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
Butterflies seemed to twirl within Lyse. He knew what it was coming from, but that did not comfort him. The euphoric feeling of discovery that he had visiting Torlak, or even visiting Pumavut in Koraki, vanished as soon as he stepped foot on the shaky wooden docks of the capital city of Hath. It didn't come from the people. Sure, everyone he saw looked a little rough. Everyone walked with hastened steps as if afraid of attracting attention. Everyone's down casted eyes made Lyse feel as though being watched in some awkward way. But he didn't sense any malice, and no one took notice of the four as they traversed the market area. The only people that seemed approachable were the merchants themselves, waving over to any passerby with practiced half-smiles and approachable appearances.It didn't come from the buildings themselves. For the most part, the streets and accompaniments all looked rather splendid. Each building had a cluttered yet decorative look to them, adorned with all manner
It was scary, for Amond, to continue the research he does under the eyes of that witch. His first encounter with her had not been a good one. In fact, he rather not think at all of the trauma she unleashed upon him. Looking back on it, he admits that his actions were foolish, emotional, and not at all rational. Unbecoming of someone who served under the ruthless and bloodthirsty regime known as Talin for so long. It seemed a waste to him, to do such a thing to his creation, his friend. Maybe that is why Makhai was ressureted. They never felt emotions, so they make the perfect killing machines. No need of fruitless humanity to slow down whatever goals this witch requires of them all. Whatever that was, he still does not know. It has been a month since he began his assignment, and now he feels as if disturbed by what he was doing. He was creating monsters, no way around it. He was a necromancer. The practice itself was something looked down upon in his teachings. Not forbidden, bu
"It is hereby stated, under the bind of my pen and seal and my words that carry executive law, that my place as King is a temporary matter. It has come to me that the Colton line is no more. I carry no relatives, no close blood, and no familiarity to entrust the future of my kingdom into. So this will shall be the instructions to carry out of my unwilling abdication upon my death. The net ruler of this great nature shall be born from Hathan royalty, as my mother shares the strongest ties with them. This appointed ruler must be the will of the current queen, with whom trust I have thanks and admiration. I trust her to appoint someone of a suitable role and stature. All that I may be able to request of my advisors and my Paladins is that they serve their new lord with diligence . . ." James trailed off, reading off his will. It was old; he had comprised it long ago about the same time he posthumous his father's throne. He had written it, knowing that his line may die with
Lyse remembers back to an incident that occurred a few years back. He was still just a squire at the time, but even squires are often given duties to prepare them for taking assignments in the field and under their captains or officers. Some bandits were making trouble a few miles outside the town and needed to be apprehended. They rarely see bandits this close to the capital; most of them stay far into the plains to pick off wagon trains and lone travelers. They were also either former soldiers or guards, deserters who were now wanted men and needed some way to earn what they call a living. His mother was at the height of her apprehensive nature and was very near to forbidding him to go after these criminals along with the rest of the squires. It took his father to convince her that he should be safe; Gabbes and his partner would be riding with them. To say the least, it was nowhere as dangerous as Lyse had been warned. They sent a decoy out to a strip of hilly plains where they spec
Garath stared at the altar, a beautiful thing that sat in the middle of this chamber. It was simple and unremarkable. It was just a stone slab raised from the ground near chest height. There were no embellishments or anything that pointed to a greater significance. The only thing in this entire room, really, was a bronze brazier which he waited eagerly to alive with flame, signifying a message from her. But for now, he marveled at this simple stone structure, the most beautiful thing he has ever seen. This was where gods were born. This is where men shattered their selves and took up the role of the strongest, the most capable. When he had joined this organization, it wasn't because of some philosophical belief or rule like some others, but pure greed. He deserves this power; he deserves it. So much of his time, fighting in the Arkoudan army to receive little reward. He watched friends and family die, killed in the name of the empire to see his actions shunned in the end. And he nearl