Cheater's Play

Mad Sadie | one_shot | Complete

The final game in a chess tournament doesn't go quite as anyone planned... A short story.

0.56 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-22 13:43

RECALCITRANCE

demigoddess | romance | Complete

{COMPLETED} Alaina wishes to be more than a mere icon for her kingdom, believing a princess should be much more than a fragile lady in a dress. The king wants no more than for her to marry in order to succeed the throne, but she has other things in mind -- such as her thirst for freedom and adventure. But when one of the neighbouring kingdoms demands that it's time for a change in the land of Asteria, her entire kingdom is shaken. To worsen the situation, the king is somehow caving in to the demands irrationally. Stubbornly refusing to resign herself to the kingdom's seemingly inevitable fate, she is forced to leave her home in search for the root of the problems. Along with people of diverse backgrounds she comes to trust and a hotheaded boy with pyrokinesis named Kai, Alaina joins an uprising rebellion against the forming empire. But the rebellion is only the beginning of the end, for the end result isn't as perfect as how they have proudly perceived and imagined it to be - some sacrifices are destined to be made. *****{ Book 1 of The Recalcitrance Trilogy }* IMPORTANT! *No copyright infringement intended on the art of the cover.Art Credits: Alexandra V. Bach Also available on Wattpad here.(Book 2 coming soon!)

37.54 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-22 18:46

The Hawkshaw Inheritance

Orph | mystery | Complete

The Hawkshaw Inheritance is a completed story, with twenty chapters in total. For as long as almost anyone can remember, a small percentage of people have possessed fantastic gifts. Superhuman strength, speed, and smarts are just a few of the many such abilities on record. Some choose to exploit these powers for personal gain, but most use them for the benefit of their fellow man. Thanks to these people, who we call superheroes, the world is safe. The reality is a little more complicated. Most heroes are content to stop the supervillain and pose for the cameras. But it takes more than a few costumed cops and superpowered celebrities to save the world. Humanity is in danger from forces that ordinary heroes are woefully unequipped to handle. But neither they nor the public will ever be aware of the danger they are in, thanks to the efforts of the Council. For more than twenty years, the world's most powerful, influential, and intelligent metahumans have worked tirelessly in secret to protect the world, and subtly steer it on a better course. Six months ago, one of their number, the infamous vigilante detective known as Hawkshaw, disappeared without a trace. Now it falls to his protege to take up the mantle of Hawkshaw, learn the truth of his mentor's disappearance, and uncover the secrets of the most powerful people in the world... as well as what they're willing to do to keep those secrets buried.

93.76 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 12:10

Play It Straight

Saiph | romance | Complete

An action-packed zombie western lesbian romance, with some minor game-based mechanics. Yee-haw! Time to strap in cowboys and cowgirls! Things are about to get messy! How does this involve mirrors not eating people? Well I guess you'll just have to read to find out. This is the story of Casey and Dodge. A troubled girl meets a girl who loves trouble. A town harassed by the dead. Their only saviors: two priests and a band of well-armed outlaws. The Gods get together for their Saturday gaming session and Aphrodite's not playing by the rules. One thing is for sure, heads will roll. But just whose heads will they be? [Written for the Royal Road Magazine] NOW COMPLETE! Warning: despite the comedy tag this story does involve the exploration of some heavy subject matter. Reader discretion advised. Ye have been warned!

18.64 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-25 14:49

THE GIRL WHO COULD TASTE TIME

Lara Zanatti Reis | horror | Complete

Time tastes like overcooked steak covered in black ashy sand. Nona is the girl who knows how Time tastes. A flavour that alerts her that she is about to witness a time-event from anywhere and anywhen. Scenes played on mute. A never-ending banter from loud, annoying lips. The scent of danger and tears. Nona touches blood, shattered glass and crusty, crumbling memories she had never experienced. But the story of the girl who could taste Time is so much more than what meets the five senses. It is the end of the world in repeat and the hope of a place we could call home, but only if... you're one of a kind. Meet you all at .159265359.

58.68 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 11:59

Dida: A Living Computer Inside Your Head

MajorKerina | psychological | Complete

In an age of fungal computers inside people's heads, the boundaries between reality and illusion are much harder to distinguish.

14.35 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-21 18:49

The Dreamer's Codex: A Short Story Anthology

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

Void Hopper

The First Million Words | sci_fi | Complete

The Progenitors are long gone, but their technology and culture live on. Trillions of beings from hundreds of species speak the Progenitor language, eat Progenitor foods, and use Progenitor technology. The backbone of this society are Hoppers - smugglers who transport goods through the dangerous dimension of the Void. The crew of the Discordant Note is on another routine job when they come across a member of a species nobody has ever seen before - a human. He has no memory of his past, his culture, or of the world he came from. What does he remember? He knows how to operate a multitool, fire a blaster, and how to kill a Sarcorian with his bare hands. Now, the crew and their newest member must steal a powerful ancient artifact, evade the clutches of the powerful Encephalon corporation, and discover the truth about the Progenitors.

1.00 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-25 09:55

Castlebound

JennaLynnBadger | action | Complete

A young scullery maid bound to a slumbering castle must embrace her innate powers to wake the castle and save the townsfolk from a fiery dragon. When Sleeping Beauty’s spell sweeps through the castle, putting everyone to else to sleep, Hailey is the last girl standing. While she watches everyone she cares about fall to the ground asleep, mages outside the castle battle to keep the spell from growing to cover the entire kingdom, giving their lives and their magic to keep everyone else safe. The legacy of the mages must be passed on and Hailey finds herself stepping in to shoes that she doesn’t think she can fill. Note this is a Work in Progress and hasn't been through any editing.

33.92 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-26 11:11

Fallout: Vault X

FourPin | drama | Complete

An original novel set in the Fallout universe, written to be accessible to all, featuring unique people and places. Vol.IIl (3) out now Fallout: Vault X tells the story of John. A vault dweller, who spent every day of his twenty five years underground. Like his father, and his father before him. Proud to live in the last remaining bastion of humanity, all that survived The Great War of the atomic age. Hidden deep below the surface of the earth, toiling under brutal conditions. Year after year, decade upon decade. All to expand into the natural cave system the Vault occupied, building for the future. However, John knew what his forefathers did not, that everything he'd been taught was a lie. After finishing school at the age of ten, John received his standard issue pipboy. An arm mounted personal computer, worn by everyone in the Vault. Used to coordinate the relentless pace of expansion, needed to work as an apprentice. To learn the craft that would be his life's work. A noble calling to ensure a future for all that remained of the human race. A quirk of fate saw John equipped not with the crude, clunky, pipboy model his father wore. That almost everyone around him wore. His looked smaller, sleeker, finished in a jet black sheen. And capable of doing far more than its drab counterparts. The world above had been ravaged by atomic flames, yet life clung to its bones. The Red Valley fared better than most in the century since the bombs fell. The clean water and rich soil protected by rolling hills. All spared from direct strikes, for the most part. Life survived here. Trees spawned from charred ground, misshapen, green leaves turned red. Along with simple crops, grown wild at first, then cultivated by the survivors. The scavengers of the old world were inventive, hardy people. All determined to rebuild in the ruins of a world they never knew. In the decades that passed settlements emerged. They grew, spreading along the valley floor. Reclaiming the pre-war remnants of the once industrialised heartland. Salvaging the robotic wonders of a bygone age to build their walls and work their fields. To protect them in the dark of the wasteland. But such things are uncommon in this world, and the rarer something is, the greater its value. And the worth of pre-war technology had not gone unnoticed. The last, real, power in this world rested in the mechanised hands of The Brotherhood of Steel. Forged from the mortally wounded old world military. The Brotherhood used its access to the weapons made for a conflict no one won to strike out into the wastes. Men and women were equipped with advanced armour, aerial transportation, high grade weaponry. Accompanied by the training, strength, and will, to put them to use. They established chapters and set up outputs far and wide. All dedicated to a single purpose. To ensure the technology left abandoned by its long dead creators didn't fall into the wrong hands. Namely, any hands that were not their own. This is the world John escaped into. A place of horrors brought forth from atomic fire. A place where survival meant battling against the darkness. Fighting a war each day to get to the next. And war...war never changes

332.17 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 17:28

Aegis

Necrontyr525 | sci_fi | Complete

What does one do when they have an indecent ammount of money, the legal ability toleave home and see the universe in all of its grim glory, and the obligation to grow the family's fame and fortune? Why, buy up an ex-Imperial Navy escort ship for a start! Then you can set about carving out your own little chunk of the back end of the Imperium of Man... as soon as you can get it back into working order, of course... and deal with the fact that buying a ship left you just about broke... You get the feeling that, somewhere out there,somthing is laughing at you.Part 1 of the Aegisverse Saga. Second Person is used throughout. If that isn't kosher with you, best to back out now. A Warhammer 40,000 Rogue Trader fanfictionComplete, with a total of 100 chapters and 309 pages. On the series - This series was first written as a Choose Your own Adventure (CYoA) on the /r/HFY forum. The between chapter votes have been omitted, as they are not part of the story, despite their influence on it. On the the Author's notes - These were included in the original document, and are included here for the purpose of completeness. Spelling, grammatical, and formatting changes have been made in the process of archiving this story and re-formatting it for publication on Royal Road. None of the contents of the story has been substantially affected.Cover by gej302!

49.00 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-22 12:26

Los Herederos de toma (Spanish/Español)

Heguen D'merak | horror | Complete

Tres desconocidos entre si, tienen la habilidad de evitar situaciones potencialmente letales mediante visiones, alucinaciones auditivas o automatismos corporales. Sus vidas son un riesgo constante de muerte sin embargo, esta extra馻 habilidad les mantiene a salvo. Su encuentro les lleva a buscar respuestas en un pueblo fantasma llamado Toma. Una antigua iglesia abandonada. Conexiones con sus antepasados y un horrible destino les espera. Historia corta 80 paginas. Completada. Publicada y disponible en Amazon y otras plataformas, mi primera noveleta y la favorita de mi madre (lol). Es una historia r醦ida, sin relleno ni descripci髇 exagerada, estilo cl醩ico de los a駉s 80 (o al menos eso quiero creer).

10.79 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-26 13:57

A Stirring at the Ridge

Solus-Solace | horror | Complete

A new dawn is on the horizon for the land of 揲rge. The cult of Irka has found a means to quickly expel the blight that devastated the land, many generations ago. With the power of the St閗kr trees, great hosts of immense spiritual energy, the cult shall send their witches into dangerous regions still beset with blight where they will attempt to purify the land. While many of these regions are only slightly blighted, others are steeped in a miasma powerful enough to ruin the body and drive the mind to madness. Summoned by the high king to guide a witch through the deadly wilderness, the ranger captain G髍in arrives in the city of Elbregn, where another secret and urgent mission awaits him... ------------- Cover artwork made by Wong40k

40.19 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 11:50

WELCOME TO THE APOCALYPSE

jman8763 | horror | Complete

Invading aliens change our world, trapping all humans inside a game run by an insane AI system known as Beginners Guide. Humans are forced to fight monsters to survive. I'm in the process of finishing the book. Posting a chapter every other week. Hope you enjoy. Feel free to let me know what you think.

58.94 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 17:52

A World of Monsters

Ankur_93 | horror | Complete

From a sundered Universe, a Sorceress is made to reborn. But a human, the Sorceress is no more. Born an insect, a vermin with a mere 90 days of life, the Sorceress seeks reasons to live. Suffering the curse of unending starvation, the Sorceress must ceaselessly eat or die.Meanwhile, Kiran leaves his home to defy mediocrity.Named after the hope he represents, he seeks a [Class] so austere that hundreds fail in their search.Yet, before this [Class] even the Gods bow their heads in respect. P.S. This is NOT a number-crunching LitRPG. The System is an add-on, not the story itself. Also known as I Reincarnated as an Immortal Caterpillar, the story follows a monster and humans in a system word with a Buddhist/Hindu philosophy. The System is especially influenced by this philosophy. Cover by the ever so awesome Jefferymoonworm Warning! Not for trauma survivors.

114.71 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 11:56

Very Yummy Poison

Doctor Zero | psychological | Complete

The human brain is the most valuable resource on Earth. But only if you use it. You can't just pile them in your basement. Doesn't work. Candy is the Guardian of Humanity. It's not going well, but she's cautiously optimistic. A chatbot has destroyed the economy by being better at white collar jobs than hung over dudes. Candy has a plan to fix that. The government wants to send half the population to debt prison. Candy has a plan to fix that. Several super weapons have been stolen, and are turning up in the hands of desperate people. Candy has no plan for that. She's working on it. Very Yummy Poisonis a near future, science fiction, romantic comedy, political psychodrama. It's fun. Try it.

48.79 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-21 13:32

Final Hope

JJPiedra | drama | Complete

Final Hope centers around Mikomi Saigo, who inherits Onyx Technology Ventures from his father. Mikomi succeeds in completing his father's work, but the day before he announces the completion of an advanced A.I., he is shot and killed in the parking lot of the company. He wakes up 10 years in the past with all of his memories intact where he meets Sebastian, a custodian of time. Mikomi has been given a second chance and decides that he wants to do more than just find his killer& he wants to change some of the more unpleasant events of his life, but the more he changes, the more the world responds.

70.65 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-25 17:07

Saints Commit No Sins

phasmonyc | psychological | Complete

What are angels? Cherubs that spread joy and laughter wherever they go; eldritch horrors our feeble minds cannot comprehend; or a mere concept created to keep our withering will to live burning on. Here is an introduction to the duties of a certain angel. Beware they are not what you may think an angel is supposed to be. 2鞍鞍鞍鞍鞍鞍鞍鞍鞍鞍鞍鞍鞍鞍鞍鞍鞍鞍鞍鞍鞍鞍鞍鞍鞍鞍鞍鞍鞍鞍鞍�2 Cover art by me (@phasmonyc)

0.48 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-27 13:23

My Life is Not a Manga, or maybe...

EO Tenkey | satire | Complete

Xavier had a happy, humdrum life: normal friendships, a normal girlfriend, a somewhat oddball family. Until, that is, he literally stumbled through the fourth wall and discovered he was the protagonist of a manga. Now he's scrambling to maintain any semblance of control over his own life in the face of something he never imagined he would need to contend with: the power of the Genre. Hello, E.O. Tenkey here; thank you for your interest in "Not A Manga"! This was my first serial novel, and I hope you enjoy Xavier's predicament! Familiarity with manga not required (though it can't hurt)! I look forward to exploring the bounds of the Genre with you. (First volume is rated PG-13 for comic mayhem and light profanitythese are high school students, after all. Second volume is rated PG-13 to R for some violence and similar levels of profanity. Tags may or may not contain spoilers.)

82.77 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-13 16:10

Re:Ocean

Greydragon | comedy | Complete

A random young man, caught in a freak event is eventually killed only to reincarnate in one of the most powerless forms possible... and thrive. Mostly inspired by Re:Monster. Status: Series complete. Wild, random humor and erotic content in later chapters... Rated R 18+ for Excessive sex scenes involving a squid, violence and coarse language (in places).

50.98 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 16:41