Ad Astra

229. Final Preparations (III)

“Repeat it, if you please,” said Gerard.

“I’ve got two vials,” said Sun. “One’s the vampire poison, one’s the antidote. I’ll take the poison first, sneak in with the cargo, ...

228. Final Preparations (II)

An airship streaked across the sky, a golden infinity etched onto its prow. And in it were three creatures of Empyrean power.

The first was the Sky Wolf, a werewolf dressed in a hunter’s le...

227. Final Preparations (I)

They were back at the warehouse. Dorian found Gerard sitting on a high-backed chair, sipping tea, legs tastefully crossed. Sun was hanging upside-down off one of the lamps, scatter-gunning applesee...

226. Mini Training Arc (XI)

This time Baldur came out swinging. His plan was very simple. Break his stupid fucking face!

Then light blossomed at dragonboy’s feet, like a tiny crimson trampoline, and he vanish...

225. Mini Training Arc (X)

Patreon-only bonus chapter!

Baldur hit the boy, and he could tell it hurt. Dragonboy’s eyes went wide, but his pupils went small, and Baldur felt a spike of satisfaction. 2023-05-07 02:59:42 +0000 UTC View Post

224. Mini Training Arc (IX)

A/N:

Updated last chapter to mention that Lv. 10 is Lv. MAX for all Techniques—probably should have mentioned this earlier in the series but ah well

It should be note...

223. Mini Training Arc (VIII)

A/N:

Note: New official schedule for patrons is 7 chapters per week! (daily)

RR readers get 5 chapters per week (weekdays).

:) Onwards!

2023-05-05 03:29:41 +0000 UTC View Post

222. Mini Training Arc (VII)

A beginner had moves. An expert had tactics. Where a beginner saw a battle in only one dimension, an expert like Pinker—a title he more than deserved, if he did say so himself—saw two. When a b...

221. Mini Training Arc (VI)

Where did it all go wrong?

It was a question Pinker woke up to every morning, blearily staring at his stubbled face in the mirror, at the sagging cheeks and the mustache like an unke...

220. Mini Training Arc (V)

A/N:

Quick writing update: Daily pace is going smoothly, even during finals week. Fixing a set writing schedule has streamlined things for me writing-wise :)

//

T...

219. Mini Training Arc (IV)

A/N:

I am fresh off banging my head against a CS project for 4 hours

late upload bc thought i wasn't going to make it in time. then I figured I just wouldn't sleep unti...

218. Mini Training Arc (III)

“That’s the full floor plans to the Royal Palace,” said Sun through a mouthful of bread. “Plus—a catalog of all the best shit they’ve got!” She swallowed, then grinned. “No...

217. Mini Training Arc (II)

Dorian worked his way through the drooling crowd, wielding his tail as a wedge. Remarkably nifty thing—he’d had little use for it thus far since he hadn’t had much in the way of close combat....

216. Mini Training Arc (I)

Dorian’s sorting process went something like this.

Flip open a book—usually stained with grease, oil, food, or other such grime—and skim. And then about a quarter of the way through—s...

215. Boost (VII)

Hell sure had a fascination with Heaven! These Technique shops found a way to squeeze the word into the title of nearly every manual—Heavenly’ this, Heavenly’ that. Dorian strolled past grimy...

214. Boost (VI)

A/N: Daily streak still going! :p 

//

Eighteen.

The number was surreal. Out of millions, eighteen. The top twenty Gods in the Multiverse we...

213. Boost (V)

A/N: Schedule may be a little unstable as finals approach… will aim to do at least 5 chapters per week (M/W/F + Dailies on weekends?). More if I have time!

212. Boost (IV)

“You know, Gerard,” said Dorian as they strolled down the long, winding stairs, “It occurs to me we’ve been all business since I got here. How’ve you been these past few… Hells...

211. Boost (III)

Note: 

*Probably* no chapter on Sunday! Taking the day off to plan, rest a little.

//

A lotus unfurled in the air, budded with crystal-blue dew, hung in a ha...

210. Boost (II)

Dorian fully expected the safehouse to be a storage facility in an alleyway. Or perhaps underground. Some dingy out-of-the-way place that shunned light and bathed in smog; it was where he ...

209. Boost (I)

“What took you so long?”

“…”

“I expected you days ago.” Gerard tapped his watch. “You’re late.”

For a few seconds all Dorian did was stare. “You’re alive.�...

208. Breaking In

A/N: Maybe I should schedule releases at specific times... hmm

10PM EST perhaps?

I have blocked out time on my calendar to write 2k words (i.e. a chapter) a day! <...

207. The Road to Ur (VI)

A/N:

Bonus chapter!

//

As Dorian heard the plan—over the course of three long minutes of excited babbling, no less—his expression underwent a series of metamo...

206. The Road to Ur (V)

Weeks later…

Dorian and Sun saw the Kingdom of Ur rise in the ashy distance, watched endless streams of caravans trundle towards it yanked by herds of giant demigod drakes....

205. The Road to Ur (IV)

“You know what my one regret is?” said Dorian through a mouthful of fried locust leg.

“Mm?” said Sun. It was all she could get out. She’d managed to squeeze five into her mouth, whi...

204. The Road to Ur (III)

There was a drawn-out pause, filled with a great deal of nothing.

“Sun?!” He hissed. “Cloak!”

Nujia frowned at him. He, in turn, frowned at Sun.

“…Please don’t tell ...

203: The Road to Ur (II)

“You should go.” Meng said. Sharply—“I’ll not involve myself in your petty squables.”

Then she eyed Sun flopping on the floor. She softened. “But…perhaps I’ll give you a way...

202. The Road To Ur (I)

A/N:

I wasn’t going to release a chapter today, on account of the fact that I have a giant midterm tomorrow whose existence I only learned about this morning

But here...

201. Fruits & Labors (XII)

By the time Dorian and Sun turned back around, the grin was wiped from their faces. Dorian put up a quizzical brow. Sun simply blinked wide-eyed, like a newborn fawn.   “Wait,” said M...

200. Fruits & Labors (XI)

“You astound me,” said Meng as they strode up the path back. She glared at him, but in that exasperated half-lidded way, not the kind she really meant. This was Meng the old lady glaring. Nearl...