"We need to rest," Irwin said.
His voice was ragged as he struggled onward through the mud. He could barely feel his toes, and he was constantly shivering. He longed to summon this flame, but the sky had darkened, and the rain stopped. If he summoned it now, any of the creatures that still screamed and roared far behind them would see the ...
2022-12-02 20:04:39 +0000 UTC View PostThe following two days passed in a blur. Emma didn't see Tessa again, and with her mind preoccupied, she forgot about the Fiend. Working in the bog, dodging Whipper's strikes, and keeping an eye on Daniel kept her busy and stressed.
Early in the morning of the third day, just before dawn, Emma woke up to the rattling of a torrent of rain t...
2022-12-02 20:01:34 +0000 UTC View PostIrwin turned and ran further into the building, pulling Greldo with him. He heard the growling and padding grow louder and closer behind him. Greldo pulled free, running with him.
Ahead, Daubutim was up, club and shield in hand, as he stared at the door. His jaw was clenched, and his eyes wide. Irwin saw a glimpse of fear in them. Twintin ...
2022-11-26 10:18:26 +0000 UTC View Post"Ready?" Irwin whispered.
"Go," Daubutim replied.
The burly boy stepped through the door opening, his club in one hand and a shield in the other, sweat dripping off his face. The shield was similar to the one Rachel had used, with some noticeable differences. For one, it was larger, but more interestingly, there was an odd glyph at t...
2022-11-26 10:18:02 +0000 UTC View PostIrwin stood in the full sun as it poked through two towering buildings. It was the only little bit between the shadows that surrounded them, though as the sun rose, more areas would quickly appear. He had been pondering the things that had happened, his mind surprisingly sharp and clear for someone who hadn't slept and was wounded.
Spe...
2022-11-26 10:17:21 +0000 UTC View Post"You said it wouldn't hurt," Irwin said shakily as he looked at Twintin, curled up in a ball on the ground.
She'd fallen unconscious directly after the reforging had completed, and Rachel sat next to her, stroking her hair. The other girl threw hateful glances at both Ambraz and Irwin.
"Well, it doesn't hurt that much," Ambraz said. ...
2022-11-26 10:17:01 +0000 UTC View Post"They are leaving," Rachel whispered from her position next to the door. A dull red glow poured from the entrance, bathing the room in an eerie crimson.
Finally, Irwin thought, his gritty eyes staring at the wall of plants. He had been standing there for hours, his feet hurting and his mind a weary mess. Still, each time he would ...
2022-11-26 10:16:37 +0000 UTC View PostIrwin couldn't help but enjoy the solid feel of his new boots as he walked beside Greldo while Wignut was turning smaller behind them. The small pack on his back gave him some comfort, as he knew it held a flagon of water and some rations.
I wish they had also given us a coat, he thought as a gust of cold wind tousled his hair and...
2022-11-26 10:16:17 +0000 UTC View PostIt took them a while to locate the Cracked Leaf Inn, as it was nestled in the busiest part of town, oddly hidden between two three-story buildings that dominated the town's central area. Wooden boards hung from the dozens of entrances, outside stairs leading to the other stories, those to the third frighteningly exposed. Still, it was busy, and ...
2022-11-26 10:15:54 +0000 UTC View PostAs the sun dipped below the horizon, the Goblins herded the tired group of Kobolds back to town. Heads low and dragging their feet, they couldn't even muster the energy to complain. Only one person was cheerful: Whipper. Whistling to himself, he walked at the head of the group, chewing on a hand-sized frog leg.
Hiding in the middle of the ...
2022-11-26 10:12:00 +0000 UTC View Post"You're lucky the others don't know you as I do," Greldo whispered as he walked with Irwin at the back of the group.
Irwin looked at his friend, almost afraid of what he meant.
"You've grown… which isn't something that should happen if you get just a common."
"I don't-" Irwin began, wanting to deny it, but he stopped when Gre...
2022-11-18 21:06:07 +0000 UTC View PostHe didn't even look into the room, Irwin thought as he quickly followed the guard, his boots in hand. It took him only a few moments to sense the changes the body tempering had brought him, as he had a much easier time keeping up. He was still out of breath by the time the guard stopped in front of an intricately crafted door with a bea...
2022-11-18 21:05:39 +0000 UTC View PostIrwin took a deep breath as he gazed at the back of his hand. He was in the room beside theirs, which had conveniently been empty. At first, he'd found that odd, but after some more looking around, he'd found that in their hallway, theirs was the only occupied room. After telling Greldo where he was, he'd locked the door from the inside by shovi...
2022-11-18 21:05:11 +0000 UTC View PostIrwin gazed dully at the card before him, waiting for Ambraz's opinion. He didn't even bother to ask what the flowing handwriting next to the card said. His initial joy at all the cards had been tempered by the Anvil's increasing despair at the quality of the cards. A soft rumbling from his stomach showed that he'd not had anything to eat since ...
2022-11-18 21:04:45 +0000 UTC View PostIrwin stared at the chain and the massive gem that hung from it.
"So this isn't the Linchpin?" he said, pointing at the gem.
"Nope. It's the chain. Fools them every time," Ambraz said, sounding smug. "If you clear it, you'll be the first to do so since the start."
"And that was-"
"A little over eight years ago, yes," Ambr...
2022-11-18 21:04:17 +0000 UTC View PostSmall stones pressed in his soles as Irwin moved across the path, some so sharp they hurt his tender flesh. Worse, the ground was hot enough to hurt his feet, and as he moved along it, his heartbeat shot up. The air was odd, thick, and hard to breathe, and he kept taking peaks at the lava. It seemed as bright as the sun in some spots, with dark ...
2022-11-18 21:03:53 +0000 UTC View PostIrwin followed after the others as best as he could, but now that he wasn't the one in the lead, he found they had been holding back more than he'd known. It took all his effort just to keep up, let alone have any energy left to look around for things to jump them. He also noticed it hurt…
Over the last few days, he'd come to accept the ...
2022-11-18 21:03:29 +0000 UTC View Post"Ukl ron daghrba!"
Irwin stared at the green humanoid, glaring at him, unsure what to do. He missed Greldo already.
"It sounds like one of those languages the sailors in port spoke," Daubutim said.
"Can you understand it?" Irwin asked as he inspected the odd boy.
Daubutim frowned and poked the chained-up demon, causing it...
2022-11-18 21:03:06 +0000 UTC View Post"Are you certain?" Jake asked Bolyr, unsure of what the other even meant. His mind was still reeling from what he'd seen, and he hoped he wouldn't have nightmares.
Bolyr sat on a nearby rock, tending to his wounds, but he nodded vigorously. As angry as he had been when first seeing the bodies, all of that seemed to have left him, replaced ...
2022-11-11 20:18:23 +0000 UTC View PostConsciousness returned slowly to Irwin, starting with a rock poking in his shoulder and a slight pain in his back from how he lay, half propped up. He'd slept. And not just for a few minutes or even an hour. As he fully woke, his mind was clear, and though his back and side hurt from lying on the rough ground, he felt better than he had, though ...
2022-11-11 07:30:22 +0000 UTC View PostTen minutes after he'd been burned alive, Irwin stepped back through the portal, again landing in the tiny cave-like room he'd now been in twice before. As he stepped next to the entrance, he nodded at Greldo, who was staring at him. The other boy seemed to be biting his tongue to avoid asking questions.
A few seconds later, the other four...
2022-11-09 21:41:17 +0000 UTC View PostIrwin exited the portal and stepped sideways, holding his breath as he looked around. There were no signs of the Imps they had killed or of their own bodies. The cave was its previous dusty pristine self, while the same cackling laughter came from the end of the tunnel.
Is it back to like it was before? He looked around, almost ex...
2022-11-08 21:04:43 +0000 UTC View PostUnlike during the teleportation moment, there were no odd tentacles or other scary things as Irwin whisked through the darkness for a split second. Then he stumbled out, and instantly a dull, comforting heat washed over him. Deep orange light came from cracks in the walls, and a smell of sulfur filled the air. Distant chittering laughter made Ir...
2022-11-08 21:04:37 +0000 UTC View Post"No more questions. I want to rest now," Irwin said, lying on his new and comfy bed.
Oblan had been far too interested, going as far as getting up and demanding to see his card's tattoo. It was such a not-done request that Irwin had been startled and just looked at him until the taller, brawnier boy seemed uncomfortable and returned. Somet...
2022-11-08 21:04:30 +0000 UTC View Post"Irwin, wake up!"
Irwin groaned, trying to turn and pull his blanket further across his shoulder. It didn't seem to budge, almost as if someone was holding it.
"A little longer," he moaned, feeling the aching muscles and knowing that if he fully woke, he'd be in for a bad time.
"No, you need to wake up! We need to group up, or ...
2022-11-08 21:04:23 +0000 UTC View PostMason huddled behind two large boulders near the volcano's edge, trying to get as much shelter against the howling wind as he could. His stomach growled, but it wasn't too bad yet, and he ignored it.
How fucking long can this storm last?
He glared at the sea, nothing but towering waves, lightning bolts, and dark gray skies a...
2022-11-05 15:04:18 +0000 UTC View Post"Mum?" Irwin asked worriedly.
His mother was still staring at him, mouth slightly open.
He'd shown her how he could find things when the candles were out, and she just sat there.
"Did you hear-"
"I heard you, Irwin," his mother hissed as she looked at the door. "I can't believe this. How could Bronwyn find- never mind. It...
2022-11-05 06:27:50 +0000 UTC View PostIrwin barely saw where they were going and only noticed they were in the class for the oldest children when a soft, cold breeze came through the unshuttered windows on the far end.
Xourdin moved to the small desk, then turned and waved at them.
"Sit down. I'll only explain this once, and it's up to you to listen!" As he spoke, he rai...
2022-11-05 06:27:11 +0000 UTC View PostIrwin wanted to run to relieve some of his annoyance but held back. If he ran into someone again, things would only get worse. So, he stalked through the town towards the school building near one of the central squares.
The odd sensation that was his new skill lingered in the back of his mind.
More like a balloon that is filled w...
2022-11-05 06:26:30 +0000 UTC View PostBut I don't want my first card to be a utility card, Irwin thought lamely as he pressed his back against the door. Someone's first card was said to be the most important one and would form and shape the person he would be. What would this card make of him? A glorified candle-lighter?
He knew he was being unreasonable. Most kids in...
2022-11-05 06:25:49 +0000 UTC View Post