Official page for the [Royal Road Community Magazine] Contest. This page includes the first chapters of all entries submitted before January 10th, 2024. Check out the first chapter for more details.
205.02 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-22 09:56
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
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
Chadadin | one_shot | Complete
I thought starting college would be a good opportunity for a huge step up in my personal life and it was but not the way I expected it. It turns out that I'm a Red Dragon which makes me infamous and despised in the magic world, even by other Red Dragons. It doesn't matter what comes my way, because I'll completely dominate it. I will become a Dragon King.
26.10 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-22 19:01
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
DarenGillingham | one_shot | Complete
Demons, Dragons, ghouls, and gheists. The monsters of Terra are many. I, Nicholas Wolfram shall tell you all about them in the hopes you may avoid the fate of some of my students. Read on, lest a lack of knowledge be your undoing. These monsters are based on those found in The Alchemist Series.
20.83 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 18:22
Queenofthefuzzybugs | one_shot | Complete
That night, she was bored and illegally downloaded and installed "Life is but a Rose", the most cheesy and terribly rated otome game of 2001. Just as promised, it was laughably bad. She heckled the game the entire night, finishing it at dawn. As she fell asleep she thought, "Did monkeys write this? How could they let the characters be so dumb, if it were me I wouldn't be that stupid..." And then she woke up in the body of a child "Camilla Florentine." The dumbest character of them all: the villainess. Bad ends and death flags are all that await the arrogant and proud Daughter of the Duke. But only if she went according to the script! As long as she makes her own "Escape Route", surely nothing could go wrong... "Huh? I activated a hidden route? Who cares about that! Love flags or whatever, I've got a great job lined up and can live how I want, screw the game's fate and capture targets! I'M FREEEEEEE!" Runs out the door. Years later: "Why did a Capture Target follow me to a completely different country??????" *** A sweet, silly story written over three days. Lincensed under: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
19.86 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-27 17:37
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
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
Evelyn Adelberg | one_shot | Complete
Each page is a new beginning. Quite literary when it comes to this compilation of flash fiction written by a myriad of authors. Each one only has a paragraph and a list of characters to work off, to continue the main story. Let's see where this takes us! This story is brought to you by : DT_Reunion nerdy_asian27 Gasmaskbro One_Chance skitta Space Pickle Little Racoon Rhea Bring ringe The Cabbage Preacher
16.99 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-22 16:23
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
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
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
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
NicholasDuval | one_shot | Complete
A young spellcaster is banished from her community for witchcraft and exiled into a dark, ancient forest. While lost among the trees, she discovers a lonely devil. Together, they form a bond that could blossom into love... and save their new home.
11.56 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-22 19:02
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
Spencer Havens | one_shot | Complete
Grimjack the Eviscerator never really cared for Christmas, but with the horde weakened from a recent attack by the Stridian Armada, he has no choice but to go to Santa Claus for help. He arrives at the North Pole to find that he can't turn in the Christmas wish granted to him by the Bajorin Alliance because Santa has gone missing! So, he reluctantly teams up with an unlikely group of heroes to try and save Christmas before the Torellians can harness the sadness of a year without presents and finish off the horde. Will Grimjack learn the true meaning of Christmas, or will his blood stained heart stay hardened to the truth hidden behind all the presents and decorations?
11.41 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-25 12:26
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
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
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
