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[ Yes, even stupid sexy Aureon. ]
Alright gals, blokes, and all other folks. Here's the state of things and the plan for December:
Currently I'm writing and editing each chapter the day it releases, with a couple of rare exceptions. Obviously this is a lot to balance against my normal full-time corporate job. I have a lot of faith in the story I'm trying to tell, but this breakneck pace has meant that I'm sacrificing a lot of potential connective tissue that would help bridge the gaps between genres and it makes some of the earlier chapters feel like they come out of nowhere.
For the rest of December, I'm going to release M-W-F to allow myself time to tighten things up and to build some backlog so I don't get burnt out. This should also ensure that I don't get behind when the holidays hit. I've got a huge extended family that will demand I spend time with them instead of just letting me write.
image [https://media1.tenor.com/m/_QMRtYkD1mYAAAAC/the-sopranos-tony-soprano.gif]
I appreciate everyone who's joined me on this journey so far. I've never written more than a handful of pages before, and those were mostly school assignments over 15 years ago. I didn't think anyone would find this little experiment of mine, let alone enjoy it. I can't express how much it means to me that you're all engaging with my work. Every comment I get is exciting, even the simple "Thanks for the chapter" ones.
Once January rolls around, I'll resume the daily posting and we'll try to get ourselves onto Rising Stars to expand this little community of ours. I hope you'll forgive me for cutting your daily Blake & Chimera content and still stick with me for the long haul.
Now I know you were expecting something today, and I don't want to disappoint, so here's a couple of teasers for some things to come. One for tomorrow and one for a bit later.
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TOMORROW: A SURPRISE FOR CHIMERA
Blake crouched at the edge of the scrap heap, his boots finding purchase on twisted metal as he studied the vast depression below. The crater stretched out to the horizon like a wound in the planet, its edges ragged with fallen debris that had collected over what must have been centuries. At its center, barely visible through layers of accumulated wreckage, lay something massive—a dark shape that had driven itself deep into the planet's surface.
He activated [Warden's Insight], letting his perception expand outward. The familiar rush of information flooded his awareness as details crystallized with supernatural clarity. But before he could process what he was seeing, Chimera's presence in his mind sparked with shock.
"That's... that's a Leviathan," she said, her usual composure faltering. "The outer shell is… But it's unmistakable. Why would..." She trailed off, clearly disturbed. "What could have driven one to do this to itself?"
The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
Blake shifted his weight, metal creaking beneath him as he studied the scene. "I assumed this was just another wormhole dump site. You know, like everything else that ends up here."
"No," Chimera said firmly. "Look at this impact pattern, the way the ground buckled and sprayed outward. It must be over 3 kilometers wide. This wasn't a drop from a wormhole. This was a high-velocity impact—deliberate and devastating."
Blake took in the impact crater and couldn't help but agree that she was right. He hadn't thought that one through.
"Besides," she continued, tone thoughtful. "You don't catch Leviathans with wormholes. We're creatures born to the void itself. Spatial manipulation, gravity control—it's woven into our very nature."
She paused a moment before speaking again with absolute certainty.
"No, this Leviathan chose its fate. It drove itself into this planet with purpose."
"Okay," Blake said grimly. "Let's go see if we can figure out why."
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COMING SOON: NEW LOCATIONS! FINALLY!
Blake crested the ridge of twisted metal, and his breath caught at the sight before him. The city rose from the endless sea of scrap like some fever dream of industrial might—a forest of impossibly tall spires cobbled together from starship hulls and heavy machinery. The too-blue light of the local star caught the surfaces in strange ways, picking out patches of tarnished metal and sections buffed to an unsettling, oil-slick shine.
His [Warden's Insight] picked out the bones of ancient vessels in the city's skeleton. Cargo haulers and warships alike had been split and welded into new forms, their guts spilling out to form bridges and walkways between the towers.
"Interesting architecture," Chimera noted dryly in his mind.
Massive smokestacks punctured the sky at irregular intervals, spewing streams of oddly-colored smoke. Blake watched, fascinated, as the emissions twisted into floating symbols that hung in the air for precious seconds before breaking apart. The runes looked alien, but something about them tugged at his Affinity—their shapes suggesting meanings his brain couldn't quite grasp.
Similar glyphs danced around the spires themselves, golden symbols that sparked and crackled before vanishing in trails of amber light. The entire city thrummed with sound—the steady rhythm of countless machines working in concert. Pulleys creaked, engines wheezed, and metal ground against metal in a symphony of desperate ingenuity.
The road leading to the city proper bustled with activity. Small camps dotted the shoulders, their occupants hawking salvaged parts and jerry-rigged equipment. Blake's attention shifted to a raised track where three mechanical walkers passed by, their spider-like legs moving with uncanny grace. Despite their partially rusted exteriors, the joints were meticulously oiled, and faint magical energy coursed over the frames, keeping the massive machines mobile.
"Now these are some real scavengers," Chimera said. "Notice how they've integrated enchantments with pure mechanics? There are some high-concept professions at play here."
"Yeah," Blake said, more than a little floored by this sudden onrush of civilization after weeks of relative isolation. "We definitely need to get Mara and her people tiering up."
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And there we are. I hope the teasers will keep the pitchforks at bay. Oh, and one final bonus: an image I generated trying to figure out Blake's current armor. I take no responsibility for how he looks, but the armor feels about right. Even has some glowy bits where Chimera is doing repairs.
image [https://i.imgur.com/zimsUDI.png]