ChromeToaster
@chrometoaster.bsky.social
Short fiction enthusiast
The Road to Brode (Title Pending)?!
May 15, 2025 at 11:24 AM
The Road to Brode (Title Pending)?!
“I… merely caught your eye and… didn’t wish to be rude to a priest of pantheon.”
“I see, well then I suppose I should free you of your obligation, Your Highness?” The elf began to stand, but Isidro’s expression and croak slow the motion to a halt. “Hm?”
“Don’t you… ah, wouldn’t you wish to…”
“I see, well then I suppose I should free you of your obligation, Your Highness?” The elf began to stand, but Isidro’s expression and croak slow the motion to a halt. “Hm?”
“Don’t you… ah, wouldn’t you wish to…”
March 11, 2025 at 5:36 AM
“I… merely caught your eye and… didn’t wish to be rude to a priest of pantheon.”
“I see, well then I suppose I should free you of your obligation, Your Highness?” The elf began to stand, but Isidro’s expression and croak slow the motion to a halt. “Hm?”
“Don’t you… ah, wouldn’t you wish to…”
“I see, well then I suppose I should free you of your obligation, Your Highness?” The elf began to stand, but Isidro’s expression and croak slow the motion to a halt. “Hm?”
“Don’t you… ah, wouldn’t you wish to…”
His eyes were so strange, truly like gazing on the heavens. The triangular shape of the constellation glimmering, connected by gossamer lines of light. “I suppose they do, but only because you tell the truth, of course?” Isidro asked.
“Hm, your highness, is there something you wish to ask me?”
“Hm, your highness, is there something you wish to ask me?”
March 11, 2025 at 5:32 AM
His eyes were so strange, truly like gazing on the heavens. The triangular shape of the constellation glimmering, connected by gossamer lines of light. “I suppose they do, but only because you tell the truth, of course?” Isidro asked.
“Hm, your highness, is there something you wish to ask me?”
“Hm, your highness, is there something you wish to ask me?”
“I am honored to be attended by the Queen’s Sign.”
Isidro’s eyes flicked to Adelina. “Yes, well… you’ve traveled the breadth of the continent to get here. Did you pass through Dhalti on your way?”
“I kept to the southern freeway, unfortunately, the monarchs dislike my calling,” Ithari’eth smiles.
Isidro’s eyes flicked to Adelina. “Yes, well… you’ve traveled the breadth of the continent to get here. Did you pass through Dhalti on your way?”
“I kept to the southern freeway, unfortunately, the monarchs dislike my calling,” Ithari’eth smiles.
March 11, 2025 at 5:27 AM
“I am honored to be attended by the Queen’s Sign.”
Isidro’s eyes flicked to Adelina. “Yes, well… you’ve traveled the breadth of the continent to get here. Did you pass through Dhalti on your way?”
“I kept to the southern freeway, unfortunately, the monarchs dislike my calling,” Ithari’eth smiles.
Isidro’s eyes flicked to Adelina. “Yes, well… you’ve traveled the breadth of the continent to get here. Did you pass through Dhalti on your way?”
“I kept to the southern freeway, unfortunately, the monarchs dislike my calling,” Ithari’eth smiles.
An exchange of pleasantries later, and the Astrologist’s strange, starry eyes find Isidro’s. A raising of an eyebrow? The scrape of a chair.
March 11, 2025 at 4:36 AM
An exchange of pleasantries later, and the Astrologist’s strange, starry eyes find Isidro’s. A raising of an eyebrow? The scrape of a chair.
His eyes twinkled, “Love is always a choice. Especially if your stars belong to the Prince.”
She seemed dissatisfied, as do most of the eavesdropping patrons. Though Isidro noticed the innkeeper shake her head in a knowing way.
She seemed dissatisfied, as do most of the eavesdropping patrons. Though Isidro noticed the innkeeper shake her head in a knowing way.
February 10, 2025 at 3:24 AM
His eyes twinkled, “Love is always a choice. Especially if your stars belong to the Prince.”
She seemed dissatisfied, as do most of the eavesdropping patrons. Though Isidro noticed the innkeeper shake her head in a knowing way.
She seemed dissatisfied, as do most of the eavesdropping patrons. Though Isidro noticed the innkeeper shake her head in a knowing way.
“…born under the Prince, then. Yes, you will find love, though it autumn leaves. You will have a moment where all is perfect beauty, but there will be many. You will have to choose, child.”
The girl, about Isidro’s own age, furrows her brow at the prophecy. “Choose? But what is destined to happen?”
The girl, about Isidro’s own age, furrows her brow at the prophecy. “Choose? But what is destined to happen?”
February 10, 2025 at 3:20 AM
“…born under the Prince, then. Yes, you will find love, though it autumn leaves. You will have a moment where all is perfect beauty, but there will be many. You will have to choose, child.”
The girl, about Isidro’s own age, furrows her brow at the prophecy. “Choose? But what is destined to happen?”
The girl, about Isidro’s own age, furrows her brow at the prophecy. “Choose? But what is destined to happen?”
He sits at a table in castle town tavern. He is otherworldly.
Long slender limbs, soft blue skin, features ageless, not youthful, but also missing the marring of time. His eyes fill with a brilliant constellation, the Mountain, one of the Eight Astrologics. They gaze down at the palm of a girl.
Long slender limbs, soft blue skin, features ageless, not youthful, but also missing the marring of time. His eyes fill with a brilliant constellation, the Mountain, one of the Eight Astrologics. They gaze down at the palm of a girl.
February 9, 2025 at 7:05 AM
He sits at a table in castle town tavern. He is otherworldly.
Long slender limbs, soft blue skin, features ageless, not youthful, but also missing the marring of time. His eyes fill with a brilliant constellation, the Mountain, one of the Eight Astrologics. They gaze down at the palm of a girl.
Long slender limbs, soft blue skin, features ageless, not youthful, but also missing the marring of time. His eyes fill with a brilliant constellation, the Mountain, one of the Eight Astrologics. They gaze down at the palm of a girl.
“And yet you have never worried about their memory so swiftly before…”
Isidro tried a new tactic, silence.
“What could motivate Your Highness to visit the town twice in a week… Oh lies and madness, you’re going to see that elven oracle!” Adelina gasped, “The missionary of the Son of Stars!”
Isidro tried a new tactic, silence.
“What could motivate Your Highness to visit the town twice in a week… Oh lies and madness, you’re going to see that elven oracle!” Adelina gasped, “The missionary of the Son of Stars!”
February 6, 2025 at 1:13 PM
“And yet you have never worried about their memory so swiftly before…”
Isidro tried a new tactic, silence.
“What could motivate Your Highness to visit the town twice in a week… Oh lies and madness, you’re going to see that elven oracle!” Adelina gasped, “The missionary of the Son of Stars!”
Isidro tried a new tactic, silence.
“What could motivate Your Highness to visit the town twice in a week… Oh lies and madness, you’re going to see that elven oracle!” Adelina gasped, “The missionary of the Son of Stars!”
Adelina stomps behind, mithril plate silent against itself as the boots crunch the loose dirt of the road. “Your Highness, what could possibly have motivated you out of bed this early?”
“The Sign must be seen!”
“Yet the Sign was seen in town just yesterday,” Adelina mused.
“The people forget!”
“The Sign must be seen!”
“Yet the Sign was seen in town just yesterday,” Adelina mused.
“The people forget!”
February 6, 2025 at 7:40 AM
Adelina stomps behind, mithril plate silent against itself as the boots crunch the loose dirt of the road. “Your Highness, what could possibly have motivated you out of bed this early?”
“The Sign must be seen!”
“Yet the Sign was seen in town just yesterday,” Adelina mused.
“The people forget!”
“The Sign must be seen!”
“Yet the Sign was seen in town just yesterday,” Adelina mused.
“The people forget!”
Isidro admired the Fortress as he wound down the cobblestone road to the castle town. Wizards could manifest the great castles of a metropolis, but cities were not so easily summoned. So the civilian population about the Grandee was purely natural, while small.
February 6, 2025 at 1:40 AM
Isidro admired the Fortress as he wound down the cobblestone road to the castle town. Wizards could manifest the great castles of a metropolis, but cities were not so easily summoned. So the civilian population about the Grandee was purely natural, while small.
But the Grandee’s drowning was swimming for most. Fine woodsong cabinetry, rich Rathiri couches, and plush Arlessian beds fill the innumerate rooms of the lower floors. Yes, in the half year since Isidro’s arrival, the fortress was becoming a home indeed.
February 6, 2025 at 1:18 AM
But the Grandee’s drowning was swimming for most. Fine woodsong cabinetry, rich Rathiri couches, and plush Arlessian beds fill the innumerate rooms of the lower floors. Yes, in the half year since Isidro’s arrival, the fortress was becoming a home indeed.
With new lands could come new nobility, and a score of second sons leapt at the chance for ownership. Hordes of allowance stored, they could pay for mines, but they required grand castles. A service Talimir could provide. So it had been for the Grandee, who now drowned in debt for this grand castle.
February 5, 2025 at 8:46 PM
With new lands could come new nobility, and a score of second sons leapt at the chance for ownership. Hordes of allowance stored, they could pay for mines, but they required grand castles. A service Talimir could provide. So it had been for the Grandee, who now drowned in debt for this grand castle.
Arcane Royal Talimir was of Yule, as a man with few family ties he had little prospects in that nation’s hierarchy. But in the south, he had risen high, and made Grandmother rich beyond compare. The Argent Hills were true to their name, but manning the mines costly at the start.
February 5, 2025 at 8:44 PM
Arcane Royal Talimir was of Yule, as a man with few family ties he had little prospects in that nation’s hierarchy. But in the south, he had risen high, and made Grandmother rich beyond compare. The Argent Hills were true to their name, but manning the mines costly at the start.
The wizard who had conjured the Fortress had been foreign, as all the finest were. Grandmother had lent her Arcane Royal to the Grandee for the conjuration. A dwarven conjurer would have made a more impressive structure, but given the circumstances of the land’s acquisition, a leal mage was required
February 5, 2025 at 8:33 PM
The wizard who had conjured the Fortress had been foreign, as all the finest were. Grandmother had lent her Arcane Royal to the Grandee for the conjuration. A dwarven conjurer would have made a more impressive structure, but given the circumstances of the land’s acquisition, a leal mage was required
The sixth floor was slowly forming a library. The Grandee was a quiet man, fond of books like a Yulish, though he was no wizard. But the sixth floor was as far as the development went. Folmoran decadence only went so far. They were not Llendari, after all.
February 5, 2025 at 8:27 PM
The sixth floor was slowly forming a library. The Grandee was a quiet man, fond of books like a Yulish, though he was no wizard. But the sixth floor was as far as the development went. Folmoran decadence only went so far. They were not Llendari, after all.
And so it was that Isidro was growing quite strong in his legs, battling the stairs day after day. The Sign must be seen, after all.
February 5, 2025 at 6:33 AM
And so it was that Isidro was growing quite strong in his legs, battling the stairs day after day. The Sign must be seen, after all.
Those who must impose on the Grandee’s hospitality would find place on the fourth floor, where they could be close to the servants and the neutral war room. Isidro had wanted to stay there, but the Grandee’s castellans needed to fill the fifth floor with something.
February 5, 2025 at 6:33 AM
Those who must impose on the Grandee’s hospitality would find place on the fourth floor, where they could be close to the servants and the neutral war room. Isidro had wanted to stay there, but the Grandee’s castellans needed to fill the fifth floor with something.
The servants needed to be close, and so took the third. Well, a third of the third. What of a grand war room? Yes, that would do nicely on the third floor.
February 5, 2025 at 6:31 AM
The servants needed to be close, and so took the third. Well, a third of the third. What of a grand war room? Yes, that would do nicely on the third floor.
He hardly wanted to take petitioners to the heart of your stronghold, so the throne room was on the first floor. Local lords would be worse than petitioners, so the grand hall and the kitchen there as well. The second floor would be the Grandee’s quarters, where he could receive in his solar.
February 5, 2025 at 6:29 AM
He hardly wanted to take petitioners to the heart of your stronghold, so the throne room was on the first floor. Local lords would be worse than petitioners, so the grand hall and the kitchen there as well. The second floor would be the Grandee’s quarters, where he could receive in his solar.
How to fill the 16 floors? Isidro’s childhood home, the Salt Palace of Dhalti, was only 8. Though that building might be slightly larger, the verticality of the Fortress was the core challenge. The castellans had wanted the Grandee at the very top floor, but the old man complained of travel time.
February 5, 2025 at 6:25 AM
How to fill the 16 floors? Isidro’s childhood home, the Salt Palace of Dhalti, was only 8. Though that building might be slightly larger, the verticality of the Fortress was the core challenge. The castellans had wanted the Grandee at the very top floor, but the old man complained of travel time.