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2024-10-29 19:42:56All the bodies were gathered together and the cremation began. They were all set ablaze amid the cold south wind that blew against the thriving flames.
It was getting dark, and it wouldn't be safe for them to remain out in the open, given the nocturnal creatures that lurked around the area during nightfall. “The weather isn't appreciating this”, Troy said. “Someone would have to watch over this for the next few hours for the cremation to be completed successfully without the bodies getting desecrated by wild scavengers.” After Troy said this, everyone stayed silent for some time, as if expecting a Selfless hero to give his or herself for the scary task that was proposed. Thornicus noticed Faora was also looking around, wanting to speak up once she was sure nobody was going to speak up. “All of you can head back to the cave”, Thornicus said. Faora looked at him with widened eyes, and he stared back at her with a smile. “There
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King of Griffindale Chapter 96 - Someplace Else
When the divine dragon had gotten out of view, Thornicus struggled to get on his feet, still shivering in fear. Being the laid-back and nonchalant person known by most back at home, this was an odd experience for him. Never had he felt fear like this in his entire life. With great care, he walked over to the pile of ashes lying on the ground, and couldn't stop himself from falling to his knees, panting heavily. He hit his knees, commanding them to stop shaking whenever he gets up, but whenever he did so, he found himself falling back down, unable to keep his standing posture for long thanks to his jerking knees. He needed to get his act together, as the winds were only getting worse, and at this rate, all the ashes would either get blown away by the wind or get mixed up in a lot of snow. So while he was still on his knees, he pulled out his outer cloak, wanting to put all the ashes inside. He gathered as much as he could, putting it into t
King of Griffindale Chapter 97 - First Blasphemies
Thornicus remained where he was, staring out to the distant horizon, oblivious to how much time had passed by. When the watchmen changed shifts, none of them bothered to ask him why he was sitting there for so long, seeing that he was perfectly conscious even when they walked back and forth to the entrance, where he sat. There he sat, and there he slept. And just as you could guess, he dreamt of the dragon. But instead of dreaming of fighting or killing it, as he had always done in his dreams, this time he was riding it. The beast moved in the direction he hinted at, following his every command, not as a slave but as a friend. Though the shape of the dragon's mouth couldn't indicate whether she was happy or not, somehow he knew by her roars and the swift manner with which it twisted and turned as she flew over the high horizon, that she was elated. She looked as beautiful as ever, with her bright and colorful scales reflectin
King of Griffindale Chapter 98 - Meeting Again
“I see”, Thornicus said, closing his eyes. Kelvin was breathing heavily at this point, surprised at himself by how much he had flared up concerning the issue. He took a deep breath and tried to calm himself down, especially as a crowd was starting to form around them, wondering what heat was going on. Kelvin's shouts had echoed through the entire cave, grabbing the attention of many, and he didn't know that until now. “Get back to where you came from, all of you”, Kelvin told them. “I was just giving the young boy some verbal discipline, that's all. Nothing to be concerned about.” Then everyone began leaving, vacating the upper ground where he and Thornicus were. “I'm sorry”, Thornicus said. “My childish curiosity got the best of me for a moment there.” “You are welcome”, he said. Then the young man turned to leave, but as he did, Kelvin called him back. “Thornicus, you didn't happen to en
King of Griffindale Chapter 99 - Circle of Life
Within the thick darkness, in which the only thing Thornicus could see was the large eyes of the beast, what followed after His request was total silence, followed by the complete removal of light as both eyes of the dragon closed up. Now it was total darkness, and Thornicus could not bear it anymore. He shut his eyes, abandoning any hope for final excitement before he gets eaten alive. But what followed next was her voice coming to his mind. Still stern, but this time softer and gentler. “It starts from the circle of life, a law created by the fates, the ones who determine how things should go and how they should be. All coincidences are determined by them and then alone, and it is thanks to their choice that this world and everything within it came into existence by chance”, she said to Thornicus. “The fates determined that men were to be the dominant beings of this world, but the problem was that dragons were almost as wise
King of Griffindale Chapter 100 - Dragon Rider
“Beautiful”, Thornicus said once he saw her face. And from his reaction, she quickly hid her head back into the frankness at the far end of the cave where the light could not reach. The size of her head, compared to what he had witnessed before, seemed a lot smaller than before. She as a whole seemed to be a lot smaller than what he saw the previous day, but from the way they had just communicated, Thornicus was sure it was the same dragon he had encountered yesterday. “Please, come closer”, Thornicus said, to her bewilderment. “I want to see your face again.” “What is wrong with you?”, she asked. “You think something is wrong with me for wanting to look at something beautiful?”, Thornicus asked. “Doesn't the point of being beautiful mean that you are pleasant to look at?” “You have no fear?”, she asked. Thornicus arched a brow. She was right. Where was his fear? “Not sure how to put it”,
King of Griffindale Chapter 101 - Silent Exile
Thornicus and Kelvin stood at the upper platform, facing one another. Thornicus knew this wasn't going to be a pleasant talk, as Kelvin didn't sit or gesture for him to do so as well. So he prepared his mind for the worst, as it seemed so. Kelvin had a very serious look on his face, though it always liked serious thanks to the scar that ran from the top of his brow to his jaw, taking out one of his eyes with it. Then he went on to ask his first question. “I asked earlier if you had experienced or seen anything unusual that night, and you said no”, Kelvin said. Thornicus gave no response, still finding it hard to lie about the situation. “But I will still ask you again”, Kelvin said, wanting to give him the benefit of the doubt. “Did you see anything unusual that night?” Thornicus took a deep breath, gently turning off the idealism in his brain before answering, “No, I didn't.” Kelvin smiled. “I'm sorry”, he said. “I seemed to have asked the wrong q
King of Griffindale Chapter 102 - First of Many
Thornicus widened his eyes as he heard this, and with great excitement and anticipation, he waited outside, almost unable to wait for what he was about to see. That was why she came to the cave. Like the smaller dragons that were there, she was looking for a warm, dry place where she could lay and hatch her eggs. And since the cave was now vacant, it served as the best spot for her to do so. Thornicus feared she still thought of him as a Dragon Slayer, wanting to kill her little whelps to boost his power, but from the way she spoke to him, it implied she wanted him to see them, just not now. Her personality seemed to have changed in the short while since they spoke. It was as if this moment of reproducing had delighted out a soft spot on her, one he wished was permanent. As he stared into the distant horizon, looking in the direction where his home, he knew his people would soon be on their way, and he would somehow have to defend Nala and whelps from them, his
King of Griffindale Chapter 103 - Because I Love You
Thornicus spent the night with Nala and her whelps. Though they were of a different kind, it felt more like home being with them than ever before. Apart from that, compared to how it was at the cave back home, here it was very warm. He found it convenient that dragons were reptiles, needing a constant source of heat during the winter. Although he found it strange that adult dragons didn't seem to need it, as they winged and thrived almost as well as they would during the hour seasons, the little whelps did. It was early the next morning, just before dawn when Nala noticed his thoughts and answered him. “We are just as cold-blooded as our little whelps”, she said to him. “It's just that we adult dragons have a mechanism for keeping ourselves warm without making a fire.” “How did you know what I was thinking?”, asked Thornicus. “You are asking that after the multiple conversations we've had telepathically?”, she asked. “No, I mean... You can also hear my thoughts
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Chapter 139 - King of Griffindale VI: New Heights, Frontiers & Threats
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
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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
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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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Chapter 136 - King of Griffindale III: Welcome Home
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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
