《Talekeeper》 Chapter 1: The Fool Chapter 1: The Fool Above an ocean of endless green water, but below a perpetually grey sky, laid a single lone boat. The vessel was made of visibly aged and weathered wood, and was small if not tiny by all accounts. To set sail into the tumultuous ocean with such a ship was no doubt suicide. But perhaps the captain of the ship was a genius, for the ship did not even have a sail. Speaking of the two crewmates on the ship¡­one of them, finally opened his eyes. Head laying on the wooden deck, her eyes were welcomed to swirling clouds suffused with white light. The clouds glowed beautifully in melancholy, and laying eyes on them, evoked odd feelings of an unfound nostalgia within the person. Despite the current headache, his eyes scanned the skies, almost wishing to sear them into memory¡­or at least into written word. Two brown irises wandered through the vast cloudy surface. There was not a trace of vibrant color up there¡ª neither blue, nor orange or red, and the sun was of course blocked by the barrier of clouds. Despite the monochrome color palette however, there was something¡­magically soothing about the scattered white light, that had pierced through the grey veil. Although she had just opened her eyes, they started to close into a peaceful, eternal rest¡­that was, until a wooden thump suddenly echoed from the bottom hull of the boat. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Visibly annoyed the person groaned, before rising groggily to sit up on the pitifully tiny deck. ¡°What was that? In fact¡­¡± He rubbed his eyes. He could not remember how long he slept, or in truth¡­even remember ever boarding this tiny boat. She looked to her right, at the endless sea of green water. An expression of confusion swept across her face. If her eyes weren¡¯t deceiving her¡­there was a subtle glow to the green waters, one that felt almost supernatural. She placed a dainty hand on the wooden rail, her head peeking over as she peered down from the starboard. There she saw her reflection within the faintly, luminous waters, all but confirming their subtle glow. Along with the faint fog, the mysteriousness of the ocean surrounding her grew in folds. Was this¡­some kind of dream? She continued to stare at her reflection. One would think she was in deep contemplation¡­but that was not the case. Yes, she had all but confirmed the water¡¯s mystical nature, but more importantly¡­the young woman could not help but to look at her beautiful image! Admiring herself in the green waters, she noted her light-emerald eyes, that were even more beautiful and ethereal than the ocean that glowed, and her head full of cascading, silver-white hair that shined with the light of elegance. ¡°Hehe.¡± She giggled. Before she could engage in vanity even further, however, the reflection in the water mirror shifted. Within the faintly luminous waters¡­there was now a surprised child with black hair and black eyes. ¡°Hu¨C Huh!?¡± A high-pitched, and noticeably innocent voice exclaimed. He stumbled backwards away from the image, and likewise the luminous green waters. Was he¡­having delusions? Or maybe¡­the green waters were magical, and simply distorted the image of ¡°her¡± reflection? ¡­Quickly he found, however, that that was not the case. He felt oddly that there was more space within the small boat, but it was not because it had grown bigger, but because he had grown smaller. And raising his hand towards his vision, he found it noticeably less slim, feminine, and graceful, but instead¡­cute and pudgy. Confused, exasperated, but curious, the young child peeked his head over the wooden rail, peering down at his reflection once again. What he expected to see was the same small child in the earlier reflection, but instead what met him seemed to be an older version of himself. There in the glowing green waters, reflected a man in his twenties, with a lion¡¯s mane of black hair, and a long scar over his left cheek extending to the jaw. Raising his hand to his vision again, it was broad, rough, and littered with callouses. Mysteriously, he even had the odd inkling that the callouses, were made from the relentless brandishing of a sword. Dozens of thoughts passed through his head in that moment, and he almost wished it to be empty. But first, he had to confirm something¡­ He lowered his hand, letting his black irises meet the waters once again. Unblinking eyes watched unerringly, the fluctuating reflection in the still green ocean, What he found to be his form, was ephemeral, and ever shifting. At one instance, she was a beautiful young woman, and in the next he was a weathered adult man. ¡°What is going on¡­¡± He asked himself. He asked the question rhetorically of course, not expecting an answer, but someone would rise to the challenge. As if on cue, a shadow appeared from deeper below the water¡¯s surface, one that grew larger by the second. Splash! The shadow tore through the water mirror¡¯s reflection! It was¡­a tilapia fish that had leaped out of the water! It jumped directly onto the small boat, floundering and splashing water everywhere. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± She put her arms in front of her trying not to get wet, when suddenly in a casual tone the fish opened its little lips and replied, ¡°I don¡¯t know girl you tell me.¡± ¡°Wh¨C Whaaat!?¡± A feminine voice yelled out, staring wide-eyed at the fish¡¯s mouth. ¡®Am I¡­hearing things now?¡¯ But she saw its mouth move again as it said, ¡°Huh? What? You never seen a talking fish before?¡± A breath of disbelief escaped the young woman, ¡°This¡­is insane.¡± ¡°Uh. No. You¡¯re the weird one that¡¯s for sure.¡± The fish replied, seemingly taking offense.This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it ¡°Me? Weird? You shouldn¡¯t even have the functions to talk! When did you learn human language even!?¡± ¡°¡­Hah.¡± The fish scoffed, in disbelief at this girl¡¯s rudeness and casual disrespect. ¡°Are you calling me dumb? You¡¯re calling me dumb and uneducated.¡± ¡°Let''s look at the facts. Aren''t you the real weird one, talking to a fish?¡± Hearing that, the young woman shook, visibly taken aback. ¡°If someone saw you what would they think?¡± The tilapia was relentless, continuing in a sarcastic and mocking tone, ¡°This is insane! This fish is crazy!¡± ¡°Well who''s to say you¡¯re not the crazy one, shapeshifter?¡± He paused in disbelief. This fish¡­was making too much sense¡­ ¡®Did I¡­drink some seawater and forgot I even did? Causing hallucinations?¡¯ ¡°By the way, you¡¯re male again.¡± ¡°And a kid most importantly.¡± ¡°Respect your elders! You should be talking to me in a reverent tone now, young man.¡± The fish spoke condescendingly. ¡°Get with the times! Not only is it tradition to respect your elders, in modern times, the young should give up their futures for us too!¡± It continued to spout. His tone hiding a slight jab at some unrelated circumstance. Even though the fish¡¯s words were obvious drivel, a hint of irritation welled up in the young child. His small, red, and puffy cheeks appeared quite adorable, yet he swallowed his anger and impulse to argue. The child sighed, ¡°Okay, so you can talk.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know how or even why¡­¡± He grumbled lowly. ¡®Or if this is even real¡­¡¯ He thought to himself. ¡°But could you¡­ at least answer some of my questions then?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°But I think your crewmate can.¡± ¡°My crewmate?¡± He turned his head, and there, on the other side of the small dingy boat, laid a skeleton in tattered black robes. ¡°Wha¨C!?¡± He had been so centered in his own world, that he never even realized the dead body on his boat. The small child staggered backwards, except of course, there was not much space to do so and he almost fell into the water. Green waters splashed as the small boat rocked about. The young child, who had now turned into an adult man, was forced to calm down lest he overturn the vessel. ¡°How long has it been here¡­¡± Again, a rhetorical question that came with a not-so rhetorical reply. ¡°Probably as long as you¡¯ve been here.¡± ¡°And¡­how long is that?¡± The tilapia fish hummed a comprehensible, ¡°Ion¡¯ kno,¡± before falling silent. It was important to note, that fish did not have vocal cords to speak, much less hum. The man¡¯s eyes bounced back to his first mate, studying the dead body in detail. The skeleton wore a tattered black robe, the same one often found on dark mages, or cultists of evil gods. Why they wore such conspicuously suspicious outfits was a mystery to her. And maybe it was because the person was dead¡­but she didn''t seem to get that vibe off of the skeleton. Instead of an unholy malevolence befitting of a possible undead lich, she found the skeleton in black tattered robes to hold¡­a surprising air of benevolence. Not in the same sense as that of a priest or saint, but¡­that of a kind stranger. Perhaps, in due part, to that weathered book he embraced to his left breastbone. The book was large and thick. Two fat leather covers encased the thousands of ancient pages, and perhaps for extra measure, the book was bound by an individual leather strap, that coiled around the book like a guardian snake. Apart from its size and age, the book actually appeared quite ordinary. So ordinary in fact, that the young woman was led to believe that the skeleton was more ¡°down-to-earth,¡± and approachable, than that of a mage or religious devotee. Her eyes pierced further: The skeleton held the book close to its heart even after death, which spoke volumes about its value despite its ordinary appearance. Yet, it neither resembled a holy book nor a demonic grimoire; in her mind those were quite important books to hold onto even after death. Wait. Could it be then that the book¡­was the skeleton¡¯s life diary!? She definitely wouldn¡¯t want someone reading that. And yet oddly enough, the more the young woman stared at the book, the more she could sense it was not of mundane origin¡­ While the book neither felt sacred nor wicked it felt¡­profound, in a manner he could not verbally describe. Well, at least he could assume the skeleton was not some dark mage that used trapped human souls for spellpower, or some follower of an eldritch god that routinely offered human sacrifices. Could this dead body really have just been a normal person? Somehow¡­he didn¡¯t think so. ¡°Who¡­are you?¡± Silence pervaded. The talkative fish, just off to the side, did not make any remarks. ¡°In fact really¡­who¡­am I?¡± BOOM! At that question a heavenly crash shook the skies. An aged and old figure atop the boat looked up, seeing bright white light rumbling and pounding on the obscuring clouds. The scene was both grand and apocalyptic. ¡°Tch. Now you¡¯re old too.¡± The fish started talking again. ¡°Don¡¯t ask me for your social security, it¡¯s all dried up!¡± ¡°Pension? None! Hmph. Should¡¯ve worked more as a youngin! So irresponsible!¡± The young woman ignored the fish¡¯s nonsensical ramblings. What even was a social security? But as she turned her head, she was welcomed, and frightened, to an odd sight. The skeleton was now standing up. Still clutching the thick brown book, its empty eye sockets stared directly at her ethereal green eyes. Then, the sound of flames roared as if an inferno was summoned. Within the empty eye sockets of the walking skeleton, two green undead flames manifested. ¡°Would you like to hear a tale?¡± A divine voice uttered, seemingly resonating from the undead body. The voice was layered¡ª both with a god¡¯s and goddesses¡¯s voice, yet not sounding like either, but more so containing both sides of the same coin. ¡°Oh my goodness.¡± Her arms fell to the wooden rails, to which she leaned her falling body on. She was about to faint, feeling lightheaded. Good thing she was frightened young! Or else if she had been elderly, she may have had a heart attack, and died on the spot. ¡°Hey are you gonna answer em?¡± Replied the fish casually. Rarely did it say anything helpful¡ª or even something that was not frustratingly annoying¡­but its next words held infinite value. ¡°Maybe¡­it¡¯ll answer your question.¡± ¡°...¡± She said nothing, choosing to ponder upon what the tilapia just said. The young woman stood up, looking around at the endlessly luminous green ocean. She did not know who the skeleton was. She didn¡¯t even know who she was. She did not know for how long she had slept, how she got onboard this suicide ship in the first place, nor when she would next see a trace of land, if ever. ¡°Do I¡­even have a choice?¡± She uttered somberly. The fish opened its lips as if to quip, but¡­in the end held back. Only the faint sounds of her breathing accompanied the burning of undead flames, and the shifting of the sea¡¯s luminous waters. ¡°...Why is the ocean green and glowing anyway!?¡± The young woman stomped her feet, puffing her cheeks up while sulking. To this, the fish chuckled. Indeed the girl was riddled with many questions and no answers. ¡°If I say no, what happens?¡± She asked, hoping for at least a single definitive answer. ¡°...Who knows.¡± Said the tilapia fish. ¡°Worst thing that could happen¡ª the skeleton kills ya.¡± ¡°Seriously!?¡± She snapped back in a tone befitting of youth. ¡°...Or maybe it doesn¡¯t, and the guy just falls back dead.¡± The young woman looked back at the skeleton, who stood there waiting with undying patience. A thought arose in her head: If she said neither yes nor no, would it wait there for her answer forever? The green flames in its eye sockets, seemed almost eternal. ¡°...Days could pass if you don¡¯t starve.¡± The tilapia interrupted her thoughts. ¡°Or if you¡¯re like me and don¡¯t need to eat¡­¡± ¡°Months, years, decades will pass as you¡¯re stuck in a limbo of endless sea and grey sky.¡± ¡°Do¡­whatever you want.¡± The fish ended, not spouting anything else further. ¡­In the end, the young woman¡­stepped forward. She was hesitant but knew what decision she had ultimately chosen. Between passivity and agency, she no longer favored the former. As if sensing both her hesitation, and her resolve, the skeleton craned its head, asking once again, ¡°Would you like to hear a tale?¡± This time there was no hint of divinity. Only the crumbling, hoarse voice of a corpse. She sucked in a deep breath. ¡°Yes.¡± BOOM! To that answer, the book from the skeleton¡¯s hands emitted a wave of heavenly force. The luminous waters beneath the boat depressed an immediate hundred-eleven meters, before causing towering tidal waves to sweep forth from the origin. Up in the skies, the veil of clouds threatened to be torn open, but mysteriously they rushed in to gather shape before the white light could breach. The seemingly ordinary book was now levitating in between her and the skeleton. It manifested a halo of white light¡ª its pages flipping open madly, while lit aflame in a seven-colored auric essence. Before she could ask another ¡°What is going on!?¡± The sudden depression caused the boat to fall, as she screamed from the sudden drop. ¡°AHHHHHHHHHH!¡± A crash was heard as wood collided with water. Miraculously, the shoddy wooden boat suffered not a scratch from such a steep drop. Heaving heavily, the young woman opened her mouth, ¡°I¡ª¡± ¡ªgasp¡ª Without pause, the luminous waters flooded back beneath her boat, elevating it higher and higher, swelling into a momentous, soaring tide. The tiny boat now rode a rising three-hundred foot wave, and the young woman atop it could be heard screaming all the while. In the midst of the wave''s crescendo, finally the mad flipping of the book stopped on one of its earliest pages. ¡°This tale is called¡­¡± ¡°__________¡° A divine voice rumbled, the same one that contained all energies and essences. Her ears were able to hear, ¡°Once upon a time¡­¡± Before the words became too archaic and profound for her mind to comprehend. A mind-splitting headache then overcame her as she clutched at her head, falling to her knees as green glowing waters splashed about. Her body swayed dangerously left and right¡ª just as it was about to fall out of the tiny boat and down three hundred or so feet, the tilapia fish leaped, thwacking her back into the vessel. An audible thud was heard as she crashed back onto the deck, and the tilapia fish disappeared into the tidal wave. The young woman was still clinging to her head, unaware of her surroundings and deeply in the throes of agony. Luckily, however, the profoundness of the skeleton¡¯s murmurings elevated to dimensions and densities far above what the mortal mind could pick up on, and she was relieved of both her mental, and spiritual torment. All words led to the fullness of silence, and her very consciousness seemed to be pulled inside a tale written in the once unassuming brown book¡­ Chapter 2: The Last Blood Chapter 2: The Last Blood A blood-stained banner hung weakly and unsteadily upon a wall. Its colors were that of black and white, and within the center lay the crest of a black-furred lion. Bodies of servants, soldiers, and knights of the stronghold were strewn about¡ª their bodies treated less like humans and more like discarded dolls. A soft thud, almost soundless, echoed amongst the resonant clangor of iron and steel. A black haired and black eyed child collapsed to his knees, all around him a blaze of fire releasing sweltering, melting heat. And yet, neither the infernal flames, nor their toxic fumes, did anything to spark a sense of urgency within the young boy. His eyes stared lifelessly at the sight before him. There, amongst the ruins of a once great hall, were the corpses of his brothers, his sisters, and his mother. Red ran like a river through their disemboweled, delimbed, and/or decapitated bodies. BOOM! An explosion shook the walls, quickly followed by a spurt of blood that streaked across the air, splattering against the grey walls. The last remaining banner of House Tor fell from its proud height, and so too did its last knight. Just a few meters away from the ghastly sight of a hill of corpses, stood weakly a man clad in the colors of the royal family. He breathed harshly¡ª the toll it had taken to fell a Lord-Knight, was no small amount. In fact¡­it could be said to be momentous. There, at his feet, was the young boy¡¯s father. Both his black metal armor and white-striped cape were now stained in red. Around the single man¡¯s body, lay a corpse sea of a hundred royal knights, each one who had been a champion able to level a small town¡ª were now all lifeless corpses. Again the royal son reminded himself¡ª strength, and power, were separate from moral virtue. Leonel Arituel was a Lord-Knight capable of combating entire armies¡ª vanquishing tens of thousands of men, fleeing when he wished, and coming back to rid of what remained. An illustrious, prestigious, and beyond powerful duke under the crown¡­and he was also a traitor. At least¡ª that was what his father said. What his¡­father said¡­ A look of deep contemplation appeared on his face¡­interrupted by a sudden movement in his peripherals. The blonde knight looked up, seeing a black-haired child stumble backwards amidst the ruins and flames. No doubt, it was one of the traitor¡¯s sons, now his only son. He called to mind the law, as it was written and decreed by generations past. The consequence for betrayal, for treason¡­was harsh, not just of death, but bloodline extinction. ¡ªsigh¡ª The royal prince¡ª a son in his own right, had to fulfill his duties. Exhausted but driven, his sword dragged itself across the floor, scraping stone with sparks, and corpse with red alike. Not long did he arrive before the boy, who still sat motionless and wide-eyed, frozen in fear. The prince-knight raised his blade. ¡°Though your blood is that of a traitor, you need not suffer long.¡± The blonde man said. His voice surprisingly holding neither contempt, nor derision, but instead¡­genuine compassion, and an absolute belief in his idea of righteousness. The blade fell down. CLANG! The prince¡¯s blade failed to strike flesh¡ª metal met with metal in a resonant hum, and the clash of two blades resulted in a strong gale that swept through the once great hall. It was evident that the powers that met, were of no small achievement. The ring of flames consumed the wind, ultimately fanning the inferno, and causing the surroundings to glow with a hellish, ruinous light. A tall and stalwart man placed himself between the last living child and the prince-knight. A shadow cast itself on the young boy, granting him shade in the same way a towering tree did from the sun. ¡°What do you think you''re doing, Marquis Young?¡± ¡°My sword fell out of its sheath¡ª apologies.¡± The stalwart man said shamelessly, betraying his imposing figure. ¡°...What are you doing? Your royal highness.¡± His tone changed instantly, sounding only nominally polite. ¡°I am exacting law, and justice.¡± ¡°Justice¡­?¡± ¡°How is slaughtering a child justice? What wrong has he done?¡± The marquis¡¯s tone was calm, and yet on the edge of patience. ¡°His blood is tainted, carrying the sin of betrayal in his veins. Law demands it be washed away.¡± This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°Laws¡­Laws be damned! What sort of law claims to hold justice and demands the blood of innocents!?¡± His shout echoed through the great hall, causing the ruins to shake, and the flames to flicker. ¡°Watch your words, Marquis.¡± The prince-knight said with an icy bite. Unseen, his will and emotion spread too, and the raging inferno all around them dimmed for a short moment. ¡°The laws were written by my father, his father before him, and my own ancestors.¡± ¡°It¡­is¡­tradition. Generations before me have followed and abided by it, and I¡ª¡± ¡°I¡­too shall uphold it.¡± The prince-knight¡¯s voice was hesitant and faltering, his words and tone stumbling to come upon his own resolution. At that moment, a disjumbled clutter of iron footsteps approached the end of the hall. What was merely echoes were now heavy thunks of stomping metal. Judging by the never-ending sounds of battle outside, these knights were also of considerable strength and skill. Each one wore colors of a different house, meaning they had cut their own path through individually, and not by relying on an alliance of combined military strength. It was no surprise then that each individual was of great renown, all recognizable by the prince-knight, but only two were familiar to the stalwart man. The six knights scanned the situation¡ª just judging by their body language and their opposing positions, it was clear that the prince and marquis were at conflict¡­maybe even a confrontation had already occurred. Their eyes placed themselves on the child behind the marquis, and the child¡¯s black irises wandered over to the six individuals in turn. None of them were fools, they easily saw through the situation. As for the kid, seeing the arrival of six unfamiliar men no doubt only made him more fearful. ¡­Although he really should have started running since the Marquis clashed swords with the prince. A genius swordsman versus a prince taught solely by the best¡ª what was once a stalemate would now be decided by the will of the other six men. ¡°Leave, child.¡± Marquis Young said. The boy¡¯s eyes naturally wandered over to the holder of the voice. ¡°Run south.¡± He spoke with his back turned, and though the young child would eventually forget his face, he would never forget that strong, and unwavering back. Presently, though, he still had not moved. It wasn¡¯t unlikely if he was still in shock. ¡°Go. Now!¡± The stalwart man¡¯s voice rumbled throughout the hall¡ª raw mana evidently amplifying its booming sound as it shook the surroundings. The young boy finally reacted. Taking one more look at his dead family and destroyed house, he turned around with tears in his eyes and a lump in his throat. His legs ran with force he never before displayed, and he disappeared from behind a tall iron door. A knight that wore the colors of red and brown shot after him¡ª his movements as a two-hundred pound human being were on par with that of a fired bullet. ¡­And yet his path was still blocked by the well-timed placement, and gleam of a blade. Usually the brown-clad knight would cut his way through without even asking; as he so often threw around his weight and status without care. Many commoners and even lesser nobles fell victim to his¡­violations. Yet he looked at Marquis Young with wariness. His next words came calculated, suppressing a vile grin he shouted ¡°You dare get in the way of the prince!? Defending the son of a traitor!?¡± ¡°It''s alright.¡± The blonde knight stepped forward. ¡°Remove yourself from my path, Marquis Young.¡± "And if I choose not to?¡± ¡°Then¡­you are also a traitor.¡± ¡°Do you not hear yourself!?¡± The stalwart man said, exasperated. ¡°Hundreds of thousands dead throughout this city, millions to starve¡ª what evidence do you even have of the Lion Duke¡¯s betrayal!?¡± ¡°My father¡¯s word! The king¡¯s word.¡± He emphasized. ¡°Is that all it takes now? What investigations occurred¡ª what of the necessary trials to deem him truly guilty? Was he ever even given notice, or summons!?¡± The blonde man hesitated as he opened his mouth¡ª he too was a knight who swore vows to uphold himself to truth, and fairness. Were they simply empty promises? By his father, the king¡¯s word, lawful procedures were skipped and judgement came at an instant. Not long after was he, and all other noblemen ordered to march on the Lion Duke¡¯s lands. Gossip and discussion of course followed, and yet invisible hands seemed to be suppressing any rumors of foul play, or the king¡¯s use or misuse of power. Everything about it reeked of suspicion, and yet, to suspect that the situation wasn¡¯t all that it seemed, meant accusing the king of dishonesty, and worse, corruption. Internally he struggled but ultimately¡­ Were the king¡¯s words not truth? Was he not upholding justice? For the sake of his own identity, they had to be. ¡°It is¡­all that is necessary.¡± The prince knight breathed in deep, ¡°Stand down. I will forget about this momentary lapse of judgement.¡± ¡°And you will review the knight¡¯s code and kingdom¡¯s laws when we both return to the capital¡ª only a month¡¯s worth of suspension, for your intentions were¡­simply naive.¡± ¡°The prince is magnanimous!¡± The brown-clad knight said timely, although all he received was a cold, almost malicious glare from the prince¡­ He breathed in deep, ¡°...Get in my way now, and I must deem you my enemy, and an enemy, of the crown.¡± Towards the end his voice layered and amplified, an element of undeniable authority was mixed into his decree. The prince¡¯s last words seemed not just meant for the marquis, as he glanced towards the six men behind him. Half of them, shifted uncomfortably. The other three knights, made their decision in an instant. Opposing the prince would only bring them losses, and perhaps even ruin. While moving into the prince¡¯s good graces could only benefit them. They moved to the prince¡¯s side, as his golden eyes looked over the remaining three knights. That was when a knight clad in blue and white, stepped forward. ¡°Young. We grew up together. Fought together. You¡¯re a Marquis at twenty-nine¡ª and just a step away from the realm of lords.¡± ¡°You could very well become a Duke in your lifetime, while becoming a lord-knight is just a matter of time.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t throw that all away for the son of a traitor.¡± With that, he joined the ranks of the prince and other three men. The power balance was already set. Even if the other two joined the Marquis, it would still be five against three. One of them bit their lip till it bled, before uttering ¡°I¡¯m¡­sorry.¡± Another person who Young was familiar with, sided with the prince. How could he know that the debt of a life saved, would be repaid in this way? Surprisingly¡­the last person to choose a side was a stranger, and much more, a commoner. He had the most to gain, and in shame, he could not help but think that if he had chosen the prince faster, maybe he would be rewarded with a noble title and some land. He reached towards the cape he wore, before bitterly tearing it off his armor and joining the prince¡¯s side. Seven knights now faced one. In such a situation, to yield, was to live. ¡°Back down.¡± The prince said once more. ¡°...Disappointing.¡± The Marquis spoke out unwaveringly, before the dust rose, and his greatsword started to vibrate. The prince received his answer¡ª he and the other six knights gripped their swords tightly. Seven energies clashed with one, causing the great hall to tremble. Although the Marquis¡¯s aura was denser and more powerful, it was still suppressed by the mana of seven other Champions. Out of the seven, most looked at him with both pity, and respect. Defeat was certain, whilst death was likely, and still he had chosen to die for his beliefs. All to buy time for the child of a traitor to flee, though even that prospect was unlikely. But then¡­the very stone fortress, started to quake. Orange light twirled and shifted. Constellations in the shape of a tiger appeared and disappeared as mana at the level of intelligent thought burst out of Marquis Young, dominating the battlescape and releasing supreme, oppressive pressure. Out of instinct, three of the seven swallowed nervously, while the other three trembled from fear, their adamantium armor clinking frantically. Evidently¡­Marquis Young was not at the peak of Champion level, but had just stepped into the realm of Lords. ¡°Lord-Knight¡­¡± Although the seven weren¡¯t expecting an effortless fight¡ª they weren¡¯t expecting to be on the backfoot either. Seven against one? It was supposed to be two dire wolves facing off, although one had a pack, and one didn¡¯t. The odds and scales were obvious¡­but now, they were against a tiger with newly born wings. ¡°Withdraw.¡± The Marquis¡¯s voice bore down upon them like divine decree. The six looked at the prince, and yet hesitation never appeared on his face or in his movements. He pushed through what felt like a wave of liquid iron, before launching an attack. The six men followed, already having chosen, and sealed their fate. BOOM! Behind a running child, an entire stone fortress shook. Wherever a soldier or knight saw him¡ª if they wore the colors of black and white¡ª they readily gave their life to carve him a path. The loyalty and devotion they showed, almost made the king¡¯s accusations of treason credible. ¡­Almost. The child knew that he shouldn¡¯t but he looked back anyway. Although the stronghold was not made of adamantium, it was still made out of a mythical metal. And yet, most of the mile-long fortress was annihilated in the battle with his father, and now what remained shook violently. He clenched his fists, before turning away. It went without saying that he was weak and powerless, he could change nothing and only welcome death. He ran and ran, even as the air depleted from his lungs and his muscles started to burn. Lonely and now truly alone, the black-haired and black-eyed child disappeared into the dense and dark shadows of a forest. Chapter 3: Caught Chapter 3: Caught Soft sunlight peered over a thicket of gently blown trees. A golden glow illuminated green leaves, before the angle of their source changed ever so slightly, and the light found its way to a sleeping boy. Eyes twitching at the unexpected brightness, they fluttered open. Awakened, his senses were welcomed into a magical scene. The morning sun shone in the distance¡ª its golden rays dispersed neatly and perfectly by the branches of a myriad kind trees. Soft sounds of the forest played a symphony in his ears¡ª that of birds chirping, the wind passing through tens of thousands of leaves, and the faint sounds of a distant gushing river. A cold wind passed over, but he wore pristine fur, and the chilling gale simply became a refreshing breeze. Unconsciously, a smile formed on his lips. Rising from his hammock, he stretched merrily, ready to explore a new day. Feeling the effects of a full and restful sleep, his walk turned into a stride that turned into a full blown run. Excitedly, he ran over to a few spots he marked down on his map. Leaves crunched and sticks broke as the silhouette of a playful child appeared transiently between the dense forest¡¯s gaps. He arrived quickly to one of his destinations. There near a formation of bushes was a trap laid for small animals, constructed by himself of course out of plant fiber and broken sticks. To his disappointment the trap was never triggered, but he quickly cheered himself up and ran to the next spot on his map. He arrived before a small stream where light shimmered radiantly on the water¡¯s surface. Before he could fully take it in however, he heard the breakage of sticks, and the swift patter of a creature¡¯s footsteps. From a small hill he looked downwards, and saw a red fox streaking through the forest¡¯s clearing, before disappearing into some dense foliage. He looked to where it had come from. The very trap he had made, had been triggered! And it was also¡­broken. Which made an awful lot of sense. ¡°Were the sticks too brittle, or the bindings I tied too weak?¡± ¡°I guess at least the trap I made works¡­¡± The young child carried on to his next and last destination. He arrived before a clearing, with rolling green hills and flowers abound. Along with them, were numerous burrows where small creatures nested. And near a particular burrow¡­he saw a sleeping rabbit. It was small, perhaps young, and weak, or else it would have already broken through the sticks that caged it. His trap¡­had caught something. Excitedly he ran over. With eyes of wonder, curiosity and joy, he stood above the small creature as it jumped awake. Its hairs stood on end¡ª frantically it scurried as far away as its shoddy cage would let it, which was not far. Its small paws patted between the gaps of the sticks, and yet that was all the distance they could go. In his excitement the young child lunged his hand while simultaneously removing the dome-shaped wooden trap. A huge hand wrapped itself around the young rabbit¡¯s neck, before being lifted up roughly into the air. It struggled in his arms, and he only gripped the small creature even tighter as he ran back to camp. A clearing came into view, one surrounded by his House¡¯s men and women. Numerous tents were set up around an inner perimeter, guarded by an outer perimeter that was much too expansive for him to see. Seeing the sweet, running boy holding a rabbit, smiles lit up as everyone cleared a path for him to reach his destination. There he reached his father¡¯s tent, and without stopping burst through its opening flaps. A tall man with locks of flowing black hair had his back turned, looking at a table full of documents in front of him. Even while on a leisurely trip, he still found time for work. Without even looking behind him he said, ¡°Vendus, is that your first catch?¡± ¡°Yeah! I caught it by the burrow¡ª you know where those flower hills were?¡± ¡°Hahaha, congratulations!¡± ¡°Come, let me see it.¡± ¡°Small. Young. Not much meat¡­but enough to fill your belly.¡± ¡°We can cook it for your breakfast meal.¡± He said as he ruffled his son¡¯s hair. ¡°O¨C Oh¡­¡± ¡°Your Uncle Samson brought over some foreign spices, want to season the meat with it?¡± Vendus did not reply, instead looking at the small creature caught in his arms. Now that he took a real look at it, it was easy to see that it was anxious and frightened. Its struggle had stopped, long replaced by constant trembling. The look in its eyes bordered between intense fear, and¡­something he couldn¡¯t quite recognize at his age. ¡°We¡ª We can just let him go dad.¡± ¡°...Haha. Are you sure?¡± A low voice with a rough timbre said. Even the man¡¯s voice resembled a lion¡¯s. ¡°You don¡¯t want to celebrate your first catch ever?¡± A pondering look appeared on the child¡¯s face, but not for long. ¡°No father, it''s alright!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s¡­let him go.¡± ¡°Okay, child.¡± A broad hand landed on his head, ruffling his hair once again. ¡°Hmm. Why not show your brothers and sisters first?¡± ¡°O¡ª Oh yeah!¡± ¡°Hmph! I can finally show off to Raina and Byrel!¡± With that he quickly ran out of his father¡¯s tent. Running over to his sibling¡¯s quarters, he gave no warning and once again burst inside. ¡­And yet what met him was not the interior of a tent, but that of a vast, stone fortress. An eerie, almost foreboding silence assaulted him as his mind grew increasingly confused and fearful at the sequence of events. The silence lasted but a few moments before an irrational fear gripped his heart, and then consumed it. BOOM! BOOM! The walls shook and trembled, thunderous explosions assaulted the mighty fortress in a haphazard and senseless destruction. Trembling in fear, the boy crumbled, and without conscious choice, he found himself kneeling on the cold stone floor. He stared out into an empty ruinous hall, but he blinked once, and now a sea of corpses, limbs, and heads stared at him. His mouth opened in a guttural, tormented scream, before he stammered out the words, ¡°Fa¡ª Father! Help!¡± He wanted to run out the same way he came inside, but his legs would not let him. And then, there in the distance, a blonde man that wore the colors of gold and purple cut his father down. Blood streaked through the air, this time not only splattering the walls, but bathing the young child in it. Buckets of red blood seemed to have fallen atop his head, flowing down to molest each and every part of his body. Eyes opened unnaturally wide, he breathed harshly as red fell from his hair, and his very eyelashes. Currently his mind was holding on by just a single thread. ¡°Ve¡ª Vendus¡­¡± He looked upwards from the ground, hearing a familiar voice. Instinctively his eyes scanned for the voice¡¯s source, until his eyes laid themselves on a nightmarish sight. Pale dead lips moved¡ª the decapitated head of his sister, Raina, spoke to him. ¡°Ru¡ª Run.¡± ¡°Wake up.¡± A horrified and confused expression appeared on his miserable, blood-splattered face, before his eyes shot wide open. He awoke in cold sweats, gasping for air as if he had been held underwater.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. The high moon shone just above him, obscured slightly by falling leaves from shedding branches. Silence reigned, and each sound that made a bump in the night set his heart aracing. A chilling gale blew, and his small and unfed body shivered in pitiful misery. ¡°A dream¡ª It was just another dream¡­¡± He said with a voice that was just barely hanging on. Wiping his tears, it was the second time he awoke tonight, and the fifth nightmare in the last three days. ¡­Insidiously, this one began with a happy start, lulling him to let his guard down. All the other nightmares were direct¡ª and he could steel his resolve, and push himself ever forward out of the sheer belief that he had to live. Yet this one¡ª this one caught him at his most innocent, and most vulnerable. That dream was not just a dream but a memory. One that was still fresh in his mind, and one he so desperately wanted to return to. He had begun to think that this life was the nightmare, to which he begged himself to wake up from. But¡­this was his reality. Vendus had spent the last three days running, and he had not slept properly nor eaten anything for the past three days. Tears began to fall from him more than usual, and frustratingly he did his best to rub them out of existence. He had to be strong and unwavering¡ª just like his father, and just like that man who had protected him. So how could he let himself falter here? He rose from a pile of leaves, vines, and greenery he used to hide himself in, before setting off to a few spots he had marked down in his head. Knowing he wouldn''t be able to sleep for a while, he had to at least try to fill his belly. Without sustenance no warrior could sustain themselves. Within that line of thinking, and just before collapsing from exhaustion, he had made and placed down a few traps. In fact, they were the very same traps that he¡­used in his dream¡­ ¡­Immediately, he shook himself out of that line of thought. His head quickly spun from side to side, as if wanting to physically throw any ideas he was having out of his head. The boy was afraid of lingering on any malign thought¡ª even for just a little, scared they might bring something terrible back to his tired mind. Besides, right now, right here, he had to focus on what was in front of him. Silently, a figure creeped through the spaces where the moonlight couldn¡¯t reach. Its dark silhouette resembled a phantom, appearing and disappearing between the dense forest¡¯s gaps. Without fanfare the figure reached its first destination. An eerie sight occurred, as the dark shadow of a head peeked out from behind a tree. A featureless face looked at something in front of a dense bush made of tiny, nibbled leaves, before inevitably leaving the site. Time passed. A red fox peeked its head out of a den, oblivious to the shadow that stuck close and low just above it. The stalker bided his time, waiting for the fox to feel safe enough to exit. A single paw reached out, followed by another, until finally its body was fully out in the open. In that moment, the stalker lunged. Two hands reached out for the fox, but its ears twitched first, hearing the hunter¡¯s clumsy and impatient approach. It leaped away, and the stalking figure ate a mouthful of leaves and dirt. The fox ran and kept running. Then, just a few paces ahead of it, something fell from above. A dome-shaped bowl made out of thick sticks, thoroughly knotted fiber, and even a few rocks as added weight, fell down onto the fox. The trap¡ª the rocks¡ª smashed onto the fox¡¯s tail and it yelped. Unfortunately though¡­that was the extent of it. The fox squeezed its tail out, and with its speed, the fox disappeared into the foliage just narrowly avoiding capture. Vendus¡­sighed sorrowfully. Patting the dirt and leaves off of him before creeping back into the shadows. If he had kept his patience maybe the fox would have walked right in. But then¡­maybe not. He slowed his breathing again, muffling any and every sound his body could make. Unknowingly, he was connecting to the very essence of those stalking and prowling creatures. Silently and more menacingly than ever, he traversed the forest. His breathing became more calm and rhythmic, each step less clunky and more natural. He was not becoming more confident in his movements, but more instinctive. The young boy¡¯s dark silhouette seemed to effortlessly blend into the shadowy forest¡­until he stumbled erringly into the moonlight. Vendus¡¯s face showed an expression of disbelief, for there in front of him, was a small creature caught in one of his traps. ¡®Didn¡¯t¡­think it¡¯d be that easy.¡¯ Vendus approached, and he saw the small animal scurry backwards against its wooden cage. As he got closer, his eyes finally made the creature out to be¡­a rabbit. Instantly he thought of his dream¡ª Nothing in the first trap. An encounter with a fox by the second. And finally a rabbit caught on his third. ¡°Don¡¯t think about it, don¡¯t think¡­¡± He muttered anxiously in a whisper. Vendus banished the thoughts away, taking a real good look at his trapped prey. It was neither plump nor malnourished, but its white fur was stained filthy by dirt, debris, and possibly¡­feces? Definitely something that smelled bad at least¡­ Standing just above it, he kneeled down. Producing a dagger from his hip, he held it shakily in his hands. Apart from his mother¡¯s locket, it was one of the only items he always had on him, and also one of the only items apart from his clothes that he was able to flee with. If he had the strength, he would have carried off one of his family¡¯s swords with him instead, but a dagger with his family''s crest on it would have to do. This dagger, would be his claw. Vendus had never killed anything in his life. If anything, he was deeply in tune with living creatures¡ª more sensitive to their emotions, and the emotions of others in general. Add to the fact that he was a child-noble who never had to hunt nor even cook his own food, made him completely unprepared for taking the life of his first prey. But¡­but he had to do it. He had to grow strong to not only live but¡­exact revenge. He steeled himself. That blonde man who wore the colors of gold and purple, those seven other men¡ª he wanted to cut them up into a sea of blood and strewn limbs and heads. There was a burning pain inside his heart, but not one out of unhealth, but out of rage, and grief. Vendus screamed. In one fell swoop, he removed the trap, grabbed the rabbit by its neck, and plunged his dagger downwards. The tip of the metal pierced into the rabbit¡¯s body, and its frightened eyes finally closed¡­ ¡­Except that wasn¡¯t what happened. The dagger stopped at the rabbit¡¯s head, a drop of blood fell from it, but that was all that fell. The rabbit may have gone motionless, but it had only stopped struggling and trembling in his hands out of intense fear. It was not dead by any means. ¡°Why? Why can¡¯t I do it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s¡ª It¡¯s cause¡ª¡± ¡°What did this little guy ever do to me?¡± His voice cracked towards the end of that question and so too did his heart. Suddenly then, ¡°...But I have to! I have to, I have to!¡± His voice spoke weakly trying to be strong, ¡°I cannot falter! I cannot waver!¡± ¡°I have to get big and strong! For that I have to kill!¡± Furiously wiping the tears that welled up, the dagger in his hands waved about much too close to his own throat. Vendus breathed in harshly¡ª he looked at the small trembling animal in his hands, before locking eyes with its distressed and pain-filled eyes. The reflection of his own miserable face appeared there, and he sucked in a deep breath, knowing there was no way he could do this with his eyes open¡­ And so closing his eyes¡ª dagger in grasp¡ª he steeled his resolve¡­ ¡­To which scenes of his previous dream assaulted him almost immediately¡ª the caught rabbit, its frightened and trembling body, and that heartbreaking look in its eyes¡ª He did what he forbade himself to do, and slowly the grip on his dagger started to loosen¡­ Before the visions in his mind changed again. A disgusting orgy of corpses, limbs, and heads blurred his perception of what was real, and what was not. The blonde knight, the seven men, the countless armies of soldiers destroying his home were all now right in front of him. He started to scream. Hatred, sadness, rage, and grief all mixed together, and his hand holding the dagger struck frantically and manically, over and over in a senseless and awful storm. Vendus had closed his eyes but he could not help to hear the squelches and splatters¡ª the hot touch of blood and flesh mixed with numerous white furs. Finally when the blade pierced through his own hand did he react. He screamed again, although chillingly there was no difference between the pain in his screams. Opening his eyes, he finally saw the aftermath of his own doing. The blade through his palm was not the worst sight. An appalling, indistinct mess of gore was all that was left of the frightened, caught rabbit. The young child stumbled backwards, before he felt something come up his throat and out of his mouth. His empty stomach retched, scooping out nothing but juices and acid from his body. He retched and coughed and the vomit hung on his mouth. Whatever didn''t hit the floor clung to his blood-stained clothes. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m so sorry.¡± Finally broken, he was able to outright sob. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, I¡¯m so sorry, I¡¯m sorry.¡± He muttered over and over. Weakly he crawled over to the rabbit¡¯s remains, and although he didn¡¯t look at the mess he made again, his head prostrated to the ground just a bit away from it. Tears, snot, and vomit made contact with the dirt, and so did his face. ¡°I¡ª¡± ¡°Luther!¡± An echo of a shout resounded near him. He gasped, almost too loudly, before holding back his whimpers and cries. Vendus looked backwards, seeing the distant approach of numerous light sources, most likely torches. ¡°You see anything!?¡± ¡°No! Not anything yet!¡± The voice that replied was much closer to him, he could hear the heavy thunks of armored footsteps. Those people behind him were not civilians or random hunters, but most likely soldiers sent out to search for him. He rubbed the tears, snot, and vomit off his face, sheathed the dagger into his hip, before one last time uttering under his breath, ¡°Please.¡± ¡°Rest in peace.¡± As silently and as fast as he could, he fled the scene. Not a minute later, a man in chainmail donning the colors of gold and purple stumbled upon the site. The bright light of his torch illuminated the horrors that had taken place. He sniffed the stench of blood and vomit clear enough, but more than that, they were awfully fresh, and still warm to the touch. Whatever mess happened here happened not too long ago¡ª the traitor¡¯s boy was close! Luther¡¯s eyes scanned the environment and surroundings for any trace of him, before bursting into a run in the right direction. Although Vendus had reached minor achievement in silent maneuvers, he had no idea how to cover his tracks. The distance between them lessened by the second. One was an adult running at full speed, while the other was a child trying to stay as silent as possible. Luther ran and kept running until suddenly, he simply stopped. His boots skidded over the forest''s surface, destroying the greenery underneath. ¡®The tracks¡­they stopped.¡¯ A hand placed itself on the grip of his blade, before it audibly screeched out of its sheath with a shing. Vendus¡¯s heart sped up, and he prayed to every god he knew that no one would hear it. He held his breath, waiting for the man to pass, and yet he stuck around. Heavy thuds circled the ground, searching every bush, tree, or dense pile of autumn leaves. ¡®Should I increase my search perimeter to five meters?¡¯ Luther walked further away, and Vendus could hear his footsteps distancing themselves. ¡®Where is that kid¡­¡¯ He looked in every nook and cranny. Luther wondered to himself if the boy had evaded his eyesight and sneaked past him long ago. Noble children were sometimes trained for such things after all. ¡®Should I be looking for tracks now from where I came?¡¯ ¡®Hmm¡­¡¯ ¡®Wait, why is¡­¡¯ This time he purposefully muffled his heavy boots¡ª silently he approached a tree covered densely in vines and leaves. It was autumn, so trees naturally shed, and yet¡­ As noiselessly as he could he removed the vegetation, revealing a hole that led into a hollow tree. Luther looked downwards, surprise and satisfaction appearing on his face along with a greasy smile. The boy who had burrowed himself in had not yet noticed, so he angled his blade to pierce into the hole just in case he resisted. Finally, he swerved his torch under the hole, in a way subtly signaling to the kid that he had finally, been caught. Light illuminated the space, Vendus looked up, noticing he was no longer covered in shadow, and Luther¡­ Luther¡­took a real good look at him. Dirty and ragged, there was not a speck on his body that wasn''t either brown, yellow, or blood stained. The stench of sweat, blood and vomit mixed together from him, and¡­and there was¡­a gash-shaped hole in his left hand. When the soldier¡¯s eyes passed over it he could see beyond the boy''s flesh, and into the inside of the gray tree. But somehow¡­somehow that was not the worst thing. The look in the boy¡¯s eyes¡ª it was gradually diminishing from intense fear to¡­to numb despair. The sharp gleam of his fancy sword did nothing to light up the lifelessness in his eyes. As for Vendus, despite all his aspirations of living because of the sacrifices people made for him, and despite all his goals of vengeance for his loved ones, all Vendus could think about now was¡­whether this was how the rabbit he previously slaughtered felt. He had nowhere to run. Trapped in the same place he hid himself in. ¡®...I¡¯m sorry.¡¯ ¡®¡­To everyone.¡¯ ¡°Luther!¡± A voice shouted, echoing from some distant place. ¡°Ye found em!?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°...No!¡± Vendus flinched. Luther hurried, starting to gather the surrounding greenery back to hide the hole and hollowness of the tree, and starting to stamp his feet across the ground in an effort to erase all his and the boy¡¯s tracks. ¡°I''ll look further south!¡± His voice echoed through the forest. ¡°Try further west!¡± He shouted as he planned to clean the mess up further back. ¡­Hearing their conversation, Vendus looked weakly upwards. The tip of the sword was gone, along with the man¡¯s face to which he could not remember. His eyes placed themselves onto the hole that led to the hollowness of the tree. It was being constantly stuffed with leaves and vines, but just before it was totally filled¡­a loaf of bread and a leather canteen of water fell into the hole, and into his empty lap. The last bundle of leaves hid the gap, and likewise hid the young boy in shadow and stray moonlight. ¡­Not long after, the sound of heavy armored footsteps disappeared into the distance. The danger and threat that came into his life¡­disappeared just as abruptly as it came. It even transformed into something else entirely. Vendus¡­held both in his arms, gazing at them deeply. Putting the piece of bread near his lips, tears unconsciously welled up in his eyes, and as he took his first bite, they began to flood over. Lavish meals no doubt tasted great, but all he could think about was how grateful he was for the food he was even given to eat. A chilling gale passed by, but it was not as cold inside. For this tiny moment created briefly and ephemerally, he was safe. Soft moonlight peered over a thicket of gently blown trees. A silver glow illuminated autumn leaves, and unexpected kindness found its way to a boy who wept silently into the night. As he fell asleep inside the hollow tree, his lips moved, uttering in silence, ¡®...Thank you.¡¯ Chapter 4: Consolidate Chapter 4: Consolidate Green ethereal eyes fluttered open to grey clouds suffused with white light. A young woman atop a lonely boat awoke wistfully, feeling as if she had both gained, and lost something indescribable. What was it? The question remained unspoken, perhaps knowing it would go unanswered. At the same time there seemed to be a tightness in her chest, which she oddly felt would not go away, no matter how much time passed. Was it sorrow? Anxiousness? Clouds of fog passed by as she was thinking, and whimsically she thought that they were exactly how she was feeling inside. Blurry. Muddled. Unclear¡­and drifting. The truth before her, her very thoughts and emotions, felt obscured. ¡®Huh¡­¡¯ Now she thought about it, this endless luminous sea was filled with more fog than ever. The black-haired and black-eyed young boy sat up on the deck, looking all around him. Purposefully he ignored some of the more mystical elements on the boat, wanting to digest all of that later, and looked at the ocean surrounding him. It was unlike last time where the fog clouds were sparse, and spread out. Now, they were as common as flowers were in the spring, or as numerous as stars were in the vast night sky. His boat pierced through one every few seconds, and at times he couldn¡¯t even see ten feet in front of him. In that moment, an intuitive inkling seemed to have descended upon him¡ª dozens of words appeared and disappeared within his mind in a haze of blurry meaning, and out of the confusion, one rose from above the rest, and anchored itself in his mind. ¡®Congested.¡¯ An odd word to describe the fog clouds, he thought, before brushing the phenomena off entirely. ¡®Well¡­I guess as long as they aren¡¯t poisonous.¡¯ ¡®Or¡­worse. A natural aphrodisiac.¡¯ Now that would be a pretty bad problem! Sitting on the deck, watching as they passed by, a sense of serenity and calm mystery seemed to fill him. ¡®...There¡¯s no sea horrors to jump out of the fog or something right!?¡¯ ¡®Ahh, whatever¡­¡¯ Now¡­he turned to those things he was previously ignoring. Those magical, almost unbelievable things that he would have outright denied if he wasn''t seeing them with his own two eyes. Just a few feet away from him, was the unassuming brown book. It couldn¡¯t really be described as unassuming anymore, considering the way it took her consciousness inside of one of its pages. If that wasn''t enough though, there was also the fact that it was still floating in midair. Reverberations of essence pulsed from it from time to time, and white-rainbow energy spiraled serenely around it in a graceful dance. The pages were still flipping, albeit more calmly as if in a state of rest, or even¡­in a state of relaxment and leisure. Those were odd words to describe a floating book, and yet, he felt it was most fitting. As for why he felt that way¡­he just¡­did. ¡®For all I know, this book might be able to think and feel.¡¯ He thought jokingly to himself, brushing off his odd notions and¡­unique perceptions. He then looked upwards, and was now ready to face that other thing he previously ignored. The skeleton still stood there, just as it had¡­well, when it¡­first stood up? He thought to himself, before correcting it with a more accurate statement. ¡®When it¡­first pulled my mind into the book.¡¯ Now thinking about those events, it was not as simple or whimsical as he made it out to be. An inferno roared as mystical green flames manifested in its skull. Divine voices resonated from within its lifeless body, before its whisperings grew so profound that it felt like a knife was splitting her brain. Then, yes, the powers that were, yanked her very consciousness into a story. Looking at it now however¡­there was no trace nor remnant of the skeleton¡¯s mysterious and divine powers. Its eye sockets were dark, dim, and empty. It looked as ordinary as any standing skeleton would. ¡­Except, yet again, the more she gazed at it the more she could sense something behind that dead and motionless front. As she stared at it, it stared at her, and by the moment she unearthed in its hollow sockets an odd element of expectation. It was¡­not difficult to tell of what either. It wanted her to keep listening, to keep experiencing, and to call what she felt within her curiosity, was an understatement. It was now a yearning, a burning desire to see how the story would continue, and how it would end. Even further beyond the tale, there was a yearning for her to know that vague thing called the truth, although she felt that she had many truths to unravel. The black-haired child immersed himself in that feeling of yearning, letting it burn his heart, mind, and soul. His eyes started to fill with a calm resolve, his body straightened to better hold the weight of his aspirations¡­until a stray thought suddenly struck him, to which he stumbled out of that resonance. ¡°...He¨C Hey wait! It¡¯s not gonna be a totally different story now is it!?¡± At the thought of that possibility, he panicked¡ª although the experiences he went through weren''t exactly warm and affectionate, he felt bonded to them in a way. Like two trees planted too close to each other that inevitably grew entwined, he wanted to see the story through. He didn¡¯t want to dive into some totally new tale. Was it¡­his mistake for assuming that it was guaranteed? But¡­it had to be right? The black haired and black eyed child¡­had to make sure. He sucked in a deep breath, before standing up to face the skeleton. At his height, it felt as if some huge monster or great adversity was staring down at him. In between them, the floating book pulsed like a living heart. At that moment, he had totally forgotten about the most important questions he wanted to ask. Those questions of, ¡°Who am I?¡±You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°How did I get here?¡± ¡°Why am I here?¡± ¡°Where is here!?¡± And instead the boy asked, ¡°Is¡­that the end of the tale?¡± He spoke with audible anxiousness. His senses, doing their best to perceive even the tiniest subtle change in that undead body. Yet in response to the boy¡¯s question, the skeleton did not move nor did it speak. Which, in all fairness, kind of what skeletons did. ¡°Uhh¡­¡± ¡°He¡ª Hello?¡± Nothing happened. ¡°Umm¡­¡± ¡°Wait, maybe¡­¡± An idea then struck him. Remembering the first words the skeleton ever said, the boy spoke, ¡°I¡­want to hear a tale.¡± He said those words hoping the skeleton would awaken, while also hoping that a new story would not arise. ¡­Yet still, silence reigned. ¡®...What do I do now?¡¯ Splash! Luminous green waters whooshed and swashed through the air in a flurry. From behind him something broke through the glowing ocean¡¯s surface, and leaped out of the water! The child started to turn his head, but before he could react, a force thwacked him from behind and laid him out flat! THWACK! The sound of his body colliding with wood resounded next, before a wet thrashing and slippery waggling could be heard just beside him. A floundering tilapia fish landed on the wooden deck. Next to him, was a boy face down on the floor. ¡°Ughhh¡­¡± He groaned. ¡°Hehe. You called?¡± The fish said. ¡°I definitely did not!¡± He said while rising up from the vessel¡¯s deck. ¡°So hey, hey, hey! Its been a while ain''t it?¡± It said whimsically and almost cheerfully. At that moment the boy remembered the many questions he had for the talking fish, but swept up in its momentum, he couldn''t help but to reply, ¡°A while? How long¡­has it been?¡± ¡°Its been¡­a few decades.¡± It said gravely and solemnly, its tone shifting to that of someone who had weathered countless years. ¡°Wha¡ª what¡­¡± The implications of what the fish just said¡ª there was simply way too much information to glean from in that single sentence. Literal decades!? Was the fish immortal? Am I unaging? Or maybe it was this mysterious place, that had suspended time itself!? ¡°Hah. Got you. Just kidding, it''s only been a few seconds.¡± ¡°...¡± The boy¡¯s jaw dropped. ¡°...This! Damn! Fish!¡± he stomped his little kid feet. ¡°Hey! No bad words, little one!¡± ¡°Ugh!¡± He wanted to tear his hair out hearing that, but resisted. Inevitably he sighed, ¡°But¡­are you serious? It''s really only been a few seconds?¡± That would mean that up to the days he had experienced in the tale, only seconds passed by here. And that would also mean that the tsunami wave his little boat rode earlier, had only just dissipated moments before. That was¡­magical, if not intriguing. ¡°Huh? No, I lied.¡± The fish said casually. ¡­This time he was truly speechless. ¡°Time¡¯s always been a weird thing, y¡¯know?¡± ¡°No, I don¡ª¡± ¡°...Okay, whatever.¡± He said defeatedly and dismissively. Then his eyes lit, ¡°So¡­are you gonna help me?¡± The boy asked. ¡°Hmm hmm¡­Depends.¡± The tilapia contemplated. ¡°What can you do¡­for me?¡± ¡°...Uhh well¡­¡± It wasn¡¯t as if he had anything to give, nor promise. ¡°I can give you¡­my good company!¡± He said on the fly, a full innocent smile on his lips. ¡°Hmph! I¡¯m the one gracing you with my presence.¡± It said matter-of-factly. ¡°No, actually, you¡¯re terrible company.¡± Is what the boy wanted to say¡­but he had to sucker up to this talking fish first. ¡°Ye¡ª Yes¡­yo¨C your highness. You are oh so great!¡± He tried to say shamelessly, but his tone betrayed his deceptive intentions. ¡°Hahahaha! You¡¯re too young to do this kid! You think you¡¯re cunning?¡± ¡°Alright okay, hmm I¡¯ll hear you out.¡± ¡°Yay~¡± He cheered. ¡°But in exchange¡­¡± The black haired child looked at the fish with his full attention. In turn, the fish¡¯s eyes seemed to pop out of their eyeballs, scrutinizing him in extreme detail. Feeling those eyes scan him, the boy¡¯s thoughts ran wild. No doubt this evil and slightly insane fish would ask for something outrageous. What could it be¡­? Was it going to ask for three favors? He wasn¡¯t sure if he could uphold that deal. What if¡­it asked for an arm or a leg to eat? Wait, didn¡¯t he say he didn¡¯t need to eat? What if¡­instead of my flesh it wants my soul!? ¡°Mm yeah¡­¡± The tilapia seemed to have found an answer. The boy clenched his fists. ¡°Come¡­¡± With rapt attention, he was readying himself to deny this ungodly being, and its sick, twisted fetishes. ¡°Come¡­¡± ¡°Come massage me¡¯ scales.¡± ¡°...What?¡± He replied with a blank look on his face. ¡°And mah tail.¡± ¡°You heard me, c¡¯mon kid!¡± ¡°Youth is where you gotta put your back into it!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll answer your questions as you give me the best spa treatment, I¡¯ve ever had in my life!¡± ¡°Uhh¡­¡± Was he really going to do this right now? ¡°Come! Come!¡± It floundered excitedly. An unsure look appeared on the boy¡¯s face, but remembering those things he desired and needed answered, he came closer. The boy sucked in a deep breath, before he rolled up the sleeves of his tunic and¡­kneaded the fish¡¯s scales. ¡°Higher. Add some pressure, you weakling!¡± ¡°Ugh.¡± The boy continued with his pressing motions. ¡°...You said you were gonna answer one of my questions.¡± ¡°Hmm. True.¡± ¡°Hold on¡­¡± The tilapia said, and in the next moment it floundered and jumped all over the small deck. It bounded heights way too high for a normal fish, going ten feet into the air, before landing and doing it again and again. ¡®What is this thing doing¡­¡¯ THUD! THUD! THUD! Chaos ensued. The fish splattered water everytime it whipped its body in the air, and everytime it floundered on the deck in some weird fish dance. Fitting of youth, he couldn¡¯t hold his patience and through gritted teeth shouted, ¡°...Stay still if you want your damn massage!¡± He was already frustrated enough, giving this weird fish a full-body and tail rubdown! Yet¡­as he shouted, his loud words miraculously turned into whispers. ¡°Huh? What?¡± He muttered in a hushed tone. ¡°...AHHHHHHHH!¡± The boy meant to shout, but all that came out was a breathy and airy exhale. In the next moment, the fish landed back on the deck. Although they both should have heard a loud THUD! All that resounded was a muffled, almost silent plop. ¡°What did you do?¡± He whispered. ¡°It''s a kind of barrier, a veil¡ª don¡¯t worry bout it too much.¡± The fish whispered back. This talking fish can cast magic spells¡­ He wanted to ask how, why, and maybe even¡­could you teach me too? But instead his mind prioritized the most curious question relevant to the topic at hand. ¡°Do we¡­need this thing or something?¡± ¡°...We can¡¯t let them hear.¡± The tilapia replied in a hushed whisper. ¡°So¡­there really are sea monsters!¡± He gasped¡­silently. Wait, no, that didn¡¯t make sense. They were making lots of noise earlier. His thoughts ran at high speed, trying to figure out the situation. ¡°So¡­it''s not how loud we are¡­it''s what we say?¡± ¡°...Hmph. Looks like you¡¯re not that dumb!¡± Quickly the curious boy followed up, ¡°So then¡­who is it we don¡¯t want us to hea¡ª¡± ¡°Don''t worry bout it, amnesiac.¡± The fish interrupted. ¡±You''re much too weak anyway.¡± ¡°Hmph! Hmph! When the sky falls, it''s up to people like me to uphold it!¡± It said grandly and haughtily. To which, the black-haired child fell silent. ¡­Too many. Way too many questions that he needed answered, and they only kept piling up. He sighed, ¡®I¡¯ll take it step by step I guess¡­¡¯ ¡°So¡­do you have any ideas to awaken the skeleton? Wait, do you even know what happened to me?¡± ¡°Duh. I¡¯m the best.¡± ¡°Okay¡­so tell it to me.¡± ¡°Ahem, well it''s part in part.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Your problem.¡± ¡°It''s this and that. It''s more than one thing you¡¯re doin wrong, is what I¡¯m tryna say.¡± ¡°I have an inkling about the second, but the first part is obvious.¡± ¡°It''s because you haven''t consolidated it yet.¡± ¡®What¡­was this fish even talking about?¡¯ ¡°Consolidate what?¡± ¡°What do you even mean by that word?¡± ¡°What? Consolidate?¡± ¡°Never read a dictionary have you? Kids these days, always on their phone.¡± ¡°Phone? What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°Uhhhh¡ª don¡¯t worry bout it.¡± The fish went silent as the boy awaited an answer. ¡°...Hello?¡± ¡°Is the pizza here already? I don¡¯t have money for tips.¡± The fish said. ¡°¡­What?¡± The boy said confusingly. ¡°Can¡¯t you shut up? I¡¯m thinking how to explain it to you.¡± ¡­Truly, the boy was left speechless. He didn¡¯t even bother to wrap his mind around some of the fish¡¯s nonsensical ramblings. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t stop!¡± The fish shouted¡­hushedly. ¡°Keep up the service until the customer is satisfied! We shall never deny a guest even at the most ridiculous reque¡ª!¡± ¡°...What was I saying again?¡± ¡°Ahh right there, just below my fin!¡± ¡°Ugh¡­¡± His hands were wet and¡­slimy. Extra emphasis on slimy. ¡°Hey kid.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you feel¡­odd?¡± ¡°Like¡­you can¡¯t take the number two!¡± It said confidently. ¡°...What?¡± ¡°I bet you feel¡­constipated! Don¡¯t ya!?¡± The fish spoke exactly like someone holding out on a solution, as if wanting to show off and toot his own horn. ¡°...No.¡± The boy replied curtly and unimpressed. ¡°Do you even¡ª¡± ¡°Yes I know what that word means!¡± He muttered frustratingly, his raised voice turning into an angry whisper. ¡°How bout¡­backed up then?¡± ¡°Got a¡­tightness in your chest?¡± Chapter 5: Intangible Chapter 5: Intangible ¡°Got a¡­tightness in your chest?¡± The black haired and black-eyed child flinched, and seeing the boy¡¯s reaction, the tilapia knew he had struck accurately. ¡°Hehe.¡± It continued to mouth off as if flaunting his wisdom, ¡°Like a¡­shoe in your rock?¡± ¡°Uh, wrong choice of words¡­¡± He caught himself. ¡°Like a pebble in your boot?¡± ¡°A stuffed nose.¡± ¡°Like cars in traff¡ª¡± ¡°Ahem. The point is¡­you¡¯re feelin¡¯ jammed¡ª clogged, even.¡± ¡°And that¡¯s because you haven¡¯t consolidated it yet.¡± ¡°Consolidate¡­what?¡± ¡°Ion¡¯ kno, kid. Think about it and figure it out yourself.¡± ¡°Now get yer hands of me sonny.¡± The fish wriggled itself out of the boy¡¯s hands. ¡°It''s time for ma¡¯ sunbathin¡¯!¡± He declared audibly, his voice no longer a whisper, as the hush spell evidently lifted on his command. ¡°Gonna get all the ladies with this sick fockin tan.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t disturb me, kay?¡± With that, the fish floundered over to an empty spot on the small vessel, and fell silent. ¡®Sunbathing?¡¯ The boy looked up, seeing the same vast sea of clouds obscuring the sun. He opened his mouth as if wanting to say something, but inevitably closed it. Although the talking fish was odd and annoying¡­maybe¡­it did have a point sometimes. At least, the boy agreed on one thing he said. His problems were his own, and he was the best, and only person for the job. How could anyone other than him know his experiences better? Especially with all the bizarre, and supernatural things he had gone through. With that, the boy found his own empty spot on the now crowded ship, and started to reflect. He leaned on the edge of the wooden boat, looking at his glowing reflection within the subtly stirring waters. The more he stared at his own faint luminescence in the water-mirror, the more he felt himself lulled into somewhere¡­deeper. Clouds of fog collided with his pondering figure, and yet his mind had turned inward. At that moment, the wind blew subtly, and the obscuring fog seemed to momentarily relent. If he looked at the whole puzzle he would easily get confused, but if he looked at each individual piece and how they fit with each other¡­ He started to highlight the key points of their previous conversation. That talking, spellcasting fish, described outright the tightness in his chest, the way he felt clogged, and how he needed to consolidate something. First off¡­ Tight. It was one way to describe the feeling in his chest¡­but there were others. It was¡­a tension, a strain, a pressure. Those were all very tangible, physical sensations, and yet they could also describe what was intangible¡ª thoughts and feelings. Now that he thought about it, the tightness in his chest only appeared after the experiences in that tale. ¡°Is that it?¡± He said jovially as if figuring things out. ¡°Emotions? Thoughts? Feelings?¡± ¡°...Is that what I have to consolidate?¡± ¡°But¡­is that really all there was to it?¡± He said with a tone of doubt and hesitance. ¡°Noisy! Boisterous! Obnoxious!¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell ya not to bother me kid?¡± A voice spoke from the side. Not realizing he was speaking out loud, the boy wanted to say, ¡®I wasn¡¯t speaking to you!¡¯ or ¡®Isn¡¯t this my ship!?¡¯ but arguably, he needed someone to deflect ideas off of anyway. Who better, than a talking fish that knew magic? ¡°So¡­help me out?¡± ¡°Hmph! Hmph!¡± ¡°Next time I see you, you¡¯re givin¡¯ me another rubdown!¡± ¡°...Can you not say it like that?¡± He didn¡¯t know why, but something about it felt wrong. ¡°The best spa treatment ever! Cucumbers on ma¡¯ eyes!¡± ¡°Yeah yeah okay whatever.¡± ¡°It''s a deeeaaaal.¡± The fish said with a slick yet rough timbre, saying it slowly as if he was savoring the fact. ¡°Aight. So what do you want?¡± He returned to his fast-talking tone. The boy took a deep breath, before confessing, ¡°I mean¡­is this really how I¡¯m gonna awaken the skeleton?¡± ¡°The tightness in my chest¡ª this congested feeling¡ª its gotta be¡­from the experiences I had in the tale¡ª from the book.¡± ¡°I never said that.¡± The fish spoke. ¡°You never not said it.¡± The boy answered back confidently, to which¡­the fish¡¯s lips seemed to almost smirk. ¡°So?¡± ¡°If you¡¯ve got your answer, why¡¯re you talkin¡¯ to me?This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. ¡°Because¡­it doesn¡¯t make sense.¡± ¡°What doesn¡¯t?¡± ¡°Is that really all it takes to¡ª I don¡¯t know, awaken some mysterious divine entity?¡± ¡°Huh? He¡¯s just a skelly to me.¡± The fish replied flatly and uninterested, almost bored. The boy¡¯s eye twitched in annoyance. ¡°Yeah, a skeleton, mind you, who speaks in archaic tongues, and carries around an enigmatic book that can pull people¡¯s consciousness into it.¡± ¡°Mmm. So?¡± ¡°So¡­?¡± The boy replied, vexed. The fish¡¯s casual tone was irritating, if not outright unreasonable to him. ¡°So we¡¯re not using some elaborate magic ritual, or some sacred ceremony, to summon his higher spirit or whatever?¡± ¡°All it takes is¡ª He scoffed before saying, ¡°All it takes is accepting my feelings?¡± ¡°How does that make any sense?¡± ¡°Mmm¡­¡± ¡°Is that what you think it is, kid?¡± ¡°Well, ye¡ª¡± ¡°Hmph! Hmph! Hmph!¡± The tilapia slapped his tail thrice on the wooden deck after every harrumph. ¡°Young and dumb after all!¡± ¡°Simple. Don¡¯t do it if you don¡¯t want to then.¡± ¡°Now let me sunbathe in peace! Talk in your head while I¡¯m gracin¡¯ your presence!¡± ¡°Wha-¨C!?¡± ¡°Is that how you¡¯re supposed to help!?¡± ¡°...That doesn¡¯t count for an extra massage!¡± The boy shouted exasperatedly. Unexpectedly, the fish preserved his silence. ¡°¡­¡± ¡ªsigh¡ª Walking over the small vessel, he fell back to his favorite spot, on the top starboard side of the ship near the bow. ¡®...I¡¯ve gotta cook up that tilapia one day¡­make grilled fish out of him¡­¡¯ ¡®Salt! I need salt!¡¯ He grinded his teeth. Eventually however, his seething fury did fade. ¡­Sitting at the corner, his eyes wandered, ¡®This boat¡¯s pretty crowded now¡­¡¯ He looked at his motley crew of four scallywags: A child, a talking fish, a standing skeleton, and of course, the floating book. ¡­He was sure that thing was sentient by the way! ¡­His head then swung upwards, towards the sea of clouds in the sky. Hair the color of black fell like a curtain of night, adorning a face that was sure to draw eyes as it matured. And even with his black irises that seemed to easily swallow all light, there was a faint glimmer from the sea of suffused clouds and scattered white light above. It was then that a heavy mass of fog rolled through, covering him and everything else in obscuring grey. Briefly the skies were stolen away, and so too was the ship, his crewmates¡ª everything but the hand he placed in front of him, as if reaching towards something unknown. ¡­What am I doing? Am I holding it off? Even if I don¡¯t believe it it¡¯s not like I have a choice do I? ¡­No, I guess I always do. ¡®I¡¯m not just gonna idle around.¡¯ Adjusting his posture, he sat up with his legs crossed, his back straightened, while his heart became more calm and steady. ¡®If it works, it works.¡¯ ¡®And if it doesn¡¯t¡­¡¯ Visible anxiousness appeared on his face along with doubt, and traces of fear. ¡®It has to.¡¯ He closed his eyes utterring, ¡®Consolidate¡­consolidate¡­consolidate¡­¡¯ ¡®That¡¯s like merge, or fuse right?¡¯ His tone, unsure. He thought back to those experiences he had in the tale¡ª the gigantic fortress, the warfare, the blood and carnage, all the way to the nightmare, and the events that took place in the forest. ¡®Am I¡­doing this right?¡¯ He could easily recollect and even summarize the events that happened, and yet, an inkling in the very back of his mind was whispering to him that he was missing something still. ¡®Should I try reimagining those events?¡¯ Eyes closed, his brows furrowed. A series of images and scenes would rise in his head quickly, and yet fall back down just as quick, dissipating into smoke. Still, he persisted. Recreating those scenes as best as he could no matter how rough, he watched as they happened in the order that he had first experienced them in. ¡®Consolidate¡­¡¯ Absorb. Visions flipped through his mind in a collage as he thoroughly observed each and every one of them. With his persistence, the shapes and forms of vague figures and objects had become noticeably more solid and lasting, instead of gaseous and ephemeral. With his reimagining he aimed to remember every sensory detail, and aimed to ingrain all of those details into his mind as best as he could. And yet still¡­he felt that something was missing. It felt like he was merely glossing through the pages of a magazine, or worse, memorizing the ingredients for a potion without actually knowing how to use them, much less succeed in brewing the elixir. Clenching his fists, a familiar impatience and push for excellence appeared on his face. The black-haired boy atop the deck, and Vendus Arituel from the tale, seemed to have become the same person¡­or maybe they originally were. And perhaps it was cruel¡­but both inevitably failed at their first attempt, at something they had no tolerance for at failing. Hands still clenched, shaking, he let out a frustrated sigh. He could feel what he was doing was not enough, and yet, he didn¡¯t know the way forward. ¡°Ya don¡¯t believe you can do it kid?¡± The fish spoke up again, evidently breaking his own silence. ¡®Didn¡¯t he say not to bother him?¡¯ ¡°Uhh¡­I¡­think I can¡­¡± He let out another sigh. ¡°You¡­think¡­you¡­can?¡± The fish replied in a mimicking tone. ¡°Well¡ª mostly! But¡ª¡± ¡°Hah. Hahaha!¡± ¡°What? What¡¯s so funny?¡± ¡°Mostly.¡± ¡°Whether you think you can or you can¡¯t, you¡¯re right.¡± ¡°But you can¡¯t be too rigid on the outcome. All it does is make you stiff, when you need to flow.¡± The boy paused, both surprised about the content of the fish¡¯s words, and surprised that those very words could actually come from him. ¡®It actually sounds somewhat helpful?¡¯ ¡®...Not like him at all,¡¯ ¡®And it¡¯s subtle, but¡­could he have a point?¡¯ Seeing the boy¡¯s face change exactly how he wanted it, the fish knew it was the right time and said, ¡°¡­Two massages.¡± ¡°Hu¡ª Huh?¡± ¡°Two massages.¡± The tilapia emphasized with a greasy, guttural thrum. ¡°Twenty-five minutes each.¡± ¡°Twe¨C twenty-five!?¡± ¡­ Time passed, as a black-haired child could be seen furiously rubbing the slick and slimy feeling off of his hands. All the mystique and magical mystery of the luminous ocean waters seemed to have vanished in that moment. That damn tilapia actually demanded one on the spot! And he said he¡¯d save the next one for a rainy day! What does that even mean!? What do fish even do when they¡¯re not eating!? Strive for the peak of spells and sorcery? He sucked in a deep breath, before sighing, ¡®It¡¯s cool, it¡¯s fine¡­¡¯ ¡®...Ughhh!¡¯ His irritation surged once again. ¡®Salt! Salt and pepper! With lime!¡¯ ¡­Eventually he found himself sitting right back down where he was half an hour ago. Staring at the skies, he uttered what he remembered: Whether you think you can or you can¡¯t, you¡¯re right. But you can¡¯t be too rigid on the outcome. All it does is make you stiff, when you need to flow. ¡®¡­Have I been too stiff?¡¯ ¡®Don¡¯t tell me sheer belief will help me do this?¡¯ ¡®Go with the flow?¡¯ A moment of silence took place before he sighed, ¡®Okay, first off, I guess¡­¡¯ Relax Eyes closed gently, before being beholden to a vast and endless plane of darkness. He breathed in and out, slowly and steadily. The pressure off his shoulders, the clouds over his heart, and even the tightness in his chest seemed to subtly lift. Until of course a stray thought then hit him, ¡®This is silly¡­¡¯ ¡®...But¡­I can¡¯t think that way.¡¯ ¡®Gotta¡­let go...¡¯ ¡®Let¡­go of doubt.¡¯ ¡®Let¡­in¡­¡¯ ¡®Let in¡­trust?¡¯ ¡®...Faith?¡¯ ¡®No¡­¡¯ Moments upon moments passed, before slowly, without warning or rational reason, the intellectual and logical part of his mind started to subside, and instead gave way into something mysterious and profound. Moments passed again though this time his mind was silent too. Instead of thinking how to move forward, he simply seemed to feel himself moving towards his heart¡¯s correct answer. And finally, he had it. ¡­Let in certainty of my victory. Upon his decree an odd feeling filled his being, one that was hard to describe. It was unmistakably the feeling of power, but¡­outside of the normal definitions man used. All rulers wanted the world in their hands¡ª for it to be in their control¡ª but none were so as great as to feel they were the world itself. In that way, they were truly free. And along with that odd feeling, a tiny spark, a dim white star seemed to come aflame in the vast and endless darkness of his mind. The young boy¡­wasn¡¯t quite sure what to make of the phenomenon. ¡®Th¡ª Then¡­¡¯ Not knowing he was doing it the whole time, in his mind he uttered, ¡®Flow¡¯ That dim star then expanded in every direction, filling his mind with pure white light. There was a silent grandness to it all, as he was not sure why, but he felt as if the white light was covering massive amounts of distances akin to sheer worlds or even galaxies, perhaps even distances so vast they were incomprehensible. Now instead of darkness, there was now an endless plane of white before his eyes. Suddenly then, without warning a world of senses exploded from a single point in his mind. His mind and soul seemed to shake. In an instant, color, sound, touch, smell and taste stretched to encompass everything his closed eyes were beholden to. The black-haired child¡­then found himself in a familiar experience. The stench of smoke, blood and burnt corpses stinged his nose. He could feel the blistering heat of flames. The sounds and screams of warfare, and all the hues that came with it were smacked right into his face. The experience he was feeling was as lifelike and genuine as true reality¡­if not more. For the sight of a strange phenomena left the young boy befuddled, if not outright stunned. Before him, in a sensory experience like no other, an intense and extreme form of psychic synesthesia took effect, where he heard and saw thoughts flying chaotically like rogue stars, and saw emotions of various vibrant colors painting strange auroras over the material world, that he was currently re-experiencing. Chapter 6: World Chapter 6: World The young boy¡¯s eyes gazed over a hundred-thousand chaotic thoughts. They flew like objects thrown about in a storm, or more accurately, like a jar filled with marbles being shook violently up and down. Instead of marbles however, they looked like shooting stars, flying and colliding with each other, and at the invisible walls of their energy field. The light of those thoughts did not last long, and merely a few moments before they dissipated, new ones were also born at the same time. Stretching his hand, his luminous body touched the storm of shooting stars, and he was bombarded by a few hundred thoughts. Kill! Kill the enemy! Traitors! Why are they doing this? They¡¯re lying to us! The lord is no traitor! They want only for our lands and riches! And much more, before he once again felt a mental knife cutting through his mind, and the boy dropped to his knees as the world started to fluctuate before his eyes. Solid colors and shapes began to swim like a sea, and the clear yet chaotic voices started to sound like disembodied echoes. Through sheer persistence his mind endured, the world held, and eventually the pain and the confusing incoherence began to go away. ¡®Le¨C Lesson learned¡­¡¯ As the then wavering world before him eventually started to stabilize, his immediate surroundings started to dim. Looking up, he saw a wave of arrows and artillery shells numerous enough to blot out the sun flying over. He gasped. Out of instinct he put his hands in front of him and closed his eyes, and in the instant that followed, hundreds if not thousands of men turned into corpses, or mere pieces of corpses. Opening his eyes slowly, he scanned the area. Quickly he was reminded that he was untouchable, but more importantly¡­the sea of shooting thoughts around him had disappeared, replaced instead with ash smoke and dust fogs, that hid within them the true aftermath of war. The luminous spirit body of a child began to stand up, and it wasn¡¯t long before he noticed two massive armies from behind and in front of him, beginning to charge at each other once again¡­ Yet in that space before the collision of two bodies of war, in that vacuum without conflict nor thought, the boy noticed a single mote of drifting light. ¡®¡­Well¡­I¡¯m sure touching just one should be fine¡­¡± His luminous hand stretched towards it, and he heard a weak voice transmitted to him. Instead of words however, the thought was more of an intent. ¡®Please.¡¯ ¡®...Huh?¡¯ He looked towards the direction to which it came from, and noticed a trail of weak, drifting thoughts, that looked more like specks of dust in the wind rather than shooting stars. Traversing through the smoke and fog, his hand stretched out to each drifting mote, listening to their contents earnestly and intently while trying to ascertain their source. ¡®Larissa.¡¯ ¡®Elwin, Mary¡­¡¯ ¡®My sons, my daughters¡­¡¯ ¡®Please, goddess of fortune, let me return to my family...¡¯ There atop a pile of bodies, was a man whose legs had both exploded from the artillery. One of his arms was covered in arrows, with one such arrow entering and exiting through his left palm. The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. And whether by random chance or cruel fate, his uninjured arm gripped even still, a bloodied sword. The boy stared silently at both a volunteer, and a victim of war, before he then heard a crashing stampede of footsteps. It was not long after that the man¡¯s head was mercilessly crushed beneath his own allied army. Seeing the sight no doubt made him recoil, and just before the two armies clashed in a storm of negative thought and emotion, he instinctively willed himself to disappear. Luckily he was in his own mind, and not in the brown book. The world before him shifted in an instant, as he opened his eyes to a new scene. The blonde prince-knight, son of the king, was there in front of him. Swinging his sword at his enemies he was powerful, fierce, and yet graceful. ¡­Except his thoughts and emotions were anything but. The royal soldiers around him seemed to be single-minded in their duty of ridding the kingdom¡¯s traitors, only creating thoughts and intentions along the lines of cut and kill. Yet the prince-knight¡¯s own, was a chaotic matrix of flying particles, even more frenzied than at the previous battle he saw. In terms of emotions, a light-phenomena of grey-blue aurora shrouded him. Its colors were muted and heavy, owing to the emotions of uncertainty and burden. At the center of his chest however, was a small yet radiant, golden light. And that awe-inspiring light, was currently under the assault of red spirals littered with silver accents. With each lash of their harsh color, the golden flame weakened. Confusion appeared on the young boy¡¯s face. With only a single glance, he couldn¡¯t decipher how the sight before him translated into emotions. Before he knew it, the hand of his luminous body started to stretch towards the prince-knight. Yet before it could reach¡­a tide of sorrow and fury struck him like a tidal wave. The emotion, the intent was so thick¡­that his incorporeal and intangible body was somehow thrown across the room. Looking towards the source of that wave, he saw a man with thick locks of flowing black hair, exuding an oceanic storm of roaring emotions, and thunderous, lightning-like thoughts. The light auroras flooded the massive hall, his presence upon the world was evidently dense, as if having pull and weight on the very planes of creation. One after another in a reverie, the young boy was presented with experiences beyond the realm of belief. Yet this time though, he could make a slight connection to what was transpiring in front of him. Without a doubt, that man was the father of the form he had taken, Leonel Arituel¡­and it was his inescapable presence, that reminded the boy of his purpose for being there. The tale centered around a single life, and it was not the prince-knight¡¯s, Leonel¡¯s, or any other person. It was the tale of the last heir of a now extinct noble house, and the last blood of the mythical black lion. And his purpose here, was simple, to consolidate the experiences he went through in the tale. Before the two forces in front of him could clash, he focused on that word, ¡®Consolidate¡­¡¯ And as if the world heard his thoughts, the scene changed instantly. Time jumped forwards rather than flowed as it was thought to have behaved, and the scene presented to him was that of a boy kneeling before a great and empty hall. Vendus had a blank, neutral expression on his face, and he was as still as a rock. In fact, the wind-blown curtains and flying particles of dust, were also as still. Time, in this chosen moment, had evidently stopped. A figure walked up to the kneeling boy. The luminous spirit body of someone with the same appearance, stood right next to him, indistinguishable from each other. The faintly glowing boy looked at his more mundane form, particularly on his neutral, blank expression. Anyone else might have described it as calm, and maybe even serene, but he knew that face more than anyone else. It was a face like the calm before a storm, one that was¡­ready to twist in agony and torment at the very next moment. The kneeling child, the empty hall, and the eerie silence¡ª it all looked so closely similar to that dream, or more accurately, that nightmare that he had in the forests. Honestly, who could blame Vendus though, when what brought about that dream was a scene that belonged in hell. The luminous boy wondered then, were those two instances connected deeper in some way? The dream world, and reality. Whatever the case, in his own mysteriously manifested world, he was going to relive both experiences. Perhaps¡­even more than that. He was going to accept those experiences in their entirety, for whatever that meant. Taking a deep breath, he readied himself. No matter how much he wanted things to be, he knew that what would come next wouldn¡¯t be sunshine and rainbows. Still the luminous boy stretched his hand, feeling inexplicably drawn to the person whose form he took. Beneath what he knew as curiosity, was a deep, underlying feeling of compassion, and buried deeper, was that same compulsion that had repeatedly driven him to stretch out his hand. Astral spirit met solid body, an endless ocean had finally met firm land, and the two merged as one. A blood-stained banner fell from above, and like a magician¡¯s act, all the horrors before them reappeared. ¡­ On top of a small boat, a tilapia fish was happily sunbathing under a dense curtain of clouds. To his left were his best mates, of a skeleton in tattered robes, and a floating book. ¡°Mmhmmm¡­¡± He hummed jovial and jolly, enjoying a day of idleness. Afterall, he was a very busy fish! Days like this where he could just lay down and enjoy the light of the sun, came few and far between for someone like him who was so eminent and exalted. ¡°Heh! Things are better when that kid is quiet, and I get this boat all to myself!¡± He shouted. And not too soon after he said that, the skies subtly started to dim¡­ ¡°Ahhhh motherfucker!¡± The tilapia¡¯s eyes shot about left, right, up and down, taking in all the changes that were rapidly taking place. Contrary to the chaotic movement of his eyes however, everything around him did not move an inch, instead remaining just as they previously were. Even the subtle dimming of the sky above was unnoticeable to anyone not paying attention. Yet then, his eyes landed on the motionless skeleton. A fish¡¯s gaze did not exactly evoke feelings of solemnity and seriousness, but that was the way he stared at those hollow eye sockets all the same. And just as he predicted, tiny green flames sparked into existence within those hollow eyes. Instantly, the skies darkened, and the color of those bright white clouds were shifting each moment into a heavy shade of stormy grey. The normally calm and still ocean started to stir. Miniscule waves started to splash onto the outer body of the ship, and they were only swelling higher and higher. Rain started to fall, at first a drizzle, yet that too only became heavier and denser. As the dense fog all around lifted, it started to be blown away by gales of whistling wind. For each moment that passed, the green flames in the skeleton¡¯s eyes roared stronger and stronger, and so too did the world around them wail more calamitously. The winds no longer whistled but howled. Each droplet of rain that fell was no longer a soft kiss on the skin, but a pounding blow as heavy as the sorrow that caused it. Within a vast tumultuous ocean, a tiny boat was rocked violently by crashing waves, just barely holding on from being capsized and overturned. Then under skies that were almost as dark as night, the surroundings momentarily flashed, and the shriek of a woeful and wretched scream mixed with the crash of thunder. Chapter 7: Certainty Chapter 7: Certainty Eyes shot open to a frightening storm, only to immediately close by the assault of a high wave of crashing water. The massive force blasted him, slamming his small body into the wooden deck. As the luminous waters passed by, he found himself wet and sprawled out onto the wooden floor. The boy opened his eyes once again. His vision no longer obscured by clouds of fog, but instead by relentless armies of pounding rain, and the lack of penetrating light. He sat up, holding onto the body of the ship as tightly as he could as it trembled and endured the violently crashing waves. A blue flash then streaked across the skies, briefly illuminating the vastness of his surroundings, followed by a thunderous explosion that brought it all back to vague shadows. In that brief moment, what he saw was nothing like the calm and serene ocean he knew of. The endless seas were dark, violent, furious, and bellowing. ¡°What¡¯s up kid!?¡± A voice asked casually to his side, to which under the mystical light of the floating book, he saw was the body of a fish. ¡°Wha¡ª What happened!?¡± ¡°What¡¯d ya think happened!? A storm rolled through, obviously!¡± They shouted at each other under the roaring rain, and howling winds. ¡°A storm!?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I said, and that¡¯s what¡¯s goin on!¡± ¡°Well¡­why!?¡± ¡°Why!? What¡¯cha mean why!?¡± ¡°Storms happen cause they happen!¡± ¡°Does there need to be a reason!?¡± ¡°I¡­guess not.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯d ya say kid!? I can¡¯t hear you!¡± ¡°...Nevermind!¡± BOOM! Thunder struck again, but just before it, the lightning¡¯s flash illuminated the churning ocean, and the massive, rising tides that came from it. ¡°It''s frightening¡­¡± He muttered under his breath. ¡°Huh!? Did ya say somethin!?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid!?¡± He shouted. ¡°Me!? I¡¯m a fish! You¡¯re the only one who¡¯s gonna drown!¡± With that, the boy¡¯s face darkened. The tilapia was absolutely right. ¡°Good luck!¡± The tilapia said. This damn fish! Have a little compassion! ¡°Help me then!¡± ¡°Cast a spell or something!¡± ¡°No can do!¡± Why not!?¡± ¡°Watch out!¡± ¡°Wha¡ª!?¡± The boy quickly turned his head to the left, to which another wave of crashing water slammed into him. His hands desperately held on to what little he could grab, as waves of force relentlessly strived to pry him from his only saving grace. As the violent waters washed over, he heard a voice shout from the side, ¡°All of life¡¯s storms are yer¡¯ own to brave!¡± ¡°To take that away from you, is to take away yer¡¯ own volition!¡± ¡°What does that word even mean!?¡± He shouted back. ¡°But since ya asked for my help!¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t ya look around to see what helped ya last time!¡± After finishing his speech, the fish dove into the tumultuous waters. ¡°What helped me last time!?¡± What helped me last time¡­what helped me last time¡­last time¡­last time¡­ ¡®I was riding a massive wave, before falling unconscious¡ª¡¯ This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡®Did I just get really lucky and the boat came down easy?¡¯ ¡®Or¡­¡¯ The boy¡¯s eyes swung to the other side of the ship, towards which was a floating book, and a skeleton that still stood upright amidst the crashing tides. Shimmering in the grim darkness, the enigmatic book looked even more radiant as it hovered in the air, unconcerned of its surroundings. Turning his focus to the skeleton, he then quickly noticed the burning green flames within its hollow skull. ¡®It wasn¡¯t there before! That means it¡¯s charged up! Or¡ª present!¡ª it''s here right now, right!?¡¯ In his urgency, the young boy ran up to the skeleton. Lightning illuminated his surroundings as he shouted, ¡°I want to hear a tale!¡± BOOM! Thunder crashed soon after, and rain pelted him as he waited patiently for something magical and wondrous to happen. Would the skies magically clear and the seas calm? Would an invisible force field shield them from the calamitous storm? Winds howled and the rain roared even louder, yet the skeleton still remained motionless, and the world around him still swirled ruinously. ¡°What the heck!? Why isn¡¯t it working!?¡± And soon after, his surroundings started to darken further. The radiant light that came from the book, seemed to grow brighter, though only because of the sharper contrast between light and darkness. The young boy looked behind him this time to see what was casting such a massive shadow, and what he saw was a gigantic tide, five houses tall, and rising. No doubt, he was also unfortunately within the wave¡¯s inevitable crash. ¡®I¡¯m gonna die.¡¯ He thought. But not before a voice spoke from under the seas, one that was directly beneath his boat. ¡°All of life¡¯s storms are yer¡¯ own to brave!¡± ¡°Yet find in thy company, those willing to lend a hand!¡± ¡®The fish!?¡¯ ¡®But why is his voice so different!?¡¯ Instead of the tilapia¡¯s normal slick, nasally, and fast-talking voice, it was now deep, low, and booming. A shadow then started to appear beneath the ship, similar to the first time the fish leaped out of the water and onto his boat. Except this time however, the shadow beneath only started to grow larger and larger. Only when the shadow rose above the water¡¯s surface, and the tiny boat rode atop the shadow¡¯s back, did the young boy realize what, or who it was. Looking beneath him, was the back of a vast and gigantic creature. He would have been all too terrified of it, if he didn¡¯t quickly recognize those familiar blue scales, and those fins that he had been forced to massage for half an hour¡ª it was undoubtedly¡­the tilapia. Dozens of questions popped up in the boy¡¯s head, one of them being, ¡®How did you get so big!?¡¯ Yet in the end he didn¡¯t speak a word. ¡°Don¡¯t die before I see you again!¡± The massive tilapia gently slid the boat off of his back, and suddenly, the ocean monster leaped out of the water. Its body, fins, and tail whipped the ocean so powerfully that they created monstrously tall waves in and of themselves¡­expertly controlled however. A flash of lightning then struck again, and the young boy saw as the figure of a massive fish eclipsed the moon, before colliding with the massive wave and shattering its momentum. ¡°What the hell¡­¡± Still in shock he breathed a surprising sigh of relief, though not for long as he saw other massive shadows rising in the distance. They were too formless to be sea creatures, so no doubt, they were tides, amassing and swelling to heights even taller than what his fish-friend had shattered. In that moment he was reminded¡ª his problem hadn¡¯t been solved yet, although he was given something truly precious¡ª time. Turning to his right, he looked at the skeleton in the eyes, right at the burning green flames inside its skull. Having no other solutions, he relied solely on whatever protective mechanism the book and the skeleton had for him, and yet, no matter how much he wracked his brain, no ideas came forth. Moments turned into minutes as a tiny boat endured crashing wave after crashing wave. Though even those seemingly violent tides, were all but the smallest stirrings in comparison to the ocean¡¯s true fury. All around the boat and in the shadows, a gigantic silhouette would leap out from the ocean, and not too soon after, each tide so calamitous as to completely annihilate the boy and his ship was shattered and dispersed. The constant explosive confrontations between sea monster and sea, could be heard boomingly in the vague, dancing shadows. Yet still¡­the young boy had achieved nothing after all this time. He had all but exhausted every method to get the skeleton to just move, much less aid him. Whether they were sincere pleas or faithful prayers, odd mystic hand signs, tribalistic ritual dancing, or undignified kowtowing¡ª nothing seemed to work. In his frustration, he even dared to tackle it! Although that only gave him a purple mark on his shoulder, and the skeleton refused to budge even an inch. Suddenly, his surroundings then grew silent. No longer did he hear the constant collisions, between the humble tilapia and the endless tumultuous seas. Without mercy nor relent, another shadow cast itself, darkening both his surroundings, and his mood. The rain fell endlessly on his shoulders. Lightning flashed, and he saw as that same shadow slowly grew towards the edge of the horizon. Curiosity and trepidation could no longer be contained, as the young boy looked behind him. Sounds of rushing water filled his ears¡ª his eyes stared forward, placing themselves on a shadowed mass of some sort. He couldn¡¯t quite tell what he was looking at, until he looked up. Lightning flashed, revealing an apocalyptic wave so massive, that it seemed to reach towards the very moon. Now fully beholden to it, his heart froze. It lasted for only for a nanosecond, but despite the pelting rain, the rising tide, and the wailing winds, on his face appeared a blank, and absent look. Silently and noiselessly from beneath the ocean¡¯s surface, the massive head of a sea monster emerged. Its eyes just barely peeked out from the water, seemingly fixated on knowing how the young boy would come to. For in each and every moment there was always a choice, and in this one, two paths had clearly presented themselves before the boy. There was that part of him that wanted to collapse to the ground, trembling and burying his head into his knees while all that he was crumbled before him. And there was that part of him that wanted to remain steadfast, diligent, and courageous to the very end. In that precipice moment of converging fate¡­his consciousness flickered like that of sparks in the darkness. In the finality he refused to choose between the two, but instead chose to pursue the invisible thread of a third path. An inkling hid in the recesses of his mind¡ª an essence that he touched upon in his effort to absorb the experiences in the tale. Traversing the evershifting maze complex of the mind, his consciousness walked upon faintly familiar paths to rediscover the principle of certainty. That essence and law which went beyond faith and belief, and instead directly commanded substance and energy to obey. To the known rules of mortal reality, such a thing was the height of nonsense, illogical fantasy, and hopeful imagination. And yet, it was exactly the higher imagination of an infinite presence that created all things, and that which was transcendent had never adhered to logic, reason, nor limits. He spoke, his voice resonant with the tone of a myriad voices, ¡°By my word, open the tale of Vendus Arituel van Tor, the last blood of the black lion, of the betrayed and forgotten house erased from the annals of history! Let me witness again, his story!¡± The motionless skeleton finally moved. Its head approached the young child¡¯s face, as no more than a centimeter separated their skulls. Two green undead flames stared into the boy¡¯s eyes¡ª the supernatural heat scorched every droplet of storming rain that approached, and yet, he leaned his eyes closer into the flames. Moisture evaporated from his eyes as his sight over reality started to blur, and yet, in realms unseen their radiance shined even brighter, and his gaze pierced even clearer. From above, the apocalyptic wave that strived to drown even the moon finally started to descend. The tilapia in the form of a gigantic sea monster started to sink back down into the ocean¡¯s depths. All the while the two entities atop the small ship continued their unreasonable bout. In more informal terms, their childish stare contest. The skeleton seemed to want to test the boy¡¯s resolve, his certainty¡ª while the young boy wanted to make it known that the look in his eyes was simply his newfound temperament. Waters taller than skyscrapers and archwizard towers fell rapidly, gushing and surging down with the force of a thousand flood dragons. Shadows and darkness enveloped all beneath. Like a candle resisting the dark world, the brown book¡¯s radiance illuminated the final moments of their confrontation. The apocalyptic tidal wave, crashed down. There was no magic force field, no halting of time itself, and no divine force that repelled nature¡¯s disastrous fury. In an instant the surging waters smashed the young boy¡¯s body¡ª his bones were sundered, his muscles broken, and the very breath of life in his body was snuffed out. Three items found themselves drifting within the boundless seas. The corpse of a child, an unassuming brown book, and a skeleton in tattered rags. And by either chance or fate, the chaotic currents of the ocean pushed the skeleton towards the child¡¯s body. An entire sea did nothing to douse the flames of that which was already dead, and instead they burned brighter as they looked towards their prize. On the boy¡¯s adolescent face, displayed still an expression of inerasable dignity, and utter poise. ¡°...Hahahaha!¡± The skeleton cackled in a thousand resonant voices. ¡°By your will.¡± ¡°...Once upon a time¡­¡± Chapter 8: Border Chapter 8: Border Atop a mountain cliff, a man covered in bandages looked down towards a vast expanse of woodland. Behind him were the familiar lands of man, war-torn and on fire, yet, ¡°civilized.¡± Ahead of him however, were the uncharted wilds. Dense clusters of trees packed together for miles on end, and as they stretched towards the horizon, those trees grew in size to fantastical heights. At that border line, the vegetation of the ¡°forest¡± grew from plentiful to treacherously overgrown, and as the plants grew predatory, so too did the forest¡¯s beasts turn into more than what man could handle. Suddenly from the distance, heavy metal footsteps echoed, approaching closer and closer until a man clad in royal colors fell to one knee. Before he could open his mouth to report, the prince had already spoke, ¡°Have your men found the boy yet?¡± ¡°No, your highness.¡± ¡°It''s¡­not unlikely that he had starved to death, was preyed upon by animals, or¡­¡± A moment of tense silence took place, as the sergeant stared at the floor unable to give anything but excuses. ¡°...Keep sending patrols.¡± The sergeant took his gaze away from the ground to look at his liege¡¯s back. ¡°Interrogate and inspect the locals for any sign of the boy¡¯s presence, or of any traces of his death.¡± ¡°If the men don¡¯t find him, keep pushing the army towards the border between the Kingdom of Aelin, and the Forests of Emiendel.¡± ¡°But¡ª¡± ¡°Unless we have his actual remains, they will keep searching.¡± ¡°Is that to be understood?¡± ¡°...Yes, my lord.¡± The rustling of armor and leather shook. Standing up to quickly depart, the sergeant officer halted when the prince spoke up again. ¡°What of the border rangers that belonged to House Tor?¡± Hesitantly, the officer replied, ¡°Of those that didn''t fight to their death, the rest have refused to submit for service under the royal banner.¡± ¡°...I surmise that they still remain fiercely loyal to the house of the lion, and are in dire need of corporal punishment!¡± ¡­The prince did not reply, as a long silence pervaded the surroundings. Shifting uncomfortably, as if wanting to correct the mood, the sergeant added, ¡°But¡­among the forest rangers¡­there is one individual that could be of use to the prince.¡± His ears perked up, ¡°Who?¡± ¡°An outcast of great skill but disreputable renown, he¡ª¡± The prince scoffed, ¡°An outcast? Among the tight-knit border rangers?¡± ¡°No, a criminal, and if memory serves me correct, one recently sentenced to death.¡± ¡°...Yes, your highness, that one.¡± Another long silence took place, before the prince sighed heavily, ¡°...How soon can we employ him?¡± A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. Surprised, the officer stuttered, ¡°Ye¡ª Yes! To¡­remove him from binds both legal and literal, then relocate his persons¡­¡± ¡°Approximately¡­no longer than a week, your highness.¡± ¡°Too long.¡± ¡°...Take my seal and transfer him directly to the area south of here.¡± ¡°Tell him if he cannot find the boy, I will expedite his sentence and carry it out myself.¡± ¡°Yes, your highness, I obey.¡± With that, the sound of heavy metal footsteps disappeared down the mountain. All that remained atop the overlook, was the sound of blowing winds, and the stoic, unwavering figure of the prince looking out into the distance. ¡­Or so it seemed. Covered in white bandages head to toe, blood red started to bleed out from numerous locations. His left arm twitched violently, before bending at an unnatural angle. It seemed to droop as if hanging by a thread, and ironically, it was held in place by exactly that. The prince swayed left and right, and as a gale blew, he finally toppled over. Just before collapsing, two hands caught him from falling to his death. ¡­ On the floor of a forest lay scattered tens of thousands of autumn leaves. A red-furred hare hopped across them none the wiser, and oddly enough, the trees above the creature seemed to be growing new leaves faster than they were losing them. As it pattered over the forest floor, strangely it landed on a spot that seemed softer than the others. It wasn¡¯t the sensation of dirt or grass buried by leaves, but something softer. In its curiosity it patted its furred feet on the ground¡­and that was when a hand swiftly emerged from the bed of leaves, and caught the hare in its grasp. ¡°Hu¡ª Huh?¡± Vendus groaned groggily. The young child was happily sleeping beneath the thousands of leaves, until of course, something started pawing on his chest. Scrambling and struggling, the hare fought with all its strength to escape his clutch. It did not know however, that its captor was more afraid of it, than it was of him. Vendus took a glance at the creature in his hand. It wasn¡¯t exactly a rabbit, but it looked like one enough for him to immediately release his grasp, and stumble backwards frantically in fear. It wasn¡¯t fear of being hurt however that made him frantic, but the fear of hurting others. After the hare¡¯s little furred feet touched the ground, it quickly scurried away and out of sight. Sighing heavily, the boy shook his head. And not a moment later after awakening, he started to scratch his body all over. ¡°By the gods¡­!¡± A rash had spread all throughout his body due to eating the wrong kind of berries. Red erupted all over his skin, including even on his private areas where unfortunately, it was most inflamed. Perhaps though, it was fortunate that the berries only caused a rash, and not death. Evidently, young Vendus slacked on his survival studies when it came to gathering, albeit not hunting. It was only through sheer exhaustion that he was able to previously fall asleep without minding the unbearable itch. As he walked low through the forest, a single hand scratched frantically every part of his body. If he could use his other hand he would¡­but even a single twitch of his fingers would rend him in excruciating pain. He looked at his left hand, covered in plant fiber serving as sterile bandages. Inside the dressing, were numerous medical herbs stuffed inside the hollow hole that went straight through his flesh. Luckily, as a former noble he was taught of survival medicines, and his mother had made sure to cram that knowledge inside his brain. Turns out, that same knowledge ended up prolonging his life. It would have been humorously unfortunate, if Vendus ended up dying from wound infection and everything ended just like that. Remembering his mother, gratitude, along with a sorrowful smile appeared on his face. It was only when people were really gone, would individuals realize the life that they filled with their presence, and the void left in their absence. Vendus shook his head left and right. For more reasons than one, he couldn¡¯t linger on those thoughts and emotions. The sun was setting, and he had made it a habit to sleep during the day, and traverse the forest during the night. His pursuers had never once stopped searching for him, spreading all throughout the miles of forest. Crossing through the forest during the day almost got him caught multiple times, while during the night, shadows cloaked him, while his pursuers were forced to carry bright torches in the darkness. Needless to say, he could be aware of their position at all times, while easily evading their sight. . On top of that¡­with the threat of death looming over his head, he was forced to excavate any and all hidden talents by an accelerated degree. While being born from talented individuals didn¡¯t quite mean he would inherit the same gifts, he most definitely did and more. Vendus¡¯s successful evasion thus far, could be attributed to the way even his casual footsteps had become dead silent, how his heightened senses took note of even the subtlest detail, and how he had created a special awareness, that constantly took in his spatial memory and devised how to best stay out of sight. Apart from those things¡­he also had someone looking out for him. From behind, an individual was constantly deceiving, and interfering chaotically with the search. With all those factors combined, he was quickly making his way to the border line. ¡®The border¡­¡¯ He had seen it on a map before. A well-detailed one too, thanks to his former riches. Separating the Kingdom of Aelin from the City-states of Rothspeck, were the Mystical Forests of Emiendel. The map quite literally put the word, ¡°Mystical¡± on it before the forest¡¯s official title. Covered in an alarming shade of red, the vast region larger than even some kingdoms, was awfully distinct for the way there were no trade routes going in and out of it, and not even dirt roads had been made to connect Aelin to Rothspeck. Trying to remember their conversation, Vendus had asked his father a very simple, ¡°Why¡¯s that part so red?¡± To which he got the very simple and vague answer, ¡°Not safe.¡± Unfortunately however, that not-safe region was his only hope to live, and was thus his current destination. The increasing number of pursuers endlessly spewing out from behind him, had constantly driven him further and further south. And if Vendus stopped to actually think about it, that was exactly the prince¡¯s intentions if he wasn¡¯t found any time soon¡ª to hopefully push him into that region, and let him perish by himself. Of the tens of millions that lived in the Kingdom of Aelin, less than a thousand could venture deep into those forests, and those who could actually cross the enchanted lands without threat of death, numbered on less than one hand. Vendus was evading execution, only to end up in the digestive tracts of a carnivorous plant, or to end up as chewed meat inside a monster¡¯s belly. Unless of course, the blood in his veins offered him an opening from inside the shifting jaws of fate¡­ Chapter 9: Release Chapter 9: Release Roaring softly, the flame from a torch swayed left and right, sweeping through, it spread its light, but never quite vanquished the darkness of night. A beautiful young lady in immaculate white armor, could be seen callously blemishing the masterpiece with the dirty filth of the wilds. Ruby rummaged through every bush, and scanned behind every tree with a furious zeal. Disobeying her direct superior, she snuck out during the night to search further ahead for the boy everyone was looking for. Their search team was especially behind the others, so she thought that with her damned luck, he could be right in front of them all this time without them even knowing. With brash youth, and a mix of illogical optimism and pessimism, Ruby was going to catch that traitor, and end this seven-day wilderness search once and for all! Make no mistake though, she wasn¡¯t doing so out of loyalty, integrity, or her in-born hard-working and honest nature, she was doing it so she could get out of this damn forest! Mosquitos biting her soft and pristine skin¡ªthe constant tasteless commoner¡¯s food¡ª and the very fact that she hadn¡¯t bathed for a week now¡­ ¡°AHHHHHH!¡± It made her scream in rage, and channeling that anger, she searched more furiously through the hills and thickets. What she didn''t know however¡­was that her brash and illogical thinking turned out to be correct. Above her, hugging a skinny tree branch, was the very person in question. Vendus looked down on his pursuer with a raised eyebrow. Why was this person screaming? Is she suffering from mental illness? ¡®I thought they didn¡¯t let such people in the army, and definitely not in the royal brigade¡­¡¯ Whatever the case, she was here, and she came mighty close to actually finding him. Usually his pursuers came intermittently from the left and right, and so his eyes had been focused on those two sides. Ruby dashing in from behind him was an utmost unwelcome surprise. In addition, there was a fervor to her seeking. With her relentless athleticism combined with the willingness to furiously check every bush at least twice, Vendus was forced to climb up the trees and hopefully let her pass. Eyes glued to the young lady¡­slowly but surely, she had checked the same area beneath him three times now, and was finally heading someplace else. He sighed, ¡®Thank the gods, finally.¡¯ ¡°I''m working up a sweat, and for what!?¡± She shouted, as Vendus watched the light of her torch slowly distance itself away from him. Suddenly, and to the surprise of both of them however, an odd grumbling sound echoed amongst the gales of wind. RUMBLE ¡®Oh my goodness!¡¯ He clutched at his stomach. ¡°What the? What was that?¡± Ruby asked, swinging her torch from in front of, to now directly behind her. The young lady walked a few paces forwards, coming closer and closer, to now directly under the branch Vendus hugged onto. What separated them now, was just a few tense meters in verticality. The boy held his breath, trying to stay as silent as possible. ¡°Was that my stomach? Didn''t I eat two hours ago?¡± ¡°...Maybe it was some animal¡¯s stomach?¡± ¡°It kind of sounded like it came from¡­¡± Abruptly she swung her torch, ¡°...Above me!¡± The flame burned hot, almost setting fire to the lowest cluster of leaves above her. Waving it around towards the skies, her eyes parsed through the dense knot of branches, trying to locate anything odd among them. Particularly, if a human figure was up there... ¡­In the end however, she found nothing. ¡°Huh.¡± ¡°Ah well¡­¡± ¡°...Time for a late night snack I guess, hehe!¡± She said whimsically, losing all seriousness. From a not so distant place away, just a few meters where he could have been caught, Vendus was struggling to keep his labored breathing slow, and even. In a burst of silent speed he had made the decision to vacate his hiding spot. Undoubtedly, it was the right choice. He sighed silently, ¡®That was close¡­¡¯ Now all he had to do was either let her walk off, or scurry away silently¡­but in a slower and more relaxed manner now, thankfully. ¡®...Both. I''ll do both.¡¯ Yet¡­what was this!? Vendus''s eyes opened wide. The young woman, after rummaging in her knapsack, had thrown it off to the side. And in her hands was¡­ ¡®Lemon cakes!?¡¯ ¡®Tha¡ª That¡­¡¯ ¡®...They don''t give those to soldiers do they!?¡¯ ¡°Hehe, even if this young lady has to sneak them in, she will have her delicacies!¡± She shouted, as if announcing to the world. Vendus scoffed in disbelief, almost too loudly too, before he put his hand over his mouth. ¡­After taking it off, unknowingly, his breathing had turned heavy again, while his mouth had started to salivate. Luckily, the young lady had already walked off a fair distance. ¡®Sho¡ª Should I steal her food?¡¯ He hadn''t eaten anything but berries that gave him rashes, and that was days ago. Vendus now had the chance to eat real food again, and not just that, but possibly a delicious baked treat too. If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡®She¡¯s gonna notice it''s missing¡­but I can make it look like an animal rummaged around inside of it instead¡­¡¯ ¡®Wa¡ªWait!¡¯ ¡®No! NO! That''s dishonorable, Vendus!¡¯ He reprimanded himself. ¡®I¡ª I will never fall into the ranks of the common hoodlum!¡¯ He stated. Strugglingly, he wrenched his gaze away from the woman''s knapsack, and into the dark forest ahead of him. Ruby sat atop a small hill, where the trees opened up just enough to portray a vista of the full moon and its surrounding stars. As she placed the baked delicacy to her mouth, her carefree and whimsical smile¡­slowly started to disappear from her face. What replaced it was a numb look, that slowly transformed into one of wistfulness and melancholy. Her once easygoing and simple character, betrayed folds of complexity and hidden, stirring emotions. She stared at the moon and its stars, as if both yearning for and lamenting their existence. Oh how free they were, and oh so powerful. Finding that she stared at them for much too long, the beautiful young lady bit her lip, closed her eyes, and turned away. It was a simple gesture, but it felt the same as if turning away from a lover, a home, or even a belief that one once kept close to their heart. Red started to fall from her lip, and it wasn''t make up but blood. Finally, she opened her eyes. Visually, she was going to enforce on herself that this was the reality she chose, and the one that she would walk to the end. Yet, something appeared in her eyes that made her forget all her grief, sorrow, and burdens. ¡°Wh¡ª What the fuck!?¡± The young lady shouted. ¡°Wha¡ª!?¡± A young boy squealed There, in front of her, was Vendus with half his hand in her storage bag. In fact, his hand was not going in, but going out! The hoodlum already had bread, cheese, and dried meat hugged tight to his body, while¡­he was grabbing her only other piece of lemon cake! ¡®Shit shit shit!¡¯ He lost all trace of nobility and their flowery words. Without hesitation, Vendus pathetically scurried off, and disappeared out of sight behind a tree. Ruby was in so much confusion, disbelief, and rage, that she stuttered, ¡°Sto¡ª Stop right there you goddamn thief!¡± BOOM! The young woman smashed the ground with a mana-infused step, and instantly shot through twenty-five meters in a single second. Autumn leaves fell, the surrounding trees in her area shook for a moment, enduring the impact of her departure, and her arrival. Grass, dirt, and stone alike shot up into the air. ¡°Where the hell are you asshole!?¡± She said through gritted teeth. Her torch waved around madly, scouring the forests for his delinquent figure, before ultimately bounding for the branches above. Somehow she landed softly like a feather onto a skinny branch, before her figure blurred away from the same spot. Even with a full set of metal armor, she leaped from tree to tree with astounding agility and strength. To say she did so with the prowess of a monkey, was to belittle her speed, and her grace. Yet surprisingly¡­young Vendus was nowhere to be found. His most powerful ability yet was his stealth, and with the night and shadows as his ally, he successfully evaded even a high-level warrior. Vendus moved but the smallest necessary distance to evade her hindered vision. ¡°Goddamn kid!¡± ¡°Thief!¡± ¡°Scoundrel!¡± ¡°Hoodlum!¡± ¡°Give me back, my foooood!¡± Birds flew away, as her shout echoed through the vast and shadowed expanses of the forest. ¡­ Four stone walls enclosed a dark room, only lit up by the dim light of a single torch, peeking through the openings of a thin slit. The floor was stone, the ceiling was stone, but the thick metal around his wrists and ankles were not. If they were anything other than Nullite, it would spell trouble for his wardens. The special metal not only inhibited mana upon contact, it imbued him with constant, aching weakness, and even a high burning fever. His days were spent in a haze of sweat and isolation. Watching as the vague gray walls and the orange hue of torch light mixed into a blurry and nauseating ocean. Death itself may have been a kindness, and luckily, that time was coming for him soon. ¡­Or so he thought. Entering his cell accompanied by two guards, a man clad in black leather stood above him. The look of disdain and obvious disgust on his face was transparent and undisguised. ¡°This is him?¡± A warden to the left of him then spoke, ¡°Levian Gotthard, found guilty for fratricide, attempted patricide, the murder and mutilation of more than two-dozen civilians, and wildfire arson.¡± ¡°This is the former border ranger, that struck an arrow through the eye of an eight-legged basilisk?¡± He scoffed. The special operations officer looked at the ragged, filthy, and destitute man with a gleam of obvious doubt. ¡°Yes sir.¡± Answered the warden to the right. ¡°...Take off his bindings.¡± ¡°What?¡± The wardens looked at him in surprise. ¡°Under Prince Maelor¡¯s direct orders, he is to be employed for a task by decree of the crown.¡± ¡°He cannot properly receive his instructions under the influence of the Nullite.¡± Hearing it was under the direct orders of royalty, the wardens moved with efficient obedience. Even if the man in chains were to kill all of them in the next second, they still had to obey those same orders. Sensing their buried fear however, the officer spoke up, ¡°Nullite is not often implemented, so I¡¯ll disregard your ignorance.¡± ¡°Mana will take time to return to him, he¡¯ll be harmless.¡± Heavy thuds resounded through the dark cell, as hundreds of pounds of metal fell with a hefty clangor. After about thirty minutes or so, the light of lucidity and clarity seemed to return within the eyes of the former border ranger. ¡°You are allowed to speak, are you coherent?¡± The man in black leather said. Levian sniffed audibly before speaking, ¡°Black hydra skin? Hahaha! Am I speaking to a serpent agent?¡± What Gotthard got in response were not words, but a resounding slap across his face. If his body weren¡¯t so tough, it may have even knocked a few teeth out of his mouth. ¡°No extra words. You will respond in yes, no, or strictly the question you are asked.¡± ¡°Do you understand?¡± Levian wanted to quip, but instead held his tongue and nodded. ¡­To which he suffered another slap across his face. ¡°Speak when spoken to.¡± ¡°...Are you coherent?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± He answered in a raspy, low voice. ¡°Is your name Levian Gotthard?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°You were a former border ranger, adept in tracking, investigation, archery, and wilderness navigation. Is this correct?¡± ¡°Hah! All that and more.¡± The man clad in black leather gave him a glare, but nonetheless proceeded. ¡°You have extensive knowledge, expertise, and mental map of the southern outskirts of the Forests of Emiendel. Is this correct?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Confirmed.¡± ¡°Levian Gotthard, you are being forcefully conscripted to perform tasks and duties under Prince Maelor¡¯s directive.¡± ¡°Perform the following tasks adequately, and you can hope to see your execution sentence both delayed, and even reassessed.¡± ¡°Retrieve the individual named Vendus Arituel of the traitorous House Tor. He is located somewhere approximate of the southern border region before the Forests of Emiendel.¡± ¡°You are to retrieve him, whether missing an arm, a leg, or all of his appendages, he is to be brought before the court for sentencing and subsequent execution. Do you understand?¡± ¡°...Hahahaha!¡± The sharp and crisp sound of a smack resounded through the cell once again. ¡°Answer.¡± Hair covering his face, Levian replied while smirking, ¡°Priceless.¡± A cutting whistle carried through the air as a swift hand shot through it, yet this time, all the agent hit was exactly that. He narrowed his eyes, seeing the vague figure in front of him had deftly moved his head away from the moment of impact. ¡°I''ll do it.¡± And in the next moment, the man who was previously on his knees had stood up, meeting eye to eye with the serpent agent. ¡°I hope the prince keeps his promises.¡± ¡°You will address him as his highness.¡± The agent spoke slowly and grim through gritted teeth. Veins sprawled all over his arm, green blood flowing through them, ¡°Lest I submit you to¡ª¡± ¡°I keep them.¡± A calm voice interrupted the agent¡¯s outburst. ¡°Royal prince!¡± ¡°Leave us. All of you.¡± ¡°I would have words with the reinstated border ranger.¡± ¡°But¡ª¡± ¡°I will be fine.¡± Even if for only appearance''s sake, he wore his full armor, and looked nothing like his injured self just days ago. Three pairs of footsteps vacated the cell, and even went as far as exiting the hall to which they came from to maintain the prince¡¯s secrecy and confidentiality. ¡°...Your highness¡­to what do I owe the pleasure?¡± The prince didn''t mince any words, and directly produced a glass vial from out of his left breast pocket. ¡°You are an archer first and foremost, are you not?¡± ¡°This color¡­¡± The prince opened the vial through a black cap made of unknown material. Its contents, released a waft of sweet fragrance akin to a hundred flowers, and a rich variety of dozens of fruits. ¡°Concentrated pollen¡­from the Black Lily of Death¡¯s Embrace.¡± ¡°You know it well. You must know its properties then.¡± ¡°Upon entering the bloodstream, will rapidly numb the individual¡¯s senses into oblivion.¡± ¡°It''d be as if entering a slumber, only eternal.¡± ¡°Coat your arrows in it.¡± Ordered the prince. ¡°...Do not bring the boy back alive. He will only suffer needlessly before an inevitable beheading.¡± ¡°Give him a painless death, akin to a peaceful sleep. A single puncture, before the pain fades in an instant.¡± ¡°These are my orders to you, and if you seem them done upheld to my vision¡­I will make sure, you will be free.¡± ¡°...It''s a deal, your highness.¡± ¡®Too good of a deal, even¡­¡¯ ¡®...But I¡¯d be crazy not to.¡¯ ¡°Acknowledged.¡± ¡°You are to head immediately to the southern border region, now.¡± ¡®Hah, as soon as humanly possible, huh?¡¯ ¡°One more thing¡­¡± The prince¡¯s eyes momentarily glowed golden. In the dim lighting, they shone as bright as two yellow moons. Before him he saw the vague outline of a man, and stirring within him were three points that looked like dim stars. Mana swirled like a gaseous nebula in and around his body, concentrating into those three points. Between them, faint lines almost invisible even to his dragon¡¯s eye, connected the three into a vague shape. ¡°Three lit mana nodes, forming the rough constellation of a bow.¡± ¡°The prince has keen ey¡ª¡± In an instant, the sound of three violent cracks thundered throughout the dark cell. Levian fell to his knees, spewing out blood, froth, and vomit. His vision blurred as he endured pain that reached to his very soul. The prince no longer spoke eloquently, ¡°Get it done.¡± He said, as he walked off into the darkness of the hall. Chapter 10: Destiny Chapter 10: Destiny Vendus laid still in darkness. It was nothing as serious as his consciousness waking up in the endless, and timeless plane of death though, he was just under a pile of leaves. The entire night, reaching towards half the day, was spent in a tense and extremely taxing game of hide and seek. Whether it was because of Ruby¡¯s enhanced endurance, or her furious conviction to recover her stolen lemoncakes, she had never once stopped looking for him. And that was despite not seeing him ever since he first disappeared. Even after five straight hours of finding not even a trace, she continued still for another ten, rummaging around the forest and disturbing the ambient wildlife. While Vendus only moved when he absolutely needed to, amazingly, Ruby was in constant movement the whole time. The young lady held a strange sense of optimism, that this time, behind this tree or within this bush, she¡¯d definitely find him! And whether by fate or pure coincidence, she had come dangerously close a dozen times. Vendus had to quickly exit his hiding spot, without audibly disturbing the fallen leaves and creaking tree branches. He had evaded her numerous times by a hair¡¯s breadth, yet everytime Vendus thought he lost her, and could finally relax, he would hear a familiar feminine voice grumbling, ¡°How is this the duty of an apprentice-knight!?¡± She mocked in a high-pitched and exaggerated tone, ¡°Well, young lady, you best serve in the royal military first to even out your temperament.¡± ¡°Blah blah blah! Wah wah wah!¡± ¡°Those old schmucks!¡± ¡­Before he had to quickly distance himself once again. Like cat and mouse they had done this for about sixteen hours across miles of forest. When the sun rose across the horizon, Vendus worried his capture would come quick. He could no longer use the darkness like an enshrouding cloak¡­but luckily, Ruby was no longer ransacking the forest as she was earlier. Their game of hide and seek played out slower, and yet, was just as tense if not moreso. Upon the sixteenth hour, on the cusp between afternoon and sunset, Vendus finally came upon a moment of solace. Thirty minutes had passed by without an ounce of those heavy metal footsteps clunking about, nor the sound of that annoying woman¡¯s grumbling. If she wasn¡¯t coming now, she wouldn¡¯t be coming later. At least, that was how he comforted himself. Quickly, he finally devoured the lemoncake that had stuck close to his dirty garments and sweaty body. Each mouthful of the baked treat filled the void in not just his stomach, but in his heart. He relished the delicacy to the point of trembling hands and flowing tears. Not a few moments later, he fell asleep beneath a pile of leaves. ¡­When not even an hour passed by, as he awoke to the sound of clunking metal footsteps. ¡°Tch. Where the hell is he?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve gotta be close¡­¡± Instantly he exited his groggy state, thinking, ¡®How many times have you said that now!?¡¯ ¡®You¡¯ve never even seen me this whole time, why would you think that!?¡¯ Vendus was fuming, but instead of confrontation he slunk back subduedly, and stilled his breath. Afterall, it¡¯d be odd if a pile of leaves were furiously heaving. Thud thud thud¡­ The footsteps were getting close, too close, even. It sounded as if she was only a few meters away from him. He wasn¡¯t sure whether to celebrate the fact that she wasn¡¯t sweeping through the forest floor like a tornado, as was her previous actions last night, or lament the fact that she might possibly step on him soon. ¡®Why did I have to knock out in a place I couldn¡¯t quickly flee!? Are you stupid, Vendus!? You¡¯re useless! Senseless and reckless!¡¯ Thud thud thud¡­ An iron clunk disturbed the fallen leaves just to the left of his face. Vendus was sure of it, an iron boot was mere inches away! Though in the midst of a heart attack he couldn¡¯t possibly show, a familiar voice shouted from the distance, ¡°Soldier!¡± Ruby turned around, ¡°Huh? Captain?¡± ¡°How¡¯d you find me so quick?¡± Afterall, she had probably traversed quite a distance. ¡°Your tracks.¡± If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°Now¡­return to your post, Apprentice-Knight. I didn¡¯t order you to pursue further ahead of the search party.¡± Luther said. ¡°But I saw him! And I know I¡¯m close!¡± In fact, within arm¡¯s reach. Or foot. ¡°There¡¯ve been many people who had seen, or thought they had seen the boy, but he is nowhere to be found.¡± Luther was lying, straight through his teeth. ¡°When I was tracking you, I only found your traces and no one else''s.¡± That too was a lie. ¡°Regroup with the search party, with their help, you could actually find him.¡± She scoffed, ¡°How could any of them help me? Not one of them is my match, in anything really.¡± ¡°Haah¡­¡± He let out a breathy sigh, while massaging his temples with his fingers. ¡°Whether it¡¯s strength, skill, mana, looks¡­¡± She continued. ¡°Enough, return.¡± ¡°He¡¯s so close! I¡¯m close, to catching him!¡± ¡°You know, there''s one thing you have in common with the other soldiers.¡± Irritated by the comparison, Ruby asked, ¡°What?¡± ¡°You all still haven¡¯t found him!¡± ¡°Now return, soldier! That''s an order!¡± Luther left no room for argument, turning his back as he immediately walked away. Pouting while clenching her fists, the young apprentice-knight grudgingly stomped back as well. Vendus laid motionless beneath the leaves, listening silently to their heavy thudding footsteps disappear into the distance. ¡­ A multitude of tents sprawled over a relatively flat clearing in the woods. Under the setting sun, hundreds of people moved about through the bustling camp site. There were soldiers, local civilians from villages and small towns brought for questioning, and even hunters, and small-time mercenaries being hired for the sole purpose of finding the traitor¡¯s son. Yet out of the sea of tents, there was one dilapidated and worn tent that was seemingly ousted from the group, and out of the crowds of people moving about, none desired to get close to it. Within the worn sheepskin, a tall man sat hunched over, with his hands clutching tightly onto the ground in pain. Levian feigned his usual cocky and ill-mannered attitude for the soldiers and officers, but now hidden from sight, he revealed all of that contemptible weakness. Despite his internal injuries, he was forced to rush here by the prince¡¯s command. All three of his precious, and painstakingly cultivated mana nodes, were shattered with masterful precision. It shouldn¡¯t have been so easy, but not mentioning how he was still recovering from the magical effects of the Nullite, the power gap between him and the crown prince was that of a canyon. Not only did he lose the strength needed to traverse the Forests of Emiendel if he so wished to flee, he had lost his Nighteye, Arrow-Guiding, Mana-Bow Summon, and many more magical abilities. The fall from Champion level had decimated his strength by at least ninety-percent. Levian punched the ground, furious of his own powerlessness, and from the constant, trembling pain that came from three areas in his body. Still¡­no matter how he wrestled with his circumstances, he wasn¡¯t getting those decades he spent on his mana nodes back. Though¡­he might still be able to take back his life. Furiously he breathed in deep. Enduring the pain, he stood up, and exited the tent. He was not given any weapons nor supplies, so unseen and unheard he simply took them. A one-handed steel sword and a rough-made bow found themselves on his hip and back respectively. Throwing daggers hid in his boot, all over his body, while a quiver of arrows hung on his back. Prowling the night, he would set out in search of a criminal, that was humorously labeled more heinous than him¡­ ¡®...But not before I enjoy a meal.¡¯ He licked his lips. After routine questioning, a single mother and child exited one of the tents, not realizing the hidden eyes that stalked them. Holding hands, a seven year old boy jumped happily over twisting roots, while his mother followed helplessly with a wholesome smile on her face. Giggles and laughter filled the air, unaware of their inevitable and sudden end. ¡­Levian slipped a dagger from inside his sleeve, and into his hand. In the same way that one scratched an itch, he was going to scratch his. The two did not even get to scream, and yet, their deaths were slow and savoured as he carved them up like fruit. ¡­ Within certain circles of mysticism and hermeticism, there was a saying: Destiny bestowed encounters and situations, while fate was decided by free will. Behind him was something known¡ª the coalition army¡ª his pursuers, while ahead was the unknown promise of salvation¡­which in truth held fatal dangers, insurmountable for a child like him to overcome. Vendus slowly emerged from a sea of leaves. It was a cautious half-hour after Ruby and Luther left, but it was that balance of daring risk-taking and cautiousness that had prolonged his life. He looked up to the hanging moon. The bleeding colors of sunset had all but dispersed for the planet to revel in enchanting darkness. Instinctively, he silently climbed up a tall tree to use as a vantage point. As he ascended, he quietly took note of how the trees were getting taller and taller the more he went south. ¡°Whew.¡± He said as he caught his breath, finally reaching the top. Under the soft moonglow and the high view afforded to him, he saw miles of trees spanning into the distance. Only difference this time, were that the flames of seeking torches were but mere specks in the far off expanse. They were numerous as the stars, but just as harmless from that far away. ¡°Pretty.¡± He even dared to comment. Vendus then turned his gaze from north, to south. Looking out into trees that towered even higher, he thought, ¡°I¡­I¡¯m almost there.¡± Vendus wasn¡¯t sure if they¡¯d further pursue him into the forests, but he remembered the map¡ª he was but hours away from crossing the borders, and exiting the Kingdom of Aelin. The process that followed was more symbolic to him rather than was it practical. In reality, he would be lugging his feet just a few more miles, but in his heart, crossing those borders and leaving these lands that held so much pain, and grief to him, was a blessing. Although he knew that his past and his burdens would inevitably follow to haunt him, his heart would nonetheless be soothed in the knowing, even if only momentarily. ¡°It''s the first step¡­but I''ve done it.¡± Vendus patted his own shoulder, giving thanks, recognition, and acknowledgment to his own self that suffered through immense challenges. He did not forget however, all the people who died so he could live. His father, the marquis, his land¡¯s soldiers, and even that man named Luther, who despite his allegiance to the crown, extended him kindness. After a few moments of silence, he finally opened his eyes. A chilling gale blew, and he immediately wanted to climb down. First he made sure however, that there was no woman in pristine armor dashing through the forest¡­ ¡­After confirming so, Vendus finally climbed down. Stepping through the woods, moments turned into minutes that turned into hours. The path walking forward had never been more peaceful, with only dark shadows, and the typical sounds of the forest accompanying him. He did not need to swing his head, left, right, and backwards, nor jump back behind a tree at every odd sound. Out of habit though, he kept his footsteps ever silent, with neither the patter of soft grass nor the crunching of fallen autumn leaves resounding. Yet in that silence¡­the faint sound of laboured breathing, could be heard louder and louder. As Vendus walked forwards, the sound had grown so audible as to drown out even the whistling winds. Vendus was curious, and yet the safer choice would be to avoid any and all mishaps. He should have avoided it, and yet, he walked closer to the source of the laboured breathing all the same. In his chest¡­he felt it. The same sensitivity that allowed him to grasp the core principles of silent covertness and sensory evasion, were alerting him to the emotional waves of a creature¡¯s pain, and misery. Vendus got closer and closer, before he heard tormented whines and cries. He peeked his head out from behind a thick tree, and there, beneath the moon¡¯s glow¡­was an unconscious creature. Its bulk was that of a medium sized dog, yet its form was both chubby and muscular. The creature sported light black fur, but all over its body were blood and bite marks, coloring it red with grisly shades of exposed pink. It trembled as if enduring freezing colds, with its chest heaving heavily up and down. ¡°A panther cub?¡± ¡°What¡­happened to you?¡± Oddly drawn to the pitiful creature, and perhaps ignorant of the danger it posed, the boy¡¯s hand reached out¡­and touched it. It flinched. Weakly the creature swung its paw at him, as if trying desperately to stave off the threats to its life. The action was both pitiful, and heartbreaking. Vendus swayed back just enough to dodge its claws, before looking at its face, seeing its eyes still closed in grimacing pain. Obviously the panther attacked not out of conscious thought, but out of instinct. Yet as Vendus stared at the creature he began to realize something. ¡°It''s face¡­¡± He knew the face of the creature, more than any other animal¡¯s. It was in his books, upon his House¡¯s regalia, on his very dagger at his hip, and on many of the statues crafted in his family¡¯s honor. The black-furred creature, was a lion. Chapter 11: Rifts Chapter 11: Rifts A black-furred lion? Vendus looked at the creature in stunned silence. It took a few moments for him to come back to reality, only for him to unsheathe the dagger at his hip in a daze. Holding it to the moonlight, he saw engraved on the base of the metal, one of the variations of his family¡¯s crest¡ª the face of a lion, somehow etched in black despite the silver sheen of the metal. Vendus¡­always thought that his House¡¯s titles and emblems were dramatizations to make them sound more majestic and grand. Black lions, golden dragons, seven-colored phoenixes¡­ Weren''t they all just exaggerations? As a noble child he was taught early of the separation between fact and fiction. Ironically, he was taught the existence of mana, and even goblins, but not that of the mythical beasts to which many Houses stemmed from. He wasn¡¯t even aware of the hydras, basilisks, and thirty-meter tall serpents that roamed the Forests of Emiendel. They¡­were just mythical, right? Looking at the living, breathing, black-furred lion from his family''s insignias right in front of him, that belief started to waver. Still¡­this was no time for idleness. Vendus looked at the creature¡¯s heaving chest. The grisly wounds all over its bleeding body, as its flesh was gruesomely exposed to dirt and bacteria. He remembered when he touched the cub¡¯s trembling body¡ª it was burningly hot to the touch. To leave the creature in its current state wouldn''t guarantee its death¡­but it was highly likely. A startling number of predatory animals died not from another apex beast, but rather from infection, disease, and sickness. Additionally, if the wind carried the lion cub¡¯s bloody scent, and some other carnivore were to find it¡­ The young boy sighed. Nevertheless¡­Vendus also had to think about himself. The time and effort it would take to nurse the creature back to health wasn''t small¡ª perhaps that was totally out of the question, for that very well could take days if not weeks. Another approach however, was to find the herbs necessary to disinfect and coat its wounds in healing-promoting gel. Yet¡­at his current junction point, delaying his journey by even an hour could mean the difference between life and death. Whatever time he took right now and right here, took away from his time to further the distance between him and his pursuers. Not mentioning the ordinary soldiers still looking for him, that woman in immaculate armor was superhumanly swift. Vendus weighed each decision¡­and yet, he had already chosen one in his heart, at the very first sight of the poor creature. The young boy stretched his hand, placing his palm on the surface of the creature¡¯s fur. The lion cub flinched again, and yet, somehow it sensed that whatever touched him, had done so with¡­tenderness. Only a few seconds later in its blurry unconsciousness, did it sense something else¡­familiarity. ¡­ Walking through the woods, two pairs of metal clunking footsteps thudded heavily on the autumn forest floor. Although their armor made for quite a lot of noise; contemptible in the ears of a Ranger like Levian, there was simply utter silence between officer and subordinate. Ruby didn''t quite fit in, nor wished to fit in into the rank and file. Consequently, the relationship between her and everyone else in their specific platoon, could at best be described as strained. An air of superiority and seeming disdain had always accompanied her(which was partly true), while the social divide between commoners and nobles naturally created an even worse opinion of her in the other soldiers. Unfortunately¡­the burden of cohesiveness, and the synergistic cooperation of the company, fell on Captain Luther¡¯s shoulders. The captain glanced behind him, seeing the sour and sulking expression on her face. The politics behind the entire situation, was quite messy. In short, Ruby¡¯s special case of conscription made it so that he was her direct superior, and yet, the apprentice-knight¡¯s actual status, and strength was above his own. ¡®She definitely has her reservations about that.¡¯ Luther thought to himself. ¡®Hmm?¡¯ He saw her face twisting in odd, funny expressions. Ruby¡¯s mouth was moving rapidly but no words were coming out. She seemed to be enacting a whole play in her head about the circumstances that landed her in the royal brigades, rather than under the direct charge of a Knight on an active campaign. Not¡­that there currently was one going on. Luther was not sure whether to reprimand her for mocking her higher-ups, or straight out laugh hilariously at her charades. ¡®Three months¡­!¡¯ She thought silently, as she grinded her teeth loud enough for someone ten feet ahead of her to hear. ¡®Three more damned months and¡ª¡¯ ¡®I¡¯ll consider again if you¡¯re ready, young miss.¡¯ Her mouth moved exaggeratedly. Luther chuckled, his chest silently rising up and down as he read her lips. ¡®¡®Thinking you¡¯ve just gotta tough out a couple more months huh?¡¯ ¡°Huh!? What!?¡± She looked up with a surprised expression, getting out of her head as she came back to reality. ¡°Of course not¡­Captain.¡± She said with barely contained distaste. Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. ¡°I¡¯m having the time of my life.¡± Her satirical tone finally slipped through. ¡°Hahahaha!¡± ¡°What!? What¡¯s so funny!?¡± Luther sighed, coming down from a good laugh. ¡°Tell me again, what do you think about your fellow mates?¡± ¡®Where¡¯d that question come from?¡¯ Ruby paused for a moment, before inhaling in a deep breath and reciting, ¡°The royal brigades, one of the finest places the people of the Kingdom of Aelin could ever serve. Talents from peasantry to nobility can be found amongst its ranks, for the royal divisions pride themselves in its unity, fellowship, and¡­¡± ¡°I asked what you think of them, not a text-book definition of what they are.¡± He interrupted. Ruby clicked her tongue in irritation, crossing her arms as if closing herself off. ¡°C¡¯mon. Be honest.¡± He said goadingly. ¡°Don¡¯t you already know?¡± She replied, annoyed. ¡°Nothing that¡¯s not hearsay among the soldiers. At my age, you don¡¯t believe everything you hear even if everyone¡¯s saying it.¡± ¡°Now tell it to me straight, clearly.¡± ¡°What you really think, instead of the rumors going around that your Ladyship, sees everyone else as useless.¡± Ruby paused at his words, before speaking, ¡°...I don''t think about the others that way.¡± Luther smirked, as if satisfied that his guess turned out correct. He replied, ¡°Then what do you think about them?¡± ¡°...Not much.¡± ¡°I know I¡¯m better than them.¡± She said without an ounce of pride, as if it was only natural. ¡°But so what?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve always been better than my peers.¡± ¡°They think I look down on them at every second of the day.¡± ¡°But they couldn¡¯t be more wrong.¡± ¡°Why would some rabble occupy space in my mind? And I don¡¯t have that kind of petty mindset anyway in the first place.¡± ¡°...Ugh.¡± Luther massaged his temples, feeling a headache coming through. ¡°You truly don¡¯t understand why you¡¯ve been sent here, do you?¡± ¡°I do.¡± She answered fast, without more than a moment¡¯s gap between Luther''s question and her own words. ¡°In fact, I know why better than anyone else.¡± ¡°What is it then?¡± Luther asked, seeing that he could catch a glimpse of how she saw things through her own particular lenses. Everyone saw the world through their own eyes, both literally and figuratively, and when one spoke, they naturally exposed the perceptions and viewpoints they accumulated and held onto. ¡°The only reason I¡¯m here is to wear me down.¡± She replied. ¡°Make me more submissive, obedient¡­mindless. Someone who doesn¡¯t ask questions and does what they¡¯re told.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what the military¡¯s for. And that¡¯s what people in power create when they need someone to do their bidding.¡± Luther sighed, ¡°Is that really all you gleam from this service?¡± ¡°What? You¡¯re gonna tell me different?¡± Luther opened his mouth, a mentoring tone could not help but fall from his lips, ¡°It¡¯s much more than that young lady. Have you ever tried to actually connect with your comrades?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a reason why you¡¯ve been sent specifically to the army, and not to another expensive teacher.¡± ¡°Living the experiences you need to, are much more valuable than reading them in a book, or listening to someone spout off about them.¡± ¡°Tch¡­whatever¡­¡± She replied. Ruby grumbled under her breath, ¡°Why do all these old men feel the need to ramble to me in the same way¡­¡± Luther sighed¡­before realizing he was actually spouting off to her just now. He coughed a few times before thinking, ¡®How can I get her to learn¡­¡¯ ¡®Should I engage her in more group activities with the female soldiers?¡¯ He thought to himself, before seeing orange hues from afar. ¡°We¡¯re soon approaching the main camp.¡± In the distance the two could see a mass of torch lights, and hear the hustle and bustle of an active site during dinner time. ¡°Ruby.¡± ¡°Yes, Captain?¡± She replied absently. ¡°Besides our talk¡­I need you to help keep someone in check.¡± ¡®Babysitting now? Seriously?¡¯ ¡°Fine. Who?¡± Before Luther could answer, a body collided with Ruby¡¯s armor. A thin and relatively frail-looking man bounced off of it as if it was a wall, and not a person behind it. His head rang like a bell, reverberating in intense dizziness. At the same time, the drink he held in his hand spilled onto her silver-white armor, coloring it in an interesting shade of grape wine. ¡°Hahaha!¡± ¡°He flew, he damn near flew!¡± Jeers and laughter followed as a group of rowdy and boisterous individuals sauntered over. Leading the pack, a ginger-haired man named Arwin paraded himself at the front. Looking at Ruby¡¯s armor he barked, ¡°Hey hey don¡¯t mind the dye! Armor¡¯s meant to get dirty after all, hahaha!¡± ¡°Reynolds, make sure you apologize!¡± A voice from the group teased. Another voice shouted, ¡°Remember to wipe off every drop of wine off that¡­impressive¡­armor¡­¡± Their eyes were still on Reynold¡¯s pathetic figure, when their gaze slowly trailed upwards. One of the more drunken ones in the back blurrily made out two figures, before stammering out, ¡°Ca¡ª Captain!¡± Before his eyes inevitably panned towards the figure everyone else was staring at, who in comparison might just be much worse. The young woman before them, armor and all, could be seen trembling in abject fury. ¡°Incompetent, disgraceful fools!¡± A shout imbued with mana shook the surroundings, causing the small crowd to recoil back or even fall to their butts. ¡°These are the quality of individuals you¡¯d want me to connect with?¡± Ruby easily shoved several individuals from her path, not distinguishing between punching bags nor harassers. Nobility was in her blood, but perhaps not in her character. As she left however, a passing comment fell from her lips, ¡°The royal army¡¯s soldiers¡ª nothing more than incapable imbeciles¡­¡± Luther watched her walk off, strangely feeling the same futility as a father did with his teenage daughter. And despite her harsh words, the men at his feet no doubt needed to be reprimanded. Wine was an indulgence they were allowed to have, but not one they could get wasted on. Not mentioning the breaches in code of conduct, and the subsequent charges that followed¡­but if they woke up hungover in an emergency, or an attack, it''d be all over for not just them, but for everyone else around them. All the other soldiers began to sober up, if not pick themselves up from off the ground. Sour expressions were left on many of their faces. The words she casually spoke no doubt cut many of them, or even reopened some wounds, but thinking about who she was, they could only resign themselves to doing nothing about it. Feeling something from off to the side however, they turned their heads towards Captain Luther, who held a stern and foreboding expression on his face. Being berated by her Ladyship¡¯s fury almost made them forget that they had to face the actual consequences of their actions, and behavior. Predictably, they assembled before him like little children, waiting for the commander¡¯s reprimand and judgement. The matter was supposed to end there, but¡­ As the young apprentice-knight was walking away, a hand placed itself on her shoulder. Almost instinctively, Ruby swatted the dirty thing away. ¡°Tch. Who the hell!?¡± She turned her head, expecting the ginger-haired man who previously paraded himself in front of the group to be behind her. Scoffing, she thought, ¡®Hurt ego? Trying to look tough in front of your boys?¡¯ To the surprise of everyone¡¯s gaze however, the person who prevented her from walking off was Reynolds. His small and thin frame contrasted against Ruby¡¯s own. The young woman was no goliath, standing only at 173 centimeters, but her status, strength, and personality all combined to make her quite imposing. Despite that all however, Reynolds still spoke¡­ ¡°...Take it back.¡± ¡°What?¡± Ruby looked at him in irritated confusion. He spoke slowly in a solemn tone, ¡°What you said about the men of the royal army¡­¡± ¡°Take it back.¡± Observing his bloodshot eyes and sniffing the alcohol from his breath, she thought, ¡®Wow. Drunken courage?¡¯ She scoffed again, ¡°Aren¡¯t you that whelp who was being pushed around?¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t even fight back, but you¡¯re speaking up to me now?¡± ¡°...You¡¯re all disgraces.¡± She continued berating, ¡°What a sight! How can you expect me not to¡ª¡± Interrupting her, his lips quivered, ¡°My brother died serving under the royal army!¡± ¡°I¡ª I won¡¯t allow you to taint that memory¡­¡± A tinge of regret welled up in her, as a surprised expression shot across her face. For that moment she didn¡¯t quite know what to say, but a voice shouted from a distance not too soon after. ¡°My father died serving too!¡± Arwin said. His fists naturally balling up at the thought of his memory. ¡°My cousin lost his left arm in the battle for Westpeak.¡± ¡°My older sister never came home from her last deployment¡­¡± ¡°Kirin and Torel lost their lives fighting off bandits from remote villages¡­¡± Now instead of a boisterous group making senseless noise, they were airing their sorrows and grievances. Their drunkenness, was due in part to those same pains. Slowly however, their sorrowful cries started to turn into furious insults. ¡°How can someone like you know what we¡¯re going through!¡± ¡°You strut around like you¡¯re better than us all, better than the people that died for your lands and your wealth!¡± Out of frustration and shame, Ruby was about to shout something along the lines of, ¡°Well that¡¯s what happens when you¡¯re weak!¡± or ¡°That¡¯s just what you commoners have to endure!¡± Before she got the chance to however¡­ ¡°Enough!¡± Luther shouted with mana-imbued thunder. Only, unlike Ruby he had charged his shout to the maximum limits possible. The surrounding forest shook, as birds and small animals quickly flew and scampered away. Everyone in the surrounding vicinity covered their ears, with Ruby gauging that he had used just a level of sound below what would cause deafness and bleeding ears. A wave of undeniable authority assaulted them, one that held the special quality of order and stern benevolence. ¡°Return to your quarters and rest! You will gather before me tomorrow!¡± Chapter 12: What Others See Chapter 12: What Others See Consciousness shifting between darkness, and vague glimpses of hazy moonlight. Littering the lion cub¡¯s body, were gruesome wounds torn out by jagged fangs. Fever had long gripped its juvenile frame, as its skin and flesh, to the very bone itself, alternated between realms of burning fire and piercing ice. Every muscle in its body twitched, trembled, and shivered, fighting for release that would not come. It almost preferred to go fully into slumber, and yet, it fought to maintain a sliver of flickering consciousness. Not mentioning that his slumber could possibly become eternal, but they could come at any time, return at any moment, to feast on the unfinished meal that was him. He had to stay vigilant. Suddenly, something touched the lion cub¡¯s fur. With all its strength the cub strugglingly lifted his arm, and swiped its paw across the air. Did I get it? For a while nothing happened, leading to the creature thinking it had successfully fended itself off from the threat. ¡­But then the black lion cub felt a sensation on its fur once again. Flinching from the touch, it tried weakly to raise its small paw. Yet before the small creature could, it felt a warm sensation passing through, and into him. The warmth was tender, and caring. Mother''s paw? The black lion cub was sure that his mother¡¯s paw was not so small, in fact, her paw was huge¡­and yet it felt so familiar. Moments passed as the sensation of tender care stayed with him. With its consciousness flickering in and out of awareness, the lion cub sifted through blurry realms of harrowing chill and scorching fire, to focus on that island of solace. It felt safe. It felt reassured. And the lion cub was not sure when, but it had fallen asleep under that tender sensation¡­ ¡­Only to awaken again in the middle of the night without it. Panic set in his heart, shortly followed by resignation. The sensation was gone and he didn¡¯t have the strength to go and look for it. With its higher intelligence, the black lion cub even wondered to itself if that tender warmth was just a fleeting dream. Something he wished desperately to have, so it had come, only to depart from him as soon as he awoke to reality. The burning came back, along with the freezing. This time however, he had nothing to bear the pain with, he had to endure alone. At least the bleeding had clotted, the lion cub thought, although he was not sure when he had covered himself in leaves¡­was he always laying in a bed of them? Slowly, the cub¡¯s eyes flickered open. The last sink into unconsciousness had given him enough strength to strugglingly open his eyes. From the forest floor he raised his head ever so slightly. The cub¡¯s fur rubbed softly against the leaves, as he tried to look for the moon, and how much distance it had travelled since he first passed out. The black cub¡¯s eyes darted slowly and driftingly, almost having no control over them. Despite his efforts, the moon hid in a place his eyes could not reach. All he could see was its stray light, and the shadows it casted over the forest. Shadows¡­ He stared at them as they fell, inseparable extensions of one existence. Yet as he continued to stare at them, the shadows grew. From the trees and the foliage, they extended further and further from whence they came, until finally, they departed from their material vessels altogether. If the lion cub had the strength to, his eyes would definitely open wide. His heartbeat then started to race as he was forced to watch the nightmarish sight transforming in front of him. From the two-dimensional shapes they casted, the shadows were rising solid and turning three-dimensional. The sound of bones breaking and muscles popping was heard next in the lion cub¡¯s ears. Warping and twisting unnaturally, the disembodied shadows assumed the forms of four-legged creatures. Growling, the pack of creatures slowly and insidiously circled him. They prowled closer and closer as the cub¡¯s heart tried to beat out of its chest. Finally, the dark creatures lunged forward with shadow jagged teeth. The black lion cub shut his eyes. A dozen ravenous maws tore and gorged on his flesh¡­and yet he felt none of the pain. Instead, he felt¡­something wet being applied on his wounds. Mother¡ª Is mother licking my wounds? But the sensation didn¡¯t feel as liquid as saliva, and it was oddly cooling at times, and warm at other times. Her saliva didn¡¯t feel like that. What about the shadow beasts? ¡­Time passed as he heard only silence, and between flickering glimpses of his vague vision, he could not make out any growling shadows. The black lion cub slowly realized that what he saw, or thought he saw, was just a dream. A nightmare. Normally animals wouldn¡¯t have the intelligence to have or deduce such thoughts, but a black-furred lion was no ordinary creature. Eyes fluttering open, he could see the moon now, although it was but a blurry, circular glow amongst a sea of darkness. Moreover it was no longer behind or high above his weak body, but in front of him, casting shadows that nervously reached towards him... Yet they refused to come alive like in his dream, and the sensation of tender warmth, had returned. Each and every time his wounds were gently caressed, he felt it, but would it stay this time? As his eyes opened and closed, as his consciousness flickered to see the descending moon in a different spot each time, the tender warmth stayed with him. Was this a dream too? If so, it was the most comforting dream he ever had. Slowly, the lion cub¡¯s eyes started to stay closed. It felt safe. It felt reassured. And in that, he slowly drifted into the soft embrace of sleep. When its eyes gently opened again, the sun was rising from the east. Its eyelids no longer felt ten times as heavy, nor was its body burning and shivering at the same time. The fever from last night had passed. The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. The black lion cub tried to stand, yet the many wounds he had made him stop in the attempt. In the midst of that pain however, he was reminded of something that felt profoundly different from the agony. That sensation of tender warmth was still here! It was not just a dream. It had stayed with him all throughout the night, and it was still here as he awoke. In fact¡­it was right behind him, still holding him in a cradle. The lion cub turned its body, expecting to see his mother. Yet it jumped up in fright as soon as he saw what was actually behind him. Despite its wounds, the cub assumed a crouching stance with its claws bared, looking intently at the ¡°thing¡± in front of him. It was¡­a creature that the cub had never seen before. The black lion cub had seen many sorts of beasts in the place where it had lived, but never an animal such as this. No wait¡ª it did remember a creature that swung through the trees at an amazing speed. The one in front of him however, had no tail, no fur, and its body was slightly different in a way. Approaching cautiously at the sleeping Vendus, it was at that moment that the lion cub¡¯s nose started to twitch. Never taking its eyes off of him, the cub lowered his nose to smell the cool, floral scent on Vendus¡¯s fingertips. There was no mistake¡­that same scent was all over his wounds, and the cub was sure they were the reason his wounds didn''t hurt more. Realizing this the black lion cub¡¯s gaze slowly softened, and so too did his taut, and tight muscles started to relax. This creature was the source of that warmth, that tender, nurturing touch amongst the harrowing things it had gone through last night. Approaching closer to the sleeping boy, the cub lowered its head, before nuzzling its furry face onto Vendus¡¯s. ¡­ Before night¡¯s end, but just before the sun rose, Sera woke up in her tent. The internal clock in her body was conditioned to perfection. She had awoken to the same minute, and to the same second as she had yesterday, and all the days before. Stretching her arms and rubbing her eyes, she looked to her left, where a hefty stack of letters, envelopes, and documents, formed miniature paper towers and buildings. Sera was a soldier, but more importantly, she was a courier. Combat-wise she was not unskilled, but nothing special either. Yet everyone had their specialties, and her¡¯s was not only in her speed and marathon-like endurance, but in her astounding memory, and naturally social and amiable nature. When she was not acting as an urgent messenger for individuals much higher than her station, Sera by herself was responsible for the delivery and acquisition of tens of thousands of letters, both informal, and official. The chappy courier had thousands of faces in her head, along with thousands of names, and even special details about them such as their favorite color, or the coffee beans they used. Her ability to observe and remember all those details, along with her natural personality, gave her a subconscious edge in creating pleasant relationships. Without a doubt, she was known and well-liked. Today, would be the same as any other. From dawn to dusk she would get rid of that miniature city formed of papers, and accumulate a new one instead to deliver to another location. Quickly, she dressed herself out from her sleepwear and into the official uniform of a special military courier. It was still dark, but before breakfast, she usually liked to deliver letters and documents to those close to her. More importantly, to recipients who normally received large volumes of mail. Normally such people were those with authority and responsibilities, like company commanders, platoon leaders, people such as Captain Luther, etc. Funny enough though, the recipient that she tasked herself to deliver to first, was someone who was not any of those things. In fact she was a bit of a pariah among the soldiers¡­ Very shortly, Sera arrived before a sizable tent at the edge of a forest clearing. It was placed noticeably away from the others, and its size was at least three to four times larger than the rest of the other tents. Yet the courier didn¡¯t call out to the person inside, nor quietly slipped the letters meant for her into the tent. Without a second thought she directly passed by the sizable tent and walked a few paces down towards the sound of a gushing river. Along with the sound of rushing water however, Sera could hear the whistles, and sometimes breaking roars of the wind. Parting through the thick vegetation, Sera saw a young woman in leather pants, boots, and a black tank-top flourishing her swordplay. Each strike, slash, and thrust, were strokes in a seamless dance of devastating grace. Sometimes the strikes flowed into each other like crashing waves of an ocean, at other times like the swift flight of a thousand birds, and at other times in pure sporadic chaos, with each thrust serving as a discordant note that purposely disrupted rhythm and harmony. Seeing her guest who had come out of the woods, Ruby smiled warmly and shouted ¡°Sera!¡± The warm smile on the beautiful girl''s face brought about a grin on her own. Thinking back to when she first met the young lady, she was not greeted as warmly. ¡®Actually, I think I was straight up ignored¡­¡¯ Yet Sera was neither offended nor disheartened. The naturally chappy courier was as bright and unrelenting as the morning sun. Through frequent encounters, she had slowly melted through Ruby¡¯s aloofness, and pierced through that isolating shell. ¡°I''ve got your mail.¡± ¡°You know I said you can just slip them into my tent.¡± Ruby said warmly. ¡°Yeah¡­but I wanted to come and chat.¡± A surprised expression shot across Ruby''s face. Noticing it, Sera said, ¡°What? Life¡¯s not all work. I can have fun here and there!¡± To which Ruby replied, ¡°...I agree!¡± The two sat down upon a grassy hill overlooking the river. Back and forth they made small talk until a particular question. ¡°So how are things?¡± Ruby asked. ¡°Same as always.¡± ¡°How bout you?¡± Sera asked back. A nasty grimace appeared on Ruby¡¯s picturesque face. Despite her scowl it did nothing to diminish her beauty. ¡®Girl if I only had your looks¡­¡¯ Sera thought. Ruby replied in a low voice, ¡°I don''t wanna talk about it¡­¡± ¡°Is that so? Haha, we don''t have to talk about it then.¡± Sera said, as the rustling of papers and documents could be heard. ¡°Let me see¡­¡± From out of her delivery bag, Sera produced two dozen or so letters. ¡°All for you, my Lady.¡± The courier said humorously. ¡°Why thank you, my humble servant.¡± Ruby tried not to, but as she took the letters into her hands, Sera could see the dispiritedness in her eyes. Most of the letters that she received were from the Elantross family, most notably by a ¡°Lord Geldorn Elantross,¡± and a ¡°Lady Isobel Elantross.¡± As Ruby¡¯s full name was Ruby Roxanne Anastasia Elantross, it wasn''t hard to guess who those people were. As for the rest of the letters, several of them were from other noble families, particularly from young men, while the other seven were a few lovestruck soldiers who didn''t have the gall to send it themselves¡­ ¡®I swear I see new names every week!¡¯ Having received the bunch of letters, Ruby replied subduedly, ¡°Thanks, Bella...¡± ¡°Bella? Who''s that?¡± ¡°Huh? Did I say Bella?¡± ¡°Sorry, Bella was my poodle back home.¡± ¡°Your poodle?¡± ¡®Ru¡ª Ruby¡­is that how you see me?¡¯ Seeing the odd expression on Sera¡¯s face, Ruby quickly cleared it up. Waving her hands in a panicked, ¡°No that''s not what I meant!¡± manner, she replied, ¡°Whenever Bella saw me she''d always become really happy¡ª and whenever I was sad, that always made me really happy!¡± ¡°You''re also very cheerful so¡­¡± ¡°Uh¡ª I mean¡­¡± ¡°Hahaha!¡± Sera laughed brightly. ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°I''ll just take that as a compliment¡­¡± ¡°I still have other people to get to, so¡­¡± She tried to curtsy as she frequently saw other noble ladies did, which brought about a warm smile on Ruby¡¯s face. As she turned around and was just about to leave however, Sera exclaimed, ¡°Oh!¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Ruby hummed in response. Sera muttered, ¡°There was another¡­I almost couldn''t make out the name¡­¡± Ruby tilted her head as the special courier rummaged through her bag. ¡°Ahah!¡± From her bag, Sera pulled out a crumpled letter with scribbled writing that said, ¡°To Sis Ruby.¡± It didn''t specify a last name, but as it came with the other letters from the Elantross family, Sera could only assume it was to her. Ruby slowly stretched out her hand whilst looking at the crumpled letter, and that was when she made out the colored drawing of a rabbit¡¯s face, with long, fluffy ears. Quickly, her hand shot out and yanked it from Sera¡¯s grasp. ¡°Ahem, I''d just like to say I found it crumpled¡­¡± But Ruby didn''t reply. In fact, she seemed a bit speechless as she stared in a daze at the letter in her hands. ¡°Hmmm, I''ll leave you to it then.¡± As observant as Sera was, there were times it was best not to observe, and the look in Ruby¡¯s eyes told her exactly that. Besides, she still had to deliver a good two or three stacks of mail! Making the rounds, her feet blurred from sight and so did she. Within a two-mile radius she swiftly and precisely carried out her duties. When she could, she made small talk with her recipients and other early-risers, enjoying their banter and company alike. Truly, the life of an extrovert. En route to and upon delivery however, Sera was frequently exposed to not only recent events and jokes, but to gossip. And all the gossip that morning, had to do with Ruby. ¡°That bitch called us all incompetent, and disgraces!¡± ¡°Did you hear what happened last night, with Reynolds, Arwin, and the noble?¡± ¡°She tread on the name of our fallen! Called them all useless for dying!¡± ¡°I always knew she was stuck-up. I never knew she just outright didn¡¯t care for her fellow soldiers¡¯ lives.¡± ¡°Did you expect more from a noble?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t let them hear you say that. And not all of them are like her.¡± The words and sometimes profanities that were said undoubtedly made Sera uncomfortable, and yet agreeableness often came with meekness. Stuck in her throat were all the words that she wanted to say to defend her friend. Things such as. ¡°She¡¯s not like that at all,¡± or ¡° I know her. She¡¯d never say those things,¡± but none of those words came out. As Sera returned to her tent, she sighed out a deep breath. The chappy courier was often charged with energy from social interactions, but it was not always the right energy. And like any other person, she was influenced by the surroundings and people around her. Second-guessing herself, she thought, ¡®...Could she have really said those things?¡¯ ¡®...Ruby can be¡­sometimes¡­¡¯ Sera lightly slapped her face with both hands, ¡°You know what? I¡¯ll just go and ask!¡± This action was something an introvert could never do. Briskly walking northside of the camp, Sera started to talk to herself out loud, ¡°It must be a misunderstanding! Just a misunderstanding¡ª yeah.¡± ¡°Hmmm¡­Ruby should still be practicing her swordplay. Gods, she wakes up earlier than me!¡± When the chappy courier arrived before her tent, to her surprise she saw a vague figure through the semi-transparentness of the tent. The sun¡¯s rays were just beginning to peek out from the horizon, but it was still dark out. Ruby¡¯s shadowed silhouette could be seen amongst the flickering candlelight. ¡®Should I call out to her? She seems to be doing something, but I¡¯m sure she heard me and my footsteps.¡¯ Being not just acquaintances but friends, Sera opened the tent¡¯s flap without much thought, and there, in the dim candlelight, she saw a sight not meant to be seen. Ruby¡¯s eyes moistened, tears falling from her eyes down her cheeks, whence they dripped down upon that same crumpled letter, that she herself had handed to Ruby. Sera¡ª unable to extricate her eyes, looked towards the writing on the letter. It read¡­ I love you and I miss you, big sis, but don¡¯t you worry! Before saying our goodbyes, I saw this quote in one of Elise¡¯s books. You know, the ones she told me I¡¯m not allowed to read! It goes¡­ ¡°I don¡¯t know when I¡¯ll see you, but I know I will.¡± Maybe next month, or next year¡­but I know I¡¯ll see you again. Love, your always baby-sister, Bunny. Ruby¡¯s own lips parted, softly whispering, ¡°I love you too.¡± Chapter 13: Lub Dub Chapter 13: Lub Dub A naked man hummed a jolly tune as he washed his hands inside a water basin. Within it however, clear blue waters rapidly turned into deep shades of thick and murky red. Behind Levian was the butchered corpse of another victim. Laying on a wooden table, his innards were all but hollowed out, for the cannibalistic fiend felt like having liver with a side of other organs for breakfast. However as Levian washed his hands of blood, the pleasant and disarming smile on his face instantly transformed into one of dark dread. There was no indication of the coming shift, he had so easily switched between expressions like he was switching on masks. Levian¡¯s scrubbing movements started to become more and more furious as the waters swashed and splashed about. His eyes were looking straight ahead, and yet, it felt as if he wasn¡¯t staring at anything at all. The former ranger had scoured a twenty-mile radius south of the forest, and still, the traitor¡¯s son was nowhere to be found. Had the boy already crossed the boundary between Aelin and Emiendel? Levian needed proof of his death, and if not an intact corpse, then a foot, a finger, or a decapitated head would do just fine. Even decomposed, he knew the serpent-agents of the crown had a way to identify the lion-duke¡¯s son. It wouldn¡¯t bode well for him however, if Vendus was already chewed meat in the belly of a beast, or digested into nutrients by some carnivorous plant. Was the boy taught the art of stealth and erasing his traces? I should still be able to find him despite it all. Am I looking in the wrong place? Levian grunted as he started to scrub the skin off his hands. His own blood had then started to swim within the bloody mix. ¡®That¡¯s more than what most of these imbeciles were taught.¡¯ Their armor was heavy and clunking¡ª they shouted at each from a distance, as if they weren¡¯t looking for someone actively trying to avoid them¡ª and lastly, they knew nothing about tracking. Perhaps if his former colleagues were involved in the search, chances were they would have already found him. Of course, his own services wouldn''t have been employed if they were willing. Levian stopped ¡°washing¡± his hands. The sponge he used to scrub had all but been grinded to dust, whilst layers of toughened skin had been gnarled to expose flesh and blood. ¡®This¡¯ll have to do.¡¯ He wiped his hands with a towel, wringing his hands dry so hard that blood once again stained them. Turning the corner, he made his way towards the dinner table. Currently he was inside a remote cottage that belonged to his victim, and seeing as he had already killed the unfortunate soul, Levian treated the house as his own. Atop the dinner table was a single plate surrounded by herbs, and neatly placed on the platter was a still-beating heart. Unlike his gorging on fresh liver and other organs however, Levian seemed to take careful procedures to make sure that the heart was tidy, and relatively clean. ¡®The heart should only be soaked with heart-blood.¡¯ ¡®The body should only be tainted by its own filth.¡± The naked Levian approached closer to the dinner table, and grabbed the herbs surrounding the devilish meal. ¡®Nightshade, hemlock, wormwood, crow feathers, bloodroot¡­¡¯ Without any sense of ceremony or decorum, he stuffed them all inside his mouth in a mad craze. At times he chewed, but mostly he just forced himself to swallow. Not mentioning the taste, visible lumps could be seen moving down his throat, as he suppressed the instinctive urge to vomit. Levian then suppressed both his mana and his body¡¯s defense mechanisms, as his vision started to blur. Right before collapsing to the ground, he grabbed the still-beating heart from the dinner table. A body thudded, followed not too long after by the shattering of a porcelain plate. Levian¡¯s naked body twitched constantly, before devolving into erratic violent convulsions. Limbs thrashed wildly in a chaotic and random flurry, his neck bent in strange angles, whilst the eyes in his head started to roll around like they were marbles shaken inside a jar. Anyone privy to the scene could see that something was wrong with the man¡¯s health, yet although he may not look it, Levian¡¯s thought process was calm and unperturbed. The former ranger had his full senses focused on the throbbing heart held in his spasming hands. From the time it took him to wash his hands, up to the point where he was now having a heart attack combined with a stroke, only two minutes had passed. Finally by the twenty-seventh second mark, the removed heart suddenly stopped beating, and that was when Levian used all his willpower to force it inside his mouth. Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! However, an adult heart was way too big to fit inside his jaws. Steeling his resolve, Levian grabbed his forehead with one hand, and his mandible including his lower set of teeth with the other. Then, he mercilessly pushed down. The muscles, skin, and flesh at the edges of his mouth tore open to enlarge. A few bones dislocated to allow a bigger, wider, and horrifically unnatural range of motion for his mouth. It went without saying, but it was a gruesome sight. ¡®Do not¡­! Shed¡­! A single drop¡­!¡¯ The adult heart barely fit inside, but as it did he closed his mouth, and kept it shut with his other hand. Blood leaked out of the gnarly edges of his mouth, but he assured himself it was not the kind he needed to worry about. Once the heart was inside, his erratically trembling hand pushed his lower jaw up and down in a bid to chew, though, as little as possible as to keep the overall shape of the heart intact. A large lump moved down his throat, and finally after a few dozen moments, Levian¡¯s body had stopped convulsing. Oddly out of place, morning sunlight pierced through a window to shine on his naked, unmoving body. If Levian¡¯s body stayed motionless it would have been a blessing upon the world, but instead his body started to twitch awake. Once, then twice and thrice, before a heavy hand slammed down on the cabin floor. A wooden boom echoed through the remote cottage. Normally the former ranger kept his touch light and swift, but with how exhausting the previous process was, that habit temporarily went away. He heaved as if he was previously drowning for air, and well, he actually was. Yet, Levian¡¯s focus was not on catching his breath, but observing the changes that had happened within. Mana-sight was impossible without reaching towards Champion, but with his years of experience it was possible for him to feel the undulations happening within. Miraculously, a nascent form of a mana-node was swirling within him. ¡®It worked¡­¡¯ It was unstable and tainted with a feeling of dark heaviness, yet it was there nonetheless. ¡®Approximately five-percent¡­Amazing.¡¯ ¡®At this rate I¡¯d need only nineteen more hearts to recover darksight.¡¯ Considering it had taken him a year to first form that ability, then five years to light up his first node, such rapid progress was nothing short of miraculous¡­or wickedly unnatural. Levian let out a low laugh. With hair covering his face and his naked body heaving, the former ranger looked especially unnerving. Thoughts churned in his head whilst emotions swirled in his heart¡ª that of both sick satisfaction, and plans moving forward. ¡®A hundred hearts to form the first node¡­¡¯ ¡®Can I assume it would take two or three hundred for the second?¡¯ ¡®No, the workings and conditions might be different.¡¯ ¡®It might take a thousand hearts instead, or, it might need me to hunt down individuals with stronger hearts¡ª vessels with mana-enhanced bodies.¡¯ ¡®Hm. It could also have me hunt down pure virgins, or priests and saints.¡¯ ¡®Worse, maybe the conditions for higher breakthroughs will have me hunt down other heart-eaters.¡¯ ¡°...I¡¯m getting ahead of myself, hahaha!¡± He laughed out joyously, until he found the edges nearing his mouth to hurt like hell. The heart-eating ritual seemed to have mostly healed his injuries caused by both the deadly herbs and the mutilation of his mouth, but not fully. Standing up, he went to go find a change of clothes whilst organizing his priorities. ¡®If I butcher a village or small town, the authorities and surrounding military will quickly notice and hunt me down.¡¯ ¡®I can quickly form my first node, but that isn¡¯t enough. Traversing the outer outskirts with that strength will still get me killed.¡¯ ¡®It isn¡¯t possible for me to swallow a hundred hearts in quick succession either, nor do I have a way to preserve them.¡¯ ¡®Hmm¡­¡¯ ¡®Fleeing from this mission is impossible. The prince recruited me as an outside agent, only so I could ensure the boy¡¯s painless death. If I went missing just as he did, it might take them longer than a few months, but I¡¯ll eventually be caught dancing between the borders.¡¯ ¡®Moreover¡­my former colleagues might refuse to hunt down the lion-duke¡¯s son, but they might join in on the hunt to remove my head from my body.¡¯ Finally Levian sat down in a set of his victim¡¯s clean clothes. Tapping his fingers on the dining table, he continued to ponder, ¡®My best bet is to find the boy, whilst having a few commoners and peasants go missing here and there.¡¯ ¡°Like this, my future doesn¡¯t look too grim afterall¡­¡± The former border ranger stood up, before proceeding to erase the traces of his act. He had briefly considered burning the cottage down, but he had need for a place to conduct his meals and rituals. Furthermore, doing such a thing would attract more attention, and would most likely bring in commoners and peasants to poke around. It was simply more trouble than it was worth. ¡®The owner of this remote cottage didn''t seem too friendly with the closest village either.¡¯ ¡®At most someone will report his disappearance, but the authorities in this area are slow, and don''t care too much. They¡¯d probably respond to a house fire faster than a missing persons report.¡¯ ¡®I know how they are. They¡¯ll do a routine checkup in a few months, but by that time I¡¯d be long gone¡­not that they''ll find anything anyway.¡¯ With that, Levian exited through the front door, and headed into the main camp. Besides rummaging through their dried provisions or pilfering a few daggers and arrows, he was required to report for duty every morning and night. The prince imposed upon him measures to keep him on a leash, although it obviously wasn¡¯t tight enough. It would get tighter however, if he failed to show up. Upon arrival at the main camp, he was either stared at with disgust or spitefully ignored. Word had probably reached even the most witless soldier an account of his vile crimes. It was a shame however. The title of a border ranger was often met with gazes of astonishment and admiration. He too had that luxury, and Levian often found it entertaining because of what he did behind closed doors. Unfortunately he was not the cold and calculated type he thought himself to be. Whence the time came for his magnum opus, the emotions within his shattered psyche gushed out with uncontrollable madness. Inevitably it was what led to his failure, and his subsequent death sentence. Levian ignored the stares and made his way towards the center of the camp. Once there he saw a large circular military tent. It was wide enough to probably occupy fifty people in its berth. He walked up to it intending to open the tent¡¯s flap, but before he could grace his superior officers with his presence, he could hear a woman shouting. ¡°It doesn¡¯t make sense!¡± ¡°I should be scouting further south, near where the borders meet!¡± ¡°Not frolicking with the rabble just a few hundred meters from our camp!¡± Luther put a palm to his face while replying calmly, ¡°You¡¯re searching for the boy more thoroughly, with a group of skilled individuals ten miles away from camp.¡± ¡°This is what you should be doing¡ª what everyone else around you is doing.¡± ¡°But I swear I saw him!¡± ¡°We went over this, I already told you¡ª¡± ¡°Did you now?¡± A voice interrupted their back and forth. Two heads turned to the source of the voice, seeing a tall man with medium-length black hair. Luther clenched his fists behind his back, but the gesture didn¡¯t go unnoticed to the former ranger. ¡°Yeah.¡± The young woman said casually. ¡°Wait, who are you?¡± ¡®Godsdamnit Ruby¡­¡¯ ¡°Now? A soldier, just like you¡­¡± Levian¡¯s words trailed off. The former ranger¡¯s gaze turned to the other person in the room, ¡°...You know Commander, I¡¯ve noticed the traces heading further south, have been a little too clean¡­¡± Chapter 14: Bonding Chapter 14: Bonding On a bright midmorning, a sleeping child was rustled awake by a rummaging sensation in his trousers. Vendus¡¯s eyes opened gently. Warm sunlight landed softly on the left of his face as his upper body rose to sit up. ¡°Hu¨C Huh?¡± He moaned groggily. Peering down at his waist was a youthfully chubby creature. It sported black-fur that hid its dense forming muscles, and the creature''s face displayed a deceptively adorable visage, presenting a row of whiskers, a cute nose, and a unique shade of ethereal, light blue eyes. Upon seeing it, Vendus jumped, scampering backwards. He didn''t quite think about what it was doing, but rather how it was now awake. Last night the pitiful creature was still trembling and shaking. Without much thought, Vendus sought to stay with it just a little while more¡­and ended up falling asleep during the process. Furthermore, in his sleep¡­he embraced the animal like it was the softest pillow ever. Of course now that it was awake, it was no longer a soft plushie, but a carnivorous beast¡ª a potential, mini-murder machine¡­ And right now, it seemed to be chewing on something¡­ ¡°M¡ª My sausage links!¡± He blurted out. It was the same food he stole from Ruby. ¡°I was saving those!¡± The lion cub was a creature of higher intelligence, but it was still not privy to human language. It looked at Vendus, surprised he was awake, and yet kept chewing. Dangling, bouncing and spinning slightly, the last link of sausage rose upwards and into the black lion cub¡¯s mouth. For some reason, Vendus felt a profound sense of loss. A tear almost shed from his eye. Before one could though, the black lion cub pounced on him. Despite its injuries it moved, and moved fast. In the blink of an eye it was upon him¡ª Vendus didn¡¯t even get the chance to flinch or feel afraid. Without actually experiencing an apex predator, most people overestimated the seconds they''d prevail in surviving against one. Luckily though, this one was not aggressive, nor particularly starving. It had its claws retracted so as not to eviscerate Vendus, but its significant weight still barrelled into the boy¡¯s chest. ¡°OOF!¡± Vendus wheezed¡ª the air was all but knocked out of him. Despite the lion cub being about the size of a medium-sized dog, it weighed much heavier. Due to their genetic-makeup, predators often grew muscle mass naturally, yet even then, the muscles that the black lion cub grew were at least several times as dense. So too, was that the case for the cub¡¯s bones. Not realizing the damage it had done, the lion cub casually lowered its head, and nuzzled its face affectionately towards his benefactor. In the process however, both his paws pressed heavily on Vendus¡¯s weak, immature body. The boy was no longer sitting up, but laying on the floor in defeat and misery as the cub stood on top of him. It wanted to jump on him a few times in a gesture of, ¡°What''s wrong?¡± But intuitively, it stopped itself and got off of the poor boy. Luckily, Vendus¡¯s ribs would not be fractured or broken today. Regaining his breath and strength, he finally sat up, and met the lion cub eye to eye. Normally such a gesture was an act of aggression or challenge in the animal kingdom, yet Vendus''s pure black eyes only saw brightness, curiosity, and warmth. Looking at them, Vendus noted how the shade of the cub¡¯s eyes was absolutely mesmerizing, and not like any other color he had ever seen before. They weren''t the color of the sky nor the ocean, and they were lighter than the deep richness of sapphire, yet were just as brilliant if not more so. In response, the black lion cub also gazed at Vendus¡¯s eyes. Although it didn¡¯t think in human speech, its intelligence, reasoning, understanding, and mental capacity was no less than any other human¡¯s. The cub noted the boy¡¯s deep black eyes, and the way this odd creature shared the same habit as his mother did¡ª staring for long moments into its eyes. Eventually Vendus broke out of his stupor, as the lion cub tilted its head puzzlingly. Thinking to himself, Vendus thought, ¡®...Are beasts usually so heavy?¡¯ ¡®...No! That¡¯s not the important question I needed to ask myself!¡¯ But instead¡­ ¡®What should I do with it now?¡¯ The lion cub seemed to have grown attached to him. At least, judging by how it had treated him somewhat affectionately. Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. Vendus vaguely understood that if it wanted to harm him it would have done so by now, and if it wanted nothing to do with him, the cub would have just left after eating all the meat he had on him. It didn¡¯t just eat his sausage links either, but his dried meat too! ¡®Well...what was I planning to do before falling asleep?¡¯ ¡®After doing my best to clean its wounds, I was honestly just going to leave¡­¡¯ ¡®Umm he¡­or she?¡¯ ¡®...It has to do its best, and I have to do the best I can. I just can¡¯t afford to take care of it.¡¯ Vendus approached the lion cub and scratched its head as if it was a dog. ¡°Sorry little buddy, I can¡¯t really bring you along.¡± ¡°It¡¯s hard enough just taking care of me.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t stay here, okay? I wonder where your parents are¡­¡±\ ¡®Thinking about it, I guess I¡¯m lucky they¡¯re not here.¡¯ Who knew if that was how he was going to go out. ¡®Yeah, I have to leave it alone¡­¡¯ ¡®If it belongs to a pride, I¡¯d rather not get eaten¡­¡¯ After giving the lion cub the equivalent of scratchies, Vendus headed south. He took a few glances behind him to see whether the cub was following, but it just stared at him in the same spot with its head tilted curiously. As he got further and further away, so too did it grow smaller each time against the backdrop of the vast forest. For one last time he took a glance to see a tiny black blip still rooted to the same spot, and for some reason it hurt his heart to see its small lonesome figure. In the end however, he wrenched his gaze away from the sight, and sprinted ahead. Vendus¡¯s running steps had turned audibly loud, something he hadn¡¯t done since he made it a habit to keep his steps silent, no matter the situation. This was because no matter how logically he interpreted his actions, he couldn¡¯t stop his heart from feeling differently. There was a grinding frustration inside of him of how he really should have taken the young cub with him. That it¡¯d be the honorable and courageous thing to do, as he was taught so by those he admired, and revered. A relentless vexation scratched at his heart, but he continued to run forwards, at the same time trying to run from what he felt inside. Minutes passed by, and after totally exhausting his body out of air, he skidded on the forest floor to stop. Gasping heavily with sweat beading down his brow, he thought to himself, ¡®...I don¡¯t feel any better.¡¯ He sighed heavily, getting ready to push forwards once again. However, through the sun shining from the east, his eyes caught sight of a shadow approaching his own. ¡®What!?¡¯ Vendus quickly swung his head backwards in a bid to see what had silently approached, and there, causally licking its paws, was the same black-furred lion cub he thought he had left behind. The boy¡¯s mind went blank for a moment, unable to process how it could be right in front of him. ¡®Was it following me the whole time? Wouldn¡¯t I have heard it running behind me?¡¯ The cub stared at him nonchalantly. It showed no signs of displeasure at being left behind, but rather looked as if following Vendus was simply the natural thing to do. Vendus, as innocent as he was, kneeled down towards the cub and tried to speak to it, ¡°You really can¡¯t follow me.¡± ¡°What if your mom and dad come to eat me¡­¡± ¡°I mean¡ª I can¡¯t afford to feed you.¡± ¡°You¡¯re so small, you have to be part of a pack right? A pride?¡± ¡°Stay here and let them catch your scent, okay?¡± ¡®Do lions even have a good sense of smell? I should have studied more¡­¡¯ Again, Vendus repeated the process of walking off while taking frequent glances behind him. The black lion cub continued to stay in the same spot. Its light blue eyes never left his own distancing figure, but it continued to remain where it was left. Unlike last time, Vendus didn¡¯t sprint forwards but paced himself in a light jog. This way he could efficiently cover more distance, and as he did so, he tried to boost his spirits by thinking up positive thoughts. ¡®I¡¯m sure its pride will find him, and the little thing will be all alright.¡¯ ¡®Yeah.¡¯ ¡®It¡­might be young, but I¡¯m sure its wild instincts will help it survive.¡¯ ¡®It¡¯ll be okay.¡¯ After about half an hour of running, Vendus slowly climbed a tall tree. Not only was it generally safer to be above ground, but other than birds, he was less likely to be caught off guard by some animal. ¡®Should I go up to the highest point to take a look again?¡¯ He usually did a survey of the vast forest at night, so as to determine all the locations of the torch-bearers. Yet, there was that free and adventurous side of him, that wanted to take in that view from the very top. Even if he knew it was unproductive for him to do so, or maybe even dangerous if someone were to spot him, he wanted to take that chance. ¡®I¡¯ll just take a quick look. I won¡¯t linger¡ª no more than a few seconds.¡¯ The winds blew at the same time as he reached the very top of a hundred meter tree. An expression of wonder and amazement streaked across his face as he looked into the distance, seeing the vast kingdom of green nature being windswept into the direction of the west. Autumn leaves fell from a multitude of trees decorating the sight, and Vendus witnessed the strange sight of some of those trees, quickly growing them back in full green maturity. ¡®Is¡­that normal here?¡¯ Feeling refreshed, he took in a deep breath before exhaling just as deep, ¡®It''s been more than a few moments, time to go.¡¯ Yet as he turned away from the beautiful painting that was the land, he jumped backwards in surprise. Almost losing balance, he steadied himself on the thick branch he sat on, before really coming to terms about the little black-furred creature sitting across him. ¡®How long has it been here?¡¯ ¡®No, the real question should be how long has it been following me!?¡¯ A few moments passed by as he stared at it in disbelief. Sensing Vendus¡¯s gaze, and the fact that it may be blocking his path from climbing down, the black lion-cub started to nimbly jump from branch to branch, quickly making his way down the towering, hundred meter tree. Unlike the cub, it took Vendus about several times the duration as he pitifully hugged close to the tall tree. Once he got down he was approached by the cub, who nuzzled its cute furry face on his leg. Vendus put both hands on his face, ¡®Oh gods, what am I going to do with you?¡¯ When suddenly he felt a yanking sensation on the hem of his pants¡ª the black lion cub had lightly bitten its cloth. ¡°He¡ª Hey! Don¡¯t play with that!¡± Vendus yelled. The prepubescent child helplessly stumbled and staggered in the direction he was pulled in. His face started to turn red from anger and a bit of shame, but the more he was pulled along by the freakishly heavy creature, the more he noticed the subtleties in the lion cub¡¯s body language. Its hairs had all stood up¡ª its strained eyes indicated neither aggression nor the desire to play, but that of panic and urgency. Most of all however, was the fact that it had now started to tremble. Vendus stopped resisting and let the creature take him where it wanted. In the process the cub seemed to only get more and more anxious, before madly yanking Vendus behind a thick tree trunk. If ten human adults held hands together in a circle, they still wouldn¡¯t be able wrap around it. Not moments later, he heard the crying squeal of some heavy thudding animal. ¡®A pig? No, maybe a boar?¡¯ ¡®I get it¡­so that¡¯s what spooked the little guy¡­¡¯ Still trembling, the boy¡¯s hand lightly scratched behind the ears of the black lion cub. Vendus¡¯s head peeked out from behind the gargantuan tree, curiously looking for where the creature could be. Yet before he saw it, the very ground started to shake. Vibrating tremors shook tens of thousands of fallen autumn leaves, as heavy dull blows pounded on the earth. The beast¡¯s cries and squeals only became louder and louder until it almost felt deafening. Then, Vendus¡¯s eyes opened fully wide. In the distance he could see a gigantic figure barrelling through the forest. It was colossal¡ª bigger than any creature he had ever seen before. By comparison, it was at least several times as large as that of a normal carriage, and ten times the length. It resembled a commoner¡¯s house on legs. Most importantly¡­the creature¡¯s booming steps were approaching closer and closer. So close in fact, that he could make out the numerous arrows all over its body, and worse still, the gruesome, cruel sight of arrows in its eyes. Vendus felt whatever was inside his stomach start to rise into his throat. It was only now did he discern that the boar¡¯s cries and squeals weren¡¯t of aggression, but of torment, and agony. Chapter 15: Revelry Chapter 15: Revelry Vendus quickly swerved his head away and back behind the tree. A dozen thoughts shot through his mind as the black lion cub tremblingly snuggled to his side. The first and foremost thought he had was if whether or not the tree they were hiding behind could withstand the barreling impact of a colossal sized boar. Another thought passed by, questioning if he should grab the lion cub and run further away from the path of the boar¡¯s mad dash. Fast things usually did not turn well, and with the colossal boar blinded in both eyes, maybe they could position themselves safer, and further away from the beast¡¯s path. The last thoughts he had however, struck at the crux of the situation, ¡®What or who did that to such a beast?¡¯ ¡®No¡­who is doing that to such a creature right now?¡¯ Vendus decided to stay still, afraid of the answer to that question. He hugged the trembling, black-furred lion cub close, thinking to himself the cruel way of how multiple arrows were struck into the beast''s eyes. As the heavy booming of the boar¡¯s steps started to become infrequent, but no less approaching close, Vendus celebrated how his decision in that moment turned out to be correct. Finally, a thunderous dull boom shook the forest, as its colossal body finally fell just ten meters away from the tree Vendus and the cub hid behind. Vendus held his breath, and started to consciously lower and erase his presence¡­ ¡­Though, quickly he realized something. Instead of the essence of trying not to be found, he put his focus towards the essence of simply being not-worth-noticing. The lion cub glanced upwards at Vendus. Even though the creature could feel the touch of his clothes and skin, it felt as if his perception of Vendus was dispersing. In his place, the space he occupied started to feel like air, the air that was present at all times, and yet, easily forgotten and overlooked. With the mythical blood flowing in its veins, the lion cub somehow resonated with Vendus¡¯s wondrous state, and the pair¡¯s presence became muffled and muted. To any ordinary person, out of sight meant out of mind, but they were trying to hide not from the average individual, but whatever terrifying and cruel existence put those arrows in the boar¡¯s eyes. Other than logical reasoning, the extreme fear they both felt was powerfully instinctual. Moreso the case for the lion cub, who mysteriously sensed the danger minutes before it actually arrived. As the two kept quiet, fearful of that existence, that same person approached. As acute as both their senses were, they were unable to hear his expertly silent steps. Standing on top of the colossal boar¡¯s dead body, was a tall man with medium-length black hair. Eerily and unsettlingly, his eyes stared unblinkingly forward. Levian was scrutinizing the gargantuan tree trunk, noticing how such a specimen had actually grown near the borders, instead of its actual home which lay deeper in the outskirts. Usually his regards for such things stopped there, but he found himself still looking at the gargantuan tree. Moments passed by, and Levian¡¯s presence near the borders seemed to create an eerie silence over the forest that was never more terrifying. For the pair behind the tree, each passing moment struck waves of fear into their hearts. They could muffle and mute their presence, but they could not hide their fear. And as their fears rose growing into tall black tides or dark dread towers, Levian¡¯s desire to investigate behind the tree rose along with it¡­ He took a step forward¡­when suddenly, that feeling altogether disappeared. The former ranger frowned, feeling as if he had just woken up from a daze. Nonetheless¡­he continued in what he was going to do. Overconfidence played a great part in his neglect, believing that if there was truly something or someone behind the tree, his keen senses and intuition as a former ranger, would have noticed. ¡®Could it be an aftereffect of the heart-eating ritual?¡¯ If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°The mana within my node is unstable, and¡­tainted, in a way I don¡¯t understand.¡¯ ¡®Could it lead to odd mental effects and moments of absence?¡¯ ¡®Dangerous. Especially if I lost myself during a hunt.¡¯ As Levian was thinking of ways to resolve his irregularities¡­ Behind the tree, Vendus was staring in amazement at his lion cub friend. The black-furred cub had stopped trembling, and instead, his eyes were vaguely glowing in an ethereal, dream-like shade of blue. Emanating from him, Vendus felt invisible rippling currents soothing his heart and mind. In the face of that gentle but powerful calm, any and all fear dispersed without a trace. Furthermore¡­mysteriously, the blood within Vendus reacted, expanding and growing hotter under the phenomena which came from the black-furred lion cub. From out of nowhere, ideas and most importantly comprehensions, were then bestowed to him. Like unraveling a gift, he sounded out in his mind, ¡®Lion¡¯s heart? Lionheart?¡¯ Clang! Before he could ponder upon the words deeper, the sound of iron striking stone echoed through the surrounding forest. What followed next was a constant jagged screech, both sharp and dull in a way that similarly grated one¡¯s ears. Vendus almost wanted to peek his head out from the tree to look at what was happening, but although he lost his fear he didn¡¯t lose his cautiousness. Caressing the lion cub¡¯s adorable head, he patiently waited for the predicament to pass. Not thirty-seconds later however, a shattering explosion resounded. To Vendus it was similar to the shattering of a mirror, but not quite. Fragments of metal shot past the gargantuan tree, and similarly across random haphazard directions in the surrounding area. A few of them, even embedded in the trees near Vendus. ¡®What was that?¡¯ Vendus thought to himself, before he heard a voice exclaim. ¡°Tch. Another one.¡± Levian pulled out another dagger from his left arm strap. Skillfully it danced on his hand and between his fingers, before switching to a reverse grip where his thumb pressed on the dagger¡¯s pommel. Resourcefully, Vendus looked towards one of the dagger fragments across him, observing the scene through its small blurry reflection. In the next moment, the man¡¯s hand holding the dagger started to glow faintly with a blue mist. It was an outward, visual phenomena of mana, and mana that was dense enough to be seen by Vendus, who had no superhuman sight nor abilities in particular. The blue mist gushed down from his hand and into the dagger, infusing and imbuing it with properties in a way that Vendus could only guess. To Levian, what he was doing was one of the most crude forms of mana injection¡ª increasing the durability of an item. There were a thousand more ways mana could be used, for example, increasing the metal¡¯s sharpness or piercing effect, but Levian himself needed the assistance of a mana node to do such things. Raising the dagger above his head, his arm swung, turning into a blur, before the same sound of iron striking stone resounded through the forest. It was only now that Vendus realized that the boar¡¯s skin must have been especially tough. If the reflection in the dagger wasn¡¯t so blurry, he¡¯d notice too that none of the many arrows attached to the boar had actually pierced through its hide. What truly ended its life, was the multiple arrows pushed further and further into its brain through its eye sockets. As Levian skinned the creature, sparks flew out constantly, and a screeching sound wailed from the intense friction between enhanced dagger and mythical skin. Soon another shattering explosion was heard, followed by a cluster of flying metal pieces. A few more lodged into the trees near Vendus, and he could only pray that Levian¡¯s eyes didn''t wander over to their tiny but gleaming reflections. Luckily he was too focused, and perhaps eager for something. Apart from that, Vendus made a guess for why the daggers exploded in the first place, ¡®Normal metals aren''t able to handle the infusion of mana?¡¯ ¡®Or maybe¡­it''s more like they can only handle so much.¡¯ ¡®Adamantine, mythril, orichalcum¡ª is that why knight¡¯s armors and swords are made out of them?¡¯ As Vendus and the black lion cub waited patiently, an odd cycle of explosions, grating screeching, and angry curses repeated. In the middle of Levian pulling out his seventeenth dagger however, he suddenly stopped. The silence made Vendus more uncomfortable than he already was, as he attentively watched the scene reflected in the dagger¡¯s gleam. The tall man with medium length hair bent down, before pressing his ear against the massive beast¡¯s corpse. Vendus was not quite sure what he was doing, and it was hard to see the man¡¯s expression within the tiny and blurry image, yet it felt no less unsettling. In the next moment, a banshee¡¯s scream erupted from the man, filling the forest with nothing but its cutting shriek. Vendus covered his ears from that piercing noise, yet his hands still felt red liquid pouring out from those orifices. In that short burst of a moment, his ears were wounded to the point they bled. Boom! Boom! Boom! Though he was in pain, Vendus still focused on the scene playing out in the dagger fragments. Levian had started to kick the boar¡¯s dead corpse. Over and over its massive body shook, returned to stillness, then shook again. Together with the mutilation of the boar¡¯s eyes, the callousness and cruel harshness of this encounter made Vendus start to feel more and more disgusted, and terrified. After a few minutes of abusing the corpse, Levian once again pulled out a dagger, and started to carve it up with the help of his mana. The cycle of shattering explosion and grating repeated, this time without the tall man¡¯s angry curses. Somehow, that made hearing the sounds even worse. Then¡­silence reigned again, and just as when Vendus and the lion cub thought it was all over, they next heard wet, messy, and sloshy chomping. Levian had bent down on his knees. After penetrating and cutting a fair amount of the boar¡¯s skin, he started to gorge himself on its raw flesh gratifyingly. In the dagger fragment¡¯s reflection, his hands up to the forearm were bathed in red, and so was his mouth, and a good part of his chest. Riiip! The tearing of fabric could be heard from behind the gargantuan tree, as the fiend had ripped his tunic. For him, it provided release and increased sensitivity to the sensations he wanted to lose himself in. Vendus turned away from the hellish and profane sight, and tried his best to ignore the sounds that followed. Hands clasped tightly in prayer, he prayed to the gods he knew, and called out to those he didn¡¯t but were willing to listen, ¡®Please, help us.¡¯ Moments passed but timely enough, a subtle ¡®ssssss¡¯ sound started to echo throughout the forest. Immediately, Levian pulled himself out of his perverted blood revelry, and his eyes went completely wide in full alert. Vendus was unaware to Levian''s exact changes, but he knew that the fiend had stopped according to the disappearance of the gorging sounds. Instead of them, a soft, continuous whisper seemed to approach from the direction of further south. It was only when those whispers turned into the rustlings of hundreds of thousands of fallen leaves, did all three entities within the area, discern that it was the slithering sound of something immense. The lion cub started to tremble again, and this time so did Vendus. Levian, without even thinking, dropped everything he had and started to flee. Chapter 16: Proceedings Chapter 16: Proceedings The ¡®ssssss¡¯ sound was now deafening, perhaps louder than thunder at the moment. Yet, as the moments passed it started to soften within Vendus¡¯s and the lion cub¡¯s ears. Looking at the reflections within the dagger fragments, the tall man with medium-length black hair had disappeared. It was unknown whether the entity that made those slithering sounds had lurked back deeper into the forest, or was now currently pursuing him. Whichever the case, Vendus deflated like a pierced balloon. The turbulent ride the previous encounter had taken him on, had all but depleted him mentally, and emotionally. Funny enough the lion cub next to him had recovered its facilities faster, and started to affectionately lick the boy¡¯s face. Listlessly, Vendus turned his head to the creature, ¡®...For better or worse, I guess we might as well stick together for a bit.¡¯ ¡®If its pride comes¡­will it protect me and urge them to let me go?¡¯ Perhaps because Vendus was so out of it, he thought, ¡®Maybe they¡¯ll adopt me¡­¡¯ ¡®The boy raised by lions.¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s like those novel stories in Raina¡¯s study, where the hero was raised by wolves¡­¡¯ Vendus stopped putting a distance between himself and the creature, and finally acted on his repressed desires. The lion cub was caught unawares, when suddenly two arms snuggled its chubby frame into a coddling hug. ¡®Soft! So soft!¡¯ Vendus thought, as the cub started to struggle out from being smothered. Finding the strength to stand after an early version of puppy-therapy, he then continued to ponder on his next plan of action. ¡­Witnessing whatever immense thing had slithered out from deeper inside the forest, made Vendus want to reassess his plans of immediately intruding the place. At the very least, he thought that maybe he should wait a while for the unknown, serpentine thing to leave¡­or, even make his way around it by traversing a few miles east or west. While pondering, the lion cub walked up and stood by his side. To Vendus, it almost felt as if the creature was posturing that it would come with him no matter what decision he chose. The young boy scratched the ears behind the back of its head, and tentatively walked away opposite of where the slithering sounds had originated from. This time the lion cub didn¡¯t stay rooted to where he was, but walked side-by-side with his new family member. Although, the young lion cub did take a few glances backwards¡­thinking to himself that he and Vendus were abandoning a free meal. Beneath the afternoon sun, in between the borders where the forest started to become more fantastical, a boy and a lion cub disappeared together in the dense greenery. ¡­ With a bored and uninterested look, Ruby rummaged through another inconspicuous bush. ¡®This is like¡ª the thousandth bush I¡¯ve looked at today.¡¯ Not that she was counting. ¡®...Or is this the same bush I searched through four hours ago?¡¯ Ruby sighed, ¡®Can¡¯t believe I¡¯m wasting my talents away here.¡¯ ¡®Maybe I really should have ran away to another country too.¡¯ ¡®Get a new identity. Abandon the old, live a new life!¡¯ The young lady fantasized. Although her hands and eyes lazily moved through the bush, her mind was elsewhere. That was, until a particular part of the bush shook. This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. Instantly her focus returned from out of her daydreams, and into her body. Boldly yet on alert, her hands lunged into some dense foliage, and parted them. What revealed themselves to her turned out to be two creatures: A rabbit, and a red-furred hare. Obviously startled, they frantically scurried away, and Ruby¡¯s expression returned to the same bored and uninterested look. ¡®Couldn¡¯t it at least have been a snake? That way it would have been more interesting.¡¯ ¡®If I don¡¯t slice it in half, maybe its venom will relieve me of my boredom!¡¯ ¡°Ugh!¡± She groaned. Ruby left her area of search, then walked off to another area. ¡°Hey, so did you guys find anything¡­¡± Ruby¡¯s words trailed off, getting softer and softer, before disappearing into silence in the wind. As soon as she approached and spoke to the other soldiers in her company, everyone else dispersed and started to walk off. She was somewhat surprised, but not bothered. So unbothered in fact, that she decided to ask another group of people just a few meters away. ¡°Hey¡­¡± Again, they pretended as they didn¡¯t hear her and scattered away. One of the soldiers with a more gentle and compassionate demeanor glanced backwards as she left. Laelin, was one of the few individuals to give the noble lady at least a perfunctory response whenever Ruby asked. Not everyone¡¯s relationship with the noble lady was hostile or tense. There were some able to exchange words with her, although they couldn¡¯t quite be called friends or acquaintances. Maybe only Sera had that privilege. This time around however, the rumors about her Ladyship had reached those people too. In addition, the groups and people all around them, were calling everyone else to ignore, shun, and oust the noble lady from their circles. Maybe a single soldier couldn¡¯t denounce her, but if thousands of them were to express their discontent, or even outrage, then maybe they¡¯d be able to drive her out. If not from the military, then to at least another battalion, or even transfer her to another division. Still though¡­Laelin couldn¡¯t help but feel bad for it. Entire groups of ten to twenty people dispersed whenever she came close, and all that was left, was Ruby¡¯s lone figure amongst an empty clearing. Having gone through a similar experience, Laelin clumsily spied on her from a distance, when suddenly she felt someone tap on her shoulder. She jolted, almost losing her balance, before turning her head. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Asked another soldier. But before Laelin could respond, Eve looked in the direction of her gaze. Although vaguely obscured by the many trees and greenery, she caught sight of a distant figure. Hair blowing in the wind, her back stood straight despite the cold treatment she was being given by everyone else around her. From their particular angle, it was hard to see the expression on the noble young woman¡¯s face, but as a popular topic of conversation, people liked to imagine. Laelin imagined a face full of sorrow behind a strong exterior, while Eve imagined someone desperately trying not to throw a tantrum, from how she was being treated by her ¡°lessers.¡± ¡°Hmph. Don¡¯t bother.¡± She said. ¡°Wh¨C What?¡± Laelin replied softly. Her voice was delicate and subdued, it was as if a gentle breeze could scatter it into nothingness. ¡°I know you. You pity her, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°She¡¯s not worth that, trust me.¡± ¡°I remember when she first came here, and she sure hasn¡¯t changed. Missy¡¯s always had her head raised so high it was touching the clouds. No wonder she doesn¡¯t even see us as people.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°No ¡®buts,¡¯ we¡¯re going on ahead.¡± Eve kept on walking, but she couldn¡¯t help herself from glancing backwards, to see Laelin hesitating. The soft-spoken girl had taken a step towards her friend, but the next step was faltering between Eve and another different direction. Laelin clenched her fists, but the way it looked on her was more adorably pouty, than serious or severe. Looking at the helpless girl, Eve sighed, ¡°Come on, otherwise you might get lumped in with her. You wouldn¡¯t want that, would you?¡± ¡°Think about it.¡± Taken aback, Laelin¡¯s face contorted into an expression of guilt and sorrow, before hurrying her footsteps to follow after the group. Without glancing back, the last two soldiers left the area, leaving Ruby separated, and discarded from her battalion. Time passed as the blue skies turned orange and red. There were those who searched the area diligently, and those who simply went through the motions. Whether they exhausted themselves or breezed by though, the end result was the same. Finding nothing, again, they prepared themselves to head back to camp to switch out shifts. ¡°Head check!¡± Battalion leader Gareth, shouted. A series of identification numbers and names were shouted out in an ordered sequence. The particular battalion was composed of five-hundred members, split into ten platoons of fifty each. As the attendance came to a close, they counted everyone but one missing member. Jeers, scorn, and insults were easily thrown around in her name, ¡°She disappears while we do all the work, and then she calls us useless, huh?¡± ¡°Typical. I heard the House she was born into was one that recently bought their nobility.¡± ¡°All money and no actual class? Ptui! High-bred but still just a bitch.¡± And those who didn¡¯t have an opinion, or were even sympathetic towards Ruby, stayed silent. No one wanted to disturb or go against the trend, and for good reason. As they left without even trying to find her, Eve started to laugh at their lame jokes, before glancing behind her at her downcast friend. Or who should have been behind her. ¡®Shit. Where the hell is she?¡¯ ¡®She was here just a second ago¡ª Even if she can¡¯t shout, I remember her voice being audible enough for us to hear.¡¯ ¡®Don¡¯t tell me she went to go and find her Ladyship¡­¡¯ Eve quickly alerted the battalion, yet, out of the ten platoons, only her own decided to stay and look, and that number went down as more than half desired to go back to camp. ¡°She¡¯s probably just a little lost isn¡¯t she?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal, Eve, how far could she be from us?¡± ¡°It¡¯s such a hassle. We¡¯ve been looking for some kid the whole week, now that shy girl is lost?¡± Faced with their excuses and complaints, Eve decided to swallow her furiousness, and put that energy into finding the soft-spoken girl. As she saw the battalion walk away with many of the members of her platoon coming with them, she couldn¡¯t help but think, ¡®So much for community and fellowship¡­¡¯ ¡®...But I guess¡­¡¯ Eve shot a glance at the few companions who decided to stay and look for Laelin. They numbered less than ten, but had already spread out in different directions to look for the gentle girl. ¡®These guys¡­are maybe people I can depend on.¡¯ Chapter 17: Softness Chapter 17: Softness A gentle girl stood behind a young lady, who was sitting down while looking at a flowing stream. As the royal army was quite rich, each soldier was eligible to be outfitted in iron or steel plate armor according to the dimensions of their body. Afterall, there was no one size fits all. Immutable metal had to fit closely to the wearer¡¯s body, while remaining comfortable enough not to decrease their mobility, but still offer maximum protection. Yet, both individuals on the scene did not fit the look of the standard issue. Laelin¡¯s armor was lighter, less bulky, and over her breastplate was a long tunic that held the symbol of a heart and a cross. While Ruby, was literally wearing armor made out of a higher, and visibly more exquisite metal. The young lady sat with her legs extended and her back leaned, she was as relaxed as if enjoying a picnic out in the forest. While behind her, Laelin stood timidly and nervously. As she wasn¡¯t as silent as Vendus, Ruby had long noticed her, but hadn¡¯t turned her head as if it wasn¡¯t worth the effort. ¡°He¨C Hello¡­¡± Laelin spoke softly. ¡°Yeah?¡± Ruby finally turned her head ever so slightly, giving her minor acknowledgement. ¡°Oh, umm¡­¡± ¡°We noticed you were missing, so we came to come and find you¡­¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Surprised, Ruby replied, not at all hiding the doubt in her tone. ¡®Didn¡¯t think they¡¯d care. Is she lying to me?¡¯ ¡®Why would she do that though?¡¯ Realizing that she herself didn¡¯t actually care all too much, Ruby replied flatly, ¡°Well, thanks.¡± ¡°But I can find my own way back. You can go.¡± ¡°O¨C Oh¡­¡± Laelin stood in place, opening and closing her mouth repeatedly as if she had something else she wanted to say. ¡°You¡¯re still here?¡± Ruby asked. The way she said it was neutral, and nonchalant, but Laelin interpreted it differently. She heard, ¡°Why¡¯re you still here?¡± ¡°I¡ª I wanted to ask where your platoon was!¡± She exclaimed. With that question, she felt a heaviness lift from her chest, only to come back as she awaited a hopefully gentle answer. Ruby scoffed, ¡®Is she demanding an answer for why I left?¡¯ ¡®Let¡¯s just give her a non-answer¡­¡¯ She replied in a snarky tone, ¡°Oh, them?¡± ¡°Honestly, I hadn¡¯t even noticed they were gone after searching for four hours. Not that they were of much help anyway.¡± ¡°O¨C Oh¡­¡± ¡°That must really suck, you were searching diligently while they went off without you¡­¡± Ruby was taken aback, ¡°Uh¡­what?¡± ¡®Is this sarcasm?¡¯ Ruby grew confused at Laelin¡¯s compassionate answer. ¡°I¡ª I know what it''s like to be treated that way so¡­¡± ¡®Does she think I¡¯m getting bullied?¡¯ ¡®I guess I am getting singled out, but¡ª¡¯ ¡°Uhh¡ª N¨C No I really don¡¯t care¡­¡± These were Ruby¡¯s true feelings. In fact, she didn¡¯t depart from the group to brood, or ruminate, but because the young lady urgently needed to take a tinkle! How could a noble lady say these things outright! ¡°It must be really hard for you¡­¡± ¡°It''s fine dearie, you don¡¯t need to be strong all the time.¡± ¡®Dearie!?¡¯ Before Ruby could retort, two arms wrapped around her head from behind, and held it close into an embrace. ¡®What the fuck¡­¡¯ Leaning her head on Ruby¡¯s hair, a soft voice came from just above her, ¡°...You don¡¯t need to act like it doesn¡¯t hurt. It might not seem like it to you, but you are enough. You are loved. You won¡¯t ever be unworthy.¡± A silence enveloped the surrounding area, leaving only the sounds of water flowing down a calm stream. Oddly enough, Ruby let out a heavy sigh, closing her eyes for a few moments, before quickly opening them up again. Lightly tapping the two arms with her hand, Ruby spoke awkwardly, ¡°That¡¯s good¡­you can let go now.¡± ¡°Are you okay now?¡± Laelin¡¯s soft and gentle voice filled the area. Ruby held back her tongue, and instead replied with, ¡°Ye¨C Yeah¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you go randomly hugging people by the way!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± Laelin¡¯s face twisted into an authentic expression of guilt and sorry. Faced with such genuine softness, Ruby didn¡¯t quite know how to react. Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. ¡°A¨C Anyway¡­what¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Laelin.¡± ¡°Do you know my name?¡± ¡°Of course! Everyone knows your name!¡± She said brightly and honestly. ¡®Is that a good thing or a bad thing¡­¡¯ ¡°So, Laelin¡­¡± Ruby quickly connected the dots. ¡°You lied. It¡¯s not that the battalion came to look for me, but you did, maybe even by yourself.¡± ¡°I¡ª I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± The girl clasped at her hands, and Ruby could see them almost trembling. ¡°Wa¡ª Wait! My bad! I¡¯m just saying you don¡¯t have to skirt around the truth.¡± ¡®This is more exhausting than swinging my sword!¡¯ ¡°Oh¡­o¨C okay! I didn¡¯t want you to feel bad by remembering the bullying¡­¡± ¡®She thought I went off on my own because I felt bad about being ostracized?¡¯ ¡®You¡¯re misunderstanding things, I just needed to take a leak!¡¯ Having long decided it was best to just go with it, she said, ¡°It¡¯s alright¡ª Thanks, actually.¡± ¡°It¡ª It was a good hug! Th¨C Thank you.¡± Ruby replied awkwardly. Laelin smiled warmly and wholesomely, ¡°I¡¯m glad it helped.¡± Ruby was thinking to herself, ¡®Gods. In a way she¡¯s like Sera.¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s almost impossible to stop the energy coming out of her, except instead of sunshine, it''s like soft clouds and stuffed animals are flying at me.¡¯ Grasping what kind of character Laelin was, curiosity and confusion colored her next, and Ruby couldn¡¯t help but ask the gentle girl directly, ¡°So why is someone like you in the military?¡± ¡®Someone like me?¡¯ ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re actually really good with a sword?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t be honor and glory¡­¡± Ruby placed a hand near her chin, thinking honestly. ¡°Ah¡ª A girl like you¡­Devotion and honest service to the Kingdom?¡± In the midst of her assumptions, Ruby had actually let down her guard, while excitedly shooting out more guesses. ¡°Hmm wait. Your attire¡ª you¡¯re a field medic, right?¡± ¡°So¡­you must have a natural inclination to help people! Tending to people¡¯s wounds and nursing them gives you joy.¡± ¡°O¨C Oh no¡­¡± Laelin replied shakily. ¡°I just needed money¡­¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Hahaha!¡± ¡°Can¡¯t argue with that.¡± Noticing the positive change in atmosphere, Laelin pushed herself to support the conversation, ¡°Ho¨C How about you? Why did you join the military?¡± ¡°Ah.¡± ¡°I¡ª I just wanted to spread my wings is all!¡± ¡°I was tired of living back home so I¡­de¡ª departed from my family to blaze my own path.¡± Ruby spoke oddly quicker and less composed than usual. Thinking deeply, Laelin¡¯s soft voice sounded like blown wind chimes, ¡°Oh, I get it.¡± As she was not of noble blood, nor keenly observant, whatever details were in between Ruby¡¯s replies went over her head. ¡°Ugh, anyway, due to some reasons that jerk sent me here to the commone¡ª¡± ¡°Uhh, that jerk sent me here to the soldier divisions for a little while.¡± Ruby corrected herself. ¡°That j¨C j¨C jerk?¡± Laelin struggled to say the last word. ¡°What was the title? Count Marshal¡­¡± ¡°Ma¡ª Marshal?¡± ¡°Count Marshal Alastair Barett.¡± Ruby said after finally remembering his name. Even Laelin, who was not very interested in military figures, had heard of the eleven marshalls. ¡°I was supposed to be one of the three apprentice-knights under him, but he sent me here despite me obviously outclassing the other two!¡± Laelin grew speechless only barely being able to nod her head. ¡°G¨C Gotcha¡­¡± ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Ruby¡¯s voice trailed off. Ruby cleared her throat before asking, ¡°So what¡¯re you gonna do with that money after serving?¡± ¡°Buy some land? A manor in the woods? Invest in businesses so that you¡¯d never have to work again?¡± ¡°No umm¡­¡± ¡®They don¡¯t pay me that much¡­¡¯ ¡°I¡ª I come from a relatively poor family.¡± Laelin spat out like an embarrassing confession to the noble lady, hoping not to get ridiculed. The rumors surrounding her after all, made that chance highly likely¡­and yet she still took a leap. ¡°I have three siblings much younger than me, and¡­I wanted to be able to send them to school.¡± ¡°School?¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± ¡®Are they not free? ¡°O¡ª Oh¡­Evelyn said the same thing you did, but the free schools are only held in the prominent cities¡­¡± ¡°As for me¡­¡± Laelin smiled bittersweetly, ¡°I was lucky enough to hand a lost wallet back to a passing noble carriage going by my village, and the promissory note he wrote in reward to me, was more than what both my parents had ever made in their whole lives.¡± The soft spoken girl chuckled softly, ¡°Back then I was only six, and got spankings because I thought it was an odd toy of some kind.¡± ¡°M¡ª My parents couldn¡¯t read it either, but they had an idea of what it was.¡± ¡°We almost got kicked out of the building for suspected theft though¡­¡± Ruby was speechless. Worst of all, Laelin was so earnestly and fondly recounting her life story. ¡°We¡ª We eventually got it cleared up! Or I wouldn¡¯t be standing here in front of you¡­¡± ¡®Ah. That is true.¡¯ ¡°With that money, my parents sent me to a military boarding school, hoping the skills I¡¯d get would help us more than just spending it quickly.¡± ¡°But¡ª I know my siblings probably won¡¯t get the same opportunity I got.¡± ¡°I¡ª I want to support them, and hope to give them the opportunities I was given, and more if I can!¡± Ruby silently nodded her head. Through all of her short months in the military, she never actually heard the backstories that others had. Of course, meeting someone with such a story as Laelin¡¯s was incredibly rare. Thinking about it, she had never asked her only friend Sera, about why she was in the military either. The chappy courier seemed to be born for the job, fitting in so well like laces were to boots. It¡¯d be weird if she wasn¡¯t exactly where she was. Ruby thought for a few moments, before filling the silence. She said genuinely, ¡°Thank you for telling me. It must have been hard.¡± ¡°O¡ª Oh! Of course!¡± ¡°You seemed willing to listen.¡± ¡°It kind of just felt right!¡± ¡°So my three siblings are¡­¡± Laelin¡¯s soft voice spoke excitedly. ¡®I didn¡¯t ask¡­¡¯ Ruby continued with an awkward smile. ¡°And Sophia! She¡¯s the youngest at seven years.¡± ¡°Seven?¡± ¡°Mmhmm. She¡¯s the most adorable, but also the most mischievous.¡± Ruby¡¯s face instantly softened, and oddly the surroundings transformed to match it. The golden setting sun seemed to shine brighter, yet landed softer with a gentle power. The young lady smiled genuinely this time, wholly and warmly, and having never shown anyone but Sera, Laelin¡¯s mouth dropped to an ¡®O¡¯. Speaking softly and gently, she said, ¡°I see.¡± ¡°Mine too¡­¡± The horizon that depicted sunset, had slowly sunk to make way for serene nightfall. ¡®Gods, where is that girl?¡¯ ¡®How far could she have gone? How haven¡¯t we found her?¡¯ While scouring through the forest, and valiantly slaying the surrounding vegetation, suddenly Evelyn heard the laughter shared between two girls. Briskly, she forced her way through the bushes, the vines, and all else to reach the source of those voices. Once she laid eyes on an unharmed Laelin, she shouted, directly interrupting their exchange. ¡°Do you know how long I''ve looked for you!?¡± Laelin visibly jumped back. Being someone of profoundly sensitive temperament, she even got a little misty-eyed. ¡°Are you okay? Didn''t trip on something and fall on your face?¡± Evelyn asked earnestly, in a genuinely concerned tone despite her words. ¡°O¡ª Of course not!¡± ¡°As you can clearly see, I¡¯m all alright.¡± Laelin said matter-of-factly. After briefly scanning her friend again for any injuries, her gaze then landed on Ruby. ¡°As for you!¡± Instantly, Ruby¡¯s expression contorted from warm to icy. ¡°What?¡± She answered curtly. For some reason Evelyn instinctively flinched back, before erupting with outrage. ¡°If you hadn¡¯t gone missing, she wouldn¡¯t have had to come and get you!¡± ¡°Do you know what kind of trouble you¡¯ve caused all of us!?¡± ¡°Of course someone like you wouldn¡¯t even care!¡± Laelin stood between them, trying, and failing to get the two to hear her pleas. ¡°What business is any of that yours? Who even are you?¡± ¡°Do you think you¡¯re some protective figure?¡± ¡°You¡¯re probably the type to get all up into people¡¯s business, and then get mopey when they dump you like some loser.¡± Perhaps that line hit a little too close to home, for Evelyn started to frantically loose her right gauntlet from her hand. Ruby stood up and stared at her in contempt. If eyes could talk, her¡¯s would say, ¡°I dare you to throw that glove¡ª just see what happens.¡± Seeing things escalate out of control, the gentle girl in between them started to tear up. Laelin was enough to keep one of them placated, but not both of the two walking-volcanoes, and especially not when they were colliding against one another. She watched as the straps and buckles that held Evelyn¡¯s gauntlet in place were finally removed. Before she could throw it down in a formal challenge however, a barely audible voice shouted from the distance, ¡°Help! Help me!¡± Ruby¡¯s ears flinched, but the other two hadn¡¯t noticed the voice. The young lady¡¯s hands balled up into fists, and suddenly the piles of leaves within a three meter radius flew up into miniature tornados. The mana inside her body was boiling and roiling, and finally having a chance to be released, it started to swirl into impending storms. The young woman took a long furious look at her supposed challenger, before explosively disappearing from her spot. In Evelyn and Laelin¡¯s eyes an indistinct and blurry figure shot out like a cannonball, before disappearing somewhere into the forest. Dirt, and stone flew in all different directions, before leaves started to gently fall over the area like confetti. The mood however was not pleasant or celebratory, but downcast. Behind her back, Evelyn was trying to stop the trembling in her hands. She was livid, outraged, and afraid. Chapter 18: Adelaide Chapter 18: Adelaide Under the moon, a man in steel-plate armor was desperately sprinting through the forest. Behind him, was a shadowed outline that could vaguely be determined as serpentine. Adelaide had always boasted a huge snake, both to the ladies, and the men. So much so perhaps, that the gods thought it fitting for him to be bestowed with one¡ª quite literally speaking. Pursuing him was a serpentine entity that was abnormally long and thick. From head to tail it was approximately forty feet or twelve meters, and regarding thickness, it was around three boars dense. Above all however, its most discerning feature had to be its twin heads. Now this, was something Adelaide could never rival. At the top of his lungs, he shouted over and over, ¡°Help! HEEELP!¡± Then in the distance in front of him, a man and a woman quickly burst out of the forest. Correspondingly, they yelled, ¡°We¡¯re here!¡± and ¡°What¡¯s the emergency!?¡± Upon seeing two familiar members of his platoon however, he didn¡¯t rejoice but quietly cursed his luck. ¡®Fuck!¡¯ ¡°Run! Get out of here!¡± Evidently, the people in front of him weren''t who he was looking for. Seeing the immense, forest-ravaging silhouette behind Adelaide, extreme fear caused the man to flee, and the woman to be struck frozen. ¡°Godsdamn!¡± ¡®Why did it have to be the woman that froze!?¡¯ The colossal serpent slowed its slither whilst turning one, then two heads to the direction of the female soldier. In response, Adelaide, slowed his sprint, before in an act of suicidal heroism, lunged at the creature with his rapier. At that moment, his focus concentrated into a single totality point. All the thoughts of chasing skirts, and who he would add to his list of fair maidens deflowered, had disappeared. In concert, muscles and tendons twisted, the mana in his body briefly gained a higher level of precision and streaming flow¡ª all to allow for an attack much beyond his level. He and his rapier flew, not like a fired arrow but an instantaneous bullet. Still, the colossal serpent was by no means ordinary, and had rightly so gained the classification of [Mythical]. It had definitely underestimated Adelaide¡ª never expecting a prey that had fled on sight, bolting away without any resistance whatsoever, to suddenly attack with an extraordinary pierce¡­yet the danger had long been sensed, by both serpent heads, as soon as Adelaide had formed the intent to harm. Before he shot out like a bullet, one of the serpent heads moved preemptively. It was a highly refined sixth sense. Adelaide¡¯s piercing strike just barely missed going through one of the snake¡¯s four eyes, and instead struck the scales just next to it. This piercing strike was able to puncture through iron, and even the steel-plate that the other soldiers wore, but upon contact with the serpent¡¯s scales, his rapier shattered, while the serpent¡¯s scales was left with numerous cracks but no breach. However, the two serpent heads hissed in terrible pain, which was exactly what Adelaide had hoped for. Their hisses were extremely loud due to their size, and finally the frozen woman snapped out of her daze and fled, all while holding her ears. The twin-headed serpent didn¡¯t give her another glance, and instead pounced on Adelaide¡¯s figure. Luckily, he still had enough stamina, mana, and mental endurance to single-point concentrate, and once again shot out like a bullet out of the twin heads¡¯s path. A thunderous crash resounded as small trees and large bushes flew from the subsequent impact. Reappearing just ten meters away, the blasting wind swept Adelaide''s hair to the side, revealing his handsome face. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. ¡­For a moment, he couldn¡¯t help but think how cool he was; how his charming and elegant face under the dim moonlight, could be captured in a painting and sell as a masterpiece. That was, before he broke out into a panicked run. His figure sprinted away so desperately that he almost stumbled and face planted. ¡°Help! Help! HEEELP!¡± Adelaide continued to scream without any sense of that previous grace. Behind him, the twin-headed serpent hissed angrily, before once again slithering forward to pursue. Although Adelaide had created a sizable distance from the serpent because of his shenanigans, that gap was slowly but surely lessening. Frequently when the creature reached a certain distance, it would lunge at Adelaide, forcing him to use his extraordinary ability of concentration convergence. This situation occurred five more times. By the end of the fifth, his lungs were burning and so were his leg muscles, his mana circuits were so depleted it felt as if they were withering, and a mind splitting headache was blurrying his vision. The twin heads of the serpent looked at its prey with obvious disdain, and voracious anticipation. In its enhanced vision, the serpent saw that Adelaide didn¡¯t have enough mana to sustain another dash. ¡°Help! HEEEELP ME!¡± He cried out weakly one more time, before finally tripping on a tree root, and tumbling harshly onto the forest floor. His surroundings rotated dizzily, going from ground to sky then ground again. The cries of its prey along with its pathetic fall only made the serpent more eager¡ª a sense of ridicule mixed with bloodlust filled the surroundings. As it readied one of its heads to pounce though, it suddenly stopped. Something shot forward from the corner of its eyes, arriving explosively between Adelaide, and its two giant heads. BOOM! If the twin-headed serpent had lunged after its prey at that moment, it would have suffered the same blow that the earth did. As the debris cleared, the outline of a woman in her signature exquisite armor appeared. Just as she had departed, so too did she arrive just as dramatically, with chunks of dirt and debris flying into the air. To be honest, it was mostly because she didn¡¯t have the masterful control to do things quietly, but on the other hand, she thought it suited her style. Adelaide breathed a heavy sigh of relief. At this moment, he was thanking his lucky stars he was able to attract her attention, although, he had not escaped his predicament just yet. The noble young lady came from a station much higher up, but the details weren¡¯t ultimately clear. Unless they bought their position with money and connections, those from higher stations most of the time had the corresponding strength, but both Ruby¡¯s station and her strength were unknown. Additionally, there was simply nothing in the short few months of her service, to test the true limits of her might. While fleeing from death though, Adelaide could only gamble that she would be up to par. If her Ladyship was at least on their company commander¡¯s level though, it was enough to hold the creature off while he gathered more allies. The twin-headed serpent shifted and slithered. Gathering itself, it coiled its body upwards, and two vague heads stared down at Ruby from above. It couldn¡¯t stand on its tail, but it didn¡¯t need to do so to have the proper psychological effect. Its heads could directly touch the branches twenty feet above the two soldiers, and as they stalked and prowled, circling the two while reappearing and disappearing behind the shadows of thick trees, Adelaide¡¯s heart started to beat out of his chest. In contrast, Ruby stood steadfast and firm. Gripping her sword, the hilt was brought near her face, while the tip of the blade was constantly pointed at and following the serpent¡¯s twin heads. Whilst she stayed relatively still however, her surroundings had started to shift restlessly. Wind started to swirl and sweep her surroundings, although it was actually the force of her mana that was doing so. Adelaide had to first shake himself out of that predatory feeling of fear, and started to stand up. The situation he was going through offered a different and new sense of tension from his previous, but just the fact that the twin-headed serpent decided to observe and not straight-up attack, was a sign that the creature was wary of the woman in front of him. Using such an opportunity, he could use this time to go and invite help. Just as Adelaide stood up however, he fell back down. He stared incredulously at his legs, before a voice spoke from in front of him. It was authoritative yet calm, and not at all like how the young lady usually spoke, ¡°You¡¯re suffering from depletion. Don¡¯t stray too far from my back, but make some dista¡ª¡± Her words were cut off for in that moment the serpent struck! Ruby¡¯s eyes were always tracking the serpent, but nearing the border of the mystical lands, the twin heads of the serpent disappeared behind a massive tree, before miraculously splitting apart into two bodies, attacking from both her left and right flank. In an instant her greatsword shined with incandescent blue light, all her muscles tensed, ready to release an explosive force. If she could, she would aim to cleave both of their heads in one-go, if she couldn¡¯t, then just one was enough. In the micro-seconds of that life and death exchange¡­the two serpents, each twenty-feet long with heads as thick as a carriages, suddenly reversed their paths in a criss-cross manner, and directly fled. Under the sparsely moonlit forest, the two gigantic shadows combined into one, before completely disappearing from view. ¡­Adelaide was in a daze, still processing the events that happened. Ruby, was still in a sword stance, ready to receive their synchronized attack. The look on the young woman¡¯s face, directly contrasted with her imposing image. Her greatsword that was shining brighter than the moon, had started to dim into a faint glow, before finally fading away completely. Her body was hesitating between shooting forward to pursue, and just letting it be, but in the end, she slowly lowered her greatsword, before placing it behind her back. Moments passed by, when Adelaide couldn¡¯t help but blurt out, ¡°It¡­ran. It was actually afraid of you.¡± Ruby paused for a moment, thinking about it deeply, before replying, ¡°...Maybe. Maybe not.¡± She sighed out, releasing the accumulated tension from the encounter. ¡°Then why did it flee?¡± He countered. Ruby replied, ¡°...It probably just wanted an easier meal.¡± Adelaide paused, before understanding the gist of what she said. Why attempt to hunt a bear, when you could just go find a rabbit? There really wasn¡¯t a reason for the serpent to risk its life. Though, that also meant the young lady in front of him had that ability. Whilst he was thinking, he raised his head upwards to see the beautiful girl sizing him up. ¡°You must be pretty capable to hold your own.¡± ¡®A compliment?¡¯ ¡®Going around calling people useless¡ª this is a pretty good compliment coming from her!¡¯ ¡®Heh. Could it be¡­this pretty face of mine can even sway icy and proud women!?¡¯ Finally Adelaide replied, ¡°Capable? Just enough not to lose my life! Haha!¡± ¡®Ladies usually love the cocky type, but nobles like humility right? At least they pretend to.¡¯ ¡®This is my chance to establish a connection!¡¯ ¡®To add a noble lady to my list of bedded maidens!¡¯ Adelaide thought to himself daringly and presumptuously. To his disappointment however, Ruby hadn¡¯t replied, and had already turned her back on him. The young lady walked forwards, looking at the snake¡¯s trail of destruction from whence it attacked, to where it decided to flee. ¡®South¡­¡¯ ¡®That kid won¡¯t get eaten would he?¡¯ Chapter 19: Squad Chapter 19: Squad ¡®That kid won¡¯t get eaten would he?¡¯ Of all the thoughts she could have, Ruby had thought that one. As Adelaide tried and failed to stand up, a pair of footsteps started to get louder and louder, before two individuals popped out from out of the woods. ¡®Two more ladies, I¡¯ve got some luck!¡¯ ¡®A cute field medic, and, ugh, Evelyn?¡¯ Adelaide thought with distaste. A soft voice, like a gentle breeze striking wind chimes filled the air, ¡°What happened? Oh! Are you alright?¡± Seeing Adelaide, Evelyn said with a nasty expression, and obvious disdain, ¡°Tch. He¡¯s probably fine.¡± ¡°You haven¡¯t even checked my condition!¡± Was what Adelaide wanted to say. But instead he groaned in pain, ¡°I¡ª I can¡¯t feel my legs! You¡¯re a medic, right? Can you save me!?¡± ¡°Oh gods! Let me see!¡± ¡®Hehe¡­¡¯ ¡°He¡¯s acting! Look! He¡¯s fine!¡± Evelyn shouted. Laelin rushed forward, whilst Evelyn approached slowly, unwillingly, even. The gentle medic went down on one knee to check his legs, whilst Adelaide tried to make conversation. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°How long have you been a medic?¡± ¡°What? No way! Luther¡¯s my favorite boss too!¡± ¡°Do you like men with brown hair?¡± He said that last question in his mind however, judging that Laelin was more into the subtle type¡­ Arms crossed, Evelyn stood above the both of them with an unconcealed glare. Of course, that glare was only directed at one person, and it was mixed with both distaste and revulsion. ¡°For someone who can¡¯t feel his legs you¡¯re awfully chatty.¡± She said with disapproval. Adelaide didn¡¯t respond with words, but accidentally let slip a sleazy smile. He tried quickly to cover it up, but it was too late. Evelyn paused¡ª speechless¡ª before erupting, ¡°You bastard, I¡¯ll make sure you never walk again!¡± ¡°He¡ª Help! Medic!¡± ¡°Ev, stop!¡± ¡°I know six girls you¡¯ve made cry, and I personally know four of them!¡± ¡°Th¡ª That¡¯s not the full story!¡± Adelaide tried to defend his image. ¡°Calling you a two-timer would be an understatement! Maybe three or even four!¡± ¡°Those are rumors! Rumors and gossip!¡± ¡°You don¡¯t believe in rumors, right? Uhh¡­¡± Adelaide had already forgotten her name, and so did he forget the last three women he was with. ¡°Laelin?¡± He said in a casual tone as if he never forgot. Looking at her however, the two realized that the gentle girl had a solemn and saddened look on her face, causing them to tone down their squabbling. ¡°Lin? What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°You¡¯re¡­a mana user, right?¡± Laelin suddenly asked. ¡°Yes¡­why?¡± Evelyn had a surprised look on her face, never knowing the boy she had grown up with was hiding such a secret. ¡°I¡ª I haven¡¯t studied a lot about their effects, but I know a thing¡­or two¡­¡± She said with a downcast tone and obvious sorrow. ¡°It¡¯s¡ª it¡¯s¡­¡± She hesitated. The more she spoke, the more Laelin created a grave and foreboding atmosphere. Gone was the brightness in her voice, replaced with gloomy and dark clouds. Laelin said solemnly, ¡°You¡ª You really¡­might¡­not be able to walk again¡­¡± Both Adelaide and Evelyn reacted with extreme shock. Even Ruby glanced behind her, not expecting such a severe diagnosis. Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. ¡®Was his condition so serious?¡¯ Adelaide almost collapsed, just barely supporting himself with two shaky hands, ¡®I won¡¯t be able to walk again?¡¯ ¡®I know the words I said, but I¡ª I didn¡¯t really mean it.¡¯ Evelyn thought to herself. Suddenly however, ¡°...Just kidding!¡± A bright and cheery voice shouted. Laelin was expecting laughter, but instead, two stunned expressions stared at her in disbelief. She said, ¡°O¡ª Oh, sorry.¡± ¡°A new friend I made said I should make jokes once in a while, it¡¯ll help in making other friends¡­¡± Ruby discreetly cleared her throat before quickly turning away. Luckily all the stares were on the gentle medic, and no one noticed her odd reaction. ¡°Was it too much?¡± ¡°...N¡ª Not at all.¡± Adelaide lied. ¡®Woman, I almost had a heart attack!¡¯ ¡°Hah. You should¡¯ve seen your face.¡± ¡°You should¡¯ve seen your face! I know you still care about me!¡± ¡°In your dreams.¡± ¡°What¡¯s my actual state, doc?¡± He asked casually. ¡°I''m just a medic not a doctor¡­¡± ¡°My bad.¡± He scratched his head awkwardly. ¡°You¡¯ll need a little mindful rest¡­but you¡¯ll be fine. It¡¯d be even better if you ate something nutritious, or a medicine with mana restorative effects.¡± ¡°So I can walk right? Eventually?¡± ¡°Mmhmm.¡± Laelin nodded ¡°Whew.¡± Adelaide breathed out a deep sigh of relief. ¡°Congrats.¡± Evelyn said flatly. ¡°So, what happened here anyway?¡± ¡°You get attacked by a bear or something?¡± Evelyn secretly glanced at the noble lady opposite of them. ¡°Needed a girl to come save you? Hah! Thought you always prided yourself on¡­¡± Her words trailed off. After making sure Adelaide was fit to return to being a scourge for all women, Evelyn and Laelin finally had the chance to thoroughly examine the nearby surroundings. It was hard to see under the sparse moonlight, but waving her torch around, the scenes of destruction before her were finally laid bare. ¡°What the hell? Did a hurricane hit here or something?¡± Within the area and expanse of a tunnel, all but the tallest trees had been uprooted, and the ground bore marks and scars from some massive and long body. As Adelaide opened his mouth to recount the previous events, looks of shock and disbelief plastered the two girl¡¯s faces. Laelin was quick to believe, while Evelyn couldn¡¯t deny the obvious tracks made by the serpent¡¯s gargantuan body. Even if someone dragged a massive log along the ground, there was no way to replicate the deep, twisting and turning burrows, nor was there really a reason to. However¡­mixing truth with a few minor lies, Adelaide embellished the story, making him seem more heroic and courageous. He narrated how he had saved a damsel in distress by fearlessly striking at the snake¡¯s eye, all while directly skipping the part where he was urinating in the woods, and accidentally pissed on his leg when two gigantic heads peered above him. Finally, he detailed that at his last stand of fighting off the demonic beast¡ª rapier shattered and out of mana and breath¡ª an angel had come to his aid, and fearing her existence, the serpent fled. Ruby stayed silent the whole time, still looking south, as if pondering something deeply. Of course, she heard how she was being depicted, but chose to keep up a calm and composed image. ¡®Who doesn''t wanna look cool and aloof!¡¯ At that moment, two pairs of eyes landed on her seemingly unconcerned figure. Laelin could only like her even more. She was glad, and pleasantly surprised that her newfound friend was not at all like the rumors made her out to be. Evelyn however, huffed and looked somewhere else, crossing her arms. As soon as Adelaide finished the story, a voice suddenly spoke, ¡°We should regroup with the others, there¡¯s no telling what might happen to them.¡± Laelin, and a wobbling Adelaide trying to stand were just about to follow, when someone stomped over in front of them. Evelyn was just about to say, ¡°Who made you squad leader?¡± When a blood curdling scream echoed throughout the forest. ¡°Really? Another?¡± Ruby thought. ¡°Could¡­that giant snake have found someone else!?¡± Adelaide had the same thoughts, but his legs were mush, and he almost fell trying to take a step. The other two began to move, but before they could, an impact shook the ground, before Ruby once again blasted forwards. ¡°Does she always have to do that!?¡± Evelyn roared as she shook a chunk of dirt from her hair, and more began to fall from the sky. The two soldiers urgently ran in her direction, shortly arriving only a minute or two later to the scene. As Laelin and Evelyn approached, they heard the hurried and audibly distressed speech of a woman. ¡°Calm down.¡± Ruby said for about the fourth time. ¡°I¡ª I¡¯m trying! It¡¯s¡ª just¡ª¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, just breathe in deep, in, then out.¡± All their heads turned to the medic, who then walked up and kneeled down beside the jittery and frantic woman. Laelin gently grasped her hand and held it tight and firm in both of her¡¯s. With that, the jittery woman could not help but listen to her instructions. Along with the safe anchor that was Laelin¡¯s hand, she began to ease up with every deep breath. ¡­That was, until another pair of hands grasped her other, free hand. ¡°Yes, miss, we¡¯re here for you.¡± Adelaide said. ¡°...¡± Everyone looked at him. Apart from the unknown woman, everyone¡¯s first thought was, ¡®When did you even get here?¡¯ When Adelaide staggeringly arrived, he first wanted to shout, ¡°You guys left without me! What if I had gotten attacked!?¡± But when he saw the beautiful individual of the other sex, who was obviously distressed, he discreetly slithered to her side unnoticed. ¡°So, what happened?¡± Ruby asked once again, noticing the unknown soldier was in a much better mental state. The woman breathed in deep, ¡°I heard a lot of noise coming from this direction, so I wanted to check it out.¡± ¡°B¡ª But then¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know¡ª th¨C the shadows¡ª they just jumped at me.¡± Her speech started to become anxious and rushed once again, she almost didn¡¯t believe the words coming out of her own mouth. ¡°The¡­shadows?¡± Evelyn asked in doubt and audible disbelief. ¡°Maybe you were just seeing things?¡± Adelaide and Laelin looked at her, one gently troubled, and another as if looking at an uncultured boor. ¡°What?¡± She asked, not knowing what she did to garner their gazes. ¡°No, NO!¡± The woman suddenly shouted frightfully. ¡°My sword¡ª it collided with those things, and the impact¡ª I saw it produce sparks!¡± ¡°They lunged at me¡ª there were only three or four at first¡ª but they kept leaping out of the shadows!¡± ¡°And then, then¡ª I felt my back hit a tree¡ª I had my torch lit, so I waved it at them, and they backed off¡ª but just for a second.¡± ¡°Gods it was like¡ªthey just kept coming out of the darkness¡ª waves and waves of them like an ocean¡ª¡± ¡°I was sure they were going to lunge at me again¡ª I thought I was dead, but that was when I¡ª I saw something¡ª i¡ª in the distance.¡± ¡°And the shadows¡ª they moved as if they were turning around to look at it too.¡± ¡°I swear it was like a massive moving hill, vague and¡­unknown¡­and then I¡­¡± ¡°I felt this¡­¡± Her voice rose like a nervous tide. ¡°This¡ª This wave of extreme, primal fear, and I couldn¡¯t help but scream.¡± ¡°I closed my eyes because I was so afraid¡ª and then I¡ª¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know how long I sat here whether it was seconds or¨C or¨C or¡ª minutes, but¡­¡± ¡°When I opened my eyes¡­everything was back to normal.¡± ¡°Like it¡­never even¡­happened¡­¡± ¡°But I swear it did!¡± ¡°...Maybe the shadows got spooked by your scream? Haha.¡± Evelyn said, to the disapproving looks of both her friend, and long-time acquaintance. After a few moments of pondering silence, Adelaide turned to Ruby, ¡°...What¡¯re your thoughts, miss?¡± Unconsciously, Adelaide was already deferring to her. She replied calmly, yet confidently and assertively, ¡°¡­Regardless, we have to regroup with the others.¡± ¡°If we ran into things like this, there¡¯s a chance they could have too.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Chapter 20: Cleave Chapter 20: Cleave ¡°¡­Regardless, we have to regroup with the others.¡± ¡°If we ran into things like this, there¡¯s a chance they could have too.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Ruby¡¯s words left no room for insubordination. They were logical, rational, and above all, firm. Even Evelyn couldn¡¯t help but to swallow her words¡­ ¡­However, if there was one thing above duty, it was love! Adelaide¡ª obviously a young man in his twenties¡ª looked at the girl whose hand he was still holding. ¡®Straight raven black hair, piercing green eyes, sharp-jawline, high cheekbones¡­¡¯ ¡®Gorgeous! Only a prince like me should accompany her!¡¯ Adelaide cleared his throat, ¡°I can¡¯t quite run yet, and¡­¡± ¡°What was your name, miss?¡± ¡°Uh¡ª It¡¯s Giselle.¡± She replied a little puzzled. ¡°How bout me and Giselle look for the others that are still around here, while you three meet up with the battalion?¡± ¡°While we¡¯re looking, my legs can take the time to recover, while Giselle can take the time to settle in more. We can save time and¡ª¡± ¡°No.¡± Ruby replied swiftly and promptly while shaking her head. ¡°I won¡¯t be able to protect all of you if you¡¯re too far from me.¡± Within that sentence contained an undeniable confidence, along with perhaps many other notions that could be inferred. ¡°What does that mean?¡± Evelyn snapped. ¡°What?¡± Ruby snapped back sharply. ¡°Guys¡­¡± Laelin tried to interject, but her voice was too soft for the two to hear. ¡°Who do you think you are? We¡¯re just so incapable, is that right? Who says any of us needs your so-called protection?¡± ¡°I say you do.¡± ¡°Are you always a problem?¡± ¡°Does anyone actually like you?¡± ¡°No one actually likes you! You should be asking yourself that!¡± Evelyn furiously retorted, before an idea appeared in her head that made her grin. She spoke mockingly, ¡°Oh wait! Now I think about it, instead of your little tea parties or whatever you nobles do, little miss perfect is here with us exactly because of her rotten attitude.¡± The heat only kept rising, and with Evelyn¡¯s remark, that statement was rapidly transforming from figurative to literal. Laelin continued to glance back and forth between the two helplessly, while Giselle started to subconsciously inch backwards. Suddenly, a calm voice interrupted timely, ¡°Hey guys? Every second counts, right? For every minute that passes, something bad could happen to someone else.¡± Both Ruby and Evelyn looked at Adelaide, before harrumphing and turning away, unwilling to even get another look at each other. ¡®Whew. Whoever started naming natural disasters after women had the right idea¡­¡¯ ¡®...Did I look dependable though? Reliable?¡¯ Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. ¡®But I can¡¯t scope out Giselle and Laelin¡¯s reaction right now¡ª I¡¯ve gotta keep up the good image!¡¯ ¡­And in fact, they were indeed looking at him more favorably. Unwilling to speak to Evelyn, Ruby called out to the other two, ¡°Can you guys help him keep up? We¡¯ll look for the others, then meet up with the battalion.¡± ¡°Ah¡­I can¡¯t trouble you two to take on such a burden.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t mind at all!¡± Giselle spoke, followed by Laelin who was always excited to help. ¡®Hook. Line. And sinker.¡¯ Adelaide said in his head. But then Evelyn hollered, ¡°Hey now, he¡¯s right! Don¡¯t let him burden you two, I can carry the bastard alone.¡± ¡®Godsdamn you, Evelyn!¡¯ ¡°You sure?¡± ¡°Are you sure, Ev?¡± The girls spoke in unison. ¡°It¡¯s not a problem, afterall, we grew up in the same town.¡± Evelyn forcefully grabbed Adelaide''s arm without allowing him to protest, and slung it around her shoulder. Before Evelyn could speak, Ruby stole the words out of her mouth, ¡°Keep up.¡± The apprentice-knight ran forwards, and the two girls followed her lead. Evelyn grit her teeth, before turning her anger to Adelaide. ¡°Hey, friend. You weren''t trying to take any advantages from those two innocent girls just now, were you?¡± ¡°Huh? I have no idea what you''re implying.¡± Adelaide''s acting was impeccable! ¡°You even called me a bastard for no reason.¡± ¡°Apart from stupid, now everyone knows you''re rude too.¡± Evelyn didn''t listen to his quips; she was far more impervious to what he had to say, than Ruby¡¯s insults that seemed to accurately get under her skin. ¡°Hey, why haven''t I seen you since we left town?¡± Evelyn asked. ¡®That¡¯s because I¡¯ve been deliberately avoiding you!¡¯ ¡°Coincidence. Maybe even¡­fate.¡± ¡°Fate? Don¡¯t use those same words on me like all the other women you trick.¡±\ ¡°What? Was it fate when you cheated on¡ª¡± Hearing something scandalous. Laelin and Giselle glanced backwards. ¡°Gossip, gossip! It¡¯s not true! I swear!¡± ¡­ Having gathered all the surrounding members, the small party of ten or so were now rapidly rushing back to their battalion. ¡°Hey doofus¡­¡± Evelyn said. ¡°What?¡± Adelaide replied. ¡°I thought you couldn¡¯t run.¡± Evelyn looked down, looking at his legs that seemed to be working just fine. Adelaide cleared his throat awkwardly, ¡°I¡¯m feeling better.¡± ¡°I already said I just needed some time to recover, right?¡± ¡°...S¡¯ that so?¡± ¡°With how you were speaking, you made it seem like it¡¯d take an hour or two¡­¡± Evelyn glanced across her, at the green-eyed, raven haired girl they discovered earlier. ¡®Hah¡­¡¯ ¡°Giselle¡¯s really pretty huh?¡± She raised her voice so loud that everyone and their mother could hear. Even while running, everyone turned to the two of them; first to Evelyn, then to Adelaide. With all the hints available, it wasn¡¯t hard to guess what was going on. Feeling their hot and assuming stares, Adelaide couldn''t help but to respond, and respond fast! He said in an abnormally loud, ¡°hushed¡± whisper, ¡°Evelyn!¡± ¡°This isn''t what I meant when I said you have to subtly confirm whether she''s into women like you!¡± ¡®Like you?¡¯ Everyone questioned, before the ten or so members of their small squad instantly switched their hot gazes to Evelyn, whose jaw had dropped to the floor. Accidentally, she met eyes with the beautiful girl in question, and Giselle quickly turned her head forwards. It was so quick, no one knew whether she was appalled¡­or slightly blushing. Evelyn balled her hand into a fist, and before she could drive it into Adelaide''s face, a voice interrupted, ¡°Shhhhhh!¡± ¡°Do you hear that?¡± Ruby asked. The rest started to listen closely, and as they approached, the distant and vague sounds started to get louder. Naturally, the brash apprentice-knight sped up instead of slowing down, and so too did everyone feel inclined to follow. Atop a hill, a raven-haired man leaned his weight on top of a sword that was stabbed into the ground. His breaths were heavy and gasping, as if he was held underwater for much too long. Behind him was the massive carcass of a four-armed bear, and surrounding him, were the corpses of at least a hundred wolves, and mixed with them, a hundred human corpses. Wiping the blood running down his eyes, he looked down atop his hill to see a haphazard dance between light and shadow. The thousand-man battalion embodied the pockets of light with their torches, while all around them an overrunning sea of creatures tried to drown them. There were wolves, gigantic spiders, and the occasional four-armed bear or giant millipede. If there was any sense of cohesion between, the thousand-man battalion would have all but been annihilated, but instead, they were slaughtering each other, with the human battalion simply caught up in their war-massacre. Taking a deep breath, Ashford removed his sword from the pierced ground. As far as he knew, the only way they would get out of their predicament was to carve a path out. He moved to descend down the hill, when he noticed his shadow cast by the moon was swallowed by something massive. Ashford turned around, to which he saw a series of long black beams. Tracing their source, he saw the body of a gigantic spider slowly climbing the hill, and from his point of view, its massive frame started to obscure the moon. The spider lowered its head, to which eight glowing red eyes gazed at him with a savage yet intelligent light. One of its long, mighty legs raised itself into the sky, then blurred itself from view. Suddenly, he saw the color of black start to encompass all that he saw. An intense feeling of death set in his body, one that felt inescapable. Ashford knew he couldn¡¯t move his body fast enough to dodge¡ª his sword positioned itself to block the blow, but somehow he knew that it would shatter his sword, and pierce straight through his armor and skewer him like a kebab. ¡®Shit.¡¯ Oddly, the man who had fought so hard to live, accepted his death without despair or defiance, but instead with stoic and graceful confrontation. BOOM! Smashing the ground, the long spider leg pierced through twenty feet of dirt, and almost drilled all the way into the hill. The massive spider looked down. Surprisingly, there was no skewered creature underneath its leg. Instead, it felt an urgent sense of danger, but it could not quickly pull out its leg that was buried inside the hill. Change after change happened in a rapid instantaneous flow of events. Before he knew it, Ashford found himself just a few meters away from the spider¡¯s leg, and in the next moment, something bright, blue, and shining was blinding his eyes. A greatsword concentrated with mana so dense started to sing in high frequency hymns, and in the next moment, it cleaved whatever was in front of it into two. A shrill and piercing scream assaulted his ears, but amongst the smoke and rubble, he saw the figure of a female knight, a dimly glowing greatsword in her hand, and a falling, heavy black pillar that hit the ground with a resounding boom.