Notlimah

Chapter 167: A merchant has no country

“If the highest aim of a captain were to preserve his ship, he would keep it in port forever.”

Thomas Aquinas.

They gave one another a wide berth as they left the hall. Neither happy to leave until they knew that the other would be leaving at the same time but not willing to get any closer to one another than necessary. I could already tell that I had made a killing in terms of my profits, skills and experience.

The version of me called Caelus was menta...

Chapter 166: Clash of Captains

“The hallmark of a great captain is the ability to win the toss at the right time.”

Richie Benaud

Through fate or fortune Captain Mercurio and Kashif had arrived on the same day. Like ships that pass in the night they had never arrived at the same time before and we had seen no need to inform them of our other dealings with the other. Both captains had visited at least once or twice over the last year to make as much profit as possible from our goods as well ...

Chapter 165: Training Warm up

“Success isn’t always about greatness. It’s about consistency. Consistent hard work gains success. Greatness will come.”

The Rock

“97, 98, 99, 100” I finished the last press-up. The morning’s warm-ups had grown a little excessive, but the stats, alongside my traits, meant that it was, in the end, just a warm-up. My skills didn’t hurt either, especially the higher-tier ones. “Why not add a little weight?” I asked. Now that it was no longer part...

Concussion

So I am working on the next two chapters but slightly delayed by trip to A&E this week.

Had a dizzy spell/fainted in bathroom and put a small hole in the back of my head when it hit the wall on my way down. Rather stupidly went into work afterwards and they took one look and drove me to A&E

They ran some tests which came back normal and glued my skin back together. I am fine now just taking it carefully. Fingers crossed life will start looking up as we move into spring af...

Chapter 164: A year later

“It’s better to live as you will want to have lived, rather than spend your time worrying about the end. You are right here in your story. Don’t skip ahead.”

S.D. Smith

A year later, the benefit of training under three masters of their trade was shining through with my progress on my status. It had been a very busy year. I had jumped ahead to level 25 the benefit to having two metiers meant that I could level at twice the pace. Training under the careful ...

Chapter 163: United Front

“We are only as strong as we are united, as weak as we are divided.”

J.K. Rowling

I awoke to face a united front from my elders. The most surprising fact was that they were all there for breakfast when I entered the room. It was early was much earlier than they were usually up, but I guess they had got up to catch me before I disappeared for the day, generally it was just me up first my traits for vitality and endurance meant that I had even more energy than ...

Chapter 162: Ethical dilemmas

“If slavery is not wrong, nothing is wrong.”

Abraham Lincoln

Eventually after much argument over costs, prices and quantities Captain Kashif and Aleera with the support of our advisors had reached an agreement and we were travelling back to his boat with wagons full of salt following behind us. A small box of pearls had been traded for the goods that he had left behind in our throne room while the rest of his goods and slaves would be traded for the remaining...

Chapter 161: Equivalent exchange

“Humankind cannot gain something without first giving something in return. To obtain, something of equal value must be lost.”

Hiromu Arakawa

Captain Kashif had made a fine showing of his trade goods but we had already been forewarned. Namir had already described what we could expect to see based on his knowledge of the trade routes in the Kingdom of Ostro and Libeccio as well as his time aboard the vessel. He might have been slightly biased from personal expe...

Chapter 160: Legalised Theft

“Slavery is theft – theft of a life, theft of work, theft of any property or produce, theft even of the children a slave might have borne.”

Kevin Bates

Captain’s POV

The week had dragged on waiting for the Silverseas to open their home to petitions. Apparently, with the exception of a set of games held on the island, this was the only time non-family members were allowed on the island. The stories of individuals being thrown into the lake by a grump...

Chapter 159: Fight or flight

“Life is a long preparation for something that never happens.”

W.B. Yeats

Our baseline assessment went much the same as last time. It was kind of like going up a grade in school the new teacher wanted to make their own assessment. We worked our way through the skills of running, swimming, diving, climbing, riding, and every single weapons skill. He had an aversion to water so watched the swimming and diving but everything else he accompanied me in doing.

Chapter 158: Disappointments

“We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.”

Martin Luther King. Jr.

“We accept.”

Two little words, but made a world of difference to our tutors both present and future.

“In that case and to alleviate any worries your grandfather may have about my safety around the two scions. I would like to pledge my allegiance to House Silversea until you attend court in Ponente.” He took a knee in front of us and our seats of p...

Chapter 157: Standoff

“Men in general judge more by the sense of sight than by the sense of touch, because everyone can see but few can test by feeling. Everyone sees what you seem to be, few know what you really are; and those few do not dare take a stand against the general opinion.”

Niccolò Machiavelli

They stood in a silent standoff, neither one of them moving as they assessed the other. I had never seen Arawn so focused before. Finally, they relaxed an infinitesimal amount b...

Chapter 156: A New arrival continued.

(added a little more to the chapter what do you think?)

Aleera and I were at the town market when the bell suddenly rang. It took a second for us to understand what we were hearing. Although the plan for monster sightings had been posted in the market square it had not happened yet. Then we needed to remember which bell was which although I could easily tell it was coming from the East.

“It’s the eastern gate,” I shouted to Aleera over the noise of the people hurriedly pack...

Chapter 155: New Arrival

“Make new friends, but keep the old; Those are silver, these are gold.”

Joseph Parry

New POV

This was the back end of beyond. He honestly didn’t know why he had decided to travel so far. If it had not been for Lady Acacia’s request and their history he certainly would have never even considered it. Crossing the southern cardinal kingdom of Ostro had been easy enough something he had done many times before but the ordinal kingdom of Libeccio was chal...

Chapter 154: Moving forward

“If you can’t fly then run, if you can’t run then walk, if you can’t walk then crawl but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward.”

Martin Luther King JR

A week later, after the initial shock of the monster’s release from the depths of the Lodestone, life settled back to some new form of normalcy. As always there was so much more to do and so little time to do it. There were however several large changes for us as a family. Firstly, we had peti...

Chapter 153: Life goes on

“Change is inevitable. Growth is optional.”

John C. Maxwell

Day of departure - Clergy

“Are you sure you will be alright with only Sir Manil to guard you?” Bishop Bailie worried as he said farewell to Archbishop Grigori.

“Yes, we will be fine. It is the last stretch now of our circumnavigation.” He declined taking the last compass knight. “You will need him far more than I will.” He added.

“Thank you, your eminence.” Bishop Ba...

Not a chapter

Unfortunately, not a chapter, I seem to be having a bit of a relapse with the coughing after finally kicking it last week. Probably the stress of trying to organise Christmas and visiting family.

But although I couldn't give you a chapter today as a present, I wanted to thank everyone for their support with Singer Sailor Merchant Mage over the last year and a half. 

Thank you all so much and Merry Christmas

Notlimah

Update on 30.12.22

26/27/28 I...

Chapter 152: Sooner or later

“Sooner or later, everyone sits down to a banquet of consequences.”

Robert Louis Stevenson

“Kai!” shouted mother after us. “Get back here.” She hollered as we continued to flee up the mountain.

I ignored her as Arawn turned to me with a frown on his face. “Really?” he questioned. It was difficult to tell if he was amused by my escape or cross at being commanded. He could hardly be happy with having his free will usurped over what was arguabl...

Chapter 151: A lesson in forgiveness

“Forgiveness is not weak. It takes courage to face and overcome powerful emotions.”

Desmond Tutu

“How are you feeling old man?” I commiserated. We were all feeling a little raw after Arawn’s confession and I sat with him as he drank in the darkness. Our sensory skills allowed us to know where everything was even if we could not strictly speaking see them. His actions were not the wisest of remedies but understandable and with his level and stats, it was...

Chapter 150: A lesson in lineage

"Those who fail to learn the lessons of history are doomed to repeat it."

George Santayana

“Well, how else do you think we arrived on the island?” He replied rhetorically.

There was stunned silence as everyone digested his rhetorical question before father finally shouted, “By boat like any other normal person.”

“We didn’t come by boat?” Mother asked to clarify. Taking the time to make sure that she truly understood what it was that he w...

Chapter 149: Fortification

“Add each day something to fortify you against poverty and death.”

Seneca the elder

We had been working on improving our foundations, growing our wealth and building up a powerbase in terms of competing with the Nobility of Ponente. Our preparations and their necessity suddenly took on greater importance when we were faced with threats to our mortality so close to home. I had not slept well and doubted that many on our isle had after the imminent threat to ou...

Chapter 148: Home sweet home

“The magic thing about home is that it feels good to leave, and it feels even better to come back.”

Wendy Wunder

It had been a long day. It was nice to finally be home or at least it had been before we outlined exactly what had transpired that day during what had supposed to have been a peaceful amble to the eastern side of the island.

“You what!?” Mother practically screamed at us when we started to explain.

“Well . . .” Father attempted ...

Chapter 147: New metiers for everyone

“The secret of change is to focus all your energy not of fighting the old, but building the new.”

Socrates

Change had come to the little Town of Wester in more ways than one. Barring our Silversea games which had been on our island and the bishop’s blessings which had filled the church I had never seen the entirety of the town turned out in the town square. Even on market days it never got this packed. But such gatherings had happened not once but three tim...

Covid delay

For the third time I have caught Covid this year (spring summer and winter) only this time wife and 1 year old son have it too.

Basically I’m wiped and this is slowing down the writing process but once we get over it I will be taking some Christmas holiday anyway and will catch up to the number of posts promised for December just the timing might be a little off

Notlimah

Chapter 146: On our way home

“We make a lot of detours but we’re always heading for the same destination.”

Paulo Coelho

Eventually, we collected a mana core or gemstone from each of the monsters and were finally able to return home. Both Lady Acacia and Grandfather had been fairly gleeful in their collection and I was sure they had their uses. We sat on the boat sailing back to the town. It had been decided that we needed to get the walls manned and some of our more combat-capable citi...

Chapter 145: No longer hiding

“I’m tired of hiding in the shadows. It’s time to be free. It’s time to show the real me. If you don't like me, that's your opinion. I am unique. I am me.”

Mask

The thrill of flying, the rush of a near-death experience, the relief of the monster’s demise, and the delight in a plan executed perfectly. There were so many ways in which our last-second dash and return could have gone catastrophically wrong, my body was buzzing with so much adrenaline I co...

December posting schedule

Big thank you to everyone who has supported me during November.

This is the schedule for December.

Today's post will be posted as soon as I can get it finished. It is probably going to be tomorrow or Friday. Turns out cycling everywhere for a week because your car is broken takes a little more time to do.

Friday 2nd
Saturday 3rd (or 4th)
Wednesday 7th
Saturday 10th (or 11th)
Wednesday 14th
Saturday 17th (or 18th)
Wednesday 21st
Christmas Break
Wed...

Chapter 144: A merry chase

“And I will lead them on a merry chase.”

Inception/Looper

I was flying! I’d managed to fall with style before but now I was no longer falling which was just a little bit important to me seeing as what was still chasing after me below. I had never managed this before but necessity is the mother of many successes. I had to do it, so I did. This gave me a little bit of time to plan. A line of corpses laid out in a line along the course the tangle had taken as ...

When running a little behind throw up some art.

So . . . the drive shaft snapped on me yesterday while driving. Luckily everyone was safe. The car is now at the garage but will be without one for the next week while it is hopefully fixed. This pushed back everything in my life by just a little bit. Recovery was supposed to be by 0955 but the recovery vehicle finally arrived at 14:00. Working on the next chapter but while I am here is some more artwork to discuss.

This is the first version. We will be adding more colour to both cove...

Chapter 143: Creatures of the deep

“You shall sail the iron ship with warriors of bone,

You shall find what you seek and make it own,

But despair for your life entombed within stone

And fail without friends,

To fly home alone.”

Percy Jackson

“Can it not do anything now?” Aleera asked intrigued. Surprisingly, when she asked the youngest daughter from the diver’s family scoffed at her question. There was clearly some a...