《The Ringbearer》


 Chapter One: Discovery of the Ring

    It was the middle of the night when Lance woke up with a start. Looking around to try to know where he was, the sixteen year old tried his hardest to remember what had happened for the last few hours. However, he just could not remember at all. It was as if all of his memory since 6 P.M. was completely gone, vanished into thin air. What had happened? As Lance¡¯s eyes started adjusting to the darkness, he realized that he was in the middle of Baihua Garden, in the middle of the Imperial Palace. How the hell did this happen? Lance closed his eyes, and let his memories wash over him.


    It was the evening of a beautiful spring day. The flowers were blooming, and Xianyang Marketplace was teeming with hundreds of people either buying or selling goods. Lance was just strolling around. He was a tall, but rather skinny. However, his body was built, and he was much more powerful than he looked. With wavy, dark brown hair and light hazel eyes, Lance was very attractive, and would usually attract looks and whispers from the women on the street. But Lance was a very loyal man, and never looked at other women on the street. Even then, he was simply looking everywhere to try and find a present. It was soon Yuzhen¡¯s fifteenth birthday, and as her fiance, Lance was planning to buy the most beautiful gift he could afford. A sharp pain suddenly hit his head, and the memory was broken for a moment. Argh! What happened after that? Clutching his head, Lance started breathing slowly, as he started to relax. The memories began to resurface again.


    As he was walking, something had caught his eye. Amid hundreds of cheap, dirty things, there was a silver ring that shone brighter than everything else. With a diamond shaped ruby in the middle, there were intricate carvings all around it. Inside, there was the inscription, ¡°For my dearest.¡± There seemed to have been a name right after it, but it was completely scratched out and unable to be seen. This was by far the most beautiful and radiant ring Lance had ever seen in his life, and he knew he had to buy it for his beloved. Excitedly, he asked the merchant, ¡°How much money for this ring?¡±


    The merchant replied with a sly smile, ¡°Only 100 gold coins, my lord, but seeing as it is you, I shall make it only 70.¡±


    ¡°70 gold coins!!! What is this savage rip-off! This ring is probably worth only half of its original price!¡±, exclaimed Lance. ¡°Are you taking me for a fool?¡±


    ¡°No no no, my lord!¡± The merchant hastily replied. ¡°I have no such intentions! It¡¯s just that this particular silver ring is very precious to me, and selling it for less than its worth will waste all my effort. However, I see that 70 gold coins is still quite a large sum. How about...60 coins? We¡¯ll meet halfway.¡±


    ¡°Hmm...I can tell that you aren¡¯t lying,¡± said Lance. He rubbed his chin for a while, causing the merchant to fidget. ¡°Deal.¡± Lance said with a smile.


    ¡°Thank you, thank you, my lord!¡± The merchant happily exclaimed.


    Such a simpleton. I love cheating inexperienced merchants out of their merchandise, thought Lance. He reached into his pockets. Good thing I brought quite a hefty sum with me today. Suddenly, his smile froze. Where was his money bag? Lance quickly rummaged through all the orifices in his clothes. Fuck! Now I look like a scammer with no money. However, I MUST obtain this ring to be mine!


    ¡°Hold on just a moment! Let me examine that ring more closely,¡± said Lance in a demanding tone. After holding it in his hand, Lance pretended to drop the ring. ¡°Oh my, I am so sorry! Here you go,¡± he said after handing the ring back to the merchant. ¡°I shall buy this ring soon, please leave it on hold just for me¡±. He went on to leave the sight of the merchant, moving as quickly as possible against the huge crowd of people.


    Walking into a lonely alleyway, Lance finally let the grin seep onto his face. No one had even noticed the trick he had pulled. When Lance dropped the ring on the floor he had picked up a fistful of dirt with his right hand, while picking up the legitimate ring with his left. He then proceeded to conceal the ring while casting an incredibly simple yet useful illusion magic on the pile of dirt, which he handed to the merchant. He knew it was only going to last for a few more moments, so he had to get away as quickly as possible. Sure enough, a roar was heard in the distance, and wiped the grin off Lance¡¯s face. That was quicker than I thought. I must leave as soon as possible. As soon as he turned around, however, a group of men blocked the exit. Panicking, Lance turned around, but that side was blocked too. He was surrounded, and there was no way out. What was he going to do now??


    Lance was completely blocked off from both sides; he had no chance to escape. It seems the only way to get out is to fight. thought Lance. He tensed his body up and prepared to charge through the masses. Before anything even happened, however, Lance felt a sudden tremor, and his whole body began to vibrate. What the fuck is happening??? Without any warning, a huge void began to open, its origin being the ring that was still in his pocket. It sucked Lance in, then closed, leaving the whole crowd of people in complete disarray.


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    The next thing Lance knew, he was in the middle of the night sky, falling hundreds of meters down towards the very hard-looking ground. Damn it! Am I going to die like this?!?! It seemed as though there was nothing that could be done. As the poor boy flew ever closer to his demise, he closed his eyes and braced himself for the impact. There was a huge crash, and all Lance could see was pure darkness.


    ¡°Hey!! Who are you! What are you doing over there!¡±


    A loud shout pierced through Lance¡¯s ears and shook him out of his terrible memory. He turned around, and saw two guards walking his way. Shit, I forgot my surroundings. Raising his hands, Lance walked towards them with a smile and began to say, ¡°Hello, my friends, I mean no--¡±.


    ¡°Shut your mouth! Do you know where you are? This is the Imperial Palace, and it has no place for miserable dogs like yourself,¡± one of the guards barked with a sneer. ¡°Come with us! You¡¯re gonna love the jailhouse you¡¯re going into¡±.


    What the fuck? Are these guys drunk or what?  Indeed, it was hardly noticeable, but Lance could detect the sweet smell of wine coming from the guards¡¯ mouths. Am I really going to jail because of these drunk imbeciles? Oh hell no! As the guards came closer and closer, Lance began to tighten his right fist, while smiling at the guards, seemingly harmless. Once they came within arm distance, Lance lashed out with all his strength, knocking the guard unconscious.


    "What the hell are you doing?" shouted the other guard. He ran towards the alarm and began to sound it. Lance, alarmed, picked up a huge rock and chucked it at the guard''s head, but it was too late. Soon enough, Lance was surrounded by threatening looking soldiers. Why the fuck is this happening AGAIN? Sighing, Lance accepted his fate. He was arrested and the guard said, "You''re coming with me. We''re going to see the king. He shall determine what your fate will be.¡±


    By the time Lance was brought in front of the king, he was already unrecognizable. The guards, while dragging him towards the throne room, had mercilessly beat and slapped him, causing multiple cuts and bruises all over Lance¡¯s body and making his once handsome face look like a swollen pighead.


    ¡°Who have you brought before me, Will? Why are you disturbing my rest?¡± A powerful voice blasted through the eardrums of everyone within a 10 meter radius, and shook them all up. Lance, being already injured, was incapable of withstanding the king¡¯s mighty voice.


    ¡°This man was caught in the middle of Baihua Garden, lord, and resisted arrest. He injured many of my guards when attempting to flee the scene,¡± said Will, who seemed to be the leader of all the guards. ¡°Even if he has not done anything yet, he is still trespassing on imperial property, and I felt the need to bring him before you so you can bring justice upon him.¡±


    ¡°Very well. Who the hell are you, and what are you doing in my gardens, stranger?¡±


    Lance looked up at the powerful king, straight into his eyes, and replied, ¡°I was simply walking in Xianyang Marketplace, when I was suddenly transported here by this strange ring.¡±


    ¡°What nonsense! There can be no ring that can do that, and even if there were, it would not be in the hands of such a plebeian like you,¡± laughed Will.


    ¡°I swear it is true my lord, I swear on my life. This is the ring that transported me.¡± Lance handed the beautiful ring to Will, who delivered it into the hands of his lord.


    ¡°T-this ring is-,¡± stammered the king, who suddenly completely lost his composure. Then, suddenly, after a few moments of silence, he erupted, ¡°EXECUTE THIS FOOL!!¡±

 Chapter Two: The Adventure Begins

    Chapter 2: The Adventure Begins


    ¡°EXECUTE THIS FOOL!¡± The words echoed through the halls, repeating itself back and forth into Lance¡¯s ear, ¡°Execute this fool, this fool, this fool.¡±


    WHATT?!?!?!?!?!?  Lance couldn¡¯t believe his ears. ¡°W-what do you mean? What did I do?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a shame, boy. It seems as though you¡¯re a nice kid, but blame your poor luck for having this ring.¡± The king sighed, then motioned for the guards to take him away, for good.


    ¡°WAIT!! Please, I simply bought this ring from a merchant. It was supposed to be a gift for my beloved! Don¡¯t kill me for something like that, at least give me a reason why I should die for owning this ring!¡± Lance begged the king, hoping to at least stall for time, or perhaps even escape death.


    ¡°Sigh, very well. I shall explain to you, stranger, just exactly why you will die. The reason is this¡­¡±


    All the sounds and surroundings faded away, as the king allowed his memories to take over him.


    It was a stormy fall afternoon, and I had finally received this ring from my blacksmiths. It was created using the mightiest metals, and one of the most magical gems in the world. The inscriptions have power, and I was planning to give this to the most beautiful, warm girl I ever knew. I was madly in love with her, and I was planning to propose to her with this ring, you see.  However, she did not know that I was the king. And on that day, she finally found out. Once I appeared, she went into my arms with tears in her eyes. Before I could even begin proposing, she spoke, ¡°Oh, Caius, I cannot be with you anymore.¡±


    I was completely shocked at the time. ¡°B-but why?? What happened?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid¡­.I have fallen in love with another man. He is a merchant, and he is so caring and nice to me. Although I truly do love you, and you are one of the most amazing men I have been with, I am sorry I cannot be with you. My family...has forbade me from having any relations with anyone relating to the royal family.¡±


    ¡°So¡­ you found out..¡± I sighed heavily, and was deeply heartbroken. My whole plans for the day was ruined. ¡° Laraelia...if you must leave, please, take this with you. Think of it as a reminder of me, when you are away from me¡­¡±


    ¡°I thank you my lord...and farewell,¡± whispered Laraelia, as she faded off into the distance. A slight drizzle began falling from the skies, as tears slowly began to form in my silver eyes. Even the skies were mourning with me.


    As the king finished his story, he started looking around. ¡°What the fuck??¡± Everyone around him were in tears from the emotional tale of the king¡¯s past. Lance looked absolutely terrifying with his tears and snot streaming down his swollen face.


    ¡°I-i had no idea there was such a tragic story behind this ring. I-if you feel the urge to kill me still, I will accept my death without complaint,¡± said Lance, trying to contain his tears while speaking comprehensibly.


    ¡°Nay, child, I will not. Forgive me for my words before, I was rather...unstable,¡± spoke King Caius. ¡°Although you may bear the ring, you are still innocent. But please, can you please bring me along when you return to Xianyang? I wish to see that..merchant for myself.¡±


    ¡°I-it would be my greatest honor, Lord Caius!¡± stammered Lance.


    ¡°My lord! It is far too dangerous for someone as great as you to be travelling to other places--¡±. Captain Will attempted to dissuade the king, but it was futile.


    ¡°So, what is your name, lad?¡± asked the king.


    ¡°It is Lance, my lord. It is an honor to be in your presence,¡± answered Lance.


    ¡°Alright then, Lance, we shall depart for Xianyang tomorrow! Captain Will shall guide you to your quarters so that you may eat and rest for the night.¡±


    ¡°It is my pleasure, lord!¡± Lance couldn¡¯t believe the opportunity he was given right now. A journey back home with the king? It seemed almost impossible to imagine, a fantasy dream, but it was indeed happening. As Captain Will gestured for Lance to follow him, he bowed slightly at the king, and continued along his way towards his room for the night.


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    As night approached, Lance opened the window of his room. Whenever things were stressful, Lance always loved to stare at the stars. He enjoyed finding constellations, and seeing how bright they were compared to his past life. Once again, Lance let the memories wash him away, back into the days when he was an orphan.


    It was a rainy day in Nanjing. Lance had just failed in pickpocketing a rich man, and he would pay dearly for this failure. He was an orphan ever since birth, and for the past 7 years, he had struggled to survive. What he could steal, he did, and whenever he failed, he would have to simply pick up scraps from garbage piles, or the leftovers that people drop onto the street. It was a harsh lifestyle, and if one did not prove one¡¯s worth, they would soon be..eliminated, as there was a large number of competitors. However, Lance did not want to eat scraps. He wanted to successfully take money from an unsuspecting man and buy himself something good. Lance was tired of eating scraps that everyone else did not want. All the unwanted trash seems to stick together, huh?


    Then, Lance noticed a target. It was a very tall and skinny man, and he seemed very wary of his surroundings.This one seems rather difficult to handle, but I have to go for it, or I¡¯m going to starve tonight, thought Lance as he walked towards the fearful man. ¡°Hey, sir, how¡¯s your day! You look troubled,¡± he said in a friendly tone.


    ¡°That is absolutely none of your business little kid! But, since you¡¯re asking, do you know which way to get to the magistrate¡¯s place?¡± The man was stern, but seemed not to dislike the young Lance. In fact, he even seemed amused at the young boy¡¯s presence.


    ¡°Oh yes, good sir, right this way!¡± Young Lance put his hand near the man¡¯s hip, as if to guide him towards the magistrate¡¯s office. However, his hand was ready to grab at the man¡¯s purse. Now is the right moment. Now-- wait, what?? Where is the purse?


    ¡°Are you looking for...this, young man?¡± Looking up, Lance saw that the purse was in the man¡¯s hands, dangling right in front of his eyes. ¡°You know, stealing isn¡¯t good!! But I think I like you kid.¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­.what?¡± Lance was extremely confused. What did that even mean?


    The man looked at Lance straight in the eye, and said, ¡°Are you an orphan? Cuz I¡¯m bouta adopt you right now.¡±


    ¡°Ok¡­.WAIT WHAT?!?!?!¡± Lance was sure he did not hear that right. ¡°You want to adopt...ME? But..why?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t know, I just feel the urge to. I got no kids, and I¡¯m gonna end up needing someone to inherit all my shit anyways. And you have a good eye, because you chose me as your ¡®victim¡¯ and also a skillful hand. Also, you¡¯re pretty cute, but that¡¯s not important. The point IS, I want to adopt you. I can provide for you, and you will live a life of luxury. All this, just because you caught my eye! Isn¡¯t that amazing?¡±


    ¡°Uhm¡­.I don¡¯t know, but hey, anything¡¯s better than THIS dumpster, right?¡± Lance was secretly thrilled at the prospect, but he did not let his emotions show. This man was still a stranger, at least for now, and he had no idea what was going to happen. ¡°I guess I¡¯ll go with you¡­.Father??¡±


    ¡°Yes, you may call me Father. Our family name is Chen, by the way,¡± said the man.


    And indeed, life became so much better. Lance, after so much more food in the Chen household, grew tall and mighty. He worked with his father in the family business, and learned many scholarly things. He even had a fiance, the most beautiful girl in Xianyang, Yuzhen, the daughter of a wealthy merchant.


    As the memory faded away, Lance thought to himself, ¡°Man, life really did change, huh? I got it so good after meeting Father. But now...I have a sense of foreboding. Times are really going to change now. Is it perhaps due to this ring?¡±


    Lance shook his head slightly. There was no point in thinking about this now. What is destined to happen will happen no matter what. He took a last look at the beautiful night sky, and slowly closed the window.