azazele

Arc 8-88

“I thought you forgot about me, honored sister.”

Cloud greets me with that predatory grin of hers, the kind that really should look menacing but on her just makes me want to laugh. She’s leaned even further into her whole “become a monster” thing since last time. And—thank the saints—she’s done it tastefully. Harmonious, even. Her nose is flatter and wider now, odd but not ugly, reminding me of soft little animals instead of something savage. When I hug her, my hands bru...

Arc 8-87 (Henry)

What was power?

The Temple, in its primitive wisdom, believed the body was power. To them, manabeasts embodied the pinnacle of strength: born swifter, hardier, more lethal. Their hides eclipsed the finest armor, their claws outmatched steel, and their command of magic—something humans toiled over for decades—was as natural to them as breathing. Nature, they said, was sovereign, and these monsters were her chosen heirs.

Henry scoffed at such thinking. Yes, beasts were formidabl...

Arc 8-86

Being lifted to the suspended rock in the sky brings a wave of nostalgia. The Grand Hall is a legendary place for the people of Harvest. There are boys and girls pulling weeds in their family’s farm or sweating as apprentices that would give an arm to take one step into the magical school. To the unfortunate, the Hall is a gateway to a better life. They imagine themselves as the Harvest Hero, a man of common birth that fought to become an icon that has inspired generations. They think it ca...

Arc 8-85 (Alana)

In the north, every child eagerly awaited the day they picked up a weapon for the first time, both the wooden facsimiles and the cold steel. Alana had been more eager than most. For her, it wasn’t just a matter of living up to old traditions or chasing glory, a marathon that quickly grew tiring. Combat was her salvation, was the only road to her birthright. She never dreamed of the peaceful south like her sister. The sword might have been her only option, but she chose to embrace it rather ...

Arc 8-84 (Alana)

Had long had it been since she had a real challenge?

Not in the sense of facing powerful creatures. Alana did that every day. Her teacher was the size of a bug and a devote pacifist, but she had no doubt that if Rolly ever decided to fight, Alana wouldn’t stand a chance. She was reminded of Kierra’s strength every time the elf came to meld her body, occasionally taking the opportunity to wrestle her to the ground if Alana squirmed under her attentions.

As for Lou, she’d just...

Arc 8-83

Everyone moves at once, congregating around the fallen seer. Unfortunately, without communicating. I can imagine what it must look like from

Everyone moves at once, congregating around the fallen seer. Unfortunately, without communicating.

I can imagine what it must look like from the knight’s perspective. I don’t know what kind of warnings Butterfly gave him, but my rampage is enough reason for the man to be on guard. He’s supposed to protect her, a valuable, no. An irrepla...

Arc 8-82

The camp looks…nice.

The efforts to clear the city has put some vitality into the refugees. It seems they’ve pooled their skills and magic to make their temporary homes more livable. The lean-tos with dirty cloths for roofs and ragged tents have been cleared, making room to expand the boxy shelters. Those have been remodeled, with new slanted roofs, doors, and shuttered windows. Even the road through the camp has been improved, the earth tightly packed to be smooth. I still wouldn�...

Arc 8-81

By the time we arrive, the acolytes led by the knights are detaining the speaker and his allies, magic binding their wrists and ankles. Admirably, the speaker is continuing to rant at the audience that is being kept back.

“First, they take our lives and our homes. Then they take our freedom. Now they even seek to take our voices! When will they be satisfied? When will you say enough is enough?”

“Quiet rebel,” the knight standing over him says dismissively. When the speaker...

Arc 8-80

“Our ancestors founded this city with blood, sweat, and tears! They risked their lives to bring down armies of monsters. Their bodies rest beneath our feet. They did this so we, their descendants, the people of Quest, would know safety and prosperity. This is our land, our home. And just as our ancestors did, we must fight for it.”

“That’s interesting.” As we ride toward the camp, an impassioned voice reaches my ears. Detangling myself from Kierra, who went right back to huggi...

Arc 8-79

I follow the sound of humming to the bedroom. My hand snaps out to the grip the doorway as another flashback consumes my senses; I hear the same humming in the dark bedroom only illuminated by slivers of moonlight, Talia curled in the arms of a womanly figure made of darkness and scales. She opens her strange eyes as two clawed fingers tilt her head up, smiling softly…

I tightly squeeze my eyes shut as I breathe through the surge of lust, inwardly cursing the sudden heat between my le...

Arc 8-78

I find Alana where I expect, behind the estate swinging her sword. Except, rather than her usual slow and deliberate training, I find her cutting down small orbs of light with the ferocity of a drunkard mistaking a man for his demons. Her hair is tied back, doing nothing to obscure the sweat beading down her face or her grit teeth. I pause, watching her progress. Hm. She’s definitely faster. It’s hard to judge her strength without a proper target, but given the time Kierra’s spent with ...

Arc 8-77

I try getting Kierra to open up, but she stays silent, hugging me like she’s afraid I’ll disappear. I’m burning with curiosity, wondering what could be so horrible it would shake a woman who fervently worships conflict. It concerns my family. My unborn child. Yet, my earnest offers of help and comfort do nothing to loosen the tightness of her arms or the lock on her lips. I leave it for later, wrapping my arms around her in turn.

I wish I could stay until I hug her fear from her, ...

Arc 8-76

The Authority.

I’ve got a lot of questions regarding the treasure of the hunters. Obviously, the most pressing thing is what exactly is inside it. We can make a pretty good guess but there’s no telling as to its contents or size. Then there’s the question of how it came to be. If there are more artifacts like the dagger used by the hunter that tried to assassinate my wife, were they created by the kingdom’s founders? If so, why has enchanting only recently made a resurgence? Wha...

Arc 8-75

“Good morning, Lou. There have been developments.”

I’d imagine most people would be thrilled to have a beautiful woman waiting to welcome them home. Geneva looks particularly radiant standing in the brilliant sunlight, the classic Teppin estate behind her. She looks softer than usual, dressed in a sleeveless white shirt and a light brown skirt. If not for the gray skin, horns, and hooves, I could easily mistake her for the village beauty that sparks every hero’s journey, ...

Arc 8-74

I’ve never really thought about my legacy.

Why would I? Before a knife to the side changed my life, I didn’t have a future to consider. I was convinced I’d pass away in a nameless corner of the kingdom, drunk enough to smile through my terrible luck and likely alone. Family? Nothing but burdens and unwanted expectations. Children? I never considered myself someone who should be raising the next generation and the process of making them came with a very unwanted caveat.

Well,...

Arc 8-73 (Maxine)

A person needs a goal to succeed.

That was one of the first lessons her father taught her. He who never tried, never succeeded. He didn’t visit her often when she was a child and whenever he did, it was to impart a lesson. At the end of the first of those lessons, he left her with a piece of advice wrapped in a command. He told her to pick a goal. It didn’t matter how outlandish it was; he encouraged her to pick something incredible. If one bird decided to fly to the top of a tree a...

Arc 8-72 (Morgene)

Morgene closed her eyes, focusing on her heartbeat. When she first learned to calm herself, it was to the beat of a drum, her older sister patiently tapping out a rhythm to teach her the way to count her breaths. Power was not talent. Power was control. All the gifts of the Atainna blood were useless without a strong mind to guide them. Strong enough to handle their many curses. Many times, her blood had tested her. She hadn’t always prevailed.

Tonight wouldn’t be another of those t...

Arc 8-71 (Alana)

“No,” she grumbled but she didn’t fight the hand that coaxed her further onto the bed; she wanted to be closer, though the thought filled her with trepidation. She didn’t know how rational Kierra was. Didn’t know if she’d have the presence of mind to be careful with her. Reflexively, Alana found herself treating the elf like a dangerous animal, moving slowly and carefully, giving the other woman no reason to startle.

“Mm.” Alana bit back a yelp as she was grabbed from be...

Arc 8-70 (Alana)

Alana always knew that Kierra was…different.

A rude person might call her a savage. An opinion that was hard to contradict. Alana would find it hard to blame someone if they went as far as to call her brutal. She remembered the screams as Kierra set wild dogs on the initiates in the name of training. Fierce beasts against untrained, spoiled children. It sounded like the start of a tragedy. Everyone survived but not without new scars and nightmares.

Despite her rough methods, Ala...

Arc 8-69 (Kierra)

Power. Every elf sought it, defined themselves by it, worshipped it. Yet, power meant something different to different groups.

Kierra knew she would be powerful the moment she learned of her pure affinity. While others would spend decades learning spells and fine-tuning their ability to manipulate their mana, her magic jumped to her bidding. She could put in minimal effort and still be one of the greatest casters in all five provinces.

But without control, she would never be the b...

Arc 8-68

“You should rename the city.”

My lovers and I are sprawled over our bed, but sleep remains distant. There’s too much energy in the air for dreams to grab ahold of us. Well, one person is practically vibrating with energy.

Kierra has been glowing all night and climbing under the blankets hasn’t doused that excitement in the slightest. Thankfully, she finally put down the scroll announcing my promotion; I was starting to wonder if it was stuck to her hand. However, her fasci...

Arc 8-67

“So, they mean to appease you by offering you the territory. Though it is less an offer and more an acknowledgement of the obvious. They can hardly claim something they have no way to hold.”

I respond to that depressingly true statement by taking a large drink of shroom juice. After the departure of Butterfly, the rest of my meeting with the Guiness sisters was incredibly mundane. Boring, even. While she tried hard to hide it, my sudden title threw Marcella for a loop. She deflected...

Arc 8-66 (The Butterfly)

“What happened?” one of the men in golden armor asked, but she ignored him. She didn’t stop until she was out of the building and inside her carriage. On the bench, a pile of blankets waited for her. She quickly wrapped herself in them. It was a bit too hot under their weight, but she didn’t care, the darkness immediately brining her comfort.

It was the habit that inspired her name; a normal woman wrapped herself up in the dark and when she emerged, she was a competent Arbiter. ...

Arc 8-65 (The Butterfly)

I want to go home.

The thought dominated The Butterfly’s mind. Rather, it haunted it. She didn’t have a home; she didn’t have anything. That was the price she had to pay to do her job. She couldn’t be biased by anything. She couldn’t be connected to anything.

That meant she never spent longer than a month in the same bed. The quality of said bed also fluctuated, as an Arbiter too accustomed to luxury could be tempted by bribes, but one too accustomed to...

Arc 8-64

From the day I was reborn through the glossiest elemental in all the realms, I dreaded the day the world discovered my potential.

Back then, I was a different person. All I knew of the world was the oppression of the Grimoires. I judged the world through the feud of our families. I’d always been powerless. The strongest person in my life, my father, had always been powerless. No matter how much we tried, no matter how talented a Tome was or what lucky encounters they had, we were alwa...

Arc 8-63

The best place in the world is my bed.

It’s warm, comfortable, and filled with beauties. There are no annoying nobles, stupid hunters, or pitiable refugees. Only friendly monsters crawl under my blankets. Problems and world-changing secrets are so far away I can almost forget them.

There are times when I ask why I’d ever leave such a wonderful place. Like now. Saints lend me strength and patience, why did I get out of bed this morning? Everything would be easier if I’d just ...

Arc 8-62

I’ve imagined this meeting a hundred times.

The best scenario I could imagine was a sharp-eyed soldier asking my intentions and then holding back a sigh of relief when I make it clear I want nothing to do with the destroyed city, hadn’t launched a preemptive strike on behalf of the north, and had no intention of continuing my rampage in the direction of the capital.

The worst scenario I imagined was a group of royal knights ambushing the estate, announcing their presence with ...

Arc 8-61

I’m not an extravagant person.

Sure, I enjoy nice things and don’t consider it a waste to spend money on them, but I’d think that’s true of most people; no one wants to sleep on an uncomfortable bed or eat bad food. The thing is, I don’t care if people know I have nice things. I don’t feel the need to rub what I have in the face of those who have less or spend money on pointless displays to fluff my ego.

That attitude isn’t prevalent in the north, where the ...

Arc 8-60

My conversation with Little Water sparks an uncomfortable thought; maybe there’s a reason summoning has been oppressed.

In theory, summoning is restrained by two things: self-preservation and common sense. I’m sure there are plenty of creatures that travel the many realms in search of an idiot that will let them devour their world. However, no one with any intelligence would form a contract with such a being. 

If some madman is willing to burn the world if it means he get...

Arc 8-59

My practice lasts for a surprisingly pleasant hour as I practice my new spell while theorizing its uses with my mother-in-law. It might have lasted longer, but she mentioned sparring and looked far too eager doing so. I judged it best to make a quick escape and distracted her with the option of breakfast.

By the time we make it to the table, the rest of the clan is already seated, including Orum. He still takes his morning walks but we haven’t run into each other once since I yelled a...