《The London Phantom: A Superhero Webnovel》Prologue: Historia Regum Britanniae
Advertisement
Brutus! there lies beyond the Gallic bounds
An island which the western sea surrounds,
By giants once possessed, now few remain
To bar thy entrance, or obstruct thy reign.
To reach that happy shore thy sails employ
There fate decrees to raise a second Troy
And found an empire in thy royal line,
Which time shall ne'er destroy, nor bounds confine.
The Goddess Diana to Brutus of Troy
Geoffrey of Monmouth, Historia Regum Britanniae
London is an ancient city. Legend speaks of Brutus of Troy who defeated the giants of Albia and founded the city of Troia Nova, from whose halls he ruled as the first King of Britain, naming the island in his honour. All that is known is that a settlement has existed on the bank of the Thames in some form or another since before the days of Imperial Rome, when this city came to be called Londinium and it served as the seat of authority in the province of Britannia. But Rome fell, and the city stayed. It stayed through the defeat of the Britons at the hands of the Angles and the Saxons, it stood firm amidst the Viking invasions until Æthelstan, King and Chief of the whole realm of Albion, brought together all the realms of the south in Imperial union. These walls of Roman stone proved unmatched even when the armies of Duke William the Bastard began to bear down upon the city, and the Norman took up the name King William the Conqueror. But this Conquering hero, who killed King Harold Godwinson on the fields of Hastings, saw the towering walls of London, built of Roman stone, and knew that he could not defeat the city. And so, he drew up a contract that would stand for millennia. London stands a part of England, but separate from the whole. Though the walls of Roman stone have long since been overshadowed, and the city has spread like a tumour from its original foundries, the sacred square mile still stands independent from the rest of the British state, an inviolate sanctuary that even the monarch must ask permission to cross.
Advertisement
This ancient city has stood its ground amidst struggles and civil wars, surviving the Anarchy of King Steven and Queen Matilda, the Wars of the Roses between Tudor and Lancaster, even the Military Government of the Commonwealth left the city alone whilst they cut off the King’s head. Kings and tyrants come and go, but the city must survive. No deal is too great, no price too high, as long as the ancient privileges are maintained. In all its vast history, only once has London fallen to a military power, when General Monck marched on the city, destroyed the walls of Roman stone and saw the restoration of King Charles II to his rightful throne. Even then, the new King chose to respect the privileges of the city that had turned on him.
Such is the power of London, and such is its nature. It is a fickle place, ruled over by Guilds and Corporations that look to their own interest above all others. If London is the heart of Albion, then it is a fickle engine indeed. Even William the Conqueror, who first placed London upon its preeminent position, recognised the terrible danger it could pose. His rule was defined by Castles, great bastions built to cement the position of his invaders as the true rulers of England, and the greatest of these castles was the Tower of London, built on the city’s doorstep.
The Tower is as old as England, and played many roles over those thousand years. It has been the seat of Royal Authority, where William the Conqueror first set about writing the Domesday Book. It has played host to conspiracies and murder, as when King Richard III cemented his right to rule through the murder of the young princes in the Bloody Tower. It has been a prison reserved for the vilest traitors and enemies of the crown, where treasonous nobles would meet the headsman’s sword in the shadow of the White Tower. It has been a military Armoury, storing first black powder and then the shells of the Royal artillery, and home to the defenders of the realm. Now the Tower once again projects its power into the streets of Greater London. It holds the protectors of the Crown Jewels, the guardians of this vast metropolis, the defenders of its people and the wonders of the modern world.
Advertisement
It holds superheroes.
Advertisement
My Extraordinary Achievement
To reward Meng Fan for his bravery before his heroic death, the cosmos rewarded him with a ‘system’, sending him back in time to three months ago, alive.
8 1445The God of Midgard
The world fractures, rifts form and everything changes. When Kailan returns to Earth after being pulled into another realm for a thousand years, he finds the Earth he left behind has changed, but not as much as he expected. With the advent of Dungeons the birth of humans with the power to challenge them soon followed. Magic becomes a reality. And new businesses centered around the trade and manufacturing of otherworldly materials skyrocket. When Kailan left Earth as a human, everything was normal, but when he returned as a God, the realm of fantasy became his new reality. [One of the Winners of the 5th Royal Road Writathon Challenge - 13th Place]
8 117Re:Naruto
A soul of a man floats through endless darkness, awaiting its next reincarnation. The man remember nothing and knows little, but when his chance to reincarnate comes he will learn he has an abnormal amount of positive karma. Positive karma he can use to gain plenty of advantages in his next life. In fear of being powerless or becoming a pawn he makes full use of it, becoming someone who would surely leave a mark on the world he heads to. His destination? A world of ninja, shinobi. The world of Naruto. I do no own Naruto nor anything else from the source material. This is only a fanfiction.
8 232Misunderstood king
I am the king of this generationI am the sole heir of war godWho can stop me, who can defeat meI am the best I have the biggest chest Filled with gold ,diamond and rubiesI walk with fire and smoking ladiesThe world of demon and demonessI am coming for my beautiful succubus'es Enjoy this novel to your heart content ! CommentLeave a reviewAnd most of all donate for more chapters!
8 175The One, The Enlightened
@ito_michiaki IG. Be There. The truth will prevail........ Everything you need to know....Michiaki Ito and Raiden Ito are two inseparable siblings. They and their childhood friends Hikari, Akihito, and Miyuki can accomplish anything together and back each other up. However, something would put their friendship to the test. It all started when their school mysteriously gets closed due to a publicly announced fire breakout. The group instantly realizes that this is not true and while they try to figure out what is wrong, Ito's parents are called to the school and never come back. At that moment, the group decides to secretly enter the school to investigate. Will their findings bring anything to the table? Searching through the school, the group stumbles across a scrambled note and a mysterious crystal. The school is empty and they could not find anyone else. Returning from school, they meet Kyouko, a girl who experts in those kinds of strange disappearances. With the help of Kyouko, they learn that the crystal is a part of the 9 Rivals, which are 9 magically powered crystals each one having a unique effect. Kyouko decides to help the group resolve the mystery of the school's incident and rescue Ito's parents.
8 127The Sleepless Nights!
This is basically a poetic catharsis when i feel too much emotions are piled up. Ps: this is my first work on wattpad. Please do give honest reviews. Suggestions and positive criticism are always welcomed.Thanku for reading !!( In advance)
8 145