eligos

Monarch - Pyrrhic IX

The plan I’d been so confident of moments before felt flimsy now. This was my father, after all. I’d watched him carve through armies like butter, shrug off spells that would have killed a normal man. Using the line of infernal infantry as cover, I bent down and unleashed dozens of tiny violet sparks on the grass.

Twenty was my safe ...

Monarch - Pyrrhic VIII

It was difficult to believe. One of the first interactions I’d had with Ralakos was a reflection on the warring histories of our peoples. He’d shown me a monument built from the horns of fallen infernals. Most notably, a pair that belonged to his son.

During the trial of Infaris, I was transported to a place beyond time alongside Xarmo...

Double-Blind CH146

Slowly the expanse of sky and street below me eroded, leaving a simple gray-paneled room with visible support beams. Even the original dungeon floor was gone. The lithid hadn’t left anything behind. I tested my arm carefully and was surprised to find it in working order.

Out of curiosity, I checked my inventory and found tha...

Double-Blind CH145

There was a bone-jarring impact. My skull collided against the sidewalk as lithid tackled me to the ground. It outweighed me significantly, and as my lungs compressed, it became nearly impossible to breathe.

Strong arms grabbed me and began to yank.

It's trying to get us both out of the way.

I locked an arm around it...

Monarch - Pyrrhic VII

“Holy hells.” Guemon breathed out.

I glanced around the room, intentionally avoiding Maya’s expression for the moment. Guemon and Persephone were much as I remembered them, though there were minor changes. Guemon was still a rotund, brash looking man. At some point in my absence, one of his horns had broken off, making h...

Double-Blind CH144

How could I forget something so important?

More than that, I had other memories that directly conflicted with it. Recent memories. I remembered googling the killer’s name less than a year ago to confirm he was still in prison.

And mom was there. She knew. She’d known for years, and we’d never talked about it. And d...

Double-Blind CH143

Kafka’s Metamorphosis lay open on my lap, unattended, as I watched dad’s parked squad car at the end of the street. He’d been inside the paint-chipped house for a while now. Ellison was kicking his legs out in mom’s antique rocking chair, the chair emitting a rhythmic squeak as it reached its apex, leaning so far back it threat...

2022-08-22 22:53:22 +0000 UTC View Post

Monarch - Pyrrhic VI

As we approached the exit to the tunnel, I felt a small weight lift from my chest. Jorra had clearly matured. He even walked different, his gait confident and self-assured, albeit hurried, considering the circumstances. But more noticeably, he seemed to have shed the petty twist in his personality that led him to brooding and holding grudges. 2022-08-19 15:25:19 +0000 UTC View Post

Double-Blind CH142

The smiling shadows assailed us on all sides. There were dozens of them, the sole saving grace that they didn’t seem to have much in terms of health. I nailed one between the eyes with <Page’s Quickdraw>

Talia tore pieces of the first few shadows and took several glancing hits from their knives

“Go for ...

Author is alive (mostly) + Schedule

Hi all. Just wanted to apologize for my absence this week. If you've been around the discord, you know I've been pretty sick since last weekend. I'm feeling better, but still have residual exhaustion and mental fatigue--it's amazing how sleepy you get finally eating solids after a weak of minimal bland food and mostly liquids. I did manage to fi...

Double-Blind CH141

“That’s probably for the best. Taking some time apart.” The younger version of me answered. I did a double-take. Was my voice really that subdued and robotic?

“What?” Daphne asked, her warm disposition unsettled.

“There was a notebook in my bedside table. It’s gone.”

“Maybe Ellison was being nosy?...

Double-Blind CH140

The body disintegrated into dust before I could react.

There was an unearthly shriek as a metal paneled floor pockmarked with dirt and rust replaced the black and white diner tile. The booths and tables aged hundreds of years over the span of seconds, the cushioned seats growing a yellow patina of discoloration before eventually turning ...

Monarch - Pyrrhic V

Precept Jorra led the small group of pre-adolescent infernals into the sanctum. He watched them obsessively as they crested the halfway point. When there was no vomiting, or excessive crying, or combination of the two, he felt himself relax. Other than the requisite groaning and clutching of stomachs, this batch was more or less solid.

S...

Double-Blind CH139

Iris sat across from me at a diner down the street from the adaptive dungeon. She’d sent me a message that she was hungry and mom was MIA. Despite it being well past noon, she kicked both legs out in front of her in excitement as the waiter brought a stack of pancakes slathered in syrup.

It was almost nostalgic. Like the old...

Double-Blind CH138

I knew there was a chance this wouldn’t go how Talia wanted. Of that original group, Jinny was the friendliest towards her, with Nick as a strong second. Sae, by comparison, was a distant third.

It was entirely possible that this could backfire completely. People don’t always act rational after a tragedy. Looking for someo...

Double-Blind CH137

I was perched on the overhead rafter of what appeared to be a large, banquet style dining hall. Annoyed, I squinted at my scrawled notes. They were a byproduct of trying to cram preparation for the fifth floor in last night after practicing at the training grounds. Not surprising that they were sloppy, considering I could barely see...

Double-Blind CH136

It was better to maintain the appearance of low stakes. A friendly spar of no consequence. Even if, in reality, Sae’s performance directly decided whether it was worth risking bringing her into the adaptive dungeon. We’d skated through the trial by the skin of our teeth, and the venture hadn’t ended well.

While it was tr...