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Chapter 27: Reaping the Harvest
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2024-10-29 19:42:56Related chapters
Warrior of the Way Chapter 28: Reaping the Harvest
Rhychard glanced back out at the trees behind his house, oaks and elders with a couple of towering pines thrown in. It was an oasis for him. He could walk into those woods, and the noise of life faded the deeper he went, the churning waters of the river calling him, soothing him. He wanted to walk in them now and forget Vargas and Adrian, Harvest Fellowship and cemeteries. He wanted to forget Renny.He felt Tryna's tiny hand on his arm and glanced down at her. "Rhychard, to open a Gateway to the Void takes blood, lots of blood.""And Harvest Fellowship has about four hundred in their congregation on any given Sunday. That's a lot of blood." What is it with demons and blood? Why can't they just once perform a simple ritual with a dance and a chant and then go for an espresso?Tryna returned her gaze to the woods as she turned back around. Dusk cast its long shadows over the earth. "I need to go see someone. I need to see if I can find some answers. We have to be able to turn the tide, a
Warrior of the Way Chapter 29: Reaping the Harvest
Kendalais had spent quite a bit of time describing the power of the sword. It was the one weapon the Guardian had made in the beginning. He was a god of creation, not destruction. Yet, he made one for every Warrior he planned on calling and imbued it with the power to detect the Unseelie with a blue glow and radiating heat. Iron is deadly to the faerie, so the Guardian made the swords out of bronze and empowered them with magic that would not only detect the Unseelie but destroy them, as well. He also gave the blade the power to remember. The Warriors passed the Guardian Swords from Warrior to Warrior as each one died and the Guardian called another. Somehow, the sword held the soul of the dead Warrior. The Guardian knew when a Warrior was about to die and called the next, so they would be there to retrieve the sword. It could not fall into the hands of the Unseelie, for they would turn one over to the Destroyer who would then convert it and turn its power against the Seelie. When it w
Warrior of the Way Chapter 30: Reaping the Harvest
Every Monday night, Harvest Fellowship's deacons gathered in the pastor's conference room, twenty men selected by the congregation who best represented Christian values and assisted Pastor Adrian Michaels in carrying out the ministry of the church. Rhychard knew most of those men, had hung out with them, had dinner with them. He had even worked alongside them in several ministry projects. Of course, that was before Renny accused him of cheating on her and dumped him. Now, no one at Harvest Fellowship would even say hello to him.Miles Evans had been an exception. The man loved gossip and didn't care where he got it. Rhychard had known that about the man since he met him. Miles enjoyed his off-colored jokes that were borderline crude, which had surprised Rhychard considering Miles was a leader in the church. Of course, it was now quite obvious that something was rotten at Harvest Fellowship, and that standards were preached, but not followed.Men started slipping out of the glass door o
Warrior of the Way Chapter 31: Reaping the Harvest
So much for Christians being meek. David was a thick mass of swinging arms and thrashing legs as he tried to straddle Rhychard's waist. He kept lashing out, connecting wherever he could. It took several blows before Rhychard could twist his hips enough to toss the heavier man off him. He used the excess of his jacket to slow the swinging fists from pummeling him into one giant bruise. Rhychard didn't try to defend the accusations, just his body. He rolled on top of the squirming man and caught each of his fists. Once he seized both of David's fleshly weapons, he pinned them to David's chest and pressed down. Rhychard's ribs screamed as the angry deacon kicked and twisted under him trying to get free."David! David, knock it off! I didn't do it." The man wasn't listening. Rhychard needed to become a better observer of body language. "David, don't make me hurt you! I didn't set you up. I was here talking to Renny when I saw Buttercup get out of your car. I didn't know what was going on a
Warrior of the Way Chapter 32: Reaping the Harvest
:Are you sure this is a proper plan?:"As long as the alarm doesn't get tripped, what can go wrong?":That is usually the last sentence before chaos rains down upon us. Did you not say the same thing at that warehouse with John Relco?:Rhychard ignored the giant coshey and focused instead on the deadbolt he was trying to convince to let him in. Kree had been sound asleep when Rhychard arrived at his small condo. It took a little convincing to get the giant mutt to agree to stand guard, but in the end, it worked out. Kree perched on the gray-shingled roof, his gaze scanning for intruders, while Rhychard tried to recall what the Internet had shown him about picking a lock.The plan was simple. Once Rhychard got inside Adrian's office, he would search for the pictures that Buttercup helped arrange. If he could get his hands on those, then the good pastor would lose his leverage. The men could stop following his orders and, with the proof turned over to David Morsetti, the church would dis
Warrior of the Way Chapter 33: Reaping the Harvest
The drawers were a dead end. Rhychard felt around edges and behind drawers, inside each little whatnot and behind every picture. Nothing. He sat in one of the leather chairs, his back to the window, as he stared at the office.:How goes it, Warrior?::Either Harvest Fellowship has the best custodian in the world or our good pastor is a little OCD. Nothing is out of place.: Rhychard scanned the walls, the desk, the bookshelves…the books? Rhychard stood and scanned the books on the shelf. They were alphabetized within subjects. Prayer. Commentaries. Biographies. Between a Biblical concordance and a topical Bible was a large hardbound book on American Baseball. "Now, you're out of place, aren't you?" He slipped the book from its place, surprised at how light it was compared to its notebook size. :I think I found something.::I was afraid you had fallen asleep.:It was a hollow box, one of those storage boxes that you could buy in a craft store that at first glance seemed like a real book,
Warrior of the Way Chapter 34: Reaping the Harvest
A branch snapped, and the first gargoyle plunged into the clearing followed immediately by the second. Kree turned and leaped into the air, paws extended. Rhychard ducked to his right and slashed at the second creature. The gargoyle braced his wings, trying to halt his momentum. He wasn't fast enough, however. The Guardian Sword sliced through the beast's chest, ripping it open. It screeched, slicing the air with its dying wail before exploding into ash. So much for not drawing attention to them.Rhychard turned to aid Kree. The elven hound and gargoyle were wrapped around each other in a wrestling match on the ground. Kree yelped as a claw ripped his chest, then he bit into one of the wings with his massive jaws and ripped. The gargoyle screamed, stretching his head back as he wailed his pain at the moon. Rhychard brought his sword down across the beast's outstretched neck, ending the wail. Kree fell to the earth and sneezed. :I hate the way they die.:"I agree, but better that than h
Warrior of the Way Chapter 35: Reaping the Harvest
"I know you're in there!" Anger. A male voice. Guttural, as if whoever the voice belonged to smoked too many cigarettes. A fist violently pounded on the front door. "Open the damn door, Buttercup, or I'm going to be really pissed off. You don't want to see me pissed off, do you? You know what happens then."Rhychard forced his eyes open and stared at the clock. Seven A.M. And the person at the door already sounded pissed. :Kree?: No answer. Great. Tryna was still off scavenging for information, so without Kree there, Rhychard was basically alone. Kree hadn't returned after their foray into breaking and entering, and Rhychard had no idea where the giant mutt was. Rhychard sighed. He would have to get up to deal with whoever dared disturb his peace and quiet, and now he was pissed.Throwing the sheet to the side, Rhychard grabbed one of the short swords from the harness and stormed his way to the front door. Well, it was more like he stumbled, but he did it while he was fuming, so he fel
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Warrior of the Way Chapter 263: Summerlands
While their mother piddled in the kitchen fixing them a plate of fajitas, the Valentine sisters sat on the living room sofa, legs folded under them. Maria Valentine put most of the house back in order after Baltabek's attack, but the destruction remained obvious to Laci. She held tight to her sister ever since the Summerlands, scared to let her go. Jayden, of course, fussed at her to stop being a mother hen.Once everyone arrived back at Rhychard's Thinking Rock, a place Renny decided would cause the least amount of sightseers, the witches and Famallumi returned to the Murky Cauldron while Rhychard placed a still-weak Jayden in the back of Laci's car. The eldest Valentine wasted no time or words as she headed straight for home."I almost lost you," Laci said. "I don't know what I would have done if that happened.""Probably moved into my room since it's the biggest," Jayden said with a shrug."That's not even funny," Laci snapped, shoving Jayden's hand away from her in disgust.Jayden
Warrior of the Way Chapter 262: Summerlands
Rhychard wasn't sure what he hit, but he found himself spinning backward, the Guardian Sword leaving his hand as he hit the ground with a hard thud, the air whooshing out of his lungs. Scrambling to his feet, a pain tugging at the back of his head from where he hit the ground, the first thing he noticed was Laci sprawled on top of Kree. Renny! He jerked his attention around until he saw her still gripping Jayden's arm as both women lay stretched out on the grass. However, he didn't see the wall he ran into, knocking him back on his ass. Another glance around, and he noticed the salt circle and the three witches sitting on the ground, eyes closed as they chanted. An older man he didn't recognize stood behind Wanda, his face a mask of admiration.A groan alerted Rhychard to Baltabek stirring, and Rhychard lunged for his sword. The demon moved faster, however, and shot a burst of his demonic power at the Warrior, knocking him back against the invisible barrier, the air he just managed to
Warrior of the Way Chapter 261: Summerlands
Rhychard heard screams, but he couldn't tell whose or where they originated. They might have even been his for all he knew. Pieces of the broken table jabbed him in his back and legs, and he felt blood making a trail down his side. Groaning, he tried to sit up. He must get up. Renny needed his protection as did his parents.:Warrior, Baltabek is heading to your home,: Kree sent. Rhychard could hear the elven hound moving toward him through their connection. :He hid among the woods along the creek.:"Rhychard!" Renny shouted, and then he felt her hands on his arms along with someone else's on his other side.:Well, he knows how to make an entrance.: Rhychard sent.He could hear shouts of panic coming from the parking lot and other apartments, people screaming at the sudden explosion.Glancing up, he noticed the other set of hands helping him to his feet belonged to his father. His mother stood by the sofa, her face pinched with concern, and Tryna picked herself up off the floor from whe
Warrior of the Way Chapter 260: Summerlands
Tansy walked over to where Alex's backpack lay on the ground from where the gnome dropped it when they first entered the Summerlands, pulling out the container of salt that rolled halfway out. As she stood, she couldn't take her gaze off the dark pack, remembering its owner and how far he came since walking into the Murky Cauldron that first day. Her heart twisted, and she did her best to keep the tears at bay. She didn't know how much time they had, so she needed to make sure she completed the barrier spell before Renny arrived with Baltabek.Kayla and Wanda sat off to the side, Kayla with her arms wrapped around her knees as she stared at the last spot she saw Alex, and Wanda absorbing her surroundings. Since the demons had been cast out of the Summerlands, the dank grayish color slowly faded away, replaced once more by the lush greens and vibrant colors of the flowers that filled the Land of the Dead. They had even seen the return of some of those who had already passed on from the
Warrior of the Way Chapter 259: Summerlands
"Mom! Dad. What are you doing here?" Rhychard just stood there, staring. He didn't need this right now."Your father thought I was crazy," Catherine Bartlett said. "He even made sure I didn't have any hidden wine bottles anywhere. Empty wine bottles, that is. I had to drag him here to see for himself.""You're alive," Rhychard's father said as he stood there and stared at Renny, his brows bunched in disbelief. "How is this even possible?"Rhychard sighed. "I've discovered just about anything is possible these days.""Hello, Mr. Bartlett," Renny said as she casually closed her purse, hiding the gnomes from sight for now. Catherine didn't handle them well last time, and Renny didn't know how Rhychard's father would react. "I'm sorry we didn't come over and tell you. We've just been…well, we've had our hands full."James Bartlett swooped in, wrapping his arms around Renny and giving her the tightest bear hug she ever had. "I can imagine you have," he told her, his voice filled with enthus
Warrior of the Way Chapter 258: Summerlands
Rhychard watched as Renny gathered up the other Warriors and returned them to the Guardian Sword, only to reappear a moment later with Pux on her shoulder. Laci paced the entire time until Renny returned, eager to be on her way to protecting her sister. With the bridges gone, she had no other way back to the Land Above than Renny. None of them did, actually. Rhychard ran a hand over his long, dark hair, worried about what they would find when they arrived in the Valentine household, concerned for his brother, just as Laci showed concern for her sister.Tansy still stood off to the side, holding a sobbing Kayla and a shaking Wanda. Both witches shifted back to normal once the demons left them, but still wore the wear and tear from the possession. Rhychard hoped they would continue to heal with time, at least physically. He highly doubted Kayla would heal emotionally anytime soon considering her hands snapped Alex's neck even though the demon controlled her. That would be a heavy weight
Warrior of the Way Chapter 257: Summerlands
Karl stood there, still not sure what he should be doing or even what was actually happening. He saw what those demons did to downtown. He couldn't possibly stop one if it showed up now and took over Jayden's body. Glancing over at Famallumi, he wondered just how much power the elves possessed. Gormec seemed to always have his giant hammer nearby, and while Karl had seen its power before, was it enough to stop the demons? There were only five of them against a demon like the ones who killed a witch and almost defeated his brother, the Warrior. Karl didn't particularly care for his odds."How do you feel?" he asked Jayden, his hands over his chest."I'd feel better if you'd stop staring at me like I'm about to go off my meds," Jayden snapped."How about I go and fix us all some lemonade?" Jayden's mother suggested. "It'll give us something to do while we wait for the others.""Do we even know they're going to be here?" Gormec asked, leaning on the handle of his hammer. "It's been longer
Warrior of the Way Chapter 256: Summerlands
The witches continued to shout their chant, their power strengthened with their success. Baltabek sent a blast toward them, but Rhychard blocked it and hurled the power at the demon's feet, the ground exploding and shoving Baltabek up and backward into the air. The other Warriors quickly pressed their attack while the demon lay on the ground.Kayla let out a wail, slicing the air, and dropped to her knees. The demon inside of her wasn't so easily taken, however. With clenched fists, he shoved his power at the witches, doing his best to stop their chanting. Rhychard caught one of the bolts before it struck Tansy, but the next slipped past him and struck Laci in the chest, somersaulting her backward to land on the ground in a heap.Kree leaped up on his back paws, spinning in midair before racing over to the fallen witch. Rhychard could hear her moan and breathed a sigh of relief that she still lived. :Is she okay?: he asked Kree.Kree leaned down, pressing his muzzle against Laci's sho
Warrior of the Way Chapter 255: Summerlands
Rhychard blocked another blast, sending it off to the side to explode into the ground. The gnomes fought from inside the ground, churning up the soil the demons stood upon and causing them to slip and lose their balance. Kree darted in all directions, drawing the demons' fire while he attempted to get close enough to bite one of them. The witches sent their power at the demons, Rose from behind and the others in front, doing their best to keep Baltabek and the others from focusing on any one person. They all did their best to bide Renny time to bring the other Warriors out of the sword, but Rhychard wasn't sure how much longer they could keep it up.The demons who possessed the witches spun, one sending a bolt of power at Rhychard's head and the other one sending one at his feet. He swung his sword, blocking the bolt to his head, but missing the one aimed at his feet. The magic snatched at his ankles, spinning him around and dragging him to the ground. His sword arm hit the ground, his
