《Bastard's Crown》


 Chapter 1 - The Knight in White

    The year is 1066AC.


    Twelve years since the Final War that was promised.


    A war with a Hero and a Demon King and with nations choosing between order and chaos.


    A war that was supposed to change the world forever.


    It did not.


    Not in the way the oracles prophesied, not as how supposedly the Creator had told and certainly not how anyone really wanted it to end. It was neither victory or defeat.


    No change to the status quo but the weakened armies of nations, the ruined lands and wealth of the people and the grief that comes with. So the natural result of a war and the people were lost.


    Fractures began to form among the many countries, many had put everything on the line for the Final War, many of the most precious and talented had perished and the cracks began to show.


    Among them the Great Ursan Empire, the largest Empire within the world of Disaster who had gone under many reforms in the last years had begun to regress the sweeping changes that were placed by the previous Empress.


    The Emperor having lost his son, the Crown Prince in the Final War and his wife, the Empress years later due to her illness and grief, began to become much more like the man he was in his youth. One that wields power ruthlessly and valued personal freedom and strength above all else.


    He has decreed among his subjects to retrieve all of his illegitimate children and to test them.


    To see who is mightiest in might, magic, mind and much more, to have them claw at one another, to support one another and to betray one another until they stand above the rest and march to the crown.


    And so begins the savage struggle of those linked by blood, one where barriers are broken, truths are uncovered, blood is spilt in light and shadow and the one who is left standing will wield the greatest power in the world.The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    Even that however may not be enough to sate them.


    Bastard turns fifteen today. Or so he thinks or at least is told that he is today. The Faith was well known to lie to the children in their care to keep them from leaving as soon as possible. The chance he was a fair bit older than he told was quite high.


    He triumphantly stood outside of the place that was his home for at least fifteen years that he was able to show record of. He had left the village before, to do the work assigned by the Faith but today he was free. Today he was fifteen and thus by Ursan law had every right to go his own way.


    He had groomed himself with quite a lot of care this morning. He couldn''t do much about his hand me down clothing but he could try his best with everything else, well his definition of what is cool and acceptable.


    His ginger hair shimmered lightly, it was styled wildly with a few so called stylish spikes here and there stood out but left his shiny blue eyes out for the sun to fall upon.


    Around his waist was a small leather pouch filled with the money he earned doing odd jobs here and there, doing work for the Faith as a handyman of sorts and from what some people would consider petty theft and some might consider light gambling.


    He breathed in the fresh air of freedom and took the first step towards his journey that would no doubt lead him on an epic adventure where he would no longer be bound by stuff rules and traditions, no one breathing down his back about being proper and polite.


    A wide open world for the people who desire to be free. One where he could make a name for himself and fulfil every desire he could ever have.


    Then a large hulking white armoured knight which looked like a moving set of towers and ramparts with a cross shaped star for a visor stood in his way.


    A long string necklace was around his metal neck with a single long white crystal in the centre of it, dangling like a dagger¡­ the insides seemed to have a faint red wisp within, like a drop of blood within a glass of water.


    The wind was knocked out of Bastard''s sails and was shocked into complete silence. He noticed the long blue cape attached to the knight''s shoulders that had a golden border designed into it.


    A knight of the Ursan Empire. For one to be here and now at this moment could only mean trouble, especially when he was standing just outside the home.


    "I''m here to take you in."


    The voice was fairly deep and carried a strong confident air within it. Each single word felt heavy to hear, weight was thrown simply by the man''s voice making its presence and intent known.


    Bastard could only reply with his immediate emotional reaction.


    "Aw fuck me."


    While his lips moved to say three little words of frustration in a disappointed tone...


    His mind was racing, raging, roaring, raving, ranting, howling, foaming, frothing, screeching, screaming, shrieking and most loudly of all cursing.


    ¡°Of course the day I get to leave this shit stain of a home I instantly get harassed by some pompous, city bred, rusty, bucket headed, stick up his ass, bitch to the nobles, overbearing, rotten cunt! Well, fuck him, the moment I get the chance I''m running from this arse bugger.¡±

 Chapter 2 - I Didnt Sleep With Her!

    Bastard sighed as he shrugged and spoke to the man who he had gained contempt for over half a second of his appearance.


    ¡°What did I do? I can''t for the life of me think of any crime I have done recently that I haven''t already paid for. Oh, right. Did that old man''s shitty reports actually get through to the government? Wow, I guess you guys do get stuff done eventually. Still, it''s a total waste of time.


    ¡°I have said this like, one thousand times already. Look, I did not sleep with the blacksmith''s daughter.¡±


    Bastard could not read the expression of the knight, being covered from head to toe in armour made it near impossible to read him, especially with visor that seemed to be pure blackness... but after a single second, he picked up the lightest of all chuckles a man can give before a quick cough to clear his throat and speak again.


    "This is not about that incident with Miss Farrise. You are under arrest for the debts of your mother coming due. You are now an adult and thus liable for her debts. I will need to take you into custody unless you have some way to pay this now?"


    Though the knight already knew the answer to that question and lifted his right hand without waiting for the boy to respond.


    Bastard had not noticed it before that moment but¡­ flowing from the white knights right hand was a ridiculous amount of chains, all coloured a dull and restrictive gray. They seemed as bountiful as flowing water in his hands and slithered out like a nest of snakes.


    Then they began to move and hissed as they stretched out like the web of a spider, their will to strangle the prey right before them.


    That was the exact he realised Bastard knew this wasn¡¯t your average knight.


    The massive snow coloured giant was a Magic Lord.


    The difference between a knight and a Magic Lord was like day and night.


    No, in fact that comparison didn¡¯t even come close to doing it justice.


    One was but a man who might dabble in spells. The other was¡­ a monster in human flesh.


    One whose power could ruin a small army with barely any effort.


    Those who are called upon to tangle with titanic monsters. Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    The warriors without fear that at the behest of their ruler, even face down a Calamity.


    In the first place magic wasn¡¯t something everyone had access to.


    Magic is only formally taught to those with the money to afford the schools or tuition.


    Bastard had heard even a single lesson on the basics of basics could cost around 50 golden cubs and that was the cheapest price he¡¯d even knew about from rumours.


    The man in front of him was someone who had the luxury of not only learning but sharpening those skills to the point most monsters, let alone men, would be suicidal to even want to exchange a single blow with him.


    Still Bastard was not the type to simply bow and beg to those who were ¡°above¡± him, no matter the circumstances. He had paid for it quite painfully, several times and the memories stung even now. The scars beneath his shirt no longer ached his body but his soul remembered the lashes to his pride.


    The knight took a single pace forward.


    "I highly doubt you have that sort of wealth on you. So please come quietly so we may figure out an alternative method of payment."


    At this Bastard¡¯s cheeks filled with airs before spitting out an exhale of disbelief.


    ¡°Did you really just say that with a straight face? Do whips and chains all that really excite you that much? We¡¯ve got plenty of sticks and stones in a backwards town like this, so if you wanna break a few bones, go do it. If you have a desire to put a bone in my bunghole¡­ I¡¯d rather you just kill me now.¡±


    The knight in white and his steel snakes stood frozen in shock.


    There was a good moment of silence between the young man and the enforcer of the empire.


    Then it was broken by a long groaning sigh from the ginger boy.


    ¡°Alright. Okay. I got it. Here you need my stuff right?"


    Bastard walked up to his would be captor and handed over his string bag which held every worldly possession he ever had, which was in fact not much at all.


    Nothing he¡¯d consider important nor essential.


    Some spare scraps of cheap food and a few creased pieces of paper and not very sentimental keepsakes, a few wooden utensils, nothing he¡¯d really miss or cry to part with.


    The moment the left hand of the knight gripped the bag that was easily handed over to him with no resistance, Bastard dropped his entire body, twisted to the left and leaped forward and broke into the fastest sprint he had ever performed in his life, his form looking like a gust of wind within the depths of a storm.


    ¡°Today is the day I go free. I escape from all this bullshit. I¡¯m not handing it over for anyone.


    Definitely not for some dead woman who slept around and didn¡¯t bother to pay her debts.¡±


    Especially to a woman who must have did something so awful that a Magic Lord needed to be called in to make sure the proper price was paid.


    He dashed with what he considered as perfect form, his mind quickly going to nothing but two things. How to make sure he kept perfect pace and where he could hide too until the living heap of metal would give up because he was more trouble than he was worth.


    The Knight in White smirked beneath his helmet as Bastard ran for freedom.


    "Good. This way I can see what you''re made of."


    The red flare within the crystal attached to his neck flashed.


    This boy was the one he was looking for.

 Chapter 3 - Magic Sucks!

    Bastard had been running for a short while through the forests on the outskirts of the city near the home¡­ he weighed his options on if he should try to lose his pursuer in the woods or use the town to hide from him. He decided that was the moment to caution a look backwards.


    He saw the knight effortless catch up to him. This wasn¡¯t the problem.


    The issue was that he wasn¡¯t moving, yet was gaining on Bastard.


    The ground gently rumbled and dust was kicked into the air behind the Magic Lord, he looked like a floating tank to the unaware.


    The gap was getting smaller and the white warrior simply crossed his hands, the chains dancing playfully and the light chuckle leaking from his visor showed he was having fun with this.


    ¡°Of course. The Magic Lord sent after me would be the type to get off from chasing down those weaker than him. Reminds me of those head in their butts nobles who would go out hunting and torture their prey instead of just ending it.¡±


    Bastard could not help but think that every single noble he met were sick sadistic bastards.


    He then laughed and almost bit his tongue at the last word that formed in his mind.


    ¡°Fucking magic! Cheating bizzaro bullshit that comes straight from dickheaded plonkers.¡±


    His decision was made. Bastard¡¯s feet began to curl up and then release in bounds and leaps towards the town gates which were wide open as they always were in the morning.


    As his feet touched the ground of the lands he was all too familiar with, he could feel them again. Coming from every direction, like pins trying to pierce an insect, the gaze of those who simply couldn¡¯t stand him. Muttering, muddy, slander drooling from the lips of hate.


    The usual crowd of fools were now focused on the high speed chase between peasant and lord.


    The knight in white was a stone''s throw away, still as cool as ice as he magically followed the mundane child who could not do anything but run.


    Then his ears were filled with rattling hisses.This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    Dust and mud was kicked up into the air around Bastard as the chains in the white knight¡¯s right arm launched themselves and landed all around the boy, falling like a volley of arrows.


    In a blink of an eye a cage had been forged, a ring made for battle.


    They turned, weaved and came together to form iron walls, a meshed fence of metal blocking all routes except forwards and backwards.


    To the front was a brick wall. To the back was the knight.


    There was no running away from this.


    That¡¯s what every single person watching this thought as the metal giant slowly advanced towards the rascal who was out of options.


    His eyes scanned the wall as quickly as he could and after a second his lips moved into a light smile. He turned towards the knight and lifted his fists while lowering his general mass.


    ¡°Okay then. If that¡¯s how it¡¯s going to be, I guess, I ain¡¯t got no choice, do I?¡±


    Bastard inhaled deeply and closed his eyes before releasing that same air.


    "Take off that armour and fight me like a man!"


    The crowd is stunned for a good minute from the sheer audacity of the words and then for another minute simply processing the meaning.


    It was like a single ant challenging a lion. They would laugh if it wasn¡¯t so absurd and the words weren¡¯t yelled with such conviction.


    The knight pauses for a moment and seems surprised by the declaration and responded in a frank and honest voice, not a single waver within it.


    ¡°This armour is not for protecting me from you. Its purpose is to protect others from me.


    ¡°I have no wish to sully my hands with any more blood than necessary.


    ¡°To ask me to remove it would be to ask me to take your life.¡±


    Bastard wanted to call bullshit. He wanted to say that it was a ridiculous lie.


    However¡­ he couldn¡¯t sense even a whiff of a lie from the Magic Lord.


    It wasn¡¯t a bluff. It was pure truth and that just terrified him and those around them even more.


    However that didn¡¯t really matter to him right now.


    In the small moment where the knight had started his little speech, he had ran back and begun scaling the wall in front of him without waiting.


    The clear contrast between his words and actions had caused a very small but momentary blindspot which he took advantage of.


    And then Bastard stood on top of the wall. He turned to face the knight and looked down on him, the people and the cage of metal with a satisfied smirk.


    For a brief moment he wanted to thank the Creator but then remembered that he¡¯d much rather not do such a pointless thing.


    Bastard raised both his arms and hands upwards.


    He curled back his thumb, index, ring and pinky fingers until only the middles stood upright.


    Then he leaped off the wall, not breaking his gaze to those below and with a smug expression thrusted his hands up and down rapidly so that all who looked up to him were cursed with his foul manners.

 Chapter 4 - Magic is Awesome!

    The split second he was confident that the knight could no longer see even a speck of his body, Bastard turned, ducked and rolled as he hit the ground, which had a small layer of hay waiting for him. It wasn¡¯t uncommon for children to play on the walls and for the guards to have an accident.


    The agreed method to deal with this was to put some soft hay below and around the perimeter of the walls, not enough to come away unscathed so that they would learn a lesson in caution but enough to generally prevent death.


    Combined with a practised roll diverting all momentum and power to the ground, Bastard knew the way to fall from the heights of his home town with little else but a light aftershock.


    He knew better than to gloat about his victory and as he recovered, he hit the ground running, sprinting as fast as he could once again.


    His mind raced as he body did. What would be the best way out of this situation?


    ¡°The closest villages are Gumamo to the north and Kuraru to the south... but that''s exactly where that bucket head would expect me to go. Alright. I¡¯ll stay in the woods for half a day and then make my escape, I¡¯ll go back to the town, he¡¯ll never expect that with his thick head and then I¡¯ll-!¡±


    BOOM!


    Against his better judgement, Bastard stopped and turned his head to look at the path he came and began to break out in a cold sweat.


    The winds turned and the flowers bowed.


    The wall he had just jumped from was no longer there¡­ not fully intact anyway.


    There was a massive hole and standing in that newly formed entrance was a single figure covered in shadow, but the silhouette was unmistakable.


    The Knight in White.


    Around his visage were floating bricks, unnaturally suspended mid air around him as if they were hummingbirds he had somehow tamed.


    He took two steps forward and then the bricks flew back and reformed the wall they once were a part of. Then it happened again. The Magic Lord seemed to float as he advanced towards the man he was hunting.


    Bastard was beginning to become fed up with these turn of events.


    "Aw git stuffed ya metal cunt!"


    His frustration and moaning was accompanied by fierce stomping as he couldn¡¯t help but let his emotions run freely as the monster approached him.


    Any and all diligence that he was taught by the Faith; no matter how small it was, left the boy.


    Would anyone really go through this much effort to catch the single debts of a peasant?


    He began to ask himself the proper questions and from there began to speculate and imagine all the possible ways his mother could have accrued a ridiculous sum on unpaid loans.Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.


    "Oh, Creator curse you! Mum, you done and fucked me beyond the grave, I''m almost impressed." He muttered under his breath as the hunk of steel came closer.


    Bastard looked at the ground where the knight¡¯s feet were and saw¡­ the earth moving as if it were a wave of water, again the actual body of the warrior didn¡¯t even twitch.


    Bastard wanted to complain to the Creator and all the universe, asking why it was him of all people who always drew the short straw. He gritted his teeth, tensed his muscles and focused as his wrath began to build. It was useless to complain, it¡¯d do no good.


    The truth couldn¡¯t be changed with curses at an ineffectual world.


    The chains sprang into action again, flying towards his chest.


    He ducked. It took all his reflexes but he dodged the attack¡­ but it didn¡¯t matter.


    They wrapped around his body and quickly locked every limb into place.


    It was a useless effort, one last action of resistance.


    Soon all he could smell was metal. All he could hear was rattling.


    The Knight in White closed the gap and stared at him from his helmets shadows.


    A single red circular light glowed from within the depths of the darkness and it beheld the prey it caught with what felt like contempt.


    "So what will you do now Bastard? I was hoping for a better chase than... this.


    "To be honest, I''m disappointed." The deep metallic voice had none of the frankness from before. It was as heavy and as cold as the shell he wore. Bastard¡¯s blood ran cold¡­but then it began to flare up again.


    "Ya sorry git can''t you go and get ya jollies some other way than chaining up little boys?"


    And with that retort, he spat directly into the crimson orb.


    The knight dropped his guard and shook his head to throw off the saliva that got into his eyes.


    After he came to stop he laughed.


    "Nice. Great. Just what I was expecting from someone like you. Colour me impressed."


    What was most disturbing about those words were how genuine they felt, it almost sounded like a heartfelt compliment and Bastard had no idea what to make of it.


    And then he remembered that it didn¡¯t really matter¡­


    He bit down on his own lip so hard that a drop of blood fell to the floor.


    Was this the end? Was this really all he could have done? Was there no other way out of this?


    He couldn¡¯t accept this. Today was the day he was supposed to be free.


    Not enslaved for someone else''s mistakes of all things! It wasn¡¯t his fault.


    His blood began to boil. The fire in his heart began to burn and his soul¡¯s anger was giving it all the fuel it needed to reach new heights of rage. The lava within began to rise, slow at first but gradually it got faster and as it did Bastard¡¯s body trembled with erupting hate.


    ¡°Like hell... I¡¯d be robbed of my life by some metal kowtowing cocksucker with a bondage fetish!¡±


    The chains rocked back and forth as if they were struck by an earthquake!


    They fell to the floor in an instant. The thud sounding much like clothes being thrown on the ground when their wearer burned with desire¡­like weights removed from a warrior, like a glass of water tipping over.


    He was free and he did not miss a beat.


    He lifted his right hand and stretched out his arm and fingers.


    The Knight in White flew through the air and crashed into the trees behind him, which snapped just like toothpicks when confronted with the gigantic mass.


    Rocks then rose around Bastard, floating in the air like tamed falcons, ready to dive upon their quarry with a whistle.


    ¡°Earth Style: Shattering Arrows.¡±


    The words came to his soul from somewhere he didn¡¯t know of but it felt natural, as if it was something he had always known but had simply forgot.


    As if he had lost the key to a box and finally found it, it was by his side all along.


    They sharp stones bombarded their enemy with unrelenting ferocity, a hailstorm of earth forged blades that had received one single and absolute order.


    Kill.

 Chapter 5 - Sprinting Cheetah, Leaping Gazelle and Charging Rhino.

    When the barrage finally stopped there was dust and the shadow of a fallen titan.


    Bastard¡¯s breathing was rough, torn, ragged and ripped to shreds.


    He had never summoned such power before. The feeling as he unleashed his wrath given physical form had been exhilarating beyond anything he¡¯d ever felt before.


    Then the dark colossus rose from the clouds of dirt.


    The singular red orb pierced through the distractions to lock onto the boy.


    ¡°Finally. I was going to give up on you if it took any longer.¡±


    He got up as if he wasn¡¯t even the slightest bit scathed by the sudden assault.


    As if he had been expecting it.


    ¡°I knew you were special. Earth Style: Shattering Arrows.


    ¡°A most basic spell but performed at this degree... it was mixed with a Mana Burst.


    ¡°Perfect. You''re like coal. Black and dirty but with a little pressure you could really shine.


    ¡°For someone untaught in magic to use this combination... while most experienced mages would do this with ease and scoff at its power, this type of awakening and instant use upon so is rare for people without instruction unless they had an innate talent."


    The Knight in White then began to roar into laughter.


    Once again Bastard had not waited for him to finish talking before attempting to make an escape and as he saw the boy flee he couldn¡¯t help but smile.


    The land was being upheaved, contorted and split¡­ propelling the body of the troublemaker while his actual legs showed not a single sign of movement.


    He was a quick learner. ¡°Magnificent.¡± ...If it was this boy, then maybe he could do it.


    The Knight had several particular prerequisites for the task he had in mind.


    What most would consider to be drawbacks, to him was perfect¡­ because a repeat of centuries of ruling was not the way he saw his nation should proceed.


    Blue light began to emit from the Magic Lord. It coated his armour and then flung itself off, as if he had covered his body in tape and then peeled it all off¡­ the iron warrior was now free of any dust, rubble or dirt.


    It was time to take the game up a level.


    The Knight placed his feet on the ground with solid force, then hopped and the moment his feet touched the ground again he poured mana into them from above and below.


    The ground shook, trembled and quaked with such power that Bastard almost stopped moving from the shock, it was just like a momentary earthquake.If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    The Knight began to fly. He had been sent from the ground to the skies and began to fall like a shooting star towards the boy.


    ¡°Fuuuuuuu...ack.¡±


    Bastard wanted to curse even more but the sight was too terrifying to divert even a small percentage of his mind and body to expletives. That could be redirected to running away.


    He didn¡¯t exactly know what he was doing besides imitating the Knight¡¯s movements earlier but that didn¡¯t matter, he had a feel for it and that was all he needed.


    He focused more of this growing, burning and explosive force from his body to the ground and he accelerated, the earth below churning itself overtime as if he was riding a motorcycle and just stepped on the pedal with all he had.


    He heard a loud thud followed by a second quake. He looked back again to see the Knight do his magical leap once again and land but a few metres away from him. Bastard pressed on the metaphorical gas even harder and lifted his right hand to point to the soaring metal monster.


    This time no words were needed. A salvo of sharp stone missiles threw themselves at the white terror.


    They turned to particles of dust and rubble almost immediately against the spotless armour.


    The Knight landed but a few paces behind him and without missing a beat the quaking sensation occurred again sending the Magic Lord soaring.


    To Bastard, the Knight in White was as fast as a cheetah on the hunt, with the jumping power of a gazelle, but instead of grace he had the overwhelming build and power of a charging rhino.


    This was it. Judging from the jumps trajectory Bastard knew there was no way to avoid this next attempt to catch up to him.


    It was all or nothing.


    Bastard could do nothing but copy his pursuer but this was the only option he had.


    The quaking sensation whenever the Knight landed on the ground for a second before taking flight was essential. Time almost seemed to slow down for him as Bastard took his blazing emotions and with them mana and this time instead of channeling it to the ground and pushing himself forward¡­ he rumbled it apart and spread it into a condensed pocket of vibrating energy.


    Once more he found his mouth moving and chanting words he had seemingly forgotten.


    ¡°Earth Style: Seismic Step!¡±


    Bastard kicked his legs¡­ backwards, towards the metal monstrosity.


    He felt a tense trembling through his legs for a second before feeling weightlessness.


    His body became a rocket and he was thrown several metres behind the man chasing him.


    The gap only got bigger since the Knight was already mid flight and landed in the opposite direction.


    Neither of them let what just happened halt their movements.


    Both began leaping through the air, propelled by miniature earthquakes.


    Covering large tracts of lands with single bounds. The few animals and people who saw them witnessed a new sight, of a flying metal man and a young man rising like eagles and falling like comets. However the Knight was catching up and showing no signs of slowing down¡­


    Bastard could feel his legs become numb. With each jump his strength in his lower body began to deplete and the added stress was making each of his leaps lose height and range.


    He kept his eyes of the Magic Lord and began to sweat. Not good. He had only gained a small advantage and it was about to waste away¡­


    Then the Knight in White stopped. He didn¡¯t jump after Bastard.


    He placed both of his armoured hands on the ground in the shape of straight palms and with a forceful press began to channel his magic into the earth several metres ahead.


    Bastard panicked and looked back to where he was about to land.


    The earth itself began to spin! It was as if someone had jammed a spoon into the land and began to stir it as if it was soup.


    The colour of the floor turned into a light grainy brown.


    Bastard¡¯s feet landed in the mess with a soft and moist plop.


    Then as he tried to jump again, the power he wished to expel was instantly dispersed.


    He tried to struggle his way out but as he did¡­ his body began to sink deeper into the golden mixture and he swore.


    This was quicksand!? Had his opponent altered the makeup of the earth itself to trap him?


    Such a thing was possible? The Knight approached the trapped Bastard slowly.


    The clouds above flew right above the white warrior, coating him in shadow, his figure turning pitch black and the singular red orb within the visor gleamed with bloodlust.


    ¡°Now, you cannot run. Will you surrender? Or will you fight?¡±