Vowron Prime

Ashborn 340: Clandestine Meetings (Part Three) (Maiya)

Reminder: For the next two weeks while I'm out traveling, we'll have one chapter a week. The next chapter will release on June 6th, followed by another on June 13th, after which we'll return to our normal schedule.

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Maiya made to enter, but Riyan stopped her.

“What will you do about this?” he asked, gesturing his chin to the ruckus.

“Oh, I wouldn’t worry about that. Just watch.”

At that moment, a ‘ruffian’ caught sight o...

Soulweaver 61: Dire Straits

Tarquin’s soldiers attacked the instant we entered the courtyard. A storm of arrow fire sailed through the air, and at this short range, they couldn’t miss. 

“Aerion!” I roared, but she was already behind me. I planted my tower shield into the ground and hunkered down. Luckily, that short range also meant the arrows flew horizontally, instead of falling from the sky.

They pinged harmlessly off my shield.

I looked around to see half of our company on the...

Ashborn 339: Clandestine Meetings (Part Two) (Maiya)

Three days. After three full days of scouting, Maiya had nothing. She had to hand it to Riyan. He was good. Very good, in fact, though that was hardly a surprise. 

The man had avoided Mina Hiranya’s assassination attempts for years, and before that, his many enemies across many battlefields.

Having a competent ally was one of the greatest boons she could’ve asked for. Yet right now, as of this moment, Maiya felt only frustration.

“This is impossi...

Soulweaver 60: The Raid

“Damn them all.” 

Tarquin paced around his luxurious study, whose mahogany table and many bookshelves were currently lit by a half dozen candles. 

The room may as well have been a trash dump for all Tarquin cared in that moment. Gnawing on his fingernails, his pace grew increasingly frantic.

It was over. His entire empire, unmade in the course of a single night.

All because of that Dominion-damned 'request'. 

The criminal unde...

Ashborn 338: Clandestine Meetings (Part One) (Maiya)

As Maiya had told Yamal and Bheem, organizing a meeting with Riyan Savar wasn’t as simple as sending a runner and arranging a meeting point. She supposed they ought to have been thankful that Savar didn’t send their runner’s head on a platter, but the note he’d brought back was quite clear—and any more, and heads would start to fly.

Plus, this was Riyan. Maiya knew how his mind worked. To him, Kin’jal was the enemy. It didn’t matter who ran it. Or at leas...

Soulweaver 59: Barons & Bargains

“What? What is it?” I asked, tugging at Aerion’s sleeve.

“It’s… I’ll read it aloud,” Aerion said, visibly shaken.

And when she did, I had the same reaction.

I’d been expecting another manifest—I had a hunch that taken together, our manifest would slot in with that one, painting a picture of embezzlement or something equally damning. Falsified evidence to smear the Guildmaster’s name.

Turned out it was a list—just not of the sor...

Upcoming Holiday & Vacation Notice

Hey everyone,

Wanted to put up a reminder of some vacations & holidays that are coming up for me. This is all from my 2024 Holiday & Vacation Schedule (Google Sheets), which can be found on my 'About' page, and on the synopsis pages of each story on RR.

Saturday May 25 - No Ashborn Chapter.

Monday May 27 (Memorial Day) - No Soul...

Ashborn 337: The Spectator’s Experience

For Vir, the second day of the tournament promised quite the spectacle. Yesterday, he was a fighter, but today, he enjoyed the spectacle like any other fan. Cheering his favorite fighters and munching on delicious sugary pastries and savory snacks from his seat beside Cirayus and Aida.

Shan, unfortunately, had bailed on them the moment they headed for the Stadium, so it was just Vir and the two giants. Sandwiched in between them, he felt like a child between overbearing parents...

Soulweaver 58: A Game of Cat and Mouse

The huge man disappeared around the house, and I followed, entering into its spacious open garden. The size of the manor meant I had plenty of places to hide and watch him, and it also hid him from anyone who might witness him in the act.

Not that he’d be seen. Even though the manors lacked fences between their yards and their neighbors’, there wasn’t a soul out at this hour.

So, Mr. Criminal Henchman, how are you going to play this?

This guy had to g...

Ashborn 336: To Make Waves

“Did you see the look on his face?” Cirayus roared. “Devastated! Utterly devastated, I tell you!”

Aida, Vir, and Cirayus were currently back at home, having fought past the crowds and the cheers—though in reality, mostly booing—to make it back safely. Cirayus and Shan’s presences had almost been necessary to ward off would-be lynchers. 

After playing his guard role, Shan had disappeared as he tended to, leaving Vir and Cirayus alone until ...

Soulweaver 57: Hunter Hunter

I’d always wondered why important talks took place over dinner. I never had much cause to attend such functions back on Earth, but when I did, I could never remember how the food tasted, after. The nerves prevent you from tasting much of anything, which always made it seem like a waste. Especially with the sort of expensive-looking food the waiters were bringing out.

I didn’t even want to guess how much this dinner would cost. Or who would be paying for it.

Luckily, Aerion’s...

Ashborn 335: Vaak vs Nor

Vir paced around the waiting area, feeling like an eternity had passed. He wore his newly polished armor, and his katar and Chakram both glistened in his hands, ready for the fight.

If only he felt ready. Left alone along with Shan in a large room at the edge of the arena and a single Bairan guard, dark thoughts filled his mind. Until now, he’d been fixated on Cirayus, thinking him the only real threat. But the results of the qualification challenge had humbled him. He’d ba...

Soulweaver 56: Guard Greg’s Gambit

The neighborhoods of Basecrest’s outermost ring were not a place anyone would venture into willingly—let alone multiple times. Yet as Aerion stole down familiar roads and alleys, pushing deeper into the seediest part of the city, she did so with far more confidence than her previous foray.

Yes, her recent advancements helped. As did all the enchanted gear she wore and wielded. But this time, she wasn’t alone. Passersby might mistake her for being alone, but this time, Gre...

Ashborn 334: The Ravager’s Fight

The cheering seemed to go on forever, and Vir wondered if it’d ever end when Thaman finally raised his arms and motioned for quiet.

It took a while, but the crowd finally acquiesced. Even long after silence had befallen the Ravager’s Den, Vir felt his ears ringing with the echoes of that din. The sound may have dissipated, but the energy behind it didn’t leave Vir’s mind so easily. There was power there. Power… And respect.

Vir looked at his godfather with renew...

Soulweaver 55: The Unlikeliest Opportunities

To say the city was in a fervor would be an understatement. The streets were packed. Every tavern and alehouse we went to was packed. And all anyone could talk about was the Guildmaster’s encounter with Eskil and Dominion.

I could hardly blame them. I was just as confused as everyone else. After the drama of the blasphemy, Dominion vanished in dramatic fashion—with billowing gusts of wind and a mini vortex that hid him as he disappeared. Meanwhile, Eskil was swarmed by Domi...

Ashborn 333: The Procession of Champions

Trumpets blared. Banners billowed in the breeze, and the cheers… The cheers were deafening.

The Ravager’s Den was barely recognizable in its current form—so drastic was its transformation. Where before, empty bleachers and work crews milled around the silent space, it now thrummed with an unstoppable energy Vir had never known. Indeed, had never thought possible.

For so many demons to congregate in one place—all for them. For the sixteen combatants who currently w...

Soulweaver 54: Blasphemy at Basecrest

I didn’t know what I’d been expecting from the Champion of Dominion. Someone strong. Tall. Fierce.

I got all of those. The Champion—Eskil, as he was called, might’ve been a bit skinny, but he was absolutely huge, and not just vertically like the giants were.

His frame was wide, and it felt like with some exercise, he’d bulk up, resembling the sort of giant I’d always pictured.

He wore furs that showed much of his chest, and his blonde hair was shaved at ...

Ashborn 332: Reforging Bonds (Maiya)

Maiya leaned down and ruffled Neel’s neck, which the bandy thoroughly enjoyed. It was an unconscious habit. She truly was dreading this conversation, but she’d put it off for far too long already. To move forward, today had to happen.

Maiya walked down the third-story hall of her manor, greeting the various staff as she went. In what felt like no time at all, she’d grown accustomed to the treatment. Compared to the adulation and reverence the cultists piled upon her, a fe...

Soulweaver 53: To Be A Champion

The cheering crowds. The looks of fervor and adulation. As it ought to be. As it ought to have been.

Eskil, Favored Blade of Dagfinnr, gazed out at the crowds that filled Valhalla, greeting them with open arms and a beaming smile.

When the boar had gored Eskil, he knew his time on Midgard was over. He’d moved poorly, and the wound was too terrible, he knew. Yet, as the Aesir saw fit to end his life, so too did they grant him new purpose.

When Odin himself descended from th...

Ashborn 331: Realms Apart (Maiya)

Maiya sat with her legs crossed in a lotus position, as Cirayus had recommended. Centering herself, she focused on the concept of stability.

With each passing day, the feeling came both quicker and more easily, and Maiya was sure she was on the verge of a breakthrough. On the verge of ‘opening’ her Foundation Chakra.

The voices that had nearly killed her were now a distant whisper, and if she was right, would recede entirely when she mastered her Foundation Chakra. 2024-05-07 17:00:05 +0000 UTC View Post

Soulweaver 52: Smith Apprentice

When I arrived at Rogar’s, the sun was high in the sky and I was drenched in sweat under my armor in the sweltering humidity. I didn’t know if I would ever get used to the sensation.

The stocky man was waiting for me, of course, but he wasn’t alone. One of the skinny giants, dressed in a tidy gray coat, chatted with him, holding a long, thin cylinder.

“What’s all this?” I asked as I entered.

“Ah, Grug! You came. Good,” Rogar said excitedly, gesturing me over....

Ashborn 330: Upgrades

NOTE: This is the week of july 4th, and as such there will only be two soulweaver chapters and one Ashborn chapter this week. Since I am out on a trip, I am releasing all of the lower-tier chapters for the week now, for both fics.

Vir swept his gaze across the fifteen others who’d succeeded. 

“Guess Roshan made it, huh?” Vir muttered, eyeing the son of Raja Thaman.

“Well, of course he did, lad,” Cirayus said from beside Vir. “I didn’t train that...

Patron Poll! Which story are you here for?

With the way my tiers are set up, I actually don't know how many are here for Ashborn, Soulweaver, or both. So if you could let me know, that would help me out a lot!

Soulweaver 51: Stats and Reavers

I awoke the next morning to the sound of chirping birds and a slowly brightening sky. For once, I was happy to have slept at a normal hour. Which meant that, for once, Aerion was still around. 

“Morning…” I said, yawning as I got out of bed. “Strange to see your bed hair. Never figured that’s what you really looked like.”

Aerion’s platinum blonde hair that was normally so well-combed resembled a cross between a bird’s nest and a punk rocker’s hairdo...

Ashborn 329: The Final Moments

Vir sent his Chakram flying, and it began to reave through the Hunter-Gatherers with brutal efficiency. Limbs went flying as the beasts were bisected one after another. Four, eight—a dozen.

“That… is one unbelievable weapon you’ve found,” Tara said in awe. Awe, and a hint of jealousy. “Where did you say you found that again?”

“Deep within the Ash,” Vir said. “But it may not be as impressive as you may believe. Look.”

The Brood Matron caught on ...

Soulweaver 50: Tarquin

“You’re a failure, Grug. Always have been. Always will be.”

“Oh yeah?” I said, bristling at the disheveled, gaunt man who had no right to be giving advice to anyone. “Rich, coming from you. I mean, look at you! Your shirt’s stained and you look like you’ve got one foot in the grave. You’re telling me about failure? Nah. If you want to see failure, all you need is a fucking mirror.”

“Don’t you dare speak to me that way. We raised y...

Ashborn 328: Monsters of the Ash

The sneers and jeers all vanished when they spotted Vir’s Chakram.

“Who’d you steal from to get your hands on that?” one of them said.

“I don’t get it,” Tara cut in. “Wouldn’t you sorry sods rather try to win this thing than gang up on us?”

“Couldn’t care less about you, girl,” a muscular red demon said, pointing to Vir. “It’s him we’re after.”

“Why me?” Vir asked. “Because you saw me with Cirayus? Is that truly enough o...

Soulweaver 49: Flashpoints

Rogar just stood there, glowering at me like I’d just killed his mother. I took a reflexive step back, newly-forged sword still in hand. 

My mind immediately went into overdrive, desperately searching for a way out of this. 

What could I say? Why was he here? Rogar never returned to the forge in the middle of the night. I’d watched out the first few nights for this exact situation. I’d just grown complacent. No, that wasn’t the issue. The issue ...

Ashborn 327: Flight of the Shrikes

The way out of the forest was both far faster and less fraught with peril. The first checkpoint had occupied or incapacitated a great number of demons, and Vir suspected that between those and the ones who fell at the Gate, less than half the initial four hundred remained. 

That was still a lot of demons, but they were now far more spread out. The chances of them running into anyone ought to be far lower. 

Vir encountered an Ash Biter and couple more Shredders o...

Soulweaver 48: Experimentation & Learnings

My mind lingered on our recent excursion as I headed over to Rogar’s place for another night shift. This time, I’d at least managed a nap so I wouldn’t be so dead by the time morning came around. Something also felt different about my body as I walked. I felt great, which was a good reason to do more Taiji in the future.

The outing had done a lot for both of us—not just for getting closer, but in terms of our combat proficiency as well. While we had a long way to go, I ...