Whether the weather is fine,
Or whether the weather is not,
Whether the weather is cold,
Or whether weather is hot
We’ll weather the weather
Whatever the weather,
Whether we like it or not.
Anon
The sun rose on a glorious day, the sky was a clear cerulean blue reflected in the mirror-like salterns that now surrounded our mountain home. It was a fine day for walking. We rose and made our way to the town square to meet them but had an unwelcome...
2022-11-20 10:56:58 +0000 UTC
View Post
First, off it will be a long time before this ever gets published, if ever (It needs a serious edit)
Second, I'm running behind on this chapter so I thought I would give you a nice image to look at while waiting.
Interested in feedback and thoughts about the image and whether it would work as book 1 cover.
Also out of the 140 odd chapters where would you end book 1? And where would book 2 start?
2022-11-19 22:30:37 +0000 UTC
View Post
“Nature has a surer plan than mortals can devise.”
Janet Morris
After the Silversea family left the leaders congregated to discuss what had been illuminated by the light.
“That was insane.” Bishop Bailie started the conversation too shocked by what he had seen to pause for propriety once the door was closed. The others had been left outside but he could imagine how their conversation would go. Whether this would remain sealed to the confessional und...
2022-11-16 22:27:18 +0000 UTC
View Post
“You can hide your identity, but you can’t hide who you are.”
Dina Madini
Once the sermon on balance, diligence and expanding the compass was complete. They moved on to the blessing. Despite our privileged position at the front of the church, the family had decided to let the rest of the population go first. There had been several reasons for the move. First the politics of it. Once the Divers had stood quickly to get there first our holding off gave the im...
2022-11-12 21:54:03 +0000 UTC
View Post
Morning, afternoon or evening,
I am 2000 words into the next chapter but better yet I woke up and realised how the rest was going to happen, so I am working on finishing it in the next 24 hours. Hoping to get it done over the next 16 to stay on target with the posting schedule.
On a different note a quick question,
Patron says, "A simpler way to charge patrons
Subscription billing lets you charge new patrons monthly on the same date they joined. Thi...
2022-11-12 08:14:40 +0000 UTC
View Post
“When we lose one blessing, another is often, most unexpectedly given in its place.”
C.S. Lewis
The meal ended with promises on both sides and an agreement for them to host us in the Town tomorrow for a blessing of all living there. We were reassured that it would be no trouble to hold and that the service itself was part and parcel of completing the pilgrimage. The pilgrimage’s purpose was not only to familiarize the pilgrim with the world they were servin...
2022-11-09 00:06:26 +0000 UTC
View Post
“He who will not grant a favour has no right to ask one.”
Publilius Syrus
Aleera hesitated a second before jumping into the next round of negotiations, “A healer.” I coughed surprised. I supposed it made sense but we had not discussed this. As much as I was attempting to stay hidden from the Archbishop's direct attention it was hard not to be a part of this discussion.
“Certainly, healing is hardly a favour. We were planning on blessing the town a...
2022-11-05 23:49:49 +0000 UTC
View Post
“The power of words is immense. A well-chosen word has often sufficed to stop a flying army, to change defeat into victory and to save an empire.”
Emile de Giradin
The next morning the sun shone brightly as s a small exodus of people made their way to our island. The cousins were coming. Much like the day, their families were raised as Adals they were all wearing their finest. With such a number of departures the townspeople surely knew something was happenin...
2022-11-01 20:36:36 +0000 UTC
View Post
“If you want to be a sharp thinker be around sharp people.”
John C. Maxell
Cleo arrived on our island later that day in the company of Grandpa Smit. He seemed amazed at our grand welcoming hall and I realised that other than our family and employees, no one from the town had actually ever visited, especially when it was decked out to impress.
He did not arrive alone. One other acolyte from the Archbishop’s retinue accompanied him.
Aware that he ...
2022-10-30 22:22:39 +0000 UTC
View Post
“I’m sorry. It’s my fault. How do I make it right?”
Randy Pausch
Cleo carefully entered the church proper carrying plates of refreshments. Aravan had them sat to the side of the nave attempting to improve his rather disastrous first impression. “If I had been aware of your arrival I would have had someone out at the dock to keep watch and welcome you here.
“You were not aware of our arrival?” Archbishop Grigori asked once more sounding somewha...
2022-10-28 10:53:33 +0000 UTC
View Post
Posting Schedule for November
I tried to stick to a schedule before the summer but it all fell apart a little over the last couple of months. I simply posted as soon as I had written. Here is me trying again. This month October I will have managed 8 chapters for Royal Road and 12 chapters for Patreon. The next chapter should be finished for Saturday 29th.
November I am planning to post,
Royal Road: 1st, 2nd 3rd then every Saturday 5th 12th19th 26th (7 chapters total)
P...
2022-10-27 09:47:44 +0000 UTC
View Post
“Not double trouble but twice blessed.”
Anon
I awoke refreshed and clear of mind. It probably helped that I had yet to start up any of my parallel processes and that my mind fortress was currently empty of any other versions of me. I returned to the fortress to see what would happen when I tried the skill again.
“Multiple Minds,” I said suddenly self-conscious now that I knew that I would be judging myself.
“Still talking to yourself I see,...
2022-10-25 23:27:15 +0000 UTC
View Post
Chapter 133: Me, myself and I
“The best people to work for are me, myself and I.”
Oscar Wilde
“What?” I asked astonished staring at myself in what had been the most private of my refuges, my mind. I being Kai if you were as confused as I was.
“You missed a notification when gaining analyse.” The mental me identifying as Callen smiled, clearly far more aware of what was going on than I was. “They were not just skills levelling up.”
<...
2022-10-25 10:02:05 +0000 UTC
View Post
Note to readers: Realised why I have not completed the update for the status in a while. It takes a really long time! 3 hours for 1,214 words written so far of Chapter 133 of which 493 are the status update but those 493 words have taken the majority of the time! It also made me realise that Kai should have levelled up in Chapter 124 during business as usual after selecting his metier but I think I distracted myself with the heist instead in Chapter 125. Possibly because it was easier to writ...
2022-10-25 01:25:37 +0000 UTC
View Post
“When the puzzling problems of life perplex,
And dangers threaten and failures vex,
May the Angels form in a magic ring
And shelter your life from everything.”
Anon
“We are truly grateful for everything that you have done for us.” The mayor bowed low as Archbishop Grigori walked down the dock to board his ship, True Bearing.
“I was only doing my duty.” He replied calmly. Their visit here had taken far more time than he had plan...
2022-10-24 20:14:57 +0000 UTC
View Post
“For a tree to become tall it must grow tough roots among the rocks.”
Friederich Nietzsche
“Ah yes, Level 4 is it? It is growing well.” She did not seem surprised by this fact as she patted the roots proud of their progress.
“Yes, level 4. How can a tree have a level?” Aleera asked the burning question.
“Well just as gemstones and . . .” she pointed at the pearls I had organized by tiers, “pearls can have tiers, due to their quality,...
2022-10-16 23:20:20 +0000 UTC
View Post
“Observation is like a muscle. It grows stronger with use and atrophies without use. Exercise your observation muscle and you will become a more powerful decoder of the world around you.”
Joe Navarro
All was forgiven on the long climb back up the spiral staircase. Back in the heart grotto of the Elendil tree, we got to work. I explained how I had gained the skill inspect and what Lady Acacia had told me I had to do to get the higher-tier skill ob...
2022-10-15 23:31:19 +0000 UTC
View Post
“The strength of a family, like the strength of an army, lies in its loyalty to each other.”
Mario Puzo
We spent the entire day holding the Lodestar with Aleera attempting to gain the Inspect skill. I continued to practice my skill having already gained it. I also discovered it was not limited to the stones. I could now inspect the tree by touch, the stone under our feet, and all the items that made up my clothing. The mana within the gemstones certainly made...
2022-10-09 14:22:16 +0000 UTC
View Post
“Mark my words. Perception is reality and how someone perceives you is their reality.”
Chris Murray
I left the sliver I’d stolen attached to my amulet in my chest. The amulet would keep the light alive or it wouldn’t. If it did, fantastic! If it didn’t, there was no reason I couldn’t try my idea again. I would just have to be a little sneaky if I wished to keep my attempts private. Breakfast was once more a little stilted with us avoiding talking abou...
2022-10-06 21:30:32 +0000 UTC
View Post
“Crystals are living beings at the beginning of creation.”
Nikola Tesla
While we were waiting for the rest of the family to arrive, I had a thought. The new seed of the Lodestar we had cut from the shard of the Lodestar in the Church’s Sanctum had never come close to perishing while I had carried it. Somehow using only my natural regeneration of mana I had managed to keep it functional although dim. Admittedly I was lucky to have Source of Mana as a trait b...
2022-10-03 22:24:15 +0000 UTC
View Post
“A society without the means to detect lies and theft soon squanders its liberty and freedom.”
Chris Hedges
We were making a theft which would hopefully allow us to lie to a bishop. The slippery slope we were standing on seemed to be most obvious to Father, but we were all aware of it. The difference was that we for the most part seemed to view it as a necessary evil and hopefully not a descent down that slippery slope into the depths of the Lodestone. That b...
2022-10-02 21:20:05 +0000 UTC
View Post
“Give light, and the darkness will disappear of itself.”
Desiderius Erasmus
It was morning once more and we had gathered for breakfast. I’d never really thought about it but the morning as the sun rose around 6 in the morning every day and we lost the light every day around 6 in the evening. I guessed this must mean we lived on the celestial equator of the world. The fact that we had 16 months but as near enough as I could tell 24 hours to the day meant tha...
2022-10-01 22:46:42 +0000 UTC
View Post
“Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out.”
R Collier
It was morning. Sun shone through the balcony that ran along the eastern wall of our growing mountain hall or palace. The world glowed to my senses in more ways than one. In the end, I had taken up living in my room in the new palace, we all had. Although Grandfather stuck to his old home despite being offered and then given his own suite of rooms in the growing edifice to our house...
2022-09-26 21:49:31 +0000 UTC
View Post
“Always tell only the truth, and all the truth, and do so promptly – right now.”
A Buckminster Fuller
I returned to the world, able to hear and see more than the blue screen reality had hidden behind. There was a new line to my status.
Level: 12
Title: Lord
Name: Callen Kai Silversea
Métier: Apprentice Singer
Age: 5 years Experience: 0
Health: 1000/1000 Stamina: 1000/1000 Mana: 1000/1000 Psi: 1000/1000
Trait: ...
2022-09-21 23:02:48 +0000 UTC
View Post
. . . but in colour!
2022-09-21 19:44:06 +0000 UTC
View Post
“In the universe, there are things that are known and things that are unknown, and in between, there are doors.”
William Blake
The archways into the Lodestar Church loomed above us. I couldn’t believe I had never entered here over the course of my life so far. The town was not particularly huge, but I suppose it kind of made sense with my mother’s objection to the individual in charge of the church’s branch here.
“Where is the priest?” she ask...
2022-09-18 07:28:22 +0000 UTC
View Post
“You can’t get a job without experience, and you can’t get experience until you have a job. Once you solve that problem you are home free.”
Jack Buck
The next day, I was well chuffed with my smuggling skill and actually being able to salvage treasure from a sea wreck. It inspired me to get back out there and see what else might be lying within sight on the seabed floor. When I asked why there was a wreck so close to Wester Levante and why had it not been ...
2022-09-11 17:23:18 +0000 UTC
View Post
“Skedaddle - to depart quickly, hurriedly or to flee”
Dictionary
Although it had felt like a long time during the wait. Once he had finally returned, I realized that it had hardly been any time at all. It was simply the consequence of being somewhere new and unknown. I always found the journey out to somewhere new to be twice as long as the journey home. I thought it was because on the way out everything was new I would second guess the directions I was taking and whethe...
2022-09-03 21:02:06 +0000 UTC
View Post
Chapter 119: Cher Ami
“Cher Ami, A World War I homing pigeon who saved the lives of 194 soldiers by delivering a plea for help despite being shot through the breast, blinded in one eye, and having a leg hanging on by a tendon. She was awarded the Croix de Guerre Medal and a small wooden leg for her service.”
Wikipedia
Luckily our journey with the pigeons had been a lot smoother than some I could recall. Especially as they had been ferried by hand to the island. Unfortuna...
2022-08-29 10:42:07 +0000 UTC
View Post
“The deep sea is the largest museum on earth, it contains more history than all the museums on land combined, and yet we’re only now penetrating it.”
Robert Ballard
We set sail the next morning. Father was happy to be out at sea with me. I suspected it was mainly due to the wind that I could bring that sent us skipping over the ocean. But I hoped it was also the fact that he hoped to induct me into the family business despite my other talents or at least in...
2022-08-26 00:05:36 +0000 UTC
View Post
