look. “Are you still hungry?”
“I’m fine.” Kindra smiled at her. She walked to her room, opened the chest, and pulled out her three other dresses. Tossing them onto the bed, she rolled the bedding into a roll, grabbed it, and walked from the small room. “Hey, A...
2024-11-26 23:37:01 +0000 UTC
View Post
Kindra walked into her room. She turned all her focus toward the surrounding magic. It blanketed everything in a soft light. Small runes decorated the space, and she masked her expression, memorizing the sequence. No. I don’t think so.
Standing there, she formed the counter in her mind. A moment of pressure hit her mind, and the runes flashed out, vanishing from the space in a glitter of light. That was easy.
Sigrid walked into her room, a look of concern on he...
2024-11-24 23:00:11 +0000 UTC
View Post
Ore crunched beneath the hammer. The red stone crumbled, breaking into gravel. Grinding it into dust, she slowly filled a bucket. Walking over, she grabbed charcoal and limestone.
“Going to build a bloomery?” Dain asked with a smile.
Kindra groaned and looked at the supplies. “Can’t I use yours?”
“It’s in use. You should make one.” Dain smiled. “It’ll be good for you.”
“Where do I get clay?” Kindra asked, groaning.
“From the fields.”...
2024-11-23 23:00:01 +0000 UTC
View Post
Kindra studied the runes that decorated a piston. The symbols danced across her vision, a language just out of reach. Why can’t I see it? There has to be some pattern. Some design, right? She frowned and ran her finger along them. There’s more than what Sigrid said. Some connecting principle. Some harmony. It buzzed just out of reach, like a forgotten song.
Pieces of armor were everywhere, a small monument to what once had been. Pistons and gears lay strewn across ...
2024-11-21 23:00:03 +0000 UTC
View Post
Forcing one foot after another, Kindra stepped out of the forge and approached Dain. “Dad?” she called. “Mom said she needed—” She turned to the guards and stopped. Breathe. Just breathe.
The guards scowled. “And there she is.” He gestured with his head. “The mayor wants a word, Kindra.”
Kindra moved closer to Dain. That can’t be good news.
“I’m coming with you,” Dain said, scowling and prodding at the bloomery. He sighed and walke...
2024-11-19 23:00:04 +0000 UTC
View Post
A hazy city stood on the horizon. Smoke billowed in the air, and red scales glistened in the sunlight.
Am I dreaming again? Lizard-like eyes focused on Kindra, and massive wings churned the air like a helicopter. Is that a dragon? She looked up at the massive creature. Its long tail flicked through the air, and a smile spread across her face. An icy breeze carried the scent of death and smoke from the smoldering city before her.
Magic surged into her palm. Runes ...
2024-11-17 23:00:06 +0000 UTC
View Post
The trio walked along the tunnel. Pock marks lined the walls, and Kindra grew bored. They walked and walked, eventually stumbling on a single item at the end of the tunnel.
Kindra kicked at the extremely rusty pick axe. Reaching down, she burned a little mana to turn it into a brick and stashed it. I’ll have to toss it into the bloomery later. She spun and followed the group, jogging out of the tunnel.
“Was hoping for a vein,” Gleon muttered.
“Seems anti-cli...
2024-11-16 00:22:40 +0000 UTC
View Post
Jogging to the crack in the wall of the cavern, Kindra followed Gleon inside. The mana hung thick in the air. She waved her arm through it and tried to will it into herself. It didn’t work. The mana hung there.
Moving down the passage, Kindra looked down at the stream. It burbled along the rocks, and the passage got smaller. I am not swimming through some underground stream without a scuba suit. She ducked through a small tunnel, barely avoiding a plunge.
Gleon embraced...
2024-11-16 00:22:11 +0000 UTC
View Post
Kindra felt time slow. She vaulted into the air and slammed her spear into a bird, sending it smashing into the ground. A bird extended its talons and slammed into her back. The talons hit the dress and didn’t pierce it.
With a growing smile, Kindra spun, using her spear more like a bat. She hit and slashed into the birds, whirring the spear around her like a lethal propeller. The birds blasted her with sound and flew away, landing on the scavengers and the carcasses.
Reaching o...
2024-11-16 00:21:16 +0000 UTC
View Post
Gran ran her blade along the scales of the wyvern. The forest chirped around them, the trees casting everything in shadow. “Druid is more sensible.”
“She’s a smith, like Dain,” Gleon said, shaking his head. “She wants to know enchantments, not follow that fool path.”
“Fool path?”
“Aye.” Gran nodded. “The class requires you to memorize your spells, writing them in books and things.” She sliced through tendons, blood oozing around her. The metallic sc...
2024-11-16 00:20:09 +0000 UTC
View Post
Kindra grinned, and Aika flew, fluttering up and stopping in front of her. Aika’s silvery wings flashed as she churned the air. Metal body armor lined every part of her, and a grin spread across her face.
Grabbing the little fairy, Kindra pulled her into a soft hug. “Aika. Finally.”
“I’ve missed you. Also, he’s crazy. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.” Aika pointed at Gleon.
Kindra looked over and saw Gleon standing in the doorway. He scowled at Aika.
<...
2024-11-16 00:19:12 +0000 UTC
View Post
Kindra shoved on the heavy cart, rolling it forward an inch and hitting the stone doorway of the forge. She stared at the small lip of stone that had blocked the wheel. The small jump in elevation stood there, apathetic to her plight. May as well be a mountain. Looking up, she saw Dain standing in the doorway with a smile. The glow from the forge lit the back of his head, making his red hair glow.
He’s built like an oak tree, and that light makes his hair look like it’s...
2024-11-16 00:18:17 +0000 UTC
View Post
Aika peered into the gloom. Blood droplets lay on the dusty stone floor. Collapsed walls and houses lined the street, and a mountain of stone entombed all of it, leaving it in dark silence.
Scales rippled across the stone, and large yellow eyes turned toward them. A massive forked tongue flickered out into the air. Barbs lined the thing, and a flash of dread shot through Aika.
I’m not getting swallowed. Flying backward, she took a position behind Gleon. “Did you reall...
2024-11-16 00:17:44 +0000 UTC
View Post
Breathe. Kindra forced the panic away. Grabbing her mana, she let her instincts take over. The runes of the shield blazed through her mind like a fire, and she ignited them.
Transparent magic met caustic green. The poison sprayed across her shield, coating it in caustic greens and yellows.
Stavn shouted and stepped backward.
Grabbing Kindra’s hand, Sigrid dragged her back down the tunnel. “We can fight it from a distance.” She ran.
Kindra joined her, rac...
2024-11-16 00:15:45 +0000 UTC
View Post
Turning away from the grub, Kindra looked for Stavn, who had fled the area as if the mana was a deadly toxin. It was only two hundred mana or so. She shrugged and looked into the smooth tunnel it had left behind. Small ridges lined it, forming stone ribs. Wonder where that goes.
Ignoring it, she retrieved her bolts and walked through the area, hunting for more rats to kill. Spotting one, she shot it and collected it. The sound of feet on stone made her turn.
Stav...
2024-11-16 00:15:01 +0000 UTC
View Post
Magic churned around Kindra. Runes flashed like stars, and she felt a burning desire to rip it apart. Studying the runes, she started form the sequence. “Stavn?” she asked, letting her anger show through. “Five seconds before I react.”
Stavn spun. “What?”
“I don’t like spells cast on me.” Kindra reached for her gun, willing it forward.
“My apologies,” the priestess said, surprise showing on her face. “It’s to help us guide you.”
Kindra let t...
2024-11-15 21:29:20 +0000 UTC
View Post
