Jer Patch

Chapter 58: Secrets never stay hidden

“Not the finest of foods, but it will be tasty,” I said as I passed a plate to Lenna, who sat next to me in front of the fire.

She smiled as she took the wooden plate, discretely sniffing at the food. 

Dinner was simple; roasted steaks and some potatoes that Benny had stored away. Not that many, since he wanted to get some into the ground to grow ASAP.

The fence was as complete as we could make it, since we’d all chipped in to help. We’d finished ...

Chapter 57: Noseens watching

For a moment there, I wondered if I needed to get involved. While Alex was much less squishy than before, someone like the Knowledge-bearer was far above him. 

Just like I was. Then again, I had to admit that the Knowledge-bearer was rather far above even me.

Part myth and legend, she’d fought during the war and on our side. Though I still didn't know why, it had seemed good to her to do so. To find her here, in this place, was strange, and it felt like meddling from...

Chapter 56: Friends not Food.

It wasn’t the only movement I felt along my border. The Grizzled Spinosaurous was traveling in this direction. He skirted the edges of the territory, barely touching it, but close enough that it felt intentional. Like he wanted me to know he was on his way.

He stopped upwind of the other creatures that were poking at my border.

I moved forward a few more feet, trying to spot the beasts.

Two dark shadows stepped out between the trees. One of them was a dark grey ...

Chapter 55: A New Start

“This is a great location, between the water and the cliff. We need to check out the cavern first, though.” He smiled. “You did good, Sprout.”

I cringed at the nickname.

He chuckled as he moved closer to the water’s edge.

“Be careful. Something powerful is in the deep, but I don’t think it means us any harm,” I added.

“Where’s the other side?” He stared across the massive lake. “Is this an ocean? It doesn’t smell salty.”

“...

Chapter 54: Aggressive Nature

The rope tied tight around my waist felt strange, but if this worked, it’d make the fight much easier. In the far distance, the moon vanished beyond the horizon and only the stars sparkled in the sky. The sun would rise soon.

Now, I needed the Spino to stop whatever it was working on in that cave and get its massive self out here. Sooner rather than later, preferably. Time was passing, and it wouldn’t be long before John would be around drawing attention.

My dark vi...

Writing Updates - 4/13

That Which Devours:

Book One: Rough Draft - Done, First Draft - Done, Second Edit - 10/58

Book Two: Rough Draft - Done, First Draft - Done

Book Three: Rough Draft - Done, First Draft - 31/58

Well, my second edits on book 1 haven’t moved in a long bit. I keep putting it on the back burner because I love writing new chapters over editing any day of the week. I need to figure out a way to motivate mysel...

Chapter 53: Planning

The trees weren’t spaced as far apart as last night, and the moon hadn’t risen yet when I took off on my own. I knew the general direction I needed to go, and followed that pull marking the quest center.

My dark vision kicked in as I traveled, traveling as quietly as possible. My stealth kept each footstep silent, but it was slow going. The farther I traveled, the more intense the pull became. I found an area with a larger gap than normal, where two trees had fallen. With...

Chapter 52: Caught Red Handed

Mary stood next to my father, both of them staring up at me.

I waved.

“I’ll be down in a moment,” I shouted down to them, before turning back to the cliff face. 

I yanked the crystal off my wrist and shaped the sharpened flat edge into more of a point. Then, I approached the crack. Inside grew three air crystals, two the size of a softball and one the size of a golf ball.

Carefully I used the superheated tip to cut each of them free before setting the...

Chapter 51: Midnight Wanderings

“You did need to sleep,” said Noseen from somewhere near my right shoulder.

I blinked several times, trying to figure out what was happening. The tent was gone, and I lay on a bed of grass, staring at a bright blue sky without a cloud in sight.

“I’m dreaming…”

“Of course,” he buzzed. “I didn’t want anyone listening in on this. You’ve been busy becoming less squishy, and your timing was perfect for completing that professional dungeon.”

I ...

Writing Updates - 4/6

That Which Devours:

Book One: Rough Draft - Done, First Draft - Done, Second Edit - 10/58

Book Two: Rough Draft - Done, First Draft - Done

Book Three: Rough Draft - Done

It is done.

The Devourers of Knowledge and Light have shown me the way.

Well, the rough draft is done. I am still working through my second pass, which I will finish this week, and then my partner will go through it as well...

Chapter 50: A Safe Landing

“What? I’ve beaten a boss ten levels above me before,” I muttered, thinking about the boss we’d fought as a group.

My father looked like he wanted to say something, but Lenna cut in.

“This isn’t the same, Alex.” She shook her head harshly. “It has a rank on you. It will have evolved its class. Probably the aggressive part of its name.”

“Ranks… You mentioned that before in the dungeon, and our classes,” I said, remembering part of the conversati...

Chapter 49: Friends, and Quests

The afternoon sunlight created interesting shadows from the canopy as I hiked through the jungle. My goal was to find the campsite, rest there tonight, and head out in the morning. A good night’s rest while safe and sound felt like the best idea before I went searching for the drop ship. Well, technically, to the tunnel from Sanctuary, then to the drop ship. I figured if I triggered Hammy’s alarm near the tunnel exit, he’d come find me.

I followed the very old scent tra...

Chapter 48: Lenna protects her friends

Dengu napped in the sunlight next to me as we rested behind my house. Hanging with Ham and Cass, along with the other young humans, had shown me just how strange Alex had acted during the dungeon run. Between eating lots of food and aggressively fighting beasts, she stood out compared to the others. Not to mention, she felt one with her class. 

Cass talked non-stop, asking questions and wanting to learn more about my people. Her friend Randy needed so much work with the bow ...

Writing Updates - 3/30

That Which Devours:

Book One: Rough Draft - Done, First Draft - Done, Second Edit - 10/58

Book Two: Rough Draft - Done, First Draft - Done

Book Three: Rough Draft - 55/60

I am so close that I can almost taste it.

Book three is almost done. There is something wrong with the last two chapters, and I’m letting it sit while I think about it in the back of my mind over the weekend. I’m missing a f...

Chapter 47: Bad Juicy Meat

I resisted tapping my fingers on my spear as I counted to a hundred in my head, and then started again. It took longer than I’d thought as I traced the path the Healing Maw took toward me. I needed to wiggle my toes in my boots to keep my circulation going and not get too stiff waiting for the dang spider to make its way here. My calves ached from the position I rested in as the chilly stone I pressed against me. The burning on my hand finally ended, though the skin felt tender. ...

Chapter 46: Spiders Everywhere

I needed to think fast, before those smaller spiders came back. The Healing Maw might have scared them away for the moment, but the pack was huge and getting into a fight with them would bring the Healing Maw back. Fighting both groups at once felt like a bad idea.

Or a brilliant one.

The blue light was completely gone, but I slowly climbed out of the crack before sending energy into my knife tip.

The webbing glittered in the dim light, almost like frost on the st...

Chapter 45: Noseen’s pleased

Alex was back.

The connection snapped into place, making my wings speed up. The squishy one had really good timing. I flew high above the clouds, skirting around the Sanctuary on my way back north. I’d found what I hoped for deep to the south, and couldn’t wait to post the quest for Alex.

It wouldn’t be easy, but it’d solve so many of the tricky problems in front of me. 

One of those giant-winged beasts flew below me and noticed my shadow. It screamed...

Weekly Writing Updates

That Which Devours:

Book One: Rough Draft - Done, First Draft - Done, Second Edit - 10/58

Book Two: Rough Draft - Done, First Draft - Done

Book Three: Rough Draft - 51/60

This week went sideways, but that happens when you have a kiddo. I already know going into this next week things are going to be messed up as well because of sickness and days off for childcare. So no editing. I’m gonna need to just...

Chapter 44: It’s a trap

Time to find a way past this door, without a specialization or bond with a single crystal type.

“Here we go,” I said, my voice sounding weird in the cavern. I held the knowledge crystal up to the dark archway. The crystal in my hand flashed a weird color, then the old man appeared.

“It is time for you to leave the dungeon. You have learned all that you need to. The final task is simple. Open the archway and leave through the tunnel. Be warned, beasts lurk in the b...

Chapter 43: Lessons Learned

“We have been forced to close the portal off our world, but we’ve stagnated as a species. Our world can only get us so far, and the Elders are trying to find a way for us to keep growing, but… I fear for our people.” He let his face fall into his hands. “We can only hope they find a different world to hunt for.”

The man vanished, and I shivered before setting the crystal on the table.

“Slaves? This all comes down to slaves?”

Back on earth, slavery ...

Chapter 42: A Library of Knowledge

Uncertainty filled me as I examined the inventory crystal. Words from the librarian echoed in my head. ‘May you pass the final challenge and be free to take up your duty. Study hard, learn all that you can, and never forget your song.’

Not to mention, who the heck were the Forgers? They sounded like a group of blacksmiths, or people who collected plants from the forest.

Hopefully, some of the crystals would have answers to my questions.

Stored inside the in...

Weekly Writing Updates - 3/16

That Which Devours:

Book One: Rough Draft - Done, First Draft - Done, Second Edit - 10/58

Book Two: Rough Draft - Done, First Draft - Done

Book Three: Rough Draft - 46/60

I am on a roll with book 3, which is heading toward the final battle. The writing is coming today in a way that I love, but I’m a little unsure if 60 chapters is going to be enough. This one might go a little long at 62 or 63, but we will see.

The new cover artist is doing the...

Chapter 41: Lenna heads home

The early morning rays through the canopy made me smile. Birds chirped in the distance, and the closer we traveled to the village, the safer it was.

Dengu pounced ahead, energy racing through the bond between us. He’d unlocked his next quest on the path to citizenship, which we’d already accomplished by completing a dungeon. That brought him to the next one. It was slightly harder, but doable.

[You have unlocked the Fourth Quest (Path to Citizenship): Give a ...

Chapter 40: Accidents

The hunk of meat slipped from my hand as I hit the stone floor in shock. Everything moved in slow motion as I carefully wrapped my fingers around the meat. I shoved it in my mouth, almost choking before swallowing. That helped the worst of the shakes. 

Unable to stand, I slowly crawled across the rough floor to the pot next to the fire and sipped on the edge of the bowl while lying on my side. Eventually, I finished the rest of the warm soup. Warmth from the fire soaked into...

Chapter 39: Crystals, Dungeons and Experimentation

My brain hurt, but it was worth it. On the workbench in front of me sat a lantern made from a fire crystal, a healing crystal from a water crystal, and a protective crystal from a forest crystal. Without the sun, every day was the same in the caverns. Sleep called out to me and my eyes felt heavy, but every time a new quest task popped up, I wanted to complete it.

I enjoyed the rush of checking things off a list, and this list just didn’t seem to end. The levels were icing on t...

Weekly Writing Updates

That Which Devours:

Book One: Rough Draft - Done, First Draft - Done, Second Edit - 10/58

Book Two: Rough Draft - Done, First Draft - Done

Book Three: Rough Draft - 38/60

I am over halfway into book 3 of That Which Devours. This book is coming together though Alex just discovered something that wasn’t on my plot outline and now we need to see what comes of it.

The cover artist got me a nice detailed sketch of the three picks from last week and ...

Chapter 38: Hellion’s on a Mission

“Think this will be a suitable area?” asked John. “I think these are the rocks you wanted me to check out.”

I stood up from the floor, pushing away the thoughts about the scientists. While I hoped we’d find them at the same time, if all of them vanished forever, that’d be great. I’d almost pulled the rest of the family from the mission when I’d discovered my ex-wife had been approved.

While I’d hiked through the jungle on foot, seeing it from above made it...

Chapter 37: Hidden entrances

Dengu gnawed on the bleached bone I’d seen appear before my level shock, while Lenna had a second quiver tossed over her shoulder.

That left the round token on the edge of the fountain for me.

I lurched across the pavers, each step feeling easier as my body adjusted to its new, much more powerful stats. 

[Weapon Upgrade Token, Soul Bound, Used to Upgrade a Single Weapon.]

“They are hard to find, and a high-level reward from any dungeon,” said Lenn...

Chapter 36: Boss Battle

The sand shifted near the opening and I paused, holding a hand up. 

“Anyone else see that?” 

It moved again, like someone stirring cake batter. Then the sand vanished, leaving a dark impression.

I approached by myself, finding a deep hole with a set of stairs and the symbol for the path carved into them. The bottom was completely dark.

“Well, that’s new.”

“Eh,” said Hammy passing by me, marching down the stairs. “Not gonna worry a...

Weekly Writing Updates

That Which Devours:

Book One: Rough Draft - Done, First Draft - Done, Second Edit - 10/58

Book Two: Rough Draft - Done, First Draft - Done

Book Three: Rough Draft - 31/60

I found a cover artist for this series! They are working on sketching right now for book 1 and I’m super excited to see what they come up with. The more artwork for the series the better. The artwork from the original cover I’ll probably use in others ways as well.

This week...