“What do you want out of your subclass?” Asenya asked as the energy around Sam continued to build. “It’s a much more open choice than your primary class. The Path can construct almost any secondary option for you as long as your body supports it.”
Sam considered the question, thinking over the options. Until n...
2023-03-08 05:24:50 +0000 UTC View PostThe rainbow sky of the tree turned dark and the streaks of light became stars spread across the Void. Silver, white, blue, red, green, emerald, purple, yellow, and gold points appeared, stretching across the distance. There were even ones as dark as night that glimmered like diamonds in the vast sprawl of the heavens.
E...
2023-03-07 00:47:54 +0000 UTC View PostThe world in front of Sam became a starscape that stretched outward to an endless distance, marked only by the brilliant light of the stars as they sparkled in the dark. It was a thousand colors and none as the stars flowed away into the Void, joining together into a river that stretched beyond the limits of sight.
He w...
2023-03-04 03:08:39 +0000 UTC View PostThe explosion rang out across the meadow, followed by the disintegration of the commander’s corpse. Sam was struck by nearly a hundred fragments and tossed backward across the field, but his cloak held, shuddering under nearly a hundred individual strikes. He poured what essence he had left into it to strengthen the enchant...
2023-03-01 23:02:02 +0000 UTC View Post“An Astral Titan? Here?” Elasia’s eyes widened as she turned to Sam and really saw him for the first time. She’d been busy fighting the commander and then talking to Alora. “I haven't seen a Titan since I was a child. I thought they'd all long disappeared. Still, you have to be careful. His abilities corrode everyth...
2023-02-25 03:58:56 +0000 UTC View PostAlora’s world was called Verdant. It approached swiftly, growing larger moment by moment as the Ice Drake descended. Their speed slowed at the same time as they prepared to enter the denser atmosphere.
From here, Sam could see some of the cities below, although to most eyes they would have still been indistinct. The h...
2023-02-21 03:58:42 +0000 UTC View PostMoments later, Sam fell off the astral thread that led to the green sun and collapsed into the Void where he floated like a dead man. Just behind him was the glowing green emerald of the closest world. He was lying between it and the sun, some distance from where the fortress had been. The sun was friendly, its warmth washing...
2023-02-17 05:26:02 +0000 UTC View Post
The little sister eventually has to grow up a bit.
By EL Geron, like the last ones of Sam.
2023-02-16 04:33:07 +0000 UTC View PostSam swore as he was pulled toward the vortex. Even with his sense of caution, he’d still underestimated what the Outsiders were capable of. He’d been prepared for them to blow up the fortress, but he hadn’t expected they were able to disrupt spatial energy like this or set up such a massive enchantment.
The gleam ...
2023-02-14 22:40:31 +0000 UTC View PostCongratulations, Astral Titan. You are now a Level 287 Astral Artificer.
The Titan’s Star’s announcement rang in Sam’s mind with a bell-like tone. Sam gave a nod as he studied the summary, looking only at the highlights. Apparently, killing something at the Fourth Evolution was worth a lot of expe...
2023-02-11 20:40:57 +0000 UTC View PostTwo arcs of brilliant orange-red light blasted through the Void from the second fortress as Sam headed toward it. The attack was faster than the last one he’d seen and the bolts had some ability to compress space and arrive more quickly than they should have, but they still had a long distance to cover. They were much too s...
2023-02-08 05:52:31 +0000 UTC View PostWhen Sam reappeared from the astral thread, he was standing near the edge of the outpost, a mile above one of the stone spheres on its outer ring. From here, it loomed like a mountain in front of him and he could see more of the details of its construction. The stone was molded into ridges that rose and fell, but they were ir...
2023-02-07 06:18:24 +0000 UTC View PostNot long before they arrived at Alora’s world, Sam was seated on the forward deck of the Ice Drake as a storm of astral ice swirled around him. Threads of energy from it connected to a translucent blue-white sphere that was condensing in his hands. Moment by moment, it slowly grew larger.
At the same time, silver rune...
2023-02-04 01:07:55 +0000 UTC View PostThe stars flickered with rainbow light as the Ice Drake cut a wake through the Blue Star system and began to accelerate. Before long, the Titan Hall was invisible in the distance and the blue sun was slowly growing smaller. Sam stood at the prow of the ship as he looked toward the astral thread ahead of them.
It was fas...
2023-02-02 05:59:45 +0000 UTC View PostHe spent a few days walking the astral threads and exploring nearby systems as he adjusted to his new abilities and tested them out. Here and there, he found a few more beasts to hunt, but there weren’t many that were good sources of essence so close to the Firesail Void Lizards’ home. They’d probably long ago been driv...
2023-02-01 05:01:58 +0000 UTC View PostAfter he finished creating a handful of scrolls, Sam turned his attention inward, checking his condition to make sure he had recovered enough to keep hunting the lizards. He wasn’t done yet, not if he wanted to face more Outsiders or Alora’s uncle.
Fortunately, the damage from changing his subclass had mostly healed...
2023-01-31 01:02:48 +0000 UTC View PostSam Hastern
Level 250
Race: Astral Titan
Class: Astral Artificer
Subclass: Spirit of Astral Flame
Essence Constellation (Single Star): 1,691,532 / 2,000,000.
Titles: Horned...
2023-01-28 19:39:23 +0000 UTC View PostHe traveled deeper into the red sun system, but there were no more lizards to be seen in the middle regions. Eventually, he followed the traces of essence they’d left behind and headed to the center, where he could sense a massive concentration of energy. It was strong enough to send a crackle of alarm down his spine, so he...
2023-01-27 03:07:57 +0000 UTC View PostHe spent nearly a day scouting around the system as he headed deeper, but most of the middle regions were also absent of lizards. Eventually, he managed to find one group and it was only by chance, since it looked like they’d been delayed in their retreat. He studied them from a distance. The group was five strong and there...
2023-01-25 23:03:32 +0000 UTC View PostA silver streak flashed through the Void, heading for another part of the lizards’ system. As soon as Sam stepped off the astral thread, he felt the essence from the two slain lizards flowing into his essence constellation. It was a large amount for just those two enemies, similar to what the Outsider giants had and those h...
2023-01-24 00:24:22 +0000 UTC View PostBefore they left the bandit hideout, Sam went to inspect the transfer point. It was a large metal portal about thirty feet across that was heavily inscribed with spatial runes, most of which dealt with directional transfer, mana stability, and location.
He studied it for a little while and then altered the receiving poi...
2023-01-21 00:54:03 +0000 UTC View PostSam had to work to keep his eyebrow from rising as he kept his attention on the bandits’ reaction. He’d been expecting Sleset to go off into another dramatic speech, but at least his ultimatum was short and effective. Hope and fury, frustration and desire warred on the Curved Blades’ features as they took in the challen...
2023-01-18 22:12:01 +0000 UTC View PostThey rested on the moon for another day to recover their strength and then Sam pulled out the Ice Drake, waving everyone onto it. Laimar, Alora’s uncle, was barely awake, but staying here was only wasting time.
“My lord, you have only just met her. What if she is lying to you?” Sleset protested once they were unde...
2023-01-16 00:03:33 +0000 UTC View Post“The heart of the ritual is bringing your spirit into balance with the Void,” Alora explained. She was standing next to Sam as they looked out at the stars together. Not long had passed since she’d brought up the idea. With his height close to hers, the pillars that made up his hall seemed to tower into the heavens. It ...
2023-01-13 00:03:50 +0000 UTC View PostA streak of silver cut through the Void in a distant system. When it faded, Sam and the rest appeared. He looked around as he took stock of the situation and the condition of the Wild Spirits, and then he nodded.
He could feel streaks of blood running down his body beneath the remains of his armor, but it was something ...
2023-01-11 05:16:43 +0000 UTC View PostThe demons were a good distance away, since they’d been hanging back from the fight, but it wouldn’t be long until they were here. The Wild Spirits were shielded behind him, but with the level difference between him and the Outsiders, winning was unlikely.
Nonetheless, he’d chosen his path and he had to try. Fortu...
2023-01-09 19:47:08 +0000 UTC View PostAboard the Gilded Scroll Merchant Ship
Naia was looking out the window of her family’s merchant ship at the fierce battle behind them. Her small hands were gripped tightly around the burnished wood that made up the window ledge as she tried not to tremble. Unless something happened to save them, she was worri...
2023-01-06 00:22:18 +0000 UTC View PostThe stars of the Chaos Wild passed by in a thousand colors as Sam and Sleset headed toward the origin of the aurora ore. Now and then, Sam dragged Sleset onto an astral thread to speed it up, much to the naga’s distaste, but they spent most of their time looking for encounters along the way, since the main reason for coming...
2023-01-03 20:22:53 +0000 UTC View Post
Here is the holiday surprise!
Clamavi de Profundis composed and performed the “Song of the Caverns” from Book 4. It’s live on Youtube today.
If you’re not familiar with Clamavi, check out their work! They’re absolutely fantastic.
2022-12-31 15:55:15 +0000 UTC View Post
The audio narration for River of Fate, Book 1: The Jade Scripture is now ready!
Narrated by Zachary Johnson (who you might know from Soundbooth Theater)!
This is the first book in a cultivation progression fantasy. Two books are out on Amazon KU right now, and I'll probably do the third late next year.
