Jennifer Wilson
Stories
6
Chapters
6,959
Words
80.8 K
Comments
0
Reading
6 h, 44 m
-
Despite all his misgivings and unease, Sunny had never expected that this hunt was going to change everything. He was just going through the motions, somewhat on edge because of the scale of this joint operation, but also strangely reassured by the large number of hunters surrounding him. The unusual hunting party left the outer settlement at noon, heading east, to the massive ruin of a collapsed lighthouse that was situated at the edge of the city. There were almost twenty of them gathered together,…-
10.8 K •
-
-
After about a month of living in the outer settlement, Sunny woke up one morning with the feeling of not belonging anywhere in this world. This familiar feeling had pursued him for most of his life, and had returned recently after being gone for some time. With a sigh, he rose from his narrow cot and summoned the Puppeteer's Shroud. The stone lodge was already full of sounds and voices. The tempting smell of breakfast filled the air. Coming out of his small room, Sunny saw a bunch of Neph's helpers…
-
10.8 K •
-
-
After that day, things moved with a speed that left Sunny disoriented. It was as though he was being pulled forward by an overpowering current, helpless to slow down or change direction. Before he could react to one change, another would happen, making him feel like he was losing control. Everything was happening so fast that he found it difficult to adjust. It was hard not to fear that, eventually, he would simply be left behind. After that first hunt where Nephis had chosen to give most of the…
-
10.8 K •
-
-
Their first hunt was surprisingly uneventful. Guided by an experienced pathfinder and augmented by Sunny's stealthy shadow, they managed to avoid any Fallen creatures and arrive at the destination in one piece. There, the group hid in the ruins and waited for their prey to show up. The plan of battle was discussed beforehand. After Effie had described the type of monster they were here to kill, complete with a detailed list of its strengths and weaknesses, Nephis quickly assigned different roles to…
-
10.8 K •
-
-
The blood was still dripping from Andel's severed head when they left the castle. Nephis was holding it by the hair, her face as indifferent as always. It seemed as though carrying human heads was not even something worthy of changing facial expressions. Suddenly, Sunny saw Changing Star in a new light. It was a long time since he had last been wary of her, but now, he was starting to wonder. Just how many people had she killed in the past? The facial expressions of everyone else, though, ranged…
-
10.8 K •
-
-
Everyone grew quiet. Even Gemma seemed to be slightly stunned by that proclamation. The only person to not react to it at all was Caster, who had entered the grand hall a bit earlier and was now standing by one of the walls, watching Nephis with a complex expression. Her full name was shocking to hear for two entirely different, but equally earth-shattering reasons. Firstly, she had called herself not by a human name, but by a True one. In the entire history of human civilization, only a handful of…
-
10.8 K •
-
-
By the time the three of them were led to the grand hall of the castle, the news that there was going to be another challenge had yet to spread through the entire fortress. Because of that, there was no crowd there, just a few dozen people who had happened to walk past and heard the commotion. However, their number was growing with each minute. Standing before the entrance to the hall, Nephis was calmly looking forward, her thoughts a mystery. She seemed to be steady and collected. Sunny, on the other…
-
10.8 K •
-
-
Outside, the sun was already moving past its zenith. There wasn't that much time left before the sunset, so Sunny was really unsure about what Nephis could do to change Effie's mind before evening. However, judging by the determined expression on her face, Changing Star wasn't just throwing words to the wind. She had something specific in mind. He hesitated. "So, uh… what exactly are we going to do now?" Neph glanced at him, white flames dancing in the depths of her cold grey eyes. Then, she…
-
10.8 K •
-
-
Some time later, they were standing in front of a makeshift cabin. Just like Changing Star's patchwork dwelling, the cabin was constructed out of mismatched stone blocks that had been scavenged from the ruins. It was reinforced with monster hides here and there and seemed to be built slightly better than the rest of the hovels in the outer settlement. There was a large bestial skull hung above the door, its thick forehead split apart by a devastating strike of some sharp weapon. Glancing at the…
-
10.8 K •
-
-
The Crimson Spire… that eerie and everpresent shadow that had hunted him all this time. The cyclopean tower that stood at the center of the Labyrinth, or maybe was the source of it, emanating a harrowing sense of foreboding. The background for the last part of Cassie's vision. Of course, the damn Gateway just had to be in that damn spire! Sunny sighed. This was unwelcomed, but not unexpected news. After all, Inspector Rock did warn them that, should they ever find themselves in a region of…
-
10.8 K •
-
- Previous 1 … 680 681 682 … 696 Next
