《The Proud Chevalier and Her Loyal Knight》 Eulai Setting Primer - Mora The story takes place in a world known as Eulai, named after the First Hero who saved the world during the Era of the Dark Sun at the cost of her life. Her two children, the Blue Prince Roland and the Green Princess Mora, travled to opposite ends of the world, each founding a continent that would be named after them. The eastern continent, Mora, is the primary setting for this story, specifically the southwestern part of it. Countries The Empire of Khordun is a powerful country that was founded by the Iron King Maresy Rothon. Once a former mess of fighting city states, the Iron King managed to conquer each territory in order to unite them against the threat to the north. Due to his actions, the empire was able to maintain prosperity for many generations. The Kingdom of Nyla is a situated on a peninsula between the Stillwater Sea and the Set¡¯sun Sea.They are a gentle nation with a agriculture based economy. They are home to a sizable mixed race population. The Silic State is a small nation located to the east of Nyla. They are an educated nation that values academics. They are home to the largest regional magic academy, Oslo. Carraigm¨®r is an island nation that prides themselves on their martial skill. They are mighty warriors, with a saying that one of them is a match for five mainlanders. They have a sizable Gero population. To the south of Nyla and Silic is the Forest of the Yehan, a large section of of land covered in dense forests. Very few non-Yehanians enter the forests, for fear of getting lost. Within the forest lives the colossal tree known as Great Tree Hanya, the center of worship of Yehanian society and where many Yehans call home. The Holy Theocratic City-State Aquelia is the center of religion for the followers of the Holist faith. Fifteen years ago, the city was besieged and captured by Holist heretics during the Siege of Aquelia by a group known as the Sovereign First. The Isles of Raen is the home country of the Qualim. Composed of numerous flying islands, the floating country is a unique landmass that is nearly inaccessible to outsiders. The top thirteen clans make up the governing body of the islands. They are known as the Thirteen Great Clans. The capital is Sorashoki. The Heisui Magocracy is a country of mages and shamans, who link themselves to the spirits of the old. Lightly forested, and with multiple islands, the archipelago is home to many citizens who have left the Raen Islands due to conflicts with the ruling aristocracy. The country is headed by the the Mizuchi Keiretsu, a conglomerate of the highest ranking spellcasters and their families in Heisui. The capital is the port city Hiryuu. Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. Magic Magic in Eulai is divided into six elements: the four physical elements of fire, water, earth, and air; and the two karmic elements, dark and light. Not everyone can use magic, and those who do often go under training in order to manipulate the magical energy that flows through the world. The capacity to use magic is limited by a person¡¯s mana, the representation of a mage¡¯s magical energy and ability to manipulate it. Users of magic, known as mages, are only able to cast magic corresponding to elements they are attuned to. Most mages are only attuned to one element, a few are attuned to two, and very rarely is anyone attuned to three or more. Utilizing magic often requires a foci, an item wherein mana is channelled, focused, and formed into a spell. Often, a mage¡¯s foci is a wand, a simple rod or stick with magic focused at the tip. Other foci include staffs, books, rings, and for the more physically combative, swords, daggers, or whatever weapon that mage wishes to use. Experienced mages are able to forgo the need for a foci. For most, casting magic requires some form of a chant followed by declaring the spell, with longer chants being associated with more powerful magic. However, some are able to cast some magic with mental chants, and rarely can someone cast a spell with neither a verbal chant or a mental chant. Races This is a very brief description of the races. For more information, please visit the link found in the post-chapter notes. Humans Adaptable to nearly all environments, humans are the most common race found in Eulai. Coming in many shapes, sizes, and whatever physical trait you can think of, they are everywhere. Gero Four-armed strongmen who have a weaker connection to magic than others. Larger than the average human. Hardier and tougher than humans, but more oblivious to the finer things in life. Qualim Winged people whose children lack gender. Physically weak, yet quite perceptive and agile. Their society is centered around their clans, families with long histories stretching many generations. Their shorter lifespans push them to live life to the fullest. Their children are born sexless and choose one when they become of age. Yehan Similar to humans in most ways, although slightly weaker constitution wise. They have a stronger connection to nature and magic than other races. They are racists, not being friendly towards non-Yehans. They can be identified by their signature red eyes, a trait only found in those with Yehan blood, and slightly pointed ears. Half-Yehan Due to Yehanian society, Half-Yehan are often not allowed to live with pure Yehans. Often times, they live with the non-Yehan parent, occasionally seeing their Yehan parent. Though generally accepted in general society, they still bear some of the stigma of their birth. Zet¡¯tai Half-demon and half-human, these people are ostracized by much of the civilized world. Not all are evil, and are simply trying to find their place in the world that rejects them. Many bear outwardly physical signs of their demonic heritage. Chapter 1.1 ¡°An oath is only as strong as the will to keep it." - Eulai, the Hero of the World ¡°Lady Lucile, please wait!¡± shouted Ryk. ¡°GET BACK HERE YOU THIEF! BY MY AUTHORITY, I DEMAND YOU STOP!¡± screamed Lucile. In the 558th year of the Era of Dawn, a blue haired girl clad in light armor was being blitzing through the marketplace, chasing after a thief while creating quite a ruckus. Following a small distance behind her was the knight Ryk, doing his best to keep up with the energetic girl. The bystanders parted themselves to make a pathway for the chase, and so that their damage would be kept to a minimum. Of course, that didn¡¯t help them too much as the thief and Lucile barreled down the street. ¡°Ha! And why should I listen to a little lordling? Go run back to yer home where yer Ma can coddle ye or some shite,¡± the thief yelled back. He was swift and violent, knocking down any poor citizen who happened to be in his way. But Lucile was catching up to him bit by bit in her justice driven frenzy. Ryk knew that the thief was fairly notorious, a rascal named Falmich. The locals have been getting annoyed at the thief ambushing merchant carts and raiding homes when their owners were away. And as the Baroness of Saint-Lusan, it was Lucile¡¯s job to resolve the issues of her people. Including dealing out justice to criminals. ¡°You can¡¯t beat me in a fight, fair or not! Turn around and face me!¡± Lucile shouted at Falmich. The thief only laughed in response, and picked up his pace. ¡°Damn you!¡± Lucile shouted. She turned her head to face Ryk and ordered ¡°Ryk! Cast a spell or something!¡± Lucile and Falmich were getting farther and farther away from Ryk, who didn¡¯t have the agility of either, so he stopped running and drew his longsword, pointing it ahead of the thief. He knew he wouldn¡¯t be able to catch up, so he obeyed his lord¡¯s request. Stones of the earth, Arise! He mentally focused on a spell¡¯s chant, and the arcane symbols of his channeled mana formed around his blade. ¡°¡¸STONE WALL¡¹!¡± he exclaimed. As he shouted the spell, a wall of stone arose from the ground in front of Falmich, trapping him between the earth and Lucile. With no way to escape, the thief stopped running and turned to face Lucile, who in turn came to a halt. Ryk, finished casting the spell, ran up and finally caught up to his charge. Falmich glared at Lucile. ¡°Oi, so ye think ye can best me in a fight? Ye don¡¯t look like ye¡¯ve ever actually been in a duel before little lordling,¡± he scowled. The thief was trapped, and was getting ready for a fight. But he was right¡­ somewhat. It¡¯s true Lucile did not look like she¡¯s ever fought before. She appeared thin, her features beautiful, and her skin pale. She looked as a porcelain doll. Any passerby would assume she¡¯s a sheltered noble who has never held a sword in her hands before¡­ if it wasn¡¯t for the fact that she carried one on her back and she was clad in armor. ¡°Well, then I shouldn¡¯t be much of a challenge for you then, Falmich,¡± she taunted. ¡°In the name of House Allard, I , Lucile, hereby challenge you to a duel.¡± Ryk sighed as he shook his head in resignation. Another day, another fight for Lucile. Just last week, she ended up in a duel against some uppity noble¡¯s retainer or some other. The memory was kind of hazy for Ryk. One too many drinks at the after party. ¡°Lady Lucile, is this really necessary?¡± he whispered. ¡°It would be best if I took him down in your stead.¡± ¡°Shush now, Ryk. This is part of the job for a hero of justice.¡±This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. The bystanders who had stood to the sides were now gathering in a ring around Lucile and Falmich. They were whispering among themselves, eagerly awaiting for the fight to begin. Ryk stepped back to the edge of the crowd and put away his sword. Lucile wished to fight alone, and Ryk wouldn¡¯t stop her. With all eyes on him and his exits blocked, Falmich had no way to run from the challenge, or claim it never happened. He could choose to surrender, or he could attempt to fight without accepting the challenge. But that would leave him open to attack from anyone. Additionally, fighting against both Ryk and Lucile in two versus one combat would be wildly against his favor. He had only one choice. ¡°Challenge accepted, little lordling. I¡¯ll show ye why ye shouldn¡¯t be messin¡¯ with the great Falmich. Ha!¡± he exclaimed as he drew out two simple daggers from beneath his cloak. He moved himself into a low combat stance. The duel was accepted, and he was bound by honor to see it through. Even a thief was compelled to honor a challenge once accepted under the eyes of others, for it was the way of land. For if he ran, or chose to be underhanded, even other outlaws would be wary of associating with someone so dishonorable. Ryk took to the side and watched Falmich and his movements. It was, as his old master would put it, ¡°a complete and utter travesty and if you lose to him you don¡¯t deserve to wield a sword.¡± It wasn¡¯t all that terrible, however. His stance was aggressive, ready to pounce on his target like a wolf stalking its prey. ¡°Very well,¡± said Lucile on the other side of the ring, as she drew the sword on her back. A greatsword that was almost as tall as herself. She took a fighting stance. Legs bent, feet solidly to the ground, and sword pointed down and behind her. It was a queer sight to the spectators. Here was a young girl wielding a sword nearly as tall as her and heavier than what most people would call reasonable for fighting. And yet she wielded it as only someone who has trained with it for years could. The air was silent, and the only thing one could hear was the steady breaths of the two fighters. Falmich made the first move, dashing towards Lucile to get the first strike in. He was fast, closing the ten meter gap in less than a second. ¡°Yer dead!¡± he shouted. His daggers held in reverse, aimed straight at her, baring them like fangs. Lucile, calm and collected, took a deep breath. She quickly yet subtlety changed her grip. One hand on the grip, another on her sword¡¯s blade. ¡°Hya!¡± she shouted as she thrust her weapon forward. ¡°Urgh!¡± ¡­ In one blow, Falmich was on the ground, recoiling in pain. In a single strike, Lucile had won the battle. ¡°Gah! Ye damn lordling! Urgh, the hell¡¯d ye do?¡± Falmich growled as he held his stomach. Lucile smiled and pointed to the pommel of her blade. ¡°I jabbed you in the belly with this. I can¡¯t have you dying on me before you¡¯ve faced justice.¡± It dawned on Falmich to look down and examine his wound. No blood, not even a mild cut. He grunted in pain. ¡°Curse ye blasted lordling! Where¡¯d ye even learn to use that thing!¡± He pointed to Lucile¡¯s weapon. ¡°Ahaha!¡± she laughed. ¡°That¡¯s a secret not for meant for you.¡± Except it wasn¡¯t really much of a secret to anyone who understood Lucile¡¯s lineage and the history of House Allard. Something that only the family would know, and their retainers, and a few select others. So perhaps in that sense it is kind of a secret, Ryk mused to himself. Ryk broke from the crowd and took his place next to Lucile. ¡°Can we arrest him now?¡± he asked as he pulled out a pair of shackles. ¡°Ah! Right, we need to do that!¡± she said, as if she forgot what they were doing in the first place. ¡°Ahem! Falmich, by my authority as Lord of Saint-Lusan, I, Lucile Allard le Chevalier de Saint-Lusan, hereby place you under arrest for the crimes of banditry and burglary.¡± Ryk shackled the hands and legs of Falmich as Lucile gave her small speech, leaving just enough slack so the thief could be led to the nearest guard station. A pair of guards quickly arrived at the scene and grabbed Falmich, still in pain. ¡°Ensure no harm comes to him. Lady Lucile would like to speak to him sometime this evening,¡± he whispered to one of the guards as they took the thief away. The bystanders cheered as the thief that had been causing them so much headache for the past few days had finally been apprehended. ¡°We did it, Ryk! Another victory for the Heroes of Justice!¡± she exclaimed. ¡°I didn¡¯t even do that much¡­¡± Ryk sighed. The Heroes of Justice. A name that Lucile had given them, though it mostly applied to her, as she was always looking to save one person or another from a myriad of troubles. If anything, they¡¯re just the Hero of Justice and the loyal knight that tags along with. ¡°With this, we¡¯re another step closer towards our goal!¡± She didn¡¯t even hear what Ryk had said. ¡°Lady Lucile, please don¡¯t forget we will need to speak with him regarding your mother-¡± Ryk began to respond but was interrupted. Her demeanor quickly shifted. It was serious. ¡°I¡¯m well aware, Sir Ryk. I¡¯m going to do whatever it takes to find out the truth about her,¡± she said. ¡°He was there. I¡¯m sure he already knows who I am.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Ryk could only nod. But as quickly as her mood darkened, it returned to her usual cheery self. ¡°Now let¡¯s go to the tavern! I¡¯m hungry after that chase.¡± She began marching off in some random direction, completely oblivious to a destination. Ryk ran to catch up with her before she got lost. Again. Chapter 1.2 Earlier That Day *DON DON DON* *KNOCK KNOCK* ¡°Awaken, Sir Ryk! Your liege commands you to train with her at once! Hurry to the field!¡± On the fifth day of the month of Sierahi, Ryk, the Wandering Knight, awoke to the energetic shouting of Lucile Allard, the Baroness of Saint-Lusan and his lord. He took one look outside the window. It was still early morning, as the twin suns were only just beginning to peak over the horizon. He could hear the sounds of Lucile¡¯s footsteps quickly leaving his door. She didn¡¯t even wait for a response. Nor did she need to, for as soon as knocked on his door, he already knew what it meant. Daily combat training. Ryk quickly got out of bed and began to ready himself for the day. He swapped out of his bedclothes and into something more appropriate for his duties. Though it was early morning, combat training called for some armor, so he equipped his set - a pair of gauntlets, a pair of greaves, a breast plate, as well as some shoulder pads, all made of light steel. It was a set of armor designed for mobility while offering some protection, as it worked easier with his style of combat. He strapped on his belt that carried his pouch and the sheath that carried his blade. It was simple longsword emblazoned with the sigil of House Allard, a four pointed star and two feathered wings. It was a gift from Lucile when she knighted him into his service, and the very sword that she knighted him with. It was sturdy, with a blade made of hardened steel. But it was also a great magical focus, with a white handle made out of Dovelen wood, renowned for its mana enhancing properties. Now geared up, he went to the standing mirror and ensured that he looked presentable. Ryk stood at a height of 175 centimeters, normal for a man of twenty years. His face was soft and clean, save for a horizontal scar that ran under the left of his sharp blue eyes. He ran his hand through his messy chestnut brown hair in an attempt to make it look more presentable. It didn¡¯t do much, but what little it did do would surely help, he thought. As left his room, he stopped in front of his dresser. Laid out on a gentle cloth was a small framed portrait of a beautiful woman who shared Ryk¡¯s eyes. She cradled an infant in her arms. Beside the portrait was a spear that was splintered into three parts. The only other relic of the parents he never knew. Ryk pressed his hands together, bowed his head and closed his eyes. ¡°Please keep watching over me, mother.¡± *** The sounds of metal striking metal echoed in the fields during the early morning, with the thrum of magic interspersed. ¡°Haa¡­ haa¡­ Come on, Ryk. Surely you can do better than that.¡± Lucile, though somewhat spent, wasn¡¯t willing to back down just yet. ¡°I would prefer not to accidentally harm you.¡± Opposite of his lord, Ryk stood with his blade at his side. ¡°Perhaps we should stop and have breakfast now. You¡¯re clearly tired, and I¡¯ve heard that a message from Sir Balzac regarding his mission has arrived.¡± The pair had been sparing for the better part of an hour, swinging their blades and slinging spells. The morning mist provided an refreshing chill to their intense practice. Despite it, though, the pair were visibly glistening with sweat. ¡°Gah, once more then, Ryk! Don¡¯t hold back, and neither will I.¡± She readied her greatsword, keeping herself low to the ground and the massive blade over her shoulder. *sigh* ¡°Very well then.¡± Ryk in turn took his sword in his right hand and readied himself, keeping the blade in front of him, guarding his front. ¡­ The air was tense as they prepared to strike. Lucile took the initiative, stepping forward with her rear foot and swinging the massive blade downward in a deceptively quick strike. Her blade rapidly began to shine a radiant white as it fell on Ryk. Ryk took his own sword by the handle and blade and blocked her strike. He fell to one knee as he braced against the force exerted by the young noble and her magic enhanced strike.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. He angled the force of the greatsword down to the side and swiftly sidestepped away. He moved back to make some distance before preparing a spell. Using his sword as a focus, he channeled his mana through the blade, as circles of magic began to spiral around it. He could sense the blade becoming hardened as he channeled earth aspected mana into the metal. Such a simple spell didn¡¯t require him to form a chant or call out the spell¡¯s name. His weapon reinforced, he took a step forward and slashed three times, aiming for the chest. Each time, Lucile blocked each strike with her greatsword, not giving up any ground. Stepping back, Ryk made one more attempt, this time a thrust to Lucile¡¯s abdomen. ¡°Oho, it¡¯s not going to be that easy.¡± ¡°!¡± Lucile had blocked that strike as well, and kept Ryk¡¯s sword away with her blade as she pushed forward into arms reach. He noticed the glow of magic forming around her gauntlet too late. The same color as her sword, the color of light aspected mana. Her fist found its way to Ryk¡¯s stomach from below, making a clean strike. He felt his abdomen flare up in pain as the enchanted strike struck his armor and padding. Less than a second later, he felt a second impact strike him, though Lucile hadn¡¯t moved a muscle. The spell she had cast caused the second blow and this time it went past his armor. *boom* ¡°Gah!¡± Ryk heaved heavily as he was taken aback by the punch. He flew back nearly two meters and had fallen backwards, but managed to catch himself and roll with the blow, landing on one knee, sword in the ground. ¡°Alright, I -cough- yield!¡± he managed say in between coughs. He was glad he hadn¡¯t yet eaten breakfast. ¡°Hurray! It¡¯s my win this time!¡± Lucile exclaimed as she did a small victory pose, one hand outstretched and two fingers forming a V. ¡°That makes our record¡­ 248 to 395.¡± ¡°You¡¯re getting -cough- much better, Lady Lucile. Perhaps one day you¡¯ll have more wins than me. Though that fist to my stomach was a new one. Wherever did you get the idea for that?¡± ¡°Heh heh, well you see my knight, one must always try out new techniques when combining sword and sorcery.¡± ¡°Is that all¡­?¡± ¡°¡­I may have snuck out last night to watch an underground tournament.¡± *sigh* ¡°Please tell me no one-¡± ¡°No, no! No one knows I was there! I swear it on the Saints!¡± The two are what are commonly known as mage knights, armored fighters who fight with weapon in hand but also have the capacity for magic. Not many choose to become mage knights, as most choose to specialize in either fighting or magic, but not both. Lucile was born with an affinity for the elements of fire and light, whereas Ryk had an affinity only for the element of earth. ¡°Here.¡± Lucile offered her hand to Ryk, who was still on the ground. He grabbed it and she helped him back onto his feet. The suns were already fully visible in the sky now. The wildlife was beginning to awaken and the morning mist disappearing. Their training was now over, and the two took some time to collect themselves after their workout. ¡°Have you given the sword a name yet, Ryk?¡± Lucile asked. ¡°Err, not I haven¡¯t. Can¡¯t come up with a decent name for it,¡± Ryk answered. ¡°Besides, does a sword really need a name?¡± ¡°Of course it does!¡± she excitedly responded. ¡°The name of a weapon carries a lot of meaning. It tells you the story of who wielded it, what battles its been through, its history-¡± Lucile went on a spiel about the merits of naming weapons. It was understandable, as her family had an ancestral sword passed down through generations, for hundreds of years. But that blade, the greatsword ¡¸Oathkeeper¡¹, was missing. ¡°Lady Lucile, Sir Ryk!¡± An older voice called out to them from the house. The pair turned to the source of the voice, an elderly man with graying hair and a receding hairline. Wrinkles marked his face, and in one of his four hands was a letter. It was Alban, the head butler to the Allard family. Unlike Lucile and Ryk, who were humans, Alban was a Gero, a race of four armed strong men. Though Alban wasn¡¯t strong anymore, as time had taken its toll on his body. ¡°It¡¯s an urgent missive from Sir Balzac. I believe you will wish to read this immediately,¡± he yelled as he ran over to the pair. Lucile took the letter from Alban and broke the wax seal of House Allard that was stamped on the back. ¡°Thank you, Alban. We¡¯ll take a look at it from here,¡± she said. ¡°Of course, my lady. Breakfast is already prepared for the both of you.¡± He nodded to Ryk, who nodded in return. He bowed, then turned around and took his leave back to the house. ¡°Hmm, now let¡¯s see what this says¡­¡± Lucile opened up the letter. ¡°If it¡¯s from Sir Balzac, and it¡¯s urgent, perhaps he¡¯s found information on your mother?¡± asked Ryk. ¡­ Ryk couldn¡¯t see the contents of the letter as it was in Lucile¡¯s hands, but he could see her face visibly turn dark. It was a scary sight. ¡°Sir Ryk.¡± There was a hint of bloodlust in her voice. ¡°Y-yes, Lady Lucile?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s head into town after breakfast.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine, but what did the letter state?¡± ¡°It seems the first breakthrough in my investigation has arrived in town.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Lucile Allard, ever since she was old enough to wield a sword, ever since she was old enough to read, had only one goal. Find out what happened to the mother she never knew. The mother that disappeared fifteen years ago during the Siege of Aquelia. ¡°Seems as though a certain rogue causing problems in town is actually a former comrade of hers. I say we pay him a visit.¡± Ryk saw the faintest glint of a smile. But whether or not it was happiness at finding a lead, or of anger for abandoning her mother, he did not know. All he knew is she would do anything to find out the truth. Chapter 2.1 ¡°To save another soul is to save your own. To save only yourself is to save no one.¡± - Joan, Heavenly Saint of the Spire ¡°Hmm¡­ where did she run off to?¡± Ryk paced the main street to look for his lord, who he had lost sight of as the crowd went back about their daily business. Or perhaps she had gotten lost as she was prone to. Regardless, he had an idea of where she was headed. She was probably on her way to to her favorite local tavern. He looked for the side street that would lead to the tavern, but as it¡¯s been a while since he himself had visited, he was having trouble finding it. The hustle and bustle of the main street didn¡¯t help either. ¡°Excuse me, sir, would you know where I can find The Joyous Lion?¡± Ryk asked a merchant selling odd colored apples. The man was gruff, and didn¡¯t look all too friendly. But regardless, he huffed and pointed towards a nearby side street. ¡°Many thanks, my friend,¡± replied Ryk with a smile, before tossing the merchant a silver alm, the coin of the Kingdom of Nyla, for the man¡¯s troubles. The merchant picked up two apples and lobbed them at Ryk, who caught them with ease. As Ryk took a closer look at the apples. It was strange. The apples had a soft gradient of a light red to an aqua blue, complimented with a soft purple in between. He glanced back at the merchant, searching for any clue if it was safe to eat. The merchant didn¡¯t respond with words, only nodding his head in affirmation. Well, can¡¯t be all that bad. Right? Ryk took a bite out of one apple, and quickly his mouth was filled with the soft flesh of the fruit. The taste was sweet and succulent, like one had mixed a blueberry and an apple together. To Ryk¡¯s palette, it was simply extraordinary. I¡¯m sure Lady Lucile would like to try these, he thought. He fished out a ten more silver alms out of his pouch and handed them to the merchant. The merchant caught the coin and examined it closely before stowing away. He produced a parchment bag from beneath his stall and quickly wrote some words on the outside. He then began to fill it with the strange yet delicious fruit until it was just half full, around 20 apples, before handing it over to Ryk. Upon closer inspection of the merchant¡¯s hasty writing, the name of the fruit became clear, Sussesblau Apples.This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Strange name, he¡¯d never heard of such a fruit before. Was it foreign? Khordunic, perhaps? he thought. Regardless, he had a bag half full of the fruit now. He thanked the merchant, before heading off in the direction he was directed towards, all whilst munching on one of these Sussesblaus. However, as he kept walking, a soft voice called to him. He swung his head around, looking for the source of the voice. But he found none. ¡°¡­here¡­¡± a gentle voice spoke. It was a voice that for as long as he could remember, would call out to him when something troublesome was happening nearby.. ¡°¡­here¡­¡± it repeated. Ryk never knew when the voice would call to him, but when it did, he knew that he ought to heed its words. Was it his subconscious telling him of imminent danger? He knew not what it was, but knew that it was always right. Ryk turned into an alley that the voice directed him into. It was one of the many side alleys of the city, though this was in more disrepair than normal. The air was musky and the ground was littered with small pieces of trash. It was quiet, save for the occasional cat or dog. The light did not reach the ground, as the buildings around were too tall and prevented the natural light from reaching the road. He drew his sword, walking slowly through the alley, prepared for any danger. Though Saint-Lusan was a fairly safe city, every city had their seedy parts. He constantly glanced in all directions, staying observant in case of any danger. ¡°*sob*¡± A quiet voice was sobbing in the alley, calling out for a mother and father. Ryk sprinted over to the cries. Was there someone in danger? Someone hurt? No. Instead, he found someone. A child, who looked no more than ten years of age, with long black hair that touched the ground on which the child sat. ¡°Are you alright? I¡¯m a knight in service to Lady Lucile of House Allard.¡± He pointed to the crest on his person as he knelt down. He fished out one of the apples he had just bought and offered it to the child. The child looked up at Ryk, tears streaming down their face, with a perplexed expression. ¡°I can help you-¡± he began to continue, but stopped as the child stood up, and spread out dazzlingly beautiful white feathered wings from their back. The child was a Qualim, and they were far from home. Chapter 2.2 ¡°Hey Alice! Pour me another glass!¡± asked the slightly inebriated Baroness of Saint-Lusan. ¡°Oi¡­ Lucile, don¡¯t you think you¡¯re drinking just a wee bit much this early in the day? I can already see your face turning a touch red,¡± replied the young barkeeper, Alice, as she poured the noble another mug of small beer. The drink didn¡¯t contain much alcohol, but it was enough to intoxicate the lightweight Lucile, especially after three or so glasses. ¡°It¡¯s fine, it¡¯s fine~¡± she replied. ¡°We¡¯re childhood friends, I¡¯m sure you know I can handle my alcohol¡± ¡°Err¡­ I dunno ¡®bout that. Ryk¡¯ll come bustin¡¯ in through the front door any minute now and scold you. I¡¯d rather not see a repeat of last week.¡± ¡°Muuu¡­¡± Lucile groaned. ¡°It won¡¯t happen again, I swear it.¡± ¡°Good, because if I have to call in another apothe- HEY! GET OFF THE TABLE YOU DRUNKEN LOUTS!¡± Alice snapped her head to a group of regular drunkards. Lucile watched as Alice glared at them with her blazing red eyes. Alice leapt over the bar counter and charged straight at a young man drunkenly dancing on top of one of the tables. ¡°Ahaha~ the first of drink, the first to fall~ let¡¯s keep dancing til last call~¡± sang the merry man and his companions, who seemed to pay the small barkeep no mind. ¡°Next to drink, the next to fall~ let¡¯s keep dancing til- GAH!¡± As he began the second line, Alice grabbed him by the leg and knocked him off balance, throwing him to the floor as he fell with a resounding thud. The intensity of the strike didn¡¯t match her stature. The man¡¯s companions laughed at the poor fellow¡¯s misfortune. ¡°Aye~ we told you not to mess with Alice gahaha~. She ain¡¯t called the Lion for no reason,¡± one said as he pulled the dancing man up. ¡°Aye. And don¡¯t ye forget it ye fools.¡± Alice started to pick up some of the platter and tableware that had fallen off the table. ¡°Next time, I might feel like throwin¡¯ a barrel at you idiots.¡±If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. Alice returned to her position behind the bar. ¡°Ahahaha~ Aren¡¯t you embarrassed someone might see your underdress when you jump over the counter like that?¡± laughed Lucile as she downed the last of her mug. ¡°Maybe you should switch to pants instead of wearing a skirt if you¡¯re going to keep doing that.¡± She was right, somewhat. Alice wore a simple meadow green dress that reached down to her knees and had a sizable cutout for her equally sizable bust. ¡°I don¡¯t mind much. If anyone¡¯s going to say anything about it, they¡¯re going to get a nice fist instead of a drink.¡± The barkeeper shrugged. ¡°Besides, it¡¯s made from cloth from The Forest, so it feels good to wear.¡± She was referring to The Forest of the Yehan, an expansive forest that dwarfed the Kingdom of Nyla in size. It was populated by the reclusive Yehan who typically avoided contact with other races. ¡°Ah. But you still haven¡¯t been there before, have you?¡± Lucile asked as she stuck out her empty mug. ¡°Nope. They don¡¯t take kindly to outsiders, especially to half breeds like me. You should know this already. The only thing people see ¡®bout me that let¡¯s ¡®em know I¡¯m even part Yehan are these eyes of mine. I didn¡¯t even inherit the ears,¡± Alice explained as she poured Lucile her fifth mug. ¡°Y¡¯know, I think this¡¯ll be the last one I pour you today." The Yehan, unlike most other races, looked quite close to humans. The distinguishing features of a Yehan were slightly pointed ears, and more importantly, their red eyes that only one with Yehan blood carried. ¡°Still, you¡¯re strong! You should become my retainer and we can go off on all sorts of adventures!¡± Lucile suggested. ¡°*sigh* You ask this every time and the answer is still no. Only way I¡¯m leaving is if my father closes down or kicks the bucket. Neither seem likely anytime-¡± *ring* The bell by the front door interrupted her. ¡°Well, well. Looks like your caretaker¡¯s here to pick you up¡±, finished Alice. Lucile turned around to greet her loyal knight. ¡°Ryk, you¡¯re finally- puh!¡± The noble spat out her drink, for Ryk walked in whilst eating an apple and carrying a child on his shoulders, also eating an apple. ¡°Y-y-you have a kid?! Why didn¡¯t I know about this?!¡± she exclaimed. ¡°Gahaha! He had a kid behind your back. What a loyal knight indeed!¡± Alice was in hysterics. ¡°Lady Lucile, I just found her on the street. She looked like she-¡± Ryk began to explain. ¡°Wait, are you drunk again?¡± ¡°You just picked her up off the street?!¡± she shouted as she walked over to Ryk, jabbing a finger in his chest accusingly. ¡°Yes, and please, look,¡± he said as he motioned to the child on his shoulders. The child nodded and spread out beautiful white wings. ¡°¡­¡± The tavern fell silent. ¡°Oh¡­¡± was all Lucile could respond with. Chapter 3 Alice brought out a sizable plate of meat and bread for Ryk and and a smaller portion for the child to their table. Lucile sat across from them, already questioning Ryk as to what was going on. Alice took a seat next to Lucile, wondering what in the world was happening in her precious tavern. ¡°So, Ryk. Do you at least know her name?¡± asked Lucile, who had mostly sobered up at the sudden appearance of a Qualic girl. ¡°Err¡­ Chiya. They can speak our tongue, but they¡¯re pretty shy. Though they respond well to food.¡± Looking over, the child was happily eating up the food brought out. ¡°They seem to be about ten years of age, though Qualim tend to be smaller than humans so I could be wrong.¡± ¡°They? Why do you keep saying they instead of her?¡± asked Alice. ¡°I can count the number of Qualim I¡¯ve met on one hand but they¡¯re all like us, men and women.¡± Alice motioned to Chiya. ¡°Doesn¡¯t look like a boy to me.¡± Ryk began to explain, ¡°Well, I can¡¯t say I¡¯ve met many in my life either. But from what I understand, Qualim are sexless until they turn sixteen years of age and choose one for life. Not sure why, but that¡¯s just how it works.¡± Lucile and Alice looked over at Chiya, who nodded in affirmation of Ryk¡¯s explanation. ¡°Though I hear many Qualim choose many years before they come of age.¡± ¡°¡­so did you ask Chiya?¡± Alice asked. ¡°Ask what?¡± Ryk responded, not understanding the meaning of the question. ¡°Ugh¡­ I know you¡¯re a good man but you¡¯re one of the dumbest I¡¯ve met,¡± she retorted, annoyed. Lucile snickered at that. Turning to Chiya, Alice asked, ¡°So, you a boy? A girl? With hair like that, you¡¯re probably a girl, yeah?¡± Chiya nodded again as she finished the last morsel of food on her plate. ¡°See, that wasn¡¯t so hard now? Now you now what to call her.¡± Alice smugly said. ¡°Oh, still hungry are ya? Lemme get you another plate.¡± She got up to fetch another plate of food for Chiya. ¡°So where are your parents, Chiya? Are they here in the city and you got lost?¡± Lucile questioned. ¡°Nyla is pretty far from either of the Qualic home islands.¡± The two countries home to the Qualim, the Heisui Magocracy and the Isles of Raen were both a long distance away from the Kingdom of Nyla, as they were situated at the far south end of the continent. To travel there would be a multi-week journey.You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. Chiya tugged on Ryk¡¯s sleeve. He leaned his head over as the small Qualic girl whispered in his ear. ¡°She says she and her parents are here to visit Oslo.¡± ¡°Oslo, the Royal Mage Academy?¡± ¡°Yes. Her parents are guest lecturers at the academy.¡± This wasn¡¯t abnormal, as foreigners would often come visit Oslo due to it¡¯s prestige as an academy. However, Oslo was a few days journey away from Saint-Lusan and was not a city that tourists would often visit. ¡°But they happened to be in Saint-Lusan to meet the lord of the city, you, Lady Lucile.¡± ¡°Strange, I don¡¯t recall Alban notifying me of any guests.¡± ¡°I do not recall him notifying me either. However,¡± he continued, as his voice more serious, ¡°it seems as though her parents were attacked and kidnapped by men in black and red robes, bearing the sigil of a fist laid upon a many pointed star.¡± Lucile furrowed her brow as her demeanor became much more serious. ¡°The Sovereign Fist. They¡¯re active again.¡± ¡°I believe it is them. For what purpose they for them to kidnap Chiya¡¯s parents, I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°But if they¡¯re here, it means something serious is happening. Only fifteen years ago did those heretics capture Aquelia.¡± Her voice was getting louder. ¡°And now I¡¯m being told they¡¯re here?! In my city?!¡± she shouted as she slammed her fist on the table, hitting it with such force that the glasses and tableware rattled. Chiya was visibly frightened at Lucile¡¯s outburst and began to quiver in her seat, and grabbed onto Ryk¡¯s arm. He tried to comfort the small child. ¡°Lady Lucile, we need to do an investigation, find out the location of their cell and root it out. We cannot go tearing through the streets to find them. Others may get caught in the battle.¡± Ryk tried to present a logical course of action, one that would be the safest and most through way to discern what was going on. ¡°And when we find them, we can interrogate them.¡± But she was having none of it. ¡°Ryk, get yourself ready, we¡¯re leaving to find these heretics and purge them from Saint-Lusan.¡± Her voice was filled with a burning fury that, despite Lucile¡¯s usually headstrong personality, seldom arose. Lucile in this state was not a person of mercy, and if unrestrained by another voice of reason, was unpredictable. ¡°Hey! What¡¯s all the ruckus?¡± Alice¡¯s shouted as she came back to the table with another plate of food. Seeing Lucile angry and Chiya scared, she quickly figured out what was going on. ¡°Oh, off to go save her parents? Off with you then. I¡¯ll watch the girl.¡± Lucile looked at her friend and nodded before grabbing her greatsword and dashing out of the tavern as the other tavern patrons moved out the way. Ryk, who was lagging behind, apologized to Alice. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for making you watch over Chiya. Please, take this,¡± he said as he offered up a gold coin in his hand. Alice pushed his hand back. ¡°No need, Ryk. Just go do your duty and make sure Lucile doesn¡¯t get hurt too much,¡± she said, smiling. ¡°Besides, the girl ¡®ere needs some comfort after seeing one of Lucile¡¯s special outrages.¡± He nodded, and grabbed his own weapon and ran out the door, chasing after his lord, leaving behind Alica and Chiya. ¡°Don¡¯t mind Lucile too much now. She¡¯s just a bit angry, ha!¡± she laughed as she sat down and presented the plate of food. ¡°Now then, Chiya, how ¡®bout you and I become friends.¡± Chapter 4 Outside The Joyous Lion, Ryk breathed a sigh of relief. Though Lucile had ran out of the tavern in a rush to purge the Sovereign Fist from Saint-Lusan and rescue Chiya¡¯s parents, she had the patience to wait for him. To go forth alone, without information or backup was tantamount to suicide. ¡°Alright then, Ryk. Have any idea where to begin?¡± She was impatient, and ready to go. However, as they didn¡¯t even have a clue where to find the heretics, nor Chiya¡¯s parents, he didn¡¯t have any idea. He was at a loss, but he had numerous contacts in the city that may have information. Out of all of them, one came to mind. ¡°I think I do. I¡¯ll introduce you to a friend of mine who knows a lot about the seedier aspects of Saint-Lusan.¡± ¡°Oho¡­ I see. Well then, introduce me to your ¡®friend¡¯¡± Lucile did not sound amused. Ryk nodded and began to lead Lucile through the streets of Saint-Lusan, taking winding turns and through back alleys. As they got further and further away from the city center, the houses became more and more dilapidated. The squatters and poor were much more numerous and visible here than the more affluent areas near the center and around the Allard estate. Lucile kept her guard up as they walked, hand on the handle of the dagger she kept at her waist. Her greatsword would be difficult to use in the tight alleys. Looking back, Ryk glanced at the lord of Saint-Lusan who darting her eyes at each person they passed. Though her face was that of caution, Ryk could also see in her eyes compassion for the downtrodden. But even if she wanted to, she could not help them. At least, not at the moment. All around, they could feel the stares of the people on them. Why were these knights in their land? Are they here to arrest someone? Could we mug them? They look wealthy. Such thoughts probably went through the people in this area, who only knew life of being poor. ¡°Hey, Ryk. Are we almost there? Feels like we¡¯ve been walking for at least an hour now.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because we have been. And yes, we¡¯re almost there.¡± Though Saint-Lusan¡¯s population had a sizable population, at around fourteen thousand residents, the city had grown wide instead of tall. As such, getting from any one part of the city to another took a good amount of time. It was to be expected that the walk would take at least an hour, and that Lucile had probably never been to this area of the city. As they walked, Ryk could feel a sense of unease, as if someone was about to attack. He motioned for Lucile to halt. ¡°Something amiss?¡± she asked, as she quickly drew her dagger. The women and children who were out on the street saw this and ran back inside their homes. Ryk drew his sword. He knelt down, plunging the blade into the earth and his palming the ground with his free hand as he closed his eyes. Lucile stepped back, as she gave Ryk space to cast a spell. He didn¡¯t utter a word, so it must have been something simple. She could see the visible manifestation of mana work its way from Ryk into the sword and then into the ground. Suddenly, he stood up and readied his sword. ¡°I sense four of them. Two ahead of us, two behind us. Armed. Closing in quickly.¡± They were in a bad position, as the street was so thin that only two people could stand side by side as they walked. The two of them quickly casted magic on their weapons to imbue them with elemental properties, Light magic for Lucile, and earthen magic for Ryk. They had barely finished when the mysterious assailants appeared before them. Each were clad in black and red robes, and on each robe was the sigil of a fist on a inverted seven pointed star. They spoke no words, and each held a dagger. They wore no armor, only wearing simple clothes underneath the robes. The two knights stood with their backs against each other. They didn¡¯t need any words to convey that they had each other¡¯s back covered.The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°Remember, if we can capture one of them, they could give us a clue to the location of their cell,¡± Ryk stated. ¡°Got it, I kill two, and you capture one and kill the other.¡± ¡°No! keep as many alive as you-¡± But it was too late. Lucile had already charged towards her pair of targets with a battle cry. Ryk wanted to stop her, to not go in irrationally, but her hotheadedness had already pushed her to attack. However, Ryk had to contend with the pair in front of him, so he had to focus. They were too close for him to have enough time to cast a spell, so he had to rely on his martial ability for this fight. ¡°Surrender yourselves, members of the Sovereign Fist, and we shall allow you to live.¡± Having them surrender would be much more preferable than having to actually fight, though Ryk didn¡¯t expect this to really work. And it didn¡¯t. The two ran towards him, daggers drawn. The one on his left brought this dagger up in a slash as Ryk sidestepped to the right, dodging it. But the one that was on his right held his dagger low and stabbed at Ryk, aiming for the upper part of his leg, which was unarmored. The tight area meant that Ryk couldn¡¯t completely move out of the way. ¡°Gah!¡± Ryk grunted in pain as the dagger found the flesh. He took a few steps back to assess the wound. The blade had managed to make a cut in his leg though he wasn¡¯t sure how deep, and blood was drawn out. ¡°Very well then.¡± They were still close, and were moving in again. The one on the right, now went for his arm. This time, Ryk maneuvered to put the attacker in between himself and the other assailant, so that he only had to fight one at a time. He grabbed the attacker¡¯s arm to stop the attack, and pulled him into his sword, piercing him in the gut. The attacker went limp as his fighting energy left him. Ryk pushed him off his now bloodied sword and to the ground. One attacker left that he had to immediately deal with. The heretic didn¡¯t give Ryk any chance to rest, as he immediately went to attack him, slashing wildly at Ryk. Ryk kept stepping back, keeping him at the edge of his sword¡¯s reach, but he had to strike at some point. On attacker¡¯s next slash, a side slash, Ryk made his move. He caught the dagger¡¯s blade against his sword¡¯s crossguard, and in the moment that the attacker was drawing back his dagger, Ryk grabbed that arm, pulled in the attack, and spun around. The attacker was now on his back, but the dagger arm in front, being held down by Ryk. Ryk gripped his blade tightly gripped the hilt of sword and slammed the pommel behind him into the attacker¡¯s abdomen. The assailant let out a scream of paint before immediately crumpling to the ground, knocked out cold. He was now safe, but he needed to check on Lucile. He looked over at her battle, which was just about to finish. One assailant was on the ground in a pool of his own blood and the other was slashing wildly at her. The attacker had his back towards Ryk. Lucile had some markings on her armor from the attacks, but was otherwise unharmed. She noticed Ryk watching, and gave a sly smile. As the attacker attempted to slash at her once more, Lucile grabbed the attackers arm and stopped the attack, just as Ryk did. Her gauntlet began to glow, just as it had in the morning. The attacker was stunned watching the gauntlet as Lucile brought her fist into the attacker¡¯s chest, blowing him backwards towards Ryk. It was the same attack she used on him in the morning, but with much more force. Ryk stepped out of the way as the body flew past him. He took a glance at the attacker, who was assuredly dead. ¡°Lady Lucile, are you unharmed?¡± They were safe now, and Ryk took this time to check on his lord. ¡°I¡¯m fine, Ryk. Though you look like you need some help,¡± she replied, as she pointed to his leg, which was still bleeding as he hadn¡¯t bandaged it up yet. ¡°Just a few small scratches on my armor. Though I may need to get armor with more coverage. One of the attackers kept going for my gut.¡± Lucile¡¯s armor didn¡¯t fully cover her torso, but predominately her upper torso. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve said this many times. What if you had gotten a grave injury from being stabbed in the gut? Urgh.¡± Ryk knelt down in pain from the wound. ¡°Forgive me, Lady Lucile. I need to examine this.¡± ¡°Looks like you need more armor too.¡± He tore away some of the cloth around the wound and examined the cut. The cut didn¡¯t appear to be deep, but it wasn¡¯t shallow either. He needed to see someone to fix it before it began to fester. ¡°Let¡¯s move quickly. The person I was going to introduce you to also happens to be with an apothecary. Should be able to, urgh, get information out of that one,¡± Ryk grunted as he pointed to the knocked out heretic. He grabbed a cloth from his pouch and wrapped it around the wound to stem the bleeding. ¡°I¡¯ve got him.¡± Lucile walked over the and put the attacker over her shoulder. ¡°Hmm¡­ a lot lighter than they appear.¡± They continued on through the streets, leaving the bodies where they were. They would have to notify the guards of what happened and to collect the bodies, but that would have to be later. Ryk eventually brought them in front of one of the many buildings. The only identifier for this shack was a sign with a white rosemary painted on. He moved up to the door and did knocked three times. ¡°Yes! Yes! I¡¯m coming! Ouch! Move out of the way!¡± The sounds of a young woman frantically moving about and glass shattering were audible through the door. The sliding window on the door opened and Ryk saw a pair of amber eyes looking right at him. ¡°Oh. It¡¯s just you.¡± The displeasure in her voice was as clear as the sky.