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"Well, it's just stronger... way stronger. How strong? Well... I can turn calm into lightning and rage into fire, that seems a good start. Oh, I can also separate elements. I nearly blew up Amevina's lab earlier... with us in it. How? I made water from scratch."
He listened to his friend for a moment, and his face fell.
"You're lying... Ray, stop lying. Bullshit, you three have not been doing that shit for years. What? You mean you assholes held out on me? Oh you just wait, you three are getting your asses kicked when I get back... and you're going first, fucker."
"Yeah, yeah. Alright, I'm here... time for real sword lessons with my brother-in-law. Listen, I'm not going to call any of you unless I need information from one of you. You don't need to know all the shit that is likely to go down, especially since you can't do anything from there. Just keep going on with your lives, I'm going to be okay, and I'm going to get back. I love you, brother. Give everyone my love, and tell the guys to take care of themselves. Make sure you're good to those ladies, and tell Uncle Kieran to take over the business till I get back. He can file the vacation paperwork and everything will be fine. Later, Ray."
Arawn closed his eyes and took a few long, deep breaths, then headed into Vorsah's home.
*********
Arawn was exhausted by the time he made it down into the gnomish warrens. Much to his surprise, he made it to Lorup's home and found it to be a massive workshop that was furnished with equipment far beyond what he expected to find in a world of this apparent technological epoch. He saw lathes, drill presses, planing machines, and more. Arawn chided himself for thinking so little of the diminutive man. Even if the gnome had admitted that his timepieces were inaccurate, it spoke volumes that he could construct working timepieces at all. The human was also impressed by the manpower present; at least two-hundred gnomes skittered about the place in execution of various tasks.
Lorup cried out when he spotted him and ran over.
"Lord Arawn! I'm so happy you could make it!"
Arawn suppressed a sigh over the honorific and smiled at the little man, instead. He had to get used to it sometime, might as well start now.
"Thanks Lorup! Me too. I've been looking forward to this all day. Remember that promise I made you about the books?"
The gnome's eyes widened behind his thick glasses and Arawn stifled a chuckle.
"Of course I do, sir! Did you bring them?"
"Nope, sorry."
The gnome's face fell.
"That's why I am going to make them for you, right here and now."
"You... what?"
Arawn pointed to the huge bookshelf.
"You are going to need more of those. Get your five sharpest minds and meet me over there."
By the time Lorup had gathered the men he requested and led them back to Rawn, he stood amidst six groups of three stacks of books. Each stack was as tall as the human. The gnomes introduced themselves, one at a time. He met Alven Bullabout, Iselgord Fenniwick, Yarrik Sneriwiggle, Beauregard Roustabout, and Gambleford Congregoot.
"Well met, gentlemen. I've brought you all a gift, knowledge. Each of those books contains a wealth of knowledge that will enhance everything you do here. That's going to be important for us all, because..."
Arawn opened his hand and summoned a large roll of parchments.
"I drew up some blueprints last night, and I need you guys to make some stuff for us all."
Yarrik spoke up with a question, "Pitch thinned with pure grain alcohol in a glass bottle and stuffed with a cloth cap, sir?"
"On my world, we call that a molotov cocktail, my friend. The Vaszul will learn to fear those. These are a little different, though, because you lack some of the materials from my world. Still, the pitch will actually make these more dangerous because the mixture will have a bit of a different consistency... should spread and stick better."
Alven Bullabout scratched his head and stared at the other drawings, "What are these two for, M'lord?"
"Well, the little one is for you guys. I need you to build two dozen of them if you can get it done in time. The big one is for me. I also need you guys to keep this a secret from everyone until the day of the battle. Lorup knows that we caught spies the day we were rescued, they had been here for a while. If we can keep this a secret, the Vaszul will never know what hit them. Are you with me?"
The six agreed with a shout of affirmation, and Arawn allowed himself a small smile of satisfaction.
*********
Four weeks later, Arawn stood at the eastern edge of the Northern Oaks and watched with Amevina, Vorsah, Grok, and Bronnigut, as the combined forces of the Orc Dominion and the Northern Oaks prepared the battlefield for what was to come. He reflected on everything that he had learned from his friends in the past month, and everything he had taught them as well. Rawn was confident in the outcome of this battle, he had prepared carefully and considered every angle he could.
Still, he had been shaken and angered at the loss of Dakkrig two weeks into the delay action, and Grok was forced to mourn a cousin and promote a friend on the same day. Nudjik was given command of Dakkrig's former company, and they wreaked havoc on the Vaszul for every step they took deeper into elven territory. The gnomes called in workers from two other warrens to get Arawn's project finished, but they put an extra rush on the molotovs. Arawn soothed himself with the knowledge that Dakkrig's last moments were spent watching the immolation of the Vaszul.
Arawn pressed his right hand against a jewelled medallion pinned to the left breast of his armor and spoke into it, another of the human's inventions.
"Lorup, it's time. Have the crew bring out the toys so that our forces know this stuff is on our side."
*****
Thank you once again for joining me in my little world. I hope that you have enjoyed the penultimate chapter in the first act of Storm & Stone. This is also unedited, please feel free to point out any mistakes and I'll get them corrected. See you again in two weeks for The Battle of Lake Home!
TLW
- COMMENTS
TheLordWinterover 2 years agoAuthorThanks!
I chose to explain in a little more detail because I've had one reader raise similar concerns at chapter 2, though in a much more well-thought out and polite manner.
I also need to give EVERYONE a big apology in advance for not explaining the Time Dilation issue. I had intended for chapter 4 to include the aftermath of the battle to come, and due to holiday constraints I had to stop at the conclusion of the battle itself. That would have also included the beginning of character development in much greater depth for the rest of the cast, as well as the answer to what's going on with the wibbly-wobbly, timey-wimey stuff. (Yup, I'm a Whovian and Eccleston got shortchanged with only one season. He was a great doctor.)
Because of that screw-up, I'm going to bite the bullet and give you folks the option to either A.) have me tell you outright what is causing it here, in the comments. or B.) Wait for Chapter 1 of Love is Hell (Ray's story), which is on the way in the next few weeks and it will be in there ( it could technically wait till chapter 5 of S&S, but I made that promise and I won't do that to you under any circumstances). I'm about halfway done with the first chapter, and Agent F13's series (Mike's story) will begin within that same timeframe, as well.
That was my mistake, and apologize. I await your decision. Also, if it's a close thing, we can just arrange a message for the interested individuals.
Thanks again,
TLW
Alwaysready64over 2 years agoI like your story and where it's going. If "Anonymous" had any balls he wouldn't be anonymous.
TheLordWinterover 2 years agoAuthorChapter 4 is in the queue for posting and should arrive this week sometime.
A word on Trope for my Anonymous commenter:
I read up on tropes a few years ago and came to the conclusion that due to the complete lack of any cohesive definition on how much use makes something a trope, combined with the length of time we have had literary arts in human society... everything is a trope. So let me make this perfectly clear so that there are no further misunderstandings: The word TROPE has no meaning to me. I write what I write for me because these characters want OUT of MY head, and invite others to enjoy my world. While I am genuinely honored that people enjoy my work, if I gain no other fans after today I will still continue to post for those I have.
I am not a writer for hire, I do not ask for or take commissions and it's not personal. Just not part of my plan for myself. If you do not like my work, you are absolutely free to not read it, but please do not think that excessive use of the word "fuck" will in any way convince me to take on your designs for my story.
As for the info hunting, I've spent enough time in the last 28 years digging through the online world to thoroughly know otherwise. My collection of over 50,000 e-books on more subjects that I can be bothered to try listing here, is further proof. I carry about 15,000 on my phone for when I'm bored in my therapist's waiting room. I also rehabilitated my eating habits and dropped 125lbs from my overweight ass, all using info from the internet. That ALL came in the last 5 years. If it weren't for the requisite diploma and degree, there isn't a thing you can learn in school that you can't learn for free on the internet. You just don't get the benefit of a professor breathing down your neck and making you feel like a dumbass for eight years just so he can stroke his ego by making you feel like a champ when you get the roll of parchment, or whatever they pass out these days. And for the record, I study quantum physics for fun. The math may be indecipherable, but the principles make perfect sense. ALL.... On the internet.
So do not EVER think you'll make me believe that anything at all can't be learned online, I know the truth.
If you STILL cannot fathom how a person might be driven to such lengths, then I suggest you study the effects of PTSD. I've made it quite clear that Arawn has it, both through his actions, behaviors, and his history. OCD is quite common among those of us who suffer from it. Why else would a man consider it practical to carry pot seeds in the off-chance that he'd meet someone else that could trade? I may introduce you to something like that in a flippant, or innocent manner, but you had better believe that it is an obstacle, as well.
That kind of trauma is also what teaches a gentle heart true savagery. How else could someone capable of kindness, compassion, and selflessness learn to be sadistic enough to send a man into a lethal fit of fright and magically block his heart from being destroyed?
Tragic backstory.... hmmm, don't know what to make of that comment, really. You'd rather I write a male Disney Princess or something? That "tragic backstory" actually serves a purpose that does not involve you feeling sorry for him. It is a certainty that none of the guys feel sorry for themselves. See above notes on PTSD if you haven't already.
I am also not going to further explain or defend the chaos I am kicking up in the story. If the words "I have this planned out, and this is how it should start" are not enough to get you through the opening act... then I don't know what to tell you other than thanks for reading and I hope that you find what you are looking for.
You seem to have decided that I've just slapped this together haphazardly, nothing could be further from the truth. If you decide to continue reading after this, I would strongly suggest that you go back and read the clues I put in there and THINK. The fact that you think he spoke with a goddess is proof that you didn't pay attention. This is a story, with dialogue and narrative that will reveal everything IN TIME. That man is as flawed as they come, and so are his friends. I'm not going to hand you my plot outline and character notes just to satisfy a complaint that it isn't developing fast enough.
Sorry if this offends. I'm not angry at all, just plain spoken. I'm actually amused at how much information you ignored in the chapters to make that complaint.
TheLordWinterover 2 years agoAuthorSeems too rosy, doesn't it? The problem with early opinions about serial works is that you don't often get the entire plot set up in one chapter, so you have to piece things together as you get them.
Anonymousover 2 years agoI started reading this, and thought it was good...but honestly, as I continued, I just couldn't keep up the will. I'm sorry, but God, your main character fucking reeks of one of the biggest Sues I've ever seen, to put it lightly. I read your comment on the last chapter...yeah, no, this definitely goes beyond your average dose of info hunting. This guy is fucking good at *everything*, knows more than everyone, fucking flaunts in the face of a goddess or whatever that thing was after the meditation light show was over...has special powers, gets an attractive girl after a day, everyone spends their time just being soooooo amazed at him...oh, yeah, don't forget the tragic backstory too. Like, seriously, I can't think of a flaw he has.
I hope you clean him up, somehow...and honestly wish you the best in writing this, despite what was said here. Cause I honestly want to like this story. But as it stands I just can't.
