DoubleBlind

Stargazing was never something I thought much of when I was a kid. I remember hearing how there were so many more stars up there than we were able to see, and that it was because of how much light pollution there was that we weren’t able to see them all. Sometimes I’d see pictures in textbooks or sc

Barb glared at Tristan while Yanni cupped her chin with the flat of her blade. Tristan’s gaze veered from the decapitated girl to Barb, sweeping briefly over Destiny and Lara to gauge if they were alright. “Don’t look,” Lara said to Destiny, and the two turned toward Barb. “Tristan asked you a quest

Shackles clinked around Ravyn’s wrists and ankles as she shuffled across the floors of Queen Melasia’s dimly lit dungeon. Two guards flanked her as they led her down the path, each of them with a firm grip on her arm. Torches flickered from their sconces, casting an orange glow against the finely ca

Teima’s gaze remained glued to Tristan the entire time he spoke, veering only when she tended to her pipe. Hazy smoke wafted through the air, causing him to cough periodically. The smell was pungent and dug into his lungs like tiny needles. Tristan wondered if this was Teima’s way of testing his for

Flecks of [Battleguard] adrenaline still glimmered in Matt’s gaze while they finished up dinner. The dark circles around his eyes and bloodshot whites had eased up since they’d left Ronona, but Sam could still read the exhaustion on his face clear as day. As if him crawling on all fours like a dog w

Shortly after our spar in the forest, Sam and I hunted down another Encroacher for that evening’s dinner. She had called it a pickikk, apparently named after the sound it made as it walked. The bird was as large as a chicken and a lot fiercer to boot. Which was great, considering Sam and I were stil

Heavy footsteps dented the sands, falling into place like grains in an hourglass. The oasis was long out of sight, swallowed by the rolling dunes that swelled on all sides. All that waited for Kirti was a sprawling gamble—would her next step be the final grain? We are born in the sands and buried in

Melody was quick to dismiss herself once their meal and discussion had concluded. Slithering out of her seat, she gave Tristan her thanks and detailed where he could find Kalaya and Teima before departing for the Arch Tower. “What do you want to do?” Destiny asked as she slipped her hand into his. T

A delicious scent woke Keke from her slumber. Her vision was blurry, and she batted her eyes to clear it. The world’s sharp edges returned. As she lolled her head to the side, she caught the familiar sight of Bella cradling a ceramic bowl. Bella’s eye caught Keke’s. She placed the bowl on the bedsid

“That’s lookin’ much better, Matt.” Sam rotated my axe in her hands as she observed it. She had noted some rust in a couple of the tiny nicks and grooves of the metal, but she assured me that most of them would disappear with repeated maintenance. Even if I wasn’t swinging it, it was a good rule of

Author's Note: Thanks to NDJack for sponsoring this chapter! Ceres stood at attention—her back straight, hands tucked behind her—while her Lady Captain Aline marched along the row of recently graduated [Magic Knight]s, carefully observing each one of them. A merchant had recently come to them in req

Ravyn’s eyelids opened to slits. She lay on her side, curled up with her legs pulled close to her chest. The sheets of her bed—if you could call it that—were bunched in her left hand. She groaned and shut her eyes. Fuck. She was still in her mother’s dungeon. Sighing, she pushed herself to sitting,

Tristan divulged the details of his discussions with Emberlynn during his stay at her estate. He and Melody remained undressed. Melody listened with rapt attention, pausing only for the occasional drink of water or crunch of a peanut. Her eyes watched him in the same way a cat did moments before pou

Melly circled the rim of her water glass with the tip of her finger, anxiously looking between her companions and the door to the Twin Tails. Ananya touched Melly’s arm and gave her a start. “Melly? Are you listening?” “I’m sorry, Ananya.” Melly sighed and shook her head. “I’m just worried.” Mehar s

Three days’ ride from Ronona, Cailu knew of a village that existed a few hours’ distance from the well-traveled road leading to the Port of Elliot. In his countless journeys between San Island and Nyarlothep, he had heard a number of [Acolyte]s and [Priest]s speak of it, though he had yet to see it

When Sam mentioned that I’d be learning how to sharpen my weapon, I pictured something along the lines of what I’d seen in most of the RPGs I played while I still lived on Earth: a basic whetstone. Something gray and flat, thick; a stone that would spray sparks into the grass and, hopefully, not sta

Cailu, This is the third letter that I have penned, and likely the third that will collect dust at the bottom of a locked drawer. I often wonder if I should burn them, as in each missive, my emotions spill from the ink without my recognizing until it is too late. I imagine your travels have fared we

Emberlynn kept her hands clasped in her lap as she made her way down the stairs of the dungeon. Her dress quietly hissed against the stone, and the backs of her freshly polished heels clicked with each step she took. When she came to the bottom of the stairs, she found Chi standing at a distance, ar

Author's Note: The NSFW section is Patreon exclusive. Thank you for your support! The moment Melody made her request for a kitten, his nerves eased, and ideas clicked into place. She’d called Tristan ‘boy’ twice, and he knew the enormous shadows he stood beneath. However, Melody was accustomed to Sa

I had no idea just how good I had it back on Earth, where I could shop at a grocery store and think nothing of the animals I ate. My mouth would water at the thought of bacon sizzling in a pan, a half-pound burger broiling over a grill, or freshly baked chicken coming out of the oven. It was pure an

Author's Note: Toast won a creator-tier girl many, many moons ago, and we finally got her in! Thank you so much, Toasty, for your patience, understanding, and for working with me to find the perfect place for Inaya! --- Inaya brought out the last of the steaming trays beside the kitchen servants. Go

Catching my second wind was a lot like that first taste of coffee in the morning. Life is good, there’s caffeine in my system, and everything takes on a whole new sheen that it hadn’t had when I first woke up. I know the crash is going to come later, but that’s future me’s problem. “How are ya feeli

Tristan drummed his fingers against his forearm as he gazed upon the Shulan Arch Tower. The pagoda was so much more imposing than he remembered. Spirals and waves of black and gold intermingled with hints of red. The sun itself seemed enamored by the tower, as the gold finishes gave much of the towe

“I’d prefer to speak in private,” Valiqa murmured. Elias sidestepped, readied his spear in hand, and turned just enough to see her. Mona and Nihal were notably absent. “And I’d prefer not to be surrounded by strangers.” Without Melly, any more than two attackers in a closed room would be trouble. At

Emberlynn brushed the large garnet that hung around her neck as she gazed out upon Zhuli from her balcony. The town was bustling with the news that she would soon meet San Island’s man, so a parade had been organized to celebrate the occasion. She gripped the garnet in her hand and fought to keep he

Cannoli moved through the motions and uttered the words of prayer as guided by the prophet, but the sound hardly reached her ears. Adrenaline still coursed through her veins, and a reverent fear of their goddess stiffened her spine. Saoirse was watching her. Observing her. Cannoli had sworn to walk

Words couldn’t begin to describe how exhausted I felt. Every muscle, tendon, and even my bones all begged for me to just stop moving. My mind could barely comprehend the words coming out of Sam’s mouth, and the only things keeping me awake at this point were my own two legs. I worried that if I stop

The spirits had been kind to Astrid that morning. After stalking the shufflosnout for four days, her final trap had proven effective. The little roach had a nasty bite if the pair of teeth at the end of its long nose found flesh. But she’d sheared its leaves without issue and released him back to hi

Tristan, Destiny, Lara, and Yanni sat in a cross formation on the floor of their room. Tristan kept his arms crossed, tapping at one elbow as he replayed the events of his conversation with Emberlynn over and over again. This was a complicated issue, and Emberlynn had been kind enough to guide him a

…And please share your light with Mom, Keke, Keke’s mom, Granny Nauka, and all the nice ladies in Junonia. Cannoli tapped her clasped hands against her forehead as she silently recited the names of those closest to her. It was hard to remember everyone else in Junonia, but she wanted to make sure th

The first thing Keke heard was the crackling of burning wood. She struggled to open her eyes and found it difficult to draw a full breath. As she licked her lips, she readjusted the bottom half of her body, and a sharp sting dug into her chest. Her breath hitched, and the voice of another soon came.

‘Captain’ Valiqa, Nihal, and Mona remained near the entrance of the First Shell, leaving Ananya and Mehar to guide Melly and Elias the rest of the way. Elias kept a wary eye for the girls to disperse into the shadows or follow at a distance. Valiqa watched him just as intensely in return. The confid

Tristan could barely keep calm as the carriage approached Shulan. He must have repeated Emberlynn’s words at least a hundred times to himself, trying to keep track of every minute detail they had discussed. A storm was brewing, and he feared that he and his Party were at the center of it all. “—stan

As Cannoli confronted the dark room mirrors for the second time, she drew on every shred of warmth and kindness in her memory. Cuddling with Matt. Sharing ice cream with Keke. Ceres’s easy laugh. Ravyn hugging the stuffed Bally I gave her. “Are you ready, Cannoli?” Sister Allegra asked. Cannoli care

Keke swallowed the building lump in her throat as she observed the furlocke at a distance. She used a tree for cover while she watched it munch on a large piece of pink fruit that bore large, black thorns. Protracted black claws carved through the fruit with sharp tips, piercing the skin without mee

Cailu did not sleep for the remainder of the evening. Kirti had entrusted him with a journal with a worn leather cover and her hastily scrawled dictations from Magni’s stone, and he pored over the entries again and again until the first rays of sunlight teetered over the horizon. Reason warred again

Sam was positively jubilant with the thought of camping. It took immense effort not to skip down the halls and hum a merry tune. She couldn’t remember the last time she was out in the wilderness, where she could take in the smells and sounds of nature and truly hunt her own game, share stories aroun

I’d reached that point of tired where I swore that I was beginning to see things that weren’t there. Like Queen Nehalennia holding Ruyah. But as I approached the throne and her long fingers ran through a sleeping kitten’s silver hair, I realized that I wasn’t hallucinating. Those sharp red nails wer

Celestia cradled her teacup while Janusz divulged the details regarding the recent dragon sightings. The last few months had proven to be some of the worst, with the creature devastating countless crops and devouring farm life. Half of Catania had been razed to the ground, the Knights of Sorentina w

Elias rolled his shoulders and grinned at the four catgirls watching from a distance. One of them blushed furiously and tapped her companion on the shoulder. The companion shook her head, and the blushing girl turned heel and marched away in the opposite direction. Excellent. One less bystander to w

Sam tapped her foot against the stones while she waited for Matt to finish his letter. There was a renewed sense of motivation about the man. That was good. Everyone needed a goal, a purpose to drive them forward, and it seemed that Matt had found his. Or perhaps, merely relocated it. “Okay, I think

Melly sat with Isla and Elias at the dining table, sharing the breakfast they’d cooked together. Elias was a quick study and blessedly patient with Isla’s questions and comments. “I didn’t know men had ears and tails like us!” Isla said through a mouthful of scrambled eggs. Elias looked at Melly and

Emberlynn awoke in a coughing fit. She clutched at her shift while her heart hammered against her chest, and her lungs fought desperately for air. A high-pitched whine escaped her throat, and a handmaiden opened the door to her room moments later, eyes wide and mouth agape. “Mistress Emberlynn!” the

Despite the exhaustion from his recent death and sudden entrance into a new world, Elias still woke before the sun rose. Melly and Isla slept soundly in their rooms—Melly having been carried to hers after falling asleep against him the night before—but he had managed enough rest with a blanket and t

Growing up, I’d heard my mom and dad talk on occasion about how much of a pain I was to deal with when I was a baby. I didn’t think much of it and often laughed it off as just parents who, well, didn’t want to be parents. Now, though? “Please go to sleep, Ruyah,” I pleaded, barely higher than a whis

Melly waited while Elias skimmed through the iPaw, switching to the strange language that Saoirse only whispered to men. Beneath the starry sky and the flickers of torchlight, his dark complexion was striking against his shoulder-length white hair. He had a strong jawline and an easy smile that made

Elias, Commander and First Spear of Clan Khopyé, wondered how much he’d had to drink last night. The nearest oasis to Khopyé’s yurts was more than an hour by foot, and half an hour if the mount was in good spirits. But T’ava, his trusted sandhoof, was nowhere to be seen. Just a woman whose face he d

The headache from hell pounded against the confines of Ravyn’s skull. She groaned with the throbbing pain, rubbing her forehead as she sat up. She frowned at the sound of clinking metal with her movements, and her eyes found several lengths of chain tied to her wrists, ankles, and throat. She gasped

For the first time since Cailu had arrived in Nyarlea, he dreamt of Naeemah. The sheer red fabrics that dangled from the four posts of the bed in her chambers swayed with the morning breeze. He brushed her bare shoulder with his fingertips, watching her sleep through the sunrise. Naeemah stirred, an

The chirps of birds and insects accompanied the gentle rain that surrounded Keke as she skulked through the forest. The air was crisp, and the cool drops calmed her nerves, blanketing her steps and offering her the mantle of silence she required. There was no doubt in her mind now that she was right