《A Question of Character (shelved)》 Chapter 1 (edited) Chapter 1 A normal day at school turned into a nightmare for Lucas. A glowing circle or words surrounded all of the people in the class, including the very beautiful teacher of theirs, and they were all taken somewhere. They didn¡¯t know where or why they were taken, He still remembered her panicked shouting. ¡°Please! Everyone! Please stay calm! Listen to me, won¡¯t you all?¡± She shouted, growing increasingly impatient and angry with the crowd of teenagers. No one listened. Panic and anger was a common sentiment among them. After that, they found themselves in a large circular room, with several people in robes in it, along with a really pretty girl. She had white hair which reached half way down her back, and intense blue eyes. ¡°Welcome.¡± She said. The entire group fell silent. She introduced herself as the princess of a large empire, called the Ruistia Empire, one of the largest countries in the world. Apparently, a Demon King had risen in the south, and was planning to take over the continent that they were on. And they were summoned to stop the Demon King, and to be heroes. Of course, every person would be bestowed with certain powers, depending on the blessing of the gods. However, she stated, there was no way to return the class home. There were people researching it, but it was still just research. Hopelessness and anger at the unfairness of the situation was the reaction, mixed with a little bit of excitement at the prospect of becoming hero¡¯s. ¡°You have lived in this world for all your lives. We are students from a school. We don¡¯t know how to fight, how to kill, and many of us don¡¯t want to hurt others. You took us from our homes, our families, and are asking us to risk our lives to save yours? And the reward is that we might be able to go home? That¡¯s blackmail!¡± one of the smarter students, Sarah, cried. Her statement brought a chorus of agreement from the group. The princess felt to one knee. ¡°I can do nothing to justify our actions. The only thing I can do is beg you. Please. Please help save our homes. You would fight with your life to protect your homes, and so do we. But we aren¡¯t powerful enough. The gods have blessed you with their powers, and those powers are far beyond anything that we are born with or are bestowed with. We will teach you how to fight, we will teach you anything you want to know. Think of what you would do in our place. So please, please save us!¡± She said. ] Tears streamed down her face, and she wiped them off. A stunned silence fell over the group. The teacher, who had been listening the entire time stepped in. ¡°We will talk about this, and give you our decision tomorrow. For now, let us rest and talk in peace.¡± She said quietly. The princess nodded, and left with her group of knights. That night, the entire group put had a discussion on whether to help their captors or leave them to their doom. The consensus was to help them. The class was already stuck in this world. If humanity fell, so did their chances of getting home. They would make use of ¡°blessings¡± they apparently got, and then would quickly defeat the demon king. The next day, they relayed their acceptance to the princess, and a group of mages came down with her to assess the blessings that the class received. One by one, they had their blessings checked. Soon it was Lucas¡¯s turn. Lucas remembered the scene. ¡°Status.¡± Whispered Lucas, his hopes and expectations casting his mind into turmoil. His heart rate was already sped up, and his hands were trembling. He wanted to become a hero too. Deep down, he had a strange desire to be famous and respected, like the rest of them. He walked up to the mage, a short guy with brown hair and brown eyes. He had freckles across his face, and a fake smile on it. He didn¡¯t look too happy to be there.This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. The mage put his hand on Lucas¡¯s head, and whispered something on his breath. A few seconds later, his face morphed into one of shock, and the glanced at the princess. Lucas¡¯s apprehension and excitement grew. Why was the mage calling over the princess? ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± He tried to ask the mage. The mage ignored him. The princess frowned and walked over. The mage pointed at the air infront of Lucas and whispered something to the princess. Shock and hostility grew on her face as she glanced at Lucas. ¡°Speak. Where are you from!¡± She demanded, glaring at Lucas. Her knights drew their swords and surrounded him. Lucas¡¯s stomach sank, and fear crept up on him. Why were they surrounding him? What did he do wrong? ¡°I-I-I-I¡¯m from earth.¡± He stammered. ¡°Lies! You don¡¯t have a blessing, but everyone else does. You are an Imposter! Knights! Capture him.!¡± She shouted, her face red from anger. The knights began to enclose the circle around him. Lucas could see it in their eyes. They would kill him if he tried to run. There was no mercy in their eyes, no pity, just a cold intent to kill him, to harm him. ¡°Wait!¡± His teacher shouted. The knights continued to advance. His teacher grew angry. ¡°One more step and we will not help you!¡± She shouted. The princess glanced at the teacher, and seeing her serious face, called the order to stop. The knights withdrew. Lucas fell to the ground, relieved. His teacher walked up to him, and put a hand on his shoulder. ¡°Lucas has been with us for three years. We all know him. He isn¡¯t an imposter. If need be, I will vouch for him.¡± She said. The princess glanced at him with mistrust, and nodded slowly. ¡°Very well. He may have just been unfortunate, and have been unwanted by the gods.¡± She glanced at the one burly knight in gold armor who had not moved the entire time. He caught her glance and nodded. The gold knight stepped forward, and pulled off his helmet, revealing an older face, with white hair and strong features. ¡°Since he has no blessings, he will be adopted into the knight¡¯s group. We will make a fine knight out of him. He doesn¡¯t have the best physique, but we can fix that.¡± He said. He glanced the mage, who shook his head, then looked into Lucas¡¯s eyes. ¡°Boy, you really don¡¯t have another option. From what I gather, the mages can¡¯t take you, and you will be useless with your friends. Rest assured, you will be given the same benefits as the rest of your class.¡± He said. Some of his classmates snickered when the knight said that. Lucas¡¯s teacher glared at him. She wanted to keep him close, and therefore, safe. She didn¡¯t trust the man, or anyone else with his safety anymore. The gold knight looked at her. ¡°I swear that I will keep him safe. Don¡¯t worry.¡± He said. Lucas looked at his teacher, then back to the knight. ¡°I¡¯ll join you.¡± He whispered. The knight heard him and nodded. ¡°Very well. Welcome to the Knights Revenant.¡± Lucas¡¯s flashback was interrupted by a loud cheer from outside his room. He stood up and walked to the window, which overlooked the courtyard. An Imperial Knight Captain was giving a speech to the students. After joining the Knights, he had been given a room away from the rest of his class, and his training was to begin. Lucas, however, had learned about every blessing that his friends received. Mark Hall received the ability to temporarily boost his physical condition to superhuman levels, Sarah Carter received telekinesis, and a boosted magic ability. Aoki Chen was given a superhuman constitution, which allowed her almost instantly recover from any wound. Riley Price received the ability to temporarily turn into a dragon. And Lucas¡¯s teacher, Mrs. Green received a huge boost in magical abilities. Those people were the ones who received the most powerful abilities. The others received boosts in areas such as intelligence, senses, physique, and other mental powers such as pyrokinesis, teleportation, etc. Overall, there were 26 students who were blessed, not counting Lucas. The Gold Knight, who had introduced himself as Darius Nathear, was the most powerful knight in the order. He was a Named Knight, the person who stood at the top. As Darius and Lucas walked to his new quarters, Darius gave Lucas a quick lesson on knights. Knights, as Lucas learned, were servants of the government who maintained order, enforced laws, and also kept the territory safe. They were one step above city guards and soldiers. Battle trained and battle ready, knights made up the army¡¯s cavalry, fought bandits, and cleaned up monster invasions in the country. There were two orders of nights in the country of Ruistia. The Imperial Knights, and the Knights Revenant. Darius was in charge of the Knights Revenant. And he hated them. ¡°The Imperial knights are knights in name only. Sons of nobles who used their power to get a title. They do nothing for the country.¡± Darius gritted his teeth. ¡°The Knights Revenant are the soldiers, the ones that do all the work in this country. We are also far better fighters than the imperial knights, but aren¡¯t given any recognition. Oh, and they aren¡¯t led by a Name Knight.¡± He said. Lucas stayed silent. Darius shook himself out of his anger, looked at Lucas, and sighed. ¡°Sorry about the outburst. Anyway, there are several levels of nights. Everyone starts out as a Trainee Knight, then they move up to a Junior Knight, then a Knight Soldier. After that, there are the ranks of Knight Lieutenant, Knight Captain, Knight Commander, and finally, a Named knight.¡± He said. ¡°You will also begin as a Knight Trainee. It will be beyond tough. You sure you up for it boy?¡± He said. Lucas nodded. He saw the judging eyes of his classmates when he left. He had known them for three years. He was on good terms with all of them. But the moment they found out that he was given no blessings, he was an outsider. Someone who did not belong. But Lucas also knew that the judging eyes only belonged to a few people. The rest of his class was concerned for him, especially Mrs. Green. Lucas didn¡¯t like the judging glares. It made him uncomfortable, so he left. He would still be in touch with them. Besides, how bad could being a Knight Trainee be? Chapter 2 (unedited) ¡°WAKE UP!¡± a shout rang out into Lucas¡¯s ears. He jumped up groggily, his heart rate speeding up and his breath quickening. His mind was still muddled from sleep, but he could make out Darius¡¯s stern face in front of him. ¡°Do you know what time it is?¡± Darius asked with one eyebrow raised. Lucas glanced out the window to see the sun was just above the horizon. He turned back to Darius, still groggy. ¡°Morning?¡± He asked sleepily. Darius sighed. ¡°You need to learn to get up earlier. Call me master from now on.¡± He said. ¡°Meet me in the courtyard as soon as you can.¡± Darius threw something at him, and walked out of the room, closing the door. Lucas caught the object and glanced at it. It was a cloth bag, and when Lucas opened it, a pair of pants and a shirt fell out. They were plain, made of a cotton like material, and were brown. With them also came a pair of leather shoes, which were more like boots than shoes. Lucas quickly wore them and ran down to the courtyard. He didn¡¯t want to make Darius angry. He was still too intimidating for Lucas. Darius sat waiting in the center of the courtyard. He sat mounted on a large horse, and held the reigns to another. Lucas approached him. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for waking up late, master¡± He said. It felt weird to say master to someone, but Lucas ignored the discomfort. Darius studied him for a second. ¡°You feel uncomfortable calling me master, don¡¯t you?¡± Said Darius. Lucas nodded reluctantly. ¡°I don¡¯t know how your life was previously, but this world doesn¡¯t allow those with big egos to live long, boy. You may have some pride, but pride won¡¯t help you in this world.¡± Said Darius. Lucas stared at him, not understanding what he meant. Darius sighed and said, ¡°You¡¯ll understand what I mean when you grow a bit in this world.¡± He passed Lucas the reigns to the horse. ¡°Do you know how to ride a horse, boy?¡± He asked, a grin appearing on his face. Lucas looked at the horse. It stared back at him, and snorted. ¡°Judging by the look on your face, I¡¯ll say that¡¯s a no.¡± Darius rubbed his temples. ¡°We¡¯ve got a long way to go, don¡¯t we?¡± He said with an air of finality. ¡°Steady, steady, don¡¯t spook her now. There you go.¡± Said Darius. Lucas was now sitting on the mare that Darius brought for him. It was a beautiful, brown mare with a cross pattern on her head. She was the most docile horse that the Knights Revenant owned. It still took till midday, about 4 horse for Lucas to learn how to get on the horse and the commands to make her move. The saddle that was used had a very similar design to the ones used on earth. It had stirrups, and was shaped the same way. He first had to introduce himself to the horse, then let her get accustomed to his presence then learn to get on the horse, and then finally, how to make her move. The commands were simple. A pat on the side to move forward, pulling the reigns back to stop, and then pulling them to a side to turn. The ground looked quite high up from horseback, and Lucas had to learn the balance that he needed to stay on. Suddenly, a loud golden note was rung over the city. It rang for about 12 times, and Darius grumbled to himself. ¡°Well, I hoped to take you outside the castle to the Knights Revenant¡¯s building, but we spent too much time for that today. Get off. We¡¯ll go through the rest of the schedule today. By the way, that was the midday bell. It rings every hour, and every half an hour. You can tell the difference by the number of times it rings and the note it rings on. The low notes the half an hour bell, and the higher note¡¯s the hour bell.¡± He said. Lucas was startled. He hadn¡¯t heard the bell before. Lucas slowly got off the mare, and patted her head. His backside and thighs hurt and he could feel his legs tensing up as he got off. Darius smiled and called over a stable hand to take the horses back. Lucas handed the reigns to the stable hand. ¡°Come on. We¡¯ll begin teaching you a bit about this world.¡± Said Darius. Lucas nodded and followed him as Darius began to walk away. ¡°I don¡¯t know how your world worked, but in this one, which we call Valeria, there are several different races. And from your fascination with other races, I can probably tell that yours didn¡¯t have giants or elves.¡± Said Darius as they passed by a servant who had horns on their head. Lucas¡¯s eyes were glued to her as they passed by, astonishment clear on his face. He hadn¡¯t seen any other races other than humans in his stay here. Everyone he had scene were humans. Darius pulled him along, continuing to explain. ¡°There are several different races. They are Giants, Elfenheln, Andustrung, Abuanta, Humans, and the Jinn. They are all separate species, who used to live in segregated countries. Some countries used to ban the other 5 species from entering. However, they lifted the ban a long time ago.¡±This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Lucas stared at Darius, as he was pulled along through the hallways. Questions sprung up from his mind, but he kept his mouth shut and let Darius continue speaking. ¡°The Giants and the Abuanta are the friendliest with humans. The Elfenheln are very proud creatures, the Andustrung are abominations against mankind, and the Orcs, the demons, the Goblins, fairy¡¯s, and other creatures of magic fall under the category of Jinn.¡± Said Darius. ¡°Remember this. What I¡¯m about to say is very important.¡± Darius stopped walking and faced Lucas. ¡°The one thing that binds the species together is religion. There are three main religions in this world. The three main gods which are the object of their worship. Elsin, the god of light, Dunsdfal, the god of nature and of the earth, and Deofel, the god of darkness and balance. All three religions, on the other hand, do not have names. They just call themselves the worshipers of one of the gods.¡± Darius¡¯s face grew stern. ¡°Without those religions, which united the race and forced them to fight against the monsters, Humanity would have fallen a long time ago. However, over a quarter of the intelligent beings on this world do not worship a god. And they are left alone. Do not under any circumstances get involved with their power struggle in this world. It will get you killed.¡± He said. Lucas¡¯s attention was now fully on Darius. ¡°So the main gods are those three, Elsin, Dunsdfal, and Deofel?¡± asked Lucas. Darius nodded. ¡°I know this is a lot to take in, but you have to know this. Let¡¯s move on.¡± He said. They began to walk through the halls of the castle until they reached a large library. Darius closed the door of the library after they entered, and gestured to one of the chairs. Lucas sat down, staring at the rows and rows of bookshelves and books which sat in the library. Darius sat across from him, and began to teach Lucas about the world. They sat there for the rest of the day, skipping lunch and stopping only when the sun set. Under Lucas¡¯s rumbling stomach, Darius dismissed him. ¡°Think about what I taught you today. I recommend you write this down. There should be an empty book, a quill, and a bottle of ink when you go back to your room. Your dinner should also be in your room.¡± Said Darius as Lucas walked out the door. Lucas walked out of the library confused and his mind filled with information. ¡°He didn¡¯t even let me ask a question.¡± Mumbled Lucas as he walked down to the kitchens. Lucas began to sort out the information that was just crammed into his head. The sun had just set, and the temperature in the castle was beginning to drop. It was the end of summer in this world, as Lucas just learnt. There were four main seasons in this world, Earths equivalent of Summer, Fall, Winter, and Spring. However, winter in this world was almost like hell. It was far more severe than a normal winter back on Earth. A normal winter in this world was like an Alaskan winter. Everything froze over. Summer, Fall, and Spring all matched what one would find in any country near the tropic of cancer. Time worked the same, it was split into hours, seconds, minutes, etc. As for why, Lucas was given no answer other than, ¡°That¡¯s just how it¡¯s always been.¡± In fact, Lucas suspected that there had been people who had been drawn into this world before. Surprising similarities between customs and in names gave him that suspicion. Lucas walked back to his room. The room he was given was good. There was a large bed, a desk, bookshelf, and a closet in it. The large glass window had a view into the courtyard, and a small latch allowed it to swing open. It was decently furnished, and the room was kept clean. Far more than necessary for Lucas. Lucas¡¯s dinner had been set on the desk next to some writing utensils and a book. A small note on the tray read. Master Grace: Once you have finished your dinner, please leave the cutlery and dishes outside your room. Your humble servants of the castle Lucas set the note aside, and finished up his dinner of soup and a loaf of bread. Lucas sat down on his desk, and eagerly ripped a piece of bread off the loaf. Just as he was about to put it in his mouth, a deep sense of sadness dropped over him. Lucas always ate with his family. He sat with his parents and little sister every night and ate dinner. This was the first time in a while he had eaten alone. Lucas put the bread piece down, and was surprised to find tears coming down his face. He sniffed. He wanted to go home. He felt alone. Even with his classmates and his teacher here, he was alone. Everything was foreign, different, and he felt out of place. And for the first time, he found that he was scared for himself. He didn¡¯t know what would happen in his future. Before, he assumed he would graduate from school, go to college, get a degree, and then live his life until he died. He took it for granted. Lucas quickly finished up his dinner, trying to swallow his sadness down with his food. The soup was slightly watery, but it was creamy and delicious, but the bread was hard and dry. Lucas put his dishes outside, and sat back down on his bed. He wiped his tears, and then calmed himself down. I just need some time. Lucas glanced out of the window. The last vestiges of light filtered through the large garden. The colors of plants and flowers painted the garden, and trees looked over the expanse. It¡¯s amazing. Lucas thought. I want to walk there. It doesn¡¯t look like anyone is in the garden anyway. He stood up. The half hour bell, which he simply called the low bell, rang, indicating that it was half past 6. It was already dark. Lucas made up his mind to go to the garden, and stepped out of his room. The quill and book caught his eye just as he was about to close the door. Lucas hesitated. Should I stay and finish what Darius told me to do first? He thought. I don¡¯t know if I¡¯ll remember it later. Lucas wavered on indecision for a moment, then decided to return. He wouldn¡¯t be gone long anyway. He stepped out into the hall, and began to walk down to the gardens. The now cool air pressed against his body as he walked. It took him a few minutes to walk down to the gardens. He nearly got lost in the large castle, with its confusing maze of hallways. He hadn¡¯t explored the place for himself yet. He had the basic gist of it, from Darius, but he didn¡¯t have time to appreciate it fully. He stepped into the garden, and as he did, the moon had just begun to rise. The moon is the same color as from earth. But it¡¯s so big! Thought Lucas. The moon was about twice as big as the one from earth, but it cast a bluish-silvery glow onto the gardens, and made the sky around it seems like a cloak of velvet. Lucas began to walk through the garden, enjoying the colors and plants which were planted there. There were many different flowers from what was on earth, which was to be expected, considering that flora and fauna in this world should have evolved differently. But even as Lucas enjoyed the garden, his mind was at unrest. Longing for his home and regret at the small mistakes he made in this life on earth burned a hole into his chest. While Lucas walked around the garden, something caught his eye. Half of the garden was covered in trees to emulate a forest. It opened out into a real one, as the castle was on the edge of the city and it opened out to the outside of the city. It was still secure, as the Knights Revenant¡¯s building was a league and a half away from the castle garden. Within the forest of trees, a flash of red caught the cornor of Lucas¡¯s eyes. Curious, Lucas began to walk toward where he saw it. Lucas entered the forest, and started to go deeper into it. In under a minute, he found himself lost in the forest. He couldn¡¯t see the garden, and the trees obscured his view of the castle. Lucas hopelessly walked around for what seemed like several hours, a sense of panic on the verge of taking over. Suddenly, a small alcove appeared within the sea of trees, and Lucas began to scramble toward it. He entered it, and found two benches to sit on, and a path which lead into the forest. Lucas sighed in relief, believing that he had found his way back. His legs ached from walking around so much, and the benches seemed inviting, so Lucas went to sit down on the bench. As he sat down, a voice sounded out behind him. ¡°That¡¯s my seat you know?¡± Chapter 3 Chapter 3 Lucas jumped at the voice. He thought he was alone in the garden. He turned around to find a young girl standing behind him. ¡°Where¡¯d you come from?¡± Lucas blurted out. He didn¡¯t even notice that she was there. ¡°I¡¯ve been here the entire time, you just didn¡¯t notice me. Hey, do you like this place too?¡± She said. Lucas took a better look at the girl. She looked a few years younger than him, with scarlet hair and green eyes. She was a pretty little girl, who was wearing brown pants, and a blue shirt. He looked at the garden around him. ¡°I think I like it. It¡¯s a pretty place.¡± He said. She stared at him. ¡°No, I meant this alcove. You are the first person besides me who has been here. No one knows it exists.¡± She said, slightly irritated at Lucas¡¯s misunderstanding. ¡°Uhhh what?¡± Lucas said dumbfounded. The girl sighed, fed up with Lucas¡¯s dimwittedness. ¡°You don¡¯t know what this place is, do you?¡± She said. Lucas shook his head. The girl closed her eyes. ¡°This is my secret place. Well, it ain¡¯t so secret now, thanks to a little someone.¡± She glared at him. ¡°Ummm, sorry?¡± Lucas said, still trying to keep up with her personality. She held her chin for a second and scrunched up her face as if she was making a hard decision. She then moved over to where Lucas was about to sit, and sat on the bench. Her face cleared up after a moment, and she shifted her attention back to him. ¡°Alright, Ill permit you to make this your secret place too, if you make sure no one else knows about it.¡± She said. Lucas blinked. She continued on talking, completely ignoring whether or not he agreed. ¡°Anyway, my name is Reyna. I live in the capital, but my pa works in the castle. You know, he¡¯s a really important person. What about you?¡± She asked, getting more and more excited.This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°Uh, um, I¡¯m Lucas.¡± Lucas replied, caught up in her pace. ¡°Lucas, what a weird name. It sounds more like a foreign name. Were you born outside the country?¡± She said, with twinkling eyes as the excitement reached her face. He nodded. A wide grin split her face. ¡°What¡¯s it like outside the country? Is it exciting? Is there delicious food and stuff there? How do you deal with the monsters? How did you get here?¡± She said, nearly shouting, and putting her face closer and closer to Lucas¡¯s. Lucas put his hands out, trying to calm her down. ¡°Hey, chill!¡± She cocked her head, a look of confusion on her face. ¡°Chill? What does that mean?¡± She asked, interrupting him. Lucas sighed and shook his head. ¡°Forget it.¡± ¡°I¡¯m from a place called Earth.¡± He said. ¡°We don¡¯t have monsters on Earth. And it¡¯s pretty boring being there. The food is good depending on where you get it.¡± Said Lucas. A pang of loneliness tightened his chest, remembering his dad¡¯s delicious cooking at home. He kept his summoning a secret, he didn¡¯t know who this person was, and didn¡¯t want to accidentally offend them. Wonder replaced her excitement. ¡°You don¡¯t have any monsters? How?¡± She asked. Lucas began to explain about his home on planet earth, how humans were the only species, and how magic didn¡¯t exist. Reyna was very interested in technology, and how humans on earth lived without magic and monsters. Her face lit up every time he mentioned something about technology, and different inventions. ¡°I want to visit Earth once.¡± She said longingly when he finished. Lucas didn¡¯t say anything. Her words gave him a stark reminder that he didn¡¯t know how to get back. He firmed himself. He would quickly help defeat the horde of monsters and find his way home. The low bell tolled 9 times, indicating that it was 9 at night. Reyna suddenly jumped up. ¡°Ahhh! It¡¯s already that late! I hafta get home, or I¡¯ll get my head eaten by mother again.¡± She nearly yelled. She turned to him. ¡°Bye Lucas, I gotta go. It was nice meeting you!¡± She said. ¡°Oh, I almost forgot. To get back to the castle, just follow the stone path back to the castle. Anytime you want to get back here, just remember this place and walk into the forest with the full intention of getting here. It will show itself to you. It already acknowledges you anyway.¡± She said. Lucas opened his mouth to speak, but Reyna already turned around and ran into the forest. He frowned, and glanced at the path. He needed to get back to his room too. He didn¡¯t expect to wander for around two hours when he entered the garden for a walk. Somewhat apprehensive of getting lost again, Lucas carefully began to walk down the path to the castle. He breathed a sigh of relief on seeing the now familiar castle garden. Lucas made his way back to his room, feeling much better than he left it. He sat down on his desk, and glanced at the quill and the bottle of ink on his desk. However, Lucas never wrote with a quill and ink before. He had seen it done in other movies before, and knew that he had to dip the tip of the quill into the ink before writing. Lucas was surprised to find that the majority of the people in the country could read and write, which was a stark contrast to Medieval times on earth. The literacy rate on earth during those times was below 10%. Lucas then found out that most magic required a basic mastery of language in order to use, and that most people could use a very basic level of magic. Darius explained his all to him during his lecture. Lucas began to experiment with the quill and ink, and after several attempts, he managed to write his name on the front page. What a great start Lucas though, as he began to shakily write everything that he learned from Darius. It took him an hour to finish. His arm hurt from writing so much, and his hands were stained with ink. Lucas laid down on his bed, and closed his eyes. It was a long day, and he had a feeling that tomorrow would be too. Chapter 4 Lucas woke up to the sound of bells. The sun was just breaking dawn, and the castle and the city below it was just waking up. It was too early for this. Lucas didn¡¯t like waking up early. He never did. He got out of his bed and changed his clothes, to the ones that Darius gave him the other day. He then stepped out of his room and walked down to the courtyard. Darius was sitting on a bench in the courtyard, next to two horses which were tethered to the bench. He wore a cloak and was wearing what seemed like cotton clothes. The morning chill hit Lucas¡¯s face as he walked towards Darius. He shivered. He did not have a cloak to wear, and wore boots only. As he approached Darius glanced up at him. ¡°Ah, awake? Good. I will expect you to wake up early from now on. Get on.¡± He commanded, pointing to one of the horses. ¡°Where are we going?¡± Asked Lucas, walking toward the horse. ¡°The Knights Revenant quarters and barracks.¡± Said Darius, hopping on the horse. Lucas carefully mounted the horse, trying to keep the lessons he learned yesterday in his head. He steadied himself after mounting, and they left the courtyard. The courtyard itself was one of three in the castle. The first two were in the front of the castle. The one that lucas was currently in was the back courtyard. It was mostly kept empty. The duo rode out of the castle, and within the hour, Darius tapped lucas on the shoulder and pointed ahead of them. ¡°In a few mintues, we will be in sight of the Barracks. Its quite big and a little intimidating, but don¡¯t worry too much.¡± He said. Lucas frowned. ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± He said. ¡°You¡¯ll see.¡± Was the reply. Lucas was irked inside, but he didn¡¯t say anything. He didn¡¯t want to risk angering Darius. A few minutes later, Lucas¡¯s mouth hung open as he stared ahead of him. The Knights Revenant barracks was a fortress. It sat, towering over their heads as they approached it. It gave off an intimidating air, as if they were approaching a prison or the layer of a demon. Darius smiled, and glanced at the intimidated Lucas and felt satisfied inside. The Knights revenant fortress managed to intimidate someone who lived in a world where the buildings rose above the clouds. He had spoken to Mrs. Hill, the teacher of the children who had come with them. She spoke of such buildings, and of the other amazing technology which was found in their planet.Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. For someone who lived there and who had seen such monstrously big buildings to be surprised by something they created gave him satisfaction. ¡°Welcome to the Knights Revenants main branch. This is where you will be taught from now on.¡± Said Darius. Lucas couldn¡¯t shake off the intimidation, the fortress gave off an aura of strength and danger. A warning for those who opposed it. ¡°Lets go.¡± Said Darius, as he urged the horse forward. Lucas followed silently. They entered the fortress, and immediately, every solider who saw them saluted, putting their fist to their shoulders and putting their heads down. Darius nodded to them in response, and continued on his way. Lucas followed him, stunned by the display of respect they all gave Darius. They dismounted from their horses when they reached a large courtyard at the center of the fortress. Lucas got off the horse, clenching his teeth and quietly bearing the muscle ache from riding. Darius handed the reigns of his horse to a nearby solider, and turned toward Lucas. ¡°This is where you will be training for the foreseeable future.¡± He said. ¡°I am someone who is often sent away on diplomatic missions to other countries. I won¡¯t be able to attend to you every day.¡± Said Darius. Lucas began to panic. ¡°What do you mean??¡± Lucas nearly yelled. Darius put his hands up. ¡°Calm down. Just because I¡¯m away doesn¡¯t mean I still can¡¯t teach you. I will teach you everything you will need to know before I leave, and I will make sure that if you need something, you will get it. If you need help, just ask one of the soldiers here. They will help you with everything.¡± He said. Lucas tried to calm down, slowing his breathing. Darius patted him on the shoulder and led him inside the fortress. He pulled him into an office like room, with a sofa, a large desk, and serveral dbookcases. Darius made Lucas sit down on the sofa and sat down across from him. ¡°Here is what you will be doing for the next few days.¡± He said, pulling out a folded piece of paper from his coat. He handed the paper to Lucas. Lucas took it and opened it up. He scanned through the paper quickly. His hopes that he would get a powerful sword style or move quickly disappeared. The only thing on the paper was a list of exercises and books which he was supposed to read. Darius could see the disappointment on his face. ¡°You misunderstand the Knights.¡± He said. Lucas looked up at him. ¡°Did you think that you would immeditaly get some sort of heaven defying sword style or skill? You fool! Nothing in this world comes without a price. And the only way you will get anything is if you work hard and put effort into it!¡± He said angrily. Lucas lowered his head in shame. Darius sighed seeing him lower his head. Silence hung in the air. ¡°Forget it. For now, you need a good base to learn how to fight. If you tried to learn any sort of technique without the proper body strength you would only hurt yourself later. For today, go to back to the castle and get the books listed from the royal library. Read them tonight. Tomorrow, I will begin to teach you the basic stances and kata¡¯s.¡± Said Darius. Lucas nodded and left the office dejectedly. As he left, he felt the judging glares from different people around him. They looked at him in disdain. The one hero who had no power, who had the honor of being Lord Darius¡¯s disciple. Lucas quickened his pace, and found his horse waiting outside the fortress. He mounted it and returned to the castle. The afternoon bell had just rung, but Lucas wasn¡¯t feeling hungry yet. He arrived at the courtyard, and handed his reigns to a servant who was waiting nearby. He quickly found the library and the books he was to read, and took them back to his room. Books about magic, monsters, and different countries made up the list. There were one or two about fighting techniques, but they didn¡¯t go into detail about the techniques. Lucas went and got something to eat from the kitchens when the 3 o¡¯clock bell rung. After eating a quick lunch, he returned to his room. He wanted to go see if Reyna was there, but he was very interested in the books. Thus, he spent the rest of the evening reading and absorbing the information in the books. He ate a small dinner when the bell rung for 6 o¡¯clock and then went to sleep early. It had been a disappointing day. Chapter 5 Lucas stared at the sky above him, his chest heaving and sweat pouring off his face. ¡°Oh come on! Is that it?¡± Darius taunted once again at him. ¡°Gimme a break¡­¡± Lucas groaned. ¡°Shut it. Get up you fucking wimp!¡± Darius yelled. Lucas got up unsteadily and immediately fell down, his legs giving out under him. ¡°For the love of Gods!¡± Darius yelled, throwing his hands up in exasperation. ¡°I expected you to be weak, but not this weak!¡± ¡°You tried¡­ to make me run¡­ one hundred laps¡­ around the fortress!... It¡¯s as big as the castle!... Are you stupid?¡± Lucas countered. ¡°Watch it boy.¡± Darius growled, a little anger leaking into his voice. Lucas flinched, the intimidating air coming of the knight scaring him. ¡°Get up. Let¡¯s end the training today. Obviously, it will take longer than I thought for you to be able to fight properly. Did you get all the books you need?¡± Lucas nodded, still recovering his breath. ¡°Good. Continue reading them. I want you to focus on the monster books first. Then the ones on magic, and then the other books. You don¡¯t need to know them this week. Just finish them and tell me when you have.¡± Lucas nodded again. The shaking in his fingers had stilled. He stood up, despite his trembling legs, and put his hands on his knees. Darius looked at him thoughtfully as he rested. ¡°Tomorrow, I will be showing you the various stances you have to know, as well as the different weapons you will have to learn how to use.¡± He said. Seeing Lucas snap his face up, Darius added, ¡°Don¡¯t get too excited now. You won¡¯t be touching a weapon for a while.¡± Lucas was disappointed inside, but tried not to let it show.This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it Darius snorted. ¡°Today, I will teach you how to meditate. It helps a lot later on.¡± He said. ¡°What do you mean by later on?¡± Said Lucas, frowning. ¡°You¡¯ll learn about it in time.¡± He said. ¡°Now sit down, your right leg on top of your left, and your left on top of your right.¡± Lucas stared at him for a minute, not understanding what he meant by that. Darius sat down, showing him how, and Lucas understood. He knew it as the lotus position, something used in yoga. He sat down, trying to put his legs on top of each other, but his legs were stiff and his muscles were too tight for him to fully get it. Darius scowled. ¡°You can¡¯t even do that? Forget it. Go back to the castle. Come back when you can comfortably sit in that position.¡± He said, frustrated. Lucas grew a bit angry with him. Who made him run a marathon just before? And now was getting frustrated with him? Lucas swore in his mind and stood up. He untied his horse which was standing in a corner, and got on it, sore. He rode out of the fortress, and began his journey home. Darius watched him go back, the scowl immediately disappearing. Someone walked up next to him, and spoke. ¡°Why¡¯d ya him as your disciple? He¡¯s got a shit physique, and he¡¯s too green.¡± ¡°Watch it. We owe him. Least we can do is make sure he can survive in this world, right?¡± Malta, the sub commander of the Knights Revenant, and Darius¡¯s right hand man, snorted. ¡°We don¡¯t owe him shit. If the gods want him to suffer, then there¡¯s a reason for it. If he wants to live, he¡¯s gotta work for it. But I won¡¯t more.¡± Darius turned to him. ¡°We¡¯ll see. Right now, he¡¯s weak. A slum rat could kill him barehanded. I know that all the heroes would be like that, if they weren¡¯t blessed. But all of them, even him, can grow. That I¡¯m sure of.¡± Said Darius. ¡°Then if fortune pours over me, I¡¯ll push him until he breaks. Don¡¯t blame me for it later.¡± Said Malta, turning away. Darius chuckled. ¡°When I¡¯m done with him, there won¡¯t be much for you to break.¡± Malta left, feeling bad for the boy. He was going to endure hell. Lucas returned to the castle, and made his way to the castle stables, where he tied up the horse and returned to his room. He returned to his room, his entire body sore, and sat at his table groaning. ¡°Damn idiot Darius. Why¡¯d he have to make me run so much?¡± He grumbled. Lucas sighed and opened his books and began to read a bit. He read a few pages, but his mind kept wandering to his sore body, so he stopped and sat on his bed. He wanted to rest for a while. Lucas laid back and closed his eyes for a few minutes. The sun shone through open window, and fell on his face. Lucas relaxed, and let his mind wander. He wondered what his classmates were doing. And how they were doing. And the fact that, at least, they had each other to rely on. With a sudden sense of loneliness, he stood up, and decided to walk in the gardens, with the hope that he would meet Reyna. As he walked out of the door, he realized that he smelled pretty bad. He hadn¡¯t gotten the clothes washed, if he could do that, and he had sweat a lot in the morning. He walked to the wardrobe that he had ignored, and opened it. To his relief, it was filled with clothes and two pairs of shoes. Lucas quickly changed and headed toward the garden. Chapter 6 Chapter 6 ¡°Did you know that there¡¯s a new baker in town who is selling burnberri pies? They¡¯re really good, you know?¡± ¡°No, really? Are they good?¡± ¡°Mhm. They¡¯re sweet and tasty and they¡¯re the best if they¡¯re warm. Have you never had one?¡± ¡°Never been out of the castle.¡± ¡°What a boring life. I would die.¡± ¡°Hey! Leave me alone.¡± Reyna laughed. Lucas smiled. What an interesting start to a conversation. He sat down on the bench, in the alcove that he had found the last time. He was relieved that he could find his way back. It was so secluded and hidden that he had trouble finding it, but he did eventually. And coincidentally, Reyna was sitting there too, with a small book and pencil. ¡°I¡¯ll bring some next time for you.¡± She said. ¡°That would be great. What¡¯s with the book?¡± ¡°I draw in it sometimes. Just pictures of stuff I see and like.¡± ¡°Like pie?¡± He said. ¡°No, I¡¯ve never drawn that. That¡¯s a good idea! Next time daddy brings me a pie I¡¯ll bring it here and draw it.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know when I¡¯ll come here next though.¡± Said Lucas. Reyna¡¯s smile melted. ¡°I¡¯ll come every time I can from now on okay? So please bring me the pie.¡± ¡°Tomorrow then¡± She said. ¡°Fine, fine. I¡¯ll be here tomorrow.¡± He said. The sat there on the bench for the next few hours, talking about different foods on the planet. Lucas was fascinated with the descriptions of the foods that Reyna gave him. They sounded really good, and were quite different than he expected. As expected, the spices that she named and the foods that she gave off were completely different than the ones on earth. Meat from monsters could be detoxified and eaten by people, and meat from strong monsters was considered a delicacy, though Lucas had no idea why. There were some similarities between the two cultures. Salt was used frequently in many foods, through it had to be traded from other countries as Ruistia was an inland country, and owned no sea ports. Cow, chicken, eggs, dairy products, and other familiar meats were used as well, and were the staple diet of the country. Grain was not grown much, as the soil in the countries which bordered the battlefield against the monsters to the south was not fertile in any way. As they talked, the sun began to set, and the 6 o¡¯clock bell rang. ¡°I have to get back! Mama will skin me. Bye Lucas!¡± Reyna said, jumping to her feet. ¡°Bye!¡± he said, his voice trailing off as she had already disappeared. Lucas let out a breath of air and breathed in the fresh sent of the garden. The entire garden was lit up, and all the paths had different sources of light which somehow automatically lit themselves, but it was still hard to walk the garden at night without the full light of the moon. Lucas stood up and stretched, and walked back to his room. He still had to finish reading three books. They were all on magic and how it was used on this continent. Although Lucas had been interested in them at first, he quickly realized that they were geared toward people who had great talent in the art. They began with the basic idea of magic, which were shifted into different attributes. Fire, water, earth, and wind were the three basic types of magic. Higher level magics such as ice, lightning, sound, metal and some others were derivatives of those basic magics. Mages could choose different types, but it was recommended that they try all of them out before they made a choice because they might have an easier time understanding one type of magic over another.Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! The derivative magics were a higher level of a basic type of magic, and often a combination of two or more magics. And then there were the two outliers. Holy magic and Dark magic. Although they were called different things, they were essentially the same combination of the four basic magics. The only difference was appearance. Dark magic was feared. It was magic which could be used more effectively in combat. Draining mana, healing souls, and some parts of summoning magic were considered dark magic. Holy magic was magic which was supported by the several different religions on the continent, and Dark magic was considered the magic of demons and monsters. And the first step in practicing the art of magic was mastery over mind and body. Meditation and control over the user¡¯s body were essential in control over mana and magic. Lucas found it odd that he was being required to learn about magic when he was becoming a knight, but he thought that stronger knights could use magic, like Darius, which was why he was being made to learn about it. It was dark when Lucas put away the books. The servants had delivered his dinner to his room, and he ate with while reading. It was summer and it was cool outside. Lucas opened the window to his room and laid on his bed. He could hear the wind running through the castle and the trees outside the courtyard. Various insects chirped songs, and the moon was faintly covered by clouds. He fell asleep. Darius watched in dissatisfaction as his student practiced the 10 basic spear katas he had assigned him. It had been 2 month since Lucas arrived in this world. Darius had seen him slowly make his way into learning combat. He could see the anger on Lucas¡¯s face as he once again failed the fourth kata. Katas were a set of spear moves which allowed the wielder to hone their technique. Basic physical fitness was required to learn the katas. Thrusting, blocking, spinning, slashing, and footwork, all of them were incorporated into the katas, carefully placed and tweaked to strengthen certain muscles and reinforce certain movements. But in order to actually do those things, the wielder had to have a strong body. Lucas was someone who did not have that kind of physical strength yet. Darius could tell that Lucas¡¯s motivation to learn how to fight and become a knight had disappeared. It died the first week that Darius forced him past his normal limits. Any sort of childish view of knights vanished. He had no more drive to actually learn how to defend himself. Darius understood that Lucas was still a child. But if Lucas didn¡¯t understand that this world was a cruel, unforgiving one, and if he couldn¡¯t harden his heart, he would die. That was Darius¡¯s dilemma. He shifted in his seat, resting the front of his fist on his lips. What could he do to make him realize? What did he need to do to make sure that Lucas could survive here? Darius also had other duties to attend too. He was an ambassador in times of ¡°peace¡± to other countries. As a powerful knight who was recognized beyond his home country, he could help relations with other countries and get his country the things they needed. As a result, he could be sent away from the country on peace missions or to negotiate on behalf of the king. And he had a sinking feeling that a few people in the capital didn¡¯t want him there, because the king had sent him a letter saying that he was to leave to the neighboring county of Amanria to negotiate a newer trade deal. He wouldn¡¯t be actually negotiating; he would escort the official who would do it. He would be there to remind them of the power of the kingdom. A threat. The afternoon wind blew into his face. It was getting colder, moving into the next season. Most people would begin to store up food and prepare for the winter by now. Life would get harder as it got colder. Lucas could be relatively safe in the castle. Darius made a decision. He would soon send Lucas on a few tasks along with several knights. Subjugating bandits would be first. Then probably clearing out monster dens. He knew that Lucas hadn¡¯t killed anyone before. It would be something which Lucas would have to get over. It wouldn¡¯t weigh as much as hurting someone who was innocent. The bandits would at least deserve it. Darius stood up. A breeze lifted the hair on his forehead, and sent the scent of summer into his face. ¡°Lucas! Come here.¡± Darius shouted. Lucas looked up, panting from exhaustion. There was a look of anger and frustration on his face. He walked over. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about your progress. Next week, I¡¯ll be going to the neighboring country on a mission issued by the king. I can¡¯t refuse a royal order. Meanwhile, you need experience. There will be some subjugation missions happening soon. You will accompany the group of knights and soldiers who are going, and will be fighting with them. Learn as much as you can.¡± Darius said. ¡°Yes, Master.¡± Said Lucas. ¡°Good.¡± Replied Darius. ¡°Go and take a bath, and get something to eat. You can take the rest of the day off.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Asked Lucas. ¡°If you wait for another minute, I¡¯ll make you run around the fortress ten times.¡± Threatened Darius. ¡°Bye!¡± shouted Lucas. He was gone in a second. Chapter 7 Chapter 7 Darius sat behind his desk in this office, staring at the young woman who was shifting uncomfortably in her seat. Barely a few hours after he dismissed Lucas from his practice, his assistant, Nilm, told him that Mrs. Green was there to talk to him. Millie Green shifted in her seat, squirming under the intimidating air that the knight gave off. ¡°So, Mrs. Green. I¡¯ll be direct. What is it you need?¡± He said, being brief to save her some explaining and time. ¡°I came, I came to ask about Lucas. Is he okay? I haven¡¯t seen him in a few weeks, and I got a bit worried.¡± She said, a little set off by the knight¡¯s direct tone. ¡°He¡¯s doing fine. He¡¯s been able to keep up with the training. I¡¯ve kept him busy, which is why he hasn¡¯t been able to see you or the students. Besides, from what I¡¯ve seen and heard, He isn¡¯t a welcome presence for the students anymore.¡± His eyes grew a bit colder at the last sentence. Millie took a breath and nodded shakily. The students which she had taught for the last year had somehow come to dislike Lucas. Lucas had always been someone who was in the background before. He didn¡¯t get involved much, but he had been ignored because of his economic status. While most of the students came from the richer class, Lucas¡¯s family was from the middle class. Thus, he was isolated from the rest of the class. ¡°I don¡¯t know why they dislike him now. They didn¡¯t care much about him before.¡± She said after a moment¡¯s thought. ¡°Either way, I want to minimize contact between them. Lucas would probably get distracted with them if he found out about their animosity. Rest assured, Mrs. Green, I¡¯m going to begin teaching him how to use Aura soon. It¡¯ll let him survive here no problem, even without the kings protection.¡± Darius said, trying to allay her concerns. She nodded, a little satisfied. She was a bit disappointed that she couldn¡¯t speak with him, but she understood what Darius was saying. If she talked to him, his attention and focus might have been diverted to other places. Millie stood up. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Darius¡­¡± She hesitated, as if to say something. ¡°Never mind, good day.¡± She stood up. Darius nodded and showed her out of the fortress. He returned to his office and picked up a report which was placed on his desk as he showed her out. He frowned. The report detailed situation between the kingdom and the Republic of Saltire up in the northern most section of the continent. He sighed. It looked like he would be gone longer than he though this time.
Lucas was meditating, focusing his mind and senses on watching his body. The meditation a knight went through allowed them to control and use Aura, at least, that was the explanation that Darius gave him the day before he left. To Lucas¡¯s knowledge, Aura was a type of energy, however, it defied every law of physics and every proven biological fact that he had learned. First of all, humans had no ability to exert a conscious control of energy. It was not something which could be physically done. Science had proven that all the ESP and psychics that appeared on tv and on the news, were fakes. Energy was defined in science as the power stored within chemical bonds which allowed work to be done, or as a property of matter and radiation. It was not something which could be imbued into a living object or be manipulated according to human will. It definitely could not be exerted and used in the way Darius said that knights use it. Knights used Aura to strengthen themselves, giving them superhuman capabilities. It allowed them to face the monsters which would otherwise wipe them off the face of world. Advanced knights could exert Aura, allowing them to not only control the world around them, but also extend their senses beyond their body, giving them a sixth sense. Darius demonstrated it by picking up a stick a few yards away and bring it close to him with his aura. The stick had simply begun levitating and then floated over to them. Lucas was dumbstruck because what Darius did was going against everything that Lucas was taught in school. Besides the fact that magic and monsters existed in the world, most things followed the laws of physics which were pressing on Earth. This completely defied that logic. Lucas was having trouble accepting that logic. Thus, he was having trouble finding that Aura. It should have taken a normal trainee knight a month to sense and have a small amount of control over their aura, but Lucas couldn¡¯t even get past understanding the power. It frustrated him. His mind wandered and opened his eyes, anger evident in his eyes. He couldn¡¯t sense it. He ground his teeth. It wasn¡¯t working. The sense that time was a rope, constricting him grew ever a little stronger. ¡°I¡¯m leaving to another country to settle somethings in a few days. I will teach you everything you have to know about Aura, and the rest will be up to you. I probably won¡¯t be back for another year or so. Maybe more. If you need help, go the castle library. There are books and other instruction manuals which can probably help you.¡± Darius had told him. That was a week ago. He left two days after he taught Lucas about Aura. Lucas stood up. What an irresponsible teacher. He glanced at the book on his desk. Seprie vyt ayurua, it was titled, a book written on the most fundamental concepts of Aura. The fundamentals that he was now struggling with. There was no real direct translation into English, his mother tongue, the closed he could get to it was The Code of Aura. The frustration came back, threatening to erupt out of him. ¡°Damn it.¡± He whispered. He wanted to go home no mower than ever. It was clear that he didn¡¯t have what it took to become a knight. He had realized that fact when he watched the knights train and practice outside the fortress.This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. A real knight gave off an aura of fierceness. There was an undeniable authority in their visage, and a cold glint in their eyes marked their determination to do anything that was needed, from killing monsters to any person who stood in their way. At least he was doing okay with handling weapons. He had understood some spear combat and his stance while shooting arrows was firm. He could hit targets at least 20 yards away, and it was becoming better and better. A sense of disappointment came over him, threatening to wash away the little self-accomplishment that he built up for himself. That was all that he could do now? A little bit of fighting technique? Was that all that he could do? Lucas stood up. Maybe a little lunch would make him feel better. He stepped out of his room and walked down to the kitchens. A thin tall man handed him some bread and soup when he reached it, and Lucas sat down at the mess hall. He tore at the hard bread, thankful that the bread wasn¡¯t stale like it had been last time. And at least the soup was hot. A conversation caught his attention. ¡°¡­ boy, what is his name? Mark? He¡¯s got some strength in that arm. Surprised me, nearly sending my sword out of my hand. His magic is another thing as well. To be able to directly manipulate and shape the elements is truly a gift from the gods.¡± A man in a large robe spoke. He wasn¡¯t wearing any armor or weapons, but Lucas recognized his face. He was one of the men who taught his classmates. One of the knights who surrounded him when he was accused of being an imposter, and would have killed him if not for Mrs. Green¡¯s intervention. Animosity grew in Lucas. He didn¡¯t like the man, and he had never spoken a word to him. His buddy nodded and replied. ¡°Scary, is what it is. It took them two weeks to learn how to cast a spell. It took us two months. Some of them could do it even before they knew that they were casting spells. At least, if you call what they were doing with the elements a spell. It was like they had direct control over the element itself, rather than them unconsciously casting a spell.¡± He grinned. His short cut hair and scarred face made his grin somewhat crooked. ¡°Heroes, huh. They might actually turn out to be. I heard the other one who got kicked out isn¡¯t doing so well. Good that he¡¯s away from the others. They already don¡¯t like him anymore. The rumors about him aren¡¯t good. Stupid kid, he probably doesn¡¯t even know he was thrown awa-¡± The knight who attacked Lucas clamped his buddie¡¯s mouth shut and hissed a shut up at him. The knight had apparently seen Lucas sitting staring at them. The knight gave an awkward nod and turned back, making sure to speak softly to his buddy so that Lucas couldn¡¯t hear. The bread in Lucas¡¯s mouth tasted like clay. He looked down. He had unconsciously crushed the bread under his fist. Lucas stood up. Thrown away, was he? Something began to build up in him. Lucas put the piece of bread down, and left it next to his soup. He began to walk toward the two. They looked up at him. He stood in front of them. ¡°Thrown away?¡± he said, his voice barely above a whisper. His mouth was dry, and the world seemed to turn beneath his eyes. The knight grimaced and spoke. ¡°Look, I didn¡¯t mean-¡± ¡°Explain.¡± Lucas cut him off. His buddy, scarface, spoke up. ¡°The princess doesn¡¯t trust you. And neither does the king, by extension. He listens to every single thing his sister tells him. The princess still thinks you¡¯re an imposter.¡± The knight glared at his friend. ¡°He didn¡¯t need to know that.¡± His buddy shrugged and smirked. ¡°Who cares? He is going to disappear in a few months anyway.¡± His words echoed in Lucas¡¯s mind. It dawned on him that the man didn¡¯t mean disappear in a good way. ¡°Disappear?¡± Lucas managed to get out. ¡°Disappear. Vanish. Mysteriously end up dead. Poof, gone like a puff of smoke. Get it kid? Now get lost.¡± The man looked at him with disdain. He turned around, and a second later, the knight he was talking to moved. Scarface jumped up and turned around to see Lucas holding a bowl of soup, just as he was about to pour it on the man¡¯s head. A murderous aura appearing around him. ¡°YOU SONNAVA WHORE!¡± The man reached out to grab Lucas, but was stopped. A hand held his arm in place. The knight glared at Lucas, one hand gripped around his buddy¡¯s arm like a vice, and the other around Lucas¡¯s arm, keeping both immobile. ¡°Walk away kid.¡± Said the knight. Lucas shifted his stare at the knight. The adrenaline began to fade, and Lucas lowered his arms. His shoulders sagged, the world returning to its solid state, and the anger fading away. Lucas put the bowl down, turned and walked away, the world turning gray and monotone as the rush of adrenaline in his body faded away. He walked back to his room, his mind a mess and his stomach still mostly empty. Lucas entered his room, and locked his door. He sat down by the wall next to his bed, and began to try and process what he had just heard. The princess was going to kill him. She didn¡¯t trust him. In any other situation, he wouldn¡¯t have given two shits about her trust. But the repercussions of that loss of trust meant his life. She didn¡¯t trust him, therefore would eliminate him. He had to care. The princess was going to kill him. Was that all a life meant to these people? What did his own life mean? Lucas felt fear. His life wasn¡¯t worth anything here. The princess was going to kill him. Was it that important? Was her trust in him that important? Or was he looking into it too deeply? He could have just been an outlier in her plans, which could have gotten in the way and messed everything up. So, she was going to cut the problem at its roots. What gave her the right? A small voice grew louder in Lucas¡¯s head. What gave her the damn right to choose what to do with his life? To choose how he lived and how he died? She owed him. If anything, she and the rest of the world owed him much more than they were currently giving him. A burning sensation grew in his mind. Anger. What fucking law stopped her? Which one of the shitty fucking gods stopped her? Nothing. They meant nothing. Not the rules, not the laws, not the god damn king. None of them. The burning sensation grew into a flood. Lucas drew a breath. His pulse was high, and his hands gripped the post of his bed until they were white. The world was spinning. He had to calm down. He needed to fix this. He could leave. The first though came to his mind. If he left right now, without warning, he could probably make it a distance before people came after him. If they did, but something told Lucas that the princess, the whore, wouldn¡¯t let him slip away. Running away would make him suspicious. It would justify the whore¡¯s thoughts and actions. He could also go and plead for mercy or go ask for help from his friends. Scarface¡¯s words about his classmates and the rumors about him echoed in his head. They weren¡¯t likely to believe him or help him. He was alone. Loneliness crushed his anger. Why couldn¡¯t he have said no to Darius the first day? At least he would still be with his classmates. At least he wouldn¡¯t be like this. Suddenly, the face of a little girl appeared in his head. Reyna. The loneliness lifted a bit. The little girl who had turned into his best friend and was almost like a little sister was there for him. A small smile found its way on his face. The memory of a conversation replayed in his head.
¡°Hey, what¡¯s the training like? Is it hard? My father and brother told me that it¡¯s hard.¡± Reyna¡¯s expectant face stared down at him from the tree branch she sat on. She was agile enough to climb up there, and Lucas had stopped worrying about her falling down. He chuckled at her question. ¡°It¡¯s hard on the body, but the history lessons are worse. I don¡¯t wanna know about King Yulcal the Rotund. I swear if they managed to get Master Darius to lecture history to prisoners they would all be pleading to every god that exists to get them out of there. They would reform faster than you can flip a coin.¡± Reyna laughed. ¡°It can¡¯t be that bad can it? I¡¯m kinda glad I don¡¯t have to do it now.¡± She said. ¡°You will soon too, I bet. And if you don¡¯t, I will lecture to you, just cause I don¡¯t wanna have to be the only one who has to endure it.¡± Lucas smiled with a glint in his eye.
The memory ended with her laughter. Reyna¡¯s laugh reminded him of his older sister. She always had a smile on her face, and was the one that he could trust. He told her everything, and she helped him out with advice and other things. She helped him with school work and they shared a lot of things together. Maybe that was why Lucas thought of Reyna as someone he could rely on. She was a little version of his sister. The anger was gone now. The world had stopped spinning, but the color had drained away. The princess would find some excuse to either throw him in the dungeon or, even worse, he would end up dead and buried somewhere in the ground where nobody would ever find him. Lucas began to muster some strength. The only thing he knew for sure right now was that he was on limited time. ***