(Illustration: "The Fire of the Longest Night" by Irsanna) "The Reckoning of Olote" Chapter V V The Rise of Kings and the Seed of a Fall ~ As it has been told, the kingdom

Apple Tree by CarryPhoenix, literature

Literature

Apple Tree

Splash, splash, I'm taking a bath... Water droplets flowed down Jack's cheeks and chin, but didn't make him feel better. The attack of rubbish night brain syndrome didn't leave, although he wasn't sleeping anymore. Maybe fresh air could help. Jack glanced at his pals, none of whom was woken up by his sudden activity. This one's mouth was open, that one was knitting his brows together in unknown concern, that one was curled up in a ball dog-like... Perfect. There will be less questions. Jack crawled out of the tent and felt dizzy - the atmosphere changed from warm to cool and windy too suddenly. The annoying tune was not leaving tip

Distant Dissent by OnLinedPaper, literature

Literature

Distant Dissent

They tended to sleep late in the winter, and often did so in communal dens. Woven earth and vine, buried beneath layer upon layer of snow, made for a shelter both hard to detect and harder to penetrate, be the assailant a plain-walker, a sky-hunter, or simply the coldness itself. Even if one of the twisted creatures were to make its way into the burrow, the intermingled, floating crystals of its inhabitants would make for a sharp welcome, to say nothing of the magic these relics bestowed upon their hosts. Against the cold, however, the den was perhaps most effective in its defense; stirred by the warmth and the breath of its small, mammalian

A broken heart by JustAnother-Me, literature

Elements of Change by OnLinedPaper, literature

Literature

Elements of Change

I touch the soil with my palms and fingertips, roll it between my hands, draw its essence into my nose. Earthen scents of decay and bone whisper promises in a language few understand. The year will be fertile – soil speaks openly to those who stop and listen. I draw its strength into me, the firm foundation upon which I build my house, my farm, my family. This is what I have always done. This is what I will always do. Fire and shrieks rip through the harvest; I cannot tell the screams of my horses from those of my children. I run desperately, thoughts swirling as I crest the hill. Glass shatters as the screaming stops, and something in

Draconic Steel by OnLinedPaper, literature

Literature

Draconic Steel

Even the archmage didn’t see him until he had already appeared, so potent was their rival’s magic. When the fell mage stepped out from within a solid stone wall, Precidil could feel the magic flare up from behind her, Lionel’s surprise as evident to her as daylight. “What on earth…” he breathed. To his credit, he composed himself in an instant. "Precidil… stand away.” The archmage’s expression hardened; with a sweep of his arm, he cast his cloak aside and strode forwards, brushing past the Heiress Draconiae and taking a traditional battlemage’s stance. “You’ll go no furth

A Graceful Inevitability by OnLinedPaper, literature

Literature

A Graceful Inevitability

Brass and oil murmur in late afternoon’s golden glow, abandoned; Their creator’s revenants drift away, twinkling by starlight’s shine. Its design was brilliantly conceived, but ultimately futile: Time makes and keeps only one promise. Machinery’s purpose has been annulled, forgotten – Entropy has misplaced its destiny. Now, ancient gears concede; Mainsprings relax, forevermore – Sunlight. Stillness. Silence.

Chaser, Finder by OnLinedPaper, literature

Literature

Chaser, Finder

The morning sun poked its way through the mesh at the top of his tent; 92 million miles away, and it still managed to land itself right in the middle of his face. Danny blinked groggily as the sunbeam passed over his eyes, yawning and sitting up in his sleeping bag. He fumbled around at the top of his tent for his phone, pulling it from its solar charger and trying to make sense of the numbers on the front. 6 AM… damn. The sun rose way too early for his liking this far North. The young man with the silver hair stood up slowly and groaned, dusting off his deep blue jeans and slipping his feet into a pair of well-worn teal sneakers. He le

Open Dissension by OnLinedPaper, literature

Literature

Open Dissension

Under her father’s tutelage, she’d seen many a war room, and had felt at each one to be more of an outsider than most would imagine. The draconic folk prided themselves on their martial abilities; to claim their blood was to claim the fortitude of tacticians a thousand years old. Staking such a claim, however, was almost inconceivably dangerous even for the dragons themselves, a task even the archmage would not have dared attempt. She’d sworn an oath as part of the rite to speak no part of her trials to anyone, and in doing so had set herself apart and above those around her for the rest of her life. They hadn’t told h

All That Bad Luck - Chapter 1 by CCKittyCreative, literature

Literature

All That Bad Luck - Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Rather Average, Indeed Sam considered themselves a rather average kid. They lived with their mother on a plot of land outside a small town in Oregon, behind which sprawled a wall of trees, several miles deep. The white cottage sat far back from the main road, giving the small family quite a bit of privacy; something Sam's mother preferred. Sam was also home schooled. Their mother felt it was for the best and Sam didn't argue. They were rather average, but other children were even more so and, to be honest, rather boring. All they did was sit in a room and learn numbers and reading and science and history. Sam learned that, too, b

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