They were not prepared.James had no trouble repeating this phrase and allowing it to dictate what he did that day. He remembers back to when he was first starting as a knight, making powerful allies and bitter enemies, both on the battlefield and in the courts. Becoming stronger, possibly the most powerful swordsmen of his generation with very few rivals. A prince known for running into the battle recklessly instead of sitting far away and leading his army, as one would expect of his general. Being in the fray, not where he is supposed to be. Then, something miraculous happened as a result. He had drawn the attention of powers even beyond the mortal imagination. Beyond mortal magic, beyond mortality. And he embraced that power, believing it would save his nation from a threat he foresaw, and sought to destroy with an unrelenting vigor.Now he looks back at what is left of him as he traversed the deeper halls of the castle where few men walked. He is alone. He lost his lover and his o
Lyse has never been on a ship like the Nautilus Omega before, and it wasn't exactly the most enjoyable experience. His ride on the ferry, he is sure, measures little to what the open sea has in store for them. At the very least, he hopes that as he leaves the clans, his longtime home, the threat of Talin could vanish as well. It will be difficult, maybe even impossible to track them out at sea. And it'll be hard to surprise them when they are in the open waters. Still, he felt uneasy stepping onto the deck of the Nautilus Omega. He felt refreshed from extensive baths, and yet he fears what stench will follow him when he returns home. And the rocking of the ship was almost unbearable. He had to stay near the rail for the first few hours just to get his bearings, and he wasn't alone. Almost all of their party, save for Gray, had severe sea-sickness as they went further out to sea. The crew had a good laugh at this, and Edlund may have done some form of verbal retaliation, if opening you
Lyse passed bodies below deck, obviously killed by the Makhai. There weren't many, as loads were already on deck when the attack occurred, but easily a dozen laid limp dying or in the process. He helped a man with a cut across his chest get to his feet and towards the deck, and charged on in the wake of destruction. He hobbled a bit, the wound slowly healing, but he was not focusing on the gash at the moment to do so properly. He feared the worst, but he hoped for the best of outcomes. His sword was already drawn and ready, and he busted into the room he and his mom was staying in. He was slightly surprised though, seeing the black cladded warrior he had chased dead on his stomach, his blood covering the floor, and his mother in human form sitting on her bed, panting like an animal in heat. Her mouth was caked in blood, her eyes almost glazed. She clutched her hands as if they were drenched in fire. She only turned after he called her name a number of times, where the glaze left her,
Elena could feel the presence of two men boarding the ship from below. It was a blessed thing to do, the ability to sense others who have aura. It was also convenient to be able to assess them through it. It can be difficult sometimes, especially when some can suppress their aura or even conceal it, as she has recently learned. But the two who boarded them gave no attempt to such an action. It was clearly the aura of mages, so unlike the aura that knights produced; far more streamed and fluid, like water than the grainy flow of most knights. But she knew it also to be trouble as well. She knew about the Ravens. Every knight is told about the ravens. They were responsible for making sure knights do not make it to the mainland, and knights were told strictly to stay away from them and from Torlak. It was one thing discussing it with Lyse, sneaking into a country people like them swore never to enter, but now that the enforcers of such an act were here, it was far more stressful than wha
Remmus Mythweaver. The Grandmaster of the arts, the sovereign of the magical kingdom of Torlak. Being the grandmaster, he has a special role of monitoring, governing, and protecting the mystical arts taught uniquely to the citizens of his country and protect the needs of the people. Over the years, he has learned of so many ways of doing such a thing. Firstly, he can always fall back on the judgment of the council of Six Arms, advisors to help guide the nation in its smaller sectors. He has made friends among them, and he trusts their judgment sometimes to get things done. Though they are wise men and women, however, he finds that going out and seeing for your own eyes often yielded some of the best results. this is something he has found himself doing more and more often. Either by disguising himself to go through the street unabated or venturing to whatever unique situation found in the ruins of the old world, he finds a bit of solace doing so, despite the anxious pleas from the cou
26 years ago"Tell me, James, are you fond of these battles."The 12th royal legion. One of the twelve main forces captained by some of the best generals and captains the Liontari clan had to offer. They are a vast array of men. five hundred archers, each with long-range war bows powerful enough to puncture steel plate, and each man capable of shooting an apple from its branch. The most excellently trained cavalry, horses as fast as the winds and more fearless than the most veteran of man. Swordsmen, pikemen, rows upon rows on infantry 2 thousand strong, bearing the golden crest of a lion's head upon their shields and stamped into their armor. And not only, but a hundred of the finest knights can be found in these ranks. Each alone worth twenty of their own, possibly double that, even. Captains as brave as the most celebrated of heroes, generals more cunning than the craftiest trickster. All under the care and attention of one of the princes, Prince James Colton.It wasn't his first r
Massua's time at this prison drastically changed since that conversation with that strange woman. It was curious, but she barely remembers anything about what occurred that day or anything that she said. When she took part in that feast, the world seems to become skewed and unclear. She almost thought of the strange woman in black as a friend, or at least someone she could talk to. She felt wrong when her senses came back, and she woke up in a completely different cell than before. Her lips and mouth felt numb like she had eaten something with terribly too much spice. At the very least she can be appreciative of the fact that she did not wake up on the cold moist ground next to the skeleton. She did not feel safer, looking at her surroundings, but she appreciated all of the small things afforded to her. Even that felt wrong. She took a quick survey of her surroundings. She had woken up in a huge bed, twice the size of even her parents. The cushions were fluffy and filled with do
As brief as his time in Torlak had been, Lyse felt a small part of him sad to leave. As someone who had always been interested in something he did not know. Something such as Torlakian magic presented possibly the largest challenge to him. Something even outside the challenges he has already faced with aura yet still related somehow. He saw so much to learn, so much to discover. Despite his vow never to step foot in their land without the permission of the Grandmaster and Six Arms, he walked a bit slow behind Makyra looking around at the city. Its architecture and its customs. The people seemed relatively happy and spry. Busy, but with a step that determined a sense of aptitude of where they are. He still couldn't get the idea of those floating towers and islands slowly drifting around the cities. He could gawk at them for hours. They were a marvel to look at, a lump of rock and dirt suspended in the air and somehow guided around like guardians. He felt the urge to learn, to k