Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    From $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    Roy Ringtail
    Roy Ringtail
    Roy Ringtail
    Ebook122 pages1 hour

    Roy Ringtail

    By Stephen J Witte

    ()

    Read preview

    About this ebook

    Fur. Cat-like ears. A long tail. A strange sight for the amnesic to see reflected in the water, to be sure.
    But in the realm of Uncharted Waters, that's only the start of strange, for pirates, witches, vampires and aliens are your friends, rivals, neighbours and even your roommates! And then there's the little matter of magic being a real thing...
    People are strange. Life is stranger. Sorcery and sci-fi tech take the cake! But altogether, it equals fun.
    And those who aren't ready for fun are ALL WASHED-UP!
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherAustin Macauley Publishers
    Release dateMar 30, 2018
    ISBN9781528909594
    Roy Ringtail
    Author

    Stephen J Witte

    As a child, Stephen J. Witte (pronounced Witty) grew up loving many a book, with various paperbacks taking him to worlds beyond our own. As Witte grew, he developed a penchant for video games as well as books and, ultimately, aspired to combine the entertainment value of both in his own works. Witte currently resides in Australia with his family and beloved dog, Patch. He continues to search for new inspiration sources, to further his passion for writing… and indulge his hobby of gaming.

    Related to Roy Ringtail

    Related ebooks

    Fantasy For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • UNLIMITED

      Five Poems

      Jul 1, 2018

      Without the adventof Stockholm Syndrome,how could I havelearned to love myself so much? I’m asking Godand New York, can anyonehelp me? (An all-but-audible “or else.”) The captain’s chair:it’s beginning to smella little too much like me. Again.But the

      4 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      100-WORD-STORY COMPETITION Winners

      Aug 16, 2022

      We’ve been delighted by the huge response to our 100-word-story competition. The entries have flooded in thick and fast during the past few months, but while we’ve enjoyed reading every story, only a few can come out on top! You, our readers, voted t

      5 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      Susanna Clarke

      Oct 2, 2024

      Susanna Clarke
      2 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      Octopus’s Garden

      Jun 24, 2024

      Octopus’s Garden
      8 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      All Laws in Limbo

      Sep 1, 2024

      All Laws in Limbo
      20 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      Ready, Set, Let go!

      May 15, 2019

      Ready, Set, Let go!
      11 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      Announcing The winners Of Our FLASH CONTEST

      Feb 29, 2020

      I sever the first two fingers of my left hand on a Tuesday. They fall to the ground at my feet, causing a momentary confusion as I wonder what tree has dropped this odd fruit. Then I see the crescent scar left behind by a fish hook and know that thes

      8 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      The Last Friend on Earth

      May 4, 2023

      It was as if Doreen Saunders had been waiting for me, passing the time until my arrival. She might as well have been sitting in a rocking chair, knitting needles clicking, jam tarts cooling on the side, the door wide open, waiting for the next visito

      6 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      The Swan’s Nest

      Jun 8, 2022

      The Swan’s Nest
      2 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      Paper Princess

      Apr 1, 2023

      Paper Princess
      3 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      The Witch Finders

      Jul 16, 2020

      Beth pulled her cloak tightly around her. It was the very last day of October and the air was damp and chill. Dead autumn leaves lay in deep piles in the woods and smoke curled into the night air from her cottage. Not far to go now. She bent her head

      4 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      All I Want For Christmas

      Dec 16, 2020

      IT was more than an icicle. More like an icy boulder, oversized and murkily white, faceted like a cartoon jewel and, shortly, dripping. It had lurked beneath a low stone bridge at the bottom of the wood, where sycamore thickets bald for winter gave w

      18 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      Jack of Knives

      Jun 3, 2021

      WINNER £100 Jennifer is the author of four middle grade children’s novels published by Maverick (writing as Jenny Moore). Her latest book, The Misadventures of Nicholas Nabb, is set during the same period as her winning story and also includes a scen

      6 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      Book Club

      Nov 9, 2022

      Book Club
      5 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      Marked with SILVER

      Jan 17, 2024

      Marked with SILVER
      12 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      Cricket League

      Jan 1, 2020

      Ivy Lugbill, age 8 Indianapolis, IN I was so excited! My dad and I were going camping! After we packed all our stuff, my dad said, “Hop in!” I grabbed the paper towel roll binoculars I had been making and jumped into the car. It was a really . . . re

      7 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      Perfect Prose II

      May 15, 2020

      Perfect Prose II
      4 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      The Swan

      Aug 27, 2021

      The Swan
      5 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      Nick Laird

      Dec 15, 2017

      I was trying to write like an adult.I had children.I was at the end of something. As I waited at my table by the window for the coffee,I saw that the sirocco had depositeda scrim of dust on the sill overnight,and it was the dark red of powdered blood

      3 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      Summer Reading Guide

      Jan 2, 2022

      Summer Reading Guide
      6 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      Summer Beach Reads

      Jan 10, 2021

      Summer Beach Reads
      7 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      Red Kite Grey Shadow

      Nov 3, 2022

      Red Kite Grey Shadow
      6 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      The Change

      Aug 8, 2019

      The Change
      10 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      Let’s Play Dead

      Mar 3, 2020

      There was a man, let’s call him Henry VIII. There was his wife, let’s call her Anne B. Let’s give them a castle and make it nice. Let’s give her many boy babies but make them dead. Let’s give him a fussy way of being. Let’s make her smart and sneaky,

      17 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      There Be Treasure, Danger And Death

      Dec 3, 2019

      What if I told you there is a treasure chest filled with precious gemstones, gold nuggets and priceless artifacts hidden somewhere in the Rocky Mountains? That an eccentric art collector buried an antique, metal box worth over $5 million dollars some

      7 min read

    Related categories

    Reviews for Roy Ringtail

    0 ratings

    0 ratings0 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

      Book preview

      Roy Ringtail - Stephen J Witte

      Ending

      About the Author

      As a child, Stephen J. Witte (pronounced Witty) grew up loving many a book, with various paperbacks taking him to worlds beyond our own. As Witte grew, he developed a penchant for video games as well as books and, ultimately, aspired to combine the entertainment value of both in his own works.

      Witte currently resides in Australia with his family and beloved dog, Patch. He continues to search for new inspiration sources, to further his passion for writing… and indulge his hobby of gaming.

      Dedication

      I dedicate this book to my family, my friends, and lovers of gaming and/or literature everywhere.

      Copyright Information ©

      Stephen J Witte (2018)

      The right of Stephen J Witte to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with section 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

      All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publishers.

      Any person who commits any unauthorised act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.

      A CIP catalogue record for this title is available from the British Library.

      ISBN 9781787103795 (Paperback)

      ISBN 9781787103801 (E-Book)

      www.austinmacauley.com

      First Published (2018)

      Austin Macauley Publishers Ltd.

      25 Canada Square

      Canary Wharf

      London

      E14 5LQ

      Acknowledgements

      I’d like to thank my parents, Carol and Gerry, and my friend, Ben, for their support in making the publication of this story a reality.

      I can only hope that some of my charismatic genius rubs off on you lot. Probably, shouldn’t get my hopes too high, though…

      Prologue

      Breaking the Seal

      The Crispy Crater glowed in the light of the full moon, its superheated content shining through the immensely thick layer of magical ice that sealed the volcano shut and kept it from erupting. Not even a wisp of smoke could escape the enormous rocky cauldron. Only a light breeze stirred over its mouth, gently rustling the leaves of the palm trees that grew in the fertile volcanic soil. Nothing else moved. No animals stirred. No birds called out into the night. As the breeze died down, perpetual silence surrounded Ringtail Island’s pinnacle.

      The blissful, soundless lull was broken, quite suddenly, by the crunching of boots on the gritty ground. They belonged to a girl who was dressed in a black cloak, her face hidden by her hood. Short lengths of broken, black, metal chains dangled from her wrists and left ankle, the latter chain dragging along the ground. As she approached the crater, her dark eyes settled on the faint, orange glow just ahead; her gaze filled with a lustful greed and desperate longing. She made her way to the edge of the crater and stared down into the abyss, her mouth practically watering with anticipation as she hastily produced a crudely folded-up piece of paper from her pocket. She fumbled with it before finally having its words presented to her. She grinned madly, instantly memorising the words before scrunching up the paper and tossing it away, paying it no further mind. She raised her arms and spoke into the night, her words ancient, mysterious.

      Ek du sa ki loja mehi fore. Mes lua yaho takra di eruptor volcus zow.

      As her mystical chant echoed eerily into the night air, the sheet of ice in the crater began to hiss, steam starting to come off it. It was slowly but surely melting, giving in at last to the incredibly hot temperatures mere feet below it. The girl grinned far wider than before, deranged delight spreading through her.

      It’s all coming together now, she whispered to herself. All my research has paid off. Everything will fall into place and become right soon. She turned and gazed out towards the ocean, her eyes following the water from the horizon to the shores of the island, surveying the lush tropical scenery below. Soon…

      1

      Reflections of a Marsupial

      Ugh…what? Where…where am I?

      The figure sprawled out on the sand and opened his eyes, his vision slightly blurry. As it cleared, he got up and took in his surroundings.

      A beach? Well, seems peaceful enough, he said, shrugging. I just wish I knew what I was doing here. He turned on the spot so he was facing the water. I can’t remember anything. I don’t…WHOA!

      At the sight of his reflection in the water, he leapt back in shock. Looking down at himself, he found that the aquatic surface did not lie…he was most assuredly covered in fur! Yes, every inch of his bare skin was covered in snow-white fur. He had animalistic ears protruding from the top of his head and a small, pink nose, complete with whiskers, in the middle of his face, giving him a rather cat-like appearance. He was tall and skinny with messy black hair and beautiful emerald green eyes. His clothes consisted of a brown leather tunic and matching trousers. A small knife was sheathed at his waist. He could see in the water that something was producing from his lower back. He reached behind him and his hands closed around…a long, furry tail.

      A tail?! he almost shrieked. I’m some sort of creature with a tail?! But that’s…that’s…kind of cool, actually, he admitted. I wonder if I have claws.

      He looked at his hands, which were as furry as the rest of him, and flexed them, trying to make claws extend from his fingers. Nothing happened. Hmm. No claws, it seems. Anyway, I should probably get out of here. I don’t know if the locals are accustomed to…well, whatever I’m supposed to be.

      He turned to walk inland when the waves suddenly splashed behind him. Looking back, he saw that something else had also washed up on the beach.

      It was a crate, covered in seaweed and barnacles, but nonetheless intact. Curiosity getting the better of him, the furry boy soon found himself prising open the wooden box. Inside were an ordinary black T-shirt, some green shorts and a pair of sandals.

      Hmm. Are these the common garments in this area? he wondered aloud. Well, in any case, I like them, and if I may dust off an old chestnut…finders keepers!

      And so it was that he discarded his current garb (he decided to keep the hunting knife, though) and pulled on the clothes from the crate, making sure that his tail poked out comfortably. When that was done, he checked his reflection in the water. He looked like a typical kid in the summer, give or take his furry features.

      Oh, yes, these are perfect for me! Perfect for ol’ Roy!

      He stopped. Roy? That name had just suddenly popped into his head. He grinned.

      Yes. These garments are perfect for me and that name is not too bad either. Alrighty, then! I’ll call myself Roy from now on! Yeah…Roy. I like it a lot!

      2

      The Harpoon Slinger

      The figure hurried through the trees, twigs crunching beneath its feet. It trampled small plants, leapt over tree roots and swept low-hanging branches aside, its breath heavy and hollow. It already knew where its target was and was closing in. It was only a matter of time now…

      Kenny bent down and gently plucked the rare herb from the ground, smiling with satisfaction, his gleaming white fangs showing. Who says a vampire knows nothing about medicine? he said to no one in particular as he straightened up. Wait until Roy sees all of these.

      He placed the herb in the small sack he had brought with him, where it joined the other sixteen or so leaves, stalks and pods he had collected. The young vampire was in a good mood.

      Enjoying the preview?
      Page 1 of 1