《Raghnall: The Tales of Valor》
1.0 Betrayal
As the sunlight hit the lids of his eyes, he thought how peaceful the world is, unlike the past where he spent his days and nights surrounded by the unknown dangers of the world around. Half sober and fully alert he was left with hectic days and restless nights.
In the life before, wars are often seen and experienced by the populace, those were the norm of the times. Reasons such as unification, expansion and defense were what His Majesty The Emperor often handed down to him, whom he called the protector of the land, the General in the Battlefield, marching beyond the walls that surrounded the land, leading a massive infantry of fully pledged soldiers under the banner of the country that they live in and where their families are. Raising soldiers to be equip to fight was not the only job that he has taken oath for, but leading them to victory is what is expected of him.
The days turn into months, and months turn into years, you gain a comrade in arms today only to lose them tomorrow, such was a life in the midst of war, blood will be spilled and dye the earth red until only surrender or annihilation will be left for the losing side.
Cheers and applause are the greetings often given to him, his blood boiled with triumph but alas things weren''t as simple as winning or losing, schemes are the ones that runs deep inside the walls of the palace, turning white into black, truth into lies are as easy as flipping a coin.
Betrayal leaves a rusty blooded taste in his mouth, the power he gained to protect was seen as a sword hanging above their necks, the valor he showed was viewed in conflict with their so-called Imperial might, such beautiful words laced with poison and distrust not even his years of loyalty has given him refuge against their wretched hearts.Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.
But the days of the past life are over and gone, for he has now given a new life to live, a new world to explore, a new beginning to start, and this time he swore to not be blinded by the words of lies and acts of kindness that hides greed and envy.
"For you who owns this body that I have been given to and possessed, your pain and suffering I shall not forget this is a promise a warrior will not break. And for those words of heartaches that remained together with your body I shall keep until the person whom those words are meant for arrive.
And with your memories I shall do my best to fulfill your wishes but until then I hope that your grieving and restless soul may found peace in wherever place you may be. Hear these words that I say for I thank the heavens and you for bestowing this chance of life to this unworthy me."
And with those words uttered, General Lu Yan of the past is now the third son of the Duke of the Kingdom of Larsa, given of the name Raghnall Fitzgerald from which he now carries together with the body of the past Raghnall and his memories.
A/N:
Kingdom of Larsa: It existed I''ve looked it up, but the world setting here is different so please don''t compare the two.
Raghnall: means ''strong judgement'' a name of irish origin.
Fitzgerald: means ''spear rule'', an irish surname.
Thank you for picking this book! This is written after multiple sparks of inspiration of reading historical novels. I am but an amateur writer, english is also not my first language, so grammatical errors are bound to exist.
And yes! First two chapters of this novel was posted in Webnovel, because I have an account there. However, chapters onwards will be hereby posted here only.
Likes, Comments, Reviews And Critics are very much appreciated! So don''t forget!
First Chapter of the Week!
1.1 Whitethorn
Jumbled up scenes and fragmented images are what causing Lu Yan or now known as Raghnall headaches early in this wonderful morning.
This body he now possessed is known to be the no-good child of the Great Duke Reynold Fitzgerald, but rumors will always be rumors unless proven true, the Raghnall of before wasn''t a worthless child compared to his two older siblings Rion and Regan, it was just his accomplishments were overshadowed by his brothers brilliance.
The Kingdom of Larsa, followed the so-called feudal system wherein the King bestowed upon the nobles a property or land to rule over in exchange for their services, this act of give and take form an allegiance between the two as the nobles are bound by duty to protect the land once the need arises, the commoners on the other hand lived on the lands of these nobles wherein their taxes take a form of labor and a share of their annual produce, but there were also the so-called merchants who paid their taxes through giving a part of their products back to the nobles.
The lands given by the King are called fief or fiefdom and the house of Fitzgerald ruled over the fiefdom of Whitethorn, located at the eastern border of the Kingdom of Larsa, close to the waters of the Goldenlake.
Originally, the Whitethorn Manor was owned by the Whitethorn Family however the last heir died in the midst of war that happened 50 years ago thus leaving no one eligible to rule over the land, the Fitzgerald Manor was in between the Capital City and Whitethorn Manor, seeing that the next fief was vacant the Fitzgerald Family was determined to take it under its wing and due to the political influences of the Fitzgerald Family and its military might garnered them the power over the Whitethorn Manor, so to say the present Whitethorn Fiefdom is the combination of both the Fitzgerald and Whitethorn Manor of the past.This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.
The former name was then taken by the Fitzgerald''s in remembrance of the dead Dermod Whitethorn, who was the second-in-command and a close friend of General Dwaine Fitzgerald of that time.
Since the fiefdom of Whitethorn is located near the Goldenlake, it allowed the people to have an easier and faster transportation compared to land, as there are many hills and mountains in between towns not to mention the bumpy road you have to pass, thus with this water trading route the Whitethorn Manor is said to more active in trade than the other manors, and unlike the others, Goldenlake was also the home of hundreds if not thousands variety of fishes, which add on the resources of the fief, aside from agriculture, foraging and hunting gains.
Not only was the Goldenlake the main source of fresh water, either for drinking, daily use and irrigation, it was also surrounded by all kinds of flora and fauna, that are used as medicines or food by the people.
Other fiefs might look on these with envy, but Lu Yan, now Raghnall only sees a land with more potential for development.
He might be much acknowledged for his exploits in war but Lu Yan is a knowledgeable man in terms of commerces as well, even in politics.
Just that he was blinded before thus he hasn''t seen the truth behind those seemingly harmless faces loitering around him.
A/N:
Reynold: means ''Powerful Judgment''
Rion: means ''Kingly''
Regan: means ''Little King''
Dermod: means ''free from envy''
Dwaine: means ''Dark''
1.2 Daily Life of a Noble
What confuses Lu Yan, is that the memories he gained from the former Raghnall are inconsistent to his current body, he was quite sure that those memories happened when the former was already in his early twenties but seeing his reflection against the mirror says otherwise, this body is clearly that of a 6 or 7 years old boy.
So to say, a lot of those memories of the former hasn''t happened yet in this current time. Reasons for this discrepancies are a bewilderment for Lu Yan, a military man like him has no time to spare for unreasonable phenomenon, but being the one who''s experiencing it made him think in-depth of the situation.
But after so much time, he can only argue that the heaven works in mysterious and inexplicable ways. Might be due to his reincarnation, or maybe those thoughts were just a figment of the former''s imagination but alas the pain was too real to say otherwise.
Unlike his previous life that mainly centered in learning the Arts of War, honing his skills through multiple arduous regimen and raising arms against the rivaling territory, a life of a noble can be describe as tedious due to the long hours of dullness.
His day as usual starts at dawn, cause as a soldier, strictness is the embodiment of will, the breakfast as the first meal which consisted small amounts of bread, few vegetables and preserved fruit in honey, a variety of meat like pork, beef, lamb, mutton and others, fresh water fish, and cheese.This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.
Different from Rion and Regan, Raghnall''s older siblings with the ages of 12 and 10 respectively, he is taking up lessons in noble etiquette and protocols, unlike the rough manners of a warrior, noble etiquette is not a mere act of good manners and right conduct, but is the code of honor of a gentleman, it demands strict inviolability of his words, incorruptibility of his acts and a ramrod adherence to the noble''s principles, because to thee that belongs to the Fitzgerald Family, are not only descendants of a knight but will always remain the defender of the lands and the champion of the people.
On the other hand, Rion and Regan follows their father Duke Fitzgerald in attending the matters of the manor, in regards to the current state of the fiefs'' crops, harvests, and supplies. Matters regarding the finances like rents and taxes of the merchants are also discussed.
Thereafter, in the afternoon they will handle the complaints, disputes and the matters of the people, while Raghnall on the other side trains his swordmanship.
Sword fighting, is the art of using a sword as an extension of the arm during duels or battle, noble knights such as the Fitzgeralds uses the arming sword as their main weapon, it is a straight, double-edge sword with a single-handed cruciform hilt with a blade ranging from 60 to 80 centimeters in length, but variations also existed depending on the users preference.
The Fitzgeralds, as a family descended from the knights, prided themselves of their skills in battle, thus the younglings of the family starts learning the way of the sword from an earlier age, usually at the age of 4 or 5, by learning the all kinds of sword, its pros and cons, and thereafter practice the fundamentals of sword training to build a solid foundation, which consisted of exercises pertaining to strength, agility and stamina enhancement.
1.3 A Rapier from Rafer
As the past Venerable General leading 140,000 soldiers of the Eight Armies of the East, or more commonly called as the The Eight Yin Infantry, garrison to protect the eastern walls of the Zhou Empire in case of an uprising from the rebel barbarians that lives within the covers of timbers in of the East Mount, Lu Yan is said to be well-versed in the Art of War.
But despite this vast knowledge and wisdom, the arrogance in Lu Yan''s heart remained nonexistent up until today. He always prided himself for his conduct of humility, for he always believes that learning is as high as the mountains and as deep as the seas, never can one truly reach its peak nor dives its depth.
That being said, he quite enjoyed his time for his afternoon lessons with his sword instructor Rafer Collins, because in the past due to his muscled body he was given a broadsword to practice by his master, but alas seeing this thin and short body of Raghnall he can only grimace the nonexistent muscles of this child, thus the style he mastered in the past is not appropriate for reference, as the wushu style of martial arts uses a single edged blade as a weapon.
Thus, after finishing two hours of basic exercises, Rafer finally halted his exercise earning a confused look from Lu Yan, as for the past week since he stayed in the world, these exercises always lasted for five hours each day for 7 days in a week.
"Raghnall, as you are in the right age of 7 and your obvious proficiency of the basic daily exercises I deemed that its the right time to start wielding the sword. As your instructor, I hereby gift you your very first sword, please treat it with care and wield it with honor as this will accompany you as you take your step through the arduous journey of the way of the sword. May your heart be always be brave as your body gets stronger, never to cower from fear and smear dishonor to your blade, young warrior."Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.
After Rafer''s long heartfelt speech, he handed over a rapier to Raghnall, a type of slender, sharply pointed sword, optimized to be a thrusting weapon, but cutting or slashing attacks were also possible but the wounds resulted from the attack are shallow compared to that of an arming sword wielded by the Fitzgeralds and a glaring difference from his broadsword.
Just a change in weapon made Lu Yan adapt and learn a new set of sword style as he was not versed to simultaneous multiple thrusting tactics, cause broadsword techniques though are also quick, straight and rude albeit graceful, the style centered in a fluid movement of the sword around the upper body only exposing the edged side to parry, lance and slicing the opponent in one swift motion.
After giving his thanks and swearing his oath of promise, Rafer guided Lu Yan to the correct stance of fencing, wherein his front foot positioned forward, with the back foot perpendicular to it, with atleast 3ft of the distance in between, going up his legs are bent enabling a speedy attack or defence and finally a rapier at 45 degree in front with his other arm folded behind his back. Rafer also added that in making a forward action, his front foot moves first followed by the other, and making a backward action, his back foot moves first and then followed by the other.
The Eight Armies of the East (Òó°ËŽŸ / ³ÉÖÜ°ËŽŸ), a.k.a the Eight Armies of Yin: An infantry of the Zhou Dynasty.
Learning is as high as the mountains and as wide as the seas: µÀɽѧº£¡£- D¨¤o sh¨¡n xu¨¦ h¨£i. Literally this means ¡°Mountain of Dao, sea of learning¡±.
Rafer: means ''wolf counselor'' in irish names
Collins: means ''young warrior'' in irish surnames
Rapier or espada ropera: is a loose term for a type of slender, sharply pointed sword, weapon used in fencing.
1.4 Enter the Training Camp
Covered all over in drops of sweat, Lu Yan gasped for air as his mind accommodated the muscle pains crossing throughout his body, due to the thrill and excitement he is currently feeling, Lu Yan repeatedly practiced the basic moves of the so-called fencing totally forgetting the time.
Sounds of sword thrusting rung out of the training ground, where within in the middle of it Lu Yan positioned himself preparing for a lunge, a second passed simultaneous thrusting motion broke out as his right arm extended forward and withdraw repeatedly, seemingly poking holes in an imaginary opponent in front.
Stopping for a moment, as though his imaginary opponent prepares his move, an invisible thrust appeared Lu Yan parried and did a riposte against the air, who have been his sparring partner for the 6 hours that had pass. Dropping down his raised arm, he relaxes his body, as a maid came forward and brought him a towel and a glass of water.
"Young master, its time for dinner, the Lord has called upon you to join them for supper."
Slightly bowing her head she informed him of the summon his current father Duke Reynold has commanded.
Circling the towel around his neck, he walk out after calling upon the maid that he''ll be there after taking a refreshing bath.Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!
With that said, the maid excused herself, "I''ll convey your words immediately young master, your bath had long been prepared and your change of clothes placed neatly atop of your bed. This lowly servant shall now excuse herself. May the young master have a pleasant evening."
Walking his way towards his chamber, along the cemented path of the mansion, Lu Yan thought to himself, ''How strange, his father Duke Reynold was actually present for dinner.''
But alas, though seldom seen on the table, Duke Reynold still remains the head of the family, so no one can say that he is neglecting his familial duty as he was only doing his best on working for the betterment of the fiefdom of Whitethorn
Feeling refreshed from bath, Lu Yan immediately joins his family for their evening meal, after greeting everybody politely, they started eating silently.
Thereafter, his father the Duke called upon their attention, as he announced with his deep, raspy voice that at the 3rd day of the month, which was approximately 15 days from now, the 3 brothers, Rion, Regan and him Raghnall (Lu Yan), will hereby enter the aspiring young warriors training camp that lasted for a month at the Capital City''s Imperial Knights Academy Training Ground, which was often used by student knights for classes, training and conducting duels.
With his purpose stated Duke Reynold got up from his seat and bid them good night, as he still has some matters to attend to.
A sense of nostalgia wafted through Lu Yan''s mind, as he thought of his days living in tents thinking of suitable training regimen for his soldiers to undergo to the next morning.
1.5 The Groundworks of Learning
Footwork is a foundational basis in martial arts but also in fencing, regular practice for a few minutes a day, is mandatory as this kind of sword art, though looks as simple as taking a step forward and back, is not all that, the rhythm, synchronization and flexibility of your legs and foot needs a constant and regular honing of the body, Lu Yan thought as his body positioned ready to lunge while Rafer, on his side rattled on about the importance of footwork.
"The essence of fencing footwork is all but one, which is control." While talking Rafer did some demonstrations as a guide for Lu Yan to learn and not neglect his footwork.
"You see practicing your footwork allows you to make a rough estimate of the distance between yourself and your opponent. A bout in fencing may or may not conclude in a single cross of swords, as this fight practice speed and accuracy having a solid foundation of your leg movements gives you an advantage from your opponent. But this is not all, observing your enemy''s stance will immediately gives you hints of what his move will be, thereafter enables you to decide how in a matter of seconds can you defend or counter him."
Fencing movements exhibits linearity as Lu Yan propelled his body forward and backward in a quick thrust repeatedly, he was currently practicing his footwork with Rafer, as despite being a great warrior in the past that doesn''t automatically make Raghnall''s rigid and slow body into something flexible and fast, don''t mind the techniques drilled into his mind this body can''t keep up with even a fraction of it. Thus leads Lu Yan back to square one, the very beginning which is practicing the basic footwork.
The only thing he laments is that this particular sword art limits his movements, unlike wushu wherein his moves are limitless, divergent and unpredictable. But due to this constriction, his speed and accuracy are honed to the limits. And with that, his afternoon sword art lesson comtinued, with Rafer''s loud voice echoing within the training groundStolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
"Hold your weapon as though your holding something fragile! Don''t hold too tightly, make your wrist movements as flexible as a woman''s! Move! Faster!"
This routine of Rafer shouting while Lu Yan executes thrust, parries, riposte, disengage, coupe and envelopment continued without break for 3 hours. Then after, Rafer halted Lu Yan''s movement causing him to pause and relax his body, sweat rolls down from his temple to his neck disappearing inside his wet shirt, taking up huge gulps of air, Lu Yan questioned "What is it Sir?" lifting his head towards Rafer at his side.
"We''re taking a break, young lad." Rafer answered while motioning to the maids to bring some stools and refreshments for them. Lu Yan shrugs and bowed his head slightly while breathing in and out rapidly, looking down his tired and numb hands, he drops his rapier to the ground and leaned down to massage his pained legs.
Rafer on his side, shows a satisfied gloating expression obviously happy to have an eager and talented student to teach, he is very much looking forward to lengths of what Lu Yan can reach in the future.
A/N:
Fencing 101
Lunge: A thrust towards your opponent, extend your sword arm and engage your opponent with a stab or slash.
Parry: A defensive move aimed at blocking or deflecting an opponent¡¯s attack with your blade.
Counter-attack: An attack made in direct response to your opponent¡¯s attack.
Riposte: An another form of counter-attack. Unlike the standard counter-attack, a riposte follows a successful parry of your opponent¡¯s attack rather than a direct launch into the attack.
Tight Grip: degrades the accuracy of point placement, since the arm will then move with the wrist and displace the point.
1.6 The Lady on the Walls
Ten days had passed since Duke Reynold willed his sons to join the Training Camp, and knowing that distance from the fief to the capital is quite far, their father rushed them to pack their bags ahead of time, as they will be on their way 5 days before the start of the camp, which was exactly what today is.
With his clothes and other necessities all packed up, Lu Yan walk over to grab his rapier which was hanged on the wall beside his bed.
Hearing the calls outside his room he presumed that his brothers and their entourage are all ready to go, with that said he give his room a one last swiping glance, thinking to himself how he''ll miss this huge room and his personal space, as he was quite sure that he might not even have the luxury of having a soft bed during the camp, all is well that he was used to it in his past life, just that once you experience comfort, the temptation is quite hard to resist.
Replacing it with his usual poker face the longing look that once appeared fades. Lu Yan walked up to the gates where his father and brothers are waiting, others might be curious as to why this noble family lacks a madame, well probably because the master of the house love his previous wife too much that he refuses to take up a new one, or maybe because his sons never once mentioned having a new mother thus leading him to think that they refuses to have one.
And as though to preserved the memories of her, the walls along the hall are littered with portraits depicting the lady''s frail beauty, digging up Raghnall''s old memory the images he have with this woman were quite few however rumors made by the maids about her, he knew some of it.
Like how they admired this woman very much, as they reminisce the days wherein this woman pursued his husband, following him everywhere during their teens, and even when the young duke goes off to the Academy, they would exchange letters and she even had the gall to sneak in with her brothers help.
And her efforts bore fruit as the man of her dreams married her, and she had even given him three sons as the symbol of their love, truly an admirable woman. Sadly, her body succumbed to an incurable illness that cuts their happiness short, leaving her beloved and little bundles of joy behind to cry on her wake.
Looking at the family painting in the middle, he remembered how the once young Raghnall back in the day asks his father about who''s more beautiful his mother or Her Majesty the Queen, but alas his father in those days was full of happiness as though the blank canvas of his life was filled with vibrant colors calling upon envy in others eyes.
"Of course, who else would it be but my beloved wife, now look at your mother. You see those smooth pale almost transparent skin glittering under the sun, such a beauty! And look at those, faint blue veins running along her arms, others might see her frail but I thought otherwise! You might not know this son, but back in the days when your mother and I were young I always bullied her as I wanted her attention at that time, but your mother is such a brute, she actually gifted me a punch in the face, but alas fell enamored to that unlady-like temper of hers. Well, of course I''m most proud of my handsomeness, as without this face how would I swindled your mother to follow me wherever, and finally reluctantly asks her hand in marriage."Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.
With him seated on his father''s lap, his father continued telling stories of his past escapades with his mother, his eyes are full of love together with his gentle voice, the young Raghnall listened with great interest as he thought to himself of how wonderful his parent''s love for each other is.
"But, little did I know your mother has long seen through me, quite a sly woman she is. And I''m quite sure those meetings with other men where a trap made by her to trip me into jealousy, but despite knowing that I still feel gloomy thinking how your mother might left me for another, thus after graduating from the Academy, I immediately hasten my plan for our wedding, else I might regret having her slip through my fingers."
This harmonious father and son bonding time was stop abruptly as a woman who''s beauty and elegance was known all over the manor, walked up to them, with smiles in her face and love in her eyes as she watched her beloved and little dumpling having a sweet time with themselves.
But humans are such a fragile beings, they wear in time, and illnesses easily corrodes them inside. At the age of 4, Raghnall had been thought of the lesson of death in a hard way. Seeing his beloved mother, weak and in pain in every passing day his young heart feels needles poking through it.
And at last, he saw her sleep, young at that time he didn''t know so he nudge her body gently afraid that he might cause his mother pain but after a long time she didn''t wake up, his eyes slowly reddened and his stifled cries and sobs rung out of the room alerting the maids behind the door only to realize when they rushed inside that their Lady, though look like she was sleeping peacefully, was gone forever, never to open her eyes again.
And then, the fief entered a week of mourning for the lost of the Madame, his father the Duke from then on became a cold man, covering himself with piles of work as though, in this way he''ll forget the pain of losing his beloved.
In this way, the once full of laughter and happiness house of Fitzgerald was gone, only left with sadness and melancholy.
Shaking his head to get the thoughts of the young Raghnall''s past out of his mind, Lu Yan continued on his way after leaving a greeting and a farewell towards the portrait of the late Lady Riana Gallagher Fitzgerald.
In a distance, he saw his father together with his brothers waiting up for him, with horses lined up for them. Carriages were supposed to be prepared but his father said that it''s better to be on a horse as it was faster compared to having carriages and also in this way they can practice their horse back riding skills along the way.
Saying up their greetings to each other, their father mentioned some things they must cautioned themselves whilst being in the training camp, he also gives them advices as to what to do when they get there, and finally he asks them to be brave and courageous as that camp wasn''t made for the weak, also wishes them good health and a safe journey on the road.
And with all have been said and done he watches as his sons got up to their horses and gallop onwards until finally the dust they created settled back to ground.
"I wish you all the best, my sons. May this experience be helpful to all of you in the future."
A/N:
Riana: means "honorable" in Irish
Gallagher: means "lover of foreigners"
1.7 The Miniature Horse
Not even half an hour passed but Lu Yan''s mood has gone down drastically, it is not that he was tired nor something bad happened, he was just frustrated no scratch that he was extremely frustrated! Why? Because currently he is ridding a miniature horse, is that bad? No, not exactly it is just this so called miniature horses are small equines whose height didn''t even reach the 35 inches mark, this fluffy pony also has stout legs and a round belly.
He was not complaining about the speed because despite being short this horse is quite fast and versatile, really suitable as a riding mount for small children. Yes, small children! This is what frustrates him, it was already bad enough that he regress in age and shorten in height but to slap that very fact on his face by riding along side this tall quarter horses. Now that is just pulling on to his achilles'' heel.
Reason as to why Lu Yan was gloomy despite having such an intelligent, trainable and obedient pony not to forget how cute and fluffy it is, is that he felt that riding this horse emphasizes the height he was so stubbornly forgetting, he even stand far from his brothers so as not to be compared but alas being a 7 years old his height only reaches 121 cm, while Rion and Regan was at 150 cm and 143 cm respectively, that is quite a difference. While his two older siblings only thought that their younger brother was recluse well the original Raghnall really was after his mother''s death but the current Lu Yan only distance himself because of the difference in height.
In the past others often asks him about this obsession in height, but truth be told it is not his obsession more like his insecurity, back in the day his friends often laugh at him about this. The reason as to why this slight flaw of the Great General existed dated back to when he was a kid, the time when was often bullied because he was small and short, and as bad as it already is that he was bullied everyday his puberty even comes late thus despite being in the same age he remains the sore thumb among the youths.
Thus, his father worried about his already gloomy and recluse child would forever lock himself inside his room, travelled far to kneel and beg one of the wushu masters of that time to teach his child. His master touched by the love and care he seen from Lu Yan''s father at that time agreed, and even promised that he''ll do it for free.
Of course, who wouldn''t agree with his father being a General at that time, brought a platoon together with him just to kneel and beg a recluse wushu master to teach his child, just the sight of those tall and bulky men kneeling at his doorsteps frightened the old man thus he agreed right away, for he doesn''t have a need for an additional headache knocking on his doors.
But alas, before Lu Yan can even make his father proud of him, his beloved father died in the midst of war, following his mother who died giving birth to him with the two of them gone Lu Yan was left alone. But he was thankful as his old master didn''t leave him but instead took him with him to the mountains where Lu Yan strive hard to reach the peak and then go back to claim what is rightfully his and bring back the glory of the Lu family.
Since Lu Yan has no other choice he can only sigh to himself, but seeing those quarter horses galloping along himself reminds him of his partner Xiao Hei. Xiao Hei is a black heihe breed of horse, he has large black glittery eyes, with long ears, his head was medium in size as well as the length of his neck, the ridge between his shoulder blades is wide, his limbs are strong coupled with long forearms, bent hock and a short cannons.
Xiao hei is said to be one of the powerful horses in the army, he can easily adapt to the cold during an overnight missions, he also has good endurance but most of all he was obedient but that being said he was the who feed, groomed and takes care of Xiao hei since it was a foal. When his father was still alive he gifted him the son of his very own horse, which he later named Xiao hei due to his color and size. It can be said that both had grown up together and even got more closer when his father died as he sees Xiao hei as the only remembrance his father left for him.Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
For a horse and a rider, Lu Yan and Xiao hei has more than just physical connection but as well as emotional, when riding a horse it''s not just about mounting and galloping, it is more like communicating with your mount until both of you forms a bond of trust, reaching a sense of harmony, you let your horse feel that you trusted it and let your horse show you that your trust was reciprocated by its actions. A ride with Xiao hei let''s Lu Yan understand and sense each movements of its legs and body. Taking good care of him allows Lu Yan to be accepted as his rider where he let''s him mount and rein him during their travels. With his head aligned vertically to his shoulders, hips and heels, his weight wholly supported by Xiao hei down below, he took up his reins in his hands and enjoy the breeze passing his face at the heat of the sun above his head.
Such nostalgia, made Lu Yan''s frustration flew aways only to be replace by melancholy. Unlike before where he still has his master and Xiao hei besides him now he really was completely alone in this unfamiliar world, where he in this place lives again under a different name, a different family, and a different environment. When he first opened his eyes to all this, he felt determined to live and not to be trampled once again, he even felt more invigorated to have another shot in life.
But alas, as the days passed his nostalgia also grows maybe that''s what been keeping him from making more interaction from others, maybe it''s because after all this days he still felt that he was not part of this world, maybe because he still felt that all of this was so surreal or maybne because he still can''t let go of his past. That being said he can never let go of the past, as it was a part of him, and like a puzzle he will never be complete without those pieces of memories.
Unbeknownst to Lu Yan the changes of his expression was open viewed for the world to see, like these two brothers who was currently thinking what made their already gloomy younger brother sadder. Was he worried about the camp? Maybe because he is already feeling homesick as this was the first time he has gone out of the house? Or is he worried that he might get bullied? What nonsense who would dare bully the youngest of the Fitzgerald unless he wishes to see blood! But alas, these two can only exchange helpless look with each other as this cute brother of theirs seems to be afraid of them. They can''t help but recount if they ever did something bad against Raghnall, but after some deep thinking they can''t seem to find the cause.
A/N:
Miniature horse: Developed in Europe in the 1600s. The breed¡¯s two registries have different height requirements, but the horses must fall under 34-38 inches, measured from the last hairs of the mane.
Quarter Horse: American breed is arguably the most popular breed in the United States, and the American Quarter Horse Association is the largest breed registry in the world. Known as the fastest breed of horse over short distances.
Heihe Horse: A breed of horse that originates from the Heilongjiang River (Amur river) basin in China. Name written as ºÚºÓ which means black river.
Xiao Hei: written as Сxi¨£o which means small, tiny or young. ºÚh¨¥i means black. Thus his name means little black.
Horseback Riding 101:
Girth. This adjustable leather strap goes around the horse¡¯s belly and connects the saddle to the horse.
Bridle. This leather piece goes over the horse¡¯s face.
Bit. This metal bar goes in the horse¡¯s mouth and is connected to the bridle. Pressure on the bit is one way the horse receives your nonverbal communications.
Reins. The rider holds in their hands these leather straps, which are connected to the bit. Pulling on these is another to communicate nonverbally to the horse.
Hunter Posture. This posture comes from the English tradition of fox hunting while on horseback. Sit up straight in the saddle, and lean slightly forward. You¡¯re riding in a posture with the possibility that you¡¯ll eventually go over jumps. Hold a rein in each hand down by the saddle pad on each side of the front of the saddle.
1.8 Even a Kid Knew
Shaking his head to erase all of his unnecessary thoughts, Lu Yan then let out some air to ease his longing heart. As a battle harden military man just how everybody is he wasn''t the emotional type of a person, he rarely goes into that mode except for some occasions like now where a lot of things reminded him of those he keep close to his heart.
Just the mere thought of them stabs him deep that it leaves a scar, if he was given a chance to choose between living or dying, he would surely choose to die, but on the premise that he''ll join them after but he wasn''t the one to decide such things. And now that the heavens granted him another chance, he sees it as an another shot to prove that he was worthy of all of their sacrifices.
Finally getting himself out of his gloomy memories, he directed the reign in his left-hand, pulling it to the side to cue the horse in making a left-turn after passing a three way split path, following just behind his two brothers, who he didn''t know when did they even got to his front, because the last time he check they were at the very front riding together with the guards.
But alas, after zoning off for quite some time, he wouldn''t really notice that the two of them was keeping him close just in case he fall off, his face was just way out of it that they worried that he''ll hurt himself, he even let''s out countless deep audible breaths looking like an old man whose being melancholic.
But thankfully, despite being so distracted, their wasn''t any mishaps that happened throughout their ride. The light slowly dims as they lift their heads to gaze upon the sleepy sun who was about to set. Keeping check on the time, Rion ordered everyone to stop and look for a place to pass the night in.
With orders given to them the 2 guards immediately set out to look for place to set a makeshift tent, leaving one guard to look after them.
There are 6 people on their entourage, including the 3 brothers, and the other 3 are guards who was assigned by their father to keep them safe until they reach the Capital, then once that is done they would then go back after sending them to the training camp.
After a few minutes, the guards came back and lead them to an open space surrounded by trees. One of the guards then took out two huge tarp and a long piece of heavy-duty rope inside his satchel that was strapped on the side of his horse. While the other two looks for broken tree branches to carve out some stakes.
Lu Yan looks around the area, he thought how thoughtful the guards were as they didn''t pick an elevated area as those places are extremely chilly when the night comes. And it area wasn''t so steep either so even in case of an unexpected rain their sleep won''t be disturb by the water around them. Bending his back with his hand lightly patting the slightly damp ground, he mades sure to remove stones, pebbles, rocks and twigs that might poke hole on their tarp.
Finally done clearing the ground of obstacles, he then walked up to the guards to take their tarp and rope from them. Seemingly confuse as to why their young master asked for it, they looked at each other but after doing so they thought that he might just be curious about it thus wanted to look. Nodding his thanks to them Lu Yan walks back to the corner he cleaned earlier.This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.
Putting down his things on the ground, Lu Yan then got up and walk towards the nearby tree, circling his arms around it to wrap the end of the rope, and loop it around the standing part of the rope, making several loops after around itself and to finished it up he pulled it snug. Make sure that the it was tied tight he pulled a few times and repeat what he did to the far opposite tree.
Then after, he goes back to pick up the tarp and laid it flat to the ground beneath the line of rope that he tied earlier, then he started smoothing out the wrinkles around it and pat it lightly to the ground to adhere it more to the damp soil.
Looking around for big and heavy rocks he places it on each corner of one side of the tarp and then place two on the middle with each located at its border, after he then picks up the end with no rocks to hang it on the rope above it, forming a triangle. Almost done with his work Lu Yan lifted the first two rocks he placed to slip the edge of the unsecure tarp under it, with him rustling about to make his makeshift tent the 5 other ignored ones look on him rather flabbergasted.
They didn''t knew their young master was equip with camping skills, such a shock, it was even well made compared to the first tent they make way back when they were at his age. What is this obvious difference in talent! But alas, you really can''t compare yourself with others unless you wanted to spit blood from envy. These little thoughts are what keeping the three guards preoccupied, feeling embarrassed about their lowly skills.
While on the other hand, the two brothers only look on with a smile, feeling proud, well why shouldn''t they be? That''s their baby brother there! Filled with satisfied laughs inside their hearts Rion and Regan let Lu Yan continued his work not bothering him lest he gets angry and ignore them more than he already did. Well, not like he needed their help though, he actually finish minutes faster than the guards.
"Raghnall, didn''t know you knew how to build a tent?" Rion walked up to Lu Yan, and curiously asked him, actually he has really reluctant to start a conversation with his younger brother but with a topic to start he mustered up the courage to talk to him.
"Oh, this? It''s not that I really knew how, it''s just that I build makeshift tent inside my room when I play adventurer by myself and when I feel bored reading books." Lu Yan lied without batting an eyelid, has else can he even explain that his brother died and now is possessed by a ghost. If ever he says that, he''ll be labeled as a lunatic with vivid imagination. Such an embarrassing thing, he really can''t do.
"Eh? Inside your room? Why not outside?" Rion smiled and followed with an another question. He was really happy in the moment as his brother has finally spoken to him after a long time!
"I don''t have anyone to play with." Lu Yan replied with his head down, looking from above one might think he was sad because no one wants to play with him but in fact Lu Yan wasn''t sad, he was frustrated again.
With him and Rion standing so close to each other while conversing, it''s really unavoidable to look up at him as he was taller than me, which again triggered Lu Yan''s insecurity.
Looking at his bowed head Rion reaches out his hands and patted his head.
"Don''t worry, we''ll play with you from now on." Rion said and solemnly promised inside his heart. Hearing what he said Regan turned and smiled at the both of them, silently giving his tacit approval.
A/N:
Timber Hitch: What Lu Yan uses to tie the rope, involves wrapping the end of a rope around a pole or object, looping the end around the standing part of the rope, throwing several loops back around itself, and then snugging the rope tight. As long as there is some tension on the rope, friction will hold a hitch in place
Satchel is a bag, often with a strap. The strap is often worn so that it diagonally crosses the body, with the bag hanging on the opposite hip, rather than hanging directly down from the shoulder. They are traditionally used for carrying books.
1.9 The Idle Thoughts of the Innocent
Initially, the capital is just a 3 days journey from the fief of Whitethorn but that is on the premise of not resting every once in a while, but accompanying the three guards are the 3 young masters of the Fitzgerald, they can''t help but adjust and take two stops within a day, not including the night as it was generally dangerous traveling during the night, the three guards namely Dilan, Dillen and Dillon are the triplets of Daran and Dana Connolly, who had served the Fitzgeralds from the first generation to present generation, this three young guards of 20 years old, was considered blessed as despite the difference in personality and temperament of their masters, the Fitzgerald family treated their servants fairly never once was their an issue of mistreatment within the walls of the mansion nor outside of the fief.
As the family adhered to the teachings of their ancestors to never harm the people especially the innocent nor to cause injustice to them as that isn''t a work of a knight but a coward.
But this three guards felt incomparably happy as unlike the master Duke Reynold, who they deemed as strict and unparalleled, his three sons Rion, Regan and Raghnall are very kind and lively, well except for the youngest because he generally has this stern face on every time, so at first the triplets thought he was arrogant but after interacting with each other they found out that it wasn''t the case as the young master Raghnall was just a little bit unexpressive for his age, but thinking about the rumours of the old maids for took care of him, he wasn''t initially like this it only change after the death of his mother, it was such a sad event for the Fitzgeralds, as Lady Riana was very much loved by the master and her sons and also by their servants.
The mansion was painted with vibrant color of happiness and laughter during those times, especially the birth of the young master Raghnall, very one crowded him with eyes full of love as the young bundle look so cute, that his smiles was fatal to the hearts of the maids, so was they were told by their chatterbox mother.
It was quite sad that young master Rion and Regan was away from home during those times of happiness, as they were dragged by their grandfather master Dwaine to their ancestral home in name of training, the two boys were only 5 and 7 at that time and whereas their third brother was only two years old.
The Fitzgerald''s Ancestral Home was in the original Fitzgerald Manor, which was neither far nor near from Whitethorn Manor, a 3 days travel with stops in between, these two young masters only goes back home for three days in every three months but due to their mother''s death, the Old master Dwaine returned together with his two grandsons in tow, he wanted to give his only son, master Reynold every support he can get as he knew exactly what it feels like to lose his beloved, but unlike his son who only started building his family, his wife Lady Devaney passed due to old age.
Their was an old rumours about being lucky to have a Fitzgerald as a spouse, young as they were before they thought probably because of their handsomeness, as the Fitzgerald for three generations now only has sons as an offspring, which was not bad considering that Master Reynold and his father Master Dwaine was the only son from their generation, but it wasn''t because the masters weren''t proficient in bed, not that they really knew but just watching their stamina and strength during battle, they surely wouldn''t be bad in the matters of taking care of their wife, it was just the two master was busy with their work, the older one being busy with military affairs while the younger with the matters of the two Manor.This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.
It was said that the Fitzgerald are one of those people who gives their all in the matters of love. The general populace might not know but the servants of the house knew very well the depths of their masters love, they even giggled in secret seeing their masters act out of character when their spouse are mentioned, not to forget how hard they try to make up the time when they weren''t by their wife''s side.
Like during Lady Riana''s pregnancy, it was really bad seeing how Master Reynold juggled his job and taking care of his wife during those times, it wasn''t because they lack servants it was just the Masters wanted to take care of their beloved by themselves, Master Reynold once said when he was once asked by his assistant seeing how tired and haggard his was. The old butler also commented that he probably get that from his father Master Dwaine, reminiscing how the strict and mighty General bavk in the turns into a sweet and loving husband at home.
But seeing how these two young masters treat their third brother, they can only comment that the Fitzgeralds in general, has a family complex. Well, looking how those two spoon fed the frowning young master Raghnall despite his obvious disagreement of the said act.
But can he even say a word when his two brother acts like a bullied wife with tears in their eyes huddling around the corner drawing circles every time he say no? No, he can''t he can only suffer, ah wrong, enjoy the privilege of being cared by his Big brother and second brother. Actually, the triplets was quite surprised in the sudden change of treatment as before they set out, it can be seen that the youngest distanced himself from the other two, but now God knows what happened that they were acting like conjoined triplets inseparable from each other.
But seriously, this complex has gone beyond the understanding of the triplets, like who would nowadays, scrubs the back of their brother while bathing, help him change his clothes, brush his hair before sleep and snuggled up to him after. This didn''t even happen to them when they were young, for God''s sake they were already thankful of the days that they didn''t bicker with each other! Such a harmonious relationship, so envious of them! How they wish they were just like that.
But alas, like a shooting star their wishes just passes and disappear unfulfilled in the end.
But unbeknownst to Lu Yan, his torment these couple of days was seen with envy but the other three, what harmonious! That''s ungrounded this is definitely bullying! Lu Yan is really clueless about this, was this how brothers supposed to act to each other?
He was the only child of his parents so he didn''t know, his friends are also not fond of sharing their escapades with their siblings and he at that time didn''t have the interest to even asks, so it is only right to say that he has zero knowledge and experience about this stuff, so he let them do their bidding.
Seeing how bright they were smiling at him, Lu Yan guess he wasn''t doing anything wrong, so he remains silent during the entire charade.
Looking at these eyes full of happiness, he really didn''t have the heart to break it, and besides he felt that he did a good deed for the original Raghnall, because based on his memories he also wished for the warmth of family.
But really, Lu Yan is becoming scared as the days passed, because it all started with brushing his hair, then braiding it, but now it evolved to putting flowers on it, he was flabbergasted! Was this how brothers act with each other he asks this countless of times in his head during these neither long nor short 5 days travel towards the capital.
A/N:
Dilan: means "Faithful or Loyal" of irish origin
Dillen: means "Faithful or Loyal" of irish origin
Dillon: means "Faithful or Loyal" of irish origin
Daran: means "Great" of irish origin
Dana: means "God is my Judge" of irish origin
Devanney: means "Poet" of irish origin
Connolly: means "fierce as a hound" of irish surname origin
2.0 A Lesson in History
The so-called Imperial Knights Academy was recorded as the very first castle made from the Rise of Larsian Civilization and is now hailed as the center and the symbol of braveness in the Capital City of the Kingdom of Larsa, which was originally build for protection by the very first people who occupied the Land of Larsa, against war and invasion by the other land conquerors, the knowledge of the people of that time weren''t as advanced compared to the architecture and agriculture of the current age.
But the seemingly weak wooden structure build on top of a hill with a narrow ditch surrounding it became the start of a new civilization, but not surprisingly this single layer of man-made wooden walls won''t hold up if an invasion where to happen, the ancestors of before constructed multiple raised walls and separate the moat from the cottages inside, this space was then called bailey.
The time of peace passed with no wars and invasion happening, which enables the people to build more walls to fortify their defences, they even change their cottages into tall cylindrical stone buildings with rectangular structures connecting them, they then called this castles and added an extension of walls build at the edge of the roof, terrace, balcony and walkways which serves as a barrier during wars, which enables them to shoot arrows down to their enemies when they are in range for an attack, these add ons are called parapets.
From then on, the people became more sophisticated and expanded their architecture and designs of the castle, though originally it mainly consisted of defensive elements like the towers, barbican, a gatehouse and a moat. As people grew in number the lands they occupy also increases thus they expanded out from the initial location, which now became the center of the Kingdom of Larsa.
The structure of the Imperial Knights Academy consisted of the following structures The Hall of the Knights, the 4 Seasons Courtyards, the main kitchen equip with bakery and brewery, the stables, the training ground, the Central Cathedral, the Central Gate, Barbican and lastly the moat and dam surrounding it.
The basic foundation of the castle was from the time before and was only improved throughout time, thus from the fortress made stronghold of before now becomes the prestigious Knights Academy, if man were able to look from the sky then they would behold the beauty of stoned gray hexagonal castle surrounded by the blue waters of the moat.
Walking up to look at the front one can immediately notice the slightlw raised movable bridge situated at the front of the gate and above the moat, this was controlled by thick ropes, pulley and metal chains. And behind it were the gray stoned thick walls the surrounded the whole castle which serves as the castle''s exterior and defence.
When the bridge was laid down a path would lead you to the a stone structure that protected the gate of the castle or the gatehouse. It had a small tower on each side of the gate where guards stand and watch all year round. In between is the portcullis that was made of one of the strongest wood found in the Kingdom of Larsa, with plated triangular sharp iron attached in the bottom, this mechanism was added as a precaution when invaders are able to reach and open the gate, walking down below this would get yourself killed once it drop.This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.
Aside from the exterior wall there is also an another interior wall and the space in between consisted of stairs, thus these two walls surrounded the castle with tall watchtowers positioned at each corner of the six sided walls.
Atop the walls are parapets, this are openings where stone catapults launch big rocks to throw at the enemy and pour hot liquid to burn the the scaling invaders.
In the middle is the Cathedral, with the Great Hall behind it connected behind the hall was called the keep or serves as the stronghold many years ago, with the 4 larges open spaces namely, Autumn, Winter, Summer and Fall Courtyard surrounding them, other structures of the castle like the dorms, kitchen and the training ground was isolated and build at the right corner behind the keep, this made to ensure that students would have easy access of the facilities and services provided by the Academy.
The dorms are where the students who generally lived far away from the Capital stays but other students despite living near also preferred the dorms as they can have a sense of independence within the walls of the castle far from their families.
But for the Leader of the knights and other instructors they loved at the keep where they each has their own rooms, while the staffs that keeps the cleanliness and order of the castle lived in the servants building which was located across from the dorms, the left corner behind the keep.
And in between these two structures is a huge circular open air venue used as the training ground of the knights but it also serves as a huge platform for duels, exhibitions and tactical display, this called the Colosseum. This is also the place where the young aspiring knights would spend their days for 5 months starting tomorrow.
Everything has been prepared of welcoming the arrival of all the Royal and Noble born sons of the Kingdom of Larsa that would participate for this year''s 5 months training camp. Not only are the young masters are excited in meeting their instructors tomorrow, their instructors as well can''t wait to meet them.
They are already gossiping with each other who they thought would be able to rise to the top of their class. Lu Yan on the other hand was also very much excited to experience new things that this world can offer.
Just having heard from his brothers nonstop chatter as they illustrates the so-called Imperial Knight Academy, he was already restless like a person whose injected with chicken blood.
But alas, their destination has been reached and now the 6 person group are standing in front of the drawbridge of the Academy separated by the moat that surrounded the whole palace.The sun just began to set creating a beautiful orange yellow hue reflection in the water.
After marvelling at the sight of the huge structure in front, they 6 then set off to look for inns to stay for the night as the training will officially starts tomorrow so they can''t still enter the gates. Finishing his meal fast, Lu Yan slept comfortably as his body was tired and weary from travel, so was the case for his brothers too.
A/N:
Injected with Chicken Blood : in chinese ´òëuѪ(idiomatic, figuratively) to suddenly become hyperactive, high-spirited or aggressive