The Fifth Descender | Chapter 2 by AnotherDemon, literature
Literature
The Fifth Descender | Chapter 2
Everything hurt. His back felt like it was burned, his side felt like it was on literal fire, his pulse was pounding against the inside of his skull- everything hurt. The worst of it all, though, was the nausea. He wasn’t sure what had woken him or how he was even awake in the first place. Beyond the pain and the nausea, he was exhausted. It dragged at him, keeping him in a weird limbo between unconscious and alert to the point that he was certain he dreamt at times. There was no way he and Kaveh were out in the desert with him feeling like this but he had this vague impression of Kaveh against his burning side taking his weight, talking like always, - not that he could remember what Kaveh had even said - and the grit of sand in his shoes. There wasn’t enough sand near home for him to have it in his shoes so it had to be the desert; but there had also been so little light and the terrain didn’t give like sand normally did so it definitely had to be a dream. The nausea got
Harry Potter and the Altered Timeline | Ch 13 by AnotherDemon, literature
Literature
Harry Potter and the Altered Timeline | Ch 13
Sirius muttered some curse into the lid of his hot chocolate before taking a drink. Severus understood his frustration. Even reiterating the events from Halloween made it even clearer how poorly things were being handled. Sirius bit out, “And nothing happened afterwards? Nothing for the parents?” A pause as if it dawned on him. “Nothing for the kids?” “The few nightmares that were reported were discussed and only two students were prescribed Dreamless Sleep.” Severus sighed. “But, no. Nothing more was done.” “Fuckin’ hell.” Silence settled between them, filled by the sounds of the world around them. Godric’s Hollow was anything but a sleepy little town late that Saturday morning. Severus could hear kids playing somewhere on the street behind them and quite a number of cars had passed since he and Sirius had settled against the fence. There had even been others who had walked through the graveyard and most bid respect to one of the many gravestones. If any had been inclined to
The Fifth Descender | Chapter 1 by AnotherDemon, literature
Literature
The Fifth Descender | Chapter 1
Kaveh was still hovering, not that Alhaitham was surprised. It had only been a day since he had returned to work so some hovering was to be expected; no, the thing that was odd was the nature of it. Usually by the time Alhaitham returned to work, Kaveh was less attentive, less present in a sense, and oftentimes antsy to get back to work in a greater capacity. Kaveh wasn’t behaving like that. Alhaitham watched him, book lying open and temporarily forgotten on the table, as Kaveh quietly worked on some illustration. From what glimpses Alhaitham had managed around Kaveh’s normal behavior of hiding it before Alhaitham could really see it, it didn’t look like Kaveh’s normal work. It had looked a bit too abstract, less focused, or perhaps too complex for a simple sheet of paper to hold, like Kaveh was trying to capture how the stars hung in three dimensional space in a two dimensional image. But despite Kaveh’s appearance of working diligently away on his latest piece, Alhaitham knew
Harry Potter and the Altered Timeline | Ch 12 by AnotherDemon, literature
Literature
Harry Potter and the Altered Timeline | Ch 12
Harry stared at Severus, school robe halfway on with his hand caught in the other sleeve. “What?” he asked, the word coming out more like a squawk than an actual word. It returned inertia to his body and he haphazardly shoved his arm into the sleeve. “Why? What are the other kids receiving?” “Detentions,” Severus offered crisply, though the softened edges of the man’s expression was enough for Harry to know it wasn’t simply being brushed aside. “A few will only serve a day or two. Mr. Malfoy will be serving two weeks.” “But I’m supposed to suffer through mine until Winter Break!” Severus sighed as he knelt. “I know it seems unfair right now but this truly has your best interest in mind.” Harry initially backed away from Severus’s reaching hand but seeked it out as the man talked. Severus’s hand carded through his hair, grounding and reassuring in equal parts. “Hogwarts lacks a lot of what you are used to back home and this will guarantee you spend some time not studying. While I
Harry Potter and the Altered Timeline | Ch 11 by AnotherDemon, literature
Literature
Harry Potter and the Altered Timeline | Ch 11
“There, look. See him?” “Where?” “The one wearing the glasses?” “Did you see his face?” “Did you see his scar?” For not the first time, Harry felt endless gratitude towards Sirius, Severus, and Remus for doing all they could to keep him out of the public eye. With no such protection now, Harry found whispers tailing him even in his own common room and it weighed heavily on him. It was understandable people were going to be eager to see and meet him but at least the Hufflepuffs were trying to be normal about it. It helped that he had some buffer with Hannah, Susan, Cedric, and even surprisingly Roger keeping most of the overly eager at bay but the rest of the student body wouldn’t be as satisfied with just seeing him. The Great Hall wasn’t nearly as full as the night prior when all of the student body was present for the Start of Term Feast but it certainly wasn’t anywhere near empty. Sure enough, as soon as he approached the open doors, eyes and words were quickly focused on
Harry Potter and the Altered Timeline | Ch 10 by AnotherDemon, literature
Literature
Harry Potter and the Altered Timeline | Ch 10
The shout was probably just as loud as every time before but tucked within the hat caused a weird muffling that barely dampened the sound; he flinched. His Sorting was finally over and done with. He quickly pulled the hat off as he slipped from the stool and placed the hat on it. His legs felt strange, wobbly and weak in a way he didn’t like, but it barely registered under the enormous relief he felt as he hurried over to Hannah and Susan. It barely registered just like the odd way the hall was full of noise barely registered. The hat had listened. For a heart stopping moment, he had thought it wouldn’t but the hat - sounding very amused with either itself or the situation - had placed him in Hufflepuff like he’d wanted but hadn’t been able to voice. The whole thing was exhausting and left a weird buzzing beneath his skin. Even his hands were shaking. No, wait; they weren’t shaking but it certainly felt like they should be. Before he could do anything with the sensation, though, he
Wayward Souls at Halftrot Inn | Chapter 2 by AnotherDemon, literature
Literature
Wayward Souls at Halftrot Inn | Chapter 2
Chapter 2: Ilravis's Deceit The soil was hard beneath his thin shoes as if the rain that had drowned the world the day before hadn’t happened. Even the flash flood that had been brought on by the previous day’s torrential downpour had only left a veneer of clay mud clinging to the remnants of buildings and marked where the waterline had reached on the trees. The mud squelched beneath each step and clung incessantly to anything it touched. Those unfortunate enough to fall in it wore the mud like a second skin. It clung to his legs high on his thighs and plastered his pants awkwardly to his skin. Either the plaster-like clay itself was cold or it was making his pants increasingly damp and he hated it. Laughter rang out from what remained of a building to his left and habitually he glanced over. If there had been a second floor, it had been obliterated right along with the rest of the town. Most of the walls were under half of their original height, the shortest points being on the
Harry Potter and the Altered Timeline | Ch 9 by AnotherDemon, literature
Literature
Harry Potter and the Altered Timeline | Ch 9
“What are those?” Harry looked up from the snacks, a colored pencil caught between his teeth. He hadn’t even realized he had stuck it there until the rather familiar voice had cut through his thoughts. He grabbed it with the hand holding five other colored pencils and asked, “What are what?” “Those.” The speaker - where had he seen someone with platinum blonde hair before? - pointed at the small bundle of colored pencils in Harry’s left hand. “Colored pencils,” he stated simply as he turned his attention back to the food trolley and picked up another packaged Liquorice wand. Three ought to be enough along with the small box of Liquorice Comfits. “Colored what? Are those a muggle thing?” Harry looked at the strangely familiar kid again in surprise. “Colored pencils,” he repeated. He was fairly certain he had seen colored pencils in a wixen supplies shop before though they may have been called something else. But when he didn’t answer the latter question quickly enough, the
Wayward Souls at Halftrot Inn | Chapter 1 by AnotherDemon, literature
Literature
Wayward Souls at Halftrot Inn | Chapter 1
Chapter 1: Niko’s Visions Halftrot Inn was never truly still no matter what time it was. Granted, three o’clock in the morning was far quieter than three in the afternoon but there was always someone at the front desk doing something and at least two other staff members working somewhere on the property. Niko loved those early morning hours. Not because of the quiet - oh Gods, no; she lived for the noise and bustle of the day and the secrets and information that slipped through it - but because of the occasional body that wasn’t supposed to be up at those hours. It wasn’t very often someone bustled in from outside too early in the morning to be considered normal - or unconcerning - and it was even less common for someone to leave, but it happened. It always happened. The clock had just chimed the quarter hour past four when the front door opened. She stilled her hand, pen lifted from the page to not blot the ledger. Two individuals entered before the door was shut with some care
Harry Potter and the Altered Timeline | Ch 8 by AnotherDemon, literature
Literature
Harry Potter and the Altered Timeline | Ch 8
The mid morning crowd of King’s Cross Station swallowed them as they entered the massive building, a familiarity that came from traveling often. Harry expected the same comfort that always came from that familiarity but the apprehension remained heavy in his chest. He hated it. There was no need to worry; he was well aware that there was no point in worrying. Everyone had reassured him multiple times that Sirius taking Harry as himself would be fine, that anything that could go wrong could be handled. But for Sirius to be at Harry’s side with no hint of disguise or as the all too familiar large black dog was setting off every warning bell Harry had and he couldn’t quiet them. Sirius ruffled his hair, the trolley listing slightly to the right despite the weight of Harry’s trunk. “You’ll have a great time at Hogwarts, Harry. Don’t you worry.” He offered Sirius a soft smile, one he knew Sirius would see as appreciation. Harry couldn’t correct him. It would only lead to the same
Altruistic Endeavors | Inktober Day 12: Slippery by AnotherDemon, literature
Literature
Altruistic Endeavors | Inktober Day 12: Slippery
“You are nothing more than a child playing pretend.” Dlmor’s launched itself at the stranger, giving him the chance to see who they were up against. The stranger looked human, though whether or not it was the same face as the ranger he couldn’t remember. But instead of the ranger’s uniform, the man looked ready to tackle temperatures far colder than what they were now. He watched as the man didn’t even look at Dlmor before the creature was thrown aside by something he couldn’t see. Dlmor collided with Belvren. The other Shadow absorbed the impact, barely moving backwards from it. Lora let off another arrow. It shattered against something he couldn’t see. Belvren snarled at the something, or so he assumed, because whatever the others were seeing, he couldn’t see it. Something grabbed him by the throat and lifted him into the air. He choked on a cry for help. It wouldn’t have done him much good. Lora was raised into the air shortly after he was and with how she was gripping at the air
Altruistic Endeavors | Inktober Day 21: Sleep by AnotherDemon, literature
Literature
Altruistic Endeavors | Inktober Day 21: Sleep
When the door closed behind the woman’s departure, Bethany turned a disappointed and confused look on him. “So what’s so significant about this echo thing?” “It…” But he found that he didn’t actually know. He frowned, gaze drifting down as he searched for the information he could have sworn had just been there. When he came up with nothing, he turned his gaze to Tolnoran. “Have you seen anything like it before?” Tolnoran shook his head. “That was a first for me.” Elias spoke up. “I know most if not all the creatures in the Second Plane but I’ve never seen anything like Tolnoran described, nor anything called an echo.” Frustration churned in his chest. “It’s the translation of the name. It has one like Dlmor or Kret but I don’t know how to say it.” That drew Elias’s curiosity. “Can you spell it?” He gave the man a flat look. “I can hardly say it and you expect me to know how to spell it?” “Then how…” “I’d heard it. The thing had spoken it.” Bethany placed a hand on his
Altruistic Endeavors | Inktober Day 20: Coral by AnotherDemon, literature
Literature
Altruistic Endeavors | Inktober Day 20: Coral
Everything was heavy and he hated the fact that he was waking up. It took a moment before he realized that he couldn’t remember taking whatever the healer had wanted to give him, let alone actually falling under its sedation. At least his head didn’t hurt and his thoughts seemed rather clear compared to the last time he had done this. There was something on the edge of his hearing that he didn’t quite understand until the voices became discernible. It took the words a bit longer to make sense. “...seen him that shaken before.” Elias’s voice was low, rough, but he took comfort in the fact that they had done their best to keep their promise to him. A voice he didn’t recognize drifted through the room. “You asked him what had happened, then?” Elias snorted. “Of course I asked. Sheer curiosity would have driven me to ask had my duty not.” There was a heavy pause. “I’m going to write up a report but I don’t think I can repeat what he had told me. If you want the story, you’ll have to
Altruistic Endeavors | Inktober Day 17: Storm by AnotherDemon, literature
Literature
Altruistic Endeavors | Inktober Day 17: Storm
His head snapped around, startled by the new voice, but the only other beings in the room were Tolnoran and Dlmor. He looked to Tolnoran only to find a curious look on the man's face. "Did you hear that?" Tolnoran frowned. "Your Dlmor talking?" "In his defense, this is the first time he's actually been able to hear me." He looked down at Dlmor as the creature rested its chin on his thigh. "I've had to use Transference to talk with him." Tolnoran frowned at that, looking to Artemis. "You weren't able to hear them?" He shook his head no. "First time I ever interacted with Dlmor was after it defended me against some other shadow." "Kret," Dlmor supplied. "Do all Kret do damage by screaming?" Tolnoran laughed. "That's one way to put it. They do a sort of psychic attack but I haven’t heard of any doing more than giving someone a severe headache for a few hours.” “So my experience was strange?” “In many ways.” Dlmor bared its teeth in a silent snarl. “The damage you had sustained
Altruistic Endeavors | Inktober Day 13: Dune by AnotherDemon, literature
Literature
Altruistic Endeavors | Inktober Day 13: Dune
He didn’t even get the chance to react to his stupid decision before the coat was shoved back over his head. “Idiot.” He huddled down waiting for the nausea to settle and the headache to ease. He heard the stranger shift in the sand. The man snapped, “If he so much as get a speck of vomit on that jacket, I will skin you alive for a new one. I expect you to help him along. We have places to be.” There was a noise and his headache flared. “Do not give me that bullshit. You are very much capable of doing far more and you know it.” Another flare as the noise fluctuated. “If you so much as breathe the thought of my sister, I will end you, consequences be damned. Because of you my sister doesn’t even know who I am.” The noise again. He frowned. It sounded almost confused. “You took away every memory she had of the Second Plane! I have always been tied to it and you ripped those memories from her just to turn her son into a Ylmra!” There was a break, as if the stranger was reeling from the
Altruistic Endeavors | Inktober Day 18: Trap by AnotherDemon, literature
Literature
Altruistic Endeavors | Inktober Day 18: Trap
The three higher ups walked away leaving the door wide open. “Ysle,” Tolnoran softly commanded. The Kret moved to the door and pushed it closed before laying down against the bottom. Artemis looked to him. “I take it they’re not the best of company to be around?” Tolnoran snorted. “Oh, Colonel Conner and Cass are great people to be around - some of the better, in fact - but it’s the other higher ups that aren’t all that great to be around. Leader Fox runs a tight ship but there something about him that’s always put me on edge. Madam Drev I don’t know well enough to have an opinion of but the way her Jaun behaves has many of us thinking there’s more broken about her than what we’re seeing.” Artemis looked to Dlmor. “How did you know their names?” He caught Tolnoran looking over sharply out of the corner of his eye as Dlmor finally let him go. “Vulren came by the first night you were here, curious no doubt, and happened to be a bit more chatty than was probably wise. Jaun are not
Altruistic Endeavors | Inktober Day 16: Rocket by AnotherDemon, literature
Literature
Altruistic Endeavors | Inktober Day 16: Rocket
“I expect we will be seeing them before the week is out. However, that is not anything I can set in stone. It will solely depend on how things progress over the next few days.” A knock interrupted anything else the man had to say. Elias stood. Artemis idly stirred what remained in his bowl watching as the man crossed to the door and opened it. There was a man on the other side, strong, tall, and who grinned a brilliantly bright smile when the two older men’s eyes met. “Thought I would find you here. Cass sent me down with this for you.” The man gestured with the bundle in his hand. Artemis wasn’t sure if it was a thin book or a stack of paper. Elias took it, flipping through the pages as the man continued, “How’s our newest guest?” “Awake so you’re welcome to ask him yourself,” Elias offered, voice cordial and expression soft as he took a step out of the way before actually crossing to the chair. The stranger at the door stepped in enough to close the door before smiling gently at
Altruistic Endeavors | Inktober Day 14: Armor by AnotherDemon, literature
Literature
Altruistic Endeavors | Inktober Day 14: Armor
“Well done,” the man mock praised. “An excellent show of ingenuity and reflex.” An impression started to trail from the top of the man’s dune, curling around the front face sending sand cascading down the slope. He watched it unsure if he wanted to know what kind of creature was doing that. He thought of snake at first but the impression in the sand was so large, he could lie down perpendicular to the impression left behind and fit within it with ease. “Now let’s see how well you hold your own against something you should see.” His headache flared but he thought he heard a hiss and the thought of snake didn’t seem so wild anymore. Dlmor yanked him sideways as an invisible force impacted with the sand. A startled cry escaped his throat at the sudden change of direction. Ir died quickly as Dlmor’s actions had him keeping the point of impact in sight. The sand shifted about for a stretch before settling. His feet hit the side of a dune and the force knocked his knees out. He found his
Altruistic Endeavors | Inktober Day 15: Outpost by AnotherDemon, literature
Literature
Altruistic Endeavors | Inktober Day 15: Outpost
He didn’t remember passing out. He must have because he wasn’t on the back of the snake creature anymore. Instead he was lying in an unfamiliar bed in an equally unfamiliar room. The room was dimly lit from the sunlight that was making it through the curtains. Other than the bed, there was a dresser, a table, and a chair. The chair was situated at the bedside unoccupied. He could hear movement beyond the closed door, the soft chatter of voices always fluctuating, but nothing ever got clear enough for him to discern anything important. There was a lull in sound and he nearly drifted off again before the click of the door brought him back. He opened his eyes to see the man entering the room dressed in a simpler outfit than what he had been wearing when he kidnapped Artemis. His gaze drifted over the winged serpent loosely draped around the man’s neck, the green and blue scales a beautiful backing of rainbow colored wings. “Oh good,” the man spoke, voice a low rumble that was barely
They said that if you saw one, your life was forfeit. I never understood what they had meant by that, never connected the dots till I was older.
I was told things had changed when I was only two. I don’t remember what had happened nor what life had been like before but I do remember the fear, and the confusion. I remember the quiet games and constant moving. I remember boarded up windows and gray skies and never being able to play outside. I never questioned it.
I remember the older kids always having issues, the adults always getting into fights. I never understood what they were going through, why they had such an issue with it all.
“You are my sunshine,”
The caverns echoed as she made her way through them, her breath short and her body aching. She pushed on as hard as she could, tripping in the dark with numb feet. The water that flowed through the caverns was ice but she had no time to avoid it. She needed to get out.
“My only sunshine.”
Tears pricked the back of her eyes and she ignored the tightness in her throat. It became a moot point as her foot caught and she let out a cry as she fell into the water. The freezing water stole her breath and panic swelled in her chest. She pushed against the floor.
“You make me happy”
She br
Here they come, Days of peace by AnotherDemon, literature
Literature
Here they come, Days of peace
She checked her weapon, back pressed up against the remains of a wall. The sound of weapon fire pinging off the wall and scraping the edge filled her hearing as she snapped the pieces back together. The weapon charged in her hand as she pressed against the wall, listening. A slight lull fell in the weapon fire and she leaned out, taking shots as soon as she had sights for them.
Three of the enemy fell before she was forced back into cover. She moved along the wall, keeping low and out of sight as she moved to a different vantage point. The other edge wasn’t being targeted now and she used that to her advantage, crossing the gap as she
“Trick or treat!”
He glanced towards the front of the house they were passing, seeing the small chorus of children before the front door all dressed in a different costume. Only one of the parents was on the porch with the kids, the others hanging back on the walk chatting. A fond smile pulled at his lips as he looked forward again.
At the end of the block, someone was waving. His fond smile broke into a grin and he waved back, easily recognizing his best friend and the rest of the gang.
She tackled him when he was close enough, her fake faerie wing smacking him in the face and covering it in glitter. “You made it!”
Following the trail upon the leaves. by AnotherDemon, literature
Literature
Following the trail upon the leaves.
His breath curled before his face, visible in the cold fall air as he sighed. He watched it with tired eyes, body laden with more than just the pack on his back and the winter cloths keeping him warm. The sky above was barely turning from night to day without a cloud in the sky. Even the last few stars that he could see beyond the branches and remaining leaves seemed to wink goodbye at him as he turned his attention from the sky above.
As the last of his breath dissipated, he turned enough to look back at his companions. Two were standing about, patiently waiting with packs fully packed. Two were near the fire pit adjusting something on the
There is no rain...yet by AnotherDemon, literature
Literature
There is no rain...yet
He pushed the branch aside; he looked around as the sound of the others approaching grew louder. He took a step back, looking to the others as he kept the branch out of the way. “We should be good here.”
He gained a grateful nod from the man aiding the very pregnant woman into the crude shelter. The last member of the company moved slowly, his gaze on the trail and woods they had just passed through, as if expecting an attack.
“Come on, Balthazar,” he urged gently. “There’s nothing out there yet.”
“Until it rains,” the man grumbled, slipping under his arm into the shelter. He followed s
The man brought his head up as the bell at the top of the front door rang. With a sigh, he pushed himself up and away from the work bench, glancing briefly at the closed circuit security monitor. A single person had entered the shop and he thankfully recognized them. Sadly, in these times, one could not be too careful.
Stepping out from the back, he was standing behind the counter before the person caught sight of him. They approached, dressed in easily forgettable attire, with an easily forgettable face. The only reason why he recognized this person was because they visited his shop so often. They reached into what he supposed was a breast
He woke up to a pounding headache and a view of the room from the floor. He groaned, not at all recalling how he had ended up on his stomach passed out in a room that was a wreck. He dragged his hands up to press flat against the floor near his shoulders, pushing against the unrelenting surface to counter his current position.
He hissed as his body complained but he managed to at least get himself up to sit on his heels. The room around him was too dim for him to discern any details of the mess around him but it appeared he was in some sort of office or lab. He wasn’t sure which he preferred.
Rubbing at his face, he got up only to dis
Updates happen on the 2nd of any given month, though an update is not guaranteed. While projects are currently in flux, Harry Potter and the Altered Timeline has remained one of the prominent pieces still being worked on.
With the posting of Gaster's Involvement | Chapter 6 another story has completed and The Othertale Timeline story is finished, a feat years in the making. At this point, the only thing I have planned is continuing to work on Harry Potter and the Altered Timeline. Outside of that, I have a number of original works I would like to touch after a year of not having the drive to but I'm not committing to a set plan quite yet. I make no promise on any sort of schedule for anything outside of HPAT remaining on a three month cycle, meaning there will be at least one chapter posted April 2nd. I do not plan on changing that any time soon. I am looking at potentially taking a break from writing on the off months for the time being. We will see how my muses take the free time. I hope life is being kind and muses are staying strong. ~AnotherDemon