Chapter Thirty-Nine: Anger
Chapter Thirty-Nine: Anger
Tom grit his teeth, trying to suppress the agitation boiling inside of him. Their small group was travelling directly through the Grounds, aiming t...
2023-10-03 19:36:51 +0000 UTC View Post
JWWalters posts
Chapter Thirty-Eight: The Road Home
Chapter Thirty-Eight: The Road Home
Weary footsteps beat a soft, rhythmic tattoo on the hard packed dirt of the northern trade road. The quiet murmur of voices provided a sof...
2023-09-19 21:45:20 +0000 UTC View PostChapter Thirty-Seven: Running Battle
Chapter Thirty-Seven: Running Battle
Tom was tired. He couldn’t ever remember being so bone-weary. Not during the Reaping, when he had spent days abused by orcs and then mo...
2023-09-15 23:12:58 +0000 UTC View PostChapter Thirty-Six: Pursuit
Chapter Thirty-Six: Pursuit
Tom wrenched his spear from the corpse of an orc, and the brute collapsed bonelessly into the long grass. Sesame roared, and a cloud of razor shar...
2023-09-14 03:56:50 +0000 UTC View PostChapter Thirty-Five: A Wing and a Prayer
Chapter Thirty-Five: A Wing and a Prayer
Tensions rose all through the next day. The expedition was surrounded by at least one hundred of the huge, savage orcs, with more fil...
2023-09-12 07:29:40 +0000 UTC View PostChapter Thirty-Four: Grinding on
Chapter Thirty-Four: Grinding on
The first week went well for the expedition. They encountered the usual problems: attacks by beasts, some interpersonal friction, a handful o...
2023-09-09 00:28:19 +0000 UTC View PostChapter Thirty-Three: Vacation
Chapter Thirty-Three: Vacation
The first several days of travel were uneventful. The expedition was attacked regularly, but it was no issue for the bloody monks.
They h...
2023-09-01 20:45:17 +0000 UTC View PostChapter Thirty-Two: Details
Chapter Thirty-Two: Details
The next day, Tom and Rosa hiked back up to the monastery before dawn. In the cool mountain air, they found the expedition, mostly ready to go, wa...
2023-08-07 22:02:02 +0000 UTC View PostChapter Thirty-One: Family Time
Chapter Thirty-One: Family Time
As Tom’s martial skill improved, so did his geopolitical, economic, tactical and strategic understanding. As the expedition drew closer to l...
2023-08-04 10:26:47 +0000 UTC View PostChapter Thirty: Preparations
Chapter Thirty: Preparations
The next week was a blur of frenetic activity as the monastery prepared for the expedition. As Tom and Rosa had entered the monastery for the fir...
2023-08-04 10:26:13 +0000 UTC View PostChapter Twenty-Nine: Faith
Chapter Twenty-Nine: Faith
Tom tensed, expecting Lyanna to burst into immediate action, but the brawny woman simply closed her eyes and inclined her head. She intoned a stead...
2023-07-31 11:59:33 +0000 UTC View PostChapter Twenty-Eight: Gambit
Chapter Twenty-Eight: Gambit
Silence hung in the hall like an indrawn breath. For a moment, pure shock grasped everyone’s throats.
Tom smiled as a wall of sound roare...
2023-07-31 11:59:08 +0000 UTC View PostChapter Twenty-Seven: Flawless
Chapter Twenty-Seven: Flawless
Monks roared with approval as the duel ended. They stamped their feet and clapped, whistling and yelling their approval.
Rosa simply stoo...
2023-07-31 11:58:40 +0000 UTC View PostChapter Twenty-Six: Smoke and Mirrors
Chapter Twenty-Six: Smoke and Mirrors
“You must prove yourselves,” Abbess Sunrise said with a feline smile.
Tom shrugged. He was keen to train against the monks whi...
2023-07-31 11:58:16 +0000 UTC View PostChapter Twenty-Five: Sunrise and Sunset
Chapter Twenty-Five: Sunrise and Sunset
“The Monastery of the Bloody Dawn welcomes Wayrest,” the Abbess said. “We have much to discuss.”
Her voice was deep and ...
2023-07-31 11:57:51 +0000 UTC View PostChapter Twenty-Four: The Monastery of the Bloody Dawn
Chapter Twenty-Four: The Monastery of the Bloody Dawn
Tom took a deep breath and grasped Rosa’s hand as they made their way to the small gates at the back of Horizon.
Chapter Twenty-Three: Reunion
Chapter Twenty-Three: Reunion
Rosa slumped in her seat, arms crossed, trying her hardest to manifest the Ideal of Scowling.
“Oh, Rooosiee, you didn’t!” her sister...
2023-07-31 11:56:28 +0000 UTC View PostChapter Twenty-Two: Horizon
Chapter Twenty-Two: Horizon
It took them another half an hour to ride up the gently sloping river valley to Horizon. Tom could tell Rosa chafed at the delay, and yet they cou...
2023-07-31 11:55:36 +0000 UTC View PostChapter Twenty-One: Proven
Chapter Twenty-One: Proven
Peach light filtered softly from the dawn sky. They had woken in darkness and been on the road with the moon still crisp in the black velvet canvas...
2023-07-31 11:54:57 +0000 UTC View PostChapter Twenty: Parliamentary Deliberations
Chapter Twenty: Parliamentary Deliberations
“Right, then, Tom Cutter, let us get your uplift dealt with so we can go,” Rosa said.
“Are you sure?” He said, enjoy...
2023-07-31 11:49:17 +0000 UTC View PostChapter Nineteen: Honey
Note: I'm back! Sorry for the long absence everyone. Family stuff is all back on track now, and I'm in a much better headspace to deliver you all chapters.
On that note, tie...
Chapter Eighteen: Busy Living
Chapter Eighteen: Busy Living
Tom eventually managed to mollify Rosa by refusing to do more than glance at his uplift before she had agreed to discuss hers. Darius helped by ...
2023-04-07 23:05:41 +0000 UTC View PostChapter Seventeen: Debrief
Chapter Seventeen: Debrief
Tom awoke to a bright sun hanging low in the morning sky. He groaned, struggling upwards, but found only Darius and Tanya awake.
“Morning, ...
2023-04-07 23:05:00 +0000 UTC View PostChapter Sixteen: Moonlight
Hello everyone,
Apologies for the absence. A small update for you today.
A family member received a bad diagnosis, and I've been taking some time to process.
This has come just be...
2023-04-07 23:04:28 +0000 UTC View PostChapter Fifteen: Shit Yeah
Author's Note: This might be one of my favourite chapters I've written yet. Hope you enjoy :)
Chapter Fifteen: Shit Yeah
“ROSA!...
2023-03-15 19:13:07 +0000 UTC View PostChapter Fourteen: Strength and Speed
Chapter Fourteen: Strength and Speed
Tom was a whirlwind.
Never before had he felt so shockingly quick. He skidded, positioning, trying to process the informat...
2023-03-13 19:11:19 +0000 UTC View PostChapter Thirteen: Inconsistencies
Chapter Thirteen: Inconsistencies
Tom watched as the orcs approached. Three things became instantly apparent: it was a full warband, they would be on them in minutes, and the...
2023-03-10 21:17:21 +0000 UTC View PostChapter Twelve: Grass Sharks
Chapter Twelve: Grass Sharks
It wasn’t long before the rest of the group began to hear the barks themselves. They drifted in on the wind, weaker than those created by the w...
2023-03-08 20:38:24 +0000 UTC View PostChapter Eleven: Wind
Chapter Eleven: Wind
The group forwent lunch, Darius citing it as being too risky to stop so near the site of an attack. There was always a high potential for other predators...
2023-03-07 08:30:52 +0000 UTC View PostChapter Ten: Sensation
Chapter Ten: Sensation
It took just over an hour for the salve to purge the last of the sandscale venom from Sesame’s system. Once he was cured, and fully healed from sleep...
2023-03-03 21:47:49 +0000 UTC View Post