With the back of his hand, Rylan wiped away the warm, salty liquid running down his philtrum, the taste of copper on his lips.
His nose didn’t feel broken, and either way, Ethereon was already soothing the sting, though not his pride.
Soren’s spirit was still emerald green, but Ry...
2025-12-02 08:44:11 +0000 UTC View PostSeeing his father’s squared back appear in front of him, Rylan felt his heart plummet. “No!” he cried, grabbing onto Artoran’s shoulder, knowing deep down that it was too late, the javelin was already flying, shining like a miniature sun from all the—
A blue glow came flying in fr...
2025-11-24 14:11:43 +0000 UTC View PostAs the whistling rapidly crescendoed, Rylan instinctively turned to look over his shoulder.
Something smashed into the attacking warship’s deck. The impact rocked the entire vessel, sending out a wave of pressure that momentarily cleared the smoke as soldiers were sent flying like ragdoll...
2025-11-17 15:20:09 +0000 UTC View PostRylan’s stomach sank as he watched the tip of the massive harpoon slowly shift to face them.
Harpooning another vessel to pull them closer was a staple of naval combat, and while he’d long dreamed of witnessing or even participating in such an event, Rylan had somehow never pictured him...
2025-11-10 14:34:12 +0000 UTC View PostA drop of condensed fog still from down in the tubes dripped down from Rylan’s hair onto his nose. He ignored it, his gaze firmly focused on the solid bamboo railing he was squatting behind. Or rather, on the two blobs of blue approaching from the other side. Two. It seemed like Tamina had reac...
2025-11-03 14:44:44 +0000 UTC View Post“Nice one, Dad!” Leahna cheered as his barrels left the Talons’ men in disarray. She followed the statement up by picking off another soldier with a well-aimed arrow.
Rylan followed suit, two more of his knives finding flesh in quick succession.
While the soldiers’ sprint had ...
2025-10-27 14:43:52 +0000 UTC View PostRylan did his best not to think about the expanse below him as he transferred all of his weight to his arms and pulled himself up out of the fog inlet.
He opted to climb using only his arms, not willing to test the harpoon’s grip by bracing his legs against the stone of the cliff. Between...
2025-10-20 14:31:23 +0000 UTC View PostNazyr managed to detach the wheel in record time, causing Rylan to wonder how often the man had taken wheels off of carts before.
He imagined they could fetch a decent price on the black market. The spokes might be made of bamboo, but the rim was solid steel.
Lowering the rather heavy...
2025-10-13 13:52:12 +0000 UTC View PostRylan took in the scene in the kitchen, keeping his face blank. The squad’s commander was leaning back in his father’s comfortable chair, one leg folded over the other, seeming entirely unconcerned about the deaths of his subordinates. Meanwhile, Artoran was on his knees, the woman behind him...
2025-10-06 15:40:21 +0000 UTC View PostAs the skirmish outside moved further down the street, Nazyr led the party out the back door into a dirty alleyway. Up ahead, a man quickly darted through a doorway, slamming it shut behind him, seeming spooked by their sudden appearance.
Rylan paid the man no heed as he jogged after the fo...
2025-09-29 10:52:52 +0000 UTC View PostThe crawl through the long tunnel was tense, the occasional thundering boom shaking the stone around them even down here.
Rylan tried very hard not to imagine being buried by a cave-in, and just kept crawling.
When they at last exited through Kher’s secret door into the larger caves...
2025-09-22 11:55:33 +0000 UTC View PostTense as things were, there was little Rylan could do to speed up the cloudcrank from his position on one of the wings, and they still had a ways to go. Restless, he decided to check his new Skill—and his mana reserves—as it might very well come in handy.
“Blessed Ethereon,” he mumb...
2025-09-15 17:25:52 +0000 UTC View PostRylan didn’t know what to make of the woman arriving by kelpie, but either way, he didn’t like it. The speed at which she was riding through the fog at night suggested a level of urgency that tied his stomach in knots.
Has some distant person somehow noticed I’m accessing this con...
2025-09-08 15:21:52 +0000 UTC View PostSo. August has passed and it was... quite the month.
I sold a lot of books at Castlefest, had a lot of happy return customers, and I had a great holiday to boot.
However, my girlfriend and I also had our world turned upside down by some terrible news about the health of a loved ...
2025-09-01 17:23:22 +0000 UTC View PostRylan’s eyes widened, but he didn’t pull his hand off the glowing prism; Ethereon was still calculating. ‘They’re on the move? Where?’
[They’re coming this way! I think he’s giving her a tour... Big Sis seems to be trying to stall—she’s stopping and pointing at things—bu...
2025-09-01 16:26:28 +0000 UTC View PostLeahna shivered as she limped through the cool fog, her hands rubbing over the leather that covered her upper arms. She’d left her midnight-
Leahna shivered as she limped through the cool fog, her hands rubbing over the leather that covered her upper arms. She’d left her midnight-blue c...
2025-08-25 14:05:49 +0000 UTC View PostRylan flew forward, once more tethered to the cloudcrank only by a length of rope. Though this time, it was by his own choice. Stretching ou
Rylan flew forward, once more tethered to the cloudcrank only by a length of rope.
Though this time, it was by his own choice.
Stretching ...
2025-08-18 13:36:42 +0000 UTC View PostCold fog streamed past Rylan’s face, the sound of it almost enough to drown out the hum of the cloudcrank’s whirling propellers. The wind was making his eyes water, so he risked letting go of one of the handles on the craft’s wing to pull his cowl tighter around his head.
Even as he a...
2025-08-11 17:42:00 +0000 UTC View PostYuel and Nazyr led the way over well-trodden paths of sand and crushed shells between the collection of ramshackle huts. Even down here, thi
Yuel and Nazyr led the way over well-trodden paths of sand and crushed shells between the collection of ramshackle huts.
Even down here, things ...
2025-08-04 15:39:15 +0000 UTC View Post“I’m so excited,” Leahna continued. “I haven’t seen Cassie in years!” Rylan and Artoran both stared at her. “What?” Leahna asked after a mom
“I’m so excited,” Leahna continued. “I haven’t seen Cassie in years!”
Rylan and Artoran both stared at her.
...
2025-07-28 16:10:30 +0000 UTC View PostSo, I've been mulling over what I'm going to do in August for a while, as it's a rather packed month for me.
I've got a big festival (Castlefest) coming up where I'm going to set up a stand to sell books for several days, plus I've got a holiday planned, and two weddings to attend...
2025-07-25 13:03:46 +0000 UTC View PostRylan shifted his weight on the cushioned wicker chair, the same one Sloan had once planted him in after he’d gotten unwell inside the pub’s
Rylan shifted his weight on the cushioned wicker chair, the same one Sloan had once planted him in after he’d gotten unwell inside the pub’s m...
2025-07-25 12:49:10 +0000 UTC View PostPre-chapter author's note: I did a little retcon this weekend regarding the scaling at higher grades. I realised I didn't like the way the e
Pre-chapter author's note:
I did a little retcon this weekend regarding the scaling at higher grades. I realised I di...
When Leahna decided it was time to head home, Rylan came along to witness her reunion with their father, and he was not disappointed. The ma
When Leahna decided it was time to head home, Rylan came along to witness her reunion with their father, and he was not disappointed.
The man wa...
2025-07-18 11:34:31 +0000 UTC View PostLeahna carefully helped her father shuffle over to the corner of the back patio. Leaning heavily on his fishbone crutches, he managed the la
Leahna carefully helped her father shuffle over to the corner of the back patio. Leaning heavily on his fishbone crutches, he managed the last few ste...
2025-07-14 16:31:43 +0000 UTC View Post
If you ever felt like chekcing out the audiobook version of The Whispering Crystals, now is definitely the time! ^^
You can check it out here: ...
2025-07-12 08:36:51 +0000 UTC View PostIn the end, they mutually decided that Rylan should hang on to the pearl for safety until Leahna was actually ready to take it. The effect o
In the end, they mutually decided that Rylan should hang on to the pearl for safety until Leahna was actually ready to take it.
The effect of th...
2025-07-11 14:04:22 +0000 UTC View Post“So, how exactly were you thinking of celebrating?” Leahna asked after settling in on the couch, keeping one eye and a smile on where Izzy was playing with Arphin and one of her spinners.
Rylan held up a finger, and walked to a cabinet hung from the wall, from which he produced a small ...
2025-07-07 12:30:35 +0000 UTC View Post“That’s it, Izzy, keep it around there for now, yeah?”
It had taken some effort to explain exactly what he wanted from the little spirit, but she seemed to be getting it now. He hoped.
They were on the back patio, and Izzy was keeping one of the spinners Rylan had folded for her...
2025-07-04 14:05:05 +0000 UTC View PostRylan pulled his dark green cowl a little tighter and started to walk forward again, trying to act normal. ‘Arphin, I need you to look inside the restaurant for me, buddy,’ he sent.
[Oh? What’s going on, Boss?]
‘There are two Quinthar inside. Can you make them out yet?’
<... 2025-06-30 12:42:46 +0000 UTC View Post