《To Protect》


 Update

    Edited: As said in the comments, I''ll be posting a sparknotes version of what ill be changing in the earlier chapters so you all don''t have to go back and reread everything all over again when things get changed.


    Editx2: The edits I''ll be doing on the chapters are low priority vs newer chapters, I just work on them when I have a spare moment, so don''t expect them to come fast. Also, the edits themselves won''t change the story too much, mostly minor details. So if you''re reading this update before reading the story, dont worry, you can go ahead and read the story as it is as not much will change via edits.


    Now onto the changes planned:


    Lenzeros'' Layout:


    Originally a typical city with a square wall lining the perimiter, now it''ll be pentagonal.


    Heres a rough map I whipped up of how itll look:http://i.imgur.com/jmFE8CU.png


    The five temples have been cut and in their place will be one big temple. The manor is now changed a small castle.


    This bit alone will require quite a bit of work.


    Chapter 3: Growing UpUnauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    This chapter is the earliest one that will see bigchanges, mostly on how the whole growing up bit works. As someone pointed out to me, just because Daen learns the alphabet doesn''t mean he knows what the words would mean until someone taught him. As well as a brief introduction to basic numbers via the twins'' birthday.


    Over the chapter the father, Wekken, will go away on business a lot with Yvette the second wife, who is actually a Priestess of Opell. Hints at this will be given in Chapter 2 via the necklace she wears with the crest of Opell hanging from the chain. But Chapter 5''s recollection about the ring will explain the whole Priests and Priestesses are allowed to marry bit.


    Kelmon will leave for the Officer''s academy at age 12 instead of 16.


    General Information:


    Months and Weeks will change and be given names. Originally it was 12 months at 40 days each for a total of 480 days in a year. However this meant that every three years was an extra year in our world so a 3 year old would be 4, 6 would be 8 etc. This''ll be changed to 10 months with 40 days each so the year will only be slightly longer than our own.


    Mages will be called Enchanters from now on, which I started doing in the later chapters, but they will use the name exlusively in conversation. Daen will merely think mages at the start before switching.


    Beastmen renamed to Beastkin. Simply due to the fact that not all Beasts are men. Sorry Beastwomen.


    Added Details:


    I''ll be going back over every chapter over the coming weeks and seeing if I could improve them so that the reader can have a clearer picture of how things are without being too descriptive. I don''t want to spend like 10 pages describing a room after all.


    ----------------


    Thats pretty much what I''ve got planned for my edits. When I''m done editing a chapter I''ll edit the title''s chapter with an (F) for Finalized so if you''re curious you can go back and reread it. Once again, thank you for your patience, now let''s get back to rolling this ball!

 Chapter 1: The Rebirth.

    Thoughts cascaded through my mind as I drifted in darkness. Who am I? Where am I? How did I get here? These questions and more formed at the forefront of my thoughts. As I attempted to gather my bearings a muted thump reached my ears as if from far off. Curiosity plagued my thoughts about this strange thumping sound. ¡®What could it be?¡¯ I pondered as I attempted to move my body. Unfortunately, my movements were sluggish and weak. Like trying to swim through gelatin. Unable to do anything besides think, I wondered back to my initial questions.


    Who am I? I pondered this very question for unknowable amounts of time in my solace. Despite how hard I tried, not a single word came to me. Just faint images of a young man who I may have been. Where am I? ¡®In darkness.¡¯ I answered with mirth, unable to even see my hand that I held languidly in front of what I assumed to be my face. Total, complete darkness. None of my questions provided answers. Except for one, ¡®How did I get here?¡¯ Images flooded my mind at this question, like a glass overturned. However, my recollection was fragmented. But as I focused I could feel the fragments slip into place. I remembered entering a building, a building with people inside. Money changed hands as pleasantries were exchanged. Another and I sat at a desk to the side of the entrance to do¡­something. But it wasn¡¯t before long that I felt the shadow of a man enter the building. His voice brought fear to the eyes of all inside. In his hands a metal object was held, raised towards the people at the front counter.


    The sound of the weapon being fired sent people huddling to their knees, crying out in fear. One fell to the ground, red had begun to spread from his clothed chest. I remembered the same fear holding me as the man pointed his weapon towards another. Though I may have been afraid, some primal urge had made me move. Instinct demanded that I charge the man who shifted towards me. His eyes frantic as he pulled the trigger that sent bits of metal into my chest. But I had come too far, too fast. Even as I felt my strength leave me, a single purpose echoed in my mind, protect. With this single thought, I used my remaining strength and slammed into the man. The force of my rush sent him crashing to the ground with me atop him. His weapon clattered to the ground far away as he cursed beneath me.


    I blinked weakly as I felt myself being pulled off the man as others moved to restrain him. Muffled voices entered my ears, as if from miles away. They sat me against a wall, snapping their fingers and patting my shoulder in an attempt to keep me awake. Their motions growing frantic as their frenzied words never reached my ears. I watched the world dim from eyes that didn¡¯t feel like my own. In time, all light faded and I was bathed in total darkness. The same darkness I now found myself in. Soon after the recollection of my death faded a flood of memories swarmed me. I remembered everything.


    My name was Allen and I was twenty-two years old when I died.


    I briefly ran through my memories before I stopped in the middle of one. It was too depressing to remember all that had been taken from me. My family¡­my friends¡­everything. I then wondered how much time had passed since the events of my death, but decided that too didn¡¯t matter. Time had no bearing in this place. And so I floated in the great blackness where an instant could be an eternity. But it was not to last. As my thoughts raced I felt myself being pushed in the darkness. I moved my head to see what was happening, only to see an opening of light far away. The feeling of being pushed came back once more as I slowly moved towards the light. Sounds of anguish soon haunted my ears and the final pieces clicked into place.


    I was being born and it sounded horrifying.


    Far worse than that birthing video that I was shown in health class a lifetime ago. It was as if the creators of said video left out some very important parts. Some very disturbing parts. In an effort to end this nightmare as soon as possible, I attempted to move myself towards the light. My efforts were rewarded with small amounts of progress, but every bit helps. Little by little, I was being born and I vowed to myself to do my best to repress this memory forever.


    It wasn¡¯t long until my head was free from my prison and I was able to look around and open my mouth. ¡°Hello world!¡± I exclaimed which turned out to sound something like like ¡®boo-boo ga-goo.¡¯ Baby speak sure is interesting. Before I could contemplate another phrase, I was leaning towards ¡®seize the means of production¡¯ I was grabbed and eased the rest of the way out of my birth mother by a pair of hands that, while old-looking, moved with grace. In an instant my umbilical was cut and I was wrapped in warm blankets. Talk about service. Whoever they were was a pro.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    With wandering eyes I took in my surroundings. The room was filled with light from old-style lanterns that hung upon wooden walls. Don¡¯t these people know about fire hazards? I certainly wasn¡¯t in a hospital, thats for sure. The room was adorned with a single window flanked by red curtains. Outside the window was a large garden, but further beyond the garden were multitudes of buildings silhouetted from a night sky.


    ¡°Yvette, ayeyt, mignan itn yu togen.¡± A serene voice reached my ears as the woman holding me spoke. Curious, I looked up to see an elderly, yet gentle face looking down at me. Eyes red as rubies stared into my own. Her hair short and gray. She blinked once and her once red eyes were now a deep brown. Curious.


    ¡°Neat trick.¡± I spoke, which unfortunately, came out as some more weird bubble-cooing.


    ¡°Breidda¡­sadda¡­¡± A female voice sounded from beside me. Her breaths heavy from exertion. ¡°Wekken¡­ayeyt, sibi da togen¡­¡± She sighed as I was handed over to her. An exhausted sigh escaped her lips as I turned my head to see this person. I was greeted with a motherly smile. This new woman had kind brown eyes and perfectly straight black hair despite a slight sheen of sweat upon her face. Her face was angular, like a fox¡¯s. The sound of footsteps drummed into my ears as a man walked into my view.


    His hair short and black, eyes a piercing blue and a small triangular beard emphasized his sharp chin. But other than his sharp-looking chin and sharp eyes, he looked average. His clothes seemed tailored to fit him prim and proper. Though they looked very old fashioned. Everything about this man screamed aristocrat, someone who wielded power like it was second nature to them. His gaze seemed to be searching every inch of my face.


    ¡°Sup?¡± I asked, which became ¡®Goo¡¯.


    He smirked and after a few moments the man nodded and retreated from my sight. ¡°¡­Daen.¡± He said simply as the sound of a door opening reached my ears followed by it closing and his footsteps faded into the distance. I assumed that that man was my father, certainly a man of few words if these initial impressions were anything to go by.


    Soon after the man left, the old woman, Breidda if I guessed correctly, exchanged the dirtied cloth beneath my mother, Yvette, with clean blankets. The two chattered about in their strange dialect that I had no way of deciphering for the time being. So there I sat, perfectly content in a bundle of warm blankets, cradled in my new mother¡¯s arms and watched the two jabber on. All in all, it was pretty calm until the sound of rapid footsteps echoed from outside and the door burst open.


    ¡°Ahma!¡± A chorus of voices shouted as three well-dressed youths stormed the room, the eldest-looking of which held a bundle of blankets in his arms. The torrent of words seemed unceasing until my mother held me out for them to see. Breidda snorted in amusement at the sudden silence. The youngest of the crew, a short boy that looked to be about five years or so with shaggy light brown hair and wide blue eyes, was the first to hold me. Uncomfortably I might add. If I used an animal to describe his features, id say he looked like squirrel with his puffy cheeks.


    ¡°Ohh, wannli wa baelo.¡± The boy exclaimed as he handed me off to a girl wearing a blue dress. She also had light brown hair that reached her shoulders. Unlike the boy she took me from, her facial features were quite sharp, mostly her eyes that looked almost feline in a way.


    ¡°Sigda Jeral. Siwa ta bahn.¡± Unlike her brother, she was capable at holding me without causing me discomfort. If I had to guess, I¡¯d say she was around six years old, potentially seven. With a giggle she started lightly rocking me back and forth while cooing at me. While I certainly appreciated the attention, I seriously didn¡¯t want, nor need, these demeaning noises made at me. Unfortunately any displeased rebuttal I made at her simply encouraged her to babble more before switching me with the final boy¡¯s bundle. Inside that bundle was another child, and based on the pink cloth I¡¯d have to safely assume it was a girl. The eldest boy chuckled as he held me.


    ¡°Mytti, yiswi wa ahma.¡± He smiled as the girl holding the other child stuck out her tongue at him. Then he stared down at me as I stared back at him. If I didn¡¯t know better, I¡¯d say it was a younger version of my father staring at me. Minus the beard of course. ¡°Losh, thel lo Kelmon. As tol?¡± With the way he looked and acted, he had to be around eleven years old.


    ¡°Kelmon, ytta di lo.¡± My mother spoke. Kelmon nodded and then handed me to her. My oldest sister followed suit and handed the girl in the bundle of cloth to her as well. ¡°Daen, yoska.¡± She said as she smiled at me before pointing at the the younger boy. ¡°Jeral.¡± She stated as the boy waved with a grin. Her finger then moved to the older girl who curtsied. ¡°Mytti.¡± She then continued to the eldest. ¡°Kelmon.¡± At the mention of his name, Kelmon bowed lightly. And finally she pointed to the girl in the bundle. ¡°Lakka.¡±


    This language bugged me, it was like nothing I¡¯d have ever heard before, and I¡¯d heard them all. Thats what happens when you get bored and have google translate open. Still, these people didn¡¯t seem so bad.This would be my new home, and these people, my new family.

 Chapter 2: My First Day

    After being introduced to my family, the other children left. My baby sister being carried by my older sister. Left alone with my mother and Breidda, my mother fussed about with me for a short time before becoming too exhausted and falling asleep with me in her arms. I followed suit shortly after as I was tuckered out from all the excitement of being born. When I awoke I found myself inside a finely crafted crib beside my mother¡¯s bed. I say finely crafted because it didn¡¯t creak no matter how I moved. And I attempted to make that baby cage creak something fierce. Alas, my efforts proved to be in vain. I must have been babbling aloud however, as my mother woke up shortly after my exertions. She quickly dressed in what looked to be an expensive dress and picked me up out of my crib.


    As she raised me up high, I spied a mirror upon her desk. I quickly glanced at my reflection. Thin, black hairs grew upon my head and sky blue eyes stared back into me. ¡®Hey there good looking, whats up?¡¯ My stomach growled at that moment.


    ¡°Akel don ta wasa?¡± She asked sweetly. She must have asked if I was hungry. At first I was thinking, yeah sure. I believed I¡¯d be getting some form of applesauce or something. Cause lets be real, applesauce is awesome no matter how old you get. But my hopes were quickly dashed when she reached for the top of her dress. A sense of dread sent a chill that formed a boulder in the pit of my stomach. Followed by a rumble. I guess I really was hungry. Unable to escape my current predicament, I closed my eyes and begged for forgiveness from whatever higher power there was. Judge me not by the actions I am forced to take against my will ye gods.


    After feeding, my mother wrapped me in a deep blue blanket and carried me out of our room into a well decorated hallway. My eyes scanned everything from the deep red carpets, to the many paintings hung upon the walls, and even to the various amazingly crafted marble busts that stood upon lacquered wooden displays. Light poured into the hall from windows so the lanterns hanging from the walls were unlit. Various servants lightly bowed as they crossed our path through the mansion. I was left babble-less as I realized the implications. I was rich! Well, my family was rich. Which meant that I was rich by association!


    I unwillingly began to drool which my mother quickly wiped away with a handkerchief. Thanks mom, love ya.


    It wasn¡¯t long until my mother found Breidda and another woman reading in a room filled with books. And I mean filled, shelves lined the walls and book cases cluttered the room. We had our own personal library! Oh lord would I spend a ton of time in this place when I was older. Breidda and the other woman stood as my mother entered. The new woman had long, light brown hair and green eyes. She held herself with poise and dignity as she spoke to my mother in a refined tone. Unfortunately, I couldn¡¯t make heads or tails of what she was saying but she approached my mother with an amused expression. I was then held out and taken by the new woman who looked down at me with curious eyes. I babbled a little to appeal to any woman¡¯s motherly instincts, which paid off with a smile.


    ¡°Awana takae dono?¡± The woman asked as she lightly poked me with a finger which I promptly grabbed with my right hand. Talk shit, get hit lady. Nobody pokes me without permission. She smirked and said something else which I didn¡¯t catch. I was trying to squeeze this woman¡¯s finger off. Unsuccessfully I might add.


    ¡°Daen.¡± My mother replied to the woman. The woman then looked down at me and repeated my name as if committing it to memory.


    ¡°Daen.¡±


    ¡°Myril, ada ban Wekken estenlo.¡± Breidda spoke to the woman. So this was Myril, eh? Myril then handed me back to my mother and promptly excused herself. My mother then spoke to Breidda at length about something¡­or multiple somethings. I¡¯m not too sure, I¡¯m just a baby after all.


    Eventually I was carried from the library and down a flight of stairs. Not long after we had left the house entirely. Being carried out into the light was a sight that I¡¯d burn into my memory forever. Outside our home contained a stone path that led to a gate about fifty feet away. Walls of about seven feet in height surrounded the estate and maintained the fifty foot buffer between the mansion and the walls. Wherever I looked there were people around working. Both male and female servants tended to the flowers planted around the house. To one side of the house, shrubs were grown in a maze-like pattern. The other side sported a few trees and a large gazebo big enough to fit at least twenty full grown adults.


    Far beyond the walls of our home stood a multitude of buildings. I don¡¯t know how big towns get here, so I couldn¡¯t accurately judge if it was a city or not. But it was definitely a place that looked like it could easily house around five thousand people. I¡¯d like to go there one day just to check everything out. Exploring towns was a hobby of mine in my other life. My friends and I would go driving around looking for store that piqued our interest. One day I¡¯d get to go there. One day.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    My mother sat within the gazebo in the garden with me in her arms and took a deep breath. I followed suit, taking in the scent of flowers mixed with clean air. Truly a medicine for the soul. A servant strode out of the mansion with a plate of fresh fruit and placed it next to my mother. He then bowed and left us. As my mother ate and I looked around, I caught sight of Jeral running through the grounds and looking through the bushes for something. He looked excited as he grabbed something before making his way towards the mansion entrance. Sadly, he was stopped short by my mother calling him over.


    Reluctantly he made his way to us and averted his gaze, sheepishly grinning. My mother spoke to him in a kind voice and he responded by taking his hand from behind him and opened it, revealing a beetle that was greenish-yellow. He was definitely going to sneak it into the house to scare Mytti with. For sure, no doubt. My mother spoke to him once more and the boy nodded before running back to where he had found the bug and put it back. Or at least, made the motions of putting it back. After he ¡°released¡± the bug, he then raced back into the house. A loud scream echoed from the open windows shortly after. My mother sighed and shook her head, but I giggled. My mother stared at me in thought before she spoke.


    ¡°Awata mae tadenil Jeral.¡±


    I didn¡¯t need to know the language to know she said ¡®Please don¡¯t be like your brother¡¯. Lucky for her, I didn¡¯t have a mind for mischief. I just enjoyed a good prank or two. Together we watched Jeral bolt out of the house, laughing, followed closely by a very angry Mytti. If I were a betting man, I¡¯d place money on Jeral giving her the slip in the gardens. He was fast. Mytti however, made a show of chasing him before slowing down and returning to the entrance of the house and hiding behind the door. And so the hunter lay in wait for its prey. Jeral came trotting around the other side of the house with a grin on his face. He looked around briefly and assumed he had lost his sister. He assumed wrong. I wanted to shout a warning, but I also wanted to see how this would end. When he opened the door to the house Mytti was there.


    In the blink of an eye she grabbed Jeral by the shirt with one hand. In the other was the beetle from before. She then squished the bug against Jeral¡¯s forehead. Surprise held Jeral as Mytti wiped the remains of the beetle on her hand on his shirt. Satisfied with her vengeance, she then walked back into the house with her head held high. Still in wonder how he could have been outdone, Jeral made his way towards us and sat beside us. Once again, I didn¡¯t need to know the language that my mother told him that he gets what he deserves. All in all, it was an entertaining morning.


    Sadly the rest of the day proved rather uneventful. I had a few meals and a few naps. While I was awake I babbled a ton to strengthen my vocal chords so I could speak as fast as possible. Crawled whenever possible so I¡¯d get stronger and only pooped myself twice. Not my fault though, just doing baby things. However, I did get back at Mytti for my brother Jeral. While she was holding me and making boo-boo poo-poo noises I peed on her. Frustrated, she handed me off to Jeral who then whispered to me in a happy tone. No problem bro, us dudes gotta stick together.


    At dinner time the whole family gathered in the dining area. A massive table sat in the center of the room, surrounded by seats for every member of the family with room enough to spare for any guests if need be. Sitting at the head of the table was father, of course. To his right was Myril and to his left was my mother. The older children were seated wherever they wanted, whereas Lakka and I were put in a crib that had room to move around in. We already had our dinner so now it was time for the older people to eat. I watched with interest as my father spoke to everyone. They then bowed their heads in prayer before digging into whatever they had on their plates.


    I salivated at the smells coming from that table. Whatever it was they were eating, it smelled like chicken. I prayed that my teeth would come in soon, I desperately craved meat.


    As the family ate, my father would address one member of the family and speak with them for a time before moving on to another. It seemed like this was his way of spending time with the family as I had not seen him in the house all day. Though I admit that I haven¡¯t been to every room in this mansion. At one point he had addressed Jeral who didn¡¯t respond. Not exactly raising his voice my father spoke in a stern manner.


    ¡°Jeral Faltelo, kali pa tapaelo shipenti esta enlo.¡±


    Oh yeah, he was about to get a talkin¡¯ to about pulling pranks on his sister. That was the first time I had heard our last name though. Hmm, Daen Faltelo... sounds good to me.


    As I did my best to listen in to the conversation, I knew that one day I would sit at that same table. It was just a long, long time off. It was at that point I vowed to do my best to understand this language. But as I made my vow a rather stinky fragrance emanated from my immediate vicinity. I turned my head just in time to see Lakka begin to cry as she made a mess in her clothes. A servant entered the room and quickly extracted my stinky sister from the room.


    Dammit sis, way to ruin the mood.

 Chapter 3: Growing up

    My self imposed baby training started immediately. Every day I would babble, scream, and cry to strengthen my vocal chords. I alone wouldn¡¯t be much of a problem, but Lakka would also join in my solo to become a cacophony. As understanding of the language came to me, I learned that the servants had a special nickname for us, ¡®Baby Banshees¡¯. It was perfect. I¡¯m sure if the two of us really tried we could shatter glass. Vocal training was going along swimmingly.


    As for language training, I merely had to listen and watch. Though complete proficiency was impossible without being able to speak, read, or write. All things in due time. At one point I was in the care of my second mother in the library and had found a book that someone had carelessly dropped on the floor. Sadly, I couldn¡¯t make heads or tails of the alphabet that they used. Me being in possession of a book had frightened my second mother something awful when she had turned her attention to me. But she had seemed very relieved when it wasn¡¯t damaged. Come on lady, I¡¯m not a barbarian after all. At least once she had taken the book from me she had sat me in her lap and began to read to me. This helped my comprehension somewhat, as I could match what she was saying with the words written on the pages.


    I made happy babbling sounds to encourage her. From that point on, whenever I was in her care she would read to me. All according to plan.


    Muscle was easy to work on. All I had to do was crawl around a ton. There would be times when I would just crawl around rooms as fast as I could. Breidda had once commented that I had been ¡®Crawling with a purpose¡¯. If only she knew how right she was. I was a man on a mission and neither hell nor high water could stop me. After a about two months, whenever someone was in charge of watching Lakka and I, and they weren¡¯t paying much attention, I would attempt to stand and hold my balance. To the best of my knowledge, I had only been caught once. Breidda had very sharp eyes for an old woman. Though I had yet to see those red eyes of hers once again.


    That would be one mystery I would crack eventually. I once joked around the idea that she was a demon in human skin, but didn¡¯t think it possible. After all, demons didn¡¯t exist. Right?


    My baby teeth began coming in a few months into my training and I have to say, it was very uncomfortable. My brother Kelmon was the first to notice my discomfort. Like a blessed saint, the boy had later given me a large wooden spoon for me to gnaw on. As far as I was concerned, I had a blood debt to Kelmon that would be repaid in full. Though after about a month I stopped using the spoon for comfort. I would deal with further discomfort with my superior will. I just made sure to keep it nearby. Just in case.


    At around seven months, my mother had begun trying to help me with walking, such as holding me up and moving backwards to get me to walk forwards. I made sure to fall down afterwords and continue to crawl. Sure, I would stand on occasion, but that was more to ease the minds of others. I was making progress! But at eight months I had had enough of waiting. I was under Mytti¡¯s watch within her room when I felt that familiar rumble in my stomach indicating that I had to expel waste from my rear end. At that point, I was completely done with shitting myself. So I got up and began to walk out of the room to head to the nearest bathroom.


    You could tell they were bathrooms by the scent of burning herbs to mask the smell of human waste.


    Needless to say, my sister was ecstatic that I was walking on my own. She waved down a passing servant in the hallway to go and get everyone to see this glorious event. But I was on a mission and would not be swayed no matter who would show up. My trousers would never again be soiled under my watch. Brown would never be the new black. Destiny had come calling and its name was potty.


    However, there were complications. My sister had been following me and noticed to where I was headed. She attempted to turn me away but I would not be denied. With the unknown agility of a box turtle, I avoided her attempts to make me move in a different direction. And by agility I mean I plowed past her arms. Don¡¯t mess with box turtles lady. I then scrambled inside the bathroom and looked around. All around the edges of the room was a wooden box-looking bench that seemed to be built into the wall. Carved into the top of said bench were holes where you would sit and let loose. Without a second though, I marched towards glorious relief.


    Mytti, at this point, would have no more of my foolishness and grabbed me as I was climbing up the box. I admit that I may have lost my cool, as she was currently standing between me and sweet release. Without a second thought, I unleashed as rank a fart as I could manage without actually shitting myself. That would defeat the purpose of this whole endeavor. It took her a second to realize that I was armed and extremely dangerous. She instantly placed me on the ground, dropped my drawers for me, and then lifted me to place atop the box. Though she held me there for support so that I wouldn¡¯t crawl away.


    Which I had no intention of doing.


    Moments later there was a flood of attention as my entire family, Breidda, and even some of the servants had come to see me walk. Much to their surprise, they only found me about to take a dump. Mytti then rapidly explained everything that had happened over the past few moments. Luckily, Mytti had finished the story as I had finished relieving myself. Though I now had a problem. What did I wipe my ass with? As I looked around frantically, my mother walked towards me, relieving Mytti of Daen duty. Then proceeded to wipe my bottom with a piece of what seemed to be sheep¡¯s wool.


    Old fashioned home with old fashioned solutions to old fashioned problems. Shame my dignity took a hit, but at least I never had to soil myself again. From that moment on, I was claimed to be some sort of child genius. I kind of felt insulted at that, I¡¯m a genius for pooping? As if. Wait till I could speak, then I¡¯d be able to sing The Intergalactic Laxative to them. Then they¡¯d know genius.


    After my mother had so graciously cleaned my bottom, I then pulled up my trousers and walked passed the onlooking crowd. With no plumbing I had to find some water to wash my hands. Best I could think of where to find it was either the kitchen or the garden. I doubt these people would appreciate me washing my hands in their dish-cleaning water so I decided to head downstairs to go outside. Needless to say, I had a horde of followers, curious to see what I would do next. As I reached the stairs, I faced a dilemma. Either I could slowly crawl down them to reach the front door to get outside, which would take a ton of time. Or I could sit on my butt and roller coaster that shit.


    There really wasn¡¯t a choice to begin with.


    Worried gasps sounded from behind me as I left them in the dust and wiped off my butt. I looked back to see the group following me. However, Jeral looked interested at what I had just done and stood behind as the rest followed me. As I made it outside I could hear him whooping as he thumped his way down. Good kid, he¡¯d learn many things from hanging around me. Once outside I quickly found a gardener tending to some flowers with a bucket next to him to water them with. I quickly dunked my hands in and scrubbed them clean.


    People looked curious after I had washed my hands. I¡¯m sure they understood about washing hands, I just didn¡¯t know how often they would do such a thing. I had to teach these people about germs and microbes and other baddies asap. I got knowledge and I aimed to use it for the betterment of all. And maybe I wanted to impress them a bit. Though I had already accomplished that task quite handily.


    The excitement died down as I started to play outside, chasing bugs and crawling around in the dirt. Though from that point on everyone kept a close eye on me, obviously wondering when I¡¯d do the next amazing thing. Its tough being a child genius. In an effort to get some of the interest off from me, I decided that I would help Lakka. Also because I wanted to. So I wasn¡¯t just being selfish.


    It was another two months until she began to walk around with decent proficiency for a child. Then she became very adventurous and explored every inch of any room she could get into. At that point I started to lay low, as I was content letting my use of the bathroom be the extent of my genius. Doing too much too quickly would just make people expect too much from me.


    Over the next couple months things were pretty calm. My knowledge of the language continued to expand further. By cross referencing books with words I knew, I figured out very bare-bones understanding of the alphabet. In total, the alphabet consisted of thirty-seven letters, some with accents over them to determine the sound that letter made. I silently thanked whatever gods this world worships that it wasn¡¯t like Japanese. No language should have that many characters to memorize.


    Thanks to all my time and effort spent in the library with my second mother, I could read any book. Though, very slowly. Much needed information was quickly at hand as I delved into book after book. Such as that each year was divided into twelve months like my past life¡¯s one was. However, each month consisted of forty days. How my father was the Count of the town of Haddan¡¯s Willows, named so for the vast amount of willow trees growing around the massive lake a few miles west of town. Our town resided within the borders of the Ahlgim Dominion, an empire that rose to prominence some four hundred years ago. Currently they controlled just over a third of the total landmass of the continent.The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    Fortunately the book made mention of other countries Unfortunately the information was very sparse. Mostly, the book just rambled on about the greatness of our nation and a recounting of past Emperors and their accomplishments. It was at this point I could deny it no longer. Either this was some weird alternate-past-history version of Earth or it was a completely different world. Both were equally plausible, as the universe is vast. Pretty much any possibility could be true if you search enough. Heck, theres a planet out there that rains glass. Anything is possible. Plus theres also that multi-verse theory going on. Either way, this wasn¡¯t the Earth I knew. A fun thought to think about, but one of not much worth at this point. Not like I could go home either way. For better or for worse, this was my home now and I would make the best of it.


    The same month that I had gained my understanding of the alphabet, which would be October, was Jeral and Mytti¡¯s seventh birthday. Apparently the two were twins and I had misjudged Jeral to be younger than he was. Oops. They had a fun party with an amazing looking cake. Which I got to partake in, thanks to my loving mother. Bless her soul. They both received some very nice clothing as a gift. A frilly red dress for Mytti turned out to be her favorite of the bunch. Whereas Jeral favored his new black vest. My father had recently purchased an expensive piece of musical equipment just for the occasion as well. He signaled us to follow him into the sitting room, barely able to contain his smirk.


    Our sitting room now contained a piano. I must have been drooling at the sight of it, as my mother wiped my mouth with her handkerchief. I never thought that pianos would exist at this point in time in this world. I couldn¡¯t wait to get my paws on that thing. In my past life I had learned to play Piano Man on one, these people were in for a treat. I could become this world¡¯s Billy Joel! I just needed a harmonica for the full experience.


    My second mother sat with grace at the piano and began to play us some music. Always the refined noblewoman.


    Kelmon¡¯s eleventh birthday came next month, which involved more cake, more music, and more presents. His most cherished one was a sword. One where the metal had an almost invisible blue tint to it. The hilt had a red leather handle, a rectangular cross guard, and a triangular pommel. Father said something about it being a blue-steel sword, which made many gasp. If such a statement made such a reaction, it was definitely important. I¡¯d have to look into it later in the library if I could find a book on metals or forging swords.


    Father then announced that Kelmon would begin training with the blade in the town¡¯s barracks almost everyday before being sent to the Empire¡¯s Officer Academy when he turned sixteen.


    As if that was not enough, Father then raised his voice and ordered someone to enter the room we all were in. A very strong-looking man entered that had more than a fair amount of scars along his arms. His head was shaved short, his eyes fixated on everyone, as if judging them. After a moment he bowed to my father and said that he received instructions to train Kelmon in the sword starting tomorrow. The man, Grashel Hyind, was a veteran of many campaigns my father explained, and came well recommended from friends in the military. Grashel then assured us that he would do his best as an instructor and that he would train Kelmon to be a force to be reckoned with.


    The big man then joined us at the table, accepting food and drink and answering various questions sent his way. As conversation lulled, he asked if he could inspect my brother¡¯s sword. With a nod from my father, Kelmon gingerly handed it over to his new teacher. Grashel looking over that sword was the only time I had seen him smile that whole day.


    The final day of December there was a celebration for bringing in the new year. Many got drunk during the festivities and had to retire early. Grashel was given a room in our residence, in addition to payment, as a thanks for training Kelmon. Since he was around for the festivities, he took part in the celebration. I watched him down drink after drink without showing any signs of drunkenness. The man was more beast than man.


    January rolled around and so came Lakka¡¯s birthday a whole week before mine. However, it wasn¡¯t until February that Lakka spoke her first word. I myself had deigned to wait until she had started speaking before I did so that I wouldn¡¯t, once again, be the genius child. I spoke my first word a week after she did.


    Over the coming months we would speak more and more. Lakka¡¯s mother would teach us new words in the library which I took to more quickly than Lakka. After a lesson Myril would then read to us. Stories about the Empire. Stories about Heroes and Heroines. Even stories that I was sure were merely fairy tales. Such stories continued until we turned three years old. At that point we were instructed on our letters so we would be able to read and write. This was just one of the perks of being born an upper-class aristocrat. Many people were illiterate in this world. Shortly after language lessons began we also started instruction on numbers.


    This relieved me greatly, as no matter multi-verse or distant world, one is still one. Thing is, what they were teaching was very simple. Counting one to ten, using items as examples, and so on. If we had a chalkboard I¡¯d one up Breidda, who was teaching us, by doing some long division. Maybe even calculate the area of a circle for shits and giggles.


    After beginning our lessons in letters and reading, my second mother started reading different books to us. Books about dangerous beasts that roamed the wilds. This one piqued my interest, as I had never stumbled upon a book like that before. Must have been on a top shelf, damn grown people able to reach high places. One day the small would rise up and overthrow our vertically blessed others! However, my thoughts of revolution were quickly squashed when she began reading about the biggest monster around, Dragons.


    ¡°Are Dragons real?¡± I asked simply as she described them living in high mountains, away from civilization.


    ¡°Oh yes,¡± She responded, ¡°Though they are few, they are sighted frequently. Emperor Pothumos Ahlgim¡¯s palace even has on display the bones of a great dragon from a long time ago. I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll take you there one day when you both are older.¡±


    Dragons were real. I wanted to pump my fist in the air and whoop and holler. Though I settled for wide-eyed awe. Who wouldn¡¯t want to see a dragon? Even if it was a dead one.


    She then went back to talking about the dangerous beasts of our world. Werewolves, Vampires, Beastmen of all kinds, great creatures of the sea and plenty of others. One of those others she talked about in-depth was that of the undead and the evil warlocks that controlled them. Though she went on to talk about how not all magic users were evil, such as our father. But those that delved into black magic were considered outlawed in all lands. She rambled on and on about something else, but I wasn¡¯t paying attention.


    Magic was real! And our father was a mage! After our lesson I asked¡­okay, demanded, if we could see our father do a bit of magic. Myril thought for a bit before nodding and leading us to Father¡¯s private study. Once there, she explained that we would like to see his gifts. He smirked, held up his hand, and instantly a small globe of flame floated just above his hand. With a gesture the flame then dissipated into the air.


    ¡°That¡¯s all for now.¡± He stated, smiling at our awe. ¡°By the grace of the Gods, perhaps even one of you will show a gift for magic.¡±


    Magic was real! Lakka and I both squealed in excitement. ¡°We could be mages!¡± we shouted, holding hands and hopping around. ¡°We could be mages!¡±


    After we had turned four we were brought into town by our parents. Escorted by guards of course. But boy was it unsanitary. Horses crapped in the middle of the road in which people walked and not one person cleaned it up. Smoke from smithies clogged the air and the stench of a large amount of people who hadn¡¯t bathed in weeks was so thick you could taste it. It was medieval in every way. Every god-awful, unsanitary, smelly, crowded way. We had to travel through most of town to get to our destination, the market. There, people yelled in an attempt to get people to buy their fruits, vegetables, meats and other assorted goods. I had been to a bazaar before once on vacation in my previous life. But this put that one to shame.


    We browsed many different stalls, and at one point I had gotten myself separated from my mother. Knowing what to do in a situation like this, I approached the nearest food stall and told the owner that I was waiting for my family to find me. I also explained that it¡¯d be best to wait at a stall so I wasn¡¯t lost in the crowd. The man nodded and proceeded to hawk his wares to everyone passing by, as well as stating that he had a lost child waiting here. Thankful for the man¡¯s help, I aided him in hawking his wares. He seemed surprised at first, but quickly was approached by more than a few customers thanks to the ¡®little shopkeeper¡¯.


    After a few minutes my family approached my stall and found me helping the man sell his produce. After announcing themselves, they thanked the man profusely. He immediately recognized my father and mothers. With a series of rapid bows, he proclaimed that it was no trouble at all and he was happy to serve the Faltelo family. Though the man initially refused a reward for keeping me safe, my mother forced him to accept a small bag of coins. The man looked inside, his face paled and he immediately bowed and gave us a bunch of fruit for free. He even gave me an apple!


    Apples rock, thanks dude. I immediately bit into it, enjoying the flavor. I had to wipe the juice flowing from my mouth with the back of my arm as I lacked a handkerchief myself. I then asked my mother if I could help the nice man some other time, to which my mother didn¡¯t know how to respond. The man however, said it would be more than fine if I came back, he¡¯d even pay me in produce for my help. Four years old and I already had a job lined up in sales. If this kept up, I¡¯d become a baron by ten.


    After we left the city I had to say that the most impressive building in town, in my opinion, was the church. It was a massive structure that looked almost like one from earth. But with one main difference. In the place of a cross was the figure of a five-pointed star. I asked my mother what it was and she answered that that was the Church of the Five. In this country people worshiped five gods. In brief, there was Lenzero, God of Courage. Zaras, Goddess of Intelligence. Bentillio, God of Honor. Holve, God of Strength. And finally, Opell, Goddess of Wisdom.


    A strange pantheon, but I could see what whoever thought them up was going for. Each God or Goddess represented a favored attribute in humanity. I¡¯d definitely have to read up on them sometime later, as learning the land¡¯s folklore would be a help integrating to their society. Plus I always have enjoyed a good story.


    Before I knew it, it was time for Lakka¡¯s fifth birthday. Or what my family called Judgment Day. The day when a child would be tested for magical aptitude. I¡¯m not sure who was more excited, me or her.

 Chapter 4: Lakkas Judgment Day

    The day had finally come, Judgment Day. The day where my sister would have her aptitude to magic tested. In my mind, the day should be Testing Day. Judgment Day just sounds so foreboding, like an execution sentence is about to be passed. But then, I¡¯m not the one who makes the big bucks so I don¡¯t get to decide this stuff. If I ever get the chance to change the name I will without a second thought. Regardless, the day had come and preparations were well underway for the event.


    Servants rushed back and forth, carrying chairs and small tables outside as the day was looking to be a nice one. The sun was shining, the birds singing, and Lakka was sitting in the gazebo with Mytti and so nervous that she shook like a heroin addict without their fix. Were I an evil monster of a brother, I¡¯d sneak up on her and make a loud noise. But because I¡¯m such a good brother, I only considered it. With a spring in my step, I approached my sisters.


    ¡°Mornin¡¯ Mytti. Mornin¡¯ Birthday girl.¡± I greeted as I sat beside Lakka and ruffled her black hair. ¡°Nervous I see.¡± She nodded rapidly in response.


    ¡°Scared.¡± She stated simply.


    ¡°I keep telling her that its nothing bad. An Enchanter and a Priest come with an orb that you hold on to for a few minutes. If you have an aptitude for magic its supposed to change color. If not, it stays dark.¡± Mytti explained as she gestured with her hands like she was holding the orb.


    ¡°Daen should go first.¡± Lakka whined.


    ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s switch birthdays. Worry not sis, I will save you from being first!¡± I rose to my feet and placed my hand over my heart in a mock vow. A light slap on the arm and a giggle were my rewards.


    Mytti merely rolled her eyes. ¡°You two are two peas in a pod. Hopefully one of you has the gift. Though I hope Lakka has it instead of you Daen. Your head is already too big for your shoulders.¡± She grinned. All eyes were truly on Lakka and I as the other three children didn¡¯t have the gift. I read that the gift itself was rare as well, only manifesting in one child out of hundreds. We shared a grin as the call for breakfast rung out.


    ¡°Food!¡± I shouted and led the charge into the mansion. Together, the family sat at the large dining room table with our heads bowed.


    ¡°By the Five we so live, they steel our hearts and minds to face whatever may come. Through times dark and light may we be forever grateful for their guidance. May our child be blessed this day. Praise be.¡± My father led the prayer.


    ¡°Praise be.¡± We echoed and began to eat. Breakfast was light today, only consisting of eggs and a side of ham. We had to save room for today was going to be a big party full of food and drink with many guests arriving to celebrate.


    ¡°So Lakka. How are you? Nervous?¡± My father asked as he ate a slice of ham.


    ¡°I was. I still am. But Daen helped a bit.¡± She said with a smile. ¡°But I¡¯m also so excited I can barely think.¡± My father smirked and nodded.


    ¡°What about you Daen? Your Judgment will be next week after all.¡± I tapped my chin thoughtfully then shrugged,


    ¡°Eh, whatever happens, happens. No point worrying about it until its time to.¡± I stated simply and took a bite of egg. At this Grashel laughed. He had become close to the family over the years he had been training Kelmon. These days he shared our family meal with us. Breidda did as well, but not today. Today she was ruling the servants with an iron fist to make sure preparations were well underway.


    ¡°Boy¡¯s got a point. Too much worryin¡¯ is bad fer ya.¡± Grashel stated as he took a bite of food. Myril then cleared her throat.


    ¡°Theres a time and place for everything, even worry. Not worrying enough is also detrimental.¡±


    ¡°Though its true he doesn¡¯t have to worry much right now,¡± My mother butted in, ¡°Since even if he does have a gift, he doesn¡¯t leave the home until he turns eight to go to the college.¡±


    Thanks to the one of the books I had read, I learned a bit about the College of Enchanters. Which, obviously, was a school dedicated to teaching those with a gift to harness and use their powers. Mostly in some form of offensive powers so that the country would continue to be the strongest force on this continent. Though I don¡¯t enjoy the thought of becoming a weapon for the country, I did like the idea of shooting fireballs.


    ¡°We¡¯ll find out next week!¡± I exclaimed with a smile as I finished off my eggs. Good family, good food, good life.


    ¡°That we will.¡± My father nodded in agreement.


    I waited at the table for the rest of the family to finish breakfast as was proper in this household. Us children passed the time by making smalltalk such as our hopes and dreams. Kelmon¡¯s dream was to become a high ranked officer in the Dominion¡¯s armies. I could definitely see him doing well there, he had the qualities that would make a grand officer. Mytti¡¯s dream was quite simple, she wanted to marry a man she loved and have a family of her own. The women at the table said ¡°Awww¡± while Jeral and I said ¡°Blech¡±.


    Jeral on the other hand, dreamed of becoming a famous adventurer that would explore the uncharted wilderness. Scale the highest mountains and find forgotten treasures told about only in stories. Father rolled his eyes at this and I joined him. That wasn¡¯t going to happen. Sorry Jeral, but it was true. As for Lakka she immediately said she wanted to be an Enchanter. Nobody wanted to tell her that her chances were pretty slim, but we¡¯d know if she¡¯d be able to follow her dream later today.


    As for me¡­I didn¡¯t really have a dream other than wanting to visit other countries and learn what I could about them. My mother called me her little academic which was true. If I wasn¡¯t running around I was reading in the library. I had joined Grashel one morning as he jogged around the estate¡¯s walls for morning exercise. Though I could only manage to do two laps before I became winded, he could do six. The man truly was a beast but he also gave me a goal to shoot for. If he could do it, so could I.


    After breakfast was finished Lakka and I went back outside to sit in the gazebo and watch the guests arrive. She didn¡¯t speak much so I always had to be the one to initiate conversation.


    ¡°So why was six afraid of seven?¡± I asked, which caused her to look at me in confusion.


    ¡°Why would six be afraid of seven? They¡¯re just numbers.¡±


    ¡°No, no. You have to guess why you think six is afraid of seven.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± A few moments passed as she scrunched her face in thought. ¡°Because the number is higher?¡±


    ¡°Because seven ate nine.¡± She stared at me. ¡°You know, ate like eating sounds like eight the number. So seven ate nine!¡± Her eyes widened as she finally understood the joke. Bless her soul.


    ¡°Alright I got another joke for ya. What do you call a cheese that isn¡¯t yours?¡±


    ¡°Hmmm. Not yet purchased cheese?¡±


    ¡°Nacho cheese!¡± Yet another blank stare. ¡°It¡¯d make sense if this world had nachos.¡± I grumbled silently.


    It wasn¡¯t long until the first guests arrived. High class lords and ladies were a common sight walking past the gate in their well-tailored clothing. Honestly, I wasn¡¯t too interested in them so I stayed in the gazebo. A group of musicians was next to arrive and they immediately set up inside the gazebo so I got a front row seat to their performance. I don¡¯t care who you are, violins are an amazing instrument and the sounds they make are out of this world.Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    Though my favorite would always be the saxophone. Mostly because I¡¯m biased and played it when I was in the middle school band a lifetime ago.


    It wasn¡¯t long until the guests I had been looking for arrived. I had grown close to the man who ran the one food stall I stood at in the market. Every time we would visit town I¡¯d make some excuse to help him out while my family shopped. After my family left me in his care I had begun putting my plans into action. First I had to explain to him that he needed a catchy name for his stall to draw attention. He was skeptical, obviously. So I told him to wait until next time I was around to show him what I meant. I had drawn up a sign for his stall using paints and a piece of wood. Thus, the next time we visited, Little Shopkeep Produce was born. It wasn¡¯t long until the man, whose name was Nemmel Tindolst, brought his daughter Ilsha, who was a year older than I, to help.


    Like her father, she had reddish-brown hair. As for looks, nothing about her really stood out. She was, for lack of a better term, rather plain. But then, who was I to judge? I considered myself to be quite plain as well. When I first met her, she was very shy, so she just stood behind her father mostly. But over time she began to help out at the stall. Using ourselves as mascots, we had the illusion of professionalism on our side.


    And people are always drawn to professionals.


    Business boomed while he did business. Always selling far more than he ever had before. Before my family came and got me to go home, Nemmel would give us a large bag of his best produce. He would always bow and give his thanks for help with his shop. Before long I had suggested to my mother that we invite the man and his family to our Judgment celebrations this month. She seemed hesitant at first, but conceded to my puppy dog eyes. The man was overwhelmed that we would invite a lowly farmer like him to our estate. But in the end, he accepted and said he would bring along his wife and daughter.


    And now they were here! Perfect. It looked like they had bought some higher class clothing than they were normally used to. His daughter in particular was very pleased. Probably was pretending to be a princess. I approached the family and we exchanged greetings. They acted quite out of place at our mansion, so I brought them to a table close to the gazebo where the band was playing. This way they could enjoy the music while attempting to blend in.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever been to a party like this before¡­¡± Nemmel said while looking around.


    ¡°Its certainly¡­¡± His wife, Pattelia began before thanking a servant who had brought us some drinks. ¡°Certainly a high class event. Thank you for inviting us.¡± She then bowed her head to me.


    ¡°I look out for those who look out for me. Mr. Tindolst helped me when I had been separated from my family. So in turn, I help him out.¡± Nemmel smiled sheepishly and scratched his head, while Pattelia smiled,


    ¡°I see he wasn¡¯t exaggerating when he said you were quite well-spoken for a five year old.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve always been told I¡¯m advanced for my age.¡± I shrugged, ¡°I just think its all the books I read, its like I¡¯ve got a lifetime of experience behind me.¡± The two parents chuckled while their daughter had her eyes glued to the band playing their instruments. ¡°Now if you¡¯ll excuse me, I need to go speak with my family. Don¡¯t be afraid to call over one of the workers if you need anything.¡± I bowed lightly to them and walked off. As I left them I could hear bits of their conversation. Then Pattelia dropped a bomb by saying something about marriage. Their daughter squeaked out loud with her hair flying left and right as she shook her head.


    Sorry friends, but I had no plans for getting hitched at this point in my life.


    As I walked towards the mansion I caught sight of my father heading towards the gate. Curious, I turned my head to see two robed people enter our property. One was a female with long golden hair and a kindly face that seemed to have a smile plastered to it. She wore red robes with a golden trim. The same colors worn by my father when he left the house to go to some nobility meetings. Guess they liked to color coordinate. But what really caught my eye was the wooden staff the woman used as a walking stick. If I knew my fantasy, that was a mage¡¯s staff. With it, she could weave powers unimaginable. Awesome!


    The man however, wore pure white robes with the golden symbol of the five pointed star. His face was quite rotund, but not fat. He looked naturally rounded. As for hair, well, he had none. I could tell that he was a priest of the Five. Interesting, I hadn¡¯t been able to read much about the religion of the Five but here was a source of knowledge himself. I¡¯d be sure to pick the man¡¯s brain later, as is my custom. Its also my right as a child, the ability to ask endless questions is one reserved no matter what world you¡¯re on. And boy did I have questions.


    I really wanted to rush over and unleash my barrage of questions, but I was part nobility myself. So I had to take purposeful, measured steps. Which were taken rapidly. When I reached the pair that my father was speaking with I waited for them to stop their conversation.


    ¡°So we¡¯ll be testing Lakka in a few minutes.¡± The priest spoke as the woman and my father nodded.


    ¡°That is fine, its almost noon after all.¡± My father nodded.


    ¡°Indeed, we¡¯ll finish this quickly so you can get on with-¡± The woman paused as she noticed my presence, ¡°Oh my is this little Daen?¡±


    ¡°Yes it is.¡± My father nodded, ¡°Go ahead and introduce yourself son.¡±


    ¡°Greetings,¡± I bowed, ¡° I am Daen Faltelo. Pleased to meet you.¡± My father nodded with a smile at my introduction. My second mother had drilled etiquette into me for the past two months. Looks like my father believed that they had payed off. Time to sunder his expectations, I had questions.


    ¡°Is that your staff? Does it help with your spells Miss Mage? What kind of magic can you use?¡± With a sigh my father shook his head.


    ¡°Apologies, sometimes Daen is very inquisitive.¡± The priest and mage both chuckled.


    ¡°Its not a problem Sir Faltelo.¡± The woman spoke, ¡°I can use most magics, but I am best in the Earth school of spells. And no, my staff is merely a walking stick. I have never heard of an object to increase magical power. Quite the imagination you have there young master.¡±


    No magic staves? Lame. As I opened my mouth to ask more questions my father put a hand upon my head.


    ¡°More questions later Daen. I¡¯m sure our guests would enjoy a drink and a moment of rest before we test Lakka.¡± Reluctantly, I nodded my head and left the group to hang out with Jeral. It wasn¡¯t long until I found him walking around the gardens with a group of boys around his age that I recognized. This was Jeral¡¯s so-called Band of Adventurers, boys from the town that he would walk around the surrounding wilderness with. Accompanied by guards of course. There were wild beasts in the surrounding countryside after all. I joined up with the group and began to converse.


    After a bit of wandering around and talking about imaginary adventures, it was time for the testing. The call for assembly had been shouted. And so we gathered in a large circle of people to watch Lakka¡¯s Judgment. I, as a member of the family, got to stand closest to Lakka with a clear view of her, the priest, the mage, and the crystalline orb that the priest held. The orb was currently dark as the priest had no aptitude with magic. Lakka was nervous, visibly so. But with her head held high she reached out and grasped the orb held before her.


    For a time, nobody made a sound. It was like we were all frozen in time as Lakka held the orb with her eyes shut. Moments passed until the orb began to change. From darkness a small green light began to form within the core. Gasps were heard throughout the crowd and mine was also among them. Tentatively, Lakka opened her eyes and stared at the orb that was lightly glowing.


    ¡°Yeaaaahhhhhh!¡± Grashel had his fist raised high in the air and led the crowd in a loud cheer that made my ears ring. But I joined in, adding my voice to the cacophony. With tears in her eyes, Lakka held the orb high which only made the crowd cheer even louder. The priest had his hand held out to receive the orb back, which Lakka gave.


    ¡°Congratulations, Lakka Faltelo. You have the gift.¡± He spoke reverently


    ¡°Allow me to be the first to welcome you into the ranks of Enchanters.¡± The mage bowed her head. ¡°May you learn much at the College when you enroll.¡±


    ¡°Th-thank you!¡± My sister bowed to both the priest and the mage. She then turned to me with the biggest smile I had ever seen her have. I gave her a grin back and a thumbs-up.


    My sister was going to become a mage.


    From that moment, the party began in earnest.

 Chapter 5: Shelter from a Storm

    Lakka¡¯s party was wild. And by wild I mean that Grashel smashed a table over his head and then roared into the sky. The man had to drink a barrel of, what I assume to be moonshine, to reach that level of intoxication. As the crowd drunkenly cheered the man then promptly vomited, let out another roar, and then passed out. The bear had begun his hibernation cycle. My father, slightly tipsy, said that a replacement table would come from Grashel¡¯s paycheck.


    It took four servants to drag his boozed-out body to into the house. I¡¯ll have to make some loud noises tomorrow.


    Besides that main bit of entertainment, the party was relatively calm. But then, anything would be calm after something like that. Many congratulated Lakka on her gift. To which she gave her thanks, visibly uncomfortable at being surrounded by people. Eventually, such attention proved too much for the girl and she escaped to sit with me, the Tindolst family, and my mother. Pattelia invited me to their farm as thanks for letting them attend this party. Their farm was only an hour by foot east of town, so it was pretty close. I asked my mother for permission and she readily agreed so long as I had a guard with me. So I agreed and said I¡¯d pay a visit in two or three days.


    Conversation turned to Lakka but she then shifted the spotlight to me.


    ¡°Daen, do you think you¡¯ll have a gift?¡± She wasn¡¯t comfortable being the center of attention. Made sense as she was a shy girl. I can see where she was coming from however, as I had asked myself that very same question.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got as much chance as anyone else does.¡± I shrugged, ¡°Why do you ask? Will you be lonely at the College?¡± I teased her. She then stuck her tongue out at me before mumbling something. While I couldn¡¯t hear her, I could understand what she was thinking. She didn¡¯t want to be dropped into a strange place without knowing anyone.


    ¡°I hope I do have a gift though.¡± I began, ¡°Learning magic would be extremely interesting. I bet they¡¯ve got a massive library filled with thousands of books on all sorts of spells and rituals!¡± Oh man, the idea of going to the College was so very appealing.


    ¡°Honey, you¡¯re drooling.¡± My mother stated. With as much dignity as I could manage, I wiped my mouth with my handkerchief.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry sis, even if I don¡¯t have a gift I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll be able to come visit every so often.¡± With a nod, my mother agreed.


    ¡°Indeed. Family is always welcome at the College. They even have an entire wing for visitors to stay at for long periods of time.¡±


    ¡°See sis, nothing to worry about.¡± Lakka smiled brightly,


    ¡°Okay!¡±


    As the party went on, a few guests had to depart. One of which included the Tindolst family. With a fond farewell and my promise to visit, they had left. As for the guests that had come from far away, they were given rooms in the mansion to use. Though the party had ended, the celebration went on well into the night. Later that night, as I slept so very comfortably in my own bed, I was awoken by being lightly shaken. Grumbling, I turned to look at who would disturb my rest. A teary-eyed Lakka stood before me in her sleeping attire.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to go.¡± She whispered. A flood of tears was barely held back. The girl was a time bomb with the clock ticking. With a smile built to allay her fears, I sat up and patted the bed. With downcast eyes, she sat beside me.


    ¡°You don¡¯t want to go to the College?¡± I asked.


    ¡°No.¡± Her rebuttal came quick.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you want to become a mage?¡±


    ¡°¡­yes.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, then we¡¯ve got a bit of a pickle.¡± She gave a slight giggle at that.


    ¡°Teach me.¡± She demanded. Confused, I asked her what she meant. ¡°You¡¯re smart. Teach me.¡±


    ¡°Sorry sis, but when it comes to magic you know more than me right now.¡± That wasn¡¯t quite true, my father let me read a book about magic about three months back. It covered all sorts of topics, from conjuration and enchantment spells, to how Enchanters invoke their powers. It was a very interesting read, but I didn¡¯t want her to know I knew so much. We all had to grow up eventually.


    ¡°If you really want to be a mage, you¡¯re gonna have to go to the College.¡± She was silent at this. The dam was beginning to break as tears slid down her face. With a sigh, I gave in. ¡°Alright sis, how about this.¡± She turned her head to me, ¡°If I have a gift, I¡¯ll be going with you to the College, correct?¡± A nod. ¡°Alright, well if I don¡¯t have a gift, how about I go to the College with you anyway?¡± This seemed to take her by surprise for a moment.


    ¡°Yes!¡± She dove into me and began to hug me. Tightly.


    ¡°Though if I do have a gift, I¡¯m going to be a better mage than you!¡±


    ¡°Nu-uh!¡±


    Afterwords, she calmed down and quickly became very tired. I offered to walk her back to her room, but she shook her head anddemanded that I stay with her. In the end, I was forced to concede and share my bed with her. She fell asleep easily, but not me. Not because I was uncomfortable sharing my bed, but because she had my arm in a vice grip and it was very uncomfortable. I got maybe two hours of sleep that night.


    The next day proceeded as usual. Wake up, prayer, breakfast, run around, lunch, reading and learning, dinner, more reading, and bed. Though I did explain to my mother the promise that I had given Lakka. She then called me a ¡®doting little brother¡¯. Honestly, I fully expected Lakka to forget my promise before she left for the College if I didn¡¯t have a gift. At least, I hoped she did. That night I prayed to the Five that she would forget her promise before leaving for the College if I myself didn¡¯t have a gift.


    The following day I decided to pay the Tindolst family a visit. Before leaving with my escort after breakfast, I had made a quick stop in our kitchen. I didn¡¯t get much, just a bit of uncooked sausage as a gift. We left shortly after I had wrapped up my gift. The woman rode a horse while I sat in the back of a wagon it pulled. That turned out to be a mistake, as my butt was sore after the trip. Cloud cover was heavy and dark, so I guessed we¡¯d be getting rain later which was fine by me. Living in the southern part of the Dominion was hot all year round. Upon reaching the Tindolst homestead, my eyes drank in their property. Fields of fruit trees stretched far and wide. Beyond the trees were fields for planting regular crops. Closest to the house was a barn with a few fenced off pastures for horses or cattle. For a family of farmers, their home was bigger than I expected.


    Over the ride to the Tindolsts I had gotten to know my escort a small bit. Her name was Cyn and she had been working for my father for about seven years now. She must have come from humble beginnings as she had looked at the farm with a smile and took in a deep breath.


    ¡°Reminds me of home m¡¯lord.¡± She said in a nostalgic voice.


    This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.¡°Grew up on a farm, lady Cyn?¡±


    ¡°Aye. Times were rough where I grew up.¡± She grunted. ¡°Had to leave me home and join the army at¡­ten I think. Sent most of me money home. Still do.¡±


    ¡°Do you ever go back? Like, when you¡¯ve got time off that is?¡±


    ¡°Nay, tisn¡¯t me home anymore.¡± She grinned and looked back at me, ¡°I¡¯m a soldier, home is where there¡¯s food, drink, and a bed.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t argue with that.¡± I chuckled.


    ¡°If¡¯n you don¡¯t mine me askin¡¯, whats m¡¯lord doing visiting a farm? Yer father don¡¯t do that.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, I don¡¯t think my father even likes me being friends with this family. For the moment he tolerates it simply because the one man kept an eye on me after I had gotten separated in town. As for why I¡¯m visiting, its a gesture of friendship and respect. Besides, Nemmel and I are in a sort of business partnership.¡± The woman nodded, but said nothing further.


    It wasn¡¯t long until I stood upon their porch and knocked at the front door to their home. Muffled voices came from behind the door before it slowly opened.


    ¡°Hello Ilsha.¡± I greeted the daughter who stood behind the door shyly. She did nothing but stare at me for a few moments. I waved at her to bring her back to reality. Her eyes widened and her face became tomato red as she realized she had been staring at me. ¡°What is there something on my-¡±


    ¡°Daddy!¡± She called out and raced off. Cyn then looked down at me and smiled.


    ¡°What? Shes shy.¡±


    ¡°Uh huh.¡±


    ¡°Think what you want, I¡¯m too young for that lovey-dovey crap.¡± Cyn just kept smiling at me. This trip was turning out to be just grand.


    ¡°Me lips be sealed.¡± She said with a wink.


    Not a moment later did Nemmel appear.


    ¡°Ah, welcome Master Daen. I¡¯m sorta surprised you made the trip today, it looks like its about to storm.¡±


    ¡°Eh, a little rain never hurt anybody.¡± I handed over my gift, ¡°Here, snagged you some sausage as thanks for your hospitality.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re too kind Master Daen.¡± The man lightly bowed before opening the door to let us inside.


    ¡°Sir Tindolst,¡± Cyn began, ¡°Be it fine to stable our horse in yer barn for a time?¡±


    ¡°Ah, sure. We have a few stalls open. Go ahead and pick one.¡± Cyn nodded before unhitching the wagon and leading the horse away.


    Walking through the Tindolst household made me realize how different our lives were. While I had anything I could want, these were people that worked hard for the little they had. There was very little furniture in the house. What they did have seemed old and rickety. But the home was clean despite it¡¯s age. Obviously Pattelia worked hard to keep things in an acceptable state. It reminded me of my home from my previous life. We didn¡¯t have much, but we had each other and that was enough.


    This was home and it felt good.


    ¡°Master Daen, welcome to our humble home.¡± Pattelia announced herself from the kitchen. ¡°I assume you¡¯ll be joining us for lunch? I¡¯ve got fresh bread baking.¡±


    ¡°Yes Mrs. Tindolst, my escort Cyn and I will be staying for a bit.¡±


    ¡°Honey,¡± Nemmel began, ¡°Master Daen brought us a gift.¡± He went into the kitchen and handed her my gift.


    ¡°Oh my, Master Daen is too kind by far.¡± She was extremely cheerful. ¡°This will go great with dinner tonight, thank you once more Master Daen.¡±


    Moments later, Cyn joined us and we all sat at a table together. Even Ilsha overcame her shyness to sit with us, though she was more focused on my escort than me for the time. It was probably her first time seeing a female soldier. She asked a few questions about being a female soldier. Not long after the questions started Pattelia served us lunch. Even as we ate the questions continued. Ilsha was quite inquisitive when she was comfortable it seemed.


    ¡°It ain¡¯t be an easy life. But I wouldn¡¯t live any other way.¡± Cyn finished, which made Ilsha smile in admiration.


    ¡°Wow.¡±


    A sharp crack of thunder boomed throughout the house. The storm had finally broken as rain fell in big drops. More lightning crashed in the sky, which caused Ilsha to yelp out in fear and hide under the table. Even more lightning lit up the sky and thunder clashed with a terrible bang.


    I sighed, we had planned on leaving after lunch to make it home before the storm broke.


    ¡°Seems pretty bad outside.¡± I said as I gazed out a window, watching the lightning thrash through the sky.


    ¡°Mmmm, kind of expected this today.¡± Nemmel stated.


    ¡°If you wish Master Daen, you could stay the night until the storm abates. I don¡¯t believe the storms will be going anytime soon.¡± I thought about that for a moment. Its not like I could turn on the weather channel and see when the storm was going to pass. But going out in that downpour wasn¡¯t looking very appealing neither.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± I asked, ¡°I don¡¯t mean to impose.¡±


    ¡°Oh no Young Master, we¡¯d be pleased to have you in our care!¡±


    ¡°Then I thank you once more for your kindness.¡± I bowed my head.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be headin¡¯ out. Someone¡¯s gotta tell the boy¡¯s mother where he¡¯s at.¡± Cyn smirked as she rose from her seat.


    I hopped down from my seat and followed her to the door.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you stay Cyn? Its dangerous out. I¡¯m sure they¡¯d find some room for you as well.¡±


    ¡°Bah, I¡¯m no stranger to danger Master Daen, but thank ye. You¡¯re in good ¡®nuff hands already.¡± With a light bow, she raced out into the storm towards the barn. Shortly after, I watched her gallop away as lightning illuminated her racing off into the distance.


    ¡°Be well you crazy woman.¡± I murmured to myself. After Cyn was out of sight I closed the door and walked back into the house. Ilsha was still cowering under the table, hiding from the thunder and lightning.


    ¡°Mind if I borrow a stool? I¡¯d like to watch the lightning from the porch.¡± They looked at me questioningly, but in the end Nemmel picked up a small stool and followed me to the porch.


    ¡°Pardon me saying Master Daen, but yer a little crazy wanting to watch lightning.¡± I laughed,


    ¡°None taken. I just like watching lightning. It¡­reminds me of something.¡± In my past life I had watched lightning on a porch just like this with my family. It was a time where we would just relax and enjoy nature in one of it¡¯s forms. Nemmel nodded as he placed the stool down.


    ¡°Be well Master Daen.¡± He bowed his head and then went back inside.


    It felt good being able to sit and watch lightning flash across the sky with the sound of rain hitting the roof. Now if only I had some popcorn I¡¯d be in heaven. The best part was that it wasn¡¯t windy at all, so I didn¡¯t have to worry about rain reaching under the porch. It was perfect lightning watching weather. As another streak of lightning shot through the sky, a timid voice spoke from behind me through a slightly opened door.


    ¡°¡­Not scared?¡± Ilsha spoke as she peeked through the door.


    ¡°Nope.¡±


    ¡°Why not? Its loud and scary and strange.¡±


    ¡°Things are less scary the more you understand them.¡±


    ¡°You understand lightning?¡± I nodded,


    ¡°A bit.¡± She looked a bit uncertain at my words, but stepped outside with me.


    ¡°Explain. I don¡¯t want to be scared.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± I got up from my seat and motioned for her to sit. With a nod she did. Together, we watched the sky light up with another flash of lightning. Ilsha shook a bit but sat firmly in her seat and watched the sky.


    ¡°Think of two different colored balls. A red ball and a blue ball.¡± She nodded. ¡°Now when these balls rub against one another enough they make a small spark of lightning. Now imagine that those clouds are filled to the brim with those balls rubbing against one another. The sparks from those balls combine to a big spark and make a loud noise.¡±


    Without taking her eyes from the sky, she nodded. When the next flash of lightning ran through the sky she didn¡¯t jump.


    ¡°You¡¯re right. It is less scary the more you know.¡±


    ¡°Congrats, you now know about electrical currents.¡± She looked at me then with a confused look, but I just stuck my tongue out at her. She giggled at that. Together, we spent the rest of the time until dinner watching lightning in silence.

 Chapter 6: A Judgment of my Own

    The storm passed by first light in the morning. I had just finished eating breakfast with the Tindolst family when Cyn had returned. Once more I thanked them for their hospitality before setting out with my escort. Ilsha had waved goodbye from the porch as we left the farm. Thankfully, Cyn didn¡¯t say a word, she merely smirked. I rubbed my temples in frustration. I knew damn well what she was assuming, Ilsha obviously had a childhood crush on me. Especially after the thunderstorm. Bah! I should have seen this coming.


    ¡°How do I fix this¡­¡± I mumbled as I bounced in the cart that Cyn¡¯s horse pulled.


    ¡°That girl seems to really like ye, m¡¯lord.¡± Cyn finally said once we were a few minutes out from the farm.


    ¡°Yeah. Shame I¡¯ll have to break her heart.¡± I responded. Cyn looked back with a look that, on the surface looked kindly, but deep down you could feel a threatening presence.


    ¡°M¡¯lord shouldn¡¯t do that.¡± I put my hands up defensively,


    ¡°Its not in my hands! If I have a gift I get sent to the College for a long time, right? So if I do have a gift I get sent away in three years.¡±


    Cyn nodded thoughtfully. ¡°If¡¯n it makes a difference to ye m¡¯lord, I¡¯ll pray ye don¡¯t have a gift fer her sake.¡± I had to grin,


    ¡°Softy.¡± She waved her hand dismissively.


    The rest of the trip home was made in silence.


    My mother and sisters were there to greet me as we arrived back at the mansion. Of course, I was bombarded with questions. When the Q&A session was over I could finally grab a book and relax. While the Tindolst¡¯s home is comfortable in its own way, nothing beats sleeping on beds that aren¡¯t stuffed with straw. That stuff is itchy! The rest of the day I was followed almost everywhere by Lakka. Thank goodness the bathroom is a safe space.


    Two days later I walked into the library. Inside was Breidda reading a book with a large bag beside her. Judging by the cover of the book, it was about the human body. I had read it before and found it was pretty detailed on what was inside us, but not so much on the functions of the organs. Granted, I knew more than that book thanks to public education. I could probably become a doctor in this world if the whole magic deal didn¡¯t work out.


    Dr. Daen. I like it.


    I myself grabbed the book about magic I had already read to reread and proceeded to skim through the magic process. The invoking process seemed simple, you concentrate until you ¡®feel¡¯ the magic within you. Feeling the magic would allow you to move on to the next step, unlocking the power. That first and second steps were the big factor between new magic users and veterans. Veterans barely had to concentrate to unlock their magic while for a novice it would take them a few minutes to access their power. Like in all things, the first step is the most vital. From what my father had said about his time in the College, the first few months are just accessing and releasing your power constantly.


    ¡°Feeling confidant I see.¡± Breidda spoke as she turned a page in her book.


    ¡°Confident?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re reading about magic and you don¡¯t even know if you have the gift yet. Most would call that confidence.¡± She turned the page again. ¡°I would call it foolishness.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t children like me allowed to be foolish?¡± I cocked an eyebrow at her. She chuckled,


    ¡°Most, yes. Jeral himself would seem to be foolish. But it is his way to make others smile.¡±


    She then stared straight into my eyes, and from across the room I could tell, they were red. ¡°You however, are not a foolish child.¡± It was at that moment I realized that we were well and truly alone in the library. My heart was bursting in my chest, threatening to break out of my ribs.


    ¡°No.¡± I said simply. Total silence stood between us as we stared each other in the eyes. Every second felt like a year and I felt cold sweat dripping down the back of my neck. Her eyes felt like they were burning into my soul.


    But she was the first to blink. And then she chuckled. Her eyes back to her normal brown.


    ¡°Such a reckless child. You are wise, but your wisdom makes you reckless. Few would meet my stare.¡± she paused in consideration before shaking her head.


    ¡°What are you?¡± I questioned.


    ¡°I¡¯m surprised you don¡¯t already know, with all the time you spend in here.¡± Her eyes ran across the top shelves of the bookcases. The shelves that I couldn¡¯t reach even with the aid of a stool or chair. The shelves that I knew had the most vital information in them. ¡°Oh.¡± She then laughed.


    Wow, what a bitch.


    ¡°Are you a demon?¡± A grin formed on her face.


    ¡°We¡¯ve been called that many times, though we are not demons.¡±


    ¡°A vampire then.¡±


    ¡°Wise indeed, great deduction skills Daen.¡± With a smile, she showed me her teeth. Her canines grew in length and looked sharp enough to pierce steel. ¡°Yes, I am a vampire.¡±


    ¡°Are you going to drink my blood then?¡± I held my hands to my neck for safety.


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡±


    ¡°Because that would kill you Daen. And killing you is not my goal.¡±


    ¡°What is your goal then? Scare the piss out of me? Cause if we¡¯re done here, I really need to go.¡±


    She chuckled, ¡°No Daen. My goal is to teach you that not all of my kind are the monsters many claim they are.¡±


    ¡°Well of course they aren¡¯t. It would be foolish to assume everyone in a group is exactly the same.¡± I grinned, ¡°And I am not a foolish child.¡± We shared a smile as the tension drained from the room. ¡°So how many vampires are there like you? And do they all play nanny?¡±


    ¡°Far less than I¡¯d like to admit.¡± She sighed, ¡°And no, not all are nannies. One is even a priest in the Church of the Five.¡±


    ¡°Never heard of a devout vampire before.¡±


    ¡°Hes a strange one.¡± She smiled before leaning over and began to rummage around in her bag. Moments later she pulled out an object wrapped in cloth. With the object held out before her, she made her way to me.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be leaving soon. Your father has accepted my request for two weeks off work. I apologize for not being able to attend your Judgment Day, but here is your gift.¡± I accepted the cloth she held out to me. Inside was a small leather sheathe which housed a dagger. ¡°It isn¡¯t much, but I hope it will serve you well.¡± She bowed her head to me.


    ¡°Thank you. But I don¡¯t believe I¡¯ll be using this anytime soon.¡± I then placed the dagger back in its sheath.


    ¡°A wise man plans for any eventuality.¡± She answered before getting up and lifting her bag. With all of her things, she walked towards the door. For a moment she seemed to pause in thought and a pained look shot across her face.


    ¡°Grow strong, Daen.¡± The door clicked shut behind her, leaving me alone in the library.


    ¡°What the hell?¡± What did she mean by that? As thoughts raced through my head I put my new knife in my pocket and sat back down to read my book on magic. Something was fucky and I needed to find out what. I ran our conversation through my head over and over, grasping the main topics.


    Firstly was magic, I already had that covered. But there was definitely more that I didn¡¯t know due to my selection being thin. Second was Vampires. Did my father know Breidda was one? It probably wasn¡¯t a good idea to ask. At best it¡¯d be taken as a joke, at worst¡­well if I was taken seriously, she may end up hurt. Finally, there was her telling me to grow strong. By her tone it sounded like she¡¯d never see me again. Myril told me there was a time for worry.


    This was that time.


    I raced through the house to find someone to help me with my book search. Luckily, I had run into Kelmon who found two books on the various dangers that roamed the world. I thanked him and proceeded to barrel through the books. I didn¡¯t finish my reading until the next day. But I did learn a few interesting tidbits of information on the Vampire race.


    Firstly was that they were primarily nocturnal hunters and much more dangerous in night than day. The book didn¡¯t state exactly why they were stronger at night than at day. But if they were anything like nocturnal predators from Earth, they had keen eyesight in the dark, whereas strong light in the day would debilitate their eyes. Potentially they could have a keen sense of smell to locate wounded targets as well. But one thing both books emphasized was that they drank blood for sustenance, which wasn¡¯t really new info to me. At least they didn¡¯t have any weird weaknesses like garlic, crosses, or stakes. The books also had numerous accountings of their strength. Even the weakest vampire was stronger than the average adult human.


    Unfortunately, I didn¡¯t glean much more information than that. With a sigh, I realized that I well and truly missed Wikipedia. Fortunately, all my thinking and over thinking followed by rethinking made me tired enough to fall asleep the night before my judgment day. Shortly after I awoke, it was time for breakfast.


    I stared at the eggs, bacon and bread on my plate after prayer had finished. Immediately, my family was engaged in conversation as they ate. Trying to not look out of place, I began to eat my food.


    ¡°Nervous Daen?¡± My mother asked from beside me as she sipped her tea.


    ¡°Yeah, a bit.¡± I responded honestly.


    ¡°Thats normal,¡± Jeral said chuckling, ¡°you saw how much a nervous wreck Lakka was on her day last week.¡± A few of us had a light chuckle. Lakka studied her plate intensely with rosy red cheeks.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tease your sister, Jeral.¡± Myril chastised.


    ¡°Sorry Lakka.¡± Jeral said, ¡°If it makes you feel any better, Mytti was so nervous she-¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare finish that sentence Jeral.¡± Mytti spoke threateningly.


    With a smile, I hoped my family would never change.


    ¡°Dont be scared Daen.¡± Lakka encouraged, ¡°You¡¯ll have the gift to and we can go to the College together!¡±


    ¡°Looking forward to it, Lakka.¡± I responded. ¡°Though remember, I¡¯m going to be the stronger mage out of the two of us.¡±


    My father smiled at the head of the table. ¡°There¡¯ll be plenty of opportunity for competition at the College you two. But first Daen must be test if he does have the gift. No bragging until then.¡±


    ¡°Father is just nervous that we¡¯ll show him up, Lakka.¡± She nodded and the whole table shared a good laugh.


    Once breakfast was done I proceeded to head outside to sit in the gazebo until the guests arrive. Just like Lakka¡¯s Judgment Day, the sky was clear and the sun was hot. Servants carried tables and chairs into our yard like before. It was going to be a normal party, right? Gods I hoped so. If the day was like Lakka¡¯s the priest and mage wouldn¡¯t arrive until around noon. I must have been visibly nervous, as Jeral was doing his best to distract me. I decided to stop worrying for the moment. Whatever happens, happens.Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    Among the first guests to arrive was the Tindolst family. Ilsha pulled her parents along behind her so they would get good seats by the gazebo again. She must have really enjoyed the music from last time. With a grin I approached them.


    ¡°Hello!¡± I greeted simply.


    ¡°Greetings¡± Nemmel nodded his head towards me.


    ¡°Salutations.¡± Pattelia smiled and curtsied lightly.


    ¡°Solicitations!¡± Ilsha said as she attempted to mimic her mother.


    ¡°Ilsha!¡± Pattelia exclaimed with her hand over her mouth in shock.


    ¡°What? I said what you did!¡± Ilsha responded.


    I did my best to hold my laughter inside. But once Jeral started snickering, I lost control. Pattelia was as red as a ripe tomate while Ilsha giggled along, blissfully unaware of what she had said. Ah, the ignorance of youth. Together we watched the performers set up their instruments and begin to play a relaxing melody. As the show went on I excused myself to use the bathroom. Upon returning, Jeral stopped me at the doorway to our mansion, a grin plastered on his face.


    ¡°Daen, ask her to dance.¡±


    ¡°What? Who?¡± I was taken by surprised by his demands.


    ¡°Your little friend, ask her to dance. You aren¡¯t scared are you?¡±


    ¡°What about you? You¡¯re older, why don¡¯t you ask one of the girls your age to dance?¡± Jeral shook his head,


    ¡°Its your party, you should lead the stage.¡± By how quickly he deflected my question, I could tell he just wanted to get me flustered as part of his entertainment. Problem was, she had a major crush on me. Dancing together would only make that worse than before. Jeral himself wouldn¡¯t have the guts to¡­


    ¡°Okay, sure.¡± I decided the reward was worth more than the risk. This made Jeral sputter for a second before he composed himself.


    ¡°Wait, you will? I mean of course you will! Go on, enjoy yourself!¡±


    It was time to show my older brother just how much of a child he was compared to me.


    With a light step, I walked towards the Tindolst family. The whole time I could feel Jeral¡¯s eyes burning into my back. Watch and learn bro, watch and learn. I reached Ilsha and held out my hand to her, ¡°Care to dance Lady Ilsha?¡± Nemmel swallowed hard on the tea he was drinking and began to cough. Pattelia merely held a hand to her mouth and muttered an ¡®Oh my¡¯. Ilsha however had the best reaction. None. It was as if she had completely powered down for a few seconds as she comprehended what I had asked.


    ¡°I uhh ehh ohh errr ahh.¡± She mumbled as her brain attempted to unscramble itself. I looked back to see Jeral¡¯s eyes wide with surprise. Thats right brother, I did it and you haven¡¯t. Watch and learn. Eventually Ilsha nodded, with cheeks red as the roses growing in our garden. I led her before the gazebo and the band members smiled and played a slow song as we began our dance. It wasn¡¯t my first time dancing with a girl, but I kept things slow as she was clumsy with her feet. Ilsha¡¯s eyes were downcast the whole time in embarrassment.


    But I held Jeral¡¯s gaze until he looked away in total defeat. I had asserted my dominance and put him in his place.


    Needless to say, a growing crowd of people gathered round to talk amongst themselves and enjoy the sight of youthful romance. Sorry fellas, no romance here. It was all to put Jeral in his place. If you talk the talk you better walk the walk as the saying goes. As the song stopped my audience clapped so I gave them a bow as Ilsha rushed back to sit at the table with her family. Her eyes constantly shifting between looking at me and looking away while she fidgeted in her chair. Then her mother whispered something in her ear which made the poor girl¡¯s face turn even more red.


    I consciously made the crush worse, all to turn around a joke on my brother. I am a foolish child.


    ¡°Where¡¯d you learn to dance?¡± Mytti asked as I made my escape from the crowd.


    ¡°Mother once let me read a book about dancing. It was interesting so I may have memorized some of the steps.¡± Lies, all lies. But a good enough lie so that Mytti wouldn¡¯t press for more information.


    ¡°Can¡¯t believe that my baby brother danced with a girl¡­no boy ever asked me to dance.¡± She mumbled.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry sis, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll meet someone who¡¯ll knock your socks off.¡± I comforted my poor depressed sibling. Her initial reaction was open-mouthed shock that I had heard her. But then she sheepishly grinned and straightened her dress.


    ¡°Yes I-I do believe I will.¡± She then whispered ¡®knock your socks off¡¯ to herself questioningly.


    I left Mytti alone and began my hunt to find Jeral. I found him chatting with a group of his friends.


    Perfect.


    I approached him with a casual swagger that others would interpret as my natural gait. But to him, he would know that that walk announced that I owned this place. I owned him. This was the walk of power, of victory.


    ¡°Hello Jeral, everyone.¡± I announced myself to his group of friends and bowed. They all spoke their greetings while Jeral murmured something that I didn¡¯t quite catch. But no matter, I was here for one reason alone. To show him that when I play games, I aim to win.


    ¡°Thanks for recommending that I dance with Ilsha, Jeral. It was actually quite fun!¡± I gave him a bright smile. In an attempt to save face amongst his peers, he returned a smile of his own.


    ¡°Think nothing of it, little brother.¡± I nodded and asked when he was going to dance with a girl. A wave of sputtering was my reward as I walked away.


    I sat with my mother at another table on the other side of the yard. She was currently reading a book about Dominion law. A book I¡¯d get around to reading eventually. One day. Maybe. Eh, who am I kidding, studying law is probably the most boring thing imaginable. I¡¯ll keep putting it off for as long as I can. I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll be forced to study it eventually, but for now I was free.


    My mother and I made small talk. Mostly her talking about my dancing with Ilsha and how she was probably now head over heels for me. I just nodded and tried to think of how to let the girl down gently. But I couldn¡¯t think of a single way to do so. She was way too young for any sort of straight up dejection. It would have to be done in such a way that it didn¡¯t hurt the poor girl.


    By noon I still had not thought up a way to let the poor girl down. My father and Myril had sat with us and discussed more than a few topics. Such as my father disapproving my choice in women, Ilsha being from a baseborn family and Myril agreeing with him. Being friends with the family was one thing, but this was another entirely was what he had said. Fortunately my mother said love was worth more than status. I wanted to tell them that she had a crush on me, not the other way around. And that I only danced with her to show Jeral who The Man was. Unfortunately, I never got the chance.


    The Priest and Enchanter had arrived.


    I swallowed hard as they approached us. With a deep breath I stood tall and began to walk to meet them halfway. My family followed me and a crowd began to form. The time had come and I was nervous. Not as nervous as the first time I asked a girl out on a date, but pretty close.


    ¡°Shall we do the test now? Or do you need a few minutes my child?¡± The priest asked with an understanding voice.


    With a deep breath I answered, ¡°Now is fine.¡± Both the Enchanter and Priest nodded. The Priest then reached into his white and golden robes and withdrew the crystal clear orb. He then held it out towards me. I¡¯m not afraid to admit that my body shook from nerves as I reached out and took hold of the orb.


    It was cold. Cold and heavy. I ran my thumb over the surface, surprised by how smooth it was. It had to be a perfect sphere with no imperfections to be found. It felt strange to hold such an object. I wondered exactly what it was made out of, it certainly had to be some kind of valuable gemstone. Together with many others, my eyes were glued to the orb which stood dark.


    Moments passed and everyone held their collective breath. To the side I saw Lakka with her eyes closed and her hands together as if she were praying. With a smile I turned my head back to look into the orb. Still nothing. A few people seemed disappointed as Lakka had already showed that she possessed a gift. I clenched the orb with closed eyes and prayed alongside my sister.


    ¡®Please.¡¯


    The silence was then interrupted by a faint gasp. Curious, I opened my eyes to see what that was about, only to find the orb faintly glowing gold.


    ¡°My word¡­¡± The Enchanter uttered. All around, people were whispering in confusion. Others stared in open mouthed awe. And I could understand why. In the book about magical beginnings, the testing orb would only glow the color of a person¡¯s aptitude to their magic. Green would be wind magic, Brown for earth, red for fire, blue for water, and dark gray for black magic. I had no idea what glowing gold meant.


    ¡°Amazing¡­¡± The Priest spoke, barely above a whisper. ¡°In all my years I never thought I¡¯d see it myself¡­¡±


    ¡°Ohh, pretty!¡± Lakka said as she approached and poked the orb. Ilsha stood with her family who were all staring with the same wide-eyed look. My entire family was a mixed bag of emotions written plainly on their faces. Jeral looked amazed, Mytti confused, Kelmon thoughtful. My mother smiled radiantly, Myril attempted to keep herself composed, and my father stared at the glowing orb with an intense look upon his face. His eyes shifting between the orb, the priest, and myself.


    ¡°Basros, we need to talk. You too Aldrielle.¡± He commanded and turned to walk towards the house. Excusing themselves, the priest and enchanter followed. Something fucky was about, but I could not find out what for the moment. In an instant I was swarmed by light bows, back pats, shoulder punches, and other expressions of congratulations.


    Lakka was the most physical of the bunch. She gave me a bear hug which almost made me drop the orb.


    ¡°We can go to the College together!¡± I desperately wanted her to be right, but deep down I knew she wasn¡¯t. Even Grashel refrained from drink to stay as close to me as possible without being disruptive. Something was very, very wrong here.


    ¡°U-um¡­¡± A voice beside me uttered. Ilsha stood close to me fidgeting, ¡°C-congratulations!¡±


    I gave her my best smile, ¡°Thanks.¡±


    For the moment, things seemed to calm down as guests began to celebrate. Though it wasn¡¯t the same as Lakka¡¯s celebration, the guests now were far more reserved as they gave their toasts. If I could describe the atmosphere, it was almost reverent in a way. Like the guests were afraid of displeasing me. None drank too heavily, none shouted, nothing. All hope of things becoming normal shattered when my father came out of the house with the priest and enchanter. He a steady gait, he approached me. All conversation stopped as eyes locked onto us instantly.


    ¡°Daen.¡± He spoke in a tone that demanded no questioning.


    ¡°Yes father?¡± I asked.


    ¡°You are to leave with Basros here by the end of the day.¡± Lakka, Ilsha, and myself were all shocked.


    ¡°W-what? Where am I going? Why?¡± My father looked me in the eyes.


    ¡°To the Thallist Holy Kingdom. It is there your education will begin immediately.¡± Basros nodded to me,


    ¡°It will be a long trip, so pack accordingly.¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± was all I could manage to say before they left me. I turned to see Lakka with tears in her eyes. She was the first to act by grabbing me and crying into my shirt. All I could do was pat her head. Ilsha however stood in silence as she stared at me with eyes full of sorrow. I knew that look. That was the look of heartbreak.


    ¡°Ah hell.¡± I motioned for her to come over. With that, the dam burst and the tears flowed endlessly as a girl on each arm cried into my shirt. One not wanting to lose her brother, the other not wanting to lose the boy she liked. I now knew what Breidda meant when she sounded like she¡¯d never see me again. I felt a strong hand on my shoulder. When I turned to look I saw Cyn standing behind me.


    ¡°Its time to pack m¡¯lord. Sorry.¡± I nodded and gave both girls a quick hug before I untangled myself from them. With a smile that I didn¡¯t truly feel, I patted their heads with my hands.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry guys, you haven¡¯t gotten rid of me yet¡­I¡¯ll write to you as often as possible okay?¡± Lakka nodded as she wiped tears on her arm. Ilsha however cried harder.


    ¡°C-cant read¡­¡± Ah¡­right. Like an angel from above, my sister came to my rescue.


    ¡°I...I¡¯ll teach you.¡± Lakka said in between sniffles.


    ¡°Thank you Lakka.¡± I said as I felt hot tears flowing from my eyes. ¡°You two behave yourselves, okay?¡±


    Followed by Cyn, I walked towards the mansion with legs that felt as if they were made of metal.

 Chapter 7v2: A Gift to Remember

    Cyn dutifully watched over me as I packed a small traveling bag full of clothes. I fell into a sort of autopilot as I packed while my mind sorted through all that happened. Life always has a tendency to throw curve balls at people, and this was one hell of a pitch. As I was tossing a few pairs of socks into my bag, my mind kept flowing in circles. What was that golden glow? Why were people so surprised? Why is my father forcing me to leave? All these questions and more just kept repeating over and over. And it pissed me off. When I finished my packing I faced Cyn,


    ¡°Get my father. I will remain here. But you will bring him here.¡± I commanded, meeting her eyes. At first she appeared conflicted, but eventually looked away and nodded before jogging off. It was strange that worked so well. I needed more information, namely why people were treating me with such reverence. I hadn¡¯t read anything about this before, though I¡¯d bet money that the information was still on the top shelves in the library. If only I were taller, then maybe this whole situation could have been explained before I was pissed.


    While I waited for my father to come to my room I grabbed a silver ring I had been given for my fourth birthday. It was plain, but it was given to me by my mother so it was special to me. She herself had said that thought the ring may not be special, the act of giving such a gift has great meaning. Then she proceeded to ramble on about how Wekken had proposed to her using the ring she had showed me and how happy she was. She said that if I were to ever give a ring as a gift, make sure I gave it to someone special.


    So marriage had the same customs here, which was interesting. I''d have thought different cultures would have different customs. But then again, in my world everyone used a ring for marriage no matter the country, so I guess once it sticks its forever.


    I didn¡¯t have to wait long until my father arrived with the priest and enchanter behind him. Cyn was behind them with a stoic look on her face.


    ¡°What is it you want Daen? Cyn said that you demanded to see me.¡± My father spoke in a very serious tone. One that would intimidate someone to do exactly as he said. Unfortunately for him, I don¡¯t take shit from anybody.


    ¡°Why am I being forced to leave?¡± He stood silent for a few moments as we watched one another. When Basros opened his mouth to speak my father held up his hand to silence him.


    ¡°Leave us.¡± He commanded. All bowed their heads and walked off. My father waited until he was sure we were alone before continuing. ¡°I myself am conflicted, as I am sure you are as well Daen.¡± I nodded at his words. ¡°Things are¡­complicated. In the Scriptures of the Five, it is written that any who reveal a golden glow when tested are to be sent to the Holy Kingdom. That is why a priest accompanies an Enchanter to every Judgment Day. I myself am unsure what the golden glow means, but it is important. Some stories write that it means you have a special magical power. Others say the orb can sense great destinies. Either are enough to go to war over.¡±


    ¡°War?¡± I questioned. My father nodded grimly,


    ¡°History tells of the last land that refused to relinquish a child with a golden glow. That country was easily conquered by the Holy Kingdom¡¯s forces as well as religious fanatics from the country itself. However, that boy was killed during the conflict by a group of rogue Enchanters that used dark magic. Whatever the golden glow means, be it a power or destiny, the Black Enchanters fear it.¡±


    ¡°So then the Holy Kingdom would then use me to fight them?¡±


    ¡°That is potentially the most logical conclusion, but I myself am unsure. I would tell you if I knew, Daen.¡± He paused in thought for a moment, ¡°Perhaps it is known only to a few in the Holy Kingdom itself, otherwise the knowledge would have spread. Either way, it is vital we send you there.¡±


    ¡°What if I don¡¯t go? What if I run away?¡±


    ¡°Then you would bring war to our doorsteps. Thousands¡­no, tens of thousands would die simply because you wished to be closer to your family. Your stubbornness would tear apart two lands that had been at peace for time immeasurable. The family you sought to stay close to may even be killed in said war.¡±


    ¡°I-¡±


    ¡°You are smarter than that Daen. Though you are a child, you yourself do not act childish.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±I didn¡¯t want to go. I wanted to stay with my family and my friends. But¡­to keep the peace¡­ ¡°I¡¯ll go.¡± I firmly promised.


    My father nodded, ¡°If it means anything, I¡¯m sorry. I wish there was another way.¡± He gave me a sad smile, ¡°You¡¯re a bright child, Daen. Far more than any child has a right to be. Both of your mothers speak well of you often.¡±


    ¡°I¡­just do what comes natural, father. That is all.¡± I picked up my bag and followed him to the doorway. Once we were outside and walking through the halls he spoke.


    ¡°Daen.¡±


    ¡°Yes father?¡±


    ¡°Whatever they want from you, do not become a puppet for them. Always think for yourself, my son.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ll be more than surprised if they try that with me, I think.¡± My father grinned and nodded once more. Together, we left the house.


    A covered wagon hitched to a pair of horses waited outside the main gate to our home. Five armed guards on horseback flanked the wagon with stern faces. My family, the Tindolsts, Basros, and the enchanter all stood in a small group at the gate. Mixed reactions were upon the group that I approached. From open tears to stoic expressions and even joyous smiles. It was time for me to give my final goodbyes. No¡­not final. I¡¯d be back. One day. My mother was the first to give her goodbyes. With a smile, she kissed my forehead and embraced me.


    ¡°I always knew my boy would be special.¡± She sniffed, ¡°You be good and write us often, okay?¡± I nodded,


    ¡°I will mother.¡± She nodded. Myril was the next to give me a tight embrace.


    The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.¡°Keep your mind sharp Daen. We will miss you dearly.¡± I nodded and returned her hug.


    ¡°Be strong brother.¡± Kelmon spoke holding out his hand for me to shake. I pulled him in for a manly embrace however,


    ¡°Thanks Kelmon, you do your best at the Officer¡¯s Academy!¡± He nodded and grinned.


    Jeral and Mytti came next, but neither could say much so we had a group hug. I was gonna miss Jeral¡¯s antics and Mytti¡¯s revenge to said antics. ¡°Don¡¯t ever change you two.¡± They nodded and rubbed their eyes.


    Lakka charged into me, held me tight and cried. All I could do was pat her head for awhile.


    ¡°I¡¯ll miss you.¡± She cried.


    ¡°I know, I¡¯ll miss you too Lakka. I¡¯ll write to you the most okay? So be sure to make everyone else jealous.¡± She smiled and nodded at that.


    Mr. Tindolst held out his hand and I shook it. ¡°Thank you for all you¡¯ve done for me and my family.¡±


    ¡°I expect to see you managing a big store when I return.¡± I spoke with a grin that he returned.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do my best master Daen.¡± Pattelia was more forward than her husband. She pulled me into an embrace.


    ¡°When you come back you best stop by our home for dinner!¡± I laughed,


    ¡°I will Mrs. Tindolst.¡±


    Finally it was time to say goodbye to Ilsha. She stood before me with her eyes downcast. Before she could move towards me I made the first move and pulled her into a hug. I could hear her lightly sob as she returned my embrace. Despite our differences in social status, I truly found myself liking her. She was a kind girl who wore her emotions on her sleeves. The kind of girl I¡¯d have liked to marry in my previous life.But would I want to marry her? I thought about the ring in my pocket.


    To her, I was special. To me, she was just a nice girl. I don''t know if I loved her, but I didn''t want to see her hurt from my leaving again. Was it enough to give her such a gift? After a moment, we separated and she looked ready to start crying all over again. I couldn''t stand the sight of a crying girl. I''m just a big softie. Before the tears could start falling, I grabbed her hand and placed the silver ring I had been given for my third birthday in it.


    ¡°Keep this safe for me Ilsha. I will be back one day, remember that.¡± Speechless, she looked at the ring in her hand, then to me. Before I could react she jumped at me and planted a kiss on my cheek. In all honesty, it wouldn¡¯t have been so bad if it weren¡¯t for everyone whooping or d¡¯awwing. I was sure my face was a bright red as I held a hand to the cheek she kissed. Ilsha quickly retreated to hide behind her mother and peek at me, my ring clenched firmly in her hand. With as much grace as I could muster, I bowed and walked towards the wagon. To my apparent destiny.


    Basros and the enchanter had already climbed into the wagon as I made my farewells. For my final farewell, I climbed into the back of the wagon. Only slightly assisted by my escort, Cyn, who followed me inside. I desperately needed a growth spurtso I wouldn¡¯t have to rely on others. Regardless, from the rear of the wagon I faced my adoring crowd of friends and family.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be back!¡± I shouted into the sky with my fist raised high. A few smiles in an ocean of confused looks were my only reward. Forgive me Arnold, I have failed you.


    With a the crack of a whip, the wagon lurched forward as the horses began to pull. Away from the sunset we rode, my journey had started. I turned to inspect our covered wagon. It was quite spacious, enough for three adults to sleep side by side. However, most of that space was packed with bags. At least the sides had benches crafted into the wagon. I sat beside Cyn who gave me a light punch on the shoulder.


    ¡°Nice choice on the ring m¡¯lord.¡± She grinned,


    ¡°I thought so too. Now she won¡¯t be as sad about me leaving.¡± Cyn nodded, but her grin only increased.


    ¡°Aye m¡¯lord. You¡¯ve made her one happy lass.¡±


    ¡°Indeed! I never thought a boy your age could be so forward!¡± The Enchantress spoke from her seat.


    They were both looking at me like two cats staring at a bowl of fresh cream. I shrugged,


    ¡°She¡¯ll turn out to be a great woman one day. This way everyone knows shes spoken for. Though, it''ll be a long time until then.¡± If her mother was anything to go by, she''d be a good looking lady as well. Personality is a lot, but I mean, looks don''t hurt, right?


    Basros coughed in surprise,


    ¡°I¡¯d be happy to reign over the ceremony when the two of you are older if it pleases you.¡± He grinned along with the women.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be sure to attend m¡¯lord¡¯s ceremony.¡± Cyn spoke with bright eyes.


    ¡°Ohhh, may I be allowed to attend as well, Lord Daen?¡± The Enchantress questioned.


    ¡°I¡­errr¡­ahhh¡­ehhh¡­¡± It was an embarrassing moment in all honesty, but it certainly wasn¡¯t unpleasant to have friends like this. ¡°Yeah sure. You¡¯re all invited.¡±


    ¡°Hear, hear!¡± Basros exclaimed.


    ¡°Hear, hear!¡± the others echoed. Even the guards outside.


    I, Daen Faltelo, five years old, am now engaged. I looked out the back of the wagon, watching my home slowly shrink in the distance as we traveled. Perhaps Ilsha would find a different love in our time apart. But I doubted that very much.


    ¡°So how old do I have to be for marriage?¡± I asked Basros.


    ¡°Eager lad?¡±


    ¡°Not really, just wondering.¡±


    ¡°Ah well the youngest couples normally wed at fifteen. Royalty marries younger at twelve, but those are arranged marriages.¡±


    ¡°I see. Ten years is a long time.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯ll be thinkin¡¯ of you every night m¡¯lord!¡± One of the guards called from outside. Chuckles echoed all round and I joined them.


    ¡°I don¡¯t doubt that.¡±


    ¡°Aye, but first we¡¯ll make sure ye stay safe, right boys?¡± Cyn questioned the guards outside our wagon.


    ¡°Aye!¡± came the uniform response.


    *****


    Ilsha sat in the back of a horse-drawn wagon with her mother. Her father rode at the front, maneuvering the horse towards their farm. Silver reflected in her eyes as she stared at the ring in her palm. Despite all the time that had passed, her heart was still pounding in her chest.


    ¡°If you stare too hard, you¡¯ll go blind.¡± Her mother chastised. Ilsha smiled and placed the ring on her left hand.


    ¡°Daen...¡± She whispered to herself.


    ¡°In all my years, I¡¯ve never seen an engagement at such a young age! My little girl is certainly lucky, and to such a nice boy¡­¡±


    ¡°M-mother¡­please.¡± Ilsha fidgeted in embarrassment. ¡°I¡­we don¡¯t even know when he¡¯ll come back.¡±


    ¡°But he will be back, you heard him.¡± Nemmel spoke from the front. ¡°Never thought my daughter¡¯d be engaged to a noble like him¡­¡±


    ¡°Hear that Ilsha? You¡¯ll be called Lady Faltelo one day.¡±


    ¡°Lady Faltelo¡­¡± Her mind ran wild with dreams of living in a big house by his side. Together with a family of their own. ¡°It¡¯ll be perfect¡­¡±

 Chapter 8: The Long Road

    ¡°So Basros,¡± I spoke to the priest as I helped set up camp. ¡°We¡¯ve been on the road for two days now. How much longer until we reach the Holy Kingdom?¡± I placed the bundle of sticks I carried into what was going to be our campfire for the night. The whole first day we began our journey we barely stopped to rest. When I had asked why, Cyn said that she wanted to stay ahead of the news that I had a golden aura. If we stayed ahead of the news, we¡¯d encounter less trouble. Hopefully.


    ¡°Hmmm¡­¡± Basros rubbed his chin in thought. ¡°Should be another ten days if the weather holds up. We¡¯ll cross into the Varistil Principality in about two days and then we¡¯ll follow the mountains north.¡± He cleared his throat, ¡°Perhaps when we encounter a town we may stop for a night. Sleeping under the stars is far too rustic for my taste.¡±


    ¡°Nay. We stop to buy supplies and we keep movin¡¯¡± Cyn stated firmly. ¡°Less that know ¡®bout m¡¯lord the better.¡± The other guards grumbled at her words, but would offer no argument.


    ¡°Alas, poor Basros¡¯ backside!¡± The Enchantress mocked lightly as she read a book, seated on the back of the wagon.


    ¡°Bah,it wouldn¡¯t kill you to sleep on the ground for once Jercy.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d rather not.¡±


    ¡°Then at least let young Daen sleep in the wagon.¡± Basros argued on my behalf. He was a good man in my book.


    ¡°I think not. That boy¡¯s got wandering eyes.¡± I guess she was still mad.


    The first night I had slept in the wagon. Or at least I would have, until Jercy changed into her sleeping attire. Perhaps she thought that I¡¯d be like most children and keep my eyes averted. But I am not most children. She had yelled something about wiping that grin off my face and proceeded to kick me out of the wagon. It was a rough night on my back as I had not set up an area for me to sleep on beforehand. Some offered up their bedrolls for me, but I declined. It wouldn¡¯t have been my first night sleeping on the ground.


    ¡°I¡¯m just appreciative of the works of the gods, m¡¯lady. Nothing more.¡± The guards chuckled at my words.


    ¡°Hrmph.¡± Jercy turned her head at my words, her cheeks slightly rosy.


    ¡°Behave m¡¯lord. Else I¡¯ll tell yer future wife ye been unfaithful.¡± Cyn spoke kindly, yet threateningly.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry Jercy, please forgive me.¡± The two women nodded at my words. ¡°I¡¯m just a boy overcome by curiosity is all.¡± They began to growl as the men all chuckled. The sound of a flame igniting was my only warning and I quickly jumped to the side. A ball of fire splashed onto the bundle of sticks I had just laid out for a fire. If I had stood still, it would have barely missed me. The flames crackled like they were laughing at me.


    ¡°The hells have no fury as a woman does m¡¯lord!¡± One of the guards exclaimed as they all had a hearty laugh at my expense. I grumbled as I brushed the dirt from my clothes. Cyn watched me with a curious look.


    ¡°Good reaction m¡¯lord. How¡¯d ye know to dodge so quickly?¡± I wanted to say it was thanks to a healthy dose of paranoia, but I dont think they¡¯d understand as I didn¡¯t know the word for paranoia in this world.


    ¡°Instinct. Felt something was wrong so I acted on that feeling.¡±


    ¡°With instinct like that, ye¡¯d make a good soldier m¡¯lord.¡± The other guards nodded.


    ¡°Maybe one day I¡¯ll challenge you to a sword fight Cyn.¡± I grinned and she returned it.


    ¡°I¡¯ll look forward to it m¡¯lord.¡±


    I had never held a sword before, but I knew I¡¯d need to one day. If the Black Enchanters killed the previous child with a golden aura, they¡¯d come for me for sure. It was only a matter of when and where. My knife alone wouldn¡¯t be enough to protect myself. But for now it was all that I had.


    We quickly set up our bedrolls around the fire and the guards had been given their order for night watch. Cyn would always take the first and last watch every night. I didn¡¯t know how she kept her energy after being awake for so long and sleeping for so little. If I wanted to be strong enough to resist the Black Enchanters I¡¯d need to be strong, even stronger than her. Once we reached the Holy Kingdom I¡¯d begin training my body as best I could.


    I sighed as I stared up into the night sky, gazing at stars that I was only starting to recognize. ¡°All I wanted was to be a regular enchanter. Or at least a businessman.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll find that life has strange paths for each and every one of us, Daen.¡± Basros spoke from beside me.


    ¡°Why are you up at this hour Basros?¡± I questioned the priest, normally he¡¯d be snoring like a bear by now.


    ¡°I rolled onto a rock in my sleep and its too deep to dig out at this time sadly.¡±


    ¡°Want to switch places? Its fine over here.¡±


    ¡°Ah, you are too kind Daen. I¡¯ll take you up on that offer.¡± The sounds of us moving our bedrolls quickly faded into the night. ¡°Ahhh, this is much better. Thank you Daen.¡±


    ¡°Its no problem Basros.¡± In my new spot I kept watching the night sky for a few moments. ¡°Hey Basros?¡±


    ¡°Yes, young Daen?¡±


    ¡°Do you believe in the Gods?¡±


    Basros was silent for a few moments. At first I thought I had offended him, but that worry was quickly put to rest.


    ¡°No Daen. I do not believe the Gods exist. Perhaps they existed as man at one point, but not now.¡±


    ¡°Strange view for a priest to take, if you don¡¯t mind me saying.¡± I spoke, surprised. He chuckled,


    ¡°Indeed it is. I¡­I was never a man of faith. Still not one.¡± His voice sounded sorrowful in a way.


    ¡°Then why? Why be a Priest of the Five?¡±


    ¡°Because I believe in what the church stands for, my boy. Because it helps those who have little or nothing. Because it teaches us to believe in ourselves. In Lenzero, we learn to find our courage to face any challenge that comes our way, no matter how hopeless. In Zaras we aim to be of sharp mind to help our fellow man. In Bentillio we bring honor to others and in turn bring honor to ourselves. In Holve, we are taught to stand strong. Even when the weight of the world seems against us. And in Opell, we yearn to attain the wisdom to lead all men to a better future.¡± Neither of us spoke. A moment later, his voice was raw.


    ¡°But mostly¡­I believe in the church because it would never turn a blind eye to those of us who had lost everything.¡± I turned my head to look at the man, but he had rolled onto his side away from me.


    ¡°Thank you Basros.¡± I spoke truthfully. ¡°I¡¯ll keep your words with me always.¡±


    ¡°Think nothing of it young Daen. Now let us get some sleep. We¡¯ve a long few days ahead of us.¡±


    ¡°That we do.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t long until I heard Basros¡¯ snoring, but I couldn¡¯t sleep. My mind was occupied with thoughts of the Gods. Were they real? If they were, then why had I been reborn and not ascended to some sort of afterlife? Perhaps rebirth was what the afterlife is. My views matched Basros¡¯ views of his religion. But a part of me hoped that the gods in this world were real and that they were watching out for us. But until one descended from the sky before me, I¡¯d stand on my own two feet.


    ********


    A man robed in black raced through stone halls, his steps echoing through the silence. Skeletons wielding weapons degraded with rust guarded the doors that the man rushed past. He had no time to waste, worrying news had just arrived by messenger raven. Reading the message that the raven carried had chilled his blood and set his heart racing.


    ¡°M¡¯lord!¡± The man exclaimed as he burst through a pair of doors leading into the castle¡¯s main chamber. ¡°M¡¯lord, news from the west!¡±


    ¡°What news, Krass?¡± A voice asked in a commanding tone. Krass swallowed hard as he attempted to catch his breath. He watched his lord stand from his throne that had been crafted from obsidian. ¡®The Final Throne¡¯ many members of the Black Enchanters called it. His lord was a well-built man who had practiced with both sword and spell. His lord¡¯s face was kind, but his eyes demanded respect. The man himself was bald, but Krass thought that it made his lord look far more intimidating.


    ¡°M¡¯lord Cassiendus, news has arrived about a boy with a golden aura! During the boy¡¯s Judgment Day the orb was seen glowing golden!¡±


    ¡°Hmmm¡­a golden aura¡­¡± Cassiendus looked over his throne room. That still took some getting used to, his throne room. He had been a high ranked member in the Black Enchanters, but when it came time to elect a new leader it came as a shock that all voted for him. But ever since he had been given leadership, he had led his people with a purpose. No longer would they be hunted like dogs. He had vowed to give his people a land to call their own.


    And so he did.


    Now the ruling family of the Kingdom of Blaece had fallen by his hand. Killed in a battle that had occurred not two months prior. Many Black Enchanters had celebrated by killing a few townsfolk and raising them as the dead, but any who had done so he himself executed. The people they now ruled over were under their protection, the same as any other kingdom. Black magic may now be allowed in these lands, but murder is still murder and punished as thus. He needed to show the people that Black Magic was not to be feared and that he would do his best to serve them to his utmost.


    Cassiendus walked over to a table to the side of the room that held a map of the continent on it. He had motioned Krass to join him as he poured over the map.


    ¡°And where exactly was this boy sighted?¡±


    ¡°Haddan¡¯s Willows, M¡¯lord.¡±


    ¡°Hmmm¡­¡± Cassiendus traced his finger over the map, calculating the distance they could have traveled in the time it took for the message to reach them. ¡°By now they should be heading north alongside the mountains. Do we know the boy¡¯s name?¡±


    ¡°Daen Faltelo, M¡¯lord.¡±


    ¡°Faltelo¡­the count of Haddan¡¯s Willows if I¡¯m not mistaken?¡±


    ¡°I believe so M¡¯lord.¡± Cassiendus nodded,


    ¡°I¡¯ve met Wekken Faltelo once before, a good man.¡± He then stared at the map in thought for a few more moments. ¡°Send out ravens to all groups. The boy is not to be harmed by any of us.¡±


    ¡°M-m¡¯lord is that wise? The boy could bring all we have achieved to ruin!¡±


    ¡°And send a message to that boy. Tell him that the Black Enchanters seek only to live without being hunted like dogs. And that he has nothing to fear from us.¡±


    ¡°A-at once M¡¯lord.¡± Krass bowed and quickly ran off once more to send out ravens that would deliver the message.


    Cassiendus stared at the door long after Krass had left him alone in his throne room. He hoped that Krass would follow his orders, but the man was new to his retinue. Members of the Black Enchanters kept coming to their newly conquered lands. Members that he knew nothing about, such as Krass. He didn¡¯t get this far by letting others take action for him. With ink, quill, and paper, Cassiendus wrote a message of his own. He opened the room¡¯s window and attached the message to a raven that stood on the sill. ¡°May you bring great change to all of us, Daen Faltelo.¡± He muttered as the raven flew off.


    **********


    It had been a long journey, but in two days we¡¯d be in the capital of the Holy Kingdom. Lenzeros, named after the God of Courage that was fabled to have founded the kingdom ages ago. The sun was beginning to set in the sky as the wagon was brought to a halt off to the side of the road we had been traveling. The area surrounding the road was heavily wooded and it was there that we¡¯d be camping for the night. Over the past few days I had picked Basros¡¯ mind for knowledge. Proper behavior in the country, how to address the priests, even how to lead prayer in a public setting.


    Lord knows those religious types would make the golden boy do some public prayer.


    Once more, I helped clear the campground of stones and sticks to use for a campfire. I was becoming a regular Bear Grylls in terms of outdoorsy-ness. A few nights ago a guard had bagged us, what looked like a deer, to eat with his bow which made everyone happy. We were all sick of eating dried jerky and hard bread. It was my first time eating deer meat and I have to say, I¡¯d been missing out. Our group was in high spirits as we settled down for the night. Soon we¡¯d be sleeping in comfortable beds in a big city. I soon found myself drifting off to sleep.


    I was dreaming. I knew I was dreaming because my mind felt heavy as I found myself surrounded by a heavy fog. Something about that fog made me freak the fuck out. I¡¯d never been one to be afraid of the darkness or the fog. But my gut was telling me to book it from that shit. But it was all around me, nowhere for me to run. My only option was to wake myself up. With as much strength as I could muster I began slapping myself as hard as possible.


    ¡°Wake up, damnit! Fuck this dream! Wake up!¡± Like a serpent, the fog struck towards my neck.


    I awoke gasping for breath and holding my neck. With deep breaths, I calmed myself but I still had a very bad feeling. My mind was unusually sluggish, which didn¡¯t sit well with me. I had never felt something like this before, it felt oppressive. Basros groaned in his sleep and was breathing heavily as if he was in some terrible nightmare. As I glanced around the camp, I saw that everyone was the same way.


    ¡°Hey Basros, wake up!¡± I shook him until he opened his eyes.


    ¡°Bless you boy. I was having the most horrid dream.¡± Groans and cries rang out through the night.


    ¡°You¡¯re not the only one.¡± I stated with worry. Something was very wrong tonight. Basros nodded,


    ¡°Black magic.¡± He said simply. I had to agree, its the only thing I could think of. Without a second thought, we rushed over to those trapped in their dreams and shook them awake. I myself ran over to where Cyn had stood watch and shook her awake as she quivered in a dream.


    A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.¡°Daen?¡± She asked groggily. I nodded,


    ¡°Time to wake up Cyn. Something ain¡¯t right tonight. We thin- Duck!¡± I tackled her to the ground. An orb of black energy collided into the tree she was leaning against. Instantly, the tree turned dry and sick looking. Like all life had been sucked from it.


    ¡°To arms!¡± Cyn yelled in the night. Right next to my ear. Ouch. She then unceremoniously rolled me off of her and charged towards a figure in black robes that had launched his spell at us.


    More bolts of dark energy were thrown from additional casters that entered the fray. I watched one of those orbs collide into a guardsman. His skin melted off his body as he screamed out. Within moments he was nothing more than a pile of bones. Bones that quickly began to knit themselves together as a skeleton. Once a man, now nothing more than a puppet controlled by evil, he attacked those he once called comrades. I grasped my knife as I scanned the battlefield.


    Six casters in dark robes threw their energies towards the remaining guardsmen who could do nothing but dodge. One guard quickly switched to his bow and fired an arrow at his target, sticking right into the caster¡¯s eye. But he in turn was hit by an orb of dark magic and shortly after turned into a skeleton. Crawling low to the ground, I sneaked around as best I could. My eyes darting around, hoping to see an opening.


    If these people were after my life, I¡¯d make them pay for it in turn.


    But things didn¡¯t look good for my escorts. Now they not only had to contend with three casters, but two skeletons as well. Cyn dodged an orb by rolling to the ground before springing back to her feet. Before her target could cast another bolt of energy she swung her blade at him. With a curse, the man jumped back and drew a blade of his own. Sparks from their blades colliding filled the night.


    Making as little noise as possible, I cautiously approached behind a robed man that was giggling gleefully as he launched bolt after bolt of energy at those that had been entrusted to protect me. My hands shook from fear, but I knew that to save the others I had to act. I planted myself against the ground before I launched myself towards my target¡¯s legs. With all the force behind me and my knife pointed out, I cut the back of the man¡¯s knee as I tackled it.


    ¡°Guahhh?!¡± The man shouted in surprise as he fell backwards onto the ground. Before he could recover, I jumped to my feet and dove atop the man. I gripped my knife hard enough to turn my knuckles white and plunged it into the man¡¯s throat. Blood squirted from the wound as the man gasped for breath and swung with his fist, knocking me upside the head. I clenched my teeth in pain as I fell off the man who had struck me. My vision began to blur as I heard the man die beside me. His frantic attempts at breath began to slow before stopping completely.


    I did it¡­I killed someone. My stomach felt sick. I rolled over to my side and heaved out that night¡¯s dinner. ¡°I actually killed someone¡­¡± my voice rasped as I wiped the vomit from my mouth. I could feel the ground shake and the earth erupt as Jercy entered the fight. Basros had finally managed to awaken her.


    ¡°Daen!¡± I heard Cyn calling out my name.


    ¡°Here!¡± I coughed as I stumbled to my feet.


    ¡°M¡¯lord we must flee!¡± Cyn. She eyed the corpse next to me. She didn¡¯t say anything about it thankfully.


    ¡°We can¡¯t leave Cyn. We have to save the others.¡± I shook my head in an attempt to clear my head. I certainly had a minor concussion as my vision was slow to clear. ¡°Fuck.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± She was confused at my curse. I wasn¡¯t surprised, I hadn¡¯t spoken English in a long time. I really needed to learn this language¡¯s curses. Life is boring when people don¡¯t understand your foul words.


    ¡°Its nothing. We need to help them Cyn, if we just run they¡¯ll just keep coming after us.¡± She looked conflicted.


    ¡°There¡¯s ten now m¡¯lord. Jercy is barely holding most of them at bay. The others cant get close enough to strike. We have to escape.¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± I couldn¡¯t say anything. She was right, there were too many now. I caught sight of Basros pull a mace from his robes and smash the skull of a skeleton. He roared into the sky.


    ¡°By the Five, I will end your perversions of magic!¡± With an agility I had not seen from him before, he leapt to destroy the other skeleton. He spun and launched his mace head-first towards a nearby Black Enchanter, who was too focused on Jercy¡¯s attacks and missed the heap of metal that collided into his skull.


    ¡°M¡¯lord, we must go!¡± she urged me.


    I felt broken. I wanted to save as many as I could. But I was only a child. I lacked the strength to stand against them all. I had gotten lucky with the one I had managed to dispatch. ¡°Alright.¡± My voice barely a whisper. Cries of pain echoed in the night sky as we raced through the darkness to escape.


    ********


    A spear of stone shot from the earth and caught one of the Black Enchanters in the leg. The man cried out in pain as a second spear pierced his heart. Sartello watched as the man died. Good, he didn¡¯t like that bastard anyway.


    ¡°Grrrr. Die you bastards!¡± The man¡¯s friend yelled out as he launched more dark orbs towards the Enchantress that made their job so difficult. If it weren¡¯t for her, they¡¯d have been finished by now. Sartello scanned the battlefield with quick eyes,


    ¡°The boy! Wheres the boy?!¡± he screamed at his companions.


    ¡°He ran with the female guard sir!¡±


    Sartello snickered, ¡°Good. All according to plan then.¡± Now if they could just kill this Enchantress, things would be much better. They were ordered to send the boy a message. And did they send one! The boy would now know that the Black Enchanters were to be feared. All was going exactly to plan. A spear of stone tore through the earth, barely missing him. ¡°Accursed bitch.¡± He snarled and sent an orb of his own flying her way. He cheered inside as she was momentarily the distracted. It was going to hit! ¡°Die!¡± he screamed at her.


    In a rush of cloth, a bulbous priest dove into the path of his orb.


    ¡°No!¡± Sartello hissed as his attack connected with the wrong target.


    ¡°Basros!¡± The enchantress yelled as the last of her comrades fell to black magic. With wild eyes, she drew out all of her energy. She then drew more power. More energy. The ground began to shake as she gave herself to her powers.


    ¡°Stupid bitch, you¡¯ll kill us all!¡± Sartello yelled at the woman.


    ¡°Thats the plan.¡± Her voice came to his ears in a serene tone. Then the ground began to rip open.


    Far away from the battle, a young man of about twenty years gazed to the distant south as a giant crack in the earth split open. His horse whinnied in worry, but he patted it with his hand. He sighed,


    ¡°Well this complicates matters a bit.¡±


    ************


    My legs felt like liquid magma as we raced to the north. Neither of us spoke as we ran for our lives. Cyn¡¯s kept her right hand on the hilt of her sword at all times as her eyes constantly scanned our surroundings. The ground began to shake uncontrollably under our feet. I stumbled and fell to the ground as the earth lurched and shifted.


    ¡°Whats happening?!¡± Cyn shouted as she held a tree to stay upright.


    ¡°Earthquake!¡± I shouted in response by my words were drowned out by the sound of the ground splitting open. Trees collapsed as the ground beneath our feet rose and fell. I did my best to keep my balance, but my best wasn¡¯t good enough. As I lay on the ground with my stomach lurching, a cacophony of trees crashing and the ground tearing thrashed in my ears. But above all that, I heard Cyn scream. Just as quickly as it had come, the quake subsided. I quickly got to my feet and looked around.


    ¡°Cyn, where are you?!¡±


    ¡°M¡¯lord¡­¡± Her voice came weak to my right. I found her next to a fallen tree roughly two feet in circumference. With her right arm pinned under it. ¡°It¡­it hurts m¡¯lord.¡± She spoke in great pain. I winced, if that were me I¡¯d be screaming bloody murder. I placed my hands on the tree and tried to move it. No such luck.


    ¡°Cyn¡­¡±


    ¡°Ye can¡¯t move it, aye.¡± She tried pulling her arm and grimaced in pain. ¡°No good.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡± I looked around for something to¡­ ¡°Ah, mind if I potentially ruin your sword?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t doin¡¯ me much good now m¡¯lord.¡±


    ¡°My thanks.¡± I picked up her sword and inspected it. The blade was a fair bit longer than my forearm. My main concern was with the thickness. It didn¡¯t seem like it¡¯d be a good lever, but at this point it was my quickest option. If this didn¡¯t work I could attempt digging her arm out, but that could take a long time. And time wasn¡¯t my greatest ally at the moment. I pressed the sword diagonally underneath the tree, close to Cyn¡¯s trapped hand.


    ¡°Alright Cyn, when I push down on the sword, try to pull your arm straight out.¡±


    ¡°Aye.¡±


    With all the strength I could muster, I pressed down on the hilt of the sword. Nothing. The tree was too heavy. But I kept trying. And I vowed I would keep trying until exhaustion would take me. With a deep breath and clenched eyes, I pressed down once more. My teeth grinding from the strain, I pressed harder than I had ever before. I couldn¡¯t help the others, but I¡¯d be damned if I couldn¡¯t help Cyn! I could feel the weight of the tree increase from the pull of gravity. It was working! I just had to use a bit more strength.


    ¡°Argh!¡± I yelled as the blade snapped and the tree settled back to the original position on Cyn¡¯s arm. I hadn¡¯t moved it much, but it still caused her great pain. I got to learn a few swears at that moment, which was a positive at least.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry Cyn. Best I can think of is digging your arm out now. But¡­¡± She shook her head,


    ¡°Too much time and we dunno if there are other Black Enchanters out there. I understand m¡¯lord.¡± She grimaced. ¡°Cut it off.¡±


    ¡°Whoa, wait! We don¡¯t have to do that yet. We can¡­¡±


    ¡°Nay m¡¯lord. This is the best way. Give me sword back aye? I¡¯ll do it.¡± I handed it to her and looked away.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°Nothin¡¯ you could do m¡¯lord.¡±


    ¡°Ah! Hold a second you two!¡± A voice called from the road. ¡°Perhaps I may be of assistance?¡± A man in black robes paced towards us in a hurry. Without thinking I drew my dagger and faced him. ¡°Settle down lad, I¡¯m here to help!¡± He spoke with upraised hands.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± I spoke as threateningly as I could manage. He was a tall young man with striking features. Most notably, the broken nose he had. It looked as if nobody had set it right to heal. His dark brown hair was dirty and unkempt like he had been on the road for a few days.


    ¡°My name is Sitarre, part time tailor and full time member of the Black Enchanters.¡± He bowed. ¡°At your service.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t want yer help, ye foul bastard!¡± Cyn shouted from her position.


    ¡°Ah, then I¡¯ll just be on my way then. You people have a good day.¡± He turned to leave. I¡­we needed his help.


    ¡°Wait.¡± I spoke. ¡°Please.¡±


    The man, Sitarre, smirked. ¡°At least the boy understands his situation. You my dear, could use some manners.¡± His hand shot forth and he sent out an orb of black energy. With far greater speed than the other casters, it collided directly into the tree. Cyn and I watched him with wide eyes and then glanced at the tree which was now dry and brittle. Like it had aged a thousand years in an instant.


    ¡°Shall we help the lady, my boy?¡± He offered as he knelt by the tree. Together, we lifted the tree from Cyn¡¯s arm. Cautiously, she stood on her own two feet and cradled her broken arm with the other.


    ¡°My thanks, Sitarre was it? But I still don¡¯t trust you.¡±


    ¡°It would be foolish to trust someone on your first meeting m¡¯lady. I understand.¡± He then looked at me with a serious face. ¡°Daen.¡±


    ¡°How do you-¡±


    ¡°We know much, but for now I¡¯ll say to you this. You have nothing to fear from the Black Enchanters.¡±


    ¡°Bit late that.¡± Cyn laughed without mirth, ¡°They just attacked us.¡±


    ¡°M¡¯lady, while I see that you have been in some sort of combat I can assure you, none of our people did this to you.¡±


    ¡°Then who?¡± I questioned, but the man shrugged.


    ¡°I¡¯m unsure, but I aim to find out. Tell me everything you can remember from the incident. Every last detail, no matter how small.¡±


    ¡°Can it wait for a few moments? Cyn¡¯s arm is¡­¡± They both shook their heads.


    ¡°An injury like that, all doctors would cut it off.¡±


    ¡°Aye. I wished it weren¡¯t so¡­but aye.¡± Cyn sadly murmured.


    ¡°Well ain¡¯t that just a steaming pile of horse shit.¡± I spoke angrily, ¡°Give me a moment. I¡¯ll show you what a real doctor could do.¡± Granted, I wasn¡¯t a real doctor, but if I could save Cyn¡¯s arm I damn well would.


    Both clearly looked confused. I ordered her to hold her arm straight and she did so with a look of pain. I looked around for two straight sticks to use as a splint. When I had found two that fit my criteria, I sliced up my shirt to use as wrapping. I looked like ass, but it was better than her walking around with an unrestrained broken arm. I set her arm and tied two strips of cloth around her arm. I then tied another two strips of cloth together to wrap around her neck and arm to hold it in place as we traveled. My hands had felt warm as I worked. My heart had been pounding this whole time. But I kept on, there was no other choice. When I finished, I admired my work. It was the worst splint I had ever seen but it was the best I could do in the situation. Both Cyn and Sitarre had said nothing and watched until I finished.


    ¡°If you needed cloth young Daen, I had plenty in my wagon back on the road.¡± Sitarre scratched his cheek sheepishly.


    ¡°Gee thanks for offering Sitarre. That would have been nice to know before I carved up my shirt.¡± He shrugged and smiled. Bastard.


    ¡°Perhaps next time you could ask if I can assist you?¡±


    ¡°Lesson learned.¡± I wiped the sweat from my forehead. Gods was it hot out.


    ¡°Mind explaining what this is all for m¡¯lord?¡± She wondered as she looked over my handiwork.


    ¡°Its called a splint. The sticks and first cloth strips are to help your arm be kept straight so the bone heals properly. The one around your neck is to keep you from moving it in ways that could agitate the wound. Mostly for your comfort so you can just let your arm hang. But if the bone doesn¡¯t heal right we¡¯ll have to break your arm to try again.¡± She looked at my work with bewilderment.


    ¡°And how does m¡¯lord have such knowledge?¡± Ah, fuck.


    ¡°Its¡­a long story.¡± I scratched my head, trying to think a way out of this one.


    ¡°We¡¯ve a long walk ahead of us.¡±


    ¡°Ah, if I may interject.¡± Sitarre began, ¡°If need be, I can provide transportation. You both are heading to the Holy Kingdom¡¯s Capital correct?¡±


    ¡°Aye.¡± Cyn stated flatly. She clearly didn¡¯t regard the man in a positive light.


    ¡°Well then, feel free to jump on back and rest. I¡¯m sure my horse wont mind the additional weight. Old gal could use the exercise these days.¡±


    Cyn opened her mouth to refuse but I interrupted her.


    ¡°We accept. Thank you Sitarre.¡± I wasn¡¯t feeling so good myself. Rest was welcome. Very welcome.


    ¡°Think nothing of it young lad. Merely a start to a beneficial relationship!¡± Together, the three of us walked to his wagon. We then helped Cyn into a laying position in the back of the wagon with some cloth laid out for her comfort. I myself sat on a roll of brown cloth as Sitarre jumped upon his horse and kicked her into motion.


    ¡°My boy,¡± Sitarre spoke as we began our journey once more. ¡°Mind if I also ask where you learned such medical knowledge.¡± He kept his eyes forward but Cyn affixed her stare to me. She too wished to know.


    ¡°Books.¡± I said plainly and wiped my head on my sleeve.


    ¡°Ah.¡± Sitarre responded, ¡°Its so nice to meet a well-read individual such as yourself in this of all places. Tell me, have you read Iristein¡¯s Travel Guide? I myself find it to be my most treasured book when traveling as¡­¡± His voice began to sound strange. Like it was far away. My blurred vision returned like when I had been hit by the Enchanter I had killed. The last thing I remember was the sky and the sense of falling.

 Chapter 9: Medical "Assistance"

    ¡°What happened?¡± Cyn demanded as she attempted to sit upright in the cart.


    ¡°Uhh the boy fell m¡¯lady.¡± Sitarre explained as he jumped off his horse and ran to the boy¡¯s side. A quick examination of the boy showed he was sweating heavily and breathing in shallow breaths. He then put a hand to the boy¡¯s forehead. ¡°He¡¯s burning up! By the Five, I never thought a child could burn so hot.¡±


    ¡°Bring him here!¡± Cyn commanded and Sitarre nodded.


    ¡°Up we go young lad.¡± With a quick pace, he laid him down in the back of the wagon with Cyn. ¡°We need to get him to a doctor.¡±


    ¡°Aye.¡± Cyn nodded as she soaked a small piece of cloth in water and laid it over Daen¡¯s head.


    ¡°But the only place nearby is Lenzeros, the capital.¡±


    ¡°Aye. Two days away.¡±


    ¡°He might not make it.¡± Sitarre paced back and forth with his hand to his chin.


    ¡°If we don¡¯t get moving, m¡¯lord¡¯s not going to make it.¡± Cyn growled.


    ¡°Patience my dear. We might not need go so far¡­though you may not like what I have in mind.¡±


    ¡°It don¡¯t matter. We need to save m¡¯lord at all costs.¡±


    ¡°In that, we are in agreement.¡± Sitarre then raised his hands to the sky and shot forth a great burst of flame. ¡°My second will see the signal and come assist.¡±


    ¡°Second?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t think I¡¯d go to meet the boy with the golden aura alone, did you?¡±


    Moments later, a tall and very thin woman wearing black leathers came riding out from the forest.


    ¡°I saw the signal Sitarre, whats wrong?¡± She asked in a serious tone.


    ¡°Ah, Glicei! Punctual as always. We need you to play doctor for a few hours or so until we get to our abode.¡±


    ¡°Very funny Sitarre. What do you really need me for? And whose we?¡±


    ¡°He speaks true. Please, you must help m¡¯lord.¡± Cyn pleaded from the back of the wagon.


    Cyn felt herself being scrutinized for a few moments before she was quickly ignored.


    ¡°Picking up strays again Sitaree? This little bird seems to have broken her wing.¡± She turned to Cyn, ¡°You know they cut those off right?¡±


    ¡°M¡¯lord needs help¡­¡± Cyn agonized.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid the lady speaks sense, Glicei. We need you to use your power to keep the golden boy from burning up. He¡¯s with the woman.¡±


    ¡°What did you do Sitarre?¡± She rushed to the wagon. ¡°Ugh! Never mind, out of my way!¡±


    Once she climbed into the back she began to remove the boy¡¯s clothes.


    ¡°What are ye doin¡¯!¡± Cyn demanded.


    ¡°Well these torn clothes aren¡¯t doing him much good are they?¡± Glicei spoke as she removed his pants


    ¡°¡­At least leave m¡¯lord¡¯s pants on!¡±


    ¡°Well if his body is really hot, we need to keep it cool right? That means his whole body! The heat will just move from his head to his¡­head¡­¡± Glicei rationalized. ¡°If we make his whole body cool then the heat cant go anywhere except out.¡± Cyn finally nodded.


    ¡°I see.¡±


    Sitarre jumped onto his horse and kicked her into motion as Glicei removed the boy¡¯s undergarments.


    ¡°Not much to look at is he?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t judge m¡¯lord too harshly. Tis just a boy.¡± Cyn murmured.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t make light of a man¡¯s pride m¡¯ladies.¡± Sitarre called from the front. Glicei merely scoffed,


    ¡°I¡¯ll now use my powers to cool him down even more.¡± She then placed her hands on the boy¡¯s chest and cast a spell. Small patches of ice then formed on the boy¡¯s chest. ¡°This should keep him cool for awhile.¡± Cyn nodded,


    ¡°Impressive.¡±


    ¡°You should see Glicei here when she¡¯s pissed. Then you¡¯ll see impressive.¡±


    ¡°You always piss me off Sitarre.¡± She deadpanned.


    ¡°See? Isn¡¯t she amazing?¡±


    Over the course of their trip, the boy began to speak in a strange tongue. They had assumed that he was still burning up, so Glicei had formed more ice upon his body to keep him cool. In a few hours time, the group approached a small home that had clearly seen better days. They parked the wagon beside the house, unhitched the horse and carried the boy inside.


    ¡°Welcome to our humble abode and headquarters of the Black Enchanters in the region!¡± Sitarre dramatically emphasized the building. ¡°Please, make yourself at home m¡¯lady Cyn.¡± He bowed and led her to a room with a bed of straw. Glicei followed as she held Daen and placed him upon the bed. Her ice had already melted by the time they had made it to the house. For good measure, she casted some more upon the boy¡¯s body. He shivered.


    ¡°I think its working!¡± Glicei exclaimed.


    ¡°Aye. He ain¡¯t burnin¡¯ up no more.¡± Cyn spoke as she placed her hand upon Daen¡¯s forehead.


    ¡°Well, I think we can rest easy now. Lets all take a breather and wait for the other two to show up.¡± Sitarre negotiated.


    ¡°Other two?¡± Cyn curiously questioned.


    ¡°Brute and Stitch. Brute is¡­well, was a slave. A Werewolf in fact. Stitch is like Brute in that he was a slave. But hes a Ratman instead of a Werewolf. One fine doctor as well.¡± Glicei explained as best she could. ¡°You¡¯ll meet them soon.¡±


    Together the two women sat watching over the sickened boy with worry. Cyn¡¯s thoughts were all about the boy himself. Daen could have left her beneath that tree. Could have turned away Sitarre¡¯s offer of assistance. He could have done anything, but he chose to stay and help. He was a fine lad, and she¡¯d do anything in her power to help him in turn. Her honor would allow nothing less.


    Glicei however, worried about different things. Her thoughts were mixed with concern, curiosity, and a bit of anger. She was concerned about the boy, sure. But more pressing was her concern with what would happen should the boy die in their care. Not only would the Black Enchanters be held to blame directly, but her group in particular would be hunted by everyone! She was also curious about the boy himself. Why was a golden aura so important? ¡®I mean, sure its out of the ordinary. But to make such a fuss¡­¡¯ Her anger was all directed towards Sitarre. The man always stuck his nose into problems not his own. He shouldn¡¯t have brought the boy here and now everything would depend on this child.


    It wasn¡¯t long until Brute came stomping into the house. The large wolfman had to bend down to enter through the door because he was so tall. Cyn¡¯s eyes widened as she saw the massive figure approach them. Thick dark grey fur covered his entire body, but couldn¡¯t hide his muscular stature. Yellow eyes watched every hint of movement around. His snout constantly sniffing, searching for anything out of place.


    ¡°Welcome back Brute!¡± Sitarre stood with his greeting, ¡°As you can see, we uh¡­have some guests! Yes, guests. A sick one and an injured one.¡±


    ¡°Sick?¡± Brute growled as he spoke.


    ¡°Aye. M¡¯lord has a fever.¡± Cyn uttered, visibly shaken by the Werewolf¡¯s appearance. Brute closed his eyes in thought before nodding.


    ¡°So Brute, where is Stitch?¡± Glicei questioned.


    ¡°Out. Wanted flowers. Smelled them.¡± He turned, grabbed a bucket, and walked back towards the door to go outside.


    ¡°And where are you going?¡± Sitarre inquired.


    ¡°Get leeches. Clean blood. Help cure. Back soon.¡±


    Once they were alone they all looked at one another.


    ¡°Leeches?¡± Cyn questioned.


    ¡°Well, it sounds like it should work. His people must use such cures when they¡¯re ailing.¡± Glicei rationalized.


    You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.¡°Indeed. When Brute speaks, which isn¡¯t often, its best to listen. He knows quite a bit.¡± Sitarre nodded sagely.


    ********


    Its a strange feeling, being under a fever. You don¡¯t know whats real or a dream. And I gotta say, I had some pretty weird dreams. One was where I heard people speaking a strange language as they pointed at me. My surroundings constantly shifted, one moment I¡¯d be in red canyons, the next I¡¯d be in a tropical forest. At one point I was on a beach resort, tended to by beautiful women in bikinis. I wished that one would stay. But that too faded after a time. In another such vision, I was surrounded by a group of people. One wore black leathers, another wore a black robe, and a third wore some sort of splint on her arm. It reminded me of Cyn, but I couldn¡¯t focus on her face, it kept shifting. There was a forth¡­person wolf thing¡­who had a bucket in his hands. He put his hand in the bucket and pulled out a leech.


    That bucket was filled with leeches.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare use any of them fuckers on me! Fucking slimy gross disgusting bastards! You guys are nothing but ass-backward barbarians!¡± I yelled out as I thrashed on the bed, held down by two people. ¡°Don¡¯t hold me back! Oh lord, don¡¯t hold me back I am getting the fuck out of here! Fuck this dream!¡± I then kicked the bucket from the wolfman¡¯s hands, sending leeches flying everywhere. The wolfman stared straight into my eyes with his yellow ones and he growled. My breathing came fast and soon I felt myself drift back into sleep.


    *******


    ¡°I don¡¯t think the lad approved of your methods, Brute.¡±


    ¡°Foolish. It work. You see.¡± Brute then began picking up leeches off the ground and placing them upon the boy.


    ¡°What language was that?¡± Glicei asked Cyn, ¡°It was structured, not like the ramblings of a madman.¡±


    ¡°Dunno, never heard m¡¯lord speak such before.¡±


    They watched Brute affix the leeches to the boy¡¯s body as the door slammed open.


    ¡°Home home! Yes Stitch home. Greetings greetings!¡± The rat man, Stitch, scurried inside carrying a basket of flowers. ¡°Whats this whats this? Visitors!¡± The ratman walked on two short legs with large rat-like feet. His back was hunched, his arms spindly, two large ears sat upon his head which resembled a rodent¡¯s. His body covered in dirty brown fur. ¡°Brought gifts!¡± The ratman then began to give his flowers to Glicei.


    ¡°Oh thank you Stitch, they¡¯re wonderful!¡± Stitch¡¯s tail thumped happily on the ground.


    ¡°Who these?¡± he gestured to the strangers in his home.


    ¡°This is Cyn and this is Daen. Daen is the boy we received word about.¡±


    ¡°Ah golden aura, yes. Sick is he? Leeches work good.¡±


    ¡°See.¡± Brute growled. ¡°Stitch know.¡±


    ¡°How boy sick?¡± Stitch asked. They then began to describe his symptoms and what they had done to help him. Stitch went eerily silent when Glicei mentioned she used her ice magic to keep Daen¡¯s body cool. When they were done, he was shaking and quite agitated. ¡°Out! All out! Dumb, stupid! No leeches! Out!¡± he screeched.


    ¡°What? But we-¡±


    ¡°Out! Is no sickness! Well, is sickness. But not sick, sickness!¡± Stitch then began to sniff the boy¡¯s face before nodding. ¡°Took too much energy! Magic! Sick from using!¡± He pointed an accusing finger at Glicei and Sitarre. ¡°You should know! You is magic! Need only rest and water and food. Out!¡±


    The group was then shoved outside by the fuming ratman. They stood dumbfounded at the now closed door and looked at one another.


    ¡°Leeches work if sick.¡± Brute simply stated and walked away.


    ¡°Magic sickness?¡± Cyn questioned Sitarre and Glicei. They both looked sheepish and guilty.


    ¡°Never had it like that before.¡± Glicei murmured.


    ¡°Yes¡­I uhh, I only get headaches really.¡± Sitarre bashfully looked away and whistled.


    Cyn glared at them both for awhile until they both mumbled an apology.


    ¡°But¡­magic sickness?¡± Sitarre mused, ¡°Magic can¡¯t truly form until a child is around eight years old. Thats when they''re sent to a school for enchanters. How could the boy have cast a spell so young?¡±


    ¡°Never seen m¡¯lord cast anything before. Maybe Stitch has it wrong?¡±


    ¡°Doubtful, that rat can smell a sickness a mile away.¡± Glicei stated. ¡°Though I wonder, how¡¯s your arm Cyn?¡± All eyes were fixed upon the injured woman.


    ¡°It don¡¯t hurt.¡±


    ***************


    Groggily, I yawned as I awoke. My body felt a little weak, I must have been out for a long time. I tried to check my surroundings, but it was pitch black all around except for some light coming from under a doorway. With my hands, I felt around at my immediate area. I was on a bed made of straw. I was also naked for some reason. My searching was brought to a halt however, when a pair of yellow eyes glowed in the darkness and looked straight at me. I¡¯m not one to think the boogyman is real. But those eyes were definitely real.


    ¡°Awake?¡± A voice growled at me in the dark.


    ¡°Y-yes!¡± my voice squeaked. Whatever this thing was, it had a deep voice.


    ¡°Good.¡± It responded and turned away from me. It then opened the door into a lit room, revealing a silhouette of what looked like a werewolf. ¡°Boy awake!¡± The giant beast announced. Feet scurried in the other room as an over-sized rodent entered carrying a lantern.


    ¡°Yes good! Boy awake, how feel?¡± The rodent asked with a scratchy voice.


    ¡°I uhh I¡¯m fine. Who are you guys?¡±


    ¡°Ah rude yes introductions.¡± The ratman coughed into his hand and wiped it on his ragged clothes. ¡°Stitch is me. Doctor, help you out. Sent bad doctors away. Used leeches. Normally good, but bad in this case!¡±


    The werewolf raised his hand. ¡°Me Brute. Used Leeches. Would have worked.¡± He murmured.


    ¡°Wait. That wasn¡¯t a dream? Sorry Brute, didn¡¯t mean to kick your bucket.¡± The wolfman shrugged, ¡°What else did they do?¡±


    And so the ratman, Stitch, told me what they had told him. Ice. They kept my body cool by taking off all my clothes and covering me with ice.


    ¡°And where is everyone else?¡± I spoke with a smile that I¡¯m sure was more threatening than inviting.


    ¡°Sleeping, yes. Won¡¯t be up till later. Can wake up now yes.¡± Stitch cradled his hands gleefully as he gave a scratchy chuckle.


    ¡°Yes.¡± I smiled, ¡°Lets. But first I need some clothes.¡±


    ¡°Big Sitarre make some while you asleep.¡± He handed me a pair of black trousers, a pair of woolen undergarments, and a long sleeved white shirt, both made of dyed leather. ¡°Two days of sleep! Rough with magic sickness yes?¡±


    ¡°Uh, what? Care to run that by me one more time?¡± I quickly put on my new set of clothes.


    ¡°Magic sickness! Used up too much too quick! Got sick.¡±


    ¡°Uhh¡­but I¡¯m not an Enchanter.¡±


    ¡°No but! Has magic. Can smell.¡± For emphasis, Stitch sniffed. ¡°Girl arm better now. Not normal. Magic.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Frustrated at my confusion, Stitch grabbed my arm with his rat hand and pulled me out of my room and into another room. As we moved I asked Brute if he would bring us two buckets of water. Best not make demands of a wolfman, but he nodded and walked off as we entered a room where Cyn was now asleep.


    ¡°See? No more arm wrap. All better.¡± I glanced at Cyn¡¯s arm as she slept. My splint was gone and her arm did look like it had made a full recovery. Healing magic? I must have had some holy element of magic then. Was it actually holy magic though? Or just the antithesis to dark magic, light magic. I shook my head. The classification didn¡¯t really matter, it was purely semantics.


    But still, I had magic!


    ¡°Wakey wakey!¡± Stitch exclaimed as he began to shake Cyn in her sleep. In an instant her eyes were open and she held Stitch¡¯s arm in a tight grip. I¡¯m glad I didn¡¯t try that.


    ¡°Ah, Stitch, ye startled me. I was thinkin¡¯¡­¡± She set her eyes on me. ¡°M¡¯lord!¡± As she tried to rise out of bed I held her back.


    ¡°Ah, don¡¯t worry about rising Cyn, its early. Also, you¡¯re not decent.¡± She had dropped her blanket in surprise and was rather bare in terms of night time clothing. She nodded and raised the blanket to cover herself.


    ¡°Welcome back m¡¯lord¡­and sorry.¡± She bowed her head.


    ¡°Think nothing of it Cyn, though we¡¯re going to have a discussion later about proper medical treatments. Most notably, how to not kill your patient.¡± She averted her eyes in respect.


    ¡°As m¡¯lord demands.¡±


    ¡°Now go get dressed. We¡¯re gonna dump a bucket of water on Sitarre and his friend¡¯s heads.¡±


    That morning I found out that a man could scream far louder than a woman. But that man was not as vengeful as the woman.

 Chapter 10: The Holy City

    That morning I had begun scolding people far older than I, which was interesting. Interesting in that the reactions were all different. Brute¡¯s expression I couldn¡¯t make out. Sitarre was grinning, the woman, Glicei, was both indignant and ashamed, and Cyn had her head bowed in shame. Being yelled at by a child must be a strange experience. Granted, I¡¯m no child even if I¡¯m in the body of one, but the effect was still there. Once I had yelled at them enough, they retaliated with a buzz of questions. Most of which got the political runaround. Most notably, they wondered about the strange language I used sometimes while I was sick.


    ¡°Well, I wasn¡¯t entirely mentally sound at the time. I¡¯d assume what I said was some mixed words, such as a drunken person.¡± I rationalized to them.


    ¡°What does m¡¯lord know about bein drunk?¡± Cyn pointed out.


    ¡°Remember Lakka¡¯s party? Grashel smashing a table over his head? Ring any bells?¡± She smiled,


    ¡°Aye.¡±


    ¡°Me have great question!¡± Stitch excitedly exclaimed. ¡°How you make arm wrap thing? Look interesting! Save many limbs!¡±


    And thus began my quick lesson in bone setting and splint making. I made use of Cyn as an example again.


    ¡°Why are ye pokin¡¯ me arm m¡¯lord?¡± She asked as I was setting up her splint using some leather that Sitarre had laying around.


    ¡°Just making sure everything is okay. You sure you don¡¯t feel any pain or discomfort?¡±


    ¡°Never better m¡¯lord.¡±


    ¡°Well alright then.¡±


    After a single demonstration Stitch gave it a shot and had it down. He was one clever rat. Once more the question came up on where I had gained this knowledge. I debated on telling them the truth, but how would I go about such a thing? ¡®Yeah sure, I¡¯ll tell you about this knowledge, but first I need to explain multiple universes.¡¯ No thank you. If I was lost during that video there was no way these guys would be able to understand anything.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you when I¡¯m older.¡± I smirked, god it felt so good to turn that around! They weren¡¯t amused. Well, Sitarre was, but he looked at everything as if it were some grand joke. I would have liked to stay with these people if possible, they were a good bunch. But I really needed to get to the holy capital. I¡¯m sure the head priests were getting nervous when I hadn¡¯t arrived when I should have.


    ¡°Thank you all for your hospitality.¡± I bowed to them which got mixed reactions. ¡°But I really must be going to Lenzeros.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± Sitarre began, ¡°Brute, hitch up the wagon. We shall make all haste to the capital!¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Brute nodded and marched off.


    ¡°Why do I have to go?¡± Glicei growled, ¡°You know I hate that city!¡±


    ¡°Ah, but we must keep up appearances, dear wife.¡± Sitarre smirked.


    ¡°I swear, next land we are based in I¡¯m going to be the noblewoman and you my manservant.¡±


    ¡°Yes mistress.¡± Sitarre bowed.


    Yeah, I really was going to miss them.


    Together, all six of us headed out. Brute jogged alongside the wagon as we moved. I sat in the back of the wagon with Cyn and Stitch while Sitarre and Glicei sat up front, pretending to be a couple. They certainly bickered like an old married couple.


    ¡°So when are you two getting married for real?¡± I asked which earned both me and Sitarre a glare from Glicei. That man needed to learn when to hold in his laughter.


    ¡°Never.¡± Glicei spoke with finality.


    ¡°Bah, don¡¯t be like that m¡¯lady.¡± Sitarre began, ¡°I¡¯m sure one day your love will blossom to my antics.¡±


    ¡°Hrmph.¡± Yeah, she totally dug him, she just didn¡¯t want to show it.


    After the two bickered on for a few minutes I began to speak with Stitch for awhile about medical stuff. Namely, me telling him to wash his operating utensils before and after every use, mainly with alcohol as it sterilizes the objects. To wear gloves before working on someone was another talking point. These guys didn¡¯t know about germs, since you couldn¡¯t see them they didn¡¯t exist, but they did understand infection. These two steps would cut down on infection easily. I also hammered into all their heads how important it was to wash your hands. After waking up, after every meal, every bathroom break, anytime you use your hands for something unclean, wash those fuckers.


    I never knew I was a germaphobe until I was born in this world. So much so that I briefly considered conquering the known world and establishing order with a clean fist. Public health would skyrocket under my rule and death to disease and illness would plummet! All would gaze upon me and stare in awe! Behold your savior, Daen, in all his majesty! Look at how clean he is! God damn!


    That night we set up camp early so we¡¯d be well rested for when we arrived at Lenzeros. We all sat around the campfire and stared into the flames, our minds each with their own thoughts. I was a little worried about our two beastmen companions, but Sitarre said that they¡¯d be left alone. Beastmen were a common sight in the Holy Kingdom, mostly as slaves. Its a bit of a shock, coming from a different world only to realize that they still used a slavery system. Even the Ahlgim Dominion had legal slavery. And of course, only beastmen were enslaved as turning a human into a slave was considered morally wrong and against the god¡¯s will.


    Buncha racist fucks.


    ¡°So how did Brute and Stitch escape captivity to join with you?¡± I asked Sitarre.


    ¡°Broke free. Escaped. Sitarre found. Removed curse.¡±


    ¡°Curse?¡±


    ¡°Ah yes, before I regale you with the tale of how Brute and I met, let me first explain that not all Enchanters who use black magic are persecuted. Most Enchanters that pursue the study of that school of magic join with the slave trade. Black magic can alter a being¡¯s mind, as you¡¯ve experienced to an extent. For slavery, they pour magic into their target¡¯s heart, ensnaring it like vines that coil tight when they disobey their master. Nasty work.¡± Sitarre explained,


    ¡°Yeah, thats really messed up.¡±


    ¡°Aye.¡±


    ¡°Then we are all in agreement! As for Brute¡¯s tale, this strong fellow played meek while he was owned by a farmer and used solely for manual labor. A broken Werewolf is a rare find, so the man was exceedingly wealthy to have purchased our friend here. However, as Brute was assumed to be broken in and subservient, he wasn¡¯t watched as closely as he should have been. As sun was setting, he knocked his owner out and fled his captors. But he only got so far before the magic kicked in and he collapsed by our humble home.¡± Sitarre took a breath to continue his eloquent tale, but was interrupted by Glicei.


    ¡°Naturally, Sitarre immediately meddled in the affairs of others and broke the curse with his own magic. Brute originally had wanted to return to his homelands, but he serves Sitarre now until he is no longer needed.¡±


    ¡°As my fake wife so succinctly stated, thats his story. Stitch here was different. I simply purchased the poor man at an auction. Ratmen are seen as a nuisance, cheaply priced and if they do not sell, are killed after the auction.¡±


    ¡°Stitch very grateful to mister Sitarre. Bought Stitch for ten silvers! Stitch pay that back and then some!¡±


    ¡°Indeed! Stitch has been very handy to have around. From sewing clothes to sewing wounds, he has saved me from some unsightly cuts in many a fight!¡±


    ¡°Do you often get into fights?¡± I questioned.


    ¡°Good heavens, no! Fighting is bad for my complexion. But sometimes a bit of force is necessary to preserve one¡¯s well-being.¡± Sitarre sat proudly, like an eagle who had just cleaned his wings.


    ¡°Sitarre drinks heavily, flirts with married women, and accepts duels in taverns.¡± Glicei flatly stated and Sitarre¡¯s expression soured.


    ¡°Ah.¡± I smirked, poor guy was getting a good roasting.


    ¡°That explains much.¡± Cyn nodded sagely.


    ¡°I wish you luck.¡± I said to Glicei who upturned her head to my words with rosy cheeks.


    ¡°Well if we¡¯re all done here, then I will just catch my night¡¯s rest. Hrmph.¡± Sitarre stormed off.


    Conversation died down to more relaxed topics, but it wasn¡¯t long until we all turned in for the night. As I lay atop my bedroll, Sitarre spoke to me.


    ¡°Hey golden boy, nervous about tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°A little, yeah.¡±


    ¡°Understandable, it¡¯ll be your first time stepping into the Holy City. Ah, to see the pristine walls for the first time once more.¡±


    ¡°Pristine walls huh. What¡¯s it like inside?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll see.¡±


    ¡°Gee thanks Sitarre. Let me guess, looks radiant from the outside and in certain parts, but the rest are poor residential areas or slums.¡±


    ¡°Wow, its like you¡¯ve already been there!¡± We both shared a chuckle at that. A few moments of comfortable silence passed before I decided to break the calm.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to miss you guys.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Attached to us already are you? Perhaps you¡¯d like to join the ranks of us Black Enchanters?¡±


    A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.¡°Hah, as if. We both know I can¡¯t.¡± I grinned, ¡°But thanks for the offer.¡±


    ¡°Its an open invitation, my boy! Perhaps when you¡¯re older and you tell us all those secrets of yours you¡¯ll decide to join our merry band.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll keep it in mind. Someone needs to set you guys straight.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, so don¡¯t forget about us, okay?¡± I snorted,


    ¡°As if I could forget the people who could have killed me by helping me.¡±


    ¡°Heh.¡±


    ¡°Snrk.¡± It wasn¡¯t long until we were both laughing our heads off at the whole affair. Even as the women yelled at us from afar to ¡®shut our yaps¡¯ we kept on. Any attempt to stifle ourselves was futile so we kept on.


    ¡°You¡¯re a great kid Daen. I¡¯m glad we weren¡¯t ordered to kill you.¡± He spoke with a sincere tone.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m happy about that too. I don¡¯t want to die until I¡¯m old and decrepit.¡±


    ¡°Ah, not for a great many years my boy. Still, if I ever sire a son, I hope he turns out like you.¡±


    ¡°Just be sure to name him after me, yeah?¡±


    ¡°Nah, my father would kill me if I didn¡¯t name my firstborn after him. Sorry Daen.¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah? Whats his name.¡±


    ¡°Cassiendus. Cassiendus Derellos.¡±


    ¡°Quite a strong name.¡±


    ¡°He certainly lived up to it.¡±


    ¡°Alright, time for this old man to catch some sleep. Have a good rest Daen.¡±


    ¡°You too Sitarre. See you in the morrow.¡±


    Sleep came easily to my tired mind. I dreamed of a city painted pure white, as if to cast away all shadows. But the brighter something is, the darker the shadow it casts. Inside this city, all eyes were constantly upon me. From the poor and destitute to the wealthy and fattened. All were the same as they fixed their gazes to me. In an echoing chorus they all spoke. ¡°Help us.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do what I can.¡± I responded to the voices. Their eyes of fear soon became eyes of relief as the dream faded.


    In the morning we all ate a quick breakfast of hard bread, salted meat and baked beans. I myself didn¡¯t eat much. The dream from the night before had taken my appetite. The group seemed to chalk it up to nerves, so I agreed with them. I certainly was nervous, but not for the reasons they were thinking. Once breakfast had finished, we set off.


    It wasn¡¯t long until I caught sight of great white walls far off in the distance. Five white spires rose even higher than the walls.


    ¡°Behold, Lenzeros. Also known as the Home of the Five. Or the White City. But to you Daen, its the Holy City. I¡¯m sure the priests will drill that into your mind before the day is done.¡± Sitarre snickered.


    ¡°Tis an imposing sight.¡± Cyn spoke in awe.


    ¡°Yes yes! Big city, many dens. Much to do, more to smell.¡± Stitch wrung his hands with glee.


    ¡°Crowded.¡± Brute simply stated.


    ¡°No matter how many times I see it I still say its too white.¡± Glicei observed.


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen better and bigger.¡± All eyes turned to me with looks of disbelief. I just grinned and said no more.


    After gazing at the city for a few moments, we moved on.


    ¡°Alright everyone, we need a plan.¡± I spoke.


    ¡°Plan? What for?¡± Glicei asked.


    ¡°Well, if we get to the gates there¡¯ll be guards right?¡± Everyone nodded. ¡°Right, and we get there and they ask ¡®whats your name and purpose?¡¯ Whats our response going to be? Oh we¡¯re just here to deliver the golden child! We¡¯ll all be escorted straight to the temple.¡±


    ¡°You mean the temples. Theres five. The five spires you see are each from a different temple and each one is devoted to a single god.¡± Sitarre explained.


    ¡°Nonetheless, we¡¯ll all be taken there and you will be memorized by everyone there.¡±


    ¡°And we don¡¯t want that kind of attention right.¡± Sitarre began to think heavily with his hand upon his chin. ¡°So we¡¯ll say we¡¯re here for trade and such. Once we¡¯re inside we¡¯ll split our paths. Cyn and Daen will go to the temples and introduce themselves while we go about our business.¡±


    ¡°Wow, you made Sitarre use his brain. You truly are the golden boy, Daen.¡± Glicei complimented me.


    ¡°Wise boy.¡± Brute rumbled.


    With our plan set, we marched towards the Holy City.


    The guards at the entrance gave us no trouble and we entered the city. Hundreds of people rushed through the streets as people hawked their wares at stalls that lined the streets themselves. Large stores and inns were built along the main drag into the city. As we entered the human jungle I eyed all different kinds of stores. Armor and weapon shops caught my eye the most. What can I say? I¡¯m a man who likes dangerous toys.


    After we made a good way into the main street, Cyn and I jumped off the wagon.


    ¡°You all be well.¡± I bid my farewell to the Black Enchanters.


    ¡°And you Daen. Lady Cyn.¡± Sitarre and his group bowed their heads to us and we returned the motion. ¡°Daen.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°After we¡¯re done here, we¡¯re going back to the site of the attack. We¡¯ll find out exactly who attacked you those few nights ago.¡± Sitarre promised with a serious look on his face. I held out my hand and he took hold of it. We shook.


    ¡°Tell me what you find, I won¡¯t be young forever. I intend to pay back those who wronged me with interest.¡±


    ¡°Glad we¡¯re not enemies!¡± We all laughed. It was time for us to depart.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go Cyn.¡±


    ¡°Aye m¡¯lord.¡± Cyn nodded and led the way deeper into the city.


    As we walked, my eyes wandered. All the big buildings were painted white in some form of imitation of the walls themselves. The White City indeed. Everywhere I looked there were humans. Few beastmen walked these white streets, but the few that did looked malnourished, scarred, and broken as they carried fat, wealthy humans in expensive looking sedan chairs. Slaves. The sight sickened me, how could anyone treat another being like that?


    I don¡¯t know if I¡¯d ever be able to change a world¡¯s views on slavery, but I¡¯d try. All great change starts with one person to stand tall and bring others to them. Problem was, most of those people ended up as martyrs to their cause. I would need to become strong before I made my stand.


    Slaves consisted of many different kinds of beastmen. Most common were types with long, bushy tails that made me think of squirrels. A few had fox tails and ears, and even fewer had wolf appendages. But least common of all, were the scaled lizard folk. Originally from the Greenscale Marshlands, they were a tribal race that waged constant conflict with each other. Books I¡¯d read said they only fared well in warm climates, so they didn¡¯t really know about the whole warm-blood/cold-blood thing worked. They also fared poorly in dry areas and needed moisture so that their skin didn¡¯t dry out which could cause severe breathing issues.


    Like the one that was gasping for breath on the side of the road, chained to a lamppost wearing naught but a loincloth. A guard watched over him, glancing wearily at anyone who dared approach. Once his gaze moved beyond me, I rushed forth and doused him with water from my waterskin. Especially around the neck area where the lizard folk drew in their air.


    ¡°Bless you child.¡± The man¡­or woman, don¡¯t rightly know, thanked me. Lizard folk don¡¯t have breasts like humans do so they only wore loincloths. They also stressed their s¡¯s which was so cool. ¡°May the rains wash you often.¡±


    ¡°Hey!¡± the guard shouted and strutted towards us. ¡°No helping the criminal!¡±


    ¡°Sorry, I tripped.¡± I turned and walked off.


    ¡°Damn brat.¡± The guard muttered and returned to his post. Cyn didn¡¯t say anything, but she did nod to me in respect. I know I wouldn¡¯t want to suffocate like that.


    It took us another ten minutes of walking to reach the center of the city. There, the main road split to the east and split to the west. Each one of the roads would take us to another gatehouse to exit the city. But our destination was here. Five massive temples sat directly ahead. Each one depicted a god, and from left to right the order went Zaras, Holve, Lenzero, Bentillio, and Opell. They were massive enough that they looked as if they could hold a thousand people each!


    ¡°Which one shall we enter m¡¯lord?¡± Cyn questioned. I myself had asked that very same question in my head. I mean, it would make sense to go into the temple of Lenzero, as the city was named after him. But I¡¯m a bastard, so I picked Bentillio. I liked the God of Honor best out of all as I liked to think of myself as honorable.


    Massive doors made of what looked to be polished oak opened without a sound as Cyn led the way. Once inside, we were greeted by a pair of priests in white and gold robes with the crest of Bentillio stitched into the cloth. His crest was a knight kneeling before a peasant. A show of how honor transcended social boundaries. This entrance was nothing compared to the room beyond, where hundreds of pews were lined up, all facing towards the far side of the temple. At the far side was a High Priest giving a sermon to all that had gathered. His robes were far more intricate and he carried a scepter of gold. Beyond him and his stand was a giant stained glass window, portraying Bentillio.


    ¡°How may we be of assistance to you?¡± The priest on the left asked.


    ¡°We¡¯re here to announce m¡¯lord Daen Faltelo. M¡¯lord was tested and it was revealed that the orb did glow gold. So do I swear.¡± Cyn knelt. The two priests looked at one another in surprise. The priest to the right of us reached into his robe and pulled out a testing orb.


    ¡°Hold this boy, so we know her words be true.¡±


    As I took hold of the orb it instantly shone gold. Far stronger than it had on the day of my testing. Both priests were speechless, and even a few people at the back of the room glanced at us and murmured in awe. The two priests, after a moment of recovering their wits, escorted me towards the High Priest of Bentillio. Down the center aisle we walked, my hand holding aloft the golden orb. Silence filled the room as more people took notice of my presence.


    ¡°Blessed be this day!¡± The High Priest called out and knelt as I reached his podium. ¡°The Five have sent their blessed to us! Speak your name boy, so that all may know the name of the one anointed by the very gods!¡±


    ¡°Daen. Daen Faltelo sir.¡± I spoke with childlike innocence. From now on, I would play the role of a young boy. My father had told me to not become anyone¡¯s puppet, and the first step to that was to get them to underestimate me.


    ¡°Praise be to Bentillio! Praise be to Daen Faltelo!¡± The High Priest shouted.


    ¡°Praise be!¡± Everyone in the temple echoed.

 Chapter 11: Council of the Five

    Flanked by priests and guided by the High Priest, I made my way back through a sea of people trying to touch my clothes as they cheered my name. Ah, my adoring subjects, how kind of you to come see me in this, my moment of ascension! While normally I wouldn¡¯t mind the attention, these people were reacting a bit too strongly for my taste. Most smiled, laughed, and cheered. That I didn¡¯t mind, it was the crying tears of joy, or even praying in my direction as if I were a god made flesh walking among them that truly bothered me. I sincerely hoped they didn¡¯t actually believe that, I¡¯m too much of a sinner to be a divine being. Everyone needed their vices as well as their virtues, they¡¯re what makes us human.


    As we reached the exit, the High Priest turned to the crowd behind us. ¡°Children of the Five, go out and tell your friends! Tell your families and neighbors! The Blessed has arrived at last! Upon this sunset shall we celebrate his arrival to our Holy City!¡± Cheers roared and we left the people inside the temple in a hurry. ¡°Spread the declaration to the others.¡± He addressed his fellows in faith, ¡°I will bring the Blessed and his escort to the manor.¡±


    ¡°Most appreciated, holiest.¡± Cyn bowed.


    As the priests scurried about towards the other temples, we made out way along the main road heading east. People we encountered in the streets bowed to the holy man and went about their business. Children at play gave us a wide berth as we maneuvered the streets. One sight that caught my attention was when a horse dropped a load on the street and not a moment later a slave rushed out with a shovel and pail to remove the excrement. Then another slave came with a bucket of water and a brush to scrub the spot. Either this country was hygienic to an acceptable degree, or they were so egotistical that they didn¡¯t want their streets stained with such filth.


    The High Priest, who had introduced himself as Gollard, was a normal looking man with no striking features. He had short black hair like myself and held a peaceful look upon his face constantly. He had taken note of my interest in the street cleaning, and with a bright smile he answered the question that I hadn¡¯t spoke.


    ¡°In times past, rare were the times that these hallowed streets were clean. Ten generations back, a plague tore through our country and had taken a great many lives. The Council of Five at the time decreed that it was our punishment for allowing such filth to stain the Holy City. Thus began the great public works projects that you see. The plague had passed a year later, but the damage was done. Severely weakened, our nation turned to importing vast amounts of slaves to replace those that had been lost. Now, the decree remains to this day, but is tended to by slaves too weak, too young, or too old to work. All slaves are paid for their efforts.¡±


    So they were accidentally hygienic. I could deal with that.


    ¡°Why enslave them if ye pay them?¡± Cyn asked the question that had been stuck in my mind. Gollard grimaced,


    ¡°I am alone in my agreement with you among the council. Their reasoning is ¡®who can truly know the mind of a beast?¡¯¡±


    ¡°Hrmph. May as well start slavin¡¯ humans then.¡± Cyn grumbled. An uncomfortable silence filled the air between us.


    After walking east for a while, we turned north and followed a street straight up to a massive mansion. Just eyeballing it made me guesstimate that it was around three times as big as my father¡¯s mansion. Pure white walls, three stories tall, great balconies littered around the outside, and all around the building itself was a massive garden. Guards patrolled the grounds in teams of three, and two guarded the front entrance. Slaves and humans toiled the gardens without noting the patrolling guards. One guard opened the door to the manor as we approached.


    I stood in awe at the sight of what was inside the main entrance. While the sight of the size of the manor and the grounds was striking, the inside was just filled with excessive amounts of gaudy shit. Paintings, golden threaded carpets,and marble busts were all fine in my opinion. But everything else was gold and my god did it just screamed superiority complex. I briefly wondered if I should knick some necklace or rings to fleece later, a growing boy could always use the money.


    ¡°Welcome Blessed and Cyn, to the Home of the Five. Here, on the first floor is the slave quarters, servant quarters, kitchen, dining areas for the slaves and servants, and privies.¡± As we walked along, slaves and servants stopped what they were doing to bow deeply. ¡°The second floor is guest quarters, regular dining area for the rest, privies, a library, and meeting rooms. The third floor is quarters for the Priests and High Priests, as well as where the Council of Five meet. It is there where we are headed.¡±


    The place was freaking massive, it looked like it could house five hundred people comfortably! I could so get lost in this place. I wondered how big the library was. As we ascended to the second floor, we passed by it. It was absolutely massive. Gollard noticed my staring and chuckled.


    ¡°We house one of the largest libraries in all the lands. Only the Ahlgim Dominion and the Maltenst Empire house a bigger collection. Judging by your expression, I can tell you enjoy reading.¡±


    ¡°Yes sir!¡± I spoke in childlike fascination.


    ¡°Then you¡¯ll be spending plenty of time there, I imagine. It is frequently used by members of the Opell and Zaras devotions. Now let us find your escort a room to stay in.¡±


    As we walked through the halls I was doing my best to memorize the floor layout. In my opinion, it was always best to know your ins and outs of wherever you were. That way if shit went down you wouldn¡¯t be caught unprepared. A spot of paranoia is healthy for everyone. It wasn¡¯t long until we found an unoccupied guest room for Cyn to stay at. I took a peek inside and saw a very comfortable looking bed. These people truly spared no expense for comfort, damn. The room had a balcony door as well, talk about high class. I¡¯m not greedy or anything, but if my room didn¡¯t have a balcony, I¡¯d see if I could trade rooms with Cyn. That would certainly throw these priests for a loop.


    After inspecting her room, we headed up to the third floor. We didn¡¯t find my room until we stopped at the very back of the floor.


    ¡°Go ahead Blessed, I¡¯ll wait here for you.¡± Gollard stated with a self-assured smirk. I nodded before opening the door.


    ¡°Whoa¡­¡± I gasped


    ¡°Amazing¡­¡± Cyn¡¯s eyes bulged as she looked inside with me.


    The room was massive! I spied a doorway leading outside from my room. With single-minded swiftness, I rushed to the door and opened it. I had a balcony! A pretty darn big one too. It had an amazing view into the gardens at the rear of the mansion. Shame about the wall blocking the view to the north, but thats a small price to pay.


    I returned to the inside of my room and looked around. I had my own bookcase, though it was empty. Gollard said I could take books from the library that interested me and store them here as long as I returned them when I was finished. Sweet deal. There was a writing desk with ink, quill and paper already placed atop it. I also had a walk in closet for all my clothes! I gave a wry smile when I realized that this walk-in closet was bigger than any room I had lived in in my previous life. But the best part of my new room was the bed. It looked like it could fit five people easily! I could have such wicked awesome slumber parties in that thing. Now I just had to give it the physics test¡­


    ¡°M¡¯lord, no jumping on the bed, aye?¡± I sighed,


    ¡°Aye¡­¡± Cyn couldn¡¯t spoil my fun forever. I would have other opportunities.


    ¡°If you¡¯re finished, Blessed, we must proceed to the council room. There is still much to be done today.¡± Gollard stated with a smile. Reluctantly, I left my room. The three of us made our way to another large room with a round table made of fine wood. Five chairs sat in a circle around the table, one of which was occupied. A bald, very muscular man in ill-fitting priestly robes sat at the far side of the table. His eyes following our every move as we entered.


    ¡°Ah, Jalholm! I¡¯m pleased to see that you made it here quickly.¡± Gollard turned to me, ¡°This man is Jalholm Ranset. He is the current High Priest of the temple of Holve.¡± Jalholm said nothing as he stared at me. Of course I stared back, just not as intensely.


    ¡°Boy¡¯s got some backbone.¡± Jalholm rumbled.


    ¡°Indeed, I feel as if great things will come from this boy. Now you two, feel free to sit, I¡¯ll have a servant bring us a few more.¡± He made his way out into the hall. Taking the man¡¯s advice, I sat next to Jalholm and Cyn sat beside me.


    ¡°You look strong!¡± I complimented him as a child would. Jalholm chuckled,


    ¡°Aye lad. You gotta be the strongest to attain the rank of High Priest of Holve. Our temple holds a yearly tournament where the devoted can challenge me for the title. I haven¡¯t lost in ten years now.¡± He grinned, poor guy was missing a few teeth. They probably got knocked out in one of his brawls.


    Shortly after Gollard had left,a short woman with curly brown hair entered the room.


    ¡°Greetings. I am Utelle Breol, High Priestess of Zaras.¡± She introduced herself.


    ¡°I¡¯m Daen Faltelo.¡± I bowed my head respectfully.


    ¡°Cyn.¡±


    ¡°A pleasure.¡± Utelle took a seat next to Jalholm. Once seated, she reached into her robe and pulled out a book and began to read. I tried to glance at the title, but couldn¡¯t see beyond Jal¡¯s bulging muscles. Think I¡¯ll call him gymrat Jal. Gollard came back a few moments later, followed by one of the lizard folk who carried two chairs.


    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.¡°Greetings Utelle.¡± The woman nodded in response to Gollard, too engrossed in her book to look up. ¡°I sent word to the kitchen to heat us up some tea, this¡¯ll be a long meeting after all.¡± He took a seat next to Cyn. A comfortable silence fell upon the group as we waited for the rest to show up.


    First to show was Jinaes Ghormall, High Priestess of Courage. A redhead with short hair, tomboyish attitude, and an athletic build. When she arrived things became quite lively as she kept pestering Jalholm for a duel. To which he responded for her to wait until the next tournament. She then began to speak to me about how she became High Priestess of Courage. Which basically amounted to her traveling the lands, fighting the Black Enchanters, defeating dens of vicious animals, and even climbing the rocky peaks to the west to see a Dragon in person.


    As she spoke, I could tell she hated being the High Priestess. She really missed being able to go on adventures like before. I bet Jeral would love to meet her and hear her stories.


    Last to arrive was Rolst Furhnt, High Priest of Wisdom. A tall man with straight blond hair. He too carried a book with him, but this time I could clearly read the title. He was reading about the various treaties, alliances, and wars between countries. But unlike Utelle, he spoke of how he had become High Priest by resolving a major dispute between the Ahlgim Dominion and the Deraso Monarchy to the north. His intervention prevented a war from occurring many years back and was immediately recommended for the position of High Priest.


    Shortly after we were all acquainted, the meeting began in earnest.


    ¡°Cyn.¡± Utelle spoke, ¡°It was written by the boy¡¯s father and delivered by messenger pigeon that you were but one in a larger group. That group consisted of Basros of the Five, an additional five house guards, and an Enchantress by the name of Jercy Wandierre. Why is it that only you and the Blessed showed up and not the entire group?¡±


    ¡°Bandits.¡± I whispered with a hint of fear in my voice. It wouldn¡¯t go well if they suspected the Black Enchanters more than normal.


    ¡°As m¡¯lord says. Along the road we were ambushed at night by a large group of bandits. I m¡¯self saw four hands o¡¯ them, But there may have been more. Jercy told m¡¯lord and I to flee once the battle turned sour fer us. As we fled, the earth began to shake and we heard the ground tear open. After that we were not pursued, but we dared not turn back to see what happened to our fellows.¡±


    ¡°Overload.¡± Rolst stated factually. ¡°An Enchanter can overload their capacity for casting and cause massive destruction like such you have described. However, it is always fatal to the caster themselves.¡±


    ¡°I find it highly unlikely that mere bandits could best an Enchantress enough to make her need to use such a technique.¡± Utelle stated, staring at me. Clearly searching to see if it was a lie or not. While I could pokerface through such scrutiny, I¡¯d have to help solidify the lie. So I began to cry. Jalholm put his massive hand upon my shoulder in a comforting gesture.


    ¡°M¡¯lord has put up a strong front this whole time. A tough lad, but just a boy. They had killed our lookout with arrows, but thankfully the man screamed out in warning. Enchantress or no, we wouldn¡¯t have stood a chance.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡± Utelle rubbed her chin in thought.


    ¡°No matter who it was, we still need to increase patrols to the south in response to this attack.¡± Gollard stated firmly.


    ¡°Aye.¡± Jalholm agreed, echoed by ¡®Aye¡¯s all around.


    ¡°I¡¯ll organize about five groups of ten to patrol the area.¡± Jinaes offered. The others accepted readily.


    ¡°Be sure to tell them to recover anything of interest should they encounter resistance. Its possible that they weren¡¯t bandits, but members of the Varistil Principality seeking to gain an upper hand against us.¡± Rolst suggested. ¡°They¡¯ve been more active than usual militarily this past year.¡±


    ¡°I doubt they¡¯d declare war against us. Its far more likely they seek to attack the Ahlgim Dominion to regain the land they had lost many years ago.¡± Utelle theorized.


    My eyes jumped back and forth between speakers as they gave their assessments and guesses. When I looked at Cyn, she herself was paying rapt attention. She had tensed when war was mentioned with the potential of our homeland being attacked. She caught sight of me staring at her and gave a slight nod. We both knew enough to keep quiet in this situation where vital information was being spoken.


    It was as if they had forgotten we were here.


    ¡°Enough.¡± Jalholm stated. At that moment a squirrel folk slave entered the room with a tray of steaming cups of tea. The woman carefully set a cup before each of us before bowing deeply and retreating. While the others were content to let the tea sit to cool, Jalholm picked his up and took a quick sip. ¡°We have gotten distracted from the matter at hand.¡± He turned to me, ¡°Hope you like these kinds of meetings, you¡¯ll be attending many of them when you¡¯re older.¡±


    I nodded respectfully.


    ¡°Jalholm is right.¡± Gollard spoke, ¡°Daen here has shown that he has the golden aura. I say we start preparations right away.¡±


    ¡°Preparations?¡± I questioned curiously.


    ¡°Aye lad.¡± Jalholm grinned, ¡°Hope ye like crowds. Come midday tomorrow you¡¯ll be introduced to the whole city!¡±


    ¡°Uhh¡­¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to say anything.¡± Jinaes said with a grin. ¡°Just smile and wave to the people. That alone will be enough to inspire them.¡±


    ¡°Is that all I have to do?¡± I questioned with a relieved tone.


    ¡°Of course, Blessed. Though We may even have you hold a glowing orb high for all to see.¡± Rolst nodded sagely. ¡°That way all will know you for true.¡±


    They then laid out plans for the address. We would all assemble and march to the top of the southern gatehouse. From there, the people would line the streets and watch as we made our speeches. While I didn¡¯t have to make one, I knew it would be best if I did. Though, it couldn¡¯t be too complex. Something simple to make the people happy. I just hoped that I didn¡¯t get stage fright from this. Or that my voice cracked during my speech. Nothing worse than publicly speaking and suddenly your voice cracks hardcore. My thoughts went to my one friend who would always send me videos of the worst voice cracks.


    ¡°Blessed.¡± Gollard knocked me out of my thoughts.


    ¡°Ah, yes?¡±


    ¡°We asked if you had given any thoughts to which of the Five you would dedicate yourself to? Its customary for a Priest of the Five to choose one of the Five to devote themselves to. Though you are young and you don¡¯t have to decide now.¡±


    I tilted my head in thought. ¡°Why not all Five?¡±


    ¡°There are a few who do so.¡± Utelle explained. ¡°Those who do so are simply titled ¡®of the Five¡¯, instead of ¡®Devoted of their chosen god¡¯.¡±


    ¡°You called Basros ¡®of the Five¡¯.¡±


    ¡°Yes, he was among one of them that did.¡±


    ¡°Though that path is long and arduous.¡± Rolst stated. ¡°Zaras and Opell devotees spend their time gaining knowledge, both political and scientific, to better the world. Holve devotees spend their time mastering their bodies and weapons. Devotees of Lenzero travel the lands facing down any threat that may come their way. And devotees of Bentillio pledge themselves to any in need and ask nothing in return.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps it is best for you to choose this path.¡± Jalholm rumbled. ¡°The Blessed of the Five should not play favorites.¡±


    ¡°I agree, Utelle nodded. ¡°He shall learn arithmetic and science from the devotees of Zaras.¡±


    ¡°He shall learn of law and politics from those who have sworn to Opell.¡± Rolst added.


    ¡°He will serve others in Bastillio¡¯s name.¡± Gollard grinned.


    ¡°In both body and blade he will train alongside those sworn to Holve.¡± Jalholm raised his fist.


    ¡°In Lenzero¡¯s name will his courage be tested.¡± Jinaes smiled.


    Then they all bowed their heads to me and spoke in unison.


    ¡°We greet you, Daen of the Five.¡±


    ¡°Thank you!¡± I gave them a beaming smile. But in my mind I was cursing up a storm. It sounded like I was going to have no free time at all! How was I going to train my gift if I had no time to do so? First I¡¯d have to learn how to activate my power though. The first time had been without me realizing I was using magic.


    ¡°You¡¯ll do well m¡¯lord.¡± Cyn grinned at me. I nodded in response.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do my best.¡± If it was simple math and science, I didn¡¯t have to worry too much. I had already gone through that shit in school long, long ago. Law and politics though, I¡¯d definitely need to pay attention there. I wasn¡¯t too worried about serving others and training either. Sure, they¡¯d be exhausting but at least I could handle it. But for courage, how would I be tested for that? Would they lock me in a dark room and see if I freak out? ¡°So when do I begin?¡±


    ¡°Two days.¡± Utelle answered. ¡°Today you should ease into this new home of ours. Tomorrow is the Address, Celebration, and the gift giving ceremony.¡±


    ¡°Gift giving?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Oh yes,¡± Jinaes spoke, ¡°Whenever a new member of the Council is elected quite a few people bring a gifts as a form of congratulations. Mostly, they are donations of coin. You are free to accept and decline at your leisure.¡± I certainly liked the sound of being given money for free! Granted, I didn¡¯t really need money at this point in my life. But as the saying goes, its better to have it and not need it, than to need it and not have it.


    Once they were done discussing the preparations for tomorrow, Cyn and I were dismissed. We had free range of the manor and could go anywhere we wanted. I personally wanted to go to the kitchens and grab some food. But Cyn had other ideas and motioned for me to follow her. With a rumbling stomach, I obliged and we made our way back to my room. Once we were there, Cyn closed the door behind us.


    ¡°Alright Cyn, whats with the secrecy?¡±


    ¡°Call it a feelin¡¯. Too many ears.¡± She sighed, ¡°I need to leave on the morrow m¡¯lord.¡± I nodded.


    ¡°I understand. You have to report back to my father, correct?¡±


    ¡°Aye.¡±


    ¡°Very well. Allow me to write a letter back to everyone. When I¡¯m done, make sure nobody from here sees it.¡±


    ¡°Aye m¡¯lord.¡±


    I then sat down at my writing desk, took and piece of paper and began to write with my inked quill.


    ¡°By the way Cyn, nice improv back there in the meeting.¡±


    ¡°Im-proff?¡±


    ¡°Improv, its short for improvise. You spun a good tale about the bandits we encountered.¡±


    ¡°Weren¡¯t the first time I lied m¡¯lord. Won¡¯t be the last neither.¡±


    The paper I wrote on was drying the ink almost as soon as I wrote. Talk about high quality parchment. After a few minutes of scribbling down the events that led up to this moment I had finished. The only thing I omitted was my healing powers. I¡¯d try to keep that as secret as possible. I folded the letter up and handed it to Cyn.


    ¡°Keep yourself safe out there Cyn. If the letter gets damaged, no worries. Just omit my powers when you recount the tale to my father, okay? And that I¡¯ve got some secrets, he doesn¡¯t need to know that. Be sure to mention that they should prepare in case of an attack by the Varistil Principality. Oh and uhh¡­tell Ilsha and Lakka I arrived safely.¡±


    She smiled. ¡°Aye m¡¯lord, no worries.¡± With a bow, she left me alone in my room.


    As I sighed my stomach rumbled fiercely. It was time to rough up some grub.

 Chapter 12: The Ceremony

    Morning came too quickly for my taste. When I had awoke and felt the call of nature, so I quickly dressed into the clothes I had worn the other day. I then opened my door to quite a shock. Well, a shock for me, two muscular priests stood at the ready at my door. Devotees of Holve I assumed. I was so important to these people that I had my door guarded. Even when I announced I was going to the privy they followed! This whole VIP treatment made my skin itch something fierce. AS I sat on the makeshift toilet I broke out of my early morning stupor. The day had finally arrived. The day where I would make my first speech to an entire city. My exterior was a visage of calm. But inside, I was screaming my mental lungs out. I didn¡¯t mind being in large groups of people. But its a different story entirely when a city is watching and listening!


    Just thinking about it brought goosebumps to my skin.


    As I finished my morning duty the call for breakfast went out. And I hadn¡¯t even had the chance to wash my hands yet! I¡¯d have to get them to set up some buckets of water in all the bathrooms like I had done at home. I felt unclean throughout breakfast until I escaped to wash my hands in the gardens. When asked what I was doing, I responded that ¡®father wanted me to wash my hands a lot¡¯. Then I explained we had buckets in our privies to wash our hands on the spot.


    Once breakfast was finished they came for me. The council in their magnificent, expensive, gaudy robes they wore for public appearances. Meanwhile, here I was in the clothes that Sitarre had made for me, looking like someone who was just barely above peasantry. It was a good look, but I wouldn¡¯t have minded something more flashy for a public address.


    ¡°Come, Daen of the Five, it is time.¡± Jinaes spoke. I nodded and followed.


    Surrounded by the Council, and they in turn surrounded by Devotees of Holve, we marched through the streets. Guards lined the streets, keeping the massed people away from our procession. Along the main street heading west, the people were all cheering and yelling their blessings towards us. I felt myself stand a little taller, my pace more confident. I was the focus of these people¡¯s attention, it wouldn¡¯t do to break their illusions about me, whatever they may be. I held in my hands a glowing golden orb that I held up to the crowds and received more cheers.


    When we turned south to head towards the gatehouse however, the cheering slowly began to subside in place of jeers. Beastmen lined the roads in place of humans and they didn¡¯t look happy. While most stood in silence, the rest were making a large ruckus. One had even thrown old fruit towards us, but was quickly struck from the air by a Devotee of Holve. The offender had disappeared into the crowd before he could be apprehended.


    ¡°Why are some quiet and the others loud?¡± I asked Utelle as I raised the golden orb towards the crowds. This quieted them for a few moments before the jeering returned. Her gaze hardened.


    ¡°Because the quiet ones are the slaves, obeying their masters¡¯ orders to not cause problems. The loud ones are beasts that haven¡¯t been chained¡­yet.¡±


    ¡°Not all Beastmen are slaves, Daen.¡± Rolst confirmed. ¡°When they were brought here, they all were. But beasts breed quickly and they hide their young from the slavers. That has led to a large group of unruly beasts that roam our streets. Its hard to discern which is slave and which is free from a distance. But we¡¯ve had no reason to crack down upon the slums to take them all, so we leave them be.¡±


    ¡°For the moment.¡± Utelle grumbled.


    I looked to Gollard who had a regretful look on his face. But he said nothing. Perhaps that was for the best, as his opinion would only emphasize a noticeable rift in our group. He caught sight of me staring at him, smiled, then looked away in shame. A part of me felt a prick of annoyance at the man. What use was honor if you lacked the courage to stand for your beliefs?


    **********


    Kyrrah watched the procession alongside her daughter Freio. Their eyes were red like the morning sun and both wore no better than rags over their furred bodies. Kyrrah¡¯s stomach stabbed her inside from lack of food. Anything she could scrap together would be given to her daughter. With a warm smile watched her daughter as she looked in amazement at the flowing clothes that the priests wore with awe.


    ¡°Mama, look!¡± Freio pointed. ¡°So pretty.¡± Kyrrah patted her daughter¡¯s head, causing the girls ears and tail to twitch happily. Unlike her, Freio had light tan fur, the only reminder she had of her deceased love. Her own fur was brown, darker than normal due to the sheer amount of dirt stuck in it. She had brought her daughter with her to the event as there was likely to be food left out after in celebration. It would be their best meal in¡­she couldn¡¯t even recall. Not even the previous High Priest¡¯s ascensions garnered this much attention.


    ¡°I see, my love.¡± She looked towards where he daughter was pointing, only to see a young boy stood in the center holding a glowing golden orb. Something she had never in her life seen before. But the boy was a human, he would ignore them like all the rest. Kyrrah silently chastised herself, that wasn¡¯t true. The one High Priest, Gollard, frequented the slums to hand out bread to the hungry. She and her daughter had lived this long thanks to that man¡¯s kindness.


    If only all could be as kind as him, man and beast alike. She had been exceptionally lucky the few times she had encountered the man who apologized for not being able to do more. To think that a man of high standing such as him would apologize to such lowly beings like her. There was an unspoken rule among the slums to not touch that man no matter what. Those that broke that rule would be dealt with swiftly and harshly. The rule had only been broken once and Kyrrah herself had thrown a stone in anger at the offender.


    It wasn¡¯t long until the procession ascended to the top of the gatehouse to make their address. Silence descended to the streets as ears both man and beast twitched, eager to hear every word. The first to address the crowd was a large bald man of pure muscle. The High Priest of Holve.


    *************


    I watched the giant of a man approach the edge of the top of the gatehouse. It was decided along the way in what order we would make our speeches. I would be last, as the Council would introduce me to the crowd after they had finished. Jalholm would be first. A pair of Enchanters would help us by making our words much louder than shouting normally would be. This was good for me, I wasn¡¯t a very loud speaker in general.


    ¡°Blessings of the Five to you all!¡± He spoke ritualistically. ¡°May the Strength of Holve reside in each of us for now and forever!¡± He then backed away from the edge, finished with his speech. A bit blunt, but the man was known for his brawn, not his tongue. At least he got his point across, so I gave him three out of five stars. Next to approach the edge was Rolst.


    ¡°Blessings of the Five to you all!¡± He mimicked and began his speech about the wisdom of Opell. While the man was certainly eloquent in his delivery, I found myself not paying attention to it. A public address shouldn¡¯t be overly flowery to the point of being boring like this. It should be powerful, have meaning, emphasized at points to draw attention and keep it. Two out of five stars. The man may have been wise, but in public speaking he was below average.


    Maybe I just had high standards.


    Gollard was next. He gave the ritualistic greeting and spoke of honor to all beings both human and beast alike. Quite a few more cheers than usual went up in the crowd than the others when he had finished. The speech wasn¡¯t particularly memorable in any way, but it did have a point. To respect others as you would respect yourself. That in itself was an honorable quality in all people. I may have been a bit biased, as I gave him a rating of four of five stars.


    Jinaes was the second to last to give her speech. She spoke of finding our courage to face any challenge. Climb any height no matter how insurmountable it may seem. To not be held back by our fear and charge head first to our destinies. It was powerful, it had meaning, and most of all, it wasn¡¯t too long. The crowd roared when she had finished. I rated it five of five stars. The best one yet by far.


    Utelle came last in the Council. After her greeting she gave a speech about the need for knowledge in our world. How such a thing could serve to better all life in the world. It certainly was striking, but I knew that those were just words spoken to appease everyone watching and listening. The girl herself was a racist who couldn¡¯t care less about the beastmen. I¡¯d rate the speech three out of five, but degraded it to two of five because she was insincere in her words.


    When she had finished, all five approached the edge and spoke.


    ¡°By the grace of the Five, we are elated to introduce to you a boy blessed by the Five!¡± That was my signal. With powerful steps, I walked to the edge of the gatehouse and held my glowing golden orb high for all to see. The crowd roared at my appearance. ¡°Blessed be Daen Faltelo, chosen of the Five!¡± The crowd roared even louder. It was time for my speech. My heartbeat raced as I waited for the crowd to silence itself. I didn¡¯t have to wait long.


    ¡°People of the Holy City!¡± I announced loud and proud. ¡°I am Daen of the Five!¡± My mouth tasted sour from that bit of bullshit I spouted, I sure as hell didn¡¯t believe in these gods. But if my words pleased the crowd then so be it. My next words I spoke truly from the heart. ¡°Trust in me, and I shall assist you to the best of my abilities!¡± The crowd roared once more. If I had to be honest, my speech was shit. But for a child like me, it was alright. I give myself three of five stars. I looked out over the city from this vantage point. My eyes immediately looked to the slums where the Beastmen lived. Such a sight made my heart heavy, how could anyone live in such conditions?


    But I knew the answer, they had no choice.


    ******


    ¡°Trust in me, and I shall assist you to the best of my abilities!¡± Those words rung in Kyrrah¡¯s ears. Her mind raced, none of the others promised such a thing. This boy was different from usual, and not just from the orb that glowed a beautiful gold. Her eyes focused on the boy, and even from afar she could tell that he looked upon people like her with sorrow. He seemed sincere in his words, but he was only a child. What could a child do? More than likely his speech was prepared by the High Priests. The boy himself was probably nothing more than a puppet.


    ¡°Mama, are you okay?¡± Freio asked her mother, her ears flat with worry. Kyrrah smiled and hugged her daughter.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, my love.¡± She stared up at the boy while the High Priests gave their final statements. Most notably, the public ceremony would be taking place in the Temple of Lenzero. There, people could meet the boy and give a gift if they had brought one. The Beastmen in the crowd began to disperse as the procession headed towards the temple to begin the ceremony. Only humans went to such things, but perhaps¡­


    ¡°Freio, would you like to meet that boy with the golden orb?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Her daughter squealed. ¡°Can we mama?¡±


    ¡°Then we shall try to do so later. For now, lets see if we can find some food.¡± Kyrrah smiled and headed north towards the temple all the whole holding her daughter¡¯s hand. Even if it proved fruitless, even if others mocked her, she would take any chance to improve her daughter¡¯s life.


    *****


    Inside the temple of Lenzero I sat with the Council members. Their chairs each had the crest of their chosen deity. My chair was just a normal high quality chair. And boy did it make my ass hurt. No matter how I shifted in my seat, I was rewarded with discomfort. It¡¯d have been nice to have a pillow to sit on, but nope! Soon after we had taken our seats that a rush of people entered the temple and knelt before us. Most would quickly introduce themselves, ask for my blessing, drop off a pouch of coins and then left proudly. I didn¡¯t want to raise a fuss about my screaming spine, so I shifted my position after a few people dismissed themselves. I made it look like I was shifting my position to pay rapt attention to whoever next approached.Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    This would cause them to swell up like a peacock and act more subservient towards me. I almost lost my composure the first time somone began to strut towards me. So I did it a few more times. Dance puppets, dance! It was all good fun, even Jalholm snorted in amusement when one wealthy-looking patron almost tripped over himself.


    Over the course of the ceremony I had been given a great many gifts. Most were, as predicted, small bags of coins. My favorite gift was a pair of golden rings each with decent sized ruby studded in them. If Ilsha ever visited I¡¯d give one to her, that way we¡¯d have matching rings. I was also given an emerald pendant with a silver chain, which would go straight to Lakka as green was her favorite color. The rest of the jewelry I received would be given to Mytti, Myril, and my mother. I doubt my father and brothers would want any, dudes don¡¯t like jewelry the same way chicks do. Its a fact of life.


    It took three agonizing hours of sitting on that gods forsaken chair before the crowd began to thin. My sore backside was praying for salvation as I greeted the next person that came to pay their respects. As I looked up from the man who had given me another bag of coins I saw a pair of animal ears standing in the back of the line to meet me. At this distance I couldn¡¯t tell if they were wolf ears or fox ears, but dark, matted fur covered the beast woman¡¯s canine face. Beside her was another pair of light-furred ears of the same type, but beyond the ears they were too small to see from my position. They were the only beastfolk I had seen enter the temple while I had sat here.


    ¡®Theres a reason for that.¡¯ I thought in my head as I felt an immediate change in the atmosphere.


    Agitation was painted upon the faces of the men behind the beast folk. It wasn¡¯t long until that agitation turned to mockery, and even the priests that guarded the door became involved by attempting to remove that person from the line. I looked to the High Priests, but none of them made a motion to stop what was happening. Not even Gollard, though he looked as if he wanted to say something. I could hear their cries as they began to be dragged back towards the entrance. I stood up and began to walk towards the door. The people in line moved to the side before I passed them. If Gollard wouldn¡¯t act like his devotion said he should, I would.


    This would break my cover of trying to appear ignorant, but I was too pissed to care.


    ¡°Blessed!¡± ¡°Daen!¡± Utelle and Jinaes exclaimed at me, but I didn¡¯t listen to them. I briefly locked eyes with Gollard as if to say ¡®This is what honor looks like¡¯. He looked away, clearly ashamed of himself. He should have been the one to raise his voice against this injustice. But instead, I did.


    ¡°Whats the meaning of this?!¡± I yelled at the priests pulling the beast women away. Everyone froze and regarded me with confusion.


    *****


    Kyrrah and her daughter waited outside the temple of Lenzero for the crowd to die down. Her daughter had a pleased look on her face, they had managed to scrounge up some freshly baked bread that felt like it melted in their mouths. A few people passed by thinking they were beggars and tossed them a few bronze coins. Which they eagerly gathered up. ¡®Even if this is in vain, at least we¡¯ll be able to afford something to eat tomorrow.¡¯ Kyrrah thought. Once the crowds began to disperse, she took her daughter into the line to go into the temple. People around them immediately looked disgusted, but made no motion of stopping them.


    She hoped against her instinct that they would leave her and her daughter alone so that they could see this boy blessed by the Five. No Beastmen worshiped the Five before, and Kyrrah was no exception. But for the first time, she prayed to them that the boy would help her daughter. Freio looked fearful from all the angry looks that they both received, so Kyrrah hugged her daughter close. Before long they were inside the temple and Kyrrah caught sight of all the High Priests and the boy sitting and facing the crowd of people. As they moved up in line, Kyrrah swore she felt the boy¡¯s gaze fall upon them.


    That was when the agitated looks all around her and her daughter turned to mockery.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t think they¡¯d let dirty beasts into a holy place.¡± One man chuckled


    ¡°Bet they¡¯re covered in fleas. Foul things fit only for the streets.¡± Another chided.


    ¡°Get out ya stinkin¡¯ freak. A boy blessed by the gods has no time for strays.¡±


    Kyrrah felt her ears fall back upon her head and her tail tuck between her legs in sorrow. Freio lightly cried into her right leg, her ears and tail also tucked back in sadness. She gently stroked her daughter¡¯s head,


    ¡°Be strong, my love.¡± She whispered. But it was not to be, she felt a hand grab her left arm.


    ¡°Lets go.¡± The priest demanded and began to drag her.


    ¡°N-no!¡± Kyrrah cried out.


    ¡°Mama!¡± Freio wailed next to her. Together, they were being removed from their one chance to ask for the assistance the boy had promised. Kyrrah felt her heart freeze as she was dragged.


    ¡°What is the meaning of this?!¡± A young voice yelled out from where the priests sat. Everyone froze as the young boy approached them. His face filled with fury. Behind him, the High Priests scrambled to attend to the boy, but he brushed them away disrespectfully and told them to go back to their seats. They looked as if they had been struck, but the followed the command. The priests that had dragged Kyrrah and her daughter stammered and knelt respectfully to the boy as he stood before them. Kyrrah watched everyone follow suit in kneeling and she did as well. Her daughter, thankfully, did the same. She then felt a hand touch her shoulder.


    ¡°You may stand.¡± The boy spoke softly, and then repeated the same to her daughter.


    ¡°T-thank you Blessed One.¡± Kyrrah stammered. ¡®Is this the same boy that had made a short speech before? He seems so¡­different¡¯. Kyrrah thought. The boy nodded towards us and then glared at the priests.


    ¡°I said, what was the meaning of this?¡± he crossed his arms, clearly agitated.


    ¡°M-most Blessed One¡­we just thought that they were disrupting the ceremony! They were causing problems to everyone around them!¡±


    ¡°Were they now? Very well.¡± The boy spoke coldly. Kyrrah felt her heart being squeezed in regret. Was he going to allow her and her daughter to be thrown out? He turned to look at the two beastfolk, ¡°Come with me.¡± It wasn¡¯t a request. Kyrrah nodded and grabbed her daughter¡¯s hand. Together, they walked towards the back of the temple, where the High Priests sat.


    They boy brought them to the front of the line, sat back in his chair, and leaned forward.


    ¡°Introduce yourselves.¡±


    ¡°M-my name is Kyrrah, Blessed One.¡± Kyrrah managed to speak in the tense atmosphere. ¡°T-this is my daughter, Freio.¡±


    ¡°I greet you Kyrrah and Freio.¡± The boy nodded towards us. ¡°You¡¯re the only Beastfolk to have entered this temple for this ceremony.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Blessed One.¡± Kyrrah spoke reverently. She didn¡¯t know what to think of the situation. Everyone but them stayed silent throughout the whole affair. One of the High Priestesses looked ready to burst in anger.


    ¡°You knew you¡¯d be openly harassed, yet you came anyway?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Blessed One.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°I have no gift to give, Blessed One. Except my daughter. I beg of you, please take her as your servant. Let her live a better life than one in the streets.¡± Kyrrah laid her desires bare for all watching.


    ¡°Mama no!¡± Freio cried out and hugged her mother tightly. ¡°I won¡¯t leave you!¡± Kyrrah hugged her daughter close.


    ¡°Be strong, my love. This is the best chance for you.¡±


    *****


    I watched the two Beast Women hug each other tightly as the mother made her plea to me. When I had first seen them I was struck with sorrow. Their fur was dirty beyond belief, like they hadn¡¯t bathed in years. They smelled too, but I could overlook that. Anyone would smell when they looked as awful as they did. Their clothes were naught but rags that looked ready to crumble at any moment. But worst of all, they looked emaciated to the point of being almost skeletal. It hurt to see anyone in such a state.


    Utelle scoffed from beside me, clearly overcome by her hatred of Beastkind.


    ¡°We don¡¯t need an unchained beast walking our halls.¡± I glared directly into her eyes and she glared back. ¡°If you think you know better than I, prove it. Daen of the Five.¡±


    ¡°Then I will do just that.¡± I accepted her challenge without a second though. I then stood up from my chair and stood beside Kyrrah and Freio. ¡°Rolst.¡±


    ¡°Yes Daen?¡± The man asked curiously.


    ¡°Before even making this request of me, Kyrrah has shown enough wisdom to know that her presence would disrupt the ceremony.¡± He nodded. I turned to look at Utelle who looked greatly displeased at me. ¡°Kyrrah then knew that this was the best chance for her daughter¡¯s future. She was intelligent enough to figure out what she had to do.¡± I then looked to Jalholm. ¡°Then she stood with her daughter, surrounded by those that spared no second thought to throwing them out. She has displayed the strength of her spirit.¡± Jalholm nodded and smiled.


    ¡°Physical strength is not the only strength a person possesses. You are wise Daen.¡± I nodded and turned to Jinaes.


    ¡°Despite all these hardships, Kyrrah still had the courage to make her request. Even if I were to mock her, even were I to decline, she still made it.¡± And finally I faced Gollard who looked greatly ashamed. ¡°And finally, she puts her daughter before herself. If that isn¡¯t honorable then I don¡¯t know what is.¡± The man nodded, ¡°This Beast¡­no.¡± I shook my head. ¡°This woman, has shown that she possesses all five aspects of the Gods. For this, I am far more impressed with her than any of these gifts freely given to honor me.¡±


    ¡°Then¡­then you will accept my daughter?¡± Kyrrah asked with tears in her eyes.


    ¡°No. I won¡¯t.¡± I spoke with a smile. Kyrrah looked hurt at my words. ¡°Why would I accept only one of you? It makes no sense to me to tear apart a family like that. You both will become my servants.¡± Kyrrah prostrated herself before me and began to openly weep. I didn¡¯t want any of that, so I helped her and her daughter to their feet.


    ¡°You are too soft hearted Daen!¡± Utelle yelled. ¡°What if more of these Beasts come from the slums to ask to become your servants?¡±


    ¡°Then I will decline them, for they have only shown to me their greed. But these two are special. Kyrrah faced hardship for the smallest chance of a better life for her daughter. I will not turn a blind eye to those suffering in the streets, Utelle, not while I can make a difference.¡±


    ¡°At least let them be enslaved for your protection Daen.¡± Utelle pleaded. Kyrrah and Freio looked at me fearfully.


    ¡°If that is what it takes¡­¡± Kyrrah spoke, but I motioned for her to stop.


    ¡°I refuse to enslave those who have come to me of their own free will. Enslaving them at this point would only ruin their, and others¡¯, opinion of me. I¡¯m a boy of my word Utelle, and I meant every word when I said ¡®Trust in me and I shall assist you to the best of my abilities¡¯.¡±


    Utelle opened her mouth to protest, but was quickly cut off by Gollar. ¡°I will accept them within our walls.¡± He spoke loudly for all to hear.


    ¡°I as well!¡± Jalholm roared. ¡°Show me the strength of your resolve, Kyrrah and Freio!¡±


    ¡°I see no reason to refuse them.¡± Jinaes smiled. ¡°I applaud you, Kyrrah.¡± Kyrrah bowed her head towards Jinaes in reverence.


    ¡°I will accept them as well.¡± Rolst smiled. ¡°Forgive me for doubting you, Daen. You clearly show much of the Five in your young age.¡±


    All eyes turned to Utelle. ¡°Fine.¡± She scoffed, ¡°I accept as well. But don¡¯t come crying to me when they steal from you and flee into the night.¡±


    ¡°We would never!¡± Kyrrah began to protest, but once more I signaled her to stop.


    ¡°While I¡¯m grateful for all of your support, you all forget one thing.¡± I grinned, ¡°I don¡¯t need any of your permission to accept these two as my servants.¡±


    Both Freio and Kyrrah¡¯s tails swished about rapidly as I took them each by the hand and led them towards the exit.


    ¡°This ceremony is concluded.¡± I spoke firmly. I then turned to the two beast women that followed me. ¡°Lets go home.¡±


    ¡°Home¡­¡± Kyrrah uttered emotionally. Once more letting the tears flow.


    ¡°Home?¡± Freio asked.


    ¡°Thats right Freio.¡± I smiled at her, ¡°From now on you¡¯ll be living with your mother, all the other servants, all the Priests, the High Priests, and myself.¡±


    As we exited the temple, a few people gave disdainful looks towards my new servants. So I flipped them off. They looked confused at my gesture, but they knew enough to know it was insulting.


    With an escort of ten Holve Priests, we marched down the street together to the mansion. The whole while, Freio bombarded me with question after question about their new home. Kyrrah tried to silence her daughter, but she conceded when I said it was no trouble.


    ¡°She reminds me of my youngest sister.¡± I laughed. ¡°Shes got just as much energy as Freio, perhaps more.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe thats possible.¡± Kyrrah gave a motherly smile towards her daughter. ¡°We can¡¯t thank you enough, Blessed One.¡±


    ¡°Please, just call me Daen.¡±


    ¡°Okay Daen!¡± Freio exclaimed.


    ¡°At least call him Master Daen.¡± Kyrrah lightly chastised her daughter.


    ¡°Master Daen!¡± Freio exclaimed once more.


    ¡°How old are you Freio?¡± I asked.


    ¡°This many!¡± Freio spoke and showed six fingers.


    ¡°I myself am four hands and four fingers.¡± Kyrrah informed me.


    ¡°So six and twenty four, eh? Sorry to ask. I know its rude to ask a lady how old she is.¡±


    Kyrrah¡¯s tail and ears began to fidget, ¡°Thank you Lord Daen.¡±


    ¡°Hmm? What for?¡±


    ¡°Thats the first time a human has ever called us ladies. To them, we are beasts.¡±


    ¡°Sorry for not being a typical human then.¡± They both giggled at that.


    ¡°I like Master Daen more than any other human!¡± Freio spoke as she hugged me.


    ¡°Freio, please don¡¯t touch Master Daen like that! Its not proper.¡± Kyrrah worried.


    ¡°Its fine.¡± I stroked Freio¡¯s head. ¡°Its like having my sister around.¡±


    Once we reached the mansion I ordered a servant to prepare a bath, fresh clothes, a room, and some warm food for the new servants. They nodded and rushed off to obey. My attempt at pretending to be a typical child was broken, so I may as well assume my regular role.


    ¡°Warm food¡­¡± Freio salivated.


    ¡°A bath¡­¡± Kyrrah smiled dreamily.


    ¡°Yeah, you both need a bath badly.¡± I spoke while holding my nose and wafting the air with my free hand. All as a joke, of course. But they did stink a little. They shuffled about, embarrassed by my joke. ¡°Sorry, just joking around.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think we can ever repay your kindness, Master Daen.¡± Kyrrah spoke.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. I¡¯d have helped you regardless if you intended to pay me back or not.¡±


    ¡°Why is that?¡±


    ¡°Because I¡¯ve never been able to not help those in need.¡± I smiled, ¡°Its just what I do.¡±

 Chapter 13: Plans

    Footsteps rung out across the wooden floor, causing me to look up from the book I had borrowed from the library. I smiled as I saw Freio and Kyrrah. Some say that the clothes make the man. While I¡¯m not fashion critic, I did have to agree with that saying. The two had been led to the guest dining room on the second floor where I had waited for the past hour. Compared to before, the two looked far better than they had originally. Night and day difference many would say. Long gone were the tattered rags that they had worn when they first came to me. Now they wore a white blouse and long, deep blue skirt. The basic uniform that the other female servants wore. Kyrrah¡¯s fur was now its natural medium brown and Freio¡¯s had returned to a light tan. They obviously had been brushed and scrubbed vigorously, as their fur no longer looked tangled and their tails looked nice and fluffy.


    I had to keep my hands off though, as I wasn¡¯t sure if there was a taboo about tail touching. Best to play it safe for the moment.


    ¡°Master Daen, look! New clothes!¡± Freio bolted towards me and did a little twirl. Both their tails were flitting about happily.


    ¡°Indeed, you both look much better than before.¡± Though they were still thin beyond belief. I put my book down upon the table. ¡°I hope you two are hungry, food will be served soon.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Freio exclaimed and jumped into a seat next to me.


    ¡°I feel like I¡¯m dreaming¡­¡± Kyrrah spoke with a light smile as she sat beside her daughter.


    ¡°I know exactly what you mean.¡± I responded.


    We didn¡¯t have to wait long until food was served. For me, I had a plate of cooked pork and boiled vegetables. For them, they had a bowl of what looked like oatmeal. While there¡¯s nothing wrong with oatmeal, these girls desperately needed something more than just that. It didn¡¯t even look like it had any honey added in! The two of them looked pleased with their meal, but before they could dig in I interrupted them.


    ¡°Hold up you two. Mind if I try some of that?¡± I asked Freio. She nodded and I used my spoon to take a scoop of the stuff. ¡°Yep.¡± I swallowed. ¡°Thats oatmeal. Plain watery oatmeal. Didn¡¯t even have the decency to use milk.¡± I pushed my plate towards them and got up from my seat. ¡°You two share this, I¡¯ll be back.¡±


    ¡°Is everything alright, Master Daen?¡± Kyrrah worriedly looked from my meal to me.


    ¡°Nothing a little charisma can¡¯t fix.¡± I grinned as I left the room.


    From the dining room I marched to the kitchen. Many people were working all around, from food prep to delivery. I quickly flagged down the head chef, easily identified by how he ordered everyone around. After introducing myself to the man I put in a request for my two new servants to receive the same food as I, with a little extra to build up their fat and muscle. Thankfully, the chef readily agreed and said if I ever needed anything else to talk to him directly. He was a good guy about it, so I passed him a silver coin I had swiped from one of the donation bags during the celebration earlier.


    He then winked at me and the coin quickly disappeared into his clothes. From there, we had an unspoken bond between us. The kind of ¡®you scratch my back and I¡¯ll scratch yours¡¯ deal. I then asked if I could get my oatmeal made with milk and some honey added in. I love me some good oatmeal. I didn¡¯t have to wait long until I had a bowl of the steaming goodness in my hands. After expressing my thanks, I left and returned to the guest dining room. I found both of them leaning forward onto the table with content looks on their faces and their tails swishing back and forth lazily. Their bowls were empty and my plate was clean.


    ¡°Good to see you two enjoying yourselves.¡± I snickered and sat beside them.


    ¡°So full¡­¡± ¡°So good¡­¡± The two of them spoke simultaneously.


    ¡°No sleeping on the job you two.¡± I poked Freio¡¯s forehead. ¡°Today may be a relaxing day for you, but tomorrow your work begins.¡±


    Kyrrah nodded, but Freio cocked her head curiously. ¡°Work?¡±


    ¡°Yup! As my personal servants, the two of you will be responsible for clothing, washing, and feeding me. As well as cleaning my room, making sure that¡­¡± I went on and on. Meanwhile, Freio¡¯s eyes got bigger and bigger.


    ¡°Yes Master.¡± Kyrrah bowed her head. ¡°Whatever you may require.¡±


    ¡°Thats a lot!¡± Freio exclaimed wide-eyed.


    I snickered, ¡°I¡¯m sure there are some people who have servants for all that. But I can do most of that myself. Honestly, I¡¯ll most likely only use you two to bring us all food and drinks so we can eat together, or grab books for me from the library. Maybe cleaning my room too.¡±


    ¡°Master, neither of us can read. We wont be of much use gathering books.¡± Kyrrah stated and Freio nodded.


    ¡°I figured that was the case. But don¡¯t worry about it. I¡¯ll be teaching you your letters whenever we have free time. You¡¯ll be able to read and write in no time.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d really do that for us?¡± Kyrrah asked disbelieving, ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°You may as well ask why do I do anything? I like helping people. By helping you being able to read and write I fulfill that sick desire of mine to feel like I¡¯m accomplishing something.¡±


    ¡°Can we learn now?¡± Freio questioned as she leaned close to me.


    ¡°Let me finish my food.¡± I poked her forehead. ¡°Then I¡¯ll show you two around the mansion some more. We can start after dinner tonight, okay?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Thank you Master.¡±


    ¡°Speaking of food, The cook will feed you both the same things that I eat from now on. With a bit bigger portions, you both are far too skinny!¡±


    ¡°Yay!¡± Freio hugged my arm. ¡°Meat is the best!¡± Kyrrah however, looked like she was about to cry again.


    ¡°You alright Kyrrah?¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± she whispered.


    I handed off a handkerchief to her and plowed through the rest of my oatmeal. It was pretty good now that it was made with milk and honey. I then placed my bowl down on the table, picked up the book I had left, and stood.


    ¡°Shall we go exploring?¡± I spoke with a smile and led the way out of the dining room. We headed down to the first floor and I showed them to the kitchen, the servant dining area. Since they were my personal servants, they could dine with me. Which I considered for the best, they¡¯d probably be ostracized for being free Beastfolk. Next up was the privy, as Freio was on the cusp of having an accident. I pushed them in, told them the ropes and wished them well before I closed the door and walked away.


    Best not to eavesdrop on others in the facilities. Once they were finished I brought them outside to wash their hands in a bucket of water. I may have emphasized the need for proper hygiene a bit much, but one¡¯s hands can never be too clean. Once that was finished I showed them around the servant¡¯s quarters, and we found their new room. It was a small one, with two beds and a single dresser to share between them. Freio dove onto her bed in the blink of an eye and made some pleased growling noises. Kyrrah merely sat on hers and smiled.


    Once they had a basic rundown of the first floor, we moved to the second. Guest rooms, the dining room, and most important, the library. Then we moved onto the third floor. I wasn¡¯t sure how much I was allowed to show them, so I took them right my room.


    ¡°And this is my humble room.¡± I opened the door and the two of them had eyes as wide as they could go.


    ¡°Wow!¡±


    ¡°Amazing¡­¡± They scanned the room looking at everything.


    ¡°Oh!¡± Freio caught sight of my bed and darted off faster than she had for her own bed. ¡°Bouncy!¡± she mercilessly jumped atop it. ¡°And soft too!¡±


    ¡°My love, please stop jumping on the Master¡¯s bed.¡± Kyrrah attempted to calm her daughter, but to no avail.


    ¡°Its alright Kyrrah, I did the same thing when I first saw it. Wanna try it?¡±


    ¡°May I?¡± I nodded, ¡°If you¡¯ll excuse me.¡± She bowed and sat at the edge and did a small bounce. ¡°Amazing¡­Its so soft¡­like a cloud.¡±


    ¡°And you haven¡¯t even seen the best part yet!¡±


    ¡°What could be better than this?¡± Freio growled happily as she rolled around, ruining my sheets.


    I opened the door to the balcony. ¡°How about a view of the gardens?¡± They both stood up and rushed over to the railing to look down upon the gardens blooming with flowers.


    The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.¡°How beautiful.¡±


    ¡°Pretty!¡±


    ¡°Blessed One, are you in? Oh! Thank goodness.¡± I turned to see Gollard enter my room. Followed by a bunch of other lower ranked priests carrying bags. ¡°Would you like us to store your gifts in our storage room or¡­¡±


    ¡°Hmm. Put them in the closet, I doubt I¡¯ll ever have enough clothes for it. It can become my personal storage.¡±


    ¡°As you wish.¡± He then directed them to my closet, coins and jewelry jingling the whole while. Once the priests had finished making deposits in the first national closet of Daen, Gollard stood next to me and began to whisper.


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have offended all those people at your ceremony, Daen. A few of them were rather wealthy, and others friends of even wealthier citizens.¡±


    ¡°Gollard, let me say this loud and clear, I don¡¯t care about them. They were the cause of the disruption at my ceremony, not these two.¡±


    ¡°But still¡­¡± I raised my hand to stop him.


    ¡°Whats done is done. If they give us any trouble I will see them dealt with. As soon as I accepted them in my ceremony, Freio and Kyrrah were put under my protection. Should anything happen to them, I will come down upon the offender as if all five gods had descended from the heavens themselves to dispense justice. No matter who they are. Are we clear?¡±


    ¡°Yes Blessed One.¡± He bowed. I nodded,


    ¡°Good. Now, from what Kyrrah tells me, you used to go to the slums to hand out bread to the needy, correct?¡±


    ¡°I still do, Blessed One.¡±


    ¡°Would you appreciate a few extra hands?¡± I stroked my chin in thought. ¡°Hmm, we could even make the bread ourselves the day before¡­¡±


    ¡°Ah, I¡¯m sure those we assist would be beyond grateful!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll help too!¡±


    ¡°Yes, us too!¡± Freio and Kyrrah jumped into the conversation.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure more would join us once you started coming Blessed One.¡± Gollard stated.


    ¡°Yup, but we¡¯ll need more than just bread.¡±


    ¡°We could take some meat and vegetables from the kitchens as well.¡± The High Priest offered, but I shook my head.


    ¡°They¡¯ll need something more than handouts to improve their situation.¡± I showed Gollard the book that I held.


    ¡°You¡¯re reading about agriculture?¡± I nodded,


    ¡°We¡¯re going to need some land Gollard. And people who know how to work it to teach the Beastmen how to farm. From what I¡¯ve seen and heard, they¡¯ve only ever been used for manual labor inside the city. Unfortunately, the area around here isn¡¯t the best for hunting, which they should be naturally good at. So we¡¯ll teach them to farm, pay them fairly on their produce, and build them some homes on the farm. Then we¡¯ll see if we can change the slums from the ground up.¡±


    ¡°Master Daen¡­¡±


    ¡°We could keep giving them lots of bread!¡± Freio suggested, but I shook my head.


    ¡°Sorry Freio, but those that are given things for free don¡¯t learn anything. Its better for them in the long run to learn something that they can use in life.


    ¡°I¡¯ll see what I can do.¡± Gollard began, ¡°But even if we obtain enough land, we wont have our first harvest for awhile.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why we¡¯ll give them bread in the meantime and put out the call for any who wish to work.¡±


    ¡°It would be a drain on our coffers.¡± A new voice spoke from the doorway. I turned to see Rolst approach. ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to eavesdrop.¡±


    ¡°Yes you did.¡± I retorted, to which he chuckled.


    ¡°Tell me Daen, what would you have us do while this project drained the country¡¯s treasury?¡±


    ¡°Well its simple isn¡¯t it? We¡¯ll be in the red in the short term. But once the ball gets rolling and more Beastmen obtain jobs, we¡¯ll be able to tax them whereas now they¡¯re paying nothing. A small investment here would yield large dividends in the future.¡±


    ¡°In the red?¡± ¡°What ball? Where!?¡± ¡°Divi-what?¡± My audience questioned. I sighed.


    ¡°Spend money now, make more money later.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± Rolst nodded. ¡°A decent solution to the slum problem. But even that plan has a problem of its own. The land to the south and north is filled with rocks and far too hilly for decent farming. And all the flatland to the east of the city has already been claimed.¡± He gave a pitying smile towards me. ¡°So as you see, your idea has merit, but it may prove fruitless. Though I¡¯d love to meet your tutors that have taught you as much as you know.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re a long way from here.¡± I smiled, ¡°But regardless, I may have a solution to our problem.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Do share.¡± Rolst held rapt attention now.


    ¡°Tell me Rolst, this country has its own Enchanters correct?¡±


    ¡°Of course, we¡¯d be at a grave disadvantage militarily if we didn¡¯t!¡± He responded with a curious look.


    ¡°And Enchanters strong in the earth element can shift landscapes, correct?¡±


    ¡°Theoretically, yes. But their powers are imprecise on the large scale.¡± He smiled. ¡°Though I see what you were getting at!¡±


    ¡°Huh? What do you see?¡± Freio asked the man who scrunched his brows in thought.


    ¡°Daen thinks we could use our Enchanters to flatten out the land to make way for more farmland. Its not the first time anyone has thought of the idea, but the lands he wants to use have too many rocks in the soil.¡±


    I shrugged. ¡°We could also hire the people living in the slums to remove the rocks from the area and flatten out the land further than the Enchanters could. After that work is done, we could use those that wish to remain in our employment to build better roads.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­your ideas have merit. The flattening and removing of rock would be a big project itself, not even to mention better roads. But it would grant us additional produce or crops such as cotton.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dream of planting anything like cotton for the time being. These farms would be use to revitalize the slums, and the first step to that is food.¡±


    ¡°Agreed. I shall inform the other High Priests, other than Gollard here, that we¡¯ll meet tonight.¡±


    ¡°Lets make it two hours after dinner.¡± Gollard spoke as the two High Priests left my room, speaking excitedly.


    ¡°Will this truly help my people?¡± Kyrrah asked as her ears twitched excitedly.


    ¡°It should. It¡¯ll get them out of the slums and get them working. Then they¡¯ll have a bit of money to spend which flows back into the country. Which then we can use to improve conditions in the slums. But I¡¯m getting ahead of myself here, first things first.¡± I pulled out the chair to my desk and motioned for Freio to sit and Kyrrah to join me. Once my students were ready I took out my ink, quill, and a piece of parchment. With a quick scribble I had the first letter of this land¡¯s alphabet on the page.


    ¡°This here is the first letter of the alphabet. It makes an ¡®Ar¡¯ sound when spoken and written.¡±


    ¡°Ar!¡± Freio spoke excitedly. ¡°Ar?¡± Kyrrah asked. I nodded,


    ¡°Good. Now for the writing part, I¡¯d like you both to attempt to copy that letter below it. Don¡¯t go too big, we¡¯ve still got a lot more to learn.¡±


    The lesson continued on until the call for dinner went out. By then they had learned how each letter of the alphabet sounded, but only had a good handle on writing half of them. They did pretty well in my mind, those accents on the other letters are a pain in the ass. Together, we had eaten in the second floor dining room once more. Steamed vegetables and lightly charred deer meat was what we ate. I had to hand it to the head chef, he knew what he was doing around that kitchen.


    Once dinner was over we returned to my room for another hour of practice. Once that time was up, I gave them the piece of paper with our work on it for them to practice speaking the letters on their own, and assured them we¡¯d do the rest tomorrow. Once they had a grasp on the basics, we¡¯d move on to words, reading, and writing. I¡¯m no professional teacher, but they were making steady progress so I was happy. Once they were on their way, I picked up my book on agriculture and went to the council room early. This way, I could kill time until they showed up.


    Not long before the turn of the hour the first High Priest arrived. Jalholm.


    ¡°Ah, I¡¯ve been expecting you.¡± I spoke as I tapped my fingers together. Initially unaware of my presence, he jumped at my voice and assumed a fighting pose. But upon realizing that is was me, he relaxed and sat beside me.


    ¡°Don¡¯t frighten an old soul like that, Daen.¡± He chuckled.


    ¡°I don¡¯t give out promises I can¡¯t keep.¡± I spoke with as menacing a voice I could manage. Which, for someone who was five, isn¡¯t very menacing.


    Shortly after Jalholm had showed up the rest began to trickle in. With Utelle being last, clearly still mad at me for putting her in her place. Rolst quickly outlined my plan once we had all gathered and I threw in my two cents once the discussion started. Counter points were brought up; such as how much it would theoretically cost the treasury to hire such a workforce and supply them with the items required. But overall the meeting was very positive. Even Utelle agreed to the plan in the end, which I found surprising.


    Though her reason for accepting the plan was to ¡®get those Beasts out of the city and working¡¯. Shes quite the pragmatic racist.


    Another point brought up however, was the lack of available water to the land in the north. I suggested that we use Enchanters and the workers to create a lake sized hole and fill it with water from Enchanters as well. Once the initial plans were made, we decided to call it a night. Which was good as I was about to pass out from being up since the crack of dawn.


    But first I¡¯d try for a few minutes to see if I could ¡®feel¡¯ my magic core.

 Chapter 14: Daily Lessons

    ¡°Wake up Daen!¡± I heard a voice yell excitedly. A flying ball of fur slammed into me as I lay in my bed.


    ¡°Hruck!¡± was all I managed to utter in my groggy state. My vision was bleary, but I knew that the monster that had attacked me while I slept so peacefully was none other than Freio. Who was rolling around in my bed next to me. ¡°Sleep. Pillow.¡± I seized the moment, and grabbed the little beast girl and used her as a pillow.


    ¡°Mama help!¡± Came a cry right next to my ear.


    ¡°Apologies Master. She had gotten away from me as we came to wake you.¡± Kyrrah spoke from the entrance to my room.


    ¡°Hrngrhrangr.¡± I always was a morning person. Reluctantly, I let go of my new pillow that ran and hid behind her mother.


    ¡°Say you¡¯re sorry to Master, my love.¡± She chided her daughter with a voice that didn¡¯t match her face. She may appear serious, but she was barely holding in her laughter.


    ¡°Sorry!¡± Freio called.


    I yawned as I got up from my bed, stretching lethargically. An embarrassed squeak was followed closely by the door slamming shut. Freio had vacated the premises in a hurry. I wondered why.


    ¡°Please clothe yourself, Master.¡± Kyrrah had faced away from me. I looked down.


    ¡°Yes dear.¡± I joked. So I preferred to sleep in the nude, sue me. New clothes had been laid out for me ahead of time. Fresh cotton undergarments and a robe. ¡°Do I really have to wear this?¡± I mumbled.


    ¡°Whats wrong with the robe?¡± Kyrrah asked, still facing the doorway.


    ¡°Its gaudy! Nothing but pure white with gold trimmings and the crests of the Five stitched in.¡± It felt good at least. Kind of like silk, but a little rougher. I sighed and put it on. Whenever I met Sitarre again I¡¯d place an order for a month¡¯s worth of clothes. In place of my leather shoes, were leather sandals.


    Dyed gold of course.


    ¡°Its so gaudy!¡± I cried out to the gods.


    Not even a warm breakfast of eggs, smoked ham and freshly baked bread could break me out of my depressed funk. The clothes made the man, and these clothes made this man feel like some middle school youth trying to be ¡°hip¡±. But what also had me in a funk was that last night I tried to ¡®feel¡¯ my magic and didn¡¯t feel a damn thing. Granted, I only tried for a few minutes before I jumped into bed. I¡¯d give it another, longer try tonight. It would be awesome if I could use my healing powers consciously, rather than that one night unknowingly. As I took a sip from my tea I thought back to that night to think of what could have triggered my powers.


    One, I was angry. Angry in the knowledge that doctors in this world were so inept that they cut off broken limbs simply because they didn¡¯t know how to heal them correctly. That was something I¡¯d have to try, being an angry healer. Just cursing people out as I mend their broken bodies. It¡¯d be even better if I got so angry that my punches would heal people.


    Two, it was night time. This one I didn¡¯t feel was right as I tried feeling for my power last night. While I didn¡¯t spend long on it, I should have felt something if this was the case. I¡¯d try again tonight to be sure, but it would be very inconvenient if I were to only be allowed my powers for less than half of a day. ¡®Come to the night clinic! The hours are just as inconvenient for you as they are for us!¡¯


    Third was that I knew what I was doing was correct. So if my powers only activated while I felt I was doing was correct then I¡¯d just have to convince myself that my way was the only way to use them. It certainly sounded egotistical, running around going ¡®I¡¯m doing the right thing!¡¯ and doing my thing. It wouldn¡¯t be too bad if they activated this way, I like to think that I do the right thing. But that never ends well in stories.


    My final idea was that my powers activated due to the presence of dark magic. Sort of like a reactive trigger. This proved the biggest problem of all, as I¡¯d have to keep an Enchanter who uses dark magic around me constantly. I then imagined Sitarre and Glicei in dog leashes. Don¡¯t mind me, just walking my dark mages. Gotta keep them healthy and their coats shiny.


    Perhaps that night was just a fluke and they¡¯d develop on their own until I could feel my gift like an Enchanter would. That¡¯d be the best outcome.


    After breakfast was my first lesson under a devotee of Zaras in my room. A pair of slaves brought up a larger table and some seats for us to use. Even with all that added I still had a ton of space. The man in charge of my instruction was eager to begin. When I asked if Freio and Kyrrah could join in for the lesson the man readily agreed. Either he didn¡¯t want to challenge me, the one chosen by the gods, or he really enjoyed teaching. Either way, once he learned that they had no previous instruction in numbers I told him to handle their education exclusively.


    As a test, he handed me a sheet of paper with a few problems of varying difficulty to assess my abilities. Since they were just basic addition and subtraction problems, I handled them with ease. He looked it over, nodded a few times and let me do my own thing while he taught my two servants. Their tails wagged happily as they began their lesson in numbers.


    ¡°I never knew Beastmen could be such astute students.¡± The man remarked as they worked.


    ¡°Tell me about it, I¡¯ve begun teaching them their letters after dinner. They¡¯re good girls.¡± The man nodded along with my assessment.


    ¡°Thank you Master!¡± They both spoke as they kept their focus on their sheets.


    ¡°I wonder if all Beasts are as focused as they are.¡± He pondered.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure there are many who would love to learn. Man and Beast alike.¡±


    ¡°It truly is a shame how many there are in this world who cannot read, nor write, nor calculate simple arithmetic.¡±


    ¡°Thats the thing Teach.¡± I addressed the man, he seemed to like the nickname. ¡°The general population do understand and calculate simple arithmetic.¡± I picked out a few coins from my pocket and laid them on the table. ¡°Kyrrah, how many copper coins does it take to make a bronze coin?¡±


    ¡°Three Master.¡±


    ¡°And how many bronze coins to a silver one?¡±


    ¡°Five Master.¡±


    ¡°So how many copper coins does it take to get a silver one?¡±


    ¡°Fifteen.¡±


    I pointedly looked at the teacher who nodded his head and rubbed his chin.


    ¡°You see. People already know the math that affects them. They may not be able to calculate the area of a circle, but they certainly know the exchange rates for money.¡±


    ¡°You speak true, Blessed One. Though one can only go so far with money analogies.¡±


    ¡°True, but everyone has to start from somewhere. Older students would just have an easier time learning math through money.¡±


    Mathematics continued until the call for lunch went out. The devotee of Zaras excused himself and said that we¡¯d continue instruction every morning from here on out. Kyrrah offered to go get lunch for us to eat in my room. She was back quickly, balancing three plates upon a tray. While we ate I went over the lesson with them both, answering any questions that they had. Once we had finished eating, Kyrrah brought the plates and tray back to the kitchens to be washed before returning once more.


    In the twenty minutes before the next instructor would show, I read my book on agriculture. I took notes on certain crops that could be grown in rocky conditions, as I was sure we wouldn¡¯t be able to get rid of all the rocks in the soil. Those of major note were radishes, as they were quick to grow. Tomatoes were another, but they required much more time to ripen for harvest than radishes. Corn would be good as well, but again, longer planting to harvest time. Carrots would do well for us as well.


    Now we would just have to find loads of seeds to buy for our farmland.


    Just as I finished taking notes a woman entered my room. A priestess of Opell from the crest on her robes.


    ¡°As I understand it, you three are learning together, correct?¡±


    ¡°Yes ma¡¯am.¡± We all responded. She nodded, not looking as if she cared if a pair of beasts learned her lessons or not.


    ¡°Very well. We shall begin your political instructions on our kingdom. The Thallist Holy Kingdom. Established well over six centuries ago by the man now known to be the god Lenzero¡­¡±


    The woman taught us extensively on the founding of our Kingdom. About how it wasn¡¯t always a council who ruled, but a king appointed by the leaders of the temples. The king at the time, Dabalast Tolmellros, was so terrible that he had to be removed. As the king held absolute power in those times, the revolution was a bloody affair. But once the rebellion was successful the heads of the temple came together to form a Theocratic Oligarchy where they would rule in place of a king.


    I kept up with the lesson fairly easily. But when I saw either Kyrrah or Freio looked slightly confused, I would ask for clarification. They looked as if they didn¡¯t want to disturb the lesson by asking questions, so I would ask for them. The lesson ended with a review of the history of our kingdom, which we all did rather well on. Our instructor was very pleased with our progress and said she¡¯d see us in two days for the next political lesson. This time we¡¯d be covering the members of the Council, both old and new.


    Tomorrow morning would be learning mathematics once more, and the afternoon would be physical training with the Holve devotees. The afternoon would keep switching between physical and political classes each day. But on the fifth and final day of the week was a day off. Kyrrah, Freio, and I decided that we¡¯d assist Gollard with his food distribution in the slums that day.


    After our instructor left, I went right back to reading and taking notes on various farming techniques used for rocky soil. I knew nothing about farming, so I had to take what was written as fact. Apparently our best bet would be to throw down some decaying plant life to fertilize the ground. Once that was done we¡¯d lay down some good soil over the fertilized area. Unfortunately, while we did have that kind of time, we were an impatient lot.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    I thought of the idea to use the Earth Enchanters to blast the hills. Then we¡¯d sort through the soil picking out the biggest rocks and then raking the soil over our flattened land. It¡¯d still be rocky soil, but much more suitable for farming. It wasn¡¯t long until the call for dinner went out and Kyrrah left to bring us our food. Once we were finished, we all picked up our plates and brought them to be washed. Couldn¡¯t let Kyrrah spoil us that much.


    Once we were back in my room I began to teach them letters once more. They impressed me with their pronunciation. Freio said they practiced together real hard until they could barely keep their eyes open. I patted both their heads and called them the best students a teacher could ask for. I loved watching their tails swing about in a pleased manner. After they had finished the more difficult to draw letters I started teaching them to spell out words.


    Our lesson ended two hours later once we were sufficiently tired. Once more, I wrote out a sheet for them to practice with tonight, which they gratefully accepted. After wishing each other a restful sleep, they left. Now that I was in the clear, it was meditation time. Over the next hour I sat cross legged on the floor trying to feel my gift. Needless to say, it was one boring hour where a whole lot of nothing happened. With a sigh, I stood up and went to bed, ordering myself to try again tomorrow.


    The next day started much the same as the first. Woken up by an adorable ball of fur, who really only wanted to roll around on my bed. Who was then scolded by her mother and forced to apologize. Once they left my room I¡¯d get dressed and we¡¯d go get breakfast. Once breakfast was done and cleaned up our math instructor showed up. This time, Freio and Kyrrah had begun to ask questions during the lesson. Which was good for me, I used the time to look like I was reading. But I was really searching for my magic.


    Lunch time came quickly and my two servants chatted with one another about their lesson. After lunch we reported to the training grounds just outside of the city for our ¡®lessons in physical ability¡¯. Or as I liked to call it The Gym Class from Hell. Needless to say, we had an escort of four Holve Priests the whole way over. The training grounds were what you¡¯d expect from a medieval era one. Full of recruits, both priestly and not, fighting one another. The younger ones fought with wooden blades and shields. The older, more experienced ones used blunted metal blades and wore full armor. Regular recruits wore basic chain-mail, padded leather leggings, leather boots, and open-faced helms for protection.


    Holve Priests however, looked bad ass. They wore open-faced helms like the regular recruits for head protection. But to protect their bodies they wore a chain-mail robe with additional plate-mail covering the chest, shoulders, gauntlets, and boots. In addition to blades, they also wielded two-handed axes, hammers, swords, and giant tower shields. Those people spent their lives dedicated to the god of strength and it showed.


    Our instructor was a beast of a man, wearing his full gear as he jogged up to us. After a brief introduction, he wasn¡¯t very thrilled that my servants were going to be training alongside me. In fact, I was surprised they wanted to join in as well. Freio said it sounded fun, while Kyrrah said that she wanted to be stronger so she could support me no matter what we faced. Reluctantly, I accepted. But I told them to take it easy, they were still weak from being so malnourished. They agreed, thankfully. When I asked what we¡¯d be doing for training the devotee of Holve smiled.


    ¡°One lap around the city.¡±


    Both Freio¡¯s and Kyrrah¡¯s tail fell flat at the man¡¯s announcement of our training. I wanted to cry out in despair. The Holve Priests that had escorted us laughed. They knew this was coming and didn¡¯t give us any warning. I grimaced just thinking about the distance we¡¯d have to travel. This city was huge! I was still a kid and this bastard wanted us to run a lap around it! It was inconceivable. The man was obviously mad in the head! Two peas outside the pod! Just the thought of running such a distance made me think-


    ¡°If you want, we can put on some training weights to build those muscles faster.¡± The man grinned wider.


    -made me think it was the best idea anyone ever had! I flashed a smile at our instructor and started jogging. Close behind me were my loyal servants. Who were then followed by the devotee himself. I like to think I set a decent pace, but I was huffing after a fourth of the way around. I had to slow to a walk, as Freio and Kyrrah weren¡¯t doing too well. The priest however, was furious.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be held back, Blessed One! You need to be strong to survive in this world! By slowing yourself to their pace you only serve to make yourself weaker. You aren¡¯t even tired, I know you have more strength in you than this.¡±


    ¡°I do, but I¡¯m more concerned with their well-being than my own strength at the moment.¡± I put my hands on their backs as I kept their pace to support them. That was when I felt a familiar tingling sensation, and I felt myself being drained. ¡®Ah fuck.¡¯ I thought to myself, ¡®why is my power activating now?¡¯ Their breathing steadied far quicker than normal. The two of them looked at me curiously, but nodded when I asked if they were alright. My mind felt a little cloudy, but other than that, I didn¡¯t feel anything. To mask what had just happened, I increased our pace to a power-walk. The priest had expressed his displeasure at our slow pace verbally.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t say we had to run the whole way around.¡± I smirked as he growled,


    ¡°Next time I¡¯ll bring an assistant to watch over them while you give it your all, Blessed One.¡±


    ¡°I look forward to it.¡±


    The rest of our walk continued in silence. I used the time to consider what had just happened. When I put my hands upon Freio and Kyrrah I felt the sensation of my energy being taken from my body. They then recovered their breath far faster than they normally would have. So my powers didn¡¯t just affect healing, but also the recovery of a person¡¯s stamina? Interesting. This ruled out the theory of my powers only activating at night. And the whole ¡®what I¡¯m doing is the right thing¡¯ thing was crossed off as well. The anger idea was still up for grabs, as I was a little angry at the instructor for sure.


    But that didn¡¯t feel right at all. To me, it seemed more like my powers activated when I was concerned about others. Maybe they would activate on myself if I was concerned about my own well-being? I¡¯d have to do some tests tonight. Once we finished our lap around the city we still had some time to kill before it¡¯d be time to leave. So our wonderful instructor made us lift stones until it was time to leave. The three of us slowly walked back to the mansion, eager to have a nice long soak in a bath before dinner.


    After dinner, I once more began to teach Freio and Kyrrah to spell and read words. Both were drinking in knowledge almost as fast as I could teach it. Their minds had a great amount of wit in them, more than many people would have originally believed a ¡°Beast¡± could possess. Before long, our hour of instruction was at a close. I¡¯d have liked to have sent them back to their room with a children¡¯s book to practice reading, but the library only had one about fairy tales and legends. Still, it was better than nothing so I decided to give it to them.


    ¡°Here, you two can use this for reading practice.¡± I handed the book to Freio, who clutched it tightly.


    ¡°Thank you Master!¡± she smiled.


    ¡°We truly cannot thank you enough.¡± Kyrrah bowed.


    ¡°Eh, its nothing really. Although¡­perhaps you¡¯d be interested in helping me with something?¡± I hoped my theory was correct.


    ¡°Whatever you wish, Master.¡± Kyrrah spoke seriously as Freio nodded.


    ¡°Alright, thanks. It has something to do with what happened during our run today.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you mean when you touched us and we felt better?¡± Freio wondered. I motioned for her to keep her voice down.


    ¡°Yeah that.¡± I kept my voice low. ¡°This isn¡¯t the first time that¡¯s happened¡­but the last time was more extreme.¡±


    ¡°How extreme?¡± Kyrrah asked.


    ¡°I fixed a broken arm.¡±


    They looked shocked.


    ¡°Whoa!¡± Freio exclaimed. ¡°You can fix broken people?¡±


    ¡°In a way. Thats what I¡¯m going to try to do tonight. Your cooperation is much appreciated and please, don¡¯t tell anyone. The last thing I need is people knowing what I can do.¡±


    ¡°Then why tell this to us?¡±


    ¡°Because you two I can trust.¡± Freio grinned and Kyrrah shuffled in embarrassment. Their tails were waging however. ¡°Alright, this may seem a bit extreme, but please don¡¯t worry.¡± I spoke as I approached my bed and took my knife out from under my pillow. They watched me curiously as I approached. ¡°I¡¯ll test this on myself first, but even if it does nothing I¡¯d still like to try on one of you. Is that okay?¡±


    Their looks of apprehension were quickly dismissed.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it. Freio can merely watch.¡± Kyrrah announced in defense of her child.


    ¡°Alright, I understand. Thank you Kyrrah.¡± I drew the knife and held it to my left pointer finger. ¡°Here goes nothing.¡± I cut my finger with a shallow slice. Blood welled up around the wound and dripped to the floor. I then sheathed my knife and held my right hand over the wound. I closed my eyes as I touched my self inflicted wound. I felt a faint tingle in my hand and when I removed it the wound was gone.


    ¡°Whoa!¡± Freio exclaimed.


    ¡°Oh my¡­¡± Kyrrah gasped.


    ¡°Interesting.¡± I spoke as I looked at where the wound was seconds ago. ¡°It feels like the severity of the wound, or less stamina a person has, their body takes more of my energy to heal. I barely felt the effects of that at all.¡±


    ¡°What did you feel when you helped us recover?¡± Kyrrah asked.


    ¡°A little sluggish in the head, like I had been awake for a few days. Though that passed by the time we returned to the training grounds.¡±


    ¡°What about when you fixed that broken arm?¡± Freio wondered.


    ¡°I was knocked out for two days.¡± They looked bewildered at that. ¡°Well, I mean, most of that probably wasn¡¯t my fault. I had some really bad doctors looking after me at that time.¡± I chuckled.


    ¡°Master?¡±


    ¡°Yes Kyrrah?¡±


    ¡°Shall you attempt your test on me?¡±


    ¡°Ah yeah.¡± I handed her the knife. ¡°Sorry for asking you to do this.¡±


    ¡°Do not worry, Master.¡± She sliced open her finger without even wincing. Deeper than I had done for myself even! ¡°I trust you.¡±


    I quickly grabbed her hand. I don¡¯t think I¡¯d be able to explain how my floor had blood on it to anyone. I felt my hands tingle as I held Kyrrah¡¯s hand.


    ¡°It feels a little warm.¡± She spoke in wonder. After a few moments I let go and her hand was healed. ¡°Amazing¡­¡±


    Once more, I swore them to secrecy after thanking Kyrrah profusely for being my test subject. The two of them bowed and left me in my room. Now that I knew that my powers activated in reaction to injury and fatigue, I needed to figure out how to strengthen them. If I was going to be mending people, I certainly didn¡¯t want to be passing out for two days every time someone had a broken bone! I also needed to find out exactly how much of my power I could use. I hoped that it was like a regular Enchanter¡¯s powers, in that I¡¯d be able to feel my power eventually.


    Once more, I sat in my bed and meditated, trying to feel my energy until I felt tired enough to sleep.

 Chapter 15: Slumming It

    Time passed rapidly as I devoted myself to my studies and teaching my two servants the fine art of reading and writing. Their progress continued unabated with ferocious speed. In terms of their physical health, they were starting to gain back some much needed weight. Granted, they were still skinny as hell, but they no longer looked like skeletons. After my second day of instruction, Rolst spoke to me about how my plans for flattening out some land north of the city were ready to be enacted. The only delay was that we had to wait for a group of Enchanters to arrive from the country¡¯s magical academy from the city of Sydellos. Which I learned in one of my classes that it served as the country¡¯s main port of trade. Another lesson I learned was that the Holy Kingdom had five main cities, which my instructor said that it was purely by coincidence and not by design.


    I honestly doubted that, these people really had a fetish for the number five. Five walls, five gods, five gates. Sick bastards.


    Over the course of the week, I tested my powers more and more on myself when alone. Kyrrah and Freio would never forgive me if they knew how much I tested my gift, but the information was worth more than the pain. The amount of energy I needed to use was based on the severity of the wound, as I had originally thought. But an interesting revelation came when I found out that I could control the amount of energy used. It all depended on how I touched the affected area. If I used a single finger, the power left in a trickle and the wounds would heal slowly. If I used my hand, my power left much faster and heal the small wound I made almost instantly. I decided that the next night I would make a bigger cut on my leg and use both hands.


    That night was rough. Ireally didn''t enjoy the feeling of being cut. I didn''t truly feel pain, as my knife was sharp and cut quickly and I would heal myself before the pain could register from the adrenaline pumping through my veins. But still...I spent like, two hours psyching myself up to actually go through with the cut on my leg. I held my knife, took a deep breath. Okay, maybe like five. Began to count to five but at two I sliced my leg open quick and easy. I then quickly dropped the knife and placed both hands on the wound.


    My hands tingled before I passed out.


    The next morning Kyrrah and Freio found me passed out on the floor of my room next to a bloody knife and no visible wounds. In my moments of lucidity, they explained that I had also broken out in a fever. That may have made them worry a bit. But once I was in controlenough to speak, I explained to her and her daughter that it was just ¡®magic sickness¡¯ and that I¡¯d recover quickly.


    Needless to say, they were extremely agitated that I could be so reckless. Kyrrah had even sternly stated that if I were to use anyone in my experiments it should be her. But I couldn¡¯t do something like that to her. What kind of person would I be if I let others feel pain over my curiosity? Every man has his line that he would not cross, hurting others when it could be avoided was mine. I promised her that I wouldn¡¯t do something like that again, but we both knew it was a lie. At least I knew now to not use both hands for healing unless it was an emergency. While I lay in bed, I silently cursed myself for being so stupid when I realized I already had known what would happen if I used both hands. I had to use them to set Cyn¡¯s arm after all.


    Daen the Dummy is what they should call me. Or Derp Derp Daen.


    I had to take that day off from my studies, and a large amount of priests came by to try giving me herbal remedies. I declined their offers, insisting that I just needed water and rest. I told Kyrrah and Freio that they could get additional instruction from the priests that now had the day off, but they declined and stuck beside me the whole day. Once we were alone, Freio gave me a firm whomp on the head and called me a dummy. Kyrrah apologized for her daughter, but I shook my head.


    ¡°Shes right, I can be quite stupid at times.¡± My words made a smug look cross Freio¡¯s face. The next day I felt right as rain and studies went on as normal.


    On the final day of the week we began our first outing to the slums with Gollard. We packed early and heavily with bags of fresh bread and salted meats. Freio, Kyrrah and I strained under the weight of the bags we carried. Meanwhile Gollard, the most honorable person of all, carried only a single bag. I respected my elders and all, but gods damn that man should pull his own weight for once! We weren¡¯t even given a cart to haul our goods to the slums! Our escort of four Holve devotees offered to help, but Gollard waved them off, saying how it would help build strength. And those muscle-heads readily agreed and left us to our struggle! By the time we had made it into the ¡°safe¡± part of the slums we were exhausted. At least it was a cool morning, I didn¡¯t sweat too bad.


    I called it ¡°safe¡± because it was relatively open in an otherwise extremely crowded area. Poorly made shacks made up the majority of the homes all around us. We didn¡¯t have to wait long until hungry looking eyes accompanied with sniffing nostrils began to approach us. First to come to us were a pair of rat folk. After speaking with them briefly, they agreed to spread the word that they were there to hand out food to those most in need. Namely mothers, children, the sick, and the elderly. As for young to adult males and females, I had them spread word that I was looking for workers.


    In minutes the slum square was swarmed with Beastkin of various races and even a few humans in the mix. Sadly, we would never have enough to feed everyone here, but at least we made sure that the children all got a quarter of a loaf of bread each. Once the food was gone, the crowd began to disperse, but more than a few stayed behind to hear my offer of work. To this group I offered them ten bronze coins a day for hard work removing rocks from some land and flattening it out. Excited murmurs spread through the crowd and even a few smiled when I said we¡¯d be supplying them with the tools needed for such an endeavor. All that they had to do was show up and work. The work and payment would begin the following day after the Enchanters showed up to the city.


    When one loud Beastkin, a werewolf, asked what I needed the land for I responded that once the land was prepared, I¡¯d be using the land for farming. I also said that I would be willing to hire anyone that wanted to learn how to farm. They¡¯d have homes built on location so that they didn¡¯t have to constantly travel to the farm and back to the city. The reaction was very positive as I outlined my plans, and a cheer arose when I then stated that my plan was to use a quarter of each harvest to feed the people in the slums. A few older folk asked why not use all the food, but with a quick response I told them that we would need to sell the rest to make some money. Some nodded, others looked confused, and some even looked angry that I wouldn¡¯t share more of the food.


    To put their minds at ease, I said that the coin gained from selling our produce would go back into expanding the farm and investing into the slums. Those ramshackle homes could be torn down and replaced with real homes and potentially even shops. Everyone seemed a bit disbelieving of my plans. A few even asked what I got out of this deal. When I said I¡¯d barely gain anything out of this deal, other than a small bit of money to keep everything rolling, a few walked off and muttered about me being a foolish child. That I was nothing more than a dreamer. Reality had beaten these folks down to the point where they couldn¡¯t believe in others anymore.


    A few unruly members of my audience began to yell out how I was nothing more than a fake. That this was a plot to make them into my slaves. That I was no better than any other human. I winced at that last one, not because the words stung or anything. I didn¡¯t really care what they thought of me, what mattered is what I would do. Actions speak louder than words and all that. No, I winced because I heard a faint growling which turned into very loud snarling beside me.


    ¡°You dare?!¡± Kyrrah yelled at the crowd who instantly turned silent at her outburst. Her fur stood on end as her ears flicked backwards with her tail twitching angrily. Personally, I found her bared fangs by far the most intimidating part. ¡°You dare call Daen no better than any other human? When none would stand for us, he did! When I begged him to take care of my daughter, to give her a better life than I ever could, he took us both in! When the High Priests wanted to enslave us, he wouldn¡¯t allow it! We can read and write now thanks to this boy! We have learned numbers! We have learned history! We have learned so much and its all thanks to Daen!¡±The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    The crowd began to rumbled curiously, no Beastkin had ever been taught such things.


    ¡°And you say he is no different than any other human.¡± Her voice was quiet and her fists shook at her sides. ¡°I owe him everything and more. Until the day that I die I will follow Daen!¡± Kyrrah announced to the world and stared directly at those who had disrespected me. Freio stood alongside her mother and growled as well. Though, her growling was way more adorable.


    I gently patted the arm of the angry mother.


    ¡°Master Daen¡­¡± She slowly relaxed at my touch.


    ¡°Its alright Kyrrah, you don¡¯t have to come to my defense like that. Though it is appreciated.¡± She nodded lightly. I turned my attention to the crowd not even uttering a whisper. ¡°Work starts the morning after the Enchanters arrive. Don¡¯t be late.¡± I spoke firmly, turned on my heels and walked away. My escorts and Gollard followed close behind. As we traveled the streets of the slums, a familiar werewolf stood in my path. ¡°Brute! Hows are you? Is Sitarre around, I could use some new clothes.¡± I greeted the big beast. At the sight of the hulking bulk of a werewolf, my escorts put their hands to their weapons instinctively.


    ¡°Good. Yes, Sitarre here. You follow.¡±


    ¡°You know this Beastkin, Daen?¡± Gollard asked as my escorts kept their hands at their weapons, ready to act in a moment¡¯s notice. I waved for them to cease. Brute may have looked relaxed, but he was eying my escorts with a critical eye. It didn¡¯t take a genius to figure out what was going through his head. I¡¯d bet all my money on him if it came to a brawl.


    ¡°That I do. Brute here is the bodyguard of a wandering tailor that I met when he came to our home. He made me some fine clothes back then. I wish to see if he could make me some new ones.¡± The best lies are those that contain a hint of truth. I had to get out of these god awful robes.


    ¡°Very well then, I shall return to the Citadel. You two, follow me if you please.¡± Gollard spoke to two guards and they walked off back towards the main street.


    Brute led my escorts, servants, and I out of the slums and into the residential district where humans lived in comfort. Streets abuzz with people passed as I followed Brute to the best of my ability. Humans looked at Brute, Freio, and Kyrrah with open disdain, but said nothing. Mostly because of Brute. You really don¡¯t want to mess with a muscular werewolf.


    We traveled through the district until we came upon a decently sized establishment that many would frequent after a hard days work. A tavern! I glanced at the sign that was nailed above the entrance. ¡®The Divine Mug¡¯. I snorted lightly, a holy tavern? Even as we stood outside I could hear the sounds of merriment and yelling. Lots of yelling. Brute gave no care as he swiftly entered the building that I now saw was filled with people. Few looked to us curiously before returning to their drinks and friends.


    I never understood people that hit the bar so early in the day. Didn¡¯t they have better things to do? I guess no matter what world you¡¯re in, everyone loves their alcohol.


    ¡°Sitarre upstairs.¡± Brute spoke as he marched through the crowd that parted before him.


    ¡°You guys take a break and have a drink, I¡¯ll be back in a few moments.¡± I spoke to my guards. Who nodded in appreciation before they turned to a table to have a seat at. Kyrrah and Freio followed, their eyes drinking in the surroundings as their ears and noses worked overtime. They both looked a little uncomfortable in the crowd, but then they were the only Beastkin around besides Brute.


    We followed Brute up the stairs to the second floor, walked down the hall and stopped before a room at the very end. Not even bothering to knock, Brute opened the door and walked in.


    ¡°Brute how many times have I told you to knock before entering a room! Gah, almost punctured my thumb because of you!¡± I heard Sitarre yell at his companion.


    ¡°Only a scratch.¡± Came Brute¡¯s curt reply.


    With a grin, I entered the room. ¡°Housekeeping!¡±


    ¡°Well well! If it isn¡¯t the golden boy himself! Hows the holy life treating you my young friend?¡± Sitarre rose to greet me, dropping the cloth that he had been working with, only slightly stained with a prick of blood. A curious look crossed his face as he stared behind me. ¡°Who are they?¡± He eyed me critically, ¡°Slaves?¡± I turned to introduce them, but was interrupted.


    ¡°Master Daen would never!¡± Kyrrah exclaimed as Freio shook her head rapidly.


    ¡°Ah, forgive me Daen. I tend to jump to conclusions from time to time. Would you be so kind to introduce yourselves?¡±


    ¡°I am Kyrrah.¡± The woman spoke and curtsied.


    ¡°And I¡¯m Freio!¡± the young girl followed suit.


    I gave Sitarre and Brute the summary of what had happened during my Gifting Ceremony. They both grinned wickedly by the time I had finished recounting the tale.


    ¡°Daen good.¡± Brute rumbled and patted my head as Sitarre chuckled.


    ¡°Not the way I would have handled it, but you did well for a child.¡±


    ¡°Oh? And what would you have done Sitarre?¡± I asked genuinely curious.


    ¡°Simple. I¡¯d have set them off to the side for the time being, waited until everyone else had given me their gifts and then accepted those two once everyone else was gone. You stepped on many toes Daen. Toes potentially connected to powerful men. Speaking of which,¡± He motioned towards Kyrrah and Freio, ¡±Are they¡­involved in our troubles? And if not, do you want them to be?¡±


    I shook my head, ¡°No, you¡¯re right. You two mind stepping outside the room for a bit? Sitarre and I have a bit of a private matter we need to discuss.¡±


    ¡°Of course, Master.¡± Kyrrah bowed.


    ¡°Okay!¡± Freio agreed and together they left us in the room.


    I turned back to Sitarre once the coast was clear, ¡°Brute demanded I follow him earlier, did you inspect the area where I was attacked?¡±


    ¡°Yes we did.¡± Sitarre sighed. ¡°We didn¡¯t find much, your Enchanter guard created quite the hole in the ground. At first we didn¡¯t find anything, but then Brute followed a peculiar scent with that keen nose of his.¡±


    ¡°Rotten.¡± The big man spoke.


    Sitarre rooted around in his coat pocket and pulled out a chain of silver that linked to an iron medallion. He then handed it to me to inspect.


    ¡°Its a fine work to be sure.¡± I spoke as I rolled the object around in my hand, inspecting every inch of it. Etched upon the medallion was a man with a crown holding aloft a clenched fist. A faint etching of a rising sun behind him. ¡°Ever see anything like it before?¡±


    ¡°Not in all my travels and studies, no. And I¡¯ve been almost everywhere.¡± Sitarre spoke as I returned it to him. ¡°I¡¯ve taken the liberty of sketching the object in detail to send to my father, perhaps he¡¯ll know more. I should receive word back in a day or two, but all we can do for now is theorize on what it could mean. It may not even have a connection to the culprits at all, merely an odd piece of jewelry. But at this moment its all we have.¡±


    ¡°Can you sketch me a copy as well? I¡¯ll send a letter to my father with the sketch, see if he knows anything.¡± Sitarre nodded,


    ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll bring the sketch to you as well as a few sets of clothes. Those robes really don¡¯t suit you my boy.¡± I laughed,


    ¡°Yeah, they really don¡¯t. I¡¯m a working man, not a holy man.¡± He winked,


    ¡°So you say, Daen of the Five.¡± I rolled my eyes as Brute chuckled. ¡°Just be sure to pay for the cloth at least this time.¡±


    ¡°Yeah sure, no problem Sitarre. I¡¯m staying in the Citadel of the Chosen, if you couldn¡¯t guess.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll ask for the one Beastkin, Kyrrah was her name?¡± I nodded, ¡°I¡¯ll ask for her to deliver the bundle of clothes I¡¯ll bring with the sketch in-between them. They should be ready in three days, so be sure to have the money at hand! Say, three bronze coins per pants and shirt. I¡¯ll whip up five sets so fifteen coins my boy.¡±


    ¡°I can do math.¡± I snorted, ¡°Thanks ahead of time Sitarre, you¡¯re a good fellow.¡±


    ¡°Bah,¡± he waved me off. ¡°You just don¡¯t know me well enough. I¡¯ve a heart as black as night with the robes to match.¡± I rolled my eyes.


    ¡°Yeah sure. Good to see you Brute, don¡¯t be a stranger.¡± The werewolf nodded,


    ¡°Strength, Daen.¡± I nodded in response and exited the room. Only to find two curious ladies standing right at the door with their ears twitching.


    ¡°You heard it all, didn¡¯t you.¡± Freio looked away quickly, but Kyrrah nodded.


    ¡°Yes master.¡± I heard Sitarre laugh from behind me.


    ¡°You¡¯ve a good pair of servants there, my boy. Loyal to a fault it seems.¡± Their tails flicked in annoyance, but neither of them denied the accusation.


    I sighed, ¡°There¡¯s no helping it then. I¡¯ll fill you two in on what happened after our studies.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll help you like you helped us! You¡¯ll see!¡± Freio rubbed up against me.


    ¡°Just giving you two fair warning, the people who attacked were dangerous. And there could be many more.¡±


    ¡°No matter what, Master Daen, we¡¯ll be there to support you. Even at the cost of our lives.¡± Kyrrah bowed deeply.


    ¡°Yes! I¡¯ll train extra hard to keep you safe!¡± Freio vowed.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure those who go against you will live to regret it, ferocious Freio.¡± I patted her head as she growled happily.


    That night, after our reading lessons, I filled them in on everything about my journey to this city. I don''t think I deserved the loyalty they were showing me, but I''d do my best to earn it.

 Chapter 16: Enchanters Arrival

    I didn¡¯t have to wait long for my clothes to be ready. Sitarre had them stitched up in two days, faster than his initial estimate of three. Thankfully I was able to receive them myself as well as pay the due amount. Needless to say, after we parted ways I rushed up to my room to shed these awful robes into real clothes. They fit a bit loosely which I liked as I preferred baggy clothes in my previous life. These weren¡¯t designed to be baggy for long however. I had to hand it to the man, not only was he a great tailor, he also had enough foresight to see that I¡¯d grow into the clothes. Stuck in-between the clothes themselves, was the sketch of that amulet with the man holding up his fist in front of the sunrise.


    I placed the sketch upon my desk and hung my new threads in my closet before sitting back down to look over the sketch. Sitarre was a man of many talents, as the sketch was just as detailed as the real medallion. My observations were interrupted by the patter of feet and the banging open of my door.


    ¡°They¡¯re here!¡± an excited voice belonging to Freio exclaimed. ¡°The Enchanters are here! Come on Daen lets go see them!¡± I placed the sketch down upon my desk, stood up, took my sheathed dagger from under my pillow and belted it, and grabbed my empty bag. I¡¯d be dropping by the slums after meeting the Enchanters so it paid to be prepared.


    ¡°Alright.¡± I smiled, ¡°Lets go!¡± I followed my small, energetic guide.


    We wandered through the halls until we reached the old throne room of the citadel. There at the table sat the five High Priests accompanied by three men and three women in green and golden trimmed robes. After gawking at the new arrivals for a bit Freio excused herself to go back to her mother for their studies in numbers.


    ¡°Ah, Daen. We were just speaking about you. This is Grand Enchanter Nalm Elwiss and his pupils that he has brought for your plan.¡± Rolst spoke as all eyes turned to me.


    ¡°Indeed.¡± A gray haired Enchanter wearing a plumed hat spoke. His beard was long and silver and had a pale complexion. I quickly glanced at the other enchanters, but none of them wore hats. They were also young. Really young. He was clearly their leader. ¡°I had heard that you had renovations planned for the hilly region to the north of our most holy city.¡±


    ¡°That I do Master Enchanter.¡± I bowed to him, but he raised his hands to wave me off from my motion,


    ¡°Please, do not lower yourself in such a way to this old man.¡± The table chuckled at his words. I smiled,


    ¡°Regardless, we¡¯re going to be flattening out the land for a new farm.¡±


    ¡°Hear that lads?¡± The old man spoke to the younger Enchanters. ¡°Your lesson for the next few days will be a destructive one!¡± Cheers rose from the group of Enchanters who raised their fists high. ¡°I assume you have an area in mind for our destruction?¡± Nalm smirked as he asked his question.


    ¡°I do. The map I¡¯ve looked at has a small stream that runs a ways north of the city. We¡¯ll flatten the area around that so there¡¯s fresh water for the plants.¡±


    ¡°You were right Rolst. The boy¡¯s a sharp one.¡± The Grand Enchanter grinned, ¡°How would you like to come to our College of Enchanters? You could-¡±


    ¡°His place his here, Grand Enchanter.¡± Utelle interrupted pointedly. ¡°Daen was blessed by the gods, and in our Blessed City he will stay.¡± The old man raised his hands in deference.


    ¡°Just a joke lass.¡± He stroked his beard as he stared at me. I nodded slightly at him and he grinned even wider than he had before. ¡°We can discuss the finer points tomorrow when we set out. For now I say we feast and relax.¡± Grateful murmurs sounded from the man¡¯s students. With cracking bones, the man rose from his seat. ¡°Daen, would you be so kind as to escort this old man to the kitchens? I feel hunger pains from my journey. A man cannot live on bread and salted pork alone.¡±


    I nodded, ¡°If you would follow me, Grand Enchanter.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re the golden boy, eh?¡± Nalm asked curiously.


    ¡°Thats what some call me.¡± I responded.


    ¡°I hope you¡¯ll forgive an old man his curiosity.¡± He rummaged around in his robes before pulling out one of the testing orbs. ¡°Do you mind?¡±


    ¡°Not at all.¡± I grabbed the orb which was glowing red from the man holding it. As soon as I touched it, the red shifted rapidly to gold.


    ¡°My oh my.¡± He stroked his beard. ¡°You certainly are an interesting individual, Daen.¡± He took the orb back. ¡°When did your power first awaken? Did you experience any form of sickness after it did? What did your power do after it activated?¡±


    ¡°Uhh, what?¡± I asked in response to the man¡¯s barrage of questions.


    ¡°Your powers boy! Tell me about your powers! One can only wonder what sort of magical aptitude a boy such as you possesses.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t even know if I even have powers.¡± I spoke carefully, ¡°If I do, they haven¡¯t revealed themselves yet.¡±


    ¡°An orb doesn¡¯t react like that unless the person holding it has unlocked their power.¡± The man smugly stated.


    ¡°If the orb glowing gold was indicative of me having magical aptitude, wouldn¡¯t it glow black if a person had aptitude in black magic?¡± I countered. The old Enchanter smiled and held out the orb. It began to shift from red to a black vortex.


    ¡°Now my boy, are you going to tell me what you can do? Or would you rather keep your secrets. I promise to not tell a soul if you wish your gift to remain a secret.¡± Nalm placed a hand over his heart as he spoke.


    ¡°Perhaps I¡¯m just blessed by the Gods.¡±


    ¡°That ninny Utelle may believe that, but I can assure you, the rest don¡¯t. Myself included. They¡¯re merely waiting for when you openly display your powers. Whereas I don¡¯t have that kind of patience anymore.¡±


    We had stopped walking and stood in the hall and met one another¡¯s stare with our own. I didn¡¯t blink once, nobody can beat me in a staring contest. The old man however, had no qualms about blinking during out match of wit and will. After a few moments, he shrugged and walked ahead.


    ¡°Rolst said you were different from other children your age. I had originally assumed this meant your gift, but I see I was wrong. I¡¯ll be watching you very closely Daen.¡± The man walked off energetically. With a sigh, I followed. I still had to show him to the kitchens after all. We had spoken little until I dropped the old codger off in the hands of the head chef. I then grabbed a bunch of loaves of bread and stuffed them in my bag.


    After parting ways with Nalm, I dropped in on Freio, Kyrrah, and their teacher who were hard at work with their numbers. I let them know I¡¯d be back in about an hour or so. I¡¯d have to drop by the slums to get word out that work would start tomorrow morning. They offered to come, but I declined, their education was more important than helping me out. Once I left the Citadel I was followed by a few Holve devotees.


    A kid cant even walk the streets without needing an escort, just what is this world coming to?


    Wealthy looking homes faded as we marched towards the slums, replaced with regular worker¡¯s homes and then replaced with ratty shacks as we descended the depths of the West District. I took a deep breath once we were deep in the slums and coughed. Yup, smelled as awful as it looked. My guards looked tense as we traversed the slums, their hands constantly on the handles of their weapons. Calm the fuck down guys, worst comes to worst we get murdered.


    I kept my hand resting upon the handle of my dagger. Mostly to look cool, but also just in case.


    It wasn¡¯t long until we found a group of small children of various races chasing one another around through the alleys. I handed them each a quarter of a loaf and told them to tell everyone they saw ¡®Daen said work begins tomorrow morning. At the Gate of Wisdom¡¯. Once they scurried off we continued on our journey through the slums, handing out food to people and getting word out that work was coming. More than a few of those people cried while thanking me.Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.


    One Beastkin, a male bear type, begged me to help his son. He pushed forth a young cub who looked very sickly beyond the whole emaciated look. I briefly touched the boy¡¯s forehead and felt him burning up. A familiar tingling left my hand as I touched him. I quickly removed my hand, grabbed my handkerchief and soaked it in water before placing it atop his forehead. Strangely, the tingle didn¡¯t return. I then told the father that his son had a bad fever and to keep a wet cloth on his head to help keep him cool until the fever breaks. He looked towards the handkerchief with worry, but I told him he could keep it. His son¡¯s need was far greater than mine. I then gave them my last loaf of bread and told them to stay strong. The father thanked me profusely as he embraced his son.


    Of course, I told him about my offer for work. He nodded and said he¡¯d be there. That was good, even as skinny as he was, one should never dismiss a bears strength. Once the bread was all gone, we made our way back to the Citadel, arriving just in time for lunch. I¡¯d need the energy, later today was physical building exercise with those Holve muscle-heads. I hoped today wasn¡¯t leg day. I hate leg day. Freio was looking forward to running around the city again. Oh to be young and have such energy.


    Oh right, I was young wasn¡¯t I?


    As it turns out, it was leg day. Again. As we jogged around the city I cursed Holve for creating this gymrat cult. They may have understood the need for exercise to keep their bodies in shape, but they had no idea on what a balanced exercise plan was. Their idea was to do things that would need strength to make their strength increase. Simple, effective, and unbalanced. More than a few of those muscleheads had a strange look about them. As I jogged I reminisced about one in particular.


    He had thicker legs from all of their legwork. It looked like every day was leg day for him. Unfortunately, the man neglected his upper body strength through lifting and other exercises. The result was big bottom, little top. However, thanks to the man¡¯s leg muscles I once saw him land a kick on a target dummy that had old plate armor on it. He ripped it from the post with a single kick and caved in the armor where his kick landed.


    By the power invested in me by the Five, I dubbed that man Sir Legman. May his enemies fear his iron legs and kicks that could crush iron. I¡¯d have to see if he was available for construction once we started building up the slums. I¡¯d need a wrecking crew after all.


    Once my lap was done my instructor instructed me to begin lifting and setting down buckets of rocks until Kyrrah and Freio showed up. They still had to take things slow, but they were getting better. Well, except for Freio. Kyrrah at least knew how to pace herself. Freio took off like a bullet at the start. I passed her not long after the jog had begun, her breaths heavy. She¡¯d learn one day. They¡¯d also need better clothes for exercise, but that was just one more item on the ever increasing list of things that needed to be done.


    I was exhausted by the time Kyrrah and Freio showed up. Luckily, I could use my power to relieve some of my exhaustion. Fatigue floated away as I wiped my head to get rid of my beading sweat. The two noticed my slight change in exhaustion instantly, and with heavy breaths they stared at me.


    ¡°Good run you two?¡± I patted them on the back twice each. They straightened up,


    ¡°Yes. An enjoyable day for a run.¡± Kyrrah spoke.


    ¡°My legs hurt.¡± Freio whined.


    ¡°Nothing a long soak in a hot bath can¡¯t fix.¡± I said with a hint of longing.


    ¡°You¡¯re not done yet you three.¡± Our drill instructor laughed. ¡°Lift these buckets of rocks until you drop!¡± Freio fell to the ground groaning. Our tormentor merely laughed at the display. The heartless monster made us lift rocks for another hour before it was time to head back for some much needed relaxation.


    Needless to say, I took a long bath. Shame it didn¡¯t have any bubbles. A bath is incomplete if it doesn¡¯t have bubbles. Like peanut butter without jelly.


    After my relaxing soak I changed into a new set of clothes Sitarre had tailored for me and walked upstairs to my room. It was a few minutes from dinner, so I had time to do a bit more studying about the various crops we¡¯d be using at the farm later on. However, once I entered my room I found Nalm inside waiting.


    ¡°Hello Daen!¡± the old Enchanter grinned.


    ¡°Hello Grand Enchanter.¡± I responded, ¡°What brings you to my room?¡±


    ¡°Curiosity mostly. I have to say, that is a quite exquisite sketch you have on your desk. You must be a fan of history.¡± I felt a chill run down my spine. I had forgotten to hide the sketch away.


    ¡°History?¡±


    ¡°Yes indeed! That is a sketch of an old medallion of the first King of our land, Lenzero. Back then, people believed that if he commanded it, the sun would rise!¡± The man scoffed, ¡°As if such a thing were possible. Still, it is an old symbol of power dating back many many years. It was also worn by supporters of the Monarchy during the revolution that changed this country¡¯s government.¡±


    ¡°Huh, I didn¡¯t know that.¡± I stated in surprise, ¡°I just sketched it because it looked important. I was going to ask a teacher about it later.¡±


    ¡°Well then my boy, you¡¯ve come to the right man! You see, these medallions first began to be forged after Lenzero¡¯s reign¡­¡±


    Even as the call for dinner went out the man was still talking. Even as we walked through the halls he was still talking. Even as we sat down to eat, he was still talking. Somehow, the man was talking even as he ate. Neither I nor Freio nor Kyrrah could get a word in during our meal. He didn¡¯t stop until we finished and returned to my room. And he only stopped talking about history to ask why the Beastkin were coming into my room. That I wasn¡¯t old enough for nightly dalliances, which made Kyrrah fidget and Freio glance at the old man curiously.


    ¡°Whats a nightly dalliance?¡± She asked in a wondering tone.


    ¡°Its a meeting between two, or more, people at night little miss!¡± Nalm explained without missing a beat. Kyrrah sighed in relief, obviously happy she didn¡¯t have to explain the birds and the bees to her daughter yet. Freio still looked confused.


    ¡°What do they do together? Why can¡¯t they just have their meeting during the day?¡± Poor Kyrrah was going to have a heart attack.


    ¡°What they do depends on the people, and its more of a secret meeting than a public one.¡± I explained carefully, which made Kyrrah and Nalm look at me with confused looks. Sorry guys, this ain¡¯t my first rodeo. Freio¡¯s tail began to wag excitedly,


    ¡°Momma, we should have one of those nightly dalliances with Daen! We can stay up late reading and sleep in his comfy bed!¡± Bless her innocent heart, for it was about to make her mother¡¯s burst. Nalm laughed heartily as Kyrrah¡¯s ears fell down upon her head. Even I couldn¡¯t help but laugh at the innocence of youth. I patted Freios head and she made her happy growling sound.


    ¡°You¡¯re thinking more of a slumber party, Freio. A nightly dalliance is between adults.¡± I attempted to diffuse the situation.


    ¡°Slumber party!¡± Freio exclaimed happily, ¡°lets have one!¡± mission accomplished. Kyrrah gave me a thankful look. I responded with a thumbs up, which she confusedly returned.


    Note to self, explain significance of a thumbs-up to people.


    ¡°Slumber parties aside,¡± Nalm interrupted, ¡°my original question stands. They should be returning to their quarters by now.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m teaching them to read and write.¡± I spoke plainly.


    ¡°Hmm.¡± He looked at all three of us critically.


    ¡°Master Daen has been very kind to us.¡± Kyrrah spoke in my defense. The Grand Enchanter shrugged,


    ¡°Who am I to judge? Do as you will.¡± He waved farewell and exited my room. Nobody said anything for a few moments, Kyrrah and Freio¡¯s ears twitched as they listened.


    ¡°Hes gone.¡± Freio stated.


    ¡°My goodness.¡± Kyrrah sighed, ¡°That man certainly can speak at length.¡±


    ¡°You only heard a fraction of the lesson I received in ancient history.¡±


    I then set up my desk for the two to practice their reading at. Meanwhile I had a new test to try with my powers. As Freio and Kyrrah happily read to one another, I took my knife from its sheath along with a few pieces of cloth of differing thickness. I lightly cut my palm with a small slice and placed a heavy cloth over my uninjured hand. Touching the injured hand with the covered one gave no tingle. No matter the thickness of the cloth, so long as I wasn¡¯t physically touching myself with my skin, my powers didn¡¯t work. But as soon as I removed the cloth and touched my hand, the wound healed.


    ¡°Master, what are you doing?¡± Kyrrah asked as she stared at me from the desk.


    ¡°Just a small experiment. Nothing too big. Apparently my powers don¡¯t work if there¡¯s something between my hand and the wound. Like this cloth for example.¡± I explained while holding the cloth I used.


    ¡°You need gloves then.¡± Kyrrah inferred, ¡°We shall see if the gardeners have a spare pair for you to use.¡±


    ¡°Those might be a bit big for me at the moment.¡± I smiled, holding aloft my small hand.


    ¡°Sorry. You¡¯re right Master.¡± Kyrrah bowed her head.


    ¡°Its fine momma!¡± Freio spoke, ¡°Daen understands you were trying to help!¡±


    ¡°Just as Freio said.¡± I arose from my position and walked over to them, ¡°Now do either of you need any help?¡±


    The night ended on a calm note as we conversed amongst ourselves. Mostly about Freio wanting to have a slumber party. Under her daughter¡¯s iron will, and unwavering insistence, Kyrrah reluctantly accept the idea of all of us having one. Just not tonight.

 Chapter 17: Clearing Dirt

    I stretched and let out a loud yawn as the sun peeked in from my windows. I grinned, today was the day. This day would mark the beginning of the Beastkin farm. With great impatience, I rushed out of bed and threw on some new clothes. My heart pumped as I imagined the Enchanters blowing up the first hill that we would flatten out today. The area where the farm would be had four of them, so it would take a few days just to get all the land flattened.


    I sat at my desk reading over my notes on the various plants we¡¯d be growing, as well as the sketch of the farm¡¯s layout I had made. Behind me, my door opened.


    ¡°Oh, good morning Master. You¡¯re never up this early.¡± Kyrrah spoke in surprise.


    ¡°Good morning Kyrrah,¡± I turned to greet her, ¡°couldn¡¯t stay sleeping, too much energy today.¡± She nodded.


    ¡°I understand, Freio is also very excited about the farm. Shes starting to say things like how she wants to help people like you are doing.¡±


    ¡°I dunno how to feel about that.¡± I scratched my head in embarrassment, ¡°I¡¯m not the best role model.¡±


    ¡°I disagree Master.¡± Kyrrah stated firmly. ¡°Completely.¡±


    ¡°Thanks for the vote of confidence Kyrrah.¡± She nodded and smiled,


    ¡°Breakfast will be in thirty minutes Master.¡±


    ¡°See you there.¡± I responded and she bowed to excuse herself.


    We were joined by Nalm for breakfast. Together we discussed how his Enchanters would be flattening the land using their magic. Originally I had assumed they¡¯d just blow it up, as if they were using dynamite, but Nalm shook his head and said that would be far too destructive for such a simple task. No, they¡¯d just cause minor tremors in the hill itself until it the earth itself broke apart. From there it¡¯d be a simple task of spreading the dirt and collecting the rocks from the soil.


    A bit boring, but it¡¯d be far more efficient and safe without rocks flying everywhere.


    Once breakfast was finished, Rolst showed up and said that preparations were all ready for today. He motioned for us to follow him and so we did. Together, we headed outside the Citadel to the main road where two wagons awaited with a horse latched to each. Inside the first wagon was provisions of food and bags that jingled with coin. Baskets full of bread, vegetables, and even preserved meats such as jerky and salted pork filled the majority of the cart however. My workers would be ecstatic to have some food, never mind the money.


    Speaking of which, Rolst said that the country¡¯s coffers would be paying for this venture. Including the workers¡¯ wages. When I opened my mouth to protest he smiled and said that it was final.


    In the other wagon were an assortment of tools we¡¯d be using. Rakes for spreading the soil and shovels for digging and helping flatten the land. Another tool I saw that I hadn¡¯t thought of were pickaxes. I asked Rolst why we had picks, but I felt dumb when he responded.


    ¡°Some rocks may be too big to lift, so we¡¯ll use them to break them apart to manageable sizes.¡± Fuck I¡¯m stupid, why didn¡¯t I think of that? Rolst laughed when I hadn¡¯t responded to his explanation, ¡°Good to see that the wise Daen can be humbled!¡±


    ¡°I just never thought of that, honest.¡± I smiled sheepishly.


    ¡°It was actually Gollard¡¯s idea. The man used to be a farmer in the east of the kingdom. He had to deal with problems such as this all the time.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know he was a farmer.¡±


    ¡°Its true. Farming life can be rough in unexpected ways.¡± The topic of our discussion, Gollard, spoke as he approached us followed by the Enchanters. ¡°I hope you don¡¯t mind if I come along on this venture. Your plan made me feel a small bit nostalgic, Daen.¡± He smiled and hoisted a shovel.


    ¡°The more the merrier!¡±


    On the outside I¡¯m sure I looked positively cheerful at an extra helper. But on the inside I was gleefully rubbing my hands together. Its always best having someone work for you for free!


    Once everyone had assembled, we began our trek to the Gate of Wisdom. I myself got to sit atop a wagon, perks of being young and treated like royalty. I helped Freio up to sit beside me which she gleefully accepted. Kyrrah smiled at us, but walked alongside our wagon. Sorry lady, you gotta walk. It wasn¡¯t long until the gatehouse loomed into view, along with a group of Beastkin. As we closed the distance, I could count there being around forty Beastkin of all kinds. Lizards, Squirrels, Rats, even the Bear I had helped the other day was there. While the group was big, it wasn¡¯t as big as I had hoped it would be.


    I asked one of our guards to go back and grab some additional people to bring plenty of waterskins for the Lizard types, but Nalm stopped him.


    ¡°Any Beastkin that looks dehydrated, send to me.¡± He began, ¡°I can use a bit of water magic, enough to provide them with relief.¡±


    ¡°Thanks Nalm.¡± The old man merely shrugged.


    ¡°Treating Beasts like you have will affect how people see you, boy. Some may react positively, others not so much.¡± His face may have appeared uncaring, but his voice spoke with an intensity that demanded attention.


    ¡°If I can change the way people regard Beastkin for the better, I¡¯ll step on as many toes as it takes.¡± I waved to the crowd who parted as we passed through. All eyes looked to me as I motioned them to follow, and follow they did.


    It was a group of broken looking individuals that we led north of the city. Their bodies neglected, their hair dirty, and their spirits all but crushed. But in each and every one of those that followed was the small spark of hope in their eyes. Hope that this wasn¡¯t some trick, that what I had said all those days ago during my ceremony were more than just words. Trust was all these people had left, and that trust would be repaid.


    It took nearly an hour of travel along the road and another twenty minutes off of it to reach the destination I had in mind for the future farm. Flatland rose into hilly terrain marked by a decently sized creek running between some hills in the distance. After parking the wagons, setting the horses out to graze, and leaving a pair of guards to watch the food and money wagon, we were ready to begin.


    Our first target was a small hill. Merely eyeballing it, I¡¯d place it at about twenty feet high at the highest level from where we currently stood. The group of Beastkin murmured amongst themselves as the Enchanters strode forth and stood at the base of the hill.


    ¡°Alright, just as we¡¯ve discussed.¡± Nalm commanded his students. ¡°Minor vibrations only to loosen up the hill itself. Hylip, if I see anything burst up from the earth you¡¯re sitting the rest of this exercise out.¡± The student in question groaned but nodded. The rest of the Enchanters smiled. ¡°Right then, find your center everyone.¡±


    ¡°Ready!¡± they all chimed a few moments later.


    ¡°Do it!¡± Nalm commanded.


    The hill began to vibrate at his command. It almost rippled like the waves of the ocean as magical power surged through it from top to bottom. It looked like something amazing was going to happen. Everyone watched the hill with awe at the power being used. Then it simply just¡­collapsed in on itself and the dirt spread out in an even circle. It was one of the most disappointing things I had ever seen. I say one of the most, because the McDonalds artisan grilled chicken sandwich would always take that top spot.Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    Even in a completely different world, I was still disappointed. Oh well, at least it worked well enough and didn¡¯t make a big mess like my idea of blowing up the hill would have made. The Enchanters, except for Nalm, all let out a long breath, with a few plopping down onto the ground to sit. I turned to the group of Beastkin who watched the display in amazement.


    ¡°Alright everyone, lets sift through that dirt and separate the rocks from the soil.¡± I moved a bit away and used my boots to make a small x in the dirt. ¡°Make a pile of all the rocks here, we may be able to use them for something later on.¡± All at once, the crowd surged forward and began sifting through the dirt.


    And I joined them. Which made some people, mainly the priestly fellows, look at me and stammer in surprise. Except for Gollard, he got down in the dirt with me. Freio joined too as she liked to do what I did. I guess I was a sort of role model for her. Not to toot my own horn or anything, but I make a pretty good one.


    ¡°Blessed One¡­¡± One of the Beastkin, A lizard in fact, near me spoke in surprise. ¡°Why toil in the dirt beside us? This is what you wanted us for, is it not?¡±


    ¡°I would never ask someone else to do what I myself wouldn¡¯t.¡± I took an armful of rocks and dropped them off at my designated spot. A few murmurs arose at my words. All who heard me stood up a little straighter and worked a little harder. Out of all the philosophical sayings I heard of in school, that one always stuck with me the most. Granted, it wasn¡¯t a direct quote, but the point still stands.


    Fortunately, the first hill wasn¡¯t very rocky, so we finished quite quickly. Rakes were passed out and we spread out the soil and then packed it down with shovels. While we packed down the earth the Enchanters started their work on the next hill that wasn¡¯t quite as big as the first.


    Before we broke for lunch, we managed to clear out three and a half small hills. During our break, nearly all the Beastkin ate in silence. I wasn¡¯t sure if it was either respect or some other reason. More than a few shifted their eyes between their food and me constantly.


    By the end of the day we had cleared out nearly six hills, as the last few were a fair bit bigger than the first ones. With the space we cleared, we had enough room for a medium sized field to use for harvest! And yet we still we had much more land to cover. Our pile of rocks was massive as well. By the time we were done clearing out the surrounding hills we¡¯d have enough stone to make a road straight here.


    I helped hand out the payment to those that had worked as well as distributed the remaining food. One lizard type asked if there¡¯d be more work tomorrow, and all eyes fixated on me. I said of course there would be, we still had a lot to do. The whole way back home, we led a group of Beastkin that walked with their heads high and smiles on their faces. A drastic change from this morning.


    After returning to the Citadel, we ate our dinner and had an early night¡¯s rest.


    The next day started off just as well. The wagons were loaded and ready after breakfast and off we went. This time, there had to have been nearly sixty of the Beastkin in the group that awaited us. Now this was progress, more people to work means more land cleared faster! If numbers kept increasing, we¡¯d need more wagons with food in them, but for the time being we were fine. Everyone was in high spirits. Until we reached our work zone.


    The pile of rocks we had accumulated and the dirt we padded down was everywhere. Like it had been randomly kicked around and dug up. Someone had fucked with our shit. Only a few of the Beastkin remained silent, but those that had worked all day yesterday were growling in rage. Without a word, I walked forth and began picking up rocks.


    ¡°Master¡­¡± Kyrrah whispered.


    ¡°Complaining won¡¯t change this, only working will.¡± I stated simply as I dropped off a small bunch of rocks at the spot I had originally marked. ¡°Some of you get some shovels and pad down the dirt thats clear of rock. The rest of you, help me out.¡± Without a word of complaint, all sprung into action. Gollard himself worked alongside me.


    ¡°Remember Daen, you stepped on some toes during your ceremony.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m ready to step on some skulls, never mind toes.¡± I grumbled. ¡°This is just petty what they did.¡± Gollard nodded, but said nothing in response.


    We made good time cleaning up, but it was still time we had to waste to get back to the original way we had everything. We had only just begun work on the first hill before it was time to break for lunch. By the end of the day, two hills had been cleared. I expected that tomorrow we¡¯d face the same mess that we had today. While we worked, I had considered many potential solutions to this problem.


    If I used sentries and guards, that would deter people. But who would want to watch and guard a plot of land? I could ask the Beastkin to keep an eye on who left the city at night, but then they may take matters into their own hands. The best solution would be to catch the perpetrators in the act and punishing them for destruction of government property and vandalism. If those were even a thing in this world. My lessons in history of this country hadn¡¯t covered laws and punishments yet.


    ¡°Blessed One.¡± A voice rumbled beside me as I helped hand out payments. It was the bear Beastkin from two days ago. ¡°A moment?¡± He motioned his head off to the side. He wanted to speak privately. I nodded and followed the big bear. Once we were out of earshot of the rest he began to whisper. ¡°I will watch our site tonight.¡±


    ¡°Make sure you aren¡¯t seen.¡± I suggested, ¡°We don¡¯t want a confrontation with whoever it is. Not yet. At the moment I merely wish to know who they are.¡± The Beastkin nodded.


    ¡°Yes. I will follow them back.¡±


    ¡°The Gatehouses will have sentries there letting those people in. They may be in on this petty shit.¡± He grinned at my harsh language. ¡°You may have to spend the night outside the city walls so you aren¡¯t recognized.¡±


    ¡°It would not be the first time I had done such.¡± A chuckle escaped him. ¡°You helped my kin, Blessed One. I will do as you say.¡± He held out his massive clawed hand. My own, merely a fraction of the size inside his own. We shook on it.


    ¡°You¡¯ll have to sneak away on the march back and hang out around here. See if you can hear anything they say, even better if you can recollect their appearances to me.¡± He nodded.


    ¡°I will do my best Blessed One.¡±


    ¡°Call me Daen, I never liked that Blessed One junk.¡±


    ¡°I am known as Troosk.¡± Once more, we shook hands.


    *****


    Troosk followed behind the wagons within the group of Beastkin who grumbled about the desecration from this morning. More than one voiced their desire to watch over the land that would help their people, but none actually did. Troosk did not fault their desire, for he shared the same, but he made a promise to that boy, Daen. Something was off about him, more so than usual. His scent was wrong for a human, and his words carried weight that only veteran hunters would have from his tribe.


    Unlike Daen however, Troosk had spread the whisper that he would stay behind to watch their land. The Beastkin would keep this to themselves, as it was imperative that none follow him. As they travelled, he fell further and further behind, until the wagons and crowd were but a small shadow of their original size. With great speed, he turned and ran back to the hills that had become their future land to grow crops for themselves.


    He would have preferred meat, every Beastkin would have. But animals were far more expensive than crops and took far more time to be just right for hunting. Troosk climbed halfway up a hill before laying in wait for whoever disturbed their land the day before. He was no stranger to waiting, a hunter such as himself could wait days for the best prey to arrive.


    It wasn¡¯t until just passed the hour where the moon stood directly overhead that he saw light in the distance. Torchlight. Memories flashed in his mind. Running through the forest, animals snarling at his heels as men shouted in the rain. That night, he had become the hunted. He shook his head, this was no time for reminiscing. With great stealth, Troosk hid himself from those approaching lights, his ears on high alert.


    He let out a low growl when he saw the figures in the torchlight. They were Beastkin. Beastkin that had been covered in scars from numerous beatings. Slaves.


    Despite the distance, his ears heard their trembling cries and their begging for forgiveness as they ruined the area once more.

 Chapter 18: Dirty Deeds

    ¡°Daen¡­¡± Gollard spoke as we gazed upon the land that had been ruined for two days in a row now. More Beastkin had arrived to assist this morning, with our total nearing seventy. It was a cloudy day, which reflected my mood very well. Cloudy with a chance of a shitstorm. With loud grumbles, my workers began the cleanup process. My greatest hope was that Troosk had found out the perpetrators of the vandalism. I scanned the surroundings and found the big bear bumbling towards me with haste.


    ¡°Wait here Gollard, I need to speak with someone.¡± The High Priest of Honor nodded and strode towards the ruined land to assist with the cleanup.


    ¡°We¡¯ll speak when we break for lunch.¡± Gollard suggested and I nodded. I then jogged over to meet with Troosk.


    ¡°What have you got for me?¡± I asked in a hushed and serious tone. ¡°Whose the bastards that did this?¡±


    ¡°Slaves.¡± Troosk said simply, which took me by surprise.


    ¡°Slaves did this?¡± He nodded,


    ¡°Yes. But not on their own. They were commanded to do this.¡± Troosk then explained, in vivid detail, everything he had seen and heard the night before. I stood in silence as he spoke, thinking.


    ¡°Then who could their master be?¡± A wealthy noble for sure, Troosk had said there were four hands of slaves at work destroying everything. The big beast merely shrugged.


    ¡°I followed as much as I dared until they reached the gate, but none spoke their master¡¯s name.¡±


    ¡°They must have ordered them to not speak their name then.¡±


    Using slaves to do your own dirty work, effective, but very distasteful. This person was flagrant enough to do such a thing, yet smart enough to cover their own tracks. Best I could think to do at this point was to have a watch set up to follow those returning from vandalism tonight. We¡¯d learn where the slaves were coming from, which would prove who the guilty party was.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to ask so much from you Troosk, but I¡¯ll need another favor.¡± I then explained that he¡¯d need to keep watch at the gate from inside the city tonight and to follow the slaves back to their master. After a moment¡¯s thought, I told him to bring along a few more witnesses that he could trust. One Beastkin¡¯s accusations wouldn¡¯t hold up very well as evidence, but many would hold more weight.


    He readily agreed and we shook on it. Now it was time to get to work.


    ¡°Daen.¡± Gollard spoke as we rested for lunch. ¡°I believe I have a solution to this problem.¡± I already had one myself, but I motioned for the man to continue. ¡°This land has not been formally declared as land owned by our Kingdom. And I-¡±


    ¡°You mean we¡¯ve been working in another country¡¯s lands?¡± I interrupted with intensity.


    ¡°Good heavens, no!¡± Gollard laughed, ¡°We would have prevented such a thing from occurring in the first place if that were the case. Nay, this land just hasn¡¯t been declared to be owned by the Kingdom. Meaning that it is open land for any to settle upon. Any who would settle here however, would still have to pay tax, as they live within our borders.¡±


    ¡°I see, so by declaring this land as owned formally¡­¡±


    ¡°Then such vandalism would cease in a hurry, as any attacks, or acts of vandalism in this case, would be met harshly as the law dictates.¡±


    ¡°And what would such punishments be?¡±


    ¡°The responsible party would be forced to offer restitution to those they had offended. If they cannot afford it, or refuse to do so, their assets would be seized and then they would be banished or executed based on severity.¡± Gollard spoke factually.


    ¡°So they¡¯ll be too afraid of the repercussions to act again. But that won¡¯t change what they¡¯ve already done. Would they pay restitutions on the damages they had already caused?¡±


    ¡°No, because we didn¡¯t truly own this land at that time.¡±


    I chewed on my hardened bread as my brain raced through the two solutions at hand. If we did my idea, we¡¯d find the source of our hardship, but we wouldn¡¯t be able to punish them unless we took matters into our own hands. While vigilante justice was certainly attractive, laws were established for a reason. As much as I loved using my own solutions, in this matter Gollard¡¯s made the most sense.


    ¡°Very well.¡± I nodded to the High Priest, ¡°have this land declared to be the Kingdom¡¯s.¡± Gollard smiled and nodded, ¡°However, I will be the one that controls what is done here. Unless I am otherwise unable to oversee things, in which case you will be in control.¡± He nodded once more,


    ¡°I¡¯m pleased that you trust me so greatly.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re both of the same mind Gollard, we want to help people. Be they man or beast.¡±


    After lunch we had finished clean up and began to work on the next hill to flatten out. Gollard had procured a guard for the purposes of relaying information back to the Citadel to declare this land as the Kingdom¡¯s own personal property. I spoke with Troosk privately and still asked him to watch the gate to see if anyone tried anything. He nodded in response. We both worked side by side until it was time to return.


    The next day my mood soured greatly when Troosk relayed that he had seen slaves leaving and returning in the night. He had followed them to their residence, a large home in the noble district of course, and said that he would show us the building itself when we returned. Once more, we spent most of the day cleaning up the damages that had been done. Needless to say, we were all furious. Many, myself included, hoped that the attacks would stop now that this land was sanctioned by the Kingdom. Gollard even looked like he was about to burst a vein in anger.


    ¡°How dare they? Have they no respect for the Kingdom?¡± He fumed as we walked home.


    ¡°Worry not Gollard, we know who did this.¡±


    ¡°You do?¡± He seemed confused. ¡°How?¡±


    ¡°A little bird told me.¡± I grinned.


    After the Beastkin, except for Troosk, returned to their homes we set forth towards the eastern nobles district. We stopped before a large house made of white stone, walled off by a small brick wall. Hedges lined the pathway up towards the main doorway beyond the gate. I could see a multitude of humans working in the gardens and in rooms near open windows. But no slaves.A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    ¡°The Delons residence.¡± Gollard explained. ¡°A middling noble who owns a multitude of farms in the east, close to where I grew up. He mostly grows cotton for money. I hear hes been recently expanding into the textile market as well.¡±


    ¡°So hes trying to muscle out my competition?¡±


    ¡°Unlikely, your farm shouldn¡¯t be in direct competition with his¡­¡±


    I shrugged, as far as I was concerned the man was already guilty. We were then let into the grounds by a pair of guards who escorted us to the doorway. Troosk, Kyrrah and Frio were made to wait outside, which annoyed them to no end, but I assured them that everything would be fine. After they had been left behind, we were escorted to the home¡¯s den. A human maid brought us some refreshments and said that the master would be along shortly. It wasn¡¯t long until a large man entered the room wearing silk clothes that did nothing to conceal is girth.


    ¡°Ah, the Blessed One and revered High Priest, what brings you to my home?¡± The man sat in a luxurious chair before us. The same maid had brought us our drinks laid out a plate of fruits on the man¡¯s lap. He quickly snatched a strawberry from the plate and plopped it in his mouth, chewing noisily. ¡°Ah how rude of me. My name is Zanach Delons.¡± He bowed as much as he could in his seat and resumed eating.


    ¡°We are here to accuse you of destruction of property owned by the Kingdom.¡± Gollard spoke hastily. The man choked on his strawberry and pounded his chest to cough it up.


    ¡°Blech! Pah!¡± A maid gave him a glass of water which he quickly downed, ¡°By the Five, don¡¯t accuse a man so heavily while hes eating!¡± The man gasped and wiped his mouth with a handkerchief.


    ¡°We believe you ordered your slaves to disrupt our declared farmland.¡± Gollard explained, ¡°We have a witness saying that he saw your slaves enter your property last night.¡±


    ¡°And where is this witness, hmm?¡±


    ¡°A guard said the Beastkin were to wait outside.¡± Zanach looked a little angry as he glanced at the maid.


    ¡°Bring this Beastkin to us.¡± She bowed and quickly left. A short time later, Troosk arrived, having to bend low to make it through the doorway without hitting his head.


    Zanach looked at the bear Beastkin up and down for a moment. ¡°Quite the bulky fellow.¡± Troosk merely grunted. ¡°So you say you saw my slaves enter my property last night after they vandalized your land, correct?¡± The three of us nodded. ¡°How peculiar, for my servants found signs of trespassing within my property this morning.¡±


    ¡°I know what I saw.¡± Troosk spoke. ¡°The guards at your gate let these slaves in.¡±


    ¡°Well and truly?¡± Zanach rubbed his chins in thought. ¡°It seems both our parties are now at an impasse. You have accused me of wronging the Kingdom, where I have done no such thing. And now I find that someone has been letting slaves into my property without informing me.¡±


    ¡°So they weren¡¯t your slaves?¡± I asked disbelieving.


    ¡°Blessed One, have you seen any slaves on my property when you arrived?¡±


    ¡°Well no but-¡±


    ¡°And what would possibly be my motive for such a thing as vandalism?¡± The man interrupted me.


    ¡°Simple, you dislike competition in farming.¡± I narrowed my eyes at him.


    ¡°And what, pray tell, were you going to grow at your farm?¡± He grinned


    ¡°Food mostly.¡± He nodded vigorously, sending waves of flesh down his person.


    ¡°And that is why I have no quarrel with your plans, Blessed One!¡± He laughed, ¡°Food for the poor, the Beastkin in fact. While I may not be fond of the creatures, I certainly adore your idea of building up their community so that they may also enrich our fair country. Such a novel notion, one would think that you were planning to make them our equals!¡± He grinned widely, ¡°In fact, I¡¯d even be willing to donate to your cause if you would like.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± I was taken aback by his shift in demeanor.


    ¡°I¡¯d be willing to help your endeavor, Blessed One. While most of my farms may produce a fair amount of this country¡¯s cotton, I still have a few farms that grow food. Mainly to feed those who work for me. But I¡¯d be willing to send some of that food to the western quarter to help stabilize their starvation.¡±


    ¡°And why are you only suggesting that you help now? Why not have started helping them before?¡±


    ¡°Because I simply wasn¡¯t interested in helping them.¡± We waved his hand dismissively as he took a drink. ¡°A part of me still isn¡¯t in fact. But I can see from your plans that you have some small sense of business acumen.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re getting off topic Zanach.¡± Gollard remarked, ¡°You still stand accused of vandalism.¡±


    ¡°And I remain in the position of saying it wasn¡¯t me. My evidence being that I don¡¯t even own slaves!¡± The two glared at one another.


    ¡°Then we are at an impasse. Thusly, we will take our leave. But we will be watching Zanach.¡± Gollard stated as he stood and walked from the room, motioning us to follow. Troosk obliged and I stood to follow.


    ¡°Blessed One.¡± Zanach stated from his seat. I turned to him,


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°I am a patriot. Know that I would never disturb your lands.¡±


    ¡°They are the Kingdom¡¯s lands, not mine.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I misspoke. You are a smart child.¡± He beamed at me. ¡°But know that I speak with all honesty, upon the Five themselves that have blessed you, that I had nothing to do with your troubles.¡± He stood and bowed deeply to me. I returned his bow which changed his face from reverent to surprise.


    ¡°I thank you for your honesty. Hopefully we will catch the perpetrators of this mess.¡±


    ¡°This city holds many rats, Blessed One. And I don¡¯t mean the Beastkin kind.¡± I didn¡¯t respond as I left the man in his den.


    ¡°Daen, did he speak with you before you left?¡± Gollard asked as we walked towards the Citadel.


    ¡°Yes. He swore that he had nothing to do with our predicament.¡±


    ¡°And do you believe him?¡±


    A part of me wanted to, but I had to keep myself grounded in reality. If I knew human nature, we could lie as easily as we drink water. ¡°No.¡± I said simply. I only truly trusted Kyrrah and Freio. Troosk had also proven trustworthy to an extent. Gollard surprised me today, normally hes quiet and non confrontational. I guess even he has a point where he cannot take any more, just like the rest of us.


    ¡°Regardless, I¡¯ll now be assigning some guards to camp around the area.¡± Gollard stated. ¡°This will not happen again. One way or another.¡±


    Before Troosk could bid farewell to us I gave him some extra coin as thanks for helping out when he did. With a big grin, the man took off towards the West District.


    The following day, nobody had disturbed our work site. Over the next few weeks we flattened the land to an acceptable state and began laying out plans for residences and fields. Cyn had returned during this time, speaking well of my family and the Tindolsts. She even handed over a golden lily that Ilsha had sent to me as a gift. Cyn then told me that the flower itself was perceived to give luck. Bless that girl''s heart.


    Future expansion of the farm would have to wait until the ball got rolling. For now, we¡¯d have a single barracks-like home for any Beastkin interested in farming to live in and four fields. As a measure of trust, Zanach sent us one of his veteran farmers to help along with the preparation of the soil and the seed. He had also begun shipping small increments of food after each harvest to the West District.


    All in all, besides the initial problems, things were looking up as time passed.

 Chapter 19: Memories of a Love Long Lost

    I¡¯d like to say that nearly three years passed quickly, but they didn¡¯t. They passed in agonizing slowness that only one who had experienced them can. My mind was so full of information that thinking brought forth headaches that felt like an icepick to the cranium. I could recite, by name, the entire ruling family and distant relatives of the Ahlgim Dominion and a good amount of the Varistil Principality¡¯s. In addition to knowing the names of people I¡¯d never meet, I was also instructed in the laws and customs of each nation. Most laws could have been whittled down to ¡®don¡¯t be a dick to people¡¯. Customs however were different per each country.


    Like in this country, a vow declared in the name of the Five was considered an unbreakable vow. For example, if I went to a bar and drove up a huge tab and said ¡®By the Five, I will pay you in a few days!¡¯ the bartender would accept that as a fact. It was a stupid custom and I¡¯m sure many people have swindled one another abusing it. I even planned to do so one day. In the Empire of Maltenst to the east, it was considered rude to give flowers as a gift. Apparently bad allergies plagued the royal family in that country in time long past. Now you only give flowers to people to insult them.


    ¡®Fuck you Steve, heres some marigolds. Bitch.¡¯


    ¡®Wow thanks asshole, got you some petunias.¡¯


    What an awesome custom. It would be amazing to learn these things if Utelle herself wasn¡¯t my tutor in these subjects, as her teaching was as dry as a desert. She flat out refused to let Freio or Kyrrah attend those lessons, as the information was ¡®too important for mere Beasts¡¯. I may have been a little angry about that, but my two servants merely bowed and left the room, not wanting me to cause a scene.


    It didn¡¯t help. I caused one anyway. And I caught them loitering by the door again when I left in a huff. Clearly listening in, those cheeky women. They both followed me from there with happily wagging tails. Utelle and I soon reached an accord where Freio and Kyrrah would learn the laws and customs of the lands, but not about the royal families.


    Now, my mind was filled with useless information that had no meaning to me for now or the foreseeable future. Maybe once this world invents television and jeopardy would it be useful. Alas, that may be hundreds and hundreds of years from now so I¡¯d be dead by then. Here lies Daen Faltelo, the man with all the knowledge in the world, most of it useless.


    One bit that truly bothered me over all this time was that I was ¡°encouraged¡± to attend the morning ceremony in the cathedral when I turned six. And by attend, I mean read from their holy scriptures. Blah blah blah Five blah blah. It was like Sunday mass on steroids whenever I went, as larger crowds would gather to see the boy blessed by the gods.


    The best event over the past almost three years was that my farm expanded and even started a festival of sorts in the West District. It took place every few months during a harvest where nearly all the free Beastkin would travel to the farm and help with the harvest. After everything had been gathered they¡¯d bring the harvest into the city, split it evenly and sell half while the other half was handed out to those that lived in the slums, or stored for later.


    The name of the event was called ¡®The Harvest of Hope¡¯. I was relieved when they didn¡¯t name it after me, last thing I needed was an inflated ego. An economy was starting to form in the slums after these few years and it would need to be handled carefully. I may have used Troosk to discreetly dispense some funding where it was needed. But other than that, I was completely hands off the situation. Its for the best that these people resolve their problems themselves. You have to stand before you can walk, as the saying goes.


    Sadly, my family didn¡¯t visit at all during this time. We did exchange letters at least. Our most recent correspondence involved news such as Jeral being sent to the same officer academy that Kelmon was attending and Mytti becoming engaged to some nobleman in the northern expanse of the Dominion. I¡¯d like to say it was to a charming young man around her age, but it wasn¡¯t. She was being forced to marry some thirty year old dude as soon as she turned fifteen. Her future husband was only one hundred and seventy third in line to the throne, so his status couldn¡¯t have truly that great.


    Wait shit, I guess all that knowledge was helpful after all.


    If I were her I¡¯d have run away, but she merely shut herself in her room and never came out. My father had turned my eldest sister into a recluse, and she only had a little over two years left of freedom before her marriage. I¡¯d have to see if I could put a wrench in those plans. Mytti didn¡¯t deserve such a fate.


    My family weren¡¯t the only ones to send letters, as I received many from Ilsha. Her first few letters were horribly misspelled and the structure was lacking to say the least. But over time, she improved and apologized profusely for her first sets of letters. Most of hers involved talking about her family. When I would ask about how she was doing she¡¯d brush it off in the letter saying she was fine and learning a lot from Lakka before going back to the subject of her family. Her most recent letter said that she found something amazing and wished she could show it to me.


    I wanted to return home for Lakka¡¯s eighth birthday so I could wish her luck in the College of Enchanters in person. After that, she would be escorted to the school itself and would spend the rest of her life learning about magic and all its intricacies. My desire to go home and see my family was the reason why Utelle and I were currently arguing. The other High Priests had accepted my request, so long as I took a fair share of guards with me, but Utelle was the last holdout.


    ¡°I forbid it Blessed One! There are too many risks out there on the road! You could be kidnapped or worse!¡± Utelle argued against my wish to return to my home for a few weeks. I crossed my arms,


    ¡°You can¡¯t tell me to neglect my family Utelle.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not telling you to neglect anyone!¡± She fumed, ¡°It would just be safer for you if they came here.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps for me, but not for them. And there is no way I¡¯m going to willingly endanger my family.¡±


    ¡°But by visiting them you are doing exactly that! There is no way that the Black Enchanters would neglect to target you there! By the Five¡­¡± Utelle sighed, exhausted from our arguing back and forth. ¡°You haven¡¯t even begun combat training Daen.¡± Sword training was to begin as soon as I turned eight next month.


    ¡°Utelle, I need a break from all of this!¡± I waved my hand around the room, ¡°I¡¯m barely allowed out into the city as it is without a small army at my heel! I¡¯m going stir crazy! By the Five, I wish the Black Enchanters would kill me just so I wouldn¡¯t be stuck here anymore!¡±


    I felt a sharp pain slam against the side of my face as a sharp crack sounded through my room. The slap had completely blindsided me. I was impressed that she had such an arm on her, my cheek really hurt! I grimaced through the pain, but unlike a normal child I did not shed a tear. Real men don¡¯t cry, they merely bottle their emotions up inside until they explode.


    ¡°Master!¡± ¡°Daen!¡± Kyrrah and Freio uttered in shock. Even Utelle looked at her own hand unsure of herself for a moment before returning my glare with her own.


    ¡°Don¡¯t ever wish such a thing upon the Five.¡± She whispered in fury. I ignored her,


    ¡°I¡¯m going to leave for home later this week Utelle. With or without your permission.¡± She didn¡¯t respond as she strode from the room in silence.


    *****


    Utelle stormed through the halls of the Citadel, not slave, servant, nor fellow priest stopped her. Moments later she unlocked the door before her and rushed into her room, the door clicked firmly behind her and she turned to lock it once more. She was finally safe from prying eyes, ones that would judge her unworthy if they saw how she truly felt. Tears dripped from her face as she turned back to the nearly bare room. A small bed and a dresser filled with robes were her only big possessions within her sanctuary. Atop her dresser was a small marble statue of a man.If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Gingerly, she picked up the statue and sat upon her bed, stroking the figure¡¯s hair.


    ¡°Do you hate me now Len? Is that why you don¡¯t respect me anymore?¡± she whispered to the statue as her tears ran free from her eyes. ¡°You always said that only through opposition could you grow stronger. Am I too harsh in my opposition? What should I do?¡± She held the statue close to her chest as she prayed with all her heart.


    ¡°Your reincarnation has the same fire that you had when you were here. You stand heedless against the strong in favor of the weak.¡± She smiled and sniffed, ¡°I keep meeting your new eyes, hoping for some hint of recognition. But you have shown me none. Forgive me my love, but I can only wonder if you are truly within the body of that boy. If you are, give me some hint! Some sign!¡± She cried hard. ¡°Anything! I have waited so long for you¡­please come back to me Lenzero. Please¡­I dare not wait another thousand years for you. I couldn¡¯t suffer this pain again.¡± Her voice barely a whisper as her tears dripped from glowing red eyes.


    She would never forget the day that she met the man who would become the love of her life. She had never before been more scared than that moment. Tied to a post in the middle of a town that she had wandered through before in her travels. She had been bitten by a wild vampire days before, and could still feel the sting of his bite upon her neck. That same night, she had turned from a normal human into one of the hunters of the night. Her nails became elongated and as sharp as steel. Her teeth became fangs that could easily bite through armor without any resistance. Her eyes burned in the sunlight to the point where she had to cover them with cloth to travel during the day. And during the night she could see better than she had as a normal human. Her ears could pick up sounds that previously she never would have heard.


    Without thinking, she had run to the town she had previously stayed at, desperate for salvation. Instead, she was to be burned alive for becoming a monster.


    The villagers overpowered her, weak from her encounter with the beast that had turned her. Fearful and enraged cries rung in her ears as she was tied to the post. She tried to cry out for them to help, but her mouth had been gagged. All she could do was struggle against the all-too-tight binds that held her still as the once kindly villagers threw bundle upon bundle of wood beneath her. Her struggles ceased when she saw the torch approaching. Her life was forfeit.


    ¡°Stay your hands, countrymen!¡± A voice called from behind her. A strong voice that demanded to be obeyed.


    ¡°And who be ye?!¡± The villager with the torch yelled at the voice behind her.


    ¡°I am Lenzero, knight of the crown! I demand that you explain why you are about to burn this woman.¡± This man, this Lenzero ordered her captors. But she knew that it was no use. After learning that she had been turned into a monster, he would throw the torch himself. All her life she had heard that vampires were a menace to be exterminated.


    ¡°Tis a vampire m¡¯lord!¡± One of the women yelled as she chucked a rock at Utelle. People laughed as the rock struck her gut and she grunted into her gag.


    ¡°Is she now?¡± Lenzero spoke curiously. ¡°And what has this vampire done against you, my fare people?¡±


    ¡°Being a vampire is enough! She¡¯d drink our blood and make us one of them if she were able!¡± The crowd roared in agreement.


    ¡°So she has done nothing then.¡± The man concluded. She swore that she could hear footsteps approach behind her. Her keen ears perked up at the sound of a blade being drawn from its sheath. With clenched eyes, she awaited the strike that would take her life.


    Instead, she felt her bonds loosen and the crowd gasped in horror.


    ¡°You¡¯re gonna let that monster free!¡± A voice cried. Dared she hope? Utelle cautiously opened her eyes. The pain of having her eyes uncovered during the day was worth the risk. She moved her arms and held them before her. She then tore the gag from her mouth and took a deep gasp of fresh air.


    ¡°You are free m¡¯lady.¡± The voice of Lenzero spoke beside her. She turned to regard her savior. A man with golden hair and soft brown eyes regarded her with kindness. The crowd roared in outrage at his words, but he pointed his sword at them and glared. Their silence was deafening. Utelle glanced at the man¡¯s crest upon his shield. A sunburst adorned in gold was painted upon the shining steel.


    ¡°I¡­thank you sir Lenzero!¡± Utelle bowed as deeply as she could manage as her tears flowed free from her eyes.


    ¡°Many may consider you a monster m¡¯lady. But in this world, the only true monsters are those that prey on the weak.¡± He smiled once more, ¡°Do not linger in this town, as I cannot protect you for long. I need take my own leave on the morrow.¡± With a nod, Utelle ran from the town into the forest beyond.


    Unable to hold her hunger for blood much longer, she feasted upon a deer she had caught that night. Her strength rapidly returned as she drank deep. She didn¡¯t stray far from the town in the forest and kept watch. She waited until the knight that had saved her had left the town before she followed. Through blinding sun and cool night, she followed Lenzero. It wasn¡¯t until the third night of following him that he laughed aloud and asked her to join him at his fire.


    She had felt embarrassed that he had known she was there so easily, but agreed to join him. That night they had done nothing but talk until the moon was at its peak. The man couldn¡¯t help but yawn, betraying his exhaustion. Utelle had then ordered him to rest.


    ¡°And what about you m¡¯lady? When will you rest?¡± Lenzero asked. In truth, she hadn¡¯t slept a wink ever since she had turned.


    ¡°A vampire needs no rest Sir Lenzero.¡± She responded. ¡°While you rest, I shall stand guard. As you defended me during the day, so shall I protect you during the night.¡± Utelles vow left her lips readily.


    ¡°You may regret such a vow.¡± He smiled, ¡°My quest will be long and arduous and filled with peril. You would be safer looking elsewhere.¡±


    ¡°Nowhere else could ever be safe for me now.¡± She spoke sadly. The knight held out his hand,


    ¡°Then from now on, we are comrades Lady Utelle.¡± She smiled at him and shook his hand.


    Together, the two traveled the kingdom, helping those in distress and battling the monsters that lurked the wilds. Utelle showed no mercy when she fought with blade and claw and fang. To do so would risk her knight¡¯s life, and such a thing was unthinkable. In time, the two had grown close enough to become lovers. But not long after, the King of the land had been killed. Numerous warlords roamed the lands, seeking to claim them for themselves. It was when they arrived at a burned down village, its people put to the sword, that Lenzero vowed to end the madness in the world.


    He would restore the Kingdom to its former glory. And Utelle would be there at his side the whole way.


    *****


    It was a few days later that everything had been prepared for my journey home. I gave a quick stretch as Cyn, Kyrrah and Freio finished placing their belongings into the back of our wagon. There were to be two wagons leaving, one for myself, Cyn, and my two servants. The other was to be used by my thirty bodyguards. I had tried to finagle that number down to six, but none of the High Priests would agree. To them, I was just too important. At least my guards made for an imposing sight. You don¡¯t get more bad ass than ten Holve devotees in plated robes and wielding blades and shields of steel.


    We would travel to my home in a few weeks time and then spend the rest of this month and all of the next there. It would be great to see my family and the Tindolsts again. Hopefully Breidda was back as well, I¡¯d like to have a long discussion with her about certain things.


    ¡°All stand ready to move out, Blessed One.¡± One of my guards reported with a salute. I¡¯m not gonna lie, it made me a little giddy to have such awesome looking people under my direct command. Alas, with great power great responsibility yada yada. I was a responsible person, I swear!


    ¡°All clear on our end m¡¯lord.¡± Cyn saluted as well.


    ¡°All right then lets mo-¡±


    ¡°Daen.¡± A voice spoke behind me. A voice I hadn¡¯t expected to hear.


    ¡°Yes Utelle?¡± I asked as I turned to the woman in question. She looked mildly distressed, like she hadn¡¯t slept well these past few days. It was kinda worrying, as she didn¡¯t even show up to my lessons this week either. I was grateful for the free time, but it was still weird that a High Priest like her would shirk her duty to teach.


    She said nothing. The two of us stared at one another for a few moments before a smile crossed her face.


    ¡°Be safe Daen.¡± She bowed, ¡°and return to us in good health.¡±


    ¡°Thanks Utelle.¡± I returned her bow respectfully. ¡°May the Five grace you with good health as well.¡± Even as we left I could feel her gaze upon my back. So I turned and waved to her. She waved back, perhaps I was finally getting through to her?


    ******


    Utelle smiled as she waved goodbye to the boy. ¡°Come back soon, my king, my love.¡± She whispered as she clenched the medallion that rested beneath her robes. A medallion she had commissioned ages ago after her love had passed away. A medallion of an armored man holding aloft a clenched fist as the sun rose in the background.