Hidden Beasts, Book I. Story HUB, Wet Boar

  The Wet Boar ship sails along the Olderton River, which divides the Kingdom in half. The crew does not want to take any side of the civil war, so they does not stay ashore for long. Transporting refugees and smuggling goods is a good deal for now.

Meanwhile, Zeev wonders what to do with the sphere before the storm arrives...

What is the general situation... (Introduction)
How Zeev got the Sparkle. (Book I. Opening, Without limits)

Progress (graph and drawing): Story HUB, Hidden Beasts

Time for another update on what stage of drawing I am at.

I'm getting close to what I wanted to publish 😅 last week. I try to improve my technique every time, so it's easy to exceed deadlines. Especially with the HUB. I tried to do several things at once. I want to show you what exactly Story HUB means.

(in the expansion of the post, there is a drawing for the description of Sparkle)

The story of the Hidden Beasts can be read from start to finish (treating the HUB as one of the pages of the story) or by using the HUB as an 😎 interactive start.

Each book's HUB will have links to short side stories, character descriptions, and a map. Each book will have updated character descriptions and other information. Thanks to this writing system, I can publish all books faster, then add side stories, introduce new characters and enrich the world of the Hidden Beasts (and other worlds I plan to present).

And here's the promised drawing...

Progress: Story HUB, Hidden Beasts

I was able to prepare only a fraction of what I wanted to put in this weekend.

 Some of it will be released in the week, the rest will move in the schedule.

Hidden Beasts, Book I. Opening, Without limits (part 4) Everything is not enough [5]

 

  The sphere fulfilled Zeev's wish, for a moment, everything was plunged into darkness. They teleported together to the Western Continent, and more specifically to the desert surrounding the Capital.

- We have arrived, my Master, this is the Endless Desert, the House of Wizards... scorpions, snakes and many other poisonous creatures. - Sparkle reminded - Should I list all the dangers in alphabetical order? - she asked.

  Zeev denied it and asked if all wizards could move like this. It turned out that this little sphere is unique, placed high in the rank of the Wizarding State. The boy thought that he would be rich, untouchable, that the world belongs to him and that his life will change completely. Then he remembered today's fight and several previous ones, he thought of his countrymen and the little girl with a wide smile who gave him a small crystal sphere endowed with unlimited power.

- Little one! - He speak to the sphere - We're going back to the Wet Boar. I don't know how yet, but I'll change what wizards think about the people of the Great Forest. I will end the war and restore hope. The limits no longer apply to me!

Back. (Without limits (part 1) Wolf in sheep's clothing)

Return to the ship deck (Story HUB, Wet Boar)

Hidden Beasts, Book I. Opening, Without limits (part 3) Knowledge isn't the only power [4]

 The Kingdom in the Great Forest is not the only one in the world, on the other side of the ocean there is a State inhabited by real wizards. The crystal sphere must have considered Zeev to be one of them. After the naming ceremony, the sphere became his personal adviser and he was given access to the full archive of the Capital. 

  The overjoyed boy had a lot of questions. He learned that the Western continent known as the House of Wizards or the Endless Desert has not suffered from any war since it was formed. And the community enjoys the same endless happiness and loving care of the Capital. He also learned that long ago the smaller, Green Continent had been inhabited by a group of wizards-refugees who had lost their humanity over the years, started barbaric wars and stopped taking care of personal cleanliness.

Zeev wanted to throw the sphere into the river at such insults, but agreed with it.

- This is a cursed place - Zeev said  - I'd rather live in the desert. - he added.

- Of course! My Master, we will move there in a moment. - Sparkle replied.

Continue... (Without limits (part 4) Everything is not enough)

Back. (Without limits (part 1) Wolf in sheep's clothing)

Return to the ship deck (Story HUB, Wet Boar)

Hidden Beasts, Book I. Opening, Without limits (part 2) Sparkle [3]

 

  The fight ended very quickly. The captain got angry with Zeev, she was sure he would win this fight - as usual. However, in the end, she allowed him to stay on her ship, if he did not mind him sleeping in a crow's nest, under the open sky...

  Though Zeev himself hadn't expected to be on boards so quickly, he was not worried about it. Even if he has to fall asleep on an empty stomach. His opponent and her daughter will surely be comfortable in a warm cabin. They are good girls, the smaller one, the one with a big smile, handed him after the fight a crystal sphere, which he stumbled spectacularly on in the arena.

  Zeev stared deeply into the sphere, he thought he saw the image of a beautiful stranger in it.

- I'll call you Sparkle - he joked, then became speechless, because the sphere simply replied to him:

- Of course, my Master.

Continue... (Without limits (part 3) Knowledge isn't the only power)

Back. (Without limits (part 1) Wolf in sheep's clothing)

Return to the ship deck (Story HUB, Wet Boar)

Hidden Beasts, Book I. Opening, Without limits (part 1) Wolf in sheep's clothing [2]

  In the temporary arena of the Wet Boar ship, opponents fight for a warm cabin for tonight and maybe a hearty meal.

  Zeev no longer wonders if his opponent possessed the speed of a horse, the strength of a bear, or the fury of a bull - maybe she had all those powers, since she throws him like a small furry animal. Zeev wondered if he had drunk proper Decoct of Transformations. The shaman certainly wanted to make a joke of him by selling sheep decoct to the wolf, if he was a shaman at all.

  The blows of the strong opponent were so powerful that even the viewers lost consciousness for a moment and the arena was obscured by darkness...
...but it's impossible.

  A mysterious, small crystal sphere appeared between the fighters in the arena.

Continue... (Without limits (part 2) Sparkle)

Previous. (Introduction)

Return to the ship deck (Story HUB, Wet Boar)