G.L. Walker HATES summer

@glwalkerauthor.bsky.social

183 Followers 102 Following

Author of a to-be published series of novels with a JRPG feel.

⟁Chapter 13 – Deceiving Markaj Magnar paced outside the inner chamber while he waited for Loke. He’d already collected all the food baskets and extra items they no longer needed and returned them to Dias outside that morning. Now he was just biding his time. Shortly after midday, he heard voices through the stone door, of the main temple entrance. The voices sounded like the trio that interrupted them several days ago, but they didn’t know how to open the door since last time they came by, Loke had already opened it. He knew Loke couldn’t be interrupted and if they somehow came in, he would need to handle that soldier. He wasn’t sure if he the capability to do that. He pressed his ear against the wall to try and hear their words, but it was too muffled. He knew it was nearing time for the ritual to start and he didn’t want to open the door while they were there and have them interfere with Loke in any way.
half finished map of fictional world called Itzam with 7 continents, 2 of which haven't been fully drawn.
Congratulations screen from Librarian! Clean up the arcane library. shows clear time of 2:47:44 book shelves arranged: 400/400 Major magic used: 544 Magic unlocked 9/9 keys used: 4/4
a map of Zipan, showing a large, frozen lake where the capital city lays beside.
Cover of the gravitation novel featuring illustration of shuichi and yuki in close proximity.
map close up showing a bridge over a body of water that connects a piece of land in the south to forested land to the north
Over the past year, he received letters from several of them, Loke included, and never replied as they often reminded him of actions he failed to take and the regret that left behind. Even the personal invitation from the priestess was locked away in a box. It read like a standard invitation except on the back side was an over-explained request for him to come. When he read it, he could hear her fully confidant diplomatic tone and laughed, but in the end he added it to the box with the other letters.
"You know how people pass by all the time down one of these roads? It eventually goes to the Holom part in that direction and Teo in that one." "I'm aware. We use them all the time ourselves. Magnar, what's this about?" "Just listen. I was eight years old, helping my father in the fields when a carriage passed by. It wasn't fancy, but it wasn't one of those wagon types. We didn't see things like that often, so it really caught my attention, but what caught my eye was the occupant. I couldn't really tell you much about the person inside it at all, but it was a girl younger than me with a lot of sadness in her eyes and hair that was the color of spring and the ocean in one. Though, to be honest, I never even saw the seas at that age, I just knew that's what color it would be. So, here I am, some farm kid who only knew a few people and I was suddenly consumed with the thought of her. I told Palen, of course. He was really my only friend and he made fun of me mercilessly. How can you love someone you don't even know? That's stupid! That was his reaction and if the roles were reversed, I probably would have made fun of him too. But there was something about it I never let go, so when the girl from a few farms over that was in our little school that wasn't even really enough to be a school, but we learned to read and write from it, said she liked me, I turned her down and went about my business. Palen liked her a lot, so he got really mad at me for making her upset and for making her like me, which was never anything I actually did. But it wasn't much longer after that Cualli approached me and I turned her down too. I know their family situation was hard and she would have been in a better place if she stayed, but she was a little like a sister, so I never thought I could really love her either." "Magnar, where are you going with this?" She was wondering if she needed to chide him for something, but she didn't know what.
"I'm fairly certain Ikal is going to have both of us erased if we keep this up." Magnar was an accomplice to Loke's escape from the castle and he didn't like the thought of the consequences that awaited both of them. Ikal was stern, but his lectures were almost as bad as what his mother could dish out when he did something out of line. He wasn’t thrilled about escorting Loke through the city, knowing what could be following them. "Let him complain. He can lecture us all he wants but at the end of the day, I’m still the queen. Besides, I have a few things I wanted to discuss with you. I have no way of knowing if anyone has infiltrated my staff, so this is the best place I know we can go for complete confidentiality. I know the city itself can have its own problems, and it isn’t without risk. Besides, there's a book here I think I'm going to need." Still, Loke knew Ikal would be quite unrelenting in his lecture when they were inevitably caught and she certainly wasn’t looking forward to it.
----flashback---- “Well, what do we have here?” Betti crouched down in front of a small Kalua that had stopped to stare at him. “Are you afraid of me?” Kalua shook his head. “No.” “My name is Betti. What’s yours?” “Kalua.” His eyes sparkled as he stared at Betti. Betti took Kalua’s tiny hand and kissed it. “Your highness, try to remember me someday. I’d be glad to serve a handsome prince like yourself. You’re bound to be a lady killer, so try not to make me so jealous, ok?” Kalua tilted his head, trying to process so many new words and short circuited, only replying obediently. “Of course, thank you.” “Ah, your majesty. I was just greeting the young prince. I hope I didn’t upset you.” Loke bent down to pick up Kalua and held him on her hip. “No, it’s no problem. I’ll meet you for the briefing in a few moments. If you’ll excuse me.” With Loke’s back to Betti, Kalua stared back at the giant in the foyer and Betti blew a kiss in his direction. -----end flashback-----
Lockscreen with a manga colored page featuring OC characters. Loke is reading an oversized book while Magnar looks over her shoulder.
“Have you found something?” Cam wondered if there was something more than blue tiles. "Yes and no. It tells Agha’s story, but I don’t know how to reach him.” Loke sighed but was caught off guard again by Balan when he climbed up on the table. “What are you doing?” “It looks like a pool of water to me. I figured maybe I could just take a quick dip to cool off!” Before anyone could comment about how absurd his suggestion was, he sank into the table as if it had been made of water and only a single ripple flowed at the surface.
close up of a map with an arrow pointed to an island that has no defining details
"Where's this road you're on go? I hope it goes somewhere fun because villages don't have a lot of inspiration." Votan groaned and kept walking, resigning to the fact Xin was likely to continue to be a noisy thorn in his side. "It goes to the capital city." "Is it a big city? I've never really been to a big city before, but I have a lot of requests and offerings from cities. I really should check it out!" Xin was bouncing with excitement. She’d always wanted to go somewhere busy. The port was plenty busy but the thought of a big city fascinated her. "Fine, you can tag along until Teo, but when we get there, you're going your own way! I have things to do, I can't keep babysitting you." Votan planned to lose her in Teo's alleyways as soon as he could. "Votan, you're so kind! I'll sing a song in your honor!"
storygraph chart of 2026 reading goals of 15 books out of 25 books goal - 60% progress bar
Loke started to come around and pushed herself up despite Dias’ protests and sat awkwardly. Her words were mixed language, the common language spilling into the ancient until she was forming sentences they could understand. “…great history of the gods, the past. That is why I am currently unwell. Thank you for your concern.” She started coughing again and Magnar handed her a canteen. “Now, all that one more time. I think we missed a few words.” “Again? My head hurts. But fine. This room has an illusionary barrier. Its true form isn’t what you see. But what I saw is a grand library full of more information than a single person could possibly contain.” Loke could see the stone room fading in and out with the library. “Blu is right about the mural. It does depict the gods’ creation and all that they are guardian to. They fought for power many times, affecting the world. This is the first temple and ritual platform, built to honor the great history of the gods and the past.” “You can see the mural?” Blu was relieved she was coherent and excited she might be able to see what he saw, though he was quite concerned about her health. Loke shook her head. “No, not as well as you can. But I trust what you see as you’ve read off the history accurately.”
crudely drawn map of Itzam on copy paper featuring 7 continents and 8 countries
Cover of the due South original television soundtrack showing the two main actors and a wolf-dog
A light glow surrounded Dias as they lost the light from the moon into a grove of trees. “I would imagine a difference that separates us from them is that ours were also tied to the gods. I earned the power of a god and a spirit and you started the process of becoming a god. Though, that is just speculation. You were in the temples with her, didn’t you see anything?” “Nothing. I was always sent to wait outside and after she started her preparations, she couldn’t talk or be touched until the ceremony was over.” “Well, there is one way to find out.” Dias smirked. “I’d rather not.” “Nonsense. But if questioning the purity of the priestess concerns you, I’ll gladly ask on your behalf.” Magnar frowned. “Don’t twist this into something it isn’t, Dias.”
Everyone had agreed that Loke had been right about the beauty of the coastline. Comparing it to the places they had been, it was a stark difference in regards to the view and overall lifestyle. As the coast was starting to turn north, a small fishing village was seen up in the distance. It was nearly dusk, but the prospect of a port excited everyone to keep pushing forward. They all hoped that Blu’s suggestion to see what Wiil had to offer would pan out. It was dark by the time they reached the small village and most activity in the village had already ceased. The village was no stranger to visitors, however, since it was along the coast and sometimes the city people would come out to fish or just relax on the beaches. Because of this, by the time they found the inn, it had mostly been filled and the only room remaining was a tiny room with one bed. Even if they shared the room, there wouldn't be enough room for everyone.
Line art of a woman reading an oversized book while a man sits beside her, interested in what she is doing. Other books, scrolls, and candles are around them
A writer ask game! One like, one answer and 75 questions
“More importantly, I’m wondering if we can still trust Votan. He hasn’t tried anything up front, but we should be vigilant with him.” Magnar glanced at Votan. He seemed innocent while he was sleeping, but he wasn’t sure about him when he was awake. Loke tipped her head back against the wall. “I have the feeling he’s hiding something about himself. If your name was given by the people around you, they wouldn’t have chosen the name Votan without a reason. I don’t think he was lying with the answers he provided.” “Why is his name so important? Couldn’t it be from his parents?” Blu heard the conversation in the stairwell as well as everyone else did, but nothing seemed unusual to him. He also wasn’t sure what she meant by the passage she recited, but decided that was something he wasn’t supposed to know about. Loke tried to stare at a ceiling she couldn’t see. “It could be, but who named him isn’t as important as his name. Votan was one of the original vessels for the gods. There were originally a small handful of early gods that chose human vessels and Votan was one of those early vessels. It’s not a name that is used as much anymore, but it was much more common over than a hundred years ago.” “So, he was named by someone that’s familiar with the history of the Biyeho? Or maybe his family used that name since those days.” Magnar didn’t care a whole lot, but this conversation was better than nothing. He remembered Loke commenting on his name being uncommon as well, though her name was equally uncommon to him. Loke nodded. “Votan was a vessel for wisdom. He brought about a lot of education for people and most of the mantras and rituals we still practice today. Though I think people now ask the god of knowledge for that sort of thing.”
Cross stitch temperature chart with a galaxy pattern a little more than half done and 2026 embroidered under planet earth.
Reading goals chart showing 14/25 books completed so far this year
Asta gave him a stern look and suddenly reached back and punched him in the jaw. Kalua dropped into a heap. He didn’t know if his face or his torso hurt more. “What the hell was that Asta?” Mahoe was beside Kalua when he went down and crouched down to sit his brother up. “That’s my line to him.” She pointed hard at Kalua. “How long were you holding on to that secret plan? Were you always ready to just sacrifice yourself without telling anyone?” Hot tears dripped down her face. Asta thought she had been done crying but she was now full of rage. Tibi stepped between the siblings. “I know you’re mad Asta, but he’s already hurt.” Kalua wiped the blood from his lip. “I deserved that. I probably deserve a lot more.” “We should let him rest a while. We all should rest a while.” Tibi was trying to mitigate the chaos that was unfolding around her.
Since he had nothing useful to add, Magnar struggled to bring the bodies out into the clearing under the cloudy sky. The clouds would sometimes allow a few moonbeams from the waxing crescent to shine down, but overall, it was mostly cloudy with a few rare drops of rain falling from time to time. Magnar placed the bodies beside each other and positioned their hands by their sides, palms to the sky. Meanwhile, Loke was vigorously mixing some herbs and oils. He had only seen this done twice, each time was one of his parents, but he never needed to assist. Once everything was ready, Loke knelt to the side of the High Priest of Teo. Magnar knelt opposite her, beside the High Priestess of Caax. Loke waited in silence for a few moments and once the change in day was upon them, she began her ceremony. Magnar watched her carefully as she picked up a long needle and wiped the oil and herb mixture across it with a delicately embroidered cloth. He had no idea Loke was carrying such things, as her luggage didn't seem any larger than his own. He also never understood the importance of any of the details, and so he never bothered to question them. He simply accepted them as how the gods wanted it. She spoke softly and smoothly, but Magnar understood very few of the words. After a deep breath, Loke gently pushed the needle into the priest's torso, just below where his heart would be. She continued chanting and looked to the sky briefly before removing the needle and continuing her chant as she wiped the needle once again with the infused cloth. Once her chant had ended, she turned the needle, thicker end towards Magnar and nodded at him. She pointed at the location on herself, but nodded towards the priestess. Once the ceremony began, only words to the gods were to be spoken and all those present must participate in some fashion, as these were people of significant Biyeho status. That was especially important when asking a soul to be reborn.
Small square board of Loke in brush strike art style
picrew of male with long red hair in ponytail and face bandage
Loke sighed. "For the first time in a long time I feel fully relaxed. Tomorrow will bring different pressures that I can ignore for the rest of today. Unfortunately, I'm forced to be pleasant and polite all the time. No matter how much I would love to just be XXXXXXX Loke, I have to put on the XXXXXXXXXXXX."
Magnar insisted Loke have her own bed for the night. She was emotionally exhausted and he had some map making to work on. The parchment she had brought him was some of the best he’d ever seen and he was a little apprehensive about writing on it. Instead, he decided he would save it for his grand map of Itzam since he figured she’d drag him all over the world. He could put all his other maps together and make one map he could be really proud of. He had sketched out the streets in the southern part of town and while he wanted to venture to the rest of the city, they had more important business to take care of and he could always come back and map it another time. However, Magnar didn’t get as much work as he intended to that night because their earlier conversation kept seeping into his mind. He had a lot of questions he wanted to ask her in sincerity, but he saw how much she wanted to keep that title from influencing anything and how desperate she was for him to forget about it. She lived in a small place in the middle of a lower class neighborhood, too. It was something she obviously was trying very hard to ignore. On the other hand, because of who she was, he was starting to see the importance of her quest and his job just became even more vital to her success.
Dias changed his mind about talking more about Teo in the morning. Instead, they boarded their ship and Magnar laid out his map of Caax to decide their route to Yopa. They opted to stay along the northern border as best as they could until they reached the Great Southern Bridge. There were several villages and the rare city along the way that they could probably find a place to stay without alerting too many people. Magnar warned that this area was hit hardest by the poor crops, that there were likely to be bandits and other disgruntled people along the way and it would be good to pay a lot of attention to their surroundings. People would be desperate and visitors are often an easy target. Their desperation made them less likely to be turned in to Teo, but they were a target nonetheless. Without much to do along the way, Dias decided to pry a little into everyone’s motivations. He was already aware of Blu’s desire to be part of something and less lonely but he still wondered if Loke wasn’t hiding something more and why Magnar was sticking around on what seemed like a futile endeavor. He found Loke reading as usual next to a pile of crates. He had no doubt she was the honest type and simplistic in her beliefs, but he was disappointed that she didn't seem to share any potential gossip about the others when he tried to talk to her before. She always seemed lost in thought but surely she had to have opinions outside of the religion. "So, why did you hire Magnar for this job?" Dias sat beside Loke.
Betti feeding an embarrassed Kalua strawberries while seated at a small table.
Meanwhile, across the hall, Dias was calmly listening to Magnar’s ranting about Loke. “Can you believe her accusations? I mean, who wouldn’t want to be paid for their services? I get that she’s all high up and all, but she can’t expect everyone to be like her. Besides, we’re all suffering in this country. Even though this town seems to be bustling, the people here have problems just as we do.” Dias was surprised Magnar was unloading on him, but he suspected this was building up for some time. “I understand, but I also sympathize with her. Remember, I was there in the war. I’ve seen a lot of people do things simply for the sake of others and harm for the sake of who they were. There are all kinds, and while seeing things from a different perspective can be difficult, it would be best if both of you could somehow see each other’s perspective from time to time.”
"I assure you, I'm quite existent. But there are a lot of reasons. Many political, some a little selfish, I suppose. It gets in the way of some things I want to be focusing on." Loke looked up at the sky briefly before the sun made her squint and look away. "Like the religious stuff?" Ezra asked. "Like the religious stuff." Loke confirmed. "I'm gonna get a quick nap. We should be fine for a little while. It gets really cold as the night goes on, there are some blankets in those bins over there. And the four of you should stick close to use the body heat." Magnar called to Ezra as he stood up. "Hey Ezra, are we good?" "Yeah. I was watchin' how you watched her earlier. I think I get it now." Ezra went into his cabin. Loke frowned. "How were you watching me, Magnar?" "Probably like this." Magnar made a face that looked like an angry glare. Loke gave him a genuine laugh. "Well, there's no mistaking that. We should get Blu and Dias. It will have less wind up here than back there if we stay low behind this wall."
Loke woke in the middle of the night, feeling disoriented and nauseous. She noticed the water and although she drank it in hopes that it would help, she felt even worse. Dias and Blu had been up in shifts most of the night making sure she was stable and Dias was there to catch her as she nearly fell off the bed. “Dias, where am I? Wasn’t I with the shaman?” She was profoundly confused. “You’re in the inn. Magnar brought you home.” Dias was helping her sit up. “Oh. I don’t feel well. Did something happen to me?” “I suppose I could call it a hangover, although you weren’t drinking, as far as I’m aware.” Dias could see she was still pale and tried to get her to drink more water. Loke was starting to get upset with herself. “Everything is blurry. I can’t remember what happened, but I know that I dreamed many dreams.” Dias sat beside her with a bucket as she tried to sort out her thoughts and surroundings, but nothing was coming to her mind clearly except for her dreams. Blu woke to Loke’s illness and Dias instructed him to bring more water for her. Magnar also was awakened by the movement in the room and worried that he didn’t get her out of that smoky room soon enough but he also wondered if this had anything to do with what the shaman had told him to keep from her. “Dias, is there anything you want me to do to help?” Magnar was feeling helpless, but still wanted to do what he could to assist. It was his job to keep her safe and again, he was feeling like a failure. “I think her fate is in the hands of the god of health right now. We just need to keep her comfortable and hydrated. Are you feeling any discomfort?” Dias wanted to make sure Magnar wasn’t feeling any delayed effects. Magnar shook his head. “Not at all. Could that smoke really have done this? There were a few bowls of incense lit, but it didn’t seem excessive.”
Blu tried to understand Dias’s comment with how it related to Loke’s descriptions. “Does that mean she’s like XXXXX? Given the power of a god?” Dias thought about Blu’s question but before he could verbalize his opinion, he heard new voices coming down the corridor. Everyone rushed to hide against the mural wall beside the door. Magnar helped Loke to her feet as she was unsteady and still mostly unwell. Through the door, a woman appearing to be dressed for battle entered with two younger people. They didn’t seem concerned that this place was special, or at least the boy didn’t. He seemed rather content to poke around. The girl had some sensibilities and yelled at him to behave as this was once someone’s holy place. The soldier said nothing but chased them both in. She had an intimidating presence about her, despite her desperation to wrangle the youths. Given her eye patch and facial scar, they knew she’d been through rough places and none of them wanted to have to face her. Carefully they slipped through door and made it out of the chamber, one by one. Votan, the last to leave the room found himself distracted by the young girl and hesitated. Dias grabbed the back of his collar and pulled him into the hallway, causing the soldier to turn and look at where they were, but no one was there to be found. Magnar picked Loke up and hung her over his shoulder as they ran toward the entrance. Loke’s stomach wasn’t appreciative of being jostled, but she held it together until they made it outside.
"I’m not sure if you’ve ever been there but Nampa is essentially a shell of itself. Most people either fled to unknown areas in the countryside or took their chances in Teo if they wanted to blend in to the city crowds. That is, if they weren't already killed for being Biyeho. What Biyeho they managed to capture are probably in prison in Teo, too. The few people left in the village are Tumben. You haven’t been outside Holom have you?" Loke stared into her half eaten bowl and found herself without much of an appetite. She heard things were bad for Biyeho in Caax, but it sounded far worse than she envisioned it. She almost felt foolish for being so naïve about it. Still, she needed to push forward and sitting in Holom wasn't getting it done. She forced a smile of sorts and looked up. "Not for some time.” She took a deep breath before proclaiming, “then, we'll just have to see if we can find them in Teo." She went back to eating and ignoring Magnar. Magnar thought she was a little too optimistic, but for the price tag, he could handle it for a few days. If they left early and rode hard enough, they could reach Teo in about a day. Then a few days of looking around if they had to, and one more day to return, then he would be set financially until next season. There wasn't any reason he should turn this down. And if she was actually insane, he could just turn her in for being a follower of Biyeho and that would be it. He had so many more questions for her, but given the terms of the contract, he thought it best to keep quiet for now. Instead, he rested his head on one hand and mostly watched her as she read in silence.
While many village girls were giving their attention to Ezra, the rest of them decided to explore on their own. It wasn't very large, so it was an easy task to accomplish. Dias and Magnar each went their own ways while Blu stuck with Loke. They were usually in charge of shopping when the group divided, and whatever information they could acquire was always an extra bonus. They managed to procure some more clay for Blu's weapon, some rations, and a tip about how most towns are located near an oasis, but the capital city of Nakbe was due south from this village at about a day's hike. No one heard of any ruins or old temples or shrines, but there were stories about people that lived under the desert sands. No one they spoke to knew anything about it and most thought it was mostly a bedtime story parents told their children.
dakimakura of Magnar by NiandNi. Clothed but barefoot on the left, in 'ritual wear' (a loin cloth) on the right
Loke thought about it over a brief pause. “Probably about 100 years older. Not terribly significant in comparison, really, but a few generations can make a difference.” “It’s probably because it froze in ice or something.” Magnar quite disliked ice and snow. “What’s this about ice?” Dias walked in with Votan right behind him. “Someone wants to rush out to Kabra.” Magnar made a face as he burnt his tongue with coffee. Dias raised an eyebrow. “Kabra? I spent some time there during the wars, but it might not be what you are expecting. There should be pockets of each faith, but both are still at odds with each other. I would imagine there are villages that started in Nich that transferred there. How are we planning to get there?” Magnar nodded towards Loke, who still looked at him like she wanted him incinerated. “We take a ship from the west. Seneca was the one that provided the details. Votan confirmed them.”
Loke never bothered to lift her hood and thankful that the rain had begun once again to hide some of her tears. Her eyes finally engaged with his as it registered that he was talking to her, but she just couldn’t press on. “Can I have a few minutes first? They were like family to me. I wouldn’t be who I am without them.” Magnar grunted, but turned his back and stood guard near the end of the alley so she could cry or whatever she needed to do. He now had a better idea who Loke was and it wasn’t like this event didn’t affect him too. He was also familiar with the victims, though he hadn’t seen them personally in a number of years. Any practicing Biyeho was generally aware of who their high priest or priestess of the region was. Leaning against the wall, Loke cried while staring up at the grey skies. The misty rain was cold and uncomfortable, but she would have to mourn later. She had far too many things on her mind and now that her mentors and surrogate parents were now no longer there to support her she would have to act on her own. Time seemed to be of the essence and she pushed down as much of the noise her mind was generating as she could and narrowed in on something she could possibly do in the immediate future.
B&W manga illustration of a young boy with a slight blush
Blu pulled his hands away from Loke with great haste. “H-high Priestess? Why would you come to such a dangerous place in your position? How have you managed to not be discovered?” Blu’s insinuations weren’t far off. “Magnar has helped me when I started to behave inappropriately for this society. But I can’t evaluate our status from Holom. And it will be nice to travel with someone else I can share communication.” She offered a smile. Blu’s anxious aura returned but he already decided he would travel with them. He didn’t think he was worthy enough to have spoken so plainly to a high priestess and was regretting not having a proper introduction before their conversation. “It’s starting to get late. I have a few things to arrange before I join you tonight and I’m sure you have some things to prepare. I will show you an easier way out.” Loke started to follow Blu, but noticed Magnar had dozed off so she went back and gently shook his shoulder. "Don't even try to be friendly at this stage." He instinctively grabbed her hand firmly before he had come around and realized what was going on. Magnar noticed the look of terror on Loke's face and quickly released her hand. "I wasn't referring to you. I must have been dreaming about someone else." Loke didn't say anything about it and continued to wearily glance his way. Magnar apologized profusely as they caught up to Blu and were led out a different door down a different tunnel. The end of the tunnel led to the basement of what sounded like a pub. Casks filled the room, which could only be assumed as wine. After sneaking out of the basement one by one, they parted ways briefly and would reunite later that night.
Kalua was finishing a few final details on a long term project in the office he sometimes used before heading back to his room. He was stopped by a courier outside the residential wing and accepted the package, surprised that it was for him. He hadn’t ordered anything and his contacts within the city were even fewer. Staring at the package the entire way back to his room, he sat at his desk and carefully unwrapped the paper packaging. Inside was a narrow box and when he opened it, a note covered the item inside. Happy Birthday, Handsome! Thought this would suit you. Wish i could see you wear it in your fancy outfit! Kalua sighed. Betti shouldn’t have done such a thing. When he set the note aside, he got a look at the actual gift. It was a pair of earrings in a delicate, shiny dark obsidian. One earring was a simple stud, but the other was long and narrow. He never wore earrings outside of formal events, yet Betti knew his ears were pierced. This was a departure from the usual gold studs he usually wore that were a gift from his mother a few years back. He held up the longer earring and went to stand in front of the mirror, trying to decide if this would even be appropriate. Holding it up to his face, first on the left, then the right, he thought that it might not actually be terrible when paired with his uniform.
A page of the 3rd chapter of the new Godchild manga release with some amazing faces. I have no idea what the japanese text says
In this extraordinarily rich painting produced in 1906, a group of bearded monkeys and an exotic bird peer out in surprise, as if a noise has suddenly disturbed their play. The apes in the foreground huddle together, while a lone monkey in the centre clings a tree trunk in fear. description from the historyofart.org
“I know I’m a simple man, but try me.” Magnar put his map and pencil to the side to show he was paying attention. Loke side eyed him but let her gaze fall back to the fire as she let out a slow breath. “There’s really not a lot about the spirits. That much I knew. But what I managed to translate and test to a degree was that not only should there be a contract, but a person has to have an affinity for a particular elemental. I tried to fire Blu’s gun earlier and it wouldn’t. It wouldn’t even glow like it does for him. He has the affinity for it.” “Loke, if this is about what I said the other day…” Magnar hoped she wasn’t hurting herself on his account. She cut him off. “No, well, yes. But not entirely. It sparked some curiosity, so I felt the need to look into it. I tend to get absorbed in my work when that happens. But also, you’re getting rather expensive, so if I can cut back on how much I need to rely on you, maybe I can save a few taak in the process.” Magnar couldn’t help the laugh that came out. He was worried when she was being somewhat nice and almost considerate, but there was always that bite at the end. “Did I say something amusing?” Loke blinked at him curiously. Magnar shook his head. “No, actually, it’s fine. Don’t overwork yourself and get some sleep. A few more days and we’ll be able to actually sleep on a real bed.” Loke stood up and went back to her blanket, but not before she mumbled her current concern, “if I have any money left we will.”
While Asta was giving her orders to Mahana and Eun, Kalua had already started collecting time particles. It took him longer than he expected to create the time bubble, but once he was done, he crouched down in a sweat. Asta put her hand on his back and stared at the area where she should see her friend and sister. “I can see some color blur, so they’ve already started.” Asta wanted to sound optimistic, but she felt Kalua's body disappear from under her hand. She looked down and he wasn't crouching, but barely able to hold himself up. She knelt beside him and turned his head to face her. “Kalua, I told you not to push yourself too far.” “I just need to rest a while.” Kalua's body slumped onto the deck, unconscious. Asta stood with a disappointed sigh and stared at him for a moment before walking around the boat. She found her target in their room under the deck. “Betti, could you do me a favor? It's for Kalua.” “I'd do anything to help someone as handsome as Kalua. What do you need me to do?” Asta knew Kalua would be livid later, but even he couldn't deny Betti was the perfect person in this situation and would likely do the same thing. “He's passed out up on deck and I want to bring him down to bed. Can you help carry him down here?” Betti felt joy within him. “Of course! I'd be delighted to.”
Background for chuck tingle book tour
“Was she drinking?” Magnar knew how much he and Dias had been drinking because they were next to each other, but Loke was at the other end with Cam and Blu on either side of her. “I think so? Winter poured for her after me.” Cam had even more than Magnar did and she didn’t seem to be feeling any effects, though she was known in the Kabra forces to hold her liquor well. Winter, did you give her alcohol?” Magnar felt the color run from his face. Winter nodded cheerfully. “Yeah, she was keeping up with Cam, so I think she had six glasses. Is that bad?” “Not good. I’ve seen her wasted on a half glass of wine.” Magnar remembered that night and shuddered at the memory.
Even though they went to bed late, Magnar was still up with the sun, but it didn’t look like Loke was getting up anytime soon. Now was a good time for Magnar to do some things in town before Loke woke up and dictated his schedule. Initially, he was going to see if he could find himself another job, but somehow he found himself shopping for traveling supplies and extra sheets of parchment and ink. He had been gone a lot longer than he anticipated, but when he got back to the inn, he was still somehow surprised Loke was awake and very involved in her book. “Hey, you’re actually awake.” Magnar dropped the supplies on his bed. Loke barely glanced up from the page she was reading. “I didn’t think you were coming back. Weren’t you going to find a new job? Your secret is in danger with me around, isn’t it?” Magnar shrugged. “It isn’t like we don’t have a similar secret. Besides, if I just let you out on your own, you’d get killed before you left town.”
About two thirds of the way across the bridge, the farmer-soldiers were gaining on them. Loke was falling behind the others, despite Dias’ best efforts to keep her running along with the rest of them. Her hand slipped out of his and she fell to her knees. The farmer-soldiers were almost upon her when she used her finger and swirled a complex design into the dust on the bridge as fast as she could while chanting. Just as she finished, the men were back to moving in slow motion. Loke suddenly felt Magnar grab her and threw her over his shoulder. “I’m pretty sure we’ve had the conversation about not pushing yourself too hard, but we’re almost there. You can explain yourself later.” “Hopefully, I slowed them down for twice as long. I’m sorry I’m such a burden. I know I’m not physically capable of a lot of things.” Loke hated being useless but this was the exact reason she needed a guard. “Save it for later. Let’s just get to Yopa. They can’t follow us once we get there. At least, I hope not.” Magnar thought they settled this argument weeks ago, but clearly it still plagued her mind.
Magnar in chibi form. art by Diego Cruz
female soldier with orange hair, a large sword, and an eyepatch