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Chapter 907: Generals and Legacy (Final Chapter of Mark of the Fool + Afterward)
🕑 Added 2024-08-06 21:03:14 +0000 UTC“Shall we go?” Alex asked Theresa, offering his arm.
“Yes, let’s,” Theresa whispered, her hot breath on his ear.
Together, husband and wife linked arms and made their way toward the exit.
Only for the doors to abruptly burst open.
The music ended.
All dancing did too as the doors kept swinging, banging against the wall as though gripped by a scouring winter wind.
Loud footsteps came next, echoing from the hallway. A hallway that was in utter darkness.
Theresa reached for her blades, shouting, patting her empty scabbards. “Alex, my swords are gone!”
The archwizard prepared to channel his magics. “Don’t worry, whatever this is, I’ve got it.”
His mind raced.
What was it? All the enemies he was aware of were either dead or…dead. Was someone looking for him from the Irtyshenan Empire? Was some ally of Kaz-Mowang here to take his head?
The footsteps grew louder and a figure suddenly materialised from the dark.
A familiar one.
“What the hells?” Alex cried.
In the doorway was the familiar form of…
…Minervus.
“You didn’t even invite me to your wedding? How cruel, to think that you would have forgotten me so quickly!” Minervus snarled.
“What…you’re dead!” Alex cried.
“You foolish Fool.” The onetime employee of Shale’s sneered. “You weren’t able to see through my clever plan! So you didn’t see this coming either! Look who I freed from prison?”
Minervus gestured to the darkened hallway where a larger figure stood.
Leopold, the demon summoner and former friend to Amir, stalked into the room, his hands flexing like a monster’s claws. “Thank you for the save, Minervus. Faking both of our deaths has proven quite fruitful. Now, I’ll repay you for freeing me by doing what I do best!”
He extended his hands, summoning.
“Here come your greatest enemies!”
The air around him shimmered.
Terrible beings manifested.
First came Ezaliel, his demonic facets shining.
The Ravener followed, spawning monsters as it floated in place.
Aenflynn stepped from behind the construct with a sharp-toothed grin, rubbing his hands together, looking sinister.
The last being Leopold summoned was…
…Uldar himself, in all his treacherous glory.
“I live again,” the former god of Thameland declared. “And now we will have our vengeance.”
Slowly, the dark beings from Alex’s past advanced on the wedding guests.
“No!” the General of Thameland cried. “This can’t be! Not today! No, no, noooooo—”
Alex woke up.
It was morning, sunlight streamed in through a tall window.
The General of Thameland blinked blearily, trying to understand what was happening. “Where’s the Ravener…” he whispered. “Where’s the demon—”
He paused. “...it was a dream, just a dream.”
The young wizard turned his back to the window…
…and found his beautiful wife, fast asleep beside him in their bed.
Memories of their party, and what happened afterward were returning to him…
He smiled, stretching his muscular—but very sore—body like a contented cat.
‘You know, Uldar,’ he thought, slowly peeling himself off the bed. ‘I don’t think…certain acts were what you had in mind when you made the General good at mastering every skill quickly, but if you were still alive, I’d owe even a traitor like you a drink.’
Sighing, he let himself melt back into the pillows.
This was his life now.
His best friend, his lover, and eternity.
A good life, to say the least.
Now, there was the honeymoon to think about.
He turned his head, peering at the sky through small gaps in the shutters. Once he and Theresa got up, they’d be leaving.
…for the stars.
With a few spells from Baelin, and the Traveller’s power, Alex and his wife would be able to survive just about anywhere. And they were planning on using those abilities to visit different worlds. They could see sights beyond anything this planet had to offer, and bathe in the light of far-distant suns, while exploring realms and cultures across the universe.
Theresa had always wanted to travel.
She had followed him when he went to fulfil his dream.
Now he would fulfil hers.
‘Going among the stars with Theresa as my wife…quite a far cry from being an abused baker's assistant,’ he thought. ‘Oh, shoot, that reminds me.’
The General glanced across the room where a large table, heaped with wedding gifts and letters, stood. They’d read some, snuggled together and exhausted, before they’d fallen asleep last night. There was one note in particular that reminded him of his life under the abusive McHarris.
Its contents read:
Congratulations to you two on being wedded! We have a gift for you that we hope we can give you before you go off on your honeymoon. It won’t be ready until the afternoon of your wedding. Sorry we couldn’t get it to you sooner! We hope you can maybe visit and pick it up before you go off on your honeymoon?
Sincerely, Peter and Paul.
Alex definitely wanted to see what their gift was, but he also had a dilemma. He didn’t want to wake Theresa up, and he didn’t want to leave the comfort of his marital bed…but, at the same time, he really wanted to have that gift in hand to show her when she woke up.
‘Should I get up, or should I stay?’ Alex wondered. Then he smirked. ‘Thank the Traveller, I don’t have to choose.’
Concentrating on Hannah’s power, he stayed in bed…and also appeared outside the bedroom in their suite at the Royal Griffon hotel.
He quickly washed—an army of Wizard’s Hands washing him from head to toe—then he teleported some comfortable clothes onto his body.
Giving the situation a second thought, he also teleported the aeld staff into his hand.
It gave off waves of excitement.
“Hello, friend,” he whispered to the staff, making sure he couldn’t hear himself by being loud enough to wake Theresa. “Let’s go on a little trip, shall we? I bet Peter and Paul are at the fountain this time of day.”
With a single thought, he teleported to Alric.
Images from across space blurred past him as he hurtled toward his old hometown, appearing beside the fountain…to a flurry of curses.
“What th—” Peter cried, stumbling back.
The young archwizard had appeared only a few feet away from him.
“Aaaaaaarg-Alex?” Paul paused, partway through drawing his sword. “Is that you?”
“In the flesh.” The young archwizard smiled, his long hair blowing in the morning breeze. “How are you two doing?”
“Fine, until you nearly scared us to death!” Peter fumed. “Gah, if you didn’t save our lives, I’d say you’d be the death of us! What are you doing here this early in the morning? Shouldn’t you be with your new bride?”
“Yeah, she’s going to be real mad if you’re already leaving her behind the morning after your wedding,” Paul said nervously.
“I didn’t,” Alex said, his voice light. “I’m with her at the same time I’m with you two. I’m in two places at once.”
Peter and Paul looked at each other.
Then shrugged.
“That sound like ‘wizard shit’ to you?” Peter asked Paul.
“Sounds like ‘wizard shit’ to me,” Paul replied, before looking at Alex with his eyebrow raised. “Are you planning on being in more than one place at once during your honeymoon?”
Alex blinked once. “Are you out of your minds? My attention’s going to be on my wife. Because I want it to be on my wife!”
“Fair enough,” Paul said. “I take it you’re here to pick up your gift?”
“Yeah, nice letter, by the way,” Alex said. “We’ll be leaving for our honeymoon a little later, so this was about the only chance I knew I’d have to come and get it.”
“Right,” Peter said. “Then I’d better go get it. Theresa will have our hides if she finds out we’re holding you up. Watch the fountain for me, Paul.”
“Aye,’ Paul said. “You can trust me with that.”
“I’ll watch it too,” Alex said.
“Then I know it’s in good hands!” Peter said, running off down the largely deserted street.
It was shortly after sunrise, and not many had taken to the cobblestone roads of Alric yet. Things were quiet…which Alex was glad of; these days, every time he took two steps into Thameland, he’d be surrounded by people thanking him for everything he’d done.
But, this morning, he couldn’t spare the time for that.
“So,” Paul interrupted his thoughts. “You like what they did with the fountain?”
Alex followed his gaze to the fountain of the Heroes in the middle of town.
“Yes, I really do.” He smiled up at it. “I actually really like it.”
The fountain was crowned with the statues of the Heroes that had always been a part of it: the hulking figure of the Champion, the bespectacled, stern Sage, the kind figure of the Saint, the handsome form of the Chosen, and a statue with a chin too curved, eyes too bulging, and a nose that looked like a pumpkin’s stem. A jaunty jester’s hat sat on its head.
The Fool.
At one time, that statue was always covered in bird droppings…but now, it was as polished and well maintained as the other Heroes’ images.
There was also an additional figure that now joined the others on top of the fountain.
Carved of the same fine stone, a likeness of the General rose above the other Heroes. The statue’s features resembled Alex’s, and its muscular form held a scroll in one hand, and a sword in the other.
Its facial expression seemed wise, as it looked down on Alex and Paul with benevolent eyes. Hanging around the statue’s neck was the symbol of a lantern.
“Yeah, the sculptor did a really great job,” Alex said, nodding approvingly.
“Aye, that she did,” Paul agreed. “Look at you! I can’t believe you turned from being that skinny baker’s assistant to the size you are now.”
“Funny, I was just thinking about that,” Alex said. “You know—”
He paused.
Paul frowned. “Something wrong?”
“I…” he paused again. His hearing, sharpened from the elixir of immortality, picked up a voice yelling from inside a nearby building. A familiar and rather unpleasant voice.
He slowly turned around.
“Oh, no damn way,” he whispered.
“What? Oh, you mean that. Yeah, it’s still there,” Paul said.
The two men were looking at McHarris’ Bakery, restored and still there after all this time.
“Yeah, he had to pay a pretty hefty fine after that incident with the eggs, he was in jail for a few days too, but he got out because of the Ravener’s attack,” Paul said. “But he’s back in business now. Hopefully, he learned his lesson, though. Bad memories from that place, aye?”
The guard couldn’t hear McHarris’ yelling.
It was growing louder.
Alex frowned.
“I’ll be right back.”
Without another word, he cast invisibility magic on himself and teleported inside the bakery…
Where a familiar scene was playing out.
McHarris—in all his bullying glory—stood with his hands on his hips, yelling and cursing at a boy who looked no older than sixteen. A dark haired young man winced and wilted under each barb the baker was throwing at him.
Alex’s jaw clenched.
“—brainless buffoon!” the old baker ranted. “I swear, you have nothing between your ears besides sawdust and broken dreams! My broken dreams! Listen to me, you’re my assistant, and you’ll bloody listen to what I say if you know what’s good for you!”
“Y-yes, chef,” the boy murmured.
“I’m a bloody baker, not a chef!” McHarris snarled. “What’s the matter with you? Can’t you even remember that? Pay attention to me, you oaf!” He puffed out his chest. “After all, I’m the one that whipped the General of Thameland into shape when he was a lad! If it weren’t for me, he’d be as useless as the day I found him, same as you! Thameland owes me, and so do you!”
‘What the hells,’ Alex thought, his blood beginning to boil.
For an instant, he considered all the things he could do to the baker.
Devastating spells.
The Traveller’s power.
Summoned monsters…perhaps even a visit from Asmaldestre the Unmaker.
There were so many ways he could annihilate this unrepentant bully, that he was still sifting through them in his mind when the baker huffed.
“That’s why we have to make sure that the General is treated like a king when he comes in here next!” McHarris shouted.
Alex’s invisible jaw dropped.
Was this man serious?
“And that’s why you need to work harder!” McHarris snapped. “Now, I don’t care how bloody sick you are, or how tired, or whatever you are! Get to work! We open within the hour!”
Without another word, he stomped out of the kitchen and into the front part of the bakery.
His assistant was left behind, head hanging.
Alex bit his lip.
In many ways, the young man reminded him of himself, suffering under McHarris’s cruelty.
‘Can’t believe that bloody bastard hasn’t changed,’ he thought. ‘And…wait. He hasn’t changed?’ A devilish grin took his features. ‘He. Hasn’t. Changed.’
Alex dismissed the invisibility magic on himself.
The assistant sniffled, then looked up, yelping in surprise.
Alex quickly put a finger to his lips. “Shhhhh…” he hissed softly.
The apprentice closed his mouth.
“Stop caterwauling in there!” McHarris shouted from the front. “What, are you doing, crying, you spineless little whelp?”
The apprentice winced.
Alex shook his head, then teleported to where McHarris kept his ingredients. The young archwizard’s eyes scanned the open pantry, looking and sniffing.
‘Eggs are fine this time, fruit jam looks fine too…ah. Here we are,’ he thought, grinning.
He slowly looked at the apprentice, pointing to the salted beef for meat pies. “That looks old, doesn’t it?” The archwizard inhaled deeply. “Yes it’s definitely off.”
The apprentice looked from Alex to the meat, slowly nodding.
Alex’s eyes twinkled. “You know the nice thing about fools? Actual fools, I mean? They never learn lessons. Stay there for a moment.”
He teleported back to the fountain.
Paul yelped when the archwizard reappeared…as did Peter, who was now holding something.
“You gotta stop doing that,” Peter said. “Nearly made me drop your gift. Here you are, by the way.”
Before Alex could say anything, he was presented with the gift.
“Oh…oh wow!” the young archwizard cried.
He’d been handed a small, wooden, carved replica of the fountain in the centre of Alric that the three of them were currently standing beside…the one noticeable difference was that the figures represented on it were different.
There were only three of them.
On the left stood Theresa, complete with death stalker face, the twinblade raised in her hands. On the right was Brutus, sheathed in his bone armour with all three heads snarling. And in the middle…a perfect replica of Alex was standing there in triumph, holding his sword-staff high.
On the base, a simple inscription was written:
The True Heroes of Alric.
“There’s space on it, right in front of you,” Peter pointed out. “A place for your little sister, when she grows up a bit more. She’s going to do great things, I’m sure.”
“Do…do you like it?” Paul asked.
Alex stared at the sculpture, transfixed, memories playing through his mind.
Memories of a young Fool, a huntress, her dog, and a young girl, travelling beyond Alric’s walls.
Ahead of them waited…unimaginable possibilities.
“It’s wonderful,” Alex said, clutching the sculpture close. “I’m going to cherish it forever.”
Peter and Paul smiled.
“Very glad about that,” Peter said.
“Aye, very glad,” Paul said. “And listen, we still owe you. You saved both our lives. That’s a high debt of gratitude to pay.”
“Funny you should bring that up,” Alex said. “Uhm, can you two do me a little favour?”
“Oh, anything!” Peter said quickly.
Alex glanced at McHarris’ bakery. “Did you know that McHarris is using old meat? It’s definitely rotten, he’s been trying to cover it up with salt and spices. I don’t think the baker’s guild or butcher’s guild would be too happy about that. Neither would the mayor if…” He remembered their conversation from long ago, when he pointed out McHarris’ rotten eggs. “…if some bigwig turned all green in the face and keeled over... You might want to investigate.”
Peter and Paul stared at him.
“Really? You’re the General of Thameland and you’re asking us to investigate and arrest the same bloody baker you used to work for?” Paul asked.
“Yes,” Alex said with almost the same conviction he’d had when he was saying his wedding vows.
“What, no bad bribe this time?” Peter snorted.
Alex reached for his coin purse.
“Wait, wait, stop!” Peter waved his hands. “Can’t have the bloody General bribing a couple of town guards. We’ll go check things out.”
“Aye, we’d best,” Paul grumbled. “Let’s go. Enjoy your honeymoon, Alex.”
“Oh I will, and I’ll buy you both drinks when I get back!”
“We’ll look forward to it, and we’ll buy you some in return,” Peter said.
Alex watched the guards march away, then stop in front of McHarris’ front door and pound on it.
As soon as the outraged baker opened up, they pushed past him, entering the shop.
“Wait, what are you doing?” McHarris cried, rushing after the two guards. “No, stop! Not again!”
Alex chuckled as McHarris’ cries of dismay echoed through the doorway.
When the crashing began, he outright cackled.
Revenge was still the best food he’d ever tasted from McHarris’.
He was glad he had the chance to savour seconds.
As the crashing and cursing escalated, the young assistant rushed out the door, looking wild-eyed.
He froze when he caught Alex’s eye.
The General smiled and winked. The assistant shyly smiled back.
Alex waved him over, and the young man winced, but quickly hurried to him.
“Listen, I-I can’t thank you enough,” the now former assistant stammered.
“Oh, no need to thank me,” Alex laughed, digging into his coin purse. “Thanks to me, you’re probably out of a job. What’s your name?”
“Martin,” the assistant said quickly.
“Right, Martin.” Alex dug a couple of coins from his purse. Martin’s eyes grew wide at the shining, golden disks. “Here’s a couple of gold to tide you over. When I get back from my honeymoon, I’ll find you, and we can chat about you coming to work in the first Alric branch of the Roth Family Bakery, which I’ll be opening soon.” He grinned. “You’ll see how proper food’s made, and hey, together we can make sure McHarris stays out of business when he finally gets out of jail. Poisoning people is serious business.”
The assistant gulped, nodding vigorously, then bowed. “You’re even kinder than the rumours tell. Thank you, thank you sir!”
With that, Martin scurried off, leaving Alex alone at the fountain.
Humming to himself, the young archwizard dug out a couple more coins and tossed them in the fountain.
He closed his eyes.
To the hulking figure of the Champion, he thanked him for bravery. To the bespectacled, stern Sage, he thanked her for the wits she’d shown. To the kind figure of the Saint, he thanked her for the generosity he’d received. And to the handsome form of the Chosen, he gave much appreciation for good luck and blessings.
To the General, he offered his gratitude for turning him into the man he was today.
And finally, to the Fool…Alex gave his sympathies and gratitude.
“Thank you,” he whispered to the statue. “Thank you for helping me get to where I am.”
Grinning up at the stone image, he recalled the dream that had woken him up that morning. Despite how horrible the dream had been, the day was already shaping up to be pretty terrific.
He remembered an old expression.
“The worst days tend to start with good mornings,” he said, listening to the wonderful music that was McHarris’ torment. “Well after that nightmare this morning, I think this is shaping up to be one of the best days of my life!”
With another laugh, the General of Thameland teleported away from Alric.
Soon, he would join his wife, and together, they would walk among the stars.
Under the early morning sunlight, not a soul had seen him depart, but if they had, they might have noticed something curious. If one didn’t know better; the bulging eyes of the Fool’s statue and the wise eyes of the General’s seemed to linger on the spot where Alexander Roth had been.
Where a former baker’s assistant had been.
Where a Hero had been.
Where an archwizard had been.
And looking at that spot, one might have even said that the stone statues smiled.
The End
###
Hello thirty-six cool fools, almighty chosen, wise sages, and mighty champions! Thank you for your support!
Afterward
(Note: Important patreon info and info about what comes next will be at the bottom. It's the text after the section "So What Comes Next?")
Oh MAN I hope I got some of you with that dream sequence, LMAO!
So, fun fact: I actually had this final chapter planned from the beginning of the story. Generals and Legacy is a riff on the first chapter of Book 1's title: Fools and Inheritance
Further, the first book began with "The worst days tended to start with good mornings" and I wanted the inversion of that to be either the very last line or close to the last line of the series.
I got my wish! :D
But yes, we are here after three and a half years OF NEVER MISSING AN UPDATE. Holy crap, I am so proud of that and so THANKFUL that all of you have followed me to this point.
It was one of the greatest, most challenging, most pleasurable and rewarding journeys of my life. And it is one that could not have taken without you.
So, my dearest readers. Thank you. Thank you for listening while I told the story of Alexander Roth and how a fool came into his own.
Alright, so!
There's some things I want to say. Fool is a very long winded story, and so the afterward is going to be a bit longwinded as well.
But I figure y'all might enjoy some of this.
So, I have to say...I did not expect to be here when I started three years ago. At all. That is not to say that I did not expect to be a writer. I have wanted to be a fantasy author since I wrote my first fantasy short story at thirteen years old. Which was over 20 years ago now, and I have been writing ever since.
Becoming an author of fantasy stories was something I greatly desired.
However, I did not expect to be here in this way.
Mark of the Fool, you see, started as a challenge.
Back in the dark ages of 2020, I had just finished my masters and noticed writeathon was coming up on Royal Road. I decided to enter it for fun. I had just finished the first book of Oaths, Blood and Coin (on Royal Road as the Dreaming Sceptre, as well as the Ogre's Pendant and the Rat in the Pit) and wanted to try something new.
Oaths is a very tightly paced series, much like the Sword and Sorcery serials its inspired by. Mark of the Fool, however, was meant to be the opposite: the most web-novely web novel I could write.
I wanted to do ALL the worldbuilding, ALL the characters, ALL the magic! And I wanted it to be a love letter to Mother of Learning-which got me into this genre-as well as Beware of Chicken, which I love.
The challenge came in when I said to myself and the readers that my goal was to NEVER miss a day. Never take a break. Never pause. Just never be uninterrupted until the final page was written.
And I managed to do that. Not only that, but it greatly improved my life. I cannot describe the fulfilment I feel seeing Alex's story to conclusion. Hopefully, this tale improved your life as well.
But yes, I could not have predicted how much people would love and be entertained by this little story. And it brings a smile to my face everyday when I think about how much y'all enjoy this.
It humbles me. It thrills me. It fulfills me.
And I don't think a writer...or even a person could ask for much more in life.
But all that said, I think I would like to give out a warning to others inspired by me...as odd as it is to me that there ARE people inspired by lil' ol' me!
I would HIGHLY recommend that you do not undertake my challenge. While I proudly succeeded, it was truly one of the most difficult things I have ever undertaken and I don't think it was very healthy, lol.
For those of you looking to follow me, take care of yourselves. Take breaks. Feed your mind and body. Do not sustain as long as I did...but if you choose to try, here's some advice that will help you, I think:
1. Make sure you get plenty of sleep. I cut down on sleep as my energy levels dropped over time. Do not do this. Sleep is key, and I found that the more tired I got, the more challenging things became. And that does not need to be.
2. Exercise. Exercise. Exercise. A good workout will fuel you. I skipped some workouts in order to get to the story each day, and I found I paid for that later.
3. Do not miss meals. Do not skip water. It can be easy to fall into the story and forget what time it is. But chronically skipping meals and drinks can have issues. I did it. Would not recommend.
So yes, if you follow those three tenets, you might be able to do it in a healthier manner than I. But seriously. Take care of yourself. A story can wait, but it will be unfinished forever if something happens to you.
Let's see...what else did I want to ramble about? Besides how much I love these characters. And this series.
I dunno, I'm just kinda...ridiculously happy, so it's hard to go into microanalysis mode.
So I think I'll just say that I'm happy and move onto the next section:
So What Comes Next?
On Patreon
So, as I have said, I am taking a break. It'll probably be for a month, possibly a little more. Originally, I had planned to jump into my next series right away, but while part of it is written, I think i need some time off haha. Time to touch some grass!
What happens with patreon while I'm on break?
After discussion with some people: I will be continuing to run it until Fool ends on Royal Road. During this time, the only thing posted here might be an occasional note or comic update. Maybe. I intend to vacation pretty hard lol.
Patreon will continue to run until the book is finished on RR to allow those who want to binge the rest of the series to have the option of doing so. That said, it is my suggestion that you go down to the free tier now that Fool is done. You do not have to if you feel like donating to me this month, but I want that to be your choice.
Going down to the free tier will let you get an announcement when my next story launches, but you won't have to pay! I want this to work for you.
Again, you can do whatever you want, but please take care of yourself.
On the next story
My next story will take place on another planet in the same universe as Mark of the Fool. It's actually a planet one of Baelin's cabal is from.
This next series will focus on life enforcement as the main character's source of power (with something new in there as well) and will offer another view of this universe. I am very very excited for it.
Part of it is written, and while my original plan was to keep things uninterrupted...nah, I need to touch some grass for a bit lol.
I also need to focus on maintaining my health. So, my next series will have some changes to the schedule:
1. Chapters will vary more in length. Some might be shorter than a Fool chapter, but some will be longer. I find that I work better with more variable chapter lengths.
2. Because of that, I will be updating the new story three times per week as opposed to five. I want to give my ideas more time to cook, have more editing time and have more time to take care of myself!
3. I will be taking breaks whenever I finish a book in a series. That will help with sustainability, cuz I wanna do this for years!
In addition to my next series (which was named Godslayer until I found out there was ANOTHER book that was too close to this genre ALSO named Godslayer).
The new title is... I Am Become Death. Look forward to it
I'll also be working on Oaths Blood and Coin 2, but that won't be on patreon.
Like Rune Seeker, it'll just be on RR or on Amazon only. Haven't decided. And Rune Seeker will continue as usual.
And that's it!
Special thanks to you, my readers. Special thanks to my publisher, to my mom (who proofreads these chapters. We did it!), to all my friends who supported me...and to you.
Yes, you.
This journey would have been much lonelier if I had walked it alone. And if the end of Fool is where we part ways, then I say thank you for walking with me so far.
If you want to walk with me some more? Well, then I shall return. And I cannot wait to show you where we're going next.
This is J.M. Clarke.
This was Mark of the Fool.
Thank you for reading, always.
- J.
Comments
Ben
Thank you for sharing this great work with us
little sax the ghost
thank you so much for showing us this beautiful path of a fool. I am forever changed
J.M. Clarke
And I am glad I was part of your mornings
J.M. Clarke
:) I am happy we journeyed together my friend. Thank you for walking with me
Helianthus
Thank you very much, Mr. Clark. I only stumbled over Mark of the Fool about a year and a half ago when I was looking for a new audio book and after binge-listening to all three available audio books at that time, I switched to RR to continue reading your story and I've been hooked since. It was honestly one of the most enjoyable reads I've had. Great fantasy, wonderful world building and, best of all, the characters! I also have to appreciate your ability to evoke emotion with the way you write. Seriously, that wedding chapter ... phew. Take your well-deserved break and please go on entertaining us with your stories. I'm really looking forward to your next one.
Undead PettinZoo
Man. Been reading you stuff for ages. Got so used to the morning posts as a down under bloke. Now I sit here... missing that notification. 😢
Mauricio Ayancán
I think i haven't commented on a single chapter in RR but i have folllowed the story since it's beginning so i can only say thank you for this awesome journey, it has certainly impacted my life and would proudly say that in the future when i look back to this story it will be only good memories that comes from it. Thank you for everything.
p Sherman
Enjoyed it immensely. Thanks for all the effort you put in!
Juju
Loved every bit of it. Loved the characters so much. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
mant06
Will there be a 'wordplay' based off geneseed in I am become death?
J.M. Clarke
I am so happy you enjoyed it, haha
J.M. Clarke
Thanks George!
J.M. Clarke
Thank you for reading!
ByLAWphoto
This has been a fabulous story. I got my brother hooked, too. It's in depth, interesting, and the characters make sense and are consistent. Thank you for this amazing journey!
wallytjr256
My wife got me hooked on the first few books via audible. Then I passed her up and started reading the kindle versions from Amazon. Then there were no more Kindle versions. I think that was book five about a year ago. Somehow I discovered Royal Road and I read a couple of books totally for free on Royal Road. Then there was no more on Royal Road. Somehow I discovered Paterson and I have faithfully been reading here since I think December 2023 give or take a month. What a great ride it’s been! If you find some time and want to squeeze in some short stories, I think Peter and Paul must have at least 101 little stories to tell. And of course the back story on Baelin and Hobb would be fascinating as well. Thanks for the great ride and keep doing what you do!
mant06
That would be interesting considering Anaxadar's inspiration/s, how gods in his world usually worked differently from Baelin's and Alex's (B6C69), and how his dead sun goddes mother is still being worshipped.
George R
Amazing ending to one of my favorite series! Thank you so much for all your hard work! I am so excited to read the next book! Enjoy your vacation!
StacyV
So what you're saying is I have time to finish Rune Seeker and all the other books I'm currently reading before the next adventure starts? Great! Love how Alex's story ended, love all the characters in this series, and I'm looking forward to your return. Enjoy the grass, will be still be here when you get back!❤️
Varneyboi
Its been an amazing journey, thank you for all your hard work and for writing such a brilliant story :)
Zoe
What a perfect ending, and full circle! I’m so sad the series has come to a close because I love all these characters! I know I told you in a message how much this series has meant to me. Being able to read an entire series has been so thrilling, and such a joy to my day to be able to read more! Thank you for your dedication, the love you put into these characters & story, and the sacrifices you made to make this happen! I’m looking forward to the hardcover set coming out, and hope to meet you someday to sign my copy of the books!! I’ll definitely be rereading the series with my nieces and nephews. You’re officially my favorite author. Thank you for all you’ve done, and I look forward to the next series! I hope you enjoy your well deserved vacation. Take care!
Rob
Thanks for the story! It was a very enjoyable read.
Elle
McHarris was always the greatest evil?! Great job making it to the end.
Michael
Congratulations on the series finale. It’s been a long and exciting journey!
Nate El
Mazel Tov: May the word you seek always be at your beck and call and may the joy of your friends follow you all your days!
mant06
Thank you for a exciting and cliffull journey. The knowledge that the MC of the next story is a life enforcer gives quite the interesting insinuation when taken in the contex of the names and what was learned about divine essence when Alex presented the immortality serums. Hope also to read and hear from Kyembe and crew soon. Enjoy your vacation you earned it.
Raymond De Jaeger
Thanks for the series, good job!
John Bierce
You definitely stuck the landing! It was an absolute pleasure to follow along with Mark of the Fool this whole way, and I'm looking forward to your next project!
Kamran Haris
PS I hope we see Alex again
Kamran Haris
You are awesome— one of my only Patreon subscriptions, I’ll keep my subscription just so you can have an extra drink on vacation from me!!
David Bordelon
Huge thank you for this series!
Joshua Little
Not true, I got more for you on Rune Seeker. You can't escape.
Josh
You should be so proud J.M. I stumbled into your series by chance and it has rekindled my imagination and love of reading and for that I am so appreciate. I only wish this could be a tv show so you could receive the praise and compensation you deserve from it. I can’t wait to see what you come up with next! P.s. PLEASE PUSH FOR A FULL HARDCOVER SET. I want the entire series in hardcover so I can read it over and over again
vytas
more people came here same way - audible -> RR -> Patreon ;) as Clarke mentioned after his break there will be a story on same universe ;) ...and connected to the fool's story via Baelin's cabal member (I wonder which one) so very good chances of having this peek especially if Selina might have some part in ;)
Brad
Loved the story. Glad and sad it finished. Now just have to wait for the new series and the rest of Fool to come out on audio so my sister can listen to it. Have a great vacation!
Emiya
I love Mark of the fool and Rune seeker as-well, I'll definitely be reading more of your work. Is your older books set in the universe of the fool or is theI AM BECOME DEATH going to be the continuation
J.M. Clarke
Haha, one final "Thanks for the chapter" for the road!
Joshua Little
Thanks for the chapter.
Chern Ann Ng
Got started on the audiobooks, then to RR, then came here. It’s a great series and I’d be curious to see what Hannah’s world is like “now” centuries after her time, with supes, even if it’s a small short story peek.
J.M. Clarke
Hehehe that makes me smile!
J.M. Clarke
Thank u!
Matt Cheek
I got here by random chance, and I’m so glad it happened. I got a tablet with a free trial of audible for Christmas in 2022. It came with three credits and I hadn’t used all of them by the time my trial was set to lapse, so I went looking for some fantasy books to listen to. Took a chance on Fool and immediately fell in love with the characters and world. My experience of reading your works on RR even inspired me to start publishing my own short stories there last year. I’ve only published one so far, and I really enjoyed the experience. I thank you for the advice on pursuing writing, as well as for sharing this story with all of us. It’s been a fun ride and I eagerly anticipate this next series. As well as the continuation of Rune Seeker. Oh! So you know, I got my wife hooked on Fool and Rune Seeker, too! And my manager at work has been bingeing the audiobooks since I introduced him to them. Seriously, you’ve done a fantastic job with this series. Best of luck to you in the future!
Zach Schmidt
Been a reader since the series started, found the story from your first post on the progression fantasy subreddit. Sad to see it end but am happy to have watched it grow over the years. Hope you have a great vacation!
Jeremy Young
TFTC! As a single tear rolls down my face.
Orion1024
Congratulations ! it was amazing
bird
great ending to a great story, thank you! cant wait for the next one and for more rune seeker soon.
orinblank
Thank you! This was an absolute blast of a series and I'm sad to see it end
Galaxyace1
What a ride! Thank you!!
CipherFTW
Totally not sobbing at work right now. Nope. Uh uh.
Rolf
Thank you so much for the ride!
CringeWorthyStudios
Thanks for the amazing series, I loved it! The new series is set on one of Baelin’s cabal’s worlds and was going to be named Godslayer? Uh oh, watch out there Anaxadar…
Zeddicus Zu'l Zorander
Thank you for all your hard work! I will always cherish this story :) Bravo! 👏
J.M. Clarke
Brother, I have been chomping at the bit to do the full circle and the second helping of revenge. So happy. - Glad you enjoy Rune Seeker!
J.M. Clarke
Haha it's been a pleasure to have you :)
Levi
Congratulations on finishing a fantastic series!
J.M. Clarke
Thank you so much! It's been so amazing to be here
J.M. Clarke
Oh I forgot to mention that in my afterward, lol. Yeah, I'm not done with Selina :)
J.M. Clarke
Holy crap that's high praise...thank you so much!
J.M. Clarke
LMAO! Amazing
mhaj58
YES!!!!! It’s so hard to stick the landing with a story like this. You have done it, and I really hope that when you release some physical books that I can get you to sign them. A Selina spinoff would be awesome. Beware of Chicken had a soaring heaven isle spinoff so it wouldn’t be that far off.
Michael Deleon
This has been one of the greatest literary journeys I have experienced. Thank you! I will be looking forward to your new work.
Shelbo
What do you mean no missed updates? What do you call all those sundays and Mondays you left us on cliffhangers! >:( (I’m joking btw). That aside congratulations on the finale. I’m glad I put down all the money to read along with the story. Loved it from the beginning and still love it now. Enjoy your week break and I’m looking forward to reading that next book you’re working on
Captain Cobbs
Thank you for the story, it was great
Russell Cluff
Thanks so much for the story. Loved every moment of it. Sad to see it end but it did oh so well.
Studio Tara Erin
Very sincere congratulations, this is an incredible accomplishment, and it was an absolutely fantastic to go along on Alex's journey as it unfolded. Enjoy your vacation - well earned! And I look forward to seeing what you do next :D
Robyn Davis
Really enjoyed this story and my children did too.
Gafgarion
Truly fantastic, thanks for the adventure!
Dave Powell
Thank you for the story. Now get some rest!
Neil
This has been amazing! Thanks so much for the ride. Excited to see what comes next, but for now enjoy your well deserved rest!
Brad Davis
Thanks for the awesome story! It really had me hooked from the jump, and I'm glad I was able to see the end of it.
kaden richards
Ah fuck me i’m actually gonna cry
Selkie
A big congratulations!
Nick Youngstrom
I hoped it wouldn't come, but it did and it was _good_. Thanks, J. What an incredible ride. See you on the other side.
Robert Vick
First thanks for the story. A bit for the afterward, I am incredibly impressed with your editing considering how much work you must have done just to get the words on the page. I don't think I've seen any mistakes since I became one of your patreon members and I must say that impresses the hell out of me.
Decide
Ahh I'm going to miss this. There were some pain points, but you've stuck the landing and got me to cry at the end there. I'm going to miss Alex and co. I look forward to your next story. And thanks for the advice. I've wanted to write, too, but I can't seem to build the habit too well. Maybe I'll emulate you a bit and write a little each day, couldn't hurt. Thank you again for writing this series. I was in kind of a bad head space, and seeing Alex grow and accept failure as a part of learning helped me through it. Thank you Enjoy your break, and I'll be here for the stories to come.
Brandon Crawford
Thank you so much for sticking through this series and making such wonderful characters. The development that happened through the arcs for all of the main characters was truly inspiring. Having this series through some of the worst of the pandemic was one thing to always look forward to at the end of the day. I appreciate everything that you do as an author.
Shawn Treants
A fantastic ending. Love the full circle and we got a bit of revenge again! Sad to see this story end but it was an amazing ride. Thank you! Looking forward to more series (and already loving rune seeker!) Enjoy your break! It is well deserved!
Fire Bucket
Thank you for ALL the chapters! I joined the Patreon about halfway through the series, after absolutely devouring what was already out on Kindle Unlimited and then RR and it's been an absolute pleasure.
JadeRabbit
Thank you for the amazing story. I enjoyed the ride.
Annette Burke
I have so enjoyed this story. Thank you for persisting and also finishing the story. And i loved that the last chapter of the week was on Sunday morning for me:) My kids have listened to all the audiobooks (as have I!) and are now reading book 7 on kindle. You got them to read! Thank you :)
Enif
What a wonderful journey this has been. Congratulations on finishing the series and here's to your much deserved break. Looking forward to following along with your next adventure 😊
Trevor Mergen
Definitely got me for a second with the dream sequence. Loved the ending and looking forward to your next story! Thanks for all the entertainment and always giving me something to look forward to at the end of the work day!
Aaron Schwartz
So Alex has been referring to Teresa as his lover for a while now, so I was operating under the belief that they’ve been fucking, and just nobody talked about it since JM has said multiple times that this is supposed to be a PG-13 book… but this chapter seems to imply that this is the first time for them. I’m honestly not sure how to feel about that. It’s not like I want explicit scenes, but since this story went out of its way to engage deeply with all of the various growing up aspects of itself as a coming of age story (moving on from college, the changing view of oneself and one’s mentors etc) , I would’ve wanted him to take a look at his sex life as well. Or at least confirm whether or not there was one.
Thomas Todd
Time for a full reread now it's complete, will be interesting to read it from start to finish
CommodoreCaptain
Reading this has been such a pleasure. Thank you for everything!
J.L. Calren
This feels weird…
Thomas Todd
Sad to see it end but it was an epic journey! Congrats on hitting the finish line and for an amazing story
Matt w Lichens
Thanks for everything! It was a great ending to a great story! I’m excited for what comes next!
Bunny Waffles
Thanks for the ride! It has been a fun one, and I am thrilled I managed to see it right from the beginning, all the way to the end. Take some rest, prep for the next story, and have a wonderful wonderful time!
M van Dongen
Thank you kindly sir. The journey was thoroughly enjoyable.
SUBLIME SMITER
IT IS DONE??!!! NOOOOOOOOO!!!!! Chapeau! Salut! Kudos!
Dominic Pernicone
Thank you for this journey, this has been one of the best books I've ever had the pleasure of experiencing through RoyalRoad. Let us know when the hardcover set comes out, because I plan on proudly displaying it on my shelf. Enjoy your break, and I look forward to the future!
Colby Jordan
😭😭😭😭😭 it is over. Well done!
J.M. Clarke
Last second :)
Shawn Treants
Last first?
