《ROYAL BLOOD》 Act 0: Born in Blood Queen Mamona stood at the edge of the lake. Her palms extended forward. Towards the still water. ¡°I summon the Blood Circle!¡± Her hands began to glow, a sign of her magic gathering on her palm. Soon, the purple glow converged into an orb the size of a watermelon. ¡°Let the night turn red. Take my offering, and give me strength!¡± With the chant finished, she launched the purple orb to the centre of the lake. The orb plunged into the water. The night turned silent. Mamona, along with a few hooded figures behind her, waited patiently. Waiting for the spell to work. Their patience bore fruit. The calm lake suddenly trembled. Huge ripples erupted, coming from the centre. Probably due to the purple orb. Soon, the tremor even rocked the place Mamona was standing. Yet there wasn''t an ounce of worry on her face. But delight instead. For at the centre, a huge stone platform had risen. The round stage with a stone table surrounded by six dark red pillars appeared. Cheers erupted from behind Mamona. In fact, if it wasn''t for the anticipation for the next moment, she would have been excited as well. ¡°Bring me the prince!¡± She ordered without looking back. One of the hooded figures wasted no time. He brought a baby and gave it to Mamona. ¡°Very well. Now go and prepare the sacrifices.¡± The hooded figure slightly bowed. ¡°Yes Your Majesty.¡± All six hooded figure took a coffin-shaped large wooden crate, and walked on the surface of the lake to the stone platform. As they were getting ready, Mamona smiled as she looked at the baby in her arms. The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°My child. My sweet boy.¡± She said, almost like a whisper. As if answering her, the baby opened his eyes. Seeing his mother, he chuckled. A sound that melted her heart. And steeled her will. ¡°Mommy will do whatever it takes to make you strong. Okay, my sweet child.¡± As if in agreement, the child''s chuckle louder. ¡°Hahaha. You are my child indeed.¡± She played along with her child. Oblivious to the horror happening on the stone platform. As if what happens is not due to her ambition. Moments later, one of the hooded figures teleported and arrived beside her. ¡°We are ready to proceed, Your Majesty.¡± ¡°Excellent.¡± She turned to her child. ¡°Come my darling Devlin. Let us go and get you your own Soul Weapon.¡± When they arrived at the stone platform, Mamona couldn''t help inspecting the sacrifices. Six bodies, each tied upside down to their own pillar, all had a long wound spread horizontally over their neck. The blood that escaped is now fully absorbed by the pillars. Seeing all this, a wicked grin formed on her beautiful face. ¡°You did good work.¡± She said. All six hooded figures were elated. ¡°It is our duty to serve the descendants of the Great Witch, Your Majesty.¡± Mamona grimaced, remembering her bloodline. She thought she could escape it. She thought she could live a normal life, far from the influence of her bloodline. Sadly, things did not go her way in the end. ¡®It doesn''t matter.¡¯ She reaffirmed her stance. ¡®I would do anything for my son¡¯. With her resolve strengthened, she gently placed baby Devlin on the stone table. Right in the middle of the magic circle. Surrounding him were six hearts, all freshly dug out from the sacrifices. Perhaps due to the table being too cold, Devlin began to cry. Mamona wanted to get her son, but she didn''t. The ritual had to start now. ¡°Begin.¡± Mamona commanded. The six hooded figure wasted no time. They placed their palms on the hearts, and began to channel their magic energy. As the energy began to fill up the circle, it lit up. The hearts also began to change. It almost looked like it melted, before turning into mists. And thanks to the guidance from the activated magic circle, the mists moved to enter Devlin''s body. ¡°WAAA¡­WAAAA¡­!¡± Devlin cried louder. No doubt due to the pain. The mists entering his body must have done something to the infant. ¡°You can feed the prince your blood now, Your Majesty.¡± One of the hooded figures spoke. Mamona approached the table. A dagger in her right hand. With a swift motion, she cut her wrist. Dark red blood flow, and dropped into Devlin''s mouth. Suddenly¡­ ¡°What the hell is going on here, Mamona?!¡± A voice boomed at the edge of the lake. Mamona was surprised. ¡°Husband?!¡± She turned to the voice. This wasn''t supposed to happen. She went home to ensure that the ritual could be done uninterrupted. And nobody at the castle knew what she was gonna do. So what is his husband, and the current king of Pulcra, doing here? ¡°P-p-please Raynel. I will explain everything. Just¡­just please. Let me finish.¡± King Raynel was enraged. It''s been how many millenia already since dark magic was abolished. Who knew how many lives were lost just to end this barbaric practice. But now? His own wife uses dark magic. On their own son! ¡°Stop this now, Mamona.¡± Raynel said a little softer. But still with the firmness of a king. ¡°Please, Raynel. Please let me continue. I''m¡­I''m doing this for our son.¡± ¡°I don''t care! This¡­this is not right.¡± Mamona''s eyes turned bloodshot. ¡°How could you let our son live without a Soul Weapon. He is your son. The heir to the throne. Don''t you want that? Don''t you love your son?!¡± ¡°Ceh.¡± Raynel scoffed. ¡°I would love our son no matter if he became King or not. Why won''t you?¡± Mamona was startled. But only for a moment. Her resolve returned. She took out her spear, and flew to the edge of the lake. Confronting her husband. ¡°My son should be king. The throne, the crown, the kingdom. All belong to him. And I will make sure of that!¡± Raynel sighed. ¡°Then there''s nothing further to discuss.¡± Mamona did not say anything. Only nodded. She took her battle stance. The tip of her spear pointed towards Raynel. Raynel reciprocated. He took out his own Soul Weapon. A great sword, fit for a king. They stood there, face to face. Both had the same eerie calm on their faces. The battle shall soon commence. Act 1: CAUGHT ¡®Damn you, Devlin! Where in the devil are you?!¡¯ Janis cursed in her heart. Looking at her now, she looked more like a schoolgirl in trouble rather than the battle worn mage she actually is. Janis stood there. Her head dropped down, avoiding the sharp gaze of the existence in front of her. Her gaze was so focused on her shoes, she could almost count the pores on her brown leather boots. For the existence in front of her was not a headmaster. It was the mighty King Raynel Alden. Worst of all, he came not as a king. But as a father. ¡°So¡­where is my son?¡± Raynel asked. Janis could detect the rhetorical tone in his voice. As if he had already known the answer. But she didn''t dare tell him the truth. ¡°H-His Highness the Prince has been studying too hard these past few days. He requested to take a short break. Seeing how hard he worked, I couldn''t bear saying no.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Raynel sneered. ¡°So that''s what it was. Entering into underground fights, killing bandits, those are all just a ¡®short study break¡¯, huh?! Amazing!¡± Janis was so shocked, she stared straight at Raynel. Her eyes opened wide. ¡°...YOU KNEW?¡± ¡°Heh. What kind of king would I be if I didn''t even know about the whereabouts of my son?¡± The guilt that has been building up these past few days multiplied a hundred fold. So much so that she immediately went down on her knees. ¡°I have failed you, My King. I accept any punishment.¡± Judging by her tone, she would accept it even if Raynel ordered her execution. Fortunately, Raynel did not do so. He only sighed. ¡°It''s not your fault, Janis. Even you only knew about it today, right? I don''t think you would have let him go out if you knew what he was gonna do.¡± Indeed it was so. When he left yesterday, he said he wanted to go to the slums to buy some medicine for his sick friends. And Janis had given him plenty of spell scrolls to protect him over the years that he''d gone out to play. Only this morning did she realized that the Prince had entered an underground arena to win back his friend''s freedom. Still, she kept kneeling. ¡°That was merely an excuse for my dereliction of duty, My King.¡± Raynel rubbed his temples as he sank into the chair. ¡°Hehehe. Who knew, the mage once feared as the Evil Annihilator was defeated by an eleven year old boy.¡± If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. That was too much! Janis abruptly stood up to protest. ¡°Hey, fuck you Raynel! You know how much stress that-that gremlin had put me through?! You know how many Soothing Potions I had to drink in a day?!¡± As soon as she finished her tantrum, she immediately realized the error of her words. But when she looked at Raynel, he had that mischievous smile on his face. Janis couldn''t help but to pout. ¡°I hate you¡­¡± ¡°Hahaha, I gotta say. Since I became king, I kinda miss that swamp mouth of yours. Kinda remind me of our days in the military.¡± Janis sneered. ¡°Heh, now that I think about it, I shouldn''t be surprised about how that kid acted.¡± Raynel¡¯s grin disappeared. ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± ¡°I''m talking about you, of course. Remember the training grounds. Where you beat up the higher ups? If I recall correctly, you were heavily punished by the King back then too.¡± ¡°Hey, fuck you! It was a spar, and it was a fair fight. They''re just sour grapes!¡± Raynel jumped on his feet. There was silence as they exchanged looks. Moments later, both of them burst into laughter. A while later, they are no longer in the study. They are instead sitting at the balcony. Watching the garden sprawled down below in front of them. Sipping on their fragrant tea. Munching on their delicious meat pies. ¡°Heh. I must be old already.¡± Janis scoffed. Raynel watched her, confused. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°I used to hate joining all those boring tea time. Now look at me. Enjoying a quiet tea time.¡± ¡°Oh. Hahaha, I know the feeling. I too detest these high brow events. I only tolerated it because of these delicious things.¡± He said, lifting a meat pie and showing it to Janis. ¡°Pfft, as if you had a choice. Your father would have beat you up if you said no.¡± And both of them again drowned themselves in cackles of laughter and memories. At the end of the merriment, Raynel suddenly sighed. ¡°Do you think I made a mistake?¡± ¡°Huh? About what?¡± ¡°Mamona¡­¡± That name deprived Janis of the ability to speak. It was a significant name to the both of them. Mamona was Raynel''s beloved. And she was also her classmate at the academy. The three of them were close. Hell, they even survived the war together. So, when Janis found out what Mamona had done, and that she perished by Raynel''s hands, it saddened her greatly. Still, it was the right thing to do. ¡°You had no choice, Raynel. I can''t even blame Mamona for what she did. She was manipulated by those Malus remnants. These scumbags saw a desperate mother, and decided to turn her into a tool.¡± ¡°But maybe if I hadn''t kill her, Devlin would not be so rebellious. Maybe Mamona could take better care of him.¡± Janis was slightly enraged. ¡°So what? You''re gonna just let Mamona revive Malus¡¯s bloodline. Let the entire Pulcra be turned into potion ingredients. Is that what you want?!¡± ¡°I didn''t say that¡­¡± Janis interrupted him. ¡°I know what you mean. But you were just carrying out your duty. Had Mamona not be stopped, Malus bloodline would have been revived. The entire world will be theirs. By that time, Mamona would be so far gone, she would probably sacrifice her son. So yeah, I think you made the right choice!¡± Both of them fell into silence after that. Even though Raynel just sat there silently, Janis knew he agreed with her. Only, he is a father. A father was always thinking about the best for their child. Even if the outcome could be bad for the entire world. Seeing him like that, Janis though she should say something. ¡°Actually, I did asked him about this once before.¡± Raynel perked up. ¡°About what?¡± ¡°He''s the one asking me about the history of you and Mamona. So I told him.¡± She repeated the last sentence. ¡°I told him everything.¡± ¡°Everything?! Even the¡­¡± Janis nodded. ¡°Yup. I did. He''s a bright kid, Raynel. At the end of it, I ask him whether he blames you. And you know what he said?¡± Raynel didn''t respond. But his attention was totally on Janis. So she continued. ¡°He said he had read on the ancient sorcery of Vario. Of the Malus family. He said that, if Malus was revived, his weak self would never survive. He would either be sacrificed to the demon, or be turned into a ghoul. So¡­he is really thankful that you did what you did. He said that it must have been hard on you all these years.¡± ¡°He said that?! He really said that?!¡± ¡°Of course. Why would I lie to you?¡± Raynel felt like he could float to the clouds right now. He was relieved. He was happy. And then, he frowned. ¡°But then¡­what the hell is he doing? All the sneaking around, the fighting. What the fuck is up with that?¡± Janis smiled. ¡°Hehe, that¡­you should probably ask him yourself.¡± ¡°I did!¡± ¡°No-no. Like ASK ask. Like really talk to him, you know?¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± At this point in time, a head popped up from a hole at the corner wall of the garden. Like a mole or a rat, the short figure wiggled itself into the garden. ¡°Hehehe, the kid''s back already.¡± Raynel almost didn''t hear her. He stared at Devlin, who was oblivious that he had been caught already. ¡°Send that brat to me!¡± Janis giggled as she mockingly fell on one knee. ¡°Your wish is my command, My King!¡± Act 2: Fat Witch When Janis was still kneeling in front of Raynel, Devlin and his two friends are making their way back to the castle using Devlin''s usual sneaky route. An underground tunnel that should be used as an emergency exit if Devlin''s castle was attacked. Not for the young Prince to go out and play! ¡°Guys, come on! What''s taking so long? It''s not like we''ve never been here.¡± Devlin complained to his friends. Letha approached Devlin. A concerned look on her face as she whispered. ¡°I think you should check on Eurig. He''s been weird ever since¡­you know¡­last night.¡± Devlin frowned. Indeed, what happened last night would scar any child. Let alone a privileged one like Eurig. Undecided on what to do, he walked towards the distracted Eurig. ¡°Hey! You''re okay?¡± Eurig was surprised. ¡°Oh, hey. No it''s nothing. Just thinking¡­maybe I should build my own secret exit tunnels under Chapman''s mansion.¡± This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°It''s a good idea. But¡­I don''t think you could build one.¡± ¡°Huh? Why?¡± ¡°Because it takes a sorcerer to build a sturdy underground tunnel like this one. If it weren''t for my father, I don''t think those snobby witches would even give you the time of day.¡± Eurig was visibly disappointed. Letha meanwhile, was offended. ¡°Hey! I''m studying to be a sorcerer, okay? Would you please not insult us so much.¡± Both Eurig and Devlin stared at Letha sympathetically. Letha indeed had a talent for magic. That''s why Devlin ask his father Raynel to sponsor Letha once she''s old enough to go to the academy. They even built an orphanage so she could live a bit more comfortably. An orphanage run by the Chapman trading firm. And yet, even using a King''s name, Devlin knew those arrogant witches would never accept Letha as one of their own. They care too much about class and bloodline. No way would they give Letha even a sliver of a chance.. Well, not unless they are a coven full of Janises. ¡°Why are you looking at me like that?¡± Devlin grinned. ¡°Oh, it''s nothing.¡± He then turned to Eurig. ¡°There''s your answer, Eurig. Letha will build an underground tunnel for you. For free! Hahahaha.¡± Eurig also knew about the terrible reality. But the mood was getting better. He would not want to spoil it. ¡°Hehehe. I''ll be counting on you then, Letha.¡± Letha had a smug look on her face. ¡°Hmph. You better buy me more snacks then.¡± ¡°Ceh. Looks like the Chapmans will be working with a fat witch in the future.¡± ¡°...YOU!¡± And they quarrelled all the way to Devlin''s castle underground entrance. Behind Eurig and Letha, Eurig had a weird mischievous grin on his face. ¡®Hehehe. Mercenaries are expensive. While loyalty is free.¡¯ Act 3: Loving Father ¡°You guys wanna come in?¡± Devlin offered. Eurig and Letha declined. Eurig wanted to check on his father''s condition. He was feeling better so Eurig wanted to stand by him in case there''s anything he needed help with. Letha was basically the head of the orphanage. So she had to go back and take care of her brothers and sisters. Plus, she wanted to continue studying the magic books Raynel and Janis bought for her. She was determined to ace the qualifying test at the academy. Having heard that, Devlin did not insist. After watching his friends walked back the tunnel, Devlin climbed the stairs out of the underground tunnel. To his horror, a surprise was waiting for him at the entrance. Or rather, two surprises. ¡°EHHH?! Teacher? F-FATHER?!¡± Janis looked at him with a sly grin on her face. As if this moment was worth all the troubles he had given her. ¡°Clean yourself up. Then go to the study. NOW!¡± Devlin had no choice. ¡°Y-yes father.¡± ### ¡®Heh, this must be how I looked earlier. So pathetic!¡¯ Janis lamented in her heart. She was so glad that Devlin came home late, and did not witness her state earlier. Or he would mock her for all eternity. ¡°Where have you been?¡± Raynel asked calmly. But it felt like there''s a sharp sword hidden in his tone. This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Devlin pondered about his answer for a moment. ¡°Urm¡­just playing with my friends?¡± ¡°Oh, ¡®playing¡¯ is it?! So all those people you beat up in the underground ring was your friends. I see now.¡± The mockery in Raynel''s voice was visible even if you saw it from the moon. Devlin panicked. His father already knew. ¡°Well?¡± ¡°Huh? Well, what?¡± Fumes started coming out of Raynel''s ears. ¡°I want you to tell me what you''ve been doing these past few days.¡± ¡°...but you already knew¡­¡± ¡°TELL ME!¡± Defeated, Devlin started to regale his father with the tales of his adventures. By the end of it, Janis wondered how Raynel could kept calm, for she had turned every shade of color ever existed. The story actually began over a week ago. And it involved Eurig¡¯s father, Nidhi Chapman. A week ago, Chapman Trading Firm received a shipping job. A slaver had hired Chapman zeppelin to transport the slaves to Tentigo, an island Northwest from Pulcra. During the inspection however, Nidhi somehow found out that these slaves were to be sold to a Dark Warlock. And they are to be used as sacrifices. Hearing that, the honest Nidhi rushed to report the Dark Warlock to the authorities Slaves are criminals. And although it''s a punishment, their wellbeing is strictly monitored. Protecting them from abusive owners. That, coupled with the crime of trying to revive Black Magic practices, cause the Vario mages to capture the Dark Warlock. That should have been the end of it. Unfortunately, the slaver was a part of the underground network. She demanded compensation. Which have been vaguely stipulated in the fineprint of the contract. Since it was a Blood Contract, Nidhi cannot escape the consequences. He had to pay. Thus, he became a slave himself. Of which, the only way to win back his freedom was to fight it out in the Battle Royale. Where winning the Royale gives you the right for one wish. Nidhi cannot fight. Eurig tried to fight, but he was too weak. He could only last until the second round. And Letha only learned the theoretical part of magic. So she can''t fight either. So who else is left to fight? The heroic Prince Devlin Alden of course. When he received the news, he sneaked out, and jumped straight into the ring. And one by one, the scum fell. It was a really inspiring scene. As a bonus, Devlin even managed to kill off a few bandits that constantly terrorized the slum and the orphanage. Even Letha curses at the dead bodies of those bastards! Long story short, he won. Devlin managed to free Nidhi from his contract. The whole thing took just a day to settle. He could''ve come back last night. Or early this morning. Unfortunately, misery loves company. The gang of bandits wanted revenge. They kidnapped a few of the orphans, and demanded Devlin to surrender. So the trio had to go and rescue them too. Thankfully, it didn''t take long. The bandits were eradicated. The orphans are safe and sound. At the end of it, it was too late of a night to go back. So Nidhi invited him to spend the night in Chapman''s mansion. To which he readily agreed. Raynel stayed quiet through the entire story. Janis was the one who reacted. She rushed towards Devlin, and activated her magic to check Devlin for injuries. ¡°Hihihi, that tickles, teacher.¡± Devlin said as he squirmed to try to wriggle free from Janis''s ticklish magic skill. Janis was unrelenting. She immediately used Bind magic so that Devlin would stopped moving around. ¡°There. Now be quiet while I checked on you.¡± Act 4: Soul Forge ¡°Ahhh, I miss you, bed. I miss you so much!¡± Devlin gleefully exclaimed as he jumped onto the bed. Devlin closed his eyes. Almost as if he fell asleep as soon as his skin touches the bed. Devlin''s back was swallowed by the thick, goose filled mattress. After a few nights of sleeping on the ground, even a plank bed would feel soft on his eleven year old body. When Devlin opened his eyes again, his aura seemed different. Gone was that childlike innocence. There''s a dark air about him, as if a hero took out his mask and exposed himself as the villain. ¡°I never knew how hard it is to turn people into tools. No wonder those bastards just used force to bully them into submission. It is WAYYY easier than my plan.¡± Devlin''s plan. Something he had thought off a month after he was¡­awakened. It all went back eleven years ago. After Mamona''s failed, or rather interrupted, ritual. Back then, Raynel didn''t even have time to mourn the death of his beloved wife. The wife he had slain himself. He had to rush to Castys. To see the Head Priestess. The way he saw it, only Daktari had the capabilities to check and remedy¡­whatever this is. True enough. Daktari indeed lived up to her position as Head Priestess. Immediately when Devlin was placed on the operating table, she got to work. And moments later, found the problem. This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. Theoretically, even if the ritual was completed, it won''t necessarily be a good thing to Devlin. In order to ensure the formation of a Soul Weapon, the soul needs to be reconstructed. That meant destroying the old soul to create a new one. Which means that the new Devlin, will not be Devlin anymore. But the ritual failed. Devlin''s soul was in tatters, having been attacked by the six sacrificed souls. And a Soul Heal was even more difficult than what its name portrayed. Nevertheless, Daktari succeeded. She even managed to aid in the formation of a Soul Tool. Which was the useless Forge. It is useless because unlike the rest of the Soul Tools that can be wielded, the Forge was static. At most, to use it in battles, you could only hide behind it or use it as a shield. Raynel didn''t care. As long as Devlin survived, that''s good enough. What they didn''t know, is that the accident caused Devlin''s soul to mature early. Perhaps thanks to the murderers¡¯ soul Mamona used, but Devlin''s mature cognitive became a bit twisted. Which began his ultimate plan. Harvesting bad guys for their souls, and good guys for how useful they are to him. Like the talented Letha and loyal Eurig. Devlin slowly stood. ¡°Let''s check on today''s harvest.¡± Devlin took out his forge, and placed it in front of the fireplace. Inside it, where the fire remained unlit, were dozens of souls. All were his fallen opponents in the battle royale. ¡°Hehehe, I was right after all. Nobody will stop you if you''re killing bad guys. And since evil never dies, my Soul Forge will have an endless supply of materials.¡± With a thought, Devlin turned on the fire. Endless howling of pain echoed throughout the Forge. Thankfully, the sound won''t escape his Forge. He only heard it because he''s connected to it. The souls burned away until it turned into wisps of pure energy. Satisfied, Devlin gestured for the glowing wisps to come to him. The strands of pure energy rushed to him, and plunged inside his body. ¡°Whoa, such energy! Hahahaha, I can feel myself getting stronger.¡± The energy acts as nourishment to his body. Like fertilizers that turned every molecule of his body stronger. Brimming with energy. The intensity was too overwhelming. Devlin hsd to calm down. He immediately sat cross legged, trying to calm himself. If he can''t calm himself, the blood rush would blow his head off. Soon¡­ ¡°Hahahaha! Such power! I feel like I can fight against anybody right now.¡± Immensely happy, Devlin store away his Forge. His back sank back into the mattress. ¡°Soon, I''ll be the strongest person ever. Soon¡­¡± Devlin drifted to sleep. INTERMISSION I''m really sorry for missing the schedule last night. And again today. The morphine fucked me up good. Thank god this is a hospital. This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. Doctor told me I am getting better. So I may get out of the hospital in two days. Fingers crossed! I promise to make it up to you,the readers. Soon as I''m out, I''ll upload a few chapters daily. We got some catching up to do. Thank you for reading. Pray for my recovery, and see you in two days?? Act 5: Cloud Corvette Captain Ameena was never this nervous piloting a Cloud Corvette before. She may only been in her twenties, and have only been piloting this scout ship for about five years, but she had a lot of significant battle experience with this flying ship. And yet, none of those experiences could prepare her for today''s mission That morning, she was summoned by King Raynel for a secret mission. Being a part of the Royal Army, she readily accepted. Who would have guessed that the mission is to transport Raynel and his supposedly dead son to Atrox! ¡®I mustn''t crash this ship! I mustn''t crash this ship!¡¯ was the mantra she kept chanting in her head. Her steely concentration was interrupted however, when she felt someone tapping on her left hand. ¡°Oh errr¡­hello Prince Dev-Devlin? What can I do for you?¡± Ameena stammered. ¡°Hehe. I noticed you haven''t taken a rest since we departed this morning. So I brought you coffee and sandwiches.¡± Ameena looked down, and cursed herself for not noticing the tray in Devlin''s hands. Immediately she reached for the tray and put it beside the chart. ¡°You shouldn''t have bothered, Your Highness. Thank you so much!¡± ¡°Pfft, it''s nothing. It''s not like I made it. I just brought it to you.¡± ¡°Hahaha. Still, you actually took the time to bring it to me. You''re a good kid, Your Highness.¡± ¡°Hehe, okay enough bootlicking. Eat up before it gets cold.¡± If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. The two spend the next moment silently. Ameena, eyes still locked on the horizon, enjoy the warmth the coffee brought. And Devlin walked to the side of the deck, watching the view below. Probably bored of the view, Devlin stood next to Ameena. Sometimes he lunged his next a bit to watch the glowing runes on the wheel and the sails. His eyes would lit up too when, if there''s strong wind, Ameena would channel her magic to move the sail or speed up or slow down. Ameena smiled, noticing that. Devlin reminded her of herself when she first learned how to pilot a Cloud Corvette. ¡°Are you interested in this flying ship, Your Highness?¡± Devlin''s eyes glowed even brighter. ¡°Of course! Who wouldn''t? Who knew that sea ships could fly as well!¡± ¡°Hehe, yeah. I can see that. But you know, there''s a few key differences between those sea ships and my Cloud Corvette right here.¡± ¡°Oh? What is that?¡± Ameena pointed at the rune carved on the handle. ¡°First is this one. This rune gives me control of the speed of the boat.¡± Devlin frowned. ¡°Huh? I thought the wind gave the ship speed. Is it not so?¡± ¡°That''s sea ships. For this one, the witches at Furcifer have created a new magic circle. One where the sails absorb energy in the air and convert it into magic energy.¡± ¡°Whoa! So this ship is essentially a witch too?!¡± Ameena couldn''t help but burst out laughing. ¡°It kinda is, isn''t it? Anyway, with that runes in the sails absorbing magic, all I have to do is put in some of my own magic to choose how much speed and power I need. And that''s the same with controlling direction and elevation as well.¡± Devlin nodded. But then, his look of confusion returned. ¡°Can''t we just carve the runes to a normal ship?¡± ¡°We can. But the ship cannot withstand the energy they absorb. Plus, the ship need to withstand the attacks below as well.¡± ¡°Oh yeah, right?¡± Devlin touched the deck floor. ¡°Then¡­what is this ship made out of?¡± ¡°Hehe. Cloud Corvette is made up of melted flying Magic Beasts¡¯ bones.¡± ¡°What?! That''s so cool!¡± ¡°Hahaha. I know right!¡± Watching Devlin sit straight down, trying to feel the texture of the animal bones, made her happy. This kid had such a tragic backstory. It''s great to know that he grew up into a normal kid after all. ¡°Oy, you naughty child! What are you doing disturbing the captain?!¡± Hearing the voice, Captain Ameena immediately turned to it and gave the Pulcra military salute. Feet at attention, fist on the chest. ¡°Greetings, Your Majesty!¡± ¡°At ease, Captain. I''m just here to fetch my feral son.¡± Raynel said as he stared daggers at Devlin. Devlin scoffed. ¡°I''m not disturbing her. Captain and I had a lovely chat. Until YOU disturb us.¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah. I''m the buzzkill. Now go and change. We''re about to meet Master Enan and the Countess. You should clean up and present yourself well.¡± The gleam in Devlin''s eyes returned. ¡°The infamous Bow and Arrow couple! Oh yeah. I''m gonna get ready now!¡± Devlin dissappeared into the belly of the ship. Raynel shook his head. He turned around, and bow to apologize to Ameena. ¡°I apologize about my son, Captain.¡± Ameena anxiously waved her hands. ¡°Ehhh no no. He''s a good child, Your Majesty. He''s just here to bring me coffee and sandwiches. Please don''t be hard on him.¡± Raynel looked at the tray of half drank coffee and empty plate. A proud smile formed on his face. ¡°He is, isn''t he? He is a good boy.¡± ¡°Yes he is, Your Majesty.¡± Ameena also smiled. The smiles lingered on the rest of the journey. Act 6: Overly Enthusiastic The Western Barbarian Nation of Atrox. A barren land guarded by the Aes Mountain Range. The mountainous terrain made it difficult for any other nations to launch an attack. Although, it did make it hard for any form of trade to happen. No merchant can afford the hazardous terrain. Thankfully, since Atrox and Pulcra made peace with each other, flying ships were invented. It is still expensive for trading, but it''s much cheaper than the lives lost from a simple courier. ¡°We have safely landed, Your Majesty. Your Highness.¡± Ameena saluted. Raynel nodded. ¡°Great work, Captain. You may rest now. I''ll go and meet the Master and Countess myself.¡± ¡°Err¡­don''t you think I should also go?¡± Raynel shook his head as he smiled. ¡°You don''t have to worry, Captain. They wouldn''t bother killing me. I''m about to retire anyway.¡± If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°Hurmmm¡­very well then, sire. I will follow your command.¡± Ameena left to go to her cabin. Raynel turned to Devlin. ¡°Come. Let me take you to your new home.¡± Raynel saw the hesitation in Devlin''s eyes. ¡°What''s wrong? Thinking of your friends?¡± Mentioning his friends, Devlin turned gloomier. ¡°Heh, I thought the young Devlin was mature in his ways. Able to snicker his ways through all the hardships. A day''s away from your friends, and you''re already saddened? Hahahaha!¡± Raynel teased. Devlin pouted. ¡°I''m not a heartless monster¡­¡± ¡°Hehehe. I''m glad you''re not.¡± They stood there for a while. Raynel knew Devlin wanted to say something else. ¡°If¡­¡± Raynel subconsciously leaned closer. ¡°If I could have my own flying ship, maybe I could travel back and forth to Pulcra¡­¡± FUCK! Raynel cursed in his heart. ¡°Stupid brat! This is your true goal all along. And you had the nerve to say you''re not heartless. Let''s go!¡± ¡°But father¡­¡± Devlin whined. Raynel sighed. ¡°Even if I want to give you, which I don''t, I can''t. The Five Kingdoms would never spare that much gold coins for a king about to retire. So you could forget it!¡± He said as he walked away. And then he stopped. This could be a good opportunity to motivate him, Raynel thought. ¡°You know, you''re about to live with the greatest blacksmith master in all Five Kingdoms.¡± ¡°...So?¡± Raynel was a bit agitated by that retort, but he calmed himself down. ¡°SO, maybe you could learn how to build your own flying ship.¡± Devlin''s eyes gleamed again. ¡°Oh right! Th-then what the hell are we waiting for? Come on, let''s go already!¡± He rushed to get off the boat. ¡°Haih, I''m sorry Enan. I hope you''ll fare better at dealing with my spoiled child.¡± Raynel sighed. He followed behind the overly enthusiastic Devlin.