“Mr. Sandstone, I understand what you need but forgive my curiosity,” Cole Green uttered before looking at the hooded figure intensely, “although you said you needed a Wheatstone for your fighter. I don't see a need why you have to see me directly as he could just enter the ring like any fighter that comes to this place, for a fee of course.”“There is a need of course,”Weber said as a matter of fact, “My fighter isn't here for the fame and money brought by the ‘Hotboxing’ event. He is just here to hone his skills, I fear that too much publicity now isn't good for him and could go to his head hence making him lose focus.”Weber paused as he looked straight into Mr. Green's small beady eyes from beneath his hat, “What I want exactly is a very private arena for my fighter. And I'm willing to pay quite handsomely for you to make that happen, Mr. Green. In fact, the fee would be the equivalent of the prize money for the ‘Hotboxin competition.”Mr. Cole Green was quite intrigued by the off
Orion merely grinned and said,“Good thing then that I have an iron chin.”Cole Green laughed as he replied, “We shall put that to the test soon enough.”Weber only shook his head after listening to the light banter between the Prince and the boss of Scarlet District. Although he was a little displeased earlier at the Prince's insistence on fighting a dangerous pugilist; after all unlike Orion, he knows that the ‘best’ Mr. Green had to offered was a dangerous boxer whom other pugilists in this place feared or respected for their skills or ferocity in the ring.Moreover, he was still just a courtier and a butler to the Crown Prince. Hence there were things that he should or should not say in the face of a shrewd observer like Mr. Green. Despite their disguise as boxer and promoter, they were in reality master and servant. Nevertheless, he would find the opportunity to advise the young prince on his rash decision.After a while…A knock sounded on the door to Cole Green's office then a y
AWAKENINGCHAPTER 15THE AWAKENINGWhile his people and the rest of the continent mourned his death. Orion in his near-death state was undergoing some changes at this moment. The werewolf venom in his blood has circulated fully thereby causing more than a few transformations; his scar especially had started to heal after remaining dormant for quite a while.The wounds had started closing at a rate invisible to the eye that anyone who had witnessed it would have been shocked at the impossibility of such a thing occurring after all the fatal injuries suspected to have taken the life of someone presumed dead for days had already started to heal.At this moment.The eyelids of Orion had begun to flutter and what had happened to him a few days ago seemed no more than a distant memory. His reverie into the past had seemed so real to him that it felt like he was like an outsider in his mind experiencing the memories of what he had lived through.With a foggy mind. Orion tried sitting up only
The Royal yacht of Eleftheria glided silently across the great river of Nist, its hull cutting through the inky waters like a blade through silk. The Nist, a marvel of nature that carved the continent of Bastion into six distinct realms, stretched before them, its banks shrouded in mist. Some natives whispered that it was the longest river in the world, its serpentine body extending over 7000 km, a liquid border between nations and ideologies.Despite the technological marvels that dotted the Bastion continent - nuclear arsenals that could turn cities to ash and battleships that could level coastlines - the people still hadn't conquered the skies. The absence of air travel made the waterways the lifeblood of the continent, and ships its beating heart.In the opulent sitting room of the royal yacht, a figure sat hunched over a mahogany desk, the soft glow of a lamp casting long shadows across his face. Crown Prince Orion Darkwood, a man of twenty-five with hair as dark as a raven's wing
Perhaps the reason was to make him feel despair, the werewolf assassin didn't immediately kill Orion Darkwood with the same agility and ferociousness that it had used to kill his men. It stood before the crown prince as if to make him realize what exactly had come to take his life.“By the Maker! W-what are you? Your Highness, stand behind me!” gasped Weber.Perhaps it was out of fright and a sense of duty of having served the prince as a boy that made the elderly valet say those words without realizing that he wasn't armed or equipped to protect anyone, not even himself.Nevertheless, it was after a few moments of initial shock before Weber realized this point. But it was too late as at this moment, the werewolf swiped its claws and slashed his throat hence killing him.Though Orion was also shocked and frightened by such a thing as a giant wolf-like creature in front of him, something he had never seen before but only read about in myths. But the death of his valet who had been with
14 DAYS AgoIn the football stadium of the great institution of learning in the capital of Victoris. There stood a man behind the pulpit. A handsome, tall, and imposing young man with an extraordinary temperament and bearing as he spoke in an eloquent tone to his audience composed of elderly men and ladies, middle-aged men and women, and thousands of young men and women some of which were dressed in graduation attires.“I have to say that I'm honored to be invited to the 150th graduation ceremony of the University of Petra, one of our oldest institutions on the continent, to give a speech to the younger generations as they complete their journey of acquiring knowledge in their various fields of expertise. But make no mistake, learning doesn't end within the four walls of an institution.“Life continues to teach us various things through our experiences. Things I have also personally experienced. Over the past couple of months, I have traveled the continent, visiting the various nation
“And why is that? Your Highness,” Kay Segreti asked curiously.“Well, it's a secret, and all that has to do with the Treaty of Metus. Just know that the other leaders will follow me if I ask them to.” Orion replied vaguely.Then further stated, “Nevertheless, there comes a time when men must ensure with their valor, blood, and sometimes their lives to ensure that Justice must be upheld in the land. And I will do whatever it takes to see this through,” Orion vowed.Kay Segreti frowned at those words, and said inwardly, ‘Is it possible that he knows about that issue? It seems that this man will be a problem for us. Despite knowing that he is outmatched, he still wants to try to stand against absolute power.’With all these thoughts in mind, Kay Segreti decided to play another card in hand by bringing up Orion's father.“Your Highness, what does your father, his Majesty think about this?” From what has been known so far. He hasn't been quite supportive of your aspirations.”Orion sighed
Making his way back towards his waiting limo where his elderly manservant, Weber was holding the door open for him. After Orion got into the car, “Where to next sir? Straight to the Victorian hotel or off to another appointment.”“Back to the hotel. I'm tired and would like to rest. It's been a long day.”As Weber started driving, he struck up a conversation with Orion as that had always been the norm with them. Weber wasn't just a manservant to Orion but was his confidante and advisor to him besides his family. The Royal family of Eleftheria had great trust in him for his loyalty and besides that, he had been at Orion's father's side since his youth. Moreover, he had been present for most of Orion's childhood so it is not an exaggeration to say that he had practically raised Orion like an uncle alongside his father as well. So he was family to Orion as well despite that he never fails to address Orion with the proper method of address for a Prince even when they are alone like now.
AWAKENINGCHAPTER 15THE AWAKENINGWhile his people and the rest of the continent mourned his death. Orion in his near-death state was undergoing some changes at this moment. The werewolf venom in his blood has circulated fully thereby causing more than a few transformations; his scar especially had started to heal after remaining dormant for quite a while.The wounds had started closing at a rate invisible to the eye that anyone who had witnessed it would have been shocked at the impossibility of such a thing occurring after all the fatal injuries suspected to have taken the life of someone presumed dead for days had already started to heal.At this moment.The eyelids of Orion had begun to flutter and what had happened to him a few days ago seemed no more than a distant memory. His reverie into the past had seemed so real to him that it felt like he was like an outsider in his mind experiencing the memories of what he had lived through.With a foggy mind. Orion tried sitting up only
Orion merely grinned and said,“Good thing then that I have an iron chin.”Cole Green laughed as he replied, “We shall put that to the test soon enough.”Weber only shook his head after listening to the light banter between the Prince and the boss of Scarlet District. Although he was a little displeased earlier at the Prince's insistence on fighting a dangerous pugilist; after all unlike Orion, he knows that the ‘best’ Mr. Green had to offered was a dangerous boxer whom other pugilists in this place feared or respected for their skills or ferocity in the ring.Moreover, he was still just a courtier and a butler to the Crown Prince. Hence there were things that he should or should not say in the face of a shrewd observer like Mr. Green. Despite their disguise as boxer and promoter, they were in reality master and servant. Nevertheless, he would find the opportunity to advise the young prince on his rash decision.After a while…A knock sounded on the door to Cole Green's office then a y
“Mr. Sandstone, I understand what you need but forgive my curiosity,” Cole Green uttered before looking at the hooded figure intensely, “although you said you needed a Wheatstone for your fighter. I don't see a need why you have to see me directly as he could just enter the ring like any fighter that comes to this place, for a fee of course.”“There is a need of course,”Weber said as a matter of fact, “My fighter isn't here for the fame and money brought by the ‘Hotboxing’ event. He is just here to hone his skills, I fear that too much publicity now isn't good for him and could go to his head hence making him lose focus.”Weber paused as he looked straight into Mr. Green's small beady eyes from beneath his hat, “What I want exactly is a very private arena for my fighter. And I'm willing to pay quite handsomely for you to make that happen, Mr. Green. In fact, the fee would be the equivalent of the prize money for the ‘Hotboxin competition.”Mr. Cole Green was quite intrigued by the off
Reaching the entrance of the club. Weber looked at the two bouncers and said in a slightly authoritative and arrogant voice, “I would like to meet Mr. Green,”“Do you have an appointment with the boss?” one of the two burly and fierce looking bouncers asked.“Yes and No,” Weber said, “but I have an offer that he can't refuse for him,”The duo glanced at Weber cautiously as they sized him up. Normally what Weber did to the punk at the other end of the street did not escape the notice of the two bouncers. Hence, it was the reason why they treated him with respect and didn't try to turn him away at the entrance after all, he did not look simple.“It's OK boys,” a young beautiful teenager with dark hair came out from the entrance. “Mr. Green said to let them through.”“My name is Angel Cake.” she said to both Orion and Weber, “I will be taking you to Mr. Green. Follow me!”The duo cleared the path as Weber and Orion made their way into the club under the lead of the teenage prostitute cal
‘The Devil's Nest’ as the name suggested wasn't just an underground club but it was also a nickname of gathering ground for some of Eleftheria's worst citizens. Orion's destination away from the palace was called the ‘Scarlet District’. Though it was situated in the capital of the country, it was lawless as most of the Eleftherian law enforcement officers tended to avoid this place. And it was also partially or perhaps fully because of the owner, Mr. Cole Green, who was not only someone with deep pockets but also a man of means with a wide web of influence.There are even rumors that he had some members of the Eleftherian government in his pockets. Though it was never confirmed but it is evident by the fact that the club had continued to exist in the capital of the country, where the palace and the seat of government was situated.At this moment, two tall figures could be seen approaching the entrance of the club side by side which was guarded by fierce looking and burly bouncers. On
Since young, Orion has always harbored the dream of being a pugilist one day as well. Being a child who loved boxers which could be seen in his support for the former lightweight champion, Forster.This love for one of the most popular and oldest sport on the Bastion continent became a means of entertainment for Orion. Which is why his father wasn't too reluctant about him wanting to learn how to box after making his desire known, after all a nobleman must know how to defend himself.So Orion's three years training in the art of boxing began after witnessing that match. Later on as a young man, it was what became a coping mechanism for him and also made him a more focused and determined individual because Orion believed that without consistency and determination, it was hard to maintain top form as a boxer.……Perhaps it was important to have consistency and determination to succeed in any endeavor, but it was especially necessary to possess those qualities in boxing because it's a sp
Still, in his Near Death state, Orion was experiencing another memory from his past. This time as a teenager. A thirteen-year-old Orion sat glued in front of the television at this moment, his eyes transfixed on the large screen as he watched a spectacular boxing match between two men, one in red trunks wearing black gloves and the other in blue trunks with white gloves.The voice of one of the four commentators who was sitting close to the boxing ring could be heard clearly from the large speakers on the television.“So far, both Forster and Cruiser have been evenly matched from the early rounds.”The names of the boxers in red and white boxing trunks were Forster and Cruiser respectively. He continued saying, “It's quite impressive that Forster has been able to go the distance with the much younger Cruiser. His stamina has been quite impressive due to his age. Being 36 years old, and still being able to move and trade shots like that with a 24-year-old takes a lot of heart.”The se
In the Morgue….After he had been discovered from his ship and his body retrieved back to Eleftheria, it was kept in a freezer at the morgue. Orion Darkwood was in a comatose state and was currently experiencing various scenes from his life. Right from childhood down to the moment his life was nearly taken from him. Though everyone including his father believed that he was dead and that normally, he should be buried right now. But according to Eleftherian customs, when a royal dies, their bodies are not hastily buried in the ground but preserved so that the people can pay their last respects to them. This process takes up to 14 days, and hence when the ceremonies are done, then and only then could they be buried.But right now, it was kept in the morgue as preparations are being made for the entire country to be able to view his face. Although the ceremony could be watched on TV, Eleftherians consider it rude to do that. Hence thousands of them would journey all over the country just
In a secret lab with rows of men in containment tubes numbered from one to fifty filled with water as a respirator covers their mouths and noses. A short and plump old man in his fifties could be seen looking at some charts on the computer as the lights from the screen reflected from the spectacles covering his small beady eyes.“Good morning, Doctor Octigenti. I hope you are putting to good use the huge funds that have been given for your pet project.” the beautiful woman with an intense gaze, olive skin, and dark eyes teased as she walked out from the elevator door that led to the lab. It was the only exit in and out of that secret facility and can only be accessed by an authorized personality with the highest level of clearance in Krypteia of which the beautiful woman was amongst.“Good morning, Vice-captain Deveraux. Yes! Indeed. On the contrary, I have.” the doctor replied perfunctorily.“Excellent! The top brass wants to see what your creation is capable of. Think of it like a