PreCursive

Chapter 154 - Last-Ditch

I don’t think I’d ever been so panicked in my life.

As Johann, Fade, and I dashed frantically through the woods in the direction of the host, we tried to thin the growing monster horde as much as we could. Practically, this meant we were wildly swinging at every forming Monster Core we could, trying to shatter them before they could complete. We didn’t even bother to make sure we’d managed to truly take out the cores on our path. We just struck at anything in our path.

The...

Chapter 153 - The Breaking

Thankfully, the footprints that Fade had created weren’t a continuous line. If they had actually been something like that, I’m sure whoever we were tracking would have freaked out about how their trail was now visible and glowing. No, instead they were appearing in front of us as we navigated our way through the underbrush.

However, I think Finch and I were both surprised when the trail led out of the forest. At least, the main part of it. We’d been traveling for at least thirty m...

Chapter 152 - Of Finches and Wolves

The pattern repeated itself for the next half a week.

Fade and I would keep pace with the host of the Uprising, scouting beyond the edges in search of primarily monsters. In that time, we would need to range farther and farther from the army in order to find more. However, I was still returning to the wagon at night. I wasn’t meant to be going out too far after all. I could range far enough under my own power in the space of a day that it was no problem in venturing out and m...

Chapter 151 - Suspicions

The host of the Uprising was moving slower than I thought it would be.

During the march from Silvercrest to Helstein, we’d been moving much quicker than we were now. And while I know it could possibly be attributed to how our forces had swelled following the Prince joining, it didn’t feel like that. Being up on a wagon unlike most of the ground-pounders, I was high up enough that I could pick out the officers among the different regiments and divisions of the Uprising forces.

...

Chapter 150 - Heart to Heart

“Where the hells have you been?” Azarus snarked at me over the top of the crate he was carrying. “Haven’t seen ya in days.”

I shrugged at the dwarf who was currently helping to load up our wagon. I had just wandered up to join my usual travel group to find that they were in the process of packing up. All of the usual suspects were in attendance. Azarus and Renauld were helping to load the last few remaining crates of gear and supplies we needed to get underway, while ...

SotF Shorts: Unlikely Survival Ch. 8 (Finale)

AN:

And so the short story comes to an end. 

In more ways than one. I've made the decision that I'm not going to continue forward with this experiment into March. This is the last short story that I'm going to write for some time, I think. The extra writing, even just two shorter chapters a week, has been hell on my schedule. 

And that's because I've been writing a real second series for the last couple of months. Something that I intend to write concurrently with ...

Chapter 149 - Odd, Odder, and Oddest

Over the next few days, I was put through a much more thorough examination of my abilities than the one that Hook had done. I primarily had three separate instructors in the Nocturn Division.

Hook remained my primary teacher, focusing mainly on combat and weapon skills. One of the first things that he did was start my training with a bow. For now, he was having me use a short bow, as apparently I just wasn’t strong enough to use an actual quality longbow. He outright scoffed at the id...

SotF Shorts: Unlikely Survival Ch. 7

The Martelli family gardens were a carefully curated display of wealth. It seemed out of place to a dirt splattered peasant like Bront, considering where all the money for the extravagance came from. But what did he know? He was just one of the people these parasites sucked the blood out of, so they could live in luxury.

Bront didn’t have strong opinions on the mafia at all, not after all the shite they had put him through. No sir, not ol’ Bront.

Bront’s grip on Beaky tighte...

Chapter 148 - The Hangman

“Alright, alright,” Hook said irritably. “Enough of this nonsense. Whisper, I don’t care if you traded with Spike. Get back to your post and send his lazy ass back here.”

‘Whisper’ nodded shallowly at her apparent boss, and then made to leave the tent. As she was passing me, she met my eyes once again. “Later,” She murmured, causing me to nod slightly in acknowledgment. In moments, she was gone.

Apparently back to her post, which I’m guessing had to do with our...

Chapter 147 - Whisper

I was sent flying from a blow by Hook. Twisting midair, I did my best to recover so I could land on my feet. I managed it, but I immediately collapsed to my hands and knees in exhaustion, panting. Sweat fell from my brow in rivulets as I tried to catch my breath.

When Hook had said he was going to test me, he meant it. The sun was starting to go down, and we had been at it the entire day. While we hadn’t been sparring as we’d just been in the middle of, that didn’t mean e...

SotF Shorts: Unlikely Survival Ch. 6

“Can’t believe ye kept this junk,” Bront said in amazement, gazing at the collection of military equipment. After explaining his problems to his old mates, they’d brought him back to their hideout in the homeless district. There, they had showed him a cache that they’d nicked after being discharged from the Army. Inside had been full sets of Rhoscaran scout armor, which had been highly prized back in the day. Bront remembered having to do plenty of wheeling and dealing to secure a s...

Chapter 146 - Hook

I didn’t sleep that night. I just stayed up, watching the world through the window of my room in the Citadel. Even nearly a week after Duke Graden had been deposed, there had still been celebrations running all night long. I know that large parts of the Uprising army had been really enjoying them. Still, they’d been finally dying down.

With the news of Graden’s assassination leaking, those parties looked to have been kicked back into high gear. All night long, I was able to see in...

SotF Shorts: Unlikely Survival Ch. 5

Bront had long since past the point of rage. No, now he was calm.

Serene like, even.

After his Ma’ had told him that the hammerboys had taken Marva, it had been like all the worries and anger that had been brewing in his gut all night had frozen over. He’d thanked the visibly worried-looking woman, and then walked up the stairs to his old room.

He’d stored something here that he would need, after all.

Shoving open the door that still stuck in its frame all these ...

Chapter 145 - Confessions

Grey sighed, rubbing his brow. “Complication after complication.”

After finding the murdered Duke with Prince Oskar, I had stuck around for a bit to try and figure out how it had happened. That had involved some gentle questioning of the housekeeping staff and the guards that saw to the prison block.

According to them, he had been alive and crotchety as early as this morning when they did their rounds. The last time he had been checked up on was when he’d gotten his...

Chapter 144 - Mistaken Identity

“It is my belief you have been placed here, at this specific point and time, by the Lord of House Savoy.” The Prince said heavily. “It is well known how callous the dwarf is, and few would disbelieve him of this capability. It would not be out of character for him to have an uncooperative heir assassinated with help from another family member, in order to enact an extravagant plot. Said plot would involve the insertion of his nephew and a human operative into my new court, at t...

Chapter 143 - Hidden Motive

I had never spoken to the Prince, ever since he’d signed on with the Uprising. I mean, why would I? As far as anyone was supposed to know, I was just Grey’s odd apprentice that he had picked up during his captivity.

Certainly not a near-mythical Precursor.

Heavens no.

It was odd to see him down here, in the bowels of the Citadel. My understanding was that the kid was really busy these days, making reassurances to the nobles involved in the Uprising and trying to reach ou...

SotF Shorts: Unlikely Survival Ch. 4

AN:

Don't think there's going to be an update to this on Thursday. Apologies, juggling some things lately making me busier than usual. This just isn't as much of a priority compared to the main chapters. 

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Bront ruthlessly crushed the panic that was trying to well up from within him, just as his old Sergeant had taught him. He didn’t have time to flap about uselessly.

Not when both...

Chapter 142 - Oni

The next week or so was almost nostalgic for me.

Almost, being the keyword.

The various leaders and backers of the Uprising would schedule multiple meetings and planning sessions, that Sylvia and I were obliged to attend. You know, since our mentors were two of the most important members.

Which was a new thing for Sylvia. She told me that Grey had rarely, if ever, asked her to attend important meetings with him in the past.

I guess lots of things changed in war.

...

Chapter 141 - Spectacle

I woke up the next day with a hangover.

This was a problem, because I could feel something or someone trying to wake me.

I did not want to wake up. In fact, right about now, I was wishing the battle had actually happened and I’d died during it.

I groaned out loud, swiping blinding at the thing I could feel poking me in my side blindly without opening my eyes. I think I tried to tell them to go away, but all that escaped my mouth was. “Gaoiea aweoyu…”

I...

SotF Shorts: Unlikely Survival Ch. 3

Luckily, Bront knew these streets like the back of his hand. He knew all the little shortcuts you needed to go down to stay out of the public eye. He’d spent his early years scurrying in between them to keep out of the way of the Rhoscaran guard.

They may not have been has bad as some flatfoots in the Principality, but Rhoscara was still the wealthiest of the Dwarven cities. They didn’t want poor little urchins like Bront had been bothering the crafters or merchants and potentially ...

Chapter 140 - Sides Chosen

I was right.

Graden exploded to his feet in rage, pointing a trembling sausage finger at Prince Oskar. “You disobedient little rat!” He seethed. “After everything your brother and I have done for you, you repay us with this?!”

“It is partly because of everything you, my brother, and your cabal have done that I have decided on this course of action,” Prince Oskar said defiantly as Grey stood up from his chair. “Let us dispense with the falsehoods. My...

SotF Shorts: Unlikely Survival Ch. 2

AN:

You know, this isn’t really much of a comedy, now that I’m getting it down. Sorry about that. I had this idea in my head of dumb old Bront, just barely bumbling his way out of a mafia hit. But it’s really turning into more of an escape thriller. I’ll still try and fit in a few moments of levity where appropriate, but I’m not super dissatisfied with the way this is going.

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Chapter 139 - Negotiations

Appearing the doorway of the tent was a very….large man, to be generous. And all the weight on his frame didn’t appear to be muscle, either. From the massive sneer on his piggish features, I’d say he was a pretty unpleasant person altogether. Dressed in extravagant blacks and reds, the man was wearing a furry robe over his breeches and tunic. On his bald head was a circlet with a single large ruby set into it.

Surely this wasn’t Prince Oskar. If he was, I weep for the f...

Chapter 138 - The Gates of Hel(stein)

The main host of the Uprising slowed slightly, but didn’t stop in its advance. As we grew closer to the city of Helstein and the army gathered to defend it, I was able to make out more details for both.

Helstein was…

Well.

As a city, it was hideous.

I had thought that Silvercrest was an unimpressive specimen of a town, but Helstein was even worse. The style that it was constructed in reminded me of soviet brutalism more than anything else. It was all dour blocky bu...

SotF Shorts: Unlikely Survival Ch. 1

AN:

Next update will be on Tuesday, 2/6.

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Bront Stonebin belched from his position at the bar inside the Gilded Mare. He was relaxing after a long, hard day of standing around and looking tough as a bouncer for the tavern.

It was what he was best at.

If you asked him, he had never been the b...

Chapter 137 - Coffee Talk

“Oh thank God,” I said with a sigh of relief. I laid my new gold and silver arm almost lovingly on the driver's bench of the equally new wagon that our group had been issued.

Grey smiled at my dramatics, amused. “You weren’t the only one suffering with the old wagon, Nathan. It’s been regulated to goods transfer for now, while we have this one. Thanks to Honoka.” He nodded at the older woman, who was petting one of the horses that came with our new mode of transportation. 2024-01-31 18:00:05 +0000 UTC View Post

Interlude 9 - Burning Contemplation

AN:

Alright, Bront Stonebin: Unlikely Survival was the winner of the February short story poll. As such, the first chapter of Unlikely Survival is going to be posted on Thursday, 2/1. 

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In.

And out.

In.

And out.

Honoka of Kawamara breathed...

Chapter 136 - Prismatic Soul

AN:

Please remember to vote in the short story poll. I'm going to need to start on writing that soon in order to stay on schedule.

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The next morning, I gave Grey and Sylvia my goodbyes and watched them walk away together. I had woken up fairly early, just after the green period, and made my way to the Healer’s tent for my operation, Fade at my heels. The both...

February Short Story Poll

Alright, here are the options for the first month of short stories in February. As a reminder, this will run for the length of the month and update a couple times a week. I'm thinking Tuesday/Thursday until it's done. 

1. The first option is about what Walter has been up to after he was left in the care of Hollow Hill. Essentially, consider this a story about how Walter has been coping after his own experiences as a slave. 

2. The most obvious one, this picks up not long...

Chapter 135 - Gold and Silver

AN:

Alright, there was enough interest in the short stories idea that I'm going to go ahead with it on a trial basis. It'll be starting in February, and I'm going to post a poll after this. You'll be able to vote what the first prompt is going to be out of the options that initially told you about. I'll write whatever you guys decide on out of those four. 

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