Sealed in Steel

27. Crazy Desperate Plan

Elian wouldn’t mistake this call for any other beast. How did a Grumpbeing get this near to them without warning? Only now did they feel its aura.

A sense of dread gripped his heart, the hair on his neck standing on end. Fear from nowhere. Fear without reason. Bizarre. It was as if he was looking at someone else experiencing the fear, not understanding how it came to be. And yet, it froze his body, his muscles not listening to his instructions.

The ground shook from the heavy footfalls. The Grumpbeing was coming to eat the prey...

26. A Relaxed Forest Stroll

Elian and Thorren departed through the gates, Thorren’s cousins waving goodbye behind them.

Nelisha told Elian a few days ago she’d prefer if Thorren did anything else other than call for Tribulations to earn money. She mentioned hunting. That was what they would do now, but she looked distraught about it. Elian was more than half sure Thorren told her they’d pass the area around the Forbidden Temple, called the Dark Forest by some. Even if Thorren didn’t share the specifics, the southern forests were known to be more dangerous...

25. A Little Shopping

Scores of pilgrims, not just Borlen’s group, rushed to Priest Thalman like iron filings to a strong magnet. The next thing Elian knew, he was several feet away from the priest, boxed out by layers of people. How did that even happen? He tried jostling to get nearer to the priest but was worried he might inadvertently hurt someone with his tankiness.

Elian admitted defeat and evacuated himself from the colorful horde. Within sight of the fountain and Priest Ihadir’s projection, he leaned against a post with a lantern ball on top and...

24. Tale of Two Priests

Walking, trudging, with multitudes of people to the central hill, hemmed in all sides by robes of blue, Elian gazed up at the cool sun streaked with silver and wondered if he shouldn’t have come with Borlen’s group. Probably no need for him to protect them from Naamon and other vengeful red-robed Tellerin. The hills teemed with so many guards that any squabbles would be quelled soon enough.

And they did encounter some fights involving supporters of lesser Champion Penitents.

This day was supposed to be for worship, y...

23. Utter Trash Gear

“Save humanity… from the Giants…?” Jadewell fidgeted with her fingers. Elian spotted the ring of invisibility she was trying to hide. He wouldn’t blame her if she disappeared and ran away. “Giants are extinct,” she said. “They have descendants of diluted blood, but true Giants are long gone. No one has seen any for, I don’t know, hundreds of years perhaps. Unless you mean their mutated cousins in the snowy scape of Granaja?”

“True Giants. They’re still around, just not here. They live in the Forgotten Lands.”<...

22. Crazy and Long Story

It was fortunate the small lake wasn’t too far away. From its shape, it must’ve been a crater left behind by a particularly strong Tribulation long ago. There could be a shattered skeleton somewhere at the bottom. Through centuries or even millennia, water filled the hole and it became a lake. Elian couldn’t help but marvel at the many odd things he kept finding on Fellenyr despite living so long here.

And beside him was another oddity. He couldn’t figure out what to make of Jadewell Khaero.

“Are you sure you don’t me...

21. A Goopy Mess

Not many predators around the area were motivated enough to face a Quillhusk’s spikes or bother cracking its shell. It probably didn’t taste good anyway. And so, it had learned to fear nothing. Except humans.

The Quillhusk stopped eating as Elian neared. Given its size, it was old for its kind. It should know that the odd bipedal creatures occasionally wandering in the forest were dangerous.

Elian crouched low as he shielded the front of his body with the steel of his armguards, peering over them as he moved. A helmet protect...