EdgarFig

37. Without a King

Several days had passed since the Imperator had left, and work had reached a fever pitch around the fort.

There seemed to be a general desire to outdo oneself among the people. The implicatio...

36. Take their jobs

“So, what do you think?” Mark said, eyeing Payon as he attempted to read the broad man’s expression. It was stony-faced and never seemed to change much, but he was confident the man's slightl...

35. Smithy

With bows becoming commonplace within the fort, Mark had realized a need for a dedicated training area. It would be located outside the walls until the new wall could be built to encompass it....

34. Job’s Not Done

Mark marveled at the mage heart—as he had learned its name. It was the power source of his suit and powered much of the technology within the Imperium. From what he understood, it was technology ...

33. Hired Help

Mark felt like a mad scientist mixing different concoctions for his homemade Greek fire. His recipe included sap, lantern oil, sulfur, and charcoal. And after many failures, he mixed up a fresh bat...

32. Frostwind Trader’s Post

Blizzarding snow whipped up around the party as they pulled ropes tied to the wagon. 

The Frontier had informal roads that ran through its great expanse. It was a time-honored tradition ...

31. Spy

“They always come lookin’ for ole Weedy Eye when they needing a hand,” the old feral flashed a dirty smile.

Mark nodded as he approached the man shrouded by forest. He was invisible und...

30. The Strongest Acolyte

World’s Edge Citadel was perched upon the mountains that split the Imperium from the Frontier, overlooking the miasmic fields covering most of the foothills.

It was the seat of power for Le...

29. Fort Frostwarden

NOTE: I hope you enjoy. I'm going to try to drop a bonus chapter today or at least by the weekend.

A dozen acolytes marched through the snow, split into two rows. As t...

28. Plans

Picking a flag hadn’t been hard. Mark had two to choose from: one made by the kids and another by the mothers. 

The kids had essentially sewed whatever they could find onto a piece of ...

27. Festivities

Alcohol wasn't a novel concept for the ferals. But the booze they were familiar with was grainy and lumpy with a nauseatingly bitter taste. It was made from fermented berry nuts, which were normall...

26. Overheated

Hot, bitter liquid invaded his mouth, and Mark spat as his eyes came into focus on Mira’s gentle eyes, barely a foot from his face.

“Drink up, you stubborn mule. It’ll bring your streng...

25. The Battle

Wanting to make his followers a proper army was one thing; seeing their sorry state lined up in formation was another.

The acolytes stood straight at attention, but they were kids. Meanwhile,...

24. Prepared to Fight

Sat under a candle lamp in the main room of her three-room cabin, Reida peeled streaks of wood from a strick with her carving knife.

Two ferals worked for her outside, putting together the la...

23. In Camp

Word had already spread of Mark’s assault on the cultist camp. He wasn’t sure how many he had managed to take out, but the results spoke for themselves—the camp was abuzz. 

Mark wo...

22. Cultist Threat

An early knock came at Mark’s door. The hurried acolyte spat out words at a hundred miles a second as he explained Henric had returned with the two acolytes in toe.

He didn’t waste time, ...

21. Returning Home

Erin and Henric rode atop the horses as Callum followed closely behind—a form of light punishment Henric had decided on until they could get back to Fort Winterclaw and punish the boy properly. 2024-07-18 07:29:59 +0000 UTC View Post

20. New Guard

Yawning and stretching, Mark’s new tribunes stood in a crooked line. They were hardly an example of discipline, but at least they all showed.

“Alright, listen closely, tribunes. What I’...

19. Cut them off

Once he had finished going through the interviews, Mark lined the ferals up and went over the notes from Elowen’s list.

He had already chosen who he wanted to elect. But the ceremony was im...

18. Intelligence

The intelligence test went about as good as one would have expected. Most of the ferals were comparable to modern children. No—that was unfair to the children. They had never been to school or st...

17. Tribunes

Manning the walls had become increasingly difficult with every passing day. And there was no way Mark would roll back what he had started. Trading with the ferals wasn’t just filling their suppli...

16. The Chase

Mark’s eyes sprung open, and he shot upward, covered in sweat. Panting, he tried to calm himself from the horrid dreams that had assaulted him.

He had seen Erin tortured by the wargs. ...

15. In Search

A knock came at Mark’s door as he rubbed between his eyes. “Come in.”

Mira opened the door and gestured for Erald to enter. “Go on, boy.”

“So?” Mark said, looking up from ...

14. The Road Away

Mark had been pleased to see the acolytes practicing the moves he had shown them, even if it was mostly to show off to one another. At least they seemed to have learned something. And more importan...

13. Acolyte Virgin

“Come in.”

Callum stepped in and closed the door behind him. “You wanted to see me, Imperator?”

“I did. I wanted to ask you about what happened to you.”

“About what?...

12. Lessons

Mark wiped sweat from his brow, returning from another search for Erin. He had found no evidence of any harm coming to her, but that did little to calm his nerves. If she died out there, it would h...

11. Rise the Walls

The acolytes hauled logs late into the night. Torches and lanterns sat on posts, dotting the clearing and lightening it for the exhausted teens as the snowfall intensified.

“I hope your pla...

10. Safe

Erin sat sipping on something that was meant to make her feel better as they packed. 

She couldn’t believe, just like that, this family was going to pick up and travel south for weeks ...

9. Ferals

Dropped on a bed of straw, Erin groaned. The hut was dark. Ribbons of light pierced through the poorly crafted thatch roofing, and embers glowed weakly beneath a pot.

The big man turned his b...

8. Freedom

“Wha-where am I?” Callum croaked.

“Erald?” Mira said, stepping out of the kitchen.

“M-master Mira?” Callum gingerly rubbed at his eyes.

“Acolyte Callum, you’re awa...