《A New King》Training
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The world spun. Alaric felt extremely nauseous as he stared at the bittersweet mixture sitting in front of him. He was told by Lord Moats that he had been asleep for nearly a month after the first dose, a week after, the second, and then a day. It was supposed to be his final powerful dose, but he wasn’t sure that he could finish it.
Amindra sat patiently next to him. Her face gave away almost nothing. Alaric had to admit that she was extremely beautiful for a maid. She had long, black hair and deep blue eyes. She had high cheekbones that framed her face perfectly. She was slim, but she had curves that gave her body a fair amount of contrast.
Despite Amindra’s physical beauty, her voice was like nothing that Alaric had ever heard. It was almost as if she was singing with every word the most beautiful song that he had ever heard. It was alluring just hearing her talk normally.
Alaric knew that he was betrothed to the Princess, but Amindra was nearly tempting enough for him to attempt pursuing her. She bore no confidence though. She could have taken the heart of nearly any one of the nobles, but she acted as if she was worth nothing. Alaric tried to be kind to the poor girl in hopes that over time, she would grow into a stronger woman.
Amindra spoke softly, her voice like a melody,”You need to drink it, Alaric. It is part of becoming a Dragon Knight. The great dragon said that you had to do this. It was a prophecy!”
Alaric shuddered at the word. “The dragon does not control me, nor does the king, and nor do you. I am my own man.” He hated that he had been forced into the role of royal. He mostly hated feeling so out of control.
Amindra frowned beautifully. “You are strong-willed Lord Alaric, but no one can resist the will of Lady Fate. You truly have no choice in the matter.”
“Amindra, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have snapped at you that way. The world just seems to be moving so fast, and I can’t seem to keep up.” Alaric stared into the bowl before pulling it up to his lips.
Amindra placed her hand on Alaric’s shoulder as he choked down the vile substance. “You’re going to be an amazing king. Princess Lilia is a very lucky woman indeed!” Amindra’s smile made him shift. He had to look away to avoid getting lost in her face.
Once he finished draining the bowl, his eyes started to grow heavy. “I think that I am going to rest now, Amindra. I appreciate your help.”
Amindra smiled. “I’ll wake you in a few hours. Lord Darren said that this time, you should only sleep for a few hours at most!” She stood and turned gracefully before exiting the room.
Alaric watched her every move intently. He was gone before she made it out of the room.
Suddenly light flooded into the room. Alaric covered his eyes to block it.
“Get up. Quit being lazy!” Lilia’s voice came sternly. Her hair was brown and her eyes were light blue, almost the color of cold steel. She was built much like Amindra, so much so that they could have nearly been sisters. She held herself with air of confidence that Amindra lacked. Alaric thought that it had to come from being a princess.
Alaric threw his blanket off and climbed to his feet. “What purpose does this serve? Why torture me?” He wished that it had been Amindra that had woken him. She was much gentler and sweeter.
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“What’s wrong? Would you rather be woken by the servant girl? Am I not pretty enough? Or would you rather me sing to you like she does?” The Princess stood with a hand on her hip. The look in her eye dared him to speak, but he knew better than to admit that she was even close to right.
Alaric just grunted in reply. He refused to give her the satisfaction. “What do you want, girl?” he asked sharply.
Lilia pursed her lips. “It time to train. You haven’t had the opportunity yet. I’ll be in charge of making you catch up to the rest of the Initiates.”
“I’ll be fine. You probably aren’t much of a teacher anyway. You have no patience.” Alaric smiled daringly at his wife-to-be.
She dropped her arms to her side and frowned. “Alaric, I will not marry someone so weak and arrogant. Could you at least try not to be such a fool?”
Alaric straightened. “Could you get some food? I need to get dressed without you in the room with me.”
Lilia flashed a devilish smile and sat down in the chair that Amindra always sits in. She waved her hand toward a tray near the edge of Alaric’s bed that had some sort of stew and bread on it.
Alaric sighed. Lilia was very forward, but she had never been so bold. “We aren’t married yet, Lilia. You should go.”
Lilia shook her head slowly. “I’m not going anywhere, my love. I’ve seen everything already. Who do you think cares for you while you sleep? It is not Amindra’s place, as your wife-to-be, it is my duty.”
Alaric frowned at Lilia. Things were different in the capital. Much more different than he thought that he could ever get used to. “That isn’t the way that we do things in Baerlon. It isn’t right and you know it.”
Lilia stuck out her bottom lip as if to pout. She stood and pressed her lips and body against Alaric’s. Her warm body felt good pressed against his, but he pushed her away. “Lilia, I barely know you. This is not how any courtship should be.”
Lilia blew out in frustration. “You’re impossible. What do you even want from me? I can’t fathom how you and I could ever fall in love.”
Alaric chuckled. “It’s almost cute to see you so frustrated, now go. I’ll be out quickly.” He gently nudged the girl toward the door.
She turned her head to meet his eyes and smiled. She gave him a parting peck before leaving the room.
Alaric shook his head. He didn’t understand women, but the Princess made even less sense than a normal woman. She was hot then cold, happy then angry, seductive then repulsive. She loved him and hated him but also wanted him and wanted nothing to do with him.
Alaric dressed slowly. The outfit had been picked out for him, most likely by Lilia. It was nice. His trousers were blue and his shirt was grey. They weren’t his first choice, but he wanted to do something nice for Lilia while he could, even if she was hard to deal with.
Once he was done, he sat at the edge of the bed. He grabbed a slice of bread off of the tray and dipped it in the stew.
A sharp knock came from the door. “Come in, Lilia,” Alaric said.
He met the beautiful princess with a warm smile. She eyed him wearily but returned a gentle smile. Alaric realized suddenly that he enjoyed making her guess where she stood with him.
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Alaric stood and extended his arms. “What do you think, Lilia?”
She frowned at him. “You look like a fool. Did you really pick that for yourself?”
Alaric looked at the clothes. They were nice and paired well together, Amindra must have picked the clothes then if it wasn’t Lilia. “What would you rather I wear then, Princess?”
“Throw on your leathers. We’re training, not going for a casual stroll through the flowers.” Lilia stode over to a chest of drawers and pulled out a leather outfit that had been fitted for him for training as an Initiate.
Alaric caught the clothing dropped it on the edge of the bed. He stared at Lilia while he peeled off his clothes and slid into the leathers.
Her face turned red, and she looked away once she realized what he was doing. It turned out that she wasn’t as bold as she pretended to be.
Alaric had to try not to laugh. He changed slowly to savor extended her discomfort. With her, romance seemed to be nearly a game. They hadn’t really been able to spend any extended amount of time together because of the concoction that he had to drink. He shuddered at the thought of taking in any more of the drink.
“I’m ready now, Princess. Let’s get to work. It’ll be good to finally stretch my legs.” Alaric started toward the door.
He had only taken a couple of steps and suddenly, Lilia was standing in front of him. He nearly staggered back. He had no idea how she moved so quickly, but she was blocking his path.
Her eyes were daring. It seemed that she had recovered from him changing in front of her. “You play a lot of games, but I will figure you out. You should know though that I will make sure that you survive your training. You will be mine and I yours, whether you like it or not.”
Alaric cocked his head to the side. “You have more to learn about this world than you know. I’ll not accept anything that the dragon said except the things that I decided. You’ll be my wife, if I decide that’s the case.” He pushed her gently to the side and then walked out of his room.
“Do you even know where you’re going, Alaric?” She shot from behind him.
He looked back over his shoulder at the red-faced girl. “Not at all, but with how fast you are, I assumed that you would take the lead no matter what.”
Lilia glared. “Follow me then.” She moved quickly, but slower still than before.
Alaric nearly had to run to keep up with the girl, but they didn’t travel far.
Alaric was fairly certain that they headed south. It was hard to be certain of the direction in the evening without being able to see the sun past the walls.
“Why are we training so late? Everyone else must be preparing for bed,” Alaric said as he caught up to Lilia.
Lilia didn’t bother a reply. She waved toward the opening that they had almost reached.
The training ground was an open field of green grass within the high walls of the castle. It seemed that none of the Initiates in the castle were preparing for bed.
The dozens of men and women in the field stood still and silent. They stared expectantly toward the entry way that Alaric and Lilia came through.
The eldest stepped forward. She carried herself with authority. Alaric knew instantly that she was the Dragon Knight in charge.
Her eyes were as dark as her long, jet-black hair. She was the thinnest person that he had ever laid eyes on. She wore a black suit that was nearly skin tight with a sword at her waist.
The Dragon Knight eyed Alaric carefully. It felt odd being studied so intently. Alaric wanted to step behind Lilia and let her soak in the spiteful gaze.
Her voice was indifferent but still somehow soothing. Alaric had heard tales from his father of venomous beings that appeared in the shape of a woman, but turned later into horrific men-devouring monstrosities.
Alaric pushed the thought away. She may have looked like a being from his father’s stories, but she was a Dragon Knight. That meant that she was of noble blood and not a literal monster.
“Lord Alaric, I welcome you to our training grounds. This is where you will spend much of your time for the next several years. It is time to show you what it means to be a Dragon Knight though.” As she finished, a large blob of an initiate waddled out of the crowd with Alaric’s sword. He looked much like Darren, the two had to be related in some way.
Alaric had been so occupied with the potion and his new roles and rules that he had forgotten about his father’s parting gift. Alaric braced to take the massive sword expecting the weight.
He nearly jumped when the sword fell into his hands. Alaric knew that he was one of the strongest men in his hometown. He had always been larger than most and working steel had helped him grow strong. Despite that, his sword had always been heavy in his hands, but the sword in his hands felt as if it weighed nearly nothing.
The Dragon Knight spoke in response to his surprise,”It is the potion that you drank, Lord Alaric. It makes us stronger and faster. There are different levels of effect though. We shall now see how strong and fast you are.”
As she finished speaking, she drew her thin falchion. Alaric could feel immediately that she was slow and strong despite her appearance and thin blade.
Alaric suddenly felt a rush of excitement. Alaric’s eyes widened with fear and bloodlust as he lost control of his body.
He could feel every muscle fiber move individually as he flipped the great sword’s pommel into his hand. Once he had a firm grip on his sword, his body launched forward like a wolf leaping at the throat of a bull.
The Dragon Knight sidestepped and partied carefully. Her face was calm and collected, but Alaric could smell her fear.
A smile crawled across his lips that felt more like a snarl. He pounced again, but he watched her more closely. When she stepped to move and parry, he twisted in the air and flicked her sword away. From there, he spun and stopped with his sword at her throat.
She pushed the sword gently away. “You are faster and stronger than any other initiate. I’m impressed. Let me attack you know, and we’ll see how well you fare.” Her voice was calm and steady. Alaric was unsure of how she could act so calmly. He could feel her heart pounding rapidly in her chest.
Alaric stood up straight and nodded. His body was relaxed, and he felt no concern or nervousness facing her.
The woman reached down to pick her sword up off of the ground. From her crouched position, she dashed toward Alaric.
Her movements were fluid but slow. Alaric didn’t feel the need to avoid her strike. He instead reached out and caught the blade between his fingers. The rest of the woman crashed into Alaric, but she wasn’t heavy enough to shift his balance.
The woman leapt to her feet. She showed no sign of angry or frustration or fear, but she reeked of all three.
“Very good. I think the other Dragon Knights will like to come and fight against you. There is little question as to why you are here.” The woman straightened herself and turned to the other Initiates.
Alaric frowned. He could feel his body loosening. His whole body began to tingle. He glanced at Lilia from the corner of his eye.
The beautiful girl eyed him warily. Alaric knew after facing the Dragon Knight, that he was stronger and faster than anything that they had ever seen.
“...now let's get to work training.” Alaric heard the Dragon Knight shout at the Initiates. He realized that he hadn’t paid any attention to the woman.
She faced him. “Lord Alaric, my name is Erika Abigor. I am Lord Domayne Abigor’s eldest child. It is a great pleasure to meet and train next to the next King.” She bowed deeply.
Alaric could see the resemblance between the venomous High Lord and his daughter. She seemed to be much more honorable and sensible than her father was. Alaric returned the bow. “It is a pleasure to meet you. I met your father when I first arrived. I have much to learn from you. I’m excited to train.” He felt that his response was formal enough.
The woman smiled and nodded in approval. “You’ll be training with me today. The other Initiates wouldn’t be able to keep up with your abilities. You need to learn technique.”
Alaric nodded. He had little clue how to effectively wield his weapon despite his success. “Let’s get to work then.”
Alaric glanced around to look for Lilia. She was sparring with the hulking blob that was Darren’s son. They both paused to glance at him occasionally. Alaric would have time to chat with them after, he hoped.
He turned his focus to Lady Erika. “No one has actually explained to me anything yet. My time here has been a painful blur. Why do the nobles become Dragon Knights and what was that liquid that I was forced to drink?”
The Dragon Knight smiled. “It is not my place to teach those things. That will be another Knight’s duty. Mine is to teach you technique with the sword. My teaching is less important for a king though, especially one such as you. Ready yourself, Lord Alaric.”
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Ars Magica
Our vision comes back into focus. Our eyes, while being able to perceive the immediate surroundings, still leave us with our minds uncomprehending towards what is actually occurring. Sure, there are definitive things that we can focus on, like the fact that we're either out upon the open sea or the open ocean, there not being much of a difference with no land in sight, as well as the fact that we appear to be upon a haphazardly constructed metal boat, whose seams are barely able to keep a hold of themselves in the crashing waves. However, that does not let us understand what exactly is causing the waves in the first place. If we were to rewind time, we'd find ourselves upon a calm sea under a peaceful sky with the only difference, being a small whirlpool that would be the precursor towards this uproar around the boat. Lightning flashes in the sky, with no clouds being near, and anyone actually manning the boat has either died towards the cause of the smashing tides in the first place, or are fighting amongst the flashes of lightning, all while trying not to become devoured, demolished, and utterly decimated by the beast roiling in the whirling waves. To better understand exactly what is happening here, there is one singular event that needs to be understood, that needs to be explained, and that is the arrival of a creature named Dave. Stepping back from current events and going towards this creature's first appearance in the world, we begin to hear the sound of water slowly dripping across rocky ground. The cavern is utterly silent except for this one constant, its cause feeding channels downwards, sloping towards cracks in the rubble along the floor from broken stalagmites and stalactites. And there, lying on top of something which had fallen over recently, judging from its cracks, is a person, the creature named Dave. His form is fast asleep, either from the impact or from an intoxication, judging from the smell upon its breath. A bright light suffuses into it for a second, giving life towards the pale skin, before it slowly dies down back to the comfortable black of the cave that it's within. Before this moment in time, Dave did not exist in the physical world. At least, not in the reality that he finds himself born into. We do not know whether or not his existence is simply a cosmic joke, or something that is being played out on purpose. All that we do know, is that one moment, the body was not in the cave, and simply formed in the next. The actual earliest time that we know Dave exists, is the interpolation of the memories of J-209, which we'll begin looking into shortly to gain context towards the coming narrative that is being written and hastily trying to keep itself written. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Warning: This story has several things which might turn its readers away. The first is that this story has shifting points of perspective. Don't worry about that previous sentence too much though, as the main character will always have a first person perspective associated with them. However, any other character from which we're viewing the story from will either be in third-person, as we are not necessarily in their shoes at the moment, or in first person, given that the narrator is an actual physical presence within the story. For the most part, chapters will be self-contained with their perspectives, so there will not be an abundance of switching perspectives within the same chapter. The most that an average reader would have to worry about is the fact that perspectives can switch between chapters. The second thing is that the main character is a bit on the 'special' side of things. He's not exactly mentally there most of the time, so there will be some times that his personality or his thoughts do not actively align with his actions. The third, and final thing of importance, is the fact that past the first couple of chapters, nothing has been planned in advance. There are arcs and plots that I want to do, want to implement, or have already been set into motion from our main character's introduction to the world, but the method that I use for my story writing and generating leads towards a bit more random chance being enabled. Basically...there's a lot of dice rolling behind the scenes. To not complicate the story further than its regular LitRPG elements, the rolls will not be publicly available. However, there will be knowledge within the author's notes on whether or not there were positive or negative critical rolls that had occurred within the chapter. You have been warned. Updates: Mondays & Fridays (Schedule permitting) Typical Chapter Length: (2,000-3,000)
8 107Signs of Nature
Welcome to world Thagua MB3! We at the Paladin Embassy hope you enjoy your stay here! Please be sure to spend as much time as you can in our many sightseeing activities, whether that be trekking through the Kamman Peaks or taking a dip in Mancouche Depths. We want to make sure that you, our loyal paladins, have the best time of your lives here. Happy vacationing! Please note that any decapitation, crippling, paralyzation, melting, internal bleeding, and mental trauma due to the Naid infecting the planet will not be covered by the Embassy.
8 98Magic Empireum: Blood Coin
After a prolonged war between the militarized state of Nauler and the great Kingdom of Altarcia, mediation from the Vindean Empire finally bears fruit. To prevent mass starvation in the eastern Kingdom, Vindeans lifts its customs on the border and funds every merchant willing to supply Altarcians with food and other basic necessities. This opportunity will open a way for quick-witted traders to build their fortunes on common folk ill fate! Where the sword can't reach, the spy will deal a fatal hit. Never in modern history has the world seen such a ridiculous situation, where two enemies can control each other with their intelligence network while failing to govern their own lands for the same reason. Every event taking place has at least three sides looking for their faction profit. As the western continent falls deeper and deeper into a quagmire of schemes and infighting, beyond the great continental wall a mass of barbarians is venturing north in search for a better way to invade these damn knights. Unbeknownst to them, an army trained in the blaze of endless conflict sets forth to foil their plans. If only the eastern frontline didn't require over a million man strong force to be maintained! When everyone is aiming at everyone's throat, great schemes are changing the power balance between the powerhouses, one can only look to improve his own situation. When rulers are sending fathers and sons to battles, daughters and mothers whore themselves to afford another handful of wheat. Only the strong can prevail? All of them either died in the past battles or are enjoying the benefits of the jungle law. In this harsh reality, to win means to survive. To survive means to end other people's lives. To live means to exploit others. How can one reach for greatness, when this world is nothing but a toy in the hands of so-called 'God'?
8 608Crows Feast
Virtual Reality Gaming. The Dream of many gamers and otaku´s alike.Our main protagonist is neither of those two yet he cannot help but be excited as the first Virtual Reality Game comes out. Here you can follow his journey trough this new world filled with Monsters that learn from there mistakes and Programs more Realistic then some Real People. See how he reacts as he struggles with one of the most punishing games of all time.
8 90One bite
One bite, that's all it took to change Beca Mitchell's life for good.
8 186Secret || Darlentina ff
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8 88