Showing results by author "William D. Arand" in All Categories

At the best of times, Jeremiah could be described as a vengeful man. In the worst of times, one could call him a monster. The reality, though, was that he was a monster hunter. Or that's how he liked to style himself. In a world of creatures that went bump in the night, few fought for humanity. Fewer still put humanity first. Fighting with sword, blade, or word, their numbers were insufficient. Those who did did so from places and situations that the world didn't appreciate or condone. That they'd actively disavow and ignore.

Runner has a problem. He and 499,000 men and women are trapped in a game. He also just happens to be the only person from IT who could log everyone out safely. And he doesn't remember his password. He, like everyone else in this nightmare, had his memory scrambled or lost in the process of being loaded into the game. A single garbled message is his only clue to how to save everyone. The problem is that whoever loaded them into the game loaded their minds completely.

An existence spent being forced to kill others to satiate a monster. Where the only thing to look forward to was the blessed, if brief, period of time between paying that bribe. Except that very same monster is and isn’t Rene. It just happened to live inside his own mind and force him to do what it wanted - rather than him being an actual monster. That was Rene’s entire life until a fateful day changed that. A day that his career as a hitman for hire built on the monster’s needs will end. Where Rene will be forced to atone for his actions. To be held accountable and judged.

Having unlocked his Dantian, Ash has grown in power, grown to the point where he has others who depend on him for that power. In this world of martial arts, only the strong and the ruthless survive. Everyone else is merely a stepping stone on their path of Cultivation, or an obstacle to be overcome, or knock down. Utilizing the Hall, the voice in his head that calls itself Locke, and all the powers available to him, Ash has begun his own journey of Cultivation.

Reports to write, forms to fill, coffee to drink, leads to run down. Gus’s life was a tedium and boredom he’d grown comfortable with. One that he sought out after he’d come back from his tour of duty. A detective in the paranormal investigations department. A job he could work day in and day out in relative peace. One cold and forgotten cup of coffee at a time. It was an environment that made some sense to him. At least in comparison to civilian life where almost nothing did. On top of that, it gave him a chance to hide what he was from the rest of the world.

Runner and his team managed to bring peace to Tirtius, successfully log the crew out, and have begun settling in to make a home on the isle of Vix. Fate isn't going to let them go that easily though. She clearly hasn't decided on what to do with him. Plots are in motion. Threats local, divine, and abroad scheme to exterminate Runner and the threat he represents. The possibility of what he could become.

Ryker only had one goal in his life right now: turn a certain adventuring guild into a flaming wreck while dancing merrily through the smoldering ruins. All for the chance to get back at a handful of people. It didn’t work out that way though. At all. He’d died, been forced into the body of an avatar, absconded with the queen as her castle fell to betrayal, kidnapped a little kid who is obviously more than he seems, and to top all that off, he killed his undead father. The smoldering ruins of the queendom have cooled, and Ryker has a task that is more than likely too much for him.

The war with Gaelis has gone poorly for Alex's foes and well for his allies. He's enriched himself, empowered his county with that coin, and built his county ever higher. The war swings in favor of his Duchess. Yet the war still goes on. The end doesn't seem to be near, nor does Alex feel as if it is as simple as he'd once thought it. Because spring is here. Roads will be opening. Passes will be traversable. Making it possible for armies to march. Which means it's time for Alex to get back to work. Because more than ever, he has a lot to lose, including his newborn children.

Reports to write, forms to fill, coffee to drink, leads to run down. Gus’s life had been a tedium and boredom he’d grown comfortable with. One that he sought out after he’d come back from his tour of duty. That was before Melody, a contractor, more or less blew his life up as if it were a building packed full of C4. Then she pranced around the ashes of it like it was the end of the world and was conjuring up the end times herself.

Warner spent his days like almost anyone else. He got up, went to work, answered phone calls in a call center, went home, spent time with his daughter, and went to sleep. Only to repeat the pattern over and over and over. Life was as mundane as anyone could ever fear it to be. Today was the day that all that would change. On this day, his daughter Maya would be nearly fatally injured, plunging Warner into a world of paranormal creatures, monsters, and magic he’d never known existed. The only consolation is that he discovers he’s not quite human, either.

Ryker only had one goal in his life right now: Turn a certain adventuring guild into a flaming wreck while dancing merrily through the smoldering ruins. All for the chance to get back at a handful of people. It didn’t work out that way though. At all. He’d become the Count of Dungeon, made a hostage, married off to the false queen’s daughter against his will, and had his county made ground zero for a religious war. To top all that off, the Dark Lord of the North wants to see Ryker personally.

Reports to write, forms to fill, coffee to drink, leads to run down, organized crime syndicates to break. Gus’ life had been a tedium. That was before Melody, a contractor, more or less blew his life up as if it were a building packed full of C-4. Then helped him make a new life, which he himself ended blowing up. A cushy new job with the FED, thrown out the window with a single gunshot. All based on an assumption of who was working for who, and that he’d been on the wrong side of the equation.

Warner’s life had changed when his daughter had been nearly fatally injured, plunging Warner into a world of paranormal creatures, monsters, and magic that he’d never known existed. Then he came out the other side as the arbiter of Retribution. He now personally hands out justice to any and all he comes across.

Sameerixis, or Sam for those who actually know him, isn’t what you’d call normal. He had been a door-to-door salesman, of sorts. One that peddled wares, wishes, and whims to anyone willing to pay his prices. Except that life is gone now. His old business model had been modernized. Sam was a man trapped in place by his own success. And loving it. Additionally, he was also the owner of a private military company that specialized in dealing with criminals or those wanted by a government. His goals were simple. Now, he’s gotten exactly what he wanted in the worst possible way.

Warner spent his days like no one else. He got up, went to work, forced people to balance their scales - either through taking lives or forced penance - went home, spent time with his daughter, slept with one of his girlfriends, and went to sleep. Only to repeat the pattern over and over and over. Life was the furthest thing from mundane that it could ever be.