Tail of The Stray - OLD VERSION

Self-Published

Community Rating

Description

Find the newly revised version of the storyHERE

This is the original version of the story I started writing before I noticed my writing style was changing. I also wanted to make some much needed changes and additions.The new version of the fiction will be uploaded under the same title and will start from scratch as a new story.Even if you have already read this version, you will find that the new one is a new and different experience. So, it's not going to be a lot of the same stuff, I've rewritten every chapter.

Information

Status: Completed
Year: 2025
Author: TheInkedTail

Royal Road Stats

Rating: 5.0/ 5.0
Followers: 29
Views: 11,724

What readers say about Tail of The Stray - OLD VERSION

“Mike told me about his story so I had to come check it out. I didn't know he could write so well, I'm surprised how professional it is. it's like you're a professional author. Velrik is a cute and well written character too. I don't know enough about writin…”
ChaoticGoodGirlRoyal Road5.0 / 5
“I saw this while looking through some new stuff, and I saw the title and the little fox character on the cover, so of course I had to check it out. This is my updated after reading more of the story. It's gotten really good, and i cant wait for more. The st…”
DrMilesRoyal Road5.0 / 5

Reviews

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Community Reviews(4)

ChaoticGoodGirlRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Mike told me about his story so I had to come check it out. I didn't know he could write so well, I'm surprised how professional it is. it's like you're a professional author. Velrik is a cute and well written character too.
I don't know enough about writing to leave a detailed review, but I'm sure anyone would love this story.
Edit: I'm now on Volume 2, it's a much different writing style. Volume 2 is from Velrik's perspective, there is a lot of detailed imagery. I really like how you can kind of visualize what Velrik is doing.
Great job, keep it up!
DrMilesRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
I saw this while looking through some new stuff, and I saw the title and the little fox character on the cover, so of course I had to check it out.
This is my updated after reading more of the story. It's gotten really good, and i cant wait for more.
The style is great, but I'm not going to pretend I'm good with vocabulary; there are some words I don't know and I had to stop to look them up, kinda breaks the immersion a little for me. Also, the story skips time a lot, it's not done terribly, I kinda would like to see a little more of what Velrik went through though at the manor. I can tell that the story actually starts in volume 2 and volume 1 is more of a background. It's an interesting transition from vol.1 to vol.2, it makes it feel like velriks adventure is actually starting.
Overall, it's really good! I'm glad I found this site and I'll be keeping up with Velrik's story. You don't really think of it as a D&D story until you get to the mentioning of rogues and stuff, it's a well built world so far too. It would be cool to see some more world building and understand more bout the world.
Keep it up!
NoteworthynoviceRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
This story is amazing so far! The world building is really well done, and the use of so much sensory detail makes the chapters feel incredibly immersive. I'm excited to see what happens to Velrik and where this story goes. Will definitely be following along. Can't wait for the next chapter!
cursedclarkeRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Michael, your work is the best thing I have read on the site and in my top 100 books. And I have read 1000's of stories, books and novels. Your story is something rare. It feels like it was written by someone with both the heart of a poet and the soul of a naturalist. Every description breathes. The forest isn’t just a setting here, it is a living presence. The way you describe the scent of damp earth, the shimmer of dappled light through leaves, the subtle movements of creatures in the underbrush. It almost feels like standing barefoot in a place that remembers you.
At its heart, this is the story of Velrik, a young Vulpin, a fox-like creature torn from a hidden forest village and cast into captivity in a human noble’s manor. What could have been a simple tale of imprisonment becomes something far richer. It is about the quiet fight to hold onto identity. It is about trauma, adaptation, resilience, and chosen family. There is such emotional weight in the smallest gestures, in the way Velrik curls his tail or twitches his ears, in the silences between lines of dialogue. You feel the loss of his home as much as he does. You feel his confusion and anger and small, growing sparks of hope.
The supporting characters are just as vividly drawn. Elisa’s kindness never feels forced. Mira is clever and sharp and gives the story its edge. Dain and Joren bring warmth and grounding. And Lucien well, I am still not entirely sure what to make of Lucien, which is a compliment. He is layered and mysterious in a way that makes you want to keep reading just to see how he plays his next move.
There is a lot of subtle worldbuilding here, and none of it is heavy-handed. The politics of slavery, the nature of the magic, the tension between social classes and species and all of it is there, humming quietly beneath the surface.
I did not find myself questioning anything. The world felt complete and honest. I was completely absorbed. It is so rare to find something that feels both emotionall