Half an hour later they finally arrived at the alleged resting place. It sat tucked away in a little nook at the end of an aisle, the endless books broken up by a little oasis of plush emerald-green chairs and a matching upholstered couch. They surrounded a small table made of the same lacquered wood … Continue reading Archive Ch.7 →

A peculiar feeling gripped Nic as he entered the Library. Part of it were the wards set over the threshold. They were crushingly strong, the back of Nic’s neck practically burning as he crossed. Though they allowed him through without complaint, their presence lingered long afterwards, itching like the memory of a knife pressed against … Continue reading Archive Ch.6 →

“Teriyaki or barbeque?” Nic looked over at Jordi where he leaned against the wall of the elevator. They had just stepped back into it, the car rumbling its way back down from the Director’s office. “Pardon?” Nic asked, audible confusion in his voice. “Teriyaki or barbeque, which do you like more?” “…Teriyaki?” Nic said very … Continue reading Archive Ch.5 →

“So, what’d you do?” Nic looked over at Jordi as the two of them walked side by side, following the guide bot as it led them through the halls of Archive. “Sorry?” Nic asked. “What’d you do to get called into the boss’ office?” Nic shrugged. “I honestly don’t know. I was at the front … Continue reading Archive Ch.4 →

‘Never judge a book by its cover’ was a phrase Nic hadn’t ever given much thought. He knew it of course, he doubted few over the age of six didn’t, though he couldn’t remember when or how he himself had learned it. One of those timeless phrases that you just absorbed from hanging around other … Continue reading Archive Ch.3 →

“What was the first spell ever cast?” Master Orlin looked up from his work, fixing Nic with a raised eyebrow. “I beg your pardon?” he asked. “The first spell,” Nic repeated. “That a techne ever coded and cast, what was it?” Nic’s master sat back in his chair, the raised eyebrow lowering into a look … Continue reading Archive Ch.1 →

Nic was still alive. How this was possible he did not know. People didn’t tend to do well when standing next to large explosions, certainly not two in the same day. Combined with the truly irresponsible number of near misses he’d experienced in the last hour, one would expect Nic’s supply of lucky breaks to … Continue reading The Scrap Knight Ch.11 →

It was pure dumb luck that Nic survived the next five seconds. The Beast lunged with all the grace of a landslide, throwing every ounce of its considerable strength behind the attack. It moved so fast that Nic couldn’t process what was happening before making uncomfortably close company with a wall of fur. He would … Continue reading The Scrap Knight Ch.10 →