Hump caught glimpses of the ogres through the trees as he rushed forward. The dozen or so still standing were down by the rocky bank of the stream, scrambling for cover as arrows rained in. The chieftain, however, stood out in the open, catching arrows on its shield as it roared back in defiance. It was a giant even compared to the rest of its band, and Hump felt a power to its voice like a whi...
2022-09-18 23:48:55 +0000 UTC View PostIt had been a long time since Hump had tried to suppress a fire. Outside of the early years of his training, he would rarely use any fire affinity spells other than Spark, as his affinity was so poor. He remembered a few lessons where he’d been instructed to put a candle out while only wielding fire essence, a challenge that required one to overwhelm the natural energetic intent that...
2022-09-11 21:55:46 +0000 UTC View Post“What’s this about?” Bud asked.
The five of them were gathered in Hump’s room, Marcela’s party waiting for them downstairs. While they hadn’t known Emilia long, Hump didn’t think it would be fair to exclude her from something that might put her in danger. It wouldn’t be the whole truth, but at least it was something.
Hump sighed. “To put it simply, I think the dung...
2022-09-08 00:13:37 +0000 UTC View PostThe forest was empty except for Hump. A red light shone through the trees, casting long shadows. It hung low in the sky, a glimmer on the horizon like the setting sun, but something deep inside told him that wasn’t it. This was something darker. He could feel it to his core. He rubbed the tiredness from his eyes and frowned. He’d been asleep in the inn. Pain flared in his head like piercing...
2022-09-04 20:59:44 +0000 UTC View PostI wanted to have two chapters out for you today but the second one still needs a bit of work. Will probably go live tomorrow so keep an eye out!
Hump reacted the same way he always did when a madly shrieking monster leapt at him. He gathered his essence in his staff and stabbed it toward them. “Fire Blast.”
Fire exploded through the air and over the gro...
2022-08-30 22:15:33 +0000 UTC View PostSally was magnificent. Hump could hardly take his eyes off the stonetusk. He’d dismounted Prancer after the horse reared at their attempted approach and led him forward on foot instead. Sally, on the other hand, was completely calm. She stood there contently as nervous children clung to her legs and the other villagers crowded around her. As he neared, the best description Hump could think of...
2022-08-27 23:19:59 +0000 UTC View PostI'm going to try release at least another 2 chapters before Saturday and get large hedges back up to 6 advanced chapters. Hope you enjoy!
The fields of grass and grain swept by on either side of the road like a green ocean—at least, that’s how Emilia described it. Hump had never been on the ocean so he couldn’t say for sure. It sure as hell sounded more interesting ...
2022-08-23 23:12:09 +0000 UTC View PostI'm back from holiday. There will be many more chapters this week! Really sorry for the delays but I'll catch you up before the end of the month.
A line of blood formed on Edmund’s cheek, pooling at the end until it started to trickle. He wiped it with his fingers, scowling down at the blood before turning his gaze on Bud. The knight still stood with his sword out at hi...
2022-08-22 22:55:54 +0000 UTC View PostSorry for the delay. I'm on holiday at the moment and had less time to write than I expected. Hope you like the chapter!
“She said yes,” Bud said, his face mortified.
Hump laughed. “Perfect! It went well then?”
They’d been waiting eagerly for Bud’s return, and even Vivienne had an amused look on her face.
“I think so, yeah,” Bud said, smi...
2022-08-15 22:44:12 +0000 UTC View PostI found this chapter particularly fun to write. Hope you enjoy!
The training went well. After some general testing with Bud, Hump and Celaine had left to work on their own abilities instead, leaving the two of them to spar. It had been an interesting experience experimenting with the cantrips he’d spent much of his use practicing. Reading the old notes left by his prede...
2022-08-10 22:54:24 +0000 UTC View PostThe next day didn’t come soon enough. Hump spent the night on edge, the brief moments of sleep he caught interrupted by nightmares. His waking thoughts twisted by the creaks of the old inn and distant voices of the city. He gave up come first light, heading down to the tavern where the kitchen staff were already at work. He didn’t feel much like eating, so sat on a bench outside, wrapped ti...
2022-08-07 21:55:25 +0000 UTC View PostThey returned to the inn where Mister Gronde was more than happy to provide a private room for them to speak in. Dylan nipped up to their rooms, returning with a bag of healing supplies, then helping Celaine to tend her wound. In the meantime, Hump and Bud recounted what had happened.
“This lead attacker, was there anything distinctive about him?” Eliana asked.
She was a beautif...
2022-08-03 19:59:27 +0000 UTC View PostHump gazed into the pillar of frostfire of essence that descended from the clouds above, enamoured by its beauty, enraptured by its power. He had witnessed both the advancement of Celaine and Dylan now, the power of Owalyn and Krioc, but it paled in comparison to this. This was strength on another level. Kelisia the Frostfire Witch, and one of The Twelve.
There wasn’t a sound in the all...
2022-07-31 23:30:56 +0000 UTC View PostHey guys, I made a minor change to the end of the previous chapter. I've tried to make it self explanatory in this chapter, but I suggest you read the last 10 or so paragraphs of Chapter 20. I just made the start of the encounter more interesting.
“Archers above us!” Celaine snapped, shooting her an arrow at someone on the roof. There was the sound of scrambling. ...
Thanks for the well wishes guys. I'm feeling much better now and am back to writing. I've not really been in the head space to write so spent a bunch of time outlining over the last week which has me super excited about the rest of this book. Hope you enjoy the chapter!
The four women accompanying Luna were all dressed in white robes, the sigil of their god embroidered on...
2022-07-24 01:25:08 +0000 UTC View PostHey Guys, very sorry for the wait. I caught covid and haven't been doing too great this last week. This chapter was basically finished on Saturday but I just couldn't sit on the PC long enough to actually do the final touches. There won't be a chapter this Saturday but I hope to be back to normal by Tuesday. Covid has been brutal so far... Stay safe everyone!
T...
2022-07-13 00:02:56 +0000 UTC View PostHump and Celaine went their separate way after they left, Vivienne returning to report to Countess Daston with the others. He was glad she hadn’t asked them to come too. They’d hardly returned from their travels, and he wanted some time to do nothing. When they returned to the inn, Bud and Dylan were already there.
“How did it go?” Bud asked.
Hump took a seat at the table, a...
2022-07-06 23:27:52 +0000 UTC View PostThis was the most challenging chapter in a while! Lots of plot stuff, and I didn't like my original outline for it, so had to make some tweaks. Hope you enjoy!
They were being watched when they arrived at the temple district, and not just by the many disgruntled clergy members and temple guards that didn’t want wizards poking around their holy land. It was the man carry...
2022-07-04 23:39:50 +0000 UTC View PostThey’d paid in advance for their rooms at the inn, so returned there first to put away their gear. Bud grinned like a donkey as they overly friendly barmaid welcomed him back, pointedly uninterested in the rest of them.
“Oh, before I forget, milord,” she said, battering her eyelids, “a letter arrived for you while you were away. From another knight I think.”
“Another kni...
2022-06-30 00:00:08 +0000 UTC View PostHump woke sweating, his heart pounding. For a moment, he was back in the darkness of the gorger’s lair and fighting for his life, then his eyes settled on the firelight. The light flickered across Celaine’s face as she quietly kept watch.
He lay back, resting his head against his back, trying to catch his breath and regain control over his heart. The gorger was dead. It was just a bad...
2022-06-27 00:01:02 +0000 UTC View PostSuper happy with how this chapter turned out. Hope you enjoy :)
The pain didn’t take long to subside. Hump had been lucky, and as far as he had seen, that’s what it came down to for most adventurers in the end. Those with good luck, lived longer, got richer, and got stronger. The ones without it got dead. Bud and the others could talk it up to the favour of the gods a...
2022-06-22 00:37:25 +0000 UTC View PostLarge Hedges - Chapter is following soon. I won't sleep till it's done!
Hey guys. Extremely excited to announce that The Hedge Wizard is now out on Amazon on Kindle, Kindle Unlimited, and Audible. H...
2022-06-21 20:43:49 +0000 UTC View Post“Get it together, Alisha,” the spearman snapped. The boy whimpered in his grip as he dragged him back toward the woman. “Come on, woman!”
She didn’t respond though. She stood huddled, leaning heavily against her staff, her spine curled. Hump could sense the essence coming from her. He could feel it on his skin—dark and wrong—it made the hairs along his spine stand on end. 2022-06-18 23:07:30 +0000 UTC View Post
Hump and the others never arrived in Milton. They parted with the wagon train early on the fourth day, leaving them to the last leg of the journey alone. It had been a difficult decision, but they were confident no attack would come so close to Milton. The wounded woman had recovered a little since they’d picked her up, and told them her name was Carly. Her story was the same as theirs ...
2022-06-16 23:17:57 +0000 UTC View PostThey were on their second day toward Milton when Celaine spotted someone amongst the trees. One of the great things about travelling with a Huntress of Owalyn was that it was nearly impossible to be caught off guard. Her eyes didn’t seem to miss anything—certainly not some bandit in the trees. The four of them rode to the head of the wagons and brought their small group of six wagons to a s...
2022-06-13 00:27:43 +0000 UTC View PostIt took them four days to reach Sudwick. Four days of intermittent rain. They’d managed to spend a couple of nights in travellers lodgings along the road which made things easier, and with the weather so poor, the roads had been quiet. Those travellers that they did meet though, looked at them with nervous eyes. It was only when they showed themselves to be members of the Adventurers’ Guild...
2022-06-09 01:09:20 +0000 UTC View PostThey arrived in Whiteford with the lifeless bodies of the burrow snakes draped across the necks of their horses. It was a small farming village nestled into the bend of a river, a shallow ford of crystal clear water connecting to the road on the other side. The road cut through thick woodland, leading farther south.
Fishermen lined the shore, casting out their nets, while women washed lau...
2022-06-05 22:14:26 +0000 UTC View Post“It’s funny,” Bud said. “Days of travelling, and the whole time I was looking forward to reaching the city and having a hot meal. Then once we were there I could hardly wait to leave.”
“It’s nice one of us is positive about it going out to look for monsters,” Hump said.
“It’s better than being in that godforsaken city,” Dylan said. “The smell, the crowd, the ...
2022-05-31 23:46:43 +0000 UTC View PostThe meeting point for the academy expedition was unsurprisingly on the academy grounds. They took the pilgrim’s steps to the top this time, partly to save on coin, but mostly because Bud had been on at them for days that he wanted to experience them at least once. And they were an experience…
Hump stopped bothering to count when he reached five-hundred and wasn’t even half-way to th...
2022-05-29 23:42:32 +0000 UTC View PostTwenty-five gold coins. That was what their contribution in Fishers Lake had come to. If not for the many close encounters with death, and the weeks locked up in the gorger’s den, Hump might have thought it was worth it. As it was, not so much.
They had a few days now until the Adventurers’ Guild announcement, and Hump endeavoured to spend the time as relaxed as he could. He splurged ...
2022-05-25 23:53:47 +0000 UTC View Post