Saithorthepyro

Hiatus announcement

Infernal Investigations is going on hiatus for around a month.

I don’t want to do this. I’ve been actively avoiding doing it, cutting into how many chapters I post per week and trying to use my weekend to catch up as much as possible with late chapters on Patreon. I ran out of backlog when Book 1 ended and ever since then I’ve never managed to get ahead.

Trying to balance my job, this serial, and the rest of my life has been a trial, and one that has been wearing me down. P...

Chapter 64 - Introspection VII

The next chapter will likely also be delayed, and the last Introspection Chapter.

The graveyard dissolved, and in its place appeared once again my shop floor amalgamated with a ship. It was much the same as I had left it. With one annoying exception.

“Hail the conquering heroine!” The Thief-Queen yelled, saluting me with a tankard of something that must be more sulfur than mead. The stench alone could probably kill an ogre. “Kneel in awe of her powers of not stabbin...

Aiming at 12 hours later than normal tomorrow

Hey folks, aiming for twelve hours later than normal for release tomorrow. My apologies in this case, a combination of stress and work going through some pretty rough days meant I didn't have as much time to write as I wanted to this week, on top of some family stuff. I should have the chapter up later that day though, and we are essentially at the end of this arc. See you all then!

Edit to the Update: It'll have to be this weekend. Work hit me hard, and I've been having a rough day men...

Chapter 63 - Introspection VI

Running was the smart move. I could hear the other three opening behind me, and redoubled my pace. Hooves hit stone, nearly skidding as I rushed through the open gate, hurrying to the southern house.

The sound of paws hitting stone and grass behind me, the snarl followed by a hot breath I could feel on my back. I’d left the door open when I left the southern house, a small mercy.

I ran inside, grabbing the door behind me, slamming it shut just before the first of them collided w...

Chapter 62 - Introspection V

I looked at the gaping void once again.

I’d left the Xang along with the others still upstairs in the facsimile of my shop. A quick inquiry into whether they could accompany me at all had ended with a firm no from all involved. Well, a choked one from the Thief.

So now I was back here, staring briefly into the void I’d tumbled through before landing in the graveyard.

I dismissed it a second later, continuing on down the tunnel. Maybe taking a different approach would hav...

Update

Hey folks, just wanted to keep you all in the loop. There will be at least one chapter coming out tomorrow and I'll do my best to get two of them out.

Chapter 61 - Introspection IV

The scream echoed about as I slowly trailed off, the breath out of my lungs, as I lay on the bed.

Okay. There were going to be words. Anger got me out of bed, into the hallway.

Same mirror. Same windows leading out to the sea. Approaching the doorway at the end, same muffled voices. I slammed it open.

One, two, three, four. They’d gained a friend at the countertop, playing Hang the Queen still. The Thief-Queen waved merrily from the game. I let out a forced, strained chuck...

Chapter 60 - Introspection III

I made it ten seconds down the tunnel before I was contemplating turning back.

It wasn’t the light, as even though there were no light sources, I somehow could see as if lanterns hung along the entire tunnel. I doubted my changes had made me able to see in the dark. More likely the same reason I could stare at the sun without my eyes burning. Fey magic followed even less ironclad rules than most magic, and apparently my entire mind was dwelling inside it. 

No, why I stopped...

Happy Fourth of July everyone!

For anyone who celebrates it, happy fourth. The next chapter is still in the works, and will probably become two chapters at this rate....as much as I'd like to be able to, setting chapters at 10k words would probably result in my death.

Chapter 59 - Introspection II

My scream echoed across the shop floors, sending seagulls up higher in the ship to the air in a panicked flight.

“Damn, getting knocked around apparently didn’t hurt your lungs too badly,” the ragged one observed while the Xang removed her hands from over her ears. “Maybe keep it down a little? I meself never had any skill at it, but some of the others did trick themselves out with those same fancy ears of yours.”

I pulled myself back in from the window, breathing as the...

Scheduling Update

I've been slowly fighting the struggle to regain control of my schedule, and have been considering just pausing posting on public spaces until I fully build things on here back to where they were. I'm not going to do that for now, and if folks want to temporarily leave until things are back to consistent M/F updates, I understand. Chapter 59 and 60 will be out this week but I know 59 will not be ready until tomorrow evening as opposed to tomorrow morning at the earliest.

I'm hoping to a...

Chapter 58 - Introspection I

My eyes fluttered open. I stared blankly up at the ceiling of my room, the familiar contours of wood up above my head. Squinted really, as t

My eyes fluttered open.

I stared blankly up at the ceiling of my room, the familiar contours of wood up above my head. Squinted really, as the light from my window made my eyes begin to tear up.

They weren’t the only part of me that hurt. My head felt someone had driven an axe into it. My limbs ached. No one spot had the pain of a cut...

Twelve hour delay

Hey folks, sorry to say but another planned delay although hopefully much shorter than last time. I would try to just power through it but unfortunately work happens right after sleep, and posting off of my phone has major issue with the formatting. I hope you like the chapter when it comes out!

Chapter 57 - Descension III

Half a dozen tendrils battered into me as I jumped up into my shop, pain blossoming around my side as they sent me flying through my open window. I shattered in mid-air, spiraling off in a hundred directions. Then I was jumping through the hole again, sabers stabbing into the devil.

“Disappointing/sad old/ancient one,” I taunted/teased it as bone cut deep, slicing through chitin and the foul-smelling innards underneath. Entrails spilled/fell out, ichor spraying across the room as I ...

Chapter 56 - Descension II

My sword cleaved through the throat, the sound of music/song/hellmagic cutting off as my blade disrupted the flow of diabolism briefly. 

I darted/dodged backwards, just avoiding a pair of grasping tendrils that wrapped around an afterimage of myself. They touched/hit the surface, and it shattered, shards of glass spinning off into devil flesh. 

Too close. Even if this thing’s sin/power/embodiment was sloth, it moved fast when it wanted to, and I couldn’t get hit. It ...

A twelve hour delay

I hate doing these. I really hate this is becoming more common. But work has been eating me alive this week and I need to sleep and I just cannot get a chapter I would consider acceptable out in time for the normal release date. For right now, I am planning a twelve hour delay of the chapter from the release time on Royal Road. I am sorry about this.

Chapter 55 - Descension I

The centipede squirmed, writhing as my nails sliced deep. My other hand set the tea cup down, grabbing a knife from within my coat. The insect lunged forward, pincers open. 

Knife met head, punching through chitin. My nails cut too, slicing open flesh, purple ichor flooding out as it went it’s death throes.

From the writhing carpet, a couple of forms moved forward, proving. A horned beetle leapt up, only to be sent back with three legs torn off. A locust slumped on the coun...

Chapter 54 - Second Circle VI

When we got to my street, it was almost as empty as the Kettle.

Word of our coming clearly had traveled faster than our caravan, and by the time we turned onto the street, there wasn’t a single other Infernal in sight. We rolled to a halt, and I got off the carriage first, Tagashin carthwheeling off the carriage seat into the snow right next to me. I watched affectionately, ducking an impromptu attempt to swipe my hat off my head. It hadn’t been a serious attempt.

“You are d...

Chapter 53 - Second Circle V

It was an entire caravan coming up the road to the warehouse. The carriage in front was unadorned but clearly well-made and stood out for it. The carts behind it stood out a little less. The well-cared-for horses pulling and the well-maintained state of them would draw eyes as well, and probably had. The Kettle wasn’t near the borders of the Quarter.

I suppose that was entirely the point, knowing who would have sent these. You couldn’t bait a trap without making sure the target saw ...

Chapter 52 - Second Circle IV

My eyes fluttered awake as cold air painted my cheeks.

I grumbled, muttered, tried to pull on rough, strange-feeling covers, and let the blissful darkness of sleep claim me once again. A second time, the chill wind danced across my face and dragged me away from my rest. 

More mutterings, angry pronouncements of doom on whoever was denying me this, as I turned over to bury my face into my pillow.

Instead, I missed the bundled-up shirt that was my makeshift pillow and ram...

Update: Covid and an Ear Infection

I've been diagnosed with both Covid-19 and an ear infection, so if the friday chapter doesn't show up that will be why. I am going to try and get it out, but I am very fatigued and have quite a bit of pain atm. Just wanted to update you all in case the next chapter isn't ready in time.

Chapter 51 - Second Circle III

By the time we got back, Tagashin had disguised herself as Barnes again and was quietly trying to help Tolman. I winced as I looked him over. It hadn’t torn skin, somehow. But from the looks of it, the bones were definitely broken. Most people’s arms didn’t bend halfway between their elbow and wrist.

“Hey Malvia,” Tolman said, casually waving with his other arm. “How are you doing?”

I glanced at Tagashin, who smiled.

“I’ve got his pain blocked, for now,�...

A delay

Hey folks, while I initially thought I'd be able to get the next chapter out on time, RL events have kept from getting it all the way completed. It should finish tomorrow and be out no more than twelve hours after it's usual release date. Apologies for the delay.

Chapter 50 - Second Circle II

We didn’t spend long in the snow. Just long enough to catch my breath, coat wrapped tightly around me. Gregory had settled down several feet away, giving me some privacy without needing to be asked. 

My breaths were ragged things, worn out by fighting and by recent events, and by the knowledge that eventually I would have to get up.

For now, though, just breathing, trying to slow, to calm. As hard as that was with the image of Jones’ corpse fresh on my mind. And the gnawi...

Chapter 49 - Second Circle I

“Tagashin! Five minutes, then if I’m not out get inside,” I hissed, and in response got a whispered affirmation before something moved through the air over my head.

Okay, I thought as I got up, hands reaching for some tools inside my coat. Five minutes to get inside, get Melissa out of here. And anyone else inside. If we could do that without alerting the Diabolists, flee the district entirely. If not, storm and hope for the best.

I could hear the clop of the raspy-voiced di...

Chapter 47 - Bearings VI

Of course it was the Kettle. One of the Quarter’s old slums, before our battles had emptied it out.

Our cart trudged forward, going between a pair of warehouses still bearing scars of a battle long since lost. Chunks missing out of both from cannon fire, dozens of smaller holes from volleys of musket fire. Giant spears of earth extending from the ground, smashed through the outer wall. Their bases had massive depressions from the earth drawn to form them. The corpses were gone, bu...

Chapter 46 - Bearings V

I paused only a moment to see the burned-down wreckage of Tyler’s house. A few skeletal remnants of the walls still stood, charred and blackened around a central mass of charcoal and seared wood. I gave it a dispassionate appraisal. It looked like everything on the interior had burnt to charred wood, and probably the basement with it.

Looking a little outside, there were signs of other damage spread about, blackened chunks of wood, but more importantly entire sections of building were...

Chapter 45 - Bearings IV

CW: Character uses racist language referring to a real-life ethnicity, gore

Two steps forward, hammer clicking back as one of the dazed thugs on the ground notices me and yells a warning to the ones still standing. Two more steps, as some of them stop in their pummeling of Tolman and Gregory. Hands reach for weapons hidden inside coats. I’m faster.

My revolver bucks in my hands, pulling backwards as I come to a halt. The bullet blasts out, racing across the open air, slicing a p...

A short delay

Sorry folks, but due to how my work schedule works out depsire being about twelve hours from when the chapter is normally supposed to go up, it’s still a little light on what I want to go inside it and I won’t be able to put it up til sometime after work. I maybe went for the bonus chapter a little too early this time. I should have it up within twelve hours of when it normally goes up though.

Chapter 44 - Bearings III

“Are you sure we can’t give you a ride?”

I shook my head, looking up at Voltar who was currently sitting inside the carriage. 

“It’s appreciated, but I don’t want to draw any attention when I make it to Glee Street. And I don’t want to figure out how far out Holmsteader is keeping watchers.”

We were already drawing enough attention, the people on the street giving us a wide berth. Being the only carriage on the street only made it more obvious. Even if p...