WisherBeware

Chapter 98. "The Welcoming Committee" Part 2

AN: or so i said... Well what looked to be just a few unwritten paragraphs turned out to be a dead end that felt not only stiff but went nowhere. So i had to cut it away and rewrite it... A handful of times. Now this "part 2" is 8k words long and more of a chapter of its own.

Our conversation didn’t last much longer afterwards — if one could even apply length to what was essentially less than a blink of an eye for everybody else — and I once again had found myself in a saddle. The ride to the...

Chapter 98. The Welcoming Committee (Part 1)

AN: Apologies for my prolonged absence. I had a few RL problems and had to visit a hospital for a bit. Lack of computer and time didn't help me much. As you can see this is just part 1 the larger part 2 will be posted in a few hours (missing a few last paragraphs atm)

“What do you think?”

I put aside a half-finished pitcher of honeyed wine and blinked. “That isn’t mine. The Bragge’s trinket, I assume?”

Albin nodded. “It is. Do you know how it works?”

I reac...

Chapter 97 Emergence

AN. OK this one took only 10 days, not to make them faster...

Shireen Kamshad Inayat 

“Report.”

Her assistant bowed deep. “The other Manors are silent. We caught a few passers-by picking up fragments around your walls, but the rest of the city remains unaware. The fragments were brought inside.”

Shireen rubbed her chin. “What do my artisans say?”

“The pieces came from a single Thing, my Domina.”

She harrumphed in acknowledgement and returned to her thoughts. Wa...

Chapter 96 Ecdysis

AN: I am alive and back, finally got this one done. 

Albin Emanai Wazara

Bragge’s tent was not a true negation vault but its unique magic made it one and that was quite concerning. The insidious taint of Bragge’s hidden artefact not only veiled his plans but, most importantly, his actions and runecraft. Even now, despite witnessing the spell, Erf’s final destination was outside of Albin’s reach; the delicate nature of Fate-Sight corrupted by the muddled creation ...

Chapter 95. The Concerto: Recapitulation

AN. After numerous adjustments, the final Concerto is out. Thank you for your patience.

I was still alive, which was good. With an enchanted rod plunged through my chest, which wasn’t. My partially collapsed lung aside, it was there to make sure I would ‘stay in place’ through some magical means. I had absolutely no idea how it was supposed to do that, especially with an additional Gleipnir-grade binding around my body, but I wasn’t going to dismiss it as some crazy talk.

Because Bragge knew...

Chapter 94. Covetous Eyes

AN: This is the last one of the intermediate chapters and the next one will be the finish of the Concerto. I already started working on the next so I hope the cliff won't last long this time.

Kirana Enoch Kausar

“Huare!” she hissed. “What are you doing!?”

Her sister took her eye away from the looking glass and gave her a questioning glance. “New orders from the General?”

“No, but-”

Huare...

Travel time map of the Emanai region

This is to give me (and you) a general idea now long it usually takes to travel from Samat (the red circle in the lower centre) to other nearby regions.

Travel is calculated as either foot travel, river boats, or sail ships with the easiest most common mode of transportation being used as default.

Some examples are:

It takes about 15 days of sailing to travel from Samat to lamurian cities in the south (Shirvan, Yusuf, etc)

25 days or river\foot from Samat to Uureg (the tiny peak of 25 day circle that touches the b...

Chapter 93. Meetings at Home

AN: had to rewrite the chapter thrice but this version is much better than the previous two.

Yeva

With an exasperated groan, Yeva threw herself into her chair. Her sandals cluttered on the floor and an unfinished blueprint on the drawing table rustled under her feet. The meeting with Roxanna Inayat was a disaster. Well, it wasn’t — the relationship between the two Houses remained as cordial as it was before and Yeva didn’t blunder into anything un...

Chapter 92. The Concerto: Development (Part 1 and 2)

AN: I wanted to finish this part as one chapter but it grew big enough to be two instead. So please enjoy two chapters at once.

Part 1

"That was quite a ‘challenge’, young spear.” Manipular shook her head as I approached her. “I’ve sent you to humble a single wermage in battle, not charge the enemy all by yourself. What was that anyway?”

“Ulah!” My fist smacked my chest in a customary salute. “A dervish dance, Manipular. I’ve heard the dr...

Chapter 91. The Concerto: Exposition

AN: The battle begins!

With a sigh, I approached my latest kill. The body of the young wermage was lying in the alien grass, his head — gone. A testament that even wermages, despite their magical resilience, had a breaking point. Especially when taken off-guard. A quick search yielded three Emanai braids — my late challenger wasn’t new to battle but not a seasoned veteran either. The strongest warrior of a small tribe.

I had to give him credit where credit was due, however. Up until hi...

Chapter 90. The Tiny Waves of a Hidden Storm

Yeva

“You seem to be quite enamoured by your sweets, Yeva.” Aikerim shook her head, but mirth was tugging the corners of her lips upward. “Insomuch that I am starting to wonder whether Erf had left you a gift before he left or not.”

Yeva put aside the piece of chocolate she was about to eat and sighed. “In a manner of speaking, he did. The estate is like a fussy child that demands constant attention and care. It requires work and said work requires sustenance....

Chapter 89. Batting Steel

AN I wanted to catch up and somehow hot myself into a rut. Heurisk conversations kill me...

Mushaf Kishava Davlat

She approached the tent with gritted teeth, a hand on her tail, and weak legs. She knew that this was the fault of Lita’af. The secret she shared with her was nearly unthinkable to be true, how she shared it with her made it almost a certainty. And now she was approaching the tent of an Ulastai Manipular like she was a young girl, eager ye...

Chapter 88. The Divine Firewalls

AN: Apologies for my absence. The original chapter went nowhere due to some severe clashed in characters so i had to scrap it entirely and rewrite it from ground up. Not only did it put me behind but it also wreaked havoc on my ability to write. 

“Hello, Jargal.”

His reaction was immediate. Barely avoiding the blade pressing on his neck, he threw himself away from me as much as his tied legs could let him.

“Leave my mind!” He wheezed.

And as much as Sophia...

Chapter 87. Hello World!

AN: Chapter refused to end. So it grew in time and size, its been a while since i've done 7k+ chapters. 

Aikerim Kiymetl Adal

The Kiymetl Matriarch snapped her fan closed and beckoned for her to listen. “The year had been already uncomfortably eventful and yet the new events do not intend to cease. Tell me, daughter, do you see what I see?”

Aikerim followed her mother’s gaze and saw yet another group of litters surrounded by ...

Chapter 86. Plug and Play

AN: please enjoy. there shouldn't be many chapters left in this book.

Jargal shaman

“Do you think they tamed a Forest Walker?” His bahatur adjusted the feathered cloak she had never worn before and shivered like a child. “And sent it after Trymr the Fifth, may the steppe cover him in green and the sky comfort him with blue and gold?”

His fingers stilled amidst the steaming entrails of the freshly butchered lamb, but his mind remained inside his falcon high in the sky. “Erdem shama...

Chapter 85. The Lotka-Volterra Interlude

AN: I am still around despite the lack of responses - home renovation kept me busy.

Irje

Huare didn’t lie — the war was different for everyone. While others were eager to fall back into their lover’s embrace, seeking battle for wealth and glory, Irje found nothing but the chore of pleasing a drunken lout. All she did was march when the horn blew and shoot when the First Bow barked.

March, ready, shoot. Sling the quiver back and march again.

The b...

Chapter 84. The Deadly Duo

AN the warfare is killing me but I should be done soon i promise/hope.


Muramat Kamshad Nishad

“What did our rat see?”

“He spent the night within Azhar Mesud’s maniple,” Siavash said as he continued to dress him in armour. For today, Muramat chose to wear the proper Kamshad plates — the hint of depletion told him that today wouldn’t be a light-skirmish day. “A small celebration among the spears for him curing one of theirs — likely concocted by his wermage friend to help his tarred nam...

Heads up

Going to be a few hours, as i wrap up the chapter. thank you for your patience.

Chapter 83. Hands On

AN: Oof I wasn't planning on it to actually take 10 days but it kinda did. It also grew so at least there is that. Please enjoy.



Saya

She silently walked behind the two domineering figures, clutching her stump close and still shaken from what had happened in the carding hall just a few moments prior. 

Her day started as many other days before — she awkwardly ate her morning meal and set off to work without attracting too much attention to herself. Her meals w...

Chapter 82. Stir Slightly

My forehead barely touched the carpet in prostration when I heard his rumbling voice. 

“Lift up your head, traveller, and break the bread with us.”

“Thank you, wise chieftain, for your hospitality.” I bowed and took a piece of warm flatbread and a mug of milk from a nearby servant. The soft crumb and fresh milk quickly pushed away the chill of the night. Not that I craved the recently milked horse milk, but most of our supplies were growing pretty stale by now. Especially the common a...

Chapter 81. Nightcrawling

“Erf, what are you doing?” The voice of the First Spear sounded over my head.

I stopped washing the used bandages and glanced at her.

“We have servants for a reason. If you think your slavish acts will impress someone, especially other healers, you are a naive fool.” She shook her head and turned around. “Taqi! Get your ass over here!”

“Servants have food to cook and I need clean bandages for tomorrow.” I dumped the bloody water and refilled the pot. “Properly clean, not just looking clean. I don’t want ...

Chapter 80. "Push Back"

AN: I know I am not writing some perfect book here but I absolutely hated the first part of the chapter that I had to rewrite it three times. It would either go nowhere or ended up turning characters into background props. Hopefully the current version is up to your standards.

Aikerim Kiymetl Adal

“Come on in and lie down with us,” Aikerim nodded to the last two arrivals, “we have much to discuss. Sulla.”

As Yeva and Wrena Khayrat moved to their couches beside Aikerim’s immediate ...