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
diesel64 | one_shot | Complete
An Long is an outcast boy from Ha Gian, a small village at the gates of the Khaz'Tiber. After the invasion of the Darenis, An Long loses everything. Everything but his dream. And thanks to his perseverance, he manages to make a place for himself on the Sky Combs, where dragon riders are trained. But riding a dragon is no easy task, and the training has taken away many apprentices. Will the boy be able to fulfill his dream?
10.99 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-27 14:01
Herko Kerghans | one_shot | Complete
Sergeant Gonzal had a very good nose for trouble. But this time, rather than the Cloning vats, the reek of things rotting came from the Mess Hall. *** "Off the Vat" is a complete, very short novel (around 20,000 words across 7 chapters), inspired by the recloning mechanic that Sci Fi MMOs like EVE Online or The Repopulation use to explain why players respawn.
12.46 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-27 13:47
Fay Voss | one_shot | Complete
A thirteen-year-old girl's destiny is to become a vessel for the Goddess of her village.
0.46 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-27 13:46
Ralts Bloodthorne | one_shot | Complete
The Sterile Queen Aveliene, the most feared of the legendary Wraithkillers, has been sent by her step-mother, the Eternal Elba, to look into rumors that the black unicorn has returned. After over a century of war, the Six Worlds lie in ruins, and an ill omen like the black unicorn appearing could mean that the troubles are still not over. A story set in the Six Worlds of Shtar, it takes place during the same time period as Echoes of War, but is a complete, stand-alone work.
12.61 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-26 18:01
Riven Auroren | one_shot | Complete
A Grimm-style inspired fairytale. One twin has it all, the other remains meek, until she no longer can.
1.06 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-26 18:00
Miles Trombley | one_shot | Complete
Tyger and his friends are a group of genetically engineered cat humanoid, raised to become star rangers for the intergalactic human federation, called the Star Alliance. Their job is to protect the human colonies and defeat whoever tries to threaten them. But everything changed when a mysterious race of alien bugs appears from the unknown and attack the planets. To order to stop the bugs, the Star Cats must find an alien artifact with the mysterious potential of stopping the invaders. They will travel to different worlds, fight different space monsters, and raid two alien temples before the bugs exterminate everyone across the galaxy. Will they be able to save humans, or will they fall? Note: There might be grammar errors I missed because this is my first draft. This fiction will also be a novella. I will post the chapters between 6 pm and 10 pm. The book cover is also AI generated from Dall-e 3.
11.42 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-26 16:46
Ruslan_rb_kg | one_shot | Complete
Going to sea, century after century, generation after generation, people have met the same things there - the wind, the waves and a ship with an elven captain coming into port just to restock the supplies...
2.75 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-26 16:44
This is a short story based in the world of Wet World Wonderland. The Machine is reborn, inspired by a great light he will journey to find it once more, giving everything he has as he upholds his prime directive.
7.99 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-26 16:44
Ceit is a young girl working on her family's dairy farm, trying to find her path forward after a traumatic experience.
9.34 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-26 10:59
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
Meakashi | one_shot | Complete
In a city without a past or a future, a world with an iron sky, where soulless beings called humans live under the reign of ruthless megacorporations. A bounty huntress receives a contract from one such conglomerate to retrieve a specimen from a rival corporation - just the repetition of the daily scuffles between monopolies to trump each other. But something is different this time. ________________________ This is a one-shot, first conceived as a script for a short film that could be turned into a feature film or series.
2.69 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-26 10:57
E.J.Lockwood | one_shot | Complete
Ardeus's existence is a cycle of countless lives, each a wheel of death, choice, and starting anew. This latest death, ended by a sharp blade wielded by wild eyes, has unlocked an unprecedented choice. The Magnificent, the overseer of his eternal journey, presents Ardeus with reincarnation options new even to the timeless being. Now, Ardeus stands at the crossroads of life, death and determining the elusive value of eternity.
4.52 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-25 17:56
Lost souls enter the multiverse.We follow the story of one of them as he rises. Novice writer of terrible talent writing in his second language.
3.55 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-25 17:56
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
Jeffrey B Wolf | one_shot | Complete
Kill Shotis an action heavy science fiction short story, set in a time where the rich mind-ride the combatants of intergalactic battle royale matches, experiencing everything the fighters do, whether those warriors are human, alien, or machine.
3.55 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-25 17:56
In the depths of the past a cat picked up the sword.He only knew simple jabs, and he was not driven to improve.However... Blade of Exaction is a crackfic about combat, and should be taken as such.
0.71 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-25 17:44
K.R Webber | one_shot | Complete
Equipped with superpowers like strength, speed and ability to make it rain whenever he pisses his pants, Roderick is set to step in different dimensions.Roderick doesn't want to travel dimensions but he has got no choice. If he sleeps, he dies. And if he wants to survive, the bizarre world has got tasks for him. Everyday&
30.06 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-25 16:37
A wanderer stumbles upon the City of Wizards on the day they celebrate their triumph over their tyrant gods and watches the view with an old wizard. A 4th of July fireworks-inspired short story, set in a world where gods are plentiful and sometimes they die. Cover image is an awful photo of part of the inspiring fireworks show in question.
1.09 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-25 12:28
Mad Sadie | one_shot | Complete
Felix has been dead quite some time. No one remembers him. He's ok with that. A short story.
0.52 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-25 12:28
