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Grimoires & Gunsmoke: Operation Tolkien Ch. 46

Elijah narrowed his eyes at the young teenage girl he had ‘rescued’ from the literal house of horrors. She sat hugging her knees on a cart, her eyes bulging out of her head as she stared into the distance.

He couldn’t quite imagine what was going through her mind. The trauma, the fear, the sheer weight of having lost everything in such a brutal, senseless fashion. It was a familiar scene to Elijah. He had seen similar scenes in Iraq and Syria, where ISIS's reign of terror had left...

Grimoires & Gunsmoke: Operation Tolkien Ch. 45

When the Special Forces Team entered the destroyed village, they couldn’t say they were surprised at what they saw.

The team kept their weapons up so they had full 360-degree cover, and the closer they got, the more apparent the devastation became. The attack on the village had been brutal and comprehensive, leaving nothing but smoldering ruins and the lingering smell of smoke and death in its wake.

It was evident that a scorched earth policy was being employed by the attacking ...

Grimoires & Gunsmoke: Operation Tolkien Ch. 44

Coleman and his Operational Detachment Alpha (ODA) team moved like specters through the unusual grass field, creeping closer to the village in the distance.

As the team leader looked around, his gaze couldn’t help but linger on the curious blend of foliage around him. It was neither entirely wheat nor typical grass and stood almost chest-high while swaying gently with the breeze. The heads of each large blade were slightly broader than the wheat fields of middle America with an odd mi...

Grimoires & Gunsmoke: Operation Tolkien Ch. 43

“I knew it!! Traitors!!” Commander Elarion bellowed, snapping his head towards Raf and pointed at the two running deserters with his lance. “Bring those cowards to heel! They shall rue the day they turned their back on the empire!”

Caught off guard by the situation, Raf sat there on his horse, momentarily stunned as he watched Ryffka and Talarion sprint away. His head snapped back and forth between his commander's enraged shouts and the fleeing figures of what he had thought wer...

Grimoires & Gunsmoke: Operation Tolkien Ch. 42

“Gods… How much longer do we have to keep walking…?”  Talarion grumbled as he and Ryffka made their way through a vast field of green chest-high grass tipped with golden wheat-like heads.

The field seemed to stretch out like what seemed like an endless sea around the two as every so often a gentle breeze would blow in, relieving them slightly from the overbearing heat. The sun hung oppressively in the clear blue sky like a relentless orb of fire that seemed to suck the mois...

Grimoires & Gunsmoke: Operation Tolkien Ch. 41

Yzael studied the man before her intently. His features were unfamiliar, yet something about his presence sparked a distant memory.

The tone of his voice as he started to speak resonated within her, igniting a sense of recognition that she couldn't quite place. It wasn't a clear or concise memory. It was more like a shadow flickering at the edge of her consciousness, but it was still compelling enough to make her believe that this was the person she had been seeking.

“Wait… Ar...

Grimoires & Gunsmoke: Operation Tolkien Ch. 40

The once clear and peaceful skies of Cambridge, Ohio, were now etched with the contrails of every type of aircraft imaginable as sharp roars of engines and the thundering thumps of helicopter blades provided a near-constant backdrop to the daily hustle of the base.

DuPont had seen the transformation unfold firsthand. Long gone were the Hesco barriers acting as a stop-gap measure for a hastily constructed forward operating base. In its stead, a sea of reinforced concrete stretched throug...

Grimoires & Gunsmoke: Operation Tolkien Ch. 39

Azeline's mind was a chaotic mess of vivid dreams, induced by that damned human. Even in her unconscious state, her senses were alive with intense and disturbing memories of when she was a shield maiden.

In the depths of her drug-induced dreams, Azeline's mind wandered back to her early years, to a time when she was a young girl growing up in the unforgiving lands of the north. A land that was fractured and plagued by wars.

Her village had been under the protection of a local lord...

Grimoires & Gunsmoke: Operation Tolkien Ch. 38

"Wait! Just... wait!" Elijah yelled, throwing his hands forward when he saw the look on the blonde Elf’s face.

Her grip on the stone had tightened, and her arm tensed as she cocked it back to throw it. “You think I’m just going to allow some FREAK to rob me!?” She barked in anger. “Can’t you losers wait until I at least die!?”

“W-What!? We're not here to rob you!” Elijah said slowly detaching the more portable aid pack that was attached to his waist. “You're hu...

Grimoires & Gunsmoke: Operation Tolkien Ch 37

With the morning sun peeking over the horizon, casting a soft golden hue through the dense forest, the ODA team, consisting of six members, moved with the precision and silence characteristic of elite special forces. They maintained proper dispersion, each member spaced evenly apart yet within visual range of each other, a silent formation moving as one through the underbrush.

As they ventured deeper into the woods, their steps were cautious and calculated, barely making a sound. Each t...

Grimoires & Gunsmoke: Operation Tolkien Ch. 36

“Gather around you fucking animals!” Coleman ordered as he yanked a large duffle bag and a strange metal object off the back of his GMV. After he got everything he needed, the team leader then threw the camouflage netting back over the vehicle, ensuring it blended seamlessly into the treeline they were hiding in.

All twelve members of the Special Forces ODA Team, quickly congregated around their team leader with expressions of a mix of curiosity and anticipation while Coleman began ...

Grimoires & Gunsmoke: Operation Tolkien Ch. 35

Ryffka sighed for what he felt was the thousandth time when his elf compatriot tripped over another exposed root, letting out a string of curses that echoed through the forest.

“Can you be any louder!?” Ryffka hissed, placing a finger to his lips, signaling Talarion to maintain silence. “You’re going to get us killed!”

The elf struggled to get up and shot the Stymph a sour look. “I’m sorry if I’m not some light foot harpy spawn!” he retorted, brushing off leaves ...

Grimoires & Gunsmoke: Operation Tolkien Ch. 34

Elijah gazed at the soft hues of dawn that painted the morning sky. It was a serene backdrop to the stark reality on the ground as four GMVs, bristling with weaponry and equipment, made their way across the hilly plains. Each bump and dip was a reminder of the rugged and untamed landscape they found themselves in, where everything they passed was as novel as the next.

The night before had been a strategic dance of observation and patience. Hidden away in their makeshift camp, they had d...

Grimoires & Gunsmoke: Operation Tolkien Ch. 33

In the southernmost bastion of the Seraphic Empire’s territories, perched atop the ancient fortress walls, stood Ryffka, a scout of the Stymph species. Unlike his human counterparts, Ryffka was adorned with a plumage of teal and white feathers instead of hair, a distinctive trait of his kind.

Descended from a union of Human or Elves and Harpies, the Stymphs were lean, petite and agile. Dyffka himself moved with a grace that belied his keen alertness as his sharp eyes constantly scanne...

Grimoires & Gunsmoke: Operation Tolkien Ch. 32

It was the 6th of February, 202X, seven months after the Ohio incident - an event that would be etched in the annals of history as a turning point for humanity. The world, once oblivious to the existence of other realms, was violently awakened by the rift that opened in the lands of Cambridge, Ohio. From this tear in reality, dragons, once thought to be the mere fabric of legend, poured forth, bringing with them armies and a tide of monstrous creatures.

The initial chaos was overwhelmin...

Old Elijah commission.

Just imagine him in Multicam and with Salomon boots on.

Grimoires & Gunsmoke: The Ohio Incident Ch. 31 Volume Finale

Mikael looked up towards the sky as the Finnish winter cast its serene, icy blanket over the countryside. The snow storm just a few days prior had transformed the landscape into a picturesque scene of snow-laden trees and frosted fields.

Dressed in a thick, insulated jacket and a woolen beanie, he exhaled a visible breath into the crisp air. His youthful face, framed by his tight and high haircut, was flushed from the cold. But as Mikael’s boots crunched softly in the fresh snow while...

Grimoires & Gunsmoke: The Ohio Incident Ch. 30

Weeks had passed since the Ohio Incident, a surreal event that had thrust the small country town into the global spotlight. Just south of the epicenter, where two worlds once violently collided, there now existed a seamless tear in reality, a blending of the fantastical and the mundane.

The armies of the otherworld, strange and fantastical beings, had been pushed back just outside of New Philadelphia, their advance halted by the might of modern weaponry and tactics. But as many from the...

Grimoires & Gunsmoke: The Ohio Incident Ch. 29

A mix of frustration and dread was etched on Lysandra’s face as she let out a heavy sigh. Looking down she examined the metal cuffs clasped tightly around her wrists. Each and every one of them was connected to thick metal chains, which in turn anchored her firmly to the all-metal table in front of her.

Looking around she found herself once again in the stark, featureless room that had become an all-too-familiar setting. It was a place of endless meaningless conversations that were pa...

Grimoires & Gunsmoke: The Ohio Incident Ch. 28

Varian, Emperor of the Seraphic Empire, Son of a matrimony of a goddess and an Ancient dragon, sat at the head of the large marble table with a regal demeanor as his councilors, advisors and generals of varying races sat staring at him.

However, his majestic appearance wasn’t able to hide the thinly veiled frustration and tinge of fear that struck at his heart. The aftermath of his ambitious but ultimately disastrous attempt to invade another world through a gateway constructed by an ...

Grimoires & Gunsmoke: The Ohio Incident Ch. 27

Every single shred of professional decorum had indeed left Toivonen's body. She sat there, head in hands, struggling to process the surreal scene unfolding before her eyes. There, in the midst of a high-security CIA facility, was her boss – the Director of the CIA himself, Mich O'Reilly – in a heated argument with a diminutive supernatural fairy.

"What do you mean I can’t own MY human!? He’s mine!" Yanaiyániuoa's voice, shrill and filled with indignation, cut through the room.<...

The Big Oof! Volume 2 Chapter 70: Unsteady Alliances

“You realize, I’m the one with leverage here, right?” Indi said in annoyance as her tail flicked around irritably. The morning sun cast elongated shadows on the cobbled streets as the two of them weaved their way through the bustling market square.

Elijah scoffed, waving his hand. “Sure, you spotted us some money when we didn’t have any, but I could have easily just worked out something for Ulina herself." He paused for emphasis. "Considering you’re scrounging up anything an...

Grimoires & Gunsmoke: The Ohio Incident Ch. 26

“Apostle!” The little fairy snapped angrily as it buzzed out of the interrogation room. “How could you just…! Just stand there and allow these stupid… STUPIDS, treat me in such a manner!?” She yelled and pointed an accusatory finger at her claimed human.

Elijah however, just stood there unimpressed while the military police donning riot gear flailed around helplessly trying to put out the strange fire or swat away at the ice spreading on their person. “Can you put them out...

Grimoires & Gunsmoke: The Ohio Incident Ch. 25

Toivonen was sitting in the conference room by herself leaning as far back in the office chair as she possibly could. Both of her hands were cupped over her nose and mouth as if physically trying to squeeze the mounting pressure out of her head. Around the wooden table, her staff members sat in varying degrees of unease, their eyes occasionally flicking to the ominously ringing cellphone in the center of the table.

The phone, a stark reminder of the chaos unfolding just beyond the walls...

The Big Oof! Volume 2 Chapter 69: Danger Putty

64 AND 69 LOOK THE SAME! I SWEAR I'M NOT DUMB
-

“I’m gonna tell!” Yana yelled, putting her hands on her hips as she glared at Bennett. “I’m gonna tell and Eli’s gonna kill you when he finds out you spent all his money!”

Bennett froze for a moment before narrowing his eyes at the fairy hovering around his head.The engineer’s grip clutched even tighter to the coin purse full of magical ingredients. “Snitches get stitches. Well, he’s not going to care how muc...

Grimoires & Gunsmoke: The Ohio Incident Ch. 24

Yzael was walking down the strange and bright hallway of a heavily guarded healer's building when her hand subconsciously slid onto her abdomen where she had been wounded.

By all accounts she should have been dead by such an injury, but the marvels of this magicless world had pulled her back from the brink. The fabric of her tunic, foreign yet adapted from the materials given to her by the local healers, was smooth under her dainty fingers, a stark contrast to the roughness of her battl...

Grimoires & Gunsmoke: The Ohio Incident Ch. 23

While everyone in the encampment had fallen deafeningly quiet, Bennett decided to just roll with the absurdity and voiced his own thoughts. .“The mere fact that something so stupid worked, pisses me off...” The engineer said with annoyance while he flicked a tiny hand off his sleeve.

“Heh.” Elijah let out a smug huff as he jammed his pistol back into his holster.

Coleman however, stood completely stunned as he stared at what was left of the fairy, unable to fully accept wh...

The Great Yanaiyániuoa! Goddess of the Fae, First Judge of the Verdoran Court

Grimoires & Gunsmoke: The Ohio Incident Ch. 22

“Fuck me, man…” Coleman groaned as his gaze swept across the faces around him. Each and everyone of them was etched with a blend of awe, confusions and lingering fear. The encounter had spooked them, but it also hadn’t taken the fight out.

Each highly trained fighter stood at the ready, scanning every inch of the encampment with their weapons competently gripped in their hand.

If Coleman was honest, he couldn’t blame them for their fear, especially when he felt it too. T...

The Big Oof! Volume 2 Chapter 68: Wake Up Call

“BLARGH!!!”

A sharp, stinging wake-up call came in the form of cold water slapping against roughened skin. The female assassin sputtered, gasping as she was rudely brought back from the throes of unconsciousness. Her eyes fluttered open, greeted by the small gleaming face of a pixie with a flaming head whose delicate wings bore no sign of the hostility hidden within her diminutive frame.

The pixie leaned in, her large sharp toothed smile seemed to fit in with the cozy lookin...