Showing results by author "Daniel Schinhofen" in All Categories

The second semester at the Academy was underway, and Benedict's life was now even more complicated than it ever had been. His relationship officially expanded when Sadie joined him and Atropos, not just at their party, but as a girlfriend. That caused some bumps as old traumas resurfaced and cast doubts over their new relationship. All of them were determined to make it work, and because they were able to work through those moments, they grew closer together.

Seamus is facing life in prison without parole. While doing his time, he's given an option by the Department of Justice and the biggest virtual game maker around, Mindblown Entertainment. If he will help them test long-term immersion, he will get the chance to play the latest game from Mindblown - Alpha World. All he has to do is sign away his legal rights and sign an NDA.

Benedict and Atropos had gone into the mock war as underdogs, being one person short of a full team. Even worse, someone paid people to try to get them removed or killed in the starting moments of the event. They hadn't accounted for the amount of pain Benedict could handle or how determined he and Atropos were to win.

Life changed the moment the Heavens granted Benedict his Regeneration Sphere. Stepping out of the abusive cycle he'd known all his life, Benedict entered the Gilfle Academy. Getting help from his therapist, Agatha Carper, he was ready to try his new lease on life. It wasn't without its bumps and setbacks, but he wasn't going to give up on this second chance. Benedict's first bump was his new roommate, Atropos Foxglove. The young woman had a painful past that'd colored her view of life, especially when it came to men.

Benedict Aaron Rodney had a terrible life for eighteen years. Then, something miraculous happened: the Heavens stepped in, granting him a Sphere. Spontaneous manifestation of a Sphere was very rare, but it happened on occasion. Benedict, while being beaten unconscious and having his bones broken, was suddenly the Holder of a Sphere of Regeneration.

Things were supposed to settle down after the Bloodrock war. Even with the upcoming wedding to Verka, things should have gotten calm. For a time, it even looked like it might, giving the family hope. However, Krogga was proving to be a far more dangerous post than they’d thought it would be. The spies who’d been hounding them had to be dealt with, revealing them to be a few clans from the empire. They’d had to kill all involved, only bringing further trouble when an Imperial investigator arrived to question them.

A single fist wiping three behemoths off a planet—and with only two dead pilots—was considered a legendary feat. Before he departed, Abrill did her best to warn Zander that he'd likely be summoned to the Assembly. Zander was indeed summoned, and it was looking like he'd have to leave everyone else behind. It took Lavella interceding to buy enough time for Dreams to finish their upgrade so the whole crew could go. The trip included Lavella and Vakdreak, who also had business with the Assembly.

Having accepted the love of both Myna Mooncaller and Fiona Mithrilsoul, Sean discovered happiness he hadn’t ever thought he would know, and began to acknowledge how different this society was from his old world. Everywhere they went, they ran into trouble. First had been bandits, which actually proved to be fortuitous, with Ryann Cullin entering Sean’s service after that attack. The sudden harsh blizzard had been the worst trial they had to endure. Cold that even Sean couldn’t withstand had nearly stopped them in their tracks, but they managed to reach Flento.

Every year, the empire administers the rite of passage into adulthood. That rite serves to identify those blessed by Aether to become magi. The new magi are shipped to the academy to learn the arts of magic. The academy is a dangerous place; the tournaments held twice each year can cripple or kill the students, and the clans of the empire will go to great lengths to recruit the students they want. Gregory had one dream: to become a magi like the legends of old. Though he was ridiculed by the residents of the village and his unsupportive father, he never wavered from his dream.

Sean discovered that words do indeed have power, and agreements are binding in this world, where the Queens of the Fey rule. Fleeing the burning village of Oakwood, with Feline Moonbound pursuing them, Sean, Fiona Mithrilsoul, and Myna Mooncaller will have to find a way to coexist as they cross the wilds to distance themselves from the atrocities behind them...Sean worries what might happen with the woman he loves and the friend he pulled back from death’s door.

Gregory’s year-long posting along the northern wilds was done. He’d had to face corrupt magi, assassination attempts, aether-using bane beasts, and even deal with the loss of some of his men. The year had left a mark on his soul. He’d accepted the burden of leadership fully, knowing that his men could and would die under his command. He might’ve avoided all of it if he hadn’t made his moral stand, using the empire’s slave laws to force the corruption to come to light. Because he had, it threw his posting into conflict.

Alvin woke in a room that was not his, to discover that he had died and his brain had been bargained off cheaply to pay off someone else’s debt. It did not sit well with him. It didn’t surprise him that even in death, people were still using him for their own purposes. He had never exactly been a good guy, but everyone had their breaking point, and he had found his. The bastards in charge had uploaded his mind into a virtual death game. The whole world could now pay to see him play it and probably die. Regardless, he was not about to wait for death to come for him.

Zander led his crew through the first-ever mecha tournament, sweeping the top spot in every event. That catapulted Zander, his crew, and Fractured Dreams into becoming household names on MX Hub, but it also generated some bad blood with people who didn't like the way Zander did things. It also saw the bookie, Trenton, refusing to pay them; he wasn't about to let them bankrupt him. However, Trenton made a fatal mistake when he kidnapped one of the new mecha pilots under Zander's banner, and the ensuing conflict left Trenton and his flunkies dead.

After a long march across the empire, Gregory finally made it to Krogga. Ambassador Rudit Glowstone, Grandmaster of Aether’s Guard, greeted him upon his arrival in the capital. After a brief meeting, she let him go to his wives and friends, arranging for them to have the few days off that Yukiko had requested. That was why Gregory spent his first two days in Krogheim going through the steps required to marry Ling, Clover, and Roshana.

Sean and his Bonded settled in Hearthglen to learn, train, and grow. Taking on an apprentice, setting up his shop, and Bonding both Chastity and Andrea to him, Sean felt like he would finally be able to learn about this world and try his hand at new things. Sean stepped on some toes as he tried to find his place in the city, but by ignoring conventions, he friended smith and Shaper alike, forging friendships across the divide. The newly formed alliance discovered common ground when opposition rose up to hinder them.

After crushing the first obstacle, he was now set to fight a duel as Fredrick’s champion. Sean won the duel handily, once he got past the surprise of facing both Aria and Cuander, Lord Sharpeyes’ prized cuon, and went on to save Aria from death at the hands of Lord Sharpeyes’ son, Knight Evan Sharpeyes. But Sean’s troubles are just beginning. The plans Lord Sharpeyes have set into motion began to unfold, setting the stage for events that will push Sean to his limits.

Gregory, Yukiko, and Jenn were thrilled—not only had they won their first apprentice tournament, their friends finally joined them in Aether’s Guard. Daciana, Nessa, and Victoria were only halfway through their novice year, but had made an impact during their novice tournament.

Finally in Krogga, Gregory found himself pulled into the solstice tournament to celebrate Krog. Invited by both the high priest and Council of Krogheim, Gregory and Jenn did their best to show that some magi had honor. While both of them lost to Ragnar Ivarson, the youngest High Champion in Krogga, that’d only set the stage for what the next year was going to be. The weeks after the tournament were a whirlwind of ambassadorial visits and discussions, but eventually, a key meeting took place when Ragnar brought his sister, Verka, to visit the family.

After Magistrate Amerut’s attempt to kill him, Sean knew he still had troubles ahead of him. He knew that removing those who still stood against him would be difficult, but with his friends and family by his side, he started making plans. Sean knew better than to simply rush off and commit murder. He worked to protect those dear to him, using his Talents and knowledge to bend the rules of the world he found himself in—sometimes near the breaking point—to craft new marvels.

At the end of their apprentice year, Aether’s Guard headed off to Buldoun for an international tournament. They had allies there in the Swift Wind and Iron Hand clans, but they also had to deal with the Eternal Flame; Nick Shun had no interest in letting go of his perceived grudge against Aether’s Guard. However, with the academy overseer on the trip, Nick had no chance to act out against them.