My submission for the January Writing Contest POWER of the SUN is a Cells at Work-inspired comedy short story about a hydrogen atom that goes on an adventure trying to stop the sun from going out. This story contains some mild profanity and dumb hijinks, Not everything is serious throughout this story and some things will not be explained because I do not care. Enjoy the story!
9.57 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-22 16:20
cathfach | one_shot | Complete
All living things have needs that must be met if they desire their life to continue. Such needs range from the universal requirement for sustenance, to the more specific, such as the requirement of all higher life to sleep, or even the esoteric, such as the requirement of a pain demon to inflict suffering. The ability to exploit those needs is what separates, to pick a random example, a successful summoner from the shrivelled (but very happy) corpse that had, a few minutes earlier, conjured up a succubus with no plan of how to control her. The Cruithia Kingdom is well known by its neighbours (or at least, by the subset of them that aren't carbonised silhouettes) for exploiting such needs to bring a shining example of the world's apex predator under their control. For the past hundred years, anyone daring to encroach on the kingdom's territory has found themselves faced, very briefly, by a dragon. But perhaps 'control' isn't quite the right word, and it's that very dragon that the kingdom's betrayed crown princess is going to need to convince to aid her if she ever wants her position back. A creature of selfishness and pride, evil by any human standard, and yet occasionally steerable by those who know the correct levers. Not that convincing the dragon to help her take back her kingdom is her primary concern. That accolade goes to the need to convince the dragon not to eat her. Again. This is a short story (8 chapters/17k words) about a betrayed princess and an evil dragon. Neither has a particularly great time. Published here and scribble hub. If you see this anywhere else, it's stolen.
9.82 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 15:24
AlexaLee | one_shot | Complete
Follow Dasher, the food delivery robot, as he fights to deliver food to hungry people, even though the journey is at times scary and perilous. Plagued with fading memories from his life before, he struggles to hold on to his humanity whilst also making sure he keeps the items entrusted to him safe until he reaches his destination.
19.07 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-27 17:47
Mad Sadie | one_shot | Complete
A guard has a conversation with a storm. A short story.
0.52 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-22 13:38
KeeperAbra | one_shot | Complete
No shackle can bind him. No seal can stop him. He's the Lock Picking Lawyer...in another world. An OP MC parody of LPL. You ever see those lowkey memes where he's unstoppable? Yeah... A short story by KeeperAbra.
5.22 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-22 13:44
Minds Eye | one_shot | Complete
Something is rotten under the leaves of the forest. For Hou Hanshin, his village on the forest's edge trembles as it feels the cold grip of an invisible threat closing in. For Sofi, one of the Fox Spirits assigned to watch over this small slice of Earth, the trees and streams represent more than just her duty to the Heavens. They are a part of the home she shares with her sisters. Alone, they each set out to pick their way through the undergrowth, and together they plunge into an unknown evil.
10.73 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-22 19:02
officialleehadan | one_shot | Complete
Daramethe was a hedgewitch until lightning struck her for a second time, and she gained incredible, devastating power. Her husband is a blacksmith who loves his tiny electrical wife, and would like prophets to stop kidnapping him.
6.80 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-13 10:50
Yousureimnotarobot | one_shot | Complete
Earth is in a hostile galaxy and we tried to tell them to stay away. They didn't listen. I wrote this for HFY in chapters and this is a rewrite, including a lot that was left out or skipped over.
6.88 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 15:26
parkertallan | one_shot | Complete
In the deepest reaches of space lies the planet Catalonia. Here two powerful cat nations vie to impose their desired cat scratching material upon their world. The nation of Felinia hopes to score a public relations coup by sending the first cat into space, but the rival nation of Catstroph is working to achieve the same goal and will stop at nothing to keep Felinia from beating them. Join Major Thomas Fluffison as he rockets into orbit, unaware of the adventure which awaits him. But wait, there's more. Join cats Henri and Cassie on their travels as they and we learn more about Physics. Look up in the sky. Yes, it's Dynamics Cat, that feline hero of acceleration and motion who uses his abilities to fight evil and keep the city of Newtonville safe. Warning: This short story collection contains scientific information explaining how rockets get into orbit, how to perform orbit transfers, and the secrets of reentry. In addition, there is the presence of other Physics related topics.
18.32 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-04-19 15:30
NicholasDuval | one_shot | Complete
Rorik Stormcoast, a wizard of some regard, has embarked upon a new quest. He's dared to climb a perilous mountain and seek out a legendary dragon to learn his secrets. But as Rorik makes for the summit, he is joined by a strange companion, and soon finds his quest more challenging and dangerous than he ever anticapated.
5.97 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-25 11:10
silentsnowdrop | one_shot | Complete
All Coldsnap wanted was to do something nice for his sister for Christmas. Unfortunately for him, he likes to play the villain a little too much, and there's a hero in town who doesn't want to play nice.
2.97 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-25 17:56
Web-and-Ink | one_shot | Complete
A collection of fantasy short stories about far-away lands and locales strange, wonderful, and terrible. Each piece of this anthology will be a brief glimpse into a world vastly different from our own, whether that be a haunted sea, a magic-laden desert, an endless maze, or something else entirely. New stories released monthly. Cover art by the phenomenal Josiah Mork!
14.05 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-26 10:57
MichaelJSullivan | one_shot | Complete
TWO ROGUES | FOUR SHORT STORIES | ONE CLASSIC FANTASY OF UNLIKELY HEROES The Riyria novels featuring Royce Melborn (a cynical ex-assassin) and Hadrian Blackwater (an idealistic ex-mercenary) have been enthralling fantasy readers for more than 15 years. Now for the first time four short stories and two full-length novels are available for free on Royal Road. You can read these shorts in any order, but if you haven't read any of my books, I suggest starting with The Thieves. The Thieves:THEY ATTACKED TWO RIDERS. THEY THOUGHT IT WOULD BE EASY. THEY WERE WRONG.A band of thieves set upon two lonely riders in the middle of the night. They had a larger party. They had the element of surprise. There was no reason to be concerned. But they didn't realize who they were dealing with. The Viscount and the Witch: WHO WILL BE SCHOOLED?A desperate woman seeks help to rid her barn of a drunkard. Hadrian agrees to help, and Royce goes along only to teach his idealistic partner that no good deed goes unpunished. What they find isn't what they expected, and maybe it'll be Royce's opinion that will be changed. Professional Integrity: YOU WANT US TO STEAL WHAT?Several years have passed since the war-weary mercenary Hadrian and cynical ex-assassin Royce joined forces to start their thieves-for-hire organization, better known as Riyria. Things have gone well enough for the team as they perform tasks for nobles throughout Elan. Usually, that means stealing something, but when a young heiress asks them to steal her . . . well, that's a first for the pair. The Jester: WHO WILL HAVE THE LAST LAUGH?Stop me if you've heard this one. A thief, a candlemaker, an ex-mercenary, and a pig farmer walk into a trap . . . and what happens is no joke. When Riyria is hired to retrieve a jester's treasure, Royce and Hadrian must match wits with a dwarf who proves to be anything but a fool. Difficult choices will need to be made, and in the end, those who laugh last do so because they are the only ones to survive. If you enjoy these Riyria short stories, you'll be happy to know there are another 10 full-length novels (2 are available for free on Royal Road) featuring these rogues-for-hire and a total of 19 novels in an epic series that spans 3,000 years. The novels are spread across four collections as seen here. The Riyria Revelations:Theft of Swords(containsThe Crown Conspiracy&Avempartha).". Rise of Empire(containsNyphron Rising&The Emerald Storm) "Heir of Novron(containsWintertide&Percepliquis) The Riyria Chronicles:The Crown Tower " The Rose and the Thorn " The Death of Dulgath ". The Disappearance of Winter's Daughter Legends of the First Empire:Age of Myth " Age of Swords " Age of War " Age of Legend " Age of Death " Age of Empyre The Rise and Fall:Nolyn "Farilane " Esrahaddon
22.48 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-27 17:36
Aster Loka | one_shot | Complete
~First place winner! January 2022 Royal Road Community Magazine Contest~ When all else fails, when all hope is lost, perhaps madness is less important than results. If the world is going to end, save what you can from the ashes. No matter the sacrifice. When came the monsters, So fell the elves; The rising of the Dungeon Queen, And then the sun went out.
8.70 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-27 18:11
Majorian | one_shot | Complete
Cadet Commissar Karl Waino wanted to be a war hero. After years of schooling, he finally got his chance on the planet Banshee, attached to an Imperial Guard regiment to prove he had what it took to lead men into battle. What started as a simple reconnaissance mission becomes the ultimate fight for survival as Karl Waino learns just how horrible war is in the 41st millennium.
15.43 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 18:20
Epsilon Twilight | one_shot | Complete
My chimera, my Alta. You were born for greatness. Alta has been trapped for all their life in darkness, a jail warded by demons and other creatures. But as they manage to escape the outside world with a hint of their true lineage, they understand that the outside was far bigger than their prison cell had been. After rescuing a fairy, they shapeshift into one and joins the fairy village, looking to find themselves, rather than their family. Author's synopsis: Gender-fluid, shapeshifting bloodthirsty creature wants to be happy and discover the world. Also fairies. A lot of fairies. WE HAVE ART! [Winner in the Royal Road Writathon challenge April 2023!]
33.36 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 18:23
TealiciousTea | one_shot | Complete
A jellyfish in space. Also, cats, tea, AI with blue boxes, mech-bunny suit, giant duck, ape space pirates and more. I promise two of these things are true: melodrama, self-insert protagonist and a complete three-part story.
4.86 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 18:22
A boy ventures into his kitchen for a late night snack.
1.01 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-22 13:43
moonpearl | one_shot | Complete
Three short Girls Love / Sapphic / Lesbian stories, originally written for "9 Nights in the Garden of Lilies: A Yuri Garden Anthology" on Scribble Hub. Contained in this collection is: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ TO BE A PRINCESS (THERE MUST FIRST BE PAIN) Princesses don't cry. This is the one rule for royalty in Corde Femmes. Vervain has known since she was a child that her fate is to be kidnapped by the Demon Queen, like all princesses before her, and saved after a year of penance. It's the only way to appease the goddess, Feuvert. But when her summoned hero sneers at the task before her and refuses to follow tradition, Vervain fears that Feuvert's wrath will destroy them all. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ THE HEART IS A SEA Mermaids are beautiful everyone knows that. But at what point does admiring them become something more? Skye has been wrestling with that question for almost the whole thirteen years of her life. Now, cast out by her friends under suspicion of being "a lesbo", it seems like the only question that matters. When an enthusiastic mermaid princess offers her a deal that might bring her closer to the answer, Skye agrees without sparing a thought for the consequences. "The Heart is a Sea" is a romantic comedy about compulsory heterosexuality and mer-human culture clash. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ MUIRGEN On their sixth anniversary, an explosion stole their lives. Tristan was still reeling from the loss of his wife when he was reborn as Muirgen, the plain daughter of minor nobility. In a flashy fantasy land that his brother would have drooled over, what was waiting for him was not a life of magic or easy glory, but exploitation at the hands of a father who legally owned him. Just when he had lost all hope, an unexpected second chance arrives through a political marriage to the dark elf queen. "Muirgen" is an atypical gender bender about grief, agency, and the art of learning to love again. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The character art used to create the cover was made with the "Sailor Senshi Maker 3" game by Drachea Rannak and Doll Divine, found here: https://www.dolldivine.com/sailor-moon-senshi-maker.php (Non-commerical use with credit allowed)
11.01 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-22 16:20
The Jester in Red | one_shot | Complete
Famous poet and self-proclaimed adventurer, Orion Auslandin, sets off on a journey to find the mythical Valley of the Salt Sparrow Heart and prove that there is more to him than simply being the son of the Pirate King. Inspired by ancient poetry and a journal entry from a long dead author, Orion hires a crew to aid him in his quest of discovery. Along the way they face down pirates that wish to capture him, strange creatures that inhabit the island, and dangerous waters.
5.91 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-22 16:24
