《HavenFall (Thousand Lands)》 Chapter 1: Fractured Mind, Omnus Chapter 1: Fractured Mind, Omnus A deep silence. A silence that could even bury the beats of a heart. Absolute darkness. A gloom that could shroud over even the happiest day of a life. And in this dark, obscured silence, Prince Gladius Zane Noxus sat with his knees clumped together, his arms encircled around them as if protecting something important. He sat shivering. Not from the cold, but from the sadness, a deep pervading sadness that shook the depths of his mind. Just this melancholic sorrow that cut deeply into his bones. Like death¡¯s bony finger prodding into his heart. For a long while, hours perhaps, Zane sat still in that position, his whole body bare to the cold stone of the floor. His stomach growled from the hunger, his throat parched. How long had time passed since he sat here unmoving, Zane had not one jot of clue. Suddenly, a noise entered his ears, sharp from the long stays inside this perpetual darkness. A noise like rusty metal grating on metal. A small rectangular crevice appeared in front of Zane, and its agonizing golden light poured directly onto his face, onto his eyes. The light stung, but Zane merely sat there unblinking, simply uncaring of the pain in his eyes. ¡°Prince Galdius Zane Noxus,¡± the familiar voice, broad and baritone, whispered through the crevice. ¡°Do you know why I put you inside this dungeon for a year and a half, starving you like a pitiful dog, like a gutter rat that only knows of darkness and hunger?¡± Zane didn¡¯t reply to this familiar voice, a voice he had heard infrequently during the months he had spent in this dungeon with its perpetual darkness. Or was it years? Sometime after three weeks had passed, Zane had simply lost track of the time. He no longer bothered to count the days from the trays of food that were sent through that crevice for him. The voice continued, not paying any heed to his silence. ¡°The reason is simple, my son. It is to make you stronger. It is to forge you anew.¡± At that, the creak of the iron hinges of the dungeon door resounded throughout the silence. ¡°You see,¡± his father¡¯s voice continued without any heed. ¡°The darkness, the silence, and the hunger becomes nothing after a given duration in this hellhole. You learn to overcome them. And as the oldest son to the Noxus bloodline, they are requirements.¡± A hand gripped his shoulder. Strong and forceful. But even at the pain, Zane gave out no cries. ¡°Now that you know of darkness and silence,¡± his father said, ¡°we shall move on to the next step.¡± Somehow, within himself, Zane found the will to stand up at that. ¡°No,¡± he whispered in a voice so soft the silence devoured it instantly. ¡°No,¡± he repeated. This time a notch louder, but still not enough to break the silence. ¡°NO!¡± Zane roared as a wall within his mind broke. He struggled to break free from the vice-like grip on his shoulder. But no matter how much he struggled, no matter how much he forced himself, the hand remained there, unmoving, unflinching. Then Zane cried out in pain as he felt his arm almost tear off. Tears welled up from the depths of a well which he had never been aware off inside his mind. The tears fell down unwillingly from his eyes. ¡°Why?¡± the choked question never made itself known as it became stuck in his throat. Pulled further and further along, the light outside the dungeon cellar finally entered his vision. Agonizing to his eyes which had never seen the light of the day for a year and half¡ªno, not even the strong light that was given off by the torches. His eyes closed. Spots of red on black. After a brief moment when the spots lessened, Zane opened his eyes. But still nothing. For a long moment, Zane figured he had gone blind, and could only feel that he deserved it, blaming himself for everything that had happened to him. Another long moment, his vision no longer red spots on black. His sight had finally returned, but Zane could feel no joy at that. He simply continued to allow his father to lead him. Like a half-dead horse trudging along, Zane followed. A dim realization. The air outside was far cleaner than it had been inside his cell. There was no longer the stink of his own piss and shit, which was cleaned only once every three weeks. Finally, his father stopped in front of a cell. Black iron bars acted as a cage for the small figure chained inside. The sharp realization soon turned into horror for Zane as he recognized the petite figure slumping down, but held up by the manacles whose chains sprouted from the ceiling. He felt as if a blade had gutted him from behind. The door to the cell was wide opened and his father shoved him inside. A cool, leathery feel passed into his hand. Zane stared unblinking at the cold glint of the dagger in his hand before he finally realized that it was truly indeed a dagger. Dread washed over him. ¡°What is this for?¡± The words came hard to Zane, for he had not spoken in such a long, long time. ¡°Killing. I want you to kill it.¡± ¡°It?¡± Zane swallowed, but only a small trace of spittle came to wet his throat. He was too thirsty and his throat too dry. ¡°You know what I mean,¡± his father said, voice colder than the leather grip of the dagger Zane held in his hands. ¡°Kill your damn sister.¡± ¡°Why?¡± This time, the choked question that had been stuck in his throat managed to force itself out. ¡°It is a matter of choices. You either kill your sister now, or both her and your brother will die. One life or two lives. It is your choice, Zane.¡± Not daring to meet his father¡¯s eyes, Zane continued staring unblinkingly at the cold glint of the steel dagger. ¡°You promise that you will spare my brother?¡± he finally spoke. ¡°Yes, you have my promise.¡± Soft and smooth with assurance, his voice sounded to Zane. But Zane didn¡¯t trust it. Not after that same voice had promised to spare his sister after he had killed his mother. Zane released the dagger in his hand, letting it fall to the floor. It clanged on the cold stones only twice before settling down. ¡°You lie, father. Just like last time.¡± A smile formed on his clean shaven face. ¡°At least you remember that previous lesson well. But do not worry, I swear on our Noxus bloodline that I will not harm your brother with my own hands after you kill your sister. Now pick up the dagger.¡± Bending a knee, Zane picked up the dagger once more, his hand feeling the coolness of the stone floor in the process. He moved closer toward his bound sister in a brightly white dress. Her eyes were closed, and her silvery white hair framed her drooping head. Unconscious from the looks of it. Zane moved closer to her bound form, so close that he could now hear her faint breaths, the slight heave of her chest. He closed his eyes. ¡°I am sorry, sister,¡± he whispered, his voice begging forgiveness from her unconscious form. Then he stuck the dagger into her chest, leaving it there as a red flower bloomed outward. Red on white, it bloomed. ¡°You missed her heart, Zane. Do better. Or else.¡± ¡°Yes, father.¡± Zane said, choking down his horror. His hands shaking, he freed the dagger and stabbed once more. Another sickening resistance, as he forced the dagger through sternum and muscles. At the results, Zane quickly turned his head away, tears falling from his eyes. He knew there were now two scarlet flowers that had now bloomed on that too white dress. But then something urged him to take the steel dagger stuck inside his sister¡¯s heart. He couldn¡¯t just leave it in there. The least he could do was take the cruel weapon away from her. ¡°Good. You did not miss this time.¡± His father turned to leave. ¡°Now follow along, son.¡± Not even replying, Zane followed along behind his father, begging and whispering forgiveness in his mind. But none came, for there was only that pervading silence, the darkness of the dungeon only dimly lit by torches. The thing that had hurt the most was the silence of his sister. Zane didn¡¯t know if it was better to have killed her while she was alive or while she was unconscious. He didn¡¯t know. He could only silently beg for forgiveness. His father stopped once more after a turn in the corridor. He stopped before another cell. When Zane saw what was inside, he heaved a loud sob, the tears now falling freely from his eyes despite the thirst in him, despite the dryness. ¡°Why, father? You promised!¡± The words came chokingly, like gibberish. But somehow, his father understood. ¡°I only said I would not harm your brother by my own hands. I said nothing about the hands of others. Now you have learned another important lesson. Do not trust anyone¡¯s words. Not even your own father.¡± If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. Zane fell down onto the cold floor, his two arms wrapping around himself, his legs curled up into a fetus position. For a long while, he laid in that position, crying to himself. Then. The anger. The sizzling fury that seemed as if his flesh was being branded by a red hot poker. Right, didn¡¯t he still have that steel dagger which he used to kill his sister just minutes ago? That cruel blade in his right hand? Zane stood up, yelling incoherently at his father. He ran toward him, trying to stick the dagger into his chest. A blinding flash. Then darkness as the ground rushed toward Zane. The thud of his body against the cold hard stones. Why? ============ Darkness. That perpetual darkness. Silence. That perpetual silence. Zane opened his eyes. He realized that he was once more inside the dungeon cell where no light penetrated, where not a single sound resounded except for his slow breaths that came faintly. He went back into his usual position, arms encircled around his knees, as if protecting something. As if he had lost something. Why? Hours. Days. The trays of food came, but Zane did not touch them most of the times. He only sat in that unmoving position, only eating and drinking when it became unbearable. Weeks passed by, soon months, and each month father came to visit Zane. But Zane never responded. But even though Zane did not respond and always sat in that unmoving position, a change had already come over him. Not in his position, but in his mind. As Zane sat there unmoving, inside his mind was something entirely different. In a white-washed orbicular room, seven Zanes, entirely similar to each other, stood facing one another, forming a small circle. They were all in different positions, most standing up and some sitting down. ¡°Why did you two have to kill mother? Secondus! Quartus!¡± asked Primus as the tears dripped down his cheeks. ¡°Even Sister too!¡± ¡°Because you are too weak, Primus,¡± Secondus said, his voice as cold as blade-edge. ¡°And I am Determination, Will, and Survival, the things which you do not have.¡± ¡°And because I am Fury, Vengeance, and Wrath,¡± Quartus added, his face always scrunched into an angry scowl. It looked as if he would lash out at the whole world, burn HavenFall itself. ¡°Now, now. Let us all calm down,¡± Tertius said, all smiles. He was Disposition, Poise, and Conduct. Even standing in relaxation, Tertius held himself with immaculate grace, each and every of his breath steadily taken, his shoulders and back straight as a steel sword forged by a master smith. ¡°Your conversation is pointless,¡± Quintus said. ¡°We have more important things to do. For example, how to escape from this shit of a cell.¡± Sitting lazily on the orbicular floor, a hand ruffling his white hair, Quintus was the fifth Zane. He was Practicality, Cunning, and Knowledge. Beside Quintus was another Zane with his eyes closed and humming some nursery rhymes Mother always used to sing. He was Sextus, representing Aptitude, Talent, and Prowess. And though his eyes were closed, in his mind, he was wielding a sword, battling against the Blademaster of the castle. As for the last Zane, he stood unmoving, as still as a mountain. His eyes were always closed. Not once in the months had he ever spoken. Not one of the single Zanes knew what or who the seventh Zane was. They didn¡¯t dare touch him, or even dare to speak to him. They only curiously inspected this seventh Zane. Septimus, he was known as. ¡°Oh. It looks like another month had ended, Omnus,¡± said Quintus. It was a term the six Zanes had made up to call themselves, though that was mostly due to Quintus¡¯ directing them. He was the one who had differentiated all of the seven Zanes. Quintus smiled. ¡°Omnus, shall we enact our plan now? Father will be coming soon.¡± ¡°Yes, we should,¡± Secondus said, his voice hard and sharp. Determination filled him to the brim. ¡°I do not want to stay rotting inside this cell any longer. We have things to do.¡± He nodded to the Zanes. ¡°I will start first.¡± Saying that, Secondus moved toward Tertius. He kept moving until they were so close they would collide into each other with but another step. The collision never happened. Secondus and Tertius merged into each other. ¡°Next,¡± said the merged Secondus and Tertius. Nodding at that, Quartus¡ªFury, Vengeace, and Wrath¡ªmerged with both Secondus and Tertius. Then came Quintus with his Practicality, Cunning, and Knowledge. Then another one. Sextus with his Aptitude, Talent, and Prowess. Finally, there were only three Zanes left, the merged one and both Primus and Septimus. The merged Zane turned toward the two with a cold look on his face. ¡°I apologize, Primus. But you are not needed yet. Love, Passion, and Sentiment¡ªwe have no need of them yet. In the future, perhaps. But not now.¡± The merged Zane glanced at the seventh Zane. ¡°And Septimus. He is an unknown factor and we do not trust him. At least you will have his silent company in here.¡± ¡°No,¡± Primus said. Despair dwelled in his heart. ¡°Do not do this, Omnus!¡± ¡°It is too late.¡± A hand raised toward Primus and an invisible force threw him backward. Primus slammed into the walls of the orbicular room. Hard. But there was not a single crack on the wall. It looked as perfect and white-washed as before. The merged Zane was too powerful! Primus could do nothing but watch Omnus stare down at him. Another force, still invisible, slammed into Primus, crushing him into the white-washed floor of the orbicular room. A hacking cough. Blood seeped out from the corners of Prmius¡¯ mouth. And his vision went blurry, edging closer and closer to pitch darkness. ¡°Do not do this Omnus,¡± Primus whispered, a hand trying to reach out to the merged Zane. ¡°Farewell, Primus,¡± said the merged Zane as he waved another hand. The light of the orbicular room was extinguished, and the white-washed walls trembled. A few seconds passed as they continued trembling. The trembling stopped. Darkness then. Those were the last words Primus heard before Omnus, the merged Zane, winked out of existence from the orbicular room. Primus was to be locked inside this small orbicular room with Septimus. Inside this familiar perpetual darkness. Why? ============ Zane opened his eyes, blinking them once, twice, before seeing the familiar darkness of the dungeon cell. A grating noise. Then that familiar crevice at the metal door along with that familiar voice. Father¡¯s voice. ¡°Have you come to your senses, son?¡± his father asked ever so softly. There was a tiredness in his voice now. A sign that he was about to be done asking with Zane. The cause was the many months Zane had stayed silent, not even responding to his father¡¯s words. ¡°I have come to my senses, Father,¡± Zane said, not a trace of anger or sadness in his voice. It was as if the time he had spent inside the dungeon cell no longer mattered. ¡°A question, Father.¡± ¡°Ask.¡± ¡°How much time have I spent inside this cell?¡± Zane asked, his eyes focused upon that familiar crevice. Like a predator eying his prey. ¡°A total of two years. You are now twelve years old,¡± Father replied. ¡°Thank you, Father.¡± Zane stood up, still as naked as ever, but he paid it no mind. And neither did he pay the smell of shit and piss any mind. One can get used to many things living inside a dungeon cell. Zane formed a smile on his dirty face, which was washed only once every month. ¡°I have come to realize that you are right, Father. I apologize for not seeing the matters clearly.¡± The smile grew wider on his face. ¡°It is time I do my duty as your oldest son. It is time I do my duty as Prince Gladius Zane Noxus.¡± The door to the cell opened at those words and more light penetrated through the perpetual darkness. Taking his time, Zane slowly walked through the opened door, and out into the dim lights shed by the torches. His eyes in pain from the sudden light, he followed Father out of the dungeon, snaking through its twisted, dark corridors, all the while humming a small tune. A tune that his mother always used to sing when he was but a babe and a child. But the tune no longer held any sentiment to Zane¡ªto Omnus. Maps of HavenFall (Thousand Lands) / Population Count Note: This is just a small part of HavenFall ( Thousand Lands ), and other maps will be added. The Ruling Race for each Kingdom, Dominion, or Land is put in (Parenthesis). Only Castles are shown. As for cities, towns, and forts, they will not be shown. The exceptions being unless some of them are very important. For example; the Twin Forts. Population has now been added. The count is a rough estimated population by the thousands. Note, however, that there can be villages and towns that aren''t part of the kingdoms and aren''t shown on the maps. For example, there could be humans or humanoids living in the Sulk Marshlands, and etc. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. Examples: 500 = 500,000. 2000= 2,000,000 http://puu.sh/jZo8X/ac2bd549e3.png [Link to bigger image] http://puu.sh/k0NQm/dcf3bce309.png [Link to bigger image] Chapter 2: Binding a Lich Chapter 2: Binding a Lich Soft. Like the touch of fine silk on his hand. Trembling and with a flush of warmth, that was what the bared stomach of the girl felt like to Zane. ¡°Forgive me,¡± he whispered, gently caressing her stomach. Slowly moving his hand upward, he traced the two sheens of her white orbs. They were firm, still untouched by age. He rested his hand in the midst of the two curves of her breasts, a little to the left, just right where her heart was. ¡°Mmmgflh!¡± The bound girl murmured against the black cloth tied around her mouth. With that gag, Zane couldn¡¯t exactly make out the words and neither could she scream too loudly. Her eyes could only widen in fear at what was about to happen. In his free hand, the hand that was not resting against her beating heart, Zane held a black dagger with a bone white hilt. On the black blade of the weapon, half an arm¡¯s length, there were runes carved onto it. They were runes made to contain a soul. Removing his hand from her chest, Zane slashed the dagger at his palm in one quick motion, letting the blood flow free. With his bleeding palm, he made a blood print onto the girl¡¯s face, making her scream out in fear against the gag even more. Then he made another blood print, this time on the flesh where her heart-blood flowed. The heart and the head, the most crucial parts to an existence, to a being. They were the containers for the soul. ¡°You are dragging this out too long, Zane,¡± Father said from behind. ¡°Hurry it up. We need to leave the altar soon.¡± ¡°Forgive me,¡± Zane whispered, though in truth, his words were merely a fa?ade. Zane could only hold the barest trace of any Love, Passion, or Sentiment. All of that had belonged to the domain of Primus, whom he had left sealed in the orbicular room. Then he brought the dagger down into her chest. But everything froze while the dagger was still making its way down into her chest. The weapon stopped midway, as did the breaths of the girl bound to the black altar by chains. The flickering of the torches lit at the four corners of the room also froze. As did Zane¡¯s breath. As did his father¡¯s breaths. Everything in the room had become frozen. But that was only because Zane¡¯s mind had sped up. Zane was once more inside his mind. Omnus was inside a large expanse of a room made up of five interconnected domains, each domain with its differences. A huge library with its mostly empty shelves, filled only by a few hundred or so books. It was the domain of Quintus who stood for Practicality, Cunning, and Intelligence. All the books Zane had ever read and all the knowledge he would know would eventually make its way into the shelves of the library, most of them slowly, some of them quickly, but all of them eventually. A cobbled stone courtyard filled with racks of weapons. Straw dummies for weapons practice, bullseyes for archery practice, and so on. On the racks, there were axes, longswords, short swords, daggers, bows, staves, and every sorts of weapons Zane had heard of or learned of in his fourteen years of life. This was the domain of Sextus who stood for Aptitude, Prowess, and Talent. An elegant garden, furnished by only the most expensive objects. Intricately carved vases resting on polished mahogany tables. Stone benches scattered all around, but always in a subtle pattern. And around them all were scarlet flowers, similar to roses, but with more petals and the stalk a deep blue color. They were Scrayus flowers known for nobility. This was the domain of Tertius who stood for Disposition, Poise, and Conduct. A barren land where rivers of liquid fire twined into each other, where strange crackles of lightning lit up the air with its purple flashes, where blood splattered the ground, slowly mixing into the rivers. This was the domain of Quartus with his Fury, Vengeance, and Wrath. A small mountain and atop its night skies, there were hundreds of stars shining brightly, their rays dancing upon the mountain. This was the domain of Secondus with his Determination, Will, and Survival. And in between all five of these domains, there were five large white circles where the five Zanes stood, each with his back turned toward his own domain. At the middle of one of the white circles, there was a floating black orb known as a Surge with two spikes protruding from it. Around the Surge, four smaller black orbs known as the Foci orbited around steadily. The black Surge was unique to the Noxus bloodline. It was a Surge for the Darkness and Death Essences. Unlike other normal Darkness and Death Surges, the Surge was dotted with blood spots all over its spherical body. It was a Surge that could absorb three Essences¡ªBlood, Death, and Darkness. Another interesting sight were the four different colored Surges in the other four white circles. A red Surge that could absorb Fire Essences. A blue Surge that could absorb Water Essences. A brown Surge that could absorb Earth Essences. And a white Surge that could absorb Light Essences. And around each of those four Surges, two Foci orbited around and a single spike protruded from the Surges. ¡°Who shall be the ones to take control and kill the sacrificial girl?¡± Quintus asked lazily, a hand ruffling his silvery white hair, which was similar in both color and shape to all the other Zanes. ¡°Before, it was Sextus and I who were in control. But given the nature of this task, I am certainly not suited for it.¡± ¡°Only three of the Omnus can be in control at any given time, but we do not need three this time. Thus, Tertius and I shall go. Conduct and Determination seem suitable for this task,¡± Secondus said, his face a mask of determination as usual. ¡°What! I certainly do not agree with this combination,¡± Tertius complained. ¡°I am Conduct, Disposition, and Poise. There is simply no way I will stain my hands with the blood of a maiden, especially one who is but fifteen years old.¡± His arms perfectly folded onto each other, and he stood as straight as a noble tree which seemed to defy the skies themselves. ¡°I suggest Secondus and Quartus whose Fury certainly is suitable for this task.¡± Quintus sighed lazily. ¡°Very well, we cannot keep Father waiting too long. Our mind acceleration can only last so long. In fact, we have already wasted over a minute out of the two minutes that we can hold the acceleration before we tire.¡± Omnus nodded to each other. All of them knew that they were still far too weak. And although their Magus Domain was incomparably large unlike the other Magus, their Surge and Foci were still weak. Even with the special power granted with the combination of their five minds and their five domains, they still could not hold a candle to their Father¡¯s power. More so, the candle that could be held to their Father would be wickless. Omus inspected the floating black orb that was their Surge. On a closer look, there were two black spikes on the surface of the Surge. Along with the four orbiting black spheres, the Foci, they represented their Magus rank. Omnus was a Fourth Foci Darkness and Blood and Death Magus of the Second Rank. Every ten Foci a Magus created, it would add a unique spike to their Surge and in the process, devour the ten Foci. In theory, a Magus could go on indefinitely adding spikes to their Surge and at the same time increasing its size, but there were limits. The lifespan of a Magus which was the same as a non-Magus, for example, was but one of the limits. And each new spike a Magus added to his Surge, the difficulties would only increase. ¡°We will see you later, Omnus,¡± said the merged Secondus and Quartus. The world unfroze itself, and Zane continued stabbing the black dagger downward into the maiden¡¯s heart. Her flesh and muscles resisted the dagger¡¯s descent. And the girl attempted to break free of her chains. But it was all for naught. She was too bound up tightly to the Runic Altar. No matter how much she struggled, it was all for naught. Futile. Her struggles grew more and more furious as the dagger reached her heart, finally passing through her sternum. The ritual for creating a lich had to be done carefully and slowly. Zane had to make sure that the maiden did not die too quickly. Lowering his head, he placed a bloody palm onto her face. Then Zane opened his Surge free, channeling the pure untransformed magic outward from his palm. A black auric flame, tinged with Darkness and Death Essences, a heritage of his Noxus bloodline, instantly surrounded her head. Like a shroud of black flames, the magic covered her entire head, some of it entering through her nose, ears, and eyes. The screams became louder, but it was as if Zane was deaf to them. Deaf to the whole world. There was only an angry scowl on his face, mixed with determination. It was a combination of Secondus and Quartus. The chains rattled, shaking with the fierce struggles of the maiden whose very insides, and whose very soul was being scoured by the black magic. Her arms and legs were rubbed raw from her continuous struggles against the chains. Zane continued on, slowly digging the dagger deeper into her heart. He met the girl¡¯s twin blue eyes, dazed and fearful. Zane knew that when using magic, just like his Father¡¯s eyes, his own scarlet eyes would glow with a pale light. The muffled scream from the girl grew louder, turning into one single continuous screaming. Zane finally felt no more resistance as her heart was fully pierced by the dagger. Then from her heart, the black auric flame of his magic exploded outward, spreading beyond ten steps of the altar. The flame, having been spread so far outward, dispersed into a fine black mist. They settled around in the air for a few seconds before all of them rushed back toward Zane. Most of the black mist entered into the black dagger where the runes for containing a soul was carved. As for the remaining mist, they entered through Zane¡¯s opened mouth and through his two nostrils. The whole world went silent for Zane. No, Zane realized after a long moment. It was simply he who had become deaf to the world. Then the sounds came rushing back, and Zane heard a loud screaming. His screaming. An agonizing pain was tearing through his whole body and his heart felt as if it was being dug out by a pick. For a long moment, Zane continued screaming. All the determination and all the fury that Secondus and Quartus held could not suppress the pain. Not even all the determination and the fury of the world could have. It was just how much pain Zane was in. His whole body was trembling, convulsing every few seconds or so. And halfway in, Zane realized that he had fell down onto his knees, his hand still holding the glowing black dagger. The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. After a long moment, the pain finally receded, and the few breaths he could take finally coming easier to Zane. His throat felt raw and scratched while his legs still trembled from the weakness. Taking a deep breath, Zane stood up and inspected the maiden bound to the altar. He could no longer hear her breathing. The heaves of her chest and breasts were no longer there. She would no longer move. Finally, Zane closed his Surge, stopping the magic from flowing freely inside him. ¡°Proceed to the next step now, Zane,¡± his Father said from a small distance behind him. About fifteen steps away, Zane realized. It had kept him out of range from all that happened. Walking forward, Zane observed the Runic Altar and the black marbled bed where the maiden was bound to. There were four flights of steps that led away from the Runic Altar, each set of seven steps located on each side of the squarish altar. Zane formed an even angrier scowl. The girl¡¯s death reminded Zane of how he had killed¡ªno, murdered¡ªhis mother. Of how he had killed his sister. And of his brother¡¯s death. They had all been innocents. His mother had been pure and sweet. And the only thing Zane had ever received from her was unconditional love. Were they killed because the three of them had not been born as Magus? Was that why Father chose to sacrifice them so easily? Zane descended down the steps that led to a wooden red coffin in the middle of the room. The coffin was made plainly with only the colours of the Noxus engraved onto the lid. The insignia of the Noxus was a greyish black skull with an even darker dagger pierced through the frontal lobe. Pushing the lid of the casket aside with some effort, Zane found himself staring at the corpse of a woman. The body was fully naked, eyes closed, and black curls of hair framed her oval face. Up close, Zane could see that the woman had long lashes. He couldn¡¯t hear any breathing from her though. Turning away, Zane looked toward his father. ¡°Why a woman, Father?¡± he asked. Although the woman had a good set of tits on her, full and high, Zane would have preferred a stronger body. Perhaps the body of a warrior and the mind of a mage. ¡°The first lich you bind to your will is always the hardest, and centuries of the Noxus descendants have all chosen their first lich to be of the opposite sex, for it is much easier on the soul. In addition, tradition must be kept.¡± Fixing his grey-hair which he wore into a plaited horsetail style, Father curled a twisted smile. ¡°Not to worry. The woman may not look like it, but when she was still alive a few days ago, she was both a warrior and a mage. Is she not to your liking, son?¡± There was a force behind that question, as if his Father was daring Zane to disagree. It was a provocation Zane nearly fell for as the cold anger grasped at his heart. ¡°Calm yourself, Quartus. It is not yet time,¡± Secondus said from within the mind, a note of warning in his voice. ¡°Indeed, Quartus. Calm yourself,¡± Quintus also warned, his voice fainter due to not being the one in control. ¡°I know that!¡± Quartus hissed out the words. ¡°Very well,¡± Zane said, his voice smooth with a slight determination. Thankfully, the suppressed anger had not escaped into the words. Quartus always made Zane short-tempered and impatient. Rubbing the bony hilt of the dagger, Zane went back once more to the red casket with its black skull insignia. With a swift motion, he stabbed the dagger into the heart of the body, this time a cold rage behind the dagger. The force of it carried the dagger all the way to the heart. Opening his Surge once more, Zane released the soul residing in the dagger into the dead body. From the wound Zane had carved opened, the black mist entered the body. A second. Two seconds. The body began trembling, then convulsing, her pelvic thrusting so high into the air that Zane almost thought the corpse was trying to escape. Finally, the body settled down inside the black cushioned lining of the casket. Zane waited for a few more seconds, making sure that all of the black mist from the dagger had transferred into the body. Then he freed the dagger, leaving a bright red wound on her chest. Holding the dagger easily in a hand, Zane continued watching the dead body for any signs of movement. Minutes passed and still no sign. Had he failed? Zane spun around, searching for any signs on his Father¡¯s face. But there was only that cold pale face that told of nothing. Turning back to the casket, Zane gritted his teeth, looking down at the still dead body. ¡°Wake up, damn you!¡± he said through gritted teeth. A palm raised, Zane sent a pure arc of magic into the dead body, hoping to jolt the soul awake. The body convulsed continuously for three seconds as Zane kept pouring his magic into the dead woman. ¡°WAKE, DAMN YOU!¡± The eyes opened. A soft blue, different from the sacrificial maiden¡¯s dark blue. Her pale lips, lips that could have only belonged to the dead, opened widely. Her neck craned toward Zane, and he met her eyes with his own scarlet colours. Then she began screeching in a voice so loud Zane thought his eardrums would shatter from the noise. Zane flinched backward a step, but then stepped forward again. He moved closer, until he could feel the cold breath of the dead woman¡ªno, the cold breath of the lich. Zane peered into those soft blue eyes of the lich, and they peered back. The lich showed Zane of her memories of the Netherals, the world where the souls of the dead ran amok. The lich showed him of her past memories, when she was still of the living. The lich showed him of the memories of the sacrificial maiden. Memories that tore at Zane, scratched at him. It showed him memories of her fear, of the dread that had chilled her in the last moments of her life. Of the shivers that ran down her spine. Of the pain of her heart being torn apart by the dagger. Of everything. Of the lives that flashed before her. How dare he rip apart her resting place! How dare he kill her! How dare he! ¡°Is that all you can show me?¡± Zane asked, his voice a thunderous whisper. ¡°I can show you much more!¡± And Zane showed her. He showed her of his darkest memories. Of the time he had spent in the perpetual darkness of the dungeon. Of the guilt and fear that had torn him apart when he first stained his hands with the blood of his own mother. Of the dead silence of his sister who never knew that her own brother had murdered her. Of the begging forgiveness that was a thousand blades cutting into him. Zane showed the lich. He showed her everything, laying all the secrets bare. Of the surprise that had ripped him apart when he saw his little brother dead, when he had found the lies of his Father¡¯s words. And of how his mind had shattered into seven different pieces. And he sent a thought to himself. And to the lich. It was the thought of his self-assured destiny. There is a reason why I am going to rule HavenFall. And that is because it is me. My Omnus. Every single queen and king that dares stand in my way. Every single bastard that has fucked me over. Every beast, goblins, orcs, or humans that stand in my way. I will kill them all. Kill their grandmothers, kill their grandfathers, kill their mothers, kill their cousins, kill their sons and daughters, kill their dogs. Down to the last goat and chicken, I will kill them all. And if even the Netherals dare stand in my way. I will break through it. And in the end, I will find the bliss that I dearly wish for, that I dearly seek. A bliss for the bloodshed of HavenFall to end. A bliss for my mother, my sister, and my brother. And finally, a bliss for myself. I will break all the wars of HavenFall. Zane broke free from the gaze of the Lich, and it stopped her screeching. The soul of the sacrificial maiden had settled down. And there was an invisible bond Zane could feel toward the lich. The feeling was from the part of the Lich¡¯s soul that had been absorbed into his body, into his Surge, and into his very soul. ¡°Who am I?¡± the Lich trembled, confusion cutting across her face, and her voice soft and cool just like her naked corpse. She was longer possessed by the Netherals, and her memories were still most likely a blur. ¡°The question you should be asking is what am I?¡± Zane met her similarly confused eyes. ¡°But no matter, I will answer you. You are now the servant of Prince Gladius Zane Noxus, the future ruler of HavenFall.¡± Behind Zane, Father burst into a cold laughter at his proclamation. It didn¡¯t matter to Zane though. There was a cold determination with a mix of cold anger inside him. Like something dead that had been raised into being along with the lich. ¡°Do not forget to seal the deal, my son,¡± Father said. ¡°Make sure to fuck the virgin lich. It will bind her more tightly to you.¡± At that, King Gladius Balan Noxus left Zane standing with the lich all alone, as remnants of his laughter resounded throughout the Runic Altar room. ¡°Ah shit. So that is the real reason why the first lich is of the opposite sex?¡± Quintus said from within the mind, snapping shut the book he was reading inside his domain. ¡°It seems like our knowledge is still lacking, Omnus.¡± ¡°I am lost, Omnus. I have no clue how to conduct myself¡­onto a lich,¡± Tertius said. <><><><><> AN: In case I didn''t make the implications too clear. The term Omnus refers to the main merged personalities of Zane. It can also refer to all the "Zanes" in a group. It is like "WE" "THEY" "US" Chapter 3: Tutor Beldin Chapter 3: Tutor Beldin Zane sat perfectly still, back straight against the velvet cushion of the chair carved by a master couturier. In front of him was a large desk made of polished black wood. The desk, just like the chair, was also carved by a master couturier. Castle Noxus, and all of its ancient bricks, stones, and rooms were extravagant to say the least. Zane found it a waste of wealth, but then again, kings and queens had to make a display of their wealth lest they are found wanting by their peers. It would be a loss of face for the kings if their nobles were much more extravagant than themselves. Castle Noxus, in all its dark glory, was the tallest castle in Noxus Kingdom and all of its lands. And the castle could have been taller if the very first Noxus had not built most of it deep underground. The dungeons of Castle Noxus were twisted with aged cobwebs and a small army could have marched themselves into the catacombs and stayed lost inside for well over a month. To the surrounding kingdoms, the Noxus Kingdom came with many names. The Forsaken Lands, The Desolate Lands, and other similar names. It was quite an amusing fact to Zane. The only reason the Noxus Kingdom were called these names was due to its many necromancers, including the famous, or rather infamous Noxus royalty. The lands of the Noxus Kingdom, in fact, had many fertile farmlands, greeneries, forests, fields of flowers, rivers, and many other colorful landscapes. Then again, the names did hold some truth. Noxus Kingdom was at the very southern edge of HavenFall with its back faced toward the ocean. Its borders were also guarded by many necromancers and their various grotesque servants. Beside Zane in the study room, there was always the lich and the ever constant nudging of the bond they shared. A week had passed since Zane had transferred the soul of the sacrificial maiden to the dead female body of the mage, a term the commoners used frequently to call a Magus. A week that had passed since he took her chastity away¡ªthat is, if one could even take a dead woman¡¯s chastity away. Zane glanced at the lich beside him just a few steps away. Well, he thought to himself, it was more of an eye for an eye situation. Or in his and her case, a chastity for a chastity. The lich was now dressed in a black robe with the Noxus insignia emblazoned on the threads. The robe was tight-fitting, and did nothing to stop the curves of her breasts. It was a distraction for others, but for Zane who barely held any passion, a mere curious glance was all it took to satisfy his urge. In the lich¡¯s memories, she now held both the memories of the sacrificial maiden and the memories of the female mage whose body acted as the container for the soul of the maiden. ¡°Did you enjoy fucking my cold dead body?¡± the lich suddenly asked. She had noticed Zane¡¯s curious glance. At the moment, the Omnus in control of the body was Tertius, Quintus, and Sextus. Tertius with his Conduct, Poise, Disposition, and Quintus with his Cunning, Intelligence, and Practicality. Lastly, Sextus with his Aptitude, Talent, and Prowess. The personality that resulted from the combination of Tertius, Quintus, and Sextus was the one in control most of the times. And with the agreement of Omnus, the resulting tri-personality had been nicknamed Perfect Gentleman. ¡°Not as much as I would have thought,¡± Zane said with a sorry nod and a hand over his heart, a motion that looked so natural one would think Zane had practiced it thousands of times. It was all due to Tertius, who was always in his domain practicing such¡­necessities as he would like to believe himself. Zane laughed wryly to himself mentally. Perfect Gentleman was not so perfect after all, for Quintus had a smart mouth on him, along with his crude humor. ¡°Bastard,¡± Lina growled. The name Lina was a simple name Zane had given to the lich. He no longer wanted the lich beholden to the baggage attached to her previous name. She was no longer a human, after all. She was a Third Rank lich Magus of the Fifth Foci. It was the rank that the twenty-three years old female mage had achieved in her lifetime. Through the part of her soul that existed inside Zane, they were now bonded in a master servant relationship. Zane owned both her body and soul. This was the main reason why the Noxus always used a lich to serve them. They held the utmost loyalty, albeit forced. And although Lina had a mouth on her, she was still forced to obey Zane¡¯s every command. In truth, Zane could have commanded her into being polite toward him, but logic suggested otherwise. Honesty was much better than subterfuge. Zane didn¡¯t want Lina to find, say, creative ways of circumventing his orders. The only conditions Zane had made her accept was to not harm him in any whatsoever means and to call him by his proper name when she was in the vicinity of others. King Gladius Balan Noxus ruled with a cold formality and he expected the utmost respect from his servants. And neither would he allow anyone to besmirch the Noxus name. For a long time, Zane waited for Tutor Beldin to arrive inside the study room. And when Tutor Beldin arrived, he entered the study room with a flair, and with the fat jiggling of his girth which Zane found to be almost taller this his height. A height that would have certainly made a tree green with envy. Tutor Beldin was a monstrous man of seven feet, and almost every inch of it muscles and fat, though the fat won out in the end. As Tutor Beldin sat down on the chair, Zane almost thought his fat girth would fling the heavy desk away. Siting face to face with Zane, his beady black eyes scrunched up at Lina. ¡°So that is the lich you fucked, Prince Zane?¡± Tutor Beldin chuckled loudly. ¡°I don¡¯t blame you for fucking her. She is pretty enough for a dead thing.¡± ¡°Who is this fat pig, Master Zane?¡± Lina said sweetly. ¡°Now, now Lina. You certainly do not mean that. A pig is already fat enough. You need not add another similar description. Instead, you should say Tutor Beldin is an intelligent pig,¡± Zane said with a graceful smile, a chiding in his voice. ¡°By the gods, your lich has a mouth on her. If your father, the king, were to hear this, she would certainly be turned into ashes,¡± Tutor Beldin said. He grinned, a motion that shook his double chins. ¡°Well, her mouth is almost comparable to yours, Prince Zane.¡± ¡°My mouth was as innocent as it could be before Master Zane turned me into a lich with the memories of a dead mage.¡± Ignoring the lich, Tutor Beldin looked around, studying the room with its many shelves of books in distaste. ¡°Let us have a practical exam today at the courtyards. The sun is out and it will be a warm afternoon. And to be frank, you have an uncanny ability for memorization. In fact, I hold no doubts that almost all of the books in this library has been read by you already.¡± He stood up, his jiggling girth hitting against the table once. ¡°Now let¡¯s get out of here.¡± Standing up to follow Tutor Beldin through the doory, Zane turned toward the lich. ¡°Stay here and read a few books, Lina.¡± ¡°Did you know, Master Zane?¡± Zane paused, turning around again to meet Lina. ¡°I was illiterate before,¡± she said. ¡°A simple daughter born in a village who only knew of the lands she could walk to in half a day. And that was to another neighboring village or town. But I was happy. Food was aplenty and there were no mages in our outskirt of a village. My family was large and my siblings. Then a mage slaver came and kidnapped most of the girls of the village. Until that day, I had never even seen a mage before. And now that I have seen them and am one myself¡­Fucking mages.¡± Lina shook her head, her lips curling into a sad frown. ¡°I do not even know why I bother telling you this. In the end, a dead prince like you would not care. How sad that I did not even know the names of the prince and the king until I came here to this castle.¡± Hearing those words, a strange feeling picked at Zane¡¯s heart. It was an unfamiliar feeling, but was quickly gone before he could even begin to identify it. Zane met the soft blue of her eyes. Following alongside Tutor Beldin, Zane passed the twisted dark turns of Castle Nox. The corridors were many and the rooms likewise. And as if the castle itself wasn¡¯t dreary enough, the walls were made of stone and wood painted black. Thankfully, the floor was white, one of the few bright things in Castle Noxus. As for the windows of the castle, they were mostly blocked by heavy black drapes and curtains that barely allowed the sun to exert its reach inside. With a total of ten floors and four wings, Castle Noxus could easily hold a large army of two thousand. That is, if one didn¡¯t count the outer wings and garrisons. Finally, after many twists and turns, greetings from the maids, guards, and servants, they arrived at the end of the southern wing and with it, a flight of stairs that led to the bottom floor. Zane admired the sight of Tutor Beldin descending the stairs. It was a wonder how his weight did not break the stairs. Normally, Father would have never allowed such a disgraceful appearance into Castle Noxus. Make no mistake, however. Tutor Beldin may not have looked it, but he was a competent man. A genius of genius, in fact. For two years now, Tutor Beldin had been teaching Zane a smattering of Geography, Languages, History, Arithmetic, Geometry, Philosophy, Astronomy, and Agriculture. One can simply go on naming them and Tutor Beldin would have his fat fingers dipped into them, and teaching Zane. The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. Any other man or Magus would have been hard-pressed to hold so much knowledge, but Zane suspected that Tutor Beldin¡¯s formidable reserves of fat acted as some sort of container for his knowledge. But that wasn¡¯t all there was to Tutor Beldin. He also knew a smattering of many of the diverse fighting arts, magic scriptures, and magic arts in HavenFall. With him, he had brought anatomical diagrams to show the pressure points of orcs, human bodies, goblins, and many other different bodies of various races. But why had such a man come to pledge his allegiance to Father, Zane had wondered many times before when Tutor Beldin had first arrived. The answer had been intriguing, to say the least. Tutor Beldin had explained the story behind that with a laughter. He had been caught impregnating the cousin of the princess in Whitria Kingdom. Sixteen years old and pretty as a red flower, Tutor Beldin had seduced her with his knowledge that had been gained from forty-five years of living and traveling. Fleeing from the Whitria Kingdom, Tutor Beldin had made his way across to the isolated Noxus Kingdom, gaining amnesty from Father. Zane doubted that story though. It was simply unimaginable to imagine Tutor Beldin grunting on top of a woman, and a noble at that. The horrors that came along with that unimaginable image could even make Quartus with all his fury grow cold. Out on the courtyards which numbered in the dozens, Tutor Beldin stood a few steps away from Zane. ¡°Before we start on the practical side of things, let us truly test your knowledge.¡± ¡°Very well,¡± Zane said with a nod. A finger scratching at his double chins which were always cleanly shaved, Beldin said, ¡°In HavenFall, what is comparable to the power of the Magus?¡± Zane frowned a little at that. It was an ambiguous question. A trick of a question. ¡°There are many things comparable to the power of the Magus. For example, the power of a single normal man.¡± Tutor Beldin arched a brow. Just a single brow. It made for a strange gesture to Zane. ¡°That is an interesting notion. Do explain,¡± Beldin urged. ¡°A Magus is not an all-powerful being. Taking the words from the diverse religions of HavenFall, a Magus is not a God, Goddess, or the Three Fates. A normal man, if he is cunning enough, can kill an unsuspecting Magus easily. A warrior can also do such a thing. There is also political power, the power that can control the masses and influence others. One can use such a thing to overcome the power of the Magus. Then there are the dragons and the various races. They have no need of Surges. They have their own unique magics.¡± Zane paused for a breath. ¡°Need I go on?¡± Beldin shook his head. ¡°No, that is enough. You are correct as usual most of the times, Prince Zane. There should be no arrogance in a Magus, nor should there be in any other people. Everything is fallible, prone to the urges of time and death. Now then, let us test you on simple calculations. Give me your best estimations on the speed of basic magic spells of Magus at different ranks. Then enlighten me on the controlling of basic magic spells.¡± Zane frowned a little. It was a loaded question full of various answers, calculations, and dependencies on the situations. He had read many books that had given answers to this same question, but none of them had ever given similar answers. Not wanting to believe everything he read, Zane had conducted his own experiments using various tools, a few of which had been quite expensive. Tools such as the runic hourglass and machine clocks were quite hard to come by. Thinking some more, Zane decided to answer the question by taking into consideration of all the answers and experiments he had learned from. ¡°If we are going by normal or average standards,¡± Zane began. ¡°A First Rank Fire Magus could theoretically throw out a fireball that can travel at a speed of twenty five feet per second. However, the speed of the fireball could also depend on the affinity of the Fire Magus and his knowledge. For example, the Fire Magus could manipulate and shape the fireball into something faster if he was skilled or talented enough.¡± Pausing a brief moment, Zane waited for Tutor Beldin to say something, but there came no affirmation or chiding. Tutor Beldin only said, ¡°Continue, Prince Zane.¡± ¡°Now, if the Fire Magus becomes a Second Rank, his Surge will devour the ten Foci, increasing to a total of two spikes and likewise, also increasing in size. Theoretically, that would allow the Fire Magus to cast a basic fireball that could travel at twice the speed, at a maximum speed of fifty feet per second. And each increase in rank will add another twenty-five feet per second to the maximum speed. Of course, this is only theoretical as there is the wind, terrain, and the basic talent and affinity of the Magus to consider. There are many conditions affecting the theory.¡± ¡°Naturally, the different elements of the spells, such as a water blade compared to a fireball will result in different speeds. Usually, the water blade will travel much faster. The same varying conditions are inherent in the other basic magic spells also.¡± ¡°As for your enlightenment on the control of basic magic spells,¡± Zane said calmly, not even putting the slightest sarcasm into his words, ¡°a First Rank Fire Magus can usually control up to eight basic fireballs, though that depends on the capabilities of both his Surge and his mind.¡± ¡°Hmmm,¡± Tutor Beldin hummed. ¡°I will give your answers seventy marks out of a hundred marks. And that is only because I am being gracious. Oh yes, and five marks subtracted for your sarcasm.¡± Tutor Beldin smoothed out his raven hair which was always well oiled and greased backward, showing off his all-too prominent features. ¡°Now, for my third question, how many Surges do you believe a Magus can have or be born with?¡± At that question, suspicion quickly entered Zane¡¯s mind. He thought of his own five Surges, but everything he had ever read or heard about only said that a Magus could have up to three Surges. It was a simple question with an easy answer, yet why had Tutor Beldin asked him this question? Could it be that Beldin suspected him of having five Surges? But that was strange. It had already been two years since Zane had created the four other Surges in his Magus Domain. If Beldin knew of them, then he would have certainly asked Zane this question earlier. Zane had only told Beldin of his water Surge and fire Surge. He had never told him of the two extra Surges he had created. Could there be some magical means of detection Zane wasn¡¯t aware of? It was a likely possibility. Zane had taken all the countermeasures he could to the best of his knowledge, but he knew that his knowledge was still lacking. ¡°Three at the most,¡± Zane said. ¡°But even if a Magus is born with only one Surge, the Magus can still create two extra Surges in his Magus Domain depending on the capabilities of his mind, his talent, and his affinities.¡± Zane paused briefly, inspecting Tutor Beldin¡¯s unchanged face. ¡°But of course,¡± Zane continued, ¡°the Surges that a Magus is born with is always the most powerful and the ones the Magus have the most affinity with.¡± As Zane glanced at Tutor Beldin, he found his face unreadable. ¡°There is also the matter of lineage. If both parents themselves are Magus, there is a greater chance of a Magus being born.¡± Tutor Beldin nodded his fat head, the double chins quivering. His beady black eyes sharpened a look at Zane. ¡°What I want to know, however, Prince Zane, is not that. I want to know of probabilities that should be impossible. Can a Magus be born with more than three Surges or have more than three Surges? For example, can a Magus have five Surges?¡± Zane did not freeze at his question and answered without hesitation and calmly as always. ¡°That could be a possibility, Tutor Beldin,¡± Zane said with a calm, ponderous voice. ¡°I have always been inclined to believe in the impossibilities. Anything can happen, after all. Even a Magus being born with five Surges, though four Surges would be more likely. A Magus could perhaps even be born with a Surge that could control five Essences, two more Essences than our family¡¯s unique Surges can.¡± ¡°Indeed, Zane. But I wonder what would happen if a Magus were to have five Surges. Fire, Water, Earth, Light, and perhaps darkness. That would be a wonderful combination, would it not be, Prince Zane?¡± Tutor Beldin said, his face still unchanged. He knew. Tutor Beldin even knew the specific Essences his Surges were for! But Zane didn¡¯t give up his fa?ade. ¡°That does sound intriguing, Tutor Beldin. In the history I have read, there have only been one Magus born with three natural Surges that could each control up to three Essences, making for a total of Nine Essences.¡± ¡°Very good, Prince Zane,¡± Tutor Beldin said, a red auric flame shrouding his left hand and a blue auric mist shrouding his right hand. Tutor Beldin was a Sixth Foci Fire Magus of the Sixth Rank and a Fifth Foci Water Magus of the Sixth Rank. ¡°Now let us begin the practical exam.¡± A large grin lit his face. ¡°If you can make me even move one step away from this position, it will be your victory. Another method to defeat me is when enough time has lapsed that I deem the result to be your victory. And my silent defeat,¡± Tutor Beldin stated, emphasizing the second to last word. Chapter 4: Practical Exam Chapter 4: Practical Exam Zane swiftly moved backward a few steps, his mind alert and his eyes readily watching Tutor Beldin in his easygoing stance. Then Zane Mind Accelerated, transporting his consciousness into his Magus Domain. Inside the five domains, the merged Zane split into three Zanes once more, joining Quartus and Secondus in the five white circles with its five Surges. ¡°It seems to me that Tutor Beldin knows of our secrets,¡± Qunitus said, his voice unusually serious. With a hand, he was smoothing his silvery white hair. But this time, the habit held a slight tension, a sign of his nervousness. ¡°Perhaps so,¡± Tertius agreed. ¡°I have attempted to read his appearance, his habits, his eyes, his breathing, and his movements. But it seems that I am still lacking in my skill. Tutor Beldin is a hard man to read. Almost more difficult than Father. All of his movements, gestures, and expressions seem contrived. He gives nothing away and the telltale gestures that he gives are all feigned.¡± Quintus sat down into a lotus position inside the white circle which contained the light brown Surge with similarly colored Foci orbiting around. It was the Surge for absorbing and containing the Earth Essences. ¡°As far as our knowledge extends, Omnus¡± he said, ¡°I can find nothing that could allow a Magus Domain to be breached and spied upon without some form of direct means. Perhaps there is something we are missing, Omnus.¡± ¡°In the end, it does not matter,¡± Sextus said, breaking his silence. It was a rare moment, for Sextus was almost always quiet, always training silently. ¡°The possibility of defeating Tutor Beldin is zero even with such a handicap. The possibility of escaping from him is also zero. And even if we do, Father will learn of our escape from the Tutor.¡± Quartus gritted his teeth. ¡°Possibilities my fucking skull. Nothing is impossible.¡± Sextus merely shrugged at those words. As for Secondus, he had his usual look, the stony gaze of his scarlet colored eyes. ¡°Then we have only one choice left. For now, we shall take the practical exam given by Tutor Beldin and defeat him.¡± ¡°Good. I was just about to say that, Secondus,¡± said Quintus. ¡°As for who shall head out, it should naturally fall into our Warrior personality, Omnus. Just in case Tutor Beldin is bluffing, keep it to the three Surges he knows of.¡± Hearing that, Secondus, Quartus, and Sextus nodded. Nicknamed Warrior, it was the personality that resulted from the combination of the three. Determination, Willpower, Survival, Fury, Vengeance, Wrath, Aptitude, Talent, and Prowess. The personality would be a Warrior who would stop at nothing until he is victorious. A warrior who would be fueled by his instincts, his fury, his talent, and would do anything for survival. ¡°Omnus,¡± the five Zanes altogether said, their voices almost perfectly in sync with each other. But it was only almost, for there were two of the Omnus missing. Primus and Septimus who were still locked in the orbicular room where no light would ever enter. With the Warrior personality having taken over, Zane was in a determined silence. But underneath his silence and his cold face that gave away nothing, there was an even colder fury burning inside him. The fury seeped through his veins, as if his very blood had turned into ice. His eyes watched vigilantly for every movement and his mind was always aware of his surroundings. ¡°Do not worry, Prince Zane,¡± Tutor Beldin said cheerfully. ¡°In all probabilities, this practical exam will not result in your death.¡± A pause. ¡°Probably. That is, if you have not been lax with your training.¡± He raised his right palm toward Zane. It was the palm that was enshrouded in a red auric flame. ¡°[Fireball]!¡± Zane watched as a huge spherical ball of fire was shot out from Tutor Beldin¡¯s raised palm. At the center of the spherical ball were multiple layers of red flames while the outer layers were orange flames. And at the outermost layers were yellow flames trailing alongside the main spherical body. It was a fireball that could have only belonged to an experienced Magus. It was the fireball of a Sixth Foci Fire Magus of the Sixth Rank. The fireball was twice as large as Tutor Beldin¡¯s fat head and any shields Zane made would have only resulted in the shields being shattered. Zane knew that since he was only a Second Foci Fire Magus of the First Rank and a similar rank as a Water Magus, he could only dodge the basic fireball made by an expert. Not to mention the fact that Darkness and Death spells took a few seconds of preparation, especially since Zane was only a Fourth Foci Death, Darkness, Blood Magus of the Second Rank. It was a few seconds too much; time that Zane could not waste. Gnashing his teeth, Zane dive rolled to the side as the spherical ball of fire came rushing toward him, its speed almost comparable to an arrow shot by a shortbow. Everything lay in the timing. Before Tutor Beldin had even called out the name of his magic spell, Zane was already beginning to dodge. The fireball exploded onto the stone courtyard and flames exploded outward like a shattered glass window. The stones that had borne most of the impact were now burnt black, sporting fractures here and there. Quickly getting up from his dive in one smooth motion, Zane stood ready, facing against Tutor Beldin. Reaching within his Magus Domain, Zane opened free three of his Surges. His Water Surge, his Fire Surge, and his Noxus Surge exploded forth, revolving inside the domain. And similar to Tutor Beldin, each of his hands were enshrouded in their own auras. Summoning a fireball of his own, Zane threw it toward Tutor Beldin with a wave of his left hand. Unlike the magic from Tutor Beldin, his fireball was as simple as it could be. It was only a dense spherical ball of red flames. There were no outer layers of flames that could increase the speed of the fireball and increase the magnitude of the explosion. Zane also knew that Tutor Beldin was giving him a big advantage by shouting out what his next move was. In reality, a Magus did not have to use focus words or focus movements to throw a simple magic spell. The focus words and movements would help the Magus focus his magic, but they weren¡¯t truly needed for simple magic spells. Having thrown the fireball at Tutor Beldin with his left hand, Zane formed a straight-edged palm with his right hand, mimicking a sharp blade. With that palm, Zane further mimicked a chopping motion. The auric blue mist that surrounded his right hand exploded out into a water blade. Almost simultaneously, Zane had thrown a water blade and a fireball, both of which shot toward Tutor Beldin, but at a speed far less than the fireball Tutor Beldin had casted. Zane was only a First Rank Fire and Water Magus, after all. Zane saw Tutor Beldin simply smile at the incoming two magic spells. His red auric enshrouded hand chopped down at the water blade, and a whip of fire devoured the water blade, releasing steam. Another focus movement, and the whip of fire grew larger wrapping around the fireball before finally devouring the fireball into itself. In the meantime, Zane was preparing a Darkness and Death magic spell. The auras on both of his hands had disappeared only to be replaced by black auric flames tinged with Darkness and Death Essences. Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. Spreading both of his hands outward as if to embrace someone, Zane clapped his hands together, creating a loud noise which rang all around the stone courtyard. Black auric flames exploded outward from his clasped hands, forming into two convulsing black tendrils, each about as long as an arm. A horrific black mist that seemed to swallow the light itself swarmed around the two black tendrils, which twined around each other as if attempting to devour one another. They squirmed toward Tutor Beldin whose mouth was gaping at the disgusting sight of the tendrils and its swarming mist. But he soon closed shut his mouth. "[Firewall]," Tutor Beldin said. He snapped his fingers, creating a thick wall of red fire that sprouted out from the ground ten feet away from him. The length and height of the firewall was enough to easily shield five grown men. The two black tendrils bore a hole through the firewall in the blink of an eye, leaving a hole which the flames of the firewall dare not to even linger nearby. Another snap of his fingers, and this time, four walls of fire were created one after another, each consecutively behind the previous. Tutor Beldin could only sigh as one of the firewall was instantly pierced through. The four firewalls had only bought him a few seconds of time. ¡°Now, now, Prince Zane. Did you really have to use your Noxus family¡¯s Devouring Tendrils?¡± Tutor Beldin called out with some amusement. Paying no heed to his words, Zane was creating one waterball after another, using the few seconds of time his Devouring Tendrils had bought him. In those few seconds, Zane had already created eight waterballs, each about the size of a grown man¡¯s head. They hovered in front of him perfectly still and perfectly silent. Sixteen waterballs were the most Zane could control, a feat he knew that any normal Magus the same rank as him couldn¡¯t hope to replicate. However, Zane created only eight waterballs to make it more believable in case Tutor Beldin was deceiving him into showing his hands. Flanking around the four firewalls to his opponent¡¯s left side, Zane casted the eight globes of water without even a second¡¯s hesitation. At the same moment the eight waterballs launched themselves at twenty five feet per second, the two Devouring Tendrils had finally penetrated through the four firewalls. But even against such a myriad of magic, Tutor Beldin still did not move a single inch from his position. There was only that small curl of a smile which was made intimidating by his double chins. "[Water Geyser]." With a foot, Tutor Beldin stomped heavily onto the stone courtyard, carving out a monstrous section of the stones. The piece of carved stone that could have crushed more than ten men was then sent hurling toward the two Devouring Tendrils. From the carved hole, a geyser of water shot forth, pushing at the back of the carved stone, increasing its speed even more. Then the geyser of water changed direction, pushing the carved stone downward. The piece of carved stone smashed into the two Devouring Tendrils, slamming them into the stone courtyard. Pieces of stones, dust, and water exploded outward in a collision. "Water Blades." Tutor Beldin waved his blue auric mist-covered hand at Zane, shooting forth twleve water blades, all of which met the waterballs perfectly in the air. The sharp blades of water sliced the waterballs into clean halves, and sliced into the very air itself. As the waterballs were all punched through, they deformed and simply became puddles onto the ground. Then all ten of the sharp blades of water came hurling toward Zane at a speed too quick for him to dodge. Zane was already prepared for such an outcome though. With his Noxus Surge, Zane created a pure magical shield of auric black flames in front of him. Three of the water blades collided into it and the shield trembled for a few seconds, but held still. The rest of the nine water blades passed by harmlessly. Suddenly, a roar of rushing water was heard coming from his side. It was the geyser of water that Tutor Beldin had created just a while ago. The geyser of water had curved its direction and was gushing toward him. If Zane collided with that geyser, he had no doubts that he would be thrown like a ragdoll. Instincts kicked in and Zane opened free all five of his Surges, creating five layers of shields, each shield a different color from one another, representing the color of his five Surges. But before the geyser could even smash into the shields, the water froze in midair, just hovering there, almost touching the first layer of the fire shield. ¡°It is your loss now, Prince Zane,¡± Beldin stated calmly. A slight confusion came across his face. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Zane asked. Beldin gestured a thumb at him. ¡°Look behind you.¡± Turning his head, Zane saw the nine water blades that had passed by harmlessly were now hovering precariously close to his back. Tutor Beldin smiled. ¡°Always be aware of your surroudings Zane. A Magus¡¯ with precise control can change the directions of his magic spells in the midst of battle. He can also lay traps and cause a distraction with a larger spell, making you lose awareness of your surroundings.¡± Zane silently closed his five Surges and dispersed the five layers of shields. ¡°How long have you known about my five Surges?¡± ¡°From the very moment you became my student.¡± ¡°I see,¡± Zane said quietly. ¡°Does Father know?¡± A glinting of his beady black eyes as they narrowed. ¡°By the way, Prince Zane, you have been summoned to the Throne-Room at your earliest convenience.¡± Zane knew that that at your earliest convenience was just a fa?ade for King Gladius Balan Noxus. When the king summoned you, you either came quickly or you die. Zane had seen a small noble who had come late to the Throne-Room and his Father himself had beheaded the noble for that small slight. King Gladius Balan was not a man to be slighted. Not even a strand of hair could be slighted. Then again, as his oldest son, Zane was given some leeway. He had survived after trying to take his father¡¯s life in the dungeons before, after all. And it looked as if Tutor Beldin would not answer Zane¡¯s question at all. He had avoided it deftly by switching the subject. ¡°Thank you for the practical exam,¡± Zane said. Turning his back to Tutor Beldin, he walked away from the stone courtyards without even a backward glance. ¡°A word of advice, young Zane. Your father is not a stupid man. And neither is he a man to be underestimated,¡± Tutor Beldin called out. At that, Zane whispered to himself, ¡°That. More than anyone else, I know the best.¡± And perhaps he would find some answers from Father in the Throne-Room. What was the worst Father could do to Zane anyway? Turn him into a lich? That would be an amusing sight to Zane! Entering into the corridors of Castle Noxus, Omnus had switched into the Perfect Gentleman personality. He would need to be on his best behavior for the upcoming exchange of knife-edged comments and honeyed insults. And Zane¡¯s best behavior could raise the very dead themselves. Chuckling wryly to himself, Zane headed toward the Throne-Room, the largest room in Castle Noxus and the room where court was held. Chapter 5: Family, Plans and Implications Chapter 5: Family, Plans and Implications In the ten floors of Castle Noxus and its four wings, the Throne-Room was located on the fifth floor and took up almost two whole wings. As such, the fifth floor was always the busiest. Squires, maids, servants, and guardsmen ran about here and there in the corridors and hallways. But the fifth floor could become even busier at the end of every two months, for that was when The Noxus Court would be held. There was, however, still a week left until the court would be held. So why the summons? Zane wondered to himself. Today was the Twenty-Third, Fifth Month of Year 1735, Impius Divisux. And Zane¡¯s nameday had already passed by three months ago. There wasn¡¯t any reason for the king to summon Zane. His coming-of-age wasn¡¯t even anywhere near close by. There were still two years left; Zane was only fourteen years old. Thus, there could only be one reason why Father had summoned him. He knew of his secrets. But why would Father choose to confront Zane two years later? Zane sighed softly, shaking his head free from all those useless thoughts. He could only answer the summons from King Gladius Balan Noxus. Father always liked his cold formalities, so Zane had taken the time to change into court clothes. Showing up in court wearing a dirty brown tunic after the practical exam with Tutor Beldin would undoubtedly be tantamount to suicide. It would be as if Zane willingly jumped down from a precarious cliff. Suicide, indeed. Zane adjusted his black circlet made of SoulSteel, then rubbed at the red SoulStone that was encrusted in the middle of the circlet. It was the circlet reserved for the Crown Princes of Noxus Kingdom. In the royal book, A History on the Noxus Family, the black circlet was said to be forged in the blood of twenty Magus, and the red SoulStone from the souls of a two dozen lives. But strangely enough, Zane could not feel any power or magic from the black circlet. Still, the circlet felt uncomfortable to Zane. The damn thing always confined his silvery white hair to the sides and tightened around his forehead. As for his clothes, Zane was wearing a black tabard with a white outline of the Noxus insignia over a white tunic. Clasped around his shoulders, there was also a black wolf-skin cloak. The outfit was then completed with black silk trousers. Almost the entirety of Zane¡¯s outfit was fully black. It was as if Zane was in mourning for his nonexistent wife. Zane could only think that the very first Noxus king had bad taste. Who in the right mind would go parading around in black clothing with an insignia of a skull with a dagger pierced through the front lobe? What was done was done, however. It would be a hassle to change centuries and centuries of tradition and history. It was no wonder that their Noxus Kingdom was called the Desolate Lands by their neighbors. Taking a turn at the end of the corridor, Zane arrived at the main hallway with Lina following alongside him. Two guards on each side blocked the entrance to the main hallway. Their full plate armors were, not surprisingly, black with the colours of the Noxus royalty. In their gauntleted hands, they held a greatsword which was set point to the floor. ¡°Prince Gladius Zane Noxus,¡± Lina announced to the guards. ¡°Welcome, Prince Gladius Zane Noxus,¡± one of the guards spoke, his voice a respectfully cold formality. ¡°King Gladius Balan Noxus is awaiting in the Throne-Room at your earliest convenience.¡± Zane recognized his grizzled face as the Second Captain of the Royal Guards. He also did not miss the warning note in the last four words¡ªat your earliest convenience. Walking past the four guards, Zane continued treading the long hallway, noting the paintings of all the past Noxus royalties. There were also paintings of the various Houses of the Noxus Kingdom, cousins and such. A few of them were incestuous bastards, but Zane held no quarrel with that. Arriving at the heavy double doors made of ancient oak, the two Royal Magus Guards exerted some strength as they pushed the heavy oak open. The herald standing nearby inside announced Zane¡¯s arrival as soon as he entered through the double doors. The Court of the Noxus kings. ¡°Crown Prince Gladius Zane Noxus,¡± the herald announced, his voice echoing the empty Throne-Room. There was no mention of his lich servant, Zane recognized. But that was just how things worked in the courts. Servants were simply nameless figures, even if it was the servant of the Noxus Crown Prince. The Throne-Room was an extravagant room. Perhaps about five hundred feet on each of its side and with a thirty-foot ceiling, it could even make a giant feel dwarfed. A black skull patterned carpet that stretched all the way from the entrance to the throne. Five hundred feet of pure expensive carpet leading to the King¡¯s dais, a raised platform of onyx. If that wasn¡¯t extravagance, Zane didn¡¯t know what was. At the corners of the rooms, there were galleries for the musicians. On the walls, there hung the banners of the Noxus royalty in all their darkish splendor along with ancient swords, shields, and staffs. Zane crossed the five hundred feet of carpet, taking a knee to the high-backed throne made of black SoulSteel. On the throne, his Father stood in all of his finery. A black crown made entirely of SoulSteel and set with red SoulStones, rubies, and green jades on the sides trapped his grey hair to the sides. But most of all, the crown only further made prominent of the king¡¯s cold face that held not one trace of emotion. Beside him, the consort chair, smaller in stature compared to the throne, was sat on by the new queen. Queen Edea of House Obscus, one of the four great Houses. She was a familiar sight to Zane. Father had married the twenty-year old woman a year ago. And Zane could now see the swelling of her stomach that could not be hid by her green gown. Zane had to give his Father some praise. Even though Father was already forty-nine years old. He worked fast. Too quickly, judging from the swell of her belly. There was something even more surprising than her pregnancy though. To the sides of the dais, there were five hooded black-robed figures. They wore their hoods so low that Zane couldn¡¯t even make out their faces. Seeing that Lina still had not went down on her knee, Zane whispered to her, ¡°Kneel.¡± His command instantly forced her into a kneeling position. Then Zane turned toward his Father, King Gladius Balan Noxus on his high-backed throne. ¡°I have come to answer your summons, Father.¡± ¡°You have kept me waiting, Zane,¡± Father said. ¡°Your earliest convenience is undoubtedly inconvenient.¡± Zane did not stood to protest. He simply stood kneeling on the carpet with one knee. He knew that excuses were unacceptable for a Noxus. Neither were promises to do better in the future. There was only the present. ¡°No matter,¡± King Balan said with a small wave of his hand. ¡°You may stand up now. We have things to discuss.¡± His cold scarlet eyes stared at Lina. ¡°Make sure your servant does not breathe a word of what goes on in here.¡± He narrowed his eyes. ¡°Breathe, write, gesture, and speak.¡± Zane stood up, facing Lina who was still kneeling. ¡°Do not breathe, write, gesture, or speak a word of anything that happens in here. Do not spread the story or communicate it to anyone else outside of the Throne-Room.¡± The commands had to be specific to allow the littlest freedom. ¡°I see the new queen is soon to be due, Father,¡± Zane said without a trace of emotion in his voice. Cold and calmly. Like Father, like son, he thought to himself. ¡°Nothing but a spare heir in case you die, Zane,¡± Father said, twisting that curl of a smile with his mouth. His words did not rouse Queen Edea Obscus the least bit. Or at least¡­it shouldn¡¯t have. But Zane had seen that quick twist of a frown on her snow-white face framed by the black curls. Her displeasure mattered little to Zane though. He would only take away this little fact and store it inside his library of knowledge. Omnus, especially Qunitus could have some use for this new insight into the Queen some day in the future. Yes, Zane would remember her little displeasure at those words. Everything begins with a small nudge. And one could easily cause a landslide if one toppled the right stone. And it wasn¡¯t too far-stretched to extend that apothegm to a kingdom. ¡°So what is it that you called me to the grand Throne-Room of our family for? Was it because you simply wanted to see me out of filial love?¡± Zane smiled politely, his eyes staring calmly at the space between the throne and the consort chair. ¡°I am impressed that you actually guessed the reason, my son. Say, do you know of the Noxus axiom?¡± ¡°There are many of them, Father,¡± Zane replied. ¡°A few of these axioms even involve the dungeons and of course, a good ol¡¯ killing. Pray tell which one do you mean?¡± This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.¡°A blacksmith doth loves his weapons like a son,¡± King Balan said. Zane instantly recognized the barbed meaning behind the words. His Father was calling him a weapon to be forged by him. An object of his making. ¡°There is the blood of a blacksmith running through our Noxus veins?¡± Zane asked, knowing the words would be a slap on the Noxus face. Father laughed. ¡°There were blacksmiths before there were even any kings. What king wouldn¡¯t be proud to have the blood of an ancient blacksmith running through his veins? He can forge weapons all the more better.¡± Zane made to open his mouth, but a wave from Father silenced him. ¡°Enough about that,¡± King Balan said. ¡°There are more important matters to discuss, matters about the future of my kingdom.¡± Zane didn¡¯t miss the word my. And knew that his Father had purposely said it. Just that one little word was full of hidden statements and warnings. ¡°You see, Zane. It is time to break the stalemate that has been presiding between the Ascal Kingdom, the Favron Kingdom, and the Noxus Kingdom.¡± Father arched a tepid brow. ¡°I presume I need not lecture you on geography?¡± ¡°That depends, Father. I do not know the names of every little city or village in those two Kingdoms. Or our kingdom, for that matter. I have, however, memorized the southern half of HavenFall,¡± Zane said coolly. ¡°That is well. It will make our little discussion much faster.¡± He spun a look at the five black-robed figures standing beside the dais, then beckoned a hand. Shuffling alongside each other, the five figures made to stand in front of the dais, just right before Zane. The black-robed figures were only a few steps away. So close to him, Zane could now smell something coming from the five black-robed figures. Something dead. ¡°Do you know the reason why I only keep one lich, Zane?¡± King Balan asked with that curl of a twisted smile. Father truly needed to practice smiling, Zane thought to himself. And Tertius could teach the old dog a few tricks. ¡°Because the lich is your younger sister? And because she is my aunt?¡± ¡°Ah yes. It is quite a shame about your aunt. She died so young at the age of twenty-five. The Surge Fever is quite a brutal disease. Almost incurable, and only afflicting a rare few. But that is not the reason for having only one lich.¡± ¡°What is it then?¡± Zane asked, though he already had a strange feeling of what Father was about to say. ¡°Reveal yourselves,¡± King Balan commanded. At his command, the five hooded figures all unveiled their hoods. As soon as the hoods were off, the smell of death inched closer toward Zane. Zane could not suppress the small gasp that came over him. There were five liches. King Gladius Balan Noxus had six liches under his command! How could he withstand so many souls bound to him? Then Zane could only let out a bigger gasp as he recognized some of the faces from A History of the Noxus. ¡°Happy nameday, my son. And although it is three months late, your Grandfather, Grandmother, Great Grandfather, Great Grandmother, and Great Aunt is here to celebrate it.¡± In his surprise, Zane Mind Accelerated and found himself in the Magus Domain, splitting into three Zanes. Quartus and Secondus were already standing in the white circles. Omnus had gathered. ¡°Well, fuck me in the Netherals if I do say so, Omnus,¡± Quintus said as soon as he had split from the merged Zane. ¡°Never would I have suspected that surprise gathering. I suspected Father was hiding a few liches deep in the catacombs. But¡­to think he was hiding this?¡± Quartus growled. ¡°Do you think our sister and brother are preserved?¡± ¡°No. That should be impossible,¡± Quintus answered. ¡°The soul of the dying will leave the moment death is complete. There is only a small second or two to capture the soul. However, it looks like the liches were somehow preserved by some means and passed down to Father from the previous kings.¡± ¡°Quartus and I will be watching,¡± Secondus said. ¡°The three of you should go back.¡± ¡°Very well. Omnus.¡± ¡°Greetings, Great Grandparents, Grandparents, and Great Aunt,¡± Zane said smoothly. In his Magus Domain, he had recovered his composure. The five liches nodded at Zane. ¡°So this is my great nephew,¡± said a lich with silvery white hair, the traits of a Noxus Magus. Her flesh was well-preserved, but there was a paleness to the whiteness of her skin. A paleness that could only belong to the dead. To the long dead. Great Aunt must have not seen the sunlight for many, many years. Great Aunt moved closer to Zane, her robe billowing and her similarly great chest heaving. There was a cold seductiveness in her that Zane found somewhat alarming. It sent a small thrill into him. Some sort of charm spell? Or perhaps it was simply because Great Aunt had died too young. She looked less than thirty years old. A frosted hand stretched out from the long sleeves of her black robe. Great Aunt had offered her hand to Zane. Not hesitating even for half a second, Zane took the hand. Cool and light, the hand felt to Zane. Also soft. Taking that hand, Zane kissed it and his lips were instantly chilled. ¡°A pleasure to meet you Great Aunt Sheera.¡± Zane remembered her name from A History of the Noxus. ¡°I am immensely pleased, Prince Zane.¡± A silken smile and she moved closer. Suddenly, Zane found himself being embraced and her softness pressed into his chest. But there was always that coldness. And the smell of death and decay on her, mixed with what smelled strangely like lavender. When she stepped back, Great Aunt Sheera went back to the dais, leaving a lingering seductive glance. Zane smiled back in what he hoped was a seductive smile. Even his Perfect Gentleman personality was having some troubles with his Great Aunt Sheera. ¡°As for my final present, Zane,¡± Father¡¯s voice rang out unhurriedly, a cold ease that slithered around the Throne-Room. ¡°In two years, for your coming of age, you will lead the vanguard armies and shed blood on the borders, and in their forts. The blood that will be shed will not be the blood from the infrequent skirmishes of the stalemate that has been going on nigh for more than a century, but from an extensive war, an invasion. A means to an end. A means to a new beginning.¡± From his throne, Father looked down at Zane and their eyes met. ¡°I have no doubts that you will succeed.¡± A pause. ¡°Especially with your five Surges, my son.¡± King Gladius Balan Noxus gestured a dismissal with a wave of his hand. ¡°Do make sure to attend court next week with Tutor Beldin, your uncle and my adopted little brother.¡± A twisted curl of his smile. ¡°There will be a surprise for everyone there. And you might even learn a lesson in planning a war. A plan that has been a long time in the makings.¡± The five liches smiled at that. ¡°Indeed, King Balan. It has been a long, long time in the makings. More than a century and a half of planning. And we are ready,¡± Great Grandfather said, scratching at the eyepatch over his left eye with a bone-thin finger.¡± At that, Zane left the Throne-Room along with lich Lina who had been freed from his previous commands. When Zane finally exited the great double doors of the Throne-Room, he felt a little dazed at the secrets that had been imparted. There were no doubts in Zane now at the implications. The reason for Zane¡¯s Omnus had been due to his Father. He was a tool in his Father¡¯s hands, and his Father the blacksmith, forging him. Forging him into a weapon of war. But in the end, his Father would regret it. He had made a mistake today in the Throne-Room. His Father did not know that Zane still had two of his Omnus locked up in that orbicular room. He only knew that Zane had five Surges. Yes. It proved that King Gladius Balan Noxus was not infallible. And with slight nudging influences, a sprinkle of cunning here and there, and a show of force, Zane could eventually topple his Father, and HavenFall itself. Zane smiled, and a chuckle escaped from his mouth as he moved through the hallways of the fifth floor. With a gentle movement, he fixed the black circlet around his forehead. At that moment, for some reason, the black circlet felt lighter, easing its tight grip on him. ¡°What is so funny,¡± Lina asked, a tinge of anger in her voice. She seemed annoyed at being made to kneel so long. ¡°Nothing. Nothing much.¡± Zane¡¯s smile grew wider. ¡°Say, Lina. Do you know of Omnus?¡± Lina shook her head. ¡°What are you even talking about. I have never heard such a word. Is it in another language?¡± ¡°You could say that, Lina.¡± Zane laughed. ¡°It is just a simple random word I made up. It is meaningless to others. And perhaps even meaningless to me¡­¡± Chapter 6: Intrigue in the Noxus Court Chapter 6: Intrigue in the Noxus Court In his domain, Quintus settled leisurely onto a white divan, propping his head up with a cushion that lay resting against an arm. The divan was exquisite to Quintus, and with a free hand he caressed the silken red tassels hanging on the sides of the divan. His other hand was busy cupping a book¡¯s spine. The book was titled A History of the Noxus, white cursive letters on leather-bound covers, and in its most recent pages, they held portraits of Zane¡¯s grandparents, great grandparents, and other such persons. ¡°Ah, simply divine,¡± Quintus mused, grabbing a fistful of the tassels. The white divan he rested upon was located at the center of his domain. Surrounded by chaotic bookshelves filled with tomes, manuscripts, sheets of texts, and various other writings, only Quintus himself could have identified the chaos of his domain. ¡°It seems Great Aunt Sheera has quite a history on her brief twenty-seven years of life.¡± Who Quintus spoke to, no one but he himself knew. Qunitus had a penchant for musing to himself. A conversation between selves, he liked to call it. ¡°Twenty-seven years of life! And half of them spent fornicating with her ever changing little man-whores!¡± Quintus laughed to himself. The book had put the information in a less impertinent way, and much more subtly. But a slut was a slut. You could hide it under subtle facades and extravagant words, but in the end, when all was said and done¡ªit was the same inherency. Quintus frowned. ¡°It¡¯s quite strange though. Her cause of death is from a Surge Fever. But how is that possible? A Surge Fever destroys the Magus Domain itself, including all its Surges. She couldn¡¯t have become a lich then.¡± Quintus hummed at that. ¡°It seems something strange is conspiring to happen. Something foul and rancid like a lich that hasn¡¯t bathe in years. Something deep. Much deeper than the dungeons. Perhaps in our Royal Tombs, where none except Father may enter.¡± For a long time, nestled in the body of the white divan, Quintus kept on in his conversation between selves. And when all was ¡°a-mused,¡± he slammed shut A History of the Noxus with a deft hand. Humming a nursery rhyme, Quintus snapped his fingers and the book, A History of the Noxus, disappeared leaving not even a single trace behind. It simply vanished. And in his hands, a new book had appeared. In his domain, Quintus was all powerful. He could create any books he had read and store anything he had perceived with his senses. He could not, however, destroy the knowledge. And neither was Quintus willing to even if he had the power. To Quintus, knowledge was power. And woe betide to whoever remains in ignorance, though Quintus could forgive those who were left without any choices. Of course, there were limits to his knowledge. Quintus could not remember every single little bits and pieces of knowledge. He could store the knowledge, but most of them took time to slowly integrate into his memories, then into Omnus¡¯ memories. It was why he was such a profuse reader, spending his free time reading and rereading the books in his maze of libraries. Quintus held much interest in theories regarding the soul and meditation. Quintus knew that, to a Magus, meditation was one of the most important tools available in strengthening or replenishing the Surges. Of course, even without absorbing the Essences, the Surges can naturally recover on their own. The only drawback was that it would take more time. The stronger the soul, the longer one could meditate. It had already been proven that each rank a Magus gains for his Surge, the Magus can meditate for a minute longer, give or take a few seconds. One had to take such things with a grain of salt, particularly because of the many bloodlines and souls which could directly affect innate talent, including meditation. On the topic of strengthening the soul, there have been multiple theories that have come about in the past centuries. Many of them rejected and few ever having been accepted generally by the masses, scholars, and Magus. The accepted theory proven by many Magus, scholars, and experimenters was that the older a being, the stronger and more experienced the soul becomes. The scaling of strength for each soul is naturally different, for each person has a unique soul. Another theory was the Physique and Soul. The bigger the body, the bigger the soul. It was similar to how a bigger house could be occupied by many more people. Plausible, Quintus supposed. There had been some effects on the soul that came with a bigger physique. In the journals Tutor Beldin had brought with him, there were actually examples of people who believed and practiced the theory. Far to the north, more than ten kingdoms away, there were a few lands that worshipped the fattest Magus they could find. Oh, and what an intriguing life the Magus had. He or she would become royalty! There were even a few Magus whose gargantuan bodies had to be carried around by more than ten people on the royal stretcher. Oh yes, a royal stretcher completed with a luxurious bed. In those lands, the fattest Magus won the prize. And unbelievably, the flocks of women! Or men! Quintus held doubts as to whether the Magus could even endure such strenuous¡­exercises. Perhaps the flocks simply danced atop the bodies of the royalties. In his mental list, Quintus had made a goal to visit those lands. Of course, also dragging Tutor Beldin alongside him. It would be the easiest conquering of a kingdom. He need only fatten Tutor Beldin and make a show of offering him to the kingdom. Instant royalty. A third theory was the Gods theory. Another fanatical theory such as the one made by the fat-loving cultists. In this theory, the Gods and the Three Fates gave the Magus a certain limit his or her soul could never overcome. And that the Good Gods manipulated and strengthened the soul based on good deeds, whereas the Evil Gods did so on evil deeds. This, Quintus rejected for he didn¡¯t believe in Gods and if so, he had never seen such divine interventions. Everything and everyone could be destroyed. Nothing could survive time¡¯s Executioner¡¯s axe. Sure, there were the Fae Realm, the Netherals, the Elemental Realm, and the Invitum Realm of the Summoners, but they weren¡¯t immortal¡ªQuintus was certain of that. Neither had he seen or heard of any Gods or Goddesses living inside those realms. There were other theories that revolved around destinies, fate, beliefs, emotions, and other such and such. They all held possibilities. ¡°Sextus should be almost over with his meditation,¡± Quintus said, making to move toward the center of the Magus Domain. He stood up and started stretching, giving out a big yawn. Then he made his way across. A few minutes of walking through the swirls and turns of the bookcases, of which many of its shelves lay empty, Quintus arrived at the edge of his domain. Or rather, the edge of all five lands in the Magus domain. This was where the five Surges lay in each of their own circles. All of them were revolving slowly, a sign that they were opened. As for the Foci that orbited around the Surges, they were being filled with Essences. When a Foci was filled to the brim with less effective Neutral Essences or the Essences its Surge specify for, a Magus can then create a new Foci. When there are ten Foci, the Surge can devour the ten Foci, increasing in size and Rank. Fire, Water, Light, Nature, Earth, Wind, Blood, Darkness, Life, Neutral, and Death. These were the most common Essences in the Essence Realm. Dream and Illusion. Lightning. Void. Music. These were some of the rarer Essences. On the other hand, Surges and affinities brought entirely new aspects and conditions to a Magus. Even if Death Essences were common¡ªthere were plenty of wars and graveyards to go around in HavenFall¡ªMagus that could use Death Essences were rare and few in between. Quintus found the Magus who had Life and Nature Surges quite amusing. They went around calling themselves Druids. And for the ¡°Musically inclined,¡± they called themselves Balladists. There were many other such distinctions, but in the end, they were all Magus. In HavenFall, the Magus certainly far outnumbered those who could use a form of magic without Surges. And although these empaths, shapeshifters, and other such creatures were rare, a Magus could defeat them given time and skill. Quintus went to sit down in a lotus position at one of the circles. Making sure he was comfortable in his lotus position, Quintus closed his eyes, willing himself into a dimly lit black space where he found himself on a marbled white floor. In that black space, Secondus, Tertius, and Quartus stood with their eyes closed. Following their examples, Quintus closed his eyes, seeing the outside world through Zane¡¯s eyes. Sextus was currently controlling Zane at the moment by his lone self. He had all five of the Surges opened and was meditating in a pool of blood knee-deep. A few minutes passed by quietly and when the meditation was over, Quintus exited the black space which Omnus called the ¡°Outer Domain.¡± There were four domains Omnus could travel around. Outer, Inner, Magus, and Chaotic Domains. And it was in the Chaotic Domain that Omnus had sealed Primus and Septimus in the Orbicular Room. ¡°Welcome back, Sextus,¡± Quintus said with a lazy smile. Sextus nodded. ¡°I am back, Omnus.¡± ¡°How was it?¡± Secondus asked. Sextus shook his head. ¡°Still the same.¡± ¡°I figured so,¡± Quintus said. ¡°Judging from our observations and at the pace and limits we can meditate, it looks as if we can only fill one Foci a month for our Noxus Surge. It is also taking us two months to fill one Foci for our other Surges.¡± A hand ruffled at his hair. ¡°Simple calculations tell us that we will be disadvantaged personally as a Magus when the invasion begins.¡± Quartus folded his arms, tapping a foot repeatedly against the ground. He looked impatient. ¡°That means that we will only be a Fourth Rank Magus of the Fourth Foci on our sixteenth nameday.¡± ¡°That is, if we are lucky,¡± Tertius continued, practicing a smile on his face. ¡°Progress is difficult. More so the further you tread the paths. Thankfully, we have the talent to catch up to Father. We are five times stronger than the average Magus with a lesser bloodline. We can meditate five times longer than a Magus with only one Surge. Our meditation limit is close to fifteen minutes.¡± Quartus snorted a laughter. ¡°Catch up to Father at this pace? Why not just wait until Father is old and grey then? Let Death in his bony arms carry him off to the Netherals. Like a princess being carried by her knight.¡± Quintus chuckled at that. ¡°Your humor impresses me more and more each day, Quartus. I doubt Father will let himself be carried off by Death so easily. Most likely, he will become a lich. Then we will have to wait more than a century for his soul to disperse.¡± ¡°So it will become a matter of who outlives who? Who will rot first to their deaths? Undoubtedly,¡± Secondus said, ¡°we will win that game. I am determined to survive until the bitter end, my soul clinging on every precious second.¡± ¡°Now, now, Brother Quintus. No need to assert your determination with us,¡± Quintus said. ¡°The Three Fates alone probably has weaved a black thread for you in their tapestries.¡± ¡°And what is that supposed to mean?¡± Quintus grinned. ¡°Black is a colour that is quite difficult to stain with dirt, burdens, troubles, and such and such, you know?¡± He twirled a strand of silvery white hair around a finger. ¡°Unlike our features which are oh so easily stained.¡± ¡°Enough talk,¡± Tertius interrupted. ¡°I do not fancy our body standing knee-deep in a pool of blood down in the crypts. Since we have finished our meditation, we should leave. We will let Sextus rest for a while. Quintus and I shall be in control.¡± He gave a little look toward Quintus. ¡°I do not fancy trusting Quintus in sole control of our body. Knowing his peculiarities, he will most likely run around bloodily naked without a bath first. And the stink of the crypts on him.¡± ¡°You harm me so, Tertius.¡± Quintus eyes then turned sharp, his voice becoming unusually serious. ¡°Omnus, have you noticed? We seem to be rubbing off on each other. Our personalities that is.¡± He grinned. ¡°Not that I don¡¯t mind rubbing each other. We are one and the same after all.¡± ¡°Indeed. We all have noticed little changes among ourselves. Perhaps we are getting closer and closer to our full integration. And perhaps in a few more years or so, we can attempt a four-bodies merging.¡± Tertius frowned then. ¡°Still. Your crude humor leaves much wanting, Quintus. I can¡¯t believe you would even jape about us playing catch the rabbit.¡± ¡°Very well, Omnus.¡± Quintus raised his brows. ¡°Still? Your euphemism¡ªplaying catch the rabbit?¡± Zane¡¯s eyes opened, catching the sights inside the underground crypts of Castle Noxus. But the smell came first before the sight. The smell of the dead, of corpses who knew not to take away their pungent smells even though they had long died. Stepping out of the pool of blood, Zane released a small sigh. Meditation always left him exhausted physically and mentally. Opening his Surges and his True Sight were an arduous process. The True Sight allowed Zane to see the Essence Realm situated on top of this normal sight. It was a realm of various blinding colors of Essences. Each place, depending on the makeup of the world would have a different assortment of Essences. To the True Sight, the Essences were little glowing globes the size of a fingernail floating and hovering around the makeup of the world. And if a Magus opened his True Sight to them longer than he could withstand, his eyes would become blinded and insanity could capture his mind. His Surges along with the Foci could also implode from the feedback if they were opened too long to the Essence Realm. Only after the Essences are absorbed into the Surges would they become safe to look at and to be used. Most of Castle Noxus had been built underground solely for the reason of obtaining a copious amount of Darkness Essences. The catacombs, crypts, tombs, and dead bodies buried in the underground were to gather Death Essences for its many necromancers. In that darkness, Zane steadily groped his way out of the training rooms of the crypts which were only lit by the infrequent torches embedded in the walls. Even having frequented this layer of the crypts, Zane often became lost in its many turns on his way back. When he finally arrived at the first floor of the castle, Zane figured he must have wasted more than half an hour escaping from the crypts. As soon as he took to a corridor, Zane could see servants, maids, and many others rushing about. The four Great Houses always arrived with the flair and always four days before court would convene. Their timing was impeccable as was expected of the four Great Houses. House Obscus of which the new queen previously belonged to. She was a Noxus now though. House Kolvar. House Sontarus. And House Malarion. Each head of the four great Houses arrived with their families in tow along with more than a hundred retainers, which only added to the scrambling chaos of Castle Noxus. Zane escaped their paths, taking to the secret corridors of the castles, its dark, desolated paths, its twists and turns that could befuddle even a bloodhound¡¯s sense of direction. Zane didn¡¯t want to meet the nobles that were arriving, especially when he wasn¡¯t in his court clothes. Rumors would reach his Father¡¯s ears of the Prince walking around the castle with cobwebs, dust, and blood in his hair. Luckily, the servants of Castle Noxus were tight-lipped. It made sense too. Zane wouldn¡¯t have envied the ones who would arouse his father¡¯s freezing wrath. Having climbed all the way to the fourth floor, Zane arrived at his bedchambers in the southern wing. He entered the doors where a few maids and servants were already waiting by. ¡°Prince Zane,¡± they said respectfully, their heads lowered into a half bow. They were all experienced servants and maids. King Balan wouldn¡¯t have accepted anything less serving the Noxus royalty. As soon as Zane neared his bedchambers, the doors were opened all quick and smooth. Royalty at its best. Zane didn¡¯t even need to open doors with his own hands. The bedchambers were extravagant, the bed enough to fit a family of seven, including their cousins. Zane twisted a smile at that. Well, the bed was useful for one thing at the very least. Lina had plenty of space to sleep away from him. Traditions, traditions, traditions. The Noxus family and all the necromancers of the great Houses slept with their liches. And if Zane ever wanted an orgy with a few dead things, a few liches, including his Great Aunt, the bed would certainly come in handy. This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. Zane sniffed in distaste at the sight as he caught his reflection in the high-back wall mirror. In his short breeches and a simple white shirt, Zane could see the cobwebs, dust, and blood¡ªall of which felt like tiny spiders crawling over his body. Noxus royalty at its best indeed. Zane didn¡¯t look anything like the Crown Prince of a kingdom of more than two million people. The only recognizable feature would perhaps be his silvery white hair, proof of his heritage. He needed a bath. A knocking from the door of his room. Just in time like usual, Zane thought. ¡°Permission to come in, Prince Zane?¡± came the muffled voice. ¡°Granted,¡± Zane said. The door opened to reveal a few servants and maids carrying a large tub filled with hot water. Quickly and efficiently, they set it down in the middle of his bedchambers, on top of its marbled floor. Stripping off his white shirt and his short breeches, Zane entered the bath without a care about being seen naked by the servants. He leaned against the tub which was big enough to stretch his legs out entirely. It was big enough to act even as his coffin. One of the Noxus¡¯ axioms. Who gives a Netheral about being naked? Especially in front of nameless servants? And Zane didn¡¯t have the grace to be embarrassed about his nudity. It was the least of his problems after he had screwed a lich, killed his mother, and killed his sister. His childhood was anything but a castle-load of fun. Zane heard and felt the rustling as strands of his hair were smoothed out with the fine bristles of an oaken brush by a young maid. Four days left till the Noxus Court would convene, Zane thought, silently wondering to himself at what would occur. Would Father explain of his invasion? Zane could only wait and see. ======= ¡°The Duke Cyrius Obscus!¡± the herald¡¯s voice shouted out, practiced and almost expansive as the Throne-Room. Sitting on the Crown Prince¡¯s chair, Zane watched as Duke Cyirus Obscus entered through the great oaken double doors. A tall man with broad shoulders, and the father of Queen Edea Obscus. He walked with an air of arrogance that could only belong to a noble of one of the four great Houses, and as the father of the current queen, he took his position closest to the right side of the dais. Beautifully carved high-back chairs of polished midnight wood lined the sides of the five hundred feet of carpet. They were like a small army unto itself. But Duke Obscus remained standing. It would be a great slight if he sat down before the whole court convened. It would be akin to the duke spitting on the faces of every nobles. Zane glanced around the dais. To the other side of the throne Father sat upon was the consort chair belonging to Queen Edea Obscus. It was to the left of Father, Zane noticed. It was an important distinction. If the Crown Prince¡¯s chair had been placed to the left, it would be slighting his image. The right hand side of the throne was always the most important. It was time to play the game as the herald continued his announcements. For more than half an hour, the game of importance was played out in the Throne-Room as the herald announced the names of the nobles from most important to least important. When the game had been fully played out, and all the nobles lined up, King Gladius Balan Noxus stood up. At the same time the king did, Zane and Queen Edea Obscus stood up. ¡°The Court of King Balan Noxus convenes!¡± the herald called out. With a cold elegance, King Balan sat back down with his consort and Zane following alongside. When the king fully sat down, all the nobles likewise did. Formalities. Formalities. Zane thought to himself. It ate away at precious time which could be used to spend on necessities. After the game of importance, next came the game of propriety, an age old game of nobility. Mocking laughter hidden behind silks, buttered knife-edge comments, honeyed barbs, caresses to the face, slaps to the face, who fucked who, who traded with who, who bastarded a son or a daughter, and buying and selling. Servants and maids brought in trays of bite-sized delicacies along with drinks. And the nobles took them without a word of thanks. King Balan always gave a good measure of time to ensure the game of propriety was properly played, a twist of his smile, his cold eyes watching over his subjects like a hawk. ¡°Say, my son,¡± King Balan said. ¡°Do you know how a king breaks the news of an impending war to his subjects?¡± ¡°Does that question even have an answer, Father?¡± Zane asked. One king was different from another. There were no two similar kings, each ruled differently. ¡°You are right. There is no answer.¡± The usual twisted curl of his smile. The minutes dragged on as the game was played out. Finally, Father gestured toward a servant kneeling nearby. Eyes lowered, back hunched, the servant handed King Balan a small orb, a translucent white. It was an orb with the properties of communication enhancement. It would carry a voice further and faster through the wind. Enough to carry a voice throughout the Throne-Room. A cough from Father into the orb. The cough resounded the entirety of the room, piercing even higher than the music from the bards playing in the corners of the room. Every noble, regardless of what they were in the middle of saying to each other, froze at that. Every single conversation stopped, the final words spoken hanging in the air for but a brief second before disappearing. Even the musicians and bards stopped playing their instruments. The nobles, quickly and silently like a mouse trying to avoid a cat, slinked back into their chairs. And Father¡¯s advisors, all of whom had been patiently waiting for the end of the game, went to stand at the sides of the dais. They were to be called upon when Father wished so. To the side of the advisors, there were six black-robed figures with hoods covering the entirety of their faces. The sight of the black-robed figures with their hoods down had received many curious glances from the nobles. Who would hide their faces before the king? But the nobles didn¡¯t say anything, for King Balan had chosen not to explain. And at that moment, Zane knew that if he had dropped a gold coin, he could have heard it ring out in the silence of the Throne-Room. ¡°It has been a long time coming,¡± King Balan started, breaking the silence. There were already looks of confusions dotting the sea of faces. Father had betrayed his usual greeting, beginning his speech with something different. The king stood up from his throne, walking with orb in one hand to the end of the dais. ¡°A new beginning will soon dawn.¡± He stepped down from the dais. More looks of confusion cut across the sea of faces. An unprecedented situation. King Balan had never stepped off from the dais in the middle of his speech in all the courts he had held. He moved toward Duke Kolvar and Duke Sontarus, one hand resting against each of their shoulders. They shifted around nervously in their chairs. It was never a good thing when a king visited, more so for King Balan. ¡°Your Grace?¡± Duke Kolvar questioned. At that sight, suddenly, a realization entered Zane¡¯s mind. Impossible? Was Father insane? And he was. King Balan opened free his Surges and dozens of small Devouring Tendrils wrapped around the two Dukes from head to toe, squirming like tiny snakes. And enshrouding the slate black Devouring Tendrils were a fine layer of black mist swarming like a hive of locusts. A frozen moment before the screaming began. The two Dukes screamed out as the Devouring Tendrils dug into their flesh, worming its way through their veins. The Devouring Tendrils swam in the lifeblood of their veins, making their way through to their hearts, to their skulls. As soon as the screaming of the two Dukes began, they stopped after the single second it took for the Devouring Tendrils to reach their hearts and skulls. Black flames of snakes exploded outward from their eyes, crawling out from their nostrils, from their gaping mouths, and from their ears. A fine mist of blood exploded outward, spraying onto King Balan¡¯s pale white face. The two Dukes had imploded from the Devouring Tendrils as they made their way out of their bodies. Chunks of flesh flung far and wide, reaching even the nobles seated ten chairs away who scrambled to get away from the rain of bloody meat. One woman was knocked aside and she went down screaming, her face bashing against one of the chairs, then bashing against the floor again, spitting teeth and spilling the black pearls of her bracelet. ¡°I have never liked incompetent fools. More so fools who allowed spies to enter their Houses,¡± King Balan said, calmly wiping his face with the sleeves of his black robe. It only made it worse. His face was now painted a light red. He adjusted his crown, leisurely walking up onto the dais before sitting back down onto his throne. ¡°You look beautiful today, my Queen.¡± He patted her hand that clenched at the arm of the consort chair, so hard that the whites of her knuckles showed. ¡°Th-thank you, lord husband,¡± Queen Edea stuttered. Her face was one that looked as if she had been slapped out of a daze. The whole Throne-Room was silent. Not one of the nobles dared to speak out first, dared to protest against such a public execution. Most of them had paled at that execution. It was the heads of two of the four Great Houses that had been killed. More so, they had been executed by the Devouring Tendrils. The name was not given lightly, for the magic destroyed the very souls of the victims. ¡°As of today, an all-out hostility shall be issued against Ascal Kingdom. For far too long has that sham of a stalemate existed. We will take back what was once rightfully ours, what was once ours before we were pushed back to these lands. It is time we put the fear and send their souls wailing to the Netherals.¡± ¡°Your Grace, are you sure this is a wise decision?¡± Duke Malarion protested. ¡°What of Favron Kingdom that borders our north. Even with the Drall Mountains there, they will attack us if we are busy with Ascal Kingdom.¡± ¡°Do not presume to lecture me on wisdom, Duke Malarion,¡± King Balan said. ¡°Neither should you presume to lecture me on the lands of my kingdom.¡± Zane saw a nervous tic flash across the duke¡¯s face. Father was ruthless as ever and in his growing age, he only became more so. Was this what he meant by breaking the news? If so, Zane doubted the wisdom of the method. The execution of the two Dukes would not be passed by without its fair share of troubles. For now, Father had only stemmed the troubles with a show of force. When the court would be dismissed and the nobles had time to regain their heads, there would be more outcries and protests. And by then, not even the oaths of loyalty sworn by the very first of the Houses can stop them. ¡°Are you confident that we can win, my king?¡± a Baron asked. Zane could tell his rank from the arrangement of the seats. King Balan smiled, twisted as a hook. He really needed to learn to smile, Zane thought. The smile was too feigned. ¡°Surely you know I am not a man prone to give in to whims or flimsy emotions, Baron Lamaros. There is a reason why I have started this war. I am now a Second Foci Magus of the Tenth Rank.¡± Zane noticed a widening of their eyes at that. A Magus of the Tenth Rank. That was a realm which the average Magus could only dream of. But Zane knew that his Father was lying. He was probably of an even higher Foci or perhaps even rank. Do not trust anyone¡¯s words. Not even your own Father. It was a lesson that had been taught well and true to Zane. King gestured a hand toward the six black-robed figures. They sauntered forward, each step of their gait leaving a lingering mist of darkness that floated lazily across the dais. ¡°Reveal yourselves.¡± And they did. And it was to the surprise of all the nobles. Six liches. All of them sporting silvery white hair. All of them Magus. All of them of the Noxus royalty. The implications were not lost. ¡°The previous king and queen!¡± a voice hissed out in sharp surprise. ¡°They have been turned into liches? Why would they agree to such an act? Once a lich, a soul may never be able to enter the Netherals.¡± ¡°Fool. Lower your voice!¡± Zane could hear the furious whispering that had started as small campfires and had grown into a raging wildfire in a matter of seconds. ¡°You see, Zane,¡± King Balan slowly said, ¡°to break the news of war to your subjects, one must make sure there will be no dissent or spies in our midst. As such, the previous kings and queens themselves will conduct a mind search.¡± His eyes revolved around the room, meeting a few stares here and there. ¡°We will truly test where your allegiance lay, each and every one of you.¡± He threw the communication orb against the dais, shattering it into dozens of fine pieces. And as if a signal had been lit, through the great double doors of the Throne-Room, the royal Magus guards came rushing in. Five men by five men by five men, until a hundred of them filled the Throne-Room, auras surroundings their whole bodies plated by black armor, the Noxus insignia blazing at the chests. Zane watched as a few nobles closest to the double doors open their Surges as they attempted to flee. Smoldering crackles filled the air as the lashes of flames, each of them more than ten feet in length, shot toward the closest royal guards. Blades of fire and water cut into the backs of servants who had been unlucky enough to be caught in the middle of the Magus fight. More and more surges were opened as the many Magus of the Throne-Room lashed out to protect themselves. Earthen spears, ice spikes, fireballs, wind blades, and other various spells were thrown out. A conflagration of magic had been ignited. The various elements danced, each to their own tunes. Shouts, screams, and cries only added to the chaos of the room. None of the magic or the fighting, however, even came close to the dais. All six of Noxus liches were blocking off any attacks. Out of all the hundreds of Magus in the Throne-Room, Duke Malarion and Duke Obscus had been the quickest to act. They protected themselves in fiery shields which harmed all others except themselves. ¡°What is the meaning of this, King Balan?¡± Duke Malarion roared out. ¡°A simple cleansing of spies and low blood, Duke Malarion. Not to worry, Duke Obscus agrees with me. It is time for the Houses to grow spines instead of girths. The heads of House Kolvar and House Sontarus have been also been replaced by the two of you. There is only two Great Houses in the kingdom now.¡± The duke blinked once, twice, then licked his lips. ¡°What is to say that I will not be killed?¡± ¡°Nothing, and for what is it worth, you have only my word, Duke Malarion.¡± The smile that could have given lessons to a weasel. Zane almost burst into laughter. His Father¡¯s words were worth nothing, even if they were a king¡¯s words. ¡°What choice do I have anyway?¡± Duke Malarion asked. ¡°I am oath-bound by blood magic.¡± And in the midst of the din of the explosions of magic, Duke Malarion went down on his knee. ¡°Very well. Come whatever the troubles, I shall serve you to my fullest capacity.¡± ¡°So Zane. What lesson have you learned from this?¡± That you are far more ruthless than I took you for. Zane held back those words though. ¡°That there are spies thick in the kingdom,¡± he said. ¡°Before you can cleanse another kingdom. You must first cleanse your own,¡± King Balan said. ¡°By now, I suspect most of the spies have been killed by the pawns I have put in place nearby. And the few spies that will escape can serve as a suitable warning to both the Ascallion King and the Favron King.¡± The fighting had grown quiet now and a calmness had returned to the bloodstained Throne-Room. Commander Thorion Solus marched toward the dais, going down on a knee, his greatsword set point to the black carpet. ¡°The Darkbloods are ready, Your Grace. The others¡­the more unruly ones, however, require your attention.¡± ¡°Two years, Zane. That is how much time you have before you will lead the vanguard army to invade Ascal Kingdom. Make sure you put them to good use. Learn as much as you can from Uncle Beldin. You would not want me to find you lacking now, son, would you?¡± ¡°Of course not, Father. I shall do my best,¡± Zane said, dipping his head just slightly in a respectful notion. There was no real sincerity behind it though. ¡°I will have a present waiting for you on your coming-of-age. Look forward to it.¡± ¡°Of course, Father. I hold no doubts in my mind that your presents are always¡­exciting, shall we say.¡± Chapter 7: Primus Chapter 7: Primus How can I escape from here? Primus wondered to himself as he sat with his knees together inside the orbicular room. After Omnus had left Primus sealed inside the room, Primus thought he would be driven insane by the darkness. Luckily, darkness no longer filled the room. A few months after Omnus had sealed Primus and Septimus inside the room, light had returned. But instead of the darkness, Primus now feared that he would be driven insane by the silence, by time itself. The concept of time had been a constant ache in his heart. Four Years! Primus had been locked inside this orbicular room for four years! Each passing day, he knew that he was walking further and further down the path of insanity. Escaping the room would be the only way to create a new path. To escape from that path! And worst of all was that each time he tried speaking to Septimus, Primus received no replies. Not one single reaction. Septimus merely remained sitting in his position, staring aimlessly. Sure, he moved a little bit here and there. But Septimus had never once spoken in these four years! From Septimus, Primus felt a fear. Every time he moved closer toward Septimus to shake him awake, he would feel a mind-numbing fear that paralyzed his whole body. And each step closer would only worsen the paralysis. Sighing to himself, Primus stood up. He could not just sulk around for an eternity here. There had to be a way to escape from this orbicular room. Perhaps he needed more strength. Yes, he would need to merge with Septimus. But the fear¡­how would he overcome it? Prmius swiveled a quick look at Septimus. There, in the middle of the orbicular room, he stood as still as death, his eyes closed. It was only after a long moment of moment of watching that Primus saw the faint heave of his chest, the only sign that showed that Septimus was alive. Primus measured the distance between themselves. Perhaps about ten steps away or so. A strange thought enter his mind. The thought coiled around inside his mind like a small furious snake. Is this what fury feels like? ¡°It feels strange. Like two different things. Like a warmth and a chill.¡± Realization. ¡°Oh. So this is what it feels to be determined.¡± With that cold fury inside him wriggling like a small worm that had buried itself into the core of a fruit, Primus had a strange reassurance that he could overcome his fear of Septimus. Primus readied himself, legs tensed as a bowstring, teeth gnashed together, and his breaths coming in steady intervals. Primus charged at Septimus, shouting out a passionate cry. He soon arrived within three steps, and the crushing fear that attempted to bury him under the rubbles of a mountain jolted his whole body. Another step. There was only two more steps left before he reached Septimus! But then Primus felt himself being engulfed by something dark. A fear that seemed to eat away at his very existence, a fear which struck at his core. The fear was so enormous that his vision was turning blurry, going dark around the edges. His consciousness was leaving him, just so his mind could protect itself! Just who or what was Septimus? Primus screamed out loudly. They were words, all of them incoherent. Mere gibberish. Just to wake himself up. He took another step, attempting to shake free of his dread. Now he felt as if the fear was eating away at his reason. Images were seared into his mind like a red hot poker branding onto flesh, but worse. His mother tied against a steel post with black chains, a collar around her throat. His sister on another post. The look of horror on his sister¡¯s face as he stuck the blade into their mother¡¯s heart. A look that said that she would never forgive him. And at the same time, his mother smiling. The images changed, flashing to his childhood. He was four or five years old then and was playing with his friends. Another flash. He was six years old now, and his friends had disappeared, never to be found again. Father told him that they had gone somewhere far, far away. From then on, he had spent time with his Father. It was little things at first. A crypt rat, a brute of a creature with ragged fur, some of the patches torn. And he had killed that rat with its beady red eyes and its small claws that drew blood from his palms. Father had described the rat¡¯s anatomy to him in various details. Where its lungs were located, where its heart was at, its brain, its livers, and its intestines. Another flash of an image. A dog this time. Black with its mangy fur, its pitiful whines, its dark, dark eyes. The images spun around, cats, horses, goblins; whirling and whirling inside his mind. Envy at the other children and their carefree lives. Pride at his father¡¯s infrequent praises, rare as rain in a wasteland. Hunger for delicious food; Father had been feeding him vile, repugnant potions. Pieces of dark things that wriggled around and did not looked as if they could be considered food. Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. Sleepy from the constant work Father gave him. Sleepy from all the effort he exerted. Greed for the rarities that Father showered upon him only once every few months. And his mother¡¯s love throughout them all. The images coiled and twisted. His mother. That was his first kill. With her body, Father had taught him of the human body. Necromancy at its finest example. Then the dungeons and its darkness. Its perpetual darkness. Its perpetual silence. Yes. This was home. He deserved such a place. He belonged in such a place. The images left, leaving only its blurry trails, and Primus found himself back in the orbicular room. He realized that his hand was already resting against Septimus¡¯ shoulders. An explosion of light, blinding him and throwing him backward. Darkness immediately. That blissful unconsciousness. How Primus wished he could stay in such a state. A final sigh. ========= A voice woke Primus. A soft and gentle voice. A familiar face stared down at him. It was his own face, just inches away from his face. The only difference was that half of the face was painted black. ¡°Hello Primus,¡± the soft and gentle voice said. Like the soft curves of silken vice. It took Primus for a long moment to recognize where he was. He realized that he was still inside the orbicular room. What was strange, however, was that the back of his head was resting against the thighs of an unfamiliar, yet familiar figure. Primus hurriedly stood up, glancing around at the room. Why were there two more of the Omnus in here? Septimus was in the middle of the room standing unusually still with his eyes closed as always. So who was this other figure? Primus thought to himself. The unknown figure smiled, a curve of his half-black, half-red lips. It was as if he was trying to show that he was harmless to Primus. ¡°Be calm.¡± ¡°Who are you?¡± Primus asked. For some reason, his voice sounded strange at that moment, higher and with a softer timbre. The unknown figure moved toward Primus until they stood face to face against each other. ¡°I am you, Primus.¡± His words only confused Primus ever the more. ¡°Explain yourself,¡± he said. ¡°I am you,¡± the half-painted face of the figure reassured once more. ¡°I am Pride, Envy, Gluttony, Sloth, and Greed. The five sins. You may call me Semel. I fancy that name. I do not wish to be named differently from our Brothers. Or Omnus as you call them.¡± Confusion cut Primus once more with its blade-edge. ¡°I thought there were seven sins?¡± ¡°You forget, but our dear Brother Quartus has all the wrath and fury he needs.¡± ¡°Who has Lust then?¡± Semel smiled. ¡°It is of course you, dear Primus.¡± He reached a hand out at Primus¡¯ face, caressing it gently. The caress sent shivers down Primus¡¯ whole body. Like something dreadful had washed over him. ¡°You lie. Just like Father did.¡± Primus looked toward Septimus. ¡°Do you know who he is then?¡± he asked. ¡°Sadly. I do not know who or what Septimus is. I do know, however, that it will be unwise of you to touch Septimus again. Next time, I will not be there to save you.¡± Primus shoved away the hand that rested against his cheek. ¡°Do you know of a way to escape from here?¡± ¡°You need not worry on that note, Primus. Eventually, our Brothers will need us soon. Even if we are stuck in this room, our very beings sealed inside here, slowly but surely, they are being influenced by us, and by each other.¡± Semel caressed the painted black half of his face. ¡°Do you know, Primus, that you have more of our mother¡¯s soft features than our father¡¯s hard features. The only thing you inherited from him were his eyes and hair.¡± Quickly, without even Primus being able to react, Semel stole a kiss. ¡°Ah, so this is what love and passion taste likes. Quite sentimental, eh?¡± Primus startled at the sudden kiss, dragging himself away from Semel. ¡°What was that for?¡± Primus shouted, rubbing his lips with the back of his hand. Semel chuckled at that. ¡°Don¡¯t be shy, Primus. You should look at yourself.¡± Primus looked down, then gasped out a surprise at he saw what had become of his body. There was a heaviness to his chest where two curves peaked out. Primus inspected his arms and his body. He was much slimmer now and with more curves. ¡°You! What have you done to me?¡± A white and black smile. Primus could have sworn it made his heterochromatic eyes twinkled. One eye like the midnight black of onyx and the other crimson like the rubies of Father¡¯s crown. ¡°Let us wait here until we are free, Sister Primus. A path will make itself known soon in months or perhaps years. But we shan¡¯t be bored, will we? After all, we have the company of each other now,¡± Semel said, assurance in his voice. His words did not gave a single trace of confidence to Primus. ============ Chapter 8: LumAros Kingdom Chapter 8: Lum¡¯Aros Kingdom First Month of Year 1736, Impius Divisux ~Princesss Sana Cross A soft moan escaped from her lips as Princess Sana Cross felt his hardness spear into her folds. Her hands traced the curvatures of his chest. Flat. Hard. And well-muscled. Another soft moan escaped from her, this time coming from deep within her throat as Galic Shield thrust harder and harder into her, gaining both fervor and momentum. She met his thrusts perfectly with her own plunges. ¡°You are the fairest in all the kingdoms of HavenFall,¡± Galic murmured, his hands tracing her bared back. ¡°None can compare to your beauty, my love.¡± All the while he spoke his sweet words of love, his hands kept moving across her body with his timed thrusts. Sana smiled down at him as she felt the roughness of his calloused hands move on to her nipples, stroking them softly, and each stroke leaving a lingering want. ¡°And you are my hero, Galic,¡± she said, a hand moving to caress his face. Galic shuddered as the fingers of her hand left tingling sensations all across his cheek. ¡°If this is a dream, I do not wish to wake from it ever again,¡± he whispered softly. ¡°And I would hate to wake you from such a sweetest of dreams,¡± Sana whispered back, meeting a thrust with her own plunge again. Her excitement was slowly building as she traded words while long, deliberate strokes entered her secret sweetness. Their eyes meeting each other all the while, his sky-blue to her pale green. Sana hummed with pleasure and squeezed him tighter, goading Galic on to thrust quicker and harder into her womb. Soon, words could no longer suffice for the two of them. She moaned louder, each moan setting off grunts from Galic. Quicker. Faster. In her delights, Sana felt herself being overturned by Galic, and his body pressing down hard into her. Smiling at his boldness, Sana wrapped her thighs around his waist. She clenched them tight. A whisper into his ears. ¡°Faster, love.¡± Their tempo increased and Galic thrusted harder into her. He could feel her soft thighs wrapped around his waist, so tightly wrapped that it was as if she had molded herself onto him. Another set of loud moans escaped from her lips. Her mouth lingering near his ears, her face so close, he could feel her faint breaths that came harder and harder. Galic was delirious now. His eyes closed themselves involuntarily. He no longer had any control. A final thrust and he exploded almost at once inside her warm dampness. Sana shuddered, arching delights shocking her whole body as she felt his release set off an explosion of her own. Her little toes clenched and her thighs wrapped tighter around his waist as if she was attempting to imprison him. She felt his body protest at the imprisonment only for a few seconds as Galic shuddered in the delights of his release, then his body went still, his eyes closed, and his cock still inside her cunt. Her arms snaked around his neck gently and her hands cradled the back of his head, slowly stroking the short strands of his blonde hair, so shockingly blonde that it almost looked white if under daylight. Gently, Sana guided Galic to lay down beside her, his face in the cusp of the small curves of her breasts. ¡°Will you do me a favor, my hero?¡± Princess Sana Cross whispered into his hair. ¡°Anything for you, my love,¡± Galic murmured into her breasts, his voice holding back traces of his satisfaction. ¡°In a year from now, our Sanctus Alliance, the Twin Crowns Alliance, and the Trinity Alliance will be joining forces to eradicate the Black Hordes.¡± ¡°Mmmhm,¡± Galic hummed his agreement. He knew of the upcoming alliances. ¡°What about it?¡± Sana curved a smile, a seductive smile that could have filled a man with lust. She knew that she had been born a beauty, the prettiest out of her three older sisters. And perhaps it wouldn¡¯t have been a stretch to say that she was the most beautiful in the Sanctus Alliance. A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. So she used her beauty like a warrior would her blade. She had honed it, sharpening it. And her beauty was just one of the many tools available to her, and the most effective of all this sort of society. A society and kingdom where if one wasn¡¯t born with a cock, you couldn¡¯t achieve much. And Sana, obviously, had not been born with a cock. Instead, she had been granted a cunt. ¡°I wish for you to achieve the position of an Arch-Paladin.¡± Sana knew that Galic Shield wasn¡¯t an ambitious man. He had stopped climbing up the ladder after having achieved the position of Paladin. He was a lowborn, an orphan abandoned by his parents. Had he not achieved the position of Paladin, Galic would have never been granted a last name to distinguish himself. He would have simply been known as Galic. ¡°Why?¡± Galic asked. ¡°I am fine with the way things are now.¡± Sana gently caressed the muscles of his back with the tips of her fingers, then the hard knobs of his spine. ¡°So that we can be together, my hero. So that we can be seen together.¡± ¡°But we are together now, are we not?¡± Sana shook her head slowly, her face the epoch of sadness and her eyes profuse with a feigned sorrow. ¡°We can never be married the way things are now, Galic. I am a princess and my father would never accept us together.¡± Galic raised his head from the cusp of her breasts. There was a hardness set in his face now. ¡°It will be difficult, my love. But for you, I will do anything. For you, I will distinguish myself in the war against the Black Hordes a year from now. I promise you this, my love. I will become an Arch-Paladin.¡± His voice was determined, firm as enchanted steel. Sana knew that once Galic decided on something, he would never rest until he obtained the desired results. But a promise was far more of worth than a decision was to Galic. To Galic, Sana knew that he would die before breaking a promise. Lowering her face, she kissed the top of his forehead, her hands parting away the blonde curls of his hair. There was the faint sheen of sweat on his forehead from their lovemaking. It glinted under the dimly lit glow of their room. Salty, his sweat tasted to the tip of her tongue. Below her, she could feel him swelling once more into hardness. She smiled at that. Just from a kiss to the forehead, he had been aroused again. Men are such fools, Sana thought to herself. Even Father with his many whores that were known as Paramours, the name a simple euphemism to cover the fact that they were whores. Whores to a king, but whores nonetheless. Give men a cunt, and they will do anything. And Galic? He was but another one of the fools that had been lured by her beauty. A sweet fool, but still a fool. Nonetheless, he was an important pawn. Powerful to boot too. The Sanctus God had seen fit to give Galic both the powers of a Magus and the powers of natural born magical gifts. But the Sanctus God had not seen fit to give me a cock. Instead, he had given me a cunt, Sana thought to herself somewhat more bitterly. To top it off, she had also been born as the seventh and youngest child of the king, from one of his least loved Paramours. In truth, Sana was only a princess in name--she was the daughter to a king''s whore. And that fact had come with its attachments: gossips among the servants, the cold looks from the nobles, and the slights and silken insults along with myriads of other rejections. Still, in the end, Sana would use her cunt as well as a man would his cock. And if need be, she would use it to rule the Sanctus Alliance, her cunt on their gilded golden thrones. Sana smiled, pulling herself up onto Galic. She met the sky-blue of his eyes once again. ¡°I hold no doubts to the veracity of your promises, my sweet Paladin.¡± <><><><><> AN: Maps have been updated, so if you want to know where this kingdom is , check it out. ;) Might be spoilers though. Chapter 9: Fathers Present Chapter 9: Father''s Present Twenty-Seventh Day, First Month of Year 1737, Impius Divisux ¡°This Skull Island we have set out for, I had always figured it to be merely an island with precious veins of metal. Iron, gold, quartz, copper, and what not.¡± Quintus said, a hand in his hair as usual. ¡°I would never have thought Father would have hidden something there.¡± He frowned a little, then sighed. ¡°I suppose one should never take things for granted even in books made by supposedly honest scholars.¡± ¡°You should have guessed from the name alone,¡± Tertius said. ¡°Skull Island. What a distasteful name. Why not name it Precious Island. Or perhaps even Treasure Island. After all, the metals from that island is what is funding a sixth of Father¡¯s war.¡± ¡°Both Favron and Ascal Kingdom have already shed any pretenses of neutrality and along with that, trade between the kingdoms have stopped. The ¡°bandits¡± in the Beast Woods have also increased,¡± Quintus said. ¡°I have to hand it to Father though. He did well suppressing information from coming out of our borders for well over a year.¡± Tertius nodded. ¡°Now, we only have to accept Father¡¯s gift waiting on Skull Island and off to war we go. Most of the armies have already assembled at the northern and eastern borders while the enemy armies are still marching.¡± ¡°I do not fancy traveling to Skull Island.¡± Secondus said. ¡°Five days of being stuck on a damn boat. What if we are attacked by some sea monsters? Or if there is a leak and the boat capsize?¡± Tertius smiled gracefully. ¡°Then Omnus will have to rely on your determination and will to survive, Secondus. Of course, we will also be relying on Sextus. Who knows if we have any aptitude regarding swimming?¡± He grinned. ¡°And if need be, I will flail my arms in the waters with some small grace.¡± ¡°Hah. It¡¯s a shame we are called the Crown Prince when we have never even stepped foot outside of Castle Noxus and its city,¡± Quintus said, smiling amusedly. ¡°To add to that matter, I have always wanted to see the Endless Ocean.¡± Quartus snorted. ¡°I would love to fight a sea monster. Netherals know you have read at least a dozen books on sea dragons already, Quintus. You have even made me intrigued.¡± Sextus made a brief smile. In the past three years, he had never once smiled before, always off on his own training. But now, he felt something changed inside him. ¡°I would like to fight a dragon. Test both blade and magic on such a famed creature.¡± ¡°Perhaps later in our olden years when we are wrinkly and grey. A smart man never seeks out his death, especially for such a stupid reason,¡± said Secondus. ¡°I should know too, especially since I am the one out of Omnus who wants to survive the most.¡± ¡°That said and all,¡± Quintus cut in. ¡°Shall we test the limits of our merging? It has already been two months since we last tried.¡± ¡°Very well, we will go in order,¡± Tertius added, making a move toward Secondus who had began mirroring Teritius. The two of them walked into each other, their bodies never once colliding. ¡°You know. I have always found the process of merging to be quite strange. Even when merged, we maintain a dim awareness of ourselves.¡± Quartus moved next, merging completely. When Quintus turn came, he managed to merge only halfway through, an arm, a leg, and half of his head poking out. ¡°I suppose we have a few more years to go before we are successful,¡± Quintus said, separating himself from the merged Omnus. Omnus separated. ¡°We will let Perfect Gentleman take over now.¡± ========== The shipmaster was a piece of work, his face so tanned that Zane figured he could have mixed in among with a group of seals and none would know better. Then again, Zane couldn¡¯t really speculate on the intelligence of such beasts having never seen one for himself. Nor for that matter, of the shipmaster. He looked to be too quick to smile, and too prone to groveling in front of King Balan. ¡°Say, shipmaster. Why is the island named in such a way?¡± Zane asked, wetting his lips. There was the taste of dampness and salt on the breezes that blew past him on the deck of the ship. The shipmaster turned on his heels and smiled, showing off the yellow of his teeth. It wasn¡¯t a handsome smile, missing a few teeth here and there. But even if he had a handsome smile, it would have been offset by the other more noticeable features of his face. ¡°Ah, you be looking at my nose?¡± He rubbed at the mass of scars and two holes where his nose should have been. ¡°Had me a few fights when I was but a lad still at Cape Skull. The other lad pulled a dirk on me. Shaved away a piece of my nose in the process.¡± He smiled once more into his salt and peppered beard. ¡°I gave as good as I got though.¡± He laughed grimly, making a perverse smile. ¡°If ya know what I mean, my prince. That lad won¡¯t be father to any children anytime soon.¡± ¡°An amusing anecdote, shipmaster,¡± Zane said. ¡°And if I ever become king, I will have it made into a ballad.¡± He smiled. ¡°What I want to know, however, is the story behind the name of the island.¡± Books and maps could not tell as well as mouths, Tutor Beldin always like to say. The shipmaster shrugged. ¡°A simple story is all. There are reefs around these parts here and around most of the island. The waves there are strong enough to draw in a ship. I have seen many a ship that have crashed into those reefs. Not even one man will survive then. Many skulls have sunk into the waters of Skull Island.¡± A hesitant look on his face then, Zane noticed. ¡°What is it?¡± he asked. ¡°Miners and the folks there say that when night falls, they sometime have dreams. And by dreams, I mean nightmares. Evil ones too.¡± The shipmaster shuddered as if a chill had seeped into his bones, paying no heed to the glaring sun. Just what has Father hidden on that island? Zane nodded. ¡°That is interesting, shipmaster. You have left me much to think upon.¡± The afternoon passed by as Zane explored the ship, speaking to its many sailors. And when night fell, Zane went back into his cabin. Not once in the many hours that had expired had King Balan left his cabin. His Father had ordered Commander Thorion Solus to bring food into his cabin. No one else was allowed inside. To Zane, Thorion Solus was a dull man. He had a somewhat handsome face though the grey had begun to seep into his black hair and beard. As the head of the Royal Magus Guards and their four captains, Thorion always wore a grim mask. He was straight to the point and blunt as a hammer. His priorities were simple. Absolute loyalty to the Noxus family, and to the king the foremost. As each and every previous head of the Solus House had served the Noxus kings, so too would Thorion Solus. The Solus House had once been one of the Four Great Houses before they became the buried light to the Noxus¡¯ darkness. A loyalty that surpassed death. It was the creed of their House, and none could make a Solus ever abandon his creed. Inside the cabin, Lina stretched her cold arms into the air. A full scholar she had become. She was always reading books these days. Even at her first time at sea, she was still reading a book. Nowadays, she barely lashed out at him. Perhaps Lina had finally settled into her position as his lich. And strange as it seemed to Zane, he somewhat missed her foul mouth. In the time he had spent with her, Zane had never once harbored any misguided notions of himself and of her. He was a bastard who had stabbed her original body to death. Both killer and master. And neither had he touched her again in the two years that had passed by. If in battle, were a stray arrow or a stray magic spell shot at Zane, Lina would be the first to die. She had been ordered to sacrifice herself for Zane. A lich was hard to kill. Wounds to the flesh were nothing to liches. Even if all their limbs were chopped apart, the lich would still live on, even growing their limbs again. The only possible way to kill a lich was to destroy both heart and brain. It was the soul that mattered and not the body. With such benefits, why did most Magus choose to not become a lich? The main drawback was that a soul that had become a lich could never make its way into the Netherals again, its final resting place. A lich could only progress very slowly, a new Foci every few years. And eventually, even a lich¡¯s soul will disperse from time¡¯s unrelenting assault. The dispersion could only be somewhat slowed if the soul was transferred into a different body at the time of its making. Near the end of its dispersion, the lich will continue losing his memories until no traces of its former self is left. A slow rotting of both body and soul. As Zane settled onto the bed, into the rhythm of the swaying of the ship, into thoughts of Skull Island and his father, he drifted his way slowly toward the land of dreams. Back in the Magus Domain, there were four of the Omnus to be seen gathering around the five white circles. When Zane slept, there was always to be one of the Omnus in control. Otherwise the end result would be unthinkable. ============= Second Day, Second Month of Year 1737, Impius Divisux Skull Island had only one safe entrance to enter from and that was from its east side. Any other side and a ship would crash into its reefs, its sailors either gored to death or forever sinking into the water depths of the ocean. As the dockside came into view, Zane saw many people milling around. Sailors from other ships carrying out large wooden boxes full of supplies, the captains shouting out directions, and the master of the Skull Island preparing to greet King Balan. With him, he had brought his entire retinue. Among the retinue, Zane noticed three women lingering closely to the noble in charge of Skull Island, one woman blonde, another with mousy hair, and the third with raven hair. His three wives probably. There were no religions or laws in the kingdom which stated a man couldn¡¯t take more than one woman as his wife. The same consideration extended toward the women; they could take as many husbands as they liked. An exception to the rule was that there was a main wife and a main husband. It was done so that the nobles could not take advantage of the rule and turn the lands into a chaotic brothel, exchanging husbands and wives, and gifting multiple dowries. Succession to the noble Houses were decided by the former heads and not by the oldest born. A woman could theoretically become the leader of a House. King Balan had never bothered to change these laws that had come about three centuries ago. In his mind, there was only one factor he took into compensation: competency. There was one law that never changed however. Only a king may rule the lands and succession went to the oldest born. And if the oldest born son was not a Magus, he would die. Only a Magus king could rule the lands as did the very first Noxus king. Zane noted the three women staying near the noble standing atop the dock. He could make use of them in case he needed to extort information. The blonde woman was most likely the main wife, for she stood the closest and wore the most expensive set of clothes and jewelry. Then again, she could have also been the favorite wife, for she had a bodice that the noble probably hungered for every night. The first to climb down from the ship as soon as the walkboard had connected was Commander Thorion Solus. Immediately following behind him were forty Royal Magus Guards. They formed into two parallel lines, leaving only enough space of two people to walk through the middle. With the formation set, and the Royal Magus Guards protecting every possible direction of attack, King Balan strode down the walkboard, stepping neatly onto the wooden dock. Baron Narvex Skull went down onto his knees and his retinue followed. ¡°To what honor do I owe this visit, your Grace,¡± he said, his voice smooth and not the least bit nervous. Ever since the king had been spotted in Cape Skull by one of his spies, Narvex had already prepared for his arrival. Zane measured the look of Narvex from behind. A slim man that was clean shaven except for his whiskers. Ever since knowing of his trip to Skull Island, he had combed through every single bit of information related to the island. Zane knew that Baron Narvex Skull was a man that was not to be underestimated. Ever since he had taken control of Skull Island, production had risen by thrice the efficiency. He was the main cause behind the lower crime rates in the kingdom. Any person who was convicted had to serve on Skull Island as a miner. Give Baron Narvex a golden skull, and he would produce two more skulls. A Magus of gold he was. From his base in Skull Island, he had dipped his spidery fingers into almost everything. Inns, brothels, wagons, shops, grains, wheat. Name it and he would have at least one of his pinkies in them. Even after long seconds had passed by, King Balan still had not answered the question Baron Narvex asked. He stood in front of the baron, looking calmly around the dockside. Another long moment passed by. ¡°I give you leave to rise, Baron,¡± he finally said. If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°Thank you, your Grace,¡± Narvex said, standing up somewhat shakily. Like his body, his mind was also shaken. Why had the king forced him to kneel for so long? For so long that he had lost face to his retinue, and even to his wives. ¡°I am not displeased with you, Baron Narvex. I was simply expressing my satisfaction at the efficiency you have shown since taking over Skull Island. Like a newly bird that has spread its early wings and soared into the skies, having its first taste of the golden heights. Sadly, too many of these newly birds die all too soon, not knowing that there were far older birds flying above the golden heights. A shame too since they were so talented and still so young. They should have bided their time instead of spreading their wings so widely.¡± Baron Narvex was not a stupid man. He recognized the meaning behind the words. King Balan had told him it was best to curtail his ambitions for the war that would start soon. That it was best to not manipulate the prices of goods for his own benefits. ¡°Thank you, your Grace.¡± ¡°Time is a precious commodity that should not be wasted,¡± King Balan said. ¡°We will head out as of this moment. I trust you have prepared our horses, Baron Narvex?¡± Narvex paled at that. Just a few fortnights ago, he had been visited upon in the privy by a masked figure wearing all black and carrying two daggers strapped to each side of his waist. Four daggers total. The man had left after giving instructions to prepare twenty horses and to close off a few areas. Never had Narvex been so frightened in his life as the masked figure calmly placed a black dagger to his throat, drawing a line of blood. Whispers among the noble circles were that the masked men who carried four daggers were the king¡¯s own spies. They also served another capacity¡ªassassination. Spies and assassins the Four Daggers were. Narvex had never believed such rumors, for gossips and whispers among the nobles were to be taken with a large serving of salt. Some whispers could result in rubbing salt at your still-raw wounds if one wasn¡¯t careful enough. Now, Narvex was inclined to believe the rumor of Four Daggers. The king himself had confirmed it, after all. Luckily, he had prepared all twenty horses. Baron Narvex may have taken rumors with a large serving of salt, but he was cautious. He had quadrupled the guards since that night and even when he was in a privy, there would be at least four guards waiting outside. ¡°Yes, your Grace. The horses have been prepared,¡± Narvex said, attempting a smile. King Balan nodded. ¡°We shall leave now and head west. I presume you have closed off all the areas I asked for too?¡± ¡°Of course, your Grace,¡± Narvex said. Zane listened closely to the conversation between his Father and Baron Narvex, watching their every gesture, every movement. King Balan was not indeed to be underestimated. He had eyes and ears everywhere. But most of all, he had daggers to all the throats of the noble. For the first time since Zane had made up his mind, a thread of doubt entered his mind? Just why had Father not killed him yet? Was he kept alive simply because he was his Father¡¯s heir? And could he even defeat his Father? They set out then, Zane and King Balan at the forefront, riding two marron horses along with eighteen Royal Magus Guards following closely behind. Commander Thorion Solus rode just slightly behind, his bronze eyes casually inspecting each and every direction. As for Lina, she was left behind by King Balan. For the whole of two days, they cut across to the west of Skull Island, passing by many convicts, slaves, and workers mining the areas. After they had crossed into desolate areas where no more mining occurred, King Balan left two Royal Magus Guards at an area every few miles or so. Zane figured it was to stop any followers. He could only think that Father never left anything up to the fates. He covered all of his tracks. At the afternoon of the third day, his Father finally broke his silence. ¡°I do hope you are learning your lessons, Zane. Fear is but one of many tools a king may use. Make no mistake, it is a good tool, for fear cuts deeper than any blade can. But take fear too far, then you are stabbing your own toes.¡± ¡°Yes, Father,¡± Zane said. ¡°And distrust is but another one. It goes hand in hand with rumors. How the nobles love their rumors, gossips, and facts. Pay a man or an enemy¡¯s spy to twist a fact, change a rumor, or create a rumor and you can build small fires in the hearts of men.¡± The afternoon soon passed by and night fell. His Father stopped then as they arrived at a small range of mountains, four of them lined up together, all of the mountain bare, hardly a single blade of grass in sight. On the mountains there were multiple ridges like the knobs of a human spine. There were only five of their previous twenty left; Commander Thorion Solus, two other guards, the king, and Zane. ¡°The ancient mountains of Skull Island. It is here that the Noxus kings have prepared presents,¡± said King Balan, gazing at all four of the mountains. Those words sent a cold shiver straight to his stomach. He didn¡¯t miss the words Noxus kings and presents. Had the present his Father prepared for him lurking in these mountains for many centuries already? Maintaining his calm fa?ade, Zane inspected the four mountains. ¡°I see nothing of importance here. Is it underground? Or hidden by some means I know not of?¡± King Balan rode on, paying no heed to his words. Zane followed until his Father finally stopped once more at the base of the outer right mountain. The ridges of the mountain stretched abruptly, walking one moment and the next step, meeting its incline. Leaving the horses with two of the guards, the three scaled the mountain for probably more than an hour before King Balan finally stopped at a divide between two mountains where another ridge extended upward. ¡°Commander Thorion. If you will,¡± King Balan said. From his boots, Thorion unsheathed a small dirk which he quickly pressed against his left forearm. Sharp from hours of honing the steel, the blade quickly drew blood, dripping onto the ground. The ground trembled and suddenly the ridge of the ground split apart, revealing a wide hole large enough for a man to go through. ¡°An undetectable enchantment, made by the very first of the Noxus kings, lies in these mountains. The secret entrance can only be revealed by the blood of a Noxus.¡± Calmly and still in control of himself, Zane curiously watched Commander Thorion Solus. ¡°You hide your surprise well, son,¡± King Balan said. ¡°House Solus has always been tasked with guarding the Noxus kings. But such a task requires the utmost trust. Yes. Such a trust requires an unbreakable oath that passes down to each generation and can only be entrusted to a Noxus. Throughout the centuries, however, the Noxus bloodline has become thin in House Solus, but nonetheless, they still hold a trace of the Noxus blood. Not enough for them to be born with a Noxus Surge, but still enough to be counted as kin.¡± ¡°That is indeed a startling revelation,¡± Zane said, following behind his Father who had already entered through the hole. Behind Zane, Commander Thorion was as grim-faced as ever. For more than an hour, they traveled downward through the tunnel, the darkness in front lit up with a few fireballs. The descent was long and arduous. Zane almost tripped on a rock having not seen it until it was too late. The tunnel ended suddenly, widening into a massive underground cavern. The sight and smell of the cavern told Zane that they were no longer inside the mountain, but far deeper underground. Following his Father further inside the cavern, Zane saw a myriad of small altars atop which lay various objects. Orbs that shone with a soft light, ancient swords whose only purpose seemed as if to gather dust, and shields that looked rusted but on a closer glance it was only the faint sheen of its red enchantments. Each of the altars were all surrounded by a circular perimeter of black stone upon which were glinting red runes. Runes were a diverse language made by Magus long before the time period of Impius Divisux, before the chaotic breaking of HavenFall a few millenniums ago. At least that was what had been passed down from stories that had survived. It was a language made for when the Magus needed more power. The runic language tapped into the power of the Essence Realm itself, giving more focus and magic to the Magus. ¡°This place here is called the Penitentiary,¡± King Balan said. ¡°This was where the very first of the Noxus kings imprisoned a few entities from the Netherals.¡± He curved a smiled. ¡°They are called by many names. Demons, soul devourers and reapers. A harsh place the Netherals are, especially its deeper layers.¡± As Zane moved to give a closer inspection at a nearby altar, a sharp twang resounded and he found himself stupidly staring at his right arm¡ªat the red stump it had become. Zane looked to the ground and saw that his whole hand up to half of his forearm had been sliced off cleanly by Commander Thorion Solus. So fast had the greatsword descended and pulled backward again in one swift motion that Zane could only mutely stare at the stump of his right arm. Then the throbbing pain hit him and Zane began groaning, falling to the ground while nursing at his bleeding stump. Zane glared at both his Father and Thorion who stood grim-faced as ever, and had already sheathed back his greatsword. ¡°What was that for,¡± Zane said through gritted teeth, the words coming out harsh and slow. King Balan bent to pick up the hand that Thorion had chopped off. Two white bones peeked out from the bloody end. He looked down at his son. ¡°You hide it well, Zane, but I can feel the hatred from you. You wish to kill me?¡± Another curled smile. ¡°Do not worry, Zane. Although you wish to kill your own father, I am not going to kill you.¡± He frowned at the hand he was holding, the blood staining his palm. "Human bodies are such fragile things. So prone to breaking. Instead of having such a useless hand, I shall gift you a new one.¡± King Balan chuckled, a small laughter that clung onto the walls of the cavern. ¡°Trust me. It is the greatest present a father could give to his son.¡± He glanced at Thorion who was standing beside Zane. ¡°Commander, put my son out of his misery.¡± Startled at those words, Zane attempted to open his Surges but before he could even attempt such a thing, the heavy leather sheath of the greatsword struck his head, and he fell to the ground, his vision blurred with edges of black. Zane attempted to Mind Accelerate but a splitting headache suddenly struck him. Realization hit him. The food! It had tasted strange this morning. Something was preventing him from entering and using his Magus Domain, his Surges. ¡°The years have been harsh on you, Commander Thorion. You are lacking your touch now. Usually, it would have taken you only one strike to render someone unconscious.¡± ¡°My apologies, your Grace. It must have been because he is your son and has inherited your great will.¡± ¡°Hah. Flattery from you, Thorion? I feel as if it will rain on such a beautiful day now.¡± All the while Zane listened to their conversation, he kept attempting to open his Surges. But it didn¡¯t work. Neither could he travel into his Magus Domain. Nothing worked. His magic had failed him. Zane watched the descent of the sheathed greatsword again. So quick it was that all Zane could see was a blur. Then all was darkness. ============= Seventh Day, Third Month of Year 1737, Impius Divisux The fire lance struck at the goblin, carving the entirety of his chest into a hole and setting his whole body to fire. The force of the lance carried the goblin so far that he was knocked back into a tree ten feet away, all the while screeching. Damn Netherals, Zane cursed. Right from the get go, he had already chosen the wrong route to enter the Beast Woods. Barely five days inside into this dangerous chain of forests, and already he had met a village of goblins. ¡°Thankzz, Prince Zane,¡± the Darkblood hissed in his guttural voice. All of the stresses of the words the Darkblood pronounced came out as guttural hisses. It took Zane a moment to understand even some words the Darkblood spoke. ¡°You chose best route through woods. Such luck meeting goblins. They make tasty morsels. The females taste best.¡± The Darkblood showed off his multiple fangs, drool tracing the edges of his black lips. ¡°Yezzz, we have good harvest today. Then we harvest their kingdom, my Prince. Humans tastiest after all.¡± Father is insane, Zane thought to himself. The appearance of the Darkbloods gave even Zane shivers down his spine. Even Tutor Beldin had blanched at them. Zane sighed to himself, creating another fire lance to throw at a goblin that had come charging at him with a rusty round shield and an iron short sword. ¡°Just my day.¡± <><><><><> AN: Thanks for the comments, guys. They are a source of motivation :) Chapter 10: Necromancy at its Finest Chapter 10: Necromancy at its Finest Seventh Day, Third Month of Year 1737, Impius Divisux Across the clearing, the goblin village burned well and true as the lances of fire rained heavily down. The smell of charred flesh and acrid smoke prickled his nose. Zane watched as roughly a hundred goblins were eradicated in a matter of minutes. Crude wooden shacks were razed to the ground, some with families of goblins still inside. The Darkbloods ran wild, guttural howls filling the air, mixing in with fearful screeches, and sending the remaining survivors fleeing. The goblins didn¡¯t ran far as the black swords sliced into their backs, the force of the slash cleaving them into halves. The innards that spilled out were immediately plucked by the clawed hands of the Darkbloods, then into their mouths, painting their black lips red with blood. ¡°The forest fire and smoke will be seen for miles,¡± Tutor Beldin warned from beside Zane, watching the scene of blood and fire. ¡°They will alert the garrisons and forts on the Ascallion borders.¡± ¡°You can tell the Darkbloods that,¡± Zane replied. He blinked a few times to clear away the sting of smoke in his eyes. ¡°They are an unruly sort, seeking only blood and battles. Even I cannot control them easily.¡± ¡°Cavorting with the demons of the Netherals is a foolish thing to do even for your father,¡± Beldin said, making a show of spitting on the ground. The act was somewhat feigned, at least that was what it seemed to Zane. He didn¡¯t dare take anything for granted anymore. Zane would treat every little action with suspicion. Paranoia had become his lover. Zane shrugged. It wasn¡¯t as if he could tell King Balan to stop whatever he was planning with the demons of the Netherals sealed in the Penitentiary. The Darkbloods were a plan in the makings for more than a century and a half already. Almost two centuries ago, the Noxus kings had started breeding prisoners, slaves, and debt-ridden commoners with the lower demons of the Netherals sealed in the Penitentiary. But the results were dissatisfying to say the least. Conception did not occur. Having encountered failure, the method had been changed. A division of trusted necromancers began to infuse demon blood into their victims. Only two out of a hundred survived the infusion. Those that did survive were used as breeding stocks, creating the very first of the Darkbloods. The breeding stocks were bound with lineage blood magic to the Noxus bloodline, turning them into loyal servants. Half humans and half pseudo demons, those were the Darkbloods. Their demonic nature, however, was far stronger than their humanity. They were easily recognizable with their slate black skin, clawed hands, and mouths which could never fully close, always revealing discolored fangs. The most disconcerting features were their pupil-less eyes, empty and entirely black as if swallowing all the light. It made them seem soulless and putting that alongside with their naturally deep guttural voices and eight feet tall frames, they would send even the stoutest of warriors fleeing for the castles. ¡°The marching of armies are slow, especially through terrains like the Beast Woods,¡± Zane said. ¡°I had figured we would make faster time even if disregarding the delays caused by the Darkbloods.¡± Tutor Beldin chuckled. ¡°Unexpected problems always crop up in a war, and some say that the most difficult thing in a war is the organization, the long marches, and the logistics of it all. And if a commander is smart enough, he can make use of his miscalculations.¡± Beldin winked an eye at Zane. ¡°If you know what I mean.¡± Zane didn¡¯t know what Beldin meant, so all he could do was ignore it. Tutor Beldin had been sent as an advisor, but he had been warned by King Balan not to help Zane unless they were important issues. Along with Tutor Beldin, King Balan had also sent Commander Thorion Solus to guard Zane. However, Zane knew that there was an additional condition attached to it¡ªThorion Solus had been sent to watch Zane¡¯s every movement. Zane shook his head, sighing softly. ¡°Still, to think the shortest route I chose, instead of saving time, would create a delay.¡± Giving a cursory glance at the goblin village, Zane saw the Water Magus attempting to put out the fires now. ¡°Two hundred necromancers, five hundred Magus, five hundred Darkbloods, two thousand warriors, a hundred scouts, and many more people in the midst with the baggage trains¡­And the creatures, beasts, and goblins of these woods are still senseless enough to attack us.¡± Beldin arched a brow. ¡°There is a reason why these woods are called Beast Woods, Prince Zane.¡± Zane snorted. ¡°Then as my advisor and tutor, you should have given me some advice on these woods.¡± ¡°Ah, but I had taken you for an insightful man. The name itself is telling. Beast Woods.¡± ¡°Certainly insightful, Tutor Beldin,¡± Zane said calmly. ¡°I had already gathered such notions from the name. However, my expectations were too optimistic.¡± He knelt down at the corpse of a goblin whose chest had been caved in by his fire lance. Having only seen the domesticated slave goblins used as blood sports, and dirty cheap labor, Zane was very curious about wild goblins, which held some differences from their domesticated counterparts. To be exact, Quintus was intrigued by them. Anatomical diagrams, descriptions, and analytical theses on wild goblins can only tell so much. Confirming with one¡¯s own eyes were the best method available. The goblin Zane had killed was, bluntly put, ugly as a diseased dog that had taken a few too many kicks. A flattened pig nose with two small nostrils, an angular chin as if a triangle had been affixed to its face, entirely bald except for a few protrusions of ridges, and green all over. With his gloved right hand, Zane forced its mouth open. Almost instantly, the stink of rotten meat wafted over to his nose. Quickly closing the mouth back down again, Zane pulled up its eyelids. Interesting, Zane thought. The goblin had three layered eyelids, all of them thicker than a human¡¯s. Its eyes were a dark green and the outside red veins on white. Ugly little creatures these goblins are. And it seems as if this goblin has not been getting enough sleep. Zane mused to himself. The red veins of his eyes were proof of that. Then a simple realization struck him. Didn¡¯t he have two hundred necromancers with him along with their various liches and familiars? So what were a few more goblin thralls added to his army¡ªa few more hundred goblins and a few more hundred creatures of the Beast Woods. It would only be a few days of delay and Zane would actually be doing a favor to both kingdoms by cleaning up the woods. With two hundred necromancers, each of them at least a Fourth Rank Magus, Zane could hypothetically recruit over two thousand thralls. The magic spell for Thrall Creation could only be used once a necromancer reached the Second Rank, and scaled appropriately from each successive Rank. The number of thralls vary, but a necromancer could control an average of four thralls at the Third Rank. As a Fourth Rank Necromancer, Zane could control twelve thralls while a lesser Magus of a similar rank could only control eight thralls. Thralls were corpses that held souls, and although not particularly intelligent, they were still useful. A necromancer could give simple commands and the thralls would obey. The disadvantages, however, were that the soul of a thrall could only last for a few months before the Netherals would reclaim it. This was due to the fact that the souls can no longer hold onto the bodies after a duration of time has passed. Liches were different in that regard. The soul of a lich, being bound to a necromancer, could last for more than a century or until the necromancer died. The soul had an attachment and through the bond to the necromancer, gained its former memories and retained its intelligence. A particular point to note was that the greater the power, soul, and potential of the thralls, the less number of thralls a necromancer could retain. If a human warrior was worth one thrall, then a warrior that was twice as powerful would be worth two thralls. Zane stood up at once, excited at the idea. And though his elation did not showed on his face, he smiled toward Tutor Beldin, and even gave a smile toward Commander Thorion who stood at his elbow. ¡°I do believe you are right, Tutor Beldin. A commander can sometime make use of his miscalculations and his misfortunes,¡± Zane said. ¡°And I do believe we will have a longer delay, for we shall be taking the scenic route through the Beast Woods. We will invade Ascal Kingdom from its northwestern borders.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Tutor Beldin hummed, a thumb and his pointing finger cupping his double chins. ¡°Pray tell what you mean, Prince Zane.¡± ¡°Thralls, my good Tutor, thralls,¡± Zane said cheerfully. ¡°We shall turn every little goblin, every little creatures, male female or children, into thralls. We will scour the whole damn Beast Woods, turning every single breathing thing into thralls. As many as the necromancers can control. And if need be to obtain my thralls, we will stay a whole fucking month hunting in the Beast Woods until it shall have to be renamed into Dead Woods. We will march over two thousand Thralls and shower their northwestern borders with their decay and innards until the stink of death suffocates down into their very stomachs.¡± If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Bursting into laughter, Tutor Beldin raised his head high, laughing some more at the canopies of the woods. ¡°What is so amusing that it almost looks as if you are about to regurgitate your spine?¡± Zane asked. ¡°Oh, it is nothing much, Prince Zane. I had almost given you up for a lost cause. Four years since I have begun teaching you, two years of the four spent on smatterings of lessons in Combat, Geography, Anatomy, History, Philosophy, Astronomy, Languages, Arithmetic, and other such subjects; then another two years spent on strategical designs, war scenarios, formations; and all four years spent on magic theories, knowledge, spells, compositions, and runes¡­yet it took you well over two weeks to think of such a plan?¡± ¡°The very basic advantage in having necromancers in an army is the absolute numerical superiority it gives.¡± Zane¡ªQuintus and Sextus mostly¡ªhad the grace to blush at that. ¡°Well, I suppose I am not such a genius at commanding after all.¡± ¡°Now, now. You are only sixteen years old now. I can forgive a few mistakes.¡± Tutor Beldin patted the prince¡¯s shoulders. ¡°You just need a few experiences, that¡¯s all.¡± He grinned. ¡°And perhaps some work on your implementation and planning.¡± ¡°Prince Zane,¡± a masculine voice called out from behind. Crisply blunt, it sounded to Zane if that even made any sense. Turning around, Zane saw that the voice belonged to one of the two Captains of the necromancers. The white hexagonal regalia affixed to the black threads of his Magus Vestment denoted his rank¡ªtwo black dagger stripes that showed him as a Captain commanding one hundred Magus. ¡°What is it, Captain Rydel?¡± Zane asked the man. Cropped black hair, clean shaven, dark brown eyes, and a height of six feet, the man looked to be formidable. He was a Sixth Rank Magus and looked to be in his late twenties. Passing the Fifth Rank as a Magus meant that he was already well above average. ¡°The surrounding goblins and creatures have all been eliminated and the army is ready to move at your command. Magus Captain Vick is also ready, along with the four Chief Warrior Captains.¡± Zane nodded. ¡°Thank you, Captain Rydel. Let us head out then. Also, send word to the other captains that there will be a meeting tonight. A change in plans.¡± ¡°At once, Prince Zane.¡± Magus Captain Rydel saluted, a fist pointed sideways, resting against his regalia affixed near his heart. ¡°He¡¯s an interesting man, this Captain Rydel Proof,¡± Tutor Beldin said, watching the captain leave. ¡°But too formal for my tastes. I doubt we would be able to trade fetishes with each other over a campfire.¡± ¡°Should it not be stories instead of fetishes about pigs?¡± Zane asked somewhat dryly. ¡°Little do you know, Zane. In my books, you are still a virgin. Fucking a lich does not count. And Gods know whether she can even get it wet.¡± Beldin smirked, widening his already wide enough cheeks. ¡°I could father a son and my son could father a son, who would be you. Netherals know I am old enough to your grandpa.¡± Zane made a half-feigned shuddering which afflicted his whole body. ¡°The horror of even imagining such a thing¡­¡± A voice interrupted. Clear and smooth. It belonged to Lina. ¡°You know, Advisor Beldin. I heard your demeaning comments loud and clear.¡± She smirked, her eyes a cool shade of frosted, frosted, frosted ice. ¡°And all you need is a little water to get wet. After all, I am both a Water Magus and a necromancer. You can also get wet on blood quite easily.¡± Lina cracked her bloodstained fingers¡ªshe had been hunting goblins with some of the warriors. ¡°I will have to decline that. I have such great dislikes for chills. I prefer the warm sun,¡± Tutor Beldin said. They traded jabs back and forth for quite a while before the army was organized again. So the army began marching, passing through the goblin village, the wooden houses that had been burnt black, avoiding the half-eaten corpses, and out through the forest clearing. Zane was in the forefront along with Tutor Beldin, Thorion Solus, and the various Captains of the army. At the very middle of the line of march, looped around by various Magus, warriors, and servants, there was the long baggage train pulled by carts and the few hundred horses that had come along. Being the vanguard army, Zane would forefront the invasion two months early. He would have to establish a base inside Ascal Kingdom by taking over their border garrisons and forts. Then the second and third larger armies with supplies and horses would come through. Zane glanced at Tutor Beldin who was humming a well-known song among patrons who often visited brothels¡ª¡°Lady of Day and Dusk.¡± She¡¯s a fair, fair lady, bright as summer day. She¡¯s a fair, fair lady, peaceful to my soul. The heart to my hearth. My Lady of Day. She¡¯s a fair, fair lady, now of musk and dusk. She¡¯s a fair, fair lady, now of secret and forget. The tickle to my fickle. My Lady of Dusk. ¡°Must you hum that ribald song, Advisor Beldin?¡± Captain Rydal asked, his voice blade-sharp. ¡°How so it is ribald?¡± Tutor Beldin asked back. Zane hid his amusement. The first part to the song was of the wife of a married man, and the second part of musky harlots of secrets and forgets the husband visits in the evening and after dusk. The ¡°tickle,¡± to a man¡¯s ¡°fickle.¡± It was quite a song and had many parts, switching to various ¡°ladies of the dusk.¡± And to the tune of that song and to the tune of their exchanges of words, night fell. The sun having gone to rest in its starry bed, the flare orbs were lit up by the Magus throughout the camps. The flare orbs with their enchanted light ate away the darkness with a soft golden light. They were useful items to have when traveling and the few hours¡¯ worth of light could always be replenished by soaking up the Light Essences when the sun was up. At the center of the camps, Zane discussed the change of plans and the Captains agreed upon it. It was a good plan and there were still two months of time left to implement it¡ªplenty of time to create the thralls. Campfires were started in the clearings, and rations, including the hunted fresh meat of the beasts, were distributed. It was always better to save on rations even though they had plenty to last two and a half months. After the meeting with the captains, Zane sent scouts to carry missives to the second and third armies of the change in plans. Zane slept then, leaving Quartus in control of the body while four of the Omnus discussed further plans in the Magus Domain. =========== Second Day, Fourth Month of Year 1737, Impius Divisux At the very edge of the northwestern borders of Ascal Kingdom, out of the Beast Woods, an army of thralls marched. The smell of decay, of flesh stained with both dry and fresh blood, of rotten breaths, and of various odors, all of them sickly pungent, assaulted the air for almost a mile around. Two thousand and a half thralls marched out of the woods, coming out from between the trees, five thralls apace. To the sides of the thralls were the two hundred necromancers spread out evenly, directing the thralls with their wills. Following closely behind, two thousand warriors, five hundred Magus, a hundred scouts, and the beginning of the long baggage train peeked out from the woods. And at the very forefront of the army of thralls was Prince Zane who was sitting on the shoulders of a ten feet tall red skinned ogre. The ogre was worth three thralls and was the leader of a group of ogres Zane had found inside the Beast Woods. The army of thralls were diverse: goblins, ogres, wolves, gigant spiders, bears, slitherers, and many other beasts. Zane could only think that the woods weren¡¯t called Beast Woods for nothing. ¡°You know, Tutor Beldin,¡± Zane said, sniffing his nose again and again. ¡°I think I can no longer feel my nose.¡± ¡°You and me both, Prinze Zane.¡± ¡°Yes, I am beginning to regret this plan. Two thousand and five hundred thralls, all of them releasing their various stenches. I certainly do not envy myself for being in the midst of them all.¡± Zane looked down at himself and at the ogre, a trail of liquid yellow staining his white loincloth. ¡°Fuck. Did this ogre just piss himself? I thought his bladder was already empty before I killed him.¡± <><><><><> Chapter 11: A Plan of Attack Chapter 11: A Plan of Attack Fourth Day, Fourth Month of Year 1737, Impius Divisux At the northwestern borders of Ascal Kingdom, an outskirt village lay burning with the corpses of the villagers spread all over. Some of them were half-eaten by the Darkbloods while others looked fearful, their expressions of horror frozen in their last living moments. ¡°[Zombie Creation],¡± a necromancer said, using a focus word and pressing a palm onto the head of the human corpse. The corpse was still fully intact if one ignored the few cuts on its face and the sword that stuck out from its heart. Still pressing his left palm onto the head of the human corpse, the necromancer channeled a flood of magic from his Darkness and Death Surge, forcing the black magic into the corpse. For ten long seconds, the necromancer kept up the flow of magic until finally the corpse smoldered with a black smoke and stood up convulsing. [Zombie Creation], it was a Second Rank Necromancer Spell. The requirements to become a necromancer was that a Magus needed a Darkness and Death Surge. Zombies were simply soulless corpses animated by magic. They could only last a few days, a far cry from thralls that could last a few months. This scene was but one of the many similar scenes that was occurring in the village. At the other areas of the village, many other necromancers were raising their own zombies at the behest of Prince Gladius Zane Noxus. =============== ~Tutor Beldin Inside a hastily set-up pavilion, just outside of the burning village, Beldin watched as Zane met with the five chief captains of his army. Accompanying the sixteen year old prince was Lina, who sat yawning in a chair. One familiar face, however, was missing from the prince¡¯s side. It was the grim face of Commander Thorion Solus. Beldin wondered where the man had went. He knew that Thorion Solus was a man whose personality consisted entirely of the words: ¡°duty above all else.¡± Beldin chuckled to himself softly. Perhaps Thorion was simply undergoing his duty to nature. A man had to shit at least once a day, after all. And Beldin was a man who took his privy duties seriously. Calmly sitting on a wooden chair stolen from one of the village¡¯s home, Beldin watched as Prince Zane peered over a large map set on top of a table. The table was simply another furniture ¡°borrowed¡± from the village homes. It was a crude table, hardly large enough, but was enough for their purposes. ¡°So what shall be the plan, Prince Zane?¡± Tutor Beldin asked, a smile plain as day on his face. Beldin was hoping that the prince would be able to make a good plan, or else he would have to take over for a little while. And Beldin certainly did not wanted to do that. He didn¡¯t like wars, or fighting for that matter. In his travels, he had seen the ongoing skirmishes and small wars in the Great Steppes where the five great orc tribes ruled. And wherever the orcs went, bloodshed would inevitably follow. And far beyond the Great Steppes, Beldin had witnessed wars between more kingdoms. For some years too, he had made his living as a mercenary around the Altus Spiral River. ¡°It is simple, Tutor Beldin,¡± Zane replied, pointing at one of the fortresses on the map of Ascal Kingdom. Beldin stood up from his chair to take a closer look. ¡°Ah, Fortress Northstorm, one of Ascal Kingdom¡¯s greatest fortress. I hear the High Commander there is known as the Lady of the North Wind.¡± The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Zane nodded. ¡°Indeed. But before we go anywhere near the fortress, we shall spend a week or two razing the border villages first, creating as much zombies from the population as possible.¡± ¡°Once done, we will conquer Fortress Northstorm. After establishing the bases, we can start to chokehold two of the trade routes and proceed to invade the three nearby major cities. The timing is important. At the very least, we will have to conquer the fortress before the second and third army arrive.¡± Zane formed a smile full of practiced grace. ¡°That is, if I am still in command of the army by then. I am quite certain Father would not entrust such an army to a sixteen year old boy fresh out of his coming of age.¡± A small silence. None of the chief captains knew how to reply to such a statement made by their prince. The silence was soon broken as the entrance flaps were pushed aside, and Commander Thorion Solus entered the pavilion tent. ¡°Prince Zane, the task has been finished,¡± he said. ¡°Thank you for informing me, Commander Thorion,¡± Zane said, following Thorion outside. Likewise, Beldin and the rest of the chief captains followed along behind Zane and witnessed the scene outside. There, on the grass covered ground, were multiple scouts lying as still as the dead. Beldin could tell that they were the enemy scouts because all of them were wearing the Ascallion colours. ¡°You see, Tutor Beldin,¡± Zane said slowly. ¡°Father was kind enough to send Commander Thorion Solus to guard me. Thus, I must simply make use of his skills. As a Ninth Rank Wind Magus, he is an effective countermeasures against enemy surveillances.¡± Thorion made no move to agree with the prince. He simply stood still and had returned to Prince Zane¡¯s side, calmly watching his surroundings. The creed of House Solus, a loyalty that surpassed death, seemed to have been branded onto his grim face. ¡°These scouts Thorion and a few of the Wind Magus captured shall be my declaration of war against Fortress Northstorm and against the Lady of the North Wind.¡± ¡°Ah, so that was what Commander Thorion has been doing? And here I thought he was simply answering the call of nature. Quite a long call too, might I add.¡± From the very moment Prince Zane had suggested what to do with the enemy scouts, Beldin had already formulated many strategies. After discarding most of them, three likely strategies with the most success had come to his mind. Judging from the extent of the prince¡¯s knowledge, however, Beldin had already reduced the possibilities to one single strategy. And Beldin was correct in his judgement. He watched as Prince Zane drew the dagger strapped to his left leg. The black blade with its white bone hilt did not glint even in the morning light. It was a dull, dull dagger. Only its handle glinted, and it was a poor glint. It was a dagger with runes carved onto the blade¡ªrunes made to contain a soul. ¡°You are quite ruthless and cunning, Prince Zane,¡± Beldin said. He meant it too. Like father, like son¡­Beldin dryly thought to himself. ¡°What can I say? I suppose I have half of my father¡¯s blood in me,¡± Zane replied. Beldin formed a feigned smile at that. It was as if Zane had read his very thoughts. He suppressed the cold shiver that came over him. Only King Balan, his adopted older brother, had ever managed to scare Beldin. Chapter 12: Imminent War Chapter 12: Imminent War Ninth Day, Fourth Month of Year 1737, Impius Divisux ~Feera Windheart The crack of dawn, a new day that had come over. In this early morning, the sounds of sparring resounded throughout the training grounds. High Commander Feera WindHeart moved in the midst of the rings of steel against shield and the explosions of magic, inspecting the warriors milling about, and at the Magus throwing spells at one another. And though the encroaching of war was about to intrude into the borders of Ascal Kingdom, Feera continued with her usual discipline of the warriors under her command. In fact, she had made training harsher precisely due to the clouds of war lingering closely above. Scouts from all the border forts had been sent into the Beast Woods, watching for any signs of the impending Noxus armies. King Hamon Ascallion had declared a call-to-arms, calling all the nobles to his banners. Bound both by oaths and military laws, dukes, barons, counts, lords, and knights had answered the call. A 40,000 strong army, leaving the barest protection in the cities, forts, and castles, would convene in a month at the western borders. Ascal Kingdom would drive the Noxus armies and its necromancers back. They would rue the rest of their lives for having dared invade Ascal. King Balan of Noxus Kingdom with its small population of two million wanted to invade Ascal Kingdom which had a population of close to two million and a half? The conceit! Ascal Kingdom had far more Magus and warriors, not to mention that the invasion would leave Noxus Kingdom unguarded against Favron Kingdom. Feera walked through the paths in between the training grounds, pondering of the impending war when a voice interrupted her thoughts. ¡°Commander Feera!¡± a captain shouted. ¡°Scout Leshi has returned.¡± Immediately turning around, Feera met his bearded face with a few scar lines traveling across both of his cheeks. Captain Dravus was one of her most trusted subordinates and nearing his mid-fifties. But at this moment, all of his dignity gained from his veteran age had left the captain. He was huffing and puffing, red tinging his tanned cheeks. ¡°What¡¯s the hurry if Leshi has returned?¡± ¡°Not that, you must come quickly.¡± Captain Darvus gasped for a breath, wheezing a little. ¡°Leshi has been injured greatly!¡± ¡°Have you called for a healer then?¡± Feer asked calmly. Her strength of mind could not be shaken with just this. And even if she were inside a collapsing castle, she would still retain her calm. ¡°No! Leshi wanted to speak of his reports first. I am afraid it¡¯s urgent from the looks of him. He¡¯s waiting in front of the western gates.¡± As soon as the words were spoken, Commander Feera nodded and made to move for the gates. She slammed free her Surges. As an Eight Rank Wind Magus, she was both the fastest and highest ranking Magus inside the fort. This year, she had just turned thirty-seven years old. A monstrous genius! As a lowborn, it had taken Feera many arduous years to have climbed into her position as High Commander of four thousand men. She was known as the Lady of the North Wind inside Ascal Kingdom, and could be counted among the top fifteen Magus. She was the High Commander of the northern forts and their subsequent two commanders. [Wind Walk], [Wind Armor], [Soaring Steps], [Call of Zephyr], [Wind Minstrel]. Feera casted five magic spells in succession in a blink of an eye. Her world slowed down as [Wind Minstrel] took into effect. It was magic that infused Wind Essences into her body, accelerating her reflexes and senses while at the same time strengthening her body. It was a powerful magic that was considered a Rank Seven magic spell and one of the most difficult to learn. [Call of Zephyr] and [Soaring Steps], on the other hand, beckoned the wind to her. A burst of wind exploded outward from her polished black boots. The explosion created gusts of air that reached outward toward more than a twenty feet circular radius. All the men in the training grounds startled at the sudden sharp popping noise. Feera shot upward into the skies, leaving behind gusts of wind which slammed into the spot she had been previously standing on. Unable to withstand the impact, cracks appeared on the stone ground. The gusts of wind were so strong that Captain Dravus would have been blown backward had he not been prepared. In a few seconds, Feera had climbed more than two hundred feet into the air. At such a literal breakneck speed, the [Wind Armor] was needed to circumvent the forces that batted at Feera. Surveying her surroundings below with keen eyes that were comparable to that of hawks, Feera located the western gates. Without a moment¡¯s pause, she flew toward the western gates, cutting through the air and in her wake, leaving gusts of air and scattering Wind Essences created from her Wind Surge. The Wind Essences left a trail of white before vanishing back into the Essence Realm, hidden away from normal sight. Moving at a blurred motion to anyone except her, Feera plunged down onto the stone paved ground. Her landing caused cracks to appear and a spherical explosion of wind caused the nearby warriors to land flat on their rears. The closest one was flung more than two feet away, landing on his back. Protests went up against her unexpected landing while Feera closed her Surges. ¡°Ouch! Careful there, Commander Feera! You could have killed us!¡± ¡°Apologies, but have some balls,¡± Feera calmly replied, moving toward Scout Leshi who lay bleeding and resting against a stone bench. He was surrounded by a few warriors who parted to allow her through. ¡°Where is the damn healer at? He still has not arrived?¡± Feera asked. ¡°Not yet, Commander Feera. I have sent someone to fetch the healer, only he is too slow compared to you, commander,¡± one of the warriors replied. ¡°Very well.¡± Still maintaining her calm, Feera quickly inspected Scout Leshi. His whole right arm had been torn off and blood was seeping through the strips of cloth that acted as bandages. In addition, his leather armor sported cuts and burns while his face was bruised and pale from the blood loss. It was commendable that Leshi was still even conscious and not screaming out in pain. It was only expected of him. He was a Fifth Rank Wind Magus and one of the finest scouts that served under her. ¡°What happened, Leshi?¡± Feera whispered, clasping his hand. ¡°Who did this to you?¡± ¡°Border villages¡­Beast Woods¡­Noxus army, please protect.¡± Feera could tell that the words took much strength out of Leshi. He was tired, a fatigue which seemed to cut at him bone-deep. Leshi closed his eyes and his voice became forced, as if someone had taken control of him. ¡°Prince Gladius Zane Noxus awaits your pleasure at the northwestern borders.¡± His eyes flickered opened. ¡°I am sorry. Forgive me, commander.¡± Her instincts screamed out at those words. Then a light flared up from inside Leshi¡¯s chest, covering his whole body in an eerie black glow. ¡°RUN!¡± Feera roared to the nearby warriors. But it was too late to escape. Feera only had enough time to cast [Wind Armor] on herself before she was flung away by a massive explosion. Headfirst, she slammed onto the stone ground. Her vision became obscured. It was as if she was seeing through a mud-covered window. Feera grunted in pain as she attempted to stand up. It took a few seconds to actually stand upright and there was an ache in her chest. A broken rib? No, perhaps just bruised. She realized that her face was wet; blood was dripping down the sides of her face. Her fists clenched as she looked upon the destruction caused by the explosion. A crater with a twenty feet radius and three feet deep in the middle. Black flames licked the sides of the crater, dancing mockingly at her. She recognized the magic for what it was. [Linked Soul Explosion], a spell that could only be used by a high ranking necromancer. Scout Leshi had been turned into a lich and his soul had been forcefully ignited into an explosion by the necromancer controlling him from a distance. The message conveyed was plain and clear¡ª If she wanted to save the border villages from being razed down, they would have to come out from the Northstorm Fortress and fight the Noxus army at the northwestern borders. The necromancer was smart about conveying the message too. He had ordered Leshi to tell her the barest minimum. The order included Leshi, who had become a lich, to feign his pain and breathing so that none would find out that Leshi had been turned into a lich. Most of all, his blood was still warm due to having been recently converted into a lich. But how had Leshi been caught? He was a Fifth Ranked Wind Magus, and wind Magus were famed for their speed and escaping abilities. Had the other scouts been captured too? As Feera moved closer toward the scene of destruction, toward that crater of death, tears threatened to escape from her eyes. Many warriors had been caught in the explosion, unable to escape or even properly defend themselves. The anger and frustration of not having seen through such a ruse tore at Feera¡¯s heart. But most of all, four of the five warriors that had died did not even leave behind any corpses. The explosion had been merciless, devouring all traces of the four warriors and of Leshi¡¯s body. And the remaining warrior had barely escaped¡ªonly half of his body remained, his insides peering out. Feera would not even be able to bury Leshi properly. He was one of her oldest friends, and she even knew his family. How would she even break the news to them? To his wife, son, and daughter? ¡°Damn it all!¡± Canceling her [Wind Armor], Feera abruptly turned toward the closest warrior, snapping him out of his daze with her words. ¡°You! Send the fastest rider to the main army. And you, tell my two commanders to meet with me in the central garrison. We will be preparing for the attack from the Noxus army.¡± Feera wasn¡¯t one who was prone to give in to her emotions. She had been alive for thirty-seven years already and was one of the active High Commanders. She was the Lady of the North Wind, guarding the northern borders of her home, of Ascal Kingdom. But still¡­she couldn¡¯t help but release her pent up anger. ¡°Damn it all,¡± Feera cursed again. She would have to allow for the razing of the border villages by the enemy. Feera had to await reinforcements and join up with the main army; it wasn¡¯t easy to confront an enemy whose numbers and strength were unknown, but certainly far greater than hers. There was simply not enough information for her to confront the Noxus army by herself. In addition, even Leshi, one of her best scouts, had been captured. Thus, Feera had to assume that all of the scouts she had sent to watch the northwestern borders were already captured. Feera could only hope that the main army would reach Northstorm Fortress in time. In her mind, she wondered if she and her two commanders could hold the main northern fortress with their three thousand men, of which only four hundred of them were Magus. In the end, it all boiled down to one simple goal: she had to hold for a month against the impending siege before reinforcements would arrive. Feera knew that the location of Fortress Northstorm was important. It was the strategic point where the northern lands of Ascal Kingdom truly began. Fortress Northstorm was situated to overlook two trade routes and was close to three major cities. A guard came running toward Feera. ¡°What now?¡± she said, annoyance tinging her voice. ¡°Explosions! At the southern, eastern, and northern gates. I don¡¯t know what happened, but the scouts that had returned all exploded.¡± The report answered the question in her mind. All of the scouts she had sent to the northwestern borders had been captured. They had all been turned into liches. ¡°Prince Gladius Zane Noxus, was it¡­¡± Feera muttered to herself. ¡°You will regret this.¡± The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. =============== Fifteenth Day, Fourth Month of Year 1737, Impius Divisux From atop the long winding ramparts of Fortress Northstorm, High Commander Feera WindHeart watched with apprehension as the Noxus army set up their campsite a few miles away from the northern gates. Morning had broken into late afternoon and she had spent almost the whole of the morn watching the Noxus army marched into view. Beside Feera were two of her commanders, Commander Liam and Commander Devan. A Wind Magus scout returned from the air, landing lithely on the ramparts a few feet away from Feera. ¡°What is the count?¡± Commander Devan asked. ¡°Roughly eight thousand strong, commander,¡± the scout reported. ¡°I couldn¡¯t get close enough for a more accurate look, but half of them seem to be reanimated corpses.¡± No dismay showed on the commander¡¯s face. Devan had already estimated the numbers himself. The only thing that was news were that half of the enemy numbers were reanimated corpses. ¡°Thralls, you mean,¡± said Commander Liam. He was the oldest and had the most exposure to the necromancers, having fought a few skirmishes in the Beast Woods. ¡°They are not called reanimated corpses. They are thralls, zombies, liches, pets, creations, or familiars.¡± He spat down the ramparts. ¡°Damn perverse deathfuckers.¡± ¡°Commanders, I trust we have finished preparations to defend against a siege?¡± asked Feera. ¡°Yes. The people from the surrounding villages and towns have taken up residence inside,¡± Liam answered. ¡°The scribes counted two thousand.¡± A slight hesitation. ¡°I am afraid the added two thousand will cause a reduction in the rations. We will only be able to last four weeks at best.¡± Feera sighed. ¡°I know, Commander Liam, I know. But what else can I, no¡­what else can we do? We cannot just let them die.¡± Commander Devan laughed darkly, revolving a small sphere of water in his palm. ¡°Well, at least we won¡¯t die of thirst.¡± Another laugh. ¡°If only there were Food Magus, we would be well off then.¡± ¡°I have already set up rotations in the day and night sentries,¡± said Commander Liam. ¡°We will have to be on our toes every single hour for enemy attacks. One can never know when a surprise attack will occur, especially with the enemy right at our gates.¡± Feera narrowed her eyes as she saw a shadowy figure soaring through the skies. Wearing the black colours of the Noxus Magus Vestment, it looked to be a Wind Magus. With one hand, the Wind Magus carried a white flag and in the other hand, he carried a white communication orb. ¡°Hold your fire,¡± High Commander Feera ordered the Magus and the archers on the ramparts. ¡°Crown Prince Gladius Zane Noxus, son of King Balan Noxus, requests a meeting with High Commander Feera Windheart, the Lady of the North Wind. If you should choose to accept the invitation, bring two escorts with you and meet at the location where the white flag shall be planted. The time of meeting shall be when the sun sets!¡± Having declared the message, the Wind Magus soared back to the enemy camps, but not before planting the white flag in the middle location between Fortress Northstorm and the enemy camps. ¡°Hmm¡­The meeting could be a trick,¡± Commander Liam said. ¡°I do not fancy a meeting even if the location is on clear ground and in between their camps and our fortress.¡± ¡°I agree. It is simply a trick,¡± Devan said. ¡°Do not trust a necromancer, even if that necromancer is the crown prince.¡± Feera pondered for a moment before finally deciding. ¡°No. We should meet with this prince. I would like to see the face of my opponent. And perhaps we could even kill him with some sacrifice from our part.¡± She gritted her teeth and her voice gained in force. ¡°Honor and pride be damned. The prince shall pay for the massacre of so many innocent lives.¡± Commander Devan grinned. ¡°I knew you would say that, Feera. Very well, we will show them the might of Ascal Kingdom!¡± Commander Liam also grinned, but with an excitement that made his face looked years younger. He was already sixty-five years old and had seen enough of life. It didn¡¯t matter to Liam if he died. His wife had long passed on and his son was already a grown man with a wife and children. The only bitter thought that entered his mind was that he would not be able to see the faces of grandchildren again if he died in battle. And if things did go south, north, west, or east, becoming chaotic, Liam would sacrifice himself to save Feera. He had known Feera for many years and she had become like a daughter to him. ¡°Very well, let us meet this Prince Zane.¡± As an hour passed by, the sun had finally begun to set, the Surges of High Commander Feera Windheart, Commander Liam, and Commander Devan were instantly activated. [Wind Walk], [Wind Amor], [Soaring Steps], [Call of Zephyr], and [Wind Minstrel]. The three commanders of Fortress Northstorm were all at least Seventh Rank Wind Magus in their main Surges, and Feera was an Eight Rank Wind Magus. The three of them were the most powerful Wind Magus in the north. The resulting gusts of wind sent two of the nearby rampart guards falling down the walls, screaming down to their deaths. ¡°¡ªAhhh!¡± Suddenly, the two guards stopped in midair as a gentle breeze caught them. The two guards looked above to see their three commanders hovering in midair, all three of their plate-armored body covered with a white wind armor. ¡°You should be more careful, youngsters,¡± Commander Liam said with a merry laughter. He had caught the two guards with a simple manipulation of the wind and was now putting them back onto the ramparts. The guards weren¡¯t even given a chance to retort to their three crazy commanders before they simply soared forward, leaving trails of white Wind Essences behind them. Soon, in but a blink of an eye, the three commanders were out of hearing distance. The rampart guards were all in a panic. How could their commanders be so reckless? The three should have left at least one commander in command. But the rampart guards could only watch on as the three figures of their commanders became smaller and smaller. In a few minutes, crossing almost three miles, the three commanders landed at the location of the white flag. In the opposite direction, three people awaited. Commander Feera observed them, noting their features. Her Magus senses, which a Magus developed at the Fifth Rank, told her that none of them had their Surges activated. Giving a glance toward the two commanders, Feera closed her Surges. ¡°Ah, you must be High Commander Feera Windheart,¡± said the young man in the middle position. He wore an expensive looking black vestment covering his upper body and lower body. Swirling with white patterns of runes, it was no doubt a magical vestment granting protections. And on his chest was a white insignia of the Noxus colours¡ªa foreboding grey skull with a black dagger pierced through the front lobe. Only a necromancer would wear such colours. A royal necromancer. The young man was no doubt Prince Gladius Zane Noxus, the Crown Prince of Noxus Kingdom. ¡°The Lady of the Northwind. You are much younger than I had imagined. And far more beautiful.¡± The young man chuckled softly. To Feera, his voice sounded sleek and smooth. It brought to mind an image of a well-groomed cat stretching its supple limbs. It sounded exactly like the voice of a handsome prince Feera had always imagined as a young girl, still stuck in her backwater village. Now that she was older however, Feera knew better than to trust such a voice. It was too smooth, too practiced. And even though Feera had met the Ascallion king, and his children, the princes and princesses, the young man who stood before her seemed far different. He was nothing like the spoiled princes and princesses of her kingdom. In fact, the man held himself with a grace that could not be denied. The grace ended with his eyes, though. A burning scarlet that gave away nothing and told nothing. His silvery white hair was grown long, stopping just past his broad shoulders. The young prince looked to be six feet tall and clean shaven without a trace of beard. And though he looked young, the prince gave off an aura of an older man. ¡°Thank you, Prince Gladius Zane Noxus,¡± Feera replied calmly, curtsying as best as she could in her full armor. ¡°Please, my lady. Simply call me Zane,¡± the young prince said, a full smile on his lips. The smile set against his pale face made him look even more handsome, yet oddly strange. A strangeness Feera could not place. The prince gasped a little, arching his brows. ¡°Ah, where are my manners. I had almost forgotten to introduce my companions after seeing you fall down like a twinkling star.¡± He gestured a hand to the fat man with greased black hair beside him. ¡°This is my Tutor Beldin. He looks like a pig, but do not trust his outer layer of fa?ade. Despite initial misgivings, you will find him quite formidable.¡± A gesture to his opposite side. ¡°And this is Commander Thorion Solus. A grim and silent man by all means, and loyal to a fault.¡± With a nod directed at the two, Feera acknowledged them. ¡°And this is Commander Devan and Commander Liam,¡± she said. ¡°A pleasure, commanders,¡± the prince said, his eyes never once leaving her own dark brown eyes. ¡°Scout Leshi has told me much about you.¡± Feera did not even twitch an eye at those words. Almost¡ªshe had almost lost her calm. A fury had almost shattered her outward serenity. ¡°I must thank you for returning Scout Leshi to us,¡± Feera replied coldly. She cursed to herself then. Her voice had betrayed her, giving away her emotion. Prince Zane smiled at that. ¡°You are quite welcome, High Commander Feera. I must say Scout Leshi made for good company. A shame he did not stayed longer as our guest. We had bonded quite well. I literally felt a connection to his soul.¡± Feera gritted her teeth so hard she thought they would break. ¡°Enough of the pleasantries, Prince Zane.¡± Feera had spat the last two words out as if she had tasted garbage. ¡°What is it that you want?¡± ¡°Simply put, your surrender. And you will also have my word as the Noxus Crown Prince that I will spare any who surrenders.¡± Feera instantly opened her Surges at those words. And with her Magus Senses, she could tell that the enemy party except for the young prince had activated their Surges in response. The fat man, Tutor Beldin the prince had called him, seemed to be less formidable than the other grim-faced man. In fact, Feera felt her instincts scream out at her. Her Magus Senses told her that this Commander Thorion Solus was at a far higher level than she could ever hope to achieve. And not once had the grim expression on his face changed at her provocation. Out of the corner of her eyes, she noticed both Commander Devan and Commander Liam tense up upon noticing this Thorion¡¯s power. Should she risk a fight here? Feera knew that this would be the most opportune moment. The prince was powerless, and was at most only a Fourth Rank Magus. It was easy to tell since the prince had not even achieved his Magus Senses yet. And he only had two guards beside him. If they were to attack now, even at the cost of their lives, the three of them could certainly bring down the Noxus Crown Prince, slicing away a future threat forever. Only ten steps away. Feera could instantly activate all her enhancement magic spells and her eight rank magic spells to kill the prince. The only unknown factor was Commander Thorion Solus beside the prince, and perhaps Tutor Beldin, though he didn¡¯t seem much. A decision instantly came over the three commanders¡ª Attack! The Crown Prince would die today, at this very hour, at this very minute, even if it cost the three of them their lives! <><><><><> AN: Accepting bets now! I bet five euros on Commander Thorion being the only survivor! And him becoming the MC!! ;) PS: Some small changes. Magic Spells will be in brackets now. E,g. [Fireball] , [Wind Minstrel] Chapter 13: Asmodeus Chapter 13: Asmodeus ~Feera WindHeart A silence. The six people who stood around the white flag had become still. It was as if time itself had frozen over. To the horizon, the sun had also frozen over, as if stuck in a decision on whether to allow the darkness of the night to take reign. Beyond the six people, the camps of the Noxus army had become likewise still, embraced by the lords and ladies of time. At Northstorm Fortress, the rampart guards had become still, no longer breathing, like the dead themselves. The whole world had been embraced in the frozen kiss of time. This was the frozen second¡ª The moment before a battle begins, the moment everything deteriorates, falling into chaos, the moment history changes, setting a turn of events that will spiral upward into the unknown, spiraling far beyond, toward the stars themselves and even further beyond. This was the lingering second of the Three Fates, the realm where they weave the threads into their tapestries, the realm where the descent of a shimmering coin, half visible, half hidden, would decide an outcome. An outcome even the Three Fates did not know themselves. The tumbling and strides of fate. And the frosted realm was fractured¡ªthen shattered by a single voice. The die had been cast and none could stop it, not even the Three Fates. ¡°[Frigid Tempest]!¡± High Commander Feera WindHeart roared, a voice of such strength that there could be no doubts that it had been heard. Inside her Magus Domain, two of her Surges whirled, urged on by her roar. They were her Water and Wind Surges. The focus word Feera uttered with such strength empowered her magic, as if the will behind her word had bent the laws of the Essence Realm itself. At the same time Feera shouted out her focus word, her palms slammed onto the meadow in front of her, flattening the bright verdant grass. It was a focus movement that further strengthened her magic. Enveloped by both the white glow of Wind Essences and the light blue glow of Water Essences, the area around Feera trembled. No! It exploded outward as a violent windstorm instantly took shape. Having known Feera for many years, Commander Devan and Commander Liam both instinctively took to the skies, not wanting to get caught up in the magic. They had been prepared. Not wanting the enemies to interrupt Feera in the midst of her channeling, the two of them continuously threw out wind blades, gouging out sections of the earth. Tutor Beldin acted fast. Before Feera had even shouted the focus word, he had already casted [Soaring Steps] and [Wind Walk] on himself. And when the violent windstorm took shape, he had dragged Prince Zane far backward, flying a distance of more than twenty feet away. The violent windstorm began to grow larger and larger and the ice began to spread even further. The ground which Feera stood upon had frozen over, a thin layer of ice spreading quickly. In its hunger, the ice soon reached the white flag and covered it with a thin layer of ice. Only one man remained standing, not even moving the slightest bit away from his spot which was quickly being enveloped by the windstorm and the wind blades thrown by Commander Liam and Commander Devan. Thorion Solus calmly stood watching as the violent windstorm grew larger and larger. Every third of a second that passed by, the [Frigid Tempest] grew sizable enough to devour five grown men. Encompassing the windstorm like an armor, shards of ice and blades of wind surrounded it, moving so quickly that they could even puncture through iron plates. Yet in the middle of it all, Thorion had thrown up a few layers of wind shield that deflected everything in a large radious around him. Noticing the prince and his tutor fleeing, Feera was not alarmed. She continued to calmly channel her [Frigid Tempest], adding more converted Essences into the spell. She knew that they would not be quick enough to escape from the spell. And if Thorion wanted to stand in the middle of her spell, she would gladly welcome his death. ¡°[Contraction: Sphere]!¡± Feera screamed out, the words like a battle-cry. The violent windstorm shrunk quickly. In a blink of an eye, its gigantic size that was able to swallow over a group of thirty men was reduced to the size of a sphere. It was a sphere that was small enough to hold in the palm of her hand. White and light blue all over with dancing tiny ice shards and tiny wind blades, the clouds inside the transparent sphere convulsed as if wanting to escape. Feera threw the sphere toward the ground between Commander Thorion and Zane while casting three simultaneous magic spells on herself. [Wind Walk], [Wind Amor], [Soaring Steps], all of which allowed her to soar high into the sky. Feera knew that once the sphere exploded, not even she would escape unharmed from the resulting explosion. [Expansion: Burst] As soon as the sphere contacted with the ground, it expanded once more into a violent windstorm. But this time, the size of the storm could not be compared to what it had been originally. In a single second, a circular radius of a hundred and fifty feet was devoured by massive white and blue clouds which spewed out shards of ice and blades of wind. Stretches of the meadow were torn apart by the violent wind as if the ground had been dug out by gigantic shovels. The myriad of enormous clouds which reached up to more than fifteen feet of height became still, no longer expanding or violently lashing out. But that was just a fa?ade for what was truly happening inside the core where the clouds were the thickest. The sound of a clap resounded and Feera clasped her hands together, her fingers tightly interlocking for a few seconds. Then she ripped her interlocked fingers so forcefully apart that it made a sound akin to that of two palms sliding against each other. ¡°[Implosion]!¡± Feera spoke another focus word along with a series of focus movements. The moment her clasped hands were unlatched, the core of the [Frigid Tempest] imploded. It was similar to the center of a whirlpool, but instead of water, it was with wind and ice. The suction force of the implosion ripped apart everything in a three hundred feet radius. Patches of frozen grass and dirt and the few trees of the meadow were torn free, roots and all as they were all sucked into the core of the tempest. To that scene of destruction, one could only think it was devastation at its purest form. Flying freely, Feera regrouped with her two commanders. The three of them gazed down at the devastation, waiting for the clouds to clear. Their faces were relaxed, but in their minds, all three of them were vigilant. There were two reasons why Feera had used such a destructive spell from the beginning. One was to test her opponents and the other was to circumvent a Magus¡¯ natural domain. The natural domain of a Magus and non-Magus were protective areas which prevented the casting of spells nearby. A Magus couldn¡¯t just summon a simple pillar of fire from underneath his opponent and thereby burn his opponent. The Magus would need to concentrate on breaking through the natural domain of his opponent. Depending on the strength of the natural domain, the concentration needed could be anywhere from a few seconds to even a longer time. With each Rank added to the Surges and with age, the natural domain of the Magus would only continue to strengthen. Of course, the Magus weren¡¯t the only exceptions. There was an inherent natural domain in all living beings, each domain with its own differences in strength. This was why it was better to sling out a few destructive spells from afar rather than spend a long moment trying to cast a magic spell directly onto the Magus or non-Magus. Time saved and energy well spent. ¡°A Seventh Rank synergetic spell right from the very beginning, Feera?¡± asked Commander Devan. ¡°And of an adept class too.¡± Commander Liam smiled but it barely reached his eyes. ¡°I think our High Commander here has once more improved her spell a tad bit.¡± Based on the difficulties and scale of destruction, magic spells could be divided into six classes: basic, intermediate, adept, superior, ultimate, and mythic. Mythic and most of the ultimate classes of spells, however, were a realm a Magus could no longer reach. In the past, long before the age of Impius Divisux, long before the chaotic breaking, long before when the runic language had been conceptualized, the Ancient Magus walked HavenFall and the other realms. They were masters of their powers and masters of the Essence Realm, able to directly manipulate the essences in the realm. This was where the theories that beliefs, faith, and emotions could strengthen one¡¯s magic stemmed from. The Ancient Magus needed no Surges for their magic. They took with their will, fought with their will, and created with their will. Far to the north, beyond the Altus Spiral River, there were actually people who could use a form of emotion and faith based magic. Most of the Magus, however, theorized that this sort of magic stemmed from inherent changes within the Surges, resulting in entirely different magics. Such changes caused by the long passage of time had also resulted in natural born magical gifts such as a strong body, a certain resistance to different elements, or keener senses. Naturally, the passage of time had also created warriors that had transcended physical limits, though they were rare and few between and were only found in the far north. ¡°Be on guard, old brothers,¡± Feera said with a smile though a little somewhat tight-lipped. She didn¡¯t think the battle would be concluded that easily. And now that she had some time to breathe, Feera casted [Wind Minstrel] and [Call of Zephyr], boosting both her flight and her natural physical abilities, including her senses. When channeling an adept spell like [Frigid Tempest] which consisted of six steps, Feera had been hard-pressed to cast three more spells, not to mention five spells successively. When the clouds cleared, a crater could be seen. The crater was large enough to act as a grave for two hundred men. Beyond the edges of the crater, there were still small areas of the meadow that were still frozen and deep gouges left by the wind blades. Inside of the crater, there was a man standing on top of a pillar just wide enough for him to stretch with ease. That area was entirely unscathed by the destruction that had occurred, and the man was Commander Thorion Solus. In his full body black adamantium armor, a metal that was naturally resistant to magic, he stood at ease with his sheathed greatsword pointed toward the ground, two gloved hands resting on each side the weapon¡¯s hilt. A hundred feet away from Commander Thorion, the prince and his tutor also stood unscathed from the destruction. There was a scowl on Tutor Beldin¡¯s face, however. A scowl that made his double chins quiver gently in anger. ¡°Damn it, Thorion! Couldn¡¯t you have handled her faster instead of leaving me to flee with Prince Zane?¡± Beldin shouted. Grim-faced as ever, Thorion smoothed his black hair closely shaved to the skull with an easy hand. ¡°I simply wanted to confirm something, Advisor Beldin. Although you were born in our kingdom and adopted by the previous king, you were taken to be raised elsewhere. You see, I do not trust unfamiliar factors and ever since I have heard about your time as a mercenary, when you were part of Omni, I have been pondering. And now, my suspicions have been confirmed regarding the truth behind your mercenary time. Of course, I have also confirmed the extent of your loyalty to the Noxus crown.¡± Beldin arched a brow curiously. ¡°And what would you have done had I been unable to protect Prince Zane?¡± ¡°I am confident that Prince Zane would have withstood such a spell, especially given his vestment and¡­newfound abilities.¡± Thorion unsheathed his greatsword, freeing all six feet of its length from the heavy leather scabbard. The black greatsword looked about half as heavy as a grown man and was as wide as two thighs, but Thorion carried it with one hand only. Next, the brown scabbard was strapped, then swung around behind his back. ¡°My opponent shall be the one of the two men. As for the prince, he should be able to persevere against the other man. You can take care of the female. I know how you like your females, and she seems right around your dark alleys, which are always too wide for my taste.¡± Tutor Beldin was surprised. Had that grim man seriously made a joke just then? And in the middle of a fight too. Commander Liam spat at the air. ¡°Damn, they are underestimating us, having such a relaxed conversation amongst themselves.¡± ¡°There is more to that fat man than meets the eyes. How could he have blocked Feera¡¯s spell? I was sure I sensed that he was at a lower rank, no more than the seventh rank at the most. He should have taken some damage at the very least. Does he have some sort of natural born resistance?¡± Commander Devan said. ¡°Or perhaps he has learned a defensive adept spell.¡± ¡°Nothing to be done about it now,¡± Liam answered. ¡°Take care of that prince, Devan. And you, Feera, will take care of the fat man since he seems unpredictable. As for me, I will keep that Commander Thorion busy.¡± It was a simple plan. But simplicity was the best in both battles and wars. The less convoluted things were, the smaller the probabilities of unlucky happenstances. Feera nodded her agreement, drawing the shortsword she always kept behind her waist. It was about her arm¡¯s length and was made of black majinta, one of the rarer metals that allowed for magical enchantments. If compared to the adamantium armor Thorion wore, the black majinta would be of a lower tier. Compared to most of the other types, Wind Magus were the ones with the most body enhancement spells. This resulted in Feera being a warrior before she was a Wind Magus. The other two commanders likewise drew their shortswords. Having used an adept spell, the shortsword would allow Feera to conserve her Essences. It was in case she encountered any unexpected situations that would require more use of her magic. It was also wise to save enough for a retreat. Suddenly, Feera felt a murderous intent and saw a gaze that was enough to make a wild beast retreat in fear. Thorion had soared up into the skies until he was within speaking range, and just about far enough that a wind spell could not suddenly ambush him. He shifted his greatsword so that the blade pointed diagonally toward the ground. ¡°Greetings, I am Thorion Solus, Commander of the Royal Magus Guards.¡± The revelation behind his status shocked Feera. She had been expecting something along those lines, but to think the man before her was the Commander of the Royal Magus Guards of Noxus Kingdom? His status revealed him to be one of the strongest Magus in Noxus Kingdom, perhaps even the strongest. It was obvious¡ªonly one of the strongest Magus would be suitable to serve as a guard for the king. ¡°Although it is audacious of me, I do not suggest trying to bind me with simply one opponent. It would be both an insult to me and to yourselves.¡± Thorion smiled. It wasn¡¯t like him to be so verbose. He wondered if the cause was seeing the three Wind Magus before him. To Thorion, his only desires were to seek strength and to use that strength to protect the kingdom. He was already forty-four years old and at the pinnacle of his strength. From the corners of her eyes, Feera glanced at her two commanders. They gave a slight, almost imperceptible nod. They would stick to the plan. The signal given, Feera and Commander Devan instantly rushed toward the direction where Zane and Tutor Beldin was. At the same time, Commander Liam made for a tackle toward Thorion, his shortsword prepared to slice at the neck. ¡°Your opponent is me!¡± he roared, not even giving his opponent any time to look back. Diving toward the ground where Tutor Beldin was, Feera split up from Commander Devan who went straight for the prince. ¡°[Wind Blades]!¡± the two commanders shouted, using their shortswords as the medium for their focus movements. Slicing the air, the shortswords formed two wind blades, each one fifteen feet long and as thick as an arm. The two wind blades crashed into the ground, gouging out two slices of the earth and throwing up grass and dirt in the process. In the face of those two gigantic wind blades, Beldin carried Zane to a safe distance backward using both [Wind Walk] and [Soaring Steps]. In a few seconds, he was already more than thirty feet away and was still fleeing, getting further and further away. Feera and Devan both increased their speed, causing blades of wind to burst outward everywhere. Parallel to the ground, they continued chasing the tutor and his prince. Mid-flight, they casted another spell, dividing their concentration. It was already difficult enough to channel [Wind Walk] for continuous flight, but to cast more spells on top of that? This was a testament to their abilities. [Enhancement: Wind Edge] It was a spell to cover the shortswords with a constant wind blade, increasing its range and sharpness and allowing the weapon to instantly release a wind blade. If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. Feera and Devan couldn¡¯t waste a single moment. They continued chasing their fleeing opponents using quick bursts of wind gusts to boost their speed even further. Feera narrowed her eyes as she reevaluated the prince¡¯s tutor. The fat man was a skilled Wind Magus and although of lower rank, he was almost outdistancing them. And that was while carrying the prince! Impatience gnawed at the edges of her mind. Feera couldn¡¯t let the chase continue on for too long. She could see that both the prince and the tutor were heading back to the direction of their camps. Unexpectedly, the prince and his tutor suddenly stopped short, landing on the ground. The young prince then sighed as if he found the battle tiresome, as if he found their attempts to kill him an unamusing farce. He now stood beside Beldin, no longer allowing his tutor to manhandle him while they escaped. Carefully, with as much grace as he could maintain, he patted away some dirt and dust from his sleeves. He closed his eyes for a brief half a second. When they opened again, his eyes were now softly glowing with a blood-red aura. ¡°And here I was hoping we could settle this the easy way. Looks like I shouldn¡¯t trust Poise, Conduct, and Disposition in a war.¡± Zane tipped his head toward his tutor. ¡°Dear Advisor Beldin, I hope you do not mind me taking the old man as my opponent.¡± A small smile. ¡°You may take the lady as your opponent, on the other hand.¡± Tutor Beldin sighed. ¡°Very well, I shall take care of the High Commander. Try not to die, for I am afraid your father will be quite displeased with me if you get killed under my watch. Now then,¡± Beldin said, looking toward Feera. ¡°Shall we fight elsewhere or perhaps watch the prince and your commander Devan fight? I do abhor violence, especially when I am personally involved.¡± Feera furiously pondered over her choices as she landed on the ground. She decided to follow the plan and allow the one on one fight. She gave a quick nod toward Commander Devan who nodded back. If the enemies wanted to make this easier for them, they would gladly take the opportunity. Still, could there be some hidden enemies lying in wait? Tutor Beldin chuckled, as if having heard the question that had ran through her mind. ¡°Do not worry. There are no tricks or reinforcements hiding anywhere. And even though the destruction you caused will have been seen all the way at our camps, they will not come to help. You have plenty of time.¡± A trick? Or did this Tutor Beldin think that even with the help of the magical vestment, the prince would be able to defeat Commander Devan? Impossible. The prince didn¡¯t even have his Magus Senses yet. Could the prince be a fake? Feera had heard of some dolls a few necromancers could create, but they couldn¡¯t imitate people so easily. There were always tell-tale signs and the smell of death on the dolls. Feera and her two commanders weren¡¯t stupid. Prior to leaving for the meeting, the three of them had already checked for any hidden ambushes in all four directions using Wind Magus scouts and Earth Magus scouts. They had checked both underground and above air for any traps. ¡°Very well, I will battle you elsewhere,¡± Feera finally said. ¡°Do not worry, Feera. The tutor will regret leaving the prince alone with me,¡± Devan said. Feera followed Tutor Beldin a distance away until they stood two hundred feet away from the prince and Commander Devan. But before Feera left, she gave a suspicious glance toward the prince who was now humming some sort of nursery rhymes. ¡°Do you really believe the prince can defeat Commander Devan?¡± Feera asked. The tutor prodded at his chins with two fingers. ¡°He has a chance.¡± A smile that almost reached his ears formed. ¡°Believe me, High Commander Feera, should you interrupt the fight, I shall intervene. And you would not like me to intervene. Have you ever heard of the mercenary group, Omni? The name did sound familiar to Feera. Just where had she heard it before? In the end, it didn¡¯t matter. She would distract the tutor and use her greatest magic: an adept wind spell of the Eight Rank. Off a distance, she could see Devan launching himself at the prince. ¡°Enough talk, I will kill you now,¡± Feera said, the [Enhancement: Wind Edge] covering her shortsword buzzing wildly. She had sent a wild surging of Wind Essences to boost the spell to its utmost limits, causing the wind edge to sharpen its range further. It was now a six feet long blade, half of it made entirely out of white wind, sharp enough to cut through steel. ============== ~Commander Devan ¡°Say, do you know of Omnus?¡± ¡°What nonsense are you spouting,¡± Commander Devan said, somewhat annoyed at the young man¡¯s carefree attitude. Ever so slowly, the prince folded his sleeves upward, revealing a black forearm vambrace above his similarly black gloves. The vambrace was enchanted with swirling red runes. None of the runes were familiar to Deven even with all of his experience. Were they some ancient runes or some sort of esoteric necromancer runes? Still moving slowly, as if to irk Devan, the prince peeled off his black glove, then stashed the glove inside his lower pocket. Devan gasped at what the black glove revealed. ¡°You¡­Just what is that?¡± The prince¡¯s right hand was entirely pale white, a sickly pallor not of the world, as if death had squeezed all life away from it. On his entire hand including the palm and his fingers, there were swirls of red tattoos like chains, all of them tracing back to a single red orb embedded on the back of his hand. More than half of the orb was sunken into this flesh, and pulsed every second like a beating heart, as if it was breathing, as if it was alive. ¡°This?¡± the prince said mirthfully, raising his right hand for a better look. ¡°It is simply Father¡¯s present.¡± Commander Devan slowly released a breath. He could not get caught up inside the prince¡¯s pace. He needed to end his opponent¡¯s life as soon as possible. The life of his comrades were on the line. He charged, kicking himself forward with a step and in the process, leaving behind a trail of white wind. Zane calmly raised his right hand toward his opponent. ¡°[Aperio: Hand Demonization]!¡± His hand rippled with strange movements as if his flesh was dancing to some foreign tune. It brought into mind of white maggots crawling through dead bodies. In the next moment, as if that horrific scene hadn¡¯t occurred, his flesh became pitch black and the nails extended into claws, its previous white now red-tipped as if the claws had been dipped into a pool of blood. ¡°[Aperio: Banefire]!¡± Demon? Devan thought to himself. When his surprise broke free from that unimaginable scene, there was just enough time for Devan to think of that single word before a jet of black flames tinged with green hues shot toward him. The flames rippled, folding and distorting light and the very air itself. And although the flames seemed to burn with an intensity, they did not make the usual noises that accompanied a strong magical fire. There were no roars or the crackling of fire. Instead, there was a mix of noises that jarred the ears and seeped bone-deep. Noises that could only be found in the worst of nightmares, dreams that should never be remembered the next morning, dreams that could only be left buried in forgotten secrecy. The noises were screeching and moaning of the dead. They sounded like what one would make right before seeing the face of death, like the screams of a man and woman who had been burned alive. Seeing such an unimaginable black green fire with its equally horrific noises, which made it seem as if the flames were the green-glowing black arms of the dead reaching for him, Devan knew that avoiding it would be far better than blocking. Charging toward the banefire, Devan vaulted, kicking off with a wind burst that sent him fifteen feet high up into the air. A brief glance back down at the ground told him that he had made the correct decision. Where the banefire had touched, the ground was now a scorched wasteland, sizzling with a black mist. Shortsword in hand, Devan soared toward his target, not losing any speed. With a flick of his wrist, he swung out a [Wind Blade] more than five feet in height, enough to cut a man into halves. Strangely enough, the prince easily dodged it, sidestepping the wind blade. It only made Devan more wary of his opponent. Not having time to speculate on whether the reflexes were gained from the transformation of his hand or from another spell, Devan landed back onto the ground, carrying his blade into a forward slashing motion. The shortsword was caught by the prince¡¯s demonized hand, but it wasn¡¯t an outright failure. With the help of the constant [Wind Edge] casted onto his weapon, the shortsword had bit deeply into his palm until it was stopped by the bones which made a clanging noise. Are his bones stronger than steel? Devan exclaimed. Suddenly, his instincts warned him to escape. He retreated backward, pulling his blade free as banefire wrapped around the prince¡¯s hand. He retreated further and further backward, dodging the jets of banefire that turned the ground into small areas of wastelands. Devan gritted his teeth. The black majinta blade of his shortsword was now dyed even darker with the prince¡¯s black blood. His suspicions that the prince¡¯s right hand was no longer human was confirmed. Or perhaps the prince himself was no longer human. Was he a demon? Devan had only thought they were fictitious figures of the Netherals. Dripping black blood, the prince pointed his right palm at Devan. ¡°[Blood Lance].¡± Devan watched as the black blood staining his shortsword rippled like a still lake that had been interrupted. And a black lance ruptured outward from the bloodstain, curving straight toward his eyes. Devan was quick to react, especially with his enhanced reflexes by [Wind Minstrel]. Despite having casted a thin layer of [Wind Armor] onto himself, Devan knew that an attack aimed straight for his eyes would easily penetrate through. With his free hand that glowed with a wind shield, Devan caught the curving blood lance. The blood lance was stopped right in its tracks just as its point was only a few inches away from his eyes. Methodically proceeding onward, Devan destroyed all traces of the blood lance and the blood stains on his shortsword. When he finished, Devan was just in time to see the prince cast another spell as he flung more of his dripping black blood onto the ground in front, painting the green grass of the meadowland into a pitch black color. Then the prince marked his own face and chest with a bloody palm print, the blood seeping down into onto his neck and into his clothes. ¡°[Creation: Blood Spider].¡± Seven black eight-legged spiders rose from the seven smudges of blood on the grass, each with a body size that could easily latch onto a grown man¡¯s thigh. With seven of them in tow, they could certainly cover an entire man with their combined legs and bodies. Devan cursed at those sights. A Blood Magus was always troublesome. The longer they bled, the longer the fight would go on and the stronger the Blood Magus would become. He needed to hurry and kill the prince, especially given the fact that he didn¡¯t know much about Blood Magus. They were rare in the southern lands of HavenFall. The seven black spiders crawled quickly across the meadow, planning to throw themselves at Devan. A decision came over him. He would push his body to the utmost limits. Taking a few seconds, Devan recasted the five magic spells integral to a Wind Magus warrior and that any Wind Magus would eventually learn upon the Seventh Rank. [Wind Walk], [Wind Amor], [Soaring Steps], [Call of Zephyr], and [Wind Minstrel] A burst of air was released, slamming the blood spiders onto the ground ten feet away and flattening the blades of grass around him, as if they were bowing down to his might. Devan went further. He had resolved to die. From the moment Commander Liam had made his plan and had designated Devan as the one who would take the prince¡¯s life, he knew what Liam meant. It was to take the prince¡¯s life even at the cost of his own. And Devan was the only one out of the three who knew the forbidden wind spell of the Seventh Rank. He was Devan Iolas, the third son of House Iolas, one of the major noble families in Ascal Kingdom. [Celerity of Life] This time, a burst of white glow exploded outward from Devan, ripping the seven fallen bodies of the blood spiders into pieces. They dissolved into puddles of blood which vanished a moment later, absorbed back into the Essence realm. Devan released a breath he had suppressed. His whole body and the organs inside creaked from the force of the spell. Devan knew that he was now enveloped in a myriad of white wind so bright that it would hurt his opponent¡¯s eyes to look at them. It was a forbidden magic that gave the Wind Magus speed that far surpasses human limits. In exchange for the few seconds of unsurpassed swiftness and the entirety of his magic reserves, he would lose all of his bodily functions and die afterwards in an agonizing death as blood ruptured from the inside. Devan dashed forward, leaving nothing but a lingering trail of white wind and flattened plants behind. He saw the prince widen his eyes at the burst of power he had released, then raise an arm to protect his face and neck fearfully. As he dashed forward, his feet only ever touched the ground briefly in the beginning. One second, Devan was more than forty feet away from the prince and the next second, he had stuck a sword through the heart of the prince, enchanted vestment and all. Devan twisted the grip of his weapon, plunging it deeper into the heart until the end of the sword poked out of his back. The prince widened his eyes but the surprise in those scarlet orbs did not match with the wicked curl of his smile. A smile on his face covered with his own blood. ¡°Didn¡¯t anyone ever tell you that princes are heartless?¡± Devan attempted to free himself, even releasing the grip on his weapon. But he found himself unable to move. He looked down and saw that his legs were entrapped in chains of blood that had risen from the ground. ¡°[Aperio: Devour]!¡± The black demon hand of the prince suddenly morphed into the great gaping maw of a monster. Four rows of white fangs peered at Devan. But most of all, two black beady eyes, pupil-less and devoid of any light, gazed into his own eyes hungrily. Impossible? Is he no longer human? ¡°Thankzz, my prince, for the meal. It has been a long time,¡± the black demon hand of the prince whispered, the words like harsh dissonant gutturals, as if the human language were something distasteful. It was the last thing Devan heard before the maw swallowed his head whole, beheading him. In the end, Devan had been careless for trying to put all his hopes into one final attack. But Zane didn''t blame the old man. How could he have known that Zane wouldn''t die from such an attack. Furthermore, the old man had been pressed by time. ¡°You are welcome Asmodeus,¡± the prince said softly, his normal hand pulling out the shortsword stuck in his heart. It left a gaping hole, but there was no heart to be seen there. ¡°Ah right, you may put back my heart in its proper place now.¡± Zane looked down at his hand, but there were no longer any replies. The maw had reverted back into a pale white hand, a pallor that was not of this world. And on the back of his hand was a blood red orb, no longer releasing a dull scarlet glow, but a bright glow that made the orb seemed as if it was satisfied. Zane snorted. His Father¡¯s present left much to be desired. The Penitentiary where the demons of the Netherals were sealed and the secret that had been revealed. The Noxus family weren¡¯t necromancers or even truly Magus¡ªthey were Warlocks with their Blood, Darkness, and Death Surge. And Asmodeus who was sealed inside the blood red orb of his right hand was an ArchDemon that lived in the deepest layers of the Netherals. He had been sealed in the Penitentiary for more than three thousand years already, sealed by the very first of the Noxus warlock. An explosion cut across the skies. Looking up, Zane could see Tutor Beldin fighting against Feera. Further across a distance away, two shadowy figures clashed against each other¡ªThorion and Commander Liam. <><><><><> AN: Sorry about the lateness, been busy the last few days. Also only gave this chapter a quick edit. PS: A few changes: the continent is now called HavenFall, as this name is more relevant to the history of the story. And that I couldn''t possibly create a thousand effing lands lol. Before you go batshit insane about the sudden OPness, know that there are weaknesses that have yet to be introduced due to the chapter being a perspective from the enemies. Also, Commander Devan isn''t really top tier, there being 7th-10th rank and disparities within the ranks.