#litrpg stories

[litrpgburrito]

The Seattle Stacks

[Lore surrounding a version of Seattle where magic and technology collide]

In the shadow of the Space Needle, amidst the verdant sprawl of what was once a bustling Seattle park, lies the Seattle Stacks. A haphazard skyline of motor homes, each one a relic of a bygone era, now stacked atop one another in a defiant monument to survival. The Stacks are more than just a neighborhood; they are a sanctuary for the misfits, the mages, and the machinists of a world where the lines between technology and magic have blurred into obscurity.

The story of the Seattle Stacks begins with the Great Convergence, an event that fused the realms of the arcane and the engineered. Magic, once thought to be the stuff of legend, flowed into the world like a tidal wave, crashing against the shores of reality. Technology, which had reached its zenith, suddenly found itself infused with this new, wild energy. The results were both wondrous and catastrophic.

In the aftermath, society reformed in unexpected ways. The Stacks emerged as a community for those who sought to blend the old with the new. Here, enchanters worked alongside engineers to fortify their homes against the elements and the creatures that roamed the wilds beyond. Poles and bars, imbued with spells of strength, held the precarious towers of homes aloft. Chains enchanted with protective wards clinked in the wind, a symphony of security for the inhabitants.

The heart of the Stacks was its people. Each tower, a small neighborhood unto itself, thrived on the cooperation of its residents. From the cyber-witches who wove spells into neon lights, giving them a life of their own, to the gearhead sorcerers who conjured mechanical familiars from spare parts and sheer will, the community was a tapestry of innovation and tradition.

At the center of it all stood the Emerald Tower, the first and tallest stack. It was here that the leaders of the Stacks convened, a council of the wise that guided the community through the challenges of their new world. They were the keepers of lore, the architects of the Stacks' future, and the bridge between the mystical and the mechanical.

As the sun sets, casting long shadows over the Stacks, the neon lights flicker to life, painting the sky with vibrant hues. The air hums with the energy of a hundred spells, and the scent of sizzling circuits mingles with the earthy aroma of the park's ancient trees. The Seattle Stacks stand as a beacon of hope, a testament to the resilience of humanity, and a reminder that even in a world divided, there is a place for unity—in the stacks where magic and machine coexist in harmony.

[monsters-and-labyrinths-books]

Bailey Gardiner, after getting in a fight with a player in her Monsters and Labyrinths game, gets sent into the world of this TTRPG. Bailey, thinking she's in some weird coma dream, decides to have fun when making her new body. To make herself laugh, she creates the most 'Grim-Dork' character she can that would make any middle schooler jealous. She soon realizes that this is no dream, and she really is now this character, including all his backstory. Bailey, or Silas as what she named her character, has to navigate the magic, convoluted plot, and story arcs of someone else's M&L campaign. 

Written By: PinkFlavoredLemonade

Art By: @veilofmorn

Read Here on Royal Road

Support the writer on Patreon Here

[lunchbagart]

Rough cover treatment for my crazy novel. This seemed like a good idea. Now it seems like a butt plug. Back to the drawing board.

"Aether Novak" was a suggestion for an author name. So was Electron Raven and Darklord Pixelblade. Still working on it

[riven-ish]

Healing in Elos is very interesting to me. Have my rambling thoughts on it trans+ people and imagining being isekai d into my favorite series (Note it’s been a while since I read the web novel version where as I’ve just done a full reread of the novels)

Some spoilers if you haven’t read through all the currently out books at the time of this post. (1-5) I won’t be covering the web novel ones just in case Rhaegar changes anything.

On the one had you have Life based healing and Blood based healing neither of which seem to soothe trauma of the mind, they are almost wholly ‘physical’ healing through the healer to the subject. We still don’t know what Ash Healing can do, as of yet, nor can I remember what the web novel says about it.

Ash is linked to death though, which means it should work on death spirits and undead beings. (Another benefit arcane has over life and blood)

Ilea’s arcane based healing is different, while it doesn’t out right heal mental trauma it seems to make it easier for the recipient to move past, to accept it. Meditation apparently also helps too.

Along with the frankly massive 50% reduction in pain she gets from her initial class / the blue moon grass (I can’t remember which one pretty sure it’s the moon grass) it essentially perfectly sets Ilea up for her journey. Especially given how important resistances are.

All pain is lessened AND she can recover from the trauma quicker via her healing and meditation. It’s a neat very core mechanic to her being. Something that doesn’t happen with the Medic Sentinels. Without her initial pain tolerance training, I highly doubt the initial group would have made it. But once they reach the second tier, and especially after they receive their healer classes, they start to build their resistances on their own. It’s neat.

But personally I think if push came to shove I’d still try that 50/50 of the blue moon grass. (Luckily they now have an alchemist, two enchanters and an ancient tree with a healing class to look into the blue moon grass at some point) but then go through all the training that the Sentinels go through.

Soul magic also sounds interesting and I wonder what Soul magic healing would be. (I can’t remember if it ever comes up. I know astral does.)

Anyways: all of that was a ramble to get to the point of Healing and the Trans/queer/enby/g-f/etc community. (I should do a web novel reread)

Of which I have a bunch of thoughts:

There’s Flesh and Bone magic: which I imagine would be a very easy become a shapeshifter but I don’t want to -have- to pigeon hole myself just to get my body right. As an aside: This is the problem with the superpowers question as well. Obviously I’d pick Shapeshifting as it fixes my most major issue with how I identify but there are so many other powers I would rather have, if only superpowers came with a free ‘ideal self’ makeover too. (Though a flesh bone mage who worked as a gender affirming provider would be lit as fuck.) (also also there’s a crazy badass fight between ilea and a flesh mage coming up in the books, I hope it doesn’t get cut)

Blood magic- seems like the easiest way to get hrt - there are also a LOT of runes and rituals that could probably be used with this one.

Then there’s Life magic - I’d imagine this wouldn’t do anything. Maybe it would provide you free hormone therapy. Maybe it’d be cool enough to just slowly change your biological sex or just remove/add secondary features associated with masculine or feminine. I don’t know. Life is weird and it hasn’t officially shown up yet. It’s only been mentioned.

Arcane healing: worries me based on what the magic perceives as the ‘problem’ I feel like there’s a slight chance that it could have an outcome I find horrifying. The horror version of it would be if it just ‘healed’ your mind. Essentially slowly making you ‘accept’ your agab. I’d like to think it would just do what life does, although maybe you’d have to chop of parts of you before the more ‘you’ version appears with use of the magic. Luckily, I don’t think it would do that!

And that’s because of our good newish friend the General Skill: Soul Perception and Soul Magic Resistance

Which read:

‘ding’ You have learned the General Skill: Soul Perception – lvl 1 Soul Perception – lvl 1 You have learned to perceive your soul. Congratulations. A skill that didn’t require killing and blood to unlock. Marvelous.

‘ding’ Soul Magic Resistance reaches 2nd lvl 1 Soul Magic Resistance – 2nd lvl 1

The fleeting conscience of man and beast. Flesh, energy, motion, and thought. The soul stands separate entirely, yet intertwined all the same. Through hardship you have learned understanding, not through meditation and study. A brutal yet comforting truth, strengthening that which cannot be grasped.

2nd stage: Battered and cracked. Challenged and near broken. Your soul has endured through sheer tenacity against that which sought to bring about its end. A serene calm now permeates your very essence, changed and evolved, grounded and calm.

I take these skills as implying that the soul is your fundamental self, from which your arcane and flesh flow.

With this in mind, I believe your soul would impress its will upon any of the healing options, at least to an extent. I think actively having soul perception and maybe soul magic resistance would increase the amount your will and the ‘ideal form of yourself that exists in your soul influences any healing. I also imagine if you suddenly found yourself on Elos or if you were a native trans person or gender-fluid or any of the others would have a step up in getting soul perception due to the amount of introspection on yourself you’ve already done.

There’s also the fact that Ilea is pan (I’m still irked he cut out the her sleeping with heranuur and the other little moments with the elves in book 3 but I get it for reasons) so I don’t think the horror option is a real possibility.

Given all that I think I’d still want Arcane Healing, Space magic is also cool as fuck. Those too are my definite’s. Or Astral and Space as Astral is just Space+Arcane.

To be real I’d have Ilea’s classes in a heart beat I love all of them. If I had to choose my own I’d still be a front line teleporting battle healer. I resonate so much with Ilea.Maybe I’d pick barriers or and astral/barrier class or being a sand/glass creator over ash. Creator classes are so cool too being a sand creator that can turn their sand molten then cool it into obsidian sharp bits of glass. Idk I have this thought once a week or so and my answer is almost always different. Maybe a silver creator? I wouldn’t pick gold personally, not my color. I’d definitely want to learn runes, but more as a side gig, like a general skill.

Okay bye!

[tychodorian]

Curse of Strahd's Influence on King of Dust

So, one of the biggest inspirations for King of Dust came from a campaign of Curse of Strahd that I was part of—it was wild. Imagine the gothic, dark, cursed world of Barovia, but what if Darius, my protagonist in the book, was an absolute bisexual disaster with only two functioning brain cells? He’s terrible at his job, but somehow, still, he’s willing to risk everything for love. That’s the energy I wanted to bring to this book—a character who means well, messes up often, and loves too hard for his own good.

I also started thinking: what if Curse of Strahd was more diverse? Sure, we’ve got vampires and gloomy atmospheres, but what if we added an LGBT romance subplot? A complex love story that doesn’t fit neatly into your standard vampire fantasy? What if it was a little more lighthearted? Enter Darius’s complicated feelings for Astrid after his 20-year relationship with Yra falls apart. Love, heartbreak, and the chaos of new attraction are all a huge part of the plot.

And then there’s the Murder House from Curse of Strahd. That setting planted the seeds for one of the key plots in King of Dust: a dark, cult-like group with roots in familiar gothic horror, but the story takes a hard left turn, flipping everything on its head. It’s my way of giving a nod to a classic Dungeons & Dragons storyline while crafting something completely new and unexpected.

In the end, King of Dust pulls from the atmosphere and structure of Curse of Strahd but adds more depth with diverse characters, LGBT themes, and a storyline that’s full of unexpected twists.

If this sounds like the book for you, you can preorder King of Dust before it comes out on Halloween! Link is in my pinned post.

[emblazonet]

It's sad that as a culture we pour all the time and attention into video games and video as our premier art form, instead of into comics and graphic novels.

[akmedrah]

New Series, and a Poll!

It has been a minute since I updated this particular community. And for that, I apologize.

Some of you are probably worried that I'm not writing anymore or that I will not do another series.

Well, worry not anymore!

My latest attempt to entertain you and purge the never-ending fountain of ideas from my mind is here! Starting April first I will be releasing publicly my newest story, "Homestead Survival!"

This story follows Theo Sorrenson and Julia Brahmin as they navigate a rapidly changing world, ending up isolated by many hundreds of miles.

This story is also something new for me to try and write as it will be a mashup of System Apocalypse, Romance, Slice-Of-Life, Kingdom Building, and LitRPG.

Here is the link to the Poll for the cover art: https://akmedrah.com/new-story-homestead-survival-coverart-vote/ I hope you all enjoy it, and as always Have A Fantastic Day!

[jrtstories]

jrtstories

Short story: The Harrowing Truth.

A small group investigates a dangerous presence hunting them and others in a mysterious town.

Serials: Sylon: Realm of the Enchanted

A teen boy is summoned to another world to fight a great evil.

Rebel Kinetic

A group of motorcycle riders meet a young psychic woman because of a prophecy. They have to navigate a hidden world.

Romance Killer

When an assassin can't find work in her regular career, she finds jobs in her second as a relationship coach.

Tower, Hero, Life

A writer is summoned to a Tower along with millions of others. They will have to survive using a system.

Substack:

Patreon:

[nikiniluna]

How to win a Healer’s heart:

1. Always thank them when they heal of buff you

2. Never say “It’s your fault” if you ended up knocked out

To summarize:

Healer likes partners who appreciate your efforts.

[ballowvalence]

Most people will say they saw them appear with their own two eyes, but they would be lying. In the first hour, it was trending on Twitter with #Doomsday. Thousands of posts of oblong black holes appearing in random locations around the world. On the subreddit r/newholes, videos showed an endless emptiness in the holes, a void of reality, fading and rippling at edges in a fuzzy haze. History will record that there were actually only fifteen of these voids at the beginning. Fifteen Gates to the realms of the fifteen Deities who first initialised contact with humanity. The appearance of these Gates would come to be known as the Event. Follow Lee and his growing party as they discover the secrets behind these Gates and fight their way through the dangers that follow.

Notice for interested readers below:

Set in 2022

Title may change

First person perspective

Features primarily queer cast

Romance is not the focus but will be covered

LitRPG element is light (and my first time writing it, so please be kind)

[litrpgburrito]

Chapter 3: Shadows of the Archive

The archive, a digital labyrinth rumored to hold the forgotten lore of the Net, was a place whispered about with a mixture of fear and reverence. Even within the lawless fringes I navigated, whispers of its location were scarce, guarded secrets passed only between the most trusted runners. My stolen data chip, a beacon in the digital storm, led me here, a desperate gamble to find the ghost – Ghostwalker.

Navigating the archive was a harrowing experience. Firewalls, ancient and brutal, lurked in the shadows, their defenses honed by years of fending off unwelcome visitors. Malformed security programs, relics from a bygone era, materialized from the static, their code twisted into grotesque parodies of their original form.

Every click, every keystroke, sent a jolt of adrenaline through me. Nakamura's pursuit wasn't a mere hunch anymore. Traces of his digital bloodhounds lingered in the ether, a chilling reminder of the consequences of failure.

Days bled into one another, measured only by the flickering glow of my cyberdeck and the gnawing hunger in my gut. The archive seemed endless, a twisted monument to the forgotten corners of the Net. Just as despair threatened to consume me, a flicker on the edge of my vision snagged my attention. A hidden path, veiled by a masterful cloaking program, materialized before me.

Hope, a fragile thing in this desolate place, surged through me. This had to be it. With trembling fingers, I bypassed the veil, and the hidden chamber of the archive unfolded before me.

Mountains of data bricks, their metallic shells shimmering with an otherworldly glow, filled the vast chamber. In the center, a lone figure hunched over a console, their form obscured by a long, hooded cloak. Ghostwalker.

My heart hammered against my ribs. This was it. The key to unlocking Project Chimera's secrets. But as I took a hesitant step forward, a cold, metallic voice echoed through the chamber.

"You shouldn't be here," it said, devoid of any human inflection.

The voice sent a jolt of ice through my veins. I froze, hand hovering over the keyboard, caught between fight or flight. My eyes darted towards the cloaked figure, searching for any hint of their identity, any weapon they might be wielding. The archive, once a beacon of hope, now felt like a tomb closing in on me.

"Who are you?" I croaked, my voice rough from disuse and the ever-present dryness of my Flytrap apartment.

The figure remained still, a silent statue bathed in the dim glow of the data bricks. A moment stretched into an eternity before a single word broke the tense silence.

"Seeker," it rasped, the voice as mechanical as its previous utterance.

"Seeker?" I echoed, bewildered. "What do you mean? I'm here for information, about Project Chimera."

A flicker of movement, almost imperceptible, betrayed a reaction from the cloaked figure. Their head tilted slightly, as if in surprise.

"Project Chimera," it repeated, the words laced with a strange reverence. "You know more than you let on."

I hesitated. Revealing the full extent of my knowledge could be a gamble. But the cryptic messages, the ancient security program guarding Nakamura's vault – it all pointed to something far more sinister than a simple data heist.

"I know enough to know it's dangerous," I finally admitted, taking a cautious step forward. "And I know Nakamura's after it. He can't be allowed to have it."

Another long pause followed. Then, to my surprise, a soft chuckle emanated from the figure. A dry, humorless sound that echoed eerily in the vast chamber.

"Nakamura," it scoffed. "A pawn in a much larger game, child. But a pawn nonetheless."

The revelation struck me like a physical blow. Nakamura wasn't the mastermind, just a greedy opportunist. The real enemy lurked in the shadows, its tendrils reaching out through the Net, manipulating events for an unknown purpose.

"Who are you?" I pressed again, emboldened by a newfound sense of purpose. "What is Project Chimera?"

The figure uncrossed its arms, the movement hinting at a wiry frame beneath the robes. Slowly, deliberately, it raised its head, and for the first time, I caught a glimpse of its face.

Or rather, the lack thereof.

Where a face should have been, there was only a smooth, metallic plate, featureless and cold. A shiver crawled down my spine. This wasn't Ghostwalker, not as I'd imagined. This was something else entirely.

"I am the Archivist," the metallic voice rasped. "And Project Chimera..." it continued, its voice laced with a dark promise, "is the future of the Net."

[necer0s]

If y’all need things to read while AO3 is down, may I suggest trying out some web serials? RoyalRoad is still up and doing fine. For example, right now I’m rereading Chaotic Craftsman Worships The Cube, a twist on the standard Isekai story where the summoned protagonist appears without any special skills or abilities.

A few things it has that might appeal to an AO3 audience:

Ben (the titular craftsman) is an absolute gremlin, who keeps doing truly wild nonsense

As punishment for his sins, he gets thrown into tons of Situations

A 200+ chapter slow burn romance

Trauma(TM)

[wylanzahn]

OMG two posts in one day?? What are the odds? Anywho this is a sort of OC storyline set within Alfarwind, my homebrew/original D&D setting which is epic high fantasy, mostly the bland Western type with a couple, highly, notable exceptions. For this (monthly?) LitRPG series is going to be set in the southern coasts of the continent of Dulgren, specifically in the Kingdom of Galadinor which was one of the first Princedoms to rebel against the Empire of Concordia. Now, 138 years later, many in Galadinor live in hardship against the rule of a thick bureaucracy which is corrupted by much darker forces; and whilst the bureaucrats argue the lands of Galadinor are ruled by bandits and rebellious barons.

However, this is no tale of lords or of princes or even of kings, for we fall in line to the adventurers of Galadinor, aka the lowest of the lows, and the King of those paupers? Why of course it has to be, without a doubt...

The Grape-Smashers.

Follow the adventures of Det. Alastair Netherwaste (Lvl 3 Celestial Warlock), Travelle of Bregoncourt (Lvl 3 Ghostslayer Blood-Hunter), Lidryn Firetongue (Lvl 3 Draconic Sorcerer), and Godzimir of the Halny Mountains (Lvl 2 Oathbreaker Paladin, and Lvl 1 Barbarian). Classes probably won't be super important but I thought it would be fun for y'all to have! (*wink*)

I won't go super in-depth because I want to leave secrets but Alastair (He/Him) is an ex-convict before his run in with the paladin Ser Kithola Luelrift (She/Her), whom forced his repentance. Alastair is now a lowly-paid detective who travels alongside his cohorts. Alastair is Bi.

Travelle of Bregoncourt (She/Her) was a travelling street performer and the daughter of a famed mystic before her and her family's caravan were attacked. Ever since then Travelle has had a knack for not only seeing ghosts, but hunting them as well. Travelle is Straight and Trans.

Lidryn Firetongue (He/They) unknown. Assumedly a prince of some sort due to his ancestry of magic. Lidryn is a Demimale.

Godzimir of the Halny Mountains (He/Him) born in the Halny Mountain range within the Kingdom of Ardrezenskia (or Ardrezenium in the west), Godzimir is a part of the highland Rumiany tribe before they were decimated at the Battle of Godor's Keep. Godzimir was then raised by an evil cult known as the "The Eye of the Sparing," however, he has since moved on from then... we think. Godzimir is Pan.

Anywho I hope you guys enjoy and stay pumped because the first little text will come soon! This should be like a monthly thing so hopefully I can pump out something epic for everyone to enjoy!

Also for attribution {the squiggly borders} Image by Freepik, the rest is by me.

[xortstories]

Hey there! Xort here!

This post is gonna serve as my sort of master-post, where I include all the relevant information about my writing, where you can find it, where you can support me, and links to free supplementary content!

To begin with, hi. I'm Xortberg, but you can call me Xort. I'm a writer, and aiming to make that into a career! To that end, I've written a bit in the TTRPG field, but after discovering Royal Road and seeing how people have found success with web fiction and Patreon, I figured I'd throw my hat into the ring.

Currently, I'm gearing up to post Blood of Dragons, a fantasy story with mild LitRPG elements. You can find a post with more details here, and can find the Patreon and Ko-Fi pages at those links. There is a bit of free supplemental material there already, and I'll be adding more as time goes by.

You can also check out my Ko-Fi Commissions page, where you can hire me to create TTRPG content or original fiction for you, or to edit your work!

More specific links to free content can be found after the break.

Blood of Dragons

Announcement and blurb Story (COMING SOON) World Map - Patreon | Ko-Fi Colranth Firebreath Character Sheet - Patreon | Ko-Fi

Class Is In Session (class overview posts) The Caller - Patreon | Ko-Fi The Dragon-Blooded Mage - Patreon | Ko-Fi The Earthbreaker - Patreon | Ko-Fi The Saint - Patreon | Ko-Fi The Shadowblade - Patreon | Ko-Fi The Warbow - Patreon | Ko-Fi The Wardmage - Patreon | Ko-Fi

Here There Be Monsters (posts about creatures in the setting) Goblins - Patreon | Ko-Fi Dokki Birds - Patreon | Ko-Fi Harpies - Patreon | Ko-Fi

[tychodorian]

Day 1 of Trying to Convince You to Preorder King of Dust

Hey friends! I’m so excited to finally share the passion project that’s been living in my head for years: King of Dust. This book has everything I love—magic, complex characters, dark twists, and a world that feels alive in every sense. It’s a story about finding yourself in the middle of chaos, when the dust settles (literally and metaphorically).

King of Dust explores identity, heartbreak, and redemption, with characters like Darius, Yra, and Astrid pulling you through a world filled with monsters and shadows. Writing this book has been a journey of its own, and I can’t wait for you to meet these characters and fall into their story.

Preorders are open now, and every one of them means the world to me. Help me bring King of Dust to life!

The link to preorder the book is in my pinned post. Happy reading!

[evanthenerd83]

“This Library? Occupied!”

1

“Do you guys have a library?”

Anna turned towards me, cocking an eyebrow.

She wore an emerald gown. It exposed both of her shoulders, which were extremely pale.

I could see a mole.

Somebody, maybe Emi, had put her hair up in a ponytail. It would bob whenever she walked or nodded her head.

“Yyyyyyyyyyeeeeeeeeeeeeeeessssssssssssssssssssssssss,” Anna nodded very slowly. “Why?”

She also stared at me. Hard.

I blushed. My hands instinctively went to my pockets, except… I didn’t have any. I was wearing my nightgown.

They were deflected by my hips, wounding up behind my back.

I coughed, avoiding her gaze. “No. No reason.”

‘Smooth move, idiot.’

Anna continued to stare. She drilled a hole through my already pitiful excuse of a… Well, an excuse.

There we were, two girls… just standing in the middle of a hallway, playing the quiet game. During a staring contest. I felt several pairs of eyes glancing our way.

Maids bowed their heads as they passed us. A bald butler came close to bumping into me, but carefully maneuvered around.

I didn’t have an answer for Anna. I hadn’t expected that question. In my mind, while sitting in the medium-sized armchair, I’d imagined this going one of two ways:

“Do you guys have a library?”

“Yes. It’s right over there. Here’s the key. Have fun!”

Or…

“Do you guys have a library?”

“Royals only, peasant.”

That’s it. Either apathetic affirmation or hostile gatekeeping. Maybe a cruel, short giggle fit before my swift, publicized beheading. But not… well-mannered suspicion.

I coughed into my hand, avoiding her gaze. “I… no reason… it’s just…”

I practically choked on my tongue. The words got stuck on a patch of flypaper, dying before they could come out.

Anna blinked.

I wasn’t embarrassed. Far from it. If she’d asked me about what I did as a hobby, I’d have confessed to being a magical girl.

But ask me what my obsession was? I’d have slammed my backpack on the table, unzipped it, and shown her the manga, the fairy tale anthology, and the one rogue light novel stuffed inside.

Yes. I’ll admit it. I’ll scream it from the mountaintops, the wind dramatically tossing my hair.

I loved to read.

I would read at home. I would read on the bus. I would read while navigating the foot traffic in the hallways, where students resembled spawning salmon.

I would even read during class. Which, come to think of it, might explain why Mr. Atlas eventually refused to let me visit the school library after finishing my assignments.

Eh. Whatever.

In terms of what I read… I only checked out my favorite genres. Fantasy and fairy tales. Maybe a little paranormal romance, if I was feeling particularly lonely.

What?

Being a magical girl doesn’t help you find dating prospects.

You barely have any free time. Witches and monsters constantly assault human cities, and you are responsible for repelling them.

These fights prove to be both time-consuming and exhausting. Casting spells costs large amounts of energy. Some monsters are harder to take down than others.

When you finally eliminate a combatant, you feel like you’ve just ran fifty kilometers. Everything is numb.

Walking turns into stumbling.

No time for dates. Or parties. You miss classes and dances. You focus squarely on your job.

Anyway…

… yeah, I loved to read.

What I didn’t love, however, was when someone teased me about it.

And at my middle school, where hormones turned rational human beings into moody, awkward psychos, someone was always teasing me.

I took a deep, long, shuddering breath. My mind dove headfirst into a foxhole.

“... I wanted to read something.”

Silence.

Anna simply blinked.

I bit my tongue, waiting for the sneer and the laughter. Anna blinked again. Her eyes went dull.

I cleared my throat.

She blinked for a third time, and then…

“YOU LOVE BOOKS TOO?!”

I leaned back. My hair touched the floor.

Anna was staring at me, face now inches from mine. Her teeth gleamed. Gems sparkled within her eyes.

Her eyes burned with childlike enthusiasm. And just a twinge of surprise.

“Y-yes? W-why wouldn’t I?”

I avoided her gaze, instead focusing on a corner of the ceiling.

We were so, so close. I could practically smell the flatcake she’d had for breakfast.

Not to mention her shampoo.

The scent hit my nose, and I instantly blushed. Strawberry. Or this world’s equivalent of strawberry.

Yes.

Yes.

I know. Creepy.

But look, I couldn’t help it. We really were that close.

Anna didn’t seem to notice. She was too busy jumping, hair slapping her face with every ascent. Heels kept clicking against the floor.

She was also clapping.

It sounded like an automatic machine gun. Being fired by a little girl. Who’d just run into a friendly face.

My mind slowly lifted its head. It began surveying the battlefield, then sighed in relief. False alarm.

Anna suddenly grabbed my hands, then dragged me down the hallway.

2

The Grand Royal Library made quite an unusual first impression.

“Oh my god,” I gasped.

Anna stepped back. She crouched in the doorway, her body barely filling its girth.

The door had been big. Not as imposing as the others. And there were a lot of doors here, millions even, that might’ve given those a run for their money.

It was carved from deep crimson wood. Swirling lines curved around a golden knob.

Certain patterns caught my attention. Leafs. Trees. Streams converging.

But my eyes only lingered on these for a millisecond, because Anna soon clapped her hands.

Light flared into being. Flames whipped about, briefly illuminating a massive room, walls taller than anything I’d ever seen.

The ceiling loomed beyond their reach.

My mouth fell open.

It hit the floor.

“O…”

Anna giggled. She leaned against the door, arms crossed. “Amazing isn’t it?”

“... M…”

My jaws swung side to side. They creaked.

“... G!”

Bookshelves.

Tons of them. Millions of them. I couldn’t even tell where one ended and another began.

Nor how many rows each had. They seemed to extend into the sky, boundless; unrestricted by the laws of physics.

Just like with the Royal Castle.

And the books? Dear goddess, the books!

Big books. Small books. Books with labeled spines, titles unreadable, and books without labels themselves. Books that were close to collapsing into dust at the gentlest touch. Books hard as iron.

Books standing upright. Books floating in midair. Books standing stock still. Books vibrating and humming. Books knocking against their neighbors. Books dripping with these unrecognizable fluids.

Books of all sorts and kinds.

Books I desperately wanted to touch.

My hands clenched and unclenched.

“U-uh,” Anna blinked. “J-Juby?”

“Haaaaaaa, haaaaaaaaaa, haaaaaaaaaaaa…”

“Juby? You’re bleeding.”

Anna weakly pointed at her own nose.

“S-s-s-s-s-s-s-s-s-s-s-s-s-s…”

I took a step. Well, it was more of a stumble. Warmth flooded my body. You could’ve seen steam wafting up from my forehead. Which might as well have been burning bright red.

Anna cringed. “You’re also drooling.”

“Heh, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh,” I walked towards the nearest shelf. One stumble at a time.

This was perfect.

Paradise.

Heaven among heavens.

So many books to read. To sink deep into, like a stone falling into a pond.

Did this fantasy world have fairy tales of its own? It probably did. It had to. Ithyca itself was the stuff of fairy tales, with magic, elves, and cursed swords.

In any case, I intended to find out.

“Should I call for a healing mage?”

Immediately.

I began scanning the shelf one book at a time. Committing their titles to memory at a snail’s pace. Each cover was, thankfully, a different color than the rest.

Certain Tasks For Certain Classes.

Harnessing Your Innate Magical Potential For Magicless Dummies.

On and on they went.

The Demontongue-English Dictionary: Second Edition.

How To Cook Spriggans, Will-o-the-Wisps, & Other Pests.

Designing Your Very Own Familiar.

As I read more spines, the elation I had been feeling began to slowly… disappear. My finger traced disappointment after disappointment.

Goddess Dares You To Jump: Is YOUR Child Using Windleweed?

The History of Ithyca.

Witchcraft In Heresberg.

As The Sun Goes Down.

Eureka! A novel! I reached for the brick-sized paperback, hands trembling from anticipation. Expectations ran rampant. What would I find? A gothic romance? A dark fantasy epic about demons turning on their own kind?

My fingers inched closer towards…

“Gah! What’s that doing here?!”

I blinked. Where ATSGD had once been, only empty space.

A gap between two encyclopedias. Dust.

I turned towards Anna, who was now standing beside me. She clutched it. Both of her cheeks flushed bright red.

Her eyes were wider than mine.

“What’s wro—”

I went to grab it.

But the princess apparently had other plans. She recoiled from my empty hand, twisting away, curling inward. As if to protect some secret treasure.

Her body grew even redder than before.

The air between us got slightly warmer.

“You… You can’t read this bo-book.”

Shock turned into confusion.

“Why not?”

Anna’s face exploded into a supernova. Pure unadulterated embarrassment. Her eyes popped out of their sockets, looking very much like balloons. That were close to deflating.

I started to sweat. The collar of my white nightgown stuck to my clavicle.

“It… It’s not… Ap-app-appro-appro-appro-appro-appro-appro-appro-appro-appro-appro-appro-appro—”

She kept stammering. Her lips shook harder than San Francisco during the 1900s.

It would have been funny, if she wasn’t clenching the cover of ATSGD with every twitch. Panic settled in. She’d ruin it.

I hate rumpled or cressed, or bent, covers on paperbacks. I’m not sure why. Just seeing one bending upwards sends a sharp electric pulse straight to my brain that says:

NONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONOONONONOOONONONONONONONONONONO

If I didn’t act fast enough…

“Appropriate? It’s not appropriate? Is that what you’re saying?”

My words might have come out harsher than necessary.

But this was serious.

Anna blinked a few times, then drained of color. The room cooled by several degrees.

She took a deep breath before looking me in the eyes. Speaking of serious. That look could have melted an Obliteride.

“Yes. That’s very much what I am saying, Juby.”

“Why?”

“Be-because…”

I tilted my head.

The princess sighed. She flipped ATSGD upside down and handed it to me. I graciously accepted it.

“Just read the back.”

“Oh. Ok?”

I glanced at the back of the novel.

“But I don’t see why you’d thii—”

I slipped the book back on the shelf.

Anna rubbed my shoulder. “Yeah. I know.”

3

A few minutes later…

“Why would your father leave that lying around for anyone to find?”

Anna shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t know. Daddy usually keeps that…”

She glanced at ATSGD with muted horror.

“... Filth… in his chambers.”

The princess shuddered. Then shook her head, hair flopping all over.

She looked at me. A smile spread across her face. My heart knocked on my lungs, as if they were drums.

I bit my tongue.

Be still. Be still.

“Nevermind. Doesn’t matter.”

I began to nod.

Anna grabbed my hands, squeezing them.

“I’m just glad you like to read too.”

“U-uh-huh.”

Was I blushing?

I could’ve been blushing.

I definitely was blushing.

My eyes wandered around the room. I began counting the number of cobwebs in the ceiling, which was… Huh. Zero.

Say what you want about their paranoia about witches, and how eager they were to pull out their swords. The people of Ithyca knew how to clean. At least in places where they expected company.

No dust. No errant debris. Everything was polished, glinting, and maintained with utmost care.

One had to be in awe of the servants’ hardworking nature. They must’ve been paid well.

Either that, or the Royal Family hired extreme germaphobes who used weapons-grade cleaning products. Which was the most likely option. All things considered.

They probably screamed at the sight of a dust bunny. Fainted at a fingerprint on a window.

Or—

“Heh.”

“Uh,” someone asked. “Juby?”

“Heh-heh-heh-heh-heh-heh-heh-heh-heh…”

“What’s so funny?”

Anna blinked, eyes so wide. So blue.

Like the sky. You could get lost in them. I almost started to.

She let go of my hands. That shut up those heckling thoughts, who sat back down. I wiped off my chin.

My blush deepened, a blinking traffic light warning passing motorists that, yes, this road was on fire. Please use extra caution.

Anna held a little heat herself.

“You okay? You always do that, zone out.”

I coughed. “Y-yeah. I’m fine. Just remembered something I saw on TV once.”

Anna tilted her head. “T… V? What is that?”

I almost explained what ‘TV’ stood for.

But I remembered. This was a fantasy world full of magic, witches and wizards; even giant squirrels. One modeled after medieval Europe.

Of course she wouldn’t understand. The only entertainment available ranged from books to plays, at the very least.

I waved my hand.

“Never mind. You wouldn’t get it.”

She tucked a golden strand behind an ear. Her heat disappeared. My own followed suit. We were both left staring in opposite directions.

She checked her black slippers. I had once again focused on the rows and rows of books.

So many to read.

Most were no doubt non-fiction, guides and enyclopedias. Textbooks giving advice on certain topics. How to cast spells. How to catch high-level monsters. Stuff like that.

But there had to be… Something.

Anything.

Poems. Records of battles. Entertainment hiding among all the educational grind.

I decided to ask.

“Are there any… You know?”

“Exciting inclusions?”

I nodded.

“Well,” Anna glanced around the library. “This place is my dad’s, and he’s a history buff, you know, but…”

Her eyes fell upon a shelf near the back. It didn’t seem as tall as the others, it barely overshadowed us. The little sibling.

Each row only held about seven or so tomes.

She sped-walked towards it. I trailed after her.

“... I think… We have a few.”

It held about seven or so tomes, but…

She knelt down, skirt pooling around her.

She pulled one out. The cover was black and smooth. I could see a symbol, think a hexagon inside a tree. It shined beneath the lights.

Upon glimpsing it, my head started to hurt.

… But the tome was thick.

Thicker than the telephone book. Than all of the textbooks I’d carry in my backpack at school, combined.

It swayed.

She stood up.

I don’t know how. From how heavy it looked, she couldn’t have been able to breath. Her spine should’ve cracked.

She spun around. Not a hint of sweat on her face.

She handed it to me. “This?”

I weakly nodded.

“Read the cover page.”

I did.

Knights Of Valor: Ithyca’s Greatest Heroes

I looked up.

Prepared to demure. To explain that by “exciting,” I’d meant fiction.

She fanned herself, both cheeks achieving mass criticality. The air between us had warmed by several thousand degrees. Her eyes were wider than dinner plates.

Sparkles shot off her like fireworks.

“That’s a personal favorite.”

I looked back down.

Shrugged.

“Thanks.”

4

Before I could walk out the door, though—

A hand grabbed my sleeve, pulling me to a stop. I turned around to see Anna shaking her head.

“What?”

She smiled. “I almost forgot.”

I tucked the eight-to-twenty brick equivalent of a book underneath my arm.

“Forgot wha—”

Movement. The world spinning around me. Shelf, door, shelf, door, shelf, door, shelf, shelf, shelf, shelf, shelf, until—

I landed in an oversized armchair.

And KOV:IGH landed on my chest.

Anna leaned over me, hands on her hips. She looked deadly serious. Like that drill instructor in Tin Foil Jacket.

“Here are some ground rules, Juby.”

I waddled and shook. It wasn’t comfortable, being in such a position. My back hurt a lot more than it did after being rammed by a Obliterod.

And I’d been slammed by a Obliterod many times. Too many times.

The book shifted, ever so slowly. My eyesight grew dark. I couldn’t see Anna any more, just her silhouette.

Then… Finally, the book fell into my lap.

Ah. Fresh air.

How I missed you.

I looked up at her. “O—”

“RULE NUMBER ONE,” a finger in my face. “You can’t take any books outside this room.”

“Why?”

“Because Daddy— er, I mean, Father doesn’t let me.”

“Fair enough. What’s ne—”

“RULE NUMBER TWO,” the finger poked my aching chest. “No food or drinks allowed in the library. Many of the books are zero editions. Which means… No other copies exist, in this world or any other.”

I blinked.

“Wait a minute. That makes no sense. If it’s a zero edition, then it can’t even exist in the first place, si—”

“RULE NUMBER THREE,” the finger tapped the cover of KOV:IGH. “If you need a bookmark, ask me. I’ve got tons.”

I opened my mouth to say something. I don’t remember what exactly. It might have been a question.

Or a “thank you.”

I’ll never know because, before I could…

“Scootch over, please.”

Anna spun around, then plopped herself down.

I scrambled to make room.

Too late. She nearly struck me with an elbow.

Strands of hair whipped my face. Before I could speak, though, the strawberries hit. Sweet and fruity.

Any and all objections died a quick, humane death.

She wiggled, waggled, until she fit neatly into the chair. There was plenty of room. The back was high and curved. We were both dwarfed by it.

“Excuse me.”

I gulped.

My heartbeat was going kilometers a minute.

—

Good thing magical girls can’t have heart attacks.

—

Anna simply smiled at me, sitting upright. Her posture was prim and proper. Befitting of a Princess.

One of her eyebrows arched.

“Well?”

I blinked.

“Go on! Open it! There’s one you might like, in Chapter eight-thousand seven hundred and fifty-nine.”

Ch-chapter… 8,759?

Chapter 8,759?!

The blasted thing had eight thousand chapters?! Seriously?! Why was every book in this world so gosh-darn long?!

Ok.

Whatever.

It doesn’t matter how long it was. I’d read one of Stephanie Queen’s magnum opuses before, a 600 pages long behemoth that took me five months to finish. And I’d managed to survive.

How bad could KOV:IGH be?

I took a deep breath. Then breathed out. Some of the tension floated free. A lot remained trapped inside my chest.

I began reaching for the front cover. My hand shook harder than the Cascadian seduction zone in 1700.

That was when Anna leaned in closer. Her knee met mine, but by complete accident.

I bit my tongue to keep from jumping. No sense scaring the ever living daylights out of the Royal Princess.

The knight’s would never forgive me.

My hands shook as I gripped the cover.

I opened it.

I found the table of contents, itself requiring a table of table of contents.

I flipped to Chapter 8,759.

Anna peered over. “My great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great—”

Just then, a faint knock.

We both looked up. From behind the door came a low coughing sound. Creaking metal.

A familiar voice.

“Uh, Your Little Highness, dinner’s rea—”

“OCCUPIED!”