JWWalters

Chapter Thirty-Nine: Anger

Chapter Thirty-Nine: Anger

Tom grit his teeth, trying to suppress the agitation boiling inside of him. Their small group was travelling directly through the Grounds, aiming to hit the exit of the western trade road where it left the Deep Green and ran onwards to Horizon, tiny ships sailing across an unending sea of pale sere brown.

Tom couldn’t believe this set back. Or perhaps the problem was that it was all too believable: Wayrest’s nobles playing stupid gam...

Chapter Thirty-Eight: The Road Home

Chapter Thirty-Eight: The Road Home

Weary footsteps beat a soft, rhythmic tattoo on the hard packed dirt of the northern trade road. The quiet murmur of voices provided a soft harmony to the never-ending susurrus of grass in the wind. The expedition, now much reduced, limped home towards Horizon.

The expedition had continued on throughout the night, healing the wounded as they went, eating as they walked. They fended off a higher than usual amount of ambushes by t...

Chapter Thirty-Seven: Running Battle

Chapter Thirty-Seven: Running Battle

Tom was tired. He couldn’t ever remember being so bone-weary. Not during the Reaping, when he had spent days abused by orcs and then more fleeing through a forest with only a handful of skills to his name, or during the guerilla war in the Deep, when they had spent months trekking back and forth, constantly laying ambushes and fending off orcs.

After Sunrise had used her surge skill and frozen the orc cavalry, the expedition ...

Chapter Thirty-Six: Pursuit

Chapter Thirty-Six: Pursuit

Tom wrenched his spear from the corpse of an orc, and the brute collapsed bonelessly into the long grass. Sesame roared, and a cloud of razor sharp shards of obsidian peppered an approaching pack of winewolves even as Tom’s spear lashed out and claimed the orc’s life.

Tom wheeled Sesame around as a bar of fire flashed into the night sky. Rosa, next to them atop Coal, was targeting down wind sprites that had begun to attack them from...

Chapter Thirty-Five: A Wing and a Prayer

Chapter Thirty-Five: A Wing and a Prayer

Tensions rose all through the next day. The expedition was surrounded by at least one hundred of the huge, savage orcs, with more filtering in. The fact that they were only keeping pace at a distance, shadowing them, was only cause for more tension.

It was unlike any previous orc behaviour, whether from the Deep, or from that of legend, during the Extermination Wars. Orcs attacked with single-minded viciousness with absolut...

Chapter Thirty-Four: Grinding on

Chapter Thirty-Four: Grinding on

The first week went well for the expedition. They encountered the usual problems: attacks by beasts, some interpersonal friction, a handful of injuries resulting from them, but these were expected on any foray outside of a fortress city.

They made good time, forging northwards into the Grounds. They saw no signs of orcs, though, nor any sign of their camp.

They knew roughly where the last two scouting forays had run into trou...

Chapter Thirty-Three: Vacation

Chapter Thirty-Three: Vacation

The first several days of travel were uneventful. The expedition was attacked regularly, but it was no issue for the bloody monks.

They had all trained in the Proving Grounds. They all made regular pilgrimages to far off lands, and to do so, they had to travel across the Grounds and back again. Fending off attacks while travelling with over one hundred of their brothers and sisters was a walk in the park for them.

Many of the m...

Chapter Thirty-Two: Details

Chapter Thirty-Two: Details

The next day, Tom and Rosa hiked back up to the monastery before dawn. In the cool mountain air, they found the expedition, mostly ready to go, waiting only on Abbess Sunrise and some senior monks in a last minute conference with Sunset.

Tom and Rosa joined Darius, who flashed them a handsome grin, and together, the three of them waited, breath pluming in the predawn air. Soon enough, Abbess Sunrise joined them, and a few senior monks d...

Chapter Thirty-One: Family Time

Chapter Thirty-One: Family Time

As Tom’s martial skill improved, so did his geopolitical, economic, tactical and strategic understanding. As the expedition drew closer to leaving, he found himself reminiscing on his time in the Deep, the siege, and its aftermath.

Although he had continued to improve, had uplifted several more skills, the infestation here in the Proving Grounds represented a huge amount of unknowns. He just hoped their combined forces would be ab...

Chapter Thirty: Preparations

Chapter Thirty: Preparations

The next week was a blur of frenetic activity as the monastery prepared for the expedition. As Tom and Rosa had entered the monastery for the first time, he had noted the hustle and bustle, thinking to himself that the level of activity could not be regular.

He was correct. The monks had already been hard at work, both preparing for the larger scouting expedition, and also for their eventual war of extermination. But after their meetin...

Chapter Twenty-Nine: Faith

Chapter Twenty-Nine: Faith

Tom tensed, expecting Lyanna to burst into immediate action, but the brawny woman simply closed her eyes and inclined her head. She intoned a steady stream of prayer under her breath.

“O Goddess, Peerless Warrior, hallowed in name and deed, strengthen my arm as yours is strong so that I may strike down those of little faith. Strengthen my soul as yours is strong…”

And so she continued. And as she prayed Tom felt a concerning ...

Chapter Twenty-Eight: Gambit

Chapter Twenty-Eight: Gambit

Silence hung in the hall like an indrawn breath. For a moment, pure shock grasped everyone’s throats.

Tom smiled as a wall of sound roared and broke over him. The monks clapped and stamped so hard he could feel it in the ancient marble floor through his boots. The noise was so raucous, so overwhelming, that Tom felt his health regeneration kick in. His hearing was too sensitive for the sheer volume with Sus and Sol subsumed.

To...

Chapter Twenty-Seven: Flawless

Chapter Twenty-Seven: Flawless

Monks roared with approval as the duel ended. They stamped their feet and clapped, whistling and yelling their approval.

Rosa simply stood, watching Abbess Sunrise and Abbot Sunset with an even expression. Both looked vaguely amused.

“Well,” Sunrise said when the hubbub died down. “It seems that the blood of Horizon still runs strong in Raventos. Well fought. You have earned a place on our expedition.”

Rosa nodded...

Chapter Twenty-Six: Smoke and Mirrors

Chapter Twenty-Six: Smoke and Mirrors

“You must prove yourselves,” Abbess Sunrise said with a feline smile.

Tom shrugged. He was keen to train against the monks while he was here anyway, but he didn’t think they’d actually indulge him. He was not so keen on the implication that he and Rosa would either not be a challenge for the monks, or would lose their nerve and back down, though.

“We accept,” Rosa said simply, not even needing to look at him....

Chapter Twenty-Five: Sunrise and Sunset

Chapter Twenty-Five: Sunrise and Sunset

“The Monastery of the Bloody Dawn welcomes Wayrest,” the Abbess said. “We have much to discuss.”

Her voice was deep and husky, but her tone was surprisingly light. She did not smile though, and fierce intelligence lit in her hooded eyes as she appraised them minutely.

She seemed young for someone in such a powerful position, though not a youth. Age could be difficult to discern for Idealists though, given the e...

Chapter Twenty-Four: The Monastery of the Bloody Dawn

Chapter Twenty-Four: The Monastery of the Bloody Dawn

Tom took a deep breath and grasped Rosa’s hand as they made their way to the small gates at the back of Horizon.

He was nervous about the upcoming meeting, but grateful that he wouldn’t be the one doing the bulk of the negotiating. That task was for Tanya. Using her long range communication skill under Trade she would facilitate discussions directly between the Monastery and the Council of Wayrest.

Ev...

Chapter Twenty-Three: Reunion

Chapter Twenty-Three: Reunion

Rosa slumped in her seat, arms crossed, trying her hardest to manifest the Ideal of Scowling.

“Oh, Rooosiee, you didn’t!” her sister Talia screeched.

Tom was regaling them with a story about Rosa. She had gotten overly cross with him at one point while they were fighting the guerilla war. In a temper, she had sent a bar of fire into the woods that broke loose a branch -which then promptly bonked her on the head.

Tom ...

Chapter Twenty-Two: Horizon

Chapter Twenty-Two: Horizon

It took them another half an hour to ride up the gently sloping river valley to Horizon. Tom could tell Rosa chafed at the delay, and yet they could not gallop down the road without alarming both the workers tending the fields and the guardsmen.

Soon they reached the gates of Horizon. The city had only one entry. The massive red wall that stretched from one side of the valley to another was interrupted by a single, enormous gate.

...

Chapter Twenty-One: Proven

Chapter Twenty-One: Proven

Peach light filtered softly from the dawn sky. They had woken in darkness and been on the road with the moon still crisp in the black velvet canvas above. The feet of their familiars drummed a steady beat on the road. The ever-present smell of grass hung heavy in the air as the day began to form its heat.

Anticipation lay in the lines of everyone’s faces, in their postures. Today, they would reach Horizon.

Everyone was exhausted....

Chapter Twenty: Parliamentary Deliberations

Chapter Twenty: Parliamentary Deliberations

“Right, then, Tom Cutter, let us get your uplift dealt with so we can go,” Rosa said.

“Are you sure?” He said, enjoying teasing them after they’d made him wait. “We could always go over yours and Darius’ again.”

Darius snorted, but Rosa was not impressed. “Do or don’t, Tom. I don’t care. I need get to Horizon, now.”

Guilt welled up in him. He had spoken without thinki...

Chapter Nineteen: Honey

Note: I'm back! Sorry for the long absence everyone. Family stuff is all back on track now, and I'm in a much better headspace to deliver you all chapters.

On that note, tier one has been increased to 5 chapters, tier two to 10, and tier 3 to 20 chapters! Which means an extra ten chapters today for you :)

Posting schedule will resume at three per week, Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

Chapter Nineteen: Honey

Everyone watche...

Chapter Eighteen: Busy Living

Chapter Eighteen: Busy Living

Tom eventually managed to mollify Rosa by refusing to do more than glance at his uplift before she had agreed to discuss hers. Darius helped by laughing so loudly and for so long that they began to worry he would draw the attention of beasts even through the wardpoles. Rosa became incensed at him, drawing some of the heat off Tom. When she eventually cooled down, she explained the three options she had been given.

The first two option...

Chapter Seventeen: Debrief

Chapter Seventeen: Debrief

Tom awoke to a bright sun hanging low in the morning sky. He groaned, struggling upwards, but found only Darius and Tanya awake.

“Morning, Tom,” Tanya said cheerily. It seemed a decent night’s sleep had done wonders for her energy.

Darius gave him a grin and a nod. “We were thinking it is best that everyone gets more sleep,” he said.

“Morning,” Tom greeted them groggily, “Thanks.”

Rosa jerked beside hi...

Chapter Sixteen: Moonlight

Hello everyone,

Apologies for the absence. A small update for you today.

A family member received a bad diagnosis, and I've been taking some time to process.

This has come just before a planned vacation for a month, so not great timing. I had planned to use the week before the vacation to smash out all the chapters needed to carry you through it, but things have unfortunately not worked out that way.

This means there will be another posting break from now until the sta...

Chapter Fifteen: Shit Yeah

Author's Note: This might be one of my favourite chapters I've written yet. Hope you enjoy :)

Chapter Fifteen: Shit Yeah

“ROSA!” Tom screamed.

Every fibre of his being hitched. His focus narrowed down to her, turning, slowly, too slowly to see the tendrils of snaking from the shadows in the grass, tipped with black, knife-like ends. His heart skipped a beat. They pulled in on themselves, not retreating, but coiling t...

Chapter Fourteen: Strength and Speed

Chapter Fourteen: Strength and Speed

Tom was a whirlwind.

Never before had he felt so shockingly quick. He skidded, positioning, trying to process the information from his senses, from Sesame, from his birds. The perception buffs from Sweet Suffering helped somewhat, but his speed was exceeding how fast he could handle the information. The world moved as if submerged in molasses.

His bonds with his familiars were pinging with panic. Through them, he...

Chapter Thirteen: Inconsistencies

Chapter Thirteen: Inconsistencies

Tom watched as the orcs approached. Three things became instantly apparent: it was a full warband, they would be on them in minutes, and they were most definitely different from the orcs in the Deep.

He watched through Sus and Sol as the thirty or so orcs strolled closer. The sight of them itched at him.

The orcs in the Deep could fit into three broad categories: regular orcs, Idealists, and the chieftains, with the Smith be...

Chapter Twelve: Grass Sharks

Chapter Twelve: Grass Sharks

It wasn’t long before the rest of the group began to hear the barks themselves. They drifted in on the wind, weaker than those created by the wind sprites though more natural sounding than them, and obviously coming from a separate source.

The remaining three wind sprites danced maliciously in the air, playing their own recordings of the barks. They looked gleeful. They knew all they had to do was wait.

Several days before, Dar...

Chapter Eleven: Wind

Chapter Eleven: Wind

The group forwent lunch, Darius citing it as being too risky to stop so near the site of an attack. There was always a high potential for other predators to be drawn in. So it was that the group, though they were a little bemused at how easy their encounter with the grass sprites had been, carried on riding, wary and alert.

Except for Tom.

Tom was marvelling at the increased sensitivity he had been granted by the uplift to Hunter-Gathere...

Chapter Ten: Sensation

Chapter Ten: Sensation

It took just over an hour for the salve to purge the last of the sandscale venom from Sesame’s system. Once he was cured, and fully healed from sleeping, Tom woke him up, and the party carried on.

Darius explained that the sandscales were notorious for the lethality of their toxins in Horizon, but also quite rare. They used the venom to coat arrows and daggers, and reserved them for hunting the most dangerous threats in the Grounds.

...