For the past three weeks, Maiya had fought Ash Beasts every day. Initially, she’d cowered in fear of them. Who wouldn’t? After all, these were the same mythical beasts parents scared their children with. Behave, or the Ash Wolves will come for you.
How blissfully unaware those parents were. If Ash Wolves were the worst the Ashen Realm offered, Maiya felt it would be a downright peaceful place. Bless those innocent souls who knew nothing of Raptors, Phantomblades… and ...
2023-04-10 17:04:00 +0000 UTC
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Maiya donned her handmaiden’s dress with an efficiency she wouldn’t have thought possible a month or two ago. She strapped her thigh holsters over her pantyhose, brewed her tea—which had improved so much, even the head handmaiden gave her compliments these days—and left her room with confident steps.
Gone was her insecurity and clumsiness. She strode boldly. She looked her peers in the eyes. Warriors and handmaids alike nodded in respect as she passed through the halls of the Ki...
2023-04-07 16:22:48 +0000 UTC
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Vir had taken the entire day to journey the hundred fifty-five miles from the desert oasis to Brij. Fifteen miles an hour was a slow trot for an Ash’va, but Bumpy’s condition necessitated it. The trip had taken over thirteen hours, with several small breaks.
Though Vir loathed to remain in Hiranya even a moment longer than he had to, the journey south would be an arduous one. For him, but especially for Bumpy; he didn’t want to prematurely wear his friend out. Luckily, the clouds ...
2023-04-06 16:29:22 +0000 UTC
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NOTE: As promised, here's the missing battle from arc 3 between Riyan and Mina. I'll see if I can reorder the patreon chapters. Sorry for the confusion!
- -
Thunder cracked as Princess Mina Hiranya’s C Grade Arc spell lanced out, its finger seeking a target that was no longer there.
“Tell me, Riyan. Were you surprised to learn that I’d killed your contact and taken his place?”
Riyan ignored her, Blinking around the princess, evading her magic....
2023-04-05 17:21:18 +0000 UTC
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“Wake up,” Princess Mina Hiranya commanded, standing with her one arm on her hip and her chest puffed out. From her haughty expression to her upturned chin, her every feature exuded an aura of overwhelming superiority.
Were a commoner to see her, they’d prostrate and grovel.
No trace of her scar remained, hidden by layers of makeup. Wooden limbs had replaced her disfigured ones, and while she hadn't gotten used to walking on a peg leg, she didn't need walking skills for what...
2023-04-04 16:04:56 +0000 UTC
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NOTE: This is an excerpt from my worldbuilding doc. I wrote this mainly for myself, to help flesh out the world before I started outlining. It's unedited and has no relevance to the current plot. It's just background lore. Thought I'd post it in case you found it interesting. I have a few more of these I'll sprinkle as we go on. The end of book one felt like a fitting place for it.
I should also mention that I signed Ashborn Primordial today with a publisher. That doesn't i...
2023-04-03 18:01:17 +0000 UTC
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It was not Riyan’s hidden sanctuary that greeted Vir, but burning rubble, soot, and ash.
Nothing of the abode remained. Ceiling had collapsed in, leaving a blackened gouge in the hill's side where once the magnificent home had stood.
Vir had Bumpy stop a thousand paces away and scanned the horizon for any signs of life.
Prana Vision became blurry at such distances, but against the contrast of night on an open desert with no obstructions, it showed him that no one ...
2023-04-03 16:46:11 +0000 UTC
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Vir bolted for the window. He’d barely made it out onto the ledge before he heard the panicked shouts of Harak’s personal guard.
Stealth was no longer a priority. He jumped off the ten story building and plummeted to the castle grounds far below. Light Step saved him from broken bones, but the impact still hit him hard. Ash prana was becoming increasingly scarce, and Light Step relied on instant activation to soften his fall.
Vir retrieved his rucksack and pr...
2023-03-31 17:00:52 +0000 UTC
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Vir gazed out from the shadows. Many exits presented themselves, all peeking into a world frozen in time. For ten seconds, Vir was untouchable. Ten seconds may not have been much, but in the heat of battle, it was everything.
Nestled within the Shadow Realm, he saw Mina’s bodyguard, her face blank, having yet to realize Vir’s disappearance.
Should I strike from behind?
Appearing within her shadow would be trivial for Vir; she was both taller and broader shoulder...
2023-03-30 18:15:01 +0000 UTC
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NOTE: I'll be updating the San convo chapter with a reason for why this urgency is needed. Mina's about to make her move on her brothers, which is why Riyan sent Vir to Daha after only 6 months of training. Same for why San wants to move quickly with this.
--
Dusk gave way to darkness, and when night arrived, Vir was ready.
After spending all day working on Empower, moving around to several districts to avoid depleting Ash prana, he’d finally mastered the timing. ...
2023-03-29 16:53:56 +0000 UTC
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NOTE: Hey everyone, I see your feedback from the prev chap, and will make some edits. I agree that Vir doesn't need to divulge as much sensitive info to the prince, whom he's just met. Will make him a bit more cautious during that convo.
Vir greeted the dawn with a heavy heart and bleary eyes. Having given up on sleep, he’d left the sleeping Neel in his room and relocated to a nearby rooftop to Daha as it woke up.
To think that a mere seven months after Rudvik’s death, Vir was...
2023-03-28 17:02:51 +0000 UTC
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He's the prince!? Vir thought, appraising the man. He certainly had the orbs to back that assertion up.
Vir thought back to Maiya’s ramblings about the princes and princesses, regretting that he hadn’t paid more attention back then. If he recalled, there were two princes and one princess in the Hiranyan royal family. Mina was the middle child, with an older and younger brother.
She’d mentioned that the older brother, Sanobar Hiranya, was noble and gallant. ...
2023-03-27 16:43:48 +0000 UTC
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Vir made haste escaping the Warrens with Neel. If anyone had heard Ravin’s daughter screaming, no one seemed to show it, but Vir wasn’t taking any chances. He ran across rooftops and sped through empty alleys with Neel. It was only after he’d arrived at the eastern gate did he slow down.
Riyan had taught him long ago that the most suspicious people acted suspiciously, so despite every instinct telling Vir to run—to run as far and as fast as he could—he forced himself to lope a...
2023-03-24 17:04:27 +0000 UTC
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Ravin’s compound wasn’t hard to find. And a compound it was, with multiple wood buildings surrounded by a palisade wood fence. Guards manned watchtowers at the corners, and a pair of menacing gate guards prevented anyone from getting in.
Vir jumped up onto a nearby rooftop with Neel to peek into the compound. What he saw impressed him. Unlike the run-down shacks that su...
2023-03-23 16:56:35 +0000 UTC
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It was a long walk out to the eastern gate, and an even longer one to the Warrens outside of town. Bumpy would’ve made the journey in less than an hour, but Vir didn’t dare take the gentle beast to the slums. Ash’va weren’t exactly cheap, and Bumpy had no means to defend himself.
Neel, on the other hand, could take out an entire group of ruffians on his own. Thanks to Vir’s ...
2023-03-22 17:45:33 +0000 UTC
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Vir contemplated heading to Param’s shop, but the Brotherhood not only had more weapons and armor to choose from, with examples all across the Known World, but their quality was also better. And, unlike with the inn, Vir got a five percent discount.
Located in the same Sanctum building, the armory shop was just a short walk from his room, across the courtyard that served ...
2023-03-21 17:01:12 +0000 UTC
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Vir heaved a sigh of relief, having just completed his latest mission for the Brotherhood—stealing a certain document from a well-to-do merchant’s home in the Upper Westside Commons district.
As he’d learned, the Brotherhood did nearly anything, and the law didn’t seem to pose much of a barrier to them. Which suited Vir just fine, given what he was about to...
2023-03-20 16:56:18 +0000 UTC
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2023-03-16 17:40:38 +0000 UTC
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Note: And here's the second part, which dives into the magic system. Def recommend reading it! Releasing this one early; we'll take a 3 day weekend, so next chapter's on Monday.
Even with Maiya’s practiced efficiency, she’d been too slow for the wicked witch. A part of her suspected the head handmaiden lied just to make her suffer.
One day, I’m gonna wipe th...
2023-03-16 17:39:27 +0000 UTC
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NOTE: Got two Maiya chaps back to back, the 2nd of which has some pretty important revelations about the magic system, so I'd def recommend reading tomorrow's if you're the type to skip alt pov chaps :-)
Also, here's an image of Daha's palace, which I forgot to upload prev chap:
2023-03-16 15:59:33 +0000 UTC
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Note: I've dialed down the level of injury Vir receives from his underground escapades. It didn't make any sense for him to attempt to enter the castle with those. As usual, thanks for all of your feedback :-) 
Vir stopped in his tracks, aborting his Talent. Fast moving objects were far easier to spot, and despite the few guards that remained on the ramparts, Vir didn...
2023-03-15 16:49:52 +0000 UTC
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Vir dared not linger within these depths longer than necessary. Who knew when the Prana Swarm changed its mind and decided it wanted to snack on him? It was just a matter of time before he met his doom here, to one mythical beast or another.
As much as he wanted to keep his body purged of prana, Prana Vision needed it to function, so he allowed his body to equalize to the amb...
2023-03-14 16:46:01 +0000 UTC
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“Janak,” Vir said blankly, addressing the glowing man who stood ten paces tall. White was the word that best described him. From his hair to his long white beard and goatee, his flowing white robe with blue-white patterns, he shone like a sun to Vir’s eyes and Prana Vision alike. “As in the god from the myths?”
“Myths,” Janak said wi...
2023-03-13 16:31:44 +0000 UTC
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Vir stood half in rubble, half upon ancient road.
A giant cavern loomed above him. Half of it looked manmade, sculpted. The other half was natural, as if the great room had suffered a cave in.
Where is this? Vir thought, searching the darkness.
The cavern was as pitch dark as the sewers he’d just left, but Prana Vision lit the place up. Unlike the sewer...
2023-03-10 17:32:51 +0000 UTC
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Reposting this as it seems the prior one had some access issues.
“You have acquitted yourself admirably, Apramor,” the Kin’jal proctor said. Your tactics befit your weapon choice and martial style, and you adapt to your enemy during combat. “A crucial trait shared by all powerful warriors.”
Vir gulped. But? There’s always a but…
“It is c...
2023-03-09 17:47:11 +0000 UTC
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“There will be two parts to this test,” the helmed warrior said as he took up his position ten paces away from Vir. “First, we shall duel without the use of our Talents, magic, or any other special abilities.”
“And the second round’s a free for all?” Vir guessed.
“Exactly,” the warrior replied. “In both rounds, we’ll fight to first blood or surre...
2023-03-08 17:45:19 +0000 UTC
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Any Magnus fans out there? You might recognize the title :-P
Vir’s first stop after exiting the sewers was the inn. He did his best to ignore the scowls and disgusted stares as he trudged his way up to the receptionist to order a bath. In fact, he ordered two time slots.
Only an hour of scrubbing and soaking later did he finally felt clean again. It was with g...
2023-03-07 17:25:13 +0000 UTC
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“You? You’re Riyan’s contact…” Vir said, unbelieving.
“Amin. Pleased to meet ya!”
“This seems… awfully lucky for us to run into each other like this, doesn’t it?”
Riyan had said his contact would find Vir, but what were the chances of it happening here, of all places?
“Nah. Riyan said you’d be seeking membership in the Brot...
2023-03-06 17:29:58 +0000 UTC
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NOTE: Got a shoutout for you all today. I'm only going to shout a small handful of stories on patreon for my friends who really helped out. I won't be spamming you here.
J.M. Clarke (aka U Juggernaut, Traitorman) beta read Ashborn and has helped me immensely over the past year, auditing my outline, and even helping me get through decisions as late as arc 10. He's one of my very best friends, and I respect him immensely as a person and author. Plus, I just love his stories :-)
M...
2023-03-03 17:59:23 +0000 UTC
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Couple of announcements before we begin. #1: It's my bday! Yay! (also ch 69, isn't that hilarious? If you haven't yet rated the fic on RR, I'd greatly appreciate it!)
#2: ch 67 edit: Vir no longer gives away the robe Mina gave him, as he doesn't trust the brohood yet enough at that point (the robe is royal, and thus raises attention) He instead gives the Executor all his $ as a deposit, leaving him broke.
#3: another ch 67 edit: Vir registers with the brohood as Apramor instead ...
2023-03-02 17:51:49 +0000 UTC
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