hermitscave

Book 2, Ch. 33 - Disaster

 A mere few minutes ago, Corco had thought that his banquet had been ruined by the annoyance of the Villca battle. Oh, how naive, how innocent he had been. If there was one thing he had learned today, it was that there was no limit to how much the best laid plans could get screwed up.

His head filled with these thoughts and a million more, the king marched through the empty yard. Where there had been revelry before, now it was quiet enough for him to hear the gravel crunch bene...

Book 2, Ch. 32 - True Nature

 No matter how hard she may wish to belong, her nature would always betray her.   

Even though Tama had tried her best to fit in with Corco's staff, the distrust which hit her from all sides continued to create problems. However, she just couldn't open up to dissipate the suspicion. Not after what had happened to her family. Still, for now the most important part would be to try and fulfill Corco's orders. Any attempts to improve her standing with others could wait un...

Book 2, Ch. 31 - Three Kinds of Trouble

 “This could get ugly.”  

Throughout the day, Atau had retained an unhealthy level of tension. Together with a number of Tamaya's warriors, the captain had placed himself beyond the edges of the banquet, close to the bandit Uchu, to the intruder. Although he had never been tasked to do so by anyone, Atau wouldn't leave a critical task like this to strangers. Ever since he had met Tamaya and her ghost warriors, he had disliked the woman and her position within Corco's s...

Book 2, Ch. 30 - Blemishes

 If nothing else, at least the food was delicious. With a sigh, Corco looked over the various offerings of fish and seafood which were presented before him in dozens of bowls. Over the past few months, the king and his chefs had come up with a whole slew of new ways to prepare and enjoy the sea food Saniya was so known for. Garnished with sprigs of a diverse number of herbs and several whole lemons, the first major course of today's banquet was both refreshing and enticing. As far as Cor...

Book 2, Ch. 29 - Hidden in Plain Sight

“Asto, is it? Welcome to Saniya.”

Although he had already gone through most of Saniya before his arrival at the inner city gates, this was the first time he had spoken to any of the city guards. Even then, it had been the disguised Tawo himself who had made contact first. Confounded by the lack of any checks or supervision, a nervous Tawo had come up to a guard along the opened inner gate to introduce himself with his new, fake identity. However, even then the guard reacted with...

Book 2, Ch. 28 - Uninvited Guest

 For once, things had gone according to plan for Corco. Even though he had been worried at first, the entire festival had started swimmingly. Without any complaints or any interruptions, the lords of the south-western estates had mingled inside Rapra Castle's inner garden. Even his cousin Mayu had played nice, clearly intent on accepting Corco's olive branch. In a measure to restart their relations, Mayu had framed of Corco's achievements in the context of Sachay's progress, which would ...

Book 2, Ch. 27 - Aperitif

 After the war for the silver throne had ended and Prince Wacoca had left Yakuallpa for his home on the Verdant Isles, he had never thought he would return to Medala this soon. Yet here he was, once more in the presence of their strange eastern neighbors. Led by a servant, both he and his sister crossed the gateway which would lead them inside Rapra Castle, a beautiful construction full of classic Yaku charm. The first time he had seen this marvel of old Yaku craftsmanship, he had assess...

Book 2, Ch. 26 - Lord, Governor, King

 Before Corco got anywhere close to the inner city's harbor, he could already hear the gunshots from his soldiers' salute. Even though his preparations for the harvest festival were still far from completed, his guests wouldn't wait on him, and so he would have to make do with whatever Saniya had available. With any luck however, the most recent arrival should bring a few materials with him which would make Corco's banquet a much nicer affair. Thus, he had decided to come down from Rapra...

Book 1, Ch. 3 Rewrite

 The room certainly doesn't look like a prison.   

Those were the first words which popped into the crown prince's mind after the heavy oaken door had been slammed shut behind him. To the sound of scraping metal on metal from the other side of the gate, he observed his new cell. Dry, clean walls covered in plaster, clean wooden floor, an elevated bed... he even had a chair. Although the furnishing might be considered spartan by most standards, Corco was relie...

Book 1, Ch. 2 Rewrite

 Unlike Porcero's outer city with its chaotic layout off the wide main roads, the inner city was neatly divided into blocks through and through. The buildings themselves were uniform, if somewhat lacking in care. Throughout the years, the neat white plaster of the walls had turned yellow and developed spots and holes, revealing the raw stone underneath. Like all the housing built along the inner wall there was only a single floor. After all, the wall itself served as one of the four side...

Book 1, Ch. 1 Rewrite

Hermit's Note, this time at the top: Hiya, hermit here. So since rewrites have been slow, I thought that I might as well post what I already have here, in case you guys are interested in it. I'll post the first three chapters of the rewrite here today, though those chapters are more of a complete re-edit rather than a full rewrite, which starts more at chapter 4. Anyways, have fun.

 "No one's coming, boss."

Despite his warrior's shout, Corco remaine...

Book 2, Ch. 24 - Financial Troubles

Although ice cream was very important to Corco on a personal level, for now, there were other, more serious issues to tackle. For example, his early implementation of bureaucracy was beginning to show its first troubling symptoms.

“King Corco, we cannot keep spending like this!”

Over the past few days, Corco had been on the run. Although he had cut his meeting about the new city layout short and escaped to Chukru, the second flank island of Rapra Castle, the accountant...

Book 2, Ch. 25 - Transit

 “An impressive feat.”   

Accompanied by a sigh, the old lord Ogulno took a look out of their cabin's window, over the waves of the Mayura river and towards the road which they had followed alongside them since this morning. Without a word, Mayu Sonco Saqartu, the new lord of Puscanacra and Governor of the South, returned a lazy nod.

“It is hard to believe that lord Corco managed to create all of these roadways in less than a year. I hear that security...

Rewrite Update and Relfections on Food

Hiya, this is Hermit.

It's been a while so I guess I wanted to do another overview post for once.

First off the not so great news: Rewrites are hell. I'm trying to make progress, and might actually get the first four chapters released in bulk today or tomorrow, but it is taking much longer than I thought it would. We'll see how quickly I get along, I hope it'll get faster once I go beyond the first 10 or so chapters.

If you want me to keep you updated on this, ple...

Book 2, Ch. 23 - Time Flies

Every time he came back to Saniya, there was something new for Atau to see. This time, he finally had the chance to inspect Corco's new school building. Located within the inner city, the walls between several courts abandoned by Sawo's demoted warriors had been torn down and extended to form one connected campus. Since it was positioned close to the three islands of the Mayura Delta and Rapra Castle, the new construction was in the perfect spot for the teachers, who would come over from thei...

Book 2, Ch. 22 - Between a Rock and a Hard Place

“Brother, what will we do now? This is terrible!” When Sawo was interrupted by the noisy shout, he had tried his best to relax his battered body, eyes closed and back leaned against the wooden wall behind him. When he opened his eyes, he saw his cousin, source of the noise, pace around the dirty cabin while the unhinged warrior threw glances of hope in his direction.

“No need for panic, cousin,” Sawo answered, as a tranquil smile played around his lips. “Everything worked ...

Book 2, Ch. 21 - Checkup

Just the same as he had done before, Ronnie rode down the east road of Saniya, en route to the countryside once again. However, much was changed compared to his previous journey. The most immediate difference could be felt from the road itself. The old, winding dirt path had been replaced by a proper, straightened cement street, which made their travels not only faster, but also dampened the incessant rattling from the wheels of their oxcarts.   

His peace restored, Ronnie...

Book 2, Ch. 20 - Triumvirate Meeting

 For the third time, Fadelio stepped through the wide halls of Pluritac castle, past the now-familiar opened gate and into a large, triangular room. Even though the Yaku would show much creative freedom in their architecture, which included many rounded structures and open rooms, a triangle was an unusual shape even in Medala. However, Fadelio entered the strange room for a reason, since inside this symbolic hall, the Triumvirate of Kings would meet for the third time.

With mea...

Book 2, Ch. 19 - Rumors

 Brym's first trip inland, into the hinterland of Medala's east, had started as a bit of a disappointment.

Although the rolling hills, framed by the distant Sallqata Mountains, were beautiful to behold when taken by themselves, the people he met on the way had soon soured his mood. Run-down villages, stuffed full of poor, starving farmers were interspersed by the simple dirt paths which connected them to the rest of the world. It seemed that no matter Arcavia or Medala, the poo...

Book 2, Ch. 18 - Hope Dies Last

 “Under the great grace of Pacha, another day of spring has graced this... gracious master in his great undertaking...”

Although the buffoon rambled on as he did every morning, Sawo didn't hear a word. For him to discern the ramblings, he was far too focused on the man's body language. With one hand on his hip and the other shouldering a brand-new iron shovel, his smug grin did not leave him for so much as a second while he gleefully spoke of the work he had not lent a sing...

Book 2, Ch. 17 - Battle in the Mountains

 A long snake of men labored through the hills as they tried to force the animals, carts and metal along with them.

Although they had tried to compact their formation as much as possible, it had still proven difficult with the steepness of the hills around them. At least their immediate path was somewhat wider than the passes farther north. By now, Atau and his men had moved east from Cashan and entered the very southern reaches of the Sallqata mountain range. In this region, C...

Book 2, Ch. 15 - Businessman and Lady

 Boisterous life surrounded the outside of the house. Like most of Medalan life, here as well, the inner atmosphere of the private property spilled out onto the street, into the public. However, unlike most other parts of town, here it did not only cause a few elders to drink tea in the road, or a craftsman to keep an open shop as he worked under the sun. Instead, a few drunkards were singing raucous songs as they staggered around in front of the building which had given them such joy. 2019-02-12 23:22:47 +0000 UTC View Post

Book 2, Ch. 16 - Two Out of Three

 With a light tap, the chess piece landed on the stone board, to seal the attacker's fate.

“It seems like it is my victory after all, Official Atau.”

In response to Epunamo's declaration, Atau nodded his head. A quick look over the state of the game was enough for the captain to see that he was out of moves.

“Seems like that's the case, huh?” After his indifferent response, Atau looked up again, towards the frowning man before him. In terms of appear...

Book 2, Ch. 14 - Standardization

 “Would the craftsmen line up together, please? A King shall not raise his voice for others.” Even though they were only commoners, Tama waved over Corco's new employees with the same indifference she afforded almost everyone else. Anywhere else in Medala, a meeting with royalty would be considered something special. However, the new king of the south really didn't want to bother too much with regular Medala etiquette, which was why he had organized this casual meeting. He more than ...

Book 2, Ch. 13 - Free City

 Today was the twelfth day of their journey, which also meant that, according to the original plan, they should have arrived back in Saniya two days ago. However, they were still stuck halfway. By now, Ronnie's troops had pulled together once again, though the core of the team were still him, Berrat and Nahlen.

“Hey, Ronnie,” Nahlen started. “This job's a chore all 'round, but it's been getting pretty bad in the last couple places. Are you sure we can finish this up with ...

Book 2, Ch. 12 - Ronnie and Bombasticus

 As he observed the drab, gray swampland around himself, Ronnie pinched his nose closed. In truth, it wasn't as if the Arcavian alchemist would have noticed the stagnant stench of the bog, whether his nose was free or not. Being Arcavian meant that he would be used to odors far worse than whatever the Chawir marshes had to offer; and years of work as an alchemist, without any knowledge of safety precautions, meant that his sense of smell had suffered under the continuous assault of sting...

Book 2, Ch. 11 - Gifts

Not once in his life had Machao received an honor as great as this. Only yesterday, he had still feared for his life, but now it felt as if all the hardships had been worth it. On yesterday's most fateful day, the new King of the South, Corcopaca Titu Pluritac, son to the great Emperor Titu, had come to Saniya to claim the lands of Chawir as his. Though Machao knew that Lord Sawo had tried to take the land for himself, the usurper had soon been silenced before the might and manner of their ne...

Book 2, Ch. 10 - Beacons

 The fresh smell of paper rubbing on paper tickled Corco's nose as he organized the books into their rightful places on his shelf. A sound made him turn and find a young priest enter his new study. Rather than a study, the rearranged furniture gave the room an appearance closer to a salon. Though the large tapestry, covered in cryptic symbols exclusive to the country's elite, was still around and spoke of the archaic nature of the medalan elite, most of the remaining room had been redesi...

Poll on additional chapters

Hiya. You might have read this on royal road, but to celebrate 300 follows and top 500 on royalroad I'll be releasing an extra chapter on Trats. Here you can vote on which book you want an additional chapter of.

Also, to acknowledge your great support, votes from my patrons count triple the votes on RR will. :D

Book 2, Ch. 9 - Plans Between Friends

 “Well, that was exhaustively pointless.” Corco took off his crown and, with reckless abandon, threw it to the side, onto a cupboard set up in the hallway, to his convenience.

“In the end, they are nothing but barbarians. They would not understand your grand vision,” Tama answered as she walked after the king.

“They're too materialist is what they are. No human spirit, no spirit of discovery. What boring bastards.”

Since Corco walked ahead of his...