Jennifer Jones
Stories
4
Chapters
1,292
Words
687.3 K
Comments
0
Reading
2 d, 9 h
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Tala turned and walked as quickly as she was able, which was surprisingly fast given her increased gravity. Terry sunk his talons into her shoulder, the points failing to pierce her skin but holding him securely, nonetheless. And there it was: A beautiful, stone building. It was eye-catching without being ostentatious. If she understood the windows on the outside correctly, it was a single-story structure, but that single story seemed to be nearly twenty-five feet high. Its large entrance opened onto a…-
211 •
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Tala and the four other Archons came back out into the entry hall, and Tala waved at her coffee acquirer. Elnea led them down another passage. This one had a thick, deep-blue rug running the length. Paintings and tapestries hung evenly spaced down either side, most depicting some form of creature. They each seemed a bit embellished, as Tala thought she spotted a thunder bull that was depicted as wreathed in lightning. There were obviously magical beings sprinkled among the arcanous, if her guesses were…
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211 •
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Tala stared at the servant for a long moment. “Oh, slag.” Tala did Instead, she walked over to the closest table and pulled out a stack of around twenty plates, setting them on the table. She heard a few mutters and some chuckles. She stuck her hand back in. The servant looked on with widening eyes. He reached out and took the top plate from one of the stacks. “It’s…clean?” “Did you expect me to give you some of the food back?” Grediv casually flicked outward with his right, pinkie…
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211 •
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Tala was again trying to decide how to depart from the increasingly straining event, when Elnea drew the focus back to herself. “Attention! We all have things to be about, so we will now perform the final steps of the elevation.” She motioned to the three new Archons, drawing them to her from where they’d dispersed through the room. Tala had just finished adding desserts to her food reserves, in preparation for departure. Thus, she came from a side table, tucked in one corner. Lyn had been…
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211 •
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Tala gave a slight bow, once more, but this time, it was to give her a moment to think. When she straightened, she was still no closer to having a coherent response. She was still feeling quite overwrought by all that had happened. Elnea’s grin shifted to a more companionable smile. “It can be overwhelming, so many things changing at once, then to see yourself as others do?” She shook her head. “You are holding up surprisingly well.” She leaned closer and spoke in a conspiratorial whisper. “I…
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211 •
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Power exploded from several distinct points around Tala, various workings lashing out towards her, and she reacted on instinct, not waiting until she determined what they were intended to do. She channeled power into Flow. The blade swept outward, becoming the wire-thin outline of a sword, surrounding a field of throbbing heat. That transformation took place even as she swung, slicing the first working to come within reach and ending it before it could affect her. She dodged, ducked, dipped, dived,…
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211 •
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Tala waited. The attendant, against all odds, came through, and Tala ended up consuming close to three gallons of coffee. She had no idea how the attendant kept procuring the stuff, but it was there, so Tala drank it. Terry slept. Kit hung. Flow rested in its sheath. Tala was bored. She didn’t know exactly what to expect, when her time for evaluation finally arrived. They were going to examine her star, that much was obvious, but she didn’t know why that took a special meeting or in-person…
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211 •
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Tala ground her teeth as she circled Adam on the sand of the training courtyard. Every step compressed a circle of sand, but not markedly; there was enough surface area that she still got good purchase. Arguably, she had a better footing now than before the increase to her weight and footing surface area. Again and again, she threw herself at the guardsman: punches and kicks, elbows and even headbutts were launched as sweat poured from her. He was too skilled to allow virtually any of her hits to…
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211 •
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Tala, Lyn, and Terry walked the darkened streets. It wasn’t too late, so they were far from alone as they made their way through the cool, nighttime streets. They moved slowly, lethargic from their feast and high off their recent accomplishments. The two Mages chatted about small things, shortly coming to the topic of relationships. Apparently, several eligible men had been attempting to woo Lyn, but she’d turned down all comers. “I just don’t need that sort of complication in my life, you…
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Tala stared at her friend, still in a bit of a daze. Lyn seemed to be examining the floor in front of Tala. “I hope you know: I’m pretty sure we can’t clean that.” Tala looked down and saw an irregular circle of blood around the stub of her finger. The rest had been kept in her body. Tala groaned. The slight tang of copper was in the air, along with something that seemed to tingle her nose unpleasantly. Tala swallowed, licking her dried lips. The rug looked well made. Lyn sighed, handing…
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