2024-04-20 17:35:49
Previous Chapter
Related Chapters
Legacies of light Interlude 2.07: The pyres of samhain part 1
-Break-One week after they found out each other's namesJumping up from bed, I open my eyes and start breathing heavily. Holding my head, I say, "Another nightmare."Beside me, Charles asks, "What's a nightmare?""AHHH!" I scream as I am surprised by him. Annoyed I say, "You got to stop sneaking up on me like that, my heart can't handle it.""Ok."I don't really want to tell him I am having bad dreams, so I guess it is time to make something up. With an indecisive tone, "Now a nightmare is-, well umm, it is a dream where you see a black horse, a mare of the night.""I see."Hearing the bell ring throughout the area, I jump up and say, "WELL WHATEVER IT IS TIME TO GET TO WORK."-Break-Location: Íogair grasslandAfter receiving a slap from one of the flowers I am knocked down on my ass. On the floor, I say, "OWWWWW."Then walking up beside me, Charles kneels down and says, "Nero, you're bad at this."Charles's words strike me like an arrow right in the head."You lack coordination."A
Legacies of light Interlude 2.08: The pyres of samhain part 2
"Don't get cocky little boy.""Then come and prove me wrong then."The grown man shaking swings his axe downwards towards Nero, but he just stands there waiting for the swing to hit him, and moments before it does he steps out of the way.Then with his axe, Nero breaks the axe of the other man, then strikes the man on the knee with the blunt edge of the axe causing his leg to buckle and fall down.Going around him Nero puts his axe near the neck of the older man and says, "What was that again?"The man I hold starts to sweat and freak out, so I say, "You see this you old fucks, try me again and I will cut you down."As the other men start to freak out, one walks forward and says, "Everyone calm down, remember there is far more of us than him."Holding my axe closer to the neck of the man I have, I say, "Well you can try me all at once."With a light confidence, he says, "Do you really think you could take all of us at once?""Not at all, but I am sure I could break your axes, and if y
Legacies of light Interlude 2.09: The pyres of samhain part 3
-Break-Φ Swinging my father's spear up and around repeatedly I hear my mother say, "Nero what are you doing with your father's spear.""Practicing so I can one day surpass him.""Why would you even want to do that?""So I can protect you Mom, and everyone else here. I won't let anyone in our clan suffer now or ever.""That's wonderful my son, but."Grabbing me by my arm my mother pulls me towards her and says, "But you failed!"Suddenly around me and my mother, the ground is dyed red as it is covered in the corpses of everyone from the village. "Nero, how could you let this happen, how did you let us all fall."With tears appearing in my eyes, I say, "I am sorry.""THAT ISN'T ENOUGH. DO YOU THINK I'M SORRY WILL HELP ANYONE? ALL OF US HAVE BEEN TAKEN, ALL OF US ARE LIVING IN HELL, OUR BODIES ARE THEIR TOYS, ARE LIVES ARE NO MORE THAN TRASH TO THEM, AND EACH ONE OF US WITHERS AWAY. SO WHY DID YOU LET THIS HAPPEN? THIS IS ALL YOU'RE WEAKNESS FAULT, I HATE YOU!"Jumping up I snap out of
Legacies of light Interlude 2.10: The pyres of samhain part 4
-Break-Four weeks laterIn front of me stands my father as the entire camp around us burns. He cuts down one beastkin after another, with the strength of a hundred men, but then they all come at him at once and even he is unable to stop them.Being held down by the beastkin, my father screams, "NERO HELP ME, FIGHT WITH ME."But in my fright, I run and run far, far away to a place where I couldn't see the violence that was unfolding anymore.Through the forest where I ran, I feel something drip right down onto my head, and looking up towards the top of the trees I see it is blood; from the trees, countless dead bodies hand dripping their blood directly onto me and the surrounding area.Then with their mouths, they all say, "NERO, YOU RAN. YOU ABANDONED US, YOU COWARD. YOU GET TO LIVE WHILE WE DIED, YOU'RE NOTHING BUT SCUM."From my bed, I jump up with a fright, and feel like I am about to puke, but the contents of my stomach are too empty to even do that. #Unable to hold back my emot
Legacies of light Interlude 2.11: The pyres of samhain part 5
-Break-Φ Sitting by a table right next to his almost finished sculpture the man called Bricriu looks with joy at his pyre right across from himself, and smiles. Then from the sky the beastkin who looks like a bat; Liam drops down, and in that moment Bricriu says, "Liam how is it looking over there?""It is going just like normal; all of the pyres have been set and the rest of our people are performing their prayers to ward off the dead.""What about the humans.""They have each individually started to walk back, and just as you have requested they are not being guarded.""That's wonderful."Sensing that Liam is a bit stiff, Bricriu says, "Liam is something wrong."With sweat running down, his face Liam asks Bricriu, "Isn't this dangerous, we are simply letting the slaves run free without direction what if they try to escape?"Confused Bricriu responds, "It's Samhain isn't it?""This is my first full year here, so I don't know if I missed something but isn't Samhain just a myth."Gig
Legacies of light Interlude 2.12: The pyres of samhain part 6
-Break-Two days laterIn the river, I see, right next to Aurelius. We race to see who can reach Lillian and Claudia the faster.We swim with all our hearts as we race down the river, but in the end, I lose to Aurelius.He jumps out of the river next to Lillian and screams, "THIS IS THE POWER OF LOVE.""Yes, yes, you big dumb idiot."Reaching out my hand, I say, "So what if you won I will simply win next time."Suddenly all three of them stare at me, and then Claudia says, "That won't be happening."Knocking my arm away, Aurelius says, "You haven't forgotten."Lillian says, "The way you abandoned all of us.""I didn't.""You coward.""You traitor.""You fool.""Die.""Die.""Die."From the ground I jump up and almost throw up.-Break-Location: CampsiteStepping to the front of the line with Charles not far behind me, I stretched out my hands, and the beastkin in front of me gave me winter clothes, and moments later Charles was given these clothes by the same beastkin.Rubbing my face
Legacies of light Interlude 2.13: Lions mother part 1
-Break-Two weeks laterLocation: CampsiteΦ Giddy in line, I say, "I can't wait, I can't wait, I can't wait."Charles behind me says, "Is this because you finally went over your quota.""Of course, it is, now I can get some extra food and stop being just skin and bones."Walking up to the beastkin serving food, I say, "I completed over my quota this time, you can check with other beastkin if you doubt me."The beastkin says, "It doesn't matter, we no longer do extra food for hard work. All the means have been standardised again."Hearing this shocks me to my soul so intensely that I freeze and collapse over to the floor. But in that state, the beastkin throws my water and potato at me knocking me out.As Nero lays on the ground in defeat, Charles takes his food, picks up Nero and walks away.Then sits him against the wall of the campsite where he slowly feeds him. To all the onlookers around, the sight is almost identical to how a mother feeds her child.-Break-Depressed I walk towa
Legacies of light Interlude 2.14: Lions mother part 2
-Break-The next dayLocation: Scortha fieldsWith my feet freezing from the cold, I say, "How is this worse!""During the summer months, these fields were ridiculously hot, and now during winter it is stupidly cold."But still, despite my complaining, I continue to do the work given to me. Today we are being forced to poor these sacks of white materials through the fields in which we planted seeds in."Beside me, Charles continues to do the world as well at the same speed at me. I would be happy that I am keeping up with him, but it is not like this work requires any form of ability, it is just pouring this stuff into the fields.As the white powder-like substance continues to pour out of my bag, I look to my left and see that Charles has stopped while holding something in his hands.Instantly panic takes over my body, and I look around, but luckily none of the guards are around us, so I quickly say, "What are you doing!""This fell out of my sack."Within the hand of the boy named C
Latest Chapter
Arc 10.131: The final celebration part 3
Φ As Dagda laughs in front of me, I say, "So if you would excuse me."With his same cherry smile as always, he says, "Haha, your jokes are as tasteful as your clothes. Now Medb where is my money?""Money? You mean the financial instrument we have assigned value to for the sake of switching things we have made into items we have collected from our environment and from others through labour, intelligence and ingenuity?"With his smile fading a bit, he says, "Hahaha, yes. Now where is it?""Dagda what really is value? Is it something kings assign value to-,""Yes."Putting my finger on his lips, I say, "OR! Is it the exchange of wills from one person to another, so isn't my mere smile payment enough?""Not a chance, now my money."I get thrown off my balance as he rejects me, and then I lean on him and say, "We have known each other for a long time, and you still don't trust me.""I trusted you decades ago when I invested in your research hoping for a return. But every time you make a re
Arc 10.130: The final celebration part 2
Location: City of GoriasΦ For six days a festival has been raging on within the city of Gorias, and the entire providence of Gorias.The beastkin during the festivals made it a point to dress in clothes far more ornate than usual; wearing flowers throughout their bodies, or dressing in clothes made entirely out of plants.Clothes made out of animals had the motif of using materials from animals their innate beast was hunted or were hunted by as a sign of greater connection.The druids made clothes out of plants that could be modified with their beast blood battle, allowing them to change their designs of the clothes, and throughout the city, designated druids were given instructions to change the clothes of those who passed by.Many wore jewellery such as brooches, pins, armlets, rings, and torcs against the animal parts of their bodies as a way to honour their heritage, while many others decorated their bodies with paint or tattoos which represent ancient stories or those who they c
Arc 10.129: The final Celebration part 1
Minagrain in front of me turns incredibly nervous, and she blushes again and again. Her ears start to move wildly, and she takes her tail and uses it to cover her face. She jumps from one foot to the next and then falls to the ground while still holding her tail.Then she looks at me, and she nods."Was that a, yes?" A say with a face of disbelief."Yes," She gestures towards me.I pick her up, twirl her around, and say, "I happen to be the happiest man around!"She turns more and more red as I twirl her around, and we both laugh together. Then stopping I hold her tight and put the ring on her finger which makes her raise her arm to stare at it, before looking directly at me and smiling.Is it even fair to be this cute? Is it even fair to be this adorable? It is like this little girl has a grip on my soul, and there is nothing I can do about it. I am completely dominated by her."Don't worry Minagrain, I will get this traded for some jewellery for your tail instead of this human tradi
Arc 10.128: Cú Culainn part 8
-Break-Location: Culainn's BlacksmithsΦ As we walk through the streets the people of Gorias yell my praises."Setanta the destroyer of the Laochs.""Setanta the future kings!""The protector of all who live within the empire.""Cú Culainn!""The silver wolf of the victory.""Our future hero king.""The one who shall conquer the east."As they speak and celebrate whilst a walk with Aurelius who holds Culainn on his back, I say, "THIS IS WHAT I WAS WAITING FOR!"Culainn says, "We get beaten up, and you grow more famous, life truly isn't fair."Aurelius says, "But we're lucky to be alive at least.""You are lucky to be alive. So now I want to go stay with my hot wife.""Well, I haven't been able to meet with my hot wife yet, so we all stay single together!""Don't lump me in with the both of you."Aurelius and Culainn say, "Minagrain," and instantly all the energy in my legs fades and I fall to the ground."Low blow.""Someone needs to take down your ego every now and then."Reaching h
Arc 10.127: Cú Culainn part 7
Aurelius looked up at me with a pained and frustrated expression. It is the face of someone who has had to swallow a harsh reality that they would rather reject under all circumstances."What? Is the truth hard to hear? Well as you said people are free to make whatever choices they want, so if she didn't like it, she could have just killed herself couldn't she have.""Setanta shut the hell up!""But you would hate that wouldn't you, you want her to be alive and suffer through all of that, just so you can make her pump out her fifth set of kids that look like you don't you."He raises his fist to punch me, and as he does, I say, "Hit me all you want but understand that the only reason you can is because I let you. You're no different than a pet biting its master in this moment, you can get as sad and angry as you want but your survival demands good behaviour.Even after all I said you still want to live so bad that you won't punish me for my words. The common Beastkin could beat you, b
Arc 10.126: Cú Culainn part 6
The beastkin rushes at Setanta from all sides, and he fights and fights and fights.Red Branch battle arts; Starflower, Clover, Tulip, Sky flower, Sonic thrust, Camellia Japonica, Passiflora, Morning Glory.Again and again, he uses the forms of his style to strike down the foes who come for his neck, using whatever weapons he can, even his own flesh.His weapons and flesh break down from this constant battle, but Setanta doesn't stop until he starts to push them back.Scared by this Dáire rookies rush back in to help him and his men, and the fight rages on even more.They come towards Setanta again, and again ripping his flesh out which causes Setanta to scream in pain again and again. But never falls.To all those who see this sight fear and awe is put in their hearts as they await for him to crumble down and simply give up, but again and again he rises to strike down more and more beastkin until, the very foes he is fighting start to feel more strain then he does.The rookies, the e
Arc 10.125: Cú Culainn part 5
Setanta lands and the moment he does, he moves to the crowd and grabs a knife from one of the members of the mob who are all holding miscellaneous weapons. Then he moves towards Culainn and Aurelius pulling them out of harm's way."You ok old man, do you need some worms?"Culainn looks at Setanta and says, "Don't make fun of birds you stupid wolf."Setanta smiles, then gets up and faces Dáire, then he says, "First son of the Lugh Ó Faoláin, next head of the house of Faoláin and the next king of Gorias, Setanta Ó Faoláin. I give you only until the next time I blink to explain to me what just happened to my compatriots."Blinking, he says, "Times up."Setanta glares at all of them with a ferocity that makes many of them except Dáire elite warriors shudder in fear.Dáire looks at Setanta, and says, "Son of Lugh, a human was caught walking in our lands, and will be judged by the rules of it.""This is Biorg land.""But this is the providence of Findias, so it still all falls under the con
Arc 10.124: Cú Culainn part 4
"But before that, I will thank the brave warrior who put his life at risk to warn of this traitor's location."Both me and Aurelius look confused, but then the beastkin holding down Daragh let him go and he comes over to Dáire.Aurelius seeing this says, "Daragh, what's going on?""The tunnel we passed through on our way here releases orange dust when one makes lots of noise within it, and as our horses went through it the orange dust was released everywhere showing our pursuers that we had gone off the main path and had taken a shortcut. Any member of the village would be aware of this.""You sold us out?"With a disgusted expression, Daragh says, "Of course I did you human. No matter how I am treated I know not to make deals with the devil that could curse all my people."Daragh walks away and as he does a man comes out from the mob of people throughout the forest, and says, "Good work my son, you have truly shown that it was worth raising you."As his father rubs his head, he makes
Arc 10.123: Cú Culainn part 3
Location: Outer edge of the Village of Lann BhuanΦ Grooming the hair of the horses by the riverside, I say, "Sorry for Setanta's nonsense, we are lucky he managed to catch you from the air when we fell off that Clift. But don't hold it against him, the little boy seems to be in a dire strait."Beside me Daragh comes up and looks at the horses, so I turn to him and say, "Do you want to touch one?""Can I!" He says with a bright expression.Picking him up, I hold him near the horse and say, "Horses are very highly perceptive, and will sense distrust. So, make sure to earnestly approach.""I will."He slowly brings his hands close and then touches its head. As he does the horse playfully rubs its head against Daragh's hand, and he looks back at me whilst saying, "He is touching me back! I think he likes me!""You're right about that, it seems he senses what a good man you are."Daragh looks at the horse, and says, "They never let me go near one back at home. Horses are animals which are
