Jer Patch

Chapter 35: The skies the limit

My spear sliced in before I made impact. It dug deeper than I expected, as half the shaft sunk in as my feet finally hit. Pain raced up my feet and my knees trembled as I tried to gain purchase on the massive back of the filer. It jerked down and roared into the air, finally noticing something that was now attacking it.

The giant flier’s wings flapped rapidly as I dug in with the claws on my left hand. My right still clutched around my spear shaft.

Must not let go!

...

Chapter 34: Don’t fall

The guide appeared standing next to the area where the ground dropped away. “It is an obstacle course,” answered the guide, responding to Hammy’s outburst as though it were a question.

Different pathways stretched across the sky, from a vine bridge stretching from one standing stone to another to the canopy of a bunch of what must be really tall trees, given how high we were. The third included stone pillars and the occasion tree. The last was literally a single wire, stret...

Chapter 33: Path of Wings and Feathers

After the symbol lit up, we hurried down the path. Everyone kept their eyes peeled to the skies, searching for the first of our foes. A massive cliff rose in the distance, and as we traveled it shifted closer and closer to us until we stood right before it.

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” said Hammy, stating the obvious. “We gotta go up.”

“Looks that way,” I replied.

A narrow path twisted and turned up the side of the cliff as one option. It switched back...

Writing Updates

That Which Devours:

Book One: Rough Draft - Done, First Draft - Done, Second Edit - 5/58

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

Book Three: Rough Draft - 25/60

I might be procrastinating on the edits for book 1. I must start making progress on it.

Edit: Okay, I just got through the first five chapters and the feedback was good. Only a few things to tweak with the wording and to tighten a few of the hooks. Now I need to get through 6 to ...

That Which Devours - Book One

Alex’s hunger for power cannot be sated.

No matter how many skill categories she learns, dangerous situations she gets into, or how hard she trains, Class Selection never appears. 

An unexpected meteor shower takes out the shuttle she's on sending the crew crashing to the ground.

Yet it finally happens, Class Selection and with it a Legendary Class. But wh...

Chapter 32: Did we do this already?

I swallowed with a smile, reading the increase to the ability. Now I had heavier armor on the areas where I generated scales. 

Dengu squeaked as Hammy yanked on one end of the tail, while he yanked on the other.

Lenna spotted my look. “Anything good?”

“My defense got better,” I whispered, before turning back to the carcass. “I’m not sure how much I can save from this. It tasted like the turtle, though.” 

Lenna joined me at the side of it instant...

Chapter 31: Being Hunted

This path stopped way before the other paths, turning from ferns into a lush jungle with a shady canopy. 

“Woah, this is like the Sanctuary,” whispered Lenna, smiling in a beam of sunlight. 

Dengu chirped in what I swore was agreement.

“You’ve been inside?” I asked, keeping my eyes peeled. The pavers slowly faded and the spaces between them grew further apart, making the path hard to follow.

“That’s where I bonded with Dengu,” she said,...

Chapter 30: Missed Vines

Vines in each corner of the room rolled up to the ceiling before vanishing from sight. I shivered, suddenly glad that none of us had gotten caught in those directions. Insight didn’t catch the creatures before they were gone.

The others went ahead, and I finally turned to leave the temple. Bright light streamed in from the open archway, and I found myself back at the fountain. The mist rising from the water brushed over me even from this distance, and everything suddenly felt b...

Chapter 29: Temple Time

The darkness within the archway cleared as soon as I stepped inside. We voted that I’d go first, since the guide said this would lead directly to the fight. Hammy followed on my heels, while Dengu padded inside next. Lenna took the rear, again, her bow being most useful from there.

Inside the temple stood one giant room. Vines trailed from the ceiling, making a shiver go up my spine. Each wall was made of the same stone as the outside, but what drew my attention sat in the very...

Weekly Updates

That Which Devours:

Book One: Rough Draft - Done, First Draft - Done, Second Edit - 5/58

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

Book Three: Rough Draft - 16/60

The First draft of book 2 is done and it clocks in at 126k words which tracks with book 1 at 125k. To celebrate I’m releasing an extra chapter today to everyone who subscribes!

This week, I didn’t even touch book 1, but I’ve received feedback from my e...

Chapter 28: Lenna’s Panic

Everything inside me froze at Dengu’s whine. 

‘Foot hurt’, he said, sending me impressions of the pain walking caused.

Somehow, he’d gotten this far down the path after falling on it, but that might have had something to do with my fear of what was chasing us.

“But, how is he going to walk?” asked Ham.

I flinched and swallowed, trying to force myself to think. The healing crystal was drained, and the goop didn’t work on internal injuries like ...

Chapter 27: You Can’t Let Pain Stop You

Fear shot across Hammy’s face so quickly that I felt bad about my comment. At the same time, I wondered how he'd gotten to level 22. The folks in the colony were only now getting to level 20. Though he'd been on his own, I expected a better showing with his fighting abilities. I really couldn’t figure out how he’d made it this far without being more… useful.

He was good at one thing, hitting creatures with his fists. Yet, he didn't have a high defense and couldn't dodge. ...

Chapter 26: Between a Rock and a Herd

This time, I led the way across the symbol. Energy rushed up from under my feet, making my legs tingle. It quickly disappeared. 

A breeze rippled through the ferns lining the path like a switch turning on the section of dungeon in front of us. The smell of grass and leaves rushed at me as I stepped forward. My spear hung lazily in my hand, but my senses strained forth for anything to indicate what we were about to face.

The last time, it’d been a gauntlet. <...

Weekly Updates

That Which Devours:

Book One: Rough Draft - Done, First Draft - Done, Second Edit - 5/58

Book Two: Rough Draft - Done, First Draft - 48/58

Book Three: Rough Draft - 8/60

My side of the first draft is done, but I still have 10 chapters to&nbs...

Chapter 25: Hellions Landing, Time to Find a Scientist

The first warning that something was wrong was when no one flagged the shuttle down as it circled overhead. John called me up front from where I stood in the back, talking with Hawk and Denver. The trip to the compound had taken more travel time than time spent on the ground. Soon after we landed, Hawk, Denver, Doc, and Jimmy loaded everything they could in inventory crystals from Sang, and off we went. Now we were circling the scientist’s settlement, and nothing was moving.

Chapter 24: Razor Claws

Starving?

The only time I’d seen that was in the jungle, in a fight with a skin-and-bones creature.

The Greater Raptor shifted in its sleep, though its head didn’t point our way. As it moved, more of its body came into view under a patch of sunlight. Scales and rotting feathers covered the creature. Dark red stripes ran up its spine and down its tail, which shifted across the floor.

The smell filling the cavern made me want to gag. 

Tasty, my ass.

Chapter 23: Progress

As everyone else napped, I snacked on some more meat, staring at the blue sky overhead. I wanted to make sure my stomach was nice and full before whatever fight was the capstone for this path. We still had whatever challenge came first, and I figured it’d be easy, since it led to the last part. We knew that last part had to be a fight.

Eventually, I got up and moved over to the fire as the grass under me felt more and more uncomfortable. The wood smoke smell strengthened, even ...

Writing Updates

That Which Devours:

Book One: Rough Draft - Done, First Draft - Done, Second Edit - 10/58
Book Two: Rough Draft - Done, First Draft - 48/58
Book Three: Plotting - Just Started

I finished the rough draft of book 2! It's clocking in at 117k and by the time all the edits are done I'm estimating closer to 125k.

This version of the book isn’t one that any gets to see. After I write a chapter I let it sit a day before I go back through to add word...

Chapter 22: Camp?

The two kids splashed in the water, and the terrifying adult T-Rex turned toward them, huffing. One kid’s head snapped under the water and it brought up an algae-covered stick, bringing it to show the bigger T-Rex, clearly it’s parent.

I tore myself away from the scene and took a step back, then another. When I heard nothing, I moved a little quicker, keeping my stealth up as I fled down the trail. As strong as I was for my level, they were over double that. Throw in that they were ...

Chapter 21: But they’re kids?!

My head snapped up to let me stare at Hammy. He stood behind me by several feet, staring at my hand. “That’s so cool! You’re like a comic book character.” In one hand he held what was left of the bandage. “I wanted to see if you’ll toss this into your inventory. I need to get one of those inventory crystals.”

I almost bit my lip, thinking of the spare crystal around my neck, but I didn’t offer it just yet. At the moment, it wasn’t doing any good since I’d kept it for...

Chapter 20: More Chocolate Treats

I paused, stretching my senses outward for the location of the next target. I got the sense whatever it was, it wasn’t prey, since I couldn’t pick it up well. The stone near Dengu and I glowed a deep purple. Lenna and Hammy still fought back aways down the path, before the ferns had turned a darker color.

Everything inside me warned me that the fact that they were still engaged in the last battle wasn’t good.

“Guys! Run!” My yell caused Lenna to finish the creature in fr...

Where things are at with That Which Devours

Book One is drafted.

Right now I am going back through the book and editing. Some of the things that need to be fixed:

• Consistent System Messages for leveling classes and professions.

• New Style of Character sheet replacing * with roman numerals

• General line editing and spacing issues

I have no idea how long this will take since my priority is getting the draft of book 2 written and I'll be honest editing&nbs...

Book Two - The Story So Far...

Chapters 1 through 19.

Chapter

2025-01-23 21:20:34 +0000 UTC View Post