2023-06-16 22:27:00It was just past midnight at Frostfall, and everyone had retired to their homes either sleeping or planning to get to sleep. But not Thornicus.
He had been busy for so long without rest, working on something so important, that he had been busy throughout the past day, and was just a few steps from getting it finished. It was a figurine, but one that required so much intricate design that took so much time to perfect, and he wanted to do so, even though it would mean taking over a whole day to do it. He was just a few steps left from completing the piece and going to sleep. Now he was in the final step, which was the most difficult part. It had to be done in a stable environment, without even the slightest tremor from either the woodcutter or the environment. This part was to be done preferably in an ideal environment in complete silence, where the artist would be the least distracted by anything and focus solely on the task at hand.
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King of Griffindale Chapter 112 - Fighting the Dragon Slayers
Faora watches as James and her husband run off to board their dragons to face the oncoming threat. When they got ready to leave, a door opened, and out of it came Gabriel, her son. “What is going on, mother?”, the child asked as he placed a hand on his head. “I don't feel so good.” “Come on”, she said as she touched his forehead to check if he had a fever, but there was none. “Let's get you back to bed. You probably need more sleep.” As Gabriel got back inside, Faora looked up at the sky, seeing the oncoming threats one more time. Normally, she would have gone to join them in battle, but she had resolved not to reveal to anyone that she was a dragon slayer, as not even her children knew. Deep down she prayed that her husband and his friend will be safe as she shut the door of the house and locked it from inside. She and Thornicus had resolved to give their children a normal life, away from the violence they were brought up
King of Griffindale Chapter 113 - Dragon Exorcism
Nala was having a hard time keeping up with the swift Dorcas, who easily dodged her attacks. She was impervious to Nala's flames, and swallowing her was out of the question. At this point every attack Nala had in mind was useless, yet she still fought valiantly as if she had a great ace up her sleeve. “You think you can fool me with that, Nala?”, came a foreign voice in her head. Nala almost panicked when she heard a voice in her head that bore no resemblance to any of her riders - past or present. She didn't want to admit for a moment that someone who wasn't her rider had what it took to communicate with her telepathically. She looked at Dorcas and screeched with so much power that the enemy knew without reading her mind what the fuss was about. “You hate to know that I have slaughtered enough dragons and attained enough power to discuss telepathically with any dragon I want to”, Dorcas said. “How ma
King of Griffindale Chapter 114 - Ariel
“Excuse me?”, asked Thornicus. “You hear me right, young man”, Demos replied. “I don't know what to say”, Thornicus said. “Of course, you won't”, Demos said. “You just wanted to play savior whenever you saw fit, but when you were needed, you did nothing.” “What are you talking about?”, asked Thornicus. “Where were you when I and everyone I knew were slaughtered by the Dragon Slayers?”, asked Demos. “What have you been up to all this while? I and my family were killed like mere livestock, with our bodies fed to the vultures and hyenas while our souls trembled in this void, feeling unparalleled pain each time the dragon slayer uses our abilities, drawing from our essence. We all lost track of time, and most of us lost our sanity as the months went by. The few of us who were still Sentient held on, but we eventually lost hope. But now that we have grown accustomed to slavery, you come out of nowhere to p
King of Griffindale Chapter 115 - Dorcas's Will
“Why did you keep me alive?”, she asked. “I'm not sure”, Demos said. “What do you mean by that?”, she asked. “Beats me”, Demos replied. “Tell me”, she insisted. “Fine, then”, Demos said. “I want to take revenge on those Dragon riders, even though it involves keeping your broken body alive until I find a stronger host.” “You hate the dragon riders?”, asked Dorcas. “I didn't hate them before, but now, I have come to do so”, he replied. “I want them to pay.” “You are angry with them for not protecting you against me?”, she asked. “It's not about me. Not like I'd expect you to understand”, he replied. “It's for my family.” “So that is why you refused to come out during the exorcism?”, asked Dorcas. “Yes”, Demos replied. “As you know, once I leave this body, I will cease to have a form and vanish away like I never existed. I can't do that wi
King of Griffindale Chapter 116 - Demos' Revenge Against the Dragon Slayers
Troy and the other dragon Slayers close by watched as the severely injured Dorcas got slapped in the chest by her daughter's blazing arm. What came out of the woman's mouth was what seemed to be the roar of a dragon instead of the cry of a dying woman. This put Troy on edge, as he wasn't fully sure about what was going on. Being ready for anything, the readied himself, setting both arms on fire as he took a few steps back. The circle of eyewitnesses widened as they saw Dorcas's dead body fall limp to the ground with a gaping hole in her chest. Ariel looked at them as they stepped away from her, and she slowly got up. Her eyes were now glowing white and her countenance was frightening. “Who are you?”, asked Troy, instantly knowing that this wasn't the playful and timid Ariel they were all used to anymore. “Your destiny and your doom”, she replied with a bestial voice. “You came here using Dorcas's body, and then
King of Griffindale Chapter 117 - Ariel's Journey
Ariel's journey was no easy one. Her body was not in good shape, as it was frail, especially when exposed to extreme climates such as this without proper protection. Her lips were chapped, and ice crystals were slowly forming on her eyebrows and uncovered hair. Her abilities as a Dragon Slayer didn't help either, as for some reason, she couldn't access the dragon essence within her. Or in other words, she didn't know how to. Back at the cave before her dying mother returned she had barely joined the active unit of dragon slayers, because she was too young, and just like her mother, was not advised to even do so whenever she comes of age. Apart from the few self-defense techniques taught to her by others in the cave in their spare time, she knew nothing else with which she could defend herself. Now she was helpless, with no means through which she could either keep h
King of Griffindale Chapter 118 - From Ariel to Katherine
When Ariel was getting wasted away in the frozen desert, she was found by Gabriel and his father, Thornicus when they went out hunting. While the son was begging the father to take the child they had just found to safety, Thornicus was disturbed by the way the child looked. She had a horn protruding from the left side of her forehead, and her skin was pale, way too pale to be caused by just being out in the snow for too long. He also noticed scales surrounding the area where the horn was, along with most of the left side of her face. Her mouth was slightly open, and he could see the fangs through the little space between her chapped lips. “Hey!”, Gabriel called Thornicus, seeing that he was distracted by her bizzare looks. “Father, she needs help!” “What happened to her?” asked Thornicus, uncomfortable by the way she was looking. He wished he could send a telepathic message to his dragon, Nala to hear her take on
King of Griffindale Chapter 119 - Demos & Thornicus
While Faora and her son were happy to have a new member in the family despite Thornicus's silent disapproval, the former dragon slayer noticed something strange happening with the girl his wife now called “Katherine.” It was the same thing he had noticed with Dorcas about a week ago. The only difference was that while he was hearing hundreds of dragons calling out for help to him from within Dorcas, this time, from within Katherine, he could hear the thoughts and motives of a conscious essence living within her. So to the surprise of his wife and child, Thornicus went behind Katherine, hitting the back of her neck so hard that she instantly lost consciousness. “Katherine!”, Gabriel yelled out. “What are you doing?”, Faora asked as she walked towards Thornicus, thinking he just did it because he didn't like Katherine. “I'll let you know once I fully figure this out”, Thornicus said as he set his left hand on
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Three years later... Back at Frostfall, Faora sensed a disturbance coming from the cave at the other side of the village. She came out of her house, looking around with a worried frown on her face, expecting to see obvious threats like she and her husband did the night that Dorcas and the other two dragon Slayers attacked. But there was nothing noteworthy going on outdoors. The weather was wonderful, and the mood was serene. That's why, just past midnight, everyone was still sound sleeping despite the strange feeling in her gut. The only strange thing was that she wasn't alone. At the far end if the village, right where the entrance was, beyond the barricade, she could see Nebula's blue eyes staring back at her. Though they couldn't communicate telepathically at that moment, Faora instinctively knew that they were sensing the same thing. There was trouble, and were sure of it. But Nebula wasn't getting the same sense of fear that Asherah was giving off. It was like Faora was
Chapter 138 - King of Griffindale V: The King's Coronation & Political System
When Wayne returned with Natalie, Aurora, and Serena, the palace seemed elated. Richard was happy that Serena had come to be with him, and Cyrus's family had been reunited. Now that everyone of interest was present, it was time for the formal coronation to mark the young Cyrus as sovereign King, and his wife as ruling Queen. They divided the kingdom into new provinces, a few of which Natalie would rule over, leaving the majority for her husband. After signing several scrolls and getting married for the second time in line with Griffindale's royal tradition, the day of coronation finally came. It was a day like no other, but since Cyrus didn't want to lavish the Kingdom's wealth at a time when the city was still being rebuilt, he made it modest, only prioritizing hygiene, food, and wine. Decorations and other accessories were ruled out of the budget, still, it was a day to remember. That day, King Cyrus was formally coronated as King and was no longer acting as one. He reinstated
Chapter 137 - King of Griffindale IV: The Emperor's Plan
It wasn't too long afterward when the Warlord and his soldiers returned to the Midlands. By head count alone, they had not lost a single soldier. 3,000 went to battle, and 3,000 returned. There was nothing credible to report, as it was difficult to believe that 3,000 men went to war against a great and powerful city and none of them died. Worse yet, what credited them with such a flawless victory was the fact that they were assisted by two dragons that did most of the heavy lifting for them. Sure, there was an occult following of fable enthusiasts who believed in dragons like they were their bread and water, but reporting it in a battle account felt off. He was conflicted on whether or not he should account for that part of the battle. Still, it would be impossible to explain how no one died in such a war. Soon, he gave up on making up a story and decided to report on what truly happened, though he was afraid that the impulsive young Emperor would thin
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About a week had passed when Wayne rode off on his dragon to bring Natalie to Griffindale. He too had decided to settle in the new land, and since he was going back briefly to get Cyrus's wife, he would use this opportunity to tell his family about his plans to relocate. Despite the ruins half of the city was in, he liked it at Griffindale. He felt at home there, as it was refreshing living somewhere where it wasn't snowing all the time. His dragon, Kyron, also seemed to love the climate at Griffindale, perhaps due to his natural affinities as a reptile. Wayne got in his dragon that morning and took off to Frostfall, it took several hours to get there despite how fast the Dragon flew, and he arrived by evening. Everyone was glad to see him, all asking questions that excited them. Children asked what it was like to live in a place where there was no ice and snow, others asked what other fruits in the area tasted like, and how easy it was to access them. Wayne tried to
Chapter 135 - King of Griffindale II: Killing the Senators
It was almost noon when everyone had gotten out of their slumber, ready to take on the rest of the day. The Emperor's soldiers who at first tried to remain sober and disciplined at the start of the feast the previous night ended up being the most wasted. The generals and commanders assembled all their men, and they were all ready to leave. However, the 25 veteran soldiers were to stay behind to help Cyrus maintain order until the city could reestablish its military, as most of its fighting force had been eliminated during the war. The time for war and victory celebrations was over. Now was the time to rebuild. Cyrus and the Warlord, Jin Tsung bid each other farewell as they each went their separate ways, with the great Legionnaire taking his soldiers with him, along with all his captains and commanders. Frederick and the young men from the village were about to bid the acting King farewell also, but Cyrus was not going to allow it. He insisted that they stay behind with him to take
Chapter 134 - King of Griffindale: Mercy Over Judgement
While Cyrus was still speaking, Kamala sent a message back to him. “I am with your mother”, she said. “Should I bring her to you?” “She's dying” Cyrus sent back. “Get her something to eat. Take her to Wayne. He must be outside the city. Let him see to it that she has everything she needs. I don't want to see her looking like that again.” “Understood” Kamala sent back. While he was still sending, he looked at his stepmother. And after communicating with Kamala, he picked up his sword and walked toward Regina. The Queen braced herself, lifting her son towards Cyrus, who raised a brow, wondering what this was all about. “I know this is too selfish of me to ask, but before you kill me, promise to take care of my son”, Regina said. “He has done nothing wrong. You can raise him without telling him anything about me, you can even tell him made-up things to make him grow up to hate me. Just give him a chance to live. I beg you.” Cyrus sighed, taking the son in his hand, but not for th
Chapter 133 - Attack On Griffindale IV: Feigning Evil, Conquering the City
“My mother” Cyrus cried out towards her. “Where is she?” Then all of a sudden, the Queen's look of desperation turned to quick sadism. “What is so funny about what I asked?”, asked Cyrus. “I am not the same naive young man you sent on exile. I have killed a lot more people than you think to get to get here. So don't think I can't just run my sword through this child if I want to.” Then to make things worse, the Queen began to laugh. The laughter was so hysterical that she almost choked on her saliva, coughing profusely after a few cracks. She held on to her chest as she gave the last cough, struggling to regain her composure while looking back up at him. “WHERE IS MY MOTHER?!” Cyrus yelled out as loud as he could. “When my nightmares of you doing exactly this became worse, I knew you would soon come back for me. So I thought of the best collateral through which I could make you do as I want, which would be by putting your mother in misery, putting her close enough to the point o
Chapter 132 - Attack On Griffindale III: Cyrus & Cletus
She looked around, but it seemed all the Knights around her were dead. She was ready to meet her fate, but she didn't want any harm to come to her child. At a time when she was expected to cover up her shame with pride and charisma, she was not ashamed to show that she wanted to protect her child. The look on Cyrus's face didn't suggest he wanted to spare any of them. After all, if he truly came back to get the throne and her head, there would be no point in leaving any of them alive. Why would he let the son of the woman he killed remain alive only to enact revenge decades later? There was nothing to gain in keeping any of them alive, so she prepared her mind for the worst. Clutching onto the child in her arms, she prayed hard that their killer would make things quick and painless, especially for her child. But as she heard the footsteps approaching, her heart sank with fear. This was it. All her nightmares were coming true this very minute. Cyrus would take her head, just as h
Chapter 131 - Attack On Griffindale II: Assault On The Palace
While the fierce battle took place behind him, Cletus kept his sight on the higher provinces, particularly the Queen's residence, where his comrades were guarding Regina, the sovereign ruler. The next move the dragon made confirmed his suspicions that an attack on the Queen was imminent, as the beast landed on the pinnacle of the highest point of the castle, where the rider jumped off and went in through one of the large windows. “Cyrus”, Cletus said as he gestured for the horse to run even faster as it sprinted towards the palace. “I have to protect the Queen, no matter what.” ********* Cyrus got down from his dragon, swinging himself by the ropes connected to the dragon's saddle to break through the tainted glass of the nearest large window. As he got inside, he was assaulted by multiple guards who were alerted by the noise. He brought forth his self-defense skills and managed to take down the guards, hacking and
