Mary Smith
Stories
13
Chapters
4,849
Words
711.2 K
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Reading
2 d, 11 h
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There was a funeral for the dead of Ceris. Wagons carried bodies out of the city in droves. Some were soldiers. Some were Orks. Still others were innocents who had been caught up in this war. I stood at the sidelines while the priests of the Radiant church blessed the pyres, saying prayers in a language I didn’t recognize. Draxus and Kato stood to one side near Gills, who had an arm around Vera’s shoulders. She smiled at him and I saw some of the tension leave my friend's shoulders. Perhaps…-
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The water rippled. As if a single drop of liquid had fallen three rings appeared, spreading slowly outward. Violet froze. Her mouth was half open, locked in an expression of horrified realization. Her eyes began to move, and the drifted up to me, bulging with terror. Then the surface of the dark water shifted. A hand sprang out from the depths, tanned and dripping. It latched into her ankle. Another burst forth, and grabbed her thigh. Violet screamed her body suddenly unfrozen as she turned…
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173 •
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The sun finally breaks the horizon, bathing the city in a soft yellow glow. Mist and steam drifted towards the sky as the water mage did his work on the remnants of the burning city. The siege is over. But the battle within Ceris had only begun. My men drag away the corpses of Orks, piling them into carts to be burned. The people of Ceris watch with dazed expressions as we perform the grim work. Among them, I see Markus’s wife. She stood tall, her hair in a tight bun and her expression fierce. When…
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Perhaps it was madness that made me laugh. Surrounded on all sides by the grimness of death. Mangled bodies of allies and enemies lay before me. Since arriving in this brutal world I have seen my share of violence. I had walked the path of battle, and like every soldier, I had come to know its cost. Flame bloomed before me, a wave of deadly heat that threatened to devour me whole. I could feel the heat before it reached me. “Brace!” Shouted Draxus from behind. Metal clattered as men threw up their…
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The Kahn watched us with dark eyes, his head tilted in amusement. Beneath him, his mount advanced slowly, unhurried. I could see the sick gleam in the gold eyes. A predator that had cornered its prey. “You must forgive my Outrider his manners,” said the Firebrand. His voice was deep but unexpectedly clear - as if common was his native tongue. “It is.. distasteful to allow our mounts to indulge in the consumption of flesh. Once they get a taste they are easily addicted and harder to control.”…
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173 •
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Boots pounded against the cobblestone and echoed off the surrounding houses and into the night. My heart was hammering. I felt the burn of each breath in my lungs. We were out of time. We sprinted towards the end of the street and I wondered if we’d make it. Would we die this way with our backs to the enemy as we fled? Draxus turned his head towards me, and I could see the haunted look in his eye. “Keep moving!” I shouted over the noise. Jorgen stumbled and I caught him under the arm. A…
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Class: Soldier Rank: Knight, 3rd Auxiliary Level: 20 Trait: Swordsmanship Level: Silver Trait: Heavy Armor Level: Bronze Strength: 30% Vitality: 26% Endurance: 26% Agility: 27% I reviewed my stat window as I tightened the straps of my shield and readied myself for the battle to come. My sword gripped loosely in my gauntlet, felt lighter with my additional boost in strength. I would need it before the night was out. The smoke was as thick as the glow of flames rising all around us. The fire was…
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When the room had emptied and the door shut behind us, I gave Lord Blackthorne the message I had been bidden to carry. The Lord’s brows drew together, his expression unreadable as he glanced at me. Then he sighed. “William,” he said. “I have an obligation to you now to warn you that the knowledge I’m about to impart to you is forbidden, even to many in the Inquisition. Lord Dacon belives, as do I, that you are trustworthy enough to know the truth.” He held my gaze. “But I cannot make the…
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When we rounded the corner of the main road, the gate came into view. It was lowering, the teeth of the portcullis nearly halfway to the ground. We would never make it, not even if we ran. A cry of anger and desperation tore from my throat. “Wait!” I shouted, desperate to be heard. “Hold the gate. There are people here!” The guards atop the inner wall hesitated. I could see their pale faces from the flicker of growing firelight. There is fear In many of them and even hesitation. I can use…
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The flames rose high into the air, and with them came the screams. The smoke was thick enough to stick in my lungs as I drew in breaths. Draxus peered around the corner of a building and into the street beyond. The speed with which he retracted his head told me what I needed to know. Enemies lurked somewhere beyond and that complicated things. Hade darted from the shadow of a nearby building and came to a stop beside me, eyes scanning for threats. “We’re about three blocks away from the main…
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