The Strange Tales of Peter James Martin

Wednesday, 17 June 2026

#180 Riz vs A.I. Part VI + Short Diversions: Avalon Tales Chapter 8

Happy Blog Day Everyone!

Chapter 8 of Avalon Tales is here!

Sadly, I'm still behind on my writing but I've had a very busy week! Need to get back on the writing train.

I'll keep this part brief though as I know you'll all want to get on with reading!

I don't think Brennan and Riz are wanting to do that mind...

The Comic Tales of Brennan and Riz

That might be an overreaction...Or you could argue that's the power of saying sorry!

This is the penultimate part, and really the end of the storyline...but there is an epilogue still to come! Not bad for a three parter!

Short Diversions: Avalon Tales Chapter 8

Following on from Chapter 7, Isabelle finds herself being escorted to a extraction point by Lucy, a lady with a lot she wants to say. A chance encounter with a certain man offers her some comfort...

There's a bit I want to say about this chapter but I'll get to it once you've all read to the end, it'll be less spoilerful that way!

Avalon Tales Chapter Index

Chapter 8

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Chapter 8: Differing Opinions

Isabelle walked with her head bowed, alternating between cursing her situation and fretting about those still in the line of fire. Lucy walked behind her, and every time Isabelle looked over her shoulder, she seemed to be on the verge of saying something. Lucy kept her silence though, and even glanced down the same as Isabelle as the pair crossed over a bridge, heading into a quieter area The still waters offered no reflections for them, a fact that Isabelle was glad for, she didn’t really want to see herself. With her free arm, she reached over to her shoulder where her scar was, wanting to offer some relief to that spot but couldn’t, not with Lucy right behind her, silently judging her.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, they reached the destination, a bench situated near a bus stop. The road they were on seemed seldom used, at least at that time of night. They stopped, and Isabelle exhaled, preparing for some sort of snappy comment from her chaperone.

Lucy, as it turned out, did have something to say:

“You don’t see how stupid all this is, do you?” She said like she was holding back a laugh.

“What?” Isabelle replied, not understanding what she meant.

“You. This charade you put on. You want everyone to think that it’s your work that gets you special treatment, and not your status as the boss’s daughter,” Lucy explained as she played with her hair. “It would be pathetic if it wasn’t so stupid.”

Isabelle’s scar started to tingle a bit more, as her own anger started to rise. No matter how she was feeling, talk like that always got her attention.

“You think I got where I am because of who my father is? Were you not paying attention to what just happened there?”

“I saw a man choose his daughter over every other combatant in the area. You’re being rushed out of the battlefield in a gilded chariot, while we have to risk our lives. Well, aside from those two that you almost got blown up of course. Some leader you are,” Lucy sniggered. “Are you going to keep on moving then? We’ve got an ETA to keep to, you know.”

“I would gladly risk my life to fight! I’m not in favour of any of this treatment! I earned my position through my own skills, despite my father! Not because of him.” Isabelle felt a strong urge to hit Lucy, who stood as though she didn’t have a care in the world.

“Please, do you actually believe that? Do you believe that you’ve got to be your Knight Master’s second in command because of the skills you have? That’s really funny actually. If my team had been ambushed like yours, I wouldn’t have had any casualties. Face it, you’re out of your depth princess. You’ve had cushy post after cushy post. That surname of yours is doing all the heavy lifting,” Lucy wasn’t holding anything back, and her tone grew more cruel the more she spoke.

“I never asked my dad to do anything for me, and he’s been actively fighting against everything I’ve done. I wouldn’t be here if he got his way! I belong here!” Isabelle shouted, her voice echoing through the night.

“Quiet now, we’re supposed to be acting under the radar, remember?”

“What is your problem here? Are you just trying to make me feel worse, or do you enjoy kicking people when they’re down?” Isabelle noticed that the wind was picking up around them, and the little windmill in Lucy’s hair was spinning wildly.

“If I wanted to kick you, I would be doing it already. Listen princess, you need to learn your place. If your dad wasn’t the Lord Commander, you wouldn’t be anything.”

“What did I do to you?” Isabelle asked. “Or do you lay into people you hardly know like this all the time?”

“You don’t remember me do you? We were part of the same training squad. In fact, I was on track to break many of the records that you then broke. Your very presence meant that me and everyone else suddenly had to work fifty times harder merely to keep up,” Lucy explained as she started to walk around Isabelle. “Because of your ‘accomplishments’ you got drafted to the prestige of Knight Master Gawain’s tutelage. Me and the others? We passed from pillar to post, plugging gaps.”

Isabelle was taken aback by what she’d heard. Now that she knew it, there was a faint resemblance in Lucy’s features, but she’d been so focused in her training, that she’d pushed everything else out of her life. Her goal had been to join Avalon, and getting through the training was another step in that direction.

“It looks like your skills were recognised regardless of what I was doing,” Isabelle argued, aware that the green necklace around her neck was now glowing.

“It was Rainer who recognised my skills, and who gave me this power. Everything I’d done had been recognised, and I didn’t have a famous daddy to give me hand outs, like that fancy sword there.” Lucy reached out, as she passed behind Isabelle, touching the prototype Saviour Blade that had been put into its sheath.

“My father had nothing to do with this. Rainer recognised your skills, just as Ramona recognised mine.”

“The fact that you believe that is so adorable. People only cosy up to you because of who your dad is. Ramona, your girlfriend with the bow,” Lucy said dismissively. “You had any other last name, and none of them would want to know who you were.”

Isabelle seethed, her scar reacting more and more, making the urge to fight overwhelming, and Lucy seemed to see this within her eyes.

“You’re so easy to rile up, that hard exterior of yours is as thin as ice. You’re pathetic. I think I’ve wasted enough time on you, some of us have jobs to do, jobs where I can finally prove that I was always the best. Good bye, Knight Major…” Lucy turned on her heels and offered a final goodbye, the condescending tone reaching fever pitch.

Isabelle struggled with her emotions, it was almost as if her scar was daring her to attack as Lucy walked away, leaving her back exposed.

“Come back here!” Isabelle screamed out.

“Sorry, not my job to babysit you,” Lucy sniggered as she kept on walking, eventually leaving Isabelle’s sight.

Now left alone, Isabelle shook with anger, and screamed out, before turning to kick a discarded bottle as hard as she could. Despite the distance she sent it, she didn’t feel any better. She flashed back her mind to her training days, trying to remember the faces of all the other recruits, but there was only a series of blurs. Wearily, she slumped down on the bench, putting her head in her hands. Try as she might, everything that had been said to her that night was stuck on a loop, forced to listen again and again to Lucy’s hate.

She didn’t know how long she’d been sitting there for, staring into space when she spotted the headlights coming towards her, and at first, she thought that this was it, this was the transport that was going to take her back to the North East Branch and that would be the end of it. Instead, it was what looked like a normal dark coloured family car. The car pulled up alongside her, the engine still running, and the passenger side window was wound down.

“Hello? Are you okay there?” A voice floated out from the open window.

“M-Me?” Isabelle asked in return.

“No, I’m talking to the other Avalon grunt sitting over there…Of course I’m talking to you!” Whoever it was sounded jovial, and it was definitively a male voice, with a reassuring calmness to the voice, despite the sting in his words.

“Sorry, it’s been a rough night…Wait, did you just say Avalon?”

“Yes? I mean, not many people would be out at night, wearing combat fatigues, with a sword strapped to your back, and what I’m assuming to be real guns hanging by your waist. Oh, and of course that little shield emblem on your shoulder. That one is kind of a massive give away since I’ve seen that on my wife’s uniform often enough.”

“Your wife?” Isabelle stood, walking a bit closer to the car, her training had instinctively programmed her to reach for one of the guns slowly, needing to make sure she could be armed in a moment’s notice.

“Yes, my wife. You might know her? Her name is Marie?” At this point, the driver fully opened the passenger side door, so they could better communicate. Isabelle saw that the driver was in his thirties, with dark brown hair and crystal blue eyes.

“Marie…Wait, you’re Marie’s husband?” Isabelle had to quickly sort through her memories till she remembered the name that her friend had often spoken of. “You’re Gabriel?”

“That’s my name!” Gabriel flashed a smile. “I think I know who you are. The snow white hair, that air of professionalism. You must be Isabelle. Marie has said a lot about you.”

“She has?”

“My Marie likes to talk about all her work friends, don’t worry, nothing bad. She pretty much sees you all like her extended family, speaking of which…” Gabriel looked behind himself, towards the backseat of the car. Curious to what he was looking at, Isabelle leaned in just enough to spot a eight year old boy, fast asleep. He looked almost a double of Gabriel, and she guessed this must have been Terry. He had often been one of Marie’s favourite subjects to talk about.

“He told me that he was too old to fall asleep in the car now, looks like I won that argument,” Gabriel laughed.

“Why are you both out here at this time of night, shouldn’t he be at home in bed?” Isabelle questioned.

“My job doesn’t know what reasonable hours are. I was all prepared for an early night, just me and the kid here, but a pushy client wanted their delivery tonight, and wouldn’t take no for an answer. So, me and the kiddo came out for a late drive so I could take care of it. Don’t worry though, I got Marie’s approval to do it, and Terry got to stay up a bit later, so we all won in the end,” Gabriel explained. “Enough about me though, what about you? Why is there a lone Avalon operative just sitting here, alone in the dark.” Gabriel rested against the steering wheel, leaning against his hand.

“My mission ended early…” Isabelle erred on saying something that was half true.

“Okay, I get that, but that doesn’t tell me why you’re out here alone. If your mission was done, wouldn’t you be heading back to base along with everyone else? Marie doesn’t go into the complete details over what happens to you all, but she’s adamant that you all travel together instead of apart. Safety in numbers and everything that goes along with that.”

“I’m…” Isabelle tried to think of an alternate excuse, but the way Gabriel was looking at her, she knew that he wouldn’t believe it.

“...Of course, maybe it doesn’t matter so much, compared to what you do next.” He said after her pause.

“Excuse me?”

“Look, I’m really good at reading people, and you? You’re practically an open book at this point. Your expression is one of ‘I’ve just been floored and my world view shattered’, am I close to the mark by asking if something like that happened?” Gabriel shifted his position, reclining back into his seat.

It was another question that seemed to come out of nowhere but hit hard all the same. She hadn’t even thought of a response when Gabriel smirked, seeing that he had got close to the heart of the matter, he let out a laugh.

“I am sorry, I annoy Marie with that talent all the time. It’s okay though, I also love helping people, and seeing as you're a friend of my dear Marie, then maybe there is something I can help you with?”

The offer was nice, but Isabelle looked around, not seeing any sign of her pick up t all. She did want to talk to someone about what happened, but she wanted that someone to be Robyn,

“I get it, you don’t know me from any other guy off the street, but I do sincerely want to help, that’s why me and Maire make such a good match. I can offer you a different perspective, if you would like of course. A problem shared is a problem halved, as they say.”

“What would you do if people assumed that everything you were, was all because of someone close to you? That every achievement you made, every action you took, was the result of someone? That these people would want you to fail,” Isabelle tried to keep it as generic as possible, she didn’t know why she was even sharing this with him, but given the way she was feeling, it was worth a shot.

“Oh, if I had a penny for every time that happened! Sounds like jealous people if you ask me, but that’s not much of an answer is it?” Gabriel chuckled. “No, what you need is twofold, first off, recognise those voices for what they are, distractions whose only purpose is to stop you from getting what you want. Secondly, you need to prove to yourself that you are everything you think you are, everything you’re capable of and then some. I mean, I’m only going off second hand information here, but it certainly seems that you can handle yourself just fine in a fight, from what Marie keeps telling me.”

It was the second part here that peaked Isabelle’s interest.

“Prove myself?” she mulled the words over. Before tonight, she would have argued that she had nothing to prove, that her work spoke for itself, but that clearly wasn’t the case.

“No idea on how you could do that. Maybe that ride back to your base can help you have that brain wave, kill that demon that’s hounding you,” Gabriel spoke softly at that point, as Terry stirred in the back. “I think you have all the tools you need at your disposal, even if you don’t realise it yet.”

The word demon connected with the response her father had given her when she asked if the Blood Brothers were connected with her mother’s death. Often, he was fast to shoot things down, but this went beyond that. His words were supposed to have been a warning, and she understood that now, he wanted her away from the Blood Brothers. She slowly realised that there was a lot of information that she listened to, but never took on considering what happened with her father. There was something else that was bothering her, the demons she had first encountered that night, they had been running from something else, which was easy to guess as the other ones. Demon on demon violence wasn’t unheard of, but it was a clue. Isabelle looked back to the way she’d come from with Lucy. She had to go back.

“Thank you for the talk,” she said, seemingly out of the blue. “It actually was helpful.”

“Then it was a good thing that we met wasn’t it?” Gabriel replied with a small smile. “Do you need a lift or anything?”

“No, you’ve done enough, plus where I’m going, I don’t want any civilians to go, especially no one with kids.”

“Well, aren’t you being thoughtful? I get the feeling you’re going to go far, I’ll have to ask Marie to keep a tab on you. However, if you don’t need me for anything, I’ll take my leave and get this kiddo home!” Gabriel reached back and playfully shook Terry, getting an automatic groan from the child.

“I’ll be sure to tell her how much of a help you were,” Isabelle replied.

“Oh, I’m positive she’ll be asking you questions about me, and what transpired tonight! Farewell miss Blake, and good luck on whatever your mission is. Keep up the good work!” Gabriel waited till Isabelle had stepped away from the car, and then sped away, leaving her with a new sense of purpose. She clenched her fist, and made a vow to herself.

“I’ll see this mission through, no matter how it ends, and I’ll do it all by myself…” With that, she started running, wanting to get back to the industrial park where her night had gone wrong. She was certain that the key to the night’s events was still there. She looked down at the walkie talkie on her belt, and did think about calling it in, but she knew her dad wasn’t going to give her the time of day. She could call Robyn, but she knew she’d try to dissuade her as well, at least till she could get there, but there was no time for any of it.

“I hope you forgive me Robyn…But I have to do this!”

There was no going back now.

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Next Chapter (not live yet)

Admittedly, this little plot twist (of a sort) came about while writing this chapter, necessitating a rewrite, as the original version just had Lucy being difficult for no real reason? It didn't serve any narrative purpose, unlike giving Lucy a chip on her shoulder having being completely upstaged. This felt more satisfying to me, and I also took out an act that Lucy did that felt completely unneeded. Really it was provocation and a step away from cartoon-like villany. Obviously this isn't quite the tone I wanted.

Now, onto that cameo, is it excessive and self indulgent? Probably. Do I care? Not really. This is the sort of thing Gabriel would do after all. Plus, believe it or not, but this is actually toned down from previous versions of the story where he was a more active participant, fighting alongside Isabelle at one point. As cool as that was, it would hace raised a lot of questions regarding how much Avalon knew about Gabriel before the events of Daemon Soul. Keeping his cameo ti this snippet made things go more smoother. Oh, if anyone is curious, this story is set two years before Gabriel walks away from family...leaving a trail of blood behind him. Also it was very lucky that Terry was asleep, otherwise that might have created a plot hole!

Anyway, that is all we have time for this week. Hoping against hope that I can regain some semblance of control over my life so I can get back to writing! Future events are swirling in my head and I need to ger them on paper...

Till next time...

Keep on writing!

Peter James Martin

Quick Links

Wednesday, 10 June 2026

#179 Riz vs A.I Part V

Happy Blog Day Everyone!

Yes, an in-between week this time and it's definitely a short one!

Sadly, I've not done any writing whatsoever (had other jobs that needed doing plus, where the hell has the past week disappeared to! As if we're a third of the way through June now!). I have not heard anything back yet from Harvey Duckman regarding my submission, but neither have I really got further with Avalon Tales, something I really need to change.

But that being said, Brennan and Riz have something new at least...Let's see what that is!

The Comic Tales of Brennan and Riz

Only two parts left in what was supposed to be a trilogy...That was probably never going to happen was it? Art didn't turn out too bad on this one either. What will happen next week in the penultimate installment of this saga? Well, you'll just have to wait and see.

Also, twenty one more issues till 200? Yeah, I'd like time to go back to a more normal speed now.

Right, that's your lot for this week, chapter 8 drops next week (perfect time for a refresher!), and with it, a turning point for Isabelle...Oh and a guest appearance from a Daemon Soul character.

You already know who it's going to be.

Till next time,

Keep on writing!

Peter James Martin

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Wednesday, 3 June 2026

#178 Riz vs A.I. Part IV + Short Diversions: Avalon Tales Chapter 7

Happy Blog Day Everyone!

It's a chapter week, which means that, yes, Chapter 7 of Avalon Tales is here! The plot moves forward a lot here so if you want to catch up on Isabelle and her adventures, scroll down to get reading!

Writing hasn't gone so well, aside from completing the new Brennan and Riz short (yes, it's finished!) As that project has taken it out of me, so I haven't written anything else. The Brennan and Riz short story though...Yeah that was a fun time.

Here's what happened, I'd spent the last two weeks trying to get the manuscript finished, which in predictable fashion meant several rewrites and characters purged. So far, a normal experience for me. Everything was done (or so I thought, more on this in a moment) by 11:40 p.m. on Friday 29th of May. The deadline was just twenty minutes away. What should have been a simple matter of attaching the document to an email and sending it, was anything but. When the first notification came through that the email failed to send, my eyebrow raised. I tried again. That one failed. With time now getting too close for comfort, I kept trying but to no avail. I had one hope left and I fired off a different email. That one was answered the next morning and, after some more fiddling, I was able to get the submission to send. Phew!

However, it was only a little while later when going over things in my head did I realise something. In the story I'd created a plot thread that ran through it, putting a lot of emphasis into it...Then I completely forgot about it during the story's resolution! I think this came about as I had initially dropped the point before adding it again later...after the ending had been done. Suffice to say if the story doesn't get picked up, I'll know why. Of course it's no one's fault but my own. Lessons learned eh?

Speaking of Brennan and Riz though...

The Comic Tales of Brennan and Riz

Everything seems a good idea at the time. Do think Riz should have perhaps tried a bit harder. This three part story has truly stretched itself out. Hoping to have it wrapped up in another three strips, making it the second longest storyline. Let's just see what happens when they confront the A.I next week!

Short Diversions: Avalon Tales Chapter 7

Last time, Isabelle and her team were ambushed by demons she had no intel on, and which were equipped for a fight! Now that her father has appeared to save her, will she get any answers, or is what he has to say worse...Let's find out.

A note, still no new artwork. I apologise again but it is what it is. I'm stuck in a rut and I'm having trouble getting out of it.

Anyways, on with the chapter.

Avalon Tales Chapter Index

Chapter 7

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Chapter 7: Blood Brothers

When Isabelle woke up, a medic was tending to her on site. She recognised his face, being one of her dad’s retinue, someone her dad trusted to tell him things straight. In that moment of half consciousness , she’d forgotten his name, but there were more important matters at hand.

“No! Squires Kenner and Dodgson! Get to them first!” she shouted, trying to raise herself up, but the person trying to treat her simply pushed her down again.

“They are fine, well, no they’re not, but they are both alive and stable. Now, please let me continue to sort you out,” the medic replied nonchalantly, brushing her concern off.

“Alive and stable?” Isabelle asked.

“They were practically ground zero to an explosion, this isn’t Hollywood, no one gets to walk away from that, well, no one human anyway. There is nothing you can do for them now, we’re waiting to get them to a medical facility, so if you want to do something that is actually helpful right this second, then you can tell me where you are hurting,” the medic stated, shining a light in Isabelle’s eyes. She remembered his name at this point, Dr. Klyne, or Jason to those who got past his prickly exterior. It had been him who looked at Isabelle over fourteen years ago, making him one of the few who knew about her scar.

“I’m…okay,” she lied. Her body was hurting all over, and her aforementioned scar wasn’t letting up either. She knew Jason didn’t have anything in his bag for that.

“Huh, really? So you get hurled into a wall, and you’re completely okay? Well, that’s got to be a first,” Jason replied sardonically, he looked her straight in the eyes. “I know your dad is just standing over there, but cut the heroic bullshit. My job is to make sure you’re okay, and I can’t do that if you’re lying to me. We all feel pain, and if you’re suffering then I need to do what I can to make it better. Do you understand?”

Isabelle exhaled, Jason was just as stubborn as everyone else her father surrounded himself with..

“You said it yourself, I was thrown into a wall…My body is still ringing from that, and…” She moved her hand to the shoulder where the scar was, hoping Jason would understand that instead of having to say it out loud.

“Oh, well, I can give you something for the normal pain…” He paused, seemingly wondering how to word the next part. “...The other thing though, thats-”

“That’s a different matter, I know,” Isabelle finished the sentence for him. “Just sort the rest of the pain out, I can live with the other thing, and don’t-”

“Tell you father? I’m a medical professional and bound by patient confidentiality. Though he’ll figure it out himself…Speaking of which, he’s coming over now. I’d better sort that pain medication out for you. Be prepared for his assessment to be brief,” Jason said as he turned to his bag. From over his shoulder, Isabelle did indeed see her father striding towards her, a grim expression written on his face.

“Isabelle…” Leo said firmly, making it sound that whatever followed was not going to be good news. “Your mission is over.”

“My mission? No, this area is still infested with demons. Dad…” Isabelle said angrily. “I mean, Lord Commander, sir. Our mission is to purge the demons where we find them.” She knew that this wasn’t going to hold water, she couldn’t leave the battlefield now.

“The North East Branch has been hit hard tonight, with several dead. It is now best to leave this to my team. This conflict is under control.”

“We have different definitions of under control,” Jason remarked, with his back to Leo still. “For what it’s worth, I can sign her fit for active duty once I’ve given her the right medication.”

“That won’t be necessary, she is going to return to the North East Branch and await debriefing. Away from this,” Leo made his intentions clear. The stance he was in allowed Isabelle a good look at the state of his armour. It should have been the strongest that Avalon could have offered, yet it was broken in several places, bloody bandages visible underneath.

“Return? I can’t return now! Where is Ramona? Where is Rainer? Isn’t it unorthodox to send individual soldiers home when the current situation calls for more boots on the ground. Most of all though, where is Robyn? You can’t expect me to leave with no information about where any of my colleagues are.”

“I can expect you to leave because that is what I’m ordering you to do..” Leo took a quick breath, putting his right hand over one of the holes in his armour. “Knight Captain Robyn Gouzen is fine.” That was his attempt at a fig leaf.

“Then please let me speak with her to confirm my situation.”

“I can’t allow that right now. Knight Captain Gouzen and her team are among the surviving forces from the North East Branch that have been ordered to move into the town in case the demons attempt to strike there.”

“That is a stupid decision and you know it, sir.”

A new voice interrupted their conversation. Isabelle knew it was Ramona without having to look and confirm it. While she often knew how to carry herself in important times, she also had a habit of refusing to play nice when there was something idiotic going on.

“Knight Master Brunor, you have your orders don’t you? Why aren’t you carrying them out?”

“Last time I checked, it was that bozo over there who was in charge of this operation, not you,” Ramona gestured as Rainer stepped forward. Isabelle noted that he was also looking worse for wear in some areas, his armour showing signs of battle. His second in command had followed him in, though she didn’t seem happy about it, her expression turned into an oddly satisfied smirk when she saw Isabeblle laid up.

“Rainer, I-” Leo started to speak, but an irate Rainer cut him off fast.

“Leo, you have some explaining to do, I had this mission planned down to a tee, yet not only did the operation get upturned by these new demons, but you also appear to take the glory. I know you have a habit of taking over operations when you damn well please, but I think we’re all owed an explanation now, as I don’t believe for a moment that your arrival and these demons are unconnected.”

Isabelle had heard plenty of stories about Rainer, Ramona had shared more than a few of them herself. Yet seeing this temper in person added an extra edge to what she’d been told. It looked like Rainer was about to burst a blood vessel with how annoyed he seemed.

Leo looked towards Jason, who in turn shrugged his shoulders.

“I’m a healer, not a problem solver,” he stated plainly. “But, if I was in your position, I’d proscribe some honesty with what’s going on, get everyone on the same page as it were, but that’s just me.”

“Thank you…” Leo said earnestly, as if he was thinking about what was just said.

“Well?” Rainer pushed.

“This is a first,” Ramona sniggered. “Never thought I’d see eye to eye with Rainer. I agree with what he said. Furthermore, it was also my people who got hit by what happened. I’ve lost good men and women today, sir,” Ramona really stretched the sir part, as if she was making her annoyance even more plain to see.

Leo took one look at Isabelle, who chose to listen to everything first before making a judgment. She knew herself that something was amiss tonight, and that was with her own intuition, adding what the throbbing of her scar meant as well made it all the more clear.

“The demons that attacked are of a new breed we’ve catalogued recently. Until now, they were classified with the highest levels of secrecy while we conducted research on them. We’ve assigned them the code name of Crimson Knights owing to their predominant colour and their armour. They are a step up from the demons Avalon normally faces on a day to day basis.”

“As Master of Arms, I would like to know why I wasn’t altered about their existence!” Rainer scoffed. Leo shot him an odd look, one that was also shared by Jason. Isabelle caught it, but knew now wasn’t the time to push it.

“It was a need to know basis, and till now, you didn’t need to know. That goes doubly for you, Knight Master,” Leo pointed out.

“Well, I already guessed that!” Ramona replied. “That doesn’t tell us why tonight happened though. Where did these Crimson Knights come from? How intelligent are they?”

“They are in thrall to a pair of extraordinarily strong demons that call themselves, ‘Blood Brothers’. These two you have heard of, Rainer,” Leo explained, turning to the Master of Arms directly, who seemed to sneer in return.

“Yes, I know of them,” he admitted.

“Blood Brothers?” Isabelle repealed the name, mainly to see if it shook any memories loose from within her mind.

“I’m glad you two know who these things are, but do you mind explaining it to us who don’t have as high security clearances as we thought?” Ramona asked, sticking up her hand.

“The ‘Blood Brothers’ have been a thorn in our side since we first encountered them approximately twenty years ago, though then their scope was much smaller in scale.” Leo explained. “They have a habit of going silent for years on end before resuming their activities.”

“Twenty years ago? Did they have-” Isabelle went to ask an obvious question, but was shot down fast.

“No, they had nothing to do with the incident…” Leo opened his mouth to say more, but stopped himself. “While we assumed that the ‘Blood Brothers’ ultimate goal was the same as that of other demonic groups, but, their recent activities have made us rethink that approach. Speaking of which, that is our primary objective tonight. With planning that caught us off guard, they performed a heist on one of our transports. They stole something highly important to the future of Avalon, and it is paramount that we retrieve it. The secondary objective is to put an end to the ‘Blood Brothers’ and all demons in their command.”

“What is the object? You want us to retrieve something that we don’t even know what it looks like?” Ramona questioned.

“It was the Holy Grail wasn’t it?” Rainer said, his tone serious. “I’d heard it was being moved.”

“The Holy what? Don’t you think this is something that should be shared with Knight Masters?” Ramona crossed her arms and scowled. “Let me guess, it’s grail shaped. We’re looking for a cup aren’t we? See Izzy? This is what I have to deal with everytime I head to Headquarters? Their heads are too far up their arses to think about what we have to do on the ground.”

“Knight Master Brunor, now is not the time for this!” Leo roared.

“Oh, you’re right, what was I thinking? What was I thinking! Except, I was thinking why you were sending the best soldier I have back home!” Ramona pointed at Isabelle, making it clear who she was talking about. “I’m more than happy to do my duty, but I need soldiers like Isabelle to do it!”

“You’re overstepping your authority, Brunor. I have made my decision regarding the Knight Major. It is not something for you to question,” Leo stood firm.

“Don’t I get a say?” Isabelle said, but her voice wasn’t heard over the warring words between Ramona and her father.

“I don’t think you do, sadly,” Jason remarked as he handed her some medicine.

“Brunor, I understand your concern,” Rainer interrupted. “However, we still have more capable soldiers at our disposal, Lucy!”

“Yes, sir!” Lucy Fallon stepped forward, still wearing the same smirk, saluting as she did. Isabelle’s scar oddly reacted to her, a fact she put down to the green necklace that hung around her neck. The source of the wind demon magic she wielded. Lucy even seemed to have what looked like a paper windmill in her blonde hair, right next to the bobble keeping her hair up. Even as Isabelle was looking at it, it moved on its own despite the fact there was no breeze to do so, at least anything that Isabelle could feel.

“Are you and the other Kindred ready to mobilise against the new threat?” Rainer asked. Lucy saluted as if to answer, “The Kindred forces I brought with me can handle things, so we have no need for soldiers who have already done their duty.”

“I’M FINE!” Isabelle shouted as she stood up, fighting through the pain as she did. “I can still fight! Do not write me off father!” All eyes were finally on her again, but Leo was unmoved.

“No, you may hide what you can behind pills, but you have done enough tonight, so this is a direct order, Knight Major Isabelle Blake, you are hereby ordered to return to base post haste. A military transport will pick you up shortly from a place outside of the mission zone.”

“Please don’t do this…” Isabelle pleaded.

“This matter is none of your concern now, go. Dr Klyne. We’re moving to the next point,” Leo turned away, making it perfectly clear what his stance was “Rainer, please have one of your soldiers escort her to this transport point please.” Leo handed over a small note, which Rainer took with a sigh, giving Isabelle a fleeting glance.

“At once, sir. Lucy, please assist the good Knight Major here. Rejoin us as soon as she’s at the designated point.” He passed the note along to Lucy, who opened it disinterestedly.

“I am sorry…Isabelle.” Leo said. “You’ll hopefully understand once it’s over. Go and rest, and I’ll call soon. Good bye.” He walked off, leaving Isabelle to seethe as Lucy led her away…

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Next Chapter

Well, that's it for now! The enemy gains a name (taken not from the famous stage play, but rather a song from Papa Roach's Infest album from back in the early 00s!). This duo will be fleshed out more when they actually appear in person but it seems like Isabelle has other issues right now.

As a sneaky preview of the next chapter, I can say a character gets to make his cameo appearance (technically two characters do). So that's something to look forward to.

Till next time,

keep on writing!

Peter James Martin

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Wednesday, 27 May 2026

#177 Riz vs A.I. Part III

Happy Blog Day Everyone!

Another in-between post this time and it's going to be a fairly short one as its being half term time has meant my time has been taken from me!

Writing wise my focus has been solely on the Brennan and Riz story as the deadline is this coming friday! I've reached the point where I seriously question the narrative choices I've made till now. Can I fix this mess? I'm certainly going to give it a go!

Of course it means less time for Avalon Tales but as soon as June hits I can ramp back up on that. Good thing I built a back log of chapters!

For now though, sticking with that duo, let's see what they're up to...in comic form!

The Comic Tales of Brennan and Riz

I get the feeling some of you out there may know where this is going! While this multipart story was supposed to bow out now, I don't think I'll be pushing it much further. Art work didn't turn out too bad today, which is a nice bonus compared to recent weeks.

Only 23 weeks now till the grand 200...Let's see if I'll make it!

That's all for now, I've got a lot to be doing so I best get to it! Don't forget that Chapter 7 of Avalon Tales is live next week, click here to catch up with Chapter 6!

Till next time...

Keep on writing!

Peter James Martin

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Wednesday, 20 May 2026

#176 Riz vs A.I. Part II + Short Diversions: Avalon Tales Chapter 6

Happy Blog Day Everyone!

Chapter 6 is here for Avalon Tales and it's time for the story to get into gear! The operation starts, but is it going to go smoothly? What do you think. Check it out down below!

In other writing news, everything is plodding along nicely, Chapter 11 of Avalon Tales is complete following a change in plans regarding its composition. It was going to be a Chapter of split perspectives but I decided to split that up into another chapter to give the main focus its own space. On the plus it means that Chapter 12 shouldn't take that long to do...Famous last words and all that.

For Brennan and Riz, things are ramping up in their short and now all I have to do is increase the pace, and then end it...and then edit it, you know the fun part which sucks all life from your body. I often go back and forth on if I actually enjoy editing or not but it boils down to how much work is ahead of me. I can often be found cursing my past self because of this, and I get the feeling that this Brennan and Riz short is going to be no different! Still, it's nice to be doing there little fights again, they always flow so nicely. If I could figure out how to have a whole story consist of nothing but their back and forth, I'd draft it in a heartbeat.

Speaking of that duo though, let's see how they're getting on!

The Comic Tales of Brennan and Riz

The 2nd part in now what's probably going to be a longer series, which will mess my daily schedule up over on Blue-Sky (for those unaware I post daily strips over there, returning to the beginning every time I run out of comics) as I'll need to start over again before this little story is complete. Anyone following along like that will have a hefty weight to get the continuation!

Had some fun with this one as I referenced an absurd mechanic from a popular video game franchise. Love doing little touches like that.

Short Diversions: Avalon Tales Chapter 6

With the purge operation in full swing, Isabelle and her team arrive to clear out some demons, despite her unease with certain mission aspects. After all, nothing ever goes so smoothly

I'm afraid I'm going to have to go back on an earlier promise about new art this week. It was supposed to be of the Squires Issac and Jessica, but the quality just isn't there and they deserve better. I'll take yhe designs back to the drawing board and work on them a bit more till I feel they're ready for public consumption. I'm hoping to get a picture of Rainer ready for the next chapter but we'll see how it goes.

Right, on with the chapter!

Avalon Tales Chapter Index

Chapter 6

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Chapter 6: No Smooth Sailing

Isabelle took the first step into the cold night. It was that awkward time of year where it’d ceased to be winter, but the spring weather and warmer nights hadn’t quite asserted themselves yet. The combat gear she was wearing mitigated the majority of the chills that normal people would feel, if anything she was perhaps too warm for her liking, but she endured. Ramona quickly followed behind her, putting her hand on her shoulder, the one opposite to where her scar was this time.

“Good luck out here, Knight Major,” Ramona said as she pointed to her ear piece, which was pretty much a confirmation that Cade was now listening in to the feeds. Isabelle didn’t know how he was even capable of doing something like that while also fighting, but supposed it was no different to all the times that Rei was working in her laboratory but also deafening everyone else with whatever flavour of rock music she liked at that point. Jessica and Issac were the next ones to step out, and neither’s mood was much better than before they left the base.

“Do you know where your team is to be positioned?” Ramona asked.

“Yes, Knight Master,” Isabelle replied punctually, knowing that answering differently would get a certain someone’s back up. “We’re to proceed to quadrant 3B and to start scouring the area for demonic activity. We’re to eliminate any enemies we find, and if possible, follow any retreating ones to their nests. If that isn’t possible, we are to hold ground till the teams designated as searchers locate the nests directly. At that point, as long as our areas are clear, we converge and burn the nests and anything within them till there’s nothing left.”

“You know when you talk like that it sends a chill down my spine, so cold and detached. And people think you only got this job because of your father? You’re a knight at heart, just like your mum, princess,” Ramona patted Isabelle on the shoulder. “Go do her proud.”

Those words caught Isabelle by surprise, they’d been on hundreds of missions together, and never once had she said anything to that effect to her before. She thought maybe it was Ramona’s way of reminding her that she trained underneath her mother right before her death.

“Knight Master Brunor! Is that really necessary at a time like this when we should be beginning the operation?” Cade asked, interrupting the moment.

“I was just offering encouragement to a subordinate! That is what good leaders do!” Ramona shouted back, she covered the microphone and then turned back to Isabelle: “I swear he’s forgotten what it’s like to actually be part of a team. It should be funny how he finds it being shackled to Rainer and Lucy tonight. I can guarantee you there’s going to be arguments before the night is over!” Anyway, good luck, let’s get this started,” Ramona added before walking off with her own team who had just been standing there bemused with the situation.

“You heard the Knight Master,” Isabelle announced, turning back to her own team. “Let’s get to our position and begin the operation. By the end of this mission tonight, there will not be a single demon left alive in Highdale. For Queen and Country!” Isabelle called out, getting caught up in things. Issac and Jessica just looked at each other, before offering their own weakened version. “We’ll work on that later,” Isabelle said with a sigh.

Quadrant 3B turned out to be a far away section of the industrial estate. While some of the buildings looked to be in use, though closed for the night, others looked abandoned, which made them perfect places for demons to nest. Isabelle almost wished to have been one of the teams that was to head into the town, to flush out the demons and chase them to their nests where they were hiding. Despite the isolation of their location, Isabelle still ordered her team to stay out of sight as best they could, hiding in the space between buildings, so as not to spook any demons that may be lurking around. darkened alleys to avoid suspicion. In the distance, she could see some of the other teams doing their patrols. Some of the problems she had with the operation reared their head again, as she saw other Avalon teams very close by. She figured that it wouldn’t take much for her to hit another soldier on the head with a stone at the distance they were with one another. Looking up to the top of the warehouses, Isabelle wondered where Robyn was stationed, knowing that her and her team would be up high, unless they were ordered to go into the town to keep an eye on things there. She just hoped that she was using something a bit better suited to the terrain than her composite bow, a situation like this, with some distance involved required more heavy duty firepower.

“Excuse me, ma’am?” Jessica asked meekly, breaking up the quiet. “I meant to ask this earlier but…”

“What is it, Squire Dodson?” Isabelle turned her eyes to face her.

“That weapon, ma’am, that’s not standard issue is it?” Jessica pointed at the prototype Saviour Blade. “I mean, it sort of looks like the Knight Inquisitor’s weapon?”

“Only that someone attached a bit of junk to it,” Issac quipped.

That comment brought a smile to Isabelle’s face, she thought of what Rei would say if she found out about it, and the tantrum she’d throw. Insulting her was one thing, but insulting her inventions was far worse in her eyes.

“I’m testing it for Merlin,” She finally answered. “We’ve spent a lot of time trying to perfectly replicate Saviour Blades. This is just the latest attempt.”

“What’s wrong with the standard issue ones then? Or the knives they give us?” Issac reached down to his leg and pulled a combat knife from its sheath. He held it up as if Isabelle had never seen one before, despite the fact that she’d had several over the course of her time with Avalon, having even broken a few of them in the midst of combat.

“The standard issue swords and other melee weapons only contain small amounts of Saviour Metal, so they are effective against weak demons, the type we’re hunting tonight.”

As Isabelle spoke, the scanning device that was attached to her belt started to bleep, it was slow at first but quickly sped up indicating that the demons were close by. “They’re here. Squires, take up arms.” Isabelle readied her own weapons. While she normally stuck to her preferred armaments of a small handgun and a sword, this time however, she opted to take an assault rifle, in addition to the other weapons. This was for speed. The rifle had been pre-modified to be almost silent, to minimise the risk of the noise attracting unwanted attention. Jessica and Issac had the standard weapons, which was all they needed as far as Isabelle was concerned. With a hand signal, she started directing them to her flanks as the trio started their hunt. Chatter over Isabelle’s ear piece started immediately as other teams started encountering demons.

“This is Squad Swinton, engaging demons in quadrant 4C.”

“Squad Reins, demons found in quadrant 2A, beginning purge.”

Isabelle knew that those teams weren’t that far away, meaning that the demons were all coming en masse, which struck her as odd. Still, she would not shy away from her duty.

“What’s the plan?” Jessica asked as the team moved down between two more buildings, taking care to avoid all the related machinery that was dotted around, that would have bene used for loading and offloading trucks in daylight.

“You and Squire Kenner are to stay by my side and fire into the middle, funneling the demons towards me and cutting off any escape route they may try. I’ll handle anything that comes our way. If one manages to escape our net then we can track it to the nest.” Isabelle explained, though there wasn’t any time to take it in as ahead of them, a pack of five demons were bounding towards them, their mouths foaming as they charged ahead.

“Fire now!” Isabelle ordered, and to their credit, the Squires recalled their training perfectly, despite their nerves, and stuck to the plan as they were told. The stream of bullets took down two of the demons within the first seconds, while Isabelle herself used precision shooting to put down another. Right now, the other demons would usually turn tail and run, after seeing their allies cut down so brutally. These creatures though, kept on going, despite it amounting to suicide. Isabelle couldn’t let this phase her now, and with a swift wave of her hand, got the Squires to narrow their shooting range, the bullets almost crossing over each other as another demon was reduced to bloody ruins. The last one was caught in the legs, but was still crawling towards Isabelle, literally pulling itself towards her. She bade the Squires to stop as she holstered her rifle, and pulled out her handgun. That was when she noticed that the demon, despite being right next to her, instead, crawled past her.

They weren’t running at us, they were running away…Were they all running? Isabelle wondered, though regardless, she still had a job to do, so calmly, she aimed and pulled the trigger, eliminating the last of the demons.

“This is Squad Blake, all demons in our quadrant have been eliminated, we’ll hold here to see if there’s any stragglers, over.”

“This is Knight Master, Brunor. Squad Blake, your status has been acknowledged. Will update with status shortly.” Isabelle knew that speaking like that must have been eating Ramona up inside, but there could be no short cuts made with a Knight Inquisitor on the scene.

“What do we do now then?” Issac asked, lowering his weapon, while doing his best not to look at the demonic remains that were quickly dissolving away.

“We wait till further orders come through. Per the plans, if no demons retreated to a nest, actions will now be taken to determine where that nest is located and we will move to purge it.”

“Is there only one nest though?”

“For a town of this size, it’d be more surprising if there were multiple,” Isabelle explained as she holstered her weapons and ran her hands through her hair, wanting to destress and rid herself of her doubts at the same time.

“Tell you one thing, I’d hate to be on the clean up crew for an operation this size!” Jessica laughed, breaking the tension of the scene and allowing some brevity to settle.

“You and me both!” Issac laughed, and in the moment, Isabelle felt at ease.

This didn’t last long though as another voice came through her ear piece with a burst of static:

“Isabelle? Is that you, what’s the point of having open communication channels if no one bloody uses them!”

Isabelle recognised the voice as Rei’s, but she had no idea why she’d be calling her now. She checked the receiver that was attached to her belt, and saw that the call was coming over her private channel, one that was used for peer to peer communications. It was granted to higher ranking members of Avalon for lone operations where the privacy of the open channels couldn’t be guaranteed. There had been only two people Isabelle had shared the details with about how to contact her, Robyn and Ramona. Given who had just called her, it didn't take long at all to work out who told first.

“Rei! What are you doing! This is my private channel!” Isabelle said in the loudest whisper she could do.

“Well excuse me for trying to pass on some absolutely vital information! I mean, its only your life in danger, so maybe that’s not important to you!” Rei shouted sarcastically in return.

“If its that vital, then why not use the open channel or at least inform the command chain of what’s going on! You’re just lucky that Cade isn’t listening in!”

“Don’t you think I tried that first, you white haired idiot! The open channel has been ironically locked, with the only people having access to it being you dolts in the field.”

“That can’t be right, it’s supposed to remain open as a way of direct contact with headquarters in case of emergencies.”

“I know what it’s supposed to be like, you know what it’s supposed to be like, but it isn’t. I can’t get a message to either Ramona or that other prick, the Master of Arms.”

“So I was the first person you called?”

“Third actually.”

Isabelle didn’t know how to feel at that revelation. Should she feel hurt that despite being Ramona’s second in command near enough, that she was a back up choice to the back u, or glad that she ranked so high in the first place.

“Who were there other two people?”

“Robyn and the pompous ass who had a stick up his ass. It was Robyn who told me to tell you! Cade insisted I tell no one else till he verified things. Like hell am I listening to him though!”

“We’re getting off track now, tell me what you need to tell me,” Isabelle ordered, wanting to get to the heart of the matter.

“Okay two things, first, the Master of Arms has screwed you all over by insisting that you use the older Demon Sensors MK II for this mission instead. Those old models can’t detect demonic presence over a certain strength, which is why I designed the Minerva system…”

“Focus Rei!” Isabelle interrupted, she felt her scar tingling which didn’t bode well as the tingling was only growing in sensation.

“Basically, your night is about to get a whole lot worse, my sensors are picking up really strong demonic activity, coming in from the north. That’s not also the worst part, Your-” Before Rei could finish that sentence, she was cut off.

“Rei! Rei! Come in! Your what? Tell me!” Isabelle shouted but got no response.

“Knight Major? Is…Is everything okay?” Jessica asked, approaching carefully.

Seemingly ignoring her, Isabelle pulled the scanner off her belt, holding it in her hands, there was no reaction unlike before, there was no beeping or alarms. No sign of any trouble at all. She trusted Rei, and she trusted the reaction she was getting from her scar.

“Get ready for combat, We’ve got unannounced enemies bearing down on us. These will not be like the demons we’ve already killed. You shoot when I tell you to shoot, you run when I tell you to run. Is that clear?” She addressed her two Squires, whose nervousness exploded, somewhat predictably.

“W-Where are they coming from?” Issac asked as he raised his weapon, turning the barrel of his weapon on anything that moved or even swayed slightly.

“I don’t know, but they’re coming,” Isabelle replied. “We stand back to back, okay? Then we’ll start to head to the nearest team in order to regroup. We have to inform the Knight Master, and the Master of Arms about the situation.” Isabelle knew that Robyn would be making her own way to her, there was no other outcome if she’d been given the same information that she got.

Isabelle felt a pain where her scar was, before she felt the first tremor. Thinking quickly, she pushed Issac and Jessica out of the way as the ground broke beneath them. Several other potholes opened up as well, with a strange mist pouring out of it.

“Toxic gas?” Issac asked, turning to Isabelle for some guidance.

“Cover your mouths! Now move!” She shouted at them. She didn’t know what the gas was, but she also wasn’t taking any chances. Her first responsibility now was to get her team to a safe spot to regroup.

“There’s something coming out from the hole!” Jessica screamed as she aimed her gun, as a shape bigger than the demons they’d just killed, crawled out, followed by another one, and then another. These three demons were taller and broader than the others, and were a deep crimson colour. Their faces weren’t visible, being hidden behind a mask with a visor that glowed an ominous red. The gas seemed to be coming from cylindrical devices attached to belts they wore around their waists. They were lightly armoured, with a style that seemed to mesh what the soldiers of Avalon were wearing and armour that gladiators would have worn in ancient times. In the most telling difference between the other demons and these newcomers, the latter was armed.

Isabelle had to look twice when she saw what looked like sub machine guns welded together, and painfully bolted to the demon’s wrists. The demons gargled a word that Isabelle couldn’t understand, but as they pointed the guns at her and the others, she got the meaning pretty quickly. The gun fire tore up the ground, or what little of it was left, as Isabelle and her team scrambled to get out of the way. Isabelle tried to return fire, but was unable to aim properly.

“Issac! Jessica! I want you both to run to the end of the alley while I provide a distraction! I’ll be with you shortly!” Isabelle dropped all the formalities, knowing that Cade wouldn’t be happy, but that was the least of her worries at the moment.

“B-but!” Jessica started to say, but she didn’t get to finish the argument, as Isabelle turned and gave her a look that scared the Squire more than the demons.

“MOVE!” Came the single word response. Reluctantly, the Squires waited for the signal to run, and Isabelle didn’t waste a single second, as she rushed forward, surprising the three demons who had to break off their own gunfire to deal with the Knight Major who was now in their midst. Isabelle struck out with the prototype Saviour Blade, activating its power supply as she did. To her relief, the blade slid into the armour like it was paper, proving that Rei did, in fact, know what she was doing. The demon showed no discomfort with the pain though, and tried to grab at Isabelle with it’s free hand, the sharp claws raking up the rubble of the pavement. The other demons changed tact and went to strike her down as well, but she was faster than they were, and was already bringing the blade down in another arc, hoping this time to at least dismember one of the demons. Out of the corner of her eyes she spotted Issac and Jesscia, nearing the point she told them about.

Now I just have to disengage with these three and catch up to them, then we can show these fools how Avalon fights…Isabelle thought as she sidestepped away from the three demons, her intent was to double back to the Squires, under the cover of their suppressing fire, and then, as a team, cut them down to size, but a small explosion ended that idea. The blast happened where the Squires had stopped. Isabelle only turned to see the aftermath, and couldn’t see where Issac and Jessica were, she stood wide eyed, as three more demons emerged, these ones with weapons that looked very reminiscent of bazookas. Caught in between two sets of demons, Isabelle didn’t have time to react properly, only narrowly avoiding an attack from the demons she was originally facing. The bazooka armed demons launched a volley, and while they fell short of the target, the blast still knocked Isabelle into a wall, winding her, and covering her with dust and dirt. Isabelle, barely keeping consciousness, looked up as the demon went to take advantage of her position, but a rallying cry interrupted what should have been her final moments as a long figure appeared on the roof overlooking the alley.

“FOR QUEEN AND COUNTRY!” A familiar deep voice bellowed out. Isabelle looked past the demon, who now looked like a deer in headlights, and saw Leo, her father standing proud, flanked by his own retinue. He leapt down as his fellows opened fire with high precision rifles, gunning down the bazooka armed demons first. The other three turned their attention to her father, who was armed with his own True Saviour Blade, the weapon that had been christened Caliburn long ago. In predictable fashion, the demons raised their guns and opened fire, but it didn’t stop Leo from cutting them down in turn, despite taking a few hits as they fell.

“Dad?” Isabelle managed to say before she blacked out…

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Next Chapter

Well that about wraps it up for this week. Chapter 7 drops in a fortnight when some big players enter the scene and the plot really gets moving! We do have to suffer through another in-between week mind but I'm sure we can trudge through.

Till next time,

Keep on writing!

Peter James Martin

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Wednesday, 13 May 2026

#175 Riz vs A.I. Part I

Happy Blog Day Everyone!

Yes, it's an in-between week again, but not to worry as chapter 6 of Avalon Tales drops next week!

Work continues on both Avalon Tales and my new Brennan and Riz story. I've been able to fix the issues I had with both of them though a new one arose with the latter, namely I've already half way through my alloted word count and I'm only just about to get into the story proper! This is going to be a problem that is going to be sorted during editing I think as I suspect my love of starting in media res then going backwards is the cause here, as I've potentially waffled too many words away.

With regards to Avalon Tales, I'm hopeful this new chapter will be finished sooner rather than later as its now officially the longest I've spent on a chapter since I started serialising the series. It's a pivotal chapter that I'm going to have a lot to say about when the time comes but it's a see saw trying to get balanced what I want to reveal and what I want to keep hidden until a later date. Of course, the next few chapters should also be interesting to write as we near the end of this story...

For now though, let's see what Brennan and Riz are up to!

The Comic Tales of Brennan and Riz

Riz and A.I? What could get wrong? Turns out a lot actually! As you might be able to tell, this is a multipart storyline for the duo. How many parts? No idea yet...but I'm thinking three...and a epilogue to finish up. All hinges on how the story progresses...

Massive apologies for the artwork this week, really I should have started over again but the deadline was right on top of me, also, Riz is in definite need of a hair cut I think!

That's all for this week,

Till next time...

Keep on writing!

Peter James Martin

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