《Deepest Desire》 Chapter 1: New World Chapter 1 ¡°Everything is alright now but you did in fact die¡± Jake looked around only to see an endless white room and no idea how he got here or where the voice was coming from. In fact his recent memories were a blur so any way to figure out what led to these events was lost. The place he was in did seem familiar from works he had read before. ¡°Your right this modeled after what you have read before in the hopes it would help you¡± ¡°How did.. How did I die?¡± The formless body spoke softly in its response ¡°I am sorry Jake but at this point what does it matter? You can¡¯t ever go back¡± Jake mind and body went numb and did not even feel as the strength in his legs were lost and fell onto his knees. If this was all a dream it was too real and would have woken up by now. ¡°There is good news in fact I would call it great news. Also just like the stories you have read you will be sent to a new world. This world will allow your deepest desire to be ¡°won¡± and as a bonuses some of your things will be brought with you¡± Jake composed himself as he mulled over what his second life sounded like. As for his greatest desire he himself did not know what it was but trusted this voice knew it if it could all of this. ¡°What of my things will I be allowed to bring with me?¡± ¡°Quite a lot actually, your computer, phone, flat screen, and all your cloths¡± I was just hoping for just what I was wearing and that pants for bed and a bathrobe The formless voice laughed seemly in response to what Jake had thought and explained itself ¡°If I can do all these other things of course mind reading is not beyond me. Besides with what you¡¯re wearing seems far too little so I wanted to spice things up¡± When a voice would brought you back from the dead tells you in wanted to ¡°spice things up¡± it quickly becomes one of the most stressful things Jake had ever heard. ¡°Some of the things you allowing me to bring require a certain level of technology so I assume the world I will be going to is similar to my own or even more advanced¡± ¡°Well that line of reasoning does make sense and that¡¯s a very useful skill to have but your totally wrong. You will be going to a world where the technology level is that of around¡­ the dark ages¡± ¡°Then how will I use them¡± ¡°Well who knows what the future will hold¡± That statement hanged in the air as Jake realized that was the only answer he was going to get. Even annoyed he decided to let the issue drop because the world he was going was more important. ¡°What else will you tell me about this new world?¡± The voice seemed to think it over as to decide how much to tell would be spoiling it for him later. If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°The total landmass is somewhat similar to earth with much of it forgotten from past ages or not explored at all to an almost frightening degree. In other world many surprises wait for you¡± Jake was starting to get use to where he was and was able to think more about his future. Things did not seem well since the place he was going will require an ability to fight he did not have. ¡°It¡¯s about time for you to leave since events are progressing quite fast¡± ¡°What do you mean, on the other world?¡± ¡°Yes and I need to get you there at just the right time so things can happen as I plan. Many things can be done but stopping time on an entire planet is not one of them so it¡¯s time for us to say goodbye to each other¡± Jake felt somewhat disappointed there talk was coming to an end so soon and not just because the place he was going had so many unknowns. ¡°One last thing to remember since many things will be happening at once: Giving someone hope who has none can spark a fire which will remove the darkness the surrounds and bind them¡± Before Jake could ask what the voice meant he started to grow tried, it was getting harder and harder to keep his eyes open. Laying down it was clear he could not stay awake for much longer and decided to just let it happen without a fight. ¡°Your things will be in a large box with a dragon symbol nearby you, also sorry about your head¡± Confused was the last feeling Jake had before he fell asleep with the hope things would be better. This new world was one of so many things but so little known it felt like it was waiting for him. To Jake his sleep did not seem to last long as he did in fact feel a sudden and short pain on his head. Did someone just flick my forehead? Opening his eyes he saw a man in leather armor standing over him with an annoyed expression on his face. With a shaved head and a seemly overall angry expression. ¡°Who are you and why are you in the grain storage sleeping? No is allowed in here expected for his royal guards and the king himself¡± Looking down Jake noticed he was still in his black bath robe and bedroom pants with sneakers. Expanding his view to the room he was in it actually disappointed him. It could not have been larger than his old home but it somehow held enough food for the capital where the king was housed. In fact this guy is pretty disappointing too The guard grabbed Jakes arms tightly and pulled him out of the grain storage building. Blinding light greeted them but as soon as his eyes adjusted he saw his first look at the outside world. ¡°This is the smallest capital I have ever seen¡± Chapter 2: Renewed Will Chapter 2 Being pulled onto the dirt side street the two of them made their way to the center of town. It had to be a town and not a city due to the fact that it was not possible it had even more than 1,000 people living in such a small area. The only types of homes he saw were of wood and even then a single story. A king of a town? Jake and the royal guard were soon at the town center were a large crowed of dozens of people had gathered. A well was in the center and looking directly forward from it revealed a small keep on top of the hill. It was clearly quite old with vines covering large portions of it and it was the only building he had seen so far made of stone. ¡°It does not matter how you feel about the laws but the king has issued his royal seal on it: All those who do not fully pay their taxes will have their children looked over by the king and his family¡± ¡°No I will not give my daughter to you!¡± An armed guard Jake assumed was another ¡®royal guard¡¯ was standing over a man who was hunched over on the ground covering the body of a young girl. The guard clearly seemed tried with sweat rolling down his face. The father back only had shreds of cloth on it left with bloody gashes that were starting to stain the ground. ¡°I found someone trying to steal from the royal grain storage and by the look of his odd cloths he appears to not be from this village¡± ¡°Where did you get that idea? I was only sleeping on the grain when you found me¡± The crowed parted to allow the two of them through, with a final push Jake had his back to the well next to the father and daughter. They both gave him strange looks but the fear they had of the guards was still very much present. ¡°Where are you from and why are you hear trying to steal the kings food?¡± Jake tried to get up to speak to them on an even level but a sword was pulled out to make him stay where he was. ¡°Like I told the other guy..¡± ¡°You mean a member of the royal guard¡± The man who brought Jake to the town square corrected him. ¡°The royal guard, I was not stealing I was sleeping on the grain. Why is it that you keep telling lies to get your version of the truth instead of what actually happened?¡± ¡°Even an outside can see how cruel they are¡± ¡°Another person has been made a victim¡± Jake could hear comments like those all throughout the crowed and it proved this level of treatment had been going on for quite some time. ¡°Also I am pretty sure he can¡¯t be a king, I am thinking at best a Earl from what I have seen on the TV show Vikings and at worst a mayor. It would seem your ¡®king¡¯ is maybe trying to make up for something he lacks¡± Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! Some amounts of laughter could be heard among the crowed and half a dozen guards now stood in a circle on the outside of the increasing uncontrolled mass of people. That comment did not come without a price as a swift punch to the face greeted Jake. I think this life is actually worse than the last one and I died in the last one He had to come up with something fast of the guards would take back control even with their far less numbers. The answer to this problem came like the punch to his face. It remind him of the voice before the came to this world about the reasoning skills. ¡°I am pretty impressed with you royal guard¡¯s members you¡¯re doing something that is hard to even believe¡± All of the crowd¡¯s eyes and most of the guards were now looking at him. The tension had reached its peak and now it was time to push it over in the right direction. ¡°What are so impressed about, did you finally see the difference between us and you?¡± The two royal guards chuckled with their prides swelling from a seemly defeat of Jake''s will which he had sure would not last. With blood coming out of his nose Jake used one of his to brace and pull himself to a standing position. ¡°Well after all by the looks of things this group of ¡®worthless people¡¯ is mostly made up of adults of children you have taken from them is my guess. Looking around again there has to be over 100 now and yet with only 8 guards, one of which has to be holding a key to the keep where there children are held, are keeping things under control¡± The crowed started to stir, then yelling from the back of crowed as more and more people joined in. in less than a minute the whole crowed seemed to be in unrest so the guards around pulled out there swords causing only a damper before the people grew more angry and bold as a response. ¡°The only people who are standing between you and your children of the men with the weapons. You overcome them and you will be reunited once again!¡± Jake yelled and the people responded. The eight guards were almost instantly pulled to the ground and there weapons taken from them. The two royal guards who were next to Orion and the father and daughter did not even try to fight and instead run but since the crowed had grown to encircle the entire center of the village they were captured also. ¡°Tie them up hidden from the eyes of the keep quickly and take their armor also, I will explain when you are done¡± Cheers could be heard as the guards were rounded up and back in groups of two with their backs to each other on the edge of the village. Stripped down they were guard by over a dozen town people. The townspeople easily followed through with Jakes request. ¡°I need 10 men to put on their weapons and armor so that we can fool the king and the rest of the guards until morning so we can much time as possible. There might be a way to do this while also saving your children¡± Chapter 3: Plan of attack Chapter 3 The King seemed to have no idea that almost the entire town had risen in revolt due to both the distance from his keep and that most of the remaining guards choosing to do so also. Those that did not were taken away and stripped of their armor and weapons that now were stored in an empty building. ¡°I do not understand your plan¡± ¡°Well we have all of these things and people that wish to see their children so this will allow a siege of the kings keep never to happen¡± Jake and (former) Sir Adam discussed in a room filled with the have retired guards and other able bodied men and women. With time running out before the king would find out a plan had to be decided upon at this time. Adam proposed every man in the village armed and to attack while Jake thought of a plan required more cunning. ¡°First from firsthand experience while women may not be as strong they are still fighters and they can be archers. Where you not just telling me about the need of as many people as possible to fight?¡± With his counter Sir Adam fell silent and some of the women in the back agreed in response. They quickly quieted down with stern looks from the other people present and the room returned to just the two of them talking. ¡°Jake we must come up with some idea of what to do and if you do not agree with my plan what is yours?¡± Sir Adam was pleading with Jake, he also wanted to hear something that would both allow them to win and without many lives lost. As a man in his 50¡¯s with the guards armor still on and the only hair on his head a beard he had seen what the world has to offer and has grown tired of it. ¡°Then let me ask you: What are the chances that the king knows the town is no longer his and if he does not how long until he does?¡± Sir Adam rubbed his beard rubbed his beard while he thought over Jakes question and gave it real weight acting like an adviser. ¡°The King will most likely not find out until the next morning when the guards do not return to the keep¡± ¡°Well we should not make him fearful so the group of guards will return to the keep by nightfall¡± Jake responded with a grin and the room grew in confusion. Sir Adam settled the room and urged him to continue. ¡°Sir Adam you will do your duty and return to the keep but the guards you bring will not be guards and there will be quite a large number after all the guards that man at the gate will most likely be very happy to hear that they will sleep tonight¡± At first Sir Adam rose his hand to respond but dropped it and started to nod along with the rest of the room. ¡°Once the gate is open how many guards will be inside compared to our numbers?¡± ¡°Less. It will not even matter once the gates are opened with the shock of what is happening but I suggest if you agree that our men posing as guards who are not at the gate secure the armory and the outer guard¡¯s quarters¡± Jake agreed and Sir Adam and all the men in the room left leaving Jake looking at the map of the lands of the king. There was just the matter of the backup plan he felt was needed. ¡°I loved the TV show Rome, it had such a good story¡± Finally leaving the wooden room the sun was setting but the town held a great noise as everyone was getting ready for all the things that could happen. Women were taking the children into their homes and barring the doors. While some men were staying behind over 200 were ready to march on the keep to overthrow the king. Sir Adams sat on top of a brown horse with twenty fake guards behind him as they stood on the main road leading to the keep. Wanting to say some final words before he left Jake made his way past the groups. When he got near the people thanked him, some even called him lord but he assumed that was because he still wore his bath robe. There was only a light breeze but it carried the smells of cooked food for children while the rest decide their actions were better done without food eaten. When Jake was close Sir Adam saw him he started to dismounted but Jake stopped him. The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°There is no need in fact I like you better up there, forgive if I am wrong but do guards normally ride horses? I have not seen anyone besides you on one¡± Sir Adam chucked for the first time and got off his horse to face Jake directly at an even height. ¡°No guard is allowed to ride a horse because if they did the King said they would be above him¡± Looking around to the fake guard squad who some with actually former guards but revolted like Sir Adam nodded in agreement. ¡°Quite a King indeed, then it becomes an increasing less surprise what has happened but why did it not happen sooner?¡± ¡°Almost everyone wanted change but were to afraid of what would happen to them or their children, they needed a spark and then came you. Now a great fire is in each person hearts leading them to what I think also is a better future¡± Jake smiled, happy to have done so much and knowing after tonight they would no King. Standing there Jake was waiting for Sir Adam to begin but nothing was happening. Hundreds of people just standing there in near silence as they waited for a command. ¡°Sir Adam When will you be giving the command to start?¡± ¡°As soon as you tell me to my Lord¡± Jake backed up from where he was standing, he did not want the burden of looking over half a thousand people or more. Seeing him speechless Sir Adam knelt before Jake and in turned all the guards then the other men in turn. ¡°Over and over again I was asked by people who you were and if you were going to become our new King. They had such hope my answer would be yes and as you can see it is a view shared by all. So even if you have no experience or come form no noble line these people want someone who gives them hope.¡± Hundreds now waited for Jake to give his answer but at this point there was only one answer to give. As the fires burned, the people silent, and the wind blew the people waited it was time. ¡°I will rule you but not without advice from others and I will be no king because this town has for far too long lived under the shadow of a King¡± People rose up in cheer as they were now in the sight of their new ruler and while rising Sir Adams waved his waved bring a boy with a sword and shield in his hands. ¡°My Lord these are for you¡± Turning to his side Jake say the boy with a wide smile but also slightly worried and rubbed his head before grabbing the things out of his hand. ¡°You will save my sister right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s why we are here, to save your sister and everyone else, now go back to your family¡± The boy backed up and rejoined the others watching. Deciding that there was no way out of this Jake looked over his sword. He saw his reflection in it and admired the work. By the morning I won¡¯t be able to see myself ¡°Sir Adam¡± ¡°Yes my Lord?¡± ¡°You know what you have to do¡± ¡°Then I will be on my way at once¡± Bringing the boy back over again Sir Adams handed him the reins of his horse and began the march of his fake squad of guards. Jake walked in front of the 200 mass of men. ¡°Now let us also march, then when the time is right and Sir Adam gives a signal we attack!¡± Men walked behind him and horses rode out behind him and night began. Chapter 4: Overthrow Chapter 4 As Sir Adam and the rest of the guards made their way up the last hill they would finally be able to the keeps gate and with that a point of no return for the plan they settled on. He could tell everyone behind him was also uneasy due to the fact that on their way they were talking among themselves and cheering each other on. All that could be heard was the sound of their collective footsteps onto the soft dirt and the glowing sound of the dining hall having yet another party. Even in sight there was still a noticeable distance between the top of the hill and where the hill sat. Sir Adam had heard one day¡¯s serval years ago from some stonemasons doing repair work that they thought the current and only stone standing building was merely the first stage of a much grander project. With an area that could be said to match the town below the guess came as little surprise. Just like the keep there where many likely such projects of the empire that use to rule these lands and have long since been forgotten. Finally nearing it the finer details of the imposing keep came into place and he was not sure if the only thing that made it seem imposing was the King who ruled inside it. There were two guards at the front gates in the same attire Sir Adam and the rest of the guards behind him wore with just a single difference. On their chest they wore a badge that singled they were the kings most trusted guards: the Royal Guards. The Badge looked simple, in the shape of a diamond with a ¡®RG¡¯ in the inside made of wood. As the King kept increasing taxes and worried about even his guards turning on him he separated the guards into two groups. Those the King saw as most loyal would be protecting him inside the keep and oversaw the other group of guard (Sir Adams¡¯s) as they carried out their duties in the town. The ones picked as royal guards were also given extra pay in order to secure their loyalty. At the front gates one of the guards stepped forward in order to see which group of guards they belonged to. ¡°What do you want?¡± With an annoyed voice the shorter, overweight guard deemed Sir Adam not worth his time since there difference was clear. But this was the easy part, they had already planned for a way to get past the two of them. ¡°I and all the men with me finally see the wrongs we have made and hope this will make up for them. These are for just you two and the guards in the waiting room inside. We figured with that many votes we could all be accepted.¡± Two men from the middle of the lines behind Sir Adam come to the front with a small chest. The two gate guards whispered to each other but their minds were already made up. ¡°Hold it up higher¡± The other guard commander, with a look to Sir Adam who gave a nod the raised the chest higher and the latch unlocked. The first guard slowly opened it to reveal a variety of valuable goods and sliver. The town had pooled together what they had in order to come up with admittedly slim offering if this had been a more relaxed taxed town. Their eyes were brighter then the sliver inside the chest, a hunger that had grown from watching over the Kings riches. Two sets of hands dated into the chest weighing the objects in their hands and trying to price it out. ¡°So does this mean we can come in and show the Royal guards in the waiting room?¡± Sir Adams knew that if he waited much longer those two would try to convince them they alone could sway the other members. With that comment they remembered what was talked about earlier and their hands slowly crept back to where they were before. ¡°Yes you and the rest of the guards can come in but only for a short time you got that?¡± With Sir Adams nod the gates were opened and everyone went in starting the second part of the plan. Inside had more than enough room for Sir Adams group along with the dozen Royal Guards that stood at attention. Directly to the left and right were stairs leading to the large guards post at the second level and the doors were locked to only those guards and the king himself. Arches lined the ceiling and sides with banners of the same symbol as the badges. ¡°What are some many of those guards doing here? Adam you should know you place already¡± The man who spoke was named Gaven and of a similar age to Sir Adam, his hair was now entirely gray and weight and commonly known as one of the more corrupt Royal guards. He was there when Gaven suggested to the King that they guard should be separated to those ¡°Only truly loyal and those who just want money¡± On that day he gave up on the King and worked to do what he could to ease the suffering on those living in the town. ¡°My Lord, Adams some of the other guards have brought us¡­ I mean you sliver and other things in order to join the Royal Guard¡± Lately Gaven had ordered he himself be called a Lord to those in the Royal Guard and it would not be a stretch to say in time he would want to be king for himself. They were the only group that had access to the King and who was leading them only thought of himself. ¡°Give the chest to my men, you two come hold it. Adam you and the rest of yours can just stand there and wait until I decide how good of an offering this is¡± Gaven did not to think anything in the chest was Adams or the rest anymore and had the men guarding the inner doors to hold it. When Gaven opened the chest the Royal Guards around him sounded excited as the ones outside causing the rest of the ones standing at their post to look what was inside. Now all there back were turned to Sir Adam and there would be no better time to take them all out since even Gaven now was only focused on the riches. Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. ¡°We do it now, we take back what should never have been lost¡± With Sir Adams whisper all of his guards pulled out their knifes so as to make as little sound as possible and walked behind them. One did notice what was happening but by then they were surrounded. Twenty knifes went into fifteen men killing most of them near instantly, only Gaven and a few of the bigger ones tried to fight back. Sir Adam pulled out his sword first and pierced his heart with him now the only holdout of what remind of the guards in the room. In all their actions had taken less than one minute but now the only ones alive were Sir Adam and the fake guards. ¡°Brent Grab your bow and send the Signal to Lord Jake, I want two people on the inner gate and one on each side door with the rest bring the bodies outside. Also move that red rug over here since there is no way to hide all of this blood¡± As the Evidence was hidden as best they could of people who ever did this before Bret ran outside and pulled back a special arrow after lighting it on fire. Tilting the bow so it was nearly straight up he let the arrow go. ¡°There it is¡± Jake looked at the sky to see a pillar of light starting to fall down showing that Sir Adam had down his work and now it was there turn. Jake stood up from where he was hiding at the edge of the hill just before the top and waved his sword. Two hundred men stood up. Pulling out there swords and raising their shields the time for hiding what was happening had ended. ¡°Remember why we are doing this, to take back your home!¡± Jakes group broke into a jog and quickly made their way to the now opened gate and when they neared he once again held his sword high to make them stop. ¡°The group I talked to earlier now is the time to start throwing the oil into the second from the outside. Bret? Bret there you are, wait a few seconds after they start throwing and keep shooting more of those fire arrows inside to light the arrows¡± A dozen men made a right angle outside the keep facing a window for each of them while Bret stood behind one of them. They throwers started to spin at rope which held the oil at the end and at once let go causing all of them to break through the windows glass. Yells could be heard but before anyone could look and see what was happening outside Bret started shooting his fire arrows again while the other men again started to throw another volley. ¡°My Lord Jake what would you have of us?¡± Sir Adams walked next to Jake outside as he watched fires starting to catch on the upper level. ¡°I want you with me along with a dozen of your men while the rest keeps those doors leading to the outside closed so those guards on the next floor cannot get out. I don¡¯t want to hear what he has to say so as soon as we get in just start attacking¡± Sir Adam picked up a shield and walked next to Jake as they walked to the inner gate. With his sword pointed at the Gate it was opened and armed villagers from behind rushed around the two of them. Inside there were dozens of guards and people with the King sitting alone on his throne. He was a thin, frail looking man with white hair that shot in all directions, with a grin on his faced for only a moment before he saw what was happening. Quickly rising out of his throne the Kings darted to the door behind him with two Royal Guards while the rest fought the armed villagers and fake guards led by Jake. No one who was already in that room before they got in were innocent. These were the people who had stepped on and abused the rest in order to get where they were now. Jake did not know at all at all how to fight so he just stood there and acted like he was a proven commander who did not shy away from what was happening before him. His eyes focused on the wall and he hummed a song in vain in blocking out what he was hearing. ¡°Lord Jake the King has escaped it seems¡± ¡°He does not matter now that he does not control anyone anymore. I am sure the world will give him what he is owned for what he has done here as ruler. Take the keys from one of the dead Royal Guards and free the children.¡± Jake padded Sir Adams shoulder with a small smile so that they could focus on something good. All around them the battle was drawing to a close, many had died and not just the Royal Guards. Bodies were everywhere and even the noises from the locked doors were starting to end. With the battle over it was now time to rebuild. Riding his horse as he could into the forest he saw guards waiting up ahead with torches. ¡°We must leave at once the peasants have attacked and taken over the keep¡± The riders were silent as they moved there horses to either side of him with a torch still in one of their hands. When they were face to face the King noticed to his horror they were both women. Before the King could cry out two daggers went into both of his sides. ¡°Lord Jake thought this might happen and left it up to us to decide your fate. He let us chose, I want you to know that¡¯s why you died because given the choice we will always pick to kill you¡± They left the daggers inside him not wanting to have anything that touched him. When the Kings body fell the women dropped their torches on it and grabbed the reins of his horse leaving the area without another word. Chapter 5: Judgement Chapter 5 ¡°So you did find the King, Kara?¡± ¡°Yes Lord Jake¡± ¡°How is everyone already calling me that.. never mind. Can I assume we don¡¯t have to worry about him anymore?¡± ¡°Yes¡± ¡°Okay good work that is all¡± Jake leaned back onto the throne as he watch Kara and another women leave the main hall. Twelve hours ago it had been littered with dead bodies and broken things but now was nearly empty. When it was over the villagers had lost only twenty men due to the fact the attack was so unexpected and many of the guards were locked away on the upper level. Those bodies were now the only ones that had not let been moved because it was not decided what to do with them. ¡°My Lord I would like to send men to see what happened the former King if you would allow it¡± With a stiff pose Sir Adam asked as he stood to Jake''s right next to the throne with a worried expression. He had taken it upon himself to oversee the aftermath and also freeing the children of those locked under the keep. ¡°Sir Adam you need to have trust in people as I have of Kara so when she said there is nothing to worry about I believe her. There is also the matter of the dead Royal Guards, my decision has been made¡± With the look Sir Adam was clearly nervous in what Jake had to say since this would be the first order he would give as the new Lord of the land. ¡°What would you like be done with the bodies?¡± ¡°First tell me what you think I should do and don¡¯t tell me it¡¯s not your place¡± There was no fast answer to Jakes question and the few people that were in the main hall slowed what they were doing in order to make less noise and hear better. ¡°I know at one time they were people just like everyone else but they gave in so that they would receive no punishment. They hurt other so they would not be hurt themselves and that is why the choice is one I am glad not having to make¡± Leaning forward Jake put his face in his hands and moaned in annoyance about the place he was in. ¡°Less than a day at the job and already decisions like this it¡¯s no wonder what happened to Ragnar and Rand al''thor. Bring the families who wish to bury them to the main hall¡± ¡°I will go now my Lord, also that box you requested we find with the gain is here now. Also there is something I believe we need to talk about as soon as possible¡± ¡°I trust your judgement and when the matter with the families is settled I would like to hear about it¡± As Sir Adam left two men carrying the large box Jake first saw when we woke up in this world came into view. With it still unopened he had no idea what exactly was allowed to be taken with him. ¡°Follow me upstairs I would like to have it in my room and by the looks of up the both you to be rid of it¡± The three of them chuckled and made their way to the forth story of the keep from the stairs behind the throne. This level was entirely for the King and the square area had to be separated into different rooms but the end of the hallway was the bedroom. Opening the door to allow them both in it was only the second time Jake himself has been inside. A King sized bed in red and gold with many pillows, a desk with many notes and reports but he had not the time yet to read through them. With the last piece being a closest there was still plenty of room to drop the box down. ¡°Thank you for your hard work you may leave know¡± At first they protested and wanted to open the box for him but Jake could not let that happen. These would be things from his world and the sight of them may cause the people to think he was some crazy magician. Using a steel crowbar like object the men had left he made his way around the box until the last nail popped out leaving Jake the only thing left to is lift up. Using both hands he started to lift slowly but could not keep the pace and ended up more or less throwing the top onto the ground beside him. Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°Why did I get sent with me such useless things¡­¡± Inside was not cloths but rather his entire computer setup and his bedroom flat screen TV even his chair. All the items were in the same condition as when he had last seen them and nothing else. One by one the things from the box were gently put on the group beside him until it was empty. Jakes had slowly went over the things now that they were out in the open, his robe that he wore and sneakers were the only things until now that connected him to his past. ¡°Well might as well set this stuff up, maybe the voice will give me something useful for doing it¡± Jake spoke out loud unsure if it was to himself or he hoped the voice was listening somehow and set about moving all the papers from the desk onto the table nearby and started setting up his computer. Taking his time he was not sure how long the entire process had taken and had even plugged in everything to the 12 sloth power plug extender. Sitting in his chair Jake looked at three dead computer screens and looked back at his reflection. ¡°Well might as well try it¡± Doing an exaggerated motion by first throwing his hand in the air with a single finger pointing he made sound effects like a plane. When his finger pressed down on the circle power button Jake did not quickly take it off, rather he enjoyed not knowing what was going to happen. It did not last long and he lifted his hand away but from that an answer came. ¡°No way, it worked! It really worked! Well this should not be to surprising after all why give me these things if they were useless but that was still a possibility¡± The tower of the computer roared to life and the screen lit up as the computer once again was turned on. In a short time Jake now stared at his desktop now testing his mouse and keyboard to success. Before he could explore more a knock came to the bedroom door. ¡°My Lord Sir Adam told me to inform you that the families of the dead Royal Guards are here¡± A sudden surge of panicked rippled across Jake as he knew no one else could see a computer working right now before they were warned what they were going to see. Grabbing one of the spare lighter blankets he put it over the computer not before putting it to sleep mode. Leaving his room the man was waiting outside of it and followed Jake as he made his way down to the Throne room. Finally setting foot he could see that there were dozens of people waiting to hear about what their new lord wished to do with them. It was likely these people or at least some of them got better treatment then those families who had no one working as a Royal Guard but still could have suffered. Jakes choice had to be one that looked to the future. Now standing in front of all of them Jake started to speak but stopped when they all started to get on their knees. ¡°Please stop, I wish for you all to stand¡± Unsure of how to take their Lords news their actions were timid but they all stood like they had been doing before. ¡°The belief that I hold to myself is that what has been happening for such a long time to this village is something that must not be repeated. The village was in a constant state of fear because of how separated people were from each other through no fault of your own and that is something that will not continue with me. That is why I will allow you all to bury your family¡¯s members that you have lost so that we all can move on¡± The crowed, first stopped by the guards on either side of him but were told to stand down, swarmed around Jake with tears of joy. They thanked him over and over again for the mercy he had shown them. Sir Adam and other directed them to where they could find the bodies of their family members. Once that had started Sir Adam made his back to where Jake was snow sitting. ¡°Yes I remember what you said before we parted ways, what is it you wish you talk to be about?¡± ¡°It is about the nearby town of Colkirk, two villages that the former King used to control, and an increasing large group of bandits. If we do not address these soon I fear that your reign will be short¡± Chapter 6: Problems and Planning Chapter 6 Both Sir Adams and Jake made their way to the other door behind the throne at the opposite end that opened to a moderate sized room that in the center of stood a table large enough that a dozen chairs surrounded it. There was only one chair that was different, it was clearly meant for Jake due to it looking like a less impressive throne. As soon as Sir Adam made his way inside after Jake one of the two guards that now stood outside the room closed the door making sure what was said could only be heard between the two of them. Walking around to the head of the table Jake sat down in his chair while Sir Adam sat to the first chair to his right just like when he stood next to the throne. ¡°What would you like to talk about first my Lord?¡± ¡°Well¡­ let¡¯s go with what is nearest. Tell me about what is happening to the villages¡± With Sir Adams nod he got up and grabbed some papers from a nearby desk then come back to drop them on the table in front of Jake. Giving them a quick glace it showed a map of the local area and locations of two villages on their side of the river. ¡°The village closest is called Whitebridge and specializes in stonework while the other, Ferncombe, in woodworks combined several hundred live there. The problem is that even with the news about the former Kings defeat forces that still call themselves Royal Guards have lock-down the villages not allowing anyone to leave¡± There is no way they are staying out of loyalty Based on his even limited experience Jake could tell that men who were in the Royal Guard were there because of their ability to enforce harsh taxes. That left the question of how hard they would try to hold onto what they now had to themselves. ¡°Do you know how many of the Royal Guard there are now¡± ¡°I would say fifty in all split between the two villages based on the last reports¡± That number would make it hard to take back unless they used a force a major fraction used last night. Knowing that there was still more to come the issue of how to resolve it was pushed out of Jake mind. ¡°I think I want to hear about the other two issues before the choice is made due to the fact that plans that are made up now may have to be changed by the end. With that in mind tell me about Colkirk¡± Reaching across the table Sir Adams pulled out the paper showing the map of the area. He pointed to a dense group of squares on the other side of the river. ¡°That is Colkirk, while the town itself has less people there King-¡° ¡°He is also a King? I feel like I did not go the day they were handing these things out¡± ¡°I believe it was you who refused to be a king based on what you said something about a TV show Vikings¡± Now in the room there hanged an awkward silence where Jake did not know how to respond and Sir Adam waiting for his response. Not wanting to admit what had just happened but needing to press on to hear about the problems Jake decided to make the first comment. ¡°So why is this King such an issue now?¡± ¡°I believe by dethrone the former King they will use the chance of taking the land for themselves. They should be able to field an amount of men equal to or even slightly more than us and that is without help¡± ¡°Do I dare ask who will be helping them take us over?¡± The question of just how bad things were going to get was one Jake both wanted to ask and not. It was an irrational fear that if he asked that would make it worse all on its own. These were things that he had never had to worry about before and now had to care for hundreds of people lives. A cold sweat was forming all around his body, his robe clinging tighter to his skin. ¡°Are you alright my Lord?¡± I look bad enough for even Adam to notice ¡°It is nothing, tell me about the other group¡± If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.¡°As you say, they will most likely be bandits which are the final problem for a separate reason. For some time they had been paid by us not to attack and while the price was quite high they kept their word. Unless we give them a much large sum they will most likely accept the gold of the other King and support the invasion of our lands¡± Jake groaned at the thought of already having a combined force in preparation to attack him. There more questions to ask if there was a way to see an advantage in all of this became his guiding thought. ¡°What would be the strength of this combined force?¡± ¡°Five hundred to up to six hundred, we will be able to close that gap with the reclaiming of our villages but we will still have a steep disadvantage¡± That being the third problem it was finally the end of the seemly bottomless pit that was bad news. From here it could be seen by even Jake that this war would have to be won with the first battle and that win had to be overselling clear. ¡°Bring out a larger map that shows a greater area, after bring Brent, Kara and whoever you consider you¡¯re second in command. When you come back there will be a plan waiting for you to hear¡± A smile crossed Jake''s lips as he looked at Sir Adams bowing slightly lower than usual to his a smile of his own. With Sir Adams leaving Jake rose from the chair to get a better view of the map. Through the middle of it was a wide river with only two bridges, one near Whitebridge and the other far to the south. Those objects lit a spark in Jake''s mind causing his words before to Sir Adams not to be without truth. As always the time to gather the people Jake had requested was short but by then the plan had come into place in his mind. Coming in first was Sir Adam, followed by an unknown man, Brent, and finally Kara. ¡°As you requested this is my second Michael along with Brent and Kara¡± Sir Adam sat in the same place before with Michael next to him with Brent to Jake''s Left and Kara next to him. All four of them were eager to varying extents with Kara the most noticeable. It is indeed a strange thing for a woman to fight much less be in such high ranking talks. ¡°Thank you all for coming, I want to waste no time so the plan comes two stages with the first being Redirect. Sir Adam you will raise a force of one hundred troops and take back those village by the end of today. Michael and Kara you will also be going but that is not your goal¡± ¡°What will we be doing instead my Lord?¡± Kara fired back quickly now on the edge of her seat, this only lasted a moment before a stern look by sir Adam sat her down. ¡°I am glad you asked Kara, you under the command of Michael along a dozen others will in secret cross over to the other villages and brag¡± ¡°Brag my Lord?¡± Michael had a look of confusion over what they had to do and that view was shared by all. ¡°What I mean is do what I did for this village but in secret. Tell those people about how we overthrew the King and now live under a shadow of terror. The more unrest you can cause the more troops they will have to send to secure there villagers and less that attack us¡± The look of amazement on everyone¡¯s face almost made it worth it the trouble it was to come up with it but Jake was not done. He turned the map so the other four could get a better view of what he was pointing at. ¡°Once your group is over the bridge Sir Adam will destroy it making sure there army has to go over the second bridge to the east the crosses into the forest behind this keep. That is where we will make our stand, so Sir Adams meet me there after you are done and Brent I will need you to help Train others. How long do we have until the last payment of the bandits is up?¡± ¡°Around three weeks maybe less my Lord¡± With Sir Adams answer Jake now knew how much time the clock had until it stuck zero and the army came. ¡°In that case our countdown has started, Sir Adam take back those villages. Michael and Kara tell everyone how great things really are on this side of the river. Finally Brent start finding the fifty best archers so when Sir Adam comes back there training can begin¡± Chapter 7: Checkup and an Offer Chapter 7 ¡°Well I have to say even with my help you have done quite a good job in an even more impressive short time. The real test is how will you do when your choices have a major effect and will be the difference between defeat and success¡± With the body less voice coming in from all around Jake he opened his eyes to once again in the white room. With the last time he was here that he died panic started to build then replaced with annoyance. ¡°This can¡¯t be happening, I died again!. After two whole days that must be a record for you guys but can you at least tell me how this time?¡± Kicking his feet into the air after getting up the need to break something was meet by laughter from the voice. ¡°Jeez I really should have opened with this but You. Are. Not. Dead. Think of this as me coming to check in on you. After all before you came here you were 21 years old and a lifeguard and now you are a Ki- whoops sorry ¡°Lord¡± in one day, talk about climbing the corporate ladder¡± Groaning with being stuck with such a thing Jake wanted to put it in its place for the shock he had just had. Before he was going to speak he decided not to say what he was going to and switched to a statement that geared toward more information gathering. ¡°With the way you I am treated by you the thought of the others you must look after can only be in a worse state¡± ¡°How kind of you to think such a thing but no, you are the only one I am watching. There can only be one of us per one of you. Anyone come sit down tell me your thoughts, feelings, concerns¡± A chair popped out of nowhere next to Jake that resembled one from the meeting room. Without saying a comeback Jake sat down and recounted what had happened until now. ¡°Yes you are in quite a bad spoke no way to soften that up but there is hope. The former King being overthrown, that was going to happen either way with or without you, but because of you many were saved and that comes in handy now. Trapping those serval dozen Royal Guards was hard but you saved many lives¡± Wait what ¡°What did you mean by ¡°On the rails,¡± were the people going to take over anyway?¡± A sudden repeating dinging sound was heard like one from a game show. The noise was loud that Jake had to cover his ears from the overwhelming noise. Finally stopping an excited chuckled could be heard by the voice. ¡°That is correct, after all you may be a nice guy but we both know you have no experience leading people. Sir Adam would have stepped in and he would become the ruler of the lands only to be defeated by the force that now threatens you¡± ¡°Does that mean I have no hope of defeating them also?¡± Jake did not think the voice lied to him so knowing the most experienced man he knew failed to stop them was crushing his hope. The fear that this second life could most likely be ending soon in a way he would remember this time caused the energy to drain from him. ¡°Don¡¯t act like that, you are the difference that will can make a future for the people you now rule. Your idea to cause uprisings was good as was the choice to fight in the woods. Now use your computer with your tv shows to get you the rest of the way¡± So there is hope, why make me this worried when I already was! Once again Jake was in anger of the voice and it respond cheerfully much to his annoyance. ¡°Well there is your spirit, now is the time for our talk to end. There is someone who is here to meet you also you must settle on the plan to defend your land and your people¡± The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Before Jake could respond a knock on his door told him that he was back in his world and it was morning. This last talk showed the voices ¡°visits¡± would not be stopping showing there was still a person even in a whole different world he had to report to. ¡°Is there someone where to meet me?¡± ¡°Yes my Lord, how did you know?¡± The voice speaking to him from outside the door spoke with a clear surprise and it was not unfounded. There was no way Jake could explain how he knew so he just laughed softly to himself. ¡°An annoying bird told me¡± Without waiting for a response Jake opened the door and made his way downstairs to see what this new person wanted. ¡°Who are they?¡± ¡°The man says he is a messenger for the King just west of us we share borders to. Beyond that he would say nothing more expect to you so he now waits in the throne room¡± Waiting for Jake was a man in his thirties, his cloths finer then the average person but in just plan colors brown and white. With long pants and short sleeves that were not dirty proved to Jake he really was someone of importance. ¡°Hello Lord Jake, my name is Caleb and I come here on behalf of my Lord Noel¡± ¡°This sounds important, I want everyone but me and Caleb out of this room¡± In short order the room was empty expect for those two, Jake was now sitting on the throne. With such a formal meeting this did not give off an air of danger but what this was about would have to wait. ¡°It is my belief you will hear what I have to say and be quite happy. My Lord wishes to create an alliance between our two people and in return he will raise a force to help repeal the army that is preparing to attack you¡± If they know about it then there is no longer any question as to if we will be invaded I just wish I could accept this but it would only hinder my plans ¡°Tell your Lord that his words of an alliance are most welcome but I feel we can handle the oncoming invasion into my lands¡± The reaction from Caleb was one of total surprise, it was a response that he had not even considered. After all who in their right mind who refuse help that was seemly desperately needed. ¡°Do you not need support? Our guess is that there will be well over five hundred men. The bandit group that was being paid off by the former ruler of these lands, the one we also have to pay, is also joining his forces¡± ¡°This is the choice I have made but any plans for an alliance, which I am interested in, until after this battle is over. Please tell your King that I would light his offer to remain secret for now. That is all I have to say for now and there is work that must be done for the defense of my lands¡± Stunned at the turn of events the doors were opened without a word by Caleb knocking on the inner door and leaving just as silently. Brent made his way in as soon as the doors were reopened. Of a similar age to Jake but with longer hair and a brown coat he had his bow in between his right shoulder. ¡°He seems important my Lord, was there any good news?¡± ¡°Sadly no, as for what now they wish to wait and see what happens with the coming battle. Now show me what you have come up with and what I told you to build¡± Chapter 8: Final Plans Chapter 8 ¡°As your command my Lord these are the fifty best archers that I saw and this includes men from Whitebridge and Ferncombe which Sir Adams as you know has retaken¡± ¡°I wanted the fifty best archers not the fifty best archers that were men, we can¡¯t afford to cut out people we need for the battle¡± ¡°Yes my Lord I am sorry I misspoke, as you can see some women that were hunters happened to be chosen¡± Jake and Brent were standing in front of the newly formed company of archers, formed by going around to all there settlements. Most were hunters and as such were not used to battle such as these. There cloths were mostly different shades of brown and dirt. ¡°As your Lord I name you this lands first company of archers or the first archer company with your first mission being protecting your homeland!¡± The crowed of archers cheered in response, everyone here had come here as volunteers. In front of their group Sir Adam, per command by Jake, was teaching the nearly 200 troops the Viking shield wall. After the talk with the voice in the white room Jake had thought back on medieval shows such as Vikings and The Last Kingdom to use what they did. It had taken some time and a number of men to use as a live example but now was able to teach everyone else. ¡°Brent will be your Captain so any orders I give he sees then acts them out. There is most likely less than three week until they attack and they will have more troops then we have but there is a difference between us and them. While they sit idle we will train to become better so when they come that fated day we will be the ones left¡± Another cheer and they walked behind Brent as he followed Jake into the woods. On their side two ¡°teams¡± battled as one group attack and the other defended behind a shield wall. Even beyond them dozen riders under the command of Michael practiced moving their horses between the trees. In total close to three hundred troops were now training in the area behind the keep but due to the sheer size it accounted for only a fraction of the space. More than just the fighters the blacksmiths were making armor, bows and arrows were being made. Everything that would be need was being produced at the quickest pace possible while still keeping quality. Now slightly in the forest stood a half dozen straw-men on top of a wooden board with three others a few feet apart, a long rope extended out of each one with three men each at the end. ¡°In order to win we have to be smarter and different that is why from now until the battle you all will be in the trees with cloaks firing from up top. Since this is so new the dummies will be here to practice. The cloaks that are handed to you are just so you get used to it, later new cloaks will be green with leaves and branches attached¡± After a moment Brent called for everyone to get up into the trees and they began their training. This was only one part of four and it was time to see to the most secret group out of them all. Groups were separating and switching places when Jake got back into the infantry area Sir Adam was already walking over to him. ¡°Where are they and how many made the cut?¡± ¡°Slight more than twenty and they all had what you asked for: Experience in stealing or sneaking based on asking around of the guards¡± All the men gave a different air then those so far, sitting around on the ground joking to each other even some with scars on their face from well learned lessons to do better next time. ¡°Do you want us to steal something or to sneak by someone?¡± One of the younger guys with short brown hair asked with a tone of superiority and all-knowing of what was going to be ask of them. The rest of the men said nothing and a few even gave the man dirty looks. Just like the other villagers they had been freed from the former Kings rule. Jake walked based the others on the ground and bent down, his eyes piercing into the other man Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. ¡°No I want you all to kill people¡± With a voice loud enough for all of them to hear their reactions were mixed: shock, confused, to even grins. Unable to keep eye contact anymore the man looked at the ground instead. ¡°Later you will be getting what you be wearing to be battle but for now you will all practice what should come naturally to you: Taking things without being seen and if you really good painting on someone¡± ¡°When do we start?¡± The man who spoke Jake could tell even with just those words had something about him that all the others seemed to be missing. If a word had to be given to what he felt coming off the man only one thing came to mind: Acceptance. His place in the world and the person he was he accepted fully and was stronger than most men because of it. Long, jet black hair tied behind his back his expertly toned body from a hard, well-traveled life. ¡°What is your name?¡± ¡°Remi my lord¡± ¡°Well Remi besides for some others just this group will be training at night and after one week one if you will be chosen to lead this squad that has yet to be named. This will be decided by how much you steal from guards and other troops, whoever steals the most and paints strips on someone (to indicate attacks)¡± The new squad did not rise until Jake left when Sir Adams told them to sleep what they could right now because they would be up all night. Where they were was a huge piece of land overlooking everyone training, some tents were set up in order for some to rest in between their work ¡°My Lord it seems we have an expected development, a number of your troops wish to solely train and, at least for now, stop working on the jobs they have¡± ¡°That is fine, in fact expect more to choose to do so and make sure extra food and tents set up before they get here and tell the village¡¯s everyone who will fight be here the day before. Out of the ones that are here already are any that would be producing things needed?¡± ¡°Only a small number but one blacksmith has been here since the start and has refused to leave¡± Pointing over to the infantry section of the camp so that Jake could see who it was, he followed Sir Adams finger leading to a huge main well over six feet tall. Muscles so large he even left embarrassed about himself, looking close at him even with his bad eyesight Jake noticed that the weapon he was carrying in one hand seemed larger than average. ¡°He is very impressive but we need him working the forges, tell him that I want him to make me a suit of armor along with a weapon that is not too heavy. What is Michaels report on the progress they were making before he had to leave?¡± ¡°Before they found him unrest was mounting and there was even a protest but it seems Kara has had even better results which I have no doubt have only gotten better with the rest of the squad coming to her¡± Leaving Jake alone besides for his two personal guards Sir Adams mad his way down and around until he got near the blacksmith. Sir Adams guard pulled him aside and brought him over to the commander. Unable to hear what they were saying he watched as Sir Adams spoke to him for a moment before he placed his hand on the blacksmiths shoulder and pointed up top to Jake. Jake waved when he did and the in response a huge wave with both of his huge arms then quickly left with his sword. Everything that could be done was now in place and all that was left was it wait for Jake. Even with the women¡¯s support in the fight giving them what Sir Adam expected to be close to 500 if not more they would be outnumbered by a force with hundreds of more troops. Whoever leads the bandits might very well have more experience than anyone else that will be there so these special squads were the special thing that would make the difference. Standing over hundreds of troops as there Lord this would be his first battle and a great one. Chapter 9: Battle of the Three Lords Chapter 9 ¡°Thank you Sir Adam for all you have done for me, now I can at least sit atop a horse time get a better view of what is happening around me if need be¡± ¡°It is I who should be thanking you my Lord, without your guidance and acceptance we would not be in nearly as strong as a position as we are now¡± As Jake and Sir Away surround by guards stood together they gazed at the line of infantry in front of them. Nearly three hundred men and women stood shoulder to shoulder facing the darkness of the forest. There armor made mainly of leather since they did not have the time nor materials to outfit everyone expect for the veteran guard units. Including the three other groups hidden waiting for Jakes signal to strike the total force of his army neared four hundred. Standing in rows the first three were made of purely infantry while a special fourth was made of mostly archers for when the pressure of the shield wall became too much. For now they stood as they were so that nothing different could be gleamed so for all the enemy knew he was just a simple new lord. Only darkness greeted them beyond there force of arms so as to not shine any more light then what Jake was now calling the River King and Bandit Leaders forces would. That day all the tree archers smeared a thick coating of something the dye workers found while searching that allowed things to easily stick to the coat. While trusting in the ability of his new long range scouts to see when they crossed over the Far East Bridge Jake had ordered them into the tress while the sun was still up and they had been up there for hours. The trees themselves were the same ones they spent most of their time in and had hollowed out to store dozens of extra arrows so that when they were finally ordered to start attacking there would be no let up, just different targets. By the end of their training Brent himself went up to report that there accuracy impressed him to such an extent that his group should be given a special name. Running at where Jake and Sir Adams was standing in a dead sprint and just a dagger at his side that news the man wanted to convey was already figured out. In fact the only thing he would be finding out was just how many would be greeting them this night. ¡°My Lord the enemy army is nearing your position, you should be able to set your eyes on him in just a few minutes. If I had to say there numbers reach to nearly one thousand¡± ¡°Your work tonight was important and don¡¯t forget that now head back to where you were so as to see if they try to attack us from behind¡± Bowing deeply to Jake the man made his way back into the darkness and the menacing silence resumed as all they could do now was wait for thing to start. Well at least it¡¯s not more than we thought it would be, just wish this armor for battle but that was my choice Once he was able to convince the blacksmith to start working again Jake asked that, for now, not to make him anything special. The extra time spent on him would better be managed making more sets of shields so that the armor he wore never was used. After the promise that the both of them would live and he would be able to craft ¡°A King armor¡± production of shields and upper amour increased. The first things they saw was the glow of the torches as they made their way close to where Jake was. There glow getting stronger and stretching to most of his view in a nearly solid line of fire. Closer now the difference of the men between the two commanders could be noticed. On the left was bandits, there at least one hundred riders on their side and what they had on was hugely varied. While most had leather and a sword one person would stand out with a complete set of steel armor, a serpent on his chest and a sword in each hand. For the River Lord his men were closer together but not much and his riders were lacking in what seemed to be both numbers and how they handled themselves. A disconnect seemed to happen between the two forces that while the fought together there was a clear divide through the middle. They both happened to work at the same goal and once that was over there was no telling where things would lead. Right out of the range of archers both of the enemy armies stopped moving then just stood there. What are they waiting for? Did they see something? Are they waiting for us to attack? Confusion rattled Jakes mind and looking over at Sir Adam saw that he too had no answers for what was happening. The answer become clear that even from here an argument could be noticed from two men who were now at the void in between each army. ¡°Sir Adam see if any of our scouts are close enough to hear what is going on¡± With Hand Signals Sir Adams aimed at a man even Jake could barely see a non-verbal set of word was transmitted across the battlefield. A response to Jakes questions was quick and for the first time since he had gotten to this world saw Sir Adams laugh ¡°It seems my Lord they are arguing about who is going to attack first. It surprises me how far they are thinking ahead with them wanting to have the ability to defeat the other once they take over our land¡± Jake laughed in agreement to such dysfunction in the people who just before seemed so fearsome to him. Well if we both think so then everyone else hearing about what¡¯s happening might actually help ¡°Sir Adam inform the troops about this new information¡± If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.¡°Gladly my Lord¡± Once the word was spread to everyone an ease fell over everyone as they watched what was happening in front of them. The laughter grew to such a point that even the other army heard them causing there argument to stop. Some quick, quiet words there assault began with a combined attack. The riders from the bandits started a wide arc and were quickly lost sight while all the infantry began a mad dash with arrows flying overhead. ¡°Shield Wall!, my Lord stay close to me¡± Sir Adam raised primarily over Jake along with the guards surrounding them while a much large version was acted out by everyone in front of them with the archers hiding under with the rest. Thud after thud was felt as arrows land on their protective shields which were made larger than the average that before was just a foot wide made of wood. Jakes orders made changes and now they were twice that with a coating of metal out the outside causing the landed arrows largely ineffective. The arrows stopped falling a few seconds before the first men crashed into the shield wall. Allowing himself a look at the repeated arrow volleys Jake saw to his joy the new shields were hugely successful, he was pressed to see more than a few killed or wounded. ¡°Sir Adam there riders will be coming soon make sure our plans are ready¡± While Sir Adam ran to the left most corner of Jakes forces more and more of the Bandit and River Lords men had impacted the shield wall. There most experienced troops quickly adapted to an extent but most of them were confused about how to handle the situation. In response to the dysfunction swords appeared from the shield wall and quickly found a new victim. While the idea was working it alone would not overcome the difference of nearly one thousand troops to their barely three hundred. From the corner of Jakes eye the bandit riders finally came into view as they came at full speed right to where Sir Adams now was. Knelling with several dozen men they waited to act as they riders drew closer. It was not until they were seconds away when the first plan was enacted. Under fake grass a number of dozen foot long spears were pulled out with each held by two men. There was no time to react as the stream of riders fell to the extra-long spears. Over one hundreds made up that attack that now was falling to an ever smaller fraction. Archers from behind the shield wall finally let loose there arrows to the riders that were trying to get out from the mess. The sighting of what was happening could be seen clearly from where the Bandit Lord sat causing him to be enraged. By his command his forces their efforts that caused the shield wall on the left side to buckle from the weight. ¡°Time for the second move, Left shield wall open!¡± Jake command caused all the archers to gather on the left side of the shield wall and position themselves in oval formations in a dozen locations. At those places the shield wall opened up making the people who were pressing on the shield wall there to trip and run into groups of half a dozen archers. With no chance to react dozens and dozens of bandits died nearly instantly creating a pile of bodies. In seconds the holes were closed but the damaged had been done to the moral of the men. Large groups of bandits broke off their attack of the shield wall and routed, there action caused Jake to break a smile and caught Sir Adams attention to throw up the next signal. A fire arrow suddenly flew high into the sky and by the time it came down fifty move arrows joined it. Wave after wave of arrows started to come from the darkness of the trees causing what was left of the bandits to all start running. ¡°My Lord in seems your ¡°marksmen¡± squad is doing even better than I thought, with this there is no way they can recover¡± ¡°Yes we should thank Brent for his good work after this is over but for now command the left side of the shield wall to swing forward. That will make sure the River Lords troops have little chance to run making there only option surrender¡± With the Bandit forces completely broken and Brent¡¯s marksmen squad cutting down who was left with efficiently. The left side made its move commanded by Sir Adams with quick speed but that left them open to the archers who were not firing for free of hitting their own forces. In the time before they made their attack Michael made it for them, leading his riders into their group. The Marksmen stopped firing on what was left of the bandits so as to not hit their own allies and refocused there efforts on the encircled mass of the River Lords forces. His infantry trapped and his archers swarmed by riders The River Lord drew his sword and started to rally his own riders. With the dozen behind him it would be enough to easily break through the trap Jake had encased his forces in and Jake knew that and yet he was not scared because his final trap had just opened. The last that was seen of the Bandit Lord was him riding away with a few personal guards. ¡°It is a name not commonly used as far as comics go so I hope the ¡°Phantom Squad¡± lives up to what they are called¡± It had taken a few moments of anyone to tell what was happening but one by one the River Lords riders were being throw off their horses by people in all black with blades to match in color. As he started to cry out the River Lord was cut down just like everyone else, the Phantom who now stood over the body pulled off his mask. Remi waved his bloodied dagger in Jakes direction and with that it was over, the word of their Lords death gave the men an excuse to stop fighting and nearly two hundred men put down their weapons in defeat. ¡°Sir Adam send riders to the town and villages and tell them of our overwhelming victory, we have lost less than a hundred to their crushing defeat. Also bring medics over to help the wounded. Any men that are still healthy and well rested are to march with me, now is the time to that the River Lords lands¡± Chapter 10: Points Chapter 10 ¡°Remi what made you think I wanted the River Lords head?¡± ¡°Because you won¡± ¡°Well from now on just tell me you killed the person I asked you to and since there will be dozens of people around when it happens proof is not needed. This will be called directed personal growth and let that be the end of it since we are at his former town¡± Remi walked away from Jakes and made his way back to the now out in the open Phantom squad that was near the front of the marching force that had been making its way through the former River Lords lands. After the battle had ended slightly over one hundred joined Jake and Sir Adam from his army and a force to match from the defeated foes wanting to go home that could walk. Stepping into the town revealed to an even greater extent what was already seen when it first came into view. Everything was an even worse version of the former Kings lands with nearly all the people giving up resisting and willing gave in to almost slave like conditions. Homes seemed to be rotting away and the people only daring to look at this force that had entered their town hidden far away. ¡°It¡¯s alright no harm will come to you men who were only doing what you were forced into. Rejoin your families, I would only ask that in a short time everyone who you can find meet me outside the meeting hall¡± Jakes words caused many of the River men to drop right there while others dispersed. It was not until Jakes forces were separated from the others did women and children go over to those. At a glance he could tell that more families had shown up then there were men even counting the wounded outside the Keep. Reaching the center of the town reminded him of his own expect smaller, a well in a circle area in front of a keep made but this one was smaller and made of wood. With an opening of the doors a welcome sight greeted him, Kara with dozens of his guards presented themselves in two rows to either side with Kara waiting in front of the doors. ¡°My Lord Jake I think I can speak for everyone here when I say we are very glad you and Sir Adams are alive and that you won a battle no one else could. As you can see the town is yours and the gathering Hall waits for you¡± Kara¡¯s appearance was that of someone where many things at once: some portions of guard armor, thick bandit gloves, and simple shoes. She beamed with pride and admiration of Jake who had given here such an important task so much he felt awkward and unsure of what to say. ¡°Well¡­ thank you for the overflowing of such kind words. But it is I who should be grateful, even without Michael you rallied the people and it doing so saved the lives of others. What you have done I will make sure is known to all, I am proud of you¡± The humble of words of Jake caused Kara to tear up but she did her best not to show it. She¡¯s a women in a normally only men¡¯s world, given an important task most could not and completed it with word of praise from her Lord. With all that it mind it¡¯s no surprise her reaction and she¡¯s earned it Trying not to embarrass Kara Jake decided not to comment on her reaction and just to hear more of her report and conditions of the town and outlining villages. Things inside the Gathering Hall were much nicer, no wood was rotted and some things even brand new and yet something seemed off to him. ¡°Kara did the people know what happened with the battle before we came?¡± ¡°Yes my Lord but as you can see no one has the strength anymore to do much of anything even with a freedom they have wanted for so long¡± Jake had no idea it was this bad and only knew there ruler was similar to the one they dealt with. The first command he gave would set a tone for the rest of the things to follow and the people he would speak to outside would be the first to hear. One of the guardsmen that had been with Kara for her mission opened the doors and spoke to her softly. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. ¡°It seems the people have gathered outside My Lord, even with those lost there is still quite a number. Also when you have time there are a number of odd things I found locked away in a chest in the former River Lords bedroom¡± ¡°Well it looks like its time, Sir Adam¡± ¡°Yes My Lord?¡± ¡°I believe you heard about the messenger that came from the ruler we now border, send a rider and relay the message that with the battle won I am much more open to some form of alliance between us but cannot think of that until my new subjects have the food and other supplies they need. That should give us food for a reduced price or even free¡± Walking outside the doors came Jake in the center with Sir Adams ordering a rider to leave for the other kingdom and Michael to his right and Kara to his left. What stood in front of him was a sight he honestly thought was pathetic. Not one person in front of him looked like they were fed properly or clothed without holes. ¡°You all know how desperate things are and how you gave up on things getting better for which I don¡¯t blame you but starting today, the long night is over. Many of you must be thinking that things will not change only the ruler would but I want to prove to you for those that believe so are wrong. Starting today food will be brought and for the harvest this season no taxes will be collected¡± Looks from the crowds finally reminded him of when he first came to this new world: Hope. First it was seen in the children who were excited and some of the mothers were hard pressed not to join them showing a smile of their own. ¡°There we be other changes, a small standing force will be left here but not to force you into doing the things you have done before. The Bandit Lord escape the battle and is still out there but no protection money will be payed, so they will be here to protect against raids. That extra money will be spent on food and materials to rebuild your homes. We are all one people now so please let our town people become one¡± It was slow at first but praises and cheers began from within the crowed until hundreds of people yelled. Some crying and other who gave up on such a day, even Kara along with the guards cheered as well. There were Plans Jake could now start now that he controlled both sides of the river making the lands double in size and population. The most pressing issue is the lack of a bridge that forced anyone to go Far East or West to cross over. Even the roads were just compacted dirt slowing the travel of carts or anything beyond a person. ¡°Kara and Michael I would like the both of you to oversee the rebuilding efforts on this side of the river. Michael your focus will be protection in case the bandits come back and overseeing while Kara you will go to the three other villages and send reports to Sir Adam about what is most needed. For the first thing needed out the word for stonemasons for a new, much large bridge and to talk about how things are now¡± They both looked confused at Jakes last statement and it was no surprise to him since while they focused on problems of the moment he looked to solutions and plans for the future. ¡°With such a large battle the lands of much thinner of those that can fight well so spread the word of what happened: I now rule one of the largest lands by beating a force much greater then I had. Would not the average person wish to live in a land that has overthrown tyrants for the better while also having lower taxes and the mind to protect them?¡± Kara¡¯s eyes lit up at Jakes explanation while Michael nodded like he expected such a thing for him to say. ¡°One last thing Sir Adam, make the base we used to train for battle permanent and all those who wish to be soldiers now have a place to be. I want something called a Hi Shin unit and it¡¯s alright you don¡¯t know what that is since I will show you the comic later¡± The plans were not set in all the things that could be done, the people were bloodied and tried so now it was time to rest. These next couple of months would begin the dream that grew ever larger inside Jakes mind. Chapter 11: The Coming Storm Chapter 11 Jake overlooked the new training camp as nearly two hundred men and women trained as they began their new life as soldiers. There were now Spear, Sword, Bow, and Horse squads and three special squads. Brent led the marksmen, Remi the Phantoms and Michael the latest group that Jake saw as the new important part of his growing army. It had been three months since the conquest of the River Lord lands and things have taken a turn for the better. A large stone bridge had been built, the population north of the river had regained its strength somewhat and both sides had seen an increase in the number of people now living here with new settlers. ¡°My Lord these ¡°War Chariots¡± from that comic appear to be just as good as you hoped it would be¡± ¡°I am glad you liked reading it so much and even with only a dozen will make quite the difference when the time comes¡± ¡°When will that be?¡± ¡°When they are needed, beyond that I do not know¡± Both of them made their way up the hill with only two guards on either side of them. At first Sir Adam had protested the reduction of guards but Jake pointed out that he had never been safer. With the lands they border allied, a people they loved him, and a new standing army as far as he had seen no one else had who did he have to fear? Walking into the keep Jake had grown use to the large number of people that had business or were working inside the keep. A permanent guard post was used again on the second level that was also used for meeting of lower ranking people. Scouts to report their news of the lands beyond the borders, Overview of how the lands were doing and what was needed weekly. Lately all he had been focused on was what Kara wanted to show him after his speech in the other town months ago. Since she could not read she had no idea what the papers said but they explained how the world they lived it was cut off by someone or something long ago in order to keep a powerful force out. Magic, I knew it was odd there was none of it and now that the reason is known the question is how to get out Jakes lands and all the others around him were surrounded by mountains that until now were impossible to cross. In the box there was a dried hand of the person the papers claimed originally sealed this land and would be able to unseal it. The question was where to put the hand in order to reach the outside world and to do that required scouts. As far as they knew they were merely looking out for bandits groups they were hidden but if they come across anything strange enough for a hand it would sure be reported. Now all it came down to was a question of time and there were plenty of things to focus on in the meantime. ¡°My Lord King Declan¡¯s messenger has arrived once again¡± Jake sat at his new throne in order to see to the messenger, the throne was replaced over a month ago since it reminded him to much of the former King and the River Lord and hoped it would help with his sleeping. Since the battle he has had nightmares of what he had witnessed so Jake had begun the process of removing the old thing and making plans to expand the keep. When Rory, the manager of the stonemasons and other workers whose job was to expand the Keep Sir Adam waved them off. He deemed it more important for Jake to get a moment of peace before doing the seeing the next person. ¡°Sir Adam its fine, send in Declan¡¯s messenger then I will speak to Rory¡± Rory was moved into the meeting room by Sir Adams so that the Meeting Hall would be mostly emptied for there now increasing regular guest. Wearing the same cloths overall as the first time they met. He walked in with a parchment with writing Jake guessed was of a similar writing he had rejected twice before but Declan kept sending it. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. ¡°Lord Jake it is once again my pleasure it seeing you and my King Declan wishes for your health¡± ¡°My answer has not changed, I will not declare war on the Tri King Alliance even with your Kings confidence we could win. The scars of the last battle I was in are still remembered, my only focus is of building improvements in my lands¡± The messenger gave a disappointed expression at the repeated answer given twice before but quickly re-energized himself. ¡°But Lord Jake my King Declan believes very strongly the time to strike must be now before it is too late. With your victory over the Bandit and River Lord you now control the largest kingdom and that in turn made the other three Kings feel threatened if you could do such a thing outnumbered. Also with the Bandit King recovering if he joins forces with them King Declan feels not even you could grasp victory¡± It was true that what was happening was a cause of growing tension that could not be ignored and even with the new settlers it would do little to make up the difference of a the combined forces of three Kings who have not had a major conflict in years. That was why when Jake first heard news of the Tri King Alliance he recruited Rory, the best stonemason that was found in his lands in order to build tall stone walls around the keep. ¡°And as I have said before I will not fight, the longer that war can be pushed off the better. If anything changes my mind on my decision I promise that you will be one of the first to you until then you may leave¡± ¡°My Lord will be very disappointed in your answer, I will take my leave¡± Jake held up his hand before Sir Adam could say something, his feeling of ease from just a few minutes before now a distant memory and now had no more energy to hear anyone else¡¯s options on the subject. Rising from the throne the both of them made their way to the meeting room where Rory had a number of drawings laid out showing the current progress and what was already built. ¡°Okay tell me how things are going¡± ¡°As you say my Lord, the tower should be done by the end of the month with enough room to easily fit a catapult. The southern wall has the most progress but compared to the east or west and the north wall has yet to be started. Considering the amount of progress and number of people not even considering the length by following along the edges of the hilltop things are going quite well¡± It was true and Jake had to agree, because of how large an area the hilltop was made it impossible to throw up enough defenses quickly. His plan had hoped that just the news of his standing army and building of stone walls would stop the escalation but did not. On the southern wall that faced the training camp the gate house had all been finished besides for the steel gate which would be done in a matter of days. The thirty foot wall went out a fair distance from there but did not nearly cover what was needed now it might actually be used. ¡°The work done Rory is quite good but time is no longer on our side once again. I want all workers to stop what they are doing and work on the southern wall. Sir Adam will command the troops to build wooden defenses on the east, west, and north sides. The north should be fairly protected since our allies border us there. My guess would be there is only a month until a war breaks out so in that time I will send riders throughout the lands requesting workers so that the second towers and wall will be done in time¡± ¡°If that is what is needed that is what will happen My Lord¡± Rory quickly grabbed the plans and left the meeting room yelling at his workers to follow him outside the Keep. For the rest of the day Jake made his way around the army camp inspecting how things were going then to the town to oversee some new armors and talk about the need of all possible workers for the southern wall. His enemies were surrounding him and now was the time to prepare until they made there move. Chapter 12: Lost Night Chapter 12 The scream of men overwhelmed all other sounds, the only thing louder was the clash of steel as it another piece. Darkness coated him while the fires in front burned Jake''s eyes as the death of countless people was displayed in front of him. His heart started to beat faster and faster, losing his sense of feeling. There may have been someone trying to talk to him at his side but he could not hear. Now even the light in front of him made of burning men grew dim so he screwed so at least something could be felt. Screaming himself awake Jake''s door was knocked on by the worried guard that stood outside during the night. ¡°My Lord are you alright?¡± ¡°Yes everything is fine there is no need to worry¡± With sweat rolling down his body he now was sitting up in his bed in the Lords room and just like his dream in darkness. This had been going on ever since the battle with the River King and Bandit commander. Memories of that night had haunted him nearly every other night for well over a month but slowly decreased in frequency until now. It had been a week since Jake had given the commands to focus all building efforts on the southern wall and request for workers. The results of which being both good and bad. As for the southern wall what Jake had hoped for would be most likely done but because of the increase in the speed in which it was built the Phantom squad had seen an equal larger build up from the Tri King Alliance. Unable to sleep and still the middle of the night Jake reached over to his phone and unlocked it so he could open up the Plex app. Using it like a remote he picked The Flash TV show and tapping a small rectangle it started to play on the flat screen Jake had mounted some time ago so he could watch TV in bed again. When he first tried to do this the guard had freaked out so it had taken a few white lies of ¡°magic¡± that both helped relax the guard and help prepare spread knowledge of in case Jake found it in the future. ¡°Don¡¯t worry it¡¯s just my device¡± ¡°Yes¡­ yes of course my Lord¡± The answer that came back was wary but accepted it so Jake started the show while he changed into something not covered in sweat. Slightly slapping the dangling the not plugged in power cord he smiled at the ability to enjoy TV thanks for the Voice somehow powering all the things that was stored in the box that came with him to this world. Now changed he sat up over the covers and watch two episodes without any more tried then when he first woke up. Jake admired how most of the Flash¡¯s problems wrapped up in forty minutes compared to his problems that seemed to grow bigger after the last big one was dealt with. Even the show could no longer his attention when Jake noticed himself staring at the screen but not knowing what was happening when his focus finally broke. With sleep impossible and no show at the moment interesting he found himself deciding upon a walk. Wrapping his black bath robe around him and a softer than usual pair of shoes not were a cross of slippers Jake opened the door to see the guard straining to hear the sound of the now paused show. ¡°Worried about the man in yellow?¡± ¡°Forgive me my Lord, before I knew it I wanted to know what was going to happen next. From now on I will never put my ear to your door again¡± ¡°There is nothing to feel sorry about, when that first played even your Lord was that way if not worse. In fact maybe on night when things are not so on edge we can watch it together¡± Praises repeated themselves as Jake made his down with a chuckle to the Throne room where only two guards stood. He had never seen it so empty when he had not ordered the room cleared for a private meeting and the surprise was shared by the guards who suddenly saw there Lord in the middle of the night. Holding up his hand to stop them from saying anything he walked through the door without a word and made his way outside. Rows of stumps greeted his first sight from the cut down trees used to make the wooden defenses surrounding the other three sides of the keep. There was a part of Jake that felt bad for doing so due to the loss of such a nice sight but his far reaching plans called for this and everything else off the top of the hill to be cleared for future, large buildings. Because leaving in the middle of the night had not happened before until now it was his only night to do so by Jakes guess. Stolen story; please report. When it happened again the guards he passed would have told Sir Adam causing a group of his usual guards to wait for him. Reaching the edge of the hill he could see the town ever so slightly lit up and different, if only a little. Signs of new buildings could be seen and some of the older ones repaired with some of the wood taken from in front of the Keep. Walking down was almost completely silent besides for his feet making the town come into an increasing larger view. It could be easily seen even at night due to the cloudless sky and brighter stars then he had ever seen because his world before had plenty of light pollution from all the buildings. Stepping into the town center where the well was Jake dragged his fingers across it remembering. The first sounds he had heard since leaving the Keep broke his thoughts and his body drifted over to where it was coming from. Overhead showed a swinging sign of a green fish with the brightest glow yet and laughter that rang out. Eager to join Jake quickened his pace to the door and practically threw his hand onto the handle but then stopped himself from pulling it open. I can only listen Jake remembered his place and knew that he could never open the door to the tavern because he was there Lord. At best there would be an awkward silence while everyone else waited for him to be done and at worse find some way to excuse themselves. Still holding the door handle he leaned forward, resting his head on the door while closing his eyes to listen once again on the happiness of others. Not knowing how long he pressed himself on the door until the door was suddenly thrown open and with it him. Sitting on the ground Jake looked up at to his surprise Kara and to her horror at her last action. ¡°My Lord what are you.. What have I done?!¡± Nearly leaping forward onto the ground herself Kara started to help Jake up but before she could he got himself up and slammed the door shut. Jake did not want the happiness he heard to stop because someone inside saw him for just a moment and acted like Kara just did now. Unable to figure out what had just happened or what to do Kara just stood there, holding her hands up. ¡°Kara do you know some place where we can go that no one else is?¡± In response she just simply nodded after composing herself and walked away while carefully watching to make sure Jake was close by. There walk was made in complete silence, leaving the town and to the wide river. Getting to the edge of the river yet a good distance away from the bridge to an area that had a small beach. ¡°Fishermen¡­ they come here¡­ to fish during the day¡± Kara was stumbling over her words due to still being in fear of what she had before and that fear had only grown with the walk. Jake did not really care at all and now just wanted a quiet place so he just sat down on the stand and looked the stars reflection in the water. ¡°Its fine Kara and you even brought me to such a nice place. Just for a while I want, no I need, not to be a person who everyone looks to. I just want to be Jake for a moment¡± The pressure and stress of his life¡¯s and the current events that had been already weighing on him was now boiling over. With one hand gripping a fistful of sand and the other covering his eyes so as not to see the tears that were forming. Kara at first just watched then sat down next to him and placed her hand over his on the ground. ¡°Okay Jake¡± Jake did not know how long they had been sitting there but in time they both sat watching as the sun come up. By then he had calmed down and felt better than he had in some time finally letting go of the sand. With his hand starting to move Kara quickly removed her hand from atop of his and looked embarrassed. ¡°Thank you Kara, you helped me when I most needed it¡± ¡°For everything you have done for me and everyone else you deserve help when you want it but I am glad I was the one to help you¡± As the both stood up they watched the sun continue it rise and heard the sounds of guards coming from behind. With a new peace of mind Jake now felt ready to tackle the growing treat that was coming. Chapter 13: Failed Talks Chapter 13 Now afternoon and after a short rest from the long night was now refreshed and prepared to take on the messenger from the Three Kings Alliance. This was the first time the alliance had made any kind of contact but with the work done on the defenses of the Keep it was natural response Jake had expected. ¡°Lord Jake Kings Francisco, Dominic, and Bev request you meet them today in the fields to the north of the Grand River. In return they have agreed to meet in your lands but both parties will have guards. They feel it is in no one¡¯s best interest for this growing tension to continue and wish to see it end¡± It seemed the word request was the replacement of order but the tone was still the same. Those three saw Jake as a person less than they were and made clear they thought so. Sir Adams next to him was angered at the message but kept quiet due to Jakes earlier command but he had already thought of several things the messenger would ask and had an answer prepared. ¡°Tell the Kings I agree to their terms and will be head there shortly¡± The messenger handed the map of the location for the specific spot to Sir Adam who walked over to tower of the man. With that the messenger quickly made his way outside the meeting hall and hopped on a new horse. ¡°Sir Adam prepare only a small force to join me to the meeting, no reason to seem treating since that will not help things. Also get my old armor out since I have no idea if I should wear it or not and I want to wear something that can protect me¡± ¡°My Lord what about the new armor that was made for you? I thought it was completed¡± ¡°It was then I got another idea for something added and now it is being worked on again¡± Jake was embarrassed about the whole ordeal since it had started months ago shortly after the battle that defeated the River Lord (whose name he did still not know). At first it was just simple but after thinking about it more and more things we added, who sections completely replaced. It had even gotten to the point that ideas of things to improve his army and defenses or attacks on castles were in some low level planning stage. ¡°One more thing Sir Adam, I want the men coming with us to be raw recruits. Those Kings will not see what is being prepared. Contact Remi and have one Phantom dress as plain as the other guards¡± Making his way to his room two people were already waiting at the door so as he walked past they came inside with him. His first suit of armor was still waiting on a stand allowing the two men to take pieces off and attach it to Jake quickly. Only the head piece he refused to wear and once they were done he felt the remembered weight since this was only the second time it had been worn. Thankfully since then Jake had made an effort to work out his frankly lazy body by helping personally build the defenses and it going so made the people around him respect and admire him more. Jake¡¯s sound hanged on the wall and he personally went to go grab it and attaching it to his waist before leaving his room the guards staying in place but the two who helped him get ready falling in behind. It had only been a short time but twenty guards along with Sir Adam were waiting next to horses ¡°Let us be off, after all we have royalty waiting and I am merely a Lord¡± Chuckles could be heard behind him as Jake got on his horse then everyone else followed. Everyone around him per his orders were wearing rather old weapons and armor that overall made the party hopefully appear weak. The hope was that if the Lord personal guards dressed like that then the rest of his army even more so. At this point there was still some small things he could do to reassure the people of what Jake saw as increasing likely to happen but showing his face was one of those things. That in mind he made sure when they got to the town down below to slow down. A number of children walked next to his horse and to the other guards while almost all the adults were in some way focused on materials and weapons needed. Another reason for the slowdown was Jakes lack of time on a horse and was still not as used to it as the others around him. The town had seemed to grow over the last few months and the trip out of the line of buildings slightly longer but once passed they increased there paced covering the distance over the new bridge. It was over twice as wide allowing there party along with the other traffic to flow without an issue. It was the first big project completed and a party was held there country¡¯s new stone bridge. The very next day all the workers started the much larger project of the walls they still were working on to this day. You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. Locating the meeting point once they were close was easy once they were a top of the nearby hill, in front of them down below was a large tent surrounded by dozens of armed men. Sir Adam fell in behind Jake and the entire party made their way to the front of the tent where men forming a line black off the opening. ¡°Only two can come in with you and only they can be armed¡± The largest guard that stood in the center of the line spoke up and walked forward, unlike Jake guards his armor shined brightly and well protecting. ¡°Sir Adam pick one more and follow me in¡± The lines of guards parted to allow to the three inside then closed up once they were, Jake knew the person Sir Adam picked was part of the Phantom squad so he feared little for his safely at least inside the tent. Three men sat a long table in front of him wearing cloths of the finest quality he had seen yet. Two of the men were in there late fifties they sat in the center and left while on the right a much man in his thirties. Each one had a crown and seeing that reminded Jake much less bring one he had not found one since taking over. ¡°Please Lord Jake sit down there are important things we must discuss. My name is King Bev and these are Kings Francisco and Dominic¡± King Bev pointed to his right then left, Francisco seemed almost angry looking at Jake while Dominic did not seem to even want to be there. Making his way to the table and sitting down he noticed that all three of the men in front of him seemed to be slightly higher than he was in there chairs. Are they sitting on pillows to look down on me? It reminded him of a scene between two women from the Wheel of Time book series that made him want to laugh but suppressed the urge. ¡°If it is agreeable to you we feel that small talk is not needed and would rather just talk about what we wish to¡± ¡°I completely agree King Bev¡± ¡°Then in short it is our collected belief that you¡¯re recent actions and the expansion of your lands signals a greater ambition that will turn its focus on our lands next¡± King Bev was firm in his words with King Francisco slamming his fist onto the table in agreement. ¡°My ¡®recent actions¡¯ was building defenses that can only be used if I am attacked and my lands expanded with taking over the River Lords lands when he attacked me. Each of your lands nearly equal mine if not surpass and combined easily in both land in men¡± ¡°Since you know how much more powerful we are compared to you then maybe you should act more respectful to King Lord Jake¡± With Francisco¡¯s remark the tent grew quiet Dominic looking now like a children looking for something to do while in between his parents arguing. ¡°No one has built walls of stone before so it can just be easily seen, how all three of us see it, that you¡¯re expecting to be attacked because you are planning to attack us. But our concerns can be lifted¡± ¡°And what expecting would that be?¡± Without a word Dominic placed a rolled up scroll in front of Jake and spread it out to reveal a map of the lands north of the river that had new borders taking away most of the land along with 2 villages and the town leaving only a single village closest to the bridge to him. Jake was outraged at what he was being shown and he did little to hid that fact. ¡°I can tell you are clearly upset but if you truly value peace these are the only terms we will agree to, we will give you one week to make you decision¡± Without a word Jake got up from the table with the map in hand and exited the tent, lifting himself on his horse and traveling away. ¡°Sir Adam¡± ¡°Yes my lord¡± ¡°We have a week until the armies of the Tri King Alliance invades and by then plans must be made to win not just a battle like it was last time but a war¡± Chapter 14: The Wall Chapter 14 ¡°My Lord the deadline for our answer to them is tomorrow what shall we do?¡± ¡°Sir Adam the plan we have prepared will do, the army will be split in half with all the horse going to the open fields to the north. Michael how many troops have been raised?¡± ¡°Slightly over eight hundred, a little more than two hundred of which have been completely outfitted and have been training for months¡± ¡°I will take what I can get, Remi what is the total force that is preparing to invade¡± ¡°Near three thousand but split up, it seems King Bevs will be attacking the Keep while the rest to the north. I have a number of men inside both camps so any large developments should be known before it happens¡± ¡°Four to one are not great chances to be sure but we have a number of things going for us. First the walls, to win a siege you need many more men just for the attackers to have a chance at winning but nearly all the archers will be staying to defend the keep along with my suggested enhancements. Sir Adams northern force will have the new War chariots that hopefully allow there infantry numbers to be cut down a good amount¡± ¡°My Lord who will be staying here with you?¡± ¡°Good question Brent, you and Kara will be since Sir Adam is needed to command and Michael is the best leader of horse. I know full well that my mind for command does not surpass Sir Adam so he has picked a number of officers to help things along. Also I personally will be joining the fight on the walls¡± With that everyone came up in protest of the danger that would place Jake in and how his death could not be allowed to happen. In response to their complaints and worries Jake rose from his seat at the end of the table in the meeting room causing everyone to quiet. ¡°Don¡¯t get the wrong idea I will not enter the battle unless the presence is it dire need but to say that will never happen would be foolish. I will be on top of the keep with Brent with a portion of his squad and a number of guards¡± Jake''s words seemed to calm everyone in the room but he guessed Sir Adams was not pleased with any chance of him joining the battle. Well it¡¯s good that he¡¯s going to be leaving ¡°Final plans will be made at each battlefield so leaving while the suns still up. Kara do what you can to convince anymore of the women to join the battle but at the end this all comes down to you Sir Adams. Your mission is to win your battle and come to our aid as fast as possible¡± Sir Adam along with everyone else put crossed there chest with their arm and knelt to Jake as he stood over them surprised at this new thing they were doing. ¡°By your command my Lord¡± ¡°Please stand all of you, I don¡¯t like to blush. Be dismissed ¡± This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Brent and Kara laughed even Remi smiled a little, Sir Adam and Michael quickly left and the four of them made their way to the top of the keep. Reaching the top displayed a wide stone floor that hold a hundred people, on the edges of the walls were already a number of bundles of arrows for when archers stood there tomorrow. Going to the edge looking north they could see a line of riders and infantry but at the end a dozen of the newly completed war chariots. Crowds gathered when the lines of troops entered. The next time Jake would see them, if at all, there would be far less then now so he tried to remember how long the line of troops was. ¡°I am worried about them also but for now let¡¯s make sure they have someone to save¡± Jakes words seemed to focus them but most of whom was Kara who had lingered at the sight of Sir Adam and the rest leaving. Walking over to the opposite end they saw the mostly completed work that would be put to the test the next day. What stood before them and not that far under was an imposing stone wall. Standing dozens of feet and enough room on the wall for five people standing behind each other, there was a sort of roof above to block arrows and stone in front and back to hide behind or to not fall off the wall. The gatehouse was left of them near the end of the hill and the most important part, a single gate made of wood and steel would have to stop any who tried to get past but Jake was assured it was built well and would have to depend on that word. The tallest structure besides the keep was the single finished tower that would hold the rest of Brent¡¯s Marksmen that stood to the right of the gate and actually stuck at the most. Thinner then Jake would have preferred it was still able to house a decent number of archers due to its height and it position allowed for firing at enemy troops sides while they climbed up ladders. While the wall was not completely done this portion of the hill was the only one that could be realistically attacked. In the portions not protected by the stone wall a smaller wooden wall covered it but was most likely not needed. Dozens of troops were already down below bring up the supplies form the camp where they trained down below while others made camp. By nighttime hundreds of people would be there. ¡°Brent make sure everyone is in groups of five, these need to be led by either Sir Adams officers or the most experienced people. A single person can¡¯t see all around them at once but a group can¡± ¡°Yes my lord¡± ¡°Kara go down there and secure a wide space for the wounded before tents take that place. There needs to be people who sole job is to transport wounded off the walls and get the most experienced healers on standby¡± ¡°At once¡± ¡°Remi I know your Phantoms on hand number little by now but spread yourselves through the wall, as before have them dress the same as everyone else but the main mission is to target officers¡± Remi left without saying a word and Jake was left alone on top of the keep to watch over everything that was happening below. Thousand would be descending on him and in the end his fate was left up to Sir Adam, the idea that angered Jake even if he trusted and respected him. The only goal was to live long enough so starting tonight the clock started. Chapter 15: War of the three Kings Part 1 Chapter 15 ¡°They are here Lord Jake¡± ¡°With a force that large even I can see that Brent go to the tower and only use the swinging mace on my signal¡± Brent bowed quickly and left Jake up on the Keep with a dozen trained guards and a group of marksmen. He did not even look at Brent once or anyone else for that matter because the sight of the two thousand man army Led by King Bev held his attention completely. He watched as row after row of infantry appeared from the forest and made camp at the same location the training camp use to be. Everything of value or importance had already been taken the day before but to see Bevs force taking over a place that once was his unsettled Jake. On the walls stood three hundred with another hundred or so directly below them for when a spot on the wall was in danger of falling. If that started to happen the marksmen and other archers would thin the invaders then replacements would completely take it back. The archers on the group stood in front of a huge shield adding some protection to the waves of arrows that would be coming along with an extra bundle for each archer. The air the hanged on the walls and around Jake was stiff but resolved for what had to be done next to protect their homes once again after such a short time. A growing noise could be heard on the wall and looking beyond it to the forest below revealed the King Bev had finally shown, his armor and knights standing proud and powerful on their horses with heavy armor. The King himself had no armor and instead wore his gold crown on top his head. Far cry from what I am wearing Jake shifted his body slightly trying to still get use to his new armor that had been completed last night. As it was made especially for him and used body measurements it was actually easier to move in. The most striking feature was the long curved blades that started from his wrist and moved as far done as his elbow. Hopefully it would allow him extra protection in case he lost his sword or to pull down an invaders shield. There was also a blades hidden under each hand and a blade the pointed out on top of his hand that extended an inch or so longer then his hand would be completely flat. It seemed wearing it gave the men around him a boost in moral, showing that they had a ruler that would fight with them when the time came and Jake was willing to fulfill those hopes. ¡°Looks like Remi was right, Bev thinks this is going to be a long day¡± From his position he could see ladders come from the forest and continue to make their way passed the camp. Remi¡¯s Phantoms had reported that pre built ladders would be making their way and causing an early day attack. With Sir Adam making it impossible to completely in circle the Keep attacking the wall was Bev¡¯s only option. It would take some time just to reach the top of the hill to put the ladders on the walls. Due to how steep it was a past ruler had to cut side by side instead of a path directly down making any attack a slow and painful one. From down below a series of horns were heard and the men that had just gathered started to make their way up. The earliest the archers could fire on them with decent accuracy would be when the ladders were about half way up causing the day before then to slow to a crawl. Jake stopped looking at the rows of invaders that were making their way up to them but instead looked at the tower where he waited for Brent¡¯s signal to him to begin. His last look at the men coming and Remi¡¯s reports showed him that every last man was collected for this army, there armor and weapons varied greatly with only those who personally paid for better gear or King Bev¡¯s personal troops. A flag suddenly came from the tower, swinging wildly out of an arrow slit to the side but that movement was not needed. Now was the time to begin, the start of a battle to win and in doing so the death as many of them as possible. The archers on both the ground and on the wall which was the first row on the wall, they all at once grabbed an arrow and knocked it. ¡°ARCHERS¡­FIRE!¡± Jakes screaming command dozens upon dozens of arrows to launch into the sky, the arrows from below the wall making huge arcs while the ones coming from the wall a much more direct shot. When the arrows started to fall the men working their way up tried to protect themselves but did not work together making it impossible to block both the arrows coming from on top and directly at them. The first volley brought down a good deal of men but were replaced by others behind them and in return for Jakes attack a much larger amount of arrows returned there attack. The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°SQUADS FORM SHIELD WALL¡± Once again Jake yelled out and in response the squads of five did what they had been trained to do. Archers on the walls hid under the swordsmen behind them and shields were locked over them all. There were so many arrows that it sounded like one sound stretched over a number of seconds. When the last arrow fell it was clear the formation had done its job, yells could be heard and while a number had still been wounded few if any had actually died. The overhead that the troops on the wall stood under had been built for that very purpose and with its sheet of metal not a single arrow made it through. There was no need for any loud orders since everyone had been told what to do beforehand, the arrows started to fire at will with Brent directing those on the ground. Jake did not have enough archers to stop them from getting to the walls but he had one trick to delay them a great deal. It seemed the direct arrows were having the most effect as the suddenly felled portions of a line at once. This made those carrying the ladders to move even faster over the bodies of their dead protectors. ¡°Well it¡¯s about time I made my way to the wall, want to see it in person¡± Confused about Jake was talking about it but not wanting to say anything his guards fell into line around him. He was in rush combined with the weight of his armor made his journey a slow one but he guessed would not be an issue. When he made it outside it seemed the archers were firing even faster with Bev¡¯s troops nearly at the walls with their ladders. Jake jogged across the open area between where the archers stood and the wall, his guards forcing Jake to hunch over so they could raise their shields above him to protect from another wave of arrows. Quickly going up the stairs he was on top of the wall, those around him got out of the way so he could stand on the very edge. Looking down he saw a trail of bodies that led to the large group with ladders nearly ready to fling them upon the walls. ¡°My Lord we must get off the wall, the invaders will soon be where you are now¡± Even the men who were already defending the wall agreed but Jake paid them no mind for he was not that worried. ¡°Ever see Game of Thrones?¡± Before anyone could respond to another of Jakes odd questions a ladder rested right in front of him and he watched as even being cut down made their way up. One man on the ladder seemed to know who Jake was and grinned. Ten or so other ladders had now reached the wall and the men climbing them nearly at the top but still he was not worried, in fact this was what he had been waiting for. ¡°Raise the flag¡± By Jakes command without looking at him the guard next to him raised flag of pure red causing Brent to disappear into the tower and from eyesight. A moment later a large snap could be heard and out from the large blanket in front of the tower came a huge spiked steel ball attached to a long chain. Its swing making its way over the length of the wall, the very reason the tower was built. As it went it destroyed the ladders resting on the wall and killed dozens, those it did not fell off or fell with it onto the ground and others. Only Brent and his marksmen knew what was going to happen so the information would not weak out and quickly renewed there fire on the confused and disoriented attackers. With the ladders destroyed and the losses they suddenly had the attackers fled back down the hill. There losses had been great as could be easily seen from where Jake was but the defenders had lost people also. He knew they would be back the next day with spare ladders and told by Bev¡¯s officers that they had to take the Keep or he would kill them himself. It was now up to Sir Adam to get there in time before the wall fell since there ally had refused to help and no word could be heard from them. How did your battle go Sir Adam? Chapter 16: War of the three Kings Part 2 Chapter 16 Standing on top the hill that housed Sir Adams command center he over looked the plains where hundreds of troops were making their way. Behind him was the town that must not be lost and in front a base hidden in the tree line, men streamed from the trees, a number that more than doubled what he was able to bring. Since this was well known due to the Phantom squad Lord Jake had formed what they brought was known. Six hundred and fifty infantry, two hundred archers, and one hundred and fifty riders. All of these men were luckily different then the small core of troops that had been training for months for both personal skills and group teamwork Sir Adam had brought from the Keep. Even with only being a group of fifty they clearly stood out with their complete armor set and new weapons. My Lord Jake I truly hope your other new troops will overcome such a difference that I now face before me Sir Adam believed in Jake but the dozen War chariots as they were named were untested until now. He had been given orders about how they should come to the battlefield and that information was just relayed to the rest of the army. If each group did not do what they were supposed to Sir Adams would be killing off his own army. His second in command Michael was commanding the entire Calvary force of one hundred, there position was only to the left flank of their forces. Two hundred infantry made up the defenders with one hundred archers behind. The elites were positioned on the exposed right side with long spears in addition to their usual weapons. Hills surrounded the two armies leaving this valley the largest space before any the town or villages. When the horns sounded from across the open land from the camp of Kings it made its way easily to Sir Adam ears. There forces were nearly ready with lines being formed and yet two armies could be seen with a gap between them. Not sure yet if this information would be useful later he got on his horse and led the final people besides for some scouts to the battlefield. ¡°Do you remember what you are supposed to do Dominic?¡± ¡°Yes King Francisco¡± ¡°And what is that¡± ¡°Nothing¡± ¡°That is right, I will be the supreme commander of this army and you will do nothing. You are only here because your father died and your even less of a man then he was. Remember your place, it¡¯s the only one you¡¯re allowed to be in¡± Dominic followed behind Francisco as they exited the tree line to see the army lead by Sir Adam already in place. Francisco laughed as soon as he say the army then right after the rest of the men he brought along. Dominic and his men on the other hand shifted uneasily as they were unsure about what was so funny. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you can¡¯t tell what that man is trying to do?¡± ¡°I do not¡± Now those who were laughing shifted their focus to Dominic which caused all of his men to yell back. ¡°Enough everyone I will explain for those who are a bit slower. Adams plan since he knows only something drastic will save him is to throwing all the horses he has onto one spot in the hope to killing me but I will go to him with all of my horses. Stand here and do nothing, that way you can¡¯t screw anything up. You blow the horn its past time we wrap this up¡± The man next to Francisco¡¯s horse went to the edge of the hill they were on top of just in front of the line of tress and blew the horn he had in his hand. A deep, long sound came from it and at once a thousand men began their march. All The men were separated into blocks of fifty and each one was commanded by a captain loyal to Francisco. Those with some connection to his home could be clearly seen with extra armor and similar brown outfits. Pulling out his sword Francisco charged away from Dominic position leaving only a single man whose job he was told earlier was to ¡°keep watch¡± over him. Don¡¯t even want to be here but I feel worse for the men I brought The event that brought him to this point was his father death, the oldest of the three Kings it had come as no surprise when it happened. Fearing that once he had become head of the family the other two southern kings would attack him he had made all the blacksmiths prepare new weapons along with other good needed. That time of conflict never came due to the fact that the new Lord by the name of Jake had defeated the King who had attacked him along with allying himself with another. With this new powerful Lord both of the other Kings came to him with the idea of taking Jakes lands instead of his own and now here they all were. Sir Adam Drew his sword and motioned for the men next to him to raise their flags, this was how it was decided how he would command the army instead of runners since every rider was needed with Michael. In response to his commands a flag was raised with the riders and in front of the army swiftly moving forward in an arrowhead formation with their spears level and the archers starting to fire. Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Before the first volleys landed Michael and Francisco with their riders crashed into each other, instantly people died with other breaking bones falling to the ground. Even with being less in number due to previous battles and training more of Francisco¡¯s men died. Distant screams could be heard even from where Sir Adam was and the gap between the two armies was closing rapidly. With time running out Sir Adam had the rider¡¯s flag raised telling them it was time ot break off the attack. Michael was not able to see the flag until his men surround him allow for an eye to form inside the battle. ¡°I see the flag it seems we have ran out of time sooner than expected. Follow me and let us bring an end to those who wish to see our loved ones dead!¡± Grabbing the signal flag from the man next to him Michael held it in his left hand and his sword in his right, raising them into the sky once he got out and rode across the ever shrinking area between the two armies. He did not look behind to see but knew his men were following with Francisco¡¯s intertwining between them. It became a race to see if they could get to the other side before the open area completely disappeared. On each side there was already combined dozens of bodies with arrows sticking out of them making the green grass around them red. Only just clearing the armies Michael quickly turned around to see the fruits of his men labors: He could see nothing of what was happening due to a dust cloud that had formed. Each of his riders had bags on either side that once cut would create a cloud if enough was released at once with enough speed and it had been. He waved the flag in his hand in the direction of Sir Adam who in turned had a flag raised to his man on the hill of the command center to his left. Now they had to simply hold on long enough hopefully. A loud crash of screams and bodies was heard that also meant the closing of the passage where he had just come from. His men went behind him and Francesco was directly just like before with just less than before but instead a half circle of infantry supported them. Michael looked behind to see that core trained group supporting him and stabbed the signal flag into the ground. ¡°Clever trick I will admit but we still out number you so I, as a truly kind King offer you this: die knowing this was always going to happen¡± ¡°Your right King Francisco it was¡± Both sides yelled and charged and this time both knew there would be no running until a victor was decided. Watching ahead of him proved to be useless with the cloud of dust that had formed but there was no way the advantage yet was with Sir Adams army. Looking to his right he saw Michael raise the signal and quickly his flag holders do the same for the man on top of the hill so that his final forces would come out. Riding to the hill to get a better view it did not take long for the Dozen War Chariots to make their appearance, each had two horses and on each wheel spikes the would carve into anything. With the front lines starting to buckle at the center Sir Adam had all the archers switch to point blank fire when a crack in the front lines appeared. All the dust made it impossible to see when the War Chariots made contact but it could be heard, suddenly scream could be heard coming from beyond the front lines. The sound making its way left to right. While that sound traveled what was left moans and an overall quieter area, the dust cloud soon gave way but at that point it did not matter. The ranks of Francisco¡¯s army were breaking apart. With his own army quite damaged he gave the signal to stay where they were and made his way over to where Michael and the remaining riders were. ¡°Michael you have done good work¡± ¡°It came at quite the cost, half of my riders are dead and every one of us had been cut in some way¡± ¡°But we held that is what¡¯s important. Have those who are still in good condition help carry the wounded to a safer place¡± Sir Adam moved his horse close to Michael and put his hand on his shoulder. Michael pulled his helmet off and nodded. All around them were bodies of both sides, the day had been a costly one but it was now over. Tomorrow Francisco would be ready for an attack from War Chariots or at least have some defense. They now had only slightly more infantry then archers which meant they only had one more day of battle left in them. If I don¡¯t find another point It won¡¯t matter if Lord Jake hold the Keep, the people will be lost