Saithorthepyro

Chapter 43 - Bearings II

Like many things in life, moving a diabolically charged circle filled with hundreds of souls of innocent people was easier said than done.

I sweated, holding onto half of the massive iron circle with gloved hands, the rudimentary protection enchantments flaring from contact with it. The thing whispered now, the voices intensifying while on one side the lines and symbols still glowed a dark, angry red. The glove’s protections were holding, which saved me from another trip into the hell...

Chapter 42 - Bearings I

I/she/we opened my eyes, a scream on my lips. My/our brain seared, lances of fire jabbing in and traveling out, limbs flailing as we/I shrieked. My/we/she’s hands covered our eyes as the light/incandescence/Halspus’ cursed disc seared even our closed eyes.

Pain faded/dwindled as I/we managed to stop our/my limbs from flailing, slowly coming to a halt as I get to my hands and knees.

Panting on the floor, I/we/us/it/she/he/they-scream as I hit my head against th...

Chapter 41 - Queen of Masks I

I awoke with ash in my mouth.

I coughed, clearing the foul-tasting dust from my mouth. It left its taste on my tongue, the urge to gag overwhelming as I got to my hooves. Hacking, I cleared what was left and looked up.

Red.

Such a stupid thought, but it was all I could think. Swirling reds painted the sky, strands of black and grey and white snaking their way through the swirling mixture of varying red shades. It wasn’t just the sky, though, red swirling around me as I mov...

Chapter 41 - Interruptions III

I considered the glorious temptation in front of me.

It sat in front of me, jam oozing between two thick slices of cake, glistening in the sunlight pouring in through the window. I wasn’t sure why we’d decided or even been allowed a seat at the tables by the window. For once, the staff and other patrons seemed to actually tolerate me as I resisted the sugary confection in front of me.

They’d added powdered sugar on top, the snowy dusting making my mouth water even more. Why ...

Chapter 40 - Interruptions II

As the reverberating knocks echoed through the rooms of my shop, I bit my lip. My teeth broke skin as I restrained a scream. What now? 

I looked around for my revolver, only to find it still in my hand. When had I picked it back up? I hadn’t had it when I’d taken Skall downstairs, and my tail had carried the lantern, maybe it had picked up the revolver as well?

I was in my kitchen/dining room, where the remaining tea in my pot got cold as the two cups I’d set out still ...

Chapter 39 - Interruptions I

“Don’t,” I said sharply as she tensed.

She’d made it to the windowsill, her upper body leaning out, only her hooves and lower half still in the room. I could mostly just see her silhouette, the moon’s light illuminating her face as she looked at me confidently. Dressed from the bottom of her neck to her toes in tight street clothing covering every inch and making my eyes linger far, far too much. Cold air rushed in through the open window, the chill kissing my skin and making ...

Chapter 38 - Nightmares X

“Boss Versalicci,” I said hesitantly, eyeing the green Infernal as I took a few more steps into the fighting pit.

He chuckled. “Just Versalicci. ‘Boss’ sounds ridiculous. Sleep well Miss Harrow?”

I took another hesitant step, weighing my answer. Usually I’d have a good answer, but I’d been sent here by a man who’d put a gun against the back of my head. Was this…an execution? There was no one else here though. An interrogation, just with the people to intervene ...

Chapter 37 - Nightmares IX

When Golvar came back with no Watchman, I was on the ground, gagging and coughing while Pieter’s blood continued to pool around my knees.

“Well, guessing he wasn’t keen on taking the deal?” Golvar mused.

I tried to say something, only to feel the bile rise in my throat.

“Girl,” Golvar said irritably. “I have seen some bad reactions to a killing. I’ve seen some bad timings of a killing. You are combining both, and even worse we got told you’d wetted your bla...

Chapter 36 - Nightmares VII

It was a good day to kidnap a Watchman.

I took a sip of water, a little irritated at the taste. Unlike many establishments in the Quarter, Edward actually cared about age when he sold his alcohol, and since no one who lived here had any sort of record, that meant it was up to the bartender to judge. I was tall for my age, but it was clear I wasn’t even sixteen yet, so no mead for me.

I could just steal one of Daver’s bottles when we got back. 

I sat in a corner of t...

Chapter 35 - Can You Sleep When It Gnaws Your Gut? II

The sound of the little bell on my door jingled, then faded, and then the sound of the three of them treading through snow, softer and fainter until I couldn’t hear them at all. Occasional sounds, people moving in the distance, the whistling of the wind, all muffled by my front door as I struggled for some control over myself.

Breathe. Just focus on that, as I slowly let myself collapse against the shop floor. Ignore the emotions. Ignore the pain. Breathe in, and focus on my ribs prot...

Chapter 34 - Can you sleep when it gnaws your guts?

Of course, after all of that, I didn’t see Gregory for the rest of the day.

I sat in a carriage, lonely, tired, and cold as we rolled through the city streets, on my way back to my home, driven by a coach driver I’d had to bribe to convince him to take me into the quarter. Only partay, he wouldn’t go that deep into the quarter. And another bribe to assuage his fears I was bringing him here to seduce him, and then sacrifice him mid-coitus to some succubus in return for power. ...

Chapter 33 - Church in Shadow IV

The quartet of priests disappeared into the veil of shadows as I watched, seemingly consumed by the darkness.

Baltaren was the god of night and dark, so this shouldn’t be too shocking, but still there was something disconcerting about all of this. The distance I’d walked with Timmel had felt far longer than the length of this cathedral on the outside. But was that my senses playing tricks on me, or the interior of this place not matching the outside?

Part of why I wouldn’t w...

Small Delay due to sickness might happen

Just a heads up, I've been rather ill that last few days and still am, I am going to try and get the next chapter out on time but there might be a short delay as I deal with this. Currently it's at well above my minimum, but it's still not finished.

Chapter 32 - Church In Shadow III

The sun was still up. I needed to keep that in mind, because the moment I stepped over the threshold, the light from outside vanished.

The sun wasn’t at my back. Even still, you’d expect some light from outside to leak in, a shadow of me on the floor as I took another step inside.

Nothing. The only light was from a few lanterns hanging on…walls I assumed, but my eyes strained to see if they hung on walls or floated in mid-air. I glanced back at the door, and the light beyond...

Chapter 31 - Church in Shadow II

The carriage ride was uncomfortable

The carriage itself was fine, solidly built wood, utilitarian but with some cushioning on the seat as a concession to the rear ends of whoever needed to ride it. Unfortunately, I couldn’t fit. Not with my tail sticking out nearly four feet encase in wooden planks. Instead, I held myself sideways, the tip of my tail resting on the window behind me as I half-laid near the one on the opposite side. The curtains were pulled tight so I didn’t have much...

Chapter 30 - Church in Shadow I

For a while, I just stared at Malstein. 

It’s not like anything else was working besides my eyes, I was weak as a kitten, and my mind was preoccupied by what I’d been remembering.

Those memories still echoed in my ear along with that echo of Malstein’s voice. More echoing sounds behind me, barking orders, and a wailing scream that felt like a nail slowly pushing inside my ear. Despite that, those old memories I’d been dreaming of stuck out in my mind.

There must...

Chapter 29 - Nightmares VI

“Neither of you come back! Lunatics! Trying to set my bar on fire.”

I stumbled as I was roughly shoved out onto the street, Edwards words echoing behind me. I turned around just in time to catch Alice as she stumbled.

My drunk, stumbling, beautiful girlfriend, despite being a head shorter than me at least, was such an adorable thick muscular woman that I struggled to keep her up, straining at the weight.

Not that I’d ever vocalize any of that as I kept her from eating ...

Announcement

I feel very dumb for doing this twenty-four hours after the delay notification. My full-time job is taking a lot of energy and attention, and sapping energy more than the forty hours a week I now work. I'm increasingly worried about burnout, and the feeling of getting chapters out is beginning to consume me. Because of this, I'm going to go down to two chapters a week, one on Monday, one on Friday. I am not happy about doing this, and if I felt comfortable that this is just a temporary blip I...

Delay. Again.

I can't believe I'm doing this again. For right now this is just a preliminary post as there is about 2k words in the chapter and it's nearing completion, and I might be able to finish enough before work tomorrow morning to post the chapter, but for right now I'm going to call this one delayed probably for a period from 12 to 24 hours.

This genuinely sucks and I am sorry for repeatedly pulling this. I thought when I started this full-time position I could manage three chapters a week s...

Chapter 28 - Nightmares V

It was too much to hope sleep wouldn’t bring certain things to the forefront of my dreaming mind, even sleep from pain. Patchwork pieces floating to the surface as I drifted among the void of rest.

****

“You,” I told Alice Skall, “are quickly making me regret deciding to mentor you. This,” I held up my bandaged, freshly bitten hand, “is not helping!”

She gave me an honestly ferocious look, teeth wide open, the grin stretching her face wider than any Infernal sh...

Chapter 27 - Steel V

I scrambled up the back of the carriage as fast as I could, hoof protesting with every step. Stone shards embedded dug deeper, shifting around as I pulled myself up. More rifle shots, splintering wood next to my hand. I bit down on a yelp as splinters shot into my injured fingers, some piercing the cuts already made by the devil’s teeth.

We veered to the right, and I held on as we sped around the street corner, the whinnying protests of the horses interrupted by the cracks of more gun...

Chapter 26 - Steel IV

Bishop Derrick stood up. 

“Joseph, prepare the carriage immediately, we travel as soon as you are ready. Tell Sarah that she’s to inform anyone who comes that I am not here. Micheal, is the devil dead?”

The breathless Forcreek nodded, and some tension went out of the bishop, until he regained his breath. 

“One of them is” he said hurriedly, also tripping over the words. “But there’s evidence, there might have been more than one? And there’s been oth...

Next chapter on Saturday

I might end up moving the regular chapters there as well, both here and on RR with how often this is occurring. Again apologies on my end, the next chapter will be releasing either in the evening of Friday or the morning of Saturday for me, anywhere from 12-24 hours after the normal release date.

If this keeps on being an issue I will move the regular update schedule to saturdays for the third chapter of each week. That or just getting better at writing.

Chapter 25 - Steel III

Bishop Derrick’s face shifted as I asked my question, the lines on her face shifting about as she leaned back in her chair.

She nodded reluctantly. “I imagined it would come up this evening. Voltar seemed eager to pick our brains over the matter.”

“Voltar wants the murderer found,” I said. “I don’t think he overly cares for such things as secrets when it means catching the killer before they strike. Oh, he’ll keep his share of them, and he’ll be mum to anyone bey...

Chapter 24 - Steel II

We’d only traveled along the outskirts of the Ironworks, barely dipping more than a mile into the ever-growing network of factories. Even still, it was half an hour later before we pushed through into the comparatively less busy neighborhoods surrounding it.

My skin felt like it was covered by hives by the time we got out, I’d had half a dozen different kinds of slur yelled at me. Two others had tried ramming us with their own carts, and one lunatic had charged towards the bench, ra...

Chapter 23 - Steel I

Silence followed in the wake of that announcement, as I folded my arms, staring at her intently.

“Really?” I said. “How.. fortuitous.”

“Oh, don’t give me that look,” Vesper said. “You were sent here to learn Diabolism from me, you should guess that I possess some knowledge able to tap into for just such an occasion. Why, Voltar sending you here might have been for just such a purpose.”

I was pretty sure that if Samuel Voltar wanted her consulted on this, he...

Potential Delay Chapter 23

Hey Folks. Sorry to be doing this again so soon, but Chapter 23 is probably going to be delayed by twelve, maybe even twenty-four hours. I apologize for doing this, however with my new job eating up more time and more stress, I do not think I'll be able to get chapter 23 finished by the normal release time. My apologies for this.

Chapter 22 - Nightmares IV

I rolled my eyes as the gate opened at my approach. Metal squealed as it swung open, filling the air with a discordant shriek.

Could this get even more melodramatic?

I walked through, then rushed forward as the gate slammed shut, nearly catching my tail.

“That,” I said with barely hidden anger “was a very nasty trick.”

No response, although the gargoyle bared its fangs in a yawn again.

I strode forward, past the gravestones, past the rosebushes, both of w...

Chapter 21 -Nightmares III

I’d forced myself out of that stupor in the coffeehouse eventually, and it was half past one in the afternoon as I strode out the front door.

Tagashin had parked the carriage a few spaces down, either finding or bullying her way into a space that it just fit into. 

Given the rather anxious look the carriage driver behind kept giving her as he fed his horses, the latter.

The horses looked well, and I just assumed they’d been taken care of. The water in the trough was...

Chapter 20 - Nightmares II

My eyes shot open, the feeling of rough wood as the carriage hit a rock. My head lifted up just a little before slamming back down.

The slap of pain helped dispel that hazy sleepy feeling as I woke up. A relief from that though.

I jolted from one side to the next, barely avoiding hitting my head again as I scrambled across the seat before realizing I was far away from that damned old hideout underground.

I’d fallen asleep on my side, curled up on the carriage bench. Numbly...