《Ducking Around in Another World》 1. An Egg in Another World Last year I started my own isekai light novel series. Seeded with cliches of it¡¯s genre and spinning them in different ways, makes for an interesting read. But I might be bias, as it¡¯s my story. Being a fan of anime and manga helps build the style, but you can also look at it as a fantasy otherwise. Below is a short summary, some insight, and part 1 of the story. [Note: It¡¯s possible this won¡¯t be the final edit of the story, or that changes may be made if it ever goes to print.] Plot Summary: The story follows a protagonist who, after dying in his previous life, is reincarnated into a fantasy world by a god who mistakenly turns him into a duck instead of a human hero. Despite this unexpected form, he retains powerful magical abilities, setting him on a journey of survival, self-discovery, and adventure. The story begins with the duck hatching in a deep dungeon, where he must fend for himself against various monsters. Over the course of five years, he hones his magic, learning to manipulate elements like water, air, and fire to battle formidable foes. Eventually, he escapes the dungeon and encounters Lyra, an elven princess. He instinctively protects her from an attacking wolf-like creature, catching her interest. Lyra, intrigued by his abilities, takes him as her pet and names him ¡°Duc.¡± Along with her protector, Gavin, they travel back toward her kingdom. However, their journey takes a dark turn when they¡¯re ambushed. ??????????????? Author¡¯s Notes Insights: 1. Concept & Approach: The story was created on an improvisational basis, with world-building and character development unfolding naturally alongside Duc¡¯s journey. The decision to make Duc a duck (rather than a human) was intentional for comedic effect and to subvert isekai tropes. 2. Character Development & Themes: Duc¡¯s journey is focused on growth and adaptation, balancing humor with moments of genuine struggle and danger. While Duc is strong, he is not overpowered. His battles are about creativity and survival rather than sheer dominance. Lyra was meant to be more than a damsel in distress; her development is key to the story¡¯s progression. Bea was introduced to diversify interactions and provide additional world-building elements. 3. Tone & Audience: The novel is written with young adult and teen audiences in mind, balancing action with lighthearted and introspective moments. Violence is present but not excessively graphic, focusing more on adventure than grimdark themes. 4. Duc¡¯s Abilities & Future Conflict: His abilities stem from both the god¡¯s blessing and his fusion with the black slime. Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. The story hints at an internal struggle between heroism and the potential darkness within Duc. Duc¡¯s unique status as a magical duck raises questions about his longevity and future role in the world. [The first volume sets up an engaging mix of action, humor, and mystery, leaving room for future development as Duc and Lyra prepare for greater challenges ahead.] Without Futher Ado: ???????????????? 1. An Egg in Another World ???????????????? How did I get here? Actually¡­ where am I? ¡°You don¡¯t remember?¡± asked an old man wearing a white robe who looked to be playing on a giant touch screen computer. Oh, excuse me sir. Wait¡­ this is weird. How am I talking? Where is my body? ¡°Ah I see. You don¡¯t remember you are but a soul now.¡± A soul? ¡°Yes my boy. You died.¡± Died!? Oh¡­ is this, heaven? Or the other place¡­? ¡°Neither. I snatched your soul from your universe and brought it to mine. I am the god of this realm and am in need of someone like you. A good hearted and good natured, hero if you will.¡± A hero? Me? I don¡¯t think you¡¯ve got the right person. ¡°I think time will tell on that. When it came down to it, in the last moment of your previous life, you gave it to save others. And that¡¯s a heroic heart indeed.¡± I see. Well, if I died to save others, at least I ended up doing something with my life. I never really accomplished anything otherwise, at least, not that I can remember. ¡°I thought you¡¯d feel precisely that way. Thus, I¡¯m giving you a second chance. A chance to be a hero from the start.¡± A hero?! In like a fantasy land? Am I seriously being isekai-ed?? ¡°It may seem that way, yes. A world of knights and monsters and of course, magic. I¡¯m customizing the hero you¡¯ll grow into now. A human being with exponential magic to save the world!¡± Wow! I hope I can live up to your expectations. Hopefully I¡¯ll be better looking this time around¡­ ¡°Don¡¯t worry lad. You¡¯ll be great.¡± The old man finished typing and tapping on his touch screen showing a very fit and handsome man that I looked to become in this new life. I¡¯m getting excited! ¡°All that¡¯s left is for you to get started.¡± said the man reaching to initiate the sequence, when he caught a wrinkle in his nose, and at the most inopportune time, the man let out a sneeze causing his finger to swipe the screen and initialize the birth of the new hero. Only¡­ ¡°Oh dear. That wasn¡¯t suppose to happen. All the changes I made are there, but his body, it switched to an animal. It¡¯s too late to do anything!¡± exclaimed the old man, slapping his own head. ?????????????????????????? What? Where am I? Old man? OLD MAN?! It was dark and I was but an embryo now, inside some sort of hard shell. My soul seems to have attached to the vessel even though it hasn¡¯t developed yet. It¡¯s an odd feeling to just exist but not be able to do anything. It seems, I wasn¡¯t alone at least. There was a ruckus going on outside. I wasn¡¯t strong enough to push out of whatever this cacoon was. I¡¯m not even sure I had a body yet. However, I could feel the mana poured within me, extending around me. It was a shell! What the-? I¡¯m in an egg? Is this how humans are born in this land? Whatever was going on on the outside sounded like an attack of some sort. The egg I was in was knocked away from the battle. I rolled and I rolled, until¡­ I fell. I fell and fell for what seemed like forever. Until I came to a surprisingly gentle and slow stop into something that felt odd and mucous-y. I sensed that it wanted me, but my mana and shell were too much for it. So much so, that I began to absorb from it instead. It was a living beast of some sort. A giant black slime that dwelled there. Nothing else seemed to be around. Perhaps, out of fear. I slowly oozed out of the slime to a halt in a cave like structure underneath it. Oh great. Now what? Time passed. What felt like forever, was probably days, before I formed a body and was finally able to crack my shell. I kicked out the bottom, then rolled out and over, only to find¡­ I wasn¡¯t a human at all! I had tiny yellow wings and a small yellow body. Plus, the black slime I had absorbed for so long was still on me. I tried to shake it off, but all it seemed to do was even it out as a translucent layer across my body. It was like I was glowing or sparkling, but harder to tell in whatever this cave system was. However, there was some kind of ambient lighting that I could see well enough to navigate. A small stream of water was near by, and I did feel a little parched. I waddled my way ungracefully to the stream for a drink and saw myself, jumping back for a second. What the duck?! That¡¯s right. I¡¯m a duck in a world I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t think this is what the old man had in mind, but what could I do about it now? I turned to getting a lay of the environment. I could see, but it didn¡¯t really seem like there was much to see in a deep cavern. Then some noise came. It sounded like scratches on the ground, but they were faint. So, I followed the noise through the caverns as any brave hero- duck¡­ would do. As I trotted along downward through the cave, it began to light up more. The walls reflected a fiery red, and eventually I came to where the scratches were coming from. In front of me sat a beast that looked like a giant lion with bat wings tearing the flesh off a slightly smaller but dead beast. I accidently let out a scared shriek that of course only came out as, ¡°Quack?!¡± I¡¯ve got to get out of here! My being startled and letting out a noise got the beast¡¯s attention. It¡¯s dead yellow eyes sniffed the air as blood and drool leaked from its mouth. Slowly creeping towards me, it bared it¡¯s fangs, ready to strike! The ground cracked beneath it with each step it took. A low guttural grumble exhaled from its disgusting mouth. I backed into a wall, unable to move out of fear. Panic was setting in. Dead again so soon?! This wasn¡¯t the plan. At least, I don¡¯t think so anyways. The creature inched closer and I was shaking. I began looking around for anything that would help me, but there was nothing. Nothing except some of the water reflecting the light that trickled down from where I first glanced a peak at my duck self. The beast was about to strike and I was thinking, if only I could fight back or scare it. If only I could blow it away! Then in that instant, my body began to glow. At the same time, the water flew up from the stream, blasting the beast backwards with such force that it blew it¡¯s head clean off, falling over dead, leaking out purple blood from it¡¯s stump. Woah! I may be a duck, but I still have magic like the old man said. Well, this makes me feel like not all is lost! ???????????????? End Part 1 ???????????????? ????The.Fellow???? 2. A Dungeon in Another World ???????????????? 2. A Dungeon in Another World ???????????????? I waddled in a hastened pace, hunting my prey. The little goblins around have been annoying me lately. Their chuckling came from behind me. Of course they set an ambush and of course they think they have me. A couple of the goblins leapt from the dungeon''s walls thinking I couldn''t sense them, but I quickly turned and flapped my wings, blowing them back against the wall hard enough to knock them out. More goblins approached. I hovered breifly before inhaling to calm my resolve. A group of five goblins inched closer as I exhaled. Fire blasted from my bill, incinerating them instantly. I let out a quack and nod of good riddance. I''m not sure how much time has truly passed since I¡¯ve hatched, but it feels like years. I¡¯ve learned many things in that time. I now understand how the magic of their world works, at least for myself. As silly as it might seem, most of it is; think it, do it. But only if I''m in the right headspace and have the mana to spare. And it might be all there is to magic, but I haven''t had anyone to communicate with and learn about it. I do however know, it''s not infinite. I have my limits and have hit it every now and then. The more time goes on and the more I use it, does seem to deepen the well of magic I can pull upon, which makes sense with every thing else. The more usage, the more I have available when it''s replenished. Same with my strength and speed. My first encounter with the lion chimera as a hatchingly taught me about magic bursts being related to my emotions and so I started facing every hostile adversary I came across when I could. This boosted my fighting abilities and speed higher than almost anything I''ve come against so far. Other chimeras, giant snake beasts, wights, goblins and many others dwelled in the deep cavern. Recently, it seems I¡¯ve started to wander upward. Apparently, I had been going down deeper and deeper into a dungeon all this time. Until one day, I met and overheard a group of adventurers. For some reason I understood them perfectly like they were speaking my language, but I could still only¡­ quack. The adventurers talked about how this was a very dangerous dungeon. A home to many monsters, but it seems recently, there''s been less and less. They didn''t know why, but I did. Too much slaying I suppose. So, they continued deeper looking for treasures as I headed upward, hoping to finally see the new world I was brought into! This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. The trails of the dungeon were pretty unconventional, which is probably why I just assumed I was in a neverending cavern for such a long time. But after learning this place, slaying monsters, developing my magic, I feel I''m already a full-fledged adventurer, if not a hero, already. In fact, relying on my magic is what''s navigating me now. I learned that certain things are possible where as certain other things aren''t. At least, not to what I understand or can do. For instance, I can''t turn myself into a human no matter how much I try. I can however come up with some creative ways to use my magic. Right now, I''m using my senses to enhance my sight and feel the pulse of the air in this enclosed place. It''s got to come from somewhere right? So, after following what essentially looked like a guidance line you would see in video games, like a way point, I''m able to visually see the air currents and find my way out. Unfortunately, the fact that I''m still in here just tells me how deep I truly went. Overall, I know I shouldn''t regret my time here. Had things not gone the way they did, I wouldn''t have my skills or abilities as fleshed out. Guess that''s what happens when you''re fighting for survival at almost every second. At least, that''s how it was when it started out, I think a lot of the creatures have learned to stay away from me. Goblins are just stupid. As I trotted along, I came to a stop. A tear rolled out of my eye and dropped to the caverns final step downward. Before me was an opening to the outside world, the entrance and my exit to this dungeon. I was so excited I began to sprint towards it! The moment I got to the outside, I tripped on a rock crashing to the ground. I can''t see very well. Must be what being neglected of natural sunlight would do to anything. Oh, the sun! I tried looking up as I got to my feet but it was too bright. The whole world was. I squinted and raised my wing to fan over my head like a visor so I could see my surroundings. Lush green plants, bushes, and tall fir looking trees came into focus. It appears the entrance to the dungeon was in a very peaceful looking forest. Then came a sound I''ve longed to hear! Moving water! It had been awhile since I¡¯ve had any water at all, let alone anything not from an underground cavern system. I couldn''t wait to see what fresh water was like! I rushed towards the sound to find a slow moving river. Letting out a quack in delight, I hopped right in, submerging then resurfacing, taking a big gulp. So fresh! And it feels so nice! I''ve missed baths. Showers. Cleanliness! Ugh. But as a duck, I suppose I do alright staying clean when I''m not covered in monster guts. I sat upon the water happily floating along. Bathed in the sunlight and closing my eyes, I finally felt peace for once in this new world. ???????????????? Author''s Notes #1 ???????????????? In part 1, I had come up will a silly simple idea to do a reincarnation isekai(transported to another world) with of course, a duck! But trying to figure out how to get from point A to point B was the challenge. I know I could have just made him a duck and have the intro be a throwaway, but thought his being a duck as an accident would be much more comical. You will notice from the beginning and as you continue to go onward, that there are details missing. Some missed explanations. Because you only learn what our duck main character learns. And of course, he will acknowledge it and it will be a hindrance in some parts too. But the reason behind this is, I didn''t want to do long exposition or info dumping. The world building, characters, direction¡­ basically everything was improv-ed as I went a long. But overall, you learn about everything as our duck learns!¡î ?????????????????????????? Duck Fact #1: Ducks need water for survival! Not only do they need their daily intake of about a liter a day, they also need it for body condition and temperature regulation. The water keeps their eyes, bill, feet, and feathers maintained for good health. ?????????????????????????? ???????????????? End Part 2 ???????????????? 3. An Elf in Another World ???????????????? 3. An Elf in Another World ???????????????? I twirled slowly back and forth on the water like I was lounging in a water park¡¯s lazy river. I didn¡¯t even know where it was taking me, not that I had a destination in mind. Just too caught up in enjoying the little things I suppose. Nature. Sun. Water. Everything! When I first got out of the dungeon, the sun was high in the sky, so perhaps this world¡¯s noon, but now it was almost setting. I¡¯d been floating for hours. Nothing really bothered me as I floated. I saw some wildlife of the world similar but not exactly the same to my world like deer, squirrels, and other birds. But there were some monsters too. However, neither really paid me much mind, because unlike the dungeon where food was scarce without killing, it seems pretty abundant out here. Or so I thought. While in the dungeon, I seem to have developed a sense for when predators were near and about to strike. Floating down the river. I could tell something was ahead. So, I finally got out onto land and began slowly trudging my way towards what I was sensing. It¡¯s still close to the river, whatever it is. I peered through some bushes that gave me cover to scout ahead. Before me was a girl, washing herself in the river! I blushed red at the sight. She was beautiful, petite, and¡­ an elf?! While I couldn¡¯t make much out from where I was, I could tell she had long white hair, piercing blue eyes, and pointy ears just as an elf in a fantasy world would have. She seemed to be washing dirt off her legs and arms but was still wearing a thin white dress that hugged her body and covered her features. It was just hiked up as she stood in the river. She¡¯s so pretty! But she¡¯s not what I was sensing. It feels too close to be a coincindence. Maybe¡­ It¡¯s going after her?! Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. I decided to high tail it into her proximity, hoping she¡¯d think nothing of a duck, but as soon as I moved, she turned right towards me with a short curve bladed dagger aimed in my direction. ¡°Whatever you are, stay back!¡± she said calmly and sternly, but most of all, cutely. I might be what she saw first, but there¡¯s no way she knew it was me. One of the skills that was essential for me to learn in the dungeon was how to suppress my mana presence. It was big monster after big monster in the beginning. And sure, my explosions of power could take care of them. But it was exhausting. I had to learn how to focus. The only reason they wouldn¡¯t find me was because I¡¯d run out of mana from fighting them over and over again. That is, until I learned! She definitely sensed the same presence I did, but where was it? There¡¯s too much brush and trees around. It could be hiding just as easily as I was. I had to take my chances. If I was to help her, I needed to be closer! ¡°Quack.¡± I said, waddling back and forth and plopping into the water to float towards her. ¡°A duck?¡± she said momentarily letting down her guard, ¡°No!¡± The elf quickly turned facing away from me and I felt it too. There was something coming towards her, or rather us now. I pushed myself up the river towards her and lept out of the water in front of her. A beast met me mid-air as I formed a spell I had developed. A defensive shield of sorts, based on the egg I hatched out of. It blocked the beasts fangs that were looking for an easy kill. I shattered the egg outward myself, blowing the beast away. It landed on it¡¯s four legs. Getting a closer look at it, it reminded me of a rabid dog of sorts. Maybe some kind of wolf. It had pitch black fur with a white stripe across its face, showing its glowing green eyes. It probably was just a hungry creature, but I would protect the girl all the same. I glanced back to make sure she was okay, but all I saw was the look of shock. Maybe she hadn¡¯t seen a magical duck before. Well, that makes sense I suppose. In all the fuss, she seemed to drop her dagger and was trying to get to it as the wolf beast was getting to launch another attack. One thing I love about being in the open world is the nature. So abundant compared to the dungeon. I couldn¡¯t hide my pleasure that the beast was launching another attack. I spread my wings behind me feeling the molecules of the water surround me. Then, instantaneously shot my wings forward, like a clap, and the water followed. The force was like a sonic air boom, as if the water had solidified for a brief second as it hit the wolf beast, cutting it straight down the middle in it¡¯s jump. The body fell to the ground in two pieces as a bloody, furry, pile of goop. Maybe I overdid that one. Hopefully she¡¯s okay. I turned back the elf girl who had her dagger in hand again, but looked frazzled as to what all just happened. I didn¡¯t know what else to do so¡­ I¡­ quacked. ¡°Quack?¡± Some bushes began to rustle from behind the dead wolf beast. A man stepped out with a sword drawn. ¡°Sorry for the intrusion. I was trying to chase down the beast before it got to you.¡± The man was tall and lean, had short black hair and elf ears just like her. He seemed to be more like a soldier though. After stepping out, he took notice of the beast¡¯s dead body. ¡°Lady Lil-Lyra, did you do this?¡± ???????????????? End Part 3 ???????????????? ????The.Fellow???? 4. A Warrior in Another World ???????????????? 4. A Warrior in Another World ???????????????? Lyra pulled herself out of the water to the riverside where the man stood and the beast''s body laid. I slowly followed just to see that the danger was truly gone. ¡°Um, no. This duck. I¡­ think it''s a duck. Protected me.¡± she said pointing at me. ¡°A duck did this? Interesting.¡± laughed the man ¡°Look Lyrianna, this is why I told you to stay close.¡± ¡°And I said I wanted to bathe. Gavin Eldreblud. I told you not to call me that.¡± Lyra huffed as she turned to me. I cocked my head in confusion. I don¡¯t know what her plan was, but she looked like she was up to something. ¡°This duck. I shall take it as a pet.¡± ¡°What?¡± questioned Gavin. ¡°Quack?!¡± questioned myself. ¡°Had he not been here, you wouldn''t have made it in time.¡± she pouted. ¡°Had you not demanded to wander on your own, this wouldn''t have happened at all.¡± he argued, ¡°And let''s not pretend like you''re completely defenseless lady Li-Lyra!¡± ¡°That''s besides the point.¡± she said, kneeling down to my height and reaching her hands out. What should I do? What should I do?! These are the first people I''ve met in the real world. Erg. Maybe I go with them just for now¡­ I can always just disappear if I need to later. And it''s not like I can talk to them. BUT maybe I can at least learn from them. I nodded and waddled slowly into her arms as she began to pet me, ¡°Look, so friendly.¡± she said happily to Gavin''s dismay. ¡°Look¡­ whatever, okay? Let''s get back. The men want to get home, as do you, I''m sure.¡± ¡°Fine.¡± said Lyra, clutching me up to her chest and following behind Gavin as he turned to lead the way. She''s warm. And¡­ and soft. It''s weird being held completely by someone else. But also comforting. It''s nice. ¡°I hate these trips.¡± she said. The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°I know that, but they''re necessary. And they''re for your father.¡± explained Gavin. ¡°I know. I just,¡± Lyra looked down at me as she slowly followed behind him, ¡°I want to actually explore the world freely, not just be a messenger in his name. I''m thirty now!¡± ¡°Thirty is still a baby in elf years and you know it.¡± Gavin snapped back. ¡°What we do, we do for your safety.¡± Thirty?! She looks like a teenager. But the way they''re talking, she must be very important. Some kind of relations delegate maybe? There''s still so much to learn about in this world. ¡°Quack.¡± ¡°You too?¡± Lyra joked. Gavin turned back. He looked to be sizing me up and down. ¡°What''re you gonna name him? If it''s to be your pet?¡± ¡°I was thinking Duc. Duck without the ¡®k¡¯ but sounds like duke, the position.¡± suggested Lyra. I never thought about having another name. I''ve been nameless for some time now. "Quack!¡± I chirped out of agreement and Lyra smiled. ¡°Huh, and uh, Duc? That duck really saved you though? He looks pretty ordinary to me.¡± he questioned. ¡°Yeah, there''s something special about him. He can use magic,¡± said Lyra petting my head once again. ¡°Magic? You¡¯ve got to be kidding!¡± exclaimed Gavin in disbelief. I didn¡¯t know what to do without being threatening, so I tried something, hopefully harmless. I felt the air around Lyra and myself and pulled it inward through my nostrils, holding it in my mouth for a second to focus a small amount of mana. Then, I opened my mouth as the air jettisoned forward into Gavin''s back, pushing him forward a little, but not enough to make him fall. ¡°Quack.¡± I smirked. ¡°What the hell? Well, that''s new.¡± said Gavin in disbelief, ¡°Of course you would wander and find the only magical duck in the world though.¡± ¡°What''s that supposed to mean?¡± Lyra asked pouting. ¡°Nothing,¡± said Gavin with an uneasy smirk as he continued walking, ¡°Just weird luck. Maybe¡­¡± ¡°You''re weird. Are we there yet?¡± sneered Lyra. Gavin looked ahead. It appeared he was looking for a marker to tell his way, ¡°There. That fallen tree on that hillside. The men are camped on the otherside. See. We gave you a little leeway,¡± Gavin stated, pointing the way. ¡°Hmph.¡± Lyra grunted. ¡°It''s just not the same as freely traveling on my own. I just want to see more of the world is all. I don''t think that''s too much to ask.¡± ¡°I don''t think so either. We''re both burdened by obligation. However, life can be long for us. I''m sure you''ll see plenty.¡± ¡°Did you just call me a burden?¡± ¡°Haha,¡± Gavin chuckled, hiding his face from Lyra and lead on up the hill. ¡°How do you think the meeting went? I didn''t ask because, really, I didn''t care. But now that we''re heading home, I''m afraid of disappointing my father,¡± asked Lyra, clutching me a little tighter. ¡°You did your best. We obviously can''t give them as many resources as they want, but you kept it civil and offered alternatives. The best we can do now is wait for their response. Hopefully they''ll be understanding.¡± said Gavin. ¡°Hopefully¡­ I didn''t like their King. He wanted too much. Nothing was a fair trade. He seemed, greedy.¡± ¡°Well, he has just taken the throne. I''m sure he''s learning. You handled him just fine,¡± doted Gavin. ¡°The human kingdoms only ever want our ore for weapons to fuel their wars. We stay out of their conflicts, but they all want things from us. I don¡¯t know how my father juggles it all,¡± said Lyra shaking with a bit of anxiety. We were over the hill and going down now. Trees covered the other side of the hill. It sounded like the men were being loud. Perhaps, throwing a celebration of some sort? However, the ground was shaking as well. ¡°You''ll learn too Lyra. You''ll figure it out too. Just-¡± Gavin was cut off short as something big came out of the trees towards Lyra and I. Instinctively, I formed my defensive egg around the two of us. But it didn''t matter. The force inflicted against us sent us barreling towards a tree. My egg shattered and I fell to the ground. I glimpsed what looked to be a giant ogre covered in armor, ripping apart the men we were going to meet. Gavin had drawn his blade, ready for a battle and I¡­ I got dizzy. Faded to black ???????????????? End Part 4 ???????????????? Author''s Notes #2: Initially, I wanted this to be a simple, low stakes, slice of life fantasy, and while I''ve worked towards that, early on I felt the need for urgency. I wanted Duc to be a likeable character for sure and while just doing duck things and battling monsters could have been my main go to, I always intended for him to get out in the world and pair up with a heroine. While the beginning couple of parts hype up Duc and his power, I wanted to make sure you know this isn''t one of those ¡°over-powered¡± main character stories. Duc is fallible, not nearly as all powerful as he is described to be, and I think I really wanted to establish his mortality early on. He can get hurt. He can lose battles. The real question and obstacle was how to make him grow, especially when he has no one to talk to. Well, that''s the beauty of the journey and growing in general. Just seeing how it all shakes out.¡î ?????????????????????????? Duck Fact #2: Ducks communicate vocally, that''s how we all know of the quack, of course. But they actually communicate vocally even before they hatch! While in a nest with other eggs, this ability causes a more organized hatching, as they''ll communicate to hatch at the same time. Also, ducks that live in a city have different accented and louder ¡°Quacks¡± than country ducks! ?????????????????????????? ????The.Fellow???? 5. A Promise in Another World ???????????????? 5. A Promise in Another World ???????????????? What happened? Where am I? What¡¯s- ¡°What''s going on?¡± It was light all around me. I''ve been here before. This world''s version of god, the old man, was in front of me again. At least I wasn''t a floating soul this time¡­ Just a floating coporeal duck. You! Old man! What happened? ¡°It''s been some time young hero.¡± Some time? It couldn''t have been that long. ¡°Lad, you were down in that dungeon for five years.¡± Five years?! It couldn''t have possibly been that long! ¡°Since you hatched, yes. By now, you''ve obviously realized you''re not the man I intended you to be.¡± No kidding! ¡°That being said, you¡¯ve probably got more training in those five years than you would have in most of your life time as a human. Speaking of which, I don''t know if you know how long a duck lives on average, at least from your world.¡± Oh, I uh¡­ hadn''t considered that. ¡°Well, from your world, the average only live from five to ten years. In this world, maybe fifteen to twenty. You know, if left alone. Unfortunately, your duck mother and siblings on this earth were attacked when you were still an egg and you were the only one to survive,¡± explained the old man as the events appeared on his floating computer screen for me to see. So that''s what happened. Wait! You''re saying my life is already one fourth of the way done? ¡°Well, there were things that I did not forsee. You as a duck. But also, you falling into the depths of a very dangerous dungeon and surviving. While you were still in the egg, you fell into a living creature that absorbs and kills everything it comes across. Except, somehow, you. The magical gift I gave you resonated in such a way that you absorbed that power for yourself, making you even stronger.¡± A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. The old man laughed and smiled in disbelief, ¡°And here you are, still alive. One of this world''s ordinary creatures, battling and slaying beasts far beyond normal means. So, no. You''re not normal. I can''t say how long you''d live if you just kept a quiet ordinary life. But I knew, the hero in you would come out. Why the moment someone was in trouble, you jumped in to help.¡± Right¡­ Lyra! Something happened. Was I knocked out? What happened?! Can you tell me old man? ¡°You know, I don''t appreciate that old man stuff. An ogre mercenary hit you with such force, your magic couldn''t fully protect you. As things haven''t exactly gone to plan up to this point, this is the one and only time I can or rather will, interfere, to an extent. I''m just going to educate you on a couple of things I think you have wrong.¡± What do you mean? ¡°Your magical senses won''t work as well up here. Because the monsters up here are smarter than those running on survival instincts in the dungeon. Which is exactly what you were going on when you were in there. You just also had the intelligence to develop yourself. While that is good and was very beneficial, the creatures that survive on the surface have done so through means of their own.¡± Right. I didn¡¯t sense the impending attack from this ogre. What do you mean mercenary? ¡°Exactly. Other monsters, creatures and even humans can mask themselves just as you¡¯ve learned. To detect them, you''ll still have to develop your skills more. If I were to give you a hint, it''s that defense isn''t really your strong suit. As for the mercenary thing. That means he was bought by humans to carry out an order to attack these people.¡± So that''s it¡­ they''re in trouble then! I have to get back and help. And I have to get stronger! ¡°Don''t forget little hero, you''re still a duck. No matter how strong you get, there is no answer to mortality. You can and will still die.¡± No need to be a downer about it. ¡°I do not say this to hurt your feelings. I say it because this is the only time we will speak like this again. It was my mistake that you ended up as such, but bringing you here was me tipping the scales already. So, I can no longer offer you help or aide. There are no second chances. If you die, it''s over.¡± I think I understand. but if I''m here to balance the scales, that means there''s an evil force I have to go against and ultimately¡­ ¡°Ultimately, it may cost your life yes. I do not wish to see this world fall, but I can only watch as time goes on now.¡± So if I''m the embodiment of good or the hero in this world then¡­ ¡°Yes, there is one that is evil. A true villain. Unfortunately, I can not tell you the being''s name, for I do not know. Chances are high that they''re human, but that''s all I can offer. Our time is over now hero Duc.¡± Human¡­ wait! How wouldn''t you know? What- ¡°Stick with the girl,¡± said the old man waving his hand as white light surrounded and blinded me. ?????????????????????????? I slowly started coming to. Shadows were clashing in front of me as I laid on the ground. I managed to move my head and saw Lyra was down next to me. Finally, I was able to get to my feet and regain focus. All of the men had been slaughtered by the ogre, except Gavin. He was holding his own, or so it seemed. Upon closer look, I could tell his armor has been smashed inward and blood was leaking from his side and mouth. He let a war cry out as the ogre charged for what would be a final attack. Gavin used all his remaining might and the speed he had over the ogre to thrust upwards with his sword. The blade collided with the ogre''s throat and plunged upwards into the brain in what seemed like an instant. But as the ogre was charging Gavin, the momentum of it¡¯s body ran him over. It was like seeing an animal get hit by a car. I slowly waddled towards Gavin, expecting the worst. His body was beaten, torn, and twisted badly. He was breathing hard, but he was breathing. I got closer to him and he acknowledged me. ¡°Duc¡­ Protect her.¡± he said, reaching his hand out towards me as I looked back to Lyra and nodded in agreement. I promise. A gust of air blew towards me out of nowhere, but those were the last words Gavin let out as his breathing stopped with his eyes wide opened looking in Lyra''s direction. I heard a scuffle behind me. It was Lyra frantically getting to her feet. She rushed over, ¡°Gavin? Gavin! No no no!¡± She placed her hands over his body and green wavelengths started shimmering through the air. It seemed Lyra was attempting to heal Gavin with magic. But, he was already gone¡­ ???????????????? End Part 5 ???????????????? ????The.Fellow???? 6. A Fight in Another World ???????????????? 6. A Fight in Another World ???????????????? A few minutes had gone by and Lyra still wept over Gavin''s body. I stood by her side, but I knew we couldn''t stay there. It was times like these where I really wish I could talk. ¡°Quack¡­¡± I squawked out and she finally broke her focus. Lyra looked at me and then everyone else that had fallen. She turned back looking at the dead body of the ogre too. I think she finally realized that whoever sent the beast would come looking too. Like magical clockwork, I sensed multiple people slowly closing in. I pulled at Lyra''s leg, quacking quietly enough that she understood, and then a branch snapped nearby. We moved away from the massacre as a small group of soldiers took our place. ¡°Look at this mess. Damn ogre died killing them all,¡± said one soldier. Another soldier stepped forward after surveying the whole battleground. He looked to be the leader. It was a gruff old human man with a short beard. His hair was blonde and he stood out like nobility, but somehow had the aura of a barbarian at the same time. I took notice of Lyra''s eyes widening at recognizing the man. ¡°He didn''t kill them all. All the soldiers and even her little bodyguard are accounted for, but the elf princess seems to have escaped,¡± said the man walking up to Gavin and looking at him closely before kicking the side of his dead body. ¡°But Sir Khandre, all the men our scouts tallied are accounted as dead. Did she do this?¡± asked one soldier. ¡°This one. Eldreblud. Queensgard to the Ghisendra line. Since the mother passed, he has been assigned to the daughter almost all her life. You can see that his blade is missing because it''s the one embedded in the ogre''s skull. They died killing each other,¡± explained Khandre. ¡°Khandre¡­¡± said Lyra under her breath in disbelief. Wait, elf PRINCESS?! How did I stumble into this. What are the odds?! This is getting dangerous, we need- I don''t know if it was shock or anger, but Lyra stood and stepped out of the brush we were hiding behind. No no! What are you doing?! ¡°Quack?!¡± ¡°Khandre you swine!¡± she said, raising her dagger once again to another threat. The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. I quickly waddled after her as the men took notice and Khandre faced her. ¡°Ah, Princess Lyrianna. Saves me the trouble of hunting you down,¡± he sneered, drawing his behemoth of a sword. ¡°You dare attack an envoy of peace brokered to your king?! When my father hears of this, we''ll never trade with you again!¡± Lyra screamed with tears in her eyes. ¡°You see. That''s the problem. Why trade at all, when we can just take the land and it''s resources for ourselves? As for your father, well, you know it''s a bit of a journey between the kingdoms, and with you soon to be dead and all, we''ll have blindsighted the elven kingdom before he knows anything,¡± boasted Khandre. This guy was the baddest of bad news. But I want to honor Gavin''s last wish and follow through on the old man''s wants as well. It all comes back to Lyra. So, I have to make a stand here! ¡°Men. How about first crack?¡± chuckled Khandre, resting his blade into the ground and leaning on it. His group of five men moved in with their blades drawn. Lyra''s hand holding the dagger was shaking. I could see that she was scared and I know she wants to fight, but I can''t let anything happen to her. It was time to rise up! I stepped between her and the men. ¡°Duc?¡± she questioned. ¡°Quack.¡± I said, glancing back at her with a nod. ¡°What the hell is that?¡± asked one. ¡°A duck you moron.¡± said another. ¡°It''s in the way.¡± ¡°Then kill it first.¡± The meager soldier thought nothing of me as it neared me with his sword. I¡¯m sure he thought a quick stab into me and I''d be out of the way. Yeah right! No chance! I remembered that speed and offense were my true strengths. That I shouldn''t try to counter whatever they''re going to attempt. Instead, I should strike first. The clarity was there as I calmed myself. A burning overwelmed my insides. This was my first time battling people in my new life, but I knew it was bound to happen. I can''t let them being human outweigh my will to take them down. In my heart of hearts, I know a hero would never kill if they didn¡¯t have to¡­ I''ll do my best to incapacitate them. Steam began to rise from my bill as I finally pushed the heat inside up and out. The men looked in terror as a fire breathing duck unleashed an explosive wave of fire in their direction, blowing them all back with extreme force into trees behind where Khandre was standing, knocking their now crispy bodies unconscious. Khandre stood there in disbelief for a moment, as did Lyra, ¡°What the hell kind of duck is that?¡± he uttered. ¡°My duck!¡± shouted Lyra, ¡°Go Duc!¡± With what felt like overwhelming motivation, her cheering me on was enough to fire me up even more. I gathered wind molecules under my webbed feet and cascaded forward at super speed towards Khandre who had drawn his big sword, ready for a battle. However, with my speed it was like he was moving in slow motion as I headed straight for him. I extended my left wing once I was close enough and nailed the side of his sword. The force expelled it from his hands and as he was disarmed, I went in for a headbutt. Slamming my little head into his big head wasn''t the brightest of ideas as it did knock him back, but it also discombobulated me quite a bit. I dropped to the ground, regaining my senses when the man started laughing, ¡°A duck that can use magic? That''s really something. But you''re not the only one!¡± Khandre reached out his hand towards me and I began to float. I had never been this exhausted before but after taking a couple of heavy blows, one being from an ogre, I wasn''t really at the top of my game. He seemed to be using a different kind of wind magic as it swirled around me, lifting me into the air, inside the wind bubble, the oxygen was being vacuumed out. Khandre was suffocating me with his magic and I was helpless! This can''t be how it ends. This can''t be! ???????????????? End Part 6 ???????????????? ???????????????? Author''s Notes #3: ???????????????? I definitely hope and wish someday to see this as an anime or manga, but just having it in book form is enough for me. To finally put something out in the world that I poured everything into, even just for fun, would be a great personal accomplishment! So, if you''re reading this, I think I''ve done it! When it came to language and violence, trying to determine what the age rating and how far I''d go with certain things, ended up being simpler than I thought. While the creature on creature violence is brutal, I tried to keep it quite tame to hit a teen rating/young adult. Life and death are obviously the biggest stakes in most stories as it is with life, so I felt I did alright with the story content and telling it how I wanted without censoring myself too much.¡î ?????????????????????????? Duck Fact #3: Duck''s have a field of vision of 340 degrees around them due to each eye being on the side of the head. Their eyes are far better than humans and can see farther things in sharp focus. Also, they can move each eye independently, making for a neat defensive mechanism as they can easily sleep with one eye open to look out for predators! ?????????????????????????? ????The.Fellow???? 7. An Escape in Another World ???????????????? 7. An Escape in Another World ???????????????? This was it, or so I thought. As I hung in the air, gasping¡­ suffocating¡­ a blade flew past me and plunged into Khandre''s gut. It was Lyra''s curved dagger. She had some pin point accuracy! Khandre''s magic broke and I fell to the ground once again, but at least I was able to breath. As I honked a couple gasps, Lyra moved in quickly and pulled out her dagger, kicking Khandre''s body back. She then stepped away and picked me up. ¡°I''m telling you now little princess! You should have killed me dead,¡± warned Khandre, leaning back over, spitting out some blood onto the ground, and clenching his stomach wound. ¡°Dead men can not be held accountable for justice,¡± said Lyra, putting away her dagger. Khandre fell over passing out and Lyra carried me as she began running away through the woods. I was groggy myself, drained. I''ll just get a little rest. Things went blurry and dark again. I blacked out once more. ?????????????????????????? ¡°Duc? Duc?¡± I slowly awoke to Lyra stroking my head. We seemed to be moving. My vision cleared and I could see we were on the back of a horse-drawn wagon. It looked to be transporting some vegetables and other goods. ¡°Phew, you seem okay,¡± she said with relief, ¡°I got us a ride, for now. We''ll have to get off at the next town because the driver will be headed back this way. You were out for half a day.¡± ¡°Quack?!¡± That long? What the heck! ¡°Don''t worry. I''m pretty sure we''re in the clear for now. We just need to make some changes in the town. Getting back to my home is gonna be a challenge now. Getting out of this kingdom alone would take about a week or more walking, or a few days by wagon. But I don''t have much money to get us that far.¡± Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! I know I can''t communicate with her, but I wonder what she''s gonna do if we''re in a human kingdom and she''s a white-haired elf princess¡­ She might be pretty easy to spot. Well, I have to try something. I climbed off her lap and raised my wing as if to point at her. ¡°Hmmm?¡± she looked at me curiously, so I scooted closer and ruffled her hair and ear. ¡°Oh, you think they''ll notice me? Well they might¡­ I guess elves might seem pretty rare, but they do travel. My hair however, that might be a giveaway¡­¡± said Lyra trying to think of what to do. I''ve never tried magic like this before, but I have an idea. I calmed myself and closed my eyes, searching for the elements around me. It seemed not only were there vegetables on board, but amongst the other goods were coffee beans. In my last life, I had once learned that drinking coffee can actually darken your hair color. That some beans are even used in hair products. I don''t know how to approach messing with melanin and other factors that determine hair color, but maybe I can somehow dye it. I floated a handful of beans over and crushed them into a fine powder and then conjured up some water with soap. It was something I taught myself long ago in the cavern trenches with a lot of dirty water. Coming up with how to make soap became a want pretty fast. There I had to use monster fat and lye, but I know you could use vegetable oil too. Conveniently, all the ingredients needed seemed to be on the wagon. So, I crafted and began mixing the coffee grounds and soap thoroughly, hoping it''s enough to act as a dye. Lyra sat and watched in confusion until I started hovering the mixture towards her, ¡°For me?¡± ¡°Quack,¡± I said with a nod, putting my wing on my head, hoping it translated. She began to rub the mixture into her hair, ¡°This smells funny. I''ve never liked coffee, but dire times.¡± ¡°Quack.¡± She finished getting it through most of her hair and realized a shortcut. She took out her dagger and cut her long hair at the shoulder. ¡°Quack?!¡± ¡°No worries. It''ll grow back someday,¡± she said dropping her hair to the ground, ¡°I should look a lot different now.¡± She did. But I didnt want any traces so I took the hair she cut off and burned it in the air. It only smelled like coffee now. I looked back over Lyra, and the dress she had been wearing this whole time, while now a little dirtier, still stuck out. I don''t think I can change this. She has to know it''s a dead giveaway. What to do? I flapped one wing onto her dress a few times to see if she would understand, ¡°Quack?¡± ¡°Oh, I see,¡± she said looking down and brushing some dirt off, ¡°Elven silk. One of my favorite dresses. There should be a tailor in the town we¡¯re going to that would trade for it or buy it. I can get something more low profile.¡± I nodded my head in agreement. ¡°You know you''re a pretty smart duck,¡± she said with a smile, but then sadness washed over her. I could tell she was thinking about the attack, all those deaths, and her friend Gavin. Lyra shed a couple of tears, but wiped them away quickly. ¡°No, I can''t grieve anymore. I can''t let his and their sacrifice be for nothing,¡± she clenched her fist, ¡°They''re essentially trying to start a war. I won''t let them. That''s what this is about. If they were to stop me, they might take my father by surprise and actually win somehow. But if I can warn the kingdom and we prepare and set up defenses¡­ There''s no way they''d beat us! Plus, if the other human territories knew, I''m positive they would be on our side. We''ve always remained neutral from their wars, traded for what we needed, and stayed peaceful. To think they''d do this at a chance to get any of our land or resources is just insane. Unless¡­ there''s more to it.¡± I cocked my head, listening, but still not sure of the politics of it all. Unfortunately, I can''t just ask. Hopefully, she or I can piece it together soon. Either way, I''ll protect her. The wagon came to a slow, breaking both our trains of thought, as we seemed to be entering our destination. The driver told us we had in fact arrived and slowed to let us off. He said the city was called Zeele and a tailor was just around the corner. So, we were on our way. ???????????????? End Part 7 ???????????????? ????The.Fellow???? 8. A Town in Another World ???????????????? 8. A Town in Another World ???????????????? We made our way through a bustling marketplace where a few looks were given. Lyra''s white dress definitely was the stand out, but we quickly made it to the tailor''s shop. She approached the shopkeeper who looked friendly enough. He was a stout and portly man looking to be maybe sixty or so in human years. ¡°Welcome! Welcome my dear, to my little shop! I am Jentry. How may I help you today?¡± the shopkeeper asked. ¡°I was hoping to exchange this dress.¡± said Lyra showing him the fabric. ¡°Elven silk huh. Very nice. For the dress. I could do¡­ 1000 silver.¡± ¡°1000?!¡± Lyra seemed outraged, ¡°It''s worth at least ten times that much.¡± ¡°Well, it is dirty and you do seem to be in a little bit of a hurry. If you weren''t wearing it, I''d think you stole it,¡± Jentry haggled. ¡°I assure you it''s mine. I just- I lost my coin pouch and just need some to make it home.¡± ¡°You have my offer dear,¡± said Jentry opening his register. ¡°Fine, but only if you throw in something I could wear in exchange¡­¡± Lyra said giving in. ¡°Oh, that''s a done deal. Can¡¯t let you walk out of here in nothing! Let me see,¡± said Jentry taking the coins out, putting them in a little leather bag and then began sifting through some of his products. I noticed that he put ten coins in the pouch. So each silver coin was equal to 100 units of their currency. Silver must be more common in this world to be used as such. Judging by the amount Lyra got and how much she said it was worth, 1000 silver isn''t anything to scoff at either. Jentry finished picking out Lyra''s outfit and then escorted her to a changing room. He slid the clothes he picked out under the door to her only after she handed him the dress. I sat by the register waiting for her to return. After a few minutes, Lyra made her debut. She was wearing a long black sleeve shirt, black tights, a brown leather skirt and brown boots. Now, she definitely looked like a whole new person! Wow. I can''t believe how much cuter she got! What a dream! She came back over to the register where Jentry was waiting with the money and her dress. This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. ¡°Oh, hold on a second,¡± she said reaching into a fold of the dress. She pulled out the sheathed dagger she had been carrying this whole time and put it down her backside so it wasn''t visible, ¡°Can''t forget that.¡± ¡°Very nice piece, could always sell that and make some good coin too,¡± said Jentry handing her the coin purse from earlier, ¡°Nice doing business with you.¡± ¡°Oh, thank you. It''s kind of a family heirloom of sorts, so I couldn''t possibly sell it,¡± said Lyra backing away as Jentry nodded in understanding. The two of us made for the door, ready to leave, but Lyra seemed to suddenly remember something, ¡°Excuse me Mister Jentry, but is there a place to get maps of the area here?¡± ¡°Maps? Well, most roads are a straight shot, but if you''re needing specific stuff, you''re gonna have to check out the Adventurer¡¯s Guild. They keep track of that stuff there. It''s out the door and straight down the road to the left. Big stone building. You can''t miss it.¡± ¡°Thank you so much!¡± said Lyra with a smile. We exited the tailor shop and Lyra picked me up to carry me again. The streets were busy. One look left and you could see the Adventurer''s Guild building easily, so we started journeying that way. As we approached the massive stone building, we saw even more people coming in and out. These guilds must be the places people go to for everything, because the city really wasn''t that big but this place was packed! Lyra began looking in every direction once we were near the entrance to find who could help us or where exactly to go. ¡°Looking for help?¡± came a femine voice from behind. Lyra turned to face the young woman that approached us. She looked like a monster hunting adventurer like myself, strapped in leather armor and small throwing blades with a medium sized hatchet on her hip. Her short pixie cut bright purple hair was the second thing I noticed after how ready for a fight she was. ¡°Yes,¡± said Lyra, bowing to the new colleague. ¡°Oh an elf! Cool.¡± said the woman excitedly after seeing Lyra''s ears poke out, ¡°I''m Beatrix Plume, you can call me Bea! What do you need help with?¡± ¡°We need a map or a guide perhaps. See, I don''t really know my way home- er I was usually, escorted¡­ I mean, I just-¡± ¡°Ah, it just so happens I''m an explorer! I love mapping out routes,¡± said Bea pulling out a parchment from a satchel behind her back and unraveling it, ¡°Home huh? I assume the elven kingdom? Well, I''ve mapped to the border and know the way pretty well.¡± ¡°Really?! Wow, that''d be a great help.¡± ¡°But if I were to be honest, and around here, a lot of adventurers probably wouldn''t be¡­ You could probably hitch a ride on a wagon through the main road for like 200 silver. Any guide is gonna cost a bit,¡± explained Bea in a lower voice. ¡°Quack.¡± I said tossing my head sideways and Lyra took note. ¡°Right¡­ well I don¡¯t think a main road is going to work for us,¡± Lyra said frazzled. ¡°Hmmm,¡± said Bea pausing to think, ¡°Look, I''ll help you, for a small fee, IF you teach me some stuff about the elven lands.¡± ¡°I can do that. I know the routes over there much better!¡± exclaimed Lyra, perking up. ¡°Then we''ve got a deal,¡± said Bea reaching out her hand for a shake of agreement and Lyra reciprocated. ¡°Thank you so much!¡± After buying some food supplies and forking over 500 silver for our guide, we didn''t have much money left, but we were prepared for the journey. We spent another fifty on a room for the night at the local inn so we could wake up bright and early and get Lyra home. The night went fast as the morning light from the sunrise hit me through the window. I rushed to wake Lyra. She slowly gathered up everything, checked out and then we went outside to find Bea already raring to go. ???????????????? End Part 8 ???????????????? ???????????????? Author''s Notes #4: ???????????????? It was important to me to bring in at least one other character for this journey, thus came Bea. For this story I made the names up on the spot as I went. It was an in the moment choice for all their names as I was writing, so much so, that I''d have to go back to remember what I named them if they came up in the future! Tell me, what was Lyra''s last name again?! The important of having another character to go through things with Lyra and Duc seemed important to me, not only to add another voice to the conversation that can info dump about the world, but to also have someone who would become a ride or die type of character in the future. A lot of Lyra''s desire to grow and explore will be in relation to new places and new people. So having every character we meet diminish that, was never in the cards. Thus, a wagon ride from a stranger, or a people willing to help, even if it cost some money¡­ shows that not everyone is inherently bad in the world.¡î ?????????????????????????? Duck Fact #4: Ducks become in danger of frostbite starting at just below 20¡ãF, in which their feet are the most endangered part as they are what''s typically touching and absorbing the cold. While it is a probability, healthy ducks can actually survive just fine for 36 hours at -15¡ãF, but having shelter, food, and water are important factors in that survivability as well! ?????????????????????????? 9. A Journey in Another World ???????????????? 9. A Journey in Another World ???????????????? Bea showed us her map of the kingdom on the way to the elven border. To avoid the main roads, it seems we''d have to venture through a dense forest and over a mountain, which would take a few days time. As our trip got underway, walking became exhausting, even for me. ¡°Okay, I think we should take a rest,¡± said Bea pulling out the map. ¡°Yes. That''d be nice,¡± panted Lyra, falling to the ground, ¡°How far are we?¡± ¡°Well, it''s only been a few hours, so we''re a little ways into the forest. There are paths marked out for adventurers like the ones we''ve been following, so we shouldn''t run into trouble.¡± explained Bea. Only a few hours. Heck, who am I to have a sense of time anyways. Five years in a dungeon! Sheesh. ¡°So, about the duck¡­¡± said Bea looking at me. ¡°Quack?¡± ¡°Oh, he''s my pet.¡± stated Lyra quickly. ¡°A duck as a pet? That''s a new one. Most people just eat them.¡± ¡°QUACK?¡± ¡°Duc is a special duck,¡± said Lyra giving me a little head pat. ¡°Really? Howzzat¡­¡± Bea began to ask, but I interrupted by casting a little magic. I was thirsty and didn¡¯t want to take from the supplies in case they needed it, so I pulled from the molecules around me and brought a water bubble to my bill. I inhaled the water quickly to quench my thirst. ¡°Is uh¡­ that a magic¡­,¡± asked Bea. ¡°He''s a magic duck,¡± chuckled out Lyra at the same time. Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. ¡°Quack!¡± The two began to laugh together. After a short break, we got a move on again. A few beasts wandered onto the trails that were supposedly safe, but I took care of some of them and Bea took care of the others. She seemed to be pretty proficient with her knives and hatchet. In my world, she would have seemed more like a rogue class of person, rather than an explorer. We finally made it through the dense forest after a day and a half. We were now at the base of the mountain. This mountain is what seperated us from the elven border. It was very out of the way, but also the only way to avoid regular routes that might be watched by this territories'' soldiers. ¡°I know it looks daunting, but it''s not too bad. At least, the getting up,¡± Bea said giving an unsure laugh. ¡°What do you mean?¡± asked Lyra. ¡°Well, I basically map what I can see and put the trails. I''ve got the trails mapped for going up the mountain, but never had a reason to go over and down. But I''m sure we''ll figure it out. There''s not much out here,¡± explained Bea. ¡°We''ve got to do it,¡± spoke Lyra with determination, walking ahead of Bea and I. ¡°Quack.¡± I said for assurance. ¡°To the left,¡± spoke up Bea, Lyra corrected her path as Bea laughed. I wanted to have faith in Bea''s words, but the farther up the mountain we traveled, the more I began to sense hostility. It was bad enough the trip up was grueling and slowing us down a lot compared to the forest, but now something was growing near with ill intentions. Even worse, I can''t even convey that to the two girls. We continued on at a sluggish pace but I remained ever vigilant. We all seemed pretty exhausted, but Bea said to push through just a little more. So we did. And a short time later we came to a small abandoned camp. It had a couple tattered old tents and even a wooden shed. The wind began picking up and the cold night air starting coming. High up on the mountainside was proving to be more challenging overall. I saw a cast iron bucket that had been discarded and left, picked it up, and scuttled over to the wooden shed. Bea and Lyra followed me, probably just out of curiousity. The door to the shed wasn''t on great, so I easily got it open myself with a wing while carrying the bucket with my bill. I put the bucket on the ground of the small shed near a couple of wooden pieces that maybe belonged to a stool in the past, and put them into the bucket. Then I began steaming my bill as the exquiste fire-breathing duck I am, and lit the pieces on fire to provide some warmth. ¡°Thanks Duc!¡± exclaimed Lyra slightly shivering and getting closer to the fire. ¡°It won''t get too cold, a little below freezing, but if you''re not use to it, it can be a little much,¡± said Bea closing the shed door as best as she could, ¡°This will have to do til morning. It''ll warm back up with the sun.¡± ¡°S-sounds good.¡± ¡°Quack.¡± ?????????????????????????? The night came and the two seemed to be able to rest easy, bathed in the warmth of our temporary little shed room compared to the cold outside. I, however, still had a bad feeling. While I remember that others can surpress their presence, concealing their natures and mana power, what I kept feeling in the air was a fluctuating force. One moment I''d feel an overwhelming force of anger, and another moment it''d be gone. Either way, I was still sensing multiple beings or creatures on this mountain side. We were not alone. I suppose I could stand outside, but I might just freeze to death as my little body will take on the cold much more harshly. The main problem right now is that I can''t tell if whatever''s out there is getting closer or not. Well, I definitely can''t sleep like this. As I moved closer to the door with the intent of going out and just looking around, the ground rumbled and the shed was struck, blowing apart into pieces. Bea and Lyra screamed as they were blown back as was I, trying to fly my way out of the mess. Luckily, we all seemed to be okay. ¡°I''ve come for your head duck,¡± said a gravelly male voice out of the darkness of night. Men behind him held torches to light their way as he stepped out of the darkness to reveal his face. It was Khandre, the man after Lyra! The man we were climbing this mountain to avoid! What the heck?! ¡°Quack?! ???????????????? End Part 9 ???????????????? ????The.Fellow???? 10. A Showdown in Another World ???????????????? 10. A Showdown in Another World ???????????????? Lyra and Bea got back to their feet standing behind me with their weapons drawn. Bea''s hatchet and Lyra''s dagger. ¡°My my, little princess. Don''t you look different,¡± Khandre said stepping forward with his giant sword on his shoulder and wraps around his stomach from his previous wound. ¡°Princess?¡± asked Bea. ¡°How?¡± asked a shocked Lyra to Khandre. ¡°Oh, I''m sure there''s plenty of magic out there you don''t know about. Not too familiar with blood magic? How you ask? You''re holding it,¡± he said with a smirk. Lyra focused in on her dagger. The edge tainted in his blood from when she threw it into him, ¡°The blood¡­?!¡± ¡°Yep. Pretty easy tracking spell when I only have to follow myself,¡± he laughed aiming his sword at them, ¡°Look, time''s run out. This ends now.¡± Khandre signaled his men to the left and right, some around Bea and some around Lyra, while he walked towards me. I don''t know if I can do this. I lost last time! My battle senses against others just isn''t as good as I thought. . I looked back at Bea who was itching for a fight and then to Lyra who wasn''t, but was prepared to defend herself. Each girl was surrounded by six armored soldiers. I could swoop in and get them away from one or the other¡­ but not both at the same time. What can I do? Bea''s been kicking butt all up and down the mountain and forest. It''s Lyra. I know its bad to choose when I should try to save both, but it''s her I''m supposed to protect! I turned towards Lyra for just a milisecond and that''s when Khandre darted forward, kicking me backwards away from either group. I couldn''t help but let out a squeal from the pain. He moved so fast I couldn''t even brace myself with magic. The two groups of soldiers moved in on their prey. Bea drew a couple of daggers into her left hand as she clutched her hatchet in her right. She ran forward and somersaulted past two of the soldiers and released the blades into the back of their necks, taking them out easily. However, the other soldiers moved in quickly. One grabbed her left hand and another parried her right as she tried to swing the hatchet. A third came up and punched her to the ground with his metal gauntlet. With a bloodied nose and slight wimper, Bea passed out on the ground. At the same time, the soldiers around Lyra moved in too. She swung her dagger around in a fervor, but they deflected it at each strike. A couple laughed at her attempts to defend herself. Another came from behind, slashing her arm, forcing her to drop the dagger. Lyra fell to her knees, clutching the cut as blood leaked out. With tears in her eyes, and her head hung low, I could tell she believed all hope was lost. That''s how I was feeling too. Consume. What? Consume. A voice was in my head. Egging me on. Creating¡­ A burning inside me. Anger. So angry. Beating my friends! Making them cry! If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Consume! I rose back to my feet. Underneath my feathers, coming from within my body, the creature within, the black slime, seems to have awoken and began weaving around me. ¡°What in the hell?¡± said one soldier, causing the others to look as well. Khandre approached cautiously aiming his blade at me, ¡°What are you?¡± ¡°QUAAAACK!¡± I let out a malevolent cry. When I raised my wing towards the soldier, it grew through the slime becoming a long tentacle. It pierced through three of them in a row. Through their bodies and armor, flinging them away from Lyra. My other wing lashed out to the left, doing the same and ridding the remaining soldiers around Bea. I darted forward at an unbelievable speed towards the remaining soldiers and barreled through them easily as they cried out for help. Khandre stood in disbelief. Then, I lashed towards him with both wing tentacles. Khandre somehow stood his ground, blocking them and backing off. I was trying to tell myself not to underestimate him like before, but the anger in me was nearly all consuming. I brought the tentacles back to me to try a close up tactic instead. The slime formed around my wings again, but this time in the shape of blades. Khandre slammed the ground with his sword, casting out a magic wave through the ground in an attempt to catch me off guard, I shot up and hovered to avoid it easily. ¡°Damn you! I don''t have time for this!¡± Khandre shouted. He clenched his fist, gathering a force of magic to launch another attack, but I wouldn''t let him this time. I darted forward, faster than I''ve ever gone, causing Khandre to break concentration and instead try to block. My wing came down with such incredible force and sharpness, that it cut through Khandre''s blade and through the armor over his left shoulder. Khandre''s left arm fell to the ground as he let out a roar, dropping his hilt with a now broken blade and grasping at the wound. The battle was over, or at least I thought so. While I was ready for it to be over, the urge to finish Khandre off for good wasn''t going away. He looked at me with such hatred. ¡°Go on! Do it you feathered bastard!¡± I raised my wing to deliver the blow, but remembered Lyra had the same chance. It''s not what she wanted. It''s not who I''m supposed to be. That''s not a hero. I''ve become a monster¡­ A blinding light hit my eyes in the fateful moment. It was the sun rising over the mountain. Morning had come. In that moment of hesitation, the slime receded inwards into my body and I regained my full faculties. I''m glad I didn''t make an unforgivable mistake. ¡°Oh dear. Khandre. What have you done?¡± came a voice from behind him. Khandre turned in fear to the voice he surely knew. Behind him stood a young man with slicked back black hair dressed in fancy clothes. ¡°My prince, I''ve got¡­¡± ¡°Enough.¡± said the man picking up the hilt of Khandre''s broken sword. The prince examined it for a second, making sure the blade was sharp enough, and then quickly plunged it through Khandre''s skull, who fell over dead. The man examined the scene and looked over the wounded men and myself, and to Lyra. I wanted to move in defense of her, but I was seemingly frozen still. Was I that drained from the fight? Is this man doing something to me? Either way, I had chills watching him approach her. He reached out his hand to Lyra to help her up. Upon closer inspection, the man seemed relatively young. Maybe in his early twenties with a stong build like any of the other soldiers around. However, his outfit was emerald green and gold, looking smooth like silk rather than armor. ¡°Princess Lyrianna, are you okay?¡± he asked as if he truly cared. ¡°I''m fine. You-you''re the prince. Your father ordered my death!¡± she exclaimed, slapping away his hand and rising up. ¡°That is a lie. It was all Khandre''s doing. He didn''t like how negotiations went and has been pushing for us to just take the elven land by force. Apparently, he had some sort of plan of his own. Separate from our kingdom''s. I assure you.¡± explained the prince, ¡°And I knew what had to be done for this treason.¡± He glanced over at Khandre''s dead body and so did Lyra. She shuddered in fear herself. I think she could tell something was off with this guy too. ¡°No more funny business. We need to get you home to your father. I can''t let any further incident happen,¡± the prince stated. It was hard to trust, but behind him came a carriage that was to take us down the other side of the mountain. A couple more soldiers came out of it and helped Bea into it as the prince guided Lyra to it as well. I finally mustered some movement, waddling over haphazardly. ¡°What of Khandre''s men?¡± asked one of the soldiers. ¡°They''re all hurt, but not dead. Hopefully, we can chalk it up to him misleading them as well, but there will be an investigation of every soldier. Let''s get them all lined up for transporting. You get our guests here to the border safely and come back for me once you''re done,¡± ordered the prince. ¡°Yes sire!¡± said the soldier, taking the reigns of carriage. ¡°I''m sure we''ll meet again someday. Under different circumstances,¡± the prince said to us, closing the carriage door as it began to take off. We all finally had a moment to breathe easy. I can''t believe after all this time, Lyra will finally be home! ???????????????? End Part 10 ???????????????? Author''s Notes #5: ???????????????? Exciting dangerous high stakes confilct! Writing am I right? I wanted to have a volume 1 villain only and it ended up being Khandre. The blood tracing idea came pretty early on, so I knew I was bringing him back, but I didn''t want it to feel like a wasted part where we changed Lyra''s appearance. I feel elves in many fantasy works often have blonde, white or just this celestial bright appearance, so I wanted to have her change on the outside, to of course, change on the inside. While it is Duc''s story, how the characters grow around him was always top priority. There''s still so much to explore with Duc''s powers and whether or not it''s a true fight on the inside. We now know that after all this time Duc had absorbed the killer black slime and it''s powers while in egg form, but even in this fantasy world, no one really knows what the black slime is capable of. That''s because the black slime cares about nothing, besides eating. As long as it has a place to dwell, and a food source, it seems content to stay where it''s at. Like say, a dungeon, where monsters fall prey to it! In terms of its relationship with Duc, it''s kind of like a symbiotic parasite.¡î ?????????????????????????? Duck Fact #5: Ducks are actually omnivores! Meaning they eat a little bit of everything. From grass, aquatic plants, insects, seeds, fruit, fish, crustaceans and more! A lot of people go back and forth on whether or not to feed ducks bread. Feeding ducks bread is bad because the food has little nutritional value and can harm their growth, pollute waterways and attract rodents and other pests into messing with their ecosystem! ?????????????????????????? ????The.Fellow???? 11. King in Another World ???????????????? 11. King in Another World ???????????????? The carriage ride was going smoothly as it headed in the right direction down the mountain and towards the elven border. So far, it appeared to not be a trap. Lyra had been focused on healing Bea thusfar. Her injuries were more internal from the blunt force attacks. Lyra had only wrapped up her arm to stop it''s bleeding. ¡°Ly-lyra?¡± asked a groggy Bea coming to. ¡°Yes, I''m here,¡± she said, finally resting her magic focus on the healing. ¡°Did we win?¡± Lyra laughed uneasily as she looked at me, ¡°Duc won for both of us it seems.¡± ¡°The duck? Really?¡± Bea groaned in defeat. ¡°Quack.¡± ¡°It seems he''s more than just a magic duck. He''s something else too. But, he saved us. I know you weren''t awake, but it was¡­ scary in the moment,¡± Lyra explained. Oh no! I scared her?! Well¡­ it was scary to me too. A tap of unusual power I can''t fully control wasn''t something I was prepared for. It''s never happened before. I don''t know if Lyra could tell I was feeling uneasy, but she reached out and pet me on the head like normal. It really helped. An hour or so passed and the soldier stayed true to the prince''s word. We had crossed the elven border where shortly after, we came to a halt to a group of elves that seemed to be awaiting the princess''s arrival. The soldier opened the door to let us out. A man pushed through the group of elves to get to us, ¡°Lily baby! Lily where are you?!¡± he cried out as he came to the front of the group. A big grizzly man with long white hair and pearl colored armor and crown stepped forward with tears in his eyes, ¡°What. Have. They. Done!¡± he yelled after seeing her appearance. ¡°Father, I''m fine I swear. I did it to myself,¡± said Lyra as he walked up and hugged her close. Father?! The king?! ¡°I''m so sorry you went through all of this!¡± he continued, ¡°I never should have sent you. These stupid negotiation meetings. Unnecessary!¡± Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. ¡°King Alastaire,¡± said the soldier, bowing. ¡°Yes, human?¡± said Alastaire with a huff. ¡°Prince Wallen awaits me, but informed me you knew all the details. Any questions before I go?¡± ¡°The perpetrator?¡± ¡°Dead Sire. Prince Wallen made sure of it.¡± ¡°Good. Perhaps, relations can be mended in the future, but for now, be off.¡± ¡°Yes sire,¡± nodded the soldier, getting back on the carriage and taking off. ¡°Wait a minute. Princess?¡± asked Bea. ¡°Oh, didn''t I tell you that,¡± Lyra said with an uneasy chuckle. ¡°And who is this one?¡± asked the king. ¡°This is Bea. She''s a friend. She helped save me and get me here father,¡± Lyra explained. ¡°Well then, thank you for helping return my daughter.¡± ¡°N-no problem, uh, sir,¡± stuttered Bea, who for the first time looked a little intimidated. ¡°Quack.¡± ¡°What the hell is that thing!¡± shouted Alastaire jumping backwards after acknowledging me. ¡°It''s, its a duck father. My duck Duc.¡± said Lyra. ¡°Quack.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what that it, but it''s definitely not a duck! It creeps me out,¡± Alastaire shuddered. What the heck king? You''re a creep! ¡°Quack!¡± ¡°You''ll have to get used to him. He''s my annointed protector.¡± ¡°What? Impossible.¡± Alastaire went dead serious. ¡°Look, um, we can talk about this when we get home. They''re coming with. Both of them,¡± Lyra said sternly. ¡°So be it,¡± said the king, giving in rather easily. We were escorted to more carriages to be transported back to their castle in the elven kingdom. The elves¡¯ carriages were pearl white like the kings armor and being pulled by large white elks. Some of the soldiers were riding their own along side them as well. As we began another trip for who knows how long, at least we got to see the scenery. The elven lands were quite different from the human ones we had come from, that''s for sure. There were vibrant full, red grassed rolling hills, purple trees with the softest looking leaves, and paved white brick roads. It was awe-inspiring! We had barely moved for a few seconds when a blinding golden light flashed around us and we were in front of a gorgeous white castle. The king and his men were dismounting and Lyra opened the carriage door for us to get out. ¡°Wait, what was that?¡± Bea asked. Yeah?! What was that?! ¡°Quack?¡± ¡°Oh, sorry. I guess I''ve just always been used to it when I''m here. My father is the foremost expert on teleportation magic. While it makes him a fierce warrior, it also helps for shortcuts and quick journeys. Although, it does have it''s limitations,¡± explained Lyra. ¡°That''s¡­ that''s insane!¡± exclaimed Bea in amazement. ¡°You''re officially where few humans have ever come,¡± said Lyra with a smile. ¡°No way!¡± Bea lit up. ¡°While travelers often visit through cities and trade routes, almost none actually get to the castle. Couldn''t put my little Lily in danger,¡± explained King Alastaire walking back over to us from the front carriage. ¡°Father¡­¡± said Lyra pouting, ¡°You''re embarassing me.¡± ¡°Well, I need a moment. Bea, how about you take a look at the city side from that viewpoint,¡± he said pointing to an overlook, ¡°There, you can see the city of Heiselrond, our capital just below, and in the far distance south, the border entrance we were just at.¡± ¡°Woah! No way!¡± Bea said as she ran to the overlook. The king ushered off the carriages and other soldiers so it was just Lyra, him, and me standing there. He looked at me with disdain for a moment, then seemed to shoot some sort of aura out of his hand at me. It didn''t hurt, but something weird did happen. A glowing green symbol floated around my stomach for a second. I hadn''t seen it before now. What the heck is that?! ¡°What is the meaning of this?¡± asked the king. ¡°I was hurt¡­ momentarily,¡± Lyra said instantly getting interupted. ¡°Hurt?! Those monsters! But this thing! Why this thing?!¡± he shouted and even Bea looked over. ¡°Father, Duc protected me! If it weren''t for him, I would probably have died during the attack.¡± ¡°How could Gavin do this? He. He was a great warrior and soldier. Queensgard for 60 years! He knew. He knew that if he were to pass, we would anoint another in the right way,¡± said the king in a furious fit, clenching his fist. I don''t think I quite understand¡­ when Gavin died, the promise I made, was more than a promise? Like a binding pact of some sort? ¡°I don''t think it was a mistake. I think he knew Duc was my best shot. He''s special father! Even in the short time Gavin knew him, he had to have thought so too to bind him to me as my new Queensgard!¡± said Lyra with tears in her eyes. Her Queensgard?! ¡°It will at least pass a test, or die, so a proper one can be appointed.¡± said the king storming off. ¡°Father!¡± ¡°Quack?!¡± What?! ???????????????? End Part 11 ???????????????? ????The.Fellow???? 12. A New Horizon in Another World ???????????????? 12. A Test in Another World ???????????????? It has been two days since we''ve been brought into the elven kingdom and to the castle. We''ve been allowed to stay per Lyra''s wishes, but the king has issued a challenge for me! Apparently, I have to beat one of his top warriors or accept death. Yeah, right! Like I''m going to accept death! But also, I''ve felt weirdly energetic lately. My body feels different over all. After a good night''s rest, despite thinking of my eminent death, from the day of the battle with Khandre, I''ve felt stronger than ever. The only problem is, if this is somehow a new power thanks to black slime''s emergence, I fear losing control again. After all this time, this thing inside me awakes?! Where were you when I was fighting for my life in the dungeon you stupid slime! At least that was my first thought¡­ While it might seem normal for a duck to eat a fish or two, turns out, what''s not so normal is for a duck to eat monster meat and basically anything else that I could find while in the dungeon. I''ve always been able to eat anything and everything, but never really got bigger. I think the slime¡¯s always been a part of me! The realization only hit me when some of the castle staff brough by food supposedly for a duck, which was just oats, grains, and berries. That being said, I wonder if it means I was just hangry in my fight with Khandre¡­ No. That''s stupid. It was definitely more than that! I just wish I had the time to figure it out more and learn how to properly utilize it without losing control. Time''s just not on my side. In the couple days we''ve been here, Lyra has been showing Bea all around as I trotted after them, along with armed guards. The castle was huge and offered a lot of history of the elven kingdom. Quaelin was the name of the first elven king. He was Lyra''s great great great great grandfather from thousands, yes thousands, of years back. The elven territory was know as Eritas and it used to be veiled from the other races in those ancient times through it''s border wall, but now has open trade thanks to Alastaire a few hundred years ago. On one such tour, we were interrupted by the king, ¡°Lyra, it is time.¡± If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. ¡°Fine father. But after spending these couple of days with Bea, and the whole journey beforehand¡­ I''ve decided something,¡± Lyra said in rebuttal. ¡°What''s that my dear?¡± ¡°I''m going to be an adventurer. I''m going to join the guild. I''m going to travel. I''m not going to be cooped up here or be an errand girl anymore!¡± she shouted. The king had tears in his eyes, ¡°But. But darling I-¡± he was interrupted. ¡°I am an adult. I will do these things with or without your blessing,¡± Lyra said, putting her foot down. ¡°Well, there''s no way you''re going anywhere without a competent Queensgard,¡± sniped Alastaire with a sinister look in my direction. ¡°Quack?¡± ¡°You will face a champion of my choosing in a battle. Win or die. Those are your options little duck- thing,¡± he said pointing the way. ¡°Don''t worry Duc, you can do it,¡± said Lyra backing me up and Bea giving me a thumbs up. A champion though? Some crazy strong soldier I''m sure. I hope I can do this! We all made our way to the courtyard of the castle. It was a wide enough concrete area for a battle, surrounded by well tended flowers of all colors and purple bushes. The king faced away from me towards the castle and dropped his cape, revealing a golden hilted rapier and drawing it. ¡°The champion I choose, is me.¡± What?! ¡°Quack?!¡± ¡°Father?!¡± shouted a stunned Lyra. ¡°Sweet!¡± chimed in Bea. ¡°You plan on leaving and making a mark on your own, and I can respect that. But I''ll be damned if anything happens to you! You will have a proper Queensgard!¡± ¡°But father-¡± ¡°Quack!¡± I chimed in, stepping forward to accept his challenge. ¡°Duc¡­¡± said Lyra backing down. The battle was imminent. I can''t keep failing to protect Lyra! If I can''t prove myself here and now, I don''t deserve to be her companion. Not that I would prefer death, obviously, but the king was right to be so adamant. ¡°Let''s go duck thing,¡± Alastaire commanded. ¡°Quack!¡± I darted forward hoping my speed would be my edge, but it was like my brain was mush over these past couple days and I forgot¡­ In a flash of yellow light, the king disappeared before me and instantly beside me, giving me a swift kick in the side. I rolled sideways across the concrete. Right¡­ teleportation master. I''ve got to be smart about this. I need a real plan. ¡°Poor duckling, you''re not meant to be more than a pet, or something''s food. You should have never gotten that mark.¡± The king disappeared in a flash again, trying to close the distance by appearing behind me and catch me off guard. But this time I wasn''t going to focus on him. If I''m dangerous enough, he won''t be able to get close. So, I huffed out a jet of fire magic from my bill into an orb around me and then expanded it towards the king. The heat didn''t seem to phase Alastaire as I turned to face him, he was driving his rapier through my fire with ease. I was able to dodge the blade and back off, breaking the fire orb around me. ¡°No amount of fire can melt or destroy our elven made weapons, but at least you''re trying,¡± smirked the king. Ugh! This guy. Think¡­ think! What can I do? The king began to glow golden again, about to use his teleportation magic method. He''s being so aggressive. Trying to end it fast. Lyra! Lyra said there were limits to it! Maybe he can only do it so many times and I just have to hold out. Alastaire appeared at my side once again, with his rapier intent on a piercing blow. I did what I could and pushed off upwards at a fast speed. Fast enough to avoid his blade! I can''t believe I didn''t think to just fly! I''m a duck. I''d face palm myself if I could. I looked back down to check the king''s position, but already lost him. That''s when a massive force came down upon my back. Alastaire had teleported above me and is just using his body weight to send me into the ground! Under his weight, I might explode on impact! There has to be a way out of this! Something I haven''t thought of, but what? ???????????????? End Part 12 ???????????????? ????The.Fellow???? 13. A New Horizon in Another World ???????????????? 13. A New Horizon in Another World ???????????????? ¡°Duc!¡± shouted a fearful Lyra. I caught a glimpse of her face and it reminded me how magic has always been differently used by others. My way has always been weird. Tied to my emotions, but also somehow my imagination. Yes, the king has been striking fast, but also very calm. His focus is insane. I need to focus! Alastaire and I approached the ground and in an instant, he slammed against it, full force. Dust shot up and the ground cracked under his attack. ¡°No!¡± shouted Lyra. ¡°Look!¡± said Bea. ¡°Impossible.¡± said the king, wide-eyed and nonbelieving. I teleported behind the king, avoiding his attack and was ready to mount my own. The trick seemed to be enough to rattle him, because he wasn''t teleporting away this time. Or maybe he couldn''t. Either way, it was my turn to strike! I blew a jet of wind at his back as he tried to turn to face me, causing him to lose some balance and raise his arms. With this, Alastaire had a weaker grip on his rapier, so when I darted into him, it caused him to let go of his blade and topple over onto the ground. The king was disarmed. I stood there, eye level with the angry king, and raised my wing as if to antagonize him. ¡°Rahhh!¡± he shouted out of anger, crawling toward me, forgetting his blade, and eventually scrambling back to his feet. It seemed the king was more than willing to throw hands, but if I let him grab me, it could be all over. So, I teleported again. This time to his rapier. I picked it up with my bill and flew in the air. ¡°You son of a-¡± shouted the king as I just hovered above him. I could tell I was getting weaker by the moment. I now understand the toll of teleporting and know I can''t do it again. The amount of mana to fuel the magic has to be outrageous! This has to end here and now! I flicked my head, releasing his sword with some force towards him, but not exactly at him. The attack caused him to turn away for just a moment, which was all the time I needed. This was it, my final attack! In the instant I had to make my move, I summoned as much of the air molecules I could around me, pulling in moisture from it all to surround my body, quickly developing into a huge water attack. This was my gamble, a water wave of force! If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. As I pushed it with all my might towards the king, Alastaire reached down to pick up his rapier and went to turn back towards me. But it was too late for him. My wave of water slammed into the king, making him drop his sword again, and blowing him backwards into one of the castle walls with such force, it cracked upon impact, leaving him embedded there. ¡°Quack!¡± ¡°Father!¡± shouted Lyra, running onto the battlefield. Alastaire pushed against the wall, freeing himself, and falling to his knees, ¡°Unbelievable.¡± he uttered. Lyra got to him and reached out her hand to help the king up. While at first it seemed he was going to give in to his anger and maybe continue the fight, after bowing his head for a moment of acceptance, he looked up into her eyes and smiled. Then he got to his feet. ¡°Duc!¡± he shouted pointing at me, ¡°You are officially recognized as Queensgard to Lyrianna Ghisendra, heir to the elven throne!¡± I jumped for joy with a little squeal, as Bea rushed over and picked me up above her head waving me around, ¡°Duc the Queensgard! Hear him roar!¡± she chuckled. ¡°Beat by a duck. I''ll never live this down,¡± said the king getting and sheathing his rapier. ¡°You know what this means right?¡± asked Lyra. ¡°Oh no! I forgot! You can''t leave me again!¡± said Alastaire moving instantly to tears. ¡°I have to do this father. For you. For me. For everyone. I can''t be helpless and sheltered all my life.¡± ¡°I know sweetie. I''m just not ready. I''ll never be ready.¡± ¡°We''ll stay a couple more days, but I plan to go register with the Adventurer¡¯s Guild in Heiselrond and deciding where to go from there,¡± Lyra explained. ¡°I see. So be it,¡± said the king stifling his crying and wiping some scuffs off his armor, ¡°Well, I''m going to go change into something clean. I''ll see you for dinner.¡± ¡°Sounds good father,¡± said Lyra with a smile. She turned towards Bea and me, then ran over, snatching me away and embracing me, ¡°You did it Duc! You really did it!¡± ¡°Quack!" ¡°And now we''ll have a top notch party for the Adventurer''s Guild!¡± exclaimed an ecstatic Bea. ¡°I can''t wait. Thank you. Thank both of you. For this journey. For being my friends,¡± a tearful Lyra spoke thankfully. ¡°No problem princess. I still can''t believe you''re a princess,¡± Bea laughed again, ¡°We''ll probably have to keep that under wraps with the guild.¡± ¡°Yes. I plan to conceal my identity with my new looks. Outside this castle, everyone knows me as the bright eyed, white haired princess Lyrianna. But now I can feel like my true self and not be so overwhelmed as Lyra.¡± ¡°Good to know. Well, get some relaxation in for now, because once we''re out in the world, doing whatever we decide to do, it''s gonna be a hell of a time,¡± smirked Bea. ¡°Actually, I think I already know what one of the first big challenges I want to face is,¡± said Lyra, looking off into the distance. ¡°Oh yeah? What''s that?¡± Bea asked curiously. ¡°I think I''d really like to explore and conquer a dungeon!¡± Wait¡­ Really?! ¡°Quack?! ???????????????? End Part 13 ???????????????? ???????????????? Author''s Notes #6: ???????????????? What a journey! Seriously, I''m so happy to be able to put something in my head to words and create a fun little story. My main goal to wrap up the volume was offering a direction for the future. So to do that, we had to meet a minor antagonist in Alastaire, the elven king. Lyra had a fear of letting him down and not being all he wanted, but I tried to make it very clear that she could do no wrong in her loving father''s eyes. So really, he was just Duc''s antagonist. I had always planned for there to be a final fight to start the next leg of the journey. Whether or not I continue Duc''s journey, coming up with an ending for volume one was slightly challenging. While I try to add humor when possible, the only thing that I thought would be funny and a decent ending, was to end how it began. In a dungeon. Of course, Lyra doesn''t know that''s where Duc spent so much of his life, but her desire to become a true adventurer would require, well, adventuring! And in this world, dungeons are a part of that. If I were to pick up and continue, there would probably be a time jump. That way I could tackle more slice of life fantasy duck living, and have our characters grow a little, introduce new characters, and see more of the world! Thanks for coming on this journey, wholeheartedly.¡î ?????????????????????????? Duck Fact #6: Ducks have been domesticated as pets and farm animals for more than 500 years! Getting a duck at an early age, you have the chance to train it to your liking and to become more sociable to humans while forming a close bond. After some raising, they understand commands, will play games, give tiny kisses, and play with toys! ?????????????????????????? ????The.Fellow????