2022-04-09 19:54:36
Previous Chapter
Latest Chapter
Chapter Twenty-Three: A Promise Fulfilled
When Gerardo returned home after the war’s end, the door didn’t open with joy or surprise. His mother met him with a hollow stare—half disappointment, half disbelief. She had assumed he’d died in the Stone War. Hoped it, even. His room was gone. His belongings sold. There was no embrace, no welcome, just silence and the cold edge of finality. He left the house without a word and never looked back.With the meager pay he’d received from his military service, Gerardo built a small cabin deep within the Black Lotus Forest. It wasn’t much—just walls, a roof, and enough space for solitude—but it was his. He clothed himself plainly, hunted for food, and scraped together coin by selling whatever pelts he could. The loneliness pressed down on him like a second skin, but he endured. He always had.When he wasn’t tracking game or trading skins, he wandered to a hilltop overlooking the Tourmaline Sea. The hush of the waves soothed something inside him. The wind stirred his hair, the salt bit at h
Chapter Twenty-Two: Bravery, Love, and Regard
Emperor Plake gently tossed the letter onto the table in front of him.“Well it is a good thing this is no hoax.” He called to his scribe. “Cal! Write down everything we have discussed in a letter addressed to Emperor Mandingo. There is no need for code or such. I trust this pixie can avoid capture. Be sure to write every detail.”“Yes, Your Majesty,” Cal replied.“Should we begin preparation in that case, sire?” asked a general.“No,” replied the emperor. “Mandingo seemed skeptical in his letter. You know as well as I that we cannot execute this plan without his assistance. In the meantime, I would like to make Jorge a general of his own division. He seems to know what he is doing, which is more than I can say for some. General Jorge, your troops are stationed in Baskerville. I had promised them a new general about a month ago, so I am sure they will be pleased to finally see you. You will leave after I receive notice back from Mandingo. Go and claim your horse.”“Yes, Your Majesty,”
Chapter Twenty-One: A Prophecy Narrowly Avoided
For the first time in what felt like years, Gerardo woke without pain. His eyes opened easily, and no stiffness pulled at the muscles in his neck as he turned his head. A quiet wonder settled over him as he took in his surroundings. He lay nestled beneath a fur blanket on a chaise lounge, its cushions soft enough to erase every memory of cold stone and iron bars. Before him stood an ornate table carved from dark wood, laden with fresh fruit that gleamed in the early light like polished jewels.Gerardo didn’t move. He didn’t want to. For once, stillness felt like a gift, not a prison. He let his senses wander instead. Outside, the world whispered: the gentle murmur of water nearby, wind threading through leaves, birds weaving lullabies into the hush of morning. He even heard the faint, cheerful patter of small voices—forest creatures, perhaps. Then, above it all, rose the murmur of conversation: Calder’s voice, joined by Dil’s. The sound tugged him gently from his reverie, but he stayed
Chapter Twenty: There is More to be Done
Running was no longer optional, it was survival. With her wings gone, Rein had to adapt quickly: no more gliding through trees, no more swift escapes on the wind. She felt every step in her bones. She would have to climb, sprint, crawl, and depend on other animals for transportation. She didn’t have time to hunt for an animal to ride, though. She tore through the tunnels of the rats and mice domain, breath shallow but measured, careful not to push herself past the edge again. When she emerged, the stone wall loomed ahead, jagged and cold, marking the edge of the Lucierna Forest. She stared up at it, already dreading the ascent. Climbing was slow and grueling. Her fingers trembled against the stone. Every grip burned. By the time she reached the top, her arms screamed with effort. Getting down required even more caution; one wrong step and she’d tumble the rest of the way in a blur of pain and shattered bones.She made it. And she kept running. Through snow-dusted underbrush and thick p
Chapter Nineteen: Divine Intervention
Guided by the torches illuminating the courtyard, Jorge made it to the top of the stone wall and climbed onto the overhanging branch of a tree. Twilight had passed, and the light of the orange moon was all Jorge had to aid his way through the Lucierna Forest and the thick snowfall. Ahead, he could make out the dim glow of a campfire, and he ran toward it. He only morphed back into his original form once he had arrived.“Captain!” Travis exclaimed. “Where have you been?”“Spying.”“Did you learn anything?” Jole asked anxiously.“They’re going to search the forest for us tomorrow.”“And what of Gerry?” Calder interrogated.“Gerry’s scheduled to be executed at noon in Cair.”“You were supposed to come back with him!”“Well, it didn’t work out that way! I thought some pixie was going to handle it!”“A pixie?” Travis repeated, wondering if it was the same pixie he had seen in prison.“That’s what I said. She came out of nowhere to help with the jailbreak, and her plan was actually successfu
Chapter Eighteen: After So Much Effort...
The corridors exploded into chaos. Freed prisoners surged forward in a ragged tide, brandishing stolen swords, jagged tools, and anything they could grab in the frenzy. Those without blades got creative, swinging chairs like clubs, hurling potted plants, tearing legs off tables and using them as makeshift weapons. The air rang with shouts, grunts, and the harsh clang of metal on stone. It was less an escape than a battlefield. Fistfights broke out where swords clashed and missed. Guards collided with prisoners in frantic scrambles, slipping on scattered debris. Some of the palace staff, wild-eyed and cornered, lashed out at the floor, kicking at the rodents that darted through the fray—little shadows navigating the chaos like scouts in a war.Through it all, Jole and Travis moved like ghosts, ducking low and weaving between bursts of violence. They stayed close, wordless, eyes scanning. They weren’t looking for an exit, they were looking for her. The one who’d opened the doors. Who’d s
You may also like
THE CHOSEN ONE (Reunion)
Kim B16.2K viewsMonster Hunters
Datdepressedguy 16.4K viewsThe Ultimate Devourer
Daoist Of Lies14.7K viewsSupreme Ancestor
Kingfisher18.6K views3:33
D.twister452 viewsThe Abyssal Tyrant: Overlord’s Awakening
Marshie_Marshie980 viewsDemonbound
Samster_x266 viewsRising With My Mystic Power
MaryRose433 views