《Old King's Resurrection》 Lore of Tera This story tells of a man who was a hero to his people. A man that conquered most of all the lands and united them all. This unification brought out the Golden Age, a time where everyone was happy and joyful. A time where children were able to freely go outside and play with other children without worry. A place where men and women work in happiness and where the food was abundant. This man was the king who gave his all to his people. When a rising of an enemy in a faraway land has come to conquer his land, he himself did not simply order his army to go face the enemies-instead he himself lead his army into the frontlines. In that fateful day, the king has died. The whole nation wept at his passing. However the Golden Age continue- Who was that man you ask? King Vance If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. 200 years later The kingdom¡­.is now in turmoil. Death was everywhere and inevitable. Children starved in their own homes while there broken windows was a open path for creatures. Parents forced to abandon their own children in hopes they will find money to feed them in caves, valleys, and rainforests where most people died due to illnesses or wild beasts. There is no hero in sight. A little sign of rebellion from a child will result in death for his own family. The nation is at its knees to a tyrant who was fed everyday and night. His big belly and evil grin was renowned throughout the land. The nation needs someone¡­soon¡­ Chapter 01 - Wish of the Dead ¡°I have sacrificed everything for the rising of my nation, but more importantly the bringing of the ideal world of peace. I never wanted to see anyone suffer, so I decided to take things in my own hands when nobody else would. Those very hands has created peace and tranquility into reality¡­.On that fateful day, I died-but it was ok, death is inevitable, in fact it was a relief- it¡¯s a sign that one has reached their purpose in life. I knew death would come for me and that only tells me that my duty to bring peace into this world was complete. I¡­am¡­happy, now it is time for me to sleep among the city of the dead, so¡­let¡­me¡­sleep¡± ¡°Oh~ dear Vaaaance~. Please wake up. Awake from your eternal sleep for the very reason that this world needs you.¡± Everything was dark, but I heard a seductive voice. In anger I replied ¡°No I am dead and I must stay dead. My purpose in life is over. So begone you dreadful spirit. BEGONE.¡± ¡°Dear Vaaaance~, they need you. I am the one true Goddess of Death and I say you are needed to kill someone.¡± ¡°Curse you!!! My life is not needed, I have brought peace and I am done. Bring another to do your wicked deed.¡± *sigh* ¡°There is no other¡­the king has murdered every child that I chosen to rebel against the king. It is unfathomable to bring a hero at this rate. So I beg you as the Goddess of Death behalf of all the dead children and infants under me to rid of the tyranny and bring back the world that was once at a state of peace.¡± King? Murder? Children? My noble heart got the better of me. Those words do NOT belong together at all. How DARE this-this wretched baron defile my nation, the MASTERPIECE of MY SWEAT AND BLOOD. I felt rage weld up inside me. A unquenchable thirst for revenge for a king-no wretched demon who does not represent the dignity of a king that is supposed to care for his own people. A King Is a title given to those who were BORN with a purpose AND SACRAFICED for the same purpose-which is to protect the people. How DARE he defile the title, I once had. I was reluctant but I knew I must for the people especially for the children. ¡°Fine I¡¯ll agree to your plead, now bring me back to the world of the living to bring back the kingdom I once knew.¡± Startled by my revelation the goddess smiled ¡°Yes, my king.¡± She takes a step back and chants ¡°I, goddess of the dead, shall bring this powerful mortal back to life to fulfill once again another purpose of this world. For the better of man, spirits, and the mighty gods¡± A sudden light surrounds me that blinded me. The next instant¡­everything was dark. ¡°Did she make a mistake?¡± I scratch my head¡­wait¡­I have a body? I tighten my hands and released over and over to get used to my body. Next I roamed my hands around my surroundings hoping to search for any clues of my whereabouts. I figured I was in a enclosed space with a very rough walls¡­Oh I¡¯m in my sarcophagus. That took me a while to figure that out. I pushed the lid and slid it to the side. What awaits me was¡­more darkness. I pushed myself out of my tomb and started searching for a source of light. Eventually I found a torch hanging on the side of the wall. I rubbed it against the wall and a fire started ¡°AHHHHH¡± An person who slept an eternity in darkness to then suddenly see a bright light blinded me, it took me a few minutes to get used to the light. Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! After a while I noticed etchings on the wall that tells a story of ¡­well my life. ¡°At least I was known as a legend¡± I felt a sense of pride, but it quickly dissipated when I forgotten why I was resurrected in the first place. ¡°Well if I hope to take back my kingdom¡­I better find a way out of my own tomb¡­¡± I slowly looked around for any exits, what I saw instead were a lot of treasures and other galore. Among them was a scepter. It was a weapon I used for magic. What most people didn¡¯t know is that the blunt end was made of colorless obsidian and is nearly indestructible- a pride of my workmanship. I quickly grabbed it and noticed that after a couple centuries it still was in top tier condition. I kept looking around for anything else-specifically the door. Man I hope there is a door, or did they covered this place up? *Cluck**Cluck**Cluck* ¡°Hey brother did you find anything else?¡± I leaned against the wall that was a source of the sound. ¡°Nah everything else is junk, we should just leave. Soon enough, the time we will spend will out cost the stuff we will find.¡± ¡°Yeah you got a point, I haven¡¯t found a single thing worth a coin in this ugly tomb. While we are at it we should drop the kid over here. Nobody will find her while we wait for the ransom note¡± ¡°Brother I am telling you. The lord isn¡¯t going to give us money for a kid off the streets. Waiting for that is like waiting for a million dollars in front of our doorsteps-its not gonna happen. At this point we should just leave her and forget anything about the ransom¡± ¡­¡¯Ugly tomb¡¯ That is RUDE. Do they not realize who they just maligned? I was filled with anger against these vile criminals. This is entirely the king¡¯s fault. If he fed all his people, nobody would steal anything and be at peace. I was partially mad with the criminals but even more so against the king. I will have to thank them though¡­because of them I knew which wall to go through. Using my scepter I opened a portal into the other side. I must digress this scepter got me out of many tough situations. Even though it was only capable of bending space and therefore not a good weapon to bring into a fight, It could be useful in some very niche situations. As I go through the portal I found myself on the otherside. I noticed there were no shady people in sight- it seems they left, instead I see¡­. ¡°MMMMMPHH¡± A girl is tied up on the ground. She was staring at me with eyes full of fear. At first I was curious. Am I that scary? I look down at my nude body¡­.ohhhh i get it. As of now my body is slowly replenishing its flesh and it basically looks like parts of my body is either flesh and bone while other parts are fully recovered. Oi how will I explain this situation to her¡­ ------------------------------------------------- Author: I''d like to point out this is a side project that i do casually and it i about 2000 words shorter per chapter than my other series. But since it is shorter i can get it out quite frequent. Well I guess enjoy.
By the way someone want to tell me why i got a vote before i even put up a chapter? *facepalm* no matter it''s just a side project in the end. Chapter 02 - "Assistant" The girl in front of me did not move a muscle but was shaking violently, even more so when I take a step closer. To be fair I look like a hideous spawn of Cthulhu and she is trapped in the dead end inside a labyrinth . However I need knowledge of the current world in order to carry out my mission so she is vital. I try to speak, but it seems my body is not in a decent condition due to the fact well¡­my missing vocal chords-and the obvious ¡­no lower jaw. ¡°BRRRRRRGGGGG¡± I look at the girl suspiciously. ¡®What was that sound¡­Is she hungry?¡¯ She lays on the floor forming a fetus position. Now she was in tears. ¡®One problem after another with this girl, all she does is cry when a problem arises¡¯ I casually go through my labyrinth until I found a tree out the exit of the labyryth. Using my scepter I manipulated the space inside of the tree in order for it to allow more water, nutrients enter the tree, while widening the leaves to grab more sunlight. As a result about 10-15 apples suddenly grew out and drop to the ground. I grab a couple of these and casually walked down 5 floors worth of mazes. Now that I took a look around, I see many corpses in fetus positions¡­¡¯must¡¯ve died from hungry huh¡¯. Once I finally reach back to the girl in the fetus position, I quietly snuck up next to her and slash the rope tying her hands and mouth. I tried speaking again, but again to no avail. I finally dropped a couple apples right in front of her. She looked at the apples and back at me. ¡®So¡­she still scared huh- the fact that these ungrateful peasants are still are scared of everything *sigh* I remembered I had to do everything myself. This one time I faced against demons to protect a village and in the end they only need a couple of stabs to die-Simply put I had to do everything for these ignorant people who refuse to learn to fend for themselves and instead duck in fear.¡¯ I took a few steps back to a distance that would be considered safe. Then I sat down reading the hieroglyphics off the walls keeping myself busy. I look back at the girl a split second later to see the apples¡­disappear. ¡®Don¡¯t tell me you ate the stem too, that is quite¡­ uncanny¡¯ She stood up and as I was about to doing the same. Before I got the chance to even get up, *WOOOOOSH* she sprinted as fast a Siberian tiger away from me. ¡®Does she even know the way out?¡¯ I guess I¡¯ll wait for her to explore around. I¡¯m quite curious to see how she will attempt to go through 5 floors worth of mazes. As she goes to a certain direction, I on the other hand¡­go the correct path to the entrance. Once outside I grabbed a few more apples in case she exhausted her energy and went back to the 5th floor. At first I thought I would have trouble finder her, but¡­ ¡°Huff-huff-huff¡± she collapsed onto the ground. I handed her a few apples. She looks at the apples and immediately eats it. A second later *BOMP* she collapsed on the ground and falls into a slumber. Looking at the walls I notices streaks across the mid section ¡®I see¡­¡¯ so she was following the right walls that would eventually lead her way out of her. Its¡­certainly a way, but not efficient. I look at the torches set on some walls. Obviously these fires need air to survive so they will usually point your way to the outside. I hope she will figure it out by the time she finally escapes. In the meantime I need to wait for my body to regenerate itself¡­or at least my voice. Staring back at the sleeping girl, I see she was shivering violently. I went back inside the tomb where most the treasures lay hidden and I grabbed a few silks from the East and layered it over her. Looking at her, it made me want to go to sleep. ¡®I guess it couldn¡¯t hurt¡¯ Thus I fell asleep back into my sarcophagus. ¡­ I hear sounds, I quickly flash awake to hear footsteps. ¡®Oh its her again¡¯ I slid open my bed to see her frantically running for a way out. ¡®Oi it seems this rat has lost its way¡¯ I opened the lid and the next moment it fell onto the ground *BOOM* the sounds echo throughout the maze. ¡°EEK¡± The girl got startled and quickly looks for a torch off the walls. ¡°I see you are still scared of me¡± I talked to myself¡­wait I can finally talk? ¡°DON¡¯T CO-COME N-NEAR ME¡± she stands against the wall holding a torch in front of her like a weapon. ¡°Dear peasant, is that how you treat a superior who have fed you and given you warmth¡± While I was saying this I was clenching my teeth in hopes of trying to stay calm and not scare her. But I was honestly mad at her for not respecting the things that make her life more pleasurable. If she were given apples by a stranger-a notion of gratitude would suffice-but this insolent little peasant!!!. I felt rage weld up again. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°EEK¡± She crouches at the sound of my voice. Every minute I stay with her I felt my conscious trying to crawl back into the world of the dead to escape the logic in this world. I am done, I have waited long enough and I shall continue with my mission. I grab her chin and I say loud and clear enough to make sure it is engraved into her thick skull of hers ¡°YOU ARE MY SLAVE WHO SHALL FOLLOW MY LEAD AND EVERY ORDER I ASK OF YOU, UNDERSTAND? OR WOULD YOU LIKE TO JOIN THE REST OF THE PEOPLE?¡± I point at the corpses that lay all around the maze. She looks up with her eyes that tremble. While at the same time tears began to fall down her cheeks. ¡°NOW FOLLOW!¡± I may have gone too far, but I shall feel no remorse for a peasant who is ungrateful for the things she takes for granted. She follows my command without hesitation while looking at the other corpses. Eventually we hit the entrance of the labyrinth, and in order for her to not escape I put on a leash around her neck that I found conveniently lying around. ¡°So tell me ungrateful peasant, where is your village?¡± She points south of my tomb. ¡®Doesn¡¯t this direction lead to the ocean?¡¯I got angry the next instant. I pull on her leash and with a calm voice ¡°For your information, if we do not end up in a village. I will slice every finger of your hand. Do you understand, young lady¡± I gave a sarcastic smile. Seeing this she immediately points to the opposite direction. ¡°My gratitude, ungrateful peasant¡± I smile with the same sarcastic smile. Suddenly I see dark clouds heading into our direction. ¡®Bad timing dear Gods, bad timing¡¯ I quickly find a tree and I expanded it with my scepter to make a huge umbrella and the leaves stretched all the way into the ground. I then placed down my scepter into the ground and a feint light is emitted although quite subtle. ¡°BRRRRRGGGG¡± A stomach grumbles that is sourced from the girl. ¡°Are you hungry?¡± She quickly nods up and down. ¡°That¡¯s a shame¡± I have fed her all this time and have given her warmth without a sign of gratitude and instead I was threaten with a torch. If she want¡¯s food then she shall either ask me or she can wait til three more months for the forest blooms. We waited in silence under the pouring rain til ¡°BRRRRRRGGG¡± a ferocious hunger of a beast is sounded under the tree. Immediately the girl finally opens her mouth. I was quite shocked, but I knew that hunger was the best weapon, especially in war. I was awaiting her request to see if she has learned anything. Within the next minute or so I saw her mouth gape wide open AAAANNND I heard ¡­ ¡°GIVE ME FOOD.¡± ¡­What is with that attitude? To ask for something from someone without a sense of manners? What happened to social etiquettes in this nation? Is it now nonexistent? Filled with wrath I pulled on the leash and dragged her in front of my face, ¡°Was that an ORDER, or was that a REQUEST?!?¡± ¡°EEEK¡± Her eyes were filled with shock, she took a few steps and looks down with a dejected face ¡°M-May I have some food, sir?¡± What is this word ¡®sir¡¯ well never mind that. If I found out she maligned me I will send her 6 feet under. I grabbed my scepter and pointed at the tree. Using the same method as before I expanded the insides to allow more water and nutrients to enter. In about a couple minutes a huge batch of apples appears. I took one apple and took it to her. She in reaction attempts to swipe the apple from my hands. With my quick reaction I brought the apple higher into the air and looked down at her. Reading my face, she replies ¡°Th-Thank you¡± Happy with the results I handed her the apple and instinctively I patted her head as if she was one of my old Siberian tigers. In response she looks at my hand and then to my face. I apologized in return for patting her head. It was silent and¡­a bit awkward but eventually as time passed she fell asleep on one side of the trunk and I on the other until the storm washes through. --------------------------------------------- Author: So basically i have decided that each chapter will be about 500 words longer than the last to see if i am capable of writing a lot and which one i am comfortable at. If you want Longer, scream it down in the comments. P.S.- While writing this story i felt it was progressing too fast and the character development was also absurdly too fast. So comment down your opinions on the progression. Chapter 03 - Wisdom When I woke up I noticed that FINALLY my body has fully recovered. I touched my very own fingers, jaws, teeth, shoulder¡­on my right side is the girl leaning on me with her head upon my shoulder¡­drooling. Disgusting, yet my eyes remain unmoved onto her. She has quite the wonderful features. Her hair had a very soft silk feeling. Her face remains unwithered. She has¡­quite the seductive body. She seems to have been elegantly born, but as I look closer at her current condition. Her hair was in shambles, she was wearing rags, and it seems she has not bathe in a while, which detracts from her beauty. ¡®What exactly is your story, ungrateful one? This is the question I will soon ask you.¡¯ Disregarding that I grabbed my scepter and disengaged the tree back to its original form. I carefully lifted the head of the girl as not to disturb her and lain her against the tree. I turn around to see the black sky. Judging from the moon¡¯s position we have a while before the sun arises. ¡®Well I suppose I should wash myself after all I have been collecting dust for centuries.¡¯ I slowly closed my eyes and listened¡­specifically for any rapid water movement but also any possible predators. Sensing a river due west, I quickly head there in hopes of returning back in haste. Once at the stream I strip off my Toga. I slowly walk into the river. ¡®Coldness? HAHA I truly do feel alive.¡¯ As I washed myself I notice a scar on my neck.- ¡®Hmmm haha brother, it seems after death-you still live up to your name as the Golden Prankster.¡¯ *Rustle-rustle* I quickly dive under the surface and sidle to the shore. Without making a noise, I slip out and slowly reach the suspicious bush. The darkness of night was on my side against this predator. Waiting for a signal¡­ *Rustle-rustle* I POUNCED. My hand was flat ready to pierce through an animal. As I throw my hand down¡­ ¡°AAHHHHHH¡± A scream echoed through the forest. I was struck speechless. It was the girl. I slowly put away my dagger like hands and I slowly pull her up. I regain my composure ¡°I apologize for my actions, I did not expect you to be behind a bush.¡± I bowed my head remembering my machismo pride. It is a bad omen to not apologize whether it is friend or foe. As I look up I noticed she wasn¡¯t saying anything and instead had her faced covered by both hands. Curious I asked her ¡°Has my body not been fully recovered yet?¡± I look at my body looking for any deformities that may have remained ¡°Y-you¡¯re naked¡± Her voice was soft and subtle but her hands unmoved from her face. I do not understand. I look at my nude body.¡¯Is there something that does not look appealing? Is it my scar?¡¯ Surely there must be something unappealing if she refuses to look at me. Soon enough the area around us starts to enlighten signaling a new day. I quickly grabbed my Toga and called out to the girl who still had her face covered ¡°Ungrateful Peasant, we must reach your village before the sun returns to its slumber¡± as I gently pulled on her leash. ¡°So tell me ungrateful one, how many pes(Roman measurement) do we need to travel?¡± ¡°Pes? We are only couple minutes from here¡± She replies with a very quick manner. For the next couple ¡®minutes¡¯ we walked silently. Until¡­ ¡°AHHHH¡± A yelp from deep within the forest could be heard. Letting go of the leash I rush towards the source until I saw a boy facing two . As soon as I saw it, I stopped in my tracks. The ungrateful peasant finally reached me. Once she did she saw the events unfold in front of her with widened eyes. I was curious. This boy seems to be big enough to become a man and the are deemed weak. I want to see what this ¡®man¡¯ can do. Out of the corner of my eye I noticed the ungrateful one run to the side of the boy. ¡°JAKEY¡± She holds the boy in her arms with tears. I did not waver. ¡®This shall be interesting. Now that she is in danger, will the boy finally reach manhood and protect the women?¡¯ This is an initiation for the boy and for me to observe what the standard of becoming a man really is. ¡®Do not disappoint me young one¡¯ ¡°BRRRRGRRRRRR-BRRRGRRRR¡± One of the moves his feet across the ground in a position to charge his horns into the boy and ungrateful one. It soon became clear that the boy will not be doing anything to even protect himself let alone a female who stands behind him. ¡®Where has his machismo pride gone to?¡¯ They both had their eyes closed ready to accept death. This juvenile boy shall not even be considered a boy at this point. First off, he was on the ground during a fight, a sign of surrender and loss. Second, He has the audacity to call for help when he does not attempt to fend for his own life. Third, this-this child closed his eyes in a battle that will decide whether or not he lives. ¡®Are you willing to give up your life?¡¯ I will not feel remorse, after all-the strong lives and the weak perish. That is the law of nature. I turn around to leave¡­ ¡°WAIT SAVE US!!!¡± she looks at me with eyes full of tears like a beggar. I did not stutter I continue walking ¡°Pl-please.¡± As she begs for my help, both started dashing towards them. Reflexively they close their eyes. I stopped walking. From inside my pride of machismo awakened. I reluctantly decided to help her, after all she is my key to catching up to the current knowledge of this nation. I dashed forward in front of them and as both creatures dashed I grabbed both of them by the horns, lifted them up and smashed them both back down to the ground. In an instant they both died. After all they weigh less than a dog combined. I was furious. I turn around and looked at the boy ¡°I am disappointed in you, you aren¡¯t worth anything in this world.¡± The boy who just while ago was shocked by my revelation started to cry. The ungrateful girl gaped open her mouth, but as I stared down at her and she quickly closes her mouth. ¡°Come ungrateful peasant, we are losing daylight. Show me the way to your village.¡± Just as I commanded she went in front of me and led the way. After a while of silence she stopped and turned around and bowed her head ¡°Thank your, sir.¡± I still did not know what this ¡®sir¡¯ meant however I was grateful that she has shown more gratitude to me. She has progressed much since I met her although she could improve. As for the boy, I would rather forget he ever existed. Soon enough ungrateful one turned around ¡°This is the village where we live.¡± Pointing at the the groups of home. I look around to see that the majority of the children were in dirty rags and a few covered in mud. Most were skinny and are currently working in fields instead of playing. ¡®If they do not play, how do they suppose they will learn strength?¡¯ I continue walking towards it and when we finally entered the village. ¡°HALT, STATE YOUR BUSINESS YOU DIRTY FOREIGNER OR YOU SHALL BE PROSECUTED¡± A guard yells out and soon enough a guard was on my right side and the other my left. ¡®Foreigner¡­.me? prosecuted¡¯ I laughed at the thought of how these inexperienced men, who aren¡¯t even holding their spears correctly, could hope to prosecute me A FORMER KING. I grabbed the spear who rudely reviled me and instantly pierced through his skull. On impulse I dodged the other two spears coming from my side¡­by simply stepping back. In that moment I grabbed each speared and pushed the spear of one of the knights into the chest of the other and done the same thing with his spear. ¡°If you are not capable of possessing a weapon, do not bother to bringing it or it will be another tool for your enemies.¡± With that both guards collapsed. Soon enough screams could be heard from the whole village and all the kids and their respective parents hide in their homes. The boy who I saved a while ago ran into the house along with the others. ¡®Not a single man is out here to even confront me, pathetic.¡¯ However in the corner of my eye I see a figure in the center of the road. He looked thin and elderly with white long beard that would¡¯ve been lush if it wasn¡¯t due to his malnourishment. It took a while but when he finally reached me, he fell on to his knees and places his head upon the ground. He pleaded ¡°Please do not harm this village nor the people. I will be willing to sacrifice myself so please do not harm anyone¡± He does not budge. I turn around to see the peasant girl¡­praying and looking at me as if asking to not harm this elder. I turn back around looking at his back. I was truly grateful. ¡°Rise ol¡¯ wise one. I shall not bring harm to your village. After all I am quite stunned that you are willing to sacrifice yourself for your people and even confront me. I shall thank you for giving me a reason to fulfil my purpose upon this world.¡± This is the first time I have found someone to respect. The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. He stares at me and nods ¡°My appreciation¡± Once he stood up, he looks at the frightened citizens. He stares back at me ¡°Please lets speak in my home. You seem to have come for some important business and I shall give an open ear.¡± As we walked I noticed many fields of wheat that should be more than enough to feed the children. ¡®What is exactly in god¡¯s name is happening?¡¯ Ungrateful one and I continue to follow the elder into a shack split from the village. Compared to the other homes his was in much worse conditions. ¡°Uhh please excuse the mess and sit down around the table.¡± He looks at me and the girl strangely, but soon faces away. Following what he says we sat down around the table. ¡°So allow me to introduce myself. I am Henrick Valor.¡± He also looks straight at the girl, curiously. ¡°I am Vance, and I do not have surname¡± Remembering I did not have a father or mother. ¡°Hmmm Vance huh? I see that your name relates to one of the old great king of this kingdom¡± He smiled but it quickly faded ¡°the old great era¡± He seems to be reminiscent something, but he soon snapped back. ¡°If I may ask Vance, why do you hold my granddaughter with a leash?¡± He looks at me intently. I see so he is the grandfather of this ungrateful peasant. I calmly reply to his question ¡°She was my guide when searching for this village; however, now that I found this community it seems she is no longer needed.¡± I quickly unfasten the leash. Once undone, she ran off. I was hoping to learn more about this world from her, but since there is an elder in front of me. I no longer need her as a source for knowledge. ¡°So Henrick if I may ask, on our way here I noticed fields of wheat that stretched long and far and yet all I see in this village are starving people. May I ask why?¡± He looks at me as if he was going to drop tears ¡°*sigh* the king¡¯s taxes are currently preposterous and he is evaporating our wealth are forced to sell off the wheat to pay off our tariffs. If we don¡¯t well¡­¡± He points towards a field out the window. What he pointed too was a cemetery. ¡°Furthermore there has been frequently more creatures around here forcing our hand to rent soldier from the king that continues to build up our debt¡± He looks at me with a face of a prey trapped in a corner with it¡¯s hands tied. ¡°I understand now¡±I sympathetically replied with a calm voice. ¡®THAT MISCREANT I SWEAR TO ALL THE GODS I WILL SEE TO IT YOU SUFFER EVEN AFTER DEATH!!!¡¯ Soon enough the sun lays down to sleep. ¡°It must¡¯ve been a long day, would you like a room? I can¡¯t promise anything extravagant bu-¡° rebuting his request. ¡°Do not worry wise one. I shall live in a bed Mother Nature will provide me. Farewell and let the light of the moon protect you in the darkness¡± I calmy replied ¡°Likewise¡± the old man seemed relieved. With that I exit the shack. I entered the forest and found a stream. ¡®After just being awake from my eternal slumber I suddenly do not feel like sleeping¡¯ I crouched next to the stream, crossed my leg, and meditate. However sometime after I started meditating I sense a presence as if someone was watching me. Sure enough I turn around to see¡­¡±If you wish to confront me, come and do not hide.¡± ¡°EEK¡± she seemed to be spooked as I greeted her. In a frantic she bows her head ¡°Th-thank you for bring me home. Without you I would¡¯ve never been able to escape the tomb, die of hunger, or even save someone in my village. I am forever in your debt. So please call me, Elize! ¡± With the same position as her grandfather her head was touching the ground. I was a bit angry about that last selfish request but It seems that I may have been a bit harsh on her. So I granted her wish. ¡°You no longer need to heed to me. So raise your head, Elize¡± She looked up with a pleased face. Worried, I added ¡°Now go back home and sleep, it¡¯s dangerous out here.¡± I turn back around to meditate again. ¡°U-um I-If I may ask, what exactly are you?¡± ¡®*sigh* is she still here?¡¯ ¡°Hmm? And what exactly do you wish to learn?¡± ¡°I want to know¡­bec-because you were dead and y-you had this scepter that did godlike events an-and¡± She hid behind a nearby tree.¡¯She was curious, I see¡¯ Hiding behind something during a conversation? She is quite rude ¡°Peasant, is this your way of having a conversation or were you not taught common social etiquette?!?¡± She quickly kneels behind me. ¡°Sorry!¡± *sigh* ¡®it seems I have struck a bit too much fear in the past two days upon her.¡¯ ¡°Now what is your first question, Elize? and say it clearly without no regret, stuttering in your words only displays your weakness.¡± ¡°Who are you¡­exactly?¡± She tries to ask me a question but I noticed a high pitch. Disregarding that, ¡°I am Vance as I have told your guardian. Will that be all, dear?¡± Immediately she responded ¡°But what were you in the tomb. You were a corpse, weren¡¯t you? What are you-exactly-?¡± I heard a slight hesitation on that last word but I payed no heed. Again it was another series of questions. ¡°I am a human just like you, however I was resurrected with the purpose to bring back the old kingdom I once knew.¡± That¡¯s strange she went silent all of the sudden. Maybe she left? Well I decided to close my eyes to meditate after some time passed¡­ until I felt a blast of air on my face. I open my eyes to see the face of her. ¡°Yes, do you require something of me?¡± ¡°EEK¡± Again she was startled. Quietly she murmers something I was not able to hear. ¡°SPEAK!!!¡± ¡°EEK, A-Are you King Vance?¡± Her eyes closed and she faced down. This peasant is quite timid, is she not? I bring my hands to her chin and gently I aim her face towards me. Her cheeks becomes flushed, but I payed no attention. ¡°Good do not move your face when speaking to anyone, Now to answer your question. Indeed I am¡± ¡°But they say that the king conquered lands and exceled at fighting. In fact it is said that his skills were on par to the gods, but you look so¡­young!!!¡± ¡°Young? I suppose you are correct, I was 10 when I started my conquest and nine-teen when I was slain in battle. I do not know what age this generation believe is old or young. But on the inside I am 220 years old. My body on the other hand is the same body which I have died in¡± She gasped at the thought of my young age. ¡°I can¡¯t imagine¡­ nine-teen¡­fighting¡­.dying¡­¡± She continues to murmur to herself. Then she snapped back to reality. ¡°Wait how are you alive now, then?!?!¡± *Sigh* ¡®One question after another with this one¡¯ ¡°I¡­was begged by the Goddess of the Dead to return to the world of the living and bring back the era of peace and tranquility. A mission that I successfully achieved before my passing, however, even since the current king took the thrown. There seems to have been an overflow of death coming through. Thus why I am here.¡± ¡°What happens if you bring back peace? What would you do then?¡± She intently stares at me. ¡°Then my purpose in life is over and I return to my eternal sleep where I belong.-¡° Immediately she replies¡°-but don¡¯t you want to live?!?¡± ¡°*sigh* No... I have already lived once and I have happily died along with my soldiers. I could not ask for anymore regarding my death. My chance at life is over; it¡¯s time for others to change the world, after all this world needs more than one hero. I find it a curse to live forever-too see your accomplices die of old age. Thus immortality is not a life I want to live and certainly not something the gods would like either. So in general I want to die with the comrades who I have joyfully spent most of my life with and die alongside with them. That to me is certainly beautiful death¡± After my speech was over I look back at her who was shocked and wept at my statement. Silent sounded through the night. Not wanting to stay on this dark subject for long I casually asked her ¡°Since I have told you my story, I believe it is rude for you to not tell me yours. Don¡¯t you agree?¡± I give a smirk ¡°huh? Oh yes, My apologies. Well I guess I should start from the beginning¡± She adjusted herself ¡°When I was younger I remember¡­¡± ---------------------------------- Author: So writing this last night i guess i passed out. When i woke to my FF...let''s just say there was a couple hours worth of editing i had to to...so I apologize for not getting this chapter out sooner. For now i guess you could expect a chapter a couple days from now. The word count is a little over 3000 as many have requested, so enjoy. :P Chapter 04 - Noble --Eliza¡¯s Point of View-- ¡°PAPA, PAPA CAN I HAVE A UNICORN?MAY I?CAN I-CAN I-CAN I?¡± Staring deep into my father. ¡®I also hugged him in hopes of increasing my chance of getting the unicorn¡¯ (When I was younger, I wanted everything. We were after all a family of nobles. I believe I could get anything I wanted in the world and the world would just hand me anything and everything.) ¡°Of course Eli, I will get you anything that you desire. Now quickly, go on to your room. Daddy is busy¡± A gentle smile appears upon his face and he faced back onto the desk of paperwork like always. I went back into one of my three rooms. Of course two were my personal play rooms and the other for sleep. (I had a grandiose life. In fact i even had a daily routine of playing around with my toys and eventually I would pass out due to exhaustion, hehe). ¡°REBECCA, REBECCA!¡± ¡°Yes madam¡± A servant of utmost dignity suddenly appears ¡°What would you like today?¡± bowing her head. ¡°I want pie, pie, PIE¡± I ordered lots and LOTS of pie ooh I can¡¯t wait to taste it. (Everyday a new pie would present itself, and i even brought it to myself to try every pie in the world. Every day was another pie added to my list) ¡°Of course we will bestow it to you soon enough¡± The servant magically vanishes. ¡®What to play, what to play¡¯ I stare at my ball I got yesterday. ¡®¡­Nah old toys don¡¯t get to be played¡¯ I want the unicorn so much that i want to save all my energy for it. ¡®I can¡¯t wait mmuuu¡¯ I squeezed my flushed cheeks. I roll around my bed. Expectedly¡­ ¡°Madam we have brought you, your pies¡± Following her statement are two other servants behind her who placed a table and three pies in the room. I stare at the pies with drool coming out of my mouth. There was even a cherry on top of it, the way I liked it. ¡°Madam please enjoy¡­and please do not make a mess like last time. You must stay ladylike whether in private or in public.¡± leaving with a sigh. From my bed I pounced over 3 meters from my bed to the pie. I grabbed one of my eyes and ignoring the forks I grabbed a piece and put it straight into my mouth, ¡°MUUUU¡± I was filled with SWIRLS of flavor. I brought the pie next to the window to see a boy playing music in the corners. ¡®They must be happy if they are playing wonderful music¡¯ (However, little did I know that he was an orphan off the streets, I regret not helping him¡­that time. But my meeting with him would eventually open my eyes to the world) After a while of playing with my toys, I went off out to my personal balcony. (I always spent my evenings on the balcony hoping one day a prince will come up to my balcony). I look down from the top of the hill. For miles I see floods of light, until it darkens further down the hill. ¡°na-na-naaa~¡± I hummed as I danced from my balcony. I danced until my legs tire in front of the lights of the city¡­as if the whole world is watching me. ¡®I want to be¡­noticed¡­seen¡­ I¡­wanted¡­attention.¡¯ Soon enough i dozed off ¡­. ¡­ *Shoutings in the distance* ¡°Burn down the mansions, take all you see¡± ¡°Hmm what¡¯s going on?¡± I rub my eyes. That¡¯s weird¡­where am I? I touch my surroundings. ¡®Am I¡­in a box?¡¯ I pushed up- ¡°Shhhh Eliza, don¡¯t push. Just stay quiet¡± I recognized my father¡¯s voice. ¡°Dad, I can¡¯t¡­NNNNN¡­can¡¯t get out¡± I shoved with all my might. ¡°SEARCH FOR ANY SURVIVORS AND DISCARD THEM. YOU TWO, GRAB ALL THAT IS DEEMED VALUABLE¡± A rough masculine voice could be heard strong enough to rattle the neighborhood. ¡°Eliza, please¡­shhh be quiet. Do this for your papa¡± I heard a sob. ¡°Please¡­don¡¯t make a sound. Eliza, stay silent until Grandpa comes ok? Can you do that for me?-¡± I close my mouth with my hands. ¡®Pape?¡¯ -¡°So close you ears and go to sleep¡­my sweet darling¡­¡± He shut silent but i could hear him crying. ¡°AHHHH SOMEONE HELP MEE¡± A screaming filled with agony exude from nearby. Windows smashed to the ground. Crackling of fires. These sounds...they sound so horrible. I spoke with the softest voice i could ¡°¡­ukk¡­.oo..ok, papa¡± I obeyed my father. (In that time I was trembling in fear of the unknown and what what was forewarned to happen). ¡®Papa¡­I¡¯m scared¡¯ I closed my ears like my papa said. ¡®Pape please protect me¡¯ ¡®Grandpa please save us¡¯(Soon enough, much of these thoughts began to cloud my mind, eventually I Blanked out). ¡­ ¡­ Still passed out, a voice went through me.¡°There you are sweet thing¡­I will protect you.¡± I didn¡¯t want to wake up¡­yet that voice emanated hope. ¡°Papa¡­¡± I snap my eyes open ¡°PAPA, PAPA-PAPA¡± I take a good look around to see nothing familiar to me. I was no longer in the room i recognized as my own. I thought¡­.it was a dream ¡°Shhhhhh sweet one, I¡¯m here¡­shhh¡± A gentle old man sat beside me holding my hand. ¡°GRANDPA¡± I quickly hugged him for comfort after realizing who it was. Looking up with tears built up into my eyes, i asked, ¡°What happened to papa?¡± Grandpa with his old eyes of wisdom looked up¡­¡±he¡¯s¡­ on a trip¡± (I believed him at that time; however, I soon realized what he really meant. I knew he only lied to me to protect me, but it it did not help in the least.) (For the next few years i lived with my grandpa forcing me to forget the fortuitous past I once had, but because of this arrangement i learned many things that i would¡¯ve never known-without this...i would still be crying on that very bed till my death. If i had realized sooner what my grandpa meant) ¡°Papa where are you? Will you please come back?¡± ¡®I wished and i wished be he never came.¡¯ Out of the blue i heard a few strums from a guitar. I look outside to see a boy...a little younger than me. I stared at this boy who is covered in dirt and scrawny with eyes that seeed to not signal any signs of life. I was about to lay down to relax and continue to mourn; however, the music stopped. I didn¡¯t want it to stop(For the first time since that fateful day, I found a piece of the past life i once forgotten. The music where i listened from my own home. In the house that was extravagantly decorated. The time...when papa was still with me) ¡®No, please don¡¯t stop.¡¯ Without realizing i walked up to the boy, I sat down and pleaded ¡°will...will you play the guitar for me, just once more?¡± The boy just looked at me and nodded. Picking up the guitar, he played for the next few minutes. While he was playing, I felt like i have heard this song before.. Then as the song continued fragments of my memory has connected to each other and i wondered if he was the boy who played in the corner. Timid i asked, ¡°A-are you the boy who played on the corner in front of the mansions?¡± He simply nodded. My curiosity on the boy only further grew. ¡°Are you an orphan?¡± He again simply nodded. Again i asked another ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± Soon enough i became more direct and my shyness began to fade under the pile of questions i had for him. He simply nods ¡®no¡¯. ¡®MMUUUU¡¯ This boy won¡¯t be direct with me. I ask him many questions; however, he would only nod...until ¡°What happened to your family?¡± This time however a quick hesitation appeared before he looked down. He mumbles¡°all 6 feet under¡± Tears began to obscure his eyes then he starts to weep crawling into a fetal like position. ¡°What do y-OH NO¡± The realization hit me only a few milliseconds later. ¡®Again, WHY AM I SO SELFISH¡¯ i yearn to cry myself, blaming myself¡¯ I looked at the boy finally realizing how vulnerable he was. He looked like a lost puppy. I wanted to leave and cry inside the house...b-but i couldn''t leave him. All of the sudden I hugged the boy like i was his mother. I wanted to try and comfort him i wanted to apologize, ¡°Shhhh-shhhhh i¡¯m here¡± unable to resist the vulnerability ¡°how about i¡¯ll be your big sister, huh?¡± I move his head onto my lap and stroke his hair. Looking at him crying-and he looks back at me, looking at him crying almost made me cry myself. This boy¡­.lost everyone. (Ever since then, I have taken care of him. Taught him. And even made sure he doesn''t doing anything dangerous. Everyday is another worry. But because of him he...gave me a new purpose in life. Something that made me forget my own past. It was a purpose that would keep me busy-to assist me on forgetting my origin. ¡®I wanted to take care of him¡¯. I finally realized that while i was taking care of him, how it must¡¯ve felt for my father- To sacrifice anything and make sure there is a smile on his face and to give him the things that the harsh reality will throw at him. I felt...so bad for my father after realizing this as i never considered his feelings. Instead i was a selfish noble for always strived to be the center of attention. So i will show this boy the correct way in living in this world. That...is my goal.) Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. -------End of Eliza¡¯s Story--------------- ¡°I am assuming that little boy is the one you call ¡®Jakey¡¯?¡± As i remembered the little boy that was endangered by the two . ¡°Yes he is the little brother i always taken care of¡­¡± her body steadily limps over as if she is about to doze off any second *Thud* Her head falls into my lap. I did not mind. In fact as i take a closer look at her face, I realize the extreme weariness in her eyes. ¡®I suppose that encounter with the has caused quite a burden on her.¡¯ I bluntly say ¡°Tell me Eliza, are you exhausted by your change of life, your new purpose, the thought of your brother being mauled, even the death of your father?¡± She began to weeps. ¡°Y-yes.¡± I river flows from her face. ¡°Then I shall ask, do you have any regrets?¡± I rashly ask her this question. I simply await her answer. ¡°N-no¡± She continues to, but has somewhat calmed down. ¡°Then husshhh¡± I try to soothe her with my hands stroking her unkempt hair. ¡°Life may send you torment, It may send you glory, it may send you sorrow, it may make you suffer; however, it is those moments that piece together into a single story-your story. It makes you unique from every other individual upon this world. What is truly interesting about it, is that it is still being written every passing moment. You can never completely erase the past, but you can still affect what will be written. Question is: will you have the strength to move the pen and control your life?¡± As i say my last statement, i noticed she fell asleep. I look up in the blackened sky to see Orion. ¡®Hmmmm sleep well child and be the bird to strike the worm.¡¯ I shut my eyes and welcomed the dark... ¡­ ¡­ ¡°HIDE ALL THE CHILDREN, ALL OF YOU SURROUND THE BEAST¡± interrupting my sleep, commotion could be heard from the town. I quickly open my eyes from my seating position. I stroked Eliza¡¯s hair with the intentions of waking her up. ¡°Wake up dear, your village seems to be endangered¡± I calmly rose to my feet and soon helped Eliza¡¯s limp body up. She murmurs in her sleep like state, ¡°My...village...endangered...Endangered?¡± Soon enough she snaps awake ¡°JAKEY!!!¡± She sprints off away towards the village. She ran off with a speed like no other ¡®Is it her determination to protect the one who she cares?¡¯ For a moment as she ran i saw a glimpse of maternal light emanating from her- I have witnessed only two times that light from her. Her story...still taunts my curiosity. I began walking towards the village and picked up a stone along the way in case the situations calls for a battle. ¡®If a beast appears, i will need a weapon whether it is a sword of the gods or a stone laying on the side of the road.¡¯ Only a few moments later i reached the village and see¡­. ¡°GRRRRRRRAUUGHH¡± A is surrounded by men who are holding pitch forks and pickaxes. ¡°RRRAUGHHH¡± dodges all the attempted stabs of the peasants. ¡®Hmmm?¡¯ i notice a few men on the ground with bite wounds and are bleeding on the ground. I spot Henrick pointlessly shouting out orders as his men are panicking while trying to fend off the beast. Disappointed i brought the stone behind my head and focus my eyes onto both heads of the dog. I waited for the right moment and soon enough one head was behind the other. ¡®Here I go-¡¯ With a thrust that emulates the speed of a shooting star, the rock pierces through and into the head of the dog then into the other. Stunned, most of the villagers fall onto their back. Despite the sudden death of a beast, some manage to squeeze out a little comment¡±what..was..that?¡± ¡°Did¡­.god help us?¡± Everyone turns towards my direction with faces filled with fear, that i once again was familiar with. I was disappointed yet again. The has a bark stronger than its bite...yet is still amounts to injuries in the very end. I remembered my brothers and I always had competition against each to who ever could kill the most. Of course, my brother-the golden prankster, snuck traps all over allowing him all the tails. Obviously he is a person with no pride in his own skills stealing from other- and finds it amusing to make my life miserable. ¡°Wh-what was that?!?!?¡± Wise, Hencrick, came up towards me. The other villagers motioned back up away from me. ¡°A simple stone throw I perhaps¡± I was devastated that they were weaker than i have fathom to believe. ¡®Where has all the strength in humanity gone?¡¯ Quickly changing the subject ¡°So what was the source that attracted the beast into the village in the first place?¡± Snapping out of his stunned state ¡°uhh-Ahem yes. Well Because the guards that originally guarded the gate had met an ...unexpected death¡± he looks at me for a brief moment ¡°So we are awaiting for the capital to bring another couple soldiers. However, it has unexpectedly been a long wait so far.¡± A look of concern appeared on his face as he faced the people and children. ¡°I see, i suppose i should find what situation they are in. Do you know which path they are navigating through?¡± ¡°Uhh yes they are a bit West from here. It is actually a soldier camp that my brother runs. He is a general of the camp. Uhh let¡¯s see, please wait here¡± Henrick quickly runs into a house and soon enough comes out with a letter in hand. ¡°Please hand this letter to my brother, it is a request for a couple soldiers to protect the village.¡± I grab the letter, but as soon as i retract my arm-It was quickly grabbed with a sudden amount of force from a feeble older man. He bows his head slightly, ¡°Could you...bring Eliza with you?...It pains me to stay away from my granddaughter; however, as it stands many beasts may come and i do not want her to bare any wounds. You are the only one who i trust while able to travel through the forest without being harmed...unlike the feeble us, so please as this may possibly my last wish¡­.ever. So please accept this selfish request¡± He smiles earnestly, but behind his mask i sense a great deal of heartache. It is in my culture to honor the death of another so i could not refute his dying wish. ¡°I shall...accept your wish.¡± I did not mind the rather unexpected request; however, i do not know whether if she would be a hindrance or not during the travel. Again the smile widened across his face; however, water leaked from his eyes. ¡°Th-thank you, you don¡¯t know how much this means to me. Ever since my son died, i have taken care of her. But my time on this world is-running out.¡± he turns around ¡°-and...If i ever...take a trip, i shall entrust my granddaughter to you.¡± With that he starts asking the other villagers to repair the houses and remove the beast. I walk outside the village and await for the arrival of Eliza. I look at the other side and all i could see was darkness clad with trees. ¡®I wonder what awaits me from inside¡­.¡¯ ¡°Uhm..i¡¯m ready to go.¡± I turn around to see Eliza carrying a bag big enough to fit the beast i slayed earlier in it. ¡°Do you really need such objects?¡± I honestly see no reason to bring anything into the forest. She quickly answers back ¡°This-is-just-preparations. I might need something when i enter the forest. I want to be prepared for the inevitable. I want this trip to be as successful as possible so i can protect my home...¡± I heard a subtle voice of fear but very much present. ¡®I do not understand her. As long as i could remember the forest was a blessing to me and my brothers as it offered anything you need: Fish from the rivers, Herbal medicine to heal wounds and sickness, and a place to hide in. It¡¯s is truly the city where the gods sleep.¡¯ However i do not have any reason to object to her decision as it does not affect hinder me negatively. ¡°Well i believe we should be off, we must come back at god¡¯s speed to reduce any chance of endangerment to your people.¡± ¡°Lets¡± with that we both quickly enter the dark forest... ----------------------------- Author: So i do apologize for the late chapter release. I had a few midterm finals a while ago. A few holidays(ahem Christmas and New Years). However i have also ran into a few problems when writing this chapter. When writing this i felt the progress in Eliza''s story was rather....rushed and this is my first time taking a position as a female. (In terms of maternal feelings and such and the psychological things in the brain of a women.) I would also like to add that below (my signature) will be updated and you guys will be able to see the progress i will make. So enjoy. LET ME KNOW IF YOU THIINK THE PROGRESSION IS TOO FAST O.O :-fightingchicken:- Chapter 05 - Machismo (Author: So i believe people have this misconception that last chapter is all about Eliza, well i don''t blame you but you should skip down to half of the post and that is where the story starts so you don''t get confused with what is happening here, so without any further ado enjoy) "HELP ME HELP ME HELP ME, EEEEKK" emerging from behind a tree is Eliza sprinting away from... something. She then crouches next to me onto the ground. ¡°I wonder if that is her...instinctual position¡¯ I recall the many times i¡¯ve seen her in that position in times of danger. Soon enough, I notice a lone also emerge from behind the tree. ¡°GRAAAUUUGH-GRRRRR¡± ¡®Again¡­.¡¯ I grab a stone from the ground and shot it towards the . The stone pierces .through the fleshy neck of the beast eventually collapsing either by blood loss or lack of air and then burrowed in the tree behind is a stone soaked in blood. I turn towards Eliza and grasp her shoulder upward bringing her back to her feet. ¡°Are you unwounded, Eliza?¡± Eliza stares at me and back toward the beast that previously rampaged towards her only moments ago. She only nods and we move on following the subtle path in the forest. Out of the blue a mumbling voice could be heard from her,¡°If I may ask...how are you so strong?¡± I stopped and turned facing Eliza directly into her eyes as to not be disrespectful to the person i converse with. Eliza strangely jumps back startled but recovered back into her posture. ¡°It is the strength i have battered and refined all my previous life. However it is not strength that surpasses humankind.¡± Looking at Eliza¡¯s ribs protruding out reminds me of the malnourished villagers that were fighting off the earlier today. I rather hope that at least one person will be able fend off any beasts. ¡°So if you wish to have the strength of mine, it is not impossible...that is if you are determine to train and devote yourself¡± I continue walking along the narrow path. However only a few further steps in. ¡°W-Will you train me?¡± I turn to see Eliza stare at me with intense. ¡®This is quite interesting...a person of this generation no less a female. However one must have a reason...a motivation...determination...virtue and most importantly must be willing to sacrifice. Does she have what it takes?¡¯ Sternly i replied to her.¡°So tell me child, what is your reason for learning the art of blood-shed battle techniques? Do you wish to gain glory? Or perhaps dominance?¡± Eliza, who seems spooked quickly replies back ¡°I-I just want to have the power¡­.¡± she pauses. ¡®Is that her virtuous answer? Pathetic. Her answer echoed and began to remind me of the tyrannical king. I replied back in disdain ¡°In that case, I believe it is best for you to learn your skills elsewhere.¡± I turn around and as i take a step forward- She grasp onto my arm with both of her hands and shakes her head vigorously side to side. ¡°No I..want enough power to save and protect my village!!!¡± She begins to shed a few tears- ¡°So pl-please teach me!¡± I feel the grasp of her hand tighten. ¡®I look down to see the eyes of a beggar. ¡®Hmmmm¡¯ I looked at her frail body and feminine features that was buried under all the rags she wore. I doubt a woman would be able to face off against a man, but if against a wild creature like a . I suppose it will have to do. It is the undeniable fact that women are weaker than men, but then again i have no reason not to teach her. As I look down- Eliza on her knees looked up at me with desperation ¡°I am willing to commit every moment in my life-every sweat my body can muster-squeeze out every ounce of energy to at least protect the people I care about so that these people will not suffer the same fate i have years ago. So I beg of you please-TEACH ME!!!¡± I looked straight into her eyes and could sense she is telling me what she truly desires. I lift her up back to her feet, ¡°Eliza, If...you truly wish then I shall teach you the knowledge of warfare, but in turn you must obey my every order no matter how harsh it may be. But-don¡¯t forget what our current objective is, so we shall reserve our training until we complete our current duty.¡± ¡°YES!!!¡± Her back suddenly straightens up as if she was ready to take on everything in her path. ¡®This shall be an interesting experiment¡¯ I look up to see the moon rise from the horizon. ¡°For now i suppose we should get some rest for the next day.¡± To be truthful, I would still move on with the quest as I currently do not need rest until my body says i have to; however, I must make sure Eliza leaves this forest unscathed in order to begin out sessions. As I sat down, I quickly started a fire with a flick and continue to watch the limited light we could see fade into pure darkness. ¡®Since when have i gotten this close to her...¡¯ That question ran throughout my head. ¡°Uhhh King Vance-¡± ¡°Do call me Vance, as i am not currently a King.¡± It is rather an inconvenience to repeat something that i am not. ¡°Well, Vance. Do you think that the soldiers that should¡¯ve arrived...are still alive?¡± She looks downward while her eyes seems to be void of everything but sadness and worry. It seems that she has not accept death. That probably might be one of the first things i shall teach. I lift her chin up and make her face me, her cheeks redden.¡°Although I do hope they are still breathing well, However I also understand that their death is quite probable especially in a forest where many beasts hunt in packs.¡± As i say this i turn to find Eliza on the verge of crying. I do nothing to stop her as it is important for her to know that death is inevitable one way or another and comforting her will only make her more dependent on me. In the meantime i grabbed my scepter and bent the space of the tree next to us and expanded it to cover all of your sides as to not get ambushed in the night. ¡°Vance¡­¡± ¡°Yes Eliza?¡± ¡°How...many people have you killed?¡± Eliza still had her face aimed downward. ¡°I do not know...it is rather near uncountable¡± I reluctantly said. ¡°oh¡­.¡± Eliza looks down perplexed. ¡°Do you ever *sniffle* regret murdering all those people?¡± Despite my attempt to not sound blunt I continue on ¡°Eliza...Let me tell you something. Us living things desire to keep living. That is our goal in this world. In nature we kill, scavenge, steal from others for resources-essentially to live. It is an inevitable fact we kill the biggest giants to even to the lowly insects for the very reason to preserve our life, so when you ask me if i ever regret the people that we were at war against in order to survive and obey our insticts? Then no i had no regrets-¡± ¡°BUT WHAT IF THEY HAD A FAMILY, FRIENDS,LOVERS, TEACHERS, PETS¡­¡± she slightly pauses ¡°...a child.¡± Eliza¡¯s furiously looks at me. I looked past those eyes and fury to see a sense of pain. ¡®Perhaps¡­.i have gone to far.¡¯ I took a deep breathe ¡°Even though... i did say i had no regrets killing them... Does not mean i didn¡¯t respect them.¡± I calmy reply to her question. ¡°I respect the spirit and will power of each and every man, in fact i would give them a medal for each person we have faced. After all facing death should not be a day to day basis; however i must do whatever it takes to assure my own survival.¡± She collapsed down next to the tree trunk burying her head into her legs and arms and mumbles ¡°....you still murdered them¡­.¡± Sensing she was still hurt, I decided to leave her on her own for now and left the umbrella¡¯d tree. I look up to in the night sky as if shining down directly onto Eliza. ¡®A...queen. Quite peculier.¡¯ I continue watching the night sky until the weariness drags me back into the darkness. ¡­ ¡­ I woke to see the sun passing to any available openings inside this forest directly into my eyes. I open the umbrella tree and disable my scepter decreasing the size of the tree. ¡°Mmmm¡± Eliza budged but indulged back into her sleep. I attempted to wake her with various methods¡­.and again i was answered with the same response¡­ ¡°mmmm¡± with an annoyed look upon her face. ¡®I guess¡­.it¡¯s in no importance whether or not she is awake once we reach our destination¡¯ I grabbed her arms and put her on my back and swiftly grabbed her legs. My toga kept pushing down my shoulders due to her weight however i paid no heed. I turn to see her rather stunning face. well...beneath the dirt of course and i came face to face with a rather exquisite face. i saw a smooth, fair skin enough to make even the goddesses envious. however i look further to see her eyes swollen. The result of all of the crying from yesterday¡­.¡®Listen Eliza¡­.I do take full responsibility for being straightforward with you when it comes to the death of another; however, it is essential that you are inquired about how we are no different from animals before we begin training. The life of a warrior is not the life of a maiden, surely.¡¯ Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. ¡°mmmmph, where am I?¡± She finally has awoken with a yawn. ¡°Vance...Vance? Oh-dear-oh-dear, please do forgive me!!!¡± She gets off the next instant. ¡°It¡¯s no worries. Now shall-¡± Suddenly i see a pained expression upon her. ¡°ARE THOSE THE SOLDIERS?¡± She quickly deviates from the path into a small clearing near a huge boulder. I quickly follow after and see a couple of people covered in metal. ¡®These...are soldiers?¡¯ Once i got to the small clearing myself, I tap on the metal and soon realize it was armour that covered their entire body rather than just the chest.¡¯Strange...rather, that is genious, but do they have any mobility?¡¯ As i was looking at the soldiers with fascination and curiosity. Eliza on the other hand... ¡°Oh-no-oh-no-oh-no¡± Eliza starts touching the necks and placing her head against their chest. ¡°If i may ask dear, what are you in gods-name are you doing?¡± Asking about all of her actions of touching. ¡°I¡¯m checking to see if they¡¯re¡­.¡± She slowly stands up slowly and dejectedly ¡°alive¡­¡± ¡®Strange as i¡¯m pretty sure they are dead looking at all the blood that is spilt. There was blood also coating at least a large portion of the boulder.¡¯ Recognizing how much grief Eliza must be feeling i swiftly grabbed the spears and helmets of the two soldiers and put them aside. I then grabbed the two soldier and placed both of them in a nearby pond to protect them from the birds that may come to feast on them as a sign of respect ¡°What are you doing¡± Eliza mumbled quietly as if paralyzed unable to take in what has happened or what is going on. ¡°I am giving respect to the dead and placing them under water to shield them from the ferocious birds that may fly across here.¡± I said as i still work in carrying the last person into the water. Once i finished i grabbed two spears one on each hand and plunged them straight into the ground near each to their respective owners. I then grabbed the helmet and put them on top of the spears. *CLAP* Eliza gets on her knees and looks up with both her palms squeeze together. Sensing it was some form of ritual i did not interrupt and continue to stand by and watch out for any potential threats. Sooner than i expected Eliza got up. I wish to ask her if she finished; however she nodded as if she had read my mind and we both get back onto the path. ¡°I hope they are in a better place now¡± still discussing about the death of the two soldiers. After a while i noticed shouts from afar. ¡°Do you hear that?¡± Eliza who still had her grievous face snapped back to reality ¡°Hear what? I don¡¯t hear anything¡± I speed up my pace towards the source of the shouts. ¡®I will be hoping it is the military camp that we have sought for a couple day¡¯s travel.¡¯ ¡°WAIT Where are you-! Are those shouts?¡± Eliza who finally was able to pick up the sound from the air finally realized what i have heard all along. Eliza then speeds her pace to match my own. Soon enough both of us ran stealthily to make sure that the camp was not some sort of bandit camp. There was a slight open field in front of us. Pretty close to that spot i notice light refractions and halted Eliza. ¡® Seems they have us surrounded.¡¯ ¡°Eliza i¡¯m going to toss you onto that tree branch¡± I look up at the tree that is no more than five meters high. ¡°Wait-Why~¡± Just as she was about to deject my proposal she looked at me straight in my eye that basically intel my seriousness in the matter. She whispers, ¡°I understand.¡± She put her foot into my hands after she let loose her unnecessarily huge bag then I pushed her up the tree branch. Immediately right after i walked straight into the clearing knowing that I am surrounded by potential adversaries. I hear the sound of wood bending-three from my East and two from North. I positioned myself in a form that would help me dodge the incoming projectiles. ¡®If only i had a shield. Fortunately there is less than eight archers¡¯ A split second later- *Phewww**Phewww* Arrows began flying in the air. I dodge all of the arrows incoming from the East and swiped all of the arrows from the North in attempt to assure Eliza¡¯s survival who is hiding on top of a tree behind me. ¡°PRESENT YOURSELF YOU SCOUNDRELS.¡± My voice echoed throughout the forest. *Mumbles from within the bushes* A couple of chuckles could be heard from the West. ¡°I see they are making a mockery of me.¡± Annoyed I threw the arrows that i caught only a few moments ago and let them fly to seek its prey into the bushes due West. Blood splatter could be heard against the tree bark and stone.., ¡°AHHHHH MY HAND¡± ¡°AHHH MY LEG¡± Screams of agony pierced the air. ¡°RETREAT¡± A order is executed from another but this time from the North. A few scurrying footsteps soon followed. ¡®Pathetic, to start a battle only to retreat in such a short amount of time.¡¯ ¡°NOW SHALL I REPEAT MYSELF?!?!?!¡± I heard light footsteps from behind me. ¡°A-are we safe now?¡± Eliza cautiously walks towards me as vigilante of her surroundings. ¡®At least she is learning/¡¯ Meanwhile my impatience is ever more growing by each second that passes. Suddenly- *Pewww* A weak powered arrow flys from the bush i was awaiting for the scoundrels to exit out of. I calmy grab the arrow and threw it back just like i would a javelin. ¡°AAAGHHHHH¡± A yelp came out with hints of whimpers surfaced. Irritated, I again yelled ¡°DO I NEED TO REPEAT MYSELF?!?!?!¡± My question was answered when a person clothed in dark attire appeared out of the bush with a bow in one hand. He was crawling on his knees with his hands in the air. ¡°P-please i beg of you, let us go¡± Tears was flowing out of his eyes with an arrow stuck through his hand. Before i got a chance to take a step forward- ¡°Wait, please don¡¯t kill them. Lets just hear him out an-¡± Before Elize got to finish, I have already made up my mind. I walked up to the person who is currently had his knees practically buried into the dirt ground. I flatten my hand and swiftly struck the temple of his head that quickly knocked him down into the land of the dead. I look at the bush where the other still resides and the sounds of weeping that originally could be heard from the bush has now died down signifying his inevitable demise. ¡°You didn¡¯t have to ki-¡± I interrupted her. ¡°During a battle, only one survives and the other meet his due. There is only one true survivor-do NOT forget that.¡± That is the unfortunate truth when it comes to conflict. I did not bother looking at Eliza as i knew what face of her¡¯s awaited me¡­ and the fact that i have made a monster out of myself in front of her. Knowing that Eliza witnessed me murder someone, a thief no less. I decided to go back to the path rather than pursue the other thieves that may or may not lead to their base. After all the safety of the village outweighs the destruction of a bandit coup. Eliza stays silent as we made our way onto our path and we moved on. Unfortunately the darkness caught up to us and began to cover the sky, so we decided to shelter ourselves with my sceptre as i have done many times before. Eliza sat down next to the tree trunk exhausted of all that has taken place in this dreadful forest. I pass her a couple apples i found nearby to her and she ate in a detached manner. She continues to eat without emotion. ¡®Sadness is not good for the heart¡­.¡¯ ¡°Eliza, would you like to hear a folktale?¡± I decided to try and attempt to raise her spirits like i would¡¯ve done with my soldiers in amidst in a war. Eliza stares at me in shock and postured herself next to the tree, ¡°I would love too, Vance!¡± As if this is the first time i have shared something personal. ¡°Well there is this dragon¡­¡± ---------------- Author: So I do apologize for the late chapter, but here it is :D. If you are wondering what i was doing i was doing finals at the beginning of January while i had this cartography thing that started around December for "Immortal Soul" by Mike777ac. Anyways i should be able to go back to the normal schedule :D