So, I've spent the last two months working on Web of Dreams along with my rewrite of Aeonica Book 1. The latter is almost 60% done, but I've been getting overwhelmed by juggling two books at once, and I feel like I'm not giving either project the time/attention it deserves. You know that feeling where there's too much work to do, and it makes you not want to do anything? I've felt that way lately, and that's not like me at all.
I thought about taking a break from Aeonica Book 1, but I a...
2022-01-17 01:44:05 +0000 UTC
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“Someone’s coming,” Glim said from the vent above Elend’s bed.
He cracked his eyes open, craning his neck to look up at the ceiling. “Who?”
“That hot cultist lady. She brought two guards. And a pot of coffee.”
Ah, the Ethersmith. It must be time for Elend’s first appointment. He unwrapped his legs from the lotus position and stood, gathering mana in his palms. “How far?”
Glim vanished and reappeared in the blink of an eye. “Twenty-three...
2022-01-10 02:00:31 +0000 UTC
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Akari passed through a wooden archway, stepping into the outdoor practice dojo. The fighting ring was thirty yards in diameter—the exact size of Last Haven’s arena. Wooden platforms surrounded the ring on all sides, complete with benches for spectators. Beyond that stood a forest of tall bushes and evergreen trees.
Finally, another dream.
She hadn’t dreamt once during the car ride to Tureko, but that was no surprise. They’d all been jumpy after the fight, and her ...
2022-01-02 15:00:16 +0000 UTC
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Kalden rubbed the sleep from his eyes as they pulled into a fuel station. They’d driven for most of the night, stopping only to swap Hector’s truck at the safe house. They were in his cousin’s car now—an old, four-door sedan with leather seats. The station’s lights were almost blinding after spending so long in darkness, but Kalden also glimpsed the sun rising over the jungle.
Hector opened the driver-side door and began filling the car with fresh mana crystals.
The sign...
2021-12-30 15:26:16 +0000 UTC
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Apparently, Elend couldn’t even walk down the street without getting captured these days.
The Martials were bad enough. Who could have guessed some Golds would have Etherite—the strongest material in the known universe? In hindsight, he should have tried breaking these cuffs before he put them on. But no, he’d tried to help the Martials and prove he wasn’t a threat.
Ironically, he might have killed fewer people with some good old-fashioned violence.
But this...
2021-12-26 14:19:05 +0000 UTC
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Three Fangs.
Relia bit her tongue and resisted the urge to say, ‘I told you so.’
Fangs acted as officers and elite fighters in the Dragonlord’s army. More importantly, they were Artisans. The power gap between them and Relia was as wide as the gap between her and Kalden.
She and Hector could probably hold off one, but only for a few seconds.
With three Artisans, they had no choice but to run.
“You mentioned a getaway car?” Kalden asked...
2021-12-19 19:56:04 +0000 UTC
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Kalden reclined on his bed, reading the local newspaper. Akari had called him an old man for this, but he didn’t care. They were in the outside world now. It might not be the part they’d expected, but they still had years of events to catch up on.
Relia paced back and forth like a caged animal, occasionally glancing out the window. The sun had just vanished below the ocean, and they still hadn’t heard from Elend. “He should’ve been here by now. He said ‘late afternoon’, ri...
2021-12-12 00:45:55 +0000 UTC
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They spent the day doing chores around the Cantina. If this were a movie, they would have breezed through the work in a quick montage, then skipped to the cool parts where Relia taught them Mana Arts.
But their lives were more like a comedy at this point. Kalden was completely helpless when it came to chores. He'd never dusted a day in his life. Or vacuumed, or washed dishes.
"How have you never washed dishes?" Relia asked as they gathered around the massive steel sink.
2021-12-04 21:02:27 +0000 UTC
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Hi everyone! I had the day of from work, so I made a full map for the Web of Secrets world!
This is much rougher than the original Archipelago map we saw for Book 1 (no nations, states, cities, etc. yet) But it should give you an idea of where the all the major continents are! (For reference, Book 1 took place on the islands off the northeast coast of Cadria, and our characters are currently on the lowest peninsula in northeast Cadria.
I'll obviously come back to this with more de...
2021-11-27 17:50:35 +0000 UTC
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Kalden pushed open the door behind the cantina, stepping out into the cool morning air. There wasn't much back here—just a narrow parking lot with a pair of overflowing dumpsters. A battered car sat in one corner of the lot, and a chain link fence ran along the opposite edge, keeping a jungle of bushes and palm trees at bay.
Akari stood in the middle of it all, guiding her mana through the morning haze.
Kalden watched her Missile spiral around the telephone wire’s wooden suppo...
2021-11-26 21:30:36 +0000 UTC
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Akari cycled her mana as she sprang forward. Skyscrapers surrounded her on all sides, stretching into the gray mist above. The buildings themselves were all weathered brick with ornamented windows and balconies.
Akari had seen this place in her dreams before. Could it be Koreldon City? It was only a guess, but it fit Elend’s description. The roads went on for miles in every direction, forming a massive urban labyrinth.
Her opponent stood farther down the street. A young woman, c...
2021-11-21 21:23:22 +0000 UTC
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Akari stepped out of the bathroom and into the hotel room she shared with Relia. She’d changed into a tank-top that revealed some harsh tan lines around her shirt collar. Sunburn. That explained why the water had stung so much in the shower.
The room itself looked as old as the bar downstairs, with creaking wooden floors and dark plaster walls. An old chandelier hung from the ceiling, and a fancy stone archway led out to the balcony. The curtains hung wide open, giving them a...
2021-11-17 01:41:26 +0000 UTC
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“We’re so far behind,” Akari said as she watched the fight outside. Elend had just killed the enemy Artisan, and Relia had taken on three dragons by herself. Not to mention the ones she’d already killed in the alley.
Martials were one thing, but these guys were Apprentices like her. Probably older and more experienced too. For all that, Relia fought like a dancer, moving seamlessly from one technique to the next. Sometimes, those techniques were completely different asp...
2021-11-13 19:59:09 +0000 UTC
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Hey everyone, I just added a new section to my website for worldbuilding articles, and the first one is the calendar for the WoS world, including the names of the months and days.
https://davidmusk.com/worlds/web-of-secrets/calendar
I decided to post this on my website instead of Patreon, RR, etc. That way, we can have one official version to reference rather than worrying about whic...
2021-11-07 18:29:25 +0000 UTC
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They landed on the roof a second later. Relia stumbled on the uneven surface, catching herself on the clay tiles. Her eyes still stung from the sand, but closing them felt worse than holding them open.
“Here.” Hector pressed a bottle into her right hand. “Wash it out”
Relia held open her eyelids and poured the water over her face, blinking rapidly until the pain subsided. The sand came out easier than she’d expected, almost as if it were evaporating.
Hector offered...
2021-11-07 17:08:40 +0000 UTC
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Relia followed her master onto the cantina’s covered patio. By now, the sun was a red sliver of light over the jungle, and the buildings cast long dark shadows over the town square.
“Wait up!” someone called out from behind them. Relia held open the door, and the boy from the bar followed them through. His black hair was shaved on the sides and several inches longer on top. A pair of tinted goggles rested on his forehead, and a red scarf hung loosely around his neck.
“Than...
2021-10-31 19:26:28 +0000 UTC
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Kalden followed the others down the beach, still marveling at their sudden change in scenery. Arkala’s climate had been far cooler than this, more like Espiria or northern Shoken.
This place seemed downright tropical by comparison. He even spotted a few palm trees growing beyond the mana wall. But how? Palm trees never grew back home. Kalden was no geography expert, but they'd been traveling northwest for most of the trip, and Arkala was already north of the equator.
If anything...
2021-10-25 01:02:30 +0000 UTC
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Hi everyone,
Chapter 2 will be up tonight, but I have a quick author's note first.
Until now, I've been using the name "Cathar" for one of the continents in the WoS world. It never bothered me in Book 1, but I only referenced it in passing then. Now that the characters are actually here, the name doesn't feel right. So I'm calling the continent "Cadria" form now on! I've also done a find and replace for Chapter 1, and I'll eventually go through and do that for all of Book 1.
2021-10-25 01:01:25 +0000 UTC
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Akari opened her eyes and spit out a mouthful of saltwater.
"Kalden?" she called out in a raspy voice. "Relia?"
No answer. No sound but the wind and the ocean waves. She pushed her palms into the wet sand and forced herself to sit up. Her vision was a blur of bright colors as she looked around.
Another wave crashed into the shore, slamming her face-first into the ground.
She coughed up more saltwater as she crawled farther up the beach. Her arms felt like jelly, threat...
2021-10-22 01:20:53 +0000 UTC
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Hi everyone,
I just realized I never left an update regarding the status of Web of Secrets Book 2, so here it is!
Whenever I finish a book, I have a tradition of taking a few weeks off from my regular "chapter writing" routine. Instead, I'll spend that time working out the plot outline and character arcs for the next book, and maybe doing some practice sessions and/or mini protects along the way. Switching things up like that helps me to avoid burnout, and it gives my subconscious...
2021-10-09 11:28:34 +0000 UTC
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A/N: Final chapter of Book 1!
Kalden leaned on Akari as they stumbled toward the shore. Well, he stumbled. She acted like a coiled spring held down by his body weight. They'd made a few bandages with scraps of clothing, and Kalden kept pressure on his shoulder with his free hand. A makeshift tourniquet stopped the bleeding in his leg.
"We don't have time for that," Akari had complained while he twisted the stick in place.
He glanced up at her. "You ...
2021-10-02 16:50:49 +0000 UTC
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A/N: Second to last chapter for Book 1!
Akari ducked her head as she crept over the rocky ridge. She didn't engage her armor yet, but she didn't need to. Even without the Constructs, this fabric was made for the dark.
Four Martial soldiers scoured the beach below, examining the trail of disturbed sand between the forest and the sea. Silver badges gleamed on their vests, catching rays of moonlight as they moved. Some carried assault rifles while others had Missile ...
2021-09-26 12:48:08 +0000 UTC
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"Turn around!" Akari shouted as their boat hit the waves. "We lost Kalden!"
"I know." The Grandmaster's breathing came out rough and ragged. His eyes were weary as he gazed at the sea ahead.
"Then turn around," she repeated.
A brief silence followed as the waves smacked against their hull. "The Martials were right behind us," Elend said through clenched teeth. "I've pushed myself past my limits with these cuffs. I can't—"
"Can't, or won't?" Akari broke ...
2021-09-18 17:08:54 +0000 UTC
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Kalden clutched his seat as they soared over the courtyard. Hundreds of Missiles erupted from below, but Elend's shield repelled them all.
A cluster of anti-air guns waited for them beyond the wall. Their helicopter dove toward the grass, weaving between the larger Missiles. Akari kept up a constant barrage from her machine gun, sending the ground troops scrambling for cover.
Talek. There were hundreds of them down there. And they all believed they fought for a noble...
2021-09-16 01:43:39 +0000 UTC
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Kalden followed the others outside the cell. These hallways had been so sterile when they'd first arrived. Now, corpses covered every square foot—prisoners and Martials alike. Sirens echoed beyond the walls, along with the muffled voice of someone speaking into a megaphone.
Could they really survive this battle? Even with the Grandmaster on their side? Half the Martials on Arkala must be waiting for them out there. The rest would be guarding Keylas, or the roads between. He doubted th...
2021-09-11 17:15:32 +0000 UTC
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The Grandmaster had the same broad shoulders and muscular arms from his videos. He even wore the same tight-fitting black t-shirt. Close-cropped silver hair framed his face, and a day's worth of stubble covered his sharp jawline.
Akari had half-expected to find a caveman, considering how long he'd been trapped. Apparently, hair didn't grow in ice chambers.
His eyes were closed, and half-a-dozen restraints kept his body secure. Some restraints were steel, but others looked solid bl...
2021-09-06 12:58:21 +0000 UTC
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Akari leapt to the side, getting out of sight. Steel clasped against steel as the ice chamber sealed shut.
Silence followed, and her heart pounded like war drums in her ears. She barely had time to process everything before she heard a familiar voice.
"We've got her," a man's said into his transceiver. "Move in and kill the others."
That was Akari's cue to run. She bolted straight down the hall, back to the open security booth.
Pale blue light flashed behind her. A...
2021-09-01 12:27:33 +0000 UTC
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Akari's arms felt like jelly as she crested the prison wall. As if sprinting across the field wasn't bad enough. She should have trained harder these past few months. She'd done plenty of pull-ups on the Cliftons' swing set, but no one told her she'd be wearing half her weight in armor.
Viv offered her a hand. She accepted it, and the older woman yanked her over the metal parapet.
Akari fought down the urge to collapse and catch her breath. Her eyes darted around the...
2021-08-29 12:20:52 +0000 UTC
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Kalden ran in a half-crouch as they left the cover of the trees. The prison was still a quarter-mile out, but they didn't risk using their flashlights. A Martial sharpshooter could still spot them if they weren't careful.
Fortunately, their distraction was on the way.
An engine roared from deeper in the forest, and Kalden shifted his gaze to the north. There, a sphere of glowing blue mana soared down the road like a comet. He couldn't see the details from here, but he knew there w...
2021-08-25 01:08:59 +0000 UTC
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Akari sat in the darkness, surrounded by a ring of monitors. Her fingers flew across the keyboard as she tried to hack the Archipelago's most secure databases.
The Martials' mainframe was still off-limits, of course. That thing was ancient, and you had to go through a physical terminal in their Shoken Port office. No one had time for that.
Instead, she searched for weaknesses in their satellite offices. Jared Redwater had known about this secret prison in Mt. Khasa. That mean...
2021-08-18 00:50:27 +0000 UTC
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