#Deadfall Adventures

[wojciech-kac]

Deadfall Adventures - GRA Xbox 360 - Opole 2361

[dieselfutures]

Deadfall Adventures

[panzerdrako]

Deadfall Adventures (xbox 360 screenshot)

Jennifer Goodwin

[fuzeforge]

Retrouvez Deadfall Adventures sur Fuze Forge

L’un des jeux que vous retrouverez en téléchargement sur Fuze Forge est Deadfall Adventures. Il s’agit d’un FPS dans lequel vous devrez vous lancer dans des aventures uniques pour tenter de retrouver un artéfact puissant...

[baltersome]

kinda funny but what if i told yall my brother and i are working together to make a visual novel that we may or may not release on itch.io one day aha

[runningwithhelicopters]

And then he remembered where he put the dynamite.

[synonycostore]

Deadfall Adventures PC Game

[solacryptid]

Unexpected Fate

INHERITANCE CYCLE (ERAGON) AND LOTR CROSSOVER. VILANSIA AND HER DRAGON, SVELLEVARINA, HAVE SPENT MANY YEARS TRAINING YOUNG DRAGON RIDERS ALONGSIDE ERAGON AND SAPHIRA. BUT, THEIR TIME OF ADVENTURE HAS COME. THE PEOPLE OF MIDDLE EARTH HAVE CALLED FOR AID AND ALAGAESIA WILL ANSWER

Chapter 10: The Breaking of the Fellowship

The predictable forest landscape along the river bank was interrupted the following day around mid-afternoon by two grand statues on either side of the river. They were much larger than even Saphira herself. Stern expressions were carved into their faces, both of them holding out their hands before them, palms facing us as if motioning those who may oppose them to halt in their presence. Gimli looked on in amazement, no doubt admiring the stonework. Stone crowns were structured atop their heads.

"The Argonath," Legolas informed me. "They are the kin of Aragorn,"

While it was hard to discern a likeness to Aragorn at such a low vantage point, there was no doubt that they all held ancient energy about them. The statues exuded power and strength, something that the ranger was quiet about showing to others. The Argonath marked the point at which the river entered a large lake, the blue water expanding in front of us. The crashing of a waterfall echoed across the waterfront.

Aragorn signaled ahead of us to pull up onto the river bank once we reached the lake, each of our canoes pushing onto the rocky riverside.

"We cross the lake at nightfall," Aragorn told us. "Hide the boats and continue on foot. We approach Mordor from the North,"

"Oh, yes?" Gimli questioned. "Just a simple matter of finding our way through Emyn Muil...an impassible labyrinth of razor-sharp rocks! And after that, it gets even better. Festering, stinking marshland as far as the eye can see,"

Aragorn paused in unpacking his canoe, an eyebrow raised. "That is our road. I suggest you take some rest and recover your strength, Master Dwarf,"

"Recover my-"Gimli grumbled in disbelief. "Recover strength? Pay no heed to that, young Hobbit,"

Pippin did not seem too concerned with Aragorn's friendly jab.

Svellevarina drew my attention to her, her scales sparkling from the water droplets that clung to them. "While the company rests here I will do some hunting. I won't go far, there is plenty of fish within the lake,"

"Very well. Do not close your mind completely to me,"

She nudged my shoulder once before jumping into the air, the wind from her wings rustling our clothes and shifting the canoes slightly. I watched her skim the surface of the water in search of fish, her senses focused on the hunt. I turned away after a moment, leaving her be.

Merry and Pippin snacked on a portion of the lembas bread provided to us by Lady Galadriel with Gimli, taking full advantage of the time we had on the shore. I helped Sam set up a small cooking fire, waiting until he had set up small sticks in a pointed, circular formation before snapping my fingers together to reveal small sparks. The Hobbits watched in awe as I snapped my fingers again, releasing the magic towards the deadfall and allowing it to catch fire.

"The word for fire in the ancient language is brisingr," I told them. Pippin began chanting the word under his breath, trying his best to commit it to memory. "Take heart, that is no easy spell for beginner magicians,"

Sam leaned against a large boulder behind him, crossing his arms tight against him as he shut his eyes for a quick rest as he waited for the fire to reach proper cooking temperature.

Merry sat up from where he sat next to Pippin. "Where's Frodo?"

Sam's eyes snapped open as he scrambled onto his feet. As I looked, I noticed that both he and Boromir were nowhere in sight. I extended my mind in search of the Hobbit, but his mind was shielded from me, preventing me from finding him. I cursed myself for not maintaining surveillance. I was able to find Boromir, who was deep within the forest.

"Remain here," Aragorn said. "I will go after him," he ran into the woods, a hand resting on the hilt of his weapon.

I felt Legolas' unease rise, causing certain stress of my own. I reached out to Svellevarina, making sure that she was not too far.

The clang of metal swords colliding suddenly echoed throughout the forest, the sound easily reaching my pointed ears. There was no hesitation in Legolas as he ran into the forest after the ranger towards the sound of fighting. Gimli gathered his axe in his hands before joining the Elf.

I reached out to Svell, urging her to fly as fast as she possibly could. She acknowledged my request and I felt her drawing closer. I faced the three Hobbits, their faces scared. I knelt before them, making sure they paid attention to what I told them.

"It is imperative that you remain here. Hide if you must but do not go into the forest after us. We will return once everything is safe. Do you understand?" They nodded their heads but said nothing. "It will be okay, little ones," I stood up, letting a wave of ease wash over them from me. I noticed their shoulder relax ever so slightly before I turned and sprinted into the trees toward the sound of clanging metal and yells. The leaves that made up the treetops rustled from the wind of Svellevarina as she flew above me, following closely.

I entered a clearing in the forest where a stone structure was built on the hill, stone steps leading to a flat elevated surface. The three other members of the company were already present, fighting off the coming onslaught of orcs. Boromir, however, was not in sight, though I still sensed that he was still alive. I unsheathed my rider weapon, holding it out before me as I released a battle cry, plunging myself into the crowd of orcs. They were considerably taller than the creatures we fought in the Mines of Moria, their strength instantly noticeable. It presented a challenge, even for my speed and experience, as their thick armour proved more difficult to slice through. I made sure to take aim for areas of skin that were exposed.

With a snarl, an orc swung its weapon at my head. I ducked, swinging my blade from the left side in an arc to the right, sinking it deep into the back of its knees. I pulled the sword towards my chest, slicing through. It shrieked, falling to the ground as blood gushed out

Svellevarina roared, causing the fighting to pause as she dived down into the crowd of orcs, swinging her tail as she landed, sending those nearest her tumbling into the air. She snapped up a few in her jaws, snapping them in two as she bit down, her teeth having no trouble in piercing their armour.

"Find the halfling!" One of the orcs bellowed. "Find the halfling!"

A portion of the orcs bypassed us, running into the woods in search of Frodo. Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli ran after them as I remained next to my dragon, taking on the orcs that attempted to join those that made it into the forest. A droplet of sweat ran down my forehead, and I drew upon the energy within the sparkling opal that rested within the hilt of my weapon. I extended my left hand as I cast a spell, the orcs closest to me dropping to the ground as their life left them, the remaining energy flowing into the gem on my weapon.

The sound of a horn resounded through the forest. I paused, turning towards the sound. I extended my mind to check on the status of the company. Fear and panic ripped through me. Boromir was in grave danger, and he wasn't alone. Somehow Merry and Pippin were both with him.

I ran into the forest as Svellevarina blocked the path of the orcs to me. I used my magic to kill any orcs that crossed my path as I raced towards Boromir's energy. I made it to where Legolas and Gimli were fighting an aggregation of orcs, Legolas was now making use of his daggers, his quiver of arrows empty. I swung my blade at an oncoming orc, the bloodied sword landing with a thud in its side. I pulled, letting it cut open the creature's flesh. It continued coming, thrusting it's angled weapon towards my chest. I jumped out of the way, the tip of the weapon just grazing above my collar bone near my shoulder. I hissed, clenching my teeth at the sting of the cut, extending my blade forward to stab through the orc's back. With a snarl, the orc's life left him, my weapon piercing its heart.

I gasped, as I clutched at my chest, a great pain ripping through me. I turned with my hand on my chest, looking around me. I turned, taking in the sight of Boromir further down the hill as an arrow stuck out from his chest. With a twang another arrow was released, landing in the man's stomach. He paused for only a moment before he kept on fighting, swinging at the orcs that neared him. I felt the fear of the Merry and Pippin as they watched Boromir defend them. I blocked my mind from Boromir's pain, charging forward in an attempt to reach him. Aragorn managed to first, though, taking on the orc that fired the arrows. Gimli had taken to wrestling an orc on the ground, beheading the creature with his axe. I continued to fight through the orcs, a group of them making it past Boromir and towards Merry and Pippin, sweeping them up off the ground and carrying them away. I yelled, releasing my energy to the orcs that were left here, using my magic to snap all of their necks. As they crumbled to the ground, I too fell on my knees. Boromir had fallen, three arrows protruding from his torso. Aragorn was at his side, his hand clasped tightly with Boromir's. I could feel Svellevarina's concern through our connection.

"I would have followed you, my brother, my captain, my king," Boromir said breathlessly to Aragorn. He choked slightly on his breath before his eyes focused on the trees that grew above him. His life left him at that moment, his grip on Aragorn's hand going limp.

"Be at peace, son of Gondor," Aragorn said softly before kissing his forehead. "They will look for his coming at the White Tower, but he will not return,"

Legolas stepped forward to help Aragorn carry him back towards the river. Gimli and I followed them until we reached the river bank, where Svellevarina met us. I stood next to her, relying on her for emotional strength. Boromir's body was laid within one of the canoes, his sword placed on his chest within his grip. Aragorn placed his broken horn within the canoe as well. We stood for a moment in silence before he pushed the canoe out onto the water where it was carried towards the waterfall. Svellevarina lifted her head to the sky, releasing a mournful roar. I offered a blessing for his soul, providing whatever guidance he may need to the gods that his people believed in.

Legolas grabbed hold of the remaining canoe. "Hurry! Frodo and Sam have reached the Eastern shore,"

I looked out across the lake to see the second canoe on the river bank. I could feel both Sam and Frodo, their intentions clear to me then.

Upon noticing that none of us had moved to join him, Legolas looked back to Aragorn. "You mean not to follow them,"

"Frodo's fate is no longer in our hands," Aragorn said simply.

"Then this has all been in vain," Gimli said beside me. He hung his head. "The Fellowship has failed,"

"Not if we hold true to each other," Aragorn replied, looking to each of us. "We will not abandon Merry and Pippin to torment and death, not while we have strength left. Leave all that can be spared behind, we travel light," His expression changed to one of fierce determination. "Let us hunt some orc,"

Gimli grinned wickedly. "Yes!"

Aragorn hoisted his pack over his shoulder, then took off into the forest. Gimli was quick to follow him, his grip on his bloodied axe tight.

I took a moment to ensure that the saddlebags were secured in place before wiping the gore from my weapon. I returned it to its sheath on my hip, looking out to the waterfall. My heart was heavy with loss. To feel the life leave Boromir was something no amount of training could have prepared me for. I leaned against Svell's side as I shuddered. The images of what occurred only moments before flashing before my eyes. The terror in the Hobbit's eyes as they were carried away. Oh, gods, they did not deserve this.

"Vilansia," Svellevarina said gently. "Come, we must go after them to prevent whatever danger awaits them,"

To be overcome with emotion was something I had never experienced before. Despite my Elvish nature, I could not find the words to communicate with my dragon and instead let my feelings speak for me. I felt her surprise for a moment before she forced her calm to wash over me.

A hand on my shoulder forced my attention to the world around me again. Legolas stood in front of me, concern clear on his face.

"We mustn't tarry, Vilansia," he said gently.

"Eka kenna," I replied, my voice brittle. I cleared my throat, forcing my shoulders back. "My apologies, Legolas. Come, let us catch up with the others,"

He paused a moment, giving me a knowing look. "There is no shame in having grief. This is a dark moment for the Fellowship," He looked up to Svell as if saying something to her as well. "Do not carry your sorrow with you, as there is hope yet," He squeezed my shoulder slightly before letting his hand fall back to his side. He smiled slightly, extending his left arm out to his side, gesturing for me to take to lead and catch up with the other two.

I swallowed thickly, letting Svellevarina's calm settle within me. I gave a determined nod, my jaw clenched and began to jog into the woods after the remainder of the Fellowship, Legolas close behind me. Svellevarina took to the air, remaining as close as possible to us. Boromir gave his life to protect Merry and Pippin. I would not allow his death to be in vain.

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Translations from the Ancient Language:

Brisingr - Fire

Eka kenna - I know

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next chapter

[paversandplatters]

|| 𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝙱𝚎𝚑𝚊𝚟𝚒𝚘𝚛 𝚘𝚏 𝚂𝚑𝚎𝚎𝚙|| (1/20)

Apocalypse! Au (TW! Minor gore and cussing)

Read x multiple

Chapter 1: Shortcut

“Would you please shut up for just one minute!?” She calls out behind the steering wheel, voice horse, and struggling to keep the battered SUV On the road, keeping speed and avoiding the now long forgotten vehicles left on the two lane road. Every part of her feels like it's on fire. Blood from the oozing wound on her scalp finds its way right into her eye, clouding her vision further.

“Told you we've just gotta put some distance between us and Calhoun, then we can pull over for medical attention ASAP. ” Her eyes quickly flit between the road and the rearview mirror trying to get a glimpse at George in the darkness of the back seat. The young man is leaning his head against the broken rear window as the Escalade rumbles past a cluster of figures milling about the edge of the road. A single glance tells her they're hunched over something- or rather what's left of someone. She pushes the thought from her mind and tries to assess George again. He catches her eyes in the mirror only to look away- blinking tears away and wheezing miserably, his free hand gripping the bloody remains of what was his shirt over his middle. No doubt covering the gaping wound there.

The broken window rattles, as a slip stream of wind tussles his now blood matted hair. Nick is sat next to him looking equally disheveled but still in one piece- save some scrapes and bruises.

“I-I can't breathe- I can't-” he stutters out cutoff by Nick’s sudden yelp as a wave of rotten gore sprays across the windshield. It's undeniable that the sight and smell is enough to stick with you for days but anyone that has struck a zombie with a car knows the worst part is the noise. Rather that is- the gore and rot engulfs all senses, sure, but it’s the sound that lives on in memory. It's a series of greasy crunching sounds that bring to mind the thunk of an axe through cords of rotting termite infested wood. A horrible symphony of sounds as the dead are grounded into paste beneath the moving chassis and thick wheels. A quick series of dull pops and cracks as liquefying organs and bladders are squished. Bones are turned to kindling and skulls crushed open and flattening, mercifully bringing an end to a treacherous pilgrimage. This hellish noise is the first thing that registers with her and the two men in the back seat of the battered Escalade.

Both let out another yelp of shock and revulsion, holding on to the seats with a vice like grip as the SUV bucks and fishtails across the now wet and slippery tarmac. Most of the cadavers go down like domino pieces, pulverized by 3 tons of careening Detroit metal. Some of the excess flesh and appendages stumble across the hood leaving a ghastly trail of rancid fluids on the windshield, other body parts go pinwheeling in the air arcing across the night Sky. It might have been humorous if their own situation wasn’t so dire…

She remains silent, hunched forward- her jaw set and eyes fixed on the road, her arms still wrestling with the jittering steering wheel as the massive vehicle goes into a skid. The engine revs and keens as it reacts to the loss of traction. The squeal of the huge steel belted radials adding to the din, hands yanking the wheel back the other way turning into the skid as best she can in order to avoid spinning out of control when she notices something that has gotten lodged in the gaping hole in her side window.

The disembodied head of a zombie only inches away from her left ear. It’s teeth chattering softly, somehow it got caught in the jagged maw of broken glass, gnashing its blackened incisors at her fixing it's ghostly milky gaze on her. The sight of it is so grisly and awful and yet so surreal- the creaking of the jaws snapping at her with the hollow autonomic force of a ventriloquist dummy. She lets out an involuntary chortle, one akin to a laugh but darker… she jerks her head away from the window. Registering over the space of a single instance the fact that the re-animated cranium was torn from its upper body upon impact with the SUV and now still continues to go on without it’s body, seeking living flesh… forever seeking, forever masticating swallowing and consuming, an impulse never satiated.

“Lookout!”

The scream comes from the flickering darkness of the rear seats. In all the excitement she can't identify the source. Wether it's Nick or George- the issue is moot because she mistakes the meaning of the cry and the split second during which her hand flies to the passenger seat and fishes through the contents of it rifling through Maps, candy wrappers, rope and tools- frantically searching for the 9 millimeter Glock- she assumes that the warning cry it is meant to lookout for the snapping jaws of the amputated head. She finally gets her hands on the grip of the Glock and wastes no time swinging it up with one fluid motion towards the window and squeezing off a single point blank shot into the grotesque face skewered there. The head comes apart with the blossom of pink mist, splitting like a melon and sending splatter of viscera into her hair before being launched into the wind, the vacuum left behind in the broken window throbs noisily adding to the din.

Less than 10 seconds have transpired since the initial impact but now she sees that reason that one of the men in the back gave such a warning- it's nothing to do with the reanimated head- what they were screaming about back there- thing that she was supposed to lookout for… is now looming on the opposite side of the highway coming up quick on their right closing. She feels the gravity shift as she swerves in order to avoid the mangled wreckage of a VW bug sliding across the gravel shoulder then plunges down into a steep embankment on the dark unknown wooden grove.

Pine barrows and foliage scrape and slap the windshield as the vehicle bangs and clambers on the rocky slope. The voices in the back rise into a frenzied screams

She feels the land level out and manages to keep the vehicle going long enough to find purchase in the mud- then slams down the accelerator and the Escalade lurches forward under its own power. The massive grill and gigantic tires grinding through the thickets cobbling over deadfalls, mowing down the wild undergrowth and tearing through the scrub as though it were smoke. for the seemingly endless minutes the bumpy ride threatens to encompass her spine and rupture her spleen. In the blurry image of the rear view she gets a brief glimpse of the two injured young men holding on to the back seats for fear of bouncing right out of the vehicle. The front end hits a log hard and the impact nearly cracks her teeth.

For a minute or so they swerve through a thin patch of trees. When they burst out of the brush, an explosion of dirt, leaves and particles- she sees that they've inadvertently come upon another unidentified two lane road. She slams the brakes causing the men to headbutt the seats with an audible ‘thwap.

She sits there for a second taking deep breaths, getting air back in her lungs. She looks around. The men in the back collectively groan and whine, now suddenly back into their seats, holding themselves. The engine idles noisily, a new rattling sound is introduced to the low rumble- probably bearing a knocked loose in the improvised off-road adventure.

“Okay-“ she starts softly “that's one hell of a shortcut”

The only response for the backseat is silence- the humor lost on the two young men. Above them a black opaque sky is just beginning to lighten with the purple of a pre-dawn glow in the dull light. They can just see enough detail to now realize that they've landed across an access road and the woods have given way to wetlands. To the East she can see the a canal winding through a fog, probably leading to the edge of a swamp and to the West a rust pocket sign says state road ‘505- 3 miles’ no sign of roamers in either direction.

[liria10]

Favorite Benny books?

Ok so. Tumblr crashed as I was typing this on mobile. I am retyping it on desktop cause fuck this site, and I Have Opinions, and my friend I will let you hear them or so help me!

.... This got. Really. Really long. I am adding a read more to spare you guys from that.

Ok so! As a preface, I haven't read many VNAs with Benny in it, and of her solo books, I still have 2 of her Legion books to read.

I'm going to (re)start this with the VNAs!

Love and War: a very classic answer perhaps, but it is a really good introduction for Benny, even if the book has its flaws and can certainly show its age nowadays. Cornell absolutely nails her right off the bat, and from her very first page, Benny is just a character that keeps you interested. Not only does she work great as a counter to both Seven and Ace, but she also brings a breath of life to the whole range the way only a prose character can.

Plus, I think one of the greatest successes of that book lies in how Benny appears as a rounded and flawed person from the beginning. She’s not your ordinary girl dragged to a whirlwind of adventure and an universe of wonders, but an older, adult woman, with a good chunk of life experience and adventures already behind her, and while setting foot inside the TARDIS opens up a new and unexpected chapter in her life, it does also remain just that. A chapter. Benny had a life before the Doctor, and from that moment, while noone could have predicted it then, she would have one after him as well.

The Left-Handed Hummingbird: I just finished that one last week, so it’s obviously both fresh in my mind, and one I'm thinking highly of at the moment. Well I mean, it’s Orman! Or course I love it. She really is great at writing both intricate, large stories, and yet focusing on the personal, on the human side of things. And I find that this book does a great job at putting benny in the role of the grounding presence both for ace and the doctor, as well as exploring how time traveling as they do, and dealing with seven’s schemes can be frustrating for benny. That whole tardis team is a mess, and none of these people really… work well together, but it’s because they’re so dysfunctioning that they’re fascinating, and orman absolutely nails that.

Theater of War: A very different type of book, it is honestly a fun romp, and it has Benny being an actual archeologist, down to dealing with the academia side of things. And it’s the little things, but I love it when Benny books remember that about her tbh? Also, it has some nice theater theming, and well, as an introduction for brax, it certainly works well! It’s one of those VNAs that I think is just fun. A well crafted story with good takes on the characters, that’s always enjoyable to me!

Return of the Living Dad: Orman again?? What a surprise! But frankly, I love how this book is all about Benny and her daddy issues, be it with the Doctor or well, her actual dad. Between that, her budding marriage with Jason, and finding out so many old wounds reopened, I just. Really love how raw Benny can be under Orman’s pen? How underneath it all, she still has that side of the scared orphan that lost both parents to a war she was far, far too young to ever comprehend, and how that just left her rebelling against the world in general, and resenting deep down her parents for that abandon. I mean, it’s neat character stuff, but it can very easily be written as dull & cliche shitte you know? And Orman really… always get down to the heart of it all, and boi does it make for some great reading.

The Dying Days: It’s a very fun book, and well, technically works as the first round for Benny as the lead woman after all! It’s a joy all throughout, triumphant where it needs to be, and managing to both celebrate the Doctor and what he brought to the VNAs, as well as setting up the stage for Benny to go on to her own range. It’s basically one last run of the old team, and well. I do love Benny & Eight, and yes I am blaming Parkin for it. Also, big brained take to have Eight give her Wolsey because I love that cat and Benny deserves a cute kitty in her life. We all do.

Ok!! Now on to the NA, and my personal favorite era!

Dragon’s Wrath: It’s a fun one!! I do really like the story being centered again on archeology first and foremost, and it’s a good romp that has some really good take on Benny. Especially the trial scenes, I love how those one get down to Benny as someone who despite everything, loves history, and cares very very deeply about the artifacts she uncovers. Also, it introduces brax as a mainstay of the dellah era, and does so in a rather nice way. Overall, a very enjoyable book!

Beyond the Sun: Benny & students stranded on a planet with mystery to uncover, that’s already a fun premise, and then throw in all the various queer themes present, especially with Emile, and the whole scene of them all in drag performing on top of a bus, and it’s just a rather good book. Plus, I love how it mirrors the whole VNA Doctor mantra, except with a very Benny twist. Sometimes cruel, sometimes cowardly, but trying her damndest to do good. And well, that’s just Benny isn’t it? I always harp on about the very heart of Benny being her humanity, and if there’s something that book highlights, it’s that.

Deadfall: Jason takes center stage in this one, and well, I do really love Jason. It’s overall a fun book with some nice lore ideas, and I love how it works Cwej in the whole Dellah setting. Also, at least it’s a story with Jason in the lead that doesn’t end in utter tragedy, and that’s always nice!

Tempest: Ok so. That book isn’t great. The story’s cliche, the characters aren’t the best, and the plot itself? Forgettable, it’s another in the list of “sort of base under siege story in the dellah era” which you’d think wouldn’t be super common and yet! So… why am I listing it here? Cause the concept of the planet!! The idea of a world of storms and disaster, run through via a blind train as the only means of transport? The fantastic animal life described in it??? That book left an impression of me, and that’s not something I can say of all of the others.

The Medusa Effect: … Justin Richard writes a good Benny. Like, legit. I love how that one really works with the setting & history of Dellah, and gives further information on the planet’s involvement with the Dalek war. Plus, it also got some really, really nice aesthetics. I am soft for good aesthetics ok? Benny, dancing with a skeleton on the deck of an old spaceship made to look like a cruise liner in an hallucination/dream sequence type of thing? Sign me right up!

Beige Planet Mars: That one is a blast. I remember just, absolutely loving it when I read it tbh. Between the overall description of Mars, the further Lore Implication of the Mars invasion & all that, as well as it basically being one last round of more… Normal dellah books before everything goes to hell? It’s one i’d highly recommend if you want to have a good time.

Tears of the Oracle: Probably my favorite of that whole range? (apart from dead romance, which I am not counting as a benny book) I love just, how much overall… feelings isn’t quite the words i’m looking for, but i can’t think of a better way to put it… there is throughout the book? It was thought to be the end of the NA as it was written and well, that shows. I love how it weaves the whole mystery of “what happened to that legendary archaeologists?” with the whole side of what’s basically some of the only survivors from dellah going on one last round of discovery. The status quo of the range was destroyed quite a few books before that one, but imo, it’s there that they take the time to stop for a bit, and just. Deals with what that means in actuality. And ngl, I love the entire sequence of Benny & Brax walking through the wreckage of what used to be their home, it’s a scene that works really, really well.

And well, it does a great job at setting up the future as well after all! Yes, there’s still 3 books after it, but when you look at where Big Finish picked up… they went for what Tears of the Oracle was setting up. It really makes the transition flows well between those two, unlike my rambling for a full paragraph before going to “here’s the BF books I like”

The Doomsday Manuscript: A very good start for the range! Not only does it set up the whole collection, but it also introduces the Fifth Axis as a major threat, and does so in a wonderfully well paced book that keeps you hooked throughout. I like how it also sets up Jason’s loss as something Benny is still suffering over, as well as how she hasn’t lost hope in finding him again. Plus frankly, it’s also a really good story.

The Glass Prison: You’d think that for a book where Benny spends the majority of it in prison and not very active due to being near the end of her pregnancy, not much would happen, but the way Jacqueline Rayner builds up an atmosphere of unease, mistrust and a genuine disturbing ambiance throughout the book is just, fantastic.

Genius Loci: This book. This book!!! Ben Aaronovitch writes an absolutely powerful story of Benny as a young woman, lost and finding herself faced with far more responsibility than she ever thought possible. The way he writes the whole mystery, while also making Benny as a 20yo not only believable, but quite distinct from Benny as the adult we’ve all come to know and love is just. So good. My main grip with this book is how abruptly it ends, and how we’ll never get the sequel. I want to read Terra Incognita and more of Benny slowly finding herself damn it!

Dead Men Diaries: Just like Doomsday Manuscript, does a great job at establishing the collection as well as the recurring cast. I really enjoy most of the stories in it, and I think BF started out so strong on those books srsly!

A Life in Pieces: I love it so much. It’s pure brax at his most manipulative, and for such petty reasons. I really like how it both deals with the aftermath of the Fifth Axis occupation, as well as the repercussions Brax’s schemes have for the people living on the collection. Also, it’s just 3 very good novellas in a row that build up to something more, and I always like seeing that.

Nobody’s Children: That book has the best Draconian story in the entirety of doctor who and related. Like, yeah just that. It’s also nice to see the fallout of the Mim/Draconian war. It’s one I didn’t expect a lot out of, and frankly, I ended up really loving it.

The Vampire Curse: The middle novella is one I absolutely hated, but the other two are really good, and mixing benny and vampires is just, very fun. Also!! Predating the Predator is in it, and it is a really good take on vampires in a science fiction setting that also has some nice creep factor as well, and manages to be both a good vampire story, and a good sci fi story, which isn’t always an easy balance to find.

Life During Wartime: It’s a surprisingly hard hitting anthology about living under a fascist regime, and the compromises you have to make, the personal sacrifices and small rebellions. Honestly, there’s a lot I love about it, but certainly one of my favorite moment, is when Benny, having to dine with one of the officers, miss jones & jason, sees that the officer is nearly on to her hiding peter away, and that split second moment of “if I have to, I am willing to kill everyone in this room to protect my son” before he just laughs it off, it’s a lot of tiny moments that build up to a really well done ambiance tbh.

Something Changed: While it did the terrible, terrible sin of introducing Doggles to the world, I really love the concept of every chapter after the first being a different split universe, and how they’re all spiraling more & more out of control. It’s got some really good stories in between too, though they can also be rather hit & miss. An aspect I love about it too is how impactful Wolsey’s death ends up being.

Present Danger: That one is fun, I love how it’s basically everyone vs the deindum, a situation slipping more and more out of control, mixed with some neat stuff one the deindum’s whole temporal deal. It’s again a bit hit & miss, but it’s still a blast, and as the last anthology of the collection era, it does send it all off with a bang.

Welp. Far, far too many words later, and here we are!!! I love Benny a lot ngl, and I genuinely think that prose is the medium best suited for her. I have been rather disappointed with the more modern books, I find them far more bland than what I personally expect from Benny but ah well. Can’t always get everything.

And while it’s neither a book, nor even an official story in any mean, the fanfic “Sepelio” that’s an Hannibal au set in the Dellah era is great, and the benny story I have been enjoying the most lately. I would be remiss not to at least mention it!

[gardenofdelight]

The Path of Miss Fortune

Beretta goes on the hunt for a mage cult that’s up to no good.

Rated M for typical violent fighting for DMC.

Here’s my drabble for DMC OC Week Day 5: Weapons/Abilities, Jobs/Hobbies! Hope you enjoy the cowgirl vampire shenanigans! 😘

There aren’t many things in the world that Beretta can’t handle on her own. Ever since being embraced by death, she never had to worry about the dangers lurking in the shadows. But every now and then, it’s nice to walk the night with someone...especially when they’re a legendary devil hunter.  

“When ya asked me out on a date...I was expecting dinner, not a front row seat to some crazy cult.”

Beretta smiles as she leads Dante through some remote woods. “Aww, c’mon, Cowboy! Where’s yer sense of adventure? Besides, watching you stuff your face with pizza isn’t exactly my idea of a date.”

“And hunting down a bunch of mages is?” he asks with an amused chuckle.

“Nah, not really...just wanted to see you again,” she teases, her one green sparkling mischievously in the moonlight as they get closer to their quarry.    

Beretta spots a group of hooded figures standing around a bonfire in a clearing ahead. She quickly hunkers down behind a nearby tree and signals for Dante to follow. Both of them watch for a moment as the mages run through the motions of a ritual. Their ominous chanting echoes through the woods as one of the cloaked figures brandishes an ornate dagger high in the sky.

“So, what’s the plan?” Dante whispers as the mages prepare some kind of altar.  

“Usually, I just go in with guns blazing, but that won’t work this time,” she informs while squinting at a gold chalice stained with blood. 

Dante looks at her quizzically. “Why not? Sounds like a good plan to me.”

A terrified scream rings in the night. “That’s why,” she murmurs as a couple of hooded figures drag a bound woman to the altar. “Mages often make sacrifices to empower their spells. And the spilling of innocent blood is the most powerful.”

“And you don’t want that lady getting caught in your crosshairs,” he considers with an understanding nod. 

Beretta tips her gambler hat. “Exactly. Which is why I’m gonna go in with my mouth blazing instead. And while those mage-y varmints are distracted, you nab the girl and get her outta here.”

“And leave you behind? No way, Darlin’.”

“Dante…”

“I’ll keep her safe and have your back while you take ‘em out, capiche?”

Beretta leans in and lays a huge kiss on his lips. “You’re real sexy when you’re being all protective over me.”

“Can’t ditch ya on our hot date now, can I?”

The bound woman’s screams grow louder as the hooded figures strap her to the altar. Dante urges her to go with a tilt of his head before sneaking off into the shadows. Beretta steps out from behind the tree and saunters right up to the clearing with a lively grin. The ominous chanting stops as the snapping deadfall beneath her boots alerts the mages of her presence. 

“Hoo wee!” she yowls as all the hooded figures turn to her. “A little early for Halloween, ain’t it?”

The cloaked figure with the dagger steps forth. “Who dares interrupt a most sacred ceremony?”

Beretta lets out a cruel cackle. “Oh, there’s nothing sacred about it now that Miss Fortune is here.” 

“Please! Help me!” the bound woman yells while struggling desperately on the altar. 

The mages burst out in hushed whispers around the bonfire.  “Miss Fortune...the mage bounty hunter?” one of them gasps in terror while another claps their hands in excitement. 

“She would make an excellent sacrifice!” they exclaim with a maniacal squeal. 

Beretta turns her cold gaze to them, noting that their hood has slipped back a little from their face. 

Her blood boils at the thought of being used by a mage as she meets their eyes. Never again! she seethes, channeling her wrath while the mage peers into her damned soul. 

FEAST YOUR EYES UPON YOUR OWN DEATH!

The mage falls to the ground with a horrified screech as nightmarish visions wreak havoc in their mind. The rest of the hooded figures back away in fear, staring in shock as their fellow mage continues to scream and rant about their imminent demise. Beretta watches for a moment, giving Dante enough time to creep closer to the altar. Then, she whips out her trusty guns, Misery and Woe, and takes aim at the pitiful mage groveling before her.

“This is what happens when Miss Fortune crosses your path,” she taunts before firing two fatal shots to their head. 

A tense silence fills the air as she breathes in the blue tendrils of éadrom, a life energy that’s released at the moment of death. It chills her blood while fueling her strength and resilience against these mages who are destined to die by her hands. Her hunger for their blood rivals her lust for their death, and tonight...she’ll have her fill of both.

The cloaked figure, who seems to be the leader, regards her with a vicious sneer. “I’ve always suspected that the famed Miss Fortune was more than what she seems,” they inform, not at all threatened as they approach the bonfire. “But even with your vampiric abilities, you’re heavily outmatched by our magic.”

They mutter a few words and flick their hand towards the fire. The flames grow higher and burn brighter as the hooded figures ready themselves for a fight. Beretta fights the primal urge to flee from the fiery threat as Dante makes quick work of freeing the innocent woman.   

“This ain’t my first time at the rodeo, and neither will it be my last,” she growls while cocking her guns. “Now, c’mon! Don’t keep a lady waitin’!”      

The hooded figures raise their hands and fling a barrage of spells her way. But none of the lightning bolts and scorching rays strike her as she turns into mist just in the nick of time. She drifts towards the closest mages before reforming right behind them. Misery and Woe blasts them to smithereens within seconds, riddling their bodies with bullets as their éadrom boosts her sway over death itself. 

The cloaked figure points their dagger at her, but a stray bullet from the woods knocks it out of his hands. “Look alive, Darlin’!” Dante yells while shielding the woman from harm. 

“Can’t look alive when I’m already dead, Cowboy!” she hollers back before jumping into the fray once more. 

Beretta zips around the clearing, nimbly dodging spells while taking down the mages one by one with her guns. The éadrom she’s collected surges up her throat as she turns her attention to the leader of this diabolic enclave. She pins them down with her icy glare as they move their hands in complex patterns while murmuring an incantation. A sudden gust of wind rushes through the trees as she takes a deep breath before releasing the éadrom with a deathly wail.

The eerie sound of her shrill scream fills the night, blowing back the cloaked figure’s hood to reveal their frightened face. Her song of the death claims their wretched soul, turning their hair gray while their body shrivels up before finally disintegrating into dust. Their cloak flutters to the ground, completely useless now as the leader’s remains sprinkle the dirt of their final resting place.   

“Holy shit…” 

Beretta looks over her shoulder as Dante gapes at her in bewildered awe. “Ashes to ashes, dust to dust and all that malarkey,” she quips with a wry grin while holstering her guns. “How’s the lady doing?”

“She passed out a little while ago,” he informs, pointing at the woman sleeping soundlessly against a nearby tree. “Guess she couldn’t handle all the action going on.”

“We better take her somewhere safe,” she murmurs while brushing the remnants of battle off her leather jacket. “And then...we can continue our date at the shop if ya like,” she suggests with a flirty flash of her fangs. 

“Mmm, I like the sound of that.”

Dante picks up the slumbering woman and follows Beretta out of the woods to the car they borrowed for the night. Me and her are kindred spirits now, she muses as they drive to the nearest hospital. We’ve both suffered from a mage’s treachery...hopefully she won’t take the same path as me though.

Living as the embodiment of death comes with a high price. Her own path may be wrought with a vengeance from her past life, but as she glances down at the woman she saved from ill fate...she reminds herself that it’s worth it. And those who dare get in her way of saving more lives will regret crossing the path of Miss Fortune.  

🌹🤠🌹

My interpretation of vampires is heavily influenced by White Wolf’s Vampire: The Masquerade and Requiem. But Beretta’s unique vampiric abilities were made by me and my darling husband.

[clematys]

hi my name is iovita deadfall and my uncle is undead

[dailyadventureprompts]

Wilderness:  The Hunter’s Weald ( Lord of Talons, part 2)

This is part two of a three part adventure. You can see the start and end of the adventure by checking the “Lord of Talons” tag below, or by clicking HERE

Setup:

In the first part of the story, our heroes had tracked the Fey child-thief known as the “Lord of Talons” back to a ruined fortress within the dark of the wood, finding within a portal that only opened so long as the great owl-formed creature was out hunting for new prey. The party waited until their enemy passed them by, and then stepped through the portal, hoping to rescue the missing children and entrap the beast when he returns.  

Doing so will be more difficult than expected, as entering the portal takes the party not to the Lord’s domain, but to his hunting grounds:  A foreboding landscape of twisted trees and crumbling stone, where the towering fortress called“ Eyrie of the Lost ” Seems to loom always on the horizon.

Challenges & Complications

This place is as dangerous as any jaunt into the feywild, filled with diversions and false trails that threaten to ensnare a party, while the path itself stretches and twists with dreamlogic, making a short journey seem to take far longer.

Fey Wolves, Stags, and other quarry beasts dwell within the weald, gifted with the capacity for speech and cursed to endure the Lord of Talons’s endless hunts. Some of these creatures are as cruel as their master, while others are fearful victims or resentful potential guides. The party will need to be careful where they place their trust, as appearances can be very deceiving when it comes to these traumatized creatures.

Phantom snares, deadfalls and other traps manifest in any place the party lingers too long, and the cold wind carries with it the scents of blood and fear. Travelers will have a hard time finding safe places to rest within the hunter’s domain, and those that are stable enough to lay one’s head such as caves or crumbling foritifactions are jealously guarded by the realm’s denizens.

Tired and parched from seemingly endless travels, the party stumbles across a fresh running spring and a moss covered well built to contain it. Should they drink from the waters and then rest, they will awaken to find themselves transformed into a childhood version of themselves, not strong enough to fight or carry most of their gear, and struggling to remember the skills that they accumulated in adulthood. This curse persists so long as the characters are in the feywild, or until they find some denizen capable of removing it.  

The owl’s eyes are everywhere in this realm, as numerous lesser fey and other denizens do his bidding. Should the party tarry long enough in the forest for the Lord to return from his hunt, he will fly out into his domain and decide to make them his quarry. Taking the Form of a helmed knight armed with vicious, black iron arrows, he will sleeplessly stalk the party through his domain, herding them into ambushes and wounding them from afar. The only options here are to outrun the Lord by sheltering within the Eyrie, or to wake up in his dungeons, stripped of weapons and with no way out.

With the Party finally having reached the hunter’s fortress, find out the fate of the missing children and the ultimate confrontation with the Lord of Talons in PART THREE

[chrysalispen]

xxv. the summer in their veins

second verse same as the first, i’ll reblog when this is up on AO3!

chapter below the cut as always <3

EDIT: chapter is now up on AO3 HERE

=======

The vague sense of disquiet and its physical effect -- levin and static sending fiery prickles along her arms -- did not fade. It persisted as she splashed into the waters and across the bank, as she approached the gate, as it swung shut at her back, and did not fade even when Keveh’to joined her on a silent and hurried return to the cabin. Her heart pounded and her throat felt tight with an anxiety which had neither a name nor a focus. 

This forest has eyes. 

“Right,” Keveh’to said without preamble as the front door shut behind them, “now would you like to tell me what in hells that was all about? You said you met her at the ruins?”

“Yes.”

“And you just gave half Ewain’s supply to her without a word to him?” He shook his head. “Sometimes I wonder at you, Aurelia. I really do.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“I mean that for someone who often seems so worldly, you are remarkably quick to take the people here at their word. She was hiding something, and not doing that great a job of it.”

Aurelia threw up her hands. “She’s naught but a child, and we have more than enough of the things I gave to her to spare. That disaster last summer didn’t just hurt Gridania.”

“Did she get a look at -- you know.”

“No, my third eye was covered. You might at least trust in my discretion.”

Keveh’to exhaled. She unslung her packs and draped them over the hooks by the door. 

“Now,” she said, “you can tell me what’s got you so excited it couldn’t wait until the other two got back-- what are they doing down the Millers’, anyroad?”

“I’m getting to it, trust me. I’ll make some tea while you wash your face- are you quite certain you’re all right? You don’t need the Hearer or Trevantioux to take a look at it?”

“Hells forbid,” the Garlean snorted. “Trevantioux would have me drink some awful concoction for his own amusement. No, it’ll be fine; scalp cuts nearly always look worse than they are in truth. It stopped bleeding a while ago.”

“Well, I’d wash it anyway.”

“I’m well ahead of you.” It wouldn’t do to have the other two men alarmed and asking inconvenient questions. Aurelia made her way to the small standing washbasin near the bath partition. The hempen covering was probably ruined. Maybe, she thought. It wouldn’t be the first time she’d had to wash bloodstains out of clothing; perhaps she would try one of Ewain’s smelly lye soaps and see if that didn’t take some of the stains out.

She filed it away for later consideration. Washing her laundry could wait until after she found out what had her companion so excited.

By the time she had cleaned her face and returned to the sitting area the tea was ready. Keveh’to handed her one of the earthenware mugs, filled near to the brim with chamomile. “We’ve not much time to talk,” he said. “They’ll be back soon, I’m sure.”

She sat. “Go on. I’m listening.”

At length, he said, “You know Whiterock, right? That little spot where the children play?”

“The one in that birch copse near the walls? Of course.” Aurelia smiled into her tea. “Little Bran Miller was in a fine spate of ill temper when his mother told him he had to help me with gathering her moko grass; he told me in no uncertain terms he’d much rather be playing with his brothers. Their games get quite intense, so I’m told.”

“Aye, well, ‘tis just as well the lad wasn’t there to see what the rest of them did today. There was a corse half-buried under deadfall -- an Ixal scout, by all appearances. Blood and rot everywhere. One of the other children all but tripped over it.”

She inhaled sharply. 

“Yes, I think it was good Bran didn’t see that. Did one of the village watch get careless?”

“They didn’t know it was there. He had been dead long enough for the forest to start getting at him.” Keveh’to set his mug on the low-slung table between them, then strode towards the door to rummage for something inside the pockets of his gambeson. “But something’s off about the entire thing- here, let me show you.”

As he frowned and muttered and searched his belongings Aurelia let her mind wander for a few moments. She was tired and sore and only half-registering his words, and her thoughts still lay with the young Miqo’te girl somewhere in the forest by herself. Hearing that a body had been found nearby did little to ease her worries; the disaster had left people bereft and desperate, and it was known that there were bandits in the wood.

I hope Vahne made it back all right to wherever it is she lives. I’d not forgive myself if-

“Ah,” the Miqo’te said triumphantly, tugging a hemp-wrapped bundle loose from the pile of armor. “Here we are. We collected this from the site where the boy found the body.”

She set aside her tea cup and stood, then made her way to the door as he removed the hastily wrapped item, then winced at the sight. It was an arrow of somewhat simplistic make, the iron head and ash shaft stained a coppery brown. Old blood. 

“Ewain will not take well to finding something like this under his roof.”

“What the old man doesn’t know won’t hurt him.” Keveh’to’s eyes gleamed almost amber. “Look at it. Can you tell me what doesn’t match here? You can touch it, it’s long dry by now.”

“I’m not certain what good my opinion will do. I’m hardly an inspector.”

“Well, what of it? You’re used to looking at these sorts of things when you’re trying to figure out why someone’s injured, aren’t you?”

Aurelia squinted at him, then held her hand out to take the implement from him. Gingerly she lifted the arrow by the shaft and examined it with a critical eye. At first glance nothing looked strange; the head was solid, albeit caked in dried blood, and the shaft and its fletching pristine. Were it not for the stains, she mused, one would have thought it to be--

Her lips pursed.

“One would expect to see the target’s blood in the fletching had it struck its mark, or some other sign of use had it not. This arrow isn’t a crossbow bolt, mind, but still. It looks…”

“Go on,” Keveh’to encouraged when she trailed off mid sentence, though by his tone it was clear he already had an answer in mind. Aurelia tilted the arrow over and over in her fingers, the knitted furrow in her brow deepening by the second.

“...This rather looks as though it is not what killed your dead man.”

He looked pleased. “Aye. ‘Twould seem we agree.”

Aurelia studied him in turn, her gaze appraising. 

“You do realize,” she said, “that this would be considered official evidence? You shouldn’t even have this on your person, much less show it to me; last I checked, I’m supposed to be serving out a prison sentence.”

“That lot out there doesn’t give a damn because they think one dead Ixal only benefits them. You may be a prisoner,” Keveh’to replied, “but you’re the closest thing I have to a partner at the minute - and frankly I’m bored out of my bloody mind on wall duty. This gives us both something to do-”

“Implying I’ve not been run ragged on Ewain’s morning rounds.”

“Hang the rounds. Let Trevantioux do them.” Aurelia made a face. Ewain’s assistant had proven to somehow be even more insular than the old man, and the Elezen had made little secret of his distaste for Gridania’s choice of assignment in sending Willowsbend a foreign adventurer as a conjurer novitiate. “I’ll make up some reason for you to come along with me.”

“He’ll complain that I’m shirking my duties, no doubt.”

“He can complain all he likes and so can the Hearer. This is important.”

“Well, put that away before the two of them get back.” She handed him the arrow. “You said Whiterock, right?”

“Aye. It’s not far from the wall. Nearest the Quarrymill road.”

Aurelia nodded thoughtfully. “Meet me there at midday.”

~*~

The next morning was sweltering -- hot and humid and still. Other than the reedy noises of tree frogs and the odd bird call, little seemed to stir with the sunrise, and Aurelia was only an hour into the morning rounds before she’d sweat through her smallclothes and into her robes. 

A glance at the sour-faced Trevantioux showed that the Elezen man fared little better in the oppressive heat, though he was stoic as ever where it came to any indication of his feelings - at least in her presence. Many of the Elezen who dwelt in the Shroud seemed little inclined to bear the presence of outsiders in the first place, but he seemed to harbor a particular rancor. 

Any hopes Aurelia might have harbored that Ewain’s assistant might warm to her had been quickly laid to rest. The wedding originally set for the close of the winter months had been delayed until the summer, and rather than train her on his own and allow Trevantioux the freedom to court his bride and tend to his own affairs, the Hearer had insisted that his assistant stick to his usual routine - and, adding insult to injury by all appearances, he was compelled to allow Aurelia to attend him and observe him on his morning rounds. 

Internally she ground her teeth every time the man spoke to her - at least most of old Ewain’s saltiness seemed to owe to age and weariness - and reminded herself that this was an internship, one that was not like to last indefinitely, and that once Trevantioux and his betrothed were wed he would be reassigned by the guild. 

It was small enough recompense, all things considered.

Her final stop this morning before joining Keveh’to was the Millers’ cottage: one of the few places in town where Aurelia nearly always enjoyed some degree of respite from the veteran conjurer’s constant criticism. Trevantioux didn’t particularly get along with its sunny-natured and wry-tongued mistress, and was all too glad to leave Aurelia to tend to her while he saw to other house calls.

Aurelia for her part found instant appeal in Frieda’s quick wit and irreverent humor, and the sparrow-framed Midlander weaver had - despite her initial wariness of the outsider - likewise warmed to Ewain’s novice quickly. In the ensuing months she had gone from polite civility to voicing her frequent appreciation for E-Sumi-Yan’s wisdom. Frieda liked Ewain well enough for all that she found Trevantioux incurably stuffy, but she seemed well pleased the guild in Gridania had finally seen fit to send a woman to Willowsbend.  

“Goodness, Aurelia, do you fare well?” she asked the novice conjurer now, frowning. “You look about to melt into a puddle right before my bed.”

Breaking from her brief reverie as she removed the herbs from her satchel and dabbed the sweat from her brow with the corner of one hem, Aurelia offered the older woman a rueful smile. “I might well be, at that. One could break a sweat simply stepping outdoors today.”

“Summer’s come upon us fast this year.” She shifted somewhat awkwardly in the bedclothes. “If you let me get up I can fetch you some water from the kitchen. Rauffe’s still working on the well, but I’ll not see a guest in my home go without-”

“You’ll do no such thing,” Aurelia denied, the stern note of her response brooking no argument. “Never you mind a bit of sweat; I’ve a waterskin and plenty of shards to refill it. I’ll be fine.”

“Oh really now, Aurelia-”

“No.”

Frieda let out a thwarted groan. “I can’t simply be ordered to lie abed for the next two moons! There’s so much work to be done-”

“Well, you most certainly can, when needs must,” Aurelia replied briskly. “There’s hardly any need for all this fuss and bother, surely? It’s only until the baby arrives. Once you’ve recovered from the birth you can go traipsing about the forest all day if you like.”

A gusty and exasperated sigh tossed a puff of sweaty red curls from the Hyur’s brow. “I shall have you know I’ve done this plenty of times before,” Frieda complained. “And I’m perfectly healthy-”

“Healthy enough to complain, most certainly.”

“You know full well what I mean, Mistress Laskaris. I don’t see why I should have to be confined to bed for so long over some puffy ankles.”

“I told you already. ‘Tis naught but a precaution given your history-” 

“A ridiculous precaution.”

“You're free to think whatever you like,” Aurelia countered, with the somewhat exaggerated patience L'haiya had so often used when talking to her childhood self in a fit of stubbornness, “but you are not just my friend. You are also my patient and as I have the care of you and yours, I bear responsibility for your well-being. As such, I would see you remain healthy and deliver a living child.”

“Aye, I know. But still-”

“I’m aware there’s plenty of work to be done. I’ve seen enough of your routine to know. But you’re hardly alone. Bran knows how to collect and dry the grasses for the spindle, you’ve two other sons of a goodly age to be helping about the house, and there’s Rauffe besides-”

“Rauffe? Rauffe won’t even mend his own smallclothes, never mind help with the spinning,” Frieda snorted. “If he gets a rip he’s like to just cut a hole in the arse end of his breeches and let in a stiff breeze - or out, depending on how much cabbage he had the night previous.”

Despite herself Aurelia let out an extremely unladylike cackle. 

Frieda offered a triumphant grin and relaxed at last, lacing her callused fingers over the curve of her swelling belly. “And what of Conjurer Trevantioux? I thought he was to be checking on me this morning, but I mark he’s dumped you on my doorstep again. It’s getting to be something of a habit, that.”

“He is as anxious to be shut of me as I am of him.” Aurelia reached for her waterskin. “Here’s hoping the bride's father doesn’t take ill again and delay their wedding a third time.”

“Is old Darien really doing all that poorly, I wonder,” Frieda mused aloud, “or is Noline just stalling?”

“I hardly know her well enough to have an opinion. But both Trevantioux and Ewain have been frequent guests at her home since my own arrival and the old man’s little other reason to visit as often as he does, so I can only guess is that there’s some truth in it.”

“Well, I had to ask. She’s his only child, after all,” Frieda continued. Aurelia shrugged as she uncorked the skin. She wasn’t really one to spread idle village chatter, feeling it somewhat beneath her and out of the scope of her duties besides. “Between you and me I suspect he’s having rather a difficult time letting go.”

“Mm.” She raised the waterskin to her lips for a draught. 

“And what of you and that handsome Sergeant Epocan?”

Taken by surprise at the probing question, Aurelia sputtered mid-sip, coughing. By some miracle water didn’t go everywhere, though it was a near thing. “What- Heaven forbid! The Sergeant and I aren’t like that at all!”

“That’s not the word ‘round town.” The Midlander woman’s smile was quite shrewd. “They say you’re on a first name basis with him. Keeper folk don’t let just anyone talk to them in such a familiar way, you know.”

Aurelia uttered a short, sharp laugh and set the skin aside, then tipped the rest of the ground medicinal blend from her mortar into the small glass bottle on the bed’s side table. 

“You really ought to tell the old women in the marketplace to mind their own business and stop asking such personal questions,” she said in a voice far more dismissive than she felt as she reached for a stopper. “I don’t suppose that’s asking for very much, is it?”

“Oh, sod those old crones! I’m asking for my own self, love."

"So the impertinence is your own? My, that certainly makes a difference, I suppose."

"Imper- well, it’s not as though I’ve aught else to do these days other than laze abed and keep my hands busy with stitching."

"Excuses."

"Aye, some fancy pants big-city chirurgeon gave me mad orders to rest and won’t let me break them. Mayhap you’re passing familiar with her.” 

Aurelia rolled her eyes, smiling all the while. “Right, I see how it is. Blame the outsider for your gossipmongering.”

“Only until I’m able to be up and about again,” Frieda retorted with a tart smile, one that lingered before fading somewhat. “...But what is he to you then, if you don’t mind me asking?”

“I’m… not really at liberty to discuss that.” Her face felt warm from more than just the day’s heat. “I’m sorry. If I could tell you I would.”

“Oh, very well.”

If only you could know the truth. “One of these days, perhaps.”

“No, no. Keep your secrets, if it please you, Miss Conjurer. By all means.” Frieda’s bright hazel eyes danced with mischief and amusement in equal measure. “But you know I’ll pry them out of you yet. Best be on your guard.”

~*~

Aurelia had taken the opportunity to bathe and find a change of clothing, thinking it would give Keveh’to ample time to finish his own obligations for the morning. He wasn’t at their meeting spot when she arrived, however. The clearing and the outcropping of bared stone was deserted, a barest breeze shifting listlessly through heat-curled leaves; even the birds seemed to have decided the day was too hot for their calls. 

A first glance showed nothing that seemed to be particularly out of the ordinary; there were no indications that anyone else had returned to the scene since the body was discovered, although she would have been very much surprised had that been the case. 

She lingered at the base of the rocks and examined the favored playground of the village children. The white outcroppings were partially covered in moss and lichen, but the rock was sturdy granite and she could see where the children had carved themselves footholds into the rocks for climbing. Signs of recent scuff marks from their shoes could be seen in the moss and dirt scrapes, and piles of leaves had been hastily raked together to act as a soft landing should one of them fall. 

A place like this would have appealed greatly to her younger self- to say naught of her best friend. Aurelia’s slight smile turned faintly rueful. It would have been far safer than climbing the low-hanging zelkova trees that were native to Gyr Abania, certainly. (Although, she thought with an internal snicker, L’haiya would still have scolded her for getting dirt in her pinafore and leaves in her hair. She was not near fool enough to think that would have changed.)

Out of the corner of her eye she spotted what looked like an old basket someone had fashioned into a crude child-sized helm, lying a fulm or two away - something one of the children had dropped during their last game, no doubt. Slowly she picked it up, turning it this way and that-

“Aurelia!”

The call startled her, even though the voice was one she knew. 

The basket fell from her hands to the ground as Keveh’to, trotting towards her, blinked in a sort of mild surprise. “Can’t believe I finally took you unawares,” he began, then frowned, “Is aught amiss? Did you find something?”

“Just one of their toys, I think.” She picked up the basket by its well-patched handle and passed it to him. “Lying in that pile over there. The children might want it back.”

“I’ll return it once we’re done having a look about. Follow me - and watch your step.” Keveh’to pointed to a depression not far from the base of the rocks, one she hadn’t noticed until then. “That’s where we found him.”

“Any sign the body was moved?”

“None, but it was very late in the day before I had the chance to properly look. There’s always a chance, I suppose.”

Something about his tone stopped her in her tracks. “You didn’t tell the Wood Wailers you were bringing me out here.”

“Of course I bloody didn’t,” Keveh’to scoffed. “They’d have never allowed it - and nor would the Twin Adder have done if I’d told them. But this lot won’t do anything no matter how suspicious it all is, and I know you’re as bored out of your mind as I am, else you’d never have agreed to come with me.”

“Mind you, I’m not saying I disapprove, but you are wagering what little trust the locals have in you to investigate a matter you were told to leave to the Wailers. ‘Tis rather risky, you must admit.” Aurelia quirked a brow at him. “And with the likes of me, no less.”

“Oh, I don’t know.” He paused to thread the basket into his belt.” You’ve all the demeanor of a harpy when it takes you and you’re stubborn as a goobbue, but as a partner? You’re not half bad, Garlean.”

Recalling her earlier conversation with Frieda, she could only laugh.

“At any rate,” she said, “let’s get this done before we’re missed.”

They left the rocks behind and ventured a few fulms beyond, into the tree line, before the Miqo’te came to an abrupt stop. His tail thumped a slow rhythm against her calf as his eyes narrowed thoughtfully.

“This is the place." He paused. "I think."

"You think?"

“The way they acted I doubt Aubaints or Daye looked further afield than this for that arrow. They found it so quickly, but there was little enough time to look over the scene before night fell. If there’s others out here, I’m sure we’ll- here now, what’s that?”

“What’s what?”

“That bit of soil over there. Something’s kicked up the leaves.” He pointed, and Aurelia followed the line of sight. The mark in the forest soil was half-covered by remnants of fallen detritus from the overhanging trees, but it was visible enough to have caught a hunter’s keen eye. “Wonder if maybe that’s where he found it?”

“This far away from the body? I doubt it, but let’s have a look.” 

Aurelia approached and knelt to examine the area, her knee sinking into moist soil and old leaves. Light from the sun only faintly dappled the forest floor even in the early hours of the afternoon- this far into the Shroud, most of the wood was shielded by the upper canopy- and she had to adjust her position so that she did not cast so much of a shadow she could not examine what little evidence might still remained. It was passing odd she hadn’t found the shape of an arrowhead by now; the indentation in the soil was quite a bit less shallow than she had-

Her index fingertip struck something rounded and smooth.

“Found something,” she called.

Carefully she slid her finger deeper into the soil, curled it around the object until she could get purchase, and drew it out of the shallow hole in the ground until it rolled into her dirt-caked palm, the sheen of it winking in the dim sunlight. It was a small, slender piece of steel- one that her companion thought looked somewhat familiar, but it was strangely cylindrical and marked with soot on its flattened base. 

“There’s your arrow, Sergeant,” she said. 

Keveh’to frowned. How odd, he thought. It almost looked like the sort of thing he’d seen the Maelstrom’s volunteer privateers use in their flintlocks, but- 

“Twelve, that can’t possibly be a musket ball, could it?”

“So you have seen a gun before.” 

“Once or twice fighting the Empire. Some of the folk in the Foreign Levy were pirates sailing with letters of marque from the thalassocracy and a few of them kept sidearms.” He scratched at an idly flickering ear. “What I don't understand is the why of it. There’s no need for such weapons around here - might be one could use them for hunting, but if you ask me it’s not near as practical for that purpose as a good bow and arrow. I know I wouldn’t bother with it unless I were desperate. And I’ve never seen musket balls that looked like that.”

“Well, for one thing, this isn’t a musket ball.” She rolled it to and fro between her fingers. “It’s not even Eorzean.”

“But it couldn’t have come from anything else, surely?”

“Eorzean firearms discharge using aetheric means of combustion. The weapon that fired this used black powder. Look, you can see the scorch marks.” Aurelia poked the side of the casing. Steel glimmered dully beneath the patina of dirt that covered it. “This came from a gunblade.”

“...Imperial arms in this part of the Twelveswood? But we're malms from the nearest castrum. Are you absolutely certain?"

She gave him a very tired glance over one shoulder. 

“You asked me for my opinion as a chirurgeon earlier and I’m giving it now. I daresay I’ve dug out enough musket balls and gunblade bullets in operating theatres to know the difference.” Keveh’to blinked at her, clearly taken aback. With a soft grunt she clambered to her feet, dropping the spent casing in his hand before he could protest and dusting dirt from the backs of her legs.

“Here, hold this. I’m going to look about for something.”

“What are-”

“There won’t have been just the one-- no. There, look.” It was difficult to see but there was a small ring of discoloration in the bark of a nearby elm sapling, one that became more visible as Aurelia drew closer. She scraped her finger against the border of bark and bared trunk where a round had impacted and embedded itself. “Another one. Whoever it was, they fired at their target multiple times.”

He stared down at the dirt-caked metal in his hand, brow deeply furrowed. 

“...So as it stands we have a dead birdman with a bloody great hole in his chest, an arrow that was supposed to have been what killed him except there’s blood on it and naught in the fletching-”

“And at least two shots from a weapon that shouldn’t be here. And no other arrows save the one the lieutenant told you he found.” She shook her head. “I wish I’d have got a look at the body before the Wailers disposed of it. That would have been very telling.”

“Is that your professional opinion, then? So what’s the arrow doing here?”

“Either it was meant to be found, or the arrow is a red herring and has naught to do with anything at all, or we’ve a witness lurking about the woods.”

“I think we had better take this back to the Wailers immediately.”

“Agreed,” she said. “They will wish to impose a curfew until the matter is laid to rest.” 

Keveh’to opened a small pouch on his belt and dropped the casing inside. “They won’t take that notion kindly coming from us. But if the killer is willing to risk discovery so close to the village, they’ll likely not trifle to harm its people.”

Aurelia’s lips had tightened into a flat, grim line. 

“Also,” she said, “it would not be taken amiss to check with the night watch and ask if they heard any strange noises. Gunblades are not quiet things. It’s quite likely someone heard something. If we can figure out when-”

“Sergeant Epocan! Miss Aurelia!” 

“Sergeant Epocan!”

A boy and a girl - both bedraggled and half-soaked - came crashing through the brush with all the grace of a bull griffin, Aurelia thought with an internal grimace. She recognized their faces on sight, as she did most folk these days. One was Cecilie Aubaints, the Wood Wailer lieutenant’s daughter. The other was Bran Miller’s older brother Hugh. 

“Sergeant Epocan,” Cecilie shouted, “there’s a Keeper girl outside the village-”

“Silence, you silly girl,” barked a familiar voice, “lest the entire forest know your business!”

The pair blinked at the children, then at the sight of a very exasperated Elezen man bringing up the rear in his conjurer’s whites. Trevantioux Roulemet was a Wildwood man of six and thirty summers and had been Ewain’s assistant for the past five of them. Despite his relative youth he bore a perpetually sullen countenance, and what Aurelia’s father would have called ‘a certain inflexibility of thought’ where it came to any sort of change to his personal routine. 

No doubt he was displeased that he had been pulled away from said routine to fetch Aurelia from wherever it was she had gone, and her assumption was confirmed when he drew close enough for her to see the storm in his grey eyes.

“The Hearer found my note, I see,” she said blandly. “How does Noline fare?”

“Well enough, for all I’ve been dragged away from my visit to deal with this foolishness. What are you doing out here? The Wailers said this place was strictly off limits even for us.”

“Never mind all that,” Hugh said a trifle impatiently. “There’s a girl who came looking for you while me and Bran and Cecilie were playing in the creek, and-”

“Hugh,” Cecilie hissed, and the boy flushed.

“Well, they were going to find out eventually!”

“All right, all right,” Aurelia said, “let’s not all get ruffled feathers over it. Where is she, Hugh? Is she at the Hearer’s house?”

“No, Miss Aurelia. I told Keeper Ewain she could go to my house with Bran and stay with Mama while we looked for you. She said she’d only talk to you and no one else, and Mama knows how to handle crying girls better than anyone I know.”

Crying. Anxiety lanced through her chest like a gut punch. She didn’t know Vahne well enough to say for sure, but she knew enough of Keepers from talking to Keveh’to to know if the self-assured young huntress had been rattled enough to cry in front of strangers, then something very grave must have happened to cause it.

“I’m going back,” she said. “Hugh, you come with me and the Sergeant. Trevantioux, take Cecilie home. We’ll go to the Millers’ first and meet you back at the cottage.”

“We were swimming,” Cecilie protested, but faltered under the older Elezen’s withering glare.

“In the creek,” he said acidly, “where you knew you weren’t supposed to be by yourselves?”

“We were just-” 

“Come now, along with you. You can make your excuses to your father.”

She watched Trevantioux march the protesting girl back towards the village, looking rather like a disgruntled hound shepherding a wet kitten. Under different circumstances the thought might have amused her, but she knew she must have looked as worried as she felt when she caught Keveh’to’s quizzical expression.

“I thought you just met that girl yesterday.” “So I did.”

“What do you think brought her here?”

“No idea,” she said. “Hopefully something minor.”

[majornelson]

This Week’s Deals With Gold And Spotlight Sale Plus A Publisher Sale

Here are this week’s games and add-on deals on the Xbox Games Store. Discounts are valid now through 03 February 2020.

These deals will expire at 11:00 am UTC on Tuesday February 4th 2020

Xbox One Deals

Content TitleContent TypeDiscountNotesCall of Duty: Modern Warfare – Digital Standard EditionXbox One Game35%DWGRed Dead Redemption 2: Ultimate EditionXbox One Game60%DWGSplash Blast PanicXbox Play Anywhere40%DWGMordheim: City of the DamnedXbox One Game75%DWGYooka-Laylee: Buddy Duo BundleXbox One Game50%DWGV-Rally 4Xbox One X Enhanced65%DWGBlood Bowl 2Xbox One Game75%DWG2DarkXbox One Game80%DWGAgatha KnifeXbox One Game40%DWGAngerForce:ReloadedXbox One Game40%DWGInitial2: New StageXbox One X Enhanced50%DWGJackQuestXbox One Game50%DWGLOST ORBIT: Terminal VelocityXbox One Game w/ Free Trial50%DWGLost SeaXbox One Game80%DWGSeasons after FallXbox One Game75%DWGSherlock Holmes: The Devil’s DaughterXbox One Game80%DWGShiness: The Lightning KingdomXbox One Game75%DWGSongbringer BundleXbox Play Anywhere70%DWGSudden Strike 4 – European BattlefieldsXbox One X Enhanced67%DWGDigerati Card Game Bundle Vol.1Xbox One Game80%DWGThe Church in the DarknessXbox One X Enhanced50%DWGThe TechnomancerXbox One Game75%DWGV-Rally 4 Ultimate EditionXbox One X Enhanced65%DWGWorbitalXbox One X Enhanced50%DWGWorld to the WestXbox One Game70%DWGWRC 6 FIA World Rally ChampionshipXbox One Game85%SpotlightWRC 5 FIA World Rally ChampionshipXbox One Game90%SpotlightTennis World TourXbox One X Enhanced65%SpotlightTennis World Tour – Roland-Garros EditionXbox One X Enhanced50%SpotlightSublevel Zero ReduxXbox One Game75%SpotlightKnee DeepXbox One Game70%SpotlightHorse Racing 2016Xbox One Game w/ Free Trial90%SpotlightRento Fortune – Monolit TycoonXbox One Game30%SpotlightCast of the Seven Godsends – ReduxXbox One Game w/ Free Trial80%SpotlightIndustry Giant 2Xbox One Game70%SpotlightIndustry Giant 2: 1980-2020Add-On70%SpotlightGekido Kintaro’s RevengeXbox One Game50%SpotlightThe Forbidden ArtsXbox One X Enhanced40%SpotlightMadden NFL 20Xbox One X Enhanced50%SpotlightMadden NFL 20: Superstar EditionXbox One X Enhanced50%SpotlightMadden NFL 20: Ultimate Superstar EditionXbox One X Enhanced50%SpotlightEA 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TitansXbox One X Enhanced50%Publisher SaleMX vs ATV All OutXbox One X Enhanced70%Publisher SaleDarksiders IIIXbox Game Pass67%Publisher SaleFade To SilenceXbox One Game67%Publisher SaleElexXbox One X Enhanced60%Publisher SaleSine Mora EXXbox One Game80%Publisher SaleMX vs. ATV Supercross EncoreXbox One Game75%Publisher SaleGiana Sisters: Twisted Dreams – Director’s CutXbox Game Pass80%Publisher SaleRed Faction Geurrilla Re-Mars-teredXbox One Game75%Publisher SaleAces Of The Luftwaffe – SquadronXbox One Game50%Publisher SaleBaja: Edge of Control HDXbox One Game80%Publisher SaleBattle Chasers: NightwarXbox Game Pass75%Publisher SaleBattle Worlds: KronosXbox One Game85%Publisher SaleBlack MirrorXbox One Game80%Publisher SaleClouds & Sheep 2Xbox One Game80%Publisher SaleCrazy Sports BundleXbox One Game80%Publisher SaleDarksiders Fury’s Collection – War and DeathXbox One Game80%Publisher SaleDarksiders II Deathinitive EditionXbox One X Enhanced80%Publisher SaleDarksiders III – Blades & Whip EditionXbox Game Pass60%Publisher SaleDarksiders III – Deluxe EditionXbox Game Pass60%Publisher SaleDarksiders 3 DLC BundleAdd-On50%Publisher SaleDarksiders Warmastered EditionXbox One X Enhanced80%Publisher Salede BlobXbox Game Pass80%Publisher Salede Blob 2Xbox One Game75%Publisher SaleDynamite Fishing – World GamesXbox One Game80%Publisher SaleJagged Alliance: Rage!Xbox One X Enhanced67%Publisher SaleLock’s QuestXbox One Game80%Publisher SaleMX vs ATV All Out 2017 Honda Vehicle BundleAdd-On50%Publisher SaleMX vs ATV All Out 2017 Husqvarna Vehicle BundleAdd-On50%Publisher SaleMX vs ATV All Out 2017 Kawasaki Vehicle BundleAdd-On50%Publisher SaleMX vs ATV All Out 2017 KTM Vehicle BundleAdd-On50%Publisher SaleMX vs ATV All Out 2017 Suzuki Vehicle BundleAdd-On50%Publisher SaleMX vs ATV All Out 2017 Yamaha Vehicle BundleAdd-On50%Publisher SaleMX vs. ATV Supercross Encore Supercross Track Pack 1Add-On50%Publisher SaleMX vs. ATV Supercross Encore Supercross Track Pack 2Add-On50%Publisher SaleMX vs. ATV Supercross Encore Supercross Track Pack 3Add-On50%Publisher SaleMX vs. ATV Supercross Encore Supercross Track Pack 4Add-On50%Publisher SaleMX vs. ATV Supercross Encore Supercross Track Pack BundleAdd-On50%Publisher SaleMX vs. ATV Supercross Encore All-in-One BundleAdd-On50%Publisher SaleRad RodgersXbox One Game50%Publisher SaleRebel CopsXbox One X Enhanced25%Publisher SaleStunt Kite PartyXbox One Game67%Publisher SaleSuper Party Sports: FootballXbox One Game80%Publisher SaleThe Book of Unwritten Tales 2Xbox Game Pass80%Publisher SaleThe DwarvesXbox One Game85%Publisher SaleThe Raven RemasteredXbox One Game75%Publisher SaleThis Is the PoliceXbox One Game75%Publisher SaleThis Is The Police 2Xbox One X Enhanced70%Publisher SaleTitan QuestXbox One X Enhanced75%Publisher SaleWe Sing PopXbox One Game85%Publisher SaleWreckfest DeluxeXbox One Game20%Publisher SaleWreckfest Season PassAdd-On20%Publisher SaleWreckfest – Retro Rammers Car PackAdd-On20%Publisher SaleWreckfest – 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*These offers are only valid for Xbox Live Gold members.

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Xbox 360 Deals

Content TitleContent TypeDiscountNotesMars: War Logs*Backward Compatible80%DWGBound By Flame*Backward Compatible80%DWGAlien Breed Episode 1*Arcade75%DWGAlien Breed 2: Assault*Arcade75%DWGAlien Breed 3: Descent*Arcade75%DWGGrand Theft Auto V*Games On Demand50%DWGDestroy All Humans!Backward Compatible80%Publisher SaleMX vs. ATV ReflexBackward Compatible80%Publisher SaleMX UnleashedBackward Compatible80%Publisher SaleFull Spectrum WarriorBackward Compatible80%Publisher SaleFrontlines: Fuel of WarBackward Compatible80%Publisher SaleDestroy All Humans! Path of the FuronGames On Demand80%Publisher SaleMX vs. ATV AliveGames On Demand80%Publisher SaleDarksiders IIBackward Compatible80%Publisher Salede Blob 2Backward Compatible80%Publisher SaleArcaniAGames On Demand80%Publisher SaleAvatar: TLA: TBEGames On Demand80%Publisher SaleBlack Knight SwordArcade80%Publisher SaleConanGames On Demand80%Publisher SaleDarksidersGames On Demand80%Publisher SaleDeadfall AdventureBackward Compatible80%Publisher SaleElements of DestructionArcade80%Publisher SaleFantastic PetsGames On Demand80%Publisher SaleGiana Sisters: Twisted DreamsArcade80%Publisher SaleJUJUBackward Compatible80%Publisher SaleLegend of Kay AnniversaryBackward Compatible80%Publisher SaleMX vs. ATV SupercrossGames On Demand80%Publisher SaleMX vs. ATV: UntamedGames On Demand80%Publisher SalePainkiller Hell & DamnationGames On Demand80%Publisher SalePanzer Elite Action: Fields of Glory (Not available in US)Backward Compatible80%Publisher SaleRed Faction: ArmageddonBackward Compatible80%Publisher SaleRed Faction: BattlegroundsBackward Compatible80%Publisher SaleRed Faction: GuerrillaGames On Demand80%Publisher SaleRocket RiotArcade80%Publisher SaleSine MoraBackward Compatible80%Publisher SaleStackingBackward Compatible80%Publisher SaleStuntman: IgnitionBackward Compatible80%Publisher SaleThe Book of Unwritten Tales 2Games On Demand80%Publisher SaleThe OutfitGames On Demand80%Publisher SaleThe Raven – Legacy of a Master Thief Episode 1Arcade80%Publisher SaleThe Raven – Legacy of a Master Thief Episode 2Add-On80%Publisher SaleThe Raven – Legacy of a Master Thief Episode 3Add-On80%Publisher SaleThunder WolvesArcade80%Publisher SaleZombie Driver HDArcade80%Publisher Sale

*These offers are only valid for Xbox Live Gold members.

Please note: prices and availability are subject to change and may vary by region.

Related: This Week’s Deals With Gold And Spotlight Sale Plus Lunar New Year And Artistic Adventure Sale This Week’s Deals With Gold And Spotlight Sale Plus Add-On Sale This Week’s Deals With Gold And Spotlight Sale Plus Last Chance And Free To Play Sale

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[mizar113]

Paiute Deadfall.