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B3 Chapter 26: Missing Rabbit

Magnus stepped forward and bit down on the struggling woman's neck. Mana slipped through his teeth, and he started sucking it in. She began to fight it, but the woman stilled as  Áine slid her skill into place. Teddy eased up, and I tried to process two information streams simultaneously.

Áine loosened the grip and undid the parasite's hooks while Magnus sucked away its strength. Together, they freed the woman from the mind control, and the creature turned to ash before it could ...

FHC B2 Chapter 23: A Question Answered

I shifted my balance and transferred the eye into my other arm. Holding it up, I addressed the titan. “What exactly will returning your eye do for you?”

Not that I don’t understand why he wants it back…

“Who wouldn’t want their eye returned to them? Especially when it was stolen so…” Rock-splitter rumbled.

The titan made me feel like an ant, a baby compared to the looming figure towering above. And even though he seemed friendly, I wasn’t about to ...

FHC B2 Chapter 22: The Giant of the Mountain

(INSERT NEW ROYALROAD COVER FOR FHC B2 :D It's on RoyalRoad with the Font but here's base image)

I chased, I hunted, I found the prey.

Through the woods, across the stone, deep in its burrow.

A mountain, a man, a monster.

It sought dominion, but I am devourer; it couldn't run.

A deep thrum shook me awake.

Something licked my ears and whimpered.

No. Let me go back to sleep.

...

FHC B2 Chapter 21: Secret Tunnel

“What about the nobles? Are we taking them along?”

Neyenna raised her head and stared at me with wide eyes.

In response, Devon temporarily set the eye down and moved to the four-poster bed, gripping the end. There was a tearing sound, and some dust fell from the ceiling as he casually lifted it up. As he started dragging the bed towards the door, I looked through the doorframe and focused on Hanse’s corpse.

“Wait!”

I rushed out and ignored the sickening squel...

B3 Chapter 25: Breaking the Illusion

Metal reverberated as a gauntleted fist smashed into one of Celanae's barriers. The guardsman behind it grew twice in size and charged like a mad bull. Instead of crashing into her barriers for a second time, she snapped, and the amethyst wall disappeared as the man rushed into the room.

I held out my spear, aiming for his legs, and willed it to bend. As he stepped forward, my spear wrapped around his ankle, and the guard fell face-first. He skidded along the ground for several feet, an...

FHC B2 Chapter 20: Post-battle Search

Hanse's corpse collapsed to the floor, and Devon's fur returned to normal. He turned, and I looked up at the hulking werewolf. He raised his head and howled.

Slowly, Alice stepped out of the hallway and limped her way over. Her face had bandages applied to it, and my shoulders relaxed. Behind her was the woman from before, the one Alice rescued from the creeps.

She sank into the background and kept silent, not meeting my eyes so I turned away and focused on Alice.

"I'm glad ...

B3 Chapter 24: Trouble in Helio

The following two days were ones of calm and boredom. It felt like the rain before a storm—drowsy, slow, and with no real idea of what was to come.

We only had to stop so I could use the bathroom, which was a bit of an issue when Sereza didn't understand why we were stopping.

It took some skirting around the questions, but she accepted it, and Teddy gathered us together. He pulled out a crate that let off a series of clinks as it settled onto the table.

When he op...

FHC B2 Chapter 19: Giant's Fall

Chaos.

Everything was going downhill so fast.

"Freki, help Devon," I ordered.

Freki dived into the shadow realm, and I ran for the backroom. My heartbeat began to pick up, and another rumble shook the walls.

"Cain!" Alice yelled.

I turned just as a large piece of stone arced through the air. Grabbing my cloak and bracing for impact, a force ball smashed it aside and detonated upon impact. The blast sent my shoulder into the wall, but I remained standing.

"D...

FHC B2 Chapter 18: Hanse the Golden

"And the chamber? You smelled that, right?"

Devon pulled a door off its hinges and stepped through the curtain covering the doorframe. "I did. We'll investigate after completing the hunt."

"What do you think is down there?"

"Something old. We'll find out after. Focus."

I pursed my lips and ripped the curtain off the nails it was bolted to. It ripped, and I tossed it to the floor while Alice entered the tunnel.

We walked up a second flight of stairs before hearing...

FHC B2 Chapter 16: Bandit Tunnels

I stopped behind Devon and crouched down to peer over his legs.

We didn’t travel far once we got above the mountain pass. There was a series of tunnels we took that Devon assured us contained the scent. Despite my constant sniffing, as if I was coming down with a cold, I smelled nothing.

Devon pointed to the top right corner. “There’s a rune etched into the stone. Use your senses; it’s giving off mana.”

Alice closed her eyes, and I joined her. At first, I felt noth...

FHC B2 Chapter 17: Deeper Exploration

"Alice!" I hissed.

She stopped moving and turned to look. I pointed to the door and shook my head as Freki reemerged.

"Trapped?"

"Yeah. Same rune as the one from the entrance, but it's only affecting the door."

Alice backed up a few steps and crouched low. "Any way to get around it?"

I ordered Freki to dive again and forced myself into the void. Once my vision split, I searched the area around the door, but there wasn't a way through. The entire door blocked out ...

FHC B2 Chapter 15: Noble's Plea

Jezzra returned, thundering in on his horse with a grim expression.

Captain Volk was missing.

I had Freki start searching independently, the giant wolf disappearing into the shadow realms to look for secret entrances. So far, he had found nothing, even as I kept half my attention split between his vision and mine.

There was a heated argument between Merrick and Jezzra, but I didn't care enough to listen. Instead, I sat opposite Krenlow in the noble's cabin and waited. The ma...

FHC B2 Chapter 14: Disastrous Night

I felt something pulse from underneath the kidnapper's shirt. I turned and stared at the man trapped in my hand and then looked down. He smiled a blood-stained smile, missing gaps in his teeth and leaking blood onto my skin.

"Too late," he laughed.

The sense of danger drastically rose, and I tossed the guy aside. I began to run, but Freki tackled my legs, sending me sprawling across his back as he bolted away.

Less than a second later, the man exploded.

A hail...

B3 Chapter 23: Emergency Exit

(Accidentally uploaded fhc for tgw. Fixed, Sorry!)

"You need me to leave?" I asked.

He nodded. "Yes, I do."

"Okaay. Where?"

"Helio."

"Helio? That one city?"

"Exactly," Cal said as he stroked Sturmrorex's scales. "I need my Scion to visit the... local populace."

I narrowed my eyes. "Okay. Should I be concerned?"

He said nothing and continued to lazily float around the room while giving attention to my familiars.

"Cal?"

"Being...

FHC B2 Chapter 13: Suspicious Night

Another hole forced the front-left wheel to dip. I gripped the side and watched a box slide towards the front, where Alice kicked it away. The wheel climbed out of the hole, and I braced as the back end sank a second later.

"Yadalee, is there no avoiding this?" I hollered.

"No! The right side is worse. Incoming!" Yadalee shouted back.

The wagon shifted left, and the wheels hit a long strip of bumpy road, turning the wagon into a vibration machine. My brain rattled, and I kep...

FHC B2 Chapter 12: Tense Evening

Carrying the boar back to camp was solved by lifting it and placing it on Freki's back. Freki looked somewhat unhappy about being used as a beast of burden for the corpse, but I fed him some extra mana as recompense.

When we got back, I had Freki stop and rejoin my shadow.

No use scaring the guards.

We carried the boar the rest of the way and plopped the dead beast onto Volk's feet. The captain stared, his eyes narrowing on the massive chunk of meat missing from its...

B3 Chapter 22: They Have What?!

"You! Wha-what?" Isaac's father started.

In a rush, she boweled him aside, and Nathan stepped over his face, dragging his water robe across his head.

A loud sputtering could be heard echoing across the walls, and the crowd stared with slack jaws.

Rudehn blinked a few times but stayed in place while the two nobles from the other houses stepped away. I didn't blame them. Anastasia still had her sword, and she had it swinging wildly in their direction.

Isaac was nearly on...

FHC B2 Chapter 11: Use Your Nose

"Apologies, sir Grimm. The next trek will be through a mountain pass. It's a tight fit and very long, so we'll want to stock up on supplies while we can," the captain explained. He pointed towards the large mountain wall about a mile out. "It's about three days along the pass, and then we'll be free. I'll have my men collect fresh water from the river, and we'll have to rearrange supplies. Don't worry; your wagon will be untouched."

Devon stared at the man and said nothing. It was obvio...

FHC B2 Chapter 10: Wolves and Corpses

After bathing in the river, I helped hitch the horses back onto their reins and hopped in. The wagon in front of us set off, and we followed.

Leaning back into the crate I chose as my spot for the last few days, I shifted so my cloak would bunch up behind me.

"Screw magic weapons. I demand a portable sleeping bag, enchanted to be no bigger than a grain of rice when not in use," I complained.

"A pillow would be nice," Alice admitted.

Devon sighed and sank lower.

I...

FHC B2 Chapter 9: Second Match

With a crowd seeking entertainment, I felt silly circling Alice. Her eyes called for blood even if her body remained completely at ease.

I breathed in and then out, expelling unnecessary thoughts out of my mind.

Here we go.

I rushed forward; the explosive start worked best. She angled her axe; I tried to bend lower, leaning with my weapon arm first. Another swing; she didn't dodge.

The thick shaft of her weapon stopped my blade; she moved back.

I couldn'...

FHC B2 Chapter 8: First Spar

The wagon hit a nasty hole that jarred the cabin's interior. A small box fell on my head, and I nearly crushed the thing before I calmed down.

"I hate this!" I yelled to no one.

Devon looked up from beneath his hood. Crimson eyes glared into mine and I shrunk back.

"Sorry."

He lowered his head and returned to napping.

Do you even need to sleep?

Sighing and digging through the sack by my side, I pulled out three thick jerky strips and tore ...

B3 Chapter 21: Grand Announcement

I stood inside the crowded main hall with Broken Tower and watched as another individual subtly bounced off Celanae's barrier.

Teddy's parents were still nowhere to be found, but we managed to meet before the staff announced that everyone should gather.

The ceiling was an endless expanse of fluffy white clouds and beautiful rays of sunlight. It reminded me of Uzu's inn. The enchantments must have been extensive to span the entire hall, but considering this was a noble family and g...

FHC B2 Chapter 7: No Hiding It

Shadows consume. Shadows writhe. Shadows rage!

New hunt. Chase the prey. Ignore the pups.

Red. Red. RED!

Blood across my teeth, flesh on my tongue!

I sat up and shook my head free of the snippets of dream sequence still fresh in my mind. My mouth tingled until I swallowed and licked my teeth.

After many failed starts that ended with me dropping the image and restarting, I tried to cast the spell correctly three times. The first...

B3 Chapter 20: Meeting of Demons

The guy looked like a tank, a wall of meat sporting rich ochre skin and thick bull-like horns. He had cropped hair, short and spiky, while his eyes glowed a dark yellow muddled with brown. Surprisingly enough, he had no tail.

He crossed his arms and stared. A woman, who looked similar but with lighter shades of amber and pointy, dagger-like horns and an equally sharp tail, tapped the armrest of the couch.

The last two had shades of entirely different skin. On one side, a dark blue...

FHC B2 Chapter 6: Accidental Napalm

It took another hour, or what felt like an hour, just to stabilize the dot of light inside the void. Concentrating, I began moving the image, removing the static around it and letting the light push back the darkness.

Astra said to picture it like a bright gem glowing in the sea of night. Unlike the night sky filled with endless stars, there was only one, and one that needed to compensate for its lack of brethren to share the load.

One pulse, the void shifted. Two pulses,...

FHC B2 Chapter 5: New Spell Theory

Alice was surprisingly at ease with the girl, adeptly handling questions as they came, while Devon occasionally answered whatever inquiry the father managed to slip in between his daughter's barrage of words.

They started easy, asking us about cool powers and awesome magic. Surprisingly, it was the father who asked the more outlandish questions. The craziest one so far was whether our werewolf regeneration would work in such a way that if Devon cut off his arm, a second Devon could grow...

B3 Chapter 19: Making An Entrance

I stared at the mirror and tried to smile. The result was pathetic.

Yeah, not working.

Thankfully, I didn't have to smile if I didn't want to. I slipped on my mask, and it magically locked in place. The usual pattern of three shifting eyes and a fanged grin appeared.

The ink shifted colors from oily black to brilliant gold to match the crimson hoodie and pants set.

There.

There was no need to smile, and nobody would suspect the mask was...

FHC B2 Chapter 4: Along For The Ride

(Welp accidentally posted chapter 4 early so I guess no post tomorrow. Woopsy, enjoy the double post today.)

As we exited the tree line, we approached a leather-clad man with a long spear, who was on the lookout not more than a couple of yards away. We got close enough that Devon tapped his shoulder.

The guard jumped but surprisingly did not scream. He whipped around and swung a fist at Devon, who caught it with ease. The man struggled, but Devon's grip...

FHC B2 Chapter 3: Caravan Spotted

I pushed past a bush and had to bend the branches out of the way just to make it through. Not for the first time, I wondered why our guide wanted to lead us through some of the worst terrain imaginable.

Long briar thickets, super dense flora, and at one point, we had to skip over stones through what was basically a mud pit.

Yet, Devon said nothing, and we continued. After exiting the tavern, the spy informed us about a large caravan making their way through, nearly two hours away....

B3 Chapter 18: Lord's New Clothes

I moved to the side and ignored the commotion coming from the next building over. The noise irritated me enough that I almost put on my mask just so I could openly snarl.

Sleep had fled my body the night before, and insomnia ensured it stayed away.

Now, I marched my way to the clothing shop in the early morning light. It might have been peaceful and even relaxing, but the memory poking at the edges of my thoughts tainted what little joy I might have felt.

Might ...