The Royal Contract - Chapter 20 - Buried Into Oblivion

A conversation with a handsome stranger leaves Ariane chained in a cellar with a strange affliction. She soon discovers that the darkness of the nineteenth century’s Deep South hides many dangers. Mages, wolf shifters and the humans who hunt them play a risky game where to stumble is to die, all under the amused gaze of the apex predators of the supernatural world: vampires.

It is never healthy to attract the gaze of the aristocracy of the night. It takes much to survive in this merciless world, but Ariane will not let that deter her. The southern belle has a bite, and she is willing to learn and to grow in this hostile new world. She will use whatever means necessary to reclaim her freedom, be it guile, charm, or those intriguing new instincts that make blood so delectable.

This is a story of vampires as I believe they should be, with their strengths and weaknesses, with their remnants of humanity and the beast inside. Updates every Friday. Mind the tags.

Cover by Antti Hakosaari: https://www.artstation.com/haco

Special thanks to Svensonsen for getting me started, as well as Omi Nya, Hesketh, Rhaegar, Yaksher, Selkie and Raven for proofreading my stuff. Thanks to my patrons and you dear readers, for the support. I could not do it without you.

Journey is on Amazon, both in ebooks and audio. here is a link to the first one:

https://www.royalroad.com/amazon/B08DK6G8Y8

The story probably exists in your local marketplace as well of I can tempt you.

Depth-Dwellers are long extinct.All except for a single one..Waking up after being dragged by the pressuring tides, Cetas finds himself in the middle of an unfamiliar ship, greeted by a distinct group of pirates.Without any knowledge about humanity at all, he traverses the seas with the unknown band of pirates and learns about their culture and speech. In a world where 'Zeal' serves an essence for humanity's power, Cetas must learn to ascend the ranks to protect those that he cherishes.For when the mysteries beyond the fog arises, the Dreadspawns begin to wreak havoc, and the Leviathans rise up into the world..'Would Cetas become a 'human' worthy of saving those that he loves?'

When an alien ambassador crash-lands in Tim's backyard and demands, 'Take me to your leader,' the 12-year-old does what any kid would do: he points to himself and says, 'That’s me. I’m the King of Earth.'Now, thanks to a hastily signed treaty (and a promise to hand over Jupiter), Tim’s got an armory of world-ending alien tech, an invulnerable Planetary Base in his backyard treehouse, and one tiny problem: nobody told him ruling a planet would be this hard. Between conquering Earth, fending off hostile fleets, outsmarting intergalactic bureaucrats, and explaining his absences to his Trekkie dad, Tim’s in way over his head. But if he can’t bluff his way through alien diplomacy fast, humanity might end up as collateral damage.“King of All I Survey” is a fun, heart-pounding sci-fi adventure where one kid’s lie decides the fate of Earth—and homework is nothing compared to intergalactic war.

An unexpected event led her to become pregnant, and after the child was born, he actually sent someone to take her son away.At the top of the cliff, the car was destroyed, and lives were lost.Years later, she returned from abroad, looked at the man before her, and said coldly, “Mr. Mu, even if you offer your entire company, I won't do business with you.”