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The Road Goes Ever On Chapter 19
On a remote island, Jason and Daphne found a village held in thrall by a hag coven. The crones controlled the islanders by magically trapping their souls in bizarre spirit cages. After scouting the coven's twisted tree temple, Daphne cast a risky spell to project her consciousness inward so she could find the captive souls. Meanwhile Jason stood guard over her body, fending off patrolling hag sentries. Within the dark temple, Daphne's spirit followed faint cries of anguish to a grove of ghostly spirit cages hanging from the trees. Studying the arcane locks, she thought she could unseal them. But freeing one soul caused alarming psychic ripples. She would have to work swiftly. Back outside, Jason grew weary battling more hags arriving to stop the intrusion. He hacked down a couple crones, but a hurled hex blotted out his vision. The blinded hero could only flail desperately as the screeching hags moved in for the kill. At that instant, Daphne's consciousness emerged from the templ
The Road Goes Ever On Chapter 20
Returning at last to Rockhaven after their years-long odyssey across Phantasma, Jason and Daphne were welcomed as celebrities made good on the promise of adventure. Even Walter, the kindly fisherman who had ferried a confused Jason into town so long ago, tearfully embraced them upon hearing of their exploits. Among the crowds greeting them was Ralph, proprietor of The Gold Fox. "It seems only yesterday you two were sitting in my tavern, eager to explore beyond our little town," the robust innkeeper proclaimed. "Now Jason is a warrior of renown and Daphne a mistress of the elements! But no matter how you've changed, you'll always have a place here." Despite the hospitality, as Jason and Daphne settled back into Rockhaven, both privately felt something lacking. After experiencing so much beyond this rustic town's borders, normal life seemed trivial and dull. They yearned for purpose. Fortune soon provided. One night, Ralph burst into The Gold Fox with an urgent summons: "To the sout
The Road Goes Ever On Chapter 21
Venturing east through forests and meadows, Jason and Daphne came across increasing numbers of refugees fleeing some ominous threat. Questioning the bedraggled travelers revealed they came from a mining town called Stonevale now haunted by a "dark terror" lurking in the depths that killed those bold enough to investigate.Intrigued, the heroes altered course toward embattled Stonevale. They reached the remote town and found it half deserted and many buildings damaged by quakes. Only guards and a few stubborn souls remained. The captain of the watch confirmed they were plagued by unknown terrors from the mines that caused tremors and snatched away explorers.Jason and Daphne descended into the cavernous mines with magical illumination. The distant echo of falling rocks and eerie shrieks set their nerves on edge. In a deep chasm, they came upon several human corpses...and were then confronted by their killer! A hulking insectoid horror with four scything arms.Jason's sword barely fazed
The Road Goes Ever On Chapter 22
On the northern plains, Jason and Daphne saved a caravan from a stampede of raging bulettes drawn by strange screams from a distant castle. Fighting their way inside, they discovered the deranged lord was using a cursed artifact to control the burrowing monsters. The hungry bulettes turned on their master when Daphne dispelled the artifact's power, allowing the heroes to escape the collapsing castle. Seeking respite in coastal towns, the duo kept encountering nobles obsessed with exploiting a rare sea cucumber's supposed mystical properties for eternal youth. Following the rumors offshore, Jason and Daphne found a reef where humans harvested the creatures, breaking an ancient truce with the reef spirit who now churned up deadly storms in retribution. To make peace, Daphne repaired the spirit's damaged physical form with animating coral while Jason freed caged sea cucumbers. The spirit was placated and the storms abated. Hearing cries for help on a wooded hunting trip, the pair dis
The Road Goes Ever On Chapter 1
Jason opened his eyes and found himself lying in an open grassy field. The last thing he remembered was riding his bike down the street near his house when a car came speeding around the corner. There was no time to react before it hit him head on, everything went black, and now he was here. He slowly sat up and looked around. The field seemed to stretch on forever in all directions. The grass was a vibrant green and swayed gently in the breeze. In the distance, he could see a dense forest and behind it, mountains that touched the sky. "Where am I?" he wondered out loud. This definitely wasn't the neighborhood he had grown up in his whole life. Just then, a voice spoke in his mind, "You have been reincarnated into the world of Phantasma. Here, some humans are born with special abilities. Yours are healing and fighting skills." Jason's eyes widened in surprise. He could hardly believe what he was hearing. "Wait, so I died and now I'm in some sort of fictional world? And I can hea
The Road Goes Ever On Chapter 2
Over the next few weeks, Jason settled into life in Rockhaven and began controlling his powers. Each morning he practiced sword fighting with some mercenaries who were staying at The Gold Fox. At first, Jason could barely swing his sword without losing his balance. But after drilling blocking and footwork, he soon could hold his own in sparring matches. His reflexes improved drastically, allowing him to anticipate his opponent's strikes. In the afternoons, Jason visited Elena's cottage in the woods to develop his healing skills. She taught him to focus energy into his hands and let it flow into the injured or sick. Under Elena's instruction, Jason mended flesh wounds on animals with a simple touch. He even cured a young girl's terrible fever. Each day his abilities grew stronger. During his free time, Jason explored Rockhaven and got to know the villagers. He checked on the traders in the marketplace each morning, often running into a friendly young woman named Daphne who sold bak
The Road Goes Ever On Chapter 3
Over the next year, life fell into a steady rhythm for Jason. He split his time between medical studies with Elena, combat training with the mercenaries, and lending a helping hand around Rockhaven. His skills grew formidable, though he tried to use them only for good. During a visit to The Gold Fox one busy night, Ralph sat down next to Jason with a serious look. "Friend, have you ever wondered why you were granted such powers here?" Jason shrugged and took a swig of ale. "Destiny or fate, I guess. That's what you told me." Ralph nodded. "Aye. But part of discovering that fate is seeking out adventure, putting your skills to use beyond this little town. Perhaps it's time you ventured out and found a real quest." Stroking his stubble, Jason admitted he had been feeling restless. He was ready for a new challenge, but had gotten comfortable in Rockhaven. Ralph stood up. "Come with me. I have something to show you." He led Jason upstairs to a room filled with weapons, armor and ot
The Road Goes Ever On Chapter 4
It took Jason two weeks to cross the Eros Mountains and reach Theron. The capital was surrounded by thick stone walls and bustled with thousands of people from all races and backgrounds. Humans rubbed shoulders with dwarves, elves, beast-folk, and others as they hurried about. Jason made his way through the crowded streets to the city guard's headquarters. Though initially skeptical of his fighting skills, the guard captain eventually allowed Jason to review reports of the disappearances. Over the past two months, seven people had vanished without a trace from the city's busy market. The guard suspected kidnapping, but there were never any ransom demands. They had no leads. "I'll investigate the market and see if I uncover anything useful," Jason offered, eager to get started. "Very well. Report back if you learn something," the captain said. He seemed relieved to hand the mystery off to someone else. Beginning the next day, Jason patrolled the thriving market and asked questions