by Will Wight
He held up the orb, activating it. The oracle tree felt its pull and surrendered itself gladly, the hive-mind of constructs rushing out of its branches in a stream of ghostly light.
“Master,” the worm on the ground said, “I am unworthy to make a request of you.”
There was a brief flash of purple in the river of light. It felt like a wound, as though something had been added and then gouged out.
Northstrider froze the transfer. He focused his perception on the oracle construct, reading its history.
Something had been added. A mind. One of his constructs had become an interesting anomaly.
“If you take me from this place, I will forever be in your debt.”
The oracle’s memories told him most of the story. A Lowgold, raised to Truegold thanks to his Spirit Well. Nothing special about that. The children of many Monarchs enjoyed such resources, if they were worthy.
But he’d ended up cobbling together a living construct made from pieces Northstrider had left behind.
Well, at least someone had made something useful out of this trash heap.
The Monarch finished drawing the oracle out of the tree. He would check on the results of this rogue construct someday, if fate allowed. He might learn something, even from a failed product.
Until then, he would continue on as he had before.
“Though my service is worth nothing, my family would help repay you. Any of my achievements in the future would belong to you. And future generations would tell tales of your legendary mercy.”
The halo of shadow behind the young man’s face lent him the aspect of a specter. Determination was carved into every line of his smooth face. His purple eyes smoldered with resolve, and with the fires of vengeance. Northstrider honored this young man by meeting those eyes.
“No,” the Monarch said.
Then he stepped back out of space, leaving the world to collapse.
THE END
Cradle: Volume Five
Ghostwater
Lindon’s story continues in…
UNDERLORD
Cradle: Volume Six
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Bloopers
Mercy drew the string back, Forging a jet-black arrow as she did so. The point emerged between her weapon’s jaws.
“This is the weapon my mother carried from Lowgold to Archlord: Bowey McBowFace.”
~~~
Purple eyes snapped open, and she slipped her legs out of the branch.
She fell, arms blurring as she released the first arrow, pulling a second from the air, stringing it, and loosing it. Then a third.
Only then did the first arrow pierce the first leaf, pinning it to the ground several yards away. The second followed suit. The third arrow brushed by its target, sending the leaf spinning in the wind of its wake.
Mercy's head cracked as it hit the ground, and she crumpled.
Yerin folded her arms and waited. Iron bodies could take more punishment than that.
She waited. Mercy’s body rested, bent and broken, on the ground. Empty eyes stared into the forest.
Yerin walked up to Mercy and nudged the girl with her foot. “Mercy? You playing with me?”
A black Remnant peeled itself away from Mercy’s corpse.
~~~
The air ripped like a torn page.
Lindon stepped through the portal into a dry, dusty sitting room filled with ornate furniture. Sword-racks hung on the walls, some holding curved, single-edged swords, others sitting empty. A tall standing mirror reflected Renfei’s surprised expression as she, Lindon, and Orthos emerged from the portal together.
Renfei stared down into the Eye of the Deep, the sapphire dead in her hand. “This isn’t right,” she said. “Ghostwater is supposed to be…”
A shadow flowed from beneath the only door in the room, unfolding into a hunched figure wearing a dark gray cloak. The fabric was worn and tattered with age, and breath hissed from the darkness in his hood.
“I think we opened the wrong door,” Renfei said.
~~~
Back at the Life Well, Lindon cupped his hands and drew out a mouthful of emerald water to take a sip. It had a faint taste like a very weak tea, and he could feel it spreading to his body without his encouragement.
“Yes, this water will restore your youth,” Dross continued. “Unless you’re too young, and then it will overwhelm your life-force and instantly kill you. How old are you, again? I have the worst time telling humans apart.”
Lindon’s heart seized up, and he collapsed to the floor, dead.
~~~
Eithan leaned closer to Naru Gwei, Captain of the Skysworn, and stared him straight in the eyes. “Look at me. Look at me! I am the Captain now.”
~~~
Information requested: combat solution against Akura Harmony.
Beginning report…
Now, you’re going to want to get right on this, because before I can tell you how to beat Akura Harmony, I’m going to need you to slap that Like button and subscribe to my YouTube channel! Donate to DrossTheRobotGhost on Patreon, and at the $5 tier, I’ll tell you how to defeat one enemy once per month. At the $10 tier, I’ll share clever quips during combat. And at the $20 tier, you get access to my erotic fanfiction: ‘Humans Mating: a Tale of XxxCitement’.
Denied, report complete.
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