Tales from the Spirit Forest

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[talesfromthespiritforest]

WIP Wednesday (7/1/26)

A week already? How did that go so fast?

No WIP Wednesday next week-- I'll be out of town.

Well, here's a snippet for ya!

“Shannan?” Sigurd stepped back as Shannan threw his arms around his waist. “What are you talking about?” A heavily-pregnant Edain walked out of the palace doors, her husband Jamke supporting her down the steps. Upon seeing Sigurd their faces fell. Goosebumps rose on Sigurd’s skin. “What’s going on?” Edain and Jamke looked to each other, then to Arden, who grimaced. Shannan buried his face into Sigurd’s chest. “Lady Deirdre,” he sobbed. “She’s gone! Taken!” Sigurd’s heart stopped. What? No, no. That couldn't be right. Deirdre was there in the palace, taking a nap or nursing Seliph. She would come out those doors and throw herself into his arms. She’d tell Shannan to stop crying, that it was all a misunderstanding. Or maybe it was some cruel joke they were all in on, and she’d pop out from behind a tree and— No. She would never joke like that. None of them would. “I’m sorry, Sigurd,” Edain said. “An old man came and asked for asylum. Lady Deirdre was so kind as to let him in, and…” Edain began to weep. Jamke took a hand and wiped at her eyes. Arden sighed. “He attacked with dark magic. Shannan rushed to her aid, and she tried to shield him, but the man knocked her out and warped away.”

[talesfromthespiritforest]

WIP Wednesday (6/24/26)

...surprise! There is none! Today's my birthday, and I don't have anything ready. So have this instead :D

[talesfromthespiritforest]

WIP Wednesday (6/17/26)

Not a traditional WIP Wednesday, but here's a snippet of the timeline I've got planned out for EOF so far... barring spoilers.

I overused my hand doing scuffle attacks and work stuff today. Hopefully it heals fast-- next week is my birthday, and I want to do something special for that WIP Wednesday! Not sure what though...

[talesfromthespiritforest]

WIP Wednesday (6/10/26)

Oh dear. Almost forgot! Well, I've got a messed up hand and have to let it rest, so not as much writing for me lately. Of course it had to be during scuffle season! Anyways, here's an old snippet:

Sigurd rode through the gates of Agusty Palace, a smile plastered bright upon his face. He cradled a bouquet tight in the crook of his arm— a mix of forget-me-nots, lily of the valley, and lavender tulips. The florist commended him for such a thoughtful arrangement. He claimed it represented everlasting love, purity, and elegance. Sigurd agreed and thanked the man, but in truth, he’d simply chosen them because they reminded him of his wife. The guards flitted about their posts, shooting Sigurd short, weary glances. Most of the guards opted to stay after Chagall and his loyalists fled. The man must have been a heinous boss— the castle staff jumped for joy upon his ouster. He hadn’t been in power very long. Even then, the staff made it clear that a foreign invasion was not their preferred solution. Sigurd assured them it was only temporary. Once things settled, he and his company would draw out, ending the Grannvelian occupation. Perhaps their patience was starting to grow thin. Conquering Madino hadn’t helped. Arden was the first to greet Sigurd at the gate. Another oddity, though not one of concern. The man was just infamous for being slow. “Lord Sigurd,” he said, bowing. His voice warbled. “What a surprise.” “Greetings, Arden.” Sigurd dismounted his horse. “We’re passing by on our way to Silvail, and I figured it would be a good time to check in on everyone. Lewyn, Ayra, Lex, Quan, and Ethlyn are behind me. Is everything alright?” Arden’s face paled. “Well, um, about that… there’s something we need to—“ Just then, Shannan burst through the castle doors, tears streaming down his face. He blubbered and gasped. “Lord Sigurd! I’m sorry! It’s all my fault. I’m sorry!”

[talesfromthespiritforest]

WIP Wednesday (6/3/26)

Wednesday again? Doesn't feel like it. Then again, I've had a weird week.

This week's snippet involves Edelgard's trauma, so I'm putting it under a read more.

Even after all these years, Edelgard still felt the walls of her cell closing in around her. Painful yet fuzzy memories rushed to the forefront of her mind. Her tongue tingled with the sensation of the bitter liquids they’d forced down her throat. Phantom needles pricked at her skin. She remembered how the once-crowded room grew cold with each disappeared sibling. Their screams rang in her ears alongside the chittering of rats and the cackles of pale-faced mages. If it were up to her, she would never have come down here again— but no other place felt suitable for imprisoning the beast known as the Immaculate One. Archbishop Rhea sat slumped in the corner of her cell. She hugged her knees together. Folds of formerly-pristine white fabric bunched beneath her arms. Dull, greasy mint-colored hair fell limp over her shoulders. She lifted her head. Her cheeks were red and wet with tears. Weary eyes locked with Edelgard’s. Edelgard stiffened her posture. “You requested my presence?” Rhea looked back down and mumbled something into her knees. Edelgard and Hubert exchanged glances. Edelgard blinked. “I’m sorry?” Rhea mumbled again, this time slightly louder. Edelgard held in a huff. “Rhea, if you are not going to speak up, then I will take my—“ “What did they do?” Rhea shot up and lunged at the bars of the cell. The chain around her ankle went taut. “I felt it. Those monsters. What did they do?”

[talesfromthespiritforest]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

Surprise! Emperors of Flame chapter two is out now!

[talesfromthespiritforest]

WIP Wednesday (5/27/26)

I'd like to apologize to the Chrom fans. If I was writing something with him now I'd put it here for his birthday. But alas, I am not, so have more Arvis.

“You’ve been rather absent lately,” Arvis said. “Have you, by chance, been in Agustria? The death of King Imuka was such a tragedy. Rumors have it the culprit was his own son. Perhaps someone had been whispering poison into his ears.” Manfroy smirked. “Clever boy.” Arvis held back the urge to roll his eyes. Anyone could have figured that one out. He was simply one of the unfortunate few to know of Manfroy’s existence. Convincing Prince Chagall must not have taken much effort, either— he was famous for being a spoiled brat. Of course he would commit patricide for power. “Things went exactly as I planned,” Manfroy sneered. “Agustria has been thrown into chaos. One less threat to Loptous’s revival. If only you would be so malleable as well.” Arvis’s blood boiled in more ways than one. “I will never be a pawn in your infernal game.” “And you may yet get your wish, child of Maera. After today I may not need use of you after all.” For a moment, Arvis felt relief. But then the icy sense of dread crept up his spine. If Manfroy did not need him for his plot anymore, that meant that he could— no. The thought was too much to bear. All of his hard work would be for nothing. It also meant that whatever had happened today with the portal was not part of Manfroy’s plan, yet somehow benefited it. Arvis had been in the courtyard upon the portal’s opening, and Manfroy was nowhere to be seen. Had he come any later, the guards would have alerted him immediately. How did he know the portal would benefit him without getting anywhere near it? Manfroy sighed. “However, nothing is set in stone. So you will be seeing me yet, milord.” Arvis clenched his fist. Milord. How dare the man call him that, knowing full well he despised it. Embers burned at his fingertips. He rubbed them together and snuffed them out. It would not do well to have his office smelling of smoke.

[talesfromthespiritforest]

WIP Wednesday (5/20/26)

She placed the chest upon the table. A quick unlatch, and Arvis saw what was inside: a porcelain teacup nestled in red velvet cushioning. Inside sat a sachet of tea. “Hubert insisted I bring my own,” Edelgard said. “It was either that or accompany me and test all the food and drink himself.” “Is he always that… protective?” Not that it was a bad thing. Plenty of people must have been vying for Edelgard’s demise. Such was the nature of politics. “The Vestra family has served the Hresvelgs for generations. Hubert was raised as his father’s successor. But even if he hadn’t, I suspect he would still be as protective of me as ever.” Interesting, Arvis thought. Perhaps there was something more going on there. “So, the Vestras are the protectors of the Emperor. Do the other noble families have any role?” Edelgard’s face fell. She plucked the sachet out of the teacup. “Of course. There are seven administrative positions in the imperial court. Currently, all are filled except for that of…” Her tone shifted to one of thinly-veiled malice. “Prime minister.”

[talesfromthespiritforest]

Looks like I forgot to change last week's WIP Wednesday from "save as draft" to post now, so I guess I'll go ahead and post two today

[talesfromthespiritforest]

WIP Wednesday (5/13/26)

Pivoting back to Emperors of Flame for this one!

Speak of the devil and he shall appear. Arvis loomed over his desk, furiously jotting word after word upon the parchment below. He felt the tell-tale prickle of teleportation magic on his neck. A flash of violet, and he turned, a scowl forming on his face. “You.” Standing in front of Arvis’s door was none other than Manfroy, archbishop of the Loptous Sect. Wine-colored robes shrouded his hunched form. Shocks of brown hair jutted out from beneath his hood. He smiled wickedly. Arvis placed down his quill. “How many times have I told you to refrain from entering my quarters?” A futile question. Manfroy chuckled. He crept forward, cloak swishing around his ankles with every step. Arvis got up and placed a hand on the back of his chair. Soon the two were face to face, Manfroy’s rancid breath puffing on Arvis’s cheeks. “Strange things have occurred today,” Manfroy said. “I figured I should come pay you a visit.” Arvis leaned back. It wasn’t enough— granted, the ideal distance from Manfroy was an entire continent away. Manfroy peeked around Arvis. “A letter for the king, I presume?” He reached out. Arvis swat his wrist, and he withdrew. “Do not touch that.” “Fine, fine.” Manfroy rubbed his hand. “I think I know the contents of that letter anyways.”

[talesfromthespiritforest]

No WIP Wednesday again this week... but I have an announcement!

I'll be doing a panel at EmblemCon this weekend! The entire con is hosted on their discord server, so hop in and come check it out! Here's the form for submitting words for Mad Libs!

[talesfromthespiritforest]

Don't think there's gonna be a WIP Wednesday this week, guys! Sorry about that!

[talesfromthespiritforest]

WIP Wednesday (4/22/26)

I did manage to write some, despite the distraction that is Tomodachi!

“Never mind.” Quan shook his head. “Sit down, I’ll order you some wine. The cactus juice gives it quite the unique flavor.” Cactus wine, Sigurd thought, taking his coat off and draping it on the chair. That’s an… interesting concept. He sat down and scanned the room. Azelle laid down on a couch, Lex and a maid hovering above him. Lex held a glass of water while the maid rubbed some sort of cream on Azelle’s face. Over at the reception, Andrei argued with the innkeeper. Knowing the man it was likely over something as trivial as full-feather beds. Then there was Alec. He’d struck up a conversation with the inn’s dancer. She twirled a lock of green pigtail with her finger and bat her eyes at him. This would be a mere annoyance if it weren’t for the bard on the stage glaring daggers at them. Oh, gods, Sigurd thought. Alec was about to get them all into trouble. Sigurd sighed, hauled himself up, and went to intervene. The cactus wine could wait. Or preferably not come at all. “Excuse me, miss,” he said, side-eying Alec, “Is my knight here bothering you?” “Oh, not at all,” the dancer chirped. “In fact, we were just making plans to meet again later.” Alec grinned and wiggled his eyebrows. “Remember, Alec, we are on official bluishness,” Sigurd continued. “It would not be proper of you to have a fling of any kind while we’re here.” Sigurd swore he saw Alec stifle a laugh. Was it because he’d said “fling”? That was what he remembered Alec calling his trysts. See, he paid attention… Sometimes. The bard spoke. “Yeah, Sylvia, leave the knight alone. All you’re gonna do is distract him. Now get back up here before I pull you by those pigtails.” “Shut up,” Sylvia spat back. “You’re just jealous of him!” “Me? Jealous?” The bard gave a fake scoff. “Gods no, I’d never date you. You’re like the annoying younger sister I never had.” Alec was definitely trying not to laugh now.

[talesfromthespiritforest]

WIP Wednesday 4/15/26

The boys are... miserable, to say the least.

Sigurd was ecstatic upon seeing the gates of Dahna. He had found very fast how much he despised the desert. They’d only entered the desert that morning. Coarse sand got stuck in his boots, there was almost no greenery for miles, and worst of all, the sun beat down upon him relentlessly. The thin muslin cloth wrapped around his head provided little relief. Sweat rolled down his brow. His legs were damp and sticky against the leather of his saddle. He vowed never to come back to this wretched place again. Everyone else seemed to share Sigurd’s sentiment. Behind him, his men slumped over their horses, all in various states of disarray. Andrei tried his best to put on a face of bravado despite the bangs plastered to his forehead. Lex had given up and thrown his head back, screaming silently at the sky. Even Azelle, who had a higher heat tolerance due to his Fjalar blood, had turned the color of a tomato. His hair blended in with his face. “Gods,” Azelle panted. “My skin feels like it’s on fire.” Lex took a look and grimaced. “Looks like it too.” “I’m going to guess they have something to treat that at the inn,” Sigurd said. Perhaps they’d have a bath as well. A nice, cold, icy bath. Gods, that sounded nice right about then.

[talesfromthespiritforest]

No WIP Wednesday this week... I have somehow gotten sick again. Went years without it (excluding the time I got COVID), and now it's been three colds since december. Aaugh.

[talesfromthespiritforest]

WIP Wednesday (4/1/26)

Hello here is my definitely legit wip for the week

"sigurd my lovely fiancee" said deirdre, lovingly, "i am cursed, and the demon dragon is going to kill me so he can rise again!" "no need to fear, Deirdre," sigurd said. he swept her into his arms. "i'm gonna stab him dont worry" and then they kissed and it was so good loptyr esplodeed the end

[talesfromthespiritforest]

No WIP Wednesday this week. The day snuck up on me! And to add on to that, Nintendo released the Tomodachi Life demo today. I'll be stuck in a car for 16 hours this weekend so I have a feeling I'll get something for next week!