In this book you may notice famous or well known quotes, these quotes are used to further enhance character development, and I do not claim to own the right's to any of the quotes used. As always constructive criticism is welcome.
Chapter 1, Failure
The rain beat down heavily turning the ground to sludge, Thomaz watched as his citizens struggled to push their carts of merchandise. Nightmares still plagued him, and the hag Patricia Agatha, was failing to find a way to stop them. “What good is fucking magic if you can’t make it do what?” The king would snarl at her.
A strike of thunder hit a weather vane on top of the cathedral roof causing the ground to shake. Thomaz jumped, his thoughts ending abruptly as he sloshed wine from his goblet all over his hand.
“Maid, more wine!” He called out, snapping his fingers. A small timid maid with black hair and brown eyes walked forward, her frame slim and full of nerves, carefully extending her arm she filled the kings goblet up with his favourite wine, bowing she took a few steps backwards, standing with her back straight, her held high as she waited for her next instructions.
He stood by the window continuing to watch, everyone bustling about. He was waiting, and he’d been waiting for too long, he’d had no reports from his scouts for over a week now. Then, there it was, the sound of familiar boot heels scuffing along the floor.
There was a loud knock, “Enter!” he called out.
And there stood Rubian, in the doorway looking dishevelled and unkempt.
“My Lord,” Rubian bowed to the king, “I have come to give you the report personally.”
“Well? Don’t just stand there, speak already!” The king growled.
“Our ranks joined the Ingmars, and they suited each other well. Strange beasts but they allowed some of the soldiers to ride them. We charged through, but the enemy was ready, their tactics were something, something different. The Elves led by Gabija, and the Dwarves led by Althor arrived to give aid, although they initially looked like a visiting party.”
“So the Elves, and Dwarves have aligned themselves with Vivi? Was he their, did you see the traitor?”
“No my lord, I did not see him. The one they call Nekonata was there though, his prowess is something like I’ve never seen before. His aura is of the most royal purple in colour. His swordsmanship and bowmanship skills are second only to your’s of course my lord…” Rubian didn’t want to anger the king so tried to throw in a subtle compliment.
Thomaz smirked, “The most royal of purple in colour?” Thomaz paced up and down the room in thought, occasionally looking out of the window to watch the rain fall. “Something about that, do we have anything of the Elves ancestry?”
The question took Rubian by surprise, “Elves ancestry my lord? I’m not sure, a lot of the text and scriptures you had set on fire and destroyed, but I can try to find out.”
The king waved his hand, his back to Rubian as he continued to look out of the window, drinking more of his wine. “Continue with your report.”
“Yes my lord, the boy took on an Ingmar killing it all by himself… without using magic.” The king turned and looked at Rubian, then slowly walked over to a chair, snapping his fingers at the maid, who once again stepped forward to refill his goblet. “It seemed more of pure luck that he beat the Ingmar, but still he succeeded. Then out of nowhere the dragon appeared, raining down a torrent of Dragon Breath, turning our soldiers to ice, on the dragon's back a woman with red hair…”
“She’s awake? How the fuck is she awake? It’s been 4 years, why didn’t she die in her sleep?” Thomaz shouted angrily, he drank his wine, draining his goblet. “MORE WINE!”
The small timid maid stepped forward again, slowly pouring the wine into the goblet as she had been trained to do, he snatched the jug from her, some wine sloshed over the sides and splashed on to his arm, his face flushed in anger, quicker than the eyes could see he grabbed a dagger from his waist and rammed the blade into the maid’s chest and through her heart. Letting go of the dagger, she crashed to the floor.
Rubian didn’t flinch; he watched as a pool of blood started to form around the dead maid. “Report, continue!” Snapped the king.
“The wolves were also there, a white wolf with a brown and blue eye.”
“Elves, Dwarves, Dragon’s and now fucking mountain wolves! Next you’ll tell me that the damn Undgroll’s have joined them too!” The king moved quickly with unexpected dexterity across the room, grabbing Rubian by the throat and lifting him up off the floor. “You failed me Rubian Blackthorn! Again! And I DO NOT LIKE… FAILURE!” Thomaz took out his dagger and pressed the sharp blade against Rubian’s face, a thin line of blood appeared.”
“My lord,” the old croaky creepy voice of Patricia Agatha appeared out of nowhere,
A shiver of disgust ran down the king’s spine, he glared angrily at Rubian, before letting go of his throat and dropping him to the floor, “What is it Patricia?” He spat.
“I have your… medicine ready, my lord.” She held up a small vial with a dark green swirling liquid inside it.
“Fine,” He snatched the vial from her hand, popped open the stopper, downing the contents and swallowing, it tasted vile, the smell assaulted his senses, making him gag. “Wine, now!” He demanded while leaning against the door frame.
Rubian slowly, on purpose got to his feet and walked over to the serving stand, pouring some wine into a tankard, he handed it to Thomaz, who drank it quickly.
“Shit, I’m going to be sick!” Thomaz pushed Rubian out of the way, and walked quickly to the restroom, they heard loud retching noises echo down the corridor.
With a raised eyebrow, Rubian looked at his mother, “What did you give him?”
She shrugged her shoulders, with a mischievous grin, “Just a random bit of this and that to make him vomit…”
Now it was Rubian’s turn to smile, if you could call it a smile, it was weird and crooked, more like that of a snarl than a smile.
“I wanted to kill the little ginger prick, but he won’t have it, ‘I’ve got plans for the dwarfs’ Fuck the dwarves, I want to make their mountains crumble inwards on them!”
Patricia reached up grabbing Rubian’s ear and pulled him down so he was level with her face. “Watch your mouth Rubian!” She looked around, pushed a brick in the wall, opening up a secret passageway, and dragged him inside it.
They walked down a hidden passage, until they came to the unused side of the palace, one that had been locked away and forgotten about. Eventually coming to a large annexed room, the ceilings high and vaulted, the old tapestries and banners worn and torn, random bookshelves littered the room, some had been moved and pushed to the sides to make more room in the centre of the room. “Do not ask, how, why or when Rubian, but somewhere in amongst this mess, you will find the tomes of ancestry, relating to Elves, Dwarves, Dragons… and even humans. He gave you something to do, so do it!”
“You're not going to help me? This could take years to go through!”
“No, Rubian, I’m not going to help you, I’ve two children to look after you inconsiderate shit!”
The old bag as Rubian called her stormed off. Standing in the middle of the room, he looked around, his arms crossed against his chest as his fingers tapped on his elbows. “This won’t do… hmm…” He pulled a eburnean coloured orb from his satchel, “Hmm, a weird ivory colour… this should work…” He threw the orb on the floor smashing it, “Make this room as it once was!”
Suddenly the bookshelves started to scrape and squeal on the floor as they moved back into their original homes, books flapped and rattled as the flew across the room slamming back into the shelves they belonged, rolled up reed scriptures fluttered across the room making a hollow whistling noise landing with soft thuds in diamond framed shelves. The tapestries and banners waffled loudly like in a high wind as their tears were magically stitched back together, making them whole again. The rough threadbare rugs and carpets shook slightly and slithered across the room magically woven back together. Once all was down and back as it should be, it was then and only then that Rubian noticed, it was an Elven library. On the chimney breast wall was a very large ornate picture of Braiden and the purple dragon Zeindarrys the Swift.
Rubian stared at the picture for a long time. Day slowly turned into night and a cold chill bristled past him. Sighing loudly, he clapped his hands together rubbing them to warm up. “Fajro” he whispered, a small ball of grey fire appeared on the palm of his hand, he threw it into the fireplace, setting the logs alight, a dull grey light from the fire started to lighten up the room a little. Rubian walked around holding a lit candle scanning the spines of the books on a shelf.
The hag watched over the two children from the distance, letting them defend for themselves. One had been imbued with a blue elemental, while the other had been imbued with a red elemental. She smiled inwardly at her cleverness. She had set about training them how to read, and how to write, training them in the basics of swordsmanship and bowmanship. They were slow to start, but were gradually getting in the swing of things. They didn’t have a choice, because if they failed at a task, they’d be punished, just as Rubian had been.
Somewhere in the distance King Thomaz screamed her name, rolling her eyes, she walked through the hidden passage back towards the main part of the palace to see what she was being called for.
“Why am I vomiting? This didn’t happen last time!” Thomaz asked, looking at the old hag, his tunic covered in dark green vomit.
She patted him firmly on his back and muttered something indecipherable, and he stopped being sick. “Huh? What did you do?” Thomaz asked, confused.
“Oh, nothing to worry about. You should feel a little better now.” She croaked. “Something definitely did not agree with you in this concoction. There isn’t any definitive solution to stopping nightmares my lord. A medicine like this takes some… refining, you see.”
“Yes, yes…” He waved his hand, “You are dismissed!” He lay down on his cot feeling dizzy.
“What is Rubian doing?”
“Oh, as you asked I should imagine my lord, trying to find ancestry tomes, should I call him for you?” Thomaz shook his head, and Patricia Agatha walked away, disappearing through another secret passageway
Chapter 1, Failure
The rain beat down heavily turning the ground to sludge, Thomaz watched as his citizens struggled to push their carts of merchandise. Nightmares still plagued him, and the hag Patricia Agatha, was failing to find a way to stop them. “What good is fucking magic if you can’t make it do what?” The king would snarl at her.
A strike of thunder hit a weather vane on top of the cathedral roof causing the ground to shake. Thomaz jumped, his thoughts ending abruptly as he sloshed wine from his goblet all over his hand.
“Maid, more wine!” He called out, snapping his fingers. A small timid maid with black hair and brown eyes walked forward, her frame slim and full of nerves, carefully extending her arm she filled the kings goblet up with his favourite wine, bowing she took a few steps backwards, standing with her back straight, her held high as she waited for her next instructions.
He stood by the window continuing to watch, everyone bustling about. He was waiting, and he’d been waiting for too long, he’d had no reports from his scouts for over a week now. Then, there it was, the sound of familiar boot heels scuffing along the floor.
There was a loud knock, “Enter!” he called out.
And there stood Rubian, in the doorway looking dishevelled and unkempt.
“My Lord,” Rubian bowed to the king, “I have come to give you the report personally.”
“Well? Don’t just stand there, speak already!” The king growled.
“Our ranks joined the Ingmars, and they suited each other well. Strange beasts but they allowed some of the soldiers to ride them. We charged through, but the enemy was ready, their tactics were something, something different. The Elves led by Gabija, and the Dwarves led by Althor arrived to give aid, although they initially looked like a visiting party.”
“So the Elves, and Dwarves have aligned themselves with Vivi? Was he their, did you see the traitor?”
“No my lord, I did not see him. The one they call Nekonata was there though, his prowess is something like I’ve never seen before. His aura is of the most royal purple in colour. His swordsmanship and bowmanship skills are second only to your’s of course my lord…” Rubian didn’t want to anger the king so tried to throw in a subtle compliment.
Thomaz smirked, “The most royal of purple in colour?” Thomaz paced up and down the room in thought, occasionally looking out of the window to watch the rain fall. “Something about that, do we have anything of the Elves ancestry?”
The question took Rubian by surprise, “Elves ancestry my lord? I’m not sure, a lot of the text and scriptures you had set on fire and destroyed, but I can try to find out.”
The king waved his hand, his back to Rubian as he continued to look out of the window, drinking more of his wine. “Continue with your report.”
“Yes my lord, the boy took on an Ingmar killing it all by himself… without using magic.” The king turned and looked at Rubian, then slowly walked over to a chair, snapping his fingers at the maid, who once again stepped forward to refill his goblet. “It seemed more of pure luck that he beat the Ingmar, but still he succeeded. Then out of nowhere the dragon appeared, raining down a torrent of Dragon Breath, turning our soldiers to ice, on the dragon's back a woman with red hair…”
“She’s awake? How the fuck is she awake? It’s been 4 years, why didn’t she die in her sleep?” Thomaz shouted angrily, he drank his wine, draining his goblet. “MORE WINE!”
The small timid maid stepped forward again, slowly pouring the wine into the goblet as she had been trained to do, he snatched the jug from her, some wine sloshed over the sides and splashed on to his arm, his face flushed in anger, quicker than the eyes could see he grabbed a dagger from his waist and rammed the blade into the maid’s chest and through her heart. Letting go of the dagger, she crashed to the floor.
Rubian didn’t flinch; he watched as a pool of blood started to form around the dead maid. “Report, continue!” Snapped the king.
“The wolves were also there, a white wolf with a brown and blue eye.”
“Elves, Dwarves, Dragon’s and now fucking mountain wolves! Next you’ll tell me that the damn Undgroll’s have joined them too!” The king moved quickly with unexpected dexterity across the room, grabbing Rubian by the throat and lifting him up off the floor. “You failed me Rubian Blackthorn! Again! And I DO NOT LIKE… FAILURE!” Thomaz took out his dagger and pressed the sharp blade against Rubian’s face, a thin line of blood appeared.”
“My lord,” the old croaky creepy voice of Patricia Agatha appeared out of nowhere,
A shiver of disgust ran down the king’s spine, he glared angrily at Rubian, before letting go of his throat and dropping him to the floor, “What is it Patricia?” He spat.
“I have your… medicine ready, my lord.” She held up a small vial with a dark green swirling liquid inside it.
“Fine,” He snatched the vial from her hand, popped open the stopper, downing the contents and swallowing, it tasted vile, the smell assaulted his senses, making him gag. “Wine, now!” He demanded while leaning against the door frame.
Rubian slowly, on purpose got to his feet and walked over to the serving stand, pouring some wine into a tankard, he handed it to Thomaz, who drank it quickly.
“Shit, I’m going to be sick!” Thomaz pushed Rubian out of the way, and walked quickly to the restroom, they heard loud retching noises echo down the corridor.
With a raised eyebrow, Rubian looked at his mother, “What did you give him?”
She shrugged her shoulders, with a mischievous grin, “Just a random bit of this and that to make him vomit…”
Now it was Rubian’s turn to smile, if you could call it a smile, it was weird and crooked, more like that of a snarl than a smile.
“I wanted to kill the little ginger prick, but he won’t have it, ‘I’ve got plans for the dwarfs’ Fuck the dwarves, I want to make their mountains crumble inwards on them!”
Patricia reached up grabbing Rubian’s ear and pulled him down so he was level with her face. “Watch your mouth Rubian!” She looked around, pushed a brick in the wall, opening up a secret passageway, and dragged him inside it.
They walked down a hidden passage, until they came to the unused side of the palace, one that had been locked away and forgotten about. Eventually coming to a large annexed room, the ceilings high and vaulted, the old tapestries and banners worn and torn, random bookshelves littered the room, some had been moved and pushed to the sides to make more room in the centre of the room. “Do not ask, how, why or when Rubian, but somewhere in amongst this mess, you will find the tomes of ancestry, relating to Elves, Dwarves, Dragons… and even humans. He gave you something to do, so do it!”
“You're not going to help me? This could take years to go through!”
“No, Rubian, I’m not going to help you, I’ve two children to look after you inconsiderate shit!”
The old bag as Rubian called her stormed off. Standing in the middle of the room, he looked around, his arms crossed against his chest as his fingers tapped on his elbows. “This won’t do… hmm…” He pulled a eburnean coloured orb from his satchel, “Hmm, a weird ivory colour… this should work…” He threw the orb on the floor smashing it, “Make this room as it once was!”
Suddenly the bookshelves started to scrape and squeal on the floor as they moved back into their original homes, books flapped and rattled as the flew across the room slamming back into the shelves they belonged, rolled up reed scriptures fluttered across the room making a hollow whistling noise landing with soft thuds in diamond framed shelves. The tapestries and banners waffled loudly like in a high wind as their tears were magically stitched back together, making them whole again. The rough threadbare rugs and carpets shook slightly and slithered across the room magically woven back together. Once all was down and back as it should be, it was then and only then that Rubian noticed, it was an Elven library. On the chimney breast wall was a very large ornate picture of Braiden and the purple dragon Zeindarrys the Swift.
Rubian stared at the picture for a long time. Day slowly turned into night and a cold chill bristled past him. Sighing loudly, he clapped his hands together rubbing them to warm up. “Fajro” he whispered, a small ball of grey fire appeared on the palm of his hand, he threw it into the fireplace, setting the logs alight, a dull grey light from the fire started to lighten up the room a little. Rubian walked around holding a lit candle scanning the spines of the books on a shelf.
The hag watched over the two children from the distance, letting them defend for themselves. One had been imbued with a blue elemental, while the other had been imbued with a red elemental. She smiled inwardly at her cleverness. She had set about training them how to read, and how to write, training them in the basics of swordsmanship and bowmanship. They were slow to start, but were gradually getting in the swing of things. They didn’t have a choice, because if they failed at a task, they’d be punished, just as Rubian had been.
Somewhere in the distance King Thomaz screamed her name, rolling her eyes, she walked through the hidden passage back towards the main part of the palace to see what she was being called for.
“Why am I vomiting? This didn’t happen last time!” Thomaz asked, looking at the old hag, his tunic covered in dark green vomit.
She patted him firmly on his back and muttered something indecipherable, and he stopped being sick. “Huh? What did you do?” Thomaz asked, confused.
“Oh, nothing to worry about. You should feel a little better now.” She croaked. “Something definitely did not agree with you in this concoction. There isn’t any definitive solution to stopping nightmares my lord. A medicine like this takes some… refining, you see.”
“Yes, yes…” He waved his hand, “You are dismissed!” He lay down on his cot feeling dizzy.
“What is Rubian doing?”
“Oh, as you asked I should imagine my lord, trying to find ancestry tomes, should I call him for you?” Thomaz shook his head, and Patricia Agatha walked away, disappearing through another secret passageway
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