《Just Luck》


 Book 1 - Prologue + Chapter 1 - Peaceful Beginnings

    A woman laid lifelessly over the makeshift straw bed with people surrounding her. One, her stoic husband trying to keep his demeanour while his face half-covered in tears; and her son who couldn''t understand what was going on agitated by the mood the filled the room. The boy shook his mom, innocently trying to wake her up. "Mommy please wake up, you promised to play with me."


    Over and over the boy shook the body of his deceased mom frantically trying to get her to move. He starting screaming and crying as the others could only stare down at the floor with a solemn face or trying to hold back their tears. He kept going until his father took him and held him in his arms. He grabbed on so tightly almost crushing the boy as both of them started to cry.


    On this dark rainy day, the boy had lost his mother and the coloured pendant she gave him was pitch black.


    __________


    The man opened his eye to find himself laying on his bed, passed out from exhaustion. The nightmare he had just experienced had not given him a pleasant nap that he desperately needed for his job at night. But what truly woke him up was the hustling and bustling of the city that had just woken up. He got up from his bed and opened the curtain to have the light pierce his eyes. It was now a little past half-day and the streets were filled with people going about their business.


    The young man''s name was Luther Ruxil, and he had lived in this city for nearly 12 years. He came as a child and has stayed there ever since, only leaving for trips relating to his job. The place he lived was called Everleade, a seaside city next to a luscious forest that served as the capital of the country. The city was huge, divided into many different areas. The area he lived in was next to a market area known as the Commons. People of middle wealth that weren''t poor enough to make it to the slums lived there. Luther''s house was on the border of the market area and the common which made getting food much more convenient. Moments after he had opened the curtains, he heard his stomach growling as a reminder he fainted after work yesterday without eating. Luther went for his coat and left the house for the market without a second thought.


    While walking down the brick road, the man walked observing the city and its people, taking in the refreshing atmosphere of the sea, but also the serenity that living next to the forest gave them. Getting closer to the market area gave his nose a little surprise as the smell of freshly made bread wafted into his nose, amplifying his hungry. His pace quickened a bit as he made his way to a small restaurant that he frequented.


    Halfway to his destination, Luther noticed a little boy pointing at him asking,


    "Mommy, what''s wrong with that man''s face." "Hey now, don''t stare at him."


    The mom scolded her child.


    "I''m sorry about that."


    As she turned away from him, bring her child along trying to escape the awkward situation. The man was reminded of the scar where his eye used to be but was quick to dismiss it, as he was already used to it.


    Eventually, he would arrive at the restaurant.


    __________


    At the door, Luther could hear the yelling and laughter going on inside the restaurant. Opening the door to the restaurant a huge yell overpowering the rest of the noise could be heard, "Welcom... Oh hello, Luther." "Good day to you Mrs. Lain, I was wondering if I could get something to eat" "Of course dear, your always welcome here. Honey, Could we get the #10 special."


    The man had entered his favourite restaurant, Boar of Lilandia, named after the ocean Lilandia that the city lived next to. The restaurant was also very busy every day, gaining traction from its menu based on what was freshly caught from the ocean, and their famous boar dishes made from what was caught from the forest.The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    The Owner of the restaurant, Jack and Elena Lain, had known Luther since he came to this town. Growing up without a family, Luther could go to Jack for fatherly advice, and Elena always gave him comfort, treating him like her own son beside her other two sons and, not to mention, a daughter.


    Luther had walked into the restaurant and sat in his favourite seat in the corner by the huge window that stared into the ocean. Even though the whole restaurant was in good cheer and spirits, Luther distanced himself from the noise only wanting to enjoy the delicious food that was made while enjoying the view.


    Giving him his water and complimentary freshly baked bread, Mrs. Lain decided to stop by his table for a little talk.


    "You haven''t been in for a while Luther is something wrong." She inquired with a tone of worry.


    "Nothing like that, I''m just busy with work and all."


    "So that''s why, Speaking of which, I can''t wait to go see the show." A big smile appeared on both their faces.


    "Can we get some more water over here!"


    "Coming! Sorry, Luther, we can talk a little bit later."


    Mrs.Lain quickly retreated from the table to serve the other guest. Luther looked towards to window, staring at the ocean and taking in its magnificent. Other people might have brought a book or have been reading a newspaper but Luther enjoying the serenity that peace brought to his life.


    After a while, the food came and Luther started eating. He had gotten what he always had gotten, giant shrimp fried in a batter seasoned with dried herb with a salad and a corn potage on the side. Sometimes, he would want to eat a little heavier dishes but today he wanted something quick a light so he could go shopping for dinner.


    __________


    Suddenly, the door opened.


    "Mom, I''m home"


    A beautiful blonde lady encased in light metal armour and carrying a sword by her side came into the shop. She possessed a commanding voice that was almost unfit for one with her looks.


    "Look it''s one of the king''s commanders"


    "She''s beautiful, I wouldn''t mind being with her for a night"


    "Forget it, she would crush the family jewels before she''d let you"


    Whispers started forming while she walked inside and went upstairs, presumably to change out of her work attire.


    Her name was Celica Lain, the only daughter of the owners of this fine establishment. When she was only sixteen, she was chosen to be apart of the king''s guard because of her dominance in sword fighting. Now twenty, she was promoted to be one of the commanders of a group that personally sees to the king and his family''s protection.


    "Luther!"


    Celica had just walked down from her room upstairs where she spotted Luther.


    "Where have you been," she said approaching him for a hug.


    "I''ve been busy with work"


    Luther had known Celica almost as long as he had known her parents. Luther always saw her as a little sister that needed to be pampered, he truly acted as one of her older brothers. Of course, it was Luther and her oldest brother that taught her how to wield a sword in the first place.


    "Are you still working there?"


    "I am, How have you been faring with your new position"


    "Tiring, I barely get any time off now and this is my first vacation since last year. Hey, you should come back to being a guard, I still probably can''t match you with a sword."


    A reassuring smile appeared on Luther''s face


    "You''re being optimistic. I gave that up a long time ago, I..."


    "Celica, You''re bothering Luther"


    Mrs. Lain had interrupted their little conversation.


    "Luther, shouldn''t you be going soon"


    "Oh you''re right, thank you for the meal"


    While getting out his money, Luther also reached for some tickets


    "Mrs. Lain, take these for the show tonight, I hope you won''t be disappointed"


    Luther then handed Mrs. Lain the four tickets.


    As Mrs. Lain took the tickets and read them, her face went aglow with what was written on them.


    "Front row!? Luther you didn''t have to."


    "You guy are family to me, let me treat you guy once in a while"


    Luther had given her front row seats to the show, usually costing a month''s worth of work to the average worker. Of course, being a well-off restaurant, the Lains could have easily taken a little from their savings and have bought the tickets, but even so, this was a huge gesture.


    Mrs. Lain reached out to give Luther a big hug.


    After conversing a little more, Luther said his farewells and headed out to the marketplace with a small smile on his face, filled with the blessing of having people that cared for him. Meanwhile, the crystal pendant necklace that was given to him by his mother that he always wore was dull jade green.

 Book 1 - Chapter 2 - City Scum

    Luther had just finished shopping when he decided to take a break near the old oak tree sitting between his house and the restaurant. As always, he would sit on the bench located directly under the tree to enjoy the midday ocean breeze that brought a pleasant smell to his nose.


    While he was approaching the tree, he took note of the many children running around and playing, them trying to enjoy the wondrous weather that brought clear skies accompanied by the sun. However, today he saw a little girl, no more than seven or eight years old, sitting on the spot he would always sit on the bench.


    This little girl was different than the other children, her clothes were drastically poorer in quality compared to the children running around, they were old worn-out rags sewn together becoming a makeshift dress that covered her body. Her face was dark and filled with anxiety compared to the smiles of the other children and she was trying to hide away from the sun rather than try to enjoy it. Luther stopped when he got closer when he could see the bruises on her face which wore a frown trying to keep her emotions in check.


    He knew immediately why the girl had bruises on her face and where she came from, the slums.


    The slums were the second of the districts that boarded the commons. Lying n the outskirts of the city, the slums were filled with the inhabitants of the poor. Whether they lost all their money due to bad luck or had been born right into poverty, all the people who ended up in the slums had nothing. The general consensus of the other districts towards the people from the slums was to see them as nothing more than garbage.


    Knowing this, Luther already knew why the kids were ignoring her. Her fresh bruises must have come from her everyday life, stealing and scavenging to survive. her clothes must have been made from nothing more than old fabric she found in some garbage dump.


    Luther knew the sort of life she lives, bringing back old memories of when he came to this city, However before he could reminisce about his old life, he noticed a group of boys forming around the girl.


    "Hey, you''re not supposed to be here" a boy that seemed to be from a wealthy family spoke.


    "No rule" the girl''s hoarse voice barely coming out that showed her lack of education trying to chase the boys away.The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    "You mean there are no rules against you being here" Snarky, said another boy trying to spite her for her poor words. The other boys just laughed, However, one boy was not amused. The initial boy who she directed her words back to grabbed her by the hair and threw her down to the ground.


    "Hey Bitch, you aren''t allowed to talk back to me."


    He then grabbed her by her hair that was dirtier than some kitchen rags.


    "You''re just a dirty little whore! Who are you to talk back to the heir of the Jezebelle family."


    He formed a fist in his right hand and punched her across the face so hard she was knocked down.


    "I''m sorry, please no hit"


    With her experience, the girl herself could have killed the boys and escaped, however knowing that the boys came from wealthy families, killing them would mean killing herself. The boys'' families would have hunted her down and tortured her to death over the boys'' death. And coming from the slums, survival was her only goal. So the girl pleaded, she pleased with all the sincerity her small body could muster up putting up a pitiful display in front of everyone in the vicinity. However, it wasn''t enough.


    "Guys, teach the bitch a lesson"


    With his eyes filled with misguided pride, the Jezebelle boy signalled the start of a brutal beating.


    First, one of the boys picked her up by her hair while the other started punching and kicking her like a pi?ata, and like a  pi?ata, the girl''s bruises opened up and she started coughing up blood. From a fare distance away, you could hear the sound of the punches hitting her poor skin creating more bruises and her ribs were being shattered by the boys'' kicks. And when their hands and legs started to get sore, they would use nearby large branches and slam them against her poor body causing her to scream in agony.


    "Let go! Let go, please let go!" The girl was screaming as tears rolled down her face as blood out of her mouth as the boys kept beating her.


    "Hahahaha" the boys started laughing like hyenas at her misery and pain.


    "I''m s... BLEUHG" the girl kept begging them to stop but the beating caused her to cough and wheeze, still squirting blood out of her mouth.


    No one around the scene would try to stop the boys. Knowing his status, they were reluctant to even interfere. But knowing that the little girl came from the slums, their desire to help dropped to zero, even seeing the boys'' actions as more of a cleaning service, knowing that the guard would get rid of the body if they killed her. What was one more dead rat to them, they thought while the girl was getting beat?


    Even the guards whose job was to keep the peace kept their distance, fearing the scolding they would get from their superiors.


    I''...wheeeuwww..m s... huuuuh"


    Eventually, the girl tried to get out one last apology, wheezing out her words with a pained voice, before losing consciousness due to the pain.


    "HAH, hey boys, we''re going to go get rid of... What the Fuck do you want!"


    The Jezebelle boy felt a tap on his shoulder.


    "Sorry boys, could you leave the girl with me"

 Book 1 - Chapter 3 - Tolerance

    Before he wanted to interfere, Luther wanted to see if anyone else would jump to the girl''s aid, but it never did.


    "Garbage." The word rang in his head looking at the people surrounding the group of boys. The guards who stood by and watch as a little girl was beaten mercilessly in front of them without raising a finger, the spectators whom, instead of speaking up, whispered to each other to create tomorrows morning gossip and the boys who were standing there beating this girl half to death because of some senseless pride. All were declared garbage in Luther''s mind and so he had enough of this nonsense. He put his groceries down by the bench and approached the boys.


    But Luther didn''t want to escalate the situation, his only goal was to save the little girl from the boys. Although he was furious, his personal training in days of old allowed him to form a calm composure approaching the boy for a peaceful solution, a peace which he had always strived for.


    Hold everything back, he had tapped the boy on the shoulder.


    "What the FUCK do you want" The Jezebelle boy had yelled as he turned around to face Luther.


    "HEEEEEE!" The boy squealed as he jumped back at the sight of the one-eyed man.


    "Sorry boys, could you leave the girl with me"


    Putting on a fake smile, Luther had calmly approached the boys before they could get their bearings. He hoped that he could frighten the boys enough so that he could just take the little girl and leave. He hoped that this whole nightmare for this young girl would be over. He hoped that some shred of luck would allow this situation to end peacefully. However, no such Luck existed.


    "FUCK OFF!" the boy yelled "This Bitch is mine" The boy had yelled without a shred of remorse for his actionsEnjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    Luther just stood their staring at the boy with his eye void of emotion, staring at something he hated the most.


    "What?" Asked the little boy sarcastically.


    "You want to save her? You think I''m evil? She''s the evil of our city, spreading dirt and scum all over our beautiful city. She''s the evil!"


    Luther''s face went dark.


    "Who are you to judge, look at your face, you look like a fucking monster you peasant."


    Luther stood there motionless


    "Let''s go throw this bitch in the harbour."


    Ignoring Luther, The Jezebelle boy had told the rest of his group to leave. One boy grabbed the girl by her hair like he was dragging a dead carcass and they turned around and started walking away. However, they were only able to take one or two steps before they felt something behind them that stopped them dead in their tracks, unwilling to move another muscle. It was like standing in front of a lion that had his cubs slaughtered.


    "Don''t move." a small voice said under the voice of its breath spoke with rage fitting of its appearance. The atmosphere turned into one of a tense battlefield; one wrong move, and they would lose their life. People around the scene also couldn''t move in fear of what might happen next. The killing intent of Luther was so great, even the guards had trouble breathing while standing completely still.


    Luther''s head starting racing, memories flooding his brain.


    "Hah, just another piece of garbage" a man throwing him outside the carriage.


    "if you didn''t exist, she wouldn''t have died!" a drunk that beat him every day that said that to him before the drunk beat him.


    "H-Help me.... please." His best friend spoke before his final moments.


    "NOOOOOOOOOOOO" him screaming as his friend laid dead in his arms.


    "Luther, this is your now, please take good care of it." The last words of his mother as she gave him the family heirloom.


    Screaming and terror-filled memories filled his mind, taking over the rational part of his brain that kept his sanity in check. Looking at the bloodied girl lying unconscious on the ground, his desire for peace warped into a desire to rid the world of evil.


    "Leave the girl" He said losing all the manors of politeness in his speech that took him years to learn.


    "If you pieces of trash want to keep your arms and legs."


    The boys slowly turned around to face a true monster. Luther''s calm and peaceful demeanour was gone and was replaced by the embodiment of rage. There stood the Everleade''s Grand Devil.

 Book 1 - Chapter 4 - The Devil of Everleade

    Everleade was not always a city of peace nor was the country so beautiful. Five years ago, the country of Shiftenleid was engulfed in a war waged between neighbouring countries that started with the invasion of Shiftenleid. The war had started many years ago, initiated by the bordering country of Mistelinn. Eventually, the war grew into an intercontinental war, with many countries joining in on the war for various reasons.


    This large war led the people of these countries to famine. Cities and villages in each of these countries found themselves being raided by enemy soldiers creating chaos in the streets. Children who lost their parents in the war created a population of impoverished children who could not fend for themselves, some forced to do manual labour or selling their bodies to survive. Farmers, who provided the fuel for armies to continue their fight, found themselves cheated by the kings and nations that desired their food. While the war continued, the people suffered, but not everyone had their share in the suffering.


    Nobles, who sent their fiefdom to fight, were praised by their kings and were given gifts and status for their sacrifices. The nobles would never think of their contributions as sacrifices but more akin to sending livestock to slaughter for profit.


    Eventually, the armies grew smaller with each battle and the kings knew that they would lose if the war continued. Countries looked for the easiest solution, to ally themselves with one another to create bigger and stronger armies. This eventually led to the creation of two major powers, the Army of People led by the king of Mistelinn and the Army of One led by the king of Shiftenleid, King Trite Amalgan Pelleanus.


    During the time of these two armies, various fights occurred in the span of twenty years. The young king of Shiftenleid led his army into battle without fear and charged his enemies. However, his thoughtless tactics led his armies towards many defeats and many were killed because of his incompetence. Losing the war with major defeats, the king would lose his supporters and his soldiers would join the other army in hopes that they would be spared their lives. The war was thought to be lost if not for one man who would be known as the Grand Devil of Everleade.


    Luther Ruxil was a young guard of Everleade, earning his place when he was only thirteen years old. During his initiation into the guards, many older members would try and gang up on the new recruits to teach them to know their place as servants to the older guards. However, when it came time to test Luther, the guards were giddy with glee seeing this one-eyed boy as an easy target for their harassment. However, when they tried to use violence, not a single one of their blows would connect. As they tried throwing stones, shooting blunt arrows, and swinging wooden swords, Luther would dodge every single one of the futile attempts of hitting him. That day was the day the guard would regret for the rest of their lives. One by one, Luther decimated the guards of the common area of Everleade, knocking them out with a single wooden stick in hand. After that, anyone who dared to challenge him was met with a strike to the back of the head and waking up in the infirmary. However, despite his brutal treatment of his fellow guards and lawbreakers, he was friendly with the people of the city. Whether it was playing with children, helping the elderly, and keeping the peace, he became a household name as a boy that was truly good. Eventually, these rumours and stories would make their way to the ears of the king. The king was at his wit''s end and had no solution to the war in front of him. Hoping that a young general would lead his army to victory, he set up a meeting between himself and Luther.


    Trite was just coming into Everleade when he saw Luther apprehend a group of thieves in front of the store they were robbing. The king stopped to greet this young potentially great soldier. As they conversed, the king wondered why the boy only wanted to be a guard. With his fighting skills, he could surely have made a name on the battlefield. Yet all Luther desired was peace, and he saw the position of being a guard to be one that held most true to his goal. However, the king convinced Luther fighting for his country on the battlefield would help people all across the nations. The young boy seeing his dreams of achieving true peace between the people of the world was drawn to this king and agreed to fight but he refused any and all help from the army. The king thought the boy would make a great distraction for his main army, so he set Luther and a small group up to do a suicide attack on the flank of the enemy to lower their defence.The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    But what the king did not expect was for an unexpected sight when his army arrived on a hill overlooking the battlefield.


    As they arrived, they saw a half of the army of people lying dead on the battlefield. With only a group of 100 men, Luther was able to lead the other army into a series of disadvantages fights that led to disastrous outcomes for the other side. However, Luther did not want to leave the fighting all up to his men, once then enemy lines were thinned out he personally charged in with his men.


    Almost like a joke, when the rain of arrows and spears showered onto his position and the soldiers charged at this small group, nothing would ever hit him and his men. One by one, swordsmen that surrounded Luther would charge him but they would be cut down in mere seconds as he used the dead bodies as cover from the projectiles being fired at him. Eventually, Luther made it to the enemy general in charge of the battle. Using a nearby axe, Luther chopped off the man''s head as the blood and grime splashed all over Luther''s face. With a yell akin to the roar of a dragon, Luther made the enemies retreat. The Army of One would watch as a young boy with his small group demolish their enemies on the opposite sides of the battlefield that they themselves struggled to do themselves. Luther made his way back to the king in the back of his army with his face dyed completely red from the blood that he poured on the battlefield. Yet his supposed allies could not bring themselves to give him a cheer. All they knew was this young boy was a monster, something to be feared and to be kept at a distance. On that day known as The Turnabout, he would earn the nickname of the devil which slowly grew into The Everleade''s Grand Devil.


    _______________________________________________________________________________________________________


    The boys turned around and were now faced with this devil who lived on the battlefield as a monster. Needless to say, they were scared, and they had every right to be. Two of the boys had wet their pants, one had fainted, and the rest were on the ground quivering in fear. However, it wasn''t just the boys. The people around the scene had their muscles frozen by some senseless fear that overcame them when Luther got angry. Some sort of primal instinct told them if they moved, they would have been targeted by this monster.


    No one could move, as Luther took threatening steps towards the boys who were on the ground while they faced him. Step by step, Luther made his way closer and closer to the boys. Fearing what would happen one of the boys barely spoke up.


    "h-h-how dare y-y-y-ou" The Jezebelle boy spoke up.


    "Do you know who I am!?, when my father hears about this he wi...."


    Luther looked at the small boy yelling at him. Yet his threats fell on deaf ears as Luther grabbed his throat and lifted the boy up, choking him in the process.


    "g-uaahhg" the boy was choking as Luther held him close to whisper into his ears.


    "If you do one more thing to the girl, I will KILL YOU"


    Luther took the boys struggling body and threw him against the tree, almost certainly knocking him out.


    The other boy''s whelped at their friend being tossed like a pillow by the man who was certainly about to kill them. Suddenly, there was another young guard that ran up to Luther.


    "General Ruxil, please, I beg you to please stop"


    Running up to block Luther''s wrath, the young guard, who seemed familiar with Luther, stood between him and the boys as a shield. Yet his leg would not stop shaking as he stood still.


    "Brock..." Luther said as he stared right into the scared guard''s eyes.

 Book 1 - Chapter 5 - Brock

    Near the end of the great war, the Army of One found itself growing near the size of the Army of People. People who had heard about the great soldier who turned the whole war around by himself flooded in to join the Army of One. Brock was one of these people.


    He was a young man that came from a family of farmers that had their crops and their land ravaged by the war. Before the war, his farm would produce a plentiful harvest every year that had them living life in luxury. However after the war started, Everyday he would tend to the crops and every month, soldiers would come by and tax his farm leaving his family with the bare minimum amount that they needed to survive. No matter how hard he would appeal to his king, nothing would be changed.


    One day, Brock visited a restaurant that his family had a deal to deliver fresh produce in exchange for coins and currency. He would wait at the bar in the front of the restaurant and wait for his payment while the owners checked the produce. While he was waiting, he had heard two men talking about the war. Brock had known that the likely outcome of the war was going to be the loss of Mistelinn and eventually his family''s farm and other assets would be seized by the other kingdoms. Knowing this, hearing about the war only made him sink deeper into depression. However, the men then started talking about one of the most recent battles where a young boy charged the battlefield with a small army and defeated the enemy.


    "This is ludicrous" Brock had thought while sipping on some juice that the owners gave him. He thought that there was no way that the rumours were true, he thought that that had to have been a rumour that the army started to boost morale after a miraculous victory. However, after this initial visit, more rumours about this young boy kept popping up where ever Brock went. The rumours about the boy became more vicious and bloody the more they spread amongst the countrymen. Stories of major victories would reach Brocks ears to his disbelief. How could such a small boy turn the tides of war so easily?


    As the victories of his countries spread, Brock''s family farm was taxed less and eventually they had an abundant amount of crop like they used to have before the war. Brock would live life in luxury yet he could never sit still. Every time he would hear about the boy while he enjoyed his life to the fullest, he would feel shame. He was living a life of luxury because of the sacrifices of a boy at least five years his junior.


    As a man who wanted to feel proud of who he was, Brock had made the decision to join the army against the wishes of his family. It took him weeks to prepare for his trip to the capital to enlist in the army but eventually, he made it.


    His training started out normally where he would be drilled the basics of combat. After the combat training, Brock would find himself having a small meal before having to study up on the strategies of war. After finishing his studies, he would sleep in the barracks where dozens of other soldiers slept and this whole cycle would repeat every day. However, since there was barely any time to prepare the new soldiers, Brock found his way to the battlefield with only a month of training.


    Every day was filled with bloody combat followed by a restless night filled with anxious anticipation of the next enemy attack. Because of the boy of the rumours, both army''s had given up formation combat and the use of gorilla warfare became the standard mode of a fight.


    Eventually, two years passed and the end of the war was reaching a conclusion. The Army of One had finally achieved a dominating status over most of the land. There was only one more place that was contested by each army. Before one of the last battles, Brock was placed into a unit known as the Lemmings.


    After being told he would be joining the unit, he was not given any more details on the matter, telling him that it would be explained when he met up with them. However, he was curious so he asked around the army to get all the information that he could. Apparently, the unit was made of criminals that were forced to fight in the war or faced execution. In addition to the criminals, many veteran soldiers also were in the unit to keep the criminals in line and prevented them from escaping. These vets had the option of executing the criminals of who they deemed to be uncooperative.


    Brock was chosen as a veteran soldier to keep these soldier in line but he had no idea what the unit did for the war. Apparently, The unit had the duty of sneaking pass enemy line to get a flanking position for the upcoming battles. The rumour was that joining the unit was a death sentence as most people that were assigned to this unit would find themselves dead because they would receive no help from the army once they started their attack.


    Brock was already used to the war and had stayed to see the war to its end. He had no problems dying if it meant that the end of the war. However, there was one last rumour that made it''s way to Brock''s ear that made him almost excited to join the unit. The Boy of the rumours was the head of the unit, and his name was Luther Ruxil.


    _______________


    When he had made contact with the unit, he saw many soldiers dressed like they were noblemen, and these men were ordering around people that wore rags and had collars on them like slaves. He thought that they must have been the veterans ordering the prisoners around. He was walking around camp when he came to a nearby river and the young man was lying on a giant rock right next to the river. The man was covered in the same, if not even poorer in quality, clothes as the criminals. Brock thought that one of them must have been slacking off as went to go tell him to get back to work.


    Brock approached the man that was laying out in the open. He wondered why none of the other soldiers would tell the man off.


    "Hey, what are you doing here." Brock had yelled at the man.


    Brock now had a better view of what the man looked like. Both of the man''s eyes were covered by hair that looked like it had not been washed in days. The clothes he wore were covered in grime and dried blood like the man recently came back from battle. And the only thing that was redeemable about the man was the jade green necklace that he wore that sparkled in the light of the sun. Yet the atmosphere around the man was surprisingly calm, everything around the man seemed like it went at a slower pace, so slow that a small bird managed to land next to the man.


    Finally, the man turned his head while laying down to face the person that was calling him.


    "Did you need something? I''m quite tired."


    The man spoke to Brock like he couldn''t care less about what Brock had to say.


    "Shouldn''t you be in the camp helping out"


    Brock was a little upset over the man''s nonchalant attitude he took towards him. The man, that looked more like a boy, was clearly younger than Brock who had enough of his attitude.Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    "I just came back from a mission, leave me alone." The man turned back around and started to fall asleep.


    "Look here you rat, even though I am new, I know that I am in charge of the prisoners."


    "..." The young man started to sit up and turned to face Brock.


    "If you don''t get up, I will have no choice but to discipline you."


    "You discipline me? A prisoner? pfft"


    The man held down a giggle.


    "Why you little..."


    Brock drew his sword and started to walk forward but suddenly the man''s necklace flashed and Brock found himself tripping on the rocks under his feet. But before he could stand up, the young man was already next to him staring down.


    "You have no idea who I am, do you?"


    The young man let out a sigh as he stood next to the fallen man. Brock tried to respond to the man''s comment but one of the soldiers wearing a badge indicating that he was one of the commanders of the unit came and started speaking.


    "General Ruxil, you are needed at the strategy meeting"


    "I''ll be right there, gather all the commanders. They will need to hear the details of what I found out."


    "yes, sir!" The man saluted and walked away as the man he called a general turned and faced Brock once more.


    "My name is Luther Ruxil, I hope you didn''t injure yourself falling down." Luther wore a smile on his face while looking down on Brock who was still on the floor shocked from the news as the man in front of him was none other than the boy of the rumours.


    "Hello, can you stand?" Luther tried to get an answer from Brock.


    "M-m-my n-name is Brock Westly, I must apologise from earlier Sir Ruxil!" Brock got on all fours and begged.


    "So your name is Brock huh? Don''t worry about before, it''s actually nice to see someone speaking up to me."


    Luther said with a faint smile on his face.


    "Well, I''ll see you later."


    Brock was still shaking in his legs with his encounter while Luther was returning to the camp. From the rumours, he thought that the boy was a demon that would kill anything in its way but Luther seemed so carefree and peaceful. It was hard to believe he was the boy from the rumours.


    ________________________


    After a few days, it was time for the unit to carry out their attack on the enemy. They were targetting a camp that many of the enemy''s commanders had occupied. Their goal was to take out the heads of the army days before the conflict so the enemy would have no leadership during the next fight. Originally, the King had given the order to destroy the supply camps, therefore starving the enemy before the fight but Luther refused. The supply camp also fed the nearby villages and Luther would not stand for killing the innocent. The king was furious at Luther yet Luther came up with a better strategy days before his attack that calmed the king. Luther went to the nearby villages in disguise to gather information about where the enemies were housed and found out information about where the enemies'' base camp was and who occupied it. They decided to strike as fast as possible so the enemy would not have time to prepare.


    The next time Brock saw Luther, He was dressed in casual clothes that were unfitting for a general but somehow fit his personality. Brock was personally assigned by Luther to be next to him during the attack. Upon hearing about the news, Brock was scared that he did something to make Luther upset but right before the fight while they were in the bushes, Brock had asked him.


    "Upset? No, it''s nothing like that. You are new to the unit so I wanted to give you the full view of how we operate."


    "How they operate?" Brock had thought they would all work their way to the middle of the camp and assassinate the commanders. After that, it would not matter what would happen after because they would have completed their objective and would guarantee the war''s end. But the actual strategy was completely outside the realm of the norm for Brock. Instead of everyone charging in, they were assigned to the outskirts of the camp to capture any fleeing enemies while Luther charged in alone.


    "General this is crazy, there is no way that this will work" he had screamed at Luther fearing that the plan would not work but Luther was smiling like he did back at the river.


    "Don''t worry, I''m a really lucky man" And before Brock could respond, the Lemmings had started the attack. He was assigned right outside the entrance of the camp so he could back his general if needed. But it was not necessary.


    As if God was by his side, Luther charged into the camp alone while cutting down groups of soldiers like he was slicing through butter. The enemy soldier died one after another while Luther just kept running through. Brock could see the horror in the soldier''s faces as heads chopped off and throats sliced open by his general. Blood was being spilt left and right while he stood there watching unable to do anything. Luther truly was the boy from the rumours.


    "Hey what are you doing, stay alert in case someone comes"


    One of his senior officers had told him to get ready but there was no need for it. Luther was already killing anything that came in his way.


    "THE DEVIL IS HERE"


    "DON''T LET HIM THR---- GAHH"


    "THIS IS HOPELESS, RUN FOR YOUR LIVES"


    Brock could hear the screams of terror as his general slaughtered them handily and eventually soldiers poured out of the camp where they found their enemy had already surrounded them. They were routed in minutes.


    After a few hours of cleaning up the rest of the stragglers, Luther had come out of the camp holding the heads of the enemy commanders signalling the end of the fight. The Lemmings let out one big cheer before they went into the camp to scavenge. Brock kept staring at Luther but noticed two big changes in Luther that everyone else ignored. First, was the necklace Luther always wore, instead of being the jade green he saw back at the river, it was glowing a bright blue. Second, Luther''s eye was void of light sending a shiver down Brock''s spine. Yet he wanting to talk to his general looking for answers to Luther''s change. He approached Luther.


    "General, that was incredible! Congratulations on the successful fight"


    "..."


    Luther had already dropped the heads to the ground while staring up at the sky with a blank blood covered face.


    "General? are you okay"


    Brock became worried, pressing the issue further.


    "Brock... please"


    Luther finally responded to Brock


    "Leave me alone," Luther said as he started to walk towards the direction of the forest.


    Brock had wondered what happened inside the camp to make his general so upset. He went and asked one of the older soldiers about it.


    "The general? Don''t worry ''bout it, he does it after every fight"


    "Why?"


    "I don''t know, I don''t think anybody does."


    "Did anyone ever ask?"


    "Ask? Why would we ask that monster?"


    "Monster" the word ringed in Brock''s head. Seeing the fight that just happened in front of him, certainly many would call him a monster but the man Brock did not meet that description. He was a carefree and kind man that forgave Brock for anything he did out of line where many others would have punished him. He needed to find out what was troubling his young general so he chased after him.


    When Brock found Luther, he was laying down on a near by boulder with his eyes closed.


    "General..."


    Brock approached Luther.


    "Brock, I told you to leave me alone"


    Luther got up to face Brock, but the face covered in blood was a face full of regret. The monster showed regret.


    People killing other people was not an easy thing. When Brock took his first life, he found himself awake at night remembering the scream of the man that he killed. He sat in his bed crying and hoping that it would all be over. As he fought in more battles, he equated the lives he took to the peace that would come from them to justify his actions. Luther''s face reminded him of the nights he spent unable to sleep, he saw the torment in Luther''s face as he sat withered from the fighting.


    So he asked,


    He asked about his general''s reasons for fighting. Surely he was a great asset to the army but Brocked wondered about his reason for fighting if fighting made him suffer. It took a while but Luther finally responded.


    "I just want a peaceful life."


    Brock had heard his general say the answer he had found for the senseless killing. But he also wondered, what motivated this young boy every time he would jump into the chaos of a battle.


    But before he could get his answer, Luther got up and left.


    After that, many more battles were fought, and Brock witnesses his general in every battle after fighting for the sake of peace.


    Today, Brock stood in front of these small little children to defend them from the very general he served five years ago.

 Book 1 - Chapter 6 - Karma

    Standing in front of Luther was a soldier he knew back in the days of the war. He remembers Brock as one of the few people to ever approach him. Luther was thankful for Brock''s attitude.


    Standing there, however, Luther saw him as nothing but an obstacle in the way.


    "Brock, stand aside" Luther had ordered Brock to move. Brock never knew that Luther could put up such a face. It was the first time Brock had ever seen Luther truly mad. On the battlefield, Luther was calm and after the battle was overcome with despair. But never once had Luther lost his cool.


    "General, please stop this. Were you not one that advocated peace, this goes against everything you believe in. Sir!"


    "Peace can never exist when people like them exist"


    Brock had seen his general adamant in his decision, so he made his.


    "I can''t let you do that sir, as a guard of the city, I can''t let harm the citizens of this city"


    Brock readied his weapon yet he was shaking. He knew he stood no chance against Luther but he had to defend these boys.


    "Then what about the girl"


    "!"


    Luther had already seen Brock as part of the guards that ignored the girl being beaten. He was hoping Brock, a man that did not care for social statuses, to interfere and stop the boys. Yet he saw Brock stand there being told by what looked to be his superiors to do nothing.


    "THEN WHY DIDN''T YOU DEFEND THIS GIRL."


    Luther screamed at Brock showing his unsurmountable amount of rage.


    _____________


    When Brock first saw the boys beating on the girl, his first reaction was to run up and stop them. When he turned to walk towards the boys, one of his fellow officers pulled on his shoulders.


    "Hey wait."


    "What? We need to stop those boys."


    "Stop, that boy holding her is the heir of the Jezebelle family, If you want to keep your job and your life, don''t get in that boy''s way.This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    The Jezebelle family was a prominent family in Everleade. The head of the family Joseph Jezebelle had ties to the royal family. Aside from that, they were known to have ties to the Netherworld.


    The Netherworld was a term used to describe the dark side of society. Slave trading, weapon dealing and assassinations were common news. Knowing that the Jezebelle family had connections to this, Brock took a moment to think about the possible consequences of his actions. Morally, he knew that if he didn''t stop the boys, it would weight on his conscience for quite some time. But he weighed that against the possibility of being targeted by the Jezebelle family which led him to not interfere with the boys.


    Being yelled at by his former general, he felt shame in his hypocritical actions. How could he not save this small girl while saving the boys who maimed her? But he had no time to think.


    Luther started walking forward as brock stood there getting ready to attack. Yet the killing aura coming from Luther paralyzed Brock to the point where if he tried to say anything, only a yelp would come from his mouth. The best thing he hoped for was for Luther to take his rage out on him and spare the boys. While thinking about all the possible outcomes, Luther had already made his way past Brock. Fearing what would happen to the boy, Brock turns around against the wishes of his body and found Luther picking up the girl.


    Luther then started to walk past Brock against and whispered to him.


    "You disappoint me, Brock."


    Luther then walked away.


    Having escaped the impossible situation, Brock collapsed and stared at the back of the man who commanded him a long time ago starting to run to get help for the small little girl. He was relieved at the miraculous conclusion to this situation but it was quickly overwritten by the amount of shame he felt.


    He knew that he needed to stop the boys from hurting the girl. He knew that it was the right thing to do but he couldn''t move because he was scared of the outcomes of going against the Jezebelle family. Yet he saw his general, without hesitation, run up to the boy and stop them. Brock became a guard to promote peace, not to let evil skid by. But before he could keep reflecting upon his actions he heard a yell.


    "LOOK OUT"


    Suddenly, he turned to where the person was pointing and he saw the tree falling. Without a moment of hesitation, he got up and jumped out of the way barely making it out of the way of the falling tree. When he got back up again, he saw the disaster that the tree had caused. Everything below it was completely crushed, including the boys who had no chance to escape the situation. They were all dead, including the Jezebelle boy who Luther threw earlier.


    "DAMMIT"


    Brock had never felt so useless in his life as he collapsed on the ground cursing his weakness.


    Luther appearance was not the only thing that earned him the devil. It seemed like anyone he deemed an enemy would be met with misfortune. When he charged the battlefield, the enemies seemed like they would be killing themselves and anyone who he deemed evil from his own army would find themselves dead in the upcoming battles. The misfortune surrounding him truly earned him the title of The Devil.


    __________


    Quite a bit away, Luther heard the sound of the tree falling.


    "Damn, that was my favourite bench too"


    He ran right back to the restaurant where he was hours ago with the goal of finding Celica whilst his necklace that he always wore was shining a bright blue.

 Book 1 - Chapter 7 - Sorrow

    "Celica, can you get the orders for table 3"


    "I got it"


    The Boar of Liliana was busy as ever. Once Celica got home, she decided to help out after seeing all the full tables and the lively atmosphere inside the restaurant. Her parents wanted her to rest since she was taking the week off but she insisted on helping, saying it was nice to see the cheers and smiles.


    "Here''s your food Mr Welsh, enjoy."


    "Thanks again dear"


    "Your welcome"


    "Celica we have orders for tables 6 and 13"


    "Coming!"


    Things were busy in the restaurant and even though the restaurant was engulfed in loudness and chaos,a good time was had by all including Celica with a smile on her face.


    *THUD*


    Suddenly, there was a loud noise near the entrance to the restaurant.


    "Welc... Luther what happened?!"


    "Celica I need your help, let''s go"


    "Wait, Luther!"


    Without hesitating, Luther ran right back outside with Celica frantically changing her shoes and trying to follow him.


    __________


    The girl was asleep on the bed after the surgery with Luther right beside her as she rested. Holding her hand through surgery, Luther watched the whole time as the doctor attempted to repair her broken body. Every broken bone was set to heal and ever laceration was sewn up while the girl body squirmed through the whole operation. Yet Luther never closed his eyes to the excruciatingpain felt by this young girl. When it was finally over, the good news of her surgery was spread by the doctors and they all cheered.


    The Doctors of Everleade was apart of an organization that was primarily used by the rich and wealthy. They charged large sums of money, large enough to where the people of the commons would have to give up their life savings in order to have surgery done. Luther did not have the money for these operations. All the prizes and earnings Luther had gotten from the war went towards charities that would help these small children in impoverished situations. However, there was a situation in which a doctor could operate without a fee, and that was to service the king and his guards. Of course, with Celica being one of the heads of the King''s Guard, she had free access to these doctors, and Luther knew that.


    "Luther, what happened?"


    During the whole ordeal, Luther remained silent, only watching over the girl as she fought for her life. Celica berated Luther with questions about the little girl but he just remained silent. Hoping that hearing about the girl''s well being would loosen his tongue, Celica attempted to get her answers again from Luther.


    "..."


    "Please Luther, I need to go explain this to the King later, I need to know"


    "She was being bullied"Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    Luther finally gave in to Celica''s demands. His mind was fully occupied with the girl up until this point and now that her safety was assured he could finally speak.


    "Bullied? what kind of bully beats a girl half to death? Tell me the truth Luther!"


    Celica was getting agitated. Luther had a history of hiding things from Celica and when she found out about it she would always come screaming at him for answers. A child being bullied and being beaten half to death did not seem like a plausible story at all so she thought he was lying.


    "She''s from the slums Celica"


    With that line, she understood that Luther was telling the truth.


    "And one of the boys bullying her was from the Jezebelle family."


    And with that line, her face erupted into shock. She knew about the Jezebelle family and their treatment of the poor and she always wanted a chance to investigate their underground deals. Yet the king would never let her, insisting that it would be a waste of time and that their activities had no effect on the kingdom as a whole.


    "What did you do to the boy?"


    "I threw him"


    "Luther are you crazy?! He''s apart of one of the most influential families in this kingdom. When the king hears about this..."


    "He''s probably dead now Celica"


    "WHAT?!"


    "When I left the scene, the boy was unconscious under that big oak tree we used to play under. The tree fell as I was leaving with the girl and it probably fell on him with the rest of the boys."


    Celica hearing the news fell to the chair and her head sinking to her chest in shock.


    "When the King hears about this he will..."


    "Don''t worry about it Celica, I''ll make sure no one gets hurt from all of this. But can I ask you for one thing."


    "What it is?"


    "Please take care of the girl."


    "Luther..."


    When she turned fourteen, Celica learned that Luther used to live in the slums. She noticed as they grew up together, he had a particular weakness for the people suffering from there. She knew that he used his war money to help build shelters and orphanages for kids and would stop by there weekly to help out.


    "Take her to the orphanage near my house and tell them she comes with my recommendation. I''m sure they will help out. I have to go."


    "Where are you going?"


    "I still need to polish a few things up before tonight''s show."


    "Wait, Luther!"


    Before she could get another word in, he had already left.


    "haaahh"


    Celica let out a big sigh in anticipation of the work she will have to do because of Luther.


    __________


    "MY SON! OH MY SON"


    The kneeling man was weeping as he held the body of his dead son with a face crushed beyond recognition. However he was not the only one, Many of the boy''s families heard about the fall and went to check out the noise. When they got to the scene, they saw the horrible scene of a fallen tree crushing barrels and anything else that was under it at the time. There were also the bodies of their mutilated sons as they were being dragged from under the tree to be delivered to them.


    "WHY! HOW!"


    "I''m sorry Sir Jezebelle"


    Brock was at the scene trying to explain to the parents but he was faced with a man of terror, Pascal Jezebelle, the head of the Jezebelle family. Any wrong answer would mean his life and his families lives would be at risk so he treaded cautiously"


    "You! Why didn''t you save my son!?"


    "..."


    "Answer me! You are a guard! You''re supposed to protect us!"


    "..."


    "You were right there, WHY!"


    Pascal charged at Brock but the other guards kept him at bay.


    "LET GO OF ME! You all better have a good excuse because you will be facing the king before this day is over!"


    Pascal then rampantly left the scene in the direction of the palace. He wanted answers but no one would give him any and now he would have to rely on the king to sort this matter out while he holds his despair in his heart ready to take vengeance on the person at fault.

 Book 1 - Chapter 8 - Work

    "Luther! You''re late"


    "Sorry Headmaster, I''ll get ready right away."


    "Let''s go, We''re all countin'' on you tonight!"


    It was already sunset when Luther had arrived on the scene of his co-worker''s preparations so he ran passed his boss to a gigantic room filled with props and tools used for his upcoming show. There were also animals roaming freely throughout the complex of buildings and tents which were let out of there cages, relaxing them before the show. Lions, eagles, and creatures you would never expect to see anywhere else were all runningaround while everyone was screaming at each other, trying to relay their messages to each other.


    The scene was in utter chaos but Luther had the luxury of having a room all to himself. He was going to be the main event of tonight''s show and he was completely prepared from yesterday''s practice, hence his late wake-up time. But the events of today weighed on his mind. No, he was not thinking about the death of the boys he probably will be remanded for, but it was the little girl he left with Celica. He was worried she would not know how to deal with someone from the Slums, remembering the time when he first met her and he scared her. He would have to hope that she could handle the situation on her own while he cleared his mind for what he was about to do next.


    First, there were ten poles lined up by pairs of the same height with each pair having different heights. Each pair of poles were all connected by almost invisible wires and ordered randomly creating a midair arena near the ceiling of the building.


    "Rollo, Pampda, to me!"


    Luther yelled out as he finished putting on his pairs of gloves while two huge monkeys came from behind him, sprinting to be by his side and without a moment of hesitation, they each took one of his hands and threw him up to the second level of poles. And there, he began practising for tonight''s show.The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    __________


    "And there you have it my Liege."


    Brock knelt on one knee looking down at the floor while explaining what had happened to the king.


    "Hmmm," King Trite said as heldhis hand on his chin, rubbing the circle beard he always had.


    "King Trite, I demand that this Luther Ruxil is excuted for his crimes again my family!"


    "Silence Pascal, do you know who that man is?"


    "I don''t care who he is, his actions led to the deaths of many children of this city and my son, I demand justice!"


    Pascal was staring at the king but couldn''t help but notice that Brock was shaking, fearing for what could happen next.


    "You young little weakling! You dare shiver on the floor while my son lays in the ground!"


    "Haaaah" The king let out a big sigh.


    "Sir Pascal, This Luther Ruxil that you accuse is one ofmy old acquaintances and one of the previous generals of my army. You might know him from his nickname."


    "Nickname?"


    "The Devil of Everleade."


    "Wasn''t that just some rumour made up by the public for the entertainment of the children my King?"


    "No, he was real, ask this young guard here. He served directly under Sir Ruxil, he''s probably more scared of him more than me."


    "But my Liege! What about my son!?"


    "Your son should have been stopped by this young guard here, God knows why he wouldn''t interfere"


    The king was staring right at pascal with a furrowed brow.


    "Plus, your son was killed by the tree that was falling down, not directly by Luther"


    "But he''s the one who incapacitated the boys, without that, the tree would have never had killed them! I urged you to reconsider."


    "SILENCE!"


    The King stood from his chair.


    "I''ve had enough of this, your son got what he deserved. I have nothing more to say. Everyone is dismissed for today! Me and my family have to go get ready for the show for tonight, I heard that it will be featuring a new event and I do not want to miss it."


    "MY KING!"


    Pascal kept yelling as the king exited the audience hall ignoring him.


    "Damn it!"


    Pascal rushed out of the room with his servants


    "Find that girl, If I can''t touch that man, at least let the girl be sent to hell."


    Blinded with rage, Pascal stormed out of the castle intending to find some outlet to vent his anger from his unfortunate situation.

 Book 1 - Chapter 9 - Forewarned

    The roads and buildings were all dyed in orange as the streets thinned out as people went back to their homes. The roads were quieter than they were in the morning and the candlelit lamps in the streets started to be turned on. The roads were in complete serenity while Celica had a small bandaged up girls in her hands as she was heading towards the orphanages.


    Tonight was the night of the play, and Celica still needed to head home and prepare. However, she knew that when she got home, her mother was going to try to dress her up to look like a princess and she was not fond of what was to come.


    *sigh* she was already imagining the yelling and screaming that would happen later but then she looked down to the little girl who was fast asleep in her arms. The girl was sound asleep and had such a peaceful look on her face so that no one would believe that she would have been the victim of a brutal attack.


    Celica could not but be exhausted of what the king might do to Luther, or rather what Luther might do to the king. However, the thought of Luther protecting what was important to him nudged the sides of her mouth into a small smile. She continued walking while brewing over these thoughts.


    "Hey, you."


    Celica heard a yell directed in her direction. She looked around to see a group of five men, each having torn clothing and hold weapons such as axes and chipped blades, looking at her with a brutish look.


    "Excuse me, are you talking to me"


    "Yeah, I need you to hand over the girl."


    "And what are you going to with her."


    Celica took a few steps back.


    "None of your business, now hand her over."


    "I''m sorry, I cannot hand this girl over to someone I do not trust, please leave us alone."


    "I said HAND HER OVER! You and that pretty face of your wouldn''t want to be hurt by us."


    Celica noticed something strange about the men. Although they dressed like they were from the slums, the way they spoke indicated they have had some level of education.


    "Who hired you?"


    She said in her commanding voice she was well known for.


    "None of your DAMN BUSINESS, NOW HAND HER OVER!"


    "One, two, three, four, five"


    Celica counted out loud as she laid the little girl on the bench. One of the men at the back of the group stepped towards Celica.


    "Come on now, we don''t want to hurt anyone, just give us the girl and we can pretend nothing happened"


    The brute approached Celica nonchalantly, making it all the way to her side. He started to take the back of his hand and reach out to touch her face.


    "After all this, you and I can go to those hotels over there and have a little... AHHhHH WHAT THE FUCK!"


    Before the thug even realized it, Celica had stolen his sword and used it to chop off the hand that was trying to touch her.This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    "I will not give you people another warning, leave us alone or I will deal with you myself."


    Celica directed her demands to the leader of the group as she flicked off the blood off the sword.


    "GET HER!"


    At the signal, two men charged right at Celica preparing to swing at her position. However, without another moment Celica took one step and cut the throats of one of them. Before the other man could even grasp what was going on, Celica span and took her sword and plunged it right through the man''s throat. As both started to fall, the man who she cut earlier charged at her with the intentions of tackling her but she dodged out of the way. She then kicked up an axe from the floor and crushed the man''s skull. The leader charged at her with both his axes in hand and took a swing at Celica from her back. But when he swung, he did not feel a body on the other side of his blade. Instead, he felt two feet standing right on top of him. Celica had jumped on the man''s axe and right onto his shoulders. She wrapped her legs around the man''s neck and threw him to the ground with a twist of her body. Then before he could scream, she plunged her sword straight through the back of his neck, right through to the ground.


    The fifth man down with his eyes wide open, showing the shock in his face as this beautiful girl gracefully killed four of his comrades in less than a minute without getting a drop of blood on her.


    "Hey, you."


    The man was too shocked to even respond.


    "Tell your boss that if he aims for this girl again, I will personally see to it that the King''s guard will hunt you down and execute you all."


    "Oh my god, you are Everleade''s blade dancer.."


    "Now Go!"


    The man took off without making another sound.


    "What the hell is going on..."


    Celica knew something was wrong. She thought Luther might be hiding something from her but that didn''t seem right, but then she remembers that the Jezebelle family was involved. She was worried that if she left the girl alone in the orphanage, that the men might try to make another attempt. However, she already gave them a warning which might stave them away from attempting another kidnapping. She took the girl and ran to the nearest guard she could find.


    "Lady Celica, what are you doing over here!"


    "I don''t have time right now, I need you to petition some guards to watch over an orphanage for me."


    "What? Why?"


    "This is an order."


    When a commander of the king''s guard gives an order, they speak on the behalf of the king himself. When the guard heard that, he immediately saluted and ran off to find some more guards.


    "I hope I''m doing the right thing..."


    Celica said as she headed off to the orphanage. She ran with all her might knowing that the show was going to start soon.

 Book 1 - Chapter 10 - Circus

    "Sorry I''m late."


    Celica had just arrived home after her preparations and barged through the door looking at a her dad wearing quite an expensive suit, which was very unusual for him since he hated formal occasions, and her mom finishing up her makeup looking absolutely stunning for a women in her mid-forties that spent her days in a busy restaurant.


    "No time to talk, hurry upstairs and changed into the dress I prepared."


    "But mom I..."


    "No buts, Let''s go."


    Celica was pushed up the stairs by her mom while her dad sat on one of the stool near the front of the restaurant.


    "Dad, I''m home."


    "Jake."


    Jake Lain, Celica''s oldest brother who lived near the palace who worked as a baker who sometimes had the opportunity to serve the king his works of art which served to increase his popularity and satisfy his goal of creating delicious food just like his parents. Celica would see him on occasions as she left work and went into his shop for some baked goods to bring to her room in the palace. The siblings in the Lain family were always close but Jake always had to watch out for his young siblings, thinking it was his responsibility to watch over them.


    Jake and his dad met for a hug and sat down.


    "Dad you''re in a suit... pffft"


    Jake was trying to hold in his laughter.


    "Hey don''t laugh. Your mother wanted me to put one on since today is a special occasion."


    "Luther is tonight''s star right? It''s going to be great, but he might start laughing after seeing you."


    "You little.."


    His dad put him in a headlock as they started to play around.


    "You guys never grow up..."


    Elena had just finished up with Celica and went downstairs to let her finish up.


    "Hey mom."


    Jake went to hug his mom.


    "It''s good to see you, Jake. You and Luther barely come by nowadays. I know your busy, but not seeing you guys break my heart."


    "I know. Sorry, mom."


    "It''s okay."


    "Oh, Since I''m here, what time are we going to gather next week for Kyle?"


    "Sometime after the lunch, can you come by then?"


    "Of course Mom."


    "Hey, Jake."


    Celica had just walked down with an amazing get up. Her tight dress ran down the length of her body glittering in a bright sky blue. A light amount of makeup was put on to accentuate her already pretty face while her hair was completely let down and brushed since they did not have time to do anything else, but nonetheless, it suited her perfectly.


    "Wow Celli, you trying to impress Luther tonight?"


    "Shut up Jake."


    Celica went up and put Jake in a headlock, just like her father.


    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    "Celica you''re gonna ruin your dress, now let''s go and do you really have to bring a sword..."


    "The king will be in attendance and I have to be ready for anything."


    *sigh* "Anyways, Luther actually gave us front row seats tonight so don''t be so embarrassing."


    "Front row?!"


    The siblings said in unison. They knew that Luther was the star but usually only the royalty and kings would be able to get those tickets. They finally realized why their dad was in a suit because they might be seated close to the king.


    Jake started, "I should have worn something a bit more extravagant..."


    "Come on let''s go!"


    Jack closed the shop and the Lains were on their way to Luther''s show.


    __________


    "My king. My queen."


    "Celica! You look absolutely marvellous this evening. Did you manage to get front row seat tickets as well?"


    Celica made a small curtsy as she appeared before the king.


    "Yes sir, Luther gave them to our family as a present and we happily accepted it."


    "Well then, it reassuring that you are here, I am counting on you."


    "Yes, my king"


    "Now return to your seat, let''s all enjoy tonight''s events. You are dismissed."


    "By your leave."


    Celica made a bow and went to sit down next to her brother two rows above where the king sat.


    "Hurry up Celli, the show is about to start."


    "I''m coming, jeez. You try walking in this dress..."


    When she sat down, Celica looked across the giant room where they were sitting. There were thousands of people that were attending this event. The attendees were sitting in a circle around the edge on a raised platform of the circular room while the stage, being a huge dusty area that had many apparatuses set up for the performances, was placed in the dugout centre. The room must have spannedthe area of the entire castle. There was also a symphony gathered near the stage to accompany the performance.


    Being in the front row, Celica and her family were saved the trouble of being seated in the overcrowded areas in the back. There were dividers that separate them from the huge crowd and Celica was thankful since she could attend to her duties and enjoy the show more easily because of them.


    Moments later the arena went completely dark as the lamps were all turned off while the crowd roared in anticipation for the show.


    After the cheering died down, three giant lamps shonea concentrated light to three different spots on the stage where three men that looked exactly the same stood. In unison, they started to speak.


    "GOOD EVENING TO ALL AND WELCOME TO OUR SHOW!


    Tonight, we will be showing you events that will shatter your concepts of what performance really is.


    We will make you laugh, we will make you cry, and we promise, to make sure everybody in this audience leave here today in complete amazement!"


    The crowd kept cheered every time the men finished their sentence.


    "I am Harry"


    "I am Hanz"


    "I am Hawk"


    "We are the headmasters of this show."


    "And now please."


    "Get ready."


    "FOR CIRQUE. DE. PHANTASMA!"

 Book 1 - Chapter 11 - Spotlight

    "That show was fantastic!"


    Jake just exited the tent with his family while stretching his limbs for the first time in hours after sitting through the show.


    "It was! I really liked the animals"


    "I think the best part was the match between the bear and the lion. I was hoping the lion would win.."


    "Are you sure Celica? Don''t you remember when Luther jumped into the crowd and gave you a rose"


    Celica slightly blushed as she looked down to hide her embarrassment.


    The Cirque ended with a raving from the crowd during the last performance when Luther got to his death-defying act. Commanding animals jumping through obstacles while performing acrobatics that defied the perception of human normality and combining it all into one big choreographed dance was a stroke of brilliance from the Cirque. Towards the end of his act, The performers and animals around him start to slow to a halt as the man in the mask started to climb to the top of the tent by jumping across many poles of varying heights until he made it to the top of the tent. He stood to wait until everything, including the crowd, was completely silent. His body started to tilt forward as he then proceeded to fall face-first down towards the ground though rings the lit up as he passed through them. But, as if a God wanted to play a game, one of the animals shook the pole the rings were attached to and the rings shifted to hit the man in the back as he caught on fire.Loud gasping and panic rose out of the crowdas the man tumbled down, hitting each rings creating a massive fireball as it exploded as he hit the cart of hay below. The spotlight on the man turned off as the crowd, subjected to complete darkness, start to talk and panic. Only shadow-like figures rushing to put out the fire with as fast as possible could be seen with the dim light of the fire. The man had seemingly been cursed with the worse luck as his death was certain.


    As the crowd began to panic, A giant gust of wind blew through the tent, strong enough to put out the fire and made everyone cover their eyes.If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    And suddenly, the spotlight flashed right onto Celica the masked man appeared right in front of her with not a scratch on him. The crowd roared with excitement after seeing the man in the mask completed his stunt.


    Celica could easily see it was Luther as he walked up to her, kneeled on one knee and pulled a rose from his suit. He gestured for Celica to reach out for it and as she did he suddenly took her hand and kissed the top of it. Celica started to blush as he left the rose in her hand as he backed away and fell backwards into the arena, disappearing yet again.


    The crowd stood and roared at the amazing feat that the Cirque just pulled off, many wondering how one man could accomplish all that. As all the lights came back on, all the performers were lined up in the middle of the stage facing the king. They all bowed as applause and admiration could be heard across the Cirque.


    _______________


    As Celica remembered all this, her face started to turn a very bright red and her family laughed at the occasion. Of course, that was met with a stern elbow to the chest for her brother and a kick to her dad''s shins. Both of them were on the ground as her mother smiled seeing the family bonds that they had developed over the years, showing a sad smile on her face.


    "Oh, mom" Celica suddenly spoke.


    "Hmm?" Her mother wondered what Celica was going to say.


    "I''m going to go find Luther to tell him about the girl"


    "Oh?" Her mother said as she smiled while covering her mouth with her hand. Her brother and her father joined in to taunt her a little more. Of course, this was met with a foot in the face for both.


    "It''s not like that, I''ll see you guys at home," She said as she ran off to go find Luther.


    "Tell him to come over once he''s done with his business, we want to celebrate!" Her mother yelled as Celica signalled back with a thumbs-up as she disappeared into the crowd.


    "How much longer will we have to wait for those two I wonder," Elena whispered, heading home while dragging two lifeless bodies away with her.


    _____________________


    Two guards laid dead on the ground of a poor-looking orphanage as two men, one averaged sized man and another that looked like he could lift a horse, stood near the entrance.


    "Go get the girl" the averaged sized man said as the large man nodded as he headed inside the orphanage.


    "I will have my revenge" the man whispered as he saw the Large man bring out the girl responsible for his son''s death.

 Book 1 - Chapter 12 - Alert

    "Hey, if it isn''t the Blade Dancer"


    "Long time no see, Celica"


    "Trevor, don''t call me that." Celica had an annoyed face on while talking to the two guards.


    After leaving her family, Celica made it to the entrance of the employee''s area of the district. As the name implies, the area was used as a place where the performers would gather before their shows to relax. The area was directly behind the giant tent so that performers could be grabbed at a moments notice.Celica being a regular, as she would come to see Luther from time to time,was always welcomed.


    The two guards standing in front of her today were Trevor and Collin, who guarded the entrance to the staff area taking care not to let any curious fan slip by.


    "My bad," Trevor had a giant smile on his face as he was teasing her.


    "So, here to see Luther today?" Collin calmly asked as Trevor had a big grin on his face.


    "Honestly Trevor, you are exactly like my Brother."


    "You''ve been coming here since you were a kid, I can''t help it." He said as he started to laugh.


    "Anyways, I am here to see Luther but on official business."


    Both of the guards'' eyes perked up as they heard the word ''official''. Knowing that she was a part of the King''s guard, the word official held weight. And without warning, Trevor readied his weapons and pointed it at Celica while she took a step back in response.The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    "We will not let him be dragged to the palace again," Trevor said with a hint of anger in his voice.


    "Trevor, relax," Collins said.


    After a moment, Trevor hesitantly put away his sword.


    "Sorry about that Celica but..."


    "It''s okay, I understand."


    Celica knew that Luther had many acquaintances from the war, which included the two in front of her. She never truly knew how much Luther suffered from the war and he never brought it up in any conversation. However, she knew that there were people who saw Luther during the war and most of them had the same attitude of keeping him away from the palace.


    "I just had to tell him about an errand I ran, that''s all."


    "Okay, go ahead"


    "Sorry about that Celica"


    "It''s okay" she replied as she went in to find Luther.


    A few minutes after she left the guards turned to each other again.


    "Trevor..." Collin gave him a sad stare


    "I know but you know what he went through because of that..."


    "You can''t point weapons at people without cause, especially people you know."


    "Yeah..." Trevor said as they returned to silently watching out for any miscreants trying to cause problems.


    _______________________________________________________________________________________________


    "Put these on her." He commands the large man.


    "Yes, sir!" The man said as he chained the girl''s arms to chains that left her hanging in mid-air as she could not stop crying.


    "Dirty rats don''t deserve to live," he said as he pulled out a wooden rod that was filled with nails that made it into a sort of club.


    "Hey you, close the door." He directed to another man standing by the door.


    "Please..." the girl squeezed out with all her might as the door closed.


    Then a violent scream that could not be heard was let loose inside the small cage.

 Book 1 - Chapter 13 - Bittersweet

    "Is that so..."


    "Yes, I saw them..."


    "Hmm" Luther was in deep thought from the words he just heard after waking.


    Luther was currently in a giant room, almost of big as the stage, leaning against a wall while a woman wearing a mask covering the top half of her face was talking to him.


    "You should probably get more rest, you just collapsed earlier."


    "I''m fine, continue."


    _______________________________________________________________________________________________


    Earlier, as he walked through the preperation room after finishing his performance and thanking the crowd, the whole castcould be heard cheering his name.


    "LUTHER! LUTHER! LUTHER!," was the only cheer that could be heard in the crowded room. However, as he continued forward he found his vision becoming more muddled and the sounds became more distant. With each step Luther took, it became harder keeping himself up and with a final step, a wave of exhaustion and relief hit him hard enough for him to collapse to his knees as the room went silent as they saw their hero on the ground.


    "I did it, didn''t I..." he managed to speak before losing consciousness


    The room erupted into laughter as a few of the performers took him to a restroom in the staff area.


    _______________________________________________________________________________________________


    "She should be fine but..."


    "LUTHER!"


    Before Luther could finish his thoughts, he heard his name being screamed across the giant room.The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    "We can talk later," he whispered to the woman as she walked away.


    "Hey Celica," he said, waving his hands to greet the women in the blue dress.


    As he walks towards her, he expected a hug so he walked towards her dropping his guard at her unusual presence in the area. As he got within arms distance, he felt a huge impact into his sternum and collapsed to his knees.


    "That''s for earlier."


    He heard his childhood friend from earlier pouting as she stood over him with puffed-out cheeks.


    "I''d take it that you enjoyed the show."


    He laughed in a muffled voice trying to hide the pain.


    "Next time, tell me if you are going to do something so dangerous!"


    She held out her hand.


    "You mad about the rose? You know I wouldn''t make a mistake."


    He was about to reach out and take her hand but the hand turned into a fist and he knew that if he got any closer that his face would be in danger. So without help, he got up by himself as Celica was still furious but he knew she was happy.


    "So why are you here, I''d take it one of the leaders of the King''s guard wouldn''t come in here to assault one of our cast members unless making you blush is a criminal offence."


    "Can we drop that already."


    "Sorry, sorry. Here, as an apology, how about I take your request to have a duel."


    Celica''s face lit up.


    "You better not be lying!"


    "I promise."


    "Yay!"


    She had been wanting to spar with Luther for months after receiving her position, she wanted to see where she stood against him.


    "Oh, by the way, about the girl."


    "hmm"


    Luther''s smile suddenly turned colder.


    "I assigned a guard to an orphanage where I dropped her off."


    His eyes opened wide open.


    "Only one?" he asked


    "Yeah, is something wrong?"


    "... No, its nothing."


    Luther took a bit of a pause before he could answer. That paused worried Celica but before she could finish her thoughts Luther started talking.


    "Anyways, I''ll be busy tonight with the cleanup, tell your folks I''ll be by tomorrow to celebrate okay?"


    "... okay."


    Celica was suspicious of how Luther responded but didn''t think it would be a problem knowing how well the guards were trained.


    "Anyways thanks for coming."


    He said as he hugged her and ran off.


    _______________________________________________________________________________________________


    "Luther." The woman from earlier with her mask met with Luther in a dark room in the employee area dimly lit by a wax candle.


    "This time, I''ll go myself."


    "But!"


    "This is my mess, I''ll call you guys for the ''cleanup.''"


    "Okay."


    As the woman left the room, Luther opened up a dresser nearby and took out a mask that was half lit up by the fire but was still completely black.