Sarah Davis
Stories
10
Chapters
3,751
Words
1.8 M
Comments
0
Reading
6 d, 3 h
-
As soon as Kai heard about the monsters in the lower levels, mining crystals started to feel like a chore. His goal wasn't to join the workers, it was to help them, and he could help them far more by dealing with their monster problem. The only thing that kept him from going straight down at the first opportunity was that he wanted to do it right. When he delivered all the crystals from his work, the young woman frowned at him again. "Good work, crystallier." "I'm not a crys-" "You look like one to me."…-
1.9 K •
-
-
Each time anyone struck the crystal walls, they risked serious injury. Certain planes of the crystal were tougher than others, so their pickaxe might bounce off at a dangerous angle, or the area might shatter and send shards of crystal into their legs. Every day there were injuries from just such accidents, and down here without proper medical care, they could lead to losing a limb. Because there weren't enough tools to go around, and no one trusted him anyway, Kai worked in the partially cleared tunnels…
-
1.9 K •
-
-
Though Zae Zin Nim had scoured the countryside and investigated the local institutions as a precaution, she had never for a moment believed that Kai would simply turn up. No, that would have been too easy. Ever since she had seen the Brightwind cultivators and known her father was looking for her, life had been cursed. That curse had fallen on Kai, who had enough ill luck of his own, and something was definitely wrong. Her return wasn't difficult, as her crystal ship had thankfully been undamaged. When…
-
1.9 K •
-
-
At first Kai wondered where the light was coming from, since he didn't see any lanterns, then he realized that the walls themselves glowed softly. They were a dark gray, like the cloudiest quartz, but they were emanating light at such a low level he almost didn't perceive it. That light allowed him to see the miserable people clustered around him. They certainly looked Krysali when it came to their dusky skin and straight hair, but instead of fine wraps, they had filthy rags hanging off their bones. He…
-
1.9 K •
-
-
For a very brief time, Kai had hoped that the conflict might end without violence. But when he saw the behavior of the cultivators, he understood that they were playing by Zae Zin Nim's rules now. There would be no quarter given and begging for it would only lead to mockery before death. When Zae Zin Nim cried out to him, begging for him to help, he knew what had to be done. More than anything, she wanted to stop her sect from informing her father. It might only buy them time, but it was better than the…
-
1.9 K •
-
-
Normally Zae Zin Nim trusted Kai to take care of himself. Even if he was idealistic to the point of naivety, he was strong and he could be trusted to fight or kill when necessary. But now he was dealing with Omilaena, who she didn't trust, and sect cultivators, who would be more ruthless than he could understand. Technically she was supposed to be cultivating, but her focus repeatedly wavered. She wished she could just kill everyone sent by the Brightwind sect, but she needed more time... Eventually she…
-
1.9 K •
-
-
Kai strained against his bonds as Omilaena leaned closer, truly testing their strength for the first time. He'd pulled a little when he first awoke, still loose from the poison, and now tried with real strength. Unfortunately, they had definitely been created to hold someone like him... he thought he might be able to break free with his full monstrous strength, but he needed to save the attempt for the right moment. "Right now we're still dangerously close to the city," she told him cheerfully. "We can't…
-
1.9 K •
-
-
The battle between Omilaena and Tareth moved aggressively around the room, but Kai thought she had the edge. She was primarily using her pipe as a blunt weapon, somehow reinforcing it with chakra so that it could equal his blows. As strong as Tareth's Spellword Class was, she seemed to be adapting, taking fewer impacts from his shockwaves with each exchange. Eventually Tareth let out a shout, shattering the air all around him. Omilaena leapt out of range... toward Kai. He'd been thinking about how to use…
-
1.9 K •
-
-
"Oh, and look for any crowns," Zae Zin Nim said. "There are certain magical artifacts that can enhance your ability to sense qi." Kai sighed and nodded, yet again. "It's starting to sound like just about everything can be enhanced. Do I just need to write down every object I see?" "We prefer to integrate our enhancements into our clothing on Cloudspire instead of using bulky equipment." Her lips twisted in frustration. "But if you draw too much attention, they might think you're the thief, and trust me,…
-
1.9 K •
-
-
Leaving on the assignment turned out to be a little more awkward than that, because apparently Tareth had been hoping that Zae Zin Nim would come along. Kai couldn't blame him: she looked like she was nearly at the level of the Diamond Crystalliers, while he had only just broken 200 Power. But Zae Zin Nim was still paranoid about the Brightwind cultivators finding her and wouldn't budge, so Kai went alone and considered it a chance to prove himself. In a city where almost everyone floated on crystals,…
-
1.9 K •
-
- Previous 1 … 359 360 361 … 376 Next
