Octophobia

Spire's Spite - Arc 4 - Chapter 30

Fritz's legs shook, his back and arms burned. His pack felt as though it weighed a ton, and the sack he dragged up the stairs, thumping against every new step, was just as heavy.

"Switch," Fritz groaned, letting go of the rough fabric.

Clover grunted as she heaved up the sack, taking her turn to carry it while he picked up the far lighter chest she had just put down. Then they kept climbing, overburdened.

It had been three whole minutes of torment, though it seemed far longe...

Spire's Spite - Arc 4 - Chapter 29

Fritz suppressed his greed and his aches and pains for now. The gold called to him, especially the gleaming hearts of the beasts. Though there was time to see to that later. The same could not be said of his wounded crew. He centred himself on compassion and maintaining a facade of confidence, one that would lend him an air of both graciousness and righteousness.

He knelt by Trudge's side, peering darkly at the gaping hole in his chest. The spike he had been impaled with had burst, just...

Spire's Spite - Arc 4 - Chapter 28

---Author's note--- Late. Late. Late. My apologies. My brain has been a bit of a mess. Still, I hope you all like the chapter. Sorry. ---

There was nothing to be done for the wounded and the fallen. Not while the bull was bearing down on Fritz. His attention was needed lest he be trampled or caught by the other beast's claws.

He dived, horns and hooves stormed out of the well and thundered through the spot he'd been standing. Jumping back up, he swiftly scanned the room, realisin...

Spire's Spite - Arc 4 - Chapter 27

---Author's note. I'm back! And feeling fairly refreshed. Hope you all had a great new years! Hope you enjoy the chapter and thanks for the continued support. And as always thanks for reading! :) ---

Fritz stood, staring at the three hulking constructs and reassessing what strategies he and his crew could employ. It wasn't just the fact that there were more foes than he expected that gave him pause, though. No, it was that the sculpture's likenesses were of different animals, all of th...

Spire's Spite - Arc 4 - Chapter 26

--- Author's note ---

Happy Holidays! Hope you all have a great time with family and friends for any holiday celebrations you have planned. Sorry to say, I'm going to take another small, week-and-a-bit long break to recharge. Chapter releases will return on 04/01/2026. (AEST)

Thanks for reading and your support! :) Hope you enjoy the chapter! :)

(If you would like a refund for the month feel free to message me.)

Again, thank you all so much and I hope you have a great...

Spire's Spite - Arc 4 - Chapter 25

--- Authors note -- Sorry for lateness. Thanks for reading! :) ---

Of course, the crew took more than nine minutes to get ready; they delayed their leaving by hemming and hawing, unsure which Attributes to align and how many points to spend.

Fritz was patient with them, giving out his valuable advice in succinct lectures, even when unsought. It was received more gratefully once they were reminded he was vastly more educated than they were on the subject of Climbing.

Now tha...

Spire's Spite - Arc 4 - Chapter 24

Fritz awoke from a dream of endless wading. The icy water had drowned him, and he had died.

However, it was surprisingly loud and uncomfortable for true death. There were soft voices, a quiet argument about... something. Cracking open his sticky eyes, Fritz took in the light and shadows of the Well Room. He then realised he wasn't dead at all, he had just passed out from overexertion, both of his magic and his body.

His heart squirmed for a mere moment, and fear jolted through his...

Spire's Spite - Arc 4 - Chapter 23

The Spite bore down on Fritz and his crew, and as the hours passed, the large drops of false rain steadily grew heavier, colder and more frequent. This was just the first change they noticed. It took nearly a third of a day before they discovered the next complication the Spire had in store for them.

The glowing crystals began to lose their light, flickering or flashing brightly before going dim, then it was that the fish began to frenzy. Those mad streaks of silver would speed towards ...

Chapter 23 delay.

Sorry, I overestimated myself and my condition. Chapter may come tomorrow, but will more likely release on Sunday. Sorry again, trying my best. :(

Chapter 23 delay.

Sorry, chapter 23 will release tomorrow. :(

Spire's Spite - Arc 4 - Chapter 22

--- Author's note --- Sorry again for the delay, December has been kickin' me. Thanks for the well wishes! :) Hope you enjoy the chapter. :) ---

The trek to the stone island was quiet, save for the sloshing and splashing as they waded through the cool pools. No one had anything to say in the open, but the crew's expressions told a story of suspicion and unease.

Fritz himself was silent too, pondering what he should say to ease their mistrust and his own conscience. Sure, he...

Chapter 22 delay.

Sorry. Chapter will be delayed until Sunday. Tend to have more migraines in December, and this one is no exception. :( Thanks for your patience and sorry again.

Spire's Spite - Arc 4 - Chapter 21

Reed awoke, he had a bad feeling he just couldn't shake off. An itch in the middle of his back. He rolled to one side and scratched. The feeling didn't fade. It was in his mind. Something to do with Awareness. Now that he'd been taught how to properly sense the Advanced Attribute, he couldn't help but notice its fleeting warnings more strongly, coming and going like waves.

It was annoying, but there was nothing that could be done about it. And it was definitely better to be annoyed than...

Spire's Spite - Arc 4 - Chapter 20

--- Author's note --- Super sorry for the radio silence, was focusing on recovery and writing. And I didn't want to spam you all with repeated apologies. I'm mostly better now, but the chapter took a little longer to edit cause I wrote some of it when I was quite ill and most of that needed to be rewritten... it was rough stuff to say the least. Anyway, don't mean to ramble on. Thanks for the well wishes I really appreciated them and thanks for the patience. And once again thanks for reading....

Late chapter.

Super sorry, sick as a dog. Some stomach bug, maybe food poisoning. Thought I could complete chapter and edit chapter and releasing today, but really struggling to write. Chapter likely to come tomorrow. Again, very sorry.

Chapter 20 Will be late.

Sorry, chapter will be late today. Even after my break it feels like it's been one thing after another. :(

Spire's Spite - Arc 4 - Chapter 19

---Author's note, I'm back! I really needed that break, did not really realise just how burned out I was, lol. Enjoy the chapter! ---

Clover shrieked and her skin paled as the ghostly, luminous fingers plunged into her back. She scrambled away from the wraith's touch, suddenly falling forward before collapsing in a twitching heap.

Fritz activated Aspect of Eel, then lunged at the robed figure from where he sat. Mortal Edge, wrapped in the writhing shadows of Gloom Strike, bit into...

Spire's Spite - Arc 4 - Chapter 18

--- Author's note --- Sorry again for the lateness. As mentioned in previous post, I will be taking a week break. Hope you enjoy the chapter. :) ---

Fritz paced between the Doors, soon stopping when he began to pant. The temperature had risen to an awful degree. It was as hot as a forge.

He considered the choices before him as keenly as his heat-muddled mind could. A Floor that was open and filled with ambush predators, one that he couldn't feel much from at all, and the la...

Late chapter and a small break.

Hi, delightfully diligent readers, Spire's Spite Chapter 18 will be late today, but it will come. However, after I will be taking a small, one-week break to build a buffer so I'm not so stressed every chapter. Planning to resume release on 20/11/25 1:00 pm AEST. If you would like a refund for the month, please message me. :) Thanks for all the support, hope you continue to enjoy the story when it comes back. :)

Spire's Spite - Arc 4 - Chapter 17

---Author's note --- Super sorry, this one was really late. I'll try to do better. ---

The sword descended. Ice rimed its edge, then the entire blade was encompassed. A thin, fluid fog glittered in its wake. Fritz couldn't move, his mind frozen and his feet stuck in place. There was a twisting, a dull thrashing in his Sanctum. But he was too cold to join its battle.

The brittle air was cut, and so was Fritz. With a biting swish and a brutal chill, the blade passed through his shad...

Spire's Spite - Arc 4 - Chapter 16

--Authors note--- Again terribly sorry for the late chapter. Trying to catch up. Hope you like it. :) ---

Fritz stared at the three men he'd 'rescued' with a timely bolt from his crossbow, waiting for a reply.

"I think we'll keep the seal ourselves," Nail growled. "Seeing as we did all the hard work."

"Yes, it does seem as if you've been struggling," Fritz agreed, glancing over their dishevelled states and many injuries.

Nail's armour was dented and scratched, and the ...

Spire's Spite - Arc 4 - Chapter 15

---Author's note--- Sorry for how horribly late this one is. Still, hope you enjoy it. :) ---

Clover watched with interest as the Shade poured wax carefully onto the mould he had painstakingly engraved. He moved with such precision, such fluidity of motion, that she found herself holding her breath. And although his tools were crude, not a drop of wax was wasted.

It was not this that truly captivated her, though. It was his gaze, both intensely focused, yet also far away, a...

Spire's Spite - Arc 4 - Chapter 14

It wasn't going well, not at all. They were trapped, the side room's doorway was blocked by foes.

Nail swept his axe down, with a crunch, its dulled edge crushed rather than cleaved the skull of the man-alike soldier. It fell like a sack of squid guts, its brain spilled just as bad and stank plenty more.

He sucked in a breath. The moment he took to rest allowed another of the monsters to spear him in his chest. Luckily, his armour, hardened by his magic, was only scratched by the ...

Spire's Spite - Arc 4 - Chapter 13

--- Authors note --- Sorry again for the lateness. Hope you enjoy the chapter. ---

"The meritocratic conditions ordain that you are afforded a revelation," the sinister voice continued, dripping with ancient hate. "The stairway on this Floor is locked. Keys are not needed, but the seals are. Seize them through diligence or treachery, the six knights are grateful to those who report their fellow trespassers. Be warned, each seal will grant passage to only one bearer. Decide your own fate...

Spire's Spite - Arc 4 - Chapter 12

Fritz wove lethargy over Nail. The thug's eyes slid out of focus, and his eyelids drooped.

"What did you... do?" he slurred.

"Sleep, you've had a long night," Fritz said, smiling sharply.

Nail, though he had been restored by the Well and a meal, couldn't resist the curse fully. The night had been long and draining. Especially if one still used Stamina for their Abilities, as Fritz assumed the ogre did.

Nail struggled weakly, but every moment Lethargy ate his Stamina an...

Spire's Spite - Arc 4 - Chapter 11

The crew was panting, huddled around the Well, which happened to be a simple three-tiered fountain. They splashed themselves with its water, washing away the shards and fine specs of glass.

Fritz joined them, letting the power pouring out from the font heal his wounds. It felt light, the energies lacking the same burning cold, that same weight of magic that he'd come to expect from a Well.

He knew why, he was revisiting this Spire and wouldn't gain any further Levels or Powers fro...

Spire's Spite - Arc 4 - Chapter 10

--- Authors note --- Sorry this is late. Been having a rough time lately, what with sickness and poor sleep. Thanks for being so understanding. Hope you like this Chapter :)

---

Fritz found himself on green marble. The sight had his heart skip a beat. Dread and uncertainty assailed him again as he looked upon the roots and pillars of stone all around.

Taking one deep breath, then letting it out slowly, he calmed his nerves. He had to remind himself that he was stronger and w...

Spire's Spite - Arc 4 - Chapter 9

Fritz waited until nightfall, then entered a secret passage built into the back of his closet. It was one that he had discovered with his Door Sense along with a couple of others scattered around the manor. They were common enough in estates such as his, or tales of them were even if those rumours somewhat exaggerated their scope. The few he had found led from room to room, likely made to allow for liaisons involving impropriety or infidelity.

Those hidden, dusty corridors between were ...

Spire's Spite - Arc 4 - Chapter 8

Fritz left Adam after leading him to his new room. It was in an isolated corner of the west wing, as his tutor requested, and was bare of any comforts or furniture for that matter. A deficiency that would be remedied as soon as the drunk could make the proper arrangements.

As it was, he'd said he would survive with just his bedroll and the trunks he brought with him. Fritz didn't feel too bad about this, nor did he consider himself an ungracious host, as there were no fewer than seven s...

Spire's Spite - Arc 4 - Chapter 7

Fritz felt the small stone shake again, pulled toward some unknown place. He grimaced. He had hoped he had some time to settle into his new home and to be able to enjoy its comforts for at least a night.

It was not to be.

"What's got you so sour?" Rosie asked.

"I have been called. And so I have to answer," Fritz replied, emanating a hint of Dusksong to add an air of mystery.

"What?"

"Nevermind," Fritz said. "If you see another similar bird, I would prefer it if y...