《Sien: Nobleman's Adventure》


 Throne Game pt. 1

    In the middle of the great city is a castle with six great towers. On each one of them, there was a flag of a different color. Green, Purple, Red, Yellow, and Blue. Each of the colors represents the royal house. The tower in the middle was different. There wasn¡¯t a flag. At least not yet.


    Not far from the castle, a tournament was held. Thousands of people were watching it. In the arena, there were stands for citizens, and right above them with a better view were stands for nobles. Then between noblemen, there were stands for royal houses. The number of seats for the royal families differed from each other. By the yellow flag sat only three people while by the red there were seven of them.


    By the blue flag sat four people. A beautiful woman with pitch-black hair. She wore a white and blue dress with a coat made of white fur. Beside her sat a man with dark-blond hair and a few gray hairs showing themselves. He had a mark by his right eye of two triangles. He wore a blue shirt and dark coat made of hide.


    Right by them were two children. A boy with long black hair wearing a white shirt and blue coat with fur around his neck. The boy''s younger sister had blond hair and similar clothes to her older brother. The difference was that she wore a skirt. The boy has similar marks to the man. Three small dark triangles.


    ¡°Our boy is coming out!¡± Said the old man with excitement in his eyes. Yet at the same time, he had a tight grip on his hands.


    The children stood up on the chairs to have a better look at the person coming to the arena. It was a young man with silver armor and a majestic blue cape that had a symbol of a deer¡¯s head. The man looked almost the same as the young boy in the stands. He also had a mark by his eye. One dark triangle.


    ¡°Good luck Klain¡­¡± Whispered the woman.


    ¡°Who¡¯s gonna be his opponent? House Lophia? Or is it House Sengest?¡± Said the man as he looked around the entrances to see his son¡¯s opponent.


    ¡°Dear¡­ You don¡¯t know who won the previous duel?¡±


    ¡°I was so excited with Klain¡¯s win that I ignored the next duel. One more win and Klain will fight against the current ruling house. It¡¯s time for House Peresia to step away from the throne.¡±This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    ¡°House Sengest is the one who won.¡±


    Klain¡¯s rival came out in dark silver armor and a red cape with a dragon¡¯s head on it. Once they were both in the middle of the arena they turned around toward the crowd. With swords stuck into the ground, they kneeled.


    ¡°I, Klain Von Alk, shall fight rightfully against my opponent in this royal duel. May the gods be my witnesses.¡±


    ¡°I, Richt Von Sengest, shall fight rightfully against my opponent in this royal duel. May the gods be my witnesses.¡±


    Both men stood up at the same time and took twenty steps forward. Once they did they turned around and put on their helmets. They both unsheathed their swords and got them ready for the duel. They slowly approached each other and the tension rose in the arena with each step they made. The tension broke once they crossed swords. Everyone began cheering for their favorite. After all, the winning house will rule over the country for four years.


    The man with a red cape, Richt Von Sengest, tried to overwhelm his opponent with a number of attacks. Each one of them was effortlessly blocked by Klain. The man with a blue cape stepped to the side while the opponent tried to charge into him. To mock him, he spanked his back with the sword¡¯s side. Some of the crowd laughed at that hilarious view.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be such a fool son! Finish him! Don¡¯t risk it!¡± Shouted the man from the blue stands.


    ¡°As you wish Father¡­¡± Whispered Klain as he struck his sword against the ground, making ice cover the surface in the place he hit.


    ¡°Dad! Can brother do that? Isn¡¯t it against the rules?¡± Asked the young boy.


    ¡°Using magic is against the rules as it is a sword duel but enhancing the sword and himself with magic isn¡¯t against the rules as it is basic for each Nobleman.¡± Explained the father.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you know fire is good against ice? And here I was trying to make that duel fair¡­¡± Said Richt as he covered his sword with fire.


    ¡°Don¡¯t fool yourself¡­ Even if I didn¡¯t use any enhancement I still would win against you. But it looks like I can¡¯t play around anymore.¡± Klain took his gaze away from the opponent to look at his father.


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    Richt wanted to mock his opponent but he was cut off with a surprise. Klain suddenly was right in his face. There was no way for any of them to strike with the sword but Klain had that in mind and punched the man in the side. Then he hit him in the chin with a sword¡¯s handle.


    ¡°What is this?! This isn¡¯t a duel with swords! How dare you!¡± Shouted the man from the red stands.


    Some of the crowd followed the royal man¡¯s complaints and shamed Klain for that. Richt had ice on the side of his armor and his chin. Because of the ice, he was forced to look up. Once he melted the ice he saw a sword coming his way. He used both of his hands to hold off the attack while Klain used only one.


    This time Klain was the one attacking but he didn¡¯t aim for his opponent¡¯s body but his sword. With the enhancement of ice magic, he was able to extinguish the fire and once he did the sword broke in half. He pointed the sword at Richt¡¯s face and took off the helmet. With a smile on his face and a crowd cheering he left the arena as the winner.


    ¡°YES! He did it! My son! There is one more left¡­ Peresia. We are coming for the throne¡­¡± The father of the winner looked at the purple sedition of the stands.

 Throne Game pt. 2

    The children with the mother left the castle while their father stayed for the feast. Most of the people were already inside the hall. Once he entered a guard standing by the doors, announcing the nobleman coming inside.


    ¡°Lord Zimowit Von Alk has joined us!¡± The guard officially announced as he opened the door for the lord.


    Once they heard his name, Zimowit was surrounded by the nobles. Some of them were his supporters and some faked friendliness as they knew that House Alk might become the next ruler. The rest of the Royal Houses only gave him a look.


    Nobles were separated into three groups. House Alk and supporters, House Peresia and supporters, and lastly the rest of the Royal Houses plotting something together. Except for the head of the Lophia family. He was the only one who came to congratulate House Alk. He wasn¡¯t faking the friendliness like some nobles.


    ¡°Lord Zimowit!¡± Shouted the man.


    ¡°Ah. Lord Gran!¡± Answered Zimowit.


    They both hugged each other and patted on the back.


    ¡°How¡¯ve you been? I haven¡¯t seen you in four months!¡± Asked Zimowit.


    ¡°I was out of the capital in my county. Had to make sure everything was okay and make some changes. You should also visit your county. Even if everything is fine it makes people happy to see their lord.¡±


    ¡°I was planning to do it. No worries my friend. I care for my land.¡±


    ¡°And how is your family?¡± Garan grabbed Zimwit¡¯s shoulder and led him further into the room, closer to the table with food.


    ¡°My wife left with the children at our house. They are leaving for the county earlier than me. If not for the changes in the schedule they would stay for the final duel¡­ Speaking of the final duel. Is my son here?¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t seen him¡­ If he were here there would be a crowd around him.¡± They stopped, looking for the man in question.


    ¡°You¡¯re right¡­ Where might he wander to?¡± You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    Peresia¡¯s group began to move toward Alk¡¯s group. That caught everyone¡¯s attention. Standoff between two houses that are fighting in finals. Zimowit watched the family head with his frail body and his son. The son who was supposed to fight was limping along the way. A smile appeared on his face once he knew that the strongest fighter in their family was wounded, the rest of the sons were too young to fight and the family head wasn¡¯t in shape.


    ¡°Well¡­ Well. Well. If it isn¡¯t Lord Donkiel and his son, Gerad.¡± Said Lord Zimowit as he leaned a bit to make a welcoming gesture.


    Gerad answered by leaning too but his father taped him with the shoulder to stop him from doing that.


    ¡°Congratulations on making it to finals but I think this is as far as you go¡­¡± Said Lord Donkiel but he was stopped by Lord Zimowit.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you can stop us right now¡­ Seeing your best fighter in a bad shape¡­¡± Zimowit looked down at the boy¡¯s possibly damaged leg.


    ¡°This is nothing for us to worry about. Our win is secured.¡± Said Donkiel, looking Zimowit straight in the eyes.


    ¡°Hmp. Can¡¯t wait to see the look on your face in two days¡­¡± Said Lord Zimowit as he walked away, being disgusted by Peresia¡¯s attitude.


    ¡°Yeah. Right¡­¡± Whispered Donkiel.


    The House Peresia group left the feast after exchanging words with the rest of the families. It was more of a business meeting for them than an actual feast or celebration. Lord Zimowit and Lord Gran were the ones who stayed the longest. Zimowit wanted to leave at first but after Gran¡¯s suggestion for a drink, his mind changed.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to leave my friend alone with a glass of wine. What would everyone think of you if that would¡¯ve happened?¡± Said Zimowit, making an excuse even for his peace of mind to stay and drink.


    ¡°Right? What would they think? That I have drinking problems? That I¡¯m lonely. That I can¡¯t make bonds?¡± Gran started counting the possible things people could think about him.


    ¡°That side of you never changes. Sober or drunk. You overthink everything.¡± As he was explaining, a servant poured him more wine.


    ¡°Boy. If you could bring us a couple bottles of wine. We can pour them ourselves. No need for you to stay around drunkards. We¡¯ll spare you that experience.¡± Gran stopped the servant after he poured him some wine.


    ¡°If you insist, Lord Gran.¡± Said the boy as he bowed and left the room.


    ¡°Like I said. Overthinker through and through.¡± Zimowit said as he watched the servant leave the room.


    ¡°This overthinking saved me a few times! Like in the war with the Fadim Empire twelve years ago! There was this suspicious village that wanted to help us. With my ¡®overthinking¡¯ mind I was wary of them and found out that they tried to poison us!¡± Gran told the story as he stood up and acted out his story as if he were an actor in a theater.


    ¡°If only that overthinking stopped you from drinking this much beer.¡± Said Zimowit as he pointed out Gran¡¯s beer belly.


    ¡°Know I¡¯m not drinking beer¡­ but wine!¡± Gran picked up the bottle of wine to prove his point.


    ¡°Because that¡¯s the only alcohol they have in here¡­¡±


    ¡°Enough about drinking preferences. How is your second son?¡± Gran shook his hand to leave that topic aside.


    ¡°Lance? He is at the front in the war against our good old enemies. Fadim.¡±


    ¡°Kicking Fadim for his father. You must be proud.¡± Gran laughed.


    ¡°Of course I am. But I am worried at the same time.¡± Zimowit dragged his words as he looked at his image in the wine.


    ¡°As every parent would, Zimowit.¡± Gran said, making Zimowit take his eyes away from the wine.


    ¡°Well¡­ I don¡¯t know if every parent. My father was a bit different.¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­ He might be the only exception¡­¡± Gran¡¯s smile disappeared for a moment as he was reminded of that person¡¯s existence.

 Throne Game pt. 3

    Zimowit and Gran continued drinking till the night sky was covered by shining stars. That was the time when almost the whole table was covered with empty bottles and the time when Gran¡¯s wife came to get him as it was getting late. Zimowit went straight to his bed. Before he could even fall asleep there was a knocking on his door.


    Once he opened the door there were two knights and Lord Donkiel standing between them. Without a word, the knights entered the room and searched for something in the chests and shelves of the room.


    ¡°What¡­ Are you doing?!¡± Shouted Zimowit trying to stay on his feet.


    ¡°As you suspected, Lord Donkiel.¡± One of the knights said and both of them stopped going through Zimowit¡¯s stuff. ¡°We¡¯ve found the thief.¡± The knight showed a metal box with engraved lines and three crystals where one of them was in color of light blue while the other two the black.


    ¡°Zimowit. For stealing an artifact and trying to use it against our nation you¡¯re being arrested and your house is revoked from the royal throne.¡± Said Lord Donkiel as the knight put handcuffs on the drunk man.


    ¡°What? This is a misunderstanding. Stop it! Free me right now! This is an order!¡± Zimowit tried to resist but the other knight knocked him out.


    ***


    Right after the duel against Richt, Klain went to take off his armor and join his father at the feast. A knight entered his room without knocking. Klain wanted to kick him out but he stopped once he saw the man bleeding from his right hand.


    ¡°Lord Klain¡­ I have a message for you¡­¡± The man said between heavy breaths.


    ¡°What happened? Why are you bleeding?¡± Klain stood up, concerned by the knight¡¯s wound.


    ¡°Your family¡­ Mother, son, and sister were taken hostage¡­¡±


    ¡°They were¡­ WHAT?! Did you inform my father?!¡± Klain stopped taking his armor off and even considered equipping it once again.


    ¡°They instructed to only inform you¡­ If anyone else will show up¡­ They¡­ They will¡­¡± The knight tried to say that one specific word but he couldn¡¯t bring himself to say that in this situation.


    ¡°Is there anything else they told you?¡±


    ¡°They want you to meet them alone without a horse and armor by the forest in the south.¡±


    ¡°No ransome?¡± Asked Kalin, figuring out the intentions of the kidnappers.


    ¡°No. They want only you¡­¡±


    ¡°Political kidnaping¡­ I guess they want me to disappear for the time of the tournament¡­ Okay. I¡¯m going.¡± Klain took the rest of his armor and only took his sword.


    Walking through the green forest, Klain found his family carriage and ten people standing in front of it. They had some cheap armor on them. Six with swords, two with spears, and two with bows. The archers had their bows drawn the very moment Klain walked out of the bushes.


    ¡°I¡¯m here¡­ Now. What do you want?¡± Klain was keeping his hand on the sword¡¯s hilt just in case they attacked him out of the blue.


    ¡°You know exactly what we want.¡± Said the eleventh man who was hiding behind the carriage. His armor was better than his companions but it was definitely used in battles as it had scratches and dents all around. The scar on his mouth was proof that he was experienced in battle. He had more scars hidden under the bandana wrapped on his head.


    ¡°You want to keep me out of the duel so Alk won''t rule.¡± Klain said proudly to show that he figured out their plan.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. You¡¯re a smart boy. So why don¡¯t you surrender? And spare the bloodshed.¡± The man said, looking around at his underlings.This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    ¡°Spare the bloodshed? You know that¡¯s impossible. Even though I confirmed my suspicions you won¡¯t let me go.¡±


    ¡°What did you confirm by coming here?¡± Asked the bandits'' leader.


    ¡°My family isn¡¯t in that carriage.¡± Klain pointed at the carriage with a smirk on his face.


    ¡°Did you check inside?¡± The bandit knocked on the carriage¡¯s door.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t have to. This is indeed our royal carriage but we use it only to travel in the city. We have different ones to travel to our land. You wouldn¡¯t recognize it because it¡¯s not an expensive one. My father is a humble person just so you know¡­¡± Klain took out his sword and aimed it at the leader to mock him.


    ¡°Have it your way. Get him!¡± The leader commanded with his finger pointing at Klain and the archers fired the arrows at him.


    The prince jumped to the side to avoid the arrows. Before he could even make a step forward the spearmen were already in front of him. He cut one tip of the spear off and grabbed the other spear with his armpit. He slightly turned to the side and smashed the spearmen into each other.


    Before the swordsmen followed the attack, archers drew their bows for another shot. Klain picked up the spear with a broken tip and threw it at one of the archers. The man didn¡¯t have time to react and was hit in the shoulder. While falling to the ground he broke his bow.


    The other archer hesitated for a moment once he saw his ally fall to the ground. Seeing as Klain was picking the other spear that had the sharp tip, he fled behind the swordsmen.


    The swordsmen, not knowing how to position, grouped into two groups of three. They tried to attack Klain from both sides. Before they could even overwhelm him with numbers he turned to the group to his left. With one strike he hit all three of them. They had large wounds but no blood was coming out of them. Klain imbued his sword with magic and froze their blood before it even came out. The second group stopped and only observed the prince as he effortlessly took out six men.


    ¡°And here I thought only ten men would be enough. I tried to save some money but I see that was a mistake¡­ You¡¯re stronger than I imagined Prince Klain.¡± The leader approached the remaining warriors. ¡°Looks like I have to step in.¡± The man took out a cleaver as long as a sword.


    ¡°Interesting choice of weapon. Mind telling me your name?¡± Klain asked as he closely inspected his opponent.


    ¡°I¡¯m Tarmyr. Some call me The Scared Mercenary.¡±


    ¡°Man with a renown. I¡¯m actually honored that you¡¯re the one who¡¯s after me. I¡¯ve heard some things about you. Loyal for the right amount of money. Not a good leader but a great warrior.¡±


    ¡°Oh my. I should be the honored one since a prince of a royal family heard things about me.¡±


    ¡°Enough talking. I¡¯d like to test your abilities¡­¡± Klain prepared his posture for a duel against the leader.


    ¡°Just the way I like it.¡± The man answered by taking a stand for a duel.


    Tarmyr raised his cleaver and struck Klain with it. The prince wanted to block the attack but it was too powerful and he had to parry it. The mercenary used that chance and kicked him in the stomach.


    ¡°That¡¯s your royal swordsmanship. Finesse, technique, and a bit of magic.¡± Explained Tarmyr as he shattered the ice on his foot. ¡°What you lack is strength like mine. But I¡¯m not going to lie. I¡¯m jealous of that magic of yours.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re flattering me after landing a solid hit on me¡­¡± Klain grabbed his stomach as it was still hurting. ¡°Good thing I protected myself with a layer of ice¡­ Otherwise, it would¡¯ve hurt much worse. His strength can only be compared to a beast.¡± Klain thought as he replayed the first encounter in his mind.


    Tarmyr walked toward Klain with his cleaver dragged on the ground. Klain didn¡¯t want to get hit by him so this time he tried to attack first and overwhelm the opponent with his speed. To Klain¡¯s surprise, Tarmyr was prepared and blocked his attacks with cleaver¡¯s side. What Tarmyr forgot was his opponent''s type of magic. His whole cleaver was covered with ice that was attached to the ground underneath the weapon. At that moment Klain had a chance to heavily wound Tarmyr.


    He was aiming for his shoulder so Tarmyr would have a hard time swinging his weapon. The mercenary broke the ice but couldn¡¯t fend himself in time. The sudden breaking of ice made Klain flinch and his sword went in a different direction. Tarmyr was hit in the eye with a freezing blade.


    While screaming out of pain, Tarmyr punched Klain and made him fly into the tree. He was confused at first because he didn¡¯t feel much pain but he couldn¡¯t see anything with his left eye. He looked at the prince who was trying to recover from the punch.


    ¡°Looks like I¡¯m no match for that brat. The instructions were to not kill him¡­ Agh¡­ I have to use it.¡± Tarmyr took out a metal box with engraved lines and three dark crystals.


    He tapped one of the crystals and threw it toward Klain. As he stood up he saw a small box land in front of him. The engraved lines began to shine with a blue light. A bright light came out of the box, blinding everyone who was looking. The moment they were able to see, by the tree there was only a box with two dark crystals and one in the light blue color.


    ¡°Job done. What a sad fate to be forgotten that way. Whoever you were...¡± Tarmyr picked up the box and left all the injured men in the forest.


    The remaining bandits were confused. They were scared of something. They were injured in a fight with someone. This someone felt like a ghost that they can¡¯t seem to remember.

 Alahia Province pt. 1

    The carriage with the Mother and two children of the Alk family almost reached their final destination. They were in their home province, Alahia, located in the northern part of Saradia Kingdom.


    The climate there was rather cold and harsh for half of the year. The land is vast and flat with small coniferous forests now and then. Since it was spring there were only a few signs of snow.


    ¡°Mama! Look!¡± The girl jumped on her seat out of excitement as she pointed at the window, waiting for the mother¡¯s response.


    ¡°What is it, Kloe?¡± Asked curious mother before even looking through the window.


    ¡°The flowers! The flowers are blooming!¡± She continued tapping the window and jumping in place.


    Outside the carriage, there was a wide field of small blue flowers spread through the whole field. They grew even in places where snow was still frozen.


    ¡°Do you remember what they are called?¡± The mother asked as she looked at her daughter.


    ¡°Blue¡­ Blue something¡­¡± She stuttered, trying to find the right name.


    ¡°Blue Snowdrop. They are the sign of the coming spring and they are the same color as our House flag. The same as most of your clothes.¡± Mother showed the symbol of the house on the son¡¯s coat and pointed at the daughter''s blue skirt.


    ¡°And why do we have a dear as the symbol of our house?¡± Asked the son.


    ¡°It¡¯s because it''s the biggest animal in our land!¡± Kloe answered with pride behind her answer but that pride was shattered with Mother¡¯s answer.


    ¡°There are bigger animals in our land. Sien. What kind of food do we often eat while we are at home?¡±


    ¡°Meat, potatoes, carrots, and onions¡­¡± The boy had trouble counting more food after potatoes.


    ¡°And do you know what kind of meat that was?¡±


    ¡°Ukhm¡­ Fresh?¡± Said Sien, not sure about his answer.


    ¡°It was fresh but it was a dear meat. We honored the animal that fed us through the whole year by making it our symbol. Since it is the beginning of spring¡­ You know what that means?¡± The mother asked, waiting for the children''s answer.If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    ¡°It¡¯s our birthday!¡± Both children announced with a smile.


    ¡°Kloe you¡¯ll turn ten and Sien, thirteen. Kloe¡­ you will get your own horse.¡±


    ¡°My own horse?! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!¡± Kloe hugged her mother to thank her for the gift she hadn¡¯t received yet.


    ¡°And for you, Sien. There is a present waiting from your father. He told me it would be a surprise for you.¡± The mother had her daughter in her arms and looked at the boy.


    ¡°Surprise for me? How long till we get home?! I can¡¯t wait!¡± Sien looked out the window to see any familiar landmarks to know where they were.


    ¡°We¡¯re almost home. But I must warn you that we are stopping at the village for a moment. It is important for a ruler of the land to check on their people.¡±


    ¡°Will we stop by the bakery?¡± Asked the daughter.


    ¡°I guess you want a bun with plums? How about it, Sien?¡± The mother patted the daughter on the head and looked at her son to see his reaction.


    ¡°If I eat a bun with plums I might be a little bit more patient¡­¡± Said Sien with a pouty face, while looking outside.


    The moment the carriage entered the settlement the villagers surrounded it. They greeted the royal family with a smile and joy in their hearts. Panma waved her hand toward her subordinates with a smile. Sien joined his mother while Kloe hid under the window.


    She is a good person but very shy toward the people she doesn¡¯t personally know. Once they left the carriage, Kloe didn¡¯t leave mother¡¯s side for a second. Firmly grasping her hand all the time.


    They visited a few farms to check how the cultivation was going. They often got small gifts like cheese, fruits, and eggs. Lady Panma tried to reject the gifts saying that the farmers needed them more than she did. But she was unable to reject them twice.


    The last, a small farm, was by an old man and his teenage son. The man sat on the fence, taking a break after hard work. Once he saw Lady Panma he jumped off the fence to greet her. She saw the man struggling to take a knee. She stopped him, concerned for his health.


    ¡°How¡¯s the cultivation going?¡± Asked Lady Panma.


    ¡°I¡¯m ashamed to say it¡­ Not well. Our donkey unexpectedly died and that made more work for us. We can only handle half of the land we have without a donkey.¡± The old man explained with his head low, ashamed of his situation.


    ¡°Do you have money to get a new one?¡± The lady asked.


    ¡°Not exactly¡­¡± The old man said with his head down, ashamed to say the truth.


    ¡°I¡¯ll give you one of my horses so your work will go smoothly until you get yourself a donkey.¡± What she said almost brought the old man to tears.


    ¡°No. I can¡¯t accept-¡± He insisted but the lady stopped him.


    ¡°Your farm is feeding us. So of course we are going to help however we can. We¡¯ll bring one tomorrow.¡± Lady Panma said with a serious tone so the man wouldn¡¯t reject her offer.


    ¡°Thank you, my lady.¡± The man didn¡¯t take a knee as he was unable to but he bowed as low as he could to show gratitude.

 Alahia Province pt. 2

    Afterward, they went to a local church to take part in the ceremony. They prayed there for a short time. Sien understood what kind of place the church was. While Kloe not so much. She began paying attention once the choir started singing the prayers accompanied by a harp. The mother caught her daughter¡¯s interest in the harp.


    The mother asked her daughter after the ceremony had ended. ¡°Would you like to take a closer look?¡±


    Kloe answered with a joyful smile, ¡°Yes!¡±


    While the priest left, the musician was still playing on the harp. Silently, practicing the next melody. It was a young woman with long blond hair and clean white clothes. She wasn¡¯t a nun but a peasant. The local priest noticed her talent and got her a harp for the ceremonies. She works on the farm except for the times of the ceremony.


    ¡°Beautiful melody.¡± Said Lady Panma to get the musician¡¯s attention.


    ¡°Lady Panma¡­ Thank you for the praise.¡± Said the woman as she took a knee to welcome the royalty.


    ¡°For how long have you played on harp?¡±


    ¡°On this harp. Only two months. I played on a small lyra before Priest brought this one to the church. I suspect that I¡¯m the reason he bought it.¡± The woman said with a short chuckle at the end.


    ¡°So you¡¯re a talented musician.¡± Said Lady Panma amused by the answer.


    ¡°You¡¯re flattering me, my lady. I was only able to learn how to play faster than most people but my level can be reached with hard work.¡± Explained the woman as she looked at Kloe who was clearly interested in the harp. ¡°Would you like to try?¡± The woman asked as she kneeled to Kloe¡¯s level. The girl hid behind her mother but still poked her eyes out.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be shy. You wanted to try. Didn¡¯t you?¡± Said the mother trying to push Kloe closer to the harp.


    Usually, Kloe would stay behind her mother no matter what but the harp attracted her more than her shyness could push her away. The girl approached the harp with both of her hands tightly gripping the side of her skirt.


    The woman gently pushed her onto the chair and slowly grabbed her hands to guide them toward the strings of the harp. They played a simple melody together by grabbing a single string. The music was slow but majestic. After a moment of repeating the same melody, the woman took her hands away.


    Kloe continued the melody quite well but then she pulled one wrong string and the rest of the melody collapsed with her trying to figure out how it was supposed to go. The girl was clearly frustrated by what happened and wanted to leave the church. The woman tried to convince her to try one more time but children are impatient when it comes to complicated things like instruments.


    Even though she left frustrated, trying to hold back the tears, she later asked her mother if they could come back here again someday so she could try to play on the harp one more time. The mother ensured her daughter that they could go to church every week.Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.


    To brighten up the mood they visited the bakery as their last stop in the village. If not for the sign above the door, no one would know that it is a bakery. Built in a small two-story cottage. The bakery was on the ground floor and the owner¡¯s house was on the floor above.


    The bakery had only three shelves with displayed goods. The biggest one had many pieces of bread and buns to choose from while the two smaller ones were for sweet stuff like buns with plums or cake.


    ¡°Lady Pnama. What a pleasure to see you in my small bakery.¡± Said the middle-aged man with an apron, owner of the bakery.


    ¡°Pleasure is all mine. Can¡¯t miss any baked goods from your shop when I am around the village.¡± Said the lady.


    ¡°What will it be for today? I can even do a special order if Lady would like something more specific.¡± The baker asked, his smile not living on his face for even a moment.


    ¡°There is no need for that. At last for now.¡± The woman said with a smile on her face. ¡°Dark bread and five buns with plums, please.¡±


    ¡°Right away.¡± The man took a willow basket and placed a piece of bread in it, then a piece of cloth and on it the buns. ¡°Here.¡± The man said as he placed the basket on the counter.


    Lady Panma paid and placed one bottle of milk as a tip for the service. The flattered baker thanked Lady Panma for the generous gift. As they left he said that he will repay her with a good cake.


    The journey from the village to their home took only ten minutes with a carriage. First, they were welcomed by a long road with deciduous trees that slowly turned green. Right before the walls of their mansion was a small bridge over a small river. It wasn¡¯t deep, children could swim there without parents worrying that their kids could drown in there.


    Even though there were walls surrounding the mansion, the gates were wide open most of the time as the family had nothing to fear in their province. There were two guards with light armor and spears standing by the gate. There was a small table and two chairs beside the entrance to the mansion¡¯s grounds. The guards were playing cards to kill time.


    Once they saw the carriage they stopped playing to greet the family. One of the guards took an opportunity to cheat and he hid one of his cards in the deck.


    ¡°Good day, my Lady.¡± Said both guards as they took a knee.


    ¡°Good day to you too, Sifrid, Tomal.¡±


    ¡°How was it in the capital?¡± Asked Sifrid, the younger guard.


    ¡°Pleasant for me and the kids. I don¡¯t know about my husband. After all, he wasn¡¯t there to enjoy the city. At least nothing bad happened while we were there.¡±


    ¡°Good to hear. When will the Lord be coming from Waris?¡± Asked Tomal, the older guard with a mustache, the one who cheated with the cards.


    ¡°If nothing stopped him in the capital then he should be in a day or two.¡±


    Once the carriage entered the front garden the guards continued their game of cards. Sifrid didn¡¯t suspect that Tomal was cheating but this whole time he had a feeling that something was off about the game.


    The manor and surrounding grounds were not as large as the royal family might have you believe. There were a few trees in front of the mansion and a small fountain with a statue of a snowflake. The back of the manor was covered by a garden with flowers and a little pond. Under the single tree, there was a table and a bench to enjoy the warm days.


    The mansion itself was a three-story building in the shape of a letter ¡°L¡±. It was mainly built out of stone except for the roof and parts of the second floor. The walls were gray and the roof was made of dark wood.


    Besides the mansion, there were two buildings. Stable for the horses made of dark and light wood. And a workshop for the tools for gardening and maintenance of the buildings made with the same materials as the stable, like it was built from the leftovers.

 Alahia Province pt. 3

    Once the carriage stopped, Kloe ran out straight toward the stable to see the horses. She was hoping to find a new one that would be her personal horse. She counted ¡°Papa¡¯s horse, Mama¡¯s horse, Brother¡¯s horse¡­ and¡­¡± She stopped counting once she saw a new horse with blond hair that was almost matching her own hair color. The horse was smaller than the rest because it was younger than the others.


    ¡°Mama! Is that my horse? Can I name it? Can I name it?¡± Kloe asked, jumping in place out of excitement.


    ¡°Sure. It is yours after all.¡±


    ¡°I want to name my horse¡­ Lemon. Because she is as yellow as a lemon haha!¡± The girl giggled.


    ¡°Interesting choice. Now try to give this to her.¡± The mother handed a carrot to Kloe. ¡°Before you can even ride her, you need to show the horse that you¡¯ll be the one taking care of her.¡±


    The daughter grabbed the carrot and moved it closer to the horse¡¯s box. The horse got interested in the carrot and smelled it. After sniffing the carrot she gently grabbed it into her mouth and chewed it.


    ¡°Mom! Give me another one!¡± The girl said with enthusiasm.


    ¡°Okay. Okay. Here.¡± The mother chuckled as she gave one more carrot to her daughter.


    While the mother and daughter stayed in the stable, Sien went inside the mansion. By the entrance door, he was greeted by their servant, Lily. A young woman with dark hair that in light looked almost purple. She always wore her hair in a ponytail so they wouldn¡¯t get in the way of her work. Lily cleans most of the house and helps Lady Panma with cooking. Lord Zimowit hired her so Panma could rest more but she insisted on cooking for her family.


    ¡°Where is Lady Panma and Lady Kloe?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Currently in the stable.¡± Sien quickly answered.


    ¡°Kloe is meeting her new horse, how lovely. Before you go Master Sien. The dinner will be ready in an hour.¡± Lily said before the boy could run upstairs.


    Sien went to his room which was on the first floor. His room was simple without many decorations. Beside the bed, in the room, there was a chest, a bookcase, and a shelf. By his bed, he had a window with a view into the gates of the manor. He hoped to find his present in his room but there was nothing in there. He even checked the chest if it was hidden inside it or under his bed.


    ¡°Maybe that¡¯s where he left it. Father probably didn¡¯t find time to sneak a present into your room.¡± He looked outside the window and saw the third building on their ground.


    Running outside, he asked his mother where the present was since he hadn¡¯t found it in the bedroom. The mother thought for a moment, then she pointed at the workshop right beside the stable.


    ¡°Oh. Okay. Thank you, Mom!¡± Said the boy as he ran to the shed.


    The workshop was small but it was able to fit all the tools that they possessed. On his right, there were shelves with tools on them. In front, there was a blackboard that covered most of the wall. The guards'' duties to be performed during the week were written on it in white chalk. Guarding the gate, raking, cutting tree branches, etc..


    To the left, there was a bookcase and a large table with small tools like hammers on it. Above it, there was a map of a whole country and parts of neighboring nations.


    Sien checked the table and shelves for his possible present. No luck in finding it. The worst thing that came to his mind was waiting for his father to give him the present. That idea didn¡¯t stop him from searching.


    Under the table, there were sticks, pieces of wood, and cloth. He searched them all and once he grabbed the cloth he felt something hard under it. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t be a stick wrapped in cloth¡­ Please don¡¯t be a stick wrapped in cloth¡­¡± Sien chanted as he grabbed the thing wrapped in cloth. When he lifted it he knew that it wasn¡¯t just a stick. It was much heavier. He slowly unwrapped the thing and saw a shining saber with a guard for the fingers. Something fell off the cloth. It was a note ¡°Happy Birthday son¡±.


    Sien tried using the saber. In his mind, he performed like the master swordsman but in reality, the sword was a little too heavy for him to lift properly. He admired a sword a little bit longer imagining how amazing he would look with it.


    ¡°Looks like I¡¯ll have to train if I want to use this sword properly. But how do I train my muscles?¡±


    Sien carried his saber in both hands like he was about to give it to someone. He went to the guards to ask them for advice as they were experienced with swords and weapons alike.


    ¡°Master Sien. What brings you here?¡± Asked Sifrid.


    ¡°I got this sword as a gift for my birthday. But it¡¯s heavy. How do I train to be able to wield it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s called a saber. It¡¯s much lighter than a sword. If you want to wield the sword you need to train both your arms and legs. For example, you can just swing the sword like that many times.¡± Tomal joined the conversation and showed Sien how to train his body. He took a wide stand and swung the sword vertically up and down. A motion similar to chopping wood.


    Sien tried repeating those moves but Sifrid stopped him and turned him around away from them. ¡°Remember. While you train you don¡¯t point the sword toward anyone. You don¡¯t want to hurt us by mistake. Do you?¡±


    ¡°Right!¡± The boy quickly answered, embarrassed by his action.


    Sien swung his saber a few times but it was hard for him to balance. The guards saw his unhappy face with the results of his swings.


    ¡°Training doesn¡¯t bring results instantly. It takes time but once you can wield it properly you will look back at this training with pride.¡± Explained Sifrid, puffing out his chest.


    ¡°Thank you very much for the advice!¡± Sien leaned his head to show gratitude toward the helping guards.


    Sien continued training for a few minutes while the guards watched him and from time to time gave him bits of advice on how he should stand. His training was stopped by a voice inside his head. ¡°The dinner will be ready in an hour.¡±


    ¡°The dinner! I have to go. Bye!¡± Sien ran to his home with a saber above his head like he was about to attack someone with it.


    The table for the dinner was already prepared. Kloe was sitting by the table waiting for the food. There were only cups of warm tea ready when Sien came back.


    ¡°Look what I got, sis!¡± Said Sien with excitement to show his present to the rest of the family.


    ¡°Wow! You got a sword?!¡± Kloe stood up from the chair to take a closer look at Sien¡¯s present.


    ¡°It¡¯s a saber!¡±


    ¡°Wow! Can I try it?¡± She extended her hands toward the weapon to get hold of it.


    ¡°Sure. But it¡¯s really heavy.¡± Sien was about to hand the saber to Kloe but the mother took it before Kloe could even touch it.


    ¡°Beautiful saber you got there. But it¡¯s not a toy so don¡¯t play with it at home. And Kloe this is not befitting a lady of your status¡­ But you can try it tomorrow with Sien under guard''s supervision.¡± Explained the mother as she took the saber away.


    ¡°Okay¡­¡± Both children responded to their mother''s warning.


    For dinner, the family had scrambled eggs with bread and vegetables to choose like tomatoes, lettuce, or cucumber. The kids drank compote while Lady Panma and Lily enjoyed warm tea.


    Usually, the servants eat after serving their masters and in a different room. Like in the kitchen where they cook. Lily was treated differently by the Alk family. She ate with the family by the table. She had her spot in front of Lady Panma.


    When Lily first came to work in the mansion she was hesitant to eat with the family. Saying it was not befitting for her to eat with the royal family. Lady Panma was persistent and pursued Lily to finally eat with them.


    After dinner, the children went to sleep while Lady Panma helped Lily with the dishes. Lady Panma saw Lily not as a servant but as a helper with her house responsibilities.


    The next day calmly passed. Kloe took care of her horse and spent most of the time in the stable with Lemon. Sien practiced, supervised by guards. Kloe joined them for a moment but left quickly as she was unable to lift the saber.


    The night came and Panma looked through the window. Hoping to finally see the light of a carriage with her husband coming home. She finally fell asleep with the hope of seeing him in the morning.

 Family Defamation pt. 1

    The journey to the town of Malberg was almost at the end as they were reaching their destination. Sien didn¡¯t learn any moves or techniques from Sam but he learned the basics of survival in the wilderness. How to start a fire or find food in the forest.


    He also listened to tons of stories from Sam. Just from those stories, he understood how to be kind and that being helpful can bring a smile to his own face, even if there is nothing to gain from it. He got used to the accent that common folk use. Because of his clothing and the saber people would think that he is from the middle class rather than a noble.


    Once they left the forest they saw a small town hidden behind the walls. Sien jumped with excitement as they were about to reach their destination. Sam began to worry once he saw a long line of carriages standing in front of the gates. He didn¡¯t say anything to Sien to not bring his mood down.


    Luckily it wasn¡¯t a problem for them since the only people that were being stopped were merchants. All of them are wearing furs, suggesting that they are from the north.


    ¡°Excuse me. What¡¯s all the commotion about?¡± Sam asked the guard by the gates.


    ¡°All the merchants are moving from the north and they are cramping up in our town. We¡¯re limiting the entry for them since there isn¡¯t much space.¡± The guard explained as he watched one of the merchants being searched.


    ¡°Do you know the reason?¡± Asked Sam as he watched the same merchant making a commotion over his supplies.


    ¡°Few of them said that soon they won¡¯t profit from a fallen province. Must be connected to that incident with the royal family.¡±


    ¡°What kind of incident? The news hasn¡¯t reached my village yet.¡±


    ¡°You know how there are five royal houses? Well. Now it is only four because-¡± Before the guard could explain Sien grabbed Sam and dragged him away.


    ¡°Hey! What are you doing?! Sien!¡± Sam, confused, slowly raised his voice.


    ¡°We don¡¯t have time.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°We just don¡¯t have time¡­¡± Sien said but his voice cut off because he didn¡¯t have any explanation for the rush. Sam saw his sad face and didn¡¯t bother to question him for the moment.


    ¡°So where are we going first?¡±


    ¡°Do you have some time before meeting with your friend?¡±


    ¡°I have some time to spare.¡± Sam answered after looking at the position of the sun in the sky.The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    First, they went to buy a bedroll for Sien so he wouldn¡¯t sleep on the ground on his journey. The whole time Sien rushed to buy the items so they didn¡¯t stay for long in the shop. Even though Sam was interested in buying a new pot. Sien heard whispers about his father in every corner. Even while buying the map, before leaving the shopkeeper noticed the symbol on his back and whispered ¡°House Alk¡± which Sam overheard.


    ¡°Do you have any more places to check?¡±


    ¡°That''s all for today. I don¡¯t think I can afford a horse for the journey so I¡¯ll have to stick to my two legs.¡± Sien tapped his legs to show that he could handle the long path ahead.


    ¡°You know you can try to catch a ride with merchants or even farmers.¡± Said Sam as they passed a few carriages.


    ¡°That didn¡¯t cross my mind!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve got much to learn. But the journey ahead will teach you everything you need.¡± Said Sam with an almost melancholic ring to it.


    ¡°So where does your friend live? I can walk you there and go my separate way after.¡±


    ¡°I think you might wanna come.¡± Said Sam as he led the way.


    ¡°Why?¡± The boy asked.


    ¡°Just a hunch but I think you¡¯ll find a common ground with him.¡±


    The tenement house was located by the wall near the watchtower. It wasn¡¯t a main road and there were no shops around. The only people walking around lived there. They knocked on the first doors on the ground floor. After a while, the doors opened.


    ¡°Samuel?¡± The old man without one leg, leaning on a cane said with wide eyes as he saw Sam right in front of him, surprised to see him.


    ¡°It¡¯s me. Master.¡±


    The old man welcomed them and sat them by the table while he prepared the tea. Sam wanted to do that for him but the man refused by saying ¡°I¡¯m capable of doing this on my own. Missing leg won¡¯t stop me.¡±


    The apartment was quite spacious and well-kept. No one would suspect that a crippled man was living here. The walls were covered by many medals and two paintings. One with the knights on the horses, enjoying their ride, and the second painting was a portrait of the old man when he was younger.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never expected you to come here to visit me. You don¡¯t care about the village anymore?¡± Asked the old man as he placed a cup of tea in front of Sam.


    ¡°I still care. No one dared to do anything to the village and there were no signs of beasts so I left with peace of mind. I met a boy who¡¯s on a journey down south so I thought I¡¯d tag along to the town.¡± Sam explained as he sniffed the expensive tea that the man gave him, imagining the fancy taste of the liquid in the cup.


    ¡°I presume you must be that boy?¡± Asked the master as he placed another cup on the table, by Sien.


    ¡°Yes. That would be me. Pleasure meeting you sir.¡±


    ¡°Your face looks¡­ familiar.¡±


    ¡°It does?¡± Asked confused Sien.


    ¡°What is your name, boy?¡± The old man asked as he sat down by the table.


    ¡°My name is Sien¡­¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s your full name?¡± The man¡¯s eyes inspected Sien closely.


    ¡°Well¡­ Umm¡­¡± Sien tried to think of a way to avoid the question but was unable to find any.


    ¡°Judging by your clothes you must be a nobleman. The saber¡­ You¡¯re of the royal house¡­ those colors¡­ And the mark on your face.¡± The old man pointed out obvious things connecting Sien to his family.

 Family Defamation pt. 2

    ¡°No point in hiding it¡­ My full name is Sien Alk¡­¡± Sien asked with his head down, expecting questions or insults toward his family.


    As Sien said, the old man suddenly stood up like someone barged into the room and he was about to grab his sword but then he fell to his knees and held his head low. Samuel only smiled at the sight, while Sien was still scared after the sudden movement of an old man.


    ¡°My apologies that I didn¡¯t greet the members of the royal family with proper respect.¡± The old man said with his face close to the ground.


    ¡°I¡¯m no longer a member of the royal family¡­ Haven¡¯t you heard-¡±


    ¡°For me, house Alk is and will be the royal family as long as I live.¡± The man interrupted Sien.


    ¡°But¡­ Why? My father is a thief¡­¡±


    ¡°Do you truly believe that? Because I don¡¯t.¡± The man finally looked at Sien to see his expression.


    ¡°Of course I don¡¯t. But why don¡¯t you believe the official announcement?¡±


    ¡°Boy. You looked all around my apartment and haven¡¯t noticed one thing above the door?¡± The old man slowly said, waiting for Sien to see the thing he mentioned.


    ¡°That is¡­ Our emblem¡­¡± Sien whispered as he saw a blue emblem with a deer on it above the door.


    ¡°I once served your father in the war. I know what kind of man he is. The war shows the true face and I saw a kind man thinking first about his own man. That certainly wasn¡¯t the face of a thief.¡± The old man explained as Sam helped him stand up.


    ¡°Wait. Sam, did you know about my identity?¡±


    ¡°Only when we left the shop. The shopkeeper whispered your house name. I¡¯m from a village and I don¡¯t know much about ruling families.¡±


    ¡°What are you doing here, Sien? So far from the north?¡± The old man asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m going south for my brother. Only he can help my father.¡± Sien explained with a serious face.


    ¡°For your brother? Young Lance?¡±Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.


    ¡°Yes! Do you know him too?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen him once when he was four years old. And recently heard a few things about him before I lost my leg.¡± The old man tapped the place where his leg once was. ¡°So you¡¯re going down south to the border¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes. That¡¯s the only way.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d love to accompany you, my Lord. But this crippled old man won¡¯t be of much use.¡± The man said as he looked at Sam with dead eyes awaiting his response.


    ¡°Agh¡­ I had a hunch it¡¯ll come to that¡­¡± Sam growled as he scratched his head.


    ¡°Samuel. Would you escort the boy to the south?¡±


    ¡°Looks like the only way to repay you¡­ But I want you to ask knights to cross by the Dalir from time to time.¡±


    ¡°I can do that. You won¡¯t have to worry about the village while you¡¯re away. Thank you for accepting my request.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s no problem. You heard that kid. I¡¯m escorting you to the south. Looks like you¡¯ll have your own master for the journey.¡± Proudly announced Samuel.


    ¡°You would really help me? Thank you very much!¡± The boy said with his head down to show appreciation for the kindness they showed him.


    They ended up staying for the night to continue the trip in the morning. Sien listened to stories of an old man and his connection to his father. He explained that the painting with the knights depicted him and Lord Zimowit. They were the ones talking and reading close to each other.


    ¡°While I¡¯m not proud of that suggestion I recommend that you should wear this to cover the family symbol and something to cover your marks. Not many people trust your family after the announcement. This should help you stay out of sight.¡± The old man gave Sien a coat to cover his back.


    ¡°Thank you very much. I¡¯m sorry if I¡¯m asking too late but could you tell me your name? I didn¡¯t catch it while we were talking.¡±


    ¡°My name is Oswald Saned. Once you rescue your father, try to visit me with him.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll remember that Sir Saned.¡± Those words brought a smile to the old man¡¯s face.


    ¡°See you in a few months, master.¡± Said Sam before they left.


    Before leaving the town Sien bought makeup to cover his mark. The lady selling them was surprised that a young boy was interested in buying them and explained step by step how he should put the makeup on.


    ¡°Sam. I know my main goal is to reach my brother but I¡¯d like to accomplish something along the way. I want to make the name Alk a good name throughout the whole country.¡± Explained Sien, looking at his saber and remembering the kindness his family showed to the people around them.


    ¡°Master.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°As of today, call me Master. It does have a good ring to it. Master Samuel.¡± Said Sam with a smirk on his face thinking of the times when people would admire him after hearing him being called a master.


    ¡°Fine. Master. Will you help me with making Alk a good name that everyone would trust?¡±


    ¡°Of course, I¡¯ll help you. After all, I am your master.¡± Sam assured the boy that he would remain by his side.

 Hero鈥檚 Artifact pt. 1

    Sien and his master ended up in an unusual situation. Both were being chased by huge boars that wouldn¡¯t let them be. Sien was slowly losing strength after running with no stop. Sam noticed that Sien was struggling.


    ¡°Can¡¯t you use magic?!¡± Sam desperately asked not knowing what to do.


    ¡°I can¡¯t!¡± Loudly answered Sien.


    ¡°I thought you royals can do magic-¡± Sam shouted but his voice became distant as fell into some hole. Sien didn¡¯t notice his master falling and ran into the same gap.


    They both struggled with standing up, especially Sam. Sien softened his landing by falling on Sam. They looked up to see the hole they fell through. It was a single hole in the ceiling of the cave with no way of reaching it.


    ¡°Well¡­ Let¡¯s hope there is another way out¡­¡± Said Sam trying to find some source of light or another path that could lead them out of the cave.


    ¡°There is a crack in the wall we can fit through.¡± Sien found a crack that he would easily go through.


    ¡°How convenient it would be to be small as a kid right now¡­¡± The crack was twice as small as Sam. He had to squeeze through the gap by crouching.


    On the other side, they didn¡¯t find a light coming out of the cave but there were flowers that gave a dim blue light and showed the path ahead. Not having any other options they followed the path.


    The path was blocked by a square double door made of stone and illustrations engraved on the walls. Sien wanted to open the doors but Sam stopped him.


    ¡°Hey! You know what you¡¯re doing?¡±


    ¡°Opening the doors?¡±


    ¡°Boy. Do you know where those doors lead to?¡± Asked Sam as he kneeled down to be on Sien¡¯s eye level.


    ¡°To the exit?¡± Said Sien, not being sure about his answer as Sam''s face changed after he said that.


    ¡°No¡­ Those are the doors to a dungeon.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s a dungeon?¡±


    ¡°Um. You don¡¯t know what a dungeon is? I thought they would tell the stories about them to kids¡­ A dungeon is a dangerous place. This one doesn¡¯t have a mark on it from the army or the adventurers. So it wasn¡¯t explored yet or¡­ No one left this place alive! So we are not going in there.¡± Sam explained as he was about to leave this place through the crack and find another way out but Sien ignored his warning and opened the doors.


    ¡°Adventure!¡± The boy shouted as he ran through the doors.


    ¡°No¡­ You did not¡­ You¡¯re lucky that I have a good heart¡­¡± Whispered Sam as he slowly walked to Sien, disappointed in his action.


    ¡°If it¡¯s a dangerous place, what can we expect here?¡±


    ¡°Everything. From traps to monsters that lay down in here. The only good thing is that dungeons hold treasures in them. It¡¯s the only thing keeping me going through it right now¡­¡±


    ¡°A treasure?! We could use some coins for the travel!¡± Said Sien as he showed how much space he had in his pouch.Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    ¡°We could use our lives to the fullest¡­¡± Sam could only imagine him dying in a place like this.


    ¡°It is living to the fullest!¡± Sien ran forward to the next room.


    The room was small and almost empty. It had three chests. One of them was open and held coins and the other two were closed. Sien approached the chest and took the coins from it.


    ¡°Hey! What are you doing?! It might be a trap!¡± Sam shouted as he looked around in fear, looking for some kind of trap that Sien might have activated. Then he saw a text on the wall ¡°Humans are greedy but heroes think of others.¡±


    Once Sien took all the coins from one chest. He counted them and left a hand of them back in the chest as they didn¡¯t fit in his small pouch. He ran up to Sam to show the coins.


    ¡°We have enough money for the journey!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you want to open the other chests?¡±


    ¡°Why? There are three and we have enough coins. We can leave something for others who might come here. Like the adventurers.¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ but if there is no trap why don¡¯t we-¡± Sam wanted to take more but the hidden passage opened as they passed the test. ¡°Looks like we passed the test.¡±


    ¡°What test?¡± Asked Sien, not understanding how the dungeons work, he was able to pass the first test.


    ¡°There are many different types of dungeons. We got lucky because it''s a testing dungeon. That means we are tested if we are worthy. There are also battle dungeons which are pure battles with monsters and the unknown.¡± Explained Sam as they walked along another path with glowing blue flowers.


    ¡°Cool! So what are they testing us for?¡±


    ¡°Good question¡­ Maybe the answer was on the gates but we didn¡¯t have time to check them.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t want to check them in the first place. You wanted to try another way out. I think that is the only way out.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re saying that because you want to explore the dungeon¡­¡±


    ¡°Maybe¡­¡± Sien said playfully as he ran to the next door. This time he read the sentence above it.


    ¡°Helping others can drag you to the death.¡± The doors opened as Sam finished reading the text. ¡°I don¡¯t like that. There is death in there. And I don¡¯t agree with this¡­¡± Sam looked back thinking of leaving this place but on the other hand the text mocked his values. ¡°Helping others doesn¡¯t bring death. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    This time Sam was the one leading. The room was spacious with metal cages that could fit a whole person. There were five of them in total and one of them had a skeleton inside.


    They first approached the cage with a skeleton inside. He had the clothing of a peasant and nothing with him. The others, on closer inspection, had only a single bone inside. Like a single rib or a finger.


    ¡°I don¡¯t get it.¡± Said Sien as he scratched his head, confused with a puzzle left for them.


    ¡°Check the skeleton once more, maybe we missed something¡­¡±


    Before even checking the corpse Sien noticed a sign on the floor. Each cage had a small sign under the cage door. The one with a skeleton had written death on it. The other two had death too and the last one that was empty had life.


    While they tried to figure it out some kind of gas slowly spread around the room. In a panic, Sam entered the cage with a ¡°Life¡± sign and the cage doors closed. He noticed that there were pressure plates inside them. Once he raised his legs the cage opened. His eyes moved from Sien and the gas back and forth.


    ¡°Maybe they are right. Helping others will bring me to death.¡± Sam pushed Sien inside the cage and quickly entered the cage with a death sign. ¡°Save your family, Sien.¡± Once Sam entered the cage all the doors closed and Sien fell through the hole that suddenly appeared under his cage.


    Sien screamed Sam¡¯s name as he fell down. The falling slowed down as he was reaching the bottom of the hole. His landing was gentle which surprised him, the cage door opened but he remained inside.


    ¡°Master¡­ Sam died¡­ because of me¡­ I killed him! If only I listened to him! We could just leave the cave a different way¡­ but my curiosity¡­ I killed my master¡­¡± Sien sobbed as he fell to his knees, all his strength leaving his body.


    The text on the wall in front of him shined in a red light. This time the text wasn¡¯t part of a puzzle but a note for the ones who fell down here.


    ¡°Heroes don¡¯t die in vain. The saved carry their wishes and values so they would never be forgotten.¡±


    As Sien read that Sam¡¯s voice rang through his head. ¡°Save your family, Sien.¡±

 Hero鈥檚 Artifact pt. 2

    Sien gathered the strength to stand up and finish the dungeon. He walked slowly but his eyes were focused on the path ahead. This time he didn¡¯t whisper that he killed Sam, he whispered that his death wouldn¡¯t be in vain.


    The double doors were four times the size of Sien, who was as tall as any thirteen-year-old boy. One side of the door was made of light wood with an engraved mighty knight on it. The other side was made of dark wood with a dark mage engraved on it. They were showing the battle between the hero and the evil. Another text shined above the entrance.


    ¡°It''s time for a new hero to arise. Shall we see if he is up to the task?¡±


    Behind the doors was a long room with a throne at the end of it. There were countless skeletons scattered throughout the room. Some had armor on them while some had robes of a mage. The skeleton on the throne was different. He didn¡¯t have any clothes, only a silver crown on his head.


    The moment he stepped into the room the door closed and all the torches suddenly lit on fire. The skeleton on the throne moved, picked up the sword, and stood up. The skeleton with a crown smashed the first skeleton on the ground with its sword. Accompanied by the sound of crushing bones were silent screams as if the bodies were still alive.


    ¡°Why¡­ Do I hear screams?¡± Sien asked himself confused by the task given by the dungeon.


    Another skeleton was getting smashed into bits as new screams echoed through the room. The smashed skeleton rebuilt itself and was still screaming. Silently but the screams were present. The third skeleton had clothes that Sien seemed to remember. This skeleton had the loudest screams and he knew that voice. It was the voice of Sam.


    ¡°Sam? The souls didn¡¯t leave the body¡­ and this one is tormenting them?!¡± Sien concluded.


    The boy raised his saber to fight the skeleton but a bone flew past his face, making a scratch on his ear. The skeleton with a crown threw the bone as a warning to the boy. Sien lowered his saber at the sight.


    ¡°But¡­ I don¡¯t stand a chance¡­¡± His voice trembled with the body.


    The doors that were once closed, opened again, giving Sien a way to escape this mischievous place. Tempted by the way out of this test, Sien crawled toward the exit. But he hesitated once he heard more screams behind him. He gently touched his saber, thinking about the current situation. He gripped it tightly and turned around to face the skeleton.


    ¡°You wanted to test if I¡¯m fit to be a hero? I¡¯ll show you just who I AM!¡± Sien shouted as he ran at the skeleton with a sword.


    With a sloppy swing, he reflected the skeleton¡¯s sword away from the screaming soul of the dead. The skeleton¡¯s arm froze in place and its head turned toward Sien with one swift turn. Sien, scared, took a step back. The skeleton then looked back at the dead under his feet.


    ¡°No¡­ I¡¯m not letting you torment them any longer!¡± Sien shouted as he swung his saber at the skeleton.


    Skeleton understood Sien¡¯s intention of stopping his task. He regarded him as an intruder he had to get rid of. The skeleton began attacking Sien, widely swinging his sword to attack. Sien was able to block each attack in time but after each attack, his hands were blown away. If not for the hand guard his saber might have flown off his hand.


    Sien was slowly forced back, against the wall with no escape. This time he didn¡¯t parry the attack but ducked down and kicked the skeleton¡¯s foot in the hope that it would fall apart. His leg couldn¡¯t move. As if he hit a wall. The skeleton took notice of the boy¡¯s attempt and kicked him away.


    Sien got all the air knocked out of him with that one hit. He coughed, trying to grasp every bit of air back. His mind was clouded in confusion. He snapped back once he heard the skeleton getting closer to him. Sien saw the door wide open but his eye went back to the skeleton.


    ¡°No¡­ Matter¡­ How¡­ Strong you are¡­ I won¡¯t... I won¡¯t surrender!¡± Sien gathered the strength to stand up and fight the skeleton.


    The skeleton raised his sword to swing it at the boy from above. Sien ignored that fact and remained focused on his opponent¡¯s neck. He dived in, his saber moving toward the neck. The skeleton¡¯s sword inches from his back. Sien gritted his teeth awaiting the pain on his back from the skeleton¡¯s sword but it didn¡¯t come. He heard the sound of a bone hitting the ground. Once he cut off its head the skeleton stopped moving.


    ¡°I¡­ I did it?¡± Sien whispered as he took a step back and fell to the ground.


    The skeleton with the crown crumbled down into pieces. A sound of relief filled the room as the other skeletons turned into dust.


    ¡°They are free... Rest well.¡± Sien gently whispered.If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    A way out appeared behind the throne. He took a deep sigh and stood up to leave the room. On his way, he looked at each corner. Remembering where each skeleton lay down. He stopped for a moment to watch the place where his master¡¯s skeleton was.


    ¡°I¡¯ll finish my task. For your sake¡­ Sam¡­ Watch me from above.¡±


    The tunnel behind the throne was a long one but this whole time Sien could see the light at the end of it. The steps he made echoed through the tunnel. Making it feel as if the tunnel was longer than it actually was. The sound of steps was later accompanied by the sound of flowing water.


    ¡°Do I hear a river?¡± Sien whispered.


    Once he reached the end of the tunnel he saw a big circular room with blue flowers on the ceiling yards away from him, giving light to the whole room. Almost the whole floor was covered in dark liquid that was streaming inside by the holes in the walls. There was a small altar in the middle of the room and a bridge connecting the tunnel with the altar.


    ¡°Took you long enough.¡± A familiar voice shouted from the altar.


    Hearing his voice, Sien ran to the altar. By the end of the bridge stood his master with his skin and bones intact. Well and alive. Sam wanted to show off something he found but before he could even reach for it, Sien hugged him tightly and sobbed under his coat.


    ¡°Woah. Are you alright kid?¡± The man asked, confused by the boy¡¯s action.


    ¡°I thought¡­ I thought you died up there! And then there was a skeleton that had the same coat as you! And he screamed with your voice.¡± Sien loudly explained between the sobs he made.


    ¡°Wait. Screamed with my voice?¡± Asked Sam even more confused.


    Sien explained everything that happened once they were separated. Of course, like a kid, he colorized his actions and took out the parts of him crying. Sam was left with an open jaw when he heard the part about his skeleton that screamed with the same voice as his.


    ¡°You did well and passed the test. Mine was easier since I only had to pick the right item. So what kind of reward did you get? I got this sword.¡± Sam showed a silver sword that he hid behind his back to surprise Sien.


    ¡°There is a reward! I didn¡¯t get any! Maybe the crown was the reward!¡± Sien wanted to go back and check the room once again but he stopped once the room began shaking as if the earthquake suddenly occurred.


    The altar opened and a small pedestal arose from it. On it, there were two rings in the shape of claws with a chain on them connected to the bracelet. Sien was the first to check the mysterious item. This time Sam didn¡¯t stop him or question the situation.


    ¡°Is this my reward?¡± Sien asked, thinking of trying the jewelry on.


    ¡°Might as well take it. I got a sword so you can take weird rings.¡± The man waved his hand showing that Sien was free to do whatever he wanted with them.


    Once Sien put them on, the ground began shaking once more. The streams of black liquid bursted out of the holes. Filling the room with more liquid. Before it could reach their feet the stream stopped and all the dark liquid moved toward Sien¡¯s new jewelry. It looked like the claw rings absorbed all the liquid in the room. Revealing the stairs down and a new way out.


    ¡°How is that¡­ possible?¡± Sam questioned the scene that happened right in front of his eyes.


    ¡°Was that magic? Are those rings magical?¡± Sien inspected the claws up close and swung them. As he did that, in the air appeared black lines but after a moment they disappeared. Sien tried again this time making an ¡°S¡± in the air. The same thing happened. ¡°I can draw in air. Amazing!¡± Sien, excited with his new jewelry, drew more things in the air.


    ¡°Is that all it does?¡± Asked Sam, figuring out the purpose of those claws.


    ¡°I think so.¡± Sien tried doing different things with it like flicking the fingers or pushing them forward but nothing happened.


    ¡°There must be more to it. But I guess we¡¯ll find out later. Let¡¯s get out of here.¡± Sam grabbed Sien by the shoulder and led him down the stairs.


    Sam fell to his knees as he was expecting the exit from this place but in front of him was one more door keeping them inside. It didn¡¯t have any handle or lever near it. Pushing it did nothing.


    ¡°Just let me out of this place! I want some fresh air! I¡¯m¡­ suffocating¡­¡± The man panicked.


    The doors suddenly opened and Sam bursted out of the dungeon to finally touch the grass. He looked forward and above to check if there were any more walls or ceilings of the dungeon. He was welcomed by the sight of a green forest and bright blue sky.


    ¡°Master. I think those claws were the keys out of here.¡±


    ¡°There was a keyhole? I didn¡¯t see any.¡±


    ¡°No. There was a symbol and once I drew it in the air the gates opened.¡±


    ¡°Sien. I think I know how those claws work. My master once told me. He said that with only muscles alone I can reach certain heights but with magic, I would reach greater ones. As a peasant I don¡¯t possess any magic. He told me about this ancient technique that first mages used. They are called runes. Thanks to them, normal people could use spells. Maybe that thing can make magical runes!¡± Sam explained, imagining the possibility of using magic as a peasant.


    ¡°Do you know any runes?¡± Asked Sien, hoping to try using the runes.


    ¡°Unfortunately¡­ No. I¡¯m not a mage and have never seen one¡­¡±


    ¡°What if we find one and ask him?¡±


    ¡°That depends on a mage. My master told me about a few that he met. They didn¡¯t want to share their magic knowledge with normal people.¡±


    ¡°Then we just have to find a good mage! Onward to our next destination!¡± Sien took out a saber and faced in the direction he was walking.


    ¡°Wrong direction¡­¡±


    ¡°Onward!¡± Shouted Sien once again as he turned to the left.

 Elfen Researcher pt. 1

    After one day of walking Sien and his master reached a village named Sahman. It was much bigger than the one Sien visited before coming home and bigger than the one Sam lived in. It could almost be considered a small town.


    ¡°Many mages tend to adventure since they can freely use their magic and make money out of it. There might be a chance we find one in this village.¡± Sam explained.


    ¡°But how do we find one in a village? There is no guild hall around here.¡±


    ¡°The guild found a way to reach their services in every village around the world. In the smallest villages, you can find a board with announcements to the villagers as well as tasks for the passing adventurers. And if there is an Inn. The guild makes a contract for that place to be the interest point for the adventurers. Just like this one.¡± They stopped in front of the two-story high building with a restaurant on the ground floor and the rooms to stay in on the first floor.


    Even though it was a village, many people dined in there. Many were villagers but some people stuck out especially the ones with weapons on them or bags beside their tables. Travelers and adventurers alike. The adventurers sat on one side of the tavern, close to the quest board. Sien and Sam sat near them to watch out for the mages.


    ¡°So we are looking for an old man with a beard, pointy hat, and a big stick.¡± Sien looked around for the specific person he described.


    ¡°Some mages might look like that. But not all of them. Women also can be a mage. They don¡¯t need to be old nor they don¡¯t need to have a big staff to use magic. Do you see that guy with a sword whose handle is made of a wooden branch? It might be as well his wand.¡± Sam secretly pointed at the man closest to the board.


    ¡°Then why don¡¯t we ask him if he is a mage?¡± Sien was about to approach the man with an unusual sword but Sam stopped him before he even left his chair.


    ¡°Better not do that.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡±


    ¡°If he is not a mage he might lie a bit to try and make money out of us. And if he is a mage he might come with his own prices for the ¡®helping hand¡¯. That''s just how most adventurers work¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ Then I have an idea!¡± Sien took out a piece of paper and wrote something on it with his claw. He ran to the board and placed the paper on the board, proudly looking at Sam with his chest pumped out.


    ¡°Looking for mage¡¯s advice¡­ for¡­ ten silver coins¡­ Sien. I think that is too much for simple advice. Maybe lower the price.¡±


    ¡°We have enough coins. And that price might attract the more experienced mage.¡±


    ¡°Ekhm¡­ Excuse me. Before you hang anything on the board you need permission from the guild or the inn.¡± The waitress approached the board looking at Senzi¡¯s paper.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    ¡°Apologies. I didn¡¯t know it worked like that.¡± Sien lowered his head to apologize for the inconvenience he had caused.


    ¡°Nothing to worry about. I just wanted to let you know, not to scold y-¡± The waitress picked up the paper when suddenly someone grabbed it and began reading it while having an open book in the other hand.


    An elf slightly taller than Sien with white-blond hair long enough to reach her chin. She was wearing a long white dress. The blue robe that was as long as her dress broke the dominating white color of her clothes. By her hip, she had a belt with two pouches attached to it and a smooth wand made of silver wood.


    ¡°Excuse me. Who made this quest? There is no address or information about the quest giver. Oh. My apologies. Did you want to read it?¡± The elf, confused by the waitress¡¯s expression, gave back the piece of paper.


    ¡°We were the ones who made that quest.¡± Sam joined in the conversation.


    ¡°Oh. Is that right? What kind of advice did you want?¡± The mage asked, ignoring the waitress behind her as she explained that the quest wasn¡¯t yet verified. The woman tapped the mage¡¯s shoulder to get her attention. ¡°Yes?¡± She asked as she turned around to face the waitress and ignored Sam¡¯s explanation.


    ¡°Did she ignore me?¡± Asked Sam not understanding the elf¡¯s behavior.


    ¡°I think she can focus on only one thing. Tap her on the shoulder.¡± As Sien instructed, Sam tapped the elf¡¯s shoulder and she turned around to listen to what he was about to say while ignoring the waitress behind her.


    ¡°You¡¯re right¡­¡±


    Sam and Sien let the elf sort out things with the waitress. She proposed that the quest can be verified and ranked accordingly but the elf denied it and pointed out that it would be low rank so there is no need for that. The three of them sat by the table in the corner of the restaurant.


    ¡°Before we pay you we¡¯ll ask if you have any knowledge of that. If you have. Will pay after you tell us.¡± Sam negotiated.


    ¡°Sure. That¡¯s reasonable. So what kind of advice do you want?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not as much as advice but-¡±


    ¡°Do you know anything about runes?¡± Sien cut into Sam¡¯s speech.


    ¡°Runes? Well, I do possess some information about them. But I didn¡¯t study them very much. Just the basics. Well. A bit of basics.¡± The elf explained figuring out how much she really knows about the runes as she scratched her chin.


    ¡°Okay. How about we pay you a bit now for the information and the more you tell us the more we add?¡± Said Samuel as he placed a silver coin on the table.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine with that.¡± The elf took that one coin and smiled at it. ¡°So the runes are basically written spells that can be activated. But writing them isn¡¯t enough. They need mana to be activated. So the mage only can use them or once the mana is infused into them, those runes can be used by everyone. The downside is that each rune is a one-time use.¡±


    ¡°Can you give us an example of a rune?¡± Sam asked as he handed another coin.


    ¡°This is a rune that makes a small flame, to light a fire for example.¡± The elf showed a drawing she made on paper and placed a finger on it. Once she took it away the fire appeared.


    Sien took out his hand above the table and tried to copy the symbol. The elf watched with eyes wide open as he made a rune in the air and a small flame appeared in his hand with a rune circle beneath it. Sam quickly extinguished the flame.

 Elfen Researcher pt. 2

    ¡°Sien. Not here. We might catch the attention of someone we don¡¯t want to face.¡± Said Sam as he observed the people in the room to check if someone saw the claws in action.


    ¡°How did you do that?¡± The elf asked with a concern in her voice.


    ¡°Well¡­ Um¡­¡± Sam tried to figure out a way out of it.


    ¡°With these magic claws.¡± Sien said without a care in the world as he pointed at the rings on his left hand.


    The mage suddenly took out a book from under her coat and went through all the pages. Then she suddenly stopped and brought it closer to her face as if she was trying to hide the information inside it.


    ¡°Did you find it in a dungeon a day away from here to the north?¡± The woman asked with a serious tone as if they committed some kind of serious crime.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Hey! Sien. Don¡¯t answer every question.¡±


    ¡°The last dungeon of the north¡­ You were able to get the last artifact from the northern dungeons! You need to tell me about the tests in there. No one ever left that dungeon alive.¡± The elf was focused on Sien''s claws and she got closer to them every time she asked about the dungeon.


    ¡°We fell into the hole where we found-¡± Sien wanted to tell the story but Sam placed his hand on the boy''s mouth to stop him from talking.


    ¡°We¡¯ll tell you only if we lower the price to five coins.¡± Sam bargained with the mage.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine with that. Let the boy continue.¡± The mage said, not leaving her sight out of the boy.


    Sien told the whole story while they ordered some food and drinks. Sien exaggerated the whole story like it was a tale that every adventurer wanted to experience one day in their life. The elf listened as she wrote something in the book every now and then.


    ¡°Wonderful. Now I have information about all the dungeons of the north. Thanks to you I¡¯ve finished my research on them. I might as well tell you the rest of my knowledge about runes for free. On one condition. You¡¯ll let me see the Ink Claws in action.¡±


    ¡°Is that how they are called?¡± Sien asked as his curiosity was picked by the name the elf said.


    ¡°From this moment. Yes.¡±


    ¡°So you called them Ink Claws¡­¡± Sam said looking at a proud elf.


    ¡°Do you have a better name? And I think as a researcher I have the right to name them.¡± The elf scolded Sam like he was the kid in this group.


    ¡°I think this name fits them very well.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± The elf said as she smiled at Sien.


    ¡°We¡¯re fine with that condition.¡± Sam answered.


    ¡°Good. We can meet tomorrow. I have a quest to finish.¡±


    ¡°Then we have a problem. We¡¯re leaving early in the morning.¡±


    ¡°You said you¡¯re going south, right? Then I can accompany you for some time until we reach a town with a guild hall. It¡¯ll give me time to observe the Ink Claws and I won¡¯t slow you down on your journey.¡±


    Sam and Sien looked at each other if they had something against an elven mage joining them on the journey. They both agreed on the terms the elf suggested.


    ¡°Great. Let me introduce myself. My name is Celine Greywood. Silver rank mage with an interest in researching the dungeons and artifacts.¡±Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    ¡°Nice to meet you, my name is Sien A-¡± Sam coughed to cover the boy¡¯s surname. ¡°And this is Samuel. My master.¡±


    ¡°Pleasure to make your acquaintance.¡±


    ¡°So what kind of quest brought you here?¡± Sien asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s the quest I gave myself for research purposes. Just check a few places in the forest and come back.¡± The elf explained not expecting any sign of interest from the people by the table but she was wrong.


    ¡°Can we accompany you? It¡¯s not like we have anything planned and we can talk a bit along the way.¡± Sien turned to Sam to check if he approved of this.


    ¡°Alright. Alright. I don¡¯t see a problem with that.¡± Sam said as he looked the other way so Sien wouldn¡¯t see his expression. Celine chuckled at that sight.


    ¡°Okay. Let me get some stuff from my room and we can go.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll be waiting here.¡±


    Sam expected that Celine would only take around five minutes to get to the room, pick up her things, and go back. He was wrong. Sam was a patient person but if someone says ¡°I¡¯ll just grab my things and come back¡± he thinks that it''s just for a moment. When it¡¯s not, he becomes the most impatient person.


    He walked around, making Sien nervous but then he suddenly stopped and whispered ¡°Rock, paper, scissors¡­¡±


    ¡°What did you say, master?¡± Asked Sien as he hadn¡¯t heard or rather wanted to make sure he heard correctly.


    ¡°Let¡¯s play rock, paper, scissors. To kill time.¡±


    They played for a few turns and Sien won all of them, only making two draws. Sam decided to change the game where one person had to slap the opponent''s hand and the other had to avoid the slap. Sam was unable to hit Sien¡¯s hand even once where his hand was slowly turning red.


    ¡°How¡­ How are you this good?¡± Asked Sam with a shame of defeat in his voice and face.


    ¡°I played those games a lot with my sister. I had to learn how to let her win because she got annoyed when I won too many times.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re that good¡­ that you had to learn how to lose¡­ Let¡¯s play something different.¡±


    They played a game where they had to rhythmically clap each other¡¯s hands. Many passersby watched them as it was an unusual sight. Grown man playing child games with someone half his size. Even the elfen mage froze in place by the entrance, unable to think of a way to talk.


    ¡°Finally. Took you long enough¡­ So which way are we going?¡± Sam asked as he stood up, not knowing that everyone was eyeing him this whole time.


    ¡°Ekhm¡­ Right. The forest to the north. An hour of walking and then wandering around the forest for signs.¡± Celine walked past them showing to follow her.


    ¡°Signs of what?¡± Asked Sien, running up to the elf to be by her side.


    ¡°Presence of mana. If there is a large amount of it the forest can change and become a dangerous place. Of course, there is a chance that it can make the forest better and not dangerous at all but it is only a chance that the guild doesn¡¯t like.¡±


    ¡°Why does mana change the forest? I know that mana is a source of magic but nothing else about it.¡±


    ¡°Over time, mana can force a change into plants of the forest making them much different than they are now. Mana also attracts certain creatures, the good and bad ones. A good creature would be a unicorn and a bad one for example a ghoul.¡±


    ¡°Wow. I would like to see a unicorn. And a ghoul too!¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t want to see a ghoul. Nasty creature. There are far worse monsters than them but by pure numbers, the ghouls are very common. All around the world.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve been to other countries?¡±


    ¡°Even to other continents. I¡¯m not from Saradia Kingdom. My country is on another continent to the west of Saradia. It''s called Parma. A nation where elves and humans live in harmony. It¡¯s a small but beautiful place.¡±


    ¡°How many other countries have you seen?¡±


    ¡°Elven Republic of Kal¡¯Tal, Kingdom of Fazim, Feline nation Katul, desert nation Fasfar, and of course Kingdom Of Saradia.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve been to so many countries!¡±


    ¡°Took me a few years but it was worth it.¡±


    ¡°How long did it take?¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ Around twenty years?¡±


    ¡°Twenty years?! You must have traveled since your birth!¡±


    ¡°No. I began traveling once I turned eighteen.¡±


    ¡°Wait. Are you telling me you¡¯re almost my age?¡± Sam asked, surprised by the elf¡¯s age.


    ¡°I¡¯m thirty-nine years old. We elves live two hundred years, three hundred if we take really good care. We reach adulthood at the same time as humans but we grow much slower. That¡¯s why I¡¯m slightly smaller than you, Sien. Once I turn seventy I¡¯ll be as tall as Samuel.¡± Celine explained as Sien listened with interest.


    ¡°You¡¯re my age¡­ And you look so young¡­¡± Sam muttered under his nose.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Said Celine, taking Sam¡¯s cry as praise.

 Elfen Researcher pt. 3

    Upon reaching the forest, Celine took out a book and glasses. It wasn¡¯t because she had a bad sight. The glasses were magical. They allowed her to see more clearly the movement of mana. An item often used by researchers.


    Without any warning she went into the forest, often changing her path. After a few minutes, Sam and Sien didn¡¯t know where they were as they didn¡¯t have time to pay attention to their surroundings as the elf rushed forward.


    ¡°Miss Celine¡­ Please¡­ Wait!¡± Sien said, trying to grasp every bit of air he could as they marched through the forest. Unfortunately for the boy, the elf was focused on her task, unconsciously ignoring everything else.


    They stopped once they reached some kind of pond. Sam and Sien sat on the ground, taking the rest that they desperately wanted once they entered the forest. Celine took out a vial and dipped it in the water. She sniffed the water, observed it under the light and shadow, and shook the vial. Lastly, she placed her hand above the vial and the water began to glow a dim light.


    ¡°There is a lot of mana in the water. Better to take more samples.¡± Celine took out four more vials. She filled two of them with water and two with dirt close to the pond. ¡°Let¡¯s continue. We found one source but there might be more of them.¡±


    They walked around the forest for another hour, finding two more pounds filled with mana. Some of the trees were resting in its presence and moved their roots toward the source.


    ¡°That is a worrying amount of mana¡­ Let¡¯s head back.¡± The elf said being on a constant lookout. ¡°Guys. I have one warning for you. I¡¯m not a battle mage so I¡¯m not the best fit for fights but I will assist you however I can.¡± Celine warned her companions making them draw their weapons.


    Sam remained vigilant, trying to find the thing that Celine was worried about. Sien stood right beside him, his hands shaking by fear of an unknown enemy lurking around. Celine chanted a spell in a language that they couldn¡¯t understand. A burst of wind spread around them, making the elf look up.


    ¡°They are above!¡± She shouted as she pointed her wand toward the trees. On them, there were thin creatures the size of a child with gray skin, arms longer than the rest of the body, and many sharp teeth placed randomly around the mouth. ¡°Ghouls!¡±


    One of the monsters hidden in the trees jumped down at the elf. Sam dashed toward the mage and sliced the ghoul in half with one swing of his new sword. Celine stepped away from the tree and began another chant. A thin layer of yellow glowing energy wrapped all of them.


    ¡°This will protect you from their claws. You¡¯ll still feel the strength of their attacks though. Ghouls are weak, the strength lies in their numbers.¡± Celine explained their opponents'' weaknesses.


    One of the ghouls landed right in front of Sien. The boy swung his saber, staggered by the sudden appearance of a monster, he missed the attack. The ghoul attacked Sien with its claws. The force of the attack pushed his arm and he felt it but his skin was unscathed. Sam rushed to his aid and decapitated the monster.


    ¡°Calm down Sien. With those shaky hands, you won¡¯t land a good blow. Breathe slowly.¡± Sam instructed the confused boy as he defended him from coming monsters.


    Sien was able to calm down but his hands were still shaking a bit at the sight of a horrifying creature. He didn¡¯t kill them with one strike like Sam, but he could land good hits making decent damage to the monsters.


    Sien had bruises all over his body from the constant attack from the ghouls. Sam and Celine were unscathed. The elf hid behind the fighters but she assisted them by pushing some of the monsters away so they wouldn¡¯t be overwhelmed by their number. The exhaustion was slowly visible on their faces.


    ¡°There is no end to them!¡± Shouted frustrated Sien, breathing heavily as his saber felt like a boulder. ¡°Miss Celine! Do you know any offensive runes that I could use?!¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately no!¡± She replied as she pushed a ghoul that was about to jump Sien.Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.


    Sien slowly retreated back to the mage his mind focused on the monsters but he was thinking of a way to use his artifact. He drew the rune that was used to make a small fire but he made it much bigger. It looked like he had a campfire in his hand. He pushed it against the ghoul that was the closest to him. It didn¡¯t kill the monster but it made it run away, screaming with pain. At that sight, the ghouls began hesitating. Keeping their distance away from the fire. Only attacking Sam.


    ¡°Master! Come here! Let¡¯s stay close together!¡± Sien shouted being close to the elven mage.


    Celine saw what happened with the burned ghoul and also made a fire at the tip of her wand. Much smaller than the one that Sien made but it was enough to make the monsters cautious. Sam joined them trying to be the group''s guard but he ended up being the one in the middle.


    They walked away, scaring each ghoul that got close enough with a fire. Since they were walking in one direction without much distractions they quickly found a way out of the forest. The monsters didn¡¯t follow them after they left the area. They remained hidden between the trees, eyeing the group they fought.


    ¡°Let¡¯s warn the people about the ghouls. The guild might take immediate action.¡± Celine stopped her spell and took one last look at the monsters in the trees.


    ¡°Good idea. Better if no one runs into them without knowing the danger.¡± Sam agreed.


    ¡°Master¡­ Can you lift me to the inn?¡± Asked Sien.


    ¡°Can¡¯t you walk by yourself? I also fought them off-¡± Sam wanted to urge the boy to walk on his own but he saw him flat on the ground, saber right beside him.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have much strength left¡­ I¡¯m¡­ tired¡­¡± Whispered Sien as he fell asleep right in front of them.


    Sam picked Sien up and carried him on his back. The elf walked slightly behind him. Observing the boy. In the fight, he lost his coat and she noticed the emblem on his back.


    ¡°Are you guys bandits?¡± Celine asked, aiming the wand at the man.


    ¡°I thought you didn¡¯t know any offensive spells.¡± Sam calmly answered.


    ¡°I lied. Didn¡¯t want the risk of being attacked by you.¡±


    ¡°Why ask now? We accompanied you and assisted with the ghouls. Damn. We were the ones fighting them all while you stayed back.¡± Sam pointed out but there was no anger in his voice, he understood the elf¡¯s concern.


    ¡°The boy''s clothing. And the artifact itself. A nobleman traveling with a peasant? It¡¯s hard to believe. Did you rob someone who finished the dungeon?¡± Celine gave valid points but Sam didn¡¯t give an immediate answer.


    ¡°Before I answer. What¡¯s your stand on the royal families of Saradia?¡±


    ¡°Natural. Not my country, not my biggest concern. Although I heard that one of them is shady.¡±


    ¡°Which one?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t remember the name but they had a purple banner.¡±


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll give you an answer. This boy is a nobleman, hiding from the crowds. His family was falsely accused and we are on the journey to the south to get his brother¡¯s help as he might have some influence as a commander in the military.¡±


    ¡°And why are you accompanying him? For the money?¡± Celine asked, still having her wand ready to throw a spell.


    ¡°No. My master served under his father and he didn¡¯t believe the accusations since he knew the Lord personally. A kind man like him is innocent. By assisting the boy I repay my master for all he has done for me. No greed in my heart¡± Sam answered, not even looking back at the elf.


    ¡°I heard a lot of bad things about Saradia¡¯s nobles. Selfish and looking from above at everyone.¡±


    ¡°He is different. If not for the mark and clothing, I wouldn¡¯t have guessed he is from the royal family. Even though I wore the clothes of a farmer he spoke to me with respect. From my master''s tales, I know that Sien''s father was the same.¡±


    ¡°What mark?¡± The mage asked not knowing about the royal houses and how their lineage works.


    ¡°It should be visible because of the sweat. We hid his mark. Under his eye. He has three triangles. That¡¯s information that he is third in line in his family.¡±


    Celine took a step to the side to get a better view of Sien¡¯s face. She saw the marks unravel because of the sweat that destroyed the makeup. ¡°Okay. I trust you.¡± She said as she put away her wand.


    ¡°Just keep it a secret for a moment. We have another goal that we want to achieve on the way down south. To make Alk a better name. Good deeds that will show the true face of his family. A kind and generous face.¡±


    ¡°I might be able to help with that. I can tell that he assisted me with the research. Just mention his name in the rapport.¡±


    ¡°Will you really do that?¡± Sam asked, finally facing the elf.


    ¡°I¡¯ll gladly help the men that saved me today.¡± Celine answered with a kind warming smile.

 Festival Of Hate pt. 1

    ¡°Please, hand over this report to the guild. They should respond proprietary to the mana presence in the forest. You can expect a lot of more adventurers in your establishment.¡± Celine gave a piece of paper to the waiter responsible for guild duty. The man had concern on his face but it changed immediately after he heard about more customers coming to their village.


    Sam and Sien waited for their new companion in front of the inn. They played ¡°rock, paper, scissors¡±. Clear annoyance was visible on Sam¡¯s face as he was unable to win since they started.


    ¡°Shall we begin our journey?¡± The elven mage said, informing them that she is ready to head out.


    The party headed out south to their next destination, a village near the mountains that is known for the passage between mountains with a skilled guide, Skalern. With this help, they will shorten their travel by a full five days of walking. If they are lucky enough they might catch the boat downriver to save even more time.


    While they were traveling Celine taught Sien the basics about the runes she knew about. Most of them were simply spells like making a fire, a source of light, or a gust of wind. Whenever they made a stop, Sien trained with his saber. He had two masters¡ªone for swordsmanship and one for magic. Before he went to sleep he would always repeat all the runes he knew. That way he could quickly remember and draw them when needed.


    Before reaching the village they found an elderly man lying down by the tree. There was a broken cane by his side. Sam and Sien rushed to the man''s aid. They were asking if he was hurt or in any pain.


    ¡°I¡¯m not hurt. It¡¯s hard for me to walk without a cane and the main broke as you can see.¡± The man explained as he showed them his broken cane. It was made of old wood that slowly deteriorated.


    ¡°Were you going to the village by the mountains by any chance?¡± Asked Sien.


    ¡°Yes. In fact, I live there.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll help you get back home.¡± Sien gave the old man a hand, helping him walk toward the village, he took the man over his shoulder and assisted him with walking. Sam had a genuine smile, seeing that his students took his teachings to heart.


    The mountains grew tall right in front of the party''s eyes. They passed a few lumbermen on their way. Each of them greeted the old man. When they reached the Skalern, everyone turned their gaze at them and the old man beside them. Some showed concern for his health to which he replied ¡°I¡¯m fine. My cane just broke.¡±Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    Skalern was a lively place. A lot of stalls selling wood or items for daily use. The village lived out of the wood they cut and processed. There weren¡¯t any major farms. Only small gardens that the villagers set up in their homes.


    The man instructed where his home was and on the way, a woman ran up to them. Everyone thought it was a relative of his until she said ¡°Did something happen to you chief?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m alright Julia. This young man helped me get back to the village.¡± Said the old man as he patted the boy on the back, letting him know that he could handle himself for now.


    ¡°You¡¯re the chief of Skalern?¡± Asked a bit surprised Sam.


    ¡°Indeed I am. Have been for the past twenty years. This place is not some small village as you can see. What brings you to our humble place, if you don¡¯t mind me asking? Is it for the festival?¡±


    ¡°There is a festival?!¡± The boy''s eyes widened with just a single thought of how fun a festival could be.


    ¡°Yes. It begins tonight. Right after sunset.¡±


    ¡°Can we go?! Can we go?!¡± Asked Sien, turning to Sam with big eyes to convince his master.


    ¡°That depends on the guide. We have to reach our destination as fast as we can.¡± Said Sam, trying to sound as serious as he could to knock that idea out of Sien¡¯s head.


    ¡°The last guide of the day will probably leave in around an hour. But it doesn¡¯t make much difference if you go now or early in the morning. In the end, it will be a two-hour difference and you¡¯ll have to sleep two days in the mountains where the weather drastically changes.¡± Explained the chief.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to reduce the time that we have to sleep on hard ground¡­ Let¡¯s take the one in the morning.¡± Celine was tired of sleeping on the ground for the past few days. She only wanted to get a proper sleep on a comfortable bed.


    ¡°Fine.¡± Sam finally admitted his defeat. Sien and Celine celebrated their victory. Celine didn¡¯t look like it on the outside but inside she was as happy as the young boy beside her.


    After parting ways, the group went to find the inn. The chief pointed them in the right direction. The establishment was built on the side of the mountain. Most of the building was made of stone carved into tables, stools, and railings for example. The dominating color of the building was purple with banners at the bar that had eagle on them. Those were the banners of Peresia House.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like this place¡­¡± Whispered Sam.


    ¡°Why is that?¡± Asked Sien as he didn¡¯t know much about other families except for their colors and symbols.


    ¡°Is it about the rumors about the Peresia House?¡± The elf asked.


    ¡°You heard rumors. I heard the truth from my master. Alk House was the kindest, the rest were natural, and Peresia¡­ Greedy. It¡¯s all about money for them.¡±

 Festival Of Hate pt. 2

    They were able to get two rooms at the inn. One for Celine and one for the boys. After leaving all their belongings in the room they went to eat something. They sat down and picked something from the menu.


    ¡°Is there an option to eat in my room?¡± Asked Sam.


    ¡°It is. But you need to give us something to hold off. Once you return the plates the item or the money will be returned to you. It''s just our policy.¡± The waitress explained.


    ¡°Are you a shut-in?¡± The elf asked.


    ¡°No¡­ It¡¯s just¡­ I don¡¯t like this place. I feel like I¡¯m in the enemy territory¡­ You can stay here if you want but I will eat in the room.¡± Sam picked up his order and left.


    Skalern loved the Peresia House because thanks to them the village was able to flourish. They invested a lot of money into this small place. The people took it as a kind gesture from the nobles but in truth, the Peresia Family invested in them for the money. They knew that they didn¡¯t have to pay much to some peasants in the mountains and the woodsmen didn¡¯t know that their job here was much harder than in any other village in the country. The royal family used them, and they did not know about it because they were limited by mountains from other lumberjack villages.


    ***


    Celine and Sien went to see the festival ground as it was being prepared. Sam said that he would join them later as he wasn¡¯t in the mood yet.


    The festival area was square in shape with a platform in the middle. The view to the inside was blocked by the curtains but there were a lot of people inside judging by the noise and slightly visible shadows. All around there were food stalls and occasional games for kids. There were lamps shining in a purple and white light.


    The event began with a band playing an energetic melody. Over time the music brought more people to the festival ground. Most of the stalls were busy with new clients.


    Sien really wanted to play one of the games. The elf knew that there was a trick behind every game but she didn¡¯t want to kill the fun for the boy and agreed to accompany him.


    The first game he played was to knock the wooden cups down using a very light ball. He had to make them all fall within two throws. The first throw to the base of the pyramid made of cups did nothing. The second ball he threw closer to the top making only three out of seventeen cups fall. The boy was eager to try one more time.


    ¡°Wait a moment¡­¡± Celine grabbed Sien¡¯s hand with a ball, freezing the ball to make it heavier. ¡°Here. Now you can do it.¡±


    ¡°But that¡¯s cheating.¡± Whispered Sien so the stall owner wouldn¡¯t throw him out for cheating.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say it¡¯s wrong to cheat against a cheater.¡± Celine whispered, giving Sien a devilish smile.


    ¡°How does he cheat?¡±


    ¡°The cups are heavy and the ball is light, making it hard to push them, and the structure was made in a way that is impossible to collapse with only two throws. You would need four at least. It wants to guarantee you the highest prize but you¡¯ll earn something at least. So try it.¡± Celine pushed Sien forward so he would throw the ball before the ice melted completely.The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    ¡°If you put it that way¡­¡± The boy¡¯s mind was completely changed once he heard about the possibility of winning a prize.


    Sien threw the ball pushing the base a bit further than the last time. With a second throw, he was able to make the structure collapse leaving only five cups on the table.


    ¡°Congrats¡­ You win this.¡± The man, clearly not happy with the amount of fallen cups, gave Sien a white mask. ¡°You can paint whatever you want on the mask.¡±


    ¡°Are there any runes connected to the painting?¡± Sien asked as he turned his head to Celine.


    ¡°There might be. I haven¡¯t tested them but it might be a good lesson about more advanced runes.¡±


    ¡°Something as simple as painting is advanced?¡±


    ¡°Yes. It would be a connection between two runes. Water runes and runes of color.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t wait to learn that!¡±


    The next game that attracted Sien was a sparring match with a teenage boy who had an arena set up. He was wearing thick leather armor and had a wooden sword. All of this was made so everyone could spar without the fear of getting many injuries.


    ¡°Looking for a worthy opponent for a friendly sparring match! Who is up to the challenge!¡± The boy shouted as he stood on the fence, high enough for everyone to see him.


    ¡°I want to try!¡± Sien ran to the arena, thrilled to spar with someone who might be closer to his abilities than Sam.


    ¡°Certainly. Put on the leather armor and pick up one of those wooden swords.¡± Said the boy as he pointed toward three swords each of a different length.


    Sien took the sword that was of similar length as his saber. He swung it around trying to get used to the light weight. His opponent walked to the other side of the arena, waiting for him to get ready. Sien showed that he was ready by standing in front of the boy with a sword pointing toward him.


    ¡°May I know my challenger¡¯s name?¡± The boy asked.


    ¡°My name is Sien.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for challenging me, Sien. My name is Peter.¡±


    ¡°Good. The perfect opponent for a warmup. First I¡¯ll block some of his attacks and then try to attack him giving some space so the boy could block the attacks. I don¡¯t want to make him cry or have a bad time. It¡¯s a festival after all.¡± Peter thought out his next action as he approached Sien with his sword ready.


    They walked around, waiting for some attack but none of them moved first, the boy didn¡¯t attack because he wanted to make it more enjoyable for the kid rather than making it a one-sided fight, Sien waited for the attack as his master instructed. ¡°It¡¯s better to wait for your opponent''s first move so you can assess his strength.¡± The words were stuck in his head as he stood there, focused on his opponent.


    ¡°You can attack me first. I won¡¯t attack you at first. It¡¯s just a sparring match for fun.¡± Peter said thinking that Sien was hesitating out of fear.


    Sien nodded his head and approached the boy, throwing a first attack that was blocked. He slowly picked up speed trying to figure out the true strength of his opponent.


    ¡°While his attacks don¡¯t have much of a punch. His speed is amazing.¡± The arena master thought as he tried to keep up with Sien¡¯s speed. He had to give his most to block the attacks. One attack was able to land and they stopped the duel for a moment. ¡°Good! Now I will be attacking too. So expect some swings from me too.¡± Peter informed Sien so he wouldn¡¯t get scared by sudden attacks.


    They began their second round of the duel. This time Peter ran to Sien making a swing from above. Light so Sien would be able to block it. To his surprise, Sien jumped to the side and attacked his side. Landing a second hit. Peter had a bitter taste in his mouth by losing to someone younger than himself.


    ¡°Did you train with a sword?¡± Peter asked.


    ¡°With a saber.¡±


    ¡°So you have some experience. Okay. Let¡¯s take it seriously this time. Are you fine with that?¡± Peter this time took a different stance with a sword only in one hand, slightly behind his hips.


    ¡°Totaly!¡± Sien announced with a smile on his face.

 Festival Of Hate pt. 3

    The third round began with Peter¡¯s attack. This time he went for a thrust with his sword. An attack almost impossible to block and giving him a chance to block if Sien avoided it. Once Sien jumped to the side he wasn¡¯t that surprised and backed his sword, ready to block.


    With their swords crossed, Peter thought he would overwhelm Sien with his strength but the boy was sly and moved his sword along Peter¡¯s blade. Peter was pushed down by his own strength. Sien was about to land a third hit but Peter grabbed his sword and was about to land a hit on Sien but he stopped.


    ¡°Sorry. I got carried away.¡± Peter released the boy¡¯s sword and took a step back.


    ¡°There is nothing to be ashamed of.¡± Sam walked into the arena without any announcement.


    ¡°Master!¡±


    ¡°In a real fight, there is a possibility for your opponent to grab the sword even if it will hurt him. Some will do everything to not lose.¡± Sam explained.


    ¡°That¡¯s not the point¡­ I said it¡¯s a friendly duel and then pulled something like this¡­¡± Peter explained, disgusted by his behavior, especially against someone younger than him.


    ¡°I don¡¯t see anything wrong about it. It¡¯s just a duel. Even if you landed that hit it wouldn¡¯t hurt much because of the armor you prepared. You¡¯re a good person and I wouldn¡¯t be angry at you.¡± Said Sien with a most innocent face, a chivalry that wasn¡¯t taught to him yet. He didn¡¯t see anything wrong with the action Peter made. It was even logical to him.


    ¡°Thank you¡­ Mind if we duel one last time? I promise. I won¡¯t pull a trick like that anymore.¡± Peter promised with a fist close to his heart.


    ¡°Okay!¡±


    More people gathered around the arena. Many caught interest after hearing the crossing of the swords in an earlier round. The villagers bet on the contenders. Not with money but with words. Showing interest in both of them. Most of the people said that Peter would win but those who saw the earlier rounds were with Sien.


    The duel began with Sien dashing to his opponent with a wide swing from the side. Peter blocked the attack and pushed Sien¡¯s sword away. Giving him a space to move in. Sien made a move on a whip but it was effective. He bent back and made a flip at the same time kicking Peter¡¯s attack away. The crowd was amazed and cheered on the fighters.


    Even though Sien kicked Peter his flip was slow enough for Peter to return to attack. Sien had to block the upcoming attacks with his stand not solid enough. He was on the verge of falling to the ground. For a moment he saw a chance to win and gambled on that one move. He thrust his sword, hoping to land a hit before Peter. A sword went flying and the duel was over. Sien didn¡¯t make it in time and Peter was able to parry the attack.


    ¡°Good fight.¡± Peter extended his hand toward Sien.


    The boy accepted his opponent¡¯s gesture. ¡°Good fight. I had fun.¡± Sien breathed heavily as he was exhausted after the fight. Peter noticed it and knew that he had won only because Sien was out of stamina. The people cheered as he left the arena.


    After having some fun and having a dry mouth left by the duel, the party went to get some snacks and drinks.


    ¡°There is one thing I appreciate the most at the festivals. The variety of food and light beer.¡± Sam downed the rest of the beer he had in one sip.


    ¡°Don¡¯t get drunk on us. I won¡¯t carry you back.¡± Bluntly said, Celine.


    ¡°Nothing to worry about. I don¡¯t drink to get drunk. I¡¯m taking the last mug and will drink it for the rest of the night.¡± Sam promised as he took a smaller wooden cup with a beer he would drink for the rest of the festival.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    People began to gather around the platform. A time to reveal what is behind the curtain drew closer. Sien ran to the stage, hoping to get a good view of what might the curtains hide. Sam and Celine followed slowly behind, not rushing anything.


    ¡°I heard there will be a play.¡± The crowd chattered about what might be behind the curtain.


    ¡°Last time it was a trick show. Maybe they will try again.¡± An old man said to his grandson, sitting beside him.


    ¡°It must be connected to recent events. After all, the family gave some money to fund the attraction.¡± A lumberman said as he joined the group of his friends.


    The curtains fell, revealing a stage with wide cloth and painted scenery on it. It looked like a dungeon or a dark room beneath the castle with many chests around.


    A man with his face hidden under the hood checked all of the chests until he found a box. Laughing as he left with his newly found treasure. After a moment two guards and a man wearing purple robes entered with torches. They checked each of the open chests.


    ¡°Someone broke in!¡± The guard loudly announced.


    ¡°Did they steal something?¡± The man in a purple robe asked.


    ¡°Yes! A powerful artifact that could endanger our nation!¡± The other guard said as he dramatically pointed at the chest that previously had the box in it.


    ¡°Who would dare to steal a royal treasure? And from all the gold and diamonds they chose a powerful weapon! They must be evil!¡± The curtains rose for a moment so the actors could change their clothes and change the scenery.


    The next scenery was brighter but still between walls made of stones. A long table was set with many people sitting by it. They all had clothes similar to the nobility. All were sitting but one man. He wore blue robes and had many silver rings on his fingers.


    ¡°Our family shall win this year and rule this country. I can guarantee you that! I¡¯m prepared for that!¡± The man in blue robes announced.


    As he ended his speech a new curtain fell down. Black but see through. A man with an open book entered the front of the stage, having the curtain right behind him.


    ¡°Those were the words of a man plotting something against his fellow nobles and not hiding it from anyone. His intentions were clear but no one knew what the man had prepared. All but one man!¡± The lector said as the curtain moved a bit revealing the man in a purple robe who was seen in a last scene with guards.


    The curtains hid the stage once more and after many footsteps, the scenery was revealed. A room with a bed and chest by the side. There was a painted window. Behind it a night sky. The man in the blue robe stood in the middle with a box in his hand, laughing as he poked the box.


    ¡°With this!¡± He raised the box above his head. ¡°With this, I shall win the tournament and rule this country! And no one shall stop me!¡±


    Suddenly there was a loud knocking sound. The man in a blue robe jumped and ran to the chest beside his bed. He hid the box inside the chest.


    ¡°What is it?!¡± The man shouted as he walked to the right end of the stage. Then he walked backward as two guards came out close to him. They stepped aside so the man in a purple robe could enter.


    ¡°I great Lord Donkiel of House Peresia declare you Lord Zimowit as the suspect of thievery and a traitor to our nation!¡± The man announced and the crowd followed with loud gasps. All but one person. The boy now understood what the play was about. He ran out of the front row of the crowd with tears in his eyes, almost tripping to the ground because of the people who only paid attention to the play.


    ¡°What a poorly written story¡­¡± Said Celine.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ the story is a lie. Celine. This is a story about Sien¡¯s father.¡± Sam began looking for Sien but it was too crowded to spot him.


    ¡°Oh¡­ My bad¡­ I didn¡¯t know¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s okay. Now we know. Let¡¯s find Sien. He is probably devastated by the play.¡± Sam explained as he tried to walk through the crowd.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get into clear space. I¡¯ll use a spell to find him.¡±


    Celine and Sam went behind the platform where only a few people stood, either drinking beer or finally enjoying the food without a long line of customers. Celine drew a magic circle on the ground.


    ¡°It¡¯s not a rune. It¡¯s a magic circle that is based on runes. It should be powerful enough to find him even if he ran to the forest.¡± The circle began glowing a green light. Using her wand she lifted the circle. Once the spell shattered a ball of light appeared and flew toward the forest and then exploded. People thought it was a firework and observed the beautiful colors of green covering the sky. ¡°He is under that light.¡± Celine pointed in the direction of the explosion. Sam ran to the forest with Celine slightly behind him.

 Village鈥檚 Savior pt. 1

    A bright light covered the sky. The wild animals ran away at the sudden flash that scared them. Some of the creatures watched from afar. Feeling safe yet curious about the light. One of them woke up, not pleased by the light that stopped his slumber.


    The giant creature as tall as the trees around him, left his cozy cave. The light in the sky vanished but the ones from the festival remained. The Angry beast thought that the people at the festival were the ones who prevented him from sleeping.


    With his bare hands, he ripped the tree out of the ground and held it like a club. For preventing his slumber, he will terrorize the people who did it without any mercy. Because that¡¯s how simply-minded trolls are.


    ¡°Sien! Sien! Where are you!¡± Sam and Celine shouted, hoping to get an answer from the boy.


    ¡°The light pointed in this direction so he should be somewhere close. Right?¡± The man asked, trying to understand how the spell worked.


    Sam heard sobs coming from above. He saw his young student on the tree, curled up to comfort himself in a closed space with the only safe words from his past memories. Especially the memories of his kind father and the mother who always knew what to say to make him feel better. He missed those things and he missed his home. The place that treated him well.


    ¡°Sien! Are you alright?¡± Asked Sam.


    ¡°No! I¡¯m not alright! This village is not alright! How can they celebrate something so awful?! Layers! They are all layers!¡± Sien shouted, resenting the people of Skalern village. Whipping away his tears.


    ¡°I know it¡¯s not right. I¡¯m not saying you should forgive them. But you must understand that they don¡¯t know the truth. Almost the whole nation doesn¡¯t know the truth. They believe what the authorities told them. It is all a lie to cover the reality. Hate them all you want but at least remember that they don¡¯t know the truth.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s exactly why I hate them! Because they don¡¯t know the truth!¡± Sien shouted even louder, expressing his hate toward the people. Swinging his arms around he lost balance and fell off the tree.


    Using her magic, Celine slowed the fall and made Sien drop right in front of her, he grabbed his shoulder and comforted him ¡°But we know the truth. And in time more and more people will find out. One day you will walk past this village and they will apologize to you for not seeing the truth.¡± Celine said with a calm and comforting voice. She sounded almost like his mother. He suddenly hugged her and the elf returned the gesture.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go to the inn and get some rest. We¡¯ll leave this place as soon as we can.¡± Sam gave a hand to Sien. He grabbed it and followed the man right behind him. Sam noticed that he was walking very slowly so he carried the boy on his back toward the village.


    The ground was shaking almost like an earthquake had happened. It surprised the walking group. Celine took out a wand fearing that some monster was about to attack them.


    ¡°Was that a monster or earthquake?!¡± Sam shouted, looking out for the potential danger.


    ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± Asked Sien as he woke up from his nap.


    Screams came from the festival ground and the shaking of the ground appeared every few seconds. The village was attacked by a troll. He used the tree as his club to attack and destroy. People ran away in fear. Because of the whole turmoil, many people ran into each other.


    With one swing the troll destroyed the stall, sending ruble flying into the people. Skalern was a small village and didn¡¯t have any guards. The villagers were the only ones who could do something about it.


    ¡°Help! Please help me!¡± A woman shouted, trying to get herself free from the rubble. Her screams for help caught the attention of the troll. Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    Before the troll could attack the woman a boy wearing leather armor with a rusty sword jumped in between them. ¡°I won¡¯t let you hurt anyone!¡± The boy shouted with his sword pointed at the monster.


    The troll was about to hit the boy with a tree but it turned into sparks and ashes in a second after being set on fire. The boy was stunned by the attack and the sudden appearance of the flame. A gust of wind pushed him and the woman under the rubble away from the monster.


    ¡°Heroic stand. But you¡¯re not strong enough to face this.¡± Celine helped the woman stand back up as the boy watched her, he was speechless.


    ¡°Can you take out that monster alone?¡± Sam asked, horrified by the monster¡¯s size.


    ¡°Unfortunately. No. I stand no chance against it. That¡¯s a troll. Resistant to magic. A sword will do more damage than I.¡± Explained Celine.


    ¡°Then I have to swallow my fear¡­¡± Sam unsheathed his sword and prepared his stand for a fight.


    ¡°All I can do is assist you, like with the ghouls.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s better than nothing.¡±


    Sam dashed forward not knowing how to handle the giant opponent. The troll smashed the ground with his foot, trying to squash the man. He was down on the ground behind the troll.


    ¡°Thanks for the help, Celine!¡± He shouted as he stood up, attacking the monster¡¯s tendon. He was able to pierce its skin but it was too shallow. It stinged the monster and annoyed him. He jumped in place to scare off the swordsman and to keep him away from his injured leg.


    Celine threw a spell at him that exploded on his face, creating a cloud of dust that blocked his vision. Another gust of wind pushed Sam into the air high enough for him to be able to stab the troll in the back. The sword pierced into its flesh. The monster shook his back to get the swordsman away from him. Sam fell off the troll¡¯s back, losing his sword that was stuck in the monster¡¯s back.


    ¡°I lost my sword!¡± Sam shouted, running away from the troll that had eyes on him and him only at the moment. The pain was much worse for him than the lack of sleep.


    ***


    Before they went to the festival ground to save the people they left Sien behind the tree since he was tired and not in the mood to do anything. He observed the troll destroying the festival. ¡°You deserve that¡­ You all¡­¡± He thought as he watched the destruction unfolded by the monster.


    His mind changed as he watched the boy he dueled with, stand against the giant. He tried reaching his hand toward Peter as if he was right beside him, lending a helping hand. ¡°They don¡¯t deserve it! I was wrong!¡± A relieved smile appeared on his face as he watched Sam and Celine save the boy and fight against the troll.


    ¡°I can¡¯t just stand here¡­ Those people are innocent after all¡­ I need to help them!¡± Sien gathered all his strength to stand up. He thought he was ready to fight but he realized how big that monster is. ¡°I don¡¯t stand a chance¡­ But I need to do something.¡±


    Sam wasn¡¯t able to get his sword back. For the time being the elven mage created a sword of ice for him. It broke very often but she repaired it immediately. Sien ran up to her.


    ¡°Better run away boy. You don¡¯t want to fight it.¡± Said Celine.


    ¡°I know. But I have a plan. The light probably annoyed the monster. Could you repeat that spell once I give you a signal?¡±


    ¡°I can try.¡±


    ¡°Good enough!¡± Shouted Sien as he ran away to the closest stall. Using a wind rune he put out all the sources of light in the area. Making the place darker.


    Sam was on the defensive, jumping away from the troll. The monster got annoyed by his movement and picked up one of the stalls and threw it toward him. Sam was able to avoid it but there were people not that far behind him. The stall would hit them if not for Sien. He jumped in front of them and drew an even bigger rune of wind. It was strong enough to slow down the flying rubble.


    ¡°Thank you!¡± Said the man as he grabbed his children and ran away.


    Sam was still running and avoiding the troll¡¯s attacks. ¡°I can¡¯t get close to him! Try to slow him down!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll try.¡± The elf answered by changing the ground under the troll into sand. His legs sunk into the ground but with one punch of his fist, he dispersed the sand. Sam saw an opportunity while the monster¡¯s hand was close to the ground. He slashed the troll¡¯s wrist. It was a shallow wound but brought them a little bit closer to defeating the monster.


    Sam¡¯s ice sword shattered after hitting the monster again. The troll was able to strike Sam with his arm. It wasn¡¯t a solid hit but it was enough to push the swordsman far away. He hit the tree with the back of his head and fainted. The troll saw that as an opportunity to kill him and walked toward him.

 Village鈥檚 Savior pt. 2

    ¡°Celine! Now!¡± Sien shouted as he stood near the trees with all the lights around put down. A ball of light flew to Sien to explode above him with bright green colors. The monster used his hands to cover his eyes from the bright light.


    The mage once again turned the ground underneath the troll into the sand. The monster lost its balance and fell to the ground. Sien quickly ran up to the monster and once he looked forward he was met with a fire right into his eyes. The monster screamed so loudly that a whole forest could hear him. Sien was the closest to him and had to cover his ears. He was stunned there for a moment, long enough for the monster to hit him. It was a desperate attack that did some damage to a boy¡¯s small frame. Sien rolled through the ground trying to stand up as he was moving. His saber fell out of his hand while he was rolling on the ground. He grabbed his wrist as pain surged through his body.


    ¡°That¡¯s not good¡­¡± He whispered as he tried to move his right hand with a painful answer to that movement.


    ¡°Astonishing¡­ The troll is resistant to regular magic. But the magic from the runes was able to damage him. Is it really that superior compared to normal spells?¡± Celine analyzed, amazed by the power of runes and the Ink Claws.


    The troll was able to stand back up but something was wrong about him. On a closer look, it was visible that the skin melted and dripped down on his eyes. Making the monster blind.


    Sien picked up his saber with his left hand as the troll slowly walked around with his hands on his face, trying to understand why he wasn¡¯t able to see anything. He was about to charge the monster once again but someone grabbed his shoulder and stopped him.


    ¡°You¡¯re injured. Let me handle the rest.¡± Sam said as blood dripped down his head.


    ¡°You¡¯re injured too!¡± Sien shouted as he saw the blood on his master¡¯s face.


    ¡°It is but a scratch. You can¡¯t use your right hand-¡±


    ¡°So what? If you¡¯re going to fight while being injured, so am I!¡± Sien announced, prepared to fight, greeting his teeth in the hope that it would help ease the pain or keep his mind away from it.


    ¡°I won¡¯t be able to talk you out. Won¡¯t I?¡± Said Sam with a light smile on his face. He felt a bit better once he saw that the troll was blinded.


    ¡°Don¡¯t do anything before I get my sword back. Okay?¡±


    ¡°Better grab it fast.¡±


    ¡°Cheeky kid.¡± Said Sam with a chuckle at the end. He ran behind the troll waiting for Celine to push him up. With the help of the wind, he landed on the monster¡¯s back and grabbed his sword. He quickly took it out of the troll¡¯s body and jumped down. The troll tried to squash him like a fly but he was no longer there.


    Meanwhile, Sien experimented with the runes he knew about. He drew a fire rune on his saber but he stretched it so his whole saber would be covered in fire. It worked and he used it to attack the monster¡¯s leg while it was focused on finding the swordsman on his back. He slashed the monster and ran away to Sam.


    ¡°Nice trick. Mind doing the same with mine?¡± Sam asked as he extended his sword toward Sien.


    Now the two of them had their weapons enveloped in fire. They ran at the same time Slashing the monster¡¯s legs. Quickly they forced him down but he used his arms to not fall. The swordsmen slashed his wrists to make him fall flat face to the ground, finishing the monster by stabbing it in the head with both blades.


    ¡°Good job, Sien.¡±


    ¡°Thanks¡­ You¡­ Too¡­ Master¡­¡± Sien answered, trying to grasp air after every word he said.


    The people slowly gathered back as they saw the monster dead on the ground with two people standing on its lifeless body. The people began to cheer for their heroes to show appreciation for their deed. The old man with a cane came out of the crowd. It was the village¡¯s chief.


    ¡°May we know the name of our saviors?¡± The chief asked and with his question, the people awaited the answer.You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    ¡°My name is-¡± Sam wanted to introduce himself but he was stopped by the elven mage who made a flashy entrance with a fire in the place where she appeared.


    ¡°The people who saved you are the very people you made fun of today.¡± Celine said with an emotionless face, scaring some of the children.


    ¡°Who made fun of them?! We¡¯ll make them pay!¡± The man who was saved by Sien from the flying stall shouted.


    ¡°You. All of you!¡± The elf shouted, making the man take a step back. ¡°Today you celebrated a lie told to you. This boy is from House Alk. Sien Alk! The family that you shamed today is the family that saved you from this awful monster! Even though he resented you for this festival, the boy saved you! The boy from House Alk!¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ We¡­¡± The chief tried to say something but was unable to make a full sentence.


    ¡°You should be ashamed!¡± Celine continued her speech but then a man wearing leather armor came out of the crowd.


    He fell down to his knees and bowed toward Sien. The nobleman had his head down this whole time as he felt uncomfortable by all the gazes from the people but he looked toward Peter, stunned by his action.


    ¡°I am ashamed for celebrating something as awful as shaming your father. I also would like to formally thank you, Lord Sien, for sparring with me and treating me with respect, even though I¡¯m beneath you.¡± Said Peter.


    The children that were saved by Sien joined Peter and bowed to Sien. Their father followed them and also took a knee. ¡°I¡¯m also ashamed that I celebrated such a crude festival. I¡¯d also like to thank you for saving me and my children.¡± The man said with his head down.


    The whole crowd took a knee and bowed to Sien. Apologizing for the festival. All but one man. The chief stood there with his cane. He smiled at the boy.


    ¡°While I¡¯d like to take a knee¡­ I¡¯m unable to¡­ No one knew about what was hidden behind the curtain. You all shouldn¡¯t be ashamed. I should be the one to take it all as I knew everything about the festival and didn¡¯t think about it as a wrong choice.¡± The man said with his head down.


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be¡­ You didn¡¯t know the truth. As well as I didn¡¯t know. But I know my father was wrongly accused or even framed. He is the kindest man I know. He wouldn¡¯t do anything to harm anyone, especially the people of this nation. If you don¡¯t believe in his kindness¡­ Samuel will explain.¡± Sien gave space in the front so Sam could step forward and make his speech.


    ¡°While I didn¡¯t meet Lord Zimowit personally, I heard a lot about him from my master who took a lot from him. I am a peasant and my master, who served under House Alk, treated me like a normal person, saying that this is what he learned from his Lord. I never heard a bad thing about Lord Zimowit. Only the good things. And I can see those good traits in this boy here. Kind, caring for others, and what sets him apart from most nobles¡­ He doesn''t view himself as higher than any one of us. What you heard is a lie that anyone could believe. Anyone but people who knew about Lord Zimowit. So you shouldn¡¯t be ashamed but you should rethink your stand on this situation.¡±


    After Sam¡¯s speech, there was silence. Some people were tearing up, especially Sien who was taken by his speech. The silence was broken by the clapping hands of the crowd.


    ¡°Today¡­ We shall celebrate the saving of our village by our saviors! By Sien Alk, Samuel and¡­¡± The chief announced


    ¡°And Celine Greywood.¡± Whispered Celine so the chief could continue his speech.


    ¡°And Celine Greywood!¡± The chief continued and the people once again cheered toward their heroes.


    The people scattered around to clean the rubble away or to, at last, push it aside so the people could walk around without worry of tripping over them.


    The chief noticed that Sam was bleeding a bit. ¡°You¡¯re hurt. Let me grab our herbalist to help you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not the only one. The boy here has a damaged wrist. You think the herbalist could do something about it?¡± Asked Sam, pointing at Sien.


    ¡°Definitely.¡± The chief answered.


    The herbalist quickly arrived with ointments for the wounds. First, she took care of Sam as he was the one bleeding and that could cause unwanted diseases to attack the swordsman. The ointment quickly stopped the bleeding.


    ¡°Use this in the morning to let the wound heal faster.¡± The herbalist said as she gave a vial to Sam.


    Next, she inspected Sien¡¯s wrist. Checking it from every angle and gently touching it. ¡°Does it hurt when I press it?¡± The woman asked every time she pressed his wrist to find the place that hurt the most. Once she did she used another ointment of hers. Then she gave two vials to the boy. ¡°Use a few drops a day and lubricate your wrist with it. Your wrist should heal in a month. The help of a magic healer might speed up the process.¡±


    ¡°Do you know any magic healers?¡± Asked Sien, as he wanted to get better as soon as he could.


    ¡°No. But the town behind the mountains is much bigger. You might find one in there.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Thank you very much.¡±


    At the festival, many people gathered around their three heroes. Celine showed magical tricks to the crowd, Sam spared with the villagers and gave them some instructions on how to defend themselves. Many people came to talk with Sien about the nobility and their lives as he was the only noble open for a talk with the villagers. The boy mostly told how well his parents treated the villagers in their region.


    The festival slowly came to an end as Sien was getting sleepy and the heroes had to get some sleep before continuing their great adventure.