Chapter Forty-Six
For well-prepared teams, that damn bird was less of an issue. Most guides spent more time bemoaning how long it took to grind through a tree lord. Here, good stealth, top-level speed, and the ability to taunt, charm, and stun meant you could hold the guardian in place and defeat it before it decided to fly the ...
2024-12-25 16:19:26 +0000 UTC View PostChapter Forty-Five
“Gurrap.” Hyacinth croaked proudly from underneath the pile of clothes That was enough to fill his pen in the beast stables and managed to bury his massive form.
How many outfits did Adric own? Harmony shook her head with some disbelief at the sight. The collection was more colorful than all of B...
2024-12-23 16:23:24 +0000 UTC View PostChapter Forty-Four
“It's impossible!” Harmony groaned. The once red multi-colored dragon skin jacket resisted all attempts to change it back. She'd burned through her toolbox of skills, synergies, and connections.
“It should have been impossible for you to have changed the color at all. This is an artifact.” At Harmony’s co...
2024-12-20 13:23:49 +0000 UTC View PostChapter Forty-Three
The post-battle recovery was much more organized as the pressure Maekus created slowly lifted, allowing each person to stagger up as their strength allowed. It was hard to be defiant after one man crushed everyone nearly at once and you had to strain to stand up. During the process, the divide between the palace guards ...
2024-12-18 14:31:31 +0000 UTC View PostChapter Forty-Two
Rather than concede any ground on protection, there were now twelve guards covering the large suite where they were detaining Prince Adric. It was less friendly cooperation and more competitive over-protecting. Harmony sighed. As if there wasn’t a safer place to be right now. Adric was alone in his room, depr...
2024-12-16 14:49:47 +0000 UTC View PostHarmony and I are debating how to fill out the last skill stone slot. [Ink Heart] is still appealing to her. But I'm not opposed to suggestions. This poll may not decide the outcome, but I'm curious what your thoughts are.
2024-12-14 23:35:48 +0000 UTC View PostChapter Forty-One
The palace tower loomed large, casting a long shadow in the afternoon sun. It hadn’t been so imposing when Harmony followed the line of initiates while incognito for the Harvest of Talents. That had been before she’d received the queen's recognition. The queen wasn't there now. Her public schedu...
2024-12-13 14:51:16 +0000 UTC View PostChapter Forty
The attempt to pump herself up for this challenge fell a little flat.
"Gwack?" Hyacinth responded, dubious of the attempt as well.
Ambrosia and her band successfully tapped into energy that way before their big gigs. You'd think there wouldn't be a big difference between getting mentally prepared for a ...
2024-12-11 15:06:43 +0000 UTC View PostChapter Thirty-Nine
“Ggrrack!” Hyacinth sat upon the brood mother's corpse and croaked triumphantly. A corpse Harmony needed access to. He knew the plan but spent plenty of time celebrating his win.
“Oh, you, get down from there.”
This wooze guardian was the smallest yet. Hyacinth had asked to fight it alone ...
2024-12-09 17:00:23 +0000 UTC View PostChapter Thirty-Eight
The after-dinner bath required bubbles. Harmony blew some into the air and used [Cold Touch] to freeze them without popping them. The skill exercise took a good amount of control. A distraction from the frustration she was holding in.
“I can't believe they were in their twenties.” Harmony moane...
2024-12-06 14:25:21 +0000 UTC View PostChapter Thirty- Seven
“Len, please pass me the butter,” Harmony asked.
A show of normalcy, perhaps was the way to dig out of this socially awkward dinner filled with anxiety monsters, spikes of annoyance, and angry eaters. [Keen Investigative Awareness] was at a loss for supplying hints on how to unravel this problem. ...
2024-12-04 14:49:53 +0000 UTC View PostChapter Thirty- Six
Being a full service, The Dragonfly Inn had a room dedicated to using skill stones or evolution. Private with enough space for friends and family to support you if you want. Sir Maxwell stood nervously at the center [Chaos Seed] in hand. This was him, taking a step on his own path, away from his family.
Chapter Thirty-Five
Despite the rough night. Harmony awoke with a renewed desire to advance in the face of destruction, and to Ambrosia sitting on the side of her bed.
“I was singing my throat raw last night, while you were getting letters from the queen?” Ambrosia waved about the treacherous letter. The card inside wa...
2024-11-29 16:03:46 +0000 UTC View PostChapter Thirty Four
Assuming Ambrosia’s statement was correct [Stride Before the Fall] lasted close to the max she could use after leveling up. Having tested it until the force to choose hurt. The body would probably continue until that time was up if a gruesome thing like dying happened. While there was no desire for that...
2024-11-27 15:24:26 +0000 UTC View PostChapter Thirty Three
Dinner was pleasant, in that no one brought up the stabbing and Harmony got to wear a pretty dress. That Poor duelist, Steven, was a tailor by profession. Ambrosia sacrificed one of her stage costumes, which she was tired of. The result made her feel sparkly and glamorous, not that Night wasn't bot...
2024-11-25 16:03:30 +0000 UTC View PostChapter Thirty-Two
With a grunt, Harmony sawed off the hardened vine looped around her leg
“Greh, greh, greh.”
“Laugh it up, it isn’t like you haven’t gotten tangled a time or two.”
The vinestrictors were tricky. They either lay traps along the path to drag you deeper into the woods, like thei...
2024-11-22 14:43:09 +0000 UTC View PostChapter Thirty-one
“I can’t believe I died.” Harmony moaned from bed.
Ambrosia started with a skeptical look from her spot soaking in the room's luxury bathtub. “You look pretty healthy to me.” She responded after hearing all about the night's adventure.
“The blade went through my heart. My blood st...
2024-11-20 15:11:18 +0000 UTC View PostChapter Thirty
Chronostasis lets you reflect on how everything went wrong. Maybe it would have been best not to have succeeded so much? Even if they had trinkets that revealed a lack of truthiness for some answers, or they had the suspicion maybe Harmony could have juggled one or two more balls than she did, perhaps this wouldn'...
2024-11-18 22:40:17 +0000 UTC View PostChapter Twenty Nine
The testers, questioners, and curious descended on the applicants. Violet left to check others for potential. Harmony found herself with a line waiting to see her, while the less desirable youths made their way to the tables manned for any to approach and inquire.
A man who Harmony would have labeled a butle...
2024-11-15 23:34:24 +0000 UTC View PostChapter Twenty Eight
The terrible idea won out. Maxwell’s “in” with the event heartily agreed when given the rundown of the plan. She’d only made a deal with the knight because she thought it had the potential to be amusing. This could be doubly so.
“Don’t dawdle, Mercy.” The old abbess prompted, reminding Harmony...
2024-11-13 23:19:54 +0000 UTC View PostChapter Twenty-Seven
The rainbow coatl was sulking in the stables when Harmony visited. Bowe didn’t like being away from Prince Adric any more than necessary. The pet of her pet, there had been some time contemplating what that meant for her relationship with the magnificent beast. It didn’t help that there was that awkward atte...
2024-11-11 16:02:44 +0000 UTC View PostChapter Twenty-Six
Harmony unsubmerged herself from her tub. It became a nightly tradition for her to stay at The Dragonfly Inn. “I could have handled that better.”
“Oh, I think you handled that perfectly well. You don’t need to stick around a bunch of bullies just to be polite. Now scoot over, this lark has some a...
2024-11-08 14:11:43 +0000 UTC View Post“Graaaaaack” Hyacinth complained.
“Oh, don’t be a baby. Who cares if they squeeze a little.” The spurs stretched over his front and hind paws where his wrist was with one strap between the toes to not limit their movement. Wex clearly experimented after his inspection of Night when developing the material. The long serrated...
2024-11-06 17:22:01 +0000 UTC View PostChapter Twenty- Four
“Is it okay that we’re early?”
Gear and Wex in the capital had several locations. Most, like the one in Hazeldown, were run by apprentices. Ambrosia had made their appointment at the main store.
“I sent a little bird ahead and packed a book for you in case they make you wait. You’ve nev...
2024-11-04 12:59:29 +0000 UTC View PostChapter Twenty-Three
Harmony had never been to Lady Coodly's Naewauld manor. Underdeveloped as a staff member for the task, and with the matriarch mostly staying in Hazeldown to shepherd Tyler’s Growth, the choice to expand her contract to allow her to work in both locations hadn't been a priority. With the consideration of ta...
2024-11-01 13:58:29 +0000 UTC View PostChapter Twenty-Two
To Lady Harmony White, a gift and investment. Your loyal subject, Betrold Gothheim.
The paper was of the finest quality. The kind the manor had received for special invitations. The ink shimmered of gold. The note neither asked for anything nor set any future expectations, but it ...
2024-10-30 14:08:05 +0000 UTC View PostChapter Twenty-One
Twice dreams of being enveloped by vines ripped Harmony out of her sleep after tossing and turning until she was knotted up in the blanket. This is why when Ambrosia sang “Wake up sleepyhead,” with her pitch-perfect voice, the necromancer threw A pillow at her.
“We have a busy schedule today. No gr...
2024-10-28 13:58:06 +0000 UTC View PostChapter Twenty
“Man in finance. Trust fund. Tall. Blue eyes” Harmony muttered to herself. [Recall] wasn’t working properly. Maxwell dumped the information on tonight's guests to her as Ambrosia dashed to their room to change into her maid uniform. At least all she had to do was pull off the flower dress in a pr...
2024-10-25 16:42:31 +0000 UTC View PostUnlike some people, Len had sent regular correspondence since leaving Hazeldown. Professor Dunphy had not lied about him not having many friends. While the letters were a bit rambly, he had mentioned a new academic focus of skill acquisition.
Much of the terminology and references in the letters were unfamiliar, but Harmon...
2024-10-23 15:23:46 +0000 UTC View PostChapter Eighteen
“You look like a cat Hyacinth dragged back to play with.” Ambrosia chided, handing Harmony a healing drought as she left the dungeon.
He’d never do that. He doesn’t play with his food. A cast of [Renew Spirit] as she downed the potion boosted its effectiveness. There were hours until d...
2024-10-21 14:23:49 +0000 UTC View Post