Amelia wasn't sure why she'd come to this banquet, but she was quickly regretting it.
Well, that wasn't entirely true if she was honest with herself. She'd come for two reasons, both of which had caused her no shortage of irritation.
F...
2026-01-13 09:09:47 +0000 UTC View PostWe slipped past countless nobles, mages, and wealthy merchants to reach a spot near the middle of the dance floor. I took a moment to listen to the music before pulling Vesper close and moving in a simple, flowing waltz. It was a classic, easy to ...
2026-01-11 04:49:08 +0000 UTC View PostVesper glanced at me, concern in her eyes as she whispered, "What is it?"
I didn't respond, keeping my eyes focused on the man descending the stairs. He didn't look hostile, but then again, looks could be deceiving.
Simon had ...
2026-01-08 09:27:16 +0000 UTC View PostI turned my head to one side, checking my face over for any signs of errant stubble. Some nobles liked keeping a beard, but any facial hair I grew tended to be as patchy as leaves on a mid-autumn tree. Hardly the sort of thing any reputable young ...
2026-01-06 09:54:11 +0000 UTC View PostSig returned downstairs several minutes after our final match, carrying two glasses that smelled of something stronger than just water. He handed me one, then slid a chair out from near his workbenches and sat down before taking a deep pull from h...
2026-01-03 09:15:45 +0000 UTC View PostSig's basement looked larger than I remembered. I wasn't sure when, but he'd added a second training ring, larger than the first but with the same wooden border and sandy floor.
New targets hung on the far wall, and I could sense even from a...
2026-01-01 09:08:04 +0000 UTC View PostDays passed quickly in Volaris as Flynn and I searched for answers to the great problem of mind magic. We worked our way through all available books twice over, even considering the more sensitive materials Flynn managed to acquire through charm a...
2025-12-30 10:37:22 +0000 UTC View PostI reached the Ollais home around midday, just a few minutes late for our meeting. It was rude without question, and I had to hope Vesper would take offense.
As I walked up to the home, I sensed a pulse of darkness mana. The door opened, and ...
2025-12-27 09:27:43 +0000 UTC View PostTwo years had passed since I stepped foot in the Academy. Two years, and the size of its entrance hall still struck me.
I stood there, looking around at the statues lining the hall. Each was a monument to a life spent pursuing the greatest h...
2025-12-25 08:15:37 +0000 UTC View PostI left the Ollais' home, finding myself at a loss for what to do next. Rejoining Flynn seemed the most obvious choice, but I knew there was little point. My brother would have his job well in hand, and my presence wouldn't make it easier.
Ma...
2025-12-23 08:28:55 +0000 UTC View PostThe Ollais home wasn't impressive by noble standards. In fact, if I weren't in the Upper District and didn't know it was the estate of an old, respected family, I might have assumed it was the abode of a well-off trader.
Then again, their na...
2025-12-20 09:13:12 +0000 UTC View PostI looked at myself in the mirror, turning this way and that as I tried to recognize the person staring back.
Flynn had spared no expense or effort in his preparations. Between his tutoring, my training with Della, my own studies, and the var...
2025-12-18 09:16:08 +0000 UTC View PostDuke Xavier Sion stood by a window within his estate, overlooking a tranquil field. Outside, a spring sun shone down upon two figures.
His son—or rather his son by birth—hovered fifteen feet above the ground, standing atop a shining plat...
2025-12-16 08:05:23 +0000 UTC View Post"This isn't even close to what I imagined when you suggested preparing," I grumbled, glaring at my adopted brother.
Flynn met my glare with a wry smile, waving one hand from his seat at the far end of the room but not responding oth...
2025-12-13 09:20:45 +0000 UTC View PostFlynn came to my room six days later, all smiles and cheer.
"Afternoon," Flynn said, waltzing into my quarters. He pulled a chair from his ring and practically collapsed into it, leaning back and kicking his feet up onto my desk for good mea...
2025-12-11 08:31:10 +0000 UTC View PostDays vanished as I dove into the notes Flynn had given me, trying to understand as much as possible about the ritual. They were...strange. Remarkably dense and revolutionary in some spots, yet sparing with details in others.
The Radiant had ...
2025-12-09 07:01:43 +0000 UTC View PostFlynn stared at me, and I saw something in his face shift. Tension I hadn't noticed lifted from his shoulders, as though a weight had shifted off him.
"Are you sure?" Flynn asked, before adding, "Not to make you second-guess yourself. I just...
2025-12-06 08:37:47 +0000 UTC View PostI stared at Flynn for a few seconds, then turned my attention back to the statue of the Smith.
"I think," I said, "That I'm sick of surprises."
"Then call it another test. What do you notice?"
Anger ran through me, and I pushed i...
2025-12-04 08:19:36 +0000 UTC View PostFlynn's idea of a journey differed sharply from mine. I hadn't realized as much until I arrived just after sunrise three days later, as we had discussed and planned.
I had prepared with the assumption we would be on the road for at ...
2025-12-02 07:50:22 +0000 UTC View PostI had faced many challenges over the last few years. My early training as a mage had been an exercise in frustration as I stumbled from idea to idea without a good idea of what might and might not work. My battle against the monster in the Aether ...
2025-11-25 08:57:27 +0000 UTC View PostTime passed as I continued to hone my talents in Forging. I split my focus evenly between infusing intent into materials and altering solidified Aether constructs from their rigid state into the more flexible variant.
After several weeks, I ...
2025-11-12 08:01:12 +0000 UTC View PostNearly a month had passed since I became a member of the Sion family in full. I hadn't quite gotten used to my new life, but had begun settling into a routine.
Every morning began the same way. I would rise with the dawn before setting off o...
2025-11-05 07:53:02 +0000 UTC View PostWe left the main building behind, making our way up the slopes of the valley and towards the other buildings.
Of the six, the first two were simple, mundane constructions. One was a combined barracks and servants' quarters, while the second ...
2025-10-31 06:32:08 +0000 UTC View PostOppressive light, like a harsh summer sun at midday, surrounded me. The sheer mass of mana smothered my senses, but what was even more disconcerting was the palpable weight and pressure. It felt as though a great hand was crushing every inch of my...
2025-10-28 04:46:18 +0000 UTC View PostContrary to what I expected, we didn't proceed into the mansion. Instead, Flynn led the way to one of the other buildings, a shorter and wider construction built halfway up the hilly incline. Made entirely of stone, it gave off a feeling of streng...
2025-10-22 06:34:19 +0000 UTC View PostOur departure the following morning was unremarkable. Several Graythorns, most notably Kathryn and Allistair, joined us to say their goodbyes. They extracted promises from a smiling Flynn to remain in contact and, strangely enough, the young noble...
2025-10-15 05:23:35 +0000 UTC View PostKathryn and I spent several hours wandering through the gardens, talking the entire time. Our conversation never returned to magic, at least not in any specifics, but I learned more about plants than I had since leaving the Academy. What's more, I...
2025-10-10 07:37:47 +0000 UTC View PostI considered myself relatively hardened when it came to uncomfortable social situations. I didn't enjoy them by any stretch, but I had learned to 'tread water' so to speak.
Unfortunately, I was very wrong about that belief.
Th...
2025-10-05 05:01:31 +0000 UTC View PostIt took us three days to reach our next destination, time I spent well in my opinion. I divided my efforts between reading and studying, training my magic, and sparring. What occupied at least a few hours a night, however, were my attempts at lear...
2025-09-30 06:14:28 +0000 UTC View PostI sighed, shaking my head as I walked closer to Flynn.
"I learned that I've got longer to go than I thought."
Flynn laughed, and I realized it sounded just a little labored. As I came within fifteen feet of him, I realized that a faint...
2025-09-22 06:17:13 +0000 UTC View Post