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2024-10-29 19:42:56Nelson watched from within the shadows as the fight continued to drag out. He saw how the second head gave the demon the advantage of any sneak attacks to strike at its head. There was no way his plan was going to work while one head could still defend its back from attacks.
The group was getting worn out, even with the golem’s help fighting and distracting the beast. Nelson could do nothing yet but watch and wait. He didn’t want to waste any throwing knives when the scales would deflect them so easily, and the poison couldn't do anything if it didn't cut skin.
There had to be a weakness somewhere, which didn’t involve dealing with two heads. But where? There weren’t many spots on the demon where its scales didn’t protect the skin beneath.
The only plus side to this whole thing was that the demon had not yet called anything else to aid it. If that should happen, he doubted they would ever defeat the beast. He sure as the Underworld
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Adventures of the Crown: The Noble Bandit CH43
As soon as the gemstone was pulled out of the demon’s chest, Fenryn saw the glow pulsate one last time before it became a dull glow and nothing more. He frowned and took out a piece of cloth, drying off the blood from his hand, arm, and the gemstone. He tried not to think about it, but the truth was that this gemstone wasn’t from the ground like the others. Even if this wouldn’t be used in the ritual to make one a God, then it still had special properties to it. It was the heart of a demon, and he dared to think what power it was capable of. Vaughan marched over to Fenryn and grabbed his arm, pulling the King out of his concentration on the demonic gemstone heart. At first, the sudden call to move puzzled him, but then he saw and heard the lesser demons coming their way. Putting the gemstone in the dirty cloth and carefully away in his satchel, Fenryn swiftly followed Vaughan back the way they had come. He didn’t want to wait and find out what happened when the lesser demons found t
Adventures of the Crown: The Noble Bandit CH44
As Sethis showed Nelson to the guest room, he couldn’t help but wonder if there were any hidden passages or spaces within the mansion. Although not as large as the King’s castle, there was no reason not to suspect the nobleman wouldn’t have things he would rather hide away from the rest of his peers.Especially something as secretive as his desire to become a God. That would mean Nelson had some more exploring to do. He had noticed nothing major the last time he had been here, but he had found the real journal under the floorboards.Nelson concluded Sethis had a love for hidden things. Then there was the old spirit that had been lingering around here. One that loved those who were sly and sneaky. Things were certainly lining up.“So, what is the gemstone for, anyway? Do they sell for a lot?” Nelson asked, sounding far less interested than he truly was. “I have never seen them sold back over in the Falanthyst Kingdom.”Sethis beamed a smile. “They’re used to help boost magic,” he repli
Adventures of the Crown: The Noble Bandit CH45
Nelson closed his eyes while leaning back against the headrest of his bed. He had agreed to help Sethis with his task, but he didn’t know the full extent of it yet. The who and the why were still unknown to him, but he had a terrible feeling about all of this.The gemstone that powered up a magical spell of some kind, the request to put someone to sleep. The knowledge that Sethis wanted to be a God… was all connected, but Nelson couldn’t figure out the complete picture. Sethis had assured him, within the next few days, his assignment would be clear.Nelson knew that this meant his time to find something tangible to report back to Fenryn and Vaughan was growing more limited by the day. He knew he had to up his game if he hoped to get the information he needed.Listening for any sound of movement, Nelson waited until almost all the people within the mansion were asleep. All except Sethis, it seemed, and the odd guard here and there. It was the perfect moment for Sethis to sneak into his
Adventures of the Crown: The Noble Bandit CH46
As soon as Nelson returned to the mansion and to Sethis’ side, he knew something wasn’t quite right. Had the man ordered someone to follow him? He didn’t believe so, but then the way Sethis seemed to have been waiting for him with a knowing smirk told him to be wary of this man and what might come next.Had Sethis been smarter than Nelson gave him credit for? Had he let his guard down enough to be fooled by this man?Nelson took in a slow, deep breath and kept his expression natural and continued towards Sethis. He could feel his heart pounding, however, as he knew something was off about this whole thing. He mentally made a list of how he would escape if Sethis attacked him, including using several hidden items he had on him. If he needed a smokescreen or two, he wasn't against using them.“You know,” Sethis began as he motioned for Nelson to join him. “I could get rid of your debt to the King if you asked.”Nels
Adventures of the Crown: The Noble Bandit CH47
The group made their way into Sethis’ mansion. They each felt the tension swirling between them, but none dared speak their minds. This plan had them on their toes. They knew Sethis was going to surprise them with something or another, but they didn’t know how yet.They only hoped that he tried to attack Fenryn when they were ready for it and not a moment too soon. From what Nelson had seen and known about everything Sethis had planned, he believed they would need to be down in that room with the mages for this to work, but he was prepared for that not to be the case.As they reached one of Sethis’ many large study rooms, he reached his arms out wide and offered an obnoxiously wide smile. “Ah, Fenryn my son! And Larry! Welcome! I’m glad you two were in the city already!” He said cheerfully.At first, Nelson gave his two companions a puzzled look that asked, ‘who is Larry?’ but when he noticed Vaughan’s irritated scowl, he realised it was him. Did Sethis get his name wrong deliberately
Adventures of the Crown: The Noble Bandit CH48
Vaughan was getting more and more anxious with each second that passed. He hadn’t yet escaped the restraints, but he needed to give the two some time to get into place before he joined them. So far, everything was still silent in the room below, but he knew that wouldn’t last much longer.As he did finally get out of the bonds, he quietly sneaked over to the entrance and listened out for the signal to join the three below. He knew he couldn’t go down too soon, or else it would put his King in danger and that was never something he wanted to risk. He just had to have trust in the two men to know when it was best to act.Fenryn waited to act as well. He knew very well that Sethis needed his blood or life, and until he was ready for that part, there were other things Nelson would need to do to sabotage stuff if it was possible. In the meantime, Fenryn checked his surroundings for signs that he might also help with doing so.He spotted the gemstone
Adventures of the Crown: The Noble Bandit CH49
Fenryn’s eyes widened as the soul was aiming straight for him. He was no longer unsure if a soul could possess a normal person in this fashion, as his blood had clearly changed the rules of how things worked. Mixed in with the ritual, he couldn’t take anything for granted anymore. He needed to find some silver, but he panicked trying to find some on his person.“Look out!” Vaughan’s voice called out suddenly from behind as Fenryn abruptly found himself being picked up and moved out of the way by force. Just as he landed on his hands and knees, Fenryn turned to face his old friend. Horror filled his eyes as the soul leapt into every hole in Vaughan’s face.Seeing what had just happened, Nelson knew they couldn’t stay down in this cavern under Sethis’ home for much longer. He had no way of knowing what foul monstrosities the possessed people would become and there was no guarantee Vaughan would be friendly towards them once
Adventures of the Crown: The Noble Bandit CH50
Taking hold of the bed rope, Fenryn was the first to get down from their current location. Their side of the house had bent so much that he knew it wouldn’t be long now before the entire building would come down around them. Many of the guards had gotten out, but others were still calling out from inside. He felt for them, but he had to get out of the blast zone of the rubble that would surely pose a risk to him.Turning his gaze on Nelson, the King saw a large crack quickly zigzagging under the window. “It’s now or never, Nelson! You’ve not got much time left!” Fenryn called out, urging the man to hurry. They might not have had a good start to their meeting, but he had learned he could depend on the ex-bandit. At least enough to worry about his safety.Nelson peered down at the King. The bedsheets wouldn’t have held both of them, but now that Fenryn was on the ground, he could finally get down himself. With the way the King had urge
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It was a month after the meeting when the two kings finally sealed the deal with a wedding. Nelson, of course, attended, but he had spent most of the time trying to find any clues about who might have close ties with Sethis and was out for revenge.A few of the women turned their sights on him, but he politely turned them down, claiming he would not be ready to seek a wife until after he had finished building his mansion and settled into this new rank. It gave him time to mingle with as many groups as he could since the King was now officially off-limits for marriage.Being the King’s surrogate was not as glamorous as the young noblewomen hoped, and with it clear he had chosen Vaughan not just out of duty but love. They soon gave up the thought of being his mistress. Only those with no actual rank and nothing to lose still chased that dream.With the women who had turned their ventures to other potential rank improvements, Nelson no longer considered them
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Nelson still felt irritable from earlier in the day, but he knew that if he missed this meeting, all three of them would get on his case about it and he might miss his chance at getting the power and sway he needed to grow and survive the threats from those of his past who would betray him, eventually. When his past caught up to him, Nelson knew he had to be ready for anything.He lingered near the back of the hall while Lynnette saw Elena and the two of them left him alone to talk between themselves. Until the King finally started the meeting, at least.Nelson felt a small sense of relief wash over him. He leaned against the wall and watched all the nobles in the room. Not every noble was here, but every noble house had sent at least one person to hear what the King had to say. Many of the attendants were women which had not surprised Nelson in the least.It didn’t matter to them if the King was taken, they would constantly vie for his attention until the
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By the time all the nobles had arrived, it exhausted Fenryn from greeting each one of them. Even Elena had come. Two guards had escorted her, though she and the King had both decided they would need to handle things as best as they could. Regardless of what they claimed the narrative was for their breakup, people were going to taunt and mock her for losing her chance of sitting on the throne.Fenryn did not want to see her mocked and belittled because of her father, so he had to make it abundantly clear she was not at fault. That the two of them had split on equal terms and were both still going to be friendly with one another. The only issue was the King knew the other nobles wouldn’t care about any excuse. They would belittle her, regardless.Elena waited until every other noble had finished speaking with the King before she walked over to him and offered a shy smile. He returned it with an awkward one of his own.“You’re looking well. Sorry
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CH65
Later that day, once the group had completed every task, Nelson stood out in the gardens to get some air. He was getting tired from running around on the King’s behalf, but it would all be worth it later that night. The King had decided he was going to make the announcement at a social gathering of all his nobles.The plans had already been in place since he had confessed to wanting to marry Vaughan, and now all they had to do was wait and make sure the man in question did not suspect a thing. As far as anyone knew, this gathering was going to be about Sethis’ betrayal and Nelson’s promotion.They would not go into details about who defeated Sethis or what had happened in full, but some of the truth might come out, depending on the guards. Nelson wasn’t sure if he wanted to assassinate them just to keep the truth safe. However, he couldn’t just do so without knowing if they were a danger or not. So far, the two of them had stayed quiet and
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By the time Nelson returned to his own bedroom, he could hear the servants waking up other guests in the castle for breakfast and knew he wouldn’t be able to grab more sleep, as he had hoped. However, his tasks for the morning had been completed and now he just had to deal with Fenryn and the others. A far less complicated matter, but one far more timely.As Nelson’s door was knocked, he answered it with a cheerful smile and allowed himself to be guided down to the King’s dining hall. Lynnette had joined them, though she seemed to be deep in thought. Nelson wasn’t sure if she had heard something. Perhaps him returning to his room? Or perhaps she was noticing the effects of the tonic and was trying to figure out what was happening.Nelson decided not to mention it. If she brought up her thoughts on her own, then he could play innocent, or happy, depending on what the situation was.Fenryn and Vaughan were already sitting at the table and,
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CH63
It was still quite dark when the ship docked at the riverside port. Nelson and Lynnette had more land to travel across before reaching the city itself, but thankfully, Fenryn had arranged a horse-drawn carriage for them. It had to have been him, as there was more than enough room for Lynnette’s chair on wheels.Lynnette hated being constrained by the thing, but it always made her feel less upset when Fenryn would do small things to make her life a little less awkward.When they arrived just outside of the castle, several guards and servants were there waiting for them. They were sure Fenryn was inside, still awake, waiting for them to return. Lynnette had thankfully slept for a little while on the boat, but Nelson had been awake. He couldn’t sleep. He had wanted to prepare himself for anything that would happen between now and the wedding. So much could go wrong and many people would be unhappy at the union. They all wanted a piece of that crown for themsel
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CH62
Lynnette woke to a start when she heard Nelson calling for her. He had been acting strangely and had refused to tell her what this was all about. She never could get over the fact that he was now on the King’s side. She always expected him to betray them and have her assassinated in her sleep, yet he hadn’t even attempted it. Perhaps he truly had changed his ways and was willing to use his skills for Fenryn from now on.She sighed and grumbled a tired reply to him. Lynnette had finally grown accustomed to sleeping in a bed, but now that she had, she never wanted to wake up in the morning. They were so comfortable, even in the winter. Though it wasn’t winter now, and she knew she really had to get up.As she pulled herself up, Lynnette leaned over to grab her chair on wheels. She took the clean clothes from the seat and got dressed. She could hear Nelson pacing outside as he waited for her, but Lynnette was in no rush.Lynnette then pulled herse
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CH61
After being led to roughly the right place, the young serpentine lingered back out of the way. Nelson could tell he was afraid to go any closer to where he believed Ket had made her nest. Though it seemed so strange to see a serpentine afraid of anything. Perhaps the only thing they did fear was their own kind.“Wouldn’t it be more impressive to the woman to show up yourself and show your bravery?” Nelson asked as he halted the anxious horse’s steps. The serpentine had been mindful of the beast’s fears. The hopes of having Ket as a mate this year seemed to be far more important than food.The young lad gazed up at Nelson silently for a while before he said, “females are bigger. Stronger. It is not the breeding season yet. She will kill me as this has become her space. I will not go beyond this point.”Nelson dipped his head to the side in a vague, understanding motion. He wasn’t sure if he liked the thought of bein
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CH60
The following day, Nelson left Lynnette in the capable hands of the inn staff should she need anything at all. He had said his goodbyes to his mother and Inleet before heading towards Rattail Peak. He had gotten in contact with a person he thought might have the information he sought.Nelson took only a single guard with him, and that was only under protest. He knew that from now on, he would have no choice but to rely on loyal men to keep him safe. Thankfully, this man was one of Fenryn’s, though that bit of information was never offered to anyone except himself.Thankfully, the people within Ameathon City and Rattail Peak had not yet learned of who exactly had taken over from Sethis. Everyone had known there had been a change of leadership, and that Sethis had become a demonic force of nature that had destroyed his own home, killed many of his people and eventually been slain.As Nelson journeyed through the rattus city, he couldn’t help but think
