《Ascension To Brutality》 Love Turned To Suspicion Keireen wakes up in his chambers, he is 164 years old but like other immortalai has the body of a 20 year old and he teleports clothes on as he gets up out of bed while yawning. It is early morning as he looks out the window before his attention is grasped by a wobbly feeling which he uses his magic to get rid of. "Guess I had too much fun last night" Keireen remarks as he look over at the empty casks of alcohol before leaving the room As he leaves the room the guards salute him. "I have told you many times, don''t salute" Keireen says and the guards chuckle as they stop "If it''s all the same to you Prince Keireen, we''ll continue to do so out of respect" The guards say and Keireen laughs a little "I''d order you to stop but I''m not going to, that''s just abusing a little bit of power" Keireen says and he walks down the hall towards the throne room As he enters the throne room, he sees his parents Itanrora and Yaitera who smile upon seeing him. "Good morning Keireen" Yaitera says as she walks over and hugs him "Morning mother" Keireen says and he hugs her but let''s go after a minute and looks at Itanrora. "Morning Keireen" Itanrora says cheerfully "Morning father" Keireen says "I''ll take it you''re going to go out again?" Yaitera asks as she leaves and goes back over to Itanrora "Indeed, friends to have fun with and drinks to be had" Keireen says "Just don''t overdo it like last night, I think the guard captain has been extremely unnerved by the amount of people that had to be taken home drunk from the cellar" Itanrora says and Keireen laughs "No promises" Keireen says and he teleports down into the city Some men and women run over and pick up Keireen bouncing him above them as they walk.Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. "Hey! Come on let me the fuck down!" Keireen shouts jokingly "Hell no, you''re paying for the drinks your highness!" One of the men says jokingly "When have I not?" Keireen says as he floats up and lands next to them "Never but of course we weren''t going to risk it" one of the women says "Fair enough, let''s do something else before we drink that''s an end of the fun type activity" Keireen says making them laugh "Fair enough, come on let''s go!" The group says starts to run away and Keireen follows quickly behind them using magic to speed up and run next to them The group along with Keireen run to the seaports and those without magic grab a boat and start to sail out of port while those with magic use water magic to run across the water alongside the boat and when they are far enough out to sea they teleport some swimwear on and dive into the water. The magic users which include Keireen stop running and sink into the water and use shapeshifting to grow gills on themselves and the non-magic users and using magic to keep water going into their body in places it shouldn''t go. They start swimming around under the water, swimming alongside the fish and wrestling with friendly sharks who play wrestle with them after some communication with shapeshifting. "We seriously don''t do this enough!" Keireen shouts "I know right!" The group shout back They continue to swim around for a few hours and even have an underwater fake fight with magic while the non-magic users watched for fun, but they eventually get back up and onto the boat and sail back to port. "Alright let''s get fucking drunk!" Keireen shouts and the group cheer for a couple seconds and walk towards the nearest bar with him and they get drunk for a while and as the day creeps towards night Keireen looks at the group "Alright I''m going to leave now" Keireen says and pays for all the drinks up to the point and a few more rounds for his friends and leaves stumbling his way back home not wanting to teleport because he likes to walk the streets "I think the shortcuts through this alley" Keireen thinks to himself and he stumbles into an alley and falls to the ground unconscious due to the amount he drank. Keireen awakes a couple hours later in a house not in the best of conditions but alright enough that its livable, he doesn''t recognize the house. "Where the fuck am I?" Keireen asks himself as his eyes focus and he looks around seeing a man in the corner cleaning a dagger "Oh, finally awake huh princeling?" The man says and he sheathes the dagger and comes over checking him over "Why am I here?" Keireen asks "Oh you fell in an alley and this was the closest place to make sure you were alright, I could have taken you to the palace but I doubt the guards would take my appearance with any manner of gratefulness even if I was bringing you back" The man says "I doubt that, they would have been happy you helped me back also who are you?" Keireen asks holding his hand out Ratankira grabs his hand and helps Keireen up. "The names Ratankira and I''m a gang leader" Ratankira says causing Keireen to move back in confusion and as a cautionary measure.... The Logic Of Survival Keireen looks at Ratankira who seems to be serious of what he has said it confuses and worries him. "The fuck do you mean you''re a gang leader? I''m fucking leaving now" Keireen says "You sound so confused and worried princeling, if you''re wondering if I brought you here for some reason other than what I said then my answers no, the first generation laws ensure I couldn''t not that I want to anyway, even without those laws I''d get fucked" Ratankira says Keireen seems to relax, he knows Ratankira isn''t wrong about the first generation laws. "So, you''re a criminal? I don''t hear of crimes ever happening here" Keireen asks "Happens all the time princeling, my guess your parents lie to you so that your life is that much simpler, and you don''t have to worry" Ratankira says "Don''t dare say my parents are liars" Keireen says "Whatever you want princeling" Ratankira says A man walks into the room. "Ratankira sir, the guy on the docks didn''t pay" The man says "That so? Best we go pay him a visit huh?" Ratankira says "The fucks going on?" Keireen asks "Princeling, mind accompanying me to the dock. It''ll give you knowledge on what has been kept from you" Ratankira says "I shouldn''t though the docks are quite well guarded and with the firs laws if he does anything, he''s liable to get executed or exiled so fast that he won''t be able to speak" Keireen thinks to himself "Well?" Ratankira asks waiting for his answer "Fine, let''s go" Keireen says "Excellent" Ratankira says Ratankira teleports to the docks with Keireen and they walk towards a bigger building at the docks where some guards and a man is at. "So, decided not to pay huh?" Ratankira asks causing the man to be frozen in fear for a second before turning around "Y-yes well I didn''t sell enough to be able to pay" The man says "Don''t lie to me, you know I have people watching you" Ratankira says The man''s demeanor changes. "Ha! I doubt that, these guards here the eagle eyed and with their magic they will have seen your men" The man says with a smug grinDid you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. "That so? Reveal yourselves and walk over to me" Ratankira says as if he does have men secretly watching The guards around the man take off their helmets and walk over to Ratankira confusing the man till he realizes his thought to be faithful guards were actually spying for Ratankira. "No! Please no! I''ll go and get the money to pay!" The man shouts his pleas "If you had said that before trying to be smug, I may have accepted and given you a little more time" Ratankira says The spies chuckle. "Ha! Yeah, they''re right I wouldn''t, now you''re going to lose everything except your life" Ratankira says "Please!" The man shouts and before he says something else Ratankira begins to use some magic "I don¡¯t have to speak to do this, but we have a show for the princeling so... Walk into your building and burn it down around you, let the flames even take your clothes" Ratankira says as the spies bow to Keireen The man''s demeanor changes again as he confidently walks into his building and the building gets set alight from inside. "What the fuck?!" Keireen shouts surprised and a bit appalled by the act Guards rush over to put out the flames and Ratankira throws some money to them. "Let it burn" Ratankira says coldly The guards check the money and then leave to the surprise of Keireen. Keireen looks back at the burning building which has now burnt down completely with the man inside with his clothes burnt off as he sits in a slump in the middle of it all. "If you somehow come back from this DONT forget to pay and tell the others" Ratankira says coldly as he walks away with his spies Keireen quickly follows. "What the fuck was that?!" Keireen asks "Everyday life in the world of gangs" Ratankira says nonchalantly "I''m getting you fucking arrested now" Keireen says as he starts to walk away "On what charges? He burned down the building on his own, yes, I used magic to control him, but the law is finicky when it comes to mind control magic. The guards were paid by me to leave the building alone yes, but I was protecting their lives you saw the fires take that man''s clothes it could have roasted those guards alive in that armor" Ratankira says smirking "Shit! He planned that out!" Keireen thinks to himself angrily "I could just order you to stop these activities" Keireen says "And I would have to, you know how the first generation laws work, you tell us to jump off a cliff and we will but if we don''t we get exiled and will likely throw ourselves off a cliff anyway" Ratankira says "Then I order you to stop your activities" Keireen says "Oh, but of course, just remember the jobs I give people helps keep their families from dying" Ratankira says as he starts to walk away with his spies "Wait! Explain!" Keireen says causing Ratankira to stop and smirk before turning back to Keireen "I had to make this gang for at first my own sake or I''d have likely been taken by another gang and put to work or just killed, do not get me wrong I am not a good man neither are most of the people in my employ but the money I get does keep their families fed and housed and also keeps the areas I''m in charge of in a good condition. Helps my image and makes it easier to gain a bit more territory I guess you can put it as" Ratankira says "He seems serious" Keireen thinks to himself Keireen scans Ratankiras mind to see if he speaks the truth and finds out he does. "Don''t stop..." Keireen says "What was that princeling?" Ratankira asks smirking slightly "Don''t stop your gang from doing its shit" Keireen says "As you command princeling" Ratankira says "Why did you tell me and show me all this in the first place when I could have just kept you shut down forever?" Keireen asks "Because what we do is out of survival needs and this world is a cruel one, you need to learn firsthand what is going on princeling, I hope we can become great friends" Ratankira says as he extends a hand "I don''t approve of what you do but maybe" Keireen says as he shakes his hand "Even if it is all bad, he does have some good points" Keireen says as he teleports home contemplating everything that happened... Those Life Didnt Care For Keireen is in his room the day after his meeting with Ratankira, he us still processing everything he had learned and knows that some of the things Ratankira said were true, namely his parents have kept quite a few things from him. Keireen thinks for a minute on how true that would be and realizes he could have scanned Ratankira making him feel like an idiot. "May as well confront them, try it indirectly if they don''t say they have kept things secret even if I''ve caught them then they cannot hide from it any longer" Keireen thinks Keireen gets up and walks out his room and goes to the throne room where his parents are. "Got out of bed a bit later than usual huh?" Yaitera says "Indeed, yesterday took a bit out of me, I guess. Oh, speaking of I saw a building burn down on the docks do you know the cause?" Keireen asks "Oh, someone''s magic acted up and it was burnt down because of it" Itanrora says trying to lie as best he can "I heard some people say it was a gang, a pretty powerful one at that" Keireen says "That preposterous there is no gangs here if that were true, we''d have told you so you could watch out for them" Yaitera says convincingly but Keireen still knows it''s a lie "You see I know your both lying" Keireen says The expressions on Yaitera and Itanroras faces change to that of slight shock. "I was at the docks; in fact, the gang leader and I had a hell of a conversation that opened my eyes to the failings of the kingdom and your lies to me. I have just one question, why?" Keireen asks Both Itanrora and Yaitera sigh. "We never wanted you to know of this kingdoms failing- OUR failings because you are our son, you had always had a great life one of the things we didn''t fail at but we couldn''t really do much against those gangs, there''s no evidence to what they do if they use mind control it''s hard to find in their minds. They actually help people at times even if most are doing it for personal gain" Yaitera says "I want to know, have you lied about anything else?" Keireen asks "No" Both Yaitera and Itanrora say but it''s also a lie "Fuck both of you" Keireen says as he leaves the castle Keireen walks down into the city and sees Ratankira, Keireen thinks of whether he should go talk to him until it decided for him. "Hello princeling" Ratankira says "Hey Ratankira" Keireen says "So, stepped up to your parents hm?" Ratankira asks "Yes, I won''t ask how you know because you probably have some of the guards there working for you" Keireen says "Indeed, so it seems you believe me on some things, now believe me princeling life is unforgiving and cruel, we must get ahead of life secure our position to live, the first laws do that for you a little but not all the way" Ratankira says "What do you mean ''but not all the way''?" Keireen asks "I believe you''ll find out soon, I must be going now princeling but I do suggest going to the outer most district of this city there''s a house, see what life can do to one it forgets" Ratankira says as he teleports away "Fuck it may as well" Keireen says and he teleports to the outer most district and sees a house on fire "Is that just his calling card?" Keireen thinks to himself till he hears laughter from inside the burning house Keireen confused walks towards the house and inside the house as it burns he sees two corpses burning and one person in the middle of it all laughing, Keireen doesn''t know what to say but he teleports the laughing person out of the house. The person keeps giggling now even as he looks at Keireen.A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. "The fuck happened!?" Keireen asks "They got everything they deserved and didn''t deserve" The laughing man says Keireen looks at the corpses and sees they have been dismembered, disemboweled and has had their heads cut into so many tiny pieces it takes him a few minutes with magic to realize they are heads. "Did you do this?" Keireen asks "They had always feared me for how I am, tried to beat it out of me but it never did anything but make me laugh while they thought me insane I had a careful plan to kill them all along" The laughing man says Keireen has no idea what to say just looks at this man confused and a little horrified. "This what Ratankira meant by life is cruel? What it does to someone it forgets? Life really doesn''t care who you are" Keireen thinks to himself Ratankira teleports there. "Huh the house burned down, well good job Onikerm" Ratankira says "Why thank you" Onikerm says as he stops laughing Keireen looks at Ratankira. "I see what you mean now, life really doesn''t care" Keireen says "Oh, but there''s a part of you who still doesn''t believe it, I believe that''ll change soon though" Ratankira says "By the way what do you know about this Onikerm?" Keireen asks "Oh, he''s a damn fine torturer, sometimes my gang needs information, we can''t scan it out or beat it normally hell even mind control won''t work but Onikerm here could make even a first generation monarch squeal" Ratankira says "I''m going to regret not having him put away, aren''t I?" Keireen says "No, he''s fine as long as you''re in charge and he''s fine working for you, just give him someone to torture and he''ll be fine" Ratankira says "That''s horrifying" Keireen says "But beyond useful" Ratankira says "What''s going to happen to him?" Keireen asks "He''s going home to my gangs base" Ratankira says "I honestly should say I''m surprised the guards aren''t here, but I''ll guess that''s got to do with you" Keireen says "Indeed, he''s too valuable an asset and friend to lose to the law and this could also be the chance for you to see the extent of my operation" Ratankira says "Fine fuck it, not like I''m going home any time soon to those lying pricks" Keireen says Ratankira nods and teleports with Keireen and Onikerm to an underground area with a market and a lot of people with a myriad of gang members acting as guards. "All our stuff is here, gets sold giving us profit and my men stand guard in case something unfortunate happens. Never cheat a gang" Ratankira says "I''m honestly impressed this has not been found out" Keireen says "We have not been found out by people of this kingdom but spies from the neighboring kingdoms have found their way here hoping to get information from us but we are still obligated by the first laws to be loyal and we will so, those spies are being kept here" Ratankira says "Spies!? Why? Our kingdoms are doing well aren''t they?" Keireen asks "Nope seem other kingdoms are going to war with each other, and the neighboring ones are preparing for their own wars some thinking of attacking this very kingdom. Your parents know that" Ratankira says "Seems I know something else they have lied about now" Keireen says angrily "Indeed, let''s go speak to these spies" Ratankira says Keireen nods and goes to a building holding the spies and walks in with Ratankira and Onikerm. Some of the spies laugh. "The prince of this ''fair'' kingdom running around with low lives as expected from a weakling" One spy says Keireen looks at them all. "You came to this kingdom to spy for your own, what are your monarch''s full intentions?" Keireen asks "Like we''d tell you bitch boy" One spy says causing the others to laugh Keireens eyes turn black with Red lines from the eyelids to the pupils, Keireen punches that spy in the face. "Tell me. Now!" Keireen shouts The spy he punched spits in his face and Keireen moves back and wipes his face and looks at Onikerm. Ratankira sees the look. "Seems like Onikerm has a job" Ratankira says Onikerm gets an insane smile. "I''m going to have some fun" Onikerm says as he goes over to the spy and grabs a dagger lighting it on fire "What eye is your best eye?" Onikerm asks "I don''t-" The spy gets cut off by Onikerm slashing across both the spy''s eyes causing him to let out a guttural scream "That was an alright answer now give some information or we continue" Onikerm says "F-fuck you" The spy says "I like that answer" Onikerm says as he conjures a battle-axe and slams the blade into the spy''s chest and pulls the axe backwards tearing through the spy''s body The spy screams and Keireen looks at it and then at his own hands. "Even if it''s not me doing this blood is on my hands" Keireen says to himself "Everyone needs to get blood on their hands princeling especially when it comes to survival and this? It is definitely survival" Ratankira says Keireen nods and soon after the spies all begin to give information on how their respective kingdoms are going to attack one another but one is attacking this kingdom. "Kill them, they have information on places here, can''t risk it" Keireen says Ratankira looks at his soldiers and they swiftly kill the spies who were holding onto life anyway. Keireen teleports back to the throne room at the castle and looks at his parents. "Keiree-" Yaitera gets cut off "Save it mother, one of the neighboring kingdoms is planning to attack us, before you try to lie I know its false a spy from them was just discovered and gave up that information before being killed, we MUST attack first for sake of survival" Keireen says Yaitera and Itanrora seem surprised by the suddenness of this but look seriously. "You may be right Keireen. I hate to say it, but we go to war" Itanrora says... The Brutal Prince Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.