《After me, there shall be no more》 Prologue ¡°Don¡¯t worry, this will be the last time¡± a quiet whisper.. was all that was heard amongst the solitary woods atop a lonely mountain. From the rustling canopy of the tallest trees to the leaves on the ground dancing with the wind, to the river that was roaring with excitement nearby. A singular word came to mind to describe this scene of nature; Joy! The figure was that of a man, his features indistinctive, and strangely enough, not consistent with a singular exception, its eyes; a pair of eyes that contained several celestial bodies. To onlookers, the figure, at one moment, could be described as a young man brimming with vitality; while at other moments, the figure looked like an old man with both feet firmly planted in the afterlife, at times the figure was a woman in her beautiful youth and at times a wrinkly grandmother. ¡°She is close¡­ the great mother who never experienced the joy of having a child¡± another strange whisper, one filled with sadness. From the trees and leaves to the very force of the wind, it all suddenly died down as if they were responding to the feelings of the figure. It started to look at the ground next to the stump, or more accurately, two items made of wood that stood next to some ancient rotten wood. The items were shaped like an oval, with a wooden wall around the outer ring, and were filled with soft white pillows and blankets. One of these two cradles was empty, abandoned quite some years ago judging by the rotting, decaying state of the wood. The other contained a child peacefully sleeping with a weird veil of transparent liquid flowing over and around the entirety of the cradle. Next to the child, inside the cradle, lay several distinct scrolls. A few of these scrolls were colored like a rainbow, the colors flowing across the scrolls like a meandering river, wrapped and sealed with a tie adorned by a rainbow colored gem. Some other scrolls were colored gold, exuding a small light shining like it was the center of the world, wrapped and sealed with a tie adorned by a red gem. ¡°It is time. I know that she will sense you, oh small one¡± It smiled while looking at the child in the cradle. With care, it grabbed the handle of the cradle and with a wave of its hand it popped the veil of liquid that was flowing around the cradle. It walked to the nearby river that was flowing down the mountain into the open valley that lay to its north and crouched down. With care, the cradle was laid onto the river, and the roaring river quickly dragged the child away. ¡°There he goes..¡± the figure smiled once again, looking along with the flow of the river as if it could still see the child. After a minute it slowly stood up, looked to the sky, and showcased a smile that was filled with sadness. It slowly turned to the west and flashed its teeth, turning the smile into something more aggressive. ¡°The whore has been giving birth for thousands of years, her children rampage and procreate across the eastern and western lands. Six of her ten kings are leading the children, two are quickly growing up, the last is to come soon.¡± It turned to the southwest, its aggressive smile turning into one of unrestrained aggression like destruction is to come. ¡°The angel of seven is blowing her trumpet, heralding the birth of destruction. He who shall sow the earth red and fill the sky with cries of despair. His birth is the start.¡± It slowly turned to the southeast as it saw three more angels appear, its smile returning to one of calmness, of certainty like a regal lord. ¡°The angel of one is also blowing her trumpet, heralding the birth of heaven. He who shall guide the world to its freedom and uplift the citizens of the world. His birth is the end.¡± ¡°Well then¡­ I shall take my leave. I don¡¯t belong here.. or anywhere¡± it spoke sadly to itself as it slowly walked away from the river and vanished. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The city of Eind was a prosperous one. Normally the city would be bustling with the activity of merchants roaring over each other to promote their wares, and draw the attention of potential customers accompanied by the noise of the furnaces and hammers clinking all over the city, but today was different, today was special. ¡°Oh may he be wise, oh may he be kind, We wish for him the happiness of a thousand loving mothers, We wish for him the kindness of a thousand fathers, We wish for him to be strong like a thousand warriors, We wish for him the wisdom of a thousand sages, May his reign be more prosperous than that of Alaric, May his reign be more victorious than that of Ademaro, We wish upon you the brightest of lives!¡± The city was bustling with merry people, singing, drinking, and dancing like there is no tomorrow. The bards were leading the people around the city, they stood on the numerous fountains and on the roof of houses singing their lungs out. The entire city was in a state of elation; for their future emperor was just born. Just an hour ago, the proud emperor held a speech from the balcony of the palace to the common folk, bringing about the news of the birth of his beloved son. It was not just a celebration of the birth of their future emperor, but also for the stability of the empire, as the empresses so far had only given birth to daughters, daughters who will not inherit in their culture. Many of the common folk were fearful of a civil war where each of the large noble houses and other members of the royal family would vie for the throne once their emperor perished. But now, with the birth of a son, his heir, those fears were temporarily abated. While the common folk were making merry in the streets, the inside of the royal palace was in absolute chaos. Maids were running all across the palace to prepare for the festivities inside the gigantic ballroom. Inside a room in the back of the palace, sat a man with brown hooded eyes, his long brown hair flowing back from the crown, unkempt but clean. His jawline was hidden by a short brown beard, but you could glean the square shape from how the beard flowed. His skin was tanned from the long campaign this summer. His crimson red robes, worn in more casual circumstances, sat unadorned save the royal sigil on his left breast side, on top of a bulky frame. His arms bulged as he crossed his arms in front of his chest. His boots were light-brown and made of Gryphon leather imported from the Hupomen¨® Kingdom that lay some kingdoms east and across the great sea of Demiurge. He wasn¡¯t wearing his crown or any other jewelry, for this meeting was an informal one. He sat there, on top of a large brown chest, looking down on three kneeling men. All three of them were wearing full plate armor, with the exception of their helmets, which they had taken off to show the proper respect to their emperor. The three armored men were accompanied by a man wearing a full tuxedo. ¡°What were his main scrolls like?¡± the Emperor asked the man in the tuxedo. ¡°My emperor, he has 6 divine scrolls and one grand scroll.¡± the man quietly spoke, containing his sheer disbelief about the scrolls. ¡°¡­Very well. It seems the time has come¡­ I will go to the treasury and retrieve the one and only divine scroll we have in there.¡± the emperor replied calmly, but the man in the tuxedo knew that even the emperor was in disbelief. No matter what legends of old tell, seeing and hearing it for yourself will always leave you shocked, no matter how grand you yourself are. The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°The three of you are to guard him at all times and costs, even if you have to lay down your own lives for it. I also want half of the red squadron to guard his outer perimeter at all times. Furthermore, have Summer come to my private study. He and I have a lot to discuss. ¡± The emperor commanded the three armored men that were still kneeling. A simple nod was all they gave back, as they had been ordered to not speak a word unless necessary. They stood up and exited the storage room, their armored footsteps slowly fading away in the distance on the non-carpeted floor. ¡°Follow me, we will go and retrieve the divine scroll we have in the treasury. After we retrieve the scroll, I want you to send out a message to the death camp near the city of Toekomst and have them look for two suitable candidates for the position of anchor and sword. Furthermore, dispatch Spring to retrieve the child rumored to have the latent ability of the hero. I want them sent over to the palace as soon as possible.¡± the emperor commanded the tuxedo man. ¡°By your will, my emperor.¡± came the steadfast and practiced reply. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The wind was gentle, a small breeze was flowing throughout the beautiful, lush and peaceful garden. The cherry blossoms were dancing in the wind, the water of the pond was flowing freely and the sound of a bamboo swing pump could occasionally be heard. In the center of the garden, surrounded by the flowing water and cherry blossoms, was a small pagoda. Inside the pagoda, sitting cross-legged on a raised wooden sofa, sat an old man, his hair gray, but long and bound up into a knot. Brown eyes, cold and calculating. While his eyes still showed life in them, his body was clearly showcasing he was approaching his end. The muscles he was once proud of in his youth, disappearing by the day. And yet he was emperor. He was dressed in a golden kimono, decorated with a single azure dragon crawling its way up from his waist to his right shoulder blade. To his left lay a glaive adorned with a blue gem, and to his right, an ancient folding fan, decorated with the legends of the founder of his family¡¯s long dynasty, with a toughness betraying its look. In front of him was a single-aged woman, with her knees, hands, and head on the ground, a position known as a dogeza in the empire. She had been waiting like this for an hour. ¡°Tell me, oh first wife of mine, what are his main scrolls?¡± The emperor finally spoke with a haughty voice. ¡°Six divine and one grand, oh mighty ruler of heaven¡± she replied in a steady and emotionless voice. ¡°Good, it seems the prophecy has chosen my grandson. You may leave,¡± he commanded. ¡°I will do as you command, oh mighty ruler of heaven,¡± came the same emotionless reply. As the woman left the small pagoda and closed the door, the emperor turned around and opened a window behind him. As he looked out across the pond, beyond the cherry trees and lush grass, he saw his best and only friend. A scaled serpentine creature with four legs that turned into claws; its face was long and filled with razor-sharp teeth, and on top of its head were two great horns the size of many men. Across its scaled body on its back flowed beautiful blue fur that went all the way to its tail. The creature had been with him for his entire life and it was guarding a most sacred treasure. A treasure that will be with his son for his entire life. The creature lifted its head and looked towards the Emperor, a look of acceptance and determination was shared among them. The creature slowly opened its mouth and out came a mighty red blaze aimed at the treasure it was guarding. The emperor closed the window and stepped off the sofa as a tear fell down his cheek. ¡°Hah, finally¡­¡± he let out a long sigh. The emperor, with difficulty, crouched down and opened a small cabin under the wooden sofa and retrieved a certain scroll. A scroll that had been there for centuries, if not several millennia. ¡°I will have to call my first wife back later and have her start the anchor and sword competition. I also have to send out a few messages¡­¡± he calmly spoke. ¡°This is it, let us call down the curtains on this world,¡± he whispered as he slowly stood up and sat down on the sofa, resting his weary body. ¡°A shame I won¡¯t be around to witness it¡± he chuckled as his eyes grew weary and he laid down with his old, decaying body across the sofa. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°hah¡± ¡°hah¡± ¡°QUICK! RUN!¡± a man shouted to his two friends behind him. They had been running for minutes straight at a brisk pace, away from the field of horror long behind them. They had high hopes when they entered that field of horror, hoping to score some big names and earn themselves the ingredients to become a warrior. But the enemy... the enemy was a demon. ¡°Fuck that bitch!¡± shouted one of them. ¡°God fucking dammit, she really is a demon. I guess the rumors were true, she really outclasses every single monster around by miles.¡± He heaved as he spat on the ground to clear his throat. ¡°I guess the rumors of her being the strongest human currently in the world are true¡± another one replied. ¡°Hey Matthew, Rick! I can see a river up ahead, we can drink some water and escape across it!¡± shouted the last of the males. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± After a few more minutes, they finally made it to the river and quickly threw themselves into the river to cleanse all the sweat and blood of them and drink some of the heavenly liquid that will bring their dry throats back to life. ¡°Hah, *spat* water really is the source of life. I really needed that!¡± Matthew, a young man with buck teeth, a belly that would make even the god of alcohol proud, and a protruding nose filled with warts, shouted as he swam across the river. ¡°Hey, Matthew! What is that behind you!? Something is flowing down the river!¡± Rick, a barely adult with broad shoulders and a muscular body from working in his father''s smith, shouted to Matthew. ¡°Looks like a cradle! Is there a child in there? I can hear crying coming from the cradle!¡± The third and last one named Pepijn shouted. ¡°I¡¯ll grab it!¡± shouted Matthew back as he grabbed the cradle. ¡°Let¡¯s get on land on the other side! We need to escape!¡± Rick shouted as he started swimming. ¡°Yes!¡± came the reply from Matthew and Pepijn. Soon the three found themselves onshore. Rick and Pepijn quickly dried their clothes as best as they could and were getting into position to run again, but as they looked back, they could see Matthew looking inside the cradle with his jaw wide open and fervent desire in his eyes. ¡°What''s up Matthew??¡± Rick asked cautiously, he had never seen Matthew like this since the day they saw Patricia, a beautiful young woman, in action in the shed of their town with three men during their early teens. ¡°I think we just found the JACKPOT! WE CAN RETIRE AND LIVE LIKE KINGS¡­ NO EMPERORS! We can BECOME WARRIORS and LIVE A LONG LIFE!!!!! We can have EVERYTHING WE WANTED!¡± shouted Matthew back. ¡°What kind of horseshit are you spewing Matthew?¡± Pepijn asked back. ¡°Inside the cradle¡­ inside the cradle is¡­it is A LORD CHILD!!! I can see three emperors/empress scrolls!!! I can see five other scrolls as well, but I have no clue what the fuck they are!¡± Matthew shouted back. ¡°WHAT!? The other two shouted back and quickly ran over. ¡°Let¡¯s quickly kill the child and toss the cradle and the body back in the river! Then we run like there is no tomorrow from here!¡± Matthew shouted to his two friends. ¡°Are you serious Maththew!? You¡¯re talking about killing a baby!¡± Rick replied back, his emotions flaring at the mere thought of killing a helpless baby. ¡°Think about THE MONEY RICK! Think about your Elaine, your beautiful and loving Elaine! You can buy her everything she desires when we sell these scrolls!¡± came the reply from Pepijn once he sat down next to Matthew. ¡°I... I can¡¯t¡­ I can¡¯t do it! It is a BABY! My father taught me to always look out for children and protect them at all costs. He adopted me, me who had nothing and he gave me his everything. And you want me to MOCK everything my father stands for!? came the thundering voice of Rick as he started to threateningly walk to Matthew and Pepijn. ¡°Fuck your old man Rick! I am going to live a long life and have everything I want, all the women, jewels, and glory I want!¡± as Matthew moved his hands to the neck of the baby. In their hot-tempered bickering, they never noticed the woman who leaped across the river like it was a small droplet of water. She landed without sound, her sword drawn and dripping with blood from the battle she left earlier when she sensed the cradle and the baby. She took a single step and appeared next to the three men. ¡°WHAT?¡± ¡°SHIT¡± The three cried out before she swung her sword. Forever separating their heads from their bodies. ¡°What do we have here?¡± her gentle voice flowed out. She casually collected the scrolls that had been grabbed by Matthew and Pepijn as she made her way to the cradle. As she took a look inside the cradle¡­ ¡°Well then, why is a lord child being abando¡­.HUH!?¡± she let out a shout of surprise. ¡°These scrolls¡­ they have the exact same configuration as Artos!¡± Chapter 1 ¡°During my life, I have always tried to sail to the horizons. And yet, there is a point where I cannot sail further, even though my ship clearly has water in front of it.¡± ¡°The Mountain of Sannindi, it seems fate is a jester after all.¡± Ase quietly murmured to herself as she looked at the mountain that easily pierced the sky in the far north. ¡°Where our life ended, I found one whose life has just begun, with the exact same scroll configuration as Atros¡­¡± Ase said tiredly as she looked back at the baby, a tear slowly forming and falling down her right cheek. The baby was looking back at her as well, curiously and exploratory as it held out its small little hands to her. ¡°Oogie Oogie¡± was a sound she made for reasons unknown to her as she lowered her finger to the baby¡¯s small hand, all the while a smile was slowly making its way on her face. Once in reach, the baby grabbed hold of it and let out a small little laugh. One that was responded to in kind by Ase. ¡°Is this why you ran off so quickly, Ase?¡± a familiar voice calmly asked while she heard several people leaping across the same river she leaped across as well some minutes ago. They were part of her family, well.. the remainder of her family. The first was Astrid Gunnulf, a woman who always was the center of calm in their group, with the sole exception when it came to their dead husband. A voice of reason in the chaos they had often found themselves in when they were still young. She had medium-length white hair with locks that flowed freely across her diamond-shaped face that was so loved around this part of the world. A set of thin lips that sat beneath an upturned nose, her amber colored eyes were surrounded by a set of dark shadows that she always dipped around her eye sockets each morning. On her neck, she wore a gift from their old husband, a necklace put together from small stones and other metals their old husband had found. Out of the entire family, she wore, by far, the most complicated outfit. But her attention was drawn by the companion behind her. Right behind her was Hui-Ying Gunnulf, a woman that came from the Dynasty of Wu, a large empire to the far south. She had been with them for centuries, ever since they joined the Academy of war in their youth, some centuries ago. She had a traditional oblong-shaped face with dark-gray hair that reached just barely below her shoulders.. Her attire was far more simple than that of Astrid, due to her being an archer. She wore tight-fitting brown cotton pants that were accompanied by a thick black leather vest with black shoulder pads. From her right shoulder to her left waist, she wore a strap that ensured the quiver on her back was always kept in place. She wore padded leather high-boots that provided both silent footsteps and some protection for her lower legs. The last of the people who jumped over was Gunhilf Gunnulf, unlike Astrid and Ase she had dark blonde hair alongside a round face with two locks of braided hair falling towards her chest. Her chest, shoulders, and upper arms were covered by a mixture of steel and amber colored plate armor. Her hands were covered by steel gauntlets with the left one adorned with various weird symbols. Covering the upper parts of her legs was a blue skirt that was fastened by a leather belt, while the lower parts were covered by steel armor from her kneecaps to the middle of her lower legs. Covering the rest of her feet and lower legs were steel sabatons. ¡°A lord child? Why would someone abandon such a precious child?¡± Hui-Ying¡¯s soft voice rang out as she and her other two family members made their way over to Ase. That Ase had run off so suddenly was a surprise for sure for them, though they were reluctant to let Ase go out of sight, they had to discuss with the remainder of the family who would stay behind and take command of the war. Once that was done, Hui-Ying, Astrid, and Gunhilf quickly broke off and ran in the direction they last saw Ase, determined to catch up. At first, they expected she ran off to check a certain area for a different army, but reports continuously given to them by the scouts never indicated an army of the Cerviel Holy Kingdom left the surrounding citadels. Confused, and stressed, they ran and ran expecting either some powerful people spying on their battle or the worst possible situation; the total annihilation of their scouts, the fabrication of false reports and several armies making their way to the battle. This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. Yet all the tension left their bodies when they saw that Ase was safe and unharmed, crouched next to a cradle. They, just like Ase, jumped across the large river like it was nothing and made their way to Ase and the cradle. ¡°I don¡¯t think it was abandoned¡­ weird enough as it sounds. Look to the right into the far northern distance. Do you also see that godforsaken mountain?¡± Ase slowly answered Hui-Ying¡¯s question. ¡°Is that.. the MOUNTAIN OF SANNINDI!?¡± Astrid shouted with rage, that mountain was famous throughout the entire world, but to Ase, Astrid, Hui-Ying, Gunhilf, and some other members of their family; The mountain was a wound that not even time could heal. ¡°Yes, come and look inside the cradle. This child has the exact same scroll configuration as Aros. I am sure you all still remember the tales of how his parents found him? The fool was always so proud that they found him in a cradle coming from the mountain of Sannindi. Just like how we now find him.¡± Ase smiled while she pointed at the child in the cradle. All those years, decades, and centuries ago, and still, the mere mention of Aros¡¯s name put a smile on her face. ¡°Of course, that was his go-to story when he was drunk in the taverns!¡± Gunhilf let out a boisterous laugh while she crouched next to Ase. ¡°He also looks like the baby pictures his parents showed us. It is said babies look like their dad when they¡¯re fresh out of the womb, though Aros definitely died all those years ago, so I wonder who fathered and who gave birth to this child¡­..¡± ¡°Well, we never found out who Aros¡¯s birth parents were. It still makes no sense to me, from what we know, there is no human population that can live on that mountain. It is completely populated with step 5 to step 6 animals and even a few that are gods, including our saviour. It would require several nations of people at step 6 to fend those off and we all know there are only a rare few who make it that far along the path. Or¡­ they have a monster to protect them, someone like the Boar of Rot or Hulad.¡° Hui-Ying replied to Gunhilf as she stared at the mountain. ¡°How can you all be so FUCKING CALM! I can¡¯t stand THIS! Just seeing the mountain makes me boil with rage!¡± Astrid shouted at Ase, Hui-Ying, and Gunhilf. Her face was full of pain, gnashing her teeth and clenching her fists. She was always the one who felt the loss of Aros the most, partly due to her personality, but also because of her guilt. ¡°I am going back to Thyra and the rest! I can¡¯t stand being around here! Decide what you want to do with the child, but do it quickly. We got an army to get back to and lead. The forces of Count whatever are likely wiped out by now. So hurry it up!¡± as she leaped back across the river, Ase and the other two could clearly see a few tears falling into the river. ¡°hah, if I knew we would see the mountain of Sannindi from here, I would¡¯ve been more adamant about leaving Astrid behind with the army. She still hasn¡¯t forgiven herself, even though we all have.¡± Gunhilf let out a sigh as she watched Astrid disappear into the distance among the forest. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be able to forgive myself either if I were put into Astrid¡¯s place. We all loved Aros and we would all die for him. She knows that and we do as well. Part of the guilt is that not only did she fail to protect her lover, but she also failed to protect our lover¡­ and my¡­..¡± Ase slowly replied to Gunhilf as she slowly looked at the child tearfully. Her and Astrid were together from a young age, their mothers being the best of friends with each other, so she knew Astrid would never forgive herself, even in death. ¡°Let¡¯s quickly decide what to do with the child. Though I think we all know what we¡¯re going to do.¡± Hui-Ying interjected, as she crouched down next to Ase and hugged her tightly. ¡°You¡¯re right about that Yingi¡± Ase replied as she gave Hui-Ying a thankful smile. ¡°Let us go, Astrid is right. We got an army to get back to. And we have to introduce him to the other family members. I am sure Thyra and Adina won¡¯t be able to believe their eyes. They will likely be as shocked as us to find a child who looks like baby Aros.¡± ¡°Tch, true about that! Ysra just gave birth to a daughter as well, so we can ask her if she wants to nurse him. Better to leave the nursing to someone we can trust than some random wet nurse, although Ysra is not directly part of our family.¡± As Gunhilf leaped across the river as well, she was reminded of the last two members of their family, Bodil and Svend who also had just gotten a daughter. ¡°Ysra would indeed be the best option, if we met them earlier than Svend and Bodil, her and Orm would be part of our family instead of them.¡± Hui-Ying softly spoke as she and Ase lept after Gunhilf across the river. ¡°Let¡¯s hope everything goes well. Even if we face struggles, it will be all worth it. We will have a child that will remind us of our happy days with Aros, and perhaps he will heal Astrid¡¯s soul as well. Odin knows she needs it.¡± As Ase let a smile bloom across her face, she had just one more thing to wonder about. ¡°Well then little one, what are we going to name you?¡± Chapter 2 ¡°If you find yourself at a gambling table with a Pascian, you¡¯ve already been scammed.¡± - 2 hours ago - The stage was set a while ago by the two lead performers. On one hand, was his magnificent self. Looking mighty fine in his richly decorated velvet pantaloons and white tights while walking on his gem-covered poulains. His beautiful round belly was covered by a large red coat of fur and a white cotton shirt. His Bandholz style facial hair did quite a spectacular job of hiding his ever-growing double chin. His nose led into a resolute and powerful pair of black eyes, his black hair wild and cascading down to his broad shoulders. On his back were 2 large wings of the purest white, indicating his status as a member of the royal house. This was going to be his moment of triumph, his moment of glory. For he would beat the queen of Gunnulf, the person rumored to be the strongest in the world. Where she was, he had no idea. He knew of their barely defended headquarters, but he had yet to lay eyes on that woman, that vile pest that was sowing chaos in the Holy land of Cerviel decades ago. The land of HIS family and his lineage, and would he dare to say it, his future kingdom. For he was of the royal line of Cerviel, a proud and noble lineage dating back countless millenia¡¯s. He was relied upon to defend the sacred land and border that was the land of the count of Oleoso, an area rich in its production of sub-standard olive oil. But he would not cower in his land, that would not do, not for a man like him. He took HIS army and invaded the Kingdom of Gunnulf, laying waste to the city of Jakriborg. Alas, the populace had long since fled the city and took all the precious resources it had, but no matter. He found his prey. ¡°Aldonza, Donadei and Gilo. I want all three of you to take command of the army and charge the army of that vile little bitch. Aldonza, you¡¯re in command of the infantry, Donadei takes command of the left cavalry, and Gilo you take command of the mage and range division¡± His deep and authoritative voice gave the orders to the men on their knees in front of him. ¡°By your command, my lord¡± came the response from Aldonza and Donadei. While those two replied without hesitation and were seemingly eager to take up their positions of command, Gilo had his reservations. ¡°My lord, I don¡¯t think it is wise to recklessly charge into the army of Gunnulf. If you take a close look, you can see that they¡¯re clearly quite relaxed and some are even playing cards and betting. I suggest we withdraw slowly and regroup at fort Bater¨ªa de Aspiroz.¡± ¡°YOU would have the great Altamira retreat before these lowly plebeians? I WILL HEAR NO MORE. Officers, disarm and dishonor that man. Shave his mustache and beard and throw him in jail.¡± ¡°Aldonza and Donadei, the army is yours. Dispose of these barbarians and bring me that vile bitch that killed my uncle 30 years ago. ¡°By your command!¡± ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°Oh, would you look at that, they¡¯re finally charging¡± came a sleepy voice from the line of infantry of the Gunnulf army. ¡°I really want to go back to my bed and embrace my lovely wife.¡± ¡°Bj?rn, you call that thing a wife? I would be more inclined to call her a Thorkal, rather than a lovely wife¡± came a cheerful and mischievous voice next to Bj?rn. Their conversation was heard along the line of their infantry squad and caused quite a few chuckles. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with a little bit of cushion for the pushing Einarr? Is your prick too small to reach that sweet holy land? I¡¯ll have you know, my wife can withstand quite the fight. I bet your small wife can¡¯t even handle a bit of pushing before she breaks.¡± Bj?rn replied while indicating the size of Einarr rod with his hands, growing ever smaller the closer the enemy came with a large smile on his face. ¡°You piece of sh¡± as Einarr was cursing and moving his sword to strike at Bj?rn before he got rudely interrupted by a command from behind. ¡°Whoever those two were, shut up and report to the headquarters after the battle. We got an army of a royal piss boy of Cerviel to kill, I would appreciate some focus from you bloody morons,¡± an elegant and loud voice ordered from behind. ¡°Jeez, her voice does not match the words she says at all. I bet her parents were laughing throughout her entire childhood at that obvious mismatch.¡± Bj?rn quietly murmured to himself while preparing himself to handle the enemy¡¯s charge. ¡°I can still hear you even if you whisper, you bloody muppet. I will find you after this battle and make you pay. Perhaps I¡¯ll show your wife what a real woman can do for her.¡± ¡°Ah, shit¡± Bj?rn quietly chuckled alongside the rest of the army as they all had tuned in when they heard the order. ¡°Well, let¡¯s get this over with Bj?rn. I am looking forward to watching you receive your punishment. This is going to be good.¡± Einarr laughed as he pats Bj?rn on the back to show his condolences. ¡°You with the small prick, don¡¯t think I forgot about you.¡± Einarr¡¯s face fell and turned white as the entire army roared with laughter. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ¡°So, what do we have here? A genuine member of the royal family of Cerviel. I genuinely thought you were faking it till you made it, but these wings are bloody real.¡± a tone of genuine surprise by an elegant voice was heard from the woman hovering over the fat count as she tugged on one of the wings. She was tall, extremely so, hovering around the 2 meters 40 cm range. She had a square-shaped face, pale red lips, a small upturned nose, and shaded emerald eyes that got brought to the forefront due to the pale skin. Her dark red hair fell to the right while the left side was shaved. She was wearing traditional barbarian armor with blue shoulderpads. Her feet were bare and rough, indicating a life lived without the comfort of shoes. Her muscled back and arms were on clear display on a bulky frame. What was most striking about her was that one of her ears was pointed, indicating an Elven lineage. Around her neck she wore a bronze necklace that had a red gem attached to the end of it. ¡°Thyra, please show some proper respect to a member of the royal family of Ceviel. We¡¯re royals, how we act and what we say reflects not only us as individuals, but also our nation. I¡¯ve been trying to teach you this for over 200 years now, but it seems you never learn,¡± a tired and sighing voice could be heard from behind Thyra. The woman was so small that she disappeared behind Thyra. She had an oblong-shaped face with dark lips and pearly white teeth. Her nose was straight and led to upturned dark-brown eyes. Her dark skin was hidden beneath a brown shamanistic attire that was adorned with various trinkets. She wore a brown belt that held on to a large brown pouch, likely containing healing herbs or vials. In her left hand, she was holding onto a small crystalline staff that was covered by a red gem, likely a ruby. In her right hand, she was holding onto a book that she hugged to her body, a book covered in various ancient glyphs. Her hair was braided into dreadlocks with two of the locks colored blue. Inside her hair she had weaved and linked several more trinkets. ¡°Oh c¡¯mon Chipmunk, you know I never cared for traditions. Besides, we¡¯re not throwing him in jail to anguish over his fate, so I say we¡¯re providing him enough hospitality as is.¡± A seemingly well-practiced rebuke, quite clearly showcasing that they had this back and forth many times over. ¡°Call me Adina Gunnulf when in the company of people not part of our family,¡± an instant reply came from Adina as she raised her staff and gave a light smack at the back of Thyra¡¯s head. A smack that was shrugged off like it was nothing. ¡°Good day, Sir Altamira, as you¡¯ve likely picked up from the conversation with my lovely family member, I am Adina Gunnulf, the heart of the Gunnulf Royal family. I wish to express my genuine apology for the way Thyra Gunnulf handled and talked about you. I¡¯ve sent orders for a rider to be dispatched to your family¡¯s royal palace with a message of your actions. Till we receive word from your family, I would like to offer you the hospitality of the Gunnulf Royal palace where we will provide you with all the luxuries and accommodations worthy of your stature.¡± She bowed as she maintained a neutral and respectful tone. If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡°You¡¯ve insulted me and now you wish to offer me hospitality? Do you think I will accept them from a heart? That is an insult in and of itself, I expect at bare minimum to receive them from the ace or anchor of your family, and I much prefer them from the vil.. queen herself. I demand a meeting with her, as a member of the Altamira royal family.¡± Sir Altamari stood up and looked down upon Adine with his tall and large frame. ¡°She is currently unavailable, but I think she will be back soon. Follow me to the headquarters and we will have some maids provide a warm bath for you while we wait upon her return. This is all I can offer you at the moment.¡± she bowed once again while maintaining the same neutral and respectful tone. Once she finished bowing, she turned towards the guards surrounding the fat royal. ¡°Cut loose all his restraints but the one for his wings,¡± she ordered and walked ahead to the headquarters while Altamari followed when his restraints were swiftly cut loose. Once at the headquarters she ordered several of the maids to prepare a warm bath and a fresh set of clothes for the royal family member, an order he gladly followed as he followed the maids, his eyes roaming over their figures. While the royal family member was taking his time bathing, Adina and Thyra went inside the headquarters tent to get caught up on the state of the battlefield and prepare for the return of Ase. ¡°Abidemi, how is the situation on the battlefield? I assume you¡¯ve already finished the headcount of the soldiers and confirmed the number of casualties both on our side and that on the side of Cerviel?¡± Adina questioned, looking at one of the five people that stayed inside the tent when she went to Thyra to save the royal family member from her rough hands. Abidemi was a tall, muscular black man born in the Samil Kingdom, a country in the far south-west of the world. He had a round-shaped face, with a straight nose that led into deep-set dark brown-colored eyes. His hair was, much like Adina, dreadlocked. He was wearing Samurai armor that was quite popular in the nation of Nok. On his back was a large katana and at his leather belts hung a shortsword that he would use if he was fighting in a formation. ¡°According to the headcount done by General Andor, General Halvar, and General Abasi, the casualties stand at 20 step 1 and around 10 step 2¡¯s, the loss of step 0 and below stand around 5000. We have lost 0 from step 3 and higher. The enemy casualties stand around 15000 and we have imprisoned around 40.000. A rough estimate of 20 to 30 thousand quickly fled back to the Cerviel Holy land when they saw the good Sir Altamira captured by Thyra.¡± Abidemi replied in a deep and downcast voice. The loss of soldiers of any step is a loss of capital and time, not even mentioning about the families they left behind. ¡°I still don¡¯t understand why they charged at us with hardly any step warriors. I¡¯ve heard tales of the fat royal, whose name I think is Ferrando, but his vanity, and let us call it tendency to misjudge, doesn''t do the rumors any justice. It is far worse than I¡¯ve heard. Perhaps he realized his family sent him away to the far corners of their kingdom to prevent the reputational damage he would inflict on them in their capital? But that is dangerous in and of itself, after all royal family members of the Cerviel Holy land can breed Ophanims with humans, and any ophanim is a powerful asset for a nation. Mister Altamar would most likely be forced and used as a breeding horse by any nation that gets their hand on him.¡± a quiet and thoughtful voice was heard from next to Abidemi. She was the final member of the Gunnulf Family alongside Abidemi, namely Oratile Abara. She came from the same nation as Abidemi, and had a heart-shaped face, with a straight nose and deep-set dark-brown eyes. Her gray hair was combed backwards and ended up with braids near his shoulders, and by god was she tall. She stood almost as tall as Abidemi himself, while Abidemi cleared the 2 meters 20, she was just shy of it by 5 cm, coming in at a height of 215 cm. She wore a simple white tunic with a dark-gray vest on top of it, her wrists were covered by dark-leather vambraces. She wore leather boots that disappeared beneath the robe. At her waist was a leather belt with a bright blue gem embedded into the middle. In her hands, she was cradling a sleeping baby, wrapped in blue cloth. A tall married couple that the Gunnulf family met around 50 years ago, when they were campaigning around the northern part of their territory after an uprising of a powerful Jarl. They met them when they were recruiting volunteers for the battle of Sundsvall. During the campaign, they hit it off quite well, and eventually, they asked to be taken into service. During the negotiations, Ase decided to give them her two last known scrolls of Lordship, bringing them into their family and copying a portion of their power to Ase. ¡°What the bloody idiot did matters not, we won the battle. We¡¯re in the process of stripping away the armor, weapons, and any other type of battle equipment from their forces. I doubt we will be able to hold onto the sword that Mr fancy pants had, but we can at least negotiate a price for his release and weapon. Bloody idiot, not gathering the proper intel on the enemy¡¯s forces and just charging in blind. I wonder how he managed to live that long.¡± Thyra wondered out loud as she shifted her gaze to the tent the Cerviel royal family member was taking a bath in. ¡°I doubt he went to the Academy of war. He strikes me more as the person who stayed inside the royal palace all his life feasting on banquets and timid maids.. or butlers if he is into that. Regardless, Ase should be back soon and we can then discuss the next set of plans. The rider I sent out should arrive at their capital in around a month. But I highly doubt they will come for his release soon, from the intel Hui-Ying gave me, they are currently at war with the Hupomen¨® kingdom. So expect around 4-5 years of having to provide for him¡± Adina sighed as she looked at the map in the center of the table. She had been given overall command of the battlefield, but she delegated the actual war to Thyra, Abidemi, and the other generals in the army. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, I found something far more interesting on their side of the border,¡± a gentle and authoritative voice was heard while the tent flaps were opened. ¡°Welcome back Ase/My Queen!¡± Everyone greeted as Ase went inside the tent. ¡°At ease generals, please exit the headquarters. Take every soldier around the headquarters and make sure a radius of 200 meters with the tent at the center is clear of people.¡± Ase commanded, sat down, and placed something hidden by a cloak on the table. What it was, the generals could not tell, but they knew their queen better than most and didn¡¯t linger to ask questions. While the generals were exiting the tent; Hui-Ying, Astrid and Gunhilf entered the tent as well and took their place around the center table. ¡°What did you find, Ase? It was not like you to suddenly run off without informing us of the reason why.¡± Adina inquired curiously, she loved unraveling mysteries and she wholeheartedly believed that one-day curiosity would be her downfall. While everyone was gathering around the table, Ase quickly scanned the surroundings and saw the generals finished their job of clearing the area. Two gasps were heard when she slowly removed the cloak and revealed the sleeping baby in the cradle. Clearly from Thyra and Adina for they quickly saw the same resemblance to Aros that Ase, Hui-Ying, Gunhilf, and Astrid saw and their tears were starting to flow. Of note though were the impassive faces of Abidemi and Oratile. ¡°As you can see, I sensed a Lord Child. One that looks just like Aros, our husband that died 250 years ago. He, just like Aros, came down from the river that flows from Mt. Sannindi.¡± Ase explained as she checked once more to see if the child was still sleeping, which the child was. ¡°Why would anyone abandon a Lord Child? That makes no sense, even if you¡¯re poor, you can guarantee yourself a life of plenty if you bring your child to a royal family or high-ranking nobility.¡± Adina contemplated as she slowly sat down. ¡°Especially one like this, take a closer look at the scrolls. I see five divine-level scrolls, three gold scrolls and five normal scrolls. The exact same configuration as Aros. Any royal family would kill for this child, ourselves included. If properly cared for, he can become a tremendous shield for any kingdom or empire, let alone a source of future lords¡± Ase continued from Adina¡¯s contemplation and drew everyone¡¯s attention to the scrolls. ¡°We had a conversation while traveling back to the headquarters about adopting him into our family. Astrid, Hui-Ying, Gunhilf, and I are in favor of it, but I would like to hear the opinion of you four as well. Adina, Thyra, Abidemi, and Oratile , your opinions, please?¡± Ase inquired as she looked across the four of them. She already knew the answers of Adina and Thyra, this was their chance to relive their memories of Aros. The ones in question were Abidemi and Oratile . They never met Aros, but she knew they were kindhearted and would gladly adopt the boy into their family if the Gunnulf family didn¡¯t. ¡°YES!¡± came the quick and emotional reply from Adina and Thyra, the tears swelling and falling down their faces as a large smile started to form on their face. ¡°I obviously can¡¯t say no if all of you are starting to cry, have mercy on my soul please.¡± Abidemi laughed and gave his approval and turned to his wife who was silent and contemplating. His laughter died down quickly and was noticed by everyone else as they all turned towards Oratile, who slowly started to show a dangerous smile and a glint in her eyes. This was bad news, Abidemi knew this from all those years of being together, he knew he knew.. that Ase would pay for this. ¡°Oh lovely, I would gladly give my approval, but my dear Ase, can you tell me who will nurse him? I hope you don¡¯t have me in mind. I have my hands full with feeding Estrid, I can¡¯t take care of another mischievous child.¡± Oratile asked as she slowly turned her head towards Ase and a smile that threatened to break her lips started to show. ¡°Why are you like this.... Oratile ? I will gladly pay whatever you have in mind. But let¡¯s leave that conversation for later when we get back to our home.¡± Ase sighed and made the quick decision to just agree with the devilish woman. Where Abidemi found her and how he survived being with her for over 50 years, she didn¡¯t want to know. ¡°Is everyone okay if I name the child?¡± she asked as she stood up and looked everyone in the eyes. She turned towards the baby who was waking up and smiled. ¡°Go ahead Ase, we all know what his name is going to be¡± the entire Gunnulf family answered. They knew what this meant to Ase, as she was the only one who got pregnant by Aros just before they went to the Mt. of Sannindi. Ase¡¯s smile turned even bigger and nodded to thank everyone. She slowly moved her right hand to the baby¡¯s face and cradled him just before her chest area. ¡°Welcome to the family, Thomas Gunnulf¡± she whispered as she slowly kissed his forehead and let loose a few tears that fell on the baby. Chapter 2.5 It was the next morning, so early that the morning dew and mists were still there when Ase woke up. She had slept extremely well that night, so good in fact that she can¡¯t remember the last time she had such a good night. It was probably hundreds of years ago when Aros was still alive when she last had such a good rest. She yawned, stretched, and took a look around the bed. ¡°I guess they also slept extremely well¡± she murmured to herself as she looked at Astrid, Gunhilf, Hui-Ying, Adina, and Thyra as they all slept around Erik in the middle. It had been an emotional night for them, not only did they laugh and cry at the memories of Aros, but they also talked and dreamed about the future. A future where they could watch Erik grow up, play, and just be a child. It also gave them a new purpose in life, where before they just lived to protect the memory of Aros and his dream, but now they found another reason. A reason to live for, to pass their lives and dreams onto. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ They had decided to host a party right there and then. The remainder of the day after the battle was spent sending soldiers to the surrounding cities, towns, and villages for alcohol, meat, bards, and whatever else they desired. For today they would party and the Gunnulf family would pay for everything. As the party started to unfold with bards singing their lungs out and people dancing around the different campfires, the Gunnulf family was having their own little family celebration in the headquarters tent. Thyra and Astrid as usual were drinking Abidemi under the table as Gunhilf was attacking the hindleg of a Thorkal and cheering them on. Ever the proper lady, Adina was sitting up straight and hardly touched the alcohol as she seemed to be lost in conversation with Hui-Ying. Most likely talking about the latest rumors of high society in the kingdoms and empires around the world. Ever the curious foxes, those two. ¡°You know you can join them right? I can take care of Erik and Estrid by myself, they¡¯re behaving quite well and drinking it all up.¡± Oratile smiled as she cast a look from the two babies to Ase who was quietly looking at Erik drinking while occasionally looking at the rest of their family. ¡°No, I am fine being here. Just give me this moment of peace, please.¡± Ase replied as she started to stroke Erik¡¯s filled-up cheeks who let loose a sound of displeasure. ¡°Haha, you¡¯re a real greedy one, aren¡¯t you?¡± Ase asked as she continued stroking his cheek, much to the displeasure of Erik. ¡°I think he was quite hungry, he must¡¯ve been without food for a long time.¡± Oratile surmised as Erik continued to greedily suckle up some more milk. The party continued for another couple of hours before the soldiers started to retreat to their own tents. The ones who were single started to mingle and retreat to their shared tents with other single soldiers, especially the female soldiers who seemed quite eager tonight. Promising a night full of fun for not only their partners but also the other couplings that shared the tent for the night. It didn¡¯t take long for the sounds of moans and grunts to be heard all over the camp and not long before a couple more grunts and moans were heard, as some of the men who didn¡¯t manage to score were taken pity upon by either the other woman who didn¡¯t score or the ones who decided one rod wasn¡¯t enough for the night. Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. ¡°Well, they¡¯re really going at it tonight, ain¡¯t they?¡± Astrid laughed as she claimed victory over Abidemi, Gunhilf, and Thyra in their drinking game. Abidemi was knocked out on the table and Gunhilf and Thyra were throwing up outside the tent into the bushes. ¡°Astrid, why do you have to bully my husband so much? I still need him for tonight, you know?¡± Oratile complained as she put Erik and Estrid down into their respective cradles and moved to the food pile that was on the center table. She was hungry, especially after feeding a greedy little girl and boy. ¡°I am sure you have your ways to wake him up, Oratile. If need be, I can wake him up right now with a good kick if you want?¡± Astrid taunted and moved to stand next to Abidemi, intending to do what she said if Oratile gave the word. ¡°Please don¡¯t, I still need him tonight. With all the fun that has been going around the camp, I myself could use some action as well. ¡± Oratile answered as she grabbed the entire food pile and sat down at the center table to scarf it all down. ¡°We should all head to bed. I had a lot to think about this evening, and I am sure everyone else could use some rest as well. Astrid, help Oratile with Abidemi and Estrid and come to sleep as well. We got a lot to talk about tomorrow morning. And we have a foreign royal family member also to discuss, one who seemed to decide that it was perfectly normal to party with the ones who defeated his army. I swear that guy is an idiot. I think I even saw him enter his tent with three female mercenaries from the Wu Empire when I was getting some fresh air two hours ago.¡± Ase sighed as she stood up and picked up Erik¡¯s cradle. ¡°Uhm Ase, why didn¡¯t you stop him? You know things will become dire if he ends up impregnating one of them right? While he might not look and act the way royal family members do, he still has their blood. If one, or god forbid all of them give birth to genuine Ophanim¡¯s, we might have an all-out war with the Cerviel Holy land on our table, especially if one of them turns out to be a lord child, a war we can ill-afford at this moment.¡± Adina asked as she stopped dragging Gunhilf to bed when she heard Ferrando ended up bringing three women to his tent. ¡°Well then, that is one way sober up,¡± Astrid announced as she dropped Abidemi¡¯s body to the ground without a single care. ¡°Ase, this is not like you. What is happening to you right now? You missing this possibility is something that should never happen to you.¡± Astrid inquired further as she started to move closer to Ase. ¡°It would be perfect if all three of them end up pregnant. Angels, especially Ophanim¡¯s are born faster than almost any other race. From what I know it is around 2-3 months. If they do end up giving birth, we can work with either the Hupomen¨® kingdom or even the Dynasty of Wu. They won¡¯t risk war with us if we are allied with either of them, in fact if all three of them are pregnant, that would be for the best. We can trade a one-sided military alliance with each of them for one of the Ophanim.¡± Ase explained while she continued to move to their quarters. ¡°I¡¯ll send a message to my family back in the Dynasty of Wu. I think the first wife of the Heavenly Emperor¡¯s son recently gave birth, or she should be close to giving birth. If it ends up being a Lord child, we can end up getting even more than a one-sided military alliance. An Ophanim is after all extremely powerful, especially if given a lord scroll.¡± Hui-Ying explained as she continued dragging Thyra to bed as Ase passed her. ¡°I don¡¯t like this, I got a bad feeling about this. Can¡¯t we just kill all four of them? He is useless for the royal family anyway, they won¡¯t bother us if we pay them a reparation sum.¡± Adina asked as she started to rub her forehead, she really hated when things don¡¯t go according to plan, and this was one of the worst things to go sideways. ¡°Go to sleep, Adina, drag Gunhilf to our bed and just relax. If you can¡¯t, just wake up Thyra and I am sure she will wear you out. I got other things to worry about than this¡± Ase¡¯s voice started to become authoritative again with a hint of anger to it. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll shut up about it. I really hope you¡¯re right about this Ase.¡± Adina gave in and decided to drop the issue. Better to not stir the nest too much when everyone is starting to get into a good mood again after all these years. At the same time that Ase, Abidemi, Oratile, and the rest of the Gunnulf family went to bed, in a tent just north of them someone was writing a hasty letter. And in the tent west of the Gunnulf family, a chorus of three women and one man ended in a splendid high. A satisfied look on all four of them after a couple of hours of vigorous exercise.