A/N: I've never shared a deleted scene before, but I figured Patreon was a good place to test this out and see what people think. This was originally at the end of Chapter 43, but I couldn't think of a good ending line to go with it.
"Sorry," Relia said when they as finished the tour. "This is awkward, but I ne...
2021-08-11 16:50:52 +0000 UTC View PostKalden eyed the figures as they emerged from the darkness. They were both Espirian—a man and a woman in their mid-thirties. The woman wore her hair in a tight brown bun behind her head. The man's hair was cropped in a short military cut, about the same length as his beard.
A Martial with a beard? That was new. This guy might be ...
2021-08-11 16:36:59 +0000 UTC View PostAkari sat in the front passenger seat, watching the farmland roll by. They'd been driving for almost fifteen minutes now, and the sun fell like a dying flame on the horizon.
Kalden's knuckles were white as he gripped the leather steering wheel, but Akari couldn't blame him for being scared. Her own heart still pounded in her chest, and her...
2021-08-06 23:38:00 +0000 UTC View PostStep five: get out of Elegan.
Kalden followed Akari through the crawl space, dodging pipes and wires along the way. It still felt wrong to leave Darren behind, but they'd known this might happen. His friends had helped him escape, but they had no desire to leave Arkala themselves.
Understandable. They hadn't heard R...
2021-08-01 11:58:16 +0000 UTC View PostStep four: disable the cuffs.
Akari lowered herself into the familiar cushioned chair. Her fingers stretched over the mechanical keyboard, and it felt as surreal as seeing her friends again. She hadn't touched a real computer since that last night in Kalden's house—the night everything started going wrong.
"I already logge...
2021-07-29 16:59:35 +0000 UTC View PostStep one: find the system that controls the cuffs.
"Alright." Kalden clapped his hands together as he paced in his basement office. "What do we know so far?"
Maelyn sat up straighter on the sofa. "Akari's handler is a junior agent named Canin Stormspear. He works at the Martials' office here in Elegan."
Kalden wrote th...
2021-07-25 16:37:58 +0000 UTC View PostAkari shifted in her seat, staring down at her hands on the metal table. Almost twelve hours had passed since the battle, and rays of sunlight speared through the room's barred windows. This added some color to her otherwise gray surroundings.
Last night had been a mess of healers, police, and interrogations, and Akari hadn't slept for a m...
2021-07-18 22:57:27 +0000 UTC View PostA/N: Thanks to everyone who signed up this week!
"That's Emberlyn's car," Darren said as they pulled into Phoenix Park.
Kalden followed his gaze to where an 870 Noble sat almost parallel to the sidewalk. She must have left her driver behind because no professional would park that badly. And as Darren drove them close...
2021-07-16 00:27:35 +0000 UTC View PostEmberlyn lashed out with two ice Missiles. Akari struck back with her own attack, moving her hand in wide circles so the mana flew in a corkscrew pattern. This knocked both her opponent's Missiles off course and continued toward her.
Emberlyn raised a hand, and a wall of solid ice formed between them—just like the ones the Martials had u...
2021-07-11 12:42:44 +0000 UTC View PostA/N: First advance chapter for this book!
Akari's Missile wove through the trees, leaving pale blue streaks against the dark forest.
She'd come to Phoenix Park to train, but also to escape the Cliftons. Mazren had just returned from another trip, and he'd bombarded her with a dozen questions about her week...
2021-07-09 01:29:38 +0000 UTC View PostHey everyone,
Thanks for your support as I finished the Aeonica series. It feels great to call that done, even if it’s just a polished first draft.
With that said, I wanted to let everyone know about my other projects (current, and upcoming.)
Web of Secrets
In January 2021, I started writing a new fanta...
2021-07-05 23:12:12 +0000 UTC View PostA/N: Final chapter! Thanks for reading, everyone!
Cole was sitting in his office when someone knocked on the door. Probably Yimo, judging by the sound of his staff tapping against the wood.
"Come in," he hollered across the vast chamber.
Sure enough, his bodyguard sauntered inside and gave a ridiculous bow. "Yo...
2021-06-26 15:51:28 +0000 UTC View PostA/N: Second to last chapter!
Nahlia watched the ancient palace crumble as Thane's fire consumed it from within. Stone walls turned to dust, glass windows shattered, and the golden domes toppled into the river below. Each broken layer revealed another glimpse of the structure's burning core, brighter than any furnace.
Thane explained his plan to Nahlia and the others. He told them about Soulfire—the Sanctifiers' own version of Ethersmithing. At least, that's how Thane saw it. Truth be told, he understood little about this new technique. Could all Sanctifiers do it, or had Thane stumbled on something more unique? As the only Sanctifier in their group, they h...
2021-06-13 18:32:54 +0000 UTC View PostNahlia led her troops through the Sunfall palace. Their route took them down marble-lined hallways, and their footsteps echoed through the vast ceilings above. The rhythm formed a counterpoint with the gunshots outside, and flashes of fire lit their path through the tall glass windows.
"Lady Cole!" a scout jogged around the corner. "You sh...
2021-06-07 18:17:45 +0000 UTC View PostCiena's vision blurred as the battle raged around her. Templars clashed with the undead, and screams sounded from both sides. The gunshots left her ears ringing, and the coppery scent of blood filled her nostrils.
In the center of it all, Elias fought Trelidor on his own. They moved in streaks of silver and crimson, too fast for anyone but...
2021-06-07 18:16:52 +0000 UTC View PostAsh drifted around Thane as he knelt in the dark courtyard. The enemy Justicars closed in from every direction, raising their blades for the killing blow.
Then something changed. His surroundings grew even darker than before. Thane blinked up at the skyline where the dome of crystal light had once dominated the scene, tingeing the courtyar...
2021-06-01 23:05:44 +0000 UTC View Post"Yimo!" Cole shouted over the battle. "You're with me!"
To his left, an undead Templar swung its blade in a lazy arc. Cole raised his own saber to parry, then drove the tip through the creature's eye.
Three more undead closed in from his right, faster than he could pull the blade free. Cole lined up his pistol and blasted the first o...
2021-05-24 23:54:22 +0000 UTC View PostCiena faced her enemy from across the crowded courtyard. The undead swarmed around them like feral dogs, clashing with the Templars on either side. Smoke blocked out the sky as rifles roared. Grenades exploded into darker clouds of smoke, shaking the ground beneath her boots.
Despite the chaos, Ciena only had eyes for her enemy.
...
2021-05-24 23:53:20 +0000 UTC View PostThane jogged through the streets with Nahlia by his side. They'd met another group of Templars along the way, and now several squads followed them through the palace district. Cramped streets and tenements gave way to towering mansions as they ran. Iron lamps lined the street on either side, casting their crystal light on the snow-covered cobble...
2021-05-19 00:12:03 +0000 UTC View PostAaron Cole followed his army through Midring. Clouds of dust swirled in the sky above, reflecting the orange flames from the battle below. Civilians clustered in their homes on either side of the street. Some only dared to peek out their windows. Others emerged from their front doors armed and ready for battle. They'd all heard whispers of a sec...
2021-05-11 23:21:34 +0000 UTC View PostA dragon swooped over the rooftops, raining fire on the fleeing Templars. Nahlia aimed her staff at the creature and sent a burst of energy through her fingertips, activating the weapon's top sigil.
Blades of Moonshard shot out from the end, tearing over the battlefield in streaks of blue light. Her attack cut through the dragon's left win...
2021-05-03 22:48:24 +0000 UTC View PostThane was sipping his evening coffee when he heard the commotion outside. A little noise was hardly rare at this hour, especially for a city on the brink of war. Even so, he got up to investigate—mostly because Relyn still hadn't returned from her meeting across the city.
After climbing the ladder in the backroom, he pushed open a wooden...
2021-04-27 23:21:30 +0000 UTC View PostCole blinked at the strange woman who stood across from him. Somehow, she knew his name. Had he seen her before? No. He didn't think so, but parts of her looked familiar. Her pale face was heart-shaped, like Lyraina's. Her eyes were the same vibrant blue as his wife's, and even her hair seemed almost red as it blew in the evening wind.<...
2021-04-23 00:54:51 +0000 UTC View PostNahlia sat with Elias in the Templar hideout. They'd commandeered one of the larger supply closets, and forbidden books covered every surface of the cramped space.
Leafing through the old tomes, Nahlia could see why they'd been hidden from the public. Everything she read about the Codices reinforced her theory. The Archaeons weren't ...
2021-04-14 11:38:16 +0000 UTC View PostCiena stomped the snow from her boots as she entered the abandoned tenement building. Wooden boards covered every window, and most of the furniture was long-gone—probably stolen or burned for firewood.
Some golden age, Trelidor.
She summoned Steelbreaker as a blade, and the crimson light chased away the shadows. Relyn foll...
2021-04-06 11:39:09 +0000 UTC View PostThane led the others down the airship's ramp and into the clearing. Darkness shrouded the forest, and snowflakes danced in the wind around his head
Even if the storm covered their landing tonight, this visit wouldn't surprise Trelidor or his allies. You couldn't fly an airship halfway across the continent without someone seeing it. All the...
2021-03-28 11:51:44 +0000 UTC View PostNahlia lay awake as the airship sailed through the night sky. They'd been flying since sunset, and several hours had passed since she'd first crawled into bed. Ciena breathed softly in the bunk above, and Shera—a member of the Onyx Guard—snored more loudly on the floor.
Whenever Nahlia closed her eyes, images of Redcliff flashed like d...
2021-03-19 22:20:17 +0000 UTC View PostThane gazed out the apartment window, watching the smoke rise toward the afternoon sky. This time, the smoke came from funeral pyres rather than burning buildings. Snow danced in the wind and gathered on the rooftops, making the skyline an eerie mix of black and white.
Raidenwood had once been nine bridges. Only three remained now. As for ...
2021-03-11 11:45:03 +0000 UTC View PostCiena raced over the city skyline, struggling to catch up to Rhia. Smoke and ash stung her eyes as she navigated steep rooftops, vaulted narrow alleys, and tore through abandoned buildings.
One second, Rhia was running along a stone wall, defying gravity with her speed. The next, she dove through an open window, barely two feet wide.