Beginning with the Ubume Bird - Chapter 298 - 24 The Bombing Begins (3)

“Strip.”The command was sharp, laced with authority, cutting through the silence like the crack of a whip.The deep timbre of Dimitri's voice sent a shiver down the spines of the gathered women. They had learned quickly in the past two days, obedience meant survival. At his order, they bowed their heads, hands trembling as they peeled away the thin, tattered fabric that barely shielded them from humiliation.But one of them did not move. She stood frozen in place promting Dimitri's eyes narrow._________Born in a world of deception, Princess Sorayah Drakon was forced to live as a prince, hiding her gender and her unique gifts. She can heal wounds, command the elements, disguise as someone else or animals, manipulate dreams, creates powerful illusions, and ability to wield strength no other human possesses.Feeling trapped, she sheds her false identity under the cover of night to dress as a woman. One fateful night, during one of these secret escapades, she met Lupien Nightshade, the crown prince of the werewolves! It was love at first sight.But love soon turns into tragedy when Lupien kills her father, throwing the human kingdom into chaos. Humans were captured as slaves and Sorayah became one of them.She swore revenge, wanting to get close to Lupien to kill him but before she could, she was claimed by Dimitri Nightshade, Lupien's uncle! When she realized their interests aligned, Sorayah sought to gain his trust and use him as a weapon.Two enemies. One kingdom. A shared thirst for destruction.But there was something else.Something Sorayah hadn't planned for.Dimitri Nightshade was irresistible.She hated him so much she wanted to carve his heart out with her bare hands but she couldn't deny the way he made her burn with passion.Will Soraya be able to bend him to her will?Or will she be trapped in his claws forever?

The World of Ephesus. A vast world plagued by Breaches containing countless Beasts of Corruption. A World on the brink of ruin as the Four Human Lineages defend the last bastions of Humanity! With the power of Gem Masters standing against the Beasts of Corruption, the flames of Humanity seek to burn ever brighter. In such a world, in the Mortal Branch of the Asmodeus Bloodline, Alexander awakens a Gem Socket that others consider defective. A Variant Gem Socket. Looked down upon by those who do not understand it, this supposed defect may just be the solution that the burning embers of humanity were waiting for. Follow Alexander as he entirely warps the perception of what a Gem Master is- as he embarks on a journey to become...The Empyreal Gem Master!

A conversation with a handsome stranger leaves Ariane chained in a cellar with a strange affliction. She soon discovers that the darkness of the nineteenth century’s Deep South hides many dangers. Mages, wolf shifters and the humans who hunt them play a risky game where to stumble is to die, all under the amused gaze of the apex predators of the supernatural world: vampires.

It is never healthy to attract the gaze of the aristocracy of the night. It takes much to survive in this merciless world, but Ariane will not let that deter her. The southern belle has a bite, and she is willing to learn and to grow in this hostile new world. She will use whatever means necessary to reclaim her freedom, be it guile, charm, or those intriguing new instincts that make blood so delectable.

This is a story of vampires as I believe they should be, with their strengths and weaknesses, with their remnants of humanity and the beast inside. Updates every Friday. Mind the tags.

Cover by Antti Hakosaari: https://www.artstation.com/haco

Special thanks to Svensonsen for getting me started, as well as Omi Nya, Hesketh, Rhaegar, Yaksher, Selkie and Raven for proofreading my stuff. Thanks to my patrons and you dear readers, for the support. I could not do it without you.

Journey is on Amazon, both in ebooks and audio. here is a link to the first one:

https://www.royalroad.com/amazon/B08DK6G8Y8

The story probably exists in your local marketplace as well of I can tempt you.

Anton is a great-grandfather. He is living quite a happy life, despite his advanced age and declining health… until a group of cultivator bandits moves into the area. The nearby guardians of the area, the Order of Ninety-Nine Stars, are unable to track them down as they continue to ravage nearby towns. During one desperate winter Anton is out on a hunt when his family- his entire village- is killed or taken as slaves by the bandits. He lacks the strength to fight them, and he wasn’t even present for their arrival to die with his loved ones. At the pit of his despair, he wonders if he ever had any chance to change things. What could he even do? He cannot even pull his best bow, and his eyesight is failing. If he had been a cultivator… perhaps there might have been a chance, but he was decades- perhaps even most of his life- too late.Participant in the Royal Road Writathon challenge (2022)Notes on cultivation levels:There are five general stages of cultivation, though the fifth is extremely rare. Each cultivation style might have their own name for the stages.1. Body Tempering2. Spirit Building/ occasionally System Creation (Ninety-Nine Stars)3. Constellation Formation (Ninety-Nine Stars)4. Life Transformation/Galaxy Construction (Ninety-Nine Stars)5. Ascension